Chapter 77
Chapter 77
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 77
Chapter Title: A Swift Conclusion
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“My lord…”
Wang Cheon, unable to even approach, called out to Neung Un-bi with concern.
Neung Un-bi, who had been momentarily lost in a vague moment from the past, suddenly snapped back to his senses.
“Ah!”
“My lord.”
“…”
Hearing Wang Cheon’s voice again, Neung Un-bi let out a dry smile.
The past could be reminisced over drinks with ‘him’ later.
Now was not the time to indulge in idle sentimentality.
It was time to do what he had to do, not as Cheok Wol-rin, but as Neung Un-bi.
He had only just captured the Heavenly Pillar Gate Master and his son. The screams and the clash of weapons still echoed. The war was still in full swing.
“Wang Cheon.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Let’s go.”
Neung Un-bi grabbed the scruff of the neck of the collapsed and groaning Bae Hyo-gang.
“I will do it.”
“It’s fine.”
If there were two to drag and two to carry, then it was one for each of them.
As Neung Un-bi started forward, dragging Bae Hyo-gang by the scruff of his neck, Wang Cheon quickly shouldered Bae Hap and followed.
The sounds grew closer.
The clang of weapons, the roars of men shouting at the top of their lungs as if not to yield an inch, the screams of the wounded.
With a hardened expression, Neung Un-bi walked toward the door leading out of the great hall.
*Bang!*
As if to not obstruct Neung Un-bi’s path, Wang Cheon stepped forward and kicked the door with all his might.
As the closed door was suddenly flung wide open, it was only natural that the eyes of those outside were drawn to it.
“Huh?”
And it was also natural for the warrior standing guard in front of the door to be bewildered.
“You are!?”
The warrior, who had been focused solely on blocking the enemies invading through the main gate, was startled to see Neung Un-bi suddenly emerge from the deepest part of his own domain.
“G-Gate Master!”
Then, it was an all-too-natural progression for him to be even more shocked upon seeing the Gate Master in his captive’s hand.
“Y-You bastard! Who are you! Let him go this instant!”
Whether it was out of loyalty or something else, it seemed he was completely incapable of assessing the situation.
Seeing the Gate Master in such a state, the normal reaction would have been to flinch and fall back in shock.
And what if I do as you say?
The Gate Master would just be slammed onto the ground.
“I said, let him go!”
The warrior, who charged forward with a bold cry, couldn't even withstand a single blow from Wang Cheon, making his spirited charge seem pointless.
*Thwack!*
“Ugh!”
Brought to his knees by Wang Cheon’s straight kick, the warrior vomited everything he had eaten to fortify himself before the battle began.
“Everyone, halt!”
“…”
As Wang Cheon’s powerful roar echoed thunderously throughout the Heavenly Pillar Gate, the people who had been in a tense standoff momentarily froze, cautiously observing the situation.
However, their reactions were clearly divided into two groups.
Those whose faces lit up despite their evident exhaustion were the cultists of the Demonic Cult, while those whose eyes widened in shock were the warriors of the Heavenly Pillar Gate.
Amidst that contrasting atmosphere, into the battlefield that had fallen silent, Wang Cheon stepped aside, clearing a path for Neung Un-bi.
He knew as well.
The conclusion was Neung Un-bi’s to make.
Stepping forward, Neung Un-bi dropped the Gate Master at his feet and surveyed the crowd with cold eyes.
Wounds were visible beneath their horribly torn martial arts uniforms.
The exhaustion on their faces alone conveyed the intensity of the battle.
After taking a moment to catch his breath, Neung Un-bi broke the silence as if tossing a stone into a still pond.
“I am Neung Un-bi, the Third Young Master of the Demonic Cult.”
At the single sentence revealing his identity, ripples spread through the fierce battlefield.
Murmurs spread among the warriors of the Heavenly Pillar Gate.
Then, upon confirming that the wretched figure lying on the ground was Bae Hyo-gang, their fighting spirit plummeted.
“The battle is over. If you drop your swords, your lives will be spared.”
His voice echoed softly.
Only then did everyone realize.
The Heavenly Pillar Gate had been defeated.
