Book 28 Chapter 3

Pass the word

-Yeou In-ha

Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo!

"Stop!"

Two long-haired female maids guarding the main gate of the huge manor shouted at a Pilgrim's steed kicking up dust in the distance. The right-hand maiden held a silver spear as thick as a man's forearm, and the left-hand maiden held a blue dragon flying sword that could have been used as a guan yun zhang. The two women's physiques were not inferior to those of a man of nine chucks, and the majestic aura emanating from their entire bodies was beyond the range of an ordinary master.

But the brown stallion, panting for breath, refused to slow down.

"I warn you again! Stop! Next time, Benda!"

The two long-haired female maids shouted again, this time with more intensity. This was not the kind of skill one would expect from a mere guard at the main gate. After all, what kind of family would have female maidens guarding the main gate?

Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo!

But still, instead of slowing down, Junma's speed increased, as if she was squeezing every last ounce of energy out of him.

"Stop the intruder!"

Boom!

The thick silver spear held by the long-haired maiden on the right pierced through the air, cutting down the charging Junma.

Even though there were still about three zhang of distance between him and Jun Ma, a terrifying spearhead shot out from the silver spear with a loud crackling sound, piercing right through Jun Ma's torso.

"Put up with intruders!"

A female martial artist standing on the left wielded a blue dragon flying sword that looked to be at least a hundred years old.

Shhhhhhhhh!

The pure white pottery flew off in a crescent-shaped trajectory.

The Scourer!

A huge hole was blown in the chest of the charging stallion, and blood spurted out. At the same time, the horse's legs buckled and its head flew off.

"No!"

Normally, the horse's neck and the rider would have been thrown to the ground along with the horse's waist. However, it was only the horse's neck that fell to the ground. The rider had already been thrown into the air.

"You've dodged the first blow of our Divine Emperor, but you can't go any further."

He tried to say something to them, but the words didn't seem to come out right.

Boom! Boom!

The silver spear and the blue dragon flying sword slashed through the air in unison.

Bam! Bam!

He parried their blows with his drawn sword, then used his crossed spear and Unyielding Sword as a springboard to launch himself through the front door.

The intruder, who had flown inside, rolled two or three times before coming to a stop on one knee.

Cha cha cha cha cha cha cha cha!

He was frightened, for dozens of blades were suddenly flying at him from all directions, pointed precisely at his throat. The wielders of the swords were all women.

He breathed hard from his unmoving position.

"You've got some nerve, breaking into Shinmaga in broad daylight. Let's see your face!"

The leader of the group, a slender woman with a long silvery longspear slung over her shoulder, emerged curiously from the darkness. She was taller than most of the men, well-built, and her features were more on the stout side than the pretty side.

"Seventh Lady!"

"Miss Hyo-hyo!"

The women parted and gave way.

She wore a black robe with short sleeves and a long, flowing skirt, and with every step she took, her toned thighs peeking through the skirt and her long, cool legs exuding health and attracting attention. She was Gal Hyo-hyo, the seventh daughter of the family.

"Hey… isn't this the 'intruder' I've been hearing about? I'm going to have to capture it and get a portrait done."

Hyo-hyo leisurely walked over to check out her opponent's face, as if to take a look.

The intruder was breathing heavily as if he had run a long way, his graying hair was graying, his blood color was not very good, and he wore a diagonal bandage across his chest as if he had been wounded. Upon seeing his face, Hyohyo's eyes widened.

"Grandfather of sword magic?"

Surrounded by the women's swords, the man's face was crisscrossed by two diagonal sword marks, like half a filial pact.

He was none other than the Sword Transcendence, one of the Black One Thousand and Ten.

Why in the world would he, a black teenage high school student, be in this place at this time of day?

It wasn't that he didn't identify himself, it was that he had run so fast that he didn't have the energy to do so. Even with such grievous wounds, he was still able to…….

She recognized the wound, still bleeding, as a sword wound. Who on earth could wound a sword horse with a sword? She had an ominous feeling.

