Chapter 59
At the Mocheon Sect manor, dozens of first-generation disciples had gathered together.
They all looked at one another with bewildered expressions.
"Isn't the Hao Sect just a sect for lowborn people?"
"Why are we suddenly going after such a place...?"
Upon receiving the abrupt order from the headmaster to attack a branch of the Hao Sect, the first-generation disciples were visibly puzzled.
However, for Murong Dangcheon's first and second sons, Murong-il and Murong-ik, it was different.
Determination filled their faces—they were full of the desire to prove themselves to their father.
Even sword experts from the Murong clan's main household, who had come together with Murong Dangcheon, joined in.
They were each the strength of a hundred men—enough might to annihilate a mid-sized sect with ease.
Because of this, an unprecedented crisis seemed poised to descend upon the Ansun Branch of the Hao Sect.
"Is everyone here?"
Looking out at the gathered disciples and swordsmen, Murong Dangcheon spoke.
"Today, we are going to sweep away the dark path scum who exploit merchants and harass women in the backstreets of the Red Light District, disrupting the lives of the people. Show those vile Hao Sect bastards just how swift and formidable the sword of Mocheon is!"
"We will obey, headmaster!"
But just as Murong Dangcheon began to lead his disciples out of the Mocheon Sect grounds—
Goooooh―
Suddenly, an overwhelming pressure swept in from the main gate of the Mocheon Sect.
The force felt like an enormous wave surging forward. Then, seven martial artists strode boldly into the manor.
Seven elderly men with flowing white beards. Their skin was weathered by the sea breeze, and their eyes were sharp.
On their martial robes, a motif of waves was clearly emblazoned.
'That pattern...?'
Murong Dangcheon immediately recognized the crest embossed on the old men's martial robes.
The Seven Sages of the South Sea, elders of the Hainan Sect.
At last, they had made their appearance at the Mocheon Sect.
'The Seven Sages of the South Sea from the Hainan Sect... What could those old men possibly be doing here...?'
Murong Dangcheon's eyebrow twitched.
As a longtime expert in the martial world, he had crossed paths with the Seven Sages a few times before.
What drew Murong Dangcheon's gaze most was an elder whose white beard hung down to his chest.
First Elder Hae Cheoldo, known for wielding a blade among the Seven Sages.
He exuded a gale-like presence, and in the past, during the Great Heavenly Demon War, he was known as an expert who cut down a dozen division leaders of the Demonic Cult on his own.
"It's been a while, Murong Dangcheon."
Hae Cheoldo was the first to speak. His deep, yet sharp voice echoed through the manor.
At his words, Murong Dangcheon laid down his sword, offered a cupped fist salute, and greeted him.
"I pay my respects to Elder Hae Cheoldo of the Hainan Sect. But may I ask, what brings you to our Mocheon Sect so suddenly?"
Murong Dangcheon's voice was calm, but a sharp vigilance glinted in his eyes.
Without so much as a smile, Hae Cheoldo continued, "We elders are here because of your collusion with Three Souls Hall."
"?!"
Murong Dangcheon's pupils shook for a moment.
Three Souls Hall.
Never in his wildest dreams had he expected that name to come out, especially from the mouths of the Seven Sages of the South Sea.
'How do the seven elders from the Hainan Sect know about that incident?'
Murong Dangcheon's mind raced furiously. Though inwardly aghast, he struggled to maintain a calm expression.
"Three Souls Hall, you say? Where is this coming from all of a sudden?"
Murong Dangcheon feigned ignorance, putting on a puzzled face.
"I and the Mocheon Sect have nothing whatsoever to do with such people of the dark path."
Yet such acting was pointless.
"Denying it is useless. We've already collected ample evidence."
"And above all, we heard everything from your fourth son!"
As Hae Cheoldo stepped aside, a young man emerged from behind the Seven Sages.
It was Murong Jin, his face utterly drained of color.
With his head bowed and trembling violently, his expression was wracked with guilt—a clear confession of all to the seven elders of the Hainan Sect.
