Chapter 103
When Nangong Zhao was arguing with Huang Shuyun and the others, Tang Yunseol was looking around.
If the Blood Fiend appeared...
She thought she was going to die when she encountered the Blood Fiend who was being chased by Baekji on the riverbank.
No, if Nangong Zhao hadn't shown his wits, she would have died on the spot.
Her ominous premonition was right.
A blood mist that flowed like a wisp of smoke in the darkness came into her eyes.
A faint flow that could not be noticed unless one paid attention.
As soon as Tang Yunseol saw it, she shouted to avoid it and at the same time scattered the '삼석사'.
Swish!
The iron powder spread in a one-zhang radius and covered the blood mist.
Tatatadang.
The '삼석사' could not penetrate the Blood Fiend's protective ki and bounced off.
"Yunseol, get back!"
In an instant, Nangong Zhao drew his sword and swung it down.
Swish.
As the sword light bloomed in the darkness, a palm-sized strong ki shot towards the blood mist.
Tang Yunseol, who had switched places with Nangong Zhao, threw her dagger.
Shushushuk!
Twelve daggers flew in a line.
Huang Shuyun and the others were flustered by the sudden situation.
"What is this..."
"It's an enemy!"
They shouted in unison and took out their weapons.
"That person is a master of the 'manifestation realm'! Retreat for now and request support!"
Nangong Zhao had no time to shoot a signal flare as he was continuously unfolding his sword energy.
Huang Shuyun and the others did not retreat.
They let Nangong Zhao's warning flow past their ears.
In their eyes, the blood-red mist seemed to be unable to move due to the attacks of Nangong Zhao and Tang Yunseol.
"A master of the 'manifestation realm'? You have to make sense."
They did not believe Nangong Zhao's words.
A person with the martial prowess of the top ten masters, what was he lacking to jump over a wall?
A master of the 'manifestation realm' was busy blocking Nangong Zhao's sword?
"Hmph! Sword energy?"
Huang Shuyun and the others' eyes were drawn to Nangong Zhao's sword energy.
It seemed to be superior to their own.
'A mere military affairs department investigator...'
The chronic fighting spirit of the martial force surged.
Bi Yangyeon, seeing the blood-red mist, had a thought.
"A blood-red mist? It's the Blood Sect!"
"The Blood Sect? How dare the Blood Sect loiter around the Martial Alliance!"
They each said a word and surrounded the blood-red mist.
The Blood Sect was a public enemy of the martial world.
If they caught them, they would immediately be revered as young heroes.
Nangong Zhao's insides were burning.
"They are not your opponents!"
Although he warned them again.
"We'll have to see about that. Kehehe... I'll catch this brat!"
Even Quan Yihai was ready to rush in with his bare fists.
The Blood Fiend, who had hidden his body in the blood-red mist, blocked the pouring attacks and looked around.
He had followed the ki of the 'Blood Blood Demonic Art' and had come to find Tang Tian'e, but the brats were fighting in front of the Lighting Pit.
He had quietly approached to kill them, but had been discovered by Tang Yunseol.
Even so, he didn't care. The only one who could stop him was the Alliance Leader.
The Alliance Leader would not be guarding the Lighting Pit.
The Blood Fiend's eyes scanned far into the darkness.
No particular presence was felt.
It became clear that it was only the brats in front of him.
Among them, Nangong Zhao was familiar.
'He's the brat I saw on the riverbank. His improvisation is excellent.'
Other than Nangong Zhao, they were not even a handful.
Papapat!
The blood ki fluctuated, and the Blood Fiend revealed his entire body.
Seeing the burning red hair, Huang Shuyun took a sharp breath.
"The Blood Fiend!"
The notoriety of the Right Honored One of the Blood Sect, the Blood Fiend, was high.
There was a rumor that his red hair was dyed with the blood of the people he had killed.
When the Blood Fiend raised both hands, a blood-red wheel appeared.
If the blood wheel made of 'Blood Blood Strong Ki' flew, everything it touched would be cut.
"It's an enemy! The Blood Sect has appeared!"
Huang Shuyun, who had finally grasped the situation, shouted.
The impatient Nangong Zhao gathered all his internal energy and put it into his sword.
Swish.
The blood wheel left the Blood Fiend's hand and aimed for Huang Shuyun and the others. He intended to get rid of the annoying brats first.
Paaang!
Sword energy exploded from Nangong Zhao's sword.
Boom!
The blood wheel that was aiming for Huang Shuyun and Nangong Zhao's sword energy collided.
The sword energy could not overcome the power contained in the blood wheel and was shattered with a loud explosion.
However, thanks to that, the direction of the blood wheel changed, and Huang Shuyun was able to save his life by a hair's breadth.
