Chapter 168 :

<The Blood Sea Spreading Across Sichuan (4)>

After receiving such exceptional treatment at Golden Pavilion Inn in Jingzhou, no one heading for Sichuan complained.

Some members of the Shenghu Hall even asked things like, "If we ride for two days without stopping, can we sleep somewhere even nicer?" That made Gu Jeongryong worry that Jin Sowoon might hear about it.

In any case, as soon as the warriors realized they'd be given more food and rest than they deserved, the Shenghu Hall picked up its pace even more.

They were given fresh horses each time, and whenever they left an inn, they were stocked with plenty of jerky and water to eat and drink on horseback.

That let them maintain their speed with only short breaks along the way.

They had never traveled so quickly and comfortably on any other mission.

After all, from the moment they joined the Martial Alliance branch, they'd expected to handle everything themselves.

In that regard, the group led by Jin Sowoon was traveling more comfortably than any other group.

That wasn't simply because the Wang Family Estate was giving them full support.

Jin Sowoon led the group as if he knew every road in the land inside and out.

Where they needed to hurry, they rode faster than usual.

Where they needed to slow down, they took breaks along the way.

What's more, Jin Sowoon kept changing the riders' positions so no one would become overly exhausted.

It was a way to prevent the fatigue that people experienced when traveling long distances on horseback.

Gu Jeongryong could hardly believe with his own eyes that Jin Sowoon, who was barely twenty, could manage things at this level.

'No, this isn't something a first-year academy student should be able to do.'

From managing a unit to arranging supplies through his connections, not one part of it was ordinary.

At times, Jin Sowoon seemed like a seasoned caravan leader.

At others, he seemed like a battle-hardened commander.

By now, Gu Jeongryong was curious.

Why would someone this capable use every means at his disposal to reach Sichuan?

"There's something I'd like to ask you."

Jin Sowoon turned at Gu Jeongryong's question.

"You haven't told me why you're in such a hurry to get there."

"..."

"Are you rushing all this way just to stop the event?"

The Wang Family Estate's goodwill?

Even if they were close, Jin Sowoon would have to give something back after causing the estate such a loss.

Maeng Juwon's order?

That was much the same. Jin Sowoon had involved the head of the Intelligence Department. No matter how capable Maeng Juwon was, if the Elders' Council raised the issue later, the resulting storm could tear Jin Sowoon to pieces.

Taking all that into account, it made no sense that he'd go to such lengths just to disrupt an event organized by the Elders' Council in Sichuan.

There had to be another reason...

"...It would be good if we could stop them."

Jin Sowoon's words made Gu Jeongryong catch his breath.

"You really are going there to stop the event?"

Jin Sowoon's expression tightened slightly.

"It's a little more complicated than that."

"No matter how complicated, I'll listen."

Jin Sowoon frowned and looked somewhere ahead.

Then, for an instant, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

How could Gu Jeongryong describe it?

It wasn't killing intent, but something stickier.

If it were dark all around and some unseen, footless creature had given off that feeling, it would have fit perfectly.

'Resentment?'

His teeth were clenched, too.

Anyone seeing him would think he was chasing the people who had killed his parents, not the Elders' Council of the Martial Alliance.

"You mean the unidentified group the Elders' Council went to find."

Gu Jeongryong knew that the event's stated purpose was to investigate Sichuan, but in reality it was just an excursion.

"..."

"I received information that they're even more dangerous than we thought."

"Information?"

"Yes. That's why I'm going to stop them."

Gu Jeongryong still didn't understand.

"No matter how dangerous they are, the academy students and the Alliance elders are with them. Is there really a need to go to such lengths?"

"I heard they use dangerous sorcery."

"Sorcery?"

He hadn't heard anything about that before.

"If we don't arrive in time, there will be heavy casualties."

"Wait, wait, wait. I heard about what happened in Sichuan during the Murim Examination. But this is the first I've heard of sorcery. Where did that information come from?"

"Haomun."

"Haomun? Did you buy it from them?"

"No. They passed it along. I have a connection with them."

"..."

Haomun was a group that competed with the Beggar Gang for information from across the land.

Recently, the Beggar Gang's credibility had slipped a little, while Haomun's had risen sharply.

So the information wasn't completely unbelievable.

But after hearing the word "sorcery," Gu Jeongryong's mind had caught on to something else.

"You have a personal connection with Haomun? It's not a business relationship?"

"Yes."

What kind of sect was Haomun?

When it came to money, they were as ruthless as loan sharks.

And Jin Sowoon had received information from them without paying?

'What on earth is this guy?'

