Chapter 185
Chapter 185: Night of the Long Sword (1)
Central Plains.
If interpreted literally, it meant the plains spread across the center of the continent.
However, in actual meaning, it was an abstract word encompassing this entire world, or the entirety of the Martial World where martial artists roamed.
Naturally, the Central Plains was a massive world where endless mountains and ranges were vastly connected.
Thousands of years of history piled layer upon layer, transmissions of Dao, Buddhism, and Martial Arts intertwined, and countless sects, families, and factions were scattered everywhere.
Among them, in the Orthodox Path, ten gigantic renowned great sects illuminated heaven and earth.
Their name: Ten Great Sects.
Below them, countless small and medium sects each guarded their lands while training and passing down martial arts.
However, where there is light, shadows inevitably dwell.
If there were Orthodox Paths pursuing brightness, then martial artists pursuing the exact opposite direction certainly existed as well.
Seven Evil Grand Cults.
Seven massive organizations formed over long ages as Evil Sect members and Demonic Beings engaged in alliances and betrayals.
Though they possessed different tendencies, they were groups that shared at least the iron-blooded law of survival of the fittest. Because of this, they could never unite with each other, but their combined strength never fell behind the Ten Great Sects.
Among them.
A secret sect that left no trace even in broad daylight, but appeared by squeezing through gaps the moment moonlight and the energy of blood intertwined, mocking worldly justice and order.
That was precisely the Heavenly Yin Sect.
The Heavenly Yin Sect was known as a sect of women who mastered Yin Energy and held cold moonlight in their hands, but information beyond that was almost unknown. Even that only leaked out slightly when they appeared in the Martial World in emergencies and displayed their power.
What martial arts, Formation Paths, or Illusion Arts they learned was hardly known. Thus, people of the Martial World were always curious about the Heavenly Yin Sect.
Though they searched for countless years, there was only one thing Martial World people had definitively learned about them.
— Demon Abyss. The Heavenly Yin Sect is hidden in the Demon Abyss.
Demon Abyss.
A mysterious space not marked on any map of the Central Plains.
It was mentioned only once in Orthodox Sect classics as a dark gap that flowed down when heaven and earth split into Upper Realm and Lower Realm at the beginning of time.
Whether it was actually a gorge of unfathomable depth, a twisted corner of the Upper Realm, or merely an illusion created by people's fears was unclear.
However, what was certain was that the sect called Heavenly Yin Sect truly existed and they were hiding there.
***
A certain massive lake somewhere in the Central Plains.
If one descended three thousand meters below that water surface, the bottom appeared. On that deep, deep bottom, a formation was carved in the ancient language of the Upper Realm.
Only those who dismantled the formation or proved their qualification could enter the space below it.
Though ordinary people didn't know well, at least the name of this place was well known.
Demon Abyss.
The sect of the abyss where not even moonlight reached, the Heavenly Yin Sect.
At the deepest depths of that Demon Abyss, a stalactite cave was now trembling.
"The moon of the Seven Dharma Maidens has shattered."
A low woman's voice flowed from behind a curtain hanging long in a corner of the cave.
"Did she die? Or was she disabled?"
A woman prostrating before the curtain wearing a blue robe answered.
"We cannot yet know."
"Cannot yet know?"
Tssssss—
Instantly, cold energy spread throughout the entire stalactite cave. Water droplets falling from the ceiling froze in midair. Moisture on the floor instantly transformed into frost.
Simultaneously, the curtain eerily distorted and warped. The Yin Energy flowing from within was so strong that space itself seemed to twist.
"A Heavenly Yin Sect Dharma Maiden's life and death is unknown, yet you don't know?"
The voice dropped one pitch lower.
"Don't know?"
That alone made the prostrating woman's spine run cold.
"Is that the answer you should give?"
Rumble—
The entire cave vibrated. Hundreds upon hundreds of stalactites shattered and fell. Frozen fragments embedded everywhere like sharp daggers.
One of them, as if grasped by an invisible hand, touched the robed woman's neck.
Immediately, her red blood faintly seeped out and spread across the transparent ice surface.
"...I am deeply sorry. I will take immediate action."
Only then did the ice blade fall to the floor.
Clang, the shattering ice made the cold energy that had been shaking the entire cave vanish as if washed away.
"Check. Find out exactly who dared touch our Heavenly Yin Sect's Dharma Maiden without permission."
"Understood, Sect Leader."
"Ice Night."
"Yes, Sect Leader."
"Move personally."
"I accept your command."
Swoosh—
The robed woman who had completed her report vanished like scattering moonlight.
Thus, after a long time, the Heavenly Yin Sect's formation opened toward the Central Plains.
Bubble bubble bubble—
Mermaid or fish-person?
Ten human shadows explosively swam from the bottom of the unfathomably deep lake and ascended outside into the world.
***
At that moment.
Dong Bong-soo was standing atop a hill of corpses. It was dimensional cleaning—he had neatly stacked all the corpses toward the collapsed Main Hall.
They said cremation was common here, so he could burn them at a crematorium on Gangdo's outskirts before long.
On the other side, Jeon Ra-hwa and all the [Household] members were busy cleaning, but Dong Bong-soo, who had lightly finished all his share with his Super True Energy Field, stood with arms folded, lost in thought.
『Heavenly Yin Sect Dharma Maiden's Jade Token』
※A kind of tracking function is embedded, possible between people sharing the same Mana.
A newly added line of content to the Dharma Treasure he'd given Jeon Ra-hwa.
It seemed quite meaningful, so he was mulling it over.
'What is Hero is a world that uses Mana to employ magic or techniques. But here, Internal Energy is naturally recognized as Mana. This has already been confirmed. Therefore—'
If tracking was possible between those sharing the same Internal Energy?
He gazed at Jeon Ra-hwa.
Her, leading the children as she diligently cleaned the entire Iron God Society.
What mattered was whether the Snow Snow Yin Cold Art he'd given her—meaning the art Jeon Ra-hwa was learning—was or wasn't the Heavenly Yin Sect's martial art.
A secret manual left behind by someone who had died in the Border Realm.
Honestly, the possibility of it not being so was far higher. How many coincidences would need to overlap for such a thing to happen?
However, Dong Bong-soo, who had already experienced countless coincidences, knew well that coincidences belonged to the realm of probability.
0.000001 probability?
A probability that would almost never occur.
But it happened once in a million times.
Even if just once.
Then it needed to be considered.
The world's truth was that nothing could be known before it occurred.
He must prepare.
The existence of even a tracking function meant it was an extremely important item to that sect.
Just as he finished organizing his thoughts about the jade token.
Far in the distance, a group was approaching the new Iron God Society—since there was no separate name yet—. At a glance, they seemed to number over several dozen.
The Fire Bell Society he saw earlier?
Or perhaps it was Single Eye Gate or Black Wind Hall he'd been hearing about.
Once they were certain this place was empty?
Rushing to claim it would be common sense by this place's standards.
Then responding with my own heroic common sense would be appropriate.
Whirrrr—
Lightly stepping on a single hair of the topmost corpse to soar up, Dong Bong-soo instantly crossed the Iron God Society's entrance and descended before the guests.
He didn't immediately act.
Because upon approaching closely, he could tell their identity differed from his expectations.
"Who are you?"
When Dong Bong-soo appeared like a ghost, the middle-aged man in the lead flinched in surprise. However, he soon composed himself and stared straight at Dong Bong-soo before speaking.
"That's what I should be asking."
"I?"
"Indeed. I am Gangdo's Magistrate."
He was precisely Magistrate Yo Han-myeong, who had thoroughly investigated from District 7 to the remaining districts but found nothing, ultimately arriving at the Iron God Society.
"Well, I've explained about myself. Then I'll ask again. Who are you?"
Magistrate.
Something like a mayor, perhaps.
This worked out well. Since he'd be staying here for a while anyway, they would have had to clash eventually.
"The new lord of this place."
New lord, meaning the new owner.
Brief but a compressed word explaining almost everything.
Yo Han-myeong swallowed dry saliva and examined the man before him once more.