The other blood wheel was aimed at Zhao Yun, who was aiming for the Blood Fiend's right side.
Zhao Yun, realizing that he could not avoid it, raised his sword and tried to strike the blood wheel. A blue sword energy shone as if he had gathered all his internal energy.
But it was not enough to block the blood wheel that was flying with the momentum to cut everything.
"Watch out!"
Quan Yihai thrust out his fist.
Poong!
With a loud roar, a fist wave shot out.
Poong!
Although Zhao Yun's sword energy and Quan Yihai's fist wave collided with the blood wheel, they disappeared without a trace.
The blood wheel flew to the front of Zhao Yun.
Just then.
"Zhao Yun, move!"
Parararat!
Bi Yangyeon swung her long, flexible sword like a whip and pushed Zhao Yun.
Thanks to the flexible sword hitting the blood wheel, Zhao Yun was able to narrowly avoid it.
"Hmm. The brats are quite good."
The Blood Fiend sneered and then crossed his palms and struck in all directions.
Pung, peopeopeong!
A fierce palm energy containing blood-red ki covered all directions, and this time there was nowhere to escape.
Pung!
"Keuk!"
"Keok!"
Zhao Yun and Quan Yihai were thrown back at the same time.
Bi Yangyeon's flexible sword was bent, and her right arm was covered in blood as she was thrown away.
Huang Shuyun flew three zhang and rolled on the ground before collapsing.
Nangong Zhao and Tang Yunseol were also swept away by the aftermath of the palm energy and had to retreat a zhang.
"Keup!"
Nangong Zhao supported the staggering Tang Yunseol and swung his sword wildly to dissipate the aftermath of the palm energy.
Huang Shuyun's shout was appropriate.
When the warning sound of an enemy exploded in the middle of the night, a bustling movement arose from here and there.
"An enemy? Where did an enemy appear!"
"The Elder's Hall? It seems to be the Elder's Hall."
"Protect the elders."
Beep-!
With a loud whistle, shouts asking for the enemy's location were heard from all directions.
"What brat dares to break into the Elder's Hall! What is the 'Chief Guarding Brigade' doing?"
The roar of the Grand Elder, Haewol, was also heard.
The Blood Fiend, noticing the atmosphere, immediately flew to the Lighting Pit.
Boom!
The lock was blown off in a lump by the fist containing the 'Blood Blood Strong Ki', and the Blood Fiend entered.
In the meantime, Nangong Zhao took out a signal flare from his bosom and shot it up.
Pung!
As the signal flare shot up into the night sky, the presence of people rushing over was immediately felt.
'I got him!'
The countless presences approaching from the Elder's Hall.
It seemed that the elders who had been summoned by Shangguan Ming and had been interrogating him late into the night were all rushing over.
If all the elders stepped forward, even a master of the 'manifestation realm' would not be able to escape easily.
"What brat is it!"
The appearance of the Grand Elder, Haewol, was a welcome sight for the first time. Following him, the elders and even Shangguan Ming rushed over.
Haewol frowned at the sight of the fallen Huang Shuyun and the others.
"The Blood Fiend! The Blood Fiend went in there!"
Nangong Zhao shouted, pointing at the Lighting Pit.
Shangguan Ming's complexion, who had grasped the situation, hardened gravely.
Kwaaang!
A series of explosions erupted from the Lighting Pit.
Haewol glared at Shangguan Ming.
He had realized something at the words 'Blood Fiend'.
No wonder Shangguan Ming had handed over Tang Tian'e so readily.
"The Blood Fiend? What do you mean? Is there something you haven't reported to the Elder's Hall?"
"..."
Shangguan Ming did not answer and glared at the Lighting Pit.
Since the trap he had laid in the military affairs department had been in vain, he now had to subdue him with force.
"Oh! This is why the military affairs department is called a den of demons! I will surely hold you responsible for this. To deceive the Elder's Hall!"
Although Haewol's face turned red and he roared, Shangguan Ming was calm.
"Let's catch the enemy first and then think about it."
Shangguan Ming said to his subordinate, "Issue an emergency order to the entire Alliance! Seal the Alliance!"
The subordinate took out a three-colored signal flare and set it off.
Haewol said with a displeased face, "A strong enemy has appeared, so what is the Alliance Leader doing?"
"The Alliance Leader will also know."
He had reported the detailed plan of the operation to the Alliance Leader's office.
Although there had been a setback, he would already know that the Blood Fiend had appeared.
Shangguan Ming glared at the Lighting Pit, whose door was wide open.
The Lighting Pit, which was carved out of a rock wall, was so dark that nothing could be seen, as if the darkness had opened its mouth.
