Chapter 191: Continuing Danger
Chapter 191: Continuing Danger
Riding in a sedan chair carried by four men and fanning himself, Jegal Ji-gang frowned and muttered to himself.
"Every time I come here, I feel it — the air in this place truly does not agree with me."
The muggy air of Yunnan Province had something about it that irritated a person simply by existing within it.
Moreover, there was absolutely no way Jegal Ji-gang's mood could be good, having been forced to come to the Yunnan frontlines with the feeling of being sent into exile.
Suppressing the impulse to explode with irritation at everything in the world through sheer reason, he tried to organize what he needed to do next.
First, he looked around at the roughly three hundred elite warriors of the Black Tiger Unit, Black Wolf Unit, and Black Dragon Unit escorting him, and thought.
'The very first thing I must do is sort out my own people from among them. I must determine exactly where the line begins and ends — who has already been turned over to the alliance leader.'
If he could not select those he could fully trust, then no matter how much time passed, he would ultimately be forced to exist as nothing more than a chess piece for the Murim Alliance Leader, Mo Yong-geom.
So Jegal Ji-gang resolved that he had to stake his very life on that task.
'After that, I'll need to erase the remnants of the Sword Saint that remain on the frontlines. Especially, I need to properly sort out the Flying Dragon Thirteen Squads where his daughter belonged.'
Jegal Ji-gang intended to thoroughly clean up not only that Seol Pung, who was said to be exceptionally skilled, but also the members of the Seventh Squad who had operated together with Hae Cheong-yeon in the Flying Dragon Thirteen Squads.
After all, they had even gone so far as to operate together under the name of the Five Siblings of Doksu in Guizhou Castle, so they surely must be sharing many secrets.
Come to think of it, wasn't the very reason he had been cornered to this extent something that had started with Hae Cheong-yeon?
Therefore, he could not leave behind a single thing connected to her, if only out of vengefulness.
But Jegal Ji-gang, who had arrived at the Flying Dragon Unit headquarters with such thoughts, ended up receiving a report he had never anticipated.
"Seol Pung, squad leader of the Seventh Squad of the Flying Dragon Thirteen Squads, has died?"
At that, Gwan Gu-bung, the commander of the Flying Dragon Unit who had been temporarily managing the main forces after the Sword Saint's death, answered with a dark face.
"To be precise, it is said that he entered the jungle together with Seventh Squad members Bi Sa-yeong, Ya Un-hyang, and Seonwoo Jin, the vice squad leader of the Third Squad, saying they would rescue their missing comrades."
At his words, Jegal Ji-gang frowned and asked again.
"Then he hasn't died, has he?"
At that, Gwan Gu-bung let out a sigh and answered.
"On the frontlines, anyone who does not return from the jungle for more than two days is classified as deceased. That's because there has been no precedent of anyone returning after that amount of time had passed. But they have not returned for five days now, so they are as good as dead already...."
It was then.
His daughter Jegal Seo-yul, who had been standing beside Jegal Ji-gang listening to the report together, suddenly staggered with a face that had gone pale.
The elder Jegal Ji-yong, who was standing beside her, caught her in surprise and supported her.
"Seo-yul! Are you alright?! What is the matter?!"
Jegal Seo-yul answered blankly with a pale face.
"No. It's nothing. I just, I simply...."
Jegal Seo-yul had followed her father Jegal Ji-gang down to the frontlines this time.
It was because she had pleaded with her father, saying that her defeat at the hands of the successor of the Seonwoo Clan, a frontline warrior, was due to her lack of practical combat experience, and that she wanted to come to the frontlines to gain such experience.
Of course, that was naturally not the true reason.
After hearing Seonwoo Jin's apology, she had fallen into complete confusion.
When she had possessed a sense of purpose — to hate him and destroy him — everything had been clearer, if anything, but after hearing his circumstances at the very end, she could no longer even do that.
And she was able to realize it.
'I... did not truly hate him.'
That was it.
Jegal Seo-yul had never hated Seonwoo Jin.
She had merely deceived herself into thinking she hated him because she had come to desire him far too much.
Jegal Seo-yul could only realize that fact after she had stripped away the hatred.
The story Seonwoo Jin had told her that day was something she could sufficiently understand as well.
Moreover, his apology was also fully sincere and solemn.
Jegal Seo-yul had no choice but to coldly acknowledge that, had she been in his situation, she could have done the same.
And so, the hatred she had harbored became meaningless.
But it was a strange thing.
'Wha, what is this? Why am I like this?'
Jegal Seo-yul was flustered.
