Sword God Reborn

Chapter 270 : The Number One Under Heaven

"We have to go to Gansu Province."

Hwangbo Sung shouted with a serious face. Next to him, Tang Su-gun and So-hang also had hard faces.

The deeply sunken atmosphere was the same for Zhuge Seol-ah. At least Gok Ji-heum, who was not a member of the Demon Repelling Squad, was the only one who maintained his composure.

"I don't know how great a demonic master the Blood Buddha is because my experience is short. But you said the Ghost Demon is the second-in-command of the Blood Demon Valley, and the Blood Buddha is the leader. Then Namgung Jincheon can't handle him."

The information that the direction the Blood Buddha had gone was Gansu Province.

The Ghost Demon had made a decision.

For him to become the Heavenly Demon, the current demonic path forces had to be destroyed by Cheon Mubaeck and the Orthodox martial world.

Especially, it was as clear as day that the Blood Buddha and his loyal forces, who offered infinite loyalty to the Heavenly Demon, had to be weakened.

So he had passed on important information.

Of course, Cheon Mubaeck did not trust all of the Ghost Demon's statements.

He had immediately mobilized the information of the Hanamun and the Beggars' Sect through Gok Ji-heum, and before long, he had confirmed the fact that an unidentified group of ronin had moved to Gansu.

"The unidentified group of ronin is highly likely to be the Blood Buddha and the demonic people."

Their actions surprisingly almost coincided with the range of Namgung Jincheon's activities in Gansu.

Cheon Mubaeck glared at the Ghost Demon.

"You've planted a spy in the Righteous Alliance?"

"It's not my jurisdiction."

"You can't pass on the information about the spy?"

The Ghost Demon made a wronged expression.

"The Blood Buddha manages that. I don't know who the spy is, their face, or their name. The reason I came to catch you was because I was on standby nearby at the request of the Wolya Faction for rescue."

The Blood Buddha alone manages the information of the spies?

Cheon Mubaeck decided to judge whether that statement was true or not later, but if it were true, it was understandable.

'To control the information alone means he has almost absolute power. At the very least, within the Blood Demon Valley.'

And yet, the fact that the Ghost Demon couldn't even make a peep meant that there was that much of a difference.

Whether it was in skill, achievements, or whatever.

"If there are many spies, the other people are also in danger."

Zhuge Seol-ah shouted with a flustered face.

Starting with the Demon Repelling Squad, the Righteous Alliance was sending out various warriors and carrying out various operations.

"They might all be defeated individually."

"At the very least, we have to block the movements of the Blood Buddha that we have grasped."

Cheon Mubaeck did not answer and looked at the Ghost Demon, who was standing blankly next to him.

"Ghost Demon."

"Why do you call?"

"If we go now, can we save them?"

"They'll already be dead."

"Th-that ugly old monster!"

Hwangbo Sung couldn't hold it in and shot up. But when the Ghost Demon glared at him once, he flinched back with a pale face.

Even if the Ghost Demon had been beaten by Cheon Mubaeck, it was a natural fact that his presence was sharper than a blade.

"He has already moved before me. By now, that fledgling called the dragon of the Namgung family would have died long ago, and he would be running to the Namgung Clan."

"Hanamun's leader."

"Speak."

"If we move to Anhui Province right now, can we save the Namgung Clan?"

"...You know, so why do you ask? It's already too late. But since the Sword Saint is in the Namgung Clan, won't the Blood Buddha be repelled instead?"

The Hanamun's leader was not just a person who held a lot of information.

A person who had risen to that position would have to process and analyze the information and come to a conclusion.

Since it was Gok Ji-heum's cold words, Hwangbo Sung's face turned red and blue as if it would burst at any moment.

"Then are you saying we'll just hear about Namgung Jincheon and the members of the Demon Repelling Squad being annihilated?"

"Hwangbo Sung."

"......!"

Hwangbo Sung's mouth was firmly shut. An unknown strange power was contained in the indifferent voice.

A sunken gaze stared at Hwangbo Sung.

"Don't act like a child."

"......!"

Hwangbo Sung's face flushed. At the surprisingly calm voice, he belatedly realized how his actions until now had been perceived, and a wave of shame washed over him.

"If you want to take responsibility for the Hwangbo Clan someday, be colder than you are now. The martial world is not so easy that you can have your way just by getting angry and being swept away by your emotions."

Since it was advice and counsel that was like a single word that kills a person, Hwangbo Sung gritted his teeth.

He couldn't refute it. Although Cheon Mubaeck also did not show any joy or sorrow on the outside, a faint anger was contained in his terribly cold voice.

Cheon Mubaeck looked around and said.

"He is a typical fellow."

"...Young Master Namgung?"

