Chapter 175 : Beast King Sect (5)
Chapter 175: Beast King Sect (5)
“Disciple, my foot.”
Haeryang let out a hollow laugh.
“Well said. The Samcheong Tai Chi Sect was raising a guy like this, Kang Yi is about to go on a rampage, and what were you people doing?”
“What do you mean all of a sudden?”
The approaching black-furred wolf beastkin asked with a surprised, puppy-like expression.
“Kang Yi was trying to gather all the sect members for an all-out attack, so what were you doing?”
“Why are you blaming us for that?”
“Then who should I talk to?”
“As you know, we’re just old men in the backroom. We believe the current problems should be solved by the youngsters who are leading the Beast King Sect now.”
“We’re nothing but ghosts of the past.”
The only human among them, a middle-aged man, chimed in to back up the wolf beastkin’s words.
“Ghosts, my ass. Want me to make you into real ghosts?”
A black-furred wolf beastkin and a sword-wielding middle-aged man suddenly appeared.
As Jang Woo-hyun had sensed, the two were elders — the Beast King Sect’s hidden strength.
They weren’t paying attention to what was happening in the Central Heavens Martial Realm because, as they had just said, they believed the current matters should be handled by the present leaders of the sect.
That belief wasn’t entirely wrong. However, the problem was that Haeryang thought completely differently.
Hearing their words, Haeryang’s face twisted.
Then he immediately closed the distance and swung his fist like a hammer, smashing it into the black-furred wolf beastkin’s head.
Thud!
The punch, swung like hammering in a protruding nail, drove the wolf beastkin into the ground like a nail into wood.
“Ugh!”
“Well done. Very good.”
The middle-aged man flinched at Haeryang’s scornful gaze and stepped back.
“The Dragon Emperor of the Heavens is rampaging for unknown reasons, the Sword Heavenly Lord is dead, and just recently the Taecheong Divine Sovereign took one of the Six Heavens seats. In such a situation, you’re just backroom old men? Leave it to the kids?”
Haeryang let out another hollow laugh at the absurd answer.
Powerful figures were influencing the Central Heavens Martial Realm from the shadows, yet these so-called elders were spouting nonsense instead of lending their aid.
Annoyed, Haeryang swung his fist again. The middle-aged man let out a shriek and leaped back to avoid it.
He knew that if that simple punch landed, he too would be driven into the ground.
“You fools.”
Haeryang’s voice rose, and powerful energy spread out from him. Everyone present could tell he was furious.
“The founder created the Beast King Sect to protect beastkin — to save persecuted beastkin and help the weak. And what are you now? Blood-drunk beasts? Or fighting-mad hounds? What is your purpose for existing?”
When Haeryang’s gaze swept over them, everyone avoided his eyes.
“I’ve heard there is only one among you who moves to save beastkin — Kang Yi’s disciple, Maeng Ye-ju. She alone sacrificed herself for beastkin.”
When everyone else wanted to fight, Maeng Ye-ju alone had insisted on protecting the weak beastkin. Hearing that was why Haeryang had come here today.
“She’s one of the successors, isn’t she? From today onward, I will support this Ye-ju.”
“……!”
“……!”
The sudden declaration caused an uproar.
The Beast King Sect’s Grand Elder, Dan Hong, had already stepped forward to support making Maeng Ye-ju the Young Sect Leader, and now Haeryang, the former sect leader and one of the Ten Thrones, had joined in.
The shock of this news kept the commotion from dying down.
“Anyone with objections, step forward.”
At those words, a tiger beastkin emerged from the crowd.
“I am Wi Maeng-rip. Sect Ancestor…”
“I’m merely the former sect leader.”
Haeryang corrected the tiger beastkin, who seemed to be Baek Kang’s disciple. He was clearly drawing a line.
By hierarchy, Wi Maeng-rip, as Baek Kang’s disciple, could have called Haeryang ‘Sect Ancestor,’ but Haeryang was rejecting that relationship.
Understanding this, Wi Maeng-rip slightly bowed his head and continued.
“…Yes, then I will address you as Former Sect Leader. I cannot understand your actions.”
“What part?”
“I have already captured two of the Twelve Strongholds’ Flying Wings. Supporting Ye-ju simply because she helps beastkin doesn’t seem reasonable to me.”
Haeryang laughed at Wi Maeng-rip’s bold attitude.
