Chapter 280
Chapter 280
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 280
Chapter Title: Purging the Western Forest
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"The Annihilation Squad has annihilated the Blood Rain Sword Family and is currently purging the unorthodox factions throughout the Western Forest region and its surroundings."
The results of the mission carried out by Cheonhwi and the Annihilation Squad emerged in a low voice.
It came from the mouth of the deputy strategist, Snow Sword.
"Up to now, the purged unorthodox groups include the Blood Rain Sword Family, as well as the nearby Poisonous Bandits Gang, Black Gang Society, Ghost Laughter Fortress..."
As the names of unorthodox sects continued to pour from his mouth, the eyes of those present shifted.
The Annihilation Squad was a hastily assembled special detachment.
Though it was seen as an opportunity for the younger disciples to build fame, no one had expected it to perform like the established units.
Yet here it was, flawlessly completing its mission. How could they not be impressed?
After speaking for a while longer...
"...Excluding a few sects that have yet to show themselves, all have been purged by the hand of the Annihilation Squad."
Snow Sword finally concluded his report.
"Heh heh, remarkable. To completely subjugate the entire Western Forest region in just ten days."
"It's hard to believe. To topple and clean up so many sects in such a short time. How on earth..."
Those who had been silently listening until now finally parted their tightly sealed lips.
Admiration and astonishment spilled out.
At the same time, all eyes turned to one place, as if by unspoken agreement.
It was Mount Hua's Hyeondo.
His face brimmed with pride, giving the slight impression that his nose was tilted upward.
That was when it happened.
"Were there no casualties?"
Someone urgently asked.
It was Kunlun's elder, Immortal Go Young.
Worry clouded his face as he stared at Snow Sword. And for good reason—a Kunlun disciple was part of the Annihilation Squad.
What kind of place was the Blood Rain Sword Family?
A clan that had dominated the Western Forest for over two hundred years. Though not quite on par with a great sect, it was certainly just a step below.
It was among the top of the minor sects.
The results were better than expected, and with the Plum Blossom Divine Hero along, success had been anticipated.
But no one thought they could accomplish the mission without a single injury.
And Go Young Immortal was not the only one harboring such concerns.
Representatives from sects with disciples in the squad looked at Snow Sword with worried eyes.
Snow Sword read the emotions etched on their furrowed faces and nodded up and down.
"All are safe."
"Heh heh, is that so."
Life returned to Go Young Immortal's face.
"Phew, that's a relief."
Qingcheng Sect's elder, Dao Yang-hyeon, who had been holding his breath beside him, let out a sigh of relief.
"And one more thing. Something of grave importance to relay."
Snow Sword spoke again, his face stern.
"The Black Night Cart appeared at the Blood Rain Sword Family. Accompanied by the Merciless Blade Guest and the Star Radiance Rakshasa Messenger, no less."
In an instant, the atmosphere in the room sharpened.
The weight of the moniker 'Black Night Cart' was no light matter.
The youngest disciple of the Evil-Black Alliance Leader.
That status alone placed the Black Night Cart above any other unorthodox figure.
And now, with top experts like the Merciless Blade Guest and Star Radiance Rakshasa Messenger appearing alongside him...
How could they not react?
But the shock was fleeting, soon replaced by questions.
Just moments ago, Snow Sword had said the Annihilation Squad annihilated the Blood Rain Sword Family and was purging nearby unorthodox groups.
So if the Black Night Cart had appeared there...
"Did they purge the Black Night Cart as well?"
Alliance Guard Captain Chu Geuk-gwang asked quietly.
It was the question on everyone's mind.
Snow Sword gave a wry smile under the focused gazes and shook his head side to side.
"Unfortunately, they nearly had him but let him slip away at the last moment."
"What a shame."
"He got away?"
Sighs arose here and there.
The Black Night Cart was likely to become the Murim Alliance's enemy in the future.
It would have been best to root him out completely. Letting him escape left them regretting from their perspective.
Meanwhile, Hyeondo and Yong Ju-gae tilted their heads inwardly upon hearing Snow Sword's response.
'Cheonhwi let the Black Night Cart escape?'
'The guy who pierced through the Flying Heaven Shadowless Body Technique. And he let him go? Is the Black Night Cart stronger than rumored? Or is there something else at play?'
The level of martial prowess they knew Cheonhwi possessed was beyond what even the Black Night Cart could match.
To oppose him, one would need at least the caliber of a Five Emperors Sect leader.
And that was because Cheonhwi had defeated the White Snake God and the Bandit King.
As the two pondered why Cheonhwi had let the Black Night Cart escape...
"The opponent was no pushover, after all."
Snow Sword added, addressing those sighing in disappointment.
Everyone nodded in agreement, their expressions accepting.
When all was said and done, the foe had not been an easy one.
As Snow Sword scanned the slightly relaxed assembly, seizing the moment, he continued.
"And it's not as if there were no gains. The Merciless Blade Guest met his end at the Plum Blossom Divine Hero's hand, while the Star Radiance Rakshasa Messenger and Black Night Cart fled with fatal internal injuries."
"The Merciless Blade Guest was taken down?"
"And the Star Radiance Rakshasa Messenger and Black Night Cart suffered fatal wounds?"
Everyone's eyes widened in an instant.
The Merciless Blade Guest and Star Radiance Rakshasa Messenger were figures whose reputations shook the martial world, masters at the pinnacle of transcendence.
Especially the Star Radiance Rakshasa Messenger, rumored to have glimpsed the divine martial realm, was an exceptionally skilled expert.
And with the Black Night Cart wounded as well, Snow Sword was right—it wasn't without achievements.
"To achieve that much against those three... impressive."
"And composed entirely of younger disciples, from what I hear. Such results..."
The assembly clicked their tongues in awe.
Everyone knew the Plum Blossom Divine Hero had defeated the Bandit King.
But most had subtly assumed the Bandit King was weaker than rumored.
Otherwise, it would mean a mere youth in his twenties had reached the divine martial realm.
"Remarkable. Truly remarkable."
"A special detachment formed just days ago achieving such feats... astonishing."
Then, an elder from the Heavenly Central Sword Sect, Iron Blood Sword, turned to Hyeondo and spoke.
"You must be pleased, Immortal."
His eyes gleamed with envy as he continued.
"At such a young age, with not only exceptional martial skill but leadership as well... you've raised a truly outstanding disciple."
Others chimed in agreement from the side.
"Indeed, quite enviable."
"Immeasurable blessings. For Mount Hua Sect to produce such a brilliant youth—no, young hero—it must be the grace of the heavens."
"A great fortune for the Alliance."
Hyeondo's lips curled upward involuntarily at the barrage of praise.
"Heh heh, your praise is too much."
He feigned modesty, but the smile on his face only deepened.
Anyone could see how delighted Hyeondo was.
At the same time, they quickly turned their minds to the future.
'Mount Hua Sect will rise to prominence in the days ahead.'
'Once this war ends, Mount Hua might threaten even Wudang...'
'Should we align with Mount Hua.'
The current war took precedence, but the future had to be considered as well.
With the Evil-Black Alliance's demise in this war, the martial world's landscape would shift dramatically.
And in that new world, Cheonhwi's presence would be incomparable to now.
As those present pondered their relations with Mount Hua Sect...
"Any other intelligence?"
A dry voice rang out.
It was from the strategist, Zhuge Gong, who had remained silent throughout the discussion.
Even amid the shocking revelations, his expression was as impassive as ever.
Snow Sword glanced at Zhuge Gong, his brow twitching ever so slightly for a moment.
Not a single eyebrow stirred—an utterly unreadable face.
Impossible to fathom his thoughts.
Growing slightly anxious, Snow Sword fidgeted with the messenger tube in his sleeve and parted his slightly dry lips.
"Nothing else."
With that, Snow Sword sat down.
A signal that he was finished.
The strategist gazed at Snow Sword for a moment before turning to Yong Ju-gae.
"What of the Five Emperors Sects?"
The abrupt question made Yong Ju-gae's nose wrinkle, but he answered promptly.
"They've begun gathering, one by one."
The assembly stirred.
"Already?"
"Those ragtag groups that band together and scatter for their own gain... uniting so soon..."
They widened their eyes in disbelief, one after another.
No matter how grand the Evil-Black Alliance was, they were ultimately unorthodox factions at heart.
Their nature couldn't be shed.
Thus, it was assumed they would watch each other warily until the end, hoarding strength...
But the situation was unfolding differently than expected.
Then Yong Ju-gae added,
"They must sense the gravity of the situation."
The faces in the room hardened.
In that tense atmosphere, Zhuge Gong spoke with his unchanging expression.
"Then we must move swiftly."
His gaze swept over the assembly.
More precisely, over the leaders of the Alliance's three corps and four divisions in turn.
"Are the mobilization preparations complete?"
The six present—all except the absent Iron Blood Corps Leader—nodded.
"Then first, the three corps and four divisions..."
Boom!
Mid-sentence, a loud thud interrupted the strategist, who turned his head.
A sweat-soaked middle-aged man stood there.
He politely clasped his hands in greeting and bowed his head.
"I-I apologize for interrupting the meeting. But I have urgent news and had no choice but to intrude."
The assembly, deep in discussion, initially bristled at the unannounced intruder but soon recognized him and showed surprise.
