“Go and tear them to shreds.”

“Kill them!”

The fight between the Green Forest and the Poison Sect was on a different level from a fight between ordinary martial artists.

The Poison Sect, which basically used hidden weapons and poison techniques, avoided a head-on battle, and the Green Forest, whose own lives were the most important, was far from a fair and square fight.

That’s why the fight between the Green Forest and the Poison Sect was carried out in a lowly manner.

“Hey! You guys with the bows, fight first!”

“I got it, so get out of the way! If you don’t want a hole in your head!”

The bandits of the Green Forest shot arrows or threw one-handed axes, and the Poison Sect, which was fighting against them, also threw sand mixed with hidden weapons and poison.

While the two groups were continuing their lowly fight, which was far from fair and square, Kang Seopyeong approached the Qingxu True Man and the Jingyu Master.

“You seem to be from Qingcheng and a nun… are you from the Emei Sect?”

“That’s right.”

The Qingxu True Man and the Jingyu Master, who had been helped by the bandits of the Green Forest, had puzzled faces.

And why not? The Qingxu True Man, a Daoist of the Daoist sect, and the Jingyu Master, a nun of the Emei Sect, had no connection with the bandits at all.

Of course, even though they had occasionally driven out the bandits who had appeared near their main mountain, they were not on such good terms as to receive help.

“Thank you for your help. I am Qingxu, an elder of the Qingcheng Sect.”

“I am Jingyu of the Emei Sect.”

“As you’ve heard, I am Kang Seopyeong, the general fortress master of the Green Forest. More than that, our former general fortress master should have gone to your side. Where did he go?”

“Former… general fortress master?”

“Ah, you wouldn’t know if I say it like this. His name is Jin Sohyun. It seems he’s been called the Flying Heaven Sword Ghost recently.”

Kang Seopyeong said with a proud face, and the expressions of the Qingxu True Man and the Jingyu Master, who had heard his story, were slightly peculiar.

“You mean… Young Master Jin was the former general fortress master of the Green Forest?”

“That’s right. If not, why would we have come all this way.”

“That’s true, but…”

“It was also the order of the former general fortress master to help you. So please tell me without delay. Where is the former general fortress master?”

Kang Seopyeong still emphasized the words ‘former general fortress master’.

But the faces of the Qingxu True Man and the Jingyu Master were dark.

Kang Seopyeong, who had felt them hesitating to answer, asked in a somewhat stiff voice.

“Where is… Jin Sohyun.”

“…He bought us time to escape… and remained alone to face the Blood-Sucking Sword Demon.”

“You crazy bastard! He was left alone there!?”

“Y-yes.”

The Qingxu True Man hung his head low.

He had nothing to say even if he had ten mouths.

The same went for the Jingyu Master.

“Phew—!”

Kang Seopyeong, who was letting out a frustrated breath, gripped his axe and chain in each hand and said.

“First, let’s take care of the fight here.”

“I understand.”

“We will help too.”

The fight, which Kang Seopyeong, the Qingxu True Man, and the Jingyu Master had joined, began to tilt in favor of the Green Forest.

‘Damn it!’

Hamgi stepped back with a flustered face.

There were still quite a few poison men left, and he thought that they could win if they fought to the end, but the problem was after that.

‘If we lose all the poison men here… the subsequent fights will be a problem.’

Hamgi had no choice but to take out a flute from his bosom and play it.

At this, the poison men began to retreat and run away.

“Don’t chase them.”

Kang Seopyeong, who had killed three poison men, did not chase the fleeing poison men of the Poison Sect.

At this, the Jingyu Master said in a flustered voice.

“This is our chance. If we let them live, the future fights will be dangerous!”

“That’s not my concern.”

“What do you mean…!”

“What I was asked to do was to help you escape safely. Anything more than that is not the business of the Green Forest. In the first place, do you think the Poison Sect is running away because they think they will lose to the Green Forest?”

The Jingyu Master, who had been questioning him, kept her mouth shut.

He was right.

This was a fight between the righteous and heretic paths, and a fight between the alliance and the Poison Sect.

It was not the fight of the Green Forest.

And there was nothing to be gained by chasing and threatening the fleeing Poison Sect.

