A pigeon shot through the air at great speed, heading for what had been, until the day before, the Martial Alliance's Sichuan Branch.
Its feathers shone with a golden hue, and its size rivaled that of an eagle.
It was a legendary creature known as the Golden Light Dove.
Said to be able to pick up its master's scent and fly to them from a thousand li away, the bird was believed to be extinct—yet the Demonic Cult still possessed two.
One belonged to the Demonic Cult Leader, Thunder Emperor, and the other to Baek yun-hoe.
As the Golden Light Dove neared the office of the late Iron-Blooded Meng Cheon-hu, former branch lord of the Sichuan Branch, it beat its wings sharply to slow its approach.
A man with a calm expression stood by the window. Smiling faintly, he extended one arm, and the dove promptly alighted on his forearm, rubbing its head affectionately against him like a puppy greeting its master.
"The Golden Light Dove really does adore the Cheonrang Unit Leader," remarked Black Wolf Unit Leader Cho Ji-myeong from inside the office.
Without answering, Baek yun-hoe untied the small note from the bird's leg and unfolded it. His eyes widened in surprise, then his brows furrowed.
Noticing the change in Baek yun-hoe's expression, Cho Ji-myeong approached with a tense face.
"What's the matter?"
Baek yun-hoe silently handed him the note. It was written in code, which Cho Ji-myeong hurried to decipher.
Spy dispatched to Chengdu failed. All personnel heading to Martial Alliance Sichuan Branch.
A short message—yet its contents were anything but ordinary.
Cho Ji-myeong let out a low groan and looked at Baek yun-hoe.
"Hmm… That means the plan to split the Dokgo Clan and Kunlun has failed. Not that it matters much with the Black Tortoise Corps—they'd have sided with either anyway—but all three coming here together…"
Currently, six hundred men were stationed here.
Out of the original twelve hundred, a hundred had been lost the previous night. Six hundred were sent with Black Ghost Dao Elder Ma Shin-rang to wipe out the Amipa and return before the Dokgo Clan's reinforcements could arrive.
The idea was that Black Ghost Dao would annihilate the Amipa and then fall back here.
Meanwhile, Baek yun-hoe would crush the Kunlun Sect, led by the Invincible Sword Han Chu-gwang, who was eager to face him. Finally, the Dokgo Clan—pursuing the elder to avenge the Amipa—would be destroyed in turn.
This was the essence of the plan: defeat the orthodox forces one by one.
But now… the spy had failed, and all enemy forces were heading here.
Watching Baek yun-hoe's thoughtful expression, Cho Ji-myeong said,
"Perhaps this is for the best. Even if they all come here, we can still win. Don't you agree?"
His tone brimmed with confidence.
But Baek yun-hoe kept silent, stroking the dove's head before exhaling a deep sigh.
"That's not the point. Whether they come en masse or not doesn't matter—the real question is, how did they figure out she was a spy? The woman I sent never learned our cult's martial arts, and she'd fooled countless enemies in previous operations with perfect acting. She was always meticulously prepared…"
Knowing Baek yun-hoe's deep fondness for his subordinates, Cho Ji-myeong smiled and offered comfort.
"A shame to lose such talent, but what can we do? For those of us who live on the battlefield, whether we die today or tomorrow is all the same. What matters is living this moment with purpose. I'm sure she died with dignity."
"She was a rare one. But that's not my point. Not only did they see through her disguise, they also refused to split their forces—they've seen through our plan for a divide-and-conquer."
"…"
"Does the Dokgo Clan have anyone capable of that? Kunlun? The Invincible Sword Han Chu-gwang is superb in martial skill, but not in the head. The Black Tortoise Corps? A bunch of green youths with more vanity than experience. Then who could it be?"
Cho Ji-myeong tried to think of a candidate, but if Baek yun-hoe couldn't name them, there was no way he could.
"In any case, Cheonrang Unit Leader, it doesn't change the fact that we'll win, does it? Isn't that what matters most?"
Baek yun-hoe clicked his tongue inwardly.
No.
Taking the Sichuan Branch meant half the victory was already his—but the other half still needed to go smoothly. Now, something unexpected was disrupting that.
A massive dam could start to crumble from a small hole. Overlook a minor issue, and it could become a disaster.
A sudden glint flashed in his eyes.
"Wait… this doesn't add up. Someone smart enough to spot the spy and see through our divide-and-conquer… and they're not going to save the Amipa but coming here instead?"
"Why not?"
