The Demonic Supreme Sword Novel - Chapter 62

Chapter 62
Chapter: 62

Chapter Title: Turning Point (2)

—

Clack!

“Do you honestly believe this is logical, Brother?”

The man who slammed his palm onto the wood glared with intensity.

Every patron in the eatery shifted their attention toward the group instantly, though none dared to speak a word of protest. The reason was clear: the five individuals occupying the large circular table were famous figures within the territory of Nanjing.

‘The Nanjing Five Heroes.’

Sima Geon observed the group with growing fascination as he overheard the hushed gossip of the nearby diners.

While their physical appearances and rough way of speaking didn’t exactly scream heroism, the way the locals discussed them was far from critical. It indicated that they possessed a respectable standing in society.

‘Even so, their looks are something else…’

A slight grin played on Sima Geon’s mouth as he studied the man who had just shouted.

He was short in stature, yet his expansive shoulders, thickset neck, and powerful torso were impossible to ignore. Most notably, his facial features were aggressively fierce—enough to rival even Cheol Woo, who was notoriously intimidating in his own right.

“Control your temper. We aren’t the only people in this room.”

The man who appeared more like a refined scholar than a brawler—Mo In Hong, the second of the Nanjing Five Heroes—scowled as he interjected.

“That is exactly why I’m so agitated! What on earth is the Martial Alliance thinking?”

Despite the reprimand from Mo In Hong, Kang Po refused to lower his volume.

“Mind your language. ‘Thinking’?”

“The youngest has a valid point. The Living Immortal Medical House is in a desperate situation, yet the Martial Alliance remains chillingly quiet about the whole affair.”

When the third brother, Chu Sam, added his support, Kang Po’s voice grew even more boisterous.

“If it were just silence, I’d be relieved. Based on what I’ve gathered, they aren’t just standing by; it’s the Martial Alliance itself that is actively preventing various sects and righteous vagabonds from coming to the aid of the Living Immortal Medical House.”

“The real issue is that many influential sects are secretly nodding along with the Alliance’s strategy. Take the Five Great Clans, for instance.”

Among the Nanjing Five Heroes, Chu Sam—who valued traditional masculinity above all else—was fuming with a rage that matched Kang Po’s.

Mo In Hong released a weary breath.

“I understand your frustrations, brothers, but we lack a formal justification to step in.”

“Justification? How can you say that? Those cultist dogs are swarming around the Living Immortal Medical House and making threats. Is that not reason enough?”

“Well… can we truly call it a threat yet? If I recall correctly, the cult has been stationed around the Living Immortal Medical House for nearly a full month. During that entire duration, there hasn’t been a single violent encounter. In fact, they have been remarkably careful to avoid any provocation.”

“Since when did those cultists develop a sense of restraint? It’s clearly a deceptive tactic to mask their true goals. They finally showed their teeth with that ultimatum. An assault if their terms aren’t met? How can that be justified?”

Unable to contain his fury, Kang Po struck the table once more.

The eldest of the group, Jang Geol, deftly caught a bottle that had been jolted into the air and emptied it in a single gulp. Then, using a composed and steady tone, he began to speak.

“Under normal circumstances, I would agree with our youngest a hundred times over. However, this particular scenario is quite strange.”

“Big Brother!”

“Eldest!”

Jang Geol lifted a hand to silence the protests of Chu Sam and Kang Po before he continued his explanation.

“Why is the Martial Alliance keeping quiet? It’s simple. As our second brother mentioned, there is no justification. Consider this: if a traitor from your own family or sect ran away, what would your reaction be?”

“Well, naturally…”

“We would have to hunt them down, but…”

Chu Sam and Kang Po’s voices trailed off into uncertainty.

“And according to the whispers moving through the shadows, this isn’t just about a simple desertion. The cult won’t admit it publicly, but the word is that this individual made off with the sacred relic of the Heavenly Demon Cult—the very object that allowed for their recent unification. You can gauge the importance of that relic by how tentatively they are moving. Think about it—it’s the cult we’re talking about. Those brutal, deceptive, and heartless monsters. Have you ever known them to be this courteous and humble?”

“Not in all my years.”

Mo In Hong answered for Chu Sam and Kang Po, who remained silent.

“From the perspective of the Martial Alliance, they cannot simply launch an aggressive intervention when the cult is acting so submissively. What do you think would occur if the cult interpreted it as the Alliance interfering with the recovery of their sacred item?”

“A massacre.”

“Worse. It could ignite a full-scale righteous-demonic great war.”

