Chapter 26

Chapter 26

“Quite bold, wasn’t he?”

“What are you talking about?”

Cheonung wondered if this man had gone senile as he looked at him. The man merely smirked.

“Have you not heard?”

“Is this the territory of the Unorthodox Alliance? It’s possible I haven’t.”

“I’m talking about your disciple.”

Cheonung sifted through the two disciples in his mind and picked out the one bold enough to match the man’s words.

“You mean Youngho?”

“Yes. It seems you intend to send your fifth disciple to the Dragon–Phoenix Gathering.”

“He has the skill for it. More importantly, did any worthwhile brats come out on your side, Alliance Leader?”

The man—no, Han Yonghu, the Murim Alliance Leader—displayed a supremely confident smile.

“I heard you ran into Hainan on your way here. Did you speak well with your friend?”

“It’s been three years, so there wasn’t much to say.”

“I see. Did you meet a child named Tanyeong?”

“I did. Hainan has produced the future Sword King.”

“This time, quite a few promising figures have gathered on the Orthodox side.”

“Enough bragging. What did Youngho do to make you bring it up?”

“Will it kill you to let me boast a little?”

“I’m not particularly interested.”

“So that child named Youngho has stolen your heart.”

“You could say that.”

Seeing Cheonung admit it so readily, Han Yonghu felt immense doubt.

‘He wouldn’t normally acknowledge it so easily.’

He must truly favor him.

Han Yonghu immediately recounted what had happened earlier.

“He still seems young—he doesn’t understand the Gratitude and Grudge of Jianghu very well. He stepped in to stop disputes that had broken out here and there.”

“Isn’t that a good thing?”

“It is, but not for the parties involved.”

“It’s rare to see you worrying about Unorthodox members.”

“If he’s a child you favor, then I favor him as well.”

Han Yonghu knew Cheonung’s temperament. A man who loved fighting more than anyone, yet despised sacrifice at the same time.

That was Cheonung.

If it was a child Cheonung had taken a liking to, then at the very least he wouldn’t have a temperament that reveled in war.

“Perhaps because tensions between the Orthodox Sect and the Unorthodox Faction have been ominous lately, they’ve been deliberately picking fights with each other.”

“That was inevitable. The Unorthodox Faction really is trash.”

Cheonung accepted the label of trash as though it were only natural. Even so, Han Yonghu made no effort to soften his words.

“Among them, the Iron Fist Sect has been a bit of a problem lately.”

“They’ve been getting too carried away.”

“And the Yangtze River.”

“That place has always been a problem.”

“Your third disciple is the biggest problem.”

“That brat will be restrained by Youngho on his own. So what exactly did you call me here for?”

At those words, Han Yonghu’s eyes sank deeply.

“The movements of the Demonic Cult have been strange lately.”

Cheonung’s gaze turned cold.

“Have we not waged the Orthodox–Demonic War enough?”

“That may be. It’s the perfect time for them to think we’ve united our strength. But as long as that monster is alive, it was bound to happen eventually.”

Monster.

Even without speaking a name or title, anyone would know who they meant.

The Monster of Cheonsan.

The Supreme Leader of the Ten Thousand Demons, and the sky of all demonic beings.

The Heavenly Demon.

The one called the greatest under heaven in the current Murim.

“It seems the Heavenly Demon intends to move in earnest.”

“Your basis?”

“The information coming out of the Demonic Cult has decreased too much lately.”

“That’s basis enough.”

The Demonic Cult was simple. A place where strength was everything—that was the Demonic Cult. They did not concern themselves with losing information.

Of course, they would conceal truly critical intelligence, but most of their information remained open.

In truth, both the Murim Alliance and the Unorthodox Alliance had been able to plant spies within the Demonic Cult with absurd ease.

“It’s already been a week since contact was cut.”

“A week… That’s ambiguous.”

“There’s no harm in being cautious.”

“That’s true. Then will the Heavenly Demon attend this Dragon–Phoenix Gathering?”