"Hmph!"

With a sharp intake of breath, Swordmaster Transcendence pulled the tightly sealed letter from his bosom and barely opened his mouth.

"Dear Godfather… I have an urgent message to deliver to Shinmagae……!"

Something that a sword master of the level of Sword Transcendence would have to carry his injured body and bring back himself……. Hyohyo arched his dark eyebrows sharply.

Following Hyo-hyo to the outer hall, Gumma was handed over to Gal-hyo-hong, the Shinmaga's wise second daughter, clad in a red silk robe, and escorted inside. After passing through the inner courtyard and exiting through a corridor that led to the performance hall, Gumma gazed in silence at the stately residence that sat in the center of the inner hall with its back to the lush gardens.

Spring Festival (玄月展).

This is where the mistress who is actually in charge of the Shinmaga resides. Even a swordsman could not help but bow his head. No, when he was led to this place, he was not only bowing, but he was trembling and holding his breath. His nervousness was evident.

Following Hyohong's calm lead, she closed her eyes tightly and opened them as she stepped onto the platform. As she entered with hesitant steps, she saw Hyohong, Hyohyo, and a dozen other women of all stripes lined up on either side of her, and in the center, on a large rosewood chair, sat a woman dressed as black as the pitch-black night.

"The transcendence of necessity meets the godfather."

As soon as he saw her, Gumma fell to the ground and bowed in greeting.

The woman in black was Muhwa, the godfather, the de facto host and hostess of all things Shinma, and the first wife of Mu Shinma Galjoonghyuk.

The woman in black asked, staring at the prostrate sword horse with her deep, dark eyes of indeterminate depth.

"You have a message?"

"…for example."

"So, what's the news?"

His voice was nonchalant, yet somehow tinged with melancholy, as if he already knew the news wasn't going to be good.

"It's……."

Opening his mouth in a trembling voice, Gumma could barely finish his sentence.

She was a woman who had been by his side for the past hundred years, and she was the matriarch who had founded the Black Heavenly League with that mythical figure. Sword Demon Transcendence had once worked under her as a subordinate, and he still considered it an honor to this day. How could he easily impart 'it' to such a woman?

The woman's gaze swept over him, unnerved by Gumma's demeanor, before settling on the white bundle slung over his back.

"Get it."

Gumma's shoulders shook once, as if the words had slashed at his heart.

"I will accept the order."

Thump! Thump! Thump!

After slamming his forehead into the floor three times, Gumma dragged the white bundle on his back and unwrapped it on the floor.

Inside was a torn top. It was stained black with blood.

With trembling hands, Transcendence lifted the bloodstained garment to her head, kneeled down to the woman's level, and carefully held it out.

"This, this outfit……."

As Gumma's voice trailed off, the air in the hall turned chilly. It was a stark, lung-piercing silence.

The woman, who seemed impervious to anything, unfolded the garment with a slightly trembling hand.

With a flutter, the garment unfolded.

The back and front chest of the top were punctured with sharp, rhomboid-shaped holes, with blood smeared around them.

"What happened, Transcendence!"

A thunderbolt burst from the woman's mouth. Gumma nearly coughed up blood from the immense pressure that pounded through his body. As he looked up at the black-clad woman, tears welled in his eyes and trickled down his scarred cheeks.

"The Mighty Lord…… has been murdered!"

"What?! That's ridiculous, who would dare to harm that child!"

Boom!

In a fit of rage, she slammed her right hand down and jumped to her feet, the rosewood handle shattering into powder.

Sword Demon Transcendence prostrated before her with tears streaming down his face, and then exclaimed in a frenzy.

"The hateful beast was none other than the Spiritual Master Nabaxian, the evil one!"

Wham!

Mrs. Shen's body jerked, and she grabbed the dragon's head that was propped up next to her chair and slammed it against the floor.

Thump!

