The Gathering Storm in Sichuan
"Hah."
Dang Joong-myung sighed as he read the letter sent by Dang Hwa-young.
We managed to kill five of the Ten Demons, but the remaining five escaped.
It was a truly astonishing result.
Who were the Ten Demons, after all?
"You have done a magnificent deed against those who were called the finest hounds of the Matian."
However, the words that followed in Dang Hwa-young's letter left Dang Joong-myung with a strange feeling.
The one I personally slew was the Silver Spear Demon, but even that was largely thanks to his help.
"He killed four of them alone... and even helped Hwa-young kill the Silver Spear Demon?"
According to the report, the four demons had not been in normal condition.
The Silver Spear Demon had poisoned his own comrades to exact revenge on them.
It was a scheme to absorb the Demonic Spirits within the Ten Demons' bodies, but in the end, it had only benefited Yoo-sung.
Still, this is not something to be taken lightly.
As a shrewd and experienced master, Dang Joong-myung was someone who guarded against prejudice above all else.
Even with their internal strife, Yoo-sung had slain four of the Matian's Ten Demons entirely on his own.
He compared Yoo-sung to the youths of his own Dang family.
No matter how generously he estimated, even two or three of them combined would have reached their limit trying to achieve such a feat.
Even if the Red-Eyed Demon had been severely wounded in the Corpse Demon's tomb, Yoo-sung must have faced his own share of trials inside that very same tomb.
Ultimately, every piece of information only added to his awe of Yoo-sung.
"It is no simple feat. A staggering achievement. Even the geniuses of Diancang, Emei, or Qingcheng would find this difficult to replicate."
Even the top disciples of those three sects from the Nine Great Sects—the Dang family's greatest rivals—could not have easily produced the results Yoo-sung had.
"A fascinating child."
Dang Joong-myung's eyes deepened as he recalled Yoo-sung's last visit.
Even then, the boy had subtly exuded an extraordinary aura.
Because his presence was so natural, others had failed to recognize the sheer depth of Yoo-sung's power.
The main house of the Dang family had likely been just as blind.
It was a cause for celebration that the child of his beloved daughter had gained the strength to rise so high, yet a strange discomfort lingered within him. This was undoubtedly due to the volatile state of Sichuan's current political climate.
"A protruding nail is bound to be hammered down. I cannot easily foresee what consequences that child's power will bring."
Recalling what he knew of Yoo-sung's temperament since childhood, the boy might ignore minor provocations, but he would never tolerate anyone laying a finger on his family.
Thus, a clash between Yoo-sung and the Sichuan Righteous Alliance was practically inevitable.
And that was not all.
The Unorthodox Path of Sichuan would also inevitably cross paths with him. All Dang Joong-myung could do was watch closely.
Since Yoo-sung had mentioned he would be stopping by the Righteous Alliance, this would be the perfect opportunity to observe him properly.
With a lighter heart, Dang Joong-myung rose from his seat.
It was time to begin another tedious, inconclusive meeting with the fools of the Dang family.
Meanwhile, Yoo-sung had arrived near the headquarters of the Sichuan Righteous Alliance.
"It's over there."
At Dang Hwa-young's words, Yoo-sung turned his gaze toward a grand, imposing gate.
The structure, which closely resembled a massive fortress, was none other than the headquarters of the Sichuan Righteous Alliance.
To have completed such a magnificent complex in a mere month and filled it with righteous martial artists representing all of Sichuan meant they had been preparing for this alliance for a very long time.
"Let's go in. Steel your resolve, because from now on, we have to drive out every single demon that has set foot in Sichuan!"
Yoo-sung followed behind Dang Hwa-young and Dang Hwa-soo, who were burning with fierce determination and passion.
A subtle smile played on his lips.
This might turn out to be far more entertaining than I thought.
The familiar presences he sensed within the fortress brought back memories of past acquaintances.
Wondering how those connections would unfold this time, Yoo-sung took a step toward the entrance of the alliance. Just then—
"It's the Qingcheng Sect!!!"
At someone's shout, a group of martial artists emerged.
The martial artists of the Qingcheng Sect, one of the pillars of the Sichuan Righteous Alliance, made no effort to hide their powerful, overbearing auras. Behind them marched a line of prisoners bound in thick ropes.
"Isn't that the Black Bear?"
The Black Bear was one of the prominent figures of Sichuan's Unorthodox Path who had recently been making waves.
Cheers erupted from the crowd for the Qingcheng Sect, who had successfully captured the Black Bear—reputed to be an Ultra-Peak master—along with his entire gang.
Immediately after, another shout rang out.
"The Emei Sect will not be outdone!"
Following closely behind Qingcheng, the Buddhist nuns of the Emei Sect also brought in a group of captives. Judging by the loud murmurs of the crowd, these prisoners were figures of no less repute than the Black Bear.
The Diancang Sect martial artists who appeared next paraded a similar spectacle.
"..."
Yoo-sung watched the display in silence.
"Ahem."
Dang Hwa-young and Dang Hwa-soo unconsciously stole glances at Yoo-sung, clearing their throats.
"Even you two find this ridiculous, don't you? It looks like they're desperately trying to show off their achievements."
Just as Yoo-sung said, the scene felt heavily staged.
It was quite comical to watch the member sects of the Sichuan Righteous Alliance take turns parading their captives, as if competing to show off their respective merits.
"This seems quite different from what you two described."
"Appearances aren't everything," Dang Hwa-young replied.
Yoo-sung nodded at her response.
He sincerely hoped that, as she said, there were still people with their heads screwed on straight inside that fortress.
Otherwise, they would soon find themselves in a very miserable position.
I wonder how many of those bastards inside I actually know.
With a silent sneer, Yoo-sung slowly crossed the threshold of the Sichuan Righteous Alliance's main gate.
In a pitch-black room where not a single ray of light could penetrate, a woman sat with her eyes closed.
The dark, swirling demonic energy surrounding her clearly betrayed her identity.
The woman's name was Yeo Mi-ho.
The demonic energy of the Milky Way Demonic Art, the signature technique of the Yeo Clan—one of the Ten Demonic Sects—swirled around her.
The silver-tinted demonic energy drifted through the air before sinking back into Yeo Mi-ho's body.
Phew.
With a long exhale, Yeo Mi-ho opened her eyes, settling the silver demonic energy deep within her dantian.
A trickle of blood dripped from her lips, causing her to furrow her brow.
"Did the Red Demon die?"
The Demonic Spirit she had planted inside the Red-Eyed Demon had vanished without a trace.
"That was faster than expected."
The death of the Red-Eyed Demon did not particularly concern her.
Among the Matian's Ten Demons, the only one of any real value was the Sword Heaven Demon.
The rest were mere expendable pawns whose deaths meant nothing.
At least, that was how the martial artists of the Ten Demonic Sects viewed them.
The only reason Yeo Mi-ho had chosen the Red-Eyed Demon was because she had read his greed.
She wanted to verify if the Corpse Demon's tomb near Hojung was real.
And if it was, she wanted to know what treasures remained inside.
"Let us see what you beheld in the Corpse Demon's tomb."
Sssss.
A silver demonic haze shrouded Yeo Mi-ho's eyes, and the memories of the Red-Eyed Demon began to play out before her.
"As I thought, was it a trap laid by the Silver Spear Demon?"
The Silver Spear Demon's proposal to open the Corpse Demon's tomb together, and the four members of the Ten Demons who had agreed to it.
The Ten Demons who had gathered near Hojung were those who refused to submit to the Sword Heaven Demon's control.
They should have been suspicious from the start, but blinded by the prospect of the Corpse Demon's legacy, the four had ignored the warning signs.
As a price, they had been slowly poisoned by the Silver Spear Demon.
This was exactly the sequence of events Yeo Mi-ho had anticipated, so there was nothing surprising about it.
The real issue arose after the Red-Eyed Demon entered the Corpse Demon's tomb alone.
"So that was hidden there."
The demonic blade held in the Red-Eyed Demon's hand after he bypassed the Corpse Demon's traps was highly familiar to Yeo Mi-ho.
The Demonic Spirit Blade.
It was a demonic weapon highly coveted by demonic humans—a vicious, malevolent artifact that absorbed the life force and demonic energy of living beings.
The Red-Eyed Demon had laid his hands on the Demonic Spirit Blade, a weapon capable of turning even those without a Demonic Spirit into blood-crazed killers.
She did not even need to watch what happened next to picture it clearly.
However—
A voice like a sudden thunderclap violently struck Yeo Mi-ho's mind.
"Kehh!"
A massive spray of blood, far greater than before, erupted from her mouth.
The mere echo of that voice had inflicted severe internal injuries upon her.
"Crazy... Who the hell is this bastard?!"
The moment the Red-Eyed Demon, his body possessed by the Demonic Spirit Blade, attempted to leave the Corpse Demon's tomb, someone had appeared and completely suppressed him.
That was the absolute limit of what Yeo Mi-ho could see.
Beyond that point, the owner of the voice had thoroughly erased her sorcery.
