Chapter 176

Chapter 176

Must escape.

“Heuk. Heuk…! Eueoeoek!“

Kudangtang!

The fierce-faced bandit leader Jeokho , running down a mountain path, tripped over a tree root and fell. He hurriedly looked around, then quickly rose and leaned against a tree trunk. His hands and feet trembling uncontrollably.

‘Yokai. They’re yokai…!’

When the green young martial artists first came to the stronghold, he looked down on them. That’s because they gave the name of a sect he’d never heard of. Uicheonmun or something.

They had three hundred men, the opponents were merely five. Even if disciples of Shaolin or Wudang came, he’d scoff and persuade them nicely to turn back. So how could he take seriously some disciples from a sect he’d never even heard of coming and loudly demanding they disband the stronghold?

With so many weak orthodox sects nowadays, he planned to lecture these youngsters who knew nothing about spouting justice and send them back. Of course, he planned to take everything they had and send them back naked.

He thought even that would be showing sufficient mercy.

That must have been his thinking.

Who could have known those five people would completely annihilate the entire stronghold?

‘I must escape…!’

Seeing they captured rather than killed his subordinate bandits, they must plan to hand them to the government office ).

Other bandits might have room for leniency, but as the leader, the moment he’s handed to the government office means at least several decades of forced labor.

Having assessed the situation, Jeokho drew up internal energy to deploy lightness skill. And at that moment, a shadow blocked his path.

“You were here? Don’t run away. You’ll be caught anyway.”

“…Heoeok.”

At the pitying voice, Jeokho reflexively took a combat stance and widened his eyes at his opponent. A woman wearing strange gauntlets ) with thin white fabric reinforced with iron stood with one foot on a rock, looking at him.

‘Not the worst…!’

Though martial artists maintain youth long, the opponent before him wasn’t just young but childish. She must be the youngest among the five who came together.

‘This girl is probably the youngest.’

She seems skilled, but if she’s the youngest, she’ll lack experience. Compared to himself who crossed death’s threshold countless times, she’ll panic quickly at trivial matters.

“Pl-please spare me, great hero!”

Then there’s a chance.

Jeokho immediately prostrated himself flat and showed a pitiful expression.

“I won’t kill you. Just handing you to the government office.”

“Aigo…! How’s that different from killing me? Even if we didn’t kill people, we ran our business with utmost sincerity! If caught by the government office, the punishment will be severe…”

“Mm, that’s unfortunate, but can’t be helped, can it?”

Ten steps. Nine steps.

With each approach, Jeokho lowered his body. From the front it seemed like bowing humbly, but actually gaining momentum.

“If you spare me just this once, I’ll truly live righteously!”

“Mm… Can’t do that.”

“Really, just once! Just this one time, can’t you?”

Five steps. Four steps.

“Really can’t…”

“If you won’t…! Can’t be helped. Die!”

Having closed in, the moment Jeokho confirmed his opponent entered sword-swinging distance, he immediately drew the short sword from his breast and thrust at his opponent. And at that moment, he met calm eyes.

“Ah?”

Uicheon Cheonggong  Simhwa  Isik

Jeokseolmuheon

Jjeojeojeojeojeojeok!

“That’s why I said it can’t be done.”

“Uh, uheoeok…”

Instantly frozen to his fingertips and unable to move, Jeokho watched as the woman showed a bitter smile. And soon voices came from both sides.

“Fourth martial sister, you caught him already? I wanted to catch the leader.”

“Oh dear, you should have come faster. Seonwoo Gang martial brother.”

‘…Damn it.’

This young girl was the fourth disciple.

Watching the woman Seohwa smile brightly and wave her hand, Jeokho cursed inwardly.

“What, this bastard still hasn’t lost consciousness?”

“Oh right, look at me. I meant to control my strength.”

Ppeoeoek!

Soon after, with a dull impact striking his head.

Jeokho’s vision faded.

Cleanly, without even feeling pain.

[雪白 ]

“…Hi.”

“Are you that pleased?”

“Hm? Ah.”

Watching Seohwa gaze at the gauntlets engraved with “Seolbaek” in elegant calligraphy while showing a loose smile, Seonwoo Gang exchanged glances with Seomun Cheok and smiled bitterly before speaking. Seohwa immediately responded.

“I’m happy. Do you know how envious I was of my martial brothers until now? Only I didn’t have an exclusive weapon ), it was pitiful.”

“Well, that’s true. But didn’t Cheon Noya  put that much effort into fourth sister’s weapon? The later the production, the higher the completion.”

