Chapter 26. The Skilled One and the Man with a Knack for It (1)
The sun was descending beyond the ridgeline, painting the sky in blood-red light.
That was when an unusual disturbance appeared inside the Sword Demon Clan.
“P, please throw stones at me...”
A middle-aged man covered in blood wandered through the Sword Demon Clan.
His voice sounded close to breaking.
His steps were weak and uneven.
He repeated the same words everywhere he went.
“I, I am trash who abused children...”
“So please throw stones at me...”
Everyone stared in horror at the sight of the man, completely broken by fear.
The middle-aged man wandering around like a living corpse was none other than Seven Sword Hall Leader Manpyeong.
“P, please throw stones...”
“If you do not... I will die...”
The strange and bloody march finally ended when physicians of the Sword Demon Clan rushed over.
“His life is not in danger.”
“However, he will probably live as a cripple for the rest of his life.”
Sword Demon Won Jungyeon tilted his head at the physician's words.
From what he could see, Manpyeong's dantian and meridians were intact.
“His mind is completely broken.”
“A heart demon caused by unbearable fear has deeply settled inside him.”
“Killing him may honestly be more merciful.”
“Is something like that possible?”
“The Seven Sword Hall Leader was not an extraordinary martial artist, but he was still someone who survived many battles.”
“How could fear alone reduce him to this state?”
“Hmm...”
The physician stroked his beard and thought.
Then he slowly answered.
“I once saw another case like this.”
“A veteran martial artist became completely broken overnight.”
“Truly?”
“Yes.”
“He had been captured by Thousand-Faced Soul-Stealing Ghost Baekro and somehow survived.”
Baekro.
Even the Sword Demon stiffened at that name.
The man had died fourteen years ago in the Martial Alliance's Heavenly Net.
Yet his terrible reputation still covered the martial world.
“The most terrifying thing about Thousand-Faced Soul-Stealing Ghost Baekro was how skilled he was at using fear.”
“Pain and fear were like his left and right arms.”
“...”
“Those captured by Baekro either died or went insane.”
“If Baekro had not died fourteen years ago, I would suspect he had infiltrated the Sword Demon Clan.”
The Sword Demon stared down at the broken Manpyeong.
At that moment, a martial artist approached carefully.
“Clan Head.”
“Second Madam and the Second Young Master have arrived.”
“Madam Hyeon and Kang?”
“Yes.”
“They say they have something to tell you about the Seven Sword Hall Leader.”
“...Very well.”
The Sword Demon left with a confused expression.
After hearing the entire story from Hyeonri, he immediately went to find Bi Anso.
The Sword Demon came to my room.
His sudden appearance surprised...
No.
It did not surprise me.
I had asked Hyeonri to arrange for him to visit me alone.
“You know why I am here, do you not?”
“I do.”
“I am wondering whether I should punish you or reward you.”
“What do you think?”
“Naturally, you should reward me.”
“The man was abusing the Sword Demon Clan's Second Young Master.”
“You saw the bruises on your son's body.”
“...”
The Sword Demon was silent for a moment, then nodded.
“Correct.”
“Because of you, I discovered corruption within the Seven Sword Hall.”
“You certainly deserve a reward.”
Something was strange.
His own son had been abused that badly.
Yet he showed so little emotional movement?
Could Lady Woo truly have planted that inside her husband?
Really?
“Clan Head.”
“There is no way the Seven Sword Hall Leader would abuse your bloodline without reason.”
“Someone must have ordered him.”
“Ah.”
“You are correct.”
“Lady Woo ordered it.”
“You already discovered that?”
“Then why are you not angry?”
At that moment, the Sword Demon completely froze.
It was sudden and unnatural, as though time had stopped.
A moment later, the Sword Demon slammed his fist onto the table.
“You are correct!”
“Even if she is my proper wife, this is unforgivable!”
“I will warn her severely!”
“That is all?”
“...”
The Sword Demon's entire body froze again.
Then he began moving.
“This is a matter involving my family.”
“You certainly earned merit, but do not interfere further.”
“...”
Strange emotional flow.
Pausing as if frozen.
I finally understood what evil technique Lady Woo had used.
Blood Gu.
I never expected to see Blood Gu again inside the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
Not since my eldest senior sister died.
“Blood Gu is a truly dangerous evil technique.”
“Even I hesitate to use it unless the target is truly evil.”
“Why?”
“Because it can manipulate a person's thoughts and emotions however you wish.”
“A Blood Gu raised for more than ten years can even change the person's very nature.”
“Would killing them not be kinder?”
My eldest senior sister had told me.
Using Blood Gu was far more cruel than simply killing someone.
Lady Woo, that crazy woman.
She actually did something like this to her own husband?
I needed to remove the Blood Gu.
Leaving one inside the body for too long could cause permanent damage to the meridians and brain.
And this was not only for the Sword Demon's sake.
If Lady Woo could freely control the Sword Demon with Blood Gu, then she could also use him to kill me.
An enemy equal to the Ten Great Masters of the Central Plains?
That would be a disaster.
What should I do?
To remove the Blood Gu, I needed to strike the Giant Bone, Shoulder Well, Temple, and Heavenly Spirit acupoints in that order.
But the Sword Demon was several levels above me.
Would a master like that simply allow me to touch his acupoints?
No.
Before I even reached the Giant Bone point, he would probably cut me into ten pieces.
No choice.
I would have to use Eldest Senior Sister's secret method.
“Clan Head.”
“May I say something?”
“What?”
My eldest senior sister once said Blood Gu worked by clouding judgment and changing emotional flow.
If the host's emotions suddenly became too intense, the Gu would be unable to keep up for a moment.
“Blood Gu may be an extraordinary evil technique, but in the end it still uses a worm.”
“If the host's emotions suddenly become too intense, the Blood Gu needs a moment to adapt.”
“During that moment, it stops.”
“I see.”
“Then what should I say to make someone's emotions explode?”
