The Iron Wall of Hojung
"Our destination is Hojung."
"Hojung? Isn't that Diancang territory?"
Hojung was such a famous part of Diancang's domain in Sichuan that even Yoo-sung had heard of it.
Though it was a relatively small town, its residents had once overflowed with affection for the Diancang sect.
"That was before the Matian War. In recent years, any affection the people of Hojung had for Diancang has all but vanished."
The catalyst, of course, was the Great Diancang Massacre.
During the early days of the Matian War, the Diancang sect had underestimated the demonic practitioners.
Diancang had set out to subdue the demons raiding Hojung, only to suffer a crushing defeat, leaving the townspeople to be slaughtered as sacrifices.
Though Diancang eventually mobilized its full strength to reclaim Hojung, the scars left by the demons and the resentment toward the sect only grew with each passing day.
Ultimately, this explosion of anger led Hojung to forge its own path, independent of Diancang.
"Currently, the number of demonic practitioners gathering near Hojung is highly unusual. It seems something has been discovered there, but no one knows what it is yet."
Whatever had been found near Hojung was drawing the demons like moths to a flame.
"Just how many of them are there for us to be sent in?"
"Around a few hundred?"
"....!!"
"Oho."
At the completely unexpected number, Iron Sword was taken aback, while Yoo-sung showed a flicker of interest.
"Just what could possibly be in Hojung?"
"Who knows? But it's definitely something the demons can never afford to give up."
Uncovering that secret was their mission from here on out.
"Don't worry too much. Our goal is simply to buy time until the Alliance forces arrive."
"And if we're lucky, we get to look around Hojung?"
"Two birds with one stone."
Iron Flower did not deny it.
The former was likely the Alliance's proposal, while the latter was a secret order from the Sichuan Tang Clan.
"Let's hurry for now. Given the circumstances, there's no telling how long Hojung can hold out."
With Iron Sword's words, they quickened their pace along the road to Hojung.
Following behind the two, Yoo-sung fell into deep thought.
Hojung, huh.
Of all places, he was heading to Hojung.
Was this coincidence, or destiny?
After recruiting Dogan Mabu, Yoo-sung had resolved to actively gather his connections from the Jianghu.
He had realized it was already too late to live a quiet, peaceful life—indeed, it had been an impossibility from the start.
Though the Lord of Matian was dead, the world remained in chaos, and the activities of the demonic practitioners had only grown more erratic and disorganized in Matian's absence.
Without the Lord of Matian, who had at least maintained some semblance of control, the demons' rampages would only worsen.
And that wasn't all.
The Orthodox and Unorthodox factions alike sought to use the remnants of Matian as stepping stones for their own glory. He had come too far to simply hold his breath and hide away in search of peace.
He said he was heading to Hojung. If I'm lucky, we might run into each other.
A faint smile played on Yoo-sung's lips as he recalled a certain someone from Hojung.
One of the talents he intended to recruit for the Heavenly Sword Academy was currently in Hojung.
"Captain, we're reaching our limit."
Twitch.
The handsome man's brow furrowed in irritation.
However, regardless of his foul mood, he needed to make a swift assessment of the reality before him.
"They've come again?"
"Yes. The Four Tigers of Diancang are fighting desperately, but..."
"They won't be able to hold them off. Not against the demons of the Ten Devils."
The man was an Ultra-Peak master protecting Hojung.
The one attending to him was a martial artist he had befriended in Hojung.
Though the attendant lacked innate talent, his sheer effort in reaching the Peak Realm was commendable.
"Brother, we can't trust the Diancang sect any further."
"I know. But it's not easy to just turn our backs on the Four Tigers of Diancang either."
The relationship between Hojung and Diancang was only deteriorating by the day.
The arrival of the Four Tigers had mended things slightly, but that was the extent of it.
With relations already fractured beyond repair, the influence of the Four Tigers was steadily waning.
"I'm sure I told them to cooperate as much as possible."
The man, Hyo-jin, did not lose his temper at those who ignored his words.
He merely informed them, with calm detachment, of the consequences their choices would bring.
He thought they had finally come to their senses after his warning.
Yet, discord seemed to have flared up once again.
"What are our casualties?"
"For starters, the youngest of the Four Tigers won't be able to fight for the time being."
"Tsk!"
Seeing Hyo-jin click his tongue with a cold, displeased gaze, Man-gi instinctively shrank back.
"We also have about twenty of our own men severely injured."
"Sigh. What about reinforcements?"
"They say the Tang Clan is on the way."
"The Tang Clan?"
Hyo-jin wasn't particularly pleased to hear about the Tang Clan's involvement.
"Not the main family, but Iron Flower and Iron Sword from the branch family."
"I see."
If it was Iron Flower, she would be of significant help in their current situation.
"We hold out as long as we can until Iron Flower and Iron Sword arrive. Help treat the wounds of the Red Brow Sword as well, Man-gi. Do it personally."
At Hyo-jin's instruction, Man-gi nodded and left the room.
Left alone, Hyo-jin's heart grew heavy.
"A month at most."
That was the absolute maximum amount of time Hojung could hold out.
Hyo-jin could only hope that the Sichuan Alliance would arrive before it was too late.
"Just like the rumors said."
Yoo-sung and Iron Sword nodded at Iron Flower's remark.
The closer they drew to Hojung, the thicker the scent of blood in the air became.
"Why are the demons attacking Hojung so relentlessly?"
Yoo-sung's question voiced the unspoken curiosity of everyone present.
Even if Hojung had once maintained friendly relations with Diancang,
that alone wasn't enough reason for the demons to assault it with such persistence.
Unless, of course, some sacred relic of Diancang was buried there.
"Could those rumors actually be true?"
At Iron Sword's murmur, Iron Flower flatly dismissed the idea.
"Nonsense. If a sacred relic of Diancang were in Hojung, Diancang would have reclaimed it long ago."
At one point, rumors had circulated that a sacred relic of Diancang was buried in Hojung.
It was widely rumored that the rift between Diancang and Hojung had formed because the townspeople had stolen and hidden that very relic.
However, as time passed and no relic ever surfaced, the rumors were proven false.
"Then it must be related to Matian."
Since demonic practitioners wouldn't be after a righteous sect's relic, the only remaining possibility was the legacy of their former master, Matian.
Shattered by the sudden death of the Lord of Matian, the organization had dissolved as quickly as it had risen.
Even so, the shadow of Matian still loomed over various corners of the Jianghu.
Starting from Cheon-san all the way to the North Sea, the 'Ten Demonic Sects' remained intact, harboring a fierce desire to reform Matian and invade the Central Plains at any moment.
The only reason they hadn't marched on the Central Plains yet was their search for the sacred treasures of Matian hidden in places like Cheon-san.
Traces of Matian existed in the Central Plains as well, and the local demons were desperately hunting them down.
The fact that so many demons had gathered in Hojung meant there was undoubtedly something connected to Matian here.
Raaaaaaah!
In the distance, the battle cries of demons echoed as they clashed fiercely with martial artists.
"Let's help them first, then head into Hojung."
With Iron Flower's shout, the three of them leaped forward.
"I am Hyo-jin."
"Ah, the 'Iron Wall' who protects Hojung."
"You flatter me."
Hyo-jin remained calm despite Dang Hwa-young's praise.
Dang Hwa-soo, the Iron Sword, did not look upon the man known as the 'Iron Wall' with much favor.
There was little information on him other than that he was from Hojung and had once been active under the Murim Alliance.
His background still drew suspicion from many.
Iron Flower and Iron Sword were no exception.
However, meeting Hyo-jin in person made it clear that he was undoubtedly a martial artist of the Orthodox path.
Though he carried a somewhat rugged air, the energy circulating through his body was pure and righteous.
"I am Dang Hwa-young. This is my younger brother, Dang Hwa-soo. And over there is Do Yoo-sung, the second son of the Heavenly Sword Academy."
Hyo-jin nodded at Hwa-young's introduction.
His gaze drifted to Yoo-sung for a brief second before quickly pulling away.
Yoo-sung let a faint smirk play on his lips in response.
"Since you've traveled a long way, please rest well today. We will begin our discussions in earnest tomorrow."
Dang Hwa-young and Dang Hwa-soo nodded in agreement.
Shortly after the group dispersed, Yoo-sung quietly slipped into Hyo-jin's quarters.
As if he had anticipated Yoo-sung's visit, Hyo-jin set down a cup of tea.
"It's been a while, Hyo-jin."
"I see you managed to stay alive."
Unlike the casual Yoo-sung, Hyo-jin greeted him with a sour expression.
"You're one to talk. I thought you'd have been killed by Diancang or Emei by now."
Though they had only spent about two months together, they had shared life-and-death struggles.
Every time they survived a brush with death, Hyo-jin had vowed like a habit that he would return to his hometown and crush the martial artists of Diancang and Emei.
To think he had actually settled down in Hojung and become known as the 'Iron Wall.'
"I thought you'd be running wild, consumed by vengeance. I never expected to see you working alongside them."
Even if the Four Tigers of Diancang carried themselves differently from the rest of their sect, their core was still the same.
Of course, perhaps seeking to change Diancang from within through the Four Tigers was his own way of taking revenge, rather than resorting to a bloody massacre.
"The situation didn't allow me to prioritize my own desires."
Just as Hyo-jin said, Hojung faced constant peril day after day.
Unless one possessed the magnanimity of a true hero, how could anyone join hands with their mortal enemies as Hyo-jin had?
Diancang and Emei were the ones who had committed the unforgivable sin of severing his familial ties.
His family had been slaughtered by their hands, and his inability to settle down while wandering the Jianghu was largely due to his conflict with them.
From his time in the Murim Alliance to his eventual descent into the Vagabond Unit,
Diancang and Emei had been behind it all.
"Well, that's your business to handle. So, why are those bastards coveting this place?"
Putting Hyo-jin's personal history aside, Yoo-sung asked the crucial question.
"Those arrogant bastards who only care about themselves have joined forces. What could possibly be here to make them unite?"
Contrary to public perception, the members of the Ten Devils viewed each other as rivals to be eliminated.
Devouring one another to become the sole survivor—
that was the dream of the Ten Devils.
Yet, if they had united to strike Hojung, it meant there was something here capable of altering their very destinies.
"A demonic tomb has appeared near Hojung."
A 'demonic tomb' was another name for the grave of a demonic practitioner.
Those who had reached at least the Extreme Demon Realm left behind a lingering, malevolent influence on the world even in death.
The demonic arts and insights they had cultivated were peerless opportunities that other demons couldn't help but covet.
Of course, rarely did a demon leave behind their arts and insights intact.
Some of those madmen even constructed these tombs specifically to draw more blood.
"It's certainly a tempting prize, but is it really enough to unite the Ten Devils and draw the eyes of the entire world?"
"What if that tomb contains the legacy of the Corpse Demon?"
The Corpse Demon was a monster whose cruelty defied description.
A demon who took pride in dismembering and consuming the bodies of his victims.
Even his fellow demons refused to acknowledge him, and he was eventually cast out by Matian itself.
"Wasn't there a rumor that when he fled Matian, he stole one of their treasures?"
To be precise, it was one of the Orthodox treasures that Matian had previously stolen.
"No wonder they've lost their minds trying to get in. Even the Ten Devils."
In the end, unless the demonic tomb of Hojung was dealt with, this chaos would never be resolved.
"Just pretend to help and then leave. This is going to be a long fight anyway."
At Hyo-jin's detached advice, a smirk played on Yoo-sung's lips.
"Do you really think I can do that?"
"That's why I'm asking you."
Knowing Yoo-sung better than anyone, Hyo-jin sincerely hoped he would lay low and slip away quietly, but...
"Ah, well, I have my own reasons for coming to Hojung."
As Yoo-sung's smirk widened, a long sigh escaped Hyo-jin's lips.
"Didn't you say you wanted a quiet life?"
"There are too many pests buzzing around me. I need to prune some branches."
"Tsk!"
Clicking his tongue, Hyo-jin watched as Yoo-sung silently vanished into the night.
The profound stealth of his departure only made Hyo-jin's sigh grow heavier.
And yet...
"Well, maybe this business in Hojung will wrap up faster than I thought."
If it was Yoo-sung, wouldn't he resolve his worries in no time?
Recalling the overwhelming power Yoo-sung had displayed against Matian, Hyo-jin had no choice but to place his trust in him once more.