Chapter 230 – Even a carefully built tower can collapse in an instant (2)

The battle between Cho Yeon-woon and Jo Ja-gyeong had reached its climax.

Boom!

Explosions kept ringing out, and their bodies shook.

Cho Yeon-woon's entire body was covered in numerous open wounds, and Jo Ja-gyeong's face was filled with exhaustion.

Their powers were almost evenly matched. As a result, neither could completely overwhelm the other.

From Cho Yeon-woon's fists, the ultimate technique of the Eight Desolation Divine Fist was unleashed, while Jo Ja-gyeong's Rotating Sword Style was poised like a highly agitated snake, waiting for an opportunity.

Fist and sword intertwined and separated numerous times. Both of their bodies were tattered like rags from the energy of fists and swords.

In their eyes as they looked at each other, a faint light of admiration had risen.

'Impressive, Jo Ja-gyeong.'

'Cho Yeon-woon, is this your limit? Indeed, without eliminating you, my future won't exist.'

Jo Ja-gyeong bit his lip.

From the moment he first met Cho Yeon-woon, he had felt particularly uneasy. His instinct had felt an extreme aversion to Cho Yeon-woon.

Now he clearly understood the reason.

Cho Yeon-woon was his natural enemy. His martial arts, his temperament, his everything was at the opposite extreme of Jo Ja-gyeong. It was like looking at his own reflection in a mirror.

Jo Ja-gyeong drew out every last bit of energy remaining at the bottom of his dantian.

His master had always said:

The sword is alive.

A true swordsman is one who draws out all the abilities of the sword.

The Rotating Sword Style that his master had passed down was a sword that found its way on the battlefield.

As Jo Ja-gyeong's aura became ominous, Cho Yeon-woon also drew out all his energy.

His whole body ached from Jo Ja-gyeong's killing intent.

Even at this moment, his fellow disciples were falling, wounded by the Thousand Heaven Squad. If he delayed any longer, many would die. He had to prevent that situation at all costs.

Behind him, the massive One Hundred Battles Victorious Flag was fluttering.

He didn't want to show any shameful appearance to the One Hundred Battles Victorious Flag.

"I didn't expect to use this technique here…"

A red haze rose from both of his fists. It was a phenomenon occurring as all his energy concentrated in both fists.

After glaring at each other for a moment, Cho Yeon-woon and Jo Ja-gyeong rushed towards each other almost simultaneously.

"Chaaaat!"

"Haat!"

Cho Yeon-woon unleashed the technique of Eight Desolations Destroy Heaven, while Jo Ja-gyeong unleashed his Rotating Sword Style, trusting his instincts.

Clash!

As the two collided in mid-air, an intense light burst forth. At the same time, a fierce storm swept in all directions.

"Kuk!"

"Heuk!"

The Hundred Battles Sect martial artists and Thousand Heaven Squad members fighting nearby were blown away by the storm.

"Senior!"

"Leader!"

The martial artists who barely regained their senses looked towards where Cho Yeon-woon and Jo Ja-gyeong had collided.

Dust was rising thickly where the two had clashed. Through the dust, the faint figures of the two could be seen.

Both were on their knees, so it was impossible to tell who had won or lost.

Then someone coughed up blood.

"Cough!"

The blood spilling from his mouth stained his chest red.

"Kheuk, I…"

The man looking at his blood-stained chest with an unbelievable expression was none other than Jo Ja-gyeong.

He was barely supporting his upper body with his broken sword.

"Keu!"

Cho Yeon-woon was sitting in front of Jo Ja-gyeong. His chest was also deeply cut and bleeding profusely.

It was a wound so deep that it wouldn't have been strange if he had died instantly. Between the torn muscles and bones, his heart could be seen pulsating painfully.

Cho Yeon-woon didn't even dare attempt to stop the bleeding and covered the wound on his chest with both hands. Yet blood was still gushing out between his fingers.

Cho Yeon-woon's complexion turned pale in an instant.

Then Jo Ja-gyeong asked.

"It was a hair's breadth difference. Wasn't it?"

"That's right!"

Though his consciousness was fading, Cho Yeon-woon struggled to hold on and answered.

Jo Ja-gyeong asked once more, as if to confirm.

"Right?"

"Yes!"

"It was fun. Enough to leave no regrets. Don't you think?"

"Yes!"

At Cho Yeon-woon's answer, Jo Ja-gyeong smiled. His smile, with his mouth and chest stained with blood, was chillingly desperate.

