The camp of the Heavenly Demon Sect was bustling beyond measure.
Naturally, this was expected since tomorrow would be the decisive battle.
The battlefield was spacious enough for the Bicheongmacha to roam, and Tang So-yeol was busy setting up a makeshift smithy, diligently making final preparations.
And I too was moving in anticipation of tomorrow’s conflict.
Specifically, my task was to evacuate Seo Gong to a safe location.
Squeak!
Noticing something amiss, Seo Gong was bracing himself by hanging onto the doors of the Bicheongmacha with his feet while gripping the handle tightly with his tail.
It was clear to anyone that he had a strong will to absolutely stay inside the Bicheongmacha.
“Phew.”
I sighed and instead of prying Seo Gong away from the Bicheongmacha, I patted his head.
It was dangerous for Seo Gong to participate in the battlefield.
With the battle against the Blood Sect happening tomorrow, it was no laughing matter, but the truth was, I had no idea how the Blood Sect handled entities.
In a situation where I even doubted whether I had real control over Seo Gong, I might very well lose that control in tomorrow’s battle.
If that were to happen, it would certainly hurt my heart quite a bit.
Squeak.
Did Seo Gong pick up on my feelings? The strength he put into his tail and legs—
KWAAAACK!
…only grew stronger.
He’s not falling for this.
I shouted in frustration.
“Yeah! It’s you who are in danger, not me! Just do as you please!”
With my eyes blazing and my arms crossed, I took a step back.
Seo Gong seemed to judge it as an opportunity, releasing his feet from the doorframe and whipping his tail to slam the Bicheongmacha’s door shut.
Nope, this isn’t working either.
Hyeok Gi-rin, who had been watching our tussle, chuckled and spoke up.
“It seems Seo Gong wants to fight alongside us. Why don’t we just let him?”
Miss Yeo Il-ye chimed in as well.
“Yes, Seo Gong is one of our companions, isn’t he?”
Seo Gong poked his head out of the window of the Bicheongmacha. Even in the midst of this, his tail was wrapped firmly around the window frame, showcasing his strong resistance.
Alright then, do as you wish. I’m at a loss now.
Honestly, the chances of Seo Gong being targeted were extremely low.
In a battlefield where the Demon Sect martial artists, Heavenly Demon, Little Heavenly Demon, and Array Formation Teams were all rampaging, who would care about a small entity inside the Bicheongmacha?
Even if the odds were slim, I was merely trying to prepare for what could possibly happen.
Bang! Bang!
As I plopped down in front of the Bicheongmacha, I heard a soft clinking sound.
It was the noise of Tang So-yeol working.
With that noise in the background, watching the members of the Heavenly Demon Sect busily move around made me feel a pang of fear.
Was I really making the right choice?
In front of the Blood Ancestor, I had provoked him while spouting meaningless phrases, but what about me?
Would a single mishap occur while mulling over my thoughts a thousand times?
That was utter nonsense.
No matter how many tasks I juggled, I was just a common person prone to making mistakes.
On the other hand, what about the Blood Ancestor?
He demonstrated a level of patience to plan for decades and showed enough capability to swallow the world whole.
I only spoke of careless thoughts in front of the Blood Ancestor, but the capabilities between me and him were different.
If this was a fair match, like playing Go or chess, I would bet on my own loss.
Thus, I set the stage as it is now.
Since I was already in Sacheon, I could seek support from the Tang Clan and ask the Jeomchang Faction for help, effectively becoming the bridge between the Heavenly Demon Sect and the Martial Forest Alliance to create a truly explosive battle that shook the world.
However, instead of laying the stage like that, I compressed the plan and compacted it.
If the Blood Ancestor was a person who made one mistake out of a thousand thoughts, I was a person who oversaw a hundred thoughts but consistently made blunders.
If we needed to strategize a thousand moves, I could never beat the Blood Ancestor.
However, if we only had to strategize a hundred moves, maybe I could find a way to join hands with him.
With that hope, I shrank the battlefield from the world to the Mosan and compacted the plan to allow for a frontal clash while minimizing variables.
Was my judgment to compress the plan truly correct?
While I successfully cornered the Blood Sect, I also allowed them time to prepare for a counterattack in tomorrow’s battle. Was this truly a favorable situation for me?
Perhaps…
I made a colossal mistake after all.
Something bumped into my shoulder. Seeing the lingering scent, it was certainly the Black Cat.
The Black Cat squeezed in beside me as if it almost collided with me.
“Again, again, you’re sulking.”