"Leader of the Shadow Veil Division?"
He was the one too pressed for time to attend: Wei Ji-fu, head of the Murim Alliance's intelligence network, the Shadow Veil Division.
"What is it?"
The strategist asked Wei Ji-fu.
Biting his lower lip, Wei Ji-fu revealed the purpose of his visit.
"Four days ago, we confirmed a group emerging from the Evil-Black Alliance. Estimated at over two thousand strong..."
"What?!"
"Two thousand?!"
Several shot to their feet at his words.
It was shocking.
Two thousand was a force comparable to a major minor faction.
Especially from the Evil-Black Alliance—their combat power would far exceed ordinary numbers.
Amid the astonishment, Wei Ji-fu continued reciting the intelligence.
"...Composed of the Blood Shadow Corps and Ghost Shadow Corps from the Evil-Black Alliance. All are at least first-rate experts."
Mouths gaped open wide.
Their faces went blank, as if struck on the back of the head with a hammer.
Unlike the stunned others, the strategist merely furrowed his brow slightly and asked,
"More importantly, their destination?"
The most crucial question.
With the event already underway, he calmly sought their target to mobilize accordingly. The Shadow Veil leader swallowed hard and replied.
"...Sichuan."
"What?! Sichuan?!"
"Sichuan?!"
Qingcheng and Emei elders, with stakes in Sichuan, bulged their eyes.
Their voices trembled.
Two thousand unorthodox warriors descending upon them.
From the Evil-Black Alliance's notoriously ruthless Blood Shadow and Ghost Shadow Corps, no less.
Sichuan would be drenched in blood.
"W-We must go!"
"This poor monk as well..."
As the two moved to rush out...
"Hold a moment."
The strategist said quietly.
"Rushing there now would be futile. Wouldn't it be better to request aid from those nearby?"
"Nearby... you mean?"
"Isn't there a detachment dispatched near Sichuan for a mission?"
In that instant, the topic of the earlier meeting flashed in everyone's minds.
The detachment.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The cleanup at the Blood Rain Sword Family had gained momentum with the arrival of Traveling Crane Monk.
Most of the unorthodox members had their dantians crippled first. Then they were either imprisoned or put to work restoring the manor.
Amid the commotion...
"Thank you for your help, great hero."
Ho Gwang-gae expressed his gratitude to Traveling Crane Monk and his group for aiding in the cleanup.
The unorthodox in the Western Forest numbered many.
Already over five hundred were bound or laboring at the Blood Rain Sword Family.
Controlling them all with just over forty from the Annihilation Squad was no easy task.
In that midst, Traveling Crane Monk and his group's aid was like rain in a drought.
"No need."
Traveling Crane Monk waved off Ho Gwang-gae's thanks.
"What have I done? Merely helping bind the unorthodox you defeated and tidy up afterward."
He smiled faintly as he spoke.
True to his words, he had done little.
But Ho Gwang-gae shook his head with a hearty laugh.
"That alone is a great help to us."
It was sincere.
"If it were just us, we'd still be scrambling with the aftermath."
"Heh heh, is that so."
Traveling Crane Monk smiled back briefly, then his gaze lifted upward.
A handsome youth in a robe blending red and black sat in a chair.
His extraordinary appearance exuded an exceptional aura.
It was the Plum Blossom Divine Hero, Cheonhwi.
'Truly remarkable. Purging all the Western Forest's unorthodox in a mere half-month.'
Awe welled up naturally.
Despite his youth, his achievements here were unprecedented.
'As the saying goes, heroes emerge in chaotic times...'
Meanwhile, the Cheonhwi he watched was reading a dispatch from the Murim Alliance.
[Evil-Black Alliance's Blood Shadow Corps and Ghost Shadow Corps heading north. Numbers at least two thousand. Destination: Sichuan. Led by...] Short and concise intelligence.
But enough to grasp the unfolding situation.
"Perfect timing. I was just thinking there were no unorthodox left nearby."
Cheonhwi tucked the dispatch into his bosom with a faint smile and rose.
No more lingering here.
He draped the pristine white windbreaker cloak left behind the chair over his shoulders.
Then slowly stepped forward.
The two swords at his waist swayed.
Flower Moon and Demon Sword.
Feeling the two blades like extensions of his limbs, he soon halted.
At the front of the manor.
"Hm? Captain?"
"What is it?"
Annihilation Squad members diligently restoring the manor spoke upon seeing Cheonhwi approach.
They were slightly tense, as he had only rested these past few days.
Cheonhwi swept his gaze over them briefly.
"One hour. Prepare to depart."
He issued the unilateral order.
With one corner of his mouth twisted.
"Time for the next mission."