Chapter 423: Chapter 423

“These bastards…!”

The situation could not be called good.

The number of those spread out in all directions seemed to be easily in the hundreds.

Every single one of them was a master moving in and out of the first-rate level, and the ones they were facing were not fellow martial artists.

Since they were cutting down and killing ordinary people who did not even know martial arts, it was no exaggeration to say they were committing a one-sided slaughter.

Although the constables stepped forward and somehow managed to block them, it was absolutely not an easy task to kill the Blood Heaven groups charging in like a storm.

“This way! Hide this way!”

Hong Wonchang shouted with a face turned red.

It was regrettable that he could not swing a sword even once while watching people die before his eyes, but everyone has their own role to play.

Although he was not strong enough to swing a sword, Hong Wonchang was doing his best within the scope of what he could do.

“S-save me-!”

At that moment, a voice was heard.

Startled, Hong Wonchang turned his head and looked at that place.

A man was fleeing for his life through the swarming Blood Heaven groups.

However, as if they would not miss their prey, a Blood Heaven member lunged and swung his blade.

Slash!

The head of a completely ordinary civilian flew up.

As the blood soaked the ground and he saw that sight, his anger flared up without him realizing it.

“These bastards!”

“N-no! Magistrate!”

The constables beside him fiercely stopped Hong Wonchang.

If he grabbed a sword and attacked, he would become a corpse.

It was no exaggeration to say that the opponent’s strength was on a completely different level from theirs.

Unable to lose Hong Wonchang in such a place, the constables desperately held him back and stepped forward.

“T-this place… we will… p-please hurry and go!”

“What are you talking about! How could you bastards defeat them!”

“Do not worry! Isn’t the life of the magistrate more precious than our lives?”

“What kind of bullshit is that!”

Hong Wonchang got angry.

Where was there a distinction between precious and lowly in human life? In the past, Hong Wonchang would have followed without a word, but for Hong Wonchang, who had seen and learned many things while traveling with Dan Uhyon, it was something that could not happen.

He had grown deep enough to memorize the names of every single constable, and he valued the lives of the people and his subordinates more than his own life.

“I would rather join you!”

Hong Wonchang drew his sword and stood side by side with the constables.

Death was scary.

That was the case not only for Hong Wonchang but also for the constables.

Unless one was a brave human who transcended even death, it was a fact that anyone would tremble in a battle they could not win.

The fact that he remained in that place despite knowing that was truly the aspect of a hero who had to squeeze out great courage.

“M-Magistrate…!”

“Hey! You’re loud, you’re loud! If we can’t protect them anyway, we will be beaten to death by our lord, so what does a life matter! Hold out with the intention of taking those bastards down with us!”

“Understood!”

The constables shouted loudly and gripped their spear shafts.

The magistrate was standing beside them.

At one time, he was practically a villain to the point where it was laughable to follow him, but at some point, they had come to follow him sincerely and thought that they wanted to assist him until they died.

Many people living in Yueyang said.

That if there were the heroes of Yueyang, the Gentleman Sword and the Demonic Heavenly Lord, there was nothing to be afraid of.

But the constables were different.

Rather than the Gentleman Sword and the Demonic Heavenly Lord who had not appeared before them now, the magistrate standing together holding a sword to protect the people was the true hero of Yueyang.

“Block them-!”

Roar!

Hong Wonchang’s shout rang out as if to shake the heavens.

At the same time, the Blood Heaven group poured toward him.

* * *

Not everyone was just watching the fire from across the river while staying in that place.

Not only the wandering warriors who had come to Yueyang, but even figures of the renowned Orthodox factions were mixed in.

A place a little away from the market streets of Yueyang.

There was a teahouse that had been built there a few years ago.

This teahouse was built by a rather famous wealthy man in Yueyang, but it fell into the hands of a certain group about a year ago.

No one knew that, nor did they try to know.

Not only the Hao Clan, one of the best intelligence organizations in Yueyang, but even the beggar groups seen occasionally did not even know they were here.

The change of owner was that secretive, and the clerks were also replaced slowly enough that their identities were not revealed.

Slash-!

“Keok!”

“Kuaak!”

However, the aura felt the moment each server, even the women serving tea, gripped their swords, changed.

They instantly broke the momentum of the swarming Blood Heaven and cut their throats. Not only was their swordsmanship perfect, but every time a move was made, one wondered if there was anyone who could block it.

The demonic energy surging out.

Everyone in this place was a member of the Demonic Cult.

“What do we do about this?”

A man clicked his tongue as he lightly flicked his sword.

They were gathered in this place to protect Sa Do-hak, but the Hunan Dan Family was an entity far too high for them to protect.

That was why they had bought the teahouse and were staying there after deciding to watch the situation, but they were also in an embarrassing situation due to the untimely appearance of Blood Heaven.

Whether they should reveal their presence and help like this, or just pretend not to notice and pass it by.

But no matter how they looked at it, it was not a situation they could pass by without noticing.

“The Cult Leader is not here. If we stay like this, the Hunan Dan Family will also be damaged.”

“There’s no one there, right?”

“If the manor is destroyed, it will not be something that ends with a laugh.”

“…”

“That is true.”

They swallowed groans.

