Chapter 337 The Collapsing Plan

Chapter 337: The Collapsing Plan

Zhengzhou, Henan Province.

Martial Arts Alliance.

As usual, surrounded by scantily clad beauties, the Martial Alliance leader, King of the Alliance, Murong Jian, spent his day until he suddenly received a completely unexpected report.

“General Zhuge? No, Zhuge Zhijiang? He came looking for me? The man who should be in Yunnan Province?”

His subordinate, for some reason, flushed and answered quickly.

“Yes, an incredibly beautiful woman whose identity is unknown, along with two masked individuals, are waiting outside. They wish to see the leader.”

“Hmph.”

Murong Jian frowned slightly.

Neither the fact that Zhuge Zhijiang, who should have been in Yunnan Province, had come here, nor the prospect of seeing his face, pleased him.

But he was intrigued by the stunning beauty who had come with him.

Judging by the atmosphere, it seemed his usually composed subordinate was slightly agitated, and it appeared to be because of that beauty.

I wondered just how beautiful she must be to have ended up like that.

Suddenly, another thought crossed my mind.

‘Could it be he planned to offer me a beauty and return to the Martial Alliance?’

But as soon as that thought crossed Murong Jian’s mind, he scoffed.

He had absolutely no intention of ever calling Zhuge Zhijiang back to the Martial Alliance.

Zhuge Zhijiang was now a man destined to bury his bones in the remote wilderness of Yunnan, fighting the Blood Cult.

‘But… I can’t just let the beauty end up like that.’

With that thought, Murong Jian smiled faintly.

If he insisted on sacrificing the beauty, he would gladly accept her.

He said to his subordinate.

“Let him in.”

The subordinate glanced at the women surrounding Murong Jian, hesitated for a moment, and asked.

“Right… right now?”

Murong Jian chuckled softly and nodded.

“Yes, send him in immediately.”

It was clear why the subordinate had asked that way just now.

It was because the scantily clad women nearby hadn’t been sent away yet.

Receiving a guest while women with much of their bodies exposed were present was neither proper etiquette, nor was it secure, as the guards had to remain outside while they were inside.

But Murong Jian paid no mind.

He had no intention whatsoever of sending out women just to meet someone like Zhuge Zhijiang.

Besides, wouldn’t it be fun to compare the beauty he brought with the women around him?

It was while he was thinking this.

The door opened, and Zhuge Zhiqiang entered, leading three people.

A beautiful young woman and two others, a man and a woman, whose faces were hidden by deeply lowered hoods.

Zhuge Zhiqiang bowed respectfully and greeted him.

“Long time no see, Lord.”

But Murong Jian did not return his greeting.

His gaze was fixed entirely on the face of the woman who had followed behind Jegal Jigang.

Gulp!

Murong Jian found himself swallowing dryly without realizing it.

He simply couldn’t tear his eyes away from her.

The moment she entered, it felt as though the entire room had been filled with a radiant glow.

Truly, it was hard to believe she was the same kind of human as the other women in the room.

Her beauty was utterly beyond words.

He suddenly felt ridiculous for having even considered comparing her to the other women in the room just moments ago.

Her pale skin, features like a celestial sculpture, and those mysterious eyes—red and blue—seemed to draw him in like a siren.

Even her bold gaze, despite her youth, felt beautiful.

Murong Jian managed to open his mouth and ask.

“Who… who is this young lady?”

The question was directed at Zhuge Zhijiang.

But Zhijang did not answer.

Instead, it was she who spoke.

And her words were not an answer.

She spoke with a sneer on her face.

“They call him the Martial Alliance leader? Pathetic. That Yang Wenxian fellow who was with that bitch Tang Yueyun not long ago would be better.”

“…What?”

At those words, Zhijian bowed respectfully toward her and replied.

“He is a lowly man by nature. And even if that were not the case, who else in this martial world could possibly be worthy of Your Highness’s favor?”

Murong Jian could sense something was off about the situation unfolding.

The woman who dared call him pathetic was strange enough, but Zhuge Zhijiang’s attitude toward her was even stranger.

The Zhuge Zhiqiang he knew was the sort who would rather die than submit to anyone like that.

He frowned and asked.

“What the hell…?”

It was then.

The woman spoke to the female of the two bowed figures.

“Play the flute.”

Then she lifted her head, revealed her face, and replied.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

That was the moment.

The vast interior space of the Myeongju Hall was suddenly completely enveloped by a gigantic barrier.

Whoosh!

It was truly nothing short of extraordinary.

The sheer power required to envelop this space, which rivals the grand battles of major sects, is astonishing.

The mere instant it consumed, and her expression afterward showing no sign of strain—she was undoubtedly a formidable master.

Murong Jian’s eyes widened in shock at the sight of her.

But his shock wasn’t due to her high level of skill.

It was because of her face.

“Wh-who are you?”

Murong Jian stammered, his expression like he’d seen a ghost.

Her face was unmistakably one Murong Jian himself knew.

