Chapter 186: Unexpected Exposure (1)

The Supreme Sword of Taiji, Gwan Hyun, the Sword Supreme Sage.

Since his youth as the First Disciple, he had eradicated countless demonic cultivators, elevating the reputation of the Mount Wudang Sect throughout the Central Plains—a true hero.

Even after becoming the Sect Leader, he often left the daily affairs of the main sect to the elders while personally venturing outside.

Because of his frequent travels, there were many occasions when he would disappear for three to four months a year.

Yet, due to his tireless efforts, he was now being mentioned as a strong candidate for the next leader of the Murim Alliance.

“We must find any trace of the Soul-Cleansing Hall. Even if it means requesting permission from the Lord of Luoyang City—this must be done!”

“Yes, Senior Brother!”

“Understood, Martial Uncle!”

Jeon Seok, the thirty-five-year-old First Disciple of the Wudang Sect, was one of those who deeply respected Gwan Hyun.

He had been selected as an escort on this mission to purge the Sima remnants, and he was acting with great enthusiasm.

He firmly believed that if this task was completed successfully, Gwan Hyun would be able to ascend to the position of Murim Alliance Leader.

‘The Sword King of Southern Heavens survived due to the Demonic Cult’s interference, but his standing was already quite precarious. If this mission goes well, the Sect Leader’s position within the Murim Alliance will be unshakable!’

The Sword King of Southern Heavens, despite his fame and gentle demeanor, had more political enemies than expected.

In particular, the Old Sects were almost unanimously hostile toward him, actively trying to dethrone him and install one of their own as the Alliance Leader.

Just as Jeon Seok was immersed in such thoughts—

Disciples who had returned from patrolling the area approached Jeon Seok with pale faces.

“Sa, Senior Brother. Something’s wrong.”

“What do you mean?”

“Th-There are too many!”

“What are you talking about?!”

Though Jeon Seok scolded them, their expressions remained stiff.

“The Unorthodox Faction members! They’re crawling all over Luoyang City! Just from the ones we randomly encountered, there were easily more than several hundred!”

“Wh-What did you say?!”

“Forget the Soul-Cleansing Hall—at this rate, there’s a high chance we’ll be ambushed by the Unorthodox Faction!”

Jeon Seok’s expression turned pale.

Just what in the world was happening in Luoyang?!

***

“I see… The gap that occurs when transitioning from ‘Raging Split Mind” to “Heavenly Triple Step’ was due to excessive tension in your legs.”

“More precisely, it’s because your overall body balance collapses. While emphasizing a solid lower body is something all prestigious sects aim for, even that has its limits.”

I tapped certain points on Hwangbo Mun’s body with my palm, pointing out which areas to relax and which to focus strength on as I corrected his stance.

“I may not know the Hwangbo Clan’s ‘Heavenly King Divine Art’ in detail, but I do know which muscles need to be trained to bring out the true essence of ‘Dividing Fist’.”

Hwangbo Mun listened intently to all my advice and nodded repeatedly, visibly impressed.

“Brother Jin, how is it that you know the intricacies of fist techniques so well despite being a swordsman?!”

How do I know?

Because I’m from the Demonic Heaven’s Jin Clan, which could be considered the pinnacle of martial arts even within the Heavenly Demon Cult.

…Not that I could just say that out loud.

“Hahaha, I studied a bit about the human body in my youth.”

“Aha! That passion and dedication must be what allowed you to reach the Master Level Realm at such a young age!”

“Well, something like that, hahaha!”

With the lesson over, Hwangbo Mun, looking satisfied, moved to the corner of the training ground and entered meditation.

It seemed he had attained a small enlightenment from just one session of about an hour.

As he stepped away, Murong Gun subtly approached me.

“Brother Jin, since Brother Hwangbo’s turn is over, could you take a look at my martial art as well?”

“Ahem, hmm! If you don’t mind, I, Peng Yunho, would also appreciate if you could take a look at my sword technique….”

Not just Murong Gun, but Peng Yunho too cleared his throat and drew near.

Watching this from a distance, Jegal Eun nudged Baek Sang-ah in the ribs.

“Unni, where on earth did you find a guy like that?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

Jegal Eun’s sharp eyes sparkled with the clarity of a seasoned detective.

“That guy—just by looking, you can tell he wasn’t raised in Southern Heavens, right? If he was originally from there, his surname would’ve been Baek, not Jin.”

“……”

Baek Sang-ah began to sweat nervously at the observation.

“On top of that, he seems extremely well-versed in all kinds of martial arts. That means he’s probably from a prestigious sect or noble family… So where’s he from?”

“W-Well? I don’t know that either….”

Baek Sang-ah gave a clumsy answer, clearly dodging the question. Jegal Eun’s eyes grew even sharper, but Baek Sang-ah did her best to fumble her way through without giving anything away.

