Chapter 229
Chapter 229
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 229
Chapter Title: Rumors Spread Far and Wide (3)
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The Central Plains martial world erupted in cheers at the news of the Blood Cult leader's death, a notorious figure on their public enemy list. But it took only a few days for that joy to turn into sorrow, shock, and despair.
Shaolin had fallen.
The Central Plains martial world was stunned by the report that Shaolin—the immovable North Star of Mount Tai, which had weathered countless crises over the long years without ever breaking—had finally knelt before the combined assault of the North Sea Ice Palace and the Iron Blood Palace.
Even knowing that the North Sea Ice Palace and Iron Blood Palace were targeting them, people had held onto a belief deep in their hearts that Shaolin would hold them off. The support from that belief had drawn in countless factions and warlords, making the shock all the greater when it proved false.
Another piece of news spread through the martial world.
The Blood Cult—believed to be backing the North Sea Ice Palace and Iron Blood Palace—had attacked Sword Pavilion and Sima Geon's group in revenge for their leader's death, only to suffer yet another crushing defeat. It wasn't on the same level as Shaolin's fall, but it still offered some solace to troubled hearts.
In particular, the fierce battle that unfolded at the Heavenly First Clan following Phoenix Mountain reignited interest in the name Sima Geon, which had briefly captured attention during the clash with the Heavenly Demon Cult.
Though he had fought against the Heavenly Demon Cult and the Blood Cult, his origins with the Heavenly Demon Cult had led many to subtly downplay or shun his feats from the start. Yet no one could deny that he was now the closest to being the world's greatest.
After Shaolin's collapse, all eyes in the world turned to the Iron Blood Palace and North Sea Ice Palace.
Having toppled Shaolin, there was a strong chance they would join forces with the Blood Cult to make a serious bid for dominance over the martial world.
The problem was that the threat from the Heavenly Demon Cult—equally dangerous, if not more so—remained very much alive.
The Heavenly Demon Cult had paused its aggression due to the Blood Cult's uprising and the intervention of the former Sword Empress, but it still possessed more than enough power to strike at the Central Plains martial world at any moment.
Even with the southern martial world uniting under the Nangong Clan and making every preparation, everyone knew it would be too much for them to handle the Heavenly Demon Cult's full might.
The one silver lining was that it seemed unlikely the Blood Cult, or the North Sea Ice Palace and Iron Blood Palace, would ally with the Heavenly Demon Cult. But if they did... the martial world would face utter peril, hanging by a thread.
Yet absolutes did not exist.
Some kept a close watch on the situation, unwilling to entirely rule out the possibility of such an alliance.
"Were you here too, Uncle?"
Intelligence Division Leader Zhuge Jincheong flinched in surprise upon entering the patriarch's office at his summons, spotting Grand Elder Zhuge Gon sitting ramrod straight despite his seventy-plus years. He quickly offered a greeting.
"How long has it been since I called for you? Why show up only now?"
Zhuge Gon barked in a sharp, ringing voice.
"My apologies. There was so much to handle..."
Zhuge Gon eyed Zhuge Jincheong with displeasure as he trailed off and quietly took a seat, on the verge of scolding him again when Zhuge Chu intervened.
"Any word from the Cloud Dragon Leader?"
"It just arrived. I was reviewing the report, which is why I'm late."
Zhuge Jincheong nodded gratefully toward Zhuge Chu and continued.
"They made it out of Mount Song safely and reached the Murim Alliance."
"Ah! That's a relief."
Zhuge Chu brightened. Though he tried to hide it, relief was evident on Zhuge Gon's face as well.
"No pursuit from the enemy? Even moving in secret, with all their spies around, they must have been exposed."
"It seems the enemy knew the Cloud Dragon Unit and Shaolin disciples had escaped. They clashed with scouts several times. But there wasn't much serious pursuit."
"Was it the magnanimity of the victors?"
Zhuge Chu asked with a wry smile, but Zhuge Jincheong shook his head.
"I think it's more accurate to say they were utterly ignored. With Shaolin completely crushed, they probably didn't see any need to bother chasing a few escaping disciples."
"I see it differently. They likely lacked the spare resources."
Zhuge Gon countered Zhuge Jincheong's words.
"This was Shaolin, after all. Factor in all the factions that rushed to its aid, and even though Shaolin fell, the damage to the Iron Blood Palace and North Sea Ice Palace must have been far from light. Organizing pursuit forces in that state wouldn't have been easy."
Zhuge Chu and Zhuge Jincheong nodded in unison. There was logic to Zhuge Gon's argument. They still hadn't grasped just how utterly powerless Shaolin and the allied forces had proven.
"But why head to the Murim Alliance of all places? It's just a gathering of useless eaters who can't even do their jobs."
Zhuge Gon openly scorned the Murim Alliance, which had failed to mount a proper response to the Heavenly Demon Cult and Blood Cult uprisings and remained mired in infighting. He even blamed its incompetence for Shaolin's fall.
"With the Righteous Heaven Alliance exposed as tied to the Blood Cult, the Murim Alliance is the only remaining focal point for the martial world. Besides, it's more than suitable for the Shaolin disciples to stay."
Zhuge Gon snorted at Zhuge Chu's explanation.
"Hmph! Pathetic fools who won't even put out the fire on their own feet—instead wasting time on nonsense."
"Still, with so many Shaolin disciples arriving, won't it steady things a bit?"
"We can only hope. If it doesn't, the Central Plains martial world is truly finished."
Zhuge Chu and Zhuge Jincheong had no rebuttal to Zhuge Gon's concern.
