Chapter 251: Battle of Akyang (1)
“Yes, I remember now.”
Ninth Heavenly Lord, who had been staring at the Venerable Buddha for a while, fixed his gaze on a distant past that now seemed faint.
“Hehehehe…”
His lips curled into a sly grin.
The dignity he once held as an elder of the Orthodox Sect had vanished without a trace, replaced with greed, desire, and mockery painted across his expression.
“It was Southern Yeon Sect, wasn’t it? Just a bunch of insects no different from local guards, who had the audacity to swarm the Akyang Zhang Clan to interfere with the Cult’s event.”
“……”
“Yes, yes. That worm of a girl who smashed her own head to help someone escape—turns out that pretty-faced gigolo she desperately saved was you, wasn’t it?”
Ninth Heavenly Lord's mouth didn’t stop as he dug into the Venerable Buddha’s past.
“Kehahaha, this is astonishing! A bug who couldn't even wield sword qi back then has now become one of the Three Supremes of the Central Plains?”
“I, this humble monk, am forever grateful for Shaolin’s compassion.”
Light once again gleamed from the Venerable Buddha’s hand, which was in a half-palm stance.
“For granting someone talentless like me the power to crush you.”
Flash!
— Hundred-Step Divine Fist, Arhat Heaven —
Suddenly, the Venerable Buddha’s martial technique erupted and engulfed Ninth Heavenly Lord’s entire body.
KWA-KWA-KWANG!
A massive scar was carved into the earth, and the shockwaves spread to the riverside, raising small waves.
However—
‘Compared to before… the power…’
Unlike the past, when he barely managed to stop it by summoning the Asura God, the current power of Hundred-Step Divine Fist seemed weaker than it used to be.
The evidence was clear…
“Kuhuhu! Spicy, that one.”
“……”
Covered in dense smoke from head to toe, Ninth Heavenly Lord casually walked out.
“If I hadn’t wrapped myself in Beggar Body of Mount Tai, that might’ve been serious.”
There was a mark on his chest that looked like an impact point, but it couldn’t exactly be called a fatal wound.
Ninth Heavenly Lord sneered at the Venerable Buddha.
“Still, I’m disappointed. I was a bit on edge since you’re one of the Central Plains’ Three Supremes, but you’re not quite living up to the hype.”
“Is that so?”
Without warning, the Venerable Buddha was already near Ninth Heavenly Lord, throwing a punch.
“Amitabha!”
BOOM!
A shockwave exploded between the fist and Ninth Heavenly Lord’s abdomen, and something that had surrounded Ninth Heavenly Lord shattered with a distinct sound.
CRACK!
“Ghhkk!”
This time, it seemed to have landed properly—blood spurted from the corner of Ninth Heavenly Lord’s mouth.
BOOM!
Ninth Heavenly Lord’s body was flung dozens of jang away.
The Venerable Buddha, having recovered his stance, looked toward me.
“Go now, Benefactor Jin.”
“Master…”
The Venerable Buddha spoke seriously.
“You’ve prepared well, but the enemy’s strength is formidable. You’ll likely have to overcome great tribulations.”
If even the Venerable Buddha, who knew my and Cheon Yura’s full capabilities, said this, then there must truly be unimaginable dangers waiting ahead.
“If things do not go as planned, remember well the warning I gave through Benefactor Seo.”
The warning that Secretary Seo Muwon had brought from the Venerable Buddha—
If you encounter karma you cannot bear, head south—wasn’t that it?
“…Understood.”
I nodded and turned my body toward Akyang.
“Where do you think you’re going?!”
Naturally, the beggars who noticed my movement rushed in to stop me.
“You will not return to the Demonic Cult alive!”
The middle-aged beggar who had blocked my path earlier charged again with his tagubong raised.
But in that instant—
“Unbelievable. The mighty Elder of the Human Division, Mang Jeokgae, turned out to be a filthy traitor.”
“Who…?”
The beggar called Mang Jeokgae couldn’t even finish his sentence.
Lightning-fast and commanding like a sovereign—sword qi.
It was a sword qi I had experienced before, and it cleanly severed Mang Jeokgae’s arm.
“Kuaaagh!”
Mang Jeokgae screamed as he instantly lost one arm.
‘Who is that?’
Even if it was a surprise attack, the level was clearly extraordinary.
The middle-aged man who had appeared suddenly and cut down Mang Jeokgae spoke with his back turned.