It was also the face of someone who should have already been dead.

He muttered, his mind gone blank.

“Gyeolheo… Saetai?”

The name Gyeolheo referred to the former leader of the Amipa sect.

He had participated in the First Blood Purification War alongside Murong Jian himself, only to be sacrificed to the Blood Demon…

More precisely, Murong Jian himself had urged her to pursue the Blood Demon, leading to her death.

Yet here she was, reappearing in this place.

And she was displaying martial prowess incomparably more powerful than before…

It was then.

The beautiful woman, Hae Cheong-yeon, spoke with a disinterested expression.

“This level of power should be comparable to the initial stages of the Hwa Gyeong realm. I heard the materials were top-tier, yet it possesses such formidable might. It seems the Blood Demon is quite useful after all.”

At those words, Murong Jian looked at her and asked.

“What? What did you say? What happened to the void collapse? And who the hell are you…?”

But Hae Cheong-yeon did not answer his question.

She only muttered to herself about what she wanted to say.

“Well then, shall we test how the actual fight goes?”

Then, looking at the man among the two, he commanded.

“Subdue that one.”

Then the man, who had been bowing his head, raised his head and said.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Seeing his face, Murong Jian now gaped, unable to utter another word.

For it was the face of someone Murong Jian knew all too well.

He barely managed to call out his name.

“Ma… Won-ung? Is it you, Won-ung?”

Ma Won-ung was the name of the former leader of the Pointed Spear Sect.

He was the one who entered the Wu Huang Tomb, the Blood Sect’s trap, providing the spark for the destruction of the Dotting Spear Sect, and the one who massacred countless other righteous sect disciples within it.

He was also the biological father of Mayu Gyeom, the thirteenth patriarch of the Flying Dragon Sect.

He could be called a close friend of Murong Jian, someone whose guts matched Murong Jian’s even before Murong Jian became the leader of the Martial Alliance.

Therefore, there was absolutely no way he could have mistaken him for someone else.

He was undoubtedly Ma Won-ung.

Murong Jian urgently addressed him.

“Won-ung! What on earth happened to you?! Where have you been all this time, suddenly appearing like this…?!

But Ma Yuan-woong did not answer.

He merely grabbed the sword at his waist with an expressionless face.

Feeling a chill, Murong Jian hastily leapt backward and drew his sword.

In that instant, Ma Won-ung’s sword became a beam of light, slicing through space.

Chaaang!

Murong Jian felt a chill run down his spine.

Ma Won-ung’s sword strike was so fast it was barely visible even to his own eyes, those of a master of the Flower Sword.

Had he drawn his sword even a fraction of a second later, he would undoubtedly have been cleaved in two.

It wasn’t even the Four-Day Sword Technique, yet it was an incredibly swift strike.

Hae Cheong-yeon smiled with satisfaction and said.

“Huh, quick and smooth movements? Definitely far superior to the Gliding Sword.”

Gliding stance?

Moyong Geom immediately realized what she meant.

That Ma Won-ung’s expression was far too emotionless…

He was no longer the Ma Won-ung he knew.

He roared in fury.

“You bitch! How dare you do such a despicable thing! Who are you?! Are you a subordinate of the Blood Demon?!”

Then, suddenly, Zhijie Jiang shouted in an enraged voice.

“How dare you speak to His Majesty like that?! To call him a subordinate of the Blood Demon?! He is the Blood Demon among Blood Demons, the Heaven-Defying Blood Demon!”

At his words, Murong Jian stared blankly and repeated.

“…The Heaven-Defying Blood Demon?”

It was a name he felt he had heard somewhere before.

But Murong Jian couldn’t recall what that name meant.

It was then.

Hae Cheong-yeon stepped forward with a captivating smile.

“Enough. Let’s settle this before it gets any noisier.”

In that instant, her crimson and azure pupils began to radiate brilliantly.

It was also the moment Murong Jian, the leader of the martial arts world, fell into the clutches of the Heaven-Defying Blood Demon, Guo Yan, and one crucial premise of Xian Wuzhen’s plan began to unravel.

***

Taizhou, Jiangsu Province.

Sawangyeon Main Hall.

Seated on the Grand Master’s throne, the Four Kings’ leader, Guao Jiexian, was reading a letter sent by Xue Feng.

Having finished the letter, Guao Gexian addressed the empty air.

“Feng wants that bastard to keep an eye on the Martial Alliance. He says Murong Jian might be manipulated by the Heaven-Defying Blood Demon, who’s returned after a hundred years. Huiyan, what do you think of this?”

Then, an answer came from the void.

“The story of the Heaven-Defying Blood Demon returning after a hundred years does sound a bit far-fetched. Still, I don’t think Master Xue would say something without reason. After all, nothing is impossible in this world.”

At those words, Gwaegalhyun chuckled softly and nodded.

“Right? I think so too. Then…”

Gwaegal-hyeon, having said that, picked up another letter he had set aside and spoke.

“This letter is most likely sent to me by the Heaven-Defying Blood Demon, not that bastard Murong Jian.”

The letter he picked up was one that had arrived from the Martial Alliance just before the letter for Seolpung.

It stated that Murong Jian, the leader of the Martial Alliance, wished to challenge him to a one-on-one duel to determine superiority.

In simple terms, it was a challenge.

Then, the reply came again.

“That’s probably right. That cowardly loudmouth Murong Jian wouldn’t dare send something like that. It must be the Heaven-Defying Blood Demon’s trap.”

At his assertion, Gwaegalhyun stroked his chin and fell into thought for a moment.

“Hmm.”

Then he suddenly opened his mouth and asked.

“But you know what? The location is Anhui Province, which is in the middle territory anyway. How exactly does he plan to set a trap there?”

Huiyan couldn’t answer his question.

He had been thinking exactly the same thing as Gwaegal-hyeon.

Guaigalxian’s eyes flashed as he said,

“So this isn’t a trap after all. He just had confidence he could beat me.”

His eyes gleamed dangerously as he spoke, like a predator eyeing its prey.

Then Hwiyeom cautiously asked.

“…Surely you don’t intend to leave?”

Gwaegalhyun answered with a savage laugh.

“Can the Four Kings truly avoid a challenge? This is a good chance to make sure that bastard knows exactly where he stands.”

Having said that much, Gwaegal-hyeon continued silently in his mind.

‘About what kind of man his father is.’

Recalling Seolpung, Gwaegalhyeon’s smile had softened considerably.

***

Seon Woo-jin arrived at An Tang Mountain in Zhejiang Province, where the sword spirit Yoo Jin resided, a mere two days after leaving the Hyeongsan Sect.

It took only two days to leave Hunan Province, where the Hyeongsanpa faction was based, pass through neighboring Jiangxi Province, and reach the southeastern tip of Zhejiang Province at Mount An Tang.

It was a speed that would put even a flying bird to shame.

Moreover, Xian Wujin, who had deployed such tremendous lightness kung fu, did not appear particularly exhausted.

Gazing up at the pitch-black night sky, he murmured to himself.

“It’s fortunate we arrived at night.”

In his mind, Mokrang asked.

– Planning to sneak in?

‘Yes, since I failed to enter properly last time, I think I should try a different approach this time. Do you have any advice?’

– Be careful with the sword master. You never know what kind of person he’s become now, and if he finds out you snuck in, he might not be pleased.

Seon Woo-jin nodded at those words.

Indeed, it had been far too long since he’d been in seclusion to assume he was still the same swordsman he once was.

Moreover, the fact that they had sneaked in could easily be misinterpreted.

‘Don’t worry. I’ll avoid making any noise near the Bidoong.’

With that reply, Seon Woo-jin vanished instantly into the shadows of the night.

It was a concealment technique that would have impressed even the legendary Amhyulhyang.

He ascended Mount An Tang in that state and arrived at the mountain lodge of old.

It was the mountain lodge built before the Sword Spirit’s Flying Dragon, where he had met the Red-Robed Sword Hero, the second son of the Sword Emperor.

Sun Woo-jin crossed the mountain lodge’s wall without hesitation.

Though numerous guards patrolled the perimeter, none could detect him as he moved over the wall like a black shadow, smooth and seamless.

The guards at the main entrance were no different.

“Haaam! It’s quiet again today.”

“Yeah. Seems especially quiet today, doesn’t it?”

The warriors, lost in their idle chatter, failed to notice a dark shadow slipping into the building behind them.

‘Right, the reception room we visited last time is in that direction, so based on the building’s layout…’

Seon Woo-jin mentally reconstructed the interior layout in three dimensions, basing it on the mountain lodge’s appearance from outside and his previous experience entering it.

A rough path then formed in his mind.

‘That must be it.’

His movement showed no hesitation.

Moving as comfortably as an insider finding their way, he finally arrived at what appeared to be the entrance to the secret passage.

And as he stared at that place, he cursed inwardly.

‘Damn it.’

The entrance to the secret passage was completely blocked by a thick wall.

The only entrance was a small gate, surrounded by four gate guards standing sentinel like an iron wall.

But it wasn’t the guards that troubled Seon Woo-jin.

It was the keyhole in the thick door, which looked as if it were made of steel.

‘This isn’t a training ground, it’s more like a vault. Surely the gate guards don’t have the key to that door?’

Mukrang answered that question.

– They wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to block it off and then managed the key like that. What are you planning to do? Break in?

At those words, Seon Woo-jin shook his head.

‘If we wanted to break in, we could, but then…’

– Yeah. The sword master inside would likely be extremely displeased.

Seon Woo-jin let out a small sigh.

It seemed meeting him wouldn’t be so easy after all.

‘The world’s greatest swordsman truly is in a league of his own.’

– I see. At this point, I’m so stubborn I just have to see his face at least once.

Seon Woo-jin agreed wholeheartedly.