Chapter 192
Chapter 192
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 192
Chapter Title: Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell (3)
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The journey proceeded smoothly.
Clear skies continued every day, and with the tailwind, the ship arrived near Nanjing just ten days after departing from Wuhann.
As Sima Geon surveyed the deck from the bow, he spotted people gathered in small groups, chatting idly. It was late at night, so the merchants and sailors had retired to their cabins, leaving only Sima Geon and the Sword Empress group on deck.
Confined to the narrow space of the ship and traveling together since Dangga, everyone had grown quite close.
The affable So Surin, along with Noejeon and Manchu, bantered freely with the Sword Pavilion disciples, laughing and joking without reservation. Even Cheol Woo, who hadn't gotten along with everyone, occasionally joined in the conversations. His tone remained arrogant and gruff, but the emotion behind it had subtly softened.
"We'll arrive tomorrow," said Neung So Hwa, sitting beside Sima Geon as she gazed at the lively group laughing and chatting boisterously.
"Our companionship is coming to an end soon."
"Yeah. If circumstances were different, we could've traveled together a bit longer."
Neung So Hwa blushed faintly, her expression tinged with deep regret.
If they hadn't halted the Sword Empress Escort, their journey with Sima Geon's group might have extended further. But having stopped it, their paths would part at Nanjing. They needed to head straight to Shandong upon arrival.
Even though the Blood Cult had revealed itself in Shandong and the Shandong Wicked Families and martial forces who had been heading to Shaolin had swiftly turned back, the situation hadn't improved much.
Centered around the Shandong Wicked Families, the Shandong martial world had pursued the Blood Cult with all their might, but unlike the Heavenly Demon Cult, which had clashed head-on with the Jiangnan martial world in a battle of strength, the Blood Cult tormented them with hit-and-run tactics rather than direct confrontations.
The Blood Cult's movements were so elusive that, despite the Shandong martial world's intelligence and even aid from the Beggars' Sect, they couldn't respond effectively, and the damage only mounted as time passed.
The Blood Cult's antics in toying with Shandong martial world finally slowed only when the Righteous Heaven Alliance began its full northward advance.
Led by the Spirit Tiger Clan, the Righteous Heaven Alliance coordinated with Shandong martial forces to tighten the encirclement. Though they faced several obstacles, they achieved significant successes, eliminating several Blood Cult warriors who had slyly slipped away.
The Blood Cult's counterattacks were fierce, inflicting heavy losses on the Righteous Heaven Alliance as well.
The Six Righteousness Sect and Seven Yang Blade Sect, which had bolstered the alliance early on, were wiped out after falling into traps set by the Blood Cult. The Golden Dragon Gang, which had built considerable power at the Yangtze estuary, ambushed the Blood Cult returning from attacking the Six Righteousness Sect and gained momentum, only to suffer devastating blows in the immediate retaliation.
After several exchanges, the Blood Cult shifted targets in Shandong and relentlessly targeted the Righteous Heaven Alliance, causing their casualties to skyrocket.
Yet the mood in the Righteous Heaven Alliance remained upbeat.
With the Alliance Leader's Left Wing at the forefront, the leadership actively boosted morale. Their devoted, heroic conduct against the Blood Cult spread across the world, drawing a surge of warriors seeking refuge under their banner.
"I heard from Manchu that it's not just chaos in Shandong. The Shaolin Temple's situation sounds dire too."
A sigh escaped Neung So Hwa's lips at Sima Geon's words.
"Yes. In a way, Shandong's the better off one. The Shandong martial world, centered on the Wicked Families, has joined forces with the Righteous Heaven Alliance. But Shaolin... it's impossible to predict."
Considering the gravity, aiding Shaolin Temple was the obvious choice. But for Neung So Hwa, who had lost her master to the Blood Cult, her priority was the Blood Cult stirring trouble in Shandong, not Shaolin.