Overall a cold, emotionless impression, but a tall, fairly attractive-looking young man with silver-gray hair and black eyes. However, looking at his plain Sun Point and lean body, his External Energy Arts also seemed minimal.
In summary, by appearance, a man who could never be a master.
But the Martial World was never a world that could be judged by appearance. Rather, the more such an appearance, the more careful one must be. Even doubting the opponent's skill while placing such a destroyed Iron God Society before one's eyes was a blunder not even an idiot would make.
After briefly sorting his words, Yo Han-myeong ultimately threw out the most important question directly.
"What did you do with Iron Soul and Cold-Faced Iron Hand?"
"Killed them."
An answer far too ordinary, like saying he ate rice in the morning and noodles for lunch.
Of course, from Yo Han-myeong's perspective, it was a shocking enough answer to make him draw a deep breath. Though the Iron God Society had been losing to the Seven Star Immortal Assembly, he had vaguely noticed Cheol So-a was hiding something.
He'd thought Cheol So-a might be as great a master as Bukgung Ri...
To hear an answer at the level of 'ate Iron Soul for breakfast and Cheol So-a for lunch.'
"By chance, was the Seven Star Immortal Assembly also your handiwork?"
"That was not."
"Then do you know who did it?"
"I do not."
Though he was certain Bukgung Ri had done it, Dong Bong-soo didn't mention information that didn't need telling.
At that, Yo Han-myeong briefly examined Dong Bong-soo's eyes directly before soon turning his head first. It was from an animal instinct that felt like something terrible would happen if he looked any longer.
"Ahem. I see. Then just one more thing."
"Go ahead."
"Are you Orthodox Path? Evil Sect or Demonic Path?"
From Yo Han-myeong's position, whether Orthodox Path or Evil Sect made no difference whatsoever, but he still needed to know. In any case, with both the Seven Star Immortal Assembly and Iron God Society gone, he had to determine whether this 'source' of chaos was controllable and cooperative.
Of course, Dong Bong-soo already read all such intentions.
"Middle Path."
"Middle... Path?"
"I will simply walk the path of punishing evil and raising the banner of heroism."
"...Raising the banner of heroism?"
"Indeed. Whether Orthodox or Demonic matters not. I will kill the wicked and help the good."
"..."
"It doesn't matter whether it's dogs, cats, or trash anyway, does it? From the government's perspective."
"..."
"If foreign enemies invade, I'll block them. And—"
"And?"
Dong Bong-soo wore a faint smile on his lips, slightly revealing his teeth.
"—While I'm at it, I plan to pacify the Gangdo Martial World as well."
At those words, Yo Han-myeong swallowed dry saliva once more. Because it was far too clear this wasn't empty words.
At the point of singlehandedly exterminating the Iron God Society, that ability and qualification were already proven beyond doubt.
"Go... Good. That's up to you."
Nevertheless, having come this far, he couldn't not ask more.
"You, no—what will be the name of your sect you'll establish here?"
The sect's name.
— Thank you for answering our call. You are our last hope. Please save this world.
Suddenly, the voice of goddess Lumina he'd heard when first downloading What is Hero came to mind.
'Last hope.'
Since he'd already come this far anyway.
Dong Bong-soo was already enjoying this situation. Though he couldn't predict himself just how cruel that enjoyment might be.
— Remember. Being a hero isn't something decided by someone else. It's choosing for yourself and being recognized by people.
A direction he could choose himself and be recognized by people.
Dong Bong-soo considered it multiple times but determined there was no better name than this.
Finally, his lips opened.
"Hero Gate."
"Hero... Gate?"
"Indeed. I, we, this place will now become heroes and purify this damned Martial World."
Thuuuuum—
[Guild] Hero Gate Declaration
: No matter how much a hero, one cannot accomplish great things alone. At your guild formation declaration, countless evil practitioners will tremble.
However, as light gathers, equally strong darkness will also linger nearby, so I pray you and your guild members overcome all crises with faith.
․ Recruit ten guild members.
├─ Progress: 0%
└─ Reward: Hero History +1, [Guild Window] Activated