The Youngest Member of the Martial Alliance Chapter 147

Cheon Woojin had killed over a hundred Demonic Cult mbers in the process of avenging the Kunlun Sect Leader. That too, at the entrance of the Demonic Cult.

It was a situation where he had already made a grand declaration of war against the Demonic Cult. Moreover, with the donation from the Lord of the Ten Thousand Gold Fortress, he was in a state of having ample funds.

Therefore, the Martial Alliance decided to attack the Demonic Cult as a punishnt for the incidents at the Kunlun Sect and the Qinghai branch.

The Chief Strategist's judgnt was that since the Demonic Cult was currently in the midst of a struggle for the throne, it would not lead to the outbreak of a war between the righteous and the demonic.

"So, what is the reason for calling and this child?"

The Wudang Sect Leader, the Wudang Sword Immortal, said in a stubborn tone. His will to find fault if he made even one slip of the tongue was clearly felt.

The Wudang Sword Immortal and Cheon Woojin were sitting opposite each other in this office, having been summoned by the Chief Strategist.

The Chief Strategist, unconcerned by the Wudang Sword Immortal's attitude, calmly continued.

"The Alliance's spies have been obtaining information from the Demonic Cult for over a decade. One of them is the Demonic Cult's secret assassin organization, the Ghost Demon Squad."

A map was spread out on the table.

The Chief Strategist pointed to one place and continued.

"Here. The Ghost Demon Squad's main headquarters is located in Mount Pingli, on the border of Hubei and Sichuan. It is an assassin organization that the Demonic Cult has painstakingly cultivated for decades, and its scale is comparable to one of the Alliance's corps-level organizations."

The Wudang Sword Immortal, who had been preparing to find fault, had a surprised expression. To think that such guys were located in the middle of the Central Plains, and that too, near Hubei where the Wudang Sect was located.

"Tell in detail. How many special-grade assassins are there?"

The realm of assassins was a little different from that of martial artists.

There was a term they used among themselves, and the standard was not their own martial prowess, but the martial prowess of the opponent they could assassinate.

Commonly, assassins from the fifth to the second grade were collectively called low-grade assassins, and they were those who could not kill a peak master alone.

An assassin who could assassinate a peak master was first-grade.

An assassin who could assassinate even a transcendent master was classified as special-grade.

"The Ghost Demon Squad is composed of a total of one hundred assassins, including four such special-grade assassins and twenty first-grade assassins. What is fortunate is that there are no masters of Heaven Beyond Heaven."

The Wudang Sword Immortal, realizing that he had been living with a hundred assassins at his doorstep, let out a dry laugh, but at the sa ti, he was relieved at the fact that there were no masters of Heaven Beyond Heaven.

"Are we going to wipe them out this ti?"

"Yes, they are guys we originally knew about but just left alone. There was no need to let them know that the Demonic Cult's information was leaking."

But the Postal Hall had already been caught while escaping during their intelligence activities, and given the atmosphere of the Demonic Cult, it was not strange for them to operate assassins at any ti, so it was best in many ways to wipe them out right away.

If a hundred skilled assassins were to spread throughout the Central Plains, it would be a rare disaster.

"Since it is a preemptive strike, in order to minimize the sacrifice, we plan to deploy fifty from Jongnam, including the Sect Leader, fifty from Wudang, including the Sword Immortal, and the Hidden Dragon Unit Commander, a master of Heaven Beyond Heaven. Since it is a force of one hundred people including two masters of Heaven Beyond Heaven, our side's damage will be very small."

The Chief Strategist, who had said so, waited for the Wudang Sword Immortal's reaction.

As expected, Cheon Woojin nodded as if he had no particular thought, and the Wudang Sword Immortal, with narrowed eyes, was lost in thought for a mont.

"Fifty each from Jongnam and Wudang..."

The Wudang Sword Immortal, who had been contemplating for a mont, soon said.

"Wudang will only dispatch thirty, including myself."

"Then where will the remaining twenty be dispatched from? Everyone will have to perform their roles and missions."

"That's your job."

The Chief Strategist let out a small sigh. He had felt it during the grand eting, but the Wudang Sword Immortal's will to minimize the damage to the Wudang Sect in a war with the Demonic Cult was strongly felt.

