NOVEL NEXT Chapter 249
249. I Am Fine
Central South Sea, Namdae.
In the beautiful garden of Namdae, overlooking the lake, eight masters of Hyeongyeong, including myself, gathered.
I watched the scene.
The eldest, the legendary Heavenly Horse, Sosumahu Baek Rijiak, was sticking right next to me and wouldn’t let go.
She was pouting.
“I wish my mom was here too…”
It seemed she was really disappointed that Heuksaryong couldn’t join us as the nature of the gathering changed.
I sighed internally.
Just earlier, she was asking me to buy her Tanghulu. What’s with this obsession over Tanghulu? It’s not like we’re in 21st century Korea. I don’t get what’s so great about it.
Tanghulu is a Chinese snack with an ancient history developed back in the Song Dynasty.
In this day and age, you could still find Tanghulu stalls not infrequently in the marketplace.
Of course, there were no variations like Shine Muscat Tanghulu or Stevia Tomato Tanghulu like in 21st century Korea.
The Heavenly Horse cleared his throat after witnessing that.
He glanced back and forth between Sosumahu and Sinseung, then spoke.
“Hey, Shaolin monk. You aren’t neglecting to take care of Sosumahu, are you?”
“Amitabha. Do you think I wouldn’t know after checking the Upper Dantian of Baekri Benefactor with the Heavenly Horse Divine Eye?”
Sinseung’s words made the Heavenly Horse shut his mouth.
No matter how flexible the hierarchy was in the Demon Sect, it was still a place where people lived, so neglecting someone wouldn’t happen.
Furthermore, Sosumahu was a rare Tai Sang Sect Leader in the history of the Demon Sect, and her martial prowess was absolute, reaching Hyeongyeong.
She wasn’t someone the Heavenly Horse could treat carelessly.
As the Heavenly Horse looked over this way, Sosumahu shot him a glare.
“Murang, you aren’t thinking about oppressing my dad, are you? My mind is perfectly sound. The Gold Restriction has already vanished; I feel like I’m flying through the sky.”
She looked anything but sound.
Upon hearing that, a look of resignation appeared on the Heavenly Horse’s face.
Baek Murang wore an expression like that of an enlightened master, which didn’t suit the title of ‘Heavenly Demon.’
He pressed his temples.
“Understood. Senior Baekri.”
A sigh escaped the Heavenly Horse.
He was a genius leading a hundred thousand demon sect members, owning the physical prowess of the Heavenly Demon, unmatched in Xinjiang and Central Asia.
“Hmph. Sosumahu, who dares to cross arms with Gaga?”
“That’s right. Elder Sosumahu, isn’t the highest distribution here? You need to maintain your status.”
Almost immediately, two feminine voices followed the Heavenly Horse’s statement.
A glamorous beauty with fiery red hair, reminiscent of blazing flames—Yeo Wang Jeoksawol.
Next to her was a cool-looking blue-haired swordswoman, Geumhu Eun Seol-ran—a refreshing beauty in contrast to Jeoksawol.
Both were masters of Hyeongyeong.
Baek Rijiak puffed her cheeks when she saw the two women.
“Hmph. I’m my dad’s daughter. What’s wrong with me being by my dad’s side? Where is there a daughter who maintains her status in front of her father?”
“… Hmph. I didn’t expect you to claim to be a daughter at your age. Now that the Gold Restriction is gone, you say such things with a clear mind… amazing, really. Are you not truly loony?”
As Baek Rijiak spoke, Jeoksawol waved her fan and mocked her.
Upon hearing that, Sosumahu jumped up.
“What the?!”
Just as Sosumahu was about to retort to Jeoksawol…
“Both of you, stop.”
A cold voice interrupted.
Sitting to my right, contrasting with Sosumahu, was the peerless beauty—my disciple, Yujinhwi.
“Your disciple is having a hard time.”
Yujinhwi calmly stated while tightly grasping my right hand.
Her eyes sparkled.
Almost as if asking, “Did I do well?”
I nodded slightly.
“Hmph. If Dad is uncomfortable, then there’s nothing I can do.”
“I will withdraw this time.”
