Chapter 343: Chapter 343

On the way to Mount Wudang, Zhuge Yeon’s face was wet with cold sweat. As she concentrated on tracking the faint traces, that alone was enough to exhaust her physically and mentally, but because the distance between her and the opponent did not narrow easily, it was even more frustrating.

“Sigh… I don’t know who it is, but they’re quite fast.”

“But the traces are getting clearer.”

Gwon Mu-jin muttered as he looked down at his feet.

The faint traces were indeed slowly becoming distinct. This meant that, little by little, the distance from those ahead was being shortened.

“Fewer than I thought.”

“It seems so.”

Zhuge Yeon shrugged her shoulders and examined the traces.

She hadn’t known when the traces were faint, but looking now, it was a very small number. For capturing and dragging away the world-renowned Abbot Seon-jin, the number was simply too small.

If so, there was only one conclusion.

Either they were as strong as the masters called the Five Emperors, or they were following someone else’s traces.

‘Even estimating their level, they shouldn’t be strong enough to defeat Abbot Seon-jin…’

Traces left here and there could give some idea of the opponent’s strength.

According to Zhuge Yeon’s guess, the people who left these traces were not the Seven Stars or the Ten Venerables, but rather below them.

Therefore, she suspected that it might be the traces of someone else entirely.

However, since it was the same direction as the culprits would have gone, she had no choice but to follow them. Since they couldn’t find any other traces until now, they couldn’t miss this, which was the only clue.

Kakakang-!

Soon, a sound was heard from far away.

Frowning, Zhuge Yeon and Gwon Mu-jin stopped in their tracks.

They quietly closed their eyes and concentrated their senses.

It was quite a distance from here.

Judging from the sound, it seemed to be about a quarter of an hour’s distance away. The intense clashing made them feel that it was a fight between experts.

Zhuge Yeon opened her eyes and looked at Gwon Mu-jin.

“Let’s go!”

“Sure.”

The situation was strange.

If they were experts strong enough to capture Seon-jin, they should have been able to subdue their opponents easily, yet the clashing of blades was ringing out violently.

This felt like a battle between equals.

Or perhaps a paper-thin difference?

Zhuge Yeon’s expression grew deeper.

His feet became faster, but he completely hid his presence and approached while trying to avoid being detected by the opponent.

Kakakang!

“You bastards!”

“Tsk!”

Eventually, they arrived at the scene.

And they were speechless as they looked at the sight unfolding before their eyes. There were people who appeared to be from the Martial Alliance and the Heavenly Dao Society.

There were also people who could be called quite skilled even within Tang Mun-hye’s group and the Heavenly Dao Society.

The Martial Alliance people included three Shaolin monks, one who appeared to be a survivor of the once-collapsed Kunlun, and the remaining one was a Wudang Daoist.

Those gathered stood apart from each other, confronting another group.

There were at most five people wearing blood-colored robes.

However, perhaps because they were stronger than everyone else combined, they managed to block them without being pushed back.

They were holding on despite Tang Mun-hye’s vicious poison attacks.

It was like…

‘They’re like dolls.’

Their eyes, seen through their blank gazes, were unfocused. Their movements were quite good, but they felt somehow unnatural.

‘Their martial arts… Kunlun?’

Zhuge Yeon’s eyes hardened.

One man practiced the martial arts of Kunlun, while another used the martial arts of Shaolin.

If so, it meant that those wearing blood-colored robes were also people from the Nine Sects and One Gang.

But Zhuge Yeon shook her head.

‘They’re Jiangshi! They’re definitely Blood Jiangshi!’

Dolls that reanimated corpses without any ego to move according to the controller’s thoughts.

He had thought that he would never see them again since the art of refining Jiangshi had disappeared, but the things in front of him were definitely Jiangshi.

Slash!

The fact that they didn’t even blink despite being cut gave further support to his guess.

– What should we do? At this rate, they’re all going to die…

Zhuge Yeon nodded at Gwon Mu-jin’s transmission.

