Chapter 20: Hwa Jeokun (1)

“I absolutely cannot die.”

That was what Cheon Yura told us before the operation began.

I looked at her with a sympathetic gaze.

“Come on, a prideful clown like you should know your limits.”

“Biyeon, go ahead and gut that bastard.”

“As you command, Young Cult Leader.”

Sa Biyeon really did pull out her dagger and started approaching me.

“Can’t I even joke around?”

“For a joke, your eyes were awfully sincere.”

If I couldn’t talk Cheon Yura down right now, Sa Biyeon’s dagger would really end up stabbing into my stomach.

“I’m always sincere with the Young Cult Leader. That’s the truth.”

Up to now, whenever I’d come at her directly, Cheon Yura had unexpectedly shown signs of weakness.

But this time, her reaction was different.

With a sulky expression, she said,

“You say you’re always sincere, yet you can’t even keep your own words, can you?”

The words I said?

While I hesitated and stumbled, unable to answer, Cheon Yura’s expression turned even more sullen.

“Hmph, you can’t even remember. Fine then. Try to grasp the meaning of what I just said.”

This much I could answer confidently.

“You mean that your value as a hostage is too high, so you can’t die even if you want to.”

“Yes, that answer comes out so easily.”

I seemed to have guessed right, but for some reason, she looked even angrier.

Why?

“I am the only direct descendant of the Cheon Clan. It’s far more beneficial to capture me alive than to kill me.”

I shook my head and countered.

“If someone aiming for the position of Cult Leader is behind all this, then you’re finished.”

“Hmph, that’s impossible. Are you just probing me even though you know better?”

Cheon Yura was far wiser than I had expected.

“There’s definitely someone within the Cheon Clan colluding with an outside force. But no matter how distant the branch, the Cheon Clan is the dominant family in these Ten Thousand Mountains. There’s no way someone of the lower ranks would directly handle something like this.”

She was right.

“At the end of this incident lies the bottom of the bottom. Just a tail that can be severed at any time. But if some ‘outside power’ is involved in this, there’s actually a chance we’ll meet a real heavyweight.”

And from that force’s perspective, if they found Cheon Yura, capturing her would be a top priority.

“Judging by what they’re doing, it’s clear that their long-term goal is to weaken the cult’s power.”

“If they want to weaken the cult’s power, then all the more reason it’s bad if you die. The moment you die, the Cheon Clan will fall into a civil war among the branch families.”

“As long as the Cult Leader is healthy, that won’t happen.”

Cheon Yura said firmly.

“The Cult Leader will, even if it takes more time, quietly and surely prepare someone to replace me. Unless something unusual happens, he’s someone who can remain vigorous for decades to come.”

That was true.

The current Cult Leader wasn’t on the brink of death or anything. He could easily hold onto his position for another twenty years.

In my past life too, he hadn’t died of old age—he simply handed over the position to Cheon Yura and then vanished without a trace.

More than anything, the current Cult Leader bore the name of the Heavenly Demon, and was considered one of the three supreme beings of the Central Plains.

“Anyone with a shred of sense would know it’s far more profitable to keep you alive and captured rather than kill you.”

“But there’s just one thing you’ve overlooked.”

Cheon Yura’s expression twisted.

“What is it? After all I’ve said, can’t you at least agree with me?”

“I understand that I can’t stop you anymore, but I still want to say this.”

I took a deep breath and continued.

“You’re underestimating your own inherent worth, Young Cult Leader.”

“Inherent worth?”

“Talent.”

Overwhelming talent, at that.

“What if they fear the consequences of your talent more than they value you as a hostage? What if they think your future threat outweighs your present usefulness? What will you do then?”

Due to her being a female Cult Leader and her tendency to focus on internal affairs, Cheon Yura was often underestimated in terms of martial strength, both inside and outside the cult.

But I knew her true nature.

Despite being poisoned by numerous deadly toxins that left her unable to exert even a quarter of her full strength, she had faced off directly against the Murim Alliance Leader, the Sword Supreme, and the elite forces under his command—the Golden Dragon Heavenly Sword Squad.

Though she ended up gravely wounded, she had killed dozens of members of the Golden Dragon Heavenly Sword Squad, and in the end, the Murim Alliance Leader had to retreat without taking her head.

I was certain.

In twenty years, her martial strength would be on par with the current Cult Leader.

If an enemy, currently incapable of dealing with that potential, were to realize it now?

Cheon Yura would truly be a dead woman.

“Ahem! Ahem!”

But for some reason, instead of replying, she began coughing loudly and awkwardly, avoiding my gaze.

“…?”

Sa Biyeon gave me an admiring look.

“Lord Jin, you’re quite good at flattery too, I see.”

“Flattery? I was being sincere.”

“S-stop talking!”

Cheon Yura waved her hand, trying to shut me up.

She looked genuinely embarrassed, her fingers fidgeting constantly.

‘What the—was what I said really that embarrassing?’

As I thought that—

“A-anyway, I’ve heard your… insightful opinion well.”

“…”

“But as you said, if the enemy decides to kill me out of fear of my potential, that would only be after quite some time has passed.”

“Well, that’s true.”

To discern the danger posed by the Young Cult Leader, the enemy would have to be at least on the level of a Justice Faction Leader.

And you usually had to exchange a few blows to really gauge someone’s talent.

The problem was, her talent would inevitably be exposed before the Law Enforcement Division arrived.

Even knowing that, Cheon Yura looked at me with trusting eyes.

“You won’t let me die, will you?”

