Chapter 1067: Want to Try Killing Me? (Part 2)

Jo Gol, without even considering wiping away the cold sweat trickling down, stared blankly at Chung Myung.

"... No."

Of course, he knew that guy was insane. Where else would you find a disciple of Mount Hua who didn't know that the guy was out of his mind?

But there's a limit to madness. He couldn't have imagined that he would get that crazy.

'No, I still....'

Until now, whenever that guy did something crazy, Jo Gol thought there was always some calculation behind it. He never thought there wouldn't be a plan even for something this crazy.

"... Crazy bastard."

It was Yoon Jong who spoke. If those words came out of his mouth, it meant everything had been said. The scene in front of him, the collapsed Baek Cheon and Yoo Iseol lying on the ground next to him like a dejected cat, showed how dire it was.

'It would make more sense to stick your head into a tiger's mouth and shout for it to eat you!'

At that moment, Tang Soso mumbled in a voice that seemed to have lost its soul.

"That crazy bastard... if he wants to die, he should die alone. Why drag us into it..."

Jo Gol turned around in surprise. Even though Mount Hua was a place with no seniority, it was a bit... Yoon Jong must have heard, so he might get angry...

"I know, right!"

Oh, no. Sahyung seemed really angry.

And it seemed that it wasn't only Mount Hua's disciples who were affected by the crazy actions of that Chung Myung.

"I..."

The gazes of everyone who had collapsed turned unanimously to the source of the voice. If it were someone else's voice, they might not have had the strength to turn their heads, but in this situation, they couldn't ignore Jang Ilso's reaction.

Jang Ilso, who was keeping his back straight as if he could not bear to collapse like the disciples of the Mount Hua Sect, had an expression of bewilderment on his face. His gaze was fixed on Chung Myung, who was approaching them.

"I thought I was the craziest one in the Kangho, but..."

"..."

"There was someone worse."

The disciples of Mount Hua looked at each other with faces that couldn't laugh or cry. They never thought the moment would come when they would empathize with what Jang Ilso said.

The slightly pale complexion of Jang Ilso, who looked more relaxed than usual, seemed to show that his previous words were not just a joke.

In contrast, the face of Chung Myung, who approached, was calm, as if it was all someone else's business. He looked at Baek Cheon and the group and clicked his tongue.

"Wow, if someone sees you, they might think you've done something impressive. What did you do to sit down!"

"Hey, this... "

"Do... Dojang, please go far away and lie down. Please... "

The disciples of Mount Hua, with no strength left to shout, only cursed with powerless voices.

Still, Baek Cheon, pretending to be composed, was the first to rise and ask,

"How... "

"Hm?"

"What happened? Why did he obediently go back like that?"

He had heard them talk roughly, but without any background knowledge, he couldn't understand even if he listened.

"It's not something great..."

Chung Myung's gaze briefly touched Jang Ilso.

"I'll tell you later."

Baek Cheon, who understood the meaning, nodded, but Jang Ilso, sounding disappointed, opened his mouth.

"I thought we fought together as comrades. Won't my heart ache if you so openly exclude me?"

It was a voice that sounded soft, if even friendly, but Chung Myung's response was chillingly indifferent.

"I'll never use the word 'comrade' with a guy like you."

"As much as I want to give a harsh reply.... Well, seeing what you're doing, I think it might be better for me too."

Jang Ilso said with a slightly strange look in his eyes. At that, voices agreeing came from all around.

"That's right."

"Honestly, we feel sorry for you."

"Sorry."

"What, you bastards?"

Chung Myung glared at Mount Hua's disciples who sympathized with Jang Ilso.

Jang Ilso opened his mouth.

"The guy called Heavenly Demon they're waiting for... "

At the mention of the so-called Heavenly Demon, the atmosphere changed instantly. While Jang Ilso still fixed his gaze on Chung Myung, he spoke with a heavy voice.

