Chapter 36: The front of the Yangtze's waves goes blah blah blah

Qing, the little shit-stirrer, was really getting under the Demonic Cannibal's skin. His power surged, making the earth tremble and the sky shudder. Five Jiangshi were barely enough to keep him at bay.  

The Demonic Cannibal was burning through his Qi like there was no tomorrow.

One of the Heavenly Jiangshi went flying, proving that even the toughest Jiangshi made from a child's body couldn't defy the laws of physics.  

A-Qing felt a pang of sympathy for the Jiangshi kids. It was bad enough dealing with the Demonic Cannibal, but to be his punching bag as well? That was some next-level bullshit.  

Someday, she'd have to settle the score with this crazy, obsessive final boss. And when that time came, those shields would become her enemies too.

But if she played her cards right, she might be able to shake off this tenacious final boss for a while. In the meantime, she need to gather cultivation points and raise her realm as quickly as possible, by whatever means necessary.  

But first, lets piss him off some more.

"Hey, Captain Obvious? You're an asshole. Even a beggar has better manners."

Qing flitted around the Demonic Cannibal, fanning the flames of his anger.  

"When you see an elder, you should bow properly. Look at me—I'm a great elder of the martial world. And here you are, just a brat with no respect for his seniors."

"YOU DAMNED WRETCH! YOUR FILTHY MOUTH—!"

"Ah-ah. The martial world has strict rules about hierarchy, doesn’t it? You unruly mongrels are exactly why order must be maintained!"

"YOU DAMN—! THESE DAMN GHOULS! IF IT WEREN’T FOR THEM—!"

"At the end of the day, I’m still above you."

"Do you even know who my master is?"

The Demonic Cannibal's eyes lit up. This was his chance to find out which sect this crazy bitch was from. He'd have his revenge! 

A-Qing smiled sweetly. "Not telling. It's a secret."

"GRAAAAAH!!!" The Demonic Cannibal tore at his hair in frustration, sending clumps of it flying.  

'Looks like he's all riled up.' A-Qing smoothly shifted to the main topic. "By the way, did you do something wrong to Yeonyeong?" 

"...What?"

"Do you really have to go this far...?"

The Demonic Cannibal froze. "You little bitch, what did you just say...?"

"What? You suddenly want to have a conversation? Fatty, come on. You're just trying to trick me because you're at a disadvantage. Or, am I wrong?" 

A-Qing charged, her arms a blur of motion. For someone who had been dodging all this time, her sudden aggression was surprising. Twenty arm shadows surged towards the Demonic Cannibal, the clash of their blows ringing like struck iron.  

The Demonic Cannibal was forced to retreat. Voice transmission was harder than he thought, and it was distracting him from fighting back properly.  

["You bitch, are you thinking of betraying the Association?!"] Suspicion consumed the Demonic Cannibal. It was certainly a situation ripe for misunderstanding.  

["Suddenly... What are you talking about?"]

["Or are you trying to get rid of me?!"]

["I don't understand what you're saying."]

["If that’s not it, then kill this wench. RIGHT NOW!"]

Eon Yeonyeong frowned. 'Where was this idiot getting these ideas from?'

["I already told you. Lady Ximen is my personal matter—"]

"SHUT UP! Do you think I’ll fall for that?!" The Demonic Cannibal jumped back, creating distance between them, and shouted. "Bok Haeun, you stupid bastard! You can't even recognize your son’s murderer next to you!" 

["Demonic Cannibal!"]

The Demonic Cannibal ignored Eon Yeonyeong's voice transmission protest.

"…What did you just say?"

"That woman next to you, Eon Yeonyeong! Do you think soul-snatching funeral overseers who can make such sophisticated Jiangshi are common?!" 

"Although you are my senior, please watch your words. Miss Eon is my son's benefactor."

"That's why you're stupid!" The Demonic Cannibal sneered at Bok Haun. "Your son is already dead and gone to the underworld, but you think that thing wearing his skin is your son? You're a real moron!" 

"Even if you're a senior of the Unorthodox Faction..."

"I'm telling you, your enemy is right next to you!"

The Demonic Cannibal's words were filled with such genuine frustration that people's attention shifted.

"Miss Eon?"

Eon Yeonyeong took a step back and shook her head. "This is a ridiculous accusation. Are you suspecting the Murim Alliance's Grand Inspector?" 

"Don't be fooled! We planted her in the Alliance!"

"How dare you insult the Murim Alliance, you Demonic Cannibal."

"After seeing the Blood Jiangshi, you were bound to seek out the Eon family. Did you think it would be difficult to fool those stupid Orthodox idiots?!" 

Eon replied, "He's a terrifying Demonic Cannibal. Lies come naturally to them..."

"That bitch is the terrifying one." The Demonic Cannibal cackled. "She's the one who massacred her entire clan and turned them into Jiangshi."

Eon Yeonyeong pleaded with a desperate expression. "Please. You can’t believe such lies."

"Just call a doctor and have them check your son's pulse! They'll tell you right away if he's a human or a Jiangshi!" 

"Young Master Bok has not recovered yet. Of course, if you check his pulse now..."

"Bok Haeun! Have you ever heard of a Jiangshi turning back into a human in your entire life?!"

Bok Haeun groaned in agony. The Demonic Cannibal's last words had struck a nerve.

He made his decision. "...If Miss Eon is truly innocent, she will not resist being taken aside for a while."

"Wait, Master Bok! That's what he wants. If I'm not here, how will you deal with the Jiangshi?"

Jiangshi. Bok Haeun's expression hardened. However, he did not change his mind.

"If, by any chance, Miss Eon is an enemy spy controlling the Jiangshi, it would be better for the warriors of the Alliance to deal with them. It would minimize the damage."

"Master Bok!"

"...Take Miss Eon away."

"Master Bok, you can't do this!"

Eon Yeonyeong was dragged away. Qing watched, tense. That woman was a real monster, the kind that even the Demonic Cannibal was considered small fry. 'What if she explodes and kills everyone?'

Fortunately, Un Yeonyeong played the victim and went along quietly. 'She'll be exposed anyway when they investigate. I wish she'd just run away.'

Now the only obstacle left was the Demonic Cannibal. 'If I just keep pushing like I have been...'

"Hey, Bok Haeun. I have a proposal. If you bring that bitch to her knees before me, I will leave. Me—and my men—will withdraw peacefully."

'Huh. I didn't expect that.' Qing clenched and unclenched her fists, assessing the situation.

The fact that Bok Haeun didn't immediately refuse meant things were already screwed. She had been around these bastards long enough to know exactly how they thought.

Qing gritted her teeth. 'I still need him to use up a little more Qi. Guess there's no helping it.'

"Quit your Bullshit!" Qing charged at the Demonic Cannibal again.

The Demonic Cannibal's flames filled her vision. At that instant, four Heavenly Jiangshi took the hit in her place—sent flying far into the distance.

Qing lunged. The Demonic Cannibal's arm shot out, aimed at her heart. She dropped to her knees, the Qi-infused hand passing a hair's breadth above her head.

She slid forward, still kneeling, and reached out.

"Huff… Huff… Master, if I only dodge, I’ll just get tired and collapse first!"

"Of course. The key to battle of attrition is making the enemy collapse before you do."

"Then… huff… how do you fight a super-duper master-level opponent alone?"

"…super-duper master-level? Where do you even get these ridiculous terms—"

"THWACK!"

'ACK!'

"Tsk, tsk. A proper lady shouldn’t yelp like a wild foal."

To face a high-level master alone, you need a trump card. Poison, hidden weapons, or a strange secret art.

For Qing, the best option was using her overflowing internal energy.

The Internal Qi Strike Technique

A technique that directly strikes the enemy's insides with Qi. A technique where you directly touch the enemy and unleash your internal energy.

Some martial arts even specialized in this.

Qing's palm touched the Demonic Cannibal's thigh.

The solemn grace of the Nine Heavens Profound Goddess.

The burning purity of Flame Emperor Shennong.

The elegance of his daughter Yao-hee.

The mystical enlightenment of Daoist wisdom.

All of it came together—a divine chant in the form of a martial art.

Guooooong...!

The sound of a temple bell enveloped the world. The 'temple[^Beom 범 (梵)]' in the temple bell symbolized purity in Buddhism. Purity is a state of being free from even the slightest impurity. It means being clear and clean, untainted by worldly desires.

Thus, the sound of the temple bell is pure. It is a grand sound, but not noisy. It is a majestic teaching, but not overwhelming. It is the clearest, yet also the heaviest, a vibration that is heard not with the ears, but with the body.

The Demonic Cannibal's body began to bulge and distort. In an instant, he exploded outwards, forming a giant sphere, as if he were about to burst.

But then, he deflated like a balloon, collapsing back into his original form and crumpling to the ground.

Where the Demonic Cannibal's corpse lay, a massive crater appeared, with dozens of long furrows extending from it. It was as if six giant palms had simultaneously struck a single point.

Perhaps this was what the handprint of Cintāmaṇicakra Avalokitesvara[^ Avalokiteśvara (观世音, 관세음) is a bodhisattva of compassion in Mahāyāna Buddhism, known in Chinese as Guanyin and in Korean as Gwanseum. A bodhisattva is an enlightened being who chooses to delay nirvana to help others attain liberation. The "Wish-Fulfilling Avalokiteśvara" (如意輪觀音) is a specific manifestation associated with granting desires and wisdom. Avalokiteśvara is often depicted with multiple arms—typically six, but sometimes up to a thousand—symbolizing their ability to aid countless beings.], who was said to have six arms, would look like...

A heavy silence fell over the land. A powerful Demonic Cannibal, who had reached the late stage of Transcendent-Realm, had met his end. And his opponent was a young woman whose name was still unknown. It was a sight that was hard to believe even when witnessed firsthand.

-And then, someone broke the silence.

"Honestly."

It was Eon Yeonyeong. She stood on a hill, overlooking the scene, blood dripping from her body. Her gaze was so natural, so commanding, that it pressed down on everyone like an irresistible force of nature.

The warriors were gripped by an inexplicable anxiety, unable to speak.

"Now. This completely ruins my plans, doesn't it? Really. How could you, Lady Ximen."

Her voice was filled with exhaustion.

"If you openly ruin my plans like this, I can't take Lady Ximen with me, can I? Everyone will try to eat you alive."

Eon Yeonyeong smiled faintly.

"But. I see that you're not so weak. Strong enough to be left alone for a while."

She pulled something out from her pocket. It was a string of bells tied together.

"Well then. I'll have to retreat. Will those who belong to the Association please gather?"

A group of warriors emerged from the main house. As the bells jingled and rattled, Jiangshi sprang out from behind the people, their grotesque leaps and bounds sending shivers down everyone's spine.

More than twenty Jiangshi also emerged from among the bandits led by Bok Haun, the Waterway Clan Leader. A wave of shocked murmurs rippled through the crowd as they realized that their seemingly normal comrades were actually Jiangshi in disguise.

"Congratulations, Waterway Company. You have escaped a great disaster today, and your insignificant lives have been extended for a little while. Rejoice."

Five Heavenly Jiangshi respectfully lifted Eon Yeonyeong and carried her away. As she slowly disappeared over the hill, her voice echoed clearly in their ears.

"Please. Be grateful for your luck and enjoy the few remaining moments of your lives. Because there will be. No next time."