Chapter 131: Chapter 131

The Heavenly Way Association centered on the Eight Great Families.

The Martial Alliance centered on the Nine Great Sects and One Union.

Considering that a long time had passed since the establishment of the coalition group known as the Martial Alliance, and that it had never once been disbanded or divided, the current situation was perhaps the greatest crisis for the orthodox martial artists.

Although Fist Saint Seon Jin, who had ascended as the new leader of the Martial Alliance, sent emissaries to reabsorb the Heavenly Way Association, the family heads of the Eight Great Families flatly refused, which ultimately made the coexistence of the two forces a certainty.

Among the martial artists who belonged to the Martial Alliance, the forces of the Eight Great Families or those who followed them withdrew in large numbers and transferred to the Heavenly Way Association.

Although those who followed the Nine Great Sects and One Union still remained in the Martial Alliance, not much strength remained as the influence of the Eight Great Families had been so immense.

Meanwhile, there was an ominous movement from Martial Sovereign Castle in the north.

The forces of Martial Sovereign Castle, which had been active around Shanxi, advanced westward and invaded Shaanxi, the territory of the Mount Hua Sect.

Although they barely managed to halt the advance with the strength of the Mount Hua Sect and the Zhongnan Sect, two pillars of the Nine Great Sects and One Union, half of Shaanxi fell to Martial Sovereign Castle, and a tense atmosphere still hung over the area, where a war could break out at any moment.

Ripples began to spread in the Martial World, which had been quiet for a long time.

That first movement was none other than the Unorthodox Faction.

“To think they would move as if they had been waiting!”

The Martial Alliance.

In that place where many figures of the Nine Great Sects and One Union were gathered, the one who raised his voice the loudest was Elder Mun Baek-jung of the Mount Hua Sect. Although they had barely managed to block them, the damage was so significant that if a full-scale war were to break out again, it would be a fight for the very survival of Mount Hua.

He wanted to avoid that at all costs.

Although he desperately wished to borrow the strength of the Martial Alliance, no place or sect was free from the threat of Martial Sovereign Castle.

“They have joined hands with the North Sea. Unless we also possess comparable strength…”

Elder Heo Gong of the Wudang Sect exhaled a long breath.

It was likely the same for all the sects present, as they all wished to help. However, at a point when they had to monitor the movements of the Demonic Cult as well as the Outlands, they could not afford to draw out and dispatch personnel carelessly.

In addition, the situation in Hubei Province, where Wudang was located, was not good either.

Taking advantage of the weakened power of the Martial Alliance, the bandits of the Green Forest had begun to run wild, and they were exhausting an immense amount of mental energy just trying to suppress them.

The situation for the other sects of the Nine Great Sects was likely not much different.

The only sect that was relatively stable was Shaolin.

Everyone’s gaze turned toward Seon Jin.

Martial Sovereign Castle, which had advanced into Shaanxi, had to be stopped. If they failed to suppress them there, there was no telling what would happen in the future.

“What are the movements of the Heavenly Way Association?”

“There is no significant movement yet. Since there is no leader to guide them, it will not be easy for them to narrow down their opinions no matter what they do.”

Seon Jin nodded.

What had moved the Eight Great Families and the Nine Great Sects and One Union was none other than the intellect of the Zhuge Family. Although their martial power was poor, the strategies they possessed were to a degree that both the Nine Great Sects and One Union and the Eight Great Families acknowledged.

The Heavenly Way Association without the participation of the Zhuge Family was like that.

It was nothing but a plausible-looking shell.

Seon Jin nodded readily and spoke.

“Have you located the Zhuge Family Head?”

“He seems to be looking for someone somewhere in Hunan Province.”

“Win him over. We cannot lose the Zhuge Family Head… And I will send the disciples of Shaolin to the Mount Hua Sect.”

“I understand.”

* * *

“Are you really not going?”

“Hahaha.”

Namgung So-hye glared at Namgung Cheon with a thoroughly frustrated expression.

