Chapter 158: Already Knew
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When Cheol Ryu-heun stood on the ground, Gal Jung-heon followed suit, quickly whispering a question as he dismounted.
“Sect Master Cheol, where are those three people over there from…?”
“They’re training Masters of our Sect.”
“……”
Gal Jung-heon finally confirmed the distinctive uniforms of White Peak Sword Sect executives and was at a loss for words.
One shouldn’t judge a person by their appearance, of course, but those three faces had too great a disconnect to be Training Masters of an orthodox martial sect…
In his past days as Nine Demon Alliance Master, one of his subordinate demons had boasted a terrifying face, enough to be called a fierce god of evil – yet even he felt lacking compared to those three.
Remarkable.
With slight exaggeration, it seemed like those ferocious faces alone could conquer the world.
He had a premonition that adapting wouldn’t be easy.
Meanwhile.
Yeop Hwon, Hyeop Mu-geuk and the others were each frozen in awkward half-bowing postures.
‘What? A Guest Retainer from the demonic martial world…?’
Eyes full of questioning light.
But among them, two people immediately recognized the other’s face.
“What! Hero Neung?”
“Ah! I never thought we’d meet here!”
It was Ye Woon-rang and Namgung Sang-rin, who had previously crossed paths with Gal Jung-heon.
At that moment, Cheol Ryu-heun said with an indifferent expression.
“He’s the Nine Demon Alliance Master.”
The moment he finished speaking, a silent shockwave swept through the training ground.
“…!”
The sudden heavy silence spoke to everyone’s astonishment.
Ye Woon-rang in particular wore an expression of utter incomprehension.
“I-is that true?”
It was a natural reaction.
Until now, he had thought there were no survivors besides his own master Red Dragon Sword Captain Hong So, but suddenly the Nine Demon Alliance Master had appeared in full force…
Moreover, it was extremely shocking that the dumpling shop owner Neung Po’s true identity was him.
Namgung Sang-rin felt the same way.
A past conversation suddenly flashed through his mind.
-Neung Po, that’s the name I’m living under.
-What you just said…
-I’m sorry, but it’s not my real name.
‘So that’s why. That’s why…’
It was the moment he finally understood the hidden truth of why he had to hide his original identity and use a pseudonym.
Everyone has circumstances that are hard to speak about, so at the time he had just let it go – but he had never imagined he was the Alliance Master of Nine Demon Alliance.
It was hard to believe readily, but Cheol Ryu-heun wouldn’t tell pointless lies.
Gal Jung-heon neatly folded his hands before his chest in the formal manner of a first greeting and properly introduced himself.
“Pleased to meet you. I am called Gal Jung-heon. As Sect Master Cheol just mentioned, I was the former Alliance Master of the now-fallen Nine Demon Alliance.”
Immediately after, Ye Woon-rang’s pupils flashed with interest.
Former Alliance Master.
That meant he was a figure of a generation above the Alliance Master who had fought against Dragon Martial Gate at that time.
At that moment, Gal Jung-heon cast a meaningful gaze.
Toward Ye Woon-rang.
-There’s someone else who will be curious about your story.
-Pardon?
-Ye Woon-rang.
-Why him…?
-He’s the disciple of Red Dragon Sword Captain Hong So.
He then bowed his waist with a respectful expression.
“I learned through Sect Master Cheol that Hero Ye is a descendant of Dragon Martial Gate. Let me take this opportunity to sincerely apologize. For our Alliance’s past bloodshed with Dragon Martial Gate, driven by ambition…”
Ye Woon-rang reciprocated with an equally respectful attitude.
“Not at all. Please don’t blame yourself too much. I understood immediately from what you said earlier. That you were not connected to that incident. But then the Alliance Master who led that bloodshed back then was…?”
“My successor.”
“…!”
Ye Woon-rang was confused.
‘Successor?’
According to his master Hong So, the Nine Demon Alliance Master was a young demon in his twenties or thirties, and Gal Jung-heon before his eyes would have been around the same age back then.
It was strange.
A successor of the same generation…
Gal Jung-heon read the question in his heart and added.
