Chapter 342

Chapter 342 – The Age of Chaos Calls for Heroes (2)

Wudang Mountain was located in the northern part of Hubei Province. It boasted such massive scale that it bordered Shaanxi Province to the west and Henan Province to the north.

Seventy-two peaks, thirty-six cliffs, twenty-four valleys, and countless other beautiful landscapes were hidden throughout. But what made Wudang Mountain more famous than all these landscapes was the Wudang Sect, a martial world sect.

One of the Nine Great Sects and, along with Shaolin Temple, one of the two great pillars of the martial world, the Wudang Sect firmly established itself as the master of Wudang Mountain.

Though many people ordinarily visited Wudang Mountain, the numbers exploded from the point when the Demon Cult became fully active. Most who came to Wudang Mountain were martial artists from sects based in Hubei Province or affiliated sects of the Wudang Sect.

After the Martial Alliance in Hunan Province collapsed, the sense of crisis felt by Hubei Province's martial artists was beyond description. South of Dongting Lake lay Hunan Province, and north of it lay Hubei Province.

Suddenly, they found themselves confronting the Demon Cult across the massive lake called Dongting Lake. If the Demon Cult moved, they would become the frontline forced to face them first.

Because of this, martial artists based in Hubei Province came to Wudang Mountain daily without fail. The Wudang Sect was the last resort for Hubei Province's martial artists.

Martial artists who climbed Wudang Mountain during the day had no thought of returning even after nightfall. The Wudang Sect had to open all pavilions and light lanterns to accommodate them. Thanks to this, the Wudang Sect had become a city of eternal lights.

"Sigh!"

An elderly Taoist let out a sigh while looking at the Wudang Sect illuminated like a sleepless city. Worry filled his face.

That's when a woman of marriageable age approached the elderly Taoist. A woman with elegant features and deep eyes. She carefully addressed the elderly Taoist.

"Master."

"Ah! So-ha."

The elderly Taoist looked at the woman.

The woman's name was Yeon So-ha, precisely the elderly Taoist's disciple.

The elderly Taoist's Taoist name was Cheong-heo. He was one of Wudang Sect's elders and also the possessor of the nickname Hubei's Greatest Sword.

Yeon So-ha's eyes looking at Master Cheong-heo were filled with pity. Since returning from the Martial Alliance three years ago, shadows had always hung over Master Cheong-heo's face.

Neither his status as a Wudang Sect elder nor his fame as Hubei's Greatest Sword could erase the shadow that had descended upon his heart.

Master Cheong-heo smiled lonely and asked:

"What is it?"

"The Sect… Leader calls for you."

"Is it already that time?"

"Yes!"

"Then I should go."

Master Cheong-heo pressed his knees with both hands and rose. His appearance seemed particularly shabby. But once he straightened his back, bearing befitting Hubei's Greatest Sword began emanating.

He headed toward the Purple Heaven Palace. The Purple Heaven Palace was one of Wudang Sect's largest halls where important matters large and small were decided.

Upon entering the Purple Heaven Palace, countless gazes focused on him.

Master Cheong-wol, the Wudang Sect Leader, numerous elders, and countless martial artists from Hubei Province were looking at him.

"Welcome, Cheong-heo."

Master Cheong-wol greeted Master Cheong-heo with a benevolent smile.

"I'm a bit late, Sect Leader."

"Not at all! You came at just the right time. Please sit."

Master Cheong-heo nodded and sat in an empty seat. It was right next to the Sect Leader. A scene showing Master Cheong-heo's position within the Wudang Sect.

Once Master Cheong-heo sat, Master Cheong-wol looked at the assembled heroes in the Purple Heaven Palace.

"Now that Junior Brother Cheong-heo has arrived, let's begin the meeting. Junior Brother Cheong-mu."

"Yes! Sect Leader."

An elderly Taoist called Cheong-mu rose from his seat.

He was one of Wudang Sect's elders and Master Cheong-wol's youngest junior brother.

Master Cheong-mu looked around at everyone and spoke:

"As everyone knows, we face a crisis like eggs stacked precariously. That vile Demon Cult occupies the Martial Alliance's position and eyes the world. Everyone knows that when they move, their first target will be Hubei Province. Now is the time to establish countermeasures."

Everyone held their breath and watched Master Cheong-mu.

Master Cheong-mu was the Wudang Sect's strategist. His thoughts were the sect's thoughts, and what he said was equivalent to the sect's decisions.

