Chapter 246
About three days later, I arrived at the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School with the Sword Demon. During those days, the Sword Demon went all out on organizing the sect’s stability, mainly because the Shadowless Gate, which had recently joined the Thirteen Regulations, was still flimsy as a foundation.
“No one here,” I remarked upon our arrival, noticing the lack of trainees. Even Yoon Kwang and Lee Ji-pyeong, the instructors of the Thunder God Lineage, were absent. The Azure Dragon Martial Arts School felt eerily vacant, almost as if a deserted building had replaced the lively training hall. After wandering around for about half a moment, we stepped back outside, where the Sword Demon muttered,
“With the conflict with the Wind Spirit Sect heating up, it’s no surprise there’s no one left here. I had hoped otherwise…”
“What should we do now?” I asked, feeling a bit lost.
“Last time I checked with the Divine Maiden Sect, there was still no sign of Lee Kwang in the Jianghu Martial World. It seems they are only launching sneak attacks featuring Jin So-cheong for now. We’ll have to put in some effort to track down Lee Kwang.”
“It bothers me that we couldn’t pin down a specific time and place back then.”
“It wasn’t exactly that kind of situation.”
Shortly after, the Sword Demon continued, “First, we need to follow Jin So-cheong’s movements. They’re probably inseparable, like a needle and thread, so tracking down Jin So-cheong means we’ll be getting closer to Lee Kwang.”
Thus, he activated our contacts with the Divine Maiden Sect. After about half a day, the sect leader emerged to exchange information, having brought along some payment for the intel.
“Jin So-cheong has gained a reputation as the Divine Spear and has reportedly headed toward the Zhongnan Sect,” she informed us.
“The Divine Spear, huh? That makes sense. But the Zhongnan Sect?”
“Yes.”
“What’s she doing there?”
“I’m not too sure about that.”
“Hmm…”
Lost in thought, the Sword Demon asked again, “Jin So-cheong was set on breaking through the Eight Demons of the Demon Path, what’s become of that?”
“As of now, only you and the Black Horse remain. The rest have been taken out. Right now, you could say it’s the two demon combo.”
“Hehe! A duo of demons?” The Sword Demon chuckled incredulously.
“So, how did the Black Horse survive?”
“It seems he’s fully dismantled the Black Night Gate and has been constantly fleeing. Looks like Jin So-cheong is half-giving up on that front.”
“Got it. You can go now.” After the Divine Maiden Sect’s leader departed, the Sword Demon commented while gazing toward where she vanished, “I’m convinced now. Jin So-cheong is definitely using the Divine Maiden Sect’s intel. She must have obtained information on the Eight Demons to launch her attack.”
“Jin So-cheong is using the Divine Maiden Sect’s intel? That doesn’t make sense, does it?” I was astounded by this notion.
“Why not?”
“She’s never left anyone alive after battling the Eight Demons. Even the sect leader, the Shadow Demon, fell to her hands. How could she possibly provide information to her own enemy?”
“Heh heh…” The Sword Demon laughed heartily before saying, “That’s not it. The Thunder God Lineage realistically can’t harness the intel of the Open Capital or Duke of Guanzhong. But to battle major forces like the Wind Spirit Sect, information becomes essential. If we didn’t have the Divine Maiden Sect’s intel, the Thunder God Lineage wouldn’t even stand a chance.”
“Ah.”
“Neither Lee Kwang nor Jin So-cheong are fools; they’d keep at least minimal cooperation.”
A sudden thought struck me after hearing the Sword Demon’s statement. “Are you saying the Shadow Demon is faking her death while actually collaborating with the Thunder God Lineage?”
“That seems likely. Even if she is said to be dead, the information about her death could simply be a rumor from the Divine Maiden Sect. Given the situation, it’s clear the Thunder God Lineage and Divine Maiden Sect are in cahoots.”
“Hmm.”
“The Shadow Demon has always been skeptical of the existence of the Eight Demons of the Demon Path. Perhaps she’s thinking of leveraging the Thunder God Lineage’s strength to dismantle the Eight Demons while cleaning her past in order to rise as the Correct and Neutral Sect in this world.”
“……”
“The Black Horse excels at hiding and doing contract work, while the Divine Maiden Sect’s resources can’t even track him down. The other demons can’t conceal themselves as well as the Black Horse.”
The Sword Demon’s reasoning lined up perfectly. The leader of the Eight Demons wouldn’t dare fight Jin So-cheong, and so would avoid confrontation. Yet somehow, Jin So-cheong managed to relentlessly track the Eight Demons and confront them in a short time, clearly aided by the intelligence from the Divine Maiden Sect.
