âWhat the hell?ââMy god!âJin Geum-woo and his colleagues uttered expletives. They were climbing Mount Qingcheng to visit the Qingcheng sect. But by the time they reached the gates, they suddenly recognized the smell of blood. They sensed that something must have happened, and so they decided to rush in.In front of them, a great devastation was unfolding.Muryeongjin was lying on the floor in the arms of the Muhwajin, while the other disciples of the Qingcheng sect struggled to protect them.The warriors of the Thunder Clan, High Sky sect, and Jinseong sect launched an all-out offensive attack. It was already difficult to block the three sectâs collaborative attack. And to make matters worse, the Qingcheng sect also had to deal with traitors among their ranks.The disciples of the Qingcheng sect did not know how to appropriately respond to the sudden change of their colleagues. Until yesterday, they had been talking and laughing with their fellow disciples, but now theyâre fighting each other to death.This prevented them from attacking properly, and as a result, allowed them to suffer great damage.It was only after many had fallen at the hands of their comrades that they started to work together. But they were still in a precarious situation, they were barely holding on and they didnât know how long they could last.Jin Geum-wooâs eyes widened.âThe Qingcheng sect is being attacked?ââWe have to help them!ââCome on, letâs go!âWon Ga-young and Neung Soun agreed with Jin Geum-woo.They couldnât afford to hesitate. If they left them as it is, the Qingcheng disciples will suffer more damage. They had to prevent that scenario from happening.Jin Geum-woo, Won Ga-young, and Neung Soun ran like the wind and plunged into the battlefield.âEveryone, stop it!âWhile roaring, Jin Geum-woo blew a thunderbolt between the Qingcheng sect and Thunder Clan disciples.Kwaaang!With a deafening sound, a huge crater was formed on the floor. Stone fragments and soil had splattered in all directions, striking the warriors who had been fighting for a long time.âAeuegh!ââKerhyuk!âAt the lightning strikes, the warriors screamed and bounced back.In the meantime, Won Ga-yeong and Neung Soun also faced the disciples of the High Sky and Jinseong sects, respectively.Although only three people joined, their presence was enough to turn the tide of the war.While the attackers rushed out, Jin Geum-woo hurriedly spoke to Muhwajin.âI am Jin Geum-woo of the Golden Heavenly Hall. How did this happen?ââOh! So it was Mister Jin. They suddenly joined forces so we were rather helpless against them. It seems that they have been subjected to black magic.ââWhat do you mean?ââBefore they attacked us, we could sense that they were being manipulated by looking through their eyes. The sudden betrayal of our disciplesâ there is no better explanation other than the use of black magic.ââHuâŠ!âJin Geum-woo let out a sigh.Those were the words coming from an elder of the Qingcheng sect and not anyone else. There was no room to refute.Jin Geum-woo looked at the Qingcheng sect disciples who had betrayed their own sect. He couldnât find anything strange just by looking at their external appearance. However, as Muhwajin said, the situation did not look normal. Most of all, as they attacked their fellow disciples, they showed no sense of remorse or guilt. This would never have occurred if it was just a normal situation. âItâs magicââHis gaze suddenly turned to the corpse of Cheong-gyeong who had fallen nearby.The sight of Cheong-gyeong bleeding from different parts of his body was terrifying. However, what Jin Geum-woo paid attention to was not Cheong-gyeongâs body, but the blood the latter had spilled on the floor.Jin Geum-woo could see something microscopic wriggling in the blood. It was such a weak movement that no one would have noticed not unless they paid close attention.The cultivation that he learned was one of the purest kinds in the world. He would never miss anything out of the ordinary, even the smallest detail.âWhat is that in his bloodâ is it cursed poison?âJin Geum-woo remembered that depending on the type of cursed poison, it can have a different effect on a personâs psyche. If cursed poison was really used, then the sudden betrayal of the Qingcheng disciples now makes sense.Jin Geum-woo shouted loudly.âItâs cursed poison! Theyâre being controlled by cursed poison!âNeung Soun was the first to respond to his voice.âIf itâs cursed poison, someone must be nearby. We have to find him and get rid of him. Weâll take care of this place, so you need to find the caster and get rid of it.ââAlright.