Inside the pavilion where the Zhongnan Sect was staying.
In the innermost room, the owner of the room, Qingyuzi, and a white-haired, white-browed old man were facing each other.
The old man's appearance was quite unique; he wore a worn-out Daoist robe patched multiple times with considerably old fabric.
It was glaringly obvious when compared to Qingyuzi, who wore an expensive silk Daoist robe.
"It has been a long time."
In response to the old Daoist's words, Qingyuzi bowed his head very respectfully and performed a formal Daoist bow.
"I apologize for summoning you so urgently."
"It is fine. Thanks to this, I get to see the faces of the children at the Murim Alliance, so it is good."
As the old Daoist, the Zhongnan Sword Sage, replied softly, Qingyuzi raised his head.
A lingering smile played on his face as he met eyes with the Zhongnan Sword Sage.
'If you have the Huashan Divine Sword, then our sect has Grand-Uncle!'
Having had to retreat humiliated because of the Huashan Divine Sword, he had asked for help from the Zhongnan Sect—no, from the Zhongnan Sword Sage.
And he arrived.
In less than a few days.
"I have read the letter."
The Zhongnan Sword Sage said softly.
"Is everything in that letter true?"
"It is."
"That the Huashan Sect is trying to forcibly take our sect's pavilion, and that the Huashan Divine Sword pressured you."
"Yes."
At Qingyuzi's firm answer, the Zhongnan Sword Sage stroked his beard once.
"I cannot understand. The Huashan Sect was not a place with such narrow minds..."
Seeing the Zhongnan Sword Sage close his eyes tightly as if slightly shaken, Qingyuzi felt this was the moment and hastily added.
"As Grand-Uncle also knows, for a long time, the Huashan Sect has not looked kindly upon our sect gaining fame."
The Zhongnan Sword Sage let out a bitter smile.
It was a statement he could not refute.
Just as those words said, the rift between the current Huashan Sect and Zhongnan Sect had deepened as much as it possibly could.
"In the end, it cannot be helped."
Wearing a somewhat complicated expression for a moment, he slowly stood up from his seat.
"I must meet them directly."
Meanwhile, the Huashan Sect's pavilion was buzzing.
In particular, among them, Hyundo showed an excessive reaction, furrowing his brow the moment he heard that the Zhongnan Sword Sage had arrived at the Alliance.
"Are you saying the Zhongnan Sword Sage has come?"
The rumors about the Zhongnan Sword Sage were of a great hero he had also heard of frequently and admired.
However.
'For him to visit at this exact time...'
As the wrinkles on his forehead deepened.
"It seems the Zhongnan Sect called for him."
Cheonhwi lightly tossed out a remark.
Having said what everyone couldn't dare to put into words, Cheonhwi twisted his lips with an excited expression.
"It looks like there's going to be a proper brawl."
The absolute master of the Zhongnan Sect who drove the once-strong Huashan Sect to second place in Shaanxi.
The massacre of the Plum Blossom Sword Hero and the Plum Blossom Sword Guards played a part, but no matter how you looked at it, the Zhongnan Sword Sage's existence accounted for over half the reason the Zhongnan Sect maintained its current prosperity.
'He's probably around the level of the Hundred Ghosts Castle Lord? Or maybe below that...'
Around the time he was expecting that.
'No, maybe he's above that.'
Cheonhwi corrected his thoughts.
Because he could feel a massive presence gradually approaching this place.
"Everyone, step back."
Perhaps Hyundo felt it too; he pushed Hyunjin and the Plum Blossom Sword Guards back and approached the door.
"Please come in."
"Excuse me."
As if they had been waiting, an answer was heard, and the old man in the worn-out Daoist robe entered.
And behind the old Daoist, the Daoists of the Zhongnan Sect, including Qingyuzi, followed.
Seeing the Daoists entering like a swarm of bees in an instant, Hyundo frowned.
"Are you trying to start a war?"
"That is right."
Qingyuzi said in a confident tone, puffing out his chest.
When he first met Hyundo, he was completely cowering, but now it was different.
Because he had something to rely on.
And that thing to rely on was.
"Grand-Uncle."
At Qingyuzi's words and glance, the old Daoist, who had been quietly watching, took a step forward.
"This is the first time we meet like this."
He smiled a flawlessly pure smile.
That smile was as benevolent and gentle as that of Taishang Laojun.
"I am called Gohyeon."
Hyundo's eyes narrowed.
He had expected it since the Zhongnan Sect's Daoists arrived, and as expected.
'Zhongnan Sword Sage!'
Steeled-eyed, considering the seniority between him and the Zhongnan Sword Sage, he performed a respectful Daoist bow.
"...I am Hyundo."
The two exchanged greetings like that, but.
"That person is..."
"The Zhongnan Sword Sage."
Those listening stiffened with tension.
Because the two making eye contact right now were the figures representing the current Huashan Sect and Zhongnan Sect.
As the two stared at each other for a long time, the Zhongnan Sword Sage stepped back first.
Then he spoke.
"Until just before, I thought the rumors related to you were exaggerated. But meeting you in person, it turns out to be true."
It seemed like the Zhongnan Sword Sage spoke lightly, but the impact of those words was immense.
In particular, the shock received by the Zhongnan Sect's Daoists was to the point of dismay.
"If Grand-Uncle says that much, does that mean the rumors weren't exaggerated?"
"Then did he really... the Hundred Ghosts Castle...?"
As the Zhongnan Sect's Daoists held their breath.
"For a master like you to appear in the Huashan Sect is a great blessing for the Murim."
The Zhongnan Sword Sage rejoiced.
He looked purely delighted, as if he didn't know the current relationship between the Zhongnan Sect and the Huashan Sect.
