“Wow, just looking at this place, you can see the signs of a country going to ruin.”

Neung-heo clicked his tongue.

“Amitabha… they are all refugees.”

Cheonghyeonjin just looked around with a pitiful expression.

Cheon Mubaeck’s party did not move through the official road.

The official road was full of refugees, so the road was blocked and it was not easy to move.

In any case, since all three were martial artists who knew lightness skills, it was rather faster to move in a straight line through the mountains and forests instead of the official road.

In a word, even though they were moving through a remote shortcut, a tragic scene unfolded before Cheon Mubaeck’s eyes.

“Since the government office has completely blocked the road from Shaanxi to Henan, they must be crossing over through other roads somehow. Amitabha.”

As Cheonghyeonjin said.

“If you just go to Shaolin! There is a divine physician and a cure!”

Listening to the words of the refugees who were moving through the forests and mountains, he could understand the reason.

The reputation of the Henan Divine Physician, which had spread to Shaanxi, had made them take the risk.

“There will be the danger of not only wild beasts but also bandits and robbers, but they are moving despite that.”

“Well, those Blood Ghost Valley guys are bad guys, but I think we must beat up these Blood Demon Sect bastards.”

“Neung-heo, seeing you say that, those Blood Demon Sect guys must be the trash of the world.”

“Hey. I may be a gangster, but I’m not a demon. What do you take me for?”

Fortunately, it was clear that the plague would gradually weaken.

The Medicine Immortal had widely spread the method of preparing the cure to the government offices and pharmacies.

The efficacy was certain.

It was to the extent that one could only be completely cured if Cheon Mubaeck treated and took care of them, but now they just took one pill and got up.

“But we have to get rid of the source.”

As long as the Blood Demon Sect exists, this plague will never completely disappear.

Moreover, if a cure has come out, those guys are the kind of guys who would spread the poison even more viciously.

‘I’ll be quite busy.’

There are quite a few things to do in Shaanxi.

First, tracking the Blood Ghost Valley.

Second, making a contact point with the Hao Faction branch in Shaanxi Province.

And finally, the Blood Demon Sect’s…

‘Complete annihilation.’

Not only the Blood Ghost Valley, but while he was in Shaanxi, Cheon Mubaeck had resolved to wipe out the Blood Demon Sect altogether.

If he could not see the Sword Kiuk in this life and had to continue the cycle of reincarnation again.

He might meet a more terrifying Blood Demon Sect.

Even so, Cheon Mubaeck would not be afraid, but he hated such annoying enemies. It was better to just have a good fight like the Demonic Cult guys.

“Haa. Looking at the situation, I’ll have to go through all sorts of hardships.”

At Neung-heo’s words, Cheon Mubaeck smirked.

“It will be me, not you.”

“Why are you doing this? I’m Neung-heo, Neung-heo. I’m quite a handful with my left hand now.”

“Shall we see your skills?”

“I want to show you, but there are no bandits rushing at me. Is it because I’m carrying a sword?”

“Then shall we have a fight?”

“Why is the difficulty suddenly jumping up?”

“No. Let’s have a fight. I need to see your skills.”

Neung-heo, who had thought it was a joke like before and had retorted, closed his mouth when he saw Cheon Mubaeck’s serious expression.

In an instant, his spine felt not just cold, but frozen.

“This son of a… bi.”

* * *

Chang’an.

The Hao Faction had branches all over the Central Plains.

Among them, the branch in Shaanxi Province was in Chang’an.

The Hao Faction’s Shaanxi branch was one of the branches with the widest information network. So the power and influence of the Shaanxi branch master was also quite strong.

But recently, the Shaanxi branch master, Im Hong, was in trouble.

“These damn things. What kind of tribe are they? Are they the black-way or what?”

The gisaeng houses and inns that belonged to the Hao Faction had started to be taken over by unidentified black-way members from some point.

At first, he didn’t pay much attention.

Because the first thing that the black-way tried to do when they newly established themselves was to get their hands on the commercial supremacy.

So he had responded appropriately. Since not all the gisaeng houses and inns in Shaanxi belonged to the Hao Faction. He had just tried to give a warning. To only touch the taverns or inns that did not belong to the Hao Faction.

But they had ignored the warning.

They had swallowed up all the inns, taverns, and gisaeng houses in Shaanxi as they came.

Im Hong, who had felt that something was unusual, had attempted a large-scale counterattack, but he was soon shocked.

“They are not just some black-way! These bastards, there are proper martial artists mixed in!”

The Hao Faction members had died one after another. Only then did Im Hong realize that it was not just a large black-way, but that some unidentified organization of the martial world was at work, and he had started an investigation.

But coincidentally, a plague had spread in Shaanxi. The Hao Faction’s information network had become loose in an instant.

“Should I ask for help from the main branch…”

That was not possible. If he said that he couldn’t even handle one black-way, he might be kicked out of his position as the Shaanxi branch master.

In the midst of that, news had come from Shaolin in Henan, so Im Hong had no choice but to open his eyes wide.

“What? The Blood Demon Sect? This is not a plague but a poison?”

The way the Blood Demon Sect was spreading the poison was also explained in detail.

Im Hong realized that this unidentified strange group was the Blood Demon Sect.

Im Hong continued to look at the incoming reports.

“Henan. Right. Since it’s already like this, I’ll expand the information network in Henan as well!”

So far, the Hao Faction had not greatly increased its influence in Henan Province.

The only large sect, Shaolin, was in seclusion, and the power of the black-way was particularly strong.

So Im Hong, while giving an order to recruit the largest gisaeng house in Henan, looked at the other reports.

“As soon as the seclusion was lifted, Shaolin was attacked by more than 500 martial artists.”

Im Hong, who was reading the report, straightened his posture in an instant.

‘500 people?’

Had there ever been a time when that many martial artists were mobilized recently?

Im Hong’s eyes quickly scanned the report.

“The Blood Demon Sect? The Blood Ghost Valley? Damn it. What kind of guys are they? Is the Blood Demon Sect a part of the Blood Ghost Valley?”

Im Hong’s pupils shook as if there were an earthquake.

“Cheonghyeonjin, the Great Master Hyeryang, and Master Muso stepped forward, but an opponent that was hard to handle appeared, and a genius named the Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero defeated him?”

To be honest, if this report had not come from a subordinate he usually trusted, Im Hong would have torn it to shreds.

Wasn’t it such a ridiculous story?

The Great Master Hyeryang and Master Muso were the real power holders of the secluded Shaolin, so their skills were not certain.

But considering their positions as the abbot of Shaolin and the head of the Arhat Hall, they would at least be at the top of the peak.

Moreover, wasn’t Cheonghyeonjin a swordsman called the Guardian Sword of Mount Hua?

It was surprising that there was an opponent that the three of them had trouble with at the same time, but a genius who was not even of age had blocked him?

“Eum!”

This is unusual.

Im Hong decided that he had to definitely increase the information network in Henan.

Then even if the main branch found out about the reduced power in Shaanxi, they would not hold Im Hong responsible.

‘No. I should go first.’

Going to Shaolin directly would also be a solution.

‘And it’s not good to get involved with guys like the Blood Demon Sect.’

Although he was already involved as much as he could be, Im Hong judged calmly.

The Blood Demon Sect, which was presumed to be a subordinate organization of the Blood Ghost Valley.

If the information was certain, the tragic incident that had happened at Shaolin was the work of the guys from the Blood Ghost Valley.

If you get involved with such terrifying guys, you won’t see a good end.

The Hao Faction was a sect of the righteous and unorthodox.

The reason why the Hao Faction, who were the lower class of society, had survived was because they had always bowed their heads low in the face of danger.

A powerful enemy? Just run away.

“Alright. I’m leaving this place. In any case, if time passes, the Mount Hua sect or Zhongnan will solve the matter of the Blood Demon Sect or whatever. Then there will be no problem if I form an information network in Shaanxi again. And the Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero. I need to dig up some information about this friend.”

There were not many geniuses who had made a name for themselves in the orthodox martial world so far.

Moreover, to have the title of Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero as soon as he appeared.

Im Hong’s intuition said.

This is a big shot. Im Hong stared at the four characters ‘Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero’ as if he would pierce them.

‘It will be the most expensive information.’

When he had decided to go to Henan as soon as possible.

A subordinate rushed in, kicking open the door with a pale face.

“Branch Master! We’re in big trouble!”

“Huh?”

Im Hong was flustered for a moment.

