Emperor’s Sword [EN]: Chapter 28

Conspiracy and Reversal

“I am the Heavenly Demon Sovereign, Pa Cheon.”

Murmurs arose.

Sam Ho-beop and Gwangmajon! The faces of everyone except the Twelve Demonic Disciples and Yeom-hu were a mix of surprise, fear, and doubt. Pa Cheon, not one to miss this, drew the Heavenly Demon Sword with his other hand. Only then did people realize it was the Heavenly Demon Sword, the supreme sword of the Heavenly Demon, and that the Heavenly Demon Ring on the finger holding the sword was glowing.

Having already witnessed Pa Cheon’s incredible divine power, the surprise and bewilderment faded as they saw him possess the divine artifact of the Heavenly Demon Sovereign. Joy, admiration, respect, and adoration began to surge. Soon, it turned into a roar of cheers that seemed to shake the heavens.

“Waaah!”

“Long live the Heavenly Demon Sovereign!”

“Long live the Sect Leader!”

“Long live the Sovereign!”

From somewhere, a voice was heard, “Handsome oppa, you’re so cool.”

Pa Cheon waved his hand, and the head he was holding also shook, quickly silencing the crowd. Blood splattered from the head, and Gwangmajon, who was behind him, quickly dodged it.

“As you all can see, when did our Heavenly Demon Sect fall so low that it’s being bothered by such third-rate riffraff! It’s all my fault as the Heavenly Demon Sovereign! I promise to create a powerful Heavenly Demon Sect where such unfortunate events will never happen again! I will make it an unparalleled force, unmatched in history, so that no organization or group in the world will dare to oppose the Heavenly Demon Sect.

And thus, I shall make it the ruler that dominates the world!”

“Wow!”

“Long live the Sovereign!”

“Long live the Heavenly Demon Sect!”

“In the future… an investigation will be conducted to ensure that not only the main forces behind this conspiracy, the Evil Blood Sect, but also any groups associated with them will never see the sky again. However!”

“For the sake of unity within our sect, the involvement of any internal members will be overlooked. So, if there are any who were involved in this matter, please do not be afraid and cooperate. And now, all the high-ranking officials and mid-level experts of our sect are to gather at the Grand Assembly Hall, and the rest are dismissed.”

It was simple and clear. And from beginning to end, he spoke in an informal manner. Yet, it felt so natural! He was definitely born for this.

★ The Heavenly Demon Sect had several pavilions and grand halls, but the two used for the Grand Assembly Hall were the Magic Spirit Pavilion and the Azure Dragon Hall in the Demon Emperor Pavilion, the residence of the Heavenly Demon Sect Leader. Currently, about 100 people were seated in the assembly hall of the Magic Spirit Pavilion, and Pa Cheon was half-buried in a grand chair above them.

“Elder Taesang.”

“Yes, Sovereign!”

“Explain what you know about the Evil Blood Sect.”

“The Evil Blood Sect is a heretical demonic sect from Tianzhu [ancient name for India]. There was a time when we were quite close, with frequent contact, but after they refused to participate in the 7th Righteous-Demonic War, there has been no contact. But they… to think they were plotting such a conspiracy.”

“I wonder how their power compares to ours.”

“That’s right. We don’t know the extent of their current power, but even compared to the past, they are a force that is by no means inferior to us.”

“How is it that such people are completely unknown in the Central Plains?”

“They are a very secretive force and have never advanced into the Central Plains. During the last six expeditions to the Central Plains, only a portion of their forces were incorporated into our sect and participated in the conquest.”

“And yet, they tried to swallow our entire sect? That means they are confident in their power… Hey, is there any news from the guy who went to get Red Yang Demon?”

“No, Sovereign.”

“Either way, we’ll find out everything by asking Red Yang Demon! That aside, is there anyone here who doesn’t think I’m fit to be the Heavenly Demon Sovereign? If so, speak your mind openly.

Don’t go complaining later…”

The people in the hall only looked at each other, unable to say anything.

