novelraw Chapter 159 : Chapter 159
Chapter 159 : Chapter 159
Chapter 159 The Red Sky (2)
“Young Hero, please go a little slower.”
“Hoo, hoo. The medicine must be working really well. I wonder if I should have accepted it when you offered to share a pill each yesterday.”
As Jaun stopped with a troubled expression, the bearded man used his internal energy to blow away the sweat that had drenched his body and caught his breath.
“……I'm sorry. It would have been nice if we had shared them yesterday.”
“It’s fine. In any case, I didn’t get to take any medicine, so I’m not going to fight that Blood Demon bastard. It’s better to be in a less dangerous place without taking any medicine.”
“……Hero Jang. Is that something you should be saying right now?”
“I’m kidding, just kidding.”
Jaun, who was watching the bickering Ice Rakshasa and bearded man, clenched his fist. The state of Jaun’s body, which had completely absorbed the medicine given by the Emperor, was literally as light as a feather.
He had said it was a medicine made by slightly modifying the recipe of the Great Pill, but its efficacy was beyond imagination. After taking three pills that had at least two levels higher efficacy than the Plum Blossom Divine Pill he had received from the Eastern Depot, it was difficult to control the overflowing power in his Dantian.
‘……At this rate, there will be no problems with my internal strength from now on.’
In addition to the energy planted by Wi Jeong-cheon, Jaun's body, which had consecutively consumed pills with tremendous medicinal effects, was boiling with a power that even he couldn't believe.
There was a rumor that the Great Pill created an internal strength of one sixty-year cycle. He didn't know if this pill really had that much efficacy, but the amount of internal strength that had increased after taking it had long surpassed the level he could gauge.
“Phew. Let’s go now. I've caught my breath a little, so I'll try to follow as best as I can. We don't have much time, so we must hurry.”
“That’s right. Although we’ve sent a carrier pigeon, it would be best to get there as quickly as possible. By the time we arrive, the Alliance Leader will probably have finished her preparations.”
At the Ice Rakshasa’s words, Jaun nodded his head.
The party, which had left the Imperial Palace, was moving towards the main headquarters of the Sado Alliance at a high speed.
Since they had also sent a carrier pigeon to the Murim Alliance, they would move towards the Sichuan region first, but if the Blood Cult started their attack with all their might as the intelligence suggested, the help of the Sado Alliance was essential.
Therefore, Jaun, who had decided to gather as many martial artists as the Sado Alliance could support and move to the Sichuan region, was running in a straight line towards the Sado Alliance without slowing down.
Although the situation had come to a point where they could face the Blood Cult with the combined strength of the Murim Alliance and the Sado Alliance, a sense of unease still remained.
‘The events at the Imperial Palace also surpassed my expectations. The power of the Blood Cult, which has been trying to swallow the Central Plains with all its might for ten years… should never be underestimated.’
The Ice Rakshasa and the bearded man chased after Jaun, who had picked up his pace again, with all their might.
***
“Out of the way!”
As the Ice Rakshasa, who had run nonstop to the gates of Ak-yang, shouted in a loud voice, the gatekeepers, who had confirmed the appearance of Jaun and the Ice Rakshasa, opened the gates wide.
The party, which had entered Ak-yang, began to run towards the Alliance Leader’s Palace, breaking through the people who filled the city.
In the eyes of the party, who had passed through the Outer and Inner Courts in succession at a speed that raised dust, the martial artists of the Sado Alliance who filled the area in front of the Crystal Path could be seen.
Jaun’s party approached the martial artists and slowed down. Gwang-ryong stepped forward from among the gathered martial artists as if he had confirmed the party’s appearance.
“I gave you time to rest for a bit, and you went all the way to the Imperial Palace and caused a scene, I hear?”
The Ice Rakshasa, who had spotted Gwang-ryong, bowed her head deeply, and Jaun also bowed his head in greeting.
“You’ve checked the carrier pigeon, right?”
“Yes. We were also feeling that something unusual was happening on our side.”
“The Blood Cult is starting to move in earnest. If we don’t respond properly from the beginning, the outskirts of the Central Plains will start to collapse one by one.”
“We also know well that this is not a situation to be watching from the sidelines. We have already finished talking with that Jegal fellow about sending support from our side. He said to gather at the Tang Family.”
“Thank you. Then, who will be joining us?”
Jaun looked around at the martial artists of the Sado Alliance who filled the surroundings. Three people, who had felt Jaun’s gaze from behind Gwang-ryong, slowly walked forward.
Chu Myeong-hwa. Yu Ha-rin. Jin Cheol-myeong.
