The Demonic Supreme Sword Novel - Chapter 99

Chapter 99
## Chapter 99: Nightmare (2)

“It is only because of your guidance that we are still breathing, Leader.”

Ok Cheong, who had nearly perished following the commands of Yi Ja Gon, voiced his deep appreciation for the rapid intervention of Jang So Jong.

“I intend to give the Chief Officer a stern reprimand. Had we been delayed by even a few heartbeats, our heads would be rolling on the floor right now.”

Ok Cheong’s eyes grew wide and round at the statement from Jang So Jong.

“Excuse me? But those instructions originated from…”

“I am well aware. Regardless, we cannot exactly walk up and challenge the Hall Leader to his face, can we? Ultimately, it was the Chief Officer who deployed you.”

Jang So Jong made his strategy clear: he would vent his irritation toward the Hall Leader indirectly by taking it out on Yi Ja Gon.

‘He will handle it in his own fashion.’

Given the volatile nature of the Hall Leader, Ok Cheong didn’t think this was the wisest path, yet he had no desire to interfere or stop him.

“On another note, are they truly all finished?”

“Most likely. If they weren’t, those dogs would have come charging up the stairs already… What on earth are they doing now?”

Jang So Jong knit his brows together as he observed Sima Geon and his companions.

A sense of unease radiated from the movements of the adversaries, who by all rights should have been pacing in helpless rage.

“Who can say? Since they are trapped, perhaps they have turned to taking their frustrations out on one another.”

The moment Ok Cheong ceased speaking, Sima Geon—who had backed away slightly behind the pier—suddenly accelerated into a full sprint. With a massive burst of energy, he hurled himself into the air.

Both Jang So Jong and Ok Cheong looked on with expressions of pure confusion.

“What is this? Does he actually believe he can leap across that gap?”

Jang So Jong let out a mocking sneer at Sima Geon, who was beginning a slow descent far out over the water, his face twisted in disbelief.

“Tch, tch, I should have known. What sort of idiot possesses that level of misplaced confidence…”

His sentence died in his throat.

Jang So Jong stood paralyzed, his jaw hanging open. Only his bulging eyes moved, tracking a heavy log that had suddenly been launched toward his feet—and the figure of Sima Geon, who used it as a platform to vault upward once more.

“Wha— What is happening?!”

Ok Cheong stumbled backward instinctively as he watched Sima Geon take flight into the heavens a second time.

“T-That’s impossible!”

While Jang So Jong gazed in a state of shock, refusing to accept what his eyes reported, a second log went whistling through the air toward Sima Geon’s feet.

Pushing off the timber and skyrocketing further into the sky, Sima Geon caught a clear glimpse of the sheer terror etched onto the faces of Jang So Jong and Ok Cheong.

‘Still not enough.’

The gap remaining was roughly fifteen jang. Even with his lightness skill pushed to its absolute limit, it wasn’t enough to reach the deck of the vessel.

He couldn’t count on a third log. He had felt his momentum beginning to fade noticeably when he pushed off the second one. That maneuver had only been achievable because of the staggering, superhuman power of Cheol Woo.

Nevertheless, Sima Geon refused to surrender.

The internal energy of the Three Lords One Heart Technique, churning from his dantian and flooding through his limbs, centered upon the Heavenly Demon Ring—or rather, the Heavenly Demon Sword—held high above his crown. A translucent blade, a full zhang in length, suddenly manifested.

“Hah!”

Sima Geon, falling slowly while assuming the Straight Earth Severing Heaven posture, let out a thunderous roar and brought the Heavenly Demon Sword down in a vertical arc.

Ssssh!

With a blood-chilling whistle, the sword radiance, saturated with his total power, sliced through the firmament.

Jang So Jong stood mute, watching as the sun, dipping toward the western horizon, appeared to be cloven in two.

There was no hope of defense, no chance of evasion.

His features contorted with dread, his vision locked onto the terrifyingly magnificent beam of light. Jang So Jong squeezed his eyelids shut.

The blade of light cut through the atmosphere and passed straight through the body of Jang So Jong, before detonating against the Heavenly Sword Boat.

