Chapter 88
Chapter 88
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: Southward to the Dominion Overlord Society
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Thud. Thud.
Having drawn the conversation to a close, Hyeok Mulin slowly descended from beneath the Heavenly Green Tree.
As soon as his feet touched the ground, he noticed something different from before.
Unlike when he had climbed up, countless martial artists now surrounded the area.
'Quite the crowd has gathered.'
Judging by their numbers, it seemed most of the Heavenly Net Liberation Society's warriors were here.
Probably drawn by the massive crash that echoed when he clashed hands with their leader.
The gathered martial artists' gazes locked onto Hyeok Mulin.
Their eyes held a mix of emotions: curiosity, fighting spirit, fear, even awe.
Hyeok Mulin simply accepted it all and strode past them toward the front.
After advancing a short distance like this, he soon spotted Mok Yangil and Wi Sohong waiting for him at a certain point.
Mok Yangil, spotting him, rushed over and asked,
"Young hero Mu, are you alright? We heard a huge noise and came running, but we were blocked from entering and had to wait here."
He asked in a voice thick with worry, but Hyeok Mulin replied flatly, as if nothing had happened.
"No need to worry. It was nothing serious."
"But that sound was definitely..."
Wi Sohong, who had been watching their exchange, looked at Hyeok Mulin with keen interest.
'...Nothing serious, he says.'
That noise and the flow of energy earlier were clear signs of martial arts clashing.
Whether a spar or full combat, something had definitely gone down.
And the leader had even drawn his Azure Leaf Sword for it.
'A man who could draw out the leader's full sincerity.'
As far as he knew, the leader had only ever gone all-out once before.
When the Dominion Overlord Society's leader first set foot on the island and stirred up chaos. He'd unleashed his full power then to drive him off.
And since then, not once had he shown his true strength—until now, the second time.
But the astonishment didn't end there.
'And yet he descends from the Heavenly Green Tree looking perfectly fine? Is that even possible?'
He must have taken the Pale-Faced Ghost's martial arts head-on, yet there wasn't a scratch on him, not even a wrinkle in his clothes.
Did that mean this young man had gained the upper hand?
Against the leader himself?
It was hard to believe.
And after facing the leader, he looked this calm.
This was a man who could potentially fight the entire Heavenly Net Liberation Society, yet his demeanor as he spoke with Mok Yangil showed no worry or tension whatsoever.
'I just thought of him as Mok's recruit and took it easy.'
Wi Sohong's eyes fixed sharply on his target.
"It seems the talk with the leader didn't go so well."
Wi Sohong said with a regretful expression.
Hyeok Mulin, who had glanced him up and down, let out a smirk.
A martial artist's competitive spirit.
Despite that crestfallen face, his hand was already fidgeting with his sword sheath.
True to his Qingcheng Sect roots, he'd guessed at the clash with the leader and his blood was boiling.
'Well, it's not like I'm not interested myself.'
Crossing swords with a man who had risen to fame in the Nine Great Factions through swordsmanship alone—the prime candidate for next Qingcheng's top swordsman.
It was tempting enough for Hyeok Mulin too, but not right now.
There was something he had to do first.
"Thanks to you, my path is clear. I'll repay the favor another day."
As Hyeok Mulin hinted at a future meeting, Wi Sohong licked his lips in disappointment.
But he didn't cling; he let Hyeok Mulin go cleanly.
"Repay what? I just made a little space for you out of my connection with Mok. So come by anytime without worry next time. I'd like to cross swords with you then."
Hmph. Who knew if that day would come.
"Got it. See you next time."
Who knows.
Living under the same sky, they might cross paths again someday.
"Great hero Wi, thank you for arranging this. I'll bring some good meat next time I visit."
"Do that. I wish you both red blessings in the days ahead."
With Mok Yangil's farewell as the last word, they left the Heavenly Net Liberation Society behind.
Once they passed the entrance and distanced themselves from the crowds, leaving just the two of them, Mok Yangil whipped around and finally voiced his questions to Hyeok Mulin.
"No one's around now, so it's fine. What exactly happened in there? I was eating and waiting when a huge noise came from your direction—I jumped up in shock."
To his worried question, Hyeok Mulin opened his mouth calmly.
"The talk broke down, so the leader attacked first. We ended up exchanging a few moves."
"You fought the Pale-Faced Ghost?!"
"That's right."
Mok Yangil's jaw dropped. Soon, he began prodding Hyeok Mulin's body with a dazed look.
"Are you unharmed? I thought the leader would just threaten you lightly at most—I never dreamed you'd actually clash."
As he stared in stunned amazement, Hyeok Mulin asked,
"Is the leader that formidable?"
"What's there to say? Without him, the island would already be under the Dominion Overlord Society's control. Not just his raw power, but his iron will—he formed the Heavenly Net Liberation Society before they could even make their move. That's the Pale-Faced Ghost."
"Ho."
"And with his face hidden behind that mask, no one knows who he is, which doubles the fear. Only the vice leader and maybe the Dominion Overlord Society's leader know his identity."
The leader's true identity.
Hearing that, Hyeok Mulin briefly recalled his final exchange with the Pale-Faced Ghost.
—Only you can do it...
The Pale-Faced Ghost had fallen silent at Hyeok Mulin's response, nodding bitterly as if he'd half-expected it.
And he let Hyeok Mulin go without further protest.
'After crossing hands with me, he already made his judgment.'
Even knowing the method, if he couldn't carry it out, there was no point in recruiting him—or fighting him.
A swift and precise decision worthy of the Zhuge family's reputation.
An elder from the Zhuge family with that level of skill.
