Chapter 483 – Staking Everything on a War Without Retreat (2)

Rumors that Blue Sky Alliance and the Demon Cult had clashed spread throughout the world in an instant.

Whenever two or more people gathered, they were busy talking about the battle between Blue Sky Alliance and the Demon Cult.

It was a battle where the martial world's fate changed depending on who won. If Blue Sky Alliance won, the existing order would be maintained to some degree, but if the Demon Cult won, an era dominated by a new order would open.

Because of this situation, even those unrelated to the martial world focused all their attention on their battle. No, there couldn't be people unrelated to the martial world. Because the Demon Cult operated a missionary organization called Middle Heaven and countless believers were created.

Those who believed in the Demon Cult tried to proselytize even to those unrelated to the martial world, and conflicts arose everywhere because of that. Due to that, the world fell even deeper into the abyss of chaos.

Public sentiment became unsettled, and people stopped trusting others. A world filled only with distrust was no different from hell itself. Thus the world gradually became hell and went mad.

Xixia was the same. Xixia was a small city near where Shaanxi Province, Hubei Province, and Henan Province met. It was close, only a few hundred li away from Xunyang where Blue Sky Alliance and the Demon Cult were fiercely battling.

Xixia was also divided into people supporting Blue Sky Alliance and people supporting the Demon Cult, suffering greatly. Though they didn't fight wielding weapons like the two forces, emotions were hurt as much as possible due to wasteful emotional battles and verbal abuse poured toward each other.

Because of that, Xixia's atmosphere was extremely deadly. Strangers had to receive surveillance looks the moment they set foot in Xixia.

Into such a Xixia came a particularly eye-catching one man and one horse.

A man wearing a pitch-black blood cloak riding a pitch-black horse without a single stray hair. He drew many people's gazes from his appearance. But few actually looked at him directly.

'What kind of eyes are those…'

'Huk!'

Just seeing his eyes made their entire bodies tremble like aspen trees. Whether people taking Blue Sky Alliance's side or people who'd fallen to the Demon Cult, it didn't matter. The moment they saw his eyes, they experienced the mysterious feeling of their hearts shrinking.

Even people who normally would have glared with provocative emotions pretended to focus on their livelihoods without giving him attention. But all their nerves were focused on him.

He was precisely Dam Ho. He had appeared in Xixia near Xunyang where Blue Sky Alliance and the Demon Cult were fiercely clashing.

Dam Ho entered Cheongli Inn, Xixia's largest inn.

"Welcome…"

The waiter stopped mid-greeting and froze like a stone statue. Dam Ho's eyes were that deadly. Though the waiter prided himself on having lived here long and seen all kinds of people, this was his first time seeing someone with eyes like Dam Ho's.

Just seeing his eyes made his heart race madly and his breathing quicken. His mind went blank so he couldn't think anything.

When the waiter came to his senses again, Dam Ho had already sat in a window seat. He hurriedly ran to Dam Ho and bowed his head. He didn't dare meet his eyes.

"I'm, I'm sorry, customer. What meal may I bring you?"

"Bring dinner and prepare a room."

"Will, will you be staying overnight?"

"Yes."

"Understood. I'll prepare it right away."

"Bring a bottle of alcohol too."

"Yes!"

The waiter answered in a trembling voice then ran to the kitchen.

Left alone, Dam Ho looked out the window with his usual indifferent face.

From Taigu in Shanxi Province to Xixia in Henan Province, he had run without resting even a single day. Except for brief rests, he spent most of his time on Black Ghost's back.

An ordinary horse would have collapsed from exhaustion before reaching here, but Black Ghost wasn't an ordinary horse. It was one of the finest horses in the world and was in its prime equivalent to a young adult human.

Thanks to its tireless stamina and endurance, it could run continuously with just a little rest. Thanks to that, he could arrive at this Xixia, a full two thousand li away, in just two days after leaving Taigu.

During that time, he saw a world that had become hell.

Hell wasn't only when many people had to die. A world where humans couldn't trust each other was hell.

