Emperor’s Sword [EN]: Chapter 65

The death of Dan Yajeokpung, the Black Tiger Clan leader, sent shockwaves through the entire Demonic Alliance. It was as if a whirlwind had swept through, creating ripples that shook the very foundations of the alliance. His death, occurring so soon after the visit of Cheonin Commander Lee Si-myung, who had come to deliver the Mad Demon’s summons, was indeed a strange coincidence. Given the current strained relationship with the Black Tiger Clan, all eyes of suspicion naturally turned to one person: the Mad Demon. This incident brought together not only the military leaders but also the heads of the seven clans, the inner and outer hall leaders, the Cheonin commanders, and even the four disciples of the Great Master. If the underlying discontent were to surface, there was a real fear that the Demonic Alliance might disintegrate. This heavy atmosphere weighed down on everyone.

“It seems that this is the work of the same culprit who killed Jang Woong last time. A mysterious figure who moves through the Demonic Alliance as if it were their own backyard… It’s possible that the culprit is among us, but honestly, none of us are strong enough to do something like this.”

The military advisor glanced at the Mad Demon as he finished speaking. It was as if he was silently saying, ‘If anyone could do it, it would be you.’ No one openly accused the Mad Demon, but the strange circumstances had created an undercurrent of suspicion. Had the Demonic Alliance leadership ever been this tense? The death of Jang Woong was significant, but the Black Tiger Clan leader was different. While Jang Woong was a former Demonic Guard Captain, he was a shell of his former self. The Black Tiger Clan leader, however, was a formidable figure. Among them, only the Mad Demon was capable of killing him without resistance.

The thought that such a powerful expert was targeting them sent shivers down their spines. The fact that he had been killed silently in the depths of the Black Tiger Clan meant that no one could guarantee their own safety. This fear had sealed their lips. Normally, there would be some discussion, but they were all silent as if they had made a pact. What more could they say? There were no clues, and no one to suspect. There was even less physical evidence. A few more words would not lessen their fear.

“This is absurd. The leadership of the Central Plains Demonic Path is being killed, and we can’t even come up with a solution. How can we talk about overthrowing the righteous path like this?”

The Mad Demon’s words were directed at everyone present, and they were more than enough to provoke them. Yet, no one dared to challenge him. They seemed to accept his words as if they were natural.

“This is a matter of the very survival of our alliance. If we continue to ignore this, we will either destroy ourselves or fall apart. Therefore…”

He trailed off, and all eyes turned to the Mad Demon.

“I propose a special measure. From now until the Great Young Master returns, each of the senior leaders will be assigned two Cheonin guards [Heavenly Guard]. They will follow you wherever you go. If any of these guards are killed, the person they were assigned to will be the first suspect, so you must protect them. Furthermore, the Cheonin and I will conduct a thorough investigation of all the experts in the Demonic Alliance and look for anything suspicious. I believe you will all agree to this. And I expect the Great Young Master to actively assist in this matter.”

Han Dang showed no reaction to the Mad Demon’s words. It seemed safe to assume he agreed. Military Advisor Je Gal Cho Hong looked at the Mad Demon and spoke.

“What are your plans regarding the Black Tiger Clan?”

With the Great Young Master absent, the Mad Demon naturally held all the power within the alliance.

“With the clan leader dead and the vice-leader arrested for disrespect… Lee Gongja [Young Master Lee].”

“Yes.”

“Would you be willing to take over? Temporarily, of course.”

Lee Jaeja, also known as One-Blade Soul-Shaker, Able-Flying Tiger, hesitated for a long time, seemingly surprised. It was understandable that he would be reluctant to take over the position of someone who had just died. However, he couldn’t refuse, and he finally nodded.

“Yes, I understand. I will do my best.”

His voice sounded weak. Military Advisor Je Gal Cho Hong’s eyes gleamed.

“Regarding the inspector… There is a lot of discontent within the alliance. His excessive adherence to rules is demoralizing the warriors, and there is a lot of jealousy due to his sudden rise from a low-ranking warrior. How long are we going to tolerate his tyranny…?”

“That is not something for the military advisor to interfere with. This is something that the Great Young Master ordered, so you should bring it up again when he returns.”

The Mad Demon’s words were a clear indication that it was not her place to interfere. However, as the military advisor, considered the brain of the Demonic Alliance, she couldn’t simply ignore the issue.

“Well, if there are no other comments, let’s end this meeting.”

