Emperor’s Sword [EN]: Chapter 75

As darkness began to settle, the earth’s energy seemed to shrink back with an inherent coldness. It wasn’t a world solely of darkness; the intervention of twilight starkly divided the two, yet they were always intertwined. No one lived only in the dark, nor did anyone exist solely in the light. This complexity and subtlety perhaps further alienated humans within this mix. Though the diverse masses of humanity each possessed their own color, they couldn’t claim it as their own, nor could they be unified as one, making humans what they are and evoking a sense of pity for their incomplete beauty.

In that sense, these two might be the ones experiencing the most intense mix of darkness and light.

The Heavenly Demon, true to his name, was not lacking. He carried Pa-cheon, whose inner energy hadn’t fully recovered, and rushed towards Ak-yang without rest. He was a man who simplified all values. At any given time, his own needs took precedence over everything else. Unlike some, he didn’t pursue righteousness or fame, nor did he unnecessarily steal from others; he was a model of a person who moved instinctively as his heart dictated. Now, at Pa-cheon’s request, he was focused solely on the goal of arriving in Ak-yang in the shortest time possible, even if the earth flipped and the sky collapsed.

Pa-cheon’s heart was burning with impatience, but he tried hard to maintain his composure.

The Heavenly Demon, having reached Lake Dongting, didn’t take a boat but flew across the sky towards his destination.

He cut through the sky at such a high altitude that he looked like a bird, and thus went unnoticed by people. The rocky island remained firmly in its place. Pa-cheon sent the agreed-upon signal.

‘If things have already started, the passage won’t be open. If things haven’t started yet, the passage will open. No. Perhaps only some members of the Demonic Alliance are involved. If so, the door will surely open.’

Pa-cheon was still in the Heavenly Demon’s arms, and the Heavenly Demon was standing on the water’s surface. Despite the violent churning of the water, the area around where the Heavenly Demon stood was strangely calm.

It didn’t move, as if frozen.

Grumble.

The passage opened. Pa-cheon’s face lit up at the sight.

★ ★ ★

“Is that true?”

“Yes. I heard that orders have been issued to the entire leadership.”

“Suddenly, the Great Sect Leader appeared? Something’s fishy.”

The Mad Demon Lord’s expression was dark. The appearance of the Demonic Great Sect Leader, Hyuk Woo-jong, was not a welcome event for him. Moreover, with the Supreme One not present, he was even more uneasy. They had already designated the Great Sect Leader as a suspect, and they were almost certain that he was a member of the Blood Demon Clan. Therefore, his sudden appearance was not good for them in any way. The Mad Demon Lord abruptly stood up.

“Alright. We have to face him sooner or later… Let’s go.”

His gaze lingered on the Shadowless Lord before turning to Yul-geuk.

“Yul-geuk, you come too.”

“Hehe, Yul-geuk won’t go. I’ll take a nap here… I have to wait for the Boss.”

He rested his arm on the table and pretended to sleep. He called Pa-cheon ‘Supreme One,’ then ‘Boss,’ and sometimes ‘Chief’ when he didn’t feel like it, so his vocabulary was quite diverse compared to his mental state. One good thing was that, unlike what he had heard from Pa-cheon, he followed the Mad Demon Lord’s words relatively obediently. He sometimes called him ‘hyung’ [older brother], which made him flustered, but it wasn’t unpleasant.

“Yul-geuk, get up. What will the Boss say when he returns and finds out you didn’t listen to me?”

At the Mad Demon Lord’s gentle coaxing, Yul-geuk’s head shot up.

“The Boss will hit me. Then Yul-geuk will hurt. I don’t like that.”

“Yes. So, do as I say.”

“Mad Demon hyung! Okay, let’s go.”

Yul-geuk jumped up and walked ahead. Watching him, the Mad Demon Lord and the Shadowless Lord chuckled.

The atmosphere in the Venerable Demon Hall was heavy. A middle-aged man with a scholarly air was sitting on the grand chair where Pa-cheon, the Demonic Grand Duke, always sat, and beside him stood about a dozen unfamiliar figures whom the Mad Demon Lord had never seen before. Below them, long tables and chairs were placed instead of cushions, and the leaders of the Demonic Alliance were already seated there. The Mad Demon Lord had to stop as he entered. He looked around, but there were no empty seats. It seemed that there was no place for him to sit from the start.

‘Look at this. Are they showing their true colors from the beginning?’

He entered without a word, and a few people bowed to him. Their faces were also flustered and unsure of what to do.

“Greetings to the Great Sect Leader.”

The Mad Demon Lord bowed formally, and the middle-aged man with a clear impression widened his eyes and looked at him with a puzzled gaze.

“Who are you? Who are you to step into this Venerable Demon Hall? Only the executives of the Demonic Alliance are allowed here. If you’ve come by mistake, go back.”

It was a gentle reprimand. The Thousand Man Commander, Lee Si-myung, stood up and looked at the Great Sect Leader.