Xixia was the same. Here too, an atmosphere of distrust was rampant. People going about the streets looked at each other with wary eyes. It was far from an ordinary scene.

When Dam Ho was silently watching the street, the waiter approached carefully holding a tray with alcohol and simple snacks.

"H-here's the alcohol and snacks. I'll bring dinner while you're having these. Then…"

"I heard there's a famous academy here. Is that right?"

"Huh? For a famous academy, there's Myeongil Academy. It's definitely the first choice since it has produced many famous scholars."

"Myeongil Academy?"

"Yes! But why are you looking for Myeongil Academy?"

"You don't need to know."

"Huh? Understood. Then…"

The waiter hurriedly retreated.

Left alone, Dam Ho filled his cup with alcohol. A deep alcohol fragrance stimulated his sense of smell.

Dam Ho brought the cup to his lips.

With just one sip, his tongue and esophagus tingled as if burning. It was that strong a liquor.

Dam Ho silently drank the strong liquor repeatedly. Yet he seemed perfectly fine as if no intoxication was rising.

After finishing even his meal, Dam Ho went up to his room. Whether because they feared Dam Ho or not, the assigned room was located in the inn's most remote location. Still, whether it was well maintained, the interior was quite clean.

Dam Ho lay on the bed and sought sleep. Perhaps because he'd had some alcohol, Dam Ho quickly fell into deep sleep.

In the quiet room, only Dam Ho's deep and steady breathing echoed. And quite some time passed.

Creak!

With a quiet sound, the door of Dam Ho's room opened. Following that, three or four people entered the room without footsteps.

They were men wearing scholarly robes. They carefully conversed while looking at the soundly sleeping Dam Ho.

"Are you sure it's Fist Demon?"

"That's right. I confirmed his features."

"Why is Fist Demon here?"

"Is that important? What's important is that he's drunk on Thousand Day Intoxication."

"True…"

They nodded their heads.

The alcohol the waiter had given Dam Ho was a famous liquor called Thousand Day Intoxication. As the name suggested of being intoxicated for a thousand days once drunk, it was extremely potent, and drinking one bottle would make even someone with profound internal energy collapse for a full day. Above all, since it wasn't poison, even immunity to all poisons was helpless against it. That was why the men could talk freely in Dam Ho's sleeping room.

"At this level, we could handle it without informing the Academy Master."

"That's right. They made such a fuss about Fist Demon so I was nervous, but it'll be resolved more easily than expected."

Shhk!

The men drew swords they'd hidden inside their clothes.

Holding their swords, they carefully walked toward the bed where Dam Ho lay. Joy shone on their faces.

Thinking they were ending the life of Fist Demon, notorious throughout the world, with their own hands made their fingertips tingle and their hearts naturally beat faster.

Their swords were just about to touch Dam Ho's chest and neck.

Pop!

Suddenly the head of the man in front exploded.

"Uwaak!"

"What?"

The men who'd been dazed and suddenly showered with a fountain of blood sat down in place from shock. It was that horrific a scene and an unexpected accident.

At that moment, Dam Ho, who'd been lying as if dead until now, sat up. Blood was dripping from his fist.

Only then did the men realize their companion's head had exploded because Dam Ho had struck.

"That can't be! He was definitely drunk on Thousand Day Intoxication. How?"

By their common sense, this was something that absolutely couldn't happen. The common sense that someone drunk on Thousand Day Intoxication could never wake up midway.

"If I was drunk, that would have been the case."

Dam Ho said as he stood up.

Drip!

Water flowed from Dam Ho's fingertips and thick alcohol fragrance filled the room.

The men who witnessed that scene turned ashen. Though they couldn't know the details, they could at least guess that Dam Ho was pushing out the Thousand Day Intoxication with internal energy.

As they guessed, Dam Ho was wrapping the Thousand Day Intoxication that had entered his body with internal energy, pushing it to one side of his stomach, then discharging it outside through his fingertips.

Dark Soul Cultivation Method, the demonic cultivation method of the solitary path lineage, was created by taking only the strong points of Mount Hua Sect, the orthodox pinnacle, and the Demon Cult, the peak of the demonic path. To such Dark Soul Cultivation Method, the alcohol poison of Thousand Day Intoxication wasn't a problem.

