The God of Death and the God of War - Chapter 85

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Evil Hegemon Martial God

 

Chapter 85

 

Always running away.

 

Eon Igyeom remembered his past that way.

 

From his very first memory, the first thing that came to mind was martial artists with gleaming blades chasing after him.

 

Wandering warriors seeking the bounty on the public enemy would chase him wherever he fled, swinging their swords until the very end.

 

He nearly died dozens of times, and was injured ten times more than that.

 

Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, he didn’t die.

 

It was thanks to the family techniques he desperately learned.

 

Fifty years ago, the Jinzhu Eon Clan was renowned for jiangshi arts and mystical techniques.

 

Eon Igyeom’s main family, which had been a prestigious clan with deep roots in Gangho, suffered complete annihilation overnight.

 

It was due to terrible massacres that occurred throughout the Central Plains, regardless of orthodox or unorthodox factions, and the problem was the true culprit behind these crimes.

 

When they caught the perpetrator, it turned out to be a jiangshi, not a human.

 

Thus, the Jinzhu Eon Clan was identified as the real mastermind.

 

Because regardless of sects or clans, there was no other force that handled jiangshi arts besides the Jinzhu Eon Clan.

 

Naturally, the Eon Family protested that this was absurd and instead demanded a thorough investigation.

 

But only evidence implicating the Eon Family kept emerging one after another.

 

Of course, the Eon Family argued that all of this was false accusations and that there were forces trying to corner them.

 

But their claims were not acknowledged, and eventually they were branded as public enemies of the martial world.

 

As a result, they were hunted by both orthodox and unorthodox factions and suffered complete annihilation.

 

Eon Igyeom was the last descendant and bloodline of that fallen Jinzhu Eon Clan.

 

Each day was burdensome enough just trying to survive.

 

Whenever he felt exhausted and wanted to give up everything and die.

 

There was only one thing that sustained Eon Igyeom.

 

-Go. I will buy you time.

 

-I’m sorry. For leaving you with such a heavy burden…

 

He couldn’t even stay by his father’s side during his final moments.

 

His father chose death to save his child and sacrificed his life.

 

And he left one request.

 

-Please clear the misunderstanding that has befallen our family and restore our Jinzhu Eon Clan to prosperity.

 

A dying wish to rebuild the family.

 

Sometimes it felt like a curse.

 

But without that request.

 

Eon Igyeom would probably have given up on everything long ago.

 

Because life had been that hellish.

 

If there was one fortunate thing about his hellish life, it was that Eon Igyeom had natural talent.

 

Eon Igyeom was what people commonly called a ‘genius,’ and as he aged, he quickly distinguished himself in techniques and martial arts.

 

When he achieved success in martial arts and techniques, and could now fight his pursuers instead of just running away.

 

Eon Igyeom realized one fact.

 

‘There are villains who targeted the family.’

 

Those who pursued him weren’t just wandering warriors seeking bounty money.

 

Though the traces were faint and subtle.

 

There were enemies who emanated vile and sinister energy.

 

But these people were like mirages in the desert, and no matter how much he searched, he couldn’t find even the smallest clue.

 

So he joined the Eastern Depot.

 

Because the Eastern Depot’s intelligence network was the best under heaven.

 

It was from this time that he began using the alias ‘Heo I-gyeom.’

 

At the same time, while working as a member of the Eastern Depot, he secretly began recovering the family’s technique manuals and martial arts scattered throughout the Central Plains.

 

The Eon Family’s servants, sacrificing their own lives, had hidden the family’s martial arts and technique manuals in rifts or various places throughout the Central Plains even while fleeing.

 

The things Eon Igyeom was searching for had such origins.

 

Among the numerous family treasures, what he needed to find first was naturally the family’s sacred object, the ‘Black Spirit Bitter Bamboo.’

 

Because only with the Black Spirit Bitter Bamboo, which had been the family head’s treasure for generations, could he use the Eon Family’s most important techniques.

 

He searched for the sacred object while seeking the identity of his enemy forces, but both remained completely elusive.

