WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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Chapter 51: Who Is the Winner? (3)

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- Just as I thought. You're not the type to accept a loss. Lately, I've felt that you're starting to resemble Evil Heaven in nerve.

Hm.

Why did that feel like both praise and not praise at all?

In any case, I could not afford to lose out.

I was prepared to earn the hostility of other factions by placing myself under the weaker Baek Ryeon Ha.

Even if I could not receive an upfront payment, I had to secure what I could.

- What? Are you going to demand gold and treasures? Or a position?

The SoDam Sword chattered on, apparently curious.

What use would wealth be when I could not spend it?

Besides, under the Blood Cult's current circumstances, she could not grant positions as she pleased.

[There is no time. Speak quickly.]

Baek Ryeon Ha urged me on.

Once our internal energy was sealed before the duel, we would be unable to speak.

Knowing that, I quickly sent her a sound telepathy message.

[Grant pardon writs in your name to my fellow disciples, Master, and me.]

[What?]

My words brought confusion to her eyes.

She apparently had not expected me to demand such a thing.

A pardon writ was exactly what it sounded like.

It granted its holder forgiveness for any crime committed within the cult.

It might not be especially useful right now, but it could come in handy if she became the Blood Cult lord someday, or if she tried to hold us accountable for something.

For example... if we ever had to sever our ties with the Blood Cult.

- You... are preparing for that.

That was right.

There was no telling what would happen in the future.

Since I belonged to the Blood Cult, leaving would not be easy, but I was still preparing for the future.

She had been taken aback, but then sent a sound telepathy message.

[You have already taken my plaque, yet you are making an excessive demand.]

Had she read my intentions?

She hesitated to give me the pardon writs.

Giving one to a person was already a major matter, and I had asked for all four of us to receive them.

Then Han BaekHa, the Blood-Hand Witch, spoke.

“...Since the young lady has accepted the duel, it cannot be helped.”

Time was running out.

Baek Ryeon Ha frowned and hurriedly sent a message.

[Giving them to everyone is excessive.]

[Then?]

[I will give pardon writs to Uncle Hae and you. Is that sufficient for an agreement?]

She narrowed the terms as though bargaining at a market.

As expected, she was skilled in negotiation as well.

I glanced at the twins, Song JwaBaek and Song WooHyun.

I had grown attached to them while we lived together, so I had wanted to secure something for them too, but it seemed impossible.

I could not get greedy and make her change her mind.

[Fine.]

[Good. Then, in the duel...]

[There is one more thing.]

‘!?’

She sent a message as though utterly dumbfounded.

[You received pardon writs, and that is still not enough?]

[May I ask one question?]

[What?]

[I saw that you had one of the Divine Doctor's plaques.]

She had no reply.

It seemed she had thought I would let that pass.

Did she think I would miss this opportunity?

“Miss and Young Master So, receive the point-pressing technique from the two Venerable Ones as before.”

As Baek Ryeon Ha walked toward Evil Heaven, she sent a sound telepathy message.

[Haah. That was... not from me. My Master, no, the Sixth Blood Star received it after obtaining a medical herb, though it had not fully matured...]

She stopped her sound telepathy message, apparently realizing her mistake.

I had already heard enough.

Ah, so the Sixth Blood Star had received it.

[Then it is the plaque you intended to give me, correct? I was the one who found the Hasunbu Seolcho.]

She frowned.

The damage was already done.

If she had not used the plaque to win the favor of Seo GalMa, the Second Venerable One, here today, I might never have learned of it.

Standing before Evil Heaven, she sighed and sent another message.

[...I thought my plaque had replaced it, so I unintentionally ended up concealing that plaque. I apologize, Young Master.]

I thought she might call it a forced argument, but unexpectedly, she apologized.

She truly was different from ordinary people.

[Fine. The Divine Doctor's plaque has already been used on someone else, so I will pay a price equivalent to it. However, time is up now. We can discuss that later.]

Time had run out.

Evil Heaven was sealing her blood pressure points and chi.

Still, since she said she would pay a price equivalent to the plaque, I had gained everything I could.

- What were you going to ask for?

‘An Elixir or something?’

I had realized it again this time, but my internal energy was still insufficient.

I needed enough internal energy to demonstrate my strength reliably, even without using the Central Dantian.

I had already absorbed all the energy scattered throughout the meridians in my body.

That was the limit of what it could provide.

- Will she agree to that?

‘Probably.’

She would agree.

At the very least, she did not break her word.

Tap tap tap tap tap!

