SIMB Chapter 332: Old Scars
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TL: FoodieMonster007 If you see this, you are at the wrong site!
"The Sixth Elder has become a martyr."
A figure in a black hat, who had been meditating cross-legged, opened his eyes. For an instant, the light within them blazed crimson, then subsided as if it had been an illusion.
With a breath of mist, the figure looked down at the man on his knees. "Who killed him?"
"The Azure Dragon Hero."
A brief silence followed. The prostrate man felt cold sweat trickle down his back.
Fortunately, his superior's voice was calm as he asked, "I've been hearing that title a lot lately. What was the content of the Sixth Elder's final report?"
"He stated that the Azure Dragon Hero had appeared at the Murim Alliance, that he seemed to have caught wind of our plan, and that he would take care of the meddler."
"And?"
"We lost contact with him shortly thereafter, and the Beggars' Gang Chief officially announced that the Azure Dragon Hero had killed the Sixth Elder."
"……" The figure in the black hat rose from his seat.
Although all he had done was stand, the prostrate man felt the illusion of hundreds of swords slicing through his entire body. A sense of reverence naturally arose in him.
The First Apostle grows ever stronger.
The prostrate man was the Ninth Elder of the Blood Cult. He was also a renowned demonic master, but in front of the First Apostle, his own existence felt insignificant.
Is there any master in the murim who can block his sword?
The Ninth Elder admired the overwhelming strength of the First Apostle. It was he who had demonstrated his fearsome power against the despicable Murim Alliance decades ago, and he who had gathered the scattered cultists after their defeat and rebuilt the cult to its present state.
More recently, he had suppressed the revolt of the most powerful elder of the Blood Cult, the Night Emperor, and imprisoned him underground.
The day our Cult marches forth to conquer the murim, all those hypocrites of the orthodox sects will kneel beneath the sword of the First Apostle.
Recently, however, an annoying flea had thwarted the Cult's plans at every turn.
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"First Apostle. I have more to report regarding the Azure Dragon Hero."
"Speak."
"He claims to be the successor of the Sword Saint."
The scars visible under the First Apostle's black hat twitched in unison. "Did you just say the Sword Saint?"
"Yes…" Despite trembling with fear, the Ninth Elder relayed the contents of the report he had received. The story was that the Azure Dragon Hero had revealed to the Murim Alliance that he had inherited the Sword Saint's martial arts, and had declared that he would not pass them on to the Moyong Clan.
After hearing the full story from the Ninth Elder, the First Apostle muttered coldly, "If left unchecked, he will become a huge threat to us."
The Azure Dragon Hero had foiled the cult's long-laid scheme to exterminate the Namgung Clan and killed the Eighth Elder, the Bloody Spirit. Not only that, he had also eradicated the spy they had carefully planted in the Murim Alliance over a long period of time and even killed the Sixth Elder, the Poison Demon.
Two of the elders of our sect fell to the same man. Moreover, he has even learned the Sword Saint's martial arts… Could this be fate? Is the Azure Dragon Hero's destiny somehow intertwined with that of the Blood Cult?
The First Apostle asked, "Is the Azure Dragon Hero still at the Murim Alliance?"
"He left the Murim Alliance a few days ago. We are currently tracking his location. It shouldn't take long."
"Entrust this task to Deathshroud."
The Ninth Elder wasn't surprised. Deathshroud was the assassins' guild widely acknowledged as the strongest in the murim, and unknown to most, they were a subsidiary organization of the Blood Cult. With his head bowed, he asked, "May I convey the order for Skykiller himself to move?"
The First Apostle nodded. "Permission granted."
If he could, he would have gone to capture the Azure Dragon Hero himself, but he had business to attend to here. Mobilizing Skykiller was the best alternative.
"The Azure Dragon Hero is a master who ranks among the Ten Supremes. I would prefer to capture him alive, but kill him if that proves impossible."
"Understood."
