Chapter 149: The Test Continues
Chapter 149: The Test Continues
“Elder!”
The moment I spotted the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, I practically jumped for joy. Had I ever been this happy to see him since the day we first met?
Landing heavily on the ground, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon gripped the hilt of his half-buried Heaven Extermination Great Blade and wrenched it from the earth.
“Why is a man as old as you bullying his juniors?” he rebuked sternly.
Instead of an answer, a Blood Calamity Finger shot toward him, cutting through the air.
Boom!
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon thrust out a palm, neutralizing the attack mid-air. He didn’t yield an inch in terms of internal energy. Having trained diligently lately, his momentum was sharper and more oppressive than ever.
He let out a thunderous roar.
“You ugly old man! Do you want to die?”
The Heaven Extermination Great Blade swung in a massive, terrifying arc.
Rumble!
A violent Blade Wind erupted from the weapon, tearing through the atmosphere as it surged forward. Yang Cheo-gi didn’t dodge; instead, he thrust both palms forward, releasing a massive burst of palm force to meet the strike.
Crash!
Accompanied by an ear-splitting explosion, both men were pushed back. They retreated the exact same number of steps. The Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s internal power was truly profound, proving himself a match for a monster like Yang Cheo-gi.
I immediately joined the fray. It would be a disaster if the Blood Heaven Blade Demon got hurt fighting alone while I stood by.
Clang-clang-clang!
I unleashed the Flying Heaven Sword Technique, Seventh Form: Flowing Heaven Form. The Black Demonic Sword split into twelve streaks of sword qi that hovered menacingly in the air. Though I had little internal energy left, I deliberately made a show of what I had, manifesting as many fragments as possible to pressure our foe.
Seeing me join the fight, Yang Cheo-gi realized the situation had turned against him. He kicked off the ground and vanished in an instant, retreating into the distance.
“Don’t pursue him.”
I was worried the Blood Heaven Blade Demon might give chase in his heat, but he didn’t budge.
“I wouldn’t even if you told me to. My arm felt like it was going to fall off from that one exchange. He’s as strong as he is ugly.”
“Compared to him, you’re a peerless beauty, Elder!”
“Naturally.”
“Elder!”
I ran toward him, intending to give him a big hug, but he used a swift footwork technique to dodge me.
“Disgusting.”
“How did you end up here?” I asked, grinning.
“I was just passing by.”
As if. He had clearly been keeping a close eye on my movements because he was worried about me.
“Thank you. If it weren't for you, we would have died here.”
It wasn't empty flattery. If he hadn't arrived when he did, there was no telling how the battle would have ended.
Nearby, the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon slumped to the ground. His mask was stained with fresh blood, and his entire body was a map of wounds.
“Elder, please stand guard for a moment.”
“Will do.”
I placed my hand on the Smiling Demon’s back and injected a steady stream of internal energy. I carefully tended to his damaged blood vessels, bolstering his true qi and treating his internal injuries. As the pure internal energy soothed his ravaged body, the Smiling Demon soon opened his eyes. Fortunately, his internal injuries weren't as deep as they looked.
“It’s a relief. The injuries aren't as bad as I feared.”
The Smiling Demon looked at me. I couldn't forget the look in his eyes earlier when he sensed the end—that gaze filled with such profound, silent regret.
We often forget. We forget those intense moments that could serve as a turning point for our lives. Once the moment passes, we fail to live with the same intensity.
But I won't be like that. I don't need anything else in my relationship with him. I only need to remember the regret of that moment when death felt imminent.
Smiling Demon, what about you? Do you feel the same?
The Smiling Demon simply smiled. For the first time, he smiled with his true emotions fully on display. I smiled back.
Right. Drinking with the Drunken Demon, and laughing with the Smiling Demon. That was enough for me.
Next, the Smiling Demon expressed his gratitude to the Blood Heaven Blade Demon. He didn't use words, merely offering a deep, respectful bow.
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon accepted the gesture with a simple, gruff nod.
Taking advantage of the opening, I lunged forward and finally managed to hug him.
“Elder! I missed you!”
“I told you it’s disgusting! Why are you doing this?”
Shaking off my childish behavior, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon backed away as if escaping a plague. But how could I not know? He was genuinely happy to have saved me.
I recovered the Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron dagger that had fallen next to the Iron Chain Master’s corpse and spoke honestly.
“This fight was quite difficult.”
Watching me, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon spoke.
“Didn't I tell you? You’re waking up the Murim.”
“Should I go somewhere and learn a lullaby?”
“Then everyone who should stay asleep will end up waking up while you're trying to learn it.”
At his joke, I spoke with a confident voice.
