Chapter 216
Chapter 216
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 216
Chapter Title: You Crossed the Line
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“D-Dam Un-cheon…”
Even though he had secluded himself within the Demonic Cult for years, showing himself to none, how could anyone fail to recognize him?
Dam Un-cheon approached with slow, deliberate steps. He was still too far for his features to be clear, yet in Hwangbo Mun-cheon's eyes, his face was already perfectly distinct.
His hair was neatly tied up, secured by a topknot crown engraved with the Sun and Moon Crest.
Beneath it, sharp, sword-like eyebrows arched upward, and arrogant eyes looked down as if the entire world lay at his feet.
And his lips, pressed into a firm, straight line, bespoke a stubborn will.
The Heavenly Demon Emperor, Dam Un-cheon. It was him.
Despite the distance, despite the fact that Dam Un-cheon wasn't even projecting his aura, tension clouded Hwangbo Mun-cheon's face.
“Kugh.”
For some reason, the right arm that Dam Un-cheon had once broken began to ache.
“Dam Un-cheon…”
Hwangbo Mun-cheon was not the only one who was tense. The Blade Sovereign, Paeng Wi-cheon, and the Spear Sovereign, Seomun U-ryang, also swallowed hard and muttered his name. A murmur rippled through the long lines of the Orthodox Faction’s warriors, refusing to die down.
The one who could make the world tense with his presence alone.
He was Dam Un-cheon, the man who had shattered all the skies of the Central Plains and reigned supreme above them.
*Shhh.*
The sound of his cloak dragging across the ground mingled with the soft crunch of his footsteps, heightening the tension in the air.
“Cult Leader…”
Supported by Hyang-i, Neung Un-bi stood and watched as Dam Un-cheon walked past him.
But he did not spare his disciple a single glance. He said nothing.
He passed by as if he hadn't seen him, addressing not Neung Un-bi, but Hyang-i.
“Thank you for protecting him.”
After that one whispered phrase, Dam Un-cheon continued walking. Behind him, Hyang-i bowed her head respectfully.
Neung Un-bi, unable to bring himself to speak, simply watched his master’s retreating back, his brow furrowing unconsciously.
*Why…?*
Il-ho had clearly said he wouldn't help me, so why has he appeared now?
The justification for this conflict was on the side of the Orthodox Faction.
This move could become a great flaw in his reign, and it might give the opposition, who had been covetously eyeing his throne, the pretext they needed…
“Hyang-i.”
“…?”
“Just a moment. Let’s wait just a moment.”
Stopping Hyang-i, who was about to help him move toward the Demonic Cult’s camp, Neung Un-bi stared at Dam Un-cheon’s receding figure.
Hyang-i watched Neung Un-bi for a moment, then motioned for the warriors of the Heavenly Demon Spirit Brigade, who were approaching them, to halt.
Through this scene where everyone had frozen, Dam Un-cheon walked slowly.
Everyone he passed bowed their heads deeply in respect.
“Wang Cheon, Guard Captain of the Crescent Moon Pavilion, greets the Cult Leader.”
Wang Cheon was the first to kneel. The warriors of the Crescent Moon Brigade, who were being helped to their feet by the Heavenly Demon Spirit Brigade, quickly followed suit, kneeling and bowing.
But Dam Un-cheon still said nothing. He simply kept walking, passing the Great Protector Yang Seon, and only stopped when he was right in front of Hwangbo Mun-cheon.
“Dam Un-cheon…”
“Hwangbo Mun-cheon.”
“…”
“What brings you all the way here? Your knees must be getting old by now, no?”
Hwangbo Mun-cheon gritted his teeth and scowled at the calm question.
Even though he was much older, Dam Un-cheon had always spoken down to him.
It had been the same when he first came to challenge him to a duel, and it was the same now…
But he couldn't bring himself to shout back. For some reason, standing before him made him feel small.
“I asked you a question. What brings you, Hwangbo Mun-cheon, to my distant lands?”
At the low question, Hwangbo Mun-cheon swallowed the saliva that had pooled in his mouth and proudly squared his shoulders.
Though no one had officially appointed him, he was now the representative of the Orthodox Faction.