Kaboom!

With a cataclysmic boom, the midsection of the Heavenly Sword Boat where the strike landed was pulverized instantly, sending a geyser of water from Poyang Lake screaming into the air.

Groooan!

As the heavy timbers buckled and shrieked, the Heavenly Sword Boat began to tear in two.

Sima Geon, who had since plunged into the lake with only his head remaining above the waves, turned his head slowly. He watched the pirates being dragged down as the Heavenly Sword Boat was swallowed by the depths.

A handful might manage to swim away, but he didn’t care to dwell on them.

“How… how could this happen…”

Yu Han gazed in stunned silence at the Heavenly Sword Boat, broken in half and sinking beneath the waves. He was unable to process the horrific catastrophe occurring right before him.

“How can a man without wings travel such a distance through the air?”

Because the distance was so vast and their line of sight had been obstructed by the Heavenly Sword Boat itself, those on the Black Dragon Boat remained unaware that Sima Geon had bridged the gap using the logs launched by Cheol Woo.

“He didn’t quite make it to the deck. But that final blow…”

Yu Wol had witnessed the radiant sword beam exploding from Sima Geon’s blade while he was suspended in the air; she had felt its overwhelming pressure with her entire being. In that fleeting second, her palms had become slick with cold sweat.

“I finally understand why you were so cautious regarding them.”

“They are not the type to quit. We must reach the Yangtze River Waterway Alliance with the greatest possible speed.”

“Agreed. Let us proceed.”

Yu Han no longer felt the urge to dispute Yu Wol’s judgment. Having seen the terrifying might of the enemies pursuing Hongik Hall, he understood in his marrow that his only hope for survival was the protection of the Yangtze River Waterway Alliance.

‘Can we truly hold them back?’

Yu Wol’s eyes, fixed on the small shape moving toward the far shore past the wreckage of the sunken Heavenly Sword Boat, were clouded with intense worry.

“You performed excellently. I never imagined we could actually sink that vessel.”

Man Chu looked at Sima Geon, who was wringing the water from his clothes, with eyes full of reverence. The trauma of his first kill seemed to have evaporated in the shadow of Sima Geon’s legendary feat.

“It was mostly fortune. And thanks to Cheol Woo as well.”

Sima Geon gestured toward Cheol Woo.

“Heh heh heh! Even I have to admit, that was a flawless execution.”

Cheol Woo didn’t bother with false modesty. And no one would have dreamed of correcting him. Every one of them had seen how crucial the logs he threw were to the success of the maneuver.

“However, we failed to capture the primary target in the end. What is the plan now?”

Sima Geon, who had been watching the fading silhouette of the Black Dragon Boat, turned around at Cheol Woo’s inquiry.

“What else? We pursue them to the bitter end.”

“Heh heh heh! I figured you’d say that.”

“How can you be certain of their destination?”

To Man Chu’s question, Sima Geon answered as if it were obvious.

“An injured predator has but one sanctuary: its lair. They are making for the Yangtze River Waterway Alliance.”

Cheol Woo and Noe Jeon, who had already deduced as much, showed no surprise, but Man Chu was unable to hide his growing tension.

The Yangtze River Waterway Alliance he knew was a titan. While their individual fighters might not equal the masters of famous sects, they made up for it with overwhelming numbers.

He had known from the beginning that a confrontation was inevitable since they sponsored Hongik Hall, but now that it was arriving, the reality felt far more daunting.

Noticing the anxiety in Man Chu, Noe Jeon leaned over and gave him a nudge.

“At the end of the day, they are just brigands. Don’t get so worked up. To be honest, you and I won’t have much work to do. Just leave the heavy lifting to those two.”

Noe Jeon’s eyes, as he watched Sima Geon and Cheol Woo making their way quickly up the cliff path, were bright with total confidence.

The tension in Man Chu’s face eased slightly.

He could perceive why Noe Jeon looked at them with such certainty.

“I suppose you are right.”

“Good. Then move your feet. The people at the top are likely still terrified, so we need to get them moving out of here.”

“Yes.”

Man Chu gave a firm nod and increased his speed to catch up with Sima Geon and Cheol Woo, who were already halfway up the stone stairs.

