The Monster’s Tail (1)

The martial prowess of those surrounding the building varied greatly. Some were strong, others weak.

One man I had barely noticed was exuding an incredible aura, while another, just as I had initially thought, was merely a merchant. Despite his lack of martial skill, he stood there without a hint of fear.

I realized this was the power of collective madness—a willingness to die at a command.

For the first time in a long while, I felt a tension facing an enemy.

It wasn’t because of their numbers or their strength. Wiping them out wouldn’t be difficult.

The Unyielding Demon Sect.

I thought they had vanished from the world, but here they were, being used to grow an organization. With the reappearance of the demonic elixir, the situation was no joke.

Until now, the enemies I faced were mere playthings, enough to hone my skills. But now, true adversaries had emerged.

What I saw before me were not the main body, but the tail.

Chudochi wasn’t capable of expanding an organization using the Unyielding Demon Sect.

If this was just the tail, what if it was merely a single strand of hair?

“You’re scared.”

Chudochi’s words snapped me back to reality.

I had been planning to kill them all. The sight of the Unyielding Demon Sect had brought back memories of the war with the demonic cult, igniting a fierce hostility within me.

I could eliminate them with my celestial arts, and drawing the Asura King’s Sword would make it even easier. Chudochi’s skills seemed formidable, but not beyond my ability to defeat.

Yet, I realized that wasn’t the right approach.

I needed to uncover who was behind them.

Yes, I should be afraid. That way, they’ll let their guard down, and when they do, I’ll find an opening.

“Hmph! Is that so?”

I forced a confident tone, though my voice trembled. I would try to approach them, and if that failed, then I would kill them all.

I spoke with a slightly subdued expression.

“Can I still take the Celestial Pill now?”

The Unyielding Demon Sect’s poison-based elixir had no effect on me, thanks to my immunity to all poisons.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t gain the benefits of the half-jiazi either, as detoxifying the poison also nullified its effects.

Thinking he had regained control, Chudochi relaxed.

“You should have taken it before killing my subordinates.”

“I can work for the ones I’ve killed, can’t I?”

“What?”

Sensing a slight opening in his reaction, I quickly began to persuade him.

“Introducing someone of my caliber to your superiors would greatly benefit your standing, wouldn’t it?”

“You’re quite confident. Do you think we’d be impressed by someone like you? Do we seem that easy to you?”

“If you were easy, I wouldn’t be doing this. Let’s speak frankly. I assure you, to kill me, two-thirds of your men would have to die. If I go mad and decide to kill only you, I can’t guarantee your life either.”

He couldn’t refute that. He had seen me kill the Emperor and ten of his subordinates.

“Let’s say you kill me. What will you report to your superiors? That a madman barged in, killed most of your men, and you managed to kill him? Do you think they’d be pleased?”

Chudochi hesitated, as my words hit the mark.

He was likely worried about the same thing. But since the situation had already escalated, he was probably thinking of eliminating me first.

However, he was also concerned about the repercussions of introducing me poorly.

“I don’t want to die in a place like this.”

After a moment of silence, Chudochi, who had been glaring at me, made up his mind.

“Remove your hat.”

I obediently took off my hat and tossed it aside.

I was wearing a mask I had used when I killed the Flame Emperor. I had purchased it at great expense to operate as an anonymous guest, so he didn’t realize I was wearing it.

Chudochi’s gaze shifted to the Celestial Pill on the ground.

“Take the Celestial Pill.”

“Alright.”

Without hesitation, I consumed the Celestial Pill and began to circulate my energy.

A tingling sensation spread through my body.

Even those who had never taken an elixir, or had only done so once or twice, would never realize this was a fake elixir.

But I could distinctly feel the unique discomfort of a fake elixir.

Though all traces of the Celestial Pill’s ingredients vanished from my body, I spoke with a delighted expression.

“Oh! It’s truly the Celestial Pill. My internal energy has increased by half a jiazi!”

Chudochi then handed me the remaining two Celestial Pills.

“Take these as well.”

“Are you serious? You have no reason to show me such kindness.”

He replied to my suspicion.

“Given the circumstances, I’ll stake my life on you.”

