Krrrack-!!
Boom-!!
Inner energy blossomed like an explosion.
It was an aura that seemed to contain decades of time. The sword aura formed from it kept hammering against the barrier.
Boom-! Boom boom-! Krrrraaaack--!!
Slash after slash burst forth.
Countless flashes flared as though determined to tear the barrier apart somehow, but—
Ssssss-!
No matter how fiercely the force qi surged, the barrier remained unchanged.
“Damn it!”
The martial artist, who had been swinging his sword without pause, spat out a curse.
He had already used more than half his inner energy, yet the situation remained shrouded in mystery.
And it was not only him. He had to glance to the side while struggling to steady his ragged breathing.
‘…Even Chilcheol Samgwon can’t break that thing…!!’
The Plum Blossom Immortal of Mount Hua.
The Sword Immortal of Wudang.
Even the Sword Emperor of the Martial Alliance.
Not only were there experts from renowned clans and prestigious sects, there were also three men known as among the Ten Greatest Masters of the Central Plains.
Yet even with all of them joining forces, cutting through that barrier was impossible.
“What in the world are they doing outside?!”
“…P-please, do something, anything!”
Behind them, the merchants urged the martial artists on with pale faces.
They seemed to understand just how strange this situation was.
What in the world had happened?
“…Hmmm.”
The Plum Blossom Immortal, who had been scattering purplish-red sword aura, furrowed his brow and stroked his beard.
Then he spoke to the Sword Emperor beside him.
“It seems this is not an ordinary barrier.”
“Meaning it is not something that can be resolved with strength alone. Then, Ubong, have you seen anything?”
The Plum Blossom Immortal asked the old man who had been watching the barrier instead of joining in the assault—Ubong Chwigae, the Beggars’ Sect’s leader.
“I have been looking. But… that is all I have been doing.”
“So you have discovered nothing at all. You are utterly useless.”
“…”
At the Plum Blossom Immortal’s needling remark, Ubong Chwigae let out a groan.
It was true, but he too had his grievances.
“This Taoist bastard… How much do you think I know about formations, to be mocking me like this?”
“You were staring at it without using any strength, so I thought you might know something. But apparently not.”
“I’m not someone who deals with this sort of thing… Ah, right! Wind Dragon Captain. What is that old woman doing?”
She was precisely the person in charge of such matters.
Wind Dragon Captain Bimapa Yeoseon, who was likely overseeing all the formations throughout the Alliance.
If she were here, she might be of help, so he hurriedly asked the Sword Immortal.
The Sword Immortal answered with a distorted expression.
“Now that the situation has occurred, she should arrive before long.”
Even as he answered, the Sword Immortal looked around.
- Aaaahhhhhh—!
- We have to get out…! I said we have to get out! Move!!
Through the barrier, he could see the chaos that had spread outside.
Those swept up in confusion and unable to find their bearings were turning the place into a madhouse.
The martial tournament that had been called the greatest festival in history was collapsing before their eyes.
The Sword Immortal clenched his fist as he watched.
Crrrunch.
A harsh sound rang from his tightly clenched hand.
That was how violently his emotions were churning.
‘What in the world is going on?’
Something extraordinary had happened.
How had this come to pass?
‘An attack? From where, and how?’
What fool would attack Henan—
and, of all places, the site of the Alliance?
All of their forces should be deployed here right now.
Even if someone intended to attack, surely they would have chosen any time but this.
And besides—
‘How did they appear?’
What method had they used to cause all this so suddenly?
‘The Wind Dragon Captain should have been checking the formations continuously.’
Though the area was filled with their forces, danger could still lurk anywhere.
They should have been patrolling constantly, with formations laid out throughout the area to prevent an attack.
Even if the enemy had broken through their defenses, they should have been caught by one of the formations and detected.
Could it be—
‘Did the Wind Dragon Captain betray us?’
It was a reasonable suspicion.
The Wind Dragon Captain was in charge of all the formations in the Alliance’s territory.
If she had betrayed them, then this phenomenon would have been possible.
In particular, there had been reports that the Wind Dragon Captain had been acting strangely of late. It could not be ruled out.
‘…No way. Is that why she hasn’t appeared?’
The reason she had not shown herself even after the situation had turned this dire.
If that reason was the Wind Dragon Captain’s betrayal, then it would make sense.
‘Grrk.’
Emotion surged into the Sword Immortal’s eyes.
Everything had erupted and become tangled. Why had this happened now?
Of all times, while he was the Alliance Lord.
Fierce emotions boiled up inside him.
He had to resolve this somehow.
No matter what, for the sake of his own future.
As he desperately tried to think of a solution—
“Aren’t you all just like rats trapped in a jar?”