“Yes, you need to have some guts like that. I’m the former alliance leader. I cannot make this Maeng Ye-ju a Young Sect Leader — I can only lend my support.”
“But…”
“Support without any promise or condition means I can withdraw it at any time.”
Haeryang paused, then glanced toward a bear beastkin and a wolf beastkin not far from Wi Maeng-rip. Both were Baek Kang’s disciples.
“If someone else fills in the lacking parts, I could support them instead. Maeng Ye-ju may have put much effort into saving and protecting beastkin, but she’s lacking compared to you in handling enemies. If each of you does your part and fills the gaps, my support could change at any time.”
Finishing his words, Haeryang released his presence.
A tremendous wave of energy spread out from him.
Under that overwhelming force, the beastkin hunched their shoulders and drew on their own energy. If they didn’t, they felt they’d be crushed.
“Yeom Jong-myung.”
The name was spoken softly. It was clearly said quietly, yet everyone could hear it.
“Yes, give your command!”
“From this moment, excluding the injured sect leader, the vice-sect leader will lead the Beast King Sect.”
Doing this while the sect leader was still capable was an abuse of authority. However, no one present could object to Haeryang’s words.
His will and intent were transmitted. Countless beastkin had to steel their minds, not to oppose him, but to avoid being swept away by that will.
Haeryang alone was overwhelming everyone present here.
“Jeonhyeong, Gok Chang-seo.”
Thud!
At his call, a bull beastkin holding an axe knelt down, and a human holding a sword bowed his body.
“Bring me the head of the Ban-go Eternal Life Sect leader.”
“We will obey your command!”
The two voices rang loudly, filling the hall.
“Myogo, Hwang Yeong.”
“Yes!”
This time, a rabbit beastkin and a black-furred wolf beastkin bowed to receive their orders.
“Annihilate the Flying Shadow Silver Sword Sect.”
“We will obey your command.”
“Yeom Jong-myung.”
Yeom Jong-myung, the vice-sect leader of the Beast King Sect, clasped his fists and lowered his head.
“Protect the beastkin within our territory and swiftly eliminate Twin-Winged Lotus.”
“I will obey!”
With the return of the former sect leader, the beastkin radiated a burning fervor.
Jang Woo-hyun, watching them, quietly stepped closer to Haeryang. There was something he needed to correct.
“Excuse me, Lord Haeryang.”
Though his voice was small, all eyes turned toward him.
“What is it?”
The beastkin bared their fangs at Jang Woo-hyun for interrupting their gathering. Since the elders of the sect were present, they didn’t emit killing intent, but their eyes clearly showed displeasure.
“Twin-Winged Lotus is related to me as well.”
“What?”
“Sword Alliance! This isn’t a place for you to interfere! Read the room!”
When Wi Maeng-rip shouted, Jang Woo-hyun’s gaze shifted toward him.
Without releasing any aura, he simply met Wi Maeng-rip’s eyes — yet Wi Maeng-rip felt crushed by Jang Woo-hyun’s presence, stepping back and curling his claws inward. If he didn’t, it felt as though his whole body would be shredded by a sharp sword.
After forcing Wi Maeng-rip to back down, Jang Woo-hyun turned his head again.
“Twin-Winged Lotus are the ones I’ve been fighting.”
“……”
“I captured Akho Sa Do-woong and the one called Hyeol U. This is a matter for the Beast King Sect, yes, but it is also my matter.”
This time, Haeryang’s gaze fell upon Jang Woo-hyun.
Unlike Wi Maeng-rip, Jang Woo-hyun did not avert his eyes and met the gaze squarely.
That attitude made Haeryang’s lips curl upward.
“Dan Hong.”
“Yes, speak.”
“You will take down Twin-Winged Lotus.”
Haeryang reached into the cloud behind him, pulled something out, and tossed it to Dan Hong.
“You may bring your younger siblings along.”
Dan Hong, receiving two dark-colored keys, smiled.
It was a smile completely different from before. Her aura had changed.
Jang Woo-hyun, startled by the chilling energy creeping up his spine, quickly turned his head.
But the sensation soon vanished. It was completely different from the energy he had felt from Dan Hong until now.
“Those children were disciplined long ago by the sect leader. Are you certain this is fine?”
“Do whatever can be done. Take your siblings and hunt down Twin-Winged Lotus. And you, your name is…?”
“Jang Woo-hyun.”
Jang Woo-hyun answered with a bitter smile.
