Chapter 99

“Come in. Winners.”

Members of the Dragon-Phoenix Society, the winners’ association, gathered in the conference room to welcome Dan Wooseong and Baek Yak. Among them were young men around Dan Wooseong’s age, as well as members who appeared to be in their late thirties.

As past champions of the Dragon-Phoenix Grand Tournament, their prowess was among the most renowned within the Martial Alliance.

The eldest among them spoke first.

“Everyone present here is a member of the Dragon-Phoenix Society. We each belong to different designated departments and handle distinct responsibilities. We merely gather occasionally to exchange words. Please, take a seat.”

As Dan Woo-seong and Baek Yak sat down on the chairs arranged in the meeting room, the man spoke.

“I’ll skip the introductions. You’ll learn about them in time. I suppose I should get straight to the point. As you know, finding the base of the Dark Arts isn’t easy. That’s what we were discussing.”

The warriors of the Dragon-Phoenix Alliance turned their gaze toward Danwooseong. It seemed they had some private discussion to have, so Danwooseong and Baekyak listened in silence.

“The final plan proposed was Hwang Gae’s desperate ploy.”

Dan Wooseong nodded.

“Please explain it in a bit more detail.”

Of course, I know what Huang Gai’s desperate ploy entails. It’s a scheme to deliberately harm one’s own people. The most famous instance was when Huang Gai of Wu deceived Cao Cao with such a ploy and feigned surrender.

The man who mentioned the desperate ploy introduced himself.

“I suppose I should introduce myself. I am Yu Shijie of the Swift Wind Brigade.”

In the martial world, a ‘Great Master’ was undoubtedly one of the top masters. Though Dan Wuxing, whose strength had grown far beyond before, felt little excitement, Yu Shijie was nonetheless a formidable figure ranked among the top hundred masters of the martial world.

Woo Si-gyeol continued.

Since we discussed this among ourselves, I wanted to hear your opinion. Our Dragon-Phoenix Society gathering is no secret. We deliberately had Mengyuan summon you late. This is the place to employ desperate measures, and now is the time to act. We know your skills are formidable. If we argue here, you’ll beat us to death and then flee. The reason is obvious. Aren’t you the man who once beat Senior Gu Yanghou? We tried to assert our authority as senior members of the Dragon-Phoenix Society and ended up getting beaten ourselves. Of course, you’ll also face official punishment from the Martial Arts Alliance. It’s quite a difficult operation. Someone has to take a beating, and you have to take the blame. But we’re considering this scheme because we suspect there might be a mole within the Alliance. We’re wondering if we could use someone approaching you to uncover that mole, or if we could prevent the Demon Sect from infiltrating from outside. What do you think?”

Dan Woo-sung nodded and carefully scanned his juniors.

How desperate must they have been to come up with such a scheme? That thought crossed his mind.

But when it came to martial world experience, Dan Woosung had more. And the demonic arts he knew weren’t the kind that would work on such a scheme.

Still, the proposal itself had a commendable aspect to it. To avoid hurting their feelings, Dan Woosung replied in a subdued voice.

“For now, I oppose it.”

“Why? Speak freely. We were half-convinced about the plan ourselves.”

“We welcome opposing views anytime. After all, we just wanted to meet you two and talk.”

Danwooseong lowered himself to their level and explained.

“What the Mado faction wants right now isn’t to seize any power, infiltrate spies into the alliance, or increase their numbers.”

Though some of the Yongbong Meeting’s victors felt their pride stung inwardly, they listened calmly, watching Dan Wooseong’s expression.

Dan Woo-seong continued.

“It must be seen as purely individual strength. The masters approached to obtain this were initially figures like the Sword King and the head of the Murong clan, but now it has reached the level of the Sword Master and the Taoist Master. This means the strength of the one serving as the focal point of the demonic path is so high that unless it can seize power on par with the Taoist Master, it is useless.”

“Hmm…”

Wu Xijie extended his hand as if urging him to continue.

Dan Wuseong spoke.

“That’s the first reason. The second reason is also connected to what I mentioned earlier. In my opinion, they won’t step forward until they can surpass the Three Divine Elders. They remember the defeat at the Five Tombs War. To put it bluntly, they’ll keep repeating these exhausting ambushes until a demon god capable of facing all three Divine Elders simultaneously is born. From here on, this is my speculation.”

This time, several Myeongwon members clasped their fists, lending weight to Danwooseong’s words.

“We’ll listen.”

“Tell us.”

Danwooseong nodded.

“Lord Alliance Leader, Senior Sword Master, other members of the Three Gods, heads of prestigious clans, heads of prominent families… Without the strength of such figures, there would be no reason to covet them. If I must mention more, even the top masters of the Black Path. These masters would be the first target, and the second is within the Demon Path itself. Twenty years after the Five Tombs War. Absorbing those competing within could well be the goal of those who attacked Senior Disciple.”

The expressions of the Yongbong Association warriors stiffened. This was a possibility they had never even considered.