The Sword Demon stroked his chin thoughtfully. “While I could charm the leader of the Divine Maiden Sect into meeting the Shadow Demon, that might be rather difficult. She’s supposed to be dead, so she’d be desperate to avoid me. For now, let’s head to the Zhongnan Sect, where Jin So-cheong went.”
“I’ve been to the main base of Zhongnan Sect before. We can get there directly using the Golden Lamp.”
“Let’s just move to the village in front for now. We need to assess the situation.”
“Got it.”
Swoosh!
The Sword Demon and I arrived at the village at the foot of Zhongnan Mountain. We looked around to see if Jin So-cheong might be around, but it seemed she was either yet to arrive or had already gone inside Zhongnan Mountain. The Sword Demon pondered aloud, “What does Jin So-cheong want with the Zhongnan Sect?”
“Um…”
“The eradication of the Eight Demons nearly seems done, and only the conflict with the Wind Spirit Sect remains. In that scenario, why Zhongnan Sect… Hmm…”
As the Sword Demon contemplated, an idea flashed into my head. “Could it be because of the Huashan Sect?”
“The Huashan Sect?”
“The Huashan Sect is the main base of the Wind Spirit Sect in the Central Plains. The leader of the sect, the Azure Dragon Sword, Yong Junil, is also a direct descendant of the Dharma Guardian, Cheon Woo-jin.”
“Oh, that sounds reasonable. So, are you suggesting she’s come to gain cooperation from the Zhongnan Sect and the Huashan Sect, who are opposing the Wind Spirit Sect?”
“Yes. She might be here to expose the Huashan Sect as a Wind Spirit Sect organization.”
“Hmm…”
The Sword Demon nodded after some contemplation. “You seem to have a point. With the First Sword of Zhongnan, Yeon Jeong-hong, there’s plenty of reason to think that way. It’s quite logical.”
Listening to his words spurred curiosity within me. I felt like I was trying to uncover uncertain parts I’d amassed over my past life. So, I inquired, “They say Yeon Jeong-hong is the strongest warrior of the Nine Great Sects and the sect leader; just how impressive is he?”
“The best of Shaanxi!” The Sword Demon declared with conviction.
“In terms of either number or quality of experts, the Huashan Sect dominates, yet Zhongnan Sect can contend with them thanks solely to Yeon Jeong-hong. I had the chance to witness his prowess once at a gathering with the Eight Demons and the Nine Great Sects, and he truly is an extraordinary warrior.”
“……!!”
“He’s extraordinary enough that Lee Kwang can consider him a close friend. Someone like him wouldn’t befriend anyone beneath his level.”
I was taken aback. “Are you serious?”
If the Sword Demon was openly claiming how exceptional this person was, it meant Yeon Jeong-hong’s skills were akin to a peerless master even years ago. And after so much time has passed since then, it’s hard to gauge just how much he’s improved. It was never a coincidence that Jin So-cheong felt anxious in front of Yeon Jeong-hong when they confronted Zhongnan Sect in the past.
The Sword Demon then remarked, “Staying in the village without knowing Jin So-cheong’s whereabouts is pointless. We have no choice but to infiltrate the Zhongnan Sect.”
“Shall we move to the main building?”
“That sounds best.”
Swoosh!
I used the Golden Lamp spell, and we transported to a rather secluded area within the main building of Zhongnan Sect. No signs of life were evident, allowing us to sneak around undetected.
“This way,” the Sword Demon said, sensing something as he ghosted towards a direction. There were several experts from Zhongnan Sect scattered around, but thanks to the Sword Demon’s mastery of the Seven Stars Shadow, it seemed he wasn’t hindered at all. I quietly followed suit, but my low skill made it quite the challenge.
Eventually, we reached a tranquil site far from the main building. It was a tranquil hermitage nestled deep within a dense forest. Hiding our presence amidst trees, we observed the hermitage and spotted a figure inside.
“The First Sword of Zhongnan, Yeon Jeong-hong!”
He appeared to be sitting serenely, lost in meditation. The Sword Demon watched him for a while, and after about half a meal’s time, he boldly strode toward the hermitage.
“Greetings, Yeon Jeong-hong.”
Wait, revealing ourselves to Yeon Jeong-hong now?!
Confused by the Sword Demon’s intentions, I followed him, helplessly. As a result, Yeon Jeong-hong opened his eyes slightly upon noticing us, and with a calm demeanor, he replied,
“Who goes there? Ah, it’s the Sword Demon Seo Mun-dae-ryong.”
“It seems it’s been a while since our last meeting. It’s a pleasure, Leader Yeon.”
