Chapter 69: The Fist King Reunites With the Ones He Must Kill
The Fist King Reunites With the Ones He Must Kill
Chapter 69: The Fist King Reunites With the Ones He Must Kill
The Heavenly Demon pricked his ears at the clashing of weapons.
He assumed it was Sword King Neung Cheon-ak clashing with the Sword Demon's subordinates. The head of the Moo Yong Family, Moo Yong-chu, had already unleashed all his martial arts before being slain by the Sword Demon.
The Heavenly Demon turned to the Sword Demon.
"Why haven't you killed the Sword King yet?"
The Sword Demon replied,
"He's a man worth learning from."
"Kill him by tonight."
"Why?"
"There's no reason to spare a king. And I'm still uneasy about letting the Sword Emperor slip away."
The Sword Demon nodded.
"I'll kill him by evening."
"I'll head to the Namgung Family first. Meet me later at Cloudscorch Tower."
"Try drinking less for once."
The Sword Demon silently watched the Heavenly Demon's retreating figure.
The two had grown up together in Ten Thousand Demon Palace.
Even as children, the Heavenly Demon had always been the one to yield food to him. This man, who had spent his entire life yielding everything to him, was starting to feel like a growing discomfort lately.
Was it because of the Demonic Path?
Because his friend was the direct descendant of the Heavenly Demon who had died in the Five Peaks War?
Because his father had been a once-in-a-generation prodigy who single-handedly faced the Three Deities of the White Path?
Or perhaps it was the thought that no true friendship could exist within the Demonic Path.
The Sword Demon gazed up at the sky and thought:
'I just need to grow stronger. If I become strong enough, all these distractions will vanish.'
The Heavenly Demon's grand scheme—the Demon God's Plan—revolved around him anyway. As his friend said, he could make his decision after achieving everything.
The Sword Demon grinned eerily before turning his gaze toward the prison where the Sword King was held.
Perhaps it was right to kill the Sword King tonight, just as his friend had suggested.
As the Sword Demon headed toward the prison, he suddenly froze, eyes widening.
'What the—?'
A white-haired swordsman was walking alone toward the prison when their eyes met. For a moment, the Sword Demon was speechless.
This was not a man who should be here.
"Alliance Leader," the Sword Demon said, his tone laced with disbelief. "What brings you here? You've got some nerve."
The white-haired swordsman was none other than Yoo Jung-hong, leader of the Murim Alliance.
Yoo Jung-hong drew his sword and spoke to someone else.
"Be careful. He's a monster."
His words weren't directed at the Sword Demon.
Murim warriors erupted from the rooftops, leaping off the walls before charging at the Sword Demon with sword energy erupting from their blades.
CLANG! CLANG! CRAAASH!
The Sword Demon drew a pitch-black sword from his waist and instantly dispersed the incoming sword energy from all directions.
Yoo Jung-hong, who had heard Neung Cheon-ak's furious roar earlier, furrowed his brow before smashing through the iron prison gate with a single strike and charging in, unleashing sword energy indiscriminately.
The Murim Alliance's intelligence network was unparalleled in the martial world.
But uncovering the Sword Demon's hideout should have been impossible.
Even when an anonymous tip came in, Yoo Jung-hong had been skeptical.
Yet the informant had included a detailed map in the letter, leaving him no choice but to mobilize his forces and come personally.
The informant?
The young leader of Ten Thousand Demon Palace.
The fool who had declared he would become a demon had, through sheer absurdity, pitted the Murim Alliance against the Heavenly Sword Alliance.
Sword King Neung Cheon-ak had cuts on his arms and thighs, but his exhaustion came less from the wounds and more from dueling twelve opponents in succession.
This wasn't a contest of swordsmanship—it was a battle of attrition against men who refused to bleed. Even in one-on-one duels, his internal energy had been drained severely.
If these twelve attacked simultaneously, who could possibly withstand them?
KABOOOM!
When the iron gate shattered and Yoo Jung-hong suddenly appeared, Neung Cheon-ak wondered if he was dreaming.
"Alliance Leader!"
