Chapter 539

Tang Qing stood in a vast plain with fully armed scribes.

Unlike the Yellow River at the center of the Central Plains, the nearby river flowing here was clear and clean. Because it was close to the source.

Qinghai, called the source of the Yellow River.

Tang Qing had rushed without rest to Qinghai, north of Sichuan.

“Let’s start from Qinghai and push all the way north of the Yellow River.”

Tang Qing’s face was brighter than ever. To think being able to think only of fighting, leaving behind all complex political situations, plots, and schemes could be such a joyful thing!

“Does this old man’s blood as a martial artist still boil?”

Tang Qing pulled a pitch-black hood over his head. The scribes all wore hoods too.

Tang Qing laughed long.

Hehehehehe! He-hehehehe!

* * *

The Great Moon Sect, established in Qinghai’s great plains, was quite a renowned sect in the area.

“Kunlun has made an enemy of the Unbreakable Heavenly Sword’s Murim Alliance. If we borrow the Murim Alliance’s power, we can strike and rise above Kunlun. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us.”

The Great Moon Sect also paid a harsh price due to internal rebellion. Their strength was reduced to half of before.

The remaining disciples persuaded the sect leader.

“We received word late previously and couldn’t dispatch people to Baek Li Manor. Thanks to that, we preserved our strength, but we’ve definitely fallen out of the Unbreakable Heavenly Sword’s favor.”

“If we don’t follow the Unbreakable Heavenly Sword this time, we don’t know what disadvantages will fall upon us.”

The Great Moon Sect’s leader, Lord Hyeon-ui, agonized.

“However, with the Poison Dragon’s eyes wide open in Sichuan below us, if we send troops to strike him, can we truly be safe?”

“The Murim Alliance made eliminating the Poison Dragon their primary banner. As soon as the founding ceremony ends, they’ll immediately go to strike the Poison Dragon. What can the Poison Dragon do against hundreds, thousands of sects?”

“Honestly, he won’t even remember who did what.”

Lord Hyeon-ui shook his head.

“The Poison Dragon’s memory is known to be very extraordinary, and he never forgets grudges to the end. Moreover, our Qinghai is close to the Zoroastrian Cult…”

Qinghai bordered Xinjiang and Tibet, constantly under threat. They were already anxious with talk of Jin Ja-gang ascending as the Zoroastrian Cult’s leader.

Lord Hyeon-ui’s disciples looked doubtful.

“Honestly, we think that’s exaggerated.”

“According to stories flowing from the Zoroastrian Cult, Demon Emperor tried to persuade the Poison Dragon to enter Sichuan. But the Poison Dragon killed Demon Emperor.”

“That’s right. If he had interest in the Zoroastrian Cult, he wouldn’t have needed to kill Demon Emperor on the spot. He would have used him for a while.”

If Jin Ja-gang had become the Zoroastrian Cult’s leader, he would have hidden the Persian Ancient Sword instead. With Jin Ja-gang’s thorough personality, he would have done so and more.

That was effectively jianghu’s consensus.

“That’s why… the Unbreakable Heavenly Sword can’t be trusted.”

Everyone persuaded Lord Hyeon-ui.

“Even if people can’t be trusted, profit won’t betray us.”

But then suddenly, a noisy sound was heard.

Clang, clang! It was the sound of weapons clashing.

“What is it!”

Startled, Lord Hyeon-ui and his disciples drew their swords like lightning and looked toward where the sound came from.

Masked men wielding spears were pouring into the great hall. Judging by the blood on their spears, those guarding the gate seemed already dead.

“Who are you bastards!”

The answer came from the beam above their heads.

“We are heretics following the one who will become the Zoroastrian Cult’s leader.”

Lord Hyeon-ui, his disciples, and their students were greatly shocked. A short, masked man hung upside down from the beam, looking down.

“Profit won’t betray? You haven’t lived enough in this world yet.”

At the masked man’s words, Lord Hyeon-ui shouted.

“Are you Zoroastrian Cult followers!”

“Heh, we’re following the one who will become the Zoroastrian Cult’s leader. If you still can’t understand that…”

The masked man spread both hands.

“Just die.”

Pure white poison powder poured from both sleeves. One disciple covered in poison powder died coughing up blood in agony. Simultaneously, the masked men behind attacked together. Lord Hyeon-ui and his disciples hastily held their breath and retreated.

* * *

“Huff huff huff!”

Lord Hyeon-ui and the Great Moon Sect’s disciples fled frantically. Behind them, they saw spearmen coming out of the Great Moon Sect’s gate carrying all kinds of valuables.

Lord Hyeon-ui and the Great Moon Sect disciples ground their teeth. Whatever else, they couldn’t fight more because of the poison.

“These dog-like bastards. Spreading poison and plundering our sect!”

“As the world grows chaotic, all kinds of bastards appear and rampage!”

“Selling the Poison Dragon’s infamy? What exactly is the Poison Dragon doing to let such bastards impersonate him and run wild!”

Since they ordered retreat when poison made fighting impossible, the disciples’ casualties weren’t large, but their pride was greatly wounded.

“Just wait, you bastards. We’ll never forgive you.”

Lord Hyeon-ui and his disciples rushed to seek help from the nearest sect.

The Nine Mao Gang. They had a cooperative relationship with the Great Moon Sect.

The Nine Mao Gang’s leader was puzzled seeing the Great Moon Sect arrive in such disarray.

“What happened? We were just about to send word whether you’d depart together for Nanchang.”

Lord Hyeon-ui shouted in fury.

“Bandits selling the Poison Dragon’s infamy invaded our sect!”

“Bandits?”

