Chapter 402: Chapter 402

Sa Do-hak, who was perched on a rock, collected his breath. Pulling out the long pipe in his chest pocket and lighting it, he puffed out smoke long.

The mask he had been wearing was broken and could no longer play its role, and the upper garments he wore were all shredded, leaving his bare body fully exposed.

His entire body was drenched in sword scars and blood.

It was a grim appearance enough to show how fierce the fight taking place in this place had been.

Since his long, loose hair was also thickly smeared with the opponent’s blood and soil, a considerable discrepancy was felt from his usual appearance.

“Haha, was it interesting?”

At that moment, a voice was heard.

In the eyes of Sa Do-hak who turned his gaze, Namgung Cheon’s figure was seen. His appearance was also ruined to the extent of being not much different. Whether he struggled considerably, bloodstains were fully written here and there.

“Well, in its own way.”

Sa Do-hak grinned, looking at that appearance.

Gesticulating with his chin, he pointed beside him. In that place, remnants conjectured to have been human at one time were sprawled, covered in bright red blood.

The original shape of that person could not be found.

“Tremendous indeed…”

“It was fun after a long time. Just how long has it been since I put out my full power…”

Sa Do-hak exhaled smoke long, saying ‘Huu-’, and looked up at the sky. Although his injured body was still throbbing and pain rushed in, rather than such things, that fight taking place just earlier left a lingering trace.

“You at full power…”

Namgung Cheon glanced at the remnants, showing interest.

If it was the full power of Sa Do-hak of all people, it would have been grand enough to be difficult even for the Sword Emperor to handle. That they fought such a battle was interesting, and also made him estimate the opponent’s strength.

“You had a big round.”

At that moment, a voice was heard once again.

The gazes of the two naturally turned toward that place. Jeok Mu-seong, whose complexion was dying blue-black, was approaching them with difficulty.

It was filled with cut and torn wounds here and there.

The mask was shattered, fully exposing his bare face, and his pale complexion felt precarious as if he would collapse at any moment.

Sa Do-hak asked, putting the long pipe in his mouth.

“Was it hard?”

“It was hard.”

“Still, it is a relief that you won. I thought I would be clearing your corpse, you see.”

“Ha… Haha…”

Jeok Mu-seong shined an awkward smile.

Although he was one who had experienced countless fights from birth until now, there was no situation as hard as today.

Just how fast and strong they were; if he did not have the martial arts learned to face Sa Do-hak and Namgung Cheon, the one dead would have unmistakably been Jeok Mu-seong.

Since he perfectly dug into the opponent’s gap, he was barely standing in this place.

Jeok Mu-seong, who exhausted his strength, approached Sa Do-hak’s side and sat down.

Snatching the long pipe by extending his hand abruptly, he held it in his mouth.

Sa Do-hak frowned.

“Smoke your own.”

“Sigh- good indeed.”

“Haha.”

Namgung Cheon laughed pleasantly, looking at the two.

He seemed to consider it a relief to see them alive at least like this.

“It is a relief that no one died.”

“If anyone had died first, I would have chased and killed them one more time.”

Sa Do-hak put nonsense words in his mouth, but at that single word, the two tried to show smiles. Although he did not express it, he also seemed to consider it a relief to see those alive.

“Do you guys not even worry about me, you rotten bastards?”

At that moment, Mu Cheon-pung and Dan Woo-hyun revealed their appearances.

It was good that the three talked snugly, but in those words, there seemed to be no worry at all about Mu Cheon-pung.

That was why he felt left out despite himself, it seemed.

“Were you alive?”

“You were alive…”

“Miraculously…”

The three looked at Mu Cheon-pung with blank gazes.

In truth, it was Mu Cheon-pung who spent twenty years of time locked in prison. Since his body would be stiff, no matter how much he once held the alias of the Five Emperors, the probability that he could win was extremely low.

Thus, those in this place took his death for granted.

“These bastards?”

“Ahem… That is so, but is that side okay now?”

Namgung Cheon asked, changing the topic.

In truth, it was the place of greatest worry. Since not only the Hunan Dan Family but also the Namgung Family remained, if someone died, Namgung Cheon’s mood would not be very good.

If the situation was bad, he felt like he would run even if his mask was gone.

“That side will be fine. Although somewhat dangerous guys remain, it is to the extent that they can sufficiently manage.”

At Dan Woo-hyun’s words, Namgung Cheon let out a sigh of relief. Although there were elements of anxiety, Tang Sa-hwi was present and quite outstanding figures were gathered.

Since they were not ones to be easily defeated, the remaining thing would be about winning.

“Then is our work finished with this?”

“It seems we managed to some extent. Whether annoying things increase or not depends on that side, I suppose.”

The strength shown in front of the Orthodox-Unorthodox Alliance shocked everyone.

Since they engraved in their eyes the Sky Beyond Sky, things beyond that even if for a single moment, they would choose one of two paths: either be wary of the Hunan Dan Family or bow their heads.

From Dan Woo-hyun’s standpoint, choosing the latter was the most comfortable. Although he did not particularly want to spread his name in this martial world, showing strength clearly rather than having flies gather to prevent them from ever looking down on him again was the most ideal method.

However, the former also had a possibility.

Just as everyone could not have a single thought, if there were those who bowed their heads, there would also be those who thought the opposite.

If they thought the Hunan Dan Family was a threat, they would aim their swords.