âJin Geum-woo radiated a net-like aura and scanned the surroundings with sharp eyes.One of the effects of the Transcendent Cultivation Technique1 is that it emits internal qi in all directions like a net to detect any abnormal presence. Since the qi net is as sensitive as a spiderâs web, any foreign entity in the area of his senses would surely be detected.Jin Geum-woo already mastered the Transcendent Cultivation Technique at the highest level. Tseeu!An intangible qi was spread out in all directions.Fifteen meters, thirty metersâ Beads of sweat started to form on Jin Geum-wooâs forehead. This was his limit. However, Jin Geum-woo pushed himself and sent his qi even further.When his qi reached forty-five meters, Jin Geum-wooâs eyes lit up.âFound you.âHe felt a presence hiding from a particularly large tree. Without hesitating for a single moment, Jin Geum-woo flew toward the tree and pulled out his sword.A strong energy soon was engraved on his sword. âHa!âAs he swings his sword, the sword filled with energy easily cuts through the tree. âShit!âAt that moment, a black shadow popped out, flustered.It was Heukam.The unexpected attack by Jin Geum-woo cut his side.âReveal your identity!âJin Geum-woo shouted and attacked Heukam.Heukamâs face contorted. Someone had sprinkled ashes on his already cooked rice. Heukam felt great anger towards Jin Geum-woo.Jin Geum-wooâs sword strikes hit him like a storm.âYouâll see!âHeukam vowed revenge before fleeing.âStop!âJin Geum-woo tried to pursue him with a frightening force. However, the movement of Heukam was so fast and stealthy that it did not allow Jin Geum-woo to track him.Suac!Heukam quickly disappeared from Jin Geum-wooâs line of sight. It was impossible to find Heukam who had already disappeared into the forest.âSince I lost him, there will be no end to the repercussions.âJin Geum-wooâs face became distorted.The martial arts of Heukam were not weak. Nevertheless, as soon as he realized that the situation was turning unfavorably against him, he didnât feel bad about retreating without looking back. He is the kind of person who values his ââlife more than his pride.These kinds of people are extremely protective of their own lives, so even if they feel the slightest danger, they hide deep into places where peopleâs eyes cannot reach. That made them difficult to find and even harder to deal with.They were the worst kind.Jin Geum-woo turned around, while struggling to suppress his uneasy heart. It was a pity that he couldnât catch Heukam, but there was something more urgent that he still had to solve.Jin Geum-woo flew towards the warriors who attacked the Qingcheng sect.Even if Heukam disappeared, the warriors were still attacking the Qingcheng sect. It was proof that Heukamâs order was maintained even without the caster.In the eyes of Jin Geum-woo, Wu Jinghua entered the Thunder Clan.Wu Jinghua was the only man who could not hide his bewilderment when Heukam revealed his identity.Jin Geum-woo was sure Wu Jinghua would know about Heukam. If Jin Geum-woo can subdued Wu Jinghua, it was clear that the truth behind todayâs incident would be revealed.âChaaah!âJin Geum-woo rushed towards Wu Jinghua with all his power.Kwaaang!* * * patreon.com/soundlesswind21 * * *Pyo-wolâs eyes shone sharply at the news brought by Steward Go.âThe Qingcheng sectââThe final destination of the Thunder Clan was Mt. Qingcheng. Steward Go confirmed that the Thunder Clan warriors entered Mt. Qingcheng. However, men of the Red Villa, including Steward Go, could not actually go inside the Qingcheng sect.Because Mt. Qingcheng itself is considered as Qingcheng sectâs territory, they thoroughly prohibited access from outsiders. If, by any chance, Steward Go or the other men of the Red Villa secretly entered Mt. Qingcheng and were caught by the Qingcheng sect, this could put great pressure on Pyo-wol. For that reason, only the final destination of the Thunder Clan was confirmed and was reported to Pyo-wol.Steward Go also reported in writing.[But there was something strange.]âWhat is it?â[The warriors of the High Sky sect and Jinseong sect were with them.]âYou mean they went with the Thunder Clan?â[Thatâs right.]Pyo-wol clasped his chin with his right hand and tapped his chin with his finger. After realizing that Pyo-wolâs behavior was a habit that comes out when he was in deep thought, Steward Go quietly went outside.âThe Thunder Clan has a grudge against the Qingcheng sect. I was the one who killed Nam Hosan, the successor of the Thunder Clan, but what they know is that he was killed by the Qingcheng sect.âIt was what Pyo-wol intended.To make them think that way, he deliberately killed Nam Hosan by using one of the Qingcheng sectâs techniques.âMoreover, Tae Yeonho, the sect leader, also died at the hands of Mu Jeong-jin, so their resentment against them is overflowing. The problem is their abilities.âBecause he killed Nam Hosan himself, he knew the power of Thunder Clan better than anyone else. They were never strong enough to take revenge on the Qingcheng sect. If they had that kind of potential, the members would not have been so scattered after their sect leaderâs death.âWhat if theyâre not scattered? If they really were inorganized, they wouldnât have been able to get together again, would they?