Emperor’s Sword [EN]: Chapter 58

The battle reached its climax. The eyes of those wielding blood-soaked swords, scanning their surroundings like wolves, held both animosity towards their opponents and the arrogance of those who decided life and death. They mercilessly trampled on the fragile hope of life, like the lingering embers of a fire that would never be extinguished.

In this place where only friend and foe were distinguished, all values were lost in the chaos. The anguish of the dying faded into despair. The actions of those who killed and those who were killed, bound together as enemies and allies, had acquired their own justification. These actions stemmed from the most primal emotions at the depths of their consciousness.

It was a dance that no longer made them warriors, nor even human—the movements of beasts. Their teeth tore at each other’s throats, blood and flesh clinging to their fangs, yet none found the situation strange. They were merely hastening their preordained deaths. Under the iron law of the martial world, where the weak were discarded and only the strong survived, they reveled in sanctioned murder.

The battlefield was almost cleared. The Heavenly Sword Unit was strong, but their opponents were stronger, more numerous, and more relentless. The members of the Heavenly Sword Unit died not as members of the Blood Demon Heaven, but as members of the Heavenly Sword Unit. They were executed, burdened with the disgrace of betrayal and treachery. None among them knew the true nature of the situation.

Pa Cheon smiled. What was so satisfying? The Martial Alliance had fallen into his grasp with minimal losses, just as he had calculated. The law enforcement power of the righteous martial world was now being swallowed whole by a young man of twenty-one, who was once the Emperor, Yun Mun.

The pool of blood that stained the floor of the Imperial Physician’s Hall seemed like it would never fade, even after several days. Gazing at it, Pa Cheon slowly surveyed the scene. His eyes were filled with the joy that only a victor could possess. The two thousand members of the Heavenly Sword Unit had been completely annihilated, and their leader, Dokgo Han-cheon, had escaped in the chaos.

The people around him gnashed their teeth in frustration when they learned of his escape, but Pa Cheon remained calm. Satisfied that things had gone as he intended, Pa Cheon let out a thunderous roar to the people in the hall. It was the cry of a victor, the roar of a lion to a pack of wolves.

“Everyone has done well. The dark clouds over the Martial Alliance have now been completely dispelled. From now on, the Martial Alliance will be strong and powerful, and it will become the true center that unites the entire strength of the righteous martial world. I hereby declare that we will be the sole law enforcement power that protects the Central Plains and upholds justice.”

“Wow!”

“Woo!”

The cheers and shouts of the people erupted, shaking the entire Martial Alliance. With Dokgo Han-cheon gone, Pa Cheon was naturally the most powerful figure in the Martial Alliance. The fact that no one disputed or disliked his attitude showed that they already recognized him as the leader of the Martial Alliance. The people gathered around Pa Cheon, their eyes fixed on him.

“Therefore… I think we should elect a new leader.”

“Of course, Great Warrior Mun should succeed to the position of leader.”

“That’s right. Let’s all recommend Great Warrior Mun Yun as the leader of the Martial Alliance.”

“Wow, that’s great!”

“Ascend to the position of leader!”

“Ah, wait a moment…”

Pa Cheon raised his hand to stop the crowd, and the hall quickly fell silent.

“I am grateful for your recognition of me. However… I still lack the experience and ability to be the leader. Therefore, I would like to recommend someone suitable for the position, and I hope you will not object.”

Murmurs arose.

Kwak Woon-sung, the vice-commander of the Righteous Command, stepped forward.

“Great Warrior Mun, I cannot accept your words. In this time of chaos, the person who becomes the leader must possess not only great martial arts but also character and ability. Your capabilities have already been proven, and we all know that you are excellent at leading an organization. Therefore, your refusal of the position of leader is the same as neglecting the current crisis of the martial world. This is an action that a person of the highest caliber in the martial world should not take.”

He was as dignified as ever, a straightforward man who spoke his mind without hiding anything.

“Vice-Commander, your words are quite understandable. However… please listen carefully to what I have to say.

First, let me tell you who I am recommending…”

Everyone became curious about who Pa Cheon would recommend.

“It is none other than the former leader of the Northern Sword Society, the Hidden Dragon Emperor.”

Murmurs arose.

“In fact, it can be said that the Dokgo family has suffered the most. The leader was sacrificed in a conspiracy and died a tragic death, and the Hidden Dragon Emperor and his grandson have lived in hellish pain. Moreover…

The Northern Sword Society, which was built on their lifelong blood and sweat, has been disgraced by all of this… Anyone can see that they have suffered the most. There are many reasons why I am recommending him, but it is to give him the opportunity to clear his name by working for the martial world. Furthermore, he is the one who possesses all the qualifications to be the leader of the Martial Alliance.”