Ah, when she put it that way, I had nothing left to say.

I laughed bitterly to myself.

If she asked like that, how could I not give in to her stubbornness?

“Just give me a bit of time to come up with a plan.”

***

And now, the present—

“How was he, now that you’ve faced him?”

Cheon Yura asked while catching her breath.

“He’s certainly tricky. No wonder the Nine Great Sects are called prestigious.”

“You’re certain he’s from one of the Nine Great Sects?”

“All the Heavenly Demon Cult’s sword techniques stored in the Heavenly Demon Pavilion’s Martial Arts Repository, I’ve mastered them. But his swordplay contains a logic that is the exact opposite of those.”

The cult’s sword techniques mostly pursued tyrannical force and extreme destructive power.

But the swordsmanship of the orthodox sects adhered to the fundamentals, incorporating the profound principles of flow, speed, adaptability, and strength.

A swordsman who had cultivated those fundamentals to the pinnacle of mastery.

He was, in a sense, her natural enemy.

“Well, now that I’m here, you don’t have to worry.”

“Not worry?”

The masked man gave me a sideways glare.

“You call yourself a Harbinger of Death? How naive.”

“Is that how I seem?”

“I admit I misjudged the Young Cult Leader’s capability. But you—you’re different. At best, you’re just a late-stage post-realm, not even at the Master Level.”

As expected, I couldn’t fool someone of supreme-level cultivation.

“Tell me your name, brat. I’ll at least acknowledge the confidence it takes to call yourself a Harbinger.”

“I am Jin Yeomyung of the Demonic Heaven’s Jin Clan.”

“Jin Yeomyung… Jin… The Demonic Heaven’s Jin Clan!?”

The masked man’s eyes lit up like a fisherman who had landed a giant catch.

I could see the grin forming even under his mask, that’s how delighted he was.

“This is quite the unexpected gain. I’ll have no choice but to kill the Young Cult Leader, but your situation is different.”

In short, he intended to take me hostage.

“If you stay quiet, I won’t inflict any unnecessary pain.”

His overwhelming presence started to weigh on my throat.

At that moment, a smug snort sounded from the side.

“Hmph!”

It came from Cheon Yura.

She wore an expression that practically said, you and I are simply on different levels.

To be flaunting that even in this situation—it really twisted my gut.

“This is kind of irritating.”

“It can’t be helped. It’s the difference in class we were born into.”

“I’ll admit I’m a bit lacking in martial talent, but still, it’s annoying.”

“So? You came alone, which means you must’ve had a plan, yes?”

“Of course.”

“Now that is intriguing. What method do you have in mind to deal with me?”

Just as the masked man took a step forward—

The sound echoed like a trigger pulling: the sharp twang of a bowstring coming from the wall.

“What?!”

With superhuman reflexes, the masked man barely avoided the hidden weapon aimed at his temple.

But even so, the sudden ambush made his hair stand on end.

“No way, you—”

There was only one thing this situation could mean.

“The Maze-Killing Array, was it? That’s mine now. I can do whatever I want with it.”

“…”

“Why do you think I came alone?”

I smirked with satisfaction.

“Obviously, because all our other forces were invested elsewhere.”

The moment I saw the large pavilion within the estate, I was certain that there had to be a mechanical formation installed inside.

I’d wondered whether I could disable or seize control of that formation—and thanks to the help of the Black Guards, I ultimately succeeded.

“For this kind of mechanism-based formation, I figured the control room would be either in the underground level or the top floor. Fortunately, it wasn’t on the top floor—it was underground.”

“Then Biyeon must be there.”

“Yes. With Lady Sa’s eyes, she’ll be more than enough to assist.”

Everyone who had originally managed the mechanism was slaughtered by Sa Biyeon.

Thus, the killing formation meant to trap Cheon Yura was now turned into a sharp spear aimed at the masked man.

“If there’s one unfortunate thing—”

I said, drawing my sword.

“Neither we nor you have the luxury of dragging this out.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Cheon Yura narrowed her eyes.

Right now, their objective was to hold out until reinforcements from the Law Enforcement Division arrived.

So why couldn’t we stall?

“They’re almost done severing the tail. Maybe you haven’t noticed since we’re inside the formation, but the outside is a sea of fire.”

“…Damn it.”

“If we delay any longer, we’ll all burn to death together.”

The Black Guards were darting about collecting evidence, but the enemy’s preparations were more thorough than expected.

The masked man let out a hollow laugh as he looked at us bracing ourselves for battle.

“You’re not planning to run, I take it?”

“If we retreat now, we gain nothing.”

As I said—if we let this bastard in front of us slip away, we’d be left with no results whatsoever.

“Very well. If you want to die that badly, then I suppose I don’t need to hide my identity anymore.”

The masked man tore off his mask roughly.

Beneath it was the refined face of a middle-aged man with neatly trimmed facial hair.

If he were in Taoist robes, you could easily mistake him for a dignified priest.

But there was only one reason he’d reveal his face now.

‘He fully intends to kill Cheon Yura.’

He extended his sword and placed two fingers from his other hand on the back edge of the blade.

There were countless sword arts in the martial world, but only one famous technique began with such a distinctive posture.

Cheon Yura let out a soft sigh.

“Azure Cloud Crimson Slash Sword!”

One of the signature sword arts of the Azure Star Sect, among the Nine Great Sects.

“I am Jeokun of Azure Star Sect.”

The name Jeok denoted the Crimson generation.

Which meant—he was an elder of Azure Star Sect.

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