Chapter 47
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: Heading to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult (3)
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Clang!
But from out of nowhere, Shin Yehyang suddenly intervened, blocking Gok Yang's attack.
"Hmm. Interfering again, are you."
Shin Yehyang had interfered before, and because of her, hadn't he been stabbed in the stomach by Jinmyeong?
The memory made Gok Yang's face twist as he rushed toward Shin Yehyang.
"Ugh!"
Suddenly facing the Twin Elders of Kongtong, Shin Yehyang bit her lip hard.
*It’s different from facing just one of them.*
When she fought either Gok Jeon or Gok Yang alone, she had held her own quite well.
In fact, she had even managed to push them back.
But taking on the attacks of both Twin Elders of Kongtong, she had no room to counter.
The two of them pressed her relentlessly, giving her no room to breathe.
*This is dangerous.*
She realized with stark clarity that the rumor about the Twin Elders of Kongtong being able to fight one of the Ten Kings when they worked together was no lie.
No matter the power of her Heaven-Embroidering Sword Control Arts, she was awed by Jinmyeong, who had faced both Twin Elders alone before the Violet Mist Sword's arrival.
"Must we kill the Mad Demon's only daughter?"
"Incurring the Mad Demon's wrath would not be wise."
The Twin Elders of Kongtong were reluctant to kill Shin Yehyang.
"Then it would be best to leave her alive. Of course, we'll have to take an arm."
Just as Gok Yang was about to move toward Shin Yehyang.
"Everyone, stop!"
A sudden shout echoed.
Normally, they would have ignored the voice.
But the bodies of the Twin Elders of Kongtong, who were about to attack Shin Yehyang, froze in place.
*They're not moving?*
It was not of their own volition. An immense energy was pressing down on them.
They couldn't resist that energy at all.
Masters of the caliber of the Twin Elders of Kongtong.
"Hmph!"
It seemed the Twin Elders of Kongtong were not the only ones surprised by the energy.
The Violet Mist Sword also stared at the owner of the voice, his expression hardening.
"Father?"
Shin Yehyang murmured as she looked at the person who had appeared.
The Mad Demon, Shin Horyang.
The Vice Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and Shin Yehyang's father had revealed himself.
"So this is his level."
Facing the Mad Demon directly, Mae Jinpung, the Violet Mist Sword, looked deeply shocked.
The Mad Demon was one of the strongest among the Ten Kings.
In comparison, the Violet Mist Sword couldn't even claim the lowest seat among the Ten Kings.
However, he had believed he wasn't one of the Ten Kings not because his skills were lacking, but because he had been overshadowed by the names of the Wudang and Namgung families.
That was, until he faced the Mad Demon in person.
*All these people...*
He hadn't just immobilized the Twin Elders of Kongtong and the Violet Mist Sword.
The Mad Demon had suppressed everyone on this battlefield with his sheer presence.
All by himself.
"Ahem!"
The Violet Mist Sword quickly circulated his internal energy, struggling to break free from the Mad Demon's oppressive aura.
"Unbelievable."
The Twin Elders of Kongtong also seemed to have eventually shaken off the suppressing energy, but their eyes trembled minutely as they looked at the Mad Demon.
"You have made a long journey."
"Indeed."
The Violet Mist Sword struggled to keep the tremor out of his voice as he spoke to the Mad Demon.
"What brings the Vice Cult Leader of the Divine Cult all the way out here?"
"Do you truly not know?"
The Mad Demon looked at the Violet Mist Sword with arrogant eyes.
The Violet Mist Sword's face twitched at that gaze, but that was all.
He had to swallow the words "insolent" or "arrogant" before they could leave his mouth.
"I heard that Huashan and Kongtong were trying to kill the future of our cult, so I rushed over."
"Hmm."
He had naturally considered that the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult might make a move.
That was why he had hurried to finish things before they arrived.
But the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult had arrived sooner than the Violet Mist Sword had expected.
*Even if his daughter is here, how could he arrive so quickly?*
The Mad Demon didn't seem to cherish Shin Yehyang that much.
After all, since arriving, he hadn't glanced at Shin Yehyang even once.