The former Sado Alliance Leader and two of the Five Evils.
They were not many in number, but they were masters who would be a sufficient help to the fighting force.
Although they were all martial artists who could occupy a position in the Alliance Leader’s Palace, Jaun looked at them with grateful eyes for stepping forward to help him despite the danger.
If the Ice Rakshasa, the bearded man, and he joined, they would certainly be at a level to turn the tide of the battlefield.
“I wanted to go myself, but… the situation didn’t allow it. After taking on the position of Alliance Leader, my body is no longer my own, you see.”
“I understand completely. Even just this much… will be a great help.”
In the eyes of the nodding Jaun, another person was seen walking out from the side.
“Huh?”
“‘Huh?’ he says. This means you really have completely forgotten about me.”
At Ban Cheol-hwi’s words, Jaun scratched his head with a guilty expression.
“……Didn’t you say you’d help me escape this lawless city once the Life-and-Death Tournament was over? I woke up from a nap, hoping to return to the Murim Alliance, but you two had already left somewhere… and I am here……”
Ban Cheol-hwi, whose eyes were filled with moisture, bit his lip hard. While they were dealing with matters related to the Imperial Court, Ban Cheol-hwi’s cheeks had become noticeably thinner.
“Ah……”
“I contacted the Murim Alliance several times, but the only reply was to wait for you……!”
Gwang-ryong’s arm came to rest on the shoulder of Ban Cheol-hwi, who was unable to continue and bit his lip again.
“Now, now. Thanks to being here, you were able to disassemble a few more altars, weren’t you?”
“Get this off me. I was able to endure because at least I had that, otherwise……!”
“Tsk tsk. This is disappointing. I thought I was taking good care of you, in my own way. Do you think those bastards at the Murim Alliance would let you touch the altars as you please like now? All sorts of people would stick to you and interfere.”
“Ahem. Well, that’s also true, but……”
“I heard they found another altar in the west of Hunan Province yesterday. What would you do if you followed them to Sichuan? It’s better to stay here and touch one more altar. Don’t you think?”
“……Another, altar?”
At Gwang-ryong’s words, conflict arose in Ban Cheol-hwi’s eyes.
“I'm sorry, Young Master Ban. I didn't think of it because the situation was so urgent. It's too dangerous to go to Sichuan together, so I'll prepare a way for you to return to the Murim Alliance for now.”
At Jaun’s words, Ban Cheol-hwi glanced at Gwang-ryong.
“Kekek. It’s fine. I’ll keep this one with me for a while longer. He’s been quite a help so far. Without him, we wouldn’t have been able to neutralize the altars so quickly.”
“‘This one’ you say! Watch your words!”
“You’re the one who should watch your words. How can you be so oblivious to your surroundings?”
Ban Cheol-hwi, who was fiddling with his scholar’s cap, was about to open his mouth again but flinched at the sharp auras shooting in from all directions and let out a dry cough.
“Ahem……”
“Well… please help the Sado Alliance here for a little longer. I’ll come to get you as soon as I’ve sorted out the situation in Sichuan.”
At Jaun’s words, Ban Cheol-hwi, who had let out a deep sigh, turned his head to the side with a jerk. Then, the Ice Rakshasa approached Ban Cheol-hwi and began to soothe him, whispering something.
Jaun scratched his head awkwardly and turned his head to Gwang-ryong again.
“For now, I’d like to move to Sichuan as quickly as possible. Are all the preparations finished?”
“Of course. I thought so, so I had them prepared in advance. They’re all ready to leave at a moment’s notice.”
At Gwang-ryong’s words, Jaun looked at the people who had come forward.
Perhaps due to their bone-crushing efforts, the auras of the Sado Alliance martial artists had also become unrecognizably sharp.
“……Tsk. I thought I had caught up a little. But you've already run far away.”
Chu Myeong-hwa, who had felt Jaun's aura, licked her lips. Yu Ha-rin grinned when her eyes met Jaun's, and Jin Cheol-myeong turned his head to the side awkwardly.
“Everyone… thank you.”
Jaun bowed his waist to express his gratitude.
“Then we'll depart immediately. It will be a difficult journey, but… if we don't crush the Blood Cult's momentum properly from the beginning, it will become more and more difficult in the future. So we have to show them for sure.”
“That’s good to hear.”
Chu Myeong-hwa put her hand in her bosom and fiddled with the dagger inside.
“It’s been almost ten years since I’ve been to the Jianghu. A head-on confrontation with the Blood Cult is a fitting occasion.”
“I also volunteered to freely display the teachings I received from the Young Hero. I have no intention of slacking, so please rest assured.”
