Emperor’s Sword [EN]: Chapter 24

25. Attack All at Once!

As he watched the brilliant sunset light on the tips of the plum branches, engraving the scene in his mind, Pa Cheon felt a sudden stirring. It wasn’t just the beauty of the sunset; there was something else, something hidden beneath the surface. He stopped walking. Sometimes, the most ordinary scenes can be the most striking. This was one of those times. Pa Cheon’s eyes were drawn to a slender plum branch, bathed in the red glow of the setting sun. It looked like blood blooming from a sword, or perhaps the very essence of sword energy. Pa Cheon stood still, gazing at the sunset, while the Mad Demon Lord watched him. Neither of them spoke. A brief moment stretched out like an eternity.

“Let’s go,” the Mad Demon Lord said.

If not for those words, Pa Cheon might have stood there forever, lost in the view. He turned his head to look at the Mad Demon Lord, and after a long pause, he finally spoke.

“Mad Demon Lord!”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

“If it were possible, could a sword create such a scene?”

“Hmm…”

“Heavenly Demon!”

-What is it?

“If it were you… the old you, could you cover a wide area with sword energy, like the way the twilight spreads out?”

-It’s possible. There are differences in degree, but isn’t that what all masters at the peak can do? Sword energy, sword flowers, sword dance, they’re all the same in essence. Of course, the area they cover varies depending on the depth of internal energy and sword mastery…

“That’s not what I mean… I’m asking if sword energy that covers a vast land like that sunset can exert the power of sword force? Covering people, trees, and grasslands, but also being able to become a deadly force or… in other words, being able to selectively attack or exclude targets, is that possible?”

=Amitabha! That is a level of swordsmanship I’ve never heard of before.

-Well, if it’s as you describe… that’s the realm of natural sword. [A state where the sword’s power is in harmony with nature].

“That’s the natural sword?”

-Yes, that’s the natural sword. There is form within the formless, and sword energy hidden within nature. It takes the form and power of nature, and is controlled by the will of the wielder. Sword energy that can create a fog to cover the land, and with your will, you can kill or spare your opponent… that is beyond the stage of formless sword. To put it simply, even I wasn’t at that level.

“Is that so?”

-But why are you suddenly talking nonsense?

“It just occurred to me…”

While Pa Cheon was talking with the Heavenly Demon, he and the Mad Demon Lord had arrived at the familiar hut. In front of the hut, he saw the five people from before and six new faces. Each of them had a unique personality, and judging by their aura, they seemed to be at the stage just before reaching the Extreme Demon Realm [A realm of martial arts mastery], having surpassed the Demonic Realm. These were not people one would easily find in the martial world. At the very least, they had achieved the level of a sect leader.

“Why are there only eleven?”

The Mad Demon Lord frowned, his voice laced with displeasure. Yet, they remained calm, even letting out a few sneers.

“Hmm? Oh! Look at this. One of them wasn’t missing, but was hiding. A master so skilled that I couldn’t easily sense him…”

Pa Cheon gave a meaningless smile at the Mad Demon Lord’s words. He slowly scanned each of their faces, as if trying to memorize them. Each time his gaze lingered on one of the Twelve Demonic Disciples, their bodies trembled slightly. His gaze left the eleventh person and landed on the roof of the hut, causing everyone’s eyes to widen in shock, which quickly turned into strong denial. Then, as if to speak for them, Ok Girin glared at Pa Cheon with a somewhat arrogant look, which Pa Cheon calmly accepted.

“Thank you all for coming. How was it decided?”

His words implied that they had already discussed Pa Cheon amongst themselves, and there was no sign of denial from any of them.

“Who are you?”

“Consistent as always!”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that the questions people ask me are always the same. As you can see, I am just me. What are you asking? My identity? My background? Or my intentions? I am Pa Cheon, and I have come to take you as my subordinates. Do I need to give you a more sufficient reason than that? You just need to tell me what you want and what you will accept. If you think I am not worthy to have you as subordinates, then refuse. If you think I am worthy, then accept. Is there anything else to say? And you, on the roof! You must be Mu Young Jon, right? You seem to be the leader of this group… Don’t you know that hiding and watching is impolite?”

Sss sss sss

A hazy mist swirled in front of the Demonic Disciples, but it didn’t give off any sense of being human. The mist was undulating, and it was speaking.

“You say you will take us as your subordinates? You are not a member of the Heavenly Demon Sect…”

At those words, everyone’s eyes widened in surprise, but they quickly regained their composure.

