Light Novel: Volume 25 Episode 2
Manhwa: N/A
The Wudang Sect and Dragon Sky Valley both suffered mutual destruction.
Both factions sustained tremendous damage, with countless casualties.
The one who suffered the most was undoubtedly the Dragon Sky Valley.
The battle had taken place in the Wudang Sect’s territory, not their own. Naturally, they couldn’t hope for any additional external support.
The longer the fight went on, the more disadvantaged the Dragon Sky Valley became, but the martial artists of the Dragon Sky Valley didn’t back down. They continued to fight fiercely against the Wudang Sect.
Neither the Dragon Sky Valley nor the Wudang Sect had any intention of retreating. Both factions gave it their all, resulting in a huge number of casualties.
More than a thousand people were either killed or injured on both sides.
The losses were unprecedented.
Neither sect had suffered this much damage in the last hundred years.
The martial artists of the Dragon Sky Valley charged forward recklessly. They were determined to avenge their Valley Head, Yong Geomsan. However, they were unable to overcome the disadvantages of the expedition.
In the end, they were forced to retreat, unable to surmount the wall that was Wudang.
Although they managed to repel the Dragon Sky Valley, the Wudang Sect also suffered significant losses. The sacrifices among the first-generation disciples were particularly devastating.
Naturally, the loss of disciples who were meant to lead the future dealt a severe blow to the morale of the Wudang Sect.
Fortunately, the third-generation disciples and outer disciples had remained behind in the sect, so they were spared from the battle. However, it would take a considerable amount of time for them to fill the void left by the first-generation disciples.
In the end, the fight ended with both sides having inflicted great damage on the other.
Both factions were gravely weakened, and it would take decades for them to recover their former strength.
The martial artists of the Dragon Sky Valley collected their dead and wounded and returned to Yunnan Province, while the Wudang Sect completely shut its gates.
They had no choice but to do so due to the overwhelming damage they had suffered.
Thus, two of Jianghu’s most prominent sects had completely shut down their activities.
This shocking news soon spread throughout Jianghu.
Jianghu, which was already in turmoil due to the Haimen incident, was plunged into even greater chaos by this news.
People began to speak of the dark days ahead.
This was indeed the case.
The two sects held the greatest influence and power in the northern and western regions of Jianghu. With both sects sealing their gates at the same time, bandits began to rampage across the regions.
The balance of power had been completely shattered.
Jianghu was entering its darkest period in history.
“Amitabha Buddha! Amitabha Buddha!”
Grand Master Un-ji, the head monk of the Shaolin Temple, sat before the Buddha statue, rolling his prayer beads.
He had already read through a collection of Buddhist scriptures, but his heart and mind was not easily calmed.
“Why is my mind so restless? Amitabha Buddha, Amitabha Buddha!”
It was then.
“Master!”
A young monk’s voice called out from outside.
“What’s the matter?”
“You need to come outside immediately.”
“What is the matter?”
“Junior Uncle Ji-kyung has returned.”
“Ji-kyung?”
A puzzled expression appeared on Grand Master Un-ji’s face.
Ji-kyung was a second-generation disciple of the Shaolin Temple and was part of the mediation delegation sent to the Wudang Sect.
“Did he return alone?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm!”
Grand Master Un-ji hurriedly stood up from his seat and went outside.
He had a foreboding feeling about the situation.
In front of the main hall, a large group of monks gathered.
“Senior Brother!”
“Grand Master!”
The monks of the Shaolin Temple recognized Grand Master Un-ji and bowed their heads one after another.
“Where is Ji-kyung?”
“Here he is.”
An elderly monk responded.
In his arms was a young monk covered in blood. It was Ji-kyung, who had been sent as part of the mediation delegation.
Ji-kyung was unconscious, struggling to breathe.
Grand Master Un-ji addressed the elderly monk holding him.
“What happened?”
“Please wait a moment. I’ve already given him emergency treatment so he should regain consciousness shortly.”
The elderly monk who answered was Grand Master Un-ji’s Junior Brother, Grand Master Un-hae, the Shaolin’s foremost scholar and healer.
He had quickly administered a rare medicine to the mortally wounded Ji-kyung and was now waiting for its effects to take hold.
“Ugh…”
Before long, Ji-kyung regained consciousness.