Following Chu Myeong-hwa’s words, Yu Ha-rin smiled as she looked at Jaun.
A chain began to move with a clattering sound from the body of Jin Cheol-myeong, who was standing silently.
Jaun, who was looking at the party with trustworthy eyes, turned his body.
“We will depart in half a Sijin. We will head to Sichuan without rest, so please finish all preparations.”
At Jaun’s words, the party nodded their heads.
Gwang-ryong, who was staring at the scene, came forward and tapped Jaun on the shoulder.
“……Let’s see each other again in good health. If the situation becomes too much to handle, contact me anytime.”
“Thank you.”
Jaun bowed his head and showed a smile to Gwang-ryong.
***
“……Is that really true?”
Baek-myo swallowed hard.
“Are you saying that Qingcheng and Emei… have already fallen?”
Hyeon-dam looked at Yeon Seung-il with an incomprehensible expression. Then, Yeon Seung-il slowly nodded his head with a grave expression.
“Qingcheng fell in just half a Sijin. Emei, in two Sijin. And that was despite the Demonic Cult bastards splitting their forces in half and attacking simultaneously, they couldn’t even last two full Sijin.”
“No, does that even make sense? Qingcheng and Emei are clearly sects belonging to the Nine Great Sects and One Beggar Clan! How could they not even last half a day and……”
“The masters of Qingcheng were said to have been poisoned by an unknown poison or were addicted. They were said to have been annihilated without even being able to draw their swords properly. Emei is……”
Yeon Seung-il, who had stopped speaking there and bitten his lip for a moment, continued.
“Some of the martial artists of Emei colluded with the Blood Cult. It is thought that they were fascinated by the youth and eternal life that Blood Arts provide, and I heard that more than half of the masters were ambushed by their swords.”
“……Amitabha.”
Hyeon-dam let out a Buddhist invocation with a vacant expression.
“How could a Buddhist be deluded by such things as youth and eternal life……”
“……A Buddhist is still a person, after all. If I didn’t know what Blood Arts were properly, I think I would have at least listened to what they had to say once.”
Hyeon-dam, who had turned his head for a moment at Baek-myo’s words, sighed.
“This time, we definitely have the support of the Combat Squad, right?”
“Why do you think I sat in the Vice Squad Leader position that I didn't even want? It was for a day like today. All the forces I can move will move. Five Reconnaissance Squads, five Support and five Combat Squads each. Half of the Anti-Demon Squad, composed of a total of thirty squads, will move.”
“Other support is……?”
“Although the Alliance is said to be sending support, don’t expect too much. As you know, there is still a huge, insurmountable wall between the Tang Family and the Murim Alliance.”
“Do we still need that damn justification in a situation like this!”
At Hyeon-dam's pitiful cry, Yeon Seung-il let out a deep sigh.
“At least some support is coming because Strategist Jegal and Elder Tak stepped up. If it weren't for the help of those two, even the Anti-Demon Squad wouldn't have been able to move on this scale.”
Baek-myo, who had pounded on his frustrated chest, let out a deep sigh.
“Can we really stop the Demonic Cult bastards, who brought down Qingcheng and Emei in two Sijin, with only the Tang Family, which has already suffered irreparable damage, and half of the Anti-Demon Squad?”
“It will not be easy. No, to be honest, it is impossible with our strength alone. But since the Youngest said he would bring support troops from the Sado Alliance……”
“If the Youngest's identity is exposed in this battle, he will be subjected to concentrated attacks from the Demonic Cult in the future. So we must do our best to prevent the Youngest from being exposed. I think it would be best to finish it with our own hands without relying on the support troops somehow……”
At Baek-myo’s words, Yeon Seung-il opened his mouth with a worried expression.
“If we compare the strength of both sides… that is impossible. The best we can do is to delay the time of Sichuan’s collapse as much as possible. Moreover, the Youngest… seems to have already had his identity revealed to the Demonic Cult. I heard he caused some tremendous incident at the Imperial Palace.”
“The Imperial… Palace?”
As Baek-myo tilted his head, Yeon Seung-il shrugged his shoulders and shook his head.
“I don't know the details either. We'll listen when the Youngest comes, and for now, we have to stop those bastards somehow.”
Yeon Seung-il, who was looking at the hazy dust cloud rolling in from the distance, let out a great shout.
“All members of the Anti-Demon Squad! After activating the traps, retreat towards the Tang Family's manor. The Demonic Cult bastards are approaching faster than expected, so hurry. Don't be greedy and everyone retreat within one tea time!”
“Understood!”
The hundred or so members of the Anti-Demon Squad began to move busily under Yeon Seung-il’s command.