Episode 431

Chaos Begins in the Most Unexpected Places (3)

News of Namgung Jing-geom’s death spread quickly throughout the region.

 

The Thousand Kingdom School tried desperately to suppress the rumors, but it was no use. This wasn’t just anyone, it was the death of a sect leader.

 

Even a single day of his absence would have people questioning his whereabouts. By the second day, unease had already begun to spread.

 

Anxiety among the people only continued to grow.

 

For those living under the Thousand Kingdom School’s rule, Namgung Jin-geom was more than a sect leader; he was their spiritual pillar. The fear brought on by his absence was indescribable.

 

And when the Thousand Kingdom School officially announced his death, they fell into despair, as if they had been plunged into a deep abyss.

 

The Thousand Kingdom School declared to the world that Namgung Jin-geom had been murdered by Dan Li-yeon of the Jade Heaven Alliance.

 

The world was stunned.

 

It was unbelievable that Dan Li-yeon, merely a disciple of the Jade Heaven Alliance’s leader, could have killed Namgung Jin-geom, one of the Seven Great Sect Leaders.

 

No matter how talented Dan Li-yeon was, she was only a late-stage expert. The idea that she could defeat Namgung Jin-geom, a seasoned master who had dominated the Jianghu for years, defied common sense.

 

Even if Dan Li-yeon was a prodigy, the gap in experience between her and Namgung Jin-geom was insurmountable. While there were occasional geniuses who could ignore such gaps, Dan Li-yeon was not considered one of them.

 

In the end, people thought that Dan Li-yeon had cheated, because otherwise, the death of Namgung Jin-geom didn’t make sense.

 

Regardless, this incident plunged the seemingly stabilizing Jianghu back into severe turmoil.

 

As expected, the Thousand Kingdom School declared vengeance and its wore donned blood-colored robes instead of their usual green ones.

 

They vowed not to take off their crimson robes until Namgung Jin-geom was avenged.

 

His death threw the world into deeper chaos.

 

The Thousand Kingdom School began reinforcing its forces for retaliation, and other sects, sensing the impending crisis, also rallied their strength.

 

People braced themselves for an imminent catastrophe.

 

Some fled to remote mountains and valleys to escape the coming storm, while those who couldn’t leave trembled in fear.

 

News of Namgung Jin-geom’s death even reached the Mad Martial Sect.

 

“Master Namgung’s death has been confirmed. The killer is Dan Li-yeon, the Blood Martial Empress.”

 

“Mmm…”

 

“Is it really true that master Namgung has passed?”

 

Upon hearing Lim Sobo’s report, the high-ranking members of Mad Martial Sect let out heavy sighs.

 

His death came as a massive shock even to them.

 

A sharp-eyed, middle-aged scholar who had remained silent until now spoke up.

 

“Are we certain it was Dan Li-yeon who killed Master Namgung?”

 

“Yes. The Thousand Kingdom School has already confirmed it.”

 

“Hmm…”

 

The middle-aged scholar exhaled deeply.

 

He was Cheong Un-san, the Bamboo Master, who had spent many years in the Jade Heaven Alliance’s inner court and knew Dan Li-yeon personally. He was well aware of her martial prowess.

 

But she was never at a level where she could defeat Namgung Jin-geom.

 

Deep furrows formed between his brows.

 

His gaze shifted toward Lee Gwak, who was sitting silently in the sect leader’s seat, lost in thought.

 

Cheong Un-san cautiously asked,

 

“Sect Leader, what are your thoughts on this situation?”

 

All eyes turned to Lee Gwak.

 

They, too, were curious about his opinion.

 

He was the only one present who had fought Dan Li-yeon directly, and thus the only person who truly understood her strength.

 

Lee Gwak finally spoke.

 

“Dan Li-yeon was never a match for Master Namgung. Under normal circumstances…”

 

“Are you implying that her circumstances were not normal?”

 

“That’s what I believe.”

 

When she ambushed him at Sipyeon, her martial prowess had been far beyond what it once was.

 

For someone who had been crippled to not only recover but also surpass their previous strength in such a short time defied all logic.

 

And if logic didn’t apply, it meant something unnatural had happened to her.

 

Lim Sobo interjected,

 

“Sect Leader, you think she’s learned the Forbidden Arts, don’t you?”

 

Though she spoke formally, her expression was tense.