The floor began to crack with an impact that echoed throughout the hall. Her falling body regained its balance. By now, her feet were at least an inch deep in the ground, her body stiffened like a statue from the impact.

At that moment, a woman who had been glaring at Sword Ma with searing eyes to the right of Madam Hyun stepped forward and exclaimed, "I'm sorry.

"Bullshit, that's not how you talk to the bottom of the barrel! Can't you just tell me the truth right now?"

It was the fiery-red-haired Dan Hye, the second mistress of the Shinmaga family, the second wife of Gal Zhonghyeok. She glared at him as if she could set him on fire at any moment, and he could not raise his head from the floor.

Then the woman standing to Mrs. Hyun's left spoke up in an icy voice.

"You have come here to leave the Shinmaga in a state of confusion and weeping, and the Karma Transcendent should immediately tell the truth and fulfill the purpose for which he came here."

She was Saran, his third mistress, his third wife, with hair the color of deep water. The sound of her voice echoing down his spine jolted him awake.

"Swordmaster Transcendence declares, it was…… a cowardly stab in the back!"

* * *

"……!"

Gumma's eyes widened to tears. He could not believe what he saw.

The sight before him was equally unreal. What the hell is going on here, in the middle of the Black Sky Blindness, at its very core? A fleeting question echoed in Gumma's mind.

"You're lying, it's a nightmare, right?

For a moment, your brain refuses to comprehend the situation; it's a sight that is unreal.

Bai Xiaochun looked at his hands, and in his hands was a pure white sword, red blood soaking into its sheath.

The famous white sword that every martial artist knows. A sword that Sword Ma himself had once encountered. The white thunderbolt 'White Lightning', the beloved sword of the White Sword Martial Alliance's great master, Nie Bai Tian. It was unmistakably the same sword.

The blade and the crimson blood on his hands. The original owner of that blood is now lying on his favorite desk in his office.

In a sea of blood.

As he reflected on all of this, his eyes flashed with anger and hatred for the man who had caused it all. But there was someone else who moved before him.

"Inooooooooom!"

A mask covered his face as he rushed toward Nie Bai Tian with a loud roar. It was Machen Gakju.

"How dare you assassinate a Black Heavenly Master, and yet you can still call yourself a Black Heavenly Master, Nie Bai Tian!"

The Martial King stretched out his hand and attacked Nie Bai Tian. A tremendous power swirled around his palm.

"This is a trick!"

Bai Xiaochun urgently protested as he backed away from the deadly force. But Nabaxian himself knew that excuse would not work.

"Shut up, you cowardly excuse yourself to this point, even though you're a fierce fighter in the realm of spirit blindness! Bai Chen, you're ugly!"

Without hesitation, Machen Gakzu threw out the second chapter.

"I know you won't believe me, but it's true!"

Bai Xiaochun shouted once more as he dodged the tension in the air. The mountain-breaking cultivation swirled around the entirety of the Heavenly Carver's field, making it difficult for even Nie Bai Chen to get a chance to counterattack.

"You can take your ugly excuses to the cemetery!"

At that moment, the demonic carver's hand slashed through the air, and from it, something invisible, an intangible energy that was neither sword nor tension, flew toward Bai Xiaochun. Toward him, to cut him.

Bai Xiaochun swung his white thunderbolt, still covered in red blood, to deflect the invisible attack. Bai Xiaochun's white lightning accurately cut through the intangible trajectory.

At that moment, the intangible blade suddenly split into dozens. The dozens of intangible blades radiated life, shooting out in all directions to tear apart Nie Tian's entire body. Bai Xiaochun forced the sword's trajectory to change and hastily unfolded a sword shield, but the attack broke through his defense and directly slashed at Bai Xiaochun's front chest.

"Boom!"

Nie Bai Tian's defense had passed through like air, and the Demon King's attack had directly wounded him in the chest. It must have been a very deep wound. Bai Xiaochun's blood splashed into the air and fell in a pool of blood.

"It's all a conspiracy! It's someone's plan! I didn't kill the Gall Masters!"

