Chapter 111

Chapter 111: An Uninvited Guest Crashes the Banquet (2)

"What's happening?"

The people inside the great hall rushed outside, startled by the sudden commotion.

Paeng Gwan-young pointed at the Golden Demon Lion and shouted, "That's him! He's the one who attacked us!"

"Umph!"

Sage Cheong-heo let out a low murmur. The three masked men behind the Golden Demon Lion were all too familiar to him. They were undeniably the ones who had attacked the Wudang Sect.

One of the masked men looked at Sage Cheong-heo. "We meet again, horse."

"Amitabha. So it would seem."

Sage Cheong-heo nodded and stepped forward. No one had expected that the attackers who had assaulted both the Wudang Sect and the Paeng Family would appear here.

From beyond the wall, the groans of his disciples could be heard. Once again, this place had suffered tremendous damage.

"Back then things were too chaotic to even ask your names."

"We serve the Golden Demon Lion. We are the Three Infernal Judges. That's all you need to know."

"Umph!"

Sage Cheong-heo murmured once more. He had never imagined that the man he had clashed with so fiercely was nothing more than a subordinate of the Golden Demon Lion.

Just then—

"How dare you trespass into a place like this? You have no fear at all."

Elder Jin Do-gyeong of the Zhongnan Sect stepped forward and shouted. The Golden Demon Lion merely shrugged his shoulders. It was a gesture that anyone could recognize as mockery.

A chilling voice seeped out from behind the golden mask.

"Mice gathering together, and sure enough, that's what you look like."

The Golden Demon Lion's voice was grotesque beyond measure. Several martial artists who heard it felt their meridians tremble.

"Demonic energy? You're certainly from the Demonic Cult!"

Elder Yu Jin-sang of the Diancang Sect shouted. Without a moment's hesitation, he charged at the Golden Demon Lion. Several hot-headed martial artists followed his lead, attacking both the Golden Demon Lion and the Three Infernal Judges.

"Stop!"

Sage Cheong-heo tried to halt them, but it was already too late.

Yu Jin-sang's sword was drawn like a bolt of lightning, thrusting toward the Golden Demon Lion. Sword energy had already gathered densely around his blade.

Yu Jin-sang was confident that this single strike would cut the Golden Demon Lion down. But the moment a streak of light erupted from the Golden Demon Lion's body, his confidence turned to horror.

Whoosh!

A long, whip-like beam of light.

"Ki—Ki energy?!"

Not just Yu Jin-sang, but every person within the Azure Sun Sword Sect had a look of astonishment on their faces.

Shing!

The ki energy sliced past Yu Jin-sang's body.

Thud!

The sword, which had been wreathed in sword energy, snapped in two. Yu Jin-sang's upper and lower body separated. His innards spilled from his torso and fell to the ground.

Yu Jin-sang died without so much as a scream.

"……"

In an instant, silence dominated the hall.

The realm of Manifesting Ki into Energy—the state where one could generate strong ki energy from their internal energy.

Among the Nine Great Sects, there were very few who had reached this realm. And all of them were acknowledged as the supreme masters of the martial world.

The Golden Demon Lion mocked the martial artists gathered at the Azure Sun Sword Sect.

"No matter how much a mouse struggles, it's still just a mouse."

Most people were overwhelmed by the Golden Demon Lion's majesty. But there were exceptions.

One of them was Myeong-gyeong.

Vmm!

Myeong-gyeong felt his internal energy churning inside him. His energy was reacting to the opponent's powerful internal force.

'I want to fight. I want to challenge that man.'

An intense desire for battle dominated the depths of his heart.

Another was Cho Yeon-woon. From the moment the Golden Demon Lion appeared, Cho Yeon-woon's eyes had been glinting sharply.

'Has the true Demonic Cult truly reappeared in the world?'

He clenched his fist tightly and glared at the Golden Demon Lion.

Just then, Sage Cheong-heo walked toward the Golden Demon Lion. A formidable aura was already radiating from his body. He, too, was one of Wudang's finest—a supreme martial artist of the highest order.

A sword had already appeared in his hand.

"I don't know what purpose brought you here, but I wouldn't entertain thoughts of leaving unscathed."

He leveled his sword at the Golden Demon Lion. He had judged that subduing the Golden Demon Lion took priority over the Three Infernal Judges.

A tidal wave of aura surged from Sage Cheong-heo's body, crashing toward the Golden Demon Lion.

"Quite a strong aura. Horse."

"I trust it will be more than sufficient to deal with you."

"I look forward to it. It should be a decent fight. But it wouldn't be any fun if it were just us fighting, would it?"

"What?"

Suddenly, the Golden Demon Lion raised his hand high. Dark figures appeared one after another atop the walls.

In their hands were peculiar weapons—sickles attached to iron chains. They were chain sickles, an eccentric weapon.

The figures, clad entirely in black robes and black masks, exuded a sinister aura.

"They're called the Blood Chain Demons. Do try to put up a good fight."

Laughter laced the Golden Demon Lion's voice.

