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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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Everything in the world has an end. Just as the sun, which dominates the sky, retreats when night falls.
Just as the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven, who roamed the heavens as if it were his own, was imprisoned under the Five Elements Mountain.
Everything has an end.
And this truth also applied to the Demonic Sect member, who sought to destroy the empire and bring about the return of the Heavenly Demon.
The moment the Demonic Sect member, having opened her Death Meridian, faltered was brief.
A tiny opening created by the disappearance of the Fire Tiger.
That was her end.
Slash!!
As befitting Hongryeon, who was said to be able to cleave monsters in half, there was no mercy in her sword.
No fancy techniques were needed. Just a single strike.
The moment Hongryeon, who had been on the defensive until now, saw an opening and switched to offense, the Demonic Sect member’s onslaught crumbled, and she must have sensed her own demise.
“Gah…”
Her left arm flew into the air. At the same time, Hongryeon’s long leg shot towards the Demonic Sect member’s abdomen, which was now vulnerable due to the recoil.
-Thud!!
Her foot struck her solar plexus, and her knee, following through, slammed into the Demonic Sect member’s face.
As she rolled on the ground with a short scream, Hongryeon dashed towards her and swung her sword again.
-Slash!!
“Aaaargh!!!”
Her left arm and right leg were severed. Looking down at her as blood gushed out like a fountain, Hongryeon moved her hands swiftly.
Pressure points. The blood flow from her severed limbs stopped instantly. She then placed her hand on the pale Demonic Sect member’s head.
“What is the purpose of the Demonic Sect’s attack? And why were you targeting the village headman and the innkeeper?”
“Kuh… Kuh… Heavenly Demon’s return… ten thousand demons will submit…”
Perhaps she had anticipated her end the moment the Fire Tiger disappeared. That’s why she didn’t hesitate.
The Demonic Sect member gritted her teeth, and her body started to overflow with demonic Qi.
As she convulsed, foaming at the mouth with her eyes rolled back, letting out horrific screams of pain, Hongryeon frowned at the stench and stepped back.
“Tsk. This is why I hate dealing with Demonic Sect members.”
The corpse began to rot rapidly. Glaring at the Demonic Sect member, who was now emitting a foul odor, Hongryeon abruptly turned her head.
Huh? Why?
Her gaze was fixed on me. She approached me with large strides, her expression a mixture of anger and sadness, and stood before me, breathing heavily.
“…Can we talk later?”
Her voice trembled slightly. I nodded at her, meeting her gaze, which seemed filled with complex emotions.
Talking wasn’t a problem.
By the time the unconscious village headman woke up, the two girls, who had been regulating their breathing, had regained their senses.
And…
“Th-thank you.”
“Thank you…”
Perhaps because of what happened earlier, they seemed quite embarrassed. It was understandable. They were supposed to protect me, but they ended up making such a blunder.
But it was fine. My clothes might have been burned, but it was true that I had received their help.
Besides, it wasn’t like I could have defeated the Fire Tiger just because I blocked a single attack.
In a way, or rather, obviously, I was deeply indebted to these two girls, to the Hongseong Sect.
So, I bowed to them.
“I owe my life to you two.”
“N-no!”
“We should be the ones…”
“Haha, then why don’t we call it even?”
Even though I said that, it seemed like they were quite shocked that a non-martial artist like me tried to protect martial artists. Instead of trying to console the two dejected girls, I decided it was best to change the subject, so I looked around, maintaining my composure.
“Anyway, it seems like things have settled down.”
In the distance, I saw the magistrate, the guards, and the Hongseong disciples.
Fortunately, the magistrate was safe as well. Although his pale face suggested he hadn’t slept a wink tonight.
Hongryeon instructed them to patrol the village, and by the time the patrol was over, those who had been fighting on the outskirts returned, carrying the heads of the Tiger Ogres and Dog Fiends.
“You all worked hard. Three Tiger Ogres? Or four?”
Since the Tiger Ogre was a monster with a human head and a tiger’s body, there were three human heads. It seemed like Tiger Ogres appeared in three different locations.
“I heard what happened. The Demonic Sect attacked, right? I’m glad everyone’s safe.”
“Thanks to you.”
“Hmm?”
“Well, you see…”
I told them about what happened earlier. Chae-jin, who had been listening quietly, tilted her head.
“Um… Innkeeper, how long has it been since you started learning from me?”
How long? Let’s see, from the day before the Dog Fiends appeared until today…
“It hasn’t been more than three weeks, right? Almost a month, I think.”
“And you blocked the Fire Tiger’s fire…? Uh… what…?”
She tilted her head again and mumbled something to herself.
Then, sensing my gaze, she abruptly looked up, burst into a haughty laugh, and patted my shoulder.
