Chapter 55

‘Tsk, he’s quite handsome.’

He has the looks of a protagonist from a martial arts novel.

His neat martial arts uniform and casually tousled hair only add to his wild charm. As I remain silent, Jangsams notices and whispers in my ear.

“Sis, that man is Namgung Myeongil, the Divine Dragon Sword of the Namgung Clan. He’s been following you around since way back. I never thought I’d see him here again.”

Namgung Clan? Isn’t that a pretty famous family? And he was following me around?

He seems to assume I’ll accept him, standing there with a relaxed smile and making a fist and palm salute. Should I…

If I had to choose whether I wanted to or not, I’d say I want to.

His skill seems to be on par with mine, and I’ve always enjoyed sparring with people who use various martial arts.

And I like being the center of attention.

Not that I want attention in a way that’s asking for sexual harassment, but becoming somewhat famous is beneficial if I want to find out the cause of the Shaolin Abbot’s qi deviation.

But, “I refuse.”

Well… the Iron Blood Sect’s attack is only a day away, why suddenly spar…?

I know from experience in the martial arts world that the Shaolin monks are quite conservative.

The Shaolin monks are already displeased with the way I’m showing off my butt and jiggling my boobs, and if I do anything more outrageous, I might not even get to see the Shaolin Abbot.

When I refuse, his face distorts. “Miss Yi, why…?”

“Young Master Namgung, please read the room. The Iron Blood Sect’s attack is only a day away, you should rest and gather your strength…”

As I gently express my refusal and turn back into the room, Jangsams follows, massaging my shoulders. “Hey, sis, are you going to rest here or go somewhere else?”

As the large Jangsams massages my shoulders and smirks, Namgung Myeongil’s hands tremble. I sense a bit of murderous intent from him, but I lightly ignore it.

‘Is this male jealousy?’

Namgung Whatever-his-name-is has completely ruined my desire to look around Shaolin.

I decided it would be better to take a nap and conserve my energy than to cause a commotion by getting sexually harassed somewhere.

Time passed, and it became dusk.

While I was napping, I had viewers search for precedents of this trial, but there were no major gains.

-No records

-Not in Anguk, and not in the World Awakened Association records

-No records, so it’s definitely S-class

But Yi Dohee’s internet investigation team found one article.

-Found one while searching through Chinese articles and translating (link) but it just says everyone died at the mid-boss

-No video… Same with the Azure Dragon Escort Agency

-There’s one picture left, but it’s just everyone dying to a strange monster under a blood-red moon

-Seems like the mid-boss is the hard part

‘Definitely can’t let my guard down in this trial. There’s even a mid-boss…’

“Sis? What are you looking at?”

Then, Jangsams’s bandit-like face appears in front of the chat window. “Ugh, can’t you blur your head?”

“Ah, no… it’s this way, not that way!”

“Ah, is that so?”

We are currently moving to the Shaolin training grounds, following the head of the Azure Dragon Escort Agency.

The elite guards of the Azure Dragon Escort Agency and skilled mercenaries are all gathered in one place. It’s not just us. Looking around, all the elites of the martial arts world were gathering in one place.

“So, what did they call us here for?”

Jangsams, my now-comfortable information helper.

“Hmm… maybe they’ll give some grand speech? Something about fighting to the death?”

When we arrived at the place where the large training grounds were visible, various sects and famous figures were lined up in rows. The surrounding area with temples and pagodas looked like a typical large Chinese temple.

I’m nothing compared to them, so I go to the very back of the Azure Dragon Escort Agency to stand, but…

“Explosive Breast Divine Spear! Why are you standing there? Come forward!”

Starting with someone’s words, attention is focused on me.

“Haha!! Explosive Breast Divine Spear, are you feeling shy? Why aren’t you standing in front?”

“Hohoho… A talent like you should be standing in front to raise morale!”

“Huh? Me, me?”

It’s hard to refuse, so I go forward, and somehow I get pushed all the way to the front row. ‘This is a little embarrassing.’

Right next to me were the head of the Azure Dragon Escort Agency and that Namgung Myeongil guy I just met.

And I feel the burning gazes.

 

 

From behind, everyone is staring intently at my large butt, and from the front, the high monks are looking at me disapprovingly.

Of course, not all Shaolin monks are looking at me that way, and those who haven’t trained enough are blushing and turning their heads, or suddenly bending over and squatting down.

That’s because the sudden appearance of a woman with a lewd body in a women-forbidden area was too much of a stimulus for the young monks who had not trained properly.

