novelraw Chapter 66 : The Gansu Province Battle (2)
Chapter 66 : The Gansu Province Battle (2)
The moment I vomited blood, everyone stepped back. I know blood is dirty, but it hurt my feelings as a fellow human being when everyone avoided it as if they had made a promise.
Some of them who made eye contact with me even turned around and ran away.
Someone is fighting while shedding blood, but to react like that just because it's dirty to get blood on them.
As expected, I don't like the Orthodox Faction guys.
At least my heart was a little relieved when the Little Divine Monk came up and asked if I was okay.
"Donor! Are you okay? Here's some internal injury medicine!"
"I needed it just in time, thank you."
"No need to thank me! If the donor hadn't intervened in the fight just now, the Pavilion Lord might have been seriously injured. Rather, it is I who should express my gratitude."
From today, I will recognize only the Little Divine Monk as an honorary Demonic Cult member, not an Orthodox Faction member.
Taking the internal injury medicine and treating my internal injuries, I recalled the fight just now. It's a good thing I had learned the knack of using the Heavenly Emperor's energy while I was at the Shaolin Temple. If I hadn't, my energy would have run rampant just now when I cut down the strong qi, just like in the old days.
Still, I couldn't completely suppress the energy, so I ended up with an internal injury at the end.
'This is also thanks to the Divine Monk who stabilized my energy.'
When I return to the Shaolin Temple later, I should offer my thanks.
* * *
The Phoenix King was genuinely scared just now.
-Although that child looks fine on the outside, he is a walking time bomb. So, keep a close eye on that child's condition. For now, if that child vomits blood, get as far away as possible, regardless of the reason. I think he will be able to withstand it once. But you must remember. The moment he vomits blood for the second time, run away without looking back.
That child must know his own condition well, but to act so irresponsibly.
When he intervened in the fight just now, he was so surprised that he almost bit his tongue. So he had been attacking relentlessly to keep his distance, but the Fist Demon had countered all of them, so his hands had just gotten tangled.
After that, he was gradually pushed back by the Fist Demon, and in the end, his response was delayed.
That's right. Originally, it was a fight where there was no crisis, but everything got messed up when that child intervened. But can he blame that child? That's not it either.
If we only look at the result, it's also true that he owes his life.
And he had already heard from the Divine Monk and knew that that child was a member of the Suicide Squad. Therefore, he had also guessed to some extent that his skills were outstanding.
But he didn't know that it was to the extent of inflicting an internal injury on the Fist Demon.
It's a good thing the situation ended well, but if even one of the strong qi bundles had hit that child's body directly, no one would have survived in this place.
I really wish he would be a little more careful.
It's true that he participated in this war, risking death, but he definitely did not come to die a dog's death.
If he were to die, he wanted to die honorably. He refused to die just because a walking time bomb next to him exploded.
"Amitabha."
Chanting the name of Buddha and calming his surprised heart, the Phoenix King looked back. He could see the 108 Arhats, who knew about that child's secret just like him, chanting the name of Buddha all at once with their faces pale.
'They must have all been scared.'
The child opened his eyes.
Only then did the Phoenix King feel relieved and approach him.
The child was lightly warming up his body. Fortunately, it seemed he had gotten over his internal injury.
To say it again, he really wish he would act knowing the danger he possesses.
He himself must know his own condition best.
Or at least give a signal when he's about to self-destruct.
He had no choice but to act with discretion in this way and that.
The Phoenix King recalled again that the moment he vomited blood for the second time would be the last.
Then his heart, which had calmed down, began to beat again.
"Then, shall we go to Gansu Province too?"
Still, hearing this cheerful voice, he had no choice but to admit this one thing.
'His mental strength alone is amazing!'
He understood why this child, and not anyone else, had been given the role of self-destruction.
If he had been given the role, he might have run away in fear at the last moment.
'Could it be that he doesn't know his own body's condition?'
He quickly erased the absurd thought that had momentarily come to his mind.
* * *
As expected, my body's condition was good.
Since he had said there was still a year left, it would be enough if I finished this war cleanly and then slowly looked for a way to solve my body's condition.
If I can't find it, I'll just ask the Divine Monk to take a look again.
As soon as I thought that I had a backup plan, my mind was very at ease.
I saw the Mad Demon's group watching us from a distance.
They haven't completely retreated. Well, I didn't expect that much. This is their territory, and they have a duty to protect this place. For now, this much was enough.
However, time was not on our side.
