Chapter 142: Fathers-in-Law (1)
Chapter 142: Fathers-in-Law (1)
Murong Jeon lowered his blade and let out a ragged breath.
In his long life, he had never experienced a bloodbath as intense as today’s.
Before his eyes, the Ghost Gate Meridian Lord lay collapsed, his dantian destroyed. His eyes were hollow, and he was barely clinging to life.
"Two more seats among the Fifteen Lords of the Central Plains have become vacant."
"Well, it’s not like that number was ever set in stone."
Seong Ryang-ha spoke as he slumped onto the ground.
With trembling hands, he tucked his daggers back into his robes and surveyed the burning ruins of Pahyeon.
"In the history of the martial world, has there ever been a time when exactly fifteen people were counted? Since someone has fallen, someone else will surely rise. The Ten Thousand Ghosts Alliance is finished... so perhaps someone from the July Society will ascend."
"Are there really that many in the Harmony Realm within the July Society?"
"Are you trying to peek over someone else's wall without paying a single cent?"
Seong Ryang-ha chuckled, and a faint smile touched Murong Jeon’s lips.
Sitting beside him, Murong Jeon let out a choked sound.
"Great Hero Hwang is..."
"He went out magnificently, so he will surely go to a magnificent place."
The body of Danseongbu Hwang Jung-man lay not far away. It was a mercy that his remains were at least in a state where they could be recovered. There were countless others scattered throughout this city who didn't even have that luxury.
"I could use a drink."
"Truly."
The two men muttered bitterly and turned their gazes away.
The situation wasn't entirely over.
The Chongqing branch of the Ten Thousand Ghosts Alliance had been crushed beyond recovery, but they were not the ones who could bring this incident to a final close.
An absolute being stood in the night sky with his hands behind his back. Even from that distance, he exuded an aura that made one's skin crawl.
"To think the current Heavenly Demon’s martial prowess was at that level. He is easily a match for the Three Venerables of the World."
"The only one of the Three Venerables I’ve met personally is the Blade Emperor, so I can say this with certainty."
Seong Ryang-ha looked up at the Heavenly Demon. He felt distant—physically, emotionally, and in terms of martial attainment.
Generally, witnessing a struggle between masters of the Harmony Realm is an immense asset in itself.
The martial arts displayed by those at that level are such that even the most trivial-looking move contains ultimate techniques and secret transmissions.
However, the Heavenly Demon’s martial arts were different. He was the embodiment of the incomprehensible.
One couldn't even begin to fathom how he acted to produce such results.
It was a level of power that brought about results without apparent cause.
And Seong Ryang-ha knew exactly one other person like that.
"I am certain he could stand as an equal to the current Blade Emperor."
Among the Three Venerables, the Blade Emperor’s prowess was generally rated slightly lower than the others.
While it was impossible to evaluate their power individually, at the very least, the Divine Monk and the Sword Immortal were a generation ahead of him.
The Divine Monk and the Sword Immortal had made their names during the previous Righteous-Demonic War. At that time, the Blade Emperor was merely a young boy who had just become the Young Family Head, still perfecting his martial arts. Given the difference in years of cultivation, few people ranked the Blade Emperor as the highest among the Three Venerables.
However, as the Lord of the Assassination Pavilion, Seong Ryang-ha was certain of one thing.
If one limited the classification of martial arts strictly to combat, there could be no martial artist in the world superior to the current Blade Emperor.
Anyone who knew of the 'Bloodhound Asura' from the Pacification of Hebei would agree.
Therefore...
To look at the Heavenly Demon’s prowess now and say he was on the same level as Blade Emperor Peng Ik-jin was, in itself, the highest praise Seong Ryang-ha could offer.
*
45. Fathers-in-Law.
As I lay gasping for air in a pool of blood, Hwa-yeong came rushing toward me from the distance.
She looked perfectly clean, without a single speck of soot on her, as she trotted over and suddenly collapsed beside me.
"What the—"
"Ah... I have... no strength... My Lord."
She spoke in a voice brimming with energy while slowly leaning against me. A chill ran down my spine. It was even scarier because my middle dantian was currently on strike.
With my Protection Aura turned off, the world felt cold and terrifying. Hwa-yeong’s white fingers, resting on my chest, gave my skin a firm poke.
"Why... why are you poking me with a sword-finger gesture...?"
"Heavenly Mountain."