"It seems he's not falling from the sky but resurrecting in someone's body, huh?"

Chung Myung cast a cold gaze at Jang Ilso. However, Jang Ilso merely lifted the corners of his red lips in response to that icy stare.

"And the demonic sect practitioners have no way of confirming whether the resurrected individual realizes their demonic nature before it happens. So... does that mean they can't kill anyone from the Central Plains?"

Chung Myung didn't bother to provide an answer. Yet, in the current situation, was there a more clear response than silence? Jang Ilso's eyes gleamed with a peculiar light.

"Does that mean... that the so-called 'Heavenly Demon' might already be resurrected, living here in the Central Plains without even realizing they are a Heavenly Demon?"

Chung Myung's gaze grew slightly fiercer. Then Jang Ilso chuckled.

"If you glare at me like that, it only makes me more certain, you know?"

Chung Myung, with a hint of irritation, breathed out audibly. It was Jang Ilso after all, and given that he had personally witnessed everything with those two eyes, what more could he say that wouldn't sound ominous?

"Nothing is certain."

Chung Myung spoke in a subdued voice.

"Already resurrected, not yet born, or maybe aware of being a Heavenly Demon but choosing not to reveal themselves."

"..."

"The problem is that no one knows."

Jang Ilso nodded as if understanding.

"Resurrection..."

After thinking about it for a while, he sighed lightly.

"You believe in such absurd and baseless stories so well. You and those crazy fanatics."

Chung Myung didn't bother to respond to that remark.

There was no reason to make others understand, and he had no intention of making them understand. If he hadn't gone through the process of being reborn himself, he might have dismissed all these words as nonsense, just like Jang Ilso was doing now.

Jang Ilso's gaze swept over the spot where the Heavenly Executioner had been and the traces left by Danjagang.

"However... just dismissing those words as the rantings of fanatics might not be enough. Those madmen aren't ordinary madmen."

Jang Ilso had clearly felt the power of the Heavenly Executioner as well.

Even Danjagang alone was a formidable force that Jang Ilso had never experienced before. Yet, the Heavenly Executioner possessed a strength that could crush even Danjagang with ease. Clearly, at this point, there might not be anyone in this region who could contend with the Heavenly Executioner.

'What if that power combines with the strength of the demonic sect practitioners I've seen?'

Conquering the Central Plains no longer seemed as daunting. At least, it was a much more realistic story than the dream Jang Ilso was harboring.

But yet, the Heavenly Executioner and the demonic sect practitioners remain inactive.

In the remote and unknown borderlands, there was someone who could grasp everything if they set their mind to it. But only because of faith.

Being Jang Ilso, and no one else, it was easy to understand how absurd this situation was. A strong person is a conglomerate of ego. No matter how talented one is, it takes tremendous effort to embody that talent into practical power.

Therefore, having gone through the past processes and obtaining the unchallenged power to cover the entire Central Plains, the strong person tends to become a manifestation of self-love that is difficult for ordinary people to comprehend.

For a strong person like Jang Ilso, whose ego overflowed throughout the Central Plains, it was not strange at all. However, instead of using that power to overcome the Heavenly Demon, he simply threw away everything that he could easily obtain and waited only for the resurrection of the Heavenly Demon.

Like a guard dog protecting an ownerless house.

'Is this really possible?'

It's impossible. No, it shouldn't be possible. There's only one situation where it could be possible.

Jang Ilso looked around at everyone with his sharp eyes.

"So, that Heavenly Demon..."

Everyone held their breath at the ominous voice.

"It's an existence that can even turn that monster into a guard dog for an ownerless house."

If you live in the world of martial arts, you can't not have heard the two characters "Heavenly Demon." The name is a symbol of greatness and an embodiment of fear.

But more powerful than any expression about the Heavenly Demon heard so far was the one sentence uttered by Jang Ilso.

"Beyond loyalty... No, beyond subjugation, to the extent of offering oneself as a sacrifice."