“Go. We’ll hold them here.”
“…We?”
Before the words could even end, no less than a hundred martial artists emerged from all directions, surrounding the beggars.
Their level was on par with the top ranks of the Cult’s Thirty-Four Demon Squads—if not greater!
‘Elite among elites!’
While I stood stunned by the sudden appearance of these high-level warriors—
The beggars facing them seemed to recognize who they were.
“Emperor's Sky-Piercing Sword Squad!”
“Has Sword Lord Namgung San himself stepped in?!”
‘Ah!’
Only then did I realize who the man standing at the front was.
The high-level master who had once recovered the injured Venerable Buddha—
One of the Eight Armies, Sword Lord of the Emperor Army, Namgung San!
“Will you be alright? When the moon rises soon, that Monster Lord will become even stronger. In your wounded state…”
“Who do you think is worrying about whom right now?”
Namgung San cut me off like a blade.
“Here and now, one of the ten pillars hiding in the shadows of Murim will fall. You just do what you must.”
His words carried absolute trust toward the Venerable Buddha.
Realizing further persuasion was unnecessary, I nodded slightly toward Namgung San.
“…Understood. Then, I leave it to you.”
As the Emperor's Sky-Piercing Sword Squad clashed with the beggars of the Beggars’ Sect, a massive path opened toward Akyang.
Without hesitation, I stepped into that path.
Now, just a little farther to go.
As Jin Yeomyung predicted, the Heavenly Demon Cult’s diplomatic delegation had arrived near Akyang.
However, despite being nearby, they were unable to enter the county.
“Damn bastards…”
The Saber King glared murderously at the thousands of Evil Path Sect troops encamped in the distance.
“They threatened to burn down the entire county if we entered Akyang… an empty bluff that’s beyond absurd.”
Dao Zun clicked his tongue as he puffed on his long pipe.
“Normally we could just ignore them and charge in, but if things escalate, the Waterway Thieves might get scared and withdraw.”
The ships prepared by Waterway Thieves were already waiting near Dongting Lake.
But there were two key reasons the delegation hadn’t yet entered Akyang.
Sa Biyeon, who had recovered to some extent during the escape, spoke up.
“They really will wipe out the entire county—regardless of whether the government troops are there or not.”
With thousands of warriors, it was entirely feasible.
Of course, the moment they committed such a massacre, they’d immediately be branded as rebels.
She shook her head grimly.
“They must have backing from the imperial court. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be this bold.”
“That must be it. Otherwise, the government forces would’ve shown up by now.”
About three thousand cavalry from Evil Path Sect had set up camp.
They never charged directly, instead employing ambushes and ranged attacks to chip away at the delegation’s defenses.
Sometimes, a few of our experts would strike back, but the enemy would always flee and try to lure our pursuers into traps.
“Each time we countered, we managed to kill a few dozen, but in the end, we were dancing to their tune.”
“…But now that we’ve arrived in Akyang, they’re no longer the real problem.”
Nods followed that statement.
Cheon Yura looked up at the softly glowing moon.
“Yes, they’re coming soon.”
The cavalry of Evil Path Sect was a nuisance—but just that.
A nuisance.
The real culprit who had delayed the diplomatic delegation’s journey from two days to five was something else entirely.
Drawing her sword, she shouted toward the front:
“Keep this in mind—unless we take those bastards out, there’s no getting on the boats!”
“Yes, Young Cult Leader!”
The entire delegation responded in a thunderous shout.
Though some didn’t respond verbally—the experts of the Black Lotus Union, the Saber King, and Dao Zun—they also readied themselves for battle.
Then—
A horde of grotesque monsters, each far from human in form, appeared before the delegation.
Their number: at least a hundred.
Dao Zun shook her head with a faintly pale expression.
“Their numbers increased again? Damn it. No matter how many we kill, they keep crawling out of nowhere.”
From their escape from Nanchang up to now, the delegation had endured nightly assaults from these creatures.
Military attacks during the day. Monsters by night.
Their morale was still sky-high, but their stamina and internal energy were noticeably depleted.
The Saber King, who was still in good shape, rested his blade on his shoulder and spoke.
“These ones are on a different level from what we’ve seen. They’re likely the main force.”
“Looks like it. Especially that one at the front…”
A young man stood at the forefront of the monsters, still retaining a human appearance.
“That bastard might just be the cause of all this hell.”