At the mention of a righteous-demonic great war, the expressions of everyone present turned grim. However, the mood was fleeting—Kang Po quickly bounced back, snorting and shaking his fist in the air.

“Hah! If they want a war, let it come. We’ll break their necks one by one. When have those villains ever truly desired peace? They’ve always been lurking in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to swallow the martial world whole.”

Shatter!

The sound of a plate breaking drew the eyes of the Nanjing Five Heroes toward the side.

“Tsk tsk, how clumsy.”

Sima Geon sighed, placing a firm hand on Cheol Woo’s arm as the latter began to stand up. He signaled a passing waiter just in time.

“Clean this up, if you please. And bring another round of wine and appetizers.”

The waiter took the offered coin from Sima Geon with a wide grin and hurried away to fulfill the request.

Having lost interest in the duo, the Nanjing Five Heroes returned to their heated debate.

[Boss, are you really going to let this slide?]

Sima Geon gave a small shake of his head.

[Gently! Just a minor warning!]

Sima Geon fixed a stern look on Cheol Woo, who was vibrating with suppressed anger, signaling him not to do anything reckless. He then refocused his hearing on the group’s conversation.

“I picked up some information from my uncle last night.”

The fourth brother, Sa In Ju—who had been quiet until this point—finally contributed to the discussion.

At the mention of his maternal uncle, the others leaned in with sharp interest.

Sa In Ju’s maternal kin managed the most prominent martial arts academy in Nanjing. Specifically, the head of that school and his grandfather, the Powder-Crushing Sword No Il Seon, was a highly respected veteran of the martial world with extensive connections inside the Martial Alliance.

“What did he reveal? Uncle surely knows the hidden details of this situation, doesn’t he?”

Chu Sam moved closer, his eyes wide with anticipation.

“The story is largely the same. No justification.”

“Curse it! That miserable word ‘justification’ again!”

A swear word escaped Kang Po’s lips.

“However, he mentioned there is something that carries more weight than justification.”

“More weight? What could it be?”

Jang Geol asked, unable to hide his curiosity.

“If you look at history, we’ve clashed with the cult countless times over the centuries—minor skirmishes, massive battles, even wars that determined the fate of the entire martial landscape. We only joined forces briefly when the Blood Cult caused chaos, but that was a rare exception.”

“Everyone is aware of that. So, what is more vital than justification?”

Chu Sam urged him on impatiently, but Sa In Ju remained unruffled.

“In those conflicts, many ultimate techniques were forgotten, and legendary treasures disappeared. Now, they are offering to give them back.”

“What?”

“Give what back?”

The group stared at Sa In Ju in pure shock.

“The cult is returning the martial arts manuals and artifacts belonging to various sects that had previously fallen into their possession.”

“That’s madness!”

“Impossible!”

Their responses were a chorus of doubt.

“And while it hasn’t been officially confirmed, the rumor is they’ve also dispatched a massive hoard of gold as compensation for the unrest they’ve caused. With no solid justification to stop them and the cult making such unprecedented concessions to save face, what move can the Martial Alliance make? Apparently, some elders protested vehemently, but their voices didn’t carry enough weight. Oh, are you aware of this?”

The Nanjing Five Heroes held their breath, hanging on Sa In Ju’s next words. Sima Geon and Cheol Woo also focused their attention.

“Included in the artifacts the Heavenly Demon Cult returned was the Purple Cloud Sword of Mount Hua. And that wasn’t all—the Hubei Peng Clan’s long-lost Tiger Fang Blade Technique was part of the deal as well.”

“The Purple Cloud Sword… the people of Mount Hua must be losing their minds.”

Jang Geol shook his head in disbelief.

The Purple Cloud Sword was the most iconic treasure of Mount Hua. Given that it was returning after being gone for over two centuries, one could easily guess the sect’s state of mind.

“The Hubei Peng Clan too, most likely. They are cunning devils, without a doubt. They’ve managed to silence not just the Nine Great Sects—the pillars of the Martial Alliance—but even the Five Great Clans, with whom they usually have a strained relationship.”

Mo In Hong clicked his tongue in reluctant respect.

“So we are just supposed to sit here while the cult delivers an ultimatum to the Living Immortal Medical House? What did your Grandfather have to say about it?”

Chu Sam questioned, his face contorted with bitterness.

“It’s humiliating, but even my mother’s side of the family has no intention of getting involved. Apparently, there are several righteous warriors preparing to defend the Living Immortal Medical House, but the issue is their numbers are smaller than expected. Furthermore, some people are starting to say they don’t agree with the Living Immortal Medical House’s position.”

