The Black Demon's Sacrifice
Dan Gang-cheol, Lord of the Dragon Demon Brigade, bellowed, “Jegal Clan Lord!! It is Baekri Hyeong, the young master of the Baekri Clan! I have urgent business—grant me an audience at once!”
“Y-Young Master! I shall escort the Sword Phoenix!”
“I leave her in your care, Lady Yujin.”
Baekri Hyeong had raced to the Jegal Clan at his father’s command. With his identity already exposed, there was no longer any reason to withhold the Vermilion Bird Art. In the blink of an eye he arrived at the main gate and pounded on the doors without ceremony. Fortunately, Jegal Yujin greeted him, her face drained of color. The Jegal Clan itself was in an uproar, as though some calamity had already struck.
“Young Master, what is the meaning of this sudden visit?”
“The Baekri Clan is under threat. The Fist King Neungho-gun, one of the Ten Great Masters, has mobilized, along with his subordinates from the Heaven-Sundering Fist School and the Black Tiger Sword School.”
“The Heaven-Sundering Fist School? Are you saying all Four Heavenly Schools are on the move?!”
“Pardon?” Baekri Hyeong had no idea why the Four Heavenly Schools had suddenly been mentioned. Yet from Jegal Jincheon’s expression, it was clear that some disaster had already befallen the Jegal Clan as well. There was no time to inquire further. Baekri Hyeok had already discerned that the Demonic Cult stood behind the crisis, but Baekri Hyeong had not. He possessed only suspicion, not proof. Looking at Jegal Jincheon’s face, however, he realized he would have to invoke the Demonic Cult to spur them into action.
“The Demonic Cult has risen, Clan Lord! The Four Heavenly Schools are no longer the issue!”
“..! The Demonic Cult has risen?”
“The Baekri Clan is currently surrounded by the Heaven-Sundering Fist School, the Black Tiger Sword School, and the Demonic Cult’s vanguard! My father is fighting the Demonic Cult’s elite, including the Fist King!”
At the mention of the Demonic Cult, Jegal Jincheon’s expression changed completely. A rebellion from the unorthodox factions was one thing, but once the Demonic Cult appeared, the priority was clear: the fight against the Demonic Cult came first.
“Young Master, return to the Baekri Clan at once and face the Demonic Cult! We shall dispatch reinforcements without delay!”
“Understood. And… please take good care of my sister.”
“That too, you need not worry about. I will restore the Sword Phoenix to full health by any means necessary.”
“I trust you. Then I’m off!”
Tatatat!
The moment his conversation with Jegal Jincheon ended, Baekri Hyeong leapt over the wall and vanished toward the Baekri Clan. At a glance it might have seemed disrespectful, yet this was no time for formalities.
“The Ghost Formation Unit is to lead every available warrior to the Baekri Clan immediately! This is an emergency—the Demonic Cult has risen! Prepare with all your might!”
“Understood!”
Jegal Jincheon had already received word that civilians had been massacred the previous night. He had suspected the Black Tiger Sword School, but the moment he heard “Demonic Cult,” everything fell into place. Those bastards had come prepared. They had used the Black Tiger Sword School to draw out the Sword Sovereign, their most troublesome foe, and had even stirred trouble in the territories of the Jegal Clan and the Wudang Sect to topple the Sword Sovereign’s stronghold—the Baekri Clan. It was a meticulously calculated scheme, and they had walked straight into it. Yet for some reason Jegal Jincheon, though urgent, could still afford a measure of composure. The Baekri Clan he knew was not a force that would fall to a mere Demonic Cult raid. Still, reinforcements had to be sent, so he immediately mobilized the forces at his disposal.
The Ghost Formation Unit—among the Jegal Clan’s forces, they held an unshakable position when it came to formations. If anyone could rescue the Baekri Clan from chaos, it was them. Should any of the invaders include formation experts, they would also be able to respond effectively. Jegal Jincheon’s swift reasoning led him to the best possible choice. Receiving their lord’s orders, the Ghost Formation Unit advanced toward the Baekri Clan.
What had begun as the bizarre antics of the unorthodox factions had, before anyone realized it, become the opening clash between the Demonic Cult and the Hubei Alliance.
**********
“As expected, the Ice Flower Witch Han Seol-eun lived up to her reputation. Quite the troublesome opponent.”
“Haa… haaa…”
“Without the Sword Sovereign, I thought the Baekri Clan would fall easily. Yet I was forced to sacrifice an arm. Impressive.”
Han Seol-eun, breathing raggedly, stared at the man in black who had lost his right arm. He had introduced himself as Dan Gang-cheol, Lord of the Dragon Demon Brigade. If a unit’s name contained the character for “demon” or carried negative connotations, and if it was not one of the orthodox or unorthodox factions, then there was only one group that used the character “ma.”
“The Demonic Cult… So you truly intend to set foot in the martial world once more…”
“You only realize it now? But… it’s already too late.”