"We don't know where he might have gone, so inform the other apostles as well. If they encounter the Azure Dragon Hero, they should capture him alive if possible to retrieve the Sword Saint's martial arts. If capture is impossible, tell them not to hesitate and simply eliminate him. That would be better than letting him escape."
"As you command." The Ninth Elder rose to his feet, bowed respectfully, and then dissipated like a puff of smoke.
The First Apostle glanced briefly at the spot where the old man had vanished before turning around and leaving.
"The Azure Dragon Hero…"
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From what he had heard, the man was not from the Nine Sects One Gang or the Five Great Clans, nor was he a disciple of a famous master, but rather a mere martial arts instructor from the countryside.
"He seems to be extremely skilled at teaching martial arts…"
Suddenly, an old memory suddenly surfaced.
"Starting today, I am the martial arts instructor in charge of your training. You my address me simply as Instructor."
His old master, who had a rough appearance and habitually used foul language.
"Get stronger. That is your reason for existing."
If they didn't meet his standards, they would be beaten. In exchange for learning peerless martial arts, their bodies and souls were completely reshaped.
"There are plenty of replacements for you. If you don't want to be discarded after being deemed as useless trash, then struggle as if your lives depended on it. Because they do."
The effects of that merciless training lingered even now, decades later. And yet, that same person had looked quite pathetic in the end.
"…Step aside. I don't want to kill you with my own hands."
The old scars on his face throbbed. Some of them were inflicted by his old instructor. Occasionally, he would experience random flashes of phantom pain.
STEP, STEP…
The deeper he descended underground, the more the phosphorescent pearls embedded in the walls dimmed, as if slowly losing their life force to the darkness.
Arriving at his destination, the First Apostle stood before a massive iron door carved with the image of a bleeding demon gazing up at the sky.
CREAAAK… THUD!
The First Apostle pushed the door open with both arms, and it swung open slowly to the sides with a heavy sound.
"Growwwwl…"
In the pitch-black darkness, he couldn't see an inch ahead, but he could hear what sounded like a beast's growl from far away. The First Apostle, however, continued on as if he was familiar with the route.
After some time, he reached his destination.
"Keke… kekeke…"
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Two bloodshot eyes gleamed in the darkness, accompanied by eerie giggling.
The First Apostle said to the beast crouching in the darkness, "Fifth Elder. Have you reflected enough?"
The Night Emperor was bound to the wall, chains wrapped around his arms and legs. As he writhed, the chains rattled against each other.
"Kekeke. Have you finally come to kill me?"
Since he had not eaten properly, his body was emaciated to the point where he was literally skin and bones, and his cheeks were hollowed out. A large golden needle was embedded in his qi center, preventing him from using inner arts.
The Night Emperor rattled his chains and approached the First Apostle, his raspy voice reverberating within the prison and his eyes glittering with berserk qi as he chuckled, "Want to know a secret? While I've been locked up here, I've been savoring the formulas of the Black Night Demonic Art every day. This is the first time I've done isolation training. Kekeke… Kuhahaha!"
Even confined to the deepest part of the prison, the Night Emperor refused to surrender. Though weakened to the point where he seemed on the verge of death, his back remained ramrod straight. In the midst of fear and loneliness, he had not lost himself. With his innate berserk qi, he had even endured being infected with a parasite.
The First Apostle looked at him with emotionless eyes. "You show no sign of remorse, even at the end."
"Keke. Stop bullshitting and kill me while you still have the chance. Do you think I'll stay chained forever?"
SHWAA…
Despite his inner arts being sealed, the surrounding darkness resonated with the Night Emperor, sending a tremor through the golden needle in his qi center and causing the chains to writhe like living snakes.
It was no bluff. Given more time, the Night Emperor would break out of prison on his own, becoming an even more terrifying monster than before.
The Night Emperor was a monster that no one could tame. He was a creature of darkness, a madman since birth.
"Fifth Elder. You will have no further occasion to practice the Black Night Demonic Art." The First Apostle casually flicked his hand. A Finger Sword Technique, formed by joining his index and middle fingers, sliced through the darkness.
