"The world has truly gone to hell."
That might be a somewhat exaggerated statement, but it wasn't entirely wrong.
Half of the Orthodox Sects had been wiped out, the government forces who had belatedly grasped the situation had been annihilated along with the capital, and the Orthodox-Unorthodox Alliance, which they had so painstakingly formed, was suffering defeat after defeat.
Countless people had died, of course, and even the innocent civilians unconnected to the fighting had fled in terror, scattering in every direction.
Naturally, all manner of supplies—food, weapons, and so on—grew scarce, and even gold, which had never once lost its value in the history of the Central Plains, was gradually losing its luster.
Given the circumstances, a handful of rice and a sturdy sword had become far more precious.
It was truly the twilight of an era where everyone sought only their own survival.
The problem wasn't just the Demonic Cult.
"So the Outer Murim is causing trouble again?"
"They've already pushed deep into the Central Plains and are running rampant, yet you still call it the Outer Murim?"
"We've called it that all along, so what can we do?"
Tang So-wol shrugged. Her hair had gone completely white, and she'd grown her bangs long enough to cover half her face.
Yet even so, the beauty that couldn't be hidden made one stop breathing for a moment—surely that was because they'd been poisoned by her venom.
"…Well, whether it's the Outer Murim or the Central Plains Murim, in the end they'll all be crushed by the Heavenly Demon's hand anyway."
"That's probably true. In fact, I heard that the South Man Beast Palace, which had been trying to extend its reach into Hunan Province recently, got thoroughly beaten by the Heavenly Demon and has holed up."
"Hmph. Settling for Guizhou Province, are we? That's complacent. I doubt even the crazed Demonic Cultists would loose their arrows of vengeance at the martial artists of the Outer Murim."
"Before that, they're probably planning to strike some deal with the Demonic Cult. Whether it'll work or not remains to be seen… but either way, it's none of our concern."
"True enough. Whether it's Guizhou or Yunnan, they're far too distant for us now."
The Orthodox-Unorthodox Alliance was being pushed back with one defeat after another.
In a month or two, they'd likely have to retreat all the way to Hebei Province. By then, there would be nowhere left to run.
And in the midst of all this—or perhaps precisely because of it—the Outer Murim, which had remained quiet until now, had begun to run wild.
All to devour even a sliver of the Central Plains' land. And to lend a hand without offending the sensibilities of the Heavenly Demon, the greatest master of past and present.
Indeed, the South Man Beast Palace, which had just been mentioned, had already secured its influence beyond Yunnan and into Guizhou Province.
In the case of the Heavenly Poison Sect, they had pushed deeper into the territory and caused chaos, only retreating after the Poison Demon fell at Tang So-wol's hands.
The North Sea Ice Palace had been quiet for some reason, but… the Potala Palace was also riding the tide of the times, slowly devouring the Central Plains.
However, in a somewhat peculiar manner.
"…I hear the Blood Buddha has appeared."
"Already? It feels like it hasn't been long since we killed him in the last battle."
"Yes. Someone somewhere must have been gleefully shaking that damned bell."
Crude words, uncharacteristic of Tang So-wol. But her feelings were understandable.
Facing an enemy that kept reviving no matter how many times you killed them was an experience hard to endure even for a Harmony Realm martial artist.
Even more so in a situation like this, where the odds were so heavily against them and familiar faces disappeared one by one every time you stepped away for a moment.
"Just what about that ugly mug makes anyone think it deserves reincarnation…?"
"Well now. If he loves reincarnation that much, shouldn't we kill him as quickly as possible so he can get on with it?"
"Coming from none other than the Poison Lady, that's a frightening thing to hear."
"Hehe. Don't worry. My poison will never be aimed at you, Blood Wolf."
Tang So-wol lifted her chin with a smug little tilt. The sight of it drew an involuntary laugh from him, but unfortunately, the moment didn't last long.
"If the Blood Buddha has appeared, who's going to stop him this time?"
"Not me, so don't worry. This time, it'll probably be… the Azure Heaven Sword Lord's turn."
