The Heavenly Demon Cult’s Strongest Maid - Chapter 284
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 38
Geumhwa Tower, which served as both a tavern and tea house.
It was famous for its excellent wine and tea even in the heart of Wuhan’s bustling district.
Living up to its reputation, every floor was crowded with many customers despite it being broad daylight.
The top floor of Geumhwa Tower had several private rooms for distinguished guests who valued their privacy.
In one of these rooms with the best view overlooking the streets of Wuhan, Tam-rang sat drinking tea while gazing out the window.
Each time he took a sip of tea, a courtesan sitting beside him fed him pieces of fruit.
The courtesan’s eyes were strangely vacant and dull.
“Hmm.”
Tam-rang chewed the fruit slowly while watching the puppet that moved in his place.
The puppet was currently circling the same location for the umpteenth time.
It would continue doing so for days if necessary, until he gave permission to stop.
Tam-rang’s eyes narrowed as he observed the puppet intently.
He straightened his posture and began looking around the surroundings instead of at the puppet.
“Tsk!”
Before long, Tam-rang clicked his tongue.
A woman was secretly following behind the puppet.
“I thought she might be useful.”
Tam-rang frowned and grasped the fruit pick that had been stuck in the fruit.
Without hesitation, he stabbed it into the neck of the courtesan who had been serving him.
“Kuk!”
The courtesan died instantly without even being able to scream.
At the same time, the puppet that had been wandering around also collapsed with a thud.
Clang!
Tam-rang pulled on a rope hanging from the ceiling.
Shortly after, the door opened and a middle-aged woman entered.
She showed no change in expression even upon seeing the dead courtesan.
“Clean this up and get a new one.”
“Yes.”
Just as he gestured for the middle-aged woman to leave and was about to close the window himself.
“…?”
Suddenly, a mysterious woman appeared on the rooftop of the pavilion across the way.
‘Why didn’t I notice until now?’
It wasn’t that far away, yet he hadn’t sensed her presence at all until just now.
The moment Tam-rang realized this fact, the woman looked at him and smiled wickedly.
“…!”
Sensing imminent danger, Tam-rang threw aside all dignity and immediately launched his body away.
Crash!
By a hair’s breadth, the window shattered with a tremendous noise.
The person I had been chasing from the graveyard in Luoyang wasn’t Tam-rang.
He was another puppet subordinate of Tam-rang, just like Gong Ya-chi.
This was the conclusion I reached after tailing and observing him all the way to Wuhan.
There were too many meaningless movements for someone who was supposed to be Tam-rang, a member of the Martial Arts Alliance.
So as soon as I set foot in Wuhan, I summoned the Phoenix Corps.
While I was struggling to chase him alone, the Phoenix Corps and Uncle Wang had already arrived in Wuhan and established their base.
“Seo-ryeon, wait nearby with the disciples. Tam-rang is definitely somewhere in this area.”
“Yes, Miss.”
“And A-jin. You chase that guy in my place. Stealthily.”
“Yes!”
After giving orders to the Phoenix Corps, I immediately withdrew to a blind spot.
I judged that rather than simply focusing on Tam-rang’s subordinate, I needed to keep an eye on the bigger picture.
Indeed, Tam-rang’s puppet subordinate didn’t head to the Martial Arts Alliance Headquarters even after entering Wuhan.
He just kept circling the same places meaninglessly around the commercial district.
This could only mean one thing.
Tam-rang was watching him from somewhere!
He was probably checking whether he had picked up a tail or not.
Being such a cautious person, it was more than likely.
‘Then where could he be watching from?’
As I naturally looked around, my eyes caught sight of the tallest building in the vicinity.
Geumhwa Tower.
It was one of Wuhan’s most prominent high-rise buildings.
The top floor had private rooms for distinguished guests, offering freedom from prying eyes.
If my hunch was correct, Tam-rang would definitely be there.
Watchers always prefer high places, after all.
“Heave!”
I moved without delay.
Fortunately, I easily found a building from which I could look up at Geumhwa Tower.
The number of floors was a bit disappointing, but if I climbed onto the rooftop, the height should roughly match.
I quickly scaled the wall while thoroughly concealing my body with stealth techniques just in case.
I couldn’t afford the mishap of Tam-rang spotting me and fleeing without my knowledge.
‘Who could it be…’
Every floor of Geumhwa Tower was bustling with many customers.
Among them, I carefully examined the top floor.
Some places had their windows closed, but I boldly passed over those.
If it were Tam-rang, he would naturally have his window open to watch outside.
‘Huh? That guy…!’
Then I caught sight of one scene that seemed somehow out of place.
