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9.
Those who used to mindlessly shout for a charge have begun to hold back, focusing on their own pain and taking care of their bodies.
“Aargh!”
My arm!!
“My, my legs! My legs!”
The screaming voices were much better than hearing those fucking slogans.
Of course, the work didn’t end like that.
After regaining his senses, he became even more enraged upon realizing that I had killed Oil-sik.
“Are you not a White Daoist yourself! How can a fellow White Daoist side with a Black Daoist and commit murder!”
“I will absolutely not let this slide! I will inform the Cheongseong Sect and the Murim Alliance, and you and your sect…!”
From the guy who threatened to report me to the guy who threatened to take revenge on Taeeulmun.
It’s a total mess.
I responded lightly.
“Ah, do you perhaps want us all to die right now?”
“…….”
Gulp.
The bodies of the Jeondeungmundo followers tremble slightly, as if unable to contain their anger even while maintaining their silence.
Hmm, it looks like you still haven’t fully grasped the situation.
Do you guys think this is just going to end?
“What… what do you mean!”
“Your sect leader is one who has mastered the Forbidden Technique publicly announced by the Martial Arts Alliance. And you are the ones suspected of having mastered that Forbidden Technique.”
“What? Th-what do you mean…?”
“Don’t lie! The Sect Leader is not the kind of person to do that!”
“So you’re trying to frame me!”
It was at least a relief that the sect’s members consisted of adults aspiring to become bodyguards.
If it had been a sect in the form of a family where everyone from young children to the elderly lived together, like Taeeulmun, it would have been an even more tragic sight.
I spoke coldly to those who could not face reality.
It is not their fault that Oil-sik learned demonic magic, but if we just let them go, we don’t know what greater disaster might strike in the future.
“Well, we’ll find out once we investigate.”
Except for those who were seriously injured, everyone was bound and headed toward Dok-a-mun.
Since this is the only place with a significant force in the Hwangcheonhyeon area.
After having Doka-geom’s subordinates buy shackles and ropes, he drove iron stakes into the house they were using as lodgings and connected them to the shackles to use as gold and jade instead.
It’s a bit clumsy, but this should be enough to last a few days.
I looked at the Dokkamundo lined up on both sides and relaxed my stiff shoulders.
“An investigation team from the Murim Alliance will be coming. If even one of you dies before we hand you over to them, you guys will…….”
The sound of the Poison Fang Sword swallowing saliva rings out like thunder.
They’re all going to die at my hands.
“Yes, four!”
No, but that doesn’t mean you need to bend over at the waist…
But why has that guy been so polite since earlier?
In any case, it appears that only two people mastered the demonic arts: Oh Il-sik and Deung Go-hyeon, who followed him the most.
He would have known better than anyone from the start that it was a suspicious martial art, so he would not have been able to easily pass it on to others.
“They themselves knew that practicing demonic arts was a grave crime punishable by death or even extermination of their entire clan, so they couldn’t have carelessly passed it on to others. Moreover, even Denggao Xuan probably didn’t suspect that he was practicing demonic arts.” However, even so, the disciples of the Transmission of the Lantern Sect cannot be considered cleared of suspicion.
It’s possible that they learned it without even realizing it, just like Deunggohyeon…
Well, the Murim Alliance’s Inspection or Execution Office will probably decide that on their own.
I handed a slip to Dok-a-geom.
“Use this to cover food expenses and fix the broken facilities until the Murim Alliance arrives.”
Dok-a-geom accepted the slip with a moved look in his eyes.
“……
Uh, Master… …”
“Don’t feel pressured, just take it…….
This is a 100-yang silver coin.
“Even the Jeondeungmun kids are over eighty…”
what?
I bought ten bottles of bamboo leaf tea, Guo Pa Pork, and even some sweets for snacks with one silver coin, so one hundred coins should be enough.
“No, isn’t he building a palace with the money left over, beyond just enough?” The people of the Daecheon Merchant Guild and the Wang family were stunned by the news that Jin So-un, who had gone to the Poisonous Fang Gate last night, had even stormed into the Lantern Gate.
Of course, it would be fortunate if that were the end of it.
After hearing the news that Jeondeungmun is a sect professing the White Way, and furthermore, a faction maintaining a shallow connection with Cheongseongpa.
Ding-dong-…
In the end, I let go of the spoon I was holding.
“No!!! Young Master!!! Weren’t you just going to retrieve the money!!! To think you would raid the Baekdo Sect!!!”
“Ah, there were reasons for everything. Don’t worry. We can handle the Sect Leader’s death without any trouble…”
“Whateeee?!!!! W-You’re going to kill the clan leader????”
“Ah… didn’t you know this?”
As Jin So-un scratched his head awkwardly, Go Jung-tak was so shocked that he fainted.
Wang So-so’s relaxed expression also changed in an unusual way.
“Brother. Even if they are a sect not affiliated with the Murim Alliance, if they profess the White Way, there will be problems.”
“Don’t worry. We can solve it.”
One more coffin was loaded onto the procession of the merchant caravan leaving Hwangcheonhyeon.