Cho Yeon-woon silently watched Jo Ja-gyeong's smiling face. Jo Ja-gyeong's laughter gradually subsided.

"Jo… Ja-gyeong."

Cho Yeon-woon closed his eyes.

Jo Ja-gyeong's laughter was no longer heard. His breath had stopped.

A strangely hollow feeling came over him. He couldn't muster strength in his limbs, and his vision turned completely black. Then, he heard someone's urgent voice.

"Leader!"

At Jo Ja-gyeong's death, the Thousand Heaven Squad warriors rushed in like madmen. The disciples of the Hundred Battles Sect desperately blocked them.

"Block them!"

"Protect the senior!"

A more fierce battle broke out as the Hundred Battles Sect warriors and the Thousand Heaven Squad became entangled.

Cho Yeon-woon lay sprawled out. The blood flowing from his chest was staining the ground red.

The Hundred Battles Victorious Flag was fluttering vigorously under the red sky of dawn.

That day, the Murim Alliance retreated from the Shouzhou branch.

Although Cho Yeon-woon, Hyeon-geom, and a few other warriors had achieved victory, it did not lead to an overall victory.

The damage caused by the Phantom Demon Squad was especially severe. The Phantom Demon Squad first ambushed and killed the leadership of the Murim Alliance in the Shouzhou branch. As a result, key figures such as Gong Son-jung, the head of the Shouzhou branch, and Taeul of the Xuandao Sect lost their lives.

Above all, the greatest loss was the death of Yeom Jung-hwa, True Sword of the Zhongnan, who was the first to notice and respond to the Phantom Demon Squad's infiltration.

It was said that the one who killed Yeom Jung-hwa was Jin Hye-won, the Crescent Moon Immortal, one of the Seven Great Demon Masters. She killed Yeom Jung-hwa and took his head in just over fifty seconds.

It was a moment when the might of the Seven Great Demon Masters was revealed to the world.

The entire Zhongnan Sect was shocked, and the Murim Alliance, which had been optimistic about victory, also suffered a tremendous blow and fell into depression.

The Murim Alliance warriors who lost Shouzhou scattered in small groups and moved south, and the Demonic Cult organized pursuit teams to exterminate these warriors. Moreover, they mobilized troops operating in the Central Plains to block the southern routes.

Many Murim Alliance warriors suffered heavy losses as they were suddenly attacked from both sides.

Countless people died, and the blood they shed flowed like rivers.

The southern route was blocked, and eventually, the survivors had no choice but to seek refuge in nearby sects to save their lives.

Some fled to the Mount Hua Sect, while others took refuge in the Zhongnan Sect. Many also entrusted their lives to the Shaolin Temple in Henan Province.

The Murim Alliance urgently dispatched troops to rescue them, but it inevitably took time.

Later, historians called the events of this day "Blood Rain Falling on a Spring Day".

The rain of blood that fell that day spread throughout the world. The world was entering into chaos.

***

"That's how it happened."

"……"

"Brother?"

Muk Il-gwang cautiously called out to Dam Ho.

Dam Ho's face was expressionless. So it was impossible to know what he was thinking.

'Brother.'

Muk Il-gwang held his breath.

He was scared. That expressionless face was frightening.

Just now, he had informed Dam Ho of the Murim Alliance's defeat in Shouzhou. Dam Ho had silently listened to everything Muk Il-gwang said. Dam Ho, who showed no change in expression even after hearing the entire story, seemed even more frightening.

Muk Il-gwang watched Dam Ho while holding his breath.

After a moment, Dam Ho opened his mouth.

"I see."

He raised his head. An enormous pressure was felt.

'Brother has become even stronger.'

Muk Il-gwang felt goosebumps rising all over his body.

Since returning here, Dam Ho had never once revealed his martial power. But Muk Il-gwang could instinctively tell.

That Dam Ho had become stronger and more terrifying.

Feeling the goosebumps not easily subsiding, Muk Il-gwang rubbed his shoulders with both arms. The goosebumps gradually faded.

Dam Ho asked.

"You say Yeon-woon was severely injured?"

"That's the rumor circulating among the warriors."

"Where is he now?"

"We haven't been able to find that out yet."

"Find out."

"I will definitely find out."

Muk Il-gwang answered loudly without realizing it.

"What are you going to find out?"

At that moment, someone entered the hut with a youthful voice.

"Ah, Young Miss!"

Muk Il-gwang brightened.

The one who entered the hut was Hwang Hye-ryeong. She was carrying a tray of fruits in her hands.

"What are you going to find out?"

