Gwak Doyeop’s sword trembled.

He was right.

The Martial Alliance had united the martial families and factions under the oath of protecting the righteous martial world.

Their united power was strong enough to defeat the Ming Cult.

But now?

‘To think that I can’t even cut off the neck of a man like this!’

The foundation of the righteous martial world is a just cause and a justification.

All their executions required a certain degree of justice.

If they ignored this, they would lose the just cause and justification of protecting justice and peace.

That’s why Gwak Doyeop was bound by the shackle of an oath and could not cut off the neck of the Heretic Path's Alliance Leader, Ju Cheon, who had appeared right in front of him.

Although he was the leader of the heretic martial world, he could not just kill him.

Because it could not be said that the ones who had actually attacked the Hebei Peng Clan and were threatening the Central Plains martial world were affiliated with the Heretic Path's Alliance.

—They are masterless swords and claws.

Gwak Doyeop felt as if the world in front of him was turning dark.

There was nothing he could do right now.

He had to raise the flag of the alliance right now and protect the righteous martial world and the martial families and factions belonging to it.

But now that the Heretic Path's Alliance Leader had appeared.

He could no longer move forward.

Of course, Ju Cheon did nothing, as he had claimed.

That’s why Gwak Doyeop and the martial artists of the alliance could do nothing.

‘If only he had attacked the alliance!’

He could have killed Ju Cheon with a just cause, and then he could have wiped out the heretic martial world, which had lost its central point.

But as if knowing this, Ju Cheon did nothing, with his hands behind his back.

“Heretic Path's Alliance Leader… what do you gain by doing this?”

Gwak Doyeop was curious.

What Ju Cheon truly wanted.

Ju Cheon, who had been asked the question, stared at Gwak Doyeop and then began to laugh.

The laughter, whose inner thoughts could not be read, continued, and when the martial artists of the alliance who were watching began to show their displeasure.

Ju Cheon said.

“Nothing.”

“…”

“I don’t want anything.”

“If you don’t want anything… then why on earth are you doing this!”

As Peng Ogeol, who could no longer hold back, shouted with anger, Ju Cheon showed his teeth and curled the corners of his mouth.

“Just because.”

“What… what… what did you say?”

As the flustered Peng Ogeol stuttered and asked, Ju Cheon held his stomach and laughed.

Like a child who had succeeded in a fun prank.

He laughed innocently.

And Gwak Doyeop, who was watching this right in front of him, closed his eyes tightly and regretted his past self.

‘At that time… I should have killed this person.’

When he had faced Ju Cheon, who was laughing and beheading the Euncheombangju, Gwak Doyeop had felt an enormous fear and a sense of incongruity that he could not understand.

And only now could he understand the identity of the fear and incongruity he had felt at that time.

‘This person is dangerous.’

Ju Cheon was an existence where evil had taken human form.

To him, this world was just a large playground, and even war was just a fun game to him.

And there was no reason for doing such a thing.

—Just because.

Evil without a reason.

To think that such a pure evil could exist in the world.

Gwak Doyeop gripped his sword hilt and said this.

“Golden Heaven Guard Leader and Fierce Iron Guard Leader.”

“Yes!”

“Give your command.”

“I will declare to everyone gathered here. I, Gwak Doyeop, will step down from the position of the Martial Alliance Leader as of today and will return to being an unaffiliated wandering guest!”

When everyone was flustered by Gwak Doyeop’s unexpected declaration, only Ju Cheon laughed as if he were enjoying it.

“Oh my… Gwak Doyeop.”

“So… I declare in front of everyone that everything I do from now on is the personal deviation of this Gwak Mo.”

As soon as he finished his words, Gwak Doyeop’s sword cut Ju Cheon.

“…Kikikik!”

Ju Cheon swept his chest with his own hand.

Warm blood was felt on his palm.

‘Was it shallow!?’

Because the motion was short, the power in the sword was insufficient.

Because of that, Gwak Doyeop, who had not been able to completely cut down and kill Ju Cheon with a single slash, raised his internal energy again.

