Emperor’s Sword [EN]: Chapter 42

‘This is absurd… the winner is a subordinate of that Jade-Faced Divine Dragon?’

‘Yes, that’s correct. Even to my eyes, he seemed to be in his late twenties, and it was difficult to gauge the depth of his martial arts.’

‘Hmm… that fool… couldn’t even catch one of them? I’m curious about his smug face.’

‘Well… that is… Young Master Jang… he lost his life.’

‘What?’

Cheonhyang Okbong, startled, rose from her seat, then, as if dizzy, she touched her head and slumped back down.

‘Tell me in detail.’

Her voice trembled severely, without her even realizing it.

‘It was already known that the Poisonous Blood Dragon of the Four Dragons would participate, and as expected, Young Master Jang won without much difficulty. The problem arose after that. The Jade-Faced Divine Dragon had his subordinate challenge Young Master Jang, and to anyone watching, his appearance and aura didn’t seem that impressive. But the result was completely unexpected…’

‘Jang Do-il was still… a disciple of the Great Commander, wasn’t he? And yet… he lost his life to a subordinate of someone who isn’t even one of the Five Greats of the Martial World?’

‘That’s correct. Moreover, Young Master Jang even used the Blood Demon Annihilation Sword at the last moment…’

This time, she didn’t seem surprised. It was something she had already anticipated when she heard of his death.

‘Sawoo, do you believe that there exists a martial art in the Central Plains that can suppress our Heavenly Demon’s Three Great Demonic Arts?’

‘Absolutely not.’

‘That’s right. As far as I know, no martial art in the Central Plains can break our Heavenly Demon’s Three Great Demonic Arts. At best, the martial arts of the traditional great sects like Shaolin and Wudang might barely compare. Even if the Blood Demon Annihilation Sword is the lowest of the Three Great Demonic Arts… and even if Young Master Jang didn’t master it, it’s not a martial art that can be so easily defeated.’

‘…’

‘That Jade-Faced Divine Dragon! You said he was from Shaolin?’

‘I heard that he inherited the teachings of the Sixth Patriarch, Huineng [a prominent figure in Chan Buddhism].’

‘Hmm… if that’s the case, it’s somewhat understandable. The problem is… his subordinate is a master strong enough to defeat Jang Do-il. He’s suspicious. Ominous…’

‘Actually, Commander Lee mentioned him before.’

‘Commander Lee?’

‘Yes.’

‘What did he say?’

‘He said that under no circumstances should we clash with the Jade-Faced Divine Dragon…’

‘What? Hmph! That fox has some other scheme. Do you know if the Jade-Faced Divine Dragon is here now?’

‘I don’t think so.’

‘Hmph! Are you saying we should just stand by even if everything goes wrong because of the Jade-Faced Divine Dragon? Orders are orders, so I’ll follow them, but Commander Lee will be fully responsible… Has there been any news about the Heavenly Lord’s seclusion?’

‘Not yet. But he will be coming out soon, won’t he?’

‘Yes… he will be coming out soon. Then everything will be decided. The merits and demerits of the Great Commander, who is in charge of conquering the Central Plains, Commander Lee, who is in charge of one axis, me, and the other masters of our Heavenly Demon Sect will be judged when he comes out. But… we haven’t accomplished anything…’

‘That’s not true. If it weren’t for you, the Southern Alliance wouldn’t have been so easily taken over.’

‘I’m saying that because it looks like we’re about to give the prepared meal to some random guy. No. That can’t happen no matter what. Sawoo!’

‘Yes, Your Grace.’

‘From now on, you will closely observe the Jade-Faced Divine Dragon. Report any suspicious or unusual things without fail… and you must find out their identity and intentions.’

‘Understood.’

‘You may go now.’

‘Then, please rest well.’

Swish, swish, swish.

Watching Sawoo disappear, Cheonhyang Okbong sank into deep contemplation. The beautiful glass castle she had built with her youth was about to shatter. She had been waiting for the day when she would shine brightly under the sun, but cracks were appearing from somewhere.

‘The Heavenly Demon Sect has been postponing the conquest of the martial world because of the ancestral decree. As long as the Heavenly Demon Sect remains in the martial world, we must remain hidden… We thought that they were the only organization we had to be careful of… So, I thought we could finally spread our wings… But now, a suspicious person has suddenly appeared… Could he be a master from the Four Evil Sects or the Heavenly Emperor’s Palace? If it were them, I wouldn’t be so worried… But if it’s a third force, things will become serious.’

