Chapter 176: Second Summoning (1)

“The situation is getting bigger than expected.”

“Yes, those Beastkin from earlier were definitely elders of the Beast King Sect.”

The Beast King Sect had begun to mobilize, even drawing upon their hidden forces.

Moreover, with Haeryang personally stepping forward, it would no longer be easy for the enemies of the Beast King Sect to act freely.

‘The big players are beginning to move.’

Following the Dragon Emperor of the Heavens and the Taecheong Divine Sovereign, now even Haeryang had shown himself. Because of them, other factions were bound to activate their hidden powers and major figures as well. The turmoil within Central Heavens Martial Realm would only deepen.

And now, Jang Woo-hyun had become directly entangled in that chaos. He couldn’t even begin to imagine what events lay ahead.

“Cho-su, is there really a way to find the Twin-Winged Lotus?”

At Jin Ha-un’s question from the side, Jang Woo-hyun stopped his train of thought.

“Remember the new puppet I showed you before? The one I used back on the Storm Archipelago.”

“Of course I remember that.”

Using the bird-shaped puppet, Cho-su had discovered the location where the cultivators had been hiding on the Storm Archipelago.

“This one’s similar. If I insert the communication artifact used by those Twin-Winged Lotus bastards into the tool I made, we might be able to trace their location in reverse.”

“There’s something like that? Then it would’ve been nice if you used it earlier.”

“It’s new. I only just finished it. You think I can just whip up anything at the snap of a finger?”

Jang Woo-hyun and Jin Ha-un both nodded. To them, Cho-su seemed like someone who could whip up anything on a whim—and very quickly at that.

“But why do you want to meet Ye-ju?”

“I want to ask if she can join us. We’re kind of short on people.”

Jang Woo-hyun, Cho-su, and Jin Ha-un. For now, their group consisted of just the three of them.

And among them, the only one who could actually fight properly was Jang Woo-hyun.

Cho-su could fight, but he wasn’t really considered combat personnel, and Jin Ha-un, with a hole still in his chest, could fight too—but he wasn’t in good shape.

No matter how strong Jang Woo-hyun had become, their combat strength was critically low.

“Immortal!”

While they talked, the three of them had arrived at their destination, and as they passed through the gate, children’s voices rang out.

“Huh?”

Jang Woo-hyun turned to look in the direction of the voices.

There, the Beastkin children he had met before were rushing over, cheering loudly.

“You guys?”

“Waaaah!”

“It’s the Immortal!”

“He’s come again!”

The children hugged Jang Woo-hyun’s legs or spun around him, shouting with joy.

“Hyung-nim, who are these kids?”

“They’re Beastkin kids I met a while back.”

Jang Woo-hyun answered while ruffling the hair of the children clinging to his legs.

Though several years had passed, the kids didn’t seem to have grown much. Whether their growth was slow, or their race simply didn’t grow very tall to begin with, they still had small frames.

“Immortal, did you come to rescue us?”

“Huh? Why? Someone bothering you?”

The children seemed to be frightened by something.

“The ground shook earlier.”

“Yeah! It was shaking like crazy!”

“So we were hiding.”

“You were hiding? Where?”

The children grabbed Jang Woo-hyun’s hand and led him to a burrow they had dug.

There was a large tree on one side of the yard, and beneath it was a small burrow the children had made.

“This is our headquarters.”

“Yep. Whenever something happens, we all gather here.”

Seeing the little Beastkin proudly puffing out their chests, smiles appeared on the faces of Jang Woo-hyun and his companions.

“You’re talking about the earthquake earlier, right?”

“Yes!”

“It shook so much!”

It seemed the children hadn’t heard the voice after Haeryang’s True Step.

“That was just… some uncle going boom, so it’s fine now. Nothing to worry about.”

“What uncle?”

“Who did it?”

“Did the Immortal scold him?”

The children bombarded Jang Woo-hyun with questions, leaving him a little overwhelmed.

“Uh… I didn’t do it, but anyway, nothing’s going to happen now, so don’t worry.”

To reassure them, Jang Woo-hyun activated his Qi Threads and lifted the children.

“Whoa, whoa!”

“Eek! I’m flying!”

“Waaah! I’m flying through the air!”

“It’s fine. I’m the one doing it.”

With a wave of his hand, Jang Woo-hyun swung the Beastkin children through the air like an airplane.

“Waaaaah!”

“I’m flying!”

To someone like Jang Woo-hyun, who could control hundreds of blade scales, tossing kids around like this was nothing.

At first, they were scared, but soon the children burst into gleeful laughter.

Before long, their giggles filled the area.

“Ye-ju unnie is inside.”