With Yujinhwi’s decisive statement, Sosumahu and Jeoksawol backed down.
To think this was the Tai Sang Sect Leader and the best of the blood faction.
They might have aged, but their behavior resembled children.
In fact, my disciple next to me seemed more reliable.
“Hahaha, Amitabha.”
Sinseung, observing the scene, rolled the prayer beads in his hand and exclaimed.
“Phew.”
The Heavenly Horse sighed, for what seemed like the umpteenth time.
Just as the atmosphere became delicate…
“Hahaha. It’s best to halt this chatter here.”
A rugged voice boomed.
Everyone turned toward where the voice came from.
There stood a middle-aged man with an impressive beard, Cheonranggaek Jo Nam-pyeong.
‘It’s been a while since I’ve seen his face. The old Cheonranggaek.’
He was the command chief of the Golden Restricted Position and the current best among the imperial palace.
Holding a long polearm, he served the Empire loyally and protected the royal family; he was a face I knew.
He was the best from the previous dynasty, and after I took the position of the ceremony’s greatest master, we had a match, after which he retired without regrets.
Yes, that’s how it was.
But now, he seemed to be quite active.
Everyone clammed up at Cheonranggaek’s words. He cleared his throat before continuing.
“Hmm. Let me ask just one thing. All of you gathered here, are you planning to confront Hyulma?”
I nodded in response to Cheonranggaek’s question.
Hyulma.
That guy dared to obstruct the Emperor’s reign. He had to be defeated, or I wouldn’t be able to immerse my remaining life in the Wine Pond and Meat Forest alongside the Three Storey Tea House.
Others also expressed their agreement with Cheonranggaek’s question.
“Hmph. Cooperating with the Palace doesn’t thrill me, but Hyulma is also an enemy of both me and the New Religion. I can’t let myself sit back while the neck of Hyulma remains unscathed.”
With the Heavenly Horse’s words, everyone agreed with Cheonranggaek’s statement.
That’s right.
As the Heavenly Horse said, all eight masters of Hyeongyeong here shared some past or present ties to Hyulma.
The Tianjihuai’s Tianling Lord and Shinseung, who must neutralize Hyulma as the best of the imperial palace.
The Heavenly Horse pledging revenge for blood over the chaos caused by the Blood Sect during the last Heavenly Horse Ceremony.
Sosumahu sought to transform into the Cheonma Gangsi while placing the Gold Restriction on herself.
Yeo Wang Jeoksawol, who had to confront Hyulma as the commander of the Tianjihuai.
Also the swordswoman Geumhu and my disciple, all of us had enmity against Hyulma.
Everyone’s interests aligned.
We all had to eliminate that guy.
Cheonranggaek noticed this and laughed heartily.
He spread out a map and pointed to a specific location on it.
That was Baekdusan.
“Hyulma is currently residing here, in Donghyeol at Changbai Mountain. This intel was obtained by the Empire and Joseon, so it’s undoubtedly the truth.”
Hyulma’s location was Baekdusan.
I already knew that much.
“Amitabha. Hyulma has been switching his body for over a thousand years with the Great Method of reversing Heaven, thus his spirit has dwindled. Therefore, the present Hyulma shouldn’t even be able to step outside of Donghyeol.”
In addition, Shinseung supplemented Cheonranggaek’s explanation.
“Indeed. The guy named Hyulma is just a commoner unable to step out of his own door.”
The Heavenly Horse remarked while crossing his arms at Shinseung’s explanation.
“Hmph. True, Hyulma may be a commoner, but his martial prowess has already touched the boundary between life and death. If it weren’t for Princess Hwangje’s arrangements, our party would have been annihilated at Demon Mountain. Don’t underestimate Hyulma. Heavenly Horse. Steel yourself. He is a monster possessing hundreds of Mind’s Martial Arts.”
“Hundreds of Mind’s Martial Arts. How interesting.”
At Jeoksawol’s words, a smile appeared on the Heavenly Horse’s lips. The aura of the Heavenly Demon Technique surged and rose into the air.