Because if they fought head-on, the damage that the Green Forest would receive would by no means be small.

“Let’s go.”

As Kang Seopyeong turned around without any lingering attachment, the Qingxu True Man asked.

“Why don’t we go back to the Qingcheng Sect together? Young Master Jin might be there, you know?”

“How long has it been since you fled from the Qingcheng Sect?”

“Two days… about.”

“Then it must have been decided already. Whether Jin Sohyun is dead or alive… I will just do my part.”

After finishing his words, Kang Seopyeong led the bandits of the Green Forest and the surviving martial artists of the alliance and left Sichuan.

***

“Father! Where are we going?”

“We’re going to Shanxi.”

“Why?”

“Because a big fight between martial artists is going to happen in Sichuan soon.”

A man in his mid-thirties named Ohyeon, who was working as a merchant at a small trading company in Jungganghyeon, Sichuan Province, rowed vigorously.

On his small boat, his only remaining family after losing his wife, his daughter Ohmi, was sitting demurely.

‘It’s best to avoid fire.’

A big fire caused by martial artists was scheduled to happen in Sichuan.

For that reason, Ohyeon had gotten on a boat with Ohmi to get out of Sichuan as quickly as possible.

It was to go down the river and then go up to Shanxi through the main road.

Ohyeon caressed the cheek and head of the worried Ohmi.

“Don’t worry. Nothing will happen to us.”

“Yes… then will many people die?”

“…”

Ohyeon hesitated on what to answer and then shook his head.

“I don’t know about that either.”

“It’s so sad. Why are those people trying to kill each other? Can’t they just get along?”

“It’s because they are martial artists.”

“Martial artists?”

“Yes. Because martial artists learn something called martial arts, they have to fight someone.”

“Then why do they learn martial arts?”

“To become strong.”

“What’s good about being strong?”

“…”

This time too, Ohyeon could not give an answer to his daughter’s innocent question.

How should he say it.

Ohyeon shook his head again.

“I don’t know about that either.”

Ohmi hugged Ohyeon’s bosom with her two small arms.

Ohyeon hugged the small life preciously.

Kung—!

As the boat shook slightly, the startled Ohmi blinked her eyes, and the equally startled Ohyeon checked the side of the boat where the sound had come from.

“Hic!”

What Ohyeon had discovered there was a corpse that had floated down the river.

“Wh-what is it?”

“Stay here for a moment! You must not look down!”

“Yes…”

Ohyeon, who had sat Ohmi down and had picked up the oar, slowly pushed away the corpse that had touched the boat, using the oar.

‘A martial artist who died in a fight between martial artists. Did he float all the way here?’

It was the first time Ohyeon had seen a corpse, so his heart pounded.

To dispose of the corpse as quickly as possible, Ohyeon put more strength into the hand that was holding the oar.

“I’m sorry.”

Apologizing to the unknown corpse, Ohyeon pushed the corpse hard.

At that, the corpse, which had been overturned, turned over once, and its face was revealed above the water.

“Heok!”

Ohyeon was startled.

The first reason he was startled was because the corpse was younger than he had thought and was quite handsome.

And he felt a sense of life on the face, which was hard to see as a corpse.

‘Did he die not long ago?’

Ohyeon felt pity and tried to move the corpse to the side of the boat.

But at that moment, he heard Ohmi’s voice from his side.

“I-is it a person?”

“Ohmi! I told you to sit still!”

“I’m… sorry.”

As Ohmi shrank her neck, Ohyeon reached out his hand and stroked the girl’s head.

“Go and sit over there. Until I say it’s okay.”

“Okay… huh? It moved!”

“Hmm? Moved?”

“That person… moved!”

Ohmi shouted, pointing her finger.

Ohyeon was surprised by his daughter’s shout and checked the corpse.

At that, the corpse, which had had its eyes closed, half-opened its eyes.

Water leaked from his mouth and nose.

‘He’s… he’s… alive!?’

“Quickly, pull him out! He’s going to die at this rate!”

At Ohmi’s shout, Ohyeon was conflicted.

If Ohmi hadn’t been here, he would have pretended not to see and would have passed by.

It wasn’t because he was a bad person.

