Emperor’s Sword [EN]: Chapter 38

The Southern Alliance of Muchang

The Cheonhyang Pavilion, where Cheonhyang Okbong resided, was heavily guarded, just as Muyoungjon had said, with ambushes at every turn. The surrounding area was thick with a sinister aura emanating from the guards. They were not the kind of people one would expect to have mastered righteous martial arts.

‘No matter how many idiots you deploy, a thousand idiots are still just idiots.’

Their security was child’s play, easily breached. Ceilings, roofs, floors, and hallways were riddled with countless ambushes and traps, but they were all useless. It seemed there was no place in the world he couldn’t enter if air could pass through it. As he entered, he used his Thousand-Mile Eye Technique [a technique to see far distances and sense presences] to locate people’s breathing. He then moved without delay to where he sensed a relatively skilled person was staying.

“Who the hell is he? How dare someone infiltrate this place without leaving a trace? Sawoo [Death Rain]!”

Swish, swish, swish.

A black-clad masked figure knelt before her. He was so devoid of any aura that he didn’t seem like a living person.

“Even you didn’t sense his presence… Where do you think he came from?”

“I… I don’t know.”

“It’s unlikely he came here by chance. Does this mean there are people who know about us? I think I should report this to the Grand Commander. What do you think?”

The one called Sawoo still didn’t raise his head and spoke in a somber voice.

“In my opinion, it could be the Sasa Blood Cult or one of the Three Outer World Families.”

“There were no reports of them entering the Central Plains. Moreover, no one knows we have a hand in this! It seems like someone came to investigate the truth of this matter…

Since I can’t guess where he came from… Does this mean a third force we don’t know about has emerged?”

She tried to solve the mystery on her own, but it was in vain. The intruder had vanished without a trace, leaving no clues. Even in a head-on confrontation, she couldn’t guarantee victory.

‘Is that woman Cheonhyang Okbong?’

Pa Cheon was already inside the room. If he decided to hide, not even a ghost could find him. How could anyone find him when even his breathing and aura were gone? Only someone with extrasensory perception might sense Pa Cheon’s presence through subtle feelings.

“Alright. Go back to your post. This is not something I can handle on my own… And tell the others to tighten the security even more.”

Swish, swish, swish.

The one called Sawoo disappeared without a word.

Watching him leave, she walked towards a mirror. She looked at herself in the large mirror that reflected her entire body. Then, she struck a strange pose.

‘Good grief, why are all the women I meet like this? Are all women like this by nature?

So, all those who act prim and proper are just putting on an act? I see.’

It was the moment Pa Cheon developed a new prejudice against women. That women were all vixens…

She approached the mirror and began to caress a certain spot.

‘She’s doing all sorts of things.’

Srrrrrr.

‘Huh?’

The mirror spun around with a sound. And a cave-like passage appeared behind it. She slipped inside, and the mirror returned to its original position.

‘So, there was a secret passage. And a mechanism there? Hmm, this is getting interesting…

I might get a big haul.’

He waited for a while. She might come out soon. After two hours passed without any movement, he used his Thousand-Mile Eye Technique to its fullest and approached the mirror. He scanned the spot she had touched earlier. There was a slight difference in height in that area. He pressed down on it with force.

Srrrrrr.

The mirror turned. As he stepped inside, the mirror returned to its original position. Inside was a hallway sloping downwards at about 15 degrees, with night-shining pearls embedded in the ceiling every three lengths, emitting light.

He stealthily entered.

“Ugh… the drug… give me the drug. Please.”

“Hehe, you cute thing! Thanks to you, our work has become easier.”

Then, Cheonhyang Okbong stroked the man’s head. The man foamed at the mouth and desperately begged Cheonhyang Okbong for the drug. He was desperate. He grabbed at Cheonhyang Okbong’s shoulder, and when she slightly dodged, he rolled on the floor.

“Don’t rush. I’ll give it to you anyway. It’s such a pity. Now you can’t bear it if you don’t take one pill every hour. Soon, you’ll need to take one every half hour, right? Eventually, your heart meridian will rupture, and you’ll die miserably… Knowing that, you still ask for the drug. It shows how insignificant human will is. Here you go.”

