[Episode 94: He’s Back (1)]
In Hubei Province, there are the Jeongdo Wulin Federation, the Shamanist faction, and numerous factions of the political factions, so it is famous for the inability of the Four factions and the Black Daoists to operate here.
But that wasn’t entirely the case.
Songjia County (松滋縣) in the southwest of Hubei Province was close to Hunan Province and south of the Yangtze River, so it could be said to be relatively free from the control of political factions.
In Songja County, there was the only branch of the blood religion in Hubei Province.
Of course, it does not take the form of an overt branch, but is operated as a base run.
– Doesn’t everyone think you’re dead?
well.
Seven months can be a long time.
Since I never contacted the main school during that period, it could be considered that way.
Moreover, since the religious leader’s guard and the left guard also went to Nokrim and their whereabouts are unknown, they may be making my death a fait accompli.
‘Well… Still, Baek Hye-hyang is there.’
Vice Principal Baek Hye-hyang.
Her leadership skills and natural talent are enough to lead the blood religion.
In the original history, she was destined to become the leader of the cult, so they trusted her and entrusted her with the position of vice president.
Anyway, I have to go to the Song Ja-hyeon branch and find out the general situation.
I need to know what happened to the Murim Federation and the Blood Religion while I was away.
The eastern mouth of Songja County.
There is a branch located slightly away from the village.
No one will recognize me, disguised as the face of an ordinary soldier they saw at King Pyeong’s tomb.
Of all the things I learned at Dohwaseon, there was nothing as easy as embodied transformation.
‘Hmm…’
But why are there so few people around here?
It was early in the evening, so there would have been quite a few people near the base, but it was quiet.
But eventually I found out the reason.
-what? Is it a completely abandoned house?
As Sodamgeom said, the house that was supposed to be bustling with people with the lights on had become deserted.
The base building is shattered here and there, as if a fight had taken place.
What happened?
-Didn’t you tell your servant, who is probably Ahsong, to stay here?
It was like that.
But I don’t feel like he’s pretending to be popular.
This guy was a banshi who became a jiangshi while still alive, so he had a different energy from ordinary people.
However, inside those ruined bases, you can feel the energy of someone who has learned inner skills.
Judging by his senses, he learned the martial arts of King Jeongjong’s lineage.
And about twenty people are ambushed in the surrounding bushes.
‘…I guess there’s a problem as expected.’
It seems certain that the branch of our school has been caught.
In that case, it would have been right to just step down, but Asong’s whereabouts were the problem.
If Asong had come here, he would have definitely encountered those in ambush and had no choice but to collide.
‘It’s a trap, but should I listen to it?’
There was nothing I could do.
I slowly walked into the ruined base.
When I went inside, it was even more spectacular.
There were blood stains that seemed to have been left on purpose and the interior was a mess.
“Whoa.”
I sighed and raised my head and looked at the railing on the second floor of the base.
Someone was sitting on the dark railing, looking down at me.
‘the poor?’
Judging from his behavior, he was a middle-aged beggar.
Seeing that he was wearing a ceremonial coat of arms, it was a sign of openness.
This is not an ordinary open door, but a person equivalent to the level of a head of a family with five councils.
-Why is the open road here?
Well, I don’t know either.
However, they also know why the Song Ja-hyeon branch was in such ruins, right?
-Isn’t Cho Seong-won the ark now?
I doubt that too.
Since this is the ark, it is even more surprising that the ways of opening up are protecting the branch of our school.
Of course, I don’t know if their new ark became a member of the main school, but I thought something like this wouldn’t happen if he got his influence.
At that time, a middle-aged beggar sitting on the railing looked down at me and opened his mouth.
“This is definitely the branch of the blood cultists. “I see that they keep coming to me on their own like this.”
-Beep!
The guy pursed his lips and made something similar to a whistle with his mouth.
Then, those who were lying in ambush on the bushes and trees near the base came rushing in.
Wearing the Samgyeol, they were beggars of the level of Buntaju.
Seeing that they were all top-notch experts, it seemed like only the elites had gathered.
“Back row Gyeonbyeokjin, Front row Gyeonbongjin, open!”
At the command of the Ogyeol beggar, the ten beggars blocking the entrance folded their arms and created a human wall, and the beggars in the front row surrounded me with clubs.
-widely!
The beggar jumped off the railing, aimed his iron club at me and said,
“Cultist. “If you surrender, I will spare your life.”
“…Do I become a blood cult just because I came here?”
The Ogyeol beggar burst into laughter at my words.
“Hahahahaha. “If you’re not a blood cult, why would you come into this ruined place?”
“It’s a simple point.”
Well, there is no way for ordinary people to enter a place that is in ruins.
I asked the guy.
“Who made this place like this?”
In response to my question, the beggar chuckled and said,
“Do you think this team won’t be able to find the base of your blood cultists? Stop talking nonsense and surrender. Now, if your main group collapses, the religious cult will end anyway. “If that happens, even if you surrender, you won’t be able to save your life.”
“what?”
I couldn’t help but frown at his words.
What do you mean, if the headquarters collapses?
“Try saying that again.”
“I guess you don’t understand the situation. Punishment is your choice. Subdue him immediately!”
“insect!”
At the beggar’s command, ten beggars tried to attack me.
I lost all my energy, but all kinds of people attacked me without even understanding the topic.
I lightly snapped my fingers.
-Just right!
-dump! dump!
Then all the beggars who tried to attack me rolled their eyes and fainted.
The same was true for the beggars who stood in the back row with their arms crossed.
I collapsed without even trying my hand.
“What the hell is this…”
The beggar was unable to hide his embarrassment at the sight of the beggars suddenly falling down.
This guy could have been knocked out too, but he left it behind on purpose.
As I got closer, the embarrassed guy took a step back.
“Yeah…what are you? “You’re not just an ordinary blood cult.”
-You are a religious leader to a religious leader.
Sodamgeom giggled and laughed.
Well, I have no desire to explain it in detail.
“Damn it!”
-Pot!
The guy tried to run away, so I used my might to pull him out of the air.
Even if he was at the level of the head of the family, there was no way he could withstand my true spirit.
The guy who was throwing himself through the broken window stopped mid-air and then boomed and flew towards me.
-thud!
“Ugh!”
The guy who filmed my butt looked up at me with a pale face.
I thought he was just a shy cultist, but when I found out that he was a master so great that he could even attack empty space, he seemed to be scared all over again.
“Try what you just said again. “What about the headquarters of the blood religion?”
He rolled his eyes back and forth at my question.
It seems like it’s looking for a hole to escape.
If words don’t work, the only way is to force them to open their mouths.
When I raised my hand, the guy shouted urgently.
“If you touch me, the Lord of this room will not forgive you.”
‘under!’
How would he react if he found out that this guy, that Ark bastard, was my subordinate?
How on earth did Jo Seong-won manage the affairs under him, so he takes the lead in targeting blood relations like this?
…….Could it be that they cut off ties with our school just because they stopped hearing from me?
– Are you saying you betrayed me?
If that’s the case, it’s quite a pain.
Cho Seong-won’s temperament is not so light that he would carelessly betray me.
But that’s only if I’m safe.
-So you think you’re dead?
That may be so.
He originally agreed to meet with me in Wuhan City after he officially took office as the Ark of Openness.
However, seven months passed without any news from me.
That’s enough time to be sure he’s dead.
He swore allegiance to the blood cult because of my existence.
-If you are dead, you might think there is no need to follow the blood religion.
Originally, the reason he came into the clan was to solidify his position in the clan by making achievements.
But now it is an ark of openness.
Now that he has achieved the position he longed for, it is quite possible for him to change his mind.
As I stared at him and thought for a moment, he seemed to think his threat had worked and spoke with a grin.
“The ark is not far away. “If you want to save your life, you’d better leave us behind and run away.”
