Jin Sohyun sat cross-legged on the floor, not on the bed.

On the bed, Cha Seol was sleeping, curled up like a cat.

In the current Central Plains, the title that called Jin Sohyun was not the Lazy Young Master of the Jin Clan estate.

Flying Heaven Sword Ghost.

Following the Ten-Armed Blood Ghost, Kang Cheon, Jin Sohyun also got a title with the character for ghost (鬼).

And why not? For the past few days, Jin Sohyun had single-handedly killed so many men in black that he could have built a mountain with them.

Now, the men in black were at the point where they would wet themselves and run away just by seeing Jin Sohyun’s shadow.

Since the situation was like this, Jin Sohyun was worried about leaving Cha Seol alone.

‘They might even send an assassin.’

There were no longer any men in black who did not recognize Jin Sohyun’s flying sword.

That’s why it was clear that the fact that he was staying at the Jonggeompa had already been known to the heretic path sects, including the Heretic Path's Alliance.

‘Would it take half a day if I run?’

If he ran without a break, the distance from the Jonggeompa to Mount Jongnam would take about two days, but with Jin Sohyun’s speed, half a day was enough.

And for this, he had forced the martial artists of the Jongnam Sect, including Hwang Jichun, to rest.

—We have to go right now! 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Jin Sohyun had knocked out Hwang Jichun, who was saying he would go to Mount Jongnam right away, by hitting the back of his neck, and had urged the remaining swordsmen of the Jongnam Sect to rest well.

“Because it won’t be easy.”

The fight at Mount Jongnam would be incomparable to the fight at the Jonggeompa.

The Jongnam Sect was one of the Nine Great Sects.

Since the heretic martial world would have made thorough preparations to bring down the Jongnam Sect, Jin Sohyun also needed to be sufficiently prepared to face them.

For this, sufficient rest had to be provided first.

“Phew.”

Jin Sohyun, who had finished a light circulation of his ki, filled his stomach with the food that the sect master of the Jonggeompa, Wang Gasaeng, who had come crawling, saying he had not recognized the great master, had brought.

He usually ate a considerable amount, but since he had started fighting with the heretic martial world in earnest, he had been eating more than twice the amount of food.

“Strangely, I’m always hungry.”

As if trying to fill up as much as he had used his strength, Jin Sohyun’s body was constantly craving nutrients.

Jin Sohyun, who had finished his meal, leaving Cha Seol’s share, slowly stood up.

Sunlight was seeping in from outside.

It was now time to move.

“Seol.”

“Ugh!”

Cha Seol, who was feeling the fatigue of her mind and body from using the Great Luo Soul Capturing Art, had also been sleeping a lot.

Jin Sohyun dressed Cha Seol, who had stood up, rubbing her sleepy eyes, in fur clothes.

“We have to go fast, so it will be colder than usual.”

“Ugh… yes.”

Cha Seol got on Jin Sohyun’s back as if she were used to it.

As Jin Sohyun, who was carrying Cha Seol on his back, went outside, Hwang Jichun and the martial artists of the Jongnam Sect, who were prepared, greeted him.

“Did you wake up?”

“Please speak comfortably. It’s embarrassing.”

“…I will. Do you know any news about the Jongnam Sect?”

“By now, the fight with the men in black who are trying to bring down the Jongnam Sect must have started. So I’m going to run to Mount Jongnam without a break.”

“If we run without a break as much as possible… we should be able to arrive around noon tomorrow.”

“I’ll arrive tonight.”

“Tonight? That’s…”

“Great Master Hwang, please take the lead. I’ll follow right behind you.”

Only then did Hwang Jichun seem to understand the meaning of Jin Sohyun’s words to rest well.

It was very difficult to cover a two-day distance in one day, but it was almost impossible to cover it in half a day.

And they had to fight with the group of men in black as soon as they arrived at Mount Jongnam.

‘It’s going to be a tough fight.’

But he couldn’t just stand by and watch his sect collapse.

“I understand. Then, as you all heard, we will run with all our might to Mount Jongnam from now on. We can’t wait for those who fall behind or drag them along, so everyone… do your best.”

“Yes!”

Hwang Jichun, who had nodded his head, walked ahead.

“I will lead from the front.”

This time, as Jin Sohyun nodded his head, Hwang Jichun threw himself out of the estate.

At that, Wang Gasaeng shouted belatedly.

“As soon as the main gate is organized, we will follow right behind!!”

Although he could not expect the help of the Jonggeompa, Hwang Jichun waved his hand briefly and began to raise his internal energy in earnest and flicked his toes.

Behind him, Jin Sohyun and the remaining martial artists of the Jongnam Sect followed.

***

“There’s no end to it.”

Gwak Myeong put down the book he was holding and let out a heavy sigh.

For several days now, he had been searching through all the books related to the Ming Cult without even knowing when the sun rose and set.

But the proportion that the Ming Cult occupied in the vast history of the martial world was by no means small.

