Chapter 328 – As Chaos Begins, Bandits Rampage Everywhere (3)

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It was silent.

 

The silence where not even a breath could be heard ominously gripped the souls of those present.

 

Jang Yu-gwan couldn’t say anything. It was the same for Jang Woo-chil and Jang Yu-wol. A disaster they had never once imagined was unfolding before their eyes.

 

Only then did they recall the legend of the Fist Demon.

 

‘He never spares those he identifies as enemies.’

 

A martial artist of iron blood without compassion or tears.

 

They seemed to clearly understand why he was called a demon despite belonging to a righteous sect called Mount Hua Sect.

 

Dam-ho’s gaze turned toward Jang Yu-gwan. Jang Yu-gwan flinched for a moment. He couldn’t bear Dam-ho’s gaze and lowered his head.

 

“When crisis comes, you don’t flee to your family.”

 

“That’s…”

 

“Life and death must be borne alone. At least if you’re a martial artist in the martial world.”

 

Jang Yu-gwan bit his lips firmly.

 

He had nothing to say even with ten mouths. Even if his intention wasn’t that, the conclusion was as Dam-ho said.

 

Dam-ho looked at Jang Yu-gwan steadily.

 

“Take your family and leave this place.”

 

“But Golden Sand Sect…”

 

“Can you handle it?”

 

“That’s…”

 

“The shackles have been released. The Demon Cult, the world will go mad and rampage. Order will disappear, and strength will prove everything. Can you handle a world where beasts that don’t care about rules run wild?”

 

“……”

 

Jang Yu-gwan lowered his head.

 

He couldn’t answer. As Dam-ho said, he didn’t have confidence to handle such an era.

 

The reason humans can be human is because of minimum emotion and morality. And that was only possible when some degree of order was maintained.

 

He spoke with difficulty:

 

“I will leave the martial world with my family for the time being.”

 

“Good decision.”

 

“Thank you for protecting us.”

 

Jang Yu-gwan bowed his head in gratitude.

 

Dam-ho’s gaze turned toward Jang Woo-chil and Jang Yu-wol. Then Jang Woo-chil also bowed his head.

 

“Thank you for saving our son, great hero.”

 

“I’ve repaid the debt.”

 

“Debt? Ah!”

 

Jang Woo-chil suddenly exclaimed.

 

They had merely offered one meal and provided a shabby room. No one would consider such things a debt. But Dam-ho considered it a debt.

 

One who definitely repays kindness received.

 

Even if it’s something very small.

 

In other words, it meant he wouldn’t forget and would repay even the smallest grudge.

 

‘If you become enemies with someone like this, you could never sleep with legs stretched out. Rather, Black Martial Hall and the Demon Cult are pitiful. How did they provoke someone like this.’

 

Jang Woo-chil shook his head.

 

Whistle!

 

When Dam-ho whistled, Black Ghost ran through the darkness. Darkness rippled at the movement of Black Ghost, pitch black without a single stray hair.

 

“Ah!”

 

Jang Woo-chil naturally exclaimed in admiration.

 

Even Jang Woo-chil, who had been in the martial world for a long time, had never seen such a famous horse.

 

Dam-ho mounted Black Ghost.

 

“Let’s go.”

 

He rode Black Ghost away.

 

Jang Yu-wol stared blankly at Dam-ho’s back disappearing into the darkness.

 

“Mister!”

 

His mouth was parched dry and sweat had pooled heavily in his hands.

 

The thought of someday becoming a disciple of the Nine Great Sects didn’t come to mind at this moment. That’s how shocking the scene that unfolded before his eyes was.

 

Dam-ho had shown that becoming a disciple of the Nine Great Sects, and becoming a martial world person, meant always living with such death nearby.

 

It was a fact too shocking for the still young Jang Yu-wol to handle.

 

Then Jang Woo-chil firmly grasped Jang Yu-wol’s hand.

 

“Let’s go.”

 

“Dad!”

 

“We must escape this place first.”

 

Jang Woo-chil forcibly pulled Jang Yu-wol’s hand. Jang Yu-gwan followed behind.

 

A considerable time after they disappeared, a group appeared. Martial artists wearing the same uniform as the goateed man, precisely Black Martial Hall’s pursuit team.

 

They discovered the corpses scattered in Jang Woo-chil’s house courtyard and dismounted from their horses.

 

“This can’t be! Hall Master Yeom…”

 

“They’re annihilated.”

 

Disbelief appeared on their faces. Some martial artists turned around and vomited. The scene before their eyes was that horrific.

 

“Who on earth?”

 

“To think Jang Yu-gwan had such an ally. We must quickly inform the main hall and establish countermeasures.”

 

They didn’t dare attempt further pursuit and returned to Black Martial Hall after collecting the corpses.

