137
Chapter 137: There Are Lines That Shouldn’t Be Crossed
Between the Southern Chang branch of the Martial Alliance and the Okhwasan to the south of Nanchang, there were three branch offices: Shanggao, Jangsu, and Linchuan. Though smaller in scale compared to the Nanchang branch, they were crucial strongholds guarding the main routes where factions like the Langya League and other sects advanced northward.
One of them, the Jangsu branch of the Martial Alliance, was being engulfed in flames.
"Hah!"
With a shout, the branch leader of Jangsu crushed the chest of a rogue who had been swinging a blade with his twin palms, then took a rough breath. But before he could even finish inhaling, two more rogues rushed at him simultaneously.
"It’s the branch leader! This one’s mine!"
"How much was the bounty on this guy’s head again?"
The rogues swung their weapons with gleaming eyes, but the branch leader’s twin palms, cutting through the air like the wind, were even faster.
Thud! Thud!
After striking the heads and solar plexuses of the rogues in quick succession, killing them instantly, the branch leader urgently scanned his surroundings.
"Damn it."
Though the martial arts of the branch leader and the alliance members under Nanchang’s jurisdiction were superior to the rogues, they were vastly outnumbered. Even now, the gaps between the alliance members holding off the rogues from all sides were gradually closing.
One of the alliance members, clutching a wound on his shoulder, spoke to the branch leader.
"Branch Leader, we can’t hold out much longer."
"The rogues surrounding the branch are everywhere. Even if we concentrate our remaining forces, breaking through the encirclement will be difficult."
After spreading his senses to assess the situation, the branch leader sighed lightly and glanced at a middle-aged rogue commanding the others from the rear.
Giant Blade (巨力刀).
One of the executives of the Langya League, a master so formidable that even the branch leader would struggle against him. Even if the number of rogues were smaller, with the Giant Blade present, survival was nearly impossible.
"I’m sorry. When we were evacuating the civilians, I should have abandoned the branch and fled with them. I misjudged the situation."
As the branch leader spoke, an alliance member tore his sleeve to roughly bandage his shoulder wound and replied firmly.
"If we had done that, the fleeing civilians would have been in danger too. We would have faced an even harder fight."
Another alliance member, pushing back a rogue, added.
"Think of how much we struggled to establish this branch in Jangsu. For the sake of our fallen comrades, we must defend it."
"Hah. You’re right."
The branch leader’s eyebrows twitched as he tried to raise his blood-stained hands again. Suddenly, he froze, staring blankly in one direction. The alliance members followed his gaze.
"Branch Leader, what’s wrong?"
"The rogues’ presence…"
BOOM!
Before the branch leader could finish, a section of the branch’s wall exploded. Above the flying debris, thick petals fluttered as a massive Plum Blossom Sword soared into the air.
As the giant swordsman cleared the path, dozens of swordsmen behind him fanned out, lunging at the rogues with their blades.
"What the—?!"
"Reinforcements from the Martial Alliance?!"
The rogues, who had been slaughtering the alliance members, hastily turned around. What they saw were droplets of blood spraying in all directions and purple petals drifting beside them.
"What kind of—?!"
The rogues’ eyes trembled violently as they saw the swordsmen who had suddenly appeared, fewer than twenty in number. The numerical difference was laughable, but the swordsmen’s momentum was overwhelmingly fierce.
With each swing of their swords, multiple sword strikes rained down, and the petals fluttering in the air mesmerized anyone who glanced at them, leaving their bodies riddled with wounds in an instant.
Every time the plum blossom robes worn by the swordsmen fluttered, three or four rogues collapsed, spurting blood.
"Guh!"
"W-what are these guys?!"
The rogues facing the swordsmen fell like straw dummies, utterly helpless. An alliance member who recognized the swordsmen shouted.
"White robes embroidered with plum blossoms! The Plum Blossom Swordsmen!"
"The Hwasan Sect has come to aid us!"
Hyeon Baek, who had just cut down three rogues blocking his path in one stroke, lightly bowed to the alliance members looking at him with hopeful eyes.
"I am Hyeon Baek of Hwasan. Upon hearing the news, I’ve come with the Plum Blossom Swordsmen to assist."
Even in the midst of battle, Hyeon Baek’s calm demeanor was unshaken. The rogues didn’t even dare to touch his back—partly because the tide of battle had turned so abruptly, but also because the aura radiating from Hyeon Baek’s figure, exuding the energy of the Purple Sunset Heart Technique, was overwhelming.
"I am the branch leader of Jangsu. Thank you for your aid. But, by any chance, did you see any fleeing civilians on your way here? With this many rogues, some must have pursued them."
At the branch leader’s concern for the civilians, Hyeon Baek smiled faintly.
"Don’t worry. The remaining Plum Blossom Swordsmen who aren’t here are dealing with the rogues trying to plunder the civilians. They’ll join us soon."
"Ah! As expected of Hwasan."
