Heavenly Inquisition Sword

Episode 151: Do You Know Anything About the Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord?

When Jin Gahee spotted Yeon Jeokha and Old Shim from the True Classic of the Nine Heavens from afar, she gestured towards them.

Yeon Jeokha waved back before sitting at a respectful distance from Namgung Yeon and Jin Gahee.

He wanted to give them more time to converse because of the pleasant atmosphere between them.

As soon as he sat down, the waiter hurried over.

"Hehe, what would you like to drink? If it's liquor, our pride is the Guonchunju, made with thousand-year-old well water. We obtain it through merchants who sail the Yangtze River."

Shim Tong ordered on behalf of Yeon Jeokha.

"Bring us a jug of that famous Guonchunju and some snacks to go with it."

"Yes, yes. I'll prepare some stir-fried pork and some blanched vegetables."

The waiter rushed to the kitchen as soon as Shim Tong nodded.

While they waited for the liquor and snacks, Yeon Jeokha remembered something and asked:

"Shim Tong, do you know anything about the Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord?"

"Hehe, is there anyone in Nokrim who doesn't know about him? Of course, I know about him."

"What is he like?"

"When he was young, he worked at the Shaolin Temple and had a fortuitous opportunity to become the best master of all. His Dark Heaven Asura Sword hasn't met its match to this day."

As he spoke, Shim Tong glanced sideways at Yeon Jeokha.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I was thinking that, with your swordsmanship, maybe…"

Shim Tong left the sentence unfinished.

The Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord was so revered throughout Murim that it wasn't easy to speak lightly of him.

Yeon Jeokha pressed on, curious.

"Are you saying that I could defeat him with my swordsmanship?"

"Unless you're the leader of the Yoomyung Cult, it would be wise not to confront him."

"Is he that fearsome?"

"It's not just that. All of Murim follows his orders, so it's best to be cautious."

"Does Murim follow the Boss of Nokrim?"

"Isn't Nokrim part of Murim? So far, he's the only one who can crush the Seven Great Sects, so they have no choice but to follow him. But why do you ask suddenly?"

"The Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord sent the members of the Justice Alliance to me."

"Yes, he did."

"Today, Gahee mentioned that Nokrim drew its sword against the Yoomyung Cult before the Justice Alliance did. I was impressed. She said she thought the Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord was just a great demon, but it seems he understands justice. She asked me questions about him, and I thought I should know more."

"Hehe, those folks from the Justice Alliance are always quick to jump to conclusions."

"What do you mean by 'jump to conclusions'?"

"Think about it. Did the Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord say he was going to fight the Yoomyung Cult?"

Yeon Jeokha thought for a moment and then shook his head.

"No, he didn't really say that."

"Exactly. He just asked for the Seven Great Sects to be removed because the Yoomyung Cult was interfering."

"I guess so."

"What do you think of the Yoomyung Cult? Is it an orthodox sect or an evil sect?"

"Probably closer to an evil sect. Many of the Demon Warriors from the Yoomyung Cult were from Nokrim. And even if they weren't from Nokrim, they were filled with villains."

"Exactly. The Yoomyung Cult is an evil sect that doesn't follow the orders of the Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord. I already mentioned that all of Murim follows the Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord, right?"

"Yes."

"That's because he extremely hates the Seven Great Sects."

"Extremely hates them?"

"Hehe, yes. The Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord hates three things in the world. Do you know what they are?"

"No, how would I know?"

Shim Tong looked at Yeon Jeokha with an incredulous expression.

He found it strange that Yeon Jeokha, who had lived in the Five Peaks Mountain, knew so little about the Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord.

"Ahem! The Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord hates monks, Taoists, and the hypocrites of the orthodox sects."

"Does he hate monks and Taoists that much? Why?"

Yeon Jeokha widened his eyes in surprise.

He understood about the hypocrites of the orthodox sects, as he himself found those types annoying. But he didn't understand why he hated monks and Taoists so much.

"Can you imagine how much he must have suffered at the Shaolin Temple to hate them that much? Only those who have gone through such suffering would understand."

"Ah, I see."

Yeon Jeokha pondered for a moment and then nodded.

After all, the Waryong Manor also seemed like a family of orthodox warriors, but he had suffered all sorts of abuse there.

"Would a man like that really wage war against another evil sect? Those folks from the Justice Alliance always think in ways that suit them."

"But I'm fighting against the Demon Warriors now, aren't I?"

"Because they tried to take control of the Seven Great Sects first."

"So the Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord won't fight the Yoomyung Cult?"

"It will depend on how the Yoomyung Cult acts. If they keep interfering with the Seven Great Sects, he won't stay still."

"And if they don't interfere?"

"Hehe. So far, Nokrim's main enemy has been the Justice Alliance. They're always poking around in our mountain villages under the name of 'Heroic Deeds.' With such an enemy nearby, why would they fight another evil sect? Sure, he might punish them for challenging his authority, but…"

"Ah."

"In any case, it's unlikely that he would join the Justice Alliance to attack the Yoomyung Cult."

"Then what am I in all of this?"

"You're a warning to the Yoomyung Cult not to touch Nokrim."

"…"

Yeon Jeokha was stunned as if struck by lightning.

Nokrim, the evil sects, the Yoomyung Cult, the Justice Alliance, Gahee, and the Namgung siblings—all the pieces suddenly fell into place.

It turns out he had been traveling with the enemy all this time.

He was amazed to realize that the real enemy wasn't the Yoomyung Cult.

"Are you surprised?"

Shim Tong looked at Yeon Jeokha with a smile.

