Chapter 8
Summer is just over and fall is about to begin..
Blood religion attacked the Jungwon martial arts group..
The 5,000 troops passed through Okmungwan and entered the central plain earlier than expected, probably through some kind of witchcraft..
The political factions of Gansu, including Yue Cheon-mun of Myeongsha Mountain, tried to stop it somehow, but failed miserably..
Surprisingly, the blood cult leader who should have been in the rear or center led the front line and massacred the members of the faction..
And then we hear some incredible news from the survivors..
“It is said that even if a blood cultist dies, he will not die..”
“I heard that the blood cult's hexes were strange, but I had no idea it was to this extent..”
“I don't know how it happened, but he was immediately resurrected as a jiangshi.……”
The original source of witchcraft came from Nanman.
However, there is a unique magic that even the mainland Namman can take advantage of, and that is Kangsi-sul..
He was good at magic, but the blood religion was especially good at magic..
Among them, blood demon's strong healing techniques were at the peak..
However, no matter what, becoming a jiangshi immediately after death was a phenomenon that could not be understood from the standpoint of common sense..
Humans have a way of feeling fear of the unprecedented..
It's even more about something that transcends life and death..
“They say that if you are attacked by a blood cult, you will wander the nine heavens..”
“Are you saying that the Murim League ran away from Mt. Myeongsa Mountain without much strength? What on earth are you doing?!”
“They are very loudmouthed guys.!”
People's anxiety spread into delusions and all kinds of strange rumors circulated..
In addition, as the news of Myeong Sa-san's escape became known, the reputation of political factions, including the Murim League, suffered a major blow..
I wonder if he had abandoned even a little bit, but he couldn't even resist properly and retreated..
There was even a rumor that everyone in Wolah Astronomical Science had gone crazy and was running rampant, not being able to distinguish between friends and foes..
And a few days later.
The five thousand blood followers who had nothing to fear marched from Dunhuang without any obstacles..
Because there was a Hexi Corridor that led to a wide flat area all the way to Nanju, the pace of advance was never slow..
Crossing the desert must have been quite difficult, but strangely enough, the blood cultists advanced without any sign of fatigue..
As a result, we soon arrived near Nanju..
And at this time, the elites of the Hwasan faction, Jongnam faction, and Gongong faction that Hyo Hyo-poong urgently requested arrived..
It was too late help..
Most of the warriors of the Nanju branch of the Murim League dispatched to Mt. Myeongsa, which was the front line, and the small and medium sects of Gansuk were wiped out..
In the end, those who arrived late and the communal faction of Gansu had to work together to block the advance force of the blood religion..
“They say Geomseon and other troops will arrive later, so we have to hold out somehow until then..”
Even though there are elite masters of the three factions among the nine factions, there is no one among them who can defeat the Blood Demon..
After much deliberation, the Murimmaeng asks for help from Geomseon, who is closest to the Ten Places of Heaven..
However, it was not easy for Jang Mun-in to go to the front line, so after a long meeting, it was decided that he should join the latter team..
The problem was that it would take at least three days, so it was questionable whether it would be possible to stop the blood religion's forces without the ten thrones of heaven..
“Whoa whoa……”
Gansu, Nanju.
Joo Seocheon narrowed his eyes and looked coldly at the barren horizon and the desert filled with sand and wind..
‘Will I be able to endure it??’
Joo Seocheon knows well the fear of blood demons..
In the past, during a time of war, we faced the invasion of a blood cult..
When I remembered that nightmare, I felt bad..
‘The more you fight, the more monsters increase.!’
The true horror of blood religion was its fearless madness and limitless numbers..
Even if you kill them, even if you kill them, they will not decrease but rather increase..
What was even more shocking was that among those enemies were allies who had fought together back to back in life..
One-man army, blood demon!
Blood demons don't take the lead for nothing..
It was to obtain a fresh corpse and turn it into a jiangshi..
The Blood Demon is one of the ten most powerful creatures in the heavens, but in fact, he is closer to a shaman than a warrior..
That's why it was underrated before its appearance..
It's not a big deal since he's a shaman and not a warrior..
But that illusion and carelessness came back as regret..
The number of warriors who lost their lives at his bloody hands reached four figures, and those who pledged loyalty to him after his death.
What the Murim people truly feared was that they would side with the blood religion after death and take the lives of their family and friends..
‘It's impossible to do alone.’
We had to use different tactics from what we had been doing so far..
When Ju Seo-cheon also left the Hwasan faction, he sent letters to places that could provide help, such as Geumui Geommun, requesting support..
