Chapter 286: The Enemy's True Identity
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Soon, Murong Kang commanded with a heavy expression.
“You all tend to the casualties and clean up.”
“Yes!”
At that, the first and second daughters, Stone-Piercing Sword Lady Murong Seol and the second daughter Embroidery-Piercing Sword Lady Murong Song, answered in unison and quickly moved along with their subordinates.
Amid that, Murong Kang sent a polite gesture toward Cheol Ryu-heun in front.
“It was such good fortune that you came at the right time. I owe you a great debt. Now then, we family members will handle the aftermath here, so please come inside.”
Cheol Ryu-heun and Ximen Yue thus headed to the building across at Murong Kang’s guidance.
Meanwhile.
Some of the household martial artists began collecting the corpses of the mutes scattered about in gruesome states here and there.
But not long after.
TUK, TUTUK, TUK…
Each of the corpses suddenly let out strange sounds.
The personnel who had paused at the sound were startled and cried out.
“Oh!”
“What!”
“This can’t be…!”
All the corpses had transformed into desiccated mummies.
Literally something that happened in the blink of an eye.
An unexpected phenomenon.
But that wasn’t all.
BUGEULBUGEUL, BUGEULBUGEUL, BUGEULBUGEUL…
Countless bubbles formed on the skin of the dead, emitting a disgusting smell as they melted away into mush.
Thus, dozens of bodies became skeletons in an instant.
The expressions of the Murong Family members, holding their noses, were a jumble of bewilderment and displeasure.
“What is this? For corpses to suddenly melt away…”
“UUK… the foul stench… I feel unwell.”
“Me too. Everything I ate for dinner feels like it’s coming back up.”
At that moment, a man in his forties quietly squatted near the skeletons while murmuring.
“Hmm, how frightening. This… was it arranged so that some kind of extreme poison would take effect after death?”
It was Green Smoke Swordsman Murong Kwang, the cousin of the Murong Family Head and a core master of the household.
At that, several people came to his side and added their words.
“It seems they prepared so that nothing could be discovered through the corpses.”
“Yes. By having them consume some kind of poisonous medicine…”
“My guess is the same.”
Murong Kwang, having stood back up, furrowed his brow.
“There’s a possibility they consumed it knowingly. They seem to be a brainwashed group with a spirit of sacrifice to the point of giving their lives… wasn’t the leader who died last also like that? Blind loyalty was evident in him.”
Murong Seol and Murong Song, standing to one side, nodded.
“Probably so. They’re cruel yet thorough. I don’t know what kind of group they are.”
“Uncle. Earlier, Sect Leader Cheol mentioned it’s related to the destruction of the Namgung Family in the past…”
Murong Kwang, having nodded, received those words with a heavy expression.
“Something seems unusual. Is it a sign of troubled times arriving? Hmm… let’s talk with Sect Leader Cheol later. Everyone, move quickly.”
“Yes!”
* * *
Heavenly Demon Black Soul Coffin.
A supreme technique of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art created by Gun Mu-ak, Grand Prelate of the current Heavenly Demon Cult.
The Ninth Great General of Southern Heaven Division, trapped in the dark space created with demonic soul energy, ultimately perished miserably and vainly.
Having his soul completely absorbed by the unprecedented Demon God Sword…
Gun Mu-ak, having sheathed the Demon God Sword, gazed at the ground ahead.
The Ninth Great General, now an old corpse having lost vitality, could be seen.
He said nothing for a while.
Perhaps organizing his thoughts.
The two women, Demon Heaven Left Attendant Little-Face Bell Demoness Eun Yi-bi and Demon Heaven Right Attendant Delusional Seductive Demoness Ya Baek-ji, remained silent and waited for orders.
Eventually, Gun Mu-ak spoke while turning around.
“They’re more vicious than the Sun Moon Demon Cult’s lot.”
At that, Eun Yi-bi and Ya Baek-ji reacted and asked.
“Pardon?”
“Their loyalty is exceptional. They were probably raised in isolation somewhere in this land.”
Ya Baek-ji nodded after hearing Gun Mu-ak’s words.
“Yes. That’s right. Just from the fact that they all consumed the gu poison that brings death… I speculate they took it voluntarily.”
Eun Yi-bi also agreed with that.
“Indeed. Most likely.”
Ya Baek-ji then spoke meaningfully.
“It’s a bit regrettable. If we had known beforehand, we could have done internal infiltration and information gathering like with the Sun Moon Demon Cult before…”
At that moment, Gun Mu-ak scattered cold eye light.
Ya Baek-ji flinched upon receiving that gaze.
“Was the work related to the Sun Moon Demon Cult my intention?”
“It wasn’t… no.”
“If done my way, the Sun Moon Demon Cult would have been discarded long ago. But that operation was the intention of the previous Grand Prelate, so I followed it out of respect. Of course, I was young then and couldn’t have decision-making power.”
Gun Mu-ak approached Ya Baek-ji’s side along with those words.
Seuk.
Following that, his hand lightly rested on Ya Baek-ji’s shoulder.
“However… the current Grand Prelate is me.”
“Yes.”
“The unsightly schemes and secret machinations end there. From now on, I will handle things my way. Whatever group, whatever operation… I will crush them through this overwhelming power. Just as the great Founder did in the past.”
At Gun Mu-ak’s firm will and declaration, Ya Baek-ji and Eun Yi-bi answered with grave expressions.
“We will keep that in mind Grand Prelates!”
At that, Gun Mu-ak wore a faint smile.
“If there are many martial artists like that one earlier, it would be somewhat troublesome. Since his personal martial power approached the tier of our cult’s Six Grand Apostles. Even if it was at the lowest level. However, we have made thorough preparations. Especially now that the Four Dharma-Protecting Kings have been revived… there is practically no force that can challenge our cult head-on.”
Eun Yi-bi and Ya Baek-ji smiled at each other.
“Yes, those are wise words.”
“That’s right. Unless the entire Orthodox and Unorthodox of this land unite…”
Gun Mu-ak nodded and then moved his steps.
“The variable I’m thinking of is just one.”
The face of one person suddenly came to mind.
The new Sect Leader of White Peak Sword Sect, Cheol Ryu-heun.
An unprecedented man who possessed all kinds of peerless martial arts in a single body. Someone who used not only the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, the legacy of the Heavenly Demon, but even Blood Stream Divine Demon Art, the authentic transmission of the Blood God…
A bizarre and unpredictable, unprecedented talent in martial history.
If it was him, he would surely become a threat to the Heavenly Demon Cult’s progress.
Other than him, no one else was in his eyes.
Eun Yi-bi, who had been following Gun Mu-ak, asked softly.
“Was what you just said… referring to Sect Leader Cheol?”
Gun Mu-ak, having nodded again, spoke while walking ahead.
“Yes. I am quite curious. How much has he grasped? About the force that secretly helped Aryun-nan…”
“How about meeting him again later?”
“I’m not sure. For now, we focus on the mission.”
“Yes, understood.”
Gun Mu-ak immediately spoke while operating his internal power.
“We must first punish Heuk Ma-yung, who defected despite refusing even the restoration of his Four Dharma-Protecting King position. We can think about other things after that.”
Immediately after, when he kicked off the ground and rapidly advanced, the two women also instantly deployed lightness arts and followed behind.
PEOLLEOKPEOLLEOK, PEOLLEOKPEOLLEOK-
* * *
A forest shrouded in deep darkness.
Flash Blade Sword Do Jwa-baek, the famous martial talent of Crow Pattern Sword Hall, who had been traveling along the path, furrowed his brow with a bewildered expression.
“Damn it. No matter how much I look, it’s not here. The path… has completely disappeared.”
At that, the Crow Pattern Sword Hall and Righteous Sea Martial Gate group following behind all stopped in their tracks.
They all had drained expressions upon realizing this was the same path they had passed through earlier.
Soon, the Later Generation Star siblings of the Righteous Sea Martial Gate, Sea Blade Swordsman Danli Hyeok and the Ripples Sword Lady Danli So, advised.
“It’s night. It’s already dangerous, so let’s find a place to rest.”
“Right. That would be better. If the mysterious enemy in the darkness attacks again… it’ll be hard to hold out.”
Over the past few days, the party’s numbers had reduced to less than half.
Because many had lost their lives to the attacks of the ferocious and mysterious enemy lurking in the darkness.
A young woman added her voice.
“Those things… what were they?”
