"...So you're saying Heixiao Shamo was just lying dead on the road?"
"Hard to believe, but yes."
At Hyunjin's words, Seolgeom, the handsome young man sitting across from him, pressed his throbbing forehead.
The mission they had been assigned was to subdue the demonic practitioner who massacred a village.
But now the situation had become strange.
The one they thought was a mere demonic practitioner turned out to be a great demonic leader who had brought a bloodbath to the Nangong Family and Anhui Province in the past.
"Is the corpse definitely Heixiao Shamo?"
"He undoubtedly used the Blood Qi Art."
"...Then it must be him."
Seolgeom had no choice but to acknowledge it.
The Blood Qi Art was unknown in the murim.
Those who knew about the Blood Qi Art were only the person involved, Heixiao Shamo, the Nangong Family, and a few from the Wulin Alliance.
"Was there really no one nearby?"
Hyunjin nodded up and down.
After discovering Heixiao Shamo's corpse, he had searched Tongshan thoroughly, but couldn't find a single person other than themselves.
"This is quite a predicament."
Seolgeom, speaking with a troubled face, picked up a brush. Soon he wrote the report contents in elegant handwriting on the paper placed before him.
"Killing the great demonic leader Heixiao Shamo is good for our Alliance, but since we don't know who defeated him..."
Seolgeom, who had been murmuring, put down the brush with a click.
"For now, good work."
"What do you plan to do about the mission?"
"For now, I'll report that it was handled thanks to the Great Hero's efforts."
"...But isn't that a lie?"
"It can't be helped."
Seolgeom said with cold eyes.
"If we report that someone unknown, not the Great Hero, had already dealt with it, how would others think?"
"That's..."
"Haven't the people wary of the True Person and the Huashan Sect been increasing lately anyway? Wouldn't it be better to use this as a stepping stone for opportunity instead?"
Hyunjin bit his lip hard.
His conscience pricked at the lie, but as Seolgeom said, it was a good opportunity.
The reputation of defeating the great demonic leader Heixiao Shamo was not something easily obtained.
"It will be a good result for the Great Hero and Huashan. It will be like adding wings to the Huashan Sect's soaring reputation, as it is."
"...I understand."
After a while, Hyunjin left, and Seolgeom, left alone in the room, picked up the brush again and wrote on a new piece of paper.
—Expert appears in Tongshan. Information needed.
Having written the message to send to the Leader of the Beggar Sect, Seolgeom put the paper in his sleeve and stood up.
"Heixiao Shamo... an unexpected occurrence."
Seolgeom tapped the table with his index finger.
"Since we've brought the corpse separately, should we proceed with trading with the Nangong Family? If so, it would be best to leave it to True Person Hyunjin who finished this mission."
At that moment when a new mission directive was about to be issued to the Huashan Sect by Seolgeom.
'I didn't expect to see Blood Cult martial arts.'
Cheonhwi, having finished his qi circulation, recalled the old man who had learned the Blood Cult's martial arts.
'And so confidently at that.'
He was at the point of clicking his tongue in disbelief.
What kind of place was the Blood Cult?
It was a closed-off minority religious group.
So few knew of their existence that it was only the Great Thunder Sound Temple, which had been at odds with the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult for a long time.
One might think 'Then wouldn't it be fine to learn the Blood Cult's martial arts?' but that was a great misconception.
It was precisely because the Great Thunder Sound Temple existed.
If the Blood Cult's martial arts appeared in the world, the Great Thunder Sound Temple would immediately move.
Being an esoteric Buddhist sect, for some reason, whenever the Blood Cult moved, they would pounce like mad dogs.
Like longtime mortal enemies.
'Thanks to that, it was convenient.'
He recalled the mad monks of the Great Thunder Sound Temple who had run amok together when they crushed the Blood Cult that had provoked the Divine Cult in the past.
They weren't called a mysterious esoteric sect for nothing—their martial arts were unique.
From yoga qi arts where the body stretched or bent, to martial arts close to demonic arts.
Especially since they had known about the Blood Cult's martial arts for a long time, they weren't shaken by their unique qi.
But that's strange.
Such people didn't appear even when that guy who learned the Blood Cult's martial arts was given a title?
If they knew that guy had learned the Blood Qi Art, they should have stepped forward.
Doubt naturally surged.
'Or has the Great Thunder Sound Temple also changed?'
That was a somewhat understandable thought.
No matter how long they had been at odds with the Blood Cult, three hundred years had passed since their annihilation.
They might have already forgotten.
'Well, whatever the case, it doesn't matter.'
He brushed off the thought.
Blood Cult or Great Thunder Sound Temple, what did it matter?
There was no need to care so much about matters from Beyond the Frontier, far from the Central Plains.
'I'm no longer the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult either.'
At that moment, the door burst open and Cheonyu appeared, calling out to Cheonhwi who was sitting on the bed.
"Junior brother! A new mission came up, want to go together?"
* * *
One shichen later, as Cheonhwi exited the hall and arrived at the courtyard, carriages greeted him.
Cheonyu waved his hand broadly.
"Junior brother, over here!"
Cheonyu, who had come running out of breath, saw Cheonhwi's meager luggage and smiled awkwardly.
"I wanted to rest comfortably and drink with you, junior brother..."
Cheonyu, carefully whispering near his ear, slightly pointed behind and added.
"We'll have to do it next time."
At that moment, Hyunjin approached.
"What are you doing? Hurry up and get on."
"Understood."
Cheonyu nodded and led Cheonhwi, moving toward the carriage at the very back.
There was already a passenger in the carriage.
"Eldest senior brother! Junior brother Hwi is here too."
Gu Gyeom-wi welcomed them with a smile.
Despite his massive frame larger than most burly men, which should have made the carriage cramped, he wore a bright smile.