Realizing that the number of Plum Blossom Swordsmen present didn’t match the full force, the branch leader set aside his worries and began channeling his inner energy freely.
"Everyone! Assist the Plum Blossom Swordsmen!"
"Yes!"
BOOM!
Just as the alliance members of Jangsu were about to charge at the rogues, a deafening explosion from ahead stopped them in their tracks.
Turning their heads toward the sound, they saw Giant Blade embedded in a wall, his massive blade broken in half, his head hanging limp. The alliance members, and even the branch leader, widened their eyes in shock.
‘Who could have—?!’
The branch leader’s gaze fell upon the giant swordsman who had presumably shattered Giant Blade’s weapon. The enormous plum blossom sword in the man’s hands was even larger than Giant Blade’s blade. The branch leader immediately recognized him.
‘Mu-cheol, the Martial Iron of Hwasan’s Four Flowers.’
‘For a second-generation disciple, not even a first-generation, to defeat Giant Blade… Even for a Hwasan disciple, this is remarkable.’
Giant Blade was one of the top twenty most notorious rogues in the Langya League, a veteran with decades of experience. The fact that Mu-cheol had taken him down without a single injury left the branch leader in awe.
The other alliance members seemed equally stunned, their faces blank.
"We’ll go ahead."
As Hyeon Baek unfurled his Dark Scent Flutter and swiftly created distance, the branch leader and his men finally snapped out of it and followed.
By the time Mu-cheol had taken down Giant Blade, Mujin and Mu-hwa had already subdued all the rogues who had tried to ambush the civilians.
Many rogues were dead, but some were still groaning in pain, wounded.
"Senior Disciple Mujin. I’ve sealed the acupoints of the surviving rogues. What should we do with them?"
At Muryun’s question, Mu-hwa, who had been checking on the injured civilians, glared at the rogues with fiery eyes.
"Just kill them all. Even if we spare them, they’ll just go back to slaughtering and pillaging civilians."
Mu-hwa’s plum blossom sword twitched as if she were about to strike immediately.
"Whoa, calm down, youngest."
"Mu-hwa, they’re definitely scum, but still…"
Musan and Muho, who were tying up the rogues, tried to reason with her, but Mu-hwa’s expression remained resolute. Seeing this, Mujin let out a bitter smile.
Ever since her first venture into the martial arts world, Mu-hwa had been furious at the evil deeds and injustices of martial artists, especially those who oppressed the weak, like civilians, under the guise of strength.
Though sometimes excessive, Mujin, who believed such righteous anger was natural for a martial artist upholding justice, gently persuaded her.
"Mu-hwa, I understand your feelings. But we are part of the orthodox sects, and above all, we are Taoists. In the heat of battle, killing may be unavoidable, but now that they’re subdued, it’s right to send them to the branch to face judgment."
At Mujin’s calm words, Mu-hwa scratched her head and pouted.
"Fine. If I just kill everyone who pisses me off, I’d be no better than the evil sects."
Musan and Muho sighed in relief. If Mu-hwa was like fire, Mujin was the water that tempered her flames.
"Thank goodness Senior Disciple Hyeon Baek left Mujin here."
"Right. Otherwise, who would’ve stopped Mu-hwa’s rampage?"
Mujin looked up at the sky and addressed his juniors.
"We’ve fired the signal flare, so the assassins from the Thousand Killer Chosen Sect nearby will arrive soon. Once they take custody of the rogues, we’ll regroup with the others."
"The other groups will be fine, right?"
At Muryun’s concern, Mujin nodded.
"The junior disciples of the Small Righteous Assembly Unit will handle things well. And we don’t need to worry about the Senior Disciple Mu Hwi."
According to the Thousand Killer Chosen Sect's intelligence, the Dragon-Subduing Eighteen Strikes had ultimately fallen into the hands of the Wolf King. The three branches—Shanggao, Jangsu, and Linchuan—were under simultaneous attack.
In response, the Small Righteous Assembly Unit, the Plum Blossom Swordsmen, and Mu Hwi had split up to reinforce each branch.
Judging by the evil sect's movements, Wolf King seemed intent on using the gathered rogues to drive the Martial Alliance forces out of northern Jiangxi entirely, securing the Langya League and the Dragon-Subduing Eighteen Strikes.
With the Martial Alliance’s attention and resources stretched thin elsewhere, the Langya League likely saw this as the perfect opportunity to seize Jiangxi Province.
"If we fail to stop Wolf King this time and lose Nanchang and the Poyang Lake region, the path to Hubei and Anhui will be wide open. We must hold the line."
"We’ll take care of the rogues."
An assassin suddenly appeared from the shadows of the trees and spoke. Mujin, unfazed, nodded.
"We leave it to you."
"There’s updated intelligence. The Small Righteous Assembly Unit and the Sword Saint are clearing out the rogues heading for each branch and are en route to the rendezvous point."