She had made that judgment because word had spread that countless factions, from Wudang and Mount Hua Sect onward, were converging to help Shaolin. The problem exploded from an utterly unforeseen quarter.
Three days before reaching Nanjing, shocking news arrived.
The Iron Blood Palace had invaded the Central Plains martial world, a bombshell that rocked the jianghu.
With Jiangnan martial world on the brink against the Heavenly Demon Cult, the North Sea Ice Palace eyeing Shaolin, and even the Blood Cult rampaging in Shandong, the surprise assault by the overlord of the great curtain, the Iron Blood Palace, struck terror into the Central Plains.
The Iron Blood Palace's debut move in the martial world was utterly unprecedented.
The traditional prestigious sects and pillars of the Martial Alliance, Mount Hua and Mount Chungnam Sects, were thoroughly crushed.
Mount Chungnam had no survivors whatsoever. Mount Hua barely escaped annihilation, with only three Daoists tending the eldest elder at Lotus Peak surviving the horror—thanks to the relief forces en route to Shaolin. Without them, it would have been total extermination.
The shock of the Iron Blood Palace's sudden emergence wasn't limited to the Central Plains.
The North Sea Ice Palace, which had seemed poised to strike Shaolin, had swept through Shanxi martial world and joined forces yet inexplicably halted.
Officially, it was rest to recover from accumulated fatigue of prolonged battles, but most believed they were watching the Iron Blood Palace devastate Mount Chungnam and Mount Hua. There was also the concern that moving rashly might let the Iron Blood Palace reap the fisherman's benefits.
"So, heading to Shaolin?"
Sima Geon asked.
"No, we can't. Sword Pavilion disciples have already reached Nanjing, and the elders have devised plans. The best course is to swiftly eradicate the Blood Cult here and then aid Shaolin."
"Neung So Hwa can handle it well."
At Sima Geon's encouragement, Neung So Hwa started to say something but closed her mouth.
Sima Geon pretended not to notice what she had been about to say.
He recalled how acts of goodwill from afar like the Living Immortal Medical House and nearby like the Flying Heaven Hall had twisted into malice. Above all, after reuniting with Sima Jin, his longing for his long-separated siblings had deepened.
If Sima Geon knew the Iron Blood Palace Lord was Eun Jeok So, things might have changed. Regrettably, the surviving Mount Hua Daoists remembered the name Iron Blood Palace but not Eun Jeok So. Thus, the palace lord's identity hadn't fully spread in the jianghu.
Neung So Hwa, aware of Sima Geon's feelings, couldn't bring herself to ask for help.
And so, the two ignored each other's unspoken thoughts, staring blankly at the moon amid profound regret.
Haomen, Hangzhou Sub-branch's underground secret chamber.
The bodies of those bound tightly to chairs and unconscious began to twitch.
"Ugh..."
Ban Cheon Su, who had been dispatched as sub-branch leader a year ago to rebuild the Hangzhou branch devastated by Sima Geon’s group, let out a low groan and opened his eyes.
"What the... Elder!"
Wincing from the sudden headache, Ban Cheon Su spotted Jeok In Sul bound beside him and cried out in shock.
Jeok In Sul awoke at his shout, grimacing in pain just like Ban Cheon Su.
"Are you alright?"
Ban Cheon Su asked worriedly.
Jeok In Sul silently assessed his condition without reply.
His blood flow was suppressed; he couldn't circulate his qi, nor move a single finger.
"What happened?"
Jeok In Sul asked gravely.
"I... I don't know. I have no memory after drinking with you last night, Elder."
Jeok In Sul's expression darkened further at Ban Cheon Su's answer. He too remembered nothing after the drinking party. It meant someone had tampered there.
Then—
A grating sound pierced their ears as the iron door swung open.
"You're awake."
A beautiful voice. But the torch she held obscured her facial features.
"Who are you?"
Ban Cheon Su bellowed.
"Oh? Even in your daze, I didn't expect you'd forget my voice."