It was none other than the Demonic Cult that first confirmed the power of the human named Dan Uhyon right before their eyes.

The internal energy that blew away the entire Heavenly Demon Pavilion was still not something that belonged to a human even when they thought about it now.

The place where such a person stayed was the Hunan Dan Family.

If they did not stop it even though that place was being destroyed, they thought Dan Uhyon’s anger might reach toward them.

“But the Namgung Family is there.”

A woman in a maid’s outfit lightly threw a dagger while looking out the window.

The dagger struck the face of someone climbing the wall, and he collapsed.

“Hmm, I don’t feel like helping the Orthodox bastards…”

“It is a place our Cult Leader also likes. I am reluctant to join forces with the Orthodox bastards, but let’s push away those damn bastards first and think about it.”

The Demonic Cultists each nodded their heads.

They gathered their weapons and turned their heads.

The sounds of battle happening on the market streets were fiercely heard.

“There must be a bastard leading this group.”

A man muttered as he gripped his sword.

If so many people had attacked, there was bound to be someone leading this group.

However, seeing that he still had not revealed himself, he must be quite cautious, or his skills were not that great.

The man looked at the Demonic Cultists one by one.

“Find him.”

Then he spoke the most important words.

The Demonic Cultists all bowed their heads.

Now that Sa Do-hak was absent, the highest-ranking person was the man before them, and it was no exaggeration to say that his words were absolute.

* * *

“What an incredible number, damn it!”

The Namgung Sixteen Swords.

People say that Shaolin has the Eighteen Arhats, Wudang has the Seven Swords, and Namgung has the Sixteen Swords.

If asked who was stronger, their skills were enough to easily overwhelm a sect to the point where one would say it was a paper-thin difference.

The leader of those Namgung Sixteen Swords, Namgung Hanjung, frowned.

The number of Blood Heaven members swarming from all directions hardly decreased. They seemed to have cut down many people, but unlike them who were growing tired, the enemies were vigorous.

That was not the only disadvantage.

Unlike them, who had to fight while protecting those who did not know martial arts, Blood Heaven swung their blades to kill whenever they saw someone, making this battle difficult in many ways.

They were already drenched in sweat.

Their breaths were rough, and their internal energy was also hitting rock bottom. If about a quarter of an hour passed like this, no one would be able to hold out and they would collapse.

“Isn’t this quite troublesome, brother? We escaped those bastards, crossed over from Anhui to here, and hid, but it seems we will eventually die fighting those bastards.”

“The Family Head said that at least this place would be safe.”

“…Just looking at the fact that he did not take us with him from the beginning, he did not think it was that safe.”

A woman let out a deep sigh and shook her head.

She sighed, asking if they didn’t know the Family Head’s personality that much.

But her words were not particularly wrong.

He did not take the Namgung Sixteen Swords, one of the greatest powers of the Namgung Family, to the battle against Blood Heaven. This was to prepare for any situation that might arise in Yueyang.

Just like right now.

“But aren’t there too many?”

Namgung Hanjung smiled with an absurd expression.

Simply blocking a few people was not that difficult. The fighting power of the Namgung Family was not just the Sixteen Swords, so he was confident they would not easily collapse in any situation.

But it was somewhat troublesome right now.

Because quite a large number were swarming them.

“Be careful!”

Thwack!

Suddenly, a Blood Heaven member revealed himself. Just as he was about to extend his blade to slit a man’s throat, a hidden weapon flying from somewhere lodged in his forehead.

Surprised, the Sixteen Swords turned their heads.

And they saw people wearing pitch-black clothes flocking there one after another.

“Damn it… why are those bastards over there again?”

“Who are they? It’s my first time seeing them?”

“They are the slaughter unit competing for the top spot even in the Demonic Cult. I heard the Demonic Emperor raised them himself.”

“Whoa…”

“Black Rain…”

“They are guys whose name, Black Rain, suits them truly well.”

“Hahaha.”

The Black Rain Squad.

Seeing them appear unexpectedly, the Sixteen Swords swallowed a groan. Just the fact that they were together with them in this land of Yueyang gave them goosebumps.

They were the best slaughter unit of the Demonic Cult.

Long ago, there was a small to medium sect that had its own power within the Murim Alliance.

The number of disciples alone exceeded five hundred, and because they had a good relationship with the Myriad Gold Merchant Group, no one ignored them even within the Murim Alliance.

At that time, that sect had a very bad relationship with the Demonic Cult, and the Demonic Emperor Sa Do-hak sent the Black Rain Squad and annihilated all five hundred of them in just two hours, erasing their name from the world.

“Hey…”

Slash!

At that time, the youngest, Namgung Eun, swung his sword.

As he cut the body of a rushing Blood Heaven member, blood poured onto the floor, making a puddle. Even while watching them fall with a thud, the Blood Heaven group did not stop and rushed in.

“Chatting can wait until later…”

“Ah, right.”

“I don’t like it, but should we give it a try for now?”

The eyes of the Namgung Sixteen Swords shone brightly.

They were momentarily flustered because the Demonic Cultists had appeared, but it was the land of Yueyang anyway.

It was a place where it was not strange no matter what happened, so it was not particularly surprising.

Right now, they only had to think about surviving with all their might.

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