A voice rang out from the air.
At that instant, everyone inside raised their heads.
They all looked in the direction from which the voice had come.
“What a fitting sight.”
Ssss.
Against a sky filled with dark clouds, scarlet lines gradually began to connect.
And beneath them—
an old man in a black robe slowly descended.
For an old man, he possessed a well-balanced physique. In one hand, he gripped a heavy bludgeon.
Floating in the air, the old man looked down at those gathered behind the barrier and lifted the corners of his mouth.
“So, how does it feel to be trapped inside a well? I am truly curious.”
“…”
At those words, everyone realized.
That old man was the one who had caused this entire situation.
“…W-who are you?!”
“Do you even know who you’re dealing with?! Let us out at once—!”
Just as the merchants gathered together raised their voices at the culprit, plum blossoms shot out and sealed their mouths.
It was the work of the Plum Blossom Immortal.
Provoking their opponent would be dangerous. He had judged that and acted accordingly.
Immediately after sealing their mouths, the Plum Blossom Immortal looked at the old man and spoke in a calm voice.
“I am Dohwa, the sixteenth patriarch of the Mount Hua Sect.”
“Plum Blossom Immortal. I know you well. It is an honor to meet such a remarkable man.”
“I do not believe we have met before… May I ask your name?”
“Heh heh heh…”
The old man chuckled at the Plum Blossom Immortal’s words.
“An introduction… An introduction is a fine thing… Yes, surely you should know who has done this to you!”
He spoke in a dry, parched voice.
Then—
Whoosh-!
he raised his bludgeon.
“I cast away my name long ago. But I have never forgotten my essence. Thus, I shall introduce myself in this manner.”
His eyes were filled with resentment and fury.
With that expression on his face, the old man looked through the barrier and spoke.
“I am a descendant of the Zhuge Clan—the clan you framed and cast aside.”
The old man’s introduction caused those inside the barrier to react violently.
“…What?!”
“Z-Zhuge…?”
“The Zhuge Clan… Could it be…?”
The Zhuge Clan.
In the past, it had belonged to the orthodox factions and was even known as one of the Five Great Families, one of the pillars of the orthodox world.
But the clan had fallen after it was discovered that they had secretly sought out an evil power without the knowledge of the Martial Alliance.
Was this old man saying he was a survivor of the Zhuge Clan?
“How does it feel? To see those you thought you had erased by framing them rise from the dead and press swords to your throats?”
“Framed? What do you mean, framed?”
“The Zhuge Clan was clearly…”
It was known that the Zhuge Clan had sought and worshiped an evil power—more precisely, the power of the Blood Demon who had caused the Blood Calamity in the past.
Was he saying that had been a false charge?
While everyone stared at him in bewilderment, the old man continued.
“Yes, it happened a long time ago. And it was something the orthodox factions would have wanted to conceal more than anything… So you erased it without leaving behind a record.”
The old man frowned, as though their reactions displeased him.
“But we who fell into hell remember.”
Grrrrrrrummble—!!!
The trembling began to grow stronger.
“Even if you who abandoned us have forgotten, we remember. How could we forget? Those memories were so painful! How could you possibly tell us to forget—?!”
His roar erupted with his inner energy wrapped around it.
Whoooosh—!!
- Aaaahhh!!
- Aaaaahhhhhh—!!!
The force of it was enough to harm even those who had yet to escape the Alliance.
That was how powerful the old man’s fury was.
The Wudang Sword Immortal, facing it head-on, soon stepped forward and addressed him.
“So you caused all this because of that?”
At the Sword Immortal’s words, the old man looked at him.
“Sword Immortal. So you are the Alliance Lord of this rotten Martial Alliance. The most incompetent and useless Alliance Lord of them all.”
The words were nearly an outright insult, and the Sword Immortal’s brow furrowed. But this was not the time to argue over it.
“I know nothing of the Zhuge Clan’s affairs. However, as you say, if it was indeed a false charge, I understand your anger and desire for revenge. But is what you are doing now truly a justifiable act of vengeance?”
Whatever the Alliance of the past had done—
was it truly right to take revenge on the people of the present?
In some respects, it might have been the orthodox position.
But—
“So you would have me forgive you? If that were possible, I would never have come this far.”
The old man would not accept such words.
“…This place contains not only people from the Martial Alliance, but also civilians who had nothing to do with what happened back then. If you intend to take revenge, then at least—!”
“I know. Yes, reform has always required sacrifices.”
“…Are you saying you intend to harm even those who had nothing to do with it?”
“Haha.”
The old man laughed scornfully at the Sword Immortal’s furious words.
“How amusing, Alliance Lord.”
“What do you mean, amusing?”
