“Why are you gathering people in a place like this?”

“Damn it! There’s a limit to treating people like dogs.”

The leaders of the heretic path, who had gathered for the Heretic Path Assembly, spat out curses and emitted a menacing aura.

They were all people who had survived by walking the dangerous path of the heretic factions.

They were the ones who stood at the pinnacle of the heretic path.

It was a relief that a sword fight hadn’t broken out just from making eye contact.

“Aren’t those the guys from the Sagwaeng Faction? Did you still have a place to set foot and live in the Central Plains?”

“I heard your sect master was stabbed to death in his sleep, right? And you became the sect master after that? The great Saju Dokheung Sect’s fate has run out. To put such a fool as the sect master.”

“Should I put a knife in your stomach too?”

“You? Try it if you can.”

“Alright! You son of a bitch!”

The leaders who had gathered for the Heretic Path Assembly were growling at each other and were ready to draw their swords or sabers at any moment.

The reason these people, who could not get along in the first place, had gathered in one place was all because of the call of the Heretic Path's Alliance.

Around the time when the leaders, who were tired of waiting, were raising their auras one by one and making the atmosphere hostile.

A man appeared.

He, who had appeared with his long robe fluttering, looked at the leaders with a sidelong glance and then sat on the chair that was placed alone on the open ground that had been prepared as the assembly hall.

The old chair creaked and shook anxiously, but the man didn't care.

The relatively young leaders of the heretic path stared at the man with eyes filled with various emotions.

On the other hand, the old leaders swallowed their breath.

They lowered their bodies in silence.

“Everyone must be here by now, right?”

At the man’s question, a young man who was standing closest to him approached him.

“Who are you.”

“Who are you.”

“I am Gongoe, the sect master of the Mangdal Faction. Seeing you sit on a chair as soon as you came, you seem to be the person called the Heretic Path's Alliance Leader or something… what is this all about?”

“What do you mean.”

“The place you called the assembly hall is this empty field? Shouldn’t you have at least prepared a house with a roof and chairs?”

As if agreeing with Gongoe’s words, the leaders who had gathered for the Heretic Path Assembly began to raise their voices.

At that, the man who was sitting on the chair and smiling with interest flicked his finger.

“What? You want me to come?”

“Yes. If you have a complaint, come closer and say it.”

“Heo…! This crazy bastard!”

As Gongoe approached, the man placed his hand on top of Gongoe’s head.

Gongoe, who was a bald man without a single hair, distorted his face.

“What do you think you’re doing now!”

“You’re young. It seems you haven’t been the leader for that long.”

“Heh! That’s right! I smashed the head of the previous leader and took his place! Do you have a problem with that?”

“I’m not curious about the situation of the Mangdal Faction, nor am I interested.”

“Forget it. Just tell me why you called us.”

“That is also none of your business.”

“What? You called me and now you’re playing with me?”

“I was too unkind. You don’t have to worry about the Mangdal Faction. It’s a sect that no longer exists.”

“What…”

Crack—!!

Gongoe’s body was embedded in the floor.

No, how should explain this?

The leader of the Mangdal Faction, Gongoe, was like a bug that had been crushed by a huge iron hammer.

His whole body was crushed on the ground and he died.

No one here knew why he had died.

The man lightly wiped the blood that had splattered from the dead Gongoe and looked at the leaders.

“I am the Heretic Path's Alliance Leader, Ju Cheon. The reason I called you is only one. Because the time has come.”

In the silence that had swallowed the crowd.

An old man spoke.

“I greet the Alliance Leader. I am Jihang, the leader of the Jeolgeomhoe.”

“Yes, Jihang. Speak.”

“When you say the time, are you referring to war.”

“That’s right, Jihang.”

Ju Cheon stood up from his chair.

“The reason I have gathered you here is only one.”

Ju Cheon said, extending one finger.

“War.”

At the Heretic Path's Alliance Leader’s declaration of war, the leaders of the heretic path showed different reactions.

Some were excited and happy.

Some were afraid.

And some were quickly rolling their eyes as if calculating their gains and losses.

At that moment, Jihang spoke again.

“Alliance Leader. Due to the defeat in the Righteous-Demon War, the heretic path lost its central point, the Ming Cult, and was scattered. Decades have passed for the heretic path to regain its strength, and many places have only now become able to function as sects.”

“What are you trying to say.”

“Whether we can win the war…”

“Jihang. You must have seen the Righteous-Demon War with your own two eyes.”

Jihang, who had nodded his head, said.

“That’s right. I saw the Righteous-Demon War, and I also saw how the Ming Cult fell. The righteous martial world is strong. Their united power should never be taken lightly.”

“There is some truth in your words.”

Ju Cheon came walking and stood in front of Jihang.

Jihang immediately knelt down on one knee.

“You managed to survive.”

“I was just lucky.”

“No, Jihang. Raise your head.”

As Jihang raised his head, a palm came toward his eyes.

“Alliance…”

Paang—!!

With a sound of something breaking, Jihang’s head disappeared.

Ju Cheon’s palm force had blown away Jihang’s entire upper body.

Thud—

The corpse of the dead Jihang was sprawled on the floor.

“You didn’t survive because you were lucky, but because you were a coward.”

Ju Cheon said, looking around at the leaders of the heretic path who were surrounding him with his hands behind his back.

“Can you say you are alive just because you are alive? Can you say you are alive just because you are breathing?”

Ju Cheon sneered.

“You are all a bunch of corpses. You were born as martial artists but do not dream of being the best under heaven, and your life is to play the role of a leader, leading third-rate people in a sect you have established in a remote area.”

