Chapter 315 – Finding Life’s Meaning in Death (3)

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Discord

A place surrounded by green mountains like a fortress, which is why it was even named Mount Qingcheng.

Mount Qingcheng had been home to the Qingcheng Sect since long ago.

Though it started as a small Taoist temple mainly using mystical arts and talisman magic long ago, it gradually accepted practical military martial arts and assassins’ killing methods, developing the Qingcheng Sect’s unique martial arts system.

Added to Sichuan Province’s closed terrain, the Qingcheng Sect completed their own martial arts map that existed nowhere else in the martial world.

The Qingcheng Sect’s martial arts, which were practical yet secretive and even contained shamanic elements, were an object of fear within Sichuan Province.

The Qingcheng Sect was continuing its peak prosperity by producing Qingyun, called the Star of Sichuan, one of the Nine Martial Dragons known as the martial world’s greatest rising talents.

“Ah!”

Master Hoguang, the sect leader of the Qingcheng Sect, looked back with red bloodshot eyes. The proud Qingcheng Sect, located in the middle of Mount Qingcheng which always boasted green scenery, was burning.

Giant Taoist temples collapsing in flames and fresh blood staining the bluestone floors red.

The proud Qingcheng Sect that had continued for hundreds of years was collapsing.

Master Hoguang never knew that the Qingcheng Sect he had worked so hard to nurture would collapse so futilely.

He glared forward with red bloodshot eyes wide open. Then he saw martial artists in green robes.

In Sichuan Province, there was only one sect that wore green robes like that.

“Tang Clan… How are you here?”

Master Hoguang trembled with extreme betrayal.

He had to.

The Tang Clan and Qingcheng Sect had been allies since long ago. Though they had antagonized each other depending on circumstances, they basically had the underlying thought of being allies.

Therefore, even when they clashed, they would yield and reconcile at appropriate lines, and there had never been such fierce armed conflict.

“Qingyun.”

“Sect… Leader.”

The genius called the Star of Sichuan, Qingyun, answered with difficulty.

He too was covered in blood with wounds all over his body like Master Hoguang. These were wounds obtained while fighting hard against the Tang Clan.

Master Hoguang commanded with a resolute expression:

“You at least escape from Mount Qingcheng.”

“I cannot do that, Sect Leader. Please don’t give me the order to abandon the Qingcheng Sect.”

“I’m not telling you to abandon the Qingcheng Sect. I mean for you alone to promise the future.”

“Sect Leader!”

Qingyun cried out as if vomiting blood. But Master Hoguang’s expression didn’t waver.

“Within Sichuan Province, there exists no sect or force that can check the Tang Clan.”

“Kreuk!”

“So you must immediately run to the Martial Alliance and ask for help. Tell them the Tang Clan has betrayed the Orthodox martial world.”

Tears were flowing from Master Hoguang’s eyes.

They were tears shed by the sect leader of the Qingcheng Sect, one of the Nine Great Sects. His tears contained the weight of eons.

“Sect Leader.”

“Go! Right now!”

“Kreuk!”

Finally, Qingyun shed tears of blood as he turned and deployed lightness techniques. He too wanted to share fate with the Qingcheng Sect. But someone had to inform the Martial Alliance of the fact that the Tang Clan had betrayed them. The person most likely to convey that fact from the Qingcheng Sect was none other than himself.

‘Please wait a little. I will definitely return leading the Martial Alliance’s forces.’

He deployed lightness techniques with full power while promising to return.

“Phew!”

Master Hoguang let out a quiet sigh after confirming his disciple’s figure had disappeared far away.

Though he had an impatient personality and was arrogant, Qingyun had properly inherited the Qingcheng Sect’s techniques. If he could safely escape Sichuan Province, even in the worst case scenario, the Qingcheng Sect’s secret traditions could continue.

That’s when it happened.

“A wise choice. Preparing for the worst situation.”

A calm voice was heard clearly. When Master Hoguang turned his head, a middle-aged man around fifty was already visible in front of him.

Jet-black hair without a single white hair and clear pupils with definite focus. And a straight back and dignified shoulders. Just from his appearance, no one would think he was an old man over eighty.

