A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 477

477. The Black-Furred Demonic Beast

The Heavenly Emperor Hall, the heart of the Great Tomb, was one of the grandest and most splendid buildings in the world. Its double-layered roof with yellow tiles and red pillars exuded a majestic aura, reminiscent of the Forbidden City [China’s imperial palace complex in Beijing], the emperor’s residence. The Great Emperor Hall, where the statue of Mount Tai’s deity was enshrined and where the emperor performed rituals, was now occupied by a woman in elaborate attire.

Swish.

A demon in black robes appeared from the dense fog surrounding the Heavenly Emperor Hall. He knelt before the hall and spoke in a low voice, “High Priestess.”

The woman sitting deep inside the vast hall did not miss his low voice.

“What is it?” the Demonic Sect’s High Priestess, Gongsun Zhi, asked in a languid tone, sitting on a chair so large and ornate it could be mistaken for a bed. Unlike her extravagant clothing, she sat in a rather disheveled posture, leaning casually with one hand propping up her chin and the other idly rolling jade beads on a silver tray.

The exquisite artwork, engraved with intricate patterns and incantations, a precious treasure bestowed by the emperor to the Great Tomb, was now being toyed with under her long, white fingers.

“Sun Bin and his party are presumed to have appeared here.”

“Sun Bin?”

Clatter.

The jade beads clicked under her slender fingers. Gongsun Zhi turned her head to look at the black-robed demon kneeling before the hall. The black-robed demon bowed his head and replied, “Yes, that is correct.”

“Hehe.”

A glint flashed in Gongsun Zhi’s languid eyes. “It seems he was destined to meet me. Of all the paths up Mount Tai, he had to choose this one. How unfortunate for him.”

Gongsun Zhi’s eyes gleamed seductively as she looked at the demon. In a slightly excited voice, she said, “He won’t even get to challenge Bi Geom, let alone climb Mount Tai.”

Gongsun Zhi chuckled softly and turned her gaze back to the jade beads.

“Bring him here. Alive, not dead.”

“That is impossible for me.”

Click.

That was an unacceptable answer. Gongsun Zhi frowned slightly and turned to look at the black-robed demon. The anger evident in her alluring eyes was unmistakable.

“What did you just say?”

“I ordered a hundred demons to confront Sun Bin at the first middle gate. However, they will not even be able to slow his progress.”

The black-robed demon, the first of the Five Great Demons, said in a low voice, “I have ordered the Demonic Beast Brigade to guard the second middle gate, but it will not be long before Sun Bin breaks through them as well.”

The High Priestess Gongsun Zhi, sitting in the center of the Heavenly Emperor Hall, radiated anger that sharply stung the demon kneeling at the entrance. However, despite her blatant fury, the demon continued in a monotonous voice, “Even if I were to sacrifice my life, I could not stop him. Even if I were to bring all two hundred demons guarding the Great Tomb, the seven hundred demons of Mount Tai, and all the Demonic Beasts and Hwatan, I cannot guarantee that we could stop him. And he has made it clear that he intends to confront you, High Priestess.”

Thud.

The demon did not hesitate to slam his head against the floor. The sound echoed through the empty Heavenly Emperor Hall.

“I implore you, High Priestess, to leave this place immediately.”

There was no fervent loyalty in the demon’s voice. Gongsun Zhi was not moved by his actions either. To her, the Demonic Sect’s High Priestess, emotions were merely a game.

However, the demon could never lie to Gongsun Zhi. Therefore, his judgment that she should flee meant that it was an undeniable fact from the demon’s perspective.

“Hmm.”

Anger still lingered in Gongsun Zhi’s eyes. But her pupils were now gleaming with intense interest in a new target.

“Why do you judge so?”

“…He may be a Demonic God.”

“A Demonic God?”

The demon continued, seeing Gongsun Zhi’s puzzled expression, “But he may not be.”

Gongsun Zhi’s beautiful eyebrows furrowed. But the demon was not finished speaking.

“I could not judge him. It was beyond my capabilities.”

Gongsun Zhi could finally understand what the black-robed demon was saying. Even with the abilities of the first of the Five Great Demons, he could not stop Sun Bin, nor could he even measure his capabilities.

“Hehe.”

Gongsun Zhi chuckled softly. “You are advising me to flee, which means you believe I will lose?”

