The Serpent-like Woman
Even after Mu-jin and Mu-gyeong left to capture Wi Ji-hak, the battle in Woe-hyeon remained intense.
Jegal Muhwan calmly observed the battlefield, giving directions with his fan while assessing the situation.
‘Hmm. This is certainly exceeding expectations.’
Despite sending the Ba-gua formation throughout Woe-hyeon and losing Mu-jin, the Shaolin and Wudang sects were fighting exceptionally well.
They were even managing the incredibly difficult task of subduing the Murim Alliance mbers without killing them.
‘Wudang is impressive, but Shaolin’s level far surpasses expectations.’
Jegal Muhwan had felt this once before at Mount Zhongnan, but that was under the strategic advantage of ambushing the enemy’s rear.
Now, despite being at a disadvantage, they were overwhelming the enemy with individual skill.
Of course, there were casualties.
Since the beginning of the battle, groans from Shaolin and Wudang martial artists struck by enemy weapons could be heard throughout the battlefield.
But.
“Ugh…”
These instances were fewer compared to the Murim Alliance mbers.
Two hours into the battle, over half of the Murim Alliance mbers had fallen, and the frequency of their groans increased significantly.
“The No-eum and So-eum teams, spread out to the left and right to prevent the Alliance mbers from escaping!”
With the montum now on their side, Jegal Muhwan ordered his troops to encircle the enemies.
“You despicable monks!!!”
“We won’t forget this grudge even in hell!!”
Cornered, the Murim Alliance mbers shouted in anger.
“You are being deceived!”
“We haven’t killed a single one of you!”
The Shaolin and Wudang mbers shouted back, but the Alliance mbers found it hard to believe.
At that mont, the Ba-gua formation that had spread throughout Woe-hyeon began to return.
They had been clearing out Xincheon martial artists who had set traps or tornted civilians.
With the enemy’s numbers increasing, the resistance of the Alliance mbers was overwheld by despair.
“Even if we lose our lives, we must not give up! We must show the world that the Murim Alliance’s spirit lives on!”
Soone shouted to lift the sinking spirits.
Deceived by Wi Ji-hak, the Alliance mbers quickly regained their morale, believing they were doing the right thing.
‘Hmm.’
Jegal Muhwan closely watched the one who shouted.
‘He is likely a spy.’
Even after subduing the Alliance mbers, it was necessary to segregate those suspected of being spies.
As the Alliance mbers were about to resu their resistance, Mu-yul, who had just joined the battle, shouted with a bright face.
“Mu-jin!”
Turning to where he looked, Mu-jin was returning to the battlefield with Mu-gyeong.
“No, it can’t be.”
“The leader has been defeated.”
He was carrying what appeared to be the body of the Murim Alliance leader over his shoulder.
Though it was inferred from the physique and attire, the face was unrecognizable as the head was completely shattered.
It was a devastating sight.
Even the Xincheon spies were montarily speechless, unable to incite the Alliance mbers.
They had expected Wi Ji-hak, their leader, to escape safely.
Amidst everyone’s attention, Mu-jin walked with the strength of a veteran.
Due to his damaged muscles and bones, he was moving solely through the power of internal energy.
Of course, Mu-jin wasn’t foolish enough to reveal his weakened state in such a situation.
“The leader who deceived the orthodox sects and you all has died by my hand! Stop fighting now!”
“Don’t be deceived! That must be soone else’s corpse! They’re trying to trick us!”
A Xincheon spy shouted belatedly, but it was a pointless cry.
“Can you call this a lie after seeing this?”
Despite his aching body, Mu-jin used his internal energy to show the black-scaled gauntlet on the leader’s left hand.
Moving solely through internal energy without using muscles felt like puppeteering his own body.
“And! If this were a fake body, where would I have gotten the leader’s clothes? They managed to steal the leader’s clothes and gauntlet but failed to kill him?” ℞åNО𝖇Ëș
Anyone with a brain could understand the logic in Mu-jin’s words.
“Even if the leader is dead, it doesn’t matter! For the leader’s revenge, I will fight to the end!”
“They are desecrating the leader’s body right now!”
Jegal Muhwan didn’t miss those inciting the crowd.
“Hmm. People who weren’t even in the Alliance show remarkable loyalty to the leader. They must be from the sa place as him.”
“Shut up! You attacked innocent civilians in Woe-hyeon while only needing to target us!”
The man who had opened his mouth to incite the crowd hastily changed the topic.
This ti, the incitent was effective, and the Alliance mbers gripped their weapons, their eyes flaring with anger.
“No, no! They saved us!”
Unexpected individuals began to appear.
They were civilians from Woe-hyeon.
Of course, not everyone had co. Few were brave enough to venture into a battlefield where lives were at stake.
But a few courageous individuals who couldn’t stand to see their saviors wrongfully accused stepped forward.
Among the courageous was a young attendant from ‘Yongbong Tavern’ in Woe-hyeon’s market, who shouted towards a familiar warrior.
“Yang warrior! You know ! The Taoist over there saved !”