…

The hall was silent. No one openly objected. Everyone agreed. And the Hidden Dragon Emperor was not lacking as the leader of the Martial Alliance. Moreover, it was a good opportunity to compensate for the years he had spent in pain after losing his son, and it was a very appropriate measure for the unity between the Northern Sword Society and other forces. No one could think of a better person. It was only because their expectations for Mun Yun, that is, Pa Cheon, were so great that they were hesitating.

“Instead, I will devote myself to assisting the leader as the Grand Commander of the Righteous Command.”

The reaction of the crowd changed at Pa Cheon’s words.

“That’s good. That seems better.”

“I acknowledge the new leader.”

“For the unity of the Martial Alliance!”

“Let’s all become one.”

“Wow!”

Pa Cheon smiled faintly. The gazes of the crowd towards him were filled with even more admiration, respect, and adoration…

‘Huhu, if I become the leader, there will be many restrictions on my actions. If it’s the Hidden Dragon Emperor, I can do whatever I want… That’s much better for me.’

The people, unaware of his true intentions, could not hide their cheers for the birth of a new leader and a hero.

★ The Martial Alliance quickly stabilized. The organization remained the same, and the Northern Sword Society did not suffer any disadvantages. The only changes were that the leader’s authority was expanded compared to before, and the authority of the Grand Commander of the Righteous Command was strengthened. He was given the right to act on behalf of the leader in case of emergency, and the right to inspect, investigate, change personnel, and impeach all the warriors of the Martial Alliance except for the leader, thus wielding even greater power than the leader.

Night fell. Pa Cheon’s residence was decided to be a three-story pavilion built next to the Divine Sword Pavilion, and it was also located about thirty paces from the headquarters of the Righteous Command. This place was newly named the Divine Dragon Pavilion, after the title of the Jade-Faced Divine Dragon.

“What happened?”

It was Pa Cheon’s question. Before him were Ssangno, the Mad King, the Hidden Dragon Emperor, and his grandson, the Heavenly Dragon Flying Sword, Dokgo Mu. Hwan-no answered his question.

“As soon as he went outside, he rushed to an inn in Gaebong [a major city in the Central Plains] and sent a carrier pigeon, then immediately went to Gangnam [the area south of the Yangtze River].”

“His final destination?”

“It was the Southern Alliance.”

“Really? Huhu, he went to find the Heavenly Fragrant Jade Peak [a powerful sect in the Southern Alliance].”

“But there were groups following him. They were scattered into about ten forces, but they were secretly following Dokgo Han-cheon.”

“Huh? How many were there?”

“Well… it seemed like about 4,000 or 5,000.”

“Then that’s right. They must be the 5,000 forces that the Blood Demon Heaven had waiting in Gangbuk [the area north of the Yangtze River]. Hmm… then if the Southern Alliance joins them? If we’re not careful, the Lion King or the Heavenly Fragrant Jade Peak could be in danger.”

The Mad King agreed with Pa Cheon’s words.

“That’s right. It seems we need to support the Southern Alliance. Let’s take this opportunity to completely dismantle the Blood Demon Heaven’s foothold in the Central Plains.”

“No. We don’t know who the Great Commander and the Second Commander are yet, so there’s no need to rush. Elder Gu Ryung-jin is in the Martial Alliance right now, so who should go with him when he returns? Should we send the Mad Demon Lord from the Demonic Alliance?”

“Pa Cheon, I’ll go.”

It was Dokgo Mu. He spoke to Pa Cheon in a blunt manner.

“Heavenly Demon! You’re only half-baked. You haven’t forgotten that, have you?”

“Damn it… why did things turn out so strangely… It’s all because you, Pa Cheon, were lazy in your training!”

“What? Are you shifting the blame onto me? Did I tell you to do that? You said you were confident…”

What on earth was going on?

“Hey, Hyeneung, you’re not thinking like the Heavenly Demon, are you?”

“Amitabha, Benefactor Pa Cheon, how could that be?”

How could a Buddhist chant come from the Hidden Dragon Emperor?

“This is ridiculous… What is this? I’m speechless…”

Dokgo Mu kept grumbling. Then, did the Heavenly Demon and Hyeneung succeed in taking over the Hidden Dragon Emperor and Dokgo Mu? But why do they have such dissatisfied expressions?

