828 - I Am This Murim’s Crazy B*tch

As Dongjuk looked at the remaining half of the sword, his demeanor quietly turned respectful. “Uh, great hero, if you retreat now…” “Do you think that's possible?” Dongjuk's expression turned pale. Only then did an intense wave of regret slowly wash over him. In the martial world, the saying that you should always be cautious of children, women, and the elderly had been drilled into his ears, yet he was so convinced by the seemingly careless and light-hearted demeanor that he had suspected nothing. That was his last opportunity. When told that he would be spared if he sheathed his sword and retreated, Dongjuk, who was obligated to serve his young master, instead succumbed to rage, drew his blade, and now faced the consequences of his actions. Dongjuk fiercely regretted it. But only for a moment. Qing pointed towards Jeongryujang with her hand. “How could I let a remnant of the Blood Cult survive? It was destined to end this way from the start, so you need not wear such a regretful expression. That one over there is my handiwork too, after all.” “What-?” “It’s your end too.” Qing raised her palm to eye level. Several pearl-like radiant orbs floated above her hand, intertwining as they slowly rotated. A Spectacular Reflection! Evidence of the Transformation Realm! Quite magnificent! Of course, outside of that, it served no real practical purpose, merely a flashy display of her proclamation, ‘I am in the Transformation Realm.’ However, from the standpoint of a pinnacle martial artist, there’s hardly a more terrifying sight than their enemy releasing a Spectacular Reflection. Dongjuk’s gaze flicked back and forth. He glanced in one direction and then scrutinized Jeongryujang, who was collapsed on the ground, voicing inarticulate sounds. The corners of Qing’s mouth curled upward. Was he contemplating an escape? Or perhaps...? Even if he considered it alone, surely he couldn't manage to salvage the baggage? Would he attempt to flee by himself? But, for such a mere pinnacle martial artist to attempt escape from the grasp of someone in the Transformation Realm is laughable. Even an exceptional ascendant might try, but when the disparity in realms becomes this stark, only someone who has transcended realms might dare to try. So Qing gently set the mood. “Of course, there is a way for you to survive.” If he were doomed regardless of whether he fled or faced her, he might entertain the flimsy idea of dying heroically. That wouldn’t do. The wicked must remain wicked. If one is to be a villain, they should act accordingly. Casually taking lives for minor gains, being extremely stingy in sharing the profits, displaying a lack of loyalty to the point of betrayal being as routine as eating, that’s the villainous nature he should possess. “If you eat the caught fish, it’ll taste good for now. But if you learn how to fish, you could have fish for a lifetime, oh wait, no. Scratch that. Let’s try again. Hm. Hm.” Qing waved her hand, retracting her words. This too was an ability possessed by someone in the Transformation Realm. Why? Jealous? And if you are, what will you do about it? “You see, if you eat the caught fish, it’ll taste good for now. However, to catch a big fish, you need to use it as bait. You’ll have to be that bait.” “What do you mean by that…” “We're going to kill the Blood Cult. Kill more members of the Blood Cult. To do that, we need to know more about the Blood Cult, right?” Inside the mask’s eye holes, flames of lethal intent flickered. It was genuine, bloodthirsty killing intent that glowed fiercely. Dongjuk swallowed hard. Seeing that terrible animosity and reflecting on the dreadful state of Jeongryujang, he felt it reverberate through his entire body. “Ju-just kill me instead.” “I will not. I’ll gouge out your eyes, pierce your eardrums, and cut off your tongue. And then I’ll sever the tendons in your shoulders. Yes, on closer inspection, perhaps breaking every finger might be better.” Qing’s eyes narrowed. “Imagine it. You can’t see anything and can’t hear anything. You can’t shout to convey your intentions, nor can you write. Every sensation that reaches you will be filled with dread, and whether those Blood Cult bastards decide to let you live or die remains unclear, but what’s certain is you won’t be able to beg to be spared or to be killed.” Though her eyes gleamed with lethal intent, her voice was calm, as if stating something obvious, and her tone resonated clearly in the ears. "So, what will it be? Will you remain loyal and end up like that, or will you survive and expose someone in your stead?" At that moment, Qing’s hand shimmered with the hue of bright red starlight. As if signaling that no more time would be given. Dongjuk swallowed again. Then he glanced at Jeongryujang, writhing with guttural groans, back at Qing, and then once more at Jeongryujang, seeing the pitiful state of his superior, whom he served for a long time and cherished like a younger brother or nephew. Finally, determination born of desperation appeared on Dongjuk’s face, unlike anything before. He spoke with fiery eyes. “What do you want to know……” Inside the mask, Qing’s mouth stretched from side to side. --- Before the thick pillar of smoke rising from the mine, another column of dark smoke billowed to join it, forming two lines. The Jeong family’s estate was ablaze. The grand hall, built large, was the first to burn, catching fire to the corpses of the Blood Cult members inside, as well as to the pile of wooden structures dismantled and stacked there, causing the flames to rise high. Leaving the smoke ascending to the sky behind them, a procession emerged from the Jeong family estate. They were warriors of the Blood Cult. The Blood Cult warriors moved down the southern entrance path from the main gate, soon finding themselves facing a thoroughfare