The amount of the books of the Ming Cult, which held hundreds of years of history, was too much for just three people to check.

At least Gu Yong had learned the art of speed reading and was reading the books at a speed three times faster than others, but there was no end in sight.

‘I don’t know if this is right.’

Outside, fights with the fate of the righteous and heretic paths at stake were breaking out.

Was it right to be searching through books in a situation where the masters of the righteous path were being killed by the Blood-Sucking Sword Demon, who had begun to move in earnest?

The same went for Song Wu, and in the lantern that was illuminating the darkness, Song Wu’s gaze trembled.

It was then.

“…Something is strange.”

“Strange?”

Song Wu and Gwak Myeong looked at Gu Yong at the same time.

At that, Gu Yong brought the book he was reading and put it down in front of the two, saying.

“The ends of the high-ranking officials related to the Ming Cult are clearly recorded.”

“If even one of the high-ranking officials were alive, they might rebuild the Ming Cult, so that’s natural, isn’t it?”

Gu Yong, who was nodding his head at Song Wu’s words, said with a face that he didn’t understand.

“But… only the things about the Ming Cult Leader are vaguely recorded.”

“Vaguely?”

“The ones who recorded the Righteous-Demon War were the Zhuge Clan and the Beggars' Sect. But according to the records, the ones who killed the Ming Cult Leader at that time were the Nine Great Sects… among them, the sect masters of Mount Hua, the Qingcheng Sect, and the Wudang Sect.”

The sect masters of the Nine Great Sects who had directly participated in the Righteous-Demon War.

Among them, the sect masters of the Mount Hua Sect, the Qingcheng Sect, and the Wudang Sect had continued a fierce fight against the leader of the Ming Cult.

The leader of the Ming Cult, who had fought on equal terms with the three sect masters of the Nine Great Sects.

The record of his end was vaguely written.

“The record of his death and his corpse is written as an estimate.”

“An estimate?”

It couldn’t be an estimate.

Because there was no way that there was a person as dangerous as the leader of the Ming Cult.

No matter what, the death of the Ming Cult had to be confirmed.

“At that time, the sect master of the Wudang Sect, Hyeongyeongjin, said that he had taken the life of the Ming Cult Leader with his own hands, but no one had confirmed the corpse of the Ming Cult Leader.”

The Righteous-Demon War was the largest and worst war in the history of the martial world.

What the martial artists of that time needed most was the end of the war, and since the one who had testified to the end of the Ming Cult Leader was none other than the sect master of the Wudang Sect, no one doubted the death of the Ming Cult Leader.

“What about the remaining sect masters?”

“The sect masters of the Mount Hua Sect and the Qingcheng Sect were injured, so the one who had cut off the breath of the Ming Cult Leader at the end was Hyeongyeongjin.”

“…”

The three looked at each other as if they had made a promise.

In the heavy silence, Song Wu opened his mouth.

“There is a high possibility that it is a conjecture. And it has already been over half a century since the Righteous-Demon War ended. There is no possibility that he is still alive.”

Song Wu was right.

Nevertheless, Gwak Myeong could not easily shake off the lingering feeling in a corner of his heart.

‘The reason the Ming Cult started the Righteous-Demon War was to find something… and Hyeongyeongjin of the Wudang Sect said he had killed the Ming Cult Leader, but no one has confirmed his corpse.’

What on earth did the Ming Cult Leader have to find that he had started the Righteous-Demon War.

And where did the corpse of the Ming Cult Leader that Hyeongyeongjin had killed go?

The three sect masters who had fought with the Ming Cult Leader at that time had already become stars in the sky.

“The only one who knows the answer, Hyeongyeongjin, has already passed away a long time ago…”

“What’s left is the Wudang Sect.”

Gwak Myeong and Song Wu looked at Gu Yong with a face that asked what he meant.

Gu Yong shrugged his shoulders.

“If Hyeongyeongjin had to hide a secret that should never be known to the world, where would he hide it?”

The other two, besides Gu Yong, said in unison.

“Wudang Mountain.”

“That’s right.”

“But there is no guarantee that the Ming Cult Leader is still alive, and there is even less guarantee that he is on Wudang Mountain.”

“But the only one who knows the secret of the Blood-Sucking Sword Demon is the Ming Cult Leader. He… might know a way to deal with the Blood-Sucking Sword Demon. So shouldn’t we do something before it’s too late?”

Gwak Myeong, who was hesitating, shot up from his seat.

“Yes… we have to do something.”

***

Tang Hocheol entered the patient’s room of Jong Ryeo'ak, who was spending his days meaninglessly, lying on the bed.

He was taking care of Jong Ryeo'ak until he could move to some extent, at Gwak Myeong’s request.

“Are you okay?”

“I still can’t move, but it seems my nerves have returned.”

Jong Ryeo'ak moved his two hands, wiggling them.

“It’s a relief that you’re getting better.”