Gu Jeongryong's curiosity about Jin Sowoon grew even stronger.

'Don't do anything stupid!'

One of the Martial Alliance's chronic problems was arrogance.

Put kindly, you could call it confidence.

They had been without a rival for five hundred years, and their whole bodies had grown accustomed to being off guard at all times.

Looking back at the terrible losses of my previous life, the Alliance had scattered its forces everywhere, like dividing up its manpower and investing it in every direction.

That made it easy for the Corpse-Mountain Blood-Sea Cult to defeat them one group at a time.

At least this time, unlike in my previous life, we hadn't brought in the White Path Association or the Twelve Peaks Fortress.

I'd thought they wouldn't make that same stupid mistake.

But after reading the letter Haomun had sent, I could only let out a long sigh.

—The academy students have entered Chengdu, Sichuan. They've split into five units and begun moving.

As expected, they hadn't disappointed me.

They were repeating the same mistake they'd made in my previous life.

"Eldest Senior Brother, are you all right?"

At Eunho's question, I handed him the letter and replied:

"I think it's already too late."

Eunho's face hardened as he realized how serious the message was.

"...Did they say where Jaehwa and Seollan are?"

"Neither the Chengdu branch nor Haomun could find out where they are."

I'd tried to locate at least Moyong Jaehwa and Eun Seollan, but this rootless organization with deep roots hadn't even kept a record of how they divided up their people.

They'd probably just grouped themselves however they pleased, in little clusters of friends.

Then they'd filled the empty spots with academy students they'd forced to join.

"This is a complete mess."

I agreed.

Even a group of wandering martial artists wouldn't operate with so little order.

"And why are they moving so fast?"

Eunho had pointed out the most frustrating part.

They didn't have the slightest idea what their opponents were capable of, but they were so confident that they moved without hesitation.

It was just like my previous life.

Back then, the people who went straight through Mount Emei to Badong had died one after another.

"Is there any chance the perpetrators will show up late?"

"I'd be grateful if they did."

The incident during the Murim Examination had been planned for what was happening now.

A hunter who had set a trap wouldn't hesitate when the prey came near.

'Please be in one of the rear units...'

The only thing I could do was hope that Eun Seollan and Moyong Jaehwa were in one of the units at the back.

No matter how fast we rode, there was a good chance we wouldn't catch up before the lead units reached Badong.

'Please! Don't be foolish and go out in front!'

I whipped my horse again and again, pouring all my desperate hope into each strike.

"I've heard Mount Emei is the greatest scenic spot under heaven. Ho ho."

At Daoist Myeonghyeon's carefree remark, a young man standing beside him as an aide handed him tea brought from the Emei Sect.

"Of the Eight Views of Mount Emei, people say you must visit the Ten-Thousand-View Sacred Site, Phoenix Peak beneath the Blue Clouds, and the Twin Bridges' Clear Chime. Why not use this chance to broaden the academy students' horizons, Elder?"

At his disciple's words, Daoist Myeonghyeon furrowed his brow.

"Did we come here to sightsee?"

"..."

"We came to expose those who dared defy the Martial Alliance's grave warning and interfere with the Murim Examination."

The disciple quickly lowered his head.

"I apologize. I failed to understand your noble purpose and spoke carelessly."

As the disciple spoke as if he were ready to give his life on the spot, Great Master Hyeseong replied kindly.

"This is an urgent matter, but the journey to Sichuan was not easy. Once the work is done, would it not be good to broaden the children's horizons? Teaching them how vast the world is is also part of our duty as their elders."

At Great Master Hyeseong's words, Daoist Myeonghyeon nodded.

In truth, the matter in Sichuan wasn't that urgent.

If it had been, they would have turned Sichuan upside down to finish the investigation as soon as the Murim Examination ended.

It had become urgent only because the situation had changed.

The Yuwol Gate, a lay disciple sect of the Diancang Sect, was suspected of committing crimes in Hunan while impersonating the Demonic Cult.

The fact that even a Diancang disciple had taken part had made the Diancang Sect anxious.

At a time like this, what better way to turn people's attention elsewhere than a campaign to cleanse demons and destroy evil?

Considering how past emperors had launched northern campaigns and punitive expeditions whenever their rule had been threatened, there was hardly a more reliable way to succeed.

"Above all, cleansing demons and destroying evil is the Martial Alliance's highest priority. Do not forget today's lesson."

At Daoist Myeonghyeon's words, the disciples bowed their heads as one.

The sight seemed to please him.

Great Master Hyeseong, watching from beside him, smiled.

'They must be sick with worry.'

