Chapter 35

In a normal cultural realm, cannibalism was a taboo.

No matter how ancient China was, it was the same.

One of the most severe punishments was feeding the family the flesh of a criminal after they were executed.

Yet, there wasn’t a culture that didn’t resort to cannibalism.

When a person is so hungry that they need to choose between survival and dignity, it happens.

But it’s something to be ashamed of.

So much so that it can’t even be mentioned.

Among them was a character who felt no shame.

The Cannibal Demon was such a guy.

Sometimes there are people who do things that no one else would dare to do, just to prove their superiority.

Instead of enjoying nutritious and delicious food, they willingly devour stinking, tough human flesh.

“I do what you cannot do.”

“Therefore, I am superior.”

He was a Cannibal Demon who had reached the peak of supreme mastery solely out of a twisted desire for recognition over others.

And to become even more superior, he even mastered the cursed Demonic Arts.

Soon, the world would face a greater evil than the Cannibal Demon: the Flame Demon.

However, someone challenged the authority built upon blood and resentment directly.

And it was the voice of a young girl.

That was a catastrophic provocation.

Enraged, the Cannibal Demon lost his grip on reason.

“Who is that girl! How dare she!”

“Master! No! It’s an ambush…”

His subordinates couldn’t even finish their warning.

With his fiery beard raised by Demonic Arts, he charged out of the room.

All that remained was a cratered wooden floor.

One subordinate waved his hand in vain.

“I told you to prepare for the ambush…”

His mind raced back through the hardships they had faced.

Digging holes, hiding Jiangshi among family members, practicing retreat and counterattack by region with the battle cry echoing in their ears.

The subordinate shook his head and issued orders.

“What are you doing! The Master is at the front!”

—-

After a rough landing, Bokhaun, who was charging toward the main building, heard that outrageous provocation.

It was a disgraceful insult, unworthy even of an enemy, but the target was the issue.

The Cannibal Demon? Why is the Cannibal Demon here?

But then, the tightly shut gates of the main building exploded with a thunderous crash.

Truly overwhelming divine might.

The advance of the canal force hesitated.

A magnificent presence revealed itself, in all its formidable glory.

Red energy swirled around.

It was a tangible aura of killing intent.

The heart stirred and made the body move involuntarily.

Who that was was obvious.

“Cannibal Demon!”

Bokhaun screamed, almost like a banshee.

It truly was close to a scream.

Why are you here? The wicked peak master was beyond my handling.

“Who is that girl! How dare! I won’t kill you gently! I’ll wipe out your entire tribe and stuff you to burst my belly!”

“You sure love to eat! Would you stop already? You’re about to burst! Seriously!”

With a cackle, Qing dropped down between Bokhaun and the Cannibal Demon.

“Hello, senior! I’m Seomun Qing from the Martial World, and I give you my warmest greetings!”

“You, you…”

“Before the fight, you might just collapse from high blood pressure! What are you waiting for? Bring it on! Let’s have a match!”

“Let’s go!”

And there was Gae! Not just in funny tales!

Qing couldn’t help but admire.

The Cannibal Demon’s log-like legs shot up.

Qing shouted.

“Wait a minute!”

It was a perfect opportunity to catch the Cannibal Demon off guard, causing him to hesitate for a moment.

Then came the sound of swift light-footed landings.

Five children appeared behind Qing.

“We’re going again! My Moonlight Sword!”

Filled with courage, Qing charged forward.

The Cannibal Demon, a mix of anger and confusion, closed in rapidly.

The presence behind Qing felt reassuring.

Qing raised his sword triumphantly.

The true power of the staff he had honed over years surged into the blade.

With the strength of Zhu Yang’s Mindfulness Sutra, the blade shimmered in the sunset, leaving a vertical long afterimage.

A Mountain-Pressing Strike. With the weight of Mount Tai pressing down.

It was the one second strike his master said had some depth to it. Though in other words, it was just a downward hack.

The Cannibal Demon’s hands turned crimson.

A mere late supreme female had no fear!

The blade’s energy collided with his magical aura.

Bang! It was an enormous sound that was hard to believe was just the clash of energies.

Unable to overcome the weight difference, Qing flew into the air.

The Cannibal Demon’s heavy body leaped after his trajectory.

Qing quickly twisted his body.

In front of him was the gigantic bulk of the Demon with the red hands rising.

Qing reached far behind with his hands.

But the gap in mastery was evident.

The Demon’s arm was already descending.

At that moment, bang!

Three kids sprang up, blocking the Demon’s strike.

From the beginning, Qing did not count solely on his own strength.

“I believed! I believed in you all!”

Qing pushed the sword.

Without any technique, just straightforward strength channeled into a thrust.

The sword moved at the speed of light towards the heart of the Demon—

In an instant, the Demon’s hand snatched the blade.

“A pity, girl. If it weren’t for divine skills, you would have succeeded.”

There was a law in the Martial World that those owning Demonic Arts shouldn’t admit to it even in death.

When the Cannibal Demon mentioned divine skills, he naturally referred to Flame Demonic Arts.

Qing didn’t really know, but Flame Demonic Arts were originally derived from the Supreme Hand-to-Hand Combat.

