The Sky Falls (2)

Ja Hong-cheon’s eyes sank into deep silence.

Screams echoed from all directions, and flames shot up to the sky.

Even a fool could tell that a calamity had befallen the Jade Heaven Alliance.

Yet, Ja Hong-cheon did not move.

With this level of commotion, someone should have rushed to him long ago. But no one came. That meant the alliance was in such a grave crisis that no one could even come to report to the alliance Leader’s residence.

At Ja Hong-cheon’s feet lay a dozen or so dead martial artists.

They were the Hundred Demons, assassins deployed by the Celestial Demon Troupe.

They had ambushed their target, Ja Hong-cheon, without fear for their own lives. Of course, a mere ambush by assassins was useless against an absolute master like Ja Hong-cheon. They had merely stolen a brief moment of his time.

A mere moment that would have meant nothing under normal circumstances. But the brief time stolen from Ja Hong-cheon decided the fate of the Jade Heaven Alliance.

The Hundred Demons, who had covertly infiltrated the alliance, had completely shattered its defensive network. In that time, the Celestial Demon Troupe’s elites had entered.

Until now, the Alliance had fought from behind high walls and in favorable terrain. From this point forward, it would be raw combat.

True, they might still gain some advantage using internal formations and mechanisms. But once battle turned chaotic, even those would be useless.

Crack!

Ja Hong-cheon ground his teeth until they seemed ready to shatter.

His eyes were so bloodshot that they looked like they would drip blood.

Everything he had built and protected until now was collapsing before his eyes.

Even if they somehow drove Celestial Demon Troupe back, the scars of this day would never heal. In time, they might even be devoured by the Seven Sects.

“Just when unification of the Jianghu was within reach…”

He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails pierced his palms, and blood dripped to the floor.

Suddenly, he turned and shouted in one direction.

“Yeon-ah!”

“Yes! Master.”

Without a sound, a woman appeared before him.

Dressed in black robes and a black veil, her hair was pure white, as though snow had fallen upon it.

She was Dan Li-yeon, Ja Hong-cheon’s disciple.

Expressionless, she looked at her master.

“Protect the Alliance,” Ja Hong-cheon commanded.

“And you, Master?”

“I have other business.”

He didn’t explain what that was.

Dan Li-yeon stared blankly at Ja Hong-cheon’s face with her impassive eyes. Although she didn’t speak, she seemed to understand his inner thoughts completely.

For a moment, Ja Hong-cheon felt ashamed, but he suppressed it without showing it.

Originally, shame was an emotion that didn’t exist for him. To achieve his goals, he could stoop to any level of pettiness.

He preferred to endure shame, survive, and plan for the future; as a result, he had become the master of the Jade Heaven Alliance. For someone like him, a moment of shame was not something to be embarrassed about.

What was truly shameful was collapsing without even a chance for recovery.

“Mas…ter?”

“Can you do it?”

“Yes!”

Dan Li-yeon answered shortly. But her voice held no strength.

Ja Hong-cheon knew this, but he didn’t care.

Right now, he had no room to worry about Dan Li-yeon’s feelings.

He had originally taught her the White Lotus Red Heaven Art and the White Lotus Hand for this very purpose.

With those two martial arts, she could hold back or even kill any master who came.

Dan Li-yeon was Ja Hong-cheon’s weapon, or rather, his sacrifice.

Now it was time for her to fulfill her purpose.

Ja Hong-cheon looked at Dan Li-yeon’s face for a moment, then moved his feet.

He didn’t say embarrassing things like ‘see you again’ or ‘let’s survive and meet’. But if they were alive, they would inevitably meet somehow.

That was the relationship between master and disciple.

Dan Li-yeon watched indifferently as Ja Hong-cheon walked away.

“Hoo!”

The sigh she had been holding back escaped her lips.

Kwaang!

At that moment, the main gate of the blue dragon hall burst open, revealing three men.

They were all martial artists exuding an extraordinary aura.

The moment they appeared, the air itself in the hall seemed to freeze.

They scanned the area and frowned.

Their target was nowhere to be seen.

