Chapter 151: Chapter 151

The Demonic Sect surrounding Mount Cheon boasted an area dozens or even hundreds of times larger than the imperial palace, and it was said that the number of people living inside reached a hundred thousand.

Thus, the Demonic Sect was also called the Hundred Thousand Demons.

The Demonic Sect was composed of a huge circle and maze, and at the outermost edge, people who generally did not know martial arts gathered to form a village.

Starting with commoners or merchants who did not know martial arts, ruffians and hoodlums were also mixed among them, and they were in a mutually beneficial situation, bringing profit to the Demonic Sect in the form of taxes.

In addition, further inside, low-ranking members of the Demonic Sect resided, and as the circle drew closer to the center of Mount Cheon, higher-ranking members and the families or sects that had protected the Demonic Sect for a long time were settled.

They were the core leading the current Demonic Sect.

Arriving at the village on the outermost edge of Mount Cheon, Jang Sam-tae lost his words and slumped.

Looking around with hollow eyes, he smiled weakly and dropped his shoulders.

“In the end, I’ve come all the way here…”

Jang Sam-tae let out a hollow laugh.

It was information about the Demonic Sect, of all places.

If he wanted to get it, he would not have had to enter Mount Cheon himself.

He had received plenty of money, so he should have been able to buy information anywhere.

However, let alone the Low-Down Sect, most information organizations could not provide information on the Demonic Sect.

It was because there was virtually no information coming out of that place.

Still, since he could not return without any results, he kept moving forward bit by bit and eventually ended up in a village near Mount Cheon.

Plopping down on a corner of the street, Jang Sam-tae glanced at Ma Jang-gang.

“Aren’t you tired?”

“I am tired.”

“Why don’t you sit down? It’s hard for me to look up at you.”

“Tsk.”

Ma Jang-gang sat down with an unwilling expression.

After traveling together for several months, he had become accustomed to the man named Jang Sam-tae. Although he had known early on that the fellow was bold, he now grumbled and spoke informally without even using honorifics.

“You really have guts. If it were anyone else, they wouldn’t have survived even with ten lives.”

Jang Sam-tae waved his hand dismissively at that sharp remark.

It was an attitude of not even having the energy to respond to Ma Jang-gang’s words.

“I feel like I’ve heard that a hundred times already. More importantly, do you think we’ll get something out of this place?”

“Hmm.”

Swallowing a groan, Ma Jang-gang frowned and looked around. He had not obtained a single piece of information on the way here.

Yet, it did not seem like anything had happened to the Demonic Sect either.

The Mount Cheon village visible before his eyes now was the epitome of normalcy.

The people worked hard in the fields, and the merchants were busy selling goods.

Since ruffians were strolling around with their shoulders squared, it did not seem like anything in particular had happened.

However.

‘The guys who should be visible aren’t here.’

Ma Jang-gang knew.

Known as the Wolf King, he had traveled all over the Central Plains.

He had been to Mount Cheon several times, but not a single member of the Demonic Sect managing or patrolling the village was in sight.

That was extremely strange.

Although he did not show it, Jang Sam-tae seemed to have noticed it as well.

“I think we need to go further inside. What do you think?”

“Are you serious? Anyone who isn’t a Demonic Sect member can’t even enter, and you’re saying that knowing this?”

Jang Sam-tae glared at Ma Jang-gang with an incredulous look.

If their identities were discovered, it would definitely not end well.

He knew Ma Jang-gang was a master of outstanding skill, but the Demonic Sect was packed with masters who surpassed him.

Why did people fear the Demonic Sect so much?

Why did the masters of the orthodox sects hesitate to even face the Demonic Sect, let alone subjugate them?

It was because the power they possessed was so foreign and strong.

Yet, Ma Jang-gang stood up without even caring. Then, he looked at Jang Sam-tae and smiled slightly.

“Strictly speaking, since you received the teachings of Elder Sa, you should be considered a Demonic Sect member.”

“Ha…! What kind of nonsense is…”

“Did I say something wrong?”

Jang Sam-tae let out a long sigh.

Of course, it was not incorrect.

Although he had received teachings in basic martial arts from Dan Woo-hyun, Sa Do-hak had instructed him after that.

It was no exaggeration to say that the current Jang Sam-tae was made by Sa Do-hak. It was for this reason that demonic energy dwelled in his danjeon, though faint.

‘If I enter, the chances of getting caught are high, right?’

He thought it over.

Even if he was with Ma Jang-gang, the opponent was a hundred thousand demons… if he was unlucky, his head would be cut off.

But Ma Jang-gang’s words also made sense.

‘I have Elder Sa, don’t I?’

If only a letter was sent from the manor, everything would be resolved nicely. Moreover, if he returned like this without any results, he did not even know what Dan Woo-hyun would say to him.

‘No, I might even get kicked out…’

In the past, being kicked out would have been something to welcome. Because he would be able to find complete freedom.

However, So-mi was at the manor, and though disagreeable, Dan Woo-hyun was there too.

Although the time they spent together could not be called long, because they had gone through many things, he had grown attached to them and developed trust in them.

There was a place for Jang Sam-tae at the manor.

But what about the outside?

Would he live by stealing again?

Having finished his deliberation, Jang Sam-tae sprang to his feet.

“I don’t know! If anything happens, I’m running away first!”

“Do as you wish.”

* * *

“Haa… Haa… Haa…”

Murong Hyeok-mun was breathing heavily with his entire body bound in chains. His disheveled hair covered his face, not even properly arranged.

