Chapter 100
Chapter 100
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 100
Chapter Title: Return to Heochang
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The sight of the Black Warriors' corpses burning made Cheon-yeong frown slightly. But he soon smoothed his expression back to normal.
All the Black Warrior corpses had been incinerated, but the captured Demonic Alliance warriors were still there. They could serve as fine material for turning into Ironclad Warriors. Of course, there were far fewer of them than the dead Black Warriors.
The roaring flames marked the end of the semi-Righteous Great Tournament.
The Righteous Heaven Alliance carted off the captured Demonic Alliance Black Warriors back to their stronghold, while Dan Hyeong-u's group turned their steps toward Heochang. Their long— or short— journey had finally reached its conclusion.
"What a sly, fox-like wench."
A chuckling laugh echoed from beside him at Cheon-yeong's mutter.
"Kuk kuk kuk. Even the great Cheon-yeong gets led around by the nose by some woman. Kuk kuk kuk kuk."
Cheon-yeong scowled at Mu-yeong's mockery. The two of them were currently riding in a carriage. It had originally been prepared to haul the Black Warrior corpses, but with those all burned up, it had gone unused. So they'd modified it slightly for the Righteous Heaven Alliance leaders, including Cheon-yeong, to travel in.
"I'm not sure you can call White Phoenix 'some woman.'"
"A woman's a woman, no matter what."
Cheon-yeong ignored Mu-yeong's words. He knew well the jealousy burning in Mu-yeong's heart. There were three people Mu-yeong envied: Blood Shadow, Moon Shadow, and himself.
What Blood Shadow, Moon Shadow, and he had in common was that they could directly seek an audience with the Alliance Lord. In other words, they were the ones most trusted by the Lord. Mu-yeong had always coveted those positions.
"White Phoenix... The more I think about her, the more I like her. She's more than worthy to be my match."
Cheon-yeong recalled the women who had traveled with Sword King.
Bi-bong Tang Moon-yeong was beautiful and exceptional, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing.
Umun Hye's beauty was overwhelming. No one in this world could surpass her loveliness. But she wasn't a good match for him.
The same went for Sword King's granddaughter, Yeom Hye-mi.
But Jegal Rin was different from all the rest. She was beautiful and wise. And she was the woman who could fill in what he himself lacked.
"I really like her."
Mu-yeong scowled at Cheon-yeong's murmur.
"You'd best not entertain foolish notions."
"Foolish notions? Why are they foolish? If the Righteous Heaven Alliance gains the power of the Jegal family, it'll aid the Alliance Lord's cause. It won't cause any harm."
"Hmph. We'll see about that."
With that, Mu-yeong vanished like smoke. Cheon-yeong sneered at the spot where he had been.
"Hmph, lowly cur. He plans to interfere."
But he was confident. Almost nothing he had ever wanted had eluded him. The only one he couldn't control was the Alliance Lord. Confidence overflowed on Cheon-yeong's face.
The group headed for Henan. With no further business there and concern mounting over the Henan Escort Bureau, they hurried along a bit.
It was a long way from the foothills of Baekun Mountain in Gangseo to Heochang in Henan, but if they pushed their lightness skills, they could arrive sooner than expected.
That, at least, was their plan.
"Thinking about returning to the Escort Bureau again gives me a strange feeling."
Yeom Hye-mi asked Sword King curiously.
"What sort of place is the Henan Escort Bureau?"
"An extraordinary one. Just think— that fool's the sub-leader. Heh heh het."
Laughter tugged at everyone's lips at Sword King's words. It truly was an impressive escort bureau. A master like Dan Hyeong-u as sub-leader. His name might not be famous, but still.
And that wasn't all. They had Sword King and Sword Demon as escorts. What escort bureau in the world could boast Ten Great Masters as escorts?
"By the way, shouldn't you be heading back to the Martial Alliance soon?"
Sword King asked Jegal Rin. She shook her head firmly.
"I'm fine for now. And there's still plenty to do."
After answering, Jegal Rin glanced at Yeom Hye-mi. More precisely, at the Heavenly Fragment she carried. The secrets surrounding the Heavenly Fragment were still endless.
