Chapter 399: Their Relationship (2)

The clash between the Black Lotus Union and the Evil Overlords of Heaven that erupted near Xi’an.

The result ended in a victory for the Black Lotus Union, who shattered the Yaksha Heavenly Blade Unit on the central front.

The remnants of the defeated Evil Overlords of Heaven scattered in four directions, and the Black Lotus Union began to pursue those remnants, absorbing their power while preparing for what came next.

As a result of this grand battle against the Evil Overlords of Heaven, the Master of the Black Lotus Union, Demonic Sword Flower, earned a new title: Heaven-Slaying Sword Empress.

“The battle isn’t over yet.”

At a place where a modest victory feast was taking place.

Baek Sang-ah looked around at the executives lined up nearby.

It was clear from the excited expressions on their faces that they understood they had become the protagonists of a new era after defeating the Evil Overlords of Heaven.

“The blade of the Murim Alliance will surely come for us.”

Several people nodded solemnly.

Only one front had just come to a close.

The Murim Alliance, and even the Evil Cult.

There were still many gates the Black Lotus Union had to break through.

Baek Sang-ah raised her glass and shouted.

“Still, just for now, let’s enjoy the lingering taste of victory.”

“Uwoaaaah!”

“Long live the Heaven-Slaying Sword Empress!”

“Long live the Black Lotus Union!”

In an instant, the mood lightened, and the rugged yet lively drinking party typical of the demonic factions began.

As the subordinates were letting go of their burdens and emptying their wine jugs—

“Excuse me, Lady Ryonju?”

“What is it, Strategist?”

Though it was a banquet, since it was still a kind of formal occasion, Baek Sang-ah and Jegal Eun maintained strictly business-like tones.

“I’ve really been wondering…”

She asked very cautiously.

“Why is that person doing that?”

Many around them inwardly nodded at Jegal Eun’s question.

They had wanted to ask the same, but hadn’t dared to speak it aloud.

Baek Sang-ah clicked her tongue in slight annoyance.

“Tch! Just leave him be.”

“Still, treating someone like that at a banquet is…”

“He deserves it, so just leave him be.”

“……”

Many gazes turned to the corner, where So Cheon was kneeling with both arms raised.

So Cheon was crying snot and tears while drooling at the sight of the wine and snacks.

No one could quite understand what he was doing, but those who had watched Ryonju and So Cheon for a long time just let it slide.

However—

Those like Hyeol Jae, who had joined relatively later, reacted a bit differently.

‘So Her Ladyship trains her future husband roughly!’

Those who only vaguely understood the relationship between the two had no choice but to interpret the scene before them this way.

And so,

The rumor that the Master of the Black Lotus Union enjoyed aggressive tastes(?) began to quietly spread from the back of the hall… completely unbeknownst to Baek Sang-ah herself.

After that round of feasting ended.

A meeting with a few executives was held.

“Continuous warfare is not feasible.”

As a dozen pairs of eyes focused on her, Jegal Eun frowned and declared.

“Casualties have surpassed a thousand, and even the uninjured are deeply exhausted.”

Such was the toll that the battle against the Evil Overlords of Heaven had exacted on the Black Lotus Union.

“What about the Golden Dragon Heavenly Sword Squad?”

“We must respond with a small group of elites.”

Fortunately, the Black Sky Guardian Unit was still more than half intact, so if they pulled in elites from other areas, they had a chance of winning.

It was at that moment.

“If it’s the Golden Dragon Heavenly Sword Squad, you need not worry.”

Someone appeared, brushing aside the curtain at the entrance.

“Wh-Who are you?!”

“There should be guards outside—how…?”

Some, recognizing the person, stood up in shock.

“Y-Young Master Jin?!”

“Please address me now as Military Strategist Myeong.”

I grinned and waved at the stunned Baek Sang-ah.

Without hesitation, I walked over to the gathering of the military division and took a seat.

“……?”

“……??”

Several who didn’t know who I was frowned outright.

In that moment, Jegal Eun, ever perceptive, straightened her collar slightly and bowed her head toward me.

“Welcome back, First Strategist.”

The room was rocked by gasps.

“F-First Strategist?!”

“Don’t tell me… that person is the First Strategist Black Thunder?!”

Even within the Black Lotus Union, Myeong Jin was regarded as an eccentric.

Given that Jegal Eun, the de facto highest authority in the Black Lotus Union, still referred to him as First Strategist, rumors about who this man was had long permeated the entire organization, regardless of rank.

Especially since he hadn’t shown his face at all since the Hall’s founding, the rumors had escalated to the point that some even speculated he was fictional.

Jegal Eun, seated beside me, whispered with concern.

“Master, there’s a smell of blood…”

“Ah, there were circumstances. But anyway…”

I glanced over at So Cheon, who sat sulking at the upper corner of the table.

“What’s with that guy?”

So Cheon murmured in a dying voice.

“Please… let me live…”

“Don’t worry about it.”

Baek Sang-ah smiled brightly and tugged on So Cheon’s ear.

Without resisting, So Cheon obediently let himself be pulled along by her hand.

Seeing that, I quietly looked away.

‘Whatever it is, he probably deserves it.’

Just as I was about to ask So Cheon how he had assassinated the Evil Overlords’ Lord—

I sensed a strange atmosphere flowing between the two of them.

‘What is this?’

Despite having his ear pulled, that guy didn’t seem to hate it. There was a peculiar energy between them…!

Just as I was beginning to grasp something—

Jegal Eun, as if she realized something different, asked in shock.

“There’s no need to worry about the Golden Dragon Heavenly Sword Squad? Don’t tell me….”

“Yes, I handled it.”

“W-What did you say?!”

“More precisely, ‘repelled’ them would be the correct way to put it.”

As a result, including their leader Monstrous Sword Lord, I killed thirty members of the Golden Dragon Heavenly Sword Squad.

“Repelled… Are you saying they simply retreated?”

The Golden Dragon Heavenly Sword Squad represented not only the Murim Alliance but the pride of the entire orthodox faction.

Though units like the Yaksha Heavenly Blade Unit and the Manggeuk Command Unit were considered to be on equal footing, in terms of sheer combat power, they could not compare to the Golden Dragon Heavenly Sword Squad.

Moreover, their pride in protecting the orthodox sects matched their martial strength.

“They’re the kind of people who would rather perish to the last man than retreat…”

“There was a method.”

I shrugged.

If the Golden Dragon Heavenly Sword Squad had truly charged in prepared to die, it could’ve been dangerous.

But I had one method that could make them turn their feet away.

“In any case, judging by the atmosphere, it seems things went well.”

I had been somewhat concerned.

But the moment I entered the city of Xi’an and felt the atmosphere of victory, I instinctively knew that the Black Lotus Union had achieved a major triumph.

“There’s still something left to settle.”

Baek Sang-ah told me what she had agreed upon with the Plum Blossom White Sword.

“They’re forming a new Murim Alliance with Luoyang as the starting point.”

Not bad.

If it centered around the Black Lotus Union, with Mount Hua, the Gongdong Sect, and even the Bukcheon Geom Clan joining in, it would take decent shape.

Of course, if the Murim Alliance cooperated with the Evil Cult, it could quickly turn into a disadvantage—but that much could be balanced if our cult supported from behind.

“If that’s the case, I might be able to help.”

Jegal Eun blinked.

“What? But if the Heavenly Demon Cult joins the newly formed alliance, wouldn’t that defeat the purpose…?”

“No, that’s not it.”

I waved my hand firmly.

If our cult openly declared we were joining this new alliance, the entire orthodox side—except for the Bukcheon Geom Clan—would drop out immediately.

Where I could be helpful was actually in a different aspect.

“In fact, there are some I’ve been in contact with for a while.”

Those who could completely weaken the Murim Alliance’s power.

“People who know ‘justice’ and ‘righteousness’… and above all…”

If they came over to our side, a true alliance of both orthodox and unorthodox martial arts would be born.

“They are very well-known.”

Henan Province, Murim Alliance.

“Monstrous Sword Lord is dead?”

Jegal Cheon, who had ousted Gwan Hyun and taken over as acting Alliance Leader, tilted his head.

“Even those we planted inside the Golden Dragon Heavenly Sword Squad have lost signal. Who did it?”

Judging by distance, it wasn’t the Demonic Cult.

Nor was it the Black Lotus Union.

Most importantly, Monstrous Sword Lord, newly appointed as Eight Heavenly Lord, was so strong that even alone, with his Awakened Body, he could rival one of the Five Kings of the Central Plains.

“If I had known, I should’ve embedded a clone.”

But due to the prestige of the Golden Dragon Heavenly Sword Squad, they were strict about one’s origins, so inserting a clone was too difficult.

So they had settled for embedding collaborators instead…

“Hmm, this is troublesome…”

Jegal Cheon turned his eyes and asked someone.

“What do you think, Fifth Heavenly Lord?”

“Grrrk! Gghk!”

At the end of Jegal Cheon’s gaze was Gwan Hyun, coughing up blood-mixed phlegm inside the dungeon.

Ever since the disciples of the Wudang Sect had been taken hostage, there was nothing Gwan Hyun could do.

“Incredible. To survive even after your essence was extracted…”

“M-My disciples… What of them…?”

“Oh, you mean the Wudang disciples?”

Jegal Cheon smiled softly.

“They’re perfectly fine, of course. I’m someone who keeps promises.”

Just as relief settled over Gwan Hyun’s face—

“But who knows what will happen from now on? In the upcoming war, Wudang will have to stand at the very front.”

“W-What?”

A vile smile formed at Jegal Cheon’s lips.

“The Wudang Sect, the Polaris of the martial world, will step forward waving the banner of eradicating the demonic path. How many orthodox sects will be moved and join the cause?”

In short, he was planning to use the Wudang Sect as a meat shield.

“Y-You bastard!”

Bang! Bang!

His essence extracted, his limbs and meridians severed—his life as a martial artist was already over.

But Gwan Hyun still desperately pounded on the dungeon door.

Jegal Cheon felt a filthy pleasure at the sight.

“Hahaha! As promised, I haven’t personally done anything to you.”

“Y-You dare! How dare you do this to our Wudang…!”

The one Jegal Cheon was preparing to wage war against wasn’t the Black Lotus Union. It would most likely be the Demonic Cult.

If that happened, Wudang would be finished.

Just as Gwan Hyun was about to unleash a fury mixed with blood—

“Master! Urgent news!”

Someone burst into the dungeon in a hurry.

“What is it?”

The one who appeared was an elder of the Jegal Clan, someone who had been planted in the military division long ago.

“W-Wudang Sect has declared their withdrawal from the Murim Alliance.”

“…What?”

“…What?”

Gwan Hyun and Jegal Cheon reacted identically.

They stared at each other wide-eyed, but unfortunately, neither could provide answers to the other’s questions.

Jegal Cheon eventually frowned and shouted.

“How could the Wudang Sect do that? The Sect Leader is alive and the Clan Leader’s Command Seal is right here! How could they make such a decision?!”

“T-That is… it’s still just a rumor for now…”

The elder of the Jegal Clan trembled as he faithfully relayed the information he had received.

“Dao Zun has returned to the Wudang Sect.”

“…What did you say?”

“They say she beat down all the elders of Wudang and seized the Sect Leader’s position by force…”

“……”

Very few even within the Wudang Sect remembered that Dao Zun Jin Ryeong originally came from Wudang.

But her roots were unmistakably of Wudang origin.

And without either the Awakened Body or Gwan Hyun, the Wudang Sect had no power to stop her return.

The expressions on Gwan Hyun and Jegal Cheon split between hope and despair.

And that wasn’t the end of it.

“Master! Urgent report!”

“What now?!”

Another subordinate rushed in with a pale face to deliver a steaming-hot piece of news.

So hot it could burn just by hearing it.

“S-Shaolin… has sent a letter declaring their intent to withdraw from the Murim Alliance!”

Jegal Cheon’s face twisted with vicious fury like an evil god of death.

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