episode_0044

[ Title: Does anyone know what this is? ]

I’m currently trying out the new, much-talked-about mod.

But as I played through it, I got entangled with the Demonic Horse Brigade guys in the middle, and I somehow picked up a demonic sword there.

Has anyone tried using this?

Even without a demonic cultist nearby, its special ability activates just by equipping it. At this rate, isn’t it an end-game item you’d use till the end?

[ Comments ]

—(HwaryeonIsKindaHot) It’s definitely an end-game item. But if you keep using it, your reputation score will get ridiculously high.

ㄴ(Author) Really? My reputation score will go up?

ㄴ(HwaryeonIsKindaHot) Because of its effects and qi-absorbing ability, it makes you seem like you’ve reached a state beyond ordinary cultivators, approaching the demonic. So once the rumors start, your reputation will continue to build in that direction, and an independent faction that only worships you will form within the Demonic Cult.

ㄴ(Author) Isn’t that a good thing?

ㄴ(HwaryeonIsKindaHot) It’s good if you’re going to follow the Heavenly Demon route, yeah; but be careful, because the Righteous Alliance guys clinging to you can be quite annoying lol.

…

…

****

“Hmph.”

Cheongun caught his breath and averted his gaze.

Blood dripped from the corpse neatly laid out in the center of the floor, forming a puddle.

Honestly, he had no qualms about killing people, but seeing a corpse awkwardly split in half and dangling wasn’t particularly pleasant.

So he casually covered the body with the discarded martial robes scattered on the floor.

Ah, that’s better.

Now it’s less strenuous on the eyes.

No, wait.

That’s not what’s important right now.

“…”

Cheongun slowly looked down at the sword’s blade.

It was just a sword.

But not just any sword, it was a living demonic sword.

Was that why?

Despite being a sword, it absorbed others’ sword qi.

Furthermore, it converted the absorbed qi of others into demonic energy.

Cheongun tilted his head.

Did such a function exist in the original story?

Honestly, Cheongun himself couldn’t clearly recall.

This sword did exist in the original, but it was, quite literally, just an item that existed.

It was something that was only passed down through word of mouth, so to speak.

Cheongun himself had only wielded it once while on the Blood Sect route.

Even then, he used it a few times and then discarded it.

The moment he grasped it, he lost control, his character ran wild on its own, and a string of terrible debuffs would appear, so there was no reason to use it.

Since it was treated as a “bad ending creator” in the community, no one really paid it much attention either.

Well, whatever.

Whether it had truly changed,

Or if the mod creator had separately altered the sword’s settings.

He didn’t need to worry about such things now.

Because Cheongun, with his activated traits, wouldn’t be consumed by mere demonic energy.

Cheongun put the sword back into its sheath.

“…”

And then, he slowly surveyed his surroundings.

For some reason, the smell of blood pricked his nose.

Not the smell of the blood of the guy he just killed.

It was the smell of the blood of those this guy had killed until now.

How many people had he killed, exactly?

Probably quite a lot, right?

Human sacrifice wasn’t something that could be resolved with just one or two offerings, and with orphans teeming across the Central Plains, acquiring them must have been easy.

Disgusting bastards.

As someone who was also an orphan, he felt extremely disgusted.

Just then, Jeok Hwaryeon entered through the wide-open entrance.

“Sect Leader, are you finished?”

“Finished.”

“Already? Then where is Jang Muyeong… Ah, there he is.”

Jeok Hwaryeon nodded as she saw the puddle of blood spreading beneath the pile of clothes on the floor.

“This side is done too.”

“Oh? Well done. By the look on your face, you didn’t seem to struggle much.”

“Hehe, about that…”

Jeok Hwaryeon immediately listed her achievements one after another.

There were three masters who wielded sword qi.

Normally, they would have been quite difficult opponents.

But after taking the Heavenly Spirit Pill gifted by Cheongun, Jeok Hwaryeon’s cultivation had reached an astounding peak mid-stage!

