The Demonic Supreme Sword Novel - Chapter 85

Chapter 85
## Chapter: 85

### Chapter Title: Reverse Scale (3)

—

“Quite a feat. Eliminating seventy percent of the human traffickers congregated in Sungmyeong Province with such a meager force.”

The countenance of the Silver World Chief was etched with a deep-seated dread as he presented the intelligence slip, delivered by hawk, to the gathered high command.

“The traders are one thing, but I never anticipated they would utterly crush the Blood Squad as well.”

Mong Yang directed a look of intense bitterness toward Pyeon Gwang, the individual largely responsible for their current predicament.

“We have invited the wrath of such monsters. How are we meant to survive this?”

“My sibling is safe. Since we extracted him without harm, the situation shouldn’t escalate to a catastrophic level.”

“That is nothing more than the optimistic delusion of the Grand Supreme Law Protector. Have you lost sight of their origin? The Heavenly Demon Cult. We are dealing with the Heavenly Demon Cult. This cannot be measured by standard logic.”

Elder Joe Hwa raised his voice in agitation, yet Pyeon Gwang remained remarkably composed.

“Even if we were absent from the equation, there are numerous others who must face their fury first. It will be quite some time before their attention turns toward us.”

“And what is the reasoning behind that?”

“Hongik Hall.”

Pyeon Gwang threw the message slip onto the table as he elaborated.

“While the slave traders were being slaughtered, the true instigators—those wretches from Hongik Hall—managed to flee. If you were an elder of that cult, what would you do? Would you let the primary culprits vanish while you wasted your strength on us, who were merely coerced into assisting?”

“Well…”

As Joe Hwa’s voice trailed off, Pyeon Gwang turned his focus toward Mong Yang.

“Hongik Hall is backed by the Yangtze Waterway Alliance, tied together by kinship. Do you truly believe the Yangtze Waterway Alliance will remain idle while Hongik Hall is hunted down?”

Mong Yang shook his head, envisioning the volatile nature of the alliance’s leader, Army Mountain Light Dragon Yoo Ak.

“There is no chance of that.”

“If we offer them our support when they seek retaliation, their resentment toward us might diminish. Naturally, we shouldn’t provide decisive help. Our best strategy is to prolong the conflict as much as possible. And if the Yangtze Waterway Alliance isn’t sufficient, what about the bandits? The reports from the Hangzhou branch indicate they’ve discovered we manipulated Hongik Hall on specific orders. Given the existing friction, a clash is unavoidable. If we provide assistance then as well, we can more than compensate for our earlier errors. What are your thoughts?”

No significant dissent was voiced against Pyeon Gwang’s strategy. Though the leadership looked visibly displeased, it was evident to everyone that no superior alternative existed.

“However, letting matters conclude there feels like a missed opportunity.”

Detecting that the momentum was now entirely in his favor, a lethal edge crept into Pyeon Gwang’s voice.

“What are you suggesting, Grand Supreme Law Protector?”

The Silver World Chief questioned him with a furrowed brow.

“Should we not seek our own retribution?”

“I thought we had reached a consensus to simply leak their data to the Heavenly Demon Cult’s side? I believed deeper involvement was reckless.”

“In that same spirit, let us ensure their movements are leaked to the bandits and the Yangtze Waterway Alliance as well. Once they realize they are next on the list, won’t they be forced to act? Particularly those bandit dogs who merely watched from the sidelines—they deserve to feel the heat.”

After a moment of contemplation, the Silver World Chief nodded with an air of satisfaction.

“Mmh, that much is permissible. Since you brought it up, the Grand Supreme Law Protector shall take charge and see to it personally.”

The Silver World Chief placed a heavy emphasis on “responsibility,” but Pyeon Gwang was unfazed.

“I shall carry out the order.”

Pyeon Gwang offered a respectful bow. Yet, despite his polite facade, his gaze remained as frigid as ice.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

“Did you find anything? What is the status?”

