The Martial Alliance (Murim Meng).
It is the union of the orthodox factions within the martial arts world.
Some elders of the Sixteen Great Clans also serve as elders within the Martial Alliance. Occasionally, individuals not from the Sixteen Great Clans assume the role, relying on their exceptional skill and reputation.
However, the Martial Alliance is surprisingly close to being a symbolic organization. Its authority doesn’t extend to the individual sects of the Sixteen Great Clans, each operating as a kingdom of its own.
Since the sects rarely align in purpose, the Martial Alliance in peacetime is little more than a social club for certain elders.
But during times of war, the situation changes. On rare occasions when conflicts between the orthodox factions and other powers escalate, the Martial Alliance wields considerable influence.
The current situation was one such case.
As a result, Jegal Tong, the Martial Alliance’s Chief Strategist, who usually spent his days observing clouds and sipping tea, now found himself overwhelmed with work.
“Severe damage to the North Sea Ice Palace… Are you sure about this information?”
“Yes, it’s confirmed. The Palace Lord has sustained serious injuries and secluded herself. The Ice Palace is nearly in ruins. Oh, and Je Cheon-hyeok also showed up.”
“I see. That explains the hasty movements of the Joint Sect’s Leader.”
Jegal Tong nodded, recalling his previous instructions to the transcendent martial artists.
If the transcendents of the Black Lotus Union vacated their positions, the orthodox transcendents were to immediately take advantage of the opportunity.
This time, the Leader of the Joint Sect acted quickly, lending substantial support to the offensive against the Giyeon Sect.
“Hey, Jegal ‘Big Head’!”
“…Must you address me like that? I am not a child.”
“How can someone’s name just be Tong? It’s absurd.”
“Perhaps you should bring that up with my father.”
“I already did. He said it means ‘communication with the heavens.’ Nice meaning, but wouldn’t it have been better to add something to the front or back of it?”
Who else could tease Jegal Tong, the Chief Strategist of the Martial Alliance, so casually? None other than Paeng Chu-san, one of the elders of the Hebei Paeng Clan.
Laughing heartily, Paeng Chu-san glanced at the map spread before Jegal Tong.
“Anyway, I’ve never been so grateful to those Demonic Cult bastards. The battleground has shifted entirely westward, giving the Paeng Clan some breathing room.”
“No, this is precisely the time to remain cautious. They might strike at the central or eastern regions instead.”
“Come on, who would do that? They’d risk losing the Giyeon Sect entirely.”
“They would, precisely because they’re unhinged. The Black Lotus Union’s Chief Strategist isn’t sane.”
Sometimes, observing his strategies, one couldn’t help but sense a streak of madness.
He played his moves like a chess master, bold and precise, discarding unnecessary pieces without hesitation. At times, he would even sacrifice perfectly good pieces to maximize gains elsewhere.
Sama Hyun, the Chief Strategist of the Black Lotus Union, did not view people as human beings.
While his tactical genius was undeniable, Jegal Tong couldn’t suppress his revulsion. He was someone Jegal Tong would never willingly associate with.
“Still, this is an opportunity. The weakening of the Ice Palace solidifies our advantage in the west.”
He almost felt like thanking the unknown Demonic martial artist. How could someone consistently make decisions so favorable to their enemies?
If the orthodox factions secured the west entirely, the Giyeon Sect and the North Sea Ice Palace would find themselves trapped between the Demonic Cult and the orthodox forces. With the current incident straining their relationship with the Demonic Cult, the Black Lotus Union would naturally want to avoid such a scenario.
The North Sea Ice Palace was already in ruins, and the Giyeon Sect alone couldn’t withstand the Demonic forces’ onslaught.
This meant two of the Seven Demonic Black Gates would be unable to act rashly.
“Things in life rarely go as planned, but it seems the heavens are favoring the orthodox factions this time,” Jegal Tong said with a smile.
*
Sama Hyun wasn’t smiling.
“…These insane bastards.”
Staring blankly at the map, he slammed his fist onto the section marked Tian Shan.
Bang!