No matter how much of a lower class the Hao Faction was, it was still a sect.

The people who could enter the branch master’s room were at least the guys of the upper ranks.

But the guy who had just entered the room was just a kid disguised as a waiter.

Well, it wasn’t that he had no skill, but this kind of disrespect was ridiculous…

“What is it. Where are all the guys above you?”

“The Homun Danju is fighting outside right now!”

“What? Fighting?”

In an instant, his mind went blank.

The Homun Dan was the only martial arts group of the Shaanxi branch master, but the Danju was fighting?

That meant…

“The Mute Red Demon, the Star-Gazing Sword, and the Old Tiger Ghost are all here and fighting each other. The Homun Danju is trying to stop them…!”

“Why are those bastards here and fighting?”

Im Hong shouted in a dumbfounded tone.

Because the names of the three who had come out were masters who were active in Shaanxi as their main stage.

‘Those three guys came at the same time and are fighting?’

What is it? Did they come to dig up some information?

Im Hong was confused.

“Well… they say the treasure map of the Red Blood Sword Demon has been discovered! In Shaanxi!”

“What?”

Im Hong flinched for a moment.

“A treasure map?”

* * *

“This is unusual.”

As soon as he entered the border of Shaanxi Province, Cheon Mubaeck muttered in a low voice.

“It’s unusual. The plague is spreading and there’s a commotion. Tsk. I wonder if any inn is operating properly…”

That wasn’t it.

‘This… is a strange heat.’

Cheon Mubaeck felt a strange current. It was not like the plague that Neung-heo had mentioned.

“Has there been any incident recently in Shaanxi where martial artists have fought among themselves?”

“Well. In fact, in the face of the plague, the orthodox sects, the unorthodox sects, are all in a state of chaos… and since our Mount Hua and Zhongnan are in Shaanxi, the unorthodox sects or the black-way cannot gain power.”

“Hmm.”

Although Cheonghyeonjin had answered so, he was actually impressed inwardly.

The unusual current that Cheon Mubaeck was talking about was not just referring to the situation where there was a commotion due to the plague, as Neung-heo had said.

Cheonghyeonjin was also feeling it, albeit very slightly.

‘Something is hot.’

It was an excited atmosphere.

An atmosphere that was slowly heating up.

It was not a current that was felt because of the chaos of the plague.

It was not for nothing that Cheon Mubaeck had asked if there had been a fight between martial artists.

This was clearly an atmosphere where martial artists were gathering.

This was not something that could be felt just by having a great qi sense.

‘My goodness… he’s clearly at an age where he has almost no martial world experience. Does one have to be at this level to be a descendant of the Azure Sky Sword God?’

It was just a long-accumulated experience and experience of the martial world.

What Cheonghyeonjin had faintly felt, Cheon Mubaeck had felt.

“Neung-heo.”

“Yes.”

“Go around a bit and find out what’s going on.”

“My goodness… what’s going on? I understand.”

Although Neung-heo grumbled, he immediately moved.

Although the village was empty as many people had left, there were also inns that were operating and a few people who had remained.

How much time had passed?

Neung-heo soon returned.

“They say that many martial artists have been seen recently. Since this is the way to enter Shaanxi, they say that many martial artists from other provinces, not just the martial artists of Shaanxi Province, have increased.”

“Why?”

“They say a treasure map has been discovered.”

“A treasure map?”

“Yes. So the martial artists are gathering. Otherwise, would they gather in Shaanxi, where the plague has spread? And they say it’s not just any treasure map. It’s the treasure map of the Red Blood Sword Demon, who was great 400 years ago.”

“…”

Neung-heo, who had been about to go on for a long time, flinched for a moment.

Neung-heo could not dare to open his mouth when he saw Cheon Mubaeck’s expression.

‘What is it?’

Neung-heo had never seen such a serious expression before.

‘Why the treasure map of the Red Blood Sword Demon?’

Of course, it was a huge incident, but what did that have to do with Cheon Mubaeck?

And to be so serious. But Neung-heo could not joke like before. Because no one would touch Cheon Mubaeck when they saw his expression.

‘What on earth is going on, that that guy is like this?’

Cheon Mubaeck was serious.

He had no choice but to be.

‘I’ve never left a treasure map.’

Cheon Mubaeck was dumbfounded.

(End of Chapter)

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep