Chapter 595

Chapter 595 - Side Story 29

Many people thought a new world would come when a new Martial Alliance was established.

Jin Ja-gang's Martial Alliance handled matters fairly, and it was something worthy of praise, but even so, the world did not turn upside down as if it had been reborn.

Even if their power decreased, large sects were still large sects, and small and medium sects were still small and medium sects.

Since the Martial Alliance was established after killing tens of thousands, they expected something special to happen, but the world remained the same.

Large sects had their complaints, and small and medium sects had theirs.

But in the midst of that, rumors came that a Green Forest subjugation battle had taken place at the small Guangdong sect, Yeon Family Sect. Normally it would be news with no particular merit worth talking about. It was only known because it started from Poison Dragon's three children.

What would they do if those small sects provoked the Green Forest and suffered retaliation, and Poison Dragon's children could just go back home, or so they thought briefly.

Taking that as an opportunity, rumors followed that not only Guangdong sects but even Guangxi stepped up to subjuSect the Green Forest stragglers.

Then even up to Huguang.

Amid continuous victory reports, news of young warriors who left their mark in battles kept popping up.

Someone faced ten bandits alone.

Someone faced the Sparrow Scarf with what move and how. Which sect faced the Eagle Scarf with what sword formation.

Some became far more famous than disciples of large sects.

It was natural for sects that succeeded in subjugation to boast about their disciples.

A small change occurred in the hearts of warriors from other sects hearing such rumors.

How long must the Martial Alliance do something for them, large sects provide support.

They began to doubt the dependent mindset that only then could they do anything.

Weren't there already those accomplishing things without doing so?

A small flame arose in the hearts of warriors throughout Jianghu who heard the news from Guangdong and Guangxi.

The wildfire spread.

Warriors from other regions finally rose up too. Since nothing would change from just waiting, they rose up on their own out of frustration.

Worried about what if they rose up alone, at that moment they looked around and saw everyone was together.

They felt something changing.

Not the world, but in their own hearts.

While Tang Yu-jeong went up to Huguang, several small and medium sects sent people to make contact. There were even sects that had finished preparations and were waiting for Tang Yu-jeong.

A Green Forest subjugation movement arose throughout Jianghu.

Self-purification began in some places. Sects that usually colluded with the Green Forest were struck down.

Many sects, whether they liked it or not, had to decide their position progressively. Amazingly, even though the Martial Alliance didn't move at all, all of Jianghu began to move on its own.

***

The chief of the Green Forest under heaven.

Left Commander wearing the Sparrow Dragon Scarf felt like his head would explode from reports coming up from all directions.

Reports kept coming in that strongholds were being attacked here and there.

Originally the Green Forest's greatest advantage was that when attacked, they could hide deeper in the mountains. They also fled to other strongholds. Then when it became quiet, they just came back out.

But if strongholds were attacked simultaneously almost everywhere like this, fleeing and escaping were impossible from the start! Moreover, since attacks were coming led by local sects familiar with those regions, hiding or avoiding was not easy.

Left Commander ordered in great rage.

"Listen! The Old Strongmen of nine provinces should abandon their strongholds and immediately lead all available personnel to cross the Yellow River and go south. Sweep away everything you encounter!"

The nine Old Strongmen were the supreme experts of the Green Forest.

When they moved and began rallying forces, it would become a mass comparable to the Nine Great Sects, but much larger in numbers. The moment that mass fully joined and moved, flimsy sects like fluff would be blown away in an instant.

Before the sluggish Martial Alliance moved, they would strike down Poison Dragon and drop Jianghu into the pit of hell once more.

***

Jin Ja-gang also heard rumors about the children.

An Ryeong laughed like crazy. Even dripping tears and turning red-faced, she couldn't stop laughing.

"These troublemakers! Ahahahaha! Ahahahaha! Cough cough. Just what are they doing going around? The Green Forest is getting thoroughly beaten."

An Ryeong even coughed. Son Bi patted An Ryeong's back while rolling her eyes.

"Isn't it okay not to go see? Tang Family also seems to have no particular movement."

"....."

"Are you going to just leave the children alone and play immortal here?"

"Where is this playing immortal?"

"You have a pretty woman guarding your side, fragrant wine, and companions to talk with."

Jin Ja-gang answered.

"My decision not to intervene in Jianghu's affairs is both a promise to myself and a promise with Jianghu."

"Even though Jianghu is becoming complete chaos?"

Jin Ja-gang looked at An Ryeong and smiled, then asked back.

"Does it look like chaos to the young miss's eyes?"

An Ryeong quietly looked into Jin Ja-gang's eyes. A somewhat indifferent expression, with very small satisfaction dwelling in it.

"Wahhh! That gives me chills! What's with those eyes?"

An Ryeong exaggeratedly pulled back her waist, but goosebumps were actually rising on her arms.

"You, right now this. Don't tell me you were thinking this far ahead? You knew it would turn out like this?"

"Not quite that."

"That's even scarier. Saying it wasn't quite that."

Didn't that mean he was predicting to some degree, if not this far!

"But if this is the beginning, we might need to stop it here."

An Ryeong looked seriously at Son Bi and Jin Ja-gang.

"Those children are different from you two, so we don't know when they'll explode. It's known among people that those children can't use poison, but that's not true, is it?"