“Twenty-one years ago, I was fifty years old. My current middle-aged appearance is the effect of fortunately achieving Rejuvenation.”
“GASP! Rejuvenation!”
Not only Ye Woon-rang but everyone around reacted with astonishment.
It was everyone’s first time.
Actually seeing a master who had reached the realm of Rejuvenation.
“The bloodshed between our Alliance and Dragon Martial Gate occurred while I was trapped in a sealed barrier somewhere. If I hadn’t achieved Rejuvenation, I would still be trapped there.”
At that moment, Cheol Ryu-heun’s nonchalant voice struck everyone’s ears.
“Shut your mouths. I’ll tell you the detailed story later. You workers there – have you completed all the chores I instructed before?”
At that, Tae Sa-ja quickly bobbed his head.
“Yes, Sect Master. We’ve procured several hundred sets of martial attire along with all sorts of supplies to last several months, and also wrapped up the repair work on the major facilities in the estate. Ah, and the newly ordered roof tiles will probably be delivered in about three days.”
“The internal energy cultivation method memorization?”
“Yes, we all diligently memorized it whenever we had time. Enough that we can now recite it quickly with our eyes closed…”
Tae Sa-ja trailed off and glanced at his expression before speaking again.
“Um… Sect Master, can all of us begin official training starting tomorrow?”
“Yes, I plan to develop all eleven of you like demons.”
“Pardon?”
“Those booklets I distributed back then – they contain the secret internal energy cultivation method formulas of Yaksha Great Sword Ancestor Helian Ryung.”
Simultaneously, the faces of Tae Sa-ja and all the others turned white as sheets.
Yaksha Great Sword Ancestor Helian Ryung.
The person who had possessed the Divine Martial Sword about eighty years ago and reigned as the supreme master of his era.
Cheol Ryu-heun continued speaking without caring whether they were surprised or not.
“Know that, and from now on quite harsh training will follow, so try to endure it well.”
“Yes! Sect Master!”
The eleven workers answered as one as if shouting, then each became swept up in tremendous joy.
It felt like a dream.
To think that what they had been memorizing was an internal energy cultivation method that was the true transmission of an absolute being from the unorthodox faction.
“How about you all?”
This time Cheol Ryu-heun’s gaze turned toward the executive staff.
At that, the eldest Yeop Hwon spoke as their representative.
“I and the Chief Supervisor have recently become able to execute Mountain Coming at the perfected level, and we’ve also nearly reached full mastery of Mountain Spirit too. I believe we’ll soon be able to execute the final ultimate technique, Mountain Road, at the perfected level as well. And the three Training Masters have learned roughly half of the key essence and application of the three ultimate techniques.”
“Good. Going smoothly.”
“But regarding the trip you went on… Did you have some results?”
“Of course. We restored relations with Mount Heng Sect, and I also returned the cave on Sacred One Peak in the Forbidden Zone to its original state.”
“…!”
While Yeop Hwon and everyone else wore astonished expressions yet again.
“I underwent a second Bone Replacement and Marrow Cleansing there. And midway, I even achieved the realm of Shattering the Void.”
Before the words Cheol Ryu-heun spoke as if it were nothing, everyone’s heads spun.
“…!”
Achieving Bone Replacement and Marrow Cleansing again was astonishing enough, but he also achieved the realm of Shattering the Void midway through?
Gal Jung-heon, who had been listening quietly, felt dazed.
‘Tremendous! I guessed from the start he was no ordinary person, but…’
The ultimate cultivation achievement meaning to break body and mind, leap over even the barrier of selflessness, and be free from all worldly forms like the empty void – to think the barely-of-age Cheol Ryu-heun had obtained it.
“Anyway, after leaving Mount Heng Sect, I roughly cleared up some old ill fates and martial rankings, so rumors about that are spreading now.”
Cheol Ryu-heun glanced at Divine Wind as he said this.
“They say rumors travel a thousand li without feet, but that horse with feet is faster than that, so the news hasn’t reached here yet.”
Everyone was silent.
It was hard to grasp what was what, but… It was clear he had done something tremendous.
At that moment, Cheol Ryu-heun said expressionlessly.
“We’ll be getting entangled with two powers soon. When that matter is finished, all under heaven will hear. The name of our Sect, taking flight anew.”
