Episode 467

The Blood Wind Blows (2)

Lee Gwak and his party left the inn early in the morning.

 

Since Seo Jong-myeong was still unwell, they couldn’t travel too quickly.

 

Ki Jin-hwi suggested,

 

“We should stop by a city to gather information and buy a carriage.”

 

“Let’s do that.”

 

Lee Gwak readily agreed.

 

Having been away from the Jianghu for too long, they knew nothing of what was happening there.

 

Their urgent task was to contact the Hao Clan and find out what had happened during their absence.

 

Due to Seo Jong-myeong’s poor condition, even travelling short distances took a long time.

 

It took them nearly five days to reach a city called Cheonsu. Located near the border of Shaanxi Province, the city was frequented by merchants traveling from beyond the western frontiers. Consequently, the city was extremely bustling, with a constant flow of goods and information. Naturally, there was also a Hao Clan branch there.

 

As expected from a bustling city, Cheonsu was crowded right from the entrance.

 

Among them, the most common were merchants traveling beyond the western frontiers and the martial artists escorting them.

 

Usually, a large gathering like this would make the city feel lively, but the atmosphere in Cheonsu was oddly heavy instead.

 

The merchants on the streets wore serious expressions, and the martial artists looked tense.

 

Ki Jin-hwi glanced around and spoke.

 

“Something’s not right here. We should get a room and figure out what’s going on.”

 

The group agreed and rented the outbuilding of the largest inn in the area.

 

After roughly settling in, they gathered in the main building’s dining hall.

 

The dining hall was already packed with people. Merchants and martial artists had taken over the tables and were chatting amongst themselves.

 

Lee Gwak’s group was lucky to find an empty table and sat down.

 

As they waited for their food and drinks, fragments of nearby conversations reached their ears.

 

“Honestly! How did things come to this?”

 

“Hah, Tell me about it!…”

The merchants sighed heavily, dark expressions on their faces.

 

“Who would’ve thought the Jade Heaven Alliance would be defeated?”

 

“Not just defeated, completely crushed! I never imagined they’d lose a major battle.”

 

“Is it true they lost most of their troops and had to retreat to their headquarters?”

 

“Don’t even ask. They say the whole region was dyed red with blood.”

 

“Ugh…”

 

The merchants fell silent, too shocked to continue. The defeat had clearly shook them deeply.

 

Even though the Jade Heaven Alliance had lost the people’s trust recently, it was still a major force that had protected the Jianghu. Hearing that such a force had suffered a major defeat at the hands of the foreign Celestial Demon Troupe, they couldn’t help but feel heavy-hearted.

 

Then, voices came from the martial artists sitting to the left of Lee Gwak’s group.

“I still can’t believe Lord Ja was defeated.”

 

“Sigh… Is this the end of the Jianghu? For him to flee with his tail between his legs…”

 

“If the Jade Heaven Alliance’s main base falls, who will stop the Celestial Demon Troupe? Their era is about to begin.”

 

“No doubt. What’s really terrifying is that new Lord of the Celestial Demon Troupe.”

 

“Phew…”

 

One of them exhaled deeply, unable to say more.

 

The weight behind that sigh was so immense that no one dared to speak lightly.

 

The atmosphere in the hall was utterly somber.

 

A slight tremor ran through Seo Jong-myeong’s shoulders.

 

“The Jade Heaven Alliance… was defeated?”

 

“Brother!”

 

“It’s all my fault. I should’ve held on longer and bought more time. But I couldn’t…”

 

“You held out for seven days without any reinforcements. No other martial artist or commander in the Jianghu could have achieved such a feat.”

 

“But in the end, it still collapsed, didn’t it?”

 

“That doesn’t make it your fault.”

 

“Hah…”

 

Seo Jong-myeong let out a deep sigh. In an instant, his face seemed to have aged a decade.

 

“Gwak!”

 

“Yes, Brother.”

 

“I want to know the full story. Please find out for me.”

 

“Understood.”

 

As Lee Gwak stood up, Lee Soo-ah quickly got to her feet as well.

 

“I want to come too.”

 

“Aren’t you hungry?”