If that happened, what would become of it?

No need to say more.

Tang Gyeong in particular couldn't control his poison energy well, so he couldn't even go out until recently.

"Maybe what the descendants of the Asura King are targeting isn't you, but the children."

Since they have equally terrible poison.

"I know."

"Still, you won't stop them? If the children run wild, then at that time."

Jin Ja-gang paused briefly, then said.

"Anyway, my role in Jianghu ended long ago."

"How cold."

An Ryeong looked at Jin Ja-gang with complicated feelings, then drank her wine.

"You as a person, I still don't understand. What could you possibly gain by doing that..."

"It's not what I gain."

Jin Ja-gang looked at Son Bi and An Ryeong in turn.

"It's what this Jianghu we'll live in gains."

"What's this? I don't understand at all. You really live in such a complicated way."

Jin Ja-gang smiled.

To the point An Ryeong and Son Bi were puzzled, Jin Ja-gang was rejoicing.

***

"Hmm?"

"Hmm?"

The gazes of Master Bok-cheon and Abbess In-eun met.

Master Bok-cheon came out with ten Qingcheng Sect warriors, and Abbess In-eun was leading dozens of Emei Sect nuns on the road. They met at one place while traveling different roads.

"It's been a while."

"Namo Amitabha. Indeed. It's been a while. Have you been well?"

"What trouble would I have?"

"Ah, on my way out I heard that the sect leader's former disciple was troubled by runaway children."

"Hmm. Well. They said it wasn't a big deal. What's so great about feeding them a meal and sending them back?"

Abbess In-eun asked with an alluring smile.

"But it seems the sect leader is going out for a little outing."

"Ah, yes. My spiritual power has declined lately, so I'm thinking of visiting some efficacious mountains for spiritual cultivation. Is Grand Master also?"

"I heard a renowned dharma teacher is presiding over a dharma assembly at Mount Putuo, so after a long time, I'm out for a walk to also let the children see the world."

"To call it a walk, it doesn't seem very close."

Mount Putuo was in the far east. To go there, one must cross completely through the Central Plains.

"It's not very far. Passing Chongqing, going through Mount Wu, sightseeing Dongting Lake, and it'll be quick."

The route Abbess In-eun mentioned was all place names in the Yangtze River basin.

Master Bok-cheon said.

"I see. As a Taoist, traveling with a renunciate Buddhist monk also looks odd to others, so please go first. We'll take a different route."

"Where will the sect leader go?"

Master Bok-cheon thought briefly, then said.

"I'll go up along the Min River to visit Mount Gongdong, then pass Mount Wutai and Mount Taihang to tour Mount Tai."

The place names Master Bok-cheon mentioned were all in the Yellow River basin. A route crossing the Central Plains from the north of the Yangtze River.

If Abbess In-eun and Master Bok-cheon moved as they said, it would be a journey dividing the Central Plains horizontally into thirds.

"There might be contact from the Martial Alliance soon, is it okay to leave your post?"

To Abbess In-eun's question, Master Bok-cheon answered nonchalantly.

"Since our Qingcheng still hasn't joined the Martial Alliance, won't they handle that themselves?"

Abbess In-eun smiled with her eyes.

"Your demeanor has changed much. You look much better than before."

Master Bok-cheon smiled faintly on his stern face.

"Travel safely. They say bandit groups are swarming the mountains and fields these days."

"What trouble could there be for us who just turn our backs on the world and practice Buddha dharma?"

Master Bok-cheon and Abbess In-eun exchanged light greetings and parted. Master Bok-cheon went back up the way he came down with his empty sleeve fluttering, and Emei Sect began going down along the Yangtze River as they were.

***

"We've been cut in half!"

At the messenger's report, Left Commander was even bewildered.

"The Old Strongmen who rose up in nine provinces can't join each other. They've been split without going south."

Left Commander spread a map on the table. Two long lines were being drawn horizontally across the map.

"Qingcheng Sect is moving from Lanzhou along the Yellow River, and Emei Sect is crossing from Sichuan along the Yangtze River. The Old Strongmen of Nine Provinces Green Forest who were trying to go south in the middle met Qingcheng Sect and Emei Sect and got smashed!"

Whether Qingcheng Sect and Emei Sect intended it or not, the Green Forest forces were cut into three pieces because of those two. They couldn't be merged into one.

"Who ordered this?"

"There's no such talk at all. They just came down from the mountains to practice cultivation, to attend a dharma assembly."

"Then why do they precisely meet our people by chance!"

Reports continued to come in.

"The Four Sects of Shandong are openly coming down!"

"Contact agents are dying one after another, creating holes in the communication network. Tang Family is reverse-tracking our network and closing in."

Cold sweat even formed on Left Commander's head.

"How in the world..."

He thought he had prepared for a long time and done well without mistakes, but at the moment of unfolding his dream, everything was being destroyed. They were even being reverse-tracked somehow.

Left Commander shouted while turning to Right Commander.

"Say something! At this rate, even our headquarters will be exposed!"

Right Commander, sitting in a fur chair and listening silently, said.

"We looked down on them too much. We forgot."

"Forgot what?"

"That they're battle-hardened veterans who went through Poison Dragon's era. That they're those who survived that hellish era anyway."