War is not something you can fight alone..
We had to somehow join forces to stop it until the second party arrived..
Nanju Murim League Barracks.
Since it is a war between martial arts, it is not possible to fight in the middle of Nanju..
Instead, they built a barracks a little distance away and used it as a camp..
The Murim League flag fluttered in the middle of the desert..
Inside the command barracks, key figures from political factions belonging to the Murim Alliance sat down and continued their conversation..
“The blood cult's forces have not decreased at all, but fortunately they have not increased either. Just like 5,000.”
Murim League Nanju branch leader, Doojong spoke.
Jiunbo, the famous swordsman of the Joint Sect, said:.
“There can't be that many blood cultists.……”
Gu Feng, the master of the Huashan Sect and the Fourteen Swordsmen, frowned..
Although the blood religion rarely appeared on a large scale, the number of troops was always large..
Most of them are over 80,000 to 10,000 or more..
However, it was questionable because only half of the invasion of the central plains, where all efforts should have been made, arrived..
I was worried that there might be some kind of trap lurking around..
“It doesn't matter if it increases or decreases. Just kill them all, no matter the number..”
Jiunbo, the expert of the communal faction and the Fukushima Sword (伏魔一劍), had his eyes shining with a shimmering blue color..
“That's correct.”
An old nun from the Hengshan School agreed with Ji Yunbo..
Jeolmaegeombyeon (絶梅劍change), it's a good idea.
“hmm……”
Lastly, Master Eunha, the priest and highest priest of the Jongnam faction, fell into a deep sleep as if lost in thought..
Nowadays, in Nanju, there are experts who you will recognize just by hearing their names..
It is natural that elites were sent first for urgent support..
Most of them are experts in their respective sects and have considerable reputation in martial arts..
“According to the reconnaissance that just came in, it's about a day away..”
Perhaps because he lived in the desert like Nanju, Du-jong, a middle-aged man with a tanned face, explained the current situation..
“That's better! There is no need to wait for four days. I have to show the blood cult group an example..”
Jiunbo's eyes shined with murderous intent..
As befits his name, Jiunbo was outraged and hated every time he heard about Madoise's group..
Most of the political factions dislike the magicians, but the communal faction, like the Kunlun faction, was a faction that had particularly close contact with the demonic world..
“It's a big problem if you step forward hastily..”
The attention of the left and right gathered in one place..
“joy! They said he was a hero, but that was a lie. Are you scared of the blood cultists, Maehwajeonggeom??”
Su-kyung snorted and laughed..
Most of those who attended this event were middle-aged, at least in their thirties or forties, and there were also elderly people..
Age means the skills and experience accumulated over time, so it was natural that most of the elites were older..
However, there was one young man who did not fit in, and that was Joo Seo-cheon..
However, no one disputed that Joo Seo-cheon was present..
This is because he is one of the greatest masters in the world recognized by Moorim, and is also a hero of the political faction who has a decisive influence on morale..
“Please refrain from making insulting remarks..”
Gu Pung frowned at Su Kyung’s rudeness..
“I'm just telling the truth, Fourteen Swordsmen Association.”
The Hwasan faction and the Hangshan faction have not been on good terms since ancient times, so when they met like this, they quarreled with each other..
‘Ugh, what a headache..’
Only Du Jong, the mediator, was in a difficult situation..
The gap between the Huashan faction and the Anti-Hanshan faction is deeper than you might think..
It was even more of a problem because it wasn't at a level that could be done..
I was hoping that it wasn't just the Hangsan Sect that was coming to support me, but I was spectacularly wrong..
“It's just as Maehwajeonggeom said. The purpose of the advance team is to defend, not attack. And it's not like I'm asking you to step down, is it?.”
When Master Eunha helped, Dujong was inwardly delighted..
“The Blood Cult's army still only has 5,000 strong. If this is a strategy to wait for the remaining five thousand, what do you plan to do??”
Jiwoonbo started protesting..
“Maybe the army in front of us right now is nothing but a ragtag bunch. If that's the case, he wouldn't be a genius who could blow it all away.?”
“I agree with what Bog Demon Sword said. Above all, the troops currently in Nanju are small in number, but aren't they all elite??”
Soo-kyung gave strength to Ji Woon-bo’s opinion..
“no. That's what the Blood Demon wants..”
Joo Seo-cheon completely denied Ji Woon-bo and Su-kyung’s opinions..
“It doesn't matter if it's a trap. Anyway, there is nothing to be afraid of, such as blood cults. Just destroy everything and that's it..”