From the Orthodox Faction's point of view, it was advantageous to occupy and seize Gansu as quickly as possible.
Assuming that the plan had been carried out correctly, Gansu would have been seized by now.
The scattered forces of the Orthodox Faction would also gradually gather in Gansu.
And so, the holding out in Gansu begins.
That period lasts for over three months, and the long struggle comes to an end only with the arrival of the Demonic Cult's third dispatch.
What I was waiting for was the moment I would face the third dispatch.
'A single variable that falls in front of everyone.'
It would be nothing more than a small ripple in a calm lake.
But it would soon spread throughout the lake.
And it would drag the hidden guys out into the world.
Just thinking about it is thrilling.
I headed to Gansu, which would be the stage for that first start. The Mad Demon's group was following us at a certain distance, but when we reached Gansu, they would not be able to follow us anyway.
And so, as we were moving to Gansu, something felt strange.
By now, the Orthodox Faction's party that had gone to other places should have joined us, but not a single one was to be seen.
Could it be that they failed?
No way.
The Gansu Province battle is a battle where the occupation is carried out smoothly. There was a higher possibility that they had already arrived first. It seemed that I had been delayed in treating my internal injuries. My party and I quickly moved our feet and arrived in Gansu.
As originally planned, the city gate of Gansu was wide open.
When we passed, the city gate would now be closed. But at the arrived city gate, no one from the Orthodox Faction was to be seen. Even after passing through the city gate, it was still open.
When I looked back, I could see the Mad Demon's group that had been chasing us. For now, we decided to close the city gate.
"Close the city gate quickly!"
As we closed the city gate, I could see the Mad Demon's group standing still outside.
They are probably waiting for the follow-up troops to arrive. The next attack will begin after the first dispatch of troops from the Heavenly Demon Cult arrives.
Still, carelessness is forbidden. About a third of the 108 Arhats decided to remain at the city gate and watch them.
And two-thirds decided to run inside and join the main force.
The main force that had occupied Gansu this time were the elites selected from the Four Great Families, 50 from each.
That number alone was 200, and they were all composed of masters of the Transcendent Peak or higher, and each military unit included four masters of the Transcendent Peak.
And the one leading them was the Heavenly Lord of the Suicide Squad, a master of the Transformation Realm.
This much was a military force that could easily wipe out one or two of the Heavenly Demon Cult's military units.
Considering the troops of the Heavenly Demon Cult stationed in Gansu, the time had passed when they would have already been suppressed.
Seeing that Gansu was quiet as expected, there was a high possibility that the fight had ended long ago.
Perhaps the reason there was no one from our side at the city gate was because they were dealing with the remaining remnants.
And so, with a relaxed mind, I moved my feet with the 81 Arhats, who had been reduced from 108, to the place where I could feel a presence.
Armed people were gathered in front.
'Seeing that there are exactly 200, it seems there were no casualties.'
"Aaaargh!"
But as the distance got closer, a sound that could never be heard if the battle had ended was heard.
"Don't avoid it, everyone! Show the valor of the Orthodox Faction!"
A desperate voice of someone shouting.
"You evil Demonic Cult bastards!"
And a shout full of malice.
Sensing that something was wrong with the situation, I and the 81 Arhats immediately hid in a building. And we slowly moved forward, killing our presence.
The fight that should have ended was continuing.
As the distance got closer, goosebumps rose on my arms.
An alarm bell was ringing wildly in my head.
An unknown anxiety spread throughout my body with every step I took.
The screams that had been continuing stopped abruptly.
Finally, the distance was close enough to be seen with the eyes.
I and the 81 Arhats carefully stuck our heads out of the building, killing our presence as much as possible.
The numerous corpses scattered on the floor were the first thing that came into view.
The clothes they were wearing had the emblems representing the Four Great Families.
Something was wrong.
The corpses I had roughly glanced at were well over three hundred.
Among the dead, there were also members of the Suicide Squad whom I had met before.
I understood why the Suicide Squad that had gone to other places was not seen, and why the city gate was wide open.
The others, except for us, had completed their missions early and had joined in Gansu, and because they were now lying as cold corpses, they could not close the city gate.
There were less than a dozen of our allies who were still alive.
Among them, the only one who was moving was the Heavenly Lord, Eun Ga-yeong.
However, a dozen of the Heavenly Demon Cult's martial artists had formed a formation around the Heavenly Lord and were relentlessly pouring out attacks.