running east to west. If they turned to the west, they would be met by the view of long mountain ridges like walls rising from side to side, blocking the horizon. Proceeding along the road westward, once they reached the mountain’s base and climbed upwards just a little, a treacherous hilly path with a wicked slope finally revealed itself. A suffocatingly steep incline greeted their eyes, none other than Black Dragon Pass. Under normal circumstances, the warriors would have grumbled about this merciless slope, but now they simply climbed in silence, sealing their lips tightly. As guards responsible for the Jeong family estate, their hearts were heavy for failing to protect anything, having to set the manor aflame and retreat, a bitter sentiment shared by all. Thus, bearing the air of defeated soldiers, the low-tier warriors caught only fragmentary glimpses, unable to let out even rough breaths, as they followed the lead of their comrades. And just when the commander of the Jeong family estate's guard contingent reached Black Dragon Pass’s end. His vision suddenly cleared, offering a full view of the summit of the pass. And what was it that caught his eye first? The captain widened his eyes. There were some men, or rather ‘men’, crawling shirtless on the ground, just in their undergarments. There were two of them, slowly slinking along the ground. The captain raised his hand to halt the formation and drew his sword, cautiously approaching the unknown and bizarre figures. Even though the captain concealed his aura, the men on the ground were so engrossed that they seemed to crawl awkwardly with their shoulders and legs, unable to use their arms— Unable to use their arms? “Young, young master?” The captain was startled and dashed forward. As he flipped one of the creepy figures by the shoulder, it let out a muffled scream, a sound full of raw fear: “Ugh-aaah!!!” The open mouth stretched wide, and on either cheek, blood clots had solidified into the shape of individual characters. On the right cheek, the character 血 (blood), on the left, 滅 (doom). Whether you read it as 'Blood Doom' or 'Doom Blood', the meaning was clear. Suddenly, the captain’s gaze shifted to the still-remaining other bizarre figure. Certainly, this was the person who had taken the young master. “Captain?” The captain cautiously called out to her own superior. There was no reply. At that very moment, the captain swallowed hard. - Aaaah!!! A scream erupted from beyond the hill. And then... - Hahahahaha!! Die, Blood Cult bastards!! A clear and melodious feminine voice, yet so unfitting, filled with a boisterous laugh. Rushing up towards the hill, the captain’s view captured the Blood Cult members being mercilessly sliced down. Though her face was obscured by a mask, there was no mistaking it as the voice and demeanor of a woman. The strange sound was followed by a peculiar sight. While the woman wielded a long and heavy blade, a muted crimson glow emanated from it. Qi Manifestation, a mark of transcendence. “I am the greatest thief supreme! Yes, it’s me, the cunning thief Ren, who steals your life, Blood Cult dogs! Hahaha!!” Her sword descended. A warrior raised his own blade, albeit futile before the dominating qi. In an instant, the woman's blade curved at a right angle, then another, cutting off just a segment of the warrior's elbow. The massive sword ascended, cut off another segment, and then dropped to sever again. The qi left trails, drawing countless vertical lines, and the body, sliced in lengths from the elbow, tumbled to the ground, leaving the forearm, still clutching a sword, to fall slack. As those vertical lines shifted gradually, the Blood Cult warrior was literally shredded, akin to fine food preparation. It was a horrifyingly swift hand. “Kahaha! One more fool is gone! Stealing such a useless life! I am Ren, the supreme thief! I am the thieving Ren!” These were titles and names unfamiliar to the ears, but it was evident that her grudge against the Blood Cult was intense. Having cleaved a compatriot into dozens of pieces, Ren laughed a maddeningly wicked laughter, then swiftly turned to thrust her sword. “Trying to flee? Every running dog is a grain of rice! I’ll mill you all!” Mill? Against humans? The absurdity of it all barely sunk in, then came a tremendous stomp! Despite the distance, the vibration reached the soles of the captain’s feet, who momentarily lost sight of the enemy owing to her immense speed. Snatching the hair of a compatriot as... Slice. The captain swallowed. Milling is a process of removing the husk from rice grains. And this was, quite literally, milling. With supernatural speed, Ren pounded the hillside, and with thunderous momentum, her silhouette leaped beyond the air. The captain, holding her breath, cautiously retreated. Never in her life had she stilled her breathing to such an intense degree. Thankfully, the massacre, if one could call such a one-sided combat as such, was occurring on the hillside, so the horrid scene quickly vanished from sight after a few steps. The captain thought inwardly. This is not a retreat. It’s merely prioritizing getting those in need to safety. After all, these are merely apprentice warriors. Sacrificing them to save more valuable lives is a natural duty. Stealthily stepping backward, breathing slowly, the captain filled her lungs with as much air as possible, then swiftly hoisted Jeongryujang under an arm. “Argh!” Jeongryujang’s scream made the captain feel as if her heart had dropped to the floor. But having committed to this path, the captain ran out and hoisted her superior, Dongjuk, under her other arm. “Oof!” Screams burst from both sides, sending chills down her spine. Drenched in sweat, the captain, with a wounded individual under each arm, sprinted down the hill, away from the cries of her dying comrades echoing in the background.