Chapter 442 – The Land and Rivers Are Stained with Blood (2)

Snap!

Something snapped in Bang Jin-bo's mind, emptying it completely white. ​

Everything seemed wrapped in gray fog. He couldn't see even an inch ahead, and even sounds were distorted, unclear. ​

Within that, Bang Jin-bo moved alone. Occasionally feeling dizzying floating sensations with substances spattering on his face. ​

Everything was hazy. ​

As if dreaming. A dream that seemed it would never end. ​

Bang Jin-bo's dream ended when his body caught on something with a thud. His body wouldn't budge as if caught in shackles. ​

"Snap out of it." ​

A familiar voice pulled Bang Jin-bo's consciousness from the dream. ​

Bang Jin-bo's eyelids trembled. Then Dam Ho's blunt face appeared. ​

"Brother?" ​

Confusion appeared on Bang Jin-bo's face. ​

His mind was so hazy he couldn't understand what had happened. His whole body ached as if beaten with a huge iron club. ​

Bang Jin-bo looked around. Then he saw over ten corpses scattered around him. Corpses that weren't there just before. Hot steam still rose from blood flowing through gaping wounds. And he saw bandits' faces filled with terror. ​

The one their gazes fixed on was clearly Bang Jin-bo himself. ​

Bang Jin-bo blinked. ​

His foggy consciousness gradually returned. And he remembered. ​

"Urgh!" ​

Instantly Bang Jin-bo retched. He vomited up everything eaten before arriving here. ​

"I, I……" ​

He was the protagonist of this massacre. He'd lost reason and charged at the bandits, slaughtering them. ​

Mere bandits couldn't withstand Bang Jin-bo's Plum Blossom Saber. Bandits charging boldly at the front were mercilessly cut down by Bang Jin-bo's saber. ​

If Dam Ho hadn't intervened in time, Bang Jin-bo would have killed all the bandits alone. ​

"Brother?" ​

Bang Jin-bo looked up at Dam Ho with teary eyes. ​

Martial arts learned to cook better. ​

At Mount Hua, he'd considered himself a cook, never once a martial artist. ​

Leaving the world again to find Dam Ho, he became aware of being a martial artist and never felt ashamed of being one. ​

Though he'd harmed people with knives used for cooking, it was the result of fair duels, so while awkward, he didn't think it shameful. So he prepared another saber for cooking and thought himself proud to walk the martial artist's path. ​

But what he'd done now wasn't a fair duel between martial artists. It was a strong person mercilessly slaughtering the weak. He'd done with his own hands what a human butcher would do. ​

Bang Jin-bo's shoulders and hands trembled like aspen leaves. ​

Then Dam Ho's heavy voice came. ​

"You did nothing wrong." ​

"Brother?" ​

Instantly the trembling stopped. ​

Dam Ho's voice strangely contained power to calm people. Watching Dam Ho's unwavering eyes, Bang Jin-bo felt the rising nausea naturally subside. ​

"Your anger was not wrong." ​

"But……" ​

"No one can tell you it was wrong. At least if they're human……" ​

Dam Ho turned around. ​

Bang Jin-bo blankly watched Dam Ho's back. ​

Dam Ho was walking toward the still-living bandits. ​

An aura even absolute masters struggled to withstand. Mere bandits couldn't handle that aura like a huge beast approaching baring fangs. ​

"Ugh!" ​

"How can this be!" ​

The bandits' faces turned deathly pale. ​

The youth who suddenly jumped in slaughtering was frightening, but the pitch-black man now approaching them was more terrifying. ​

An emotion they'd never felt before in life, as if their souls would fly away just from watching, dominated their entire bodies. ​

"Wh-who are you?" ​

The bandit leader mustered courage to speak. ​

Saliva dripped from his lips, but he didn't even notice. ​

His name was Gu Sa-yeok. ​

Originally a small mountain stronghold chief under the Green Forest Eighteen Strongholds. Brutal-tempered and greedy, he'd wanted his stronghold to join the Eighteen. But lacking ability and with the existing Eighteen so solid, he couldn't penetrate. ​

