Chapter 299

Jo Taehwa’s face hardened.

“And what tricks did Jang Icheong, dispatched from the Ihwa Sword Heaven Sect, pull?”

Unhwi’s tone was calm; the content was not.

“He crawled in with bandits to claw for concessions, and in the end he dragged in blameless warriors of other sects to die with him. A truly pathetic man. His ambition was far larger than his ability.”

“...You bastard... are you insulting the dead?”

“I am, because he merits insult. I count no such human as a senior, nor as a warrior. I see him only as a swindler.”

“Y-you...!”

He ignored it.

“There’s no way you seniors didn’t know all this. Even if you try to cover the sky with your hand, can it be covered?”

Yu Myeongsan flushed and sprang to his feet.

“Even so, does that give you the right to kill our people?”

“It gives more than enough reason.”

With resolute eyes, Unhwi looked at each of them and spoke.

“Seniors. Remember this. I will make this offer only once.”

“...”

“If you refuse this offer, I will stake my neck and say this plainly. Not only the person who refuses, but everything standing behind him will become my enemy, and I will kill and kill again until the day my life ends.”

In an instant, the air of Heavenly Dragon Hall turned cold. Here and there, killing intent rose.

He paid it no mind.

“We will face only the Ihwa Sword Heaven Sect.”

“What?”

Jo Taehwa jolted to his feet in surprise.

“The rest of you, join the Heavenly Alliance and take your share of concessions.”

For a moment, Heavenly Dragon Hall rippled with murmurs.

“W-what nonsense are you spouting!”

Jo Taehwa shouted in fluster, but it meant nothing.

“There are still those among you with one foot in the Heavenly Alliance. Suncheon Sword Sect, Black Heaven Demon Prison Palace, Mixed Path Demon Flame Palace—these three sects took no damage and are even now taking their slice. And from the start, Shinsal Sword Sect and Heart Demon Path Sect didn’t join the Alliance’s revitalization; you should have no great grudge against us.”

If there were a grudge, that would be stranger.

Unhwi’s gaze went to Oh Munyeom of Shinsal Sword Sect.

“Especially in Shinsal’s case, I can roughly guess what secret understanding passed between you and the Martial Alliance’s Jegal Yeonghyeon.”

Oh Munyeom stared at Unhwi without a word.

“If you want to weigh which rope is longer, I won’t stop you—but since you’re here as your side’s responsible man, you’ll have to choose now.”

Oh Munyeom gave a quiet nod.

Unhwi swept his eyes once more around the hall and continued.

“The Heavenly Alliance’s domain will widen. We’ll be dispatching several more Chief Heavenly Commanders as well, so you have more than enough grounds to come in.”

Yu Myeongsan asked,

“What does it mean to belong to the Heavenly Alliance?”

“Exactly what it says. The Nine-Gate Assembly will be dissolved. It never had grounds in the first place. And each sect will conclude its own alliance with the Heavenly Alliance.”

Unhwi explained evenly.

“We share the concessions gained in Un’guk, and together respond to the great changes that will unfold in the Central Plains.”

At Unhwi’s words, everyone except Jo Taehwa looked around at one another.

As they listened...

This... isn’t bad, is it?

Yu Myeongsan of Suncheon Sword Sect glanced sidelong at Jo Taehwa.

From the start, the union of the Five Sword Sects and the External Four Demon Sects can’t last long. But if a body like the Heavenly Alliance bridges the middle, we get a platform to minimize friction and still take profit.

Oh Munyeom of Shinsal Sword Sect looked at Unhwi.

...I thought this body could not last long, yet that brat’s tongue is sweeter than expected. Sweeter even than Jegal Yeonghyeon’s offer.

That was sincere.

He had no interest in the Alliance’s so-called revitalization, but this changed the story.

Bluntly, why tiptoe around the Ihwa Sword Heaven Sect—or the Martial Alliance?

He had come intending only to pretend agreement and make up the numbers because Ihwa was the strongest among the Five Sword Sects, yet now there seemed much to gain.

Unhwi said,

“Senior Park of Cheoneum Sword Sect, Senior Im of Cheongun Sword Sect, and Senior Baek of Cheonma Mind Spirit Sect—are you not warriors who know the warrior’s duty?”

“...Ahem...”

