Chapter 537

Jin Ja-gang didn’t move from the Tang Family Estate. However, word spread throughout jianghu that Jin Ja-gang was wandering about annihilating martial sects.

Meanwhile, Baek Li-jung rapidly advanced his plans with help from the merchant world.

It was such a speed campaign that both his emergence from seclusion and the rumors of him ravaging the merchant world and harming merchants were ignored.

He mercilessly eliminated those who were unnecessary. Baek Li-jung’s determination not to give them time to deliberate was clearly reflected in his actions.

“I won’t wait any longer. I’ll create the timing I need.”

Baek Li-jung wielded the trump card of the Zoroastrian Cult and swept through jianghu.

By day he played the role of a chivalrous warrior opposing the Zoroastrian Cult, by night he posed as the Poison Dragon, annihilating sects that opposed his will.

Once sects supporting him, whether superficially or by force, had increased, he turned his attention toward the great sects and martial families. Though successive damage had cost them masters and reduced their strength, their influence in jianghu still couldn’t be ignored.

Among them, the first place Baek Li-jung visited was the Wudang Sect. He ascended Mount Wudang with all the martial artists from nearby sects who had agreed to cooperate with him.

At Sword Disarming Pool, Wudang Taoists blocked Baek Li-jung and the martial artists.

White feathers hung from the ends of sword hilts, indicating they were in mourning. This was because Jade Dew Immortal, the sect leader of Wudang, had gone to Baek Li Manor and never returned.

When Baek Li-jung’s gaze blatantly turned toward the white feathers, the Wudang Taoists’ eyes twisted.

A middle-aged Taoist pointed at Baek Li-jung and shouted.

“We understood Hero Baek Li went into seclusion to mourn those who died untimely deaths. What business brings you to our sect!”

Baek Li-jung replied immediately.

“When the Great Slaughter Star has appeared in jianghu, how could I leisurely enjoy myself and let time flow by composing poems about wind and moon?”

The middle-aged Taoist barked.

“Don’t twist your words! We were told to honor the dead, not that anyone told you to compose poems about wind and moon!”

Baek Li-jung showed not the slightest intimidation or shame. Rather, he spoke even louder toward the Wudang Taoists as if rebuking them.

“When even Wudang’s Jade Dew Immortal died at the hands of the evil enemy, why has Wudang taken no action, leaving the evil enemy to run rampant!”

His tone was cunning, as if the current bloodshed in jianghu was Wudang’s fault.

Wrinkles formed between the Wudang Taoists’ brows.

“We’re fully aware of the situation. However, we’re investigating whether turning the Baek Li Family estate into a poisonous field and the many poisonous fields now appearing in jianghu are truly the Poison Dragon’s doing. Our sect’s policy is not to act until clear results emerge.”

Baek Li-jung’s voice suddenly lowered. His eyes turned cold.

“If not the Poison Dragon. Are you saying I fabricated such things?”

“That’s something we can’t know until the investigation is complete! So if you understand our sect’s policy, please descend now.”

Baek Li-jung’s eyes flashed.

“That won’t do. If even one more joins the evil enemy’s side, the damage to us righteous warriors will increase.”

When Baek Li-jung’s tone changed, the Wudang Taoists shook their sword hilts with fierce expressions.

“We’re not on your side, so how can you conclude we’ve taken the Tang Family’s side!”

Baek Li-jung raised his internal energy and shouted rebuke.

“Having produced Haewol, that most treacherous villain in the world, you should bow your heads in shame and lead the way in spreading the great way! Are you trying to follow Haewol and point your sword at jianghu!”

The Wudang Taoists also raised their internal energy.

“We see you didn’t come to our sect with good intentions.”

“Bringing all sorts of rabble to make us a spectacle. Do you hope we’ll be frightened and close our gates?”

“Close your gates?”

Baek Li-jung laughed murderously.

“Closing your gates would just be a thought to avoid the current moment and stab us in the back later.”

“What?”

Fury rose on the Wudang Taoists’ faces.

“There are words that can be said and words that cannot. Hero Baek Li has crossed the line.”