It had already been three months since they arrived at this manor. In the meantime, the situation in the Martial World had changed drastically, reaching a point where no one knew when or where a bloodbath would erupt.

With the clash between Mount Hua and Martial Sovereign Castle in Shaanxi, it would not be surprising if a full-scale war broke out at any moment.

Namgung So-hye, who wished to return to the Martial Alliance in such a situation, was deeply disappointed by Namgung Cheon’s refusal to budge. He was none other than the Sword Emperor, a figure whose very name would be a source of great strength for the Martial Alliance.

Moreover, he could have stopped the ongoing conflict between Martial Sovereign Castle and Mount Hua.

But why on earth was he doing this?

“I have already made up my mind not to return there. That is why I am wearing this mask. The Sword Emperor no longer exists. So, what would I accomplish by going there?”

“Still… if you were there, Grandfather, even the people of the Heavenly Way Association could unite into one.”

“Hahaha, they chose that path of their own volition. The time when my name carried weight has also passed. The Martial Alliance and the Heavenly Way Association pursue different ideals, so they can no longer walk the same path.”

Namgung So-hye fell silent, unable to find any words to reply.

It was true.

While the Martial Alliance still played the role of the guardian of the orthodox Martial World despite its weakened strength, the Heavenly Way Association moved solely for their own private interests.

Over the past three months, they had gathered a considerable number of forces, and their scale had already grown large enough to surpass the Martial Alliance. However, if one looked inside, it was nothing more than a place to pursue family interests and flaunt their own power.

Therefore, since Martial Sovereign Castle did not directly invade their territory, they were still standing by and watching the fire. Even though Shaanxi had been invaded and so much blood was being spilled.

Namgung So-hye did not like that.

That was why she wanted to go to the Martial Alliance.

So that everything she had learned from Namgung Cheon over these three months would not go to waste.

“You may go. One must forge their own path.”

“…”

Namgung So-hye quietly looked at Namgung Cheon.

Then, she let out a sigh and turned her head. Through the window, she saw Dan So-mi playing on a swing suspended from a large pine tree.

Next to her, Dan Woo-hyun was sitting in a chair, and nearby, Sa Do-hak, Ma Jang-gang, and Jang Sam-tae could be seen.

Namgung Cheon loved this scenery.

Having walked the path of martial arts for a long time, perhaps he needed a period of peace. Maybe he believed that this manor was the place that provided him with that solace.

No, it was undoubtedly so.

But.

“In the first place, isn’t Sa Do-hak the leader of the Demonic Cult? Isn’t it strange for him to even be here? Moreover, the Wolf King? For that foolish-looking guy to be the Wolf King… Why on earth are such people in a place like this!”

She huffed, finally voicing the words she had kept bottled up in her mind due to her busy training schedule. She could not comprehend what kind of peace he sought among such martial artists, nor could she understand what was so enjoyable.

Furthermore, Sa Do-hak was the leader of the Demonic Cult and an incompatible enemy.

“Is it not all due to the Manor Lord’s virtue?”

‘Virtue, what nonsense…’

Namgung So-hye pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a sigh.

This was really going too far.

Even though the Martial World was in a touch-and-go situation and it was clearly a period known as the greatest crisis for the orthodox Martial World, for the Sword Emperor, who was once called the supreme and strongest leader of the orthodox faction, to be this carefree was unbelievable.

She felt sorry for Reverend Seon Jin, who had newly become the leader of the Martial Alliance.

“Sigh.”

Namgung So-hye sighed.

“Are you not going?”

“How can I go by myself when you are here, Grandfather?”

“Hahaha, and here I told you not to worry about this old man…”

“Hmph!”

Hahaha.

Looking at So-hye as she turned her head away in a petulant manner, Namgung Cheon simply smiled endlessly. He liked this side of her, and he liked that side of her as well.

This scenery was simply endlessly pleasant to him.

Ma Jang-gang occasionally thought.

‘Did I come to the wrong place?’ he wondered.

