Chapter 477: Chapter 477
The Demon Cult’s wild wind was terrifying.
Their advance was fierce enough that the expression “mad wind” wasn’t wasted. Countless sects including Hyeongmun Manor were swept away by the wild wind the Demon Cult had stirred up.
The Demon Cult didn’t pass by any sect before them. They advanced northward bringing down all sects in their path, from small sects to mid-tier sects. As if they wouldn’t leave any future troubles behind.
Only then did martial artists realize. That no matter how much they prostrated themselves, no matter how much they stayed quiet as mice, the Demon Cult would never leave them alone. The Demon Cult had no intention of leaving any potential threats unchecked.
Until now, countless sects had received proposals to join hands with Blue Sky Alliance. But among them, only an extremely small number actually joined hands with Blue Sky Alliance. Because after the Martial Alliance fell, they were skeptical of this kind of alliance. Moreover, the backbone of Blue Sky Alliance was all young martial artists.
The crafty martial world veterans didn’t easily trust such a Blue Sky Alliance. Because they thought in such chaotic times, the experience of crafty martial world people was far more important than the hot-bloodedness of youth.
Because of that, only an extremely small number of sects secretly joined hands with Blue Sky Alliance and cooperated. All other sects stayed prostrated and watched from the sidelines. But with this, they too came to know. That if Blue Sky Alliance in Shaanxi Province fell, they would be next.
Eventually all of the martial world’s power began gathering toward Blue Sky Alliance. A great migration of martial artists began soundlessly. Thanks to that, Blue Sky Alliance was growing in size day by day.
Meanwhile at Blue Sky Alliance on Lesser Mount Hua, a leadership meeting was in full swing. With sects that had come after receiving pieces of Cho Yeon-woon’s Hundred Battles Flag, warriors from large and small sects, and even wanderers gathering, Lesser Mount Hua was already at capacity. Even if they wanted to accommodate more, there were no spaces or barracks left.
“Alliance Leader, we must move the Alliance.”
“That’s right. There are limits to holding out here.”
The leadership advised Cho Yeon-woon to move Blue Sky Alliance.
At that, Cho Yeon-woon closed his eyes tightly and fell into contemplation.
Moving Blue Sky Alliance was already a planned matter. This place, Lesser Mount Hua, was located in the center of Shaanxi Province, so if things went wrong, the entire Shaanxi Province could be engulfed in flames of war. Because if things went badly, Zhongnan Sect and Hua Mountain Sect would receive the Demon Cult’s attacks before Blue Sky Alliance.
Because of that, they’d been pushing forward with work to establish a new Blue Sky Alliance at a location judged optimal from long ago. The problem was that the new Blue Sky Alliance wasn’t completed yet.
‘If possible I wanted to move after completion, but… can’t be helped.’
The Demon Cult was truly pushing up with overwhelming force. It was a situation where they could no longer hesitate.
Eventually Cho Yeon-woon made a bold decision.
“Let’s move Blue Sky Alliance.”
“Mmm!”
“Finally!”
At Cho Yeon-woon’s decision, the leadership brightened.
“Where are we moving to?”
“Is the new Alliance’s location decided?”
The newly joined martial artists expressed doubts. They had no choice. The environment of Blue Sky Alliance they’d joined with expectations was truly poor.
Never mind proper halls, even temporary barracks were insufficient, so those newly joining were practically sleeping outdoors. In such circumstances, even if they moved the Alliance, they worried whether there would be proper lodgings.
Cho Yeon-woon told them.
“A new Blue Sky Alliance is already being built in Xunyang. We’ll move there.”
“Xunyang?”
“You mean you’re already building a new city?”
The martial artists were moved. Then Cheong-un stepped forward and spoke.
“We’ve been building a new city in Xunyang since a year ago. The only regrettable thing is that the city isn’t perfectly built yet. At least we should be able to use the city as a stronghold to fight against enemies.”
“Ooh!”
“If it’s Xunyang, that’s the border with Hubei Province. If we block that place, we’ll be able to stop the Demon Cult’s northward advance. I don’t know whose idea it was, but you truly built the city in an exquisite location.”
