Chapter 119

Chapter 119

Han Yonghu let out a groan as though he were troubled.

Among the leaders of each organization, some looked as though they might explode with rage at any moment, while others stared at Youngho with faces drained white.

And not a single one of them could refute Youngho’s words.

It had already been a century since they began reforming the Martial Alliance, which had rotted to its very core, yet they still had not completely carved out the festering parts.

It was an unavoidable problem. When one was poisoned, even after administering the antidote, the aftereffects would leave the body bedridden for a time.

However, perhaps because the one speaking was from the Unorthodox Faction, they believed Youngho was mocking them.

‘Of course, I really am mocking them.’

With a faint smirk, Youngho rose from his seat.

“Let’s go.”

This was enough. He had seen the ruined expressions on those bastards’ faces.

Even as Youngho stepped out the door, Han Yonghu and the leaders of each organization maintained their silence.

Walking down the corridor, Youngho asked,

“The formation?”

“There isn’t one.”

At Muyeon’s simple reply to his question, Horyeung let out a snicker.

Seeing the corners of Horyeung’s lips twitch repeatedly, Youngho merely nodded, as though he understood.

No one questioned Youngho’s actions. Now even the younger generation, such as Kang Chowon and Kang Hosan, had come to recognize the hypocrisy of the Orthodox Sect.

Stepping outside the pavilion, Youngho smirked at the sight of the Asura Squad waiting for him.

“It’s finally starting to take proper shape.”

Gone were the snot-nosed brats of the past; in their place stood a unit that exuded discipline like seasoned soldiers, awaiting Youngho’s command.

Especially Jongpal, who was neatly giving a young boy a shoulder ride with perfect composure—just like… hm?

Youngho looked at Jongpal with an uneasy expression.

“What are you doing?”

“I was playing with the children.”

“I know you have monstrous affinity with kids, but does this situation really call for that?”

“You came out so suddenly, Young Master, that I failed to find the right moment to put him down.”

At Jongpal’s disciplined reply, even the young boy wore a resolute expression.

Letting out a deep sigh, Youngho said,

“That’s just like you. Hurry and put him down.”

“Yes, sir!”

Jongpal lifted the boy and handed him over to the woman standing beside him.

“Hm?”

Youngho examined the woman’s delicate features closely before his expression shifted to one of surprise.

“Myeongnyang?”

Startled, the woman widened her eyes.

“You know me?”

“Of course. I was just about to come find you.”

“Pardon?”

At the incomprehensible exchange, Kang Hosan placed a hand on Youngho’s shoulder and said,

“Young Master, so your taste is married wom— Kkuueeek!”

With a light punch that crushed Kang Hosan’s nonsense mid-sentence, Youngho turned back to Myeongnyang with a puzzled look.

“You live in Anhui, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“How far is your house from here?”

“It’s right in front, so it’s not far. Even if I’m late, it takes about a quarter-hour at most….”

Even as she spoke, Myeongnyang kept glancing at Youngho. For some reason, she felt compelled to answer him honestly.

It was such a strange aura that she did not even question why he was asking her these things.

“Hm….”

Youngho looked her over from head to toe and thought,

‘There’s nothing wrong with her health, and the boy seems fine too?’

As far as he remembered, some kind of incident had occurred within the Martial Alliance, after which Myeongnyang had joined the Unorthodox Alliance.

He had not pressed her about it since she had been reluctant to speak, but at the very least, things had not ended well between her and the Martial Alliance.

“What are you doing here? Are you still a new Strategist?”

“Pardon? I’m helping with the cooking.”

For an instant, Youngho’s expression hardened.

“…What?”

“I’m assisting the cook of the Martial Alliance.”

It was unbelievable. Youngho considered himself one of the people who knew Myeongnyang well.

And from his perspective, the current situation was so bizarre it was beyond words.

‘A girl that clever—why would she deliberately choose a life of hardship?’

Even if she was a woman, if she had revealed even a fraction of her capabilities, she would be living far more comfortably than this.

‘Why in the world?’

After a brief silence, Youngho spoke.

“Did you perhaps injure your head in the past…?”

“I’ve never had such a thing happen.”

“Hyeon-gang. It seems this lady has injured her head. Examine her.”

“Isn’t that a bit forced? She looks perfectly normal to me.”

“True enough.”

At Hyeon-gang’s reply, Youngho let out a low groan.

Shiver—!

At that moment, a strange presence brushed against Youngho’s senses. No, calling it strange was somewhat ambiguous.

More precisely, it felt as though something was tightly wrapped and concealed. Only someone at Youngho’s level could have detected it.

Slowly, he began walking toward that threadlike presence.

“Young Master?”

Hyeon-gang called out to him in confusion. But Youngho did not respond.

He simply continued walking toward the faint trace of energy.

Soon, he stopped before a young girl and spoke with a hardened expression.

“Little one.”

“…….”

The girl said nothing. No—more accurately, she could not.

Youngho met the girl’s vacant eyes. Her unfocused gaze inexplicably stirred fear in those who looked upon it.

“Young Master, what is it?”

Kang Hosan, who had briefly collapsed from Youngho’s punch, had risen again and asked.

Clenching his fist tightly, Youngho said,

“Hosan. Do you see the girl in front of you?”

“Huh? Oh? There was a girl here?”

It was an exceedingly incongruous scene. The girl stood directly before Kang Hosan’s eyes.

Rather, it was far stranger that he had not noticed her until now.

At that moment, Kang Hosan’s survival instinct rang out violently within him. It screamed at him to run from the girl before his eyes, to put distance between them immediately.

“Young Master!”

Boom—!

