Chapter 92. Isn’t that a discarded card?

‘The reason my brother didn’t make the Prince of Ningjing drink the tea… might have been out of consideration for me.’

Jincheon was no fool; there was no way he wouldn’t know about the poison.

Besides, wasn’t Dang Cheon-wi a direct blood relative of the Sichuan Tang Clan?

But Jincheon didn’t make the Prince of Ningjing drink the tea, and thanks to that, Dang Cheon-wi had a narrow escape.

Why?

Because he had avoided not only the Righteous Heavenly Alliance cutting their losses but also the wrath of the Imperial Family.

From Jincheon’s perspective, if the Prince of Ningjing had been poisoned by the Poison of the Three Powers, he could have used that as a pretext to pressure the Righteous Heavenly Alliance even more strongly…….

‘No. This is a useless thought. My brother and I are enemies now. The kind who must kill each other if we meet on the battlefield.’

Dang Cheon-wi forced himself to steady his heart.

Because now, there was no existence in the world as dangerous as an old friend who had become an enemy, and a sworn enemy at that.

***

On the way from Xining to Gonghe County.

“My Lord.”

Danmok Cheong asked Jincheon.

“Are you alright?”

“About what.”

“I heard you were close friends with Dang Cheon-wi.”

“……We were.”

“The reason you didn’t make the Prince of Ningjing drink the tea was…….”

“Nonsense.”

Jincheon cut off Danmok Cheong’s words.

“The past is the past. I settled my old ties long ago. Would the great Seventh Young Master of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult care about some kid from the Sichuan Tang Clan? He’s just one among many enemies.”

“It seems my question was presumptuous. I apologize.”

“There’s no need for an apology.”

Jincheon answered nonchalantly as if it were nothing, but in reality, his heart felt otherwise.

‘Now I can’t even say I was sorry.’

In truth, Jincheon wanted to apologize to Dang Cheon-wi through Heart-voice.

To say he was sorry back then, that he had caused trouble due to unavoidable circumstances.

But he had to stop himself, thinking that such words might disturb Dang Cheon-wi’s heart.

Jincheon had already crossed an irreversible river with Dang Cheon-wi.

An enemy is an enemy.

If they were fated to point their swords at each other on the battlefield, reminiscing about old affections and exchanging words would only be poison to them both.

The only consideration Jincheon could offer was not making the Prince of Ningjing drink the tea so that Dang Cheon-wi wouldn’t be put in a difficult position; that was all he could do.

“Anyway, the job isn’t finished yet, so continue to keep an eye on their movements.”

“As you command.”

“And our warriors are…….”

Jincheon turned around.

“We thank the Seventh Young Master for his grace!”

“Thank you!”

The martial artists of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult who had been held captive by the Righteous Heavenly Alliance all performed a full prostration at once, paying their respects to Jincheon.

Who would have thought that a prisoner exchange like this would take place when they were fated to end their lives after being imprisoned in a secret jail and undergoing all sorts of torture and interrogation?

“Everyone, rise. The one who should be thankful is not you, but me. You’ve suffered a lot holding out until now. As the Seventh Young Master of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, I am just grateful that you are alive.”

Jincheon clasped his hands in a fist-and-palm salute towards those who had been held captive, his words filled with sincerity.

Having been imprisoned in the Demonic Prison for a full twenty years, there was no way Jincheon wouldn’t understand the prisoners’ feelings; it was an act born from a sense of shared suffering.

“……!”

The prisoners were so surprised they didn’t know what to do.

“And it was the Cult Leader who pushed for this prisoner exchange, not me. So, be thankful to the Cult Leader.”

“Ah!”

Hearing Jincheon’s words, the prisoners were moved to tears by the grace of the Iron-Blooded Demonic God.

In fact, this prisoner exchange was a very unusual case.

Both the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and the Righteous Heavenly Alliance only knew how to kill each other; the number of times they had exchanged prisoners over the past few hundred years could be counted on one hand.

“Commander Dan.”

“Yes, my Lord.”

“When we arrive in Gonghe County, make sure to check the health status of our warriors first.”

“As you command.”

Danmok Cheong received Jincheon’s order with a wide smile.

***

As Jincheon’s party left for Gonghe County, Xining, where the prisoner negotiations had taken place, was thrown into a complete uproar.

Not only were the Qingcheng Sect and Mount Mao Sect Taoists, who were scheduled to be exchanged, massacred, but the fact that the Prince of Ningjing had been kidnapped was also confirmed, which was a bolt from the blue for both the Righteous Heavenly Alliance and the Imperial Family.