There had to be a reason Myeonghyeon had accelerated the investigation in Sichuan.

His dark intentions were easy to see.

Hyeseong had gone along with him because, no matter how desperately Myeonghyeon struggled, he would eventually have to give up the seat of Association Leader.

Hyeseong had let him set the stage for that reason.

The day when the leadership would return to Shaolin was not far off.

They had temporarily given up the position because people were complaining that Wudang and Shaolin were monopolizing it.

Now the entire Righteous Path Association was in turmoil.

It was time for the rightful owners to take it back and restore the righteous spirit of the martial world.

The only disappointment was that the situation in Yueyang had settled down rather quickly.

The Mukhyul Gang, Cheukbu Palace, and other heretical factions had hidden their strength for a long time.

Shaolin had planned to move in after they overturned all of Yueyang and cut away the Diancang Sect's roots.

But the factions, who had seemed ready to start a war, had suddenly stopped.

Hyeseong had ordered an investigation because he was curious about what had happened.

"Have you learned anything about Yueyang?"

Ilmyeong, who was standing nearby, answered:

"Yes. The Mukhyul Gang's leader and deputy leader are both dead. The gang has split apart, and that seems to have eased the situation in Yueyang."

"The Mukhyul Gang?"

"How did that happen?"

Ilmyeong hesitated.

He wasn't sure whether he should share the information.

"Why are you hesitating? Speak."

At Hyeseong's sharp rebuke, Ilmyeong slowly continued.

"They say Representative Jin Sowoon, who stood with the Yujang Sect, attacked the Mukhyul Gang alone and killed its leader."

"What?"

"After that, the Yujang Sect and the Mukhyul Gang held a decisive sparring match, and Representative Jin Sowoon cut off the Mukhyul Gang's deputy leader's head as well. The Mukhyul Gang stopped fighting after that, and the other heretical sects stopped fighting, too."

"What!"

Hyeseong's eyes widened.

"That Jin Sowoon...? No, never mind that. Why did the other sects stop fighting, too?"

"...We haven't been able to find out the details."

"..."

The length of a letter was limited, so the information it could carry was limited as well.

Even so, it made no sense that the fall of the Mukhyul Gang alone had calmed the situation in Yueyang.

Hyeseong immediately had a feeling.

"That boy must be involved."

There had to be something connected to Jin Sowoon that he didn't know about.

A chill ran over Hyeseong's entire body.

Attacking the Mukhyul Gang's leader or fighting its deputy leader?

Even the elite disciples of his temple could do that.

But no one could control the chaos with just those moves.

"He's a frightening one."

"What?"

To control chaos meant understanding it well.

And that meant he might be able to create it, too.

"I knew that boy was unusual."

Surely, five of the Eight Evils had taken part in the events in Yueyang.

Even Hyeseong couldn't have ended the fighting between the two sides in that situation.

And yet a boy who had only just entered the academy had managed it.

"He's a demon."

"..."

Ilmyeong's face stiffened at Hyeseong's words.

He knew who Hyeseong meant by "demon."

"Ilmyeong."

"Yes, Venerable Master."

"If I become Association Leader this time, I'll make you the academy representative."

"..."

"So you must defeat that demon and make sure he never grows any further. Do you understand?"

Even though Great Master Hyeseong was offering him the position he had wanted for so long, Ilmyeong felt his heart grow heavy.

When faced with a question he found difficult to answer, he gave the reply he always did.

"Amitabha..."

At the same time, on Golden Summit Peak of Mount Emei, Moyong Jaehwa was gasping as if he were about to die.

"Hah... hah... D-damn it..."

Because he was carrying a bow instead of a sword, he'd been made to serve as a scout repeatedly and had traveled nearly three times as far as the others.

"Are you all right, Young Master Moyong?"

Eun Seollan looked at him with pity and reached out, releasing a chill.

"I heard there was nothing on this damn mountain. Why did we have to climb it?"

Moyong Jaehwa had already checked Mount Emei and gone ahead.

But when they signaled him to come back, he had to climb the mountain all over again.

Eun Seollan hesitated at his question before answering carefully.

"Well... they said we were the lead unit, so we should receive the mountain's spiritual energy..."

"What?"

Moyong Jaehwa doubted his own ears.

He must have heard wrong...

"I only heard it from someone else, too. They said things would go well if we received Mount Emei's spiritual energy before we left..."

They'd made someone who had already gone down the mountain climb back up just for that?

"..."

Moyong Jaehwa wanted to fire a Thunderbolt Arrow at the peak where the elders and their disciples stood.

'If I'd only finished making it, I really would have fired one. I swear!'