chapter 236

Fighting Through the Chaos for Blood Ties (2)

Lee Gwak and Cheol Gwang-woo sprinted out of White Light Sect at full speed. Although a few pursuers followed, Lee Gwak swiftly dealt with them all.

It was then that Lee Gwak spoke to Cheol Gwang Woo.

“How is Soo-ah?”

“She’s waiting safely outside the walls of Flower Castle.”

Lee Gwak sighed in relief upon hearing Cheol Gwang Woo’s response. Even while rescuing Lee Cheong, what worried him the most was Lee Soo-ah’s safety.

“Actually, it was Soo-ah who told me to come to you.”

“Soo-ah did?”

“Yes! She pushed me to go after saying she was okay and insisted you would need help.”

Lee Gwak nodded at Cheol Gwang Woo’s reply.

They continued their conversation without stopping.

For now, the White Light Sect was in chaos, but soon, they would regroup and pursue them.

Given the White Light Sect’s influence, they would likely mobilize the nearby sects to cast a wide net. They needed to escape the area before that net closed in.

“Daddy!”

When they arrived at the location Cheol Gwang-woo had led them to, Lee Soo-ah poked her head out and waved.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah! I’m fine. How about Cheong?”

At Lee Soo-ah’s question, Lee Gwak quickly lifted his robe, revealing Lee Cheong who had lost consciousness.

“Cheong-ah!”

“Don’t worry! He’s not injured. His illness worsened, and he lost consciousness. Did you bring the Life Saving Pills?”

Lee Soo-ah was surprisingly calm for her age.

Whenever Lee Cheong’s condition worsened, it was always Lee Soo-ah who took care of him. She had ample experience.

Lee Soo-ah took the Life Saving pills from Lee Gwak and promptly administered them to Lee Cheong. Gradually, color returned to his pale face.

Lee Gwak, relieved, caressed Lee Cheong’s face, feeling a faint warmth.

Lee Gwak then picked up Lee Cheong again.

With Lee Cheong’s condition confirmed, it was time to move on.

“Gwang-Woo! Take care of Soo-ah for me.”

“Don’t worry, Brother.”

Cheol Gwang Woo replied energetically and hoisted Lee Soo-ah onto his back.

Although they had successfully escaped the White Light Sect with Lee Cheong, the real ordeal was just beginning.

They had to escape the White Light Sect’s territory before the enemy’s network fully mobilized.

“Let’s go!”

“Yes!”

The two pushed their qigong to the extreme.

Though Lee Gwak was injured and Cheol Gwang-woo expended a significant amount of internal energy, neither showed any signs of fatigue.

“Daddy! If we head north for about ten miles from here, there’s a port. We can easily cross the river by boat from there.”

Lee Soo-ah directed Lee Gwak. Her familiarity with the area came from having escaped once before.

Lee Gwak moved in the direction Lee Soo-ah indicated.

After traveling about ten miles, they found a small port as Lee Soo-ah had described. Lee Gwak and Cheol Gwang Woo set all the boats except one on fire.

“shit!”

The White Light Sect martial artists who had been following them cursed as they stared at the burning boats.

“Quickly find another boat, and send out messenger birds to mobilize the nearby martial arts sects. No matter the sacrifice, we must prevent them from escaping.”

If word spread that a single person had killed the White Light Sect’s elder and one of the Four Heavenly Kings, it would destroy their fearsome reputation in the Jianghu.

They had to prevent such a scenario at all costs. Hence, the White Light Sect was desperate.

“Mobilize everyone. Call in nearby martial artists, hire mercenaries, and summon wandering swordsmen. Spare no expense.”

Money was no object.

White Light Sect had become one of the Ten Great Sects through the power of money.

There were plenty of moths willing to sell their lives for a few pieces of gold. Especially the vagrants, who were easily swayed by money, could be employed in unlimited numbers.

White Light Sect’s real strength lay not in the martial artists it housed but in its nearly limitless wealth.

Messenger birds, carrying red pouches that signified urgent payment, flew in all directions.

Destroy Heaven Squad leader Ju Gwang-ui shouted.

“Have we not found a boat yet?”

