Emperor’s Sword [EN]: Chapter 71

Even a hero who once shook the continent, as time passes and their strength wanes, eventually sets aside their youth and quietly prepares to end their life. As the saying goes, ‘No power lasts ten years, and no flower blooms for ten days.’ The power that once resounded through the world, and the vibrant flower petals that flaunted their beauty, all fade with time, their glory diminished and their appearance becoming truly pathetic. The moon wanes after it is full, and every journey has an end. If this is fate, ordained by the name of natural order, it might seem too cruel, but it is also a natural principle of human affairs, and who can deny or reject it?

The martial world is no exception. There are only a handful of sects that have lasted for thousands of years, and unlike those that barely maintain their lineage, it is truly difficult to enjoy prosperity over such a long period. Even the great factions that once stood tall in their era, proclaiming themselves the best under heaven, have not been able to maintain their existence. If one stands out, they are targeted, and if one claims to be the best, they become the target of others.

Human desire is insatiable, always wanting to reach the heavens and pull down those who have climbed high. Those who enjoy the fortune of standing at the top do not have long lives, and all of this is a cycle that turns endlessly like a wheel. Falling from the peak to the ground and then climbing back to the top, this constant cycle is what maintains tradition and becomes the power of survival.

At least in this category, there are not many sects with tradition in the martial world. The Nine Great Sects and Five Great Families of the orthodox faction, the Three Outer World Families of the demonic faction, and the Heavenly Demon Church, which is said to exist beyond the heavens, are the only ones. Considering that even the most powerful dynasties rarely last more than 500 years, it is truly remarkable that these sects have endured for over a thousand years.

While the Northern Sword Society and the Southern Alliance are forces that have been built over several generations, the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families are forces that have grasped the power of survival, unyielding throughout their long history. The Southern Alliance, one of the four pillars supporting the orthodox path of the Central Plains, was now in a precarious situation, but they did not look to the heavens or consider the earth. Who could manage their crisis? Sometimes, things in the world do not work out with just unwavering determination.

The momentum of the Demonic Alliance, which rose with the banner of restoring the demonic path in the Central Plains, was as fierce as the years of oppression they had endured, showing how much they had been grinding their teeth in the dark depths, waiting for this day.

The forces of the Green Forest [a group of bandits or outlaws], one of the Eight Demonic Gates, with 3,700 members, the Thousand-Man Unit with 1,000 members, and 1,000 members from the outer hall, along with 1,000 members from four branch units, quickly trampled the Southern Alliance in Muchang. They struck after midnight, when most people, except for the guards, were fast asleep. Their surprise attack was perfectly timed. Moreover, since a significant portion of their main force had been dispatched to the Martial Alliance, the resistance was not very strong.

The Mad Demon, needing to carry out Pa Cheon’s special instructions, sped ahead. The Shadowless One supported him from behind, and Dan Jang-hwa did not come this time. She had already gone to meet the Twin Elders to carry out the Supreme One’s orders.

“Ugh!”

“Gack!”

“Stop them!”

Tragic, dying screams echoed from everywhere. A master of the Green Forest stabbed his sword into an opponent’s stomach, leaned in, and let out a cruel laugh. Some of the Thousand-Man Unit members were seen holding up the heads of their enemies and roaring with laughter. It was truly a scene of hell on earth. Their actions were as brutal as if they had released bloodthirsty demons into the world. Within the confines of the Demonic Alliance, they were just ordinary martial artists, but outside, things were different. Once the fence that had been suppressing their demonic nature was removed, they unleashed it to their heart’s content.

The Mad Demon, however, paid no attention to such things and flew inside. Pa Cheon’s orders were his top priority. He recalled the Supreme One’s command once again.

“Mad Demon, do not concern yourself with anything else, and only secure the Lion Blade King. Whatever the reason, he is also under my command. So, no matter what, prevent the Lion Blade King from dying.”

The Mad Demon became anxious. Was he even alive? The main force of the Blood Demon Heaven was nowhere to be seen. They had already left this place. It was unknown how they could move so quickly, but it was clear that they were not within the Southern Alliance.

His heart pounded with urgency as he entered the Lion Hall. There was no one around the Lion Hall.

