My Father Is the Number One Under Heaven [Novel] Chapter 153

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[Chapter 153] Cheongija’s Arrangement

“Is this the place? Tsk, tsk.”

Right at that moment, figures exuding a fierce and ferocious aura appeared before the main gate of the Hebei Peng family estate.

Even without an introduction, their appearance made it immediately obvious.

They were members of the Demonic Cult.

However, seeing the Peng Clan fully armed and ready for battle at the entrance, Gwak Wundo, the third son of the Cult Leader overseeing this operation, clicked his tongue.

“Looks like the news has already leaked.”

“What does it matter? They’ll all end up dead anyway. Tsk, tsk.”

In truth, from the moment they drew near, they had never intended to conceal their approach.

Who could possibly stop them?

Unless a coalition had been formed beforehand to oppose them.

Excluding the Murim Alliance and the Heretic Alliance, no single force currently existing in the Murim could stop the group assembled here.

Even Shaolin and Wudang would have been powerless against them.

Yet the aura radiating from the martial artists of the Hebei Peng Clan as they faced the Demonic Cult was formidable.

Naturally, many among them were tense.

However, far surpassing that fear was the resolute determination burning within the martial artists of Hebei never to surrender this place to the enemy.

“The Demonic Cult.”

Peng Mugang muttered quietly.

They had arrived even earlier than Jin Sobaek had anticipated.

Had they been even slightly slower in evacuating the household members, the situation would have become truly disastrous.

Soon, all the martial artists of the Peng Clan stood in full battle readiness, facing the Demonic Cult.

Taking in the strength of the Hebei Peng Clan with his own eyes, the Sword Demon snorted.

They were completely outmatched in numbers alone.

It was only natural.

Even the respective martial troops serving each of the Ten Demonic Stars had been mobilized for this campaign.

Their sheer numbers utterly overwhelmed the Peng Clan.

The outcome had already been decided before the battle even began.

Yet look at them, their eyes burning with defiance. Tsk.

“Do you really believe you can face us with just that? How utterly laughable.”

“Hmph. Judging by the way you speak, it seems you’ve only ever fought battles where victory was guaranteed.”

At the Sword Demon’s words, Peng Mugang stepped forward.

At his commanding presence, the eyes of the Ten Demonic Stars, including the Sword Demon, widened slightly.

“I’ve heard much about you. You must be the Overlord of Hebei’s Saber?”

“Indeed. I am Peng Mugang, the Patriarch of the Hebei Peng Clan.”

Having introduced himself, Peng Mugang unleashed a ferocious aura from his entire body.

It was a presence truly worthy of the title ‘The Roaring Tiger of Hebei.’

However, the Sword Demon smiled with amusement and drew his sword.

“I’ve been wanting to test the strength of those Ten Great Masters who were arbitrarily chosen without including our Ten Demonic Stars, so this worked out nicely. Today, right here, I’ll witness the skill of the Overlord of Hebei’s Saber.”

“Sword Demon. You must not act like this.”

“Ahem! Acting like our master already, are you? You haven’t even become the Minor Cult Leader yet, so I suggest you don’t get ahead of yourself.”

“No, that’s not what I meant…”

Gwak Wundo wore a troubled expression at the Sword Demon’s snarling, overbearing momentum.

“Tsk, tsk. Sword Demon is the type who must do whatever he sets his mind to, so it would be wise to leave him be.”

“Just enjoy the show. Hehe.”

“…Understood.”

When the other Ten Demonic Stars who had accompanied them, the Red Demon and the Cold Demon, spoke with smirks, Gwak Wundo bit his lip and stepped back.

‘Damn it. They’re all nothing but self-righteous old fools.’

Gwak Wundo was exceedingly irritated.

Even if they were the Ten Demonic Stars, his father had personally entrusted this mission to him.

If so, they should have followed his command regardless of the situation.

Yet they completely disregarded him, and the Sword Demon had arbitrarily challenged the Patriarch of the Peng Clan to a duel.

Naturally, he could not have been pleased.

However, there was nothing he could do. Not yet.