He had to shake off his timidity and act as its leader.
“It has been a while, Cult Leader.”
“Indeed it has.”
“But what brings you here?”
“Hah, you rascal. I asked you first, and you answer with a question?”
“You already know why I’m here, don’t you?”
“Hmm… that boy, you mean?”
Dam Un-cheon glanced at Neung Un-bi, who had yet to leave.
“That’s right. He has committed a great crime against the Orthodox Faction.”
“I heard. They say he helped an individual who was causing you trouble to escape?”
“Many lost their lives at his hands. And because of him, the entire Orthodox Faction was thrown into great chaos.”
“And?”
“Hand him over.”
“Hmm… I suppose I should.”
Dam Un-cheon nodded his head as if in understanding.
“Tsk, tsk. What was that fool thinking, committing such an act? I completely understand how you feel.”
“…”
“I can’t start a war with the Orthodox Faction just to protect a troublemaker.”
Hwangbo Mun-cheon felt a little relieved at Dam Un-cheon’s words.
*That’s right, war is no simple matter.*
If the Demonic Cult and the Orthodox Faction fought, there would be an immense number of casualties. The damage would be catastrophic.
And would the Orthodox Faction be their only enemy?
If they invaded the Central Plains, the Unorthodox Faction would not stand idly by. They wouldn't want to lose their lands to the Demonic Cult, no matter what.
Then, as a matter of course, the government would intervene. Although they had maintained a policy of non-interference with the martial world, they wouldn't just watch as the Demonic Cult drenched the lands in blood.
Moreover, weren't there plenty of people within the Demonic Cult who had been secretly communicating with them?
As his thoughts reached that point, Hwangbo Mun-cheon helped the deliberating Dam Un-cheon make his decision.
“Cult Leader, make a wise choice. I hear he is a favored disciple, but his crime is not a small one. The only way to resolve this situation is to hand him over to the Orthodox Faction.”
“Hmm…”
“The Demonic Cult has also suffered greatly from this incident, has it not?”
“…”
“The losses from withdrawing your branches in the Central Plains must be substantial. If you just hand over Neung Un-bi… I will make you a promise. I will do my best to help the Demonic Cult’s branches re-establish themselves in the Central Plains.”
“Hmm… you’re right. What you say is correct.”
As Dam Un-cheon readily nodded, Hwangbo Mun-cheon’s face brightened.
“You’re right, but… that’s the problem.”
“What do you mean?”
“Didn’t you just say it yourself?”
“…?”
“You said that Un-bi has committed a great crime not only against the Orthodox Faction, but against our Demonic Cult as well.”
Dam Un-cheon spoke with a grave expression, and Hwangbo Mun-cheon tilted his head in confusion.
*What does he mean by that?*
“He blew away all our Central Plains branches, which we barely managed to establish through the Orthodox-Demonic Pact.”
“I know. So…”
“There’s a lot of talk because of it.”
“Of course…”
“But here’s the thing. If you were in my shoes, could you hand him over?”
“Hmm?”
“My disciple, who caused a great loss to the Demonic Cult—could I hand him over to the Orthodox Faction without investigating him, without punishing him first? My pride won’t allow it. Imagine how my followers would look down on me.”
“…!”
At Dam Un-cheon’s troubled words, Hwangbo Mun-cheon’s bright expression hardened.
“And my position is a bit awkward right now.”
“What do you mean by your position?”
“As you know, our Demonic Cult has a fondness for strength, does it not?”
“…”
“There were only thirty of them. And they were all just his escorts. Yet, he tore through the Orthodox Faction’s inescapable net and broke through a path of five thousand li to get here.”
As Dam Un-cheon explained, Hwangbo Mun-cheon’s fists clenched, and the muscles around his eyes began to twitch.
“It’s an achievement no one has ever managed. What’s more, he’s just a young man who has barely come of age. So, there’s a lot of talk about that, too. That we can’t just let such a talent go.”
“…”
“You’re the leader of a group, so you know, right? You can’t just ignore what your subordinates say. The bastards come to me without even letting me sleep and report all this.”
Dam Un-cheon even sighed as he expressed his frustration.