At Dam Ho's perfectly fine appearance, the men looked at each other's faces.

They had witnessed a companion's head flying off in an instant. They might not know if they hadn't seen it, but once witnessed, they couldn't forget. The hands holding swords trembled like aspen trees.

They shouted to shake off their fear.

"Why did you kill innocent people? Fist Demon!"

"D-do you think you'll be safe after killing Myeongil Academy people?"

At their voices filled with internal energy, the furniture in the room vibrated with a 'woong woong' sound. Their internal energy was that profound. But their voices contained fear they couldn't hide.

Dam Ho approached them.

Why did you ambush me?

What's your identity?

He should ask even one question, but Dam Ho had none of that.

He was looking at them with eyes as if he knew everything. That appearance made them even more terrified.

Only then did they understand why martial artists called Dam Ho so frightening.

The worst opponent with whom no conversation or compromise worked.

Bang!

As if to prove that fact, the man in front became a bloody mess from Dam Ho's strike and flew outside.

No scream.

They didn't even see how Dam Ho moved.

When they recognized the explosion, their companion had already flown through the wall.

"Uuu!"

Groaning sounds flowed from their mouths involuntarily. Their teeth chattered and their minds went blank.

"Don't come."

"I'll kill you."

They raised their swords to threaten Dam Ho.

At that moment, 'bang', another explosion echoed and another life disappeared. The man left alone in an instant showed deep fear in his eyes.

Clang!

He dropped the sword he was holding and raised his hands high.

"Sp-spare me. I only did as I was told."

"…"

"My-Myeongil Academy. We're from Myeongil Academy…"

Bang!

At that moment, another explosion burst forth and the head of the man continuing to speak disappeared from his shoulders. The body that lost its head moved its hands for quite a while not realizing that fact, then fell backward.

Dam Ho stepped over the fallen man's corpse and spoke.

"I know."

He already knew this situation would come from when he mentioned Myeongil Academy to the waiter.

With their attack, everything became certain.

Dam Ho went outside. Then he saw numerous scholars surrounding the inn.

At their center was an elderly scholar with a clean impression.

He had a stylishly grown white beard and neatly tied up hair, and an upright spirit was felt from his appearance.

Before the elderly scholar lay a corpse that had flown through the inn's wall. The corpse crushed beyond recognition was no different from a lump of meat. The blood flowing from the lump of meat was dyeing the elderly scholar's shoes red.

The lump of meat rolling at the elderly scholar's feet was his disciple. When alive, he possessed quite a clever mind and received the elderly scholar's favor. But the elderly scholar's face looking at his disciple who'd become a lump of meat showed no particular emotion.

The elderly scholar's gaze turned toward Dam Ho.

"How did you know?"

It was a question containing much meaning. Dam Ho's answer to it was simple.

"Jo Gwan-il."

"I see!"

With that one phrase, the elderly scholar understood the entire situation.

The elderly scholar's name was Ji Cheon-hwi.

As Myeongil Academy's master, he was a respected celebrity in Xixia. He had raised numerous disciples, and many of them rose to important official positions or gained fame as poets and writers.

Thanks to that, many talented people from throughout the world came all the way to Xixia wanting to become his disciples. Ji Cheon-hwi selected particularly outstanding ones among such talented people and accepted them as disciples.

All of Xixia's people respected Myeongil Academy. And they admired Ji Cheon-hwi, Myeongil Academy's master.

Ji Cheon-hwi was an existence no different from Xixia's symbol. But he rarely appeared outside Myeongil Academy. Like an immortal in the clouds, he stayed secluded in Myeongil Academy only putting effort into nurturing disciples.

Such a man unexpectedly revealed himself at the inn where Dam Ho was staying. And with numerous scholars.

The energy the scholars were now emitting was so sharp it couldn't be considered from scholars who'd only read books. The same was true for Ji Cheon-hwi.

Ji Cheon-hwi's eyes were sharp yet imposing to the extent they couldn't be considered a scholar's eyes.