She had no intention of leaving until they were all uncovered. Though that wasn't the only reason, of course.
"Still, I'm uneasy that the Righteous Heaven Alliance took all the Black Warriors."
"Don't worry. They know better than to act recklessly under watchful eyes. And though you might not believe it yet, we can't be certain they're plotting anything else."
"That's true, but..."
Sword King was right. Even so, Jegal Rin couldn't quell the anxiety simmering in her heart. Letting it lie might lead to real trouble later. Carrying that unease made it impossible to relax.
As the group conversed, Dan Hyeong-u, lost in thought for a moment, opened his eyes with a glint and spoke.
"Want to try it one more time?"
Sword King and Sword Demon gave him puzzled looks.
"Try what again?"
Sword King took it calmly, but the rest of the group couldn't. They'd already experienced it once before.
And the distance from here to Heochang wasn't comparable to the trip from the old market to Namchang.
"Y-Young master. That might be pushing it."
Umun Hye stammered in shock as she objected. Tang Moon-yeong and Jegal Rin paled and hurriedly chimed in.
"Yes, Dan young hero, please hold back. We can just run there quickly."
It was a rare sight to see Jegal Rin so flustered. Sword King and Sword Demon watched the three women with interest.
Escort Leader Tang and the Chief Escort trembled as if recalling something the moment Dan Hyeong-u spoke. The desperate memory of being flung into some unknown place was still vivid.
But despite their objections, Dan Hyeong-u didn't bat an eye.
"Just hold on tight."
Umun Hye glanced at the group with a troubled expression, then rushed over and gripped Dan Hyeong-u's right hand tightly.
From their last experience, they knew staying as close as possible to Dan Hyeong-u offered the best safety.
Before the others could even react to Umun Hye's action, Jegal Rin leaped forward and seized Dan Hyeong-u's left hand.
Tang Moon-yeong stomped her feet in frustration at the scene. She wasn't sure she could endure it this time. She'd barely held on last time too.
Sword King, Sword Demon, and Yeom Hye-mi— who had no prior experience— were utterly baffled.
"What in the world is going on?"
Sword King asked with a frown. Jegal Rin explained the previous incident while clinging tightly to his hand.
Sword King and Sword Demon looked incredulous after hearing her out. But they couldn't dismiss it outright.
Everyone else was insisting the same thing. And Sword King recalled the time they'd gone to Soju.
'So it wasn't my imagination back then.'
The more he observed him, the more mysterious the man seemed.
In the end, the group yielded to Dan Hyeong-u's stubbornness and decided to make the trip in one go. Jegal Rin devised a way to make it safer for everyone.
They would all grab hold of one part of Dan Hyeong-u's body. The moment she said it, Umun Hye released his hand and wrapped her arms around his neck.
The other women flushed at the sight, but neither Dan Hyeong-u nor Umun Hye paid it any mind.
Jegal Rin let out an inward sigh while keeping her grip on his hand.
In any case, the group ended up clinging to Dan Hyeong-u's body. The Chief Escort had to take the humiliating position of grabbing his leg, but he didn't complain a bit. Just not falling off was a blessing.
Confirming everyone attached, Dan Hyeong-u flashed a slight smile. This had its own joys.
Suddenly, he missed Jo Seol-yeon. He mentally gauged the distance Jegal Rin had calculated for him.
"Here we go."
The group gripped tighter at his words.
Then Dan Hyeong-u took one step forward.
The far end of Xinjiang, Tian Shan.
The Heavenly Demon Fortress towering on Tian Shan was always eerily silent. No one approached nearby, and it seemed devoid of any human presence, as if uninhabited.
It had been ages since the demonic cultivators, who once rampaged across the land, were driven to Xinjiang and Qinghai. And for all that time, they had yearned to return to the fertile Central Plains.
Most demons wouldn't admit it, but the Heavenly Demon Fortress had been built for precisely that reason.
The Heavenly Demon gazed out from the fortress's highest point at the vast Tian Shan range, that dream clutched to his breast as always.
"Righteous Heaven Alliance? Seems even third-rate riffraff are running wild these days."
Blood Path Wanderer bared his teeth in a grin and chimed in agreement.