Yoo Wol fired off questions at Lee Ja-gon before the man could even find a seat. Having just returned from a frantic scouting mission in Sungmyeong Province, Lee Ja-gon struggled to catch his breath before answering.

“It is a scene of absolute devastation.”

“Is it truly that severe?”

“It is beyond severe—it is a total collapse. Of all the slave traders who met in Sungmyeong Province, fewer than thirty percent survived to return home.”

“And the Blood Squad? What of Red Dragon Hall?”

“Annihilated. A handful from the Blood Squad seem to have slipped away, but they are the exception.”

“Heh!”

Yoo Wol exhaled sharply. Having personally faced the elite warriors of Red Dragon Hall, the news of their destruction was a staggering blow.

‘No, perhaps it was inevitable.’

In that brief encounter, the aura radiating from Cheol Woo and Sima Geon was unlike anything he had ever witnessed. Their true power was beyond his comprehension.

“Our quick exit was a stroke of fortune. It’s a pity about the physical gold, but we avoided a total loss. This is acceptable.”

Even though they had abandoned Sungmyeong Province in a panic and lost the gold bars, Yoo Wol had survived, and he knew Lee Ja-gon had managed to keep the bills of exchange. He considered it a partial victory.

“It doesn’t seem that way to me.”

“Why? Why that grim expression again? Is it still the gold? Rid yourself of that greed. There was no other choice in that moment.”

Yoo Wol assumed Lee Ja-gon was simply mourning the lost bullion.

“The gold isn’t the issue—it’s that girl.”

“The girl…?”

A cold dread immediately washed over Yoo Wol.

“The force that decimated Sungmyeong Province—their objective was that girl. She is their family.”

Yoo Wol’s expression turned stone-cold. He instantly grasped the terrifying implications of Lee Ja-gon’s words.

“Blast it!”

“Indeed. We are in deep trouble.”

Lee Ja-gon agreed, reaching out to seize a liquor bottle from the table. He drained it in a single gulp, wiped the remnants from his chin, and spoke again.

“We require a strategy. If they choose to retreat, so be it, but if they come seeking blood, we are in a dire position.”

“That is undeniably true.”

Yoo Wol nodded slowly, fully recognizing the peril.

“Deputy Hall Leader, if our main hall engaged them with everything we have, what would be the outcome?”

Lee Ja-gon asked in a low, suggestive tone. Fearing the man was still entertaining thoughts of the gold, Yoo Wol shook his head firmly.

“What would happen? We would be slaughtered.”

“I suspected as much. But what if the entire Yangtze Waterway Alliance was involved?”

“That…”

Yoo Wol hesitated, struggling to find an answer.

He had not traded blows with them directly, but the sheer power he saw in Sima Geon and Cheol Woo back in Sungmyeong Province was staggering. However, the Yangtze Waterway Alliance was an institution of immense depth. As a monolithic power controlling the Yangtze, it boasted a legion of heroes and peak-level masters who could command the world’s respect.

And yet, he could not think of a single person who could guaranteed a victory against those demons from Sungmyeong.

“At the very least, we would not be defeated.”

Yoo Wol whispered with a sense of forced certainty.

Ultimately, the collective might of a massive faction over an individual was a fundamental truth of the martial world.

“They are truly that formidable?”

Lee Ja-gon’s jaw dropped; he had expected a more confident declaration of victory.

“I am not dismissing the might of the Yangtze Waterway Alliance, but I cannot imagine a clean win.”

“Then there is our answer.”

“What answer?”

“If even you hold that opinion, Deputy Hall Leader, simple assistance won’t save us. If we want to live, we have to fully integrate ourselves into the Yangtze Waterway Alliance—there is no other path.”

“That will not be easy. Have you forgotten our Hall Leader’s pride? He broke away and went independent because of a clash of ideals with the Alliance Leader. You expect him to run for protection because of a few enemies? He won’t hear of it.”

“The alternative is death.”

“…”

“You must be the one to persuade him. The lives of everyone here rest on your shoulders, Deputy Hall Leader.”

