Chapter 53
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: Shocking News of Annihilation
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Jo Il-pyeong tilted his head.
“My ears must be playing tricks on me. Say that again. What did you just say?”
The subordinate standing before him, face flushed with excitement, spoke up.
“It’s hard for me to believe as well, but… the Sasa Heavenly Sect has fallen, Branch Leader.”
“……!”
“The sect’s key experts are all dead, and it’s been utterly crushed. The remnants have scattered, but there are fewer than a hundred survivors.”
Jo Il-pyeong’s voice rose involuntarily.
“One of the Eight Demonic Gates wiped out overnight? Does that even make sense?”
“It’s true. I confirmed it with my own eyes.”
“…….”
“Didn’t you sense something off and tell me to keep a close eye on the Sasa Heavenly Sect, Branch Leader?”
“Th-that’s……!”
He had provided Seol Hwa-un with information, but he didn’t know the specifics of the plan.
He’d simply passed along the intel he’d been asked for and assigned a subordinate to tail him, suspecting something was afoot.
‘Unbelievable.’
Even a fool could connect the dots and realize the Sasa Heavenly Sect’s destruction was linked to Seol Hwa-un.
“Was it the Hwangbo Family after all?”
“Yes. We’ve confirmed the North Sea Ice Palace group joined them as well.”
“What were the casualties for the Hwangbo Family and North Sea Ice Palace?”
“We’ll need more details, but… they don’t seem to have taken heavy losses. Human casualties are estimated at ten to at most twenty percent.”
“What? They toppled the Sasa Heavenly Sect with losses that light?”
He clicked his tongue, thinking of Seol Hwa-un.
‘What kind of sorcery did they pull off?’
Of course, he knew they’d struck while two of the Sasa Heavenly Sect’s five main martial brigades were away.
Even so, on paper, the Sasa Heavenly Sect still outmatched the Hwangbo Family’s forces.
‘Even adding the North Sea Ice Palace’s small numbers wouldn’t give them an overwhelming edge.’
What mattered most was the number of transcendent experts. Their presence could turn the tide of battle.
‘Was there someone we didn’t account for?’
Unlikely. There were only a handful of elites who could make a difference in a clash like that, and he had tabs on most of them.
“What about the Blood Yin Evil General?”
“Yes. We spotted Sasa Heavenly Sect disciples secretly retrieving his corpse.”
“What! Who the hell killed him?”
“We haven’t identified that yet.”
“Amazing. He might’ve been underrated, but he was still one of the Four Demonic Marshals!”
‘The Grand Elder Thunder Soul Sword and Heavenly King Brigade Leader teaming up? No, the Sasa Heavenly Sect has the Three Protectors. They wouldn’t let that happen right under their noses.’
The numbers just didn’t add up. A staggered fight might explain it, but that didn’t make sense either.
They’d raided the heart of the sect—top experts wouldn’t just sit idly by.
He had a solid grasp on the martial strength of both the Sasa Heavenly Sect and Hwangbo Family. The one blind spot was the North Sea Ice Palace.
Chief among them, the North Wind Brigade Leader, presumed to wield the Martial Soul Scripture. But even he didn’t seem capable of surpassing the Blood Yin Evil General.
‘The North Heavenly Dragon and his two young aides are at best late-stage talents. Slim chance they could touch the Blood Yin Evil General.’
After much deliberation, Jo Il-pyeong let out a sigh. Pondering it now wouldn’t yield answers.
“Whatever. Info from the survivors will trickle in soon enough.”
Then, a stray thought crossed his mind.
‘No way someone took down the Blood Yin Evil General solo.’
“Pfft, as if.”
He shook his head at the absurd notion and gave a wry smile.
“This’ll be a mountain of reports to send up the chain.”
“Ah…….”
His subordinate’s face fell. Overtime was confirmed.
* * *
Seven minor injuries.
Eight serious injuries.
Zero fatalities.
This was the North Wind Brigade’s status after clashing with the Sasa Heavenly Sect.
Despite the scrapes, not a single one had died in that brutal fight.
The brigade’s inherent strength and survivability played a role, but the biggest credit went to Dang Cheong, who’d relentlessly hurled hidden weapons at the enemy from the rear.
Thanks to that, their next destination was all but set: Sichuan.
Everyone except the injured had returned to the guest quarters, where Seol Hwa-un immediately asked the North Wind Brigade Leader to stand guard for him.
‘Good grief, how much stronger does he plan to get……?’
Seol Hwa-un entered his room, sat cross-legged, and swiftly entered a trance.
How much time passed?
A faint light emanated from his figure, then faded.
“Hoo.”
As Seol Hwa-un opened his eyes, a flash of divine light gleamed. A faint smile touched his lips.
‘I’m a step closer to the Profound Realm.’
The duel with the Blood Yin Evil General had been immensely helpful.
Repeatedly cycling yin chill qi and yang fierce qi with the Ice White Divine Art had contributed, but the turning point was the Nine Divisions of Heaven and Earth unleashed at the end.
Even then, the Nine Divisions of Heaven and Earth was incomplete.
In the fierce battle, as he focused on the Ice River Nine Splits Divine Fist, inspiration struck, and he instinctively executed it.
‘It flowed naturally, without conscious thought.’
Despite its unfinished state, he’d performed it flawlessly and felled the Blood Yin Evil General with it.
Having gained profound insight, he’d wanted to refine it right away, but the battlefield’s chaos left no opportunity.
Even after the Blood Yin Evil General fell, the Sasa Heavenly Sect fought to the bitter end.
But with morale sky-high after his defeat, they couldn’t withstand the Hwangbo Family and North Wind Brigade.
Only after mopping up the belatedly returning Blood Death Brigade and Evil Sound Brigade could Seol Hwa-un finally retreat and polish the Nine Divisions of Heaven and Earth.
