Chapter 315: That’s the Kind of Life You Live with a Blade. |
Editor/Quality Checker: Saphartlantis
Murim Term Consultant: Kopke
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The fact that the person Hwan Yeo had been in contact with was inside the Heavenly Wind Cult could only mean one thing.
Hwan Wang was within the Heavenly Wind Cult.
The enraged Heavenly Wind Cult Leader shouted at Hwan Yeo.
“If you don’t tell me what you’re up to, I’ll snap your neck right here!”
But threats didn’t work on Hwan Yeo. Though her internal energy had been suppressed, she didn’t back down in the slightest. With a look that said, Kill me if you must, she glared at the Cult Leader.
Crack.
“Cult Leader, for the sake of both the Heavenly Wind Cult and the Soul Reaper, you mustn’t do this.”
At my plea, my master let out a long breath and slowly released his hand from her neck.
I quickly sealed one of Hwan Yeo’s pressure points. It was to prevent her from biting her tongue and committing suicide.
“It seems she made contact through that wall. Someone will likely show up soon.”
If word got out that Hwan Yeo had been captured, the other side would immediately start making countermeasures. Her capture needed to remain secret for as long as possible.
“Can you control that woman using the Soul Reaping Art?”
The Cult Leader shook his head.
“A master of illusion arts at her level can’t be controlled by the Soul Reaping Art.”
Then there was no other choice.
“For now, let’s get out of here.”
If the other side saw no one present from their end, they might simply wait for further contact. They could even think Hwan Yeo had gotten tied up with something urgent. This was something to think about after we left.
With a single sweep of his sleeve, the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader—
In an instant, he, I, and Hwan Yeo were standing in the middle of a flower garden.
Hwan Yeo’s already stiff expression furrowed even further. She must’ve been burning with rage and humiliation seeing how easily we entered and exited the space she painstakingly created.
Outside the garden, Jangho was waiting with the Demonic Army.
“Are you alright?”
I nodded in response to his question.
Jangho looked relieved that we had returned safely. Since I and Hwan Yeo had vanished without a trace, and then the Cult Leader had disappeared shortly after, he must’ve been deeply worried.
Jeong Dae turned to me and asked,
“What’s your plan?”
“Go to the Heavenly Wind Cult and wreck everything. Let’s go. I’ll help you!” 1
As if those were the words he had been dying to hear, the Cult Leader spun around, his sleeve fluttering behind him.
He had stepped right outside the gate with wide strides, but then stopped and came back into the garden.
“What do we handle first?”
He, too, understood they couldn’t just rush in. It was his way of showing how agitated he truly was.
“We start by undoing the Yin-Yang Soul Reversal Art cast on Cheong Seon. Then we need to meet with Advisor Go and plan how we’ll return to the Heavenly Wind Cult—whether to sneak in or march in openly.”
We had already experienced it—this enemy was one to approach with caution.
“As you’ve seen for yourself, our opponents are no ordinary individuals. This woman alone stayed hidden in the flower garden for years just to cast the Yin-Yang Soul Reversal Art on the Soul Reaper Demon Supreme. One of their agents infiltrated the Martial Alliance for ten years. I’m sure it’s the same for the Heavenly Wind Cult. If we act carelessly, they’ll disappear beneath the surface and become a persistent threat.”
Jeong Dae nodded. He was a sharp one, no doubt—a seasoned old ginger who wouldn’t be second to anyone in sheer tenacity. How could he not understand what I was saying?
“The matter of the Heavenly Wind Cult is my matter too.”
At those words, the Cult Leader calmed himself.
“Then let’s start with what needs to be done.”
Through this battle, I felt our relationship had grown closer. I was starting to see things I hadn’t seen before, to feel things I hadn’t felt before.
I released the pressure point on Hwan Yeo.
I pressed a point on her jaw precisely so she couldn’t bite her tongue. She could speak, but not exert the strength needed to commit suicide that way.
“Do you want to save your brother?”
At that, a mocking smile appeared on Hwan Yeo’s lips.
“I know neither I nor my brother will be spared. So don’t waste your time and just kill me.”
“If you stay alive somehow, your backer might come to save you.”
Was it fear of her backer? Or was it wounded pride?
Hwan Yeo denied it.
“I planned this alone. I don’t take orders from anyone.”