While other men were laughing, chatting, and enjoying themselves being served by courtesans, this guy was just looking down at the street the whole time.
His age was around mid-thirties?
His appearance was ordinary, but his atmosphere was not.
Even with a courtesan beside him, he neither mingled nor smiled.
He seemed like someone whose emotions had dried up.
That wasn’t the only strange thing.
The courtesan beside the man also barely moved, like a lifeless doll.
“…!”
It was then that the man suddenly stabbed the courtesan’s neck with something.
‘Could it be a puppet technique?’
I quickly looked for Tam-rang’s puppet that Ma A-jin should be chasing. The man who had been fine just moments before was now trembling and dying.
‘So it was you after all!’
As soon as I released my stealth technique, our eyes met directly.
Seeing him flinch in surprise, I smiled wickedly.
And without a moment’s hesitation, I leaped toward him.
Crash!
As I broke through the window and entered, the first thing I saw was the courtesan who had died from being stabbed with the fruit pick.
Tam-rang, who had barely avoided my attack, was getting up while brushing off dust.
“Tam-rang?”
I stared intently at his face and asked.
“Who?”
He should have been flustered by this, but Tam-rang instead stretched his neck forward and looked me up and down.
Then his eyes suddenly lit up with recognition.
“Could it be the First Miss?”
“You’ve seen me before?”
“There’s a reason why beauty is legendary.”
Recognizing me, Tam-rang clapped his hands and rejoiced as if genuinely delighted.
“Uhahahaha!”
Tam-rang’s laughter suddenly created an echo as if we were inside a cave.
The sound reverberated from all directions, making it impossible to determine where it was coming from.
‘It’s illusion arts!’
Tam-rang’s martial arts specialties were soul-stealing techniques and illusion arts.
“Gal!”
I let out a battle cry and quickly thrust my sword toward Tam-rang.
Thunk!
Ridiculously easily, the Mahu Bonghwang Sword pierced into his belly.
“Urk!”
Tam-rang groaned and collapsed forward.
“…!”
But in an instant, he suddenly raised his head and grinned widely, tearing at the corners of his mouth.
‘Damn!’
He had already completed his illusion formation.
I knew it was an illusion, but I struck his neck in frustration.
Thunk!
His head that fell to the floor rolled away.
The severed head looked at me mockingly and smiled slyly.
‘Was I being too overconfident and relying only on my internal energy, as Grandmother said?’
Facing these unfamiliar martial arts for the first time, I was honestly quite flustered.
Whoooosh—
As if waiting for this moment, the scenery melted away and a new background unfolded.
The separate room of Geumhwa Tower disappeared and changed into some forest.
Trees and stones, earth and the blowing wind.
It was so realistic that it took my breath away.
Swish!
Tam-rang appeared from somewhere and swung his sword like lightning.
I instinctively twisted my body and blocked his sword.
“…!”
However, I felt neither the sound of sword clashing against sword nor any sense of weight.
Slash!
Instead, my left shoulder was cut as if torn.
“Haap!”
I spun like a top and swung my sword in all directions.
Swooosh!
But I cut nothing.
Slash!
Rather, my right thigh was cut and blood spurted out.
Everything visible and invisible was all illusion.
Tam-rang was hiding within this falsehood and attacking me.
‘That’s right.’
I raised my qi sense to the maximum.
I intended to cut down everything that my qi sense detected with the Mahu Bonghwang Sword.
Slash!
However, Tam-rang’s illusion formation even deceived my qi sense.
Following my shoulder and thigh, I felt a burning sensation in my side as well.
None were serious injuries, but it infuriated me that I was being helplessly beaten by him.
Though I hated to admit it, I was thoroughly disadvantaged within the illusion formation.
Then wouldn’t it work if I just destroyed This Guy’s illusion formation itself?
It might be simple and reckless, but I had the internal energy of four cycles that could make it possible.
Whoosh!
I turned my sword and gripped it in reverse.
Then I stabbed the sword into the floor and exploded my internal energy.
BOOOOOOM!
With a tremendous explosion, the ground cracked and the forest shattered.
What revealed itself again in that place was Geumhwa Tower’s luxurious floor and expensive decorations.
But was my power too excessive?
I had only wanted to escape from the illusion formation, but the top floor of Geumhwa Tower collapsed and we all fell down to the lower floor together.
“Kyaaah!”
“Aaaah!”
“Everyone get out of the way!”
With the upper floor suddenly collapsing and people falling, it was like a bolt from the blue for those who had been downstairs.
In that chaos, I gripped my sword properly and faced Tam-rang directly.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————