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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: How to Make Humans and Jiangshi Kind (2)
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Even after that, as we moved at high speed, we were attacked by Blood Jiangshi a couple more times.
The appearance of our talisman-less Jiangshi friends became increasingly varied.
If the ones that first attacked us—what was it called, Heavenly Spirit Jiangshi?—looked like they had a genuine certification mark stamped on them.
"This is clearly…"
"They used to be… bandits."
Whether they were cornered, or for some other reason.
It looked as though the bandits we had just cut down had met a better end.
Jiangshi with the appearance of bandits, but grotesquely twisted, clung to our ankles, holding us back.
Fortunately, they were clearly inferior versions, far less capable than the Heavenly Spirit Jiangshi.
"Yap."
They were at a level that Ruri's pew-pew click death beam could subdue in one shot.
I didn't realize it at first, but she quietly chirped "yap-yap" as she shot them.
It was so adorably trivial that it made me laugh.
As we got closer to what was presumed to be the bandits' stronghold, a crimson mist gradually grew thicker.
[Moyong Seol: Arrived near Taebeak Stronghold. Report situation.]
[Seonwoo Gyeong: Squad 2, no issues. Pursuing fleeing bandits.]
[Choun Chan: Squad 3, one minor injury, returning to main force with a guard.]
[Neungsang Tak: Squad 4, no issues. Jiangshi attacking intermittently but repelled. Continuing advance.]
[Dang Mok: No issues.]
Fortunately, no major problems had occurred with the other squads either.
"Hmmmm…"
Just like Princess—no, Sister Seol—let out a murmur. The mist, as if it had substance, heavily pressed down on the atmosphere.
"It's eerie."
"What does that mean?"
"Ah, you don't know?"
Now that I thought about it, it was an expression that might not be known in primitive ancient China.
As Moyong Taek and I exchanged light jokes to lighten the mood, and Ruri shook out her clothes as if shooing away bugs.
Sister Seol, who had finally finished her contemplation, called us over.
"Seeing the mist gradually thickening, it seems a bigger problem might arise if we delay. We can't expect support from Instructor Seo right now. It's either we enter on our own and repel them as much as possible, or we join up with another squad… but."
Sister Seol's eyes, similar in color to Ruri's, calmly swept over us.
"I have a bad feeling. It could be dangerous."
Indeed.
Inside, a powerful aura, easily comparable to Sister Seol, or even greater, was lurking.
The fortunate thing was.
If I could sense that ominous aura, it meant it hadn't reached the realm of Returning to Simplicity.
Instead of Moyong Taek, who couldn't easily speak, and Ruri, who seemed to have no intention of offering an opinion.
"Let's go in. There doesn't seem to be any exceptional master besides one Transcendent, so while Sword Matron confronts him, we'll quickly subdue the rest and then join forces."
"Still talking about Sword Matron in this situation… Hah, fine. That's better than letting him escape. Guards, clear the surroundings first."
After a brief meeting.
Thump-thump!
We swiftly charged, simultaneously smashing through the gate blocking the stronghold's main entrance.
The moment we stepped inside.
"Hoh."
"Ugh."
"What in the world is this…?"
There were pools of blood everywhere, as if someone had already held a blood festival, fallen bandits twitching, and some already beginning to transform into Blood Jiangshi.
"…Hah, I naturally expected that cunning bitch Dohee to come, but it's just these greenhorns."
A one-armed giant was drinking alcohol, staring at a crimson-burning brazier in the center.
Before him, still alive, were people kneeling and trembling.
That one-armed giant must be Sado Gyeong, the Tiger-faced Ghost, the shame of the Green Forest, as my master mentioned.
"The Murim Alliance's White Tiger Division will arrive soon. Surrender now."
Moyong Seol drew her sword and stepped forward, but.
"Shut up, wench. Wenches should just serve well at night. Oh, is that what you came for? Kuhahaha!"
Sado Gyeong threw an empty liquor bottle to the ground and burst into maniacal laughter.
"Watch your mouth!"
An indignant Moyong Taek shouted.
That kid.
When he was criticizing me as an idiot or chicken-brained.
Still, blood is thicker than water, I guess.