When a brilliant sword ki rose from his sword, Ju Cheon said.

“It’s been a very long time.”

Soon, a dark blue energy spewed from his hand.

Paang—!!

Gam Ak and Wi Geumseong quickly retreated from the shockwave that occurred when Gwak Doyeop’s slash and Ju Cheon’s palm force collided.

“Alliance Leader!”

The moment Gam Ak was about to move to protect Gwak Doyeop, Wi Geumseong blocked his path.

“Great Leader Wi! What are you doing!?”

“Don’t you know? The Alliance Leader… no, the former Alliance Leader has quit his position as the Alliance Leader and has returned to being a wandering guest.”

“So what are you trying to say!”

“It means that we are still… affiliated with the Martial Alliance.”

“Ah…”

Only then did Gam Ak realize why Wi Geumseong had stopped him.

Their mission was to escort the leader of the righteous martial world, the Martial Alliance Leader.

But Gwak Doyeop was no longer the Martial Alliance Leader.

And he was not affiliated with the Martial Alliance either.

‘There’s no justification…’

Now, they had no justification to protect Gwak Doyeop.

So from now on.

“It’s a fight between Gwak Doyeop and… the Heretic Path's Alliance Leader.”

***

“Only… nine people…”

Despair appeared on the face of the Sichuan Tang Clan Head, Tang Muhak.

Only nine martial artists had overwhelmed the martial artists of the Sichuan Tang Clan, who were several times their number.

As if that were not enough, the poison masters who had appeared from somewhere were silently killing the martial artists of the Tang Clan using poisons and poisonous weapons they had never seen before.

‘Even the Poison Sect has come.’

The Poison Sect, which had appeared on the surface without a sound, had awakened from its long hibernation and was strangling the Tang Clan.

As the color of defeat deepened, Tang Muhak quickly sent the members of the Sichuan Tang Clan and the young late-stage prospects out through the back road.

They were the future and hope of the Sichuan Tang Clan.

Even if everyone died, they had to be saved.

“Who… on earth are you.”

He had never doubted the strength of the Blood-Sucking Sword Demon.

He had killed Tang Heum in one go and had killed the Five Great Masters of the Central Plains.

He did not do the foolish thing of doubting the proven strength.

That’s why he had deployed all the members of the Sichuan Poison Snake Squad, which had the strongest power in the Sichuan Tang Clan.

He had tried to kill Ma Seongun using all kinds of hidden weapons and poisons.

But the hidden weapons could not even touch his skin, and even the poison was useless against him.

‘Is he even immune to all poisons.’

Tang Muhak looked down at his own hands, which were stained purple.

His left hand was cut off below the elbow, and his right arm was tattered.

His two hands were his poisonous hands, which contained his lifelong martial arts, but in front of Ma Seongun, they were just ordinary palm forces imbued with internal energy.

“Although I have been defeated here today… you will not be able to take anything.”

While the Formless Earth Killing Poison was leaked and they were being suspected by the Martial Alliance.

The Sichuan Tang Clan had created all kinds of mechanisms to protect their poisons and manufacturing methods.

One of them was the Fire Extinguishing Mechanism.

Following the clan head’s final order, the Fire Extinguishing Mechanism of the Sichuan Tang Clan was activated.

Hwaaaak—!!

Flames shot up from here and there in the estate.

“We will all die here.”

“You talk too much. For a clan head.”

Ma Seongun did not listen any further and embedded the Bloodstone Sword in Tang Muhak’s heart.

“Keuk!”

With Tang Muhak as the last, there were no longer any living Tang Clan members on the land of the Sichuan Tang Clan.

“We have to escape.”

As the surroundings were engulfed in flames, Pyo Ung called Ma Seongun.

But Ma Seongun did not move, as he was taking Tang Muhak’s blood.

“Great Leader!”

“You go first.”

“…As you command.”

Having no choice, Pyo Ung escaped the Sichuan Tang Clan, which was engulfed in flames, with the remaining members of the Mixed Demon Squad.

