Chapter 174
Martial Alliance, Shaanxi Branch—
Today, the Shaanxi branch of the Martial Alliance had gathered the most people since its founding.
This was because the vanguard, which had set out for the Gansu subjugation, was waiting here.
"This is truly great! It seems we need to speed up our advance!"
Abbess Hongryeon, who had grasped and read several letters, said with a brightened face.
"Alliance Leader. What is the matter?"
When Military Strategist Zhuge Hyuk asked her,
"The heroes of the North Sea Ice Palace and the people of the Green Forest and the Waterway Fortress. Furthermore, even the martial officials of the Orthodox and Middle Paths who are in the small and medium-sized sects throughout the Central Plains have said they will lend their strength to this subjugation. They are on their way to Gansu now. Also, the reinforcements of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult have also been divided in half, with half heading to Sichuan to help So-ah and half heading to Gansu as planned, so they will be a great help to us!"
Abbess Hongryeon's face was bright and radiant, as if a flower had bloomed.
At the same time, not only her, but the faces of all the people in the room also had a bright color.
"It's a great relief. It's as if we have gained unexpected allies. Especially since the help of the Green Forest, the Waterway Fortress, and the North Sea Ice Palace is due to Young Hero Jin's personal connections, we cannot help but give the credit to Young Hero Jin once again. Hahaha."
Laughter flowed from Zhuge Hyuk's mouth.
No matter how he thought about it, So-ah's connections were frightening.
Wasn't it a matter of being dumbfounded that the connections of a young man who had just passed his coming-of-age ceremony extended beyond the Orthodox and Black Paths to even the foreign lands?
"By the way, what's going on with So-ah, Myo-seon, and Sir Jeon Woo-chi... I feel bitter that I have entrusted such a heavy responsibility to such young people."
This time, the Beggars' Sect Leader, Hong In-geol, stroked his beard and muttered in a low voice.
He still seemed to be displeased with the leadership's decision to entrust the handling of Sichuan to So-ah.
Of course, since he knew that So-ah's martial arts had entered the top ranks even when looking at the entire Orthodox Path, he trusted him, but he felt sorry for So-ah, who had not hesitated to go to dangerous and deadly places for the Martial Alliance in recent years.
Why wouldn't he?
At that time, the three people, Abbess Hongryeon, Zhuge Hyuk, and Baek In-hwa, who had sent So-ah to Sichuan, had also tried to stop him with all their might...
But
"Sect Leader Hong. How can we break So-ah's stubbornness? Perhaps, unless the deceased God of War were to come back to life, there would be no one who could change the brat's mind once he has made it up."
At Abbess Hongryeon's frank words, Hong In-geol had no choice but to nod his head.
"Well... that brat So-ah has been stubborn as a mule since he was a child..."
Just then.
Baek In-hwa, who had been silent, opened his mouth.
"Don't worry too much. So-ah is So-ah, but the abilities of Woo-chi and Lady Myo-seon, who has learned the Sunflower Manual, are at a level that we old people cannot ignore. Besides, I have read the fortunes of the three, and the results were good, so we will meet them in Gansu soon."
Only after hearing Baek In-hwa's words could all the people in the room be relieved and somewhat compose their heavy hearts.
It was not simply because Baek In-hwa had mentioned the fortunes.
Because the masters of the martial world did not believe in such things as fortunes.
But the Baek In-hwa they had seen was not an optimist who vaguely looked at the situation optimistically, nor was he a frivolous person who would talk nonsense.
That's how much they trusted Baek In-hwa's usual character, disposition, and mysterious abilities.
"I hope it will be so."
"Then we must also faithfully carry out our roles, right? In contrast to the young Young Hero Jin, Lady Myo-seon, and Sir Jeon Woo-chi who are active, would it be right for the old people to fall behind?"
Due to Baek In-hwa's one sentence, the atmosphere in the room was heated up.
Before they knew it, their hearts were boiling with the will to subjugate Gansu.
"Let's hurry. We must annihilate the White Lotus Cult as soon as possible."
"If this is over, we will be able to find peace again for a while, right?"
"It will be so!"
Thus, the leadership strengthened their resolve and, with their eyes shining, each prepared for the expedition.
***
"Wow! How long has it been since we all gathered?"
"They're all people I know."
"Kekekek."
"Hahaha."
"Kekekeke."
The late-stage masters who had been selected for the vanguard.
