Chapter 183
Jaseong murmured,
"Heaven Evading Flash Sword, Sixth Stroke—Ten Thousand Thunders!"
Shuaaaaak!
Jaseong's sword crackled—paji! paji!—transforming into lightning and engulfing the entire body of the Beggar's Union leader, Gwak Muyeong.
"Kuugh!"
Gwak Muyeong tried to block with his great cudgel, but the force of the sword aura was simply too strong.
Jaseong's power, amplified by the Celestial Gate Opening Art, had already surpassed the limits of a human.
Pajik!
The great cudgel screamed and snapped in two. The unceasing sword aura pierced right through Gwak Muyeong's chest.
"Keok...!"
Gwak Muyeong collapsed, coughing up blood. Even the leader of the Beggar's Union fell feebly under the edge of Jaseong's blade.
Now, the only one left was Murong Cheolsan.
'Th-this can't be...!'
Murong Cheolsan desperately swung his twin swords—a final desperate struggle.
"Twin Phoenixes Returning to the Nest!"
Two phoenixes merged into one, generating an enormous sword aura.
It was a secret ultimate move inherited by the head of the Murong Clan, and Murong Cheolsan poured all his internal energy into this final strike.
But....
Kwaaaaaaang!
At that moment, from the Wicked Flame Sword, an immense black-gold sword aura surged forth, as if sundering the heavens and the earth.
It was the result of the blending of Jaseong's overwhelming internal power with the full might of the opened Wicked Flame Sword.
Because of that, Murong Cheolsan's Twin Phoenixes Returning to the Nest was annihilated in an instant.
The forms of the phoenixes scattered without even a scream.
"Kraaaagh!"
The sword aura pierced through Murong Cheolsan's body, shattering his protective enhanced energy and tearing his silk martial robes.
Murong Cheolsan fell to his knees. Blood spurted from his chest like a fountain.
With trembling hands, he leaned against the ground, looking up at Jaseong.
In his eyes, there was nothing but terror and despair.
"I... I was wrong... Spare me.... I beg you... please... kuhk!"
Words pitifully inadequate for the last will of a noble clan's head.
Jaseong slowly approached him, and raised his sword.
"I won't let you die so easily."
Jaseong withdrew the sword aura surrounding his sword hilt.
Returned to a simple blade, the Wicked Flame Sword caught the moonlight and glinted.
Pusshuk!
Jaseong stabbed Murong Cheolsan's abdomen with the Wicked Flame Sword.
He avoided the vital points—a strike meant only to deliver pain.
"This is for my eldest brother."
"Kuhrk?!"
Murong Cheolsan screamed, vomiting blood. Still, Jaseong did not stop.
Pusshuk!
"This is for my sister-in-law."
"Gguheok!!"
Again, the sword pierced through his thigh. The pain of shattered bone bent Murong Cheolsan's body like a bow.
Pusshuk!
"This is for my nephew, who never even saw the light of the world."
Jaseong's hand did not stop.
The pain, the despair, the rage of that day were all carried through the tip of his sword, stabbing into Murong Cheolsan's body.
"And this.... is for all the rage I've built up from madly training in martial arts all this time."
Pusshuk!! Pusshuk!! Pusshuk!! Pusshuk!! Pusshuk!! Pusshuk!! Pusshuk!! Pusshuk!!
Jaseong swung the sword dozens of times, intentionally omitting sword aura and relying on the bare blade.
He did not stab vital points.
Killing in an instant was an act of mercy. He had not the slightest intention of showing Murong Cheolsan mercy.
"Kkagh! Augh! Please! Stop! Spare me! Pleeease!! Uaaargh!!!"
So Murong Cheolsan writhed in pain instead of dying right away.
His screams filled the front courtyard of the Murong Clan house.
The dignity of a Five Great Clans' head was nowhere to be seen—only a beast begging for its life remained.
Then, after a while, Murong Cheolsan's screams faded, and his body went limp.
Puk!
Jaseong, as a final act, swung his sword and struck Murong Cheolsan's neck.
The man's head fell to the ground with a dull thud.
Only then did Jaseong heave the breath he'd been holding.
"Huk... huk...."
He had defeated hundreds of Murong Clan warriors, the head of the Murong Clan, the leaders of the Beggar's Union, and Shaolin—all three by himself.
His internal energy was depleted. The rebound from the Celestial Gate Opening Art left his whole body aching.
But inside, he felt a relief greater than he'd ever known.
It was as if the massive boulder that weighed on his heart had vanished.
'Eldest brother... Sister-in-law... I finally avenged you.'
In front of Jaseong's eyes floated the faces of his eldest brother and sister-in-law—faces filled with bright smiles directed at him, from a time when they had little but happiness.
Ttear—
Hot streams of moisture fell from Jaseong's eyes before he knew it.
He wiped the tears away with his bloodstained hands. Finally, he felt he'd achieved his goal in the jianghu.
"Sect Leader!"
That was when it happened.
Hearing the commotion, two hundred-odd guards of the Tianxia Association belonging to the black path, and swordsmen of the North Sea, rushed into the Murong Clan estate. They were the ones who had been waiting for Jaseong's signal.
But the faces of all who entered the manor immediately contorted with shock.
"Wh-what the...!"
Hundreds of warriors strewn across the plaza; Jaseong standing alone in their midst; the corpses of the three titans of the orthodox faction, who once ruled the world, lying at his feet.
"Sect Leader... You took down the entire Murong Clan alone... and those men...!"
This was not something a human could do. It was as if Death itself had descended upon the world.
Jaseong sheathed his sword and turned to face them. His face was smeared with blood and sweat, but his eyes still blazed fiercely.
"The Murong Clan is finished."
Jaseong's voice echoed through the manor.