Of course, Hwangbo Mun-cheon knew it was all an act.
Since when was he the type to explain situations in such detail?
Dam Un-cheon was a man who preferred power over words, threats over persuasion.
“Dam Un-cheon.”
“…”
Hwangbo Mun-cheon’s face contorted as he lowered his voice.
“This is simple. Don’t try to take the hard way.”
“I know, I know.”
“…”
“I told them as much. That if I intervened, the Orthodox Faction wouldn’t stand for it… But the opposition was too strong. So I told them this: if Un-bi manages to enter the Demonic Cult’s territory on his own, then I will step in.”
“What?”
A wicked smile played on Dam Un-cheon’s lips, and his voice grew cold. A look of bewilderment appeared in Hwangbo Mun-cheon’s eyes.
“What do you mean, what? It means you’re standing in my territory right now.”
“…!”
“You crossed the line.”
At Dam Un-cheon’s grin, a startled Hwangbo Mun-cheon instinctively looked down at his feet.
“…How dare you set foot on my land without permission.”
*Kuuuuu!*
Suddenly, a colossal demonic energy erupted as Dam Un-cheon’s foot lightly stepped onto the ground.
But the earth beneath that light step screamed in agony.
*Crack! Kwwaaaaang!*
Though Hwangbo Mun-cheon hastily crossed his arms to block, there was no way to avoid Dam Un-cheon’s power. He drew up all his energy to defend himself, but a massive shockwave still slammed into his body.
“Kugh!”
Paeng Wi-cheon and Seomun U-ryang rushed to Hwangbo Mun-cheon’s side as he was thrown back a great distance.
“Mun-cheon!”
“Are you alright?”
“Ugh…”
Hwangbo Mun-cheon managed to push himself up, his eyes narrowed as he stared ahead.
The earth before Dam Un-cheon’s feet was gouged out in a fan-like pattern.
It looked deep enough to swallow a man whole, and its width spanned dozens of feet to the left and right.
And the warriors of the Demonic Cult who had followed Dam Un-cheon planted their Sun and Moon Banners at the edge of that boundary, finally marking the extent of the Demonic Cult’s territory.
And Dam Un-cheon, like a tiger guarding its territory, stood with one foot forward and his hands clasped behind his back, looking down on them.
“Mun-cheon. Is that answer enough for you?”
“…”
Hwangbo Mun-cheon’s face twisted even further.
He had been reckless.
In his single-minded pursuit of Neung Un-bi, he had momentarily forgotten.
That half of the open field they were standing on belonged to the Demonic Cult…
Dam Un-cheon had deliberately pulled his forces back and waited.
Waited until they stepped into his territory.
“Dam Un-cheon… you dare!”
“He is one of my own. If a crime is to be judged, I will be the judge. If a punishment is to be given, I will be the one to give it. I won’t say any more. Go back.”
Dam Un-cheon responded to Hwangbo Mun-cheon’s roar with a chilling coldness and turned his body.
Simultaneously, the warriors of the Demonic Cult moved in perfect unison, forming a line beneath the fluttering Sun and Moon Banners.
From behind them, Dam Un-cheon’s voice echoed, loud enough to shake the heavens.
“Imprison the Third Young Master Un-bi in the Thunder Prison immediately! As the Cult Leader who inherited the throne from my predecessor, I will personally interrogate him for his crimes!”
“As you command!”
With those words, Dam Un-cheon vanished, leaving only the warriors of the Demonic Cult, who stood like a great wall.
Hwangbo Mun-cheon could not find the courage.
The courage to cross that great wall and step into the land where the monster known as Dam Un-cheon lived, just to capture Neung Un-bi.
Suddenly, the arm he had broken long ago began to throb once more.
“Mun-cheon, what will you do?”
“We will follow your decision.”
His two old friends asked with grim expressions, but Hwangbo Mun-cheon couldn’t bring himself to make a decision.
“For now… let’s try to contact Cheon-u.”
“Hmm…”
With that one sentence, the standoff between the Demonic Cult and the Orthodox Faction continued.
And at its center, only the Sun and Moon Banners of the Demonic Cult fluttered powerfully in the wind.