Chapter 315: Black-Clothed Men (4)
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My father slowly began to confess to me. Many sects and clans had come and gone, but he said this was the first place that approached with goodwill from the very first meeting.
He said the Blood Cult did not reveal that they were the Demonic Cult at first. Rather, they revealed themselves as my followers.
In a way, since I was the Heavenly Demon and they were of the Demonic Cult, albeit from a different branch, it was not entirely untrue.
“So, you swallowed it whole?”
“At first, I thought it was some scheme as well. But when they kept visiting and inquiring after my health, how could a person’s heart not be moved?”
In a way, this was partly my fault as well. I should have paid attention to my father sooner and given him guidelines.
“Since when was that?”
“It must have been about a year ago.”
The timing matched when I began to get entangled with the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult branch and heard myself called the Heavenly Demon. Then again, if even Gwan Seo-ye’s side with few personnel had such fast information, the Blood Cult with far more personnel would naturally be faster and more precise.
“Try living alone yourself. How precious a person who cares for you is……”
“Aren’t you at an age where you should know that no one acts like that without an ulterior motive in this world?”
“Isn’t it also an age where one hates to believe that? Why do you keep making me feel so pathetic?”
My father spoke dejectedly. Having my father take such a low stance made my heart uncomfortable for no reason.
“Those fellows kept visiting, asking after my well-being, and keeping me company. They asked for nothing in particular. They only gave.”
“And then?”
“After that, those fellows said it. That since you had now become a heavyweight in the martial world, there would be ruffians targeting me as well. So shouldn’t I learn some martial arts to protect my own person? If only to avoid causing trouble for my son.”
It sounded plausible on the surface. But I knew. In speaking with my father so much, they must have noticed my father’s craving for martial arts.
And having subtly scratched that itch, my father had likely accepted that martial art eagerly while making an excuse about me. How could I not know my own father?
“Knowing what kind of martial art it is, you learned it? Do you know how many flawed martial arts exist in the world that ruin one’s qi and blood?”
“It must be good. They said it was a martial art suitable for the elderly, placing no strain on the body.”
“How can you believe that? In the first place, those bastards aren’t even my followers.”
“Do you know them?”
“I am saying this because I think I know.”
My father’s expression grew even gloomier.
“I did it for your sake……”
“Please stop with that nonsense.”
I knitted my brows.
“You simply wanted to learn martial arts yourself, Father. Why make excuses about me?”
“No. Not at all. How could I……”
My father spoke as if feeling wronged. Just then, another thought suddenly struck me.
It had been only a few days since the Blood Cult and I had fallen out. It was because I had mentioned the Divine Demon Pill.
Then would there be some reaction from that side? I felt a sudden sense of unease.
“Wait a moment. Father. Your hand, please.”
My father silently extended his hand. Grasping his wrist, I sent my qi through. It did not seem they had planted anything in the martial art itself.
There seemed to be no gu worm in his brain either. Certainly, back then they had said they had no intention of antagonizing me. Perhaps they had intended to win my favor starting with my father.
But if that had been ruined by my remark about the Divine Demon Pill, what would they do? Given their disposition as I vaguely knew it……
Sure enough, before long, a presence was felt. It was a presence approaching rapidly with ominous momentum.
Not many people would approach this thatched house in the remote outskirts of Jingzhou at such high speed, so it was bound to be those I knew.
“Father.”
“What is it?”
“For now, it seems we must abandon this house.”
“What?”
I grabbed my father’s hand, swung him around, and placed him on my back. Without knowing what was happening, my father clung tightly to my back.
“Wh-what is going on?”
“Those kind bastards who passed down martial arts to you, Father, are chasing us.”
“What? Why would those fellows……”
“It is a long story to explain.”
My saving my father was truly close to a coincidence. Visiting my father for the first time since my regression happened just half a day before the Blood Cult launched their raid.
Seeing this, the bonds of family were indeed not easily severed. No matter how much they disliked each other.
“What on earth is happening all of a sudden?”
My father muttered. Having arrived in Jingzhou after half a day and immediately having to use lightness skills was somewhat exhausting, but at my current level, it was not a significant issue.
The problem was that they were closing in from all directions. At this point, the thought even crossed my mind that saving my father was not a coincidence, but rather someone’s plan. Befitting those with an intelligence network throughout the Central Plains, did they know I went to Jingzhou alone and gathered to catch me? My father might not have been the target in the first place.
“It will be a bit fast.”
Carrying someone on my back and running was familiar. The surrounding scenery whirled past. The sound of my father gasping for breath could be heard.
Running for a short while, I immediately encountered black-clothed men. Even as I charged at them, they showed no fluster and drew their swords. It was certain. Their objective was me, separated alone.
Mentioning the Divine Demon Pill had indeed been fatal from their perspective. To the extent that they immediately gave up the effort they had invested in my father for over a year without my knowledge.
Pop!
Even before I collided with them, they shot something into the sky. A white flare burst against the dark sky. It seemed to be a signal to raise upon encountering me.
I swung New Moon broadly. A sword qi roughly three feet long flew in the shape of a crescent moon.
Slash!
