Chapter 126
As soon as Cheonung entered the barracks, he sat down and spoke.
“So what is it? Judging by how dark your face looks, at the very least it is not sothing useless.”
At Cheonung’s words, Youngho nodded and said,
“I can sense the Heavenly Demon’s realm.”
“…….”
Cheonung did not say anything. It was not that he was not thinking, but Youngho tilted his head in puzzlent.
“Are you not surprised that I have co to understand the Heavenly Demon’s realm?”
“Do you take for a fool? After hearing your conversation with the Heavenly Demon, I was able to make a rough guess.”
The two remained silent for a mont. Cheonung was thinking as the Lord of the Unorthodox Alliance, while Youngho felt a small but undeniable despair at the Heavenly Demon’s realm.
Cheonung deployed a Hardened Force Barrier to block out sound from the outside and then asked,
“How strong is the Heavenly Demon?”
“I believe there would need to be three of just to barely hold him back.”
Cheonung let out a deep sigh.
“Then first let us determine your martial might. I cannot read your realm.”
“Is there a way to do that?”
“I only intend to gauge it roughly. If Yonghu and I were to coordinate an attack against you, what result do you think would occur?”
“I would win.”
“……Such an imdiate answer?”
“Because it is the truth. If Master and the Murim Alliance Leader were skilled enough to be called masters of coordinated attack, it would be troubleso.”
“So you do not say that you would lose?”
“I am rather strong.”
“…….”
Though Cheonung was left speechless, Youngho continued.
“To be honest, the Heavenly Demon is truly beyond the heavens. At the very least, it would require no fewer than five martial artists comparable to Master.”
“You an those who would assist you?”
“Yes.”
If there were five individuals strong enough to support Youngho, the balance would certainly shift sowhat. No matter how monstrous the Heavenly Demon was, he was still undeniably human.
In the end, he only had two arms available in battle. If Youngho brought allies, the Heavenly Demon would have to contend with dozens of arms.
And above all, the Heavenly Demon fought alone.
Strategy? Tactics? The Heavenly Demon did not abide by such things.
It was rely that the Demon Brain constantly adjusted to him in a fluid manner.
‘That is why the Demon Brain is truly remarkable.’
If the Heavenly Demon had listened to even one-tenth of the Demon Brain’s words, the Demonic Dominion of the World would have been achieved long ago.
At tis like this, the Heavenly Demon’s foul and utterly incorrigible personality was rather welco.
After much deliberation, Cheonung spoke.
“There is no thod.”
“Yes.”
Killing the Heavenly Demon was possible. However, bringing down the Demonic Cult was impossible.
If the Orthodox and Unorthodox factions joined forces and sent dozens of Absolute-Level Masters against the Heavenly Demon, the Demonic Cult could conquer the Central Plains in that ti.
The Heavenly Demon was not the only Absolute-Level Master within the Demonic Cult.
Cheonung groaned lowly.
Had he not heard Youngho’s words, he might have held onto at least a sliver of hope.
He knew that Youngho had recently fought ten Absolute-Level Masters of the Demonic Cult and erged victorious.
Even among those in the sa Transformation Realm, once one reached the stage called Absolute, the difference in level beca entirely distinct.
Yet even Youngho, who had faced ten such Absolute-Level Masters, was saying he could not handle the Heavenly Demon.
He could not even begin to imagine the extent of the Heavenly Demon’s strength.
Even so, though this master and disciple felt despair, they were not consud by it.
Youngho looked toward Cheonung, who was deep in thought as the head of a great faction, and spoke.
“Master.”
“What is it?”
“It is ti to prepare for war.”
“I know. But about the Heavenly Demon—”
“No.”
For a fleeting instant, an alien aura emanated from Youngho’s body. It was not killing intent. Nor was it bloodlust.
If one had to describe it, it was deathly energy.
The aura of death itself—sothing only one who had truly comprehended the essence of death could display.
Even Cheonung had yet to reach such an understanding of death, of the world.
Yet his disciple, who had not even lived half his lifespan, knew far more than his lacking master.
Youngho did not coerce. He did not command.
In the world of the Unorthodox Faction, it was not uncommon for a disciple to kill his master.
But Youngho did not do so. It was not because of the repercussions that would follow Cheonung’s death.
Just as Cheonung had been, Youngho was powerful enough to crush everything through his own martial might alone.
What Youngho was doing now was offering counsel. It was sincere advice, shown because he respected the man before him.
“Master is unconsciously trying to avoid the war.”
“…….”
Cheonung did not say anything. He simply closed his eyes and listened to Youngho’s words.
“Master certainly enjoys fighting. Especially duels of life and death, where a single fleeting mistake determines one’s survival—you enjoy those even more. But this disciple dares to say that it is because such matters require only that Master bear the consequences personally.”
He knew. He could not even correct him. Setting aside whether it was reasonable or not, the words were spoken with such precise understanding of Cheonung as a person that he could offer no rebuttal.
“War creates casualties simply by occurring. In war, it is not oneself who dies from a montary mistake—it is the people around you who fall.”
Even Youngho needed considerable thought for these words. After pausing briefly, he spoke again.
“Sacrifice must be endured.”
“…….”
His lips would not part. He could not even think of what to say. His mind began to turn blank.
If it had been anyone other than Youngho, Cheonung would have flared up in anger first.
Those of the Orthodox Sect often treated sacrifice too lightly. More precisely, being in high positions, they acted under the premise that they themselves would not be the ones sacrificed.
Thus, they treated others’ sacrifices lightly and failed to understand their weight.
As for the Unorthodox Faction, there was no need to even ntion it. Sacrifice was not even a concern there.
In the Unorthodox Faction, betrayal ran rampant in place of sacrifice. To ask about sacrifice there was flawed from the very premise.
There was only one reason Cheonung quietly listened to Youngho’s words.
Youngho understood the weight of his words.
Especially when it ca to war, Youngho always spoke only after much thought and consideration of his own claims and opinions.
As they were his subjective views, there were tis they did not align with others.
However, Youngho held one conviction. Though Cheonung did not know precisely what it was, Youngho understood the weight of sacrifice and the devastation war would bring better than anyone.
Youngho completed dozens, even hundreds, of thoughts in a fleeting instant before answering—and he always bore responsibility for that answer.
He was too upright; Cheonung found himself at a loss for words.
Youngho sensed that Cheonung was still hesitating. Eventually, after letting out a sigh, Youngho added his own opinion to Cheonung’s thoughts.
“Master, you are not an omnipotent god. Nor are you the Buddha who transcended humanity and attained enlightennt. But we must not give up.”
“……I know.”
“No. You do not.”
At Youngho’s unexpectedly firm tone, Cheonung opened his eyes without realizing it.
Seeing Youngho’s hardened expression, Cheonung stared at him blankly.
“Master, war is approaching even at this very mont. There are only five years left, and given the Heavenly Demon’s temperant, he may begin it one or two years earlier on a whim.”
Cheonung bit down on his lip so hard that blood flowed. Veins bulged as he glared at Youngho and spoke.
“Then what are you telling to do?”
“I have no intention of forcing any particular action upon you.”
“Then?”
“Do not turn away.”
“……!”
“Do not avert your eyes from the problem before you. Face it directly and judge. Rational judgnt is possible for anyone. But once you truly confront the problem, you will not be able to judge purely through reason.”
“Are you telling to act emotionally?”
“No.”
“……?”
At Cheonung’s puzzled look, Youngho gave a warm smile.
“If Master does not turn away and truly looks at the problem, you will judge not emotionally nor rationally—but instinctively.”
At Youngho’s tone, as if he had personally experienced it, Cheonung let out a sigh.
“Huh…….”
At Cheonung’s reaction, Youngho smiled faintly.
“I have always respected Master. Though you express yourself in rather rough ways, you possess a very warm heart. Yet because you are firm regarding Gratitude and Grudge, you are more fittingly described as cold-hearted rather than kind.”
Being cold-hearted did not an one’s nature was not upright. At Youngho’s words, Cheonung did not even notice the corners of his lips rising slightly.
“When I speak with you, the answer strangely cos to .”
“That is fortunate. I hope Master’s own efforts lead you to that answer.”
Cheonung chuckled.
At that mont, Youngho turned his head and said,
“……Master.”
“What is it?”
“It seems the Murim Alliance Leader has arrived.”
Cheonung let out a deep sigh. There were far too many things to consider. Among them, he first had to resolve the matter imdiately before him.
“I should quickly hand over my position to a disciple brat.”
“Indeed. Master has grown old now.”
“Who are you calling old? And I was talking about you.”
“? I am not becoming the Alliance Lord.”
“……?”
“There is First Senior Brother, is there not? We can entrust it to him.”
“Did you not clearly say that Jeonghyeon was unsuited to being Alliance Lord?”
“To be precise, I said he possessed not even the slightest talent as a ruler.”
“Then why?”
“He has been trying very hard. Just as one without talent in martial arts can still improve gradually through effort, First Senior Brother has absolutely no talent as a ruler—but through effort, he has at least reached the intellect of a child.”
“……You are being excessively harsh.”
“It is the truth.”
Cheonung and Youngho continued chuckling until they stepped out of the barracks. The mont they pushed aside the tent flap and erged, they walked forward with solemn expressions as though nothing had happened.
Feeling the gazes around him, Youngho thought,
‘That Heavenly Demon’s remark has had a greater ripple effect than expected.’
He had hoped they would focus on Cheonung, but in the end, the people’s attention fell upon Youngho.
Since he was to be the center of attention anyway, he had no intention of being underestimated.
—He looks gentler than I expected?
—For soone of the Unorthodox Faction, he looks like a gigolo.
Hearing voice transmissions belittling him, Youngho slowly released his aura.
In an instant, bodies stiffened. The aura was so overwhelming that so even found it difficult to breathe.
Satisfied with their reaction, Youngho followed Cheonung forward.
Soon, Cheonung and Youngho arrived where Han Yonghu and the Heavenly Demon were waiting.
Given the urgency of the matter, a proper venue could not be arranged. It had been prepared in such haste that there were many aspects requiring refinent.
Cheonung sat on an unpolished, rough wooden chair and spoke.
“We will go straight to the main point.”
There were many martial artists watching from afar. Thus, Cheonung deliberately infused Internal Energy into his voice so they could hear.
“The Heaven-Shaking Pill belongs to the Unorthodox Alliance.”
At those words, fierce killing intent flowed from the Orthodox Sect and the Demonic Cult alike.
Youngho smiled at Cheonung’s forceful opening.
‘As expected, he is better at politics than I am.’
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