“The last option is the most concerning one. If the first two don’t go smoothly, I suspect they might abandon the idea of ambushing the masters altogether and instead launch a full-scale massacre…”

Danwooseong’s prediction was that they would first swallow up sects they could absorb unilaterally before triggering an event like the Five Tombs War, then provoke an all-out war.

From the White Path’s perspective, this was indeed a cause for grave concern.

A man retorted.

“So it’s not about taking the masters’ power. They could just commit mass slaughter to fill their power reserves?”

Dan Wooseong nodded.

“We might end up using all three methods. That’s what concerns me.”

Woo Si-gyeol smiled.

“Well now, that’s a completely different perspective and line of thinking. Since things have come to this, I suppose I’d better listen more closely to what you have to say. Given this understanding of the situation, I imagine you have more to share. I seek your guidance.”

At least the attitude of the victors, including Woo Si-gyeol, seemed quite open-minded.

From this point onward, Danwooseong had no choice but to speak seriously.

“There is no method.”

“None?”

“Shh, let’s hear more.”

It’s not about competing in martial prowess, but in how we live. Preparing, training. Can we protect the leader, not abandon our seniors, and ensure the Martial Alliance works closely with other sects? In a way, the Martial Alliance and the Imperial Society weren’t on good terms. That’s why the Imperial Society’s top master died, effectively marginalized. I’m not blaming the Martial Alliance, but broadly speaking, that’s how it was. Of course, Senior Brother Dose’s overconfidence was likely the cause of this tragedy. He likely believed that, aside from the Three Divine Voices and the Alliance Leader, there were no rivals in the martial world. That’s why I say this is a contest over how to live again. We may lose in local battles, but we cannot allow the world to fall to demonic arts. We must live more diligently and prepare. Even if the Black Path seeks help, if the enemy is demonic arts, the Martial Alliance must act. Are we truly prepared for that?”

“Hmm… Helping the Black Path? That’s a bit ridiculous, isn’t it?”

Danwooseong looked at Baekyak.

“My thoughts on recent events are this: we train day after day, share news with each other, faithfully carry out our assigned tasks, and can only wait for the demonic path to fall into the celestial net of the righteous path. The demonic path preys on vulnerabilities, and everyone—whether an individual or an organization—inevitably has vulnerabilities. Just as the senior apprentice did.”

And bitterly, Kwonwang was no exception.

Danwooseong finished speaking, but the warriors of the Yongbong Assembly remained silent.

His words gave them much to ponder.

Dan Woo-sung looked around at the warriors of the Yongbong Council and said.

“Are any of you heading out on reconnaissance soon?”

Nods came from here and there, and one man said,

“I intend to volunteer. I’ve always enjoyed wandering about. Any advice?”

“If someone is hiding deep within the vast Central Plains, finding them might be impossible. But if the Martial Alliance’s intelligence can’t locate them, perhaps we should change our approach entirely—break free from fixed ideas and try a different angle.”

“For example?”

Dan Woo-sung uttered words that were truly terrifying.

“A specific sect belonging to the Martial Alliance—killing them all and taking control, perhaps. Or located on imperial private property. Or under the protection of the imperial court.”

“The Demon Sect?”

“From the imperial court’s perspective, it would be preferable if the entire martial arts world vanished. I, too, am tracking them down. These are thoughts that came to me while pondering alone, so please bear that in mind as you listen.”

Perhaps because they were intelligent, everyone tried to break free from fixed notions by thinking along the lines of Danwooseong.

One man spoke up.

“Not on land, you say. Why wouldn’t such places exist? There are islands situated in the middle of large lakes, after all. I think I saw something like that in a novel.”

“I think I’ve read that part too.”

“Is it said that the entire island was protected by a Gimmunjin formation? I recall reading that such a formation was installed, preventing even boats from approaching.”

Baekyak said.

“We might be in a place commonly referred to as the ‘outskirts,’ like us. It’s simple. Because the area outside the Central Plains isn’t psychologically threatening. And even if the Martial Alliance sends out a single squad to investigate, it won’t be difficult to deal with.”

“That makes sense.”

Wu Xijie looked at Dan Wuxing.

We called you here just to lecture you. Well, now we’ll get down to the real business. Since you two are the winners of the Yongbong Grand Tournament, you’re automatically members of the Yongbong Society. No refusals accepted. There’s no leader, no dues, no designated meeting place, no hierarchy—it’s a completely open and honest gathering. Therefore, once you join, withdrawal is not permitted. For reference, even the Alliance Leader can’t leave. After all, the Alliance Leader is also a winner of the Yongbong Society.”

The other juniors burst out laughing at Woo Si-gyeol’s stubborn insistence.

“Hahahaha…”

Dan Wooseong and Baek Yak exchanged glances before bowing to the martial artists of the Yongbong Association. Dan Wooseong spoke.

“I like the bylaws, so I’ll join.”

“I look forward to working with you.”

That was the kind of gathering the Yongbong Association was.

