Chapter 123

The black figure’s shoulders shuddered.

A chilling voice flowed from the part presumed to be its mouth.

“To ruin my work.”

Chweeeeuuu!

The bizarre darkness shrouding his body gradually faded, soon revealing his true form.

His build was ordinary. But his face was anything but ordinary.

With a snub nose pointing to the sky, buck teeth, a face riddled with fine holes, and murky eyes, he possessed all the features of an ugly man.

His face was so hideous that one would instinctively turn away after a single glance.

In his childhood, everyone who saw him called him a monster, cursing and beating him. The scars of his youth made him withdraw even further.

If he hadn’t been taken in by the Blood Buddha of the Small Thunder Sound Temple, he would have lost his life long ago.

After entering the Small Thunder Sound Temple, he found out.

That he possessed an astonishing talent.

He was born with the Soul-Seizing Eye, a rare Cursed Eye that could steal the soul of anyone who looked into it.

It was just that, in his youth, its power was weak and it took a long time to activate.

The Blood Buddha of the Small Thunder Sound Temple trained and maximized Heuk Am’s talent. Accordingly, its power grew stronger and stronger. But there was a drawback he could not overcome.

It took a long time to subdue an opponent’s mind. And it was only possible after the opponent was completely incapacitated.

To overcome this fatal flaw, Heuk Am researched a method that combined Gu Poison and Medicinal Herbs.

Above all, he was most engrossed in Gu Poison, which was nothing more than a tiny insect.

He confined countless insects in one place.

They devoured each other until only the strongest survived, and that final surviving insect came to possess a strange property.

It could live as a parasite in a person’s brain and control their mind.

However, it couldn’t perfectly dominate a person’s mind. It could only exert a small influence.

That level of influence might work on an ordinary person, but it wouldn’t have much effect on a Martial Artist with a strong mind. But when combined with the Soul-Seizing Eye, the story changed.

The power was amplified not by several times, but by several tens of times.

To this, Heuk Am found Medicinal Herbs that affected the human mind and created the optimal blend.

Heuk Am had a natural gift.

Combinations that others couldn’t find even after years of contemplation, Heuk Am created simply by intuition. Heuk Am named the medicine he created Dream Soul Powder.

The combination of the Soul-Seizing Eye, Gu Poison, and Dream Soul Powder gave Heuk Am wings.

It allowed him to dominate and control the minds of others.

Heuk Am used his talent to eliminate the enemies of the Small Thunder Sound Temple.

He mainly infiltrated enemy camps and controlled the minds of those inside to incite discord. He would sow distrust among them and fuel their madness, causing them to self-destruct.

That was how he earned the Alias, Calamity of Chaos.

In his wake, only chaos, fear, and distrust remained. In some ways, Heuk Am was a worse existence than a Martial Artist who had mastered Martial Arts to the highest realm.

Heuk Am had never once failed a mission.

At least, not until yesterday. And today, a blemish was marked on his brilliant history.

Some fearless brats who had barged in out of nowhere had dealt a fatal blow to his pride.

Heuk Am caressed his side.

Blood was flowing from the wound inflicted by Jin Geum-woo’s sword.

It was a serious injury, bleeding even after he had performed Hemostasis.

If the cut had been just a little deeper, he would have surely lost his life.

“That bastard!”

Heuk Am’s fury toward Jin Geum-woo blazed.

He staggered as he walked.

A massive city came into view.

Chengdu.

The heart of Sichuan Province.

＊＊＊

The martial artists of the Qingcheng Sect collapsed to the ground, exhausted.

Countless bodies were strewn around them.

Muhwa Jin-in looked around with a vacant expression.

The martial artists of the Thunder Clan, High Sky Martial Hall, and True Star Clan were subdued and kneeling.

Jin Geum-woo’s party and the Qingcheng Sect’s martial artists had prioritized killing the martial artists whose minds were controlled by Heuk Am.

Once those who instigated and commanded were gone, the remaining martial artists surrendered on their own. They, too, had been forced to follow orders, so with their focal point gone, they lost the will to fight.

They all threw down their weapons and awaited the Qingcheng Sect’s judgment.

Muhwa Jin-in’s gaze fell upon the bodies of the Qingcheng Sect disciples.

The bodies of the Qingcheng Sect disciples were horribly mutilated.

Heuk Am had placed a particularly strong mental Restriction on the Qingcheng Sect disciples. Because of that, they had charged in without fear of injury.

