“The atmosphere is unusual.”

“…”

Gwak Myeong and Song Wu, who had returned to the Martial Alliance after a long time, felt that the atmosphere in the alliance was unusual and went inside.

Of course, on their way, they had learned from Gu Yong that fights were breaking out all over the Central Plains.

Nevertheless, the atmosphere of the Martial Alliance was like.

‘A house of mourning.’

The Martial Alliance was quiet, like a house of mourning where a funeral was being held.

And that point made Gwak Myeong even more puzzled.

‘Why?’

The Martial Alliance should have been busier than anyone else, preparing to counter the Heretic Path's Alliance.

The martial artists should have been equipping their weapons and lining up their ranks.

They should have been chasing the groups of the heretic path using the information network made up of the beggars of the Beggars' Sect.

But.

‘What on earth is going on?’

Gwak Myeong hurried his steps.

First, he had to meet the alliance leader and hear an explanation of the situation.

But the person who greeted Gwak Myeong, who had come to the Martial Alliance, was not the alliance leader, but the internal general manager of the Martial Alliance, Zhuge Goun.

“It’s a relief that you both seem to be uninjured.”

“The atmosphere inside the Martial Alliance is strange. Where is the alliance leader?”

“…”

Zhuge Goun’s expression was subtle.

He stood up from his seat without a word and walked toward the door.

“Please follow me.”

Gwak Myeong and Song Wu felt a premonition at the same time and followed Zhuge Goun.

The place where the three arrived was a clinic located inside the Martial Alliance.

Just then, Baek Sam Song Changui, who was considered the best in medical skills in the martial world, appeared with a decoction with his disciple doctor.

“Great Doctor Elder.”

At Zhuge Goun’s bow, Song Changui lightly waved his hand.

“Let’s go inside first.”

“Before that, can I see the alliance leader?”

Song Changui discovered Gwak Myeong and Song Wu standing behind Zhuge Goun.

The two also recognized Song Changui and lightly cupped their fists.

“Come in.”

As Song Changui opened the door and entered the patient’s room, the three followed him.

And there, Gwak Myeong and Song Wu were finally able to face the alliance leader.

“What… on earth happened?”

Gwak Myeong’s voice trembled.

The same went for Song Wu.

The Martial Alliance Leader, Gwak Doyeop.

The Martial Alliance Leader, Gwak Doyeop, who was also called the Immortal Divine Sword because of his thick trust and his outstanding martial arts.

He was now lying there with a large injury on his entire body, taking shallow breaths and barely holding on to his life.

“Internal General Manager! Why is the alliance leader lying here like this!?”

“There was a fight.”

“A fight!? Who on earth attacked the alliance leader? What on earth was the Golden Heaven Guard doing!?”

“Calm down. This is a place where there is a patient.”

As Song Changui said in a serious voice, Gwak Myeong tried to calm his excitement.

At that, Zhuge Goun said.

“The Great Doctor Elder is right. Let’s move to another place.”

Gwak Myeong and Song Wu looked at Gwak Doyeop with a gaze filled with complicated emotions and then came out of the patient’s room.

They moved to an outer area where there were almost no people walking.

“Please explain quickly. What happened?”

“The Heretic Path's Alliance Leader came to the Martial Alliance himself. No… rather than coming, he was waiting.”

“Waiting? What was he waiting for?”

“I don’t know for sure, but for now, it seems he was waiting for the Martial Alliance to come out.”

Zhuge Goun began to slowly explain what had happened so far.

The fight between Gwak Doyeop, who had stepped down from his position as the alliance leader, and the Heretic Path's Alliance Leader, Ju Cheon.

The clash between the two masters was tense.

Gwak Doyeop’s sword spewed a fierce sword ki as if it would split the heavens and the earth, and pressed Ju Cheon.

Ju Cheon faced Gwak Doyeop with his twin hands, which contained a dark blue strong ki.

Kung— kung— kung—!!

A valiant duel that seemed to turn the heavens and the earth upside down continued.

And Gwak Doyeop’s sword opened Ju Cheon’s chest with a slash that seemed to draw a cross. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

“At that moment, most of the people who were watching expected the alliance leader’s victory.”

The tip of Gwak Doyeop’s brilliantly shining sword aimed at Ju Cheon’s heart and stabbed in.

Even until then.

No one doubted Gwak Doyeop’s victory.

But it was then.

Ju Cheon dodged Gwak Doyeop’s sword with an amazing speed that he had never shown before.

Perhaps because he could not completely dodge it, a long stab wound appeared from Ju Cheon’s shoulder to his back, but this was not a problem.

As Gwak Doyeop was about to retreat to push away Ju Cheon, who was digging into his bosom, Ju Cheon was one step ahead in speed.

“I got you.”

With these words, Ju Cheon gathered his two hands and threw a twin palm.

The united dark blue palm force hit Gwak Doyeop.