Muk Il-gwang didn't know what to do under Hwang Hye-ryeong's gaze. The one who saved him from this situation was Dam Ho.

"What's the matter?"

"I came to bring you some fruit, Brother."

Hwang Hye-ryeong quickly smiled at Dam Ho.

During the time they were apart, Hwang Hye-ryeong had matured significantly. Her previous youthful appearance had completely disappeared, and she was exuding a womanly charm.

Hwang Hye-ryeong sat opposite Dam Ho and asked.

"Is it because of that incident?"

"……"

"I know too. That the Murim Alliance suffered a great defeat in Shouzhou. And that the world has fallen into great chaos because of it."

Hwang Hye-ryeong spoke calmly while peeling fruit. Meanwhile, Muk Il-gwang was the one who couldn't sit still.

He lowered his head deeply, like someone who had committed a crime. Muk Il-gwang always became weak in front of Hwang Hye-ryeong.

"Many have died, and many more will die. The world will be engulfed in great chaos. But this place is so peaceful. It's all thanks to you, Brother."

"Hye-ryeong."

"If it weren't for you, Brother, Father wouldn't have been able to remain healthy, and the Green Forest wouldn't have enjoyed such prosperity. So I'm grateful to you, Brother."

"……"

"But sometimes I wonder. Is it okay for only us to be this happy… I wonder if we're enjoying happiness beyond our share. Brother…"

"Speak."

"Is it really okay for only us to enjoy such happiness? Is it okay for us to be so carefree? When the world is in such chaos. When so many people are dying."

Hwang Hye-ryeong's voice was calm. That's why it left a deeper impression.

She placed the peeled fruit in front of Dam Ho.

"Please eat."

"……"

"Go ahead."

At Hwang Hye-ryeong's urging, Dam Ho bit into the fruit. His mouth was filled with sweetness.

"It's sweet, isn't it?"

"It is sweet."

"Whenever you come to visit us alive, I'll serve you sweet fruit."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, don't worry about us and go outside. You've tried hard enough, Brother. Until now, your life has been all about me and Master Hyeon-so. You've spent almost all your time for us two. But you don't have to do that anymore. Don't hesitate because of us."

"……"

"Use your time for yourself, Brother. Live as your heart tells you, as you want to live. If you want to find your friend, do so. I'll support whatever decision you make."

Hwang Hye-ryeong smiled at Dam Ho. Her appearance was dazzlingly beautiful.

"As I want?"

"Yes! As you want, Brother. He's your friend. Your only one."

Hwang Hye-ryeong's voice penetrated Dam Ho's heart like a spell.

Jin Ja-gang looked at Venerable Woo-am.

Venerable Woo-am’s emotions could only be read from his facial expressions. With the blindfold over his eyes, his gaze could not be read.

When Jin Ja-gang continued to hesitate, Venerable Woo-am scolded him.

“Even when I teach you where to place it, you can’t place it?”

“Was Go originally like this?”

“Well.”

Venerable Woo-am said while stroking his beard.

“One of our sect’s predecessors had a lifelong rival, and despite never having met that rival face to face, they played a single game of Go for forty years.”

“A single game of Go for forty years?”

“They placed a Go board in a treacherous place where ordinary people couldn’t visit, and went there several times a year to place stones against each other. That’s why it took forty years.”

Jin Ja-gang felt a strange emotion.

The martial world having many extraordinary people and strange incidents was nothing new. Jin Ja-gang too had once felt his heart race as a child listening to countless tales of chivalrous heroes and mysterious legends.

Of course, the martial world he had directly experienced was terribly cold, calculating, and incomparably cruel…

But now, listening to Venerable Woo-am’s story, it seemed as if the emotions from his childhood were coming back to life.

Jin Ja-gang asked, feeling as if he had briefly returned to the past.

“Was there a result?”

“Unfortunately, during the last ten years, the opponent no longer placed stones, so no conclusion was reached.”

Venerable Woo-am wore a long smile.

“So whether Go is like this or not, it would be difficult for me to make a definitive judgment. For some it might have meaning beyond life itself, while for others it might have no meaning at all.”

Venerable Woo-am waved his hand.

“If you understand, then hurry up and place your stone.”

“This is not easy.”

How could he make a stone from this hard, thick clam shell?

“I always played matching the level of my opponent. I seated you here thinking you could play.”

From Venerable Woo-am’s words, Jin Ja-gang felt he could do it.

Having built three dikes with the Jade Void Nine Light Five Thunder Toad Technique meant he could make stones.