“…”

“I was born a man, grew up as a martial artist, and dreamed of being the best under heaven. So I became the Heretic Path's Alliance Leader and pacified the heretic path. And now I am trying to take the world. I feel that I am alive through this. How about you?”

Ju Cheon approached a young leader, met his eyes, and asked.

“Are you alive.”

“I am…”

“Dead. You are a dead man. You have been dead all this time, not knowing the meaning of life.”

Ju Cheon turned around.

And he said, pointing at the leaders with his hand.

“You, you, and you. You are all dead. Not a single one of you has a living look in your eyes.”

Ju Cheon, who was evaluating the leaders and giving a sharp criticism, stopped in his tracks.

“But you are different.”

A middle-aged man.

He was staring at Ju Cheon with a firm gaze.

“You are alive.”

“That’s right. I am alive. And I have a wish.”

“Speak.”

“I want to dream the same dream as you, by your side, Alliance Leader.”

“What do you want to become.”

“I want to become one of the Nine Factions. I want to become the leader of a sect that everyone looks up to and rule the world.”

“Is it just a simple wish.”

“No. I will achieve it.”

“Good!”

Ju Cheon said, hitting his shoulder hard.

“Did you say you were afraid of our enemies? Did you say you were afraid of their united solidarity? But don’t worry.”

Ju Cheon drew the sword from the waist of the dead Gihang.

The blade in his hand resonated with a humming sound.

The vibration emitted by the sword’s cry made the martial artists’ hearts pound.

“We are the sword, and we are the claws that can tear anything apart. What do you fear just because they gather and unite? We can tear them apart and trample them as we please.”

Ju Cheon said again.

“We are the sword.”

“We are the sword!”

“We are the sword!!”

The leaders, who were inspired by Ju Cheon, stomped their feet and shouted.

“We are the claws.”

“We are the claws!”

“We are the claws!!”

Ju Cheon shouted at the leaders.

“Throw away all your houses and wealth. Forget everything you have. We are the plunderers and wild dogs who will take everything that the righteous path has.”

Finally, Ju Cheon raised his voice to everyone.

“We are the blades that will tear the righteous path apart.”

“Ah…”

Mu Yu, who was watching Ju Cheon’s speech from a distance, felt a thrill run through his entire body.

Unlike the old leaders who knew the past and present of the Heretic Path's Alliance, the young leaders who had recently raised their names showed an attitude of not acknowledging the Heretic Path's Alliance.

And why not.

Almost nothing was known about the Heretic Path's Alliance Leader, Ju Cheon.

And apart from the Acheon, news had even come that the Heretic Path's Alliance had abandoned or lost the assassin organizations they had harbored and had surrendered to the righteous martial world.

That’s why it seemed difficult to make the heretic path submit.

But.

Ju Cheon had united the heretic path with just a few words.

Now, the most ferocious blades in the world were aimed at the righteous martial world and the Central Plains.

To cause a turbulent age.

To create a great chaos.

“Finally… the time has come.”

Mu Yu prepared himself, trying to suppress his overwhelming heart.

From now on, it was the real beginning.

Mu Yu turned his head, holding his overwhelming heart.

“Are you ready? Hao Sect Master.”

Wiso, who was standing in front of Mu Yu, nodded his head once and said with a smiling face.

“The time has finally come.”

***

“I almost couldn’t find you.”

Pyo Ung found Ma Seongun in a nameless valley hidden deep in the mountains.

Ma Seongun, who was washing his body in the pouring waterfall, slowly walked out of the water.

“Why were you looking for me.”

“It’s a call. The Alliance Leader has finally drawn his sword.”

At Pyo Ung’s words that he had drawn his sword, Ma Seongun’s eyes narrowed slightly.

‘It’s earlier than I thought.’

Originally, the war would have started only after at least a few more years.

As expected.

History and the future had changed.

And the reason for that was.

‘It must be because of me.’

Ma Seongun’s power now was completely different from the original history he knew.

Ma Seongun had been active as a member of the Ten-Man Squad and was strong enough to kill many righteous martial artists.

But his strength at that time was less than a bug compared to now.

Now that he had taken the Blood Jade.

Ma Seongun’s power had become strong enough to change history.

“Are they all here.”

Ma Seongun’s gaze stared at the seven martial artists who had followed Pyo Ung.

They were the Ten-Man Squad who had survived the hellish training just like Pyo Ung.

Of course, one of them had died at Ma Seongun’s hands in the past, so it was correct to call them the Nine-Man Squad.

“That’s right.”

Pyo Ung said, kneeling on one knee.

“From now on, you, Great Leader, must lead us.”

With Pyo Ung’s words, he held out an iron plate with a harmonious combination of black and red.

An iron plate with the shape of a demon.

“The Mixed Demon Squad?”

“It is a unit specially organized for you, Ma Seongun. I will assist you, Great Leader.”

“Explain.”

“From now on, we…”

What Pyo Ung took out from his bosom was a black wooden box.

And inside it were small pills with an ominous black light.

“We have to create new members of the Heretic Path's Alliance.”

“Interesting.”

“For this, first… we have to strike the Sichuan Tang Clan.”

The Sichuan Tang Clan.

The hegemon of Sichuan with an impregnable fortress.

The poison was not scary, but the problem was that the gate of the Sichuan Tang Clan was so strong that it had never been breached in the history of the martial world.

But this point rather stimulated Ma Seongun’s interest.

“There are those who will help us.”

Ma Seongun’s gaze went to the bushes.

Soon, a group of men appeared, pushing through the bushes.

They, who had covered their faces with veils, lowered their posture in front of Ma Seongun and introduced themselves.

“Nice to meet you. I am Sahwangcheon… the current sect master of the Poison Sect.”

(End of Chapter)