Thud.

The demon did not hesitate for a moment before slamming his head against the floor again. “High Priestess, you are the future ruler of the Demonic Sky and the most尊貴 [zūnguì – honorable] being on this earth. No one can oppose your authority.”

“Then why do you advise me to flee?”

“Because he is an opponent who cannot be judged.”

That was correct. It was an extremely clear and simple judgment, devoid of human emotions and intentions. However, that answer had the opposite effect on Gongsun Zhi.

“Then I cannot flee even more.”

Gongsun Zhi clasped her hands together, stood up with a seductive smile. Swish. Her elaborate robes shimmered under the light. Gongsun Zhi looked at the demon kneeling before the hall and said, “If he truly exceeds my expectations, I will have acquired an interesting toy. And if he falls short of my expectations, it won’t matter anyway.”

Gongsun Zhi licked her red lips slightly. “Taking what belongs to others is quite 재미있 [jaemiiss – fun], in itself.”

No matter how priceless a jewel may be, it is worthless if no one desires it. Just like the jade beads rolling on the silver tray right now.

But taking the man that Dang Wora so cherished right before her eyes would surely bring Gongsun Zhi a thrilling time of joy.

“Which will this ‘Young Master Son’ be?”

The beautifully adorned, alluring Demonic Sect High Priestess Gongsun Zhi smiled. Her smile was both extremely seductive and chillingly cold.

***

The hundred or so demons that Sarasvati had instantly incapacitated lay on the floor like puppets with severed strings. Sun Bin’s party slowly passed them and approached the great hall. Only then did they realize that the building that looked like a great hall was actually a large middle gate. The building itself served as a gate.

Seorin deliberately avoided the demons lying scattered around the middle gate, and No Gun didn’t even pay them any attention. Sa Su-yeon, Dang Wora, and Princess Gyeonghui also showed no interest in the demons.

However, Sarasvati stopped and carefully looked down at the fallen demons.

“Why?” No Gun asked, turning to her. Sarasvati raised her head. With a light step, Sarasvati said, “It seems these demons were created by the High Priestess.”

“High Priestess?” At those words, No Gun recalled Son Bin mentioning ‘High Priestess’ to the demon earlier. No Gun turned to look at Son Bin, but Son Bin wouldn’t know either. He had only heard the demon say ‘High Priestess.’

In the end, No Gun asked Sarasvati, “High Priestess, what is that? Does she have some special ability?”

“She can create demons. As I already said.”

“Oh, then…” Seorin, who was walking ahead, tilted her head and asked, “Does that mean there could be more of these demons?”

“Perhaps.”

Sarasvati smiled. “Of course, they won’t be a threat to Raja-nim [a respectful term for a ruler or king], but if their numbers continue to increase, it could become a little troublesome.”

“A little troublesome is an understatement.” No Gun frowned. “This dense demonic energy is extremely threatening just by its presence. We’re all right now purely thanks to Bin.”

Even now, the thick fog blanketing the Great Tomb contained dense demonic energy. Without the inner energy of Taoism or Buddhism, even the greatest masters of external affairs would not be able to endure it for long.

“But if these demon bastards are swarming around as well, we’ll be helpless. If these guys are swarming and attacking in demonic energy that even masters have difficulty breathing in, how are we supposed to stop them?”

“Couldn’t we just blast them with cannons from afar?” Seorin raised her hand excitedly. Raising her hand was a habit she had picked up at the Seowon [private Confucian academy during the Joseon Dynasty].

“That’s…”

No Gun, who was about to say that was ridiculous, twitched his eyebrows for a moment. “…Not bad?”

“Right?” Seorin said with a bright expression, but No Gun soon shook his head. “But cannons aren’t common, and we can’t just keep firing them indefinitely. And at that point, it’s already a civil war situation.”

“That’s true, but…” Seorin couldn’t let go of her idea, looking disappointed. Seeing her expression, No Gun sighed.

“Well, don’t worry.”

No Gun turned to Sarasvati instead of Son Bin and said, “It seems the former Demonic God, who hasn’t lost all her power, can knock them all down with a single word.”

Seorin’s sparkling eyes immediately turned to Sarasvati. Meeting her gaze, Sarasvati smiled gently. “That’s not the power of a Demonic God. I am no longer a Demonic God.”