Sage Cheong-heo shouted, "Everyone, be careful!"

At that moment, the Golden Demon Lion pointed his hand at the martial artists of the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Families.

Whoosh!

The Blood Chain Demons perched on the walls charged all at once.

The weapons in their hands glinted with a cold light.

"Now!"

In that instant, Myeong-gyeong shot forward.

The Golden Demon Lion was Sage Cheong-heo's opponent. That left one of the Three Infernal Judges—the First Infernal Judge—as his target. Excluding the Golden Demon Lion, he appeared to be the strongest.

"Junior Brother!"

Han So-yu's voice called from behind him, but he ignored it.

Clang!

Myeong-gyeong's sword clashed with the First Infernal Judge's blade.

That was the signal. The martial artists gathered at the Azure Sun Sword Sect and the Blood Chain Demons plunged into a fierce battle.

"Gah!"

"Die!"

Blood spattered everywhere and screams filled the air.

A scene of hell unfolded before their eyes.

Han So-yu was speechless at the hellish spectacle playing out before her.

She had never dreamed she would witness such a scene here. She had never once imagined such a nightmare.

But she, too, was a martial artist of the Mount Hua Sect.

Steel herself, she drew her sword.

"Hyah!"

Han So-yu leaped into the fray.

Cho Yeon-woon shook his head.

"That scene suits him perfectly."

He recalled the taciturn friend of his.

If they were enemies, he would be terrifying beyond compare. But if they were allies, he would be the most dependable man of all.

"It can't be helped."

That friend was not here.

If so, then he had no choice but to fight himself.

Cho Yeon-woon launched himself toward the Second Infernal Judge.

Kaboom!

A thunderous explosion and a pillar of fire erupted in the center of Azure Sun.

The flames soared so high that everyone at Azure Sun could see them.

Among them were Dam Ho and Bang Jin-bo.

"Hyung?"

Bang Jin-bo looked up at Dam Ho.

At that moment, another explosion rang out and crimson flames shot high into the sky. The towering inferno was so bright that Dam Ho and Bang Jin-bo's faces were bathed in red light.

"Hyung, over there…"

Bang Jin-bo's voice trembled.

The place where the flames rose was none other than the heart of Azure Sun. And at its heart stood the Azure Sun Sword Sect.

And within the Azure Sun Sword Sect…

"So-cheong."

Eun So-cheong was there.

Bang Jin-bo grabbed Dam Ho's hand.

"Hyung, So-cheong is at the Azure Sun Sword Sect."

Dam Ho nodded silently.

He knew that Bang Jin-bo harbored feelings for Eun So-cheong. If she was precious to Bang Jin-bo, she was precious to him as well.

There were very few people in this world whom Dam Ho held dear.

Dam Ho left the Seobung Inn. Bang Jin-bo moved to follow him.

"You wait here."

"But…"

"I will bring So-cheong back safely. You stay here."

"All… right."

Bang Jin-bo nodded reluctantly. He did not doubt Dam Ho's word for a moment.

Dam Ho was a man who always kept his promises. He had made a promise, and he would keep it.

Dam Ho left Bang Jin-bo behind and went outside.

Alone, Bang Jin-bo stared blankly at the Azure Sun Sword Sect, where the flames soared.

The night sky was stained crimson by the fire. It was so red it seemed as though blood might drip from the heavens.

"So-cheong will come back safely."

Dam Ho had promised, so it would surely come to pass.

Bang Jin-bo pondered what he could do, and arrived at a conclusion.

"When she returns, she'll be hungry. I should make a late-night snack. What does So-cheong like again?"

Bang Jin-bo walked toward where the hearth was.

***

Cho Yeon-woon was struggling.

The Second Infernal Judge he was fighting was a master of fist techniques.

Boom! Boom!

Every time the Second Infernal Judge threw a punch, thunderous roars accompanied by powerful fist energy surged toward him.

The Second Infernal Judge wielded his internal energy with complete freedom. When he attacked, he used fist energy; when he retreated, he withdrew it. Yet he still crushed Cho Yeon-woon's attacks with devastating efficiency.

It was a terrifyingly efficient circulation of internal energy.

Swish!

The Second Infernal Judge's fist hurtled toward Cho Yeon-woon's head with terrifying speed, threatening to shatter it.

The power behind the punch was extraordinary. Every angle of retreat had been sealed off.

Cho Yeon-woon crossed his arms to block the Second Infernal Judge's fist.

Crash!

"Gah!"

With a powerful impact, Cho Yeon-woon was sent skidding backward. Deep furrows were carved into the earth where his feet dragged.

"Hmph!"

A low grunt escaped from between the Second Infernal Judge's lips. Cho Yeon-woon realized it was a laugh of contempt.

As if to confirm his suspicion, the Second Infernal Judge spoke.

"So you're a disciple of the White Crane Sect? You're nothing special."

Cho Yeon-woon scratched his head at the remark belittling the White Crane Sect.

"Ah! That ticks me off."