Chapter 207. Nine in the Fifth Place (3)
The Sword Emperor could tell just from the shout alone that the unidentified incoming force numbered around fifty thousand.
‘Who are these people?!’
The total number of troops from the Allied Forces of Good and Evil gathered was only fifteen thousand, while the Heavenly Demon Cult’s side was seven thousand strong.
Even if both sides were combined, they wouldn’t amount to more than twenty-two thousand!
The shout gradually grew closer, and eventually, the identity of the great force approaching from the plains in the distance was revealed.
It was the troops of the imperial government!
Armed with spears and swords and trained under strict discipline, the fifty thousand soldiers were charging forward in perfect formation.
The words “Martial Subding General” were clearly embroidered on the flags held by each of their officers.
“Ho!”
The fighting spirit of the fifty thousand soldiers stopping immediately and shouting in unison made the forces feel intimidated and overwhelmed, as if they were facing an Absolute Master.
The fifty-thousand-strong army stopped to the side of where the Heavenly Demon Cult and the Allied Forces of Good and Evil were facing each other.
One of the generals leading them displayed a profound movement technique as he glided to where Woo-Moon was and saluted him.
“Regional Area Commander Lee Pyeong-An reporting for duty! I have come with fifty thousand fierce soldiers at your call, Martial Subduing General.”
Lee Pyeong-Ahn was a Transcendent expert, and true to his words, the gazes of the soldiers he had brought were sharp and intense, showing that they were far from ordinary.
“You’ve done well.”
Woo-Moon calmly praised Lee Pyeong-Ahn and sent a voice transmission to the Saber Emperor.
—What’s going on? How early did you find out about this that you were able to prepare in advance?
The Saber Emperor smiled sinisterly as he responded.
—You lucky rascal. Your little girlfriend Ma-Ra sent us a letter way back, warning us about this.
Woo-Moon smiled as he looked off into seemingly empty space, where Ma-Ra had hidden herself.
For some reason, Ma-Ra’s face turned red from within the shadows. She turned away as she sent him a voice transmission.
—Idiot.
‘I really am lucky to have met a woman like Ma-Ra.’
As it turned out, Ma-Ra knew Woo-Moon and Si-Hyeon better than they knew themselves and had been confident in their reconciliation.
That was why she had called the imperial government to Woo-Moon’s side, expecting the two to eventually reconcile and go back to how they were before.
With this, Woo-Moon’s side had five Absolute Masters and one Paragon.
The Justice Coalition had two Absolute Masters, the Sword Emperor and the Divine Monk, while the Hegemon Clan also had two, the Hegemon Emperor and the Soul-Slaying Sword Demon. Putting aside the fact that they already had more Absolute Masters than the Allied Forces of Good and Evil, with the presence of the Paragon, they were firmly ahead in terms of strength. Moreover, the Kunlun Sect, Namgoong Family, and the Baekri Family were on good terms with Woo-Moon. While they couldn’t come to Woo-Moon’s side at the moment because of their hostility with the Heavenly Demon Cult, they definitely wouldn’t participate if the Allied Forces planned on fighting him.
The Sword Emperor and Hegemon Emperor could feel that the situation was going strangely, their expressions turning grave.
‘When the hell did that brat turn the North Sea Ice Palace and the imperial government to his side?’
Woo-Moon glanced back to see how Si-Hyeon and the Heavenly Demon Cult were doing.
The Heavenly Demon Cult members were still dumbfounded. Clearly, they were struggling to comprehend and accept what was going on.
The Allied Forces and the Heavenly Demon Cult were different, and the influence that Woo-Moon and Si-Hyeon had on each faction was different.
The Heavenly Demon was an absolute being.
The Heavenly Demon was the being who held dominion over the life and death of all of the members of the Heavenly Demon Cult.
If the Heavenly Demon wanted them to die, they would all laugh with joy and offer up their necks.
That was why, even if they were confused by what had just happened, there were few among the cultists who would curse Si-Hyeon or express any hostility or betrayal.
One of the elders of the Heavenly Demon Cult finally spoke up with a trembling voice.