Zhuge Seol-ah made a puzzled expression. Rather, in the Demon Repelling Squad, there was a tendency to evaluate Namgung Jincheon higher than the rumors. Because he had personally shown outstanding results in Cheon Mubaeck's terrible training.

She thought the word 'typical' was too much of an undervaluation.

Or how high was Cheon Mubaeck's standard that even the great Namgung Jincheon would hear such an evaluation?

"Because he is typical, he is an extremely orthodox person."

Somehow, a meaningful statement followed.

"Because he is typical, he is orthodox?"

"A typical rising star, a typical young hero. Innate talent, an outstanding body, a splendid background, and supporting internal energy. Isn't he a typical person who seems to have just popped out of the stories of numerous heroes?"

"Then the meaning of being orthodox is..."

"Although there are no unexpected stratagems or brilliant actions to break through a crisis, he will move to find the best in the situation he is facing. Orthodoxly. Sometimes, it is the most orthodox opponent that is difficult to break."

Cheon Mubaeck had experienced many battlefields and battles.

The most difficult opponent among the enemies he had faced was not a gambler who overturned the board through brilliant stratagems or variables.

'The guys who stick to the orthodox as much as they are thorough are the most difficult.'

The orthodox was not called the orthodox for nothing.

It was the essence extracted from the history that numerous sages and masters had accumulated through experience over a long period of time.

Although Namgung Jincheon lacked application skills, he had the talent to stubbornly maintain the orthodox.

"Sticking to the orthodox is not as easy as you think. It must be based on a strong mentality and outstanding skill. You must be unwavering and firm."

"Are you saying Young Master Namgung is such a person?"

"That's right."

"Still... if the opponent is stronger than that old man."

The Blood Buddha was stronger than the Ghost Demon.

You could tell just by the fact that he was the leader of the Blood Demon Valley instead of the much older Ghost Demon.

Naturally, no matter how much Namgung Jincheon held on with his orthodox movements, there was a limit.

"He will probably be gathering the Orthodox sects nearby and somehow holding on while fleeing. At the same time, he would have asked for rescue from the Righteous Alliance and his own family, Hwangbo Sung."

"Yes."

"Was there any information that came in through the Righteous Alliance's information network?"

"There was none when I last contacted them."

Cheon Mubaeck was troubled.

The reason why there was no news...

"It's before he has asked for rescue. Or perhaps they are exchanging messages right now."

"Then, doesn't that mean he's still holding on!"

Hwangbo Sung stepped forward, excited.

Cheon Mubaeck nodded.

"I have to wipe out the Blood Demon Valley at this opportunity. I will catch the Blood Buddha. We will move to Gansu."

Cheon Mubaeck's eyes flashed.

* * *

"We have to hold on. We have to hold on."

Just a little longer. If we just hold on a little longer, and flee a little longer.

Namgung Jincheon was agile and had a quick judgment. It was not for nothing that people had given him the moniker of the dragon of the Namgung family.

Although an unorthodox judgment was impossible, he preferred the orthodox.

Because it was the most perfect, it was the orthodox. Moreover, Namgung Jincheon was not the Namgung Jincheon of the past.

Although it was a short time, he had received several enlightenments from Cheon Mubaeck.

A sharp sense was added to his agile judgment. Although he had lost some of the members of the Demon Repelling Squad, the fact that such a skilled warrior was still intact was purely due to Namgung Jincheon's judgment.

"The Orthodox sects nearby are gathering their warriors. If we just get out of here a little more, it will be Shaanxi Province. If we just go to Shaanxi, Shaolin and Hwa Mountain will rescue us! If we hold on there, my father will soon come, leading all the warriors of the Great Namgung Clan!"

Namgung Jincheon shouted until his throat was sore.

The Blood Buddha.

A vicious and creepy absolute being.

In the old days, he would have charged in with bravado. But he hadn't.

After meeting Cheon Mubaeck, he had realized that a futile bravado would only prove that he was the weaker one.

'There are only a few who can face him. To the extent that they can be discussed as the number one under heaven...'

Namgung Jincheon thought coldly. He was impossible. Only someone who could be discussed as the number one under heaven could catch the Blood Buddha. The first person who came to mind was none other than his father, the Sword Saint. Because the strongest martial artist, whom the martial artists did not hesitate to choose as the number one under heaven, was his father.

But as Namgung Jincheon sent out rescue requests to various places in the Central Plains, one person suddenly came to mind.

'Cheon Mubaeck... no, the Squad Leader.'

Although he knew his formidable skill well, he could not choose him as the number one under heaven, to be compared with his father.

But Namgung Jincheon was perplexed as the three characters of Cheon Mubaeck's name kept lingering in his mind. He somehow felt that he might be wishing for Cheon Mubaeck to come more than his father, the Sword Saint, to come here.