The plan—to split up, reinforce the three branches, and regroup near Okhwasan—was proceeding without a hitch.
With the assassin’s information, Mujin led his disciples.
"Let’s hurry and regroup. We’re heading to Okhwasan."
***
Blood dripped steadily from the blade of the Sim-myeong Sword, hanging low. Though drenched in blood, the sword’s jet-black surface remained untainted, emitting a mysterious purple glow.
Behind Mu Hwi, who stepped forward, lay piles of rogue corpses. As he pushed back his bangs, he smirked at the rogues staggering backward in fear.
"Pathetic. Did you really think ambushes and traps would work on me?"
After rescuing the Linchuan branch, which had nearly fallen into the rogues’ hands, Mu Hwi didn’t head straight to Okhwasan. Instead, he went to the routes leading from Shanggao and Jangsu to the mountain, crushing the evil forces stationed there.
Judging by their formation, Wolf King seemed aware of their movements. He likely intended to harass the Small Righteous Assembly Unit and the Plum Blossom Swordsmen with sheer numbers.
But against a one-man army—an absolute master who had reached the Transcendent Realm—numbers meant nothing. Mu Hwi, anticipating Wolf King’s strategy, systematically dismantled each group stationed along the routes.
Squelch.
Mu Hwi’s robe was stained with blood as he stepped through a puddle.
His sharp gaze swept over the rogues and rogues, frozen in terror, unable to even flee.
"I heard. Wolf King promised to teach you the Dragon-Subduing Eighteen Strikes and the Eight Drunken Immortals’ techniques if you drove all Martial Alliance branches out of Jiangxi."
His voice, infused with inner energy, sent chills down the rogues’ spines. It carried a killing intent so dense it was hard to believe it came from a Taoist.
"You vermin. Did you really think mastering those techniques would make you the next Wind King?"
The Sim-myeong Sword, which had been pointing downward, slowly rose.
Wind King (風王).
Though the leader of the Beggar’s Sect, he rarely stayed in Kaifeng, where the sect’s headquarters were. Instead, he roamed the vast martial arts world like the wind, quelling conflicts and unrest wherever he went.
A man who tirelessly worked for the martial arts world, leveraging the Beggar’s Sect’s intelligence network and his own martial prowess.
Mu Hwi had only met him briefly during the Righteous Path Grand Assembly at Hwasan, so they weren’t close. But even he knew the Wind King was a martial artist who deserved respect, regardless of sect.
The thought of Wolf King desecrating the Wind King’s body and scattering his techniques across the martial arts world made Mu Hwi sneer.
"Even enemies have lines that shouldn’t be crossed."
A storm began swirling around the Sim-myeong Sword, tilted diagonally upward. A technique refined after cutting down countless rogues in Jiangxi in a short time.
‘Wind King. In return for taking the Paewangseong’s strike in my stead at Hwasan, I’ll repay you by reclaiming the Dragon-Subduing Eighteen Strikes.’
A deep purple streak of light stretched long through the air. Slow yet endlessly shifting, the strikes converged into an unbroken flow. Within that immense current, the sword energy layered infinitely upon the Sim-myeong Sword poured forth like a raging river.
An endless, river-like succession of sword strikes, resembling a purple dragon soaring through the sky.
"Aah!"
"Damn it!"
Faced with the colossal sword strikes filling the air, the rogues couldn’t even think of fleeing—they could only gasp. Their bodies trembled as they felt death approaching.
Whoosh!
As the Sim-myeong Sword slashed downward violently, the purple dragon bared its fierce fangs.
A sword strike descending like lightning, vertical and unstoppable—reminiscent of the Wind King’s Soaring Dragon in the Sky (飛龍在天) from the Dragon-Subduing Eighteen Strikes.
Simultaneously, the tightly woven sword energy exploded outward in all directions, sweeping over the rogues.
BOOM!
A deafening roar, like thunder or a dragon’s cry, echoed as the ground ahead erupted. Rocks and dirt flew everywhere as the sword strikes detonated.
An all-encompassing technique that wiped out everything in an instant.
Based on the principle of the Six Harmonies, extending in all directions, it amplified the relentless, overwhelming power of the Dragon-Subduing Eighteen Strikes Mu Hwi had witnessed before.
The most efficient and devastating technique when facing multiple opponents alone.
Army-Crushing Pursuit of Martial Might (破軍求武).
In the aftermath of the technique, only Mu Hwi remained standing, his brilliant gaze shining.
His plum blossom robe fluttered majestically as he strode forward to reclaim the Wind King’s techniques from the Wolf King.
Before long, the Plum Blossom Swordsmen who had cleared the Jangsu branch joined him on the right, while the Small Righteous Assembly Unit, having rescued the Shanggao branch, took their place on the left.
Having regrouped at the rendezvous point as planned, Mu Hwi and his companions advanced toward Okhwasan, where Wolf King had set up his stronghold.