"I see."
"Even if it were my turn, please don't worry too much."
"Hm?"
"Even if the Blood Buddha were to worm his way into my mind through sorcery, if it's already filled with something else, how could he possibly take my body?"
"Revenge, is it. I won't tell you to let it go, but be careful not to get yourself cut down."
"That's not the only reason…"
"Because living in a world like this without you wouldn't be easy."
"…Hmph. I suppose that earns you a passing grade."
Tang So-wol nodded with a look of satisfaction, for reasons I couldn't quite grasp.
Standing beside her, I stared blankly at the road ahead. Monks with their heads bowed hurried past, and people hurled insults and stones at them.
"They've done nothing wrong, so why go that far?"
"Everyone knows that. It's just that hurting others has become their only source of comfort—a brief reprieve from their own pain."
Tang So-wol said this in a calm, matter-of-fact voice.
Buddhism has many kinds of rituals. Naturally, there are many ritual implements to go with them.
And among them is something called a ritual bell.
A small bell small enough to hold in one hand and shake. Because it's rung by shaking rather than striking, it's called a "ritual bell," and since it's used alongside a vajra, it's also known as a "vajra bell."
…But that original meaning has long since been corrupted.
In this day and age, when one says "ritual bell," nine times out of ten they don't mean a ritual bell at all—they mean a demonic bell.
A demonic bell. A bell that is, true to its name, sinister.
When you hear its sound, your mind grows calm and all manner of worldly worries are washed away… but at some point, you become obsessed with the sound of the demonic bell.
You want to hear its ringing all day long, and you come to regard even your own parents or children as enemies if they stand in the way of that—such is the fierce obsession it breeds.
Once you reach that stage, it's practically too late to do anything about it.
Like opium addicts, the sole purpose of your life becomes listening to that bell's ring, and in the end, you're completely bewitched and lose your sanity entirely.
And the moment the demonic bell's energy seeps into your very marrow, the ancient fiend slumbering within the bell awakens.
Blood Buddha.
Once the master of the Potala Palace, he was the one who led them into their obsession with Vajrayana. And he is an ancient specter who seizes the bodies of those bewitched by his bell.
When his lifespan was nearly exhausted, he used a Grand Ritual that compressed all manner of Vajrayana teachings to seal himself within the bell.
Using it to bewitch people, he has sustained his life by eventually claiming their bodies as his own.
From my perspective, he's truly a parasitic bastard… but he himself called it reincarnation and took pride in it, and whenever the Blood Buddha appeared, the Potala Palace swarmed around him like bees and enshrined him as the Supreme Palace Lord.
Right. Up to this point, it's unpleasant, but not really something to worry about.
The world has gone topsy-turvy, and it's not like there's only one or two madmen running loose.
The problem is that every time the Blood Buddha revives, he quickly recovers his martial level to the Harmony Realm, or something close to it.
And on top of that, he claims he'll use it to establish a paradise on earth, and so he beats to death everyone who isn't a Buddhist.
For reference, when the Blood Buddha says "Buddhist," he means those who follow the teachings of the Potala Palace. After all, the bastard even called the Shaolin Temple a bunch of demons pretending to be monks.
Anyway, no matter how many times we manage to bring the Blood Buddha down, he just keeps reviving, so it's an endless war of attrition.
Of course, if we destroyed the bell, that would put an end to his twisted reincarnation for good… but no one knows where the bell is.
Once, we got lucky and captured an elder of the Potala Palace for interrogation, but according to him, only the Blood Buddha himself knows its location—even the current Palace Lord doesn't know.
At this point, I'd almost wonder why the Blood Buddha has been so quiet all this time… but I have a rough idea.
Either he had the bell sealed away somewhere, or he left it alone without knowing what it was for, or conversely, since it was something he used in his lifetime, he kept it safe and never thought to shake it.
Then, when the Demonic Cult invaded the Central Plains and the world fell into chaos, the bell must have slipped out into the world in the midst of the confusion.
Ordinarily, such wicked power would be vulnerable to Buddhist martial arts, and would be quickly dealt with if a renowned temple like the Shaolin Temple or the Emei Sect stepped forward… but.
Though it had long since strayed from the path, the Potala Palace was still a branch of Buddhism. The Vajrayana techniques, which were practically the source of the Blood Buddha, twisted the Buddha's teachings to suit their own whims.
When it came to the Blood Buddha and his tricks, the Buddhist sects were naturally unable to exert their strength properly.
In fact, they showed themselves to be rather vulnerable to the temptation of his tricks.
As such, the more the Blood Buddha ran rampant and built up his infamous reputation, the more the standing of the Buddhist sects naturally declined.
When they should have united and pooled their strength together, they were creaking from within.
To some extent, I understood. Most of the elders of the Buddhist sects had died at the hands of the Heavenly Demon, and the survivors had gone mad with vengeance, yet not completely mad, still fearing the Heavenly Demon.
In the end, the resentment that only piled up would be directed at the easiest targets.
"…I don't like it after all. Not only has it wagged its tail, but it's a dog that mistook who it should be barking at."
"Are you going to step forward?"
"It's useless to try to stop me. I've already made up my mind."
"Oh my. Even if people have been dropping dead left and right lately, I'm still an absolute master of the Harmony Realm—I doubt anyone but you, Blood Wolf, would dare say such a thing to me."
"Got a problem with that?"
"I've always liked people with a sharp tongue. Isn't that temper just like poison?"
"…"
A compliment that was hard to decide whether to be pleased by or not. Tang So-wol paid it no mind, standing beside me and urging me on.
"Why are you standing there in a daze? Let's be on our way."
"My apologies. I was momentarily lost in your beauty. If only I could see the other half as well."
"…Eep."
Tang So-wol flinched, hiding the half of her face covered by her hair even further behind the strands.
But before long, she caught sight of my expression and a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
"You're incorrigible."
"Didn't you say you liked this kind of man?"
"Yesss. That's the right answer. Well done, you."
Tang So-wol said that in a curt voice, yet one carrying a clear warmth, and began to walk. My stride kept pace right beside hers.
The commotion settled quickly once I swung my sword a few times. With Tang So-wol stepping in as well, things should be fine for a while.
…I had thought so, but unfortunately, that brief peace did not last long.
The Azure Heaven Sword Lord, who had set out to bring down the Blood Buddha, had returned as the Blood Buddha himself instead.
The reason was simple. The Potala Palace had fallen under the Demonic Cult. And so, he had been able to receive the Heavenly Demon's aid.
Azure Heaven Sword Lord, Namgung Jong.
When I met him again, his entire body was dyed red, as if coated in a layer of blood.
The Vajra Arhat proudly held up a small bell.
As it swayed in his grasp, an unnatural energy seeped through its clear ring.
With my mind forcibly calmed, I could understand everything.
Why the Vajra Arhat, before the regression, had suddenly gone mad as if possessed by another person.
Why the Blood Buddha and the bell had not shown even a hint of themselves until the Demonic Cult invaded… or more precisely, until the Murim Alliance was shattered in one blow.
The bell. But the bell.
I glared at the small bell in the Vajra Arhat's hand and immediately drew my sword.
In my haste, a portion of my internal energy leaked out, whipping up a fierce gale.
The wind churning the room. A single line of sword light extending from its center.
No matter how close the Vajra Arhat was to the peak of Transcendent Peak, it should be impossible for him to dodge my surprise attack at this distance.
If I cut off his head with this, I could surely crush the countless tragedies of the future and the momentum of the Potala Palace. But.
Clang!
Because I swung in haste, it wasn't a full white sword, but the clearly rising Sword Force was blocked.
The Vajra Arhat, who shouldn't have been able to react, reacted. He wrapped the bell in his own hand and caught my sword with the back of it.
As if soaked in blood, the Vajra Arhat's hand was stained red. The corner of his mouth curled up.
"Caught me, did you?"
The situation was going to hell.