The newly joined leadership expressed admiration at Blue Sky Alliance’s quick response.
Xunyang was a county existing on the border between Shaanxi and Hubei Provinces. A place where official roads and waterways crossed, a place that must be passed through to enter Shaanxi Province.
That they were already building a new city in such a place naturally surprised the leadership who didn’t know the circumstances.
Cho Yeon-woon looked at them and said.
“Fortunately quite a large sum of money came in, so we could urgently build the city.”
“Oh! Heaven is helping Blue Sky Alliance.”
“All of this is thanks to the Alliance Leader’s leadership.”
The leadership’s gazes looking at Cho Yeon-woon changed. Among them, some had been looking with eyes full of doubt whether the still-young Cho Yeon-woon could lead this massive force well. But after confirming the Blue Sky Alliance warriors’ changed spirit and gazes, and even their thorough preparedness, they withdrew their suspicions.
In the current martial world situation, there could be no Alliance Leader more perfect than Cho Yeon-woon. They looked at Cho Yeon-woon with truly admiring gazes.
Though their gazes were burdensome, Cho Yeon-woon didn’t avoid them. Because as he accepted the heavy responsibility of being Blue Sky Alliance’s Alliance Leader, his mindset naturally changed too.
Once the relocation was decided, from then on things proceeded swiftly. The Blue Sky Alliance warriors who’d entered Lesser Mount Hua since last year began packing as if they’d already anticipated this.
They had almost no luggage to take. Just a few sets of clothes to wear and eating utensils were all. They had truly lived on Lesser Mount Hua with minimal belongings.
They decided to abandon all things like the barracks they’d been using. Because they’d reached their limit, almost all torn and tattered to the point of being unusable anymore.
Relocating was an exciting matter for anyone. Regardless of whether it was for unfortunate reasons or good reasons.
After the relocation decision, many martial artists stayed up all night with wide-open eyes.
Cho Yeon-woon couldn’t easily fall asleep either. Eventually he gave up on sleeping and climbed the mountain.
His destination was the Iron Blood Hell Training Hall where Dam Ho’s quarters were.
The Iron Blood Hell Training Hall emptied of people due to relocation was very desolate. Because when they decided to relocate the Alliance, the Iron Blood Hell Training Hall was closed too. But the Iron Blood Hell Training Hall wasn’t completely devoid of people.
“Ho!”
Dam Ho standing alone entered his eyes.
Even though the Iron Blood Hell Training Hall was closed, he was the only one who hadn’t moved his quarters. There was no one who said anything to such a Dam Ho.
During the past year, Dam Ho’s atmosphere had become even more peculiar. With something added to his previously dark and heavy atmosphere, he occasionally felt like not a person of this world. Most people were crushed by such an atmosphere of Dam Ho’s, unable to even easily speak to him. But Cho Yeon-woon approached Dam Ho with an unbothered expression.
“What are you thinking about so much?”
“It’s nothing.”
At Cho Yeon-woon’s question, Dam Ho lightly shook his head. At that, Cho Yeon-woon smiled lightly.
“You heard the news, right? We’re moving Blue Sky Alliance.”
“Yeah!”
“Phew! Now only the final fight remains.”
“You’ll do well.”
“Right?”
“Yeah!”
“I wanted to hear those words. What kind of pitiful talk is this?”
Cho Yeon-woon let out another sigh.
Dam Ho silently looked at Cho Yeon-woon.
He was someone with many worries. He worried even over small matters, and thought from multiple people’s perspectives. Such aspects might seem indecisive at a glance, but it also meant he was that considerate.
Dam Ho looked at the sky again. Starlight fully lodged in his indifferent eyes.
Then suddenly a light rippled in Dam Ho’s black pupils. He stared piercingly at one spot in the night sky.
“What’s wrong?”
Belatedly, Cho Yeon-woon felt the strange atmosphere and looked where Dam Ho’s gaze was directed.
“Ah!”
Instantly an exclamation burst from his mouth. Because he too saw the figure expanding while cutting through the darkness.