Finally settling for being a small stronghold chief, the Demon Cult's chaos erupted. After the death of Chief Hwang Gyeong-mun who'd ruled all Green Forest with iron fist, the Eighteen lost their center and wavered. ​

Gu Sa-yeok, who'd had to watch the big strongholds' reactions, saw this chaos as perfect opportunity. Moreover, all nearby sects had locked their doors because of the Demon Cult. ​

Nothing to fear, no one to watch. ​

Gu Sa-yeok led his subordinates in unrestrained plundering. He stole everything he liked, killed obstructive people, and raped pretty women at will. ​

While hellish times for others, they were paradise days for him. The chaos the Demon Cult brought created his world. At least in this area, no sect or martial artist existed to stop him. ​

Today too, he'd plundered a village he'd marked days ago and obtained women. Just enjoyment remained, but unexpectedly some youth jumped in and disaster began. ​

Tremble tremble! ​

His body was shaking. ​

He tried to calm himself but it was useless. His body reacted to fear before his reason. ​

'What is that monster……' ​

Suddenly his eyes caught Dam Ho's slightly limping left leg. Only then did he recall the crippled martial artist. ​

The Fist Demon legend dominating the current martial world. ​

Unbelievable stories circulated that even the terrifying Demon Cult that brought today's chaos stepped back before that Fist Demon. ​

That frightening a man. The martial artist called Fist Demon approaching him. ​

While Gu Sa-yeok was satisfied plundering this small region at will, the Fist Demon was active on the world stage. So he absolutely couldn't handle him. Though he didn't know why he'd jumped into his front yard. ​

He had to talk. ​

"I-I'm a Green Forest brother. I-I heard Great Hero Dam has deep connections with the Chief. So w-we're practically brothers. So calm down and hear me out. Brothers shouldn't fight." ​

Gu Sa-yeok urgently continued. But his words couldn't stop Dam Ho's steps. ​

Their eyes met. ​

"……" ​

Gu Sa-yeok's mouth opened and closed. Though clearly speaking, no voice came out. Dam Ho's aura had even paralyzed his vocal cords. ​

As if his whole body was paralyzed, he had to stand stock still watching Dam Ho's huge hand approach. ​

Squeeze! ​

A steel vice-like hand grabbed his neck. Even then Gu Sa-yeok couldn't move. ​

Large beads of sweat rolled down between his brows. ​

'M-move. Please!' ​

He desperately wished his body would move. But his stone-like rigid body still wouldn't move. ​

The moment Dam Ho's indifferent eyes embedded in his pupils. ​

Crack! ​

A chilling bone-breaking sound echoed from Gu Sa-yeok's neck. Dam Ho had twisted his neck. ​

Gu Sa-yeok stuck out his tongue long and died. ​

That was the beginning. ​

Dam Ho delivered death to the bandits gathered trembling in one place like sheep. ​

Not an equal fight between martial artists, not killing others to survive. ​

Literally slaughter. ​

Merciless massacre by the strong against the weak. ​

Usually Dam Ho showed no mercy, but the killing he was doing now was too excessive. Dam Ho knew that fact. But he didn't stop. ​

The slaughter he was performing now was a lesson for Bang Jin-bo. ​

Never regret your actions. ​

What you did was never wrong. ​

"Kyaaak!" ​

"S-save me!" ​

The bandits' screams echoed pitifully through the ruined village. ​

Today, no one left this place alive. ​

***

A space invaded by darkness, where only faint luminous pearl light illuminated the interior. ​

Two men gathered there. Though the light was too dim to clearly see their faces, terrible evil energy flowed from their bodies, invading the interior. ​

On the platform before the men lay one corpse. ​

The horribly mangled corpse was someone they knew well. ​

"The Silent Sword Hero like this……" ​

One called Namgung In-hu in life. An absolute martial artist who'd rebuked the world with the epithet Silent Sword Hero. ​