"....At least on par with me. Or perhaps half a step ahead."
Though her clan had fallen to the lowest ranks of the Ten Demonic Sects, the Yeo Clan remained unmatched in the realm of sorcery.
They specialized in provoking and feeding on human greed, growing stronger by devouring their targets' ambitions.
Because of this, she could roughly gauge the strength of her unseen opponent.
"How entertaining. Yes, there is no fun if it is too easy."
Despite the sudden appearance of an unexpectedly powerful foe, Yeo Mi-ho smiled.
If she could achieve results against such a formidable enemy, her standing would rise beyond her own clan, elevating her across the entirety of the Ten Demonic Sects.
For someone like Yeo Mi-ho, who had no intention of settling for merely being the head of her clan, the more numerous and powerful the sacrifices, the better.
"Very well. We shall meet soon."
Though she did not know the exact identity, there were a few likely candidates.
The Iron Flower, Dang Hwa-young.
The eldest of the Diancang Four Tigers, the Great Tiger of Diancang.
The Iron Wall, Hyo-jin.
And...
"Do Yoo-sung."
He did not even possess an epithet.
There were only rumors of a notorious prodigal son who had returned to the Heavenly Sword Academy.
Yet, the path he had carved so far was highly intriguing.
"Well, that is assuming he manages to walk out of the Sichuan Righteous Alliance in one piece."
She was already curious to see how the notoriously exclusive righteous factions of Sichuan would treat Yoo-sung.
"Shall I stir the pot a little?"
With a giggle, Yeo Mi-ho began to chant an incantation.
It was time to activate the discord she had planted within the Sichuan Righteous Alliance.
The meeting hall where the direct and branch lines of the Dang family gathered was quite spacious.
It was a gathering to announce their achievements prior to the official campaign launch of the Sichuan Righteous Alliance.
Yoo-sung, who carried only half of the Dang family's blood, sat in attendance alongside his maternal grandfather, Dang Joong-myung.
Things are getting interesting.
From his corner seat, Yoo-sung observed the people in the room.
They all shared the surname Dang and had gathered under the banner of the Sichuan Tang Family.
Yet, the looks they exchanged could hardly be described as familial.
The uncomfortable tension flowing between the direct and branch lines was so palpable that even Yoo-sung, an outsider, could easily perceive it.
At this rate, the Dang family is practically split in half.
He had heard rumors, but seeing the reality of the Dang family with his own eyes was far more severe and disappointing than he had anticipated.
While Yoo-sung was feeling disappointed by the pathetic state of the Dang family, the members of the clan were busy patting themselves on the back.
"It must have been a more grueling task than expected. You have worked hard to elevate the name of our Dang family."
At the words of encouragement from the current Lord of the Dang family, Dang Ho-ryung, Dang Hwa-young and Dang Hwa-soo bowed their heads.
Their posture was neither subservient nor arrogant, which brought smiles to the faces of the branch family members.
However, to the direct line members who dominated the main estate, it felt strangely insolent.
But since the Family Lord himself, Dang Ho-ryung, made no comment, everyone had no choice but to remain silent and let it pass.
"So, you obtained nothing from the Corpse Demon's tomb?"
"That is correct. The Red-Eyed Demon had already completely ransacked the tomb. The demonic blade he possessed was likely the Demonic Spirit Blade."
It was rare for a master of the Red-Eyed Demon's caliber to lose his mind and succumb to bloodlust.
Thus, everyone in the room nodded in agreement with Dang Hwa-young's assessment.
"I still find it difficult to fully trust the words of the Iron Flower."
Just then, a man with a rat-like face spoke up in a sharp, provocative tone.
He was Chief Administrator Dang Sa-oh, a man who enjoyed the absolute trust of the Family Lord.
He was not originally born into the Dang family, but after achieving numerous feats by Dang Ho-ryung's side, he had been bestowed the surname Dang by the previous Family Lord.
Relying on Dang Sa-oh's influence, the Family Lord maintained a tight grip on the clan.
However, he was also one of the primary reasons the conflict with the branch family continued to escalate.
With Dang Sa-oh's challenge, the meeting began in earnest.
Watching this unfold, Yoo-sung's eyes grew cold.
The gaze Dang Sa-oh had directed at him moments earlier had been highly irritating.
Sure enough, Dang Sa-oh's next words were aimed directly at him.
"If nothing else, I find it hard to believe that the two of you managed to suppress the Ten Demons on your own."
At Dang Sa-oh's skepticism, the eyes of both the direct and branch lines turned toward Dang Hwa-young.