Even if three mere novices who had just entered the peak stage attacked, they were no match for Hwaryeon.

And so, Hwaryeon had faced the three of them alone.

“Oh, that’s impressive.”

“Right? It’s impressive, isn’t it?”

Hwaryeon’s eyes sparkled. She seemed to be seeking praise.

Cheongun smiled brightly.

“Well done.”

Although he sighed at Hwaryeon’s talent, which had only reached peak mid-stage even after consuming the Heavenly Spirit Pill.

He didn’t bother to say it out loud, merely sighing heavily right in front of her.

Of course, Hwaryeon didn’t mind at all and just kept beaming happily.

“Anyway, we’ve done everything we needed to do. What should we do now?”

“What do you mean ‘what’? We need to erase the traces.”

“Erasing the traces is good, but won’t we be short on time?”

“Why would we be short on time?”

“Well, obviously.”

Hwaryeon sighed.

“Sigh. You know this is a Demonic Horse Brigade branch, right?”

“I know.”

“And you know that the Demonic Horse Brigade main branch sends someone to each branch every day between 11 PM and 1 AM?”

“Of course I know.”

“What time is it now?”

“It’s around 10 PM.”

“Someone will arrive in half an hour. How can we erase all the traces in just that short time?”

Hmm, indeed.

Time was a bit tight.

Actually, there wasn’t strictly a need to erase the traces.

It wasn’t as if erasing the traces would prevent them from figuring out his involvement later on.

There might be someone he failed to kill, or some unknown person could be observing the entire situation from somewhere.

Or a passing traveler might have stumbled upon it.

Despite that, there was only one reason to erase the traces.

To infuriate them.

To make them absolutely furious.

Anyway, if there were no traces, they would inevitably have to gather information.

That process would cost a considerable amount of time and money, making it quite a nuisance for the enemy, wouldn’t it?

It was then.

“Sect Leader.”

“Yes?”

“How about this?”

She held up a bottle.

Inside the bottle was a yellowish liquid. She tilted the bottle and deliberately poured it onto the floor, trailing it from the entrance all the way to the end of the hallway as if drawing.

“What is that now?”

“An oil bottle.”

“An oil bottle?”

Oil bottle, a bottle containing oil.

Hwaryeon’s reason for suddenly spilling oil on the floor was simple.

“Why don’t we just burn everything down?”

Oh.

Such a method exists?

****

Heugu, the Leader of the Demonic Horse Brigade, asked.

“Say that again.”

“The, uh, Chengdu branch has been annihilated.”

Heugu was already boiling with rage due to the disappearance of the Soul-Devouring Demonic Master, to whom he had fully entrusted the Soul-Devouring Grand Technique.

Even the demonic sword had been lost.

A grand plan built over decades had crumbled miserably.

And amidst all that, what?

Suddenly, some madman attacked the Demonic Horse Brigade’s Chengdu branch?

It was clearly the work of the same person at a glance.

Heugu’s eyes glowed ominously.

“Who is it?”

“Uh, there’s no clear evidence yet, sir.”

“Have you sent anyone to the Chengdu branch?”

“Yes, yes. However, the fire caused by arson was so intense that absolutely no traces remain.”

Crash—!

Unable to contain his fury, Heugu slammed his fist, as large as a pot lid, onto the desk. The iron desk groaned and creaked, cracking and caving in as if torn.

The old man reporting cautiously asked, watching the fuming Heugu.

“Should we request information from the Secret Gathering?”

“Request it immediately. If necessary, offer double the reward. Activate all contacts and make sure to find out his identity.”

“Yes, Leader. What do you intend to do?”

Heugu rose from his seat.

“This One shall go to the main cult.”

“The main cult, sir?”

The Soul-Devouring Demonic Master had disappeared.

In truth, it was called a disappearance, but at this point, he was clearly dead.

Regardless of his usual disposition, he was a talent of the Demonic Cult.

The death of a Demonic Master was an incident that even the main cult could not dare overlook.

Heugu’s pupils radiated a chilling blue demonic energy.