However.
The man answered by slamming his saber into the ground, emitting a wave of qi.
An intense pressure surged, sending tingling sensations through every muscle in my body.
A thick killing intent and fighting aura, which only those who regard human lives as flies could exude.
But.
His fighting aura was inferior to my master's.
His killing intent was inferior to the Sword Demon's.
I could once again keenly feel how vast the gap was between the Transcendent level and the Enlightenment level.
"Kueeeoook!"
One of the bandits kneeling before Sado Gyeong suddenly seized his throat, screamed as if having a seizure, and then collapsed to the side.
And.
Bulging.
Flexing.
His entire body grotesquely twisted, and soon he transformed into the Blood Jiangshi we had seen.
"You are a wicked seed of the Blood Sect! I will punish you here!"
Even at that horrific sight, Sister Seol stood firm, raising her sword to meet the fighting aura head-on.
She pulled out her hairpin, letting down her usually neatly tied silver hair, and charged at Sado Gyeong.
"Sister! I'll join you!"
Moyong Taek followed closely behind.
A rare sight unfolded: two dual-wielding swordsmen pressing a one-armed saber master.
"Let's do our part."
Seeing the small head nod slightly.
We spread out and began our actions.
Those who had already transformed into Jiangshi and were baring their fangs.
And those who hadn't fully transformed yet, groaning in agonizing pain.
"Kueeeooh…!"
I emotionlessly severed the neck of a Blood Jiangshi that charged at me the moment its transformation completed.
I gifted peaceful rest to a figure twitching and convulsing on the ground.
Was it a punishment to be transformed into a Jiangshi?
Or was it a punishment to die futilely even after becoming a Jiangshi?
I decided to ponder such philosophical judgments later.
Thud!
Bang!
Clang!
The qi waves unleashed by the clashing Transcendent masters continuously shook the ground.
Seeing Taek manage to play his part amidst that chaos, I thought he might soon break through a wall.
Ruri, who had cleared her side a little faster than me with a mere snap of her fingers, then gripped her sword and charged at Sado Gyeong.
It meant he was a formidable opponent, strong enough to make her draw her sword.
I took a very brief moment to check my smartphone, but no communication from other squads had arrived yet.
There weren't many people inside the stronghold, so everyone must have been held up.
In that case.
Surely, our Moyong family couldn't be spies for a group called the Azure Sky Society, and Ruri was Ruri.
Shing!
I transformed my bow-sword into its bow form and carefully aimed at Sado Gyeong.
Hummmmm—
The True Qi I infused resonated, vibrating the air.
And.
"…!"
The hazy crimson mist began to entwine around the bowstring.
Was the life of a fallen human also a piece of nature, or rather, *the* piece?
Moreover.
Through the Northern Darkness Divine Art's abilities, the evil energy residing in the mist was purified and condensed into pure power.
I couldn't spread it too wide, or it might harm our allies.
So I condensed it, gathered it, and focused it into a single point.
To subdue him with just one attack.
My target was his abdomen.
To maximize the chance of hitting, even if he tried to evade.
Thud!
Sado Gyeong, who had used a True Step to push Ruri away, turned his eyes toward me.
There was no way he wouldn't notice after I had gathered so much energy.
But.
It was too late.
I released the bowstring.
A formless arrow shot forth like a beam of light.
"Kugh, you damn greenhorns…!"
Sado Gyeong's escape route, which he tried to use to move his body, was blocked by an ice flower created by Sister Seol, and Moyong Taek's sword was added on top, creating a clumsy frost.
Ruri, who had been bounced back, quickly regained her posture and charged at Sado Gyeong, evading the arrow's trajectory.
Did he instinctively realize that my attack was more threatening than any other?
Sado Gyeong squeezed out his blade energy and maniacally swung it, dispelling all the attacks pouring down on him, then hastily tried to pull his body away from the Formless Arrow's trajectory.
At this rate, it would just cut through the air and return to nothingness.
Instead, I heightened my concentration with an even clearer consciousness.
Although the arrow had already left my hand, my bow, and was freely streaking through the air.
In the world I perceived, based on my extreme concentration—
It looked as if a very fine thread connected us.
