Chapter 304 |
United We Stand, Divided We Fall
The village where the Demonic Cult had settled after driving out the civilians of Namman.
A shadow slipped into the pavilion used as a residence by the Red Flame King.
Surprisingly, none of the Demonic Cult members standing guard near the Red Flame King’s residence noticed the presence of this shadow.
In the dead of night, the Red Flame King greeted the shadow, who had entered without a sound.
“Have you returned?”
The one who had come to see the Red Flame King, blending into the darkness, was none other than the young man known as So-cheon-ju.
He had left at dawn the previous day to take a miraculous elixir, and only returned by evening after being away for half a day.
As the Red Flame King greeted So-cheon-ju and looked up, he cautiously spoke upon seeing the color of So-cheon-ju’s eyes.
So-cheon-ju’s eyes had a slight reddish tint. Given that he had been away for almost a full day, it seemed he had spent a long time absorbing the elixir, hence the concern.
In response to the Red Flame King’s question, So-cheon-ju replied with a faint smile.
“The elixir had quite a strong Yin energy, but it’s nothing to worry about.”
Had he been a child just starting to absorb elixirs while learning new martial arts, he might have struggled in many ways, as balancing Yin and Yang was often difficult.
However, now that he had reached a certain level, So-cheon-ju could easily suppress such an imbalance.
If he couldn’t control this level of imbalance, he wouldn’t have been able to sneak out of the capital and move as he did now.
“Ah, and while looking for a place to take the elixir, I found an oddly distorted energy.”
“It might be a hideout for the apostates, So-cheon-ju.”
The Red Flame King’s words made So-cheon-ju smile, a scent of blood emanating from it.
“Hehehe. It seemed like that, so I personally broke through their formation and went inside. There were some vermin gathered, so I cleaned them out, but unfortunately, that guy, Ou-yang Pae, wasn’t there.”
In fact, he had only gone there because it seemed like a good place to absorb the elixir, and it just happened that the apostates were hiding there.
In his desire to quickly absorb the elixir, he killed them all on the spot and absorbed the elixir right there.
So-cheon-ju explained the day’s events in a way that favored him.
“By the way, did you find the location of the Shaolin Dragon?”
“He appeared once more at dawn, but then the trail went cold.”
“Tsk. It seems the Demonic Cult is full of incompetent fools.”
Clicking his tongue lightly, So-cheon-ju moved towards the bed.
“Wake me when you find the location of the Shaolin Dragon.”
He had lost interest in martial artists other than the Shaolin Dragon.
In truth, his interest lay solely in elixirs.
He was slightly intrigued only because the Shaolin Dragon had repeatedly interfered with their grand plans and killed several of their leaders.
‘I hope killing him will be a bit more enjoyable.’
The people he killed in the cave this morning were too weak. It felt like killing flies or mosquitoes rather than humans.
Thus, So-cheon-ju hoped that the Shaolin Dragon, who had thwarted the plans of their leader and killed several of their high-ranking members, would at least provide a bit of challenge.
* * *
Mu-jin muttered as he stared at the lifeless body of a child left in the cave.
“Is this a type of Essence Absorption Skill?”
If it was a technique that could create a lifeless body without blood or wounds, Essence Absorption Skill was the first that came to mind.
Though the term Essence Absorption Skill was broad, Mu-jin knew several types.
One was the Celestial Blood Essence Absorption Technique taught to Mu-gyeong by the Blood Demon.
Regardless of the specific type, all Essence Absorption Skills were classified as Demonic Arts.
Apart from the fact that the user became crazed due to demonic energy, the methods were extremely cruel.
From that perspective, it was likely that the person who created this lifeless body was from the Demonic Cult.
Especially since the lifeless body was found among the corpses of apostates during the Demonic Cult’s internal conflict, the probability was high.
‘For some reason, the person Ou-yang Pae mentioned keeps bothering me.’
