Chapter 74
Chapter 74
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 74
Chapter Title: The First Battle
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“See? I was right, wasn’t I?”
“……”
After the forces of the Heavenly Pillar Gate vanished into the Dantien Gate, Neung Un-bi, hidden in the shade of a distant forest, grinned.
“As expected of our Lord!”
“Indeed. How did you read their thoughts so accurately? It was a brilliant move to empty the Dantien Gate, just as you said.”
“It was. From a quick glance, there must have been at least three hundred of them… If we had stayed at the Dantien Gate, we would have faced a great disaster.”
“Hey! What do you mean, a great disaster? With our Lord present, what disaster could there be? Even if we had held our ground, we would have won, no matter how many of them there were!”
“Ah! Y-You’re right. That’s not what I meant…”
Startled by Takbal Lyeo’s words, Yi Do-seong glanced nervously at Neung Un-bi.
*These guys…*
For this moment, I’ll forgive them for calling me ‘Lord.’
How could I possibly blame them when their eyes are so full of respect?
As Neung Un-bi smiled in satisfaction, Wang Cheon muttered under his breath.
“Tch, he just got lucky…”
*This guy, seriously.*
Being this brilliant is a problem.
Even my own Guard Captain is jealous of me.
“But what will you do now? They’ll realize the place is empty and come back out soon, won’t they?”
“They won’t.”
“They won’t? Don’t be ridiculous! There isn’t a single soul in the Dantien Gate right now, is there?”
“Who told you that?”
“Pardon?”
“I’ve already set a trap.”
“…A trap?”
“Yes. A trap they can never escape.”
“What do you mean?”
Just as Wang Cheon tilted his head in bewilderment…
“Arrrggghhh!”
“…?!”
Wang Cheon’s head whipped around at the sudden scream.
And he wasn’t the only one.
Everyone was equally shocked.
It was supposed to be completely empty.
Hadn’t every single martial artist from the Dantien Gate followed Neung Un-bi out?
They had even done a precise headcount, knowing they were numerically inferior.
So what was that scream?
“What in the world…?”
As Wang Cheon stared with eyes full of disbelief, Neung Un-bi grinned and feigned ignorance.
“What kind of trap did you…”
“A ghost.”
“A gho… huh?”
“Hehehe, they’re all going to die.”
Seeing Neung Un-bi’s eerie smile, Wang Cheon’s face was a mask of desperate curiosity, but there was no further explanation.
*As if I’d explain it to you.*
It’s a ghost, just as I said. To them, it will certainly seem that way.
The Lunar Eclipse Squad and the Dantien Gate members are the same. None of them know about that person’s existence.
“M-My Lord!”
“…?”
“Can you command ghosts now!?”
Takbal Lyeo’s eyes widened as he stared at Neung Un-bi, and at his cry, the Dantien Gate martial artists began to murmur among themselves.
Shock and terror. And… the respect that followed.
He could feel a complete sense of trust blossoming among the warriors.
*Ah, so this is how the first Cult Leader turned the Demonic Cult into a religion.*
“My Lord, what on earth is it? What preparations did you make without our knowledge…”
“Ahem! Guard Captain Wang!”
“…?”
As Wang Cheon tried to ask again, Ju Seung, who had sidled up next to Neung Un-bi, roared with his eyes blazing like a tiger’s.
“How dare you doubt the Lord’s words again!”
“Huh? What?”
“If the Lord says it’s a trap, it’s a trap! If he says it’s a ghost, it’s a ghost! What could you possibly be so displeased about!”
“Hey, you…?”
“Enough! I have always believed that whatever Guard Captain Wang said was born of concern for the Lord, and I agreed with you. But how can a man be so petty? Tsk, tsk.”
“……”
Wang Cheon stared blankly at Ju Seung, who had so quickly changed his tune.
“Hmph, it seems the Guard Captain lacks loyalty.”
“I know… How can the one who protects the Lord most closely act like that?”
“It’s embarrassing, I tell you. It should be an honor just to serve such a Lord.”
“Indeed, indeed. Who else at that age possesses such insight? And on top of that, he has the cunning to command ghosts.”