She tossed a pill onto the floor as if doing a favor. The man lunged at it like a madman and licked it up like a dog. Cheonhyang Okbong carefully observed the man. After about an hour, the man’s eyes were gradually losing focus, and he stared at Cheonhyang Okbong with blurred vision. Then, his pupils gradually became bloodshot.

With his eyes bulging red, the man stared at Cheonhyang Okbong’s body with lustful eyes. Is that how a dog feels when looking at a bone? Cheonhyang Okbong struck the same pose she had taken in front of the mirror earlier. She slightly placed one leg on the bed and ran her palms over her body. It was such a seductive pose that any man, even if sane, would go crazy and rush at her. For him, who was not in his right mind, there was no holding back, and he immediately acted on his thoughts.

The man rushed at her with beast-like roars and gestures, and she slightly stepped aside. After teasing him like this several times, Cheonhyang Okbong pretended to give in and let the man touch her.

From then on, it was a smooth process. Since she was wearing only a thin robe without any undergarments, the man’s rough hands tore it off almost completely, and soon, the man was faced with a woman’s naked body. And the two became one.

[This is truly absurd. From what I can see, that guy is the young master of the Southern Alliance… They’ve captured him here and ruined him. What kind of family is this?]

-What do you mean, what kind of family? That woman is the adopted daughter of the Southern Alliance leader, so they are like siblings. Of course, if you think about it, they are not related at all.

=Amitabha! The desires of the world are so vile.

-That’s how it is, Hyeneung. That woman probably acted more virtuous than anyone in front of people.

But her true self is so vile, isn’t it? No one should judge hastily. Humans are all the same. It’s all a matter of degree.

[Should I destroy that woman here? It seems like a lot of interesting stories would come out…]

-Wait a little longer. They say a fox prepares nine dens, right? It might be good to watch that woman’s true colors a bit more.

The two were madly indulging in each other. To Pa Cheon, they were nothing more than a pair of rutting animals, and he wondered why their behavior seemed so repulsive…

After writhing and rubbing against each other for a while, the man twitched and then slumped. The man soon lost consciousness.

“Hehe, you cute thing. You make my life so enjoyable these days. I will keep the Yang energy you pour into me.”

Then, she stroked her firm breasts once more with a satisfied hand.

Once again, she was moving to another place. Pa Cheon maintained a certain distance from her and continued to follow her.

‘What a busy woman. Who is she trying to catch now, going so fast?’

This time, her steps led to the heart of the Southern Alliance. It was the Southern Alliance Leader’s residence.

‘This seems to be the leader’s residence… She’s going to see her adoptive father with a brazen face after ruining his son?’

“This is Ja-un.”

“Come in.”

Watching Cheonhyang Okbong enter, Pa Cheon hesitated. Should he follow her in? Or should he wait here? No matter how great the Cheonma Concealment Technique [a technique to hide one’s presence] was, he couldn’t guarantee that it could deceive even a master like the Southern Alliance Leader. He was conflicted about whether to take the risk and go in.

‘Alright, if I get caught, I’ll just smack him and run.’

The first thing he saw was a large grand chair. In front of the bed was a grand chair, and on it sat an old man who looked over 80 years old, his majestic lion-like mane of a beard trembling as he looked at his adopted daughter. His eyes seemed to hold many meanings.

“You are a truly shameless child. You…”

“I know.”

“Is there still something you lack? You’ve ruined my son, ruined me, and even taken over the Southern Alliance. Isn’t that enough?”

Was that so? Did he already know everything?

“I still have much to gain. First, I must take over the martial world, and I also want to become an imperial concubine. Moreover… I want to be remembered as the greatest woman in history.”

“Hahaha, the greatest woman! Call yourself the most wicked woman. You won’t have much trouble achieving that.”

“Even if you deny it, Father, everything is already going my way. If you hadn’t gone against the Grand Commander’s wishes from the beginning, things wouldn’t have turned out this way. It’s all your own fault.”

“You use the term ‘your own fault’ in a place like this. Haha, if heaven is alive, it will not let your vile desires go unpunished.”