Shangguan Ming asked Nangong Zhao, "Are you alright?"
"I am fine, but the inspection team members..."
"It seems they are not dead."
Shangguan Ming said, looking at Huang Shuyun and the others who were being carried away by the warriors.
In the meantime, the 'Chief Guarding Brigade' of the Elder's Hall and the martial force of the inner hall arrived one after another.
* * *
"Hmm. It's a mess. The Blood Fiend is finished."
Jian Yi, who had barely escaped before the Alliance was sealed, said to Hongyan, who was waiting.
"Even the Blood Fiend will have a hard time. Why did he do such a reckless thing? I can't understand how he reached the 'manifestation realm' with that head..."
Jian Yi clicked his tongue, as if it were a pity.
His plan to follow the Blood Fiend and find his base had been in vain.
Hongyan said, "What if we find the place where the Blood Fiend was hiding? If we interrogate those brats..."
"Do you think those paltry brats would know where the Blood Cult Leader is? Don't do anything foolish."
Jian Yi, after thinking for a moment, asked Hongyan, "Do you have the 'Thousand Li Tracking Incense'?"
"Yes."
"Give it to me."
When he handed over the 'Thousand Li Tracking Incense', Jian Yi applied it to Hongyan's neck.
"Why are you putting this on me?"
"How will I find you if I don't know where you are?"
"I'm always by your side, scholar."
"From now on, follow the Honored One of the Yang-Bai Merchant Sect."
"You want me to follow that brat?"
"Oh! Watch your words. That person... an absolute master is a sublime being who has achieved enlightenment regardless of age. You must treat him with the utmost respect."
Although Hongyan was reluctant, she could not defy the order of the Western Divine General.
"Understood..."
Jian Yi even took the 'Yellow Weasel'.
"I have a place to go for a while. You must not lose him."
Jian Yi was planning to go and find the Southern Divine General, Hu Geling.
After the young cult leader had disappeared, the three divine generals, excluding the Northern Divine General, Mado, who had cut off contact early on, had divided their territories and were searching.
'Hu Geling will faint when he hears my reasoning.'
Jian Yi, inwardly pleased, disappeared into the darkness.
'Ouch...!'
Hongyan, left alone, let out a silent cheer to the night sky.
Finally, she was free from the nagging.
A sense of liberation as if she could fly and the pressure of having received a difficult task crossed.
'You want me to follow that brat?'
Hongyan, on her way to the Tianlong Inn where Baekji was, rolled her head.
'That brat is definitely an absolute master, so how do I follow him?'
Absolute masters were beings who knew who was approaching just by their ki.
Since she didn't have the 'Yellow Weasel', she couldn't use the 'Thousand Li Tracking Incense'.
Hongyan, who was walking in a difficult situation, stopped in surprise.
Baekji was out in front of the Tianlong Inn.
"I'm on my way from the Alliance. Why is it so noisy?"
'He knows everything...'
Hongyan knew that Baekji was chasing the Blood Fiend.
"I don't know. I was just seeing the scholar off and was on my way back... it seems something is going on at the Alliance."
Hongyan looked towards the Alliance.
With her internal energy, she could not sense anything.
'A monster-like brat. To think he can feel the presence of what's happening at the Alliance from here.'
At Hongyan's words, Baekji tilted his head.
"The old scholar left? To leave in the middle of the night... is it something urgent? It seems the Blood Fiend has been caught."
'He's a ghost...'
Hongyan's mouth fell open.
"Is anyone hurt?"
Baekji, who had sent Nangong Zhao and Tang Yunseol, had come out because he was secretly worried.
Although he had pretended not to know, not wanting to reveal himself, he was concerned.
He also had the expectation that the Martial Alliance would be able to catch a master of the 'manifestation realm' at their base.
But he was not at ease.
A master of the 'manifestation realm' was like a sudden disaster.
One could lose their life in an instant.
'Should I have sent Mado?'
There was a reason why he had stopped Mado.
If she were to wield the 'Heaven-Shattering Demonic Saber' to catch the Blood Fiend...
It could be revealed that Mado's martial arts originated from the Demonic Cult.
'Tsk. I'm not even sure if I'm from the Demonic Cult, and I'm worrying about all sorts of things...'
Baekji looked towards the Alliance for a moment and then moved his steps. He couldn't just stay still because he was curious.
'I'm the Honored One of the Household of the Tang family, right? It's only natural to protect the direct descendants...'
Hongyan, left alone, looked at Baekji's back and then entered the Tianlong Inn.
Since it was her first day of liberation from Jian Yi, she planned to have a drink and sleep soundly.
(End of Chapter)