Chapter 210

Chapter 210

My body is heavy.

-Why is this evil?

-That is evil. Beopgye. If you become evil to punish evil, that’s no different from an Asura. The teaching of Buddhism should be compassion.

-I cannot understand. Abbot! Even yokai kill people because they need to survive. But these people kill for mere amusement or their own gain. How can killing such people be evil?

-They are people who can be guided to enlightenment.

-If they repent and reform, who will resolve the grievances of the victims who suffered at their hands! I cannot accept this. Abbot. If Shaolin thinks this way…… then I will leave Shaolin.

At the old memory that surfaced with the drizzling rain, Bulgwae, who had been sitting on a rock, took a deep breath and looked down. The appearance of martial artists sprawled with broken limbs.

“They say when you get old you become senile—old memories keep surfacing.”

Bulgwae laughed emptily despite himself and turned his gaze into the distance. Thunderous sounds were echoing throughout the entire zone.

‘They’re not coming anymore.’

One shichen since occupying the shop.

During that time, Bulgwae had captured ten martial artists. Five Demonic Path martial artists. Three Orthodox Path martial artists. And two martial artists from the neutral ground.

Among them were those who deserved to die by Bulgwae’s standards. For example, the Demonic Path sect elder squirming below the rock—wasn’t he a bastard who cut down three innocent civilians just because he was in a bad mood? If we had met outside, he would have torn his limbs apart and thrown them as dog food.

But not now. Not just now. Because.

Right now, he’s waiting for a bigger target.

‘The Demonic Cult spy hasn’t been discovered yet.’

At Bulgwae’s level, he’s past the stage of being constrained by the quality of weapons. He doesn’t need armor or gauntlets, and spirit medicines are useless to possess. It’s the same with learning martial arts other than Shaolin’s.

Yet there’s only one reason Bulgwae is participating in this farce. To find the bloodline of the Divine Maiden. To find and erase it from this world.

That alone would allow Central Plains’ martial world to endure for another thousand years. For this world to continue existing, the bloodline of the Divine Maiden must not exist. Even if it means sending every single Demonic Cult person to hell.

That must be done.

‘They’re being cautious.’

They’re not coming anymore. Neither those with the Divine Maiden’s bloodline nor even ordinary martial artists.

They’re probably wary of him. No matter how much killing each other is forbidden here, there are few who want to suffer serious injuries like broken limbs. They’re surely gathering strength and hiding while waiting for the right moment.

“It doesn’t matter.”

Paseuseuseu!

Confirming that the stone in his hand crumbled into sand just from his grip strength, Bulgwae quietly muttered. Right. Doesn’t it not matter?

–Paaaat!

Among the martial artists participating in the opening ceremony, there’s no one who would easily give up on the ceremony just because the shop is blocked. They’ll surely try to push through, come hell or high water.

“Ah, Monk. Let me ask you something. Have you by chance seen a man and woman in white clothes? One of them is as big as a mountain.”

“Their names are Wangpal and Baek Risan.”

“I remember seeing them. They went south.”

“How kind of you. Thank you.”

“Not at all. Take care in finding them.”

They’ll probably unite dozens of people and come looking for him. Then he just needs to check if the Divine Maiden’s bloodline is among them.

Lost in thought and nodding, Bulgwae suddenly raised his gaze at a strange feeling rising up. Then at the edge of his vision, the appearance of a man in white clothes and a girl who still looked young.

“……What just?”

Clearly light came from the shop for zone transfer. And.

They approached as if nothing happened, asked questions, and naturally answered.

And he let them go? Himself?

“Benefactors. Come here for a moment.”

Strange. Truly strange.

“What do we do! We’ve been discovered!”

“Ah, it can happen. If it’s someone at Bulgwae’s level, they can see through heavenly secrets, so they could feel something off about disguise techniques.”

At the strange sensation, Bulgwae frowned and raised his internal energy while gesturing, and the man in white smiled faintly. Then the man looked at Bulgwae and spoke.

“Monk. Why are you sitting there waiting?”

“The person you’re looking for is here.”

“May I ask what you mean by that. Benefactor.”

“It’s simple.”

The person you’re looking for, the legitimate heir of the Divine Maiden, is me.

Finishing his words and disappearing into the air like a phantom, Bulgwae blinked watching the man and girl vanish. And.

“Wait, benefactor, what does that mean…….”

The moment Bulgwae understood the man’s words.

The Zone Master visible far away, the giant, stared directly at Bulgwae.

As if choosing prey, drooling.

The alliance was established more easily than expected.

“If you don’t want to die, join the alliance.”

“What? Who are you…… Heok, Daesageom!”

Whether thanks to the Ten Heavens’ reputation or because Daesageom’s face looked scary, persuading people while circling the island didn’t take very long. Most martial artists decided to join the alliance once Daesageom threatened them once.

“I can’t stand with Blood Sword Gate. What reason do I have to trust you and form an alliance?”

“Trust me and come in.”

“Mm? You are…… Ui, Uicheonmun Master?”

Occasionally there were those among Orthodox Path figures who spouted such words, but I took charge of persuading them. Since I had built up considerable trust throughout the Orthodox Path, persuasion itself wasn’t difficult. The number we gathered while roaming the island like that was twenty.

“The rain and wind are getting stronger.”

Looking at the house-sized waves rolling in from where the Water Dragon was in the distance, I lowered the telescope I had purchased from the shop. It seemed there wasn’t much time left.

