Wudang Mountain.

On the lofty Tianzhu Peak, there was the Sanqingguan.

In a way, it could be said to be the most important and sacred space in the Wudang Sect.

But.

Who would have known.

That in that place where even the Daoists of the Wudang Sect could not carelessly set foot, there was a secret that had been sleeping for a very long time.

“It’s been a while.”

An old Daoist dressed in a black Daoist robe entered a small earthen cave built under the Sanqingguan.

There, an old man with his arms and legs tied up was taking shallow breaths and prolonging his tough life.

“Kekeke… a familiar voice. Has it been a year?”

“It’s been five years.”

“Time flies. In this boring earthen cave where not a single ray of light comes in, I don’t know how time passes. Isn’t that right… Sect Master.”

The current sect master of the Wudang Sect, Ilmun.

He lifted the chair that was placed alone and approached the old man.

As he placed the chair and sat down, a disgusting smell of rotting flesh came from the old man’s body.

“My senior brother could not open your mouth in the end.”

“You won’t be any different, Ilmun.”

The old man lowered his head.

His eyes had been plucked out long ago, and the place where his eyeballs should have been was empty.

“Sect Leader. Won’t you tell me now? What the Ming Cult had stolen, and what they started the Righteous-Demon War to reclaim.”

“I’m sick of it. Human desire is truly endless…”

“That’s not something you should say.”

“Kekekeke! No! Am I, the leader of the Ming Cult, not the head of the demons? Naturally, it is only right to be faithful to desire. But, for the Daoist bastards who follow Taoism to deceive even the world and be greedy… there is nothing funnier than this.”

The day the Ming Cult was destroyed.

It was known that the sect leader, Dan Mugi, had also died.

But this was wrong.

The leader of the Ming Cult, Dan Mugi, is alive.

And he is currently imprisoned in the most sacred place in Wudang Mountain.

Tianzhu Peak.

“What are you so curious about?”

“What was it that you wanted to find even if it meant risking everything of the Ming Cult.”

Dan Mugi stuck out his tongue and laughed bizarrely.

“Kekekekekel! There’s no such thing!”

“You’re always the same.”

Ilmun stood up from his chair and grabbed Dan Mugi’s few remaining hairs.

It was a shabby appearance for the former leader of the heretic path and the leader of the Ming Cult.

“A while ago, an elder of Wudang heard an interesting story.”

“So what do you want me to do about it?”

“A blood-red sword.”

Dan Mugi still tilted his head from side to side and mocked Ilmun.

Nevertheless, Ilmun continued without wavering.

“It is said that the one who has the blood sword absorbs the blood of those he kills and takes their internal energy and martial arts.”

At that moment.

Dan Mugi glared fiercely at Ilmun with an expression he had never shown before.

Although his eyeballs did not exist, his gaze was so sharp that it could be felt.

“What did you say?”

His voice also changed.

Dan Mugi, as if he had returned to the time when he was the leader of the Ming Cult, said in a low and dignified voice as if scolding.

“Repeat what you just said.”

“I said that the one who has the blood sword steals another’s internal energy and martial arts.”

“Keu… keuhaaaak!!”

Clang— clang—!!

Dan Mugi showed a violent reaction he had not shown in decades and vomited blood.

“That son of a bitch! That bastard of a thief who deserves to be torn to shreds! How dare he take the treasure of our sect as he pleases! This is impossible!! It’s impossible!!”

“Calm down! Dan Mugi! What is that treasure? What is it that you are so obsessed with!”

“It’s the end! It’s the end!”

A mixture of saliva and blood flowed from Dan Mugi’s mouth.

Nevertheless, Dan Mugi did not stop talking.

“If that bastard was really chosen by the Blood Jade… it’s over. Kikikikik! Kekekeke!! The Central Plains will be destroyed. It was the Central Plains that would have been destroyed by my hands, having become my own… but now…”

Dan Mugi stretched his head as much as he could and met Ilmun’s face.

“The thief has returned as a king.”

“A king?”

“Yes. Swallowing and swallowing again. Eating and eating again. There will be nothing left in the world.”

Dan Mugi laughed with a crazed face.

“Because the insatiable predator has learned the taste of humans.”

