Extra 3 |
“Oh my gosh…”
As the sun set at the foot of the mountains, the hunting competition concluded.
All of the prey caught during the hunt was laid before the altar, and the many believers living in the Heavenly Mountains gathered in crowds to watch the huntsmen present their catch.
“What a huge tiger…”
“Two of them too.”
The most eye-catching were the two tigers lined up side by side, as if their lengths were being compared.
With a little exaggeration, the two tigers could be described as being the size of a house.
In fact, an ordinary person might think so.
Who were the people of Murim, and how difficult must it have been to hunt a tiger like that?
First of all, the tiger was a species often called the King of Beasts or the King of the Mountain.
Thus, the scope of one tiger’s territory was massive. Among them, a large territory would contain not just one mountain, but an entire mountain range.
Therefore, it was not easy to find such a tiger. Professional hunters would say that if you could find a tiger by scouring a few mountains, you could be considered lucky.
It didn’t end at just finding them.
Looking at the tigers caught, weren’t they much larger than normal, and didn’t their fur seem extra glossy?
At a glance, it was clear that their fur was much denser than ordinary tigers. Their strength was also not comparable to that of a normal tiger.
Besides, just because you learned martial arts did not mean you could easily deal with a tiger.
In general, third-rate warriors could not kill a tiger. No, it would be a problem for them to even try fighting one.
The most important thing when hunting a tiger was its condition. Dealing with a tiger so as not to damage its pelt was not only difficult for third-rate martials, but also second-rate martials.
Yet the tigers placed before the altar…
“Neither of them have visible wounds.”
“There was no damage to the pelt! In addition, the fur is still shiny…”
Both tigers were in excellent condition. Not a single claw had fallen out, let alone a tuft of fur.
“The one on the left… True Dragon Paralysis…?”
“To hit precisely the heart, without damaging the muscles or the fur, means terrifying control. It’s a bit scary.”
Those with some knowledge recognized the traces of the martial arts left on the tiger’s carcass.
“This is…”
One of them gently swept the tiger on the right’s pelt with his hand. He found a needle hole, smaller than an ant.
“It was pierced through the head by a sword thinner than a needle!”
“A master who can handle sword qi with such fine detail…”
When they saw the traces of the martial arts used on the two tigers, the crowd exclaimed in admiration.
All of these skills were impossible if the user was not at the Peak or Transcendance Realm, far beyond First-Rate.
Naturally, the tigers had been caught by Gwan Tae-ryang and Sa Ryong-hui.
Whether or not they could hear the praise, the two were debating about something completely different in the distance.
“It is my defeat this time. There is about half a handspan’s difference in the tail,” Gwan Tae-ryang growled.
There was little difference in the overall size of the tigers they had caught, but there was a difference in tail length.
“No. I am very impressed with Captain Gwan’s workmanship. I’m not sure I would have been able to be so precise with my power.” Sa Ryong-hui stuck his tongue out in contemplation and added, “There is a small scar on the tiger that I caught, but Captain Gwan left none… This should be considered my defeat.”
“Hmph. Whatever the case, the fact that the tiger I caught is smaller remains unchanged.”
Seeing how Gwan Tae-ryang had no intention of backing down, Sa Ryong-hui decided with a bitter smile: “Then let us consider it a draw.”
“Agreed.”
Gwan Tae-ryang snorted lightly, not liking this conclusion very much.
Watching the two from a little aways, Kang So-san shook his head.
As he turned his head, he saw that the sun had set a lot.
The glow covering the ridges of Mount Heaven had shrunk to the size of a fingernail and inky darkness and shining stars had taken its place.
It’s coming soon.
When the sun set completely and darkness fell, the Divine Flame would appear on the altar, burning brightly.
The full-fledged festival would start then.
In order to honor the birth of the Heavenly Demon’s bloodline, a hunting competition was held.
However, it was only the Demonic Kings and under in their twenties who participated in the competition.
The Demonic Masters did not attend.
Instead, they celebrated the Heavenly Demon’s bloodline in their own ways.
“This is a gift from this lowly woman, my lord.”
Voice dripping with elegance, a beautiful woman held out a jade box towards Woon-seong.
Inside the opened jade box, was a single blue marble.
There were several small holes in the bead, and as the wind passed through them, a beautiful melody could be heard.
“Is it a Jade Maiden’s Bead?”
“Yes, even if she is of the Heavenly Demon’s bloodline, she will still grow into a young lady. For women, there are things important outside of martial arts.”
Jade Maiden’s Bead.
It was a heavenly elixir created by the Jade Maiden Palace, a mysterious sect that had existed in the past.
Taking it would not increase qi or enhance one’s martial arts, yet it was an elixir that every woman in the world wanted.
Skin like milk, and of course, voice like jade beads… But just by consuming it, you can develop talent in the arts like calligraphy and painting?
Skin like smooth milk and voice like beautiful jade could be understood.
But it was an elixir that could forcefully create talent in the arts.
Even for Woon-seong, who had reached the Divine Realm, it was hard for him to comprehend because he had little knowledge in alchemy.
Forget Woon-seong. In fact, no alchemists alive had discovered the secret behind the Jade Maiden’s Bead.