“How many islands remain?”

“Three places.”

“Three places. Hmm. There isn’t much time left, so it seems too tight to visit all of them.”

“There’s no need to visit all of them.”

“Mm?”

“The other two islands are rocky islands with no place for people to hide. We only need to stop by the large island.”

“I see.”

Nodding at the explanation put forth by a Hainan Sect swordsman, I stroked my chin. The appearance of the large island visible in the distance.

‘Seomun Cheok is probably there.’

There’s no need to worry particularly. Among my disciples, Seomun Cheok especially has natural survival ability.

Rather, what’s occupying my mind right now is one thing. About the Demonic Cult spy that Daesageom mentioned earlier.

That a Demonic Cult member might be hiding inside here.

-Demonic Cult members desire chaos.

-Chaos…… you say?

-Right. Demonic Cult members fundamentally cannot set foot in Central Plains. Because they’re bound by a pact.

The pact that the Demonic Cult and Central Plains’ leadership made in ancient times.

Because of it, Demonic Cult members cannot set foot in Central Plains. Not only ordinary Demonic Cult members, but even Demonic Cult members sitting in relatively core positions cannot enter Central Plains. Actually, this is a fact that anyone who has dealt with Demonic Cult members even somewhat would know.

But Daesageom’s story didn’t end there.

-There are two cases where Demonic Cult members can enter Central Plains. The first is masters above the Hundred Ranks permitted to act alone. Those who rank within the top hundred in the Demonic Cult hierarchy.

-I know. I’ve even faced them.

-If you’ve faced them, you know well. These people fundamentally have limits on how long they can stay in Central Plains. If they exceed that time, they go mad or get eroded by demonic energy. Then do you know what the remaining one is?

-What is it?

-Those who have received the Divine Maiden’s permission.

If they receive the Divine Maiden’s permission, Demonic Cult members can stay in Central Plains without restriction. And there’s no limit to the number of people with the Divine Maiden’s permission. That’s because what’s been placed on Demonic Cult members isn’t a prohibition or anything, but something close to a seal.

Unsealing something sealed doesn’t require much power. That’s why Central Plains’ martial world always paid attention to the Divine Maiden’s whereabouts. Worried that she might break the pact and unseal the Demonic Cult members’ shackles. Worried that she might abandon Xinjiang and come down to occupy Central Plains.

-Fifty years ago. That’s when the next generation Divine Maiden disappeared.

-Fifty years ago, the next generation Divine Maiden ran away, and forty years ago, the current generation Divine Maiden died. With the death of the Divine Maiden who was the leader of the Peace Faction, the War Faction began to gain power. But they had nothing they could do.

Without the Divine Maiden’s permission, they can’t step on Central Plains soil. So now that the Divine Maiden has disappeared, no matter how much the Demonic Cult members want to invade Central Plains, there’s no method.

That should have been the case.

-They found a method.

If they only stuck to normal methods.

“……The Great Seal.”

“Yes?”

“It’s nothing. We’ve already arrived.”

Shaking my head from side to side, I lowered my gaze downward. The boat already arrived at the shore of the island.

“Those who know boats in detail, stay behind and examine the boat’s weak points. Whether there might be room for it to be disassembled, and how we can fix that too.”

“Understood!”

“The rest, come with me and search the island for survivors. Since there isn’t much time, it would be good to scatter and search by groups. I’ll divide into groups now.”

Group One is the island’s outskirts. Group Two is the forest sea region. Group Three is the center.

“Please hurry. We’ll regroup here.”

“Understood.”

Rapidly distributing roles, I took the position of Group Two’s leader and entered inside. Is it because rain and wind are blowing? Air sticking clammily to the nape of my neck.

‘It’s gloomy.’

Is it because night is approaching?

At the sense that searching won’t be easy, I frowned and spread my energy sense. Though the island is quite large so I can’t cover the entire area, it seemed I could somehow manage up to the forest sea region.

‘Human presence is…… quite absent. I thought everyone would be here.’

This is strange. Those trying to hide themselves naturally head to places with lots of cover.

Then logically, the forest sea region should have the most people. The outskirts are sandy beaches with nowhere to hide except underwater, and the center is also rocky terrain without particularly good hiding places, plus you can’t leave the island in an emergency.

The people gathered here are all personnel selected as elites from each sect. They should have quite a bit of wandering martial world experience, and it doesn’t seem like they couldn’t make such a judgment.

Why then?

‘There’s something.’

A sensation crawling up the nape of my neck.

“Found you.”

While gradually expanding my energy sense, at the tingling sensation that caught, I quickly moved my steps. A massive concentration of energy felt in the center of the forest sea.

‘Are they all gathered there?’

But for being gathered, I don’t hear fighting sounds.

Using qinggong, I head toward the center of the forest sea. A forest sea where countless human presences can be felt yet it’s as silent as if holding their breath, except for the sound of rain and wind—not just humans but beasts, and even insects seem to be holding their breath.

Strange. Holding such a sensation, I gradually moved my steps toward the center of the forest sea.

“You’ve finally come?”

When I reached the center of the forest sea.

“I was waiting so long my neck almost fell off.”

“You are…….”

“Black Dragon Lord.”

At the appearance of a woman in black clothes smiling brightly while looking at me, I quietly gripped my sword hilt.

Behind the woman, over thirty martial artists including Seomun Cheok were bound.

“Don’t be so on guard. I haven’t killed anyone yet.”

All of them unconscious.