***

“Are you really okay?”

Kang Cheon was worried about Jin Sohyun, who was leaving alone.

He had already lost many friends.

Among them, there were many who he thought would never die.

Nevertheless, they had eventually died.

Would Jin Sohyun be any different?

“If I’m here, my family will be in more danger. It’s better if I’m not here.”

As it was with the Nameless Pavilion.

Jin Sohyun knew well that his existence was a threat to his family.

That’s why he had come out of the house alone.

“Please take care of my family for a while.”

“When the war begins in earnest, even I will not be able to guarantee it.”

“Yes.”

Jin Sohyun, who had nodded his head, reached out his hand to Cha Seol, who was standing blankly.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes!”

“I’m sorry. I thought I had finally made a friend.”

“It’s okay. We can meet again.”

Cha Seol and Siu had become inseparable friends during the short time that Jin Sohyun had stayed.

Of course, the conversation between the two girls was mostly about the city girl Siu’s self-praise, but Cha Seol seemed to enjoy even that.

That’s why Jin Sohyun felt even more sorry for having to take Cha Seol with him.

“Sohyun.”

At Kang Cheon’s voice coming from behind him, Jin Sohyun stopped in his tracks.

“You are not a hero.”

Kang Cheon said.

“You are the lazybones of Shanxi, and the lazy young master of the Jin Clan estate. So don’t act like a hero, and just… do as you please and come back.”

He could feel Kang Cheon’s inner thoughts, telling him not to overdo it because of the responsibility of being a hero.

Jin Sohyun smiled brightly at him.

“Of course. I’ll be back.”

Jin Sohyun, who was carrying Cha Seol on his back, jumped up.

Kang Cheon swept his hair up as he watched Jin Sohyun, who was crossing the mountain, leaping through the air.

“It seems he’s gone.”

Namgung Muhyeok, who had been waiting for the farewell between the master and the disciple, approached cautiously.

“He’s gone.”

“Don’t worry too much. The righteous martial world will never leave Jin Sohyun alone.”

“That won’t be possible.”

“…?”

Kang Cheon let out a deep sigh and laughed in vain.

“Sohyun is that kind of person. He will never watch someone die because of him. So… that fellow will move alone.”

“What do you mean?”

“Literally. Since he knows that the Blood-Sucking Sword Demon is after him, he won’t act with others.”

Kang Cheon recalled Jin Sohyun, who had at some point become a dot and had disappeared.

And said bitterly.

“He will try to kill Ma Seongun alone.”

***

“To disband like this… does this make sense? Is this how it ends so meaninglessly?”

As Oh Seolhwa grumbled, Moyong Susu, who was packing her luggage, shrugged her shoulders.

“They say a war is imminent. There’s nothing we can do now. Just… go back to our sects or families and prepare for the war.”

“But still…”

Although Oh Seolhwa was frustrated, there was nothing else she could do.

A war was imminent.

Since all the sects and martial families were preparing for the war.

It was right to go back and prepare to fight the war.

“Our next meeting will be on the battlefield, I guess.”

Peng Sopyeong said, picking up his luggage.

At his one word, the disciples of the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple and the White Tiger Daoist Temple packed their luggage with shadowed faces.

“To think that a war would really break out.”

Zhuge Myeong had a face that still couldn't believe it.

Decades had passed since the end of the Righteous-Demon War.

He had believed without a doubt that a bigger war than this would not break out.

But as if betraying this belief, the Alliance Friend Order was issued, and the righteous martial world entered a state of war.

“Come on! This is not the time to be dawdling like this!”

As Gwak Myeong, Song Wu, and Gu Yong left for the Martial Alliance, it became Yeom Yoa’s role to take care of the remaining disciples.

She encouraged the disciples and finished preparing to move to the alliance’s branch.

“I will escort the children to the branch.”

“Thank you, Great Leader Peng.”

Peng Ohyun decided to take on the role of escorting them on their way.

And so, when they had all finished preparing to leave for the branch, Cheon Gasung and Cheon Yerang, who had also finished preparing to return to the palace, looked back at the same time.

‘The smell.’

The two looked at each other.

“Did you smell it too?”

“Yes. It’s the smell of blood.”