It wasn’t just Ju Seung. Wang Cheon could clearly hear the whispers of the Dantien Gate warriors, all criticizing him.
*These sons of…*
But what good would it do to glare at them with furious eyes?
They were all on the same side now. All except Wang Cheon.
“My Lord! Please give us your next command! We will follow!”
Ju Seung had reverted to his loyal self, kneeling and bowing his head as he awaited orders.
“Give us your command! We will follow!”
And he wasn't alone.
Inspired by Ju Seung’s cry, the warriors of the Lunar Eclipse Squad and the Dantien Gate all knelt before Neung Un-bi and shouted in unison.
Their morale had unintentionally skyrocketed.
This was a good thing. Facing a numerically superior foe before a great battle, they were no longer intimidated.
This was all thanks to that fellow.
How could I have devised such a plan without him?
I should at least learn his name later.
“Everyone, rise.”
Neung Un-bi commanded in a satisfied voice, looking at the heads bowed before him. The warriors rose powerfully, their backs straight with pride.
The eyes of those who had been anxious about the difference in strength with the Heavenly Pillar Gate now burned with a resolve to face even death, as long as they were with their Lord.
Looking at their faces, something hot surged in his chest, making his throat burn.
Damn it, I’ve gotten swept up in the mood myself.
The excitement was so infectious that for a moment, he even considered truly converting to the Demonic Cult.
This must be why those in high positions love to give grand speeches.
Savoring the gazes focused on him, Neung Un-bi’s eyes glinted ominously as he spoke in a low voice.
“Now, then… shall we go strike the Heavenly Pillar Gate?”
“Yes, my Lord!”
Their voices were brimming with power.
All the while, terrifying screams continued to echo from the Dantien Gate.
“Wang Cheon.”
“…Yessir.”
Perhaps because of the atmosphere, Wang Cheon answered with a sullen voice.
This kid is so petty.
*Fine, be that way. The tide won’t turn just because you’re not in it.*
But I can’t just leave him be.
I’m just as petty as you are, you know?
*Who do you think you’re defying?*
And thanks to him, my loyal Ju Seung nearly lost his identity. We may not have much time together left, but I need to teach him a firm lesson.
“Hmm, your voice is quiet. You don’t want to do this, do you?”
“No, that’s not it…”
“Enough. How can a Guard Captain who doubts his Lord’s command carry out his duties perfectly?”
“…Pardon?”
“This is my first battle.”
“First… Yes?”
“I cannot entrust it to someone whose heart isn’t in it.”
“My-My Lord, what do you mean by that?”
As the mood turned strange, Wang Cheon grew visibly flustered, but Neung Un-bi coldly turned his head away.
“Ju Seung!”
“Yes, my Lord!”
“You will take on the key role in the coming attack on the Heavenly Pillar Gate.”
“…My-My Lord!”
“As I said, this will be the first battle to announce the name of Neung Un-bi, the Third Young Master and proxy of the Cult Leader! You understand its importance without me having to say more, don’t you?”
“…!”
At Neung Un-bi’s words, Ju Seung’s eyes trembled minutely. Soon, not just his eyes, but his entire body began to shake.
The first battle, to be recorded for eternity.
A battle that would be told for generations to come if Neung Un-bi were to become the Cult Leader.
How could he not be thrilled to be at the center of it all?
And right beside him, Wang Cheon began to tremble for a completely different reason.
He had realized that such a great honor had been snatched away and given to Ju Seung.
“My Lord! Please entrust it to me! I will carry out my duty with all my heart and soul!”
“Good! We strike the Heavenly Pillar Gate now. You will lead everyone and attack the main gate!”
“I will obey your command!”
“The Heavenly Pillar Gate has committed acts that no human should ever commit. They have also sullied the honor of the demonic path, which countless Cult Leaders since the first have protected.”
“…!”
“Go! To the Heavenly Pillar Gate! Show them that justice still lives in this land!”
“J-Justice?”
“Does it matter what you call it?”
“As you command!”
The order was given.
His fighting spirit boiling over, Ju Seung was already snorting and drawing his sword.
“Follow… me!”
