Chapter 48
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: The Final Confrontation (3)
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Near Mount Cheonmok, there was a shrine where the ancestors of the Cheon Family were honored.
The area was forbidden ground, accessible only to the Family Head of the Cheon Family.
There, two men, both bearing the likeness of the current Family Head, Cheon Wigang, faced each other.
Cheon Wigang spoke to Cheon Wigang.
“So… you were the cause of it all.”
From the voice to the blank expression, everything was identical.
However, the powerful aura flowing from the real Cheon Wigang, who was bleeding profusely, could not be imitated.
“What is the reason?”
He wanted to ask for a reason.
But the man who looked like Cheon Wigang gave no answer.
He merely observed the blood-soaked wounds of the real Cheon Wigang.
They looked deep, but he could see they were merely flesh wounds.
“You used a trick.”
“Speak. What is the reason?”
“Don’t be mistaken. You people are not the only special ones.”
“Does that mean you have infiltrated places other than the Cheon Family?”
A smirk.
Cheon Wigang watched as the man, wearing his own face, let out a grotesque smile.
It was a smile that twisted his facial muscles in an unnatural way.
“Chaos.”
“Chaos, you say.”
“This is only the beginning.”
The Demonic Cult had devised numerous schemes to destroy the martial world of the Central Plains.
One of them was chaos and division.
If it were revealed that renowned martial artists were, in fact, members of the Demonic Cult.
A great chaos, unlike any before, would descend upon the martial world.
“When that time comes, no one will be able to trust each other.”
That chaos would surely breed distrust.
In other words, to make them distrust each other and prevent them from uniting.
That was the Demonic Cult's true intention.
“What is there to fear from an orthodox martial world that cannot unite?”
“An excellent plan.”
Cheon Wigang was genuinely impressed.
It meant they had analyzed the martial world to that extent.
*'So there was someone who could accurately see through the strengths and weaknesses of the orthodox martial world.'*
Though they were all classified as orthodox factions, internal conflicts always existed.
Nevertheless, the orthodox martial world remained strong because of its tendency to unite as one when a third party emerged to shake its foundations.
Furthermore, there were the reclusive masters scattered throughout the Central Plains.
As well as the hidden experts within each sect and family, and the masters of previous generations whose fates were unknown.
There was an unseen potential that lay dormant.
That was how the era of the orthodox martial world had been maintained until now.
*'This is dangerous.'*
Extremely dangerous.
It meant the Demonic Cult's shadowy dagger was already at the throat of the martial world.
Yet, the orthodox martial world, like a dull horse, remained completely unaware.
“Do you understand now? The martial world is finished. The Cheon Family's end is already set in stone!”
His maniacal laughter continued.
But Cheon Wigang remained unshaken.
Even if that were true.
The Cheon Family would not fall.
“The Cheon Family is not so weak as to fall to the likes of you.”
“Do you really think a whelp like you can stop our cult's grand design?”
A thirty-year plan.
Twenty years of it had already passed.
During that long time, the man disguised as Cheon Jungho had, paradoxically, come to know Cheon Wigang better than anyone.
Therefore, he had long known that Cheon Wigang was stuck at a wall, unable to advance.
“Give it up. You are not enough.”
“Yes. I suppose I am not.”
Cheon Wigang readily admitted it.
He knew his limits extended only to the Cheon Family.
Anything beyond that was more than he could handle.
Thus, he was not greedy.
“I do not wish for anything more.”
“What…?”
“However, that child is different.”
*Ruuuumble!*
The atmosphere changed.
Under a pressure that felt like Mount Tai was crushing his shoulders, the impostor's eyes darted from side to side.
*'Why? Cheon Wigang was surely stuck at the threshold of transcendence, unable to progress further.'*
Had he not observed Cheon Wigang for twenty years?
Although he had reached that state, that was all there was to it.
He had long since judged him as someone who possessed nothing more.