While it was true that Gwak Wundo had the highest chance of becoming the Minor Cult Leader among the surviving successors, it had not yet been finalized.

Thus, the Ten Demonic Stars had no reason to heed his words.

‘Just wait until I become the Minor Cult Leader and eventually the Cult Leader, Sword Demon. I’ll make sure you regret your words and actions today.’

Gwak Wundo ground his teeth inwardly.

“Now then, let us see what you’re made of!”

The Sword Demon strode forward with heavy steps.

Peng Mugang drew his saber and faced him.

In a situation like this, he had no reason to avoid a duel with the Sword Demon.

Rumble.

As if preliminary testing were unnecessary, the Sword Demon raised his Internal Energy to its limit.

Soon, an orange aura began to stretch out in all directions from his entire body.

At that moment, his sword shot toward Peng Mugang at incredible speed, leaving behind afterimages.

It was the Death Proclamation Wind-Light Sword Technique, the Sword Demon’s pride.

“Everyone, fall back!”

Refusing to be outdone, Peng Mugang unleashed the Primordial Thunderbolt Saber Technique, the premier martial art representing the Peng Clan.

Boom!

The earth cracked beneath them from the collision.

The power wielded by the two masters was immense.

However, at a certain moment, a shadow crossed the Sword Demon’s face.

‘Damn it! How can this be!’

With just a single clash, he had realized the truth.

Peng Mugang was a level above him.

At this reality, which no one else had noticed yet, the Sword Demon involuntarily ground his teeth.

As expected of the Roaring Tiger, the Overlord of Hebei’s Saber, Peng Mugang.

His prowess with the saber was on an entirely different tier compared to the other Ten Great Masters.

It was a level of mastery befitting one who had already surpassed the Ten Great Masters and was eyeing the realm of the Twelve Venerables of the World.

However,

“I’ll kill you in a single strike!”

Even if Peng Mugang’s martial arts far exceeded his expectations, retreating now would destroy the Sword Demon’s pride.

He pushed his power to the absolute limit and unleashed his ultimate technique.

[Heaven-Burning Thunderbolt Sword]

A rapid sword strike of terrifying speed shot forward, aimed directly at Peng Mugang’s neck.

“Hmph!”

Peng Mugang did not miss a single movement.

He, too, unleashed his ultimate technique.

[Fierce Tiger Descending the Mountain]

His savage Saber Aura devoured the Sword Demon’s Heaven-Burning Thunderbolt Sword and threatened to swallow the Sword Demon whole.

Seeing the Saber Aura bearing down right before his eyes, the Sword Demon threw himself aside with all his might.

To survive.

“Damn it!”

Having rolled unsightly across the ground, the Sword Demon scrambled back to his feet.

However, Peng Mugang had already closed the distance and was swinging his saber down upon him.

‘First one down!’

Taking down one of the Ten Demonic Stars quickly would turn the tide in their favor.

He could not afford to miss this golden opportunity.

Just then,

“Hold it!”

A group appeared from a direction completely separate from where the Peng Clan and the Demonic Cult stood in confrontation.

Peng Mugang’s eyes widened in shock.

“How…”

Not only Peng Mugang, but the faces of all the Peng Clan martial artists turned to stone.

The vast majority of the household members who had been evacuated earlier were being dragged forward by the newly arrived Demonic Cultists.

Among them were Dan Heeyoung, Peng Seoyeon, and even Yul.

“I had a feeling this would happen. Tsk, tsk.”

A tall, gaunt man sneered.

It was the Chasing Demon.

One of the Ten Demonic Stars present that day, a man gifted in tracking and detection.

Before arriving at the Hebei Peng Clan, he had broken away from the main force to search the routes the Peng Clan might use to flee in the opposite direction.

Sure enough, the household members evacuated by the Hebei Peng Clan were moving along that path.

‘You evil bastard!’

Peng Seoyeon had charged at him, but no matter how skilled she was, she lacked the strength to face one of the Ten Demonic Stars.

Once Peng Seoyeon was subdued, the household members could no longer resist and were dragged back helplessly.

Of course, an unexpected event had occurred along the way.

