episode_0489

*** ***

The journey continued.

“Oh my, you guy! Don’t raise your claws!”

Squeak!

Jo Yong-sang clicked his tongue as he looked at Namgung-bin, who was struggling with Seo-gong who was on top of his head.

“You bastard, where did you sell all the respect of the Namgung family?”

“It is true that Namgoong and Nabal are stronger than me, but what can I do? Plus, it looks cute every time I look at it.”

Miho, who seemed amused by the sight of Seo Gong like that, attacked Namgoong Bin as if she wanted to climb on top of him too. Of course, it was impossible for Miho, who was big enough to carry Namgoongbin, to climb on top of Namgoongbin, so Namgoongbin was crushed by Miho and ended up screaming.

Of course, Seo-gong was also put down as a bonus.

“Ugh!”

Squeak! Squeak!

Why not crush the screaming Namgoong Bin and the angry Seo Gong? Miho tilts her head with an expression that says, Jo Yong-sang’s feelings as he watched the three’s skit were truly complicated.

Seo Yi-ryeong said that he did not know how to treat the spirits.

In fact, at that time, Cho Yong-sang could not understand those words.

On a large scale, the well-being of the world was at stake, and on a small scale, the lives of the Murim Alliance warriors who had to fight against the forces of the Black Forest Islands were at stake.

However, now that we had moved to the Black Forest Islands together, I was able to understand what Seo Yi-ryeong wanted to say.

Spiritual creatures had their own lives.

And that life was distorted because of the blood religion that brought spirits into human society.

And the spirits who were living distorted lives due to blood religion were saved by Hocheonan’s hands and were gradually regaining their lives.

However. If the majesty of the spirit creatures once again shakes the world in the Black Forest Islands… will these spirit creatures truly be able to live the life they had hoped for?

Squeak! Squeak!

Seo Gong, who was crushed by Miho, ran to Ho Cheonan and cried bitterly. Ho Cheon-an nodded and patted Seo-gong, as if he was telling a story.

Jo Yong-sang looked at Ho Cheon-an.

To Cho Yong-sang, Ho Cheon-an was a person who was impossible to understand.

His talent for making magical dishes that make people lose their dignity by making them in a single pot in the field was just the beginning.

He was the one who released the spirit creatures, each of which had the power to conquer the world.

Even though he has no intention of borrowing the power of spirit creatures, he gives them precious elixirs.

Is it just that?

Although it was decided to participate in the battle against the Black Forest Islands, there was no mention of compensation until now, with the archipelago just around the corner.

It was as if they had decided to fight against the Black Forest Islands and nothing more was needed.

Also, his martial arts skills were unusual.

Even Jo Yong-sang, who was at the end of Hwa-gyeong, could not estimate Ho Cheon-an’s martial prowess, so he could only guess that it was the state of Hyeon-gyeong that had now disappeared from the martial arts world.

“You seem like you have a lot on your mind.”

Jo Yong-sang suddenly came to his senses at Ho Cheon-an’s words. Jo Yong-sang, who realized that he had been staring at Ho Cheon-an for too long, quickly apologized.

“Sorry. I was lost in thought for a moment and was rude.”

“No. The final battle is right in front of you, so you might be distraught.”

Ho Cheon-an’s gaze returned to Seo Yi-ryeong. Jo Yong-sang looked at Seo Yi-ryeong practicing martial arts and smiled bitterly.

Seo Yi-ryeong, who said he did not know how to deal with spirits, continued to devote himself to martial arts training from that day on.

Is this an expression of self-reproach for having gotten involved with the spirit creatures due to his own lack of strength?

“…I can only say sorry to you.”

At Cho Yong-sang’s apology, Ho Cheon-an let out a little laugh.

Although it was through the game of Murimcheon, Ho Cheon-an experienced Jo Yong-sang countless times.

In the later stages of the martial world, the world was bound to become confused in some way. I couldn’t tell if it was because of the structure of the game, where stronger enemies had to appear in order for stronger characters to play an active role, or because it was natural for chaos to come after order in the first place, but it was inevitable that difficult times would come in the end.