‘Hehe, even if it’s not heaven, I won’t let you go unpunished. How dare you try to swallow the world?’

The strange mother and daughter just glared at each other without saying anything. It was Cheonhyang Okbong who broke the tedious silence.

“Hehe, no matter what you say, Father, the tide has already turned! No one can reverse the situation. I have good news for you. Your son! My brother. He will die within ten days. But don’t worry too much. He will have a happy end in my arms.”

At her words, the Southern Alliance Leader, Lion Sabre King, seemed to be overwhelmed with anger, but for some reason, he remained still.

[Something’s strange… What do you think, Cheonma?]

-That guy is an empty shell.

[An empty shell?]

-Yes. He seems to be poisoned. And judging by the green aura in his eyes, it seems to be an intangible poison.

[Intangible poison?]

-And he’s also poisoned by another kind of poison with unknown properties.

[So, that’s why he’s just standing still while that woman is running wild.]

“Father, it’s time for your meal.”

The look in her eyes as she said that was full of wickedness.

“Y… You… You… You wench, you dare… Hah, let’s stop now. Just let me go. Help me die with honor. It’s my last request as the one who was once your father.”

“I’m sorry. I can’t grant that request, but there’s no need to worry about this being known to the world, so your honor won’t be tarnished.”

The Lion Sabre King closed his eyes as if resigned. She approached the Lion Sabre King, pressed on his pressure points to open his mouth, and put a pill inside. Then, she pressed on his pressure points again, and it was swallowed on its own. After that, she stepped back and observed the Lion Sabre King’s reaction.

[That, that woman. Could it be…]

-She is truly the scum of humanity.

As Pa Cheon had expected, the pill that the Lion Sabre King had swallowed was the same as the one his son, the young master of the Southern Alliance, had taken. He tried his best to resist the effects of the drug with his will, but as he had felt every time, it was not something that could be overcome with human will.

Pa Cheon had one question. Why didn’t he commit suicide even while suffering such humiliation? What attachment to life remained that he was going through this without any resistance?

Finally, the Lion Sabre King began to show a reaction. There was a limit to how long he could endure, having lost even his internal energy, and his eyes soon became bloodshot, and he was losing his reason. With trembling hands, he embraced his adopted daughter, Cheonhyang Okbong. She hugged him without any resistance and even wore a triumphant smile. And the Lion Sabre King was already madly absorbed in her.

“Hahahahahahahaha.”

‘She is truly a wicked woman. How could she do this to her adoptive father and master who raised and taught her?

I’m really curious. What kind of force is lurking behind that woman?’

Pa Cheon watched the scene from beginning to end without taking his eyes off it for a single moment. His calm demeanor, without any emotional disturbance, was rather like that of an enlightened monk.

=Amitabha! Amitabha!

Hyeneung’s chanting echoed heavily in Pa Cheon’s mind.

After finishing her business, Cheonhyang Okbong got up and covered her vile body with clothes. Then, with a satisfied smile, she turned and left the room without any regrets. The Lion Sabre King was staring at a certain spot on the ceiling with a blank face and unfocused eyes, but no image of any object was reflected in his eyes. Is that how the eyes of someone who has lost everything look? He was experiencing hell without dying. This place was where hell was being realized. Pa Cheon looked down at him.

-What are you going to do? Compassion is forbidden. Don’t make hasty judgments in a situation where the opponent hasn’t been clearly identified yet.

[Is that so? Didn’t you say that the Cheonma Jizon [Heavenly Demon Earthly Demon] shouldn’t think and should act as he pleases?]

=Amitabha! A sentient being is walking through hell. To ignore such a person is not the demeanor of a true strongman.

[I’m also thinking about what to do. Should I help them and catch the woman named Cheonhyang Okbong? Or should I leave them alone and investigate her background?]

-Of course, the latter. You should look at the big picture rather than the small one. If you get caught up in immediate compassion and miss the big picture, you’ll regret it later.

[I guess so? It’s not like they’ve only been suffering for a day or two, and nothing will change if they suffer a little longer.]

=You are truly cruel.