Meanwhile, Seo GalMa finished using the point-pressing technique to seal my internal energy as well.

It somehow felt stronger than before.

Every touch of his fingers hurt.

Then Seo GalMa's sound telepathy reached my ear.

[If you use sorcery, no, the Illusory Mind Eye against the young lady as well, then even if your Master tries to stop me, I will smash your head to pieces.]

‘...’

He was still holding a grudge over my use of the Illusory Mind Eye.

Come to think of it, Seo GalMa was quite unusual for someone from the force of evil.

Setting aside the fact that he defended me, neither Evil Heaven nor Han BaekHa, the Blood-Hand Witch, considered it particularly wrong for me to use the Illusory Mind Eye in a fight.

That was because there were many people in the force of evil and the Blood Cult who were skilled in bizarre methods and unorthodox arts.

Most people from the force of evil, who did not insist upon the orthodox path, did not think such things were wrong.

But Seo GalMa was different.

- He reminds me of my former master.

‘The Southern Heavenly Swordmaster?’

- My former master also took great pride in Martial Arts and despised arts such as the Illusory Mind Eye.

Hearing the Southern Heavenly Steel Sword's words, it made sense.

If someone had exceptional pride in the martial path, they might dislike such things even if they belonged to the force of evil.

In a way, my own way of thinking had changed greatly as well.

Even though I came from a prestigious force of justice.

Perhaps it was because I had lived as a member of the force of evil for ten years, and another year after returning to the past.

“What are you doing? Go stand in front.”

Thump!

Seo GalMa shoved me into the center of the room.

He seemed to dislike me in many ways, beginning with the fact that I had cut off his eldest disciple's arm.

I should be careful not to encounter him alone.

Then Evil Heaven's sound telepathy reached my ear.

[Could it be that you truly took a liking to the young lady?]

I nearly coughed in disbelief.

What did he take me for?

No matter how beautiful Baek Ryeon Ha was, she was a dangerous thorn.

There could not be a more perilous position than becoming her spouse.

[I do not know what you discussed through sound telepathy, but I do not believe a clever brat like you would fail to understand this lord's intentions.]

Of course I understood.

I had noticed long ago that he had decided to support Baek Ryeon Ha.

He kept talking about legitimacy, but I was curious about the true reason he had chosen her despite considering the weakness of her faction.

[In any case, I entrusted it to you, so I trust your judgment.]

Unable to use sound telepathy, I gave a small nod.

He would probably be surprised later when he learned that I had gained a pardon writ from Baek Ryeon Ha as my price.

“Whew.”

I steadied my breathing and looked at Baek Ryeon Ha, who stood across from me.

This was the first time we had faced each other directly.

Honestly, I could not guess what level she had reached.

Even when she had been fat, she had shown martial prowess that did not yield at all against two Squad leaders. She had certainly surpassed the wall of Advanced mastery.

- Even if you intend to lose, do not let your guard down. If she truly is the Blood Cult lord's granddaughter, she may have inherited not only the Blood-Hand Jade but also the Blood Demon's Martial Arts.

The Southern Heavenly Steel Sword sharply pointed that out.

It was right.

The Blood Demon had once possessed martial prowess great enough to be called one of the Five Great Evildoers, the greatest under heaven.

If she had inherited those Martial Arts, I had to be cautious.

‘Hm?’

However, though the duel had not even begun, Baek Ryeon Ha lowered her head and avoided meeting my eyes.

We had made an agreement, but she seemed to be guarding against the Illusory Mind Eye just in case.

She was thorough.

“Then we will begin. Opening!”

Han BaekHa, the Blood-Hand Witch, gave the signal to begin the duel.

At that very moment, Baek Ryeon Ha rushed forward.

It seemed she intended to decide the fight before I could draw the Southern Heavenly Steel Sword.

Whoosh!

Still, we needed to put on a convincing duel, so I used a step to retreat and open the distance between us.

A step performed without internal energy made my body feel more sluggish than usual.

Clang!

Without drawing my sword, I thrust the scabbard at her.

Then she leaned her head back by the narrowest margin and slipped beneath the sword.

Whoosh!

The way she glided beneath it was exceptionally graceful.

Her movements were on an entirely different level from those of high-rank warriors.

Her right hand targeted my abdomen.

My pride would not permit me to lose as soon as the fight began.

Smack!

I raised my left arm and blocked her right hand.

Since Baek Ryeon Ha's internal energy was sealed, she could not use the Blood-Hand Jade or exert proper palm force, so the back of my arm only stung slightly.