Swallowing a groan, Nabaxian exclaimed.

"Let's talk, not fight!"

At the sound of his tone of voice, the Heavenly Jeweler and Sword Horse were enraged.

"The evidence is clear, and you're still making excuses, why don't you just admit it and deal with it, evil!"

Then Nabaxian shouted.

"How can you accuse me of something I didn't do? I'm innocent, I'm not guilty, and what's more, I don't have a reason!"

Stifling a groan, Nie Baiqian voiced his frustration.

"Well, do you think so?"

He lifted his finger and pointed to Nie Bai Tian's chest.

Thud! Thump!

The next moment, Gumma saw something splattered with blood fall through the slit in the front of Nabekun's robe.

"That, that!"

A gasp escaped the Sword Demon Transcendent's mouth.

Bai Xiaochun's face quickly turned pensive. It was a look of regret, but it was too late.

Gumma's experience with Kang Hao made him instantly recognize the abomination.

"Shattered Soul Poison Rain!"

Its shadowy body and the embossed sigil of two black scorpions on it were unmistakably the cursed, forbidden beast, the Shattering Viper. It was not the sort of thing that a good-hearted person would keep hidden in their bosom.

"I'll kill you, you bastard!"

Complete conviction was planted in the Sword Demon Transcendent's mind. That the Nine Hundred Thousandth Heavenly Lord had assassinated the Black Heavenly Lord.

"I've been set up, Transcendence, why would I assassinate the Galactic Master, why?!"

But now that he had witnessed the Shihon Poison Rain, he had no more questions.

"Shut up, it's me, I'm not going to listen to your dirty excuses anymore, surrender now and pay for it!"

Sword Horse now fully drew his sword and joined in. The terrifying light saber flew out to slice through Nie Bai Tian's body.

Add to this the attack of the Demon King, and a sword, one of the Ten Black Heavenly Monuments, and Nabaxian is quickly overwhelmed. As time passed, it was clear that even the best of the best would be outmatched.

Bai Xiaochun gritted his teeth and fought back, seemingly determined to put an end to the excuses.

He twisted the sword pole, sending out the sword essence of the sword horse, which was shaking with rage, and then performed the reverse attack of the White Lightning Jindan Sword Technique.

Shock!

Bai Xiaochun's sword tip sliced diagonally across the sword horse's body, causing droplets of red blood to splash out.

"Boom!"

"I'm sorry, Transcendence, but I can't die here, not until I prove my innocence!"

"Bullshit, beast!"

Hearing the sword horse's words, Nie Bai Tian exclaimed with a look of helplessness.

"Thunderbolt (百雷擊擊)!"

White lightning ripped out dozens of stalks of sword steel, and the arrows of the sword steel swept past the Demon King and the Sword Horse.

An attack that could only be blocked or dodged. As they attacked Nie Baiqian once again, the Demon King and Sword Horse could only turn to the defense. At that moment,

Boom!

A tremendous shockwave of dust swept through the office. In that instant, when the dust obscured their vision like a fog, Na Baiqian used the high-speed "White Lightning Thunderstep" to pull himself out of the office. However…….

"What a child's play!"

Chaaaahhhhh!

The dust was torn asunder in the blow of a single sword, the veil of swordlight tearing as it did the fabric.

Na Baekcheon has managed to get himself out of the house, which gives him a little more room to maneuver, but it's a little too much for his liking.

Beep!

As soon as he emerged from the dust, Gumma blew the emergency whistle he kept on standby, and with a high-pitched blast, the guards from every corner of the palace came rushing in at once. An unimaginably fast gathering.

The Black Panthers weren't playing every day either. They were regularly practicing their emergency mobilization drills twice a day, changing locations every day, which is why they were able to assemble so quickly. And it worked out very badly for Bai Xiaochun.

"The martial artists of Black Heaven should immediately unfurl the 'Eight Blades'!"

