Chapter 313: Black-Clothed Men (2)
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Due to the trait of All Streams Return to the Source, I currently possessed three energies.
Spiritual qi obtained from the Wudang Sect and spiritual elixirs like the Supreme Clarity Pill, demonic qi nurtured consciously or unconsciously from the Divine Demon Pill and other sources, and Primordial Mixed Qi of a completely different nature created by blending the two. That meant I would not fall behind in elemental affinity no matter what.
It was merely that their strength and fighting style were unfamiliar.
“Phew.”
Taking a brief moment to catch my breath, swords flew in from five directions. It was always like this. Swords did not fly in from all eight directions at once.
While dodging swords from those five directions, swords were already flying in from the other three directions. That was why I was only defending.
“Gaga, I will help you!”
Seeing that I seemed overwhelmed, Peng Chae-hyang also charged in mid-fight, swinging her great saber.
Thud!
When Peng Chae-hyang struck downward with her great saber, the ground was deeply gouged.
In that opening, Peng Chae-hyang and I stood back-to-back. If Peng Chae-hyang took responsibility for at least one direction, my burden would be vastly reduced.
For some reason, as Peng Chae-hyang emitted demonic qi, her saber art seemed to grow stronger.
I wondered if the honest and fierce saber arts of the Hebei Peng Clan suited demonic qi better. Conversely, soft and natural spiritual qi suited the flowing sword arts of the Wudang Sect better.
With our backs pressed together, Peng Chae-hyang and I continuously shifted positions, blocking the attacks of the demonic practitioners. Even without speaking, we shared enough understanding to coordinate with each other.
However, transitioning to an offensive remained ambiguous. Defense had certainly become easier, but going on the offensive was somewhat overwhelming. It was truly a stalemate. There were many moments where the exact same routines were repeated.
“We should stop here.”
The black-clothed man giving orders also seemed to judge that further exchange of blows was meaningless.
At those words, the black-clothed men all swiftly retreated and stood atop the wall. Peng Chae-hyang tried to pursue them, but I raised my arm to stop her. In any case, we lacked the military strength to overwhelm them right now.
“I do not know how you know of the Divine Demon Pill, but merely knowing of it makes you our enemy. We had no intention of forming a bad relationship with the New Justice Association, however.”
“I had no intention of forming a good relationship with you lot in the first place.”
“That worked out well, then. An agreement of opinions.”
The black-clothed man laughed. Not only were they hostile to Gwan Seo-ye’s Demonic Cult, but they were also the ones who had killed me in my previous life. They and I were inherently incompatible beings.
“Let us meet again later. At that time, it will not be such a shoddy force.”
Without waiting for my answer, the black-clothed man stamped his foot, kicking up a wind. Roof tiles from the wall whirled violently alongside the gust, and when the whirlwind subsided, the black-clothed men had already vanished.
“Good grief. Quite a lot of things happened this dawn.”
“Indeed.”
Peng Chae-hyang wore a tired expression. I, as she saw me, was likely the same.
“Are you two demonic practitioners?”
Just then, Zhuge Yan asked from behind. It seemed Zhuge Yan was capable of detecting at least demonic qi. Even if she could not detect it, reflecting on the general conversation between that fellow and me, a clever person like Zhuge Yan could easily figure out how the situation was unfolding.
“Well. It is ambiguous to answer. If possessing demonic qi makes one a demonic practitioner, then I suppose so.”
“I see.”
“Do you find it somewhat reluctant?”
“No. Whether my employer is a demonic practitioner or an immortal has nothing to do with me. And whatever you do, it will be better than the former Clan Head.”
“Former Clan Head? Ah.”
Zhuge Gyeom died, and she immediately retired him. As expected, she was a terrifying woman. Still, because Zhuge Yan was not a martial artist, she held no particular prejudice against the Demonic Cult.
“I will not disclose it later on either, so please rest assured. Ah, and come to think of it, I swallowed a gu worm. You have the mother gu, right?”