He also disliked this frustrating situation. Seeing everyone sitting there with long faces made him feel irritated. Although he had no particular attachment to the Demonic Alliance, he felt a sense of camaraderie with them as fellow practitioners of the demonic path, and their weakness was displeasing to him. This was something that would never happen in the Heavenly Demon Sect. The Heavenly Demon Sect members would only become more vicious after a few of their own were killed. They were fundamentally different.

★ Pacheon brought the Madman to the Jin family estate. Only the Madman, his sister Sara, and Chunma were in Pacheon’s residence.

“You understand your brother’s current situation, right?”

“Yes…”

“Does your father know about this?”

“Of course. He has already given up on everything. I followed my brother here despite my father’s ban.”

“What? Then your words might not be valid.”

“That’s not true. First of all, my father loves my brother very much. Although my brother is like this now, there was a time when he was considered the greatest talent in the history of the North Sea Sword Palace. My father’s expectations and affection for him were extraordinary. So, he wouldn’t abandon someone who helped my brother.”

“Is that enough to establish our contract? We need something more concrete.”

“I don’t have any other way to give you a more concrete answer. If necessary, I will become your hostage. Would that be enough?”

“Hmm.”

‘That would be reliable, but do I really want to carry around this troublesome burden? Am I doing something foolish?’

“Alright. With that kind of resolve, I can trust you. But how did you come to learn the Nine Yin True Scripture? It’s a forbidden art that no one has ever mastered…”

“Yes. This martial art originally belonged to our North Sea Ice Palace. The only time it was ever known to the martial world was about 400 years ago, by one of my ancestors. He also became a madman after failing to overcome the inner demons that arose from practicing the Nine Yin True Scripture. Since then, no one has been allowed to see or learn the martial art.

However, my father’s expectations were focused on my brother, who was exceptionally intelligent and had an outstanding physique. He believed that my brother was the only one who could master it. So, from a young age, he had him take various elixirs to cleanse his body and build his inner energy, preparing him to learn the Nine Yin True Scripture. He started learning it when he was eleven years old.

But in the end, my brother also failed to overcome the inner demons… As you can see, he is in this state now. The periods when he regained consciousness became shorter and shorter, and eventually, he even caused a bloodbath in the palace and ran away. From that point on, my father told me to forget about my brother. But I couldn’t. He is my only brother, so I could never give up on him. However, coming to the Central Plains was only the beginning. The next problem was…

I realized that none of us were strong enough to subdue my brother. Even if we encountered him, it would be useless if we couldn’t subdue him. Moreover, we even lost track of him for a while. Then, we discovered the massacre at the Martial Alliance branch and realized that my brother was responsible. So, we waited for the Martial Alliance people to come. Of course, I also hoped to find out about the Jade-Faced Divine Dragon’s whereabouts, and perhaps we needed new bait for my brother.

…It’s fortunate that the Great Commander is strong enough to subdue my brother.”

Her long explanation was as Pacheon had expected.

★ After leaving the Southern Alliance, Chunhyang Okbong crossed the river and headed north. Her destination was the Kaifeng area. She was going to find Pacheon. It was not to beg for her life.

Wasn’t she carrying a sacred duty to transport a precious item that might be more valuable than her own life? However, she was soon being pursued, and she quickly realized that her movements were within the enemy’s net. They were that fast.

‘The fact that they have already started moving means that either the Second Commander or the First Commander has returned.

Even so, they couldn’t be this fast, could they? Perhaps… they predicted my actions and set up an ambush… No way. If that’s the case, then my father…’

Her heart grew heavy. But she couldn’t stop or turn back. She had a peerless secret manual in her possession, which might be more precious than her own life. She couldn’t let the Blood Demon Heaven take it. It was a secret manual that her father had risked his life to retrieve. Chunhyang Okbong knew this, and she gritted her teeth. She had to reach Kaifeng no matter what.

When she first left the Southern Alliance, she was riding a horse. However, she soon realized that she could no longer ride a horse, as she began to see the warriors of the Southern Alliance and the Blood Demon Heaven. They were stationed at every strategic point, and their surveillance network covered a vast area, including main roads, side roads, and forests.

As soon as Chunhyang Okbong crossed the Yangtze River, she moved from Wuchang to Anlu, which was northwest. Between Wuchang and Anlu was a large forest, though not very dense. It was called the Hwaryong Forest [Dragon Winding Forest], named for its winding shape that resembled a dragon writhing. She had to pass through it to reach Anlu, where the Beggar Clan’s branch was located. She thought that if she had to meet the Beggar Clan’s Supreme Elder, the Beggar King, it would be better to send a message first.