At the smell of blood coming from somewhere, the two swordsmen placed their hands on their sword hilts.

And at the same time, a man covered in blood appeared, staggering.

“Great Leader… Great Leader…!”

“Hmm? You are…!?”

Peng Ohyun, who had recognized him, hurriedly supported the man who was covered in blood.

A thick smell of blood came from the man’s body.

“Get a grip! What on earth happened!?”

“The Peng Clan… the Peng Clan… was ambushed.”

“What!?”

Following that, a group of beggars came running in a hurry.

“Emergency! It’s an emergency!!”

The one who seemed to be the leader of the beggars came running barefoot, quickly cupped his fist to Peng Ohyun, and quickly delivered the message.

“Hundreds of people have ambushed the Hebei Peng Clan!”

“Hundreds? You damn bastards!! Fierce Tiger Iron Sword, listen! We will hurry our return to the main family! Right now!!”

Peng Ohyun hurriedly prepared his martial artists and began to run.

Peng Sopyeong, who was also from the Peng Clan, also packed his sword and ran after Peng Ohyun.

“Wh-what… is this…”

The ones who were flustered were the remaining disciples and Yeom Yoa as well.

The Hebei Peng Clan, one of the Five Great Families, had been ambushed?

Who on earth would dare to attack the Hebei Peng Clan?

“Damn it! I am Yeom Yoa.”

“Ah, it is an honor to meet the Pyeon Yo Sword.”

“This is not the time for pleasantries. Explain the situation first!”

“Hundreds of martial artists of unknown affiliation have ambushed the Hebei Peng Clan. Because it was a sudden ambush, the damage that the Peng Clan has suffered is by no means small.”

Yeom Yoa’s gaze wavered.

The fact that they had attacked the Hebei Peng Clan meant that they had the power to fight against the Five Great Families.

And there was only one place that could do such a thing.

‘The Heretic Path's Alliance! Those bastards have moved!’

As the Alliance Friend Order was issued and the righteous martial world began to prepare for war, the Heretic Path's Alliance had moved one step ahead.

‘What should I do?’

While Yeom Yoa was hesitating, the disciples who had finished preparing to move approached and said.

“We should go too.”

It was Moyong Susu’s words.

“Now is the time when even one person’s strength is needed. We have to help!”

Oh Seolhwa’s following words.

The hesitating Yeom Yoa closed her eyes tightly and then shouted.

“We are going to help the Hebei Peng Clan. Anyone who is not confident can stay behind. From now on, it’s a real war. Survival… cannot be guaranteed. So think carefully.”

No one backed down.

Namgung Seoru, who had finished preparing, put her sword in her waist and said.

“Let’s go, Master.”

Yeom Yoa, who had nodded her head, took the lead.

“Let’s go.”

***

“Brother Jin.”

“Hmm?”

“What are you waiting for?”

Cha Seol asked Jin Sohyun, who was sitting in a small hut and looking out the window.

Since coming out of the Jin Clan estate and arriving at the hut, Jin Sohyun had been staring out the window endlessly, as if waiting for something.

“A promise.”

“A promise?”

“Yeah. I made a promise. So I’m waiting to see if he will keep it or not.”

“Ah… I see.”

Cha Seol sat next to Jin Sohyun and looked out the window.

“I hope he keeps his promise.”

“I think so too.”

How much time had passed?

Jin Sohyun, who was lightly stroking the head of the sleeping Cha Seol, who was tired of waiting, looked at the door.

Creak—!

The door opened.

And a masked person in the shape of a woman appeared, handed a bamboo tube to Jin Sohyun, and then disappeared.

Jin Sohyun, who had taken out a map from the bamboo tube, put it in his bosom and stood up.

“Uh… what’s wrong?”

As Cha Seol, who had woken up from her sleep, asked, blinking her eyes, Jin Sohyun said.

“He kept his promise.”

“Really!? When did he come?”

As Jin Sohyun packed his flying sword and put on a long robe over it, Cha Seol swallowed her dry saliva.

The fact that Jin Sohyun was packing his flying sword meant that a fight would soon break out.

“Are you going to fight?”

“Yeah.”

Jin Sohyun’s gaze went to the east.

“I’m going to fight.”

(End of Chapter)