 

“Most likely…”

 

“And the one who taught her must be the Alliance Leader.”

 

“Probably.”

 

“Sigh…”

 

Lim Sobo let out a heavy sigh.

 

 

 

Had she not been personally close to Dan Li-yeon, this might not have shaken her as much. But knowing her intimately, the idea that she had learned such a technique was deeply disturbing.

 

She voiced her thoughts.

 

“If the Alliance Lord is taking such a reckless gamble, it can only mean one thing. He intends to resolve everything by the end of this year.”

 

“Is that even possible? It’s been dragging on for years—how can he settle it all in just one?”

 

Cheong Un-san voiced his doubts.

 

Lim Sobo nodded in agreement.

 

“I think the same. Logically, it makes no sense. But looking at how things are unfolding, I can’t help but believe it.”

 

“Hmm…”

 

“The longer this drags on, the worse it is for the Jade Heaven Alliance. Public sentiment has already turned against them, and their isolation will only deepen.

So the Lord must feel an urgent need to turn things around quickly.”

 

“I agree with that reasoning, but it still seems unrealistic.”

 

“Look at what he did with Yeon-unni. He brought her back from being a cripple and turned her into a terrifying weapon. Who’s to say he hasn’t done the same with others?”

 

“Mmm…”

 

Cheong Un-san let out another sigh.

 

Lim Sobo’s reasoning made sense.

 

“We still don’t know what the alliance leader is up to, but it’s likely that something big will happen this year.”

 

“We must prepare.”

 

“Yes! We need to strengthen our forces and fortify our defenses. Most importantly, we must secure food and weapons. In the worst-case scenario, we may have to endure a siege.”

 

“Understood. I’ll take charge of that.”

 

“I’ll leave it to you.”

 

Lim Sobo turned to the others.

 

The intensity in her eyes made them tense up. She addressed them firmly.

 

“The real challenge begins now. Our forces are still meager compared to the Jade Heaven Alliance or the Seven Great Sects. A single moment of carelessness, and we could be swallowed whole. The Jade Heaven Alliance is an obvious enemy, but we can’t assume the Seven sects are entirely friendly either. If they’re cornered by the Alliance, there’s no telling what they might do. Everyone must stay sharp.”

 

“Understood, Strategist!”

 

“We’ll pay closer attention to external affairs from now on.”

 

“We’ll monitor the situation outside more closely.”

 

“We’ve done well so far. We’ve strengthened our forces steadily through the winter.”

 

By taking in orphans from the Zealous Justice Clan and wandering martial artists, Gwangmu Sect had doubled its fighting power. But that was only on the surface.

 

“Now, we need to build real strength. Just because our numbers have grown doesn’t mean those people are battle-ready. We must establish a clear command structure and train them thoroughly. That’s the only way we’ll survive in this chaos.”

 

Her voice carried an undeniable authority.

 

The Lim Sobo of today was nothing like the strategist who had once served in Sky High Castle.

 

She had reorganized the scattered Mad Martial Sect with astounding speed. Her ability to place the right people in the right positions left many in awe.

 

The Mad Martial Sect’s success was entirely due to her efforts.

 

Her age was no longer an issue—everyone acknowledged her competence.

 

Lim Sobo assigned tasks to each leader.

 

“Understood.”

 

“We’ll follow the Strategist’s orders.”

 

No one dared defy her.

 

The atmosphere in the hall grew heated.

 

Lee Gwak silently observed them.

 

Shadows darkened his eyes.

 

Thanks to Lim Sobo’s dedication and the leaders’ passion, they had come this far. But it still wasn’t enough.

 

We need more masters.

 

The Mad Martial Sect was less than a year old. Building this much strength in such a short time was commendable, but they were still lacking in many areas.

 

The most critical shortage was high-level martial artists who could truly support Lee Gwak.

 

Not just average martial artists—real powerhouses.

 

Such warriors weren’t easy to come by.

 

Only long-established sects like the Five Great Sects or the Seven Sects could cultivate them internally. The Mad Martial Sect, in its current state, couldn’t.

 

That meant recruiting from outside, but masters of that caliber were rare.

 

Sigh…

 

Lee Gwak exhaled quietly.

 

But only for a moment.

 

We’ve done well so far. The road ahead will be tough, but we’ll find a way. I’ll trust Sobo. I’ll trust them all.

