Chapter 250: Chapter 250
“Sect Leader Senior Martial Brother!”
“S-Sect Leader Senior Martial Brother! You’re safe!”
“Master!”
“Sect Leader!”
Hyeon-sang looked at those who were hurriedly calling him and running towards him as if they were being chased.
It was Hyeon-do, Hyeon-jin, and the first-generation disciples including Cheon Yu, and their appearances could only be described as miserable.
Their Taoist robes were drenched in sweat, and the leather shoes they were wearing were worn out and frayed, revealing their dirty soles clearly.
If they hadn’t been wearing the Taoist robes of the Mount Hua Sect, it was a state where the beggars of the Beggars’ Sect would have greeted them, thinking they were fellow sect members.
And among them, a person who evoked an overwhelming feeling just by looking at him took the lead and approached with large strides.
“Hmm…”
In an instant, Hyeon-sang let out a groan.
Was it because he hadn’t seen him in a long time?
Or was it because of his current miserable appearance?
Even though he knew the approaching person was his Junior Martial Brother, when he actually faced him up close, he felt overwhelmed by his ferocity.
‘He has become even more incredible than before.’
Hyeon-do’s appearance was wild.
It was to the extent that he felt more like a Green Forest bandit than the Green Forest Great Emperor.
It was understandable, look at his current appearance now.
Disheveled hair and a bushy beard growing and extending in all directions.
Wasn’t his fierce face, which made one shrink back the moment they saw it, filled with anger?
On top of that, his sweat-drenched Taoist robe clung tightly to his body, making his massive muscles stand out even more.
Hyeon-sang let out an awkward laugh toward his imposing Junior Martial Brother.
“It’s been a while.”
“W-what happened to the attack?”
At Hyeon-do’s words containing urgency, Hyeon-sang tilted his head and smacked his lips.
“If it’s the Green Forest, they were defeated and retreated. The rumors have already spread widely, did you not know?”
“Is that true?! What a relie…”
Hyeon-do, who was about to feel relieved just like that, came to his senses.
It wasn’t something that would end just because they had retreated.
“If so, were there any injured or perhaps dead…”
Hyeon-do could not bring himself to finish his sentence.
It was because he didn’t want to spit out the worst situation from his mouth.
“There’s no need to worry needlessly.”
Because Hyeon-sang also knew Hyeon-do’s feelings, he spoke with a gentle smile.
“Because there are no dead disciples.”
The moment those words ended.
Thump…
Hyeon-jin and the first-generation disciples sank to the floor just like that.
It was because their tension was completely released.
“What… a relief.”
“Phew, what did I tell you?”
Around the time they were smiling in relief.
“But you arrived quickly.”
Hyeon-sang looked at them and spoke.
The Martial Alliance was located in Wuhan, Hubei. The distance from the Mount Hua Sect was considerable, so arriving in four days was something almost close to impossible…
“When we heard it was dangerous, how could we be late?”
At Hyeon-do’s words, Hyeon-jin and the disciples sitting on the floor nodded weakly as if they agreed.
They had truly executed their footwork desperately.
Forgoing food and drink, solely with the mindset that they had to arrive at the Mount Hua Sect quickly.
They didn’t even sleep and only ran.
Thanks to that, they covered a distance that would normally take more than ten days in barely four days.
Pat. Pat.
Hyeon-sang patted the shoulder of Hyeon-do, who was the only one standing, and spoke in a low voice.
“…You worked hard.”
“No. Hyeon-jin Junior Martial Brother and the children worked harder than me.”
At those words, Hyeon-sang nodded.
“Everyone worked hard.”
Around the time the disciples held fatigue-soaked smiles at Hyeon-sang’s words.
“It’s been a while.”
There was a voice that squeezed in.
“Cheon-hwi!”
Hyeon-do smiled brightly.
It wasn’t just him.
Hyeon-jin and the first-generation disciples, who had been sitting on the floor, also managed to raise their bodies with difficulty, approached Cheon-hwi, and exchanged greetings.
“It’s been a while, Junior Martial Brother.”
“You aren’t hurt anywhere, right?”
“Senior Martial Brother Gu, really. Would Junior Martial Brother get hurt? Rather, those who fought with Junior Martial Brother are pitiable.”
“Haha, is that so.”
Cheon-hwi, who was watching the first-generation disciples chatting amicably, sparkled his eyes.
“Oh? But everyone’s internal energy is exhausted.”
“Because we kept running…”
“Our internal energy became insufficient.”
Cheon Yu and the disciples answered and smiled awkwardly.
Was it only their internal energy that was exhausted?
Right now, their entire bodies were exhausted.
“Then do you want to eat a spiritual elixir? It seems like it would be perfect to eat in the current situation.”
“What? Spiritual elixir?”
“You have a spiritual elixir?”
“Then of course we’ll eat it!”
“You mean you’ll eat it, right?”
“Of course we’ll eat it.”
Starting with Cheon Yu, the first-generation disciples spoke urgently, afraid he might not give it to them.