Yet the eyes faintly revealed had turned fiercer than ever before.

“Kill… Kill… Kill!”

“Yes, you must kill. Your resentment, your jealousy, your anger! You must vomit it all out and kill.”

Looking at Murong Hyeok-mun, the red-haired man laughed. Sensing his negative emotions and murderous intent, a shiver ran through his entire body.

It had been a long time since he had seen one.

A person harboring such a strong desire to kill that fellow.

That was why playing with him was all the more fun.

“Will it be alright?”

Someone approached and asked.

Because of the heavy shadows, it was not clear who the opponent was, but the red-haired man nodded and wore a deep smile.

“Of course. Where else would there be such material?”

“…His condition doesn’t seem that good, though.”

The man clicked his tongue.

He did not seem that strong either.

Would what remained be at most murderous intent and resentment?

In his eyes, the man was far too weak, and there seemed to be no useful part to him.

Why did the master bring such a fellow here?

“Ge… Get stronger… I can get stronger!”

“Yes! You can get stronger.”

At Murong Hyeok-mun’s muttering, the red-haired man replied. At the words that he could get stronger, Murong Hyeok-mun’s eyes burned even redder.

As if he had already lost his sense of self, he had only one purpose: to kill his opponent.

Qi deviation.

The shock of being toyed with by Dan Woo-hyun and the death of his son broke his mind, and his qi and blood were twisted.

Returning someone who fell into qi deviation would be extremely difficult, but the red-haired man did not even care.

Rather, he lightly brushed off even the murderous intent felt right before him.

“Yes, you will surely kill him.”

“I, I will kill him! Kill him! I will tear him to pieces and kill him!”

“Kahahahaha! That’s it! For a weakling like you who has lost everything, the only thing you can do is to harbor a desire to kill him and stand up again.”

Murong Hyeok-mun heaved his body greatly.

At that moment, the red-haired man held a bowl in his hand filled with something bright red in a large cup.

Not even perceiving what it was or what they were trying to do to him, Murong Hyeok-mun simply kept repeating that he would kill, emitting stream after stream of murderous intent toward Dan Woo-hyun.

Pour-!

The red-haired man poured the contents of the cup over Murong Hyeok-mun’s head.

The fishy smell flowing down slowly and spreading in all directions proved it was blood.

Before long, Murong Hyeok-mun’s entire body was covered in bright red blood.

It was an incredibly bizarre sight, but no one present cared.

“Do you know what is needed to become strong?”

“Kill! Kill!”

“It is death itself. Since you have already reached the limit of your talent, you are at a level where you can no longer progress.”

The red-haired man murmured quietly and laughed.

The limit of talent.

It was an innate limit that could not be overcome even by human effort.

A woodcutter who had chopped wood since childhood would gradually increase his strength, but at some point, his strength would stop increasing and growth would halt.

That was precisely the limit the woodcutter possessed.

That was the case with Murong Hyeok-mun now.

Although he was an outstanding man who occupied a decent position among the martial artists as numerous as grains of sand, once he hit the limit of his talent, he could not climb any higher.

What should such a person do to become stronger?

Either gain enlightenment and undergo body reconstruction.

“Or truly die.”

Slice-!

The moment the red-haired man’s mouth opened.

A bright red blood line flew in.

The blood line that struck Murong Hyeok-mun in an instant slit his chest open and extracted all the organs inside.

Rrrrip-!

“Gurgle…!”

The light in Murong Hyeok-mun’s eyes, which had held only the desire to kill, gradually faded.

Even so, the murderous intent toward Dan Woo-hyun still remained and wavered.

“Doesn’t it take too long to obtain something like enlightenment? If so, you just have to be born anew after dying. A body that cannot feel pain will unlock your limits! You can become stronger.”

“Aaaargh…”

As if he could no longer even breathe, Murong Hyeok-mun let out a painful groan.

Yet the red-haired man pulled Murong Hyeok-mun’s face closer with a hand, displaying not a shred of emotion.

He spoke while staring into the pupils that were slowly dilating.

“And work for me. Build the greatest stage to fight a decisive battle with that fellow! Resurrect the past Martial World once again! A Martial World that is stronger, more chaotic, and bloodier! Not a Martial World rotten with this kind of peace, but a real battlefield!”

The red-haired man shouted loudly, grinding his teeth.

Martial arts that were too inferior compared to the past.

The ugly appearance of the dogs and pigs rotten with peace.

Watching such things made irritation soar wildly.

The Martial World was originally meant to be chaotic, fierce, and filled with endless screams.

Such a crude stage was not fitting to bring a conclusion with him.

‘In that case, I will make it myself.’

Leaving behind the coldly cooling Murong Hyeok-mun, the man turned his back.

Thinking of that guy’s face whom he met for the first time in a thousand years, he smiled genuinely.

He too wore an extremely peaceful expression, unlike in the past.

The red-haired man did not like that.

At that time, his expression was not like that. He was not a fellow who harbored such weak emotions.

The sight of him cruelly cutting down his opponents and laughing while drenched in their blood was still vivid.

Why did he change so weakly!

Why did he break his heart with such an appearance!

‘I will turn you back as well.’

The red-haired man made up his mind.

‘Our stage is not a place like this, is it?’

He would restore everything to the way it was a thousand years ago, dyed in blood.

‘He would welcome it too. Because we were destined for that.’

‘Is that not so, Martial God?’

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