They calmly raised their swords, but New Moon severed their bodies in two, including their swords. Blood showered over my father and me as we passed between them.
“Were you a master to this extent?”
My father spoke dumbfoundedly. My father had only heard through rumors, and what he truly remembered was the me before entering Wudang Mountain.
Since a decade had not even passed, from my father’s perspective, he was bound to be astonished.
Diverging from the wide official road, I entered a rough and narrow forest path. Originally, when a few faced many, rough and rugged terrain was more advantageous. Since my lightness skill was likely faster than their numbers, cutting through the forest was better.
“There he is!”
As I ran through the forest, a group from the west shouted. The Blood Cult was giving their all to capture me.
Was it called the Heavenly Net? A technique used when capturing a single target. Though each organization possessed different tracking methods, it seemed the Blood Cult possessed a Heavenly Net as well.
As I continued running, I somehow felt they were herding me toward one place. Because people were pursuing from seven of the eight directions, leaving one direction open. From the perspective of the pursued, one had no choice but to dash toward the open direction.
Yet somehow, the maw of that open direction felt as though it was gradually narrowing. That could be a psychological effect peculiar to being pursued, or it could be reality.
If I stood still and weighed it, I could make a rational judgment, but right now there was no such leisure.
“By the way, where are we heading?”
“To Wudang.”
“Jun County? Isn’t that a place that takes several days to reach?”
“If I run for my life, it might take just half a day.”
“Does that make any sense?”
“The world of martial artists is like that.”
When I was a merchant, I too had often dismissed stories of martial artists as bluffing. Of course, there was plenty of bluffing, but what I just said was not.
However, that was a story for when there were no obstacles, and right now, with the Heavenly Net tightening around our necks, it was self-evident that it would take more time.
I considered gradually changing my strategy. Considering the situation of having to fight back, I could not exhaust all my energy on lightness skills. If I continued running in one direction like this, I had to prepare for other traps awaiting me.
“Whoa!”
When I shifted my footing diagonally to halt my lightness skill, my father was startled. As I stopped and the Blood Cult’s black-clothed men approached swiftly, the distance between us closed rapidly.
“Hold on tight.”
I warned my father and leaped in reverse. Among the black-clothed men, only a few had kept up this far. Put conversely, having kept up this far meant they were considerable masters.
Turning around, I drew Bright Elegance. Hidden weapons flew from their sleeves, tracing rays of light.
Seeing hidden weapons pass above my head, I wondered if they were throwing them too wildly, but those hidden weapons curved and aimed for my back. Marveling at that profound hidden weapons technique, I unleashed Fullness.
With the sound of hail falling against the swirling sword barrier, the hidden weapons crashed to the ground.
Due to the nature of the Heavenly Net, if I did not deal with them quickly, the martial artists pursuing me would multiply in layers. Enveloping and protecting my father on my back with a qi barrier, I detonated my internal energy.
“……!”
“This is, the Heavenly Demon……”
Those who had kept up this far did not lack reason like those I had met at the Zhuge Clan.
Watching me detonate internal energy, they clicked their tongues in awe. No matter how impure their demonic qi was, they too possessed demonic qi. Feeling the overwhelming purity in my demonic qi, they could not help but admire it.
“We pay our respects to the Heavenly Demon.”
They briefly paused, performed a martial salute, and bowed their heads. To show courtesy even in a battle crossing life and death meant they truly acknowledged and respected me as the Heavenly Demon.
“If you pay your respects, how about turning back?”
“We apologize, but we also have our Heavenly Demon.”
“What?”
What on earth did that mean? But there was no leisure to ask further. Because they broke their salutes, raised their swords, and charged at me once again.
Glancing back, my father wore a completely terrified expression. Hearing them suddenly address his son as the Heavenly Demon and perform a martial salute, he could not help but be bewildered. It seemed a lengthy explanation would be necessary once we reached Wudang Mountain. Though that was a story for if we arrived safely.
Four or five swords crossed. Their swords were swift and powerful. Having clashed with the Blood Cult’s swords twice, I felt I understood their subtleties a bit.
Pure strength. A sword focused solely on that. There was no intent that martial arts normally pursued. In their martial arts, perhaps there was not even a verbal formula.
It was exactly as Gwan Seo-ye had said. She said they pursued power. However, they were mere cultists, and I was the Heavenly Demon governing a branch. The Heavenly Demon could not disgracefully die from being stabbed by four or five cultists. If so, wouldn’t the people of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult on the Torofan side be unable to hold their heads up?
“Hah!”
Digging into their opening, I unleashed the second form of the Primordial Boundless Sword Art, Ultimate, five times. Five dots formed around me and shot forward in unison. And that was far too powerful and swift for mere cultists to block.
“Khk!”
“So this is the Heavenly Demon’s martial art……”
“To behold such a martial art……”
After piercing the hearts of all five, I sheathed Bright Elegance once more. Somehow, even in death, satisfied smiles were drawn across their faces. That felt like something of brainwashed cultists rather than a martial artist’s intent, which was unpleasant.
There was no time to idly inspect their corpses. Others were still closing in on me moment by moment from different directions. I immediately left the spot swiftly.