Chapter 88
In an instant, the area was engulfed in a deathly silence.
Heavenly Demon.
In the past, a calamity that had drenched the world in blood.
A semi-divine being whom even the Ten Great Experts had barely managed to defeat by deploying a formation.
Now, the disciple of such a Heavenly Demon had appeared, and the very air felt as if it had frozen.
"Don't be so afraid. You slash-and-burn folk won't die."
Yeom Musa still spoke in a soft, gentle voice.
'... He says he won't kill us?'
'Really...?'
A faint glimmer of hope flickered in the eyes of the slash-and-burn folk.
"But—"
"......?"
"You will come with me to the Demonic Cult and become slaves there."
"......!"
"Your lives are humble anyway. Does it matter how or where they're used?"
At those words, the entire bodies of the slash-and-burn folk trembled as if convulsing.
It was as if, while trying to escape from the demonic cult, they had stumbled upon an even greater monster.
It was then—
Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack!
A new group of orthodox martial artists appeared throughout the village.
The commotion had drawn Taoists from Qingcheng, martial artists from the Hwangbo Family, and beggars from the Beggar's Union.
"Oh, so the mainstays of the orthodox martial world have arrived."
"......"
"The ones I just cut down were from insignificant orthodox sects of no real renown, but this time, it looks like I can actually look forward to some resistance."
A look of keen interest appeared at the corner of Yeom Musa's lips.
All the orthodox experts who appeared now hailed from the old Nine Schools and the Five Great Clans.
They were of a much higher level than the minor orthodox martial artists who had just perished.
However, in the very next moment, not a single one of them stepped forward.
No one even conceived of making a move against Yeom Musa.
That was because they could acutely feel the tremendous demonic energy radiating from the fourth disciple of the Heavenly Demon.
"Why is the Demonic Cult, defeated at the Great Heavenly Demon War, loitering about the Central Plains again!"
A Taoist from Qingcheng shouted in inquiry.
Yeom Musa leisurely stroked his long beard and replied calmly.
"There's a rumor that the Seven-Star Cloud Blade is hidden here."
"......!"
"From what I hear, both the orthodox and unorthodox sects are desperate for that treasure. How could the Demonic Cult be left out? Haha."
The faces of the orthodox experts hardened.
'... So, the Demonic Cult is also after the Seven-Star Cloud Blade.'
'Who could have guessed that the Demonic Cult would even appear in this struggle for the Seven-Star Cloud Blade...!'
'Coming here was a mistake... The blade isn't even in sight, and only a bloodbath is unfolding...!'
"Hmmm. But."
"......?"
"You made quite the show on your arrival. Why is there no fighting spirit now?"
Yeom Musa looked at the orthodox experts with disappointment.
"Hmm. Seeing the look on your faces reminds me of what a unorthodox sect member I killed just earlier said."
"... What did he say?"
"That you orthodox types only talk about justice and chivalry, but in truth are all cowards only concerned with saving your own necks."
"......!"
"Judging by the scene before me, isn't that exactly right? Hahahaha. Who knew members of the so-called orthodox sects could be this pathetic?"
"How dare you insult the disciples of the Nine Sects?!"
Hwangbo Gun from the Hwangbo Family clenched his fist and shouted.
In response, Yeom Musa threw out an arrogant taunt.
"If you truly understand justice and chivalry, come and save these slash-and-burn folk."
"......!"
"I don't care how many of you come at me. I'll take you all on myself."
With furious eyes, the orthodox experts gripped the hilts of their swords.
Yet still, no one charged in.
Instead, some Beggar's Union members could be seen glancing at Yeom Musa, looking for a way to escape.
Seeing this, Yeom Musa clicked his tongue in disgust.
"You should give up on trying to run. The village is already completely surrounded by my Demonic Cult's experts."
Without warning, Yeom Musa fired an arrow ablaze with fire into the night sky.
Fwooosh—
Immediately, dozens of flames shot up from the forest surrounding the village.
As Yeom Musa claimed, dozens of Demonic Cult experts had already encircled the area.
A perfect trap laid by the Demonic Cult.
In the face of this, all the orthodox experts gathered in the area wore stone-cold expressions.