Among them, the people of one row recognized each other's faces and burst into loud laughter.
They were the former cadets of the human division who had achieved infinite stamina and body remodeling under So-ah's guidance.
Namgung Mun, Tang Il-gi, Tang Hwa-rin, Moyong Hwa, Moyong Su, Han Baek, Jang Byeong-il, Eon Yeong-je, Seok Won, Paeng Il-gi, and others.
"By the way, why can't I see Jin-hyeong and Lady Myo-seon?"
Han Baek looked around and tilted his head as if he was curious.
'Ah...!'
'Heok...!'
At that, Moyong Hwa and Moyong Su, as if they were startled, blushed slightly, but fortunately, no one noticed.
'The fact that So-ah-hyeong went to Sichuan with Lady Myo-seon and Sir Jeon Woo-chi is top secret... I have to be careful with my words!'
That's right.
The fact that So-ah had gone to handle Sichuan with Myo-seon and Jeon Woo-chi was a top-secret situation that only the leadership knew.
Although there were many reasons for keeping that matter a secret, the decisive reason among them was to prevent the agitation of the martial artists who were in the Sichuan region.
Of course, the fact that the Iron Fist Sect of Sichuan had been annihilated by the White Lotus Cult had been reported to the head of the Tang family and the elders of the Qingcheng Sect.
But after the persuasion of the Alliance Leader and the leadership, they had decided to keep it a secret from their disciples, and the late-stage masters, who would be the backbone of this subjugation, were still completely unaware of the great disaster that had struck Sichuan, so their hearts were filled with anticipation for the Gansu subjugation.
"Ah... ah! That's right! So-ah-hyeong said that he would go to Gansu first with Lady Myo-seon to carry out a secret mission of the alliance."
Moyong Hwa told a clumsy lie to handle the situation.
Fortunately, since it was not a one-or-two-day thing for So-ah to be here and there, people just nodded their heads without any particular suspicion.
"By the way, have you all heard? They say that Myo-seon's martial arts are no joke. I heard that Jin-hyeong brought her a peerless divine art called the Sunflower Manual."
Han Baek, as if he had absorbed the information from somewhere else, threw a topic.
Funnily enough, it seemed that everyone had heard that rumor.
"As it is, Myo-seon's martial arts are the best among the female late-stage masters... it's like giving wings to a tiger."
"I'm envious, so envious! How great would it be if Jin-hyeong brought me a peerless divine art manual like that?"
"You crazy bastard. Kekekekek."
It was in the midst of such useless nonsense.
Namgung Mun frowned and gave a scolding to Han Baek, who was spouting absurd nonsense.
"Tsk-tsk. Han Baek, how long have you been an official, and you're still talking such childish nonsense?"
"Huh? Namgung-hyeong. Why are you picking a fight with me? They say that in a cave without a tiger, a fox acts as the king, so are you trying to establish discipline because Jin-hyeong is not here?"
"What?"
"Hehe. Just kidding!"
"Han Baek-ah. Do you know that the Sunflower Manual is the only cure for the Nine Yin Severed Meridians? That's why So-ah gave the Sunflower Manual to Lady Myo-seon."
"Ah... so that's what happened."
"Tsk-tsk. Anyway, you and your big mouth."
Namgung Mun clicked his tongue and shook his head as if he had given up.
Is a once-a-fool always-a-fool?
It seemed that Han Baek would remain a fool for the rest of his life.
But.
It didn't take long for Namgung Mun to get a taste of his own medicine from Han Baek.
"Namgung-hyeong. But you must be so wronged, right?"
"What?"
"With the appearance of Jin-hyeong, the position of the number one late-stage master of the martial world has already gone down the drain, and besides, the hidden divine monk of Shaolin, Master Gwangwon, has also appeared, so you've been pushed back again. But now you're about to be pushed back by Myo-seon... kekeke! What thousand-year talent, a thousand-year talent, my ass! Anyway, every dog and cow..."
In that moment.
Jang Byeong-il, who had been listening to Han Baek's nonsense, couldn't take it anymore and hit him on the back of the head.
"Why did you hit me!"
"You human... you human... become a human."
Simultaneously.
"What is the grim reaper doing? Not taking that brat..."
"To think that such a brat is a 30-man captain-level official of the Martial Alliance... is this for real?"
"He won't be promoted, right?"
"Of course. He'll probably end up as a 30-man captain until he dies."
"That's right. That's justice."
"Of course!"