Though he'd disappeared from the world long ago, nearly becoming forgotten, his absolute prowess remained. Rather, through decades of training he'd reached an even higher realm. So Namgung In-hu was someone they thought had almost no match. ​

Such Namgung In-hu had returned before them as a miserable corpse. His face was mangled beyond recognizing its original appearance, and his whole body was full of terrible wounds as if tortured. ​

A man with a particularly hunched back looked down at Namgung In-hu and spoke. ​

"The culprit?" ​

"The one who tortured and delivered the final blow was Queen Mother of the West." ​

"You speak as if the true culprit is separate. Who?" ​

"The Fist… Demon. All fatal wounds were received from him." ​

"Fist Demon! Mmm!" ​

The hunched man involuntarily let out a groan. The one reporting silently watched such a man. ​

The hunched man raised his head. Then his features, also faint under the dim luminous pearl light, revealed themselves. ​

Under faint light, covered in thick evil energy so his original face couldn't be recognized. But those present here were the few who knew his true face. ​

Ghost Demon. ​

The Cult Leader's confidant and proxy. ​

In the Leader's absence, he held all authority to execute plans. ​

Only the Leader knew his age or true face. The Leader left most matters to Ghost Demon, rarely showing himself. ​

Thick evil energy rippled in Ghost Demon's eyes watching Namgung In-hu's corpse. ​

"Namgung In-hu was a companion and excellent collaborator who spent long years with us. He was devoted to our Cult and worked with more heat and sincerity than anyone. His death can only be a great blow to us. Not just Namgung In-hu. Many have been killed by the Fist Demon or those connected to him. If we leave him alone like this, our great will will surely dilute and even our great plan will waver." ​

"Then what should we do? The Fist Demon is too dangerous to touch carelessly. Namgung In-hu is one of the Five Demons. He's one of our Cult's supreme masters, yet he was so helplessly defeated. If we try to eliminate him, our Cult will also suffer tremendous damage." ​

"Indeed." ​

Ghost Demon agreed with the other man's words. ​

His name was O-geuk. ​

Heavenly Soldier King O-geuk. ​

One of the Five Great Martial Guests who resoundingly shook the martial world decades ago, currently occupying the highest seat among Heavenly Evil Cult's Five Demons, an absolute martial artist. ​

Were it not for the Four Divine Emperors, he might have looked toward that era's number one position, such an absolute martial artist wore a dark expression. All because of Dam Ho. ​

Dam Ho was one who exceeded their expectations. ​

Everything related to him went awry or wrong. The representative example was Namgung In-hu. ​

Though Yong Hwa-seol directly killed him, Dam Ho provided the cause. ​

Though they didn't know how much Yong Hwa-seol learned from Namgung In-hu, the probability of the great plan wavering because of it grew. All because of Dam Ho. ​

Dam Ho wasn't just a disaster for the Demon Cult. He was also a disaster for Heavenly Evil Cult. His very existence harmed the world. At least Ghost Demon thought so. ​

O-geuk said to Ghost Demon. ​

"Rather, I'll face the Fist Demon." ​

"That won't do." ​

"If others step forward, only damage will increase. Rather, my stepping forward will reduce damage." ​

"If you're absent, the burden the Cult Leader must bear will only grow." ​

"Mmm!" ​

O-geuk let out a low groan. Then Ghost Demon said. ​

"Rather, it seems better I step forward." ​

"That won't do. How could Ghost Demon……" ​

"No, I'm the most suitable person. You know the reason well too, don't you?" ​

"Mmm!" ​

"Don't worry so much. I won't directly use martial arts." ​

The thick evil energy covering Ghost Demon's face greatly rippled. O-geuk knew this phenomenon occurred because Ghost Demon smiled. ​

Ghost Demon's voice became even colder. ​

"Fortunately, there's also the sacrifice the Leader sent to use, so it's even better. Using him, I can achieve the objective much more easily." ​

