Emperor of Steel [EN]: Chapter 94

9. Assault

1

Though their business in the Shushan Highlands was concluded, Luke and Zhuge Mun couldn’t immediately return to An-gyeong.

The mountain people, reluctant to see their benefactor depart, organized a small celebratory feast and presented tributes.

‘Long live the Azure-Eyed Immortal!’

‘The Immortal has descended! May misfortune be averted and fortune be called forth!’

At the head of the table, Luke watched as people offered him drinks and food, chanting unintelligible incantations. He turned to Zhuge Mun, seated beside him, and asked,

‘What are they saying?’

‘It seems the people, awestruck by the miracle, believe you to be a god. They call you the Azure-Eyed Immortal and hope you’ll bring them blessings.’

‘Goodness…’

Luke was taken aback.

Even without knowing the full story, they were worshipping him, someone who had even dabbled in dark magic, as a god?

‘I’m not worthy of being called a god. The one who deserves such reverence is someone else.’

The reason he could revive the Ironwood was thanks to Reina, who possessed the ancient power of Aether, and Erewyn, the genius mage who created the Green Crystal.

Without them, Luke wouldn’t have been able to accomplish anything.

‘Don’t feel too burdened. In the North, gods might be considered absolute, but it’s different here.’

‘I’ve heard there’s a religion that believes humans can become gods through enlightenment?’

‘Are you referring to the Arahan Sect? Here in the South, it’s known as the World Honored Sect, and it’s quite popular. However, most followers seek blessings or salvation from the World Honored One rather than striving for enlightenment through practice.’

‘Hmph. People are the same everywhere.’

Luke didn’t see those who sought a god’s grace as foolish.

Long ago, as Simon, he too had sought a god.

He had prayed to be with his beloved Katarina and desperately wished not to lose her, the only hope in his desolate life.

But that faith was not rewarded.

She had taken her own life just before being violated by Duke Barok.

Turning his back on the cold god, Luke turned to the power of darkness for revenge.

‘But the god of fate didn’t grant me revenge.’

Initially, he had been on a winning streak, but he was defeated by Rakan, manipulated by his enemies, and failed to achieve his goal.

And that wasn’t the end of it.

Ironically, his soul was reborn in Rakan’s descendant.

Of course, being reborn wasn’t entirely bad.

He had gained another chance to achieve his goal, and he had met Reina, who could be considered Katarina’s reincarnation.

While Luke was lost in thought, he heard Zhuge Mun’s voice.

‘Actually, I wasn’t much different. Even though I thought praying for blessings was futile, after the Ironwood production area was devastated, I found myself visiting famous temples and shrines to pray.’

‘It seems that god, the World Honored One, wasn’t very effective. He couldn’t save the Ironwood forest until I came along.’

‘I thought so at first, but… now that I think about it, that might not be the case. I did receive a prophecy.’

‘A prophecy?’

Intrigued, Luke asked, and Zhuge Mun immediately replied.

‘Yes, it wasn’t the World Honored One directly, but I heard these words from a high monk who recently returned from the North: “If you treat an uninvited guest well, you will receive blessings.”‘

‘Isn’t it common for those who claim to receive oracles to speak vaguely or offer platitudes?’

Indeed, many religious groups in the Lodisia Continent promoted themselves by claiming to have received oracles in that manner.

‘But Great Master Nanda is not someone to be ignored. He has awakened the six supernatural powers, which are considered the power of a god.’

‘Great Master Nanda…’

What kind of person was he to have awakened the power of a god?

Judging by Zhuge Mun’s high regard, he must be an exceptional individual.

‘He’s currently staying at the Shaolin Temple. You should meet him, Benefactor. He’s a person of great enlightenment, and you won’t regret meeting him.’

Luke was intrigued by Great Master Nanda, but he had no intention of meeting him immediately. Now that the Ironwood problem was resolved, he needed to return to his territory as soon as possible.

Moreover, the outcome of the Barok civil war was still uncertain.

It was when Luke had decided to return.

Clink, clink!

The bronze bell attached to the fan Zhuge Mun was holding rang on its own.

‘Hmm, it seems a sorcery telegram has arrived.’

‘A sorcery telegram?’

‘It’s similar to magical communication in the North. It uses sorcery, and the content is delivered only in text, not in images or sound.’

After explaining, Zhuge Mun spread his fan wide open.

Then, letters that looked hastily scribbled appeared on the blank white surface of the fan.

‘It’s from the head steward of the main family. The message is…’

As Zhuge Mun read the sorcery telegram, his expression hardened. His eyes turned serious.

Seeing his unusual expression, Luke asked,

‘What’s wrong?’

‘It seems suspicious groups are attacking the main family. The formations on the outskirts are being breached quickly, and they don’t seem to be ordinary people.’

The Zhuge family’s formations could only be broken by family members.

In particular, the Great Heavenly Demonic Soul-Extinguishing Formation at the main family was the strongest defensive formation that Zhuge Mun had personally constructed and reinforced whenever possible.

Yet, someone was breaking through it!

‘They must be targeting the Third Prince. But among them, is there someone who can break through the Great Heavenly Demonic Soul-Extinguishing Formation?’

