Chapter 434

Warriors need to beef up their butts as they reach higher realms of mastery.

It means they shouldn’t be wandering around too much with heavy behinds.

Menial tasks are for the second-rate folks.

First-rate warriors should handle errands.

When you get to the peak, you should wait until about one out of ten of the underlings bites the dust before showing up, all heavy and imposing.

Supreme martial artists don’t just saunter in after a ruckus has already kicked off.

But what about the current masters?

If they move recklessly, disaster strikes.

Because when one top-tier master moves, others have to follow suit.

And just like the turbulent martial world, before you know it, they all rush out together.

The way of the martial world resembles a kid’s antics.

They pretend to be sophisticated, but in the end, it’s all about brawling.

However, when top-tier masters throw down, it’s not like how seven-year-olds fight, with black eyes and moms rushing in to kneel and surrender.

When they clash, it’s an actual disaster zone, it’s like an explosive shell has gone off, leaving devastation in its wake.

If they were just in a deserted field, the landowner alone would weep over the ruined crops.

But what if it happens smack in the middle of a city?

In Qing’s hometown, they’d call that mutual assured destruction.

When the top-tier masters gather, it’s like a farewell party for the living in the afterlife.

Hundreds of thousands, maybe millions, come together for a grand send-off.

So, if General Pacheon of the Sado Sect remains the same light-hearted fellow, pretending to be all dignified, it’s hard to believe he wouldn’t know how to sit still with his heavy behind.

He shouldn’t be so light that he floats away.

Instead, once he does move, he brings with him a weight that’s unparalleled.

But when he went to complain about the actions of Gwangju’s blood sect, he showed up in person.

It was like saying, “I won’t let this slip by.”

For Bu An-pyeong, it meant he was determined to catch something to pin on Gwangju and claim it.

While he couldn’t erase Jin Gaju’s name, at least he planned to drive it out for five years or make it relocate.

Then Bu An-pyeong thought,

“Damn it, I shouldn’t have come here.”

Even being a top-tier master isn’t as easy as it seems.

“Blood Sect? What the hell is this, dog poop!”

“See? I told you to look at the investigation results first.”

“Who would’ve thought I’d have to deal with the blood sect? I thought those Gwangju guys were just blowing smoke with some quack doctor.”

Learning the reality of it here, it was unnecessary to confirm anything—the rumors in town were blaring enough, no need to check for truth.

Yet, even with his arrival, the strategists were still working away.

The Salwold Sect had birthed cursed monsters from the Blood Sect, using sinister ingredients sent from Sado Sect.

Gwangju Seonbang and Gold Robbery Guild had crumbled before, but they too were spreading tales of receiving elixirs from the Sado Sect.

It was lucky they fell apart first; otherwise, blood monsters might’ve burst forth from all three places.

“Uh, Lord Ryun?”

The voice of the leader of the Paryeok Sect trembles.

It’s only natural his voice would be shaky since he was standing before the Sado Sect leader.

Especially if it’s not good news.

“What is it?”

“Um, Jin Gaju is asking when Lord Ryun can meet again…”

Bu An-pyeong’s expression soured.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.

He should have had the Sado Geon-a’s masters lined up like screens, interrogating Jin Gaju while keeping him on his knees about the Blood Sect’s offenses.

Instead, the Zhengpai guys were all excited to say, “Let’s see your faces, don’t you have something to say?”

“Just tell them I’m home.”

“What?”

“Tell them I’m home.”

Bu An-pyeong spat.

“Chief strategist, pack up. We’re going home.”

In the end, what could he do?

He went out boldly only to return defeated, stuck in some zero-sum game with Gwangju’s puny gang.

There’s no disgrace quite like this.

But what could be done?

If the Sado leader steps in, it’s game over; it becomes a formal stance for Ryun.

Apologizing would mean admitting the fault of Sado Sect.

Recognizing a mistake between organizations means losing something substantial.

So, that was out of the question.

Spouting about how dare they touch a Sado Geon-a would only have the whole world buzzing that Sado Sect and the Blood Sect are in cahoots.

So the only thing left to do was quietly return and make a formal statement.

Our Sado Geon-a Alliance has no ties whatsoever to Gwangju’s blood crew.

The blood sect is just employing the Sado Sect name to create discord in the righteous martial world’s integrity.

Are you all victims? We are victims too.

But in Gwangju, we’ll wipe our hands of this and bury it here, alright?

“Those Blood Sect bastards, what’s with them picking fights only with the Zhengpai? Thought it might be helpful, but it’s utterly useless. They all need to be torn to shreds, those damned guys.”

“Look on the brighter side. Thanks to Lord Ryun, the Zhengpai fellows can’t be too suspicious of our Sado Sect, can they? It’s all thanks to Lord Ryun’s leadership.”

“Bullshit.”

That’s because the Sado Sect leader went to confront Gwangju’s blood sect and returned without so much as a hair out of place.

That alone means they didn’t even know the Blood Sect was involved.

Even if the Sado Sect leader’s dignity took a hit, at least his innocence shone through gloriously.

So Bu An-pyeong seethed.

Proving innocence? Yeah right.

Aren’t those ecstatic, blood sect-connected fellows the Zhengpai? But the ones who actually get hurt in the end are the Sado Sect.

And now there’s an annoying girl too.

“Ha. Chief, do we really have to let that scrawny little brat with the Cheonhwa-geom go free?”

