Chapter 445
Chapter 445. Aftermath of the Typhoon (5)
—
A lack of communication is a common way to signal a rift. And such rifts inevitably breed hostility. This is precisely why humans struggle to endure quiet moments. A barrier stands between my adversary’s perspective and my own, leaving both parties entirely blind to the hidden motives lurking beneath the surface.
This is doubly true within the treacherous confines of the Jianghu, where a life can be extinguished in the blink of an eye. In such a world, a hushed room often marks the dividing line between survival and demise, making the stillness of the martial world carry far greater weight.
“…….”
The cramped chamber occupied by the two individuals ought to have been stifling and humid, yet an icy dread permeated the air instead. The youth with the youthful, flushed complexion (Hong-an) was the first to break the tension.
“You are fully aware of our identities, aren’t you?”
The insolent brat did not even pause for a reply.
“Of late, perilous individuals have been surfacing across various regions of the Jianghu. Our mission is to track them down and investigate.”
I flatly interrupted the introduction of the boy who called himself Heo Gwan-jung.
“Before we get into that.”
Is this little bastard trying to deflect again?
“Hand over my currency!”
“……I am currently attempting to deliberate on a matter of utmost gravity.”
“A grave matter?”
“Perilous entities.”
“…….”
“Do you truly believe…… that the Tae-eul Sect is entirely exempt from such dark suspicions?”
A cold shiver ran straight down my spine. Intuitively, I realized what was happening. This wretched brat…….
“You have absolutely no intention of giving back my coin, do you?”
This kid is utterly possessed by an incredibly relentless demon of greed.
“……Haha.”
Chuckling as though the situation were entirely ludicrous, the youngster pulled a solitary piece of silver from within his vestments and held it out. He should have just surrendered it from the very beginning. The moment I reached out to swiftly snatch the silver coin—
*Grip—*
The stubborn brat refused to loosen his fingers.
“What exactly…… do you think you are doing?”
“Over the span of just a few short years, a certain faction has expanded its influence at an astonishing rate. Their martial techniques suddenly reached incredible heights. Consequently, as if responding to a call, exceptional martial prodigies began flocking toward the Tae-eul Sect in droves. And above all else…….”
*Creak—*
“The individual drawing the greatest amount of scrutiny is none other than yourself. Black Flame Dragon Jin So-un.”
“……?”
“You are under heavy suspicion of practicing forbidden arts.”
I applied pressure to my fingers gripping the silver piece, but the coin remained entirely immobile.
“Furthermore, the intelligence I gathered throughout my investigation reveals that a significant number of the martial artists who clashed with you have completely vanished.”
“……!”
*Creak—*
The wood groaned beneath us, shifting only for a fleeting second. Still, the silver coin did not budge.
“Unrecovered corpses…… Did you conceal them to hide the telltale evidence of your forbidden arts?”
I channeled a greater surge of internal energy into my grip.
*Creak—*
I managed to tug it slightly closer to my side.
“Do the operatives of the Heuk-gwan rely solely on wild speculation to conduct their inquiries these days?”
“When anomalous occurrences manifest repeatedly, they can no longer be brushed aside as mere ‘coincidence.’”
*Creak—*
Yet, as if bound by an invisible iron anchor, the silver piece was hauled right back toward the young boy.
“The Nine Sects and One Gang alongside the Five Great Families have retained their dominant authority within the Murim Alliance for five centuries without interruption; why do you fail to cast your doubts upon them?”
“Are you honestly attempting to measure yourself against the same standard as those grand institutions?”
I forced an even greater torrent of internal energy forward.
*Sizzle.*
Driven by the fierce backlash of internal energy, the wooden surface of the table began to steadily warp and singe. It was an unnatural sight. To think that I could not wrench a simple coin from this brat’s grasp even after unleashing such a significant amount of internal energy.
“To remain entirely unmoving even after I have deployed this much internal energy. Tell me, have you truly not laid hands on some forbidden art?”
“It appears your own arrogance prevents you from realizing that your skills are simply lacking.”
“That is precisely my line. We do not claim to be peerless. It is merely that the rest of the world falls short. Why must our exceptional capabilities automatically brand us as practitioners of forbidden arts?”
I instantly manifested the Seong-hwa-myeol-ma-su (Holy Fire Demon-Destroying Hand) across a portion of my digits. My thumb, burning with a brilliant crimson light, dug into the table, scorching the timber. I pinched the silver coin firmly between my thumb and index finger. Subjected to the intense thermal power of the Seong-hwa-myeol-ma-su, the metal coin began to glow white-hot.
