Chapter 112 - Underworld Night March (2)

Four Emperors Peak.

Although the Underworld of Murim had no central hub, it was a massive sect that unconditionally had to be included if one were to pick the representative sects of the Underworld.

Since they had smashed through the main gates and entered Four Emperors Peak, which was taking a break period due to the Murim Academy's standard exam, it was only natural that Four Emperors Peak did not welcome them.

CLANG, CLANG, CLANG, CLANG, CLANG, CLANG, CLANG, CLANG.

Even though it hadn't been long since the bell rang, hundreds of Underworld warriors were already rushing uniformly toward the grand training ground with their swords drawn.

SHING, SHING, SHING, SHING, SHING, SHING, SHING, SHING, SHING.

Hundreds of swords densely surrounded every single member of the group, truly living up to the phrase *forest of swords*.

And our group.

"Pant, pant, pant, pant, pant."

"Gasp, gasp, gasp, gasp, gasp, gasp."

"Hah, hah, hah, hah, hah."

Regardless of that, they were sprawled out on the ground, catching their breath.

Those who had been so resolute, claiming they couldn't throw the one they served into an Underworld sect alone, couldn't even draw their swords and were busy catching their own breath.

"Where do you bastards think this is to dare set foot here?"

The hundreds of warriors parted to both sides, and a giant of a man wearing black armor stepped forward.

"Did you think the Murim Academy's standard exam would preserve your necks?"

SHING.

A greatsword was drawn from his waist.

Only then did the group come to their senses and began to turn pale as they looked at the Underworld warriors surrounding them.

"You foolish things. You only needed to give up the exam, but it's your own fault that you couldn't do so. What are you doing? Cut all their throats and throw them outside the main gates."

"""Yes!!!"""

Along with a roar that made the atmosphere ring out, a suffocating killing intent erupted from all directions.

"W-Wait! Hah, hah. Please wait a moment."

I carefully set down Namgung Seonhwa, whom I had been holding in my arms.

"You dare think you can enter and leave Four Emperors Peak as you please?"

"That's not it!"

"If you're stalling for time pointlessly, I'll cut off your hands and feet and throw you into the pigsty."

Black qi materialized and wavered above the giant's greatsword.

"Understood! Do as you wish. But wait! Just give me a very brief moment..."

I quickly reached into my chest.

SWISH. SWISH. SWISH. SWISH. SWISH.

Five swords were thrust right up against my throat.

"I-I'm just trying to take something out."

"Leave him be."

I slowly pulled my hand out from my chest and showed the object in my hand to the giant.

Starting with the giant, the people standing around began to widen their eyes one by one.

"H-How. How dare a mere fry of the Orthodox faction..."

It felt like something was trickling down my back. From behind, Namgung Seonhwa shouted.

"Young Master Jin. You're bleeding!"

Ah, it was blood. I thought it was sweat.

No wonder I felt dizzy. I gathered my wits and spoke.

"I wish to see the Peak Master of Four Emperors Peak. I am Jin Sowoon of the Taiyi Sect."

"Jin Sowoon?"

"The Taiyi Sect?"

"Isn't that the Black Flame Dragon?"

"Oho, so you're saying that guy is the Underworld's Divine Star, the Black Flame Dragon?"

Yeah, I'm your damn Black Flame Dragon.

I spat out curses profusely in my mind and closed my eyes.

* * *

"Oho, this is fascinating."

An exclamation burst from the lips of the White-Handed Divine Sword, Hyuk Mugang, as he touched the skin of the incredibly grotesque corpse.

"Hmm... It seems there originally should have been more to this corpse, but aren't these wounds cuts made after death?"

Zhuge Somyeong, who had examined the corpse first, nodded.

"Someone likely smuggled a piece away to examine the corpse during the process of bringing it to the Murim Alliance."

"Hmm... Do you think it was the doing of the Elder's Hall?"

"Who else could it be? Anyway, those people aren't what's important."

"So. Are you saying the procedure that made the body like this belongs to... the Demonic Cult?"

"Yes. My report was delayed because I had to search through the records in the deepest part of the Simhyeon Pavilion."

Zhuge Somyeong did not mention that the Mantong Bureau's work had been temporarily halted in order to search the Simhyeon Pavilion.

"..."

Hyuk Mugang closed his eyes and slowly stroked his long white beard.

"But wasn't the Heavenly God Cult, which manifested in the Tianshan Mountains 100 years ago, completely wiped out?"

A hundred years ago, the Heavenly God Cult, which appeared in the Tianshan Mountains claiming to be the successors of the Demonic Cult, were all killed by the hands of the Great Emperor of the Azure Sky, the Murim Alliance Leader of that era.

"It's not at their level."