The clear and bright eyes of the Black Cat gazed at me as if not a care in the world about tomorrow’s events.
Suddenly, the Black Cat’s hand moved to grab my face.
“Huh?”
It wasn’t a sound I wanted to make. The Black Cat’s grip forced my mouth open.
“Wubub!”
With my mouth forcibly opened, the Black Cat shoved rice crackers in. As I struggled to catch my breath while gulping, I could hear its cheerful laughter.
As I blankly stared at this Black Cat, Yeo Il-ye sat across from me.
“Hehe, you don’t seem like an honorable person at all.”
Yeo Il-ye’s eyes sparkled with warmth as they looked at me.
“After all, hasn’t everything you can arrange been done?”
“That’s right! The only thing left is to welcome tomorrow with full preparations!”
Hyeok Gi-rin puffed out a strong breeze and clenched his fist. The ever-cheeky Dokgo I-seol chimed in.
“Aren’t you someone who has already traversed the world?”
Moyong Yeon-hwa also nodded.
“Exactly. Even if something goes wrong, we can correct it together, can’t we?”
The Black Cat poked my side.
“Seems they agree, right, senior?”
“…Yeah.”
It was then I realized why there was no shadow on the Black Cat’s face, or the faces of my companions.
Could it be that they didn’t feel the burden at all?
Despite that, the reason their expressions weren’t greatly darkened was because they believed in me.
But did I have faith in them?
“Thank you.”
The unexpected words spilled from my lips.
If someone among the party asked what I was thankful for, I wouldn’t even have a proper answer.
Should it be trusted or should it be believed, or should it be referred to as affection?
I was simply relieved by the sight of my companions, smiling and watching over me.
“Are you thankful?”
Dokgo I-seol asked with sparkling eyes.
“If you are, do visit the Dark Dragon Sect after this. I’ve always been under Father’s thumb and never got to speak up, but I’m curious what sort of expression he would have if I came back with a reputation that even he would feel threatened by.”
“Wha—? How long has it been since you left Yunnan, and now you want to visit the Dark Dragon Sect again?”
“What’s the problem? We could all take a break.”
Dokgo I-seol boldly suggested, and the party simply laughed along.
They laughed, but… I came to a realization.
I still hadn’t fulfilled my promise with the Black Cat to ascend the Hwa-gyeong together.
Yeo Il-ye might have completed her revenge, but there could still be unresolved homework left.
Hyeok Gi-rin had settled matters with the imperial family for now, but the dual identity of being a martial artist and a princess still required further work.
Dokgo I-seol hadn’t concluded the succession issue of the Dark Dragon Sect either.
And Moyong Yeon-hwa probably wanted to restore the Shengsu Faction.
While my companions had been putting these matters on hold, they stood by me, helping as part of Six Star Chen, so I too had to assist them.
And I also had the task given to me by the Unknown Elder.
I had to master Array Formation and find the core stone, of which I had not even a clue of its location.
Suddenly, I realized.
I.
Looking ahead to what I have yet to do, it seemed like a mountain of tasks was piling up.
The fog that clouded my head lifted, revealing clarity.
Tomorrow’s decisive battle was undoubtedly important, but it wasn’t the end of everything.
The decisive battle tomorrow would certainly be a critical juncture, but after overcoming that hurdle, I would need to soothe my weary soul and continue to walk the path ahead.
“Let’s do it.”
As I spoke, my companions turned to look at me.
“Let’s reach the Hwa-gyeong, visit the Dark Dragon Sect, check out the Shengsu Faction, and see the Jeomchang Faction and Yeo-ga Mountain Villa, and also Nangyang.”
My suggestion seemed sudden, and the party’s eyes widened, but they soon burst into laughter.
“Very well.”
“If we’re to traverse the world, then it should be the Brain Knife Outcast Ho Cheon-an, shouldn’t it?”
With that, the party readily agreed.
To traverse the world with my companions, victory was imperative.
So,
I will definitely win tomorrow.
* *
Daylight broke.
When the watchers saw the demon sect martial artists moving toward Mosan, they swallowed dryly. How could they suppress their excitement before the battle that would decide the fate of the world?
As the Demon Sect martial artists approached Mosan, the martial artists of the Blood Sect began to show themselves at the entrance of Mosan facing the plain.
Blood Persons with crimson eyes lined up broadly, among them were martial artists whose origins were difficult to guess.
Swoosh.
The Black Serpent, lying low, raised its head. Blood Ancestor, above the Black Serpent, observed the approaching forces of the Heavenly Demon Sect.