That devastating reality crushed their shoulders with the weight of a thousand pounds.
“Shut up! Who said the battle is over!”
“…?”
A monstrous shout erupted amidst the somber atmosphere.
The one who stepped forward, drawing everyone’s gaze, was an old man with a beard that flowed down to his chest.
Neung Un-bi stared impassively at the old man, who was glaring with bloodshot eyes, blood dripping from the tips of his crimson-stained beard.
“Who are you?”
“I am the Great Elder of the Heavenly Pillar Gate! Sogoyeon!”
“The Great Elder… The Gate Master and his son are already in my hands, yet you intend to resist?”
“Resist? Don't be absurd, you little brat! This battle is our victory. The outcome won't change just because some wet-behind-the-ears whelp showed up.”
“Somehow… it sounds as if you’re saying the Gate Master’s safety is of no importance.”
At Neung Un-bi’s cold words, the murmurs that had died down started up again.
Their confused gazes also held a hint of condemnation for Sogoyeon, who seemed to have no regard for the Gate Master’s life.
“The Gate Master’s safety? Hmph, is that important right now?”
“What?”
At the unexpected reply, Neung Un-bi narrowed his eyes and tilted his head.
“Listen up, you fools!”
“…?”
“Spare your lives? Do you really believe the words of that damn Demonic Cultist? By what right does he get to decide whether we live or die!”
He spoke to everyone.
“The Heavenly Pillar Gate has already been abandoned by the Orthodox Faction.”
“…!”
The murmuring was completely different from before. Sounds of shock, worry, and disbelief spread.
“Damn it… Yes, we can no longer expect anything. But do you know what will happen if we lose this fight?”
“…”
“You’ve all heard the rumors, haven’t you? About what our Heavenly Pillar Gate has been doing! It’s all true.”
Sogoyeon revealed everything, as if detonating a bomb he had been holding.
The faces of those who had believed themselves to be part of the Orthodox Faction, who had thought the Gate Master’s orders were just, twisted in despair.
“But is all the blame on the Gate Master alone? Myself included, all of you are accomplices in the deeds the Heavenly Pillar Gate has committed. Even if you didn't know, will that wash away your sins?”
“…”
“Not a chance!”
Sogoyeon’s shout was directed at the warriors of the Heavenly Pillar Gate.
“If we lose this battle, everyone will face a miserable end. Along with the fall of the Heavenly Pillar Gate!”
“…”
“So fight not for the Gate Master, not for the Heavenly Pillar Gate, but for yourselves. The disciple of the Demonic Cult Leader? Hah! He’s just a brat. The tide of battle won’t suddenly turn just because one whelp has joined in. The attack squad that went to the Dancheon Gate will soon return empty-handed! We just need to hold out until then. We will be victorious, and we can survive by pinning all the blame on the Demonic Cult!”
Watching Sogoyeon spew out words so quickly it was doubtful if he was even breathing, Neung Un-bi let out a sigh with a smirk.
*Those guys are all dead though…*
Then again, they wouldn't know that.
What Sogoyeon was doing now was incitement.
A last-ditch effort to somehow reignite their shattered fighting spirit and continue the battle.
Neung Un-bi looked down at Bae Hyo-gang, who was writhing at his feet.
*You pitiful bastard.*
The Heavenly Pillar Gate you spoke of, the family you built through such foul deeds, amounts to nothing more than this.
It was a castle of sand, no, a flimsy, fragile castle built of bean flour.
The one called the Gate Master tries to get his son to safety, while the one called the Great Elder incites his subordinates to save his own skin…
How fortunate.
That your family is like this.
I suppose I won’t have to feel any guilt for thoroughly crushing and tearing you apart.
A cynical smile on his lips, Neung Un-bi gripped his Flying Swallow Sword and took a light step forward.
His extended foot silently kicked off the ground, and his form flew like the wind.
Following that movement, the Flying Swallow Sword, true to its name, shot forward as straight as a swallow in flight.
*Swish!*
A ray of light drew a long line as it grazed Sogoyeon’s neck.
“Everyone, raise… your swords…”
Sogoyeon’s voice, who had missed the movement while trying to rally his men, grew fainter.
