Chapter 122

Chapter 122

Murmur, murmur.

The adults, unable to hide their bewilderment at the sight of what appeared to be over seven hundred children standing in a single line, whispered among themselves.

“What in the world is going on?”

One of them asked the person beside him.

“Why are children lined up here?”

“A merchant group?”

“That’s right. I unpacked at the inn and came out, and before I knew it, the children had gathered here.”

“Have you heard about the incident involving the Mad Black Sword Ghost?”

“The Mad Black Sword Ghost? You mean the disciple of the Lord of the Unorthodox Alliance?”

“That’s right. It seems the Demonic Cult framed the Mad Black Sword Ghost.”

“Framed? He’s from the Unorthodox Faction to begin with. How do we know it isn’t true?”

“I think so too… but I heard it was something only the Mad Black Sword Ghost could do, so…”

“…?”

As the man stared blankly, not understanding, the one explaining clicked his tongue and said,

“Just watch. I don’t know why the Murim Alliance is helping the Unorthodox Faction handle something the Demonic Cult did, but right now those children’s lives depend on the Mad Black Sword Ghost.”

“What on earth does that even—!”

Just as the man was about to demand further explanation, Han Yonghu stepped forward and spoke.

“Ahem.”

Clearing his throat once, Han Yonghu faced the crowd with a grave expression.

“Some of you may already know, but for those who do not, I will explain. At present, Lightning Bombs have been embedded into the bodies of certain children in Anhui by the Demonic Cult.”

At that, the crowd erupted in commotion. One mother collapsed to her knees and began to wail.

Some even fainted.

Nevertheless, Han Yonghu silently watched them and continued,

“However, fortunately, thanks to the help of the Mad Black Sword Ghost, we were able to discover a treatment method.”

The moment Youngho’s epithet was mentioned, the murmuring intensified.

“The Mad Black Sword Ghost helped?”

“Wait, more importantly, can’t you just cut open the stomach and remove a Lightning Bomb?”

“I heard it wasn’t an ordinary Lightning Bomb but one made using internal energy that martial artists use. Even physicians supposedly have no way of handling it.”

“Those Demonic Cult bastards! Even if you grind them to death, it wouldn’t be enough! How could they do this to children!”

Some burned with rage, others let out incredulous laughter.

Yet everyone here knew Han Yonghu was not lying. Rather, he was revealing it because a countermeasure had been found.

“We will now begin treatment. The Mad Black Sword Ghost’s method has been evaluated within the Murim Alliance as quite unique, but its effectiveness is certain. To guarantee this, we have invited the Sect Leaders of each sect and the Clan Heads of the great families.”

At Han Yonghu’s declaration, the representatives of each faction, who had been hidden behind the Alliance members, stepped forward and stood beside him.

“Gasp! That person—!”

“The Sword Queen? Even the Sword Queen is here?”

“And the Fist King, said to possess the greatest martial might in Shaolin’s history!”

The Common People could not conceal their astonishment and chattered among themselves, to the point that Han Yonghu’s voice was nearly drowned out.

To calm the commotion, Han Yonghu subtly dispersed internal energy that soothed both mind and body as he spoke,

“We thought this much would be necessary to inspire sufficient trust…”

Before he could even finish, people began to laugh and shout.

“Alliance Leader! Thank you!”

“The heads of the Nine Sects and One Gang and the Five Great Families are gathered in one place?!”

“To witness such a scene with our own eyes!”

At the words of the Common People, the various leaders maintained the most brazenly expressionless faces they could manage. At a glance, they appeared dignified—

—but those closest to them could tell.

They were embarrassed.

And that did not apply only to the Nine Sects and One Gang and the Five Great Families. The Murim Alliance Leader Han Yonghu was the same.

In truth, from the outside, it appeared that only those of the Orthodox Sect, such as Hye-won and Myeonghye, had suffered.

After all, they were the ones who had checked whether Lightning Bombs were embedded in the bodies of the children and other Common People.

But unlike Youngho, who had shut himself away for Seven Days and Nights without sleep, they had all enjoyed sufficient rest and sleep. They were merely somewhat mentally fatigued.

In reality, the one who had struggled to devise the treatment and personally implement it was Youngho.

Yet Youngho, for the sole reason that he belonged to the Unorthodox Faction, received no gratitude from anyone.

The Common People were busy gilding the faces of the various leaders instead.

Kang Chowon suddenly felt her chest tighten. No, it was not only Kang Chowon whose indignation erupted. Kang Hosan, Horyeung, and even the Asura Squad Members ground their teeth.

“The one who suffered the most was the Young Master…!”

As killing intent began to seep from Kang Chowon’s body, Youngho placed a hand on her head.

“Calm down.”

His expression was utterly indifferent. As if he had never expected anything to begin with.

And that very expression made Kang Chowon’s heart ache even more.

The others seemed to feel the same, as a gloomy atmosphere spread among them.

In contrast, Youngho truly seemed unconcerned. He yawned and said,

“Your master is very strong. Don’t worry.”

“We know that, but…!”

“You already knew there wouldn’t be anyone to acknowledge it anyway, didn’t you?”

“…It was possible.”

Her voice was so quiet it was nearly inaudible, prompting Youngho to ask again.

“What?”

“You could have earned the people’s recognition among them. But you chose not to.”

At that, Youngho’s eyes widened in surprise before he soon smiled bitterly.

“I suppose they remember the reprimand I gave the heads of each sect before?”

“….”

Kang Chowon merely nodded silently.

With a bitter yet faintly sweet feeling, Youngho looked up at the sky.

“Chowon, in the end, we are of the Unorthodox Faction. The chivalry and righteousness I spoke of before—we could create it ourselves even right now.”

“Then why…!”

“But will the Unorthodox Faction still possess chivalry and righteousness in the future?”

“….”

“Even in a distant future after my Master and I are dead, when our will is meant to be carried on?”

She was rendered speechless. It was undeniably true. No matter how great Youngho was, he could not interfere in the mortal world after death.

If that were possible, he would have transcended even an Immortal.

And even if Youngho’s will were passed down to Kang Chowon, and then to someone else, the probability that that person would possess martial might as formidable as Youngho’s was infinitesimal.

After all, the Unorthodox Faction was ultimately a place where, to a certain extent, the logic of might makes right prevailed.

Strength was required for Youngho’s will to continue. For that, one would need not only martial prowess sufficient to seize the position of Lord of the Unorthodox Alliance, but also the ability to cultivate loyal followers as Youngho had.

But since it was certain that things would not unfold so perfectly, the Unorthodox Faction might one day decline further, clinging only to a fleeting glory of the past.

Realizing this, Kang Chowon’s face hardened, and Youngho let out a faint chuckle.

“It cannot be helped. If the Unorthodox Faction truly possessed chivalry and righteousness, things might change—but even that would only be temporary. So…”

Kang Chowon discreetly examined Youngho’s expression. Youngho wore a wicked smile as he said,

“Shouldn’t we make the most of the fact that we’re from the Unorthodox Faction?”

The instant Youngho’s body transformed into a streak of light, spiderweb-like cracks spread across the ground where he had been standing.

Bang—!

By the time the sound of the ground being stomped resounded, Youngho had already arrived before a woman.

Before the woman’s hand could even touch the child’s cheek, Youngho’s sword flew toward her neck.

If this continued, her head would surely be severed. But having belatedly perceived Youngho’s movement technique, the woman hastily pulled her body backward.

Shhk!

Even though the chilling sound of flesh being cut rang out, Youngho frowned.

‘Too shallow!’

At most, it would have left only a scratch on the muscle.

Originally, an arm or a leg should have been severed. But seeing that she had escaped his blade with such minimal movement, she had evidently come prepared.