“It can’t be helped. We’ll have to move with the guys in the Demonic Alliance… But how long are you going to be half-baked?”

“I don’t know. Not yet… But at least Hyeneung, who went into the Hidden Dragon Emperor, has some martial arts. This guy is just a fledgling! If I had known, I would have gone into the Hidden Dragon Emperor.”

“Hmph! Did anyone force you? Didn’t you say that a young guy would be better and go in?”

Pa Cheon sneered at Dokgo Mu, and Dokgo Mu’s face turned red with anger, and he stammered.

“You… you… do you want to see someone go crazy with anger? To think I considered such a guy a friend!”

Friend? Well, the Heavenly Demon, Hyeneung, and Pa Cheon were friends who had a friendship that transcended time and age, so it wouldn’t be awkward to call them friends. But why did that word feel so strange?

There was a reason why the Heavenly Demon was so annoyed. They had succeeded in entering the Hidden Dragon Emperor and Dokgo Mu, but something went wrong, and their condition had become strange. This absurd situation was not included in any of the scenarios they had anticipated.

At night, the Heavenly Demon and Hyeneung became the masters of their bodies. But for some reason, when the sun rose and morning came, they would return to being the Hidden Dragon Emperor and Dokgo Mu until sunset. In the end, they ended up using their bodies in shifts between day and night. However, it wasn’t that they didn’t remember each other’s time periods. They were aware of each other’s existence and remembered each other.

So, the Hidden Dragon Emperor was okay since he had strong martial arts, but the Heavenly Demon, who had entered Dokgo Mu, was extremely anxious during the day. One interesting thing was that, like Pa Cheon’s case, they were mixed together, but they could not interfere with each other during the day and night. They were aware of the situation and remembered it, but they were suppressed and could not interfere, so even if they were to encounter a strong enemy and die, they would be helpless.

That’s why Pa Cheon called them half-baked. The only good thing was that Hyeneung and the Heavenly Demon had completely dissolved the elixir that Ui-no had given them, making their internal energy relatively strong.

“Heavenly Demon, it’s all fate, so who can we blame? We just have to quickly train that guy…”

“Train him? How?”

“You idiot! You said that the guy remembers everything you say and do at night, right? So, at night, you should use all the martial arts you know to the point of death, so that he can learn and master them, right?”

“Ah, there was that method. Hehe, thanks. You’re still the best at using your brain.”

“Using my brain? This isn’t using my brain, it’s wisdom that comes from the experience of life.”

“You’re trying to show off in front of a newbie. By the way, the more I look at you, the more handsome you are. Even as a man, I’m tempted when I look at you in person.”

“What?”

Pa Cheon made a dumbfounded expression.

“I really can’t understand it. How can you have such a handsome face and be in such a state?”

“What are you talking about?”

“If it were me…”

“If it were you, what?”

“Never mind.”

Pa Cheon looked at the Heavenly Demon with a meaningful gaze. An uneasy feeling was stirring, sending a warning signal to Pa Cheon.

“Hyeneung, you should go now. It’s not good to be here for too long as the leader.”

“As you wish, Benefactor.”

“Enough with that ‘Benefactor’ talk. You’re not a monk anymore. Surely you know that, right?”

“Just because my shell and status have changed doesn’t mean my essence has. I am still a Buddhist.”

Pa Cheon felt a sense of unease. Was it a mistake to make Hyeneung the leader of the Martial Alliance? His stubbornness seemed formidable. What if he opposed my orders or requests? Then… it would become very troublesome.

“Then, please continue your conversation. I’ll be on my way.”

The Great Emperor of the Hidden Dragon [Hyeneung’s title] clasped his hands in a Buddhist gesture. Bewildered, Gae Wang and the Twin Old Men also followed suit. To them, not to mention the Heavenly Demon, even Hyeneung was a distant senior in the martial world, so they couldn’t help but be cautious.

“Playing around. This is getting weirder… Is that guy going to try to shave his head or something?”

“That’s why Hyeneung should have been given to that, what was her name? Hwansa. That would have been perfect… Kukuku. Then I would have loved her.”

“What?”

These were the words exchanged between the two after Hyeneung left. Pa Cheon’s head began to throb as he watched the Heavenly Demon’s antics. He had already grasped his personality to some extent, but seeing it in action, he was completely unpredictable and self-willed. Pa Cheon could clearly foresee how many accidents he would cause.

“Hey!”

Dokgo Mu spoke to Gae Wang and the Twin Old Men.

“Yes?”