Just then, a young man approached Baek Sang-ah awkwardly.

“Um, excuse me, Lady Baek?”

“What is it, Prince Namgung?”

“How about a friendly spar to loosen up a bit? I’d like to show you the Namgung Clan’s sword technique.”

Baek Sang-ah shook her head with an apologetic expression.

“Sorry, but I’ll have to decline. I don’t really have the energy to do anything else right now.”

“I-I see….”

Namgung Cheong retreated with a disappointed expression.

Truthfully, Baek Sang-ah wasn’t so concerned about the politics between Namgung and Southern Heavens.

What truly worried her was the moment when the identities of Jin Yeomyung and Cheon Yura would be exposed.

To outsiders, it simply looked like she was flatly rejecting Namgung Cheong, almost ruthlessly.

“You’re one of the Six Divine Dragons of the Orthodox Faction, but aren’t you treating him a bit coldly?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“…Don’t tell me—you’re not even aware of it?”

Jegal Eun looked at Baek Sang-ah, who tilted her head cluelessly, with a defeated expression.

In truth, Baek Sang-ah wasn’t that oblivious.

It was just that even Jegal Eun hadn’t realized the true identities of the Young Cult Leader and the Young Lord of a Demonic Clan.

“Hmm, still, Young Master Namgung’s clinginess has gotten worse than before.”

Jegal Eun scanned Baek Sang-ah’s figure once again with fresh eyes.

‘Her beauty’s bloomed completely!’

Previously, Baek Sang-ah gave off more of a childlike aura than that of a beauty.

Despite being three years older, many who saw them together thought Jegal Eun was the older one.

But now…

“W-Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Oh, just… I’m a bit jealous.”

Jegal Eun gently toyed with Baek Sang-ah’s hair and pouted her lips.

Her hair had grown glossier and darker than before.

Her skin smoother and more radiant, like a baby’s.

And above all, her physique had matured considerably over the past few years.

It was understandable why Namgung Cheong had become infatuated to the point of losing his mind, hitting on someone from a rival family like Baek Sang-ah.

‘Hmm… No matter how you look at it, that Young Master Jin seems like someone who’s promised a future with Baek Unni…’

Traveling across the Central Plains together without any escorts or family retainers—it said a lot.

There was also the occasional… wistful (?) gaze Baek Sang-ah would throw toward Jinmyeong.

At least, that’s how it appeared on the surface.

Jinmyeong.

A once-in-a-century genius who had reached the Master Level Realm in his early twenties.

Not only had he achieved such mastery in martial arts, but he also had the generosity to share his knowledge and insights without reserve.

Regardless of his background, any noble family would go mad to offer their daughters to someone with such talent and character!

But…

‘Something’s off. Something just… doesn’t add up….’

Jegal Eun, who had inherited the keen insight of the Jegal Clan, instinctively sensed a subtle awkwardness and distance between the two.

‘In fact, that Jinmyeong seems to be closer to that masked girl, Moonlit Sword Blossom.’

Even his attitude toward them was clearly different.

While Jin Gongja maintained perfect etiquette with Baek Sang-ah, with that masked lady, his formality remained—but it had a hint of familiarity, a casual closeness.

‘No way… wait… no, it can’t be!’

For a brief moment, a forbidden (!) thought crossed Jegal Eun’s mind, but she quickly forced it aside.

It was then.

“Have you been resting well?”

A handsome young man, flanked by his attendants, approached the group.

“Oh, Young Master Dokgo! You’ve arrived?”

“Thanks to you, we’ve been doing well, hahaha!”

The one who appeared in the training grounds was none other than the current host of the group—

Dokgo Hyeon, the young master of the Dokgo Clan, one of the noble houses of Luoyang.

“Hahaha, as a member of the Cloud Dragon Society, how could I neglect fellow members?”

Dokgo Hyeon was also a member of the Cloud Dragon Society.

Even if he weren’t, considering the group was composed of young elites from prestigious families, the patriarch of the Dokgo Clan had personally come to greet them when they arrived.

However—

Dokgo Hyeon’s expression suddenly darkened.

“I believe it would be best for all of you to leave Luoyang immediately.”

“…!”

“Hmph!”

“The current situation in Luoyang is quite troubling.”

After leaving Hwaeum, the group had come to Luoyang with the intention of staying for a few days to sightsee and were relying on their acquaintance with the Dokgo Clan for accommodations.

But for some reason, unorthodox sects beyond imagination had started gathering in Luoyang’s vicinity. The group hadn’t been able to step outside the Dokgo estate for three days now, let alone do any sightseeing.

“Were you able to find out the reason?”