The great expert around Ou-yang Pae’s age that he spoke of seemed unrealistically powerful, but if they used an Essence Absorption Skill, it was possible.
The cracking sound from Mu-jin’s clenched fist echoed through the silent cave as he stared at the child’s body.
The exact identity of the person Ou-yang Pae mentioned was still unknown.
They could be a secret weapon nurtured by the Demonic Cult, a disciple of a hidden master from Namman, or a new expert not mentioned in the novel.
However, their identity no longer mattered.
“There’s now a definite reason to kill.”
At least, if someone was cruel enough to make a child like that, they didn’t deserve to live, regardless of their connection to the Heavens.
If they had reached a level surpassing Ou-yang Pae with an Essence Absorption Skill, one could only imagine how many children they had killed to reach such a level, making them a truly heinous villain.
* * *
After burying the bodies of the apostates and the child, Mu-jin and Mu-yul left the cave.
They wanted to give them a proper funeral, but the circumstances didn’t allow it, so they had to settle for a simple burial.
As always, they moved through the forest at night, following the Shaolin scent.
Of course, there were Demonic Cult members patrolling the forest, but thanks to Ling-ling and Mu-yul’s extraordinary senses, they could avoid the patrols.
If the forest had been densely packed with Demonic Cult members, it would have been impossible, but the Demonic Cult members were limited in number and had to spread out to cover the vast area.
After moving for about a sijin, they arrived near another hideout.
“Hmm? The scent is definitely coming from here,” Mu-yul said, blinking in confusion. The place seemed empty despite the scent.
“It’s a formation,” Mu-jin said.
Since the previous hideouts and safehouses had all been protected by formations, Mu-jin approached the spot Mu-yul had pointed out.
Sure enough, after a few steps, a huge tree appeared in the spot that had seemed empty.
And from the burrow created between the roots of that huge tree, someone poked their head out.
“Mu-jin!”
The person who suddenly popped up like a mole was Mu-gyeong.
“How many are in there?” Mu-jin asked, pointing to the burrow.
“Counting me, twelve.”
“And the wounded?”
“…There are many with minor injuries. Three are too injured to move.”
While the two were talking, people began emerging from the burrow one by one.
Among them were men dressed in the Red Tiger Unit’s uniform, as well as disciples from Shaolin and Wudang.
Mu-jin briefly explained the situation to them.
“While staying scattered makes it easier to buy time, it’s dangerous if our location is discovered. So, we plan to regroup and shake them up.”
“Gathering is good, but where will we gather?” asked a senior Shaolin disciple.
Mu-jin answered, “I know where External Affairs Head Monk and the others are hiding. We plan to move there first.”
“Do you know the way?” asked another.
Mu-jin pointed to Mu-yul and said, “Mu-yul knows.”
Mu-yul tilted his head and asked, “Huh? Me?”
There was a moment of silence at his innocent response.
“…Weren’t you supposed to remember the way?”
“Heh. I forgot the way we came.”
“What about finding it by smell?”
“There are similar smells mixed all over, so I can’t tell which one is the External Affairs Head Monk’s scent. I just picked one of the similar smells to come here.”
Mu-yul’s casual response left Mu-jin speechless.
‘I must be a fool. How could I expect Mu-yul to remember the way?’
While Mu-jin was blaming himself for not drawing a map during the journey, a member of the Red Tiger Unit cautiously raised his hand.
“Excuse me… Is the External Affairs Head Monk the one who moved last with our Unit Leader? I know where the Unit Leader went.”
Mu-jin eagerly nodded at the welcome news.
* * *
Thanks to the Red Tiger Unit member who knew the way back, they prepared and left the hideout.
Those who were able-bodied supported the injured as they moved, but surprisingly, they were not detected by the Demonic Cult members.
‘Wow. These human detectors are something else.’
It was because Mu-yul and Ling-ling, along with Mu-gyeong, were with them.