“Why would we refuse a spiritual elixir?”
“We’re in an uproar because we don’t have any even if we want to eat it.”
“Here, take it.”
Cheon-hwi immediately took out the Dark Fragrance Pills from his bosom and distributed them to the first-generation disciples.
“Its appearance is unique.”
“Was there such a spiritual elixir in our sect?”
Everyone tilted their heads.
It was their first time seeing a pill with such a pitch-black, flowing luster.
“If you don’t want to eat it, I’ll take it back…”
“Since you gave it to me, it’s mine now.”
When Cheon-hwi pretended to take it away, Cheon Yu quickly put the Dark Fragrance Pill in his mouth and swallowed it.
As everyone swallowed it following him.
Smirk…
Cheon-hwi smiled wickedly like a fisherman who had caught a big fish.
“Huh? Why are you smiling like… Ugh!”
Cheon Yu, who felt something strange about Cheon-hwi’s peculiar smile, asked with an anxious face, and then widened his eyes while grabbing his stomach due to a sudden stomachache.
‘N-no way…’
His gaze turned toward his surroundings.
Then he was shocked.
It wasn’t just him.
All the Junior Martial Brothers who had eaten the pill with him had pale complexions.
And soon.
Gurgle… Gurgle…
Loud noises rang from their stomachs.
Even though they had maintained an empty stomach for four days and had nothing to empty out, their stomachs continued to cry.
Unable to hold it in, Cheon Yu spoke with difficulty.
“U-Ugh, Hwi. What on earth did you…”
“Well, it’s a spiritual elixir.”
Cheon-hwi replied nonchalantly.
“Although it has a bit of poison.”
“P-poison?”
“Hey, it’s not strong. Just enough to cause a slight stomachache…?”
The vision of the first-generation disciples, including Cheon Yu, went dark.
It was a return to the Mount Hua Sect after a long time.
But to be in this state.
They urgently looked around.
And they saw.
The faces of the second-generation disciples looking at them pitifully from afar.
‘If you knew, you should have told us!’
At that moment, Cheon-hwi’s voice was heard.
“Ah right, and do you remember what I said before I left the Martial Alliance?”
‘If it’s what he said before leaving the Martial Alliance…?’
As the faces of Cheon Yu and the first-generation disciples became noticeably stiff.
“Your skills haven’t improved as much as I thought.”
“T-that’s…”
At Cheon-hwi’s subsequent words, Cheon Yu laughed awkwardly.
For a few days after Cheon-hwi left, they trained hard, but where would their relaxed nature go?
“I said before that if your skills didn’t improve, I would increase the training intensity, right?”
Along with his words, Cheon-hwi smirked. Then he looked over Cheon Yu and the first-generation disciples, shrugged his shoulders, and added his words.
“We’ll talk about the rest later, and for now, do your energy circulation first. If you don’t take care of that now, you’ll see a sight you shouldn’t see.”
“…!”
Cheon Yu and the first-generation disciples flinched.
If it was a sight they shouldn’t see…
They gulped down their saliva.
“Huh? You’re not going to do it? Then should I go get some Taoist robes.”
At the chilling words that followed, without anyone needing to go first, Cheon Yu and the first-generation disciples sat cross-legged.
‘H-heuk! We’ll become a laughingstock for the rest of our lives!’
‘Anything but that!’
Soon, as everyone entered energy circulation, Cheon-hwi turned his gaze.
“Would Senior Martial Uncles also like to eat some?”
Cheon-hwi tried handing the Dark Fragrance Pills to Hyeon-do and Hyeon-jin, who were standing awkwardly, but.
“No, it’s fine.”
“Ahem, I am alright.”
The two broke out in cold sweat and refused.
“A lot of internal energy will accumulate.”
At those words, the two were momentarily tempted, but soon shook their heads from side to side.
“Having a lot of internal energy is not everything.”
“Too much is as bad as too little.”
No matter how much internal energy they had, if they couldn’t handle it properly, it would just be an attractive but useless thing.
“Hmm, is that so?”
Cheon-hwi smacked his lips as if regretting it at the two who refused so ambiguously that it was hard to offer more, and spoke.
“Tell me later if you need it.”
While putting the Dark Fragrance Pills in his bosom, Cheon-hwi spoke as if he remembered something.
“It worked out perfectly. I was short on hands anyway, so it would be just great if I make you work while doing your training in parallel.”
At that moment, Cheon Yu and the disciples felt a sense of foreboding and shivered, and Cheon-hwi smacked his lips while looking around.
“Where did I put the iron rings and iron swords I unpacked before the attack again.”
* * *
Deep in the heart of the Martial Alliance.
Inside a quiet room, two people were sitting around a table.
Between the two, a man whose white hair and black hair were mixed half-and-half, making it completely impossible to tell whether he was an old man or a middle-aged man, spoke.
“The Green Forest was defeated and retreated.”
At the words of the Martial Alliance’s Military Strategist Zhuge Gong, the eyes of the handsome middle-aged man sitting opposite him, the Martial Alliance Leader, Heart Intent Sword Hero, narrowed like threads.
