Chapter 168

Chapter 168
## Chapter 168: Heading to Sichuan (2)

“…consequently, the primary strongholds of Huicheon have been utterly razed. Nevertheless, their command structure and elite units managed to escape toward the north. We are currently in pursuit, but their sheer volume makes a total sweep difficult.”

Listening to Hyung Mu-gang’s status update, the Bloodlight Demon Emperor let out a huff of irritation.

“In short, we only snagged the bottom-feeders. If the skull isn’t crushed, the beast will eventually regrow its limbs.”

The Dark Thunder Monk Chim Seung grumbled in support.

“The words of the Supreme Elder are precise. Eum Jeok-so of the Myriad Poison Valley is a particular concern—that wretch will surely resurface to incite more chaos.”

“We would have concluded this affair long ago if those fanatical monks from Thunder Sound Temple hadn’t barged in.”

Elder Demon Sword spoke while pressing a hand against his ribs. During the recent offensive against the Huicheon coalition, elite masters from Thunder Sound Temple had made a sudden, violent intervention, leaving him with deep internal trauma. He had escaped with his life, but the recovery was proving slow and arduous.

“In which direction did the survivors scatter?”

One Finger Blood Ju Geol-ryeon asked the question. He was currently managing the Council of Elders while the North Heaven Sword Demon was away on the front lines personally hunting Huicheon.

“We have verified that they successfully navigated the crossing of the Jinsha River.”

“Hmph. Crossing the Jinsha River implies they’ve made a break for Sichuan, doesn’t it?”

“Correct.”

“Hunting them within Sichuan complicates matters significantly. What is your perspective, Cult Leader?”

Following Ju Geol-ryeon’s inquiry, Gwan Ung’s eyes settled on Hyung Mu-gang. Acting as if the strategy had already been harmonized, Hyung Mu-gang answered on the leader’s behalf.

“The chase will continue. However, moving forward, we won’t need full-scale warfare; a moderate amount of stress should suffice.”

“Moderate? We need to incinerate the very seeds of their existence!”

The Bloodlight Demon Emperor was the first to voice his disapproval.

“This old man concurs. I realize the troops are exhausted from the protracted campaign, but we must deploy reinforcements and finish this properly.”

Ju Geol-ryeon also appeared unconvinced.

“I am not suggesting we grant them peace. Rather, there are other parties who will deal with them on our behalf, without us having to lift a finger.”

“What are you implying? Who else would…”

Ju Geol-ryeon paused, tilting his head, before a wide grin broke across his face as he caught the drift.

“Ah! Our strategist is playing a clever hand. You’re right—there is no reason for our disciples to bleed needlessly.”

“Understood. A bit of pressure will do the work for us.”

The Bloodlight Demon Emperor finally grasped the underlying logic of Hyung Mu-gang’s plan. However, confusion still lingered among some in the room. To clarify for everyone, Hyung Mu-gang continued his explanation.

“Sichuan, like most provinces, is home to a myriad of powerful organizations. Among them are certain entities that will find the sight of Huicheon crossing the Jinsha River into their domain absolutely intolerable.”

Hyung Mu-gang stood up, and on cue, a massive geographical scroll was unfurled against the wall.

He gestured toward the central-southern region of Sichuan Province.

“First, we have the Emei Sect.”

He then indicated the central-northern region.

“Second, the Qingcheng Sect.”

After a short beat, Hyung Mu-gang elaborated.

“Even though our Cult has battered them, the remnants of Huicheon remain a formidable force. Emei and Qingcheng, recognizing this danger, might choose to remain silent or look the other way to avoid a direct confrontation. But there is one power that can never ignore such an intrusion, regardless of the cost.”

Hyung Mu-gang tapped the city of Chengdu, located in the heart of the province.

“The Sichuan Tang Clan, the undisputed masters of the region—they will never permit an external army to trample through their backyard.”

“True. I had momentarily overlooked the Tang Clan.”

“Those venomous snakes staying quiet while outsiders move in? Impossible.”

Once the Sichuan Tang Clan was mentioned, a wave of understanding and agreement washed over the gathered elders.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

‘Morons, the lot of them.’

