Chapter 92

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Translated by Seoulbound

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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**

Inside a dark room where not a single ray of light entered.

A pale-faced woman wearing a red robe opened the door and walked in.

As the light from the flickering torches lining both sides of the corridor temporarily illuminated the dark room, the figure of a man sitting at a small table was revealed.

The man’s face was also as pale as that of the woman in the red robe, but his attire was different.

The classical silk robe, embroidered with cloud patterns on a blue background and even carved with a black dragon on the sleeves, made a stark contrast with the woman’s bright red robe.

The door closed.

The woman could see.

The sight of the man’s furrowed brow relaxing in an instant.

“You should get used to this much light.”

At her words, the man in the blue silk sighed and answered.

“Do you think I don’t adapt because I don’t want to? What am I supposed to do when the instinct engraved in my ‘blood’ rejects it?”

“That is all because your faith is lacking, so you must reflect. To blame your ‘blood.’ This is why I opposed the ‘Great Law’ performed on non-believers.”

At the woman’s words, the man snorted.

“Didn’t you guys need our power too? Coming to this now.”

Letting out a small sigh at the man’s words, the woman stared at the man with cold eyes.

Even in the dark room without a single point of light, she stared clearly at the man’s face.

No.

Without the disturbance of bright sunlight, it seemed rather more comfortable to see.

“If you continue to remain a non-believer like that, you will never be able to step out of the dark room unless it is after sunset.”

“…I will try to make faith grow.”

The man did not drag out his words any further at the woman’s remark. Since he also had no desire to remain in the darkness forever. Now was the time to bow.

“By the way, that you sought me out seems to mean that you need our strength?”

“That is correct.”

At the woman’s proud attitude despite asking for a favor, the man let out a small sigh and said.

“I heard that the Yichang branch was completely destroyed. What is the problem?”

“They did not return.”

Asking who had not returned was meaningless.

Since they were the ones who had dispatched people to destroy the Wudang Sect’s Yichang branch.

“Are you saying that the scholars of our family did not return either?”

“That is correct.”

“Damn it.”

The man let out a sigh and spoke quickly.

“If so, ten to one, the Wudang Sect has now gone beyond suspicion and has gained certainty.”

“Certainty?”

“Indeed. That we and you. No, that we have become one.”

He knew in the first place that they were being suspected.

That was why they had tried to delay the information going over to the main sect by destroying the branch.

“Even so, wasn’t it only a matter of time before they realized that you and we had joined hands?”

At the woman’s words, which were spoken as if it were someone else’s business, the man felt a surge of anger for a moment but suppressed it.

The man was now of the same kind as ‘them.’

Unlike himself, who could still only act at night, the woman, who was free even under the sunlight, was a higher being than him according to the rules of the cult.

Since he was a man who did not want to live buried in darkness forever, he needed to make a good impression on the woman.

Stifling his anger, the man spoke calmly.

“That small difference in time decides the success or failure of the matter.”

“I see.”

At the woman’s nonchalant reaction, the man let out a small sigh.

One of the surprising facts he had learned while working together.

It was that the blood cultists knew too little about the potential of the Nine Sects and One Association. No, to be precise, those of the bloodlines who joined hands with them were ignorant of the state of the Jianghu.

That must be why they had joined hands with them, the Zhuge Clan. It was a part that had to be endured.

“Still, since there is no news of disciples descending from the Wudang Sect’s main sect in large numbers so far… I believe that even if there is just one more immortal like you, we can easily block the enemy.”

At the man’s words, she furrowed her brow.

As if her pride were hurt.

“Those with sweet blood. Is the Wudang Sect really that strong?”

The man made an effort to soothe the woman’s pride.

Since they had become of the same kind.

The bloodline that could move under the light was worthy of respect. Only then would he be able to obtain their secret methods so that he, too, could proudly step out under the sunlight.

Just like the ‘Eldest Young Master’ of his family.

“You should know very well that the sweeter the blood, the deeper the essence, correct?”

“…Yes. You are right.”

“The blood you tasted was at most that of a disciple who had not exceeded thirty years. I am saying that even you guys cannot carelessly face those monsters who have accumulated such essence for over sixty years.”

The man continued to explain while looking at the woman.

Because they were ignorant of the Central Plains martial world to an unbelievable degree considering how long they had lived.

“And on that mountain… such monsters are overflowing. I am saying that there are so many people whom even your blood lords would find difficult to face that it is hard to count them on both hands.”

“Then are we in danger right now?”

At her question, the man shook his head.

“That would not be the case. Unless it is an elder-class of the main sect, it can be settled at your level.”

