By Zephyria 
HF 58
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* * *
More than ten years had passed since the end of the Great War of Righteous and Demonic. The fact that the Demon Sect had retreated due to the appearance of a fire dragon in the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains was a secret kept by the leadership of the Murim Alliance.
Even if they spoke of such a legendary existence, very few would believe them, and there was no benefit in letting it be known that the Demon Sect had retreated because of a fire dragon rather than the Murim Alliance.
The Murim Alliance campaigned on the claim that they had defeated the wicked demon cultists through their own strength. In particular, they praised Kunlun for playing a pivotal role in protecting the Central Plains, though by now, it had long been an established rumor that Kunlun’s success was due to the powerful support of the Murim Alliance.
At the time, the Murim Alliance had hoped the Demon Sect would be annihilated while battling the fire dragon. However, not only did the sect succeed in slaying the dragon, but they also produced a being known as the ‘Heavenly Demon,’ a title that even the previous cult leader had failed to grasp.
Initially, the Murim Alliance assumed the Demon Sect was spreading exaggerated rumors to hide their weakened state. However, according to intelligence from the Beggars’ Guild, it was revealed to be true that the current cult leader, Cheon Mu-gyeong, possessed martial prowess so formidable that he was called the second coming of the first Heavenly Demon.
Thus, the Murim Alliance kept a close watch on them, fearing the Demon Sect might dream of invading the Central Plains once more. Yet, even after some time had passed since Cheon Mu-gyeong ascended to the position of cult leader, no signs of invasion emerged from the Demon Sect.
It seemed true that they had suffered significant losses in power due to the subjugation of the fire dragon, and with the Blood Cult—the thorn in the Demon Sect’s side—causing unrest, the Alliance judged that they lacked the leisure to eye the Central Plains. However, the Alliance Leader thought differently.
“What brings the Alliance Leader to a humble place like Qinghai?”
The only guests in the shabby inn at the entrance of Mount Qinghai were the Murim Alliance Leader and Yu Cheong-pung. With his hair tied in a topknot and secured with a crown, Yu Cheong-pung exuded the impression of a refined young nobleman.
“Senior Yu, you’ve become quite dignified since we last met.”
The Alliance Leader, who wore a long, dark beard, had deep wrinkles around his eyes that had not escaped the passage of time.
“As a mere Supreme True Human of Kunlun, I cannot possibly point a finger and ask why the Alliance Leader has come, can I?”
Yu Cheong-pung pointed at the Alliance Leader with a dumpling held by his chopsticks. Yu Cheong-pung was naturally not pleased to see the Alliance Leader, but he had no choice but to meet due to the letter sent via messenger pigeon.
Ten Thousand Mountains, Black Clouds. Ten Thousand Mountains, Crimson Rain. Urgent!
When the energy of black clouds fills the peaks of countless mountains, a blood-red rain shall fall. It was the Alliance Leader’s code, meaning the Demon Sect would once again bring a storm of blood. The Murim Alliance Leader, hailing from the Jegal Clan and renowned for his brilliance in strategy and magic arrays, was called Jegal Hwi, the Boundless Sea of Wisdom.
He had already been in the position of Alliance Leader during the Great War of Righteous and Demonic, and he had a polar opposite relationship with the previous cult leader. This was because the previous leader was as brilliant in strategy as he was in demonic arts. Since the previous leader had trained many experts in magic arrays, Kunlun had suffered greatly at the time.
“Senior Yu, the atmosphere within the Demon Sect is unusual.”
“Hasn’t their atmosphere been unusual for a year or two?”
“According to the information gathered by the Chief of the Beggars’ Guild, the Demon Sect secretly made a deal with the Ice Palace, and the Ice Palace handed over someone the Demon Sect desired. No matter how powerful Cheon Mu-gyeong’s martial prowess is, isn’t the reason he hasn’t eyed the Central Plains due to his condition?”
Does this guy also believe Cheon Mu-gyeong has the nine yang severed meridian? Yu Cheong-pung swallowed a sneer inwardly.
“Is the Alliance Leader also claiming that Cheon Mu-gyeong has the nine yang severed meridian?”
“How could that be? You are aware, Senior, that it is a side effect of consuming the inner core after slaying the fire dragon.”
“In any case, are you saying that in the Alliance Leader’s view, Cheon Mu-gyeong will obtain an extreme yin constitution to eliminate that side effect?”
“The person who went to the Demon Sect does not have an extreme yin constitution. It is said they have hair like eternal snow and blue eyes despite not practicing ice art. What else could that be?”
“I wouldn’t know.”
Jegal Hwi frowned slightly at Yu Cheong-pung’s delinquent posture, leaning back fully against the chair.
“It is the Great Yin Divine Body.”
The Great Yin, one step above Extreme Yin. It referred to a constitution where the body itself became the source of yin energy, so full of it that they could freeze the surrounding moisture just by breathing.
Yu Cheong-pung had also found the Haeun Express suspicious, as they had visited the Ice Palace and returned with a snow lotus. He had even infiltrated the express wearing a mask, yet he found no point of connection to the Demon Sect anywhere. Nor was he able to discover who the owner of the snow lotus was.
“If Cheon Mu-gyeong has already acquired the Great Yin Divine Body, what will come next?”
“Are you talking about the conquest of the Central Plains?”
Yu Cheong-pung answered nonchalantly, popping the dumpling he had been poking with his chopsticks into his mouth and chewing. Since it had been out for a while, the juices had all cooled.
“Yes, he will seek to achieve the task that the previous cult leader failed to accomplish.”
“So, what do you want us in Kunlun to do about it?”
Although Kunlun belonged to the Murim Alliance, its current state was as cold and limp as this dumpling.
“I believe it is right to use Kunlun as a base to preemptively stop the Demon Sect’s invasion of the Central Plains.”
The corners of Yu Cheong-pung’s mouth curled into a wide grin. Seeing that smile, Jegal Hwi continued.
“Is Kunlun not the place where the energy of the world begins and the great pillar guarding the west of the Central Plains? Therefore, our Jegal Clan wishes to support Kunlun to prevent the precious disciples of Kunlun from shedding blood.”
Sipping tea that was as cold as the dumplings, Yu Cheong-pung maintained a mysterious smile. Then, his eyes suddenly hardened coldly, and he barked shortly.
“The Alliance Leader takes me for a fool.”
“How can you speak so insolently!”
“Insolently? You low-born brat.”
Jegal Hwi’s eyes bulged in shock at the unbelievably crude language.
“Senior Yu!”
“Now you’re not satisfied with Gansu Province and want to swallow Qinghai as well?”
The Jegal Clan’s influence had already extended beyond their home in Shaanxi Province into Gansu Province. It was obvious they were now scheming to eye Qinghai.
Of course, the Alliance Leader’s pretext of preparing for the Demon Sect’s invasion sounded plausible. However, planting Jegal Clan people in Kunlun was no different from saying they intended to control Kunlun.
“How can Senior Yu disparage the great cause of the Murim Alliance so?”
“Let’s say the Demon Sect invades again. You want our kids to suffer that dog’s death again?”
“A dog’s death…! You go too far. Our Jegal Clan is offering support. Food, clothing, even the cost of weapon repairs. To stop the Demon Sect, why not install mechanical formations at the key strategic points of the Kunlun Mountains?”
“Then will the Jegal Clan stand at the vanguard?”
“How can the Pillar of the West speak so irresponsibly?”
Jegal Hwi’s face distorted miserably as if blaming Yu Cheong-pung.
“I’ve already lost many of the rising generation to my irresponsibility. So, this time, I must protect Kunlun from a snake like you, shouldn’t I?”
“I, too, intend to protect Kunlun this time!”
“Mechanical formations? Don’t be ridiculous! Do you think you know where to install them on Mount Kunlun? In the end, we wouldn’t even be able to descend Mount Kunlun without your maps.”
At Yu Cheong-pung’s sharp point, Jegal Hwi’s cheeks trembled with rage. Jegal Hwi was also in the Transcendence Realm, like Yu Cheong-pung. However, the Transcendence Realm was divided into four stages: Initial, Middle, Late, and Ultimate. Yu Cheong-pung was in the Middle stage, while Jegal Hwi remained in the Initial stage.
The difference between each stage was as difficult to bridge as a peak master crossing the wall into the Transcendence Realm. If not for Yu Cheong-pung, Jegal Hwi would have easily taken Kunlun into his hands, but Yu Cheong-pung was currently the great wall of Qinghai.
Sensing that further conversation was futile, Jegal Hwi rose from his seat.
“Senior, you will surely regret misinterpreting my goodwill like this.”
He left behind a parting threat.
Yu Cheong-pung drank his cold tea, suppressing the urge to pour out a jar’s worth of curses, telling him to go eat some stale dumplings. If he weren’t in the position of Kunlun’s Supreme True Human, he would have set fire to Jegal Hwi’s beard as he left, but the man was the Murim Alliance Leader who controlled the Alliance with his cunning head. If he accepted the Jegal Clan’s fake goodwill, Kunlun would be mortgaged in its entirety.
“Even so, the True Human’s words were too harsh.”
A waiter approached the teeth-grinding Yu Cheong-pung and spoke. The small tray he held was filled with freshly steamed dumplings.
“Hmph, a retired guy giving advice.”
The waiter had once been Yu Cheong-pung’s disciple, but he had now washed his hands of the jianghu and was running the old inn. Just as he set down the steaming dumplings, someone suddenly entered the inn.
Because it was in such a remote location and the owner—who served as both waiter and cook—had terrible culinary skills, it was an inn that people rarely visited.
“Welcome.”
The waiter, welcoming a real customer for the first time in a while, guided him to a comfortable seat. Yu Cheong-pung tilted his teacup and scanned the man who had entered the inn with his eyes. The man, tall and large in build, was wearing black clothes and a bamboo hat.
He carried no sword at his waist, and no internal energy could be felt. His footsteps sounded ordinary, but it was a perfection of ordinariness that seemed almost fabricated.
To his bewilderment, the seat the man took was opposite Yu Cheong-pung—the exact spot where the Alliance Leader had been sitting until a moment ago.
“Cu-customer. There are so many empty seats…”
While the waiter was flustered, the man slowly removed his bamboo hat.
“It would be better to sit in another…”
“This seat is comfortable for this seat.”
Seeing the man who had set down his bamboo hat, Yu Cheong-pung’s eyes widened. In that moment, he felt the illusion as if a great mountain had cast a shadow over the man’s shoulders.
Yu Cheong-pung could not take his eyes off the man. He barely managed to tell the waiter to close the inn doors and withdraw. Sensing the unusual atmosphere, the waiter did not argue and secured the inn. Fearing the fallout, Yu Cheong-pung only spoke after the waiter had left.
“It has been… a long time, Cult Leader.”
Even as he spoke to Cheon Mu-gyeong, Yu Cheong-pung remained conscious of the sword at his side.
“No, should I call you the Heavenly Demon now?”
“It’s troublesome that there is no waiter to bring wine.”
The man gave a small smirk and reached out; a liquor bottle lined up on the wall immediately landed in his hand. Despite having perfectly concealed his energy perception, his overwhelming presence remained. But was Cheon Mu-gyeong a man who could smile like that?
“Was the last time I saw you when you fled with your tail between your legs?”
A man far younger than him had eyes that looked as if he were dying of boredom with everything in the world…
“It has been a long time, Supreme True Human.”
Now, in his eyes, there resided an intense crimson light that felt as if it would suck out one’s soul just by making eye contact.