novelraw Chapter 163 : Toward Mount Emei (1)
Chapter 163 : Toward Mount Emei (1)
Chapter 163: Toward Mount Emei (1)
새외의 난.
It meant, quite literally, a blood calamity that began not in the Central Plains, but in the Outer Regions.
Until now, the blood calamities recorded in murim history generally carried the name of the faction that initiated them.
But the fact that this one bore the name “Outer Regions” meant only one thing.
‘Because the forces that caused the blood calamity weren’t just one.’
That was right. The Outer Regions Calamity that drenched the jianghu in blood before his regression involved, astonishingly, all four groups known as the ‘Four Palaces’.
It was the preluding great war created by mobilizing all the Outer Regions’ Four Palaces, which had been seized by the Blood Cult.
That was the Outer Regions Calamity.
The first assault was North Sea Ice Palace.
The forces of the palace, led by the Witch of the North Sea, the Ice White Demon Lord Seori, attacked the Moyong Clan.
Before regression, the Moyong Clan Head had been flustered by the unprecedented surprise attack and waited for support from the Murim Alliance, but no reinforcements ever arrived—not until the Moyong Clan was completely destroyed.
‘To be precise, they couldn’t come.’
Because the number of troops the Alliance could mobilize was limited.
The Blood Cult had designed its ambushes with terrifying precision.
At that time, most of the Murim Alliance’s forces were on their way to the faraway Yunnan.
This was because urgent news had arrived that the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace was targeting the Diancang Sect.
Before regression, the Beast Palace, lacking Sewoon, had been completely dominated by the Blood Cult, and the puppet-like Beast Palace had extended its claws toward the Diancang Sect.
Thus, the Murim Alliance led by the Sword Emperor Yoo Jinhak successfully protected the Diancang Sect, but having moved all the way to distant Yunnan, they failed to stop any of the three other assaults.
As the Murim Alliance hurried north, the Southern Sea Sun Palace, located even further south in Rinan (Linyi, Vietnam), launched an attack on the Mount Hainan Sect.
The Mount Hainan Sect, isolated on Hainan Island, fought fiercely but, just like the Moyong Clan, they ended up with countless casualties and had no choice but to flee from the homeland where they had lived for generations.
Still, it was fortunate that some of them at least managed to survive to continue their lineage.
‘But the place that suffered the most was elsewhere.’
A catastrophe erupted in Qinghai Province—every disciple including the Sect Leader was annihilated, and every building of the sect was burned down without a single foundation stone left intact.
[Ahhh, Kunlun! Kunlun has……!]
[Alliance Leader……. There are no survivors.]
[Heavens above! How could such a thing……!]
It was said that even Yoo Jinhak shed tears upon witnessing the horrific tragedy.
The worst, most devastating blow had been dealt to the Kunlun Sect, attacked by the Gale Sands of Tibet.
Gale Sands was a bandit group formed by criminals and thieves.
Because of their nature, the greatest number of demonic practitioners of the Blood Cult could be deployed there, and they mercilessly committed slaughter within the Kunlun Sect.
Afterward, the nearby Kongtong Sect and Lee Trading Company could have provided aid.
However—before regression, they were in a standoff with the Qingcheng Sect, which had seized Sichuan, and thus failed to send reinforcements in time.
Yes, that was how it was known externally, but Sewoon knew the truth.
‘No, in truth, they were frightened by Gale Sands’ strength and abandoned their allies. Vermin, the lot of them.’
And in this life as well, Sewoon knew that the Kongtong Sect and Lee Trading Company would repeat that terrible, inhumane choice.
Only one thing would change: the target they would bare their fangs at would not be the Qingcheng Sect, but himself and the Sichuan Tang Clan.
‘The three palaces could strike at any moment now.’
According to the intelligence gathered by the Jecheon Unit agents who had carried out Sewoon’s assigned missions in advance, the Outer Regions Calamity was progressing exactly as before.
Except for the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace—which Sewoon now controlled—the North Sea Ice Palace, Southern Sea Sun Palace, and Gale Sands were all moving identically to the previous timeline.
Yet at this critical moment, Namgung Myeong split the Murim Alliance in half and founded the White Path Union.
Amid this series of events, while planning countermeasures—
Sewoon wanted to prevent all attacks and all damage, but he realized it was impossible.
‘Kunlun Sect and the Moyong Clan. Those who now belong to the White Path Union—there’s no way they’ll listen to me, their complete enemy.’
Furthermore, if they received information and made the wrong choices, the future could change in unpredictable ways and bring about even greater disaster.
Thus, Sewoon decided to take only the minimum precautions and devote all his strength to stopping what he could stop.
Sssrk.
Sewoon reached out toward the map before him.
“Before the enemies begin to stir.”
His fingertip, which touched Chengdu where the Sichuan Tang Clan was located, slowly moved across the map.
Ssskt!
It passed through Ziyang, Longchang, and Xingwen, descending diagonally to the lower right before reaching Guizhou, which bordered Sichuan.
“Crush the unorthodox sects in Guizhou.”
Ssskt!
But Sewoon’s finger continued moving.
It went straight down until it finally stopped at Guangxi.
There was only one sect located there.
“Eradicate Guangxi’s Heaven-Piercing Sect.”
Sewoon’s declaration was nothing short of shocking.
It was a plan to annihilate one of the Five Evils—the core of the Demonic Alliance—with his own strength alone.
Should he succeed, the Tang Clan would rise beyond Sichuan, becoming a vast power ruling over the Southern Barbarians’ Beast Palace territory, Guizhou, and Guangxi.
But this was not simple ambition for territorial expansion.
Sewoon had spoken with a clear purpose.