The name Cheonrin Sword Alliance was becoming known in the murim, but it was still too soon to reach the very top.
Only if he stood among the Seventeen Lords or their equals would people like Haeryang truly acknowledge him.
“Alright, Jang Woo-hyun. Listen well — we will now unleash savage beasts to hunt Twin-Winged Lotus. You do what you must, if you can.”
“Is this some kind of competition?”
“Competition… I’m not sure this even counts as competition.”
“If you won’t get in my way, that’s fine by me. In return, I’d like to bring Senior Maeng with me.”
“That much I can easily permit.”
“Thank you.”
Ending his talk with Jang Woo-hyun, Haeryang turned his body.
Everyone looked at him. Haeryang’s gaze swept over each and every beastkin around him, and he slightly lifted his foot.
Then he stepped down.
Kuuuuung—
With that simple stomp, the whole world seemed to shake.
With just that small movement, Haeryang had captured everyone’s attention — no, more than that, he had shown a fraction of his strength.
“Hear me! Beasts of the Central Heavens!”
All the Beast King Sect disciples nearby knelt down.
“From this moment, we will hunt every enemy! Show them! Show them the true might of the Beast King Sect!”
As soon as he finished speaking, Haeryang let out a roar.
The beastkin followed with their own howls, and even the non-beastkin Beast King Sect disciples bellowed their cries.
A tremendous roar and massive energy surged upward like an explosion.
For any Beast King Sect disciple, it was a sight to make the blood boil — but not for Jang Woo-hyun.
‘What a total mess.’
That was how the Beast King Sect looked in the eyes of someone who wasn’t a beastkin.
By the time the frenzy of the Beast King Sect disciples, running wild like mad dogs, came to an end—
Baek Kang, the Beast King Sect leader who had been trapped inside a massive sphere, burst out.
“Did you lose?”
“No… it’s not that, it’s just… we were suddenly ambushed…”
“So you got beaten up because you were lacking, and now you want to make up for it with sheer numbers?”
“……”
The fierce-looking Baek Kang became like a small kitten in front of Haeryang.
What followed shortly after was a beating accompanied by nagging.
Even Baek Kang, who looked like the king of beasts, was no match for Haeryang. Without putting up much resistance, Baek Kang had no choice but to roll on the ground.
“Kang Yi, you will remain in the sect.”
“Master!”
“Recover your body and guard our territory. That is your task.”
Amid the chaos of the Central Heavens Martial Realm, the Beast King Sect began to move, revealing its hidden strength.
“Was that an earthquake?”
“Maybe it’s a landslide?”
Small beastkin children were peeking out from the burrow they had dug beneath a tree.
Those who had once been kidnapped by Twin-Winged Lotus had been rescued by the Beast King Sect and were now staying at the sect’s main compound for treatment and rehabilitation.
“I wish Sister Ye-ju would come out soon.”
At one child’s words, the others nearby nodded.
The place where the children were staying was also where Maeng Ye-ju was being held.
While she stayed there, she had often played with the children, and they had grown quite close.
“She’s not in danger, right?”
Just a moment ago, the ground had shaken as if from an earthquake, and the beastkin children, frightened, had gathered in their little burrow headquarters.
Hiding here didn’t actually guarantee safety, but for the children, this burrow was a place of comfort.
“I wish the Immortal would come.”
“Me too.”
“Me too!”
“Who’s the Immortal?”
A child who didn’t know asked.
“The Immortal is the Immortal.”
“I smell wind.”
“No, not anymore.”
“Oh, right, not anymore.”
“Anyway, the Immortal always comes to save us when there’s danger. That’s the Immortal.”
It had been the same when Twin-Winged Lotus attacked their village, and also when they were kidnapped — the Immortal had appeared to rescue them.
To the children, the Immortal was a hero who always came to help whenever trouble arose.
“But this is the Beast King Sect — can the Immortal come here?”
“Of course! The Immortal even came when we were captured!”
“That’s right! The Immortal smells like the wind and can go anywhere!”
With only their faces poking out from their dugout, the children kept talking. Then one of them spotted figures approaching.
“Huh? The Immortal?”
“Huh? Who? Where?”
“It’s the Immortal! The Immortal!”
The first child to see them jumped out of the burrow and ran on all fours.
At the very front of the group approaching from afar was the person who had always saved them.
When something scary happened, the Immortal appeared once again.