“Ahem… It seems everyone has gathered. This humble monk is Jeollyun, one of the Eighteen Arhats, who is acting as the temporary representative in place of the currently fallen Abbot. I would like to express my gratitude to everyone for gathering here today. Today, we will fight for the peace of the martial arts world and…”

I listen to the head teacher’s speech with one ear and let it out with the other, focusing on the energy of the people here. I need to get a feel for them beforehand so that I don’t accidentally attack allies during the chaotic battle.

‘Is it over?’

When Monk Jeollyun’s speech ends, this time other people come out one by one and continue the speech.

“Our Hwangbo Clan will also join!! We will defeat all those evil enemies!!”

“The Zhuge Clan will not yield to the Iron Blood Sect’s violence!!”

“The Azure Dragon Escort Agency will provide financial support without any conditions. We promise unlimited support until the Iron Blood Sect is destroyed!!”

Everyone says a word of determination in a loud voice.

‘This is at least worth listening to.’

Applause erupts after each unique speech.

If the battle with the Iron Blood Sect ends in victory, the people gathered here will become the de facto leaders of the martial arts world.

And the order passes, and it’s Namgung Myeongil’s turn. He looks at me and smirks as he heads forward. ‘What’s with that weird smile?’

I suddenly have an ominous feeling.

But the surroundings are still peaceful. The Iron Blood Sect’s attack is expected to be at dawn.

The movements of the Iron Blood Sect are being tracked through the remaining ordinary martial artists and scouts, so they are currently at ease. In that situation, Namgung Myeongil’s speech begins.

“I am Namgung Myeongil, the Third Young Master of the Namgung Clan, the Divine Dragon Sword.”

He salutes with a fist and palm salute, and short applause erupts.

“Is that the last descendant of Namgung?”

“I think so, tsk tsk…”

After the surroundings become slightly noisy and quiet, Namgung Myeongil’s speech continues.

“Today, we are all united under one sky. This is a divine revelation. I also believe that there will be no other opportunity like this if not now. Today is the day that the history of the martial arts world will be rewritten!!”

‘Hmm…? Something’s wrong with what he’s saying?’

Divine revelation.

No other opportunity?

‘Is there a god in the martial arts world? Buddhism usually doesn’t use the term god…’

Something was strange, but I couldn’t object just because the word choice was strange, so I kept listening.

“I will tell you the story of the Namgung Clan’s destruction. That day, a very red moon rose. Yes, just like now, it was dusk at sunset…”

He looks up at the sunset sky and is lost in reminiscence.

“There was no warning, no omen. Suddenly, a red moon rose in the sky, and suddenly red iron corpses rose from the ground in our peaceful family. The family members who we thought were on our side turned into living corpses and attacked us. Like the red moon, our family was instantly stained with blood. The fact that the family we were living with turned out to be living corpses was too shocking.”

His eyes become slightly moist.

“So they died without even being able to respond properly. My father, Namgung Hyeok, hesitated because he couldn’t bring himself to cut down his own children, and then he died. It was a truly terrible sight!”

He looks up at the sky as if suppressing his sadness. But then, someone quietly raises their hand and interrupts.

“Hmm… How do you know that, Young Master? I heard you were somewhere else and luckily survived… Wasn’t the Namgung Clan’s destruction shrouded in mystery until now?”

Starting with someone’s questioning words, the venue becomes slightly noisy.

“Why hasn’t this information been released until now?”

“I know, I’m hearing this for the first time too? Everyone was destroyed so quickly that when the investigation team arrived, there were only corpses…”

“No. It’s just that I haven’t had the opportunity to speak until now!! I couldn’t speak because my life was in danger!”

At his denial, people just think, ‘Is that so? That could be.’ and move on.

“How could I say that anywhere, how could I say how my father was bleeding and dying before my eyes!”

‘Wait… before your eyes?’

Now other people were starting to notice something strange, tilting their heads.

“But! Now I can speak! Now, everyone, look! Look at the sky!!!!”

Listening to his words and turning around to look at the sky…

The red sunset sky was nowhere to be seen, and instead, a blood-red moon was rising high. Regaining my senses and lowering my gaze, the whole world had turned red with the light reflected from the moon.

‘When did this happen…?’

Not only me, but all the masters here missed it. A great chaos comes to the area.

“The moon… has turned red?”

“It’s sorcery!!”

“Kaaaaaak!!”