“If you had no backer, then what you’re doing makes no sense.”
“What do you mean?”
“You, who inherited the illusion arts of the Blood Sect, went out of your way to get the Soul Reaper Demon Supreme under your thumb? And you pretended to be the owner of a flower garden for years to do it? Why? You want to become a Demon Supreme? You know you can’t become one like that. Or is it for money? Were you targeting my father? Why? If you really did plan this all on your own, it makes absolutely no sense.”
Hwan Yeo simply listened in silence.
“But if I assume someone put you up to it, it all makes perfect sense. They use you, an illusion master, to control the Soul Reaper Demon Supreme. Makes sense, right? Who else could possibly touch the Soul Reaper Demon Supreme besides someone like you? Then they use your brother—also a master of illusions—to infiltrate the Heavenly Wind Cult. Doesn’t it all fit together?”
She couldn’t come up with a single rebuttal. 2
Listening silently, the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader murmured,
“You know, in moments like this, you seem sharper than Gowol.”
“Whatever I know, Advisor Go knows too.”
“No, no. You’re something different.”
At that moment, Hwan Yeo suddenly spoke up.
“You’re a monster.”
She had peered into my heart and witnessed my lonely life before the regression. Maybe those emotions from back then still lingered somewhere deep inside me. Yeah, the man I was back then… was a monster.
“How could a human capture monsters like you? Only a monster can catch a monster.” 3
Would she really cooperate in capturing Hwan Wang? Highly unlikely. No matter how much jealousy or rivalry she felt toward her brother, it wasn’t enough to want him dead. If it were, she wouldn’t have lived the life she had before the regression. They would’ve fought, and one of them would’ve died.
Even if it wasn’t Hwan Yeo, I needed to find some kind of clue that could help. Because surely, facing Hwan Wang would be even more difficult than dealing with Hwan Yeo.
Then something caught my eye. Several newly delivered flowerpots were left in the corner, still unorganized.
I immediately called for Jangho.
“There’s someone you all need to capture.”
* * *
Back at the cult, Jeong Dae sought out Gowol first.
When he realized there was a problem within the Heavenly Wind Cult, the first person he had wanted to see was Gowol.
Even though the steadfast Geom Mugeuk had been right by his side, it was Gowol who had come to mind first.
Yes, maybe it was just to hear these very words.
“They must not know what the Heavenly Wind Cult means to you. Show them. Make them understand this time, my friend.”
Then, the deeply moving addition that followed:
“It’s also a precious place for me too. Cult Leader, don’t forgive them.”
Jeong Dae felt a lump form in his throat. He was grateful and sorry to hear Gowol call that place—one that only reminded him of his imprisonment—precious. As he sank into his tangled thoughts, Gowol, burning with emotion, doused himself with cold water.
“Dae. Breathe with me. Deep breath.”
“What are you doing?”
“Just do it.”
Gowol took a loud, exaggerated deep breath, and the Cult Leader reluctantly followed.
“Do I look like a kid to you? Breathing exercises to calm myself down?”
“You are a kid. When it comes to the Heavenly Wind Cult, you lose your mind. You act like a child.”
“I do not.”
“All kids say they’re not. Then they act like it. That’s how you know they are one.”
The Cult Leader followed Gowol in repeating the deep breathing. It wasn’t the breaths that calmed him—it was Gowol’s sincerity, doing all this just for him, that steadied his heart.
“I’m scared someone will see us.”
“They’ll probably think you’re practicing the *Peerless Inner Art of Wilderness* or something.”
“Do you know how cool I was out there? You should’ve seen it!”
“I don’t need to. I know you did great.”
“You didn’t even see it!”
Truthfully, the person he most wanted to show that performance to was Gowol. He couldn’t wait for Geom Mugeuk to show up and explain what had happened.
“I know. Even if the whole world doesn’t recognize it, I do. I know how incredible you must’ve looked in the midst of that illusion art. That’s why, for this one, let the Young Cult Leader handle it. Stay by his side and support him.”
At that, Jeong Dae shouted:
“This is my fight!”
“That’s exactly why I’m saying this. You won’t be able to see things objectively. You already interpret the world however suits you.”
“Then come with me and help. If I start acting like an idiot, nag me. It’s time to pay a visit to those demonic spirits carved into the Thunder Bell.”