*'Don't tell me he broke through the wall?'*
But the Cheon Wigang before him now was different.
He felt an iron-clad resolve, completely different from before.
It felt so unfamiliar, even to him who had watched for two decades.
“That child will soar beyond the skies of the Cheon Family.”
“...!”
“And embrace the world.”
Cheon Wigang gripped his sword tightly.
He had already decimated the surrounding area once, but he knew the traps were not finished.
The reason the impostor had blabbered on about his plan was likely an expression of confidence that he could kill him here.
“So, do not stand in that child's way.”
*Flinch!*
Until now, Cheon Wigang had sought to be acknowledged as the Family Head.
Because he had sought strength for that reason, he lacked certain virtues a true martial artist should possess.
*'W-what is that expression.'*
One of them was a fighting spirit, a killing intent.
Cheon Wigang's face, twisted like a malevolent god, looked as if he was about to rip out a heart and spray blood everywhere.
“If you truly intend to block that child's path.”
*Fwoosh!*
Cheon Wigang's sword fully blossomed.
“I will cut down anyone who stands in the way. That is...”
The sword of one who had surpassed his former wall.
A sword energy, resembling the azure of the sky, shone brightly.
“...my duty.”
*Wince!*
The false one, receiving the full force of that aura, trembled.
But he was still full of bravado.
Cheon Wigang's death was as inevitable as fate.
“Khuhuhuhu. You seem to have gotten stronger, but you didn't think this was all, did you?”
The traps laid here were not yet finished.
There were many hidden daggers meant to kill Cheon Wigang.
*Swish!*
He spread his right arm to the side.
“...”
Silence fell.
But it was brief.
From the darkness, shadows began to creep up.
Their ominous presence sought to defile Cheon Wigang's azure purity.
“Die.”
“Did you really think you could defile the skies of the Cheon Family with mere rabble like this?”
Cheon Wigang, on the contrary, grew angry.
They were no different from the ones he had already cut down.
This was almost an insult.
“Ah, of course not.”
But that wasn't all.
*Whoosh!*
From the edge of the shadows, a frigid blizzard raged.
The season, still lingering at the end of summer, seemed to have completely changed.
*Crack!*
*Crrrackle!*
The path froze over, turning white.
The grass beside it froze and then shattered in the whipping wind.
Cheon Wigang soon faced a woman.
Her hands shone clearly even in the darkness.
The woman with pure white hair stood there under the moonlight.
“...”
Her eyes were like cold pools, looking down upon the entire world.
They were eyes devoid of any emotion.
Yet, even that suited her frosty demeanor.
*Crrrack!*
The small twig in her hand was a sharp hidden weapon.
An ice dagger, capable of piercing flesh, rushed forward.
*Shiiik!*
The ice tore through the air.
The air in the twig's trajectory froze, forming frost.
*Clang!*
Cheon Wigang's sword blocked the icy twig.
He intended to cut it in a single strike.
“...!”
But Cheon Wigang's sword failed to cut through the ice completely.
An uncut shard of ice fell to the ground.
It was a moment that clearly showed a disparity in power.
“Khuhuhuhu. With Yama and Plain Water on the move, what can the Cheon Family possibly do?”
He laughed grotesquely.
Two of the Seven Great Demonic Lords had moved for the sake of the Cheon Family.
It was an overwhelming force.
He could revel in the fact that he could, for a moment, command those two great powers as he wished.
“Die. The Cheon Family will be mine.”
“...That will not happen until you've taken my head.”
His martial realm might be lower.
He might be lacking.
But what did that matter?
The world of martial arts was profound; the stronger one was not always the victor.
In other words, the weaker one was not always the loser.
The outcome would not be known until one of their lives was extinguished.
“Come, woman of the Demonic Cult.”
“...”
The woman called Plain Water moved.
The sky over this area, repeatedly freezing and thawing, had finally become winter.
But that winter was short-lived.
“Hm?”
He sensed something was wrong.