Feigning hesitation, I consumed the remaining Celestial Pills in succession.

Though I couldn’t tell if he had taken the elixir himself, one thing was clear: he knew it was the Celestial Pill.

By making me take all three, he intended to exact revenge for his fallen subordinates. To ensure I lived only a year. There was nothing to gain from me living longer.

It would also be easier to report to his superiors. He could say that I had consumed the elixir, so they might as well use me for a year before discarding me. A strong individual was preferable to a mediocre one.

After consuming all three and completing a full cycle of energy circulation, Chudochi examined me to confirm my internal energy. The internal energy approaching a full jiazi was my original energy.

But he would believe it was the energy gained from the elixir. Three pills equaled one and a half jiazi, and the rest he would attribute to my original energy, leaving no room for doubt.

Finally, Chudochi spoke to me.

“The elixir contains poison, so don’t try anything foolish.”

“Understood.”

When I accepted this without surprise, he looked at me with an unexpected expression.

“You’re not surprised?”

“I had a hunch. You wouldn’t just hand it out freely.”

“You’re not a fool, it seems. Follow me.”

I followed him out of the room.

The men outside parted to make way.

Feeling the unyielding madness directed at me, I walked behind Chudochi.

---

Inside the moving carriage, Chudochi asked,

“They call you a hero in the martial world, don’t they? The Nameless Hero.”

“It just happened that way. But I dislike the term ‘hero.’”

“Why is that?”

“It feels like they’re pushing me to do what they can’t. I hate losing out.”

“They say you even warned the Celestial Sect?”

“Everyone was so moved, I ended up boasting without realizing it. I just had a grudge against the butcher.”

“Heh. A fake hero, then.”

“Still, I find the term ‘fake’ a bit offensive.”

Chudochi chuckled, and I spoke in a slightly softened tone.

“After all, the line between a hero and a villain is paper-thin, isn’t it? If you don’t say anything and uphold righteousness, you’re a hero. If you’re honest like me, you’re a villain.”

Of course, this was nonsense to show my worldly nature.

Though I spoke dismissively of heroes, I deeply respected them. I had tried to live righteously all my life, but that didn’t make me a hero. That sense of justice required great effort, but ultimately, it was for my own satisfaction. It was justice for my own contentment.

But a hero is never self-serving. They genuinely care for others. They sacrifice themselves to help the weak. It’s much harder to be a hero than a martial artist.

The carriage arrived at Zhengzhou, located in the northeast of Bangseong.

Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan, was a bustling place with many people.

As we entered Zhengzhou, Chudochi blindfolded me with a thick cloth.

I focused all my senses on remembering the carriage’s route. How fast it traveled, how far it went before turning, the feel of the ground, the sounds around us. I listened intently for any unusual sounds among the wind, birds, and people.

I heard a door open, and soon the carriage came to a stop. We had entered a building.

“Get out.”

Still blindfolded, I followed Chudochi.

We entered a space, and the ground beneath us began to descend. A mechanism was at work.

The descent was smooth, indicating a skilled craftsman had built the mechanism.

We descended quite deep before it stopped.

We walked down a long corridor.

I sensed a deadly aura from all directions. It wasn’t from people, but from mechanisms.

The aura of a mechanism is subtly different from that of a person. It’s deliberate and cold.

One, two, three, four mechanisms.

There were four mechanisms installed along the corridor.

I could sense the aura of the mechanisms because I encountered many within the League’s headquarters daily.

We then walked down a corridor without mechanisms. Here, the deadly aura was from people.

Masters!

I sensed considerable energy from the rooms on either side of the corridor.

I couldn’t gauge their exact strength, but they seemed to be at least on par with the Emperor. There were eight of them.

But that wasn’t all. As we turned a corner, I felt an immense energy from a room on the left. It was an extraordinary energy I had never felt before.

If that energy belonged to a person, they were undoubtedly a formidable master.

From the room opposite, I sensed a mysterious energy. It wasn’t strong, but it had an intriguing quality.

What on earth are these people?

When I first set out with Chudochi, I hadn’t expected to encounter such things.

Finally, we were led into a room.