‘Just by looking at Mu Young Jon, one can fully grasp the power of the Heavenly Demon Sect. Their evaluation of them is actually lacking. At least Mu Young Jon has reached the Extreme Demon Realm.’

“As you said, I am… not an internal member of the Heavenly Demon Sect. But that doesn’t mean I have no connection to it…”

“I don’t know what you mean, and I don’t need to know… but one thing is clear. We all share the same goal, and if you want to take us all as your subordinates, you must pass two tests. Will you still do it?”

“Is that even a question? I hate dragging things out. What are the conditions?”

“Even Red Yang Demon Lord gave up on the idea of taking us as subordinates after hearing my words. From what I see, you also seem to be a rare master… but not enough to have us as subordinates.”

“You talk too much. Get to the point.”

“The first is that you must be a master strong enough to defeat six of us.”

“And the second?”

Pa Cheon’s calm response surprised the eleven who were watching.

“The second… is even more difficult. You must be the leader of the Heavenly Demon Sect.”

“Is that all? Haha, the second condition… it seems to be an expression of your loyalty to the Heavenly Demon Sect, that even if an outsider is strong enough to defeat six of you, you will never become his subordinates. Very well. The first condition can be tested now… and the second condition, we’ll see how it goes.”

The Twelve Demonic Disciples were dumbfounded by his confident attitude! The first condition could be a reaction from someone who was overconfident in their skills, but the second condition was something that was impossible to achieve. In the end, Mu Young Jon’s words were a subtle way of saying that no matter what, you cannot take us as your subordinates, but he accepted it without hesitation, as if he already knew it. And so, the conditions were set.

“Does it have to be six of you?”

“Are you scared?”

At Mu Young Jon’s words, a sneer appeared on the faces of Ok Girin and the other eleven.

“I… I want to fight all twelve of you.”

…

No one spoke. Or rather, they couldn’t speak. It was as if speaking would shatter their minds, which were already filled with shock and confusion. They tightly shut their mouths.

“……Are you serious?”

“Begin.”

“Isn’t that… a madman? Captain! Let’s just ignore him and go. Now that I see it, he’s just a delusional guy whose fantasies are through the roof. Hey, what are you doing? Let’s scatter and go train, shall we? Ah. You’re not going?”

It was the Black Masked Divine Hand who was quick-tempered. He was also the third oldest after Mu Young Jon and Gui Rang. Even so, he was only 37 years old…

The Twelve Demonic Disciples, from the oldest Mu Young Jon to the youngest Gyeong Hon Gwi Young, were all true martial artists. Whether it was demonic or righteous, there was no problem if they were properly trained. It was always the pseudo-cults that were the problem…

Looking at their profiles, Mu Young Jon (Shadowless Master) Bukgung Hwanju was 40 years old. He had not only mastered the Heavenly Demon Concealment Technique [a technique that allows one to move undetected] to the extreme, but also possessed exceptional talent in 27 types of transcendent agility techniques, footwork, concealment techniques, tracking techniques, and transformation techniques. He was also skilled in Yang-type demonic arts [demonic arts that focus on explosive, outward energy]. Originally, the people of the Bukgung family tended to focus on demonic arts with Yang-type properties. He had mastered the Red Steel Wheel, a powerful Qi technique [a technique that uses internal energy] created by the 5th Sect Leader, and the Demonic Spirit Finger, a finger technique.

Next was Gui Rang (Ghost Wolf) Ya Yul Hon Gyeong, who was 38 years old this year. He was particularly skilled in stealth and assassination techniques. Not much was known about Gui Rang within the sect, but rumors circulated that one of the Four Demon Lords was his father. He took his mother’s surname, so all four were possibilities, but it could just be a rumor. His assassination techniques were not the Ninja Stealth Techniques favored by other assassins, but a combination of the Righteous Fragrant Step, the Ghost Shadow Step of the Ghost Shadow Sect, and the Hidden Form Mystical Art of Dong Young. Based on a high-level stealth technique that could stop breathing, body temperature, heartbeat, and even subtle energy for a certain period, he added a one-hit-kill sword technique, making him capable of killing almost anyone under the heavens if he set his mind to it.

The Black Masked Divine Hand, Bukgung Sa Hyeol, was 37 years old this year, a giant of 8 feet tall with a dark face. He was rumored to have achieved the Diamond Body by focusing on the external martial art called the Crushing Force Black Diamond, which had no set forms. At least, unless one was a master of the Extreme Demon Realm or higher, it would be difficult to inflict even a scratch on him.

