The Plight of Mount Nam Sect – Part 4
I led the warriors of the Wulin Alliance's branch office in Shaanxi, with Dan Se-ryeong and Baekri Ye-hwa at my side, and charged straight into Zhao Palace.
At the same time, Jeongah-jin-in and the disciples of Mount Nam Sect rushed out into the courtyard, confronting us head-on.
“Gwaek, the branch leader! What the devil is going on here?! Charging in with armed troops without any warning—do you think you're mocking our Mount Nam?”
Jeongah-jin-in roared, and Gwaek Song replied in a businesslike tone.
“Forgive my rudeness, sect leader. This is for the rules of the Murim world. Do you know about Chunwol-in, the permanent doctor of our honorable gate? He is known as the notorious black-hearted bandit in Shandong, Gwan Osam.”
“What?!”
Jeongah-jin-in's eyes widened as Gwaek Song explained the arrest of Gwan Osam and delivered the Wulin Alliance's stance toward the Mount Nam Sect.
“The disciples of Mount Nam Sect are accused of consuming Gwan Osam's counterfeit medicine, Palseoksan, and engaging in illicit activities at Seongju Pharmacy. Please cooperate with the investigation, sect leader.”
“That's impossible...! How can the black-hearted bandit be so...! How can the forbidden drug...! That's absurd!”
Jeongah-jin-in clutched his head and refused to accept reality.
If the entire sect became known as swindlers who had even touched drugs, the Mount Nam Sect's honor would be buried in the mud. And for a decaying sect, that honor was the last remaining legacy of the past.
“This is a conspiracy!!! The Murim Alliance's plot to destroy the Mount Nam Sect! You villains of the Wulin Alliance have been eating the Murim Alliance's bribes, haven't you! Would I have fallen for it!”
In the end, Jeongah-jin-in covered reality with delusions about the Murim Alliance.
Sigh. It was bound to end up like this, as I had heard from Ye-hwa about the history that had unfolded in the pre-regression era.
Following Palseoksan's effects, the disciples of Mount Nam Sect, who had been growing stronger day by day, suddenly began to deteriorate rapidly in health. And Gwan Osam had quietly escaped the sect's records before his scam could be exposed.
The disciples of Mount Nam Sect realized too late that they had been deceived, but it was already too late. Except for a few who had not touched Palseoksan from the beginning because their attainments were already too high for its effects to matter, the entire sect had been drowning in Palseoksan. Before long, their states worsened to the point where they could no longer properly wield their swords.
Mount Nam Sect had become nothing more than a hospital ward for drug addicts—far from being a sect.
Jeongah-jin-in, blinded by his own mistakes, refused to accept that Mount Nam Sect had fallen and had gone completely insane.
And now he claimed that everything was a plot by the Murim Alliance and the Murim Alliance's brainwashed ones, becoming a bloodthirsty killer who slaughtered righteous Murim people and their associates without mercy.
The nickname he earned was the Mad Killing Old Monster.
He was a ruthless criminal with a death warrant worth forty-eight golden and sixth-grade levels. Later he was recruited into the Blood Cult and became its leader, ranking in the top twenty of the Blood Cult's hierarchy. However, his unstable mind prevented him from leading troops, so he was underrated. Even compared to the top ten Blood Cult leaders, he was a troublesome opponent whose combat power was not inferior.
When Jeongah-jin-in's fame as the Mad Killing Old Monster spread, even those who had supported Mount Nam Sect, acting both as benefactors and oppressors, turned their backs and left.
And Mount Nam Sect could no longer maintain its existence and collapsed into oblivion.
Even if this incident was resolved safely, Jeongah-jin-in's bitter obsession with reviving the sect would one day push Mount Nam Sect into crisis again. Jeongah-jin-in himself was a dangerous variable who might turn into a bloodthirsty killer at any moment.
It was best to eliminate him now—for the sake of Mount Nam Sect and for the sake of the world.
While I pondered this, Jeongah-jin-in drew his sword and shouted.
“The disciples of Mount Nam Sect, draw your swords!!! We will cut down these evil bastards and go save the righteousness!!!”
Feeling the murderous intent that a Transformation Realm expert exuded, Gwaek Song and the Murim Alliance warriors broke into cold sweat and retreated a step.
At that moment, Ye-hwa stepped forward.
“Enough, jin-in. Why are you covering the sky with your palm?”
“Baekri Ye-hwa...! Why are you with those people?! If the sword saint were alive, he would have shed tears of blood! Thanks to you, the Mount Nam Sect might have been driven out of its position among the five great sects!”
Ye-hwa took Jeongah-jin-in's rebuke in a cold reply.
“Yes. Seeing the disciples of the Great Mount Nam Sect touch dirty medicine for a trivial name... I wonder if my grandfather shed tears of blood.”
“Tch...! Shut up! An outsider like you has no right to speak carelessly about Mount Nam!”
Jeongah-jin-in raised the blood vessel in his neck and rushed toward Ye-hwa.
Ye-hwa also drew her sword and met his attack head-on.
Kugugung—!
The shockwave of two sword energies colliding made the ground around them tremble violently.
One of the Mount Nam Sect disciples who had been standing stiffly, unable to follow the rapidly changing situation, said to Wi Ji-seol.
“S-Sister... What should we do now...?”
Looking at Jeongah-jin-in's back as he fought Ye-hwa, Wi Ji-seol bit her lip.
“Since the sect leader attacked first, there is no way to retreat. We fight too.”
Se-ryeong blocked Ye-hwa's path.
“The spirit is grand, but stay calm. This is not your fight.”
Then the domineering presence of the Heavenly Demon pressed down on the shoulders of the Mount Nam Sect disciples.
“Kkeueok...!”
“I-I can't move...”
Among the brothers and sisters who had all fallen to the ground, only Wi Ji-seol supported her body with the sword planted on the floor and barely managed to stand.
“Oh? You endured the Heavenly Demon's oppression. Not bad.”
“Kut... I never thought there was another expert on par with the Fairy Sword Princess... Who exactly are you?”
“If you want to know my name, show me the qualifications first. The power of the expert who represents the Mount Nam Sect is not just that, is it?”
“Arrogant...! Do not belittle the name of Mount Nam!”
Wi Ji-seol suddenly exploded her internal energy to shake off Se-ryeong's oppression and swung her sword with great force.
Huuung—!
Yet, despite the fierce momentum, Se-ryeong easily caught the flying blade heading toward her with her left hand.
And smiling faintly, she praised Wi Ji-seol.
“Excellent. You have enough qualifications to remember the name of this Dan Se-ryeong. Take pride in that fact and rest.”
Se-ryeong's right hand moved like lightning and pierced Wi Ji-seol's acupoint.
Wi Ji-seol collapsed unconscious and fell to the floor.
Jeongah-jin-in had no time to pay attention to Wi Ji-seol and the other disciples of Mount Nam Sect.
“Kraaaaaah!”
Jeongah-jin-in squeezed out the strength he had saved from nursing and unleashed the Heavenly Path Sword.
It was the same move Wi Ji-seol had used in combat, but its power was on another level.
If Ho-yeon Chan had been hit by it, he would have been reduced to powder without leaving even a single bone fragment.
But the one Jeongah-jin-in was fighting now was not Ho-yeon Chan, but the future Sword Empress Baekri Ye-hwa.
The sword strikes of Jeongah-jin-in pouring down like rain could not break even one of Ye-hwa's Unbroken Void.
Eventually, Jeongah-jin-in, who had reached his physical limit, retreated, creating distance and panting heavily.
“Hah... haah... Indeed, the divine art created by the sword saint is wonderful. But do not think you can defeat the sword of Mount Nam with only that!”
Thaak—!
Jeongah-jin-in pushed the ground hard and leaped high into the air.
And at the peak of his jump, he held his sword above his head and began to fall at an incredible speed.
The majestic and destructive momentum that would have made a meteor rise— that was exactly the Heavenly River Falling Star among the Thirty-Six Stars of the Heavenly Path, boasting the strongest power.
Ye-hwa relaxed her arm holding the sword.
The qi she had gathered also settled calmly.
At first glance, it looked like she had given up on the fight.
But at the exact moment just before the enemy's sword fell on her head.
A razor-sharp flash exploded in the quiet void of her mind.
Shuaaah—!
The Heavenly Extreme One Flash of the Supreme Heaven Sword.
By cutting off the flow of internal energy, it neutralized the enemy's move and extinguished the qi contained in Jeongah-jin-in's sword.
And it severed his right arm cleanly.
“Kkeueueok!”
Jeongah-jin-in, caught in the sword wind and rising back into the air, and his severed arm still holding the sword, fell separately to the floor.
Ye-hwa sheathed her sword and spoke to the dazed Jeongah-jin-in lying on the floor.
“What my grandfather treasured as his lifelong pride was not that the Mount Nam Sect was a member of the five great sects. He was proud of the history of Mount Nam, which had walked only the righteous path for hundreds of years and established justice in the jianghu. Before you cling to empty fame, think carefully about what is truly precious.”
“.....”
Jeongah-jin-in could not say anything and closed his eyes.
***
Afterward, Jeongah-jin-in was imprisoned in the Murim Alliance's prison.
Wi Ji-seol and the disciples of Mount Nam Sect willingly cooperated with the investigation and admitted to using illicit means at Seongju Pharmacy.
The Mount Nam Sect was also a victim deceived by Gwan Osam, and its contributions to the righteous war were taken into consideration.
The Murim Alliance did not impose any particular disadvantage or sanctions on the Mount Nam Sect.
However, Gwaek Song and the Murim Alliance warriors could not simply let Jeongah-jin-in's attempt to attack them slide, for the sake of the Alliance's discipline.
The Murim Alliance's chief envoy was escorting Jeongah-jin-in, and the Alliance leader would personally preside over the trial.
He would likely be permanently disabled in the danjeon, stripped of his martial arts for life, and confined in the Murim Alliance's prison for several years.
Then, in Mount Nam Sect, the sect leader position of Jeongah-jin-in would be revoked, and he would perform one year of seclusion for repentance.
The blow would be severe, but this would not cause the Mount Nam Sect to collapse.
The disciples addicted to Palseoksan would recover from the aftereffects in no time, as the dosage period was not long.
That would be enough to fulfill the request of Ye-hwa from the pre-regression era, so there was no reason for me to pay more attention to the Mount Nam Sect.
And with Wi Ji-seol here, that side would not need my help either.
In the history of the pre-regression era, despite becoming a complete loser because of Palseoksan, she had struggled with a respectable determination to succeed in rehabilitation and rebuild the Mount Nam Sect.
Thanks to her great contributions in the war with the Blood Cult, many people had begun to aspire to become her disciples after the war.
At the moment just before I regressed, she was recovering the destroyed main base of Mount Nam and actively working on restoration.
She was a woman of fortitude who inspired respect in both the Heavenly Demon and the Sword Empress.
If left alone, she would naturally revive Mount Nam Sect.