Chapter 473

The Righteous Alliance warriors stood firm.

“We cannot do that. We also received orders, so we hope you’ll understand.”

The Mount Hua Sect disciples’ faces turned red with anger.

“How dare!”

The Mount Hua Sect disciples raised their killing intent.

This was before none other than Mount Hua Sect’s sect leader.

If asked to name the sects after Shaolin Temple in the martial world, the vast majority would pick Wudang Sect and Mount Hua Sect.

Yet ordinary warriors of the Righteous Alliance, not even the Martial Alliance, were blocking that Mount Hua Sect’s leader and being stubborn. Moreover, with just over ten warriors.

This could only be taken as blatantly humiliating Northern Li Sword Immortal.

Mount Hua Sect consisted of Northern Li Sword Immortal and his six disciples.

Even without multiple disciples stepping forward, one could easily handle about ten warriors.

“Do you all want to die!”

The Mount Hua Sect disciples threatened. The Righteous Alliance warriors flinched and shouted.

“W-we came on the Alliance Leader’s orders! Touching us is challenging the Alliance Leader’s authority.”

“Do you think the Alliance Leader alone can suppress our sect!”

“Enough. No need to say that much.”

Northern Li Sword Immortal stopped them.

“Tell the Alliance Leader. I’ll visit after the duel ends.”

That Northern Li Sword Immortal spoke this far was already remarkable. It would be reasonable to withdraw now, but the Righteous Alliance warriors, though terrified, ultimately didn’t move aside.

“We cannot do that!”

“Either withdraw from here or please come with us to meet the Alliance Leader!”

Twitch.

Northern Li Sword Immortal’s eyebrows twitched with displeasure.

“I’ve conceded this far for the Alliance Leader’s sake.”

The Mount Hua Sect disciples also couldn’t endure anymore.

“These bastards!”

The Righteous Alliance warriors, though intimidated by the force, drew their weapons. The Mount Hua Sect disciples finally exploded.

“You draw swords against us? You really want to die!”

Northern Li Sword Immortal said with a frown.

“Don’t harm them.”

Still, they were in the same boat as the Righteous Alliance, so they couldn’t act rashly.

Northern Li Sword Immortal’s disciples rushed at the Righteous Alliance warriors barehanded. They broke arms and legs with joint locks and sealed acupoints to immobilize them. Northern Li Sword Immortal’s disciples were already renowned experts in the martial world. Mere warriors holding weapons couldn’t possibly match them. Though they resisted with swords, several were subdued in an instant and collapsed to the ground.

“Hmph.”

Deep wrinkles formed between Northern Li Sword Immortal’s brows.

“Unbreakable Heavenly Sword…”

Unbreakable Heavenly Sword Baek Li-jung’s handling of this matter, complicating his state of mind before a duel that required full concentration, was very offensive. Moreover, he didn’t like that they forgot the favor of supporting the Righteous Alliance and tried to lord over them.

“After breaking the Namgung Family’s sword, I’ll have to teach you a lesson too.”

Northern Li Sword Immortal wasn’t interested in his disciples subduing the Righteous Alliance warriors. He was thinking of Baek Li-jung in a bad mood when he suddenly felt a strange sensation.

“Hmm?”

A suspicious light flashed through Northern Li Sword Immortal’s eyes.

* * *

“…”

A martial artist belonging to the Righteous Alliance asked.

“Is this really alright?”

The scholar before him, Mun-su, showed him a note.

“The amount shouldn’t be insufficient.”

“No, that’s not what I’m talking about.”

The martial artist swallowed dry saliva looking at the note with a large sum written on it.

“Really… you’re telling me to kill Northern Li Sword Immortal’s youngest disciple?”

“Correct. The youngest disciple, Gyo-un.”

“Northern Li Sword Immortal is facing a duel with Sword King. If his most cherished disciple dies in such a situation, he’ll be greatly affected mentally and the duel will be ruined. Perhaps the duel itself…”

“That’s not for you to worry about. These days… your family is in difficulty, isn’t it?”

