episode_0042

Cheongun was slightly flustered.

Because as soon as he gripped the sword, a unique ability activated.

What is this?

The devils are all dead and gone, aren’t they?

Instantly, Cheongun’s gaze slowly dropped.

At the same time, he saw the hilt of the sword he was tightly gripping in his right hand.

…No way?

“…”

Cheongun subtly released his hand from the sword hilt.

The moment he did, his entire body, which had felt light as if it could fly, suddenly sank, and then the floating ability notification in the air vanished.

His unique ability had deactivated.

This time, he gripped the sword hilt again.

A blue window indicating that the ability had activated appeared, floating in the air.

The natural energy spread throughout the world filled his dantian, and a tremendous surge of exhilaration began to course through all his veins.

Cheongun subtly gripped the sword, then released it, then gripped it again.

How many times did he repeat this?

Only after a long while could he be certain.

That the moment he directly gripped this sword, his unique ability would activate, even without a devil present, for some reason.

Cheongun was dumbfounded.

No, the ability activates even without a devil?

Is it because this sword was made by sacrificing devils that the sword itself is treated as a devil?

This isn’t a demon sword (妖劍), it’s a full-fledged devil sword (魔劍)!

…Or is it?

Perhaps I, who am holding the sword, am temporarily being treated as a devil?

Isn’t it a cliché that when one uses a devil sword, the user’s mind is consumed by the sword’s demonic energy (妖氣)?

Look even now.

As soon as I grip the sword, my eyes turn black, I see all sorts of terrible illusions, and ghost-like screams echo in my eardrums.

Indeed, it’s a world where mountains can be split with just a single sword.

It’s possible to be treated as a devil the moment one grips a devil sword.

Even so, it’s still just as bewildering.

“Hmm.”

Cheongun subtly looked down at the sword in his hand.

The pitch-black hilt, the back of the blade, and the sharp edge all harmonized.

At a glance, it was clearly a renowned sword.

So much so that it was not significantly inferior to the Red Night Sword bestowed by his Master.

Moreover, an ability activates the moment he grips the sword?

This is just an endgame weapon, isn’t it?

To think they tried to monopolize such a weapon among themselves.

As expected of those trashy Blood Cult bastards, it was good that he killed them all.

But there was a problem.

The inexplicable, accursed special effects that appeared every time he drew the sword.

Just gripping the hilt made his eyes turn dark, and every time he drew out energy, black and red substances surged around the sword, looking bizarre and even demonic at a glance.

It was like a blatant advertisement saying, ‘This one is a very awesome devil.’

It was visually too outrageous to use casually.

Its performance itself could be called ultimate, but… using it carelessly might make him an enemy of the martial world, wouldn’t it?

To properly wield it, he seemed to need some time to tame this thing.

Still, good things are good things.

A sword that removes the ‘conditional’ part from a conditional cheat.

The possibilities for its use were truly endless.

Of course, every time he gripped the sword, his vision turned red as if a filter had been applied, and ghost-like sounds annoyingly echoed in his mind, but he could just endure that much with sheer willpower.

Cheongun subtly lifted the scabbard.

Weight, light.

Feel, it fit perfectly in his hand.

Its appearance was also quite dignified.

…Perhaps he liked it a bit?

****

Cheongun returned to the Black Forest Gate.

However, the state of the returned Cheongun was strange; his entire body was drenched in blood, one couldn’t tell what he had been doing.

Moreover, for some reason, he was grinning widely, unlike his usual self, as if something pleased him greatly.

His subordinates, who knew Cheongun’s personality, were aghast at the sight.

The Gate Lord, who had left to meet the Hao Gate Lord, returned covered in blood like a blood fiend?

Surely he didn’t kill the Hao Gate Lord and then declare, ‘From now on, I am the Hao Gate Lord,’ right there on the spot?

Jeok Hwaryeon, who saw his appearance, asked.

“Gate Lord, just a moment.”

“Why are you calling?”

“Tell me honestly. What did you do at the Hao Gate?”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“Then what’s all that blood covering your body?”

Cheongun roughly explained what had happened.

On the way, he met a guy who called himself a messenger, and after accepting his invitation, a fellow named Soul-Eating Devil spoke about offering him a place in the Divine Cult’s inner hall if he helped him.

Ryeon was aghast.

No, Bimae Dae?

Isn’t that the notorious Divine Cult Leader’s direct subordinate force?

And just now, who, Soul-Eating Devil?

She had heard of him.

He was an old master of the Divine Cult who wielded fan arts.

Not just a master, but a supreme master who could effortlessly manifest sword aura.

“Wait a minute. Soul-Eating Devil told you to help him?”

“Yes.”

“What did he ask you to help with?”

“He said he needed the hearts of devils who haven’t reached adulthood yet.”

Ryeon blinked her eyes blankly.

“…So what did you do?”

“I got annoyed and killed them all.”

“What? Killed? Who killed whom?”

“I did. Soul-Eating Devil. I killed him directly.”

At Cheongun’s clear answer, she immediately understood.

Ah, he killed him.

Not just anyone, but an old master who had boldly put the two characters ‘devil’ in his alias.

But how?

Isn’t a supreme master at a level where they can cut steel like a radish with sword aura?

