EP.74 Just a little scratched. (3)
Flames that had engulfed the quiet forest gradually faded into the breeze.
The flames that had burned the shrubs and trees with a single gesture were sucked back into the body.
As the flames swirling around the body were absorbed into the flesh, I could feel the internal energy that had been depleted filling up to some extent.
"...Huu."
After finishing gathering the internal energy and exhaling a deep breath, heat could be seen escaping from my mouth.
How much did I draw out and use? It feels like I used a bit too much.
[So you do know.]
Shin Noya, who immediately threw a remark, had a somewhat exhausted voice.
[Do you have any idea how hard it is to calm down a bastard who was rampaging as if he would break everything?]
"Was it very dangerous?"
[If you had drawn out even an inch more from there, I wouldn't have been able to stop it.]
"So you're saying it was a close call."
Looking at the charred corpses around, I could tell I had drawn out quite a lot.
Because I barely controlled the output, there wasn't a single intact corpse.
The surroundings of the forest, which used to be filled with a refreshing scent, were now thick with the smell of burning.
Carefully straightening my disheveled clothes, I thought.
'Is this the first time?'
It was the first time I killed someone after regressing.
It was a strange sensation.
I didn't have unnecessarily emotional thoughts.
Because I had never had such an arrogant thought like, "Since I came back, I won't kill!"
They were underlings of the Black Night Palace, they were from the Evil Sect, and they were bastards aiming for my younger sibling.
'But why is my heart trembling like this?'
Putting my hand on my chest, I could feel a faint trembling.
Is it a disconnect between mind and body?
'It's a useless thought.'
Just like in my past life, it'll be fine after a little while anyway.
Rather, I needed to become numb to it quickly.
[What do you plan to do about the one who escaped?]
At Shin Noya's words, I looked in the direction where the guy who seemed to be the leader had fled.
At first, I thought of catching and killing him, but upon seeing the shallow demonic energy contained in his body, I changed my mind.
That is, there was a need to torture him for information.
It was shallow and faint, but what he possessed was definitely demonic energy.
'How do the bastards of the Black Night Palace have demonic energy?'
Did they already have contact with the Demonic Cult? That shouldn't be possible.
There were still several years left until the Demonic Cult and the Heavenly Demon appeared.
'Was it even demonic energy in the first place?'
The reason I couldn't be sure was because it was that faint, and it also looked too shallow to be called demonic energy.
That was why missing him hurt even more.
"He was faster than I thought."
I should have burned his legs instead of his arm.
It must be because it's been so long since actual combat that my head didn't work well.
To make such a mistake even though I know well that a small mistake could cost my head.
I had grown too weak, soaked in peace.
"...When will I clean this up?"
Seeing the corpses spread around, my head started to ache.
If my cultivation level was higher, I could have burned them all to dust...
Especially seeing the guy dead with a broken neck in the corner made my indignation rise.
I should have burned him to death from the inside out; a painless death was too kind a death for him.
The fact that he harbored such disgusting thoughts toward a child who barely reaches my waist.
And the fact that it happened to be Guryonghwa didn't sit well with me either.
[You treat her like dog shit, but you do care for your younger sibling.]
'It's not particularly like that.'
[Of course it is. Hide that damned expression of yours before you speak.]
First, I had to tell Maehwaseon directly about this part.
If there was a slightly worrying part, it was that since Maehwaseon was a Daoist before being a martial artist, I didn't know how she would take the matter of killing.
In that regard, Shin Noya's indifferent words felt peculiar.
[You only killed those who deserved to be killed; I see no need to argue about it.]
A Daoist before a martial artist.
A martial artist before a Daoist.
Perhaps because it was Shin Noya, who would have directly experienced wars like the Blood Demon Great War, he felt indifferent in these matters.
Conversely, I just didn't know how it would be received in the relatively peaceful current era.
[I knew you had a lot of secrets from the beginning. Though I was a bit surprised just now.]
I smiled bitterly at Shin Noya's words. It was because I could feel his own consideration within them.
The appearance of the Black Night Palace and demonic energy...
"Why were they lingering around this area?"
It didn't seem like their main target was Guryonghwa...
Before, Shinhyeon and Yeongpung mentioned they were searching for missing Huashan martial artists.