“Good, then I’ll assume everyone acknowledges me for now. As the Heavenly Demon Sovereign, I will issue my first order. From this moment, the Heavenly Demon Archives are open. Any disciple of our sect, regardless of rank, can freely enter the Heavenly Demon Archives and the Elder Council’s Cheokcheon Mugo [a secret martial arts library]. However, they cannot take out any secret manuals.”

Thud.

It was a bombshell. Never in the history of the Heavenly Demon Sect had such a thing happened. Some of the 100 or so faces were filled with joy, while others were contorted in displeasure.

“Sovereign! That is not acceptable. Access to the manuals should be restricted to those with certain qualifications.

This is a tradition that has been upheld for the past 1700 years. Please reconsider.”

It was Taesang. Pa Cheon frowned at his words.

“Traditions exist to be broken. And such outdated traditions are of no use. From now on, I will establish all the rules anew. I will correct what is wrong and continue the good traditions. Instruct all disciples to freely access the manuals. And gather all weapons and elixirs separately, store them elsewhere, and use them to enhance the martial arts of the disciples. No matter how precious a treasure is, it only has value when it is used.”

The older elders seemed to be filled with worry, while the faces of the younger generation under 60 were full of joy and anticipation.

“All organizational restructuring will prioritize individual ability. However, I will not disregard seniority. If anyone emerges who surpasses their superiors, they will be promoted to a higher position. From now on, all disciples of the Heavenly Demon Sect will be classified into 10 ranks. The highest rank will be the Law Protectors and Elders, called the Heavenly Rank. The next ranks will be the Earth Rank, Human Rank, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Black, Green, Yellow, and Blue, with corresponding colors for their attire. Starting today, for ten days, we will conduct a classification process that appropriately combines martial arts prowess and seniority. The Heaven, Earth, and Human ranks will wear white clothes with the corresponding character embroidered on their chest.

Any questions?”

There was no way there would be any questions.

“And the organizational structure will be simple. After the ten-day ranking assessment, based on the results, I will establish the Demon Emperor Sword Guard, my direct guard of 1600 men, the Elder Council’s Soul-Shaking Demon Realm Guard of 1000 men, the Four Demon Lords’ Asura Blood Sword Squad, Black Heaven Demon Calamity Squad, Raging Wind Crimson Moon Squad, and Poison Fragrance Myriad Miles Squad, each with 2000 men, totaling 8000 men, and the Four Hues’ Demon Flower Corps, Sword Shadow Corps, Poison Dagger Corps, and Bewitching Flower Corps, each with 500 men. New organizations may be created as needed, but for now, the basic structure is as follows. Any questions?”

“Who will be the commander of the Demon Emperor Sword Guard? And who will replace Red Yang Demon’s position…”

It was the Left Law Protector who asked. As expected, except for the Law Protectors whose faces were already familiar, no one dared to ask questions. It seemed their first impression of Pa Cheon was one of fear.

“Good question. This person here will lead the Demon Emperor Sword Guard.”

He pointed to the faceless masked figure sitting with the Taesang Law Protector and the elders. Even then, he had not removed his mask. As Pa Cheon finished speaking, he took off his mask. As his face was revealed, the faces of the elders and mid-level experts were filled with terror, while the younger experts who did not know his face showed confusion. He looked to be in his late 30s at most. Among them, the most surprised was Blood Demon Lord. Still struggling with his injuries from the strange treatment, he was getting up despite his wounds.

“U… Uncle!”

Uncle? Was there someone who Blood Demon Lord called uncle? Pa Cheon continued.

“He is Gwangmajon. He will also serve as the head instructor who will teach all the disciples in the sect. Under him, the Twelve Demonic Disciples and the Four Hues will each lead 100 men of the Demon Emperor Sword Guard and protect Gwangmajon. Any questions?”

Again, there were none. Moreover, as Gwangmajon’s identity was revealed, the hall was buzzing. Blood Demon Lord’s face was filled with emotion and joy, though he dared not show it. The most outstanding expert of the Damdae family had reappeared after 200 years. And his spirit was even more vigorous.

“Gwangmajon, it’s been a while… say a word or two.”