'I don't know. I really don't know. Whether the Squad Leader has a much stronger skill that I can't see.'

Thinking so, Namgung Jincheon led the Demon Repelling Squad. He somehow avoided the fight and fled.

But before long, he had reached his limit.

"The Blood Buddha, it's the Blood Buddha!"

"Damn it! Already this much!"

In the end, he was caught from behind. Since the Blood Buddha had also come in person, he had to at least take Namgung Jincheon's head. The Blood Buddha's real purpose was to kill the successor of the Namgung Clan, and further, to completely wipe out the Namgung Clan.

If the power of the Namgung Clan were to be added to the Righteous Alliance, it would be really troublesome.

Namgung Jincheon's face turned pale.

'It's no longer possible.'

Perhaps Namgung Jincheon's thoughts were right. The members of the Demon Repelling Squad, who had been fleeing, stood firmly on their two feet with determined faces.

In the first place, hadn't they joined the Righteous Alliance with the intention of fighting the demonic path?

Although they had split into factions and had shown an ugly side, their desire to fight the demonic path had not changed.

"Let's at least stick a sword in the Blood Buddha's body."

"What's the big deal, do you think the Blood Buddha's palm strike is faster than the Squad Leader's slap?"

At the words that flowed from among the Demon Repelling Squad, Namgung Jincheon let out a hollow laugh without realizing it. Somehow, he suddenly felt confident.

'If it's a similar level, at least I won't be knocked out in one hit.'

Could there be a palm strike faster and more powerful than that slap?

Since he had endured that, Namgung Jincheon, who thought he wouldn't die shamefully in one hit, straightened his sword.

But that confidence gradually faded.

"You foolish sentient beings. Is it right to reject the teachings of the Buddha and flee?"

The Blood Buddha, who had walked out, was at a glance a noble old monk, but paradoxically, he was bizarre. Because under his seemingly merciful smile, the head of a member of the Demon Repelling Squad was held in his hand.

It was a sight that truly suited the moniker of the Blood-soaked Buddha.

Namgung Jincheon closed his mouth.

"Kill him!"

At that moment, a member of the Demon Repelling Squad, who could not hold it in after seeing his comrade who had only returned with his head, could not hold it in and ran out.

Namgung Jincheon had no time to stop him. Because before that, his head had burst like a watermelon with a palm strike.

"Ah..."

Even Namgung Jincheon's chest ached at the formidable destructive power he had never seen before.

All of the Demon Repelling Squad, who had raised their morale by destroying the bases of the Wolya Faction with great momentum, hardened.

A true demonic person, not to be compared with the assassins of the Wolya Faction.

A fundamental fear of an overwhelming existence of a different class.

The wave of demonic people approaching, forming a great encirclement around the Blood Buddha.

A deep sense of despair sank in at the number of people, which was more than double the number of the fleeing Demon Repelling Squad.

It was then.

Uduk!

A gruesome sound was heard. A sound of rupture that cut through the suffocating silence.

The gazes of the Demon Repelling Squad all turned to one place.

A pure white light spread among the demonic people who had been closing in like a shadow.

At first, it was a very small spark.

But that spark soon burned as if it were incinerating the demonic people.

"......?"

Namgung Jincheon's face, who had felt a strange atmosphere among the demonic people, became strange.

Wasn't a bewildered emotion, like when they had first encountered the Blood Buddha, blooming among them?

Before long, he realized the reason.

A pure white light was relentlessly cutting through the space between the screams of the demonic people and the rising mist of blood.

Someone was relentlessly cutting down the demonic people.

The white hair scattering amidst the pure white halo that had shot up into the air.

"......!"

A pure white circular light that filled the sky, completely driving away the crimson energy that the Blood Buddha had created, and a light that consumed all the pouring attacks.

A pure white martial robe, a rough white hair fluttering in the immense qi wave, and a clear crystal light (晶光) flashing between the scattering strands of hair.

A white tiger.

Not the spiritual beast, the white tiger, that one might occasionally encounter, but a delusion as if seeing a divine being among the four divine beasts of mythology.

An overwhelming spirit, as if seeing a white tiger, heavily pressed down on the crowd.

Although he stood alone, he was full, and although he held a single sword, he was sharper than ten thousand men holding swords, and although he was emitting light alone, Namgung Jincheon, who had realized what that light was, soon trembled.

"The number one under heaven..."

But it was not his father. It was not the Sword Saint.

Only one person came to Namgung Jincheon's mind. A person he had never seen, but a person his father had just admired, envied, and revered.

The Number One Under Heaven.

The Sword Venerable Yoo Baek-gi.

He was the only disciple of the Azure Sky Sword God.

(End of Chapter)