“Tang… Clan Leader.”

The martial artist who boasted dignity like young people despite being over eighty was Tang Sa-il, the leader of the Tang Clan.

Tang Sa-il smiled.

“Still, you held out longer than I thought. The Qingcheng Sect’s strength is truly remarkable.”

“Why are you doing this? Did the Qingcheng Sect perhaps offend the Tang Clan?”

“No! There was never such a thing. You truly led the Qingcheng Sect well. Thanks to that, Sichuan Province enjoyed peace and prosperity for a long time.”

“Then why?”

“Because we too must survive.”

“What?”

“Just think of it as struggling to survive.”

“You’re saying the Tang Clan is struggling?”

“That’s right.”

Tang Sa-il answered calmly. But the meaning contained within wasn’t calm either.

“You want me to believe that? That the Tang Clan under heaven is struggling to survive.”

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t believe it. The Demon Cult is a place with that much power.”

“So you really joined hands with the Demon Cult?”

“It was an unavoidable choice.”

“How can the Tang Clan, which has been Sichuan Province’s overlord for hundreds of years, join hands with the Demon Cult? To stain the name of the Righteous Tang Clan like this. Aren’t you ashamed before the Tang Clan’s spirits?”

“You might think so. But no matter how much people around praise us as the Righteous Tang Clan, what good does it do? We’re just an ordinary sect dividing narrow Sichuan Province into three.”

“Ah!”

Master Hoguang trembled.

No matter how it was packaged as being because of the Demon Cult, in the end it was nothing more than the Tang Clan revealing their ambitions.

“You will regret this. No matter how much you dislike dividing Sichuan Province into three, joining hands with the Demon Cult. You’ve crossed the line by far.”

“That might be so.”

“The Martial Alliance won’t stay still. No matter how great the Tang Clan is, you cannot match the Martial Alliance with the combined power of the entire martial world.”

“That’s also true. But unfortunately, the Martial Alliance will never pay attention to this place.”

“What do you mean?”

“When they have their own troubles, would they pay attention to distant Sichuan Province? That’s nonsense.”

Tang Sa-il smiled broadly. Master Hoguang felt an unknown ominous feeling from his smile full of mockery.

Tang Sa-il approached Master Hoguang with his hands behind his back.

“You have only two choices left. One is to resist to the end like this. The other is to close your gates. If you choose to close gates, I’ll allow the Qingcheng Sect’s lineage to continue. But if you resist to the end, I’ll find even the last foundation stone of the Qingcheng Sect and destroy it all, erasing it from the world without a trace. What will you do?”

“Ugh!”

“It would be good to decide quickly. To prevent further great damage.”

Tang Sa-il looked around the Qingcheng Sect while smiling.

Grayish smoke was floating throughout the Qingcheng Sect. It wasn’t ordinary smoke. It contained Power Scattering Poison. They had scattered Power Scattering Poison that dispersed martial power throughout the Qingcheng Sect.

While martial artists with strong internal energy could somehow endure, martial artists with weak martial arts had their internal energy suppressed and couldn’t display their true abilities. On the other hand, the Tang Clan’s martial artists had taken antidotes in advance and could display full power regardless of the Power Scattering Poison.

Under these circumstances, it was the Qingcheng Sect’s martial artists who fell helplessly. If time passed further like this, even preserving their lineage would certainly be difficult.

Master Hoguang lowered his head.

“I will… close the gates.”

“You decided well.”

Tang Sa-il nodded calmly as if he had expected this. Master Hoguang felt even greater humiliation at this.

“Kreuk!”

Blood was flowing between his lips as he gritted his teeth.

As news spread of unconditional surrender and closing gates, the fighting ended. The Qingcheng Sect’s martial artists shed tears at the fact that they had to close gates rather than at saving their lives.

At that time, the Emei Sect also closed its gates after suffering great damage. Two of the three sects called the Three Lords of Sichuan had chosen to close gates on the same day.

Tang Sa-il looked down at Sichuan Province visible below the mountain with his shoulders straight.

“Now it begins. Thoroughly block all official roads leading outside. No one can enter or leave Sichuan Province without the Tang Clan’s permission.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Now Sichuan Province is ruled by the Tang Clan.”

