Chapter 54

Behind The Scenes (1)

Namgung Seohee offered herself as bait, and the Thousand-Faced Sound Demon took the bait.

The gazes of the three people became entangled with one another.

"You said the four seas are all one family, so this chance meeting is truly a precious fate. How could I possibly pass it by?"

The Thousand-Faced Sound Demon's naïve smile, imitating the refined manners of a cultured young noble, felt nothing but contemptible.

However, that contempt was melted into a smile.

'This is just acting.'

It was nothing more than imitating a cheap stage play.

A play where all emotions are deceived and one simply performs the role assigned.

"Hahahaha! That sounds good. Then, do you happen to know a nice place?"

The corners of the Thousand-Faced Sound Demon's lips curled upward.

"I am embarrassed to say this, but I own a small estate nearby. If it wouldn't be an inconvenience, I would like to invite you both. Would that be all right?"

"An estate, huh...."

"Sure."

Namgung Seohee nodded.

In her eyes, weariness and contempt were strangely mixed together.

"I was just getting tired anyway."

She, too, seemed to be thoroughly acting out the role assigned to her.

"Hahaha, then this Cheon someone will escort you both."

Twitch.

One of Cheon Muyang's index fingers twitched.

'Cheon?'

An uneasy thought crossed his mind.

'He's not seriously bringing up the Cheon Clan right now, is he?'

Now was the time to endure.

Not wanting to commit the mistake of alerting the grass and startling the snake, Cheon Muyang suppressed the urge to draw his sword.

"Hahaha! We'll follow your lead."

"I happened to prepare a carriage. Let us ride together."

"Sounds good."

Namgung Seohee showed signs of fatigue from standing for so long.

"This way, please."

Following the Thousand-Faced Sound Demon, there truly was a carriage as he said.

It was larger than expected.

"If the two of you board, I will drive the horses."

"Will you be all right?"

"Do not worry about me. I will serve you as comfortably as possible."

Cheon Muyang boarded the carriage with an apologetic expression.

"Thank you."

Namgung Seohee followed him inside the carriage.

"I should be the one thanking you for allowing me to serve you both."

The Thousand-Faced Sound Demon maintained his good-natured smile without revealing his true colors until the very end.

'Just how many people has he ensnared like this?'

It was likely beyond counting.

Simply mastering sound-based martial arts was not enough to become the common enemy of the entire martial world.

The reason the Thousand-Faced Sound Demon became a public enemy was not because he enjoyed killing.

It was because the minds of all his victims had been utterly destroyed.

'And their ends always led to suicide.'

Namgung Seohee.

Even that vibrant woman had been driven to the point of yearning for death herself.

That insidious cruelty was the very essence of the Thousand-Faced Sound Demon's evil.

'I missed you in my previous life, but in this life, you won't be smiling any longer.'

The carriage set off.

Cheon Muyang had no choice but to spout trivial chatter, pretending to draw Namgung Seohee's attention.

'What a hardship.'

How long had the conversation continued?

The Thousand-Faced Sound Demon reacted.

They had probably already left Hangzhou behind.

"So you won't be bored along the way, I prepared some wine and food. I wonder if it will suit your tastes."

As if waiting for that moment, wine and food were brought out.

The appetizing aroma stimulated the appetite.

'So this is it.'

There was a high chance it was poisoned.

Even knowing that, he had to pretend to fall for it.

The moment the Thousand-Faced Sound Demon completely revealed his true intentions would be the chance to strike him down in a single blow.

"Thank you for your hospitality."

There was no need for Namgung Seohee to worry much.

'She should have the blood-poison wine.'

If it was poison, she would naturally detoxify it.

Thus, Cheon Muyang drank and ate the wine and food prepared by Namgung Seohee and the Thousand-Faced Sound Demon.

'If you know it's poison....'

Detoxifying it was not a problem.

The key was simply to pretend to panic and collapse when the poisonous energy surged up.

"Hm?"

However, something felt strange.

Thud!

Despite the fact that Namgung Seohee should have possessed blood-poison wine, she collapsed just like that.

'Her acting is top-notch?'

That was what he thought.

"Keuheuheuheuheu."

That is, until he heard the Thousand-Faced Sound Demon's chilling laughter.