"Now that the Martial Alliance has become meaningless, we have no choice but to secure our own safety. Therefore, our Wudang Sect…"

Master Cheong-mu's words continued, but Master Cheong-heo didn't listen attentively. Master Cheong-mu's words were always the same anyway.

That they must unite tightly around the Wudang Sect.

From the beginning, the Wudang Sect had no intention of supporting the Martial Alliance that had taken refuge at Shaolin Temple. They thought their strength insufficient to send support to Shaolin Temple.

Instead of sending support to Shaolin, the Wudang Sect chose to construct a strong defensive line centered around itself.

Master Cheong-mu was explaining the details to the assembled heroes. But Master Cheong-heo let the story go in one ear and out the other.

Since three years ago, he had lost interest in the Wudang Sect's matters large and small.

Precisely speaking, after his disciple, the Matchless Sword Jin Mu-yeong, suffered public humiliation from Cho Yeon-woon, and he had intimidated Dam Ho on the Sect Leader's orders, he felt doubt about his life as a martial artist.

After that incident when he told Dam Ho to leave the Martial Alliance for the Wudang Sect's honor, Master Cheong-heo's ambitions were pitifully broken like a bird losing its wings. He just didn't show such appearance before others.

The Purple Heaven Palace meeting ended late at night.

After everyone left, Master Cheong-heo also rose from his seat last.

Master Cheong-wol called to him.

"Junior Brother!"

"Yes! Sect Leader."

"Are you still suffering from inner conflict?"

"No."

At the unexpected question, Master Cheong-heo quickly shook his head. At that, Master Cheong-wol smiled bitterly.

"How could I not know Junior Brother's heart? However, that decision was unavoidable for me too."

"I understand, Sect Leader."

"I'm sorry, Junior Brother. For making you do such a thing. However, the reality is that a sect whose prestige falls to the ground can no longer receive others' respect. Similarly, if the Matchless Sword, the Wudang Sect's future, suffered such humiliation and became a laughingstock to people, no one would respect him. If that happened, the Wudang Sect's future would certainly be dark. That's why I made that decision. Everything was this senior brother's decision, so please put down the burden in your heart."

"Yes!"

Master Cheong-heo answered simply. But both Master Cheong-wol and Master Cheong-heo knew his answer wasn't sincere.

"Sigh! How is Mu-yeong doing?"

Eventually Master Cheong-wol changed the subject with a sigh.

"His closed-door training will soon end."

"Is that so? How is his achievement?"

"I don't know the details, but he seems to have gained great enlightenment."

"Fortunate. Being frustrated by Cho Yeon-woon rather became a blessing in disguise."

Master Cheong-wol smiled broadly.

Though his fame had faded after losing to Cho Yeon-woon, Jin Mu-yeong was still the Wudang Sect's future.

If he achieved great merit in the great battle with the Demon Cult, everyone would forget past mistakes and rather praise him. The martial world was such a place.

"You too should collect your thoughts like Mu-yeong and devote yourself to the Wudang Sect's affairs. How can the Wudang Sect maintain dignity if Hubei's Greatest Sword has lost his spirit?"

"I… understand."

Master Cheong-heo answered with difficulty before going outside. Master Cheong-wol, left alone, clicked his tongue.

"Tsk! To call himself Hubei's Greatest Sword…"

A junior brother who had been more reliable than anyone now felt unreliable to Master Cheong-wol. Yet he couldn't openly rebuke Master Cheong-heo. Whatever the internal circumstances, Master Cheong-heo was equivalent to the Wudang Sect's symbol.

After pondering for a long time, Master Cheong-wol rose from his seat.

"I should visit the grand-uncles."

Though long detached from worldly affairs, the Wudang Sect also had figures from previous generations. People who were Master Cheong-wol's grand-uncles.

During the first Orthodox-Demon War decades ago, while Mount Hua Sect entered decline as nearly all previous generation martial artists died, the Wudang Sect conserved much strength. Those figures still lived robustly and provided great strength to the Wudang Sect.

They were precisely what Master Cheong-wol relied on.

"Though showing all the cards one holds is foolish, the situation is urgent, so it can't be helped."

Master Cheong-wol clicked his tongue and climbed to Wudang Mountain's peak.

***

Their appearance was extremely shabby.

Exhausted from long journeys and still unable to escape the grief of losing many companions. The thick dust settling on their shoulders told how far they had traveled.