After playing with the children.

Jang Woo-hyun followed a white fox Beastkin girl, holding her hand as they headed toward where Maeng Ye-ju was staying. She had been living here with the Beastkin they had rescued.

“Usually, Ye-ju unnie plays with us a lot, but she’s been busy lately.”

“Busy? Doing what?”

“Training. She said she might get stronger if she keeps going a bit more.”

It seemed Maeng Ye-ju had been training while resting.

“This is as far as I can go.”

When they reached a small fence, the child stopped.

“I’ll get scolded if I go inside here.”

Apparently, there were areas the children weren’t allowed to enter.

Jang Woo-hyun said goodbye to the white fox Beastkin and stepped through the small gate.

A building stood a short distance ahead.

Jang Woo-hyun’s group walked toward it.

They had only taken a few steps when the building’s door opened and Maeng Ye-ju came out.

“You’ve come.”

“Senior Maeng…”

Jang Woo-hyun stopped when he saw her.

The atmosphere around her was different than before.

She had previously exuded a strong and firm presence, but now her aura had calmed.

Like someone cheerful and bright who now wore only a quiet smile.

Jang Woo-hyun resumed walking. As he moved, he expanded his qi perception and observed Maeng Ye-ju.

The energy he felt, her power, her presence—

Everything was clearly different from before. Maeng Ye-ju had advanced.

“You’ve grown.”

“Not enough to compare with you, but a little.”

At present, Maeng Ye-ju had stepped beyond the limits of Transcendence and set foot into the Realm of Immeasurability.

While it couldn’t be called full mastery of the Immeasurable Realm, if she advanced just a bit more, she would undoubtedly become a true expert of that realm.

What had once been her prison had become a blessing in disguise. Through introspection and refinement, Maeng Ye-ju had managed to grow a step further.

“Congratulations.”

Everyone in Jang Woo-hyun’s group who knew her offered their congratulations.

Afterward, Jang Woo-hyun explained what had happened with the Beast King Sect Leader and the sudden appearance of Haeryang.

“Lord Haeryang?”

“Yes, he personally issued the order and mobilized the Beast King Sect.”

“Then the entire sect will be taking action. But why are you here?”

“I was hoping to borrow your strength, Senior Maeng.”

“My strength?”

“Yes. We’re going to strike the Twin-Winged Lotus. But we’re a bit short on manpower for me to do it alone.”

“I’m part of the Beast King Sect, though.”

“As long as you get the job done, you can move independently.”

As they talked, a completely unrelated voice suddenly cut in, turning everyone’s head in one direction.

The four of them looked toward the source.

There stood Haeryang, who had appeared at some point.

“Your master…”

“Enough with the ‘master’ talk. I haven’t done anything for you.”

Haeryang strolled over lazily and stood beside Jang Woo-hyun.

“You can follow this weirdo from the Samcheong Tai Chi Sect. As long as you get the job done, it’s fine. No, actually, it’s better—you’ll have competition. But let me say this now: Hong and her siblings won’t be easy.”

At the mention of Dan Hong and her siblings, Maeng Ye-ju flinched in surprise.

“If they’re Elder Dan Hong’s siblings… then they’re making a move?”

“Yes, I gave them permission.”

Maeng Ye-ju shook her head at Jang Woo-hyun, indicating that going up against them wouldn’t be easy.

From that reaction, Jang Woo-hyun understood that Dan Hong and her siblings weren’t ordinary. Still, he wasn’t too concerned.

“It’s fine. I have my own methods.”

Dan Hong was certainly a skilled martial artist, and while he didn’t know what kind of monsters her siblings were, they wouldn’t necessarily have the upper hand in finding the Twin-Winged Lotus. After all, Cho-su was on Jang Woo-hyun’s side.

“Lord Haeryang, I think you’re mistaken—I’m not affiliated with the Samcheong Tai Chi Sect.”

“Huh? Really?”

“Yes.”

“Then where? Baekmu Society? Or the Five Elements Cult?”

“I’m not affiliated with anyone.”

Eyes widening in surprise, Haeryang turned to Maeng Ye-ju. She nodded affirmatively.

“Then what’s this energy? It’s the power of the Taecheong Divine Sovereign.”

“I merely received some guidance through fate.”

“You were taught by the Taecheong Divine Sovereign? And you’re not even a disciple of the Tai Chi Sect?”

Haeryang stared at Jang Woo-hyun with an expression of utter intrigue—this wasn’t something easily understood from his perspective.

Then, a smile spread across Haeryang’s face. Though it wasn’t a human face, to Jang Woo-hyun it looked mischievous—like that of a playful rascal.

“Then become my disciple.”