But that was only for a moment.
"I heard about this matter from my grand-disciple."
The good atmosphere from just a moment ago vanished without a trace, and a sense of pressure could be felt around the Zhongnan Sword Sage.
"I heard that you are trying to take away the pavilion our sect is staying in."
Hyundo's eyebrows twitched.
"What do you mean? We have never tried to take it away."
"...You've never tried to take it away?"
"Grand-Uncle!"
Qingyuzi tried to interject urgently, but.
"Qingyu."
The Zhongnan Sword Sage, who turned his head, stopped him from speaking and fixed his gaze back on Hyundo.
"Speak."
"The Murim Alliance gave it to our sect."
"From the Alliance...?"
The Zhongnan Sword Sage's expression changed.
His formerly gentle expression shattered, and instead, sharpness settled on his face.
"Can you explain the situation so I can understand?"
"Thanks to our sect accomplishing missions and accumulating achievements for the Alliance, they said they would return the pavilion our sect originally stayed in."
"So that is our sect's pavilion."
"That is correct."
With an displeased expression, the Zhongnan Sword Sage snapped his head toward Qingyuzi and glared at him.
"This is different from what I heard from you."
"It's all lies! With the missions they completed, they cannot have our sect's pavilion. We also obtained it through years of missions..."
As Qingyuzi poured out words filled with deep appeal, feeling unjustly accused.
"Aiyah, tsk tsk. Are these Daoist fellows starved for fighting?"
At the sudden voice, everyone's gaze focused on the wall.
There, an old beggar wearing dirty rags was standing.
"Beggar Sect Leader!"
"Why is the Beggar Sect Leader here?!"
At the appearance of Yongjugae, both the Huashan Sect and the Zhongnan Sect fell into chaos without distinction.
'Why did he come?'
Cheonhwi stared at Yongjugae.
He knew he had come, but he didn't know he would reveal himself so openly.
[Have you been well?]
At that moment, his voice transmission struck his ears.
[Why did you come here?]
[Hoho. Why do you think I came?]
Instantly, Cheonhwi's eyes crinkled.
'I wondered which of the three he was joining hands with.'
As if that thought was correct, Yongjugae grinned, revealing his yellow teeth.
At that moment, Yongjugae leaped down swiftly.
Moving smoothly through the air, he landed at once between Hyundo and the Zhongnan Sword Sage and chuckled.
"I thought you visited the Murim Alliance for the first time in a while, but did you come looking for a fight?"
"It somehow turned out that way."
"Didn't I tell you before? Biased information will delude your eyes and ears."
Yongjugae and the Zhongnan Sword Sage conversed as if they were close friends.
"Is my grand-disciple's words wrong, then?"
"It is."
At Yongjugae's casually thrown words.
"Nonsense! How could they massacre the Suryongchae with that number of people?"
Qingyuzi flared up.
But Yongjugae ignored him, picking his ear as if he heard such words.
"It's ridiculous to play blind and deaf over a fact that will be known in a few days."
"Are you taking sides because the Beggar Sect recently joined hands with the Huashan Sect?"
"Oh ho."
The corners of Yongjugae's mouth went up.
"For a Daoist, your information network is quite good."
The Zhongnan Sect's Daoists, who didn't know what to do at the Beggar Sect Leader's appearance, gritted their teeth.
"They were in cahoots!"
"No wonder he showed up!"
As they vented their frustration.
"Huashan has joined hands with the Beggar Sect."
A loud voice came from behind.
At the same time, about a dozen Daoists wearing black and white Daoist robes slowly entered.
It was none other than the Wudang Sect.
"Daoist Brother Mokyeong!"
At the Wudang Sect's appearance, Qingyuzi's hardened expression relaxed and brightened.
"Sorry for being late."
The middle-aged Daoist at the forefront of the Daoists approached with a bright smile.
"No, I am just grateful you came."
Cheonhwi furrowed his brow as he watched the situation become increasingly complicated.
The Murim was a place where the strong ruled, anyway.
But what was this sight now?
They were only looking at each other's sides.
'It would be over if they just fought it out.'
It was stifling to death.
Why were there so many words?
Wouldn't it be fine to just see the end of it?
'Just fight already.'
As Cheonhwi looked at them with pathetic eyes, Mokyeongzi approached the three.
"I am Mokyeong of Wudang. I never dreamed I would meet Great Hero Wind and Cloud Divine Beggar and Great Hero Huashan Divine Sword in one place like this."
Yongjugae grumbled at those words.
"Wind and Cloud Divine Beggar my foot. Everyone knows they call me the Strange Beggar behind my back."
"Haha."
Unable to bring himself to refute it, Mokyeongzi smiled awkwardly and withdrew his cupped-hand salute.
After finishing the formal greetings, he glared at Yongjugae and Hyundo and moved his lips.
"More than that, I heard that the Beggar Sect and the Huashan Sect have joined hands."
His eyes narrowed.
"Is that true?"
"You know it well."
"That is so."
At Yongjugae and Hyundo's answers, Mokyeongzi hardened his face and stood beside Qingyuzi.
"If that is the case, our sect will stand with the Zhongnan Sect."
A brief but resolute declaration of war followed.
At the same time, they split into two factions.
Meanwhile, Cheonhwi frowned as he watched the two factions quietly standing after declaring war.
'So when are they going to fight?'
They kept looking like they would fight but wouldn't, resembling children's quarrels.
Then.
"How noisy!"
Amidst the increasingly heated atmosphere, Yongjugae shouted with an annoyed expression.
"If we're going to do this, wouldn't it be better to decide this matter with a public martial duel?"
At that moment, everyone stiffened.
"What?"
"A public martial duel?"