Chapter 183 - Rewriting the Sichuan Blood Tragedy (3)

The Murim Academy personnel that Gu Jeongryong had absorbed constantly voiced their complaints throughout the journey.

For them, it was an understandable reaction in a way, as their schedule, which officially allowed them to skip their studies and enjoy a trip, had suddenly turned into a one-sided forced march.

Furthermore, adults were no different from children; no matter how much they were told about the severity of the situation, Elder Suheo and Elder Sangwon would burst out with complaints about seven times a day.

'To think these people are elders of the Murim Alliance.'

Watching their extreme escapism—saying things like, 'It must be false information,' 'What nonsense is the heterodox path in this day and age,' and 'Jin Sowoon is playing tricks'—Gu Jeongryong could not stop cursing inwardly.

"H-How could this be..."

However, their complaints completely vanished when they encountered the academy students of the Qingcheng Sect and the Emei Sect.

The Orthodox Council personnel, led as if being escorted by the members of the Twelve Peaks and Castles, were the very picture of a defeated army.

Rarely could any of them walk straight, and some were even being carried on stretchers.

After assigning some personnel to protect them, Gu Jeongryong picked up the pace even more.

Normally, Suheo and Sangwon would have complained about why they were moving in such a rush, but they kept their mouths firmly shut and kept pace with Gu Jeongryong and Seungho Hall.

Eventually, when they encountered the groups from the Mount Hua Sect and the Kongtong Sect, they could not help but be astounded.

"W-What in the world is going on here?"

"Where is Elder So? You brats! Where did Elder So go...?"

They must have fled in a frenzy, for there were countless academy students who had lost their swords, which were akin to a warrior's life.

The scale of the damage was twice as large as that of the Qingcheng and Emei academy students in the Third Line.

"According to what we heard via the carrier pigeon, it was... definitely not supposed to be this much damage."

The damage was much greater than expected.

For the Kongtong Sect in particular, most of the academy students from the lay sects had been crippled or lost their ability to speak, and only a few disciples of the Kongtong Sect barely managed to cling to their lives.

"... A-After we e-evacuated, we w-w-were a-attacked... a-again."

Unable to make proper eye contact and stuttering continuously, the academy student's condition left Gu Jeongryong, Suheo, and Sangwon, who were listening to the report, with stiff expressions they could not relax.

"If the Second Line is like this... the damage to the First Line must be even greater."

"..."

Looking at the elders who could not give any answer, Gu Jeongryong clicked his tongue.

"We will move out for now."

"Right now?"

"We must move as quickly as possible. Who knows what will happen if we delay?"

At Gu Jeongryong's words, Suheo frantically rolled his eyes.

"If this place is like this as you say, then the path ahead..."

Suheo was unable to finish his sentence properly.

At that sight, Gu Jeongryong's face crumpled heavily.

"What are you trying to say?"

"... Ahem!"

"Could you speak clearly?"

"... No, it's nothing."

Gu Jeongryong drafted some personnel from Seungho Hall and the academy students and instructed them to escort the academy students belonging to the Mount Hua Sect and the Kongtong Sect to where the Qingcheng Sect members were.

Then, he turned his mount around once again and raced toward where the First Line was.

At that moment.

ZIIING!

A bizarre voice pierced into the mind of Gu Jeongryong, who had maximized his qi perception while running.

"Stop!"

Seeing Gu Jeongryong urgently halt the march and step back, Gam Cheon-ak approached him.

"Is that... sorcery?"

"Can you feel it?"

"My heart is pounding slightly."

"Can you break through that?"

Gam Cheon-ak glared at Gu Jeongryong with a delinquent look.

"What kind of bullshit are you spouting?"

"Did you just say 'bullshit'?"

"When did I?"

"... So, can you do it or not?"

Gam Cheon-ak let out a long sigh.

"I will be honest with you. Even if we break through this place, do you really think there will be anyone left alive up ahead?"

If the Third Group and Second Group were in such a state, the First Group must have suffered even greater damage.

Even if they were from the renowned Shaolin Sect and Mount Cangshan Sect, academy students who had not yet received proper training would not have been able to withstand that pandemonium.

Gu Jeongryong nodded but did not bend his will.

"I know that as well. But Jin Sowoon went there, didn't he?"

"..."

"If that guy passed through this path, we should at least show the effort of going after him."

Gam Cheon-ak muttered to himself.

"Haa... What a fucking bastard. Making up all sorts of weird excuses just because he only has to give the orders."

"What did you say, you punk?"

Gam Cheon-ak shrugged with a shameless expression.

"I didn't say anything."

"..."

Gam Cheon-ak spoke as he looked at the red air currents wavering before his eyes.

"Doesn't the array seem a little unstable?"