“You’ve made our Wudang Sect a mob of petty scoundrels who say two things with one mouth!”

Baek Li-jung opened his palm and extended it forward.

“There’s only one way not to hear such words. Join me in striking the Poison Dragon and prove your innocence.”

The Wudang Taoists didn’t retreat.

“We warn you. Leave. We have nothing to say to you.”

Suddenly Baek Li-jung pulled one hand back and gathered energy below his abdomen.

Kuuuuuk!

Baek Li-jung’s clothes instantly swelled.

Reading Baek Li-jung’s attack intent, the Wudang Taoists immediately drew their swords. One charged straight at Baek Li-jung.

“Insolent one! How dare you in this place!”

Baek Li-jung struck the Wudang Taoist’s sword bare-handed. The sword emanating sword qi shattered like porcelain.

The Wudang Taoist’s eyes widened enormously.

They’d heard he drove Sect Leader Jade Dew Immortal into a corner, but how profound was his internal energy to shatter sword qi bare-handed!

“Th-this…!”

As the sword qi shattered, the meridians connected through internal energy convulsed. Baek Li-jung kicked the Taoist’s abdomen. Blood spurted from his nose and mouth as the Taoist’s body rose into the air.

Another Taoist leaped up to help his predecessor.

Baek Li-jung extended the hand he’d gathered below his abdomen and opened his palm.

Roaring Song Splitting Wail Palm!

Kwaaa!

Two Wudang Taoists were swept away by the Roaring Song Splitting Wail Palm’s palm force. The Wudang Taoists behind them also hastily dodged.

The Taoist whose entire body was swept by the Roaring Song Splitting Wail Palm became tattered, and the Taoist who leaped up after rolled on the ground like a leaf caught in wind, his upper body tattered. The masterless sword bounced and flew to the ground.

“Junior brother!”

The Wudang Taoists were enraged.

Baek Li-jung, his expression unchanged, looked down on them with a mad expression.

“If you refuse the wine of persuasion and choose the wine of punishment, I shall duly provide it.”

* * *

Wudang Sect suffered massive damage from Baek Li-jung and closed their gates.

By dealing with Wudang, which had been the biggest obstacle, Baek Li-jung’s progress accelerated further.

Mount Heng Sect was also one of the sects with bad feelings toward Baek Li-jung, and they too received Baek Li-jung’s visit. Mount Heng Sect also lost considerable strength and entered a state close to closing their gates.

The Emei Sect was controlled by nuns who had staged a rebellion, but they sided with Baek Li-jung since Abbess Divine Nun In-eun was still alive.

Thanks to many masters dying, Southern Sea Sword Sect, which retained Sword Empress, was one of the few sects preserving their full strength. There had been friction due to no connection with Baek Li-jung, but this time they received promises of preferential treatment with more special conditions than other sects. Southern Sea Sword Sects newly joined the Nine Great Sects.

Baek Li-jung considered existing sects that refused cooperation as siding with the Poison Dragon and beat them down beyond recovery, while promising to transfer the interests held by existing sects to newly joining sects.

Mount Hua Sect stepped forward to actively persuade other sects. Accordingly, Zhongnan Sect and Kongtong Sect, which had lost sect masters to Jin Ja-gang, decided to join. Existing sects like Kunlun withdrew their support for Baek Li-jung. In their place, Baek Li-jung included emerging forces like Heavenly Blade Sect and Heaven and Earth Sect in the Nine Great Sects category.

Among the martial families, the Namgung Family joined Baek Li-jung. Like the Emei Sect, it was a decision made by rebels trying to seize the Namgung Family before the Sword King returned. The Zhuge Family and An Physician Family were excluded after losing most of their strength, and families like the Sima Family, Weiji Family, and Helian Family newly joined Baek Li-jung as the Eight Great Martial Families.

The positions of the Nine Great Sects and Eight Great Martial Families were completed, at least nominally. Though only about half of the existing sects and families participated, there was no one who could challenge Baek Li-jung’s arbitrary succession of the Nine Great Sects title. No, Baek Li-jung’s momentum was so violent that it was difficult to rashly challenge him.