Jin Ja-gang held the clam shell in his hand and raised Mad Blood Heaven technique.

He carefully sent internal energy to his hand. But the moment he applied strength to his fingers, the clam shell, thicker than his finger width, broke without resistance.

Crack.

Jin Ja-gang was flustered.

He had thought about how much internal energy he would need to carve this hard clam shell round like a Go stone, but it broke the moment he applied force?

Seeing Jin Ja-gang fail on just his first attempt, Venerable Woo-am got up.

“Keep at it. I’ll go take care of some business and return.”

Jin Ja-gang wondered where Venerable Woo-am was going in the middle of playing Go and looked at him.

“People in the world think a sect leader just needs to nod and say ‘do so,’ but there’s surprisingly much to do.”

“I understand.”

Venerable Woo-am left Jin Ja-gang alone and went down the peak.

Left alone, Jin Ja-gang sat and continued trying to make Go stones from the clam shells. For Jin Ja-gang, who had always trained internal energy in the direction of killing people, this was an application of internal energy he had never tried before.

Would this really have meaning?

Wouldn’t it be better to spend that time training instead?

But on the other hand, competitive spirit surged up. Wouldn’t the disciples of the great sects that Jin Ja-gang envied do such things routinely?

So Jin Ja-gang didn’t leave his spot and continued trying.

* * *

Even when night came, Jin Ja-gang still hadn’t managed to make a single stone. No matter how gently he raised his internal energy, the clam shells that touched Jin Ja-gang’s hands quickly cracked or broke. It was the same no matter how thick the shells were.

Fortunately, there were plenty of clam shells, so he could continue trying.

Venerable Woo-am came up when the moon was well risen.

The clam shell in Jin Ja-gang’s hand crumbled again.

Crack.

Venerable Woo-am said expressionlessly.

“From the sound, there’s no need to check the Go board.”

Venerable Woo-am threw Jin Ja-gang a rice ball and went back down.

* * *

Jin Ja-gang tried every possible method.

He tried grinding two clam shells against each other, and tried grinding them against stones.

But no matter what he did, the clam shells wouldn’t remain intact. You couldn’t say they were weak in strength relative to their thickness. Without using internal energy, they were hard to break even with bare hands.

But if even the slightest bit of internal energy entered, they would inevitably break, which was frustrating.

‘Am I really this lacking in the ability to handle internal energy delicately?’

But Mad Blood Heaven technique itself was like a wild horse rampaging roughly from the beginning. He was barely suppressing and operating it with the guidance method of the Jade Void Nine Light Five Thunder Toad Technique.

Taming it further to use more gently was at an impossible level.

‘What should I do?’

Jin Ja-gang fell into worry.

* * *

Before dawn broke, Venerable Woo-am came up. Jin Ja-gang hadn’t closed his eyes until then. But there was no progress.

Venerable Woo-am threw him a rice ball and went back down.

* * *

Jin Ja-gang became impatient.

Three days.

For three days, he hadn’t been able to carve out a single stone. He couldn’t even make something resembling a round stone and had broken them all.

He even felt self-loathing.

“Haha. So I was this lacking in talent.”

Venerable Woo-am came two or three times a day, but later he said nothing at all.

He just checked if Jin Ja-gang had placed a Go stone and immediately went back down.

On the fifth day of this…

Venerable Woo-am spoke for the first time in a while.

“I was going to leave you alone indefinitely, but time seems insufficient. I had expectations since you gave Taoist Bok-cheon a beating, but you’re the most stupid fellow I’ve ever seen.”

Jin Ja-gang could make no excuses.

“You kill people well but can’t carve a single stone, what kind of…”

Venerable Woo-am clicked his tongue.

Jin Ja-gang hadn’t slept much, so he was tired and his nerves had become sharp.

“Is stone carving necessary for revenge?”

“Would someone seeking revenge and holding a blade leave the maintenance of his blade to a blacksmith? You should at least know how to maintain the blade you’ll use yourself. You have absolutely no earnestness.”

‘No earnestness?’

Jin Ja-gang was most shocked by the words that he lacked earnestness. He had survived that hell to stay alive, to take revenge, yet he was told he lacked earnestness!

When Jin Ja-gang thought of the slaughter at Hundred Flowers Valley and life in the mine shafts, anger surged.

Unconsciously, killing intent flowed out. The unrefined natural killing intent was ingrained in Jin Ja-gang’s body.

Though Jin Ja-gang didn’t intend it, the receiver was different.

“Oh ho?”