It was Iron Courage Lady Ok-aeng, the direct disciple of Iron Shadow Blade Gate, who had miraculously been saved by the arriving party.
At those words, everyone became mute as if they had eaten honey.
Danli Hyeok, having sighed, received her words with a grave expression.
“Huuu… somehow they didn’t seem like people.”
At that, his younger sister Danli So beside him quietly nodded.
“As my brother said, those movements were closer to beasts. Like ferocious wild animals caught up in the instinct to kill…”
Several people then added their words with heavy gazes.
“Their appearances were also strange.”
“Yes. Those particularly pointed fangs and fingernails…”
“They were strong too. As if some drug had been consumed to enhance their muscular strength.”
“Could it be symptoms of being addicted to something? Thinking about it again, it’s frightening.”
No one knew what their true identity was.
However, one certain fact was that their numbers were very large.
Do Jwa-baek, having bitten his molars firmly, soon spoke softly, as if whispering, toward Danli Hyeok.
“For both your sect and ours, additional search personnel should have been dispatched from our sects… seeing that we haven’t met anyone yet, they too must have come here and gotten lost?”
“Right. It seems some kind of formation has been activated in this place… if not, it makes no sense that we still can’t find our way.”
At that moment, something like metallic sounds suddenly came from far away.
-Chaeng, chaechaeng, chaeng…!
Along with that, the roar of energy released through internal power exploding also sounded.
-Peong, peoheoong…!
Having heard those sounds, both parties all cast their gazes while sharpening their energy senses with internal power operation.
Do Jwa-baek, having inferred the rough direction, rapidly moved forward.
“Let’s hurry and go see!”
Thus everyone moved their two legs quickly and ran.
When they finally reached where the great sounds had been coming from.
“Ah! You were here?”
Do Jwa-baek burst out with an exclamation and greatly brightened.
He had discovered his own father, one of the Four Pillars of Guangdong and the current Hall Master of Crow Pattern Sword Hall, Flash Blade Tyrant Do Woo-pung.
That wasn’t all – he could also see the Sect Master of Iron Shadow Blade Gate, Vast Wilderness Iron Blade Hoon-sol, and the elite masters of both forces.
“Master!”
Iron Courage Lady Ok-aeng ran as if flying and threw herself into the embrace of her master Hoon-sol.
“Yes, how is your body?”
“Yes, I’m fine! I escaped danger thanks to Crow Pattern Sword Hall and Righteous Sea Martial Gate’s help. I was worried, but I’m relieved to see you like this!”
“How fortunate.”
Amid that, Do Jwa-baek suddenly asked with a flustered expression.
“Oh, Father… have you perhaps suffered internal injury?”
At those words, everyone was startled out of their wits.
Sure enough, Do Woo-pung’s complexion wasn’t good.
Moreover, there was even a thin bloodstain at the corner of his mouth…
“Mm, because an unidentified group suddenly attacked. You all must have come here after hearing that sound too. They were stronger than expected. But for some reason, after launching their surprise attack, they suddenly disappeared.”
Do Woo-pung’s words brought repeated surprise.
Who was he?
An ultra-first-rate warrior included in the Four Pillars of Guangdong tier, who represented the top masters of the Guangdong region.
Was the enemy strong enough to even inflict internal injury on such a person?
Do Jwa-baek, having tilted his head, showed questioning eyes.
“What? Actually, we also suffered enemy attacks. They seem to be the same group, but they weren’t strong enough for Father to struggle against. It’s just that there were many of them…”
“Among the group was a renowned warrior of the Orthodox faction.”
“Pardon?”
The instant Do Jwa-baek’s eyes widened.
Seuk.
Do Woo-pung, having turned his head, spoke while looking at the Righteous Sea Martial Gate group.
“The person who led the surprise attack was the Righteous Sea Martial Gate Master.”
Brilliant Sea Sword Lion Danli-yeol, the father of Danli Hyeok and Danli So.
Everyone was at a loss for words.
It was Danli-yeol’s doing that had also led Ok-aeng into a trap – what on earth was the reason…?
At that moment, Do Woo-pung’s words brought shock.
“That surprise attack was led by him and… in my estimation, the enemy’s true identity is believed to be the Darkness-Craving Blood Clan, who were famous as the blood relatives of one of the Four Dharma-Protecting Kings in ancient Heavenly Demon Cult.”