“Oh, ohohoho!! Of course, of course! You learned from the senior disciple of the prestigious and honorable Moonjeong Sect, Moonlight Blade Chae-jin, who is even more renowned than Sunset Sword in the martial world! Ohohohoho!! Of course you should be able to do that much! Ohohohoho!! Do you know how much effort I’ve put into you, member?! Oh, ohohohoho!”
Despite her arrogant laughter and words, her expression was a bit stiff.
But was it necessary to point that out? It was true that Chae-jin had worked hard to teach me.
So, I smiled. They say laughter brings good luck.
“Ahahahaha!”
And she laughed too.
“Ohohohoho!”
We laughed for a long time, looking at each other. Ah, this was a good atmosphere.
Just as I was about to stop laughing, feeling relieved, Chae-jin abruptly stopped, narrowed her eyes, and looked at my arm.
“But why is your arm like that? Didn’t you learn from this Chae-jin?”
Oh. Ah…
She caught me.
I had taken off my burned clothes. Pointing at my reddened arm, Chae-jin smiled brightly.
“This is unacceptable. You, who learned from this Chae-jin, were injured by a mere Fire Tiger’s flames. We need to double your training…”
No, doubling it is a bit much.
“Don’t worry! I’ll take responsibility!”
You don’t have to take responsibility…
But it was true that I was able to overcome the crisis thanks to Chae-jin, so I just kept quiet.
“Anyway, thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. But where’s Hongryeon?”
She looked around and then fiddled with the hilt of her sword. It seemed like she wanted to spar with Hongryeon right away if possible.
But could that happen?
Many guards were injured after fighting the Tiger Ogres and Dog Fiends, and we had to prepare for a possible follow-up attack.
Moreover, since the mastermind behind this attack was from the Demonic Sect, they had to react even more seriously.
The central government might even intervene, using this as an excuse.
I put a cigarette in my mouth and lit it. The closest Imperial forces were… probably the Cheonghoe Merchant Guild, right?
“How many survivors did you capture from this attack?”
I asked one of the busy military officers. He seemed to recognize me, so he didn’t seem to mind my question.
“About seven. But…”
“But?”
“Those who were waiting outside the Hongseong Sect are all dead. Sunset Sword personally dealt with them.”
Ah, so that’s why there was no backup.
Now I understood what the bastards who tried to capture the village headman were talking about.
“…Tsk.”
If it weren’t for Hongryeon, Seomhwa Village would have suffered greatly, and not only me, but also the village headman and the magistrate might have been kidnapped.
It was true that Hongryeon made a great contribution. Perhaps the government would even give her a separate reward.
There was some chaos, but in the end, everything worked out well.
“But why do you seem displeased?”
“Well… we should be grateful for the minimal damage…”
Chae-jin was right. Despite all the commotion, the actual damage was quite small.
No one died or was seriously injured.
From that perspective, there was no reason for Chae-jin, a righteous martial artist, to be displeased…
“…It had to be Hongryeon. Tsk.”
But it was Hongryeon who made the biggest contribution.
She already considered Hongryeon a rival, so it was only natural for her to be sulking, seeing Hongryeon basking in the glory of defeating two Tiger Ogres.
“Well… I know you worked hard, so don’t be too disheartened. I’ll give you the reward as promised.”
“Oh! Then I have to try that Braised Pork with Exploding Flavor. And I’ll have some of that Seomhwa Spirit Liquor from the inn too~!”
“I’ll have it prepared.”
“Really? Ah, I’ve been drooling over those dishes for a while now. I can finally try them today~. I’m so excited~.”
It was nice to see someone so cheerful.
“Ahahaha~! But we’ll still train, of course.”
Damn it.
Anyone would want to relax after going through a hardship.
Of course, that included me.
But this heartless woman didn’t care about such things and insisted on training.
And it felt even more intense than before…
As I was dragging my exhausted body out of the training session, a government official approached me.
“I want to treat the Hongseong disciples who worked so hard this time, so here…”
He handed me a money pouch that contained a considerable amount of silver.
“The government office was also attacked, so it’s difficult to treat them properly right now. So, if it’s okay with you…”
“Ah, I understand.”
“Thank you. Then…”
After the official left with a deep bow, I called a waiter and told him to prepare for service. Then I instructed a worker,
“Go to the Hongseong Sect and tell them that if they’re not busy, I’d like to treat them to dinner tonight.”
“Yes, sir.”
They would also want to rest after the battle.
After all, the best way to rest was to eat delicious food and sleep soundly.
After sending the worker, I looked at the backyard.
Traces of the Hongseong disciples who had been staying here to protect me remained.
Among them, what I was looking at was Sayoon’s makeshift bed.
…Should I leave it as it is?
After agonizing over it while chain-smoking, I went back to my room and finished some work. Then, the worker returned.
With the Hongseong disciples.
They looked exhausted, still bearing the marks of the battle, but their eyes were sparkling.
As those who had become familiar with me during their rotations as guards greeted me, I looked at Sayoon.
Her eyes seemed a bit deeper than before.
She was definitely in the early stages of demonic possession back then, right?
She couldn’t control the Ominous Star of the Hongseong Divine Art and acted while her consciousness was overtaken by it.
It seemed like she managed to overcome it, achieving enlightenment and further increasing her strength.
Was this… a good thing?
Well,
It must be, right?
I led them to the room where I had treated the Hongseong disciples before. They sat down one by one, their eyes sparkling with anticipation.
I had to treat them well.
“As a local influential figure of Seomhwa Village, I’d like to express my gratitude to the Hongseong Sect. As promised, I’ll give you the reward for catching the Tiger Ogre, and I’d also like to offer a small contribution to the Hongseong Sect. Please don’t refuse.”
“We can’t accept contributions. It’s our duty as martial artists to protect the weak. We’ll gratefully accept the reward you promised, but…”
So strict.
Ryuhyeon spoke firmly, and I looked at Hongryeon. She seemed to agree with Ryuhyeon, just nodding silently.
“But I wouldn’t feel at ease if that’s all I did. Then, please accept it in kind. I heard that many of the blankets and daily necessities at the Hongseong Sect are old and worn out.”
Hongryeon turned her head sharply and looked at her junior sisters, who quickly averted their gazes.
Haha! You think I was idle all this time?
I subtly gathered information about what the Hongseong Sect needed while chatting with them.
This is what they call experience!
“…You don’t have to go that far.”
“I want to do this, so please don’t refuse.”
“Ugh…”
Hongryeon groaned and then finally nodded.
It seemed like she couldn’t refuse, as the Hongseong Sect often accepted goods from Seomhwa Village, even though they refused money.
Or maybe it was because of her junior sisters, whose eyes were sparkling with excitement.
“Fine. As the senior disciple of the Hongseong Sect, I’ll gratefully accept it.”
“That’s a relief. Then, please enjoy the feast to your heart’s content. Ask for anything you need. I received the funds for the feast from the government office, so don’t worry about the cost.”
Of course, I planned to give them much more than what the government provided!
Hehehe, they’re going to be stuffed with delicious, high-quality food tonight!
I glanced at Sayoon. She was smiling faintly, happy to see her sisters rejoicing.
I could starve tonight. Just seeing her smile filled me with satisfaction.
I closed the door to the room where they could eat comfortably without being disturbed.
After leaving them to enjoy their meal, I started working on the ledger. The reward money that would be paid out, the operating expenses…
By the time I finished organizing things and came back downstairs, the room was still bustling with noise. They seemed to be only eating the cheap dishes.
So, I deliberately ordered some expensive dishes and had them sent in. Then, I went out to the backyard.
There, I saw a woman with red hair, sitting alone on a long bench, looking up at the sky.
“Why aren’t you eating?
“Just taking a break… More importantly, do you have a moment? I’d like to talk, as you promised earlier.”
“Sure.”
I offered her a cigarette, and she nodded.
After getting her permission, I lit it. Hongryeon closed her eyes, her lips moving slightly as if she were deep in thought, as I exhaled a puff of smoke.
By the time I finished a cigarette, she stood up and walked towards me.
“Thank you. My sisters are safe thanks to you.”
She bowed her head. The senior disciple of the Hongseong Sect, the renowned Sunset Sword, bowed deeply before me.
And then,
“Why did you do that?”
Whoa.
What’s with this atmosphere?
Did she figure out that I was the one who sent the letters?
Or was she angry that I was running a business in Hongseong territory while practicing the Moonjeong Sect’s Chae Family Taijiquan?
Or was it because I learned it from Chae-jin, her rival?
There were too many possibilities, and a cold sweat ran down my back.
“Why did you step forward?”
“Huh?”
That wasn’t it.
I sighed in relief, and Hongryeon, fixing her sharp gaze on me, stepped closer.
The woman, emanating a faint scent of plum blossoms, her expression a mixture of anger and sadness, placed her hand on my chest.
Her hand, which wielded the greatsword that tore through the Demonic Sect member, felt surprisingly gentle,
But it firmly grasped my collar.
“They were in danger, yes. But you could have protected them by taking a calculated risk.”
That was true.
Even though their internal energy was depleted, they were still martial artists who practiced a divine art.
Their defenses were much stronger than mine, and even if they were hit by the Fire Tiger’s flames, they would have been able to recover after some hardship.
Besides, the Hongseong Sect had the Divine Doctor’s medicine that Hongryeon received as payment for working at the Martial Alliance, and if the Sword Saint participated in the healing process, their recovery time would have been significantly reduced.
Of course,
They would have to use their precious stockpile of medicine, which would be a burden for both Hongryeon and the Hongseong Sect.
“Weren’t you afraid?”
Ah, was that it?
I thought it was something else.
“I just did what I had to do.”
How could a member of the Sayoon Corps stand by and watch Sayoon get hurt?
“…..”
Hongryeon’s eyes widened at my answer.
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