It was because, even though the hatred had vanished, his face had not disappeared.
Seonwoo Jin's face was constantly floating in her mind.
The kind image of him supporting her.
The cold expression when he had snapped at her coldly.
That fantastical sword technique he had murmured was beautiful even while he was in the middle of fighting her.
Even the honest voice he had left as his final words....
All of it was endlessly repeating inside her head.
So Jegal Seo-yul, who had been trying hard to erase him from her mind for a long while, finally had no choice but to admit it.
That she had come to hold affection for him.
That it was her first love.
Therefore, there could be no other reason for her to have followed him to the frontlines.
'I miss him. If only I could see him one more time....'
It was solely for that one reason.
But for the first news she heard upon coming down to the frontlines to be news of Seonwoo Jin's death....
The shock was so great that Jegal Seo-yul absolutely could not collect her wits.
But her father Jegal Ji-gang, who did not know that fact, merely clicked his tongue and said.
"Didn't I say the frontlines are no easy place? If you're feeling unwell, go to the lodging and rest."
At that, Jegal Seo-yul forced herself to pull her wits together and answered.
"No, Father. I merely felt dizzy for a moment; I am fine. I wish to continue listening to the discussion."
She barely managed to hold back the tears that were about to pour out.
No matter what, she could not leave this place right now. She absolutely had to hear news of him to the very end.
At that, only Jegal Ji-yong, who had been watching and had thus guessed at least roughly at her feelings, secretly let out a sigh with a dark expression.
At his daughter's incomprehensible stubbornness, Jegal Ji-gang frowned for a moment.
But since he could not bring himself to scold her in front of outsiders, he turned his head back to Gwan Gu-bung and asked.
"Alright, then the other Seventh Squad members are still remaining in the Thirteen Squads, I take it?"
"Yes, excluding the missing vice squad leader Na Seo-yu, I understand that around three members still remain."
At that, Jegal Ji-gang smiled faintly and said.
"I see. Could you summon them to the Flying Dragon Unit headquarters? I wish to hear the detailed circumstances."
"Yes, Military Advisor. Understood."
In truth, Jegal Ji-gang even remembered the names of who the remaining Seventh Squad members were.
'They were called Iron Body Meteor Bae Jong-gwan and Quick Blade Cat Maiden Cheon Ju-eun, weren't they? The remaining one must be a newly arrived member. To be assigned to the Seventh Squad of all places, tch.'
Naturally, he could not let Bae Jong-gwan and Cheon Ju-eun, who had operated together with Hae Cheong-yeon as the Five Siblings of Doksu, live.
So he planned to kill them on their way to headquarters or on their way back.
It was a bit unfortunate for the newly arrived member, but what could be done?
That was his fate.
Having thought that, Jegal Ji-gang smiled faintly and began asking questions about the things the Sword Saint had done on the frontlines.
After all, to erase the Sword Saint's traces, he would have to know in detail about the things he had done.
At that, Jegal Seo-yul, who had been listening to the conversation beside him, eventually had no choice but to stagger toward the lodging at the news that Seonwoo Jin was not returning.
And before she even arrived at the lodging, she finally could not hold back and burst into tears.
"Euh-heu-heuk! Seonu Gongja!"
It felt as if her heart was shattering.
***
Jeomchang Mountain, Yunnan Province.
The Blood Demon abruptly received a report from Ji Gi-eum.
"Supreme One, Shi Ma Gu Woo-jeol, who was at the Emperor's Tomb, has come seeking an audience with the Supreme One."
At that, the Blood Demon smiled faintly as if he had already anticipated it and asked.
"Has that bastard Du Dang come to report that he violated my command?"
Ji Gi-eum was momentarily flustered.
It was because the Blood Demon's words were too accurate.
The White-faced Corpse Demon Gu Woo-jeol had come to report that the Black Blood Illusion Demon Du Dang had violated the Blood Demon's command and captured the two men and women who were Hae Cheong-yeon's comrades.
For the Blood Demon to have guessed that fact exactly — no matter how much of a Supreme One he served, it could not be anything but a miraculous occurrence.
But Ji Gi-eum, who was flustered for a moment, instantly realized something.
He asked the Blood Demon.
"...Supreme One, had you already anticipated that Du Dang would act in such a way?"
At that, the Blood Demon smiled faintly again and said.
"I even attached the precondition that it couldn't be helped if they returned again. How could that bastard Du Dang possibly stay still? Naturally, he must have used the soul-possession art to make them return, did he not?"
At his words, Ji Gi-eum could not help but be impressed.