Chudochi removed my blindfold. The room was dimly lit, allowing my eyes to adjust quickly.

Someone was seated in a chair ahead of me.

Upon closer inspection, the man was stark naked.

Chudochi stood silently, staring at him.

I, too, found myself staring at the man. He wasn’t the person I was supposed to meet. His eyes were wide with fear, and he seemed utterly terrified.

Moments later, the man began to convulse.

“Gasp!”

He struggled to breathe, as if his airways were constricted. I glanced at Chudochi, who merely watched without intervening.

The man’s eyes were bloodshot, and he writhed in agony, letting out a piercing scream.

“Aaaaargh!”

His entire body twisted in torment, as if he were undergoing some unknown trial. It was too late to help him.

Who was he, to suffer such a fate?

Suddenly, his body went rigid.

With a sickening sound, blood poured from every orifice of his face, and he died.

As he passed, the room brightened. Luminous pearls embedded in the walls emerged, illuminating the space. The wealth of the owner was evident from such extravagant fixtures.

A man in his thirties entered through a different door than the one I had used.

He was of slight build and unremarkable appearance—so ordinary that it was extraordinary. No ordinary person would be here, after all.

Without acknowledging me or Chudochi, he inspected the corpse, unbothered by the blood staining his hands and clothes.

“Another failure,” he muttered, clicking his tongue in mild disappointment, though his voice was devoid of emotion.

He glanced at me, gesturing for me to come closer. Chudochi, standing beside me, signaled with his eyes for me to comply.

I approached slowly, projecting only the necessary aura, trying to read his intentions.

His aura was easy to decipher; he wasn’t a master of martial arts. Yet, there was something peculiar about him, an inexplicable energy.

“What do you think?” he asked.

“About what?”

“Your thoughts on the corpse.”

It was a pitiful sight.

“I have no thoughts.”

“Cold-hearted, aren’t you? Then what about me? What do you think of me?”

I studied him for a moment.

This young man was clearly the one giving orders to Chudochi.

Who could he be?

“I feel like beating you up.”

Chudochi shouted from behind me, “Watch your mouth!”

As I suspected, the man didn’t get angry. Instead, he seemed intrigued.

“You’re quite the madman, aren’t you?”

“I’m not insane.”

“Didn’t you consume three Bulhoe Malyongdan pills yourself? That makes you a madman.”

“Bulhoe Malyongdan?”

I feigned ignorance, though inwardly, I was shocked. I hadn’t expected him to mention the pills so openly.

He continued, “You have just one year left to live.”

I widened my eyes, half in genuine surprise, half in an act. Why was he revealing such a secret to me?

“One pill gives you seven years, two pills three years, and three pills just one year.”

I turned to Chudochi, glaring as if I could kill him with my eyes.

“Is this true?”

Chudochi nodded.

I shouted, “I’ll make sure you die before I do.”

My threat was so intense that Chudochi flinched and stepped back.

Then the man spoke again.

“But I have a way to lift that curse.”

I quickly turned back to him.

“Is that true?”

“Do you want to live?”

“Is that even a question? Of course, I want to live!”

This man was a master manipulator.

He laid everything out plainly, except for one crucial fact.

There is no way to lift the curse of the Bulhoe Malyongdan.

If there were, the martial world would already be under the control of the demonic cult.

But in a place like this, hearing such words, most people would believe him. Especially those with their backs against the wall.

He might fool everyone else, but not me.

Fine, if this is how you play your game, I’ll dance to your tune.

I’ll find out how you got the Bulhoe Malyongdan and who is backing you.

“What must I do to live?”

“You must do as I say.”

“Let me make one thing clear. I don’t kill unless they’re evil. Even if it means my own death.”

“That’s a pity. I kill even if they’re not evil.”

He smacked his lips as if disappointed, then continued.

“But among those I must kill, there are plenty of evil ones.”

“Who exactly are you?”

He grinned, revealing his identity with a name I never expected to hear.

“They call me Malyongin.”

I never imagined I’d meet the successor of Mabonggi here.

Why is he here?

Malyongin wasn’t the man I had heard of in rumors. He was far darker and more sinister.

I realized then.

I had just grasped the tail of a monster.