chapter 258

Time Flows Like a River, and the Jianghu Moves On (1)

The Jade Heaven Alliance began their war, proving that their declaration of war against the Nine Sects was not mere empty words.

The Nine Sects naturally resisted, but the Jade Heaven Alliance ignored their objections and launched an attack. Their first target was the Zealous Justice Clan.

The Zealous Justice Clan was a coalition established by Go Geon-wol, the master of the Cheongsan Sword Sect, who had made significant contributions during the Great Heavenly Blood War. After the war, Go Geon-wol united the nearby martial clans to form the Zealous Justice Clan, which had considerable influence in the northern part of the Jianghu.

The head of the Zealous Justice Clan was Yeom Jung-hak, known as the Soul-Severing Martial Master..

As the leader, Yeom Jung-hak was a formidable martial artist, and in northern Jianghu, there were few who could match him. For this reason, he reigned as the supreme ruler of the North.

Outwardly, Yeom Jung-hak was known as a righteous and honorable martial artist. However, those close to him knew the truth: he was extremely prideful and never forgot a grudge.

He was the type who could not rest until he repaid even the smallest grudge tenfold. Because of that, people were reluctant to form any enmity with him.

Naturally, his pride was strong, and he detested being seen as subordinate to anyone. This was the only reason he didn’t attend the Heavenly Assembly.

He simply couldn’t stand attending an event where he would have to acknowledge himself as being beneath Ja Hong Cheon.

In fact, he subtly looked down on Ja Hong Cheon, believing that despite Ja Hong Cheon’s martial prowess and influence, he could never compare to the Zealous Justice Clan, which had ruled the North for over a century.

This attitude made the Zealous Justice Clan the prime target of the Jade Heaven Alliance.

Since the Zealous Justice Clan was located far from the Jade Heaven Alliance, Yeom Jung-hak felt somewhat reassured. He assumed that the Jade Heaven Alliance would first target the nearby factions of the Nine Sects.

Most people thought the same as Yeom Jung-hak. They believed that factions like the White Light Sect or Dragon Heaven Valley, which were closer to the Jade Heaven Alliance, would be attacked first. But Ja Hong Cheon defied all expectations and struck the farthest faction first: the Zealous Justice Clan.

Their surprise attack happened without any warning. Also, they could not detect any troop movements in advance. As a result, the Zealous Justice Clan fell helplessly.

Whoosh!

The Zealous Justice Clan, which had stood strong in the northern Jianghu for a hundred years, was now engulfed in flames. The fire blazed fiercely, reaching toward the heavens, painting the night sky red.

“Ja Hong Cheon! Did it have to come to this?”

The Zealous Justice Clan’s leader, Yeom Jung-hak, looked at the elderly man standing before him with a fierce, twisted expression.

The old man appeared ordinary at first glance. His gaze was unremarkable, and his aura seemed unimpressive. However, facing him, Yeom Jung-hak felt an overwhelming pressure that made his entire body feel like it was being crushed.

The greatness of this man could only be understood by those who stood directly before him.

The old man in front of Yeom Jung-hak was none other than Ja Hong Cheon, the leader of the Jade Heaven Alliance and the one known as the Limitless Sword Emperor.

He was the undisputed supreme master of the Jianghu and the source of the current bloodstorm sweeping through it.

Ja Hong Cheon looked down at Yeom Jung-hak with half-closed eyes, clearly seeing him as beneath him. This made Yeom Jung-hak’s expression grow even more humiliating.

“How could you do this? How could you attack a fellow member of the Ten Sects? What crime has the Zealous Justice Clan committed to deserve this?”

“Just because others call you one of the Ten Sects, you really think you’re on the same level as me.”

“What…?”

“The founder of the Zealous Justice Clan was a coward.”

“Silence! How dare you insult our founder, Ja Hong Cheon, no matter how dire the situation?”

“It’s not an insult; it’s the truth. At the end of the Great Heavenly Blood War, when the Jade Heaven Alliance and other martial sects seemed on the verge of driving out the Demonic Cult, he sought power and sowed discord among the leaders. In the end, he was disgraced and expelled.”

“That’s…”

“The Zealous Justice Clan was founded by a coward. And like your founder, you’ve proven yourself to be a coward by betraying our alliance.”

“This is a misunderstanding. I can explain everything.”

“You had years to explain yourself. Now you want to explain? Even a stray dog would laugh.”

“Do we really have to go through with this?”

“If I were going to change my mind now, I wouldn’t have begun this great journey.”

“So you insist on seeing this through to the end.”