Cheon Muyang instinctively realized that something had gone terribly wrong.

"Did you really think I wouldn't know that the treasured daughter of the Namgung Clan would be carrying blood-poison wine?"

Swoosh!

The Thousand-Faced Sound Demon's knife-hand surged forward.

It overflowed with killing intent, intent on killing Cheon Muyang without the slightest hesitation.

"What nonsense."

If anything, this was better.

Wouldn't it be enough to cut him down before he thought of fleeing?

Shing.

The Heavenly Light sword was smoothly drawn, knocking aside the knife-hand and immediately aiming to sever his leg.

Whooom!

There was nothing blocking the Heavenly Light.

Yet, for some reason, Cheon Muyang sensed danger.

Step!

So he retreated backward.

"Keuheuheuheuheu! Your instincts are sharp."

"Are you Demonic Cult as well?"

"What does it matter to you?"

At that, the Thousand-Faced Sound Demon let out a mad laugh with a grotesque smile.

The aura rising from his entire body was unmistakably demonic energy.

"Anyway, these bastards really get involved everywhere. Was it not the Tang Clan, but the Demonic Cult?"

"...!"

When the Tang Clan was mentioned, the Thousand-Faced Sound Demon's eyes wavered for a brief instant.

Cheon Muyang did not miss it and entertained a suspicion.

"Ah! So the Tang Clan really is involved too?"

"Shut up!"

"I see. Looks like they are involved."

"...!"

"Hm. The Demonic Cult and the Tang Clan wouldn't be on the same side, would they.... Or maybe they could be?"

The Tang Clan and the Demonic Cult.

What they wanted was far too different.

The Demonic Cult wanted to reduce the martial world of the Central Plains to ashes, while the Tang Clan wanted to stand tall as the greatest family under heaven.

"I more or less get it now."

However, depending on necessity, it was possible for them to join hands.

Even if I do not change, if those competing with me collapse on their own, my position naturally rises.

"How very Tang-like."

To the Tang Clan, the Namgung Clan and the Cheon Clan were nothing more than rivals.

Thus, there were times when joining hands with the Demonic Cult became a valid choice.

"Tsk."

But they should have realized this.

That such a Tang-like way of thinking had clearly crossed Cheon Muyang's line.

'Tang Clan... you will definitely pay that price someday.'

The Tang Clan would pay its own price.

Just not now.

"Hey, Thousand-Faced Sound Demon."

Flinch!

He looked startled.

"You knew who I was?"

"Of course. I've been targeting you from the start."

Glance.

Cheon Muyang clicked his tongue as he looked at Namgung Seohee, who still had not moved an inch.

"Looks like information about Namgung Seohee leaked out."

Information about the blood-poison wine had leaked.

In other words, beyond the Demonic Cult and the Tang Clan, even the Namgung Clan was involved.

"Is that Tang Clan poison?"

"It's extremely effective. A poison that even ignores blood-poison wine. Keuheuheuheuheu."

The Thousand-Faced Sound Demon laughed grotesquely.

Then, his face slowly twisted and began to shatter.

It was a human-skin mask.

"It's uglier than I expected."

The Thousand-Faced Sound Demon's bare face revealed beneath the human-skin mask was grotesque beyond description, as if it had suffered severe burns.

Moreover, one eye was deeply sunken, and judging from the bloodstains nearby, it was obvious he had lost it recently.

"And where did you go and sell off one of your eyes?"

"...."

It was the sort of crude, executioner-like insult.

Cheon Muyang was surprised at the stream of mockery spilling from his own mouth.

'Does my mouth remember?'

The effect was excellent.

The mad laughter stopped, and a vicious killing intent wrapped around the Thousand-Faced Sound Demon.

"You truly wish to die."

"Then what, were you planning to let me live?"

"Bastard!"

The Thousand-Faced Sound Demon charged.

The dense demonic energy fused with the yin energy he originally possessed, becoming even more sinister.

Swoosh!

A strike from the Thousand-Faced Sound Demon tore through the night sky.

It was certainly powerful—but below expectations.

'You were said to have broken through the Heavenly Net laid jointly by the Namgung Clan and the Cheon Clan while laughing… and this is all?'

Not even close.

Whooom!

So Cheon Muyang did not dodge.