“M-my lord... What do you mean?”
Si-Hyeon answered coldly and firmly.
“I meant exactly what I said. However, that doesn’t mean I’m turning over to the Righteous Faction’s side or anything.”
Si-Hyeon wasn’t a fool. She knew full well that the Heavenly Demon Cult wouldn’t become their enemy if she made sure to speak the truth.
“Are you saying that Song Woo-Moon and the Righteous Faction are separate?” the smartest of the elders asked with shining eyes.
“Exactly.”
Most of the Heavenly Demon Cult breathed a sigh of relief at her answer.
For a few moments, they had feared their very own Heavenly Demon was about to betray the Heavenly Demon Cult and join the Righteous Faction. It would have been an unprecedented disaster.
Thankfully, it seemed like that wouldn’t happen.
The Heavenly Demon Cult existed only for the sake of the Heavenly Demon.
Without the Heavenly Demon, there was no Heavenly Demon Cult.
That was proven by the existence of the Heavenly Demon Dan Jeok-Ha when the Heavenly Demon Cult went through great chaos in the past[1]; moreover, they knew from personal experience what it was like to be without the Heavenly Demon.
While they wanted to persuade her to cut ties with Woo-Moon, every cultist in the Heavenly Demon Cult realized that it would be impossible since she had already sworn before everyone. But while everyone else gave up... there was one person who couldn’t.
“This is ridiculous! How can you accept Woo-Moon, my lord?!” Hwi Ji-Gang shouted.
Si-Hyeon sighed when she saw him. Her heart was heavy when she considered their engagement and how much he loved her.
However, Woo-Moon had no such feelings.
After hearing his scream, he turned to look at Si-Hyeon.
“Junior sister. He lied to me.”
“What? He lied?”
Si-Hyeon had heard Woo-Moon’s oath.
Her misunderstandings had melted away like snow after hearing how he still thought of her as his junior sister and that his feelings and actions were the same as hers. However, the misunderstandings had, in fact, happened. And what she didn’t know was that they happened because of Hwi Ji-Gang’s lies.
“He told me that you only ever loved him and that you never truly loved me, not even once.”
Of course, it had all been a lie because Si-Hyeon had never felt love for Hwi Ji-Gang.
Her expression turned cold, and she glared at Hwi Ji-Gang. There was no way that Hwi Ji-Gang could easily endure the pressure of Si-Hyeon, who was not only a Paragon and the Heavenly Demon.
His face turned pale, and he only barely managed to overcome his fear.
“T-that’s true! How could it not be true! You definitely told me that, my lord! You said you only loved me and that you never loved Song Woo-Moon!”
Hwi Ji-Gang’s eyes were filled with madness.
His hand trembled, and his veins began to bulge as if they were about to burst. Dark, cursed demonic qi began to exude from his entire body.
Cultivation deviation.
He was showing all the symptoms of cultivation deviation.
When someone who had mastered a demonic art fell into a state of cultivation deviation, the demonic qi would seep into their bones and drive them insane.
Woosh!
Si-Hyeon moved like the wind and went to Hwi Ji-Gang’s side. She tapped a few of his acupoints, then struck his dantian.
“Ugh!”
As soon as his dantian cracked, the flow of demonic qi that was eating away at his body was cut off.
Thanks to Si-Hyeon’s quick intervention, she was able to save his life, although at the cost of his cultivation.
She sighed and returned to her original position before going to Woo-Moon’s side and grabbing his hand.
“Senior brother.”
“Junior sister.”
A deep affection glistened in their gazes.
Then, their figures moved instantly simultaneously.
Without exchanging any words or messages, they both flew to their respective targets.
Bang, bang, bang!
They both moved like lightning!
The targets of their surprise attack were none other than the Sword Emperor and the Hegemon Emperor.
“What? Lord Chief Commander Emeritus!”
“Stop them! Protect the Lord Chief Commander Emeritus!”
However, who could stop the surprise attack of two Paragons? The Hegemon Clan and Justice Coalition figures fell in despair, expecting their leaders to be slaughtered.
Clang!!!
However, what they expected never happened.
