3
5
6.
So, who is the main enemy of the Orthodox Faction, which claims to be the White Path?
The Heavenly Demon Cult Appears After 500 Years?
The Blood Cult that caused a bloody massacre in Sichuan?
Or the dark forces publicly identified as enemies since three hundred years ago?
well.
If anything, these entities expanded the power of the Murim Alliance; they did not provide the catalyst for its downfall.
The very purpose of the Murim Alliance’s existence lies in ‘protection’.
If there is no one to protect, it cannot survive.
That is why the Murim Alliance always needs an enemy.
It was established five hundred years ago to stop the public enemies of the Jianghu.
Just as it nearly disappeared two hundred years ago when there was no suitable enemy.
The fact that there are no enemies ultimately means that the Murim Alliance has no need to exist.
For that reason, the beings that brought down the Murim Alliance might not be the ones mentioned earlier.
Then, what was the entity that ultimately brought down the Murim Alliance?
I wonder who it could be?
I looked at the man in front of me.
“What brings you all the way here when you are so busy with such important matters?”
There is no change of emotion in a beautiful appearance.
“Did they not learn honorifics?”
There is a strange persuasive power in an indifferent voice.
As if speaking of the obvious truth, like someone who always states the truth.
“Well, it’s not like we’re that close. Isn’t this just pointless formality?”
Even if I deliberately pick a fight, he does not show any signs of agitation.
Just as humans don’t care when ants get angry.
“Jin So-un. Don’t you know that observing basic mutual etiquette is the fastest way to build trust?”
“To say you observe etiquette for the sake of efficiency. That’s exactly like you.”
The perfect sculpture made of stone stands tall and unwavering, just as it has in the past and present.
That man’s stillness.
It looked like a sturdy mountain from a past life.
but.
Yongso-ah.
The me now knows.
The hypocrisy contained in that silence.
Yong So-ah staring at me with a dry gaze.
Then he speaks in the same tone as when he came to kill me.
Address him as “senior.” Since he is a student at the dormitory now.
That probably won’t happen.
This is a resolution.
My small promise not to follow his path, which seems like the right answer.
“Anyway, what brings you here? You are usually so busy with the Yongbong Branch.”
The answer came from behind Yong So-ah.
I acted at the request of the Kunming branch.
A small girl who, like Yong So-ah, wears a distinctively emotionless expression but speaks in a strange way.
It was Dang Seo-hee.
“What on earth happened in Mukrim? And why were you staying at Mandokmun?”
It felt as though Dang Seo-hui was glaring at Dan Se-ung for a moment.
However, that look quickly vanishes, and he looks up at me with his characteristic indifferent eyes.
You still haven’t grown a single bit taller.
I reflexively reached to stroke his head, but paused and answered.
Because I met the enemy.
“An enemy? Surely…….”
Dang Seo-hee’s gaze turns toward Instructor Kang Sun-tak.
I heard that you got lost.
“Hey, what kind of enemy! He disobeyed the instructor’s orders, moved around on his own, and got lost!”
“…….”
The gazes of the students in the dormitory turn cold.
How many battles were repeated and endured in Mukrim.
How many students died because of that.
Nevertheless, Kang Soon-tak.
“Jin So-un, you must have instigated this……!”
He treated the students’ painful memories as if they were nothing, simply to cover up his own wrongdoing.
“Incitement, incitement, huh…….”
“Jin So-un…….”
Kang Soon-tak’s voice was filled with hatred as he murmured my name as if chewing on it.
“You’re the problem! You, because of you…! This is what caused the situation to escalate like this!!!”
Why did the Murim Alliance collapse?
“If we had stayed put, we could have asked the branch for help and rescued everyone safely! And just then, the Yongbong Branch came here too!”
Why did that colossal giant tree of five hundred years of history collapse so helplessly?
“You, colluding with the Dark Path, have misled the academy students and put them in danger! In the name of the Martial Arts Alliance, I will never forgive you.”
The answer is right before my eyes. ‘Because it rotted away from the inside.’ The reason the tree that had not fallen in any storm eventually fell was because its insides had rotted and decayed.
“What do you intend to do about the students who died because of you! Your fellow disciples and your sect must also bear full responsibility for this!”
A place where vermin-like beings, unaware that they are festering, parasitize.
The Murim Alliance’s greatest enemy was right within.
visor!
He took out the Red Light Sword.
There was no strategy, plan, or deep thought.
The reason he lost his reason was that the image of the executive who commanded Baekdo in his previous life overlapped with the appearance of Kang Soon-tak.
That guy I wanted to kill so badly back then, but couldn’t.
To kill, even now.
“What a lunatic!”