The little girl, seemingly the daughter of the woman who had attacked him, had activated a protective barrier using a strange artifact out of nowhere.

However, that alone could not protect all the household members.

Above all, seeing her mother in danger, the little girl had deactivated the barrier on her own.

Looking into how such a thing was possible, it seemed to stem from the power within the necklace the child wore.

‘An artifact that deploys a protective barrier… Could this be…’

It was unmistakable.

It was the Guardian Mirror, one of the Seven Great Treasures of Murim.

Though he did not know why the Guardian Mirror had taken the form of a necklace instead of a mirror as the rumors claimed, he felt as if he had struck gold that day.

To obtain such a treasure out of nowhere.

Naturally, he had no intention of revealing this fact to the other Ten Demonic Stars.

Because this was now his.

Meanwhile, Yul was sobbing in Peng Seoyeon’s embrace with an utterly terrified expression.

“You bastards! How dare you lay a hand on my granddaughter!”

Sparks flew from Peng Mugang’s eyes at the sight.

However, the Chasing Demon smirked as if everything suddenly made sense.

“Oho, so she really was your granddaughter. No wonder it felt strange for a mere child to possess such a rare treasure.”

“What? What nonsense are you…”

A rare treasure?

Peng Mugang could not comprehend what the Chasing Demon was saying.

“Anyway, you’d better not move an inch from there. Unless you wish to watch your family and household members, including this little girl, die one by one.”

“You scum…”

It was then.

Boom!

A Sword Aura flew toward Peng Mugang out of nowhere.

The fallen Sword Demon had launched an attack against Peng Mugang.

“Ugh.”

Peng Mugang was forced back several steps before collapsing to his knees.

Drip.

Dark red blood trickled from his mouth.

He had hurriedly erected his Body-Protecting Astral Qi, but it was not enough.

Even if he had overwhelmed his opponent in a duel, taking such an attack unprotected was another matter entirely.

The Sword Demon was not an opponent to be taken lightly.

“Lay down your weapons obediently. If you don’t wish to die.”

“Even if we do, wasn’t it your intention to slaughter us all anyway?”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Indeed. You’ve grasped the situation accurately. Shall we begin, then? Kill them all.”

In truth, the Chasing Demon had not captured the household members to use them as hostages.

He had brought them back simply to slaughter them all.

Right before their very eyes, at that.

Soon, the blades raised by the Chasing Demon and his subordinates were aimed at the household members.

The reflection of the Chasing Demon’s blade gleamed in Yul’s eyes.

“N-no!”

Peng Mugang and his martial artists shouted in sheer desperation, their faces pale.

However, it was already too late.

It seemed as though no one could stop those blades.

Just then,

Swiiiiiish!

A volley of Sword Aura descended out of nowhere upon the Chasing Demon and all his subordinates.

“Wh-what?”

Ultimately, they had no choice but to halt their swords and retreat.

“Wh-who goes there!”

“How dare the filth of the Demonic Cult persecute our Five Great Clans!”

A middle-aged man with a stern, stoic face appeared.

Following him were swordsmen exuding noble Sword Qi, dressed in martial uniforms embroidered in blue.

“You!”

Peng Mugang’s eyes widened as far as they could go.

An exceedingly familiar face.

They were none other than the Emperor Sword, Namgung Hwan, and the swordsmen of the Namgung Clan.

They quickly protected the household members of the Hebei Peng Clan and shielded them behind their backs.

“How are you here…”

Peng Mugang felt as though he were dreaming.

At that, the Emperor Sword Namgung Hwan smiled faintly at Peng Mugang.

“When a friend is in peril, how could I simply turn a blind eye?”

Even so, Peng Mugang could not understand.

How had they known and arrived so quickly?

The messengers dispatched by the Peng Clan could not have even arrived yet.

As if reading Peng Mugang’s thoughts, Namgung Hwan continued.

“We’re not the only ones who have come.”

“What? What do you mean…”

“We’ve arrived as well!”

A hearty laugh rang out.

It was an extremely familiar voice.

