Chapter 309: Murim and Players (2)

Chapter 309: Murim and Players (2)

Outside the inn, members of the two forces were lined up waiting.

The Taoists from the Murim's Wudang faction were smirking with disdain.

Soyeongho, Soseryeong, Sowungun - the three youngsters, barely past their youth, were all senior disciples or close kin of Suyoumyeong and had surpassed the threshold of peak high-level mastery.

"To think they dared to pick a fight with the Grand Elder Brother. The Tower's opening really leads to some rare experiences. Otherwise, when could we have had such an experience if not for those from outside the Tower?"

"How foolish."

"Hey, aren't you worried at all about having to clean up a corpse soon?"

Despite the open mockery...

The group on the other side showed no reaction whatsoever.

Well, to be exact, they were worried for a completely different reason.

"The Grand Elder Brother, he is still alive, right? I mean, Jinhuk seemed in a pretty good mood today..."

"Maybe cruelly dead by now."

"The Contractor probably wouldn't kill him. Maybe just spare him with the loss of a limb or two? Besides, he did mention borrowing a bit of power from those weaklings to fight the Jiangshi."

"Oh my, how considerate of Young Master Kang."

Their casual chatter about such grim possibilities was astonishing, and the Wudang party from Murim were bewildered - unsure whether they were hearing correctly or it was all just some auditory illusion.

"No, no. Are you guys out of your minds? Suyoumyeong is the youngest to reach such heights within Wudang faction - one of the Nine Martial Orthodox Sects. He's known as the 'Little Dragon' for goodness sake!"

Soseryeong exclaimed in disbelief.

"Huh? Peak high-level mastery...? Is that supposed to be impressive?"

Elise tilted her head in confusion.

"What? You don't even know what peak high-level mastery means?"

"Ha! It seems there was no need for a discussion after all."

"Let it be. They'll soon regret their rash actions when they find themselves regretting on the ground."

Elise's response only confirmed their suspicions: These people had no idea about the real depth of martial arts mastery.

Then, after a few minutes went by...

Thud!

The one-sided instruction finally ended.

And the one who emerged from the door was none other than Suyoumyeong himself.

"As expected, Elder Brother! We knew we could count on you!"

"Did you give them a sound beating considering the time it took?"

"Did that impudent fellow even have a corpse left unchecked?"

The three burst into cheers.

But then...

Suyoumyeong's face was grim.

There was an air of resignation, his face pale as death.

And in his hand, he held a piece of paper.

Though it wasn't written in Chinese characters and couldn't be read, it appeared to be a document resembling a contract.

"Ah, Murim has such a lovely evening ambiance. The breeze is cool and quite refreshing to the mind."

Jinhuk stretched and appeared from behind.

"The Grand Elder Brother?"

"What happened here?"

Jinhuk, who should have been completely devastated, looked leisurely, whereas the always revered Grand Elder Brother stood there like a dog with its tail between its legs.

It simply didn't make sense.

"Please say something... Yes? Could you say anything, please..."

The disciples and clan kin asked, but Suyoumyeong was unable to speak.

That's when.

Elise and Teresa approached, looking as if they knew everything that happened.

"Hey. Since I'm a distant senior from above, let's get along well from now on. Okay?"

"Getting used to it isn't too bad. The benefits aren't bad either."

"It's not too late. Ending your own life might be better. If you want to go without pain, just let me know anytime. I'll make you a couple types of sleeping pills especially."

Lastly, Cheonyuseong patted Suyoumyeong's shoulder with a look of pity.

***

- After careful deliberation, it's concluded that if the situation is overlooked, Luoyang can become isolated and may even fall.

Contrary to the notorious pride of the Murim League, a swift decision was made within a day.

Prompt and speedy actions were initiated.

Based on the information provided by Jinhuk, the elite forces from each sect mobilized and decided to seize the large strategic points around Luoyang and thoroughly block every path leading to it.

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Qinghai City, where the headquarters of the Heavenly Demon Cult resided.

A hawk with a sharp visage landed on the arm of Simmasaryeong.

"...This."

Simmasaryeong's expression turned slightly dark as he read the note tied to the hawk's ankle.

"Supreme Leader, they changed their response tactics. They are now headed towards..."

"I know."

Seated on the throne, Samajaw tapped his fingers on the armrest.

His gaze was fixed on the pile of soil in the middle of the room.

A military-use map, where various Murim strongholds were marked.

Whooosh!

When Samajaw injected internal energy into his fingertip, some of the Jiangshi models heading towards Luoyang wobbled.

Thud. Thud... Thud.

One, two, three.

The models fell to one side.

Those were precisely the three locations which Jinhuk had predicted.

"That's right. They're heading towards the exact locations you pinpointed. But Supreme Leader, how did you come to know..."

"Last night. Information came in that a disciple of the Dark Sovereign had entered Luoyang. It's unlikely that the righteous factions discerned my intentions, which means that kid got involved."

"What about the strongholds... They're crucial, aren't they? To think someone from outside the Tower saw through that..."

"Well, it means he's quite adept at reading the situation. Still surprising though."

The thought that his advance strategy was read even before it began surprised Samajaw, it was information he hadn't shared even with Simmasaryeong or the other high-ranking members of the cult.

'Hmm...'

A smile curled up on the lips of Samajaw.

The adversary was surely a new comer to this region, barely been here long enough to comprehend what Murim was about.

Yet, he could discern the situation so keenly...

