WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ SSS-Class Revival Hunter ◈
Chapter 71: A World Where Constellations Died (3)
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6.
Winter.
So BaekHyang had entered the mountains.
It was an event from when she was eleven years old.
-Child.
-No one will force anything upon you.
The main base of the Demonic Cult.
The place the elder brought her to was like heaven. Food appeared every morning and evening even if she did nothing. She was given warm bedding. There were not even any yamen functionaries to whip her.
-Eat whenever you want to. Sleep whenever you feel like it. Play whenever you wish.
-.......
-BaekHyang, just live as you wish.
So BaekHyang was bewildered.
Perhaps this was the legendary Peach Blossom Spring.
-Everyone here is so kind!
Children of her age smiled brightly.
-They don’t make us do anything.
-Are they raising us as slaves?
-Idiot! It's been a year since I came here, and nothing like that has happened.
The Demonic Cult had many orphans besides herself. A lot, indeed. By a rough estimate, there were over 2000. Every day, one or two kids would join. During some years of famine, dozens came in a single day.
Were there so many orphans in the world?
-……You guys.
So BaekHyang opened her lips.
-How did you end up here?
Silence.
The children looked at her intently.
Then, suddenly, they opened their mouths.
-The crops failed terribly!
-My mom worked in a brothel….
-I don’t want to talk about it. Why should I tell you?
-Yeah. At night, thieves with knives rampaged through our village!
-Suddenly, people in the village got sick.
-They kept beating me. I ran away.
Hunger. Prostitution. Illegitimate birth. Thieves. Epidemics. Abuse.
Each time the children opened their mouths, poison flowed out.
-.......
So BaekHyang felt dizzy. The poison of hunger stung sharply. The poison of prostitution’s resentment was sore. The poison of illegitimate birth was harsh. The poison from knife wounds inflicted by thieves was chilling. The poison born from epidemics was nasty. The poison marinated in abuse and beatings was rotten.
-You guys…...
How could the poisons under heaven be so motley? Had every sting and ache, every sharpness, chill, foulness, and rotten stench in the world gathered here? If so, what was this place? Could it possibly be heaven?
So BaekHyang recalled.
-Are you happy now?
The jar of Concentrated Poison.
-Are you okay now?
Into the jar, one would put toads, vipers, poison spiders, centipedes, fire ants, wasps, and various venomous insects. Then, they would seal the lid. The vipers would bite the toads, the toads would eat the poison spiders, and the venomous insects would devour each other until, finally, only one survived.
To boil down.
To create a single, extreme poison.
-Yes!
The children smiled brightly.
-We can eat every day.
-I don’t have to work in place of my mom.
-I’m always okay.
-Yes. There are no thieves here, right?
-Even if we're sick, the doctor heals us.
-No one hits us. It’s nice.
Toads. Vipers. Poison spiders. Centipedes. Fire ants. Wasps.
Though the children opened their mouths to smile, in So BaekHyang's eyes, her peers appeared as nothing more than venomous beasts and insects. Yes, this place was not something like heaven. It was merely a jar meant to cultivate a single Concentrated Poison.
-.......
So BaekHyang quietly placed her hand over her chest.
It was cold.
Something that could not be warmed with a hot morning porridge, evening soup, or thick blankets. An ice that would never melt, already embedded deep in her heart. It was her own heart.
Her mother was leaving.
Snow was falling.
Her mother did not stop leaving.
Therefore, the snow did not stop falling.
-.......
From that day on.
So BaekHyang no longer mingled with the children of her age.
「Eat whenever you feel like eating.」
Every morning and evening, she reduced the food she ate.
「Sleep whenever you feel like sleeping.」
She went to bed early and woke up even earlier.
「Play whenever you feel like playing.」
She didn't play. While other children ran around the hills laughing, neutralizing their venom with laughter, So BaekHyang did not join them.
The children whispered.
-So BaekHyang is strange...
-She only plays with the farmers!
-It's weird.
-Yeah. She deliberately doesn't eat.
-Why does she hang out with the farmers?
-I don't know.
She ignored them.
"Just live as you wish."
Time passed.