Gowol shook his head.
“If illusionists and Soul Reapers are our enemies, then those who can oppose them should be the ones to go. I’d only get in the way. Give the demonic spirits of the Thunder Bell my regards on my behalf.”
“I refuse! You’re the only lunatic I know who talks to bells!”
Gowol looked out the window, gazing off into the distant land of his hometown, and said,
“You’re getting worked up again. Breathe!”
* * *
While the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader was meeting with Gowol, I was meeting with the Soul Reaper Demon Supreme.
I told her that during the killing of Sa Woojong, she had fallen under the Yin-Yang Soul Reversal Art.
“I didn’t know it at the time, either. I learned about it while pursuing the one behind it.”
I was careful not to offend her. No matter how young she was, Cheong Seon still held the status of a Demon Supreme.
I paid extra attention not to hurt her pride. The idea that the Soul Reaper Demon Supreme had fallen victim to the Soul Reaping Art could have been a deeply painful blow.
“If it had been any other martial art, it wouldn’t have worked—but this was a forgotten art from the Blood Sect. There was no helping it.”
Thankfully, she accepted it with wisdom.
“Can the Soul Reaping Art cast on me be broken?”
“Fortunately, the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader said he can undo the Yin-Yang Soul Reversal Art.”
Cheong Seon let out a sigh of relief, her joy clear.
“Where is Master now?”
“He’s waiting for you. Let’s go together.”
I led her to the room where the Cult Leader was waiting.
Inside were the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader, Gowol, and Hwan Yeo, who was asleep after having her Demonic Blood and Water Blood pressure points sealed.
The Soul Reaper Demon Supreme gave a deep bow, expressing her gratitude.
“I will never forget this grace, Master.”
I turned her vague sense of gratitude into something more concrete.
“Do you know what your master said when he found out about all this?”
I imitated the Cult Leader’s voice.
“Someone dared lay a hand on my disciple? Take me to that woman at once.”
Cheong Seon looked at him with overwhelming emotion. The Cult Leader’s shoulders visibly lifted with pride.
“It’s nothing.”
His eyes were clearly saying to me: *Keep going. More!*
“And that’s not all. A master of ghost arts said this: ‘Even if the Cult Leader’s grandfather came, he wouldn’t be able to open that door.’ And then! The moment he said that, the Cult Leader walked right in through the door. Ah! If only you could’ve seen the infernal landscape that unfolded behind him.”
Jeong Dae waved his hand dismissively, unable to totally hide his smile.
“I said it was nothing, didn’t I?”
But the way his fingertips fluttered said: *Just a little more!*
“When the Cult Leader snaps his fingers, the world changes! And this time, we all saw that world for ourselves!”
The Soul Reaper Demon Supreme looked upon him with eyes full of sincere respect. I was only half-joking when I said it, but to her, it must have represented the very future she dreamed of.
“Master, someday I will create a world of my own too.”
She still had a long way to go. There were rough edges to her, and she was selfish by nature. But none of us could know what she’d be like ten years from now. I could only hope she’d grow into someone deeply admirable, like the other Demon Supremes. 4
“At the very least, I believe you’re the most fortunate disciple in the entire martial world. I hope you cherish that fortune.”
Moved by the heartfelt advice, the Soul Reaper Demon Supreme bowed her head in gratitude. Beyond her, the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader was smiling in satisfaction. And behind him, Gowol was smiling again.
“Well then, let’s begin the Great Technique.”
No other preparation was necessary besides the people present, so the Great Technique would be carried out here.
Jeong Dae woke Hwan Yeo. When she saw that Cheong Seon was present, she seemed to sense her fate.
The Cult Leader seated the two women side by side.
A strange, distinct mark was engraved on Hwan Yeo’s back. It was the **Soul-Sealing Seal**, the very thing the Cult Leader had spoken of.
He said that once it was extracted, the Red Soul sleeping inside the Soul Reaper Demon Supreme’s body would be drawn out.
It was said to be a difficult and dangerous technique, but I wasn’t worried. After all, it was Jeong Dae who would perform it.
He would handle it well. Yeah, he’d handle it just fine.
Trust didn’t come from words—it came from actions. And today, he had shown clearly the kind of person he was.
Just before the Great Technique began, Hwan Yeo spoke.
