154 - Mission, Pursuit (4) - The Heaven-Slaying Sword

It was a forced march. Excluding the nights, every moment was spent moving, and only at the end of this grueling journey did Mok Riwon and his companions finally reach Cheonghae. And the news they heard upon arrival was astonishing. "Did you say the Taoist King is here?!" Mok Riwon asked, his eyes sparkling with excitement. The Taoist King, Jin Geon, was one of the people Mok Riwon had desperately wanted to meet ever since he entered this martial world. -Taoist King? More like a fool who’s lost to debauchery and brawling, selling his soul for trivial pleasures. Yet, ironically, he possesses such talent that he ascended to one of the Four Kings. -He... He... -He took a neutral stance that day. Without any reason. Just kept his mouth shut until the end and when it was declared that our fate depended on his vote, he made it void. Probably didn't want to take responsibility. -But, but didn't his actions save my life? -Kid, your life was saved by your elder brother, not him! According to Ma Il-seok, also known as the Martial King, Jin Geon was someone who didn't think much of tales about celestial prophecies and destinies. Therefore, Ma suggested that if they ever met in the martial world, Jin Geon would treat Mok Riwon with respect, regardless of such beliefs. 'What a coincidence!' Mok Riwon was contemplating meeting him separately once things settled down. The warrior from the Murim Alliance's Cheonghae branch nodded in response. "Yes, currently the Taoist King and the Minister of the Interior are engaged in a chase battle with a transcendent demon." It had been five days. The repetitive cycle of chase and combat, along with the resulting collapse of geography and deafening sounds, had dominated the area. Upon hearing that these phenomena would intensify if they ventured just one day further, Mok Riwon was truly astounded. "Shouldn't we rush to assist?!" He tried to argue, but the warrior of the alliance shook his head. "The level of the battle is beyond our approach. Any hasty actions might only lead to more losses on our side. Therefore, the Minister of the Interior has a directive. Given that the demons previously hidden throughout Cheonghae have all risen in revolt, he requests that we handle them." "The course of action is clear, then." Gold Sword Kwon Pyowol summarized the situation. "Let us move again. We need to discuss how to deal with the demons in Cheonghae as we join the advance team. Where is the vanguard now?" "They've headed towards Xingang. Among them, we've spotted one of the Six Demons who once rampaged through the Central Plains." "Who is it?" "According to our intelligence, it's the Fistic Demon, Pae Ungchu." Mok Riwon froze at the mention. Fistic Demon, Pae Ungchu. He was a demon Mok Riwon encountered on the martial path to Muhan, even before he joined the Murim Alliance. 'He was here...!' Memories of the battle flew past his mind. The inability to gain the upper hand, the defeat, and the many lives lost because of that incident made the name Pae Ungchu hold a more significant meaning to Mok Riwon. Mok Riwon's expression darkened. It was a clear sign of a desire for revenge, and a newfound resolve. "Mok Sohyeop." Dang Hwa-seo spoke softly, holding Mok Riwon's hand. It was only then that Mok Riwon managed to regain his composure. "...I'm fine." He smiled lightly. "I won't get too excited. No matter how strong he has become...." I must have grown stronger than him. With a confidence-filled remark, Mok Riwon dispelled Dang Hwa-seo's worries. * They journeyed for another day. Arriving at a small martial arts hall in Cheonghae, the advance team, which had agreed to help with the alliance's event, finally met the reinforcements that arrived later. "Sword Dragon brother! Monk Ilwoon! Monk Hyewon!" Mok Riwon, meeting his comrades after a long while, waved his hands enthusiastically. "How have you all been?! No, that's not appropriate given the circumstances...!" "Hey, Mok-younger-brother. Asking about well-being isn't too bad, is it? Look, Namgung brother hasn't changed." Jegal San wrapped an arm around Mok Riwon, greeting Namgung Jincheon. Namgung Jincheon frowned, then responded. "...Quite carefree." As he turned away, Mok Riwon and Jegal San tilted their heads, to which Seo Ye whispered, "He was excluded from the chase after the transcendent demon. He threw a fit wanting to capture it himself." "Ah..." "Is he really not a child?" Mok Riwon laughed awkwardly. "It's, it's just his passion. But how come you've followed us here, Miss?" "I'm collecting information. If I want to revive the ruined Haomun, I need a lot of high-quality intel. The other members aren't exactly helpful, so I'm doing the groundwork." Being a sect leader is indeed a challenging role. Mok Riwon nodded in understanding and looked towards the group leaders discussing in the distance. They seemed to be deciding on which area each of them would cover. "...Then let's proceed with that plan." Dang Hwa-seo made a decision and turned back to the members. "It seems we're headed north of Cheonghae. Time is of the essence, so let's depart immediately. Are you all right with this?" "I'm ready!" "I can leave right away." Mok Riwon and Jegal San responded, and both Ilwoon and Hyewon nodded. Meanwhile, Seo Ye asked, "Where in the north are we going?" "There are several paths leading to Xingang. We plan to block them all. The central areas will be handled by the Kunlun." "Ah." "But where's the Ink Dragon? He seemed to be here just a moment ago." Dang Hwa-seo looked around, asking. Seo Ye shrugged her shoulders in response, "He ran off in a huff." "..." Dang Hwa-seo's mouth shut tightly. * In the final city on the way from Cheonghae to Xingang, within a certain courtyard, Pae Ungchu was vigorously scratching his belly. "We'll be arriving soon." Beyond this point laid no more cities. If they crazily dashed through the mountains