'Surely, the first disciple received by the Dark Sovereign.'

It might become a more troublesome variable than the entire Murim League itself.

In either case, Simmasaryeong, having an inclination to cut off potential variables in advance, added his own words.

"Supreme Leader. The disciple is one thing, but shouldn't we also remove the Dark Sovereign himself? If by chance he exposes his fangs by coming to rescue his disciple..."

"Attack the Dark Sovereign now?"

"That's my suggestion. Now, when our power has reached its peak, would be the best time to eliminate him."

"Provoking that old tiger carelessly could lead to our power being halved at its peak. I would rather not squander the forces we've painstakingly gathered."

"Is the Dark Sovereign really that? If you're worried, let me take the lead with our Corpse and Yin-Yang Jiangshi and take care of it."

"No, it's Okay."

While others might have underrated the Dark Sovereign for living erratically on his own for so long...

Samajaw was aware why the Dark Sovereign was able to sit among the Six Tiger Generals with just a small contingent known as the Shadow Corps.

It wasn't because he needed others.

The Dark Sovereign alone was more formidable than thousands of martial experts combined.

His martial arts were beyond measure, affording him the position of a mainstay against the Heavenly Demon Cult even now.

"Instead of that, we'll focus on sweeping the Murim League first. Since things have come to this, let's poke at their tender spots a bit. It will be interesting to see how they respond to this play."

Preparations for this moment spanned years.

A small whirl cannot oppose the sea.

Samajaw made an adjustment to the tactics.

In a way most deadly to the Murim League.

***

Of the three choices, Jinhuk chose a mountainous region about 100 km from Luoyang.

It was technically designated for the Wudang faction, but that was only on the surface.

Effectively, under Jinhuk's control, with Suyoumyeong on a tight leash, Murim's warriors succumbed to being led.

"Is this the place noted for unstable ley lines?"

Jinhuk surveyed the surroundings.

He chose this location for a significant reason - he had something to find here.

"Correct. Recently, the flow of Qi has been unstable causing multiple landslides. Thanks to the villagers reporting it to the authorities, we only found out a few days ago."

Suyoumyeong nodded in confirmation.

Exactly as thought.

The conflict between Yang and Yin Qi was causing natural disasters.

The yellow-tinged earth was a sign.

Good.

They had arrived at exactly the right place.

"But doesn't the conversation seem a bit brief?"

"What?"

"Meat. Yummy yummy."

"Wait, wait! That... Yes, as you said...sigh. I will be careful..."

Suyoumyeong clenched his fist with a chagrined face.

"Manage your expressions better. You can curse internally, but your outside demeanor shouldn't show it. That's professional etiquette."

"I'll keep that... in mind."

This was enough to settle the hierarchy.

The remaining three still seemed puzzled by the situation yet.

There was no need to 'educate' them as well.

After all, as long as Suyoumyeong was tightly gripped, the rest would fall in line.

"Then, we should start recruiting people."

For this incident, the Murim Alliance enlisted more than just the Orthodox Nine Sects and Five Great Clans, they also sought two other forces.

One was players, like Jinhuk, Teresa, and Cheonyuseong.

The second consisted of unaffiliated assassins, outlaws, or third-rate warriors.

These individuals were lured not with honor or ideals but with the promise of money - the most effective bait for such folks.

'With the funds from the league, I should be able to cover around thirty individuals.'

With a decently-sized village nearby, recruiting more would be an easy task.

"But why do we need other people? Isn't our strength more than enough to deal with the likes of Jiangshi?"

Elise blinked her wide eyes.

That was true, but there was another reason for recruiting in the village for Jinhuk.

'Should be around the village by now.'

To regain his lost power after leaving the Heavenly Demon Cult.

One of the Tower's absolute champions was wandering in Murim.

The corners of Jinhuk's lips rose.

It was about time to meet again.

The zenith of the martial world that bows to no one under the heavens.

"Let's head down before sunset."

Jinhuk hurried their steps.

As they walked and eventually arrived at the village, the group realized something was terribly wrong.

"Th-the village..."

Soseryeong's voice trembled.

The village burned down.

In the wake of the Blood Jiangshi's upheaval, what remained was but blood, smoke, and death.

"This shouldn't be..."

Teresa covered her mouth with her hand.

"..."

Cheonyuseong quietly walked among the corpses, seeking any survivors to provide healing.

"There are no innocents in war, they say, but this is too cruel..."

Elise murmured, seemingly reminiscing about her own past.

"They're playing this card, are they?"

Jinhuk looked upon the remains of a mother who died while embracing her child.

The Heavenly Demon Cult had shifted from its swift strategies.

Instead of speed, they now pillaged villages along their path, massacring the civilians.

The righteous factions, honoring their principles, could not overlook this tragedy.

They would have to abandon the advantageous positions to rescue the people.

'Harsh, but efficient.'

It served to diffuse the opposition's forces and, depending on where they concentrated their power, could fully assume control of the situation.

Jinhuk bit his lip.

The residents were... Tower residents.

That was all the line they were drawing.

He had been self-convincing that certain sacrifices were inevitable in the climb.

Yet, confronted with such atrocities, he couldn't maintain that line.

'...Samajaw.'

Jinhuk slowly savored the name.

He had to deal with him quickly.

To prevent the death of more innocents if nothing else.

That's when.

Boom!

"Aaaagh!"

"Someone, save us!"

Screams echoed from afar.

Survivors remained.