SSS-Class Sui**de Hunter - Chapter 65

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 65. The Righteous-Demonic Great War (4)
While the Backhoe Spirit and I were chatting, Yak Wang had filled a pot with water using what looked like Evian spring water, and meanwhile he’d begun laying out pans and cutting boards with practiced efficiency, launching into his cooking.
The aroma of the dishes soon filled the entire cave.
“Mmm, here we go.”
Yak Wang worked with remarkable speed. In just fifteen minutes, he’d produced a mussel broth, white fish seared like steak with the skin still on and laid over asparagus, some indeterminate fish stir-fried with long clam meat and garnished with parsley, something resembling congee crowned with cream and topped with minced clams and mushrooms, and finally two roasted lamb legs presented whole on the platter—all finished and laid out with a crisp rap of his knife.
“Come on now! It’s nothing fancy, but you’d better eat hearty. When you’re young, you’ve got to eat well and often. There we go.”
The Murim Alliance Leader’s eyes went wide at the array of dishes spread before us.
“Well, I mean, I’ve aged a fair bit myself, and that Celestial Demon woman over there has too, hasn’t she…….”
“Did you lot eat some kind of immortality elixir or something? Ah, if this were Silicon Valley, I’d have filed a patent for it! Never mind—if you’re getting old, then eat like an old person should! That’s how you keep your body from falling apart.”
As Yak Wang ladled mussel broth into a large bowl, he resembled nothing so much as a foul-mouthed grandmother—or rather, a foul-mouthed grandfather.
I accepted a bowl of the mussel broth myself. The smell was promising enough, and I thought to myself that mussel broth was just mussel broth, but the moment I brought a spoonful to my lips—
My heavens.
‘This is incredible!’
Was it because I’d just been eating that absurd food-scrap stuff they called a Fasting Pill?
First of all, there was absolutely no fishy taste. The broth wasn’t simply boiled in water—something crimson, perhaps a red vegetable, had been ground into it, giving it a deep red color, and it carried a subtle tartness with an umami depth that made even the plain broth delicious to drink. The clam meat itself was wonderfully chewy, clinging to my tongue and teeth before releasing a perfectly mingled juice that burst across my palate—pure heaven.
It was absolutely exquisite.
Even after winning the lottery back then, my definition of luxury had extended only to things like a venti white mocha frappuccino with a quad shot, java chips half-and-half with extra chocolate drizzle—and this was nothing short of a shock to my system.
The Pharmacist, who hadn’t yet gained renown and had been scrambling through the slums, seemed to feel the same way. Her eyes went wide as well.
“My goodness, it’s delicious…….”
The Pharmacist found words to describe the flavor.
“These shrimp—they’re plump and firm. And they taste exactly like shrimp should. Not the slightest hint of fishiness… and how, how does shrimp taste like this? And then this mille-feuille they served for dessert—it tastes like being raised to nobility, not just any rank but something like a marquessate, and the yogurt ice cream underneath has passion fruit juice that cuts through it so freshly and tartly, a tartness squared… I… how is such a flavor even possible?”
Yak Wang’s chin lifted with pride.
“Because I earned my three Michelin stars as an owner-chef back in my fifties! Bah. If I’d had proper cooking equipment instead of this makeshift burner, I’d have absolutely blown your stomachs to pieces.”
Was Yak Wang actually someone of real stature—not just someone who made medicine?
Were all those things true—Silicon Valley, Wall Street, boxing champion—and not just empty boasts?
“If you’re such a remarkable person, why’d you come to the Tower?”
Viper seemed curious about this too, and asked the question while taking a large spoonful of seafood congee (which seemed to have the formal name of abalone truffle risotto).
Yak Wang let out a snort of derision.
“Why? Can’t someone like me come to the Tower? Marcus came to the Tower too!”
Fair enough.
“So you knew him from outside, then?”
“Know him? Hardly. Just some repugnant bastard born into obscene wealth, obscenely arrogant to boot. From where I stood—a self-made man of Silicon Valley—he was nothing but a lucky fool. That same fool hit a streak of bad luck in his later years, and next thing I knew, he’d picked up a sword and come to the Tower…….”
