Chapter 290

Chapter 290

Although Yunnan is said to be a backward region compared to other places, Dianqiang isn’t the only martial sect in Yunnan.

Since ancient times, the jungle has been dense and there are many poisonous creatures, so poison sects similar to the Tang Family flourish, and there are many who use Taoism to easily traverse the jungle. Yunnan is also the birthplace of martial arts using Judge’s Brushes, and there’s even mounted martial arts that developed due to the military martial arts remaining from the Dali Kingdom.

With such diverse martial arts, the martial sects of Yunnan paradoxically get along relatively well with each other. As they say, similar but different things fight more easily, but if the fields are completely different, there’s not much to fight about. And.

“Reinforcements!”

“We’ll join in!”

From that perspective, Cheoldo Sect, which currently held Yunnan’s front line, was definitely receiving the benefits of such friendships.

And for good reason—without support from other sects, Cheoldo Sect, which was a minor sect, would have been swept away immediately.

“Th-thank you for saving us!”

Western Yunnan. Near Baoshan.

After dealing with the last demon from the attacking demon horde and catching his breath, Cheoljun, the sect leader of Cheoldo Sect, clasped his fists toward the reinforcements. Cheoljun’s condition, blood-soaked from head to toe, made it easy to imagine the fierce battle at a glance.

“If you heroes hadn’t helped, what would have become of this place…….”

“Don’t say such terrible things. Damn. I don’t even want to think about such a situation.”

At the iron-clad sect leader’s repeated thanks, the sect leader of Cheonglim Poison Valley Sect who let out a sigh cursed. Because the situation was far from ordinary.

“I can’t see any end to these demon bastards.”

It had been seven days and nights since the demon attacks suddenly increased.

At first, they responded without difficulty. After all, Yunnan was the border of the Central Plains continent, and even if there was no demonic energy, demons crossing the border weren’t completely absent.

Since it was something that happened occasionally in normal times, they thought this time too it would be a few lost demons wandering in. They actually dealt with the Hundred Ghosts’ Night Parade several times. However,

The problem was that most people, regardless of whether they were martial artists or commoners, showed rejection reactions when the demonic energy rolled in.

After that, the front lines were helplessly pushed back by the demons.

“Since you’ve rescued us like this, I really want to treat you to a meal……!”

“Damn it. A meal in this situation? Did you get a hole in your head?”

“……Poison Valley Sect Leader.”

“Haah.”

Letting out a deep sigh and furrowing his brow, the Poison Valley Sect Leader waved his hand apologetically toward the Cheoldo Sect Leader who stood awkwardly.

“I’m sorry. The situation is going quite terribly, so I got heated without realizing it.”

“Is, is that so?”

“There are more than five places besides here that requested reinforcements.”

“All those places were attacked by demons. Reinforcements went to three relatively close places, but the other two…….”

They requested reinforcements because they couldn’t handle the demons, but the relief forces didn’t arrive.

In that case, the answer is extremely simple. Annihilation, or routed retreat.

Either way, the villages would burn, and most people would have met their deaths.

“How could such a thing…….”

As the Cheoldo Sect Leader showed a grave expression after grasping the severity of the situation, Yubaek, the Sect Leader of Silyong Scholar Sect standing beside the Poison Valley Sect Leader, spoke quietly.

“I don’t know what the Cheoldo Sect Leader thinks, but in our judgment, Yunnan is currently in a precarious crisis.”

“We blocked them now, but we can’t keep blocking these demon attacks forever. What came here were just stragglers.”

“Stragglers…… you call these?”

“That’s right.”

Could such powerful demons be merely stragglers that broke off?

“It seems you don’t believe it.”

Seeing the Cheoldo Sect Leader’s disbelieving eyes, Yubaek cleared his throat and continued.

“Changcheon Corps 3rd Squad annihilated. Two of Dianqiang’s Five Swords killed. One severely injured, losing an arm.”

“Their martial prowess goes without saying—it’s outstanding. Moreover, it wasn’t just them alone but a considerable number of Dianqiang’s second-generation disciples were with them. Yet to repel the demon horde, they paid such a price. Do you know what that means?”

“What does it…….”

“It means the demon horde currently flooding into Yunnan is strong enough that we cannot handle them.”

Baoshan was relatively better off. Dianqiang was close, and there were quite a few strong sects like Cheonglim Poison Valley Sect and Silyong Scholar Sect nearby. However.

What about the southwestern part of Yunnan, which was relatively remote? The two cities of Lincang and Pu’er, bordering Tibet?

“Even now, countless people are dying.”

“That’s why we can’t accept your hospitality even if you offer it. I hope you won’t feel too hurt.”

“Th-there’s no question about it!”

At Yubaek’s words, the Cheoldo Sect Leader hastily waved his hands and looked around with an apologetic expression.

“If the situation is like that, our Cheoldo Sect should also send reinforcements, but…….”

“Hah. That’s absurd. Sending reinforcements in this situation? When you can’t even properly take care of your own sect, helping others—are you unable to see reality?”

“Poison Valley Sect Leader.”

“……Just handle things well. Prepare to evacuate the villagers too.”

“Where should we evacuate to?”

“Go to Dali. Right now, a defense line is being deployed centered around Dianqiang.”

“Dali…….”

A short distance of about three hundred li. However, for evacuating villagers who aren’t martial artists, it’s not an easy distance.

The Cheoldo Sect Leader, who predicted it would be an ordeal, showed a grave expression before shaking his head and clasping his fists again.

“Understood. We must move as quickly as possible. And you heroes…….”

“We plan to go rescue the remaining villages. There might be survivors.”

“……Would there be survivors? When demons are flooding in like a tide like this…….”

“I don’t know. But we need to check. We also have to push back the demons’ advance. Dianqiang doesn’t have the capacity, so they entrusted it to us.”

Either way, people only have time to evacuate if we push the front lines. If we don’t push the front lines, demons will invade even this place that we’ve already successfully rescued.

At the sight of the Poison Valley Sect Leader making a firm judgment, the Cheoldo Sect Leader nodded heavily. 

“So you’re saying only Cheonglim Poison Valley Sect and Silyong Scholar Sect are coming to this area?”

“Dianqiang is spending its strength elsewhere and has no capacity. Even Dianqiang Sword Sage went north for rescue.”

“Dianqiang Sword Sage? To the north?”

“Are you going to make me say it several times? That’s what I said……!”

“That’s good news indeed.”

“What?”

Seogeoк!

The next moment, the Poison Valley Sect Leader’s head flew into the sky.

For a moment unable to grasp the situation, Yubaek blankly looked at the Cheoldo Sect Leader. The Cheoldo Sect Leader licking the blood on his sword with his tongue.

“Se-Sect Leader……what on earth.”

Speaking halfway, Yubaek, who felt something off, stepped back while gripping his Judge’s Brush tightly. Because the strike just now wasn’t something the Cheoldo Sect Leader could show.

“Who are you, you bastard……!”

“Who? Aren’t I the Cheoldo Sect Leader, Sect Leader Yubaek?”

“Don’t talk nonsense. The Cheoldo Sect Leader is…… left-handed!”

“Ah, really? He was. Right.”

Looking at the sword held in his right hand with indifference, ‘Cheoldo Sect Leader’ tilted his head before smiling and dropping the weapon. The iron sword that became limp and disappeared as soon as it touched the ground.

“Left hand, right hand, it’s so complicated how humans live.”

“……A demon.”

“Is there any question about it?”

The face changed.

From the Cheoldo Sect Leader’s face to a woman’s appearance, from the woman’s appearance to a faceless form with no eyes, nose, ears, or mouth—the demon that changed its face exaggeratedly bowed and introduced itself.

“Nice to meet you. Human friend. My name is Muhyeong. Friends who know me call me the Seventh Great Demon in an exaggerated way.”

“……Seventh Great Demon.”

“Of course, those who know my true form enjoy calling me Mumyeon rather than Muhyeong… but all such people are dead.”

The part where the mouth should be caved in.

Watching Muhyeong’s mouth open wide as if sneering, Yubaek gripped his Judge’s Brush fiercely. Cold sweat running down his spine.

‘I can’t face this demon.’

The martial prowess of the Poison Valley Sect Leader who just lost his life in a single strike to Muhyeong was at a similar level to his own when utilizing everything.

Of course, there was the fact that he was vulnerable in close combat as a master of poison arts and was caught off guard not thinking he’d be ambushed, but either way, the opponent was a monster that killed the Poison Valley Sect Leader in a single strike. Facing it head-on is out of the question.

‘I must somehow escape from here and report the demon’s appearance.’

Whether rolling in mud or being considered cowardly doesn’t matter. As long as even one person escapes, that’s enough.

“──Disciples of Silyong Scholar Sect, listen!”

Having quickly judged the situation, Yubaek let out a lion’s roar.

“All scholars scatter and escape from here, and convey the current situation to the countermeasure command! Tell them a Ten Celestials-level greater demon has appeared!”

“We can’t abandon our Sect Leader!”

“I’ll buy time here! All disciples must escape as quickly as possible and report the situation……!”

“Sect Leader—!!!”

It’s strange.

Watching Muhyeong cry out desperately in front of him as if he himself were a disciple of Silyong Scholar Sect, Yubaek blankly turned his gaze. The disciples who just stood there looking at him despite hearing his words.

“……Can’t you, can’t you hear my words!”

“We hear you, Sect Leader! How could we abandon our Sect Leader!”

“That’s right! Sect Leader, let’s go together with us!”

One by one, the faces of the disciples, the ‘things he had believed were disciples,’ melted away.

The direct disciple’s face melted away, the Dharma Protector’s face also melted away, and eventually all the disciples’ faces melted away to become faceless—confirming this, Yubaek looked at Muhyeong with a hollow expression and answered in a trembling voice.

“Since when…….”

“Didn’t I tell you? Everyone who knew my true form is dead.”

Chwaaaaк!

“You’re no exception.”

Watching Yubaek, who died instantly split into upper and lower halves, Muhyeong dusted off his hands and tilted his head crookedly. Because the situation needed organizing.

‘Dianqiang Sword Sage went north for rescue, and Dianqiang Sect is also focusing on defense……’

Could I meet and kill Dianqiang Sword Sage?

I can’t guarantee it. Unlike the other Seven Great Demons, Muhyeong is a type that specialized its abilities according to the size of its demonic energy, so the main body’s martial power itself isn’t that outstanding.

‘There are many ways to infiltrate.’

I devoured all the humans here and stole their knowledge. No matter how much someone received the title of Sword Sage, they won’t be able to see through my transformation.

Muhyeong, who changed its face to the appearance of Yubaek who had just died, smiled broadly.

I have no desire to become the King of Demons or the strongest demon among all demons. However.

“When the table is set, doing nothing is also a foolish thing.”

Did they say Heukya and Toehui moved?

I can’t just sit here sucking my thumb while those two grow stronger.

“I should at least get a spoon in.”

Muhyeong wiped the blood-stained Judge’s Brush clean on his clothes and gripped it properly.

The Judge’s Brush he had just held for the first time fit perfectly in his hand.

As if he had held it his entire life.