Her plan was met with obstacles from the start. There was no opening. The encirclement was too tight, making it difficult to move forward. If she were discovered, she knew that escape would be difficult. She had once been in a position to command them, so she knew the power of the Blood Demon Heaven’s net. Among the people of the Blood Demon Heaven currently in the Central Plains, there were no more than three who could pose a threat to her. However, that was only when facing them individually. She couldn’t stand against them when they attacked in groups.

Chunhyang Okbong hid in the bushes under a tree.

‘I can’t stay like this forever. If I don’t escape before the night is over, I won’t have another chance. I have to get to Anlu no matter what.’

Even if she reached Anlu, there was no guarantee that she could safely reach Kaifeng. Nevertheless, it was her only option, so she had no choice.

Her hiding skills were so skillful that they didn’t notice her even as they passed by. There were more than ten people within a radius of 30 feet. It seemed that they believed Chunhyang Okbong’s route was through the Hwaryong Forest, and that was why they had set up their net around this area. Their movements indicated that they were certain that Chunhyang Okbong was somewhere in this area.

Dokgo Hancheon, the Second Commander of the Blood Demon Heaven, shook his head. Several warriors were visible behind him.

“No. She hasn’t left this area yet. She’s probably hiding somewhere, waiting for an opening.

Heh heh, you little bitch, you didn’t think this day would come, did you? I was going to wait until my older brother came, but you showed your tail first. Well, I guess you were too anxious to stay here any longer.”

From his words, it seemed that he had been aware of Chunhyang Okbong’s change of heart for quite some time.

“But do you know why I let you be? Heh heh, it was because of the Blood Shadow Lightning Palm Technique. You thought it was a good time to move since I left the alliance, didn’t you? Then you must have the technique in your possession right now.

If I can get my hands on that… Hahahaha.”

He was standing on a hill overlooking the Hwaryong Forest. Although it was the middle of the night and nothing was visible, he stared intently at one spot as if he knew where Chunhyang Okbong was.

“Killing Sawoo was a mistake. If I hadn’t killed him, perhaps today’s escape would have been successful. By killing him, I sensed that you would soon leave the Southern Alliance. Heh heh, thank you, Chunhyang Okbong! You’re giving me a treasure…”

Dokgo Hancheon chuckled with satisfaction, as if she was already in his grasp.

‘There’s only one way to get out of here. There are hidden observers within this net. They will stay in place until the operation is over. The ones out in the open aren’t that dangerous. It’s those guys that are the problem… The only way is to figure out their positions and take them out one by one as we move.

Whew, is that even possible?’

Dark clouds seemed to gather over the possibility of a successful escape, and a sense of futility washed over her.

★ The main headquarters of the Five Lotus Society is located in Chengdu, Sichuan. Sichuan has always been a place where the orthodox sects have had many strongholds, and as such, the demonic path has never been able to gain much power there. Aside from the Five Lotus Society’s affiliated sects in Chengdu, there were also the Emei Sect on Mount Emei in western Sichuan, a sect of the Nine Great Sects [Nine Great Sects: The most influential and powerful martial arts sects in the orthodox world], the Diancang Sect on Mount Diancang, the Qingcheng Sect northwest of Chengdu, and other prestigious orthodox sects such as the Azure Dragon Stronghold, the Nine Dragon Clan, the Clear Sword Stronghold, the Setting Sun Sword Clan, and the Chasing Classics Manor.

However, strange things had been happening in Sichuan for some time now, and not only the major sects but even the smaller ones were tightening their internal security and refraining from going outside. In the midst of this, a group of warriors was dispatched from the Martial Alliance, and they began summoning the leaders of the major sects, focusing on the Five Lotus Society. And so, they began to investigate the strange incidents…

The incident began at the Chasing Classics Manor. They had about 1,200 disciples, and one day, after midnight, a strange sound of a flute echoed, and dark clouds enveloped the entire manor. Wondering what was going on, all the disciples came out, lit torches, and strengthened their guard, but nothing unusual happened. So, they thought it was nothing and went back to sleep, but then a scream tore through the quiet night sky.