“Ugh!”
The boy who had been stubbornly holding his ground finally yanked his hand away, his limbs trembling as pale vapor drifted from his scorched fingertips.
“Argh…….”
Heo Gwan-jung squeezed his fist tightly, his features twisting in intense agony from his blistered fingers.
“……You have been cultivating a Yang-type internal energy.”
“Your intelligence networks are falling behind.”
“That silver piece is utterly ruined now; you won’t be able to spend it.”
“Naturally, its worth has depreciated.”
I brandished the heat-deformed piece of silver right in front of the brat’s face.
“Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean I can just allow it to remain in someone else’s possession.”
With that, I slipped the silver coin back into the folds of my robe. The youth simply shook his head in disapproval.
“To display such bitter hostility over a single piece of silver proves you possess a temperament that naturally invites enemies wherever you go.”
“…….”
The boy slid back against his seat once more, adopting an air of complete indifference.
“You provided material backing to the Mo-san Sect using the channels of the Dae-cheon Merchant Group, correct? Such an action directly opposes the dictates of our Murim Alliance.”
So, he had already uncovered that detail?
“However, you need not fret. We have already intercepted it well in advance.”
If that is true…….
“Naturally, the missive you sent was never delivered either.”
“!!!”
To think that this entire encounter was merely a ploy to delay me. I sprang up from my chair instantly. Just as I made a move to bolt from the room—
“The Murim Alliance.”
The youth’s voice drifted after me from behind.
“Will restore order to this turmoil. Do not recklessly plunge yourself into the chaos only to be utterly obliterated by an unnecessary typhoon.”
“……!”
Though I had intended to depart immediately, I could not restrain myself and whipped around to face him once more.
“To be entirely accurate, it is not the grand Murim Alliance doing this.”
A deceptive ploy to subtly implicate the entirety of the ‘Murim Alliance.’ It was always the same tactic. To corrupt the entire structure, ‘a minuscule, diseased segment’ is all that is required.
“This is merely the work of the Inspection Bureau and the corrupt factions tied directly to it.”
“You…… behave precisely like an individual who desires nothing more than to see the Jianghu thrown into total upheaval.”
“Far from it. I yearn for tranquility more than anyone else alive.”
“If that is the case…….”
“That is exactly why!”
I dropped my tone to a harsh whisper, staring straight into the depths of the youngster’s eyes. His status, his worldview, and his refined speech were utterly incompatible with his youthful appearance and cadence—the sheer incongruity of it all was profoundly unsettling.
“I cannot look past the actions of you wretched bastards. Because even with a catastrophic threat looming directly before you, you care for nothing but your own selfish gains.”
“……You are truly an obstinate individual beyond the reach of reason.”
Who is the one truly closed off to reason here? Disregarding the youth entirely, I accelerated my pace and stormed out.
I departed from the tavern instantly, without even pausing to consume a single morsel of food.
“Then…… does this imply that my master’s estate remains completely oblivious?”
“That is the reality of the situation.”
Yu Ji-ryang’s countenance drained of all color. The stark reality that every single inn throughout the neighboring settlements had been locked down was a clear sign that a crisis was unfolding. Hearing that his master’s household had taken absolutely no defensive precautions left his face riddled with profound dread. I refrained from offering hollow phrases of comfort. The current circumstances left absolutely no room for platitudes.
Instead, I abandoned our mount entirely and hoisted him onto my back.
“Eh, eh!”
Startled by my abrupt maneuver, Yu Ji-ryang flailed his arms in confusion.
“Are we not racing against the clock?”
Faced with my unwavering tone, he dug his fingers firmly into the fabric of my collar.
“We are moving at absolute maximum velocity.”
” ” “Understood!” ” ”
We darted directly toward the territory of the Mo-san Sect. Bypassing the conventional roads entirely, we sprinted in a straight path at the absolute limit of our capabilities.
“Aaaaaah!”
Yu Ji-ryang let out a terrified shriek, completely overwhelmed by a velocity he had never encountered before in his existence, yet he never once begged me to slow down. I could merely feel his grip tightening on my clothes with every passing second.
“**Dae-sahyeong**…….”
As we traveled, Sa-ryeon’s anxious voice reached my ears, and I transmitted a direct vocal technique back to her.
-For the moment, maintain a facade of complete ignorance.
The very moment we made our move, dozens of figures had mobilized from the settlement, but revealing this would only send Yu Ji-ryang into a deeper panic. Instead, I pushed my body to move even faster. I needed to ensure we outpaced those pursuers no matter what.
“Y-Y-Young Master Jin…… t-too…… f-f-f-fast. Fast…….”
“Tuck your limbs in and hold on for dear life.”
If we fail to arrive in time, we will be forced to carry this bitter regret for the rest of our days.
“Must we not push ourselves to go even a fraction faster?”
“……!”
Yu Ji-ryang clamped down on my collar with renewed ferocity, as if he had entirely steeled his resolve for what was to come. The gap separating us from the dozens of tracking signatures trailing behind began to rapidly expand. We bounded across the canopies of the forest without a single moment of rest.
Before the sun could fully dip below the horizon, the jagged peaks of Mo-san finally began to materialize in the distance. The sensory auras of the trackers pursuing us had completely faded away. The Mo-san Sect, nestled halfway up the slopes of Mo-san, stood visible, displaying its grand and expansive architecture.
“We have made it. Only a short distance left and…….”
Right at that precise moment.
*Pshhhhh—*
The piercing whine of a sinister distress flare shot up from the coordinates surrounding Mo-san ahead.
*Bang!*
Immediately following that sound, human figures began to swarm out from the valleys and meadows like a ravenous pack of hounds.
“Waaaaaaa!”
“Waaaaaaa!”
A coordinated force clad in identical attire and wielding identical armaments emerged. They rushed in a direct charge toward the stronghold of the Mo-san Sect.
‘Curse it all!’
From the very beginning, the pursuers stationed in the settlement were a mere distraction. Those bastards had fully finalized their combat preparations to annihilate the Mo-san Sect long before our arrival.
“The, the Mo-san Sect!!!”
Yu Ji-ryang’s voice pitched higher, sounding as though he might lose consciousness from shock.
“Has the mechanical formation been triggered?”
“I cannot distinguish it clearly from here…….”
“There are no visible signs of activation near the perimeters. It looks no different from an ordinary estate.”
“……Meaning, they are in a state where only the basic mechanical formation is running.”
Just as I feared, it unfolded precisely as I anticipated. They likely never foresaw this possibility. The idea that martial artists belonging to the exact same alliance would launch an assault against them was unthinkable. They had undoubtedly chosen to be careful, fearing that adopting an aggressive stance prematurely might inadvertently provoke their adversaries.
In that instant, a dense, pale vapor began to settle around the perimeter of the Mo-san Sect. I immediately relayed this development to Yu Ji-ryang, who responded in a voice dripping with utter desperation.
“That is their defensive array. It is meant to induce disorientation and obscure the location of the Gate of Life (**Saeng-mun**)…….”
To think they would rely on a mere defensive array when executing a lethal, offensive formation would barely suffice given the stakes. It proved they were entirely blindsided by the sheer speed of this assault. Even at this late hour, they were likely banking on a one-in-a-thousand chance, unable to bring themselves to believe that the Murim Alliance would execute a strike against them.
And the toll for such naive trust was devastating.
“Eh!”
At the northeastern boundary of the Mo-san Sect, the hostile martial artists gathered at the precise coordinate where the mechanical formation initiated threw forward their collective palm techniques simultaneously.
*Boom-boom-boom-boom—*
A segment of the defensive mist cloaking the Mo-san Sect was forcibly blasted away. The attackers immediately hurled blazing brands into the fractured openings of the mechanical formation, followed by a relentless barrage of oil-filled containers.
*Bang-bang-bang-bang—*
In a flash, an immense inferno erupted, visible even from our distant vantage point, and as the vapor dissipated, the breach expanded significantly.
“How can this be happening…….”
Yu Ji-ryang could only stammer, failing to comprehend the reality unfolding before his very eyes, yet this outcome had been entirely predictable. The secret methods required to dismantle the standard mechanical formations of the Mo-san Sect were preserved within the Sim-hyeon Pavilion. Had they deployed a lethal formation from the start, such a breach would have been impossible, but their complacency was now extracting a heavy price.
Through the ruptured gap in the mechanical formation, hostile warriors began to flood inside. Shortly after, plumes of dark smoke started billowing from multiple sectors within the Mo-san Sect.
“**Dae-sahyeong**!”
Hearing Geum-pyo’s urgent call, I issued my directives without a moment’s pause.
“We force our way through without stopping. Eun-ho!”
“Yes!”
“Secure Great Hero Yu from the rear!”
Eun-ho instantly took Yu Ji-ryang onto his shoulders, while Sa-ryeon positioned herself firmly at his flank.