"By the way, what about those children?"
Zhuge Jincheong's expression darkened at Zhuge Gon's question.
"If the report is accurate, they should have reached Nanjing by now."
"How's the Sword Lord's injury?"
"He's fine. It was grave, but the treatment went well, fortunately. One of Sword Pavilion's disciples is skilled in medicine."
"Whew! A silver lining amid the misfortune."
Zhuge Gon let out a sigh of relief.
"Oh, when will the ones we sent to recover the children's bodies arrive?"
Zhuge Chu answered in Zhuge Jincheong's stead.
"Tomorrow, in Nanjing."
"There'll be much to prepare for the funeral the moment they return."
"Yes. We're making arrangements, but Uncle, if anything's lacking, please keep an eye out."
"Of course."
Zhuge Gon nodded deeply, then sighed heavily.
"Looking at the state of the martial world, this won't be the last such incident. It's truly worrisome."
The three men's faces remained grim, like a volcano on the verge of eruption or the calm before a storm, refusing to relax.
The Azure Dragon Depot, located in the heart of Nanjing.
Around noon, people suddenly burst into the place run by a branch member of the Zhuge Clan. Thanks to Depot Master Zhuge Seungwi, who had already been informed, Sima Geon and his group from Sword Pavilion were able to rest comfortably for the first time in ages in one of the depot's spacious halls.
Zhuge Su visited Sima Geon's hall in the evening.
"So, you're leaving tomorrow?"
Sima Geon, fresh from a bath, asked while drying his wet hair.
"Yes. People from the main house are coming. We'll depart as soon as we meet them."
"That's for the best. Time is of the essence."
All the Cloud Dragon members killed in the Death Order's ambush had been recovered without exception. They'd hastily procured coffins and brought them all to Nanjing, but the hot, humid weather was accelerating decomposition.
"What about you all, brother?"
Sima Geon picked up a wine cup from the table and twirled it at Zhuge Su's question.
"Honestly, I don't know. We only went to Phoenix Mountain because... Sword Pavilion seemed at risk of falling into a Blood Cult trap. By the original plan, we should head home..."
Sima Geon trailed off and drained his cup.
The finest local brew in Nanjing, yet it tasted unbearably bitter.
"Because of Shaolin?"
Zhuge Su asked cautiously.
They had heard the news of Shaolin's fall the day before arriving in Nanjing.
"Yeah."
As Sima Geon nodded, Cheol Woo refilled his cup and spoke.
"I might have mentioned it before, but the man before you is none other than the 'Sword of Shaolin'."
"Pardon?"
"The Sword of Shaolin."
Zhuge Su blinked, not understanding Cheol Woo's words.
"The Sword of Shaolin? That's odd. If memory serves, that refers to the Damo Warden."
"Eh? How do you know that?"
Cheol Woo asked in surprise instead.
"Our main house compiles the Annals of the Undefeated. And though not widely known, it's somewhat accepted that the Damo Warden is Shaolin's final bastion."
"Hm, I see."
"Sadly, the current Damo Warden perished fighting the North Sea Ice Palace. But his successor escaped Shaolin alongside our main house's Cloud Dragon Unit."
"Ah, that guy. He was a martial artist. Pretty sharp skills too. Got even deadlier when he lost his composure."
Cheol Woo nodded, recalling the warrior he'd met at Damo Hall.
"You've met him?"
"Yeah. Even taught him a proper move. But more importantly..."
Cheol Woo glanced at Sima Geon before continuing.
"The true Sword of Shaolin isn't him—it's our leader here."
"Nonsense. It was just a condition for repaying a debt."
Zhuge Su looked even more baffled at Sima Geon's words.
"It's not nonsense. That Damo Warden monk said it himself—asked him to become Shaolin's Sword. And the leader agreed."
"It was just in exchange for the Great Reversion Pill. And only to help if needed."
Zhuge Su's eyes widened like saucers at their exchange.
"I-Is that true? The Damo Warden asked Brother Sima to do that?"
"That's what I said. Get it now? Anyway, let me formally introduce him again. This is the 'Sword of Shaolin'."
Before Cheol Woo could finish his solemn tone, the door flew open.
"You lunatic! You want to joke around in this situation?"
"It's not a joke—it's the truth."
"Truth or not, your tone and antics make it sound like one. Didn't we receive Shaolin's help over the youngest? You know full well what happened to them—why bring it up?"
"No, I just..."
"Quiet!"
Cheol Woo, who could stand toe-to-toe with the world's best, was utterly cowed by So Surin's sharp momentum and couldn't get a word in.
"Ugh, what does Jinrim see in that monk?"
Having thoroughly trounced even Cheol Woo, So Surin turned to Sima Geon.
"I just asked Brother Jin casually—he says Sword Pavilion has no immediate plans to head to Shaolin."
"Right. Too many disciple sacrifices, and they haven't even held proper funerals yet, so they're returning home first. With the forces guarding Shaolin scattered, it's impossible for Sword Pavilion alone anyway."
"Who'd you hear that from? Neung Cho?"
"Yeah."
"If it's from the Sword Empress, it's reliable. So, what's the leader's take?"
Sima Geon shook his head.
"No idea. Funny if we just barge in when they haven't even asked for help."
That was when the door opened again.
Manchu returned from his outing—not alone, but with Hangzhou Branch Leader Mo Uk and Nanjing Branch Leader Go Ryeong of the Beggars' Clan.
"If you haven't decided, could you help with local matters first?"
Yeongho Gi of the Yeongho Clan, their other companion, bowed politely.