Episode 436

 

 A storm sweeps through the Jianghu (2)

 

The Mad Martial Sect grew rapidly.

 

First, it expanded in size by taking in disciples from annihilated sects and wandering martial artists. However, since these new recruits came from diverse backgrounds, unity became an issue.

 

This problem was solved by Cheol Gwang-woo.

 

Under the pretext of teaching the martial arts created by Lee Gwak, he relentlessly drilled the disciples.

 

Those who had reached a certain level of mastery were exempt, but their numbers were few. Most had no choice but to endure Cheol Gwang-woo’s orders and discipline.

 

Had he exercised violence without restraint, there would have been an complaints. But Cheol Gwang-woo used force only when absolutely necessary, so open resistance was rare.

 

Once he had exhausted the disciples, it was Lim Jimun’s role to console them.

 

With his natural charm, Lim Jimun would mingle with the disciples and lift their spirits.

 

Thanks to that, the disciples endured the harsh training and diligently practiced their martial arts.

 

They had previously learned other techniques, so they were initially skeptical of Lee Gwak’s martial arts.

 

However, under Cheol Gwang-woo’s guidance, that skepticism melted away like snow.

 

The One Pillar Heart Art, in particular, absorbed their existing internal energy without resistance. In other words, they didn’t need to abandon their current techniques to transition to the new internal energy method.

 

The martial artists understood how extraordinary that was.

 

The Eight Paths Blade and Sword Technique was equally astonishing.

 

Especially when using the Eight Paths Thunder Step with those techniques, the resulting power was beyond imagination.

 

Even at the beginner level, the techniques were formidable, they could only wonder what their full potential would be once mastered.

 

“Did our sect leader really create all these martial arts himself?”

 

“That’s what they say.”

 

“Just how high has his martial prowess reached to create such techniques?”

 

“He’s already said to stand on equal footing with the Lord of Changcheon at such a young age.”

 

“It’s hard to believe.”

 

“Just watch. We might not rival the Seven Sects or the Five Great Sects now, but in time, the Mad Martial Sect will stand among them.”

 

“Being a disciple of the Mad Martial Sect is truly a stroke of luck.”

 

The murmurs of the martial artists lifted the spirits of Pi Jin-ui and Jo So-hye.

 

Since others had already seen the results, further validation was unnecessary.

 

Pi Jin-ui and Jo So-hye devoted themselves to teaching the orphans.

 

Without any preconceived notions or bad habits, the children progressed faster than the adults. Some had already begun sensing their internal energy and even circulating it.

 

The children’s rapid growth delighted Pi Jin-ui and Jo So-hye, but it also made them nervous. If they weren’t careful, these young disciples might surpass them.

 

The children’s progress became a powerful motivator, driving the two to train harder and teach better, creating a virtuous cycle.

 

Thus, the Mad Martial Sect developed rapidly.

 

At its center was Lee Gwak.

 

His mere presence drew people in, and merchant caravans came seeking trade.

 

The death of the Myriad Merchant Troupe’s leader had weakened unity among the merchant guilds. Those with bases in the north, in particular, were breaking away.

 

Fearing that they might no longer receive protection from the Myriad Merchant Troupe, they began seeking alternatives.

 

One of which was the rapidly expanding Mad Martial Sect  in the north.

 

Rumors spread that Mad Martial Sect’s martial strength was more formidable than expected.

 

The merchants needed protection. And the Mad Martial Sect needed funds. Though they still had much of the wealth looted from the Heavenly Fate Sect, more money was always better, especially in uncertain times like these.

 

Lim Sobo negotiated shrewd deals with the visiting trading groups.

 

What surprised the merchants most was the geography of Heavenly Fate Sect, Mad Martial Sect’s base.

 

Surrounded by rugged mountains in the back and a flowing river in the front, fortified with all sorts of traps and mechanisms, it was a perfect fortress.

 

Inside this impregnable fortress, children were being forged into steadfast warriors, while seasoned martial artists sweated to grow even stronger.

 

Merchants had an eye for potential.

 

Having dealt with countless people and sects, they could instinctively distinguish those destined for greatness from those doomed to fail.

