56 – 05# Wu Yue Together in the Same Boat (1)

Let’s summarize the current situation.

The righteous Murim Alliance has rotted to its core, willing to join hands with the Demonic Sect or even sacrifice innocents to capture them.

But if you ask if my current situation is any better, the answer is no. The Sword Demon’s memories could encroach upon mine at any moment, potentially replacing me entirely.

Still, the Demonic Sect is not an opponent you can face while conserving your strength. I nearly died during their last ambush.

Even setting aside sheer strength, the meticulousness of his schemes left me speechless. Had Ma Kang and Go Gyeom not been there, things might have gone exactly as he planned.

And the martial prowess of Namgung Seon-wi, the Namgung Clan’s Shadow Sword, was also unexpectedly formidable. He didn’t earn the moniker “Shadow Sword” for nothing, displaying the full extent of his Grandmaster-level power.

‘This won’t do. I need to become stronger. Strong enough to crush any scheme, any force, head-on. Yes, like the Sword Demon did decades ago.’

The experience of the Sword Demon’s memories invading me wasn’t exactly pleasant. But I couldn’t deny the allure of that power. I sat down, crossing my legs.

Regulating my breathing.

As I unleashed the Bladeheart Art without reservation, I could feel internal energy circulating through my entire body. And in response to that familiar energy, memories resurfaced in my mind, yet again.

But this time, they were just fragments. However, even those fragments were overwhelmingly intense. Nothing less than a memory of slaughtering righteous sects single-handedly.

I, no, the Sword Demon, stood alone on the battlefield. This was likely a memory from the Sword Demon War. Warriors from the righteous sects, as numerous as grains of sand on a beach, swarmed to surround him, to stop the Sword Demon.

[We have come to this place to halt your madness!]

[Cast aside your weapon and surrender! Sword Demon!!]

[It is you who are foolish, I believe. Or perhaps, merely blind.]

[If you do not surrender quickly, we will have no choice but to kill you!]

The young warrior who stepped forward, shouting at the Sword Demon, showed no trace of fear. Easy to understand, considering the sheer number of people behind him.

At least someone in their right mind would try to resolve this through dialogue. Yes, only if they were in their right mind. What the young warrior received in return was not words, but a sword thrust.

And so, the Sword Demon War began. It seemed as if the Sword Demon was indiscriminately killing the warriors of the righteous sects, but surprisingly, the Sword Demon possessed something akin to his own conviction.

First, he would not kill the innocent, if possible.

Second, he would not kill those who did not collaborate with the Demonic Cult, if possible.

Third, he would kill those who collaborated with the Demonic Cult, without exception.

Fourth, he would warn those who blocked his path, before killing them.

The problem was that the Sword Demon never communicated any of this to the righteous sects. He simply carried out what he believed to be right; yes, a monster consumed by his convictions, quite literally.

If the Sword Demon were an ordinary human being, or even a typical martial artist, it wouldn’t have been a problem. But the biggest issue was that he was a monster called the Sword Demon.

He overwhelmed them. The Sword Demon, a singular entity, undeniably. With each swing of his sword, dozens of warriors were cut down. He was a calamity, pure and simple.

I could only watch that scene from behind. But his movements, the techniques the Sword Demon unleashed, all of it registered in my mind. Somehow, I felt like I could do it myself.

‘Just as the Sword Demon is trying to use me, I must use the Sword Demon as well. That’s the only way to win this fight.’

This was no time to worry about morals. Sadly, the enemy was too powerful. Therefore, I must also harness the power of the Sword Demon. Yes, I decided to stop deliberating so deeply.

Frankly, if I was weak, I would be consumed by the Sword Demon. Conversely, if I was strong, I could consume the Sword Demon, right? Let’s see this through to the end, you old b*stard.

“Hoo.”

“Did you cough, Master?”

“Did you also sleep well last night?”

The regulation of breathing that began at dawn barely concluded as the sun reached its zenith. Since that day, Sua seemed to want to stay by my side even more than usual.

It got to the point where I felt burdened. But to push Sua away felt wrong; the voices of my disciples were, after all, what had brought me back to my senses before.

Unable to fully reject her, yet unable to fully accept her either. A situation, in short, where I could neither advance nor retreat. Then, an unexpected savior appeared.

“Are you present? Great Hero.”

“I have also arrived.”

“…Surely, it isn’t the Crimson Lotus Leader Mu-wol and the Jade Pavilion Mistress Yang Mi-yeon?”

No, perhaps it’s more accurate to say, an unexpected combination.

◇

It should go without saying, but the Jade Pavilion, run by Yang Mi-yeon, was also affiliated with the Demonic Sect. From the start, the Demonic Sect itself was formed from gatherings of bandits and courtesans.

Of course, the Righteous Alliance of the martial world didn’t leave them completely unmonitored. In fact, until the Jade Pavilion established itself in Henan, all sorts of restraints came under the false pretense.

But even then, Yang Mi-yeon overcame them all with her own strength, allowing the Jade Pavilion to stand proudly in Henan. Mu-myeong took a sip of the tea Sua served, and opened his mouth.

“So, what brings you here?”

“Before that, we came to offer our gratitude, Great Hero.”

“…Gratitude? You mean for introducing me to the Murong Clan?”

“That is correct.”

Currently, Crimson Lotus Leader Mu-wol of the Heretical Path Alliance is gathering allies to oppose the Demonic Sect. And the Murong Clan is the most powerful alliance she has obtained.

“There’s nothing for me to be thanked for in that matter. Isn’t it an accomplishment that the Leader obtained through her own merits?”

“But if the Great Hero hadn’t built the bridge, we wouldn’t have even been able to attempt it.”

“You flatter me.”

Sua, who had served tea to Yang Mi-yeon and Mu-wol just as she had done for me, gave a slight bow, then casually sat down next to me. It was so natural that I almost overlooked it.

“Sua-ya, there is something I would like to discuss.”

“Am I not now a proper daughter of the Murong Clan, Master?”

“That’s true.”

Already the sweltering summer had passed, and the green leaves were beginning to take on the crimson hues of autumn. Barely a year had passed, yet Sua had undergone quite a few changes.

Before, Sua had brown hair that fell to her shoulders, but recently she had started growing it out, so that it now reached her back. And she had even started wearing makeup.

Her already beautiful appearance had only blossomed further. Of course, it also brought a somewhat bitter feeling. The fact that she was adorning herself like that meant…

‘She must have found a man she fancies. Though, considering her age, it’s not surprising.’

From what I could see, the atmosphere between her and that young man, Go Gyeom, wasn’t bad. I don’t know about anything else, but it was clear that Go Gyeom was deeply interested in our Sua.

“Ahem, may we now get to the point, Great Hero?”

“Forgive me. I was lost in thought for a moment.”

“It’s quite alright.”

“So, what are the plans moving forward?”

“To put it simply… *Owol Dongju*, one could say.”

*Owol Dongju*. Meaning people from the states of Wu and Yue sharing the same boat. In easier terms, it meant even sworn enemies could cooperate if their interests aligned.

“Why bring that up so suddenly?”

“I haven’t been able to grasp the Nine Great Sects fully, but the Five Great Families, despite being grouped under the same name, are notoriously at odds. Especially the Namgung Family.”

“I got that feeling when I clashed with Dark Sword before.”

“Back during the Sword Demon Wars, the Namgung Family, in their capacity as leaders of the Righteous Alliance, mobilized all the warriors of the righteous sects. And astonishingly… they emerged as the family with the least casualties.”

The Sichuan Tang Clan, the Zhuge Family, the Hebei Peng Clan, and so on. Not to mention the Nine Great Sects, even the smaller sects suffered tremendous losses, with some being utterly annihilated.

However, while it made sense for the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families, who were at the forefront of the fighting, to suffer… Mu Wol himself cannot understand why smaller, lesser sects were wiped out completely.

“My father only ever faced the strongest opponents. He would never force insignificant warriors to join the war and then wipe out other sects himself. It’s impossible.”

“That matter needs further investigation, it seems.”

“I’ve already dispatched people to look into it. But the important thing is, that incident drove a wedge between the Namgung Family and the other Four Great Families, creating the worst possible relations.”

The Sichuan Tang Clan was already on bad terms due to their rivalry, but the Sword Demon Wars made them irreconcilable enemies. The Zhuge Family, striving for balance, also…

…apparently chose to keep the Namgung Family, who had wielded absolute power, in check. Hearing that much, I finally understood what they were aiming for.

“You’re thinking of forming an alliance with the other families, like the Moryong Family did?”

“Precisely. In truth, when you think about it, it’s as if the other sects and families were used as shields. The Namgung Family joined the war the latest, and even divided the spoils based on when they themselves entered the conflict.”

“Which means, most of the families and sects didn’t receive recognition for their contributions in the Sword Demon Wars.”

“Correct. And the Seonmu Academy proudly teaches that the Namgung Family alone fought in the Sword Demon Wars and stopped the Sword Demon.”

More insane than I imagined. So, on that basis, they had to join hands with the Demonic Cult to barely stop the Sword Demon? In any case, the direction this conversation is heading is clear.

“What is it that you want from me?”

“The head of the Sichuan Tang Clan wishes to meet the Great Hero.”