Wol Young (Moon Shadow) Gu Yang Wol Rang was also 37 years old, like the Black Masked Divine Hand. While most of the Gu Yang family were skilled in poison, he specialized in sound-based martial arts. He always sat on the ridge and played the flute on moonlit nights. It was said that many women had sleepless nights because of his flute music over the past 20 years. The sound-based martial arts he unleashed with his inner energy had the mystical effects of soul-capturing, blood-point breaking, and long-range attacks. His Sound of Blood Heart Melody was truly a masterpiece. One drawback was that it had no power against those with stronger inner energy than him.

Sa Mireuk (Death Maitreya) Bukgung Sa Hon shaved his head like a monk and wore a red robe. He was an unusual person who had a black tiger tattooed on his shaved head. He was 36 years old this year, and his martial arts were mainly based on the strange techniques of the Potala Palace in Tibet and the divine techniques of the Great Thunder Temple in India. He had developed and improved them in his own way, creating an unprecedented martial art called the Maitreya Killing Art. The Maitreya Killing Art involved freely contracting, relaxing, and strengthening joints, bones, blood vessels, nerves, and skin. His arms could stretch out to strike opponents, his fingers could become as sharp as knives, and sometimes he could even catch swords embedded in his body with his flesh. Its power was especially amplified in close combat.

Sura Sword Demon, Damdae Mu Gyo, was 33 years old. He was a madman obsessed with swords, along with the Life and Death Sword. Originally, many swordsmen from the Damdae family were skilled in swordsmanship, and for that reason, many of the Damdae family focused on sword techniques. His signature technique was the Dark Secret Sword, which was so difficult that no one had ever reached 9-star mastery. Since his current level was exactly 9-star, he was expected to achieve great things in the future.

Ok Girin (Jade Kirin) Ya Yul Jeong Hon was 28 years old. He was the most popular man among women in the Heavenly Demon Sect, regardless of age. He always had a gentle smile and his beautiful words, spoken in a soft voice, could even make the most cold-hearted Sword Queen smile. He possessed a martial art that best suited his personality, having mastered the Bare Hand Demonic Art. However, there was a fact known only to the Twelve Demonic Disciples: his true signature technique was the Blue Killing Demonic Art. The reason he rarely used it was because his face would become hideous when he did, which showed his personality.

Go Ru Hyeol Sal (Lonely Tear Blood Kill) Bukgung Sa Yung was 27 years old. He was given this title because he shed a tear and committed murder when his instructor tormented him too much at the age of 14. He had a very kind heart, but when he felt the urge to kill, he would shed tears first. The Blood Killing Qi that he unleashed afterward was terrifying. Once, when the Twelve Demonic Disciples were together, a gust of wind blew dust into his eyes, and naturally, tears flowed. However, his brothers, thinking that his killing intent had been triggered, ran away, which was not a laughing matter.

Gu Yu Sa Gwi (Vengeful Death Ghost) Ya Yul So Hon was 26 years old. He had a complicated past. His mother, Ya Yul Mi Jeong, had a strong attachment to her child and secretly watched him grow up. When he left the training camp and received his first name, his father’s identity was unknown, so he ended up taking his mother’s surname. He also did not know who his mother was. One day, Ya Yul Mi Jeong came to see him secretly and revealed that she was his mother. Gu Yu Sa Gwi did not show any reaction, even scoffing at her. However, at that time, one of the subordinates of the Chaos Demon Lord, who had always favored Ya Yul Mi Jeong, murdered her in her bed, but was not punished due to lack of evidence. He spent his days in anger, regret, and self-blame after hearing the news. It was around the time when the Twelve Demonic Disciples were about to be formed, and Mu Young Jon suggested that they kill the man with their own hands. Although it was a dangerous task since the opponent was a loyal follower of the Chaos Demon Lord, all twelve of them, without exception, simultaneously stabbed him with their swords in a public place. The Chaos Demon Lord was furious and tried to kill them, but they were saved by the Grand Elder, who had been watching them. Their bond became even stronger. That was why his title became Gu Yu Sa Gwi, meaning ‘a death ghost who kills his enemies.’

Saeng Sa Geom (Life and Death Sword) Damdae Mu Gu was 25 years old, another sword demon obsessed with swords. He especially wielded black and white twin swords, using the black sword or the white sword depending on his mood. When he wielded the black sword, death always followed. His Life and Death Strike had never missed its target. He had never used both swords at once, but if he did, there would be less than 30 people in the sect who could withstand him.

