Chapter 351

“The visage you speak of differs entirely from the one I bear in memory.”

Il-mok’s observation caused the countenances of the three representatives from the Orthodox Faction to cloud over with an even more intense distrust.

“Such a thing defies all logic.”

“It remains within the realm of possibility that our sketched depiction lacked precision, or perhaps the passage of time has caused your recollection to grow indistinct.”

In the face of these assertions from Taoist Master Cheongmok and the Beggar King, Il-mok offered a courteous, measured inclination of his upper body.

“Pray grant me a brief moment.”

He shifted his stance, directing his gaze toward those who accompanied him.

“Young Lady Jin, do you still retain possession of the Jiangshi portrait?”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Jin Hayeon began to unfasten the travel pack she consistently bore throughout their various journeys.

Functioning as a trusted operative of the Hidden Guard Pavilion who concurrently performed the duties of his personal attendant, she was ever vigilant in carrying whatever implements might be required to aid Il-mok.

Sifting through the contents of her pack, Jin Hayeon quickly extracted a particular sheet of parchment and extended it toward Il-mok.

“This represents the true countenance of the Jiangshi that crossed my path. Does it correspond to the creature you fell in with?”

Il-mok had raised the query on the slight chance that their own rendering was flawed, yet all three individuals shook their heads in unison.

They scrutinized the ink drawing with deeply troubled features when the Little Tiger Beggar gave voice to his thoughts. “Had a rendering of this nature been available from the start, it would have served us well to receive it far earlier…”

“Harrumph.”

The Beggar King’s harsh vocalization instantly cut across his follower’s musings.

The Little Tiger Beggar fell silent at once, but Il-mok brought his fists together in a formal martial salute and offered a low bow.

“The fault lies with me. Events on my side were unfolding at a frantic pace. Furthermore, possessing no skill with a brush, I deemed it wiser to remain silent rather than distribute a flawed and misleading likeness.”

“From whence did this rendering originate, then?”

“It is not a piece crafted by our own hands.”

Leveraging the momentum of that startling disclosure, Il-mok began to narrate the occurrences he had faced within the northern grassland.

He provided a detailed account of the sacred northern tradition of sky burials and the widespread desecration of resting places that had compelled the local clans to forsake the practice, placing particular emphasis on the plundered remains of the northern plains’ supreme master of martial arts.

“Following a sudden suspicion, I requested the clan’s chieftain to sketch the features of the stolen remains, and this document was the result.”

Having provided them with this concise explanation, Il-mok once more pressed his fists together.

“This likeness came into our hands only recently, and by the time our journey back from the Western Regions concluded, rumors had already blanketed the land declaring the utter annihilation of the Blood Cult. I recognize that we are delinquent in bringing forth this vital piece of intelligence, but I pray you can grant us grace given our convoluted circumstances.”

In actuality, Il-mok had held possession of the sketch for several years, yet he smoothly interwove fact and fabrication without a single flicker of hesitation. He could scarcely reveal that he had withheld the information in the explicit hope that the factions would engage in a war of mutual destruction.

“Indeed. If such were the prevailing circumstances, then the delay can be overlooked.”

Taoist Master Cheongmok offered a calm word of validation in support of Il-mok’s position. Concurrently, the Beggar King continued to fix his gaze upon the parchment with an increasingly perturbed expression.

“Are you implying that the Blood Cult journeyed all the way to the far north simply to secure the physical vessel for their Jiangshi?”

“Master, such an action would perfectly clarify why our intelligence networks remained completely ignorant of their ongoing operations.”

“Precisely. The northern wastes harbor no mendicants, meaning no information trickles out from those lands.”

The northern territory was a brutal, merciless expanse. The inhabitants there possessed nothing to spare for a beggar, and to find oneself reduced to such a state in that environment meant certain demise.

Following this brief exchange with his follower, the Beggar King gathered his thoughts and addressed the group.

“To speak plainly, I cannot accept every detail of your narrative without verification. Nevertheless, this matter carries far too much weight to be left unexamined.”

“What method of confirmation do you intend to pursue?”

“I resolve to scour the length and breadth of the Central Plains to unearth any vestige of the Blood Cult. Should the Jiangshi slain by the Alliance Leader prove to be a mere decoy, it signifies that their hidden forces endure. In truth, if the authentic Jiangshi remains operational, it implies that the Blood Cult itself is far from defunct.”