Having mounted the tiger, Baek Li-jung now even killed as examples those who spoke ill of him. He prevented people from freely speaking badly about him.

However, this was mostly used as justification to eliminate those in opposition to Baek Li-jung.

“Haewol. You couldn’t change the world, but I accomplished what you couldn’t. This is the first step.”

Baek Li-jung wrote a proclamation to jianghu and stamped it with his seal at the end.

If only he’d done this from the start, it would have been simple.

Why did he go in such circles?

Because back then he didn’t have this power he has now.

Because he didn’t have this torrential internal energy sweeping through his entire body, because he couldn’t accomplish great deeds without borrowing others’ power, he had no choice but to go in circles.

Like Haewol, whatever excuses are just the whining of the weak.

Now he didn’t need to do that.

* * *

Baek Li-jung ascended to the position of Martial Alliance Leader himself and officially proclaimed to jianghu the establishment of the Murim Alliance.

And on the founding day, he decided to raise the banner of eliminating the Poison Dragon as the first event.

He designated not the Tang Family of Sichuan but Jin Ja-gang personally as the enemy of the entire new Murim Alliance.

* * *

At the Tang Family Estate, countless letters and envoys seeking contact with Jin Ja-gang had flocked.

Since Baek Li-jung crushed existing powers and announced the Murim Alliance’s establishment, there were no remaining forces to check and stop him.

The powers abbreviated as the Nine Provinces and Six Heavens all disappeared. Someone needed to step forward and rally those remaining to resist.

And it had to be Jin Ja-gang, the Tang Family of Sichuan, to stop Baek Li-jung’s solo run.

Thus, many sought to elevate Jin Ja-gang as the leader of opposing forces.

However, Jin Ja-gang gave them no confirmation or answer.

Disappointed, some turned to Baek Li-jung while the rest still believed Jin Ja-gang would move and waited. If the Murim Alliance launched as is, it was obvious how much those who opposed it would be oppressed.

Information continuously flowed into the Tang Family Estate in real time.

All of the Tang Family gathered heads together in the meeting room.

Based on incoming information, they calculated the number of people who would gather at the Murim Alliance’s establishment ceremony. As King of Hell Tang Qing taught them, they tracked the flow of goods and money. Just looking at the amount of food supplies being prepared at the Murim Alliance in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, they could estimate the scale.

However.

“At minimum, fifty thousand people will move…”

The Tang Family leaders and the Four Poison Cliques groaned hearing the compiled numbers.

“No matter what, fifty thousand. That many support Baek Li-jung?”

“Baek Li-jung’s bold actions unblocked the frustratingly clogged channels in jianghu. More than expected joined feeling relief at Baek Li-jung’s progress.”

“Too many. Moreover, there’s still a month and a half left. The participating numbers may increase further.”

If fifty thousand came to Sichuan, even the Tang Family couldn’t withstand it. Even Qingcheng would be swept away in an instant.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong, Taoist Bok-cheon, and Abbess Divine Nun In-eun, who participated in the meeting, also couldn’t easily advise and clicked their tongues.

“If what was going to gather as one hundred thousand has become fifty thousand, that alone is an achievement. However, fifty thousand is still far too many.”

“The new Murim Alliance’s headquarters was expanded larger than before, but it’s still too many to accommodate.”

Bian Bu, in the same place after a long time, asked Jin Ja-gang.

“Poison Dragon. They’ve gathered in one place as you desired. And you plan to carve them out according to the original plan?”

Everyone looked at Jin Ja-gang.

Jin Ja-gang answered.

“My thoughts haven’t changed in the slightest.”

Woon-jeong, participating in the meeting as Taoist Bok-cheon’s disciple, also said in shock.

“Primordial Celestial Worthy! Killing fifty thousand… even if Poison Dragon Brother could do it, it’s beyond human ethics!”

“Numbers aren’t important.”

Jin Ja-gang answered quietly.

“Only those who must die will die.”