One day, the elder who had brought her here came to visit. Although considerable time had passed, the elder had not changed since that winter day.
-It's been a long time, BaekHyang.
-Yes. It's been a while.
-I've come to ask you something.
Tap, tap.
The elder tapped the ground with their staff.
-I hear you don't mingle with children your age.
-Yes.
-I hear you help the farmers and harvest your own food.
-Yes.
-I hear you make your own clothes and bedding.
-Yes.
-Why?
The elder tilted their head.
-You could live in abundance here if you wished. This place is like the Peach Blossom Spring. Adults farm and pick fruits for you. You're just a child, why work by yourself?
So BaekHyang spoke.
-The Mo family, who farm below the mountain, lost both their daughters to the county magistrate.
-Hmm?
-Choi, who works in the orchard, had his second son die after being summoned to build the city walls. Out of injustice, he filed a complaint but was interrogated and lost his eldest son too. After burying both sons in their hometown, Mr. Choi and his wife sought refuge here.
-......
So BaekHyang recounted each story.
The farmers who brought crops to the orphans were all hurt by the world. Not a single one was without a grievous story.
-This place is not heaven.
After recounting the farmers' plight, So BaekHyang said.
-They're not fools to feed and clothe us for free.
-Then?
The elder asked again.
-Why do you think you eat and sleep here for free?
-Hoping for someone to avenge on their behalf.
-Because they have suffered injustice upon injustice. Because they cannot forgive the county magistrates and yamen functionaries who ruined their lives. They want revenge, but they have no power to take it.
So BaekHyang continued.
-I've heard that martial arts must be learned and practiced from a very young age to be mastered. These farmers, the people who feed and clothe us, are already too old to deeply refine their martial arts.
However…
-But they can farm for [children who can learn martial arts].
-We're not eating and sleeping for free.
That was the reality of this paradise.
-We are here to avenge the world on their behalf.
It was the headquarters of the Demonic Cult.
The elder fell silent.
After a long silence, the elder asked.
-BaekHyang.
-Yes.
-Do you have something to say to the world?
So BaekHyang nodded.
-Yes.
About the coldness.
About a blizzard one winter. About a mother who crossed the snowfield with her child following behind. About a mother who heard the child's cries and still quickened her steps. About the child left behind. About the cold.
About someone's heart.
-Yes.
About hunger. About a child born in a brothel. About an illegitimate child. About a child who lost their family to bandits. About a child whose village disappeared due to a plague. About a child who suffered abuse and beatings.
About their venom.
-There's a lot.
The world was vast.
-So much.
What needed to be said was infinite.
The elder quietly closed their eyes.
-Is that so…… It must be so.
It was quiet.
-Then, the world must listen to your words.
The elder opened their eyes.
-I am one of the Seven Elders of the cult. I am the Demonic Buddha.
-Is there a Buddha in hell?
-What use would Buddha be if they were not in hell?
Although So BaekHyang had called this place hell, the elder did not rebuke her for it. Instead, they answered as though it were only natural. Only then did So BaekHyang realize that she had entered the right path.
-BaekHyang, you have passed the initiation test. You did not waver even in the face of abundant food and a cozy bed. Undoubtedly, your poison is clear. Take me as your master, and call me master when addressing me.
Master.
-From now on, your sword will cry out in place of countless screams.
The elder raised their staff.
And placed it on the young Heavenly Demon's shoulder.
-Perform the Nine Bows Ceremony. My disciple.
That day.
So BaekHyang was initiated.
It was when she was thirteen years old.
7.
“Wake up.”
I awoke in the early dawn.
A voice whispering in my ear.
When I opened my eyes, the face of the Heavenly Demon was right in front of me.
“Well? Why are you not getting up?”
"......."
She was really close. So close I could clearly see the Heavenly Demon's eyelashes. When she blinked, they fluttered like a curtain of black.
I was lying on the ground. The Heavenly Demon looked down at me intently.
“There. Heavenly Demon.”
Maybe it was because I had just woken up. My mouth felt dry.
“If you keep standing there, I can’t get up. I think I’ll bump my head.”