*Besides, he doesn't even look tired.*
If the Mad Demon had rushed here, he should have shown signs of exhaustion.
Even if a master like the Mad Demon wasn't tired, the cultists who came with him should have been.
But neither the Mad Demon nor the other cultists from the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult showed any signs of fatigue.
"Could it be that you were in the Central Plains all along?"
He didn't seem to have moved in a hurry, yet he had appeared much faster than the Violet Mist Sword anticipated.
If so, there was only one answer.
The Mad Demon had been in the Central Plains from the very beginning.
"Is that so important?"
"How could it not be?"
It might not have been important to the Mad Demon, but it was to the Violet Mist Sword.
"It means that no one knew the Vice Cult Leader was on the move."
Not the Nine Sects One Gang, not the Five Great Families, and not the Righteous Alliance.
Even the Kunlun Sect, a faction dedicated to stopping the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's advance into the Central Plains, hadn't known.
This implied a problem with the orthodox factions' intelligence network, which was, of course, a critical matter.
"Right now, isn't how you all will act more important?"
"..."
At the Mad Demon's words, the Violet Mist Sword could not easily answer.
The Huashan Sect had made a move. And the Kongtong Sect as well.
He wondered if they would have to retreat now with nothing to show for it.
"Surely you don't intend to fight?"
The number of cultists the Mad Demon had brought was too small to be considered a major move by the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
It seemed that since they moved while avoiding others' eyes, they couldn't have moved in large numbers.
*If we can just do something about the Mad Demon...*
The Violet Mist Sword began to quickly assess the situation.
He wondered if, by dealing with the Mad Demon, the combined forces of Kongtong and Huashan could defeat the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
"Commander! Are you all right?"
"You came too?"
The Violet Mist Sword saw figures in black, blood-red cloaks approaching the Demonic Shadow Corps Commander, Neung Byeokmun.
*The Demonic Shadow Corps?*
The Heavenly Demon's shadows.
They were one of the most formidable militant groups within the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
*They came as well?*
The fact that the Demonic Shadow Corps was here meant the Heavenly Demon considered this matter quite important.
Then again, since their commander was on the move, perhaps it was only natural.
*Why on earth does the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult want an object like that?*
He knew it wasn't some incredible treasure.
The head of the Yuk Escort Agency had only said it was a rather old item.
*If the Demonic Shadow Corps has moved, this won't be easy.*
The Demonic Shadow Corps Commander, Neung Byeokmun, began to move with his corps again.
These were not the young martial artists who barely listened to him, but men who were like his own limbs.
They would surely show a different side than before.
It seemed unlikely that the disciples of Huashan and Kongtong alone could contain the Demonic Shadow Corps as they rampaged across the battlefield.
"Then how does the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult intend to compensate us?"
But the Violet Mist Sword had no intention of backing down just like that.
"What compensation?"
The Violet Mist Sword's face contorted as he looked at the Mad Demon, who had thrown the question back at him.
"Did the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult not attack an escort agency affiliated with our sect? Because of that, second-generation disciples of my sect died."
At the Violet Mist Sword's words, the Mad Demon turned his head to look at the Demonic Shadow Corps Commander.
"Commander, is that true?"
"It is not true at all."
"On the bodies of the disciples, we found traces of the Mad Wind Saber Arts..."
The Violet Mist Sword, who was speaking, was forced to shut his mouth when his eyes met the Mad Demon's.
It was because of the killing intent radiating from the Mad Demon.
"Ugh."
A groan escaped him involuntarily.
*Is something like this really possible with just killing intent?*
It felt as if his entire body was being diced.
The Violet Mist Sword tried to use his internal energy to shake off the Mad Demon's aura, just as he had before.
"Cough!"
The Violet Mist Sword suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Unlike before, his internal energy was not obeying him.
His internal energy, as if frightened by the Mad Demon's killing intent, moved in a completely different direction from his will.
"It would be best not to push yourself."
"If you keep resisting, you could fall into qi deviation."
The Twin Elders of Kongtong said, looking at the Violet Mist Sword coughing up blood.
The Violet Mist Sword had no choice but to nod at their words and withdraw his internal energy.
As a result, he was once again directly exposed to the Mad Demon's killing intent.
