Chapter 130
Chapter 130
Hyeonu stared blankly at Gundo, unable to believe what had just happened.
He had done almost nothing but defend, but that did not mean he had not attacked at all.
Yet the small wounds that had appeared on Gundo’s body had long since regenerated under the effects of demonic arts.
Without realizing it, Hyeonu ground his teeth.
He had sparred with those of his own age only a handful of times, but he had never imagined he would be defeated so futilely.
Would it have been different if it were his Master?
Suddenly, Hyeonu found himself comparing the strength of his Master and Gundo.
That thought only wounded his pride further. He could not imagine his Master being defeated. Yet at the same time, he could not picture his Master overcoming Gundo either.
At that moment, Pungwol smiled in satisfaction and said,
“It is decided. The Grave of the Medicine Immortal shall belong to our Cult.”
At those words, both the Orthodox Sect and the Unorthodox Faction glared at Pungwol with murderous expressions.
Even at a glance, the number of killing-intent-filled gazes seemed to exceed tens of thousands.
Even a master of the Transformation Realm would have felt fear under such stares, but Pungwol showed not the slightest disturbance, as if it were laughable.
“Then withdraw approximately two hundred li from the Grave of the Medicine Immortal. This place is the territory of our Cult.”
No one refuted him. The method had been agreed upon by the leaders of each faction; to deny it would be no different from disregarding their own leader.
Thus, the Orthodox Sect glanced toward the Unorthodox Faction. Throughout the history of the Martial World, in situations like this, the wretched temperament of the Unorthodox Faction had proven extremely helpful to the Orthodox Sect.
Most likely, the hot-headed Unorthodox members would not endure their temper and would attack the Demonic Cult first.
The Unorthodox Faction embodied greed and arrogance itself.
Then the Orthodox Sect could use that as an excuse to claim the treaty had been broken and declare they could never hand over the Heaven-Shaking Pill to the filthy Demonic Cult.
Simply put, a blood calamity would erupt.
Yes, that was under the assumption that the Unorthodox Faction moved first.
With a regretful expression, Youngho looked toward the entrance of the grave where the Heaven-Shaking Pill of the Medicine Immortal lay and said,
“What a shame. Master, shall we head back?”
“Let us.”
At that moment, Cheonung and Youngho—who could be considered the core of the Unorthodox Alliance—spoke. And they spoke words utterly incomprehensible to the Orthodox Sect.
Cheonung ordered his subordinates to withdraw all Unorthodox forces. They retreated so swiftly it was as though they had known this outcome from the start.
Not a single member of the Unorthodox Faction disobeyed Cheonung’s command.
Though they glared at both the Orthodox Sect and the Demonic Cult, none attacked first.
It was an absurd situation. Even Pungwol seemed unable to anticipate this outcome, staring blankly at Youngho’s retreating back.
His expression clearly showed he could not understand why the Unorthodox Faction was pulling back its forces.
True, it had been he who ordered them to withdraw from the vicinity of the Grave of the Medicine Immortal.
But he had never expected them to comply so easily.
He had prepared considerable forces, believing a blood calamity was inevitable, yet strangely, no such signs appeared.
And like Pungwol, the Orthodox Sect wore equally hollow expressions.
‘They’re just leaving like this?’
‘Wouldn’t they usually attack out of spite?’
‘This isn’t the Unorthodox Faction I knew.’
They could not comprehend the current situation—nor Cheonung’s response.
When the Unorthodox forces had retreated so far they were no longer visible, Hye-gak, the Abbot of Shaolin, asked Han Yonghu,
“Alliance Leader, what should we do now?”
Han Yonghu, seemingly unable to grasp the situation himself, snapped back to his senses and replied,
“W-We should return, I suppose?”
Even then, he did not appear fully composed, speaking as though asking a question.
Hye-gak nodded as though entranced.
Soon, the soldiers of the Martial Alliance also left the Grave of the Medicine Immortal behind and slowly began to depart.
They still wore dazed expressions, unable to understand what had just transpired.
Watching the Orthodox Sect recede into the distance, Pungwol muttered blankly,
“……Investigate the Grave of the Medicine Immortal. There is a possibility that the Martial Alliance and the Unorthodox Alliance have only withdrawn outwardly. Do not forget to guard the surroundings.”
“We obey.”
And so, the Demonic Cult entered the Grave of the Medicine Immortal.
“Is this sufficient?”
At Cheonung’s question, Youngho, who had been about to bring a dumpling of unknown origin to his mouth, set it down beside him and replied,
“Yes. If a blood calamity were to erupt now, it would not trouble the Demonic Cult—it would trouble the Orthodox Sect and us.”
“The value of the Heaven-Shaking Pill will exceed what you imagine.”
“I’m sure. They say the Heaven-Shaking Pill is comparable to Clear Sky Stone Milk, but even if it were only half as potent, it would still far surpass something like a Grand Reversion Pill.”
“And yet, knowing that, you withdraw so easily?”
“Come on~ You know I don’t act without thinking.”
“That is precisely why it frustrates me. I cannot fathom what you are planning.”
As Cheonung looked at Youngho with a troubled expression, Youngho ignored the gaze and popped the dumpling into his mouth.
“There are five years left until the war. The Heavenly Demon may not be punctual, but he is not one to speak idly. At the earliest, we must assume war could break out within three years.”
At the single word ‘war,’ Cheonung’s face hardened like stone.
Even seeing that rigid expression, Youngho spoke as if it were nothing.
“Rather, there is nothing more foolish than expending our forces now in pursuit of the Heaven-Shaking Pill.”
