The Righteous-Demonic Summit (2)
"Boss. You look like a young master from one of those fancy prestigious clans?" Jin Baekho said, mouth hanging open as he stared at me in my impeccable formal attire.
The kid. He's got an eye for quality.
"I'm the Heavenly Guardian Sword Sovereign Jin Muhyeok. As the leader of the Martial Alliance, I need to carry myself with at least this much dignity."
"Looking at age alone, you should be out there fighting in the junior generation tournament, yet here you are as the Alliance Leader. Damn. Our boss really is cool as hell."
He must've been thrilled that I secretly sent him home yesterday after Jegal Hyeon assigned him overtime. This transparent bastard, Jin Baekho.
"I'd love to see the look on that Sword Dragon guy's face."
"Those Azure Sky Sword Group punks used to act like they owned the whole damn world. Heh heh."
The Azure Sky Sword Group were the ones who treated us like dead weight back when the Black Dragon Unit was still considered the problem children of the Martial Alliance. Their leader was Namgung Hyeon, the successor of the Namgung Clan and the one they called the Sword Dragon.
I used to think of him as a rival and trained like hell to catch up. Then one day I looked down and realized he was staring up at me from the bottom of the pile.
Right then the door opened and our Chief Military Counselor stepped in.
"Alliance Leader. The preparations are complete..."
Jegal Hyeon froze mid-sentence as he looked at me, his face hardening.
I narrowed my eyes and locked gazes with him. Is this guy seriously picking a staring contest with me right now? Second-in-command or not, I don't back down from a challenge.
"You look more like a young master than the Alliance Leader..."
"Isn't that a good thing?"
"Sure. Whatever you say."
Jin Baekho and I glared at Jegal Hyeon with matching sour expressions.
What the hell is wrong with how I look?
I studied my reflection in the mirror more carefully.
A golden dragon—normally reserved exclusively for the imperial family—wound across the blue robe as if ascending to the heavens. My sharp, refined features served as the perfect final touch.
Who would've guessed that an orphan begging in the back alleys would one day stand here like this?
But Jegal Hyeon still looked unhappy about something. His face remained stiff as he spoke.
"I don't sense any dignity worthy of the Martial Alliance Leader."
"...If they don't feel the dignity, I can just crush them with my qi."
If my presence doesn't inspire respect, they should question whether their own internal energy is too weak to perceive it. That's exactly how I climbed the ranks to become captain of the Black Dragon Unit in the first place.
"I'm more worried the Heavenly Demon Sect will look down on our leader."
Jegal Hyeon kept scanning me head to toe with that rigid expression.
Jin Baekho growled and shot him a glare.
"Anyone who does gets cut down in one strike."
I curled my lips into a smile at his words. Yesterday he was begging me not to fight, yet now he looked ready to draw his blade first.
"Stop thinking about fighting. Stay quiet until I give the order."
Elder Do Hyeonmyeong had given me advice, and I had no intention of rushing into battle either.
Probably.
"Is it because your hair is long?"
Jegal Hyeon was still muttering to himself while staring at me.
The only reason my hair is long is because you keep piling work on me, you know that?
"I don't like long hair either. It's too cumbersome, right?"
Some scholars from prestigious clans grow their hair long and tie it up, but for a guy who grew up on the streets, short is better.
"Let's cut it. That might look better."
"Whatever you think is best."
Right now I was nothing more than a puppet. This whole area was completely outside my expertise.
The Jegal Clan might have declined, but when one of their own gave advice, it was best to listen.
The massive carriage was painted in stark black and white, pulled by muscular black horses. At its center, the words Heavenly Demon were written in bold crimson calligraphy. Around it, men in black martial uniforms stood guard, radiating a heavy, oppressive aura.
"Cult Leader."
A middle-aged man who appeared to be the captain among the black-clad guards approached the carriage.
"What is it?"
A slender girl's voice answered, yet no one dared question it.
"We will soon pass through Henan and enter Daliang."
"I see it. Is that the Heavenly Martial Castle?"