Il-mok gestured his agreement with the Beggar King’s assessment.

“The Maitreya Luminous Cult shall conduct a thorough investigation across every territory within our sphere of influence.”

“Transmit any findings to us immediately should you uncover a lead. We must depart without delay. The urgency of this situation forbids any further lingering.”

True to his declarations, the Beggar King guided his followers away from the scene, vanishing as swiftly as a sudden gust of wind.

Il-mok tracked their departure with his eyes for a brief span, then shifted his attention to Taoist Master Cheongmok, who lingered still.

“What course of action does Qingcheng intend to take?”

“Now that it has become evident that the Blood Cult practiced such a grand deception upon us, our sole path forward is to hunt them down.”

Taoist Master Cheongmok had attained a profound level of internal realization, exuding a remarkably clear and tranquil demeanor. Yet beneath that placid exterior lay an incredibly dense, palpable aura of homicidal intent.

‘If memory serves, a multitude of Qingcheng’s disciples became ensnared in that horrific Formation, ultimately slaughtering one another in a state of madness…’

Reflecting upon the immense scale of the grievance Qingcheng harbored against the Blood Cult, such an intense reaction was entirely predictable.

“Upon further reflection, this turn of events may provide a distinct advantage. Remaining isolated within the borders of Sichuan severely restricts our capacity to gather intelligence. This presents an ideal scenario to operate under the guise of an escort enterprise, allowing us to gather scraps of information regarding the Blood Cult throughout the Central Plains.”

“Thus, you purpose to establish an escort agency.”

“That is correct. And we owe our gratitude to the counsel provided by the Maitreya Luminous Cult for this direction. Namo Amituofo.”

With those parting words, Taoist Master Cheongmok gathered the remaining Qingcheng disciples and took his leave.

Il-mok watched his retreating figure, subsequently becoming immersed in deep contemplation regarding the precise inquiry he had intentionally refrained from voicing aloud.

‘For what purpose did they employ a counterfeit Jiangshi? Considering the massive torrent of blood they spilled, they ought to have possessed resources more than sufficient to bring the authentic creation to fruition.’

The pivotal occurrence that had drastically intensified the hostilities against the Blood Cult was the terrible slaughter that unfolded within Guizhou Province, an event where the grand majority of lesser and intermediate sects were utterly eradicated, dragging thousands of ordinary townspeople into the slaughter alongside them.

Based on the sheer volume of lives extinguished, that event eclipsed even the devastation of the Sichuan massacre, indicating that the Blood Cult must have harvested an unimaginable reservoir of vital energy from the occurrence.

Given such an abundance of power ready to be harnessed, what logic would drive them to deploy a mere substitute?

‘The notion that they did so merely to trick the Orthodox Faction into a false sense of security lacks merit. Regardless of how flawless the proxy appeared, they would have been required to surrender a massive portion of their actual fighting strength simply to make the ruse believable.’

The longer he turned the problem over in his mind, the more a different perspective began to take shape.

‘…What if the Blood Cult was not the entity responsible for that mass slaughter?’

The fragmented elements of the Orthodox Faction had only put aside their differences to form a unified front because of the tragedy in Guizhou Province.

Prior to that event, they had merely utilized the threat of the Blood Cult as a convenient pretext to wage petty turf wars against one another. Looking at it from the perspective of the Blood Cult, their chances of survival were exponentially higher so long as the Orthodox Faction remained divided by internal strife.

Consequently, only a single paradox remained.

What hidden power had cloaked themselves in the mantle of the Blood Cult to perpetrate that monstrous annihilation?

Even if one were to scrutinize every hidden corner of the martial world, there existed no known organization possessing the sheer might required to wipe out numerous minor and mid-tier sects while simultaneously fabricating evidence to implicate the Blood Cult so flawlessly that not a single shred of true proof was left behind.

‘The faction that reaped the ultimate reward from the entire sequence of events was the Martial Alliance, yet that hypothesis fails to align with reality as well.’

The Martial Alliance was by no means a single, unified entity.

Had they masterminded a slaughter of such magnitude simply to manufacture a righteous cause for eradicating the Blood Cult, it was a near statistical impossibility that some whisper of the plot would not have slipped out.

The instant that realization solidified, a specific identity emerged within Il-mok’s consciousness.