But he could not press the Wudang Sword Immortal strongly. In any case, since the Wudang Sect was a faction that boasted the largest number of martial artists along with Shaolin, the blow would be great if they did not cooperate.

Moreover, since the Wudang Sword Immortal was a master of Heaven Beyond Heaven, a precious and few force.

While the Chief Strategist was contemplating.

The Wudang Sword Immortal said as if he had a good idea.

"The deploynt of the Jongnam Sect this ti. Isn't it a punitive dispatch for the Righteous Heaven Alliance incident?"

"How do you see ? Those are disappointing words."

"Well, I understand your feelings. In a situation where a war might break out, you would want to reconfirm the loyalty of those who have betrayed you once. But, will fifty be enough? Since we're doing it, I think it's right to dispatch twenty more. Since the Emotionless Guest and I are going together, there will be no particular damage."

"...Instead, please mobilize only masters of the first-rate or higher when you fill the thirty from Wudang."

The Wudang Sword Immortal readily agreed. Since the goal was to return without a single person dying, he had planned to do so anyway.

* * *

And so, the ard force organized to subjugate the Ghost Demon Squad headed for Mount Pingli, where their base was said to be.

"No, isn't the Chief Strategist being too much? No matter what happened, to dispatch seventy from our Jongnam for such a dangerous mission."

The Sect Leader of the Jongnam Sect, Heo Jin, grumbled, not knowing that the Wudang Sword Immortal's influence had been at play in this dispatch.

What was absurd was that the Wudang Sword Immortal was agreeing with him, saying, 'The Chief Strategist was too much this ti.'

Cheon Woojin, thinking that he was not a person he particularly wanted to get close to, was walking a little apart.

Nevertheless, the Wudang Sword Immortal, who had approached him, asked.

"You're the disciple of the White Flower Sword Immortal, right?"

"...Yes."

Cheon Woojin answered with a reluctant tone.

Regardless, the Wudang Sword Immortal, as if in a good mood, smiled and continued.

"He was a senior I truly respected. To the point where I was so ashad when I inherited the nickna of Sword Immortal after him."

"...Is that so?"

In fact, unlike his words of being ashad, the Wudang Sword Immortal's expression was full of pride.

Originally, the title of Sword Immortal was often obtained by the strongest swordsman of the Taoist sects of that era.

For example, if the number one swordsman of the Taoist sects ca from the Huashan Sect, he would beco the Plum Blossom Sword Immortal, and if he ca from the Jongnam Sect, he would beco the Jongnam Sword Immortal.

For that reason, the masters of the Taoist sects respected the White Flower Sword Immortal, but at the sa ti, they were jealous. It was because a person who was not a Taoist martial artist and did not even use a sword had obtained the nickna of Sword Immortal.

The one who had quickly inherited the nickna of Sword Immortal as soon as the White Flower Sword Immortal had died was the Wudang Sword Immortal. Of course, his skill was the best among the Taoist masters of that era, but...

'To think that such a person is a Sword Immortal.'

In Cheon Woojin's eyes, he was a completely different person from the White Master. It was not a matter of military power. He was just a calculating type who pursued practical interests rather than chivalry.

It wasn't that it was bad.

However, since the Sword Immortal in Cheon Woojin's mind was the White Master, the gap was felt greatly.

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The mission team traveled for three days and arrived at Pingli County.

Passing through a small village, by the ti they entered the entrance of Mount Pingli, where the hundred assassins of the Ghost Demon Squad were said to be staying.

"Are you sure there are assassins here?"

Cheon Woojin tilted his head and said,

During the three days of travel, it was the first ti Cheon Woojin had spoken first, so everyone's attention was gathered.

"Why do you say that?"

At the Wudang Sword Immortal's question, Cheon Woojin spread his ki sense wide, checked again, and then answered.

"I don't feel any presence."

In Cheon Woojin's feeling, it seed there was not a single person, let alone a hundred. At that sight, the Wudang Sword Immortal burst out laughing.

"They're assassins. Moreover, they must have taken so asures in their own base. For example, they might have set up a formation."

"Hmm."

"You're still young and inexperienced, so you don't know, but there are many guys in the martial world who use all sorts of strange miscellaneous skills. The Tang family guys, as befitting a sect that was between the righteous and the evil, are also skilled in such miscellaneous skills. But the masters of that field are none other than the assassins."

