The Demonic Supreme Sword Novel - Chapter 83

Chapter 83
The cries of agony drew nearer with terrifying speed.

Those who had paused their illicit dealings to investigate the disturbance were met with a sight that defied all logic.

Following a frantic crowd that fled as if pursued by a legion of devils, a massive wall of a man burst into view.

Each time his fist connected, a human form disintegrated. It was not merely the sound of bones snapping; bodies were obliterated in violent, bloody bursts reminiscent of exploding powder. The scene was so visceral and horrific that even Gu Cheonmyeong found himself paralyzed by the sight.

“That is certainly not the Ha Hu Clan.”

Gu Cheonmyeong made the observation with absolute certainty.

Yu Wol gave a somber nod in response.

It was an obvious conclusion. Regardless of how consumed by vengeance a principled and renowned lineage like the Ha Hu might be, indulging in such primitive savagery would result in an unforgivable stain on their reputation.

“Y-Young Master.”

Chang Wi, the commander of the Water God Guards, stepped forward, his features tight with anxiety.

Sensing the sudden, heavy shift in the atmosphere, Gu Cheonmyeong’s own face hardened with apprehension.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“It… it is the Diamond Yaksha.”

“The Diamond… Yaksha? What nonsense are you—”

Gu Cheonmyeong began to reprimand him for speaking such absurdities during a crisis, but the words died in his throat. His expression contorted into a mask of disbelief as he whispered,

“Are you referring to the Diamond Yaksha from the legends?”

A tremor he couldn’t control shook his voice.

“Indeed. There is no mistake.”

“What on earth is a monster of that caliber doing in a place like this?”

Chang Wi never got the chance to answer. While the arrival of Cheol Woo was staggering, the sight of the individual walking calmly behind him caused their thoughts to vanish into a void of shock.

“T-The Divine Demon Division Leader!”

“The Sword of the Demonic Path!”

Sharp intakes of breath echoed among the Water God Guards as they recognized Sima Geon.

“W-Why are such figures appearing here?”

Gu Jong shouted, his voice cracking with incredulity. Gu Cheonmyeong swallowed hard, realizing he had never seen his uncle this unnerved.

I Ja-gon gave a sharp tug on Yu Wol’s sleeve.

“The air is turning lethal. We need to vanish before things get worse.”

Yu Wol was unable to find his voice. His eyes were fixed on the duo of Cheol Woo and Sima Geon, whose presence radiated a crushing, inhuman pressure.

His hand had moved of its own accord to the grip of his blade, his palm already drenched in cold sweat.

“Deputy Leader!”

I Ja-gon shook him more forcefully. Jerking back to the present, Yu Wol listened to the man’s frantic whisper.

“We have to leave. Now.”

“You are right.”

Feeling the suffocating weight of the power emanating from Cheol Woo and Sima Geon, Yu Wol did not waver.

The idea of staying to assist the Red Dragon Gang never even entered his mind. He signaled his followers to fall back and immediately began to retreat in the opposite direction.

They were far from the only ones. The various human traffickers, sensing the impending slaughter, scattered like rats. However, Sima Geon and his companions had no intention of allowing a simple escape.

Ha Hu Yeon and Thunderbolt Sword launched into a chaotic dance of steel.

The mercenaries employed by the traffickers were numerous, yet they fell like wheat before the scythe when faced with those blades.

Sima Geon began his assault in earnest as well. Every time his weapon left his hand, it carved a path through the crowd, ending dozens of lives in an instant.

The sheer, overwhelming force they displayed—against which no defense or retaliation seemed possible—breathed a sense of pure, unadulterated terror into the surroundings.

The Crimson Blood Squad, tasked with holding back Cheol Woo, fared even more poorly.

Though they were elite compared to the common thugs of the slave traders, they were mere insects to a master of Cheol Woo’s level.

Within seconds, more than half of their number lay dead.

“Y-Young Master!”

Naham watched in a helpless stupor as his warriors were tossed aside like bundles of dry straw.

Having spent his career at sea generating wealth for the Red Dragon Gang, he had never crossed paths with Cheol Woo personally. However, the dark legends of the Diamond Yaksha were well known to him.

Yet the chasm between rumors and the brutal reality was as vast as the sky and the earth.