 

***

 

The thought that comes to mind about Shaolin Temple is that it’s the great leader of the martial world.

 

Since Bodhidharma crossed to this land, Shaolin Temple had been the great leader of the martial world and a spiritual refuge. Though they had rarely taken the lead in martial world affairs, whenever they occasionally stepped forward, the martial world’s history met major turning points because of them.

 

Some called Shaolin Temple this:

 

The martial world’s last line of defense.

 

In the end, it meant that when the martial world faced crisis, Shaolin Temple was the last to step forward. That’s how tremendous Shaolin Temple’s position in the martial world was.

 

Shaolin Temple moving in earnest meant the martial world was in crisis. And now Shaolin Temple was moving again.

 

The catalyst was the numerous martial artists who rushed in this afternoon. The martial artists who arrived without warning were precisely the Martial Alliance’s defeated troops.

 

“This can’t be!”

 

Abbot Gwang-cheon of Shaolin Temple’s white eyebrows furrowed deeply. It wasn’t only Gwang-cheon.

 

Arhat Hall Master Gwang-mun, Discipline Courtyard Master Gwang-jin, and Gwang-hae and numerous Shaolin Temple monks were making the same expression as Gwang-cheon.

 

“Amitabha! Amitabha!”

 

They couldn’t say anything and only chanted Buddha’s name. The scene unfolding before their eyes was that horrific.

 

“Kreuk! Abbot.”

 

“We’re sorry.”

 

Alliance Leader Nam Cheon-san and Inner Hall Master Jo Myeong-yul shed tears of blood.

 

Numerous wounds gaped all over their bodies, and fresh blood not yet dried was giving off a bloody smell.

 

“Amitabha! What happened?”

 

“We fell for their schemes.”

 

“What does that mean?”

 

“The Martial Alliance has fallen into the Demon Cult’s hands.”

 

“Amitabha! Amitabha!”

 

Gwang-cheon, too shocked by Nam Cheon-san’s words, tightly closed his eyes and repeatedly chanted Buddha’s name.

 

Though he had somewhat anticipated this since the Martial Alliance’s troops appeared as defeated soldiers, it was still too shocking to hear directly from Alliance Leader Nam Cheon-san’s mouth.

 

“Has the Martial Alliance truly fallen into the Demon Cult’s grasp?”

 

“Kreuk!”

 

“This can’t be!”

 

“We’re sorry, truly sorry. We failed to fulfill the important duty entrusted to us and rather collapsed the alliance.”

 

Nam Cheon-san knelt and sobbed. The hot tears shed by the Martial Alliance’s Alliance Leader made the surroundings solemn.

 

Nam Cheon-san had never once shown a wavering appearance before others in his entire life. The very fact that such a person was sobbing showed how great a mental blow he had received.

 

“Amitabha! Stand up, Alliance Leader.”

 

“We’re sorry, truly sorry.”

 

“No. How could that be only one Alliance Leader’s responsibility? It’s all our responsibility. Instead of doing this here, let’s go inside and discuss countermeasures.”

 

Gwang-cheon helped Nam Cheon-san stand and looked around.

 

Shaolin Temple’s monks were also frozen from the too-great shock. Gwang-cheon shouted at such monks:

 

“What are you doing? Hurry and guide the Martial Alliance’s martial artists to places to rest. Won’t you all come to your senses?”

 

His lion’s roar echoed loudly throughout Shaolin Temple.

 

Only then did Shaolin Temple’s monks come to their senses and begin moving busily.

 

“Amitabha! Come this way.”

 

“We’ll guide you to lodgings.”

 

Fortunately for the Martial Alliance, Shaolin Temple had sufficient lodgings. They were places created three years ago when the Demon Cult invaded.

 

Shaolin Temple’s monks guided the Martial Alliance’s martial artists to lodgings. Watching this, Gwang-cheon said to the leaders:

 

“Let’s go inside. We need to hear the detailed circumstances to establish countermeasures.”

 

“Before that, there’s someone I’d like to introduce.”

 

“Who?”

 

“It’s Senior Heavenly Sword King Jeok Gyeong-cheon.”

 

Nam Cheon-san introduced Jeok Gyeong-cheon who was in the back. Then Gwang-cheon and the Shaolin Temple monks’ eyes widened.

 

“Are you truly Hero Jeok?”

 

“That’s right.”

 

“Amitabha! The Heavenly Sword King is still alive, what a blessing for the martial world.”

 

At that moment, Jeok Gyeong-cheon stepped forward as if he had been waiting.

 

“Thank you for welcoming me so warmly when I’ve done nothing, Abbot.”

 

“Not at all. How have you been all this time? If you were alive, you should have at least sent news.”