And there was one person who was always hit by such difficult times: the Murim lord Cho Yong-sang.

Cho Yong-sang pursued realistic alternatives in most difficult times and was the final bulwark that prevented Moorim from heading towards the true apocalypse.

A person who does not have the appearance of a great man or the appearance of a thief, but who upholds the duty shouldered by the Murim lord.

“I want to ask you something.”

Ho Cheon-an suddenly became curious.

“What do you think about me trying to get rid of the spirits and fight alone in the fight against the Black Forest Islands?”

What kind of answer will Jo Yong-sang, who observed the peaceful and at the same time noisy daily lives of spirits, give to this question?

I was curious whether Jo Yong-sang would fulfill his duty as the Murim lord even at this moment.

Jo Yong-sang’s eyes, looking at Ho Cheon-an, shook violently. Jo Yong-sang closed his eyes as if to control the shaking, but there was no answer for a long time.

“If that is the elder’s will, I have no choice but to follow it. The reason is because the elders do not expect anything from me or the Murim League. It is only through your will that you follow my request, so how can I stop your actions?”

Although he said words like giving up, Cho Yong-sang’s eyes still shone brightly.

“However, if there is something I can give that can change the old man’s mind, I will give anything. Even if the price is my life or the humble position of Murim lord.”

There was silence between the two for a while. Ho Cheon-an, who was staring at Jo Yong-sang, lowered his black lips and said.

“I understand the meaning well. It’s late at night, so go to sleep now.”

“…Good night. Elderly.”

The last night was deep.

*** ***

next day.

Hocheonan arrived at the coast where the Black Forest Islands were spread out. Ho Cheon-an smiled bitterly when he saw the distance from the Black Forest Islands to the coast. The distance is about 100 pages at most. It was like a continent for experts who could use water paddles, and even if it was not a water boat, it was just a distance away from which an unmanned person who was even a little good at swimming could easily land on the shore.

Perhaps conscious of this, the imperial army’s ships were stationed in a port not far away.

And in the forest overlooking the coast, warriors from the Murim League were hiding, so this beach was like a summary of the world’s situation.

The imperial army suppresses the entire martial arts world, and the four factions and blood religions avoid the imperial army, but they still disturb the world, and the political factions and charlatans represented by the Murim Alliance are unable to carry out their intentions due to their reduced power and the imperial army’s attention.

Kugugoogung.

As Ho Cheon-an was immersed in such thoughts, the ground shook and a pointed snout popped out.

The fifth spirit being traveling with Hocheonan. It was Hwangdan the mole.

Hwangdan, who had always been chasing the land by digging, showed himself as he got closer to the coast and was no longer able to dig.

“Go.”

Jo Yong-sang joined the Murim Alliance forces along with Ho Cheon-an.

Ho Cheon-an looked at himself and the spirits and looked at the Murim Alliance troops who were shaking. The aura they gave off was very familiar, probably because they were a large number of disciples from the nine clans and the five major clans, but the symbols of their own clan were no longer engraved on their chests.

This was because the current situation was that the more famous a clan was, the more severely it was persecuted by the government.

Disciples of famous schools such as Gupa Ilbang had to hide their identities in order to be active in the central region.

Ho Cheon-an smiled bitterly as he looked at the scene.

It is a martial arts world in which warriors from the nine factions and the five generations must hide the identity of their clan.

It was truly amazing.

However, the fact that he sent his disciples to the Murim Alliance for the sake of peace in the martial arts group even though the situation of the sect and family was so difficult was also proof that the chivalry and spirit of the sect had not completely disappeared.

Ho Cheon-an, looking at the hundred or so Murim Alliance troops, had mixed feelings.

“Lord.”

“What is the current situation?”

At Jo Yong-sang’s question, the complexions of those who were standing there darkened.

“…Nearly twenty blood monsters have gathered in the Black Forest Islands. It seems like the Emperor also sensed this, but…”

“This is just about to make the bell ring.”

“Probably so.”