“You have something precious, Lotus Demon Ballad Sovereign.” Woon-seong accepted the Jade Maiden’s Bead and spoke quietly, “I heard that these were no longer available after the destruction of the Jade Maiden Palace.”
“Twenty years ago, this lowly one accidentally discovered the secret warehouse of the Jade Maiden Palace and obtained three beads.”
“Twenty years ago…”
Woon-seong, seeming to realize something, nodded.
The Lotus Demon Ballad Sovereign’s martial arts were like an entertainment art that used yin energy, focusing on her voice. Like the Jade Maiden Palace, it was related to the performing arts. And… It was around that twenty years ago that a martial artist titled the ‘Lotus Demon Ballad Sovereign’ started to make a name for herself.
“Three of them.”
“Yes. One bead was kept by this lowly one, and the other was kept for her disciple.”
She had found three pills, but they were precious.
Perhaps the two remaining pills were the last Jade Maiden’s Beads left in this world.
If she hadn’t gifted it, not only would her disciple have been able to consume one, but her disciple’s disciple.
But she had come with one of those Jade Maiden’s Beads today.
“Thank you.”
At Woon-seong’s words, the Lotus Demon Ballad Sovereign gave a charming smile and lowered her head while holding the tip of her skirt with her fingertips.
“May the Heavenly Demon protect the Young Lady’s future.”
Leaving only those words, she slowly stepped back.
Click.
And with that, the Lotus Demon Ballad Sovereign left.
The next person to come in was Lee Shin-jung, the Demonic Teacher of Sun and Moon.
He approached Woon-seong, long beard waving and empty sleeve flapping — one arm had been lost in the war.
“Haha, this old man is the last one.”
“That’s right.”
“As this is the last gift, this old man hopes his gift should please both the Lord and the Young Lady…”
Contrary to his words, Lee Shin-jung smiled confidently as he glanced at Woon-seong. He then asked, checking on the items brought by his competitors, “Pardon me, may this old man ask one thing.”
“Mhm.”
With Woon-seong’s permission, Lee Shin-jung asked, “I’d like to know, of the gifts that the other Demonic Masters brought so far, which did you like the most?”
“Hmm.”
Woon-seong, who thought for a while after hearing Lee Shin-jung’s question, put what he had just received from the Lotus Demon Ballad Sovereign on the table.
“I liked the Jade Maiden’s Bead that the Lotus Demon Ballad Sovereign brought me the most.”
All of the other gifts were precious too, but what the Lotus Demon Ballad Sovereign brought took his daughter into consideration.
“…The one I disliked the most was the Wind Demon Fist King’s.”
Unlike how he had to think for a while earlier, Woon-seong easily picked which gift he disliked the most.
“Snake wine. No matter how much spirit went into making the alcohol…,” Woon-seong growled and grumbled. In his mind, he remembered what the Wind Demon Fist King had said while giving the snake wine:
“I look forward to the day the Leader will drink this wine with the Young Lady!”
At Woon-seong’s grumbling, Lee Shin-jung burst into laughter.
“Hahaha, that kind of gift really suits him.”
He then took a present from his sleeves and placed it in front of Woon-seong.
It was an object about the size of a palm, wrapped in silk.
When the silk was unwrapped, the gift was revealed.
“Is that a jade hairpin?”
It was indeed a beautiful hairpin made of jade.
But it didn’t seem like an ordinary hairpin. There was a sense of exhilaration just by touching it.
This jewel adorned at the end…
“It is a poison neutralizing amulet.”
Lee Shin-jung explained, “You can neutralize more than five hundred kinds of poison just by carrying it.”
“Five hundred kinds?”
In general, a master of poisons could neutralize about a hundred different toxins. However, that level was not enough for an object to be considered a poison neutralizer, though it could still reach the price of one.
With five hundred types, with some exaggeration, that was equivalent to defending against a thousand poisons.
There was not doubt that it was one of the highest grade poison neutralizers in the world.
It was obvious that Lee Shin-jung had taken great care in choosing his gift, as he had attached it to a hairpin that women would be willing to wear.
“Would you like to try injecting your qi once?”
Lee Shin-jung said it in a way that indicated there was more to the hairpin.
“Hmn?”
As Lee Shin-jung said, Woon-seong injected some of his qi.
Chwa-la-la-la-la-lak!
The hairpin lengthened in an instant and changed into a blade like shape.
It was difficult to call it a sword since there was no real blade, but it could be used as a weapon to stab or swing in self-defense.
And that…
“If the Young Lady becomes a sword user in the future, she will be able to use it like a sword, not just for stabbing or hitting.”
Chwa-la-la-la-la-lak.
After recollecting his qi, the hairpin returned to its original length.
It’s a hairpin that can be used as a weapon…
Woon-seong did not like to differentiate between men and women, but to be honest, Murim was a harsher world for women than for men.
The fact that she was the daughter of the Heavenly Demon may prevent that to some extent, but it would not protect her forever.
It will be good to have, then.
Woon-seong thought so and his lips curled up.
“It is a must have item for Seol-ah.”
He then looked at Lee Shin-jung and spoke with sincerity.
“Thank you very much.”
