Chapter 74: Just Scratched. (3)

Fwoosh-

The flames that had been swallowing the tranquil forest gradually disappeared on the wind.

The flames that burned bushes and trees with a single gesture were sucked into my body.

As the flames circling my body were absorbed into my flesh, I felt my depleted internal energy being replenished to some extent.

“…Hoo.”

Finishing the consolidation of my internal energy, I exhaled a deep breath, and saw heat escaping from my lips.

How much did I use? I think I used a bit too much.

[You realize that.]

Shin Noya, who immediately retorted, had a slightly tired voice.

[Do you know how hard it is to calm down someone rampaging as if they’ll break anything?]

“Was it very dangerous?”

[If you had used even an inch more, you wouldn’t have been able to stop it.]

“You mean it was a close call.”

Seeing the corpses burned to death around me, I could tell I had used quite a bit.

Because I barely controlled it, not a single corpse was intact.

The forest surroundings, which had been filled only with a refreshing scent, were now filled with a thick smell of burnt ashes.

Carefully tidying my disheveled clothes, I thought.

‘Is this the first time.’

After regressing, I killed someone for the first time.

It was a truly strange sensation.

I didn’t entertain uselessly sentimental thoughts.

I’ve never had lofty thoughts like, ‘Since I’ve returned, I won’t kill!’.

They were the rabble of the Black Night Palace, from the unorthodox path, and they were the ones targeting my sibling.

‘But why is my chest trembling like this?’

Placing my hand on my chest, I felt a slight tremor.

Is it a disconnect between mind and body?

‘Useless thoughts.’

It was the same in my previous life; it’ll be fine after a while anyway.

Rather, I needed to become numb quickly.

[What do you plan to do about the one who escaped?]

At Shin Noya’s words, I looked in the direction the guy who seemed to be the leader had fled.

At first, I thought of catching and killing him, but seeing the faint demonic energy contained within his body, I changed my mind.

Meaning, there was a need to torture him for information.

It was faint and blurry, but it was definitely demonic energy that he possessed.

‘How do the Black Night Palace guys have demonic energy?’

Did they already have contact with the Demonic Cult? That shouldn’t be possible.

There are still several years left until the Demonic Cult, the Heavenly Demon, appears.

‘Was it even demonic energy in the first place?’

The reason I couldn’t be sure was how faint it was, and it seemed excessively shallow to be called demonic energy.

That’s why missing him hurt so much.

“He was faster than I thought.”

I should have burned his legs, not his arms.

It must be because it’s been too long since actual combat, so my head wasn’t working properly.

To make such a mistake even though I know well that my head could be cut off for even a small error.

I had become too weak, lulled by peace.

“…When am I going to clean this up?”

Seeing the scattered corpses around made my head ache.

If my cultivation level were higher, I could have burned them all to dust…

Especially seeing the guy in the corner, dead with his neck snapped, made my anger boil.

I should have burned him starting from his insides; a painless death was too kind for him.

And harboring disgusting thoughts towards the child who barely reached my waist.

It also didn’t sit well that it happened to be Gu Ryeonghwa.

[You seemed to treat him like trash, but you do care about your sibling.]

‘It’s not really like that.’

[Not like that? Just hide that damn expression when you speak.]

First, this was something I needed to tell Mae Hwaseon directly.

If there was something I was slightly worried about, it was that Mae Hwaseon, being a Taoist before a martial artist, might not accept the matter of killing.

In that regard, Shin Noya’s nonchalant words felt peculiar.

[I merely killed those who deserved to die; I don’t think there’s a need to argue about it.]

A Taoist before a martial artist.

A martial artist before a Taoist.

Perhaps because Shin Noya had personally experienced wars like the Blood Demon War, he felt nonchalant about these things.

Conversely, I couldn’t know how it would be received in the relatively peaceful current era.

[I knew you had many secrets from the start. Though I was a bit surprised just now.]

I smiled bitterly at Shin Noya’s words. It was because I felt a certain consideration within his words.

The appearance of the Black Night Palace and demonic energy…

“Why were they lingering around this area?”

Their main objective didn’t seem to be Gu Ryeonghwa…

I think Shin Hyun and Yeongpung mentioned before that they were searching for missing martial artists from Hwasan.

Could it possibly be related to this incident?

‘I have a feeling I’m going to get tangled up in troublesome affairs.’