 

With no small clues available, each day felt like sitting on a bed of thorns for Eon Igyeom.

 

Though he used the alias Heo I-gyeom and secretly altered his identity with techniques.

 

Because there are no perfect and eternal secrets in this world.

 

If by any chance his secret was discovered.

 

Eon Igyeom would surely face a more terrible death than anyone.

 

Because he had entered the imperial family under false identity and misused the Eastern Depot’s power for private purposes.

 

Even ‘that person’ in the Imperial Palace who looked favorably upon him would absolutely not overlook this.

 

So he thought he was hiding his identity from everyone and walking a lonely path alone.

 

‘Who exactly is this person?’

 

Eon Igyeom looked at Jeok-un with a dazed expression.

 

Jeok-un was reciting the latter half of the Sohon Simgyeol.

 

Eon Igyeom had only obtained the first half of this Sohon Simgyeol.

 

He hadn’t found even a clue about the latter half, but the more shocking fact was.

 

‘How does he know the family’s interpretation method?’

 

The fact that Jeok-un was reciting the ‘complete’ latter half of the Sohon Simgyeol.

 

All secret manuals of the Jinzhu Eon Clan required following strict interpretation methods passed down only to blood relatives to obtain the original text, even if one acquired the original.

 

Because the family’s martial arts and techniques themselves were deeply intertwined with jiangshi arts, the principle of ‘not transmitting to non-family members’ was applied.

 

This was a preventive measure created because terrible consequences would result if just anyone learned the Jinzhu Eon Clan’s martial arts and jiangshi techniques, but the person before him was perfectly reciting the Sohon Simgyeol.

 

In other words, his opponent had not only obtained the original latter half but also acquired the interpretation method.

 

Even while listening to the recitation, Eon Igyeom couldn’t help but disbelieve.

 

“That should be enough.”

 

Then Jeok-un’s recitation stopped.

 

Eon Igyeom urgently asked.

 

“How do you know the family’s interpretation method…?”

 

However, Jeok-un didn’t answer his question and told him something completely different.

 

“Hyeol-gyo.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“The villains you’re looking for who destroyed your family.”

 

“!!”

 

According to the investigation results of Jeok-un and Eon Igyeom before his regression, the true culprit who brought down the Jinzhu Eon Clan was indeed Hyeol-gyo.

 

Unlike the Jinzhu Eon Clan’s jiangshi arts that harmonized with natural principles, they were a group that raised corpses through human experimentation and all sorts of wicked sorcery.

 

They were one of the branch sects of the Demonic Cult.

 

“Have you heard of the Demonic Cult?”

 

“Demonic Cult…?”

 

This was the first time he’d heard of such a place.

 

The Eastern Depot often investigated the various evil cults and heretical religions scattered throughout the Central Plains.

 

Because they would become rebels as soon as they harbored treasonous thoughts.

 

Even Eon Igyeom, a member of such an Eastern Depot, didn’t know about the Demonic Cult.

 

“The Demonic Cult operates in the shadows. It’s natural that you don’t know.”

 

Jeok-un nodded as if it were obvious and continued his explanation.

 

“Hyeol-gyo is the same. Gangho just knows them as a simple evil cult. But in fact, Hyeol-gyo is one of the forces under the Demonic Cult. They coveted the Black Spirit Bitter Bamboo and jiangshi arts that the Eon Family possessed, so they caused the bloodbath.”

 

“…!”

 

Eon Igyeom’s expression wavered momentarily.

 

“Just words without evidence… How could I believe…”

 

“Hyeongsan.”

 

But once again, Jeok-un cut off Eon Igyeom’s words and suddenly mentioned Hyeongsan.

 

“The Black Spirit Bitter Bamboo is there.”

 

“!!”

 

This couldn’t be dismissed as a joke, even if it was meant as one.

 

It wasn’t about anything else—it was a matter related to the Black Spirit Bamboo.

 

“If you can’t believe it, go see for yourself. Then you’ll believe it.”

 

At Jeok-un’s rather confident words and behavior, Eon Igyeom closed his mouth again.

 

It was exactly as Jeok-un had said.