“Yes. A sect called the Soul-Cleansing Hall, originally active around the Henan area, has been stirring up other unorthodox factions. They’re trying to stage something here in Luoyang.”

“The Soul-Cleansing Hall, you say…”

“They’re followers of the infamous lust demon, Colorful Flower Lord, Myeong Yuryang.”

“Ah, aaah!”

Just then, Dang Seryeong, who had been quiet all this time, suddenly trembled as if her breath had been snatched away.

“L-Lady Dang? Are you alright?”

“……”

The group surrounded Dang Seryeong, trying to calm her, but she curled up, almost in a seizure-like state.

And at that sight, something clicked in my memory.

‘Ah… come to think of it, she once said she was attacked by Flower Lord near Sichuan.’

She had barely escaped with her life, but many of her clan members had died in that incident.

That assault had caused such an uproar that even the head of the Sichuan Tang Clan had erupted in fury, stirring the entire region.

“Yes, fortunately, there’s been no sighting of Colorful Flower Lord himself. Some even claim he was killed somewhere in Qinghai Province by that Demonic Heavenly Flower…”

All the men’s eyes widened in shock.

“Demonic Heavenly Flower… you mean…!”

“Yes, the one who’s recently been spreading fame across the Central Plains—one of the Three Blossoms of the Demonic Path.”

“Heooh…”

Dokgo Hyeon let out a bitter laugh.

“Truthfully, our clan believes that rumor is greatly exaggerated. Colorful Flower Lord is said to be a Grandmaster in the Peak Realm. No matter how talented Demonic Heavenly Flower might be—even if she’s from the Demonic Cult—there’s no way a late-stage expert could defeat someone of that level.”

The group all nodded in agreement.

If such a thing were possible, she’d be called the Demon Sword Queen, not just Demonic Heavenly Flower.

“……”

Baek Sang-ah and I discreetly glanced toward Cheon Yura.

But she didn’t seem fazed by the evaluation.

No, rather than indifferent—

“How dare they…”

She was seething with anger at the Soul-Cleansing Hall, the root of the chaos in Luoyang.

“In any case, the one currently orchestrating things is Colorful Flower Lord’s right-hand man—Soul-Corrupting Lust Fiend.”

“Soul-Corrupting Lust Fiend…? You mean that lust demon who’s reached the Peak Master Realm?”

“Yes. He’s one of the Ten Great Evildoers, though unlike Saekgun, he sits closer to the bottom.”

That didn’t mean he wasn’t dangerous.

“All sorts of unorthodox factions not aligned with the Four Demonic Cities are pouring into Luoyang under Soul-Corrupting Lust Fiend’s rallying cry.”

“Is the Murim Alliance not sending a suppression force?”

Dokgo Hyeon shook his head bitterly.

“It’s because of the Demonic Cult.”

“Ah!”

Only then did the group realize why Soul-Corrupting Lust Fiend was acting so brazenly.

With the Demonic Cult running amok, the Alliance couldn’t afford to respond to every move made by petty unorthodox sects.

“The one saving grace is that the Wudang Sect Leader is currently in Luoyang with his first and second disciples.”

“So the Supreme Sage came to Luoyang instead of Xi’an because he foresaw this incident!”

Murong Gun, who knew a bit about Wudang’s movements, exclaimed in awe.

However, Dokgo Hyeon’s expression still didn’t brighten.

“Even so, Master Gwan Hyun only brought a few dozen disciples. Meanwhile, the unorthodox factions flooding into Luoyang number in the thousands…”

“Then the key will be eliminating Soul-Corrupting Lust Fiend as quickly as possible.”

“Yes. Because of that, Luoyang will be in turmoil for a while, so it would be best if you all stayed uninvolved.”

That was why Dokgo Hyeon had advised them to leave.

Just then—

Clack!

“That won’t do.”

The sound of clenched teeth was followed by a crisp, angry yet elegant voice.

“…L-Lady Cheon?”

All eyes turned as the masked Cheon Yura let out a righteous outcry.

“I cannot stand by while these fiends wreak havoc on Luoyang. If we retreat here, who will still call us part of the Orthodox Faction?”

…Young Cult Leader?

I blinked in disbelief.

“Well said!”

Peng Yunho pounded his chest and echoed her words.

“Anyone who turns back in the face of demonic scum has no right to call themselves part of a noble clan!”

“Brother Peng speaks true!”

“I’d rather be shattered to pieces than bow to those bastards!”

“Uwaaaah!”

The roar of fervent late-stage experts was met with raised fists and cheers from the martial artists of the Dokgo Clan.

“……”

“……”

Baek Sang-ah and I stared blankly at Cheon Yura, the very cause of this chaos.

But by now, she had already drawn her sword confidently, answering their cheers with all the dignity in the world.

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