Peong!!

With a fierce sound of something breaking, Gwak Doyeop staggered but gritted his teeth so as not to fall.

‘I must win! Even if I die!’

From the moment he had given up his position as the alliance leader.

Gwak Doyeop had given up on his life.

He swallowed back the blood that was rising in his throat and endured even the reverse flow of his ki and blood, and raised his sword.

“As expected of the Martial Alliance Leader.”

Ju Cheon, who was watching this right in front of him, was genuinely impressed and reached out his hand behind him.

At that moment, a sword that had flown in from somewhere was caught in Ju Cheon’s hand.

“It would be an insult not to use all my strength against you.”

“Ju Cheon!!”

Gwak Doyeop’s sword strike, which contained his last strength, fell from top to bottom, and Ju Cheon swung his sword to match it.

The swords of the two swordsmen met in the empty air, and the winner was…

“The Heretic Path's Alliance Leader.”

Gwak Doyeop’s sword was shattered into two pieces, and Ju Cheon’s blade cut through the empty space.

His dark blue sword ki, which was sharper than a blade, deeply cut Gwak Doyeop’s body.

No blood flowed out.

“That was… a cold and hot… sword ki.”

The sword ki, which was like a chilly flame, left a deep wound on Gwak Doyeop’s body that could not be healed, and the giant of the Martial Alliance knelt down in front of the Heretic Path's Alliance Leader like that.

“The Heretic Path's Alliance Leader, who had cut the alliance leader, did not finish him off and withdrew his sword, saying.”

—I don’t need to kill you. Isn’t that right? Guard Leader?

Gam Ak and Wi Geumseong, who had heard those words, were about to kill Ju Cheon at any moment, but Dokgo Jeokmyeong and Zhuge Goun stopped them.

“What Ju Cheon wants is to break down the boundary between the righteous and heretic paths.”

“Break down the boundary… what do you mean?”

“It’s literally as it sounds. The strength of the righteous martial world comes from a just cause and a justification. The justice that the Martial Alliance has is its strength. But if we have no just cause and no justification, and if we can’t find justice either…”

Zhuge Goun said, clasping his two hands.

“What’s the difference between us and the heretic martial world? We just… become murderers with the same sword.”

“…”

Although Gwak Myeong’s chest was stuffy and anger was rising, he had no choice but to agree.

The Heretic Path's Alliance Leader was trying to shake the foundation of the martial world.

By breaking down the boundary between the righteous and heretic paths.

And by creating a turbulent age.

“What is the purpose of the Heretic Path's Alliance Leader?”

“There is none.”

This time, Song Wu asked in surprise.

“There is no purpose… what do you mean?”

“You can understand it literally this time as well. The Heretic Path's Alliance Leader was a person who even made light of his own death. Rather, it seemed that he thought that his own death was just a means to prove that the Martial Alliance was no different from them.”

“So that’s why the alliance leader gave up his position as the alliance leader and tried to kill the Heretic Path's Alliance Leader.”

And he had failed.

Rather, the news that the Martial Alliance Leader had been defeated by the Heretic Path's Alliance Leader would spread throughout the Central Plains.

The morale of the righteous martial world would fall, and the heretic martial world would gain power.

The Hebei Peng Clan had already suffered damage close to annihilation, and other small and medium-sized sects were being destroyed without a sound or were siding with the heretic martial world.

“By the way, what brings you to the Martial Alliance, Great Master Gwak?”

Zhuge Goun brought up the question he had been holding back.

Gwak Myeong, who had been confused since arriving at the alliance, cleared his head and woke up.

He had something to do.

“I came because I wanted to look at the old books of the Ming Cult. I heard that the Martial Alliance is keeping them.”

“…”

Zhuge Goun’s expression was subtle.

“Why do you need the old books of the Ming Cult?”

He seemed to be asking why he was looking for the old books of the Ming Cult in a war situation like this.

At that, Song Wu quickly added.

“It’s to find out about the Blood-Sucking Sword Demon. It is said that there is a record that the blood-red sword he uses… originally belonged to the Ming Cult.”

“Hmm…”

Zhuge Goun, who was lost in thought, flicking his finger on the table, stood up from his seat.

“Let’s go. I will guide you.”

As they came out of the clinic under Zhuge Goun’s guidance, Gu Yong, who had left to check the information that had piled up, returned.

“I hope there is some good news.”

At Song Wu’s earnest words, Gu Yong said with a bitter face.

“It’s bad news.”

“Phew…”

The three sighed and waited for the bad news that Gu Yong would deliver.

Soon, Gu Yong said with a sigh-filled voice.

“Following the Hebei Peng Clan, the Sichuan Tang Clan… is said to have been attacked by unidentified people and has suffered damage close to annihilation. The clan head has lost his life, and the Tang Clan… is said to be left with only ashes.”

“…”

The extermination of the Sichuan Tang Clan, of all places.

Zhuge Goun’s head was dizzy and the world in front of him was dark.

It was only a few days.

A chaotic battle that was happening all over the Central Plains.

The wild dogs, stained with desire and madness, were tearing down the pillars of the righteous martial world.

“And there is a high possibility that the Blood-Sucking Sword Demon was involved in that fight.”

“The Blood-Sucking Sword Demon…!”

“Someone is said to have shattered the main gate of the Sichuan Tang Clan by himself… there are not many in the heretic path who have such power. And there are even fewer who have a blood-red blade.”

Gwak Myeong, who had heard Gu Yong’s explanation, urged Zhuge Goun.

“There’s no time, Internal General Manager!”

“Follow me.”

Zhuge Goun went to the Yongwagak of the Martial Alliance and went down to the basement there.

After passing through a total of five layers of black iron gates, they were finally able to face the old books of the Ming Cult that the Martial Alliance was secretly keeping.

Their number was much larger than Gwak Myeong and his party had thought.

“There are many.”

“Among them are also demonic arts books. So…”

“It seems we can’t just let anyone in.”

“That’s right.”

In the end, the four people gathered here had to read the old books of the Ming Cult that were densely packed in front of them.

And Zhuge Goun was the internal general manager of the alliance and was a person who could not take a long time.

“We have no choice but to do it ourselves.”

At Gu Yong’s weak voice, Gwak Myeong picked up the first book.

“Let’s begin.”

The three’s boring journey to find a pearl in the sand began.

***

The thirty-five martial artists felt a foul taste in their mouths and enjoyed a short rest, leaning against pillars or walls.

“I would have no wish if I could just sleep for a moment.”

“Be careful not to close your eyes for too long. You must not fall asleep.”

“Yes…”

The martial artists, who had not been able to sleep properly for four days, stared at the collapsed wall and the main gate with gaunt faces.

The place they were in was the Jonggeompa, one of the vassal sects of the Jongnam Sect.

They, who had suffered great damage from the attack of the men in black, had requested support from the Jongnam Sect, and thirty-five martial artists of the Jongnam Sect had come to help the Jonggeompa.

But the fight here had gone completely differently from what the martial artists of the Jongnam Sect had thought.

‘To think that they would fight a war of attrition.’

The group of men in black, numbering in the dozens, would attack the Jonggeompa and then would immediately run away when the tide of the battle turned against them.

And not long after, another group of dozens of men in black would attack the Jonggeompa.

A total of nearly a hundred martial artists had taken turns ambushing the Jonggeompa, and thanks to that, the martial artists of the Jonggeompa and the Jongnam Sect had to continue fighting without a break for even half an hour for four days.

“At this rate, we will die of overwork.”

At the complaints of the tired martial artists, Hwang Jichun, the Taeseonggeom who was leading the martial artists of the Jongnam Sect, swallowed the water in his water bottle and looked at the martial artists of the Jonggeompa who were taking a nap in a corner.

‘They have it good. Who are we suffering for.’

On the one hand, he was angry.

To think that the martial artists of the main sect had to stand guard for the martial artists of the vassal sect.

Hwang Jichun suppressed his anger and appeased the martial artists of the Jongnam Sect.

“The main mountain will soon send support, so don’t worry.”

“Who is it!”

The martial artists who were taking a nap and the martial artists of the Jongnam Sect who were barely chasing away their sleep with gaunt eyes.

All the martial artists reflexively stood up and drew their swords.

Soon, a man appeared at the main gate of the Jonggeompa.

The man, who was dressed in shabby clothes and had a grimy appearance, appeared with a girl on his back and gave an awkward greeting.

“Ah, hello.”

Hwang Jichun, who had discovered him, asked.

“Who are you?”

“I am…”

“No… it doesn’t matter who you are.”

Hwang Jichun looked at the man’s shabby appearance and the sleeping girl on his back and then sighed.

‘Were they chased by those bastards?’

He had heard the news that the groups of the heretic path were plundering the surroundings.

Perhaps this man had also come here to protect his younger sister from the group of the heretic path.

“Do you need a place to rest.”

“Ah, yes.”

“If you go inside, there will be a place to rest. And no matter what commotion happens outside, never come out.”

As the man did not readily go inside, Hwang Jichun said with a kind smile.

“Don’t worry. I am a martial artist of the Jongnam Sect. No matter what happens, I will protect you two.”

The man with a handsome appearance that even his shabbiness could not hide stared at Hwang Jichun and then smiled brightly.

“Thank you.”

With those words, the man went inside.

‘What a strange fellow.’

For some reason, no fear could be found on the man’s face.

Rather.

‘Pride?’

Was it because of the joy of finding a place to rest?

Hwang Jichun shook his head to shake off his doubts.

“I want to rest too.”

For some reason, he felt envious of the shabby man who was walking away.

“Don’t let your guard down! The night is not over yet.”