Seeing Murong Jin like this, Murong Dangcheon's eyes turned cold and sinister.
'You fool... All because of you, our Mocheon Sect is in this state...!'
A murderous intent seethed from Murong Dangcheon's gaze.
Despite being his own son, the headmaster's expression showed the urge to cut Murong Jin down at the first opportunity.
At that moment, the third elder of the Seven Sages, Mu Gangpyeon, who wielded an iron whip, stepped forward. His voice boomed through the hall.
"The leader of the Mocheon Sect, a prestigious sect of Guizhou City and a bloodline of the Five Great Clans, has colluded with the most notorious dark sect, Three Souls Hall! When I first heard, I simply couldn't believe it!"
Then, Hae Punggeon, who wore metal gloves, spoke next.
"Are you aware that Three Souls Hall colluded with the Demonic Cult?"
"... The Demonic Cult?"
"That's right. Three Souls Hall sold all those abducted children to the Demonic Cult! The very Demonic Cult we righteous martial artists shed so much blood to drive out! Murong Dangcheon, you helped them regain a foothold in the Central Plains!"
A heavy tension blanketed the Mocheon Sect's main hall.
The first-generation disciples looked at each other in disbelief.
"Three Souls Hall? The Demonic Cult?!"
"Why would the headmaster be involved in something like that...?"
Their murmurs grew louder and louder.
At that instant, Hae Cheoldo drew a correspondence from within his robes. The seal of the Murim Alliance was clearly stamped on it.
Hae Cheoldo raised the document, fixing Murong Dangcheon with a piercing gaze.
"Do you know what this is? This is a direct order from the Murim Alliance leader, instructing us to escort you, Murong Dangcheon, to the Murim Alliance."
Murong Dangcheon's eyes widened in shock, cold sweat trickling down his back.
"Headmaster of the Mocheon Sect, Murong Dangcheon. Disgracing the reputation of the righteous faction and colluding with Three Souls Hall, we, the Seven Sages of the South Sea, will bring you before the Murim Alliance ourselves."
* * *
Just as Jaseong had planned, Murong Dangcheon and the Mocheon Sect now stood at the precipice of annihilation.
Jaseong watched the scene unfold from the rooftop, with Lee Rin and Gu Janghu at his side.
Lying low on the tiles and looking down below, their faces were full of relief.
[Finally, the children of the Wandering Warrior Village will be able to laugh in peace. Hehe.]
Lee Rin spoke through sound transmission, her face showing her delight.
Of course, it was Jaseong who felt the deepest sense of relief.
This was the beginning of his revenge against the Murong clan, who had killed his eldest brother.
'... This will bring utter disgrace to the Murong clan.'
Still, Jaseong did not let his guard down. He knew Murong Dangcheon would not go quietly.
If Murong Dangcheon was taken to the Murim Alliance, he would be locked in the underground Purgatory for sure.
The Murim Alliance never compromised, and never showed mercy in matters concerning the Demonic Cult.
Therefore, Murong Dangcheon was highly likely to resist the Seven Sages fiercely.
That's why Jaseong and his companions waited in masks, ready.
If the Seven Sages failed to subdue Murong Dangcheon, they would lend a hand.
But at the next moment, something completely unexpected happened.
"... Very well. I cannot defy the will of the alliance leader—I will comply quietly."
Murong Dangcheon let out a deep sigh as he spoke. Surprisingly, he acted submissively.
'... Not even an attempt to make excuses. Why?'
Even the Seven Sages looked slightly perplexed. Nonetheless, they nodded and approached Murong Dangcheon, ropes in hand.
"A wise decision. In that case, we'll—"
But just as Hae Cheoldo began to speak—
KWAANG!!!
Suddenly, an enormous explosion erupted beneath Murong Dangcheon's feet. He stamped the ground, kicking up a whirlwind of sand.
"?!"
The Seven Sages hurriedly drew their weapons.
In the blink of an eye, Murong Dangcheon darted behind the Seven Sages—toward his fourth son, Murong Jin.
