Declaration of War
Having survived the Martial Twin Society's ambush, the leaders of the two factions decided to pull back to their respective strongholds first. The sheer scale of their casualties was reason enough, but holding a serious council in a room strewn with fresh corpses was simply out of the question.
Even so, the two men had already firmly resolved to unite their forces. They knew all too well that had they not pooled their strength today, they would have been the ones slaughtered to the last man. For now, they withdrew to regroup and tend to their wounded.
The Wudang swordsmen also departed for their mountain. Though their losses amounted to only a single disciple, a casualty among those who had descended merely for reconnaissance was no light matter. Without a proper explanation, relations with Wudang could easily sour. Even so, Gwi Hujin and Ho Jihwan recognized and respected the chivalrous valor displayed by the Taoist disciples. Any thought of striking preemptively against Wudang was entirely erased from their minds—at least so long as Wudang did not turn hostile first.
Finally, Ryeong headed for Haomun. She needed to convey the full account of what had transpired at Gongsong Inn, and more importantly, use their information network to spread word that the Martial Twin Society was in truth a subordinate branch of the Demon Blood Divine Cult. If news broke that one of the three great powers dividing Hubei's Unorthodox factions belonged to the cult, tension across the province would skyrocket—and the intelligence would inevitably reach whoever stood at the head of their syndicate.
Until now, information regarding the Demon Blood Divine Cult had been shrouded in mystery. She had only just learned of the existence of someone referred to as the "Blood King." This Blood King was almost certainly a master who had reached the pinnacle of the Transformation Realm at the very least, given that the cultist Ryeong had slain boasted of being his right-hand man.
Then there was another gain from this battle: Jinyeong's awakening.
Fighting until his internal energy and physical stamina were utterly depleted had granted him an epiphany. While it hadn't propelled him all the way into the Transcendence Realm, his aura had grown far more stable and refined than before the battle.
Martial artists generally fell into two categories: those who broke through their limits through solitary meditation, and those who achieved enlightenment with their bodies by surviving at death's door. Jinyeong clearly belonged to the latter. An unfortunate reality for him, perhaps, but Ryeong resolved then and there to run him into the dirt like a madman starting with this incident.
Time passed, and word of the incident at Gongsong Inn spread like wildfire across Hubei. Soon, the Orthodox factions—led by the Zhuge Clan and the Wudang Sect—convened an emergency council.
The agenda was not the merger of the Blade Ghost Gang and the Fire Tiger Sword Sect. Rather, it was how to deal with the Demon Blood Divine Cult, which had held such a massive Unorthodox faction as the Martial Twin Society under its thumb.
Ryeong and Jinyeong were invited as well. In truth, had it not been for Ryeong, the battle at Gongsong Inn would have ended in catastrophic slaughter. Naturally, she became the center of the council; among everyone present, she was the one who knew the most about the Demon Blood Divine Cult.
At first, Hubei's Orthodox leaders had bristled at the meddling of a Jongnam disciple. But once they verified that she was indeed a master of the Transformation Realm just as the rumors claimed, their reluctance gave way to respect, and they leaned in to heed her words.
"The Demon Blood Divine Cult is likely far vaster than we imagine," Ryeong said. "A mere unit commander was a master of the Transformation Realm, and the right-hand man of this 'Blood King' was in the Transformation Realm as well. Where there is a right arm, there is bound to be a left. At the very least, we can estimate this Blood King commands three or more Transformation Realm masters."
Ryeong did not lay all her cards on the table. She kept in mind the possibility that a spy colluding with the enemy might be sitting among them. Even the Tang Clan had harbored a traitor, and if such infiltration could occur in a secretive, insular clan, how could these factions be entirely secure?
"Allow me to ask one thing, young lady," interjected the Patriarch of the Yang Clan. "Is there any chance this Blood King is a master of the Profound Unity Realm?"
"If he were in the Profound Unity Realm, Hubei would already have been wiped clean off the map," Ryeong countered flatly. "He commands multiple Transformation Realm masters beneath him. If the man himself had reached Profound Unity, Hubei would already be a sea of fire."
"Hmm... That is true enough, but..."
Ryeong cut off the Yang Clan Patriarch's speculation without hesitation. Had the Blood King possessed the power of the Profound Unity Realm, he wouldn't have bothered mobilizing the Martial Twin Society in secret. In the current Murim, the only known master of the Profound Unity Realm was the Alliance Leader himself. If the Blood King were truly on that level, the Demon Blood Divine Cult would have already upended the Central Plains; they wouldn't be suffering setback after setback.
"The reason I brought the Unorthodox factions together was also because of the Demon Blood Divine Cult," Ryeong continued. "I am not asking for an alliance between Orthodox and Unorthodox. But only by uniting them does it become easy to identify our true enemies. It's a simple principle."
The Martial Twin Society had proved that point. Unlike just a few days ago, when Hubei's major Unorthodox powers were fractured into three factions, bringing the other two together had excised the cult's lackey in one fell swoop. That alone had brought a measure of stability to Hubei's volatile landscape.
Had the Demon Blood Divine Cult stirred chaos within the Unorthodox domain while it remained fractured, the Orthodox factions would have been forced to split their attention and strike at all three. Naturally, their forces would have been divided, weakening their overall might and leaving them unable to exert their true strength against the real enemy. In that respect, the unification of the Blade Ghost Gang and the Fire Tiger Sword Sect was an undeniable triumph—a move that erased the Martial Twin Society before it could cause further damage.
"Even if you find the Unorthodox factions distasteful, do not antagonize them for the time being. I have secured a written pledge from them stating that so long as you do not attack first, they will not launch a preemptive strike."
When Ryeong produced the document signed in blood by both the Gang Leader and the Sect Leader, the heads of Hubei's Orthodox sects nodded in agreement. With the Demon Blood Divine Cult looming over them, they had neither the time nor the resources to spare on the Unorthodox factions. Because Wudang had extended a helping hand first, unnecessary conflict had already been averted. The leaders chose to trust the pledge; after all, their most pressing concern was the cult.
And the next matter...
"Now, we must prepare," Ryeong said gravely. "Having lost his right hand, will this Blood King truly let this matter slide?"
First the Blood Fiend Unit, then the Martial Twin Society, and now his right-hand man—all had perished. No matter how patient the Blood King might be, his temper was bound to erupt sooner or later. Moreover, their objective was the sacred relic. So long as the relic remained in Wudang's custody, they would inevitably march their forces up the mountain one day. Humiliated and enraged by this latest defeat, and with rumors spreading far and wide, they might already have completed their preparations to march.
"I will send word to the Blade Ghost Gang and the Fire Tiger Sword Sect as well," Ryeong added. "Let us prepare together for a surprise attack by the Demon Blood Divine Cult."
Every leader present voiced their agreement. Wudang had already suffered one raid, and recovering from that damage had taken considerable time and effort. In the past, Wudang had protected Hubei; now, it was time for Hubei to stand up and protect Wudang.
"I shall take my leave now," Ryeong said. "Though I belong to the Orthodox faction, as a disciple of Jongnam, I am ultimately an outsider here. I trust you will make wise decisions. Please be sure to share the council's conclusions with me."
"You have done well," the Zhuge Patriarch replied, expressing his gratitude first. The other leaders echoed his thanks one after another.
Ryeong excused herself without lingering. In the end, they were the ones holding the final authority. Trying to boss them around or dictate terms would only provoke resentment and spawn endless headaches. Stepping back at this juncture was the wiser course.
"Is the discussion over?"
"Yes. They seem more cooperative than I expected, though we'll have to see."
"Well done. Sect Leader Ho sent a message requesting to see you, so it'd be best to head over right away."
"Ho Jihwan?"
Jinyeong, who had been waiting outside, delivered the message. Ho Jihwan had sent word asking for an urgent meeting.
Both factions were currently swamped with preparations to combine their strength. Although merging into a single sect would take time, now that an agreement had been reached, the integration should have been proceeding smoothly. In the meantime, Ryeong had deliberately stepped back to avoid interfering in their internal affairs.
Ho Jihwan was no fool. He wasn't the kind of man to call on someone who had explicitly agreed to stay out of their business unless something serious had occurred. What, then, was his reason for summoning her?
"I don't know the details," Jinyeong said. "He only asked that you come as quickly as possible."
"Is that so? Then let's move."
Ryeong kicked off the ground with her lightness skill, and Jinyeong trailed right behind her without a word of complaint. There were no whining protests about why they had to sprint; having tasted the bitter yet tangible benefits of enhanced stamina forged through her grueling movement drills, he was determined to follow Ryeong in silence unless he was on the verge of death.
Yet before long, they arrived at a sight that shattered their composure entirely.
"..."
"Th-This can't be! When did this...!"
"They got us good."
Arriving at the entrance of the Fire Tiger Sword Sect, Ryeong and Jinyeong were struck with utter horror.
The sect grounds, which should have been bustling with preparations for unification, were deathly still. Starting from the main gate, which had been smashed to splinters, every single disciple lay dead.
Rumble.
A suffocating bloodlust surged from Ryeong as she stepped past the threshold. Jinyeong could not utter a peep, following rigidly in her wake.
Before long, she came upon the corpse of Ho Jihwan—his head completely severed from his shoulders. She looked at the wall, her lips twisting into a cold, vicious smirk.
"So... you bastards want to go all out, do you?"
The Demon Blood Divine Cult bastards had wiped out the Fire Tiger Sword Sect as their declaration of war.