Chapter 355

“Phew. I’m not too late. Thank you for waiting!”

What kind of lunatic is this?

At the sight of the young man strolling in as casually as if he belonged there, the Western Heaven Demon Lord let out an involuntary, hollow laugh.

I haven’t come out in a while, and now I’m running into all kinds of strange people.

He considered himself a man who had lived a fairly extraordinary life, but the young man before him easily exceeded the boundaries of what he had imagined.

For the Western Heaven Demon Lord, that was rather unfortunate. He had wasted time, while the young man had hurried his own death.

“What’s there to thank me for? Have a pleasant journey.”

Swish!

There were different knives for butchering livestock.

If Tang Sadok and the Tang Clan’s Ten Wonders were pigs, that brat was an ant.

The Western Heaven Demon Lord did not even feel the need to draw his favored weapon. He flicked a finger toward the young man’s brow, then turned his head toward Tang Sadok.

Or rather, he was about to turn his head when—

“Whoa. That nearly scared the life out of me.”

“…?”

The Western Heaven Demon Lord stared at the young man with widened eyes.

The brat should have been lying dead by now, yet he was looking back with an innocent smile and giggling.

And in the iron pillar exactly half a step to his side was a hole the size of an egg.

It was right where the young man’s head had been only a moment ago.

…He dodged it? Eighty percent of the Ghost Prison Finger?

It should not have happened. It could not have happened.

Just as the Western Heaven Demon Lord began to wonder whether something had somehow gone wrong with his body without his realizing it—

“Stand back.”

Tang Sadok spoke with a stiff expression. His face was pale from his internal injuries, and there was even a trace of distress in his eyes.

“There’s no place for a greenhorn like you to interfere… Cough!”

“Gasp! Blood! You’re bleeding!”

When Tang Sadok suddenly vomited blood, the young man took a worried step forward.

“Grandpa Tang, are you all right?”

Swish!

In the blink of an eye, the young man flipped through the air, and a flash of light sprang from his waist.

Drawing his sword at the same time, he deflected the slash that came flying through the air. Then he panted heavily.

“Huff, huff. That startled me. Why did you do that without saying anything?”

“Ha-ha. Ha-ha-ha!”

The Western Heaven Demon Lord looked back and forth between the sword in his right hand and the young man before bursting into hearty laughter.

He had not used his full strength, but that single exchange had taught him two things.

First, the mysterious young man was not merely a lunatic.

And second—

“You’re the Disciple Sword Saint Mae Jonghak took in during his later years. Your name is… Cheongpung, was it?”

The young man, Cheongpung, looked at the Western Heaven Demon Lord with round eyes.

“Oh? You know me?”

“How could I not, when the scent of Huashan’s plum blossoms is practically pouring from your footwork? It has been a long time since I saw a Dark Fragrance Drift this exceptional.”

“Wow! You know Dark Fragrance Drift! But how do you know my name…?”

“I have many eyes and ears that you cannot see.”

Dark Heaven had hidden spies throughout the world over many years, and Sichuan Province was no exception.

The Western Heaven Demon Lord had already known for ten days that Cheongpung was staying at the Tang Clan.

He had not expected to meet him at such a perfect moment, though.

To have reached this realm at that age… The Sword Saint raised a monster.

There had been a reason he had not recognized Cheongpung at a glance.

Tang Sadok moved his bloodstained lips as the Western Heaven Demon Lord looked Cheongpung up and down with a strange light in his eyes.

“You vicious bastard. Is it not enough to attack our family? Now you intend to harm that boy as well?”

The Western Heaven Demon Lord answered gently.

“No, not at all.”

“He has nothing to do with our family… What?”

Tang Sadok and even the three surviving members of the Tang Clan’s Ten Wonders doubted their ears at the unexpected answer.

But the Western Heaven Demon Lord, the man at the center of it all, remained impassive.

“I have no intention of pursuing prey that someone else has already marked. Personally, I do not like him very much, but we serve the same master.”

“…What are you talking about?”

“An acquaintance of mine became quite angry recently. Perhaps the wound to his pride was greater than the loss of his arm. He has been determined to kill you with his own hands.”

Tang Sadok’s expression twisted at the incomprehensible explanation.

Then Cheongpung suddenly spoke.

“The Blood Lord. It’s him.”

“So you do remember him. He’ll be very pleased if I tell him.”

“I don’t like him.”

Anyone who knew Cheongpung—especially Jin Taekyung—would have stared at him with his mouth hanging open.

Cheongpung possessed a spirit as clear as a mountain stream and had never once judged anyone by saying he liked or disliked them.

Not even those who approached him with malicious intentions.

But now, unmistakable hostility had appeared in Cheongpung’s transparent eyes.

“Is he here right now?”

“Unfortunately, he is far away. But he would be very happy to see you. Ah, of course….”

The Western Heaven Demon Lord continued smoothly.

“The same goes for the Fire King being treated at the Tang Clan and the young man named Jin Taekyung.”

“…!”

“I told you. I have many eyes and ears.”

A smile formed at the corner of the Western Heaven Demon Lord’s mouth.

“Try not to worry too much. I intend to take all three of you—including yourself—alive. But I do not know what my friend the Blood Lord will think.”

Cheongpung could sense the chilling edge hidden beneath the man’s gentle voice.

Without realizing it, he tightened his grip around his sword hilt. A different tone and voice than usual slipped through his lips.

“It won’t be easy.”

“I wonder if that’s really—”

The Western Heaven Demon Lord’s voice never finished.

A tremendous boom split the air, and dozens of flashes filled the pavilion reduced to rubble.

Swish, swish-swish-swish!

Tang Sadok and the Tang Clan’s Ten Wonders—or rather, the three who should now be called the Tang Clan’s Three Skills¹—shot toward a single target like arrows, as if they had planned it together.