“Waaahhh!”
Led by Ju Seung, the warriors of the Lunar Eclipse Squad and the Dantien Gate tore through the darkness, racing toward Jucheon, where the Heavenly Pillar Gate was located.
“For justiiiiice…!”
Ju Seung’s distant cry echoed back to them.
*Heh heh, even though I said it myself, a demonic path follower shouting ‘for justice’…*
But what did it matter?
When it came to taking down villains, there was no line between the Orthodox and the Demonic.
Of course, the Orthodox Faction was far more righteous than the Demonic Path.
Though they were all just thugs who brandished swords, at least they valued justification and upheld benevolence and righteousness.
But the Heavenly Pillar Gate, having abandoned all human decency, could no longer be called an Orthodox sect.
They were nothing more than beasts.
And so, they deserved a fitting downfall and death.
A cruel smile on his face, Neung Un-bi looked up at the sky and took a deep breath, trying to calm the demonic energy that had been roiling within him while giving orders to his subordinates.
The moon was beautiful.
The soft, yellow moonlight cast a different feeling from the daytime sun.
It didn’t make sense, but it felt as if it possessed a kind of cold heat.
Damn it, looking at the moonlight just makes my demonic energy surge even more.
It made him want to unleash his Lunar Eclipse technique to his heart’s content…
*Step.*
Neung Un-bi took a step forward, his eyes cold.
“M-My Lord!”
“……”
*Step.*
“My Looord!”
“Argh, what!”
“…I’m sorry.”
“……”
“I’ll never doubt you again. Okay?”
“……”
“Really, I swear. Okay? Pleeease?”
“Haaa…”
Thinking he was being left behind, a tearful Wang Cheon pleaded in a desperate voice.
“Wang Cheon.”
“Yes?”
“Will you really listen to me?”
“Yes!”
“You promised.”
“Of course! Absolutely! I swear on the name of the Snow Mountain Manor. If this happens again, I’m a bastard child!”
Neung Un-bi chuckled at Wang Cheon’s vow.
*You don’t have to go that far…*
So Seol-ok-su would be furious if she heard that.
In any case, did he not know Wang Cheon’s personality?
He’d probably go back to his old self soon enough.
He would grumble, be sarcastic, and pick fights.
But even though he acted like a madman obsessed with fame and fortune, his concern for Neung Un-bi was second to none.
Loyalty? Did he even have such a thing?
The feelings the Neung Un-bi of his memories had for him were more like brotherly love.
A person he could trust with his back, despite their constant bickering.
A person he would die for.
Even when Neung Un-bi had fallen into qi deviation and lost his future, he was the only one who stayed by his side. He had long since kicked away the title of First Young Master of the Snow Mountain Manor because he cared so much for Neung Un-bi.
Knowing this was why Neung Un-bi had never rebuked him for his lack of formality.
“Alright. I’ll believe you.”
“Thank you! Then, instead of Ju Seung, I’ll…”
“What are you talking about?”
“Huh?”
“We have something else to do.”
“Something else?”
“Yes. While Ju Seung attacks the main gate of the Heavenly Pillar Gate, we will secretly infiltrate from the rear.”
“Secretly… from the rear?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“While everyone is focused on the battle, I intend to capture the Gate Master of the Heavenly Pillar Gate.”
“…Ca-Capture the Gate Master?”
“Right.”
Wang Cheon’s eyes widened.
He and Neung Un-bi… were going to capture the Gate Master?
Wasn’t that an achievement that couldn’t even be compared to whatever Ju Seung was doing?
“Let’s go!”
Having quickly done the math, Wang Cheon, with a completely energized expression, started walking ahead.
“Ah, hurry up! Why are you so slow!”
“……”
After walking some distance, Wang Cheon stopped and gestured impatiently.
*Honestly… a goldfish has a better memory than you.*
Just a moment ago he was talking about loyalty, and now he’s back to his old self.
*Well, I suppose you’re better this way.*
Neung Un-bi shook his head and chuckled.
“Let’s go!”
“Yes!”
Under the moonlight, two streaks of light shot toward the Heavenly Pillar Gate.