Chapter 137
Hunan. Yueyang.
This city, with its incredibly beautiful lake, was a vibrant place that glowed with bright lights even late into the evening.
In the heart of this city was the headquarters of the Demonic Alliance.
An old man was watering and tending to an orchid in the Alliance Leader's Hall, located at the very center of the headquarters.
This old man was the Black Emperor, Dokgo Yeong, one of the twelve Absolutes who ruled the current Murim and the master of the Demonic Path.
Beside him stood a handsome man with a refined appearance and sharp eyes, quietly keeping him company.
However, seeing the man’s inexplicably troubled expression, Dokgo Yeong let out a small chuckle.
“It seems this matter doesn’t sit well with you.”
“To be honest… I don’t understand why you must go to such lengths.”
The handsome, sharp-eyed man hesitated for a moment before finally speaking.
He was the Chief Strategist of the Demonic Alliance, Sama Ryang.
His brilliance had been recognized at a young age, and after gaining experience as the chief aide to the now-retired former Chief Strategist, he inherited the position two years ago.
It was a well-known story that Dokgo Yeong greatly cherished Sama Ryang.
He continued.
“If you wish to repay them, sending a suitable gift would suffice. I don’t understand why you are so eager to see them, even at the cost of various losses.”
“Haha. Yes. You’re right about that.”
“Then why?”
“Why? Is there a reason I shouldn’t?”
“Ah, no, sir. Of course, you may.”
In the current Murim, if the Black Emperor, of all people, decided to do as he pleased, who would dare to question him?
Perhaps only those who had reached the same realm as he could.
Sama Ryang let out a small sigh.
“That’s not what I meant…”
“I know. I know what you want to say. But what can be done? As one gets older, one sometimes becomes more stubborn than in one’s foolish youth. Just think of it as an old man’s eccentricity and bear with me.”
Dokgo Yeong chuckled heartily.
“It would have been easier in many ways for me to go myself, but with ‘that incident’ having happened so recently, I cannot leave my post, can I? So this is the only way.”
“…Yes, Alliance Leader. If that is your will.”
What more was there to argue? He could only accept it.
Assessments of the Black Emperor were extremely polarized.
A warrior who knew only frontal assaults, and a strategist who possessed brilliant schemes.
Both were true.
The Black Emperor was more proficient than anyone in these two completely different types of combat.
But in truth, the Black Emperor was a man who preferred the former type of battle—a contest to see who would fall first by clashing with all one’s might.
Whatever method of combat the opponent chose, he would use it to crush them, displaying an overwhelming difference in power.
In that sense, Dokgo Yeong was a truly fearsome individual.
He was a man who maintained his composure in any situation, in any fight, and overwhelmed his enemies perfectly.
However, there was one thing, and one thing only, about which Dokgo Yeong was uncharacteristically irrational: matters concerning his younger sister.
The woman who had lost her life long ago to one of the great evils, the Extreme Evil Laughing Demon, was known.
At the time, the Black Emperor embraced his sister’s cold corpse and declared with bloodshot eyes.
He would tear the Extreme Evil Laughing Demon to pieces in the most painful way he knew.
But after that, the Extreme Evil Laughing Demon vanished.
As if he had evaporated.
Apart from the Namgung Family, the Black Emperor’s fury was clearly something even he had feared.
Thus, the Extreme Evil Laughing Demon could not be found no matter what means were used. But then, news arrived that some martial unit from the Peng Family had subjugated him, and Dokgo Yeong became desperate to meet it just once.
If not for a certain recent incident, that meeting would have already taken place.
However, the meeting was unexpectedly postponed, and he could no longer wait and invited them to the Demonic Alliance as soon as that recent matter was concluded.
But was it truly right to summon them here?
Sama Ryang was still not convinced about the matter.
Well, in truth, what could possibly happen just by summoning them here? But for some reason, he felt an inexplicable sense of unease.
Moreover, to send ‘that’ to make this happen…
Sama Ryang let out a small sigh.
In many ways, it was giving him a headache.
Meanwhile, Dokgo Yeong looked out the window and spoke.
“I hope my sincerity has been conveyed. If they refuse even after all this, I think I’ll be quite disappointed.”
***
Silence fell in the Peng Family’s Head’s Hall.
Even Peng Mugang’s eyes were wide.
What the Soul Chasing Twin Swords had brought out was enough to surprise everyone.
A sword with a bizarre aura, black from its blade to its hilt, revealed itself in the hands of the Soul Chasing Twin Swords.
Though it was just a sword, the energy it radiated on its own was extraordinary.
“T-the Black Killing Sword.”
Someone muttered in the hall, unaware they were even speaking.
Black Killing Sword.
It was the Divine Weapon that symbolized the leader of the Demonic Alliance.
Ignoring the reactions around them, the Soul Chasing Twin Swords spoke in a calm voice.
“He commanded us to deliver this. And he said he would take it back on the day the White Wolf Unit returns safely, without any trouble.”
Everyone realized it.
Just how sincere was the Demonic Alliance Leader about this invitation?
To a martial artist, a weapon was like their life. Its importance went without saying.
But some things went beyond the meaning of a mere weapon and symbolized their owner.
The Ghost Spear’s Meteor, the Blade Emperor’s Falling Moon, and the Sword Emperor’s Martial Flow were such things.
The Black Emperor’s Black Killing Sword was no different.
