Myst, Might, Mayhem

Chapter 414 – Battle of Numbers (2)

Yeo Su-rin, a disciple of the Harmonious Immortal Pavilion, known as the most mysterious among the 64 Diviner Pavilions, drew a circular shape with her large brush-shaped ritual tool.

At that moment, a vermilion cloud arose and the space began to ripple.

-Woooong!

Beyond the rippling space, one being and numerous groups of swordsmen revealed themselves.

As an extraordinary-looking old man standing at the front appeared, the eyes of the society members, who had been wondering what was happening, widened in surprise.

And for good reason,

“Ou, Ou Cheon-mu?”

The old man was Ou Cheon-mu, the Supreme Spiritual Sword Craftsman, one of the Seven Heavens considered the pinnacle of the current martial arts world and the master of Spiritual Sword Sanctuary.

Then, were the swordsmen behind him the warriors of Spiritual Sword Sanctuary and the renowned sword experts staying at the sacred land of swordsmanship as guests?

What on earth was happening?

Three , who possessed the body of Young Master Na Yul-ryang, also looked at Ou Cheon-mu with a bewildered expression at the appearance of this completely unexpected being, before glaring sharply at Mok Gyeong-un.

“You, what exactly?”

In response to his reaction, Mok Gyeong-un spoke as if it was nothing unusual.

“I told you. You’re not the only one fighting a battle of numbers.”

***

Shortly before returning to the Heaven and Earth Society.

Seop Chun, who wanted to become Mok Gyeong-un’s right-hand man and was the third guard captain of the Heaven and Earth Society’s main building, asked in confusion:

[You’re saying we should have Master Ou and the Spiritual Sword Sanctuary warriors on standby? But my lord, if Master Ou enters with us, we could gain the upper hand from the start.]

Seop Chun couldn’t understand Mok Gyeong-un’s decision.

This was a tremendous achievement.

If the Heaven and Earth Society members learned that Mok Gyeong-un’s true identity was the Heavenly Demon, the seventh heaven that had caused such a stir in the world, and that Ou Cheon-mu, another of the Seven Heavens, was under his command, many would succumb to their prestige.

Then, they could gain momentum from the start and accelerate the conquest of the Heaven and Earth Society smoothly.

[My lord…]

[Do you only know one thing and not two?]

At that moment, Mong Mu-yak, the son of the Heaven and Earth Society’s vice leader who had his arms folded, clicked his tongue and chided him.

Seop Chun frowned and asked:

[Not knowing two? What are you trying to say?]

[It’s not about momentum. If we bring Master Ou Cheon-mu before we’ve even entered the sect or completed our mission, we’ll face opposition from all factions from the moment we enter. Even the faction following the ill Society Leader would be the same.]

[No, but isn’t that treating the prestige of one of the pinnacles of the current martial arts world too lightly? Just Master Ou Cheon-mu coming under our lord’s command…]

[It’s because it’s not light that we’re doing this.]

[To minimize damage and take over the sect intact, we need to gain control from within, but bringing in a massive presence like Master Ou Cheon-mu might increase resistance. Think about why our lord isn’t revealing his identity as the Heavenly Demon right away.]

[Ahem.]

Seop Chun closed his mouth, seemingly understanding now.

As Mong Mu-yak said, the moment they brought Ou Cheon-mu and Mok Gyeong-un’s reputation as the Heavenly Demon was revealed, all the Heaven and Earth Society members might unite in wariness and antipathy.

If that happened, the plan to crumble the sect from within might become difficult.

After convincing Seop Chun, Mong Mu-yak carefully said:

[But my lord… Is it necessary to station Master Ou and all of Spiritual Sword Sanctuary out of the society’s sight? Couldn’t we at least have Master Ou enter naturally, disguised with a human skin mask?]

Seop Chun agreed with Mong Mu-yak’s words.

[Oh! My lord, that seems like a good method. If Master Ou suppresses his energy, hardly anyone except the ill Society Leader would be able to notice…]

At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un shook his head.

[No. We won’t bring in Master Ou.]

[What?]

[It seems we should keep Master Ou and Spiritual Sword Sanctuary as a hidden card. So that there’s not even the slightest chance of them being discovered.]

[How?]

[Because they probably have hidden cards too.]

[My lord, no matter what, a trump card strong enough to counter Master Ou and Spiritual Sword Sanctuary within the society…]

[It’s not just the society, I think.]

[Not just the society?]

[Yes.]

What does this mean?

If we’re dealing with the society, but it’s not just the society, does that mean there’s something else inside?

Mong Mu-yak, who had been puzzled, eventually spoke as if he had no choice:

[…Since you say so, my lord, it seems you have some foresight that you’ve deeply considered. However, if we don’t bring them in this time, Master Ou and Spiritual Sword Sanctuary will have to break through all the defenses in the society’s territory to enter. You must take that into account…]

[There’s no rule saying we have to enter through an existing gate.]

[What? What do you mean?]

At this point, even his allies, including Ou Cheon-mu, the master of Spiritual Sword Sanctuary, couldn’t understand what Mok Gyeong-un was saying.

However,

***

-Woooong!

The vermilion smoke gate that opened before their eyes crossed space and created an entrance through which the Spiritual Sword Sanctuary warriors and the renowned sword experts staying as guests in the Spiritual Sword Sanctuary could pass.

‘Huh? Was this it? My lord, you really are…’

Mong Mu-yak, who was watching this through a window of the main building, stuck out his tongue.

He had been wondering how on earth they were going to mobilize Spiritual Sword Sanctuary as a hidden card, and he couldn’t help but be amazed by this unexpected, extraordinary, and mysterious method.

-Rumble rumble!

Led by Ou Cheon-mu at the front, the Spiritual Sword Sanctuary and Spiritual Sword Sanctuary guests passed through the vermilion smoke gate and entered the main square of the Heaven and Earth Society.

Although they were only a few hundred in number, each of them was a sword master.

And their leader, Ou Cheon-mu, was one of the pinnacles of the current martial arts world, so his intimidating presence overwhelmed the surroundings.

“How did Master Ou…?”

“Isn’t Spiritual Sword Sanctuary’s stand supposed to be neutral?”

Aside from the mysterious smoke-created gate, what really caught everyone in doubt was, of course, the presence of Ou Cheon-mu.

Ou Cheon-mu, one of the Seven Heavens, nodded as if following someone’s instructions, and then,

-Sreung!

Drawing his treasured sword, he shouted:

“Swordsmen, draw your swords!”

-Cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-chang!

As soon as his words ended, hundreds of swordsmen simultaneously drew their swords.

When the swordsmen drew their swords at the same time, for an instant, a sharp sword energy enveloped the entire square, revealing their might.

Ou Cheon-mu stepped forward and shouted:

“It’s the order of our lord, the Heavenly Demon. Cut down the real monsters wearing human skin.”

“We obey the order!”

‘!!!!!!’

The society members couldn’t hide their surprise at the resounding voices of the swordsmen.

They were shocked by the appearance of Ou Cheon-mu, one of the Seven Heavens, but they had been wondering why he and Spiritual Sword Sanctuary, who were supposed to be neutral and more faithful to their role as craftsmen, had appeared here.

But when Ou Cheon-mu called Mok Gyeong-un his lord, not only the society members under Mok Gyeong-un but all society members were instantly gripped by a shudder.

“My goodness…”

“Di-did the Supreme Spiritual Sword Craftsman Ou Cheon-mu just call him, lord?”

“…Impossible.”

“What? Does this mean he subjugated one of the pinnacles of the current martial arts world?”

It would have been shocking even if he had recruited the Eight Stars, who could be called the best in the martial arts world, but to have Ou Cheon-mu, one of the current pinnacles of the martial arts world, as a subordinate was hard to believe even though the person himself said it.

“Ahhh. Indeed, he’s not a man to be taken lightly.”

Chunchu of the First Realm of the Secret Society raised the corner of her mouth wryly as she looked at Mok Gyeong-un.

She had wanted to see that monster-like human in trouble, but instead, it seemed she was witnessing the Mok-gan becoming uncomfortable.

Until just a moment ago, the atmosphere of the battle situation that had died with her appearance was coming back to life.

Indeed, the power of the reputation of the Six Heavens, no, the Seven Heavens, couldn’t be ignored.

‘I thought it would end easily, but the opponent has been decided.’

Chunchu moved, licking her lips and savoring the taste.

‘Is it that woman? The aura she exudes is not ordinary.’

Thanks to Mok Gyeong-un’s mental communication, Ou Cheon-mu, who had been watching her, also raised his true qi and prepared to face her, who would be his only match.

-Cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-chang!

Three Eyes’s expression was not good as he continued to clash swords fiercely in the air without a moment’s gap.

He had intended to completely crush hope with Chunchu of the First Realm and the jiangshi, and dominate the battle situation.

But to think that this guy had a hidden card too.

However, it didn’t matter.

The reason why jiangshi made from those who had learned martial arts were scary was not only because they were much stronger than ordinary jiangshi, but also because they didn’t fear death, making it possible for them to fight to the death.

With that number, they could achieve several times more military exploits.

‘If I hurry to subdue this guy and command them, I can overwhelmingly turn the tide of battle…’

-Flinch!

At that moment, the eyeball on Three Eyes’s forehead moved and focused somewhere.

It was the southeastern direction where the jiangshi were gathering.

But in that southeastern direction, about two hundred martial artists could be seen, and they were Seop Chun and the Third Guard of the main building that he led.

‘Those guys?’

Why is part of the main building’s guard, which exists to protect the Society Leader, over there?

And that wasn’t the end of it.

-Clop clop! Clop clop!

From somewhere, a massive creature with a dragon’s head, red fur all over its body, and a body that looked like a mix between a dog and a cow, the size of a house, could be seen charging towards the jiangshi.

That being was none other than the demonic beast Alyu.

-Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwang!

As Alyu, who charged with tremendous momentum like a wild boar, collided, the bodies of the jiangshi flew in all directions as if they were straw dolls.

The power was so strong that the jiangshi’s bodies breaking or shattering was just a bonus.

The demonic beast was not called a demonic beast for nothing.

-Kiriririk!

These things that aren’t even alive are fun to break.

The demonic beast Alyu rampaged among the jiangshi, trampling and sending them flying, hindering their advance.

-Pa-pa-pak!

Of course, it wasn’t as if the jiangshi were helplessly taking the hits.

At some point, they tried to cling to Alyu’s legs and body to prevent it from rampaging.

However,

-Whiriririk!

“Since they’re dead, they won’t blame this old man for using plenty of poison energy. Ho ho ho.”

Riding on the back of the demonic beast Alyu was Guyang Sa-oh with his Eight Poison Snake Staff. As he swung his snake-shaped staff and sprayed a terrible poison energy, it was so strong that the bodies of the jiangshi melted from the poison energy wherever it touched.

The eyeball on Three Eyes’s forehead sharpened terrifyingly.

‘Where did those things pop out from?’

Even with variables, he thought he could turn the tide of battle anytime because the Heaven and Earth Society had been in the palm of his hand for a long time.

But how many hidden cards does this guy have?

It was completely beyond his prediction range.

As the battle situation didn’t change at all contrary to his plan, Three Eyes’s composure disappeared and he revealed his uncomfortable mood.

“You’re making things troublesome for me. Do you think this will change the result?”

“Weren’t you the one who said we should fight a battle of numbers?”

“……”

At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, all three of Three Eyes’s eyeballs focused on Mok Gyeong-un and turned cold.

In response to his reaction, Mok Gyeong-un sneered and mocked:

“Whether it’s Bi Yong-heon or the leader of the Secret Society, you’re all just talk.”

-Grind!

At that moment, Three Eyes’s eyes turned fierce.

Normally, he wouldn’t have fallen for an enemy’s provocation like this.

However, he couldn’t contain his anger for a moment at the sight of a mere mortal who wouldn’t even live a hundred years daring to provoke him, on top of appearing out of nowhere and ruining the picture he had been painting until now.

He had been avoiding fatal techniques because he had to resolve this due to his connection with Ryu So-wol.

But his mind had changed.

Just barely keeping him alive…

It was at that very moment.

-Flinch!

He had been thick with martial arts accumulated over a long time, as if showing off, and hadn’t shown even a slight gap with the coldness of the years.

However, for a moment, a tiny gap appeared for the first time in Three Eyes’s sword, which was engulfed in anger at Mok Gyeong-un’s provocation.

The gap was so small that it was difficult even to detect, but,

‘!!!!’

Mok Gyeong-un, who was concentrating all his nerves on this fight, didn’t miss it.

-Chwak!

At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un’s figure blurred and a black line appeared in the air.

The sword speed of the single strike that concentrated all his power into one point was so fast that even a master would have difficulty perceiving it with the naked eye.

However,

-Chaaaaaang!

Three Eyes blocked the single strike that dug into that momentary gap.

But because he was in a position opposite to the direction of the sword swing, he should have been in a position where he couldn’t block it originally, yet he managed it by ignoring the pain of his muscles and joints breaking.

“You missed your only chance.”

Three Eyes sneered.

Mok Gyeong-un’s gaze was directed at his twisted muscles and protruding elbow bone.

But what about this?

Being a being that transcended humans, he could instantly recover his body with demonic power even with a body like this.

-Whiriririk!

Look, already the protruding bone is recovering…

-Shuk!

It was at that moment.

Mok Gyeong-un let go of the demonic sword Evil Commandment Sword and stabbed at the eye on his forehead with his left hand’s sword finger like lightning.

‘It’s useless!’

He was most wary of the third eye being attacked more than any other part.

He tried to snatch and grab Mok Gyeong-un’s left wrist holding the sword finger like lightning and break it.

However,

-Kwadeuk!

At that moment, in the fleeting situation where their swords and hands were firmly stuck together, Mok Gyeong-un bit and tore off Three Eyes’s Adam’s apple.

‘!?’