Chapter 94

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Translated by Seoulbound

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

After driving the sword into Zhuge Beom’s heart.

The place I looked back at.

A pure white flame that illuminated the manor—which had been plunged into darkness even during the day by the Zhuge Clan’s technique formation—was wrapping around Senior Brother Myeong-hun’s blade.

The Four Symbols Flowing Sword.

It was the stance of Light and Shadow Eclipsing the Moon, which faithfully executed the formula of Heavy Stars Altering Flow.

Just as the moon is eclipsed by the shadow on the opposite side of light.

The attractive force of the true qi raised on the blade swallowed the pure white flame and bound it atop the blade.

The flames were returned in an explosive manner with the swung sword strike.

The pure white flame was dyed yellow, perhaps because its temperature had dropped in the meantime.

Even so, the skin of the blood ghoul that withstood the flames endured the bright yellow firelight, as if its material was specialized in heat resistance.

However, because the bright flames toyed with the Daywalker’s vision.

Senior Brother Myeong-jin’s sword stretched out toward the blind spot.

Along with the true qi application of the Soft Sword Wrapping the Finger sword formula, the blue cultivation pulsed and sharpened on the nimbly bending blade, piercing through the Daywalker’s tough heart.

Squelch—!

Even the Daywalker, said to possess the authority of immortality, collapsed.

If one did not know the exact countermeasure to the authority possessed by blood ghouls, it was a Blood Cult Daywalker whom only the elders of the mountain could face.

‘We had to face the Vajra Bloodline Daywalker with the three of us.’

They had defeated such entities.

They controlled the flames and, targeting the visual weakness, attacked the vital points from the blind spots.

Then, was the Blood Cult’s blood ghoul that spewed fire weaker than the Vajra Bloodline? It was not so. Because the heat of the blaze emitted by the blood ghoul was something that even a direct disciple of the Wudang Sect would find difficult to endure.

Even so, they defeated it.

The two of them.

‘As expected.’

Respect for my fellow senior brothers welled up.

They had grown even more than when they faced the Vajra Bloodline blood ghouls.

**

The Greedy Wolf Unit members who had been catching their breath and managing their internal injuries behind Yeon Baek-jung now stared at Yeon Baek-jung with eyes that took it for granted.

‘As expected.’

‘He grew again.’

‘The depth of his sword art… Isn’t he about to reach the unity of sword and body soon?’

‘That might really be the case, right?’

There was not even a need for sound transmission.

Through their gazes alone, the fellow senior brothers and senior sisters discussed the growth of their youngest junior brother, which was like bamboo shoots growing after rain.

However, as the gaze that fell from the youngest junior brother turned toward Myeong-hun and Myeong-jin, they could not suppress their astonishment.

Myeong-myeong examined Myeong-hun’s sword with widened eyes and said.

“That Four Symbols Flowing Sword… It is different from the one I knew?”

“Convergence of sword qi force waves.”

“Utilization of the heavy sword.”

At the words of the twin brothers, Myeong-heon and Myeong-ryu, who analyzed sharply, a strange light flickered in Yi Chae-yang’s eyes.

‘Could it be.’

They were the Greedy Wolf Unit senior brothers and senior sisters who knew that Yeon Baek-jung had modified the Four Symbols Flowing Sword immediately after the dissolution of the Murim Alliance meeting.

However, they were surprised because the Four Symbols Flowing Sword deployed by Myeong-hun was different from that.

Who else would modify a martial art that Yeon Baek-jung had corrected?

The answer was one.

“Yes. It is the Four Symbols Flowing Sword newly woven by Nan-shin. Thanks to it, Im-won gained realization.”

“Immortal Im-won did?!”

“He broke the swords of five Prosperity Star Unit disciples in a single strike.”

“!”

The Soft-Flowing Sword Lord, Immortal Im-won, was one of the Nine Swords of Wudang, the nine individuals with the highest realm of martial arts among the Wudang Sect’s Won generation.

That his realm of martial arts was high was synonymous with the fact that it was that much harder to obtain a higher realization, so to say that he had brought realization even to one of the Nine Swords of Wudang meant that a depth capable of affecting even such peerless masters was contained in Yeon Baek-jung’s martial studies.

Because that meant he had melted a realization that far surpassed the level of his current martial arts into the newly created sword art.

‘Really!’

Their thoughts that they would no longer be surprised were becoming colorless.

In addition, they could once again understand.

The brilliant list of enemies Yeon Baek-jung had faced, which flashed through their minds.

‘Based on a higher level of realization, he dismantles the enemy’s martial studies and exerts a martial prowess beyond what he possesses!’

Pride and fondness for their youngest junior brother, who had not even had his coming-of-age ceremony, crept up.

Watching those disciples, Immortal Mang-won swallowed his laughter inside. The disciples, who could have easily been disheartened by being held prisoner by another sect, quickly regained their spirits. Because that was possible due to the single existence of Yeon Baek-jung.