‘What strength is that?’

Now that she had lost weight, she looked slender.

Yet if the strike hurt, her external energy was clearly extraordinary as well.

I needed to dodge to the side and pressure her with sword techniques...

Smack!

“Urgh!”

Then, with the same hand she had struck out with, she seized my wrist and pulled.

My body was drawn slightly forward.

She threw her left hand at my face.

Thud!

At that moment, I drove the Southern Heavenly Steel Sword into the floor, using it as support to spin my body and kick her shoulder.

Smack!

She hastily blocked with the hand she had thrown out.

However, my greater weight gave the kick more force, and she was pushed roughly five steps sideways.

A strange light appeared in her eyes.

“You are quite resourceful.”

“I was fortunate.”

After praising me, she assumed an unusual posture, then closed her open palms into fists.

Only the index fingers of both hands remained extended.

‘Finger force?’

A Martial Art that used the fingers had to be finger force.

I had not noticed before, but her index fingers were knotted and covered in calluses.

I had heard finger force was harder to master than fist techniques or palm techniques.

One had to be prepared for their fingers to break many times during training.

‘...Could this be the Blood Demon's Martial Arts?’

Finger force was not among the Blood-Hand Witch's Martial Arts.

The thought that it might be the Blood Demon's Martial Arts made me tense.

Even with her internal energy sealed, I could not be careless against the Martial Arts of a supreme master who had dominated an era.

She launched herself toward me.

Whoosh! Smack smack smack smack smack!

Her finger force moved in a dazzling blur and shot toward me.

It was astonishing despite being techniques performed without internal energy.

I could see no opening.

‘Flowing Loach Form Sword.’

I responded by using the third technique of the Stellar Star Sword Art.

Though I had no internal energy and my sword remained sheathed, the changes in the sword technique were unchanged.

The sword's arc bent like a willow branch, slipping between each movement to disrupt her finger force.

“Why do you not draw your sword?”

Even in the middle of our clash, she asked, seemingly puzzled that I would not draw my sword despite intending to lose.

I gave no answer and focused on my technique.

In truth, her finger force was so fierce that I struggled just to block it.

- It must be the Blood Demon's finger force. I have never seen finger force this outstanding.

The Southern Heavenly Steel Sword sounded astonished.

I felt the same way.

If she could use internal energy, I could not imagine how much more formidable it would be.

Smack!

Then her finger force slipped through a gap in my sword technique.

It was dangerous.

Instinctively, I drew the SoDam Sword at my waist with my left hand and blocked her finger force.

Smack!

Her eyes widened.

It seemed she had intended to finish the fight with that strike.

“Have you trained your left hand as well?”

She was surprised that I wielded a Short Sword with my left hand.

The SoDam Sword and Southern Heavenly Steel Sword had both recommended that I practice it. I had not expected it to prove useful like this.

“Not bad.”

Seo GalMa's mutter reached my ear.

He seemed to think highly of my last move.

He had despised me for using sorcery, yet hearing him speak like that made it seem he was truly honest when it came to Martial Arts.

“Will you continue not drawing your sword?”

“I wanted to properly defend against the young lady's finger force.”

Her expression became strange at my words.

She seemed to understand my intention.

I had not left my sword sheathed for fairness in a duel I had intended to lose from the beginning.

I simply wanted to face the Blood Demon's Martial Arts.

“You are quite an interesting person, Young Master.”

She gave a faint smile as she said that.

Swish!

Then she assumed another stance.

Her footing was wider than before, and the atmosphere around her changed.

It was astonishing that merely assuming an opening stance could create such pressure.

- This is no ordinary technique. Prepare yourself.

The Southern Heavenly Steel Sword warned me.

I sheathed the SoDam Sword at my waist again and corrected my stance.

It seemed I would have to use the Ultimate Technique of the Stellar Star Sword Art.

I watched her with tense eyes.

Whoosh!

The timing was off.

Her body moved at a moment beyond when I had expected her to attack.

I belatedly thrust my sword toward her.

Smack!

At that moment, she ducked low beneath my sword.

As I tried to bring down the sword I had thrust out to match her movement...

Clang!

In an unusual posture, she kicked away my scabbard, then pushed off with her other foot and somersaulted over me.

She was so nimble that I nearly lost track of her movement.

- Above you!

The Southern Heavenly Steel Sword told me where she was.

If I drew the SoDam Sword and reached upward, I could nullify her attack.

But it was time to end this.

I did not move.

‘Whew.’

This was going to hurt, was it not?