The words that had begun with a snort trailed off into muttering.
The Pharmacist, Viper, and I all looked at Yak Wang with fresh eyes. Perhaps he felt uncomfortable under that gaze, for he waved a ladle as if shaking off water.
“Now eat, will you!”
So we ate. And it truly was extraordinary.
The moment the Celestial Demon Records Expedition found its cook.
“This truly is a most exquisite flavor.”
The Celestial Demon herself, the main protagonist of the Celestial Demon Records, spoke while steadily shoveling food into her mouth without pause.
“Are you perhaps an imperial chef? Hmm, no. The style is quite different from Chinese cuisine.”
The Murim Alliance Leader slurped his cream pasta and spattered a bit of sauce as he spoke.
“That woman said exactly what I was thinking. I too, as the leader of the alliance, have tasted a wide variety of dishes, but nothing quite like this.”
“These curious dishes and the aura of abundance they radiate—the Leader truly wonders where you all hail from and what brings you here.”
“Is it perhaps that you have discovered a cure for the Zombie Disease from beyond these lands?”
Both martial artists’ eyes gleamed with hope.
It was only natural. From their perspective, we were the first humans they’d encountered in years. We were remarkable to them, and they couldn’t help but hope that perhaps a cure had been invented.
My heart ached for them, but I shook my head.
“No, we’re still searching for a cure ourselves.”
“I see. So that is how it stands…….”
The disappointment seemed to match the height of their hope.
Both their expressions darkened.
“True enough. All the physicians and Daoists in the martial world threw themselves at curing this plague, yet none succeeded.”
“Even the masters of the Maoshan Sect, the very experts in jiangshi lore, raised the white flag in surrender. It would be strange if the outside world fared any differently…….”
“Were there truly no treatments at all?”
I spoke up.
“I’m not being vainglorious, but you just watched us cook. We possess knowledge different from yours. Especially the Pharmacist here—she is second to none when it comes to treating illness and compounding medicines.”
The Pharmacist, who had been taking a large bite of lamb, flushed red in the face.
Yak Wang was muttering from the side about “it’s just luck,” which—well, when you’re eating delicious food, you can’t help but feel a little sheepish about it.
“And this person here is capable enough to serve as an assistant to the Pharmacist. If we can offer even a modicum of help, we might be able to develop a cure.”
…….
The Celestial Demon and the Murim Alliance Leader exchanged glances.
“To call it a cure would be misleading, but…….”
“Well, it’s not as though there’s absolutely no method at all…….”
Color returned to the Pharmacist’s face.
“What? What is it?”
“…Wait here for a moment.”
Shortly after, the Celestial Demon and the Murim Alliance Leader brought out a large coffin.
When they opened it, a single Zombie lay inside.
-…….
Like when he had spoken of the Murim Alliance Leader’s warm body, the Sword Master furrowed his brow and clamped his mouth shut.
The Zombie was docile, as though basking in sunlight. Bound tightly with iron chains and pierced through every joint with needles the size of nails, it lay motionless.
I lifted my head.
“What is this……?”
“The sect master of the Mudang Sect.”
The Celestial Demon spoke matter-of-factly.
“Right after being bitten by a Jiangshi, he entrusted his corpse to us, asking us to use his body for research. But the only method we discovered was one: sealing every blood meridian in the body with needles.”
The Celestial Demon reached into the coffin.
“Be careful.”
The Celestial Demon withdrew the large acupuncture needle lodged in the Zombie’s neck with a sharp tug.
-Uaaaaaaah!
In that instant, the Zombie that had lain quiet as if sleeping snapped its eyes open.
“Hieek?”
The Pharmacist yelped in terror and tumbled backward. The Zombie lunged, jaws gaping to tear into him. Clang! Clang! The iron chains held, rendering the Zombie’s attack futile, but the Pharmacist could only break into a cold sweat.
“As you see.”