The source of the scream was the inner quarters, where the Vice-Lord of the Chasing Classics Manor, Man Jangseok’s wife and daughters, resided. When Man Jangseok and the other masters of the manor rushed there, it was already too late. The Vice-Lord’s wife, three daughters, and twelve maids were all found naked, their chests cut open. It was a truly gruesome bloodbath. The Chasing Classics Manor tried to keep the incident from spreading outside and secretly tracked down the culprit. But the matter did not end there.

Every night, such bloodbaths occurred, and without fail, the victims were from martial arts sects. Moreover, it was always the family members of the sect leaders, and only the women suffered the tragedy. So far, eleven sects in Sichuan had experienced such bloodbaths, and each sect was taking every precaution and paying close attention to security.

Whether it was because of that, or not, it seemed like nothing happened after that, but then another bloodbath occurred at the Azure Dragon Stronghold.

The Lord of the Azure Dragon Stronghold, who had not yet let his guard down, had stationed over 300 guards around his wife’s residence, but no one saw the culprit. The Lord’s wife, one daughter, and two sisters-in-law were found dead, their chests also cut open. The problem was that even the Lord himself had not sensed anything. Gradually, fear began to grip each sect.

Namgung Hwi, the head of the Five Lotus Society and the Vice-Leader of the Martial Alliance, gathered the families of the sect leaders in one place. The place where they stayed was the deepest part of the Five Lotus Society. At first, the sects that had not yet suffered any losses opposed it, but Namgung Hwi’s orders were so firm that they had no choice.

The people gathered in the medical hall of the Five Lotus Society were mostly figures of great renown in the current martial world. They were the main figures of the western martial world and held positions in the Martial Alliance. Among them were the head of the society, the Flash Sword, the head of the Diancang Sect, the Jade Void Nun of the Emei Sect, the Azure Cloud Swordsman of Qingcheng, and Namgung Hwan, the Heavenly Martial Lord of the Martial Alliance and the younger brother of the head of the Five Lotus Society. Also present were the heads of the Tang Clan, the Peng Clan, the Eon Clan, the Mo Yong Clan, the Azure Dragon Stronghold, the Nine Dragon Clan, the Clear Sword Stronghold, the Setting Sun Sword Clan, and the Chasing Classics Manor. It was a gathering that could truly be called the Western Martial Alliance.

Namgung Hwi looked around the room with a heavy expression.

“As you all know, the current state of the martial world is like being in a fog. Danger that cannot be predicted is lurking at every step. In this situation, if we do not deal with this strange incident carefully, it could have a fatal impact on the martial world. In my opinion, it is most likely the work of the border martial world. First, we must find out which force is behind this and be fully prepared to prevent their provocations.”

The head of the Diancang Sect looked at the head of the society and opened his mouth.

“Isn’t this a truly bizarre incident? Who are these people who can kill and disappear without a trace? It’s as if they’ve blocked all eyes and ears, killing and disappearing at will… It’s truly a difficult situation.”

At those words, the Lord of the Azure Dragon Stronghold stepped forward and shouted in agitation.

“I lost my family members with my own two eyes wide open. I didn’t even feel it, even though I was sleeping right next to them…”

His eyes were filled with shame rather than anger. He had never thought of himself as the best martial artist, but he was still a pillar of the western martial world, and his martial arts were certainly not lacking for someone who led over 1,000 disciples. Yet, the fact that he had not even sensed the culprit’s movements made him ashamed. No one was laughing at him, but he himself found it difficult to sit in this place because of that shame.

The Heavenly Martial Lord, Namgung Hwan, looked at his older brother, the head of the society, and said,

“There will be no more such incidents. There are already 5,000 members of the Martial Alliance’s Heavenly Martial Hall, 6,000 members of our society, and 2,000 masters from each sect stationed here. Even a ghost wouldn’t be able to commit murder under such security.”

“Still, I can’t be at ease. The opponent has never shown their face. And there are no particular clues… Hmm… The results of the autopsies on the bodies also didn’t reveal anything special…”

Namgung Hwi said those words, conscious of the Lord of the Azure Dragon Stronghold. As expected, the Lord of the Azure Dragon Stronghold’s face was also flushed. It was because the autopsies of the victims in the investigation of this strange incident were all the wives and daughters of the sect leaders… Of course, they were already dead bodies, but their appearances were exposed in front of everyone, so it was inevitable that he would be concerned since he was present.

Adding to this, Namgung Hwan’s words made the Lord of the Azure Dragon Stronghold’s heart even heavier. His words were,

“The bodies all had their chests cleanly cut out, and there were no other wounds. Moreover, the cuts were so natural, as if they were born that way, which shows that the culprit’s martial arts are at an unimaginable level.”