Yoo Wol gave a bitter, empty laugh at Lee Ja-gon’s pleading look. It was clear the man was desperately trying to find a way to sway the Hall Leader, even while pretending to leave the outcome to fate.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

The drinking bout that had commenced in the early evening persisted long past the midnight hour. The legendary drinkers Joo Yoo Geol-goe and Ha Hu Gok, meeting again after a long separation, had found so much to discuss that they had already emptied five large jars of spirits.

“So, what is the current stance of the Ha Hu Clan?”

Joo Yoo Geol-goe tapped his reddened cheeks, pausing to catch his breath before posing the question.

“Who knows? They will manage their own affairs. They seemed quite incensed, however.”

Ha Hu Gok swirled the liquid in his cup with a look of indifference.

“Unless they have lost their minds, they won’t overlook such an insult. The complication is that their adversary is the Hao Clan.”

Joo Yoo Geol-goe shifted his gaze to Ha Hu Gok.

“The esteemed Ha Hu Clan brawling with the Hao Clan? It’s a poor reflection on them.”

“Stop the double-talk and say what you mean. What are you getting at? It seems the Beggar’s Sect was made a fool of as well.”

“Not a fool—we were victims of circumstance. Besides, we received formal apologies. And their predicament is somewhat sympathetic.”

“Sympathetic, my foot. You were bought off with a handsome sum.”

Ha Hu Gok snorted with open disdain.

“Heh heh! It wasn’t that handsome—just enough to smooth things over.”

Joo Yoo Geol-goe chuckled mischievously, thinking of the trade benefits the Hao Clan had promised. The fact that his students had clashed with Sima Geon and suffered injuries was galling, but the concessions made it tolerable.

“So, you’re suggesting I go easy on them?”

“The poor devils are being pressed from all sides. They were forced into this by the threats of the bandits.”

“The Clan has it under control. Regardless, you’re looking in the wrong direction. They should be pleading for mercy from Sima Geon, not from us or the Beggar’s Sect.”

“True enough. But since your kinsman is unharmed, perhaps a moderate approach…”

“Moderate? Tsk tsk, you still don’t understand. Such relaxed thinking will lead to a graveyard. He isn’t a heartless or petty man, but he is certainly not the type to forgive those who dared to touch his family.”

Joo Yoo Geol-goe nodded with a heavy expression, remembering the iron-willed aura Sima Geon had displayed at the Hao Clan’s Hangzhou office.

“The incident at the Hao Clan branch, and the total eradication of their long-time associates, Red Dragon Hall—yes, that tracks with his character.”

“Associates? Those filth intended to use your sister as a source for medicine. If it were up to me, I’d grind them into powder and swallow it!”

Having discovered through the Beggar’s Sect exactly why Red Dragon Hall had targeted Sima Jin, Ha Hu Gok found his temper flaring uncontrollably.

“Now, now—calm yourself. There’s no need for such fury. Here, have another.”

Joo Yoo Geol-goe refilled Ha Hu Gok’s empty vessel.

“Anyway, stop your prattling and stay out of it. Don’t make things more complicated.”

“Understood. Though, honestly, there might not be a reason to worry.”

“What do you mean?”

“If I were in his shoes, I would be hunting Hongik Hall, or even better, the bandit trash who pulled the strings—not the Hao Clan. Wouldn’t you?”

Ha Hu Gok considered this for a moment before nodding slowly.

“Yes, that is a reasonable assumption. Things are going to get quite loud for a while.”

“Loud? That is an understatement.”

“What?”

“He has already crossed paths with the Heavenly Demon Cult. Now he has the bandits and the Yangtze Waterway Alliance in his sights. I have a bad premonition. The world has been too quiet for too long—a wind of blood is coming.”

Joo Yoo Geol-goe’s eyes grew dark and somber as he slowly lifted his drink. Ha Hu Gok, clinking his cup against the other’s in silence, shared that same grim expression.