Thunk!
The Celestial Demon drove the large needle back into the Zombie’s neck. At once, its eyes fluttered closed. The creature’s face softened, any trace of its violent thrashing vanishing as though it had never been.
“By sealing the blood meridian between the brain and spinal cord, one can suppress a Jiangshi. It is the Cervical Acupoint. However, this is less a cure than a mere stopgap measure.”
“…….”
“Those bitten by a Jiangshi become infected with Turbid Qi through their blood meridians and energy pathways.”
Turbid Qi.
Could it be what they meant by virus.
“This Turbid Qi cannot be repelled, no matter how long one sits in meditation or practices Internal Energy Circulation and Breathing. Whether one is a demon cultivating demonic energy or a Pharmacist with qi as clear as a mountain stream, once bitten, it is over. The entire body ignites with heat, and in no time at all, one becomes a Jiangshi.”
The Celestial Demon slowly closed the coffin.
“It was a Shaolin monk who endured the longest. Even after his arm was torn off by a Jiangshi, he retained his sanity for a full year. But that was an exception among exceptions. Even the most accomplished master can rarely survive beyond a fortnight.”
The Celestial Demon sighed.
“Young ones from beyond the world. Can you truly find a cure?”
“…….”
The Pharmacist offered no answer. Even the stubborn Yak Wang had lost his words.
When none in our party responded, the Celestial Demon smiled bitterly.
“It matters not. I thought only my old companion and myself remained in this world, yet to meet living souls like this—it is the blessing of the heavens. If you wish, stay here as long as you need.”
The Murim Alliance Leader nodded.
“We shall prepare bedding for you. Rest tonight, and tomorrow we can continue our conversation. There is much to discuss.”
Our first day fallen in Apocalypse.
We spent the night without any significant progress to show.
5
“Ugh, I can’t eat any more…….”
“Marcus, you fool—if you keep this up, I’ll spend my whole life in second place…….”
In the dead of night, the others mumbled in their sleep as they drifted off.
We had laid out bedding near the Open-Air Hot Spring, so though somewhat damp, there was no worry of freezing.
-Zombie, why aren’t you sleeping?
I gazed upward. The cave’s ceiling was open, and the pitch-black night sky was visible above.
‘There’s something I need to check on.’
The Sword Master said nothing instead of asking what I wanted to confirm. He too must have had his suspicions.
That suspicion was likely the same as my own.
I pulled the blanket up to my face and feigned sleep, keeping my eyes closed.
The night deepened.
Crunch-
I sensed someone approaching. Not one person—two. Without opening my eyes, I held my breath. The two figures lingered near us, then whispered in the smallest of voices.
“…Are they asleep?”
“…It seems so.”
“…So we seize this moment. Quickly now.”
“…Yes. Let’s finish it fast.”
The Celestial Demon and the Murim Alliance Leader’s voices.
Their footsteps grew distant from us. A splash echoed—the sound of water. The two martial artists had seized the moment while our entire group slept to begin bathing.
‘This is it.’
Whoosh!
I bolted upright and sprinted toward the Open-Air Hot Spring. Through the thick steam, the Celestial Demon and the Murim Alliance Leader lay soaking in the bath, their loose robes draped at the water’s edge. Both had been drowsy, savoring the warmth, until they suddenly noticed me rushing toward them and started in alarm.
“Gasp!”
The Murim Alliance Leader hastily submerged himself deeper into the water. The old man couldn’t hide his panic.
As I thought.
The moment I glimpsed their bodies, I knew my suspicion was correct.
“Wh—what is this! You! I thought you were asleep!”
“…….”
The Celestial Demon opened her eyes narrowly. She seemed to grasp the situation faster than the old man. She let out a light sigh and regarded me calmly.
“…You’re perceptive for one so young. When did you realize?”
“I thought something was off the first time I saw you.”
I spoke.
“The weather’s this cold, yet both of you wore light clothing. One wore only martial robes, and the other was dressed practically bare. In weather this bitter, you both should have been freezing.”