At first, everyone in the merchant horrified at the mention of having to transport the coffin, but they kept their mouths shut when told that the matter of the lighthouse gate would not be resolved unless it was taken.
After entering Hefei, Anhui Province, Chen Xiaoyun visited the Hefei branch of the Martial Arts Alliance carrying a coffin.
Meanwhile, news spread that Jin So-un had killed the leader of the Jeondeung Sect, causing a brief commotion.
“Student Jin So-un. You must provide a proper explanation for this matter. No matter your status as a student, raiding the Baekdo Sect and killing the Sect Leader is a grave crime.”
Amidst strict inspection, what Jin So-un presented was the corpse of Deng Gao-xian.
“Ugh!”
“Why, why this!”
“Fuck! Open the window!”
Due to the much milder weather, a pungent odor wafted from the unembalmed corpses.
Jin So-un reported nonchalantly, as if he were accustomed to such a stench.
This is what happened while investigating this.
“What do you mean, this?!”
At the deputy branch manager’s sharp shout, Jin So-un’s finger moves toward Deung Go-hyeon’s eyes.
As the gazes of those covering their noses and frowning soon followed Jin So-un’s finger to that spot… … .
“……!?”
One by one, their eyes widened in surprise, and they lowered the hands covering their noses.
“What kind of harmony is this?”
Did someone spray ink on it?
“No, it seems too dark for that…”
The unusual eyes instantly convinced me that this case was serious, and Jin So-un was cleared of the charges on the spot.
Jin So-un added a detailed explanation.
The only notable physical change was in the pupils. However, as if feeling no pain, it displayed movements that transcended the limits of the body.
“To think you went beyond your physical limits?”
He charged forward, pushing off the ground without even realizing his ankle was breaking.
Actions rarely seen in a warrior with common sense.
Those who know the limits of their internal energy and physical limits better than anyone would never commit such a reckless act.
Although the branch members didn’t say anything, they instinctively sensed from just a few clues that this was related to ‘Geumgong’.
Then, the attitude toward Jin So-un immediately changed.
As expected, the top student at Murim Academy is different.
The lineage of the prestigious Taeeulmun is certainly different.
“Ahem, I knew a remarkable figure like this would eventually emerge from the Taiyi Sect, the pride of Hefei.”
“Is the Taeeulmunju doing well?”
Since the head of the academic affairs office reported it personally, there was no chance of it being omitted in the middle.
The report on this incident will eventually lead to the members’ performance evaluations.
Jin So-un, who knew that well, did not say much.
The Hefei branch of the Martial Arts Alliance unusually publicized the charges against the Jeondeung Sect before the investigation. The charges were that they caused public chaos by using ‘evil arts’.
Personnel from the Hefei branch were the first to be urgently dispatched to Huangtian County, and the executive of the Martial Arts Alliance also sent investigators.
Meanwhile, while the Baekdo martial arts world was in an uproar due to the investigation into the Jeondeung Sect.
In the Black Dao martial arts world, strange rumors began to spread, centering on Hwang Cheon-hyeon.
“Well, I heard that the Black Flame Dragon is actually the joint successor of the masters of the Black Dao.”
“Hahaha! You fool, to think you actually believed that nonsense!”
“Hah! I’m telling you, it’s true! The Poison Fang Sect in Hwangcheon-hyeon was in crisis due to an attack by the Jeondeung Sect, but guess what? The Black Flame Dragon stormed into the Jeondeung Sect all by himself and annihilated them!”
Of course, no one easily believed this ridiculous rumor.
After all, Jin So-un was originally from Taeeulmun, one of the 108 peaks of the Murim Alliance, and he himself was the top student at the Murim Academy.
Since advancement within the Murim Alliance is guaranteed the moment one obtains the status of an academy student, the background of each and every one of them is also investigated in detail.
To begin with, the academy itself was a place that those with a shady past could not enter.
At first, it was considered nothing more than a joke created by Black Daoists who liked to tease White Daoists, but the rumor circulating this time was too specific and distinct to be just a joke, so it continued to be amplified and reproduced.
For one thing, it was true that the Jeondeungmun clan had suffered damage close to extinction.
“I heard that you locked all the Jeondeungmun followers in the Dok-a Gate and subjected them to brutal torture?”
On top of that, I heard he even killed the leader of the Jeondeung Sect!
“Hmph, that’s incredible…! Wait, but why is the Murim Alliance just sitting by? Even if they weren’t part of the Alliance, those hypocritical bastards used to hunt down the Black Daoists like rats whenever something happened to the White Dao Sects.”
“Is the Black Flame Dragon called the Black Flame Dragon for nothing? They must have been plotting something from within.”
“That’s right! I heard they framed Jeondeungmun for using sorcery and put them on the list of targets for extermination… They’re no ordinary guys!”
As stories originating from baseless rumors intersected with the Murim Alliance’s response, the Dark Daoists began to believe the false rumors one by one.
“I heard you toured the entirety of Hanam and inspected every single Black Dao sect?”
“I heard that he used the title ‘friend’ whenever he met the Black Sect members!”
“I heard that back when you were in the Black Alliance, you caught up with Elder ‘Bloody Battle’ for the first time in a long while.”