Her closed eyes were twitching severely. Yet, she was still beautiful.

★ Even as the night deepened, there was a room where the lights were still on. The owner of that place was known as the Jade-Faced Divine Dragon, or the Heavenly Demon Scholar, the Heavenly Demon Sovereign, Pa Cheon. He was sitting cross-legged, deep in meditation.

‘News should arrive by today at the earliest, or tomorrow at the latest. Otherwise, we won’t be able to settle things in a short period. What are their identities? Are they really descendants of a sect called the Blood Demon Sect? Or… are they from the Four Evil Sects, the Four Evil Blood Sect or the Heavenly Emperor’s Palace? Or perhaps one of the Three Outer World Sects? I don’t know. I’ll find out if I wait. If they don’t move first, I will.’

[Heavenly Demon. Finish what you were about to say earlier.]

-About the Blood Demon Sect?

[Yes.]

-Hmm… their history is actually quite old. The foundation of my martial arts is from India. The martial arts of the Baramila sect of India and the ancient demonic sect of the Central Plains, the Seopcheon Sect, became the basis. Both places are not well known to the world, and their lineages have been cut off. I also had a master. He was the only successor of the Baramila sect.

I spent 20 years training under him, and I was able to build a foundation for my martial arts. After that, I absorbed martial arts indiscriminately. Whether it was righteous martial arts, demonic arts, or the strange arts of heretical sects, I didn’t discriminate. Based on all of that, I was able to complete a new martial art. And I created the Heavenly Demon Sect and took in four disciples.

Then, about 10 years later, my third disciple came to me one day and told me that there was a strange group called the Blood Demon Sect. Back then, it was a time when the world was being stained with blood. I was obsessed with the way of the tyrant, with the power of my demonic arts and my innate murderous nature. After hearing what my disciple said, I decided to destroy them.

First, I didn’t like that they had a sect name similar to our Heavenly Demon Sect, and I didn’t like that their martial arts themselves were so profound and mysterious that they could threaten our Heavenly Demon Sect. There wouldn’t be a problem right now, but I thought there would be a problem in my later generations. So, I almost annihilated them. I killed over 3,500 people at that time.

[If they were annihilated in one night, doesn’t that mean their power wasn’t that great?]

-Absolutely not… They had something called the Three Great Demonic Arts. But it was inherently difficult and obscure to master, and few people mastered more than 5 levels. The sect leader at the time was only at the 8th level. Moreover, he had only mastered one of the Three Great Demonic Arts.

[Is that… the sword technique that the Life-Snatching Fire Dragon used earlier?]

-That’s right. At that time, my martial arts level was around 12 cycles of internal energy and the level of the Mind Sword of the Flying Sword. Killing that guy wasn’t that difficult. The problem is the power of the martial art itself. I could feel it. If that Blood Demon something sword technique was mastered, at least the power of the Formless Sword would appear… Moreover, the sect leader hadn’t even mastered the other two great demonic arts… Their power must be tremendous.

[So, you’re saying that their descendants have appeared, and they have already infiltrated the Central Plains and are operating in secret…]

-That’s what it seems like.

[Heavenly Demon! How powerful do you think they will be if they master those Three Great Demonic Arts?]

-I don’t know. But if I make an educated guess… it won’t be inferior to our Heavenly Demon Sect’s martial arts.

[Is that so? Things are getting more serious. According to Cheonhyang Okbong, there’s a guy called the Great Commander, and I don’t know if he’s the leader of the Blood Demon Sect, but he seems to have considerable power… He could be a worthy opponent.]

-Why don’t you just get rid of that woman?

[There’s no need to make a reckless move. We’ll break them with the power of the Central Plains. The rest of the forces are the same… In any case, my method is to make them clash with each other and fight among themselves. And then, I’ll suppress the weakened forces with the power of our sect. That’s why I’m walking this difficult path, isn’t it?]

-Difficult path? What’s so difficult about it? Is it difficult to receive all sorts of lavish treatment and be treated like an imperial envoy? Well, it might be difficult. Is it easy to keep your neck stiff all day?

The Heavenly Demon mocked Pa Cheon, who chuckled.