Of course, the process of pointing those swords would by no means be easy, but if those whose interests aligned gathered, it was a matter that could be quite annoying even from Dan Woo-hyun’s perspective.

“Let us return for now.”

“This old man shall watch the situation a bit more before going. Go ahead first.”

Namgung Cheon looked toward the side where the Orthodox-Unorthodox Alliance was.

In a situation where danger elements remained, his feet did not easily move. Perhaps until all fights ended, Namgung Cheon would peek at them and check, exerting maximum efforts for safety.

Looking at that, Dan Woo-hyun smirked.

Even the one called the Sword Emperor under heaven was weak to his bloodline.

* * *

“Ha, ha…”

“Hah… hah…”

A rough breathing sound was heard consecutively from various places.

All directions were a bloodbath, and corpses were sprawled here and there. Although the potential the Blood Heaven members showed was indeed terrifying, they failed to break the morale of the Orthodox-Unorthodox Alliance, and due to the addition of Ma Jang-gang and Tang Sa-hwi, it was not an exaggeration to say that victory or defeat was already decided.

Everyone in that place breathed heavily. There were those who collapsed as their strength drained, and there were also those who wept despite themselves.

Under the circumstances where they should naturally rejoice since they won, not a single person let out a cheer.

Since they lost friends, colleagues, or family, how could they rejoice blindly.

War is always like this.

One loses someone and kills someone.

Those who survived must bury the dead in their hearts, and the dead merely leave behind their corpses and names before vanishing suddenly.

Sigh…!

Namgung So-hye sat down weakly.

Blood on her sword dripped, soaking the ground.

She hated to even imagine how many people she had cut down. Living from birth until now, she had never killed as many people as today.

Even now, the sensation of cutting humans remained intact in her hands, and that soon created an anxiety as if she had become a killing demon.

“Are you okay?”

Jang Sam-tae, who approached before she knew it, spoke bluntly.

“Rather than me… take care of yourself first.”

Namgung So-hye replied with a dumbfounded expression.

The one among the Hunan Dan Family people who was injured most severely was none other than Jang Sam-tae. That he was not used to such large-scale fights was major.

He was seen filled with wounds here and there.

Whether even standing was difficult, he sat down on the ground filled with bright red blood and tapped his legs with thuds.

Miraculously, he does such a thing under these circumstances.

Looking at such things, Jang Sam-tae’s personality rarely changed.

“Ago, I am dying.”

“If you were a guy to die, you would have died already.”

“Do not speak like that. Since I fought hard in my own way. Weren’t you saved by me several times?”

Jang Sam-tae glanced and turned his head, looking beside him. Gwon Mu-jin, who approached before he knew it, was frowning.

In truth, because Gwon Mu-jin also fought while traveling all over in every direction, he lost quite some strength, though not as much as Jang Sam-tae.

It was because he protected unorthodox members as well, not only the Hunan Dan Family people.

Gwon Mu-jin sat down while trying to show a smile.

“Ha, I indeed thought I would die like this.”

They began to gather one by one.

From Zhuge Yeon as the leader to Ma Jang-gang. That scene where the experts of the Hunan Dan Family were gathered in one place snatched many people’s gazes.

Everyone in this place knew.

Had the Hunan Dan Family people not appeared, everyone would not have escaped death.

“Grandfather!”

“Let go!”

At that moment, a sharp sound was heard from one side.

As Namgung So-hye looked that way, Tang Sa-hwi was seen approaching while flaring bright red. Watching that, Namgung So-hye thought what was bound to come had come.

Tang Sa-hwi was a person of strong pride.

He would have drawn in his mind a situation of being the mainstay in all of this, and also thought that by solving this, he would be newly born as an absolute ruler who receives all martial artists’ gazes, but he suffered interference in that due to the appearance of the Hunan Dan Family.

Even more, since he did not even know their identities, Tang Sa-hwi would not easily try to accept it from his standpoint.

Namgung So-hye looked at the approaching Tang Sa-hwi with a determined gaze.

Wondering what would be good to say, she looked at Zhuge Yeon, and she was also wearing a highly perplexed expression.

At that moment, there was someone who blocked the approaching Tang Sa-hwi.

“Elder, your wounds are deep. You must return quickly to get treatment.”

The one who blocked him was none other than Namgung Yong.

Even Hwangbo Won of the Hwangbo Family stood beside him. Blocking his steps trying to approach Namgung So-hye, they tried to turn his steps with reasonable words.

Tang Sa-hwi’s personality is like fire.

Knowing there was no end once he began to press, turning him back now was the most wise situation.

“There are also many who cross life and death right now. Since there is no time to delay, we must move even slightly faster.”

As Namgung Yong and Paeng Do-ung blocked him, Tang Sa-hwi gritted his teeth. He wanted to chase right away and ask just what kind of place the Hunan Dan Family was, but since they blocked him by presenting valid reasons, Tang Sa-hwi also could not help it.

He spoke with a reluctant gaze.

“…Collect the corpses and look after the injured.”

“A wise decision.”

Namgung Yong smiled, looking at Tang Sa-hwi.

Although he looked to respect his opinion, Tang Sa-hwi knew it was not so. If he had moved just one more step, Namgung Yong would have tried to tie Tang Sa-hwi’s feet by using whatever method.

‘Is it a grand place to the extent of having to risk life, that place called the Hunan Dan Family?’

The Namgung Family under heaven? The Hwangbo Family?

Tang Sa-hwi’s doubts deepened gradually at the incomprehensible situation.

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