Chapter 602

The Wudang Sect and Dragon Mountain Manor clashed, and both suffered great damage.

Undoubtedly, it was the Dragon Mountain Manor that bore the brunt of the damage, as they had come on an expedition.

The battle had taken place on Wudang Sect’s territory, and of course, Dragon Mountain Manor could not expect any support.

As the battle dragged on, the situation became increasingly unfavorable for Dragon Mountain Manor. Despite this, their warriors did not retreat an inch and fought fiercely against the Wudang Sect.

Neither Dragon Mountain Manor nor Wudang Sect had any intention of retreating, so they fought with all their might. The result was a large number of casualties.

More than a thousand people were killed or injured on both sides.

The losses were unprecedented.

Neither sects had suffered this much damage in a hundred years.

The warriors of Dragon Mountain Manor, determined to avenge their lord, attacked recklessly.

But in the end, they could not overcome the disadvantage of being on an expedition.

In the end, they had to retreat, unable to overcome the wall known as Wudang.

Even though they barely managed to drive back the Dragon Mountain Manor, the Wudang Sect also suffered heavy losses. In particular, the casualties among the first-class disciples were massive.

Of course, the sacrifice of the disciples, who were supposed to lead the future, severely damaged the spirit of the Wudang sect.

Fortunately, the top three disciples and the Taoists were spared, but it would take a long time to fill the void left by the primary disciples.

In the end, the battle concluded with both sides inflicting great damage on each other.

Both sects were greatly weakened, and it would take decades to recover to their original state.

The warriors of Dragon Mountain Manor collected the dead and injured and returned to Yunnan Province, while the Wudang sect closed its mountain gate.

The damage was so severe that they had no choice but to suspend all external activities.

Thus, two of Kangho’s most prominent sects had completely shut down their activities.

This surprising news soon spread throughout Kangho.

Already in turmoil due to the Sea Gate City incident, Kangho plunged into even greater chaos.

People were buzzing that a period of unpredictable darkness had arrived.

Indeed, it was true.

The two sects held the most influence and power in the northern and western parts of Kangho. With both sects closing their gates, bandits began to run rampant in the region.

The balance of power had completely collapsed.

Thus, the murim world was entering its darkest age.

“Amitabha! Amitabha!”

In the Shaolin Temple, Grand Monk Unji was sitting in front of a Buha statue, spinning his prayer beads.

Even though he recited a sutra, his mind found no peace.

“Why is my heart so restless? Amitabha! Amitabha!”

It was then.

“Abbot!”

A young monk’s voice came from outside.

“What is it?”

“You must come outside now.”

“What has happened?”

“Ji Gyeong has returned.”

“Ji Gyeong?”

A puzzled expression appeared on Great Monk Unji’s face.

Ji Gyeong was the second rank disciple of this generation from Shaolin Temple, and was part of the mediation group sent to Wudang Sect.

“Did he return alone?”

“Yes.”

“Um!”

Great Monk Unji hastily rose from his seat and stepped outside.

He felt a sense of foreboding.

“Abbot!”

“Abbot!”

The monks of the Shaolin Temple recognized Great Monk Unji and respectfully bowed their heads.

“Where is Ji Gyeong?”

“He’s here.”

An elder monk answered.

In his arms lay a bloodied young monk. It was Ji Gyeong, who had been sent to the mediate.

Ji Gyeong was unconscious, panting heavily.

Great Monk Unji asked the elder monk who held him.

“What happened?”

“Please wait a moment. I have administered emergency treatment, and he will soon come to his senses.”

The elder monk who answered was Great Monk Unhae, Unji’s disciple, and the Shaolin’s top scholar, who also served as a physician.

He had given Ji Gyeong, who had returned in a critical condition, a potion as a matter of urgency and was waiting for it to take effect.

“Uhm!”

Soon, Ji Gyeong regained consciousness.

Great Monk Unji urgently inquired,

“Are you alright? Ji Gyeong.”

“A-Abbot.”

“Yes! It’s me. What happened? Where are the others?”

“Sob! They are all dead.”

“Dead?”

“Yes! Except for me, all are dead.”

“……”

Too shocked by the words, Great Monk Unji was at a loss for words.

Ji Gyeong continued.

“All this was the conspiracy of the Lord of the Heavenly Martial Sect, Jang Cheon-hwa.

“What do you mean?”

“He conspired for Dragon Mountain Manor and the Wudang Sect to clash, and he also killed monk Unsong and the entire delegation..”

“Is that true? Are you certain you are not mistaken?”

“I only speak of what I saw with my own eyes and heard with my own ears.”

“Amitabha! Good heavens!”

“If it weren’t for the help of a strange master, I wouldn’t have come back alive. I pledge my life that there is not a single untruth in what I say.

“Hmmm.”

Grand Monk Unji fell silent.

It was a fact so shocking that he would never have believed it if someone else had said it.

He knew well that Ji Gyeong was not a person who would lie. He was someone who would only speak the truth, even with a knife at his throat.

Grand Monk Unji spoke to the physician, Grand Monk Unhae.

“Quickly take Ji Gyeong to his room and treat him.”

“Understood, Grand Monk!”

Unhae answered immediately.

Grand Monk Unji looked at the elders and spoke,

“Everyone, gather in my room.”

“Yes, Grand Monk.”

“Understood.”

The elders answered and followed Grand Monk Unji.

The faces of Grand Monk Unji and the elders, as they moved, were filled with concern.

Grand Monk Unji muttered,

‘These are indeed troubled times. How shall we handle this?’

No matter how much he thought about it, the answer did not come.

