Chapter 149: The Test Continues

TL: FoodieMonster007

"Elder!"

I shouted joyfully when I saw the Blood Heaven Blade Demon. I had never been this happy to see him since we first met.

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon landed and pulled the half-embedded Heaven Destroying Dao from the ground.

"Why is someone your age oppressing his juniors?" the Blood Heaven Blade Demon sternly rebuked him.

In response, the Blood Calamity Finger flew at him.

BANG!

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon threw a palm strike and neutralized the Blood Calamity Finger. He did not fall behind in inner arts at all. His aura was sharper than ever, especially since he had been training his martial arts diligently.

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon roared.

"You ugly old man! Do you want to die?"

He swung the Heaven Destroying Dao wide.

FWOOOOSH!

The blade wind tore through space as it rushed forward.

Yang Cheogi did not dodge. Instead, he thrust out both palms and unleashed a palm technique.

KABOOM!

An ear-splitting explosion pushed them both back. They took the same number of steps. The Blood Heaven Blade Demon's power was truly profound, not losing to Yang Cheogi in the slightest.

I immediately joined the fight. It would be a disaster if the Blood Heaven Blade Demon got hurt alone.

SHRRRRING.

I unleashed the Soaring Sky Sword Art's Seventh Technique, the Ominous Sky Strike. The Black Demon Sword split into twelve streams of sword qi that floated in the air. I deliberately showed off, splitting it as much as possible, even though I had little inner arts left.

Yang Cheogi saw me about to join the fight and judged the situation unfavorable. He kicked off the ground and vanished instantly.

"Don't chase him."

I worried the Blood Heaven Blade Demon might give chase, but he did not move an inch.

"I couldn't even if I wanted to. When we exchanged that palm strike, I thought my arm was going to fall off. He's as strong as he is ugly."

"Compared to him, you're a peerless beauty, Elder!"

"Of course."

"Elder!"

I ran to embrace him, but the Blood Heaven Blade Demon dodged with his movement arts.

"Disgusting."

"How did you get here?"

"Just passing by."

How can that be? The Blood Heaven Blade Demon was worried about me and has been keeping an eye on my movements.

"Thank you. If it weren't for you, Elder, we would have died here."

This was not just empty praise. If he had not come, I truly did not know what the outcome would have been.

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon collapsed to the ground. His mask was covered in blood, and his entire body was a mess of wounds and gore.

"Elder, please stand guard for a moment."

"Of course."

I placed my hand on the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's back and injected a stream of qi. I slowly tended to his blood vessels, bolstering his true qi and healing his internal injuries. The pure inner arts soothed his body, and the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon quickly opened his eyes. Fortunately, his internal injuries were not that deep.

"That's a relief. Your internal injuries aren't too severe."

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon looked at me. I could not forget the look in his eyes when he foresaw his end, the regret that filled them.

We forget so easily. Those intense moments become turning points, changing me and my life. Once they pass, we fail to live like we did in that moment.

However, I won't be like that. From now on, nothing else is needed in our relationship. I just need to not forget the regret of that moment when we anticipated death.

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon, what about you? Do you feel the same as I do?

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon just smiled. For the first time, he smiled with all his emotions fully contained within it. I smiled too.

Right. Drink with the Drunken Demon, and laugh with the Smiling Demon. That is all that matters.

Next, the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon expressed his gratitude to the Blood Heaven Blade Demon. He did not use words, but gave a slight bow.

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon simply nodded once to accept the greeting.

I took the opportunity to hug the Blood Heaven Blade Demon tightly.

"Elder! I missed you."

"I told you it's disgusting, why are you doing this?"

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon shook me off as I acted childishly and retreated as if fleeing.

But how could I not know? He was also incredibly happy to have saved me.

I retrieved the millennium cold steel throwing knife from next to the Chainman's corpse and spoke honestly.

"This fight was pretty tough."

Watching me, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon said, "Didn't I tell you? You're waking up the murim."

"Should I go learn a lullaby somewhere?"

"Then in the process of learning it, you'll wake up even those who didn't need to be woken."

At the Blood Heaven Blade Demon's joke, I said confidently, "Since it's already like this, tell them all to wake up. Tell them all to wake up now instead of waking up late and talking in their sleep. Instead…"

I met the eyes of the two men.

"From now on, please fight with me."

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon stared at me for a moment, then whipped around and walked away. The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon followed behind him.

"There you go again, there you go again."

I followed them and left the place.

Sama Myeong entered the Heavenly Demon Hall holding an urgent messenger pigeon. His unusually fast pace indicated the news was important.

Despite seeing his urgency, the Heavenly Demon Geom Woojin was as calm as ever.

Reaching the end of the red carpet, Sama Myeong quickly delivered the news.

"During his mission, the Second Young Lord clashed with the villains of the Valley of Evil."

"The Valley of Evil?"

"The Bewitching Nirvana Princess, the Bloody Road Trio, the Yama Sage, and the Blood Wolf Blade."

"Quite a few skilled ones showed up."

"That's not all. The Weird Demon and the Chainman also appeared."

Geom Woojin flinched at the mention of those two names. The first four were not to be taken lightly, but the latter two were definitely not to be trifled with.

"They clashed with the Second Young Lord and the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon."

"The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon was there too?"

"Yes. It seems the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon is also entangled in this matter."

"And so?"

After a brief pause, Sama Myeong reported, "The Second Young Lord and the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon killed them all."

"The first four, I can understand, but the last two couldn't have been easy."

"It's reported that the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon suffered internal injuries in the process. Fortunately, they are not said to be deep."

"And Mugeuk?"

"He is fine."

"The two of them killed the Weird Demon and the Chainman?"

Unlike the calm Geom Woojin, the great strategist Sama Myeong was slightly flushed.

"To be honest, I was very surprised when I saw the messenger pigeon. Although the Second Young Lord and the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon joined forces to kill the Sword Emperor before, their opponent was a single person then. This time, the number of enemies was large, so it must not have been easy at all."

If it were not for the duel with Geom Mugeuk at the Alluring Inn, Geom Woojin would have been just as surprised. Geom Woojin had already been surprised that day.

"Who is behind this incident?"

"The actual mastermind is the Heavenly Enlightenment Society Chairman, and the ones who took the lead are Yang Cheogi and the Evil Valley Lord."

"Yang Cheogi? The Yang Cheogi of the White Mask Sect?"

Geom Woojin knew about him.

"Yes. It seems he caused this incident due to his grudge with the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon."

"Even so, he mobilized some rather grand figures for that, didn't he?"

"According to the Second Young Lord's report, the Heavenly Enlightenment Society Chairman recruited the Evil Valley Lord and Yang Cheogi. However, while recruiting Yang Cheogi, it seems he secretly offered him the position of the Evil Valley Lord."

"Why would he do that? From the Heavenly Enlightenment Society Chairman's perspective, the Evil Valley Lord would be more useful in many ways than Yang Cheogi."

"I believe he must have an ulterior motive."

"Look into it."

"Yes! The Heavenly Enlightenment Society were more troublesome than we thought."

Until now, they had only known the Heavenly Enlightenment Society as those who impersonated the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult to seek unjust profits. Now, it seemed they were a much larger and stronger organization.

"What will you do? It might be too much for the Second Young Lord to handle. Should we recall him?"

However, Geom Woojin shook his head.

"Didn't that child choose that mission himself? Then he must endure it. Instead, overlook the fact that the Demon Supremes intervened this time, and increase our Cult's support from one time to three."

"I understand."

Originally, it was a mission he had to do alone, so the Demon Supremes should not have intervened.

However, since a special situation beyond the test had unfolded, they were adjusting the difficulty accordingly.

"I will focus the main branch's information network to keep an eye on the Heavenly Enlightenment Society."

Geom Woojin nodded and said, "Tell my second brother that the test continues."

We stayed at our Cult's safehouse, not far from the Yellow River Inn where we fought.

We rested for a few days to recover our inner arts and treat our wounds. We ate proper meals, circulated our qi, and rested sufficiently.

Today, a messenger pigeon arrived from the Heavenly Demon Hall, instructing us to continue the mission.

That's Father for you. Even if I sent a messenger pigeon saying I was going to war with the Murim Alliance, he's the type to send a reply telling me to fight well.

That night, I enjoyed the lonely moonlight while strolling through the safehouse garden. I saw the Blood Heaven Blade Demon practicing his martial arts in a corner of the yard.

"You're training even here?"

"Is training a joke? To be picky about the place."

"Seeing you these days, Elder, I've come to think that becoming a Demon Supreme is no joke."

"Don't lie. While looking down on us."

"It's a misunderstanding!"

Honestly, when I first decided to bring the Demon Supremes under my control, I did look down on them, but as I got closer to them, I abandoned that thought long ago. These people are not easy at all.

That was probably why Yang Cheogi couldn't become a Demon Supreme.

Separate from his martial arts skill, he lacks something crucial. Should I say he has no charm? Or no feel? Or that he is not on that level? He is missing something.

"Seeing the Drunken Demon drinking all the time lately, I guess I didn't know how fearsome the Demon Supremes are."

"You shouldn't look down on that drunkard either."

"Why are you so worried about me these days?"

"How can I not be worried? You get into danger whenever you have a chance. I might have to take out my pocket money and buy you some other treasured armor. By the way, what about the Explosive Qi Pill?"

"I took it."

I did not say I gave it to the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon. If I did, our old man might fume all night and be unable to sleep.

It was then.

"I was the one who took it."

I turned to see the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon walking into the garden.

"I survived thanks to it."

He then bowed his head slightly. At his polite attitude, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon only shot me a glare but did not provoke the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon.

"As long as you're safe, that's all that matters."

How desperate must the situation have been for him to fight while consuming all of it? The Blood Heaven Blade Demon had to know that. Although he always cursed him as a sinister bastard behind his back, he still acknowledged the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's skill.

"I will repay this debt next time."

"Before that, you should wipe the blood off that mask."

"I intend to wear it as is until this matter is finished."

I could feel that the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon was slightly flushed. It was not just anger. It was closer to the excitement one feels after a life-or-death battle for the first time in a long while.

I was the same. In the last fight, my sword-swinging speed became faster. It stemmed from a desperation to save the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon, but I surpassed my limits.

That is what is important. That I broke through a limit. Since the Soaring Sky Sword Art has already reached the complete mastery of the Twelth Star, this improvement must be related to my overall martial arts realm.

"I felt like I was on the brink several times, but honestly, the feeling was amazing."

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's eyes showed that he agreed from behind the mask.

Even the Blood Heaven Blade Demon nodded.

"It's that taste that drives everyone crazy."

It seemed the Blood Heaven Blade Demon's blood also started to boil while exchanging a palm strike with Yang Cheogi.

"First, we have to catch Yang Cheogi."

Yang Cheogi not only tried to kill us, but he also tried to drive the disciples of the White Mask Sect, the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's sect, to their deaths. He must be dealt with as a top priority, since he will continue to target the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon or me.

"Besides, he must have met the Heavenly Enlightenment Society Chairman in person, so he'll be helpful in finding him."

Then, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon asked, "Do you know where that bastard Yang Cheogi is?"

"He must have hidden in the Valley of Evil. The people he brought from there are dead, so he'll have to report, and it's also the safest place. Also, since Yang Cheogi is aiming for the position of the Evil Valley Lord, he must have returned there."

"I'll help you."

When the Blood Heaven Blade Demon offered to help, the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon said something unexpected.

"I know the Valley of Evil well."

After a brief pause, he added, "I was once there too."

I was startled and asked, "When were you there?"

"When I was young. My Master sent me there to cultivate a wicked heart. He came to get me three years later."

"What if you had died there?"

"Then he would have found another disciple."

"You survived in the Valley of Evil at such a young age, Smiling Demon?"

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon nodded.

"The Valley of Evil is, in the end, a place where people live. While there are masters like the Weird Demon, there are also people who know no martial arts at all. There are even merchants who aren't from the Valley of Evil but go there to do business because the profits are high. That said, you can't let your guard down. If you go in without any information, there's no place as frightening as the Valley of Evil."

I relayed the contents of the messenger pigeon from our Cult to the two of them.

"We received a message from our Cult today. The mission to eliminate the Heavenly Enlightenment Society Chairman is still valid. Instead, they've strengthened the support to allow us to receive our Cult's help three times. I'm thinking of using one of those times now. The three of us could handle it, but the Evil Valley Lord might intervene. There's no need to take unnecessary risks, and we're using one chance anyway."

I spoke forcefully, with the spirit of wiping out the Valley of Evil if necessary.

"Let's call the Flower Sword Supreme and the Great Drunken Demon and go catch Yang Cheogi."