Episode 493

Turbulent Times Bring People Together (3)

The Celestial Demon Troupe and the Heavenly Justice Alliance were locked in a fierce back-and-forth battle.

 

There were hair-raising moments when the defensive line nearly collapsed. However, under Lim Sobo’s command, Heavenly Justice Alliance withstood Celestial Demon Troupe’s relentless attacks.

 

The clash between the two sides resulted in numerous casualties before entering a temporary pause.

 

Both the Celestial Demon Troupe and the Heavenly Justice Alliance had suffered enormous losses. The dead alone numbered over a thousand, and the wounded were several times more than that.

 

Both forces needed time to recover from the situation.

 

The Heavenly Justice Alliance sent an envoy to the Celestial Demon Troupe, proposing a day or two of ceasefire to collect the bodies. The Celestial Demon Troupe accepted the suggestion.

 

The battlefield was littered with piles of corpses, and the ground was stained red with blood.

 

The Celestial Demon Troupe and Heavenly Justice Alliance each sent people to retrieve their dead.

 

“Damn! I couldn’t find you no matter how hard I looked, but here you are, lying here so comfortably.”

 

A Heavenly Justice Alliance warrior hugged the corpse of his closest friend, whom he had finally managed to find.

 

He had looked for him during the ceasefire, but he couldn’t find him.He had assumed his friend was dead, but now, finding him among the other bodies, tears flowed uncontrollably.

 

“Those bastards! I will never forgive them.”

 

He vowed revenge for his friend, glaring at the Celestial Demon Troupe martial artists across the way.

 

The Celestial Demon Troupe martial artists were also collecting their comrades’ bodies in the same area. They too clung to the bodies they had painstakingly found and swore revenge.

 

Fortunately, no conflict broke out.

 

Both sides only collected their comrades’ bodies and retreated to their respective camps.

 

Celestial Demon Troupe and Heavenly Justice Alliance cremated or buried their dead. With so many killed, processing the bodies inevitably took a long time.

 

The Heavenly Justice Alliance held a memorial service to honor the dead, and the Celestial Demon Troupe also commemorated the fallen in their own way.

 

***

 

A man approached Go Geom-wol’s quarters.

 

It was Jin Ui-hon, the Thousand-Mile Eye.

 

He was the head of Blood Heaven Institute, the department within Celestial Demon Troupe responsible for intelligence and logistics.

 

His expression was exceedingly grave as he went to see Go Geom-wol.

 

He held a thick register in his hand.

 

It was a register of the names of the dead.

 

The weight of the register felt heavier than a thousand-pound rock.

 

Arriving in front of Go Geom-wol’s residence, Jin Ui-hon spoke cautiously.

 

“Alliance Lord! It is your subordinate, Jin Ui-hon. May I enter?”

 

“Come in.”

 

Go Geom-wol’s voice came from inside the room.

 

Jin Ui-hon straightened his robes once more before carefully opening the door.

 

Go Geom-wol was standing with his back to the door, looking out through a large, wide-open window.

 

With his hands clasped behind his back and his gaze fixed on the outside, Go Geom-wol looked lonely.

 

Jin Ui-hon looked at his back with pity for a moment.

 

While it might be the fate of an absolute being to be lonely, today, the burden on Go Geom-wol’s shoulders felt especially heavy.

 

Even though Jin Ui-hon had entered, Go Geom-wol did not turn around. Still looking out the window, he spoke.

 

“What is it?”

 

“I have brought the register.”

 

“How many died?”

 

“Seven hundred and eighty-one in total.”

 

“Seven hundred and eighty-one…”

 

Go Geom-wol’s eyes sank deeper.

 

More people had died than he expected. They were all precious talents who would have led the Celestial Demon Troupe forward.

 

Go Geom-wol felt a tightness in his chest.

 

Even though he possessed martial arts reaching the heavens, he was still human. No, he did not wish to let go of his humanity. That made it all the more painful.

 

Go Geom-wol reached out to Jin Ui-hon.

 

“Give me the register.”

 

Jin Ui-hon handed the register to Go Geom-wol with a respectful attitude.

 

Go Geom-wol carefully stroked the thick ledger.

 

These were the people who died for the Celestial Demon Troupe.

 

The only thing Go Geom-wol could do for them was to at least remember their names.

 

Whenever there were casualties, he would create such a register and memorize the names throughout the night. Knowing this, Jin Ui-hon went through the trouble of personally compiling the register and presenting it to Go Geom-wol.

 

‘What a remarkable man.’

 

Jin Ui-hon bowed his head deeply.

 

Jin Ui-hon bowed deeply, his heart swelling with respect at Go Geom Wol’s humanity.

 

Just as he was vowing to serve Go Geom-wol to the end…

 

Whoosh!

 

Suddenly, a large hawk swooped down onto the windowsill with a violent beat of its wings.

 

The hawk’s feathers were crimson red, as if drenched in blood.

 

It was the Divine Blood Hawk, a spiritual beast of the Celestial Demon Troupe.

 

It was used only for the most urgent messages.

 

As proof of this, a small cylinder was tied to its ankle.