The corners of Venerable Woo-am’s mouth turned up.

“An ungrateful fellow. You think you alone carry all the world’s suffering.”

Venerable Woo-am lifted his foot and trampled on the remaining clam shells.

Crunch!

All the dozens of remaining clam shells broke.

Now only the one in Jin Ja-gang’s hand remained.

“If you can’t do it with that either, give up. You have neither qualification nor preparation.”

Venerable Woo-am went straight down.

Jin Ja-gang looked at the single remaining clam shell. It looked much thinner and weaker than the other clams.

He gritted his teeth.

He didn’t want to be looked down upon.

Jin Ja-gang placed the clam shell in front of him and entered meditation. His head was complicated thinking about how to use this single opportunity.

‘If there’s only one chance.’

As Venerable Woo-am said, he would have to prepare as much as possible and make his final attempt.

* * *

While Jin Ja-gang was up on the remote peak, considerable disturbance continued to occur at the Qingcheng sect.

Evil Sect members kept coming.

For the Qingcheng sect disciples, it was utterly bewildering.

They came and sat on the ground reading Taoist scriptures, acting like pilgrims who had come to convert to Taoism.

Because of this, it became an awkward situation where they could neither fight and drive them away nor just leave them alone.

Of course, their main purpose was to demand Dan Ryeong-gyeong’s release.

They did this from morning to evening, then returned and came back again the next day. And their numbers were gradually increasing.

With all sorts of Evil Sect figures coming, the Qingcheng sect disciples were highly tense.

It was an atmosphere where something might happen if Taoist Bok-cheon didn’t come out every day to watch.

Human Demon Gam Chung went even further and preached to the Qingcheng sect disciples who came out to monitor them.

“What is Great Unity with Small Differences? It means being the same in big things even if different in small things. Then what is it that the Qingcheng sect and we both pursue? In a word, it’s peace! A peaceful age. If we could continue discussions fairly and equally from the same position, there would be no discord, and there would also be no quarrels or disputes.”

The hairy giant Remnant Wind Guest showed his yellow teeth and laughed.

“If there are disputes, just kill them and that’s it. Then there can be no disputes in the world.”

“Since you kill people because of disputes, the disputes already existed.”

“Ah, then if you kill them beforehand, there are no disputes.”

“Oh ho, that makes sense. That could be so.”

Flower Snake Divine Woman interjected. Flower Snake Divine Woman asked the Qingcheng sect disciples.

“Taoist masters, Taoist masters. What about intimate disputes between men and women? If you resolve even intimate disputes known only to two people with murder, no children will be born in the world, and eventually no people will remain.”

The Qingcheng sect disciples already knew Flower Snake Divine Woman’s identity and had received hints from their masters. So they kept their mouths tightly shut and didn’t respond.

“Waaah! Waaah!”

“Oh my. Don’t cry, baby. The Qingcheng Mountain Taoists must be blockheaded youngsters who don’t even know about love between men and women. I heard their sect leader is a man among men who knows romance?”

The Qingcheng sect disciples’ faces contorted.

“How dare…!”

The sound of a child crying loudly rang out. Flower Snake Divine Woman comforted the child while speaking.

“Oh my? Why are you all like that? Am I talking about something that isn’t true? It’s true that the sect leader had his eye on our Seonrang in his youth. So seeing how he secretly took her and won’t hand her over, isn’t he doing something wicked?”

They could tolerate other things, but bringing up their venerable leader was not easy to endure.

The Qingcheng sect disciples couldn’t contain their anger and gripped their sword hilts.

Clang, clang!

As the atmosphere worsened, the Evil Sect members began looking at the Qingcheng sect disciples with menacing eyes.

These weren’t simple third-rate ruffians but famous figures among Evil Sect members.

Though the Qingcheng sect wouldn’t lose if a fight broke out, there would be some damage. Most of all, they worried about bad rumors spreading in the martial world from being involved with Evil Sect members.

Taoist Bok-cheon ground his teeth.

“Should I kill all those things?”

Human Demon Gam Chung clapped his hands.

“Exactly! That’s exactly what Remnant Wind Guest said about Great Unity with Small Differences! If you kill them all, there’s no discord. The high-ranking person of the Qingcheng sect also knows this truth well. That’s exactly Great Unity with Small Differences.”

Remnant Wind Guest blushed and scratched his head in an embarrassed manner.

“Well now, it’s embarrassing to receive praise after so long?”

The Qingcheng sect disciples were dumbfounded and incredulous at the Evil Sect members’ schemes.