Grand Master Un-ji urgently asked him,
“Are you alright, Ji-kyung?”
“G-Grand Master…”
“Yes, it’s me. What happened? Where are the others?”
“Hic…! They’re all dead.”
“Dead?”
“Yes! They’re all dead except for me.”
“……”
The words were so shocking that Grand Master Un-ji was left speechless.
Ji-kyung continued speaking.
“All of this was a scheme orchestrated by Jang Cheonhwa, the sect leader of the Celestial Martial Sect.”
“What do you mean?”
“He was the one who schemed to pit the Dragon Sky Valley and the Wudang Sect against each other. He was also the one who killed Junior Uncle Un-seong and the other Junior Uncles.”
“Is that true? Are you sure you’re not mistaken?”
“I am only telling you the events that I have seen with my own eyes and heard with my own ears.”
“Amitabha Buddha! How horrifying!”
“I, too, would not have survived and returned alive if it weren’t for the help of a mysterious individual. I swear on my life that there is not an ounce of untruth in every word that I have said.”
“Hmm…”
Grand Master Un-ji let out a low groan.
The revelation was so shocking that he wouldn’t have believed it if it had come from anyone else.
However, he knew Ji-kyung well enough to know that he was not someone who would ever lie. Ji-kyung was the kind of person who would speak the truth even if there was a blade at his throat.
Grand Master Un-ji turned to his Junior Brother, Grand Master Un-hae.
“Quickly take Ji-kyung to his room and treat him.”
“Understood, Senior Brother!”
Grand Master Un-hae replied immediately.
Grand Master Un-ji then looked at the elders and spoke.
“Everyone, gather in my chambers.”
“Yes, Senior Brother.”
“Understood.”
The elders replied and followed Grand Master Un-ji.
As they walked, worry was etched across the faces of both Grand Master Un-ji and the elders.
Grand Master Un-ji muttered to himself,
“This is truly an era of chaos. How should I handle this matter?”
No matter how much he thought, no solution came to mind.
If Ji-kyung’s words were true and Jang Cheonhwa of the Celestial Martial Sect had orchestrated this scheme, Shaolin alone would not have the strength to deal with it.
‘I need help.’
Grand Master Un-ji suddenly gave an urgent command to one of the elders.
“Send a message to the Frenzied Warrior Sect immediately and search for Master Pyo.”
“Master… Pyo? Are you referring to the Reaper?”
“That’s right. Why? Is there a problem?”
“But he is merely an assassin—”
“How long will you cling to such delusions and arrogance? What does it matter whether he’s an assassin or not? We are not in a position to discriminate.”
“My apologies, Senior Brother! I will look into it right away.”
The elder who had raised the concern quickly bowed in apology.
Grand Master Un-ji closed his eyes and thought.
‘Can I truly overcome this crisis with such complacent individuals?’
The monks of Shaolin had grown too accustomed to peace for far too long that their primal instincts had dulled.
Right now, what Grand Master Un-ji needed was a martial artist with sharp instincts and ferocity.
* * *
‘These lunatics!’
So Gyeoksan muttered as he looked at the people gathered inside the Sea Dragon Clan.
Inside the Sea Dragon Clan, assassins who followed Pyo-wol were stationed everywhere. They openly declared themselves as belonging to the Black Realm.
He never imagined that the world’s assassins would follow Pyo-wol, let alone be so sincerely loyal to him.
‘Black Realm… an organization that unites all the assassins in Jianghu.’
Being an assassin himself, he knew all too well the nature of assassins.
He knew how treacherous and unpredictable they were. How fiercely independent and rebellious their spirits were.
Even the young assassins raised in the underground caves by the Blood Shadow Group often split into factions and fought against one another.
If even young assassins were like that, then for adult assassins with fully developed egos to swear absolute loyalty to someone was nearly impossible.
At least, So Gyeoksan thought such a sight would be impossible to witness in his lifetime.
And yet, such a thing happened.
Something that So Gyeoksan had believed to be utterly impossible had happened.
The assassins gathered in the Sea Dragon Clan were not just anyone. They were established figures in the assassin world. They ruled over anywhere from a handful to dozens of subordinates.
Yet, all of them showed unwavering loyalty to Pyo-wol.
To So Gyeoksan, this was an utterly alien sight, one he could never have even imagined.
It was so alien that he questioned whether this was truly the assassin world he knew.