 

He watched as Lim Sobo passionately led the meeting.

 

Where did such fiery determination come from in that small frame? She guided the discussion with overwhelming energy.

 

The meeting lasted a long time before finally concluding.

 

As Lee Gwak stepped outside, he rubbed his stiff neck and walked toward the training grounds.

 

“Hah!”

 

“Hyah!”

 

Martial Artists practiced their martial arts in the large training yard.

 

Given the diversity of their recruits, their fighting styles varied greatly.

 

Some had learned impressive techniques but lacked the insight to unleash their full potential. Others had mastered weak styles that wouldn’t be useful even with intense training.

 

Because their martial paths differed so greatly, even giving each other advice was difficult.

 

Lee Gwak sat for a while, watching them train.

 

Even under the scorching sun, they practiced relentlessly. Their passion moved him.

 

I need to create martial arts that are easier to learn.

 

Proper sects had countless secret manuals.

 

The Shaolin Temple had its Scripture Pavilion, and the Wudang Sect had its own repository.

 

True martial arts weren’t created overnight. The reason sects like Shaolin and Wudang stood as giants was because of their vast collections of secret techniques. These allowed them to systematically train disciples.

 

 

The newly established Mad Martial Sect was no match for the Five Great Sects or the Seven Sects.

 

They might collapse before they even got the chance. But that didn’t mean they could sit idle.

 

Lee Gwak had been working on creating simple martial arts for the orphans they had taken in.

 

The quicker learners had already mastered the basics and were ready to advance.

 

Regardless, he needed to develop more techniques for them.

 

‘I can’t just create random martial arts. I need a structured, step-by-step system.’

 

Inventing martial arts was no easy feat. Even grandmasters struggled with it. But he had no choice.

 

If he didn’t do it now, he might never get the chance.

 

Once the world descended further into chaos, whatever little time he had left would vanish.

 

Lee Gwak stood and headed back to the main hall where Lim Sobo was.

 

When he reappeared, she looked at him curiously.

 

“Brother!”

 

“I have a favor to ask.”

 

“A favor? Just give the order. I’ll carry out any command.”

 

“Gather martial arts manuals for me.”

 

“Manuals?”

 

“Yes. Any manuals from those who’ve joined us, or even common ones from the market. It doesn’t matter if they’re low-tier. The more, the better.”

 

“Are you planning to use them as references to create our sect’s unique martial arts?”

 

“I’ll at least try.”

 

“Ah!”

 

She had asked just in case, but when Lee Gwak confirmed it, Lim Sobo couldn’t hold back her exclamation.

 

She already knew that Lee Gwak was an extraordinary martial artist.

 

However, being a master and creating new martial arts were two different things entirely. Inventing techniques for others to learn was even more difficult.

 

The fact that Lee Gwak was willing to undertake such a monumental task left her stunned.

 

‘Creating a unique martial art for the Mad Martial Sect might be premature right now. But for a sect to endure, it’s something that must be done eventually. For the unity of the Sect, it’s necessary.’

 

Lim Sobo believed in Lee Gwak.

 

From a mediocre third-rate martial artist, he had reached this level in just over a decade.

 

The martial arts he had mastered were self-created.

 

He had every qualification of a grandmaster.

 

Lim Sobo nodded.

 

“Understood. I’ll gather as many manuals as I can.”

 

“Thank you!”

 

“Thank me? Of course the strategist must assist when the Sect Leader undertakes such a great task.”

 

“I might fail.”

 

“I believe in you, Brother.”

 

Her unwavering trust weighed on him slightly, but as the leader of a sect, this was a burden he had to bear.

 

From that day on, Lim Sobo quietly began collecting martial arts manuals.

 

Naturally, it wasn’t easy.

 

Martial artists guarded their manuals as fiercely as their lives. But Lim Sobo persuaded them earnestly, and eventually, a few agreed to share theirs.

 

The manuals they provided contained techniques that weren’t highly regarded in the Jianghu, mediocre at best.

 

But even the most unremarkable martial arts had something to offer.

 

Some manuals had been crafted from perspectives Lee Gwak had never considered before. While their paths to higher realms were blocked, they still offered fresh insights.

 

Before long, dozens of manuals had piled up in Lee Gwak’s quarters. He read and studied every single one of them without discrimination.

 

Time passed that way.