She no longer had the power of a Demonic God. Traces of the divine authority she once possessed still remained, but she could no longer wield the power of a Demonic God as she once did.

“Then what was that just now?”

“An ancient divine utterance.”

Sarasvati said softly. “A legacy of a kingdom that flourished in ancient times, now forgotten. Divinity is contained within the sound itself, so it can exert absolute influence on certain targets. It can also borrow power from objects of faith.”

“Is that so? Then it’s like the incantations of Taoism or Buddhism.”

The incantations of Taoism or Buddhism were already familiar concepts. The divine utterance that Sarasvati spoke of seemed to originate from a more ancient time. Of course, only she knew how old it was.

“As I said, it’s only for certain targets. For example, transcendent oddities or the current demons. It’s surprisingly useless in real life.”

No Gun chuckled. “I know. Whether it’s Buddhism or Taoism, does it ever help in real life?”

While No Gun was denying the very existence of religion with a chuckle, the party had already arrived at another middle gate. The surroundings were still shrouded in thick fog, but the low growls of beasts coming from within the fog were clearly audible.

“It seems like it’s Demonic Beasts this time.”

Before Sarasvati could finish speaking, a black-robed demon appeared from the fog. Swish. The demon seemed the same as the previous one at first glance, but the aura he exuded was quite different. And he was not alone.

—Growl.

Large wolves began to reveal themselves, letting out low growls. But these beasts were not mere wolves. With their unusually large jaws, menacingly protruding teeth, and blood-red eyes, these beasts were Demonic Beasts.

—Grrr, growl.

The wolf Demonic Beasts, with their massive bodies reaching the height of a person’s chest, quickly surrounded Sun Bin’s party. But No Gun scoffed.

“Is this all you’ve got?”

No Gun said, looking around at the Demonic Beasts. There were nearly thirty Demonic Beasts surrounding the party, but No Gun felt no sense of crisis at all.

“If you want to stop us, this won’t be enough.”

No Gun’s words were sincere. Even without the abilities of Son Bin or Sarasvati, No Gun, Seorin, Sa Su-yeon, and Dang Wora could easily handle this number. Even if they were Demonic Beasts that had already deviated from the laws of nature.

“I know.”

The demon in black robes said in a rumbling voice. His words, echoing in the fog, were rough and unfamiliar, like the sound of metal.

“That’s why.”

Swish.

The demon raised his hand. Then, another beastly sound began to flow from within the fog.

—Grrrrr.

With a heavy growl, a large shadow slowly appeared from the fog. Thud.

It was in the form of an incredibly massive tiger. With a huge body that far exceeded the demon’s height, enormous forepaws, and deadly fangs that gleamed whitely. The entirely black, gigantic Demonic Beast exuded an overwhelming sense of pressure that was on a different level from the other Demonic Beasts.

“Oh dear…”

No Gun’s face contorted in dismay. He couldn’t hide his troubled expression. The demon’s red eyes smiled thinly. He said in a chilling voice like the sound of metal, “The king of the Demonic Beasts will face you.”

The Demonic Beast exuded a presence worthy of being called a king. Moreover, the red flames flickering around its jaws clearly indicated that it was not just a giant beast.

It was then.

Whoosh.

Before anyone could stop her, Seorin darted towards the Demonic Beast like an arrow.

“Hmph!”

The black demon sneered at her action. Losing judgment in the face of fear and rushing in impulsively was a common reaction. And it usually led to tragic results. Moreover, Seorin was rushing towards the Demonic Beast with her arms wide open, without even holding a weapon. It was as if she was throwing herself into the jaws of the giant Demonic Beast.

The demon had no doubt that Seorin’s body would be crushed under the fangs of the ‘King of the Demonic Beasts.’ However, the result far exceeded the demon’s expectations.

“Kitty!”

Seorin shouted that and stuck herself right onto the face of the giant Demonic Beast. The black Demonic Beast did not bare its teeth at Seorin. Instead, it slightly lowered its head to help Seorin land safely on it.

“Kitty! Kitty!”

Seorin smiled brightly and stroked the huge Demonic Beast wildly. Grrr.

The black demon closed its eyes and let out a low growl, expressing its satisfaction.

“That child’s name is…”

Dang Wora said softly from behind her veil as she watched the scene.

