Scholar Demon Venerable

The martial artists of the Black Sword Gang and the Iron Sand Gang drew their weapons and rushed towards the martial artists of the Lu family manor.

The martial artists of the Lu family manor also drew their weapons.

"Block them!"

Finally, the warriors of both sides were entangled.

The martial artists of the Lu family manor, who were outnumbered, were continuously pushed back.

At that moment, martial artists poured out from the inside. It was a larger number than expected.

"Look at this?"

At the appearance of what seemed to be over a hundred of them, Zhang Jun's eyes flashed.

'It's dangerous. Every one of them is a person with great momentum. In that case...'

The leader of the Black Sword Gang, who had felt the crisis, gathered his internal energy and shouted.

"Hyeokryeon Hui is hiding here!"

At his shout, the other martial artists of the Black Sword Gang also shouted the same words.

"Hyeokryeon Hui is here!"

"The one with the Heavenly Circle Sword Art is in the Lu family manor!"

The sound of dozens of people shouting echoed over the manor and throughout the west gate area.

The face of Lu Zhongjing, who had just come out of the pavilion and was about to shout, contorted. Martial artists were already climbing over the wall of the Lu family manor from all directions.

In an instant, the news that Hyeokryeon Hui had been discovered spread. The martial artists who were looking for Hyeokryeon Hui and the Heavenly Circle Sword Art flocked to the Lu family manor without exception.

"This is what happened."

A sound close to a groan flowed out of Lu Zhongjing's mouth.

He turned his body, quickly went inside, and shouted.

"Block them!"

"Yes!"

A strong man answered and then shouted.

"They are people who have climbed over the wall in broad daylight. Don't hold back and kill them all!"

"As you command!"

The martial artists who were on standby attacked the ones who had climbed over the wall of the manor.

"Kill them!"

"Block them!"

"How dare you jump in!"

A fight broke out between the martial artists of the Lu family manor and the martial artists who had flocked. In terms of numbers, the martial artists who had flocked were much more numerous, but they were no match for the martial artists of the Lu family manor.

"Kill them! Hurry up and kill them and we have to catch Hyeokryeon Hui!"

Zheng Jun shouted at the top of his lungs.

He did not step forward and was still standing in front of the main gate of the Lu family manor. The martial artists of the Black Sword Gang were also the same.

'So he was hiding here.'

Cheongun looked at the scene with a cold gaze and gave an order to Xiong Tian.

"Those people don't seem to be the martial artists of the Lu family manor. They seem to be the martial artists of the Zirong Palace, so postpone the deployment of the Jinyiwei and make the rumor bigger."

"Yes, Your Excellency."

A cold chill appeared in Cheongun's two eyes.

Although the skills of the martial artists of the Zirong Palace were outstanding, there were only about a hundred of them. In contrast, the number of martial artists who were flocking continued to increase.

Among them, there were also several martial artists with skills superior to those of the martial artists of the Zirong Palace.

As the masters joined, a crack appeared in the tense fight.

The martial artists of the Zirong Palace fell one by one. Although many more martial artists had died or been injured in vain, no one among the martial artists, who were blinded by greed, cared about them.

As most of the martial artists of the Zirong Palace who were blocking the front fell, someone shouted loudly.

"Hyeokryeon Hui is running away over there!"

There were people who were climbing over the west wall of the Lu family manor. Their number was several dozen.

At the right time, the martial artists who were blocking the front grabbed the ankles of the ones who were trying to pursue them, as if to squeeze out their last strength.

"Where are you going!"

"These guys can't go a single step."

The martial artists of the Zirong Palace also desperately blocked the front. But they could not block all the rushing martial artists, and one side was breached.

"We've broken through!"

"Pursue them! Don't let them get away!"

The ones who had come in like a flood were swept away like an ebbing tide.

Cheongun, who was watching the scene from a distance, quickly gave an order.

"Capture all the guys from the Zirong Palace."

"Yes, Your Excellency."