At that moment, the woman formed a hand seal.

The instant she smiled in triumph, Youngho smiled back at her.

Within that fleeting instant—so brief the Common People could not even perceive it—countless things unfolded.

And the Absolute Masters did not miss that short moment.

Myeonghye, Hye-won, Han Yonghu, Hyeonu, and lastly—though he had not stated it openly—Flowing Wind Spear and Gojeong, whom Youngho recognized as Absolute Masters, all rushed toward the child the woman had touched and extended their hands.

And the moment the five hands touched the child’s body, the child—whose body had begun swelling like a pufferfish—started to shrink back down.

The woman’s eyes widened in disbelief, and Youngho swung his sword with the intent to carve out those filthy eyes.

Kuuung—!

Only then did the aftershock of Youngho’s sword swing cause the bodies of the Common People to stagger.

Realizing that Youngho intended to gouge her eyes, the woman immediately jerked her neck backward.

“Keugh!”

But at some point he had shifted his stance—Youngho held the sword in his left hand while concentrating internal energy into his right, then detonated it.

Taking the Common People into account, he suppressed its lethality to the utmost and maximized only the repelling force. His internal energy blasted the woman away.

Thud—!

With a heavy sound, her body flew well over one li.

And Youngho pursued her. It had all happened in such an instant that not only the Common People but even fellow martial artists were startled.

Fortunately, they had already coordinated their words in advance.

“That Demonic Practitioner cast another heretical art on the child!”

“Do not approach the four, including the Alliance Leader! You may be caught in an explosion!”

At the single word “explosion,” the entire scene descended into chaos. The Unorthodox members such as the Asura Squad clicked their tongues.

It was not that they disliked the sight of the Common People panicking—but that it was obvious the Murim Alliance would manipulate the information to make it seem as though their own side had led the action initiated by their lord.

Even Horyeung, who always bore a benevolent impression, looked at the Murim Alliance members with eyes filled with contempt.

Meanwhile, the woman who had been sent flying hastily kicked off the air to adjust her posture—but once more, Youngho’s palm force struck her, sending her hurtling farther.

This time, he did not restrain its lethality at all. The impact she felt was far more powerful than before.

Though she protected herself with Hardened Force against Youngho’s palm force, the shock sent her flying far beyond where she would have originally landed.

When she looked ahead, Youngho was already standing there, gazing at her with an indifferent expression.

He looked at her with bored eyes and spoke.

“Let’s start already, Mad Face.”

“…So you knew it was me.”

“Don’t underestimate me because I’m young. I have a certain level of intelligence network.”

Mad Face let out a hollow laugh, as if dumbfounded.

“You’re an interesting brat.”

“I don’t have a hobby of getting attention from an old hag.”

“I have one question.”

“What?”

“Just now, the Alliance Leader and those Orthodox Sect wretches blocked my heretical art. How did they do it?”

“Ah, that much I can answer.”

“As expected of someone from the Unorthodox Faction, unlike those Orthodox bastards—you’re generous.”

“It’s not generosity. I just need to tell you so you’ll feel like shit.”

“If you can so much as leave a crack on my face, I’ll acknowledge you.”

“I don’t need acknowledgment. It’s something I could’ve handled alone, but since there wasn’t a single person whose control over internal energy matched mine, I had to make five people do the work of one.”

“…What?”

“Oh, your face just twisted.”

“What did you just say?”

“I said your face twisted.”

“No, you clearly said you could undo my heretical art by yourself.”

“You already heard it. Why ask again?”

Krrrk—!

It was the sort of way of speaking that made one grind their teeth involuntarily.

Mad Face, her eyes now calmly sunken, asked Youngho,

“How exactly did you undo my heretical art?”

“It seemed like a heretical art you’d only recently created.”

“Answer me.”

“You’re impatient. To put it simply…”

Youngho pondered what expression would be appropriate, then smiled.

“Your heretical art was far too crude.”