As far as Zhuge Mun knew, only one person in the world possessed that ability.

Even though he had already recalled the family members who had left due to Jo Won-rak, he didn’t believe they could stop that person with their current strength.

‘Prepare the flying carriage! We must return to the main family immediately!’

‘Yes, Master!’

‘Wait! There’s a faster way to return than the flying carriage.’

As the guards were about to rush out to carry out his orders, Luke stopped them.

Then, Zhuge Mun asked with a hopeful expression,

‘Are you perhaps referring to teleportation magic?’

‘Yes. I’ve already identified the coordinates of the main family, so there will be no difficulty in moving immediately.’

However, since the distance was significant, he would have to use teleportation magic repeatedly.

His mana would be somewhat depleted, but it would still be much faster than taking the flying carriage.

‘Then, I’ll be in your care, Benefactor.’

‘Don’t stray from my side.’

As Zhuge Mun’s group finished preparing to leave, Luke immediately cast teleportation magic.

As they suddenly vanished in a flash of light, the mountain people who were watching were startled.

‘T-The Immortal has disappeared!’

‘The Master has also disappeared! Did the Immortal take him?’

‘He must have returned to the heavens. Perhaps the Jade Emperor called him.’

After a moment of commotion, the mountain people calmed down and said,

‘Will he come back?’

‘Even if he doesn’t, we must not forget his grace.’

‘Then let’s build a shrine. Let’s build the biggest and most beautiful shrine in this area and enshrine the Azure-Eyed Immortal.’

Thanks to the pure-hearted mountain people, Luke, the Rune Knight from the Lodisia Continent, became the guardian spirit of Shushan, the Azure-Eyed Immortal.

2

Thud! Thud, thud!

Hundreds of warriors in black uniforms and masks were rushing towards the Zhuge family estate.

Leading their swift advance were knights wearing armor from the Lodisia Continent and mages in drab robes.

They were the Black Shadow Corps sent by Hwangbo Gwang to eliminate the Third Prince, Jo Won-rak, along with the Death Knights and liches provided by Arsen.

Kreeeeeee!

The Death Knights and liches, making a grating noise that sounded inhuman, suddenly stopped.

As if from nowhere, a giant Azure Dragon and White Tiger had appeared before them.

Kieeeeeeek—!

Kuaaaang—!

As the Azure Dragon and White Tiger roared, a sudden torrent of fierce rapids and scorching flames engulfed the Black Shadow Corps and the undead.

‘Hwaaaak! H-Hot!’

‘Ugh! Help me!’

The undead, feeling no pain, simply stood still, but the Black Shadow Corps was different.

They screamed at the scorching flames that seemed to melt their bodies and struggled in the raging rapids.

Kwan Chang, the leader of the Black Shadow Corps, who was slightly behind, frowned at the sight of his subordinates and asked for help from the young scholar standing next to him.

‘Guigokja!’

The young scholar was Guigokja, who had threatened the Song Imperial Family four years ago to pay 100,000 gold coins.

He appeared to be in his twenties, but his actual age was well over 60.

‘Alright, alright. Tsk, how many times do I have to save you…’

He had lost count of how many times the same situation had repeated itself on the way here.

With a pathetic expression, Guigokja took out a crumpled piece of paper from his sleeve and threw it at the Azure Dragon and White Tiger.

Flap, flap, flap!

The piece of paper, imbued with Guigokja’s sorcery, seemed to tear apart in mid-air, then transformed into a blizzard of white snow.

The snow extinguished the flames, froze the rapids, and buried the roaring White Tiger and Azure Dragon in snow.

No, it cleanly erased everything.

‘Get up, you fools.’

At Guigokja’s words, the members of the Black Shadow Corps, who had been floundering on the ground, regained their senses and got up.

The Death Knights and liches, who had been standing still, began to walk forward again.

‘Tsk, tsk, these are supposed to be top experts? I can see how much the Jianghu [a term referring to the community of martial artists and heroes] has declined.’

‘Kuh…!’

The members of the Black Shadow Corps glared resentfully at Guigokja’s sarcasm, but none dared to defy him and followed behind the undead.

The opponent was Guigokja, who had built a reputation as a mad sorcerer.

If they displeased him, they could become his playthings until they died.

‘Should I just turn these guys into zombies like those Jiangshi [Chinese hopping vampires] up ahead? Then it would be easier for your master to achieve his great ambition.’

At Guigokja’s chilling suggestion, Kwan Chang shook his head.

‘There are things that only living people can do. Please, calm your mood and help us. Didn’t you come here to enjoy yourself in the first place?’

‘Hmm, that’s right. I came all the way here to have some fun.’

Guigokja had not received any payment for being hired by Hwangbo Gwang.

He had simply come because he thought it would be fun to ruthlessly destroy the Zhuge family’s formations, known as the best sorcery family in the Jianghu, and to set fire to the shrine of Zhuge Myung, a genius inventor and the most powerful sorcerer in history.

It was a kind of ambition.