Not too far away, the sky of ice began to shatter.
At this, the foul beings surrounding Cheon Wigang scattered in all directions.
This marked the beginning of a pressure that closed in from all sides.
“What? What in the world!”
As he was panicking.
Before he could even grasp the situation, he could feel death itself dying.
*'It's being erased.'*
The demonic energy that had been surging in the area was being completely erased.
*'What in the...!'*
There was no sound.
But the situation had reversed.
From the besieger, he had become the besieged.
“Tsk. First Yama, now Plain Water. They really went all out, it seems.”
The Wandering King and Cheon Seonhak strolled in as if they were out for a walk.
No one could stop their advance.
“Wandering King...!”
“Why? Surprised to see me here?”
“Seonhak, you've come.”
“Yes. I'm glad I wasn't too late.”
“You were late.”
The two men faced each other.
They had always been each other's support.
And now, all three pillars that had supported the Cheon Family were gathered.
However, one rotten pillar had crumbled, and only two remained.
“Has Muryang not come?”
“He is already here.”
*Kra-kooom!*
A section of the frozen sky collapsed.
Through the sky that shattered like crystal fragments, Cheon Muryang could be seen walking calmly.
“Ah… he's here.”
Three pillars still supported the Cheon Family.
Behind the rotten pillar, a new one had risen.
“I am late, Family Head.”
“You came at the right time.”
*Flinch.*
Cheon Seonhak remembered Cheon Wigang telling him that he was late.
“Who dares to covet the skies of the Cheon Family?”
*Fwoom!*
Two men with the face of Cheon Wigang.
But Cheon Muryang could tell who the real Cheon Wigang was at a glance.
*Thrust!*
Thus, the Heavenly Light was aimed at the false one.
“So it was you?”
He was different from Cheon Wigang.
He had not reached the state of transcendence, so in a simple comparison, he was clearly weaker.
But, separate from that, something was different.
*Ziiiing!*
The space between his brows began to ache.
He felt a chill.
“You'd be wise not to let your guard down.”
*Slash!*
In that instant.
His cheek was cut.
Blood trickled down from the thin wound.
*'H-how...!'*
Seeing his flustered expression, Cheon Muryang smiled.
“Why? Is there a problem?”
“Y-you bastard...!”
“Truly foolish. To think the little insect was right under my nose.”
“What?”
“To only realize it now.”
Grand Elder Cheon Jungho.
When he was acting as him, there was an unknowable weight to his presence.
“The Grand Elder's name carried quite the weight.”
But, stripped of Cheon Jungho's name, the true nature of the being before him was pathetic.
“It managed to hide even your worthless stench completely.”
Cheon Muryang dared to declare.
“I will cut you down and set the Cheon Family right.”
“Khuhuhuhuhu.”
He laughed.
“It would have been better if you had lived and died as a scoundrel who knew nothing of the world.”
“...”
“What could you possibly change? I don't know how you escaped that trash Third Elder's trap, but nothing changes.”
Yama and Plain Water.
As long as the two Demonic Lords were here.
There should have been no variables.
“Ah, don't tell me you're counting on that Yama Demonic Lord fellow?”
“What?”
Cheon Muryang showed his scoundrel's smile.
“Sorry to disappoint you. He already admitted his failure.”
The half-collapsed frozen sky.
Plain Water still stood without moving.
*Fwoosh!*
But, in that moment.
The sky was dyed red.
It was the flame of the Yama Demonic Lord.
*Whip!*
Seeing this, Plain Water turned without hesitation and left.
“And there goes the last card you were counting on.”
“W-what! L-Lady Plain Water!”
“...”
She gave no reply.
The Heavenly Watch Corps, which had taken control of the area, did not block Plain Water's path either.
“Ah...!”
“Do you get it now? You're finished.”
Cheon Muryang, Cheon Seonhak, and Cheon Wigang.
The three pillars stood tall.
The false pillar had finally crumbled.