When Darkness Falls (3)
The tension in the room was palpable.
He had played a powerful card, the Celestial Army. He was at the heart of my struggle.
“Let’s step outside for a moment.”
He seemed eager to change the scene, perhaps to shake off the defeat of the first round of our battle of wills.
I agreed to the Dark Lord’s suggestion.
“Let’s do that.”
We stepped outside, standing shoulder to shoulder, gazing out at the courtyard. In the distance, the White Tiger and the Black Sword stood apart, like sentinels.
He looked up at the sky.
“Funny how the weather’s always bad on days when nothing goes right.”
“Even you have days like that?”
“Why wouldn’t I? The more money you have, the more problems you get.”
“Isn’t that a bit too general? You have more money than most.”
“Do I? I still think it’s not enough.”
“You’re quite the ambitious one.”
“I live for that ambition.”
He was candid about his desires. It was a tactic, a way to manipulate. By being honest about something intense yet trivial, he created the illusion of sincerity. Pretending to be open while hiding the crucial truths.
“The sky’s disgustingly clear.”
Indeed, the sky was a flawless blue, as if someone had painted it with azure ink.
Suddenly, I thought of the old man.
“The sky I believe in takes no sides, neither good nor evil.”
Standing beside the Dark Lord, looking up at the sky, I felt certain.
‘The sky I believe in is on the side of good.’
Yes, there are as many skies as there are beliefs.
[Even if they call me an old-fashioned fool, so be it.]
[What are you on about now?]
[Haha, just saying.]
[You’re a strange one. Anyway, what about this guy? Just kill him! Worry about it after he’s dead.]
[Haha.]
It would be simple to handle it that way, but I couldn’t. If his threat to send men to Shandong wasn’t a bluff, many would die.
I pushed to break his momentum, but I couldn’t allow innocent sacrifices.
A great cause demands great sacrifice?
I had said that to deceive him, but it was laughable.
Who decides what a great cause is, and for whom? A cause that can’t protect the small things doesn’t exist. It shouldn’t exist.
Finally, the Dark Lord spoke.
“Torturing me won’t get you my wealth.”
“Why not?”
“When the Ideal’s fortune surfaced, I knew you were absorbing it. But you’re not the only one after our wealth.”
At his words, a name naturally came to mind.
“The Celestial Army!”
“Yes, he’s after our money too.”
“How do you know?”
“His grandson, Cheon So-seon, is looking for me. He’s using every means possible. At first, I thought it was revenge for past events.”
They had once hired me to kill the Celestial Army and Cheon So-seon. That was before the Celestial Army mastered the Great Law.
“Then I found out Cheon So-seon was gathering money from all directions. He’s even dipping into the Martial Alliance’s funds and extorting money from the wealthy and merchants of the martial world.”
The Dark Lord would have been the first to get information related to the flow of money.
“You know the Celestial Army’s martial prowess, right? With his immense skills and control over the Martial Alliance, why is he hoarding money? So I investigated further. I still have my network within the Martial Alliance.”
“What did you find?”
“Recently, they’ve been making something in the underground chamber of the Alliance Leader’s residence.”
“What is it?”
The Dark Lord shook his head.
“I couldn’t find out. But it’s clear it requires a vast amount of money.”
He looked at me and said,
“I’ve ordered that if anything happens to me, all my wealth should go to the Celestial Army. If my money goes to him, he’ll achieve his goal in no time. I guarantee it’s not what you want.”
“Give it to him.”
“What?”
“Give it all to the Celestial Army. I don’t care.”
The Dark Lord was taken aback, then furious.
“Damn it! Bloody hell!”
His first method, and now his second. He was choosing extreme measures.
“Was I that frightening to you?”
He looked at me with anger still in his eyes.
“You killed the Blood Merchant and shut down the Night Market in two days. That’s never happened since the underground market was formed. I suspect the Celestial Army is making something because of you. And you ask if I was scared of you? Fine, I’ll answer. I’m scared enough to threaten to kill everyone in Shandong, to give my wealth to the Celestial Army.”
Does he seem cowardly? No. I thought he was incredibly smart.
He realized brute force wouldn’t work.
A wise choice. If he had chosen force, I would have dealt with it easily.
Instead, he found the most powerful method when force wasn’t an option.
These were things that could shake me. In my past life, I would have fallen for it. I couldn’t have tolerated even the slightest chance of innocent casualties because of me.
But the me reborn is not the old me. I’ve become more flexible in my thinking, able to see the essence of evil more deeply.
Now, I consider the other side of things. I flip them over to see what’s behind. I’ve changed a lot, and I’m still changing.
“If you were so scared, why did you come to me? Is this Ideal person that important? Is he a hidden son or something?”
“A son? I don’t raise ungrateful brats who’d just eye my money.”
“Then why risk your life?”
“I’m being hunted by both you and the Celestial Army. At this rate, I’ll be killed by one of you. That’s certain. I’d rather team up with you to deal with the Celestial Army first. To be honest, I thought of taking out one of you first, then dealing with the other.”
“Why did you choose to team up with me first? You could have joined him to come after me.”
“I’m regretting it now. Maybe I should have.”
I chuckled at his self-deprecating joke.
Of course, there was a clear reason he chose me.
“Have you ever seen the Celestial Army?”
“Not properly.”
“Neither have I. But I know what he’s like. He’s a monster with a destroyed humanity.”
Now, I had to make a decision.
Should I eliminate the Dark Lord here and now? Or should I join forces with him to face the Celestial Army first?
Teaming up with him to take down the Celestial Army seemed like the better choice. The Celestial Army was formidable. His end was unknown, and I didn’t know what he was planning. The Dark Lord would certainly be a great help.
Yet, I hesitated because I knew the Dark Lord was also a very tricky opponent.
Just look at his first plan. He wagered the lives of everyone in Shandong. He’s no less of a monster.
Seeing my hesitation, the Dark Lord spoke.
“Don’t take this the wrong way. I have a third contingency plan. Do you think I’d come here with just my mouth? I’ve brought some really skilled fighters. Of course, they won’t be able to kill you. If they could, I wouldn’t be having this messy conversation. But if chaos breaks out, your subordinates will die, even if you don’t. Again, don’t take it the wrong way. It’s not a threat, just a fact.”
“Call them all out.”
“What?”
“Let’s see if chaos really breaks out, and if your people die. Call them all out.”
Of course, he couldn’t give the order.
Swoosh.
The Suramyeongwang Sword unsheathed itself and floated in the air.
The Dark Lord was startled. Even the Black Sword in the distance flinched.
Swish.
In the next moment, my sword became a beam of light, slicing through the air.
It wasn’t aimed at the Black Sword. It was aimed at the distant wall.
Thud.
The stone wall sounded like it was being pierced by tofu.
Screams erupted from beyond the wall.
Slash.
The sound of the sword scraping the wall echoed.
Different screams followed in succession.
The Suramyeongwang Sword pierced through the wall again, flying towards the opposite wall.
Swish! Thud!
Once again, it easily penetrated the wall.
The sound of the sword cutting through the air was followed by the sound of flesh being torn.
Swoosh!
Bang!
The wall blocked the view, so I couldn’t see what was happening. But the variety of screams continued.
Shing! Shing! Shing!
The sound of the sword cutting through the air was diverse, and the resulting sounds were just as varied. Whatever the sound, screams inevitably followed.
Slash.
The sword scraped along the wall, and the horrific screams continued.
Boom!
There was an explosion.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
The sound of a refreshing breeze blowing through the chest was heard repeatedly.
All of this was happening behind the unseen wall.
Listening to the sounds, the Dark Lord was too despairing to even sigh.
How could he kill those he couldn’t see? And they weren’t just any fighters. Considering the skills of the hidden subordinates, it was unthinkable.
Not a single one jumped over the wall. It meant the situation behind the wall was that dire.
The thought crossed his mind: perhaps there were more warriors hidden behind the walls, waiting to ambush them.
The sound of blades slicing through the air began from the left, piercing through the walls and stirring up chaos in every direction.
When the Dark Figure regained his senses, he found the Suramyeongwang Sword aimed directly at his face.
A deafening crash.
All the surrounding walls crumbled to the ground.
The scene that unfolded behind them was grim.
The warriors who had been hiding behind the walls were now lifeless bodies strewn across the ground.
Among them were the very enforcers who had boasted that if the nine of them gathered, they could easily defeat the Byuklidan.
They had all perished without even a chance to see their enemy.
The only survivor was the Black Sword. He stood there, stunned, in utter disbelief. He had been spared intentionally.
Blood dripped steadily from the blade.
”…The martial arts of Cheonoecheon,” he muttered, almost as a sigh, as a flurry of thoughts raced through the Dark Figure’s mind—thoughts only those on the brink of death could experience.
His entire body trembled.
For the first time, he showed fear. It was an emotion he hadn’t felt in a long time.
He forced himself to look up at the sky. He couldn’t bear to face the Suramyeongwang Sword pointed at him, nor could he meet my gaze, the one who had orchestrated all this in an instant. His legs shook with terror.
In a quivering voice, he spoke.
“I feared this would happen…”
He couldn’t finish his sentence, but I understood his meaning.
He had prepared for this possibility with the Shandong Massacre and planned to offer his wealth to the Heavenly King’s army. Yet, none of it had worked.
“What is it that you want?” he asked.
“Now you sound like a merchant. If you had calculated properly, you would have approached me like this from the start, instead of resorting to pathetic threats.”
”…I’m sorry,” he said, bowing his head.
“Tell me what you want.”
My gaze remained cold as I looked down at him. This man was truly a difficult one. He would do anything to survive, even stab me in the back if it meant saving himself.
But that was why I felt at ease.
He was just someone to be drained dry. After centuries of living in luxury, it was time for him to pay up.
“What could I possibly want from someone whose only asset is money? Hand over half of your wealth and that of the rest of the Dark Ten.”
The Dark Figure was taken aback.
“Half?”
“Yes.”
Of course, my ultimate goal was to take all of their wealth.
“They won’t willingly give up their fortunes.”
“That’s for you to handle. Die here or salvage at least half. The choice is yours.”
Naturally, he hesitated to make a decision.
“Unfortunately for you, I don’t desperately need your money. I already have more than I could spend in a lifetime. Killing you here wouldn’t bother me. Refuse, and you die on the spot.”
“If we hand over the money…”
I cut him off coldly.
“Set the conditions after you hand over the money.”