Chu Hon Ma Young (Soul Chasing Demon Shadow) Gu Yang Hu Rang, 24 years old, and Gyeong Hon Gwi Young (Soul Startling Ghost Shadow) Gu Yang Hwan Rang, 24 years old.

The two were from the same family, the same age, and always did the same things, so they were always together. However, their killing preferences were very different. Both were confident in their agility techniques, and were the best among the Twelve Demonic Disciples except for Mu Young Jon. Chu Hon Ma Young mainly killed by smashing heads, while Gyeong Hon Gwi Young liked to cut people in half at the waist. If you made enemies with both of them at the same time, it would be difficult to avoid having your head chopped off and your waist cut in half. The Gu Yang family was skilled in poison, so they were considered heretics in that sense. They had a wide range of knowledge in various martial arts, so there was no particular skill they could be called experts in, but they were also skilled in agility techniques and hidden secret techniques, namely poison. This was a fact that no one knew except for the Demonic Disciples.

The characteristics of the Twelve Demonic Disciples were that they were all masters of one or two areas, they were not interested in politics and only focused on improving their martial arts, and they all had one or two hidden secret techniques.

Given who they were, their pride in their martial arts was sky-high. It was already shameful that six of them were attacking at once, but to say that he would fight all twelve of them, how could they take that as the normal words of a sane person? In their own judgment, even if Mu Young Jon, the strongest of the Twelve Demonic Disciples, and one other person joined forces, who in the Heavenly Demon Sect could stand against them? At best, it would be the Grand Protector, the Chief Elder, and among the Four Demon Lords, the Blood Demon and the Red Yang Demon. Even they could not guarantee victory. But to say, ‘Attack all twelve of you!’ It was no wonder that the Black Masked Divine Hand was so agitated. However, Mu Young Jon’s voice was still calm.

“Are you sure it’s okay for all twelve of us to attack? If you accept the result, even if it comes to that… very well. Don’t change your mind later. We will give it our all, and you will surely die. After you die, we will bury your body well. And we will erect a tombstone. With the inscription: ‘A fool who did not know the height of the sky! Died from his recklessness!'”

The Mad Demon Lord’s telepathic message followed.

[Your Excellency! That is too reckless a gamble. There is no need to do that…]

[I have my reasons. With their abilities… I might be able to organize the martial arts that have been swirling in my head while fighting them.]

The Mad Demon Lord shook his head. Was he going to risk his life for such a reason? Of course, if you were to consider individual abilities, there would be no one who could withstand even a single move from the Supreme One, but if it was all twelve of them, the situation would be different. Even the Mad Demon Lord himself was not confident about that.

“There is one thing I must say. I will also do my best, as you are my opponents. I may not be able to hold back, so take care of your own lives. Now, begin!”

Those words from Pa Cheon were like pouring oil on a burning fire and throwing a bomb, stimulating them even more. As expected, the quick-tempered Black Masked Divine Hand charged forward first. Trusting in his Crushing Force Black Diamond, he threw a punch without any technique. It was just a straight punch, but the area around his fist turned pure white, and the sound of the air being torn apart was sharp enough to pierce the eardrums. The other eleven were just watching him charge forward. They seemed to be trying to gauge his power by observing his response. He threw three left punches and then swung his right fist from below. The wind pressure was swirling about three feet around the path of his fist. Pa Cheon was ruthless from the start. He knocked away all the left punches with his foot, then approached the Black Masked Divine Hand and caught his swinging right fist between his armpit, ruthlessly twisting it backward.

Crack!

“Ugh!”

The Crushing Force Black Diamond was strong against impacts, but it was helpless against joint locks. The sound of his shoulder bone breaking echoed, and he buckled his knees, but even that was not allowed. After twisting his arm, Pa Cheon immediately leaped towards the other Demonic Disciples and ruthlessly stomped on the Black Masked Divine Hand’s back with his heel.

Crunch!

“Ugh… ugh… ugh…”

He was groaning on the ground, but no one dared to approach him. Two shining swords were already in Pa Cheon’s hands, and sword energy that was more than three yards long was sweeping towards them from the sword’s edge. Everything had happened so quickly that they were momentarily confused. Now, the advantage of numbers was meaningless. They could only take advantage of it if the opponent was aware of it, but they felt as if they were fighting Pa Cheon one-on-one, so it was useless. At that moment, Mu Young Jon’s voice rang out.

“Scatter and surround him!”