“Great Sect Leader! This person is the Grand Duke’s…”

“You seem to have changed a lot since I last saw you. Since when have you been acting as someone else’s spokesperson?”

At those words, Lee Si-myung was at a loss and sat back down.

“I will inform everyone. I only made a contract with the Grand Duke. I never said that his subordinates would be guaranteed that authority and position. And as of this moment, the contract with the Grand Duke is terminated. Therefore, they are no longer members of our Demonic Alliance.”

The faces of several people contorted horribly. They hadn’t expected the Great Sect Leader to act this way, and they felt that his actions were not only unfair but also cowardly and petty. After all, the Demonic Alliance’s control over the Jiangnan martial world was entirely due to the Demonic Grand Duke’s efforts. The Great Sect Leader hadn’t shown his face all this time, and now that things had been accomplished, he suddenly appeared and denied the Grand Duke’s forces, who had been the contributors. How could this be the action of the Demonic Great Sect Leader?

“Great Sect Leader! That is unfair. How can you say such things so easily?”

It was the voice of Tak Tap-cheonwang, Geo Yeo-pae, the chief of the Eighteen Forts of Dongting, who was agitated. Voices of agreement erupted from here and there. Especially the words of the Black Serpent, Hwangbo Yeom, were excessive.

“Great Sect Leader, aren’t you mistaken about something? The Demonic Alliance doesn’t belong to the Great Sect Leader alone. In that regard, it is unfair for the Great Sect Leader to unilaterally decide on such a major matter.”

At those words, the Great Sect Leader, Hyuk Woo-jong’s expression slowly hardened.

‘Oh, look at these guys. I didn’t expect their reaction to be this strong? Is their trust in him so deep that they dare to rebel against me?’

“Black Serpent, Hwangbo Yeom!”

As a low voice erupted from the Great Sect Leader,

“What is it?”

Anyone could feel the antipathy towards the Great Sect Leader in his voice. Well, why wouldn’t he? The one who had been hiding like a dead mouse had appeared only after everything had been successfully completed. It was an action that was not pleasing to those who truly considered themselves demonic. If he had just stayed still, it might have been different, but they couldn’t stand by when he was trying to drive out Pa-cheon, who had already taken a greater place in their hearts than the Great Sect Leader. The only people who didn’t express dissatisfaction were the strategist, Je Gal Cho-hong, and the Demonic Eye Commander, who had been hidden within the Alliance.

“Are you saying that I can’t even decide on that myself? There is a clear reason why I am trying to expel him.”

“What is it?”

“First of all… he killed all the elders, the old guards of the Demonic Alliance. Furthermore, bringing the Demonic Alliance to the forefront was also something outside of his authority. This alone should be enough to expel him… What do you think?”

It was truly absurd. It seemed like the behavior of someone who had no more use for the one who had scratched their itchy back.

“Did you ask for my opinion? I… I’ve been thinking that the Great Sect Leader is the one who is unnecessary for the Demonic Path…”

Murmuring.

His words were shocking. Everyone might have thought so in their hearts, but expressing it was extremely dangerous. He was still the Demonic Great Sect Leader who held the power of life and death over all demonic people.

“Hahaha, I fully understand your intentions. You are truly laughable figures. If the Grand Duke you trust so much were alive to hear this, he would be very pleased.”

As the Great Sect Leader’s words fell, surprise appeared in everyone’s eyes, and the Mad Demon Lord’s face turned pale. He took a step forward and said,

“What do you mean by that… what do you mean?”

“Kuhahaha, it’s exactly as I said. The one who is already a cold corpse can no longer be your shield.”

“Y-you bastard!”

The Mad Demon Lord lunged forward in a fit of rage. But what was this? He tried to circulate his inner energy several times, but it was useless.

“W-what the hell is going on?”

The Great Sect Leader, watching the Mad Demon Lord’s bewildered expression, let out a laugh that seemed to shatter the hall.

“Puhahahaha, you foolish fools! You are already poisoned and cannot circulate your inner energy.”

“W-what did you say?”

“Impossible?”

“Hmm.”

The people in the hall instantly became desperate. As they tried to circulate their energy as he said, they felt that their dantian [energy center] was empty. How could this be possible?

“Huhu, killing you is easier than flipping my palm. I’ll ask you one more time. Will you follow me? Or will you follow the Grand Duke who is already dead?”

The hall instantly turned cold. Everything was clear. For a martial artist, not being able to use inner energy was the same as a death sentence, no matter the reason. If they said they would follow the Grand Duke, it would be difficult to avoid death in this place. But their pride wouldn’t allow them to pledge allegiance to the Great Sect Leader. Rather than bowing their heads to such a despicable person, a clean death befitting the giants of the Demonic Path would be more honorable. As they hesitated, unable to make a decision, the Great Sect Leader confirmed once more.

“Decide carefully. It’s a decision that risks your lives, so there should be no rashness? Puhahahaha.”