At his words, I raised my eyebrows and asked back.
“The ark is nearby?”
* * *
An empty house in the middle of Songjahyeon Village.
There were dozens of beggars there.
If you look at their appearance as they tie the decision, you can see that they are not ordinary beggars but a means of opening up.
A young beggar approached someone sitting on the main hall.
The person sitting alone on a chair and wearing Gugyeol’s sack bag was none other than Seongwon Cho.
Even seven months ago, it was very clean, but after taking office as the Ark of Openness, it became a lot more miserable.
‘hmm.’
Cho Seong-won was reading Jeon Seo-gu.
There was very important information written inside the Jeonseogu.
‘Have we reached Hyeongsan Mountain?’
In Hyeongsan, there is the Hyeongsan School, which can be said to be the best school in Hunan Province.
Most likely, they would reorganize military provisions and other provisions there and then move south.
‘Did the Hyeongsan faction join in the end?’
As far as he knows, the Hyeongsan Sect is a sect that includes Jin Woon-hwi’s younger sister, So Yeong-yeong.
There are some people within the blood religion who know this, so the situation is turning very strange.
The good news is that So Yeong-yeong is in the martial arts league because of the Phoenix Party.
However, if the Hyeongsan faction suffers a lot of damage in this war, it is questionable how she will view the blood religion.
“How far do you say we have reached? ark.”
The elder medical student on the left asked if he was curious about the contents of Jeon Seo-gu.
Seongwon Cho responded in a low voice.
“This is Hyeongsan.”
“Oh oh! It looks like the Hyeongsan faction eventually joined as well.”
“I think so.”
“ark. If so, shouldn’t we join and help Meng’s conquest army?”
Elder Yang Wen-saeng, who was on the right and had a bald head and a white beard, spoke.
He could not understand why the opening did not participate in the large-scale suppression of blood religion by the Murim Alliance.
Seongwon Seong shook his head at this.
“We lost many talented people in the Yangtze River incident seven months ago.”
“Even so…”
“I will order this matter with the authority of this Ark. “Our government is not participating in this crackdown.”
“Hmm.”
Elder Yang Wensheng coughed strongly, as if he was feeling uncomfortable.
In fact, there were many other elders and heads of families who were dissatisfied with this decision.
However, Seong-won Cho could not participate in the war.
It was not because of deep loyalty and loyalty to the blood religion.
‘…If I participate and let the blood cult know that I swore loyalty to them…’
This position that I barely obtained will end in the worst possible way.
Although Jin Woon-hwi, the leader of the cult, died and gained freedom, he could not feel at ease until the religious cult was completely destroyed.
Therefore, one should refrain from openly helping one side.
It was very frustrating not being able to share these concerns with anyone, but it was a fate he had to bear.
“ark.”
At that time, young Bangdo, who had come up to the main hall, called him.
Seongwon Jo turned his attention to him.
“okay. “Did he open his mouth?”
“no.”
“Are you not letting me sleep?”
“Even though I don’t let him sleep or give him even a sip of food or drink, he keeps his mouth shut. “It really doesn’t seem human.”
“hmm.”
There was a man who was caught just two days ago.
The thugs tried to catch him as he entered the branch of the blood religion, but instead beat them down by attacking him as if he felt no pain.
After receiving the report, the heads of the clan and Elder Yang Mun-saeng stepped forward and were able to catch him.
‘If he is that level of inaction, he is at least at the level of a master or vice-master in the blood religion. But I’ve never seen a face like that.’
He knew all the faces of the Blood Cult at the Danju level or higher.
However, the identity of this person was unknown.
What was even more bizarre was that it didn’t look human at all.
‘My pulse barely beats and there is no physiological phenomenon. ‘Are you really not human if you don’t sleep and feel fine?’
It reminded me of a river poem.
The young Gaeng Bangdo, who was waiting for his orders, spoke.
“Would you rather torture me?”
“How can you torture someone when you can’t feel pain?”
“Still, who knows if he might open his mouth if his arms and legs were cut off?”