The sharp sword of Cheongseong is swung, but it is not as fearsome as the one from my previous life.
No, at first glance it looks funny.
Even in my previous life, the sword I received in this life wasn’t this dull.
Chae-chaeng!
He pushed through with force what could have been easily blocked with Yeonhwa.
Because I wanted to kill him in the most painful way possible.
Chaechachechachang!
The instructors draw their swords one by one to respond.
Just like in Mukrim, he charges at Kang Sun-tak with minimal defense.
He deflects, blocks, and counteracts the storm of sword energy as he advances.
The more that happens, the more Kang Soon-tak keeps backing away, further and further.
“S-stop, stop!!!”
Was it because of the scratches on my arms and shoulders?
Kang Soon-tak’s face turns pale.
In Mukrim, the Life and Death Group did not retreat even amidst greater suffering.
In Mukrim, they had searched desperately for them as if they were hope.
Maybe it was a relief that the instructors ran away first.
If these had existed, more life-and-death groups might have died.
Launches a sword energy to counter the sword energy.
The sword energy explodes, creating a huge storm.
Puff puff puff!
Kang Soon-tak kept stepping back.
Soon, he spat out a handful of blood.
Squeak.
Without even being able to wipe away the blood staining the front of his shirt red, he swings his sword frantically.
at that time.
“stop.”
It squeezes in through the gaps with an undeniable sharp momentum.
Attacking an instructor is a serious offense. Stop.
An indifferent voice rang out as if giving a lecture.
“Really? Then discipline them.”
Ignore the Whirlwind Sword and move forward.
Kang Soon-tak screams at the top of his lungs because of the gap created by Yong So-ah.
“What, what are you all doing! Alliance members, arrest that fellow immediately!”
Srrrr srrrr srrrr.
Nearly a hundred members of the Murim Alliance each draw their swords.
A volatile situation.
At that moment.
kkung
A massive vibration shakes the entire Mandokmun.
Shockwave originating from the religious order.
I can feel it clearly even though it was a long distance away.
“Is Mandokmun ridiculous? Or is this Dan Se-ung ridiculous?”
At the same time, the followers of Mandokmun, who had been observing from the sidelines, simultaneously prepare for battle.
That’s right. This place is neither the Central Plains nor the Murim Alliance.
Right into enemy territory.
During the sudden lull, Kang Soon-tak, who had been being unilaterally assaulted, seemed to have forgotten even that and started screaming loudly.
“That guy! Arrest him!”
However, none of the Murim Alliance members could act rashly in the face of Dan Se-ung’s threat.
“Do you intend to continue?”
Dan Se-ung’s gaze turned toward Yong So-ah.
The fact that they looked at him despite the presence of Kang Soon-tak and the branch members is tantamount to acknowledging that he has become the representative of this group.
However, Yong So-ah did not easily sheathe her sword despite Dan Se-ung’s momentum.
He merely displayed his usual indifferent gaze, as if he were not afraid of Dan Se-ung or Mandokmun at all.
“I think it would be best to stop here. It seems there were various things we didn’t know about.”
Hwajeongsan of the Hwasan Sect.
He stepped forward and spoke.
“Yong-so, we came to save our juniors, not to wage war.”
The man who had come to Taeeulmun to pick a fight was now mediating between the instructor and me.
“You arrogant junior, stop it now. If you feel wronged, you can go to the Murim Alliance and talk about it.”
Eventually, he looked at the surrounding students with a troubled expression.
“You guys too! Why don’t you put your weapons away now?”
Even though Hwajungsan spoke, no one moved easily.
When even the disciples of the Hwasan Sect and the disciples of the secular branch of Hwasan showed such signs, the corners of Hwajeongsan’s eyes trembled slightly, but unlike in the past, he did not easily get agitated.
“What would happen if the members of the Murim Alliance and the academy students fought within the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect?”
I put away the Red Light Sword.
Hwajungsan also clapped his hands exaggeratedly to liven up the surroundings.
“Well, let’s head back now. Let’s solve the problem when we get back home.”
That won’t happen.
“huh?”
I raised the grotesque figure lying on one side.
“There are still many people who haven’t recovered from their injuries, so they will rest a bit more before returning.”
“H-Heukdo… no, you mean from the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect?”
“But the clan leader, upon learning the situation, readily extended a helping hand.”
I smiled sweetly while looking at Hwajungsan.
I mean, after hearing the situation that the instructors didn’t believe.
I entrusted Jongchuak to Nam Hwa-seong and approached Kang Sun-tak.
To him, who feels not even the slightest sense of responsibility or indebtedness.
“You got lost? Then why didn’t you gather the academy students at the assembly point?”
“There were no enemies? Then what was it that we fought so desperately against?”
