Bachelor Swordsmanship Remastered [EN]: Chapter 477

A vast, barren wasteland stretched before them.

A woman stood in the desolate wilderness, the Great Snow Mountain faintly visible in the distance.

The woman, dressed in red silk robes and a flowing outer garment that resembled a flower, was none other than Dokyo.

“Hmph.”

Dokyo scoffed, looking down at her feet.

“Did you think you could escape my eyes?”

There, she saw a broken-down carriage and a desiccated corpse lying on the ground.

It looked as though the person had been dead for decades, but that couldn’t be the case.

He had only just lost his life at Dokyo’s hands.

With a swift movement, Dokyo bent down.

And picked something up.

It was something the dead man had clung to until his last moment, but now, it was no match for Dokyo’s grasp.

Crackle.

The corpse crumbled, revealing a wooden box.

It was a box that merchants sometimes carried on their backs, neither too big nor too small.

A sturdy lock secured it, but Dokyo paid it no mind.

Crack.

The solid metal lock shattered in Dokyo’s hand.

Without hesitation, Dokyo opened the wooden box.

Thud.

The contents of the box spilled onto the ground.

The empty box soon followed, falling onto the corpse.

Snap.

“Hmph.”

Dokyo let out a soft laugh.

“Is this the Blood Jade?”

Wooong.

A large bead, emitting a low hum, was held in Dokyo’s hand.

The Blood Jade, about the size of a newborn’s head, sparkled with a radiant light under the sunlight.

It was a sight that could captivate anyone.

However, the Blood Jade did not accept human touch.

Sizzle.

With an eerie sound, thin smoke rose from Dokyo’s hand as she held the bead.

Her hand was burning.

Dokyo wore a sneer.

“Hmph. As if a mere bead could…”

Whoosh.

Dokyo lightly tossed the Blood Jade.

The Blood Jade left her hand and landed precisely inside the wooden box on the ground.

Thump.

The bead collided with the inside of the box, but Dokyo paid it no mind.

She picked up something else from beside the corpse.

Rustle.

It was a stick-like object wrapped in cloth.

Dokyo unwrapped the cloth without hesitation, revealing a short sword encased in a leather scabbard under the sunlight.

Shwing.

Dokyo drew the sword.

It was a sword with a blade and hilt made of a single piece.

A horn-like protrusion between the hilt and the blade protected the hand, making it seem more suitable for ceremonial use than actual combat.

“Hmm.”

Dokyo’s alluring eyebrows furrowed slightly.

The short sword’s blade emitted a chilling aura under the sunlight, but Dokyo’s expression was not pleased.

“It’s certainly a decent sword, but…”

Dokyo said, pursing her red lips.

The sharp blade and unusual appearance made it seem like a coveted masterpiece.

However, Dokyo’s furrowed brow did not smooth out.

“This is more important than awakening the Blood Demons?”

No one answered.

The Blood Cult priest who had been transporting these items was now lying beneath Dokyo’s feet, a desiccated corpse.

Flick.

Dokyo lightly twirled the sword and then put it back into its scabbard.

Then, she tossed it into the wooden box.

Thump.

“Bring it.”

Dokyo said, looking at the wooden box.

“Yes.”

Swish.

A voice came from the air, and a person appeared.

Dressed in red martial attire, he knelt on one knee and paid his respects to Dokyo.

However, Dokyo had already turned away.

Whoosh.

The wind blew, fluttering Dokyo’s red robes.

The distant Great Snow Mountain, visible beyond the barren wasteland, was a magnificent sight.

However, Dokyo let out a soft sigh.

“Haa, I hope the Great Merchant will be pleased…”

The Great Snow Mountain, the Blood Jade, and the Demonic Sword, said to be the Blood Cult’s treasure, meant nothing to her.

Dokyo, who had been silently gazing at the Great Snow Mountain, turned her head.

“What has become of the Blood Cult?”

“The Azure Dragon Alliance and the Mount Hua Sect have joined forces and headed to Qinghai Lake. We have not yet received any news since then.”

“Hmph.”

Dokyo paused for a moment in thought.

In truth, Dokyo had no interest in the Blood Cult, the Azure Dragon Alliance, or the Mount Hua Sect.

She did not care who won or lost.

However, it was clear that the outcome of this battle would affect the Soul Calming Order issued by the Great Merchant.

“Was the leader of the alliance the leader of the Azure Dragon Alliance?”

