Chapter 173: Bad Friend (2)
Puah! Puah!
Fireworks soared into the sky as yellow fireworks decorated the night sky. Seeing the night lit up, the Six Martial Masters couldn’t hide their doubts.
‘Stop the war?’
The yellow firecrackers meant stop, red meant retreat, and blue meant gather. The battle hadn’t even started for long, and they hadn’t even stepped into the site yet, but they were asked to stop.
Back at the north of Yongchun site:
“Blade Master! What do we do?”
Yeon Mu-kyeon was perplexed by the questions, and his poor physical conditions didn’t help.
Chachang!
He looked at two people who were constantly clashing with their weapons. He arrived with another Blade Master, trying to take down the red-haired man his partner was fighting.
‘We haven’t even subdued this monster yet.’
The monster they were dealing with was Hu Bong, and while they were struggling to break through this one enemy, then the signal to stop was sent into the night sky.
“Is that your signal? Hehe.”
Chachang!
Hu Bong excitedly spread out his sword as he asked the Blade Master he was fighting against, but neither of his opponents answered.
‘Bastard!’
They didn’t answer him because they couldn't afford to let their concentration on him waver.
‘What should we do?’
They couldn’t figure out their next step and Yeon Mu-kyeon, who had fallen down from just one kick, couldn't understand if it really was a signal to end the fighting or if the signal came from the enemy tricking them. It was then:
Tatatak!
“Senior! Stop fighting!”
At that instant, someone who Hu Bong assumed to be one of the cult members sent him the message through telepathy. Hu Bong widened the distance between himself and the Blade Masters to ask,
“What? Stop the fight?”
Blade Six wasn’t the only one who gave the order to stop, as signals to stop the war came from both sides.
Pang!
Another firework lit up the sky, and this time it was the blue signal for gathering.
The members of Yongchun Group and Blade Six, who were fighting for their lives 30 minutes prior, were able to gather while facing one another.
In the midst of the war, the Yongchun Group executives and the Blade Six executives had gathered. Without knowing what was happening everyone gathered under the call of Chun Yeowun and Hwang-heol, who were the heads on both sides.
[Blade Lord, why did we stop?!]
Butchery Blade Master Yang Mun asked, still glancing at Wang Shin. The wounds on their bodies showed the ferocity of the battle between the two warriors.
[…]
Geum Seong-ryong had nothing to say. Although he was the chairman of Blade Six and the Blade Lord, he couldn’t disregard the old man because Il-ryeong was his ancestor.
On the other hand, Gu Cheong-sa was looking at Chun Yeowun and not Marayun, who he had been fighting.
‘This is the one Il-ryeong spoke off.’
Chun Yeowun defeated the one called Blade God, so there wasn’t anyone in Blade Six who wouldn’t be angry with him.
‘Is he that strong?’
The aura they were feeling was ordinary. Of course, those who were stronger could mask their presence, but the Blade Six warriors were all curious.
‘I want to fight him. I want to test his strength.’
Yong Dal-chung, one of the Blade Six Martial Masters, sighed.
‘It’s starting again.’
Gu Cheong-sa was one of the most interested in martial arts, known for his strength because of his will to learn from those who were stronger. He had even fought with Il-ryeong before, though he was beaten to death.
[Hey. That monster will not spare you like Il-ryeong.]
One of the Blade Masters warned him just in case. He knew that thousands of people of his clan had died in the hands of Demon God, and any curiosity would cost their lives.
‘You want me to miss this chance?’
Gu Cheong-sa licked his lips. As a Murim warrior, the strongest-known existence was right in front of him, stimulating his urges like a gourmet dish made by the best chef.
‘I just need a cause.’
The current situation was a ceasefire that stopped the war. Geum Seong-ryong pretended to be fine, but his legs were trembling as he suffered from internal injuries. Moreover, it was evident that Il-ryeong hadn’t been able to defeat the Demon God.
‘I’m sure I’ll get a chance.’
Hwang-heol stepped ahead and opened his mouth,
“As a representative of Blade Six… no, as Hwang-heol, one of the Spirit Blood users, I will inform you of the reason for bringing you all here.”
He was speaking normally, but his voice was heard by everyone. Unlike the members of the Yongchun Group who were puzzled, those of Blade Six were anxious. They had predicted this outcome to some extent but all hoped that the declaration of anything but victory wouldn’t come from Hwang-heol’s mouth.
“There has been a long-standing grudge between us and the Sky Demon Order for a thousand year, but it is now time to change that.”
‘What?’
‘What’s he saying?’
Both sides were looking at Hwang-heol with their utmost concentration.
“Unfortunately, both us and the Sky Demon Order share a common enemy: MS Group.”
Whisper!
A change occurred in the eyes of Blade Six members, recognizing their worst enemy as MS Group.
After the collapse of Black Sky Company 17 years ago, they were no longer obsessed with the Sky Demon Order. However, their situation with MS Group was different because they were constantly at war with one another.
“After a long conversation with Chun Ma, we figured out that the MS Group has been setting us up to wage a meaningless war between us."