"Are you planning to use that method?" ​

"Indeed." ​

"But that's too dangerous." ​

"I know. But it's a method worth using at least once." ​

"The Cult Leader won't permit it." ​

"I'll obtain permission myself." ​

"Mmm!" ​

"You needn't worry too much. Surely you don't distrust me?" ​

"No. I trust you." ​

O-geuk hurriedly shook his head. ​

Complex emotions were contained in his eyes watching Ghost Demon. If competing purely with martial arts, O-geuk was confident he could suppress Ghost Demon easily. But Ghost Demon had something beyond martial arts. That made O-geuk fearful. ​

In the darkness, Ghost Demon's eyes glowed eerily. ​

The person caught in ambush immediately leaped down and attacked An Yul-jin with a dagger. An Yul-jin activated his internal energy. Suddenly, An Yul-jin felt a pain like being stabbed in the stomach with needles.

“Urgh!”

Poison?

When on earth was poison administered!

Flash! The assassin sharply stabbed at An Yul-jin. An Yul-jin rolled on the floor. The chair he had been sitting in cracked open.

An Yul-jin hurriedly employed the An family’s internal energy cultivation method to avoid the assassin.

It was the An family’s specialized mental technique for suppressing poison and healing internal injuries. It allowed one to endure to some extent even in places full of toxic energy.

However, the moment he employed the mental technique, the poison spread even faster and his intestines hurt as if they would break.

To use poison against a divine physician! At first glance, it seemed like a ridiculous action, but with this kind of poison, it was a different story.

An Yul-jin immediately recognized the nature of the poison. This was poison tailored to his mental technique. That’s why the more he used his internal energy, the more severely the poison clung to him.

But he couldn’t not use internal energy. The assassin’s skill in infiltrating up to the ceiling beams while avoiding his senses was no joke.

The assassin, knowing that the longer time dragged on, the more disadvantageous it was for An Yul-jin due to the poison, didn’t rashly approach.

However, for the same reason, An Yul-jin tried to draw up his maximum internal energy to subdue the assassin at once.

After fighting the assassin for over ten seconds, An Yul-jin broke the assassin’s arm and twisted his neck bones to paralyze him from the waist down. He poked his jaw with his fingers to dislocate joints and paralyze his tongue. Now the assassin couldn’t move his mouth or anything below his neck, making it impossible to commit suicide rashly.

“Huff… huff.”

After subduing the assassin, An Yul-jin removed his mask.

An Yul-jin’s face contorted. It was an old master from a sect that was practically an ally of the An medical family.

Moreover, wasn’t this the very place An Yul-jin had given hints about the poisoned salt this time!

“How could you… how could you betray me!”

An Yul-jin struggled to suppress his rising anger and first dealt with the poison in his body. The poison had spread throughout his five organs, making it difficult to suppress.

Then the door opened and An Yul-jin’s nephew An Gyu rushed in with a group of warriors.

“Uncle! Are you alright?”

A single thought flashed through An Yul-jin’s mind.

The assassin had attacked him inside the An family compound. Yet he leisurely waited for the poison to spread. Even though An Yul-jin could have shouted for help.

That meant!

An Yul-jin looked into the eyes of his nephew An Gyu, who came running worried about his safety. Deep in his gaze was killing intent.

That explained the entire current situation.

An Gyu attacked An Yul-jin as soon as he entered. It was a deadly strike filled with murderous intent.

However, An Yul-jin, who had already predicted the attack, avoided An Gyu’s strike.

So it was an insider who had used poison.

This morning… the confections An Gyu had brought.

He had praised them as delicious.

An Yul-jin shed tears of blood.

“You bastard! How did I raise you and protect this family!”

“Please forgive me, uncle. But how can our An family survive after making enemies with Shaolin Temple! I will take uncle’s head to Shaolin Temple and beg for forgiveness!”