“Yes. It is Azure Dragon Sword Master, Unhyun.”

“Unhyun, is it…”

Dokyo already knew him well.

How could Dokyo not know Unhyun, the one who killed Moon Emperor, the target of the Martial Emperor’s sword, and the Great Merchant’s adversary?

But she had no interest.

Her gaze was fixed on only one person, the Great Merchant.

She did not believe that Azure Dragon Sword Master could truly stand against the Great Merchant.

Just as one who tries to fight the heavens is considered foolish, opposing the Great Merchant would only prove one’s own folly.

Even the one who calls himself ‘Azure Dragon’ cannot defy the heavens, can he?

“Hmph.”

Dokyo scoffed.

To her, the Great Merchant was already the one and only absolute heaven.

Dokyo would never be interested in a fool who defied the heavens.

However, she had to confirm.

Because that fool was someone the Great Merchant was interested in.

“…Still, I should at least see his face once.”

Dokyo muttered to herself.

The outcome of the battle was still unknown, but she did not believe that the Blood Cult had killed Azure Dragon Sword Master.

The one the Great Merchant was interested in would not be killed by Blood Demons.

Tap.

Dokyo leaped into the air.

Her figure in red silk robes soared away like a single petal fluttering across the barren wasteland.

The subordinate bowed his head towards her receding figure.

After a moment, the subordinate, carrying the wooden box, disappeared without a sound.

Whoosh.

The wind blew, shaking the desiccated corpse.

But no one cared about it.

The events that took place in the desolate and barren highlands, with the Kunlun Mountains visible in the distance, faded away into the wind.

***

After the battle with the Blood Cult, M容容mi [a strategist and member of the Azure Dragon Alliance] transported the wounded to the nearby city of Xining.

And, along with the elders and family heads, thoroughly searched the ancient temple.

The ancient temple had not been used as a base by the Blood Cult for very long, so there were no particularly new discoveries.

However, it was clear that the Blood Cult was no longer present there.

All of the Blood Cult’s one thousand Blood Warriors and Blood Demons had disappeared.

The group left the ancient temple.

After joining forces with the Imperial Inspector Jo Gwan, who had been waiting in Xining, and spending three days there, the three hundred and fifty Mount Hua Sect disciples and Azure Dragon Alliance experts headed to Mount Hua.

It was still a long and arduous journey, but the return trip felt much shorter and lighter.

When Mount Hua finally appeared before the eyes of the group, who had passed through Lanzhou and circled around the southern end of the Qilian Mountains, bright smiles appeared on everyone’s faces.

Gansu Province, Mount Hua, within the Mount Hua Sect.

Unhyun and his group, along with the Mount Hua Sect’s Four Great Elders, were seated in a Taoist temple filled with incense.

Not only were Gaeong and Unhyun, and the strategist M容容mi present, but also the elders, family heads, and supreme experts.

Rustle.

Cheonunja, the acting leader of the Mount Hua Sect, stood up.

He looked around at the assembly and said.

“With this, the Blood Cult’s ambition has once again been thwarted. Moreover, the Mount Hua Sect’s losses are virtually nonexistent.”

His expression was slightly flushed.

Despite defeating the Blood Demons and annihilating one thousand Blood Warriors, the Mount Hua Sect’s losses were only a few dozen injured.

Most of them had been poisoned by the Blood Warriors’ blood poison, but they could be completely cured with slow recuperation.

Considering that the Mount Hua Sect’s leader and all of the former Four Great Elders had fallen, it was an unbelievable great victory.

“This is all thanks to the Alliance Leader and the heroes of the Azure Dragon Alliance.”

Flap.

Cheonunja, the acting leader, clasped his hands together in a grand gesture.

Along with him, the other Four Great Elders also rose from their seats.

“The Mount Hua Sect pays its respects to the heroes!”

With a thunderous voice, the Four Great Elders clasped their hands together and bowed their heads.

Thump.

Unhyun rose from his seat.

The elders, family heads, and supreme experts all stood up as well.

“How could this be the power of the Azure Dragon Alliance alone?”

Unhyun said, clasping his hands together and paying his respects.

“If it were not for the Mount Hua Sect, the world would have fallen into chaos. I sincerely express my respect to the Mount Hua Sect, who have dedicated themselves to the will of Subduing Demons despite difficulties and misunderstandings.”

Rustle.

Unhyun bowed respectfully.

The people of the Buddhist and Taoist sects clasped their hands in prayer, and the family heads and supreme experts also paid their respects.

In the face of the bond of having risked their lives together against the Blood Cult, there could be no more misunderstandings or rejections.

Those who had exchanged respects sat down again.

Cheonunja said in a heavy voice.

“It is truly a joyous occasion to have defeated the Blood Cult. However, the Demonic Sect still remains.”

The people’s expressions hardened.

Unlike the Blood Cult, the Demonic Sect had not yet been traced.

“Originally, the Demonic Sect is more insidious than the Blood Cult, and does not easily reveal itself before establishing a foundation. They move secretly in the darkness, and they deceive people under the guise of religion, so it is not easy to catch their tail.”

The people of the Buddhist and Taoist sects quietly chanted Buddhist and Taoist invocations.

If the Blood Cult’s threat was direct, the Demonic Sect was secretive and even more dangerous.

“It is fortunate that the Azure Dragon Alliance has prepared defenses.”

At Cheonunja’s words, Unhyun nodded.

“Yes. It is thanks to the help of the Mount Hua Sect.”

Younghojun’s plan, which was established according to the advice of the Mount Hua Sect, also included measures against the Demonic Sect.

“Before that, can we hear about the Demonic Sword that the Blood Demon spoke of?”

The story of the Demonic Sword and the Divine Sword had already been told to the Mount Hua Sect.

Cheonunja looked back at Jade Dew Hermit, one of the Four Great Elders.

Jade Dew Hermit, who was skilled in the study of scriptures, quietly opened her mouth.

“I listened to the Alliance Leader’s words and investigated old records. And I confirmed the contents of the Demonic Sword. It is that the Demonic Sword was broken a long time ago.”

The people buzzed.

“Then does that mean the Blood Cult recreated it?”

M容容mi asked.

Jade Dew Hermit nodded.

“Perhaps that is the case.”

“What about the Divine Sword?”

At M容容mi’s question, Jade Dew Hermit let out a soft sigh.

“According to the records, a Taoist hermit of Wudang [a mountain range in China known for its Taoist monasteries] possessed it, but he passed it on to a young man. It is not known whether that young man broke the Demonic Sword.”

The people’s gazes turned to Cheongsong Jin-in of Wudang.

However, Cheongsong Jin-in shook his head.

“As far as I know, there is no such sword in Wudang. There are a few things called Divine Swords, but they are not that old, and I have never heard of them blocking the Demonic Sword.”

“It doesn’t seem like it would be in Wudang.”

M容容mi’s voice drew people’s attention.

“If it were, it would have been passed down in Wudang, but they would not have used the expression that it was passed on to a young man. Above all, the Blood Demon asserted that ‘there is no Divine Sword.'”

The people nodded.

They could not believe all of the Blood Demon’s words, but M容容mi’s point made sense.

M容容mi muttered to herself as if she were talking to herself.

“A very long time ago… It would be impossible to find the traces of the Divine Sword now.”

Nungseyeong, who was listening, asked.

“But can the Demonic Sword really bring about the incarnation of the Blood Demon?”

That was a question for Jade Dew Hermit.

After a moment of silence, Jade Dew Hermit let out a soft sigh.

“…It is not impossible.”

She quietly continued.

“However, it is not that the Blood Demon himself is returning as we think. I think it is a kind of spiritism.”

“If it is spiritism, is it like being possessed by a ghost?”

At M容容mi’s words, Jade Dew Hermit nodded.

“It is similar. But it will be a more serious state than that.”

“I see.”

M容容mi was lost in thought.

“…Seeing that the Blood Demon said, ‘Your descendants must bear it,’ even that spiritism would not be easy.”

“That is right. It is none other than the spiritism of the Blood Demon. It would not be easy to find someone to be the vessel.”

At those words, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

At least it was not an immediate threat.

The people who had regained their composure picked up their teacups and shared various stories.

The warm tea fragrance softly filled the Taoist temple.

Unhyun came out of the Taoist temple with Gaeong.

People were still talking inside, but most of them were about the exchange and cooperation between the Mount Hua Sect and the giant sects, so there was no need for Unhyun to be there.

“Alliance Leader.”

M容容mi’s voice was heard.

M容容mi was walking towards Unhyun, who turned his head.

Her elegant appearance harmonized with the atmosphere of the Taoist temple, making her look like a beautiful painting.