Chapter 310 – The Blood Wind Blows from Sichuan Province (1)

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Mount Emei was a mountain located in Emei County, south of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province. Originally a holy site of Taoism, it had transformed into a Buddhist holy site after the Emei Sect established itself there.

With beautiful scenery and many sights to see, the mountain peak was always filled with cold air and covered in clouds and mist, where one could see the Buddha’s Halo phenomenon called “Buddha Light.”

Above all, what made Mount Emei famous was that the Emei Sect, one of the Nine Great Sects, was established there.

The Emei Sect was called by combining the Gold Summit Temple, mainly composed of nuns, and the Crouching Tiger Temple, mainly composed of male monks. Though externally perceived as a sect of nuns, the Emei Sect had a considerable number of male monks, and their martial prowess was no less than the nuns.

The current sect leader of the Emei Sect was Master Jeong-myeong. She had been evaluated as having led the Emei Sect well without problems for nearly twenty years.

Master Jeong-myeong’s complexion, famous for always wearing a benevolent smile, was rigidly hardened.

“So you’re saying Eun-yeop, So-cheon, and Yul-hui are really captured by the Tang Clan?”

“That’s correct, Sect Leader. We must quickly devise countermeasures.”

The one making the report was Master Gwang-woon, the abbot of Crouching Tiger Temple.

Due to the nature of the Emei Sect being mainly composed of nuns, he couldn’t become sect leader, but his martial arts were evaluated as surpassing Master Jeong-myeong.

Master Gwang-woon was also famous for his generous smile no less than Master Jeong-myeong, but now his face showed none of its usual warmth. They were that serious.

It was because of the disappearance of Master Jeong-myeong’s disciples Eun-yeop, Jeong So-cheon, and So Yul-hui. Though the time they were supposed to return had long passed, they had not returned to the Emei Sect.

All three were talents who bore the Emei Sect’s expectations. Their disappearance was enough to turn the Emei Sect upside down.

When they didn’t return, the Emei Sect sent people to search for them. And before long, they obtained hard-to-believe information.

That the Tang Clan had taken them. However, Master Jeong-myeong didn’t believe it. The Tang Clan was the Emei Sect’s long-time ally.

Though they sometimes opposed each other depending on circumstances, they had never crossed certain lines over many years. So it was natural that she couldn’t easily believe that the Tang Clan had now kidnapped Emei Sect disciples.

Master Jeong-myeong muttered with an incomprehensible expression:

“Amitabha! Why on earth would they do such a thing?”

“There’s no time to waste, Sect Leader. We must send someone as quickly as possible to protest and bring them back.”

“If it’s true, of course we should. For any reason, it makes no sense for the Tang Clan to confine our sect’s disciples.”

“That’s right.”

“Select personnel to send to the Tang Clan immediately.”

“I’ll go personally.”

“Senior Brother Gwang-woon wants to go personally?”

Master Jeong-myeong looked at Master Gwang-woon with a surprised expression. Master Gwang-woon was the Emei Sect’s last fortress. Therefore, he never moved for ordinary matters. That he would move personally was proof that he was taking the matter very seriously.

“It seems better for me to move personally. The heavenly energy has been ominous lately.”

“I understand. If Senior Brother Gwang-woon has decided so, there must be good reason. Please be careful and come back safely.”

“Yes! Sect Leader. I’ll return and report separately.”

It was when Master Gwang-woon was about to rise from his seat.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Suddenly, loud bell sounds rang from outside. It was the bell that only rang during emergencies.

The expressions of Master Jeong-myeong and Master Gwang-woon changed.

Without saying who would go first, they both rushed outside.

Master Jeong-myeong asked a disciple who was outside:

“What’s happening?”

“Right now, outside the mountain gate, there are intruders…”

“Intruders?”

Master Jeong-myeong and Master Gwang-woon didn’t even listen to the disciple’s answer to the end and flew toward the mountain gate. They arrived at the mountain gate in an instant.

At the mountain gate, Emei Sect disciples and martial artists in green robes were confronting each other.

Master Jeong-myeong’s gaze turned toward the martial artists in green robes. In Sichuan Province, there was only one place where martial artists wore green robes.

“Tang Clan?”

Her complexion hardened.

Master Gwang-woon’s complexion also changed similarly.

Master Jeong-myeong raised her voice:

“What business does the Tang Clan have on Mount Emei without prior notice?”

“It’s been a long time, Master Jeong-myeong.”

Then a middle-aged martial artist walked out from among the Tang Clan’s martial artists and clasped his hands.

“Who are you?”

“I am Tang Cheon-yang of the Tang Clan, Master Jeong-myeong.”

“The Heavenly Poison Hall Master?”

A troubled light appeared on Master Jeong-myeong’s face.

Tang Cheon-yang was the Tang Clan’s Heavenly Poison Hall Master. The Heavenly Poison Hall was one of the most important organizations along with the Heavenly Machine Hall. People living in Sichuan Province couldn’t not know that name.

“Hero Tang, what business brings you up Mount Emei with so many people?”

Her eyes were full of wariness. Then Tang Cheon-yang smiled and answered:

“The Family Head has words to convey to Master Jeong-myeong, so I came here.”

“The Tang Family Head?”

Deep furrows formed in Master Jeong-myeong’s brow. She sensed an ominous atmosphere.

“What words did the Tang Family Head tell you to convey?”

“The Family Head said exactly this: The Emei Sect should close its gates for ten years.”

“Close gates?”

Master Jeong-myeong doubted her own ears.

During the Emei Sect’s hundreds of years of history, they had never closed their gates even once. They had never suffered great damage like the Mount Hua Sect, nor had they incurred the martial world’s public anger. Naturally, there was no reason to close their gates. Moreover, closing gates due to threats from an unrelated sect was unimaginable.

Master Gwang-woon burst into angry shouts before Master Jeong-myeong:

“Tang Sa-il must have gone mad. How dare he make such nonsense about telling the Emei Sect to close its gates.”

“Our Family Head said so because he thinks specially of the Emei Sect.”

“Where is Tang Sa-il? I’ll meet him directly.”

“The Family Head has gone to Mount Qingcheng now.”

“Qingcheng? Don’t tell me he went to recommend closing gates to the Qingcheng Sect too?”

“As expected, Master Gwang-woon is remarkable. You see through even that.”

“He really went to recommend closing gates to the Qingcheng Sect too? Tang Sa-il has gone completely mad.”

Master Gwang-woon was so angry he snorted roughly. It was the same for other Emei Sect disciples. They were indignant at Tang Sa-il’s attitude of telling their sect to close its gates.

Master Jeong-myeong drew up her power and said:

“Stop this nonsense and go down Mount Emei immediately. Otherwise, you’ll face great misfortune.”

“I’m sorry, Master Jeong-myeong. We also came under the Family Head’s stern orders, so we cannot go down without any results.”

“How dare you still…” Master Jeong-myeong radiated killing intent. It was the same for Master Gwang-woon and other Emei Sect disciples.

“These bastards dare to despise the Emei Sect. I won’t forgive this.”

Whooom!

When Master Gwang-woon drew up his power, the air in the area swayed. It was the majesty befitting the Emei Sect’s greatest master. But the smile on Tang Cheon-yang’s lips didn’t disappear.

“If you insist on refusing the wine cup and choosing the punishment cup, I won’t stop you. All incidents that occur afterward are your responsibility.”

“Let me ask one thing. What exactly is the Tang Clan’s reason for doing this? Haven’t Emei, Tang Clan, and Qingcheng gotten along well until now?”

“Isn’t Sichuan Province too narrow for three sects to coexist?”

“Just for such a reason…”

The shoulders of Master Gwang-woon and Master Jeong-myeong trembled.

They couldn’t understand the Tang Clan’s actions unfolding before their eyes.

Master Jeong-myeong said while suppressing her anger:

“I ask one last time. Is it true that the Tang Clan is confining my disciples?”

“That’s correct.”

Tang Cheon-yang’s calm answer made Master Jeong-myeong’s barely suppressed anger explode.

“Drive these rotten Tang Clan people from this land.”

Her cry echoed throughout Mount Emei.

“Waaaaah!”

The Emei Sect disciples shouted and charged toward the Tang Clan’s martial artists.

At that moment, Tang Cheon-yang raised his hand. Then the Tang Clan’s martial artists took out cylinders the size of a child’s forearm from their robes and aimed them at the Emei martial artists.