Gae Wang, caught off guard, was bewildered.

“You know who I am, right?”

“Yes.”

It was a faint reply.

“If you’re Pa Cheon’s subordinates, then you’re also my subordinates, right?”

“Yes?… That is…”

“Hey, Heavenly Demon, what are you doing?”

“Just wait. Sometimes you need to keep the underlings in check so they listen well.”

“Why are they your subordinates?”

“What? You’re not going to start distinguishing between yours and mine, are you?”

“What? Aigoo… Fine, do as you please.”

Pa Cheon shook his head, and Gae Wang and the others’ expressions filled with anxiety.

“Answer quickly. Are you my subordinates or not?”

“We are.”

“Right?… Hehehe. Go and prepare some drinks.”

“Yes?”

“Ah, can’t you get up quickly when your lord speaks?”

At the Heavenly Demon’s shout, the three of them jumped up simultaneously.

“You guys are quick, huh? Good. With some training, you might be useful. Go on, hurry.”

The three of them awkwardly went outside, their faces full of discontent.

“Ah, wait… You know that drinks taste best when served by women, right?… Well, just keep that in mind…”

It was a threat. But where on earth would they find women to serve drinks? They looked truly perplexed. They went out, but their expressions were still uneasy. They couldn’t possibly ask the female martial artists of the Martial Alliance to serve drinks. If that happened, the entire Martial Alliance would be filled with bad rumors about Pa Cheon by tomorrow. Watching them, Pa Cheon hung his head low. How was he going to resolve this situation?

‘That Heavenly Demon isn’t under my control, and if he keeps bringing up our friendship, it’s going to be really difficult. Is there no way to keep him in check? … Damn it, I never thought I’d be worrying about something like this.’

It was the appearance of a troublemaker who was making things difficult for Pa Cheon. And he was a master of being slick, to the point that Pa Cheon had to throw up his hands in defeat…

“Pa Cheon.”

“What is it?”

“From now on, I will follow all your instructions.”

“Really?”

Pa Cheon looked incredulous.

“You’re moved by something so small… In return, you must promise me one thing.”

“What, what is it?”

“I’ve started a new life, haven’t I? Before, I was covered in blood and lived like a madman, but now I’m going to set a more sacred and noble goal for myself.”

“…”

Pa Cheon was listening to him intently.

“Ahem… What it is… is to sample all the women in this world.”

“What? Sample? What are you talking about?”

“You know what I mean… So, while I don’t know about other things, I hope you won’t say anything about my noble hobby. Other than that, I’ll do whatever you tell me.”

This is ridiculous! What is he talking about? What does he mean by ‘sample’?

“I hope you understand. I don’t want any awkwardness about this later. Living in this world, I’ve realized there’s nothing to it. Power? Money? Fame? I wouldn’t take them even if you gave them to me. I’ve already enjoyed them enough in my past life, so I’ll dedicate myself to women and live to share my sacred personality with all the women in the world.”

Pa Cheon’s face began to contort horribly. So, his goal from before was…?

“Hey… Don’t look at me with such respect already. So, I need to clarify one thing. I’m a guy who lives by loyalty, so I can’t bring myself to sample my friend’s women. So, if you clearly identify your women first, it would be easier for me to enjoy my hobby…”

Oh, heavens. How am I supposed to handle this?

“Are you serious? No, you’re joking, right? There’s no way the Heavenly Demon would set such a goal for his life. Right?”

“Are you making me say it twice? You don’t have the same goal as me, do you? Are you seeing me as a rival?”

Is he really the Heavenly Demon? The legendary figure of the martial world, the eternal sky of the demonic path?

“Let’s stop. Whether you sample or devour all the women in the world, I don’t care. Do as you please.”

“Really? No changing your mind later.”

Damn it… It would be easier to just ignore him when I’m with him. This is really unexpected. The Heavenly Demon… I never thought he was this kind of person.

*Thud*

The door opened. Servants carrying food came in, followed by Gae Wang and the Twin Old Men. The Heavenly Demon carefully observed the servants, then looked at Gae Wang and the others. He was asking with his eyes, ‘Are these them?’ Gae Wang and the others avoided his gaze and tried to look away. The Heavenly Demon hung his head low. After the servants left, the Heavenly Demon snapped his fingers.

Gae Wang and the others, looking like cows being dragged to the slaughterhouse, reluctantly entered.

“You, you bastards… ruining the plan from the start? You, you, you!”

“Yes.”

“Yes.”

“Are you going to go get women right now, or do you want to get beaten until sunrise? Make a decision.”