One of them asked Dan Li-yeon,

“Where is Ja Hongcheon?”

“He’s gone.”

“Gone?”

“Yes.”

Dan Li-yeon replied calmly. To an outsider, her calm demeanor might seem like she was mocking the men.

A strange light appeared in the men’s eyes.

“Who are you?”

“Dan Li-yeon!”

“Ha! Ja Hong-cheon’s disciple. But why is your hair so white?”

“It just turned out that way.”

“Hmph. Must be from training some special art.”

The oldest among them narrowed his eyes.

It was Jo Mun-san, the Blood Eye Blood Claw

He was a member of the Ten Blood Demons and, following Yang Gwang-baek who was killed by Lee Gwak, the oldest martial artist in the True Demon Palace.

He was currently leading the True Demon Palace. After all, seniority was important to reorganize a group that had lost its leader.

Naturally, the martial artists with him were also absolutely extraordinary.

Shadowless Ghost Blade, Lee Shin-chung.

Black Ghost Dragon, On Jawol.

All were among the Ten Blood Demons.

Even learning who they were, Dan Li-yeon did not flinch. She looked almost resigned to death.

Jo Mun-san asked again,

“Tell me—where did your master go?”

“Why ask?”

“To kill him, of course.”

“If possible, I’d like to help.”

“Oh?”

“But he is still my master.”

For better or worse, she owed Ja Hong-cheon. Though the price had been brutal, she had yet to repay it in full.

Whoosh!

Though there was no wind, her black clothes fluttered.

Jo Mun-san clicked his tongue.

“Tsk!”

Her aura was too fearsome to dismiss as a mere show of force by a naive young girl.

Dan Li-yeon’s hair wasn’t just white; it shone like silver.

It was proof that her White Lotus Red Heaven Art had reached its peak.

The perfected White Lotus Red Heaven Art gave Jo Mun-san a great sense of crisis.

Jo Mun-san spoke to On Ja-wol.

“I and Shin-chung will handle this place. You go check elsewhere.”

“Understood.”

On Ja-wol saluted and leapt outside.

Dan Li-yeon glanced his way but did not stop him.

Facing Jo Mun-san and Lee Shin-chung alone was more than enough—adding one more opponent would make survival impossible.

“Then let’s begin.”

Jo Mun-san and Lee Shin-chung closed in.

Feeling their overwhelming force, Dan Li-yeon briefly shut her eyes.

How did it come to this? Why has my life become so ruined?

If only she could, she would have asked her master why.

Crash!

At that moment, the attacks of Jo Mun-san and Lee Shin-chung poured down upon her.

***

Boom!

The massive noise erupting from the Jade Heaven Alliance disturbed the surface of Lake Dongting.

Because of the shockwaves, boats moored at the dock shook and collided with each other as if caught in a typhoon.

But Ja Hong-cheon had no time to worry about the boats. There was a man blocking his path.

A young martial artist stood alone against the backdrop of soaring flames.

He had a decadent beauty that seemed otherworldly.

At the sight of him, Ja Hong-cheon felt his blood turn cold.

“Go… Geom-wol.”

“It has been a while,  Master Ja.”

The man, Go Geom-wol, offered him a courteous bow.

Ja Hong-cheon’s eyes twitched.

“You expected me to come this way?”

“I assumed this would be your escape route.”

A faint smile touched Go Geom-wol’s lips.

Shame flickered across Ja Hong-cheon’s face—a look he had hidden even from Dan Li-yeon.

For Go Geom-wol to see through him so completely was terrifying.

“Go Geom-wol! To dare face me alone—you’re bold.”

“Seems you’ve forgotten your defeat.”

“That time, I wasn’t at full strength.”

They had clashed once before. Outwardly it seemed even, but in truth Ja Hong-cheon had been defeated. Wounded by Lee Gwak, he had no choice but to withdraw before things worsened.

Go Geom-wol smiled slightly.

“Then this will be our true battle.”

“Jin Gwang-hon has raised a hungry ghost. He doesn’t know he’ll be devoured himself.”

“A demon cub? Hmm. Perhaps.”