He was right.

Even if it seemed like an even match for now, one side possessed tireless bodies and were corpses that didn’t even feel pain.

On the other hand, the other side was alive and had physical limitations, so the longer the battle dragged on, the more exhausted they would inevitably become.

In the end, they had no choice but to step forward to save everyone.

Zhuge Yeon slowly reached out.

Swoosh-!

The thrown projectile struck the blade of the one trying to attack Tang Mun-hye.

Clang!

With a sharp sound, the opponent took half a step back.

It was a blow containing considerable internal energy, and it was also a surprise attack. Though they had no facial expression, had they been alive, they would have opened their eyes wide in surprise.

At that moment, Tang Mun-hye did not miss the opportunity and lunged forward.

Slash-!

She moved her small dagger in an instant and severed the arm. The arm fell off cleanly without a single drop of blood, but no one cared.

Soon, Zhuge Yeon’s blade drew a flash of light and sliced through the opponent’s neck.

Slash!

The man’s body collapsed helplessly.

The head, rolling on the ground as if it knew it could no longer exist in this world, had no expression, but it looked somehow peaceful.

“Zhuge Yeon?!”

“Isn’t that Gwon Mu-jin!”

The people of the Martial Alliance and the Heavenly Dao Society were surprised as they looked at the two who suddenly appeared.

They knew that Zhuge Yeon and Zhuge Un were staying at the Hunan Dan Manor.

Also, the same went for Gwon Mu-jin, so they could not help but be astonished by the fact that they were here.

However, Tang Mun-hye did not show much of a reaction, perhaps because she had already realized it was Zhuge Yeon thanks to the first projectile.

Looking at the whole situation, Zhuge Yeon shrugged her shoulders.

“Don’t worry about anything else and just look ahead. Do you want to die?”

Only then did they snap back to their senses at the sound.

The appearance of Zhuge Yeon and Gwon Mu-jin was shocking enough to make them forget they were in the middle of a life-and-death battle. However, perhaps because they now felt a chance of winning, they began to press their opponents more clearly than before.

“Our opponents are Jiangshi. I think it would be better for your health to throw away any thoughts about them being your senior brothers or fellow Daoists.”

Kakakakang-!

Kunlun’s Hyung-woon smiled bitterly at Zhuge Yeon’s words.

The Jiangshi he was dealing with now was his own senior brother.

Although he was someone Hyung-woon had never even spoken to properly, his senior brother had been famous for having a good reputation within Kunlun. The fact that he was fighting such a person sent a wave of anxiety through his grip.

He had been shocked that his senior brother had betrayed Kunlun to side with the enemy.

But hearing Zhuge Yeon’s words, he finally understood the situation.

He was still astonished that Jiangshi, which he had only heard of in stories, actually existed. Furthermore, if his senior brother had indeed become a Jiangshi, it explained why he couldn’t feel the spirit of Kunlun from that sword.

If so, it was only natural to lay him to rest in accordance with the natural order.

Hyung-woon tightened his grip on his sword hilt and raised his momentum.

Clang—!

Meanwhile, Zhuge Yeon slipped between them and shook up the situation.

Since they were all using different martial arts, they were much easier to deal with than those men who had attacked in formation.

‘Is this all thanks to Manor Lord Dan’s training?’

Though she hated to admit it, she felt that her skills had grown significantly.

And in such a short amount of time, at that.

Zhuge Yeon let out a deep sigh, marveling at Dan Woo-hyun’s mysterious depth.

‘I really don’t like him, but… his ability is definitely the best.’

She glanced to the side.

As expected, Gwon Mu-jin was also showing a completely different side than before.

He had merely learned how to deal with those employing sword formations, yet it felt as if his martial arts had suddenly advanced by more than two stages.

It was undoubtedly thanks to Dan Woo-hyun, who had corrected all of their shortcomings while teaching them how to deal with those formations.

The Hunan Dan Manor.

