Chapter 349 |
Chapter 349
Semi-God
Half an hour after the meeting ended.
Mu-jin started moving with about half of Jeongmumaeng's warriors to somewhere.
Their goal was obviously the culprit who assassinated the Taegeuk Sword Saint. It was to attack the Branch Chief.
The person who single-handedly assassinated the Taegeuk Sword Saint, one of the Three Swords of the World, must be immensely powerful, but he was still injured.
This was truly a perfect opportunity to take down a major enemy master.
However, since the enemy was aware that the So-cheon-ju was kidnapped, a swift assault was necessary.
Due to this urgency, they didn't even have the luxury to contact the Wudang Sect, who held a great grudge against the Branch Chief.
The reason for dividing the groups was simple.
To escort the captured So-cheon-ju to Jeongmumaeng and to discuss issues concerning the leader, Abbot Hyun Cheon, and the royal family.
For this purpose, Jegal Muhwan led about half of the warriors to Jeongmumaeng, while the rest moved with Mu-jin to attack the Branch Chief.
"Will it be alright?"
As they were moving using their qinggong techniques, Mu-gung asked in a worried tone.
"What do you mean?"
"No matter how injured he is, he defeated the Taegeuk Sword Saint. And he wouldn't be alone either."
Mu-jin nodded at Mu-gung's words.
"If Jo Geon-yang's information is accurate, the resistance will be quite strong. Those candidates for the Daeju position will be guarding him."
Thanks to So-cheon-ju Jo Geon-yang, they obtained a lot of information, including details about the Branch Chief.
He was responsible for martial matters in Shinchun and training the Daeju candidates.
The dozen or so masters who helped the Branch Chief destroy the Wudang Sect might still be with him now.
"That's why we are launching such a large-scale attack."
Even though they were masters, they were only 'candidates for Daeju'. They were not as powerful as the Daeju level opponents they had faced before.
With this many warriors, including Mu-jin himself, Mu-gung, Mu-gyeong, Jegal Jin-hee, and other masters, they could certainly deal with the Branch Chief.
'Of course, there will inevitably be some casualties.'
It was uncertain how many among them would die or get injured.
However, if they waited for the Branch Chief to recover and the Shinchun forces to consolidate, the damage would be far greater than now.
"Phew."
Mu-jin took a deep breath while looking back at his companions, then spurred on his qinggong.
* * *
nn
After traveling across the Central Plains for four days, they arrived at a location among the countless mountains in Jung-gyeong.
They decided to use the same strategy they had used a few days ago when they captured the Noklim Leader.
They split into groups of three or four, forming a Tianluo Network around the entire mountain, gradually closing in on the target.
Among them, Mu-jin, along with Mu-gung, Mu-gyeong, and Jegal Jin-hee, was moving in a straight line towards the mountain's peak at the forefront.
Knowing they could encounter enemies or be ambushed at any moment, they climbed the mountain cautiously without relaxing their vigilance.
After crossing the mid-mountain, they followed the terrain described by the So-cheon-ju, heading towards a hidden path among the rugged undergrowth.
Cheok.
Hiding among the bushes, Mu-jin signaled to his companions.
Mu-gyeong, Mu-gung, and Jegal Jin-hee approached Mu-jin and looked in the direction he was pointing. They saw a quiet pavilion.
The pavilion was hidden deep in the mountain, obscured by bushes and cliffs.
It seemed like a place where a hermit would live, but ironically, the person who killed the Taegeuk Sword Saint was resting there.
'Have we not been detected yet?'
They hadn't heard any signals of alarm. None of those deploying the Tianluo Network had encountered the enemy.
Mu-jin, thinking they might be able to catch them all at once, carefully took out a whistle from his pocket.
After signaling to his companions, he blew the whistle and rushed towards the pavilion with all his might.
Biii!
As the sharp whistle sound echoed, signs of people began to emerge from all directions.
