Ep501 - I Became a Drunkard in a Martial Arts Novel.

The sky was overcast, and an eerie wind constantly blew, adding to the sense of foreboding. Like Mount Tai, she was slowly making her way up Mount Songshan, reaching the ranks of the coalition gathered midway up the vast mountain. Their numbers reached a thousand. Though it seemed insufficient for a force representing the two factions that divided the Central Plains martial arts world, what truly mattered was not their quantity but their quality. "You've selected them well." Each individual was strong enough to be deemed a master. Rather than gathering weaklings only to have them die in vain, it seemed they had assembled a group of true experts. The intensity of their presence was so strong that even the Heavenly Demon found it unsettling. At that moment, a man at the forefront, the leader of the Wulin Alliance, named Hyunhak, stepped forward. "I hoped we'd never meet in this lifetime, yet here we are." While Do Hong of the Saheuk Lotus sought to cross swords with the Heavenly Demon, Hyunhak wished for the opposite. The Demonic Cult's ideals and beliefs were so disparate that communication was impossible. There was only one occasion for leaders to meet face-to-face: when tensions between the two factions escalated into war. Hyunhak, longing for peace, wished such a moment would never arise. In response to his regretful tone, the Heavenly Demon replied. "Still... regardless of your wishes, it seems you have prepared thoroughly." Over a thousand masters. Even at his advanced age, his presence had not diminished at all. It felt as though he faced a lone sword, and with a hollow laugh, Hyunhak replied. "Life never unfolds as we wish, even for a moment." Facing only the future one desires is impossible. In life, even unbidden events must be navigated somehow. There is only one way to make such moments less painful and to navigate them wisely: preparation. Some mocked him for wasting resources out of fear. Hyunhak fervently hoped those words would become reality. If so, though he might have been remembered as a cowardly leader, at least the world would have remained peaceful. Recognizing his intentions, the Heavenly Demon praised him with a smile. "Your insight surpasses that of any leader before you." Anyone can envision dire scenarios. However, enduring humiliation to prepare for them is not something everyone can do, especially those with great renown. Hyunhak walked that difficult path and had finally arrived; how could one not call him praiseworthy? Feeling the sincerity of the praise, he laughed. "Haha... praise from an enemy is unique." Engaged in an amicable exchange, the two's dialogue came to an end. With a hardened face, Hyunhak made a proposal to her. "Is there any chance you could turn back even now?" One person. If only her resolve could be broken, there would be no need for bloodshed here. In that case, the martial world's pillars who had rushed here prepared to die would have the chance to see tomorrow. Hyunhak hoped desperately, but the Heavenly Demon's response was firm. "If you wish not to see blood, shouldn't it be your side that turns back?" She had no intention of retreating. Surprised by the expression of unwavering will that seemed unbreakable, he questioned her again. "What is it that you move for?" Without hesitation, the Heavenly Demon replied. "For my lofty ideals." Had she intended to stop here, she would not have been present at all. She would have tried to forget him somehow and continued her life in the original world. For the sake of one ideal, she had forsaken all guaranteed honor and status to reach this point. There was no thought of retreat in her mind. If achieving her ideals required being drenched in the blood of a thousand foes, so be it. "Hmm...!" Hyunhak saw it. Though only a sliver, the dormant, twisted, almost grotesque desire within her. Driving the world toward ruin was of no consequence, and the only way to stop this manifestation of will was to take her life. "...Further conversation would be futile." "You and I seem to understand each other well enough." The corners of the Heavenly Demon's lips twisted upwards. "Indeed, I've been thinking the same." With no way to bridge their differences, further dialogue was unnecessary. Now, there would be only confrontation. With a somber expression, Hyunhak drew the sword from his waist. And that signaled the start of battle. "Kill the Heavenly Demon!" "Defeat the threat to the Central Plains and protect peace!" Ooooooo! More than a thousand martial masters directed their formidable energy towards a single person, the Heavenly Demon. For her, it was a truly dizzying sensation. It felt as if a gigantic mountain was pressing down upon her head. With just a moment's lapse, she could be crushed and meet her end. And yet, this threat only honed her senses further, sharpening her resolve. "Haah!" In an instant, the thousand masters surrounding her charged. A flawless joint attack with no blind spots. To counter this, she propelled herself forward. Boom A light step, yet anything but light. An immeasurable force coursed through the earth. The unleashed energy traveled unrestrained, finally