Pa Cheon’s words were filled with consideration for Gwangmajon, so he showed an expression of gratitude towards Pa Cheon. As he stood up, all eyes in the hall were fixed on him, filled with a mixture of fear and curiosity.

“I am… Gwangmajon, the one responsible for the bloodbath 50 years ago. If I hadn’t met the Sovereign…

I might never have seen you all again. Now, the Sovereign desires this useless body… Even if my body is worn down and my soul is crushed, I will devote myself to the Sovereign and the Heavenly Demon Sect.”

It was a short greeting, but it clearly revealed his feelings.

“Sovereign, Red Yang Demon Lord has arrived.”

At the sound from outside, everyone’s gaze turned to the entrance. Two black-clad swordsmen carried in an old, sick man on a stretcher. They placed him in front of Pa Cheon and turned to leave. Everyone’s eyes were filled with disbelief. Was that old, sick man really Red Yang Demon Lord, who had been one of the top experts in the sect until recently?

“I will answer the Left Law Protector’s second question. There is no one to replace Red Yang Demon. He will still lead the Black Heaven Demon Calamity Squad of 2000 men as one of the Four Demon Lords.”

Red Yang Demon’s eyes were red as he looked up at Pa Cheon. He could not say anything and only shed tears. Everyone’s reaction was filled with emotion, but there was also doubt as to whether he could really return to his former self.

“Sovereign! Please forgive me for greeting you while lying down.”

“Huhu, but this is the only time. I promise you. Within a month, you will be at least twice as strong as before…”

His words were filled with strong conviction. Pa Cheon’s words evoked an absolute sense of trust that warmed the hearts of those who heard them.

★ Several days passed. Everyone in the Heavenly Demon Sect, from boys over 16 to old men over 100, was excited, and without exception, they had to go through promotion tests held simultaneously in three places. No one was exempt except for the Three Law Protectors, the seven elders, Gwangmajon, the Four Demon Lords, and the Four Hues. The ones who judged them were the Law Protectors and the elders.

To rise from Blue-Clad Demon to Yellow-Clad Demon, one had to have at least one gi of internal energy, be able to create at least three sword flowers, and be able to bend an iron rod the thickness of a half-inch of refined steel.

To become a Green-Clad Demon, one had to have over 100 years of internal energy and be able to create a sword ring or break or cut a one-inch refined steel with a sword or hand.

A Black-Clad Demon had to have over two gi of internal energy, be able to extend sword energy up to one jang [approximately 10 feet], and cut two inches of refined steel.

A Bronze-Clad Demon had to have over 150 years of internal energy, be able to extend sword energy up to three jang, and cut three inches of refined steel.

A Silver-Clad Demon had to have over three gi of internal energy, be able to emit sword force, and be able to make a scratch on five inches of refined steel or ten-thousand-year cold iron.

A Gold-Clad Demon had to have over four gi of internal energy, be able to emit one jang of sword force, and be able to cut half an inch of ten-thousand-year cold iron.

A Human Venerable Demon had to have over five gi of internal energy, be able to emit over three jang of sword force, and be able to cut one inch of ten-thousand-year cold iron.

An Earth Venerable Demon had to have over six gi of internal energy, be able to freely use sword force, and be able to cut two inches of ten-thousand-year cold iron.

A Heaven Venerable Demon had to have over seven gi of internal energy, be able to use the flying sword technique, and be able to cut half a ja [approximately 5 inches] of ten-thousand-year cold iron.

The standards were so strict that only the most exceptional experts could become a Bronze-Clad Demon or higher. At first, there was concern about how many experts would reach the Bronze-Clad Demon level or higher, but when the results were revealed, there were surprisingly many who had reached that level. They had never had such opportunities before, so they did not know their own strength. They had devoted their entire lives to martial arts training, so their progress far exceeded people’s expectations.

★ Ten days passed, and the results of all the disciples’ promotions were tallied. They were given clothes of the color corresponding to their rank, and a character representing their position was embroidered on their chest.