Moreover, Soul-Eating Devil couldn’t have been alone there; there must have been at least a dozen masters, right?

“…”

…Seeing him covered in so much blood, it didn’t seem like a lie.

The Gate Lord was not someone who would bother to lie in front of her.

Upon this, Ryeon nodded.

“Gate Lord, are you crazy?”

“I am always crazy.”

“……”

Ryeon was speechless.

Of all groups, to get involved with the Bimae Dae.

Not only did he get involved, but he even killed Soul-Eating Devil, the director of the Bimae Dae.

This was practically a direct declaration of war against the Bimae Dae.

Ryeon, with a fed-up expression, asked Cheongun.

“So, what are you going to do now?”

“What about it?”

“No, do you think the Bimae Dae is some third-rate assassin group? You killed their director, so once they figure out what happened, they’ll come charging with fury. How will you handle that?!”

Hierarchy in the Divine Cult was simple.

According to the principle of the strong dominating, one’s martial power was one’s rank.

And the Bimae Dae Lord, who could be called the head of the Bimae Dae, ranked among the top ten.

Meaning, his martial power was among the top ten in the Divine Cult.

He killed the subordinate of such a monster, yet why was he so calm?

“You have a plan, right?”

“Of course I do.”

At least he had a plan.

It was when Ryeon was about to let out a sigh of relief.

“We’ll just strike them first.”

At Cheongun’s words, Ryeon smiled brightly.

“The Bimae Dae?”

“Exactly.”

“Gate Lord.”

“Hmm?”

“This time, are you going to become the Bimae Dae Lord?”

“Precisely.”

Ah, so that’s it.

From Blood Relation Pavilion Lord, to Black Forest Gate Lord, and now even Bimae Dae Lord.

Right, it’s not even surprising anymore.

It wasn’t like it was the first time the Gate Lord said something crazy.

Ryeon gave up on persuading him and asked directly.

“When are you going to strike?”

Cheongun grinned widely.

“Tonight.”

****

Hae-si (9 PM – 11 PM).

A time when deep darkness had descended.

Two girls in black face masks walked steadily down the road, then abruptly stopped in front of a manor.

The tiled roof rising above the wall gleamed dark blue in the moonlight, and a tall flag fluttered in the night wind.

The Bimae Dae had branch offices for the Dark Path scattered throughout the Central Plains, and this was the one located near Chengdu.

At its entrance, three sturdy men stood motionlessly as gatekeepers.

They saw the two approaching girls, and then roughly extended an arm to block them.

“You two, stop for a moment.”

The man in the middle blocked the girls, then scrutinized them from head to toe.

The three characters ‘Flying Shadow Gate (飛影門)’ inscribed on their face masks were faintly visible.

And the silver flying needles hanging from their waists.

No doubt.

The Flying Shadow Gate’s unique hidden weapon, the Shadow-Veiled Flying Needle.

The man cleared his throat with a harrumph.

“Are you from the Flying Shadow Gate?”

Flying Shadow Gate.

A large assassin organization under the Divine Cult.

At his words, the two girls nodded.

“Can’t you tell just by looking?”

“Please state your identity.”

“My name is Hong Soyeon.”

“And next to you?”

“Hoho, I’m Baekseol.”

At that, the middle man among the three asked.

“What is your business?”

“Our Gate Lord asked us to deliver a letter.”

“A letter? From the Flying Shadow Gate Lord?”

“Well, something like that?”

Hong Soyeon handed a letter to the man in the middle.

“Could you take it quickly? My arm is getting numb.”

*Whoosh—!*

The man read through the letter.

But the content was strange.

Wolcheok (越尺), meaning ‘beyond measure’, only two characters were written in elegant brushstrokes.

“…?”

…Is it a code?

What kind of code is this, really?

He couldn’t possibly understand the content.

“Hey, could you take a look at this for a moment…”

The man in the middle turned his head to the right.

It was to ask his comrade for an opinion on the code.

But when he turned his head, the comrade who had clearly been standing next to him just a moment ago had vanished.

“???”

What is this?

Where did he disappear to in that brief moment?

The man turned his head back to the front.

Hong Soyeon and Baekseol stood blankly, as if asking if there was a problem.

“…What?”

The man was bewildered, unable to understand what was happening.

At that moment, Hong Soyeon’s eyes darted to the right.

Catching this, the middle man quickly turned his head to the right.

Again, nothing was visible, but at the very edge of his upper vision, there was a shape that looked like a person’s leg.

As he quickly raised his gaze, the fellow who had been standing next to him just moments ago was flailing and flying through the air.

Looking closely, the back of the man’s neck was tied with something like a thin thread, and his struggling, floating ascent looked just like a crucian carp caught on a fishing line.

…What in the world did I just see?

It was then.

“!!!”

Suddenly, five fingers extended from the darkness like lightning.

And then.

— Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

Hong Soyeon quickly struck the man’s pressure points with fingers infused with internal energy.

Before his entire body was paralyzed, the man barely managed to mumble.

“What… is this…?”

Hong Soyeon scoffed at him.

“Hoho! What else could it be? You got caught like an idiot.”

“This dog-like…!”

Before the man could finish his words.

— Crack!

Baekseol’s sharp hand blade struck the back of the man’s neck.