Moreover, there was no one who didn’t know how dearly the Black Emperor treasured his sword.
From his youth until he became the man he is today, the Black Killing Sword had always been by the Black Emperor’s side.
And yet, he had sent that Black Killing Sword.
‘To go to such lengths?’
Peng Mugang was momentarily at a loss for words, his face blank.
It was truly a rare sight to see him react this way.
He wasn’t the only one.
Those inside the hall were just as bewildered, and some of them even wondered if it might be a fake.
Of course, the Black Emperor would never do something so ridiculous.
To send his personal Divine Weapon for the simple matter of inviting a single martial unit to the Demonic Alliance.
The Black Emperor, one of the Twelve Venerables of the World and the leader of the Demonic Alliance, is making a request by offering his personal Divine Weapon.
This was a difficult thing to refuse.
But it didn’t feel like simple coercion.
Rather, his sincerity could be felt.
Of course, it was completely incomprehensible why he was going to such lengths.
In any case, it was a truly difficult situation.
He had originally intended to refuse until the end, but now that things had come to this, he couldn’t just keep refusing.
“Hmm. What should we do?”
Peng Mugang’s troubled gaze soon turned to the commander of the White Wolf Unit, Yeo Un-hwi.
At that, Yeo Un-hwi smiled faintly and replied.
“I will simply follow the Family Head’s decision.”
“Are you trying to pass this difficult decision on to me?”
“Of course not. I simply believe that following the Family Head’s will is what I must do.”
“Hmph. You have a silver tongue.”
Soon, Peng Mugang’s gaze turned to the Soul Chasing Twin Swords.
“But the Murim Alliance will not stand by and watch this.”
No matter the circumstances, this was a matter of whether the Peng Family, which belonged to the Orthodox Faction of the Murim, would accept an invitation from the Demonic Alliance.
With so many eyes watching, it was not something that could proceed based solely on the interests of the two parties.
At that, the Soul Chasing Twin Swords replied as if they had been waiting.
“On our way here, we have already obtained their consent on this matter.”
“They agreed so readily?”
“Yes. They had no choice.”
They had no choice? What on earth had they done?
From the tone and expression of the Soul Chasing Twin Swords, it was clear that a deal of no small significance had been made between the Murim Alliance and the Demonic Alliance for this to happen.
“You’ve prepared quite thoroughly.”
“We have no other intention. We only wish for there to be no unnecessary obstacles to this invitation. Please understand that this is how sincere our Alliance Leader is about this invitation.”
Soon, Peng Mugang looked once more at the Black Killing Sword sent by the Black Emperor, then let out a sigh.
Now that things had come to this, what was the point of thinking about it any further?
“I understand your intentions well enough. If, contrary to what you’ve said, anything happens to the White Wolf Unit, then our Peng Family will not hesitate to go to war with the Demonic Alliance.”
“Such a thing will not happen.”
“Good. Then we will accept that invitation.”
In the end, the dangerous invitation from the Demonic Alliance was accepted.
And so, the White Wolf Unit was set to head to the Demonic Alliance.
The departure was scheduled for two days later.
As it was a long journey to the Demonic Alliance headquarters in Yueyang, Hunan, the members of the White Wolf Unit had to hurry to prepare for the sudden, long trip.
“The Demonic Alliance.”
Peng Seo-yeon said, her face ashen.
Yul-i was at Sowol Academy.
“Don’t you think it would be better for you to back out now? You could delegate it to the Vice Commander.”
At his wife’s words, Yeo Un-hwi shook his head.
“This is not a matter that can be handled so easily. It seems the Demonic Alliance Leader wants the White Wolf Unit exactly as it was when it cut down the Extreme Evil Laughing Demon.”
“But even so...”
Peng Seo-yeon’s face was filled with worry.
It was understandable.
From her perspective, Yeo Un-hwi was someone who had just begun to learn martial arts. For him to accept an invitation from the Demonic Alliance, of all places, and travel that far as the commander seemed far too dangerous.
But Yeo Un-hwi smiled as if to tell her not to worry.
“You don’t need to worry so much. As I said before, the Demonic Alliance Leader has staked his personal Divine Weapon on this matter. That’s how sincere he is about this invitation. The Soul Annihilation Unit will be with us on the way, so we will be safe even in the Demonic Alliance’s territory.”
So what problem could there possibly be?
From the Black Emperor’s standpoint, there was no reason for him to go through such a troublesome process just to do something to the White Wolf Unit.
Despite that, the worry did not disappear from Peng Seo-yeon’s face.
She understood with her head, but she couldn’t help but worry.
The thought of him just not going crossed her mind dozens, hundreds of times.
Of course, she knew too.
Now that the Black Emperor had come out like this, there was no way they could not go.
Still, Peng Seo-yeon had brought it up, just in case.
Yeo Un-hwi smiled gently.
He felt a great love in his wife’s concern.
“Dear.”
Then, suddenly, Yeo Un-hwi looked at Peng Seo-yeon with a serious gaze.
“There’s something I must tell you.”
“What is it?”
“That is…”
Yeo Un-hwi’s lips moved for a moment.
But soon, the corners of his mouth lifted into a quiet smile.
“Not now, but when I return. I’ll tell you when I return then.”
At Yeo Un-hwi’s mysterious words, Peng Seo-yeon could only tilt her head in confusion.