‘By the way, was it called the Great Heavenly Demonic Soul-Extinguishing Formation? It’s more troublesome than I thought. It keeps getting restored instead of being destroyed at once.’

Sorcery formations, like magic circles, had very complex and delicate structures.

Because of this, even if only a part of it was destroyed by exploiting its weaknesses, the formation would not function properly.

But the Great Heavenly Demonic Soul-Extinguishing Formation was different.

Even if a part of it was destroyed, the sorcerers would quickly step in to reinforce it, allowing it to continue to function.

Because of this, the Black Shadow Corps had been unable to break into the Zhuge family’s main estate and had been repeatedly deceived by the illusions of the formation.

‘But there’s a limit to how long they can hold out. I wonder how long they can maintain the formation?’

Guigokja knew.

That the power of the Great Heavenly Demonic Soul-Extinguishing Formation was gradually weakening.

It seemed that the Zhuge family’s sorcerers were stepping in to reinforce it every time he destroyed it, but they were unable to restore it completely.

‘Seeing that, it might be that the family head, Zhuge Mun, is away.’

‘That’s good news for us!’

‘Hehehe! Of course, it’s good news. Let’s turn the shrine into ashes before Zhuge Mun arrives.’

As the Black Shadow Corps got closer, the Zhuge family’s retainers were moving busily to prepare countermeasures.

‘The enemies have broken through the third gate and are approaching the second gate.’

‘Chief Qingying, we can’t hold out like this!’

At the reports from the head steward and his subordinates, the woman called Chief Qingying bit her lip in frustration.

‘Why does this have to happen when my brother is away!’

Her name was Zhuge Soha.

She was Zhuge Mun’s younger sister.

She was in Nanjing gathering information as the head of the family’s intelligence organization, Qingyingbang, and had returned to the main family after being summoned by Zhuge Mun.

She had already heard about Jo Won-rak and expected that the family would soon be in trouble.

Even if he was an enemy, she knew that Jo Won-rak would try to assassinate them somehow before returning to the imperial palace.

But the enemies were attacking too boldly and confidently.

To attack the main estate of a prestigious martial arts family in broad daylight!

Moreover, what was even more shocking was that the person breaking through the family’s Great Heavenly Demonic Soul-Extinguishing Formation was the infamous Guigokja.

‘I knew he was a powerful sorcerer, but I never thought he would be this strong.’

At the current rate, they wouldn’t be able to hold out for even an hour.

They wouldn’t be able to stop them until Zhuge Mun returned.

‘Soha, there’s no point in cowering any longer.’

‘My brother is right. Let’s crush them before they break into the main estate!’

The ones arguing to fight back were Zhuge Mun’s cousins and elders of the Zhuge family, Zhuge Shin and Zhuge Do.

Known by the aliases of the Wind and Moon Sword Master and the Flame King’s One Blade, respectively, they were top experts who supported the Zhuge family and had broken their closed-door training after hearing the news of the enemy’s attack.

‘Even though the family head is away, the three of us should be able to defeat them.’

‘Even if we exclude Hui, who is injured, there is Hwangbo Sung, who is rumored to be the reincarnation of the Fist King. And there’s also Moku…’

At the two men’s claims, Zhuge Soha shook her head.

‘I’m sorry, but the enemies are more dangerous than you think.’

She was currently trying to assess the enemy’s strength while holding them back.

Knowing the enemy and knowing yourself, you will not be defeated in a hundred battles.

The masked men, who were only large in number, were not a problem.

But Guigokja, who was destroying the Great Heavenly Demonic Soul-Extinguishing Formation, was a truly dangerous person.

Also, the Jiangshi they were leading seemed difficult to deal with unless one was at least a top expert.

‘There are not only formations but also various traps and mechanisms installed at the second and first gates. We must exhaust them as much as possible before we step forward…’

It was when she had said this much. A messenger ran up and shouted.

‘Chief Qingying, the enemies have broken into the main estate!’

‘What!’