A palisade was an eight-layered siege. Hundreds of warriors moved in unison to form the layers.

"Warriors of the Black Sky, subdue that assassin at once!"

Gumma pointed to Nabaxian and exclaimed.

The Berserker Nine Hundred Thousand's advantage was clear. However, he possessed a skill that could pierce through the Spiritual Blind's mantle. Dozens of streaks of darkness-cutting thunderbolts flashed incessantly. Every time a white thunderbolt cut through the darkness, the screams of the Black Heaven martial artists pierced the night sky.

"I'm reporting, the intruder has broken through the cordon and escaped beyond the walls of the Blackblight."

A thunderous roar erupted from Gumma's mouth.

"Inooooooom!"

Gumma gritted his teeth as he clutched at his bleeding chest.

Puddle!

He clenched his teeth so hard that blood trickled from the corners of his mouth.

"Immediately unleash the Wide-Surrounding Chu Qin, the Tianrai Net Mu Moon Qin! You must not miss! Boom!"

His rage stirred his blood, causing the gash to widen. The blood from the gaping wound stained his robe red. Since the wound was inflicted by the Rising I Sword Qi, the impact was not only on the flesh, but also on the flesh of the Five Elements.

Gumma's body jerked once.

"Go ahead and treat……."

Iron!

Gumma stood tall, swatting away the hands of his subordinate who tried to help him.

"Shut up! We don't have time for that! Use my authority to call for an emergency council meeting!"

As he walked away, leaving his men behind, Gumma shouted, his voice filled with rage and hatred.

"It's war!"

* * *

Boom!

Cracks began to appear everywhere, centered on the dragon's head, which Mrs. Hyun, who was as stiff as a statue, struck down with all her might.

The entire hall trembled with a painful rumble, as if it would burst at the mere touch of those who entered.

The woman who had borne and nurtured the now-cold body of the slain, as well as her kinsmen who bore the same blood that flowed in the murdered man's body, and the hostesses of Shinmaga who had fondly cherished him, trembled as if their hearts were about to be pierced by a fiery blade. No, it was not their bodies that trembled, but their souls.

Zeeeeeeeeeee!

The air of the temple was shaking violently at the spasms of the spirits they were now causing.

"This…… is false."

An agonized groan escaped from the depths of her lungs, as if a dull saw blade was slowly slicing through her chest.

"This is…… a dream!"

It was an agonized cry that might as well have been a scream. The woman glared as if she would tear the sword horse's body apart at a moment's notice.

"Come on, tell me this is all a lie, that the child is still alive, come on!"

But Gumma, who had been shedding tears wordlessly, finally cried out, tearing his forehead against the floor.

"Kill me……!"

Thump!

Gumma hit his head so hard that the floor echoed. His forehead was streaked red with blood.

"Big Mama……!"

Thump!

Flesh burst from his forehead, blood splattering to the floor.

For a moment, Mrs. Hyun, who had been staring at the scene in fascination, began to see a transparent film of deep despair slowly forming in her eyes.

Gumma shouted, slamming his forehead into the ground even harder.

"Woe to me for failing to protect my master!"

Thump!

"Kill me!"

Wham!

The white, cracked floor of the temple was stained red with a handful of clear blood.

"Gamonim!"

"Big Sister!"

The women cried out in astonishment when they saw Mrs. Hyun, who had vomited up blood from grief and shock. Clutching her chest and shaking violently, she raised her hands to stop the women who were trying to help her.

"I am…… I am, just……."

She struggled to steady her trembling voice and clenched her blood-red teeth. Her grip on the dragon's head was white with exertion.

"Everyone…… away from…… this place……."

"Gamonim!"

"Big Mama!"

With a mixture of sobs and contorted faces, the women and the swordswoman took a deep bow and retreated out of the hall, a film of water swelling like red dew from her bloodshot eyes dripping down onto the fresh blood soaking the floor. Red teardrops rippled in the pool of blood she had just vomited up.

Her world came crashing down around her, red ripples spreading in all directions from the pool of blood.

Her heart was breaking in a thousand different ways.

I heard nothing more, saw nothing more.

She felt as if she had been thrown into the fires of hell, surrounded by thousands and thousands of nachas who tore her flesh to shreds and tore her flesh from her body point by point. The more she struggled with grief and sorrow, the more an unknown agony choked her soul with the weight of tens of thousands of muscles.

Ssshhh…….

A thick black energy began to emanate from her body.

The plants in the pavilion that were in contact with the black agitator began to dry out rapidly.

False.

It was only a blink of an eye before the plants that had adorned the interior of the current month's hall turned black as if scorched by fire. The sorrowful flesh became ten thousand windows, stretching out in all directions.

"Aaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

The tiles of the palace shook at her outburst of grief.

Kurrrrrrr!

The room shook like an earthquake.

Deep inside her, something began to burn fiercely, consuming her body and mind. She staggered out of the hall, engulfed in the flames of the tunnel. Inside the cramped halls, she felt like she would be crushed.

I asked them to leave, but the sun was still setting over the heads of the women and swordsmen in front of the temple.

It was a beautiful sunset, and while her son lay cold and rotting with a hole in his body out of her reach, the world was bathed in a festive scarlet, coloring the patronage and lakeside of the current month's festival.

Her dark, deep eyes sank to the ground at the sight of such beauty.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Each step she took toward the setting sun shining over her patron, each step shook the earth like a pendulum. The weight of her grief tore at the earth.

Turbuck. Turbuck. Turbuck.

She walked mesmerized along the shore of the lake that had been created beside the temple, and as she passed, golden carp began to rise from the water. The lake was now filled with death.

With each step she took, the vegetation screamed and the grass she stepped on dried up.

She unlocked the back door, swung it open, and trudged into the small forest that stretched behind the patronage. No one dared to stop her as she walked, overcome with grief. All the women in the manor were slumped on the floor, wailing.

The green forest behind the manor house. It was where she raised her children with her two younger brothers and taught them martial arts. Her son also learned martial arts and knowledge from her here.

Where every tree, every flower, every stone holds a memory.

A moment later, a mournful wail echoed from within, as if it were cutting off its own hair.

The cries shook Shinmaga with heartbreak.

There was no one who did not weep at the sound of his cries. They all fell to the ground and beat their chests and wailed.

* * *

The injured were immediately rushed to the hospital.

Since Hyukjoong's base is in the parliament, I decided to move there.

The distance to the Heavenly Martial Academy was too long. Several people had been injured in the escape from the Heavenly Pavilion, including Nan Gongshan, Hyun Yun, and Luo Hak, and some of them were even in danger of losing their lives. There were too many critically ill to leave Kanghorando and travel further.

Of course, it was very troubling that Jianghorando was under the sphere of influence of the Heavenly Pavilion. But he didn't think they would dare to touch the old man, and he thought they were well hidden. The evidence of their landing on this island had long since sunk to the bottom of the lake.

The safest place to be at the moment was actually here, in Kanghorando.

The prowling spies of the Temple of Heaven were nowhere to be seen. It was as if they had ebbed away like the tide.

"You look at something like this and immediately say it's dark under the bridge."

Bi Ryuyeon giggled as she looked out the window from the second floor of the council chambers.

"They'll think we're sane."

Namgungsang received the word.

"If they were sane, they wouldn't have fled to Kanghorando. They're only a nose's breadth from the pagoda, aren't they?"

"Yes, most of them are probably expanding their search along the road to the Heavenly Martial Hall."

Surveillance of the natural powerhouse is actually thinner than usual. We're sending more people to cover more ground.

"In addition, there is currently a Salt Sword Master and a Bing Sword Master here, as well as the Ami Goddess Jin Xiaoling and the Dot Chang First Sword Yue Yunsheng."

Just knowing that they had his back was reassuring.

"And then there's 'that' old man. I don't think any of the little bastards out there would touch him."

