Chapter 121

A deep shadow was cast over the eyes of Daoist Master Muryeong as he looked at the training ground.

The training ground, which in the past would have been filled with Daoists practicing their martial arts, was completely empty.

It was because the Daoists of the Qingcheng Sect had lost their will.

Of course, they all practiced their martial arts during the designated training hours. But that was all.

When free time came, the Daoists would either hole up in their respective quarters or climb the peaks of Mount Qingcheng, busy trying to soothe their weary minds and bodies.

The blood mist of last year had left a great scar on the hearts of the Qingcheng Sect’s Daoists, causing them to lose their motivation. Because of that, the Daoists, rather than practicing in their spare time, showed more obsession with Daoist scriptures like the Tao Te Ching.

Considering that the Qingcheng Sect was a Daoist sect, the behavior of such Daoists could have been seen as desirable. But from the perspective of Daoist Master Muryeong, who had to lead the Qingcheng Sect, he couldn’t help but feel a strong sense of crisis. After all, Qingcheng was currently walking the path of a martial sect.

“Hoo! Is it a relief that Martial Uncle has at least stepped forward?”

If he had been alone, he would never have been able to overcome this pressure. It was thanks to Daoist Master Goyeop stepping forward that he was able to get the atmosphere under control to this extent.

Once they had escaped the worst of the situation, Daoist Master Goyeop took the promising disciples from the Qingcheng Sect and returned to his own residence.

He intended to personally raise the new pillars that would lead the Qingcheng Sect.

Those he took were renowned prodigies in the Qingcheng Sect, all possessing outstanding talent.

To train them properly, Daoist Master Goyeop had taken them to the valley where he had been living in seclusion.

Daoist Master Goyeop promised Daoist Master Muryeong seven years.

He had declared that he would stake his all to raise experts who would lead the future of the Qingcheng Sect.

In fact, he had already made thorough preparations.

The only reason he hadn’t acted on them was that there had been no need. But now the situation had changed, and if he didn’t attempt an extreme venture, the sect would be in a position to worry about its very survival.

For Daoist Master Goyeop, there was no reason to hesitate.

Thus, Daoist Master Goyeop returned to the valley of his seclusion, taking the prodigies with him.

“Raising the pillars is Martial Uncle’s share, so I need not worry about it any longer. In that case, I just need to focus on changing the atmosphere of our sect.”

Daoist Master Muryeong thought that changing the atmosphere of the Qingcheng Sect was the top priority.

If he could just revive the rock-bottom self-esteem of the sect members, the rest would be a problem that would solve itself.

It was when Daoist Master Muryeong was deep in thought.

“Senior Martial Brother! May I come in? It’s urgent.”

A familiar voice was heard.

It was the voice of his junior martial brother, Daoist Master Muhwa.

“Come in.”

“Senior Martial Brother!”

“What is it? You said it was urgent.”

Daoist Master Muryeong looked at Daoist Master Muhwa, who had opened the door and entered, with a puzzled expression.

“The members of the Thunder Clan have gathered outside.”

“Hmm!”

Daoist Master Muryeong let out an involuntary groan.

The incident where Daoist Master Mujeong killed the Thunder Clan Leader, Tae Yeonho, was a disgrace to the Qingcheng Sect. Although it was an act committed while lost in a demonic state, that could not be an excuse.

“The Thunder Clan members are demanding that the person responsible be punished.”

“Mujeong is already dead, so who are they saying should take responsibility?”

“That is…”

“Speak.”

“They want the Sect Leader to take responsibility.”

“Hah!”

Daoist Master Muryeong let out a sigh.

His face was filled with despair.

It was only natural that he should take responsibility for what his junior martial brother, Daoist Master Mujeong, had done. But if the Qingcheng Sect had been intact, the Thunder Clan would not have dared to so brazenly demand responsibility like this.

It felt all the more sorrowful because all of this seemed to signify the decline of the Qingcheng Sect.

“I will meet them and send them away.”

“No! I will meet them.”

“Senior Martial Brother! There is no need for you to do so. Their demands are too excessive.”

“They have the right. In any case, is it not a fact that Mujeong killed the Thunder Clan Leader, Tae Yeonho? I should have stopped Mujeong somehow back then.”

“That… was an accident.”

“Do you truly think so?”

“…”

Daoist Master Muhwa could not answer.

He could not convince even himself with his own excuse.

Daoist Master Muryeong said as he passed by Daoist Master Muhwa.

“Did they not say that he who ties the knot must untie it? Since Mujeong is gone, it is only natural that I resolve it. Let’s go.”

“Yes! Senior Martial Brother.”

In the end, Daoist Master Muhwa had no choice but to bow his head.

When they went outside, the disciples had already gathered. They too had heard the news that the martial artists of the Thunder Clan had gathered outside the mountain gate.

In the past, they would have scoffed and ignored it, but since the Qingcheng Sect’s situation was a mess, a deep shadow was cast over the disciples’ faces as well.