As soon as Blood Ancestor revealed himself, the formations of the Heavenly Demon Sect shifted as well.
Ho Cheon-an, moving alongside five women, positioned himself at the center of the Heavenly Demon Sect. His movement was an evident declaration of intent to confront the Blood Ancestor stationed at the center of the Blood Sect’s formation.
The Heavenly Demon, along with the Little Heavenly Demon, stood steadfastly beside him, forming a solid line.
Blood Persons’ hands glistened with droplets of blood as both groups of martial artists pulled out their weapons and took stances.
From his higher ground, Jo Jin-hwi unfurled his banner and swung it sideways. Simultaneously, the members of the Mosan Sect executed their martial arts.
Whiiiiiiii.
The winds began to blow from Mosan toward the Heavenly Demon Sect martial artists. What started as a gentle breeze gradually became a fierce wind, strong enough to be described as a blade-like wind.
How could the martial arts produced such harmony?
Watching from the sidelines, those observing expressed their amazement as the Heavenly Demon Sect martial artists showed signs of disturbance due to the powerful headwind.
The wind conjured by the Mosan Sect contained the technique to stimulate human fear.
The martial artists of the Heavenly Demon Sect wavered slightly.
However, their agitation quickly settled.
Szzzz!!!
Because at the front, Wi Seorye released Black Dragon Qi.
While the Black Dragon Qi could not stop the wind, its overwhelming presence was enough to help the martial artists of the Heavenly Demon Sect regain their composure.
The symbols of invincibility—the Heavenly Demon and the Little Heavenly Demon—were with them, so why would they fear mere wind?
Seeing the Heavenly Demon Sect martial artists regain their calm, Blood Ancestor raised his hand. This was to take the initiative while there was still some disarray.
As the cave entrance, disguised as a rock, opened, ominous eye shine emerged. The owner of the glow, glittering in the darkness, burst forth from the cave and charged toward the Heavenly Demon Sect’s crowd.
Rooooar!
There, the Black Serpent initiated the fray head-on, while a massive bear charged from the side.
Considering that the Blood Sect had only deployed one entity to the battlefield until now, it could be startling. Yet, the Heavenly Demon Sect maintained its composure.
They had anticipated that multiple entities would appear.
“Hellfire Brigade! Move out!”
“Yes!”
Just as the Hellfire Brigade collided with the bear entity, another hidden cave entrance that had been sealed by martial arts revealed itself.
The bear entity was on the left, while the Deer Entity now bolted in from the right.
The Ice Blood Mountain Soul Brigade moved to counter the Deer Entity.
The Blood Sect sequentially unleashed its entities.
In response, the Mugeuk Chiljeong Corps, Gukma Myeolsal Corps, and the Guardian Heavenly Brigade mobilized.
Ho Cheon-an observed the clash between the Guardian Heavenly Brigade and the Dog Entity, furrowing his brows while observing the Blood Sect’s formation.
The remaining entities included the unidentified entity and the Black Serpent.
Assuming that Six Star Chen could handle the Black Serpent and that Wi Ji-cheon could contain the flying entity, if more entities emerged, the Heavenly Demon Sect’s chances would worsen.
As he surveyed the stillness of the Blood Sect’s formation, Ho Cheon-an let out a sigh of relief.
No more entities showed any signs of emerging.
As the six martial corps clashed with the six entities, the distance between the Blood Sect and the Heavenly Demon Sect continued to close until they could even see each other’s expressions.
The Black Forest Room’s martial artists, led by Gu Mo-seol, unfolded their light martial arts. From the direction, Gu Mo-seol’s target was likely the Heavenly Demon, but he could not reach the Heavenly Demon.
This was because the Heavenly Demon Sect martial artists, led by Wi Seorye, had blocked his way.
Just then, as Ho Cheon-an’s gaze flicked that direction…
“Something’s coming.”
Instinctively, Ho Cheon-an looked ahead, but the Black Serpent remained steadfast where it was.
He understood that the statement referred to the sky where a giant hawk was descending.
As Wi Ji-cheon deftly dodged and Ho Cheon-an’s group hurriedly unfolded their martial arts to evade the attack range of the massive hawk,
CRACK!!
As a result of the hawk entity’s attack, they were separated and sent tumbling toward the ground.
Seizing the moment, the Black Serpent, ridden by the Blood Ancestor, charged without restraint toward Ho Cheon-an’s group.
As the Black Serpent, Blood Ancestor, and Ho Cheon-an’s Six Star Chen merged, the all-out battle began with no one able to predict what would happen next.