Behind them, the poison masters affiliated with the Poison Sect came out.

“Damn it! You poisonous bastards!”

The Sichuan Tang Clan, even at the moment of their death, had burned the Tang Clan with their own hands so that the poisons and manufacturing methods they had created would not fall into the hands of their enemies.

Thanks to that, the poisonous gas that had begun to burn was disappearing, emitting a black smoke.

“By the way, is that person okay?”

“It’s not just anyone, it’s the Blood-Sucking Sword Demon. He’s fine, so the subordinates must have just come out.”

Hamgi, the current sect master of the Poison Sect, swallowed his dry saliva as he looked at the Sichuan Tang Clan, which was engulfed in flames.

‘At first, I thought he was some crazy bastard…’

Hamgi had thought that Ma Seongun, who had said he would open the entrance of the Sichuan Tang Clan by himself, was a crazy bastard who was drunk on his own power and had become arrogant.

But Ma Seongun had opened the gate of the Sichuan Tang Clan by himself, and the Mixed Demon Squad that followed him had begun to slaughter the masters of the Sichuan Tang Clan.

‘This is just a part of the power that the Heretic Path's Alliance has.’

Hamgi clenched his fist, feeling an unknown sense of exhilaration.

In the meantime, Hamgi’s son and the vice sect master of the Poison Sect, Hamdok, said as if it were a shame.

“By the way, to have to lose the poison of the Tang Clan like this… it’s a shame.”

“Hmph. Don’t worry. As long as the Sichuan Tang Clan is exterminated, there is no faction in this Central Plains that is as well-versed in poison as our Poison Sect! In the end… it can be said that it is our victory, who have survived.”

“I see.”

As the two father and son were nodding their heads, Ma Seongun slowly walked out from the flames.

‘He’s not human.’

Hamgi felt a chill as he looked at Ma Seongun’s clothes, which were not even singed by the flames.

The hot flames could not even touch Ma Seongun’s body due to the formless protective ki that was radiating from his body.

This made it possible to know how profound Ma Seongun’s internal energy was.

“Jahwa has been hit.”

Pyo Ung said, pointing at the woman who had been poisoned.

Jahwa, who had been hit by the poisonous hand of the leader of the Sichuan Poison Snake Squad, lowered her head, taking shallow breaths.

A member of the Mixed Demon Squad.

And one of the surviving Ten-Man Squad.

Jahwa said as if she were sorry.

“I’m sorry.”

“Sect Master.”

Ma Seongun turned his head and looked at Hamgi.

“You, weren’t you the sect master of the Poison Sect?”

“Y-yes!”

Hamgi, who had belatedly rushed over, bowed his head.

“I’m sorry. Please give your command.”

“Check this person’s condition, and if you can treat her, then treat her.”

“Yes! I will take a look.”

Hamgi, who was the sect master of the Poison Sect, quickly checked Jahwa’s condition.

‘She’s been hit badly.’

The poisonous hand had deeply poisoned Jahwa’s lower abdomen, and thanks to that, the poisonous gas that had seeped into her dantian had spread throughout her body.

Although her life could be saved, it was clear that she would not even be able to move for a while.

“First, I will remove the poisonous gas from her body and then I will try to make an antidote.”

“How long will it take?”

“It will take at least five days. Since she was hit by the poisonous hand of the Tang Clan, it’s not an ordinary poison…”

In front of Hamgi, who was explaining, a blood-red blade brushed past.

Thud—!

“Heok!”

In front of Hamgi’s eyes, Ma Seongun embedded his sword in Jahwa’s heart.

Soon, Jahwa died without any resistance, with all the blood in her body drained and shriveled up.

Hamgi, who had witnessed Jahwa’s death in front of his eyes, trembled his fingertips.

“We’re leaving.”

“As you command.”

Ma Seongun, who had killed his subordinate without a moment’s hesitation, and the Mixed Demon Squad, who accepted this without any problem.