“No. As before, one of the Guardians will likely come.”

“And the Heavenly Demon’s whereabouts?”

“Lost a week ago. I suppose Chief Aide Cheong didn’t tell you?”

“You know how it is. My Chief Aide doesn’t report anything unless it’s certain.”

“That’s true.”

The two maintained silence for a while. A suffocating stillness enveloped them, yet neither felt the slightest discomfort.

Han Yonghu and Cheonung were calculating what lay ahead. It was a task typically handled by a Chief Aide or a Strategist, but it was also the duty of a leader.

“We must prevent the Orthodox–Demonic War somehow.”

“Will that be easy?”

At Han Yonghu’s question, Cheonung tore into a strip of jerky with an indifferent expression and replied,

“My disciple will take care of it.”

“You mean Youngho?”

“Yes.”

“Truly. The way you speak of him makes me want to meet him in person.”

“He’s simpler than you think. Right about now, he’s probably somewhere chewing on sweets.”

***

Crunch. Crunch.

Youngho chewed on a sweet confection and let out a sigh of relief.

“Whew. That’s a relief. It’s a bit far from the Dragon–Phoenix Gathering grounds, but we managed to get rooms at a fairly decent inn.”

Watching him, Horyeung began unpacking their luggage and said,

“Ha ha. Even by the standards of common people, it’s only about a quarter-hour’s walk. For martial artists, isn’t that practically right in front of us?”

“That’s true, but I can’t carry Sopyung around every time we move.”

“That’s fair.”

Elder Hyeok nodded as well and asked Youngho,

“By the way, are you heading out?”

“Who asks that to an eighteen-year-old? Shouldn’t it be obvious I’m going out?”

“But Young Master, you said you weren’t going. We only ended up coming because Sopyung insisted. What kind of eighteen-year-old shows no interest in the Dragon–Phoenix Gathering like he’s already lived his whole life?”

“It’s not that I’ve lived my whole life. I just don’t want to accumulate needless Gratitude and Grudge.”

“And yet you knocked out a disciple of the Azure Sword Sect? I heard a rather ominous sound come from his head….”

Even Youngho seemed to have no rebuttal to that. He let out a groan.

“Ugh. No, Elder Hyeok, think about it. I just wanted to get a room, but every inn we went to had a fight breaking out. What would you have done?”

“I would’ve ignored it and moved on.”

“…Huh?”

That was an option?

“No, that’s not the point! Would you not care even if the Orthodox–Demonic War broke out?”

“If it breaks out, it breaks out. How much worse could dying get?”

Horyeung nodded, apparently agreeing with Elder Hyeok.

That was the normal perspective. But those bastards of the Demonic Cult of Cheonsan would see it as an opportunity!

Seeing the innocent reactions of Elder Hyeok and Horyeung—who knew nothing of the future—Youngho unconsciously let out a deep sigh.

“Sopyung, let’s go. Don’t mingle with those fools who know nothing but blood.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

It was Sopyung’s first time at the Dragon–Phoenix Gathering, and she nodded vigorously, looking full of anticipation.

“Let’s head outside first.”

Youngho’s group stepped out of the annex. With only Horyeung and Elder Hyeok accompanying him as guards, Youngho was about to exit the inn when—

Thump. Thump.

His heart suddenly began pounding.

‘This feeling…?’

In that instant, killing intent began to fill Youngho’s heart. Before he knew it, a chilling murderous aura had settled in his eyes.

Had he not known? That they would inevitably meet. That the moment of confrontation would come.

Demonic Qi. So faint that no one but Youngho could possibly detect it—yet it entered his senses.

The unpleasant aura grew thicker with every step he took forward.

To avoid revealing his killing intent to Horyeung and Elder Hyeok, Youngho slightly lowered his head.

Then suddenly, his eyes widened.

He had to struggle desperately to prevent the uncontrollable killing intent from leaking out.