The urgent report made Zhuge Soha jump in surprise. How long had it been since they received the report that the third gate had been breached, and already the enemies were invading the main estate? ‘This is absurd! How did they break through the second and first gates?’ ‘It seems we have no other choice,’ Zhuge Shin stated, and Soha no longer hesitated. There was nowhere left to retreat. If they hesitated any longer, the clan would be brutally violated, and the Third Prince, Jo Won-rak, would be killed. ‘Understood. Let’s go and engage them immediately.’ Soha, wielding her Mandarin Duck Twin Swords, led her subordinates along with the two men to fight against the invaders. Though she didn’t show it, she was fervently hoping that the family head, Zhuge Mun, would arrive as soon as possible. 3 ‘Heh heh heh. Look at them, so surprised…’ Guigokja, who had broken through the second and first gates in an instant, sneered at the bewildered martial artists and sorcerers of the Zhuge Clan. The reason he could easily pass through the two gates was that he had completely grasped the Great Heavenly Demonic Soul-Extinguishing Formation [a powerful magical barrier] while passing through the previous gates. Before he had fully understood it, the Zhuge Clan’s sorcerers had been able to restore the formation. However, after grasping it, he had instantly collapsed the core of the formation, leaving the sorcerers helpless. ‘Well, I have to admit they’re impressive. I didn’t think it would take this long to destroy the formation.’ As expected of Zhuge Mun, who was known to be his equal in sorcery. If it had been any other sorcerer, they would never have been able to break the Great Heavenly Demonic Soul-Extinguishing Formation. In any case, having put in the effort to invade the Zhuge Clan, he intended to thoroughly wreak havoc. ‘Kuhahaha. I’ll smash everything to pieces!’ However, Guigokja’s plan was thwarted. The northern continent’s Jiangshi [reanimated corpses] had taken the initiative. Keeeooooh! Kekekeke! ‘Kuaaak!’ ‘Kehk!’ ‘Be, be careful! The enemy’s Jiangshi possess peak-level martial prowess!’ The Zhuge Clan’s martial artists were helplessly pushed back by the Jiangshi. The 30 Death Knights and Liches were incredibly powerful, and the Black Shadow Unit provided relentless support, allowing them to run rampant. In an instant, over a hundred martial artists and sorcerers were killed, and more than twice that number were injured. However, the situation was prevented from becoming the worst by the addition of Qingying’s leader, Zhuge Soha, Zhuge Shin, and Zhuge Do, who led their subordinates. ‘Don’t retreat! Reorganize the ranks! Sorcerers, tend to the wounded and support the martial artists!’ Under Zhuge Soha’s command, the martial artists formed new sword formations, and the sorcerers summoned thorny vines with talismans to disrupt the enemy’s ranks, while also chanting spells to heal wounds and boost morale. Of course, the Black Shadow Unit didn’t just stand by and watch. They tried to rush in and inflict massive damage before the Zhuge Clan could reorganize their ranks. However, Zhuge Soha and the two peak experts unleashed their sword energy, blocking their attacks. ‘Kuhuhuhuk!’ ‘Be, be careful, it’s the Wind Moon Sword Master, Zhuge Shin!’ ‘The Yama’s Blade has appeared too!’ ‘Damn it, leave them to the Jiangshi and retreat!’ Surprised by the appearance of the peak experts, the Black Shadow Unit retreated, and the Death Knights and Liches took over. The undead, whose combat power was comparable to peak experts, had the numerical advantage. However, Zhuge Soha, Zhuge Shin, and Zhuge Do struggled against the magic and dark magic onslaught from the 30 undead, but they did not easily give ground. ‘Be careful. The sorcery of those rag-clad things is extremely dangerous!’ ‘We know that!’ Unlike Zhuge Hwi, who had fought recklessly, they were well aware of the Death Knights and Liches. A few days ago, Zhuge Hwi, Hwangbo Sung, and Luke had provided information about the undead’s combat abilities and weaknesses. The information they provided had already been shared with the important martial artists and members of the Zhuge Clan. Nevertheless, the heavy casualties earlier occurred because Guigokja had destroyed the formation earlier than expected. ‘They’re fighting better than I thought? As expected, the experts of the Zhuge Clan are different.’ Guigokja, who had been leisurely watching the fight, exclaimed in admiration at the peak experts’ struggle. ‘But those Jiangshi don’t tire or die. They won’t last long.’ ‘Well, it seems they know that too.’ As Guigokja said, refuting Kwan Chang’s words, the three experts were not just fighting to hold out. The moment they lured the undead to one side and retreated, huge figures broke through the walls from the rear and trampled the undead. Kwan Chang frowned at the sight. ‘Tch, when did they…!’ Hwangbo Sung was leading the rampaging Moku [large, powerful beasts]. He had stayed behind at the Zhuge Clan instead of following Luke to get his Moku checked by a sorcerer. When the Black Shadow Unit attacked, Zhuge Hwi, who had taken Jo Won-rak to a cave in the rocky mountain, asked Hwangbo Sung to fight in his stead, as he was injured. Hwangbo Sung readily accepted the request and met Zhuge Soha’s group on his way to fight. And they had planned to join forces at a crucial moment to deal a fatal blow to the enemy. Now was the time for that counterattack. ‘Now! Everyone, attack!’ ‘Uwooooo!’ The Zhuge Clan, led by five Moku, including the one Hwangbo Sung was riding, fiercely pushed back the enemies. With the sudden counterattack, the Black Shadow Unit’s ranks collapsed, and the damage began to increase exponentially. ‘At this rate, they’ll be annihilated.’ Even if not the undead, his subordinates, the Black Shadow Unit, seemed likely to suffer heavy losses. Kwan Chang, watching the changed tide of the battle with a serious expression, looked at Guigokja. ‘…’ Guigokja was not someone who wouldn’t know what his gaze was expecting. He had probably expected some move to resolve this crisis, but he didn’t step forward as he had when destroying the formation. ‘Heh heh heh. Wait and see. Something interesting is about to happen.’ As Guigokja said, the remaining undead, except for the seven that had been destroyed by the Moku’s surprise attack, launched a counterattack. The five Liches, who had been watching the Moku, chanted strange spells in voices that sounded like scratching glass. Sssssss! The Liches’ bodies turned into smoke and seeped into the 18 Death Knights. As they absorbed the Liches, a thick, gray magic began to rise from the Death Knights’ bodies. ‘What is this?’ The moment Hwangbo Sung flinched, the magic emitted by the Death Knights turned into black beams and spread in all directions. Flash! F, Flash! ‘Wh, what is this?’ ‘Dodge it, uwaaaak!’ In an instant, martial artists and sorcerers near the undead were pierced by the magic. Those who barely managed to avoid the attack wore expressions of shock. ‘Th, this kind of despicable sorcery…!’ ‘No, it seems we’re not the only ones who were hit.’ As Zhuge Shin said, the Black Shadow Unit was also hit by the beam attack. No, since they were closer to the undead than the Zhuge Clan’s martial artists, the damage suffered by the Black Shadow Unit was much greater. Even the leader, Kwan Chang, and those around him were almost hit, but they barely managed to avoid the crisis thanks to the barrier Guigokja created with his sorcery. ‘Are these guys crazy!’ ‘It seems they needed food.’ ‘Food?’ At Kwan Chang’s question, Guigokja pointed to the corpses pierced by the magic beams. The corpses, drained of life, withered like mummies, while the Death Knights’ bodies were growing at an alarming rate. ‘Th, this is…!’ Kueeeooooh! The enlarged Death Knights were almost as big as the Moku. The Zhuge Clan, as well as the Black Shadow Unit and Guigokja, were speechless at their transformed appearance. They had never seen or heard of Jiangshi that grew by absorbing the life force of humans. ‘Hmph, you think I’ll be scared just because you got bigger!’ A martial artist controlling a Moku bravely charged forward and threw a straight punch. Thud! The Moku’s powerful blow pierced the Death Knight’s body. ‘Hehehe. It’s nothing…’ The martial artist, who had a triumphant smile, was bewildered when his arm, which had thrown the punch, didn’t come out. ‘Th, this! Let go, you monster!’ The martial artist threw a series of punches, but the Death Knight didn’t budge. Instead, the Death Knight counterattacked. The Death Knight, wielding the magic that emanated from its fingertips like a sword, sliced through the Moku’s head and the martial artist riding it in one go. ‘This is bad!’ ‘No, Young Master Hwangbo! You mustn’t rush in recklessly!’ When Hwangbo Sung tried to charge at the Death Knights, Zhuge Soha hurriedly stopped him. The enemy outnumbered their Moku by far, and they didn’t know the combat abilities of the enlarged ones. Her judgment was that they needed to respond calmly, but the Moku that Hwangbo Sung was riding had already jumped over her head, blocking her way. ‘Vanish, you filthy demons!’ Bang! The head of the Death Knight at the front was blown off by the Three Thunder God Fist that Hwangbo Sung unleashed. As the lightning-infused punches continued to explode, three more Death Knights fell. However, just as Hwangbo Sung, who had gained the upper hand, was about to continue his attack, the magic that extended from the hands of the fallen Death Knights wrapped around the Moku’s ankles and body. ‘Tch, these bastards!’ ‘Young Master Hwangbo!’ The martial artists riding the remaining Moku rushed to save Hwangbo Sung, but they were blocked by other Death Knights. Hwangbo Sung struggled to break free. However, he couldn’t shake off the magic that was wrapped around his ankles and body. The more he struggled, the tighter it became. At that moment, he saw a Death Knight aiming a magic sword at him. ‘Damn it, do I have to abandon the Moku here…’ No matter how precious the Moku was, it was not more precious than his life. The moment Hwangbo Sung decided to escape, purple lightning fell from the sky in succession. Crash! Kwakwakwang! The Death Knights around him, including the one that had tried to attack Hwangbo Sung, were severely damaged by the powerful lightning strikes and fell to the ground. Shortly after, the one who had unleashed the lightning appeared. A silver steel giant with a purple light swirling around it. Hwangbo Sung, who knew well who was inside, was delighted. ‘My Lord!’ ‘Hehehe. Did you wait long?’ Luke, who had just entered the battlefield, slowly drew his greatsword. He pointed the tip of his sword at the Death Knights, who were staggering to their feet. ‘I will send you to the afterlife. You who cannot die even in death.’ Luke, uttering the terms he had picked up here, charged towards the Death Knights. 4 ‘What is that?’ Guigokja, who had been watching the fight between the Death Knights and the Moku with interest, looked puzzled at the sudden appearance of the steel giant. ‘That is a combat weapon used by the northerners called a Gigant…’ As Kwan Chang tried to explain in detail, Guigokja immediately interrupted him with a rebuke. ‘Did you think I wouldn’t know that? I’m asking who the guy inside is.’ At those words, Kwan Chang quietly turned his head away. He didn’t know that the Zhuge Clan had a Gigant, and he certainly didn’t know who the Gigant rider was. ‘Honestly, these guys can’t do anything right.’ He clicked his tongue at Kwan Chang and turned his head back towards the Gigant. The steel giant was emitting golden aura from its greatsword and slicing through the Death Knights one by one. ‘That’s a strange one. The lightning he unleashed just now was clearly the power of the cursed demons called the Mazoku [demonic beings], but now he’s emitting the anti-demon energy that the Sejonkyo [a religious sect] monks use…’ Although it was not known to the world, Guigokja had once obtained a heretical sorcery book and experimented with their summoning techniques himself. The being he summoned by sacrificing hundreds of fire field farmers from the border was a ferocious bull-headed Mazoku. That Mazoku, who called himself the general of the demon realm, Kauren, was furious at Guigokja’s words that he had summoned him just out of curiosity, and he rampaged, scattering black lightning everywhere. ‘Hmm, I almost died back then. If the old sword immortal who was hiding nearby hadn’t sacrificed himself to chase him away, the entire Jianghu [the martial world] would have been reduced to ashes…’ A human who wielded the same power as that ferocious Mazoku had appeared. Judging by the fact that he was handling the Gigant, a weapon from the northern continent, he was presumed to be a northerner. ‘Moreover, he’s skilled not only in swordsmanship but also in magic.’ A moment ago, the steel giant had almost been wrapped in the magic that the Death Knights had released, just like Hwangbo Sung. However, he had lightly dodged it with blink magic and then burned it black with fire magic. ‘He’s an amazing guy. Judging by his voice, he seems young, but the spiritual energy I feel is like that of a veteran who has been through countless battles… Did he undergo a Reversal of Youth like me?’ In any case, he was quite an interesting fellow. That interest stimulated Guigokja’s fighting spirit. His body was itching to do more than just watch, so he decided to fight Luke once. ‘Come forth, my loyal servant!’ When Guigokja took out a specially made talisman from his pocket and threw it, a huge fire dragon appeared in the air. The fire dragon, which emitted scorching heat with every movement, spewed flames at the test machine that Luke was riding. Kwaaaaaa—! ‘What is that?’ When a sudden flame attack came, Luke lifted the Death Knight he had just stabbed in the chest with his greatsword and used it to block the flames. The heat was so intense that the Death Knight melted in an instant, and even the test machine’s greatsword and armor turned red-hot. ‘My Lord, are you alright?’ Hwangbo Sung, who was helping Luke to eliminate the Death Knights, was startled and asked about his well-being.

Luke, nodding to the test machine to signal he was okay, gave instructions to Hwangbo Sung.

‘Hwangbo Sung, there aren’t many Death Knights left. You and the Zhuge family’s wooden puppets should be able to handle them.’

‘Then what about you, my lord?’

‘I’ll deal with that one.’

Luke glared at the Flame Dragon… no, at the one who summoned it.

Guigokja, who had somehow climbed onto the Flame Dragon’s head, spoke to Luke in fluent Rhodisian.

‘I am Guigokja, an emissary of the Jade Emperor. Who are you riding there?’

‘What is this crazy guy?’

Having learned about the customs, culture, and knowledge of the South while staying with the Zhuge family, Luke knew who the Jade Emperor was.

In Rhodisian terms, the Jade Emperor was similar to the chief god Elkasel, and his emissary was a representative of the god, like an angel.

A messenger of god should have a divine aura, but he felt none from this guy.

Rather, his gleaming eyes and the murky aura emanating from his body felt chaotic.

‘He seems out of his mind, but he’s still powerful, so I can’t underestimate him.’

Luke was fighting by amplifying his magic and gold aura with Gigant.

His combat power was several times greater than when he was in his normal state.

He was confident that he could easily annihilate even a giant Death Knight, so ordinary attacks wouldn’t work on him, but the previous blow was different.

If he had taken it head-on, the test machine would have been destroyed, and his life might have been in danger.

‘Are you deaf? I asked who you are!’

Guigokja shouted, pressing him, and Luke chuckled and opened his mouth. He had figured out how to introduce himself.

‘I am the Azure-Eyed Immortal.’

‘What? Azure-Eyed Immortal?’

In fact, the Azure-Eyed Immortal was a local god of the Song Empire who was in charge of the good and bad fortunes of humans.

The Azure-Eyed Immortal was said to have blue eyes that could see through the heart, and the mountain people of Choksan, who had witnessed Luke’s blue eyes and the miracle of reviving the Ironwood, believed him to be the real Azure-Eyed Immortal.

However, Guigokja, who did not know these circumstances, was simply dumbfounded.

‘Are you daring to mock me?’

‘Hahahaha. You’re worse, you fraud, claiming to be a messenger of the heavens. I shall personally deliver divine punishment!’

Luke, having introduced himself to match the level of the madman, immediately launched Thunder Bringer.

Since the guy was unusually skilled, he decided to go all out from the start.

Kwarurung! Kwakwang—!

‘Kuh, is that Kauren’s lightning!’

Guigokja hastily threw a talisman to block the purple lightning that seemed to tear the Flame Dragon apart.

In the meantime, Luke, who had appeared in front of the Flame Dragon with Blink, swung down his greatsword imbued with gold aura.

Just before being hit by the greatsword, Guigokja and the Flame Dragon disappeared into the air as if they had been extinguished.

‘I can do teleportation too.’

‘……!’

Guigokja, who appeared behind Luke, used the Flame Dragon to spew flames.