“Right.”
Come to think of it, Zhuge Yan had mentioned swallowing a gu worm. At that time, I was busy and various things had happened, so I had not been able to check.
Searching my chest pocket, I found the mother gu box that Zhuge Won had given me.
“Since it was given, shall I check it once?”
I took out the box and opened it. The moment I opened the box, a foul stench surged out, and a hideous-looking mother gu was visible.
Zhuge Yan swallowed hard. Even with her iron heart, she seemed nervous about the pain of the gu worm.
“The pain caused by a gu worm is something even ordinary martial artists find hard to endure.”
I remarked casually. Zhuge Yan nodded her head.
“I felt it once as well. Because I had to know how painful it was. Even though I tried it lightly, I nearly fainted.”
“I suppose so.”
“But what is truly agonizing is that because the gu worm is lodged in the brain, it does not even let you faint. Even if you faint, it immediately wakes you back up to inflict pain. Should I say it inflicts flesh-rending pain throughout the entire body?”
Zhuge Yan clasped both shoulders and shivered. Judging by that intensely averse reaction, her claim of having experienced the gu worm seemed not to be a lie.
“I won’t be doing it so gently, however.”
Right now, the Zhuge Clan estate was empty ground anyway. Because Zhuge Gyeom had brought out almost all the martial artists the Zhuge Clan could use. There might be a few guards, but merely from the shockwaves felt here, they would know it was a battle beyond their reach and be cowering in a corner.
This meant that whether Zhuge Yan rolled on the ground, twisted her body, or screamed, no one would come.
“Then here I go.”
“……Yes.”
I took out a feather. It was a feather meant to tickle the mother gu. When one threatened the mother gu by poking it with a feather, the mother gu sent a danger signal to the offspring gu. The offspring gu then released its toxicity in response.
I poked the belly of the mother gu with the feather. Zhuge Yan’s already large eyes dilated even wider.
“Mmph……!”
Zhuge Yan covered her mouth with both hands. It seemed she feared too loud a scream would escape. Instantly, tears welled in her eyes, and saliva dripped from her mouth.
I continued to poke and tickle it. Zhuge Yan’s trembling lips parted, and soon a horrifying groan leaked out.
“Kuuugh, kk……”
Unable to bear the pain, Zhuge Yan collapsed and twisted her body. Originally, under extreme agony, not even a scream came out. Only intermittent groans were heard.
“Gaga. Isn’t this too excessive……”
Peng Chae-hyang expressed concern. Foaming bubbles welled from Zhuge Yan’s mouth, and her eyes rolled back to the point where only the whites were visible. Yet I continued tickling the mother gu, which was why she spoke.
“Argh, ah. Ugh.”
Only when Zhuge Yan was going mad with pain did I crouch down and place my hand on her forehead.
What the gu worm emitted was demonic qi. And I was the sovereign of demonic qi. Since ancient times, I had been someone skilled at treating gu worms. And to treat a gu worm, the offspring gu had to be emitting demonic qi to some degree.
The demonic qi gradually extended into Zhuge Yan’s brain. As it reached the gu worm emitting demonic qi in her brain, the offspring gu shrank back. And as the demonic qi was absorbed toward me, the offspring gu began to be drawn along with it.
“Uuuugh, hic.”
Eventually, Zhuge Yan began to sob. An illness was always most painful just before being cured. As the gu worm was pulled in, it spewed even more toxicity.
In the end, the gu worm entered my energy and vanished. Zhuge Yan’s body convulsed violently once, and soon she closed her eyes and began to breathe softly.
Partly her tension had released, and partly she was freed from overwhelming pain.
“……Did you remove the gu worm?”
“Yes.”
Peng Chae-hyang’s eyes widened in surprise.
“I have never heard of anyone capable of doing such a thing. Even the Divine Physician of Life and Death said he could not cure gu worms.”
“Because a gu worm is not an illness.”