Jang Ilso burst into a bitter laugh.

No one, not even the great Jang Ilso, has ever completely subjugated someone. Can Honggyeon wait for him for a hundred years just because he left behind a word about resurrecting?

Like those crazy people obsessed with murder, living in the borderlands and enduring a long life of patience?

'No way.'

But what kind of actions would it take to turn someone like the Heavenly Executioner, not a Honggyeon, into such a being?

Everyone remained silent.

They fought against Danjagang, and the Heavenly Executioner confronted them. However, at this moment, it felt as if the enormous shadow of the Heavenly Demon, whom they had never encountered before, was pressing down on everyone here.

Jang Ilso's eyes drew a mysterious line.

"That guy could be somewhere around here without anyone knowing who they are..."

Jang Ilso slowly shook his head.

"This is too much for a joke."

Everything had been resolved. They drove the Demonic Sect out, who invaded Hangzhou, and even led to the death of one of their top forces, the bishop. If one were to assess their achievements, it couldn't be wished for anything more.

However, there was no joy in the faces of those who remained here. For those who felt the power of the Demonic Sect and could surmise the power of the Heavenly Demon, all that remained was an indescribable sense of oppression.

"Well, whatever. It's not an immediate problem anyway."

Jang Ilso lightly sighed and grinned.

"Rather than worrying about what might happen later..."

It was an exceptionally bright smile, but the moment they looked into his eyes, the disciples of Mount Hua felt the hair on their bodies stand on end.

"First, shouldn't we resolve our own issues?"

Jang Ilso's voice changed. The peculiar friendliness disappeared, and vitality instantly filled the space. The faces of Baek Cheon and his group tightened with tension.

'Could it be...?'

'At a moment like this?'

Everyone felt a sudden surge of tension in their bodies.

They had thought that Jang Ilso might reveal his true colors at some point. Wasn't the reason for leading only a small group into Gangnam originally because they couldn't trust Jang Ilso?

But even so, this was too urgent.

Before Jang Ilso finished speaking, Honggyeon quietly, but swiftly, gathered around Jang Ilso. At the same time, Mount Hua's disciples confronted Jang Ilso, centered around Chung Myung.

Jang Ilso's eerie gaze and Chung Myung's chilly gaze tangled in the air.

Since Chung Myung and Jang Ilso couldn't fight properly in this situation, this was a fight between Honggyeon and Mount Hua. Although Honggyeon was undoubtedly stronger, Mount Hua's full power was not to be underestimated either.

'Taking our bodies out at least...'

The moment Baek Cheon was about to exchange glances with Un Geom and communicate his intention, Jang Ilso raised his head as if he clearly understood his intention.

"Oh, right. Was it Baek Cheon?"

"...You."

"If your calculations are so slow... in Gangnam, you won't survive."

"What bullshit..."

Just as Jo Gol was about to raise his voice instead of Baek Cheon, he closed his mouth as if it was suddenly blocked by someone's hand. His pupils shook dramatically.

He just saw it. Those who showed themselves one after another around them.

A groan escaped from Yoon Jong's lips involuntarily.

"Ah... Black Ghost Castle...."

The elite members of Black Ghost Castle, who had been left at the entrance of Hangzhou, had gradually tightened the encirclement, showing no intention of letting a single person escape.

If it were only Honggyeon, they might find a way, but with the alliance of Black Ghost Castle?

"Damn it...."

A momentary gloominess flickered across the faces of Mount Hua disciples. Jang Ilso, who had been watching those expressions as if finding them amusing, laughed.

"Aren't you curious?"

A splendid smile appeared on Jang Ilso's face. Cruel light gleamed in his lightly colored eyes.

"Fighting against a tiger the size of house....or being surrounded by a pack of hungry lions, which one do you think is more dreadful?"

"This son of a bitch...."

Jo Gol's eyes began to grow bloodshot.