Ji Cheon-hwi muttered.

"Jo Gwan-il, I knew he had a loose mouth but didn't think he'd reveal my identity. I'll definitely make him pay the price later."

"No need."

"What?"

"He's already dead."

At Dam Ho's indifferent answer, Ji Cheon-hwi opened his mouth for a moment but soon recovered his usual expression.

"Of course. You never let anyone live. I said something truly foolish. After playing scholar for so long, even my mind has stiffened. Tsk!"

Suddenly Ji Cheon-hwi's aura changed.

A mountain-like momentum flowed from his entire body. Such an appearance of his absolutely couldn't be considered a scholar. And Dam Ho knew his true identity.

He was once called by the alias Flame Heaven King.

Flame Heaven King Ji Cheon-hwi.

One of the Five Great Heroes who was active during the First Orthodox-Demon War.

He was famous for his fiery personality and Heat Yang Skill befitting it. Especially the Heat Yang Skill he mastered was the pinnacle of yang-strong martial arts, and once deployed, it was said the entire area turned into a scorching hell.

If it became known that Ji Cheon-hwi was playing academy master in Xixia, the martial world would be turned upside down. But an even more surprising truth remained.

Ji Cheon-hwi was precisely one of Heavenly Evil Cult's Five Evils.

Five pillars supporting Heavenly Evil Cult. Ji Cheon-hwi was one of them. Along with Thousand Soldier King Oh Geuk, Ji Cheon-hwi was a super-strong martial artist competing for the lead even among the Five Evils.

"Seeing you came here, you must know I'm one of the Five Evils."

"…"

"Of course. Jo Gwan-il must have blabbed. But you came to the wrong place. You shouldn't have come. Do you know why? Because unlike Jo Gwan-il, I'm not ashamed of belonging to Heavenly Evil Cult."

Jo Gwan-il thoroughly hid the fact that he was Heavenly Evil Cult's True Demon Envoy even from his child. But unlike him, Ji Cheon-hwi transmitted Heavenly Evil Cult's martial arts to specially talented ones among Myeongil Academy's talented people and raised them.

They already knew Ji Cheon-hwi was a Heavenly Evil Cult member and felt no resistance at all to following their master's path themselves.

Dam Ho stared at Ji Cheon-hwi.

"Where is the Cult Leader?"

"Ha! You have time to search for the Cult Leader. When Blue Sky Alliance, where your friend is Alliance Leader, and the Demon Cult are clashing. Aren't you worried about your friend? You truly are a cold-blooded person with no trace of affection as I've heard. Cho Yeon-woon who believes in you is just pitiful."

Bang!

At that moment an explosion burst forth and Ji Cheon-hwi's body slid backward. Deep furrows had formed where he stepped.

Dam Ho had already launched Shattering Star Fist. But Ji Cheon-hwi too was an expert who'd reached the absolute realm long ago. Knowing Dam Ho's aggressive nature, he was fully prepared even while provoking. Thanks to that, he could detect Dam Ho's attack in advance and defend. But his expression wasn't very bright. The palm that blocked Dam Ho's attack was tingling.

It was proof that Dam Ho's destructive power far exceeded his expectations. The blood throughout his body cooled.

"You bastard!"

He glared at Dam Ho with anger-filled eyes. Dam Ho was walking toward such a him.

"He's not a man light enough to be mocked by you."

Because he existed, Dam Ho could walk this path.

If it was Cho Yeon-woon, he would definitely stop the Demon Cult.

Dam Ho believed that.

His friend.

His will.

Baek Li-jung muttered.

“N-no…! This… this is impossible!”

“Now it makes sense.”

Jin Ja-gang raised his foot and stomped on Baek Li-jung’s head.

Baek Li-jung rolled his body sideways. He sprang up like bamboo, grabbed one side of his face with his hand, and immediately began fleeing.

Yet even in that moment, he made sure to say one thing.

“You bastard! Using such cowardly methods. As expected of a Demonic Cult member!”

Baek Li-jung’s behavior was petty enough to draw empty laughter, but Jin Ja-gang didn’t laugh.

