Chapter 332: Sichuan’s Upheaval (5)

“Go! Run faster!”

The expelled monk Ja Geum-jeong, holding the reins of the carriage horse, shouted and urged the horse.

Then, the running horse spoke with a dumbfounded expression as if it were absurd.

“You damned bald monk. Do you really think I’m a horse? And I’m already running with all my might without you nagging.”

Although it had the appearance of a horse, its true identity was the demonic beast Alyu.

The speed of Alyu when it ran with determination was incomparably faster than any ordinary horse.

Therefore, all of Mok Gyeong-un’s subordinates were riding on the roof of the carriage.

“I never thought I’d see someone riding a sword and flying.”

Sword riding and flying.

It literally meant riding on a sword and flying.

It sounded simple at first, but freely riding and controlling a sword was a sophisticated technique as much as sword mastery.

As Seop Chun clicked his tongue and spoke, Mong Mu-yak also recalled that scene from earlier.

Mok Gyeong-un, who had suddenly gotten off the carriage, had an unusual expression on his face, and saying he would go ahead first, he flew away riding on his sword.

Why was he in such a hurry all of a sudden?

Was it because of the confrontation between the Sichuan Tang Clan and the Green Forest?

Anyway, it seemed like they had to hurry and catch up with their lord.

***

The expression of Tang In-hae, the head of the Sichuan Tang Clan, hardened.

It was due to the sudden appearance of another unknown person.

‘Who the hell is that?’

The sight of him standing on a single sword, accompanied by a swirl of black fog, was truly mystical and even awe-inspiring.

“…Clan Leader. Isn’t that sword riding and flying?”

Deputy Head Tang Cheol-young spoke with his mouth agape, unable to hide his astonishment.

Sword riding and flying was something impossible unless one had reached a high level of sword mastery, lightness skill, and true energy control.

Even he himself, who had surpassed the pinnacle-stage and reached the realm of Transformation, couldn’t perform such a supreme skill.

Tang Clan Leader Tang In-hae’s gaze didn’t leave the unidentified person riding on the sword.

Although he was far away, he looked very young at a glance.

However, if he had reached such a realm, he could appear young due to profound internal energy and rebirth, so it was difficult to make a judgment.

‘Just what is going on?’

Tang In-hae was more confused by the situation than the identity of that person.

Not only had the hidden protector of the Tang Clan, the Yoo Family, appeared, but a supreme expert who could be called not just Eight Stars but even a true grandmaster had also shown up.

He could guess that the appearance of the Yoo Family member was due to the confrontation with the Green Forest.

But he couldn’t understand that person at all.

Why had such a monster-like individual appeared at this particular time?

***

It was a truly coincidental occurrence.

No one had ordered or done it, but just a moment ago, the Green Forest bandits were in an uproar due to the confrontation between Green Forest Fighting King Seok Pae-ung and the unidentified young man named Yoo Moo-jin.

But now, it was as if no one was present, and silence filled the air.

Everyone present was tense and gripped by a sense of intimidation due to the appearance of a single person.

It was none other than Mok Gyeong-un.

-Rumble!

It was like the feeling of prey standing before a ferocious beast.

‘…This is crazy.’

Green Forest Fighting King Seok Pae-ung couldn’t take his eyes off Mok Gyeong-un, his face filled with tension.

He was emitting a sinister and tyrannical black energy from his entire body, and just looking at it made it difficult to breathe.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t had a similar experience before.

It was the same as when he first met that person, one of the Six Heavens.

At that time, he was also crushed by the overwhelming presence and found it difficult to even speak.

But he never thought he would experience that feeling again.

‘Who the hell is he?’

Aside from that one person from the Six Heavens, he knew the appearances of most others to some extent.

But he had never seen someone like that before.

Based on his face alone, he didn’t even look like he was in his twenties, but it was hard to believe what he saw.

However, one thing he could be certain of.

‘He’s definitely… not from the righteous path.’

There was no one among the righteous cultivators who possessed such a sinister energy.

The energy emanating from that person felt like darkness itself.

If that was the case, he seemed to be from the evil faction, but he had never heard of such a person even in the Four Evils Alliance.

