Chapter 26: Jaseung, Sets a Trap

With a sound of tearing leather, the air itself burst apart.

It was an attack so incredibly powerful that it seemed to erase the very fabric of space.

But fortunately, Mook Young’s reaction was faster. He barely managed to escape after breaking his stealth.

While this was happening, Lee Jaseung threw himself toward the Phantom Demon.

Lee Jaseung believed that Mook Young would dodge his attack, and even if he were injured, he would escape a fatal wound.

The Phantom Demon vanished again.

But Lee Jaseung attacked without holding back just for Mook Young. There was no way that he was going to miss.

Swish!

Blood sprayed in the air before the Phantom Demon could fully disappear. Lee Jaseung’s Asura had already cut into his waist.

The Phantom Demon disappeared again, and Lee Jaseung once again lunged forward.

Swish! Slash!

More blood splattered through the air.

The Phantom Demon’s form flickered into sight briefly, then vanished again. Because he took a solid hit, he couldn’t properly execute his Black Heaven Erasure technique.

He was shocked. Especially because never in his life had he been driven into such a corner.

Meanwhile, the Asura never lost the scent of blood it had once tasted.

Shhk!

This time, the cut was deep and clean. A short cry screamed out, but the Phantom Demon didn’t reveal himself.

Swiiiish!

Lee Jaseung spun around and swung the Asura once more.

Slash!

The Phantom Demon reached his limit.

“Wait, Please, wait!”

He appeared a few steps away from Lee Jaseung. Blood pouring from wounds all over his body made him look pathetic. It was even more shocking that he was begging his enemy for mercy.

With his eyes locked onto him, Lee Jaseung asked.

“Are you alright?”

Mook Young’s voice came from behind.

“Yes.”

Thankfully, he managed to avoid serious injury from the Phantom Demon’s attack.

“That’s a relief.”

“It’s thanks to you, my Lord.”

Lee Jaseung let out a sigh of relief. Mook Young, who had already re-stealthed himself, felt a strange emotion. It felt as if their roles were reversed.

‘My Lord, that’s supposed to be my role.’

But still, he couldn’t help but feel a warm emotion knowing Lee Jaseung’s concern came from his heart.

Meanwhile, the Phantom Demon was in complete shock. He had never imagined he would be overwhelmed like this.

He made a critical mistake from the very beginning. He failed to realize that Lee Jaseung’s martial prowess far exceeded his own.

Lee Jaseung spoke calmly.

“I admit that Demonic Arts surpass Orthodox ones.”

Whether in depth or power, Demonic Arts was more powerful.

“But at the very least, we aren’t behind you when it comes to dark arts and illusions. I could confidently say that you are the easiest one to deal with out of your eighteen Elders.”

The Phantom Demon’s face twisted in humiliation. He had never suffered such an insult in his life, so rage filled his eyes.

“You filth of the Unorthodox! You think you are all that!?”

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!

The Phantom Demon unleashed a flurry of strikes at Lee Jaseung, but it was ineffective, especially with his wounds and rage.

Lee Jaseung weaved left and right, dodging all of his attacks. As the final strike missed, he closed the distance in a flash.

Pwoosh!

The Asura pierced deep into the Phantom Demon’s chest.

“Geughh.”

Blood gushed from his mouth.

But what Lee Jaseung did after, was completely incomprehensible to the Phantom Demon.

Tap, tap.

Lee Jaseung quickly stopped the bleeding from his wound. Of course, it wasn’t enough to save a dying life. It was only to delay his death.

The Phantom Demon glared at him and spoke as he struggled.

“…No matter what you ask, I will not betray the cult.”

“I have nothing to ask you.”

The Phantom Demon realized Lee Jaseung was telling the truth. Lee Jaseung sealed his Qi channels so that he couldn’t move. It wasn’t for interrogation through torture.

With a trembling voice, the Phantom Demon asked.

“…What are you planning to do with me?”

“Are you afraid?”

The question sent a chill through his heart. Aside from the Leader of his cult, he had never feared anyone.

But at this moment, he was afraid. It wasn’t because of death, but something that was kept unknown.

It wasn’t the sheer power of the Black Way Alliance Leader that he was frightened by. The problem was the fact that neither he nor anyone in his cult had realized it.

Of course, the Asura Demon Sect had received reports about the new Leader of the Black Way Alliance. But the man in front of him and the one in those reports were like comparing heavens to earth.

This deception was possible thanks to Dan Woobin’s careful efforts. He ensured that the Demonic Cult and Murim Alliance would receive only the most mundane reports.

Thanks to that, neither the Murim Alliance nor the Demonic Cult saw Lee Jaseung as a threat. The previous Leader of the Black Way Alliance, Cheon Yeombaek also played a role in this.

He had been seen as weak and corrupt.

They could’ve eliminated him at any moment, but he was used as a pawn to use against the bastards from the Orthodox Faction. That was the image that the Black Way Alliance had for a long time.