Although it seemed she was holding on well at a glance, her breathing was rough. Her eyes were dark with fatigue. Blood was splattered all over her body.
The balance that had been maintained tensely collapsed in an instant.
Slice.
A sword cut her right arm. When the Heavenly Lord blocked the right, this time it passed her left arm. Next, her right thigh, and then her left thigh.
Thud.
The Heavenly Lord knelt down.
She had prevented herself from collapsing to the floor by sticking her sword into the ground to support herself, but she could not get up.
And around the Heavenly Lord, those who seemed to be martial artists of the Heavenly Demon Cult were lying on the cold floor.
The number seemed to be over a hundred.
She had killed that many alone.
But the number of living Heavenly Demon Cult martial artists was several times the hundred who had died.
How can there be so many?
At this time, the hundreds of Heavenly Demon Cult martial artists split to the left and right, and one person slowly walked out from the middle.
"..."
The hair that had reached her chest had grown to her shoulders.
The pupils that had held a curiosity for the world were no longer just shining with an innocent light.
Her gait was arrogant, and her gaze was haughty.
It was already a complete monarch.
'Junior sister.'
Seeing her after three years, she had become a respectable Young Lord of the Heavenly Demon Cult.
But something was strange. My junior sister should have come to the battlefield in person only around the time of the third dispatch.
At that moment, I realized one mistake.
My junior sister is different from me.
Unlike me, who had been mistaken that I had everything in the world after becoming the Young Lord, my junior sister had not been arrogant at all even though she had the position of Young Lord in her hands.
Therefore, she had considered all the variables of this Orthodox Faction's invasion, and had even read that Gansu was the final target.
At this time, I felt a number of presences from behind.
I immediately turned around.
The Shaolin Arhats who had been left at the city gate were being attacked by someone and were moving quickly this way.
The ones who were pressing them were the Mad Demon's group from before. However, with the Fist Demon having deserted the battlefield, it was impossible for them to push back the Arhats, where the Phoenix King remained.
Someone was driving the Phoenix King.
It was a woman who used an elegant sword art.
'The Sword Demoness.'
Seeing her fighting almost equally with the Phoenix King, I could tell that the Sword Demoness had reached the Demonic Zenith.
In front, there were hundreds of Heavenly Demon Cult troops led by my junior sister.
Behind, there were the Heavenly Demon Cult troops led by the Sword Demoness and the Mad Demon.
This Gansu Province battle was a clear defeat for the Orthodox Faction.
When I looked forward again, my junior sister was raising her sword high.
The Heavenly Lord could not resist at all and was just glaring at it with eyes full of resentment.
What the third force wanted was the death of the Heavenly Lord, Eun Ga-yeong.
I had participated in the Gansu Province battle to confirm this.
For that, the Heavenly Lord, Eun Ga-yeong, must never die.
It was not the situation I had expected, but the stage was set.
Originally, I had planned to wait until the third dispatch, when the most people would gather, but there was no need or reason for that anymore.
If the third force exists, they must be in there.
The Arhats led by the Phoenix King from behind joined.
"Donor! It's a trap! We must get out of here quickly!"
I said.
"Please take care of the back."
"This is not the time to fight! We have to run away!"
In this situation, the only thing left for us was death.
The only way to survive was to bet on a single hope.
If my prediction is correct...
I will be able to survive today and see the sun rise tomorrow.
-If it's a request, I'll do it right now. Please get me one sheep mask.
-Is that all?
-Yes.
The Shaolin Arhats rushed out to block the Sword Demoness and the Mad Demon.
At this moment, I was completely alone in the eyes of everyone.
Thump!
I put on the sheep mask that I had been keeping in my bosom.
A cell organization is distributed like dots, so it is difficult to dig deeper even if you catch the related people because you don't know who the body is or where it is.
Therefore, it was close to impossible to completely eliminate the cell organization that was established everywhere like cockroaches.
However, this clear advantage for them could be a fatal weakness for them.
I went up to the roof.
My body was in a stable state.
Now, it was possible to draw out a little of the sheep mask's energy.
Hooo.
An energy that spreads throughout the square.
Everyone stops what they are doing and looks up at once.
The mistake you made to me was first, to touch me, who just wanted to live a honey-sucking life, second, to not kill me for sure twice, and third, to show me your appearance.
Until now, it may have been your turn to do whatever you wanted while hiding like a rat, but from now on, it's my turn.
I will make you pay the price for messing with a honey-sucking regressor.
The counterattack begins.
(End of Chapter)