"Who the hell is he?"

Nangong Shang still didn't know the identity of the old man. However, he could only guess that he was a man of great status from the way Elders Yin Dao, Ice Sword, Qin Xiaoling, and Mercurial Sono treated him with the utmost respect.

"I don't need to know yet. It won't do you any good to know."

"Why?"

He didn't think anyone here had the balls to tamper with the legend; it would be tantamount to turning the entire Black Forest against them. But all that bullshit was left out of the explanation.

"If you know, you die."

A fearsome smile formed on Bi Ryuyeon's face.

"Zhu, what do you mean, I'm going to die?"

At that, Bi Ryuyeon shook her head.

"Murderous, scary. No, die of a heart attack."

"Shi, heart attack?"

"Yeah, I'm so surprised."

With that, she closed her mouth. She meant no more questions. Her questions continued to bubble up, but she could only suppress them for now.

"I guess we'll find out one day.

What mattered now was the confidence that they were safe and protected.

"This place is going to turn into a war zone."

The passing words of Bi Ryuyeon sent a shiver of tension through Namgung Sang's chest. Yes, this was still enemy territory. It didn't matter when a fight broke out. For now, it was important to minimize the chances of that happening, and if it did, he needed to have the strength to fight back.

"Give it a rest."

There were still many injured. There were victims.

Namgung Sansan and Hyun Yun still hadn't awakened from their comas. Neither had Old Hak, who had lost an arm.

There were victims, too.

'Moonhye…….'

The thought of the empty seats in the main hall made Namgungsang depressed again.

If I had a little more power, it wouldn't have come to that…….

The thought quickly showed on her face, and when she saw his gloomy face, she clicked her tongue.

"Idiot, don't beat yourself up. You don't have time for that right now. Give yourself a break. You can save the pity party for later."

"Yes……."

I answered, but it was weak.

"Stop going. Go get some rest."

Namgungsang bowed and left, closing the door behind him.

Scratchy.

Bi Ryuyeon scratched the back of her head and muttered.

"This is bad."

The problem was that the others in the troupe were also in a state of utter frustration. The death of their colleague, Tang Wenhui, must have come as a shock to them.

Right now, they needed a break more than anything.

I needed to rest my wounded heart and replenish my lost energy.

But their break was short-lived.

A day passed, two days passed, and the backsum never returned.

Four or five times a day, Ye Qing looked at the sky where the white islands flew. The sky was always blue, but it didn't bring her the news she was waiting for.

As the days went by, the sun went down, the moon came up, the sun went down, the moon came up again, and so on, the anxiety grew.

But as hard as she could, Ye Qing suppressed her anxiety.

Everything went well. If Baxum did not return, there must be a mistake. But the anxiety in her mind was growing, not abating.

'Please…… honey, be safe…….'

"Big trouble, big trouble!"

Receptionist Nam Gung-jin slammed the door to the council chamber.

Inside, Chil-sang-hyeon was asleep and undergoing treatment. He hadn't woken up yet. He was told that his detoxification was complete, but that he would remain asleep to allow his body to heal itself. It was reassuring to know that he was not in a coma, but simply sleeping.

On the bed next to him lay Namgungsansan and Hyun-woon, and on the bed next to them, only a bloody bandage remained on the white bed. This was where Nohak had been lying until yesterday.

"This is the Senate, Namgung Hohyeok. This is supposed to be a respectful place, please calm down."

Ye Qingyu cautioned him. But Nam Gung Jin shook his head, unable to calm down.

"Well, I can't, ma'am!"

He showed no signs of calming down.

Ye Qingyu was puzzled. It was unusual for someone who was the head of an entire family to be so embarrassed that he forgot himself.

Namgungjin glanced around, as if urgently scanning for the person.

"And He?"

Ye Qing quickly realized that he was referring to the old man. Namgungjin didn't want him to hear his story.

"Why, because it's not something he should hear?"

"That's……."

