Reincarnation of the Fist King Chapter 99

< Cheonma, bury the body >

“Welcome, winners.”

Members of the Yongbonghoe, the champions' club, gathered in the conference room and greeted Danwoosung and Baekyak. Among them were young men of Danwoosung's age, and others appeared to be in their late thirties.

Since they were the winners of the previous Yongbongdaeyeon, it means that their skills are considered top-notch even within the martial arts alliance.

The oldest of the two spoke first.

"Everyone here is a member of the Yongbonghoe (龍鳳會). We have separate departments and different responsibilities. We only get together occasionally to chat. For now, please take a seat."

As Danwoo Sung and Baekyak sat down on the chairs in the conference room, the man spoke.

"I'll skip the introductions. You'll find out soon enough. I guess I should get straight to the point. As you all know, finding a demonic stronghold isn't easy. That's what we were talking about."

The Yongbonghoe warriors looked at Danwooseong. It seemed they had something to discuss among themselves, so Danwooseong and Baekyak listened in silence.

“The last plan that came out was Hwang Gai’s desperate measure.”

Danwoo-seong nodded.

“Please explain in a little more detail.”

Of course, we know what Huang Gai's desperate strategy is. It's a strategy to deliberately harm one's own people. The most famous example is when Huang Gai of Wu tricked Cao Cao with this desperate strategy and feigned surrender.

The man who mentioned the last resort introduced himself.

“I think I should introduce myself. My name is Woo Shi-gyeol, the leader of the Whirlwind Squad.”

If he were a master in the martial arts world, he could be considered one of the most skilled. Dan Woo-seong, whose skills had become significantly stronger than before, wasn't particularly impressed, but Woo Si-gyeol was still considered one of the top 100 masters in the martial arts world.

Wooshikyeol continued speaking.

"We discussed it among ourselves, so I wanted to hear your opinion. It's no secret that we're having a Yongbonghoe meeting. I deliberately had a member summon you late. The place to use the Goryukgye is here, and the time to do it is now. We know your skill is high. If we argue here, you'll beat us to death and then run away. The reason is obvious. You're the same man who beat up Senior Guyanghou. You were just trying to maintain discipline while claiming to be a Yongbonghoe senior, and you got beaten up. Of course, you'll also be officially disciplined by the Martial Arts Alliance. It's quite a difficult operation. Someone will have to be beaten to death, and you will be blamed. However, the reason I'm trying this tactic is because I suspect there might be a traitor within the alliance. I'm worried that someone approaching you might ferret out the traitor, or that the demonic forces might approach you from outside. What do you think?”

Danwoo-seong nodded and looked over his juniors carefully.

How frustrated must he have been to come up with such a plan? That's what I thought.

However, in terms of Kang-ho's experience, Dan Woo-seong had more. And the magic he knew wasn't something that this kind of strategy would work against.

Still, the proposal itself was unusual, so Danwoo Sung responded in a low voice so as not to hurt their feelings.

“For now, I am against it.”

"Why? Just tell me. It was a plan we were both skeptical about."

"Dissenting opinions are welcome. After all, we simply wanted to meet and talk with you two."

Danwoo Sung got down to their eye level and explained.

“What the devil wants now is not to take over any power, to send spies to the alliance, or to increase their numbers.”

Some of the winners of the Yongbonghoe were secretly hurt, but they listened calmly while looking at Danwoosung's expression.

Danwoo Seong continued speaking.

"It should be viewed solely as a matter of individual strength. The masters who approached him to acquire it ranged from the likes of Kwon Wang and Mo Yong Se to the head of the family, and now they've reached the ranks of Seonjae and Doje Seonjae. This means that the power of the one who serves as the focal point of the magic arts is so great that it's useless unless you take away the power of Seonjae Seonjae."

"hmm······."

Wooshikyeol held out his hand as if to tell me to continue talking.

Danwoo Seong said.

"This is the first reason. The second reason is also related to what I mentioned earlier. I believe they won't appear on the front lines until they surpass the three gods. This is because they remember their defeat at the Battle of Orung. If I had to say, they'll continue these tiring surprise attacks until a demon god is born who can simultaneously take on the three gods. From here on out, this is just my guess."

This time, several members took the lottery, giving strength to Dan Woo-seong's words.

“I will listen.”

“Let me tell you.”

Danwoo-seong nodded.

"Your Majesty, the Sword Master, the other members of the Three Gods, the heads of prestigious clans, the heads of the three families… If it weren't for their power, there's no reason to covet them. If I had to name a few, even the best of the Black Sword. These masters would be the first target, and the second would be within the Demonic Clan. Twenty years after the Battle of Orung. Absorbing those competing within could be the goal of those who attacked the Sword Master."

The faces of the Yongbonghoe warriors hardened. This was something they had never even considered.