"Ugh."
His whole body trembled like an aspen leaf, and a chill ran down his spine.
The Violet Mist Sword's back was already soaked with sweat.
If he resisted with his internal energy, he felt he would fall into qi deviation, but if he didn't resist, he felt he would die from the killing intent. He was caught between a rock and a hard place.
"What did you say you found?"
"Traces of the Mad Wind Saber Arts..."
"Nonsense!"
The Mad Demon roared, cutting off the Violet Mist Sword.
Thud!
He stomped his foot hard, and the ground sank.
"Do you think my daughter would do something so foolish?"
The Violet Mist Sword's words were an insult to Shin Yehyang.
How many people would use their signature martial art while launching a covert attack?
"You can take responsibility for those words, I assume?"
"That is..."
If the Demonic Shadow Corps Commander had said that, he would have scoffed.
But when the Mad Demon said it, the weight of the words was different.
"No. If Huashan is willing to fabricate such evidence, it seems you desire war with our cult."
With a single sentence, the Mad Demon had framed the evidence as a fabrication by Huashan.
"The Righteous Alliance says this matter has nothing to do with them."
The Violet Mist Sword flinched at the Mad Demon's words.
He had intended to kill all the young cultists of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, and he thought it would be fine even if it led to a war between the righteous and demonic factions.
He had thought that since they had a just cause, the Righteous Alliance would eventually support them.
*Have they already backed out?*
But the Righteous Alliance had chosen not to help Huashan, but to avoid war with the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
But the Violet Mist Sword had no time to be angry about that.
It was because of the Mad Demon's indifferent voice drilling into his ears.
"Then is this the will of Huashan?"
"No! It truly is not."
A moment ago, he would have proudly declared it to be the will of Huashan.
But if the Righteous Alliance had backed out of this matter, the story was different.
Huashan could not face the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult alone.
"Or is this something Kongtong has done?"
"...No. Kongtong was merely assisting Kunlun and Huashan."
"Is that so. I heard Kunlun's involvement was due to a minor conflict. Such things are common in the martial world."
The Mad Demon was now saying it.
He would not touch Kongtong and Kunlun, but he might strike Huashan.
So, he was telling them to choose.
"...It seems Huashan has misjudged the situation."
"Hmm. Is that so?"
"...Yes. I will punish the disciple who failed to confirm the facts properly."
"Surely that's not all? After all, were the future generations of our cult not injured?"
The Righteous Alliance, Kunlun, and Kongtong had all backed out.
The Huashan Sect could not face the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult alone.
Thus, Mae Jinpung, the Sect Leader of Huashan, had no choice but to bite his lip and lower his head.
"I will be sure to provide compensation for that."
"I will be waiting."
At the Mad Demon's gesture, the cultists of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, who looked ready to charge the Huashan Sect at any moment, sheathed their weapons.
"Surely you won't ask me to take one of your moves, will you?"
"..."
"Or perhaps you'd like to receive one of my moves? If you can withstand it, I might let you leave safely."
This was what the Violet Mist Sword had done to Jinmyeong.
At that time, Jinmyeong had been pushed into it by others, but he had ultimately withstood the attack.
But the Violet Mist Sword could not bring himself to say he would do it.
"A jest. Don't be so tense."
How many people here took the Mad Demon's words as a jest?
"More importantly, I can take my cult's people and go now, correct?"
"...Of course."
"Understood. Then we will return to the cult."
The Huashan and Kongtong sects, who had arrived here full of confidence, had to retreat with no gains whatsoever due to the Mad Demon's appearance.
*This is the power held by an absolute master.*
Jinmyeong vividly realized the power that the Mad Demon, and by extension, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, possessed.
Even the Violet Mist Sword, who had seemed so powerful, was retreating without a single word of protest.
*I have to become at least that strong.*
He felt he needed to be as strong as the Mad Demon to protect the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult from the protagonist and the Righteous Alliance.
*Still, I got the key.*
It was the greatest prize from this mission. But thanks to it, he now had a new task.
*I have to find a way to use this, no matter what.*
Jinmyeong couldn't take his hand off the cup-shaped key inside his robes.