"It's said that even they had created over a hundred Iron Jiangshi."

"This procedure is different."

"Fundamentally, they force them to master a bizarre martial art that combines stealth and sword arts to the Peak Realm. And then, these Peak Realm experts undergo a nonsensical procedure called the Phantom Bone Sword to be turned into these monsters."

It was a horrifying procedure that required grinding up at least thirty Peak Realm experts to create a single monster.

"The report stated that at least twenty of these monsters moved amongst the people."

"..."

Even Hyuk Mugang kept his mouth shut tightly at the absurd probabilities and numbers.

"... A sect capable of grinding up at least six hundred Peak Realm experts..."

"There is none within the Central Plains' Murim."

Although the Peak Realm was said to be the final boundary an ordinary warrior could reach, that was only possible when one ground up their entire life in effort and had the backing to support them. A group capable of grinding up three hundred such experts was horrifying just to imagine.

"Regardless, the effect was very definitive. If it weren't for this corpse, we wouldn't have even been able to track their traces."

A Peak Realm expert who assimilated with the darkness to ambush—just imagining it caused cold sweat to flow.

"Phew... I don't know."

Hyuk Mugang's reaction was natural. Because even he, who observed Jianghu as if looking at the palm of his hand, didn't know what to do right now.

"For now, let's start by establishing a hypothetical enemy."

"... Will the Elder's Hall understand this?"

"... That is why we should be the only ones to know for now. Fortunately, it seems they haven't been active since the Puyang Plains."

"Come to think of it, there hasn't been a word from the Kunlun Sect."

In the past, the Demonic Cult was located in the Tianshan Mountains.

The Kunlun Sect had acted as the vanguard that first blocked the Demonic Cult, as well as the scouts for the Orthodox faction sects.

Zhuge Somyeong pursed his lips.

"They must be out of their minds trying to get through the standard exam."

This was a cycle with more eventful occurrences than ever before.

"So that's the reason why the Elder's Hall has been quiet."

"...?"

"Did you say his name is Jin Sowoon of the Taiyi Sect?"

"!!"

Zhuge Somyeong suddenly shot his eyes wide open.

Because the forces of the Nine Sects and One Gang and the Five Great Noble Clans were stronger than ever, they couldn't select a Murim Alliance Leader from either side.

In the end, they had selected the White-Handed Divine Sword, Hyuk Mugang, who had no backing and was strong on his own, but since some point, Hyuk Mugang seemed to have his own intelligence network.

"It's merely to perform my duties as the Murim Alliance Leader. If you wish, Chief Strategist, I can show them to you."

After thinking for a moment, Zhuge Somyeong shook his head.

Did it even matter if the White-Handed Divine Sword, Hyuk Mugang, formed a faction in the first place?

What use was having or not having a faction to a man who could effortlessly face all the elders of the Nine Sects and One Gang and the Five Great Noble Clans alone?

"It's fine. I apologize for not preparing it for you first."

"Haha, by the way, you must be a bit disappointed. I heard you had your eye on that child, Jin Sowoon."

At Hyuk Mugang's words, Zhuge Somyeong clicked his tongue. If it hadn't been for the tricks of those bastards in the Elder's Hall, he thought he might have been able to make the first Mantong Bureau member out of an alumnus of the Murim Academy.

"It can't be helped. He'll come to do his mandatory service anyway. I plan to put him in a position then."

"Or how about this? I'll bring him into the Alliance Leader's Hall first. And when the time is right, I'll hand him over to the Mantong Bureau."

Zhuge Somyeong looked at Hyuk Mugang with eyes that said there was no one in the world he could trust.

"No, how can you say such a thing when you know how busy the Mantong Bureau is!!"

"Ah, I mean. Just until he originally enters the Mantong Bureau..."

"If I had thought of doing that, I would have brought him in already. Do you think I'm acting like this because I have no way to bring him in! It's all because of politics! Politics!"

"... Ahem. I apologize, Chief Strategist. My greed got ahead of me."

"Don't say such things again. I called dibs on him, and I won't let anyone steal him away."

The place that had snatched away the most talents who should have come to the Mantong Bureau was the Alliance Leader's Hall.

Seeing that he was now even thinking of snatching away a guy to use as a scholar, the Murim Alliance Leader's love for talent was crossing the line.

'If he's going to be like that, he might as well establish a sect.'

He had offered to help establish a sect several times, but the fact that the person who refused every time was so greedy for talent was hard to understand.

'As if I'll let it be stolen away again.'

Zhuge Somyeong, who was heading to the Mantong Bureau while vowing never to be robbed this time, clicked his tongue when he saw a guy running frantically toward the Alliance Leader's Hall.

"Tsk, tsk. What on earth is inside that guy's head?"