 

Without a word, Go Geom-wol took out a small, rolled-up letter from the tube.

 

Jin Ui-hon looked at the letter in Go Geom-wol’s hand with curious eyes.

 

Go Geom-wol’s expression as he read the letter was unusual.

 

His eyes sank even deeper, and he bit his lip until it bled.

 

“Alliance Lord! What… what is the matter? May this subordinate know?”

 

Go Geom-wol silently handed the letter to Jin Ui-hon.

 

The moment he finished reading it, his eyes widened in shock.

 

“Is this true? Lord Eun Il-myeong of the Myriad Merchant Troupe has been assassinated?”

 

“They wouldn’t have sent it if it weren’t true.”

 

“How can this be!”

 

Without realizing it, Jin Ui-hon crumpled the letter.

 

The contents were that shocking.

 

The letter stated that Eun Il-myeong had been killed and could no longer support the Celestial Demon Troupe.

 

“Eun Il-myeong, assassinated…”

 

“Whoever it was, they struck at our weak point perfectly.”

 

“Then, shouldn’t we discuss support with the new lord of the Myriad Merchants Troupe?”

 

“You saw it yourself. The letter says the Myriad Merchants Troupe is in chaos. Eun Il-myeong left no heir. That was his fatal mistake.”

 

“If their support ends…”

 

Jin Ui-hon’s mind began to race.

 

Thanks to the backing of the Myriad Merchant Troupe, the Celestial Demon Troupe was able to fight the Heavenly Alliance on equal terms. They never had to worry about supplies.

 

Without their support, even procuring food and weapons would become difficult.

 

“This war cannot drag on now.”

 

“Indeed. The advantage lies with them.”

 

“In that case, we must settle this in a single decisive battle. If it turns into a prolonged war, we are doomed.”

 

“How difficult…”

 

Go Geom-wol nodded.

 

He had no intention of dragging the war out anyway, but now, they absolutely had to settle the outcome in the next clash.

 

“This is difficult.”

 

The words slipped from his lips before he realized it.

 

It was a sign of the immense pressure he felt.

 

Geom-wol had never yielded to any adversity before, but at this moment, he felt an intense fatigue that made him want to sit down for a while.

 

“What will you do, Alliance Lord?”

 

“Once the corpses are cleared, gather all remaining forces. This time, I will lead from the front.”

 

“Understood.”

 

“And send word to Cheon-hwa.”

 

“You mean to Lord Jang? But that is our last resort…”

 

“At this point, we must prepare even for the worst.”

 

“…Understood.”

 

In the end, Jin Ui-hon bowed his head in acceptance.

 

Go Geom-wol turned his gaze back to the window.

 

In the distance, he could see the Thousand Kingdom School. Now called the Heavenly Justice Alliance. Lee Gwak was at its top.

 

‘The time is nearly here.’

 

The long wait was nearing its end.

 

***

 

By repeatedly repelling the Celestial Demon Troupe’s invasions, the Heavenly Justice Alliance’s prestige soared to the heavens. Their fierce resistance deeply moved many factions in the Jianghu.

 

It was from that moment that sects and warriors who had remained on the sidelines began to take real action.

 

An incomparably vast number of factions and martial artists began moving to join the Heavenly Justice Alliance.

 

Until now, the Jianghu had been fragmented. The conflicts and divisions that began with the Jade Heaven Alliance’s war to unify the Jianghu had torn it apart.

 

The romance of the Jianghu had disappeared, replaced by a hellish survival of the fittest.

 

Martial artists suspected and watched each other.

 

No one could be trusted, and one’s safety could not be entrusted to anyone.

 

Having been betrayed by the Jade Heaven Alliance, martial artists distrusted other sects. But the Heavenly Justice Alliance’s fierce resistance was enough to erase those doubts from their minds.

 

The martial artists did not doubt the Heavenly Justice Alliance.

 

They wanted to contribute their strength to the Heavenly Justice Alliance, however small. So they journeyed far to reach it.

 

Those who arrived first begged to join.

 

“I wish to join the Heavenly Justice Alliance.”

 

“Our Eight Extremes Sect has come to aid the Heavenly Justice Alliance. We wish to lend a hand, please allow us inside.”

 

“Even menial work is fine, just give me a task. I want to help.”

 

The clamor of the people put the Heavenly Justice Alliance on high alert.

 

Because far more people had gathered than they had anticipated.

 

The Heavenly Justice Alliance assigned personnel to screen and accept them. They would have liked to accept everyone, but they had no choice but to conduct thorough screenings, as there might have been spies among them.

 

Due to the large number of arrivals and the small number of screeners, the entry process inevitably took time. However, there weren’t many complaints.

 

Instead, they considered it an honor to their families to be able to participate in the war against the Celestial Demon Troupe.

 

Up until then, hatred and fear of the Jade Heaven Alliance had kept many from direct combat. Now, however, they saw that this war was a once-in-a-century opportunity.

 

An age of chaos was also an age for heroes to rise. It was obvious that the sects and warriors who distinguished themselves in this war would lead the next era.