Seeing the sword qi flying towards him, the Night Emperor grinned widely. "Kuhaha! Good thinking. Now, hurry up and kill me!"
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SWOOSH! CLANG!
However, it was not the Night Emperor's head that was severed, but the chains that bound him.
"What kind of joke is this?" Freed from the chains, the Night Emperor tilted his head, his gaze chillingly cold at the thought that he was being mocked.
The First Apostle looked directly into those eyes and stated flatly, "From now on, you will learn the Heaven Defying Divine Art."
"You're giving it to me now? Why?"
"Because it is more beneficial than killing you here. If you refuse, I will kill you right now."
The Night Emperor's face morphed bizarrely into a mixture of wrath and ecstasy. "Why would I refuse?"
Ever since he had fought the mysterious master of the Heaven Defying Divine Art at Namgung Estate, he had replayed this scene over and over again in his mind.
A divine art with an imposing force that crushed all other demonic arts. He had been captivated by its overwhelming power, and had even started a revolt to learn it.
SLURP…
Licking his lips with his tongue, the Night Emperor pulled out the golden needle, glaring at the First Apostle with blazing eyes. "Hand it over."
The First Apostle took out a secret manual entitled Heaven Defying Divine Art (逆天神功) from his robes and threw it to the ground.
The Night Emperor rushed forward and opened the manual, the darkness of the prison posing no obstacle to his vision as he greedily devoured the contents of the Heaven Defying Divine Art manual as if he were relishing the world's finest delicacy.
"Kekeke…"
"…I will return tomorrow," the First Apostle said, turning to leave.
"Wait. Since you're teaching me anyway, why don't you teach me that Unlimited Sword of yours too?" the Night Emperor looked up, calling out to him. His greed knew no bounds. Even with the world's most destructive martial art in front of him, he still desired the Unlimited Sword.
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"…That's impossible."
"Why?"
The apostles could not teach their martial arts to others because of the brainwashing, prohibitions, and suggestions imposed on them in childhood, but the First Apostle had no desire to elaborate on such complicated matters to a prisoner. He simply explained, "I tried a few times, but they all died, unable to withstand my teaching methods."
"Oho! That makes it even more interesting."
Shaking his head, the First Apostle drew the line firmly. "Do not be too greedy. The Heaven Defying Divine Art is more than enough for you."
The Night Emperor grinned slyly. "By the way. Once I master the Heaven Defying Divine Art, the first person I'm going to kill is you. Is that okay with you?" he asked provocatively.
The corners of the First Apostle's lips turned up. "I look forward to it. If you can achieve such mastery of the Heaven Defying Divine Art, I will gladly offer you my neck," he replied without hesitation.
"Kekeke!" The Night Emperor's shoulders shook with laughter, and the darkness undulated with him. "I forgot. You're every bit as crazy as I am!"
"Get stronger. That is your reason for existing."
The Night Emperor buried his head back in the secret manual. The conversation was over.
Glancing at him one last time, the First Apostle turned and ascended back to the surface.
THUD!
After closing the door behind him, he headed towards the Blood Demon Palace, muttering to himself, "…Get stronger. That is your reason for existing."
"Get stronger. That is your reason for existing."
He hadn't said it consciously, only repeated the words his old instructor had told him time and time again. Like the countless scars that adorned his skin, those words were etched into his heart.
"……"
The Blood Demon Palace was empty. It was only natural, given the Blood Demon's absence. Nevertheless, the First Apostle often visited this place.
He looked up at the vacant jade throne.
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"…It won't be long now."
The wound left by his old master throbbed again.
Strange. Why are the phantom pains so frequent today?
Meanwhile, Baek Suryong arrived in Shaanxi.
Translator's Note: Attending election rallies this weekend, so there will be 1 more chapter today and probably 2 more tomorrow. Next Saturday is Polling Day so there will be fewer chapters too.
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