“You’ll share his fate. For now you’ve devoured your master—but someday, your disciple will devour you.”

At those words, Go Geom-wol’s brow twitched. But he quickly composed himself.

“I am prepared for that.”

“Hmph! We’ll see if you’re so calm when that day comes.”

“Even if I am devoured, Master Ja, you won’t live to witness it.”

“Your arrogance pierces the sky.”

“I have earned the right to it.”

It was clear: there would be no slipping away quietly. Unless Ja Hong-cheon defeated Go Geom-wol, escape was impossible.

“I never thought I’d be driven into such a corner.”

“Only because of your arrogance. Had you been more cautious—or more courageous—none of this would have happened.”

“You’re saying the alliance’s fall is my fault?”

“You bear the greatest responsibility.”

At Go Geom-wol’s sharp criticism, Ja Hong-cheon’s eyebrows twitched.

If anyone other than Go Geom-wol had criticized him like that, he would have cut them down instantly. But Go Geom-wol was too formidable an opponent to attack recklessly and impulsively.

In fact, he had lost to Go Geom-wol in a fight.

No matter that his condition wasn’t normal, or that he hadn’t used his full strength, the fact of his defeat remained unchanged.

Because of that, Ja Hong-cheon felt a sliver of fear toward Go Geom-wol.

He tried hard to deny it, but Go Geom-wol could see the fear lurking in his eyes.

Go Geom-wol approached Ja Hong-cheon and spoke,

“I knew from the beginning.”

“Knew what?”

“That you are a coward.”

“What did you say?”

“I don’t know what you were like in the past, but the you I experienced was a coward who hides fear deep in his heart.”

Whoosh!

An immense aura erupted instantly from Ja Hong-cheon’s entire body.

Like a raging storm, the surface of Lake Dongting churned and waves rose violently.

Because of the aura emitted by one person, chaos descended upon Lake Dongting.

It was as if the wrath of a heavenly god had descended upon Lake Dongting. But Go Geom-wol, who was directly facing Ja Hong-cheon’s aura, remained composed.

At the very least, such intimidation didn’t work on him.

A truly strong person doesn’t intimidate others with their aura like this. The truly fearsome ones were always those who quietly honed themselves.

By Go Geom-wol’s standards, the only one in the current Jianghu who could be called strong was Lee Gwak alone.

Ja Hong-cheon’s martial arts were, of course, formidable.

Even Go Geom-wol felt pressured.

But that was all.

He felt pressured by Ja Hong-cheon, but not frightened.

Through their previous decisive battle, Go Geom-wol had grasped the psychology and essence underlying Ja Hong-cheon.

The Ja Hong-cheon he understood was an old monster submerged in desire.

All the fighting spirit of his youth had vanished, and only ugly desires remained to move him.

Ja Hong-cheon’s martial arts were certainly formidable, but they showed no resolve for a life-or-death struggle.

After spending many years as the leader of the Jade Heaven Alliance, his resolve from his youth had worn away.

That’s why, instead of acting himself, he kept putting forward substitutes. He created opponents to fight in his place and put them on the front lines.

Just look at how he taught Dan Li-yeon internal energy techniques and put her on the front line.

It wasn’t due to his cunning and deep foresight, but simply because he was too afraid.

It might be hard to believe that the leader of the mighty Jade Heaven Alliance was a coward, but Go Geom-wol had seen many such people.

Those who grew complacent with time and lost their original resolve.

They might have accumulated power and martial prowess commensurate with their years, but they lacked the fighting spirit a martial artist should rightfully possess.

Go Geom-wol did not fear such people.

He was not afraid of Ja Hong-cheon.

Srrring!

He drew his sword.

At once, Lake Dongting, which had been raging like a storm, fell suddenly calm—as if nothing had happened.

The waves subsided, and the winds died down.

Go Geom-wol leveled his sword at Ja Hong-cheon.

“Isn’t it time you let him have a clear path?”

“Him?”

“Lee Gwak.”

“You dare treat me as nothing more than a stepping stone on the way to Lee Gwak?”

Ja Hong-cheon’s furious roar shook across the lake.

Go Geom-wol answered him with his sword.