“Since it’s come to this, let them all wake up. Tell them all to wake up now instead of waking up late and talking in their sleep. However…”
I met the eyes of both men before continuing.
“Please fight by my side from now on.”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon stared at me for a moment before turning away and walking off. The Smiling Demon followed silently behind him.
“There he goes again, doing that again.”
I followed after them as we left the blood-stained area behind.
*
Sama Myeong entered the Heavenly Demon Hall holding an urgent missive. His pace, faster than usual, signaled the gravity of the news he carried.
Despite the urgency, Heavenly Demon Geom Wu-jin remained as calm as a deep lake.
Reaching the end of the red carpet, Sama Myeong quickly delivered the report.
“The Second Young Master clashed with the villains of Villain Valley during his mission.”
“Villain Valley?”
“The Paradise Demoness, the Blood Path Trio, the Yama Divine Lord, and the Blood Wolf Blade.”
“Quite a few capable ones showed up.”
“That’s not all. The Strange Demon and the Iron Chain Master appeared as well.”
Geom Wu-jin flinched slightly at the mention of those two names. The first four were no pushovers, but the latter two were absolute masters who could never be taken lightly.
“They clashed with the Second Young Master and the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon.”
“The Smiling Demon was there too?”
“Yes. It seems he is also involved in this matter.”
“And?”
After a brief pause, Sama Myeong reported, his voice tight.
“The Second Young Master and the Smiling Demon killed them all.”
“The first four aside, the latter two wouldn't have been easy.”
“It is reported that the Smiling Demon suffered internal injuries in the process. Fortunately, they aren't deep.”
“What about Mu-geuk?”
“He is fine.”
“The two of them killed the Strange Demon and the Iron Chain Master?”
Unlike the calm Geom Wu-jin, Chief Strategist Sama Myeong was slightly flushed with excitement.
“To be honest, I was very surprised when I saw the missive. Although the Second Young Master and the Smiling Demon previously worked together to kill the Sword Emperor, that was a single opponent. This time, the enemies were numerous; it couldn't have been easy.”
If it hadn't been for the duel with Geom Mu-geuk at the Pungryu Tavern, Geom Wu-jin would have been just as surprised. But he had already had his share of surprises that day.
“Who is behind this?”
“The practical mastermind is the Leader of the Heavenly Mandate Society, and the ones who executed the plan are Yang Cheo-gi and the Master of Villain Valley.”
“Yang Cheo-gi? The one from the White Face Sect?”
Geom Wu-jin knew of him.
“Yes. It appears he acted out of a grudge against the Smiling Demon.”
“The forces mobilized seem a bit too grand for just that, don't they?”
“According to the Second Young Master’s report, the Leader of the Heavenly Mandate Society recruited the Master of Villain Valley and Yang Cheo-gi. However, it seems he secretly offered Yang Cheo-gi the position of Master of Villain Valley as an incentive.”
“Why would he do that? From the Leader’s perspective, the current Master of Villain Valley would be more useful than Yang Cheo-gi in many ways.”
“He must have a hidden motive.”
“Look into it.”
“Yes! The Heavenly Mandate Society is proving to be more of a headache than we anticipated.”
Until now, they had only known the Heavenly Mandate Society as a group seeking illicit gains by impersonating the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. But now, it was clear they were a much larger and stronger organization.
“What would you like to do? This might be too much for the Second Young Master to handle. Should we recall him?”
However, Geom Wu-jin shook his head.
“Didn't the boy choose that mission himself? Then he must see it through. Instead, we will overlook the intervention of the Demon Lords this time. Also, increase the Main Cult’s support from one instance to three.”
“Understood.”
Since it was originally a solo mission, the Demon Lords weren't supposed to intervene. However, since a special situation exceeding the scope of the test had unfolded, the difficulty was being adjusted accordingly.
“I will focus the Cult’s intelligence network on monitoring the Heavenly Mandate Society.”
Geom Wu-jin nodded and spoke.
“Tell my second son that the test continues.”
*
We stayed at a safe house belonging to the Main Cult, not far from the Yellow River Inn where the battle had taken place.
We rested for a few days to recover our internal energy and treat our wounds. We ate proper meals, performed qi circulation, and got plenty of rest.
And today, a missive arrived from the Heavenly Demon Hall telling me to continue the mission.
That’s my father for you, I thought. Even if I sent a message saying I was about to fight the entire Murim Alliance, he was the type of person to reply with, "Fight well."
That night, while enjoying the lonely moonlight and strolling through the safe house garden, I saw the Blood Heaven Blade Demon practicing his martial arts in a corner of the yard.
“Are you training even here?”