After all, Dan Woo-hyun was the one who had enabled Jang Sam-tae, the weakest person in the manor, to hold his own among first-rate experts, so it made perfect sense.

‘It goes without saying, but I can’t afford to lose to a mere servant, right?’

With that thought, Zhuge Yeon thrust her sword even more vigorously.

* * *

Jang Sam-tae, who was sitting leisurely, scratched his ear and frowned. His ear was so itchy that he couldn’t help but wonder if someone was swearing at him.

He frowned without realizing it and spat on the ground.

“Which bastards are they? Do they want to die?”

Jang Sam-tae put on airs as if he were some sort of king.

The only one who heard him was Jeok Mu-seong. Dan Woo-hyun was nowhere to be seen, and Sa Do-hak and Namgung Cheon had gone fishing, taking Mae-hyang and Dan So-mi along.

Judging by how they had boasted, “Today, I’m going to catch something bigger than Dan So-mi!” he figured they would probably end up catching nothing but minnows.

Thus, he was taking a relaxed rest for the first time in a long while. Lying on the wooden veranda, Jang Sam-tae picked his nose and muttered.

“Seriously, old man. Sweeping like that is just kicking up dust. Dust! How are you going to take responsibility if our So-mi breathes in all this dust?”

“…….”

Jeok Mu-seong quietly looked at Jang Sam-tae at those words.

Whether his liver had swollen with boldness from running away from home and his recent experiences, or he was simply thrilled by Dan Woo-hyun’s absence, his behavior was getting a bit out of hand.

It seemed he didn’t even realize that the person he was talking to was the world-famous Jeok Mu-seong.

Jeok Mu-seong smirked.

“Haha, then how should I sweep?”

“…Well, shouldn’t you just sweep it properly here and there? Like this and like that.”

Perhaps having noticed Jeok Mu-seong’s thoughts, Jang Sam-tae didn’t step forward and only made gestures. He was probably trying to subtly coax the old man into showing him a demonstration so he could make him do the work.

Jang Sam-tae chuckled, feeling a sense of pity for Jeok Mu-seong.

Jeok Mu-seong easily read the meaning behind that smirk. Having dealt with and met far more people than Jang Sam-tae, he could easily tell when someone was mocking him.

Jeok Mu-seong let out a long sigh.

Then he looked up at the sky.

It was exceptionally hot today, causing irritation to rise.

He lightly lifted the broom in his hand.

As he examined it, it felt quite sturdy.

Jang Sam-tae, who had been lying down, watched this and slowly sat up.

There was something called intuition.

It was the kind of feeling that only someone who got beaten up daily could possess. Although Jeok Mu-seong’s expression appeared benevolent, the gaze in his eyes as he held the broom was somehow sharp.

“Hehehe, look closely. You sweep it like this, like this.”

Jang Sam-tae hurriedly approached Jeok Mu-seong, snatched the broom away, and began sweeping the yard. He wore a servile smile while breaking into a cold sweat for some reason.

Perhaps due to Jeok Mu-seong’s steady gaze, sweat poured down like rain, enough to bathe in.

Jeok Mu-seong nodded in satisfaction and sat on the veranda.

He then smiled as he watched Jang Sam-tae sweeping the yard with all his might.

“I heard you’re practicing both Orthodox and Demonic martial arts?”

“Hehehe, it’s a meager level, sir.”

“Of course it would be.”

‘Rotten old man…’

Jang Sam-tae cursed inwardly and frowned. He had spoken humbly by calling it a meager level, but the old man’s immediate agreement made him feel angry for no reason.

Then again, from the perspective of one of the Five Emperors, anyone’s martial arts would look meager.

Just then, Jeok Mu-seong smirked.

“You… should also learn the martial arts of the Unorthodox Faction.”

“I don’t want to.”

Jang Sam-tae stubbornly shook his head and stepped back.

However, he could not escape the approaching Jeok Mu-seong merely by stepping backward.

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