To suffer such a humiliation again after the incident on the Yangtze River five years ago, the anger of the Righteous Heavenly Alliance seemed to pierce the heavens.

And this news reached the ears of the Righteous Heavenly Alliance Leader in Hubei Province in less than two days.

As it was such an urgent matter, masters used their movement arts at full power to deliver the news, and at times, they even used carrier pigeons and sorcery to report as quickly as possible.

“What is this……!”

The face of the Righteous Heavenly Alliance Leader, who received the urgent report at the crack of dawn, froze like frost.

Sword Saint Gongryungja.

An unprecedented swordsman in the history of the Zhongnan Sect.

Gongryungja was a member of the Five Hallowed Heavens, masters who had shown outstanding performance during the Righteous-Demonic Great War, and was a legendary figure who had led the revival of the Zhongnan Sect.

Having been appointed as the Righteous Heavenly Alliance Leader immediately after the end of the Righteous-Demonic Great War, he had reigned as the master of the Righteous Heaven for the past thirty years.

“Try to explain what happened.”

“……”

The Demon Extermination Squad Leader Ho Jong-ak could not answer the Sword Saint’s question.

But even so, he couldn’t dare to remain silent to the Alliance Leader’s question.

“It seems the one who kidnapped the Prince of Ningjing was a member of the Demonic Cult.”

In fact, the Righteous Heavenly Alliance was also aware that the Prince of Ningjing had been kidnapped.

However, since the unidentified master who kidnapped the Prince of Ningjing had used the Beggar’s Gang’s supreme arts, the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms and the Drunken Eight Immortals Footwork, they couldn’t even begin to guess the culprit’s identity and were just stirring up the innocent Beggar’s Gang.

How bad must it have been for the Dragon Head Beggar Lord to be summoned to the Imperial Palace?

According to what was heard, the Emperor’s anger was beyond imagination.

There was even a story that he was about to annihilate the Beggar’s Gang but managed to control his anger because the truth of the incident had not yet been revealed.

Thanks to that, the Dragon Head Beggar Lord was currently running around, mobilizing all of the Beggar’s Gang’s intelligence network to find the whereabouts of the Prince of Ningjing.

“A member of the Demonic Cult used the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms and the Drunken Eight Immortals Footwork, is that what you’re saying? To confuse the pursuit of the culprit?”

“The circumstances suggest so.”

“We’ve been had, beautifully.”

The expression of the Sword Saint who said that was no different from that of a grim reaper.

The Yangtze River incident five years ago had already greatly tarnished his administrative achievements, and with this incident on top of it, not only the Sword Saint’s own face but also the prestige of the Righteous Heavenly Alliance had fallen to the ground.

The problem was that there wasn’t much the Righteous Heavenly Alliance could do.

If he had his way, he would want to gather all the masters under heaven and invade the Demonic Cult right now, but that was impossible from the start.

Moreover, since the Demonic Cult had put forth the Prince of Ningjing as a hostage during the prisoner negotiations, the top priority of the Righteous Heavenly Alliance was not revenge.

Right now, there were only two options.

Either rescue the Prince of Ningjing safely, or listen to the Demonic Cult’s demands.

“Is a rescue possible?”

“The probability is considered not to be very high.”

“Hmm.”

“If we attempt a rescue and the Prince of Ningjing dies by any chance, the responsibility will fall entirely on our Alliance.”

“It would. The Emperor would wish for that too.”

The Sword Saint nodded his head as if in agreement.

In the Sword Saint’s opinion, the Emperor was by no means a man bound by sentiment.

Of course, the Emperor would pay due respect to the Prince of Ningjing as a great elder of the Imperial Family.

However, if he could put a leash on the Righteous Heavenly Alliance’s neck, the Emperor was a man who would more than willingly sacrifice the Prince of Ningjing.

“In the end, does that mean we have no choice but to listen to the Demonic Cult’s demands?”

“As of now, there seems to be no other way.”

“Checkmate.”

The Sword Saint clutched his brow as if in a difficult situation.

“But, how do you think the Demonic Cult found out about the existence of the Mad Demon Revered One and the Undying Fighting Demon?”

“There is no way the information could have leaked.”

Ho Jong-ak said firmly.

“If it had, they would have demanded the release of the other demon practitioners as well.”

“Hmm.”