As if it were nothing, Haeryang casually made the offer to Jang Woo-hyun, as though he were simply asking if he had eaten.

But his words were by no means light.

Haeryang was one of the Ten Thrones and the former Lord of the Beast King Sect.

Becoming his disciple was akin to a massive fortuitous encounter.

“No, thank you.”

Without the slightest hesitation, Jang Woo-hyun declined Haeryang’s offer. Maeng Ye-ju gasped quietly beside him in shock.

Even after being refused, Haeryang’s smile didn’t fade.

“You must not realize what you’re turning down…”

He tapped his horn with his finger.

“I’m a Haetae, you know. A divine beast known as a Haetae. And I’m also the former Lord of the Beast King Sect. I hate to brag, but I’m one of the Ten Thrones too.”

“I know all that. But even so, I refuse.”

Jang Woo-hyun had already spent time under the Taecheong Divine Sovereign. Though it had been meaningful, he no longer felt the need to spend his time that way.

He had his own path to walk, and much to do moving forward.

“You really won’t? I’m Haeryang. Becoming my disciple is an incredible fortune.”

“I refuse.”

His firm answer made Maeng Ye-ju tense beside him.

‘He could at least pretend to consider it…’

This was a great elder of the Beast King Sect and a powerhouse of the Central Heavens Martial Realm. Yet Jang Woo-hyun had responded without even a pause.

However, contrary to her worries, Haeryang simply nodded and let out a hearty laugh.

It wasn’t a forced laugh. He wasn’t even slightly offended.

It seemed he had expected this outcome.

“Hahaha, yeah, I figured you’d say that.”

There had been a reason Haeryang had felt Jang Woo-hyun was connected to multiple sects when he first met him.

‘He’s experienced everything and grown through it on his own.’

He was filled with a blend of many things. That was why Haeryang hadn’t been able to pinpoint exactly what Jang Woo-hyun was.

A martial artist like this wouldn’t belong to any one faction.

Jang Woo-hyun would continue forging his own path.

“But seriously, you won’t?”

Haeryang jokingly tried a few more times to make Jang Woo-hyun his disciple. Each time, Jang Woo-hyun rejected him with unwavering resolve.

At his ironclad stance, Haeryang chuckled gleefully, like he had discovered something amusing.

After a few more playful attempts, Haeryang gave up, chatted briefly with Maeng Ye-ju, and then departed.

“If fate allows, let’s meet again. With you, I feel like that’ll happen soon.”

“You said you need more people?”

“Yes, we’re far too few right now.”

Jang Woo-hyun could probably crush his enemies solo, but having companions was always better. Especially with the possibility of confronting a major organization in the Central Heavens Martial Realm.

“You don’t want just anyone, right?”

“Of course not.”

“Then it’ll be hard to gather. With the Beast King Sect fully mobilized, even bringing along Yong would be tough. I got Lord Haeryang’s permission, but the others probably won’t.”

“Then let’s just go with you, Senior Maeng.”

Maeng Ye-ju had always been a powerful ally. Now that she had grown even stronger, she’d be a tremendous asset moving forward.

She didn’t refuse Jang Woo-hyun’s request. Their party now consisted of four, including her.

“Heading out right away?”

“No, I need to meet Nokgak Baekmyeon. He’s staying here, right?”

“He is. His injuries are nearly healed. But why, all of a sudden?”

She asked, knowing that Jang Woo-hyun had no prior connection to Nokgak Baekmyeon. They’d only met once during the Ten Sects Gathering.

“I have a favor to ask.”

“Really? Well, it’s not far. Let’s go see him.”

Maeng Ye-ju quickly packed her things and said farewell to the Beastkin she had been staying with.

There was a small commotion as the Beastkin children didn’t want to part from Jang Woo-hyun and Maeng Ye-ju, but they eventually calmed down.

After promising to return and visit again, Jang Woo-hyun left with his group, departing from the place where Maeng Ye-ju had been imprisoned.

As they stepped through the main gate of the manor where Nokgak Baekmyeon was staying, Maeng Ye-ju asked something she was curious about.

“So what kind of favor is it? Do you even have anything to ask?”

“I want to summon a monkey.”

“A monkey? Who’s—wait, wait, hold on!”

Maeng Ye-ju, who had been walking a little ahead, stopped and whipped her head around.

“N-no way…”

She hoped desperately that her guess was wrong.

But Jang Woo-hyun grinned brightly and confirmed it.

“That’s right. Wind-Passing Great Sage.”

At the mention of summoning a great monster of the Demonic Spirit Realm, Maeng Ye-ju tightly shut her eyes.

This guy again—what the hell was he up to this time?

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep