Chapter 59
In Urumqi, Xinjiang, at the Sun Moon Divine Palace.
After hearing his subordinate's report, the Sun Moon Cult Leader displayed a small smile at the corner of his mouth.
"The Asura Cult is on the move... Interesting."
The Asura Blood Cult. A wicked group that broke away claiming they were the true inheritors of the Sun Moon Divine Cult. They abandoned the doctrine of worshipping the Sun Moon Sacred Deity and instead devoted themselves to the Blood Deity Asura. They were people who killed others and consumed their blood to enhance their martial arts. Or those who kept people alive only to steal their vital energy to develop their own spiritual essence.
While the martial arts of the Sun Moon Cult were labeled as demonic arts by the orthodox sects, they were actually closer to extremely tyrannical domination arts. It was a transformation. The replacement of demonic arts that corrupted one's nature and drove people mad with tyrannical arts of extreme destructive power happened because the Old Murim's Sun Moon Divine Cult had fallen. In fact, this transformation was what allowed the current Sun Moon Cult to exist.
"Those miscreants dare to worship a lesser deity like Asura and lay their hands on the Central Plains that should be our territory?"
The energy emanating from the Sun Moon Cult Leader's body created vibrations that made it feel as if the entire Sun Moon Divine Palace was shaking.
The Sun Moon Cult Leader was the legitimate successor of the Old Murim's Sun Moon Divine Cult. No matter how much the Asura Blood Cult claimed to be the true inheritors, it was absurd. If they were truly the legitimate successors, why would they need to worship a lesser deity like Asura and hide in a corner of Mount Tianshan instead of returning to the Sun Moon Cult?
That's why the Sun Moon Cult Leader's anger was justified.
"Sugyeong, I saw value in him and left the Central Plains intact because of him."
He was the one who had awakened the Sun Moon Cult from its long peace with teachings from afar. Regardless of how Baek Sugyeong himself felt about it, that was how the Sun Moon Cult Leader viewed him.
It hadn't been long since the atmosphere of the entire Sun Moon Cult had been renewed, with the parasites who maintained their positions through cultivation rankings being replaced by new faces as the law of the strong was reestablished.
The reason the Sun Moon Cult Leader, who had been quietly spending his time in Urumqi believing no one in the world could teach him anything, was angry was because they dared to touch the Central Plains where Baek Sugyeong resided.
"C-Cult Leader!"
"Sun Moon Venerable One!"
"Why are you so angry?"
"Please calm your wrath!"
The elders, startled by the Sun Moon Cult Leader's anger that shook the Divine Palace, rushed in and repeatedly knocked their heads on the ground.
The Sun Moon Cult Leader was a god. He was the Sun Moon Sacred Deity, a descendant of heaven. Unlike the one sitting in the imperial palace in Beijing who vainly called himself the Son of Heaven, or those who claimed to be descendants of Emperor Xuanyuan, he was the true heaven-sent descendant. That's why the Sun Moon Cult followers revered their leader as a god incarnate.
"I need to go out for a while."
The copy of "Wudang Sword Hero" Volume 8 that had been open in the air folded itself with a snap without the Sun Moon Cult Leader even touching it.
The Cult Leader's gaze turned toward the elders as he stood up, his golden dragon robe fluttering.
"Make preparations."
"As you command!"
Because of just one scholar, Baek Sugyeong, the world was now in motion.
...
"...You're not joking with me right now, are you?"
Gal Yerung's voice was cold. This was a time when she should be focusing on the martial arts competition.
She had promised to settle her differences with Namgung Somin at this Dragon Gate Gathering. She needed more time for training, but the information her colleagues brought was shocking.
The Blood Cult. They said it was the Blood Cult.
Madmen from the Old Murim hiding in the shadows of Mount Tianshan where the former Tianshan Sect had disappeared, plotting against the martial world.
"I didn't call you here to joke. I know you're on a top-secret mission, but..."
Gal Yerung's face showed irritation as she looked back at Cheongpyo.
"It's the Asura Blood Cult. If the Tianshan branch was destroyed, you should have just withdrawn..."
"It was the Sect Leader's order. He told us to investigate just in case."
Gal Yerung pressed her forehead at Cheongpyo's words.
Yanoe was a wise man. From his perspective, not knowing what variables might exist, he would have sent Red Tides first, then dispatched Cheongpyo afterward to reduce the risk. She understood what her master might have been thinking.
The problem was that they had lost all the warriors of the Ghost Gate Pavilion, with only Red Tides and Cheongpyo surviving.
And that the Blood Cult warriors had entered the Central Plains.
"What about Baek Won?"
"He's still under disciplinary confinement."
"So, when we need to face the Blood Cult, our available forces are just the three of us here and one branch in Luoyang?"
Gal Yerung's voice grew sharp.
"Are you kidding me?"
"...I'm sorry, Yajeop. It's because of my incompetence."
"Red Tides, shut up. Don't put yourself down like that. If you're incompetent, what does that say about everyone else in our sect?"