“Hmm. Seeing you talk eloquently right after waking up, your body must be fine.”
The Heavenly Demon straightened up.
“Go bathe in the hot spring. You must cleanse your body and mind with all your heart.”
“What?”
“I will wait at the entrance of the cave.”
The Heavenly Demon turned and walked away. I had no time to say anything. Her small back disappeared into the distance.
Left in the cave were me, standing dumbfounded, and the sleeping party.
“Umm, ugh…”
“Oh, hmm…”
“Heh…”
Perhaps they were immersed in virus research until late at night? The Apothecary and Medicine King, surrounded by tools, were sleeping soundly. The Viper was smiling contentedly, arms crossed.
What kind of dreams are they having that they sleep so sweetly?
I checked their psychological windows once.
「Yes, I am right. Why do I even have to explain something this easy? You would not understand even if I did. Anyway, I am right, so just do what I tell you. These idiots are as ignorant as water fleas, I swear I am losing my fucking mind... Ah, no, everyone, that was not what I meant... If you would just roll your damn heads around a little more, no, use your heads, why can you not understand such a simple principle? Ughhh, I am sorry, I am sorry, I am sorry...」
"Hmph, with this, I have secured my 100th victory, Marcus…. And as a bonus, I even achieved my 999999th victory against that Apothecary kid or whatever. Oh, is there no one who can block the victory road of this Shawn McCallister? I've achieved a lonely, unparalleled existence in the most sorrowful sense...."
"Mwahaha! Pffft hahaha!"
Hmm.
'I shouldn’t wake them.'
Especially the last one, I shouldn't touch.
I carefully washed and came back out. Shiny and the Guardian Spirit had held their breath the entire time. Dawn and snow-laden wind mingled beneath a pale white sky that looked down upon us...
8.
When I emerged from the cave, the snow-covered world was waiting.
The Heavenly Demon stood in the middle of the snowy field. She crossed her arms and scrutinized me from head to toe.
"Did you scrub every corner?"
"Yes, I feel cleansed even in my heart."
"I dislike those who speak too well."
The woman frowned in displeasure.
"And you, you speak too well. Your tongue is too light, too light indeed. More like a swindler than a man of great character. It's worrying, like a mountain of concern."
"Oh."
Is that so?
I never felt particularly talented in speaking. Yet, the second-ranked Witch would nag me whenever she had the chance, saying I 'speak well.' Could it be an unknown talent I was born with?
Lost in thought, the Heavenly Demon furrowed her brows, seemingly displeased.
I also opened her psychological window once.
「Your tongue is cunning, yet that vacant face makes you look like an innocent simpleton. You are the very picture of a future leader of Haomun.」
What's a Haomunju*?
*Low-class Sects, they’re small and comprise of people from low classes of society but are cunning.
"Follow me."
I followed the Heavenly Demon through the snow.
Crossing the snowfield, the Heavenly Demon said,
"To wear the Demonic Cult's robes, one must pass numerous tests. Even though you've proven your qualifications, it doesn't mean you've passed the tests. The first test of our sect is..."
"[Test of Comfort], right?"
"......."
Her footsteps faltered slightly, or so I felt.
"Free lodgings, clothes, and food. Those who are content and complacent become part of the outer sect, raised as farmers, artisans, and messengers."
They handle the livelihood of the Demonic Cult.
"However, passing the [Test of Comfort] leads to a different path. One is recognized as a disciple of the inner sect. Only the inner sect disciples are formally taught the demonic arts. This is when one truly joins the Demonic Cult."
"…How do you know that?"
I saw it as a trauma when you killed me in the last round.
I couldn't say that, so I just smiled.
"I know quite a bit."
“Ah, Heaven is heartless! To think the final bond it brought me would be such a slippery fellow. Must I truly accept a layabout fit for Haomun as a disciple of our cult...?”
Guardian Spirit nodded in agreement.
-Right. This zombie bastard really does seem like a Haomun layabout! Maybe because she is the Heavenly Demon, she has a decent eye for people.
‘No, what are you talking about…?’
-It's one thing if you were just a scoundrel, but you're intriguingly active at times, making it hard to ignore. That's what makes you even worse!