Then I heard her voice by my ear.

“This will hurt.”

‘...’

With that warning, her finger force rapidly struck the pressure points on my head.

Even without internal energy, the pressure points on the head were more vulnerable than anywhere else.

Smack smack smack smack smack!

The moment her finger force struck those pressure points, everything before my eyes turned white, and I lost consciousness.

* * *

When I opened my eyes, it was dark all around.

Could it already be night?

Looking around, I saw several beds, and someone lay in the bed beside mine.

I focused my vision, and the face came into view.

‘Ho GeumWon?’

It was Ho GeumWon.

His entire right arm was wrapped in bandages, and he slept as though dead.

The room reeked of medicine, so the Omnipotent Godly Doctor had apparently reattached his severed arm.

Throb!

My head hurt as though I had a terrible headache.

The pressure points on the head were truly dangerous if one was not careful.

On top of that, I had deliberately suppressed even my innate life energy, so her finger force seemed to have fully taken effect.

- Un Hwi!

- Have you regained consciousness?

The voices of the SoDam Sword and Southern Heavenly Steel Sword reached me.

Where were they?

- Under the bed.

I got down from the bed and looked underneath. The Southern Heavenly Steel Sword and SoDam Sword lay together there.

My leather shoes were beside them.

After putting on my shoes and gathering the two swords, I asked,

‘How long was I unconscious?’

- You were out for more than six two-hour periods. You would not wake up, so I thought you had died.

There was no way I had died.

Still, I had been unconscious for an awfully long time.

Even when used with internal energy sealed, the finger force's power was no ordinary matter.

It truly deserved to be called the Blood Demon's Martial Arts.

Throb!

My head still pounded.

She could have gone easier on me, but she had struck the pressure points on my head incredibly hard.

Still, it was not a bad bargain since I had gained what I wanted.

‘What happened after I fainted?’

- Well, exactly what you expected.

- Evil Heaven swore a loyalty oath to support Baek Ryeon Ha.

It was the natural result.

I had lost the duel, after all.

- I do not know what happened after that. You were moved to this room right away. Hey, I saw that doctor called the Divine Doctor reattach his arm. It was really disgusting. He connected things like blood vessels one by one...

There was no need to explain it in detail.

In any case, my head hurt, and the smell of medicine filled the room. I did not want to remain here any longer.

I suppressed my presence so Ho GeumWon would not wake up, then quietly left the room.

‘So this was the Main Hall.’

I had thought its structure was different from the Guest House, but this was the Main Hall.

Most of the lamps inside the building were out, and it was quiet.

Having been unconscious for around six two-hour periods, it must have been late in the night.

‘I'd better return to my room.’

I quietly left the Main Hall and headed toward the Guest House.

Then I saw someone cautiously emerge from one of the rooms in the Guest House.

- Is that not Go EunJae?

I saw Go EunJae too.

It was Go EunJae, the Second Venerable One Seo GalMa's second disciple.

Why was Go EunJae leaving alone at such a late hour?

‘Hm.’

It was suspicious.

I considered returning to my room, but curiosity led me to follow Go EunJae.

Go EunJae headed somewhere while deftly avoiding the guards, as though they had mastered a concealment technique.

If I had not seen Go EunJae from the beginning, I might have lost sight of them.

Go EunJae entered a forest not far from the Main Hall of Blood-Nurturing Valley.

- They are really suspicious.

I had no idea where Go EunJae was heading either.

However, they did not go far.

It was about a quarter of a gak from the Main Hall.

After stopping, he looked around, then suddenly took off his leather shoes.

- What are they doing? Why are they taking off their shoes?

Go EunJae removed the sole of one shoe.

Then they grabbed something from within and suddenly scattered it around.

White powder spread in every direction like smoke.

‘Ha!’

I thought I knew what he had scattered.

After using all of it, he reattached the sole and tried to put the shoe back on.

Clang! Whoosh!

I drew the Southern Heavenly Steel Sword and rushed forward.

Sensing my presence, Go EunJae jumped in alarm and drew a long saber before they could finish putting on their shoe.

Clang!

“Who is it?”

I asked the flustered figure,

“Who are you?”

Recognizing me, he frowned.

“So WoonHwi?”

I leveled my sword at Go EunJae and asked again.

“Answer me.”

“...What does it matter to you what I do?”

Go EunJae played dumb.

Did he think I had not seen it?

I pointed at his shoe with my eyes and said,

“That was Thousand-Li Scent Chaser, right?”

Killing intent flashed in Go EunJae's eyes.

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