‘This is not good.’

He smashed through anything that blocked his path, whether it was a door or a wall. He quickly headed towards the Lion Blade King’s residence, where he had been once before.

Crash!

The door shattered, and the scene inside the room came into view.

“Oh… my god.”

The Mad Demon’s face froze in shock, and he quickly went inside.

Oh, no!

The Lion Blade King was there. He had a sword in his chest and was smiling faintly. He was still breathing, but it seemed impossible for him to recover.

“Heh heh, so this is how it ends… I have no regrets in my life, but there is something I am a little sad about. Heh heh heh, if only I could live my life again…”

It was a natural feeling for a person facing death. Anyone would likely feel this way! The Lion Blade King looked up at the Mad Demon.

“Are you a member of the Demonic Alliance? The Blood Demon Heaven and the Demonic Alliance… you will gain nothing. This old body is all you will get.”

He truly did not recognize the Mad Demon. Well, when he had seen the Mad Demon, he was a young man in his twenties, so it was natural that he would not recognize him. It was at that moment. The Mad Demon’s face began to twist, and then he transformed into Dam Dae-chu-gwang, the guest above all others. Seeing this, the Lion Blade King was deeply moved.

“Are you… the young alliance leader?”

Yes, he was, after all, the young alliance leader of the Southern Alliance.

“Why did you take your own life?”

“Heh heh heh, take my own life? I am not such a foolish person.”

“Then?”

“That guy came and went.”

“That guy… who are you talking about?”

The Mad Demon spoke while examining the Lion Blade King’s condition. The moment he pulled out the sword, he would die. There was no hope. The only thing he could do was help him pass away peacefully.

“The Martial Alliance Leader, Dokgo Han-cheon. He is also the second-in-command of the Blood Demon Heaven.”

“Hmm… that rat bastard.”

The Mad Demon gritted his teeth.

“Where is Cheon-hyang?”

The Lion Blade King was surprised by those words.

“Didn’t that child… go to the Supreme One?”

“What? She left here?”

Pa Cheon had deliberately hidden information about her from the Mad Demon. So, it was natural that he did not know about her.

“Yes. She left here. It seems that she was also captured…”

“Damn it…”

The Mad Demon’s face twisted horribly, and then he returned to his original appearance. The reason he was so anxious was that he was worried about her safety. The Mad Demon looked at the Lion Blade King with pity.

“Do you have any last words?”

“…Please, tell the Supreme One something.”

“What is it?”

“Save… save the martial world… please tell him.”

With those words, he slumped over. What did his last words mean? He was aware of the current crisis in the martial world, so it was possible that he would ask for the martial world to be saved. Even if he did not fully know what kind of person Pa Cheon was, he would have thought that he was not a pure orthodox person… But still, he said ‘save’ instead of ‘help’? Save the martial world… Whether it was just the Mad Demon’s thought or not, it sounded like there was another meaning in those words.

The Mad Demon came outside. His heart was heavy.

★ The martial world was in an uproar. Those who thought that such a thing would never happen were speechless at the news and ran around trying to verify the truth.

Two pieces of news!

They were enough to sound an alarm in the seemingly peaceful martial world. The first piece of news was about the Demonic Alliance’s takeover of the Jiangnan martial world. It was unbelievable that it had happened so suddenly in just one night. 40,000 Demonic Alliance masters had swept through the Martial Alliance branches and affiliated sects across eight routes. Their surprise attack was incredibly swift and brutal. The leaders of the sects that surrendered and expressed their intention to yield were all beheaded, and the forces that resisted were all sent to the afterlife. It was as if they were trying to eradicate the seeds of the orthodox path, and their power was so overwhelming that even the heavens were shocked and the earth was silent.

They immediately reorganized their forces in Muchang and Akyang to prepare for the Martial Alliance’s attack. Their numbers began to reach 60,000 within three days. Demonic people who had been hiding in various places joined them, and even the surrendered forces who had been pretending to be orthodox joined them, making them a force capable of fighting the Martial Alliance.