 

To their eyes, the Mad Martial Sect’s potential was limitless. The sect’s atmosphere was vibrant, brimming with collective ambition. Such places thrived naturally.

 

The Mad Martial Sect remote location was another advantage. Far from the heart of the Jianghu, it would be less affected by the chaos of the Bloody Turmoil.

 

Above all, the Mad Martial Sect had Lee Gwak.

 

With an absolute martial artist like him at its core, the sect would continue to rise without collapsing.

 

“From now on, this region will revolve around the Mad Martial Sect.”

 

“Judging by the momentum, it won’t take more than a few years for them to firmly establish themselves.”

 

Normally, it took at least a generation—twenty or thirty years—for a sect to take root and be recognized as a major faction. But with an absolute master like Lee Gwak and a strategist like Lim So-bo, things were different. The merchants, as always, recognized this and treated the Mad Martial Sect as a rising power in the north.

 

They saw immense potential in it.

 

In these chaotic times, having a sect like the Mad Martial Sect nearby was a great comfort to the merchants. Having a reliable ally in times of crisis was a significant advantage.

 

Lim So-bo watched the merchants depart through the window of the Heaven Reaching Pavilion.

 

The merchants were satisfied, and so was she.

 

“Now we don’t have to worry about funds.”

 

Running a sect without financial concerns was a blessing.

 

Lim So-bo smiled and sipped her tea.

 

It was brewed from leaves gifted by a merchant who had boasted about their quality—and rightly so. The aroma and taste were exquisite.

 

Good tea cleared the mind, and it was the only luxury Lim So-bo indulged in.

 

Despite being buried in work every day, with barely any time to rest, she always set everything aside for tea.

 

Slurp!

 

The sound of her sipping tea echoed softly in the room.

 

This moment was peaceful.

 

She wished it could last forever. But the heavens seemed unwilling to grant her wish.

 

“Strategist!”

 

Cheong Un-san burst in, holding a letter.

 

“Sigh!”

 

Sensing the end of her peaceful moment, Lim So-bo quietly set down her cup.

 

Cheong Un-san placed the letter on the table.

 

“It’s from the Hao Clan.”

 

“Just this one?”

 

“The rest were filtered out below. This one felt strange, so I brought it directly.”

 

“Strange?”

 

“Yes. Read it yourself—you’ll see what I mean.”

 

Lim Sobo unfolded the letter.

 

As she read, a deep crease formed between her brows.

 

“One of the Hao Clan’s branches was annihilated?”

 

 

 

“It’s just a minor branch with about a dozen members, but something still felt off.”

 

“Do they know who did it?”

 

“Hao Clan is investigating, but the culprit hasn’t been identified yet.”

 

“That is odd.”

 

“Isn’t it?”

 

“Yes. Identifying someone isn’t exactly hard for the Hao Clan.”

 

“They’re not neglecting it, either. They’re doing everything they can to trace the culprit, and they still haven’t found anything.”

 

Either the Hao Clan is incompetent, or the perpetrator is far too capable.”

 

“But as you know, the Hao Sect is far from incompetent. Like most sects, they don’t forget grudges easily. If they lost even a dozen members, they wouldn’t let it slide. And yet, they haven’t identified the attacker.”

 

“Hmm!”

 

Lim Sobo let out a low hum.

 

This wasn’t Mad Martial Sect’s business.

 

They could easily ignore it. The Hao Clan’s grudges were their own to settle.

 

And the Hao Clan likely wasn’t seeking help, just providing information.

 

Yet… something about it bothered her.

 

Lim Sobo had worked hard to build ties with Hao Clan since her time in Jade Heaven Alliance. She knew better than anyone how formidable the Hao Clan’s intelligence network was.

 

That such a network had failed to identify the attacker… It defied belief.

 

She finally spoke.

 

“There are only two ways to evade Hao Clan’s pursuit.”

 

“What are they?”

 

Cheong Un-san leaned in with interest.

 

“One, you die. Dead men can’t be tracked.”

 

“And the second?”

 

“Someone with an intelligence network as vast as the Hao Clan’s is actively distorting the trail.”

 

“Then the second is more likely. The killer who massacred the branch wouldn’t die easily.”

 

“I agree.”