“I’d like to speak with the Young Cult Leader for a moment.”
The Cult Leader looked at me, silently asking for my consent.
I nodded, and everyone quietly stepped aside, leaving just the two of us.
“This morning… I had no idea. That my end would come so suddenly.”
“That’s the kind of life you live with a blade.”
“I have a request.”
What she asked was unexpected.
“If you see my brother… tell him I didn’t betray him.”
By the time I said those words, her brother would probably be destined to die too. I wasn’t sure if this request held any meaning.
“Do you trust that I’ll keep that promise?”
“I do.”
“Why?”
“Because I saw into your heart. Anyone who’s walked such a desperate path… would definitely keep a promise.” 5
“You thought I was a monster though?”
“That’s because you’re the enemy. I’m dying because of you—can’t I at least say that much?”
“You’re not dying because of me. You’re dying because you planted the Yin-Yang Soul Reversal Art in the Soul Reaper Demon Supreme. You built a wall that could only be created by sacrificing thousands. Know why you’re dying—before you die.”[a] 6
Hwan Yeo stared at me with a complicated gaze. I could feel the fury that made her want to kill me, and the desperate longing that made her want to beg for her life. But she had seen into my heart. She knew—none of it would work.
Her final regret was this:
“…I should’ve lived my own life.”
She must have meant a life untouched by her brother or by the ones pulling the strings behind her.
She said nothing more and quietly closed her eyes.
* * *
When I stepped outside after the Great Technique had begun, Jangho was waiting.
Standing next to him was a man who had been subdued—the flower supplier of Hwan Yeo.
He was part of the Demonic Army, after all. Jangho had captured him in less than two hours, with only the information that he supplied the flower garden with pots and plants.
“Take him away and interrogate him thoroughly. Make him spill everything he knows.”
“Understood.”
At a time like this, even the smallest thread of a clue could be of use.
“And since an important Great Technique is underway inside, have the Demonic Army form a guard.”
Towering figures formed a wall around my quarters, where the Great Technique was being performed. Of all the walls that existed in the world, this one was the most reliable.
I walked with Jangho alongside that living wall of the Demonic Army. Just the fact that I, the Young Cult Leader, walked beside him would bolster his stature as a commander.
*Clap! Clap!*
As we passed, the Demonic Army members stationed along the way greeted us with disciplined formality.
I paused for a moment and looked up at the sky.
In the chaos of battle, one tends to forget to look up. Even I, the one constantly reminding others to do so, forget to look up sometimes.
“The woman we captured earlier… she said she regretted not living her own life. What about you?”
When asked if he was living the life he wanted, Jangho answered confidently.
“With the Young Cult Leader I serve by my side, and the subordinates I lead behind me—this is exactly the life I dreamed of.”
I looked at Jangho. There he stood, more steadfast than anyone else.
“Commander Jang.”
“Yes, Young Cult Leader.”
“A great enemy is coming.” 7
No more words were needed. He didn’t ask who or what kind of enemy it was. He simply nodded once in silence. He would prepare in his own way.
Jangho glanced at the Demonic Army gathered behind him and muttered in his usual blunt tone:
“No matter how big it is, it can’t be bigger than us.”
1 : Wreck it Ralph !!! Errr, Jeong Dae !!!
2 : It’s always harder to conceal a single, well placed truth rather than develop a nonsensical lie. Or at the very least it should be. First Wizard Lesson : People are stupid !! With the proper motivation, they can believe anything. Being stupid they will accept any lies, either because they want to believe it, or because they’re afraid it’s the truth. For the majority, the truth is not important, only the cause matters. As K once said : "A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals and you know it."
3 : Cover your heart in thorns and drape yourself in resentment, so as to not suffer from the acid of their words nor be wounded from the evil of their sins.
4 : Yeah, she already changed a lot from when we first met her. Hope we’ll have more interactions with her in the future.
5 : Yeah, after such despair, trust is even more important. And retaliation against traitors that much more severe.
6 : Yup, your actions, your sins, your karma. It was bound to get you eventually, don’t try to reject the fault elsewhere.
7 : He’s dropping more and more hints of Hwa Moogi as time passes. It’s great that they believe him, but they must also be soooo curious XDXDXD
[a]Ah yes, don’t forget your sin.