Flutter!
The figure rushing while scattering their garments like an immortal descended from heaven was clearly a woman in her prime. The woman with provocative beauty was rushing in a straight line toward where Dam Ho was.
“Stop!”
The moment Cho Yeon-woon shouted a warning, a large hand restrained him. It was Dam Ho.
“Huh?”
Cho Yeon-woon looked at Dam Ho with a puzzled expression. But Dam Ho kept his gaze fixed on the woman without saying anything. Though the sight was somewhat frustrating, Cho Yeon-woon waited patiently.
The woman quickly came close to Dam Ho.
“Dam… Great Hero! Haah! Haah!”
She stopped before Dam Ho and barely opened her mouth. Her whole body was covered in sweat and blood. She paused briefly to catch her ragged breath.
Dam Ho recognized her.
“Nok Su-bing.”
“As expected… you remember.”
The woman catching her breath and continuing her words was precisely Phantom Fairy Nok Su-bing. She who had followed Yong Hwa-seol had reappeared. In a battered state at that.
Only Cho Yeon-woon, who didn’t know her identity, looked on with a puzzled expression. But even he had sense, so he kept his mouth shut and watched the situation.
Tears were already forming in Nok Su-bing’s eyes looking at Dam Ho.
“Queen Mother of the West was… sob!”
She eventually couldn’t hold back her tears and burst into crying. At that, Dam Ho’s eyes narrowed.
“What happened?”
“Queen Mother of the West was killed by Blood Light Death God.”
Instantly Dam Ho’s eyes twitched slightly.
On the other hand, Cho Yeon-woon couldn’t hide his shocked expression.
“What do you mean? Queen Mother of the West and Blood Light Death God? Aren’t they both members of Four Divine Emperors?”
He looked at Dam Ho with disbelieving eyes. But Dam Ho had a more cold-headed expression than ever.
“What happened?”
“She had gone to visit Nameless Master.”
“Nameless?”
“Queen Mother of the West said so. That Nameless Master was Blood Light Death God Ho Cheon-myeong. And that he was a member of Four Divine Emperors like herself. I truly couldn’t believe it, so…”
Nok Su-bing rambled with a trembling voice. At that, Dam Ho’s gaze became endlessly cold.
“Pull yourself together.”
“Yes?”
“Tell me calmly what happened.”
“What? Yes!”
At Dam Ho’s cold voice, Nok Su-bing felt her mind snap awake. She began speaking calmly, recalling her memories.
“I don’t know the details either. But it’s certain that after Queen Mother of the West met Ink Sword Hero Namgung In-hu, she fell into anguish. Like someone who’d lost their soul, she repeated ‘How could this be? How could he…’ Then one day she pulled herself together and said she was going to visit Nameless Master and went out. And several days later she reappeared covered in blood. At that time her vital energy was so faint that I couldn’t do anything.”
Yong Hwa-seol who returned in wretched condition squeezed out her last strength to write a letter. Her appearance was so solemn that Nok Su-bing couldn’t say anything.
Finally completing the letter, Yong Hwa-seol handed it to Nok Su-bing and said.
“You must deliver this to Dam Ho, that child. Remember, you must deliver it directly to that child.”
And she passed away shortly after.
Receiving the letter, Nok Su-bing had to flee without even properly burying Yong Hwa-seol. Because pursuers from Heavenly Evil Cult had arrived. She poured out all her strength to shake off the pursuers and rushed here. Because of that, her body’s condition was truly a mess.
“A letter?”
“It’s here.”
Nok Su-bing handed the letter to Dam Ho with trembling hands.
The letter she handed was entirely stained with blood. Yong Hwa-seol’s blood and Nok Su-bing’s blood mixed together.
Dam Ho unfolded the letter and began reading.
[Thinking about it, our misfortune began in the village that carried on Heavenly Evil Cult’s legacy. If we hadn’t obtained the forbidden book there, would we have split apart like this, each walking different paths? Thinking about it, I’m full of regret.
