Chapter 52

In the distant past, whenever the Heaven’s Kill star appeared, they hunted down every child born under it.

Even so, selfish mothers hiding their births led to all the children being hunted and killed over a hundred times.

Countless blood and tears soaked the earth.

But those children born under the ominous Heaven’s Kill had to be removed, even if it meant suffering the consequences.

If not, it wouldn’t just soak the ground; it would come crashing like a massive wave, drowning the earth in blood and tears.

Heaven’s Kill was madness that no human could dare to withstand.

And it grew increasingly mad as time passed.

At first, it was merely a delight in the scent of blood, enjoying tearing flesh and shattering bones.

But as the savor of blood seeped into the marrow, that’s when the realization dawned—violence paired with a different kind of pleasure was discovered.

The sight of others’ sadness and despair brought forth laughter, a true realization that no entertainment could compare to witnessing another’s pain.

Qing’s gaze was seized by death.

As she stood there, dazed, looking down at the inanimate object, her arm suddenly moved.

An incredible sensation, firm as if pushing through a blade. Her muscles felt toned—she trained well.

A moment later, Qing’s head turned.

With an oddly twisted neck, her gaze fell upon her foe—a man clutching a severed forearm.

“Nice to meet you. Is this our first encounter?”

The Moon Lady’s sword flickered, filling the space.

Originally, the Moon Lady’s sword form was light and cheerful, but in the grips of Heaven’s Kill, it painted a completely different picture.

Enchantingly sinister.

Before long, it touched the body like a mosquito that had latched on, stinging and making a heavy ascent.

The tip of the Moonlight Sword pierced, snapping the tendon.

Tension snapped as it curled into the muscle.

The severed limbs fell at strange angles, collapsing.

In a familiar stance, Qing couldn’t help but exclaim,

“Oh! An unexpected identity? Someone who knows a thing or two.”

She poked the enemy’s side and continued forward. The enemy’s belly bulged as clean cuts were made, blood beginning to ooze out.

A gift left by Wang Son-man.

Now, Qing had almost memorized the anatomy of the human body.

Where to stab, how to slice—it was all learned information.

Qing wiped the blood off the blade with her fingers and rubbed it on her tongue.

It was oddly addictive, both salty and fishy.

Well then, I should enjoy the banquet a bit now.

“Disciple!”

A desperate cry. Qing’s head snapped back.

The figure of an enemy, brandishing a great sword towards the fallen members of the Great Justice Gate. At that moment, life returned to Qing’s eyes.

Just as the enemy was about to strike, they staggered and lost their balance, collapsing.

The Great Justice Gate’s warrior, horrified, shoved the corpse away and spotted the protruding decoration at the enemy’s temple.

It was a hairpin, a decorative piece that holds women’s hair.

“Are you alright?”

With alabaster-like long fingers, completely out of place on the battlefield, a gentle voice emerged as she pulled out the hairpin.

The Great Justice Gate warrior gazed up at her in a daze.

Goodness, she’s truly stunning.

The warrior was captivated.

“What is this? Are you not alright? Was I too late?”

After cleaning the hairpin on her pants, Qing stuck it back into her gathered hair and asked.

The warrior suddenly came to her senses.

“Oh. Thank you, thank you!”

“Young Lady, thank you!”

The other warriors, shouting for their disciple, joined in their overwhelming gratitude.

Flustered, Qing waved her hand dismissively.

“Don’t mention it. Just be careful in battle. Don’t get hurt for no reason.”

The hairpin of the Divine Maiden Sect was her secret weapon.

Seven hairpins inserted haphazardly.

Two equipment pins made of steel, and five throwing hairpins—this was a technique of the Divine Maiden Sect.

As no one would ever question a lady carrying hairpins in a weapon-restricted area, it posed an advantage.

Although it made her head significantly heavier, a master’s neck wouldn’t easily buckle.

With Qing’s immense strength, she could even manage a harmless form covered densely with needles.

However, it could make her appearance look quite suspicious.

Something is killing my vibe.

Qing licked her lips as she took in the battlefield.

I could see Pang Dae-san’s bold reverse sword stance.

A crescent moon blade entering from his neck slid back out the other side.

The body slashed at an angle crumpled down with a thud.

Ugh. That was far from clean. What was that?

It’s clearly the ineptitude of a mid-tier novice.

Qing weaved through the Great Justice Gate warriors to spread her blade.

Divine Maiden Sword, three styles: Celestial Woman.

The encircled blade, much like Pang Dae-san’s trajectory, pierced through the enemy’s body, exiting cleanly.

But the outcome differed.

The sliced torso slid down along the diagonal cut, spilling out.

Yes, this is the true taste of a diagonal slice.

The peak is still distant.

Or perhaps it might signify the limits of a reverse swordsman?

Qing nodded to herself contentedly.

It was a cruel yet astonishing spectacle.

