Chapter 193

Chapter 193
## Chapter 193: Haomen (Afternoon Gate) (1)

“Where is his current location?”

The leader of Haomen, Pyeon Kwang, inquired with a slow, almost indifferent drawl.

“It has been verified that he is traveling in the vicinity of Bamboo Lake,” responded Woo Geumhoe, the Quick Report Hall Leader, his voice thick with respect.

“He won’t be traveling solo. He is accompanied by the Sword Pavilion disciples who were stationed in Nanking, correct?”

“That is right. With the guards assigned to the Sword Marquess, their total strength exceeds a hundred men.”

“A hundred elite blades. That is a formidable number.”

Pyeon Kwang’s features tightened at the news.

This was no ordinary group; this was the Sword Pavilion. The martial prowess of a hundred disciples from such a sect could not be measured by headcounts alone; their collective threat was immense.

“Once those Sword Pavilion units arrive, the disciples of our cult currently active in Shandong will face a lethal crisis. Even if the Three Elders, who command the Righteous Heaven Alliance, exert themselves to stifle the flow of intelligence, we are still dealing with the Sword Pavilion.”

“Your assessment is logical.”

Pyeon Kwang nodded at Woo Geumhoe’s anxiety, yet his gaze remained surprisingly steady, lacking the expected dread.

“However, do not let your heart grow heavy. We have coordinated more than enough countermeasures.”

“I should have known.”

The tension drained from Woo Geumhoe’s face, replaced by a look of relief.

“While the Sword Marquess getting involved was a surprise, it appears the superiors are actually pleased by the turn of events. They likely view this as the perfect opportunity to wipe out both the Sword Marquess and the Sword Pavilion entirely.”

“Is such a feat truly possible? Even with the Three Elders inside the Righteous Heaven Alliance, they are restricted from giving our cult overt assistance. Furthermore, the brutal sects of Shandong, like the Shandong Wicked Valley and other local martial powers, are watching our every move with predatory focus…”

“Methods exist that you aren’t privy to. Cast aside your doubts.”

Noticing Pyeon Kwang’s guarded nature, Woo Geumhoe understood that a grand strategy was in play far above his own rank.

“Are you that inquisitive?”

“Not at all, sir.”

“This is a matter of the highest secrecy, so I cannot divulge the specifics, but one outcome is certain.”

A lethal shimmer flickered within Pyeon Kwang’s pupils.

“The Sword Marquess and the Sword Pavilion are destined for a cold grave. And Shandong Wicked Valley shall be purged from the records of the martial world as well.”

—

“Are you claiming Hyang Gwang is a puppet for the Blood Saber Cult? Stop this ridiculous slander. Hyang Gwang is a trusted source operating out of the Nanking center. Who are you trying to frame with these lies?”

Ban Cheon-su bellowed, his expression set in a mask of gravity.

Han Seol observed the subtle twitch in Ban Cheon-su’s gaze as he glanced toward Hyang Gwang. It didn’t truly matter if his face remained a mask of stone; she had already forced admissions from both Hyang Gwang and Ban Cheon-su, confirming their roles as agents of the Blood Saber Cult.

“You intend to maintain this charade until the very end, don’t you?”

“I am stating the truth—it simply isn’t so.”

Han Seol’s mouth twisted into a mocking grin at Ban Cheon-su’s stubbornness.

“What is your take, Elder?”

“I am unaware of the game you are playing, but you cannot simply invent facts that do not exist,” Jeok In-sul replied with equal defiance.

“Very well. Let’s see how long that bravado lasts. We still have plenty of hours left in this night.”

“You imply that torture is coming,” Ban Cheon-su sneered.

“Precisely. Though I attempted it myself once, it proved too taxing and didn’t yield the results I wanted. Thus, I’ve sought out specialists. They should have arrived by now…”

The moment Han Seol finished her sentence, the sound of rhythmic footsteps neared.

“You’ve arrived.”

Han Seol beamed at the two figures who stepped into the hidden vault.

“Forgive the delay. We had to navigate around prying eyes, so we arrived a bit later than intended.”

“It’s no trouble. These individuals just regained consciousness, so your timing is impeccable.”

“Excellent. That is good to hear.”

The man in front, Mo Uk, the Hangzhou branch leader of the Beggars’ Sect, leaned in close to the faces of Ban Cheon-su and Jeok In-sul, who were lashed to their seats.

“You miserable curs! To think I treated you with hospitality, never suspecting you were Blood Saber Cult vermin!”

He gnashed his teeth, the memory of drinking as comrades with Jeok In-sul during the latter’s visit to Hangzhou just days ago burning in his mind.