Without hesitation, Yoo Jung-hong lunged at the Sword Demon's Twelve Demon Blades. With each swing of his sword, two or three of them were sent flying, crashing into the walls.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Yoo Jung-hong leaped into the air before landing in front of Neung Cheon-ak.
"Glad to see you alive."
Neung Cheon-ak warned him urgently.
"Alliance Leader, all of them have Blade Immunity."
Yoo Jung-hong turned.
The men who should have had their limbs shattered from crashing into the walls were rising like soulless ghosts.
Just as the Twelve Demon Blades positioned themselves for a joint attack—
Yoo Jung-hong calmly raised his sword.
"Come."
At that moment, the Sword Demon's voice, infused with internal energy, echoed from outside.
"Scatter, all of you...."
It wasn't an order to the Heavenly Sword Alliance forces—it was directed at the Twelve Demon Blades he had raised.
The Sword Demon had judged that losing them, his prized weapons, was unacceptable.
The moment the command was given, Yoo Jung-hong unleashed a wave of sword energy toward the twelve black-clad swordsmen.
CRAAASH!
All twelve raised their swords in unison to block.
KABOOOOOM!
They were blasted backward, smashing through the prison walls and tumbling outside. Three or four coughed up blood from the impact, but their grotesque bodies remained intact.
Following the Sword Demon's order, they began dispersing in all directions, using their Lightfoot Technique to evade Yoo Jung-hong.
Yoo Jung-hong muttered in astonishment.
"This is...."
Even a seasoned veteran like him was stunned.
He considered pursuit but first checked on the Sword King.
"Cheon-ak, are you alright?"
Neung Cheon-ak replied,
"Yes, Elder."
"Let's go. Stick with me."
Though he had come based on the tip, something still felt off.
No matter how he looked at it, the informant couldn't have been from their side or the White Path.
At least they had rescued the Sword King—this hadn't been a wasted trip.
As Yoo Jung-hong surveyed the Murim forces clashing with the Heavenly Sword Alliance, he muttered,
"Seems the informant wanted both sides weakened...."
Uneasy, he decided to withdraw his forces for now.
The Sword Emperor, who had appeared alongside Yoo Jung-hong, flickered like a mirage before reappearing behind the fleeing enemies.
With a single slash, he bisected three or four torsos mid-stride.
Known more as the Iron Blood Sword Emperor than by his title, he was a peerless swordsman in his prime.
Despite Yoo Jung-hong's retreat order, he acted alone, thinning the Heavenly Sword Alliance's numbers.
As he cut down fleeing enemies, he kicked a black-clad figure to the ground—none other than The Youngest, who had dueled the Sword King.
The Sword Emperor smirked.
"Nice to see you again."
He remembered this face—one of those who had launched joint attacks against him.
The Sword Emperor kicked away the obsidian longsword in The Youngest's grip before thrusting his own blade at his throat.
THUNK!
The Youngest let out a choked gasp before gripping the blade with both hands.
It felt like an immense boulder pressing down.
The Sword Emperor poured internal energy into his sword and asked,
"Why won't you people just die?"
His blade turned crimson in an instant. A sizzling sound emanated from his grip.
"GAAAH—!"
The Sword Emperor locked eyes with The Youngest.
"I'll kill you soon."
He planned to melt through the Blade Immunity with sheer sword force.
If he were to face the Sword Demon in the future, he needed a way to pierce this defense.
Suddenly, the Sword Emperor's head snapped toward the wall.
He yanked his sword free and slashed through the air.
KABOOOM!
Gripping his horizontally leveled blade, he staggered back before steadying himself.
On the wall stood a man in violet robes, staring intently at him.
The Heavenly Demon.
The Heavenly Demon asked,
"Sword Emperor, the retreat order's been given. What are you still doing here?"
The Youngest scrambled to his feet and sprinted desperately toward the Heavenly Demon.
The Sword Emperor said,
"So it was you. Let's have a proper one-on-one rematch. Last time was too underhanded."
The Heavenly Demon grinned.
"I've got business today. Next time."
"Who the hell are you?"
The Heavenly Demon glared.
This was the man who had escaped even after facing him and the Sword Demon together.
He had no intention of dueling him now.