In the beginning, he had blindly followed simply because he liked Dan Woo-hyun. He had fallen for his strength, and his personality was also excellent… firm, yet sometimes even benevolent.

But once he learned the true nature of this manor, all those thoughts vanished entirely, and his mind went blank as if it had been emptied.

First of all, that guy over there.

He knew that guy was the Twin Blades Gwon Mu-jin. Although the public consensus was that he was not among the top hundred masters, Ma Jang-gang realized it after a few spars.

‘Ah, I can never defeat that guy,’ he realized.

The guy next to him was a fellow named Jang Sam-tae. Although his overall skill was mediocre, once he unfolded his light footwork, it did not seem possible to catch him.

He had even shown a sparring match on par with Namgung So-hye three months ago.

That much was fine.

Because Dan Woo-hyun was exactly the kind of person who made it unsurprising to have such figures by his side.

However.

Ma Jang-gang stood with a stiff expression and stole a glance to one side. He looked for a brief moment as if checking the mood, then immediately turned his head away.

‘Sa Do-hak!’

Yes, the man over there was the strongest of the Demonic Cult and one of the Five Emperors.

He was a terrifying old man named Sa Do-hak.

Somehow, just making eye contact felt like it would make him wet his pants. Since he had bragged about being one of the top hundred masters in front of Sa Do-hak, it was only natural that he had been beaten half to death.

And furthermore, that old man over there.

The one who could not be seen clearly due to the window, but was directing a benevolent smile toward his granddaughter.

The Sword Emperor.

The one who was called the strongest existence of the orthodox Martial World, and whose name alone struck terror into countless enemies. He was someone before whom not only the Nine Great Sects and One Union but even the people of the Eight Great Families would naturally bow their heads just by looking at him.

Such a person was here.

‘Just what on earth is the Lord’s true identity for such people to be by his side?’

Ma Jang-gang shifted his gaze covertly to look at Dan Woo-hyun. He was lying on a chair set up to one side, reading a book. Every now and then, he would smile at Dan So-mi, who was riding the swing.

No matter how one looked at him, he seemed to be a normal person.

Yet he was a person who could never be called ordinary.

Not to mention his skills, even those around him were far from ordinary.

No, is it even acceptable for the Sword Emperor and the Demonic Emperor to be together in the first place?

Even when the Martial World is in complete chaos right now?

He stole another glance toward Sa Do-hak.

He was munching on dumplings that Jang Sam-tae had brought while laughing uproariously. How could that man be the one called the Demonic Emperor?

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Ah… It is nothing!”

“If you have something to say, speak up, kid. I will listen to whatever it is.”

“No, it is nothing!”

Ma Jang-gang had realized Sa Do-hak’s personality to his very bones in this place.

If you provoke him, you die.

Even if you act in a way he dislikes, you die.

A single slip of the tongue results in a flying fist.

He was simply terrifying.

In Jang Sam-tae’s case, if he made a mistake, he would offer up tributes, while Gwon Mu-jin would even rush at him like a madman, saying that getting beaten was an opportunity to improve his own skills.

But as for Ma Jang-gang?

He did not have the guts to challenge the Demonic Emperor of all people.

The beating he had received at the beginning also played a significant role.

“Leave him alone. It seems he has not adapted yet.”

Dan Woo-hyun said with a chuckle.

However, Ma Jang-gang knew.

Although Sa Do-hak was terrifying, the truly most frightening person in this manor was none other than the one he had chosen to follow.

His very existence was like a god of death.

‘No, that man himself is hell.’

Ma Jang-gang shook his head from side to side.

Last time, Sa Do-hak and Namgung Cheon had a minor dispute that escalated into a fight, but Dan Woo-hyun threw both of them to the ground in just a few exchanges.

After that, the most difficult person in the manor for Ma Jang-gang became Dan Woo-hyun, not Sa Do-hak.

‘For some reason… I think I came to the wrong place…’

He looked up at the sky with a crying face.

Even today, the thought of wanting to escape did not leave his mind.

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