* * *
Jaseong's party had been quietly observing all this, perched in the trees over a hundred yards deep in the forest.
[... So the immense demonic energy clouding the forest belonged to the Demonic Cult noble.]
With a stiffened face, Lee Rin sent a sound transmission.
[So what now, leader?]
Gu Janghu asked as well, his eyes tense.
After a moment of silence, Jaseong activated his Samadhi Eyes.
Swaaa—
As time seemed to slow, he witnessed Yeom Musa, the fourth disciple of the Heavenly Demon, and his intention.
And then, Jaseong's eyes widened before he realized.
A crimson-black intention was covering both the earth and the sky.
It wasn't quite at the level he'd seen from Hong Gukyul in the recent duel, but of all the experts Jaseong had encountered, this was the most formidable yet.
'... Truly a monstrous expert, worthy of the title of the Heavenly Demon's disciple... How many in the Central Plains could possibly kill such a monster?'
At that moment, Han Soweol, having just returned from reconnaissance, hastily whispered a sound transmission to Jaseong.
[Ansun Branch Leader, the Demonic Cult's encirclement isn't airtight yet. With our might, I believe we can escape. Let's move quickly.]
It was a bit of good luck amidst misfortune.
But Jaseong could not bring himself to flee immediately.
For at that moment, he spotted a young slash-and-burn girl trembling with fear.
She was the same pure-hearted girl who had once given him a handful of acorns.
And it wasn't just her he noticed.
Innocent slash-and-burn folk, surrounded by demonic cultists, were helplessly quaking in fear.
'... Because of the commotion I caused over the Seven-Star Cloud Blade, blameless civilians are being sacrificed.... Just like my eldest brother and sister-in-law in the past....'
Jaseong had orchestrated the Seven-Star Cloud Blade uproar as the optimal scheme to accomplish the sixth Heaven's Mandate, "Cause a Rift in the Martial World".
But as a result, countless slash-and-burn folk were at risk of dying.
Of course, Jaseong couldn't bear to just watch.
Hadn't he lost his family to martial artists' battles and entered the martial world, vowing revenge?
And now, his own machinations were putting countless innocents at risk.
Intentional or not, was he not enacting precisely the same evil as the martial artists who'd harmed his brother and sister-in-law...!
'... I cannot become like those scum. Never.'
He remembered the Red Light District of the past, soaked in blood from the battles of martial artists.
Clenching his teeth, Jaseong resolved himself.
And so, he made a decision none of the orthodox experts gathered in the slash-and-burn village had been able to make.
"Lee Rin. Gu Janghu."
"?"
"You two withdraw first."
"Huh...? What do you mean, hero?"
"I have a request. Take the slash-and-burn folk and retreat with them. I'll create an opening by facing the Heavenly Demon's disciple."
Lee Rin and Gu Janghu could not believe their ears.
No one had even dared think of confronting the Heavenly Demon's disciple, yet Jaseong was volunteering to do so himself.
"But hero, no matter how formidable your martial arts, facing the Heavenly Demon's disciple is too much...!"
"That's right, leader. Their realm is on another level...."
But Jaseong was unmoved.
"All this time, I have trained my martial arts so obsessively to ensure that, when the time to fight comes, I will fight."
"......!"
"Don't worry too much. As long as you get the slash-and-burn folk to safety, I'll escape as well."
He had no intention of killing the Heavenly Demon's disciple—only of buying time.
With that thought, Jaseong gripped his sword hilt.
But just as he was about to make his move—
* * *
Shwaak!
A streak of sword-light illuminated the village entrance.
"Guh?!"
With a single shriek, a Demonic Cultist at the village gate collapsed in a heap.
Next, a handsome young man with thick eyebrows strode confidently into the slash-and-burn village.
'Who is that...?'
The strikingly attractive young man, who had cut down a Demonic Cultist in a single stroke, was none other than the young head of the Namgung clan, Namgung Ak.
Despite his youth, he had reached the realm of "Three Blossoms Gathering at the Crown"—a genius unmatched in the martial history of the Central Plains.
Behind him followed the swordsmen of the Namgung clan, famed as the greatest sword clan under heaven.
"Namgung hero has arrived...!"
"... With the Namgung young head, perhaps he can defeat that demon...!"