“Is training a joke to you? It doesn't matter where you are.”
“Lately, seeing you, Elder, makes me realize that becoming a Demon Lord is no laughing matter.”
“Don't lie. You look down on us.”
“That’s a misunderstanding!”
To be honest, when I first decided to bring the Demon Lords to heel, I did look down on them. But as I grew closer to them, I had long since abandoned that thought. These people were definitely not easy to deal with.
That was likely why Yang Cheo-gi couldn't become a Demon Lord.
Regardless of his martial skill, he lacked that certain something required to be a Demon Lord. Should I call it charm? A certain vibe? Or perhaps he just wasn't in the same league? He was missing something essential.
“I suppose I forgot how scary a Demon Lord can be because I only see the Drunken Demon drinking all the time.”
“Don't underestimate that drunkard either.”
“Why are you so worried about me lately, Elder?”
“How can I not be? You fall into danger every chance you get. I feel like I should dig into my pocket change and buy you another protective robe. By the way, what about the Quick Recovery Pill?”
“I took it.”
I didn't mention that I had given it to the Smiling Demon. If I did, the old man might huff and puff all night and lose sleep.
It was then.
“I was the one who took it.”
I turned around to see the Smiling Demon walking into the garden.
“It saved my life.”
He offered a light bow. At his polite attitude, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon only gave me a sidelong glance and refrained from saying anything to irritate the Smiling Demon.
“As long as you're safe.”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon knew how desperate the situation must have been for me to use the pill on someone else. Although he constantly cursed the Smiling Demon behind his back for being a devious bastard, he still acknowledged the man's skill.
“I will repay the debt next time.”
“Before that, you should wipe the blood off that mask.”
“I intend to wear it as it is until this matter is finished.”
I sensed that the Smiling Demon was slightly keyed up. It wasn't just anger. It was closer to the excitement one feels after surviving a life-or-death struggle for the first time in a long while.
I felt the same. During the final battle, I experienced my sword speed becoming even faster. It stemmed from the desperation to save the Smiling Demon, but regardless, I had surpassed my own limits. That was what mattered—breaking through the ceiling. Since I had already achieved Twelve-Star Great Achievement in the Flying Heaven Sword Technique, this improvement likely related to my overall martial realm.
“I felt like I was on the brink several times, but honestly, it felt amazing.”
At my words, the Smiling Demon’s eyes behind the mask showed he agreed. Even the Blood Heaven Blade Demon nodded.
“Everyone goes mad for that feeling.”
It seemed the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s blood had also begun to boil after his exchange with Yang Cheo-gi.
“First, we have to catch Yang Cheo-gi.”
Yang Cheo-gi hadn't just tried to kill us; he had also tried to lead the members of the Smiling Demon’s own sect, the White Face Sect, to their deaths. Since he would continue to target the Smiling Demon and me, he had to be dealt with as a priority.
“Besides, he must have met the Leader of the Heavenly Mandate Society in person, so he’ll be helpful in finding him.”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon asked, “Do you know where that Yang Cheo-gi fellow is?”
“He’s likely hiding in Villain Valley. The people he brought out are dead, so he has to report back, and it’s also the safest place for him. Plus, since he’s eyeing the position of Master of Villain Valley, he’ll definitely return there.”
“I’ll help you.”
When the Blood Heaven Blade Demon offered his help, the Smiling Demon spoke up unexpectedly.
“I know Villain Valley well.” After a brief pause, he added, “I was there once.”
Surprised, I asked, “When were you there?”
“When I was young. My master put me there, saying I needed to cultivate a wicked heart. He came to get me three years later.”
“What if you had died there?”
“Then he would have looked for another disciple.”
“You survived Villain Valley at such a young age, Lord Smiling Demon?”
The Smiling Demon nodded.
“Villain Valley is a place where people live, after all. While there are masters like the Strange Demon, there are also people who don't know martial arts at all. There are even those who aren't from Villain Valley but bring in goods to trade there because the profit margins are high. But you mustn't let your guard down. If you enter without any information, there is no place as terrifying as Villain Valley.”
I shared the contents of the missive from the Main Cult with the two of them.
“I received word from the Main Cult today. The mission to eliminate the Leader of the Heavenly Mandate Society is still in effect, but they’ve increased our support so that we can receive help from the Cult three times. I’m thinking of using one of those now. The three of us could handle it, but the Master of Villain Valley might step in. There’s no need to take unnecessary risks when we have the chance to use our support.”
I spoke with the spirit of someone ready to wipe Villain Valley off the map if necessary.
“Let’s call in the One Flower Sword Venerable and the Great Drunken Demon and go catch Yang Cheo-gi.”