I spoke nonchalantly and gestured with my chin toward the lying Zhuge Yan. Though it was a rough gesture, Peng Chae-hyang understood perfectly and carried Zhuge Yan on her back. I carried Zhuge Won on my back.
The Zhuge Clan. Having lost its Clan Head and all its martial artists, what driving force the Zhuge Clan would use to restore the family was unknown. But there was no reason for me to care about that.
* * *
As soon as I returned to the New Justice Association, I instructed Gwan Seo-ye to investigate the third Demonic Cult for now. Right now, that was the only option.
For now, information regarding them was far too scarce. To the point where it was safe to say there was none. Even my death in the previous life would take twenty years from now to happen. If they operated covertly even back then, it went without saying for now.
Their stronghold, their leader, their level of martial might—there were too many things to learn.
“Once Zhuge Yan wakes up, we will talk in greater depth.”
“By the way, is it right to trust Young Lady Zhuge?”
Namgung Hwi asked suspiciously. After all, having someone who was an enemy until recently join as an ally, being on guard was only natural.
“Well. We will have to see.”
Yet even I could not be certain of that.
Because even in the previous life, Zhuge Yan was one of those with a very poor reputation in the merchant world. Though her capability alone was widely acknowledged.
In fact, in that regard, leaving the gu worm intact would have been correct. That way, one could command Zhuge Yan with certainty and compulsion. Perhaps she had even wished for such a relationship.
Treating Zhuge Yan’s gu worm was closer to an impromptu decision.
First, my philosophy when employing subordinates was distant from gu worms. If one drove people by force like that, efficiency might be good at first, but after some time passed, it would rather drop, and in the end, it could cause adverse effects.
I judged that to be especially true for someone with a venomous heart like Zhuge Yan. It seemed Zhuge Yan’s reverse scale was Zhuge Won, and if that was properly cared for, it seemed possible to utilize Zhuge Yan more efficiently. In that regard, I treated the gu worm to put her in my debt.
Second, though somewhat embarrassing, was an emotional matter. As a member of a rebel collateral branch, Zhuge Yan had lost her parents and served the person who killed her parents as a father. She had even craved recognition from such a person, and when that was not fulfilled, her sense of desolation must have been unbearable.
Should I call it a strange sympathy for such things? Or perhaps empathy? Because my own feelings toward my father were not good either, I thought some of that sensibility might have been exerted.
Come to think of it, several years had passed since my reincarnation, yet I had never visited my father once. Though it happened naturally, honestly, I could have made time if I wanted to, so it felt like I had been a bit too harsh.
“Is it in a slight lull right now?”
“Yes. The Palace of Heavenly Worship has no particular unusual activity either.”
Namgung Hwi, who had temporarily served as the control tower of the New Justice Association while Peng Chae-hyang and I visited the Heaven’s Gift Merchant Company and the Zhuge Clan, nodded.
“Then shall we rest briefly for now?”
At my words, Namgung Hwi and Peng Chae-hyang’s eyes opened wide.
“Rest?”
“Pardon?”
It was rather I who was flustered by that reaction.
“Why? Is it somewhat inappropriate to rest right now?”
“No. You should rest. Since you work too much. But hearing that Elder Brother is resting feels unfamiliar.”
“That’s right. Gaga needs to rest too. I am completely in favor.”
In fact, rather than resting, I intended to visit home. Because Zhuge Yan had reminded me of my father.
In any case, from now on, it was a protracted war against the Imperial Palace and the Palace of Heavenly Worship. I also had to hear Prince Xian’s rebellion plan in Gansu, but that too was a long-term matter.
Because it involved the flow of the merchant world rather than mere martial might, taking a brief rest was completely feasible. The only variable was the third Demonic Cult, but as far as I knew, they operated in the shadows even twenty years later, so they would not immediately surface right now.
“Then.”
I stood up. For the first time since my reincarnation, it was the moment I thought of returning home.