"Is that so?"

As the Tang family was ntioned, the Sect Leader and the martial artists of the Jongnam Sect, who had dread of the Righteous Heaven Alliance together, had awkward expressions.

Cheon Woojin wondered if it was necessary to ntion the Tang family, but since it was troubleso, he just nodded.

Soon, they found a cave based on the information from the Martial Alliance. The inside of the cave was quite spacious, but there were no traces.

"Hmm, it looks like an ordinary cave..."

The Wudang Sword Immortal and the Sect Leader of the Jongnam Sect, Heo Jin.

And the hundred Taoist priests searched the inside of the cave thoroughly, but they could not find anything strange.

Suddenly, Cheon Woojin closed his eyes.

He then raised all his senses to the extre.

Seeing what cannot be seen, feeling what cannot be felt. The realm of the sixth sense, which only a martial artist who has reached Heaven Beyond Heaven can perform.

The very slight flow of the wind was clearly visible.

Since Cheon Woojin, who had inherited the White Master's legacy, handled the wind, he was unrivaled in feeling the wind compared to other masters of Heaven Beyond Heaven.

The wind that had blown from outside the cave blew deep inside and then, hitting the wall, turned around once.

In that process, a very small amount of wind flowed slightly into a certain part of the floor.

Cheon Woojin, who had approached that place, lightly stomped his foot.

It was hard.

But when he stomped again with the mystery of the internal heavy hand, the floor, which was only hard on the outside but empty on the inside, collapsed with a rumble.

Soon, a hole, just big enough for one person to barely pass through, was revealed.

At the sa ti, the hundred Taoist priests erased their presence in an instant. They were also the elites of the Orthodox Path. They were preparing in case there were enemies below.

- It seems to be here.

At Cheon Woojin's telepathic ssage, the Wudang Sword Immortal and Heo Jin hurriedly approached.

The inside of the hole was so dark that its depth could not be known, and a small ladder continued to a deep place.

Seeing this, Heo Jin had a troubled expression.

- With such a small hole, only one person can go down at a ti. If a hundred assassins are waiting below, it's literally asking to be killed.

It was the right thing to say.

If they went down the ladder one by one, their buttocks would be riddled with all sorts of daggers, sword ki, and saber ki.

The Wudang Sword Immortal nodded and said.

- One of the three of us who can handle it must go down first. Even if a hundred assassins are waiting, we can buy ti until the others co down.

Saying so, he looked at Heo Jin.

Heo Jin had a bewildered expression.

- Are you telling to go in first?

- What's so important about the order? Everyone will go down right away anyway.

- Then you go first, Sword Immortal.

- How can I trust you?

- Yes? What do you an by that?

- Isn't it so? How long has it been since you were smiling in front of and thinking sothing else behind my back?

The conversation between the two continued for a long ti.

They were talking about "you first, brother" and "you first, younger brother", giving all sorts of justifications and reasons.

Cheon Woojin, who was moved by the two's spirit of yielding, could not hold it in and struck the ground with his Crescent Moon Staff.

The floor collapsed as it was.

The martial artists all fell down.

"Wh-what is this!"

The Wudang Sword Immortal, rarely enraged, raised his voice.

But Cheon Woojin said in a nonchalant tone.

"Look around. It's empty anyway."

The bottom of the cave was surprisingly a very huge cavity. It was a scale that could easily handle one or two hundred martial artists.

There were traces of the assassins' training here and there, but as Cheon Woojin had said, there was not a single person.

The Wudang Sword Immortal and Heo Jin, who had been arguing over an empty cave, had awkward expressions.

"There's another connecting passage."

Cheon Woojin, who had said so, created a Samadhi True Fire and threw fireballs in all directions. At that, the surroundings beca bright for a mont, and three connecting passages were revealed.

"I will go that way."

It was a way of saying that the two should take one connecting passage each.

The Wudang Sword Immortal honestly did not want to. Since sothing different from the information he had received from the Martial Alliance in advance had unfolded, there was no reason to take the risk of an unknown sacrifice.

But before he could say anything, the Emotionless Guest had already walked into one of the connecting passages alone.

Since the youngest martial artist had acted like that, and alone at that, the Wudang Sword Immortal was in a situation where it was embarrassing to retreat.