Kang Po shouted, his eyes wide with rage.

“Who is the coward spreading that trash?”

“A significant number of people.”

Sa In Ju’s voice grew a bit more detached.

“They find it absurd that all this turmoil is being caused over a single cult fugitive. Just hand the person over and the problem vanishes. To be fair, it isn’t an illogical stance. The cult’s internal matters should be handled by the cult.”

“Well, I suppose that’s technically true, but…”

As Kang Po faltered, Jang Geol let out a cynical smile.

“The Living Immortal Medical House will never agree to those terms. We all know what that place stands for.”

“They never turn away a soul who comes to them for healing. To surrender a person they know will be executed? That would go against everything the Living Immortal Medical House represents.”

Mo In Hong spoke with a mix of frustration at their rigid principles and deep-seated admiration.

“Then let’s go ourselves. Forget the rest. The cult’s presence makes my skin crawl, but we cannot sit idly by while the Living Immortal Medical House is tormented.”

Kang Po jumped to his feet, his voice booming.

“Yes! Let’s do it, the five of us!”

Chu Sam smashed his cup against the floor and shouted his agreement.

Mo In Hong and Sa In Ju both looked toward Jang Geol.

Jang Geol, who had been absentmindedly spinning his cup while lost in thought, turned to Sa In Ju.

“How many days remain?”

“Exactly six.”

“That’s a very narrow window.”

Tapping his fingers against the tabletop, Jang Geol’s eyes landed on Kang Po, who was practically vibrating with nervous energy. With a short laugh, he said.

“What are you standing around for? Didn’t you hear him? We’re low on time. Go secure the boats right now. Traveling by land will take too long.”

In a flash, Kang Po squeezed his fists and let out a roar that seemed to vibrate the very walls of the tavern.

Cheol Woo, who had been contemplating the best way to give the group a thrashing, dropped his chopsticks with a look of annoyance.

“Madmen. What’s so appealing about sprinting toward your own funeral? This situation seems much larger than we anticipated. What’s our move, Boss?”

“Hmm.”

“Desertion and a holy relic. Given the importance, our colleagues must be on the move. That implies…”

Cheol Woo didn’t finish his sentence. No one understood the power of the Divine Demon Division, the Lord’s personal enforcers, better than he did. Yet, Sima Geon remained quiet.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“It didn’t look like much, but it actually tastes decent.”

Cheol Woo offered a piece of dried meat to Sima Geon, who was sitting motionless on a boulder. Sima Geon gave a dismissive wave and continued to watch a vessel sailing against the current for a long time.

“Do you think they can hold out?”

Sima Geon whispered. Cheol Woo, who was busy ripping into the jerky with his teeth, stopped moving and turned his head.

“What?”

Sima Geon exhaled, looking directly at Cheol Woo.

He had briefly considered passing over the Great Reversion Pill hidden in his clothing. But he decided against it. Cheol Woo was a loyal subordinate and a friend he could trust in any life-or-death situation. The problem was that this level of trust was specific to the battlefield. Past experience suggested there was a high probability the pill would be misplaced if he left it in Cheol Woo’s care.

‘I can’t leave the matter of the Living Immortal Medical House to him either.’

The Divine Demon Division—they were essentially the Lord’s personal shadow. Cheol Woo had once served as their deputy commander, but those days were gone. It was impossible to predict the outcome if Cheol Woo were to go head-to-head with them now.

He had total faith in Cheol Woo’s combat ability, but the Division’s overall strength was immense. Specifically, there were certain elites among the primary force who were not to be underestimated. They were likely the ones directing the operation now.

Of course, if he were to step in himself, the Division would retreat without a second thought. Even if the Lord himself were standing there giving orders.

“We can’t just obstruct them directly. But we also can’t disregard the honor of the Living Immortal Medical House. I suppose we’ll just have to hold them off enough to make a difference. They should be able to take the hint.”

“What are you muttering about?”

Sima Geon laughed at Cheol Woo’s confusion.

“I have no desire to be an ungrateful wretch. Even wild animals know how to return a kindness, don’t they?”

Standing up from the boulder, Sima Geon grabbed the jerky right out of Cheol Woo’s hand, shoved it into his mouth, and took off running.

“Boss, you’re going the wrong…”

Seeing him sprint back in the direction they had just come from, Cheol Woo realized what was happening, fell silent, and began to follow.

“Heh heh heh! You arrogant bastards. It’s been a long time.”

The grin that started at the corners of his mouth quickly spread across his entire face.