Those who had been cautiously approaching now rushed in at full speed, triggered by Mu-jin's signal.
At the same time, Mu-jin, breaking through the bushes that blocked his path, also rushed towards the pavilion to minimize his comrades' casualties.
But why?
Mu-jin suddenly stopped near the pavilion.
It wasn't because enemies appeared to block him.
"Damn it..."
Ironically, there was no sign of life from the pavilion.
At this distance, not sensing any presence meant no one was left inside.
With a disappointed face, Mu-jin trudged towards the pavilion, while Jeongmumaeng's warriors who approached from all directions also appeared one by one from the bushes and moved towards the pavilion.
As Mu-jin expected, no one was there.
However, the result wasn't entirely negative.
"There are traces of people living here."
"It seems they left in a hurry and couldn't completely erase their tracks."
Around the pavilion, there were awkwardly dug patches of earth.
Digging into those spots revealed items used for decocting medicinal herbs, blood-stained bandages, and other signs of someone recovering.nn
"Judging by the shape of the dug ground and the state of the soil, it hasn't been buried for long."
After hearing the report from an experienced warrior inspecting the surroundings, Mu-jin nodded and shouted.
"They can't be far away! Find the traces of their departure from this pavilion!"
The ambush had turned into a pursuit.
* * *
A few hours before Mu-jin and Jeongmumaeng's warriors surrounded the mountain.
A man in black arrived at the pavilion where the Branch Chief was resting with his disciples.
Covered in dust and drenched in sweat, the man in black, showing clear signs of having traveled hastily using qinggong, handed over a letter.
"It's a letter from In-ju."
The Branch Chief, bandaged around his side, reached out to receive the letter from the man in black.
Despite the sharp pain from the wound inflicted by the Taegeuk Sword Saint's sword, the Branch Chief showed no sign of pain.
More than half a month had passed since that day, so the wound had somewhat healed, and as a warrior, he considered it shameful to be unable to endure such pain.
In fact, being injured by the Taegeuk Sword Saint, who was a lesser warrior compared to him, and having to recuperate because of it, felt like a humiliation.
Therefore, to dispel that feeling of humiliation, he didn't want to show any sign of pain.
"Go."
The Branch Chief, having received the letter, gave a cold order to the man in black covered in sweat and dirt. He then opened the letter and began to read.
As expected, the letter was written in Shinchun's unique code.
The Branch Chief's face gradually contorted as he deciphered the code. It was a strange sight.
A man who hadn't shown any change in expression even when pierced through the side was now grimacing.
The contents of the letter were that serious.
'So-cheon-ju has been kidnapped.'
Something unimaginable had happened.
So-cheon-ju was the next leader, the future Cheon-ju. That such a person was kidnapped...
However, the biggest problem with this kidnapping wasn't the absence of an heir.
It might be audacious to say, but an heir can always be produced again.
The real issue was the vast amount of information So-cheon-ju knew. Unlike the warriors of Shinchun, So-cheon-ju had not even undergone torture resistance training.
But the contents that followed made the Branch Chief's eyebrows shoot up even more.
'Even if So-cheon-ju has been kidnapped, to tell me to flee from here?'
Feeling utterly disregarded by In-ju, the Branch Chief's pride was severely wounded.
He thought In-ju might be underestimating him just because he got injured by the Taegeuk Sword Saint.
However, upon reading the next line, the Branch Chief's anger and dilemma melted away like snow.
"Prepare to leave immediately."n
At the sudden order, the disciples who were staying with the Branch Chief in the pavilion looked at him in confusion.
Looking at the young warriors, who were also candidates for Daeju, the Branch Chief read out the last line of the letter.
"The heavens have moved."
* * *
While Mu-jin and his group were busy searching the mountain.
At the headquarters of Jeongmumaeng near Dongting Lake in Hunan Province, a meeting was in progress.
"Ha... To think they were remnants of the Hwan Empire."
The faces of those who heard the news through Jegal Muhwan were mixed with various emotions.
Some were simply angry or astonished, while others regretted or reflected on the fact that their own greed had allowed the enemies to grow.
The leader, Abbot Hyun Cheon, fell into the latter category.
"Amitabha. So, you are suggesting we use the captured So-cheon-ju as a witness to inform the royal family?"
"Yes, Lord."
Just as Jegal Muhwan answered, Hyun Cheon was about to delve into deep thought.
Boom!!!
A tremendous explosion echoed from the entrance of Jeongmumaeng.
"!!!"
Those in the meeting sprang to their feet in surprise and immediately rushed out using their qinggong.
Boom!!
As they moved, explosions continued to reverberate, and screams and shouts erupted from the front gate.
Upon arriving near the entrance, pushing through the warriors of the alliance, Hyun Cheon saw a middle-aged man.
The man, wrapped in a black robe embroidered with a dragon—a symbol of the emperor—had a rugged face and emotionless eyes.
Surrounding him were numerous corpses.
It wasn't the sheer number of bodies that made counting difficult.
Arms and legs were severed, faces unrecognizable, bodies blown apart—such gruesome forms that it was impossible to easily estimate the number.
It seemed this middle-aged man was responsible for the horrific scene, as the warriors of Jeongmumaeng surrounded him.
"Stop!!!"
At Hyun Cheon's command, the warriors surrounding the man stepped aside.
Facing Hyun Cheon, the middle-aged man asked.
"Are you Hyun Cheon, the leader of this place?"
"Amitabha. And what is your name?"
In response to Hyun Cheon's question, the man's expression twisted strangely, with one corner of his mouth slightly rising.
n
Though it looked like a sneer, his eyes remained cold.
"It's laughable. You've been hindering us constantly, yet you don't even know who I am."
Thanks to that answer, Hyun Cheon could easily deduce the man's identity.
"…You must be Jo Shin-myeong, the Cheon-ju of Shinchun."
"To dare to utter the name of heaven's sovereign with your filthy mouth. Do you wish to die?"
At that moment, some of the men, provoked by Cheon-ju's words, stepped forward.
"How dare you speak to our leader that way!"
"You've harmed our precious comrades; I won't let you leave here alive today!"
"Amita Buddha."
The five warriors who stepped forward all wore the same uniform.
Their appearance brightened the faces of the warriors surrounding Cheon-ju.
"Zhongnan Five Swords!"
The Zhongnan Five Swords was a nickname for the five best swordsmen among the first-class disciples of the Zhongnan Sect, a name that became more renowned after the recent civil war in the Orthodox sects.
Known for their defensive swordsmanship, these five were considered capable of holding off even the Seven Kings level masters when together.
But why?
Even with the Zhongnan Five Swords stepping forward, Hyun Cheon felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding.
"Step ba—"
Before Hyun Cheon could finish saying 'Step back,' Cheon-ju swung his arm toward the Zhongnan Five Swords.
It was a bizarre sight. A motion that wasn't particularly fast or slow, but incredibly natural.
Like a butterfly lightly flapping its wings, after the smooth movement...
A purple storm erupted.
"!!!"
A surreal scene where the countless steps of causality that should exist between the light flap of a butterfly and the massive storm of energy were all ignored.
Overwhelmed by the unprecedented storm of energy, Hyun Cheon felt an involuntary sense of awe.
No, there was one time he had seen something similar.
'Is he at the same level as Senior Brother Hyun Gwang?'
The immense power of enlightenment that Hyun Gwang achieved before reaching Nirvana, it felt similar to that.
'…But instead of a Buddha, he resembles the destructive god Shiva.'
There was a crucial difference between Cheon-ju's power and that of Hyun Gwang.
Right after the purple storm created by Cheon-ju swept through.
No one remained there.
Only the remains of what had once been the bodies of the Zhongnan Five Swords were scattered on the ground.