“Then why?”

“I am saying we should be safe. Safe.”

Although she had a face that looked somewhat unsatisfied.

“…I understand.”

Leaving those words behind, the woman left the secret room.

Left alone, the man wiped his face with both hands.

“Yes. If the Wudang Sect has noticed.”

The man reminisced about the past while staring at the light coming through the slightly opened gap.

The humiliating memory he had experienced during the Murim Alliance meeting held at the Shaolin Temple crept up.

—…I am sorry, Young Hero Yeon. I was… rash. Bewildered by the rumors floating in the Jianghu, I slandered you… Truly, I have no face to show.

—It can happen. In fact, even I would find it hard to believe if I heard my own rumors.

Recalling the face of that young Taoist boy who had accepted his apology with a smile, and furthermore, the face of the Wudang Sect’s Immortal Gangwon who had smiled behind him, the man muttered as if grinding teeth.

“Wudang Sect… Will you bastards ultimately block my way? Fine. This time, it is my turn to drink your blood.”

A man who was demoted to the Yidu branch of the Zhuge Clan.

Zhuge Beom, the Wind-Water Divine Dragon, burned his desire for revenge toward the Wudang Sect like that.

**

The fact that a prestigious noble family counted among the best in the martial world had joined hands with one of the Six Great Evils was not something any martial artist could easily accept.

Because it was a story similar to saying a dog and a monkey had mated.

However.

A blood ghoul that controlled fire.

The Wudang Sect’s Yichang branch that collapsed in a fire.

In addition, the Zhuge Clan’s Crouching Dragon Scholars who were casting the Wind-Calling Art.

The problem was that the circumstances pointed to by all of this were too clear.

—The Zhuge Clan has joined hands with the Blood Cult.

Myeong-ok immediately wrote a letter, tied it to the leg of the spiritual messenger swallow Seo-yeon, and sent it to the main sect, and what remained.

It was the task of finding the missing Greedy Wolf Unit senior brothers and senior sisters.

“If the Zhuge Clan has joined hands with the Blood Cult, it must also be related to the disappearance of the Greedy Wolf Unit senior brothers and senior sisters.”

At Myeong-hun’s words, Immortal Mang-won said in a heavy voice.

“If it is a matter involving the Blood Cult, the lives of the Greedy Wolf Unit children would also be in danger.”

Blood ghouls were monsters that took the pure blood of humans.

Even if they kept them alive to consume their blood, it was natural that the safety of the Wudang Sect disciples was in jeopardy.

“That is correct.”

The Sea Fog Pavilion disciple Myeong-ok showed a small letter to the four of them.

“It is a report left by Junior Sister Yi Chae-yang of the Greedy Wolf Unit.”

The content was simple.

—Currently suspecting that the Zhuge Clan is behind the Yungzhong Merchant Association, which betrayed the Yeo Clan.

“And Junior Sister Yi, who left this letter, went missing while tailing the merchant caravan heading toward the Zhuge Clan’s branch.”

Although it was Yi Chae-yang who had left the report, she said she was not the only one who went there.

She said there were three more senior brothers and senior sisters of the Greedy Wolf Unit.

“If so, for now, we must definitely raid one place.”

“Yes.”

That was the reason they had summoned the four people who had been dispatched to the Guizhou branch, even mobilizing Seo-yeon.

“In addition to the Yungzhong Merchant Association, those who were digging into the background of the escort agencies and merchant groups cooperating with the Zhuge Clan have disappeared. And the fire that broke out at the branch today… must be a trick to somehow delay the information gathering at the main sect.”

It was the disappearance of multiple True Martial Pavilion disciples.

Because it was an urgent matter, all the disciples of the Wudang Sect’s Yichang branch were mobilized.

Thus, they attacked the vacant Yichang branch.

It was a kind of making a feint to the east while attacking in the west, and if they, the disciples dispatched to the Guizhou branch, had not arrived in time, the lives of Myeong-ok and Yi Won-yu who remained would also not have been guaranteed.

Yeon Baek-jung clenched his fists with a firm face.

A frost-like chill also settled on the faces of Myeong-hun and Myeong-jin.

They could not just keep suffering like this.

“Then where is the Zhuge Clan branch that the Yungzhong Merchant Association caravan was heading to?”

At the question asking for the place where the Greedy Wolf Unit disciples, including Yi Chae-yang, were expected to be, Myeong-ok could not answer immediately.

It was the place where their fellow True Martial Pavilion disciples had gone missing.

A place where even the Blood Cult crowd was involved at the Zhuge Clan’s branch.