“Yes…”

“If you sacrifice alone, your family can survive.”

“But even though he’s Mount Hua Sect’s youngest disciple, I won’t be able to ambush and kill him. If it’s before Northern Li Sword Immortal, it’s even more difficult.”

“You’re a loyal person, and I know you once received training as an assassin. That’s why I chose you.”

Mun-su took out a medicine bottle the length of a finger.

“An amount that can be used only once. Just grazing the torso, not the limbs, will be sufficient. Your movement technique is excellent, so you should be able to do that much.”

The martial artist opened the bottle cap and smelled it.

“This is that thing that’s popular these days.”

“That’s right.”

After thinking briefly, the martial artist received the note.

“Understood. Please take good care of my remaining family.”

* * *

“Stand back!”

Northern Li Sword Immortal shouted and raised his hand. Long sword energy extended from his fingers.

The assassin who had mingled among the Righteous Alliance warriors leaped toward the chest of Northern Li Sword Immortal’s youngest disciple, Gyo-un. Fumbling as if falling, then suddenly leaping with movement technique like lightning, Gyo-un was caught off guard while careless.

The assassin held a sharp dagger in his hand.

Gyo-un even had his back to Northern Li Sword Immortal, so Northern Li Sword Immortal couldn’t help.

The assassin struck Gyo-un’s chest with his shoulder to break his balance and stabbed the dagger into his belly.

Even in that brief moment, Gyo-un struck the assassin’s head with the edge of his hand in mutual destruction.

Crack!

The assassin’s head shattered and exploded.

Gyo-un fell backward and sat down hard.

The assassin remained standing just as he was stabbing the belly. The dagger held in his hand was the same.

Gyo-un touched his belly but wasn’t stabbed by the dagger. On the assassin’s back of hand and elbow… thick needles were embedded so he couldn’t use his arm.

“Huff… huff.”

Gyo-un gasped. He knew how precarious the situation just was. The assassin’s dagger reeked of poison. He almost suffered greatly.

“Wh-who…”

Gyo-un stammered.

Northern Li Sword Immortal turned his head and stared at one place.

“Come out!”

It was a voice thoroughly imbued with fury.

From one side of the bushes, Jin Ja-gang walked out.

Jin Ja-gang was holding several needles in his hand then shook his wrist. Instantly, the needles disappeared from between his fingers into his sleeve.

The Mount Hua Sect disciples shouted in surprise.

“Who are you!”

Northern Li Sword Immortal said with a rigid face.

“It’s the Poison Dragon.”

“P-Poison Dragon?”

Northern Li Sword Immortal asked.

“What’s going on?”

Jin Ja-gang answered.

“Since you invited me as an observer, I’m merely doing what needs to be done so the duel can properly take place.”

“Who orchestrated this?”

“I don’t know. However, I was suspicious that someone was trying to interfere with the duel.”

Northern Li Sword Immortal’s mouth shut tight.

Jin Ja-gang said.

“There should be no particular problems ahead. However, it would be good to be cautious until the day of the duel.”

But suddenly Northern Li Sword Immortal uttered unexpected words.

“How arrogant.”

“…?”

Jin Ja-gang looked at Northern Li Sword Immortal.

Northern Li Sword Immortal was even angrier than when his disciple was ambushed. Flames shot from his eyes.

A roar burst from Northern Li Sword Immortal’s mouth.

“Did I, Northern Li Sword Immortal, appear so weak as to enter the duel location under the Poison Dragon’s protection!”

Jin Ja-gang frowned and looked at Northern Li Sword Immortal. Northern Li Sword Immortal’s eyes were burning wide open like a tiger’s.

“If you looked down on me to that extent, you’re mistaken!”

Northern Li Sword Immortal was one of the Three Swords and facing a duel with one of the Two Kings. Two people strong enough to be counted among the ten fingers of currently active martial artists.

Yet on the way to that duel, he received help from a much younger junior. Moreover, listening to what he said, didn’t it seem he’d been watching them from long ago!

How much Northern Li Sword Immortal’s pride was wounded was difficult to express in words.

“What meaning would the duel with Sword King have like this! It’s no different from already losing before entering!”

This was a difficult part for Jin Ja-gang to easily understand. However, it wasn’t a mind he couldn’t comprehend.

Though standing at opposing points with Jin Ja-gang, if he hadn’t had pride as a martial artist to begin with, he wouldn’t have come out to fight Sword King when Mount Hua Sect had suffered damage.

“If I was rude, please forgive me.”

“Not needed.”

Northern Li Sword Immortal angrily pointed at the captured Righteous Alliance warriors.

“Release them!”

The disciples hurriedly released the acupoints and raised them one by one.

Northern Li Sword Immortal shouted with blazing eyes.

“Who instigated this!”

“The Alliance Leader…”

Northern Li Sword Immortal’s finger passed like lightning across the warrior’s throat. The warrior’s head rolled off as is. The disciples raised the next warrior.

The warrior who realized the situation was turning serious hurriedly made excuses.

“P-please spare me. We don’t know anything.”

This time Northern Li Sword Immortal slit the throat without even asking.

Jin Ja-gang stopped him.

“Stop. Those people don’t know anyway.”

Northern Li Sword Immortal didn’t listen to Jin Ja-gang and beheaded three more. He was truly thoroughly angry.

The Righteous Alliance warriors didn’t even know what Northern Li Sword Immortal wanted them to say and just begged for their lives before their heads flew.

One of them, when his turn came, urgently shouted.

“The one who led us is waiting east of Xiang River!”

East of Xiang River!

Yuelu Mountian is located on the western bank of Xiang River. The opposite side.

Northern Li Sword Immortal commanded his disciples.

“You all go ahead! I’ll cut that person’s head and send it to Unbreakable Heavenly Sword, then go to the promised location!”

Jin Ja-gang slightly moved his foot to try blocking Northern Li Sword Immortal’s front.

Northern Li Sword Immortal released and gripped not the sword finger he used barehanded but the sword from his waist.

His eyes burned fiercely.

“I invited you with Sword King’s agreement, but if you block my front, I’ll cut you down first. You said you hope the duel succeeds? Then it would be good not to follow me.”

Jin Ja-gang knew he could no longer stop Northern Li Sword Immortal and stepped aside.

Northern Li Sword Immortal fluttered his robe and leaped up, stepping on high tree branches.

Jin Ja-gang stared at Northern Li Sword Immortal’s back with a frown.

The Mount Hua Sect disciples looked at Jin Ja-gang’s back with uncomfortable eyes. The only one grateful to Jin Ja-gang was Gyo-un who survived death.

“Thank you.”

“It’s fine.”

Jin Ja-gang picked up the dagger the assassin had used and confirmed it was Five Poisons Absolute Extinction Pill.

“Let’s go ahead and wait.”

The Mount Hua Sect disciples naturally trusted Northern Li Sword Immortal.

The Mount Hua Sect disciples and Jin Ja-gang went to Yuelu Mountian’s lake and asked the Namgung Family’s understanding.

Namgung Rak gladly accepted.

Since Mount Hua Sect had finally appeared, the martial artists who flocked to watch were filled with anticipation.

Among them were Yeong-gwi, Son Bi, and those who came from the Tang Family. Jin Ja-gang exchanged greetings with them, then waited in the middle of the bridge as an observer.

The sun passed midday and crossed over the western mountains. Sunset glowed and dusk settled.

Duels aren’t held after sunset. Those who had waited all day for Northern Li Sword Immortal dispersed regretfully.

However, the next morning too, even after noon passed and evening came, Northern Li Sword Immortal didn’t appear.