As a result, Ultimate Techniques had to be used, and the wounds left on their bodies were all the more gruesome.

“How could something like this have happened?”

Muhwa Jin-in couldn’t believe the devastating reality.

It felt like he was having a terrible nightmare.

He wished that if he closed and opened his eyes, all of this would disappear as if it had been a dream.

But no matter how many times he blinked, reality did not change. The horrific scene unfolding before his eyes was not a dream, but undeniable reality.

“Martial Uncle! We have sorted all the bodies. We have also finished administering first aid to the injured.”

A first-generation disciple approached and reported.

Muhwa Jin-in nodded his head weakly.

“Yes! You’ve worked hard.”

With the Sect Master, Muryeong Jin-in, gravely injured, Muhwa Jin-in had to lead the Qingcheng Sect until he recovered.

The overwhelming pressure made even breathing feel difficult for Muhwa Jin-in. But he couldn’t show weakness forever.

All the disciples of the Qingcheng Sect were looking only at his face.

Muhwa Jin-in rose from his spot and approached Jin Geum-woo’s party, who were standing to one side.

“Thank you for your help! I and the Qingcheng Sect will never forget your kindness.”

“We did not do it seeking a reward. Please don’t mind us.”

At Jin Geum-woo’s calm reply, Muhwa Jin-in shook his head.

“How could I do that? I will surely repay this debt in the future.”

“More importantly, do you know who it was that controlled their minds?”

“I have no idea. But is what you said true? Gu Poison.”

“I saw it with my own eyes. In the blood spilled by a Qingcheng Sect disciple, there was an insect so small it was difficult to distinguish with the naked eye. It cannot be explained unless it is Gu Poison.”

Jin Geum-woo led Muhwa Jin-in to the body of another Qingcheng Sect disciple.

Like Cheonggyeong, he too had been subdued by Heuk Am and had attacked his comrades. He had also died vomiting blood, and Gu Poison was found in it as well.

Muhwa Jin-in focused his Internal Energy into his eyes to see the Gu Poison.

“My goodness! To think there is a Gu Poison that truly controls the mind.”

He muttered with a look of disbelief.

There were many types of Gu Poison. But he had never heard of a Gu Poison that could directly affect the mind like this.

Jin Geum-woo ignited the Samadhi True Fire to burn the Gu Poison and said,

“Our opponent is a monster who can control human minds at will. If we let him escape, the consequences will be endless. We must track him down and eliminate him.”

“But we don’t even know his identity, do we?”

“There is someone who knows, isn’t there?”

Jin Geum-woo’s gaze turned toward the Thunder Clan members.

Of the three sects that had attacked the Qingcheng Sect, the Thunder Clan had suffered the greatest losses.

As they were the ones who had led the attack, the Qingcheng Sect’s martial artists had attacked them with vicious fervor.

The condition of the surviving Thunder Clan members was not good either.

Jin Geum-woo approached one of them.

“Tell me about that man from before.”

“Ugh! I don’t know anything.”

The new Sect Leader of the Thunder Clan, Oh Kyunghwa, had lost her life during the fierce battle.

Those still alive were merely low-ranking members of the Thunder Clan and did not know the truth. Only a handful of martial artists had been to the Small Thunder Sound Temple, and all of them had died.

Jin Geum-woo pressed the clan member.

“You really don’t know?”

“I… really…”

“This is the last time. I will not ask again.”

A deep Killing intent clouded Jin Geum-woo’s eyes. In that moment, he seemed far too aggressive for a martial artist of the Orthodox Faction.

The Thunder Clan member swallowed dryly.

“Ah! Come to think of it, I heard the leaders went to Tibet.”

“Tibet?”

“Yes! I heard they went to request support, but a low-ranking member like me wouldn’t know the details.”

“Is that true?”

“It wasn’t just me; others heard it too. So it should be certain.”

Jin Geum-woo stood up and looked at Muhwa Jin-in.

“If it’s Tibet, could it be?”

“The Small Thunder Sound Temple, which can be called the origin of the Thunder Clan, is in Tibet.”

“Hmm! Then there’s a high probability that man is a martial artist from the Small Thunder Sound Temple.”

“I’ve heard that all sorts of strange Evil arts exist in the Small Thunder Sound Temple.”

Muhwa Jin-in’s voice sank.

If the Small Thunder Sound Temple was indeed involved, this was no ordinary incident.