When the nightmare he had once only vaguely pictured stood before him in the flesh, the fear he felt was beyond description.

“Give the order to retreat, immediately.”

As Gu Cheonmyeong wavered in indecision, Gu Jong realized the Crimson Blood Squad was being annihilated and took command.

“Withdraw! Get out of there, now!”

Desperate to preserve any survivors, Naham bellowed the order at the top of his lungs.

“Young Master, what should we do?”

Chang Wi asked, his face pale and strained.

“What options do I have? We don’t even know their motive or why they’ve come.”

Gu Cheonmyeong shook his head, his frustration mounting.

Chang Wi looked at his fellow guards, all of whom were equally rigid. With this team, he had never feared any enemy—but these intruders were entities of a completely different order.

“Keep your composure. We will handle whatever comes.”

He attempted to project a sense of calm, but Gu Cheonmyeong felt a knot of anxiety in his gut; he had heard far too many stories of the lethality of Sima Geon and Cheol Woo.

Of all the possible moments for this to happen.

Gu Cheonmyeong bit his lip, his eyes darting toward the palanquin.

The girl inside was a prize he could not lose. The life of his youngest sibling and the very standing of the Red Dragon Gang depended on her.

“I will handle the talking. Stay back and do nothing reckless.”

Issuing a stern warning to Gu Cheonmyeong, Gu Jong moved to the front.

“Well, if it isn’t Senior Gu of the Red Dragon Gang?”

Identifying the man, Cheol Woo offered a casual wave, as though they were meeting at a common tea house.

Gu Jong gave no sign of friendliness.

He could feel the murderous intent simmering behind those mocking eyes.

“It has been a long time, Cheol Woo.”

Forcing his heart to stop racing, Gu Jong fought to keep his voice level.

“Is this collection of trash your Red Dragon Gang?”

Cheol Woo gestured toward the remnants of the Crimson Blood Squad, who were trembling in fear.

“They are members of the Red Dragon Gang, yes.”

“The Red Dragon Gang has truly sunk to the gutter. This is a pathetic display.”

The insults sparked a fire of rage in Naham’s chest, but he remained frozen. He could do nothing but squeeze his fists until his knuckles turned white.

“Do not dismiss them so easily. They may not be the elite of the Divine Demon Division, but they have served the gang well.”

“Served you? You mean through kidnapping and selling people? You must be so proud. I never imagined the great Red Dragon Gang would stoop to the level of common street filth.”

Gu Jong managed to keep his temper despite the blatant mockery, but Gu Cheonmyeong lost his.

“You go too far. Regardless of your reputation, there should be a limit to your insults.”

Gu Cheonmyeong stepped forward, his voice raised in protest.

“Limits? Don’t make me laugh.”

Cheol Woo turned a gaze of icy malice toward Gu Cheonmyeong.

“And who exactly are you supposed to be?”

Buckling under the weight of the savage pressure radiating from the man, Gu Cheonmyeong forced himself to stand tall as he gave his name.

“Gu Cheonmyeong.”

“Gu Cheonmyeong?”

Cheol Woo cocked his head, studying him with narrowed eyes.

He detected a refined aura that set this man apart from the Crimson Blood Squad he had just slaughtered. He was clearly a high-level expert, yet the name didn’t ring a bell. Suddenly—

“The palanquin is right there!”

A sharp whistling sound cut through the air, followed by a frantic warning.

“Look out!”

At Gu Jong’s cry, the Water God Guards formed a protective ring around Gu Cheonmyeong, expecting a strike.

However, the sword that streaked through the air with lethal velocity was not aimed at Gu Cheonmyeong—it was targeted at the palanquin held by the Crimson Blood Squad.

“Gah!”

The warriors guarding the transport collapsed instantly as the blade tore through them.

Sima Geon caught the sword as it looped back to his hand with practiced grace, and then he began to walk forward slowly.

The remaining twenty or so members of the Crimson Blood Squad stood their ground around the palanquin, but not a single one dared to raise a hand.

Beside Sima Geon walked Manchu, accompanied by a spy from the Beggar Clan who had been hiding on Sungmyeong Island for some time.

Disguised among the traders, the spy had been observing the transaction between the Hongik Gang and the Red Dragon Gang. When Manchu arrived on Sungmyeong Island, the scout had informed him that the Red Dragon Gang was the buyer—and that their cargo was a palanquin.