I poured my will into that thread with all my might.
Asking it to shift its trajectory, even just a tiny, tiny bit.
And.
The Formless Arrow responded to my prayer.
Rumble—!
With a sound like thunder striking.
It pierced straight through Sado Gyeong's thigh, which he had twisted to try and evade.
"Kwoooooooo—!"
With a monstrous shriek, like a wild boar struck by a bolt of lightning, an unprecedentedly massive qi wave erupted from his body.
Moyong Taek was almost simply swept away by the storm, flying and tumbling miserably, then.
"As expected, Geum Sihyeon. Well done."
He landed next to me and patted my shoulder as if nothing had happened.
His left arm was already twisted to the point where it was difficult to even grip a sword.
"That's me."
Moyong Taek let out a bitter laugh at my joke.
It was a relief that he seemed to have shed some of the pressure.
"Ugh."
With the medical knowledge I'd learned from the God of Life and Death, I performed acupressure and twisted Taek's arm, completing some emergency treatment.
Sister Seol had already dug in, inflicting sharp wounds all over Sado Gyeong's body, and then aimed and fired another shot.
It seemed difficult for him to use proper footwork because his thigh was pierced.
However, his animalistic instincts were still alive, so this time, it only grazed his side, making blood gush.
Kwoooong!
In the midst of that, I quickly transformed my weapon into a sword and swung it to block the saber energy he shot at me.
"Kuht."
The energy contained within was still formidable.
Was this the power of a late-stage Transcendent, on the verge of Enlightenment?
Just as I pondered whether I should close in for the finish.
"Hmph, you insolent bastards—! I'll kill you—!"
Sado Gyeong's fierce roar echoed through the slightly denser mist.
As I focused my vision.
He was taking something from his bosom, putting it into his mouth, and swallowing it.
"No!"
Sister Seol immediately charged, but.
Kwoooong…!
As if the entire land was stained with vivid crimson, a hallucination, and with it, my vision changed dramatically.
Slices of a life built upon killing, plundering, raping, burning, and then killing, plundering, and crushing again, flashed before my eyes like a revolving lantern.
"Inherent Mental Image…"
Moyong Taek murmured with a pale expression, but before I could ask the meaning of his words.
"Augh."
Ruri suddenly clutched her heart and collapsed.
"Ruri?!"
I rushed over, observing her condition in detail.
Ragged breathing, an irregularly beating pulse, a rapidly paling face, lips losing their color.
And.
"This is…"
A sudden, drastic change that hadn't been there moments ago.
As if this entire space was covered by a giant sphere, a crimson barrier was drawn around the stronghold, marking its boundary.
And from that barrier, irregular, spiderweb-like strands extended, connecting to Ruri and entangling her.
It was an alien feeling, different from the aura Sado Gyeong emitted.
I felt a sensation similar to the aura emitted by the Heavenly Spirit Jiangshi I first encountered.
Perhaps whatever Sado Gyeong consumed, and that spirit, was not originally Sado Gyeong's, but related to some force targeting Ruri.
"Kahaha! Power, power overflows within me!"
Sado Gyeong's maniacal laughter reverberated through the thick blood mist thinly spread in the air.
"Taek!"
I called for Moyong Taek, who was already gripping his sword and taking a stance, ready to jump into the fight, and quickly summoned Neukdaengi from within my embrace, materializing him.
"Kyawo!"
As expected of a spiritual beast.
Neukdaengi immediately tore through the transparent crimson spiderweb attempting to entangle Ruri with his claws, then proudly circled the area, growling.
"Protect Ruri for a moment. …It seems my joining the fight would be a better match against that monster."
Moyong Taek wore a complex expression, but soon nodded.
…He probably felt even more keenly that he wouldn't be of much help.
Praying inwardly that this would become motivation for training instead of a wound to his heart.
"Sister! I'm coming!"
With the intuition that if Sado Gyeong, who was now radiating an even more potent aura, wasn't stopped, not only us but all the reinforcements heading to the stronghold would be annihilated.
I boldly threw myself into the maelstrom, a place where one wrong step could immediately lead to one's head being severed.