Daoist Master Muryeong passed them without a word, opened the mountain gate, and went out.

Outside, the members of the Thunder Clan were lined up.

Daoist Master Muryeong spoke to them.

“Immeasurable Life Buddha! This humble Daoist is called Muryeong, and I hold the position of Sect Leader of the Qingcheng Sect. I heard you wished to see this humble Daoist.”

At that moment, a man stepped forward from among the Thunder Clan members.

“I am Oh Kyunghwa, the new Sect Leader of the Thunder Clan.”

“So you are the new Sect Leader.”

“As the legitimate successor of the Thunder Clan, I have come to the Qingcheng Sect to demand responsibility for the death of the previous Sect Leader.”

“Responsibility… responsibility… Yes, how should this humble Daoist take responsibility?”

“Commit… suicide. Our sect also lost its Sect Leader, so someone of comparable status in the Qingcheng Sect must pay with their life.”

At Oh Kyunghwa’s unreasonable demand, angry voices erupted from the Qingcheng Sect.

“Halt!”

“How dare the likes of the Thunder Clan threaten our sect’s Sect Leader?”

“Will you not get down from Mount Qingcheng at once?”

No matter how disheartened they were from their emotional wounds, their pride as disciples of the Qingcheng Sect still remained.

The eyes of the Qingcheng Sect disciples glaring at the Thunder Clan members were filled with rage.

Oh Kyunghwa’s pupils trembled.

‘What? He said if I just went up to the Qingcheng Sect and caused a disturbance, he would take care of the rest.’

He thought of Darkness.

He had been pushed into coming up Mount Qingcheng by his threats, but the fear of the Qingcheng Sect still remained in his heart.

It was then.

“I am Lee Pyung, the Hall Master of the High Sky Martial Hall.”

Suddenly, a strange man appeared between the Qingcheng Sect and the Thunder Clan members.

At his appearance, Daoist Master Muryeong’s face brightened.

The High Sky Martial Hall was an offshoot that had split from the Qingcheng Sect, so they were not strangers.

“Oh! Hall Master Lee, what brings you here? Have you come to take our sect’s side?”

Daoist Master Muryeong’s face was full of anticipation. But Lee Pyung’s answer that followed thoroughly betrayed his expectations.

“I believe the Thunder Clan Leader’s demand is appropriate.”

“What, what is this?”

“How dare you speak so rudely? How can the High Sky Hall Master treat our sect this way?”

At Lee Pyung’s unexpected answer, the disciples of the Qingcheng Sect could not hide their bewildered expressions.

The Qingcheng Sect and the High Sky Martial Hall had maintained a close relationship for the past hundred years. No matter what wrong the Qingcheng Sect had committed, their relationship was not one where he would criticize them so one-sidedly.

At that moment, another martial artist stepped forward.

“I am Jo Gyeol-ho, the Boss of the True Star Clan. I, too, agree with Great Hero Lee Pyung’s opinion.”

As Jo Gyeol-ho also took the side of the Thunder Clan, the bewilderment of the Qingcheng Sect martial artists reached its peak.

Jo Gyeol-ho’s martial arts were not exceptional, but he was a martial artist renowned for being fair and just. For even such a martial artist to come out and side with the Thunder Clan, it felt as if the Qingcheng Sect had committed a great sin for the ages.

‘So this was the move he prepared. But this isn’t enough.’

Oh Kyunghwa clenched his fists.

With the masters of two highly respected sects in Sichuan Province taking their side, the Thunder Clan’s opinion gained strength. But the wall of the Qingcheng Sect was high and tall, and it was still not enough to overcome it.

He couldn’t understand what kind of trick Darkness had pulled for Lee Pyung and Jo Gyeol-ho to take their side. Logically, those two were people who would never side with the Thunder Clan.

If so, he thought that the move Darkness had prepared was surely not just this one.

The martial artists of the Qingcheng Sect looked ready to attack the Thunder Clan and the others at any moment.

Daoist Master Muryeong asked with a tormented expression.

“Do you really think this Muryeong must take responsibility with his death? Hall Master Lee.”

He once again asked for the intention of Lee Pyung of the High Sky Martial Hall.

Lee Pyung nodded his head without hesitation.

“That is correct.”

“And Boss Jo thinks the same?”

“I, too, share the same sentiment as Great Hero Lee.”

Jo Gyeol-ho also answered forcefully.

Daoist Master Muryeong narrowed his eyes and looked into the eyes of the two men.

In that instant, a strange light flickered in Daoist Master Muryeong’s eyes.

It was because he had sensed a streak of sinister qi from the eyes of the two men. It was the same for Daoist Master Muhwa.

Daoist Master Muhwa whispered into Daoist Master Muryeong’s ear.

“The condition of those two is strange. It seems they are not in their right minds.”

“I think so too.”

The expressions of the two men became even more serious.