Everyone began to add a word to Han Baek.
Of course.
"Han Baek, you... just get caught once. Phew..."
The most angry person was undoubtedly Namgung Mun.
Namgung Mun, who had been pushed back from the best talent of the martial world by So-ah, Gwangwon, and Myo-seon, and was now unable to even enter the top 3.
***
The Blue Dragon, the White Tiger, the Vermilion Bird, and the Black Tortoise, made of dazzling light.
Although the divine beasts, known as the Four Gods of Goguryeo, were not real forms but just an aggregate of ki drawn with the Heavenly Will Brush, their power was truly astonishing.
The zombies that were exposed to the attack of the divine beasts let out a terrible scream, their limbs burst, and they scattered their brains and the unique green blood of the demonic beasts into the air.
Thus, in a moment, the tide of the battle seemed to be reversed.
But
The one who was anxious was So-ah's group.
The number of Ghost Demon Jiangshis had certainly decreased significantly.
Because the zombies, which were close to 80, had been reduced by half before they knew it.
The Ghost Demon Jiangshi, which was known to be able to face one master of the peak level.
It was a part that showed how much effort So-ah had put in.
But that So-ah was currently unconscious and had collapsed.
As soon as So-ah collapsed, Myo-seon picked up his body and moved him to the center of the Demon-Subduing Dragon-Taming Formation, so a situation where the disciples of the Emei Sect were protecting So-ah unfolded.
If Jeon Woo-chi had not been struggling with the manifestation of a spell that could shake the heavens and the earth, it would have been impossible.
"Taishang Laojun, as urgent as the law, I obey the command!"
Jeon Woo-chi was continuously chanting the incantation of the spell and was defending the front of the horde of zombies using talismans.
From around his body, dozens of spheres that scattered a white light each emitted an aggregate of ki composed of the properties of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, and every time that happened, a desperate scream and cry burst from the group of zombies.
In the midst of that.
At the same time as the sound of something cutting through the air fiercely.
"Kya-a-a-a-a-a-ak!"
One of the disciples of the Emei Sect in the front row, who was facing them with the Demon-Subduing Dragon-Taming Formation, let out a strange cry, spewing blood from her chest.
When the front line collapsed, it was only a matter of time before the formation was broken.
Moreover, since the bodies of the Ghost Demon Jiangshis were as solid as if they were reminiscent of a vajra, despite the dozens of sword shadows, they pushed their way into the formation without any regard.
'This is a big problem!'
Jeon Woo-chi's eyes widened like a lantern.
To make matters worse, his magical power was also gradually running out.
If it weren't for the talismans of his master, Baek In-hwa, and the Heavenly Will Brush, which were made of the highest quality cinnabar, he would have collapsed on the ground and been rolling around a long time ago...
'Dammit! I'm at my limit too!'
Once his heart collapsed, the magical power and the spell that he had been squeezing out with all his might also collapsed like a sandcastle.
The dazzling light of the Four Gods, which had been embroidering the room in all directions, also gradually disappeared.
'So-ah... even if I die, I will protect you!'
Myo-seon moved So-ah's body to the rear and bit her lip.
At the same time, she was using the secret of the Sunflower Manual from a distance to destroy the heads of the zombies, but it seemed that it was still a long way to go to annihilate the nearly 40 zombies...
'Primeval Lord of Heaven... please look down on us!'
In the midst of the gradually darkening tide of defeat.
Jeon Woo-chi let out a long sigh and prayed inwardly.
In that moment.
That a group of figures was approaching the room from a close distance.
And Jeon Woo-chi sensed that the ability of that figure was not ordinary.
'Hah... did my prayer work right away?'
Although his life was on the line, a funny thought came to him.
Didn't they say that when one's magical power reached the level of a demigod, one could transform things with just a prayer!
Soon...
A 'savior' appeared in people's sight.
Whether the appearance of that savior was due to the prayer offered to the Supreme Being or not was unknown.
"Y-Young Leader Wi-ji!"
Jeon Woo-chi shouted to the savior.
The savior was none other than the young leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, Wi-ji Chan, and the six monks of the Heavenly Demon Sacred Hall, and furthermore, the members of the Heavenly Spirit Unit.
"The goal is one. We must protect the living, but we will annihilate the wicked zombies that are already dead."
Wi-ji Chan's lips moved.
At that, all the people of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult shouted at once.
"I obey!”
(End of Chapter)