The items on the table shook violently.
‘The entire plan has fallen apart.’
The Priestess, the Sword Demon, the Greed Demon, and even some nameless Demonic martial artist—wasn’t that person supposedly the sprout of the Ten Thousand Demonic Lord?
Such trivial disruptions had completely derailed the grand scheme.
And yet, a letter arrived from the Demonic Cult, stamped with the Priestess’ official seal, expressing deep regret over the interference in their affairs.
The audacity! After barging in and causing havoc, they still had the gall to act so self-righteous?
This is exactly why people warn against dealing with the Demonic Cult.
“Every single part of this is infuriating…”
But in this situation, antagonizing the Demonic Cult was not an option.
The North Sea Ice Palace was already in ruins. If the Demonic Cult intervened further, the entire situation would turn catastrophically against the Black Lotus Union.
Amid the chaos of countless variables, Sama Hyun made his decision. It was a reckless strategy, but it was the only way to disrupt the flow of events.
His eyes gleamed as he moved a piece from the map’s center, representing the Central Plains.
“Capture the orthodox factions’ strongest piece.”
If the brightest star of the martial world fell, the sheltered flowers of the orthodox sects would be powerless against the momentum of the Black Lotus Union.
*
"He’s coming."
Chun-bong's eyes shot open. Inside the dimly lit closed cultivation chamber, the sudden burst of light flooding in as she threw the door open chased away the darkness in an instant.
Whoosh!
The sunlight, which she hadn’t seen in days, made Chun-bong squint.
Though she hadn’t fully achieved the goals she set for herself during this secluded training session, it felt pointless to stay cooped up any longer.
If nothing else, she might as well go out to greet him.
“Geum Mae?”
Right then, she ran into Namgung Sua passing nearby. Noticing Chun-bong’s hardened expression, Namgung tilted her head quizzically before quickly stepping closer and bowing slightly.
“Is something wrong?”
Namgung had to stoop to meet Chun-bong’s eyes. Realizing this, Chun-bong puffed out her cheeks in annoyance and replied curtly.
“He’s coming.”
“Huh? Who?”
“Lee Seo-jun.”
“Wait, what?”
Namgung Sua looked puzzled, but Chun-bong was certain. She could feel it—a signal, as Seo-jun would put it, from her Chun-bong Radar.
“Don’t tell anyone where I’ve gone.”
Leaving behind this dramatic statement, Chun-bong darted off, disappearing in a flash. Namgung Sua blinked, staring at the spot where she had just been.
“Seo-jun is coming…?”
As thoughts churned in her mind, Namgung Sua subtly quickened her pace.
There was something she needed to prepare.
She felt a little guilty for pushing things so hard, but what could she do? She couldn’t resist the urge to show him.
The garment she had been making little by little during her free time.
The outfit she would wear for their engagement ceremony was finally complete.
*
In the end, they failed to bring the Sprout of the Ten Thousand Demonic Lord back to the Cult.
The Priestess sat silently, her expression subdued. The Greed Demon rubbed his now slimmer stomach awkwardly and asked,
“So… is this a big problem?”
“No, nothing changes. However, the responsibility for this will certainly fall on the Black Demon.”
“The Black Demon…? Can you even do that?”
“She’s the reason we lost the Sprout of the Ten Thousand Demonic Lord.”
“Well, setting justification aside…”
Frankly, even in terms of justification, it was a stretch to blame the Black Demon. She had simply followed the will of the Sprout of the Ten Thousand Demonic Lord, not the Priestess.
While not officially part of the Cult yet, the Sprout’s status alone placed him above the Priestess in rank.
But even putting that aside—could anyone actually hold the Black Demon accountable?
“She’s insanely strong. I don’t think even the Sword Demon could beat her.”
The Sword Demon glared sharply at the Greed Demon, who quickly shut his mouth.
The Priestess let out a small sigh.
“I don’t plan to take any drastic action. Her temperament is naturally mild. A few words should be enough to ensure she restrains herself.”
“Eh, that’s underwhelming. I thought losing the Sprout would cause a huge uproar.”