With a deafening explosion, the girl’s body detonated. Had someone implanted a Lightning Bomb inside that frail body?

No—it was not something so simple.

Before anyone realized it, Youngho had already seized Kang Hosan by the back of the neck and leapt clear of the blast radius, watching the devastation unfold before him.

Had Youngho remained where he stood, he too would have been caught in the explosion like the others.

Staring at the pavilion now engulfed in flames, Youngho muttered,

“…Bastards.”

Kang Hosan, who had been staring blankly at where the girl had stood, snapped back to his senses at Youngho’s murmur.

“Yes?”

“This…!”

Tremble tremble tremble—.

His hands began to shake on their own. No—his entire body trembled. It was not from exhilaration or joy.

It was fear.

The Martial Presence erupting from Youngho’s entire body made Kang Hosan and those nearby tremble uncontrollably.

Youngho’s face twisted into something like a vengeful spirit. It was a terrifying expression, warped beyond what seemed humanly possible.

As though encountering a demon for the first time, Kang Hosan’s body shook violently.

He was not releasing Killing Intent. Only rage and sorrow. Yet those emotions alone were enough to instill fear in others.

At that moment, Han Yonghu forced his unwilling feet to move and spoke.

“Mad Black Sword Ghost.”

“…….”

“Youngho.”

“…….”

“I do not know why you are like this, but calm yourself first. Not only martial artists are present here.”

Youngho cast a glance around.

Fortunately, since he had not released Killing Intent, the common people had only collapsed foaming at the mouth rather than dying outright.

Youngho began to take deep breaths.

He relaxed every muscle in his body and suppressed the rage that had surged to the top of his head.

Soon, having barely restrained his fury, he looked at Han Yonghu with cold eyes.

“I will apologize for releasing my Martial Presence.”

“As long as you understand.”

“But I believe I have more to say than just an apology.”

“Speak.”

“Alliance Leader.”

“Yes.”

Han Yonghu looked at Youngho with a complicated expression, while Youngho stared back with blazing eyes.

It was a situation where a blade could be drawn at any moment.

Grinding his teeth, Youngho said,

“Did you feel that presence just now?”

“Presence? Do you mean the presence you released?”

Youngho shook his head.

“No. The presence when the explosion occurred.”

“I am no genius like you. So I would appreciate it if you told me what you sensed.”

“Demonic Energy.”

“…!”

“I stake my name on it. The explosion incidents that have occurred thus far were the work of the Demonic Cult.”

As everyone reacted in shock, Hyeonjang, the Sect Leader of the Wudang Sect, spoke with anger in his voice.

“When the explosion occurred just now, Mad Black Sword Ghost, you were standing at the very spot.”

“So?”

“The position of Wudang is that you are the culprit of this incident.”

At that, Hye-gak stepped forward and declared that Shaolin held the same stance as Wudang. The Tang Clan and the Emei Sect also expressed the same position.

Youngho let out a scoff.

“Absurd. Without even knowing the full details of what just happened, you accuse me simply because I was near the explosion? Is that the level of the Orthodox Sect?”

“Still better than the Unorthodox Alliance.”

“The Unorthodox Alliance does not handle matters in such a manner.”

At Youngho’s thunderous rebuke, Hyeonjang flinched involuntarily.

“You must be furious. But you think I am the culprit for one reason alone—that I belong to the Unorthodox Faction. Sect Leaders of great sects, yet you surrender yourselves to anger!”

Han Yonghu rubbed his face tiredly and said,

“Youngho, at least explain the situation.”

Youngho nodded.

“Before crossing the Yangtze River, I killed some Demonic Cult remnants at the Sahyeon Sect.”

“As expected of the Unorthodox Faction. To consort with the Demonic Cult.”

At Tang Myeongak’s malicious sneer, Youngho chuckled.

“Do you think the Orthodox Sect is any different?”

“What do you mean?”

Youngho, who knew the truth of the Jinju Eonga Clan incident better than anyone, found it laughable.

The Clan Head of the Jinju Eonga Clan, who had joined hands with the Demonic Cult and exterminated his own clan over a single Jiangshi.

In Youngho’s eyes, Tang Myeongak was no different.

“There were children abducted at the Sahyeon Sect. I sensed a strange presence within their bodies.”

“A strange presence?”

At Han Yonghu’s question, Youngho clenched his fist.

“Yes. At first, I did not know what it was, so I requested an investigation from our Alliance. And because of this incident, I have now learned the truth.”

With icy eyes, Youngho met the gazes of each Clan Head and Sect Leader one by one.

When his eyes finally met Han Yonghu’s, his tightly sealed lips parted.

“The Demonic Cult placed Heretical Arts upon the bodies of children. This is speculation, but it seems they implanted something akin to a Lightning Bomb inside them.”

Everyone was struck with horror. Some widened their eyes in disbelief, while others stared at Youngho with faces drained of blood.

Within the Martial Alliance, only one person believed Youngho’s words without hesitation.

Han Yonghu’s body trembled as he spoke.

“You are saying they implanted Lightning Bombs inside children?”

“More precisely, something similar.”

“Is there a way to confirm this?”

“At the very least, an Absolute-Level Master must personally examine the body. Then they will sense the abnormal presence.”

“…I see.”

Han Yonghu clenched his fist so tightly that his nails pierced his palm.

Blood dripped steadily from his pale fist.

In a voice that sent chills down the spine, Han Yonghu said,

“Abbot, summon the Fist King at once.”

“Pardon? However….”

“At once!”

It was not a request—it was a command. Yet within the Martial Alliance, Han Yonghu’s standing was incomparable to that of Hye-gak.

Biting his lip, Hye-gak soon left his seat.