Because if a commoner like him got involved in a fight between martial artists, he would surely end up in a bad situation.

While Ohyeon was conflicted, Ohmi stretched out her fern-like hand.

“Grab on!”

“Ohmi! What are you doing!”

“A person is dying! We have to save him!”

At Ohmi’s attitude of trying to save the man as if it were natural, Ohyeon was greatly shocked.

‘Yes… that’s right. This foolish father was about to show a shameful side!’

Ohyeon, who had gained enlightenment from his daughter, jumped into the river himself and hugged the man.

“Are you conscious!?”

“…”

The man was silent, but his half-opened eyes followed the sound and moved.

“I’ll save you, so stay still!”

Ohyeon, who had been born and raised in Junghyeon, where the river flowed, had enjoyed swimming since he was young, so he was able to move the man onto the boat without much difficulty.

Ohyeon, who had moved the man onto the boat, realized that the man had lost consciousness again.

‘He doesn’t look to be in a good condition.’

His two arms, which had turned blue, seemed to be broken, and the stab wounds visible between his torn martial arts uniform were unusual.

If he were left like this, he would surely die, so Ohyeon rowed vigorously.

‘First, I have to get as far away from here as possible.’

He did not know whether the man was a good person or a bad person.

Right now, he just had to save him.

Whoever he was.

***

“You mean Jin Sohyun lost to Ma Seongun.”

“That’s right.”

“Hmm.”

The face of the Alliance Leader, who was supposed to be happy, did not look very happy.

Rather, he seemed to be displeased with something.

‘Yes. The Alliance Leader is such a person.’

Mu Yu’s two eyes sank coldly.

Although he stood at the pinnacle of the heretic path as the Heretic Path's Alliance Leader, his goal was not to defeat the righteous path and conquer the martial world.

‘Chaos is your only purpose and the meaning of your life.’

The gray color created by the mixture of black and white was his only goal.

But Mu Yu was not.

‘It’s okay if it’s not you. I will surely place the Heretic Path's Alliance at the pinnacle of the martial world. I will be the final winner!’

What Mu Yu wanted to become was the winner.

The conquest of the martial world, which even the Ming Cult had not been able to achieve, was his only purpose and the meaning of his life.

“The Martial Alliance has entered Sichuan.”

“The Martial Alliance…”

Ju Cheon looked at the map of Sichuan with a languid gaze and then touched it with his fingertip.

“The decisive battleground is?”

“There is an area called Pyeongmu in the north of Sichuan Province. It is far from the city, and a flat terrain spreads wide, so it seems to be a perfect place for a decisive battle.”

“Good. Send a letter to the Martial Alliance.”

“Yes.”

“If we’re going to fight anyway, a head-on battle would be good.”

“That’s right.”

Mu Yu, who had finished his conversation with Ju Cheon and had turned around, greeted the members of the Mixed Demon Squad who had returned.

“Although we killed the sect master of the Qingcheng Sect, we could not find Jin Sohyun.”

“It doesn’t matter. What happened to Ma Seongun?”

“The leader is…”

Mu Yu, who had heard the news of Ma Seongun and had gone to find him, covered his mouth and nose with his sleeve at the smell of blood that pierced his nose.

The place he had arrived at was a sea of blood and a mountain of corpses.

Ma Seongun, who was sitting on a mountain of corpses and was coveting their hearts, greeted Mu Yu, his whole body covered in blood.

“How much longer do I have to wait?” 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Ma Seongun’s voice had changed.

As if bones were cracking.

At his voice, which seemed to have come from hell, Mu Yu had goosebumps but did not show it.

“The Martial Alliance has gathered, and the decisive battleground has been decided.”

“Where is Jin Sohyun?”

“He has disappeared. But that bastard will surely appear.”

Mu Yu looked at Ma Seongun, who was sitting on a blood-red corpse, and his eyes widened.

“Blood Demon.”

A smile automatically appeared on his lips.

“You are no longer the Blood-Sucking Sword Demon.”

Mu Yu knelt on his two knees in front of Ma Seongun and said in a reverent manner with his two arms spread.

“From now on, you are… the Blood Demon.”

(End of Chapter)