Panicked when no sound came out even as he moved his mouth, his eyes suddenly shot wide open as he clutched his throat.
*Spurt, gush!*
But he couldn’t stop the torrent of blood.
The gash was too large to be covered by his hand.
“Guhh…”
The focus in his trembling eyes, as if in disbelief, gradually faded.
The hand clutching his throat fell limply, and from the gaping wound, blood shot up like a fountain, raining down.
*Patter, patter.*
Without batting an eye, Neung Un-bi stood drenched in the rain of blood, a cold smile on his face as he looked at the warriors of the Heavenly Pillar Gate.
“If you stop, you may lose your martial arts, but you will keep your lives. Of course, I hope you don’t. The moonlight is so strong tonight, I can’t seem to control my demonic energy.”
His eerie muttering, blood dripping from his entire body, trampled the warriors’ hearts more cruelly than any divine authority.
The coldness emanating from his glinting eyes made the hair on the back of their necks stand on end.
Why was it?
The piece of iron, at most three feet long, felt incredibly heavy.
So heavy it was a struggle to hold.
*Clatter.*
Someone, no longer able to bear the weight, dropped their sword.
That was the start. The sound of metal echoed from all around. Soon, not a single warrior of the Heavenly Pillar Gate was left holding a sword.
“…Wang Cheon.”
“Yes.”
“Let’s clean up.”
“Yes!”
After giving the short command, Neung Un-bi turned and headed back toward the great hall of the Heavenly Pillar Gate he had come from.
Wang Cheon watched his back for a moment, then stood where his lord had been and took a deep breath.
“Hooo!”
And with a single exhale, he shouted.
“Everyone, kneeeel!”
As if his shout was a formidable sound technique, the warriors of the Heavenly Pillar Gate all fell to their knees in unison.
The sound of thuds echoed everywhere as the Demonic Cult warriors scattered to subdue them.
No one resisted. Not a speck of fighting spirit remained in them.
“Guard Captain!”
“…?”
Juseung approached Wang Cheon with a bright face.
“We won. We won!”
“I know, so don’t make a fuss.”
“Hahaha! By the way, what happened? I thought you weren't going to participate in the battle, so how did you end up with our lord?”
“Why? Am I not supposed to be here?”
“Huh? No, that’s not what I meant…”
As Juseung smiled and scratched his head, Wang Cheon narrowed his eyes and asked.
“Did you see?”
“See what?”
“This! This is what you call favor.”
“…”
Wang Cheon puffed up his chest, pointing at it with his thumb, and Juseung blinked.
What… favor?
“The most important tasks are always done with the most trusted person. Understand?”
“I think I get it, but why are you telling me this now…?”
“Hehehehe.”
“…?”
*Why now, you ask?*
*Because it's clear that I'm much more favored by our lord than you are.*
The first war his lord had started against the Orthodox Faction.
And he was right there at the center of that victory!
“Don’t be discouraged, just keep working hard. Clean up well. Got it? I’m going to go attend to our lord.”
“…”
Wang Cheon patted Juseung’s shoulder a couple of times and, with a smug look, walked toward the great hall.
He stomped his feet loudly as if to show off.
“…”
Watching his retreating back, Juseung could only tilt his head.
*…Why would I be discouraged?*
And for some reason, he was suddenly talking down to him. Using informal speech, too.
Anyway, the Guard Captain was a strange person at times.
Juseung chuckled at Wang Cheon's incomprehensible behavior, shaking his head, and then turned his gaze back to the battlefield.
The first victory.
It hadn't been an easy fight.
It was a victory won against an enemy that outnumbered them almost three to one. And in the enemy's own stronghold at that.
“My, my, I wonder if he’ll really become the Cult Leader at this rate.”
The vague thought he once had now felt more certain, and Juseung scratched his head with a proud expression.
“I really will have to work harder, just as the Guard Captain said. If I want to continue serving our lord…”
Juseung smiled brightly and looked toward the great hall of the Heavenly Pillar Gate where Neung Un-bi had gone.
The moon, resting on one edge of the roof, seemed to suit his lord very well.