At that moment, the horse in front neighed.
"We are now departing."
At the coachman's words, Cheonyu and Cheonhwi took their seats. At that instant, with a crack of the whip and the horse's cry, the carriage departed.
"But where is the destination?"
Cheonhwi finally asked about the situation.
At that, Gu Gyeom-wi and Cheonyu were flustered.
"Eldest senior brother?"
"Didn't I tell you?"
After thinking for a moment, Cheonyu added as if he had forgotten.
"The place we're going is the Nangong Family."
"The Nangong Family...?"
Cheonhwi tilted his head.
The Nangong Family was famous.
It was the acknowledged head of the Eight Great Families, and a clan like the pillar supporting the Feitian Society.
Their history and reputation were widely known not just in the murim but throughout the world.
And Cheonhwi knew the Nangong Family very well.
'In my past life, the leader of the so-called Five Great Families was the Nangong Family.'
Of course, then and now were different.
But the essence was the same.
'The history has grown deeper.'
The Nangong Family's history was deep.
At least over eight hundred years, comparable to Shaolin and Wudang in the murim.
But there was a question.
The current Nangong Family was a member of the Feitian Society, which was at odds with the Wulin Alliance.
Moreover, it was the main pillar of the Eight Great Families.
"Aren't we on bad terms with the Nangong Family?"
"It's to hand over Heixiao Shamo's corpse."
Gu Gyeom-wi answered the question, and Cheonyu added the follow-up.
"There's a deep grudge between the Nangong Family and Heixiao Shamo."
* * *
It wasn't until half a month after leaving the Wulin Alliance that the party arrived in Anhui Province.
"Eldest senior brother, we've arrived in Anhui."
Gu Gyeom-wi pressed his face close to the window. Whether the streets of Anhui were fascinating to him, he stared with sparkling eyes.
Cheonhwi's gaze also turned toward the window.
To be precise, he was looking at the massive wall and signboard that stood out even outside the window.
'Righteous Spirit Reaching Autumn Skies?'
He gazed at the characters "Righteous Spirit Reaching Autumn Skies, Nangong Family" clearly written on the signboard.
It was a rough handwriting, but whoever wrote it possessed the skill of a considerable master.
'Hmm. Quite impressive? At this level, it must be a swordsman who has reached at least the Heavenly Martial Realm.'
As he felt the fierce intent contained in the hastily written handwriting—
Bang—
Hyunjin opened the carriage door.
"Come out."
Following those words and stepping outside, all the other Plum Blossom Swordsmen had already come out.
"...What business does the Huashan Sect have visiting our Family?"
A gate guard warrior of the Nangong Family, radiating killing intent and standing rigidly stiff, spoke.
"We came because there's something to deliver."
"What is it?"
He stood upright without any intimidation even seeing the people around.
"Heixiao Shamo's corpse."
"...!"
The gate guard warrior's eyes widened.
He looked at Hyunjin with an expression of disbelief and opened his mouth.
"...Are you certain?"
Hyunjin nodded.
"That I am."
Seeing that, the gate guard warrior furrowed his brow and bowed his head respectfully.
"Please wait a moment."
"Understood."
The gate guard warrior immediately went inside.
As a result, the party ended up standing blankly at the Nangong Family's gate.
"...It will take some time."
When the Plum Blossom Swordsmen were about to feel troubled—
Creak—
The closed doors opened.
"The Family Head has permitted your visit."
The gate guard warrior came out.
"Thank you."
As Hyunjin stepped inside and the party was about to follow—
Stop—
The gate guard warrior blocked the way.
"The Family Head has only permitted one person."
At the gate guard warrior's iron-wall-like words, Hyunjin asked with a troubled expression.
"Meaning we can't enter together?"
"That is correct."
"But shouldn't we move the corpse?"
"The Family will provide the manpower for that..."
"Are you planning to leave guests standing outside?"
A dignified voice was heard from afar.
The owner of the voice was an amiable-looking old man sweeping the courtyard with a broom.
"Ah, Elder?"
The gate guard warrior, seeing the old man sweeping, was startled and bowed his head.
"Are you well..."
"The greeting is sufficient."
With those words, the old man stopped sweeping.
The old man, who had his hands behind his back, looked at the Daoists standing awkwardly in front of the gate and moved his mouth.
"Besides, how long do you plan to leave the Daoists standing outside like that?"
"...It is the Family Head's order."
"The Family Head's order, you say?"
Wrinkles formed on the old man's forehead.
"That is correct."
The gate guard warrior's once confident voice became as small as a crawling insect.
The old man shook his head.
"Let them inside."
"But if we do that..."
"I will take responsibility for this matter."
"You, Elder?"
Just as the gate guard warrior was flinching—
"Therefore, let them inside."
"...Understood."
The gate guard warrior whipped around.
"Everyone, please come in."
Cheonhwi casually observed the old man.
'Who is he? In an ordinary family, the Family Head's power is virtually absolute.'
He was by no means an ordinary figure.
'And the martial prowess he possesses is also extraordinary.'
At that moment, the old man approached.
"I apologize for making you wait."
The old man, who respectfully clasped his hands in greeting, met eyes with Hyunjin and the Daoists one by one.
It was a gentle gaze.
But Cheonhwi glimpsed the fierce and intense thunder contained within those eyes.
'He's quite strong?'
At that moment, the old man also gazed at Cheonhwi.
Just as the old man, who had been looking at Cheonhwi longer than the others, was about to step back—
"Amitabha."
Hyunjin murmured a Daoist invocation.
"Thank you."
The old man, who was stepping back, smiled without a word.
It was an ethereal smile like a phantom.
A moment later, as the old man put his hands behind his back and strode off somewhere, the gate guard warrior watched with a complicated expression before turning around.
"Follow me."