Inside the noisy assembly hall, Jong Yo kept his lids heavy, struggling to suppress a wave of nausea.

Having dispatched Eum Jeok-so, Ma Uk, Left Sword, and their cohorts to the Iron Blood Palace within the main camp, Jong Yo had stepped up as the primary strategist for Huicheon.

His broken body couldn’t have handled the journey to the main camp anyway, and even if he were healthy, his influence would have been drowned out in a place where raw power dictated status.

Jong Yo had decided his path: he would shield Huicheon from the Heavenly Demon Cult’s onslaught, bolster their ranks as much as possible, and wait for the return of Eum Jeok-so. For over a year, he had carried out this duty with surgical precision.

Despite the relentless pressure from the Heavenly Demon Cult, Huicheon had expanded massively, absorbing far more influence than they held before the departure of Eum Jeok-so’s group.

If they had only survived the recent grand offensive led by the North Heaven Sword Demon, Huicheon might have finally stood on equal footing with the Heavenly Demon Cult. However, internal betrayal by Cult infiltrators and a series of blunders by the leadership had resulted in catastrophic casualties and the abandonment of their headquarters.

Now, those same incompetent leaders were spewing nonsense, driving Jong Yo to the brink of madness.

Opening his eyes with a heavy sigh, Jong Yo looked toward the young man at the head of the table who was currently yawning with bored indifference.

‘He clearly spent the entire night indulging in debauchery.’

Jong Yo’s internal gaze toward Gwan Hwi, the second grandson of the former Cult Leader Gwan Hyo, was freezing.

After the departure of the key generals to the main camp, Gwan Hwi had served as a vital tool for Jong Yo to consolidate power.

Gwan Hwi was dull-witted, lacked any real martial talent, and cared for nothing but women—a quintessential wastrel. However, after his siblings perished in the failed coup, his status as the final living descendant of the former Cult Leader made him a powerful symbol. Within two weeks of his arrival, Huicheon’s recruitment numbers had doubled.

But as Gwan Hwi’s influence grew, Jong Yo’s original power base began to erode. The shift became irreversible when the Mad Buddha Temple joined their ranks, bringing the weight of Thunder Sound Temple along with them.

Jong Yo hadn’t fought the transition. He played the part of the humble servant, tucking himself under Gwan Hwi’s shadow.

He remained convinced that the hierarchy would be restored the moment Eum Jeok-so walked back through the gates.

Everything had been proceeding according to Jong Yo’s design.

Until one month ago, when the foolish choices of the current leadership led to the annihilation of Huicheon’s main army by the North Heaven Sword Demon.

“…so your proposal is that we must establish a foothold in Sichuan to maintain our existence?”

Elder Oh Hong asked.

“Precisely. The Heavenly Demon Cult is closing in. However, even they will hesitate to invade Sichuan without careful consideration.”

Tae Bo, the former elder of the Heavenly Demon Cult known as the Crimson Face Demon Guest—who now effectively ran Huicheon by manipulating Gwan Hwi—stroked his long, white beard with an air of self-importance.

“If you’re relying on the Murim Alliance to stop them, that’s far too optimistic. The Alliance isn’t the power it used to be. I doubt the Heavenly Demon Cult fears them at all.”

Hwan Yu, the Black Heaven Branch Lord who shared leadership influence with Tae Bo, was plagued by doubts.

“We can’t afford to spread our forces thin across two fronts, though.”

“Two fronts?”

“Haven’t you sensed the growing friction in the southern murim? The Cult will have to divert more resources there than toward us.”

“Fair point. Since their home territory was seized, the Nangong Clan won’t stay passive forever.”

“And there’s more—the internal fractures within the Murim Alliance have soured the bond between Emei, Qingcheng, and the Tang Clan. This is the perfect window. Do you disagree?”

Tae Bo scanned the faces in the room.

“You are absolutely correct, Elder.”

“I concur. This is an opportunity provided by fate.”

“Indeed. Sichuan represents the only viable path for Huicheon.”

There were no voices of dissent. Everyone vied to outdo one another in praising Tae Bo’s strategic vision. Only Jong Yo and those still loyal to Eum Jeok-so remained in stony silence.