Dan Gang-cheol curled his lips in mockery. He had heard that without the Sword Sovereign, the Baekri Clan was weaker than most mid-tier sects. Yet the Ice Flower Witch, who had not been active in the martial world for years, possessed strength that surpassed even those mid-tier factions. Moreover, an unexpected expert had been present at the Baekri Clan—Gongson Ryong, the Strange Axe.
Originally, the entire Dragon Demon Brigade had intended to move against Han Seol-eun. To prevent another Transcendent Peak expert from rampaging, however, fifteen members had been assigned to Gongson Ryong and five to Han Seol-eun. The result was victory for the Dragon Demon Brigade. Though the battle with Gongson Ryong continued, they had already seized the advantage. Han Seol-eun had slain five Transcendent Peak masters, but her internal energy was exhausted, and she now knelt before Dan Gang-cheol.
“If you beg for your life, I can spare you—provided you join our Cult.”
“Demonic Cult… You have made a grave mistake…”
“A mistake? I heard relations with the North Sea Ice Palace have improved, but that changes nothing. Once the Baekri Clan vanishes, even the Ice Palace will have no desire to clash with our Cult.”
“..!”
“In that sense, you must die here. Since you seem unwilling to bend your will, I shall end it now.”
Dan Gang-cheol drew his sword and brought it down toward Han Seol-eun’s head. In that fleeting instant, her life flashed before her eyes—meeting Baekri Hyeok, standing by his side, descending into the martial world, giving birth to Hyang and Hyeong, and arriving at this moment. She had wanted to remain by their sides as long as possible, but it seemed this was the end. Just as Han Seol-eun resigned herself and closed her eyes—
Chaeaeaeaeeng!!
The sword that should have cleaved her neck struck something and rang out. When she opened her eyes, a child clad in a familiar martial robe stood before her, blocking Dan Gang-cheol’s blade.
“M-Mother—”
“From here on, I will handle this, Mother. I’m late… I’m sorry!”
Kugugugugugung!
The enraged child—Baekri Hyeong—pushed the Vermilion Bird Art to its absolute limit. Had he been even a moment later, he would have witnessed his mother’s death once more. Realizing this, Baekri Hyeong could no longer contain his boiling fury. More precisely, he had no desire to contain it.
Piiiiiiik!
‘Very well. Just this once, I’ll let myself run wild.’
At the same time, the Vermilion Bird’s resentment erupted from within his chest, and Baekri Hyeong accepted it. For now, he would heed the Vermilion Bird’s wrath.
Meanwhile, Dan Gang-cheol was greatly flustered to discover that the warrior blocking his path was a mere child. Even with one arm severed, how could a mere brat deflect his sword strike?
“You—are you the Sword Sovereign’s son?”
“And you? The bastard who did this to my mother.”
“What if I am?”
“I’ll kill you. In agony, despairing that there is no salvation!”
“Splendid!”
Kwakwakwang!
When Baekri Hyeong swung his sword, a wave of sword qi wreathed in flames struck Dan Gang-cheol directly. Yet Dan Gang-cheol was a supreme demonic master. Using the art of body substitution, he escaped and regained his stance, then gazed at Baekri Hyeong’s body, which burned like a raging inferno. The heat was immense. Yet the boy showed no sign of burns, nor even discomfort from the temperature.
‘His realm is at the peak of the Peak Realm. Normally I would have dispatched him easily, but… I’ve lost an arm and my internal energy is nearly depleted.’
Moreover, his opponent was no ordinary expert—he was the Sword Sovereign’s son. Since Han Seol-eun was his mother, if the boy were in danger she would surely charge forward even at the cost of her innate true qi. The moment Baekri Hyeong intervened, killing Han Seol-eun had become impossible.
‘Then I must kill the child first.’
Having made his decision in an instant, Dan Gang-cheol lunged at Baekri Hyeong. At the very least, he believed his speed was not inferior. He charged with the intent to kill the boy before he could even realize what was happening—
Seureureuk.
“He vanished..?”
“How can a Transcendent Peak master be this slow?”
“Kuhak!”
Baekri Hyeong, who had disappeared from sight, reappeared behind Dan Gang-cheol and swung his flame-wreathed sword with full force, leaving a deep gash across the man’s back. Realizing he had been outsped, Dan Gang-cheol was greatly shaken, yet he had already accounted for variables. The moment he sensed the attack, he counterattacked.
Ssaeaeaeaeek!
“It won’t work.”
“...Tsk.”
Though he had launched sword qi, Baekri Hyeong had anticipated it and moved with an uncanny technique. His movements were light yet ferocious, and the killing intent he radiated was so dreadful it resembled that of a slaughtering demon born solely to kill. It was only natural for a son to rage when his mother had been reduced to such a state. Whether that was true or not, Dan Gang-cheol did not know.
“At this rate, I cannot return alive.”
“..?”
“The Heavenly Demon’s return, ten thousand demons bow in reverence. This lowly believer offers himself to the Heavenly Demon.”
Reciting the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s creed, Dan Gang-cheol unhesitatingly tore out his own heart. An indescribable black qi began to fill the sky from his entire body.