[The Demonic Alliance and the Martial Alliance, and these guys, and the Four Evil Blood Sect, the Heavenly Emperor’s Palace, and the Three Outer World Sects, the Northern Sea Ice Palace, the Qinghai Sand Castle, these are the forces that are currently entangled. The hidden forces are more frightening than the revealed ones.

First, I need to make them all reveal themselves. The only place that knows about our Heavenly Demon Sect is the Four Evil Blood Sect.

They also don’t dream that our sect will advance into the Central Plains because of the ban. In the end, even if they stay hidden until the end, no one will dare to touch us first. I’ll make them fight each other and then I’ll slip away and strike them all at once when they’re exhausted. Hehehe, just thinking about it is fun.]

The Heavenly Demon Sect cannot appear in the Central Plains without the sect leader. Due to the direct lineage of the Danmok family, the Heavenly Demon Sect was a force that could not realistically appear in the world. The Four Evil Blood Sect also knows this.

[Anyone is fine. After all, the world is taken by the powerful. Not having an opponent might be boring. Everyone, come at me. Show me everything you’ve prepared so far. After a bloody storm, someone will become the master of the martial world. Whether it’s me… or someone else, hehehe.]

-Honestly, with the power of our sect and your personal power alone, you can compete with other forces, can’t you? Yet, I honestly don’t know why you’re taking this difficult path.

[Heavenly Demon! Power is not always important. Even if you have 10 times more objective power than your opponent, if you lose 10 small battles, you become almost equal, and then you lose everything with just one defeat. I… I felt that deeply.]

-Hmm…

The Heavenly Demon knew. He knew what Pa Cheon was thinking. He was reliving the painful memory of being forced to give up the throne to his uncle.

[Heavenly Demon, you’ve died, so you know, right? What’s it like to die?]

Pa Cheon’s question was too sudden, and it was unexpected even for the Heavenly Demon.

-Death? Hehehe, humans don’t remember the moment they were born. Similarly, they don’t remember the moment of death. Only… after that, an extra consciousness is added to the consciousness you had when you were alive. Based on that, you go where you need to go. I thought someone would come and take me, but that wasn’t it… I was going where my consciousness was telling me to go, and I was doing what I had to do. I can’t say more. A promise is a promise…

[A Promise? With Whom?]

-Don’t try to figure it out. You’ll find out eventually. One thing is certain: neither I nor Hyeneung came here by our own power. The Soul Summoning Great Magic, or whatever it’s called, isn’t powerful enough to pull souls from the underworld…

[I don’t understand what you’re saying. So, are you implying someone sent you here?]

-Hmm…

=We understand your curiosity, Benefactor. However, this is a secret of the spirit realm, and we cannot reveal it carelessly. It would be easier for you to believe that everything is unfolding according to the natural order. Perhaps if living people knew such secrets, this land could become a true paradise. But that is not within our authority, so we cannot tell you. What is clear is that what happened to you was not a coincidence.

[You’re just spouting more nonsense. If you want to leave my side, I’ll send you away anytime.]

-You don’t yet possess the enlightenment to release us from your grasp, do you? Whatever choices you make in the future, we have no choice but to follow.

[By the way, Heavenly Demon… Huh? Who is this guy? Hah, I see now, it seems like someone sent by that wench, Cheonhyang Okbong. What pathetic fools. I’d like to crack open their skulls and see how those morons think they can approach me like this without my knowledge.]

Pa Cheon remained seated cross-legged. A human presence was approaching the room where he was staying. There was a space between the roof of the building and the ceiling of the room, and someone was moving through that space.

[Mad Demon Lord! Are you asleep? Mad Demon Lord]

Pa Cheon sent a telepathic message to the Mad Demon Lord in the next room.

[Your Excellency, did you call?]

[Yes. From now on, you and the Shadowless Lord…]

★ It was nearly the hour of In [3-5 AM] when the Mad Demon Lord arrived at the Shadowless Lord’s room. It was a time when the world was asleep, but the Shadowless Lord was still awake. When the Mad Demon Lord visited him in the late dawn, he was puzzled, but after receiving the Mad Demon Lord’s telepathic message, he understood what was happening.

“How do you feel?”

It was the Shadowless Lord asking the Mad Demon Lord. Outwardly, the Shadowless Lord appeared older, so it was unavoidable, but for the Mad Demon Lord, who was supposed to be addressed informally, it wasn’t easy.

