C123
The journey from Wuhan, where the Murim Alliance was located, to Qinghai, where Kunlun was situated, was quite long.
From east to west, they had to cover a great distance.
"Human, can't we use teleportation?" Raon asked, and Cale shook his head.
"There are Living Jiangshi, so it's better not to."
Two Living Jiangshi.
Team Leader Sui Khan, with his arms crossed and eyes closed, spoke up.
"One is Jegal Eunso. Who did you say the other one was?"
Dag dag. Dag dag.
The carriage was moving at a fairly fast pace, but inside, an unshakable calm prevailed.
"Jeong Chan. They said he was sent from Shaolin."
Upon Cale's response, Lee Soo Hyuk discreetly opened the carriage window as if to see Jeong Chan's face. Then he chuckled and immediately closed the window.
"The atmosphere outside is quite bloody."
There were no other carriages behind them except the one carrying Cale and his group. Everyone else was riding at a gallop, following the pace of their horses. Cale's companions, Mok Hyun, Mok Hee, and Chief Eunuch Wi, followed them outside the carriage.
"What are we supposed to do if we mix the Evil Faction and the Justice Faction?" Lee Soo Hyuk said casually, with an expression that seemed to find it amusing.
Cale frowned at this.
"Hmm."
At that moment, a groan was heard.
A very large carriage.
But who occupied a large space here was Toonka, who was in the midst of suffering from his uncomfortable condition.
When their eyes met, Toonka opened his mouth with a pitiful expression.
"It's stuffy and cramped in here."
Cale thought his face was truly pitiable and replied.
"Stay still."
"Ugh."
Toonka groaned again and shrugged his shoulders.
-Human, Toonka seems to be suffering!" Raon exclaimed.
Cale completely disagreed with Raon's words.
'We can't create problems at this time.'
If Toonka came out now, he would probably join Sima Jung and walk alongside him.
'It will be a big problem if those two get into some kind of incident.'
So, to keep him under control, Cale left him inside the carriage.
"Young Master, do you want this?" Cale accepted the snack handed to him by Ron and settled into a comfortable seat.
'Anyway, I'm calm and comfortable.'
Even though the Team Leader had said the atmosphere outside was terrifying, Cale had no interest in paying attention.
'Did they say there was resistance after the Evil Faction joined the Justice Faction?'
General Commander Jegal Miryeo expressed approval for the incorporation of the group of 8 from the Evil Alliance, led by the three Sima siblings.
'To counter the Blood Cult and the Living Jiangshi, it was appropriate to attract the Evil Faction, so it was a natural decision.'
Of course, the main leader, Go Sebeom, also supported the general's decision.
As a result, protests erupted everywhere within the Murim Alliance.
Furthermore, it was said that there were individuals among the figures included in the negotiation group who opposed it.
"It was Byuk Sun, right?"
As a member of the Five Saints of the Justice Faction, he harbored strong hatred toward the government and the Evil Faction.
But after Go Sebeom and the General Commander persuaded him, Byuk Sun finally changed his mind.
"And then he joined the rear guard."
He said he wanted to see those damn members of the Evil Faction with his own eyes and, at the same time, observe me.
'There's also an intention to observe me.'
In any case, the Sima siblings joined this group under the pretext of traveling with Young Master Kim.
Of course, members of the Murim Alliance believed there was an intent to explore the negotiations between the Evil Faction and the Justice Faction or even interfere with them.
'But in reality, it's because of the Blood Cult.'
At least, Sima Dan and Sima Gong knew the purpose of this group and remained silent about it.
Of course, this was because Cale had asked them to.
'Most of them don't know, so I'd rather keep it quiet.'
Surprisingly, Sima Gong was very impressed.
"I-I was thinking the same thing, Young Master!"
Cale, who couldn't say he had heard the Sound Transmission thanks to Raon, nodded sharply, and the two brothers responded with serious faces.
'I swear on my alcohol that I'll keep the secret.'
'Only my sister and I know. I won't report it to the Evil Alliance Leader right now either. If I break this oath, I'll stop gambling.'
Cale remembered the two people who swore to the heavens on behalf of their alcohol and bets and frowned.
'Well, it's peaceful for now.'
Since they departed from Wuhan two days ago, there haven't been any major incidents.
Although the atmosphere was tense, as if they were walking on thin ice, the group moved swiftly without friction.
The reason was simple.
Fist King, Mok Hyun.
He had made his presence known, moving among the factions, and no one dared to cause trouble because of it.
Even Byuk Sun, who disliked the Government and the Evil Faction, couldn't display his temper in the presence of Fist King, one of the Three Kings of the previous generation.
Thanks to that, Cale was quite satisfied with the peaceful situation.
'It's rather nice.'