Luke, who quickly dodged the flames, concentrated his magic on the fingertips of the test machine and fired a Thousand Bullets.

Peeng! Ping! Ping! Ping!

‘Oh, dangerous! Dangerous!’

Guigokja, who dodged or blocked the hundreds of purple bullets that poured down, sprinkled water from a gourd he took out of his sleeve into the air.

Chwaak—!

‘I can do similar things too!’

The water droplets, reacting to Guigokja’s energy, poured down on the test machine like a rain shower.

At first, Luke thought about blocking it with his greatsword or gauntlets, but he decided to dodge it for now. He didn’t know what kind of tricks might be hidden in the water droplets.

Chiiik!

Sure enough, the surface of the greatsword, which had been grazed by the rain, was riddled with holes, accompanied by white smoke.

The water droplets had pierced through steel.

‘Kuh, you’re quite skilled.’

‘You too.’

The two, having exchanged compliments, began to fight fiercely again.

The Zhuge family members watched in awe as they exchanged various spells and magic in the air.

‘Amazing. To fight on par with Guigokja’s sorcery, who is called the strongest in the Jianghu [a term referring to the martial arts world]!’

Zhuge Soha couldn’t help but be impressed.

As far as she knew, the only sorcerer who could match Guigokja was Zhuge Mun.

However, even Zhuge Mun could not easily use such destructive sorcery.

He was more talented in building formations or creating sorcery tools like wooden puppets than in fighting directly.

‘Oh, right, the enemies…?’

Lost in the fight above, Zhuge Soha had momentarily forgotten that some of the Death Knights and Black Shadow Unit were still left.

Fortunately, the remaining Death Knights were being fiercely pushed back by Hwangbo Sung and the warriors riding the wooden puppets.

Eventually, as if they couldn’t take it anymore, Gwan Chang and the surviving members of the Black Shadow Unit turned tail and ran away.

‘Clan Leader, the surviving enemies are fleeing.’

‘Pursue them. Try to capture them alive, if possible.’

At her subordinate’s report, she immediately gave instructions.

She had a rough idea of who was behind the attack on the Third Prince, but such matters required solid evidence or witnesses.

‘I’ll go and catch them. How dare they try to run after putting our main family in this state? I can’t forgive them!’

Zhuge Do stepped forward, grinding his teeth.

In this attack, the Zhuge family’s pride, the Great Heavenly Demonic Soul Annihilation Formation, was destroyed, and one-third of their forces were damaged.

Since the founding of the family, there had never been such great damage to the main family.

‘Please, Brother Do.’

As Zhuge Do left with his subordinates, Soha turned her gaze back to the sky.

Kuang! Kwang! Kwang!

The fight between Luke and Guigokja was still going on fiercely.

‘Fly like a butterfly and sting like a bee!’

The pieces of paper that Guigokja threw turned into white butterflies and flew towards Luke’s test machine.

The butterflies, fluttering, suddenly turned red and exploded.

The power was so strong that it dented the thick Gigant armor.

If it had been a direct hit, he would have suffered tremendous damage.

‘Kuh… for a bee sting, that’s too strong.’

‘Don’t whine. I’ll show you something even stronger.’

Guigokja placed his hand on the head of the Flame Dragon he was riding.

Then, the red Flame Dragon turned into a pure white light. Along with that, the heat emitted by the Flame Dragon became even stronger.

‘Rampage, my loyal servant!’

At Guigokja’s command, the Flame Dragon glared at Luke and began to spew flames again.

But this time, the flames were different from before.

Ultra-high temperature flames that could melt steel into molten metal in an instant rose into the sky.

‘Hmph, no matter how hot it is, I can just dodge it!’

Luke’s body, which was about to dodge leisurely using Fly and Blink magic, suddenly stopped.

He could have dodged it easily, but he couldn’t. If he dodged here, the flames would fall on the Zhuge family on the ground.

If that happened, countless people would be reduced to ashes.

‘Hehehe. What will you do, Azure-Eyed Immortal?’

‘Damn it, you despicable bastard!’

Luke, gritting his teeth at Guigokja’s sneer, pulled his magic to the maximum and blocked the flames.

‘Ice Barrier!’

Chiiiiiiik!

At the moment the ultra-high temperature flames and the ice barrier met, a lot of steam rose.

‘Hmph, I knew you would block it like that.’

Taking advantage of the obscured vision from the steam, Guigokja took out a red twig from his sleeve and threw it.

The twig, flying in a large semicircle, pierced the side armor of the test machine Luke was riding.

The twig that had pierced it began to take root and sprout stems at a terrifying speed, and in an instant, it was binding Gigant tightly.

‘This is…!’

Luke, surprised, tried to move the test machine, but it didn’t budge.

It was as if he was entangled in a strong steel net.

‘Hehehe. It’s called Red Blood Wood. Its seeds attach to living things, take root, and grow by sucking their life force. When processed with sorcery, it becomes a good weapon.’

As Guigokja said, the thicker the roots and stems of the Red Blood Wood became, the more the core engine’s output continued to drop.