"The last option is the most concerning. If the first two options don't work out, they'll probably give up on raiding the masters altogether and resort to massacre… That's my guess."

Danwoo Seong's words predicted that before causing an incident like the Battle of Orung, they would unilaterally swallow up the sects they could absorb and then start an all-out war.

From Baekdo's perspective, this was indeed a matter of concern.

A man replied.

"Instead of taking the power of the masters, you could even resort to massacre to gain strength?"

Danwoo-seong nodded.

“Maybe we could use all three methods. That's what concerns me.”

Wooshikyeol smiled.

"Your perspective and way of thinking are completely different. Since we've come to this, I think it's better to listen to what you have to say. Given your understanding of the situation, I wonder if you have more to say. I'm asking for your guidance."

The attitudes of the winners, including Woo Si-gyeol, seemed quite open-minded.

From here on out, even Danwoo Sung had no choice but to speak seriously.

“There is no way.”

“No?”

“Shh, let me hear more.”

"It's not a contest of brute force, it's a contest of survival. Preparation, training. Can the Murim Alliance cooperate closely with other sects, protecting the leader, not leaving the seniors alone? In a way, the Murim Alliance and the King's Association weren't on good terms. That's why the highest ranking member of the King's Association was marginalized, effectively killing him. I'm not blaming the Murim Alliance, but rather, it's a broader point. Of course, Senior Apprentice's confidence is likely the cause of this unfortunate incident. He must have thought that, aside from the Samshin Ilseong and the leader, he would have no rivals in the martial world. That's why I'm telling you, this is a contest of survival. We might lose in a local battle, but we can't see ourselves becoming the masters of the demon world. We have no choice but to live more faithfully and prepare. Even if the Black Sword asks for help, if it's the demonic sword, the Murim Alliance will have to act. Are we mentally prepared for that?"

“Hmm······. Helping Heukdo? That’s a bit absurd.”

Danwoo Seong looked at Baekyak.

"My thoughts on recent events are that we have no choice but to train every day, share news, and faithfully fulfill our assigned duties, only to be caught in the net of the White Way's Heavenly and Heavenly Wisdom. The Darkness seeks to exploit any gaps, and everyone, whether individual or group, is bound to have gaps. Just like my senior apprentice."

And, bitterly, so did the King of Kwon.

Even after Danwoo Seong finished speaking, the Yongbonghoe warriors remained silent.

Because it was a statement that gave me a lot to think about.

Danwoo-seong looked around at the Yongbonghoe's warriors and said.

“Are there any people who will be going out on a search party soon?”

There were noddings here and there, and one man said:

"I'm thinking of volunteering. I like to travel, you know. Any advice?"

“If he’s hidden somewhere deep within the vast Central Plains, it would be impossible to find him. However, if we can’t find him with the Murim Alliance’s intelligence, I think it would be a good idea to approach him in a completely different way, breaking stereotypes.”

“For example?”

Danwoo Seong blurted out some truly frightening words.

"A certain sect belonging to the Murim Alliance, they're killing and controlling all of them. They're on the royal estate. They're under the royal family's protection."

“A magician?”

"From the imperial family's perspective, it would be better if all martial artists disappeared. I'm also tracking them, and these are just thoughts that came to me while I was thinking on my own. Please take this into consideration."

Because they were smart people, they all tried to break stereotypes in the way Danwooseong thought.

A man said.

"Not on land? Why don't such places exist? Sometimes, there's an island in the middle of a large lake. I think I saw it in a novel."

“I think I read that part too.”

"Isn't it true that the entire island is covered in barriers? I've seen writings saying that such things were installed so ships couldn't approach."

Baekyak said.

"They could be in a place like us, a place collectively known as Sae-oe. It's simple. The area outside the Central Plains isn't a psychologically threatening radius. And even if the Murim Alliance sent a single unit to investigate, they wouldn't be difficult to deal with."

“That makes sense.”

Woo Si-gyeol looked at Dan Woo-seong.

"We were all just lectured to our hearts' content after being called here. Now, let's get down to business. Since you two are the winners of the Yongbong Daeyeon, you've automatically joined the Yongbonghoe. No refusal is acceptable. There's no leader, no membership fees, no meeting place, no authority, no hierarchy. This is an open and honest group, so you can't leave once you join. Incidentally, the leader can't leave either. He's also a winner of the Yongbonghoe."

The other juniors burst into laughter at Woo Si-gyeol's sudden declaration.

“Hahahaha······.”

Danwoo-seong and Baekyak looked at each other and then took the lottery ticket from the Yongbonghoe warriors. Danwoo-seong spoke.

“I like the rules, so I’ll join.”

"i look forward to."

Yongbonghoe was this kind of gathering.