Is that a compliment or an insult? When others praise or curse me, I tend to take it as a compliment.
In a cold era, stingy with praise, shouldn't I at least receive people's words graciously? Yes, even if it's from someone as eccentric and bizarrely negative as a Guardian Spirit….
-That is exactly what makes you such a layabout, you little zombie-wren bastard!
I don't understand what he means. Really.
"---This should be far enough."
The Heavenly Demon led me to a pit. A huge pit. Like a colosseum, the center was deeply recessed, dark as night since the dawn's light couldn't reach.
"Rejoice."
The Heavenly Demon turned to face me.
“I intend to accept you as my disciple. The Demonic Way rules all under heaven! Since you have sufficient qualifications, Heaven will not reject a follower.”
"Oh! Then…"
"However, I cannot yet accept you as a formal disciple."
What.
"No, Heavenly Demon, this is too much! I came all the way from the outside lands to become your disciple. I've shown you I'm qualified. And yet you say I'm still insufficient to be a formal disciple, what does this mean!"
"……Your words are highly suspicious."
The Heavenly Demon scrutinized my face.
"Even your claim of coming from the outside lands is dubious. Whether your admiration for me since ancient times is true is also questionable. According to my intuition, it all seems false… But your nature doesn't seem too malicious, so I let it be."
No.
Why is this martial artist's intuition so sharp?
“Strangely enough, judging by your disposition alone, you even seem good-natured. Yes, you are a truly peculiar fellow. For now, I cannot tell whether you will prove a fortuitous encounter for me or I for you.”
"...What is the test?"
"Over there."
The Heavenly Demon pointed to the bottom of the pit.
“I threw a gangsi down there. In life, that person was one of our cult's most promising young talents and a peak-level master who had made quite a name in the martial world. Defeat that gangsi, and I will accept you as an inner-sect disciple. However...”
The Heavenly Demon, arms crossed, added a condition.
"Fight while feeling hunger."
"Pardon?"
"Exactly as I said. Battle the zombie, but your heart must be filled only with hunger. Only the agony of starvation should reside in you. I will not allow any other emotion or thought to creep into your heart."
The Heavenly Demon's voice resonated.
"Do you think you can do it?"
"......"
And then I realized.
She already considers me her [disciple].
Whether she says I'm not yet an official disciple, or that I am not her disciple at all, it's all meaningless. In the heart of the Heavenly Demon, I am a disciple destined to receive the teachings of the Demonic Cult, the successor of the Divine Art of the Demonic Heaven.
"Every stroke of your sword must emanate from hunger."
The Heavenly Demon advised.
"Imagine the voice and groans of a starving person, their arm movements, footsteps, everything. Embed these in your heart. Make it your single-hearted resolve. Relying on this resolve, wield your sword driven solely by starvation."
"Only then will the Divine Art of the Demonic Heaven reveal its true power."
I looked down into the pit.
-Groooarrr!
From the bottom of the pit, a zombie was howling. Dressed in black martial arts attire, tattered and worn but undoubtedly the garb of the Demonic Cult.
A pit resembling hell itself.
Perhaps this zombie could be considered my martial senior.
"If I can..."
I spoke up.
"What happens if I can swing the sword driven only by hunger?"
"You'll be able to cut down those who have never experienced starvation in a single strike."
The Heavenly Demon spoke calmly.
"With this, half of the orthodox martial artists will become mere one-move opponents."
Thus, it was said.
Claws that tear through the world.
“First, master the Form of Starving Death. Next comes the Form of Parched Death. You must learn to swing your sword through thirst alone and cut down in one stroke those who have never withered from it. After that comes the Form of Drowning Death. You will learn nine swords in all, and the nine sword paths you master will be enough to cover the whole world.”
I gripped the sword hilt tightly.
"That is..."
My heart raced.
"That sounds quite enticing."
The corners of the Heavenly Demon's mouth lifted.
This seemed to be the first smile I've seen from her in this life.
Perhaps my fighting spirit had pleased her.
“Then why hesitate? Hurry and fall into hell.”
And then.
I leaped into the zombie pit.
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