First, after shaking off the heat, I gathered the scattered corpses around and cleaned them up.

It was obvious that problems would arise if I carelessly moved them far away.

This was something I needed to discuss with Mae Hwaseon upon returning.

For now, I tidied up roughly and started walking towards the cabin.

Seeing the guys earlier, they seemed unable to enter due to the energy barrier, but I passed through without any issue.

Without any sensation of being blocked, I passed through smoothly as usual.

What’s the difference?

The unexplained question was naturally resolved by Shin Noya’s words.

[It’s probably the difference between having Hwasan sect’s internal energy or not.]

‘…Are you perhaps saying it’s because I consumed the energy of a demonic beast?’

[From my perspective, that seems to be the case.]

Could a mere energy barrier, not even a formation, have such a function?

Suddenly, Mae Hwaseon’s dignity, which had plummeted to the bottom within me, seemed to rise again.

As I got closer to the cabin, a delicious scent brushed against my nose.

Are they busy preparing a meal?

As I approached the cabin, making rustling sounds, I saw Gu Ryeonghwa busily moving something outside.

“What are you doing?”

To my casual question, Gu Ryeonghwa turned his gaze towards me.

And immediately, his expression crumpled.

“Why are you here again?”

“The Sect Leader asked me to bring something.”

“Specifically you?”

“Specifically me.”

It seems even Gu Ryeonghwa finds it strange that I’m running errands for the Sect Leader.

Right, I find it strange too.

That I could be bought over for just one Yakgwa.

I see Zhuge Hyuk diligently chopping something in the back.

When our eyes met, he gave a slight nod, which I assume was a greeting.

“…What’s he doing now?”

“Can’t you tell? He’s cooking.”

“He cooks?”

But the way he thinly sliced the onion suggested otherwise.

“…He’s better than I thought.”

Gu Ryeonghwa, saying that, somehow looked like his pride was hurt.

Why is he acting like that?

“Where is Shin-ui?”

“Inside… He’s examining the Master.”

“Understood.”

After hearing Gu Ryeonghwa’s answer, as I was about to enter the cabin, Gu Ryeonghwa suddenly grabbed my sleeve.

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh… What’s wrong with your hand?”

My hand?

Not understanding what he meant, I looked and saw a thin cut on the back of my hand.

I thought I’d dodged most of it, but did something graze me?

Even so, I thought this much was fine.

Looking at Gu Ryeonghwa’s face, I thought.

What would have happened if I hadn’t shown up here?

Probably nothing major would have happened.

Their level seemed insufficient to break through the energy barrier or do anything about it.

I just didn’t like it.

Due to my narrow mind and rotten disposition, I burned them to death out of frustration.

That would be better.

Pulling away the sleeve Gu Ryeonghwa was holding, I said.

“I got scratched a little.”

Gu Ryeonghwa gave a suspicious look at my answer, but there was no room for him to interrogate me.

“Don’t worry about it and just continue what you were doing.”

“Who said I was worried…!”

Without listening to Gu Ryeonghwa’s shout until the end, I knocked on the cabin door.

Knock knock.

-Who is it.

Shin-ui’s characteristic dry voice was heard.

“I am Gu Yangcheon, whom I met last time.”

-Wh… Ah.

With a short exclamation, the cabin door opened.

Shin-ui was wearing the same clothes as last time.

As soon as he saw me, he made a displeased expression, not one of welcome.

“What is it?”

“Mae Hwaseon asked me to deliver this.”

When I took out the letter Mae Hwaseon had given me, Shin-ui’s expression contorted even more.

It was like looking at water bubbling furiously.

…Come to think of it, he could have come himself, but maybe he sent me because he was afraid to see this?

‘…That’s actually possible.’

Perhaps unable to take his anger out on me, Shin-ui clicked his tongue with a ‘Tsk!’ and took the letter, tucking it into his robe.

“That bastard Dohwa, he’ll surely fall into hell.”

“…”

Calling the Sect Leader of Dohwa sect ‘hell’…

Anyway, I delivered the letter properly, so I turned to leave.

“Where are you going?”

“Yes?”

Surprisingly, Shin-ui stopped me.

He should be kicking me out immediately, so why me?

“You’re just going to leave after making your hand look like that?”

At Shin-ui’s words, the wound Gu Ryeonghwa mentioned came to mind.

