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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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“Ow! That hurt!”
Namgung So-yeon, after rolling several times, sprang to her feet.
Impressed by her quick recovery, the Heavenly Demon nodded and took a step forward.
“You shouldn’t be hurt by a mere punch.”
With a whoosh, she vanished and reappeared behind Namgung So-yeon.
As Namgung So-yeon turned, looking up in surprise, the Heavenly Demon’s fist connected with her face.
“Gah!”
She landed hard, sprawled on the ground, limbs splayed.
This wasn’t a refined duel between martial artists; it was a brawl.
“Get up.”
The Heavenly Demon grabbed Namgung So-yeon’s crimson hair and yanked her head back, then slammed it into the ground.
Namgung So-yeon rolled across the dirt like a ball, coming to a stop near Shadow Demon and In-ho.
“Young… Master Kang…”
Her eyes, unfocused, found In-ho, and she reached out a trembling hand.
“Young Master Kang… AAAAAAHHH!!!”
The Heavenly Demon appeared beside her in a flash, her index finger piercing Namgung So-yeon’s right eye.
Sizzle
Black flames erupted from the wound.
“Who gave you permission to look at him?”
Her voice was devoid of emotion, like a reaper from the underworld.
“AAAAAHHH!!!”
The smell of burning flesh, the searing pain… Namgung So-yeon thrashed on the ground, clutching her face, her screams echoing across the battlefield like a wounded animal.
She staggered to her feet, one hand covering her ruined eye.
“Grrrr…”
A low growl rumbled in her chest.
She crouched low, her fingernails extending, sharpened by crimson energy, transforming into deadly claws.
Her remaining eye locked onto the Heavenly Demon, her body radiating killing intent.
But the Heavenly Demon simply scoffed.
“Oh? Are you coming at me? Come then.”
“RAAAAAAHHH!!!”
A red bullet, shot in a straight line, quickly approached the Heavenly Demon, tracing its trajectory through the air.
The Heavenly Demon shifted her weight, her right hand resting on the small of her back, her left hand extended.
As their hands met, the Heavenly Demon twisted her wrist, redirecting Namgung So-yeon’s momentum, spinning her in the air.
Then, with a swift kick, her heel connected with Namgung So-yeon’s nose.
Bang!
A small explosion of dust and dirt erupted.
The resulting shockwave sent a gust of wind towards Shadow Demon and In-ho.
Shadow Demon shielded In-ho with her body.
As the dust settled, three figures remained.
“I was wondering when you’d show up. Alliance Leader.”
Someone had blocked the Heavenly Demon’s attack, shielding Namgung So-yeon.
Dokgo Nam, the current Alliance Leader.
Using his arm as a springboard, the Heavenly Demon leaped back, creating distance between them.
She brushed the dirt from her clothes and addressed the Alliance Leader.
“You finally decided to appear. Did you think you had a chance? If so, you underestimate me.”
“…”
“I can hear the gears turning in your head. I suppose you must be clever to have become Alliance Leader despite being so pathetically weak.”
He remained silent, and Heavenly demon continued her taunts.
She gestured towards Namgung So-yeon with her chin.
“You actually succeeded in creating a Blood Demon.”
“It was an accident.”
“Liar.”
The Heavenly Demon chuckled.
“You can lie to heaven, but you can’t lie to me. Do you think I don’t know your dark little secrets?”
She sent a blast of energy towards him, the force of it brushing past his ear.
“Alliance Leader Dokgo Nam.”
She slowly advanced, her presence growing more oppressive with each step.
“Did you think I wouldn’t know about your experiments? Combining elixirs and inner cores to artificially create Blood Demons after the Sichuan Bloodbath?”
“…”
“You preyed on this child’s desperation. Promised her power, offered her access to the Alliance’s elixirs and inner cores. Disgusting.”
She laughed, but her cold and sharp eyes remained fixed on him.
“The conflicting energies within her body transformed her into a Blood Demon… and how did you manipulate her? What lies did you whisper in her ear?”
“Don’t slander me with your forked tongue, Heavenly Demon.”
He retreated a step for every step she advanced.
The Heavenly Demon’s smile vanished and her face hardened.
“Don’t test my patience, Alliance Leader.”
Black flames erupted around her, spreading quickly, consuming the battlefield.
“There’s a secret prison where you keep those who rebel against the Alliance, isn’t there?”
“!!!”
“You lied to her, called them ‘criminals.’ Told her it was fine to absorb their life force, that they were evil, that she didn’t need to kill innocent people.”
“But were any of them truly guilty?”
“…Those who disrupt the order established by the Martial Alliance are enemies of jus…”
“Is the ‘justice’ you preach truly just?”
She lunged for him, her hand reaching for his throat.
He scrambled back, grabbing Namgung So-yeon and using her as a shield.
The Heavenly Demon sighed, disgusted by his cowardly act.
“How can you claim to be any better, Heavenly Demon?!”
Dokgo Nam shouted, his voice filled with indignation.
His outburst made the Heavenly Demon pause.
It was an invitation to continue.
“Weren’t you the inheritor of the Flame Wheel Technique, one of the three sacred martial arts of the righteous faction? Look at you now! Drunk on power, you killed your master and plunged the world into chaos!”
He paused to catch his breath, his voice thick with hatred as he spat out each word.
“Namgung So-yu. The traitor of the Namgung Family.”
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