Dozens of hidden weapons covered every direction, aiming for vital points, while Tang Sadok gathered every ounce of strength he had and slammed his fist into the Western Heaven Demon Lord’s chest.

“You bastard—!”

Kwahhhhhng! Rumble, rumble!

The aftermath was powerful enough to be called an earthquake.

Tang Sadok and the three Tang Clan martial artists had personally experienced the Western Heaven Demon Lord’s might.

They had no intention of wasting their only opportunity, and the final attack they launched after even drawing up their innate qi was devastating.

We did it.

Inside a cloud of dust so thick he could not see even an inch ahead, Tang Sadok smiled brightly despite coughing up blood.

He had realized that the punch he had unleashed with all his strength had crushed the enemy’s flesh and bones and pierced through his chest.

This is the Tang Family’s revenge.

That was when—

“Did you think this would be enough?”

“…!”

Crack!

Along with the calm voice, a powerful hand closed around Tang Sadok’s neck.

Through the dispersing dust, the Western Heaven Demon Lord could be seen reaching over the shoulder of a dead member of the Tang Clan’s Three Skills, a massive hole punched through the man’s chest.

At the Western Heaven Demon Lord’s feet, two people who had once possessed human shapes lay shattered across the ground.

How?

That single thought filled Tang Sadok’s mind.

Still gripping the dazed man by the neck and smiling gently, the Western Heaven Demon Lord suddenly swung the sword in his other hand.

Kwahhhhhng!

A wave of Sword Energy spread outward like a tide.

The thirty blades of Sword Energy flying toward the Western Heaven Demon Lord like flower petals were swept away and vanished.

But even when flower petals disappeared, their fragrance remained.

From the foot of the young man driving into the air at the speed of a flash, the scent of plum blossoms planted by Huashan and brought into bloom by the Sword Saint rose up.

Sssshing!

“The Meteor Chasing the Moon Sword!”

A single sword thrust forward, leaving behind a pale afterimage.

The Western Heaven Demon Lord let out a brief cry of surprise and brought his sword down.

The Western Heaven Demon Lord’s sinuous, snake-shaped sword collided with Cheongpung’s sword, which was engraved with plum-blossom patterns.

Kwang! Kwang-kwa-kwa-kwang!

Every time the two swords met, thunderous sounds like exploding shells rang out in every direction.

It did not take long for it to become clear who held the advantage.

Swish—bang!

With a fierce impact, one figure was sent flying.

Cheongpung twisted his body in midair and landed before staring quietly at the Western Heaven Demon Lord.

“I expected it, but… you’re strong. Truly.”

The Western Heaven Demon Lord’s martial prowess was astonishing.

He had completely dominated the fight with one hand while holding Tang Sadok captive.

At Cheongpung’s apparently awed words, the Western Heaven Demon Lord let out a quiet laugh.

What an impudent brat. And he is hiding plenty, too.

For a moment, he considered teaching the brat a lesson himself out of irritation.

But there was something more urgent.

The Western Heaven Demon Lord clicked his tongue softly, and a low voice slipped between his lips.

“First Fiend.”

“Yes, Demon Lord.”

Cheongpung was not surprised when First Fiend appeared in response.

He had known for fifteen minutes that the man was nearby.

That meant the attackers had already passed through the Outer Hall and entered the Inner Hall.

The screams were drawing closer.

“Take care of that one.”

“You mean the Sword Saint’s successor? I couldn’t be more grateful….”

First Fiend grinned, baring bloodstained teeth.

He had already claimed nearly a hundred lives, including Tang Jinhu, the Sichuan Tang Clan’s Head Elder.

But intoxicated by the slaughter he had not tasted in so long, he had been feeling that it was far from enough.

“You know about the Blood Lord’s request, I assume.”

“Of course. The Sword Saint’s youngest Disciple, whom he cherishes like his own child… Heh-heh. This should be fun. I’ll leave him barely breathing.”

“It would be better if you kept him alive, but if that proves impossible, killing him is fine.”

“What?”

“He is dangerous. If you decide he cannot be handled, cut him down before he can grow.”

“He’s nothing but a greenhorn. I never knew the Demon Lord made jokes. Ha-ha-ha!”

First Fiend’s booming laughter rapidly faded.

It was because of the Western Heaven Demon Lord’s gaze, which had turned cold.

The instant their eyes met, First Fiend felt his heart drop. He hurriedly threw himself facedown on the ground.

“Y-Your orders.”

For a moment, he had forgotten what kind of man the Western Heaven Demon Lord was.

He was a man who hid a grim reaper behind a gentle voice, soft manner, and mild expression.

The Western Heaven Demon Lord looked down at First Fiend, who was sweating nervously, then silently walked past him.

Tang Sadok struggled in pain with the hand around his neck, but the Western Heaven Demon Lord’s arm did not move an inch.

“No!”

“Heh-heh. Do you have any idea whose path you’re blocking?”

Swish—boom!

With Cheongpung charging forward in desperation and First Fiend moving to stop him, a fierce boom rang out.

Leaving the thunderous clash behind, the Western Heaven Demon Lord continued walking.

The Inner Hall, where craftsmen made weapons and children and martial artists once walked side by side, was already covered in blood and corpses.

Screams and death overflowed from every direction.

And only a short distance away, one man watched the destruction of his family while tears ran down his face.

“Can you feel it? Everything in the Tang Clan is collapsing.”

Tang Sadok’s hollow eyes trembled.

It was not only the Tang Clan that was collapsing. His firm convictions and his heart were crumbling as well.

Then, as tears continued to stream down his face, a quiet voice slipped into his ear.

“Answer me. Where is the Myriad-Poison Ring?”