Originally a complex concept, to simplify, it was a version made through the inversion of Yin and Yang, with similar efficacy.

Like the refinement below the elbow.

With the Flame Demonic Arts of the Eighth Success, added to the peak mastery level, the sword that was once sharp resembled a mere club.

That was the fearsome power of renowned Demonic Arts.

It was why people risked peril to master it.

“Ah. This doesn’t work.”

The Demon pulled back Qing’s sword.

His other arm had already finished charging the Flame’s energy.

Originally, a swordsman would rather die than let go of his sword!

Qing let go of the sword without hesitation.

Well then, you can still be a swordsman!

The Demon’s eyes gleamed.

In the moment Qing fell back, he intended to deal with the annoying kids first.

His hand, thick with demon energy, swung mercilessly at the smaller one.

He anticipated the body to explode and scatter like minced meat, but—

With a clang! The sound of striking iron, the child bounced five times before flying off into the distance.

The Cannibal Demon was astonished. Jiangshi! Why?

The Demon’s eyes darted around.

Among the children, he searched for Unyeonjeong’s face.

「What is happening here! Why is a Jiangshi attacking me!」

It was a technique used only by high-level masters.

A small whisper that manipulates energy to pummel directly into the opponent’s ears when discreet communication is needed.

This technique was called ‘Zhuan Yin.’

Unyeonjeong’s ‘Zhuan Yin’ flew in.

「Technically speaking, it’s not an attack. The children are merely protecting the Young Lady Seomun.」

「Does that even make sense! Why are you protecting a girl who I could tear apart with ease?！」

「Ah. That’s personal, right? We’re not close enough to share our personal matters, are we?」

「Ha, you think you can continue unscathed just because you’re a favorite of the Association Head?」

「Who knows.」

Unyeonjeong merely offered a troubled smile.

Someone like her could easily replace the Association Head if she wanted, but it was just easier to keep him around since he was dumb and greedy.

Unyeonjeong stifled a laugh and sent another ‘Zhuan Yin.’

「Young Lady Seomun just never listens. Can you just hold back until she tires out? You have that much capability, right?」

「Don’t talk nonsense, tsk.」

The Cannibal Demon hastily waved his hand.

Because Qing had charged again.

Qing also realized that he was underestimating the opponent, hoping to improvise like the Chinese people do, but this guy was no pushover.

Moreover, the Jiangshi only provided defense.

He had to deal the fatal strikes himself, but with the gap in mastery, that was also difficult.

What should a disciple of the master do?

Qing recalled a conversation with his master.

‘Master, but what if the enemy is a high-level master?’

‘Well, you should run away. What else would you do?’

‘What if I can’t escape?’

‘If it’s an unavoidable confrontation…’

Exhaust them.

When the Dantian empties, no matter how supreme they are, they’re as good as done, so he needed to make them waste their energy somehow.

Of course, that was impossible one-on-one.

Because the master would have the superior numbers, and even their efficiency would be better, making it unlikely for them to exhaust their Dantian first in a fair fight.

‘Then what?’

‘You have something you’re good at, don’t you.’

‘Something I’m good at?’

‘Flipping the master’s insides upside down.’

Turn your opponent upside down.

Your new technique is really something that could be called a divine skill, turning the opponent furious to the point of losing their reason could grant you an opportunity for victory.

That was Qing’s area of expertise.

But with the intent to do it on purpose, it felt oddly embarrassing.

It’s hard to shout out loud without being intoxicated.

Originally, the best singing comes out only when you’re a little buzzed.

Qing’s bark also operated on that principle.

You had to be a little angry or slightly dizzy to let the best come out.

Or else you need to have some spirit.

Being covered in blood and hanging off some guts, feeling the satisfying crunch of breaking bones was necessary.

Only then can the true sounds rise from deep down in the Dantian.

Now, while keeping a cold, calculating mind for victory felt a tad guilty.

And with so many watching, it felt even more awkward.

So Qing said something loud enough for the Demon to hear.

It seemed to others like extraordinary bravery despite the clear gap in mastery.

But, in reality, each time they clashed and dodged, the little voices coming out were like this.

“Hey, you piglet. You call yourself a Cannibal Demon, but how much do you have to eat to get that big? Be honest, it looks like you have bigger boobs than me.”

“……”

The Cannibal Demon took a deep breath.

The girl who makes Jiangshi was crucial to their plans.

Without Jiangshi, their grand scheme was impossible.

It was because of that girl’s request…

“Hey, but if you’re a cannibal, doesn’t that mean you eat them boiled, roasted, or stewed? Do you drink the bath water while bathing? It feels like you could make a really rich broth.”

“……”

“Wow, I have to admit, if I were hearing that kind of stuff, I wouldn’t be able to stay still either. Do you have a hobby of getting insulted? It doesn’t even make you mad when I scratch you like this? Give me a pad rip!”

“……”

“You know about homophagy, right? If your eyes are bad, you eat eye dishes, and if your liver is bad, you eat liver dishes. You can’t be human, so you eat humans, right?”

“……”

“Then you should eat a lot of old people. You don’t have a mom or dad, so why not eat some parents…”

“Aaaah!!! I’ll kill you!!! I’m going to kill you!!!”

Finally, the Cannibal Demon exploded.

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