Could it be related to this?
'I feel like I'm going to get tangled up in something troublesome.'
First, after shaking off the heat, I gathered the scattered corpses in one place and set them aside.
It was obvious that problems would arise if I carelessly threw them far away.
This was also a part I needed to discuss with Maehwaseon when I returned.
For now, after roughly organizing things, I moved my steps toward the hut.
Seeing the guys earlier, it seemed they couldn't enter because they were blocked by an energy barrier, but I could pass through without any issue.
Without any sensation of something blocking me, I passed through smoothly as usual.
What's the difference?
The incomprehensible question was naturally resolved by Shin Noya's words.
[It's probably the difference between having Huashan Sect's internal energy in your body or not.]
'Don't tell me it's because I consumed the aura of the demonic object?'
[From what I see, that seems to be the case.]
Can an energy barrier, not even a formation, have such a function?
Suddenly, it felt like Maehwaseon's prestige, which had plummeted to the bottom inside me, was rising again.
As I got closer to the hut, a delicious scent tickled my nose.
Is she busy preparing a meal?
As I approached the hut with a rustling sound, I saw Guryonghwa moving diligently outside.
"What are you doing?"
At my blunt question, Guryonghwa turned her gaze toward me.
And then her expression immediately crumpled.
"Why did you come again?"
"The Sect Leader asked me to bring something."
"Why you, of all people?"
"Why me, of all people."
Even looking at Guryonghwa, it seemed amazing that I was running an errand for the Sect Leader.
Yeah, I find it amazing too.
The fact that I could be sold out for a single medicinal pill.
I could see Jegalhyeok diligently cutting something in the back.
When our eyes met, he slightly bowed his head, which I guessed was a greeting.
"...What's he doing?"
"Can't you see? He's cooking."
"He cooks?"
Asking that, the way he thinly sliced the onions was not ordinary.
"...He does it better than I thought."
Saying that, Guryonghwa somehow looked like her pride was hurt.
Why is she acting like that?
"Where is the Divine Physician?"
"Inside... examining the Master."
"Understood."
After hearing Guryonghwa's answer, I was about to enter the hut when Guryonghwa suddenly grabbed my sleeve tightly.
"What's wrong?"
"Uh... What's wrong with your hand?"
Hand?
Not understanding what she meant, I looked and saw a thin cut on the back of my hand.
I thought I dodged most of it, did I get grazed a bit?
Even so, I thought this much was fine.
Looking at Guryonghwa's face, I thought.
What would have happened if I hadn't appeared here?
Probably nothing much would have happened.
At their level, it seemed they were in a state where they couldn't break the energy barrier or do anything about it.
I just didn't like it.
Because of my petty mind and rotten disposition, I burned them to death out of spite.
That would be better.
Pulling the sleeve Guryonghwa was holding, I said.
"Just got a little scratched."
At my answer, Guryonghwa made a suspicious face, but there was no way she had any grounds to interrogate me.
"Don't worry and keep doing what you were doing."
"Who said I was worried...!"
Without listening to the end of Guryonghwa's shout, I knocked on the hut.
Knock, knock.
-Who is it?
The dry voice unique to the Divine Physician could be heard.
"It's Gu Yangcheon, who met you last time."
-Gu... ah.
With a short exclamation, the door of the hut opens.
The Divine Physician was wearing the same outfit as last time.
Seeing me, he made an uncomfortable expression; it didn't feel like he was welcoming me.
"What is the matter?"
"Maehwaseon asked me to deliver this to you."
When I took out the letter Maehwaseon had given me, the Divine Physician's expression crumpled more and more.
It was like looking at water boiling over.
...Come to think of it, instead of coming herself, did she make me do it because she was afraid to see this?
'...That could really be it.'
Perhaps because he couldn't bear to vent his anger on me, the Divine Physician clicked his tongue with a "Tsk!" and then took the letter and put it in his embrace.
"That bastard Do-hwa, he will surely fall into hell."
"..."
Hell, to the Sect Leader of the Daoist Sect...
Anyway, I had delivered the letter properly, so I turned around to go back.
"Where are you going?"
"Yes?"
Surprisingly, the Divine Physician stopped me.
With a face that looked like he wanted to kick me out immediately, why me?