Unlike Namgung Hwi, his younger brother Namgung Hwan was a simple and straightforward person with no tact. So, he was not someone who would consider whether the Lord of the Azure Dragon Stronghold was present or not. Namgung Hwan continued,

“If the culprit appears here today, then next year at this time will probably be their death anniversary.”

He shook his hand as if he was certain and even clenched his fist. Namgung Hwi sighed inwardly as he looked at his brother.

“That’s true, but I heard… that there was also an incident in the Orthodox Command Unit.”

“What? What happened?”

“According to the messenger pigeon from the Alliance, as many as 300 people were killed.”

The head of the Peng Clan exclaimed in surprise.

“Is that true?”

His son was also a member of the Orthodox Command Unit, so it was natural for him to be surprised. His surprise was not his alone. Almost everyone here was related to the Orthodox Command Unit. Their sons or disciples were included, so their surprise was extreme.

“It’s true. But fortunately, they say they caught the culprit.”

“How could such a thing happen when the Commander is there?”

“It seems that the incident occurred in the group that was not with the Commander… By the time they caught the culprit, there were already many casualties…”

The atmosphere in the hall became even heavier. No one spoke. The news they were hearing was nothing but despairing…

A shadow that looked like a person flickered on a hill overlooking the Five Lotus Society. One was lying down, and the other was standing. The one standing was leaning against a large tree, with a reed stalk hanging from their mouth, swaying. The one lying down was supporting their head with their arm above their head. Their gaze was fixed on the brightly lit view of the Five Lotus Society. It was a girl who gave off a truly strange feeling. She looked to be about 17 years old, and her face was pale gray. The places where her eyes should have been were hollow, with only tiny specks of light occasionally shining. If it weren’t for her eyes and complexion, she could have been called a peerless beauty, but those two things made her look like a ghost.

“Soso, why are you hesitating so much?”

It was the question of the guy leaning against the tree. The girl called Soso took one arm from under her head and plucked the grass next to her. Then, she scattered the handful of grass leaves into the air, saying,

“I don’t think it’ll be easy today, will it? Maybe we should wait a little longer…”

“Heh heh, are you scared too? This is entirely our own decision. Even if our senior brothers come and scold us for being hasty, we’ve already started, so we have to finish it.”

The one who spoke was a boy. He looked exactly like the girl lying down, but he was a little bigger.

“Sorang, don’t say that. I don’t want to push myself to finish this. The reason I started this wasn’t because your words sounded plausible, nor was it to show any special loyalty.

I thought this would be fun. But…”

“But?”

“It’s not as fun as I thought. I thought it would be quite fun to deal with the kids from the Central Plains, but it wasn’t. If this is the martial world of the Central Plains, what kind of interesting people would come out even if we stirred it up? The guys gathered there are probably all pathetic.”

“Hey! Aren’t you thinking too lightly? At least the Central Plains I know isn’t that weak. We just haven’t met any masters yet, but there must be quite a few masters.”

“It’s still just that…”

Who on earth were they? These kids who thought of the martial world of the Central Plains as something as easy as a game of jacks?

“Actually, the reason we came here first was to investigate the movements of the martial world… but we’ve made things too big…”

“So, do you regret it?”

“Regret… I just don’t want to hear the nagging of my senior brothers.”

“Hahaha, good. I’m in the mood. Let’s just do it one more time. And then, we can either listen to the nagging or run away… Hehehe.”

The girl lying down got up. The two looked at each other and smiled wickedly.

★ The first time they were discovered was after traveling only about 200 steps. It was a mistake not to check the surroundings after taking out one hidden observer. Another one was hiding right above a tree. That guy didn’t immediately attack Chunhyang Okbong but took out a horn and signaled. Surprised by the sound, the two looked up, and their eyes met.

“You die!”

*Puhwak*

That guy’s whole body exploded from Chunhyang Okbong’s palm strike, and he died instantly. There was no time to admire that. Chunhyang Okbong thought that since her position was already revealed, she had no choice but to break through with all her might, and that thought naturally led to action.

*Shhh*

Each time Chunhyang Okbong’s feet kicked off the ground, she leaped more than 50 steps at once. Her movement technique was so fast that the surrounding scenery couldn’t even capture her image and scattered, and the guys who were blocking or following her were quickly left behind. But Chunhyang Okbong knew. Soon, masters who would be difficult for her to handle would block her path…