“We shall make the Emei Sect our first target.”

Tae Bo said, turning to Gwan Hwi.

Gwan Hwi gave a lazy, dismissive wave of his hand.

“Do whatever you want.”

With that, the destiny of Huicheon was decided.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

“At last!”

Exiting the narrow mountain pass, Noe Jeon let out a triumphant shout at the sight of the vast, rolling green hills and the storm-lit plains stretching out before them. The others following him shared the sentiment. Gwa Yu, who was the most physically drained of the group, simply collapsed onto the grass.

It had been a full month since they departed Ox Fortress to return home. Beginning with the rescue mission at Mount Paan Guest Abduction, they had traversed endless mountain ranges before finally reaching the Sichuan basin.

Even after descending into the basin, it took another half-day of trekking to locate a substantial settlement.

They took up residence at a modest inn designed for weary travelers.

The beds were small and the rooms were cramped, but after thirty days of sleeping on dirt and rock, it felt like a royal palace.

After scrubbing away the grime in a hot bath and letting the exhaustion melt from his muscles, Sima Geon headed down to the first-floor common area to find a rowdy celebration already in progress.

Dozens of empty spirits bottles were scattered across the floor, and the innkeeper was huffing as he hauled out a fresh, massive clay jar of wine.

Sweat was pouring down the man’s face, but he was grinning from ear to ear.

The massive wolf gnawing on a pile of bones on the floor was still a terrifying sight, but after seeing several days’ worth of revenue earned in less than an hour, the innkeeper’s fear was rapidly being replaced by greed.

“Over here, boss.”

Cheol Woo, with a mouthful of poultry, waved Sima Geon over.

As Sima Geon took his seat, Man Chu slid a large bowl over and filled it to the brim with potent liquor.

Sima Geon gave a small laugh and drained the bowl in a single long draught.

“Try some of this. This place might be in the middle of nowhere, but the cook actually knows what they’re doing.”

So Su-rin placed a small plate of stir-fried pork and greens in front of him.

“Yeah, it’s actually quite good.”

Sima Geon agreed, his chopsticks already moving.

The table was covered in humble, rustic dishes, but as So Su-rin noted, the execution was excellent. Even the simple dish of boiled rapini was consumed quickly, tasting remarkably rich and savory.

As Sima Geon eventually leaned back, satisfied enough to loosen his belt a notch—

“Oh, by the way, boss. I picked up some interesting news earlier.”

Cheol Woo spoke up, currently in a drinking contest with Man Chu.

“What news?”

“About those bastards from Huicheon.”

“Huicheon?”

“Yeah. The word is they’ve crossed the border into Sichuan. Apparently, they got slaughtered by the Heavenly Demon Cult and had to run.”

“Who told you this?”

“The owner of this place, right before you came down. I can’t vouch for the details, but the gossip is that they’re planning to launch an attack on the Emei Sect soon. Everyone’s just taking turns making a mess of things.”

At the mention of a strike against Emei, Sima Geon’s expression darkened slightly.

“Man Chu.”

“Yeah, big brother?”

Man Chu immediately put down his bowl.

“If Emei is put under siege, will the Tang Clan intervene?”

“Undoubtedly.”

“Why? I thought the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Clans were at odds lately, especially with the collapse of the Murim Alliance.”

So Su-rin, who had gathered plenty of political rumors while working at the Ha Hu Clan, asked with skepticism.

“That might be true elsewhere, but Sichuan operates differently. It’s so isolated that getting help from the outside is nearly impossible. Because of that, the local powers are incredibly tight-knit. They might act cold to one another during peace, but the moment a common enemy shows up, they fight as one.”

“So what does that mean? We might not find the old man at the Tang Clan estate?”

Man Chu nodded in agreement with Cheol Woo’s observation.

“Very likely. The Poison Freak Senior isn’t the type of person to sit on his hands during a fight.”

“That’s the current state of things. What’s the plan, boss?”

Sima Geon considered the situation for a moment, then raised his bowl of wine.

“We proceed to the Tang Clan first. If we catch the old man there, great—but if he’s already gone to war, we’ll deal with it when we get there.”