“Not Kitty, but Black Panther.”

The giant Demonic Beast with glossy black fur was one of the three Demonic Beasts of the Water God that they had met in 천축 [Cheonchuk – ancient Korean name for India].

It was ‘Black Panther,’ who had helped Son Bin’s party reach the end of the world and had parted ways with them in the desert of 파사 [Pasa – ancient kingdom in Central Asia].

“Oh my gosh, how did he get all the way here?” Sa Su-yeon also said with a surprised expression. It was truly unbelievable that he had come all the way from that distant place.

“Because he’s a clever child.”

Sarasvati said softly. There were slight tears in her eyes. “And because they are good children too.”

“Good my ass.”

No Gun grumbled. He still hadn’t eased his furrowed brow. “And I can’t believe he actually came. Where are we going to raise that big guy?”

The reason he was frowning was precisely that. The moment he realized that the giant black Demonic Beast was Black Panther, he was worried about where they would raise him.

Princess Gyeonghui also couldn’t hide her surprised expression. The intelligent her, although she couldn’t understand it at all, had already realized that the Demonic Beast before her was not hostile.

But the oppressive feeling that the giant Demonic Beast exuded was a fear that no human could easily endure. So it was only natural that she was surprised and flustered.

“Stop!”

The demon’s rough voice echoed. He couldn’t believe what was happening before his eyes. This giant Demonic Beast, encountered by the Demonic Sect members on the Silk Road leading south of 천산 [Cheonsan – Tian Shan mountain range] to the Western Regions, was proof that the 재림 [jaerim – return/advent] of 마천 [Macheon – Demon Heaven] was near.

Therefore, the fact that the ‘King of the Demonic Beasts’ did not antagonize Son Bin’s party, that is, those who opposed the High Priestess, was something the demon could never accept.

The demon shouted 발작적으로 [baljakjeogeuro – convulsively] at the black Demonic Beast, which was letting out a somewhat satisfied growl.

“Immediately…”

Crunch.

The demon couldn’t finish his sentence. Because the pitch-black Black Panther had bitten him without hesitation. The demon’s head and upper body, as well as most of his body, were swallowed in one bite by the large jaws with blazing flames.

“You shouldn’t eat things like that, Kitty!”

Seorin frowned and shouted. Black Panther had a nonchalant expression as if he didn’t care, but he slyly spat out the demon.

Thud.

The demon’s body, twisted in a strange direction and scorched by fire, fell to the ground. It had only been bitten once, but the demon’s body had already lost most of its functions.

At that sudden attack, the other wolf Demonic Beasts all showed hostility. No, they were about to show it.

—Kuaaaaaang.

The giant Black Panther howled loudly. The sound echoed loudly through the Great Tomb. No Gun frowned, and Princess Gyeonghui’s complexion turned blue at once. And the wolf Demonic Beasts, which were about to show hostility, all lowered their tails.

—Keeing.

The wolf Demonic Beasts lowered their heads and made groaning noises. Although their eyes were still glowing red, they did not dare to show hostility towards Black Panther or Son Bin’s party.

The reason why the demon had called Black Panther the ‘King of the Demonic Beasts’ in the first place was because of his overwhelming presence.

The wolf Demonic Beasts began to disappear into the fog, slinking away.

“Yes, yes. Good job.”

Seorin didn’t care about the wolf Demonic Beasts and stroked Black Panther, saying, “Where are the other kids? What about White Panther and Red Panther? Did they come with you?”

Black Panther turned his head slightly towards Mount Tai with a calm look. It was as if he was saying they were there.

“Brother, let’s go quickly!”

Seorin said to Son Bin with a bright face. Son Bin also smiled.

Step, step.

Son Bin walked towards Black Panther. The giant Black Panther lowered his body and bowed his head.

“You’ve worked hard.”

Swish.

With a gentle touch, Son Bin stroked Black Panther. Black Panther made a small purring sound as if satisfied. The soft touch and warmth felt from Son Bin’s fingertips warmed his heart.

Coming to this Mount Tai wasn’t all bad, Son Bin thought for the first time.

(Author’s words)

No Gun: What should we feed those things?

Seorin: Uh, wouldn’t it be meat?

No Gun: (Sigh) Damn it, if we’re not careful, we’ll be pulling up the pillars to feed those things.