She felt that it was not an exaggeration to call it a den of demons.

Those who had come up from Guizhou were only four.

It was clearly a small number of people to strike a branch of one of the Seven Great Families. According to the analysis of Myeong-ok, an agent of the intelligence network, it was so.

However.

‘If the Elder goes with them.’

The story could be different.

But when considering the situation where the Zhuge Clan and the Blood Cult had joined hands, the calculation became complicated again.

As she hesitated to answer like that, she suddenly met Yeon Baek-jung’s unwavering gaze.

‘Ah.’

It came to her mind naturally.

The figure of Yeon Baek-jung, who had extinguished and sent back the flames raised by the blood ghouls while they were evacuating to the safe house.

He had defeated dozens of blood pouches and two blood ghouls in a single blow.

If including the blood ghoul he dealt with when he first fell from the sky, it was three.

He had suppressed the blood ghouls all by himself, so easily.

If it were such a Yeon Baek-jung.

If Immortal Mang-won, an elder of the main sect, and even Myeong-jin, said to be the best in the Greedy Wolf Unit, were together with him.

‘It might be possible.’

Having finished her calculations, she opened her mouth with a firm face.

“It is the Yidu branch.”

“If it is the Yidu branch, it is just a stone’s throw from here.”

“That is correct.”

“It is a branch of one of the Seven Families. Moreover, there will be blood ghouls and blood pouches. Please be careful.”

Hearing Myeong-ok’s words, the four people nodded firmly.

Even so, there was no sign of tension.

They were those who had already eradicated numerous blood ghouls in Guizhou.

Moreover, even if a new bloodline that raised flames appeared, the youngest, Yeon Baek-jung, had already faced them.

“On the way, I will also share the method of defeating those blood ghouls.”

At the quick-witted Yeon Baek-jung’s words, everyone nodded.

The target was set.

It was the Wudang Sect, referred to as the Northern Shaolin and Southern Wudang.

Although they said that as the pinnacle of the orthodox martial world, they did not carelessly attack other sects, they could not afford to be cautious in this situation either. Because the lives of their disciples were at stake.

“Let us depart immediately.”

The four people immediately left the safe house of the Yichang branch and took their path to the southeast.

It was the direction where the Yidu branch of the Zhuge Clan was located.

**

The path where we headed like flying through the lightfoot art of the Cloud-Climbing Step’s Entrusting to the Wind and Roaming the Void.

It did not take even two double-hours to reach the Yidu branch of the Zhuge Clan.

Observing the atmosphere of the branch from atop the hill like that, I was able to be sure.

‘The Greedy Wolf Unit senior brothers and senior sisters are here.’

The sharper my sword qi became through the returning force training.

A sharp qi also settled on the qi sensation of the Tai Chi Diagram Exposition.

That razor-sharp qi sensation was saying clearly.

That the disciples of the Wudang Sect were held captive inside that manor.

I nodded my head.

Immortal Mang-won nodded his head in return.

After the brief confirmation process was over.

My Great-Martial Uncle opened his mouth.

“It is the branch of the Zhuge Clan. You must grasp the visible structure well. Once we enter, our senses will be toyed with by the trap formations.”

He meant that although it looked like an uncomplicated structure at a glance, there was no telling how it would change once the trap formations began to activate.

“Yes.”

“Understood.”

Although they were at the bottom of the Seven Families in terms of martial strength, the martial power of the Zhuge Clan, which combined trap formations with techniques, was among the top of the Seven Families.

“Dividing our personnel is meaningless. Since there are even blood ghouls and blood pouches, we will break through frontally to crush the enemy’s spearhead. Nan-shin, take the lead and set the path. We must open the way through your qi sensation.”

I nodded my head while engraving the structure of the manor onto my corneas.

“Let’s go.”

Coinciding with my Great-Martial Uncle’s signal, we descended the hill as if flying.

‘First, we must raise a ruckus to focus the enemy’s attention on us. Only then will a gap be created for the captured senior brothers and senior sisters.’

As we had discussed on the way.

The best way to rescue the disciples from the branch.

It was a frontal breakthrough.

I loaded silk reeling into the tips of my running feet while simultaneously raising the thunder qi stored in my middle dantian’s internal core.

Sizzzz!

Along with a short discharging sound from my palms, the true qi flickered.

I raised my voice, loaded with pure cultivation, and shouted.

“The Wudang Sect has come!”

Coinciding with that declaration.

Boom!

The first form of the Four Symbols Wind and Thunder Palm.

Remote Dust Accumulated Clouds smashed the main gate of the Zhuge Clan’s Yidu branch.