“I pledge my allegiance to the Great Sect Leader.”

“I pledge my allegiance to the Great Sect Leader…”

There were two. They were the strategist and the Demonic Eye Commander! They were, as expected, the Great Sect Leader’s people from the beginning.

“You bastard! Even if it means death, I will not bow my head to you.”

Hwangbo Yeom’s words incited the people in the hall who had been hesitating.

“That’s right. It’s already unfair that we’ve been bowing our heads to such a despicable person… Now that we know, we can’t follow him. Even if it means death, I will not bow my head to you.”

“Coward!”

“You call yourself the Demonic Great Sect Leader? The demonic people who consider you the Great Sect Leader are pitiful.”

As their mocking words poured out at once, only killing intent filled the hall.

“A lackey of the Blood Demon Clan! I can’t believe that the Supreme One was defeated by the likes of you. You were the one who killed Jang Woong and Dan Ya-jeokpung, weren’t you?”

The Mad Demon Lord’s words were like pouring oil on a raging fire.

“W-what? That bastard is the culprit?”

“Blood Demon Clan?”

“What are you talking about?”

“That bastard is a lackey of a place called the Blood Demon Clan.”

At the Mad Demon Lord’s explanation, they still had expressions of disbelief. Was he just a subordinate of another force?

“You bastard who should be fried in shit water! How can you call yourself the Great Sect Leader?”

Now they were openly calling him a bastard and even pointing fingers. The Great Sect Leader’s reaction was surprisingly calm. And there was another person who was calm, and that was Han Dang, the Great Sect Leader’s chief disciple.

“He… he is not the Great Sect Leader. The Great Sect Leader has already been killed. I’ve felt it for quite some time…”

“Huhu, there’s no need to hide it now. Yes, I killed them all. I can kill you bugs anytime. I need the power you have. You are no longer needed. Strategist!”

“Yes, Lord.”

Je Gal Cho-hong and the Demonic Eye Commander had already approached the Great Sect Leader, and the dozen or so figures who had been standing beside the Great Sect Leader stepped forward.

“Since they have refused to live, kill them all and reorganize the Demonic Alliance.”

“Understood!”

The leaders of the Demonic Alliance, watching their actions, couldn’t hide their anger and tried to rise, but with their inner energy gone, there was nothing they could do.

A group of figures entered the Venerable Demon Hall, and they were all masked mysterious people.

About 100 people blocked the entrance so that no one could go outside. All preparations had already been completed. It was clear that his confirmation was just a formality and that he had intended to kill everyone from the beginning. The leaders of the Demonic Alliance gathered around the Mad Demon Lord.

“I can’t believe it. He is not someone who would die so easily. No matter how treacherous the enemies’ schemes are…”

His last words lingered in his mouth. A thought suddenly occurred to him.

‘If they used the same method… if the Supreme One’s inner energy was extinguished… maybe…’

A shadow of despair crept over the Mad Demon Lord’s face. He shook his head.

‘That can’t be. He is different from us. He must be alive. Even if we all die here, he will surely avenge us.’

The Mad Demon Lord’s eyes flashed with killing intent.

“It’s infuriating that I can’t kill you.”

Yul-geuk, who was next to the Mad Demon Lord, looked at him and said,

“Hyung! Do you want to kill that guy?”

Yul-geuk’s words, like those of an innocent child, shook the Mad Demon Lord’s thoughts. He glanced at Yul-geuk beside him.

“Yes. I want to kill that guy.”

“Shall I kill him for you? I’m good at fighting…”

“What? Haha, if only that were possible…”

“But did that guy do something bad?”

“He’s the one who tried to kill the Boss.”

He almost said ‘killed’ but quickly changed his words. He couldn’t give up the last ray of hope yet.

“What? Kill the Boss? That guy?”

Yul-geuk understood the Mad Demon Lord’s words as meaning that Pa-cheon had been killed, and immediately looked only at the Great Sect Leader, and his eyes gradually changed. The Mad Demon Lord wasn’t looking directly at Yul-geuk, so he didn’t notice this change. However, the Great Sect Leader, who was looking into his eyes, felt a chill.

‘What a creepy gaze. Where did the black pupils go, leaving only the whites… Moreover, what is that chilling atmosphere?’

Yul-geuk took a step forward. He was already losing his reason. Was he going to return to being a madman again? And had he not lost his inner energy? It was an unknown matter.

“I’ll kill them. I’ll kill them all. I can’t forgive the one who killed the Boss. I, Yul-geuk, will kill them all.”

Yul-geuk’s words were no longer the words of a childish fool. Chilling demonic energy was flying everywhere, and his killing intent seemed to soar to the heavens. As his aura seemed unusual, the dozen or so people standing in front of the Great Sect Leader blocked him, and that was when it happened.

“I will kill them all.”

A sound that echoed throughout the Venerable Demon Hall erupted from Yul-geuk’s mouth, and his body was enveloped in a hazy mist as he shot forward like lightning.