‘There is no answer.’
I almost said, 'Shut up, you thoughtless bastard!' I almost shouted.
There was no such thing as recklessness..
I knew that the communal faction was hostile toward magicians, but I didn't know they would go to such lengths to do so..
“Calm down. It looks like Maehwajeonggeom has something in mind, and it's not too late to listen and decide..”
Master Eunha persuaded Ji Woon-bo as if trying to calm him down..
Joo Seo-cheon expressed his gratitude to Master Eunha with a glance, and then opened his mouth when the audience's attention was focused..
“Are you aware of the recent rumors about the forces of the Blood Cult??”
“Are you saying that if you lose your life on the battlefield against a blood cultist, you will be resurrected as a Jiangshi on the spot?.”
Joo Seocheon nodded at Gu Feng’s answer..
“It's just a fantasy of scared people..”
“Yes, a Jiangshi is not that easy to make, is it?.”
Even though Gupung was not pleased, he agreed with Su-kyung’s point..
“you're right. As you all know, jiangshi refers to a body in which the spirit disappears from the essence and moves through the remaining energy..”
Jeong is the body.
God is the heart, mind, and consciousness as well..
Death is like losing God.
However, unless the Qi reaches the end of its lifespan, it remains for the time being..
However, because the life force disappears from the body and only death remains, its nature changes to death energy..
As time goes by, the body decomposes, its morale drains, and it usually disappears..
However, Kangsi-sul fixes this residual energy so that it does not escape, and then manipulates it to move it..
For your information, if you have died for a short time, the remnants of consciousness and thoughts remain. If this can also be fixed in the body, it becomes what is commonly called 'glide' and allows you to perform even the martial arts of your lifetime..
“However, this process is never easy. A strongman must move the body separately, perform various procedures on it, and then manufacture it. Then the Jiangshi can move..”
‘When did Seocheon study sorcery like that??’
Gu Feng was surprised to hear Ju Seocheon’s knowledge..
Hwasan Wave is also a Taoist school, but most of its studies are focused on the sword..
In Gangho, people see Hwasanpa and often say, 'Perverts who only have a sexual desire for swords.' It was enough to call it.
Anyway, as a result, even though they were Taoists, they were mostly ignorant of Taoist arts..
“Even for a skilled shaman, it takes about a week or two at the earliest. However, there is something that can shorten this process in an instant..”
“what is that?”
“Beopbo, Four Eumjang (死陰杖)).”
law paper!
There were groans from those around me at the appearance of an unexpected object..
“Hmm, is it a legal report?……”
A treasure is a tool that exerts mysterious power..
However, martial people, or more precisely, martial artists who value martial arts, which is the ultimate study of self-discipline, are not very interested..
To begin with, treasures are rare items that are not often found..
Even if they try to use it, there are very few people who own it..
Above all, there were many people who said that it would be better to practice martial arts because if you don't hold it in your hand, it's just like a sandfish..
It was nice to have it, but it was treated like it was okay to not have it..
“Mmm! What does a private sound field mean?……!”
Master Eunha seemed to know, and sighed..
“do you know?”
Dujong asked Master Eunha..
“According to the legend, I heard that he is a stone master who can freely manipulate the evil and evil energy around him..”
“As expected, you know..”
Seocheon Joo applauded Labor Manager Eunha’s answer..
A sermon with a stone seal handed down to blood demons from Amcheonhoe.
That was the private sound field..
“I really didn't even think about it. Certainly, if that's the case, it's possible to make it into a jiangshi on the spot..”
The sound field prevents energy from escaping, and skips the process of fixing it to the body and then adjusting it so it can move..
This means that it is possible to make it stronger on the fly..
Of course, not everyone could use it..
The four sound fields cannot be used unless you are quite strong..
A high level of sense and coordination is required, and a considerable amount of bet is consumed..
The level of martial arts or magic had to be high..
Of course, those were all conditions that had absolutely nothing to do with the Blood Demon..
“So, according to what you say, we are just food for the Jiangshi, so it is better not to fight??”
Ji Yunbo asked in displeasure..
“It's not to that extent, but it's a similar situation. It is wiser to avoid fighting as much as possible..”
Joo Seocheon answered directly without turning around..
“Allies lose power when fighting. However, blood religion is different. Even if we lose a lot, we can make up for the lost troops through us, so in the end, it's addition and subtraction. But since we are still small in number, the only thing we can do is lose..”
Joo Seocheon explained the current situation in an easy-to-understand manner..