Although it wasn't revealed to Danwoo Seong in detail, it was also a gathering place for members who were doing well in special forces, military associations, and escort battles.

But even as they laughed and chatted like this, Danwoo Seong was carefully examining the faces of the Yongbonghoe warriors.

Despite all the laughter and chatter, I didn't really trust all of them.

I wasn't even interested in the fact that he was the previous Yongbongdaeyeon winner.

Anyway, it's because I'm seeing them for the first time today.

The King of Fists was also keeping an eye on the Murim Alliance in his own way.

Around the time when the phrase 'absorbing those who compete from within' was mentioned in Danwoo's speech, Cheonma and Paewang, who were actually classmates, were facing off.

.

.

.

The magician said.

“Save me, Wi Ji-cheon.”

In fact, the demon wasn't even fighting.

“Kwaaaaak!”

These were the words spoken to the Heavenly Horse Wi Ji-cheon, who was performing lightness techniques while dragging his huge body across the ground while holding onto the King's hair.

At one point, Cheonma grabbed the king's face by his hair, trying to keep him from screaming loudly.

The Heavenly Horse's lightness was no slower than that of the Blood Lord, who was rushing forward while pouring out his blood energy, even though he was dragging the Overlord around.

The magician said.

“Blood Lord, you too, stop. It’s too late.”

Ironically, the King of Overlord was hit more by the Blood Heavenly Energy than by the Heavenly Horse's attacks.

This was because the Heavenly Horse had deliberately positioned itself in the center, as if surrounded, and then skillfully manipulated the direction of the tension the Blood Lord had unleashed with a hollow force. Their combat experience was as vast as heaven and earth.

The tyrant was completely struck by the Blood Heavenly Sword and his whole body was burning, and he was caught by the Heavenly Demon and his life force was being sucked out.

It was an ending neither the Blood Lord nor the Demon King wanted.

When the Blood Lord stopped his lightness attack with a look of despair, the Heavenly Demon stepped back seven more steps and glared at the Blood Lord and the Illusion Demon. He absorbed the Taeeulyang energy and stored it in his dantian until the Overlord's entire body shrank.

Cheonma was wary of the martial arts of the Hwanma rather than the Blood Lord, as he had never seen them before.

The blood demon shouted at the demon.

“Why are you just watching!”

The demon replied.

"You're not very good at dealing with real-world situations. And Wi Ji-cheon is strong."

As soon as Cheonma finished absorbing, he exhaled deeply and stood up. He briefly smoothed his tangled hair and spoke to the two.

"Blood Lord, Hwanma. There's one seat left. Have you thought about it yet? If both of you come to me, I'll try to make room for you. Isn't this just the beginning?"

The bloodline spoke as it moved as if it was going to leave first.

“······I must first inform the princess of your actions.”

Cheonma replied with a blank expression.

"Hey, you saw the Overlord attack first, didn't you? Go and tell him. And your friend, Hwanma, isn't a man who would lie. Of course, you'd lie as easily as eating. You have to be careful about who you are when you frame someone. Tsk."

When the Blood Lord disappeared without answering, Cheonma, as if he were coveting a talented person, made another offer to Hwanma.

“Hwanma, let’s join together.”

Hwanma said, looking at Cheonma with eyes that contained no emotion.

“Wei Ji Cheon.”

“Speak, my stutter friend.”

The demon conveyed his intentions by putting strength into each word.

"You're not worthy of loyalty. That's because you lack loneliness and fear. You'll betray everyone around you and then be left alone. Then you'll have to deal with your own karma. Or you can only hang out with people like yourself. Like the Sword Demon."

As the demon horse walked away without showing his back, the demon horse asked.

"Why are you suddenly speaking so clearly? Why are you going back and forth? Are you crazy?"

The demon tilted his head and spoke of something else.

"I enjoyed watching your techniques today. I guess I need to practice more. Wi Ji-cheon, see you later."

As the demon disappeared without a trace, the Heavenly Horse, as always, gathered a pile of dirt with its feet, covered the corpse of the overlord, and then trampled it underfoot.

"You're a silver-tongued speaker. You really can get your head around it. Even your fighting style is revealed…"

The Heavenly Horse muttered as he trampled the remaining face of the Overlord with his foot.

“There really aren’t any normal people.”

At this time, the princess of Manmagung suddenly appeared with a white cat and spoke to Cheonma.

“Master Wi, what on earth are you doing there?”

Cheonma replied, covering the earth tightly.

“Your Majesty, you have arrived.”

“Don’t ask me what I’m doing.”

When the princess asked in a reproachful tone, Cheonma also hardened his expression, put his hands behind his back, and answered in a monotonous tone.

“I buried the body in the ground.”

As Cheonma stared blankly at the princess, the princess was unable to say anything.

<Cheonma, bury the body> End

ⓒ Eugene Sung