‘It’s still a bit rough, but I’ll perfect it soon.’
Impressive enough to slay the Blood Yin Evil General, yet Seol Hwa-un wasn’t satisfied.
‘A little more refinement, and it’ll be flawless.’
The thought of showing the completed move to the Ice Family Head back at the North Sea Ice Palace filled him with quiet pride.
As Seol Hwa-un emerged, the North Wind Brigade Leader sensed the change in his aura and smiled.
“Congratulations on your breakthrough, Young Palace Lord.”
“Thank you.”
“I should’ve taken on the Blood Yin Evil General myself if I’d known.”
“I’ll yield to you next time.”
The North Wind Brigade Leader shook his head firmly.
“No. There shouldn’t be a next time.”
“Hahaha.”
Seol Hwa-un glanced around.
“Where are Mu-hwi and Dong-won……?”
For some reason, Eom Mu-hwi and Dong Ho-won were nowhere in sight.
“They didn’t match your level, Young Palace Lord, but they seem to have gained insights from the battle too. They’ve all holed up in their rooms.”
Seol Hwa-un’s eyes widened slightly.
“Is that so? That’s great news.”
“They’ve worked tirelessly to keep up. They deserve some results.”
Seol Hwa-un nodded.
‘Those two, the future of the Ice Palace, growing from this—the battle was worth it.’
In a way, the Sasa Heavenly Sect clash was their first true trial by fire. The Green Forest skirmish hadn’t been much of a threat.
But this was different. Lives hung in the balance, and the foes were formidable.
Without the constant one-on-one spars with Seol Hwa-un, they might’ve even lost.
The North Wind Brigade Leader’s expression turned worried.
“I fretted over beating the Sasa Heavenly Sect, but now a new worry crops up.”
“You mean the Demonic Alliance?”
“We wiped out one of the Eight Demonic Gates, their flagship. Think they’ll let that slide?”
“Officially, it looks like the Hwangbo Family led the charge, with our palace assisting. They come first.”
“True.”
“But the Hwangbo Family is a pillar of the Righteous Heavenly Alliance. And they have ample justification. They won’t strike so easily after toppling the Sasa Heavenly Sect.”
“Hmm.”
“The Sasa Heavenly Sect targeted the Hwangbo Family and got burned instead. No cause, no gain—they’re unlikely to move against them.”
The North Wind Brigade Leader admired Seol Hwa-un once more.
‘As expected of the Young Palace Lord. Keen insight into the big picture.’
Even as he said it, Seol Hwa-un harbored private concerns.
‘Still…… that might make our smaller group the easier target instead.’
He kept that thought to himself.
Just then, Hwangbo Un-gyeong and Hwangbo Tae-seong visited the guest quarters.
“Young Palace Lord.”
“You’re still recovering. What brings you here?”
Hwangbo Un-gyeong’s face was pale, his internal injuries not fully healed. Yet his expression brimmed with brightness.
“Heh heh, age slows recovery these days. I’ll take it slow.”
“…….”
After that, Hwangbo Un-gyeong and Hwangbo Tae-seong exchanged glances. Then, almost in unison, they clasped hands toward Seol Hwa-un and bowed.
“Our family owes you a great debt, Young Palace Lord.”
“I represent our family in thanking you. Truly grateful.”
Seol Hwa-un looked awkward.
“You’ve thanked me plenty. It was our palace’s business too.”
The North Wind Brigade Leader and his men watched from behind with warm smiles.
‘A fine sight. All that effort paid off.’
‘Our palace’s standing in the Central Plains will soar after this.’
Hwangbo Un-gyeong presented Seol Hwa-un with a large wooden box.
“The Five Elements Pills from before. Use them to treat your injured from the North Sea Ice Palace.”
“Such valuables…… Your own people must’ve taken heavy hits.”
“We’ve distributed ours; this is the surplus. It’s fine.”
The box held a full five pills.
The Hwangbo Family had burned through nearly all their stock in the Sasa Heavenly Sect battle.
What remained could be counted on one hand, yet they offered them freely to the North Sea Ice Palace.
“Understood. I won’t stand on ceremony then.”
Shared among the seriously wounded, they’d heal without lingering effects.
“And…….”
Hwangbo Un-gyeong now drew a small bronze plaque from his bosom. It bore the family’s emblem and the engraved words “Hwangbo Family.”
“This is our family’s Gratitude Token.”
A special token given to those who’d bestowed great favors on the Hwangbo Family—only three existed in the world.
“Our influence stretches across the Central Plains. If you ever need aid, show this at one of our branch families or the Imperial Cloud Escort Bureau. They’ll help to the best of their ability.”
The Imperial Cloud Escort Bureau was the Hwangbo Family’s flagship enterprise, one of the Central Plains’ top agencies, with branches everywhere.
Seol Hwa-un grasped its value instantly.
“You’d give this to an outsider like me?”
“What’s that supposed to mean? Thanks to you and the North Sea Ice Palace, we overcame a crisis and gained massively instead. This is the least we can do.”
They’d crushed the Sasa Heavenly Sect at minimal cost. Their strongest rival in Hunan Province was gone.
The biggest obstacle to expanding their influence had vanished—they’d only rise from here.
Seol Hwa-un nodded and accepted the token.
“Understood, Grand Elder. I’ll put it to good use.”
“Heh heh heh.”
Hwangbo Un-gyeong, heart lightened, bowed and departed. But Hwangbo Tae-seong, who should’ve left with him, stayed behind.
“Heavenly King Brigade Leader, more business?”
At Seol Hwa-un’s question, Hwangbo Tae-seong gave a peculiar smile.
“Indeed. Young Palace Lord, could we speak privately for a moment?”