Tang Hocheol, who was laughing, plopped down on the chair next to the bed.

“I thought you would be curious about the news outside, so I came after hearing a few things.”

Since he was curious about the news of the Central Plains, including the Blood-Sucking Sword Demon, Jong Ryeo'ak’s eyes shone, and he waited for Tang Hocheol’s story.

“It is said that the Hebei Peng Clan suffered damage close to annihilation due to the one-sided surprise attack of the heretic martial world. Besides that, it seems that the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families are also being attacked.”

“Th-that can’t be… the Martial Alliance… the Martial Alliance wouldn’t have just stood by, right?”

“It seems that was not easy either. The Heretic Path's Alliance blocked the path of the Martial Alliance, and the alliance leader and the Heretic Path's Alliance Leader fought… and the alliance leader was defeated.”

“Damn it!!”

Jong Ryeo'ak felt resentful of his shattered limbs.

‘If only I hadn’t been hit like that!’

Jong Ryeo'ak gritted his teeth, and then his eyes flashed as if he had thought of something.

“Jongnam… do you know what happened to Jongnam?”

At the sight of Jong Ryeo'ak, who was worried about his sect, Tang Hocheol slowly shook his head from side to side.

“It seems that Mount Hua was attacked, but they managed to block it with difficulty. There is no guarantee that Jongnam will not be attacked either.”

“No… I have to go. I have to go.”

As Jong Ryeo'ak was about to stand up from the bed using the crutches he used to go to the bathroom, Tang Hocheol grabbed his shoulder and pressed him down.

“Stay here. What are you going to do with that body!”

“It’s fine if I can’t do anything. Even if I die, I will die on Mount Jongnam!”

Tang Hocheol could feel Jong Ryeo'ak’s deep affection for his sect.

But that was all.

“If you’re going to die a meaningless dog’s death, I can’t let you go even more!”

“Great Master! It’s my sect! Jongnam is as precious to me as my own flesh and blood! Who are you to stop me!”

“Jong Ryeo'ak! Listen well! The demons of the heretic path have also appeared in Sichuan. The Blood-Sucking Sword Demon was there… and the Sichuan Tang Clan lost most of their bloodline, including the clan head, and had to burn their history and hundreds of years of knowledge with their own hands.”

“…!”

Only then did Jong Ryeo'ak realize that the Sichuan Tang Clan had not escaped the disaster either.

Tang Hocheol looked down at Jong Ryeo'ak with bloodshot eyes and said.

“I also… had to hold back my desire to run to Sichuan hundreds… thousands of times. Do you know why?”

“Is it… because of me.”

“No.”

Tang Hocheol said with a trembling voice.

“It’s for revenge. To truly avenge the Tang Clan, I had to build up my strength to plan for the future, not just run in without anything and die a dog’s death. And what I chose was you guys.”

Tang Hocheol grabbed Jong Ryeo'ak’s head with his wrinkled and dry hands.

“Even if the righteous martial world collapses, as long as you guys are alive, the righteous martial world will never disappear. So believe. Believe in the righteous martial world and believe in Jongnam. The sword of Jongnam will never be easily broken by the demons of the heretic path.”

Jong Ryeo'ak, who had nodded his head, relaxed his shoulders.

“Was I wrong.”

He was not wrong.

Jong Ryeo'ak shook his head and swallowed back his hot breath.

“The sword of Jongnam… will not be broken.”

***

“The sword of Jongnam will not be broken!!”

With a thunderous roar, the martial artists of Jongnam raised their swords and took a battle stance.

It was already the fifth battle.

The area around Mount Jongnam was stained with blood, and the corpses of the dead Jongnam Sect and the group of the heretic path were entangled here and there.

Even though the smell of blood was making their heads dizzy.

The sword of Jongnam stood tall against their enemies.

“Don’t retreat! And let the enemies know! That Jongnam is here!!”

“Waaah—!!”

“The resistance is fierce. As expected of the Nine Great Sects?”

The resistance of Jongnam was very fierce.

They were belligerent and fought bravely against the martial artists of the heretic martial world who were rushing in without a break, using their heavy swords that struck heavily and their fast swords that rushed in quickly.

The difference in level between the main family of the righteous path and the group of the heretic path was clear.

But the man in black who was watching the battlefield was not very worried.

“It’s only a matter of time anyway.”

No matter how strong they were, they were still human.

They couldn’t fight forever without eating or sleeping.

In the endless bloody battle, the martial artists of the Jongnam Sect were getting tired.

On the other hand, the desire of the heretic martial world, which had been crouching, watching the righteous martial world for decades, had no limit.

If they just break that gate, if they just break that sword. Everything can be taken.

The martial arts and wealth of the Jongnam Sect, which belonged to the Nine Great Sects.

They could have it all.

“Hit them, strike them, bite them, and shatter them. The moment their swords break, everything will be over.”

(End of Chapter)