Even if the right and wrong are thoroughly examined, there is no sign of remorse.
It is not to hide one’s shame.
Those who know shame do not say that we are rotten.
You don’t understand why the White Path Sect’s elites asked the Black Path Sect for help, do you?
It is because, in the first place, there is no such shame.
That is why people say they are rotten.
“Is it just because of your wealth and glory?”
Once the inside story is revealed and the full circumstances become known, Kang Soon-tak will fall.
That is not all. All the instructors will be deprived of the brilliant future they had no doubt would come to them.
They probably hoped for it.
I wish everyone had died in Mukrim instead.
I hope no survivors remained.
If they had done so, at least the path laid out before them would not have gone astray, even if it had wavered a little.
“He must be held accountable. The crime of disregarding the scheduled timeline as an instructor and mobilizing students for personal gain, as well as the crime of failing to fulfill his responsibilities in a dangerous situation and looking only for his own safety.”
They probably thought it would have been better if everyone had died.
All the way to Mandokmun.
“I will hold you accountable for everything, including the crime of trying to hide the truth to cover up your own sins. I will absolutely never forgive you. I will hold you fully responsible, even for the students who died because of you.”
They probably wanted our death more than the beings who tried to kill us.
Your brothers and your sect must also fulfill this responsibility.
That is why I make a resolution once again.
I will make it so.
I will definitely get revenge.
“Jin So-un… How dare a wretched fellow like you!”
I turned around without delay.
Kang Soon-tak’s vicious curse was heard from behind, but I did not pay attention.
Only then did the students begin to put away their weapons one by one.#“You…….”
Munju Dan Se-ung cautiously swallowed his words, uncharacteristically.
Why is he suddenly acting like that?
As I looked at him strangely, he continued speaking as if spitting it out.
“Is he… really crazy?”
what?
Were you trying to say “Are you crazy?” Or did you just want to swear?
“No. Did you perhaps secretly learn sorcery or demonic arts?”
I feel devastated.
To think I would hear something like this from a real madman who injected himself with an unknown poison under the pretext of testing its harmfulness.
Thanks to the Taeeul Jingyeong, I have a more normal body and mind than anyone else.
“What on earth are you trying to say?”
“I’m just dumbfounded. No matter how dark a sect leader he is, he wouldn’t dare hurl such abusive language at a figure of the rank of the clan head of Cheongseong. He must be out of his mind… *Cough*.”
Although I was being harsh, I had no intention of taking it back.
Because his words were a denial of all the efforts, tenacity, and despair of the Sahwaldan.
“……
You know you’re screwed, right?
To think such vulgar words would come out of the mouth of someone of the clan leader’s stature.
The Black Sword is definitely the Black Sword.
I know I’m screwed.
“Ahem, good grief, you really have a foul mouth.”
Dan Se-ung said that and patted my shoulder.
“If merits and demerits had been divided based on right and wrong from the start, neither the Jeongdohoe nor the Baekdohoe would exist today. They would have handed over legitimacy to others and lost power long ago.”
I know.
In the midst of that absurd process, their power grew even more solid.
“Moreover, by disgracing Cheongseong’s disciples, you have even given them a pretext to oppose you. I can already see dark clouds gathering over your promising future.”
He, who had initially shown a very hostile attitude, was somehow showing concern in a friendly manner.
At first glance, it looked a little happy.
That look in his eyes, as if he had met a fellow member of his own kind.
From the very beginning, there has never been a ray of light in my future. It is simply a matter of whether it is a storm or hail.
“The hail is going to hurt.”
Because I tend to have a hard head.
“Kuh-huh.”
Dan Se-woong bursts into a pleasant laugh.
Is that old man drunk?
Before I knew it, a smile was peeking out from the corners of my mouth as well.
“thank you.”
I bowed slightly to Dan Se-ung.
I mean that you stepped forward at just the right time.
Dan Se-ung giggled as if finding something satisfying.
“I took your side just to frame you as a member of the Dark Sect, didn’t I?”
“Even so, my reputation as a chivalrous hero will not fade.”
“Hehe… I really am crazy. To think the Black Flame Dragon is a swordsman.”
It certainly seems that Mandokmun doesn’t fully grasp my reputation, perhaps because they haven’t had any business in the Maryeong Plateau.
He, who had been giggling for some reason, spoke in a rather serious tone.
“That blockhead Cha Seok-du told you to come to the Black Alliance anytime, didn’t he?”
It is a false rumor.
“Heh heh. That blockhead might not be very smart, but he’s not the type to spread lies.”
So, was it really because of Cha Seok-du that the nickname ‘Black Flame Dragon’ didn’t change?
shit.