Perceiving that the underlying crisis was vastly more perilous than he had previously conjectured, he swiftly utilized a concentrated technique of internal sound projection to communicate with Jin Hayeon.

—Procure writing paper and a well of ink immediately. I must transmit a message of supreme urgency to our main temple.

Secluded within a remote region of the wide expanses of the Central Plains loomed a mountain without a name.

Past its sharp, jagged cliffs that rendered any attempt at an ascent a perilous endeavor, the peak was entirely devoid of the spiritual currents of Qi that enriched renowned sacred destinations like the Five Great Mountains, leaving it a desolate, rocky waste entirely abandoned by humankind.

Deep within the subterranean recesses of that featureless peak lay a hidden vault, obscured from the world by an incredibly complex and secretive Formation.

Within the chamber, a solitary lifeless form reposed upon an elevated slab, a restrictive spiritual seal pinned directly to its brow. Encircling the physical vessel was a labyrinthine pattern of bizarre runic channels painted in a deep crimson hue resembling fresh blood. Positioned at each of the primary compass points, tall tapestries of wax giving off a sharp odor of brimstone flickered with low flames.

An elderly figure had been intoning dark, rhythmic prayers in a low, ghostly cadence before the mystical array, but he fell silent and shifted his posture as the echoes of approaching footsteps sounded from the entry path.

“What is the status of our endeavors?”

“Every detail is unfolding precisely as you ordained, Cult Leader. Each and every one of those simple-minded hypocrites of the Orthodox Faction has walked directly into the trap you devised.”

Notwithstanding the confirmation that their adversaries had been thoroughly misled, the Cult Leader merely released a heavy, weary breath, his countenance completely barren of any sign of triumph.

Such a somber demeanor was entirely justified under the circumstances.

The illusion they had orchestrated had demanded an incredibly devastating toll.

The supreme prospect of the Blood Cult’s long-term ambitions, the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi.

Through the course of innumerable failed trials dedicated to perfecting its creation, they had on one occasion succeeded in forging a creature that mirrored the authentic design more closely than any other; it stood as their most potent Blood Jiangshi, fundamentally serving as the premier archetype for the true project and the closest approximation to the terrifying power of a completed Heavenly Blood Jiangshi.

Yet the Blood Cult Leader had found himself with no alternative but to offer up that priceless creation as a sacrificial pawn to blind the Orthodox Faction.

Furthermore, the First Elder of their order had resolutely marched into that fatal confrontation while arrayed in his master’s own ceremonial robes, sacrificing himself so that the core of the Blood Cult might slip away from total ruin.

Even setting aside the profound loss of the First Elder, the Cult Leader had likewise seen a vast multitude of his most skilled dark ritualists and vanguard killers wiped out in that calculated display of defeat.

Even now, the mere recollection of the degrading concessions he had been compelled to grant on that fateful day caused the Cult Leader to clench his jaw in an absolute fury.

“I shall exact a terrible vengeance upon those sanctimonious dogs.”

He harbored an unshakeable conviction that a cloaked organization had intentionally executed the slaughter within Guizhou Province, purposefully shifting the blame for the atrocities onto the shoulders of the Blood Cult.

“That miserable wretch, Cheok Pae-myeong. I shall hunt him to the ends of the earth, subject him to unimaginable agonies, and subsequently transmute his lifeless flesh into a thrall for the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi, binding him to my service for eternity.”

The Leader of the Blood Cult remained absolutely certain that the entire conspiracy had been directed by the hand of Martial Alliance Leader Cheok Pae-myeong and his Chief Strategist, Gongsun Hyeon.

Upon bearing witness to his master’s fierce oath of retribution, the subordinate who had delivered the news pressed his brow hard against the stone floor and cried aloud.

“With the might of the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi at your disposal, your sacred destiny stands absolute, Cult Leader; the magnificent dawn of the Blood Cult’s supreme reign over the entire Jianghu is finally arriving!!”

The Blood Cult Leader cast a cold glance down at his kneeling servant before delivering his explicit directives.

“Command our remaining cells to maintain their absolute concealment and closely monitor the shifts within the martial world. The hypocritical vermin of the Orthodox Faction are creatures driven by an innate necessity to spill blood in the end. The exact moment they permit avarice to blind them and commence the slaughter of one another shall be the moment we harvest their life essence to finalize the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi, establishing the eternal rule of the Blood Cult.”