"It looks like they failed to block off the upper section properly."

"That's a relief, at least."

"Will it be possible?"

Gam Cheon-ak's dry gaze turned toward Gu Jeongryong's face.

"You told me to do it. So I have to do it."

Gam Cheon-ak turned around.

"Hey! Four of you, step forward!"

As soon as Gam Cheon-ak finished speaking, four Seungho Hall members stepped forward.

"We need to pass through here. You guys are fine with that, right?"

"... You want us to pass through this incredibly ominous thing right now?"

The expressions of the Seungho Hall members were not much different from Gam Cheon-ak's.

As if expecting this, Gam Cheon-ak nodded and pointed at Gu Jeongryong.

"Yeah. That fucking... I mean, our Hall Leader wishes to pass through here."

"What an absolute crazy bastard..."

"Isn't he a total nutjob?"

Listening to their conversation from the side, Gu Jeongryong lowered his voice.

"I'm right next to you, you bastards."

"... Goodness, what's with the fuss over eavesdropping on his subordinates?"

Amidst the murmuring Seungho Hall members, Gam Cheon-ak clapped his hands to draw their attention.

"Anyway, we have to pass through here. Just accept it."

"What do we get if we pass through?"

After glancing at Gu Jeongryong, Gam Cheon-ak scratched his cheek and spoke.

"If we pass through here and save Jin Sowoon, that guy will buy us a Sichuan specialty called 'Destroying Evil and Subduing Spirits'."

"Ooh!!"

The mood instantly reversed.

"Destroying Evil and Subduing Spirits!! Just hearing the name makes it sound delicious!"

"This is my first time hearing of a food called Destroying Evil and Subduing Spirits! We really need to get close to the rich folks!"

Watching the rejoicing Seungho Hall members, Gam Cheon-ak also smiled brightly.

"What a bunch of idiots..."

Even Gu Jeongryong agreed with Gam Cheon-ak's words, looking pathetically at the excited Seungho Hall members.

Gam Cheon-ak struck the acupoints of the four men.

"From now on, I will paralyze your sense of sight and touch. You will probably experience auditory hallucinations. Ignore them as much as possible and only move according to the sound transmission."

"Understood!"

Gam Cheon-ak looked at Gu Jeongryong.

"Let's begin."

"... Be careful."

"If you are that worried, you should be the one..."

"I believe in you!"

Gu Jeongryong quickly paralyzed Gam Cheon-ak's sense of sight and touch.

TAP, TAP-TAP, TAP-TAP-TAP.

Having had his acupoints struck, Gam Cheon-ak brought his hand before his eyes and waved it.

Then, he shot Gu Jeongryong a rude gesture.

"Hall Leader, what action am I taking right now?"

"Clear insubordination."

"Oh! Is that so? I didn't know because I couldn't see."

After giving Gu Jeongryong the finger, Gam Cheon-ak drew his sword.

Gu Jeongryong quickly climbed up a tree, observing the array as he gave orders.

-Keep going! It just curved to the right. Turn left again and go straight!

At Gu Jeongryong's orders, the Seungho Hall members began to move in unison.

Inside the array, the expected blood-robed figures appeared.

Gu Jeongryong urgently cried out.

-It's the enemy!

Then, a sound transmission came from Gam Cheon-ak.

-Don't just say 'It's the enemy!' and tell us the location! How can we run an operation together when you're being this frustrating!

Gu Jeongryong realized his mistake, but still spat out curses inwardly.

'That bastard...'

The Seungho Hall members accurately deployed their swords according to Gu Jeongryong's instructions.

CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!

At this bizarre spectacle, not only the academy students but even the members of the Council of Elders stared in a daze.

URGH!

AAAGH!

UGH!

Fortunately, the number of blood-robed figures was not large, and all of them were uniformly in poor condition.

They were woefully inadequate to avoid the lightning-fast blades of Seungho Hall.

After the last blood-robed figure attempting an ambush eventually became a wandering spirit by Gam Cheon-ak's hands, no further attacks occurred.

After the Seungho Hall members, who had passed through the array according to Gu Jeongryong's instructions, regained their senses starting with Gam Cheon-ak.

They began to sprint with all their might toward where the array masters were.

After finally striking down even the blood-robed figures who were protecting the array masters. They eliminated all of the array masters.

And when they destroyed the tools they had installed, the ominous array blocking their path vanished as if washed away.

Returning to the unit, Gam Cheon-ak tilted his head and spoke.

"Somehow, their condition seems a bit strange."

"What is?"

"They look like they've been beaten up somewhere, or like they haven't slept for days. Putting aside their internal qi, their killing intent is dull for guys who have been carrying out massacres all this time."

Gu Jeongryong also furrowed his brow without realizing it.

"Now that you mention it, there is also a significant difference from the number of attackers the survivors mentioned."

"Could something have happened before we arrived?"

"... We'll know once we get there."

Seungho Hall and the academy students began to pick up the pace once again.

The scene they encountered afterward was a ghastly battlefield.

"My god..."

"What is this..."

"Did a real war break out or something?"

There were so many corpses that even Seungho Hall was astounded.

Blood flowed like a stream on the ground as if it had rained in the monsoon season, and corpses were scattered as commonly as pebbles.

"Everyone, do not lower your guard!"

At Gam Cheon-ak's command, the Seungho Hall members spread out in all directions with disciplined movements.

Gu Jeongryong also approached the site of the ghastly battle.

'Hm?'

However, the condition of the corpses was peculiar.

The blood-robed figures were the ones who attacked the academy students, so that was expected, but the attire of those dead alongside them was hard to see as belonging to the Orthodox Council, the elites of the Murim Academy, no matter how generously one looked at it.

'Bandits...?'

Their clothing being mismatched was a common sight, and some of them were covering their bodies with animal skins.

In extreme cases, there were guys who weren't wearing anything on their upper bodies at all.

"It seems they are guys from the nearby Green Woods stronghold."

At Gam Cheon-ak's words, Gu Jeongryong made an appalled expression.

"Why are there bandits here?"

"... I have no idea."

"Just what in the world is going on here."

If the enemies were not limited to the unidentified blood-robed figures, the situation was even more severe.

"Will you keep going?"

With enemies who use sorcery and even an overwhelmingly massive Green Woods stronghold flocking together, it was a situation where no one knew what might happen.

No matter how brave Seungho Hall was, there was a limit to what they could and could not do.

Gam Cheon-ak's cold voice echoed around them.

"If we keep going, we will also be in danger."

"..."

Looking at Gu Jeongryong, who gave no answer, he spoke again.

"It is a pity, but Jin Sowoon as well..."

Just then, a Seungho Hall member standing guard suddenly shouted.

"Unidentified personnel are approaching!"

Gu Jeongryong, who had been lost in thought, abruptly snapped his head up.

What if the blood-robed figures who dealt with the First Group were coming this way?

Or what if it was the Green Woods bandits arriving for some unknown reason?

"All personnel, prepare for battle!!!"

Simultaneously with Gu Jeongryong's shout, the Seungho Hall members gathered in unison and drew their swords.

CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!

Even without anyone saying a word, all the Seungho Hall members formed the Azure Dragon Half-Moon Array, and the academy students, overwhelmed by this momentum, each swallowed nervously and carefully drew their swords.

"Huuu..."

As silence hung so heavily that the sound of someone letting out a sigh rang loudly in their ears.

The unidentified personnel began to appear before their eyes one by one.

'What kind of group is this?'

The composition of those standing at the very front was unusual.

Someone was holding a bow, another had a massive physique, and one was a woman.

And the man standing in the middle was holding a bundle the size of a watermelon in his hands.

Gu Jeongryong, who was straining his eyesight to identify the opponents, let out an exasperated gasp.

"Jin Sowoon?"

Gam Cheon-ak peeked his head out and looked ahead.

"Huh? It really is him. And the kids behind him seem to be from the Shaolin Sect and the Mount Cangshan Sect, don't they?"

"..."

Jin Sowoon seemed to have spotted them as well, waving his hand leisurely.

At that sight, even Gam Cheon-ak, who was famous for usually being expressionless, let out a hollow laugh.

"He really is an incredible guy. In this pandemonium..."

His gaze could not pull away from Jin Sowoon.

"He ended up saving the people after all."

As Gam Cheon-ak exclaimed in admiration and sheathed his sword.

Gu Jeongryong spoke stealthily.

"Hey, is that bastard who just said they were unidentified personnel still there?"

"Yes."

"Beat the shit out of him."

"... Understood."

Releasing his tightly strung tension, Gu Jeongryong let out a long sigh.

He looked at Jin Sowoon with renewed marvel.

The damage to the Second Line and Third Line had been severe, but the damage to the First Line did not seem very large at all.

Judging by the site of the battle, it seemed they had broken through even the blood-robed figures and the Green Woods.

Just as the guy had said.

He had saved his people and returned.

It was utterly unbelievable.

'This is what a mere academy student accomplished?'

Even though the Black Flame Dragon was considered one of Murim's rising stars, even so, a feat of this magnitude was not something a rising star of Murim could achieve.

'Just what in the world is this guy?'

Although he had agreed to help Jin Sowoon at Maeng Ju-won's request, Gu Jeongryong's curiosity about Jin Sowoon only grew stronger.