The Sword Emperor and Hegemon Emperor each drew their weapons and countered Woo-Moon and Si-Hyeon’s attacks.
Even though they were merely two Absolute Masters facing the surprise attacks of two Paragons, neither showed any sign of getting pushed back.
After their attacks, Si-Hyeon quickly retreated to stand by Woo-Moon’s side, coldly shouting with hatred and contempt, “The dogs of Martial Heaven!”
Woo-Moon glared at the Sword Emperor, his eyes filled with anger and hatred.
“I never doubted you because you were friends with my grandfather. But, when I saw you yesterday... When I saw your eyes, I knew you were the bastard who killed my grandfather!”
Although Si-Hyeon shouted that they were dogs of Martial Heaven, barring a few from the Heavenly Demon Cult and the Allied Forces of Good and Evil, no one actually knew what Martial Heaven was.
They were shocked by Woo-Moon and Si-Hyeon’s sudden attack and were even more surprised by Woo-Moon’s words.
Woo-Moon had just said that the Sword Emperor had killed his grandfather! The Sword Emperor had killed the Palm Martial Emperor at the Heavenly Demon Mound!
How could they not be surprised when they heard that?
The Sword Emperor looked at Woo-Moon with a surprised expression on his face, but then he burst into laughter.
“Ahahahaha! You’re pretty good!”
The Justice Coalition’s chief commander, Divine Monk, quietly flew over and stood behind the Sword Emperor as if he were guarding him.
Woo-Moon’s eyes grew even colder.
“As expected... Divine Monk, you’re also a dog of Martial Heaven.”
Everything was clear now.
The sudden appearance of the Cruel Sandstorm Riders and their alliance with the Black Bull Gang—it had all been intentional.
It had all been planned by Martial Heaven.
After all, the Cruel Sandstorm Riders themselves were just a subordinate group of Martial Heaven.
Martial Heaven had kept the Cruel Sandstorm Riders and the Hegemon Clan from taking any losses during their war while causing the Justice Coalition and the Black Bull Gang to engage in fierce battles. With that, they had eradicated the Black Bull Gang and significantly reduced the power of the Justice Coalition.
The Black Bull Gang had to be eliminated because they weren’t a part of Martial Heaven in the first place, and the Justice Coalition, while it was led by the Sword Emperor and Divine Monk, was an old-fashioned organization that followed the Righteous Path. Even though both the old and the new chief commanders were members of Martial Heaven, they simply couldn’t manipulate it at will. So, the Justice Coalition was also a target for elimination.
On the other hand, the Hegemon Clan was an organization of the Evil Faction, and its members strictly followed the commands of their head. Therefore, since the Hegemon Emperor was from Martial Heaven, the Hegemon Clan was also a force of Martial Heaven.
This day had been arranged by Martial Heaven to use the remaining power of the Justice Coalition to deal with the final thorn in their side—the Heavenly Demon Cult.
All of this was only possible because both the Justice Coalition Chief Commander and the Hegemon Clan’s Master were figures of Martial Heaven.
“Hypocrite bastard. I will never forgive you,” Woo-Moon spat.
The Sword Emperor and Hegemon Emperor actually hadn’t learned the techniques of Martial Heaven. They were Paragons who had reached their level through the techniques of the Righteous and Evil Factions, which was why Woo-Moon hadn’t been able to sense them.
However, Woo-Moon remembered the look in his enemy’s eyes and the single glimpse of qi he had seen when the Palm Martial Emperor had died. It was that glimpse of qi that allowed him to realize that the Sword Emperor was his enemy the moment he saw him again.
The Justice Coalition’s Martial Commander, Palan Shin-Tong, looked over at the Sword Emperor with a confused look on his face.
“What are they saying, Lord Chief Commander Emeritus? Martial Heaven... what is that? AGK!”
Palan Shin-Tong fell backward, his forehead pierced by Sword Emperor’s sudden finger technique.
Blood gushed out of his forehead like a spring.
“You annoying little brat. You talk too much.”
1. Once again, referencing the main character of one of the author’s previous books, The Sixth Heavenly Lord. ☜