Hamgi, who had come to follow them, swallowed his dry saliva and looked down at the dead Jahwa’s corpse.

‘Next time, it could be me.’

Hamgi, licking his dry lips, said.

“We’re leaving too.”

The men in black came running to Ma Seongun, who was walking with Pyo Ung at the forefront.

The numbers fifteen and eleven were tattooed on their faces.

“Mixed Demon Squad Leader! I will report.”

“Speak.”

“Jin Sohyun has appeared. Because of him, the martial artists of the 5th and 8th squads who were heading to Shanxi have been hit. The scale of the damage is about four hundred.”

“Jin Sohyun…”

The world had changed with Ma Seongun.

With the appearance of the Blood-Sucking Sword Demon, the war had been brought forward, and those who should have lived had died.

He had come to walk the path of the hegemon of the world.

But there was something that had not changed.

And that was Jin Sohyun.

‘Even though the world has changed, only you, you bastard, haven’t changed. Jin Sohyun.’

“And according to the words of the magpies who had faced Jin Sohyun, it seems that Jin Sohyun had intentionally left them alive.”

Ma Seongun, who had heard the magpie’s explanation, laughed.

“He’s talking to me.”

Jin Sohyun was talking to him.

“That I am here.”

***

“Block them! Block them!!”

A hot flame shot up from under the Yeonhwabong of Mount Hua, which was called one of the Five Great Mountains of the Central Plains and did not allow the footsteps of unauthorized persons.

“To think that they would do such a thing!”

The Yeonhwabong had never feared the invasion of enemies before because its mountain terrain was very rough.

But this time, the situation was different.

The group of men in black, who had appeared from somewhere like a swarm of bugs, had brought a lot of oil and had begun to burn the Yeonhwabong from below and climb up.

Thanks to that, the Daoists of Mount Hua had to fight against the group of men in black who were climbing the Yeonhwabong and at the same time had to try to put out the fire by drawing water.

“We can never give up Mount Hua.”

Because they could not give up the Yeonhwabong, which contained the spirit and history of their ancestors, like this.

The Daoists of Mount Hua fought against the group of men in black, risking their lives, and tried to suppress the flames.

But.

The situation was not good.

“The number is too large…”

The number of the group that had ambushed Mount Hua was too large.

And they were committing cowardly acts such as throwing hidden weapons or shooting arrows from a distance.

In particular, the arrows imbued with internal energy that flew in from a distance were very threatening to the swordsmen of Mount Hua.

“How dare this bastard! Where do you think this is… keok!”

An arrow that had flown in from somewhere was embedded exactly in the forehead and Adam’s apple of a Daoist of the Mount Hua Sect.

“Damn it! Where on earth!?”

The Daoists of Mount Hua felt like they were going crazy.

In front of them, the crazed demons were rushing in, and flames were shooting up around them.

In the chaotic situation where the smoke created by the flames, the madness, and the smell of blood were mixed, even arrows imbued with internal energy flew in.

“Retreat! Retreat!”

The Plum Blossom Swordsmen, the pride of Mount Hua, tried to block the entrance by sacrificing their own lives, but it was not enough.

“Mount Hua is also soon.”

Next to the man in black who was on the verge of the destruction of the Mount Hua Sect, a man with a large bow approached.

“Keep your promise. That the martial arts of Mount Hua belong to our Gungsalmun.”

As the sect master of the Gungsalmun threatened, the man shrugged his shoulders.

“Take as much as you want.”

“Just trust us. Mount Hua will kneel before the arrows of our Gungsalmun…”

“Aaargh!!”

“What!?”

“He’s here! That bastard is here!”

At that moment, a scream was heard from the bottom of the Yeonhwabong.

At that, the Gungsalmun Master frowned and looked down.

“What is it?”

Unlike the puzzled Gungsalmun Master, the man whistled and bit his lower lip slightly.

“He’s here.”

“He’s here? What’s here?”

The man slowly retreated and pointed to the bottom of the Yeonhwabong with his fingertip.

“The monster of the righteous path.”

(End of Chapter)