Not only that, but Luke’s mana was also being sucked away.

‘How is it? You can’t move anymore, can you? If I wanted to, I could subdue that steel giant anytime.’

‘Can’t move? That’s a joke!’

If swordsmanship or magic didn’t work, he could use the power of the demons.

Puddeudeuk!

As Luke activated his Build Up ability, the joints and frame of the test machine were strengthened in conjunction with it, and the core engine output, which had been dropping, was amplified in an instant.

With that amplified power, Luke instantly broke free from the Red Blood Wood’s restraints and slashed at the Flame Dragon with a surprise gold aura attack.

Swish!

The Flame Dragon, its head and body separated, quickly vanished.

‘Next is your neck.’

At Luke’s threat, Guigokja, who had taken refuge in the air using sorcery, grinned.

He had been careless and allowed a blow just now, but he had other sorcery and summoned beasts.

‘Well, will it be that easy?’

‘I think it will be easy.’

The one who answered Guigokja was not Luke.

Guigokja, startled, turned his head and saw a scholar with a clear and refined impression.

The sorcery flowing from his body was so immense that Guigokja was taken aback.

‘Z, Zhuge Mun?’

‘That’s right. I am Zhuge Mun.’

Zhuge Mun, who had arrived at the family with Luke using teleportation magic earlier, had been delayed in appearing because he was checking on Jo Wonrak’s safety.

‘Guigokja, you will be punished for disturbing the Jianghu and mocking the imperial family.’

Zhuge Mun took out two palm-sized bells from his sleeve and threw them at Guigokja.

Ting-a-ling! Ting-a-ling!

‘Hmph! What do you think you’re going to do with that…’

Guigokja’s expression froze as he was about to sneer.

The two bells that had flown above his head and below his feet instantly grew in size and trapped him inside.

Guigokja, belatedly surprised, used sorcery to escape, but only the talismans burned, and it had no effect.

‘Kuh! Zhuge Mun, you bastard!’

‘Eun-gong, now!’

At Zhuge Mun’s shout, Luke swung his greatsword at Guigokja, who was trapped inside the two bells.

Kwang!

‘Kuaaak!’

The gold aura that rose from the greatsword cut through the bells and Guigokja.

Luke and Zhuge Mun saw Guigokja, who had been horribly cut in half, inside the shattered bells.

However, the two, who were checking the body, soon showed signs of bewilderment.

With a pop, the body turned into a broken broom.

‘This is…!’

‘Unfortunately, it seems he has escaped.’

‘He’s a truly remarkable guy. To avoid that one blow and even escape.’

Unlike Zhuge Mun, who had heard of Guigokja’s elusive abilities, Luke couldn’t easily hide his bewildered expression.

It was the first time that someone had escaped by deceiving his eyes with such a strange method.

‘I guess I can leave the pursuit to the Zhuge family.’

Thinking so, Luke came down to the ground and began to treat the injured.

Although the aftermath was not clean, the attack on the Zhuge family seemed to end with the annihilation of the Death Knights and the escape of Guigokja.

‘Kuh!’

In a forest about 20 li [approximately 6 miles] away from the Zhuge family.

A young man, suddenly tearing through space, appeared, clutching his blood-stained chest.

The young man, taking out a bamboo tube from his waist, poured the green liquid inside onto the wound on his chest.

Then, with white smoke and bubbling blood, the wound, which had even exposed the bone, healed cleanly.

‘Kuh, that was a formidable guy.’

The young man, no, Guigokja, grinding his teeth, recalled the Gigant that had dealt him a painful blow earlier.

Heaven above and earth below, I alone am the honored one!

Until now, he had been singing that there was no one in the Jianghu who could defeat him.

But to be defeated by an unheard-of northerner and have to run away with his tail between his legs.

‘He might even be stronger than the high-ranking demon Kauren. But today’s defeat was because I was careless.’

A sorcerer becomes stronger as they prepare.

The more they prepare, the more summoned beasts they can control, and the more powerful their sorcery becomes.

Therefore, even if they are a master who is one or two levels above them, they can easily defeat them if they prepare thoroughly.

But this time, he had been negligent in his preparation.

He had assumed that once he broke the Great Heavenly Demonic Soul Annihilation Formation, the rest would be taken care of by the zombies and the Black Shadow Unit, so he had not prepared for direct combat.

And he had also secretly looked down on the Zhuge family.

‘Puddeudeuk, I don’t know who he is, but I’ll find him and repay him for today’s defeat!’

Although he didn’t even know his face, he would soon find out who his opponent was if he investigated.

The eccentric and selfish Guigokja had his own principles when it came to settling grudges.

He would simply ignore or casually repay favors, but he had to repay grudges a hundred or a thousand times to feel satisfied.

The reason why the once-prosperous Mo Yong family fell into ruin 20 years ago after being falsely accused of treason was because the young master had not recognized him at an inn and had committed a minor act of rudeness.

‘Wait! I will definitely find you and repay you a thousand or ten thousand times over. Kehahahahat!’

Guigokja, imagining the scene of his satisfying revenge, laughed so loudly that the forest shook and headed somewhere.