Chapter 198: Black Lotus Union (3)

“Gansu, huh… You’ve come from quite far away.”

“Haha, that’s right.”

In truth, Gansu Province was considered a backwater in the central plains.

Though one of the Nine Great Sects, the Gongtong Sect, resided there, Gansu was most well-known for being part of the Demonic Cult’s territory.

‘The possibility that this man is a demonic cultist… seems pretty low.’

A pale-faced scholar who didn’t even seem to have learned martial arts, let alone possess any demonic energy.

No matter his reason for visiting the Dokgo Clan, he was clearly not a martial artist, and therefore, as a martial artist himself, he couldn’t harm a mere civilian.

“My apologies. Go on your way.”

“Yes, then I’ll be off…”

So Cheon quickly disappeared from the sight of the first-generation disciples.

Once the area grew quiet again, Jeonmu gave the order.

“We’ve wasted enough time. Charge.”

“Yes, Senior Brother!”

The first-generation disciples vaulted over the wall and infiltrated the inner grounds of the Dokgo Clan.

And as soon as they entered the manor, they encountered dozens of warriors waiting for them.

“You’re late. I thought you’d come right in, but were you hesitating about something?”

“……!”

Jeonmu stiffened as he looked at the young man standing ahead with a group of demonic sect warriors.

“How the hell did these demonic bastards…?”

“Because we’ve already taken over the Dokgo Clan, obviously.”

The young man who had been sitting on a chair, placed before the orderly ranks of demonic warriors, rose to his feet.

“There are a lot of questions I want to ask you.”

The young man fixed his gaze on Jeonmu and asked,

“Han Mubaek… no, Han Baek, was it? Where is that guy?”

***

Flinch!

Jeonmu’s expression subtly stiffened.

“Why would a demonic bastard like you be looking for Junior Brother Han Baek? No—before that, how do you even know about him?”

I shrugged my shoulders.

“There are ways to find out. He piqued my curiosity—being the direct descendant taken in by none other than the head of the Mount Wudang Sect.”

“Sorry, but I can’t disclose the whereabouts of a Wudang disciple to an outsider.”

“That so?”

I chuckled lightly.

“Then how about a wager?”

“…A wager?”

Jeonmu’s expression twisted into a scowl.

He radiated killing intent as his hand moved toward his sword belt.

“To spout such nonsense. Of course I re—”

“…Before you say that, shouldn’t you at least hear me out? The fact that we’re here already means we’ve secured the Dokgo Clan’s household members and younger disciples, doesn’t it?”

“……!”

“Which also means you’ll never know the whereabouts of Southern Mist Sword Blossom and the Jade Green Heavenly Net Divine Sword.”

As soon as the term “Jade Green Heavenly Net Divine Sword” was uttered, Jeonmu’s lips parted slightly in shock.

“You bastard, just who are you? Knowing that name… you can’t be just some low-level demonic scum!”

“Of course I’m not some random demonic bottom-feeder. Don’t you agree?”

In response to my words, the demonic underlings standing behind me cried out in unison.

“Th-that’s right, First Strategist!”

“How could the First Strategist of the Black Lotus Union be a mere lackey?!”

“…First Strategist?”

A strategist, by definition, wasn’t even a warrior, but an administrator.

And yet, this guy dared to stand against him, the top disciple of Mount Wudang?

Jeonmu was furious.

“You’ve got guts spilling out of your stomach.”

“I’ve been told that. So, will you accept the wager?”

“……”

That question made Jeonmu pause and ponder.

He’d just dismissed him as a lowly demonic follower, but every person standing behind this young man was at least first-rate—a group of fairly accomplished martial artists.

And yet, such people cowered before a mere strategist?

‘Then there are only two possibilities.’

Either the man’s true skills far exceeded what his age suggested, or he had a background of such magnitude that it couldn’t be ignored.

‘The former is highly unlikely, so… it has to be the latter.’

If it were daylight, Jeonmu might have noticed the bruises on some of the demonic warriors’ faces.

But now, under a moonless sky, it was pitch dark.

Jeonmu’s mind was spinning.

‘He may be young—too young—but he must be one of the founders of the Black Lotus Union.’

Though the appearance of the Dao King and the Venerable Buddha had shaken things up, the Black Lotus Union had originally emerged claiming allegiance to the Heavenly Demon Cult.

