Plague
“Move quickly! There’s no time to hesitate!”
The warriors within Mudang Mountain were in chaos. The collapse of the prison walls holding the Celestial Plague patients was uproar enough, but even worse was that the quarantined patients had seized the opportunity and stormed out in all directions.
“Senior Brother! No matter how you look at it, this makes no sense! A perfectly sound prison wall can’t just crumble overnight!”
“Someone must have tampered with it!”
“Damn it, there’s no time to theorize—move! If those patients reach the foot of the mountain, it’s all over!”
The sect’s disciples bickered and hesitated. Some insisted on pursuing the infected immediately, while others claimed it was pointless and urged giving up.
“You—you—you! Ride north at once! Go after the escaped patients!”
“Eek?! N-no way! Even if it’s the Senior Brother’s order, this is too much! They’re truly plague victims, aren’t they? Let the Senior Brother go instead!”
“You brat?!”
“I’d rather not die of infection! I’m already going mad just being locked up here—what if I catch the Celestial Plague?!”
Before they were warriors, they were human—and the plague was a foe even martial skill couldn’t conquer. Even the Senior Disciple lacked the experience to steady the younger disciples.
“Damn it—where is Elder Hyunta when we need him…!”
The sect’s elders, including the Sect Leader, were all quarantined at the foot of the mountain. They had been returning from a ceremony below when the plague broke out, leaving only one elder atop to direct the sect.
“Taoist Hyunta, where on earth are you…?!”
“Senior Brother, it’s terrible!!”
“What now?!”
“Elder was ambushed! The disciples found him unconscious in the forest!”
“What?!”
Panic seized the warriors. To think that someone had the audacity to strike at even an elder of Mudang Sect—and at a time like this! Taoist Hyunta, renowned for formidable prowess within the sect, had left on a stroll and nearly ended up a corpse.
“There were traces of battle all around! He must’ve been fighting when he fell…”
“Unbelievable. Who dares harm an elder of our sect?!”
“Ugh… they even covered his face with a white cloth…! If we’d been any later, he…”
“…!!”
A chill ran down their spines. To ambush and fell an elder, one would need immense martial skill—and no one on Mudang Mountain surpassed Taoist Hyunta’s strength.
“C-could it be they aim for our secret manuals…?!”
“Im-Impossible! Focus! Right now we must chase the plague victims, not indulge fantasies!”
The fledgling warriors, at best early-rank fighters, faltered in judgment. If their mistakes cost the sect’s entire library of martial texts, they’d never hold their heads high before Master, Patriarch, or past disciples.
Chase down the fugitives—or risk everything to protect the sect?
“Senior Brother! Worse news!”
“More bad news? What could top this?!”
“The disciples sent after the fugitives were slaughtered! The area is thick with demonic qi—and they weren’t alone!!”
“!!!”
“C-could it be the work of the Demonic Sect aiming at our manuals?!”
The warriors’ only choice was to seal the gates.
“Hey, look at this! The mountain’s qi is off the charts! We can’t stay idle here!”
“Please calm yourselves, elders. The Governor will provide answers soon.”
The road up Mudang Mountain was choked with clamoring and confusion. The white-haired Taoist elders in their robes pressed the government guards in silence, eyes flashing.
“It’s been a full day since he went for answers! When will he return?!”
“W-we are but ordinary officials! Please, just a little longer!!”
Below, on the wide main road, patrons of an inn peered up. On the third floor, a youth in black bamboo hat quietly sipped tea and watched the commotion.
“Truly impressive, Young Master.”
Opposite him, a beauty in sect attire tilted up her red lips. The youth shrugged and draped an arm over the railing.
“Impressive? Any child could think of it.”
“But to execute it—that is impressive.”
“What did I do? I merely sent a dying warrior to a better place.”
“To Mudang Mountain, yes. Haha.”
The youth arched an eyebrow, dipped his chopsticks in soy sauce, and tore a little slit in a piled dumpling’s wrapper. He rubbed the sauce into the filling, inhaling its aroma, then grinned wickedly as he picked it up.
“To the Blood Cult Sword of Hymn to Heaven, who remained loyal until the end.”
“Haha. Father will be pleased.”
“Indeed. Who would have thought… plotting to spread flowers among people.”
“Quite so.”
The woman hushed her voice so only the youth could hear.
“To think a warrior infected with the Celestial Plague went to take revenge on Mudang Sect, and then the plague broke out… What tragedy could be worse?”
“Exactly. Haha, that girl must be screaming injustice in her grave by now.”
The youth bit deep into the dumpling and chuckled.
“She even prepared the Cheonhwan Pill for her subordinate, only for it to fall into Peng’s hands through his negligence. Unlucky indeed.”
“Still, the young lady remains beloved by him.”
The youth puckered in mock offense, but quickly raised his cup.
“But once my grand scheme succeeds, Father will see me differently. To our success.”
“Haha. May it succeed.”