Only the Three Law Protectors, the seven elders, and Gwangmajon were classified as Heaven Venerable Demons (in fact, among them, only Gwangmajon, Taesang, and the Chief Elder could use the flying sword technique). The remaining Four Demon Lords and Four Hues remained at the Earth Venerable Demon level. In reality, some of them, such as Blood Demon Lord and Sword Hue, were not much different in skill from the other Heaven Venerable Demons, but considering various factors, they remained at the Earth Venerable Demon level. Among the Twelve Demonic Disciples, Shadowless Venerable also attained the Earth Venerable Demon rank.

There were 11 of the Twelve Demonic Disciples, the Four Hues, and 15 others who newly rose to the Human Venerable Demon rank.

There were 113 Gold-Clad Demons, 226 Silver-Clad Demons, 599 Bronze-Clad Demons, 1040 Black-Clad Demons, 2208 Green-Clad Demons, 4020 Yellow-Clad Demons, and 4344 Blue-Clad Demons, totaling 12,600 people excluding Pa Cheon. In addition, there were the young martial artists aged 1 to 15 in the training camp and those not included in the tally, such as the Sword Emperor 10 and the Divine Hand 10. It was truly the largest and most powerful organization in the entire martial world, and the number of top experts was truly enormous.

Up to the Bronze-Clad Demon level, they were at the sword energy stage, while from the Silver-Clad Demon level, they were at the stage of using sword force. There were 389 such top experts excluding Pa Cheon, which was a truly enormous number. Moreover, now that the Heavenly Demon Archives were open, this number would gradually increase.

Pa Cheon began to reorganize the organization according to the tallied ranks. He formed the Demon Emperor Sword Guard, the direct guard and personal unit of the Sect Leader, with 1600 experts. Gwangmajon, a Heaven Venerable Demon, became the commander, and the 12 Demonic Disciples and the Four Hues each became the sub-commanders, leading 100 men each. Shadowless Venerable, an Earth Venerable Demon, became the chief commander, assisting Gwangmajon.

The Elder Council’s Soul-Shaking Demon Realm Guard of 1000 men was assigned to the Elder Council, and the chief elder, Blood Hand Demon Emperor Bukgung Dongcheon, became the commander. The Soul-Shaking Demon Realm Guard was mainly composed of older experts, preventing them from being placed under the command of younger experts.

The Four Demon Lords’ Asura Blood Sword Squad (Blood Demon Lord), Black Heaven Demon Calamity Squad (Red Yang Demon Lord), Raging Wind Crimson Moon Squad (Soul Thousand Demon Lord), and Poison Fragrance Myriad Miles Squad (Poison Demon Lord) each had 2000 men, totaling 8000 men, which formed the main force of the Heavenly Demon Sect.

The Four Hues’ Demon Flower Corps (Demon Hue), Sword Shadow Corps (Sword Hue), Poison Dagger Corps (Poison Hue), and Bewitching Flower Corps (Flame Hue) each had 500 men and were all composed of women.

In addition, there were the Sword Emperor 10, the secret investigators who mainly handled surveillance, covert operations, and intelligence activities directly under the Law Protector Hall, the Divine Hand 10 of the Elder Council, and the Secret Heaven Squad of 200 men who assisted them.

Among the 20,000 members of the Heavenly Demon Sect, the 12,600 who were organized into units were ranked separately among the Heaven, Earth, and Human Venerable Demons, who were the highest-ranking leaders, to prevent confusion in the command structure.

Pa Cheon, of course, was the Heavenly Demon Sect Leader and the Heavenly Demon Sovereign, who was above all ranks, so there was no need to rank him separately. Excluding him:

The Taesang Law Protector, Nine Heavens Demon Emperor Danmok Cheongun, was ranked 1st. 2nd was the Left Law Protector, Golden Mask Buddha Demon Danmok Hu, and 3rd was the Right Law Protector, Golden Eye Demon Lord Danmok Seong.

4th was the Chief Elder, Blood Hand Demon Emperor Bukgung Dongcheon, 145 years old. 5th was the Commander of the Demon Emperor Sword Guard, Gwangmajon Damdae Chugwang, 137 years old. 6th was the Elder, Green Cloth Strange Claw Ouyang Jingong, 141 years old. 7th was the Elder, Poison Hand Yama Ouyang Jincheong, 138 years old. 8th was the Elder, Ascending Sky Flying Demon Yayul Manseung, 135 years old. 9th was the Elder, Hundred Face Demon King Damdae Chuhyeon, 134 years old. 10th was the Elder, Azure Serpent Divine Lord Damdae Churyeong, 130 years old. 11th was the Elder, Ten Thousand Victory Divine Demon Bukgung Dongun, 128 years old.

These were the Heaven Venerable Demons.

12th was the Commander of the Asura Blood Sword Squad, Blood Demon Damdae Uri, 112 years old. 13th was the Commander of the Black Heaven Demon Calamity Squad, Red Yang Demon Bukgung Hanseong, 107 years old. 14th was the Commander of the Raging Wind Crimson Moon Squad, Soul Thousand Demon Yayul Yeonggun, 105 years old. 15th was the Commander of the Poison Fragrance Myriad Miles Squad, Poison Demon Ouyang Jangcheon, 101 years old.

16th was the Leader of the Demon Flower Corps, Demon Hue Bukgung Seonghwa, 67 years old. 17th was the Leader of the Sword Shadow Corps, Sword Hue Damdae Myeongin, 45 years old. 18th was the Leader of the Poison Dagger Corps, Poison Hue Ouyang Gwibin, 53 years old. 19th was the Leader of the Bewitching Flower Corps, Flame Hue Yayul Yeongryeong, 61 years old.

20th was the Chief Commander of the Demon Emperor Sword Guard, Shadowless Venerable Bukgung Hwanju, 40 years old.

These were the nine Earth Venerable Demons.

21st was Ghost Wolf Yayul Honkyeong, 38 years old. 22nd was Black Face Divine Hand Bukgung Sahyeol, 37 years old. 23rd was Moon Shadow Ouyang Wolrang, 37 years old. 24th was Death Maitreya Bukgung Sahon, 36 years old. 25th was Asura Sword Demon Damdae Mugyo, 33 years old. 26th was Heartless Flower Bukgung Sasa, 30 years old. 27th was Dream Flower Yayul Monghon, 29 years old. 28th was Jade Kirin Yayul Jeonghon, 28 years old. 29th was Lonely Tear Blood Kill Bukgung Sayung, 27 years old. 30th was Revengeful Ghost Yayul Sohon, 26 years old. 31st was Heartbreak Flower Damdae Murin, 26 years old. 32nd was Life and Death Sword Damdae Mugu, 25 years old. 33rd was Soul Chasing Demon Shadow Ouyang Hurang, 24 years old. 34th was Soul-Shaking Ghost Shadow Ouyang Hwanrang, 24 years old. 35th was Poison Flower Ouyang Jeongrang, 23 years old.

There were 15 more Human Venerable Demons.

—————————————-

Was it boring? I also want to refrain from this, but I don’t want to gloss over it…

And the standards for martial arts in this story are generally high. As the history of the Central Plains martial world deepens, the methods for martial arts, especially internal energy enhancement, have continued to develop. As a result, while 2 or 3 gi [a unit of internal energy] was the peak in the past, it is not so special here.

However, the general level of the martial world is that if one exceeds 2 gi, they are at the peak level. So, the level of the Heavenly Demon Sect is higher than the general martial world.

This is a kind of setting, so please don’t be too upset…

Someone said this:

How can internal energy be measured up to 32 gi… How about thinking about it this way? Even if the same amount of time is spent, the difference in concentration leads to vastly different results. This is what is commonly called talent in martial arts. There are those who spend their entire lives cultivating the Way and yet achieve nothing, while there are those who attain the Way with a moment of enlightenment, right?

So far, it has been the author’s useless rambling.

I have to go write the 30th chapter. Goodbye then…

I need to write quickly to upload at least one chapter before 1 AM!

Title: [Serial] Emperor’s Sword 30. Back to the Central Plains! Related Data: None [59672]

Sender: Im Sam Yeol (logos333) 2001-01-02 00:35 Views: 2289

-The Emperor’s Sword-