‘Nan-shin is indeed a bringer of good fortune.’

He could not help but look upon him with deep affection.

However, he could not show such an appearance in front of others.

Immortal Mang-won spoke to the disciples in a feigned stern voice.

“Everyone, tidy up. Since their dantians have been destroyed, there will be no great threat.”

“Yes!”

The disciples, who had been captured and had their blood drawn by the blood ghouls, had recovered their internal energy to some extent while Yeon Baek-jung and the others fought the Daywalkers.

They tied up the Zhuge Clan warriors, who had already become disabled due to their dantians being sealed, in one place, and searched for those who had turned into blood ghouls.

Fortunately, there were none who had become blood ghouls, except for the Wind-Water Divine Dragon, who had been burned to ashes.

However, among those whose dantians were sealed.

“Keugh!”

There existed a blood pouch disguised in the attire of a Zhuge branch warrior instead of the blood-red robe symbolizing the Dawn Sky Blood Cult, and for those fanatics who used their own blood as cultivation, sealing the dantian was not a problem.

“Keugh!”

In the end, the disciples had no choice but to get blood on their hands.

“Returning from hell, in the next life, please become manure for all living beings under heaven. May the Prime Origin pacify and settle this.”

With the matters of the branch settled to some extent.

Immortal Mang-won and the Wudang Sect disciples handed over the captured individuals to the government office.

They would receive fitting punishment for the crime of cooperating with the evil cult.

This was a measure taken because, excluding the Zhuge blood relatives like Zhuge Beom who were deeply involved in the Blood Cult, the majority of the warriors of the branch below them were those who did not even carry the surname of Zhuge.

**

After all the work of the Zhuge Clan’s Yidu branch was concluded.

“Since the news must have already been sent to the main sect through the Yichang branch, let us now return to the branch and wait for the orders to come down from the main sect.”

Immortal Mang-won’s words were the typical way a prestigious righteous sect handled matters.

However, hearing those words, I furrowed my brows as a certain uncomfortable feeling did not disappear.

Senior Sister Yi Chae-yang quietly patted my shoulder.

“Why is that, Junior Brother?”

She was the senior sister with whom I had the deepest friendship within the Greedy Wolf Unit, along with Senior Brother Myeong-hun.

She seemed to read my mind just by looking at my expression.

Looking at my senior sister, I organized my thoughts.

What was the source of the emotion disturbing my mind?

It became clearer by looking at Senior Sister Yi Chae-yang.

The words she always said to me.

—You must take the initiative in the situation.

The feeling that those words were not being kept at all was what had disheveled my facial muscles at will.

“Because it seems that our Wudang Sect is continuously being dragged around.”

After spitting out my organized thoughts shortly, I went ‘Ah.’

Although it was a correct statement.

‘Because it is no different from directly contradicting the words spoken by my Great-Martial Uncle.’

Even if my Great-Martial Uncle gave me a big scolding, I resolved to take it sweetly. However.

“Indeed. Continuously being dragged around… Nan-shin, you are correct, but I only thought of our sect’s face.”

Great-Martial Uncle Mang-won was an open-minded person.

Rather, he nodded his head and actively expressed agreement.

Once Great-Martial Uncle Mang-won opened the floodgates, Senior Brothers Myeong-hun and Myeong-jin, and Senior Sister Yi Chae-yang also began to agree with my words.

“This time too, we were the ones attacked first.”

“Although it is natural that the actions of a prestigious righteous sect are heavy.”

“We must face the Six Evils. It is also not right to be dragged around just to save the face and justification of a prestigious righteous sect forever.”

Contradicting what the elder of the sect had said.

If it were another sect, it would have been an impossible thing, but.

“Correct. In that case, it is difficult to make a proper response.”

The sect I belonged to was the Wudang Sect.

Since it was a prestigious righteous sect boasting the freest style of sect customs under heaven.

“Then, what would be good to do?”

Great-Martial Uncle Mang-won asked first.

Before the orders of the main sect fell, the disciples acted autonomously. It could be seen as a rash act, but if Great-Martial Uncle Mang-won was together with us, it would become the will of the main sect.

“Since it is a fight that the Zhuge Clan picked first anyway, the justification is on our side. Let us attack other branches immediately.”

At Senior Sister Myeong-myeong’s words, Senior Sister Yi Chae-yang also agreed.

“The Yidu branch leader, the Wind-Water Divine Dragon, was a blood ghoul. The fact that there are those who have become blood ghouls within the Zhuge Clan would make it safe to say that they have gone beyond the stage of mere cooperation.”

“However, what bugs my mind is that the Zhuge Clan is one of the Seven Great Families.”

The Seven Great Families.