Making weapons requires ‘karma’ ).

The Sangsan  smith Cheon Noya, who had told Baek Riyun so in the past, spent a full two years forging weapons after confirming the Uicheonmun disciples’ ‘karma.’ Among them, what took especially long were Baek Riyun’s Uicheon  and Seohwa’s Seolbaek.

“Cheon Noya spent half a year making this weapon. He even collaborated with Miss Gawol to mix in heavenly silkworm ), didn’t he? Ours were all completed in at most two months.”

“Well yeah… That’s why I’m happy now. Are you jealous? Really envious and such?”

“No? I’m not envious?”

“Even if you’re envious, I won’t give it.”

“No? I don’t need it?”

“Seonwoo Gang martial brother looks envious?”

“Not at all?”

“…These are all conversations between full-grown adults.”

Baek Risan, counting bandit numbers in the distance, pressed his forehead and sighed. And the statement that followed.

“Stop the childish wordplay and help count the bandits. How many are there? We need to call the government troops with the right numbers.”

“Yessss.”

“Yesss. Guest-nim.”

“Don’t answer halfheartedly.”

“Yes. Yes.”

At Baek Risan’s words, Seonwoo Gang answered halfheartedly, looked around, and whistled. Because he suddenly felt the sense of a changed world.

‘Really, we’ve gotten strong.’

Two years had passed since the Anhwahyeon  incident.

During that time, Uicheonmun declared sect seclusion ) and devoted itself to training without participating in any external activities. They didn’t even leave Hwayonghyeon  except for one visit to Cheon Noya to make weapons.

Actually, if things had proceeded only that far, it would have been dismissed as just a small sect’s eccentricity. Though large sects’ actions all have reasons, small sects fairly often declare seclusion for training.

Whether some rural sect declares seclusion to become stronger or blocks external activities isn’t the martial world’s concern. Though Uicheonmun had some fame for a while, it’s a minor sect. If they entered seclusion, losing the martial world’s interest was obvious.

It must have been that way.

“Fourth sister.”

“Yeah?”

“…We’re really doing the martial competition journey ), right?”

“We will. Master wouldn’t joke about such things.”

“Right. Huuu.”

Seonwoo Gang sighed and pressed his forehead. That’s because.

Having finished the long two years of training and now released from seclusion.

They were in a position where they had to go on martial competition journeys facing the Nine Sects and One Gang ) and Five Great Families ) one after another.

“I don’t know if we can win. What do you think, guest-nim?”

“Worth trying? It’s true we got stronger over two years.”

At Seonwoo Gang’s question, Baek Risan responded indifferently and continued.

“We weren’t that far behind originally, but now we’re even stronger. Against same-generation martial artists, we can definitely win.”

“What if not same-generation?”

“That’d be difficult. No matter what, they’re prestigious sects. They’re people who’ve been eating elixirs like meals since childhood.”

“Mm.”

Well, even losing won’t mean death. Right now Baek Risan is a daughter of the Baek Ri Family , and Baek Riyun has connections with other Nine Sects and Five Great Families too.

“We just need to do our best. Whatever.”

“Hm?”

“Would they kill us even if we lose?”

At Seonwoo Gang’s optimistic words, Baek Risan stared blankly at him briefly then shook her head. And the words that followed.

“…No, you could die if you lose?”

“What?”

“Orthodox sect ) sects don’t usually engage in all-out war. Instead, they put forward representatives and reach agreements through martial competitions.”

“Know what that means?”

What does it mean to go on martial competition journeys in the orthodox world, not the unorthodox path )?

“It’s basically a declaration of war.”

If it’s fellow Nine Sects or Five Great Families, they won’t kill. Among the same rank, winning and losing doesn’t lead to loss of honor. But if it’s Uicheonmun, the story differs.

“If you lose, you might really die.”

“If we lose miserably enough that honor isn’t damaged?”

“Then you’ll die by my hand.”

At Baek Risan’s gesture of slicing her own throat, Seonwoo Gang frowned.

“…After rolling in hell for two years and finally emerging.”

Now they’re about to seek out real hell.

『Uicheonmun

A newly emerging sect located in Hwayong, Hubei.

Though disciples have increased considerably, fame decreased due to two years of seclusion.

Sect Master: Baek Riyun

Usage: Martial Sect

Manor Level: 8th grade

Cleanliness: 2nd grade

Scale: 6th grade

Reputation: 8th grade

Number of Disciples: 7 people

Martial Force Grade: 6th grade

Sect Master’s Level: 2nd grade

Completed Research: Recovery . Materialization . Spiritual Energy Concentration . Growth Acceleration .