 

The Ten Great Sects were not renowned from the very start.

 

They had dominated Jianghu because they had proven their prowess in the Great Heavenly Blood War a hundred years ago.

 

Sects or martial artists who achieved great merit in this war would attract much attention.

 

Many martial artists came to Heavenly Justice Alliance with pure motives, but even more came to realize personal ambitions.

 

A blazing furnace…”

 

The intensity was so intense that the warriors of the Heavenly Justice Alliance clicked their tongues.

 

They couldn’t look kindly on those who sought fame by joining late. Yet, with every bit of aid desperately needed, they swallowed their feelings and imposed cold, strict examinations.

 

To be accepted, one’s identity had to be verified or vouched for. Those who had neither were not allowed to join, no matter how skilled they were.

 

Well-known sects had it easier because their names served as a guarantee.

 

Thus, the more disciples a sect brought, the faster they were admitted.

 

“I am Lee Mu-gok of the Divine Teaching Hall. I have brought fifty disciples under my command.”

 

“I am Yu Pyeong of the Public Duty Sect. I wish to bring two hundred disciples to join the Heavenly Justice Alliance.”

 

The numbers swelled like a snowball.

 

“Hmph! Where on earth are these ones coming from now?”

 

The Iron Decree Scholar, Lim Yul-ho, muttered as he watched a group of martial artists approaching from afar.

 

Lim Yul-ho was a martial artist dispatched from Thousand Kingdom School. His task was to identify sects wishing to join the Heavenly Justice Alliance and process them.

 

His martial arts weren’t particularly strong, but he was knowledgeable about Jianghu affairs and sects, making him perfect for this task.

 

Lim Yul-ho observed the newly arriving martial artists.

 

There were only about thirty of them, but each individual’s aura was outstanding, as if an elite force from some faction had arrived.

 

Lim Yul-ho cautiously asked them.

 

“Which sect are you from?”

 

“We are from Heavenly Martial Sect.”

 

“Heavenly Martial Sect?”

 

Lim Yul-ho tilted his head.

 

It was an unfamiliar name. But he soon managed to recall Heavenly Martial Sect after a little thought.

 

It was a name that had stirred Jianghu for a while before the war with Celestial Demon Troupe escalated.

 

Heavenly Martial Sect had gained attention by building the most lavish estate in the world with immense wealth. The amount of money they had spent was so astronomical that many martial artists had been astounded.

 

After constructing their splendid manor, Heavenly Martial Sect had not engaged in external activities. Thus, they were quickly forgotten from people’s minds. That’s why it took Lim Yul-ho a while to remember them.

 

A man who appeared to be in his early thirties made a fist-and-palm salute and spoke.

 

“I am Jin Han-cheon, the steward of Heavenly Martial Sect.”

 

“Ah! Great Hero Jin.”

 

“And this is the young master of our manor, Lord Jang Cheon-hwa.”

 

Jin Han-cheon introduced the youth beside him to Lim Yul-ho.

 

The moment Lim Yul-ho saw Jang Cheon-hwa, he felt an inexplicable thrill. Jang Cheon-hwa’s impression was that strong.

 

His deeply sunken eyes were particularly striking.

 

Jang Cheon-hwa’s gaze was so deep and weighty that it was hard to believe it belonged to a boy his age.

 

Boys his age are usually somewhat excitable, but Jang Cheon-hwa had an unshakable, solid gaze and aura, like an old master who had experienced countless trials.

 

Lim Yul-ho had met innumerable martial artists, but he had never encountered a boy with such eyes and presence.

 

Jang Cheon-hwa made a fist-and-palm salute.

 

“I am Jang Cheon-hwa of Heavenly Martial Sect.”

 

“Pleased to meet you, Lord Jang.”

 

“We have brought some supplies, hoping to be of some help to Heavenly Justice Alliance.”

 

“Supplies?”

 

Lim Yul-ho’s eyes widened.

 

They were already suffering from a severe shortage due to the sudden influx of martial artists.

 

Of course, there were merchant groups supporting the Heavenly Justice Alliance, but they hadn’t anticipated such a large crowd arriving all at once, so their preparations were insufficient.

 

With shortages of lodging, food, and clothing for the martial artists, an emergency had been declared. So, the news that Heavenly Martial Sect had brought supplies was most welcome.

 

Behind Jang Cheon-hwa, dozens of carts lined up came into view. The carts were loaded with goods piled high like mountains.

 

Lim Yul-ho was astonished by the sheer amount of supplies, far greater than he had imagined. This quantity would undoubtedly be a great help to the Heavenly Justice Alliance.

 

Jang Cheon-hwa asked.

 

“May we enter?”

 

“Y-Yes, please go ahead.”

 

Lim Yul-ho made way for them. Jang Cheon-hwa and the martial artists of the Mad^[a] Martial Sect then entered the Heavenly Justice Alliance.

 

Jang Cheon-hwa surveyed the interior of the Heavenly Justice Alliance with his deeply sunken eyes.

 

‘Is this the place? Where Master’s mortal enemy resides…’

 

He brushed his hand over his face, which had been altered through mystical arts.