“If anything, it gives us a reason. I wish she hadn’t gone to Gwangju,”

“Why! How could she find Sado Sect any less amusing? She thinks she’s some kind of righteous martial artist since her roots lie in Nam-nyeong. But come on, it’s just a girl swinging a knife here. If it weren’t for the Blood Sect, she’d be just another brainless killer.”

“With the Blood Sect involved, it’s a problem. What’s your take? Are we just supposed to let some innocent, well-meaning Sado Geon-a swing her sword around and wreak havoc? We absolutely cannot forgive that!”

“What about the Nam-nyeong matter?”

“What will you say about that? The Sado Sect’s innocent combat unit has been slaughtered while attempting to exterminate the Gye-rim Sword Faction? Not to mention the Nam-nyeong issue is about the Cheonhwa-geom and not the Wungbu family’s involvement.”

“Shit! Am I supposed to not know that? Can’t you at least sit next to me and agree once in a while? It’s driving me nuts! That little brat’s antics are just annoying!”

You know how often young blood boils into action against villains and all.

But surprisingly, the consequences are rarely severe.

Young blood is primarily weak.

Sure, there are some top-tier folks, but they’ve been trained since childhood to embody their family’s excellence and legacy.

So while the children of famous families can be masters among youth, they don’t just pull swords out when they hear about villains.

So those shouting, “Die damned scum!” and swinging swords randomly are merely inexperienced kids.

The dangerous ones among the rookie crowd tend to think before they swing their swords.

But?

The Cheonhwa-geom is top-tier.

She’s a master who knows how to manipulate Qi.

This brat swings her sword around saying all villains must die?

Right there, Gwangju Seonbang fits the bill.

As she got enraged over killing a few commoners, she stormed in and massacred everyone.

Honestly, when do you find a Sapa that doesn’t take out a few commoners?

Commoners usually need to be made examples of to listen like the beasts they are.

So if we leave the Cheonhwa-geom be, how far is she gonna go with her killing spree?

Do we just let her burn down every Sapa she encounters?

This is someone claiming virtue in churned blood through slaughter?

It’s high time some measures were taken at the clan level.

But then the Blood Sect got involved, and look at this mess.

“Let’s just be patient for a bit. That little terror who’s been rampaging won’t suddenly get her act together, will she? Until now she’s had luck, but in the end, won’t she cause a larger catastrophe?”

“I’m frustrated! This is frustrating! She needs to cause a scene before the Martial World Tournament to get her name clear! Announcing any honor after the tournament will just be shameful!”

“Hmm.”

Chief strategist Sun Woong didn’t have any great plans either.

However, ironically, the answer might be closer than expected.

“Lord Ryun, that little brat, she…!”

During the afternoon meeting, this young man suddenly bows down, bursting into tears. This is Wang Daeyang, the youngest son of the Green Forest’s Great Chief, Wang Cheol-gun.

At that moment, he and the Sado Sect leader exchanged glances.

“An accident has already happened, hasn’t it?”

“Seems like an accident happened already.”

And they both knew it.

—-

Seomun Sulin is anxious.

Eliminating the Green Forest is no small task.

Of course, charging in solo to behead the Great Chief and torch the hideout is no ordinary feat.

Whether it was genuinely achievable or if some trickery was involved, one thing’s for sure: it’d turn heads in the entire world.

Yet, when Seomun Sulin thinks about it, what’s ordinary isn’t about whether the target hinders that from happening.

Simply put, isn’t it just taking down some bandits?

If it were just about torching a shabby hideout in a neighborhood, she’d simply praise the effort as competent work.

But if that neighborhood hideout turns into the famed Cheonja Mountain, wouldn’t it be foolish to reprimand for carelessness?

Is there a rule that small bandits can be cut down but not large ones?

“Hmm.”

Seomun Sulin slides the paper she’d been writing on aside.

It’s not about negotiations; it’s a matter of vengeance.

So, taking down the Great Chief and burning his hideout?

That means someone will now gather up the band of outlaws to inherit the Green Forest, and following that, they’ll seek revenge first upon the disciples.

If that’s not possible, they should simply wait until Qing passes away.

Conversely, taking down Qing means anyone can smoothly take over the Green Forest.

And the Green Forest is a force anyone would easily desire.

Then there’s the matter of remaining in Yanggwang and their previous actions are highly questionable.

Claiming to have wrecked the battle unit of the gang?

Blatantly barging into others’ factions and wielding weapons?

However, even so, she didn’t want to scold her disciple for being hasty.

What could she say?

It’s fine to eliminate foes, but choose wisely?

No matter how wicked the guys are, can’t you consider a bit of respect for the Sapa-Ren?

Otherwise, your disciple will be at risk, right?

Shouldn’t you protect your own life before engaging in combat?

She didn’t want to voice such cowardly remarks.

Above all, Seomun Sulin has no history of yielding to such cowardly logic in her own life.

The rabid dog. Do you know why a rabid dog goes insane?

It’s because it bites indiscriminately.

So Seomun Sulin’s concern deepens.

If she sends her disciple out, they’ll inevitably cause trouble again, and in this perilous martial realm, how to deal with the vengeance?

Given how things have escalated, she suddenly feels a pang of regret for her disciple’s current level.

She thought she had achieved satisfaction after the youngest top-tier.

But is human desire as such rather insatiable?

But the Realm of Transformation is a level not easily attained in a day or two.

Yet, she doesn’t want to stop her disciple from venturing into the martial realm with those thoughts in mind.

So what now?

First off, she needs to find a safe place to redirect them.

Conveniently, the next schedule happens to be fitting.

And with the great scholar Shikang in the region, they could certainly help guide the disciple’s dilemma.

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