Based on that, the deduction was clear.

“You… you’re from the Demonic Cult.”

“Oh?”

“And not just anyone—you’re from a very high-ranking family. One of the Six Great Demonic Clans, perhaps!?”

I blinked at his surprisingly sharp deduction.

“Impressive. Didn’t expect someone like Malco to figure that out.”

Jeonmu’s deduction had a few wrong turns, but he’d nailed the conclusion.

“Even within the Demonic Cult, the existence of Southern Mist Sword Blossom was a tightly kept secret. Someone who knows that name must be at the highest level within the cult.”

Oh-ho?

“For you to be out here, playing tricks while concealing your identity… yes, you must be a direct descendant of the Black Gold Sa Clan!”

“……”

So close… and yet he tripped at the finish line.

Still, getting that far was impressive in its own right.

“Whether I’m from the Demonic Cult or not isn’t the point, is it?”

I smirked faintly.

“Will you accept the wager?”

“Hmph… If you’re truly from one of the Six Great Demonic Clans, then at least you’ll have the pride to uphold the stakes of your bet.”

Hey, that’s my line.

“I accept your wager. Tell me the whereabouts of Southern Mist Sword Blossom and the Jade Green Heavenly Net Divine Sword.”

“You’re already acting like you’ve won. Don’t go running away if it turns out the other way.”

“For the honor of Mount Wudang, that will never happen.”

That’s what made dealing with orthodox sects so convenient.

Once honor was invoked, they rarely backed out.

“A wager, naturally, means a martial duel, right?”

“Of course.”

Whether orthodox, unorthodox, or demonic—

If you claimed to be part of the Murim world, there was only one way to resolve this kind of conflict.

Jeonmu assumed a stance and declared,

“You barely look past your early twenties. I’ll make sure to teach you a lesson about your arrogance today.”

There aren’t even ten people in the entire Demonic Cult who could “correct” my arrogance.

“I see. Based on your age, you’re likely in your thirties and already in the early Master Level.”

Considering his age, he was definitely someone who could make a name for himself as a next-generation leader, even within the Demonic Cult.

But that didn’t mean he could beat me.

Just before I drew my blade, I threw in a light provocation.

“You may use your Awakened Form.”

Twitch!

A vein pulsed near Jeonmu’s eye.

“You arrogant brat!”

With a roar, a wave of blue sword qi erupted from Jeonmu’s blade.

***

The reason I’d been waiting inside the Dokgo Clan even before the Wudang people arrived was simple.

“The Dokgo Clan is in danger.”

The day after I kidnapped Jegal Eun, Baek Sang-ah came to me with a serious look on her face.

I understood immediately.

“Indeed, in this situation, the Taiji Sword Lord would definitely try to secure the young lady’s whereabouts.”

He had already pushed himself beyond the limit by using his Awakened Form.

Naturally, since Baek Sang-ah was aware of her own value, it was highly likely that they’d try to secure her immediately.

“At this rate, not just the Dokgo Clan, but even their younger generation disciples could be slaughtered.”

“Yes, I’m sure of it.”

Though I had no deep personal ties to the clan, it didn’t sit well to leave a place that had shown us hospitality to be destroyed.

“I have a request for you, Young Master Jin.”

“A request?”

If it was a request, it must be related to them.

“Please break into the Dokgo Clan and kidnap them all.”

“Hohooo?”

“If they resist, you can rough them up a little—as long as their limbs stay intact. What matters is that they stay alive.”

I barely suppressed the urge to applaud her for suggesting a much more direct method than I’d expected.

“Now that’s more like a proper demonic sect leader.”

“Hehe, ho. Do you want to die?”

Baek Sang-ah playfully raised her tiny clenched fist to her chest.

Still, the fact that she—of all people, not Cheon Yura—was the one proposing this method, was a pretty refreshing shock.

It wasn’t exactly orthodox to temporarily subdue and imprison them until everything was over, but it was indeed effective.

“Understood. I’ll head out as soon as it gets dark.”

Whether the Dokgo Clan or their younger disciples would understand the situation was another matter.

But hey, we were trying to save their lives, so I wouldn’t be accepting complaints.

“I’ll need a decent number of people, so I’ll take about fifty from the Black Sky Hall.”