“The good news among the misfortunes is that the jiangshi revived by Saeumjang are not as strong as regular jiangshi. It's a good thing that since it was hastily constructed, the durability is a bit low. If you don't overdo it and don't overdo it, there's nothing to worry about..”
“I can't hear it at all!”
bang!
When Jiunbo slammed his fist into the table, it shattered..
“It makes me angry to be told not to step up and defend myself when a blood cultist is right in front of me, but I tell them not to fight as much as possible.?”
Ji Yunbo’s face turned red..
“As someone whose name is Bokma, do you think you would tolerate that, you coward? Shame on you.!”
“Look, calm down..”
Master Eunha tried to stop Jiwoonbo, but it was no use..
“He was not a hero of the political faction, but a coward of the political faction! Also, if the jiangshi are weaker than the normal ones, they are a ragtag bunch, so it's okay to destroy them! All you have to do is kill the blood demon who is a magician, and then take away the magic spell or something.!”
“If that were possible, I wouldn't have said this. It is impossible to break through that army and kill the blood demon..”
“Volcanic brat, you are very scared. Shame on you! That's it, there's no need to talk anymore!”
Ji Yun-bo glared at Ju Seo-cheon with disgusted eyes and then walked outside the command barracks..
“If you're that scared, choose to hide or run! I, the Blood Demon Sword, and Gongpa will kill the Blood Demon directly.!”
‘failed.’
History is not exactly the same as the past, but it flows similarly..
I tried my best to calm him down and persuade him by explaining the dangers of blood demons, but it ended up being futile..
Joo Seocheon clicked his tongue and summarized the situation in his mind..
‘Still, the good news among the misfortunes is that political factions have not weakened as much as they did in the past..’
The time of the Great War was originally a long time later..
After the Seven Swords War lasted for a year, the Great War broke out and the war continued for ten years..
In the meantime, the demonic world, the Demonic Cult and the Blood Cult, waged a magic war to take away the secret power of the great demon head known as the Blood Root Mirror..
Due to the war that lasted for ten years, the martial arts power was weakened as a whole, and the Amcheonhoe appeared at the same time..
At this point, the martial forces would have come to their senses and tried to join forces to stop the Amcheonhoe's scheming, but the reality was grim..
The Amcheonhoe used the sabotage and instigation of spies planted over decades to prevent them from joining forces..
Among them, there were some who knowingly or unknowingly provided support to the blood religion, such as teaching them the law, to achieve their ambitions..
As soon as Hyeongyo gained power, he was pushed back by Amcheonhoe and invaded Wulin, and his power was not normal..
At the time, the ruling faction, Murim, lacked power due to the Great War, so it was difficult to stop the invasion by the blood religion..
For reference, even at this time, the communal faction, which had a deep grudge against the demonic or blood cults, turned their eyes and suffered unreasonable damage..
The loss of power soon led to defeat, and the group of blood cults that quickly gained strength was a nightmare itself..
‘I can't see that horrible scene again.’
Joo Seocheon's body was shaking, as if his teeth were shaking..
The executioners of the same gate were resurrected as jiangshi or tormented our allies with strange magic or hexes..
There were many times when I slept with my feet stretched out at night, and in extreme cases, I had to eat or spend the night among corpses..
‘The communal faction is also a communal faction, but the anti-Hangsan faction, which rolls its eyes and opposes every word you say, is also a problem..’
Volcanic wave, Jongnam wave, Joint wave, Hangsan wave.
Fortunately, the Jongnam faction was friendly, but the Dongong faction and the Hangshan faction were not at all..
Instead of being friendly, our allies are hostile to each other..
It is said that we will finish the preparations today and immediately engage the forces of the Blood Cult tomorrow, but we couldn't just leave it like that..
Even if the Xangshan faction was like that, if the elites of the communal faction were wiped out, it was obvious how the communal faction would move in the future..
It was clear that the magicians, who were impatient because they could not kill him, would go crazy for revenge if it was revealed that he had died..
If that happens, it will become a problem in the future fight against the Amcheonhoe, and more than anything, the forces of the blood religion will become stronger..
‘It's my palja……’
the next day.
Political faction members of Gansu gathered together in one place..
It was the Gobi Desert, a little far from the city..
It was characterized by high and low rocks scattered around..
If it weren't for the shade of the rock, I might have ripened early and become exhausted before I could even fight..
Hundreds of people were waiting under the wide shade, and scout warriors were on top of the rock, looking around..
There were 1,000 members of the Murim League, 1,000 small and medium-sized sects drawn from various parts of Gansu, and 1,300 major sects..