"That's absurd! If they're that smart, they'd have realized we've already taken this place! Which means they'd head for the Amipa!"
Baek yun-hoe rose abruptly, clenching his fist. The Golden Light Dove, startled, flew from his arm to perch on a tree outside the window.
Cho Ji-myeong was left speechless—Baek yun-hoe's logic was as sharp as ever. Then a thought struck him.
"Cheonrang Unit Leader, here's my view."
The commander turned his head, and Cho Ji-myeong, with his usual forthright expression, continued,
"No matter how clever someone among them might be, he's not the Heavenly Demon Sword Baek yun-hoe."
"…Hm?"
Baek yun-hoe looked puzzled, then gave a wry smile.
What Cho Ji-myeong meant was that, even if someone had unmasked the spy, seeing through the entire situation as Baek yun-hoe could was impossible—unless that person was Baek yun-hoe himself.
A heavy compliment for the Cheonrang Unit Leader.
Though amused, Baek yun-hoe didn't get angry. Cho Ji-myeong wasn't one to flatter—he was one of the few commanders truly worthy of respect.
"Hmm… Perhaps you're right. Maybe I jumped to conclusions."
"That's what I think."
"Still, if it were me, I'd definitely go to rescue the Amipa. Headmaster Bohyeon is well-loved among the orthodox masters. And the fall of the Amipa would be a far greater strategic loss than losing the Sichuan Branch. No… going to the Amipa makes more sense…"
He trailed off, lost in thought, rubbing his brow between thumb and forefinger. After a brief silence, he shook his head and his eyes lit up again.
"No, I'm convinced—they've gone to the Amipa. If Elder Black Ghost Dao hasn't crushed them within two hours, he could be in trouble. We'll send reinforcements."
The Heavenly Demon Sword had made his decision.
Cho Ji-myeong thought he was being overly cautious—like making a poor move after overthinking.
But if that was his call, it had to be followed. He was the commander, after all—and had never once disappointed in the brutal clashes with the orthodox world.
Just then, a voice came from beyond the inner chamber door.
"Unit Leader, this is Gwan Tae-rang."
The deputy leader of the Cheonrang Unit—a man in his mid-thirties, strikingly handsome, and popular with women, though he regarded them as nothing more than stones on the road. His passion was solely for work and martial arts.
"Come in. I was about to call for you anyway."
The door opened, and Gwan Tae-rang entered, kneeling on one knee and speaking in a firm tone.
"We've just received a carrier pigeon from the scouts—thirty mounted men passed through an area fifty li from here."
Cho Ji-myeong's face lit up.
"Haha! Looks like they're rushing this way. The mounted ones must have gotten ahead."
At his words, Baek yun-hoe tilted his head slightly and let out a curious sigh.
"Is that so? So this unknown figure can see two or three moves ahead, but not enough to grasp the entire picture?"
Strangely, Baek yun-hoe's tone carried not only relief, but also a hint of regret.
Cho Ji-myeong replied,
"To be fair, even that is already quite impressive."
Baek yun-hoe nodded with a frown, then turned to Gwan Tae-rang and gave his order.
"In that case, we'll finish them all here. Gwan Tae-rang, prepare to welcome our guests."
"At once!"
Gwan Tae-rang rose, bowed at a right angle, and left with firm, confident steps. Watching his retreating back, Baek yun-hoe's brows knitted again.
The feeling of unease wouldn't leave his chest.
Things weren't proceeding as originally planned, but so far there was no major problem. The enemy not splitting their forces meant they would suffer more casualties, but that was acceptable.
Still, never before had one of his strategies been exposed so abruptly in the middle of execution.
"Who could it be… the one who saw through my spy in such a desperate situation?"
A crease formed on his forehead as he muttered to himself.
Thus, Cheon Ryu-yeong had succeeded in buying time to keep the Heavenly Demon Sword Baek yun-hoe pinned down.
But… that time would not last long.
"Khrrgh!"
Black Ghost Dao Elder Ma Shin-rang clutched his chest in disbelief.
Over three hundred exchanges against Bohyeon, Headmaster of the Amipa—
And in all that time, he had yet to land a single decisive blow.
For all that she was the leader of one of the Nine Great Sects, to think she possessed greater internal energy than him was astonishing.
More than that, her palm force carried the nature of subduing demons, making it diametrically opposed to his own demonic internal energy. Whenever his attacks infused with demonic power met her palm force, it sent a shock through his body.
Now, she had finally landed a strike with that cursed Tathagata Palm—squarely to his chest.
The holy energy had infiltrated his body, shaking his vital energy to its core.