He himself was a person caught between the orthodox and evil sects.

Having lived on the fringes of Nokrim and fought against the Yoomyung Cult alongside the Justice Alliance, his identity was confused.

Perhaps he had thought that the Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord would join the Justice Alliance to defeat the Yoomyung Cult.

Of course, Shim Tong didn't know the thoughts of the Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord.

But, based on what was known, he hated the Seven Great Sects more than the Yoomyung Cult. Even if he didn't show it, he probably felt that way.

At that moment, the waiter returned with the Guonchunju and the snacks.

Shim Tong filled Yeon Jeokha's cup, who was still in shock.

"Don't worry too much. In Murim, there are no permanent enemies or allies. Who knows, maybe the Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord will really fight against the Yoomyung Cult."

Yeon Jeokha emptied his cup in one gulp and murmured.

"Bah, I know it's just talk. They treat me like I'm a fool."

"Hehe, we're the fools, the former Ten Heroes of the Five Peaks, who can barely remember a few things."

Shim Tong quickly filled Yeon Jeokha's empty cup.

"If you think that way, do you think Sister Yeon knows it too?"

"She probably knows more than I do."

Shim Tong shook his head.

Without realizing it, he had begun to use very respectful terms to refer to Namgung Yeon, a sign of how much he respected her.

At first, he had been submissive to the Namgung siblings because of their relationship with Yeon Jeokha, but now it was different.

Shim Tong genuinely believed that Namgung Yeon was omniscient.

Suddenly, he lowered his voice and said:

"Young master, didn't you say that the Mysterious Woman of the Nine Heavens resembles Miss Namgung?"

"Yes."

"I have a theory. Maybe Miss Namgung is the incarnation of the Mysterious Woman of the Nine Heavens."

"What nonsense is that? I'm the one who's been drinking, but it seems like you're the one talking nonsense."

"No, seriously. She knows too much about everything. How can a person know so much? Compared to her, the strategists of the Jegal Family are nothing. She must be the Mysterious Woman of the Nine Heavens." (Note: I never mentioned it before, but the Jegal Family are descendants of Jegal/Zhuge Liang, the greatest strategist of the Three Kingdoms of ancient China.)

"Bah, it seems you've gone crazy. If you're craving something, just tell me. I'll buy it for you."

Shim Tong pounded his chest in frustration.

"Young master, if the demons of the underworld can incarnate in the bodies of the Demon Warriors, why can't the Mysterious Woman of the Nine Heavens do the same? And the leader of the Yoomyung Cult wants to summon King Yama, right? Maybe my theory isn't so far-fetched."

"Ah, shut up. Your nonsense makes me doubt everything you said about the Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord."

"Everything I said about the Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord is absolutely true. If you ask anyone from the evil sects, they'll tell you the same."

Just then, Namgung Cheon came down the stairs and approached Yeon Jeokha.

He sat down next to him and said:

"What were you talking about so seriously?"

Before Yeon Jeokha could answer, Shim Tong quickly intervened.

"The young master was curious about the Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord, so I told him what I knew."

"Ah, the Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord. He's a fearsome man, isn't he, Senior Shim?"

Namgung Cheon looked at Shim Tong with a meaningful expression.

Shim Tong responded reluctantly.

"Yes, I suppose you could see it that way."

Although he himself had said that the Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord was fearsome, now he was deflecting the conversation.

Namgung Cheon was like a brother to Yeon Jeokha, but also a master of an orthodox sect.

Namgung Cheon laughed and said to Yeon Jeokha:

"The Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord is a man who has killed many masters of the Shaolin Temple. There's nothing that stops him. The funny thing is that he has also killed many masters of the evil sects. It seems he has his own standards, but no one knows what they are. So you shouldn't trust him too much either."

"Ahem, Young Master Namgung, are you criticizing the Boss of Nokrim in front of the Grand Inspector? If so, can I talk about the secrets of the Justice Alliance Leader, the Thunder Wind Saber?"

"Haha. What secrets? Everyone knows that the Justice Alliance Leader has a fiery temper and often acts impulsively."

"Hehe, if the Thunder Wind Saber acts impulsively, then the Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord acts impulsively too."

Namgung Cheon shrugged at Shim Tong's insinuation.

In reality, the temperaments of the Thunder Wind Saber and the Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord were quite similar.

Both were hot-blooded people who did what they wanted.

Yeon Jeokha sighed at the political discussion.

It was uncomfortable to be the center of debates between the orthodox and evil sects.

At times like these, his position became awkward.

He had friends in both sects and couldn't take sides with either.

--------------------

Gu River.

Dawn.

After riding all night, three people stopped on a hill overlooking a large island (Gangjujin).

They were Han Chaeyeon, along with the Blood Sword and the Jade Buddha of the Musansocho.

Blood Sword approached Han Chaeyeon, who had dismounted and was resting.

"Master Han, what's the plan now? Will we go directly to see the Viper of the Yangtze River, or...?"

Blood Sword left the question hanging.

The island in front of them was where the Viper of the Yangtze River was located.

They could capture any boat and get there in about 20 minutes.

"We'll observe first. The Viper of the Yangtze River won't be easy to defeat."

Han Chaeyeon nodded in satisfaction.

"A prudent decision. The Viper of the Yangtze River is the leader of the Yangtze River Alliance and shouldn't have any problems facing Yeon Jeokha."

Jade Buddha also nodded in agreement.

"That would be best. If he finds out we're here, he might flee."

Someone had to face Yeon Jeokha first.

So, naturally, they would leave that task to the absent Viper of the Yangtze River.