"Just another orphan left behind by the Murim Alliance. See you around."
Grabbing The Youngest by the scruff, the Heavenly Demon vanished from the wall.
The Heavenly Demon carried The Youngest away from the Heavenly Sword Alliance.
"You alright, The Youngest?"
"Yes, you can let go now. I can run on my own."
"Someone's tailing us. Let's lose them first. No wonder I've had this nagging feeling...."
"Understood."
With each leap, the Heavenly Demon accelerated.
His expression darkened.
"For the Alliance Leader to come here personally... What the hell is going on? Is there a traitor in the Heavenly Sword Alliance?"
"I don't know. Probably not."
After running for a while, The Youngest, still gripped by the Heavenly Demon, spoke with a shadowed expression.
"Thank you for saving me."
The Heavenly Demon's grip remained firm.
"It's nothing."
The Youngest glanced at the Heavenly Demon's arm before replying cautiously.
"We're far enough now. I'll regroup with the League Leader."
The Heavenly Demon's tone turned stern.
"Not directly. There might be pursuers. Disperse first, then regroup. The money and effort I've poured into you all isn't insignificant."
"Yes."
When they reached a secluded spot, the Heavenly Demon finally released him.
The Youngest bowed stiffly.
"Thank you."
In that instant—
The Heavenly Demon seized The Youngest's collar with an invisible force before driving two fingers into his eyes.
SQUELCH!
"GAAAH—!"
His fingers, now stained violet, plunged deeper.
With his left hand, the Heavenly Demon gripped The Youngest's throat and whispered,
"Shhh...."
Placing his right palm on The Youngest's crown, he began absorbing his life force.
Blade Immunity meant nothing.
This was a demonic art that drained all vitality.
The Youngest's face and body crumpled inward as if carved with vertical lines.
The Heavenly Demon gazed at him and said,
"Go in peace, The Youngest."
By the time he released his grip, the corpse had contorted beyond human recognition before collapsing into a grotesque heap.
The Heavenly Demon infused his foot with internal energy, stomping a crater into the ground.
He kicked the remains into the pit before burying them with practiced efficiency.
Scratching his head, he scanned the surroundings.
If there were witnesses, he'd kill them too.
The day after the clash between the Murim Alliance and the Heavenly Sword Alliance...
The Heavenly Sword Alliance forces and the Twelve Demon Blades had scattered in all directions.
The Demon God's Plan wasn't about all-out war—it was preparation for one.
There was no reason to engage in mutual slaughter with the Murim Alliance now.
They avoided regions with major sects entirely.
Some fled to the mountains, some boarded ships, and others melted into bustling cities.
A few of the Twelve Demon Blades reveled in their newfound freedom.
Even with Blade Immunity, living as the Sword Demon's slaves wasn't easy.
Was it coincidence?
Or sheer misfortune?
The tenth-ranked member of the Twelve Demon Blades, Tenth Sword, wandered into a lively district after avoiding sects.
He eyed the crowds before naturally gravitating toward a brothel.
With no superiors around, he planned to enjoy himself before rejoining the others if trouble arose.
This seemed like a good place.
The commercial district was thriving, yet martial artists were scarce.
As Tenth Sword stepped toward the brothel, he patted his pockets—empty.
With a wry smile, he turned away.
He'd rob a few wealthy-looking homes after dark and return.
Then he locked eyes with a man staring at him intently.
The man looked utterly stunned—as if he'd seen a ghost.
It was Dan Woo-sung, who had just escorted Baek Yak back to her lodgings before returning to the Silver River Merchant Group.
Tenth Sword approached him.
"Hey, why the staring? Cat got your tongue?"
Suppressing his killing intent, Tenth Sword turned to leave.
After a few steps, he paused and glanced back.
The man was still glaring.
Tenth Sword pointed at him.
"Count yourself lucky."
Dan Woo-sung watched him before scanning the area.
No matter how he looked at it, this was one of those joint attackers—so why was he alone?
His attire was different, but the obsidian longsword at his waist was identical.
This couldn't be a trap.
Those who had attacked the merchant group wouldn't recognize its young master.
Dan Woo-sung followed.
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