"Exactly. They can't even unite as one, splitting into two instead— makes it all the easier. Heh heh heh heh."
As Blood Path Wanderer chuckled sleazily, Phantom Demon, standing beside him, shook his head and interjected.
"It's not that simple. There's something off about the Righteous Heaven Alliance— plenty of suspicious aspects."
Blood Path Wanderer scowled at Phantom Demon's words. The two had never gotten along by nature. Unlike the straightforward, mood-driven Blood Path Wanderer, Phantom Demon always strove for rational judgment in a most un-demonic fashion. Though when demonic qi surged, even he lost control.
Such words from Phantom Demon made even the Heavenly Demon take note.
"Is that so? Have you dug up something?"
At the Heavenly Demon's question, Phantom Demon bowed his head slightly.
"Their so-called Alliance Lord is far too suspicious. He appeared out of nowhere. And his skills are considerable."
The Heavenly Demon, who had been staring out the window, slowly turned. His demonic-qi-charged eyes fixed on Phantom Demon, who hurriedly bowed deeper under the pressure.
"You know quite a lot."
"I oversee the fortress's intelligence network."
The Heavenly Demon nodded at Phantom Demon's reply. He had no interest in such matters anyway. Whoever handled what was none of his concern. The Heavenly Demon desired only one thing.
"The Righteous Heaven Alliance doesn't have the Golden Demon Art, at least?"
Phantom Demon nodded gravely at the Heavenly Demon's words.
"I believe not."
"Much better."
The implication in the Heavenly Demon's tone was clear. Phantom Demon bowed even deeper. The Heavenly Demon gazed down at him steadily before speaking.
"By the way, what is Sword Demon up to? Any contact?"
"He intervened in the battle between Righteous Heaven Alliance and Demonic Alliance, earning great merit."
The Heavenly Demon's brows shot up at Phantom Demon's answer.
"That fool's lost his mind."
Blood Path Wanderer gaped in disbelief.
"What the hell's he doing? Becoming an escort, jumping into the semi-Righteous tournament..."
It was truly absurd the more one thought about it. Who was Sword Demon? A powerhouse who had few equals even in Heavenly Demon Fortress. He was undervalued as a demon, but a demonic cultivator on par with the Ten Great Masters.
The Heavenly Demon eyed Phantom Demon with chilling intent.
"Where is he now? What doing?"
"In Heochang."
The Heavenly Demon scowled at Phantom Demon's reply. Something didn't add up.
"Doesn't add up. Didn't he join the semi-Righteous tournament?"
The Heavenly Demon knew when and where the semi-Righteous Great Tournament had taken place. But that location and Heochang were absurdly far apart. No way to travel there and back in a day.
Phantom Demon continued cautiously.
"Received word yesterday. Somehow went from Gangseo Province to Heochang in an instant."
The Heavenly Demon stared at him in disbelief.
"Are you mocking me?"
His voice dripped with viscous killing intent laced with demonic qi. Far more than Phantom Demon could withstand.
"N-No, of course not. I'm reporting the facts. And there's an additional report from Sword Demon himself."
"From Sword Demon?"
The Heavenly Demon looked puzzled. Sword Demon wasn't the type to file reports. What Phantom Demon had just relayed was merely intelligence compiled from spies in Heochang.
"Tell me."
"According to Sword Demon's report, he has escaped the Golden Demon Art."
Phantom Demon's words hit like a thunderbolt, instantly altering the Heavenly Demon's and Blood Path Wanderer's expressions.
"S-Say that again. What?"
"He escaped the Golden Demon Art."
"How?"
The Heavenly Demon's simple question brimmed with complex emotions.
"He hasn't revealed the secret yet. But it's clearly at the Henan Escort Bureau."
The last part was Phantom Demon's speculation. But the Heavenly Demon deemed it correct.
"Kuk kuk kuk. So there's a way to escape the Golden Demon Art."
An eerie laugh filled the room.
"Kuhahaha!"
The Heavenly Demon burst into great laughter. The intense demonic qi in his voice shook the chamber. After laughing long, he murmured lowly, eyes gleaming with demonic power.
"To Henan."