Hwang-heol paused and looked around as he said,
“Are you going to turn our heads at this trickery?”
At Hwang-heol’s word’s the Blade Six members shouted.
“We can’t stand by!”
The voice of people resounded. Hwang-heol was adept at commanding people and the Blade Six’s suspicious stance transformed into a self-righteous stance in an instant. When the desired atmosphere was formed, Hwang-heol said,
“I declare it: starting today, I will form an alliance with the Sky Demon Order to end this meaningless battle and face the true enemy!”
“Wahhh!!!”
When Hwang-heol finished speaking, all of the members of Blade Six shouted. From their point of view, the word alliance was a lot better than surrender, which they had all been fearing. Hwang-heol looked at Chun Yeowun and coughed, causing Chun Yeowun to smile.
‘He’s quite proud of himself.’
Originally, Chun Yeowun suggested the man join him, but Hwang-heol refused the offer right away.
[… Kuh, I can’t do that.]
Hwang-heol promised that anything other than integration could be possible. However, he said that he would never enter another clan or risk his clan’s members, displaying a final bit of pride in front of his rival of a thousand years.
[Thanks to my whim!]
Hwang-heol looked at Chun Yeowun and remembered the request he had asked for on a whim. He was skeptical that Chun Yeowun would even listen to the request in the first place, as Chun Yeowun could have easily annihilated all the Blade Six members if he wanted to.
‘Thanks for the kindness, Demon God.’
Thanks to Chun Yeowun’s mercy, he was able to save face. Chun Yeowun, however, was looking at the situation with a different attitude as if seeing a different scene when he felt that something was awry.
Someone shouted in the warm atmosphere,
“I can’t understand this!”
At the cry, everyone turned to the voice that came from Strong Blade Master Gu Cheong-sa.
‘Sigh.’
The other Six Martial Masters sighed, knowing that he was up to no good.
‘That bastard’s idiotic attitude!’
Yong Dal-chung, the Jade Blade Master, had looked to the side and shouted out loudly when their ancestor had declared an alliance, but now turned his attention to Gu Cheong-sa.
[Stop it! Have you lost it?]
Yong Dal-chung sent him a message.
Slang!
However, the man only pulled out his blade and pointed it at Chun Yeowun.
“The Blade God who is your lord will weep in the underworld. His blood is on this man’s hands, how can we make an alliance so easily?”
At that, the other people mumbled too. Clearly what he said was true. If such a word was used, no one would blame this man for acting out.
‘This bastard!’
Hwang-heol stared at Gu Cheong-sa in anger. In the past, he had cheekily asked Hwang-heol for battles several times, each time being let off the hook because he was a member of the clan. However, this was a drastically different situation.
“How dare you aim your blade at him!’
Kwang!
Hu Bong stepped forward in anger, causing the floor to crack from the intense energy he was releasing.In fact, all of the members of the Sky Demon Order were full of rage and murderous intent. At that moment, Chun Yeowun stopped them and said,
“He seems pretty daring. Right, I do have the blood of your ancestor on my hands, so what?”
Hearing Chun Yeowun’s words, Gu Cheong-sa smiled. This was what he wanted: a challenge that would allow him to raise his weapon against Chun Yeowun.
“How can a Murim warrior say that? If you’re truly forming an alliance, then convince me—”
Goooo!
Before he could say more, an unbelievable energy expanded in the atmosphere, and the suffocating feeling of the energy was only enhanced further by the terrifying silence.
‘W-what a strong energy…’
Even breathing was very difficult, and the effects of the energy weren’t limited to just Gu Cheong-sa. All of the Six Martial Masters became pale, feeling as if there were swords on their necks.
Step!
Chun Yeowun slowly walked towards Gu Cheong-sa. With each step, Gu Cheong-sa’s face turned a more prominent shade of red.
‘Move. I have to move my body!’
He tried to move his arm but it was to no avail as Chun Yeowun reached him.
Drip!
His face was already drenched in sweat from his fear of dying. Chun Yeowun whispered in his ear,
“Then should I kill you all instead of forming an alliance?”
‘!?’
He spoke with a soft voice, but there was no way that the Six Martial Masters didn’t hear his words as all their eyes fluttered in shock.
‘It’s possible.’
‘This is… Demon God!’
‘M-Monster…!’
The pressure was so overwhelming that they couldn’t think of anything else; in fact, this was the first time that they had such a strong pressure exerted on them. Only then did Gu Cheong-sa realize that the alliance was nothing more than a fa?ade to maintain the dignity of their clan.
Shh!
Chun Yeowun put his finger on the man’s forehead.
“Kid. Have you changed your mind yet?”
It felt like the finger could pierce his head any moment. Gu Cheong-sa gulped and said,
“I… I made a mistake.”
“Then you know what you’re supposed to say.”
“T-thank you for forming an alliance.”
Hearing Gu Cheong-sa’s words, Hwang-heol trembled out of anger.
Because of one stupid subordinate, the fa?ade was no more.