Had they been searching for the girl inside?

The moment Sima Geon threw his weapon and moved toward the transport, Gu Jong knew they were in grave danger. The color drained from his face.

Anyone who kept tabs on the Heavenly Demon Cult knew that the majority of the Divine Demon Division—including their captain—had been sold into slavery as children and forged in the fires of Black Dragon Valley.

Their hatred for those in the trade was legendary, and Gu Jong had assumed their presence on Sungmyeong Island was merely a bloody act of revenge against the traders.

He had been wrong. It was much worse.

“It has been quite a while, Divine Demon Division Leader.”

Gu Jong forced a tight, uncomfortable smile.

Sima Geon ignored him completely as his hands shook while opening the door to the palanquin.

Seeing Sima Jin lying there, completely still, his heart nearly stopped.

Fighting back a wave of terror, he reached out to feel for a pulse.

It was there—slow, but rhythmic. He quickly noticed the marks of an acupoint seal.

Realizing she was simply in a forced sleep, the tension in Sima Geon’s face eased ever so slightly.

“Jin-ah.”

He gathered Sima Jin into his arms, tenderly moving the hair away from her face and stroking her brow.

In the heavy silence that followed, he looked at her for a long time before signaling to Cheol Woo.

Cheol Woo hurried to his side and looked down at the sleeping girl.

“Is she alright?”

“Yes. She is only sleeping.”

“Thank the heavens! That is a relief.”

Cheol Woo let out a long breath of genuine joy.

“Jin-ah, it’s your big brother. I’m here.”

“She cannot hear you. Her points are sealed.”

“Then wake her up. We need to be sure she isn’t hurt.”

Sima Geon stopped Cheol Woo as the big man moved to act.

“Leave her be for now.”

“Why?”

“She has been through enough. There is no reason to wake her into this chaos when she is so tired. We will wake her when the area is secured.”

“I suppose that makes sense.”

Cheol Woo nodded. Sima Geon gently placed Sima Jin back down and stood up.

“Keep watch over her.”

“What?”

Ignoring the confused question, Sima Geon turned and began a slow, deliberate walk toward Gu Jong.

“It has been a long time, Senior.”

“It has. Our last meeting during the conflict with the Jeok Yeom Clan… that must have been four years ago.”

“Around that.”

Sima Geon’s tone was surprisingly calm, but Gu Jong did not lower his guard for a second.

“I heard there was quite a stir at the Heavenly Demon Cult. It seems the Red Dragon Gang managed to avoid the worst of it.”

“We were fortunate. Everything happened so quickly that we had no time to get involved. Though, if you had been there, I doubt it would have ended so cleanly.”

“You give me too much credit.”

“I give you exactly what is due. That is why I am standing here trembling.”

Gu Jong offered a bitter smile, showing his damp palms.

“I never expected to cross paths with you in a place like this.”

“Neither did I. May I ask what brings a man of your status here?”

At the question, Gu Jong’s eyes shifted toward Gu Cheonmyeong.

“I am merely accompanying my nephew to inspect the factions under our banner. We were simply passing through.”

As the attention turned to him, Gu Cheonmyeong gave a respectful bow, maintaining his dignity without appearing subservient.

“Gu Cheonmyeong.”

A shadow of a smile touched Sima Geon’s lips as he looked at him with empty eyes.

“‘Simply passing through.’ How very unfortunate for you.”

Seeing that look, Gu Jong felt a cold pit form in his stomach.

“We truly had no ill intent.”

“Intentions are irrelevant now. What matters is that our paths crossed here—at the exact moment I came to retrieve that girl.”

“If I may ask… who is she to you?”

Gu Jong spoke with extreme care.

“She is my sister. I have not seen her in thirteen years.”

When he heard the word “sister,” Gu Jong closed his eyes in despair.

He had suspected it from the gentle way the man had held her, but the confirmation left him hollow.

The story of the Demonic Path’s most feared warrior, Divine Demon Division Leader Sima Geon, giving up his position to leave the Heavenly Demon Cult and search for his lost kin had been common knowledge. And they had laid hands on that very family.

The reverse scale. They had touched the one thing they should have feared most.