“On the day of the operation, while the Central Plains expeditionary army distracts the enemy’s attention by dealing with the Jurchens, we here will secretly enter Joseon before the operation begins, and receive the collaboration of the Joseon army to deploy a separate troop against Hyulma at Changbai Mountain. Since Changbai Mountain, Hyulma’s base, is much closer to Joseon than the Central Plains.”
Cheonranggaek explained the operation with a serious expression.
His strategy was thoroughly orthodox.
While the expeditionary troops held back the Jurchens, we would infiltrate the Baekdusan where Hyulma was and confront him directly.
In fact, besides us, there was hardly any force that could face Hyulma.
Thinking back to the power he displayed, I still feel a chill.
Thanks to that, I have continued training since the Mosan Sect incident.
Especially, I focused on practicing Ihap Sin-gong. Honwon Mugukdo was the culmination of Ihap Sin-gong. I needed to delve into Ihap Sin-gong to reach the boundary between life and death.
Now, my achievements in Ihap Sin-gong had raised significantly, and I had reached a level that seemed to defy the laws of physics.
“If we handle Hyulma, the core of this warfare, the war will conclude in our victory. And the method to confront Hyulma is…”
“The Heavenly Martial Formation, perfected by Binseung’s meager talent, is the secret weapon prepared by me to face Hyulma.”
Sinseung interrupted Cheonranggaek’s words.
His eyes sparkled with auspicious Anti-Demon Magic Power.
“The Heavenly Martial Formation?”
Upon hearing Sinseung’s words, the Heavenly Horse’s eyebrows twitched.
He had just arrived in Beijing; he probably didn’t know much about the Heavenly Martial Formation.
Sinseung nodded.
“Yes. The Heavenly Martial Formation is an incomplete formation secretly passed down internally in the Tianjihuai since ancient times. It was developed specifically to deal with Hyulma. I have perfected the formation this time.”
“What abilities does this Heavenly Martial Formation possess?”
“It connects the small universes of the masters who make up the formation into one.”
Sinseung answered the Heavenly Horse’s question.
“Oh? Connecting small universes into one. Fascinating.”
The Heavenly Horse stroked his chin.
A formation that connects small universes.
For ordinary masters, if their small universes, representing their minds, were linked, the communication would be maximized, allowing thoughts to be conveyed directly—essentially enhancing communication to its peak.
But we weren’t ordinary masters.
All eight of us were absolute masters of Hyeongyeong who had awakened the Mind’s Martial Arts.
And Mind’s Martial Arts reaches the ultimate of martial arts, completing individual small universes to project into the large universe.
So, if we utilized the Heavenly Martial Formation to link our minds, we could wield our Mind’s Martial Arts with combined strength.
‘If that’s the case…’
I recalled the concept of Manryu Gwijong. A return to a single point after reaching the ultimate of all martial arts in existence, a symbol of the absolute.
If we could connect all our minds with the Heavenly Martial Formation and wield a united strength, not only could we counter Manryu Gwijong, but we might even achieve victory.
“… If that’s true, the Heavenly Martial Formation might just be the only way for us to defeat Hyulma.”
Unless someone reaches the boundary between life and death.
I swallowed the rest of my words.
“That’s right. None of us can win against the current Hyulma in a one-on-one duel. We must collaborate using the formation. So from now on…”
“… You mean we need to practice this Heavenly Martial Formation together. Good.”
The Heavenly Horse nodded.
“I agree as well.”
I nodded too.
Surely, mobbing tactics are the truth.
“A formation that can unite with Gaga, hehe. I wouldn’t dream of refusing. I accept.”
“I feel the same. If I can become one with Eungong…!”
“If Dad is happy, then I’m happy too!”
“With the disciple agreeing, I also concur.”
Soon followed the other masters present, Jeoksawol, Geumhu, Sosumahu, and even my disciple expressed their agreement.
Cheonranggaek, being the planner of the operation, surely had agreed from the outset.
Even though Jeoksawol and Geumhu blushed with dangerous expressions talking about the formation, they agreed, which doesn’t affect anything.
Seeing this, I smiled.
We now had the operation and method to confront Hyulma all set; all that was left was thorough preparation.