Tang Sa-il’s declaration spread throughout Sichuan Province.

***

Countless martial artists spread throughout Sichuan Province.

The Tang Clan was a collective of martial artists with the surname Tang. Compared to all the martial artists in Sichuan Province, their number had to be extremely small. But the Tang Clan had influence accumulated over hundreds of years in Sichuan Province.

Numerous affiliated sects existed, and many sects were connected openly and secretly. Such sects began moving under the Tang Clan’s orders.

All official roads entering Sichuan Province were immediately blocked. Countless martial artists spread through every street and began inspections, and those without permission could neither leave nor enter.

Sichuan Province, which already had closed terrain, became a natural fortress by choosing isolation, just like the ancient kingdom of Shu.

Sects that opposed the Tang Clan’s will suffered disasters or were forcibly closed. There were no sects or martial artists in Sichuan Province who could resist the Tang Clan’s authority. Thus Sichuan Province was placed under the Tang Clan’s feet.

“Who would have thought the Divine Cult and Tang Clan would join hands.”

Eum Yu-gyeong muttered in a quiet voice.

Currently, she was aboard a small boat.

Though small, inside there was a small cabin where one could lie down, and on deck there was space to tie horses.

Eum Yu-gyeong had the boatman cover the entire deck with screens. It was because Black Ghost, a very conspicuous black horse, was loaded on deck.

Inside the cabin, Dam-ho and Geom Yul-cheon were circulating energy. Since both had suffered extreme injuries, their energy circulation was taking long. Since there was no telling when their energy circulation would end, it was entirely Eum Yu-gyeong’s responsibility to ensure the group’s safety.

Therefore, Eum Yu-gyeong watched the water surface without letting her guard down for a moment.

Then the boatman who was quietly steering the boat spoke:

“Holy Maiden, don’t worry too much. No matter how thoroughly the Tang Clan conducts inspections, they cannot control all the waterways.”

“Thank you, Uncle Go. I’m always receiving help.”

“Not at all. I don’t know how happy I am to be able to help the Holy Maiden like this.”

The boatman smiled showing his yellow teeth.

His name was Go Gwang-hon, a Demon Cult master who had known Eum Yu-gyeong for a long time. He had devotedly helped Eum Yu-gyeong from the shadows for a long time.

Go Gwang-hon was a master of water techniques and very skilled at handling boats. He was particularly careful not to let the boat rock as he adjusted the sails. Thanks to this, the boat was moving forward at very fast speed, cutting through the waterway.

That’s when it happened.

Whoosh!

Suddenly the boat began vibrating violently.

“What?”

Go Gwang-hon’s complexion changed at the sudden incident. But Eum Yu-gyeong didn’t lose her composure.

“Who is it?”

It was a phenomenon that occurred when energy circulation reached its peak.

The people currently circulating energy on the boat were Dam-ho and Geom Yul-cheon. There was no way to know which of the two had reached the peak of energy circulation. She and Go Gwang-hon held their breath and waited for the vibrations to subside.

How much time had passed? The vibrations that had been convulsing so much disappeared like a lie, and the water surface that had been rippling gradually regained peace.

Both people’s gazes turned toward the cabin entrance. They were curious who would come out first.

After a moment, the door opened and someone walked out.

Neigh!

Black Ghost, who had been quiet until now, snorted and blew out breath.

‘Fist Demon!’

‘Dam-ho.’

Eum Yu-gyeong and Go Gwang-hon let out sighs.

The one who showed himself first was Dam-ho.

Though his complexion was pale, his eyes were still heavily sunken.

Dam-ho patted Black Ghost’s neck several times as it kept snorting happily. Then Black Ghost’s movements calmed down.

Then another man walked out from inside the cabin.

“Yul-cheon!”

A smile bloomed on Eum Yu-gyeong’s face, which had hardened momentarily.

The man following behind Dam-ho as if he had been waiting was Geom Yul-cheon.

Dam-ho turned around.

“Dam-ho.”

“Geom Yul-cheon.”

The two men’s gazes turned toward each other.