Great distances away from that subterranean vault, Il-mok passed his newly drafted critical message over to Ouyang Mun, instructing him to journey without pause directly back to the city of Lanzhou.

Following this, Il-mok along with his remaining companions journeyed toward the southern lands to reach Mount Emei, where they returned the roughly one hundred physical vessels and the monastic practitioners they had held in protective custody back to the custody of the Emei Sect.

“In accordance with our solemn pledge, the Emei Sect shall restrict access to its grounds and seal its mountain gates for a duration of fifty years.”

“We offer our deep gratitude for your display of leniency.”

The senior leaders of the Emei Sect offered these words with deeply somber countenances.

Upon their command, the gathered disciples of the order wrapped a heavy cord woven from dried straw across the central entryway and affixed a white banner displaying the bold character for Sealed [封] directly upon it.

It marked the exact moment that the Emei Sect, a pillar of martial authority within the Central Plains and an established member of the Nine Great Sects and One Gang, entered into complete isolation from the world.

Having brought his affairs at the Emei Sect to a definitive resolution, Il-mok set his course toward the north once more to confront an issue of far greater immediacy.

During the exact period that Il-mok was navigating the pathways leading toward Lanzhou within Gansu Province.

Far away within the grand headquarters of the Martial Alliance situated adjacent to Dongting Lake.

“What were the outcomes of the endeavor on your part?”

The Chief Strategist raised the inquiry, putting forth a conscious effort to mask the growing anxiety bubbling within his chest.

He posed this question primarily because the timeframe was far too brief for the Alliance Leader to have concluded his military expedition and returned to the stronghold.

Reflecting upon this remarkably compressed interval, it appeared as though he had merely journeyed to the border of Sichuan Province and immediately retraced his steps.

“Our timing was flawed; by the moment our vanguard arrived at the destination, the Emei Sect had already suffered total defeat at the hands of the Maitreya Luminous Cult and had voluntarily committed to sealing their mountain gates.”

Devoid of his customary poise and assurance, the Alliance Leader’s tone was heavy with a profound sense of vexation.

“It was my explicit purpose to exact retribution upon them by my own hand, yet the Beggars’ Gang and the forces of Qingcheng intervened to block our path.”

Cheok Pae-myeong then proceeded to give Gongsun Hyeon a concise summary of the verbal exchanges that had transpired between himself, the Beggar King, and Taoist Master Cheongmok.

“…I offer my deepest concessions of regret, Alliance Leader. The Beggars’ Gang has consistently acted as a disruptive force against our designs, meaning I had foreseen their interference to a certain degree, but I utterly failed to anticipate that Qingcheng would choose to oppose us in such a blatant fashion.” Gongsun Hyeon inclined his upper body deeply as he offered his words.

Cheok Pae-myeong released a sharp breath and voiced his displeasure. “Hmph. Let it go. The events have already transpired; there is no utility in dwelling upon them now. The Beggars’ Gang, the Hwangbo Family, and now the addition of Qingcheng as well. A collection of meddlesome fools.”

Though the words were intended to project a sense of dismissive unconcern, the underlying tone of that sharp vocalization struck Gongsun Hyeon’s ears with ominous clarity.

He could perceive that the Alliance Leader was gripped by a foul temper, prompting him to select his subsequent declarations with immense caution.

There remained critical intelligence that he was duty-bound to communicate regardless of the consequences, for any attempt to withhold the truth would only serve to inflame his master’s anger further.

“Alliance Leader, the alignment of the Beggars’ Gang, Qingcheng, and the Hwangbo Family does not represent the entirety of the crisis.”

“What is the meaning behind your words?”

“Two further figures of immense renown have aligned themselves with the relief forces of the Hwangbo Family that initiated their march from Shandong to reinforce the Maitreya Luminous Cult.”

“A mere two individuals?”

Bringing forth a report concerning the arrival of only two singular combatants was logical only if those specific entities possessed a reputation of terrifying proportions.

Cheok Pae-myeong reiterated the question, an expression of profound discomfort settling over his features. Gongsun Hyeon delivered the identity of the warriors.

“The Supreme Ultimate Sword Immortal of the Wudang Sect along with the renowned Sword Dragon, Daoist Un-baek, have entered their battle lines.”