“Then did you receive martial arts training from Master Bloodbath as well?”
“Is that all! I heard he is the only disciple the Bloodthirsty Elder has taken on!”
The rumor, which started as a small snowball, began to grow bigger and bigger.
“The Black Flame Dragon’s power is truly formidable!”
“As expected, he is the Joint Successor of the Dark Path Martial World and the Black Maitreya!”… …
The rumor started in Henan and Anhui provinces and began to spread by word of mouth throughout the world.
Of course, Jin So-woon, the actual subject of the rumor, was unaware of this.#After finishing work at the Murim Alliance branch, I headed straight to the Black Spot.
“Oh! Confucius, welcome.”
The owner of the black spot, whom I was seeing for the first time, recognized me without even checking the black tiles.
“You did that last time too. How on earth do you know me?”
“Haha, we couldn’t possibly fail to recognize such a distinguished guest, could we? Of course, we are fully aware of the appearance records. And there is this as well.”
“huh?”
The owner of the black spot took out a small scroll.
A man was standing there wearing a white silk garment with a splendid pattern made of gold embroidery.
And on his chest, the word ‘Chief’ was written in huge letters.
Trembling
I couldn’t control my trembling hands.
“Where, where did this come from?”
This cursed painting that damn bastard Eunho made…
“Ah! Didn’t you know? After Confucius entered the academy as the top student, many parents purchased them as talismans to pray for the top grade, and they became widely circulated.”
What kind of bullshit is this!
Why are you using someone else’s shameful past as a talisman…!
I apologize if this is a bit presumptuous, but… in people’s perception, a disciple of the Taeeulmun sect entering the academy as the top student is [like] the merit of studying by the fireflies and snow.
“I wonder if it’s taken as something like that; in households that take exams, this scroll is always hung up… … huh?”
Before I could even make a rational judgment, my body moved on its own and tore the scroll to shreds.
And only after that shameful painting was shattered did I realize that the owner of this scroll was the owner of the black spot.
“Ah, I, I’m sorry.”
it’s okay.”
Swoosh
“There is one more.”
The owner of the black spot shop takes out a scroll and shows it while smiling brightly.
I was about to reach out my hand again, but let go.… …
For some reason, I feel like there might be more identical scrolls.
Phew, damn it.
The shop owner, who had neatly rolled up the scroll and put it in a safe place, looked at me.
Then, how can I help you today?
I regained my composure and explained why I had sought out Haomun.
I must meet the Lord of Yanggunbaek.
In that moment, the shop owner’s face, which had been full of laughter until now, stiffened.
“What is the matter?”
It is a matter concerning the electric lamp.
Are you talking about sorcery?
That is how it is known on the surface.
The shop owner tilts their head as if they don’t know.
I looked him straight in the eye and added.
“There is a corpse I handed over last time. If I say this is a story related to that, you will understand.” #The Murim Alliance said they would start an investigation, but it is unlikely that a proper investigation will be conducted.
Although they were more sincere than anyone else about destroying demons, paradoxically, in their perception, the existence of the Demonic Cult was no different from a mere goblin in their imagination.
Moreover, as can be seen just by looking at the personnel of the Hefei branch, if political maneuvering begins over results, the essence will become even more obscured.
“So, we must launch an investigation before any traces of him disappear. ‘Perhaps there is a bigger problem…’ It appeared that preparations needed to be made sooner than originally planned.”
If the Demonic Cult was already operating in the shadows within the White Path martial arts world before the Great War between the Righteous and Demonic Cults broke out, then all the plans I have prepared so far would be for nothing.
That was also the reason why I left out the story about the Blood Explosion Sect when reporting to the Murim Alliance.
We cannot yet be certain if the Blood Explosion Sect is drawing up the demonic energy of the demons, and if this story spreads by word of mouth and reaches the ears of the Demonic Cult, another variable might arise.
“Phew… it is truly difficult to maintain peace in the martial arts world.”
“What, you jerk!”
I told you that it is difficult to maintain peace in the Jianghu.
“You bastard, you have a mouth! Hold your hand up straight!”
I raised my hand high once again.
No, honestly, what did I do wrong?
We saved on the protection toll for Daecheon Merchant Guild, and we have taken measures to ensure protection on future uphill journeys.
At this level, shouldn’t they actually be praised?
“Ugh! Th-th-th!”
Unable to contain his anger, the father tried to throw the inkstone, but Wang Jang-ju quickly stepped forward to stop him.
“Stop it. Isn’t all of this for the sake of the Daecheon Merchant Guild?”
“No, unless that guy has really become a Dark Daoist or something, why on earth is he barging into an innocent White Dao sect and wreaking havoc!”
“Ah, well, didn’t they say they mastered sorcery? Then naturally, they just did what they were supposed to do.”
“As expected of Master Jang…….”
“Jin So-woon, shut up, you bastard! Hmph, I mean, why did that crazy bastard… no, I mean, why did he do it!”
I never knew that protecting the peace of the martial arts world would be such a solitary and lonely task.
While training under Baek Haegwang at Taeeulmun to avoid his father’s watchful eye, and fainting every day.
I received contact from Haomun again.