shaking the land's pulse, causing an enormous explosion. Boom! As the ground unexpectedly erupted, the coalition of masters reeled back in shock. Amidst them, someone cried out in astonishment. "The Heavenly Demon’s Forceful Step...!" With an earth-shaking, tyrannical step, she forced them back and cast her dominion. A solitary world where only she stood unyielding. When the biggest weapon of a master who had reached the transcendental realm threatens to engulf their world... "Now!" Rising from the midst of the startled experts, figures encircled the Heavenly Demon. With shaven heads and clear marks on their foreheads, they were monks who had devoted their lives to mastering Shaolin martial arts. The eldest among them shouted to his disciples. "Form the 108 Arhat Formation!" An invincible formation with a history of never collapsing arrayed itself around her. The massive energy generated by the 108 monks. This wasn't to attack the Heavenly Demon. "Hmm...?" The hue of the world she had cast was beginning to fade. It seemed the purpose of their formation was to block her mental dominion. As the storm-like demonic energy subsided, the counterattack from the masters began. "Don't rashly extend your weapons! Form up securely and pressure the target!" With a shout, Hyunhak rushed in to face the Heavenly Demon. Alongside him, another charged at her. "Amitabha...!" The current abbot of the Shaolin Temple, Taewon. Known in the world as the 'Buddha's Revered.' At the pinnacle of Buddhist martial arts, he was one of the three pillars upholding the righteous martial world alongside the Sword Sovereign Hyunhak and the Sage Sovereign Myeonghyeon. With a soft recitation and a powerful punch, he unleashed his potent energy. Named 'Hundred Steps Divine Fist' for its ability to strike opponents even a hundred steps away when mastered. One of Shaolin's mightiest strikes was aimed at her. "Oh... the Hundred Steps Divine Fist." It didn't end there. A sharp sword aura, seeming to split the world, erupted from Hyunhak’s blade. The combined attack from two of the righteous martial world's top masters. To counter it, the Heavenly Demon drew her sword. Against injustice, tyranny, and malice. A sword honed against all negativity no longer existed. Now, it was a blade solely dedicated to thoroughly destroy and condemn anything hindering her ideals. In that sense, the Heavenly Demon’s martial arts were perfectly suited for her. Opposing even the will of heaven, her singular purpose was pure destruction. The sword unleashed a dark crimson energy. An ominous power that shattered their attack completely, unsettling onlookers with its malefic force. "Damn...!" "Ugh!" The two masters barely managed to withstand the massive energy that threatened to shred them. A cold shiver ran down their spines. "Indeed, the Heavenly Demon's Art..." "At this rate, our bodies won't hold." Despite perfectly defending, the shock seeped into their arms. If they blocked such attacks a few more times, their bodies would fail and break. Yet, they didn't relent. "Haah!" "Chaata!" Because they knew. The longer they tenaciously engaged the Heavenly Demon, the more members of the coalition and Shaolin disciples would survive. For their sake, what was one body's sacrifice in the grand scheme? An intense battle ensued between those who far transcended ordinary humans. Each strike was fraught with perilous energy capable of claiming lives instantly. In this seemingly balanced fight, it was the Heavenly Demon who was gaining the upper hand. "Huff, huff...!" "Cough!" It was inevitable. Naturally, a martial artist is most effective when the mind, energy, and body are in complete harmony. However, the two masters found their bodies lacking in strength compared to their minds and spirits. For decades, they have supported the righteous martial arts world, but now their ages have long surpassed eighty. Even though profound internal strength reinforced them, it naturally had its limits. In contrast, the Heavenly Demon maintained a perfect harmony of mind, energy, and body at an exceptionally high level, making it unsurprising that they could not handle her alone. As their stamina gradually reached its limit. "Protect the leader!" "Follow the abbot and eradicate the villain!" The masters, steadfast in their positions, committed themselves entirely to pressuring the Heavenly Demon. They shouted hoarsely, striving to counter the terror induced by the absolute force of the Heavenly Demon. "Fear not death!" "Our sacrifice will bring peace to the Central Plains!" Aaaah-! In the whirlwind of fierce cries from over a thousand masters, The Heavenly Demon quietly lifted her sword. A wave of sorrow washed over her. To sever the lives of brave warriors rushing at her, undeterred even by the thought of death, with her own hands. But for the sake of her goal, she had no other choice. "You may curse me endlessly from the afterlife." So please, vanish for the sake of my ideals. Her spiteful attack descended upon them. --- **Author's Note** Tomorrow is our scheduled break, so I will see you with the next chapter the day after. Thank you, as always, for reading. Have a peaceful night. (_ _)