"F... Father...!"
Murong Jin stared at Murong Dangcheon, his face deathly pale.
[You unfilial wretch. How dare you betray your clan?]
Murong Dangcheon's eyes flashed with madness, and through sound transmission, he spoke. And then—
CHWA-AAK!!
A fountain of blood spurted through the manor.
Murong Dangcheon's blade swept like lightning past Murong Jin's neck.
"Guh...?!"
Murong Jin fell without even managing a scream, still staring at Murong Dangcheon as if he couldn't believe it.
"He struck down his own son?!"
"Murong Dangcheon...! What have you done?!"
The Seven Sages cried out in shock. Yet Murong Dangcheon remained unfazed.
"Who says he was my son?"
"What...?!"
"The one I just killed was a villain, blinded by selfish desire who brought calamity to our Mocheon Sect."
"What kind of crazy logic is that, Murong Dangcheon?!"
Responding shamelessly, Murong Dangcheon saw this as his only path to survival.
If he eliminated Murong Jin, the internal informant who revealed the collusion between Three Souls Hall and the Mocheon Sect, then even if he was caught by the Murim Alliance, there would be no proof left for his crimes.
In that case, he could claim it was all slander and deception.
Moreover, the Murong clan, his main household, would certainly back him, and he might just escape this crisis.
Of course, the Seven Sages did not stand by.
"Murong Dangcheon! You are truly a villain of the world!"
"Do you think you can deceive the martial world's eyes? Your vile crimes are already exposed for all to see!"
"We'll allow no more of your atrocities! Today, here and now, we will bring you to the judgment of the martial world! Prepare yourself!"
The Seven Sages all drew their weapons at once.
The intensity of their presence whipped the main training yard into a tempest.
Among them, the third elder, Mu Gangpyeon, was the first to move. Like the wind, he charged toward Murong Dangcheon.
"Sea-Wave Iron Whip—Wave-Crushing Sentiment!"
Mu Gangpyeon's iron whip cleaved through the air, crashing down on Murong Dangcheon's crown. The whip was charged with inner power as wild as waves on the open sea.
Murong Dangcheon channeled his own inner power, clashing with the iron whip.
KAAAANG!!!!!
Sword and iron whip collided, filling the air with an ear-splitting screech of metal and sending a shockwave that shattered everything in the hall.
The sight proved that both were true experts at the peak of their art.
To everyone's surprise, it was Mu Gangpyeon of the Seven Sages who was forced back.
He slid ten steps away, hands trembling as he gripped his iron whip.
Murong Dangcheon, far younger than the Seven Sages, possessed even greater prowess and might.
"What are you waiting for? These mad old men dare to storm into Mocheon's domain with wild accusations—strike them down at once!"
At Murong Dangcheon's cry, the previously hesitant Mocheon Sect swordsmen rushed at the Seven Sages.
In moments, the manor became a battlefield. Amid the chaos—
SHWAAK!
Murong Dangcheon leapt over the wall and escaped like lightning. His movement skill made him vanish like a shadow.
"The headmaster is escaping! After him!"
First elder Hae Cheoldo shouted in a rage, and all Seven Sages abandoned the other enemies, using lightness skill to break into pursuit.
[He cut down his own son and escaped... I never thought I'd see something so extreme...]
From the rooftop, Lee Rin commented through sound transmission.
[Let's go too.]
At Jaseong's words, Gu Janghu and Lee Rin nodded, launching themselves from the roof.
Thanks to Shadowless Divine Thief's movement art—Shadowless Footwork—their movement skill was barely any slower than that of true peak-level experts.
'Eldest brother. I've finally started your revenge... It's only a small beginning, but from now on, I'll repay it. One by one.'
Clutching tightly the sword that was the last gift from his eldest brother and sister-in-law, Jaseong muttered inwardly.
At this moment, charging ahead for the completion of the fifth Heaven's Mandate—'Eliminate Middle Evil'—the smiling faces of his late elder brother and sister-in-law floated before his eyes.
Those dazzling smiles he would never see again.