Yeom Jung-hak gritted his teeth and gathered his qi.

Although he was called a wolf always scheming for opportunities, he was a martial fanatic who had not stopped training for even a single day over the past decades.

Whoooom!

An immense force emanated from his entire body, and his two hands began to glow.

The Holy Demonic Palm,

It was the strongest martial art of Zealous Justice Clan, which he had spent thirty years perfecting.

His two hands, shining like stars, contained tens of thousands of pounds of force, capable of tearing apart a one-foot-thick steel door like a piece of paper.

‘If I kill Ja Hong Cheon, everything will be restored. Not only can I rebuild the Zealous Justice Clan, but I’ll be celebrated as the hero who crushed the Jade Heaven Alliance’s ambitions.’

“Die, Ja Hong Cheon!”

Flash!

Yeom Jung-hak launched himself at Ja Hong Cheon.

Slash!

The air split under the immense power radiating from his hand as it shot toward Ja Hong Cheon.

Instantly, Ja Hong Cheon’s eyes turned cold.

In that instant, Ja Hong Cheon’s gaze turned icy.

Swish!

The sword at his waist drew itself and attacked Yeom Jung-hak.

Ja Hong Cheon remained with his hands behind his back; but the sword moved on its own.

“This… Qi-Controlled Sword?”

An expression of disbelief appeared on Yeom Jung-hak’s face.

Qi-Controlled Sword was one of the highest levels of swordsmanship.

It was a supreme realm comparable to the legendary Heart Sword or Formless Sword.

Clang! Clang!

The sword, without its master, relentlessly drove Yeom Jung-hak back.

Yeom Jung-hak defended himself with the Holy Demonic Palm, trying to repel the qi-controlled sword.

Watching this, the corners of Ja Hong Cheon’s mouth lifted. It was clearly a sneer.

“You’re holding up well. But what if there were more swords?”

Clang!

Suddenly, a dozen swords lying around the battlefield rose into the air. These were the weapons of Yeom Jung-hak’s fallen guards.

“How is this possible? How much internal energy does he possess…?”

Yeom Jung-hak’s beard quivered in fear.

To wield even one qi-controlled sword required an enormous amount of internal energy, enough to completely exhaust most martial artists. Yet Ja Hong Cheon controlled over a dozen swords without any visible effort.

Clang, clang, clang!

The swords moved continuously, attacking Yeom Jung-hak in an unending flurry, like a perfectly synchronized machine.

In contrast, Yeom Jung-hak only had two hands.

Despite wielding his strongest technique, the Holy Demonic Palm, he was quickly overwhelmed.

Within thirty seconds, Yeom Joong-hak’s movements faltered and Ja Hong Cheon’s swords seized the opportunity.

Thud!

A sword pierced through Yeom Jung-hak’s left thigh.

“Aaaagh!”

His scream echoed through the sky. But unfortunately for him, Ja Hong-cheon’s swords still awaited.

Thud, thud, thud!

Swords continuously pierced Yeom Jung-hak’s body.

They mercilessly stabbed his other thigh, arms, stomach and chest. Yeom Jung-hak was instantly transformed into a human porcupine.

“Ugh…”

Yeom Jung-hak couldn’t even fall. The swords impaling him held him upright.

He groaned in agony, unable to do anything.

Ja Hong Cheon approached him.

“How disappointing. Even the young dragon of the Celestial Demon Troupe fought better than you. At least he managed to wound me.

His eyes glinted with contempt, but Yeom Jung-hak couldn’t offer a retort. Darkness soon overtook him.

Thus ended Yeom Jung-hak.

It was a futile end, unworthy of the master of the Zealous Justice Clan, but none of those who watched their battle from afar thought so.

Yeom Jung-hak wasn’t weak. Ja Hong Cheon was simply too powerful.

His martial prowess had transcended the limits of human ability.

At this moment, Ja Hong Cheon became a supreme-ruler of war in the minds of the people.

“Victory!”

“The Alliance Leader has won!”

The Jade Heaven Alliance’s martial artists roared, and the remaining martial artists of the Zealous Justice Clan, having lost all will to fight, surrendered.

Thus, the Zealous Justice Clan, which held its place among the Ten Sects for a hundred years, crumbled.

No one expected the Zealous Justice Clan to collapse so easily. Even the Hao Clan, which was well-versed in Jianghu’s information, didn’t anticipate it.

“Master, we have won.”

“Everything here has been taken care of.”

“Master.”

Three young martial artists gathered around Ja Hong-cheon.