An Gyu attacked An Yul-jin together with the warriors.

An Yul-jin was furious. He had no luxury to show mercy anyway. He immediately used a life-saving desperate technique to smash An Gyu’s head. Then he killed all the dozen or so warriors who came charging.

In the process, the poison spread severely and one of An Yul-jin’s eyes burst.

Loud noises began to be heard from outside.

What had happened in other families was also happening at the An medical family!

An Yul-jin immediately went outside and quickly commanded the suppression of the rebellion.

Because An Yul-jin had survived, those who had attempted rebellion were also flustered.

The rebellion was completely suppressed in half a day.

An Yul-jin made all the ringleaders and participants kneel and tortured them.

He selected the most painful pressure points on the body and stuck dozens of acupuncture needles densely. The An family compound was filled with screams.

Those who had rebelled couldn’t endure even one hour and confessed.

The sect leader who had tried to kill An Yul-jin had instigated their rebellion over several years and supported them from behind.

An Yul-jin immediately summoned his remaining warriors for retaliation. He also contacted friendly sects and families.

He knew the martial world situation was not normal. However, if he remained still after being attacked, he couldn’t survive in this cold martial world. Once marked as prey, it was over.

“These bastards dare… repay kindness with enmity? I will never forgive them.”

The An medical family also became one of the families participating in the chaos.

***

The Namgung family is a sword family and one of the two pillars supporting the Yangtze River Sword Sect together with Wudang Sect. Even when other sects withdrew from the Yangtze River Sword Sect, they continued to help Master Haewol’s work.

Previously, they had also protected Jin Ja-gang from behind by dispatching Disaster Sword Guest to Mount Song.

However, the Namgung family made enemies with Baek Li-jung’s Righteous Alliance as the price for supporting Master Haewol. From small businesses to branch territories, there was nowhere they didn’t clash constantly.

But now rumors spread that Master Haewol had joined hands with the Demon Cult and died at Dujiang Pass, so the Namgung family that had helped Master Haewol was truly in a difficult situation.

Sword King Namgung Rak.

Called the Two Kings of the martial world together with King of Hell, a supreme master who dominated an era at the somewhat early age of just over sixty.

He called the descendants of his family and drank tea silently for a long time with a very cautious expression.

From their twenties to fifties. Over twenty direct descendants of the Namgung family watched Namgung Rak with tense expressions, waiting for his words. Today’s summons had been made suddenly as all kinds of chaos erupted in the martial world, so they couldn’t help but be nervous.

Even normally, Namgung Rak was a very slow person, unlike his title of Sword King. He was slow in speech and actions and decisions.

But today his silence was particularly long.

The maids had already replaced the teapot three or four times for each person.

Then Namgung Rak first opened his mouth after a full hour.

“So…”

Namgung Rak slowly looked around at the descendants watching him and said.

“You all must know that Master Haewol has passed away. Our Namgung family has been helping Master Haewol’s work both materially and spiritually from behind the scenes.”

All the descendants agreed.

However, Master Haewol had died bearing the worst infamy of joining hands with the Demon Cult.

“What Master Haewol said while preparing for the great undertaking… after he departed, our Namgung family should handle things on our own.”

The descendants perked up their ears. What did that mean?

Namgung Rak explained leisurely.

“Our Namgung family fought together with Master Haewol against invisible enemies for the sake of righteousness alone, without any compensation. But suddenly he was abandoning the main family and going his own way. Hehehe.”

Namgung Rak stopped talking again, brewed tea, and blew on it.

“I wondered what that meant… then yesterday Mount Hua Sect contacted us. Demanding we clarify whether our Namgung family has any connection to the Demon Cult.”

Namgung Rak’s brow slightly furrowed after drinking the cooled tea.

“Even if they look down on our family, there should be limits…”

The descendants were indignant.

“How could Mount Hua Sect say such things to us!”

Namgung Rak nodded.

“But today the family head made another statement. The night before, Righteous Alliance bastards attacked several of our family’s businesses.”

