Chapter 541

Chapter 541

Shaanxi has many outstanding martial arts sects.

Due to the influence of Shaanxi's two great sword sects, Mount Hua Sect and Zhongnan Sect, countless sword sects were born, and with active exchanges, their level was very high. Most of the sects were also core supporters of the Murim Alliance.

It was a path Jin Ja-gang had no choice but to pass through to reach Nanchang in Jiangxi Province, and whether he could overcome Baek Li-jung's largest and strongest support forces depended on this.

That's why when Jin Ja-gang scorched Qinghai and Gansu, it was only natural that jianghu focused on Shaanxi.

If they united tightly led by Mount Hua Sect and Zhongnan Sect, two of the Nine Great Sects, to block Jin Ja-gang, it would be Baek Li-jung's victory as is; if they failed to block him, Jin Ja-gang's advantage would rise even higher.

"In other words, if we smash Shaanxi, their morale will completely break... that's what you're saying."

Tang Qing laughed at the passage from Gansu to Shaanxi.

Jin Ja-gang looked toward Shaanxi and said.

"They must be waiting with full preparation."

"Of course. Mount Hua Sect and Zhongnan Sect haven't even departed. Why, are you scared?"

The higher the master, the stronger their power to suppress poison, so he must devote his heart and soul to poisoning them. If they know about the poisoning, they'll endure with internal energy, so the fighting time becomes even slightly longer and Jin Ja-gang's damage could increase. Moreover, with their main mountain nearby, they would surely mobilize all kinds of elixirs.

Jin Ja-gang said.

"Then let's go around."

"Hmm?"

"I'll go along Shaanxi's northern Mongolian border and cross over to Shaanxi's east side to go to Shanxi."

Shaanxi is surrounded by Gansu to the west, Mongolia to the north, and Shanxi and Henan to the east.

He meant to go around in a circle without directly breaking through Shaanxi.

Tang Qing looked at Jin Ja-gang with questioning eyes.

If he did that, wouldn't people in jianghu naturally look down on Jin Ja-gang? I knew it, he only touched small and medium sects in Qinghai and Gansu but can't even touch great sects... Such words would pour out. The Murim Alliance's momentum would clearly rise. Then it would become impossible to terrify and disintegrate them as Jin Ja-gang first thought.

Tang Qing looked at Jin Ja-gang's expression for a moment.

"If you avoid Shaanxi to go to Shanxi, you'll inevitably face Shaolin Temple in Henan. If done wrong, it could be a self-defeating move to be surrounded by Mount Hua Sect, Zhongnan Sect, and Shaolin Temple. It's not yet time to touch Shaolin Temple."

"That's why I'll strike Shanxi and go straight to Shaolin Temple."

Tang Qing was shocked. Going to Shanxi via Shaanxi was because of Shaolin Temple!

In that moment, Tang Qing read Jin Ja-gang's thoughts and shuddered as if getting goosebumps.

"Wow... you're indeed a more terrible and frightening fellow than I thought."

* * *

Mount Hua Sect and Zhongnan Sect had cooperated with Shaanxi's sects to set up an airtight net in preparation for Jin Ja-gang's arrival.

Whenever and wherever Jin Ja-gang entered, he would definitely be caught in the surveillance network. Then immediately all waiting martial artists would spread heaven and earth nets to trap Jin Ja-gang, and Mount Hua Sect and Zhongnan Sect would face Jin Ja-gang.

Though Mount Hua Sect lost North Li Sword Immortal and Zhongnan Sect lost Zhongnan Twin Swords, greatly reducing their strength, masters remained to fill their empty positions. They fully opened warehouses and released all elixirs capable of preventing poison and detoxifying.

It was unprecedented for all sects in one province to come forward against just one person.

However, it also meant they were that prepared, so if Jin Ja-gang entered Shaanxi, he could never leave alive in perfect condition.

* * *

Jin Ja-gang didn't go to Shaanxi.

Shanxi's martial arts sects scrambled in confusion. They thought Jin Ja-gang would naturally come through Shaanxi, but he crossed directly to Shanxi and caught them off guard.

Shanxi had no great sects, so they couldn't respond to Jin Ja-gang systematically.

They died while blankly staying at their sects, died while fleeing, and died while trying to resist somehow.