From a glance, he radiated a malevolent power that was far from that of any ordinary martial artist.
Cheon Yura stepped forward and called out to him.
“Illusion Demon. So we finally meet.”
The Patriarch of the Illusion Clan, Illusion Demon Hwan Pyeong, responded.
“Indeed, Young Cult Leader. A shame it had to be this way.”
The two stood apart at a distance of about a hundred jang.
“If that bastard First Order hadn’t stabbed us in the back, we might have shared a few more laughs together.”
Cheon Yura scoffed.
“I don’t know who this First Order guy is, but I ought to thank him. Laughter hides the blade, they say. If we had kept smiling at each other, I’m sure you’d have slipped a poisoned dagger into my back. I’m glad your little plan was ruined.”
“Well, fair enough. A pity indeed.”
Hwan Pyeong shrugged and continued.
“I must commend you for surviving this long despite the attacks. Then again, you do have four Extreme Demonic-level fighters, so I suppose it makes sense. But now, things will be different.”
The forces Hwan Pyeong brought were all awakened beings—the highest-ranking from the Heaven-Defying Society.
“This will be your grave, Young Cult Leader. Even if heaven grants you a miracle and you escape, it won’t change anything.”
Sneer
“Oh, and don’t count on support from your cult. A very powerful fighter was dispatched to intercept them.”
“…A powerful fighter?”
Cheon Yura’s expression hardened slightly.
“That’s right. A monster who seized the Society’s second-in-command spot with brute force alone is probably already clashing with your backup forces by now.”
***
“Intelligence report. The Young Cult Leader has arrived near Akyang.”
“…I see.”
Leading a force of one thousand made up of five squads from the Thirty-Four Demon Squads and some of the Blood Dragon Demonic Clan’s warriors, the Sword Demon had departed from the Heavenly Demon Cult.
Having quickly headed south, he had now set up camp near Hanzhong.
“As expected, they plan to travel to Zhongqing by water.”
“What are your orders?”
The Eighth Elder, Blood Stream Spear Yang Sobyung, who had joined as an aide, asked.
“Hmm…”
Stroking his beard for a moment, the Sword Demon soon made his decision.
“If Hwan Pyeong is truly targeting the Young Cult Leader, we can’t just sit around. What’s the current status in the nearby region?”
“Sichuan and the Tang Clan seem quiet—no notable movements.”
“Good. Then we head to Zhongqing too. Prepare everything within half a shichen.”
“Understood.”
“Got it.”
Yang Sobyung and Yama Blade both nodded.
At that moment—
“Ah, sorry, but would you stop right there?”
Flinch!
“Who’s there?”
The three supreme-level martial artists, including the Sword Demon, were astonished by the presence of an outsider who had managed to penetrate their qi perception.
In particular, the Sword Demon—who had achieved Extreme Demon Realm—did not show it outwardly, but he was more wary of the opponent than anyone else.
Soon, a middle-aged man with unkempt, bushy facial hair and a modest appearance let out a sigh and appeared before them.
“I am called Old Han.”
“…Old Han?”
“The Second Heavenly Lord of the Heaven-Defying Society… who wishes to retire.”
“…!!”
The moment they heard the term “Second Heavenly Lord,” Yama Blade and Blood Stream Spear Yang Sobyung reacted swiftly.
Just as the two were about to strike toward Old Han—
“Stop.”
The Sword Demon restrained their movement.
Stepping forward, the Sword Demon’s eyes glinted sharply as he spoke to Old Han.
“Besides the Cult Leader, Dao Zun, or the Ghost Execution Squad Leader, I’ve never seen a master who has surpassed the wall. Today is quite the eye-opener.”
Especially since the man was a master of the sword, the Sword Demon found Old Han even more intriguing.
“The same goes for me. In any other era, having even one person surpass the wall would be extraordinary, yet this generation has four? No, that monster Cult Leader is beyond even that.”
“What’s your purpose?”
At that, Old Han slowly drew his sword and replied.
From his entire being radiated the refined intent unique to those who had transcended the wall.
“Apologies, but the Grand Heavenly Lord has requested your head. He said he would only allow me to retire if I brought it back.”
“Retirement, huh…”
“To train a disciple, I have to kill someone from the organization that disciple belongs to. Isn’t that the epitome of contradiction? But what can I do?”
Shing—
Old Han raised his sword toward the Sword Demon.
“That head of yours—I'm going to take it.”