At that moment,

-Tap!

Mok Gyeong-un, who had been riding on the demonic sword Evil Commandment Sword, landed on the ground with a light movement.

The moment Mok Gyeong-un’s figure touched the ground, the Green Forest bandits unknowingly took a deep breath and exhaled.

They hadn’t been able to breathe properly due to the overwhelming pressure, although it wasn’t for very long.

Then, someone opened their mouth.

“I don’t know what purpose you’re here for, but if you had just left, you would have almost regretted it.”

It was none other than Yoo Moo-jin.

Even Green Forest Fighting King Seok Pae-ung, one of the top experts of the Eight Stars in the martial arts world, was overwhelmed by the pressure and couldn’t speak, but he was different.

Although it was quite different from when he faced Seok Pae-ung, he still had a relaxed demeanor.

It was a composure that could only come from absolute confidence in one’s own strength.

-Click!

At that moment, the demonic sword Evil Commandment Sword, which had been floating in the air, was sheathed into the scabbard at Mok Gyeong-un’s waist.

As the sword was sheathed, Mok Gyeong-un swept his gaze around once and then turned his eyes to Yoo Moo-jin, opening his mouth.

“Since you were fighting the Green Forest, I can assume you’re on the same side as the Tang Clan, right?”

In response to that question, Yoo Moo-jin scratched his head and replied,

“Well, in the current situation, it seems that way, but asking such a question means you’re not someone who is favorable towards the Sichuan Tang Clan, right?”

“Favorable… For now, I guess you could say that.”

At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, Yoo Moo-jin rubbed his unnaturally swollen chest muscles and said,

“As I thought, it would have been a big problem if I had just left.”

“A big problem?”

“It was fine to leave these mountain bandits alone, but it seems you’re different.”

-Rumble!

A glint flashed in Yoo Moo-jin’s eyes.

He had exceptional eyes passed down from his ancestors.

It allowed him to discern the strength of an opponent through color, and the Mok Gyeong-un he saw with his two eyes was completely different from anyone he had seen before.

It was the first time he had seen someone completely black.

The size of that black energy was overwhelming everyone present.

‘If I had just left, it would have caused trouble.’

It was difficult to compare the danger level with the Green Forest bandits.

Even if they outnumbered them, the potential of the Sichuan Tang Clan was not to be underestimated.

But that seemed quite dangerous.

He wasn’t the only one thinking this way.

‘Strange.’

With his third eye open, Mok Gyeong-un could also clearly see Yoo Moo-jin’s energy.

That energy was completely different from ordinary martial artists.

It was similar to innate true energy, yet different.

The purity of the energy was high, and it seemed like the surrounding natural energy had gathered together.

It was quite interesting how it circulated throughout his entire body.

-Whoosh!

What was even more peculiar was that the energy was condensed and suppressed by something.

That was probably,

‘That thing?’

It seemed to be because of the golden bracelet he was wearing on his right hand.

Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes narrowed.

The golden bracelet didn’t seem to be an ordinary object.

An immense amount of innate true energy that couldn’t even be compared to So Yerin or Joo Woonhyang was emanating from the bracelet, and apart from that, it formed hundreds, no, thousands of loops as if numerous spell techniques were merged into one.

That object had surpassed the level that could be called a treasured artifact.

At that moment, Yoo Moo-jin turned his neck, stretching his muscles, and opened his mouth.

-Bulge! Bulge!

“Since you said you’re not favorable towards the Tang Clan, I can’t just leave, so I’ll have to subdue you.”

“…Subdue? You’re saying something interesting.”

At his words, Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes sharpened.

It seemed he had to deal with this person first in order to settle things with the Tang Clan.

If this person deliberately tried to interfere, it would be difficult to do anything.

-Shing!

Mok Gyeong-un drew the demonic sword Evil Commandment Sword from his waist.

-Tremble tremble tremble!

As if detecting the energy of a strong opponent it was meeting for the first time, the blade of Evil Commandment Sword trembled, emitting a strong resonance.

It was like a competitive spirit.

“…Fighting King. What should we do about this? Are you just going to watch?”