Did he stop me because of this?

“…No, this just grazed me…”

“Grazed my ass, are you trying to lie to a physician?”

“No, it’s really a wound that heals if you apply saliva, so it’s fine.”

“What kind of crazy person applies saliva to a wound! This is why I dislike people whose brains are filled with martial arts…”

“Wait, wait…!”

“Come on, don’t make an old man like me exert himself; just follow me nicely.”

As Shin-ui said, I couldn’t carelessly exert force, fearing my arm might break if I pulled away from his grip.

In the end, I was grabbed by the back of my neck and dragged into the cabin.

---

The room of the Branch Manager of the Black Night Palace’s Shaanxi Branch.

Thump-! Thump-!

Amidst the pools of blood scattered everywhere, Bae Chong was repeatedly banging his forehead against the floor.

Ya Hyeoljeok, sitting in a chair across from him, merely rested his chin on his hand and watched Bae Chong.

All five subordinates sent with him were dead, and the returned Bae Chong could barely use his left arm.

Ya Hyeoljeok asked Bae Chong.

“So, who was it?”

“…I don’t know… It was someone I’d never seen before.”

“Never seen before? Oh, I see.”

Crack-.

Snap-snap-!

“Kuhup!”

Along with Ya Hyeoljeok’s words, the aura spreading in all directions made Bae Chong spit out blood, and the cave echoed, causing dust to fall.

“So you’re saying you all died to some bastard you don’t even know, and only you came back alive?”

“Sorry… Sorry…”

“Fuck! Are you calling that a statement!?”

Ya Hyeoljeok’s greatsword swung in an instant, severing Bae Chong’s arm.

“Kuaaaaaaah!”

“Hey you son of a bitch, do you think I sent you with the others for that reason?”

“Kkeueueuk…!”

“I thought sending someone who looked somewhat intelligent would at least get the job done, but if you act like this, do you think I’ll be disappointed or not?”

“…Sorry… Branch Manager-nim…”

Ptooey!

Ya Hyeoljeok spat next to Bae Chong.

This branch is already struggling with a lack of manpower, and now most of the guys I sent out to search are dead.

And to some unknown brat?

According to Bae Chong, the guy used fire arts.

Martial artists who use fire arts aren’t common, and Ya Hyeoljeok knew it required considerable training to even spew fire.

Where did such a monstrous guy fall from?

Moreover, the fact that he instantly recognized them as belonging to the Black Night Palace was a deeply concerning point.

Ya Hyeoljeok spoke to the trembling Bae Chong, who was clutching his severed shoulder.

“Bae Chong-ah.”

“Yes…”

“You want to live, right?”

“…Yes… Please, please give me one more chance, Branch Manager-nim.”

“I deliberately cut off your injured arm; it was a form of consideration, wasn’t it?”

Bae Chong’s eyes fell on his severed arm lying far away.

Trembling rage surged within him, but all Bae Chong could do was force a smile.

“Of course…! I am grateful for your heaven-like grace, Branch Manager-nim.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Ya Hyeoljeok said that and patted Bae Chong’s cheek.

In his heart, he wanted to cut off his head and hang it on the wall, but there was no one in the branch currently who could use their head as well as Bae Chong.

He even considered cutting off both his legs and leaving him only able to speak.

However, since he was a first-rate martial artist to some extent, he couldn’t just do as he pleased.

“How many days will it take for our Bae Chong to bring back information?”

At Ya Hyeoljeok’s words, Bae Chong exclaimed in a trembling voice.

“…At the very least, I will bring back information about him within three days.”

“Three days… That includes information about Shin-ui, of course, right?”

“…Yes! I will find out everything.”

“I like your spirit. Let’s do well, shall we?”

Ya Hyeoljeok stood up, turned around, took something out of a leather pouch, and threw it at Bae Chong.

It was an inner core about the size of a thumb.

“It’s exactly for three days.”

Seeing that, Bae Chong trembled.

Unless they belong to the main palace, all martial artists of the Black Night Palace have ingested the ‘Go’ (錮) within their bodies.

The wriggling ‘Go’ inside the body will explode if the medicine isn’t taken within the specified period.

And because of that, their internal organs will melt, leading to death.

‘…Shit.’

Bae Chong gritted his teeth.

If it’s like this, I really have no choice but to find the information within three days.