Because they were one of the seven families that received the death-exemption decree issued by the government, even the Wudang Sect felt a burden in directly attacking them.

While various opinions were being exchanged in a situation where it was difficult to readily step forward even though their wills were gathered.

‘Hmm?’

Suddenly, at the musty smell drifting from beyond the wall and the sound of ‘sniff, sniff,’ I raised my hand in a flash.

“What if we request cooperation from the Beggars’ Sect?”

**

The alliance between the Zhuge Clan and the Blood Cult.

Although it was a matter that even the lower levels of the Beggars’ Sect had suspected to some extent, it was information that the branch level had no way of verifying.

Because it was a matter involving one of the Seven Great Families and one of the Six Great Evils, they had to be extremely cautious.

Naturally, it was information that had been passed to the headquarters, but the Beggars’ Sect headquarters, which had to determine the authenticity of the information, had no spare capacity due to the all-out war with the Chaotic Heaven Green Forest.

‘No answer is coming back.’

It was too big an issue for the Beggars’ Sect Yidu branch leader to judge alone.

It was even more so because there was suspicion but a lack of physical evidence.

Meanwhile, darkness suddenly descended on the nearby Zhuge Clan branch, and flames and sword hums arose.

‘A fishy smell is vibrating!’

However, to a beggar, life was the most important thing.

Since dying in vain after recklessly entering the battlefield with incompetent martial arts was out of the question.

“Everyone, lie low as if you were dead!”

After commanding all the beggars remaining in the branch, he climbed the hill where the full view of the Zhuge branch was visible to examine the situation.

However.

‘Damn, what is there to see!’

Even though it was broad daylight, only the Zhuge branch manor was dark as if it were the middle of the night.

‘What do I do?’

He was afraid to recklessly approach the scene where the fight was taking place.

Because the martial arts he possessed as a branch leader were shallow.

If even just two warriors of the Zhuge Clan branch clashed with him, it could become difficult for him to escape.

‘Let us rather wait.’

Like that, he waited until the commotion had completely quieted down before leaning his body against the wall of the Zhuge Clan branch.

Sniff, sniff.

He smelled using the Beggars’ Sect secret sensory art, Six Harmonies Dog Nose.

‘The smell of blood, the unique ink scent of the Zhuge Clan, and this is… the scent of pine… Wudang Sect?!’

Around the time the strong suspicion that it was the Wudang Sect that had raided the Zhuge branch was solidified.

‘If so, then is this now the Zhuge Clan joining hands with the Blood Cult and clashing with the Wudang Sect?! Gosh!’

It was undoubtedly an issue of a magnitude that was difficult for the branch to handle.

The Beggars’ Sect Yidu branch leader tried to turn his body immediately to report the news to the headquarters. At that moment.

‘Gasps!’

In front of him, like a ghost, a young Taoist boy appeared.

**

—The Zhuge Clan has joined hands with the Blood Cult and is trying to swallow the entire Hubei region!

The rumor spread throughout the Hubei region in an instant like a wildfire spreading over dry leaves.

It was because, even if the depth of the lower-level beggars’ martial arts cultivation at the Beggars’ Sect branches was not deep, the depth of the Tongue Art they had built up through their mouths was no less than that of peerless masters.

“No, listen…”

“Those sons of bitches of the Zhuge Clan…”

“I am saying that even the ancestral rites performed at the Shrine of the Martial Marquis have ended…”

Thus, the rumors about the Zhuge Clan spread even to the ordinary Hubei peasants who did not belong to the martial world.

“They say the Zhuge Clan head has lost his mind.”

“How could he associate with the evil cult banned by the state?”

“Truly, he is bold.”

“According to the rumors, his son contracted a terminal illness, so it became like that?”

“They say that son is walking around perfectly fine… Don’t tell me!”

“The rumor is rampant that he recovered from his illness by sucking human blood!”

It was an instant before their reputation as a prestigious noble family and high-standing descendants of the past Three Kingdoms period’s Martial Marquis Zhuge plunged to the ground.

The one who reflexively benefited was the Wudang Sect.

“Haha. They say the Seop family in the neighboring village suddenly disappeared!”

“Wasn’t that also because they were captured by the Zhuge Clan warriors who became blood cultists? Since there is a Zhuge Clan branch there too!”

“Then what do we do? Should we abandon our homes even now and enter the mountains?”

“Why would there be a need for that! We should quickly report the news to the Wudang Sect branch and request help!”

“Let us go right away!”

The Zhuge Clan leaders could also not possibly be ignorant of such public sentiment.

“It is an official letter sent by the Provincial Administration Commissioner, Clan Head.”

The current Zhuge Clan Head who had sung of the clan’s prosperity, the New Martial Marquis Zhuge Seok-yun, slowly pulled out the letter from the envelope.

On it, it was written as follows.

—We retrieve the death-exemption decree of the Zhuge Clan.