The two Living Jiangshi, Jegal Eunso and Jeong Chang.
Both of them were shrinking due to this situation where the right and left factions distrusted each other.
This reduces the possibility of variables occurring.
'It would be great if we can make it to Kunlun and then proceed to the Demon Cult.'
Mount Kunlun in Qinghai.
The Kunlun Sect was located there.
After crossing Qinghai, there was a region called Xinjiang.
That's where the Demon Cult was situated.
Xinjiang was a place with desert land and a dry environment.
'If I can persuade the Heavenly Demon, things will be easy.'
The Heavenly Demon was the leader and God of the Demon Cult.
Having them on board would be crucial.
'It will work out somehow.'
Cale decided not to overthink it.
Munch, munch.
He took a bite of his snack and decided to enjoy the moment.
'It's a shame I can't move quickly through teleportation, but it's been a while since I had this kind of break, so I'll savor it.'
Every night, stopping at nearby inns and sleeping deeply, Cale felt quite comfortable as they traveled.
'Alright, when will I get to enjoy this free time again?'
The corner of his lips lifted.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, Choi Jung Soo jumped to his feet.
Choi Han placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.
The Team Leader's mouth twisted.
-Human!
And Raon called out to Cale.
Cale felt a shiver down his spine.
Something is approaching.
Kwaa-ang!
Suddenly, a loud crash came from the front of the carriage.
"Boom!"
The carriage shook as the horses went wild.
"Young Master, you can relax while I'm here."
Ron supported the swaying Cale with a benevolent smile.
Just as Cale was about to feel that the smile turned murderous, he heard a knocking on the door.
Knock, knock~
Something was happening.
"Darn it."
I just wanted to relax for a while, and this happens! Damn it!
Harsh words escaped Cale's mouth.
"!"
Eunuch Chief Wi, who had opened the door, heard it and shook in panic.
Choi Han asked indifferently.
"What's happening outside?"
"Well..."
Eunuch Chief Wi regained his composure and began speaking.
"How dare the bandits attack us right now!"
Bandits?
When Cale furrowed his brow, Eunuch Chief Wi responded urgently.
"They came out of nowhere and attacked us. Fist King managed to stop them, but it seems we'll have to stop for a while!"
Phew~
A sigh escaped Cale's mouth.
Eunuch Chief Wi involuntarily shivered and shrugged his shoulders.
'A person with a big heart like Young Master Kim...'
'Damn it.' That's what he heard from the person with a big heart.
He had never seen him like this before. Eunuch Chief Wi's mouth went dry with inexplicable tension.
But the situation outside was changing rapidly.
The path Cale was currently on was flanked by cliffs.
Bum.
A person jumped from the cliff.
"Hehe. If you're setting foot on our land, shouldn't you at least greet us?"
Byuk Sun's face twisted as he watched the approaching man with a stiff gait.
"Why are you here?!"
"Hmph."
And Sima Dan swallowed hard.
Peng Yu, from the Hebei Peng Clan, stood by Namgung Mahee and whispered.
"I didn't expect the Vice Commander of Nokrim (Green Forest) to show up."
Currently, the Evil Alliance was divided into two factions, and the two sides were constantly at odds.
In the center of each faction were the Sima Family and Nokrim.
However, the current Vice Commander of Nokrim, Ha Mun, had emerged from the cliffs with dozens of men.
It was as if he had come in advance and waited to kill them.
"You must be the famous Fist King. I apologize for the harsh greeting."
Ha Mun still had the decency to bow to Fist King.
"Hmph, it was certainly harsh."
Fist King ran his hand through his hair.
In front of him were scattered pieces of wood that had been reduced to splinters and fragments, and the original shape of a tree was barely recognizable.
"Wow, but you're still amazing. You've completely knocked down that huge ancient tree. You really are the great Fist King! Haha!"
As Ha Mun laughed heartily at how amusing it was, a cold voice pierced through his ears.
"How dare you, arrogant little bandit, block the path of the Murim Alliance!"
Ha Mun turned his head at the icy voice.
His expression changed.
Thud~.
He stuck the enormous axe he carried over his shoulder into the ground.
It was a huge axe, weighing as much as a grown man.
"I don't think that's what you would expect from a bunch of do-gooders in public but do all sorts of dirty and narrow-minded things behind closed doors."
"What, what?"
"Wow, your name is Byuk Sun, right? They should call you 'Iron Wall' or something, because you can't hear! Kukuku." (Note: Byukchangho = Iron Wall. It's a wordplay)
"Hmph! Ignorant bastard!"
Swish~
Byuk Sun's wide fists began to flutter. Around him, Inner Energy swirled slowly.
Thud. Clack, clack, clack.
The other Martial Artists took positions behind him, hands on their weapons.
"Grandfather."
"Phew."
At Mok Hee's call, Fist King sighed and shook his head in frustration.
It seemed like a fight was about to break out at any moment.
"Wow. Are you really going to fight against us?"
Ha Mun raised his hand.
Seeing it, Fist King immediately looked around, scanned the mountaintop, and swallowed hard.
In the distance, the mountaintop that couldn't be perceived by the senses.
A series of banners soared.
Anyone looking at it could see that the Nokrim Bandits were gathered and waiting.
"Kukuku. It looks like our men are coming down now."
Ha Mun showed his teeth and laughed.
"This is a perfect opportunity for a fight! I was so curious because they always talked about the Five Saints and the Five Demons. And finally, I can fight Elder Byuk Sun, a Saint. It's great!"
"Hmph, you're an opponent you can't reason with!"
Just as Byuk Sun clicked his tongue as if he was filled with energy, Ha Mun said.
"Still, there's a way to avoid the fight."
"What?"
"Get rid of them and take us with you."
A moment of silence descended.
"Phew, Daehyeop. What are you saying?"
Sima Dan took a step forward, his calm face receiving Ha Mun's warning.
Ha Mun snorted in response.
"Hmph! Daehyeop? You're talking nonsense calling me, a bandit, 'Daehyeop.' Are you drunk or something?" (Note: Remember that 'Daehyeop' means 'Great Warrior')
"I'm always drunk."
Sima Dan's carefree response left Ha Mun stunned.
"What are you talking about?!"
Byuk Sun erupted in anger. Over the past few days, his frustration had been building up to its limit.
"Elder Byuk Sun."
Peng Yu from the Hebei Peng Clan stepped forward and tried to calm him while speaking to Ha Mun.
"Hmph."
The corner of Ha Mun's mouth twitched.
"It seems you're treating us like fools."
"What?"
"Aren't the Just Faction, Evil Faction, and Demon Cult trying to pull some trick?! But we, the center of Sapa, are not there! They only know how to use their heads and are trying to do something like this with the bastards from the Sima Family, but how can our Nokrim, the center of Sapa, stay still? Huh?"
"Huh?"
Peng Yu and Fist King were bewildered by the situation.
When Sima Gong appeared embarrassed and tried to step forward...
"This..."
"What do you mean by 'bastards from the Sima Family'?"
Trash of the Evil Faction, Sama Pyeong's Second Son.
Sama Jung's eyes rolled back.
"You mountain bastards, who know nothing but stealing!"
He took flight.
Toward Ha Mun.
"Pfft, ignorant brat! Fine! Come! I'll kill them all and then we'll leave!"
Ha Mun gripped his axe.
One by one, the bandits descended down the cliff wall or by rope, and as soon as they touched the ground, they drew their weapons.
"Ignorant bastards! You've been trying to meddle in our Faction's affairs all along! How dare you try to interfere in our matters?"
"Elder Byuk Sun, it's obviously a misunderstanding, and I'm afraid you're going to have to endure..."
"No! First of all, you shouldn't have taken this scum from the Evil Faction with us. Even if I kill these guys, it won't be enough! I'll put an end to it today!"
"Oh no."
Fist King let out an involuntary sigh as a fight was about to break out, or rather, had already broken out.
But right at that moment...
"!"
His shoulders trembled slightly.
A chill ran down his spine.
A sense of danger he hadn't felt since leveling up.
A feeling that he might die.
Or, more precisely, the feeling of being face to face with a massive presence that made him want to kneel.
He took a deep breath and managed to say someone's name.
"--Y-Young Master Kim-"
Tak~
The carriage door swung open.
Ha Mun, holding an axe.
Sima Jung, also charging forward.
Bandits shouting, people from the Evil Faction trying to form a shield to protect the Sima siblings.
And the Murim Alliance warriors attempting to jump alongside Byuk Sun.
"Kugh, what kind of energy is this...?"
And finally, Byuk Sun, whose eyes had turned inside out with rage.
They all stopped moving.
It was still midday, with the sun shining high in the sky, but it seemed like darkness had enveloped them, as if there were no sun above them.
A bone-chilling cold overcame them.
They felt like they were short of breath.
Everyone's gazes turned to one person.
The person who descended from the carriage.
Cale spoke indifferently to those who stared at him.
"What are you doing now?"
Though he spoke calmly, he exuded a pressure that was hard to confront.
However, no one could avoid that pressure.
They could only stare as if they were stones.
Cale's mouth, filled with irritation, opened.
He asked, as if puzzled.
"Why?"
And then he smiled as he said:
"Do you want to fight to the death? Is that the kind of fight you want?"
In the space dominated by Cale, where they felt like they could suffocate at any moment, no one could easily open their mouths.