Seongwon Cho was troubled by those words.
He may have been a member of a blood religion, so he was initially told not to directly torture him, but if he was told not to do this again, the suspicion of those who opened the way could deepen.
Then it happened.
Someone ran into the house in a huff.
He was the head of a family named Ha Hae-pyeong, who was on duty today.
The elder medical examiner looked puzzled at the sight of him running in in a state of contemplation and asked.
“Ha, head of the family. “What’s going on?”
In response to that question, Ha Hae-pyeong spoke urgently without even being able to catch his breath.
“Ha…ha…. Ark elders, this is a big deal. “What a monster…”
“What does that mean? “Just calm down and talk.”
“Whew…Whew…A monster-like person suddenly appeared and defeated the bandits in an instant.”
“what!”
At those words, all the people sitting in the yard of the house stood up.
If a great master showed up, it would be serious.
Elder Yang Wensheng asked him.
“What happened to the ways?”
“I don’t think he’s dead yet. “But it’s still there…”
Elder Yang Mun-saeng urged him when he heard that the bandits were still alive.
“Have you seen such a fool? So you’re saying you abandoned them and ran away alone?”
“I thought I should tell you right away…”
“Ark! “I will go with Nobu and the heads of the family.”
Since it was an urgent situation, Jo Seong-won nodded and gave permission right away.
“Follow the leaders!”
“All right!”
Elder Yang Mun-saeng came down from the main hall and dragged a dozen clan heads with him.
They were the heads of the clan directly under Elder Yang Mun-saeng and were experts who had earned the distinction of catching the unknown person two days ago.
As they hurried out of the house, Jo Seong-won asked the head of the family, Ha Hae-pyeong.
“Ha, head of the family. “Tell me more about him.”
If you are a great expert, you may have a hard time with just Elder Yang Mun-saeng.
A standard was needed to determine whether to provide support.
Ha Hae-pyeong, the head of the family, spoke in a serious voice as if his breathing had calmed down to some extent.
“He just snapped his fingers and suddenly the swords fell.”
“what!”
Cho Seong-won, surprised, jumped up from his seat.
At that moment, an image of someone flashed through his mind.
The elder medical student muttered as if he could not understand.
“What nonsense? “With just a snap of a finger, healthy warriors fall to the ground…”
It was before he could finish his sentence.
The open door on the roof of the house shouted.
“Look over there!”
The place he pointed to was the east direction where Elder Yang Mun-saeng had led the clan leaders.
Accordingly, Cho Seong-won and Elder Uigusaeng came out of the main hall, opened their eyes, and climbed up to the roof.
They went up to the roof and couldn’t help but widen their eyes as they saw where the open door was pointing with their hand.
It’s early evening and the village of Song Ja-hyeon is still bright.
However, the lights were disappearing around the eastern main street.
“What the hell is this…..Ah!”
In the fading light, I saw something black on the street.
The heads of the clan, including Elder Yang Mun-saeng, were seen running towards that place, shouting something.
But as they entered the darkness, their sounds could no longer be heard.
It was as if I had been consumed by darkness in an instant.
“Elder Yang Wensheng?”
I couldn’t figure out how this was happening.
I saw a black figure walking through the light again.
Every time he took a step forward, the lights in the village were going out, and it was difficult to understand this phenomenon.
The eastern side of the village was gradually being engulfed in darkness.
“Damn it!”
Elder Uigusaeng, who felt ominous at this strange phenomenon, urgently shouted to the guards.
“Something is coming. Everyone, go out onto the eastern road!”
“All right!”
At his shout, all the people in the yard ran out.
They were seen rushing down the main street.
“ark. “Let’s go too.”
Elder Uigusaeng said to Cho Seong-won.
However, Seongwon Cho was turning pale as he looked at the approaching darkness.
“ark?”
Nothing reached Jo Seong-won’s ears.
His mind was completely black.
‘That’s it. He’s back.’
ⓒ Hanzhongwolya