The Thunder Clan alone was a headache, and now two men who didn’t seem to be in their right minds. The problem was that they couldn’t just ignore the two men.

It was then.

“Sect Leader! I have something to tell you.”

A disciple cautiously approached from behind Daoist Master Muryeong.

He was none other than the first-generation disciple, Cheonggyeong.

“What is it?”

Daoist Master Muryeong’s gaze was still fixed on the Thunder Clan members, Lee Pyung, and the others.

It was that moment.

Puk!

Suddenly, he felt a fiery pain in his waist.

When he turned to look, a dagger the length of an adult’s palm was stabbing him in the waist. The owner of the dagger was none other than Cheonggyeong.

At the unbelievable sight, Daoist Master Muryeong’s eyes flew wide open.

“You, you?”

“If you have done wrong, you must naturally pay the price.”

Cheonggyeong spat out the words without any intonation, as if he were a person without emotions.

“What are you doing? Cheonggyeong! How dare you commit the sin of Betraying the Master and Destroying Ancestors.”

Daoist Master Muhwa, greatly enraged, struck Cheonggyeong down with his palm.

Kwang!

Struck by Daoist Master Muhwa’s palm, which was filled with profound internal power, Cheonggyeong collapsed without even a scream, bleeding from his seven orifices.

“Keuk!”

Stabbed in a vital point while defenseless, Daoist Master Muryeong’s body collapsed.

“Senior Martial Brother!”

Daoist Master Muhwa supported the falling Daoist Master Muryeong by the waist.

At that moment, a disciple behind Daoist Master Muhwa, like Cheonggyeong, took out a dagger hidden in his bosom and launched an ambush attack.

“Heok! Jin-yeol, why you?”

The one who launched the ambush attack was the second-generation disciple, Jin-yeol.

He was a disciple whom Daoist Master Muhwa cherished for his gentle and dependable personality. Daoist Master Muhwa couldn’t help but be terrified by the ambush from such a disciple.

Daoist Master Muhwa barely dodged Jin-yeol’s attack and then subdued him.

It wasn’t just Jin-yeol.

Suddenly, some of the Qingcheng Sect disciples, as if possessed by something, attacked their fellow sect brothers.

“Why you?”

“Senior Martial Brother! Why are you doing this?”

It was when the bewildered voices of the Qingcheng Sect disciples were echoing.

The Hall Master of the High Sky Martial Hall, Lee Pyung, shouted.

“All disciples of the High Sky Martial Hall, attack Qingcheng.”

At his sudden command, the disciples of the High Sky Martial Hall wore bewildered expressions. It was a command that even they had not expected. But it was the command of their Hall Master, who was like the heavens to them.

The martial artists of the High Sky Martial Hall attacked the Qingcheng Sect with expressions of having no choice. It was the same for the martial artists of the True Star Clan led by Jo Gyeol-ho.

“Waaaaah!”

The martial artists of the True Star Clan rushed forward, shouting.

At the unexpected situation, Oh Kyunghwa’s complexion turned deathly pale.

He had led the Thunder Clan members here, but he had not known the situation would escalate so rapidly.

As he stood there, not knowing what to do, Darkness’s telepathy flew into his ear and pierced it.

—What are you hesitating for? You idiot! Attack already.

At that moment, as if possessed by something, Oh Kyunghwa ordered the Thunder Clan members to attack.

With the Thunder Clan also joining in, the scene instantly became a chaotic mess.

The martial artists of the Qingcheng Sect felt like they were going crazy, having to fight not only the martial artists of the Thunder Clan, the True Star Clan, and the High Sky Martial Hall, but also the traitors from within.

“Everyone, stop!”

Daoist Master Muhwa shouted until his throat was raw, but it was no use.

The martial artists, their eyes blinded by madness, attacked each other and fought fiercely.

The mountain gate of the pure Daoist temple, Qingcheng, was being stained red with the blood of people.

Who had first triggered this situation was no longer important. The martial artists of both sides, blinded by vengeance, unleashed their special techniques at each other.

“Kuaaak!”

“Keok!”

The screams of people pierced the blue sky of Qingcheng.

“Hehe!”

There was someone sitting on a large tree with a clear view of the Qingcheng Sect’s mountain gate, letting out a laugh.

It was the bizarre man dressed entirely in black, Darkness.

He was genuinely enjoying the sight of the tragedy he had created.

Calamity of Chaos.

It was another name used to refer to him at the Small Thunder Sound Temple.

A being who perfectly dominated the minds of others with the Soul-Seizing Eye, Gu Poison, and drugs.

Instigating chaos and fear was as easy as breathing for him.

He would perfectly dominate the minds of a few like this, then induce internal division. And if he drove the situation into a large-scale free-for-all, all that was left was self-destruction.

Darkness found this situation, where he could get what he wanted without lifting a finger, so enjoyable he couldn’t stand it.

Before his eyes, the situation was spiraling uncontrollably toward the worst possible outcome.