It was indeed the outstanding wisdom befitting the master he served.
He bowed his head deeply and said.
"I am in awe of the Supreme One's wisdom."
At that, the Blood Demon laughed and said.
"Hahahaha! To call it awe rather than cursing my unmanly pettiness, your flattery is excessive. How can I trust your words when you act like this?"
But even at those words, Ji Gi-eum merely bowed his head even lower and answered.
"You prevented the information leak without breaking your promise to her—how could that be anything but wisdom? And in truth, what importance does a promise with an orthodox faction member hold? I am simply filled with admiration."
At his words, the Blood Demon wore a satisfied smile.
The Blood Demon's statement that he respected the Sword Saint had clearly been sincere.
But to him, even that was not a particularly important fact. He was no longer a member of the orthodox faction but the cult leader of the Blood Cult, after all.
To him, promises with orthodox faction members were nothing more than trivial things he could keep if the mood struck him.
And moreover, how could he easily let go of talented individuals who would be usefully employed as materials for Blood Demon people?
Everything was flowing exactly as he desired.
"Just tell that stubborn Woo-jeol that I will personally punish Du Dang later. Tell him that for now, creating Blood Demon people is far more important, so he should focus on that."
"Understood, Supreme One."
With those words, Guyueumma Ji Gi-eum became a shadow and departed outside.
But even the Slaughter Blood Demon Jeon Mu-gwang, said to possess the wisdom of a serpent, could not have possibly predicted that the White-faced Corpse Demon Gu Woo-jeol, who had returned to Aenoesan Mountain, would come rushing back shortly after.
Nor the shocking news he would bring.
Some time later, the Blood Demon's eyes bulged as he asked again.
"What?! What did you just say?! The Emperor's Tomb collapsed?!"
His furious momentum burst forth from him like a storm.
Hwaaaaak!
Under that tremendous pressure, the White-faced Corpse Demon Gu Woo-jeol and his three subordinates, lying flattened on the floor, could do nothing but let out pained groans.
"Uuugh!"
"Kuuuugh!"
"Su, Supreme One, please..."
The remaining demon heads, except for the White-faced Corpse Demon Gu Woo-jeol, could not even breathe properly, as if they were about to die.
Seeing their state, the Blood Demon forcefully composed his momentum and asked again.
"Tell me again. Why in the world did the Emperor's Tomb collapse?!"
The White-faced Corpse Demon Gu Woo-jeol had never been eloquent to begin with, and since he had only heard about this incident by meeting subordinates who had fled from the collapsed Emperor's Tomb, he could not utter a single word.
So the subordinate demon heads lying prostrate behind him began to stammer out the story.
"Th, that is..."
A moment later, the Blood Demon, who had displayed superhuman patience and quietly listened to their entire story, muttered to himself.
"A young bastard who emits red energetic force and uses iron claws, and a young bastard who uses a sword engraved with a black wolf and emits pale violet energetic force?"
"Yes, yes! That is correct, Supreme One! That young bastard using the iron claws first rescued his comrades and escaped! At that time, all our personnel clung to him and tried to stop him, but they were all shattered and swept away, and then a little while later, the young bastard using the sword engraved with a wolf—who had been doing something—escaped! The Emperor's Tomb collapsed immediately after!"
At that, Guyueumma Ji Gi-eum, who was in charge of intelligence even within the Blood Cult, hastily spoke up.
"If it is a young man who uses iron claws, I too saw him when I captured Ha Cheong-yeon. It is undoubtedly the bastard named Seol Pung, the squad leader of the Seventh Squad of the Flying Dragon Thirteen Squads. I did think he was remarkable for reaching the transcendent peak realm at a young age, but he was not at a level to handle all the personnel at the Emperor's Tomb... And if it is a bastard who uses a sword engraved with a wolf, that seems to refer to the Flying Sky Black Wolf Seonwoo Jin, also a member of the Seventh Squad."
The Blood Demon muttered with burning eyes.
"Seol Pung, Seonwoo Jin..."
Then he asked the demon heads again.
"What became of Du Dang? And the demon commanders?"
"As for Father Hwanma, we do not know well either... And though we are not certain about the others, the Blood Beast Demon Lord could not even withstand a few seconds against the bastard using the iron claws and was killed. Seeing that, the others probably... Among those inside the Emperor's Tomb, only the three of us here escaped before it collapsed."
Hwaaaaak!
A storm-like momentum burst forth from the Blood Demon once more.
"Kuuuugh!"
"Su, Supreme One!"
The Blood Demon simply could not control his rage.