“I did indeed kill Jin Socheon with my own hand, I killed Hang Ryeo, and I killed Xiao Linghua as well. But I had no choice; the situation left no other path, and the one who created that situation was Jang Icheong of the Ihwa Sword Heaven Sect. The one who made your warriors die, the prime culprit, sits over there—so if you blame me, I can only find that unjust.”

“...Mm...”

It was right, and there was no way to refute it.

But Jo Taehwa was different.

“I could laugh.”

“Is that so?”

“Right now you wag that three-inch tongue to split our Nine-Gate Assembly—have you even grasped—”

“It is not division.”

Unhwi met Jo Taehwa’s eyes and spoke.

“It is mutual flourishing. From the start, the Nine-Gate Assembly is a body that cannot stand, and must not. You people directly manipulated others and got them killed, and now you drag in their home sects to create trouble? That is neither the warrior’s duty nor a human one.”

“...”

“It is a beast’s duty.”

“Enough drivel!”

Jo Taehwa, as if he could endure no more, surged to his feet, and Unhwi smiled as he spoke.

“The concrete terms can be tuned in later conversation with our Alliance Lord.”

Jo Taehwa, brow knotted, drew his sword.

Shhhk.

Then, glancing around, he shouted,

“You fools... how can you be bewitched by a brat’s words!”

All were silent.

Frankly, it was obvious the Nine-Gate Assembly’s momentum had ebbed.

No matter how they combined ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) strength into a giant bloc, the Heavenly Alliance had already become one with Un’guk.

So long as those two bodies were one, striking the Alliance meant facing Un’guk as well, and even a coalition of sects would find it no simple thing to provoke a state.

Unhwi smiled faintly.

“Senior Jo.”

“...Who’s your senior!”

“Then I’ll lower it. Jo Taehwa.”

“You dog-worse bastard.”

“Cheonrim and the Ihwa Sword Heaven Sect will be split, and you will die here today.”

“...Ha. You whine because I put a hand to your chest earlier? No matter what new realm you’re said to have created, do you dare think you can face me!”

At that, Unhwi shook his head.

“I’m a practical man. When did I say I would face you?”

“...What?”

Unhwi turned his head.

There stood the Alliance Lord of the Heavenly Alliance, Mae Wuidong.

“It seems time for the Alliance Lord to show the world our Heavenly Alliance’s will.”

The soft smile on Mae Wuidong’s face cracked.

It felt like the mask he wore had just been shattered.

Mae Wuidong sent a soundless transmission.

—Why are you doing this?

Unhwi lifted a shoulder.

—You may or may not have heard, but there’s a strange rumor on the street.

—...A rumor?

—Yes. A truly disgraceful one.

—May I hear it?

There was no reason not to say.

—To summarize a bit of a long tale: that in truth the Heavenly Alliance belongs to the Heavenly Arbiter, and the Alliance Lord is a scarecrow. That sort of rumor.

—...Not something you made up?

Unhwi gave a small laugh.

—What profit would I have in inventing it?

—...

—The Alliance Lord of the Heavenly Alliance is undoubtedly Master Mae. But as you see, I’ve handled matters till now and taken all the attention. That’s not how it should be, is it?

—...

—We joined hands. We should do the work together.

—...Our Heavenly Arbiter certainly acts seeing at least two moves ahead. It seems you’re dissatisfied with me?

Unhwi snorted lightly.

—Hardly.

—...That’s not how it sounds... Very well. I’ll trust you this once as well.

Mae Wuidong rose from his seat.

“As Alliance Lord of the Heavenly Alliance, I cannot watch with open eyes the conduct of the Ihwa Sword Heaven Sect.”

“...Alliance Lord Mae, have you gone mad?”

“I am perfectly sane.”

Mae Wuidong drew the sword at his hip—and launched from his place.

The sword that cleaved through the air was black light itself.

And the sword Jo Taehwa whipped from his hip to meet it was light itself.

KWA-BOOM—!!

A thunderous blast erupted, and a storm howled in all directions.

“I’ve long wished to cross hands with the Adamantine Sword Knight.”

“...I don’t care to dance to this lunacy, but fine. Since you struck first, don’t call my hand too heavy!”

As Jo Taehwa and Mae Wuidong began to fight, those who had been seated started to widen the distance.

Only one man did not.

Unhwi did not step back.

His eyes were fixed on Mae Wuidong.

His movements, his gestures, his footprints.

Even the way his muscles moved.

As if to take all of it, Unhwi focused.