[Cruel? Anyway, the weight of one’s life is one’s own. No one… can live or take responsibility for them. They have to judge for themselves and overcome it themselves. I’ll go my way, and they’ll go their way.]

Swish, swish, swish.

Pa Cheon turned away without any regrets. But his heart was now heavy. Cheonma knew that, so he didn’t say anything.

★ When Pa Cheon returned to his room, he called Gwangmajon and Danjanghwa, except for the injured Muyoungjon and the young So-gun. He explained what he had seen and heard to them and gave them an order.

“From what I’ve seen, there are quite a few martial artists besides those guarding the Cheonhyang Pavilion. To draw out the woman’s backers, it would be good to shake things up a bit. I can’t stay here for long, so if we’re lucky, we might be able to find out who’s behind her during that time.

From now until dawn, the three of us will kill only those guys. We’ll eliminate them as quickly as possible without leaving a trace. We must not leave any traces. And if possible, make sure the bodies aren’t discovered too early… If we get caught, stop everything immediately. It would be good if they were discovered around morning. Go ahead and stir things up. Do you understand?”

“Understood!”

“Understood!”

Gwangmajon said excitedly. Danjanghwa also seemed to be in a good mood, thinking about stretching her body to her heart’s content after a long time. She resolved to test the sword techniques she had recently started learning.

—————————————————-

I would like to share my thoughts on a point made by one of you, and also explain my setting.

The question was how So-gun’s reaction to seeing the misfortune of the beggar child could be the reaction of a top graduate of the Cheonma Cult. The point was that someone who had gone through the training and discipline of a place like the Demonic Cult, and especially a top graduate, should not show compassion or any other emotions. I am writing this because others may have the same question.

The characteristics of the Cheonma Cult in my story are as follows.

They are fundamentally different from the members of the traditional Demonic Cults depicted in general martial arts stories.

First of all, everyone is made up of blood relatives. Therefore, while there is strict training, there are no dropouts. (Training camp)

Strictly speaking, they are not evil people. They are just people who express their thoughts immediately.

They are not pretentious and don’t think about this and that. They are the type of people who act as they please. However, their basic nature is that they are used to distinguishing between enemies and non-enemies, and in that sense, they are not indifferent to the beggar child being beaten, but rather become angry.

Of course, they are merciless when they are considered enemies.

So-gun can become a top graduate not because she is cold-hearted, but because she has a strong focus.

It is an endless obsession with martial arts. But that child also has loneliness as a basic emotion. I have thought a lot about this, but I wondered if a human being could become completely emotionless in 15 years, or 11 years since they started to become aware (since they had memories). In the end, I came to the conclusion that the more faithful a person is to their work or principles, the more passionate they are at heart, even if they are a demonic person.

That is the basic setting, and that is why So-gun, who may seem a bit unreasonable, appeared.

As mentioned earlier, it is explained that Yaryul Sohon, one of the 12 Demonic Sons, was tormented by the unjust death of his mother who gave birth to him. No matter how strongly they are raised, even if they are raised as warriors without blood or tears, their basic nature does not go beyond the realm of human beings. And I believe that to become truly strong, one must understand the middle ground between kindness and ruthlessness, not be ruthless. In that sense, the teachings of the Cheonma Cult, in principle, make their disciples ruthless, but within them lies a kindness that is expanded to the concept of mutual trust and “us,” not just “me” and “my family.”

The current Pa Cheon is a mixed human being. Good and evil. Just like Cheonma and Hyeneung are together. He has decisiveness, but he is indecisive compared to Cheonma. He has killed countless people himself, but he reacts negatively to the indiscriminate killing of his subordinates. Pa Cheon’s nature is not yet complete or fixed. It’s up to him. He makes different decisions depending on the situation. If the same situation were to happen again, he might make a different decision. I don’t know if this is a sufficient answer.

I have devoted a lot of space for others who may have these questions. Please point out any questions you may have in the future. I will correct any mistakes.

Thank you. From Hwaja.

Subject: [Serial] Emperor’s Sword 40. Who is the Culprit? Related Materials: None [60107]

Sender: Lim Sam-yeol (logos333) 2001-01-07 00:11 Views: 2733

-Emperor’s Sword-