“Fear not. Barring unexpected variables, my plan is flawless.”
They drained their cups, feasting on the sight of Mudang’s elders bound by government guards.
– What? They caught Jegal Soso and Jegal Yu together? Mother-and-daughter bundle—awesome.
The Blood Cult Lord proclaimed that taking mother and daughter together was exhilarating. I couldn’t immediately grasp why, so he expounded at length.
– Listen. Even the Emperor took both the Empress’s sister and her daughter as concubines! Not only two sisters, but mother and daughter at once! How could that not thrill?
When encountering incomprehensible tastes, substitute something familiar. I recalled my master, who fought me alongside his disciples and died by my hand.
In that moment, I understood why some might find committing incestuous acts electrifying.
Though I didn’t express sympathy to the Blood Cult Lord, I grasped the concept of mother-and-daughter debauchery. Such perversion truly exists.
I found myself pondering whether to commit such atrocity, soaring toward a nearby scream.
Initially, I thought to secure Sagong Hee as my slave… but if her mother were equally beautiful, I’d have to rethink.
So with great anticipation, I flew in, my hands seeking her hips—
“Is that demon your mother?”
“M-mother…?”
Before me stood a creature tearing two Mudang warriors limb from limb and devouring them like beasts. Its entire body was reddened, its face twisted into a devilish mask, and violet light flared from its eyes—it was a monster.
“If I had asked permission to take your daughter, my head would’ve rolled.”
“W-why… how did she become like that?!”
“Don’t be so shocked. A practitioner of demonic qi became a fiend when struck by the Celestial Plague. Tch, to make matters worse.”
A woman wielding demonic arts had used the Bloodflow Rampage Technique to shatter her vital force, twisting her qi and blood. With one arm seething with plague sores, she resembled a cannibalistic jiangshi more than a martial artist.
Kyaaaah!!
The fiend slashed at the Mudang warriors with clawed fingers. The precision suggested martial training—perhaps from her mother’s side.
“Mother, ho—how could you…?!”
Unaware of the full tale, I stayed hidden, unwilling to be drawn into a twisted family tragedy.
“Left alone, she’ll self-destruct within two hours. No need to intervene.”
Although the fiend had killed the Mudang warriors in pursuit of more of her bloodlust, I lamented that Sagong Hee’s mother—the one I needed consent from—was gone.
“Is your father here? I’d ask his permission now that your mother’s a fiend.”
“You… how can you say that?!”
“Just efficient. So, is your father around?”
“Father fled when the prison exploded. We scattered.”
Sagong Hee glared with hostility—had her father abandoned them?
“Then I must ask if he knew your wife practiced demonic arts.”
I meant to inform her I’d claim her, but she yelled so fiercely into my ear I couldn’t turn.
“Wait! Please—”
“Enough orders—ugh, fine, you’re pretty. Why?”
“My mother’s coming down the mountain!!”
The fiend began stalking downhill, seeking something as her frenzied pace accelerated.
“If she reaches the village, she’ll slaughter everyone!”
“Sure. A first-rate demon overrunning homes. But before she reaches them, Mudang’s Taoists will drive her off. Meanwhile I’ll take you. Now—what does your father look like?”
“You… no matter how lecherous, that’s too much!!”
“Why? Should I kill your mother? Do you want me to ask you to kill the fiend who’ll plague this world?”
Sagong Hee fell silent. Though she couldn’t speak, I saw resolve in her eyes.
“You truly wish me to slay your mother?”
“…No, please save her…”
“Save her?”
“…I don’t know why she became a fiend, though she had the plague. But if she’s become an evil spirit spreading it…”
“A necessary sacrifice for the greater good?”
Sagong Hee squeezed her eyes shut. Her choice twisted my heart, but the creature was undeniably dangerous.
“Indeed. Spreading demonic qi everywhere.”
“Huh?”
“Look at how your mother killed those Mudang warriors.”
Pfffaaak.
Blood sprayed from their bodies, pustules erupting across their skin. Their flesh collapsed so rapidly that it was nauseating to behold.
“She’s become an accursed fiend. As long as she moves, she’ll spread the plague like a walking jiangshi.”
“Ugh…!”
I thrust my hand forward, emitting my qi.
“It’s a loss for all of Central Plains beauty if heavenly-born beauties succumb to the plague.”
Though a mere miscellaneous art, my technique resembled the famed Threefold Blaze in legend. White flames bloomed at my fingertips, instantly reducing the fiend-on-the-verge to charcoal.
“Tch. This once I’ll act for the peace of the martial world.”
“B-by the world’s standards…”
For the first time, Sagong Hee’s voice carried pure admiration rather than hostility. I couldn’t help but shrug with pride.
“To have such skill yet chase women…”
Her praise turned to reproach, though—so I silenced her by gripping her buttocks.
“Well now—chasing women, am I? Mind your words.”
I turned toward the path the fiend had taken.
“I only chase the world’s peerless beauties!”
“You’re insane…”