It’s about time things changed.
But you know what?
In an instant, Dan Se-ung’s gaze grew cold.
The image of him cracking silly jokes just moments ago was nowhere to be seen.
In my opinion, you are someone who absolutely should not have come to the Black Alliance.
I didn’t intend to go in the first place, but hearing them tell me not to come again makes me feel a bit sad for no reason.
“Why, I ask?”
He stares intently into my eyes and then turns his head.
It’s too clear and strong.
I really don’t understand.
Are there any instances where these two words, “clear” and “poisonous,” are used together?
No, can they be used together?
purification
“Among the poisons of the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect, you know, the Pure Water
“There is a poison called [Name]. It is colorless, but it has a slightly unique smell, so it is a poison that cannot be used secretly.”
It is a useless poison.
“Still, it’s effective. If you spray it in your eyes, it blinds you, and if it touches your mouth and nose, it ruins your breathing. But you see.……”
Dan Se-ung continued speaking as he filled his glass.
There is a reason this jar was named Dokjeongsu.
I did think it was an unusual name.
“If you use this to clean contaminated wells or places full of mold, they become purified. Then, wells that were previously undrinkable become potable, and disease-causing spaces are transformed into habitable areas.”
It’s not poison.
“Poison is poison. It’s fatal if you drink it directly. If it’s sprinkled in a place like the Black Alliance, people will die. But…”
He gulped down the drink in one go.
“I wonder what would happen if we used the Murim Alliance for cleaning.”
He continued speaking in ambiguous words, making it impossible to tell whether he was talking about Dokjeongsu or me.
“Wouldn’t that be quite dangerous? A clean Murim Alliance, to think of it. I can already hear the wailing of the dark sects.”
He giggled as if even that was amusing.
“And do you know what the biggest feature is?”
“What is it?”
It evaporates without a trace after being used.
It evaporates.
Think carefully.
Instead of looking me straight in the eye, he fiddles with an innocent glass.
I mean whether or not he is worth using for the Murim Alliance.
He finished his sentence ambiguously to the very end.
I thought I knew their intention, so I didn’t ask again. The Murim Alliance members went back.
They were members of the branch from the beginning, and the instructors could not remain here due to Dan Se-ung’s refusal.
Instead, the Yongbong branch remained.
The disciples of Mandokmun, who had exchanged even small ties with the academy students, did not welcome the members of the Murim Alliance, but showed curiosity toward the members of the Yongbong Society.
It seems that even from their perspective, it wasn’t easy to let go of their curiosity about those being hailed as heroes of the Baekdo Sect.
Among them, curiosity about Dang Seo-hui was particularly immense.
There were others who used the same poison, and it seemed that the fact she was the youngest disciple of the Tang family also played a significant role.
Some members of the Mandok Sect, driven by such curiosity, cautiously held a small drinking gathering.
Dan Se-ung and the supervisors turned a blind eye to the young disciples’ deviations.
I also received an invitation before going to meet Dan Se-ung, but I wasn’t in the mood to attend the banquet and have a boisterous time.
On the way back to the lodging after leaving Dan Se-ung’s residence.
From the noisy sounds coming from afar, I could tell that a drinking party was in full swing, but
As we walked a little further, the sound became muffled, and silence quietly settled over the surroundings.
I looked up at the sky for a moment in a dark place where the torch did not reach.
The positions of the constellations seen in Yunnan were not significantly different from those in other places.
However, whether due to the high altitude or the clear weather, the stars were twinkling as if they were about to pour down at any moment.
While clearing my head while gazing at the stars for a moment.
I turned my head when I sensed someone’s presence.
An unwelcome face was visible at the end of the torch’s reflected shadow.
“I wonder what brings you here.”
What did you talk about with Sect Leader Dan Se-ung?
Do I have an obligation to tell you?
The moment I tried to ignore him and walk past.
I have a question.
A question…
It was truly unsuitable for Yongsoah.
While continuing to walk with that thought in mind.
“I wonder why I am still alive.”
Words that could not be unilaterally ignored were heard.
Did they perhaps wish for me to die in Mukrim?
“Did you also want me to die, just like that bastard Kang Soon-tak?”
“I’m not interested in my relationship with him. All I’m curious about is…….”
Yong So-ah suddenly falls silent.
His face looked unfamiliar.
An expression never seen in either a past or present life.
He bit his lip for a moment, then slowly raised his eyes.
“The question is why you are still alive.”
What appeared on his face, which naturally wore an emotionless expression, was clear curiosity.
A sense of doubt as to why what should be taken for granted is out of order.
“What?” A chill runs up my spine. “Are you saying you’re going to kill me right now?” He was talking about my death as if it were a given.