“That’s surprising.”
The Alliance Leader let out a voice of admiration.
“Are you saying that following the White Ghost Castle, the Green Forest also crumbled at the hands of Mount Hua?”
“The Green Forest hasn’t completely crumbled yet.”
Zhuge Gong corrected his words.
“There is a report that the Green Forest Great Emperor preserved his body and ran away.”
“Hoho, isn’t that the same thing.”
The Alliance Leader stroked his neatly trimmed beautiful beard, and then continued to speak.
“Since he attacked but ended up running away instead.”
“Still, he is alive. As long as he is alive, the Green Forest will rebuild its strength at any time.”
“There’s nothing to worry about.”
The Alliance Leader’s voice was cold.
Just like the tip of a sharp sword.
“Because as a martial artist, he has died.”
At the firm words, the Military Strategist closed his mouth.
“But who defeated the Green Forest Great Emperor and made him retreat? The Mount Hua Divine Sword is in the Alliance.”
“It hasn’t been confirmed exactly who it is yet, but… there is one person I suspect.”
“Who is it?”
“He is a person called the Plum Blossom Divine Hero.”
At that moment, the Alliance Leader’s eyes became solemn.
“The Plum Blossom Divine Hero… He is the child who made a name for himself when fighting for the hegemony of Shaanxi.”
“That’s right.”
“Is there a reason you think so?”
“When the Mount Hua Divine Sword and the Flying Swallow Sword Lord attacked the White Ghost Castle, the Plum Blossom Divine Hero was also there.”
At the Military Strategist’s words, the Alliance Leader’s beard twitched.
“Hohoho, I only thought there would be someone helping from behind. Did Mount Hua raise another master…”
Along with his words, the Alliance Leader gently closed his eyes and opened them.
“I’m curious who it is.”
“He bears the Taoist title Cheon-hwi, and is a first-generation disciple of the Mount Hua Sect.”
The Military Strategist answered fluently as if he had been waiting.
“His age is said to be in his early twenties, and I heard he also holds the position of General Squad Leader of the newly established Three Squads in the Mount Hua Sect.”
“Who is his Master.”
“…It is Hyeon-gang-ja.”
“Plum Blossom Sword Hero?”
“That is correct.”
The Alliance Leader’s eyes slightly widened.
It was the appearance of a completely unexpected name.
“Hoho, that’s interesting information. Is there any other information?”
“The known information is all of that.”
“That’s all…”
The Alliance Leader’s voice sank.
“Dragon Pearl Beggar, it seems he has made a move.”
The Military Strategist nodded his head.
“Since they said Mount Hua and the Beggars’ Sect joined hands, that side would have already blocked all information about him.”
“Is that so.”
The Alliance Leader did not ask further.
Because it was impossible to obtain more information now that the Beggars’ Sect Leader, Dragon Pearl Beggar, had taken action.
“How is the Four Black Alliances?”
“They are shaking a little.”
The Alliance Leader burst into laughter.
“Hahaha, no matter how much of a Four Black Alliances Leader he is, it seems he can’t hold back at this.”
“How could he hold back?”
The corners of the Military Strategist’s mouth twisted.
“Because he brought in the Green Forest that he ignored so much to balance the Nine Provinces Three Supreme Powers, but it turned into a failure.”
“The Mount Hua Sect is helping us.”
As the Alliance Leader chuckled and spoke, the Military Strategist narrowed his glabella.
“However, a small problem has arisen.”
“A problem…?”
“Recently, as the Green Forest’s attacks grew stronger, voices have emerged among the young martial artists within the Alliance saying that shouldn’t we step forward. Some extreme individuals are even insisting that we must fight the Four Black Alliances.”
The Alliance Leader’s eyebrows twitched.
“There will be a setback in the plan.”
What he wished for was the division of the Nine Great Sects and One Gang.
But if a common enemy appeared like this, the Nine Great Sects and One Gang would join forces.
As the Alliance Leader was quietly thinking about the unexpected situation, the Military Strategist whispered.
“But this matter is strange.”
The Military Strategist, who paused his words for a moment, caught his breath and spat out the words he couldn’t finish.
“Until recently, there were no such talks at all, but starting from a certain day, it suddenly became very noisy. As if someone is intentionally spreading them.”
At those words, the Alliance Leader immediately reacted.
“It must be a spy.”
The Military Strategist nodded his head without a word.
The Alliance Leader, seeing that nod, shined his eyes and held a cold smile on his lips.
“They want a war with the Four Black Alliances, they have finally revealed their tails.”
The Alliance Leader glared at the Military Strategist and asked.
“Is there a way to catch their tails?”
“There is one.”
“Speak.”
“It is to hold a Martial World Great Conference regarding whether we will wage war with the Four Black Alliances.”
The eyes of the speaking Military Strategist half-closed.
“If it’s them who want the Nine Provinces Three Supreme Powers to crumble, they won’t be able to miss this golden opportunity.”