The Hwasan faction, Jongnam faction, and Hangshan faction numbered 300, 100 each, and the Dongong faction alone numbered as many as 1,000..
It's not strange considering that the base is Gansu..
In addition to the masters, ordinary disciples were also mobilized..
In total, there were about 3,300 people, which was small compared to the blood religion's army, but no one felt that it was insufficient..
The political faction was the smallest in number among the martial powers, but the martial faction was relatively high on average..
“ah!”
A surprised voice came from the mouth of the scout warrior who was looking around on a rock about five feet high..
“I see the forces of the blood religion.!”
At the sound of his voice, the warriors who were resting jumped up from their seats..
Their eyes all narrowed..
Rumble!
An army was seen raising a cloud of dust beyond the horizon..
Even before the fight, I was running..
With as many as 5,000 troops moving at the same time, the noise and dust produced was unusual..
As I ran through the desert, the dust from my steps became a storm..
“I see an offering.!”
“Dye the world with blood!”
“Let's fill the Yellow River with the blood of the Murim people.!”
Rather than showing any fear, the blood cultist approached quickly with shining eyes, as if he was deliberately searching for the battlefield..
The force was so great that subordinates from small and medium-sized factions hesitated and were reluctant to approach..
“joy! You are nothing but a coward.!”
Jiwoonbo snorted..
“Let's make Bokma's name known to the whole world.!”
Wow!
Disciples of the Communist Party stood at the forefront and showed off their bravery..
Doo doo doo doo.
Five thousand to three thousand three hundred.
The first clash of the bloody war took place.
The Blood Cult's army, which came through the sandstorm, entered the rocky area and collided with the True Cult, throwing up pieces of stone..
“Wow!!”
“Ouch!”
“die!”
Chae chae chaeng!
The sword cuts through skin and flesh, and blood splatters..
As the metals clashed violently, sparks flew and a friction sound was made..
The true believers and the magicians mixed together and let out voices full of murderous intent and hatred..
“Perform a Tangma examination (蕩魔劍陳)!”
From the perspective of others, Ji Yunbo's personality is very tiring..
If a magician is in front of him, he will do anything, and he will not hesitate to use insulting language..
There were often cases of abusing the authority of a single party and looking down on those with less power..
However, that skill is not a lie, it is real..
He is one of the most talented members of the communal faction and has been named one of the top 100 masters in the world..
He was not only skilled in individual military power but also in command, and there were numerous followers within the sect..
The disciples of the Communal Sect fought against the Blood Cult in accordance with Ji Yunbo's orders as if they were of one mind..
“Haaaa!”
The communal faction seemed to be fiercely pushing the blood cultists with the intention of tearing them to death at any moment, but the reality was a bit different..
The more you practice, the more your rationality becomes paralyzed and your vicious instincts come out. Most of the magical arts are focused on attacks..
Most of them were Donggui Jinja's methods, as he had lost his mind and was not putting his life on the line..
However, the communal faction knew that life was precious, so it developed in the direction of defense to preserve life as much as possible..
I minimized my stamina and stamina, focused on blocking and dodging, and attacked while looking for an opening..
“Bokma Sword Belt!”
Elite of the communal faction.
It was also an elite unit specialized against magicians..
The number was exactly one hundred..
“Show me the power of the thirty-six swords of the three demons.!”
Thirty-six sword-fighting ceremonies were performed to subjugate the demon..
Blood Christians were helpless during the communal festival..
“Ouch!”
“Hahaha!”
“Ugh!”
The beginning of the bad relationship between the Gongpa faction and Madou was uneventful..
The origin of the name Bokma was not originally intended to subjugate the devil. It was just something attached..
However, as time passed, later generations 'had to subdue the devil.' gave a strange interpretation:.
Afterwards, when he went on a rampage, he took the lead in subduing Madou, competing with others to live up to the name Bokma..
Members of the political faction and the general public praised the activities of the communal faction, and Bokma became a name that represented the communal faction..
The problem was that magicians who liked to boast about their power began targeting communal factions to raise their names..
The beginning was mild, but the end was serious..
The fight to only raise one's name grew exponentially as time passed and resentment called revenge arose..
“Let's glide!”
We were in the middle of a fight for a while..
As someone screamed, a prominent jiangshi appeared among the blood cultists..
Like regular jiangshi, their skin color was pale, but their movements were a little different..
It wasn't stiff and felt very free..
In addition, he even formed sword energy and used martial arts, and from the looks of it, it was clear that he was gliding..
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