“Everyone, be alert!”

Then, a loud laughter echoes in my ears.

“Kyahahahahaha!!!!!”

Everyone pays attention to him again at the chilling laughter.

It was a loud, monster-like laughter, an unpleasant laughter that sounded like scraping metal. As everyone is surprised and stunned, he continues to speak.

“The red moon has risen, so the festival of blood will begin!!! The day our god descends to earth is not far off!!”

Namgung Myeongil’s mouth was stretched to his ears, and he was laughing loudly like a madman. His large and sharp teeth didn’t look human, and he looked somewhat monstrous.

Even his eyes were shedding red blood.

“Mijin, stop that guy right now…”

Just as someone was about to move their internal energy to stop him,

“Cough…!!”

A handful of blood pours out of his mouth.

Not only that,

When the martial artists who felt a sense of crisis instinctively tried to raise their internal energy, they screamed in pain and collapsed, vomiting blood.

“Everyone, don’t use internal energy!! It’s qi-scattering poison!!!”

“Qi-scattering poison? When did it spread, when did this start?”

“Qi-scattering poison? That actually existed?”

Qi-scattering poison.

One of the most potent poisons that prevents the use of internal energy. It spreads through the respiratory system, and it is a forbidden poison that cannot be detected until internal energy is raised.

Its production, as well as the method of production, has been lost in the martial arts world, but for some reason, the Iron Blood Sect was using it.

“Damn it, the Iron Blood Sect… I didn’t know they could even make qi-scattering poison!!”

“That’s why the other sects were swept away so easily…”

“It’s okay. Everyone, slowly push out the qi-scattering poison with qi circulation. It’s not much different from ordinary poison.”

“Everyone, be alert, nothing has happened yet!!”

‘No, it already happened. According to that guy, this is…’

Kugugugugugu…….

‘I knew it… it’s coming!’

Along with the sound of the earth shaking, blood corpses rise from the ground.

Blood corpses that are difficult to deal with even with internal energy begin to attack martial artists who cannot use internal energy.

Puak!!

The bodies of martial artists are cut like tofu by their hand blades. Even sturdy blood corpses are not affected by ordinary swords without sword qi or strong qi.

In an instant, the Shaolin’s large training grounds become a sea of blood.

The red moonlit night, already reddened, is dyed even redder with blood, and elite martial artists fall in vain.

“Kook, raise your internal energy even if it’s reckless! We can’t die here!!”

Even if they are poisoned by qi-scattering poison, martial artists of high levels can use some internal energy. Although the more they use it, the more severe the internal injuries become, it’s better than just dying.

But,

The problem wasn’t just the Iron Corpses.

“Cough… Clan Leader Mo, I’m counting on you!”

A martial artist with internal injuries tried to pass the baton, as if exchanging with a close acquaintance, but,

Thwack!!

His stomach is pierced by a sword wielded by a fellow martial artist. “Clan Leader Mo… wh-why?”

Starting with that, allies began attacking allies everywhere.

If they had formed ranks and prepared, the allies would have suffered less damage.

“Damn it, these guys are infected! Attack! Their souls have already been eaten and they’re being controlled!” “So that’s where the Qi Dissipation Poison spread from…”

Despite someone’s words, the situation didn’t calm down easily. The damage was already spreading uncontrollably.

‘Brother, is it true? Is he really dead?’

Some people couldn’t easily kill someone they had lived with like family their whole lives.

“No way, this can’t be happening!!!!” Others simply went insane in the situation.

It was utter chaos.

‘Damn, I think I’m being targeted?’

Amidst the chaos, I was diligently smashing Iron Corpses with my spear. Fortunately, the Qi Dissipation Poison didn’t work on me since I wasn’t using internal energy, but my strength alone wasn’t enough to break through this crisis.

‘These guys are slow, but their defense is too high. And the problem is…’

I saw Namgung Moyeon, who had been standing in front of me just moments ago, killing the high monks and entering the Shaolin Temple. ‘The Shaolin Abbot… if he dies, it’s over. But if the people here die too…’

I finally realized why I was caught up in such a high-stakes martial arts mess. Damn, my role is much more important than I thought. Of course, since the Qi Dissipation Poison doesn’t work on me, I’m the only one who can freely exert my full power.

If I had challenged this with a four-person party, we would have divided the personnel to defend this place and attack the main enemy inside, but now I’m alone.

The Shaolin Abbot consumed by Qi Deviation, or the elite orthodox disciples… I have to choose.