Jin Ja-gang tried to chase Baek Li-jung but hesitated. Heavenly Vermilion Sword was lodged in his shoulder.

Baek Li-jung had fled, leaving behind even his family’s treasure sword, Heavenly Vermilion Sword.

Shuk!

Jin Ja-gang pulled out Heavenly Vermilion Sword. Blood gushed out.

“Hoo.”

Watching Baek Li-jung flee desperately from him, various emotions crossed.

Where had that spirited and bold appearance from ten years ago gone, leaving only ugly character behind?

The fact that the martial world’s justice had been entrusted, even for a time, to such a cowardly person filled Jin Ja-gang with even more indignation. The pain of Hundred Flowers Valley that hadn’t been settled felt like it was digging into his flesh anew.

Jin Ja-gang looked back at Namgung Rak. Namgung Rak was seriously injured and unable to move freely, fighting against three considerable experts. Countless Righteous Alliance martial artists surrounded him, making it look somewhat dangerous.

However, thanks to Divine Ladle River Sword, Namgung Rak’s internal energy didn’t cease, so he wasn’t being overwhelmingly pushed back. Namgung Rak drove back his opponents briefly with a heavy move and shouted.

“I, Namgung Rak, will not fall to this extent. Go after him!”

Jin Ja-gang immediately turned his head and began pursuing Baek Li-jung.

Baek Li-jung was fleeing up the ridge. He was panicking so much, or perhaps the Calamity Slaying Demon Spirit was frightened, that he wasn’t even using proper qinggong as he ran. Jin Ja-gang could follow behind without difficulty.

However, the moment he crossed the ridge.

Jin Ja-gang stopped walking briefly.

Below the ridge, people gathered as black as ants could be seen. The numbers were far greater than before. Earlier they seemed hastily assembled, but this time they were properly arrayed. They were even new arrivals, so they weren’t in a frightened state like the earlier ones.

Jin Ja-gang found Baek Li-jung among them. Baek Li-jung was watching with one side of his face covered.

Though he didn’t reveal it outwardly since many were watching, through resonance he could feel the Calamity Slaying Demon Spirit smiling behind the covered face.

Baek Li-jung shouted.

“He has severe internal injuries and his shoulder is penetrated so he can’t use strength! To whoever kills that wicked and vicious one, and to their sect, I will give one thousand gold taels each! No, even just injuring him will earn one hundred gold taels!”

One thousand gold taels! And to the sect as well!

That was a reward of value that even major sects couldn’t ignore. Moreover, just injuring him would earn one hundred taels!

Those gathered began slowly grouping together by sect. It looked like they would attack more organizedly rather than charging randomly like before.

It would become that much more troublesome to deal with.

When hundreds simultaneously harbored killing intent, piercing killing energy filled the ridge of Yuelu Mountian. Massive killing energy was concentrated as if it would sweep Jin Ja-gang away immediately. Killing energy far too difficult for an individual to handle.

Shaaaa. Even the blowing wind cut flesh like a blade.

Jin Ja-gang looked down at them indifferently.

The martial artists seemed completely blinded by gold, ready to charge recklessly.

This was the world Baek Li-jung spoke of.

A stark example of a world easily swayed by money power.

Jin Ja-gang, who had been watching them briefly, spoke.

“That money, you won’t get it if Unbreakable Heavenly Sword dies. Does that not matter?”

Huh?

The martial artists wanted to ignore Jin Ja-gang’s words but couldn’t.

Since none other than the one counted as the next Martial Alliance Leader had promised before hundreds, payment was guaranteed once the fight ended.

However, no matter how hard they fought, if Baek Li-jung died, they wouldn’t get the money.

Murmur.

The martial artists’ atmosphere became unsettled. Those conflicted suddenly increased.

Jin Ja-gang’s words were right. Then… rather than earning one thousand taels by killing Jin Ja-gang, it would be better to earn one hundred taels by landing strikes and protecting Baek Li-jung.

If lucky enough to land two strikes, two hundred taels!