"Pardon...?"
"I find myself missing the Heavenly Mountain. The days are sunny, the flowers are in full bloom, and everyone is so kind. Ah... yes. It is a paradise on earth, far removed from the harsh red dust of the secular world."
I’d thought this for a long time, but women in the martial world really do smell nice.
Technically, they’re elite athletes undergoing intense daily training. How on earth do they smell like this in medieval China, where plumbing is practically non-existent?
Is it an internal energy cultivation method? Is there something that blows away the smell of sweat? I’ve never felt anything like that in the Peng Family.
The moment you step into the Peng Family’s inner hall, it smells like animal musk.
It’s like the sweat of gym rats who’ve overdosed on testosterone and steroids. This even applies to the daughters of the Peng clan.
Let’s not mention what they usually look like. Everyone deserves their privacy.
"My Lord?"
"Ah, uh. Sorry. I’m just a bit exhausted."
I snapped out of it because Hwa-yeong’s finger was digging into the spot right above my middle dantian. I must have been escaping reality because I was so scared.
"You!! Shameless!! Han!!"
With a scream, someone dropped from the sky. It was a smooth landing, like a falling leaf. Seeing that she also looked perfectly fine made me a little angry.
Seriously, was I the only one who went through hell?
Why are they all so pristine?
"Little Arhat... I miss you..."
You’re probably hurt and messy too, right? You have to be.
I don't want to see a world where I'm the only one who didn't get to take it easy...
"Get away! Right now! Do you have no shame? You Hans... a people without constancy, without loyalty, without integrity... devious, insidious, lewd..."
Murong Cheong just started rattling off every negative word she knew.
Despite her words, she couldn't bring herself to actually do anything to me.
It seemed even she could tell that I wasn't in the best shape.
"Hwi! You, too—say something! Don't just sit there like an idiot!"
"Trouble. This body... patient."
"Eek!"
Murong Cheong beat her chest and let out a bizarre groan. Watching her, Hwa-yeong giggled.
"Since Father has arrived, everything will finally be set right."
"...What?"
"Though the Heavenly Mountain is by no means close to this land, the journey back will be incomparably smooth. There is no way Father would have traveled abroad without an escort. It will be a homecoming befitting a king."
"Is that so...?"
But what does that have to do with me?
I’m scared.
I have to go back to Hebei. I haven't even finished learning the Soul-Stealing Blade.
Ah, wait. The Soul-Stealing Blade?
"Grandfather!!"
I had momentarily forgotten because I was so drained. As I bolted upright, Hwa-yeong jumped in surprise and stood up as well.
For now, I grabbed the head of the Blood Cult Elder and ran.
"I won't die from something like this, you brat."
"Didn't Do-cheon greet you from across the river? It looked like you were going to cross the Sanzu River together."
That was my killer joke about Peng Ik-cheon and Eon Do-cheon crossing the river of the dead.
Grandfather Peng Ik-cheon didn't even offer a hollow laugh; he just looked at me with an incredibly pathetic gaze.
"I'll be fine after a few days of rest. I'm not such a fossil that I need a brat like you worrying about me."
"Hey, if your grandson hadn't cut down that Blood Cult lackey in one stroke, you might have been sharing a drink with three generations of the Eon family today."
"You really have a way with words, you little shit."
The old man, Peng Ik-cheon, boisterously tapped my head with his scabbard.
As I chuckled and sat down beside him, the old man grumbled.
"Did you see the Sword Demon getting thrashed until he couldn't even breathe? This is the martial arts of the Peng Family."
"It seems you've got a hole in your stomach leaking nonsense. From what I saw, you were falling while screaming like Guan Yu."
"Why on earth would Guan Yu be screaming...?"
We sat there, casually exchanging banter, and looked toward the giants beyond the outer wall.
The Heavenly Demon and the Martial Alliance Leader were staring each other down.
I was worried about how the Alliance Leader would react. I’d heard that, generally, using an Intent Domain once a day is enough to leave a master exhausted. Didn't the Heavenly Demon burn through a lot of his intent when he roasted the Sword Demon to a well-done crisp?
In other words, this might be the Heavenly Demon’s weakest moment.
According to what the Hao Clan Leader told me, at the Harmony Realm level, martial artists have a nasty habit of lunging the moment they spot a weakness in someone of the same rank.
