The Soul of the Heavenly Demon (2)
“Let’s start by looking at the protective armor.”
The first thing I sought was the protective armor. Although I had visited the black market numerous times, I had never purchased armor. I always thought the performance didn’t justify the cost.
But this time, I felt a pressing need for it. The opponent was formidable, and with the grand technique in progress, there were many variables. I sensed this battle would be tougher than any before. I needed to find something here in the black market to make this fight easier.
“Then you’ve come to the right place. Please, follow me.”
A middle-aged man led me to a building where the armor was displayed.
The Infinite Branch here was the largest, befitting the main headquarters of the Martial Alliance. They had separate rooms for weapons, armor, and other items, each displayed by category.
The man guided me to a room filled with nothing but protective armor.
The walls were lined with countless armors, some displayed in cases, and even piles of them stacked against one wall.
Like other black markets, there was a metal grille separating the expensive from the cheap.
“We have all kinds, sorted by price. What price range are you considering?”
“What’s the most expensive one here?”
“The Black Dragon Armor.”
I was well aware of the Black Dragon Armor’s reputation.
“May I ask how much it costs?”
“Of course. It’s 9.4 million nyang.”
I shook my head. The man smiled, seemingly not expecting me to buy it.
“It’s been here for years without selling.”
Even the sellers seemed to regard it as a symbolic piece.
“Below that, we have the White Dragon Armor at 900,000 nyang, the Turtle Guard Armor at 400,000 nyang, and the Iron Guard Armor, known to be the best in the 200,000 nyang range.”
I had brought 300,000 nyang with me.
“Can I see the Iron Guard Armor?”
“Certainly. It’s quite a remarkable piece.”
The man retrieved the Iron Guard Armor from behind the grille and handed it to me.
“Feel free to try it on.”
I took off my outer garment and tried on the Iron Guard Armor. Meanwhile, the man continued his explanation.
“It fits snugly, almost like a second skin. It can block swords and even sword energy.”
It wasn’t that it absorbed attacks, just that it wouldn’t be cut by sword energy. I could still suffer internal injuries from the impact.
“And what about sword force?”
“To block sword force, you’d need at least the White Dragon Armor. Of course, it depends on who wields the sword, but that’s the general standard.”
The White Dragon Armor was 900,000 nyang. Unless I was a wealthy man with money to spare, paying that much to block a single sword force wasn’t a rational choice for me. Besides, I hadn’t brought that much money.
The Iron Guard Armor offered a decent fit, but it didn’t provide the perfect sense of security the man described.
“How much exactly?”
“240,000 nyang. You won’t regret it.”
This was why I never favored protective armor. For this level of comfort and strength, just enough to block sword energy, it cost a whopping 240,000 nyang.
It wasn’t about having a lot or a little money. Even if it cost a lot, it should be worth the price, but this was an unreasonable expense.
I took off the Iron Guard Armor and handed it back to him.
“Mind if I look around a bit more?”
“Of course. Take your time.”
This place was more courteous than any other black market.
I slowly examined the other armors. None of the lower-grade armors caught my eye.
On one side, there were heart guards, designed to protect only the heart. They were relatively cheaper than those that protected the entire upper body. When I asked, the most expensive ones were in the 1.5 million nyang range, with others ranging from tens of thousands to a few thousand nyang.
Then, I noticed a pile of heart guards stacked in one corner.
“What about those?”
“They’ve been damaged in previous attacks and can’t perform their function.”
“Are they for sale too?”
“Yes. They’re all priced at 10,000 nyang each, regardless of which one you choose.”
I examined them out of curiosity. Some were tattered, some had holes, and others were slightly split—there was a variety.
Then, one caught my eye.
It was an old, worn heart guard with a faint wolf face drawn on it. The design seemed familiar. A long sword mark on the heart guard made it look like the wolf had a scar over its eye.
“I’ll take this one.”
“Very well. Just to remind you, these may not function properly.”
“I’m aware.”
It might seem like an impulsive purchase, but I knew this heart guard.
It once belonged to the Black Wolf Captain of the Blood Heaven Sect.
How do I know?
Because I was the one who made that sword mark.
In a fight with me, the Black Wolf Captain had removed his top, revealing this heart guard.
I might be the only one who ever saw it.
The black wolf that was once vividly drawn on his heart guard had faded, making it hard to recognize.
But I remember it clearly.
That wolf design.
The Black Wolf Captain was one of the most impressive figures among the masters of the Blood Heaven Sect. Unlike other demonic figures, he wasn’t evil or vile. He was manly and honorable. I never expected to see his relic here.
If someone were unlucky enough to hit that exact sword mark, it would be useless, but otherwise, it could block an attack or two. Given that it belonged to the Black Wolf Captain, its strength must be immense.
If the black market knew it was his, they would have sold it for a much higher price. Or they might have repaired it and restored the wolf design to sell it for a fortune.
“Is there anything else you’d like to buy?”
I smiled and said something he wouldn’t understand.
“I’ve bought something for myself, so now I should get something for them.”
The next morning, they brought food from the kitchen again. Once more, it was normal food. They also brought a few more bottles of strong liquor.
Geomya really loved his drink. Judging by the constant smell of alcohol, it seemed he never let it leave his system.
By the next day, the absence of Ma Cheol-gun should have raised alarms, and the Tiger Squad should have been mobilized. But the Martial Alliance remained quiet, as if nothing had happened.