“I must personally go and meet the Grand Master.”

****

An old man with the demeanor of an immortal walked with his hands clasped behind his back.

His name was Jin Mooseong.

He was Cheongun’s Master, the Red Night Sword Sovereign.

The signboard of the Blackwood Gate gleamed in the sunlight.

At this scale, it wasn’t just a manor, but a palace.

They seemed to have quite a bit of money, as there were many martial artists, and every single one of them was sitting cross-legged, bare-chested, circulating qi in the training grounds.

The atmosphere was so orderly that it couldn’t be called a trashy Black Path sect.

My disciple, you’ve succeeded.

A proud smile spread across his face, thinking he had indeed found a good disciple in his later years.

It was then.

Jin Cheonwoo, who was guarding the entrance, was startled when he saw Jin Mooseong.

“Have you come to see the Sect Leader?”

“Hoo. Do you know this old man?”

“Of course. Are you not the Sect Leader’s Master?”

Jin Mooseong smiled contentedly at Jin Cheonwoo’s respectful demeanor.

“A man who knows his etiquette. What is your name?”

“My name is Jin Cheonwoo.”

Only then did Jin Mooseong nod.

“I remember hearing from Cheongun. Your alias is ‘Black Human Sword,’ isn’t it?”

“……”

Disciple and Master, damn it.

Every single one of them just has to mess with other people’s aliases like this.

“Guide me to Cheongun.”

“…Yes.”

Jin Cheonwoo pouted his lips as he guided Jin Mooseong.

They passed the banquet hall and the archives, crossed the inner courtyard, and entered the main hall with its large wooden floor.

Walking along the corridor lined with red pillars, Cheongun finally appeared.

“Master?”

“Haha, sit down. Have you been well since then?”

“Yes. I’ve been well.”

“I heard the news. They say you, Cheongun, are this year’s winner of the Tang Family Conference.”

Jin Mooseong was in a good mood.

His only disciple had proudly won the Tang Family Conference and even established himself as the legitimate leader of a sect. How commendable was that?

Moreover, for some reason, the aura Cheongun exuded had become much profounder.

It was clear that his martial arts cultivation had also risen a level in the meantime.

In Jin Mooseong’s gaze as he looked at Cheongun, there was an undisguised pride.

A smile spread beneath his dignified beard.

“A commendable one. When I first met you, you were like a raw jade stone, but now you are quite refined.”

“Haha, right?”

“I have one thing to ask. I don’t know the details, but I heard that you, Cheongun, have gained an alias.”

Cheongun flinched.

Cheongun subtly avoided his gaze.

“Mad Heaven No Sword.”

It was truly a bizarre alias.

How could such an ominous character ‘mad’ (狂) be attached to an alias?

Furthermore, the two characters ‘No Sword’ (無劍) that followed were also deeply significant.

How dare ‘No Sword’ be part of the alias of the Sword Sovereign’s disciple?

It was unacceptable.

“So that alias has been given to me.”

“You didn’t know?”

“This is the first I’m hearing of it. Whoever came up with it, it’s truly absurd. But is there a big problem? After all, isn’t it the way of the martial world for aliases to change constantly?”

That was true.

But Jin Mooseong’s gaze shifted somewhere.

To the scabbard hanging at Cheongun’s waist.

His Red Night Sword, which he had given to his disciple after much deliberation, was not there. Instead, a dark-looking scabbard rested in its place.

Around the scabbard, which was black lacquered with red blood patterns etched onto it, a subtle dark demonic energy shimmered.

It was undoubtedly an ominous artifact at a glance.

“What is that sword?”

“Well, about that…”

“What about the sword your Master gave you?”

“So, what happened was…”

“Did you sell it?”

“No. It’s over there in the corner…”

Jin Mooseong looked at Cheongun and smiled.

To be precise, he smiled halfway.

His eyes were smiling, but the corners of his mouth were stern.

“Hahahaha.”

Jin Mooseong simply laughed.

Because if he didn’t, he felt like he would punch his disciple’s head.