“It is amusing to see you prattle on as though that were the problem. Since when have you—or rather, all of you—ever cared about such things?”
“…What are you—!”
“Look.”
Cutting off the Sword Immortal, the old man gestured broadly with one hand.
He passed over those far away who had been thrown into a scene of utter pandemonium and directed his hand toward those crowding around the barrier.
“Now that the situation has come to this, where are your chivalry and justice?”
- Move aside—!! I said move!!
- Gaaaah!!
- Run—!!
Perhaps it was the old man’s shockwave. The area, already in chaos, was now filled with screams.
And even amid all that—
- Save the Alliance Lord—!
- Break the barrier! We have to rescue the division commander—!!
- An attack—! They say there’s been an attack…!!
- Vice Division Commander! Send support to the battlefield first…!
- The Alliance Lord is in there—!! Send someone else and deal with this barrier first! Damn it! What the hell is the Wind Dragon Division doing?!
The old man continued to laugh as he pointed at the martial artists who had descended into complete disorder.
Was this truly what the orthodox martial artists, who claimed to protect civilians, were supposed to look like?
Nothing was going right.
The strange thing was that the martial artists below seemed unaware that the old man was even there.
“Is this the discipline and justice you spoke of? Is this what you protected while concealing your rotting roots?”
“This is the world you yourselves created while struggling merely to preserve your positions.”
“So do not call this mere revenge against you.”
The old man continued, glaring at the Sword Immortal.
“This is the punishment we impose upon you.”
Grrrrrrrummble—!!!
The tremors between the dark clouds grew louder.
From within that opening, the old man spoke toward the barrier as though passing judgment.
Everyone inside wore expressions of confusion and fury.
‘Yes.’
Watching them, the old man felt exhilarated.
‘That’s it.’
Those expressions.
The very expressions he had worn all his life.
The expressions he had desperately wanted to force upon them.
‘How does it feel?’
What was it like to feel nothing but despair, unable to do anything?
What was it like to fully experience the emotions we had endured?
It was thrilling.
He felt truly wonderful.
‘There isn’t much time left now.’
There was little time before the calamity began.
That barrier could never be destroyed through force alone unless one knew its weakness.
To break it by sheer power would require an absolutely tremendous amount of energy.
No matter how many powerful experts were gathered here, even that would not be enough.
‘So stay quietly trapped in the jar and watch hell unfold.’
Then be swept away and vanish in the storm he had unleashed.
Just as the old man reveled in his exhilaration—
Hummm.
“…!”
The old man hurriedly twisted his body aside.
At that instant—
Whoooom—!!!
An enormous wave of force qi grazed past the place where the old man had been standing.
Kuaaaah---!!! An explosion erupted in midair.
It was a sudden ambush.
Who was it?
The old man looked around in confusion, trying to identify his opponent.
“Are you the mastermind behind this assault?”
A hulking man with a deep, heavy voice came into view.
He was a middle-aged man dressed in yellow robes.
“I am Hwangbo Yeolwi, head of the Hwangbo Family.”
“...”
What was this?
The old man was flustered.
Not only had the man attacked him, he was even looking straight at him.
That should have been impossible.
After all….
‘The spell is clearly functioning properly. How…?’
How could that bastard see him? It was utterly baffling.
But.
“From this moment on.”
This was no situation for such questions.
“I, Hwangbo Yeolwi of the Fierce Tiger Nine Fists, shall punish evil in the name of the orthodox sects.”
With those words, Hwangbo Yeolwi leaped toward the old man.
The old man hurriedly swung his bludgeon at him.
Wooooong---!!!!
Hard force collided with hard force, and a shockwave burst forth.
Kuaaaah---!!!
—Aaaaargh!! What is this—?!
—S-Save meeeee—!!!
As everyone screamed from the impact,
the old man deflected the attack and suddenly narrowed his eyes.
Was it his imagination?
The eyes of the man who had introduced himself as the head of the Hwangbo Family…
For some reason, they seemed to have shone with a violet light.
******************
Boom-!! Boom boom-!!!
Repeated impacts exploded, shaking the ceiling.
It seemed the plan had begun.
Kuaaaah--!!
The collision was so violent that the sound reached even this location, which was some distance away.
Perhaps ordering them to make it as fierce as possible had been a mistake.
It seemed they were taking things a bit too far….
‘That should be fine.’
If anything, the situation was favorable, so I continued on without bothering with it.
Step.
I passed through a dark, murky space.
It was a place where hardly any human presence could be felt.
There probably hadn’t been much of a presence here to begin with, but perhaps because the disturbance had started, it felt even more deserted than usual.
Unless…
‘The people who were here have disappeared.’