It wasn't even worth it.

"Seems there was a misunderstanding."

"What?"

Slice!

Heavenly Light swept past his shoulder.

Thud!

"Looks like I overestimated you."

Black blood burst forth.

Blood that was never red.

There was no way the blood of a parasite that grew stronger by feeding on others' energy could harbor life.

"Kuaaaaaaagh!"

Clutching his severed arm, the Thousand-Faced Sound Demon screamed.

Tap!

Heavenly Light rested against his throat.

"Who is it—who's behind you?"

"What kind of bullshit is that?!"

"Your eye."

Cheon Muyang stared at the scar remaining in the Thousand-Faced Sound Demon's eye.

It wasn't the Demonic Cult.

It wasn't the Tang Clan either.

"I'm asking who owned the sword that did that to you."

"...."

That sword mark.

It was identical to the sword of the Namgung Clan that Namgung Seohee had shown earlier.

Glance.

The Thousand-Faced Sound Demon's gaze briefly landed on the fallen Namgung Seohee.

"The Namgung Clan?"

"...!"

The Thousand-Faced Sound Demon was a worse actor than expected.

"T-that is…!"

That was when it happened.

A thin white line was drawn across the air.

A line that passed through the Thousand-Faced Sound Demon's neck and extended all the way to Cheon Muyang's heart.

"...!"

Cheon Muyang hurriedly raised his sword to block it.

Kaaang!

A violent shock rang out.

Black blood soaked Heavenly Light.

Thud!

The Thousand-Faced Sound Demon's body collapsed.

Then, someone approached.

"That's why trash like this doesn't deserve to live."

At a glance, Cheon Muyang recognized who the Thousand-Faced Sound Demon had been imitating all along.

"So it was you?"

"You should have stayed out of this."

Snort.

Cheon Muyang laughed.

There was something about him that resembled Namgung Seohee.

"Well, well. Looks like the Namgung Clan isn't exactly a harmonious family either?"

Swoosh!

An even thinner white line was drawn across the air.

"You'd better shut that mouth."

"My mouth, my words. What's it to you?"

Kaaang!

Two swords collided in midair.

Only then did Cheon Muyang feel all the scattered pieces finally fall into place.

'The Thousand-Faced Sound Demon wasn't strong. From the start, the Namgung Clan had a helper.'

Which explained how he had managed to escape the Heavenly Net jointly laid by the Namgung Clan and the Cheon Clan.

"To stoop to tricks like this—hardly befitting the dignity of an imperial family. I'm disappointed."

"Cheon Muyang, butcher of the Cheon Clan."

"What an honor. You even know my name."

"You will die today after conspiring with the Thousand-Faced Sound Demon to violate the treasured daughter of the Namgung Clan."

Cheon Muyang laughed.

How could someone be this arrogant?

"Well, I suppose when everything has gone your way your whole life, it's only natural…."

He intended to teach him that the world was not so simple.

"You should worry about yourself instead."

Heavenly Light bared its hostility.

The sword wielded by this unknown direct descendant of the Namgung Clan seemed to be a famed blade worthy even of Heavenly Light's greed.

"I'm in a bit of a bad mood."

"...!"

Whooooom!

As it always did, Heavenly Light soared toward the sky.

'Sever the heavens—Dancheon.'

With that will imbued, he brought it down.

Though the stance and motion were identical to the sword Namgung Seohee had faced only a few hours earlier, the will contained within was entirely different.

Shiiiiing!

The air was torn apart.

When the heavens themselves are split, where could one possibly flee?

It was a provocation—come and face it head-on.

Creak.

"How dare you!"

And to one who wielded the Namgung Clan's sword and walked the royal path, it was an unforgivable provocation.

A king was synonymous with the heavens.

To sever the heavens was no different from declaring the intent to behead a king.

"Defying the heavens!"

The heavens were not meant to be cut.

Thus, the sword of the Namgung Clan, which sought to transcend kingship and walk the imperial path, did not retreat.

The Namgung sword that sought to close the split heavens once more traced patterns through the air.

Wooooong!

Along with Heavenly Light's cry,

Sword met sword, will met will, colliding at a single point in the void.

"Brother…."

Namgung Seohee, now recovered, was submerged in sorrow.