They looked at Pa Cheon, their faces pleading for help. But there was no way he could help them.

“Heavenly Demon! Stop it. It’s not good to harass your subordinates like that.”

“Pa Cheon, you promised me you wouldn’t interfere with this, didn’t you? And ‘like that’? This is more urgent than life or death for me. If you talk like that, I’ll be really disappointed. Ah, why aren’t you going to get them?”

At his outburst, they ran out in a hurry.

“Hehe, those guys will eventually go get them, but they’re making people anxious.”

As Pa Cheon and the Heavenly Demon were drinking, Gae Wang and the others entered. Who would have thought they would suffer like this at over a hundred years old? They were indeed accompanied by two beautiful women. How did this happen?

“Hahahaha, come here. Pa Cheon, you can drink well even without women, right? You two, come here.”

Pa Cheon was dumbfounded. He wasn’t someone who pathologically hated having women at drinking parties. But that guy! Gae Wang and the Twin Old Men bowed to them and quickly ran away. They realized that staying here would not lead to anything good.

“Come on, you have a drink too. That’s right. *Chug chug chug* You drink well, huh?”

He was excited by himself, not even looking at Pa Cheon, laughing and making a fuss. In front of him, Pa Cheon was drinking alone, looking like a volcano about to erupt. That was because the Heavenly Demon was provoking Pa Cheon.

They were courtesans. Gae Wang and the others had eventually decided to bring courtesans from the Gaebong House [a place known for courtesans] for a large sum of money. After all, where else could they find women to serve drinks at this hour? The two courtesans, called Sochwi and Aeng, were in the Heavenly Demon’s arms, but they kept glancing at Pa Cheon’s face. Seeing their behavior, the Heavenly Demon, annoyed, began to subtly criticize Pa Cheon.

“That guy only looks good on the outside, but he’s useless. There’s never a decent guy who looks that smooth. And this is a secret… that guy’s face was…”

“Hey, Dokgo Mu.”

“Huh? Ah, ah, right, right. I forgot. It’s actually a secret that your face was fixed, but I make a lot of mistakes when I drink. Please understand. Aigoo, you’re cute.”

The Heavenly Demon’s hands were thoroughly investigating their bodies. He was probably checking if they had hidden any weapons. He mainly focused on the chest area and, being a cautious person, he investigated repeatedly. And sometimes his hand would go lower, but that was probably due to his meticulous nature.

After half an hour of being touched everywhere, the two courtesans began to sway. The investigation was too thorough, and they seemed exhausted. They began to cling to him as if asking for a chance to investigate the Heavenly Demon, and eventually, they discovered a weapon. The two courtesans fought over who had discovered it, and Pa Cheon, watching them, couldn’t take it anymore and left the room. The Heavenly Demon didn’t forget to say one last thing to Pa Cheon.

“Why are you leaving already? You can’t even drink properly, how are you going to be a man?”

It was a day when Pa Cheon was falling apart in many ways. But who would have known? Pa Cheon was making a huge decision… From now on, the Heavenly Demon might have a hard time. Pa Cheon wasn’t such a soft man, was he?

After Pa Cheon left the room, a full-scale weapon battle began, and the Heavenly Demon, as if he had decided to kill the two courtesans, began to swing his weapon. The two courtesans seemed to die and then come back to life. This showed that the Heavenly Demon’s martial arts were not as strong as rumored. Until sunrise, the Heavenly Demon swung his weapon at the two courtesans, and the courtesans, repeatedly injured by the weapon, began to let out strange screams. The servants of the Divine Dragon Pavilion would probably think that the grandson of the Martial Alliance leader had brought courtesans and was brutally murdering them with weapons. Probably!

★ Morning came. The dazzling sunlight was shining into the Divine Dragon Pavilion. Dokgo Mu opened his eyes. He got up. But?

“This… This? Haa… This is really too much.”

He looked at the courtesans lying on the bed with him. They were sprawled out, not even covering their naked bodies, resting their tired bodies from the night. Dokgo Mu’s gaze lingered on them. Then it moved to the window.

“Hehe, Senior. Even though we share a body, you’re using it without my consent. Moreover, I’m still a bachelor… I never thought I’d lose my purity like this.”

Dokgo Mu smiled bitterly, as if he was feeling bitter, and put on his clothes. As he went outside, he saw the servants looking at him and whispering.

“Ahem…”

Dokgo Mu quickly left the Divine Dragon Pavilion. He felt the back of his head burning as if it was being branded with fire.