The world called us Four Divine Emperors and revered us, but we too were merely humans full of desire. If there was one most pure person among us, it was only Brother Wind Moon Emperor, the rest were full of desires. The only one who didn’t know that fact was only Brother Wind Moon Emperor.
All tragedy began with Heavenly Evil Cult’s forbidden book. The first to realize the forbidden book’s value was precisely Ho Cheon-myeong. He told us not to unseal the forbidden book but to keep it sealed, and we believed his words.
Not many years after sealing the forbidden book and leaving, the First Orthodox-Demon War broke out. The Demon Cult seized Central Plains with fearsome momentum, and we had to stop them.
As we repeated advances and retreats, we realized at this rate we’d end up neither here nor there, so we organized a suicide squad and ambushed the Demon Cult’s headquarters.
Our operation was successful. We instantly dismantled the Demon Cult’s leadership and drove the Cult Leader to the brink of death, and had victory before our eyes… Eventually when we succeeded in killing the Cult Leader, a sudden incident occurred. My lover Lee Gwan suddenly attacked Brother Wind Moon Emperor and seriously wounded him. I was shocked and tried to stop him, but by then Brother Wind Moon Emperor had already received a grave wound.
Brother Wind Moon Emperor squeezed out his last strength and barely escaped. I fought with Lee Gwan in anger.
He seemed very confused. His face showed he himself was puzzled about what had happened. But then I was too angry to consider his heart.
Eventually we fought greatly and parted.
Looking back now, all of that was too natural. As if someone had guided it that way. But then I was too confused to think such thoughts.
I learned the truth much later.
Ho Cheon-myeong had fanned my lover Lee Gwan’s desires, he who was called Iron Blood Martial God, with clever rhetoric. I didn’t know why Lee Gwan, who had stronger composure than anyone, fell for Ho Cheon-myeong’s rhetoric so easily. But far later, after hearing that Brother Wind Moon Emperor went to the village where Heavenly Evil Cult’s forbidden book was sealed again and met disaster, I realized.
Ho Cheon-myeong, he must have learned Heavenly Evil Cult’s forbidden book and then deployed it on Lee Gwan.
I still don’t know why he learned Heavenly Evil Cult’s forbidden book. No, I wasn’t curious. What’s important is that because of that, Four Divine Emperors broke apart, and my lover Lee Gwan disappeared from this world.
I searched for him my whole life. To such me, Ho Cheon-myeong appeared one day and said. Don’t search for him, and don’t mention him either. If I searched for Lee Gwan any further, he would harm him.
Eventually I had no choice but to submit to his words.
If you hadn’t subdued Namgung In-hu, I wouldn’t have known until my last moment what state Lee Gwan was in.
Lee Gwan, my beloved, had become a soulless husk who’d lost his reason. I don’t know why he became a soulless husk, but I had to hold Ho Cheon-myeong accountable for that sin.
But he was strong. Too strong.
As if the words “perfect and flawless” existed for him.
When facing him, you must be especially careful of his sorcery. Because his sorcery directly attacks the opponent’s mind.
I still don’t know.
What was written in Heavenly Evil Cult’s forbidden book that he learned that made him change so.
What he truly wants.
What he’s trying to do after making the world this hellish.
But I learned one thing.
That the things he’s been doing until now are being executed under meticulous planning. That he has such a grand goal that it must be done at the cost of countless people’s deaths and blood.
He’s trying to build the altar again.
Over countless people’s blood and corpses, like he did at Mount Song.
Please stop him.
Please end this terrible nightmare.
And please remove the cursed shackles placed on Lee Gwan. If you do so, I’ll surely repay the favor even from hell.
The world’s sinner, Yong Hwa-seol…]
The letter stained with blood and tears contained a secret history unknown to the world.
After reading the entire letter, Dam Ho handed it to Cho Yeon-woon.
Throughout reading the letter, Cho Yeon-woon’s expression changed countless times. Later, as if he had no energy left to be surprised, he merely sighed.
“Phew! What nonsense is this…”
Dam Ho let his sigh flow past one ear and looked at the night sky.
The stars that had been shining brilliantly until just before had disappeared without trace, and only thick darkness filled the space.
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