Martial Scholar of Jianghu, Cheon Ryu-yeong.
At Baek Un-hoe's fierce outburst, both of Noe Ak-cheon's cheeks trembled with rage.
The watching cultists held their breath, glancing back and forth between the Heavenly Demon Sword and the Young Cult Leader. The two often traded sharp words whenever they met, always skirting the edge—but never crossing the line.
This time, Baek Un-hoe had clearly crossed it, openly threatening the other's life.
With burning eyes, he glared at Noe Ak-cheon.
"I'm not joking. I outrank you. And I am the commander of this Sichuan campaign. Don't forget that the only reason I've tolerated and respected you is because you're the Cult Leader's son."
"…"
"I could seize on even a small mistake of yours and punish you. This is the heart of Sichuan, crawling with orthodox sects. If a battle breaks out, I could have you executed for insubordination right here and now."
Noe Ak-cheon blanched, stunned. The Heavenly Demon Sword was absolutely the kind of man who would do exactly that.
If fighting broke out with the orthodox sects, Baek Un-hoe could send him into a death trap. And if he resisted, the man would draw his blade for real.
The problem was… Noe Ak-cheon was no match for him. Without the protection of the Grand Elder or the other Elders, what then?
He swallowed involuntarily, his Adam's apple bobbing.
Seeing the Young Cult Leader too shocked to reply, the Blood Sacrifice Grand Elder stepped in.
"Heavenly Demon Sword! Are you trying to insult all of us? How dare you utter such outrageous words? You've just threatened to kill the Cult Leader's own son over personal feelings. No matter that the Cult Leader entrusted you with the command of this campaign—this is blatant abuse of authority."
The long-silent Yellow Demon Guest Elder spoke next.
"Heavenly Demon Sword, I personally respect your abilities. But this time, you've erred."
Elder Mong Hyeol-bi added,
"You've gone too far. Far too far. This is an emergency—we should be united, not causing internal strife."
At the elders' succession of rebukes, Baek Un-hoe's lips curved into a faint smile.
"You are all cowards."
"…!"
"You're trying to make a scapegoat out of one of our most loyal and capable warriors just because the situation has turned a bit unfavorable. Do you think I don't see that you're just preparing an escape route for yourselves in case the Sichuan campaign fails?"
"…"
"Internal strife? You're the ones causing it! We should be fighting as one—what is this nonsense? The battle isn't even over, and you're already looking for someone to blame. If the world hears of this, they'll laugh and call us pathetic."
The Grand Elder's eyes flashed dangerously.
"Heavenly Demon Sword, if you insist on this course, I cannot overlook it. I will have your conduct judged by the leadership council."
It was a threat to punish him as they planned to punish the Black Wolf Commander. But Baek Un-hoe smiled brightly.
"Hahaha. Yes, that's exactly what you should do. Do you remember what I just said? The Black Wolf Commander went out under my orders. If he acted on my orders, then the one truly responsible… is me. So why are you making an innocent loyalist your scapegoat?"
Noe Ak-cheon's eyes lit up.
"Heavenly Demon Sword! You just said it yourself—you'll take responsibility for the defeat!"
Baek Un-hoe nodded.
"Of course."
"Then take the Black Wolf Commander's punishment in his place!"
"If you wish it."
Hearing this, Noe Ak-cheon's face brightened at once—but the Blood Sacrifice Grand Elder and the rest of the leadership looked troubled.
After all, Baek Un-hoe was the overall commander here. Stripped of personal feelings, his uncanny strategies and unmatched martial prowess made him an irreplaceable asset.
Especially for Black Heaven Lotus figures like Ma Bul and Sa Hyeol-gang, who had faced him as enemies before—they knew exactly how dangerous an opponent he was.
With over nine hundred troops lost to an unexpected defeat, and the Tang Clan's sudden alliance with the orthodox sects leaving them cornered, the Heavenly Demon Sword was all the more essential now.
Even the Black Wolf Commander looked startled, as did Gwan Tae-rang, Mong Chu, and Pa Reuk. The gathered cultists exchanged astonished looks.
Yes, they were cornered—but few truly feared the situation, because the undefeated general, the Heavenly Demon Sword, was with them.