Looking at the martial artists who had started the pursuit from a distance, Cheongun smiled at the corner of his mouth.

The Blood Emperor, who was next to him, his eyes lit up, and he asked.

[What are you going to do now?]

"I have to start the rabbit hunt."

[Hehe, I wonder which hole the rabbit will run to.]

Cheongun lightly rolled his feet and unfolded his lightness skill.

Cheongun also disappeared in the direction where the martial artists had disappeared.

* * *

The ones who had started to run away from the Lu family manor could not easily shake off the martial artists who were endlessly pursuing them.

Although they turned in various directions in the encirclement that was tightening from all directions, it was all in vain.

A net in the sky and on the ground.

It meant that a net was spread in the sky and on the ground, making it impossible to escape.

The current situation was like being caught in a net in the sky and on the ground.

The dozen or so people who had escaped from the Lu family manor ran quickly through the forest. Although they were clearly tired, they could not stop. If they stopped, it was clear that they would be trapped in the encirclement that was tightening from all directions.

Hyeokryeon Hui said to the martial arts teacher.

"How about we rest for a while?"

"I understand. The warriors also seem tired, so let's rest here for a while."

The martial arts teacher stopped his steps and said to his subordinates.

"Everyone, rest for a quarter of an hour."

As the order fell, everyone stopped. Most of them were soaked in sweat and blood.

They had been attacked several times on their way here. Although they had defeated them all, they also had not a few casualties.

While they were resting, they treated the ones who were injured.

The martial arts teacher spread his senses and looked for any approaching people.

"Fortunately, no one has followed us this far."

At his words, everyone let out a sigh of relief.

Although it had not been a day since they had left Shangqiu, already nearly half of the warriors had been killed or captured by them. If time passed like this, they might be caught without going far.

Among the group, the Yiqi Great Hero, Lu Zhongjing, was also seen.

His appearance, which was known for his upright appearance and his liking for clean things, was a great failure. If those who knew him had seen him, he was so dirty that they would have fainted.

His clothes were torn, and his white clothes had long since turned a dark red. It was possible to guess how many fights he had had on his way here.

He approached the martial arts teacher and said a word.

"Sanchen, is it really not Young Master Hui who obtained the Heavenly Circle Sword Art?"

A clear "川" was made on the brow of the martial arts teacher who was called Sanchen.

"I told you not to call me by that name."

"Hmph. In this situation, is a name a big deal? I have thrown away the fame I have built up my whole life."

Lu Zhongjing growled.

As he had said, because of Hyeokryeon Hui and the martial arts teacher, the Lu family manor had been smashed, and he had become a fugitive.

The martial arts teacher who was called Sanchen frowned and shot back.

"A false fame can be found again."

"What? A false fame? Did you just say a false fame?"

"Ahem. I'm sorry. My words went too far."

"Hmph. Be careful. Although I am younger than you in the cult..."

"Stop! Stop it. Don't you know that you shouldn't mention it anymore?"

The martial arts teacher shouted and cut off Lu Zhongjing's words in the middle.

Although Lu Zhongjing's face twitched, he apologized first.

"I'm sorry."

"No. I also have my faults. More importantly, as I said again, neither I nor Young Master Hui went to the used bookstore, and we have not seen the Heavenly Circle Sword Art."

"Keung. Then what is that rumor?"

"As soon as we entered Shangqiu, we hid in the Lu family manor. It is clear that someone has played a trick."

At Lu Zhongjing's question, the martial arts teacher made a face that said he also didn't understand.

"Then you're saying that someone spread a rumor to catch you, but this is also strange."

"What is?"

"Think about it. You and Young Master Hui are being chased for a rebellion. But the Jinyiwei or the soldiers did not chase you at all. Then doesn't that mean they don't know you are in Shangqiu?"

At Lu Zhongjing's words, the martial arts teacher's brow narrowed again.

Hearing it, it was strange.