“Brother… well, do you know how I feel right now? I can’t sleep, knowing that this great power will be mine. Moreover, one of the two peaks, Cheonhyang Okbong, will be my woman. It’s all like a dream.”

The Shadowless Lord was inwardly amazed at the Mad Demon Lord’s natural acting. How could he act so convincingly?

“It’s all thanks to having a great lord. The world doesn’t know what kind of person our lord is.”

“That’s right. He’s the one who will lead the righteous path in the future… But brother! Do you know this?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I heard that Wudang’s Zhang Sanfeng Zhenren [a Taoist immortal] told our lord that the one who will rule the demonic path of this land is none other than the Great Hero… and asked him to save the martial world from the upcoming bloodbath.”

“Really? Well, if it wasn’t our lord, would that Wudang immortal have asked such a thing?”

“He has already become the de facto owner of the Nine Dragons Alliance, taken control of the Five Lotus Society, and even taken over the Southern Alliance, so he has the power. In fact, martial artists think that the martial arts alliance leader has all the power, but that’s not true, is it? Well, even the alliance leader doesn’t know this… Who would dare to guess our lord’s actions?

Even the Demonic Alliance is practically in a cooperative relationship. Outwardly, they fight each other like mortal enemies, but isn’t all of this to attract forces from outside the world and the main players of these chaotic times? Our lord’s plans are truly amazing.

In another six months, a new force will be reinforced, and then even if all the other forces attack us, they won’t be able to defeat us. Moreover… I should go to sleep.”

The Mad Demon Lord, who sensed someone disappearing from the ceiling, smiled, and the Shadowless Lord couldn’t help but laugh. The two had faithfully carried out Pa Cheon’s instructions.

★ A new day dawned. Today was the day the Mad Demon Lord was getting married. It was his first marriage at the age of 137, so it was appropriate to congratulate him, but looking at his facial expression, no one had the courage to do so. Instead of the groom’s face beaming, he looked like he was about to die, making it hard to tell if he was getting married or going to his death.

The Southern Alliance began to hurriedly send away the people who had remained in the alliance to attend the wedding. They complained, but what could a guest say when the host politely asked them to leave? They departed with tears in their eyes, as if they were sad to miss the wedding.

The food and celebratory fireworks that had been prepared for the grand wedding went straight into the trash. Only a few masters from the Martial Arts Alliance remained as congratulatory guests, making it somewhat desolate.

In the main hall of the Southern Alliance, about 300 masters of the Southern Alliance, 20 or so from the Martial Arts Alliance, Pa Cheon’s group, and 10 from Namdo Hyukryun were waiting for the wedding to begin. Elder Guryeongjin became the officiant of today’s ceremony, and next to him were Pa Cheon and about 10 other martial arts masters.

“Elder Gu, why is the ceremony so slow? Let’s start quickly.”

So Cheonak, the military advisor of the Martial Arts Alliance, couldn’t wait any longer and urged them on. It had been half an hour since they had been waiting for the ceremony to begin, so it was understandable that he would say such a thing.

“Please wait a moment. The ceremony cannot be held until the alliance leader and Miss Cheonhyang Okbong appear, can it?”

He was just as frustrated because he didn’t know what was going on.

“Chief Manager, go and find out what’s going on.”

“Yes, I understand.”

The dignitaries in the hall, watching Chief Manager Choo Woo-sam run out, were openly expressing their displeasure. They were not happy with the Southern Alliance’s actions.

Not only had they sent back all the martial artists who had remained to congratulate them, but they were also making the guests they had invited wait like this…

After a long time, Choo Woo-sam returned.

“The alliance leader said he was not feeling well and could not attend, and Miss Joo said she was not ready yet and asked us to wait a little longer…”

“What? Isn’t this too much? How can you invite people and do this? We are here representing the Martial Arts Alliance, and even if the alliance leader didn’t come from the beginning, not even showing up at this kind of event is an insult to the Martial Arts Alliance, isn’t it?”

So Cheonak, the Three-Eyed Thunder, was revealing his picky nature. It was a great feat for him to have endured this long. Guryeongjin, who knew this, also felt heavy-hearted. It had been more than half a year since he had seen the alliance leader, so he was in no position to say anything, but given the situation, he had to bow down.

“I’m sorry. Especially to Great Hero Moon, Military Advisor So, and Clan Leader Peng, I have no words to say. It’s been quite a while since the alliance leader has been in seclusion…”

“Is that true? But you haven’t even tried to find out why?”

Clan Leader Peng’s expression was one of disbelief. He knew the Southern Alliance leader well. He knew his straightforward personality and integrity, so he was not the kind of person to commit such rudeness. Moreover, this was the wedding of his only adopted daughter and the place where he would announce his successor to the Southern Alliance!

Pa Cheon began to grumble, pretending to be in a bad mood.

“Well, I’m just an unknown nobody, but… if you treat the distinguished guests of the Martial Arts Alliance like this, how will the Southern Alliance be treated in the future? Moreover, this is the place where my subordinate becomes the young alliance leader… I’m quite displeased.”

His words carried weight. Elder Guryeongjin bowed his head to Pa Cheon several times to apologize, and then he made him run to the inner palace himself.

★ “Elder Gu! What are you talking about?”

“Miss, it seems that the alliance leader must come out. It is not good to offend the Jade-Faced Divine Dragon, Great Hero Moon Yoon, in any way. He is a big figure who will lead the martial world in the future, so such rudeness is not appropriate…”

“Elder Gu, are you saying that their face is more important than my father’s health?”

“Miss…”

“Stop it. I’ve already decided to get married, putting aside my own will because of my father’s orders…”

“…Miss, then please let me see the alliance leader. I need to at least talk to him.”

“Stop it. Don’t you know that my father doesn’t meet anyone except me? If you unnecessarily provoke my father and cause him to get worse, will you take responsibility then?”

It was always like this. Even when major events occurred within the alliance that required the alliance leader’s approval, Cheonhyang Okbong would handle them. The Southern Alliance was a place where the alliance leader’s authority was absolute. The elders of the alliance also had relatively less authority than the elders of other places, and they were just elders in name, with nothing they could do on their own.

The 18 guards directly under the alliance leader moved according to the alliance leader’s orders, and the chief and deputy managers handled all the other miscellaneous tasks. Several times, Elder Gu had insisted on seeing the alliance leader, but he could not even enter the inner chamber and only heard his voice or saw his back.

“I’ll be out soon. Go and wait.”

There was nothing he could do when she refused so politely.

‘Why is the alliance leader acting like this? What happened that made him make such a decision, and moreover, he doesn’t even show his face…’

Guryeongjin was frustrated. How could this be an ordinary matter? It was unfair for him to be in charge of this matter instead of the alliance leader, but he couldn’t even meet him…

“I understand. Please come out quickly. If you delay any longer, I won’t be able to appease them.”

He spat out those words, turned away, and disappeared.

“Hmph! You useless old man… What the hell is going on? Sawoo!”

“…”

“Still no news?”

“I don’t know what’s going on. I sent messenger birds to the chief manager and the deputy manager, but there’s no contact. Moreover, the deputy manager was supposed to come here today…”

Cheonhyang Okbong, who had been pondering alone, was finally making a decision.

“We have no choice but to hold the ceremony… If we delay any longer, they might become suspicious. There must be some orders from the chief manager later. Let’s go.”

★ When Elder Guryeongjin entered alone, the people’s expressions were distorted.

“I’m sorry. Miss said she would be here soon, so please wait a little longer.”

That was all he said. What was the point of scolding someone who looked like they were about to die of guilt?

They had no choice but to wait. Their expressions clearly showed that this family was also problematic.

‘Hehe, you must be burning inside! Cheonhyang Okbong! Nothing will go as you wish. Unfortunately, I have the messenger birds you sent.’

Pa Cheon recalled the contents of the two messenger birds.

(To the Chief Manager, things have become urgent. Young Master Jang was defeated by the subordinate of a man called the Jade-Faced Divine Dragon and lost his life during the duel. Please give me swift orders on whether to proceed with the wedding and announce the winner of the duel as the successor of the Southern Alliance, or whether to use force to take control of the alliance. Cheonhyang.)

(To the Deputy Manager, Young Master Jang was killed by the subordinate of the Jade-Faced Divine Dragon, and all plans have been ruined. Requesting support. In preparation for an emergency, 2,000 swordsmen from the Gangnam branch are on standby. I will be on standby until there is a special order. Cheonhyang)