At the question of Hyungtaek, who could be considered his left arm, Green Forest Fighting King Seok Pae-ung couldn’t hide his inner perplexity.

That newly appeared bastard and the guy named Yoo Moo-jin were having a conversation and creating an atmosphere to fight as if they didn’t even care about them.

It was a humiliating situation, so it was absurd, but it seemed that if they carelessly intervened between these two monsters, it would only cause trouble.

‘shit.’

However, no matter what, he couldn’t easily admit it and suggest retreating in front of his numerous subordinates.

“Fighting King?”

At the urging call of his left arm, the Throwing Killing Guest Hyungtaek, Seok Pae-ung frowned and then turned his gaze to the newly appeared person.

‘Wait a moment… Come to think of it, that person said with his own mouth that he wasn’t favorable towards the Tang Clan.’

That was the reason he was currently confronting that monster guy named Yoo Moo-jin.

If that was the case, he needed to think differently.

There was a saying that the enemy of an enemy is a friend.

If that person’s goal was also the Tang Clan, he might be able to persuade him and form an alliance.

With this in mind, Seok Pae-ung spoke to Mok Gyeong-un.

“Hey, you. If your goal is also the Tang Clan, how about working together?”

‘Yes, this is it.’

It wasn’t bad as a justification.

He could make up an excuse to his subordinates, and while these monsters fought each other, he could pressure the Tang Clan and gain practical benefits.

If this guy had any sense, he wouldn’t easily dismiss his proposal.

“While you deal with that guy, we will…”

-Boom!

Before he could even finish his words.

With an ear-splitting explosive sound and an immense energy rushing towards him, Seok Pae-ung crossed his arms without a moment to think.

“What?”

-Whoosh!

Despite activating his protective energy, his body was pushed back more than ten steps, unable to withstand the tremendous shockwave.

He wondered what was happening all of a sudden, but when he lowered his crossed arms, his eyes widened.

Mok Gyeong-un’s sword and Yoo Moo-jin’s fist had already clashed and were in a confrontational state.

What was astonishing was that even though they had merely clashed their sword and fist, the aftermath was so strong that the ground where the two were standing had caved in more than ten jang (approx. 33 meters) and was cracked and split in all directions.

“Ugh…”

“Bo- Boss!”

The nearby executives of the Green Forest, including the left arm Throwing Killing Guest Hyungtaek, were also blown away by this aftermath and were rolling on the ground.

They seemed to have failed to withstand this power at all and had even suffered internal injuries.

At this sight,

-Gulp!

Seok Pae-ung swallowed his dry saliva.

These two monsters were on a completely different level.

They hadn’t even clashed properly and had only exchanged a single move, but if the aftermath was this severe, his subordinates might end up dying in large numbers if he wasn’t careful.

Sacrificing them just to protect his pride was a foolish act.

Therefore, Seok Pae-ung no longer cared about his pride or anything else and shouted to his subordinates, infusing his internal energy.

“Retreat!!!”

As soon as his shout ended, the Green Forest bandits quickly distanced themselves and retreated in an orderly manner as if they had been waiting for it.

As the Green Forest bandits moved away, Yoo Moo-jin grinned and said,

“Now that the distractions are gone, let’s do this properly.”

-Bulge! Bulge!

With those words, Yoo Moo-jin’s reddened right arm muscles swelled even more.

Then, Mok Gyeong-un’s figure, who had been matching his demonic sword Evil Commandment Sword against his fist, gradually began to be pushed back.

-Whoosh!

It was when he had been pushed back about five steps.

Ripples appeared on the blade of Mok Gyeong-un’s sword.

Along with that, Yoo Moo-jin’s fist, which had been pushing forward with strength, was bounced upward as if repelled by the wondrous principle of the Scripture of Transferring True Qi.

‘Huh?’

It didn’t end there.

-Bam!

Mok Gyeong-un stomped his foot strongly on the ground.

Then, pulling the blade, he thrust the sword forward.

With that, a whirlwind of qi surged from the tip of the sword, rushing towards Yoo Moo-jin’s abdomen with a storm-like momentum.