By the time Man Chu reached the summit, Sima Geon and Cheol Woo were already standing before the captives they had rescued.

The number of prisoners, seized by Hongik Hall and kept in the southern storage house, was just over fifty.

They had lived their lives in utter hopelessness, expecting to be sold into chains, and even after the pirates of Hongik Hall were put to the sword, they couldn’t abandon their fear. It was only when Man Chu walked forward and announced himself as a member of the Open Faction that their terror finally turned to relief.

After allowing them a moment to process their freedom, Cheol Woo clapped his hands to gather their attention.

“Very well, that is enough of that. Let’s vacate this wretched place. Staying here any longer will only ruin our spirits.”

As Cheol Woo led the way, the crowd followed behind him in a wave. As if to signal their departure, plumes of fire began to rise from various points throughout the complex of Hongik Hall.

—

The headquarters of the Yangtze River Waterway Alliance, situated at Gunsan on the waters of Dongting Lake.

Having wrapped up their ten-day summit, the high-ranking members were currently engaged in a feast late into the night.

The consumption of alcohol had begun quite early, and by now, the room was filled with drunken men—raucous singing and even scuffles broke out in various corners, but no one stepped in to stop them. They simply embraced the chaos as was their way.

The leader of the Yangtze River Waterway Alliance, Gunsan Radiant Dragon Yu Ak, who sat at the head of the table, was partaking just as heavily. Though he was nearing seventy, he possessed the vitality of a man half his age; with a beauty on each arm, he continued to drink and drive the energy of the room.

Just after the clock struck midnight, Ga Hyu, the Leader of Flying Fish Hall, returned with a dark expression after stepping away to hear a report from his men.

“Alliance Leader.”

“Where have you been hiding? Sit down. You owe us three cups for being late.”

“Keh heh heh! That is the standard fine for tardiness, Alliance Leader.”

The aged man sitting across from Yu Ak gave a chuckle as he emptied his glass.

“Nonsense! It’s all the same. Ha ha ha ha! Here, take this.”

Yu Ak let out a loud laugh and flicked a small sake cup toward Ga Hyu—it looked tiny in his massive hand.

Ga Hyu caught the cup out of habit, let out a sigh, and placed it on the table without drinking.

Yu Ak stared in disbelief at the nerve of a subordinate setting down a cup he had offered.

“Terrible news has reached us.”

“Hm. So that is why you were pulled away.”

“It is.”

“Well, speak. What could possibly make the great strategist of the Yangtze River Waterway Alliance look so miserable?”

Yu Ak continued to play idly with his drink, his face still relaxed.

“Hongik Hall has been destroyed. The Hall Leader managed to escape by some miracle, but the losses are absolute.”

In an instant, the thick eyebrows of Yu Ak twitched.

The cup he had been spinning between his fingers crumbled into fine powder, and the festive mood in his immediate vicinity died instantly.

“The same Hongik Hall we are thinking of?”

“Yes.”

“Give me the specifics. No, wait.”

Yu Ak shut his eyes for a brief moment, slowing his breath.

In the blink of an eye, he had purged the effects of the liquor. When he opened his eyes again, his drunken gaze was replaced by sharp intensity, and his red face returned to its natural tone.

“What exactly happened at Hongik Hall?”

“Are you familiar with the name Sima Geon, by any chance?”

“Sima Geon? It sounds familiar.”

As Yu Ak tilted his head in thought, the elder who had teased him earlier—the Yangtze River White Tiger Sword Hae Oe Geom—spoke up with clear annoyance.

“He is the one who has been mentioned lately. The man who deserted the Heavenly Demon Cult.”

“Ah, the individual who clashed with the Heavenly Demon Cult’s people in Soheung. The one who got entangled with the Hahu Clan.”

“The very same.”

“Why is his name coming up now? Do not tell me he is the one responsible for the attack on Hongik Hall?”

“He is.”

“For what reason would he do such a thing?”

The face of Yu Ak was a map of confusion.

There was no discernible link between Hongik Hall and a renegade like Sima Geon from the Heavenly Demon Cult.