"I think so too. When we first killed the Jinyiwei and fled, there were no pursuers. After turning in various directions and hiding our bodies, we hid in Shangqiu, so they cannot find our location so quickly."

"I also have an acquaintance in the military, and I found out that no order to pursue you has been issued."

It was a situation that didn't make sense. Although he had thought about it continuously while being chased, he didn't understand.

If the Jinyiwei had known that they were hiding in Shangqiu, they would have sent soldiers to pursue them. But they hadn't, and if the soldiers also didn't know, then it wasn't the Jinyiwei.

Then it meant that someone else had played a trick...

Lu Zhongjing looked at the martial arts teacher and said cautiously.

"By any chance... could it be because of that?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know. The successor..."

Lu Zhongjing did not finish his words. But realizing what he was trying to say, the martial arts teacher's complexion hardened.

It was something he hadn't thought of.

Padeudeuk.

A chilling sound came from his mouth.

A fierce fire flashed in his two eyes.

"If it's them, it could be."

"Damn it. That's right, if that's true, then all of this is explained."

The two exchanged glances and nodded their heads.

After a while, Lu Zhongjing stood up from his seat and said to his subordinates.

"This is near the outskirts of Shandong. You three, go through Juye and enter Liangshan. And you four, move to Heze and then return to Henan. The rest will go to Jinxiang with me and enter Qufu. After that, we will move to Mount Tai."

"Yes, master."

"Master, then what do we do after that? Do we join up?"

They had to decide whether to meet again after scattering or to move separately.

Lu Zhongjing looked at the martial artists who had decided to move separately and said.

"Go to the Wu family manor in Taiyuan, Shanxi. You know where it is, right?"

"Of course. We will be waiting there."

Several people greeted and quickly left. The remaining people also finished their rest and left the place.

After a while.

In the forest where everyone had left, a figure appeared silently. It was Cheongun.

As soon as Cheongun had discovered them, he had hidden himself in a place not far away and had moved with them.

Sometimes, when they were surrounded, he would even open a way for them by hitting the acupoints of the pursuers.

But weren't they saying something suspicious?

"They're saying something interesting."

[It was worth the trouble.]

"Rather than trouble, I was able to test the concealment art I learned from the Imperial Palace Armory, so it was also training and good."

The reason why he hadn't been caught so far was not only because of his outstanding lightness skill but also because he had unfolded the Ten Thousand Flowers Concealment Evil Form, which he had learned from the Imperial Palace Armory.

[Concealment arts and hiding arts are all based on the Qimen Dunjia, so they are tricky to learn, but you were able to learn them easily because you are bright in the art of divination.]

"Hahaha, I have a good head, don't I?"

[Stop talking nonsense and let's go. We have to find out one more thing.]

"Yes."

Cheongun's figure became blurry as if it were assimilating with the surroundings and scattered in the wind.

As if there had been nothing from the beginning, the forest soon fell into silence.

* * *

A group of people entered Xinyi County, which was at the northern end of Jiangsu Province.

They were Hyeokryeon Hui and his party.

Cheongun watched them enter an inn from a distance.

The Blood Emperor suddenly had a strange thought and asked Cheongun.

[But those guys, they said they were going to Jinan in Shandong Province, so why did they change their path to Jiangsu Province?]

"It seems to be an action to worry that their destination will be revealed if their subordinates are caught."

[They are meticulous guys.]

"It seems their destination is the Zirong Palace, but if we attack with the imperial army, the problem will get bigger."

[If there is no clear justification and evidence, the backlash from the righteous path will be severe.]

The power of the Zirong Palace was greater than he had thought. It was not a place that could be simply pushed into and searched.

But Cheongun had no intention of retreating just because their backlash was strong.

"Whether there is evidence or not, if their fault is clear, I will do as I please no matter what pressure comes. Let's see who wins in the end."

The Blood Emperor glanced at such a Cheongun and then shook his head.

'Hah, that bastard. He has more of a temper than he looks.'

(End of Chapter)