‘Is this really possible?’
He had seen it with his own eyes, so there was no way he could not believe it.
Feeling as if his very understanding of the world was being denied, So Gyeoksan shook his head in disbelief.
If anyone other than Pyo-wol had achieved such a feat, he wouldn’t have believed it.
‘He is truly insane, and to think I dared to go against someone like him before.’
Pyo-wol was far more formidable than So Gyeoksan had vaguely imagined.
With him as the center, the assassins, who had been like grains of sand scattered everywhere, had united as one and called themselves the Black Realm.
The power of the united Black Realm was truly overwhelming.
They displayed tremendous martial prowess, fighting against the martial artists of the Phantom Fleet and Martial Sword Alliance that had infiltrated Haimen.
With dozens or even hundreds of assassins moving as a single force, leaving a trail of death in their wake, no one dared to stand in their way.
The night belonged to them.
Pyo-wol, who had unified the assassins, was undeniably the ruler of the night.
So Gyeoksan now fully recognized that fact.
‘Now he has risen beyond my reach.’
But that didn’t mean he felt jealous.
It was Pyo-wol who had rescued him when he had lost everything and was imprisoned in the Prison of No Return. To harbor jealousy toward someone like that would make him less than human.
Even if he was an assassin, there were certain principles he had to uphold.
So Gyeoksan immediately headed toward Pyo-wol’s quarters.
He could feel the eyes of the assassins on him the entire way.
No one had explicitly given them any orders, yet they had taken it upon themselves to guard Pyo-wol’s residence.
Their stealth skills were so exceptional that, unless one was an assassin of So Gyeoksan’s caliber, they wouldn’t even notice their presence.
Had anyone other than someone like So Gyeoksan attempted to approach recklessly, they would have undoubtedly been killed without even realizing it.
‘Reaper… He has truly become the god of death.’
So Gyeoksan thought as he knocked on Pyo-wol’s door.
“It’s me, So Gyeoksan.”
“Come in.”
So Gyeoksan opened the door and stepped inside. There, he saw Pyo-wol and Hong Ye-seol seated on opposite sides of a table.
On the table was a teacup with steam rising from it.
Pyo-wol spoke to So Gyeoksan.
“Tea?”
“Pour me a cup.”
Pyo-wol nodded and took an empty cup, pouring freshly brewed tea into it.
So Gyeoksan felt his mind clear as he smelled the fragrant aroma of the tea.
“This is good.”
“The Sea Dragon Clan leader’s room was stocked with fine tea.”
“He has surprisingly refined tastes, huh?”
“Thanks to him, we’re enjoying such luxury.”
“That’s right. We’ve come so far. From eating bugs to survive in the underground caves to drinking high-quality tea like this.”
At So Gyeoksan’s words, Pyo-wol smiled faintly.
It brought back memories of the past.
Back then, they had to eat moss and bugs they couldn’t even name just to survive. After enduring those harsh years, they had clawed their way into the light, fighting countless battles to get to where they were now.
Looking back, it was a miracle they were still alive.
Ssssss!
At that moment, Gwiya crawled out of Pyo-wol’s arms.
Having awakened from its long sleep, Gwiya began to move again.
In the meantime, the tiny horns on Gwiya’s head had grown larger, and its scales had become even redder.
Its glowing red scales looked like burning jewels.
“Wow.”
“Ah!”
So Gyeoksan and Hong Ye-seol exclaimed in unison.
Both of them had seen Gwiya before, but now it had become even more beautiful.
Now, they could even sense a mysterious spiritual energy.
Srrrk!
Unperturbed by their gazes, Gwiya slithered playfully between Pyo-wol’s fingers.
It appeared as if it was communicating with Pyo-wol in its own way.
Pyo-wol looked at Gwiya affectionately with a faint smile on his lips.
Hong Ye-seol frowned slightly as she watched the scene.
‘I never thought I’d find myself jealous of a snake.’
Just as Hong Ye-seol grumbled inwardly to herself, suddenly—
“Supreme Leader!”
A voice called out to Pyo-wol from outside.
It was Hong Ye-seol who responded.
“What’s the matter?”
“A guest has arrived from the Hao clan.”
“A guest?”
“They introduced themselves as Hong Yushin, the chief inspector of the Hao clan.”
LUNA-CAVE
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