“Mind your tongue.”

“To think a leader of the Beggars’ Sect would be swayed by the fabrications of a mere girl!”

“Hold your tongue! I learned the full truth from that wretch last night.”

Mo Uk snorted at their defiance, kicking the slumped form of Hyang Gwang with his toe before addressing the middle-aged man standing behind him.

“Cho Geun, it seems your unique talents are required once more.”

“Leave the matter to me.”

Cho Geun offered a pleasant smile. Yet, as his focus shifted to Ban Cheon-su and Jeok In-sul, that warmth evaporated instantly.

“Let us enjoy ourselves.”

His serpent-like eyes shimmered as he moistened his lips—a gesture so chilling that Han Seol and Mo Uk instinctively recoiled.

“I’ll give you a piece of humane advice: do not be obstinate for the sake of it. There is no need for pointless agony. As a point of reference, that fellow Hyang Gwang didn’t even last half a shichen before he poured out everything he knew.”

Though Ban Cheon-su and Jeok In-sul felt the weight of Mo Uk’s warning in their bones, they remained silent.

The moment Han Seol and Mo Uk exited the room, bone-chilling screams began to resonate from within the stone walls.

“Where on earth does the Beggars’ Sect find a man of that nature?”

“We didn’t find him—he sought us out. I only know he served in the military. I have no specifics on his past, but I can deduce the type of ‘duties’ he performed.”

“Judging by his initial demeanor, I never suspected he possessed such a darkness.”

Han Seol trembled, the memory of Cho Geun’s treatment of Hyang Gwang from the previous night still fresh.

She had successfully seized Hyang Gwang but had been unable to break his silence. After much deliberation, she had approached Mo Uk, laid out the facts, and requested assistance. Cho Geun was the specialist Mo Uk had summoned.

Having witnessed Cho Geun’s methodology with Hyang Gwang, Han Seol hadn’t been able to stomach even a drop of water for an entire day.

The heavy door to the chamber swung open much sooner than anticipated.

Given that Hyang Gwang had survived for half a shichen, this conclusion was exceptionally rapid.

“They couldn’t even endure that long.”

Mo Uk spoke with a sneer as he stepped back inside. However, upon seeing the condition of the two men in the chairs, his tone shifted.

Severed digits from hands and feet were scattered across the floor, with salt cast onto the raw flesh, melting into the weeping blood. Long, thick spikes, nearly a handspan in length, had been driven deep into every major joint of their limbs. Their chests had been partially flayed, showing the horrific marks of being scalded in strips.

“They have admitted to being servants of the Blood Saber Cult. You can hear the specifics from their own mouths.”

Cho Geun cleaned his crimson-stained hands using the discarded, tattered shirt of Ban Cheon-su and went on.

“Speak with honesty. Deception is futile here. If you waver or attempt to mislead us, you will find that the agony you’ve felt so far was a mercy.”

With those words, Cho Geun took his place behind Mo Uk.

Even from his position in the rear, his cold, detached stare weighed heavily on Ban Cheon-su and Jeok In-sul. They couldn’t even manage to look in his direction, their heads hanging low.

“Raise your faces.”

At Cho Geun’s command, they jerked their heads up like whipped hounds.

The questioning moved forward with brutal efficiency.

Whether it was out of terror for Cho Geun’s warning or the sheer pain, Ban Cheon-su and Jeok In-sul scrambled to answer the inquiries of Mo Uk and Han Seol. Any hesitation caused Cho Geun’s eyes to flash, sending them into fits of terror as they spilled every secret they held.

“…So, Haomen wasn’t originally an extension of the Blood Saber Cult. But after that villain Pyeon Kwang executed the previous leader and the board of executives to install himself, it became a puppet?”

“Y-yes…”

Mo Uk looked at Jeok In-sul with a mix of disgust and disbelief.

“And you were aware of this but stood by? That makes you just as guilty as the rest.”

“……”

Jeok In-sul lowered his head, finding no words to defend himself.

As Mo Uk pressed on with the interrogation, Han Seol, having finished her part, stood in a daze, her expression empty.

‘Where did the path go wrong?’

It had all begun when she hired the Beggars’ Sect to track Sima Geon.

It was a strategy born from the Beggars’ Sect’s resentment toward Sima Geon and Haomen’s thirst for vengeance against the Yangtze Waterway Alliance that had hounded them.

In the end, it was an absolute catastrophe.

The core of the issue was the shadow manipulation by Pyeon Kwang, a Blood Saber Cult mole who had waited years to seize Haomen from within, baiting them into this trap. Now, the lines were so blurred she didn’t even know who to strike back at.

