876 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

**Chapter 876: The Peerless Friend** After the Poison King and the Tang Clan warriors decided to aid the Martial Arts Alliance. The next place I headed was where Wi Seol Ah was located. "You're here?" As soon as I arrived, Wi Seol Ah greeted me with a smile. Looking at her, I asked, "Are you alright?" "Pardon?" "Not too exhausted, are you?" "Oh, no, I'm fine." Wi Seol Ah had been here since last night without rest, even after the battle had ended. ‘...I wish I could just let her rest.’ Knowing Wi Seol Ah's personality, she wouldn't stay idle when incidents occurred. She was bound to involve herself in the division's battles, so I gave her a separate task. Luckily, Wi Seol Ah was only tired and not seriously injured, so her health wasn't a concern, but… ‘I can't help but worry.’ I felt somewhat guilty about it. ‘While I sent Namgung Bia to recover, I kept her working.’ Namgung Bia, who was quite battered, was sent to the medical ward. It was said that her quick recovery rate posed no serious issue. I was worried due to the absence of Shin Ui, but fortunately, it turned out fine. "How are things?" "No significant issues so far." "Alright, good job. You can go up first." "Young master... Are you planning to stay a bit longer?" "I need to finish the investigation." "In that case, I..." "You should go to him." "..." Mentioning Namgung Bia, Wi Seol Ah bit her lip. It seemed this was the best approach. "I'll be quick. Just wait there. I won't be long." "...Understood." "And maybe check with the doctor as well. Take a little rest." "Yes…." In the end, I used Namgung Bia as a pretext to send Wi Seol Ah off. Soon after, troops began to arrive, the team I'd brought along for the investigation. "What on earth is this place...?" "What sort of space is this?" The troops looked shocked by the unfamiliar sight. For an average person, such astonishment was expected. ‘As for me, strange sights are nothing new.’ Someone without previous exposure would indeed find this overwhelming. "Lord... What exactly is this...?" Looking at the golden pond, a member inquired. "I'll need to conduct a thorough investigation to be sure... But it definitely doesn't seem normal." I voiced my uncertainty, even though I had a solid idea. "At the very least, it appears the Heavenly Demon was plotting something." “…! Are you suggesting this is related to the Heavenly Demon?" "Most probably." There’s no way it wasn’t. I was making sure it appeared as such. “...What exactly is the Heavenly Demon dreaming of, what is the Demon Sect aiming for?” “How can such a thing be created by humans...?” “Could it even be considered the work of humans?” Their voices carried obvious unease. “Taming and summoning demonic beasts, how could that be human work...?” The sight from yesterday seemed to weigh heavily on them. Understandably, seeing a demonic gate opened and demonic beasts unleashed by humans was shocking. And it was precisely the reaction I was hoping for. "Silence." “…!!” My words startled the troops. As they composed themselves, I continued. “Focus on the task at hand.” “My apologies…” The warned individuals promptly resumed their investigation. Even the members from the alliance were the same, attempting to decipher the patterns left in the space. ‘There's no way anything significant remains.’ There likely wouldn’t be any traces left. Even if there were, could they possibly decipher it? Even if they could, it wasn't the main point. “What exactly is this pond…?” “Inside, there’s a remains of a demonic beast.” The investigation persisted. “On the floor below, there’s a small tree. However, it’s difficult to discern any connections immediately.” “Understood.” The tree in question was undoubtedly the one I saw with white leaves. The issue was its proximity directly underneath now. ‘Initially, it should have been much lower.’ Now, appearing directly below, the dispersion of patterned illusions seemed to have eliminated the sense of discord. ‘I’ve cleared out the oddities.’ With perception keenly sharpened, I looked to see if anything remained. It was unlikely anything would. The Dark King mentioned having resolved everything. ‘Removed the remnants too.’ The remains of the half-demonic were completely removed, leaving only the mundane corpses. With such measures, one would struggle to ascertain the true purpose of this place. Observing them, I pressed on with my investigation. ****************** The investigation concluded. While it was only the initial phase, the expressions of the troops didn’t seem positive. Many findings were unearthed, yet we couldn’t determine their purpose or intent. "Were there no revelations?" "…Apologies." At my inquiry, the tactician dispatched from the branch wore a bitter look. “There were indications of some formation, but the traces are faint. It’s beyond my expertise to confirm with certainty…” Acknowledging the limit of his abilities, he seemed to take it hard. “It seems requesting reinforcement from the main alliance is necessary.” “Just the correspondence will take three months alone... Hm. Understood.” “...My apologies.” Was it due to not contributing effectively, or simply fear after hearing of yesterday’s events? My guess was both affected him, but it was not something needing in-depth reflection. “Compile the request for assistance related to formations and send the report to the main alliance.” “Yes, sir.” “Discuss these matters with Director Cheol Jiseon upon return. I trust he’ll take care of the arrangements.” “Understood.” "You and you, head outside to control the area. Keep the civilians out." "What should we do with those who insist on approaching? " "Declare our affiliation with the Martial Arts Alliance, gently scare them off. If they persist, you’re permitted to eliminate them." "...Understood." There was a brief hesitation at the mention of the word 'kill'. Anyone who would deliberately enter after being warned about the entire situation was undoubtedly a dangerous individual. Such people were best dealt with promptly. "We'll resume the secondary investigation within three days..." I spoke as I surveyed the surroundings. "Having confirmed what we needed to, let's get started." Cracking my shoulders slightly, the Star Dragon Division members' eyes gleamed with anticipation. Now it was time to... "Begin the cleanup. Get ready." "Yes, sir." It was time to rid the place of its filth. ******************** -Screams echoed throughout the area. "Spare me!" Cries of fear resonated, mixed with blinding flashes erupting amid the chaos. With each flash, a scent of blood permeated the air. Gradually, as time passed, the lights began to diminish until everything fell silent. Numerous bodies lay sprawled across the ground. "We've subdued and dealt with the third group." I turned my attention to the report. "What about our side?" "Two suffered minor injuries, but everyone else is fine." As the sun was setting, the cleanup was finally nearing completion. The Star Dragon unit was moving to eradicate the remnants of the Gae Cheon Clan. "They've spread out unnecessarily." Why had a single clan formed so many sub-branches? While I had an inkling of the reason, managing their dispersion from my side was a truly bothersome task. "What should we do about those who fled after assessing the situation?" "Capture or kill them, as necessary." "I'll deploy a pursuit team immediately." Though I gave the command, I thought it pointless internally. ‘The Dark King is probably already on the move.’ He and his assassins would be in pursuit, executing those who fled. Of the four known sub-branches, we handled two, the rest was the Dark King’s domain. Finding their hideouts wasn't difficult. The Dark King wanted to act promptly, so I allowed it. Would he gain any useful information? Honestly, I doubted there was more to discover. "Let's move to the next site." "Understood!" Once we completed our task, we immediately proceeded to our next destination. The branch members and the troops appeared visibly worn out. They seemed fatigued from staying awake all night, engaging in various tasks. I felt sorry, but they had to stick it out for this mission. That's partly why the Dark King had acted first. When we reached our new location. “…What in the world…!!” The troops looked inside and gasped. A small space, far from the branch, heading north was this hidden area. Hidden within that space... "They're all… dead." Countless bodies lay lifeless on the ground. One team member rushed to inspect the corpses and blood. “…Judging by their condition, it's been less than two days.” All seemed to have died recently. "Who could have done such a thing?" It was brutal. The bodies were left in a gruesome state, as though savaged by beasts. While everyone was covering their mouths in horror at the grotesque scene, "There, look at that!" One person shouted, pointing at the wall. Something was flowing beneath the barely visible wall. Blood. I immediately lit a flame with my hand to illuminate the surroundings. At that moment— "Agh!" “Oh my…!!” Those who saw the wall gasped in shock. On a not-so-high wall, several corpses were hanging. Stabbed by swords, bleeding profusely, and along