Outside, the cold was merciless—deep winter at its harshest.
Without using your Aura, you couldn’t survive more than moments.
Yet the martial artists before me clung to garments that were scarcely more than nothing.
“You’d have to circulate your Internal Energy to shield yourselves from the cold. Which means you’re both adept at wielding Internal Energy. Yet people this skilled brawling with commoners? Exhausted from a short walk? That didn’t add up.”
I spoke slowly.
“There’s only one explanation: you’re both concentrating all your Internal Energy on something else.”
“…….”
“You said that being bitten by a Zombie once turns the entire body turbid with Corrupted Energy.”
I stared directly through the steam at the Celestial Demon and the Murim Alliance Leader.
“You’ve both been bitten already, haven’t you?”
“…….”
“Here’s what I think. You two—the Celestial Demon and the Alliance Leader. You were infected by a Zombie long ago. But as masters of the Demonic and Righteous Sects, you’ve been restraining the Corrupted Energy with tremendous Internal Energy. Am I wrong?”
Silence fell over the hot spring.
Splash.
The water rippled, and the Celestial Demon rose from the bath.
“De—Demon Leader, you…….”
“It’s done, old friend. It’s all out now anyway.”
The Celestial Demon shook her head.
“Young one from beyond the world, you speak truth.”
She turned her back to me.
The Celestial Demon’s pure white back.
“The leader and the old friend were bitten by a Zombie three years ago.”
There, a purplish, festering wound lay exposed.
The Murim Alliance Leader slowly revealed the back of his own neck.
“Though, to be precise, there’s one flaw in your reasoning.”
A similar gangrenous wound marked that spot as well.
But the wound stopped at the neck.
“It’s not that we’re suppressing the Corrupted Energy.”
Above it lay the clean, unblemished face of a human being—as we’d seen all along.
With that clean face, the Murim Alliance Leader spoke.
“We’ve sealed the Cervical Acupoint itself with Internal Energy to cut off the Corrupted Energy’s advance.”
The Sword Master clicked his tongue.
-Insane. Energy-Based Body Control.
‘Energy-Based Body Control?’
-You know the Energy Sword Technique, don’t you?
‘Yes, wrapping Internal Energy around a blade to make it fly through the air… surely not?’
That was exactly it.
-Right. Sealing the Cervical Acupoint means there’s no sensation below the neck. Obviously no movement either. In other words, full paralysis—but look at how they’re moving. It’s like the Energy Sword Technique: they’re moving their entire bodies with Internal Energy.
The Backhoe Spirit said so.
-Even their heartbeat.
The thump of the heart itself.
-The breathing through the lungs.
Even drawing breath—inhaling and exhaling.
Even stretching an arm and articulating the joints, extending a leg forward and controlling the waist, knees, ankles, and soles of the feet.
In short, everything necessary to live and move.
Those two martial artists are controlling it all with their Internal Energy, one detail at a time.
To prevent the Zombie Disease from traveling up the spinal cord and reaching the brain.
They had sealed off their own minds.
“…….”
I fell silent.
That is to say.
They’re essentially deploying the Energy Sword Technique twenty-four hours a day without cease. So even taking a few steps drains their stamina. Madness itself…….
The Celestial Demon spoke, as though echoing the Backhoe Spirit’s words.
“In this manner do we wage the Righteous-Demonic Great War.”
The Murim Alliance Leader took up the thread again.
“Three years have now passed since we began.”
S-Rank Hunter: To Live, One Must Die (Serial)
Author │ Shin Noa
Publisher │ Kim Ju-hyung
Published by │ J Plus Media Co., Ltd.
Marketing │ Han Jae-hyuk
Address │ 204, 288 Digital-ro, Guro-gu, Seoul (Guro-dong, Daelung Posttower 1st)
Email │ [email protected]
Website │ www.jayplemedia.com
© Shin Noa 2019
This work is published by J Plus Media Co., Ltd. under contract with the copyright holder and may not be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission from the publisher and author.
Violation of this restriction may result in criminal and civil liability.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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