"Now, I go to slaughter what remains."
Once more, Jaseong's gaze turned ice cold.
Revenge was not yet complete.
The Hebei Peng Clan, and the root of all this, the Murim Alliance Leader Namgung Cheon-rui, still remained.
In this way, Jaseong's blazing wrath began to spread through the jianghu, and that fire would not die until all evil was purged.
* * *
After all the battles ended.
The Murong Clan's home was enveloped in a silence as still as death.
The once-glorious halls stood deserted, and the heavy stink of blood proved the tragedy that had unfolded here.
Jaseong lingered in the ruined manor. Partly to catch his breath.
But more than that, he sought things that could prove useful in the next stage of war.
"Search this entire place thoroughly. Especially the clan head's office and study."
"At your command!"
By Jaseong's order, Little Devil, Silent Traveler, and other subordinates began scouring the Murong Clan's buildings from top to bottom.
After about half a shijin, a flustered voice came from deep within the study.
"Sect Leader! Come look at this!"
It was Little Devil.
Together with Silent Traveler, he had found a hidden safe behind a wall scroll.
In Little Devil's hand was a sealed piece of correspondence.
Jaseong approached and received the letter. The seal on the wax was familiar: a design of a dragon entwined in clouds, ascending.
"This is... the seal of the Murim Alliance Leader."
Jaseong's gaze turned cold. Without hesitation, he broke the seal and unfolded the correspondence.
[To the Head of the Murong Clan,
The Shaolin abbot and Beggar's Union leader have become obstacles to our plans. They know too much, and have too many suspicions.
For the sake of the greater good, sacrifices are inevitable. These two must be eliminated.
New candidates for abbot and head have already been selected. They will obediently follow our will. Afterward, we can place all blame upon the unorthodox sects.
—Murim Alliance Leader Namgung Cheon-rui]
A chilling sneer tugged at Jaseong's lips as he read through the letter.
"As expected."
Silent Traveler, scrutinizing the letter beside him, spoke in a grave tone.
"This... This is undeniable proof that the Alliance Leader ordered the assassination of the Shaolin abbot and Beggar's Union leader. He personally instigated murder and planned to pin the crime on the unorthodox faction...."
"The Sichuan Tang clan, Murong Clan, and Namgung Clan—these three worked together in this crime."
Listening to his subordinates, Jaseong folded the letter and tucked it away. Blue flames flickered in his eyes.
'With this, I can deal an even greater blow to Namgung Cheon-rui.'
Jaseong rose to his feet, the overwhelming presence emanating from him filling the study.
"Prepare yourselves. Now it's time to tighten the noose around Namgung Cheon-rui."
* * *
Several days later, the jianghu was thrown into turmoil.
Invitations sent in the name of Jaseong—the Evil Path Association Leader and Hao Sect Leader—were distributed throughout the Central Plains.
[To the heroes of the world's martial arts,
I am Jaseong, leader of the Evil Path Association and the Hao Sect.
Today, regardless of orthodox or unorthodox, I invite all sects and heroes to gather in one place.
The subject: the shameless crimes of the Murim Alliance Leader.
Deceit and hypocrisy run rampant in the jianghu.
All who seek truth, all who yearn for justice—gather. I shall open your eyes.
Location: Tianxia Association headquarters grand plaza, Luoyang
Date: Fifteen days from now, at noon.]
This announcement sent the martial world into an uproar.
Every inn, tavern, even every street stall buzzed with talk of this invitation.
"Did you hear? The Evil Path Association Leader himself is convening a Hero Assembly!"
"The truth about the Alliance Leader? What could he possibly want to say?"
"Could it be about the recent sudden deaths of the Nine Sects-One Union sect leaders?"
"Nah, no way. Who would trust the words of the unorthodox leader? Could be a trap."
Doubts ran high, but curiosity soared higher.
The series of incidents that had shaken the jianghu and the spectacular rise of the young alliance leader who had unified the unorthodox sects drew martial artists by the thousands to Luoyang.
"Should we go?"
"Let's go. Nothing to lose. If what he says is true...."
One by one, sects began to mobilize.
Not just the smaller factions—even some major orthodox sects, usually watching the Murim Alliance warily, discreetly sent delegations toward Luoyang.
So, the agreed-upon fifteen days passed.
The day of the Hero Assembly.
At the Tianxia Association headquarters grand plaza in Luoyang—
Under a cloudless, blue sky, thousands of martial artists were gathered.
Brilliant banners fluttered; countless weapons glittered in the sunlight.
Taoists and monks of the orthodox sects, ferocious warriors of the unorthodox, and neutral vagabonds—all who would have clashed swords in normal times now mingled.
A strange tension gripped the plaza.
Behind the stage, Jaseong looked down at the scene. At his side stood Gu Janghu, Lee Rin, and the hall lords of the Hao Sect as guards.
"Sect Leader,"
Gu Janghu reported in a low voice.
"As expected, Murim Alliance Leader Namgung Cheon-rui didn't come himself. But...."
Gu Janghu's gaze subtly swept through the crowd. Although they wore ordinary martial robes, the energy they exuded was anything but ordinary.
"There are agents the Alliance Leader sent, hiding throughout the crowd. Shall we deal with them now?"
Gu Janghu laid a hand on his throwing blade. But Jaseong shook his head.
"No. There is no need to deal with them."
"But, we cannot know what those people might do...."
"It doesn't matter. Using assassins amid all the martial world's gathering would only bring shame upon the Evil Path Association's prestige. And...."
A relaxed smile crossed Jaseong's lips.
"Let them report exactly what they see and hear to Namgung Cheon-rui. That will bring him greater pain."
Now Jaseong was ready to step onto the stage.
It was time to let the world know—just who he was, and what kind of being he had become.