Soon, the Wudang Sword Immortal, who had let out a dry cough, began to walk into one of the connecting passages, leading the Wudang Sect Taoist priests, and the Jongnam Sect also chose the remaining connecting passage and moved.

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.

.

Cheon Woojin continued to walk calmly.

The tunnel was longer than he had thought.

He tried to guess the direction, but it was not easy. He couldn't find his way well even on the ground, so it was almost impossible in the underground where there was no light or buildings.

Soon, a handful of light was seen in the distance.

When he went there and looked up at the place where the light was pouring out, he saw a round sky.

Cheon Woojin leaped at once without hesitation.

"Kyaak-!"

A woman's thin scream continued for a long ti.

The place Cheon Woojin had co out of was a small abandoned well in Pingli County.

"Ah, I'm sorry. I didn't an to startle you."

Cheon Woojin extended his hand to the fallen woman.

The woman looked at Cheon Woojin with a very wary eye and then cautiously got up.

Soon, Cheon Woojin surveyed his surroundings. There were Jongnam Sect and Wudang Sect Taoist priests all over the village. It seed that all the connecting passages of the cavity were all connected to this village.

It was impossible that the assassins had known in advance and had run away. This operation was sothing that only the Alliance Leader, the Chief Strategist, and the martial artists who were here now knew.

In the end, it ant that the cave was just a training place for the assassins, and the place where they actually stayed was this village.

A fruit-selling stall, a dumpling shop with steam rising, a cart carrying goods, a cloth shop, and a child holding a candy, etc.

It was the appearance of a truly ordinary village.

All of them were looking at the Martial Alliance mbers who had appeared out of nowhere with strange eyes.

"..."

A strange silence fell over the entire village.

A hundred of them were assassins.

In other words, it also ant that everyone except for the hundred was no different from a hostage.

The assassins would never run away. If they recklessly tried to run away, they would be killed by the Wudang Sword Immortal or Cheon Woojin.

They would pretend to be villagers as much as possible.

Thinking so, he spread his ki sense wide, but he did not feel anything different.

The flow of ki was artificially flowing or cut off here and there, and it was similar to when he had entered the Zhuge family's formation.

It seed to be a formation that confused the ki sense.

In the end, there was no choice but to find and kill the assassins, who were thoroughly prepared to deceive, one by one.

It was then.

Suddenly, a child at the fruit-selling stall ca to Cheon Woojin with an apple.

Since he had offered an apple out of the blue, he took it. Soon, the child showed his palm. He thought he was just giving it, but it seed it was an apple for sale.

The mont Cheon Woojin was about to take out a coin from his pocket.

A woman who seed to be the child's mother rushed over.

"I-I'm sorry!"

She hurriedly apologized and took the child.

This reaction was natural, as to the common people, martial artists were no different from a disaster.

"Wait."

Cheon Woojin suddenly stopped the woman.

The woman stopped in her tracks, holding the child.

Soon, Cheon Woojin approached them.

The Taoist priests, including Heo Jin and the Wudang Sword Immortal, were watching the scene with tense faces.

Cheon Woojin placed his hand on the woman's shoulder.

The woman trembled, holding the child, and turned around.

"You have to take the price of the apple, don't you?"

Saying so, he placed a coin in the woman's hand.

The woman bowed her head in relief.

"Th-thank you."

In that mont, Cheon Woojin poured out his internal energy.

The startled woman and child flinched greatly.

The internal energy passed the two and poured out behind them.

The old man who was pulling the cart died with his chest collapsed.

In his hand was a dagger he had not had ti to throw.

If he had thrown it, aiming for Cheon Woojin, it would have pierced the backs of the mother and child.

"You were almost killed."

"Th-thank you..."

The child's mother let out a sigh of relief with a face that was half about to cry.

Cheon Woojin nodded nonchalantly. In a village of this size, the rchants would have known each other. The old man she had greeted and talked to casually had died in front of her eyes.

"Why aren't you surprised?"

She believed the words of Cheon Woojin, whom she had just t for the first ti, more than the old man she had greeted and talked to casually. An ordinary person would have been terrified, saying that a martial artist had appeared and killed a villager.

"..."

In an instant, the eyes of the child and the mother beca cold.

(End of Chapter)