the wall, there were words painted with the flowing blood. "…Manma Ang Bok (萬魔仰伏)...?" As they read the words, everyone's expressions twisted. Those words unnervingly communicated their meaning at a primal level. "So, does this mean… the Heavenly Demon and the Demon Sect are responsible?" "How did they find this place?" "They say Cheon An was linked with the Demon Sect, yet why would he wipe this place out… huh!" The one who spoke seemed to realize something as he widened his eyes. "Wasn't it to cover something up?" "Cover up what?" "Knowing we were delving for information… the Gae Cheon Clan was…" "…Cut off at the source?" "That's what it seems like…" "But no matter the reason, how could they…" How could they create such a horrific scene? Words that they couldn't bring themselves to say. ‘…Isn’t this excessive?’ Even I, who requested the action, found it a bit chilling. ‘The Dark King must be incredibly mad.’ This was the clear result of his fury. The one responsible was undoubtedly the Dark King himself, and it was apparent just how furious he was. ‘…One Heaven Sect. And Yeon Ilcheon.’ Yeon Ilcheon was alive. And he was planning something. Clearly, this fact deeply disturbed the Dark King, heir to the Yeon family. ‘…Perhaps I should avoid pushing any further for a while.’ There were many tasks to carry out regardless of the Dark King's involvement. Keeping a distance for now seemed prudent. ‘Anyway.’ This was a separate issue. I surveyed the area and spoke. "For the time being, proceed with the investigation. Keep vigilance continuously for any unforeseen circumstances.” “Yes.” “The situation and process will be meticulously documented and reported to the main alliance. Leave nothing unrecorded.” “We'll ensure it.” Despite their apprehension, the troops began examining the corpses and the surroundings. As this process repeated, the seeds planted by Cheol Jiseon also began to take root. ******************* As autumn began to wane, the chill gradually crept in, and a certain rumor began to circulate through the central plains. The rumor involved the Demon Sect and the Heavenly Demon. It was said that the Demon Sect attempted a scheme in Sichuan with the Gae Cheon Clan, but it was uncovered by the Star Dragon Division, halting their plans just in time. Furthermore, the somewhat unbelievable news circulated that the Heavenly Demon could open demonic gates and control demonic beasts. The Martial Arts Alliance denied such claims, stating the information remained unverified, and the Celestial Immortal Sect also denied involvement, saying they weren’t the source. Yet, somehow, the rumors spread rapidly across the region. The involvement of the Demon Sect, the Unorthodox Faction, and officials of the Sichuan branch suggested that there might be enemies within the Martial Arts Alliance itself. There were even rumors that someone of a lord-level stature, considered one of the main pillars of the main alliance, was also entangled. In a time when faith in the alliance was already waning, these were undesirable rumors. In addition, a Grade-A beast had resurfaced after centuries. Amidst all this, the notion that the Heavenly Demon could manipulate demon gates and beasts at will only escalated fears to the extreme. In light of such fears, people increasingly sought hope, asking the question: Just how powerful is this entity known as the Heavenly Demon? How does he compare to the Three Supremes who uphold the current balance in the central plains? It was said that even the Heavenly Lord, one of the Three Supremes, couldn’t effectively stop the Heavenly Demon; did that mean the Heavenly Demon was on par with the Three Supremes? Or even more powerful? If. Just if. The Heavenly Demon were stronger than the Supremes. And such an entity intended to open demon gates, control beasts, and break peace, aiming to wage war like the demonic bloodshed of the past. Amidst a time when the Martial Arts Alliance couldn't be trusted, would there even be room for hope? No one could answer these questions, and thus, rumors began to spread in the central plains. Could it be that in a world devoid of a true supreme being, where the Three Supremes maintained balance, the Heavenly Demon, regardless of good or evil, was the true sovereign? --- **3 Comments** / **Rating: 3.2 / 79** **Janghwa Hongryun** *2024.09.29 16:48* Report "Heh, Yangcheon would be embarrassed if he heard those rumors lol..." **JHINfan** *2024.09.29 17:12* Report 19 minutes ago. Whoa. **Yeon Woo** *2024.10.28 08:46* Report "The Azure Dragon Division is completely dismantled, where's next?" **Log in to comment.**