and forests for three days straight, they would arrive at Xingang. Then comes the Ten Thousand Mountains. Being the stronghold of the New Religion, there was no more need to worry about being pursued. "I'm tired. Really tired." Pae Ungchu sniffed at his hand, which had been scratching his navel, and gave a hearty 'Yuck!' before shaking it off. "Hey, Tae Eul-byeok!" "What is it?" "You've been so quiet and gloomy, I thought you might have been injured." "I'm not injured." With those words, Tae Eul-byeok continued his breathing exercises with his eyes closed. Pae Ungchu pouted his lips. The Ice Demon, Tae Eul-byeok. His sect, the Snow Ghost Sect, rose among the Six Demon Sects after the descendants of a fugitive lord from the North Sea Ice Palace settled in the New Religion. Perhaps due to their background, everyone from the Snow Ghost Sect had this cold demeanor. They all seemed a bit off, devoid of the joy in conversational exchanges, making them a challenging audience for Pae Ungchu who relished in banter. Shrugging, Pae Ungchu turned his head away and started a new topic, doing his part to initiate the conversation. "The pursuit's been quite fierce, hasn't it?" "It’s because we're nearing Xingang." "And that's causing our delay." "It doesn't matter. We'll eventually reach the New Religion." "What about Yeon Rigeon, that guy..." "He's here." Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. The Sword Demon Yeon Rigeon entered the courtyard drenched in blood, not seeming the least bit weary which made Pae Ungchu realize that the blood belonged to the martial artists of the Central Plains. "The pursuers have been annihilated," said Yeon Rigeon, his eyes devoid of life. Pae Ungchu nodded and then grimaced, bending over. 'This is awkward.' Among those present were Yeon Rigeon and Tae Eul-byeok—among the Six Demons, these two were the most dreary and the hardest to talk to. Yeon Rigeon settled next to Tae Eul-byeok into a meditative pose. 'If only O Gang-ak was here...' Despite being a fool, at least he had the energy making him fun to torment. Today, Pae Ungchu found himself particularly missing that presence. * Three more days passed. Pae Ungchu, along with Yeon Rigeon and Tae Eul-byeok, continued their mad dash toward Xingang. However, the journey was anything but easy. "Another pursuit." Yet another irksome group of pursuers had latched onto them. They should've already reached Xingang and ascended the Ten Thousand Mountains by their plan, but the ceaseless charge of these pursuers endlessly delayed their progress. It was as if the Central Plains had an endless supply of martial artists, like cockroaches that kept coming no matter how many were caught. "This is because even the weaklings are kept alive." The law of the jungle, survival of the fittest. The weak perish, and only the strong survive—it's the natural law. Yet, these people foolishly pushed against this truth with their so-called righteousness. And this was the result. A perverse form of the martial world where the weak dare to act beyond their means. A martial world that could come crashing down with a mere wave of the hand. "Let's deal with them and move on." Once again, they had to set an example. Pae Ungchu stopped in his tracks and clenched his fist. Yeon Rigeon and Tae Eul-byeok did the same, unleashing their demonic energies in preparation for battle. "Found them! Get them!!!" Were they warriors from Kunlun? No, there were also other auras mixed in. Judging by their not-so-high level, they seemed like the rabble from nearby martial halls. 'They think they can overwhelm us with numbers!' Pae Ungchu sprinted forward with a long ripping smile and unleashed his demonic energy. Kwaah!!! "Aaaah!!!" The martial artists of the Central Plains were swept away in an instant. The lingering few were taken care of by Tae Eul-byeok and Yeon Rigeon. Yet, the warriors did not give up easily. Even those who lost limbs gritted their teeth, charging forward, determined to fight to their last breath. "Noble spirit!" It's just their lack of skill that's the problem. Pae Ungchu lifted his foot and viciously stomped on the head of a crawling warrior, crushing it. He then exhaled deeply. It was at that moment. "Let's get moving agai—" Abruptly, Pae Ungchu stopped talking. Yeon Rigeon and Tae Eul-byeok paused as well. They sensed an energy. It was different from the previous rabble, a considerably strong aura. And it felt familiar too. Pae Ungchu closed his eyes and expanded his senses. Feeling the approaching energy waves, he began to smile broadly. "What a coincidence!" It was an energy wave reminiscent of a dark night. Within it lay both serenity and ferocity. "Ink Dragon!" It was stronger than before. Fully matured, it now sent shivers down the spine—the energy wave of the Ink Dragon, the Ink Dragon himself. "Should we capture them?" Tae Eul-byeok asked. Yeon Rigeon nodded in agreement. "There's no reason to spit out what has willingly walked into our mouths." Pae Ungchu stepped forward. "No. Tae Eul-byeok, you continue towards the New Religion." "Hm?" "There are orders from the Deputy Sect Leader. Continuously dealing with two transcendents is too much given that the Deputy Sect Leader has not fully recovered. Therefore, it's urgent that we summon an elder." Right after saying this, Pae Ungchu also spoke to Yeon Rigeon. "You take care of the other one. Besides the Ink Dragon, there's another, an extreme transcendental." It must be the Emperor Dragon or the like. Fortunately, he had come along as well. "I’ll handle the Ink Dragon." Ah, how could he share such a delicious meal with others? The prospect of a life-and-death battle against a fully ripe Ink Dragon was right before his eyes; how could he possibly let anyone interfere? Pae Ungchu's smile grew immeasurably brighter. "How about it, doesn't it make sense?" In moments like these, Pae Ungchu was a man whose mind spun faster than ever before.