“……What you say is true. Still, when I think about how powerful the Demonic Cult will become after obtaining the Heaven-Shaking Pill, my vision goes dark.”
“That’s true. If there were a future, it might be fine to think that way…….”
Youngho glanced at the dumpling in his hand before speaking.
“In the end, within five years, not only the Orthodox Sect and the Unorthodox Faction, but this entire nation might vanish from the world.”
“…….”
It was a heavy statement. It was not a matter to be spoken of with such a light tone, yet Cheonung knew.
Even at this very moment, Youngho was always striving to find the optimal move.
It was difficult. Incredibly difficult. As if sensing Cheonung’s anxiety, Youngho spoke in a voice that was calming merely to hear.
“Master. There’s no need to worry too much.”
“Are you confident?”
“To be honest, no.”
A shadow fell across Cheonung’s face at Youngho’s answer. But at the words that followed, Cheonung could not help but look at him with curiosity.
“Long ago, you once told me something, Master. You said that you would be the one to prevent the war.”
“……Yes. I certainly said that when you first participated in the Dragon–Phoenix Gathering.”
“And you said I would be the one to win the war. Well, at first you meant against the Orthodox Sect, but now the target has changed to the Demonic Cult.”
Youngho chuckled softly.
“So don’t worry too much. As you said, I’ll be the one who wins the war.”
“Do you at least have some method in mind?”
“Of course. You’ve likely already considered it yourself—we must join hands with the Martial Alliance.”
“Mm…!”
It was indeed a method Cheonung had already kept in mind. The Demonic Cult was not an enemy that the Orthodox Sect and the Unorthodox Faction could defeat while acting separately.
They needed to put their heads together and entrust their backs to one another to stand a chance.
Especially Pungwol, the head of the Demonic Cult—even if it were Myeongnyang, he was not someone who could be dealt with alone.
Moreover, Myeongnyang at present still lacked experience and knowledge.
Of course, given two years, he could quickly make up for it, but even then, he would barely manage to contend with the Demon Brain.
Youngho glanced toward the Asura Squad and said,
“I’m not saying the Orthodox Sect and the Unorthodox Faction need to build trust and camaraderie. Master and I are a special case—others are not.”
Cheonung could not help but nod in agreement.
“But they will have no choice but to trust each other. More precisely, they will trust in each other’s skill.”
“What do you mean?”
“In war, one’s usual conduct is irrelevant. The phrase ‘a person of good character’ must disappear before the word ‘war.’”
Seeing Youngho’s eyes sink as if weighed down by something, Cheonung let out a low murmur.
“In war, one’s true nature emerges, and more often than not, one is devoured by it. The one thought righteous in peacetime may flee in battle, while the one deemed vicious may stand at the front and fight. It may sound contradictory. But…….”
“It is the truth.”
Cheonung cut him off.
“Your words have always been true. Not every outcome has been correct, but your thoughts themselves have always been sincere.”
“I appreciate you saying that. In any case, in war, we can only fight by trusting in each other’s skill. The only one you can entrust your back to is someone you have personally acknowledged.”
“Then by your logic, there will come a day when an Orthodox member entrusts his back to an Unorthodox one?”
“I guarantee it. Whether Orthodox or Unorthodox, once war breaks out, they will inevitably depend on each other’s strength.”
The more he observed him, the more he experienced him, the more mysterious he seemed.
Cheonung once again felt intrigued by the anomalous existence known as Youngho.
Youngho clearly carried secrets. Yet Cheonung did not pry into them.
If a disciple respected his Master, then a Master must also respect his disciple.
‘Someday, you will tell me yourself.’
Thus, for a time, Cheonung and Youngho discussed at length the formation of an alliance between the Martial Alliance and the Unorthodox Alliance—that is, between the Orthodox Sect and the Unorthodox Faction.
And when a week had passed—
Han Yonghu stared blankly at the man before him.
He had a strong, rugged face with bold features, and his build was imposing.
If not for the sword hanging at his waist, one might have believed without doubt that he practiced Fist Techniques.
Han Yonghu glanced at the subordinates lined up behind the man and said,
“……Have you come to wage war?”
At this, Cheonung—dressed more neatly than usual—chuckled.
“No, I thought bowing first would make things proceed more efficiently. So I put in some effort.”
“You?”
“No, the Gold-Blood Hall.”
Beside Cheonung, the Gold-Blood Hall Master, Nam A-pyeong, let out a hearty laugh.
For some reason, killing intent seemed to seep from Nam A-pyeong’s laughter.
Suppressing the urge to react to it, Han Yonghu asked Cheonung,
“Did Youngho not come with you?”
“I may look like this, but I am the Lord of the Unorthodox Alliance. Matters like this should be handled personally. That brat is still a Junior Disciple.”
“Speak honestly. I’ve known you for more than a day or two.”
“He said he had something to attend to and left.”
“His destination?”
“I don’t know how important it was, but he wrote the letter in code.”
“It still hasn’t been deciphered? Could it be that Youngho is skilled even at such things?”
“No, it’s just that I arrived here too quickly. It has only been four shijin since Youngho left the Unorthodox Alliance.”
“Then it will be deciphered soon.”
“More importantly, let’s talk inside. How can you leave a guest standing outside?”
“When you put it that way, my blood pressure rises. Come in.”
“My blood pressure rises too. If only Youngho were here, this matter would proceed much more smoothly…….”
Groaning softly, Cheonung entered the pavilion.
And that day, the Orthodox Sect and the Unorthodox Faction formed an alliance to oppose the Demonic Cult.