“Geum-pyo! Dong-ryong!”
“Yes!”
I locked eyes with them, injecting absolute gravity into my gaze.
“Under no circumstances.”
“…….”
“Are you to hold back your strikes.”
Though a flash of astonishment crossed their features upon hearing my command, neither offered a word of protest. Right now, those adversaries out there represented the Murim Alliance, yet they simultaneously existed as something entirely external to it. There are instances where adherence to a rigid sense of righteousness proves far more devastating than outright malice. Like this very moment.
“Because those bastards will certainly show no leniency to us either.”
Suddenly, the advance of the hostile martial artists converging on the Mo-san Sect began to decelerate. The assembled ranks immediately fanned out in all directions, splitting into two distinct columns. They had detected our approach and were turning to face us.
*Rumble.*
While actively gathering the internal energy for the **Gwang-cheon-sin-jang** (Vast Heaven Divine Palm), I accelerated my stride further. Their numbers totaled roughly seventy. While their individual cultivation levels remained uncertain, their synchronized movements indicated there was not a single amateur among the lot. As we closed the distance to extreme proximity, one of their leaders bellowed an order toward our position.
“Slay them!”
A death sentence pronounced instantly, without a single attempt to verify our identities—or perhaps because verifying them was entirely irrelevant. They were undoubtedly fully aware of who we were. I unleashed the power of the Gwang-cheon-sin-jang without a shred of hesitation.
“E-Evade the strike!”
*Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-boom!*
An immense, thunderous shockwave of palm energy tore through the battlefield in an instant. Upwards of twenty combatants were utterly obliterated in a single breath.
Baek-wol-je-cheon-sam-sik.
First Style.
Extreme Speed (**Geuk-kwae**).
*Slash—*
Along the invisible rifts carved through the air, limbs were cleanly severed from bodies. Through those structural voids, blood sprayed across the earth like cascading blossoms.
*Bang—!*
Geum-pyo charged forward, sending an adversary crashing through the air with a brutal physical tackle utilizing the Geumgang-pae.
*Clang-clang-clang-clang-clang—*
Dong-ryong’s swift blade flashed through the fray, devoid of any leniency.
“Crimson, if it turns crimson…….”
At that moment, Yu Ji-ryang’s strained voice drifted through the violent howling of the wind. He murmured as though praying for a miracle, and the object of his desperate hope soon became clear. A distinct crimson vapor began to disperse across the entire mechanical formation enveloping the Mo-san Sect.
“I-It has succeeded……!”
*Bang-bang-bang—*
Yet, immediately following that sign were the sounds of violent detonations and a massive, roaring conflagration.
“Aaaaaah—”
“Ugh—”
“Gah—”
Agonizing shrieks drifted over from the distance. As if those cries served as a definitive signal, the interior of the mechanical formation where the crimson vapor had been spreading was entirely swallowed up by the original white mist. To make matters worse—
“**Dae-sahyeong**! Over there!”
“**Dae-sahyeong**, on this side as well!”
“Waaaaaaa—”
Fresh waves of hostile forces emerged from every quadrant. The presence of the trackers who had pursued us from the settlement began to manifest closely behind us before I even realized it.
“I-It is completely lost…….”
Yu Ji-ryang’s face twisted in absolute ruin, looking as though the sheer weight of despair would cause him to collapse into unconsciousness at any second. I clamped my hands onto his shoulders and gave him a violent shake.
“Great Hero Yu! Pull yourself together!”
“Everything is lost. Young Master Jin…… the Mo-san Sect is completely destroyed…….”
“It is not over yet!!!”
Lost. Destroyed. One must never carelessly utter the words that a battle is finished based on only this much damage. For the sake of those who still draw breath within those walls. For the sake of preserving even a single living soul. One must absolutely never surrender before the end.
It has not concluded. I refuse to let it conclude. I bellowed out, poured every ounce of my will into the words.
“You must regain your focus!”
Not every single disciple of the Mo-san Sect has perished. It is not as if nothing but corpses remain and every structure has been reduced to ash. Within that stronghold, even now, there are those weeping from their wounds and crying out in terror—
“There are still survivors.”
As long as that remains true, it is far from finished.
“But what can we possibly do…….”
“Great Hero Yu, you possess the capability.”
“What?”
We absolutely cannot allow our journey to terminate at this junction.
“Deploy the Invincible Spirit-Destroying Formation of Infinite Measurement (**Muryang-bul-goe-myeol-hon-jin**)!”
“……?!”
In this exact moment, that stands as our solitary path to salvation.