 

“So, an organization with intelligence capabilities matching the Hao Clan would be…”

 

“…Only the Jade Heaven Alliance. Only their Heavenly Intelligence Hall could disrupt the Hao Clans operations.”

 

“Are you saying the Heavenly Intelligence Hall massacred the Hao Clan branch?”

 

“No. The Heavenly Intelligence Hall gathers intelligence, they don’t carry out executions.”

 

“Right…”

 

Cheong Un-san shook his head.

 

“Then someone from the Jade Heaven Alliance massacred the Hao Clan branch, and the Heavenly Intelligence Hall is covering their tracks.”

 

“But it was just a small branch. Why go to such lengths?”

 

“Two things matter: the killer’s identity and their motive.”

 

“Motive?”

 

“As you said, it was just a small branch, insignificant even to the Hao Clan. Yet they were all killed, and the killer’s identity was concealed. That means the branch must have held crucial information, and the killer must have had a compelling reason to hide.”

 

“Hmm!”

 

Cheong Un-san let out a low groan.

 

The more Lim So-bo spoke, the more tangled his thoughts became.

 

Lim Sobo tapped her fingers against the table.

 

She recalled the Jade Heaven Alliance’s recent movements.

 

“They used Dan Li-yeon to kill Namgung Jin-geom of the Thousand Kingdom School, drawing the Jianghu’s attention. Then, amid the chaos, they assassinated the Merchant King of the Myriad Merchant Troupe. They’ve crippled two of the Jianghu’s greatest strengths: Jianghu and wealth. What’s left? The Hao Clan, information.”

 

Her eyes sharpened.

 

Her intuition whispered that she was close to the truth.

 

“Until now, the Jade Heaven Alliance has suffered heavy losses in intelligence battles because of the Hao Clan. No matter what they did, they couldn’t deceive the Hao Clan’s eyes. Worse, the Hao Clan supplied their enemies with high-quality intelligence, making it hard for the league to strategize. So now, they’re trying to destabilize the Hao Clan.”

 

“But the Hao Clan is spread out. They’re not centralized like us.”

 

“Still, they have one head.”

 

“A head? You mean the Jade Heaven Alliance is targeting their leader?”

 

“That’s my guess.”

 

“Then why massacre a branch?”

 

“Maybe that branch knew the location of the Hao Clan leader. They tortured them for the information.

 

“And massacred the entire branch to cover it up?”

 

“More likely to conceal the killer’s identity.”

 

“Is that so important?”

 

“Pursuing the Hao Clan leader is no small matter. Mobilizing large forces would alert the Hao Clan’s intelligence network. A small elite team, or even a single absolute master, would be more efficient.”

 

“You don’t mean…”

 

“It’s possible that Ja Hong-cheon himself is moving.”

 

According to Lim So-bo’s intelligence, Ja Hong-cheon still hadn’t returned to the Jade Heaven Alliance.

 

Perhaps he had secretly returned, but there was no official news of his whereabouts. Many were already curious about his movements.

 

Cheong Un-san’s face paled.

 

Lim So-bo’s deductions were chilling. Worse, he had a gut feeling they were correct.

 

If the Hao Clan’s leader died, the sect’s vast intelligence network wouldn’t collapse immediately, but it would certainly be disrupted.

 

For sects opposing the Jade Heaven Alliance, it would be like losing their eyes and ears.

 

And that could tip the balance of power decisively.

 

“Dear heavens!”

 

“I must see the Sect Leader.”

 

Lim Sobo shot up.

 

She knew that Lee Gwak was a guest master of the Hao Clan. They were not strangers.

 

Even beyond that, the Hao Clan leader needed to be protected—for the sake of the entire Jianghu.

 

“Sect Leader!”

 

Lee Gwak looked surprised at her sudden entrance.

 

“What’s the matter?”

 

“It’s serious.”

 

Lim Sobo told Lee Gwak everything she had deduced.

 

After hearing everything she said, Lee Gwak’s expression also turned grave.

 

“It’s still just a speculation. I could be wrong.”

 

“But it’s too unsettling to just ignore, isn’t it?”

 

“Yes!”

 

Lee Gwak rose from his seat.

 

“I’ll go myself.”