His voice echoed in vain.

＊＊＊

The martial sects within the White Light Sect’s territory were mobilized.

The black merchants, who had hidden their identities until now, unleashed their experts. And the wandering vagrants flocked in.

All of this happened within a single day.

The first to notice the change was the Dragon Heaven Valley, which was closest to the White Light Sect.

Dragon Heaven Valley and the White Light Sect, both being among the Ten Great Sects and situated close to each other, always kept an eye on one another.

From White Light Sect’s perspective, Dragon Heaven Valley’s military might was always an irritation, while Dragon Heaven Valley was wary of White Light Sect’s bottomless wealth.

Thus, when turmoil arose in White Light Sect’s territory, Dragon Heaven Valley was the first to detect it.

Another name for Dragon Heaven Valley was Western Hegemon.

They held enough power and experts to be called the hegemon of the west without any exaggeration.

The leader of Dragon Heaven Valley was the Seven-Colored Martial Emperor, Mok Jin-myeong.

He earned the nickname by primarily using the Seven-Colored Aura Qi, but he had secluded himself for training and hadn’t appeared in the Jianghu for several years.

Thus, the actual leadership of Dragon Heaven Valley fell to Mok Jin-myeong’s only daughter, the Dark Moon Fairy, Mok Seon Wol.

As soon as Mok Seon Wol sensed unusual movement within the White Light Sect’s territory, she immediately convened the Dragon Heaven Valley leadership.

About ten odd figures gathered in the large hall.

Each one was an old man with ragged and humble appearances, laughing and chattering like street ruffians.

“It’s been a while since we all gathered.”

“I wonder why Seon-wol called all these old geezers here.”

“Speak for yourself, I’m still full of life.”

“Quiet! You’re only two years younger than me.”

The old men raised their voices without any regard for their surroundings. The martial artists standing guard outside were deafened by the noise but dared not show any displeasure.

The ten or so elders filling the hall were Dragon Heaven Valley’s strongest force.

The Ten Blood Elders

Though they were dressed differently now, back in their heyday in the Jianghu, their robes were always stained red with the blood of others.

They had fought countless battles, always emerging victorious, which contributed to Dragon Heaven Valley’s status today.

Their presence in Dragon Heaven Valley was beyond significant. Apart from the leader, Mok Jin-myeong, no one could control them.

Swoosh!

A beautiful lady entered the hall, her skirt trailing behind her. Upon seeing her face, the Ten Blood Elders beamed.

“Seon-wol has arrived.”

“What brings our little lady to summon us all?”

The warmth in their voices was like that of grandparents seeing their beloved granddaughter.

This was no surprise, as Mok Seon Wol had practically been raised by them from birth.

They cherished her more than her own father, Mok Jin-myeong, and it was the Ten Blood Elders who had taught her martial arts. Thus, Mok Seon Wol too held them as dear as her own family.

Mok Seon Wol, usually unfailing in her smiles, bore a grave expression today.

“I apologize, elders. The situation is quite dire, so I’ll skip the pleasantries.”

“Oh? Sounds like something serious has happened.”

“Indeed.”

The Ten Blood Elders stirred, but Mok Seon Wol pressed on.

“I’ve just received urgent news that something unusual is happening in the White Light Sect. They’ve deployed the Heaven And Earth Net across their territory.”

“Hmm!”

“The Heaven And Earth Net?”

Deploying the Heaven And Earth Net indicated that a major event threatening White Light Sect’s existence had occurred.

“We don’t know why they’ve deployed it, but this is a great opportunity for us.”

“Opportunity? You don’t mean to suggest attacking the White Light Sect, do you?”

“That’s too aggressive. Of course, we’ll follow your decision no matter what.”

Seeing the Ten Blood Elders ready to ignite at the prospect, Mok Seon Wol couldn’t help but display a mix of amusement and exasperation.

The Ten Blood Elders were always looking for an excuse to venture out. It was a miracle they had stayed put in recent years.

Mok Seon Wol sighed softly before continuing.

“I don’t mean attacking. This is a prime opportunity to gauge White Light Sect’s strength. Deploying the Heaven And Earth Net means they’ll have to reveal all their hidden cards.”