If what Ji Gyeong said was true and it was Heavenly Martial Sect’s master Jang Cheon-hwa who was conspiring, Shaolin alone could not handle it.

‘We need help.’

Grand Master Unji quickly gave a command to one of the elders.

“Immediately contact the Mad Martial Sect and seek out the Chief of the Assassins.”

“The Chief… Do you mean the Reaper?”

“Yes. Is there a problem?”

“But he is only an assassin…….”

“How much longer are you going to wallow in your delusions and conceits? What if he is an assassin, what if he isn’t? We’re in no position to cover our asses right now.”

“I apologize, Grand Monk! I will find out right away.”

The elder who had offered his opinion quickly apologized.

Grand Monk Unji closed his eyes and thought,

‘Can I overcome this crisis with these complacent people?’

Too long in peace, the Shaolin monks had lost their wild nature.

Now, Grand Monk Unji needed a warrior with sharp senses and wild instincts.

＊＊＊

‘These madmen!’

So Geoksan muttered as he looked at the people gathered in Sea Dragon Hall.

Inside the Sea Dragon Hall, the assassins following Pyo Wol were positioned all over the place.

They claimed to be from the Black Sect.

He hadn’t expected them to follow Pyo Wol, much less be so loyal to him.

A group made up of all the assassins in Kangho, the Black Sect.

As an assassin himself, he knew their nature all too well.

Even the young assassins raised by the Blood Shadow Group in an underground cave were divided and opposed to each other.

If even young assassins did that, then it was almost impossible for adult assassins with established egos to pledge absolute loyalty to anyone.

He had always thought it would be absolutely impossible to witness such a scene in his lifetime.

But it happened.

Something he thought would never happen.

The assassins in Sea Dragon Hall all held solid positions in the world of assassins. Some were masters with only a handful of subordinates, while others controlled dozens, making them rulers in their own right.

Yet, they all showed absolute loyalty to Pyo Wol.

It was a sight he’d never dared to imagine.

It was so alien that he wondered if this was really the world of assassins he knew.

‘Is this even possible?’

He couldn’t help but believe what he saw with his own eyes.

His beliefs were continually challenged, and he shook his head in disbelief.

Had it been anyone other than Pyo Wol, he would never have believed it.

‘He’s really insane. I tried to oppose this guy.’

Pyo Wol was a much bigger figure than he had vaguely imagined.

Around him, the assassins, who were once like grains of sand, had united, calling themselves the Black Sect.

The united power of the Black Sect was truly terrifying.

Facing the invading Ghost Fleet of Sea Gate City and the warriors of the Martial Sword Alliance, they displayed unparalleled martial prowess.

With tens, even hundreds of assassins roaming and killing, no one dared to stop them.

The night was their time to rule.

Pyo Wol, the unifier of the assassins, was the true ruler of the night.

So Geoksan now understood this clearly.

‘Now he has risen beyond my reach.’

Yet he felt no jealousy.

Pyo Wol was the one who had rescued him when he was trapped in the Unreturnable Prison and had lost everything. Being jealous of Pyo Wol would have made him less than human.

Even an assassin had to have some sense of duty.

So Geoksan headed straight for Pyo Wol’s dwelling.

He could feel the eyes of the assassins on him the entire way.

Without any command, they were guarding Pyo Wol’s dwelling with their exceptional hiding skills.

Anyone other than So Geoksan would have been killed without even realizing it.

‘Reaper. He has truly become a supreme-ruler of death.’

Thinking So,  he knocked on Pyo Wol’s door.

“It’s me, So Geoksan.”

“Come in!”

So Geoksan opened the door and entered the room where Pyo Wol and Hong Ye-Seol were sitting at a table.

On the table were steaming cups of tea.

“Tea?” Pyo Wol asked.

“Pour me a cup.”

Pyo Wol nodded. He poured freshly brewed tea into an empty cup.

So Geoksan felt his mind clear with the fragrant aroma of the tea.

“Good stuff!”

“The leader’s room in Sea Dragon Hall is full of rare tea.”

“You have surprisingly high taste?”

“I’m indulging thanks to it.”

“Yeah! We’ve come up in the world. From eating insects in the underground cave to sipping fine tea.”

At So Geoksan’s words, Pyo Wol smiled faintly.

It was a recollection of the past.

To survive, he had chewed nameless moss and hunted insects for food. After enduring such a bitter period, he found the light and reached his present state through numerous struggles.

Looking back, it was a miracle he was still alive.

Swish!

At that moment, Gwia crawled out of Pyo Wol’s lap.

It had just awakened from a long slumber, resuming its activities.

During that time, the little horn on Gwia’s head had grown further, and its scales had reddened even more.

The reddish, glowing scales looked like burning jewels.

“Wow.”

“Ah!”

So Geoksan and Hong Ye-seol both let out exclamations of admiration.

Both had seen Gwia before, but the snake was much more beautiful now.

It even seemed to emanate a mystical spiritual energy.

Swish!

Gwia paid no heed to their stares, twirling between Pyo Wol’s fingers as it played.

It seemed as if the creature was communicating with Pyo Wol.

Pyo Wol, too, watched Gwia with a faint smile at his lips.

Hong Ye-seol furrowed her brow slightly at the sight.

‘I never thought I’d be jealous of a snake,’

At that moment:

“Supreme Leader!”

An assassin outside called out to Pyo Wol.

The one who responded was Hong Ye-seol.

“What is it?”

“There’s a guest from Hao Clan.”

“A guest?”

“It’s Hao Clan’s chief Inspector, Hong Yushin.”