It was a forbidden hidden weapon called Blood Tear Soul Piercing Needle. Though made by the Tang Clan, its use was strictly prohibited.

Pew pew pew pew!

Hundreds and thousands of silver needles were fired, chaotically decorating the sky of Mount Emei.

Hell was opening on Mount Emei.

***

The martial artists in green robes held silver cylinders the size of a child’s forearm. Dam-ho recognized at a glance that they were the Tang Clan’s forbidden hidden weapon, Blood Tear Soul Piercing Needle.

Dam-ho’s gaze sank even deeper.

He saw a man approaching Dan Woon-hyang’s side. It was a middle-aged man in green robes. A man whose slit eyes looked particularly fierce.

He opened his mouth:

“Fist Demon! Today this place will become your grave.”

“……”

“Remember clearly. My name is Tang Gun-yang. The name that will cut off your breath.”

Tang Gun-yang showed his white teeth and smiled.

It was a cold, chilling smile like a snake’s. His eyes gleamed red with killing intent.

In his eyes, Dam-ho was like a fish caught in a net. Dam-ho was isolated in the middle of the river with nowhere to step. No matter how much Dam-ho’s martial arts might shake heaven and earth, there was no hole for him to escape through.

Dam-ho looked at Tang Gun-yang.

“So the Tang Clan really joined hands with the Demon Cult?”

“That’s right.”

Tang Gun-yang answered as if there was nothing more to hide.

“Why?”

“Because our interests aligned.”

“Just for such a reason?”

“Do you think a greater reason is needed? Never! Humans can join hands with demons for even more trivial reasons. Our sect will now leave narrow Sichuan Province and soar across the world.”

“By joining hands with the Demon Cult?”

“That’s right.”

Others all called them the Three Lords of Sichuan and revered the Tang Clan. But the Tang Clan’s people considered Sichuan Province narrow. The Tang Clan’s ambitions were too great to coexist with the Qingcheng Sect and Emei Sect.

Dam-ho’s gaze turned toward Dan Woon-hyang standing beside Tang Gun-yang. She was glaring at Dam-ho with venomous eyes.

“You will definitely die here today, Fist Demon.”

“……”

“There’s nowhere for you to escape. Wail in despair, Fist Demon. Hohoho!”

Her resentful laughter echoed miserably along the riverside. Her hair scattered wildly in the wind. Her appearance was chillingly frightening.

“Kill him!”

Pew pew pew pew!

At her cry, the Tang Clan disciples all fired their Blood Tear Soul Piercing Needles simultaneously. Hundreds and thousands of silver needles were shot through the air.

For a moment, Dam-ho stomped his foot hard.

CRASH!

The horse transport ship Dam-ho was on swayed greatly as if it had met a typhoon, and river water shot up like a fountain, blocking the view.

The Blood Tear Soul Piercing Needles pierced through the river water and embedded in the horse transport ship. The ship was riddled with holes like a beehive, and the boatmen’s desperate screams burst out from everywhere. However, when the water spray settled, Dam-ho’s figure was nowhere to be seen on the horse transport ship.

“Where is he?”

People looked around searching for Dam-ho’s whereabouts.

CRASH!

At that moment, the ship Dan Woon-hyang and Tang Gun-yang were on shook greatly with a roar.

“What?”

“What’s happening?”

The people on the ship quickly looked down at the ship’s bottom. There was a large hole in the ship’s wall that touched the water surface. In that brief moment, Dam-ho had thrown his body to pierce through the ship’s wall and invade.

Splash splash splash!

River water was pouring in madly through the hole Dam-ho had entered.

“He’s on the ship.”

“Stop him!”

Those on deck shouted in surprise.

“Kraaak!”

“Kek!”

At that moment, people’s screams burst out from below the ship.

Crash crash crash!

The large ship swayed madly. And the vibrations grew larger and larger.

It was the moment when Dan Woon-hyang and Tang Gun-yang’s complexions changed completely.

CRASH!

With an explosive sound, the deck shattered and Dam-ho burst out. His entire body was already dyed red with blood.

Scattering his blood-stained windbreaker robe, Dam-ho charged toward them.