There had originally been people here.
But they might have been made to disappear against their will.
As I continued walking with that thought in mind,
“...”
I arrived before a door.
There were several other doors besides this one.
But this was my destination, so there was no need to go any farther.
Without hesitation, I tore the door from its hinges.
Grrrkkk.
The iron door came away as though it were breaking apart.
Crash-!
The scene beyond the ruined door came into view.
My brows furrowed slightly at the sight.
Drip.
Drip…!
Along with an unpleasant sound, a metallic scent brushed against the tip of my nose.
The smell of blood. A terrible stench of blood.
Splash.
As I stepped forward, the damp floor welcomed me.
It wasn’t water. The entire floor was filled with blood.
And that wasn’t all.
Corpses, torn apart and mangled, were strewn everywhere.
Some had their faces caved in, as though struck by blunt weapons. Others had been ripped apart from the waist, as if their upper and lower bodies had been torn from each other.
There were more than ten of those who had been butchered like this.
I clicked my tongue softly at the gruesome sight.
“You certainly went on a thorough rampage.”
As I muttered in disgust, I sensed a presence ahead.
At the center of a pool formed from human beings,
someone was kneeling on one knee.
Dark green hair.
He wore a prison uniform marking him as a criminal, and his arms and legs were bound in chains. Yet they seemed far from sufficient to restrain the man.
Clunk.
Something caught on the tip of my foot.
I lowered my gaze to check and saw a human head.
Judging by its appearance, it had been torn off by hand.
Come to think of it, didn’t I recognize that face from somewhere? I was staring at the familiar features when—
“It’s the head of the One Dragon Unit.”
A voice came from ahead, as if informing me.
“That’s right. It was him.”
So that was where I had seen him.
My curiosity finally cleared up.
With my interest gone, I walked straight past the head and toward the man.
I had no further interest in it.
“How’s your body?”
“No problem.”
As if to prove his words, the man rose to his feet.
Rumble.
He slowly stood, and his height seemed endless.
I noticed it every time I saw him, but he truly had a massive body.
His skin was covered in scars. Most bore the marks of age, but a few appeared to have been inflicted recently.
They were probably scars left by the torture he had undergone not long ago.
“Looking at your arms and legs, it seems your ligaments were severed. Are you really all right?”
“They regenerated.”
“Then that’s fine.”
I already knew, but I asked anyway.
Of course, if they hadn’t regenerated, he wouldn’t have been able to turn this place into such a mess.
Satisfied, I pulled clothes from inside my robes, tossed them at him, and said,
Dang Deok caught the clothes and immediately unfolded them.
Flap-!
Black martial robes.
They were cut in the same style as the clothes Pildu Ma had worn.
The sight made Dang Deok’s mouth split into a wide grin.
He seemed to understand what this meant.
I hadn’t even told him to put them on, yet he immediately draped them over his body. He looked incredibly excited.
I think it’s been years since I last saw that bastard smile. Ugh, what an unsettling sight.
“When you leave, the man in yellow will have prepared your weapons. Find him and take them yourself.”
“Yes.”
“And…. Never mind. You don’t seem to be in any condition to listen, no matter how much more I say.”
Dang Deok’s eyes were already completely unhinged.
There was no point in saying anything more. Besides, there was only one thing left to tell him.
He didn’t need to hear that he had worked hard.
That wasn’t what he wanted to hear….
“Go and rampage.”
Boom-!!
The instant I finished speaking, Dang Deok passed me, smashed through the wall, and went out.
…Crash. Rumble--!!
The sound of him destroying everything in his path echoed from far away.
I had to let out a small sigh at the noise.
‘…Is he really going to be all right?’
I had given him several orders not to do certain things before.
But seeing his condition, I had to wonder whether he would obey them.
Ideally, I would follow after him and keep him under control….
‘But I have plenty to do on this side as well.’
Splash.
Ignoring Dang Deok for the moment, I continued walking.
Behind the place where Dang Deok had originally been, there was another space.
“I found it.”
What I had been looking for was there.
No—the person I had been looking for.
I found one person, crouched down and meeting her eyes.
“…Hng… ngh….”
An old woman whose arms hung limply, as though broken, and whose leg ligaments also seemed to have been severed. Her condition looked terrible.
She was none other than Yeoseon of Bimapa, chief of the Wind Dragon Unit.
“Nice to meet you. I was wondering where you were, and here you are. I’ve been looking for you for quite some time.”
“…Hng… ngh….”
She trembled violently, as though crushed beneath the weight of fear.
Watching the old woman through my mask, I spoke to her.
“I have something to ask of you.”
Naturally,
“Will you do it for me?”
I had no intention of giving her the option of refusing.