On the roof of the cart at their head, four characters reading Azure Sky Escort Agency were clearly written. They were precisely Azure Sky Escort Agency's escorts.

The middle-aged head escort Nam Woo-saeng, riding a horse at the front, fell back. He headed toward the large cart at the very rear.

Pulling the cart was a black horse without a single stray hair. The black horse with remarkably developed muscles was precisely Black Ghost. And on the cart Black Ghost pulled sat Dam Ho.

Nam Woo-saeng spoke carefully:

"Just a bit further and we'll reach Jun County where Wudang Mountain is located."

Only then did Dam Ho rise.

Far in the distance, a massive mountain towering high into the sky was visible. It was Wudang Mountain.

Dam Ho looked at Wudang Mountain with slightly furrowed eyes.

Though separated by distance, its spiritual energy was palpable; Wudang Mountain's aura was intense. If Mount Hua was a sharp sword piercing the heavens, Wudang Mountain felt like looking at a vast ocean with broad embracing power.

Dam Ho gazed at Wudang Mountain for a long time. His eyes watching Wudang Mountain were too deep to know what he was thinking.

Nam Woo-saeng continued watching such Dam Ho:

"Thank you for Great Hero Dam's help. Thanks to you, we could reach here safely."

Nam Woo-saeng bowed his head in gratitude. His eyes looking at Dam Ho were filled with awe.

Behind the cart where Dam Ho sat were stacked the corpses of escorts who died in the previous battle. Though covered with waterproof tarp so their forms weren't visible, the smell of decomposing corpses couldn't be hidden.

Most people would become mentally confused just briefly smelling such a stench, so other escorts didn't dare approach. But Dam Ho, without showing any displeasure, had pulled the cart loaded with corpses from Guizhou Province to here.

Jun County had an Azure Sky Escort Agency branch. Nam Woo-saeng planned to stop by the branch and hand over the escorts' corpses. That was the best Nam Woo-saeng could do for the dead.

When the Azure Sky Escort Agency procession entered Jun County, many people's gazes concentrated. Not because of the escort procession but because of the terrible corpse stench flowing from the cart.

"What?"

"Ugh!"

People who smelled it retched.

Though they too prided themselves on being martial artists with much experience, they had never once experienced such acrid stench.

"That flag is definitely Azure Sky Escort Agency… They must have suffered some great disaster."

"Indeed. Many clearly died."

People's murmuring voices reached Nam Woo-saeng's and the escorts' ears. People passing through the streets looked at the cart at the very rear of the Azure Sky Escort Agency procession. The cart was precisely the source of the corpse stench.

Because the corpse stench was so intense, few noticed Dam Ho driving the cart. People covered their noses against the acrid smell and turned their heads away in succession.

Thanks to that, Dam Ho could enter the Azure Sky Escort Agency branch without anyone's attention.

"What on earth happened?"

As soon as they entered the branch, a man in his late thirties rushed out. He was precisely Woo Jo-yang, the Jun County branch manager of Azure Sky Escort Agency.

"Manager Woo."

Nam Woo-saeng quickly dismounted from his horse.

"Head Escort! What exactly…"

Woo Jo-yang's pupils shook.

As branch manager of the massive Azure Sky Escort Agency, Woo Jo-yang was experienced. Just seeing Nam Woo-saeng and the escorts' appearances and the large cart covered with waterproof tarp, he sensed something serious had occurred.

"Let's discuss details inside. First handle the corpses."

"Corpses?"

"That's right."

Nam Woo-saeng pulled back the waterproof tarp covering the cart. Then stacked escorts' corpses were visible.

"My goodness!"

"This can't be!"

Woo Jo-yang and Jun County branch escorts screamed in shock.

Though severely decomposed making even original faces hard to recognize, they recognized that the corpses loaded on the cart were Azure Sky Escort Agency escorts like themselves.

"They're all our brothers. The corpses must be handled with maximum courtesy."

"Of course."

Woo Jo-yang ordered his subordinate escorts to handle the corpses. The Jun County branch escorts carefully collected the corpses.

Woo Jo-yang's gaze, watching the escorts collect corpses, naturally turned toward a martial artist wearing black clothes.

"But who is this?"

"This is the Fist Demon Dam Ho, Great Hero."

"……"

Woo Jo-yang's eyes widened greatly.

The martial world's living legend stood before his eyes.