“Furthermore, if the Demonic Cult had known about the existence of the Demonic Prison, they would never have remained silent.”

“That’s right. The Demonic Prison could be a fatal weakness for our Alliance.”

“Then, what are you planning to do…….”

“What choice do we have? We have no choice but to listen to the Demonic Cult’s demands.”

The Sword Saint said as if it couldn’t be helped.

“But listen. We cannot give the impression that our Alliance is being dragged around by the Demonic Cult like this. Shouldn’t we get our revenge?”

“Your words are most wise. An opportunity to take revenge on those Demonic Cult bastards will come soon…….”

“No.”

The Sword Saint shook his head.

“Revenge must be carried out immediately.”

“Yes……?”

“Our Alliance will reduce one of the Demonic Cult’s branch offices to ashes as revenge for the incident on the Yangtze River five years ago and this recent incident.”

“But finding a secret branch office of the Demonic Cult is not an easy task, no…… ah.”

Ho Jong-ak finally understood the meaning behind the Righteous Heavenly Alliance Leader’s words and his face hardened.

Right now, the Sword Saint was not telling him to find a real Demonic Cult branch office and devastate it.

He meant to create a branch office that didn’t exist and make an example of it.

Fearing that the authority and prestige of the Righteous Heavenly Alliance would plummet and its control over the Murim of the Central Plains would weaken, he intended to give the impression of having succeeded in revenge, at least on the surface.

Of course, the target would not be a real secret branch office of the Demonic Cult, but an innocent minor sect…….

“Demon Extermination Squad Leader Ho Jong-ak, I will receive your command.”

Ho Jong-ak, having grasped the Sword Saint’s intentions, bowed his head and received the command.

“What command are you receiving? I have not given any command.”

“Ah, it seems I have misspoken.”

“It’s understandable, given the circumstances. I understand.”

“My apologies.”

Ho Jong-ak barely suppressed the rising nausea at the Sword Saint’s shamelessness and despicableness and bowed his head.

Yes, was this a matter of a day or two?

The Sword Saint was always like this.

He had never once given a direct command.

He would just mention what he wanted as if in passing.

Each time, Ho Jong-ak, as the Sword Saint’s hidden killing sword, or hitman, would handle all sorts of dirty and sordid affairs.

If the truth were to be revealed, Ho Jong-ak would be the one to take all the blame.

But Ho Jong-ak had no other choice.

In the Righteous Heavenly Alliance, where one could not succeed without a good background and strong backing, there was a reason why Ho Jong-ak, who was neither from the Nine Sects One Gang nor the Five Great Clans, had risen to the high position of Demon Extermination Squad Leader.

***

Ten days later.

“My Lord, it is said that the Righteous Heavenly Alliance is bringing the warriors of our cult.”

Danmok Cheong reported to Jincheon, who was sitting by the inn window drinking tea.

“Is that so?”

“It is exactly fifty people, including Senior Mad Demon Revered One and Senior Undying Fighting Demon.”

“What about the government troops?”

“It is estimated that five thousand government troops have been mobilized, including the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the masters of the Eastern Depot.”

“Tell the government troops to get out of Gonghe County. If not, tell them they’ll see me playing kickball with the old man’s head, and they’ll quietly get lost.”

“As you command.”

A few hours later.

The martial artists belonging to the Righteous Heavenly Alliance arrived at the inn where Jincheon’s party was staying, bringing fifty prisoners, including the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s Mad Demon Revered One and Undying Fighting Demon.

On the Righteous Heavenly Alliance’s side, neither the Great Divine Physician of Immortals, nor Dang Cheon-wi, nor even the members of the Demon Extermination Squad were to be seen.

Moreover, there was not a single master from the Nine Sects One Gang or the Five Great Clans.

Those who brought the prisoners were all from minor sects, and most of them, at best, were individuals who had not even reached the peak level.

“As expected, it doesn’t deviate from my predictions. All of them are small fry.”

A sneer appeared on Jincheon’s lips.

The intention behind sending them was so obvious it was annoying.

Step, step, Jincheon moved his feet.

“What should I do about this? I can’t just let the guys they sent to die go back alive.”

“W-What do you mean by that?”

The leader of the Righteous Heavenly Alliance’s martial artists asked, terrified.

“You know what I mean. You guys, aren’t you a discarded card?”

“……”

The expressions of the Righteous Heavenly Alliance’s martial artists darkened.

Just as Jincheon said, they also knew.

That they were a discarded card…….

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep