NOVEL NEXT Chapter 52
The Leader of Evil Alliance (2)
The center of Evil Alliance, the Alliance Leader’s home. Wargen was off to one side, nailed to the wall by his limbs. The stakes were made of Mithril, a metal from Lupaine, which restricted his regeneration. And in the middle of this room.
“Uhm. Is that so?”
There stood the Leader of the Evil Alliance. Neng Tian-yue, who was called the Black Heavenly Demon King before becoming the Alliance Leader, was receiving reports from his subordinates.
“…When did you meet this Transcendent master?”
The Leader of the Evil Alliance looked back to Wargen and asked. Wargen weakly raised his head.
“…What did you just say?”
“I heard that a Transcendent master has appeared with your son at our borders. Fufu. Is he also a werewolf like you?”
“…”
The Leader of the Evil Alliance asked with a shine in his eyes, but Wargen didn’t answer. A Transcendent master who was with Warg? It was natural that Wargen thought of Kim Bongpal with that description.
“It would have been nice, but probably not.”
The Leader of the Evil Alliance muttered to himself and stood up. Such a Transcendent master appeared out of nowhere, but he wasn’t worried. Of course, it was surprising to find one he didn’t know about, but that was all.
The Leader of the Evil Alliance didn’t think an unknown master could be stronger than him, once considered the best in the world. He once held the ambition of uniting all of Moorim under him.
Though that wasn’t the case anymore. He had learned of despair ten years ago, and that despair grew given what had happened a few days ago. Still, his confidence in his abilities on this matter remained.
“While I was in training, Zuo Liang left Purple Clouds, didn’t he? Is he perhaps that Transcendent master?”
He let out a small laugh.
“Actually, I don’t hate you that much. This pure passion for martial arts is rare for anyone to have.”
The Leader of the Evil Alliance approached Wargen.
“…Damn it.”
Wargen spat out a brief curse, but his current state was clear from the weakness in his voice.
“Haha! Is it upsetting that I, of all people, am now intimidating you?”
“…”
“I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t help it. Right…it was unavoidable.”
Wargen swallowed the rage, boiling up.
He was also aware that the most recent meeting between the Celestial Demon and the Leader of the Evil Alliance ended, just as it had all those years ago.
“…”
Wargen lifted his head to look at his face. The evidence of the defeat he suffered was there, across one eye. Now, a monster’s eye took the place of what had once been a human eye. The original…was pulled out by the Celestial Demon.
Because the two Transcendents fought without care for their surroundings, most of those in Purple Clouds didn’t stick around to see the battle until the end.
But Wargen did. He clearly saw what had happened.
‘Hmm. As expected, you are no fun.’
She completely defeated the Leader of the Evil Alliance. Then, uttering those words, she plucked out his eye and claimed it was the price for getting in her way. The power the Leader of the Evil Alliance had honed for over a hundred years amounted to nothing more than a child struggling in front of the Celestial Demon.
“You have seen it yourself, so you must also know. Celestial Demon, Chen Hua-lin, what an unreasonable existence that girl is….”
Vicious energy swirled around the Leader of the Evil Alliance.
Wargen, too, didn’t hate him much. There was even a time when he respected Neng Tian-yue, but no longer. The Leader of the Evil Alliance’s martial arts, which once deserved respect, was now twisted beyond recognition. His loss back then wasn’t just physical.
Still, his ringing cry after the Celestial Demon left was vivid in Wargen’s mind. Clearly, it wasn’t a cry of pain.
…Frustration. Despair. A sense of inferiority. Those emotions ate at the Leader of the Evil Alliance until he devolved into this mad monster.
“…I don’t think it’s ugly.”
Wargen replied as he looked at the Leader of the Evil Alliance.
“It’s just pitiful.”
Truly it was.
The Leader of Evil Alliance didn’t respond to Wargen.
“Haha-!”
Instead, he smiled, baring his teeth.
* * *
Kim Bongpal left his party behind and headed back into the city. Night had fallen before he knew it, and now the moon ascended to the sky.
Only one day was left until the full moon, but one day would be enough time.
‘Even the Leader of the Evil Alliance seems to be in a hurry.’
Despite the bright moonlight, Purple Clouds was dark. Not a single lantern on the streets was lit, and not a single person was outside.
Kim Bongpal glanced around with the sense something was off. There was a presence everywhere in the buildings, but no one was outside.
“Hmm.”
Perhaps it was by the Leader of the Evil Alliance’s instructions. If so, it meant they were waiting for Kim Bongpal’s visit.
Kim Bongpal smiled and headed to the Alliance Leader’s home. He still felt no presence. Although he killed two, there must be several more masters in the Evil Alliance, but perhaps they had fled.
Swoosh.
Kim Bongpal drew his sword as he neared the Alliance Leader’s place. The Leader of the Evil Alliance was calling to him, freely revealing his presence.
Kim Bongpal followed his call, and where he arrived was a training ground. Or what was once a training ground but had recently been destroyed. Seeing the fresh traces of battle, Kim Bongpal recalled Chen Hua-lin.
‘…He must have fought the Celestial Demon, and she won overwhelmingly.’
Kim Bongpal couldn’t recreate the battle just by looking at what remained, but it was easy to conclude that Chen Hua-lin won. Most of what he found was likely created by the techniques Chen Hua-lin had shown him.
“…I’ve never seen you before.”
A black-haired, dark-eyed man was standing on the training grounds.
“Are you the Leader of the Evil Alliance?”
He couldn’t imagine how this guy could have beaten Chen Hua-lin.
The Leader of Evil Alliance doesn’t hide his vicious energy at all, but still. It was far short of the Celestial Demon that Kim Bongpal faced.
“Right, and you are?”
“Kim Bongpal.”
“I’ve never heard that name. Don’t you have a nickname?”
“I don’t make it my hobby to put such a fucking embarrassing thing before my name.”
Looking back, the nicknames he was given were the Butcher and the Sword Phantom. Both were embarrassing, but Kim Bongpal didn’t want to say he was the Sword Phantom. Not that he had ever claimed to be the Butcher either.
“An anonymous master, huh? I didn’t know there were such people in the world these days. Which sect are you from?”
The Leader of Evil Alliance smirked. Kim Bongpal didn’t answer.
Instead.
Baang-!
He fired a Trail Force at the Leader of the Evil Alliance, raised his arm, and easily blocked it. It wasn’t that Kim Bongpal had expected it to deal a great blow anyway, he just wanted the Leader of the Evil Alliance to shut up.
“Hey, Eyeball Shit, just shut up. Will you just give Wargen over? Or will you die and give him to me?”
“Fufu, that’s why these guys are called Transcendents.”
The Leader of the Evil Alliance’s answer was quite calm for someone who had just faced a sudden attack.
“Did you think you were the best when you crossed the wall? Like a frog in a well, you urge yourself to stay in the well for the rest of your life. I’ll kill you before you-“
However, he couldn’t continue.
Baaang-!
“What are you blabbering about? Just die here.”
This time it wasn’t an attack he could easily deflect. The Leader of the Evil Alliance’s eyes turned cold.
“You arrogant….”
He exuded his energy to cue the beginning of their battle.
Baang!
Ink-colored energy surged toward Kim Bongpal, the same color as the attacks the Celestial Demon threw at him. However, Kim Bongpal could feel a clear difference between the two, mainly that this one seemed more sinister.
Now, Kim Bongpal, having some experience dealing with those who had mastered martial arts, knew of the Evil Technique. That was the term for it.
Baang!
The energy crashed against Kim Bongpal’s sword, and it wasn’t strong enough to break the metal, but it climbed across the blade.
Kim Bongpal waved his sword and struck away the Leader of the Evil Alliance’s energy.
“You motherfucker.”
It was cumbersome to deal with.
Meanwhile, the Leader of the Evil Alliance’s long robe swelled. Ink-colored energy erupted from his arms and snaked closer to Kim Bongpal, surrounding him. Suddenly, a storm of Trail Force condensed around Kim Bongpal.
Swoosh!
However, such a storm was easily torn, and Kim Bongpal’s attacks continued. The ink-colored energy scattered.
“Despite your cheeky mouth, your sword is not that impressive.”
The Leader of the Evil Alliance mocked. Kim Bongpal smirked back.
“You bastard, pretending to be strong, huh?”
The Leader of the Evil Alliance was strong, but that was it, and he was only that strong.
Swoosh-
Kim Bongpal put more strength into his grip. The air around his blade swayed.
The Leader of the Evil Alliance’s face twitched slightly at that. All Transcendent warriors could interfere with space in different ways. Just as each individual attained different things from crossing over the wall, the essence involved in their attacks varied. But now, this technique that Kim Bongpal showed was one the Leader of the Evil Alliance knew.
He had seen it a few days ago.
“You. The Celestial Demon….”
The Leader of the Evil Alliance’s face distorted into a grimace, and he was about to ask something, but Kim Bongpal cut him off.
“Don’t you know? A few days ago, I fought with this bitch called the Celestial Demon.”
The Leader of the Evil Alliance couldn’t hide his astonishment.
“After a few slashes, I came to learn one thing.”
“…”
“That bitch is so damn strong. Fuck.”
“…What are you trying to say?”
The Leader of Evil Alliance asked. Kim Bongpal examined his expression for a moment and sneered.
“But now that I’m with you, I know one more thing.”
“What?”
It was really weird. He had fought several battles since coming to the Shire. The Blood Master Shi Wu-yuan, Monstrous Immortal Zuo Liang, Wargen, and finally, the Celestial Demon Chen Hua-lin. Except for Chen Hua-lin, the strongest person Kim Bongpal had ever faced was the Leader of the Evil Alliance in front of him now.
But why? Kim Bongpal could not understand what he was feeling now.
How come?
“That you’re much more fucked up than that bitch.”
Why did he think this fight would be the easiest?