 

Hyeongsan, located a thousand li south of Jangsa Land.

 

There lay the Eon Family’s divine artifact that Eon Igyeom had searched for even in his dreams.

 

Whether Jeok-un spoke the truth or fabricated lies.

 

If he went to Hyeongsan, everything would be revealed in broad daylight.

 

‘Is it… real? It doesn’t seem like he’s… lying.’

 

Eon Igyeom was confused.

 

Looking at Jeok-un’s behavior, it didn’t seem like he was lying.

 

But there was a question that absolutely wouldn’t resolve itself.

 

‘But if it’s the truth, why exactly is he telling me? Is there a reason to help me?’

 

There was no favor without a price.

 

There must be some ulterior motive, but he couldn’t figure out what it was.

 

Eon Igyeom had risen to his current position by analyzing situations with a firm and cold-headed perspective.

 

But with Jeok-un, there were too many exceptions to process.

 

‘My head hurts.’

 

He was so confused and shaken that he was on the verge of feeling a headache.

 

Then, Jeok-un opened his mouth again.

 

“What do you think was the reason I deliberately went to Poyangho after the battle at Tongseong County ended?”

 

“…!!”

 

Eon Igyeom’s eyes widened.

 

This was actually a part that Eon Igyeom had also found puzzling.

 

The Black Heaven Mad Dragon had killed Tang Meng of the Martial Arts Alliance and Seo Do-yeom of Heukpaesong.

 

The Martial Arts Alliance’s Tongseong County branch was destroyed, and the Extreme Bliss Island branch was annihilated.

 

In an urgent situation where recapture forces from both sides would come rushing in to set things right, he suddenly appeared at the rift where he was located.

 

“Don’t tell me.”

 

“That’s right, I went there to meet you. Eon Igyeom.”

 

“!!”

 

“As I said, you and I have a common enemy. The Demonic Cult. If Hyeol-gyo gets their hands on the Black Spirit Bamboo, the Demonic Cult will become uncontrollably strong. So I have to stop that.”

 

“…Then if you know the location of the divine artifact, why are you telling me?”

 

Even if you had taken it for yourself first, I would never have known.

 

To this question, Jeok-un chuckled and said.

 

“You’ll understand when you go to Hyeongsan. I was able to get to where the divine artifact is, but I couldn’t enter inside. There was a formation that only the Eon Family bloodline could enter.”

 

“Ah.”

 

Then it was natural that Jeok-un couldn’t obtain the Black Spirit Bamboo.

 

“The person who told me about this was also a master of the Eon Family. That person also taught me the interpretation method….”

 

Jeok-un looked out the dim window with melancholy eyes, as if reminiscing about something.

 

In the far distance, dawn was scattering and daybreak was emerging.

 

“It’s also thanks to that person that I became strong so quickly. But they passed away long ago. That’s why I sought you out.”

 

“!!”

 

The ‘master’ that Jeok-un mentioned was precisely Eon Igyeom.

 

To be exact, the Eon Igyeom who had been with Jeok-un before his regression.

 

Like Hae-yeon, Eon Igyeom had put aside even his family’s long-cherished wish for his sake and helped with all his heart and strength.

 

Jeok-un was merely repaying that debt while seeking mutual benefit with Eon Igyeom.

 

“However, even if you go to Hyeongsan right now, you won’t be able to obtain the Black Spirit Bamboo. According to what the person who told me said, you’d need to be at least higher than your current level.”

 

The Eon Igyeom from before regression had said that to break the formation, one would need to reach the peak of Hwagyeong.

 

So it would be fair to say that the current Eon Igyeom had no possibility of obtaining it.

 

“But one thing is certain.”

 

Jeok-un emphasized the words ‘one thing.’

 

“We have a common enemy, and to take down that bastard….”

 

Jeok-un pointed to Eon Igyeom and then himself in turn as he spoke.

 

“You need me, and I need you too.”

 

“…!!”

 

“You could call it a temporary alliance. Once we’ve served our purpose, we probably won’t have any reason to see each other for the rest of our lives anyway.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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