Red Tides closed his mouth at Gal Yerung's sharp words.
He wasn't just anyone, but one of the Three Commanders. While the Hao Sect warriors were generally known as the weakest among the Ten Unorthodox Sects, that only applied to lower-ranking warriors. The gap in martial arts between the lower-ranking warriors who were limited to gathering information and direct subordinates of the Hao Sect Leader like the Three Commanders was quite significant.
Even so, those who had reached the peak were extremely limited.
"Have you confirmed how far they've come?"
"Every scout we send loses contact. It seems the Blood Cult members are scattered around Luoyang, cutting off our secret communication lines."
Gal Yerung frowned at Cheongpyo's words.
"Did you send people from the Luoyang branch?"
"...We had no choice."
"Damn it. This is getting worse. We're already short on manpower!"
Gal Yerung glared at the two with an irritated expression.
This was the worst.
It was problematic enough that the Blood Cult had entered orthodox territory, but if they were hiding and killing Hao Sect members as they were sent out...
They were essentially like rats in a trap.
Crunch.
Gal Yerung bit her fingernails, her forehead darkening.
"What's their objective?"
"I don't know. We couldn't figure it out. We were swept away the moment we encountered them."
Red Tides' voice was mixed with deep self-reproach.
He had personally witnessed the Ghost Gate Pavilion warriors who rushed to protect him being swept away by the Blood Cult warriors.
Even though those gathered in Luoyang were rising stars of famous orthodox sects, it was questionable whether they could withstand the Blood Cult's offensive.
Gal Yerung said:
"I suppose they deliberately left the Tianshan branch alone and then wiped them out?"
"That's what we think. But the question is why they destroyed the Tianshan branch now after leaving it alone all this time."
Cheongpyo's doubt was justified.
If they were going to leave it alone, they could have used it to spread misinformation to make the Central Plains complacent. But the Blood Cult didn't do that and suddenly destroyed the Tianshan branch.
Why?
"As if I don't have enough headaches already..."
Gal Yerung sighed deeply.
Red Tides spoke:
"Considering that they suddenly destroyed the Tianshan branch right after our sect received information that the Blood Cult had nested in the former territory of the Tianshan Sect, they might have been wary of information flowing to the Sun Moon Cult."
"The Sun Moon Cult... But we don't have a branch in Xinjiang, do we?"
"Yajeop is right. Our sect doesn't have much contact with the Sun Moon Cult, so saying the Blood Cult attacked our branch because of that is just speculation."
Red Tides shook his head at Cheongpyo's words.
"Cheongpyo. We survived thanks to that man. Perhaps multiple reasons are at play."
"Hmm."
"What are you talking about?"
In response to Gal Yerung's question, Cheongpyo and Red Tides explained what had happened in Tianshan.
After hearing the whole story, Gal Yerung's eyes narrowed.
"A master using sword techniques you've never seen before?"
"Yes. Moreover, if he lives in Tianshan, it makes sense why the Blood Cult showed such an erratic response. They might have felt pressured by that man's movements."
"That doesn't make sense. What kind of group is the Blood Cult?"
Gal Yerung had a point.
The Blood Cult was a group of madmen from the Old Murim, armed with extremely powerful martial arts and ruthlessness. For such a group to feel pressured by a single mysterious master?
It made no sense.
Unless that mysterious master living in Tianshan was a Martial Emperor with the power to destroy the Blood Cult, there was no reason for them to feel pressured.
Cheongpyo spoke coldly:
"The best course of action we can take now is to use the disciples from the Luoyang branch as bait to lure them into the competition venue where the Dragon Gate Gathering is being held, and then overwhelm them with numbers."
"Cheongpyo!"
"Understand, Red Tides. But there's no better option."
It was cold but not wrong.
Red Tides grimaced.
Cheongpyo closed his eyes.
Gal Yerung frowned.
"Is that really the best option, Cheongpyo?"
"It's the best I can think of. Even if we sacrifice some disciples from the Luoyang branch, we need to draw in the power of the orthodox sects to strike."
"Do you have a plan to lure them? When we don't even know where they're hiding?"
"I'll leak information."
Gal Yerung frowned at Cheongpyo's words.
Since the Hao Sect wasn't an orthodox sect, they were skilled in operations using misinformation.
But right now, they were essentially like rats in a trap.
In such a situation, deliberately leaking information meant preparing for the worst.
The Blood Cult might come directly to wipe out the Hao Sect's Luoyang branch.
The strategy was to deliberately lure them in to achieve mutual destruction at the very least.
Gal Yerung said:
"You're prepared to die?"
"We have no choice."
"Hah..."
Gal Yerung sighed deeply.
Her red hair fluttered in the night breeze.
"Fine. If that's the only method we can use, we have no choice."
Because the options were extremely limited.
The number of available strategies was also finite.
Crunch.
Grinding her teeth, Gal Yerung said:
"I'll be the bait."