 

“I’m fine! I want to go with you, Dad.”

 

“Alright, let’s go.”

 

Lee Gwak nodded and took her hand.

 

The two left the inn together to find the Hao Clan.

 

Finding the Hao Clan’s branch in Cheonsu wasn’t easy. It was well hidden.

 

Lee Gwak stood in the middle of the busiest market and hung a small piece of black cloth on a large pole.

 

The cloth was so small that it wouldn’t be noticed unless one was looking carefully. It seemed useless, but after waiting for about half an hour, someone stealthily approached Lee Gwak and whispered.

 

“Hao Clan disciple Gong Cheol-sam greets the great hero Lee Gwak.”

 

“Nice to meet you.”

“We sincerely welcome your visit to Cheonsu. Please follow me to our branch.”

 

Before guiding Lee Gwak and his daughter to the branch, Gong Cheol-sam checked for any observers.

 

Following Gong Cheol-sam, Lee Soo-ah whispered to Lee Gwak.

 

“Does anyone who hangs a cloth get contacted by the Hao Clan?”

 

“No. The Hao Clan only extends this courtesy to honored guests. In my case, the black cloth serves as identification. But if someone else were here instead of me, the Hao Clan wouldn’t make contact.”

 

“I see.”

 

Lee Soo-ah looked impressed.

 

The Hao Clan’s system was more sophisticated than she had imagined.

 

The Cheonsu branch was located in a place ordinary people would never find: an abandoned hut by a large river with its base deep underground.

 

After passing through a narrow passage, a vast underground space opened up. The area was organized into sections, and many people were moving quickly through it.

 

“Wow…”

 

Lee Soo-ah gasped at the unexpected sight.

 

Lee Gwak was equally astonished.

 

He had seen many Hao Clan branches before,

 

but this was the first time he’d seen one hidden underground.

 

Gong Cheol-sam whispered beside them.

 

“Originally, it was in a slum, but due to the unusual atmosphere in the martial world, we moved the branch here.”

 

“Hmm.”

 

“The branch leader is waiting. Please go inside.”

 

Gong Cheol-sam guided Lee Gwak and his daughter to a small room.

 

Inside, a middle-aged man as thin as bamboo greeted Lee Gwak.

 

“Welcome, Great Hero Lee!”

 

He was the leader of the Hao Clan’s Cheonsu branch.

 

Lee Gwak clasped his fists in greeting.

 

“Nice to meet you, Branch Leader!”

 

“It’s an honor to meet you, Great Hero Lee.”

 

“I apologize for dropping in unannounced.”

 

“Oh, please don’t say that. You’re always welcome, Great Hero Lee. And this must be your daughter?”

 

“This is my daughter, Lee Soo-ah. Soo-ah, greet him properly.”

 

At Lee Gwak’s words, Lee Soo-ah bowed respectfully.

 

“Hello, Branch Leader! I’m Lee Soo-ah.”

 

“Nice to meet you, Young Miss Lee!”

 

The branch leader smiled warmly at Lee Soo-ah’s polite behaviour.

 

‘With a father like that, of course the daughter is well-mannered.’

 

In a way, it was natural, but with war engulfing the land, it was rare to see such well-behaved children. Everyone was too busy surviving to mind their manners.

 

After gazing warmly at Lee Soo-ah, the branch leader turned back to Lee Gwak.

 

“We were worried, not having heard from you. What happened?”

 

“There were reasons. When we arrived at the inn, everyone was talking about the Blue Sky Alliance’s defeat. Is it true?”

 

“Sigh… Don’t even get me started. The whole world has turned upside down.”

 

“So they really lost?”

 

“Yes. It was a crushing defeat. Over a third of their forces were wiped out in one battle.”

 

“How did that happen?”

 

“It’s all because of the new Lord of the Celestial Demon Troupe.”

 

“The new Lord?”

 

“Yes. The battle was in the Alliance’s favor until he appeared. Then everything changed.”

 

“What changed?”

 

“Their elite corps, the Blood-Chasing Squad, was annihilated by him.”

 

“The Blood-Chasing Squad?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Lee Gwak closed his eyes for a moment.