Ling-ling and Mu-yul boasted an extraordinary sense of smell and hearing that surpassed human levels (Ling-ling wasn’t human to begin with).
Additionally, Mu-gyeong possessed exceptional sensory perception, allowing them to detect Demonic Cult members moving even several zhang away.
To approach them without being detected, one would need stealth skills comparable to those of the Killing King.
After moving for about a sijin, avoiding the Demonic Cult’s wide but sparse surveillance network, they arrived at the hideout where Hyeon-hyeon and the Red Tiger Unit Leader were resting.
“Well done, Mu-jin.”
“It’s nothing, External Affairs Head Monk. I was thinking, since there’s still time before dawn, maybe we should go again.”
“In that case, I will join you this time. I have rested well for a day, so my body has somewhat recovered.”
Hyeon-hyeon’s suggestion was met with a shake of Mu-jin’s head.
“Since we need to move stealthily, it’s better to have fewer people. I’ll take Mu-yul, Ling-ling, and Mu-gyeong again.”
With the three human detectors, they could complete the mission without any confrontation.
“…I’m injured too, you know?” Mu-gyeong added, but his consent was not considered.
* * *
In the end, Mu-gyeong, Mu-yul, and Ling-ling had to leave the hideout again under Mu-jin’s lead.
Additionally, the Red Tiger Unit Leader accompanied them.
They tried to avoid being seen with the Demonic Cult members, but this was inevitable.
‘There’s no guarantee we’ll have another Red Tiger Unit member who knows this location.’
If they reached the hideout and couldn’t bring the people hiding there, it would be meaningless.
They considered drawing a map, but the dense forest of Namman made it difficult to maintain a sense of direction.
‘Well, thanks to the human detectors, we won’t get caught anyway.’
Rationalizing this, Mu-jin set off with Mu-yul, Mu-gyeong, and the Red Tiger Unit Leader to find their comrades.
After another long journey, they arrived near the place where their comrades were hiding, but…
“Damn it.”
They sensed another presence approaching the hideout.
Apparently, the Demonic Cult members weren’t all fools, as the hideout seemed to have been discovered.
* * *
Mu-gung, who was hiding with the elders of the sect and the Wudang disciples, sensed something was wrong first.
Sure enough, as he stepped outside, he saw Demonic Cult members cloaked in black approaching through the darkness.
“I will hold them off! Escape!” Mu-gung shouted without hesitation.
The Shaolin monks with him responded in shock.
“What are you saying!”
“How can we let a child protect us!”
By rank, Mu-gung was the lowest among those present.
In their eyes, Mu-gung was a child who needed protection.
However, Mu-gung thought differently.
‘I am the disciple of Grandmaster Hye-dam, the leader of the 108 Arhats.’
There was no law that he must be in the same sect as his master, but Mu-gung had accepted this path some time ago.
Perhaps it was the experience of protecting Baek Ga-ryeong in Guangxi Province.
Since then, he realized that protecting someone was more fulfilling than roaming the martial world as a famous warrior.
Moreover, with many injured among them, rank didn’t matter. These were people he had to protect.
“Until you kill me, no one will pass through here!!”
With a courageous shout, Mu-gung drew up the heavy, hot energy stored in his dantian.
The energy, like molten lava, surged through his meridians, growing in size, and when it gathered in his palms at its peak…
Bang!!
A giant flame resembling that of the Buddha scorched the darkness as it advanced.
* * *
Bang!!
A tremendous explosion lit up the scene with fierce flames.
“Wow! Fireworks!!” Mu-yul exclaimed in excitement, moving toward the flames.
“It seems Mu-gung’s martial arts have improved again,” Mu-gyeong noted, smiling.
Meanwhile, Mu-jin’s face was contorted in frustration.
“He’s practically advertising our presence. Damn it, Mu-gung.”
With flames that big, it was clear that even the Demonic Cult members hundreds of zhang away would swarm here.