Soon, the Wild Wind Divine Fist, Hwangbo Gyun, and the Iron-Blooded Heavenly Sword Troop revealed themselves.

Following them were the Sichuan Tang Clan and the Jegal Clan.

“Looks like you got beaten up right from the start, tsk, tsk. I swear, you can’t do anything without me.”

Hwangbo Gyun casually approached Peng Mugang with a booming laugh.

“Just what on earth is happening?”

“Do you know why I returned to the Hwangbo Clan, leaving our precious granddaughter Yul behind? It was all because of what Cheongija told me.”

On Yul’s birthday, Cheongija had quietly pulled Hwangbo Gyun aside and given him a discreet hint.

He had revealed that a great calamity would befall the Hebei Peng Clan in the near future.

Providing the exact date and time, no less.

He instructed him to seek help from the other Five Great Clans.

He had warned that if this disaster could not be prevented, the world would never be able to withstand the wrath of a giant dragon.

However, he had stipulated that the Peng family must not know about this warning.

If the party experiencing the disaster knew in advance and tried to evade it, it would return as an even greater disaster, he had said.

Though Hwangbo Gyun could not comprehend what the wrath of a dragon or the rest of the cryptic warning meant, he moved exactly as Cheongija had instructed.

Very quietly. Without letting the world know.

Thus, all of the Five Great Clans had gathered there that day.

And facing this very moment,

Everyone was once again awed by Cheongija’s miraculous foresight.

With all of the Five Great Clans suddenly appearing on the scene, the Demonic Cult appeared visibly shaken.

Above all, the Chasing Demon was furious that his plan had been ruined.

“Hmph! In the end, the Five Great Clans are nothing more than a disorganized rabble! Do you really believe the likes of you can stop us?!”

“Well. We’ll only know who the rabble is once we clash.”

“I’ll make you clearly understand what a grave mistake it was to dare cross our Five Great Clans!”

Dang Jinwoo, the Patriarch of the Sichuan Tang Clan known as Poison Rain, and Jegal Seung, the Patriarch of the Jegal Clan known as Heavenly Thunder, who had remained silent until then, stepped forward with sharp glints in their eyes.

Behind them, the Red Moon Troop, the pride of the Tang Clan, and the Swimming Dragon Sword Troop, known as the sword of the Jegal Clan, drew their weapons.

“Argh! Since it’s come to this, kill them all! What are you waiting for!”

Following the Chasing Demon, the Sword Demon roared, and all the Demonic Cultists present fiercely drew their blades.

Behind them, the Red Demon and the Cold Demon gathered their Internal Energy, preparing for battle.

However, there was no need to fear.

The united Five Great Clans were formidable.

Having gathered his strength, Peng Mugang stood shoulder to shoulder with his friends.

Then, he roared like a howling tiger.

“Not a single Demonic Cultist present here today shall return alive!”

The scales that had tilted entirely to one side were now evenly balanced once more.

Now, the outcome was completely unpredictable.

And so, the full-scale battle between the Five Great Clans and the Demonic Cult began.

At the exact same time.

Rumble!

Something was flying across the high heavens at an incredible speed.

Leaving behind a blurry afterimage resembling a dragon.

The speed was so astonishing that thunderous sonic booms echoed belatedly in its wake.

The identity of that figure was none other than Yeo Woonhwi.

‘I pray I’m not too late…’

Ever since receiving word of the Peng Clan at the Heretic Alliance, he had been flying toward Hebei without resting for even a single moment.

A distance that would normally have taken a considerable amount of time.

Yet for the current Yeo Woonhwi, a single day was more than enough.

In fact, he was hurrying to arrive even faster than that.

Thus, Hebei and the Peng Clan were not far off now.

However, overwhelmed by anxiety, Yeo Woonhwi unconsciously bit his lip.

The faces of Yul, Peng Seoyeon, and every single member of the Peng Clan flashed across Yeo Woonhwi’s mind.

‘Please. Please, I pray that no one has died.’

Driven by an ominous feeling creeping into his heart, Yeo Woonhwi accelerated once more.

Soon, his figure shot forward like lightning, moving even faster.