‘Fooled! We were fooled!’

The Phantom Demon fell in despair. The current Leader of the Black Way Alliance was completely different from the previous. He wasn’t someone to take lightly at all.

“…Why are you doing this to me?”

Lee Jaseung replied calmly.

“Does reason matter by this point? Both you and I lived lives where losing once means losing everything.”

The Phantom Demon’s eyes trembled. It sounded like he would simply be used and discarded since he lost.

Tap.

Lee Jaseung sealed his last Qi channel.

He then vanished after leaving him there.

How long has it been since? Someone carefully entered the area. The man who appeared with his sword drawn was Hae Ryang.

After spotting the Phantom Demon, he carefully asked.

“You, are you really the Phantom Demon?”

The Phantom Demon’s heart sank after hearing his question. This must have been exactly what Lee Jaseung wanted.

The note Hae Ryang had received claimed that the Phantom Demon had suffered great wounds and was hiding here.

He rushed over because the note was written and sent by Baek Seolyoung. Of course, it was actually Lee Jaseung.

After sensing the Demonic Qi leaking from the silent Phantom Demon, his face was lit up with a mix of joy and fear.

“So you really are the Phantom Demon?”

Hae Ryang slowly approached.

The Phantom Demon’s eyes turned red. It was already bad that he fell to Lee Jaseung, but he would never accept dying to a young brat like this.

But his Qi channels were completely sealed, so he wasn’t able to mutter a word, nor was he able to move a finger.

Seeing his chance, Hae Ryang struck without hesitation. The Phantom Demon may have been injured, but he was still an Elder of the Asura Demon Sect. He should’ve, at the very least, ambushed from behind to kill him.

Shlunk!

Hae Ryang’s sword pierced his chest.

The Phantom Demon’s eyes rolled back and he collapsed. He met a disgraceful death he desperately didn’t want.

“Hahahaha! I killed the Phantom Demon! She gave me a chance to prove myself! She wanted to protect my honor!”

It was a great misunderstanding on his part.

Lee Jaseung and Dan Woobin’s plan continued to unfold perfectly.

Moments later, dozens of martial artists arrived at the scene. It included both the fighters and spectators of the tournament.

Rumors had spread that Hae Ryang was under attack by an Elder of the Demonic Cult. Of course, it was all part of Lee Jaseung’s setup.

Some shouted and asked.

“Did you defeat him, Young Master Hae?”

Hae Ryang hesitated for a moment. He did indeed kill him, but he hesitated as the enemy was practically dead by the point he arrived.

Then, a voice whispered in his ear.

-Be honest and say you didn’t.

The one who sent a voice transmission was his bodyguard, Ham Muhong. He had followed Hae Ryang here, who left secretly.

He didn’t know what had exactly happened as he arrived late, but he knew that this was trouble.

But his warning had the opposite effect. Hae Ryang nodded and replied confidently.

“Yes. I am the one who killed the Phantom Demon!”

Hae Ryang was already blaming Ham Muhong for everything because he was the one that interfered with the fight. As soon as he heard his warning, a surge of rebellious anger flared up within him.

Ham Muhong’s heart sank when he heard the name, Phantom Demon.

Meanwhile, the crowd erupted in cheers, and someone shouted.

“Young Master Hae defeated one of the eighteen Elders of the Demonic Cult.”

Another shouted right after.

“Young Master Hae killed the Phantom Demon!”

The first person to shout was Mujin, and the second was Ma Young-gi. Dan Woobin didn’t show himself here just to be safe, as he had always been by Lee Jaseung’s side.

But no one was going to recognize these two. The two men initiated the wind that carried the rumor of Hae Ryang killing the Phantom Demon.

Hae Ryang smiled as happy cheers erupted for him.

‘Thank you, Lady Baek.’

Among the crowd, Mujin and Ma Young-gi smiled as well.

* * *

“All of Jianghu’s attention is now on the Righteous Chivalrous Sword Clan now.”

Dan Woobin spoke with a satisfied expression.

This plan was incredibly difficult to execute. The hardest part of it was the timing.

Lee Jaseung had to defeat the Phantom Demon, Hae Ryang had to arrive right after, and then the crowd had to follow.

Thankfully, everything aligned perfectly.

“With the Phantom Demon dead, you advance to the quarterfinals without having to fight, my Lord. Everyone’s calling you the luckiest man alive.”

Originally, he would’ve had to fight in the round of sixteen, but now he skipped straight to the top eight.

“They aren’t wrong.”

Mujin spoke with a chuckle after hearing Lee Jaseung.

“Aren’t you being too humble?”

“Do you know what I consider the luckiest moment of my life?”

“What is it?”

Lee Jaseung turned to look at the three of them. When his gaze deepened, Mujin asked with a look of doubt.

“Wait, don’t tell me it’s meeting us. You’re not going to say something so corny, are you?”