Meanwhile, the Forward Blue Wave Unit stepped back with hesitation, while the warriors of the Great Justice Gate rallied with cheers.

Qing raised her hand in response, surveying the battlefield.

There, Namgoong Shin-jae caught her eye.

Just as his name indicated, the man quietly swung his sword without a word.

His left hand didn’t seem to have any job.

If that was the case, why not use both hands or at least hold a shield?

Well, if he likes it that way, who am I to say otherwise?

And then, she noticed Chang-bin over there.

Qing was taken aback.

What’s with him? Why is he fighting so well?

The trajectory of his sword hung in the air, breaking apart like shards.

White and red, the shreds danced around, beautifully scattered.

It was as if the storm of swords turned the whole world into a bright flower display.

But it wasn’t merely beautiful to behold.

The relentless strikes carried by the wind, flower petals soared gracefully.

Fallen petals touched the enemy, blooming in bloody splendor.

The sight of the fallen foes imprinted in Qing’s eyes.

With wounds carved like missing petals, not a single part of their bodies remained unscathed as blood oozed out, making them stagger and unable to regain their senses.

Qing felt a twinge of unfairness.

Isn’t this demonic arts too?

Why is it that what I use is deemed the Heavenly Demonic Arts?

His methods are equally brutal; why do I get singled out?

In truth, Qing’s reflections weren’t far off.

Originally, Hwasan’s swordsmanship was notoriously brutal.

The Southern Mountain’s Demon Cleaving Sword was tremendously powerful.

However, it was too savage; even members of the Hwasan sect were reluctant to master it.

Thus, future generations developed the Great Master Muhak’s techniques, hiding its vile essence.

And in turn, they added elegance and intrigue.

Thus, the infamous Plum Blossom Sword was born.

But hiding brutality with grandeur doesn’t make it vanish.

The blade flowed, overflowing with blood and carnage.

The gratitude of the Great Justice Gate warriors drowned out the suppressed bloodlust that had been quietly rising.

Yes. I can’t fall behind either!

Qing plunged into the midst of the enemies.

—-

Ahnryang Yeom Saraydal only realized belatedly that things had gone terribly wrong.

The Forward Blue Wave Unit was an elite special unit of the demonic sect comprised entirely of at least first-rate masters.

They were supposed to sweep away the rabble of the orthodox sect in one go and gather to watch the show.

Instead, they were being thoroughly butchered.

All thanks to the young masters pulling their swords with ease.

They were at least peak level masters.

Moreover, there was even the Plum Blossom Sword user among them.

Ahnryang Yeom Saraydal’s insides boiled with rage.

What he had wanted was to entrap the enemy in despair due to their own shortcomings, feeling the guilt of losing subordinates and the frustration of hearing the cries of his own created group meet their doom, slowly letting them die.

What he was truly experiencing, however, was the anxiety of losing the combat unit of the Divine Sect due to a fool who couldn’t gauge the enemy’s strength.

His subordinates were dying, igniting a fire in his belly.

Though he regretted the loss of his faithful followers, what mattered more was his safety.

What kind of situation would a commander face if he let his unit be annihilated?

The higher-ups in the Divine Sect would never let that slide.

Ahnryang Yeom Saraydal’s expression grew dark.

The crucial difference between the orthodox and heterodox, between the Wei and Hei warriors, lay in their intentions.

Even in dangerous times, who sought out us versus who sought me.

Of course, that doesn’t mean the orthodox sect consisted entirely of benevolent saints.

In the end, Ahnryang Yeom Saraydal made a decision.

He swung the meteor hammer, unleashing energy that forced Wang Gae-yuk and Gi Hobeob to distance themselves.

Then, Ahnryang Yeom Saraydal began rummaging through his pocket.

Was he preparing a hidden ace? Spotting the two warriors of the Great Justice Gate on their guard, Ahnryang Yeom Saraydal pulled out a sack and tossed it roughly.

As the sack hit the ground, a glass vial inside shattered, mixing with the powder within.

Then, an explosive cloud of thick smoke began to billow out.

Wang Gae-yuk and Gi Hobeob covered their mouths and noses with their sleeves, retreating hurriedly.

“It’s poison! Everyone retreat!”

Whether it was truly poison or not remained a mystery.

However, regarding suspicious smoke, this was the protocol within the martial world.

The sound of a pleading flute echoed in the smoke.

It was a signal for the Forward Blue Wave Unit to retreat.

The demonic villains of the martial sect vanished into the mist.

It might not be poison but simply a smoke screen.

Many thought that, but actually rushing into the smoke was another story.

There could, after all, be a chance of it containing poison.

This meant only two types of people could leap into the smoke.

First, those who were absolutely sure that the smoke contained no poisonous elements.

The retreating members of the Forward Blue Wave Unit belonged to this kind.

Second, those who had no need to worry whether it was poisonous or not.

Someone who had already taken an antidote or someone with a rare constitution that was immune to poison.