The Black Blood Illusion Demon Du Dang, apart from his position as one of the Thirty-Six Stars Under Heaven and one of the Five Demons of the Blood Cult, was, along with the White-faced Corpse Demon Gu Woo-jeol, responsible for the critical role of producing demonic people.
Moreover, the value of the Emperor's Tomb was even greater.
That place could be said to be where everything needed to produce demonic people had been gathered.
In particular, all the materials, facilities, and ingredients for creating Blood Demon people had been collected there...
The Blood Demon, unable to endure it any longer, roared and vented his fury.
"Uaaaaaah!"
At that, the bodies of the three demon heads prostrating behind the White-faced Corpse Demon Gu Woo-jeol were crushed into pulp on the spot.
Ududududuk!
"Kuaaaaak!"
"Supreme Oooooone!"
"S, sa, saaave!"
They were floating in midair, completely pulverized as if crushed by the invisible hand of a giant.
Seeing this, the White-faced Corpse Demon Gu Woo-jeol, prostrating before them, trembled and flattened himself even lower, and the Blood Demon, having momentarily vented his rage, closed his eyes and was able to compose himself once more.
How much time had passed?
In the suffocating silence, while Gu Woo-jeol trembled, the Blood Demon opened his eyes again with a serene gaze.
And he spoke.
"Come to think of it, in the long history of the Blood Cult, there has never been a time as smooth as recent days. Yes, it seems the time has come for a trial to visit us once. Is it not an incredible stroke of fortune that we at least transcribed all the research materials and moved them here?"
At the Blood Demon's positive words, Gu Woo-jeol was finally able to let out a sigh of relief.
Ji Gi-eum and Gu Woo-jeol bowed their heads so deeply they could bow no further and cried out.
"Supreme One! Please punish your servants' incompetence!"
But the Blood Demon, who had already regained his calm, answered with a faint smile.
"Woo-jeol, if I punish you as well, how am I to create Blood Demon people now? It is fortunate, rather, that it was Du Dang who died and not you. I can fill Du Dang's role, but your role would have been somewhat difficult even for me."
At the Blood Demon's benevolent words, Gu Woo-jeol cried out in admiration.
"Supreme One!"
The Blood Demon raised his body with formless energy and said.
"Now, let us go and create Blood Demon people together, just the two of us. Can you do it?"
"I will stake my life to accomplish it!"
"Huhuhu! From now on, you must not speak of staking your life so lightly. But come to think of it, this is the first time I've heard so much of your voice, Woo-jeol."
"I am mortified, Supreme One!"
The Blood Demon was sincerely thinking it was fortunate that he had not died.
As long as he had Gu Woo-jeol, even if it took a little more time, he could sufficiently complete the Blood Demon people again.
Furthermore, had they not fortunately transported the corpses of the super-masters who would be completed as Blood Demon people here rather than the Emperor's Tomb?
In particular, moving the corpses of the former Jeomchang Sect Leader Ma Won-ung and the former Ami Sect Leader Gyeol-heo Satae could not be called anything but an incredible stroke of fortune.
The Blood Demon smiled at that thought, then suddenly turned his head to look at Guyueumma Ji Gi-eum and said.
"Gi-eum, you go to the Emperor's Tomb and look into it. What happened there, and whether any of the things inside can be retrieved. And... also look into the movements of those children named Seol Pung and Seonwoo Jin."
"I receive your command!"
"Ah, do not approach recklessly. If those children truly killed Du Dang, you could be in danger as well."
"Understood, Supreme One."
With those words as his last, Ji Gi-eum's figure vanished like a ghost.
And the Blood Demon, turning his gaze for the last time, spoke with a furrowed brow.
"Woo-jeol, you go prepare the facilities to create Blood Demon people here. And on your way out, would you clean up those filthy things?"
"Yes! Understood, Supreme One!"
What he had asked him to clean up were the corpses of the demon heads that had been reduced to pulp.
The Blood Demon was an infinitely kind lord to those who were useful, but the corpses of those who held no value to him were nothing more than garbage.
Now, in the room that even the White-faced Corpse Demon Gu Woo-jeol had left, the Blood Demon closed his eyes for a moment and composed his heart.
The collapse of the Emperor's Tomb was indeed a fatal loss, but to the Blood Demon, who had endured countless trials in his life, it was not something he could not bear at all.
A moment later, the Blood Demon opened his eyes, suddenly looked toward the direction where Ha Cheong-yeon was staying, smiled faintly, and murmured.
"Yes, I should go deliver some good news."