Then he shouted at Maeng Ju-won.

"You punk! Do you not know where you are that you're running like that!"

"Chief Strategist, i-it's a disaster."

However, seeing Maeng Ju-won's face, which looked absentminded with a sense of urgency, his heart suddenly sank. Since the guy was usually laid-back, the fear struck even harder.

"Don't tell me, already the Heavenly Demon..."

"Our Sowoon! He was thrown into Four Emperors Peak by the vicious schemes of the Nine Sects and One Gang!"

"..."

"Woe is me, woe is me! Now his chances of getting married are completely gone! Woe is me, woe is me!"

Watching the guy wailing as if he had lost his own parents, Zhuge Somyeong quietly rolled up his sleeves.

* * *

"They always say that a beating is the best medicine for a crazy bastard."

At Seong Moran's words, everyone's gazes naturally turned toward the unconscious Jin Sowoon.

"He has to wake up for us to give him a beating or a reward."

Thanks to the nameplate of the Peak Master of Four Emperors Peak that Jin Sowoon pulled out as soon as they entered Four Emperors Peak, they managed to preserve their lives for now, but the situation was not good at all.

Setting aside why Jin Sowoon had the Peak Master's nameplate in the first place, because the person in question wouldn't wake up, they couldn't even see the Peak Master's face. Instead, they were all locked up in a single room, currently under the surveillance of two thousand Underworld warriors.

What frustrated them even more was what the physician who treated Jin Sowoon said before leaving.

"He's already a dead man. Don't wait for him and just find a way to save yourselves. Just how much did he abuse his body... Tsk, tsk."

At the physician's words, not only the Geum-eun-dong Brothers but even Namgung Seonhwa hadn't been able to compose themselves.

They had followed him after hearing Jin Sowoon say it was their last chance, but because Jin Sowoon wasn't waking up, all their plans were falling apart.

BANG!

At that moment, the door burst open and over a dozen Underworld warriors entered the room.

All of them were wearing the black armor that was the symbol of Four Emperors Peak.

And behind them, a giant of a man with a massive frame stepped in.

"Has he still not woken up?"

They had every right to express their dissatisfaction at his unpleasant behavior, but none of Jin Sowoon's group could rashly step forward.

Great Hegemon Hwang Bushik.

The fourth-in-command of Four Emperors Peak and one of the premier experts of the Underworld Murim.

The anecdote where thirty First-Rate Warriors of the Mount Cangshan Sect got into a dispute with him and were all turned into corpses was enough to prove his strength.

"It's only been two days."

"If he can't wake up in two days, he's as good as dead. Moreover, in such an urgent situation, do you really have the luxury to sit around treating him?"

Seong Moran could not suppress the anger surging up within her.

"We are people who brought the nameplate of the Peak Master of Four Emperors Peak. Please show us the bare minimum of courtesy."

Hwang Bushik snorted.

"The one who brought the Peak Master's nameplate is the Black Flame Dragon, Jin Sowoon. And as long as he doesn't wake up, the utility value of that nameplate is already over."

"Please let me meet the Peak Master. I know his intentions."

What little trace of a smile remained on Hwang Bushik's face completely vanished.

"Hey, brat. Do you think the Peak Master of Four Emperors Peak is someone a brat like you can just meet?"

"..."

"Outside, the disciples of the Nine Sects and One Gang are clamoring for us to hand over Jin Sowoon's group. From the start, our Underworld Murim does not interfere in the events of the Murim Alliance. The fact that we already gave you two days' time means the nameplate's utility has been fully used up."

"How could that..."

What had they risked their lives for to come all the way here, only to end up putting the life of the person they relied on the most in danger?

Seong Moran couldn't raise her head.

"Pack your things and leave. At the very least, I'll take charge of the Black Flame Dragon's treatment."

"..."

"Leave Four Emperors Peak before the sun sets today."

Regardless of the despondent expressions on Seong Moran and the group's faces, Hwang Bushik turned his body without hesitation and headed outside.

"... Is Four Emperors Peak afraid of the disciples of the Nine Sects and One Gang?"

"!!!"

Hwang Bushik's body came to a dead stop. A formidable aura erupted from his body.

"What kind of brat dares..."

Regardless of whether Hwang Bushik's aura erupted or not, the people turned their heads to the spot where they had seen the 'crazy bastard' in question.

"Young Master Jin!!!"

"Young Master Jin!!!"

"Eldest Senior Brother!"

There stood Jin Sowoon, staggering precariously as he pushed his body up.

"Hmph! Black Flame Dragon. Did you finally wake up?"

"Fortunately, it hasn't passed two days. Would you guide me to the person who gave me that damn alias? Please tell him that Jin Sowoon has come to collect his debt."