"You... you're—!"
Jeok In Sul recognized the woman before Ban Cheon Su did.
She casually moved the torch aside, revealing a stunning beauty that would stand out anywhere.
"H-Han Seol! Why... why would you do this to us?"
Ban Cheon Su demanded, his face pale with shock.
"Exactly. Why did I do it? That's what we're going to find out slowly from now on."
Han Seol smiled softly.
Her smile, laced with ghostly yin energy, made Ban Cheon Su and Jeok In Sul shudder violently.
"By the way, Drunken Dream Powder works wonders. I didn't expect it to last half a day. Even shaking you didn't wake you."
"You used Drunken Dream Powder on us?"
Jeok In Sul ground his teeth.
"Yes. Even if it's colorless, tasteless, and odorless, I never imagined you'd fall for it so defenselessly. And you're a Haomen elder, no less."
"You dare!"
Jeok In Sul's eyes and lips trembled with rage.
Who could have imagined falling victim to Drunken Dream Powder right in the Hangzhou sub-branch, during a drinking session with subordinates?
"Why use it on us?"
Ban Cheon Su rolled his eyes frantically as he asked. Han Seol sneered at him, bowed at the waist, and stared straight into his eyes.
"Blood Cult."
Ban Cheon Su's pupils quivered violently.
"W-what are you talking about? Blood Cult?!"
He desperately composed himself and shouted.
"No need to deny it. I already know everything. I just want more details, so I arranged this little meeting."
Han Seol smiled ingratiatingly.
Ban Cheon Su and Jeok In Sul felt terror at her expression and tone.
"It started quite by chance."
Han Seol smiled chillingly, reminiscing.
Having lost her comrades and master to Sima Geon and Cheol Woo, Han Seol had survived solely on vengeance. But Haomen, thoroughly subdued by their prowess, showed no interest in avenging her fallen Dongdo brethren.
She understood it as lack of power for now and threw herself into rebuilding the ruined Hangzhou sub-branch while secretly gathering every scrap of information on Sima Geon and Cheol Woo for future revenge.
In the midst of that, she noticed odd behavior from the newly appointed sub-branch leader, Ban Cheon Su.
He consorted with strangers and handled suspicious information. Still, she didn't suspect much at first, deeming it natural for an information-handling group like Haomen. But then, one of his contacts was exposed as a Blood Cult spy.
Her instincts screaming foul play, Han Seol launched an investigation.
Seizing a moment when Ban Cheon Su was away, she searched for traces, but anything sensitive beyond routine intel had been thoroughly destroyed.
Undeterred, she bided her time and, after several attempts, uncovered a few overlooked suspicious documents—information utterly divergent from Haomen's usual dealings.
Suspicion hardened to certainty.
She didn't foolishly report Ban Cheon Su's anomalies to Haomen's leadership. Over the past year, those suspicions had intertwined with Haomen's every move, breeding distrust toward the upper echelons.
Patiently waiting, Han Seol finally acted.
She arranged a "chance" encounter with one of Ban Cheon Su's frequent informants—not in Hangzhou, but a strange location.
Ban Cheon Su had claimed him as an agent from Nanjing headquarters, but Han Seol already knew he wasn't Haomen. She had even traced his prior activities with the recently executed Blood Cult spy.
The informant found the meeting awkward but not suspicious enough to avoid. He'd seen Han Seol at Ban Cheon Su's gatherings, and posing as headquarters staff, he couldn't just bail.
"Drunken Dream Powder's effects are truly outstanding."
Pausing with a smile, Han Seol stepped to a corner of the chamber.
Only then did Ban Cheon Su and Jeok In Sul realize someone else was imprisoned there besides them.
"Say hello. This is Hyang Gwang, affiliated with the Blood Cult's Eastern Division."
Standing with her foot pressing firmly on Hyang Gwang's head, Han Seol's smile was chilling enough to raise goosebumps just looking at it.