Blood Cult and Tongcheonbang had joined hands, and by annihilating Tongcheonbang, he intended to remove the threat of the Blood Cult operating in secret within the Demonic Alliance. At the same time, the moment he seized Guangxi, he would also be able to protect the Southern Sea Mount Hainan Sect.
“Fighting against the sects of Guizhou and Tongcheonbang didn’t scare him. But…….”
Guizhou had always been within the influence of the Demonic Alliance, but because it was barren and held nothing of value, not a single proper unorthodox sect had taken root there.
He could assert with certainty that he would be able to smash Tongcheonbang of Guangxi before the Demonic Alliance even had a chance to offer support.
But the problem lay not ahead, but behind him.
‘While I wage war against Tongcheonbang, I need someone who can block an assault on my rear.’
The Kongtong Sect and Iga Trading Company, who were just waiting for a chance to bite at him, would launch a rear attack the moment he started a war against Tongcheonbang.
Even if, at that very moment, Kunlun were to be attacked by Gale Sands, just like before his regression, they would never withdraw their forces to return home.
Sseuseuk!
In that instant, Sewoon’s index finger began to slide across the map once more.
‘If I’m to block the southward advance of the Kongtong Sect and Iga Trading Company, they must not be located elsewhere. They have to be stationed in Sichuan itself, closer than Gansu.’
And although not as prestigious, to stop the Kongtong Sect—one of the Nine Sects and One Gang—an equivalent force had to be deployed.
There was only one such place.
Cheocheok.
Sewoon’s finger finally stopped at a single location.
He slowly opened his mouth.
“As you’ve heard, if Golden Summit Peak is truly that beautiful, I should go and confirm it myself.”
On the map beneath his fingertip was written: Mount Emei.
To the west of Sichuan Province stood a mountain praised as beautiful by all who visited it.
Once one overcame the rugged slopes and ascended to the summit, two mountains faced one another.
Because their shapes resembled the eyebrows of a silkworm moth, the mountain was given the name Mount Emei.
“Sect Leader! You must listen to our warning!”
“That’s right! This is something we must never overlook!”
The Mountain Pavilion of the Mount Emei Sect—always filled with serenity—was echoing with sharp voices today.
Inside Fuhu Temple, where all great and small matters of the Mount Emei Sect were handled, the Sect Leader Geum Hwa Sa-tae and all the elders had gathered in one place.
At that moment, Geum Hwa Sa-tae spoke with a face full of frustration.
“Oh ho! Even the Alliance Leader said we should step back and observe for now! Why are the elders being so unreasonable!”
But she was not the only one frustrated.
The elders on the opposite side wore the same exasperated expressions toward Geum Hwa Sa-tae.
“We must stop their movements in Sichuan immediately!”
“We are not asking to torment them without reason! If even we do not keep the Sichuan Tang Clan in check, even greater chaos may erupt! Why do you not understand this!”
What had driven them into such fierce conflict was none other than the Sichuan Tang Clan and Tang Sewoon.
The elders felt a tremendous threat from the recent actions of Tang Sewoon and the Sichuan Tang Clan, claiming that since they had already exterminated the Qingcheng Sect, no one could predict what they would do to Mount Emei next. Therefore, they insisted the sect must act now.
‘Haah, this is truly frustrating. That child would never do such things without reason.’
Naturally, Geum Hwa Sa-tae—who knew of Sewoon and the circumstances behind these events—was trying to persuade the elders in the opposite direction.
She slowly addressed the elders.
“It is true that the Tang Clan has taken over the shops and stores in Qingcheng’s sphere of influence. However, according to the testimony of the commoners, the tribute collected is far cheaper than before, and they have even subdued the underworld forces. What justification do we have to intervene?”
“Sect Leader! Wolves always hide their claws before they reveal their true nature!”
“Elder Geumho! That, too, is merely your conjecture.”
“Geum Hwa Sajae, why are you behaving this way! Whose side are you on—Mount Emei’s, or the Tang Clan’s?”
“Oh ho! Elder Geumho!!”
The elders could not understand why Geum Hwa Sa-tae showed such blind trust, as though under some soul-befuddling technique.
As the chaos grew more heated between the two sides—
[Amitabha.]
“……!!”
“!!”
One utterance of Buddha’s name brought everything to order.
Like a solemn bell ringing across a temple, the chant instantly enveloped the surroundings in silence.
While Geum Hwa Sa-tae and the elders were engaged in fierce debate—
An elderly Bhikkhuni, who had been sitting in meditation with her back turned and eyes closed, slowly turned her body and looked forward.
A mysterious and profound aura surged from her whole being—one comparable to the power of Sword Emperor Yoo Jinhak.
One of the Ten Great Experts of the World, and the former Sect Leader of Mount Emei.
It was the moment when Boyeon Divine Nun, the Subduing Tiger Divine Physician, revealed her presence.
She had remained silent until now, listening to their entire dispute.
Now she slowly opened her mouth.
“Except for the Sect Leader, all of you may leave.”
Not a single elder voiced objection, and they all withdrew as she commanded.
Silence returned to the room where only two people remained.
After a long time, Geum Hwa Sa-tae finally spoke in a heavy voice.
“……Master.”
“I must meet that child.”
“!!”
Boyeon Divine Nun spoke no further.
It was clear who “that child” referred to.
The Clan Head of the Sichuan Tang Clan—Tang Sewoon.
Geum Hwa Sa-tae looked into her master’s eyes, full of concern.
‘Ah…’
And the moment she saw those eyes—
A look of worry surged onto Geum Hwa Sa-tae’s face.
There was only one reason.
In her master’s eyes—
She saw the gaze of the Extermination Sword Queen, the woman who had once cut down the villains of the jianghu before she became known as the Subduing Tiger Divine Physician.