“First, confirming whether that man is truly a martial artist from the Small Thunder Sound Temple is our top priority. Only then can we request cooperation from other sects.”

“That may be so, but our sect no longer has the strength to fight them. As you can see, what little vitality we had left has been greatly damaged. I don’t know how many long years it will take to recover.”

“True Person?”

“I’m sorry. Our sect will be withdrawing from this matter.”

Muhwa Jin-in’s expression was utterly wretched.

In the past, he would have insisted on immediate revenge. But now, the very foundation of the Qingcheng Sect was shaken.

They had lost too many disciples in a short period.

In this state, they could barely manage to survive, let alone seek revenge.

He had to make a decision. And his decision was for the Qingcheng Sect to become completely Closed-off.

There was no other way but to go into seclusion and rebuild their strength, just as they had done before.

He had to endure humiliation once more, but Muhwa Jin-in had no other choice.

‘We will endure. We will endure and endure, and once we have built up our strength, the day will surely come when we will avenge today’s humiliation.’

Jin Geum-woo and his companions looked at Muhwa Jin-in with pitying eyes.

They understood Muhwa Jin-in’s agonizing decision.

Now was the time for the Qingcheng Sect to worry about survival before pride.

“They say that for a gentleman, revenge is not too late even after ten years. For the Qingcheng Sect, revenge will not be too late even after a hundred years. We will surely restore our former glory and avenge this humiliation within a century.”

“If that is the True Person’s choice, then it cannot be helped. I pray that you will rebuild the Qingcheng Sect splendidly.”

“Thank you! I should invite you inside for a warm meal before sending you off, but as you can see, the situation is what it is, so I hope you understand.”

“I understand.”

“Thank you! Then, be careful on your way down the mountain. I will pray for your good fortune in martial arts.”

“I, too, will pray for the revival of the Qingcheng Sect. Well then…”

Jin Geum-woo gave Muhwa Jin-in a Fist-Palm Salute and turned his back.

Neung Sowoon and Won Gayoung gathered by his side.

Jin Geum-woo said to them,

“We will track that man. We must catch him, no matter what it takes.”

“He escaped a while ago. Can we really catch him?”

“He was wounded by my sword. It’s a rather deep wound, so an ordinary Physician can’t treat it. He must have gone to find a renowned Physician.”

“If it’s a renowned Physician, there’s a high chance he’s in Chengdu.”

Chengdu was the center of Sichuan Province, where all sorts of goods and people gathered. As such, there were many patients, and numerous physicians. Therefore, there was a high probability that the man wounded by Jin Geum-woo had gone to Chengdu to receive treatment.

“We should also contact the Hao Clan and ask for their help. If they help us, we’ll be able to catch him more easily.”

“That’s true. Alright. I’ll contact the Hao Clan.”

Jin Geum-woo nodded at Neung Sowoon’s reply.

Won Gayoung, who had been listening to their conversation, said,

“I’ll explain the situation to Soha and Great Hero Yoo Shinpoong and get their cooperation. I’m sure Great Hero Yoo Shinpoong will gladly help us.”

“Do that.”

Jin Geum-woo nodded with a heavy expression.

Neung Sowoon silently watched Jin Geum-woo for a moment.

If she had her way, she would want to stop him.

No matter how she thought about it, there seemed to be little practical gain in this matter. But she knew Jin Geum-woo’s character better than anyone.

Jin Geum-woo had an unshakable conviction.

A strong belief that those with power must practice Righteousness.

Some would mock him for being old-fashioned, and others would say he was too rigid and no fun.

Neung Sowoon also thought Jin Geum-woo was foolishly stubborn.

If he were just a little more flexible, he would have built his fame much faster and risen to greater heights. But this foolish friend of hers pushed forward with what he believed in, steadfastly and without a hint of compromise.

And she had fallen for that Jin Geum-woo and followed him.

To Neung Sowoon, Jin Geum-woo was like the sun.

A being that shone brightly on its own, illuminating its surroundings.

As far as Neung Sowoon knew, there were few like him in the Jianghu.

This time, too, Jin Geum-woo was deliberately choosing the difficult path.

Even if he turned a blind eye, no one would say a word, yet he was insisting on walking a hard and arduous road.

Neung Sowoon let out a small smile and stood beside Jin Geum-woo.

‘At least you won’t be walking that arduous path alone. I will always be with you.’