"Calm down and talk to me, South Palace. What the hell happened?"

Namgungjin swallowed dryly, then slowly opened his mouth.

"You need to calm down and listen."

"Don't worry. I'm always keeping my cool."

Ye Qing replied.

"I think you might want to have a seat."

What's wrong with him today? He didn't seem at all like his usual serious self.

"I'm fine the way I am."

Ye Qing insisted. Namgungjin finally spoke up to see if he could.

"The Black Heavenly Clan has declared all-out war on the Zheng Tian Clan."

Ye Qing's body stiffened, as if he was frozen.

She wasn't the only one who stiffened. Yeomdo, Ice Sword, and Gu Tianhak, who had just walked through the door, also stiffened.

"A war of words……? No way……."

The three men looked at each other and then fell silent. The stony faces of the three confirmed that what they had heard earlier had not been a hallucination.

"Look here, Nan Gung Ho, I'd like you to retract that poor joke."

Binggum frowned and looked towards Nan Gongjin. He had been in the Heavenly Martial Academy for a long time as the Grand Master, so he was familiar with Nan Gongjin, but Nan Gongjin shook his head with a darkly shadowed face. As if apologizing for not being able to reciprocate Bing's wishes.

"What the hell is going on, a war so suddenly? It's ridiculous."

Ye Qing's question was an obvious one.

Traditionally, wars don't happen overnight. It happens when, over a series of minor clashes, the grievances of both sides start to build up and build up into warlike intentions, which then reach a critical mass and explode. Total war, especially as opposed to localized warfare, was a very political act. For the people caught up in it, it was a terrible nightmare and hell, but from the top, it was a political choice. In a war, the people are the first to die, and those at the top are the last to die.

In any case, in a war, whether you win or lose, people die like expendables, and both sides bleed profusely, which is why, for the most part, wars don't happen unless there's a lot at stake.

And then all of a sudden, all-out war, without any precedent, without any justification?

"What's the point?"

War without a cause is impossible.

Even the smallest one-on-one skirmishes require a rationale, and in a war, it's no different.

What the Great War needs is a cause.

The first to reach it would be entitled to declare war.

People's minds are inherently different, so they don't come together easily. It's even worse for the Black Swords, who value profit more than right. That's why they need a cause. Only that cause can bring together the scattered hearts of the Black Swords.

Until now, however, the Black and White Islands have somehow managed to establish an outwardly peaceful regime under the "cause" of suppressing the issuance of the Heavenly Spirit. As long as the common enemy was not completely destroyed, they would join forces to keep its power in check.

"What kind of 'rationale' is this for the 'greater good' of preventing the Second Heavenly Blood Tax? If the rationale is weak, even the most black-eyed decision won't work."

Nam Gung Jin's face was grim as he spoke the words that sounded like a celestial force.

"They say that the Black Heavenly Lord Galjongchun has been killed."

Ye Qing's eyes widened. Her barely maintained expression cracked, and her body shook.

"A brother to go, who dares to do such an insolent thing!"

Nam Gung-jin opened his mouth cautiously, as if he was too embarrassed to speak.

"They claim that…… is the handiwork of the Nine Hundred Heavenly Masters."

A scream-like cry erupted from Ye Qing's pale mouth.

"This can't be happening!"

The white whale had flown; their daughter had been rescued, and it was she, and no one else, who had written the news; she herself had written the glad tidings and sent them to her husband.

"No! No way!

Even if her daughter was still in captivity, her husband was not the man to do it. He wasn't the kind of man who would throw an entire army into a firestorm for the sake of his daughter. So she gritted her teeth and prepared herself.

Be prepared to make a choice at the last minute when you are given a choice.

But…….

"That can't be right, that can't be right."

Ye Qing shook his head in disbelief.

Shake.

I stumbled to my feet, barely able to keep from collapsing into my chair.

That can't be right, that can't be right, that can't be right.

I shook my head and shook it again.

Her whole sky was falling.