And only one such man had vanished quietly from the Central Plains.
Hyeok Mulin shook his head as he pieced together the man's identity.
'But whatever. No need to dwell on it.'
No reason to meet again.
"In the end, even he didn't know. He had internal energy but hadn't restored his lower dantian—it was his middle dantian that had opened."
Mok Yangil sighed in disappointment at Hyeok Mulin's words.
"Sigh. Back to square one on the trail. I never imagined finding one person on this island would be so complicated."
"No. On the contrary, it's simple now."
"...?"
He tilted his head, not understanding.
Hyeok Mulin continued.
"We've checked west, east, and north. Where does that leave?"
"...South, sure, but."
Hyeok Mulin nodded, and Mok Yangil's pupils trembled like there was an earthquake.
"No way...?"
"That's right. I'm heading to the Dominion Overlord Society."
Mok Yangil was speechless, struck by the unbelievable answer.
Hyeok Mulin bid him farewell.
"So I'll be off. Thanks for guiding me this far."
Up to now, Mok Yangil had helped immensely.
But entering the heart of enemy territory? Asking for more would endanger him.
It had started as simple curiosity-fueled companionship.
Best to end it here.
Hyeok Mulin turned south and started walking.
Mok Yangil stood frozen in silence.
Then, after some deliberation, his eyes lit up with resolve as he chased after Hyeok Mulin.
"Wait! Hold up!"
"...?"
Hyeok Mulin stopped. Panting hard, Mok Yangil caught up and gasped,
"Why leave in such a hurry?"
"Your life matters more to you, doesn't it? You've helped plenty already—I'm grateful."
He meant it.
If not for this man approaching him first upon arrival, it would've taken far longer.
Touched by the consideration, Mok Yangil thought a moment before speaking again.
"Then at least let me guide you to the edge of Dominion Overlord Society territory. We've come this far together—ending it here feels too empty."
"If that's your will, so be it."
"Thanks!"
Grinning broadly, he stepped forward.
"Let's head out again!"
Leading with his spirited stride, they set off south.
Reunited with the forked river, they followed a thin stream downward this time.
Their final journey together.
But forgetting it was the end, they enjoyed it like a vacation—fully, richly.
They plucked and ate honeycombs from trees, munched raw on vividly poisonous-looking mushrooms.
Captured loaches leaping from the river and ate them, snared low-flying birds and roasted them.
But that wasn't all.
"What do you think is needed to counter an unfamiliar martial art?"
"Plenty of ways, but the easiest is breaking their footwork."
"Breaking the footwork..."
"Exactly. But before that, you must first cultivate the eye to track their movements..."
They were martial artists through and through, debating martial theory on the move, trading questions and answers on techniques.
Now and then, Mok Yangil subtly eyed the sword at Hyeok Mulin's side, but Hyeok Mulin ignored the glances and pressed on.
Days passed like this, until Mok Yangil spotted a familiar landmark and beamed.
"We've reached the central region already. Not far now."
Confirming the central cliff—a signpost and guide for the island—he hurried ahead happily.
But while he moved eagerly, Hyeok Mulin stopped still, staring at the cliff.
"...?"
The cliff they'd encountered twice now.
Looking again, its wall was truly bizarre rock formations.
Hyeok Mulin stared, something nagging at him like a half-remembered thought, then shook his head, dismissing it.
Mok Yangil, ahead, turned back.
"Young hero Mu, something wrong?"
"...Nothing. Let's go."
Hyeok Mulin turned away and followed.
Heading toward the southern region, they gradually felt the air change.
The atmosphere grew eerie, not even birdsong echoing—it felt like a dead forest.
Only the chilling rustle of wind-shaken trees whispered in their ears.
As they neared Dominion Overlord Society territory, Mok Yangil's chatter dwindled.
Hyeok Mulin asked bluntly,
"That scared?"
"You haven't seen their atrocities since arriving recently. Many of my friends lost their lives to them."
Mok Yangil paled, dredging up bad memories.
After that, Hyeok Mulin asked nothing more.
Half a day later, they finally reached the Dominion Overlord Society's territory entrance.
Seeing the damp swamp ahead, Mok Yangil nodded.
"Past here is their domain."
To Mok Yangil's words, laced with fear and regret, Hyeok Mulin calmly replied,
"It was a pleasure traveling with you."
Choked up, Mok Yangil bit his lip, then spoke.
"Our time together was short, but it was the happiest I've had since entering this Thousand-Year Prison Jade. You've given this jaded life a breath of fresh air—you're like a benefactor."
He gazed at Hyeok Mulin with clear eyes, conveying his sincerity.
"I enjoyed it more, and thank you. Who knows if we'll meet again after parting, but living each day fully, I believe we will someday."
Mok Yangil delivered his bittersweet speech.
He glanced at Hyeok Mulin, surely moved.
But contrary to expectation, instead of misty-eyed nostalgia, Hyeok Mulin smirked.
"Heh."
Perplexed, Mok Yangil asked,
"Why laugh? Something wrong with what I said?"
Hyeok Mulin answered directly.
"Not you."
"...Hm?"
"Just that you have quite the audience."
A ominous feeling rising, Mok Yangil scanned around.
Dozens of martial artists emerged from behind trees.
"...!"
Their identities were obvious, gripping gleaming weapons.
Seeing the Dominion Overlord Society members appear, Mok Yangil waved frantically in horror.
"W-wait! Not me!"
But his desperate cry was ignored.
The lead warrior pointed at both Hyeok Mulin and Mok Yangil.
"Kill them all."
With that, countless figures soared into the sky, blotting it out.