The second piece of news was even more shocking. It was the invasion of Sichuan by the Four Heavenly Kings of Qinghai. They had led 20,000 warriors and had almost completely taken over the western region of Sichuan Province in just one day. They had established their base in Songban and were said to be constantly aiming for the capital of Sichuan Province. All the orthodox sects of Sichuan Province had gathered in the capital to fight them.

These two pieces of news caused a huge shock in the martial world. The invasion of the Central Plains by the outer world forces, which had only been rumored, had finally become a reality, and the Demonic Alliance, which had been thought to be in disarray under the pressure of the orthodox path, had risen again. This chaos quickly made the entire martial world uneasy, and demonic people appeared everywhere, disturbing the public’s peace. Even though things had reached this point, the Martial Alliance was unable to take any action.

★ Akyang, the base of the Demonic Alliance, especially the Dongting Lake area, had become a truly dangerous place. Out of the 60,000 members of the Demonic Alliance, a staggering 40,000 were stationed in the Dongting Lake area.

Pa Cheon left the Mad Demon, the Shadowless One, and Yul-geuk behind in the Demonic Alliance and left with Dokgo Mu-man. As he left, he repeatedly instructed Yul-geuk and ordered him to pay special attention to the Mad Demon, but for some reason, his heart was not light. Reaching the center of Akyang, Pa Cheon headed to an inn. As he had planned, the commanders of the orthodox forces were either on their way to the Martial Alliance or had already arrived. Now that Jiangnan was in the hands of the Demonic Alliance, lingering here could lead to trouble.

Pa Cheon, disguised as the Heavenly Demon Scholar, and Dokgo Mu, a man in his thirties with an ordinary appearance, entered the Cheonpyeong Inn. It was noon, so there were many people. There were hardly any martial artists to be seen. He was led to the second floor by a waiter. Pa Cheon frowned as he reached the second floor.

Unlike the first floor, there were a considerable number of martial artists on the second floor, and some of them were behaving disgracefully.

“Hahaha, yes, yes, well done. This old man is saving your lives, so this much entertainment is only natural. Isn’t that right?”

That was what a burly man was saying to his companions.

“That’s right, brother! Our time has come, and we must release the humiliation of the past. When I think about how these guys have been tormenting us, I want to cut them down with one stroke, but… we are not like them, are we?”

The one who spoke was a thin man with rat-like eyes. In front of them, a man and a woman were trembling with fear, kneeling before the burly man. The man in his twenties was almost completely naked, barely covering his private parts.

Pa Cheon and Dokgo Mu went to a corner and ordered some simple food. Then, they watched what the others were doing. The burly man spoke again.

“Do you think that we elders are doing something wrong?”

“N…no, of course not! To me, the great heroes are righteous and honorable…”

“Really? Heh heh, then how are you going to repay us?”

“Re…repay?”

“Huh, this guy praises us with words but does not act accordingly. Second brother.”

“Yes, brother!”

It was the man with rat-like eyes.

“I am too embarrassed to say it, so you say it for me.”

After saying that, he went back to his seat. The man approached and patted the naked young man’s buttocks, making him turn around.

“Looking at how plump you are, it seems you have been living well. How do we look to you?”

“Huh? The great heroes are righteous and honorable…”

“This guy keeps saying the same thing? Do you not know anything else? Look closely. We have been suffering from not eating and not wearing well because of you orthodox guys. So, show us some respect and give us some donations.”

In the end, he was asking for money.

“Of course! If it is that, I will give you as much as you want…”

Then, he took something out of his discarded clothes. It was silver and a bank note. At first glance, it looked like about ten silver coins, and there were five bank notes worth twenty silver coins each, which was a considerable amount.