For ten years, he had turned even worse disasters into victory. But if he were subjected to a hundred strokes of the rod…
The thought alone was unbearable. During punishment, one's inner energy was forbidden—meaning he would have to endure with nothing but physical strength.
If Baek Un-hoe were taken out of action, it would be a nightmare for them all.
The only one oblivious to the shifting mood was Noe Ak-cheon. Emboldened, he gave an order to his men.
"Put the Heavenly Demon Sword on the board in place of the Black Wolf Commander—"
Ma Bul, Deputy Leader of the Small Dark Sound Division, coughed to interrupt.
"Ahem. Young Cult Leader, no matter what, he's the commander here. Don't you think that's going too far?"
Sa Hyeol-gang nodded.
"It's not my place to interfere in another's business, but we're in the same boat now. I think we should be cautious with this one."
The fact that the Black Heaven Lotus representatives had spoken up made Noe Ak-cheon's brow twist into a deep scowl.
"The Heavenly Demon Sword is mocking our entire leadership. Have you no pride?"
No one answered. And finally, Noe Ak-cheon realized his position—everyone here, from the Grand Elder down, had only ever acknowledged him out of regard for his father, the Cult Leader. Not because they truly respected him.
A bitter, indescribable humiliation and fury filled his mind.
At that moment, Baek Un-hoe spoke again.
"In truth, I have no intention of being punished."
Noe Ak-cheon snapped back immediately, his voice incredulous.
"You mean to go back on your word?"
He retorted, but without strength.
Baek Un-hoe smirked at him, then swept his gaze over the rest of the leadership.
"Why is there even a need to punish anyone? Yes, we suffered more losses than expected—but we still captured the Sichuan branch, called the most impregnable outpost of the Martial Alliance. Why hunt for scapegoats after a victory?"
The Grand Elder exhaled sharply.
"But it's now difficult to seize all of Sichuan and turn it into a forward base for invading the Central Plains."
"Two things have changed: our strength has lessened, and the enemy's has grown. Because of that man, Cheon Ryu-yeong, we suffered heavy losses—and forces like the Dokgo Clan and Kunlun, which should have been destroyed piecemeal, escaped with minimal damage. And with the Tang Clan's involvement, we must now face both the Tang Clan and the Qingcheng Sect."
All eyes turned to Baek Un-hoe, sensing that he was about to turn this crisis into an opportunity.
"We should also account for the Mount Emei Sect—but they're far enough away that we have time."
Sa Hyeol-gang narrowed her eyes.
"We have time with Emei? You mean…"
Baek Un-hoe smiled.
"It'll take at least fifteen days for Emei to prepare and march here. Before then, we take down the Tang Clan and Qingcheng Sect. Right now, the orthodox factions think that with the Tang Clan's support, we'll be forced into a long war. We can use that complacency to our advantage."
Sa Hyeol-gang felt her breathing quicken.
"You're saying it's possible? That we could crush the Tang and Qingcheng within fifteen days with just us?"
Almost everyone shook their heads at that.
The Tang Clan was a power that could, if it wished, contend with the entire martial world—because they possessed the Invisible Poison, the Poison King.
Also called the fearsome White Demon Poison, the Invisible Poison existed as a fine white powder. Once dispersed into the air, within a minute or two it would completely vanish, living up to its name.
Of course, it's impossible for something to simply vanish from existence. But once the powder clung to the ground, it turned the color of dirt; on wood, it became the color of the bark. And if it drifted in the air, it turned transparent—making it impossible to detect with the naked eye.
The poison entered through inhalation, and unless the victim began circulating their inner energy through the Grand Circuit within a minute, their heart would stop instantly. Some even died the moment they were poisoned.
In short, there were only two ways to survive:
Take an antidote—or begin inner energy circulation as quickly as possible.
For this reason, the Tang Clan, possessor of the Invisible Poison, was one of the most feared sects in the world.
Countless people had tried to develop an antidote, but none had succeeded. The Tang Clan was an extremely closed-off family, and their secrecy about the Invisible Poison was absolute.
The Qingcheng Sect was no less formidable.
As one of the Nine Great Sects representing the orthodox martial world, it would be the undisputed ruler of Sichuan martial circles if not for the Tang Clan.
They had over 1,500 skilled swordsmen, and another 500 lay disciples living within a day's march of Mount Qingcheng. Once battle began, that meant facing a 2,000-strong army of swordsmen.
The forces stationed here couldn't all be mobilized—they needed to keep a garrison to guard the Sichuan branch.
So the idea of destroying both the Tang Clan and the Qingcheng Sect in just fifteen days sounded wildly unrealistic.
But the one saying it was the Heavenly Demon Sword.
The Blood Sacrifice Grand Elder repeated Sa Hyeol-gang's earlier question.
"Heavenly Demon Sword… are you saying that's truly possible?"
Baek Un-hoe smiled faintly and nodded.
"I'll take care of the Qingcheng Sect."
Noe Ak-cheon gave a derisive snort.
"Hmph! So you admit you're afraid of the Tang Clan's Invisible Poison."
The Grand Elder cast him a sharp glance and waved his hand—warning him not to start petty quarrels now.
He turned back to Baek Un-hoe.
"You'll take on Qingcheng? How many troops will you take?"
"Three hundred and fifty of the Cheonrang Unit."
"…!"
Every gaze wavered, and Noe Ak-cheon's mouth fell open in disbelief. The Cheonrang Unit under Baek Un-hoe was indeed the strongest, but attacking 2,000 swordsmen was no easy feat.
The odds were overwhelming—failure almost certain. Even if they won, most of the Cheonrang Unit would surely die.
The Grand Elder swallowed a groan.
"You're prepared for mutual destruction?"
"My men and I still have much to do. Why would we die together with them? Not most, but almost all of my Cheonrang Unit will return alive."
His bold declaration drew sharp intakes of breath. Even the Grand Elder looked shocked.
"You mean… that's possible?"
"Because we'll play at being ghosts."
"…?"
The Grand Elder wanted to ask for details, but there were too many ears listening. Even if there weren't likely to be enemy spies here, operational secrets weren't to be discussed openly.
"Playing at ghosts… I have no idea what you mean. But if you say so, I trust you have a sound reason."
"Of course."
"Then you mean that aside from the minimum to guard this place, we should take on the Tang Clan?"
"That's right."
"And the method?"
All eyes fixed on him, barely daring to blink.
Baek Un-hoe drew a small pouch from his robes. Untying the cord, he poured several stones of various sizes into his palm.
The Grand Elder asked,
"What's that?"
"As you can see—stones."
"…?"
Baek Un-hoe placed them one by one on the command table, then set the largest on the floor and carefully stacked the rest atop it.
When he was done, a tower of seven stones stood there.
"How does it look?" he asked.
"Mm… forgive me, but I've no idea what you're getting at."
"The way to topple a stone tower in one strike—that's the key to bringing down the Tang Clan."
"Mm…"
The Grand Elder sighed again. This, too, would have to be asked about in private.
A suffocating stillness settled over the hall.
No one could grasp exactly what he meant—but one thing was certain.
The Heavenly Demon Sword had the will and the cunning to lead them out of this crisis.
Baek Un-hoe swept his gaze over the leadership.
"The Black Wolf Commander is not yet fully recovered. Why not send him back to focus on healing?"
On the steps, the leaders glanced at one another. Everyone except Noe Ak-cheon gave bitter smiles and nodded.
The Grand Elder's lips curved upward.
"If that is the commander's will, who could oppose it?"
At that, Mong Chu and Pa Reuk, who had been watching anxiously, raised both hands in relief, tears welling in their eyes. They didn't cheer aloud with the leadership present, but their silence was a shout of triumph.
Baek Un-hoe smiled at them.
"Take the Black Wolf Commander back."
"Yes, Unit Commander."
"This debt—we will never forget it."
The Black Wolf Commander, watching quietly, met Baek Un-hoe's gaze with his one remaining eye. He didn't speak, only gave a slight bow.
But Baek Un-hoe understood.
The man was now completely his.
When Mong Chu and Pa Reuk left with Cho Ji-myeong, the Grand Elder spoke again.
"Heavenly Demon Sword, I'd like to discuss the coming plans further. Will that be alright?"
"Ghost play. Stone tower."
His meaning was clear—he wanted answers.
Baek Un-hoe nodded and strode up the steps, passing the leadership with unshakable confidence.
The six leaders followed quietly behind.
In Baek Un-hoe's eyes flickered a light.
Cheon Ryu-yeong… will you be able to stop me this time?
A slow, deep smile curved his lips.