The Greed Demon clicked his tongue in disappointment.
The Priestess shook her head. Holding the Black Demon accountable wasn’t necessary.
“The Sprout of the Ten Thousand Demonic Lord is bound to return to Tian Shan.”
“But didn’t he run off without even looking back this time?”
“He will return.”
The Priestess’s eyes glinted sharply as she recalled the ancient tales of the Ten Thousand Demonic Lord.
“The Sprout of the Ten Thousand Demonic Lord is not like an ordinary human.”
“Not like a human? What do you mean?”
“The Sprout has a faint emotional spectrum. He cannot empathize with others, nor does he feel emotions one would naturally expect in certain situations.”
While similar to the Demonic martial artists, the Sprout of the Ten Thousand Demonic Lord is unique in that he is born with this temperament, unlike others who develop it.
“Even if he stays in the orthodox or unorthodox factions for a while, he will eventually be rejected and find his way back to Tian Shan.”
The worst-case scenario would be the Sprout being declared an enemy of the martial world and killed.
However, considering the strength of the two Demonic Masters, the Priestess herself, and the impenetrable Heavenly Web Formation, that seemed unlikely.
“It’s only… a slight delay.”
The Priestess sighed quietly. It seemed she was in for a period of considerable frustration.
*
My Sweet Home. The Namgung Clan.
Seo-jun, now back in the guise of Lee Seo-jun, casually hummed a tune as he strode through the main gates.
“I have arrived.”
The Grand Demon of the Flame Demon Realm had returned to the Namgung Clan.
Walking confidently, Seo-jun suddenly stopped, sensing a familiar presence through his heightened perception.
“Hm?”
What is she doing there? He briefly wondered before continuing his steps nonchalantly.
When Seo-jun crossed the threshold,
“Rawr!”
Chun-bong, who had been hanging upside down above the gate, leapt out with her hands curled like tiger claws—or what she probably thought were tiger claws but looked more like kitten paws.
Seo-jun stopped and found himself face-to-face with Chun-bong, who was still dangling upside down. After a moment of consideration, he jumped back dramatically.
“Ahhh! It’s Reverse Chun-bong!”
“Hehehe.”
Landing on the ground with a satisfied expression, Chun-bong hopped forward and clung to Seo-jun, planting kisses on his lips.
“You’re here?”
Her wild cat-like energy surged to the sky. Battles where life and death hung in the balance? Such cheap thrills couldn’t compare to the dopamine rush of Chun-bong’s kisses.
“Big brother’s back, Chun-bong!”
Scooping Chun-bong up, Seo-jun dashed across the Namgung estate, proudly showing her off. After a lap, he carried her on his shoulders, grinning.
“This big brother brought some amazing deer antlers.”
“Deer antlers? What are you talking about? Weren’t you at Tian Shan?”
“I was. These are rare antlers from Tian Shan.”
Seo-jun pulled a massive horn out of his pack, and as soon as it was revealed, an intense aura spread across the area.
Chun-bong gulped nervously and asked,
“Hey, hey. What is that…?”
Did this guy bring back something strange again? Chun-bong rolled her eyes in suspicion.
“There’s a long story behind it!”
“…You’ve picked up another weird speech habit.”
“It’s addictive! Chun-bong should try it too!”
“No way, you idiot.”
Sitting on Seo-jun’s shoulders, Chun-bong clamped her thighs tightly.
“Ack…!”
Seo-jun tapped at her legs in surrender, and the triumphant Chun-bong hopped down to the ground.
Pouting, Seo-jun stuffed the antlers back into his bag.
“Where’s Sua?”
“No idea. Didn’t you see her on the way here?”
“Nope.”
Scratching his chin, Seo-jun grabbed Chun-bong’s hand and started walking.
“Let’s report to your father first.”
“Why me?”
“You’re not coming?”
“…Fine, I’ll go.”
“That’s the spirit.”
And so, it was time to showcase the prowess of the Flame Demon Realm.
Seo-jun just hoped Chun-bong wouldn’t burst into tears when she saw the antlers.