âThoughts followed one after the other.âNo matter how good the warriors of the High Sky sect and Jinseong sect are, they are only subsidiary sects. I donât trust them to get things done. They must have another person helping them. Someone who the Thunder Clan can truly trust and depend on. A place where they would not hesitate to ask for help⊠Itâs the Xiaoleiyin Temple.âPyo-wol came to a conclusion at once.The sects in Jianghu were reluctant to fight against the Qingcheng sect, one of the prestigious sects in Jianghu. Even if the Qingcheng sect is going through a period of decline because of Mu Jeong-jin, it is still a prestigious sect that has continued for hundreds of years.It was burdensome to fight against such a prestigious sect, because even if they won, there would be no point. There is not much to gain by getting the backlash and opposition of the people of Sichuan. If so, Jianghuâs sects had to be excluded from the list of suspects.Pyo-wol recalled the record of the Chengduâs Directory of Martial Artist.In the Chengduâs Directory of Martial Artist, it was written that the origin of the Thunder Clan was the Xiaoleiyin Temple.It has been a long time since the Thunder Clan became independent and established itself in Chengdu, but the fact that their root lies in the Xiaoleiyin Temple did not change.Just as a child beaten by a friend of the same age seeks its parents, it was clear that the warriors of the Thunder Clan who lost their sect leader must have asked for revenge for their behalf from the Xiaoleiyin Temple. âWithout the support of the Xiaoleiyin Temple, they would not have dared to dream of revenge against the Qingcheng sect.âSupporting the Thunder Clan was not a bad thing for the Xiaoleiyin Temple.It could be said that it was actually a good opportunity for the Xiaoleiyin Temple because they can now try to expand their influence in Chengdu and Sichuan through the Thunder Clan.The question was how much support the Xiaoleiyin Temple gave to the Thunder Clan.âThey wouldnât have sent a large army. They have to be wary of the eyes of the other clans.âThe Xiaoleiyin Temple is a force outside of Saibei.2No matter how strong the enmity and fight between two sects, when an outside force intervenes in their fight, they would unite and fight back against the third party.Jianghuâs two major wars proved that fact.It was clear that the Xiaoleiyin Temple was also aware of that fact.Then they had only one choice left.âA small number of elites that can support the Thunder Clan.âStill, a question remains.Even if a small number of elites were dispatched, if traces of the Xiaoleiyin Temple remained, then they would have no choice but to incur the wrath of the other powerful sects.If the other sects were to intervene, it was bound to become difficult for the Xiaoleiyin Temple as well. In particular, their ambitions to expand their influence, especially in Sichuan Province, would be severely affected.The Xiaoleiyin temple is surely aware of that fact. Then they had only one choice left.âThey have someone who they donât mind being caught or someone who will never be caught.âThe scope gradually becomes narrower. Pyo-wol did not stop thinking.âIt is not easy to change the situation with a small number of people. So the person they dispatched must possess an overwhelming force, or he has other abilities.âPyo-wol thought it would be the latter.Even if the person possessed an overwhelming force, if he performed the Xiaoleiyin Templeâs martial arts, a trace would inevitably be left behind.The possibility of dispatching a small number of elites is fading.Pyo-wol paid special attention to the fact that the warriors of the High Sky sect and Jinseong sect accompanied the Thunder Clan.The two sects had no significant contact with the Thunder Clan. Nevertheless, there was a high probability that the two sects moved together because they had a certain kind of agreement with each other or that there was a huge benefit involved.However, no matter how much Pyo-wol thought about it, he found no benefit for the High Sky sect or the Jinseong sect. It was difficult to say that the two sects were bound by a strong bond.âHow did they move the two sects? Concession or intimidation?âPyo-wol frowned.Neither of these premises really convinced him.After settling down in Chengdu, Pyo-wol collected rough information about the powerful sects through Steward Go which includes the Xiaoleiyin Temple.Among the contents of the Xiaoleiyin Temple reported by Steward Go, there was a particularly memorable passage.âIn Jianghu, thereâs a person who is good at various magic tricks that have been dead for a long time.âMagic? What if there is a certain magic that can control the mind?âEvery assumption heâs ever had started to make sense.Finally, the scattered beads of truth were pierced with a single thread and completed.Hope you enjoyed the chapter~