In the past, the imperial army was famous for its strict discipline, but in the current imperial army, discipline has long since fallen to the ground. Due to the unreasonable repetition of imperial commands, the morale of the imperial army sank, and the current situation was that even local officials only pretended to follow orders.

In fact, even if the military discipline of the imperial army stationed at the port was strict, it was impossible to block the power of the Black Forest Islands. The number is not small, but in the end, what good is it even if there are a large number of ordinary soldiers who cannot handle even a single blood clot?

From the imperial army’s point of view, engaging in combat with the Black Forest Islands, which were infested with coriander and blood monsters, was literally suicidal, so they would have tried to save face by pretending to attack the islands only after all the island’s warriors had escaped.

“What is the movement of the archipelago?”

“Cheers ring out every day and people move around diligently, so it wouldn’t be surprising if people started pouring out at any moment. Moreover, the spirit being led by the Beast King who accompanied you… There will be people in the Black Forest Islands who have witnessed it, so won’t there be a reaction?”

Yongsang Cho, the leader of the Black Forest Islands, recruited the remnants of the Blood Cult under the inscription that, as an ally of the Blood Cult, he would protect the descendants of the Blood Cult from the Beast King who was robbing the Cult of its assets.

Since such a justification was put forward, the Murim Alliance expected that they would react in some way to Hocheonan’s existence.

‘It’s difficult. difficult.’

Jo Yong-sang sighed inwardly.

If those crouching in the Black Forest Islands poured into the central plains, it was clear that chaos would unfold once again in the devastated central plains, but since the power of the Murim Alliance was so insufficient to stop this, there was no other way than to wait and hide.

“For now, I will maintain the status quo.”

As the meeting came to a close with Jo Yong-sang’s order, the eyes of the members slowly returned to Yeongmul and Ho Cheon-an.

“Maengju, then is he moving with Maeng?”

Cho Yong-sang read the young anticipation in the eyes of his members and bit his lip. The Murim Alliance’s troops numbered about a hundred at most. The force was insufficient to handle the warriors of the Black Forest, and the members were well aware of that fact.

In such a situation, I heard that the Beast King was joining, so it was natural to expect the Beast King’s full strength.

Cho Yong-sang opened his mouth, feeling guilty that he had not lived up to the expectations.

“That person will move with him…but he will not move the spirit being.”

A look of puzzlement appeared on the members’ faces. Wasn’t he the Beast King because he commanded spirit creatures? However, I am competing but the spirits are not competing.

“Hmm… Then what is the level of the Beast King’s martial arts?”

“I couldn’t read it either, so I guess it’s Hyeon-gyeong.”

“Amazing.”

“The Beast King was so strong…”

“However, it is unfortunate that the spirits do not move.”

A mixture of surprise and disappointment appeared on the members’ faces. The news that Master Hyeonkyung had joined was encouraging, but it did not meet the expectations that several spirits would join in full force.

“Well, rumors about Jungwon tend to be exaggerated, so even the Beast King would have differences from the rumors.”

“Yes. In fact, manipulating multiple spirit creatures at will was something that even the blood lords who had tamed the spirit creatures were unable to do. The fact that the Beast King was able to do such a thing is surprising in itself, and it would not be strange if he could control spirit creatures but not manipulate them freely.”

“Still, you have done a great job by being able to borrow the power of a Hyeongyeong expert.”

Cho Yong-sang lowered his head at the members’ conversation.

Have you seen your fellow members for a day or two? It has been decades of struggle to resolve even a small amount of the chaos occurring throughout the central plains.

Although they were saying that the rumors about the Beast King were not true, Cho Yong-sang was able to sense the intentions of the members behind them.

The members knew that Cho Yong-sang had failed to persuade Ho Cheon-an. Even though he sensed that fact, he pretended not to know and spoke harshly in order to comfort Cho Yong-sang.

It was a time when Cho Yong-sang’s heart was filled with despair.

One of the members hurriedly ran over and announced the urgent news.

“Hawk, leader! Ships are pouring out of the Black Forest Islands!”

The Black Forest Islands began to move.