"You're just going to leave after making the back of your hand like that?"
At the Divine Physician's words, the wound Guryonghwa had mentioned came to mind.
Did he stop me because of this?
"...No, this is just a little graze..."
"A graze my ass, are you planning to spout lies in front of a physician?"
"No, really, it's a wound that heals if I apply some spit, so it's fine."
"Where is there a crazy bastard who applies spit to a wound! This is why I hate guys whose brains are filled with nothing but martial arts..."
"W-wait a minute...!"
"Now, don't make an old man use force and follow me nicely while I'm asking."
As the Divine Physician said, I tried to shake off the hand holding me, but I couldn't use force carelessly in case it really broke.
In the end, I was grabbed by the back of the neck and dragged into the hut.
******************
Black Night Palace's Shaanxi Branch, Branch Leader's room.
Thump-! Thump-!
Amidst the blood splattered here and there, Baechong repeatedly slammed his forehead into the floor continuously.
From across, Yayeoljeok sat in a chair, resting his chin on his hand and just staring at Baechong.
All five subordinates sent together had died, and Baechong, who returned, was in a state where he could barely use his left arm.
Yayeoljeok asked Baechong.
"So, who was it?"
"...I don't know... it was a guy I was seeing for the first time."
"First time? Oh, I see."
Crunch.
Crack!
"Keuhak!"
With Yayeoljeok's words, the energy spreading in all directions made Baechong spit out blood, and the cave shook, dropping dirt and dust.
"Everyone died to some bastard you don't even know, and only you came back alive?"
"I'm sorr... I'm sorry..."
"Fuck! You call that an excuse!?"
Yayeoljeok's great blade swung in a flash and sliced off Baechong's arm.
"Aaaaaagh!"
"You son of a bitch, do you think I sent those guys and you together to do that?"
"Keueueuk...!"
"I thought if I put in a bastard who at least looked somewhat smart, he'd do the job well, but if it comes out like this, will I be disappointed or not?"
"...I'm... sorry... Branch Leader..."
Ptui!
Yayeoljeok spat next to Baechong.
Even without that, this branch was dying from a lack of people, and the majority of the guys sent to search had gone and died.
And to some nameless punk?
According to Baechong, he was a guy who used fire arts.
It's not like martial artists who use fire arts are common, and as far as Yayeoljeok knew, it required a long period of training to be able to spout fire.
Where did such a monster-like guy fall from?
Moreover, the fact that he recognized their affiliation with the Black Night Palace at once was a deeply troubling part.
Yayeoljeok said to Baechong, who was trembling while holding his severed shoulder.
"Baechong."
"Yes..."
"Do you want to live?"
"...Yes... Please, please give me just one more chance, Branch Leader."
"I deliberately cut your injured arm. It was my consideration, is it okay?"
Baechong's severed arm, lying far away, came into his view.
Though trembling rage surged within him, all Baechong could do was force a smile.
"Of, of course...! I thank you for the Branch Leader's sky-like grace."
"Yeah, yeah."
Yayeoljeok said so and patted Baechong's cheek lightly.
In his heart, he wanted to cut off his head and hang it on the wall, but right now, there was no one in the branch who could use their head as well as Baechong.
Then he thought about cutting off both legs so he could only talk.
However, since he was at least a first-rate martial artist level, he couldn't carelessly do that either.
"How many days should I give for our Baechong to bring back information?"
At Yayeoljeok's words, Baechong shouted with a trembling voice.
"...In three days at most, I will find out information about him."
"Three days... Naturally, information about the Divine Physician will be included in that, right?"
"...Yes! I will find out everything."
"I like the spirit. Let's do well, shall we?"
Yayeoljeok, who had stood up, went to the back, took something out of a leather pouch, and threw it to Baechong.
It was an inner core about the size of a thumb.
"Exactly for three days."
Seeing that, Baechong shuddered.
Unless they belong to the Main Palace, the martial artists of the Black Night Palace all have Gu (錮) ingested in their bodies.
The Gu wriggling inside the body will explode if they don't take the medicine within a specified period. And because of that, their internal organs will melt and they will die.
'...Fuck.'
Baechong clenched his teeth.
If it came to this, he really had to find out the information within three days no matter what.