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 emerge after all this time, 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 surpassed anything he had imagined.

The Western Heaven Demon Lord found that rather unfortunate. He had wasted time, and the young man had hastened his own death.

“What’s there to thank me for? Farewell.”

Swish!

Even livestock called for different blades.

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 started to turn his head toward Tang Sadok.

Or rather, he was about to when—

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

“…?”

The Western Heaven Demon Lord stared at the young man, eyes widening.

The brat should have been lying dead by now, yet he was looking back at him with an innocent grin.

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

Right where the young man’s head had been only a moment before.

…He dodged it? The eighth-stage Ghost Prison Finger?

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

The Western Heaven Demon Lord wondered if something had gone wrong with his body without his noticing.

Then—

“Stand back.”

Tang Sadok spoke, his face rigid. Pale from his internal injuries, his expression held a trace of dismay.

“This is no place for a greenhorn like you to interfere… Cough!”

“Gasp! Blood! You’re bleeding!”

When Tang Sadok suddenly vomited blood, the young man stepped forward with a worried look.

“Grandpa Tang, are you all right?”

Swish!

In the blink of an eye, the young man flipped through the air as 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 from the sword in his right hand to the young man, then burst into hearty laughter.

Though he had not used his full strength, that single exchange had taught him two things.

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

And second—

“You must be the Disciple Sword Saint Mae Jonghak took in during his later years. Your name was… Cheongpung, wasn’t it?”

Cheongpung stared 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 pours from your footwork? It has been a long time since I saw such an exceptional Dark Fragrance Drift.”

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

“I have many unseen eyes and ears.”

Dark Heaven had spent many years planting spies throughout the world, 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 them to meet at such a perfect moment.

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

There was a reason he had failed to recognize Cheongpung at first glance.

As the Western Heaven Demon Lord examined Cheongpung from head to toe with a peculiar look in his eyes, Tang Sadok parted his bloodstained lips.

“You vicious bastard. Was attacking our family not enough? Now you mean 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?”

The unexpected answer made Tang Sadok and even the three surviving members of the Tang Clan’s Ten Wonders doubt their ears.

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

“I have no intention of taking prey someone else has already marked. Personally, I am not particularly fond of him, but we serve the same master.”

“…What are you talking about?”

“An acquaintance of mine became quite angry recently. It seems the wound to his pride hurt more than losing his arm. He is determined to kill that young man 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 delighted when 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’s nature was as clear as a mountain stream, and he had never once declared that he liked or disliked someone.

Not even those who had approached him with ill intent.

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 pleased to see you. Ah, and 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.

“Do not worry too much. I intend to take all three of you alive. Whether my friend the Blood Lord feels the same, however, I cannot say.”

Cheongpung sensed 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 filled the air from every direction, each aimed at a lethal acupoint, while Tang Sadok drew on every last ounce of strength and drove 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 squandering their one chance. Their final assault, launched by drawing even upon their innate qi, was devastating.

We did it.

Within the cloud of dust so thick he could not see 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!

A powerful hand closed around Tang Sadok’s neck as the calm voice reached him.

As the dust dispersed, he saw one of the Tang Clan’s Three Skills dead with a massive hole through his chest. The Western Heaven Demon Lord stood behind the corpse, reaching over its shoulder.

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.

The Western Heaven Demon Lord smiled gently as he held the dazed Tang Sadok by the throat. Then he swung the sword in his other hand.

Kwahhhhhng!

A wave of Sword Energy surged outward like a tide.

The thirty blades of Sword Energy flying toward him like flower petals were swallowed by the wave and vanished.

But though the 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 a pale afterimage.

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

His sinuous Snake Sword collided with Cheongpung’s plum-blossom-engraved blade.

Kwang! Kwang-kwa-kwa-kwang!

Every clash of the two swords unleashed a deafening boom like an exploding shell.

It did not take long for one side to gain the upper hand.

Swish—bang!

A figure went flying under the force of the impact.

Cheongpung twisted in midair and landed, then stared at the Western Heaven Demon Lord.

“I expected you to be strong, but… you really are.”

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

He had seized an overwhelming advantage with only one hand, all while holding Tang Sadok captive.

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

What an impudent brat. He’s hiding quite a bit, too.

Irritated, he briefly considered teaching the brat a lesson himself.

But he had more urgent business.

The Western Heaven Demon Lord clicked his tongue softly, then called in a low voice.

“First Fiend.”

“Yes, Demon Lord.”

Cheongpung was not surprised when First Fiend appeared with a deferential answer. He had sensed the man nearby for the past fifteen minutes.

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

The screams were drawing closer.

“Handle that one.”

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

First Fiend grinned, baring his bloodstained teeth.

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

But intoxicated by his first taste of slaughter in so long, he had found it nowhere near enough.

“You know of 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.”

“Keeping him alive would be preferable, but if that proves impossible, you may kill him.”

“What?”

“He is dangerous. If you cannot handle him, 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.

The Western Heaven Demon Lord’s gaze 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 silently looked down at the sweating First Fiend, then 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!

Cheongpung charged forward with a desperate shout, and First Fiend moved to intercept him.

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

The Inner Hall, where craftsmen had forged weapons and children once walked beside martial artists, was now covered in blood and corpses.

Screams and death overflowed from every direction.

And here, only a short distance away, one man watched the destruction of his family with tears streaming down his face.

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

Tang Sadok’s hollow eyes trembled.

The Tang Clan was not the only thing collapsing. His firm convictions and his heart were crumbling with it.

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

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