"Yes. The symbol of the orthodox Martial Alliance, where the newly appointed Alliance Leader, the Heavenly Guardian Sword Sovereign, awaits."
A powerful aura suddenly erupted from inside the carriage. It was so intense that even the middle-aged warrior—who had spent his entire life honing his skills within the cult—felt a chill run down his spine.
"Stay focused!"
If it affected him this much, it was no wonder some of the subordinates nearly fainted. He barked orders to keep the formation tight.
This was the personal procession of the Heavenly Demon Sect's Cult Leader. Not a single flaw could be tolerated.
"Sword Demon."
"Here!"
The girl inside the carriage called for the middle-aged man.
Sword Demon. It was the hereditary title given to the captain of the Cult Leader's personal guard in the Heavenly Demon Sect.
"Is the Heavenly Guardian Sword Sovereign stronger than the previous one?"
"He is only twenty-five years old. He cannot compare to the previous Sword."
"What a shame."
Dokgo Hyeok twisted his lips at the girl's response. It was exactly the kind of answer one would expect from the monster who had cut down the previous Heavenly Demon with a single strike. This was why she was worthy of being revered as the true supreme of the Heavenly Demon Sect.
Then—
"How dare you."
Something brushed past him the moment the girl's voice rang out. In that split second, that was all Dokgo Hyeok could register.
The result was brutal.
"Ugh!"
His left ear fell to the ground.
It had happened so suddenly that Dokgo Hyeok struggled to process reality.
"Do not presume to evaluate the weak. You lot exist only to obey my commands."
The girl's voice echoed around them. Overwhelmed by the absolute pressure of a supreme being, Dokgo Hyeok had no choice but to drop to his knees.
He was a warrior who had slaughtered dozens of his fellow disciples in a sealed chamber to earn the title of Sword Demon, yet even he could not withstand the current Heavenly Demon's aura.
Even so, only joy flooded Dokgo Hyeok's heart.
"Long live! Long live! Eternal glory!"
"This lowly demon humbly receives the command of the great Demon Supreme!!"
"Receives!"
Led by Dokgo Hyeok, the Blood Dragon Imperial Guard echoed the chant in perfect unison. Even in the middle of an empty plain, their voices carried a fierce, burning resolve.
"Move out."
Yet the girl inside the carriage remained indifferent, issuing her command in a detached tone.
"Yes!"
The carriage carrying the absolute ruler of the Heavenly Demon Sect began advancing toward the Heavenly Martial Castle.
I stood at the main gate of the Heavenly Martial Castle with the elders, staring at the black carriage approaching from afar.
"They're disgustingly late."
"That's how the demonic cult operates. Heh heh heh."
The old man in beggar clothing answered my grumbling with a laugh. It was Gang Cheonsu, an elder of the Martial Alliance from the Beggars' Union.
He had retired as Supreme Elder of the Beggars' Union, but after the previous leader's death, he reluctantly kept his position as one of the senior elders of the Martial Alliance.
It was strange how familiar his face seemed every time I saw him. He'd been friendly from our very first meeting, so I didn't feel any hostility toward him.
"Elder Gang, please don't call them the demonic cult in front of them."
"I know, I know. Why is a Taoist like you from Wudang so worried about everything? Why not live as freely as the previous leader did?"
"I wish I could be like my senior brother, but it's not easy. Heh heh."
Do Hyeonmyeong stroked his white beard and smiled kindly. I couldn't help but smile as well.
He claimed he couldn't be like the previous leader, but to me the two of them were practically identical. Their martial realms might differ, but their character seemed exactly the same.
Good thing I'm stronger than him.
If I'd been weaker than Do Hyeonmyeong, I would've ended up getting beaten just like the previous leader had been. I could tell by instinct.
"Ahem."
Jegal Hyeon cleared his throat and approached me. What complaint was he going to make this time?
I glared at him, fully on guard.
"What?"
"You must not fight."
"I know, dumbass."
The unit captain, the elders, and now even the Chief Military Counselor were all nagging me. I am the leader of the Martial Alliance, right?