“Not mere bandits. They’re thieves who use poison and practice martial arts. We could have dealt with them, but the casualties would have been great, so we came to seek the leader’s help. The bandits are plundering our sect, so if we go together now, we can catch them.”

The Nine Mao Gang leader got angry as if it were his own problem.

“When our brothers face crisis, we must naturally help! Everyone finish arming and come out within a moment!”

However, before a moment could pass, the Nine Mao Gang’s main gate was smashed.

Kwajajak!

They were masked men wielding spears.

The short masked man at the front shouted.

“You bastards! I am a heretic following the one who will become the Zoroastrian Cult’s leader! Leave everything you have and flee if you want to live!”

The Great Moon Sect members’ eyes widened in shock.

“H-how are they here already!”

The masked man looked at the Great Moon Sect’s leader, Lord Hyeon-ui.

“Hm? Why are you here? You still haven’t fled? Don’t you want to live?”

The Nine Mao Gang’s leader raised his great sword and shouted in anger.

“How dare mere thieves make such noise! Know that today will be your death day!”

The masked man shouted back.

“We follow the one who will become the Zoroastrian Cult’s leader. Do you dare defy him?”

“You bastard! The Poison Dragon is the world’s evil enemy! A soon-to-die bastard being the Zoroastrian Cult’s leader, how ridiculous…”

The masked man grinned.

“Die.”

The masked man scattered poison powder. Lord Hyeon-ui of the Great Moon Sect, who had already seen the poison powder’s power, shouted.

“Be careful!”

The Nine Mao Gang leader dispersed the poison powder with a double palm strike. Simultaneously, the masked man flew horizontally and struck the leader’s chest with a palm.

Pung!

The Nine Mao Gang leader’s chest bone broke as he coughed up blood and rolled. Lord Hyeon-ui of the Great Moon Sect quickly supported him, but he soon stopped breathing.

Everyone’s eyes widened at the martial power beyond imagination. He wasn’t just a bandit who used poison but possessed martial arts stronger than expected.

The masked man covered in blood stopped fighting and looked to the side with delight. His subordinates, while fighting the Nine Mao Gang and Great Moon Sect disciples, were finding and carrying out valuables.

“Clean sweep!”

The masked man laughed joyfully.

“This money-crazed…”

“If only we hadn’t had damage because of traitors!”

The masked man attacked the Great Moon Sect leader again.

“We’ve taken everything you have, so you’re useless. Die.”

Casualties kept growing and they couldn’t hold out longer. Since their goal was money anyway, there was no need to risk lives fighting.

“Retreat! Retreat!”

The Great Moon Sect leader Lord Hyeon-ui fled, gathering even the Nine Mao Gang’s members, promising a future reckoning.

* * *

Tang Qing selectively attacked sects that sided with the Murim Alliance. He fought moderately to chase them out, then plundered their valuables.

Qinghai’s sects were pushed back frantically. Most were small sects and couldn’t respond in proper condition due to internal rebellions and such that hadn’t recovered. The skill gap was also large, making resistance impossible. If they said they’d kill everyone, they’d have no choice but to fight to the end, but since their goal seemed to be valuables with no interest in killing people, many chose to flee rather than fight.

The mass of those seeking help everywhere while fleeing grew larger.

Then Tang Qing attacked the gathered sects.

“Were you hiding here? If you want to go, leave everything you have, you bastards!”

Those gathered scattered in all directions. The masked man, Tang Qing, was too strong to face. Qinghai’s sects kept being pushed back. They scattered in all directions. Some sects even began fleeing first with important valuables before fighting.

The masked man swept through the sects like a whirlwind so frantically that there was no room to wonder where such a person came from or why he suddenly plundered.

Qinghai had no medium-to-large sects they could rely on. However, there was Kunlun, one of the great sects.

Qinghai’s sects had no choice but to seek help from Kunlun. As masters of small and medium sects, they couldn’t deal with the masked man who seemed to be the bandits’ ringleader and his poison. Kunlun at least would have masters who could face him.

Although Kunlun opposed the Unbreakable Heavenly Sword, they wouldn’t refuse to help as sects in the same region. If they took refuge in Kunlun, they could at least protect the valuables they brought out and their lives until this plundering wind passed.

Thus hundreds from Qinghai’s sects, sects supporting Baek Li-jung, headed for Kunlun. Fearing attacks along the way, they separated and all gathered at a promised location at the same time on the same day. It was an isolated inn below Kunlun Mountain.

The inn’s interior and exterior filled with Qinghai sect martial artists fleeing. With hundreds gathering in one place, they felt surprisingly reassured. At this rate, they might not even need Kunlun’s help.

“While we’re at it, let’s make a Murim Alliance in Qinghai.”

One sect leader suggested, half-joking, half-serious.

“That would be good. We must protect our own lives.”

“If we act together with one voice, our position in the Murim Alliance will grow larger.”

The one with the loudest voice stepped forward and said.

“Damn it, while we’re going to Kunlun, let’s persuade Kunlun too! If we lead Kunlun to join the Murim Alliance, we can receive even better treatment.”

“With brothers together, we’re not afraid. We should have arranged such a gathering earlier.”

“Even if late, we’re fortunate to get to know brothers.”

“Whatever those masked bastards are scheming, they can’t do anything to us anymore.”

The sect leaders noisily bonded in camaraderie. With this number, they gained confidence they could make even Kunlun stand on their side. They also made plans to subdue other Qinghai sects that opposed the Murim Alliance and take Qinghai into their own hands.

Because of this, they didn’t notice one young man quietly slipping out of the inn.

The hundreds of Qinghai sect martial artists now boldly left the inn and headed for Kunlun Mountain.

However, when they entered Kunlun Mountain’s outskirts, they experienced something very unpleasant.

A young man sat on a roadside rock with grass in his mouth.