Though he hadn’t explicitly stated it to Dan Woo-sung, it was also a gathering of elite members who had secured positions and were thriving in the Special Operations Unit, the Military Society, and the Guard Corps.

Yet even amidst all this laughter and chatter, Dan Wooseong was carefully studying the faces of the Yongbong Association warriors.

Despite their laughter and chatter, he didn’t particularly trust all of them.

He also had little interest in their status as past Dragon Phoenix Tournament champions.

After all, they were all strangers he was meeting for the first time today.

Kwonwang, for his part, was keeping a close eye on the Martial Arts Alliance as well.

As Danwooseong spoke of “absorbing those who compete internally,” Cheonma and Paewang—who had actually studied together—were clashing.

.

.

.

Hwanma spoke.

“Spare him, Juge, Weizhichuan.”

The Demon King himself wasn’t even fighting.

“Kraaaah!”

These words were spat at the Heavenly Demon, Weizhichuan, who was dragging the colossal body of the Overlord across the ground by its hair while performing his lightness skill.

At some point, the Heavenly Demon yanked the hair, grabbing the Overlord’s face. It was to prevent him from screaming loudly.

Cheonma’s lightness kung fu was no slower than that of the Blood Lord, who was dragging the Overlord along while charging forward, spewing Blood Heaven Qi.

Hwanma said.

“Blood Lord, you too, stop. It’s too late.”

Incredibly, the Overlord had suffered more damage from the Blood Heaven Qi than from Cheonma’s attacks.

This was because the Heavenly Demon deliberately positioned himself in the center, as if surrounded, then skillfully twisted the direction of the force field the Blood Lord had unleashed using his Void Seizing Technique. The gap in real combat experience was as vast as heaven and earth.

The Overlord, struck squarely by the Blood Heaven Qi, was burning from head to toe while being seized by the Heavenly Demon, who was draining his life force.

Neither Blood Lord nor Demon King had desired this outcome.

As Blood Lord halted his lightness technique with a look of utter despondency, Heavenly Demon retreated seven more paces. He glared at Blood Lord and Demon King, absorbing the Supreme Yang Qi until the Demon King’s entire body shrank, stacking it neatly within his dantian.

The Heavenly Demon had never witnessed the Demon King’s martial prowess, unlike the Blood Lord’s, and remained wary.

Blood Lord bellowed at Demon King.

“Why are you just standing there watching?!”

Hwanma retorted.

“You, in actual combat, your response, is inadequate. And, Wei Zhichuan, is strong.”

As soon as Cheonma finished absorbing, he stood up with a deep exhale. He briefly smoothed his disheveled hair before addressing the two.

“Blood Lord, Demon Lord. There’s one seat left on the left. Still undecided? If both of you will join me, I’ll make room. This is only the beginning.”

Blood Lord moved as if to leave first, saying,

“……I must first inform the Palace Lord of your actions.”

Cheonma replied with a dazed expression.

“My friend, you saw the Overlord strike first, didn’t you? Go and explain yourself properly. And your friend Hwanma isn’t the sort to lie. You, on the other hand, probably lie as easily as you eat. You should choose your targets carefully when framing people. Tsk.”

As Blood Lord vanished without reply, Heavenly Demon urged Hwanma again, as if seeking talent.

“Hwanma, join us.”

Hwanma gazed at Cheonma with eyes devoid of emotion and said.

“Wee Jichon.”

“Speak. Our stuttering friend.”

Hwanma delivered each syllable with deliberate force, conveying his intent.

“You are not a man worthy of loyalty. For you know neither loneliness nor fear. You will betray everyone around you and remain alone. Then bear the consequences of your deeds. Or else, live only among those like yourself. Like the Sword Demon.”

As the Demon King retreated without showing his back, the Heavenly Demon asked.

“Why are you suddenly speaking plainly? Why all this flip-flopping? Have you lost your mind?”

Hwanma tilted his head and changed the subject.

“I got a good look at your techniques today. I need to train more. Wei Zhitian, we’ll meet again.”

As the Demon King vanished without a trace, the Celestial King, as was his custom, kicked up a mound of dirt to cover the Overlord’s corpse, then trampled it underfoot.

“He was a smooth talker. Really got under your skin. His fighting style was exposed too…”

The Heavenly Demon muttered as he stomped on the Overlord’s barely recognizable face.

“There isn’t a single sane one among them.”

At that moment, the young master of the Ten Thousand Demons Palace suddenly appeared with a white cat and addressed Cheonma.

“Young Master, what on earth are you doing there?”

Cheonma replied as he packed the dirt firmly.

“Young Mistress, you’ve arrived.”

“I didn’t ask what you’re doing.”

When the young princess asked in a reproachful tone, Cheonma stiffened his expression, then folded his arms behind his back and replied in a monotonous voice.

“I buried the body.”

As Cheonma stared intently at the young princess, she found herself unable to utter a single word.

ⓒ Yoo Jin-seong