Jegal Eun had split the Black Lotus Union into three major divisions.

Among them, the Black Sky Hall—under the direct command of the Lotus Master—had the highest number of elite warriors at or above first-rate level.

“Will that be alright? Without the Saber King or the Venerable Buddha, will those guys even listen to you…?”

“If they don’t listen, I’ll just beat them. What’s there to worry about?”

“……”

Baek Sang-ah blinked for a moment… and then nodded.

Well, when you put it like that.

Anyone who could face off against peak-level masters head-on wouldn’t be troubled by a bunch of first-rate guys.

And sure enough, the overconfident Black Sky Hall warriors, proud to be directly under the Lotus Master, were beaten like dogs in midsummer until they finally obeyed my orders.

It didn’t take much effort to subdue the Dokgo Clan either.

Though the Black Lotus Union had only emerged less than a week ago, it had already become a dominant force across all of Luoyang.

“Let go of me! How dare you lay hands on a direct bloodline of the Great Peng Clan…!”

“The Hwangbo Clan won’t sit idly by!”

“Gyaaaah! This crazy woman has a viper wrapped around her arm?!”

…Well, we did struggle a bit when subduing the younger disciples, but aside from that, there weren’t any major issues.

Which brings us to the present.

I was currently in a wagered martial duel against a top disciple of the Mount Wudang Sect who had invaded the Dokgo Clan.

The Wudang sword was known for its Myeonmyeonbujeol—its continuous, flowing strikes.

A sword that overwhelmed opponents with unceasing softness and immense tolerance.

But the guy standing before me, Jeonmu…

‘There’s not a hint of tolerance in his sword.’

His strikes were filled with killing intent and vicious sharpness.

In fact, that guy Jeon Seok—who had taken Baek Sang-ah’s sword before—was much more in line with Wudang’s graceful style. Jeonmu’s version of the Supreme Azure Sword Technique was so distorted it was barely recognizable.

And yet…

Kwaang!

I lost out in a direct clash of strength and was pushed back several paces.

My sword-holding hand trembled violently.

Jeonmu sneered at me upon seeing that.

“You dare propose a wager with that level of skill?”

“Hm…”

Rather than countering his mockery, I focused on why I was currently being pushed back.

“Before inner energy… it’s your raw strength. You’re not human.”

Flinch.

“You’re drawing on just a portion of your Awakened Form, aren’t you? Just short of triggering bodily transformation? That’s a neat trick.”

As expected of Wudang.

Among all those I’d seen wielding power from the Mythical Age, he was by far the most refined.

“…Knowing that doesn’t change anything.”

“Right. It doesn’t.”

That kind of technique couldn’t be used in broad daylight, so it could be dismissed as a pointless effort…

‘But for Myeong-oh, it might be useful.’

If I could pass this technique on to Myeong-oh, who could use those methods even during the day, it might come in very handy.

‘Still, no way he’d teach it.’

To end this, I infused my qi into the sword.

Spending over ten seconds on a Master Level opponent wasn’t ideal at my level. Besides, I had no intention of bringing out my Awakened Form like others did.

I prepared to draw the Heavenly Record Demonic Sword as I entered the starting phase of the qi initiation ritual.

But then—

A familiar voice rang out from the distance.

“Hey! I finally found you, buddy!”

“…Huh?”

The voice was far too cheerful for the current tense atmosphere, causing both me and Jeonmu to turn simultaneously.

A good-looking guy with an expression that somehow stirred sympathy.

“So, So Cheon?!”

Why the hell was this bastard here?!

Wasn’t he supposed to have taken a job as an instructor with the Underworld King’s Unit alongside his sister!?

Without a clue about what I was thinking, So Cheon jogged toward me, waving something in his hand with a bright, carefree smile.

“Anyway, Myeong-ah, before I came here I moved something really cool—want to see it? I think it’s some kind of ‘Treasure Map,’ and the formula is pretty complicated. If it’s the real deal, we could make a fortune!?”

“W-wait—?!”

The moment I saw that paper.

No, to be exact, the moment I recognized the familiar map and cipher inscribed on it—

Jeonmu’s eyes widened to the point they looked ready to rip apart.

“Th-that! How does that bastard have Wudang’s Treasure Map?!”

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