Lest we forget, the martial world is a Cold War scenario where walking mass-destruction weapons roam free. If you can force a 'Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty' on an opposing sect, there's no reason to hold back.
"How do you think it'll go?"
"Who knows."
It would be a disaster if those two fought here. We needed to get the healthy youths of the Dragon Slaying Alliance out safely. If the Alliance Leader’s personal guard and the Heavenly Demon’s personal guard suddenly started an all-out war in Pahyeon’s front yard, our chances of making it back alive were slim.
With bated breath and feeling a bit lightheaded from low blood sugar, we watched the outer wall of Pahyeon.
"Limitless Divine Demon. It has been a long time."
"Indeed, Sword Lord. It has been many years."
The two old men looked at each other. They stood far enough apart that their voices shouldn't have reached, yet they maintained a distance where they could respond to an attack at any moment.
For martial artists of their caliber, this distance was no hindrance to conversation.
"I did not expect to meet you in such a place, so my welcome for a guest is lacking. Please forgive my rudeness."
"A guest, you say. You speak as if Chongqing is the territory of your Alliance."
"And why wouldn't it be? Whether looking at its location between Sichuan and Wuchang, or the fact that we must cooperate with the government regarding the bloodbath in Chongqing... do you believe anyone other than the Alliance can clean up this chaos?"
It was a natural conclusion. The Provincial Administration Commissioner of Chongqing would surely make this a major issue.
To avoid the Imperial Army marching in later, it was better for the Martial Alliance to take jurisdiction.
The Sima Alliance could no longer exert influence here, and they certainly couldn't hand Chongqing back to the remaining martial artists of the Ten Thousand Ghosts Alliance.
Naturally, the vacuum left in Chongqing would fall under the Martial Alliance's sphere of influence.
Though the population had plummeted for now, once order was restored under the Alliance's laws, the land would surely recover its massive population.
Chongqing’s location was that important. It was something the Martial Alliance could never give up.
As the Alliance Leader looked on with that intent, the corners of the Heavenly Demon’s mouth curled up.
"The world within the four seas has no walls."
"Do not provoke me needlessly. You surely have no strength left."
"Does it look that way to you?"
"..."
The Alliance Leader’s mind cooled. Even as he had charged here after the Jongri Family withdrew, there hadn't been any significant struggle.
On the other hand, even from a distance, it was clear the Heavenly Demon had expended a great deal of power. Right now, the Heavenly Demon should be at his weakest in history.
So, if he could take the Heavenly Demon down now...
Though he was rumored to be the most gentle among the Three Evils Beyond the Great Wall, he was still one of the Three Evils.
If he could take the head of someone like the Heavenly Demon, the Imperial Court would surely have to grant the Alliance many concessions.
Furthermore, even putting aside practical reasons, there was the fame of slaying the Supreme Master of the Western Regions and the honor it would bring the Alliance.
It was tempting. To deny it would be a lie. As a martial artist, the achievement of defeating such a powerful foe was an irresistible temptation in itself.
The Heavenly Demon’s eyes crinkled softly as he watched him.
'Heavenly Son Demon Papiyas... Indeed.'
The Heavenly Demon’s title originated from the demon who tempted Sakyamuni in Buddhist legends.
The Heavenly Son Demon. The King of all demons. The incarnation of the worldly passions of the Desire Realm.
One had to wonder if he was born with the name of such a being.
The Alliance Leader swallowed hard and shook his head.
He couldn't see a path to victory. He couldn't rule out the possibility that even this temptation was a trap. If he died, the Alliance martial artists he brought with him would be slaughtered.
"I shall withdraw."
"That is no way to treat a guest. Come in. I have delicacies enough to welcome all of you."
"...I shall accept your hospitality another time."
The Alliance Leader stared at the Heavenly Demon with burning eyes before turning and leaving.
Watching his retreating back, the Heavenly Demon laughed merrily.
"His patience is deep."
"Shall we pursue?"
"Leave it. At the very least, it would be good not to see any more misfortune today."
Enough blood had already been spilled on this land.
Turmoil in the Central Plains always benefited the Sixth Heaven Esoteric Buddhism.
From that perspective, slaying the Alliance Leader here would certainly be a great help to the Heavenly Mountain, but...
"Call for Grand Preceptor Seo."
There was no reason to spoil the joy of welcoming his daughter, who had been away for so long, with a pointless bloodbath.