 

The Blood-Chasing Squad was, along with the Yama Squad, one of the Alliance’s strongest forces. After Lee Gwak had destroyed the Yama Squad, the Blood-Chasing Squad became the backbone of their efforts against the Celestial Demon Troupe.

 

It was highly specialized for warfare against them.

 

The fact that such a unit was crushed without putting up much of a fight spoke volumes about the terrifying power of Go Geom-wol.

 

The branch leader continued.

 

“So the Alliance Leader himself took to the battlefield, but…”

 

“He lost?”

 

“That’s unclear. What’s certain is that the Alliance Leader was the first to withdraw from the battlefield. Many interpret that as his defeat.”

 

“Hmm.”

 

“Regardless, once the Alliance Leader retreated, the Jade Heaven Alliance’s morale plummeted. The Celestial Demon Troupe didn’t miss that opportunity. The previously balanced front quickly turned against the Jade Heaven Alliance, leading to their crushing defeat.”

 

Lee Gwak closed his eyes tightly.

 

Though he had personal issues with the Alliance, it had long been a pillar of the Jianghu. He couldn’t believe it fell so easily. The branch leader had no reason to lie, and news of the defeat had already spread across the land.

 

Unpleasant as it was, he had to accept the loss.

 

Lee Gwak asked, “What’s the Alliance doing now?”

 

“They’ve retreated completely back to their headquarters.”

 

“They intend to hold out?”

 

“That’s right.”

 

“What about the Celestial Demon Troupe’s movements?”

 

“They’ve begun advancing toward the Jade Heaven Alliance. But with such a large force, it’ll take considerable time to encircle them.”

 

“So the Alliance is cornered.”

 

“Yes. The chaos is unimaginable. No one saw this coming, and now the world is in turmoil.”

 

The branch leader explained in detail how severe the current state of the Jianghu was.

According to him, many clans were already trying to align themselves with the Celestial Demon Troupe, anticipating its victory.

 

“The way the world changes overnight is just… unbelievable.”

 

“What about the Seven Sects?”

 

“Fortunately, they haven’t shown any movement yet. They must still have some pride left.”

 

At that moment, a single word flashed through Lee Gwak’s mind.

 

‘An era of chaos.’

 

An era where the old order collapses and a new one emerges.

 

For the first time in a hundred years, an age of turmoil had arrived.

 

While the Seven Great Sects might appear to be lying low, they were undoubtedly scheming in secret.

 

Their actions would determine the future order of the Jianghu.

 

‘I need to return to the Sect quickly.’

 

Although Lim So-bo and the strategists were preparing countermeasures, the leader’s presence would make a significant difference.

 

Especially in such chaotic times, the leader’s presence was crucial.

 

Having organized his thoughts, Lee Gwak asked the branch leader,

 

“Is there anything else I should know?”

 

“We’re gathering information on all fronts. Once we’ve compiled enough, we’ll inform you through the nearest Hao Clan branch.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

“It’s the least we can do. And…”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Thank you for saving our sect leader. If not for you, the Hao Clan might have been wiped out. Though it is late, as a member of the Hao Clan, I sincerely thank you.”

 

“It was only natural.”

 

“But not just anyone could’ve done it. The Hao Clan will never forget your help.”

The branch leader bowed deeply to Lee Gwak.

 

Lee Gwak felt somewhat burdened by the branch leader’s excessive gratitude and didn’t know how to respond. Meanwhile, Lee Soo-ah looked at him with pride.

Many people tended to look down on the Hao Clan, but in reality, someone of the branch leader’s position wielded power greater than most sect leaders in the Jianghu.

 

To see such an important figure treating Lee Gwak with such genuine respect naturally filled her with pride.

 

Lee Gwak rose from his seat.

 

“We’ll take our leave now.”

 

“I pray you reach the Mad Martial Sect safely.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

Lee Gwak clasped his fists in farewell to the branch leader before stepping outside with Lee Soo-ah.

 

The night was unusually dark.

 

Not a single star could be seen in the pitch-black sky. Yet, he didn’t feel lonely, perhaps because he wasn’t walking alone.

 

The warmth from Lee Soo-ah’s small hand seeped into his.