He had to endure it. This was the Dragon–Phoenix Gathering. Even if he was the disciple of the Alliance Lord, killing someone here would cause a tremendous uproar.

All the more so if the opponent held a high position.

Cheon Muback.

The Demonic Cult’s Young Cult Leader stood directly before Youngho.

Crack. Creak.

The first to notice Youngho’s change was none other than Horyeung.

A chilling sound of bones grinding echoed from Youngho’s hand, and Horyeung immediately looked into his eyes.

Chill—!

Without realizing it, Horyeung nearly stepped back. Just what kind of battlefield of carnage must one have endured to possess such eyes?

He forced open his stiff lips to speak—

But at that moment, Youngho strode somewhere with long steps.

In the direction Youngho was heading, a man who exuded a mysterious atmosphere sat in a chair inside the inn.

Why was he approaching that man? Recalling Youngho’s earlier gaze, Horyeung thought he must stop him immediately and was about to move when—

“Have we not met before?”

Youngho addressed the man.

The man looked at him with indifferent eyes.

“Met before, you say?”

“Yes. I feel like we’ve met.”

“You’re not certain?”

Sensing Cheon Muback discreetly gathering his Martial Presence, Youngho also drew up a faint thread of energy from his Dantian without anyone noticing.

“To be honest, I am certain… but I don’t know whether you would remember me.”

“Was it an ill-fated connection?”

Cheon Muback spoke with a tone as sharp and cold as the cutting winds of the Northern Sea. Youngho kept his expression blank as he replied,

“An ill-fated connection… perhaps.”

“Revenge?”

“You must have accumulated quite a lot of grudges. The way you jump straight to revenge upon hearing ‘ill-fated connection.’”

“At the very least, I’ve lived a harsher life than a pretty-faced courtesan like you.”

“Oh? My life has been so dreadful that no one else could possibly have tasted it.”

“Are you wagging your tongue because you wish to taste the bitterness of life right now?”

At that moment, faint Martial Presence leaked from both Youngho and Cheon Muback.

It was weak at first, but as their presences collided, they steadily intensified, causing the objects around them to tremble.

Rrrrrrr.

Though Youngho revealed nothing of it, Cheon Muback was deeply shaken inside.

‘What the hell is this bastard?’

He couldn’t understand it. Even though he had revealed a sliver of sincerity, the other party seemed only to be raising his presence further, as if he had not even begun.

At this rate, a fight would surely break out.

And above all—

‘What in the world is this…?’

Each time Cheon Muback felt Youngho’s presence, it felt as though his throat had been slit. No—not just his throat.

His chest, arms, legs… it felt as though multiple parts of his body had been stabbed or cut.

Strong.

He had heard no information from the Cult’s intelligence network about someone like this. Judging by appearance alone, the man looked far younger than himself.

He appeared barely to be reaching coming-of-age.

‘And yet he emits this level of presence?’

Cheon Muback had not revealed his full power. At most, he had shown about thirty percent. But the same surely applied to his opponent.

To possess such energy at an age that seemed not even at coming-of-age yet…

Cheon Muback grew intensely curious about the man before him.

“What is your name?”

“Youngho.”

“Are you participating in this Dragon–Phoenix Gathering?”

“Of course.”

“I see. I’m not in the mood to fight right now. Let’s meet in the finals.”

Cheon Muback rose from his seat, paid the inn attendant for the food, and left.

Youngho simply stared blankly at Cheon Muback’s departing back.

Meanwhile, those who had witnessed their standoff felt relieved that a fight had not broken out.

Horyeung and Elder Hyeok also let out long breaths, as though they had just extended their lives by ten years.

“Young Master….”

“There’s somewhere I need to stop by. Horyeung, stay with Sopyung.”

“Yes.”

In an instant, Youngho’s Body Movement Form vanished.

Watching this, Elder Hyeok groaned in anguish.

“I’m supposed to follow you, Young Master!”

Only Elder Hyeok’s desperate cry lingered within the inn.