“Aha!”

“I see what you mean.”

“As you know, the White Light Sect maintains a strange stance towards us. Not exactly enemies but not friends either. Their closed-off nature also makes it hard to gather internal information.”

An unpredictable neighbor was a dangerous one. Especially when that neighbor was a powerful sect like the White Light Sect, which belonged to the Ten Sects.

For this reason, Dragon Heaven Valley had always kept a wary eye on the White Light Sect, constantly attempting to gather intelligence. Yet, they had never managed to glean much.

Mok Seon Wol’s eyes sparkled with determination.

“So, this is the perfect chance to thoroughly investigate everything about the White Light Sect.”

“Indeed. Then, how should we proceed?”

“Everyone else stay here on standby. Only the third and fifth elders will accompany me.”

“What? Why leave us out?”

Those who weren’t chosen immediately raised their voices. Meanwhile, the ones selected chuckled to themselves.

The hall erupted into chaos, but Mok Seon Wol remained undisturbed.

‘I wonder who managed to turn the White Light Sect upside down like this. It must be someone extraordinary.’

No ordinary martial artist would prompt one of the Ten Great Sects to deploy the Heaven And Earth Net

＊＊＊

“Dad?”

As soon as Lee Cheong regained consciousness, the first person he called out for was Lee Gwak.

“Yes!”

“Is it really you, Dad?”

“Yes, it’s really me.”

Lee Gwak replied, carrying Lee Cheong on his back, not turning his head as he concentrated on advancing with his qigong. Yet, just hearing his voice brought a look of relief to Lee Cheong’s face.

Lee Cheong rubbed his cheek against the broad back of Lee Gwak, feeling the warmth proving this wasn’t a dream.

“Are you okay?”

Then a familiar voice called out.

Looking up, Lee Cheong saw Lee Soo-ah on Cheol Gwang Woo’s back.

“Sister?”

Tears welled up in Lee Cheong’s eyes.

The twins had spent their entire lives together.

Though they had been apart for only a short while, seeing each other again stirred deep emotions.

“Sister! We did it. We found Daddy.”

“Yes! Isn’t our dad amazing?”

“He’s amazing. Truly amazing.”

“Hehe!”

Lee Soo-ah laughed, though tears streamed down her cheeks.

It had seemed like an impossible dream, yet here it was, reality.

‘Now, if we find Mom, the whole family will be together.’

A family living together peacefully was a scene Lee Soo-ah had longed for, even in her dreams.

Lee Soo-ah hugged Cheol Gwang Woo’s neck, speaking to Lee Cheong.

“Let’s keep our spirits up just a little longer.”

“Yes!”

Lee Cheong nodded vigorously.

The wind blew, fluttering Lee Cheong’s hair. The chill didn’t reach him, likely because Lee Gwak was shielding most of it.

“Dad!”

“Yes, Cheong-ah.”

“I missed you.”

“Me too. Soo-ah talked so much about Cheong, I missed you terribly.”

“Really?”

“Of course!”

“Hehe!”

For the first time, Lee Cheong, often deemed mature beyond his years, flashed a truly youthful smile.

Even as Lee Gwak soared through the air, he patted Lee Cheong’s bottom reassuringly. Lee Cheong cherished the touch. However, they couldn’t indulge in this reunion forever; reality awaited.

“Dad, where are we heading?”

“North, to Lishan.”

“Is there a special reason we’re going to Lishan?”

“There’s a supreme physician there.”

“Divine physician ?”

“Yes! She can surely cure your illness.”

“Really?”

Lee Cheong’s eyes widened in surprise.

If Lee Gwak had turned his head, he would’ve seen Lee Cheong’s eyes wide as a rabbit’s. But that moment of wonder soon gave way to rapid thoughts.

‘Lishan, supreme physician …’

Despite his physical ailments limiting his exposure to the outside world, Lee Cheong’s mind was packed with knowledge of the Jianghu’s geography and factions.

Lee Cheong whispered into Lee Gwak’s ear.

“Dad, let’s head to where Dragon Heaven Valley is. We need to use them.”