Countless small and medium sect martial artists were driven and driven until they fled to the Yunzhong Mountain Range, but Jin Ja-gang followed them to the end.

In Yunzhong Mountain Range's western plateau, hundreds of martial artists from ten sects faced Jin Ja-gang.

Jin Ja-gang had killed over a thousand martial artists from Qinghai until now. However, his clothes were still pristine and his body had not a single wound.

That made the martial artists even more terrified.

Han Wol, sect leader of Four Han Gate, pleaded to Jin Ja-gang.

"Listen, Poison Dragon..."

Jin Ja-gang heard Han Wol's trembling tone and lowered the hand he was holding up.

"Speak."

Han Wol bit down hard and abandoned all his pride.

"We were wrong."

Jin Ja-gang stared at Han Wol intently before asking.

"Why are you telling me that?"

A martial artist from another sect screamed.

"Because you're trying to kill us!"

"Why would I try to kill you?"

"Because we sided with the Unbreakable Heavenly Sword!"

"That's correct."

Jin Ja-gang raised his hand. Wispy threads shot up.

Jin Ja-gang said.

"But is that something an apology can solve?"

Fear settled in the martial artists' eyes.

* * *

Feng Shi, temporarily holding the sect leader position at Mount Hua Sect, was North Li Sword Immortal's disciple and one of Mount Hua's ten great masters.

Smart and with excellent martial arts, if not for North Li Sword Immortal, he was talented enough to sit in the sect leader's position. That's why Mount Hua Sect didn't shake greatly despite losing North Li Sword Immortal and could calmly deal with the times. Feng Shi's abilities were greatly displayed in facing Jin Ja-gang this time as well.

All Mount Hua Sect's Taoists made full preparations and waited for Jin Ja-gang.

However, unexpected contact reached Mount Hua Sect.

"The Poison Dragon crossed to Shanxi without passing through here. He's causing a great massacre in Shanxi, and small and medium sects' casualties are extreme."

Mount Hua Sect's elders were quite surprised by that news.

Feng Shi suspected.

"Is it the Poison Dragon himself?"

"Certain. Over a thousand people melted without trace in poison fields, they say."

Shanxi has no large sects to be a center. Due to poison's nature, if there's enough poison quantity, martial artists below intermediate level are essentially meaningless no matter the numbers.

The elders each said a word.

"Such cruelty...!"

"He'll receive heaven's punishment. A truly heinous fellow who abandoned human ethics!"

"How can a person turn thousands into poison corpses without batting an eye?"

"He freely kills those weaker than himself while refusing to fight the strong?"

On one hand, there were also those who concluded that was indeed Jin Ja-gang's limit.

"Of course, how could that thing dare think of entering Shaanxi when our Mount Hua is holding firm."

"Since we and Zhongnan Sect firmly united, he couldn't find a gap to enter and essentially fled."

However, Feng Shi was cautious.

"Looking at the Poison Dragon's conduct so far, he often clashed head-on. Yet he avoided us and went around... this is somewhat... strange."

Then another report came in.

"The Poison Dragon went down to Henan!"

To Henan where Shaolin Temple is?

Does he really intend to pass by Shaanxi entirely?

Feng Shi forcefully struck the table and stood up. He understood Jin Ja-gang's intention.

"The Poison Dragon intends to pass by us and rush to Nanchang! Striking and breaking through Qinghai and Gansu was a trick to blind our eyes!"

All sects must gather at the Murim Alliance for power to consolidate. And they intended to strike the Poison Dragon with that consolidated power.

But what if Nanchang's Murim Alliance headquarters fall before that?

Already many sects couldn't even depart, shrinking greatly under Jin Ja-gang's threat. Yet if Jin Ja-gang strikes Nanchang's Murim Alliance headquarters and kills Baek Li-jung before they gather, jianghu will become difficult to consolidate!

However, another elder raised an objection.

"To avoid our Shaanxi, he must pass Shaolin Temple. What need for words, would he really seek a tiger while avoiding a wolf?"

"If it's the fellow who defeated Shaolin Temple's strongest arhat, Great Buddha, he might do that. No, perhaps he could even just pass without fighting Shaolin Temple."

Feng Shi urgently ordered.

"Everyone pack and stand by! If the Poison Dragon passes Henan's Shaolin Temple by any means, we must immediately go to Nanchang. Send people to Zhongnan Sect as well to inform them not to fall for the Poison Dragon's tricks!"

* * *

Jin Ja-gang swept away small and medium sects that joined the Murim Alliance in Shanxi, then went down to Shaolin Temple in Henan.

Following Mount Hua Sect, Shaolin Temple was also the biggest obstacle in Jin Ja-gang's path.

However, Shaolin Temple was difficult to see as clearly anyone's side. When Great Buddha was alive, they were clearly Jin Ja-gang's enemy. They also clashed with Tang Qing many times.

But asking if they were still enemies now, that couldn't be said with certainty.

For this Murim Alliance's establishment, Shaolin Temple took a step back in an observing stance.

There was clearly a different current in Shaolin Temple than before.

That's why Jin Ja-gang had to confirm. At Shaolin Temple. Directly.

If different from Jin Ja-gang's thoughts, then even Shaolin Temple must be erased.

Shaolin Temple's main road, always bustling with pilgrims, was very quiet without a soul. With blood massacres occurring in jianghu, pilgrims to Shaolin Temple had ceased.

Below Shaolin Temple's main gate.

Perhaps naturally, someone was already there waiting for Jin Ja-gang.

A young acolyte in his early twenties wearing not dharma robes but plain brown practice robes. An acolyte refers to one not yet a formal monk, who performs miscellaneous tasks in the temple grounds while training.

The acolyte saw Jin Ja-gang and with a peaceful face made a hand gesture, then indicated to wait a moment. Then he put seven grains of rice in a bowl, filled it with tea, placed it on a stone altar on one side of the stairs. He formed hand seals and recited dharani sutras, offering the ritual with a sincere attitude.

The acolyte said.

"This is Mengshan Food Offering. Bestowing food upon those who became hungry ghosts, wishing for their enlightenment. I perform Mengshan Food Offering every day while cultivating myself."

Jin Ja-gang quietly observed the acolyte.

Though internal energy felt minimal, the wisdom dwelling in his eyes wasn't something that could be seen at age twenty.

Jin Ja-gang said to the acolyte.

"Soon, there will be no need for Mengshan Food Offering."

Because I'll kill all the hungry ghosts remaining in jianghu.

But the acolyte shook his head.

"As long as the human world doesn't disappear, hungry ghosts won't disappear. In human affairs, greed, hungry ghosts born from greed, have never disappeared even once."

"I understand well."

Jin Ja-gang made a return hand gesture and tried to pass the acolyte. However, the acolyte extended his hand to block Jin Ja-gang's path.

Jin Ja-gang stared at the acolyte.

The acolyte smiled gently while facing Jin Ja-gang.

"The Four Heavenly Kings standing at the main gate demand that sinners repent and reject those possessed by demons. It means don't enter sacred grounds harboring evil intentions. How much less can we let a hungry ghost enter the grounds."

Killing intent rose in Jin Ja-gang's eyes. This practitioner was calling Jin Ja-gang a hungry ghost!

Jin Ja-gang sneered.

"Isn't this where a hungry ghost called Great Buddha lived?"

The acolyte's expression didn't change in the slightest.

"Man-eating hungry ghosts are not allowed."

Jin Ja-gang looked at the main gate's Four Heavenly King statues before asking the acolyte.

"Will you try to stop me by force?"

Surprisingly, the acolyte answered.

"Yes."

In that instant, Jin Ja-gang moved his hand. While pressing down the acolyte's blocking arm, he struck the acolyte's temple with his elbow. The acolyte spun Jin Ja-gang's forearm with his opposite hand while lightly pushing Jin Ja-gang's chest.

Though a soft movement, it contained tremendous power enough to push Jin Ja-gang back. It was a surprisingly flexible response.

Click!

Jin Ja-gang quickly turned his body while releasing Asura Scripture, hooking three strands around the acolyte's neck and face. The acolyte turned his head as if loosening a caught neck. The Asura Scripture went limp and bounced off by itself. Even Jin Ja-gang had never seen such a response. Jin Ja-gang released and retrieved the Asura Scripture while stepping back.

The acolyte still smiled while saying to Jin Ja-gang.

"Is Mu-gak doing well?"