Even one hundred gold taels was too much money to spend in a lifetime, so there was no need to risk their lives killing Jin Ja-gang to receive one thousand taels…

As the martial artists’ thoughts changed, their stance subtly shifted.

To receive money, they had to protect Baek Li-jung. To receive even the reward for landing one strike on Jin Ja-gang, Baek Li-jung mustn’t die. The prize money for killing Jin Ja-gang was a matter for after that.

The offense toward Jin Ja-gang gradually turned to defense.

Amazingly, the killing energy subsided. It changed from the thought of killing Jin Ja-gang to the passive attitude of just inflicting wounds while protecting Baek Li-jung.

Baek Li-jung’s face twisted.

Could he change even the momentum to be advantageous to him with just a few words!

Which would be more advantageous for Jin Ja-gang, facing those who charged recklessly slashing or those who slashed passively? Wasn’t it obvious!

Grrrrr.

Baek Li-jung’s Calamity Slaying Demon Spirit swallowed a groan with an extremely uncomfortable feeling. Jin Ja-gang also read Baek Li-jung’s emotions through resonance.

Crack crack.

Jin Ja-gang cracked his finger joints and loosened his neck.

“If you win, you get money. If I win, I take your necks. Are you ready?”

The martial artists grimaced.

Just one meaningless comment, not even wrong, yet they felt like they were at a disadvantage.

Jin Ja-gang drew up maximum internal energy. Blood spurted from his wounds and transformed into toxic fog, blooming mistily like fog.

The Roar of Calamity Slaying Demon Spirit!

Kreoheooong!

The roar of the Calamity Slaying Demon Spirit howling from Jin Ja-gang’s interior shook Mount Alok like thunder.

***

The group mixed with even Mount Hua Sect and Namgung Family disciples fought fierce bloody battles as expected. They encountered tremendous resistance while descending the slope. Fortunately, this side also had large numbers so they weren’t unilaterally overwhelmed.

“Kraaak! Damn it!”

Occasionally absurd screams burst out here and there, which must have been from being attacked by fellow Righteous Alliance members. If they revealed themselves as Righteous Alliance, they wouldn’t be believed and would be slashed at from the side, so they couldn’t reveal it carelessly, and if they fought carelessly, they’d be struck by those blocking the way.

Thus both sides were desperate, and casualties kept occurring on both sides.

The problem was that the number of Righteous Alliance martial artists surrounding Mount Alok was unexpectedly large. It was natural considering that many sects had already been recruited into the Righteous Alliance before the Righteous Law March, but even so, it was hard to understand what they hoped to gain by mobilizing this many people.

“Too many!”

Mount Hua Sect had to survive to uncover the truth about Northern Li Sword Immortal’s disappearance. But those blocking the way were endless.

This side’s numbers kept decreasing while the opponents kept receiving reinforcements.

An elderly expert who had personally come to Mount Alok sighed.

“Though Poison Dragon opened the path with difficulty, Unbreakable Heavenly Sword’s forces were one step ahead! I never imagined the encirclement would be this thick.”

Other martial artists also shouted while fighting desperately.

“Don’t say discouraging things! If you want to live, you must fight!”

Yeong-gwi and Son-bi, who were opening the path at the very front, were also covered in blood from minor wounds. They were even exhausted.

Son-bi stabbed and killed the neck of a Righteous Alliance martial artist who charged at Yeong-gwi from the side with his sword. Yeong-gwi struck away blades flying at Son-bi without even time to say thanks. Yeong-gwi and Son-bi’s gazes met very briefly. That too was momentary, the two had to fight again to survive.

The Young martial artists who followed Jin Ja-gang from Sichuan shuddered.

“Just how many did they call!”

The time from when Northern Li Sword Immortal and the Sword King’s duel was announced until it was arranged was too long. They had the leisure to mobilize not only nearby but also sects from somewhat distant regions. Even so, this number was too excessive.

Then there was a commotion from the side.

“What, what!”

The Righteous Alliance members blocking the group were being pushed by something and their formation was collapsing.

Pang! Pypang!

Sounds of palm force exploding rang out and Righteous Alliance martial artists struck by palms were thrown all the way to the river, falling splash splash.

An old man with a sturdy build and benevolent face scattered palm force everywhere, driving away Righteous Alliance martial artists.

The old man laughed heartily.

“Friends! This is Gam Chung from Shandong. Aren’t you glad?”

The Mount Hua Sect disciples’ faces twisted.

“Gam Chung? The Man Demon Gam Chung of Shandong Evil Sect?”

Hwirirri!

A thin silk cloth swept through the air, wrapping around the necks of Righteous Alliance martial artists and throwing them away.

A beautiful middle-aged woman with one arm appeared, fluttering a thin silk cloth called blood silk.

“Shandong Enchantress!”

“It’s Wishful Fairy Maiden!”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong, the grand matriarch of Shandong Evil Sect, had led numerous evil sect members to open a path from the opposite side.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong shouted at the bewildered orthodox side people.

“I am Dan Ryeong-gyeong! I happened to be passing by and saw friends’ difficulties, so I stepped in. Those who still have the energy to distinguish between orthodox and evil aren’t needed, so get lost. Otherwise, follow my friends down the mountain!”

From an orthodox person’s standpoint, receiving help from evil sect people was troubling. Just having the evil sect label made them seem like villains who might commit any act. They were suspicious it might go wrong if they followed carelessly.

Gam Chung laughed heartily again.

“Even rolling in a dung field, this life is good. If it were me, I’d survive first. If you don’t like it, become dog food.”

Yeong-gwi, who knew the relationship between Dan Ryeong-gyeong and Jin Ja-gang, looked back and shouted.

“Shandong is Poison Dragon’s friend!”

Yeong-gwi gave Son-bi a look. Son-bi led people toward the path Dan Ryeong-gyeong opened. The rest had no choice but to move together as well.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong didn’t go with them but stood at the rear. Shandong Evil Sect martial artists were guarding the rear while slowly retreating.

Yeong-gwi asked Dan Ryeong-gyeong.

“I heard you were going to Sichuan. How did you come to stop here?”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong answered.

“While going to Sichuan, I saw unusual movements. Righteous Alliance-affiliated sects were sending large numbers of people. I observed the situation just in case and intervened.”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong looked at the distant horizon and said.

“I’m worried about Poison Dragon.”

“Is it a number large enough for the Lady to worry about?”

No matter if it was a net spread to catch Northern Li Sword Immortal and the Sword King, the current number was too many.

Everyone thought it strange even while fleeing. There’s a proper degree and common-sense level of response to anything. But mobilizing excessive personnel beyond common sense was like pursuing a martial world public enemy who committed thousands of evil deeds and earned the indignation of the entire martial world.

“Unbreakable Heavenly Sword is that kind of person.”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong said with emotions of anger revealed.

“For his own desires, he doesn’t care about others’ sacrifices. Whether hundreds or thousands, to achieve his goal, consuming them all doesn’t matter. If he can succeed, he would rise even by using the entire martial world as sacrifice.”

Strength entered Dan Ryeong-gyeong’s eyes.

“He framed his wife’s family, the Dan Clan, as traitors of the martial world and had them exterminated. To get his hands on the martial arts manuals and the Dan Clan’s wealth! Would such a person cherish others’ deaths? Not a chance. Poison Dragon is probably surrounded by tremendous numbers right now.”

“They’re just moths to a flame. Numbers can’t stop Poison Dragon Hero now.”

“I know. That Poison Dragon’s poison arts reached the supreme realm and numbers can’t handle him. However, if he kills that many orthodox people, he’ll have to handle the aftermath, so wouldn’t there be difficulty in acting?”

Yeong-gwi shook his head.

“I understand what the Lady is concerned about. Then you don’t need to worry about Poison Dragon Hero.”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong looked back at Yeong-gwi as if asking what he meant. Yeong-gwi answered with a confident expression.

“He’s not the type to hesitate in acting while considering even the circumstances of moths.”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong, who had been quietly watching Yeong-gwi, formed a small smile on her lips.

“I see. Right. Poison Dragon was that kind of person.”