 

“There were various circumstances. Let’s have a detailed conversation later in a separate setting. That’s not what’s important now.”

 

“Understood.”

 

At Jeok Gyeong-cheon’s words, Gwang-cheon nodded and walked inside. Shaolin Temple’s leaders and the Martial Alliance’s leaders followed behind.

 

Among them was Namgung Chang too.

 

Since arriving at Shaolin Temple, Namgung Chang hadn’t said a single word. No, he couldn’t. Even with ten mouths, there was nothing to say in this situation.

 

Though the Martial Alliance’s Alliance Leader was Nam Cheon-san, everyone in the martial world knew that the one who actually operated the Martial Alliance was Namgung Chang. In other words, the collapse of the Martial Alliance was his responsibility. There could be no immunity here.

 

‘Damn it!’

 

As if representing his complicated feelings, thick veins wriggled like earthworms over Namgung Chang’s tightly clenched fist.

 

The leaders gathered in the Guest Reception Hall.

 

Gwang-cheon sat in the highest seat, the Martial Alliance’s leaders sat on the left, and Shaolin Temple’s leaders sat on the right.

 

While coming here, they hadn’t said a single word. The atmosphere was that sunken, and their minds were endlessly complicated.

 

Even after sitting down, they didn’t say a word for a while. The one who broke the heavy atmosphere was Shaolin Temple’s Abbot Gwang-cheon.

 

“Amitabha! Everyone has worked hard. Then let’s first hear the Martial Alliance’s story about what happened.”

 

“Whew! It seems best for the Military Advisor to tell this story.”

 

Nam Cheon-san looked at Namgung Chang.

 

Namgung Chang, receiving everyone’s attention, briefly closed his eyes tightly. Whether he liked it or not, he had become the focus of everyone’s attention. If he didn’t speak well here, not only his position as Martial Alliance’s Military Advisor but also the reputation he had built would fly away.

 

After briefly organizing his thoughts, Namgung Chang finally opened his mouth.

 

“I’m sorry. This matter is entirely my responsibility. I should have discovered early that the Chenghuo Merchant Group was the Demon Cult’s Outer Garden, but I failed to do so, which led to this disaster.”

 

“What do you mean the Chenghuo Merchant Group is the Demon Cult’s Outer Garden?”

 

The hot-tempered Gwang-mun immediately raised his voice.

 

The Chenghuo Merchant Group was a place that also did business with Shaolin Temple. Everyone couldn’t help but be shocked at the claim that such a place was the Demon Cult’s Outer Garden.

 

“It was a fact I had no idea about either. During the first Orthodox-Demon War, the Demon Cult, realizing they had no chance of winning, liquidated all their assets and entrusted them to Won Hoe-sang. Won Hoe-sang is precisely the founder and owner of the Chenghuo Merchant Group.”

 

“Mm!”

 

“The Chenghuo Merchant Group traded with our alliance while identifying strengths and weaknesses to pass on to the Demon Cult. And during the Demon Cult’s surprise attack, they responded from inside to incite chaos. Because of them, our alliance had no choice but to collapse helplessly.”

 

“Is that really true? That the Chenghuo Merchant Group is the Demon Cult’s Outer Garden?”

 

“That’s right. It’s a fact directly stated by Vice Leader Lim Oh-yeon of the Chenghuo Merchant Group. Our alliance’s Finance Hall Master Hero Go lost his life to him. Fortunately, one martial artist from the Finance Hall overheard that fact, so I could also learn of it.”

 

“Mm!”

 

Shaolin Temple’s monks began murmuring. That’s how shocking Namgung Chang’s words were.

 

The Chenghuo Merchant Group was a place that also did business with Shaolin Temple. The Chenghuo Merchant Group had already entered Shaolin Temple several times.

 

Gwang-cheon said:

 

“If Military Advisor Namgung’s words are true, the Chenghuo Merchant Group must have thoroughly grasped the internal circumstances of our temple as well as numerous sects. Perhaps even internal secrets.”

 

“That’s right.”

 

“Amitabha! Amitabha!”

 

“The Chenghuo Merchant Group played the biggest role in the Martial Alliance’s collapse. So Shaolin Temple must also thoroughly prepare defenses against the Chenghuo Merchant Group.”

 

At Namgung Chang’s words, Gwang-cheon looked at Discipline Courtyard Master Gwang-jin.

 

“Gwang-jin.”

 

“Yes! Abbot.”

 

“You go immediately and find out how far the Chenghuo Merchant Group has grasped our temple’s secrets and establish countermeasures.”

 

“Understood.”

 

Gwang-jin stood up and went outside.

 

Even after he left, Namgung Chang’s story continued. He especially highlighted the Chenghuo Merchant Group in his story.