“What?”

“We absolutely cannot let this slide!”

“Isn’t this their scheme to profit by using the Demon Cult as a pretext amid the martial world chaos!”

“That’s right. So today, I think I need to make a terrible decision.”

Namgung Rak put down his finished teacup and said.

“I need to kill some Mount Hua Sect Taoists.”

At the end of Namgung Rak’s slow motion of putting down the teacup, wind suddenly arose.

Flash!

Before anyone knew it, Namgung Rak’s hand was pointing toward the sky holding a sword.

Crack. The table where he had placed the tea had not a single scratch, but only the teacup was finely chopped into dozens of pieces and spread like flower petals.

Namgung Rak slowly sheathed his sword and said.

“After that, the sects that left the Yangtze River Sword Sect. Then the Righteous Alliance. Finally, Shaolin Temple.”

***

“Hoo… hooo.”

Baek Li-jung arrived in Chongqing looking completely like a beggar. His hair was disheveled and his entire clothing was soaked in blood while covered in dust, making him pitch black.

With his shoulders hunched and body trembling violently, he didn’t look like Baek Li-jung at all.

He even constantly muttered something with his mouth.

“Yubei… tabi ba… pusi… sau… abu…”

Baek Li-jung arrived at the compound where the Righteous Alliance branch was located.

The gatekeeper who had been wary seeing Baek Li-jung’s appearance panicked upon seeing the token Baek Li-jung presented.

“The Alliance Leader has come!”

Clang clang clang clang!

The gatekeeper urgently rang the bell.

Baek Li-jung pushed the gatekeeper aside with rough breathing and entered inside. As he entered the compound, numerous martial artists and warriors gathered.

Baek Li-jung staggered inside like a sick person.

“Alliance Leader?”

The Chongqing Righteous Alliance branch was managed by someone related to the Baek Ri family. It was Pyeong Tak, a sword master who was Baek Li-jung’s second cousin.

“What on earth happened?”

“Ar… Pedra chaseta… pohuda…”

Baek Li-jung, bent over at the waist, constantly muttered before closing his mouth and looking up at his brother-in-law Pyeong Tak who blocked his way.

“…Move.”

“What did you say?”

But there was something strange about Pyeong Tak’s eyes as he asked back. Pyeong Tak carefully looked Baek Li-jung up and down and asked.

“Alliance Leader, are you sick somewhere? You’ve been muttering strange sounds since earlier.”

Baek Li-jung panted and glared at Pyeong Tak. His eyes were reddish, looking very painful.

Incomprehensibly, a smile gradually began to appear on Pyeong Tak’s lips as he watched such a Baek Li-jung.

At that moment, swoosh! Baek Li-jung’s sword Heavenly Vermillion Sword diagonally cut through Pyeong Tak’s body.

“…?”

Pyeong Tak died with his eyes wide open, still in the position of just trying to grab his sword handle.

Pyeong Tak had originally intended to attack Baek Li-jung!

However, he couldn’t do anything, and was even struck down by Baek Li-jung before even attempting an attack.

Pyeong Tak’s diagonally cut upper body slid off his torso and fell to the floor.

Baek Li-jung spoke as if he had no interest in Pyeong Tak’s impure intentions.

“I said move.”

The warriors surrounding him belatedly attacked Baek Li-jung.

Baek Li-jung swung Heavenly Vermillion Sword at almost invisible speed and cut down all the warriors who rushed at him.

It was truly in the blink of an eye.

When no one was left to block his way, Baek Li-jung unhesitatingly dragged Pyeong Tak’s upper body along the floor as he entered the compound.

The bloodstains left on the floor as Pyeong Tak’s upper body was dragged were horrifically gruesome.

Baek Li-jung’s eyes had completely lost their sanity.

Baek Li-jung didn’t know why his family’s second cousin and the warriors had attacked him, but he didn’t particularly want to know right now either.

“Pedra… chaseta… baramo…”