The carriage—presumably carrying the Heavenly Demon—finally arrived right in front of us after all the waiting. The warriors lined up around it had to be the famous Blood Dragon Imperial Guard.
"Greetings! I am Dokgo Hyeok, Sword Demon and captain of the Blood Dragon Imperial Guard!"
"Huh?"
I unconsciously frowned at the middle-aged man's shout from the front of the group. Even if we weren't in an official state of hostility, this was in front of the leader of the Martial Alliance. His aura was incredibly aggressive.
"Withdraw your aura!"
Jin Baekho stepped forward and shouted loudly. Of course he did. When someone released that kind of pressure in front of the Alliance Leader, it was his job to step up.
I'd heard the "don't fight" lecture so many times it was drilled into my skull, so I decided to stay quiet for now.
"A mere warrior has no right to intervene! Where is the Alliance Leader?!"
"This bastard!"
As Dokgo Hyeok and Jin Baekho clashed with their auras, I popped one of the candies I'd secretly brought into my mouth.
I knew this would happen.
Me too.
Jegal Hyeon sent me a discreet sound transmission. He'd lost most of his martial arts, but it seemed he could still use tricks like this. All those tonics I'd gotten him from the medicine hall had been worth it.
I smiled contentedly and quietly slipped an extra candy into his hand.
"A mere guard captain dares to give orders to the Alliance Leader?!"
"A former squad leader from the Black Dragon Unit grows arrogant after gaining a little power! Do you need to taste blood before you come to your senses?!"
Oh. So they'd done their homework on the current state of the Martial Alliance. Not surprising.
There were quite a few spies from the Heavenly Demon Sect in the Alliance, as far as I knew.
"Ha! Back in the Black Dragon Unit days, you wouldn't have even dared meet my eyes!"
"What did you say?!"
The stronger their auras grew with every exchange, the wider my smile became. There was nothing more entertaining than watching two weaklings go at it.
Though it looked like simple arguing, Jin Baekho and Dokgo Hyeok were actually measuring each other's distance and exchanging invisible sword strikes. Ready to take each other's heads the moment an opening appeared.
Aigoo, Baekho. You should've gone right there.
In a moment so brief that even blinking felt slow, Jin Baekho was pushed back ever so slightly. Dokgo Hyeok didn't miss the chance and took a step forward.
"Kgh!"
Jin Baekho had no choice but to retreat. Otherwise his neck would've been severed in a single move. The mistake had been that fatal.
Idiot.
This was the result of slacking off on training just because he was newly married. If this had been during our Black Dragon Unit days, I would've beaten him for three days and nights straight.
With Jin Baekho's retreat, the Martial Alliance's momentum faltered slightly. I sensed one of the elders preparing to step forward.
I shook my head at them. If an elder intervened now, it would look like we were using numbers to pressure them.
Which meant—
"Hm."
It was my turn.
Thud!
Iron Castle Steps. My own footwork technique, refined since my third-rate warrior days. It was specialized for fighting multiple opponents, but it worked perfectly in this situation too.
"Ugh!"
Dokgo Hyeok let out a groan. He'd quickly assessed how the entire battlefield had flipped in an instant.
Our eyes met.
"You are the Heavenly Guardian Sword Sovereign..."
Dokgo Hyeok's pupils trembled violently. Of course they did. I was the one dominating this entire space.
His advantage had been completely erased by my Iron Castle Steps. As a result, Dokgo Hyeok and every member of the Blood Dragon Imperial Guard stared at me with tense, wary expressions.
It was pure instinct. No warrior could look away when a blade was hovering right in front of their throat.
"How arrogant."
Just as their auras began to subside, the door of the black carriage opened. A heavenly maiden who seemed to have descended from the sky stepped out.
Silky black hair. Pale skin. Crimson eyes that seemed to hold the world's greatest treasures.
Even her voice was so beautiful one would hesitate to call it anything less than celestial.
Whoa.
After racing from a lowly warrior all the way to Alliance Leader without rest, a miracle had finally found me.
She's really beautiful.