Yeon Jeong-hong seemed composed, likely having caught the faintest whiff of the Sword Demon’s stealth skills. Realizing if the Sword Demon were to further conceal himself, it’d have little effect, so he stepped forth. Yeon Jeong-hong stood up and asked, “What brings you to our sect?”
“To put it bluntly, I heard Jin So-cheong is intending to meet with you.”
“Oh…” Yeon Jeong-hong blinked in surprise. “What are you planning to discuss with Jin So-cheong?”
“I had made a promise with his master, the Expert Samjeol Lee Kwang, to have a spar. However, Lee Kwang has since gone missing, leaving me no choice but to reach out to his disciple, Jin So-cheong.”
“Is that right?”
“Honestly, I’ve never spouted nonsense in my life.”
A brief, penetrating gaze passed between Yeon Jeong-hong and the Sword Demon. Yeon Jeong-hong’s eyes surveyed the Sword Demon and then fixed on me with an almost abyssal depth before he stated, “You seem to possess quite the talent. However, aren’t you inexperienced to spar with Lee Kwang?”
“You really don’t need to worry about that.”
“Heh. You’re rather peculiar…” Yeon Jeong-hong chuckled, a hint of amusement in his expression. “Please wait here a moment. I’ll fetch Jin So-cheong.”
Indeed, Jin So-cheong was already here at the Zhongnan Sect, meeting with Yeon Jeong-hong. As we sat awaiting in the hermitage, Yeon Jeong-hong returned with Jin So-cheong a moment later. Upon spotting the Sword Demon, Jin So-cheong looked astonished but quickly regained her composure and bowed politely.
“It’s good to see you, Sword Demon Seo Mun-dae-ryong.”
“How have you been?”
“No significant events have occurred.”
The Sword Demon regarded her for a moment before speaking. “I presume you understand why I came looking for you?”
Jin So-cheong managed a slightly awkward smile. “I apologize for my master’s absence. He’s been quite busy lately, rarely showing himself in the martial world. Please accept my apologies on his behalf.”
“Ha ha, no worries. However, I believe it’s time to fulfill our promise.”
With this, the Sword Demon sharpened his gaze at some point in the void, stating, “Isn’t that right, Expert Samjeol Lee Kwang?”
Swish!
“……!!”
In an instant, as if the space around us warped, Lee Kwang emerged from thin air. I marveled at whether it was some kind of martial arts trick or teleportation technique, but observing the unaffected demeanor of the peerless masters around, it seemed to be the Mind Control Technique instead. Utilizing intent allows for control of perception and the remarkable ability to appear without warning, like a spirit rising from solitude.
Lee Kwang had seemingly been with Jin So-cheong at the Zhongnan Sect. He gazed silently at the Sword Demon and then spoke, “You have quite the strange fixation. Isn’t it overly dramatic to come all this way just to let that kid gain experience?”
“Haha! My concern for Jin So-cheong is just as great as yours. There’s nothing embarrassing about wanting a talented junior to engage with a master.”
Lee Kwang grunted in reply, clearly feeling the pressure from facing the Sword Demon. He pondered for a moment before agreeing, “Very well. Since the venue is good, let’s have your disciple Baek Woong spar here.”
“Ah, but first, there’s something I’d like to ask.”
“What is it?”
With a piercing gaze, the Sword Demon questioned Lee Kwang, “Have you ever heard the name Dokgo Seong?”
“……!!”
Lee Kwang could not hide his agitation. The sudden question was evidently a shocking surprise even for the seasoned warrior. After gathering himself, he replied with a tense expression, “What’s it to you about Dokgo Seong?”
“It’s nothing significant. I’ve recently gathered some information about him, and perhaps I could share more insight.”
“Stop dancing around. If you have information about Dokgo Seong, I’ll pay any price to get it.”
His eagerness was palpable. The Sword Demon smirked mischievously as he teased, “Haha. We can discuss that after the spar. We’re here to foster friendship, after all, right?”
“…Understood.”
Swish!
Stepping forward, Lee Kwang faced my direction. I collected my thoughts. “Thank you, Master.”
The Sword Demon cleverly broached the subject of Dokgo Seong, not for mere chatter. If Lee Kwang toyed with me in a way that might lead to serious repercussions, he couldn’t possibly uncover the true details about Dokgo Seong. You could say the Sword Demon set a precaution to protect me.
Determined, I firmly gripped my sword.
Finally, the day had come.
The day to cross blades with Lee Kwang, the master!
“One hand, please.”
Here, in this very moment.
“Let’s begin.”
A chance to resolve a hundred years of grievances!