They were Ja Hong-cheon’s disciples: Yong Cheon-myeong, Woon Dae Yon, and Dan Li-yeon.

Yong Cheon-myeong and Woon Dae Yon’s faces were flushed with excitement, but Dan Li-yeon’s expression was shadowed with sorrow.

When Ja Hong Cheon declared war on the Nine Sects, his disciples naturally became involved in the conflict.

Ja Hong Cheon had announced that he would pass on the mantle of leadership to whichever disciple made the most contributions. This promise thrilled Yong Cheon-myeong and Dan Li-yeon.

Yong Cheon-myeong, having fallen out of favor due to the incident with the Celestial Demon Troupe, and Woon Dae Yon, who had lived in the shadow of Yong Cheon-myeong’s prowess, saw this war as a golden opportunity.

Driven by ambition, they slaughtered the martial artists of the Zealous Justice Clan. The blood that drenched their clothing bore testament to their deeds.

Dan Li-yeon, however, couldn’t lift her head.

She had no interest in becoming the next leader. Her only desire was to pursue martial arts in peace. But disobeying her master’s orders was unthinkable.

Thus, she too fought at the front lines, cutting down the martial artists of the Zealous Justice Clan, though not with the same ferocity as her fellow disciples.

Now, guilt and sorrow weighed heavily on her heart. And worse, this war wouldn’t end with the fall of the Zealous Justice Clan.

Ja Hong Sheon had declared war against all Nine Sects.

There were still eight more sects to confront, and countless lives would be lost in the process.

‘At this rate, even Seon Wol and I will become enemies.’

Dan Li-yeon thought of her dearest friend, Mok Seon Wol.

Mok Seon Wol was the young mistress of Dragon Heaven Valley.

The moment the Jade Heaven Alliance went to war with Dragon Heaven Valley, Dan Li-yeon and Mok Seon Wol would be forced to face each other as enemies.

Just then, Ja Hong Cheon turned his gaze toward Yong Cheon-myeong.

“Where is your confidant?”

“Pardon?”

“The one called Gu Mun-hoe.”

“Oh! He said he had an urgent matter to attend to and left the alliance headquarters.”

“He left?”

“Yes!”

Yong Cheon-myeong’s face twisted in confusion.

Gu Mun-hoe, who had been advising him diligently, had suddenly disappeared a few days earlier, leaving him in a difficult position. Now, his master was asking about him.

“Tsk! A fox.”

“Pardon?”

“How did he know his own home would be our next target and flee?”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s obvious he’s returned to the White Light Sect. You must have suspected this as well.”

“Ugh!”

Yong Cheon-myeong’s expression crumbled.

He never imagined Ja Hong-cheon knew that Gu Munhoe was originally from the White Light Sect.

Cold sweat dripped down his spine.

‘Is there anything the master doesn’t know?’

Fear crept into Yong Cheon-myeong’s gaze as he looked at Ja Hong Cheon.

At that moment, Woon Dae Yon, his sworn brother, stepped forward.

“Does that mean the White Light Sect is our next target?”

“Yes. We will strike the White Light Sect next. If they dared to cause trouble in my house, they must pay the price.”

There was an unmistakable bloodlust in Ja Hong Cheon’s voice.

All three disciples trembled in fear.

They had always believed they understood Ja Hong Cheon best. But now, they realized how gravely mistaken they were.

Their master was far more terrifying and ruthless than they’d ever imagined. And now, they had become instruments of his will, destined to bring a storm of bloodshed upon the world.

‘Ah…’

Dan Li-yeon squeezed her eyes shut.

＊＊＊

A bloodstorm swept across the martial world.

At the heart of it was the Jade Heaven Alliance.

With terrifying momentum, they obliterated the Zealous Justice Clan and advanced upon the White Light Sect.

Having lost key martial artists such as Noh Tae-tae due to Lee Gwak, the White Light Sect was no match for the Jade Heaven Alliance.

In the end, the White Light Sect fell swiftly.

The shocking news sent waves of disbelief through the Jianghu. They realized that the Jade Heaven Alliance’s true strength was far greater than what had been previously known.

Many believed that the Jade Heaven Alliance would soon conquer all the remaining sects from the Nine Sects. Such was the overwhelming force the alliance displayed.

However, the situation did not unfold as expected.

Alarmed by the escalating threat, the remaining sects of the Nine sects united. They acknowledged that no single sect could resist the Jade Heaven Alliance alone and chose to combine their forces.

Thus, the war dragged on longer than anticipated.

And three years passed.