Grinding his teeth, the Black Ghost Dao Elder fell back. Bohyeon swiftly retreated as well, tending to her subordinates.
"Hold on! Reinforcements will be here soon!"
Early in the fight, she had sent six disciples in two groups—one toward the Sichuan Branch, the other toward the Dokgo Clan's party.
Five of them had fallen, failing to break through the encirclement. But their sacrifice allowed one to escape. That lone nun raced at full speed, using lightness skill, toward what she believed was the Dokgo Clan's group.
Unfortunately, she never met them. She assumed they were headed for the Sichuan Branch—when in reality, thanks to Cheon Ryu-yeong's guidance, they were already coming straight here from Chengdu. Their paths never crossed.
Bohyeon struck down several black-clad assailants with her Green Dragon Palm, shouting again,
"Just a little longer! Hold on!"
It was almost a cry of desperation.
At the start, their Ten Demon-Subduing Dragon Formations had suffered a rear assault, causing two to collapse instantly. Over time, more had been broken, leaving only three still standing.
Three of her closest fellow disciples lay dead. Of her most cherished direct disciples, two were gone, and one was gravely injured.
Of her thirty top disciples, only seven remained.
If reinforcements did not arrive, annihilation was inevitable. Seventy percent of the Amipa's elite were here—if they fell, the sect would have no choice but to close its gates.
After all the hardship she had endured to restore the fallen Amipa, the thought of seeing it collapse so easily brought tears of blood to her eyes.
Meanwhile, having barely stabilized his shaken energy, the Black Ghost Dao Elder assessed the battlefield with clenched teeth.
Six hundred men attacking three hundred—and yet, after nearly two hours, victory was nowhere in sight.
It was as if he could hear the Cheonrang Unit Leader's mocking laughter. Baek Un-hoe had warned him not to underestimate Bohyeon.
He had insisted at the start that he and the Twin Cold-Blooded Elders should work together to eliminate her as quickly as possible.
But Ma Shin-rang's pride had been pricked. He had chosen to face her alone, planning to return boasting that he had defeated Bohyeon single-handed. Now, he had to abandon that plan.
"Damn it! You cursed old woman!"
He glared at Bohyeon, murderous intent blazing in his eyes.
He had devised his own plan, ignoring Baek yun-hoe's advice—he would keep Bohyeon busy, while the Twin Cold-Blooded Elders and their men slaughtered the Amipa disciples. But he had failed, and the elders were struggling to break the Amipa's Demon-Subduing Dragon Formation.
Anxiety gnawed at him.
If the Dokgo Clan's reinforcements arrived now, their advantage would dissolve into chaos. The Amipa had lost two hundred, but a hundred still stood.
At last, he summoned the Twin Cold-Blooded Elders.
"What have you been doing all this time? While I was handling Bohyeon, you couldn't wipe out those blasted nuns?"
Elder Cold Blood looked awkward, but Elder Blood Fury snapped back irritably,
"If you'd handled Bohyeon properly, we'd have finished long ago! Every time we were about to break through, she interfered!"
Ignoring the jab, Ma Shin-rang got to the point.
"This won't do. Even while fighting me, she finds time to slip away—it's infuriating."
The elders nodded grimly.
Bohyeon's movement art, Divine Ghost Steps, made it seem as if she was advancing, only for her to vanish backward like a phantom.
This forced the Black Ghost Dao Elder to guard against her attacks constantly, while her timely returns to aid her disciples frustrated the elders' assaults.
"I'll fight her again to draw her in. You two block her retreat."
At this, both elders scowled.
"So, in the end, we're doing as that young pup, the Cheonrang Unit Leader, suggested? That arrogant brat will once again stand above us elders. His popularity is already overshadowing ours."
For three elders of the Demonic Cult to gang up on a single person, even if she was the Amipa's leader, was a blow to their pride.
But Ma Shin-rang's next words forced them to agree.
"This is no time for pride. In fact, we've already lost face. If the Cheonrang Unit Leader's prediction is right, the Dokgo Clan will be here any moment…"
Blood Fury added,
"He's right. If this keeps up, we'll get nothing. Once Bohyeon is dead, the rest will lose hope and collapse. Let's do it."
With Blood Fury in agreement, Cold Blood relented as well.
They might have the upper hand against the Amipa—but they were also racing against time.
Now was not the time to quibble over appearances—they needed results.
And as their fears suggested, Cheon Ryu-yeong's group was already crossing the plains, with only a small hill left before reaching them.