“Heh heh, look at you. You carry so much money on you, while I… I have nothing, see?” He then shook his clothes to make a rustling sound. “So, even if you give us some charity, you shouldn’t feel too wronged. Understand?” “Yes, yes, great hero.” He was truly an unlucky fellow. He was a disciple of the Jagyung Sect, one of the righteous sects in the Ak-yang region. Having barely survived the Blood Calamity [a large-scale conflict or disaster], he had planned to head north with the woman he was promised to. However, foolishly, he had decided to have a hearty meal at the Cheonpyeong Inn before embarking on the long journey. There, someone recognized him, his identity was exposed, and he was subjected to this ordeal by the demonic cultivators who happened to be present. He considered himself fortunate that they hadn’t killed him. Half of the guests on the second floor were martial artists, and they were all demonic cultivators. In the past few days, Ak-yang had been swarming with demonic cultivators who had come to join the Demonic Alliance. These men were some of them. “Alright, that’s enough.” It was the gruff-faced Jang Han speaking to the rat-eyed man. It seemed that he was saying that was enough since they had gained something. Nevertheless, the rat-eyed man, as if still unsatisfied, didn’t step back and scrutinized the two. As he examined the woman’s features among the two kneeling on the floor, he swallowed hard, his lustful desires awakened. The young man, seeing his expression, grew uneasy. “It seems you were trying to flee north… I don’t think we can let that happen. If we let you live, wouldn’t you just turn your sword against us again?” At those words, the young man’s face darkened. He already knew what they wanted. But he couldn’t hand over his fiancée to these men. If he resisted, he would only be killed. He was caught in a dilemma, unable to do anything. “So, I think it would be good for both you and us if we made you a cripple.” The young man was shocked by those words, but his fiancée was even more so. It seemed she didn’t want to become a cripple’s woman. “My lord, please, just spare me once. What good would it do to kill a pathetic wretch like me? So…” “Hey, when did I say I would kill you? I said I would make you a cripple. So, prepare yourself.” “Please, my lord. I swear I will never set foot in the martial world again, so please…” The young man pleaded, sobbing. The woman next to him looked at him with disdain. Being a martial artist herself, she found his behavior disgusting. Still, there was nothing she could do. Surviving was the priority. The gruff-faced Jang Han, seeing what his second was doing, understood his intentions to some extent. He also glanced at the woman again. She wasn’t exceptionally beautiful, but her fair skin and slender figure were enough to stir a man’s desires. So, he didn’t stop him and just watched. The other demonic cultivators dining nearby also found their actions amusing and watched with smiles on their faces. Dokgo-mu looked at Pa-cheon. “Are you just going to let them be?” “And if I don’t? Just eat quickly. We have a long journey ahead.” They were planning to go straight to the Martial Alliance. After all, they needed Pa-cheon to decide the next course of action for the Martial Alliance. That was why they were going. Pa-cheon didn’t like what they were doing, but he didn’t want to stop them either. They were venting their past frustrations in their own way. However, a scene unfolded that Pa-cheon couldn’t ignore… The rat-eyed man was openly signaling to the young man that he wanted the woman. The young man couldn’t possibly not know. Yet, he pretended not to notice and clung to the man, crying and begging for his life. ‘Huh, look at this guy. I was going to let him off easy, but I guess not.’ “So, here’s the thing. Our brother doesn’t have a woman yet. And it seems you’re not in a position to have a wife and children, and it would be difficult if you became a cripple, right? So, I’ll spare you, but you have to hand over your woman to us.” It was truly the words of a shameless man. At those words, the gruff-faced man nodded with a pleased expression, the man looked troubled, and the woman’s face turned pale. The onlookers watched with sparkling eyes, as if the situation was becoming more interesting. It was truly absurd. “Great hero! Please… not that… I gave you everything I had, how can you ask for my woman too?” “You don’t want to?” At the cold question, “It’s not that I don’t want to, but…” At the man’s hesitant words, the woman turned her head sharply to look at him. How could he show such an attitude? ‘That’s it. It’s done.’ “Choose one. Your woman or your life?” Even as he felt the woman’s burning gaze, the man pretended not to notice. ‘Damn it… I have no choice. I can meet another woman, but I only have one life.’ But he couldn’t bring himself to say it, so he just hesitated. Just by looking at his expression, it was easy to tell what he was thinking. “If you’ve decided, why aren’t you going?” As soon as those words were spoken, the man started to gather his clothes and put them on. He didn’t even turn his head towards the woman and stood up abruptly. “Then, I’ll be going…” He even bowed and was about to disappear. The woman was trembling with betrayal and couldn’t say anything. Then, a look of resentment appeared in her eyes. “Wait a minute.” “Huh? What is it?” “I have something to say too. I will become your woman, but I have one request.” At the woman’s words, the gruff-faced man’s eyes widened, and his face lit up. “Is that true?” “Yes.” She bit her lip tightly. “Haha, I’ll grant you not one, but two requests.” “Please kill that man.” At that moment, everyone’s faces froze in shock, and the atmosphere became chillingly cold. The most surprised person was the woman’s lover, who was about to leave. It was said that if a woman held a grudge, frost would fall even in the fifth month [a saying about the intensity of a woman’s grudge], but he didn’t expect it to come back so immediately. “If you’re done eating, let’s go.” Pa-cheon said to Dokgo-mu. Dokgo-mu was also surprised by the woman’s words and had his mouth open, but he regained his senses at Pa-cheon’s words. “Are you leaving now?” “What is there to see? Why would we linger here?” Then he stood up. Dokgo-mu looked disappointed that he couldn’t see the outcome. It was just as they were getting up from their seats. “Hehehe, did you hear that? You have to die.” It was the gruff-faced Jang Han speaking to the young man. Just by looking at his trembling body, one could tell how terrified he was. The gruff-faced Jang Han drew his sword. *Sreung* The chilling killing intent made him even more terrified. Pa-cheon’s gaze shot towards them once more. “This is really annoying. I was just going to leave, but it’s like I didn’t wipe my behind…” Then he strode towards them. The gruff-faced Jang Han and his group looked at him with puzzled expressions as a young man approached. “Hey, if you do anything more dirty, I’ll kill you.” A voice devoid of any emotion, rather filled with a sense of ennui, flowed from Pa-cheon. The three men of the gruff-faced man’s group looked at each other. Then they let out a ridiculous laugh. “Does this guy even know who we are?” “Who you are doesn’t matter… You’re really annoying me. The reason for raising the Demonic Path wasn’t to create a world where trash like you could thrive. What is this?” He was annoyed that he was even bothering to talk to them. He was angry at himself for engaging with them. “You bastard!” The gruff-faced man swung his sword. Pa-cheon casually waved his hand, and the sword slipped out of the man’s hand and was now in Pa-cheon’s hand. Seeing that, everyone in the hall finally realized that Pa-cheon was a formidable master and showed fear. “You, you, you!” As he pointed at them one by one, they flinched in surprise. They also realized that their opponent was no ordinary master. In their eyes, Pa-cheon was a master of a different level than themselves, who were just showing off their skills. “Yes?” “Did you come to join the Demonic Alliance?” “Yes.” The three answered simultaneously. “I am Cheonma Scholar Pa-cheon [Heavenly Demon Scholar, a title of great power and prestige].” Was there ever a time in their lives when they had been so surprised? All the martial artists in the hall knelt on the floor and bowed. It had been made known throughout the martial world through the recent conquest of Gangnam that he was the Demonic Overlord, wielding full power over the Demonic Alliance. So, it was only natural for those who considered themselves demonic cultivators to show such an attitude. “You three!” “Yes, Overlord.” Their voices were filled with fear and respect. “I will allow you to join the Demonic Alliance.” Their faces lit up brightly. And they were overflowing with undisguised joy. The people around them looked at them with envious eyes. “Everyone, stand up.” “Understood!” Their voices were now filled with strength. It was the moment they went from being third-rate demonic cultivators to becoming official warriors of the Demonic Alliance. How could their voices not change? As they stood up, Pa-cheon, still sounding annoyed, spat out the words! “The Demonic Alliance doesn’t need trash like you, so I will execute you. Die with pride as demonic cultivators.” At those words, they doubted their ears, but they had to realize that it was indeed the truth. Pa-cheon lightly swung the sword in his hand, and before their mouths could close, their heads were severed and rolled on the floor of the inn. *Thud* Pa-cheon threw the sword at the wall. It was a sound of the sword sinking deep into the wall, even the hilt. Then, as if he had no more business, he turned and left the hall. Even after he disappeared, the inn remained silent for a long time. Everything felt like a dream. The fact that they had seen the Demonic Overlord, the murder that had just occurred, but the results were clearly rolling before their eyes… There was one person who was carefully watching Pa-cheon as he left. The young man and woman left the place together. What happened to the man and woman after that was unknown.