I could tell that Joo Cheol-ryong had covered for the Tiger Squad. He must have come up with a plausible excuse. Especially since Ma Cheol-gun had left with a beauty, it would have been easy to fabricate a story.
That afternoon, the final meal was delivered.
Jomyeong and I loaded the food onto a cart. The Twelve Guardians were slightly relaxed, knowing the grand technique was nearing its end.
Some were yawning, and one was even dozing against the wall.
A large pot was placed on the cart we brought.
“It’s hot, be careful.”
The man with the snake tattoo on his forehead approached and asked.
“What is this?”
“For the final meal, our head chef has outdone himself.”
When the lid was lifted, steam rose up. Inside the pot were five ducks, mushrooms, and medicinal herbs.
“It’s duck soup filled with all sorts of beneficial herbs. It’s our head chef’s specialty.”
The aroma wafting through the air was truly mouthwatering.
“Wow, that smells delicious.”
The Twelve Guardians gathered around. The enticing smell made them swallow their saliva.
“It’s packed with herbs that are good for men. Tonight, the women won’t leave you alone. Haha. Enjoy your meal.”
The men who usually checked for poison pulled out silver needles.
“Wait.”
The man with the snake tattoo stopped us as we turned to leave.
“Why hasn’t that chef said a word?”
Until then, Jomyeong hadn’t uttered a single word.
“Turn around!”
Jomyeong slowly turned as ordered.
“Why isn’t he saying anything?”
The man asked, and Jomyeong looked at me. I nodded once.
Then Jomyeong slowly opened his mouth, revealing a black bead inside.
The snake-tattooed man stared blankly for a moment before his eyes widened.
“A poison-repelling bead?”
In the next instant, the man looked down at his trembling hand. It was stiffening.
“A paralysis poison?”
The steam from the duck soup contained a paralyzing poison.
The silver needle the man was about to use fell from his hand. The needle that fell into the soup turned black.
But by then, everyone had already inhaled the steam.
It wasn’t a poison to be ingested. It was a vapor that caused paralysis, a top-grade poison I had bought for 20,000 nyang at the black market. Its effects were swift and potent.
The poison-repelling bead Jomyeong held was also purchased there. It was a top-grade bead worth 150,000 nyang. Buying the heart guard cheaply allowed me to afford these.
The Twelve Guardians, having gathered around the pot and inhaled the aroma, began to stiffen. The effect was so strong they couldn’t even make a sound.
I was already moving swiftly, like lightning.
Swish.
I headed for the one furthest from the pot.
He quickly drew his sword to attack me. If his usual speed was ten, now he was moving at the speed of five.
Being furthest from the pot, he was least affected by the poison.
But to face me, even a speed of twenty wouldn’t suffice, let alone five.
Slash!
With a single strike, his throat was cut, and he fell.
With a swift twist of my body, I launched myself off the ground, slicing through the air. My next target was a man dozing off in the corner. Dazed by sleep and the paralyzing poison, he flailed clumsily before I pierced his heart with a single, decisive strike.
I prioritized those furthest from the smoke. I had planned the order of attack from the start. They were no match for me.
By the time I had cut down the fourth man in succession, an attack came from behind.
Swish! Swoosh!
Even under the influence of the paralyzing poison, the Twelve Serpents were formidable. They forced themselves to attack me, even as they bled from self-inflicted wounds.
But it was a futile struggle. The poison had slowed them to less than half their usual speed.
Swish!
Slash!
As I cut down the men one after another, I noticed their bodies were covered in snake tattoos. I couldn’t check each one, but they likely bore tattoos ranging from one to twelve snakes.
I was a snake hunter, effortlessly capturing serpents that had just awoken from hibernation, sluggish and vulnerable.
The last man I struck down had a snake tattooed on his forehead. By the time I cut him down, the poison had reached its peak effect. He was as rigid as stone, and I dispatched him with a single blow.
I didn’t care who was the first or the twelfth among them. All the Twelve Serpents had fallen.
I could have defeated them in a fair fight, but there was no need to risk it, not knowing what secret techniques or combined skills they might possess.
That’s why I used the poison, to eliminate them quickly and easily.
They should never have opened that cauldron.
But they had grown complacent, having checked for poison with every meal before.
As the fight began, the light quickly slipped away from this place. It would find refuge with Gong Su-chan, waiting for me.
I walked silently to the door, preparing for Cheon So-seon’s response.
No matter how loud the commotion inside, masters of their caliber would surely sense the deaths outside.
Sure enough, a voice called out from within.
“Step back, or I’ll kill you all.”
Surprisingly, it was not Cheon So-seon, but Geom-ya’s threat.
I calmly replied, “Are you offering to do my job for me?”
“Even the child will die.”
I had anticipated this scenario.
“Gal Gun-sa warned me not to be tied down by the child. If I die here, that would be the child’s fate too. Before you kill me, make sure to tell them that their brother outside will avenge them.”
“Don’t spout such nonsense! We won’t be fooled!”
“Then go ahead and try.”
It seemed like a tense standoff, but it was a battle I was destined to win.
I knew they couldn’t kill the child. As long as the Heavenly Demon resided within, they wouldn’t dare.
Finally, as if acknowledging my victory, the door slowly opened.
Geom-ya emerged, sword clutched to his chest.