But Han Seol was blind to a fundamental truth.

Regardless of the Beggars’ contract or Pyeon Kwang’s intricate plots, Haomen’s actions had shattered the peace of Sima Geon and his kin, reduced the Clear Heart Clinic to ash, and caused the deaths of many healers and patients. The loss of her brothers and her master was simply the price of their own transgressions—a reality she had purged from her mind.

“It’s no wonder the Blood Saber Cult has been so elusive in Shandong. Haomen has been providing the cover. We must alert the central office and draft our response.”

As Mo Uk turned to exit the room with a somber face, Han Seol broke from her trance and caught his sleeve.

“Not every disciple is a traitor for the Blood Saber Cult. Most of them had no part in this originally.”

“I am aware. But it is a necessary evil. The head of the organization has clearly been severed and replaced by the Blood Saber Cult. We have no way to separate the wheat from the chaff.”

“At least conduct a proper inquiry first…”

“I recognize your perspective and I value it, but consider how many lives might be lost while we deliberate.”

Mo Uk gently pulled his arm away from Han Seol’s grip with a look of pity.

A short while later, a messenger bird carrying a black bamboo cylinder took flight, soaring with purpose toward the Beggars’ Sect central headquarters.

—

“The Cult Leader has given his consent.”

Upon hearing Sima Sang’s announcement, the gathered group let out a collective breath of tension.

“That is a relief. I was concerned he might find the terms unfavorable.”

Go Yang-sun looked at Yagul So-seong with a hint of confusion.

“Didn’t you claim the Cult Leader manipulated the North Sea Ice Palace specifically to engineer this scenario? With the Iron Blood Palace causing such chaos, it only serves our interests. Moreover, since the Left Reverend recommended we take the Iron Blood Palace’s offer, I assumed he would say yes. Why were you all so anxious?”

Sima Sang offered a faint, knowing smile.

“The movements of the North Sea Ice Palace and the current state of the martial world were facets of the Cult Leader’s and our own designs. However, the actions of the Iron Blood Palace were entirely outside our predictions. They are a wild card.”

“Exactly. I never dreamed that Yinjeokso would create such a massive disturbance.”

Yagul Cheon-gyeong added his thoughts, and Yagul So-seong nodded in concurrence.

“I believed forming Hwe Cheon to harass the Heavenly Demon Cult was a masterstroke, but the Iron Blood Palace? That was beyond my imagination.”

“He couldn’t have achieved this with his own strength alone. The power of the Poison Blood Demon must be truly terrifying. It’s a pity in retrospect. Regardless, it is fortunate the Cult Leader agreed to the Iron Blood Palace’s terms. I suspected he would, as you pointed out, but there was always a shadow of doubt.”

“Tsk, tsk, losing sleep over a foregone conclusion? All that needless worry.”

As Go Yang-sun made a clicking sound with his tongue, Sima Sang let out a hearty laugh.

“That is simply the burden I carry as the elder.”

“Does this mean the Iron Blood Palace is going after Shaolin as well?” Yagul So-seong inquired.

“I will make the request if the opportunity arises, but the choice is theirs. They may strike Shaolin directly, or perhaps pivot to Wudang or another sect.”

“Whichever they choose, it won’t be a simple task for the orthodox to manage. Especially after the fates of Huashan and Zhongnan.”

The group nodded, agreeing with Go Yang-sun’s point.

“Should we not send word to the North Sea Ice Palace? They have paused their offensive, likely concerned about the Iron Blood Palace taking advantage of the chaos.”

Yagul Cheon-gyeong suggested.

“I have already sent the message. They will resume their campaign shortly.”

“Then our cult can dedicate its full attention to Shandong for the time being.”

“Alongside the advancing Sword Marquess and the Sword Pavilion. We must ensure they are destroyed this time. The Cult Leader is of the same mind.”

“Can our assets in Shandong handle it? It’s true the disciples Elder First brought have been deployed, and my Father mentioned he would personally intervene, but the loss caused by the Divine Demon Division Leader previously was substantial, and the opposition is so fierce it could be a struggle.”

At Yagul Cheon-gyeong’s query, a sharp, cold light ignited in Sima Sang’s eyes.

“I have issued an immediate Blood Command. While the distance is significant, I have commanded them to move with extreme haste, so they will not arrive too late.”

The room fell into a shocked silence at the news that Sima Sang had summoned the Blood Command—the most lethal instrument of the Blood Saber Cult. It was a clear testament to his absolute resolve to see the Sword Marquess and the Sword Pavilion erased from existence.