For the rchants in Woe-hyeon, regular custors were mostly martial artists from the Murim Alliance.
Naturally, many who worked in Woe-hyeon had connections with so of the Alliance mbers.
As the civilians’ testimonies continued, more Alliance mbers began to lay down their weapons.
“I was deceived by the leader all this ti…”
For those who believed they had been fighting for a righteous cause, it was a crushing realization.
However, so couldn’t accept this reality until the end.
“You are being deceived!!”
“Don’t try to trick with lies!”
Mu-jin, frowning, sent a voice transmission to Jegal Muhwan.
– Aren’t they spies?
– They might be, but they might not be.
As Mu-jin frowned in confusion, Jegal Muhwan added.
– Not everyone can reflect on themselves. So find it hard to accept their own sins and continue to deny the truth before their eyes.
Understanding his point, Mu-jin clicked his tongue lightly.
“Tsk.”
‘People are the sa here or in modern tis.’
It was a common sight even in the modern era.
Mu-jin recalled the famous incident of ‘demanding educational credentials from a rapper.’
It also reminded him of the days when he ran a YouTube channel during the COVID period, enduring harsh comnts from those who followed dubious information and criticized his workout thods.
‘Those people, whether spies or not, will only be a hindrance later.’
Having made up his mind, Mu-jin used his internal energy to shout.
“We have no intention of fighting you! If you lay down your weapons and retreat, we will not attack! But those who resist to the end will be subdued, so make your choice!!”
As soon as Mu-jin’s words fell, so quickly decided and laid down their weapons, while others hesitated and slowly followed suit.
Within about fifteen minutes, all except for a handful of fighters had surrendered.
* * *
Subduing the handful who resisted to the end was not difficult.
Even when they were outnumbered, they had been fighting advantageously, so the overwhelming numbers now made it easy to subdue them swiftly.
The Shaolin and Wudang martial artists temporarily imprisoned the subdued Alliance mbers in the Murim Alliance’s cells.
anwhile, those who had been knocked out in the early stages of the battle began to regain consciousness.
The Shaolin and Wudang, along with the enlightened Alliance mbers, shared the truth with the newly awakened ones.
So, like those subdued at the end, continued to deny the truth, but many more fell into despair or felt a deep sense of futility.
“How could this be…”
“I was deceived by the leader all this ti…”
Amidst the dark atmosphere they created, a young Alliance mber who had just realized the truth asked Mu-jin.
“Is there anything we can do to help?”
Mu-jin looked puzzled by the unexpected question.
Seeing his confusion, the Alliance mber spoke urgently.
“Now that we know we were deceived by the leader, we want to correct our mistakes! We want to help as much as we hindered you!”
The young mber’s words seed to act as a catalyst, and many of those in despair began to speak up.
“Let us help!”
“We want to atone for our sins!”
These were people who had accepted the truth and acknowledged their wrongdoing.
Knowing that Shaolin and Wudang had subdued them without killing a single mber, as testified by the civilians, they had no reason to doubt.
‘Is this what they call a blessing in disguise?’
Having gone through the trouble of subduing them without killing, they were now gaining reinforcents instead.
In the midst of this, Mu-jin looked at Jegal Muhwan for judgnt, finding him even more perplexed.
Jegal Muhwan wore a calm expression, as if he had anticipated this outco.
* * *
While the orthodox factions were embroiled in internal conflict, the Sa-doryeon was being pressured by the Namgung Family, as the Southern Heavenly Demon was severely injured and in hiding.
At this ti, another dark cloud was looming over the Sa-doryeon.
In the bustling city of Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province.
There lay the Guangxi Jin family, one of the seven pillars of the
Sa-doryeon, known as the Sa-Pa Je-il Se-ga.
People began to gather near the Jin family’s vicinity as night fell in Guangzhou.
A young man dressed in black martial attire approached the main gate of the Jin family.
“Who are you!”
The fierce gatekeeper, vigilant as part of the Sa-Pa Je-il Se-ga, snarled, but the young man calmly replied.
“I am the leader of the Tu-shin Bang.”
“Tu-shin Bang?”
Montarily puzzled, the gatekeeper’s face turned to shock as he recalled the na of a rapidly rising faction in Guangxi Province.
Or rather, it would have, if not for the fact that his face fell from his neck.
With a swift cut, the gatekeeper’s head was severed, and the remaining force cleaved the large gate of the Jin family in two.
Creak!
The cut gate fell with an unsettling noise, and Jin family martial artists rushed to the entrance.
But Tu-shin Bang leader Dao Yuetian leisurely stepped inside, ignoring the commotion.
“Who are you!!!”
“Do you know where you are!”
Despite the fierce gazes of the Jin family martial artists, Dao Yuetian gripped his iconic black sword and declared.
“From today, Guangdong Province will be taken over by our Tu-shin Bang and Guryongbang.”
As he declared war on the Jin family martial artists.
“Attack!!!”
Hundreds of martial artists simultaneously leaped over the walls and appeared within the Jin family’s grounds.
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