Lee Jaseung smiled. It was a clear confirmation.

Mujin exaggerated his shock and turned to Dan Woobin.

“No way! So I was right. Now I know where you learned your ‘I’ll even sell my soul’. It all came from our Lord.”

Then, Ma Young-gi with a very serious expression, suddenly replied to Lee Jaseung.

“I feel the same.”

Both Mujin and Dan Woobin were stunned. They hadn’t expected Ma Young-gi to say such a thing while Mujin was teasing Lee Jaseung for being so corny.

Noticing both their gazes, Ma Young-gi stood up.

“I’ll take my leave now.”

Dan Woobin stared blankly and spoke after he left.

“He’s doing this on purpose, right? Just to tease us.”

“Doesn’t seem that way, but we’ll say it is for now.”

Dan Woobin shook his head and asked Lee Jaseung.

“How did you even meet Captain Ma?”

Though Lee Jaseung had visited him three times to recruit him, there had to be something deeper behind it. That would explain why he visited him three times.

Lee Jaseung only gave a smile. It was as if he was telling Dan Woobin to go ask Ma Young-gi himself if he wanted to know.

“I’d rather not know.”

“Hahaha.”

Mujin laughed in agreement.

As the mood lightened, Dan Woobin’s face was filled with happiness, pleased to have passed the first major hurdle.

Hoping that no other unforeseen variables arise, Dan Woobin said with a joyous tone.

“Anyway, you only need to win three more times now.”

Yes, just three more victories, and he’ll win in the tournament.

* * *

An old man with white hair sat in a dark cave, about two hundred li away from Heaven’s Gate.

His presence was truly imposing. He was none other than the Grand Elder of the Asura Demon Sect, the Great Demon.

In front of him, a masked man bowed down to the ground.

“Urgent news.”

“Speak.”

A tremendous amount of Qi was held inside his voice that echoed in the cave.

“The Phantom Demon has been slain.”

The Grand Elder who had his eyes closed, snapped them open. Though he had no pupils, a fierce light radiated from his gray eyes.

“What did you just say?”

An immense Demonic Qi swept through the cave. The subordinate reporting the news was an incredible master martial artist himself, but he vomited out blood without being able to endure the Demonic Qi.

On the surface, the Great Demon appeared to be like a gentle and wise scholar, but the position of the Grand Elder was not something an ordinary person could handle.

He was more cruel than anyone. He was feared even by Demonic Humans known for their brutality.

Thankfully, he withdrew his killing intent.

“Who was he slain by?”

“The successor of the Righteous Chivalrous Sword Clan.”

“What?”

The Great Demon widened his eyes in disbelief.

“Isn’t the successor of that clan a brat named Hae Ryang?”

“That’s right.”

“And the Phantom Demon was taken down by a bastard like him?”

The Great Demon tilted his head in doubt. Death was surely possible for the Phantom Demon as he wasn’t immortal. But dying at the hands of Hae Ryang was incomprehensible.

“There were many witnesses.”

Rumors were spreading rapidly. Of course, it was intentionally accelerated by Dan Woobin.

The Great Demon was the mastermind behind this plan. He planned to absorb the Northern Sky Clan using the Phantom Demon.

Under their Leader, Yao Hong, the Asura Demon Sect was divided into two competing factions. They were led by the Elder Demon Lord, the Vice Leader of the cult, and the Great Demon, the Grand Elder.

The plan to absorb the Northern Sky Clan was made by the Great Demon. Naturally, the Vice Leader opposed this idea, but the Great Demon pressed it through forcefully.

But things had become entangled from the start.

The bigger issue wasn’t the Phantom Demon’s death, but the revelation of the Demonic Cult’s involvement.

The Vice Leader would use this to pressure the Great Demon. That wasn’t the only problem either. Previously, the Great Demon sent the Severing Demon after hearing the news of the metal box that contained ancient martial arts.

But the Severing Demon vanished without retrieving the chest. The Elder Demon Lord kept pressing him, suspecting the Severer Demon might have stolen the chest and gone into hiding.

If that were true, the Grand Elder would be responsible as he was the one who sent him.

And now, the Phantom Demon had lost his life.

“Things keep getting complicated. First, gather detailed intel on this bastard Hae Ryang and report back.”

“Understood.”

The subordinate disappeared silently.

After a moment, the Great Demon murmured quietly.

“Yoma!”

Then, a woman revealed herself. She was a beautiful lady with heavy makeup and crimson lips. Her eyes gleamed with wicked intent. She was a Yoma, a demonic enchantress.

Her pale legs stretched seductively beneath her skirt. She appeared young like she was in her twenties, but she was actually over fifty.

“Proceed with the second operation.”

Yoma’s eyes sparkled.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

You know the risks involved, right?”

The Great Demon gave her a cold glare. She spoke as she disappeared into the darkness with a seductive smile.

“Commencing second operation.”

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