Overall Evaluation: 7th grade

Possessed Essence: 100

Income Source: Gyoryongpa.

Medicine Hall ) has been opened.

Archive Pavilion, Martial Pavilion have been opened.

Guardian Hall ) has not been opened.

Elder Council has not been opened.

Outer and Inner Hall division has not occurred.

Secret Pavilion ) does not exist.

Martial Force Corps does not exist.

Factions have divided.

Seven possible research options exist.

To unlock other research or facilities, must raise manor to 7th grade.』

“What are you staring at so intently?”

“Mm.”

While looking at the status window floating in the teacup, I snapped to attention at Lee Ryang’s  words and lowered the status window. Soon a natural response emerged.

“I was thinking briefly. The tea leaves floating seemed just right for contemplation while watching.”

“There are such times.”

Perhaps because it had happened occasionally.

Lee Ryang accepted my words without concern and nodded, then continued.

“Two years already, doesn’t time fly? When I first heard you were entering seclusion, I thought the sky was falling.”

“Sorry about that time. You must have had plans for the merchant company ), but I suddenly declared seclusion.”

“Not at all. What I want from Uicheonmun is growth, not immediate military strength.”

Lee Ryang waved dismissively, showed a bitter smile, and opened his mouth again.

“I don’t know why you suddenly entered seclusion… but you’re not one to declare seclusion without reason, so I thought there must be some reason. Has it been resolved now?”

“Not yet.”

“Then you’re planning to resolve it from now on.”

“You could say that.”

“Is the martial competition journey part of that?”

“Similar, if similar.”

Two years ago.

When I found traces of the Demonic Cult ), I thought this: If the Demonic Cult comes targeting Uicheonmun, we absolutely cannot block it with Uicheonmun’s strength alone.

That’s natural since the opponent is the Demonic Cult. They possess seven masters who can contend even fighting the Ten Heavens ), and they’re a massive force that wouldn’t be pushed back even fighting both orthodox and unorthodox path’s two major forces—rather could gain the upper hand.

Though they can’t project full strength because their headquarters in Xinjiang  is so far and they even have restrictions, nothing changes. Even if just one of the Seven Wheels ) comes, we could only buy time, and if two or more come, even buying time would be impossible.

So I thought this.

If we can’t block the Demonic Cult when they come to Uicheonmun, we should make coming itself difficult from the start.

This martial competition journey is part of that.

“The children still lack martial world experience and connections. Prestigious sect disciples build familiarity by interacting since childhood, but Uicheonmun disciples couldn’t participate in such places. So I’m thinking of creating some martial world connections for them through this opportunity. And raising Uicheonmun’s fame while we’re at it.”

“If that’s possible, it would be good… But can you make connections by doing martial competitions? Won’t it just create hostile relationships?”

“It’s fine. Because we’re few.”

If we were a large sect, even the Nine Sects and Five Great Families would be wary. But Uicheonmun has at most only seven disciples. Meaning we can’t replace the large sects.

“When people feel an opponent can’t replace them, they tend to be favorable toward beings who can help them.”

“Mm.”

“Of course, we must first prove our worth. That friendship with Uicheonmun is helpful.”

“I see.”

Lee Ryang set down his finished teacup on the table, paused briefly, then showed a playful smile. The question that followed.

“Anyway, the martial competition journey is decided, are you leaving tomorrow?”

“Seems so.”

“The martial world will be in turmoil. Who’s the first opponent? Emei? Qingcheng? Kongtong? Or Jegal?”

“No.”

At Lee Ryang listing names of relatively weak martial schools among the Nine Sects and Five Great Families, I smiled bitterly and shook my head. I didn’t plan to order by strength.

“Must consider the route. The first opponent will be in closest order.”

“What? But the closest from here would be…”

“Wudang Mountain ) in Hubei Province and Tianzhu Mountain ) in Anhui Province  are closest.”

“Wudang is good, but wouldn’t going right be better route-wise?”

Anhui Province Tianzhu.

There’s one pillar of the Five Great Families there. Once it stood shoulder to shoulder with the Baek Ri Family, but through repeated battles with the Evil Path Alliance ), that family declined.

Nevertheless, a place famous for many masters.

“The first opponent is the Namgung Family .”

The martial competition invitation has been sent, the signal fired.

What remains is just running.