They moved with incredible speed, following Mu Young Jon’s orders. They quickly surrounded Pa Cheon and immediately began to concentrate their attacks. First, Mu Young Jon’s Red Steel Wheel swept towards Pa Cheon’s lower body. Following that, Sa Mireuk’s Maitreya Killing Art swept towards Pa Cheon’s dantian [the center of one’s internal energy], and Ok Girin, Chu Hon Ma Young, and Gyeong Hon Gwi Young blocked even the directions Pa Cheon could escape. In the end, Pa Cheon used a form-shifting technique to approach Mu Young Jon instead, colliding with the Red Steel Wheel and being pushed back by Pa Cheon’s sword energy. Using that gap, he unleashed sword energy with his interdimensional sword technique and used the Heavenly Demon Sword to face the Life and Death Sword and the Sura Sword Demon. As a result, only the Life and Death Sword and the Sura Sword Demon were facing him, while Ok Girin, Chu Hon Ma Young, and Gyeong Hon Gwi Young were busy dealing with the interdimensional sword. After all, in a narrow space, the directions and number of people who could attack one person were limited, and for that reason, the rest of the people could not even approach Pa Cheon.

‘I need to strike Mu Young Jon first and then drive them in one direction… then I have a chance of winning.’

Sword energy was also emanating from the swords of the Life and Death Sword and the Sura Sword Demon, but it was at a very insignificant level. They could not even think of blocking the sword energy that was pouring in with twenty variations at once. In the end, they chose to split to the left and right, and Gu Yu Sa Gwi and Go Ru Hyeol Sal replaced them in the middle. However, the swords of the Life and Death Sword and the Sura Sword Demon were still harassing Pa Cheon as they split to the left and right… After a few exchanges, he sensed Gui Rang approaching silently from behind and unleashed the Heavenly Demon Concealment Technique.

“Huh?”

“The… Heavenly Demon Concealment Technique?”

“Be careful!”

Gui Rang was also someone who did not want to be second to anyone in stealth techniques, but his opponent was bad. In an instant, he approached Gui Rang from behind and struck his pressure point. It was a truly absurd moment. Right then, Mu Young Jon was approaching. He was also approaching with the Heavenly Demon Concealment Technique, so his form was blurry and difficult to see, making it difficult to know his exact location. Wol Young’s flute and the Life and Death Sword struck Pa Cheon’s back, but Pa Cheon charged towards Mu Young Jon without caring. He had already accurately identified Mu Young Jon’s location. Ignoring the attacks coming from his back, he concentrated his sword energy on Mu Young Jon. The power of the sword energy was so terrifying that Mu Young Jon was terrified and pulled his body back as much as possible, firing the Red Steel Wheel.

Bang!

The power of the sword energy, which could penetrate and tear anything, was enough to destroy a mountain. Mu Young Jon’s Red Steel Wheel was being shattered.

Ugh!

Right then, the Life and Death Sword and Wol Young’s flute struck Pa Cheon’s back.

Thud!

“Ho… Body Protection Qi?”

The force sent him flying forward. Even though he had unleashed Body Protection Qi [a technique that uses internal energy to protect the body], the attacks from masters of their level were not insignificant. Fortunately, the Body Protection Qi was created with innate true energy, so its power was outstanding, and he was hit while being propelled forward, so he did not suffer much damage. Mu Young Jon had already suffered severe internal injuries and was lying in a corner, his clothes torn to shreds, with some major injuries to his abdomen and thighs.

If Pa Cheon had not reduced his power at the last moment, Mu Young Jon’s soul would have been wandering in the heavens, truly becoming a shadowless master.

[Mad Demon Lord! Please take care of the injured.]

‘Now three! But the victory is already on my side.’

They were momentarily shaken by the fact that Mu Young Jon, the strongest among them, had been defeated so easily. However, they were still martial arts fanatics. The stronger the opponent, the more excited they became. Ok Girin retreated while using the Bare Hand Demonic Art to deal with the interdimensional sword. When he retreated, Pa Cheon also retrieved his sword. Two shining swords were in his hands, seeming to swallow the fighting spirit and courage of the nine Demonic Disciples. As Pa Cheon had initially planned, he had captured Mu Young Jon, and he and the nine disciples were facing each other in a standoff.

Title: [Serial] Emperor’s Sword 26. The Way of the Sword Related Data: None [59552]

Sender: Im Sam Yeol (logos333) 2000-12-31 00:34 Views: 2214

-The Emperor’s Sword-