Yeop Hwon quickly cleared the dazed look from his eyes and asked.
“Pardon? What two powers do you mean…?”
“One is Sword Seal Sect.”
“…!”
“You’ll find out about the other one later.”
Having said that, Cheol Ryu-heun thought of Ximen Yue, who had appeared wearing a mask before, and laughed inwardly.
‘Heh. I already knew back then. That you brat are a puppet of Sun Moon Demon Cult… Wait. I’ll make you come before me on your own.’
* * *
A quiet forest path.
Only the occasional chirping of birds struck the ears.
Dancing Saber Mandarin Duck Gyeon Mi, striding along the shaded path, suddenly turned her head back.
WHIP!
Because she had received some strange feeling that was hard to describe in words.
‘A presence?’
A light of suspicion slightly appeared in her dark eyes as they thoroughly scanned the green scenery.
However.
Apart from the fallen leaves moving this way and that in the wind, there was nothing particularly noteworthy.
‘That’s strange.’
Gyeon Mi furrowed her brow and kept rolling her pair of eyes.
Something seemed to be hiding.
Call it a kind of intuition honed by life as a wanderer.
Standing still, she operated a certain amount of internal energy to sharpen her energy sense even further.
But.
It was futile.
Still nothing registered on her energy sense.
Whether human or beast.
Just then, a small squirrel scurried across a tree standing some distance away.
Only then did Gyeon Mi relax her expression and let out a smirk.
‘What, a squirrel… Was I being too sensitive?’
But at that moment, a piercing sound burst out from nearby.
SHUKAAK-!
An unidentified figure that had quickly dropped down swung a sword that instantly dug into Gyeon Mi’s flesh.
CHYUK…!
Blood sprayed out in a long arc.
The right shoulder.
“UGH!”
With a groan, Gyeon Mi kicked off the ground and swiftly retreated without further thought.
The figure who had made the surprise attack was Cui Lan, who had been sharpening her blade of revenge.
It was excellent.
Suppressing her killing intent, concealing her traces, approaching stealthily like that, then finishing the target with a single stroke – it was a surprise attack faithfully following the way of the assassin’s sword.
However.
It was shallow.
Originally she had intended to sever the right arm entirely, but due to lack of real combat experience and Gyeon Mi’s quick reflexes, she had failed.
Nevertheless, having wounded the primary arm and seized the advantage, it was successful to a degree.
PAT!
Cui Lan kicked off the ground and closed in on the front, her sword in her right hand dancing wildly again.
SWISH, SWISH SWISH, SWISH-!
Gyeon Mi gritted her teeth and desperately swung the Willow Leaf Saber in her right hand.
CLANG, CLANG CLANG, CLANG- KANG, KANG KANG-!
Sharp metallic sounds echoing through the quiet forest.
“Die! Evil thief!”
Cui Lan screamed shrilly and deployed furious swordwork.
SHING, SHING SHING- SHING- SHING, SHING SHING-!
The blade tip and edge flying in at lightning speed – there wasn’t a single target area that wasn’t lethal.
Gyeon Mi instantly intuited.
The fact that the opponent harbored some kind of grudge.
‘TSK! It’s revenge, nine out of ten!’
It was hard to readily know who she was.
Since the people she had killed weren’t just one or two.
Looking at the opponent’s face, which appeared to be not yet twenty, made her angry.
‘Damn it, I’m being done in by some little brat like this…!’
Gyeon Mi focused on defense while watching for an opportunity to counterattack, but because of the pain from the wound on her shoulder, her movements weren’t smooth.
In the end.
CHYUK!
Blood spurted from her thigh.
Cui Lan’s sword had inflicted another wound.
At that moment, from beyond the bushes some distance to one side, someone’s voice mixed with laughter was heard.
“Kekeke… An interesting situation is unfolding here.”
At the spot where the startled gazes of Cui Lan and Gyeon Mi rested stood a man with curly hair.
“Go on and keep playing with each other. I’ll just watch.”
Arms leisurely crossed, continuing to speak in that thick voice, he was Thousand-Man Foe Axe Tang Mu-gae.