The martial artists of the Beggar's Union and Hwangbo Family welcomed Namgung Ak with greater joy than ever before.
Listening to their words, Yeom Musa's eyes lit with keen interest.
"So, the young head of the Namgung clan... the grandson of Murim Alliance Leader Namgung Cheon-rui?"
What especially captivated Yeom Musa was the aura that Namgung Ak emitted.
While the disciples of the other Five Great Clans and the Nine Schools had been preoccupied with thoughts of escape, only Namgung Ak stood resolute.
He alone seemed a true orthodox martial artist who sought justice and chivalry.
'As expected of the Alliance Leader's grandson. This will be worth defeating. Hahahaha.'
But the reason Namgung Ak stood his ground before the Heavenly Demon's disciple was not chivalrous intent to save the slash-and-burn folk.
In truth, he gave no thought at all to the fate of mere civilians.
'The young head of the Namgung clan lowering his tail and fleeing from the likes of the Demonic Cult? The pride of Namgung would never forgive such a disgrace.'
Namgung Ak muttered internally as he slowly unsheathed his sword.
At this moment, he even considered it an opportunity.
Just as his grandfather, who had become the Murim Alliance Leader by performing great feats during the Great Heavenly Demon War, he too wished to defeat the Heavenly Demon's disciple and become the next Murim Alliance Leader.
And with that thought—
Gooo—
Namgung Ak assumed the preparatory stance of the Namgung clan's secret ultimate form, Imperial Sword Form—the very one Jaseong had once faced.
A sword art that weighed down the enemy with immense presence, then cleaved them in two—the mightiest sword technique in the Central Plains.
Seeing this, Yeom Musa's eyes gleamed with greater excitement.
"So that's the famed Imperial Sword Form, said to be the mightiest sword art of the orthodox martial world. The presence alone is different. Then let me show you something fitting in return."
Yeom Musa grinned and drew the blade at his waist.
And then, in the next moment—
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Suddenly, a fountain of blood-like, crimson-black sword energy erupted from the blade.
Heavenly Demon Blade Art.
A legendary blade art created by the Heavenly Demon—a disaster that once bathed the world in blood.
Each time it was unleashed, it was said to split the heavens and dry up rivers—in lethality rivaling the Namgung clan's Imperial Sword Form, and in speed, rivaling Jaseong's Heaven Evading Flash Sword.
In other words, the ultimate blade art, encompassing both Strength and Speed(快).
"Shall we begin, then?"
Yeom Musa's blade slashed through the air with a SHWAAAK!
The crimson blade-light swept through the sky like a river of blood and crashed down onto Namgung Ak's head.
In response, Namgung Ak executed the first move of the Imperial Sword Form, Sovereign's Flash.
His sword moved slowly, but within was a force that could crumble mountains.
KWAANG!
Blade-light and sword-light crashed together, shaking the earth.
That clash unleashed an earthshaking roar that echoed throughout the mountainside.
KANG! KAANG! KANGKANGKANG!! KAAAAAAANG!!
Yeom Musa and Namgung Ak's movements collided repeatedly in the air.
They moved at a speed impossible for all but the greatest of experts to even follow with their eyes.
To onlookers, it seemed only as if two shadows continually crashed in midair.
Gazing upon this, hope dawned on the faces of the orthodox experts.
Against expectations, Namgung Ak seemed to be holding his own against the fourth disciple of the Heavenly Demon.
But to those in the thick of the battle—the slash-and-burn folk—their plight was very different.
They cowered, shrieking in terror.
"Keugh!"
"I—I can't breathe...!"
Neither Yeom Musa nor Namgung Ak cared if the slash-and-burn folk were caught up in their ferocious sword winds.
The result was that, with no inner strength, the civilians were at risk of being torn to shreds.
'Please, heavens... Save us...!'
The slash-and-burn girl hugged her younger siblings tightly, weeping as she prayed.
It was then—
SHWAAAK!
Suddenly, a gale swept in before the slash-and-burn girl.
When she blinked, a masked person stood before her.
"Don't cry. Today, not a single slash-and-burn folk in this village will die."
That oddly familiar voice of the masked figure.
This was the moment when the executor of Heaven's Mandate sent by the heavens arrived.