Book 29 Chapter 9

3000 vs 1

-Dancing puppets

Pasangdo Black Zhou, the First Lord of the Black Sun Clan, a mid-level power in the Hubei capital of Wuhan, had been frustrated with the search for several days now.

"Holy shit, have you seen this, it's an emergency call, and it's for seamless connectivity, but it's also annoying as hell to have a regular call and drill twice a year……."

Aside from the main force that formed the backbone of the siege, the fact that this vast search party of dozens of minor sects was able to operate without any conflicts was all thanks to such routine training. However, whether or not the sudden mobilization was good or bad was a different matter.

"We're just a bunch of bullshit, what are we, and why do we have to work with those assholes at Red Sun Moon?

The irritated, rough-looking man grumbled.

"Damn it! Where did this bastard Shiki hide that he can't even see his own nose? The Supreme Leader of the Great Black Sun Temple, this old man, should come to a place like this and scour the ground like a bunch of children! Do you think that's any good, you?"

"No, of course not! It would be a great waste of manpower to use such an extraordinary person as the Supreme Lord for such menial labor!"

Sensitive to his boss's low mood, the subordinate immediately responded with a blank stare. He must have liked the immediacy of the answer.

"Well, shhhh, you've been rolling around under me for a while, and now you know something, but Meng doesn't know it, tsk tsk tsk. What even a punk like you knows."

"Then why don't you go back, who can stop the great First Lord of the Great Black Sun Gate from holding an event!"

The subordinate shouted, "I'll take this opportunity to make a good show of it," but what came back was a spinning fist to his left cheek.

"Kweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

A fountain of blood sprayed out, sending his men flying to the side.

"You crazy bastard, are you doing this just so you can see Black Sun Moon fail tomorrow?"

"Well, I mean, I'm just……."

Clutching her purple, swollen cheeks, Chitagoo picked herself up off the floor and sulked.

"Even though I am only a minor player in the Infinite, I am obligated to fully cooperate with the Meng Clan's deployment of troops in the event that the Black Sky Decree is invoked. It is only with the tacit permission of the Black Heavenly League that we are able to operate in the backworld of Infinity!"

Since the Black Heaven Alliance is a general alliance of the Black Sword Sect, it does not have a policy of exterminating other Black Sword factions within its sphere of influence, otherwise the seeds of the Black Sword Sect in Hubei Province would dry up.

The Black Heavenly League's concern was whether or not the White Dao forces were crossing into their territory, not how the Black Dao sects were fighting and increasing their power, as long as they didn't cross the line.

Instead, the hierarchy was clear, and when the Black Heaven Decree, or Muster Order, was issued, all Black Dao sects located south of Hubei were subject to the command of the Black Heaven League, regardless of the reason.

"Do you know what will happen to the Black Dao Sect if they do not respond to the summons of the Black Heavenly Spirit, or if they do, if they violate its laws?"

"Uh, what's going on?"

"Cleared."

The Black Lady said, miming slitting her own throat with her fingers.

"In this world?"

Rattling, shivering like an aspen tree, the little bugger replied.

"No, from the roster."

"What-?"

"It's just a crossed out line on a list."

"Phew, I'm……. again"

Quack!

Then, this time, a spinning back fist landed on his right cheek.

"You fool! Do you know what it means to have your name removed from the list? It means that the Black Heavenly Blind no longer protects them, so you can eat them to your heart's content. Before the ink is dry, there'll be hordes of Seungnang from everywhere, and they'll be tearing up the Black Sun Gate, especially that bastard's shikis!"

He stretched out his arm and pointed to the red-clad warriors, who were moving forward in pace a few paces off to the side of them.

"You mean those bastards!"

The Red Sun Gate and the Red Moon are neighboring cousins facing the same shoulder, so they have been fighting for the same territory for decades. However, since they were under the same Black Heaven Alliance, even if they normally fought over territory, they had no choice but to operate together when the order was given. Zhao Dagou was also not in a good mood, as he had just fought against them a few days ago.

It's bad enough that I was summoned out of the blue, but the thought of having to interact with a bunch of guys who made me sick to my stomach just looking at them made my stomach turn.

It was then that his gaze fell upon the goateed man at the head of the red-robed warriors.

"Who are you, aren't you the Black Lord of the Black Sun Gate, I haven't seen you in a long time."

The goateed man waved back and pretended to know me.

'Well, look at you, you've been next to me for three hours now, and you're acting like you know me for the first time?

How dare you treat me like I'm invisible, welcome to the club!

"Hey, who's this? Isn't this the owner of Red Sun Moon? Nice to meet you. Well, let's see. It's been three days since you tried to stab me in the gut? It's been a long time."

Then the goatee-bearded man, Ho Han Sword Najeon, with a furrowed brow and a smile on his face, replied.

"Oh, don't say that. Would I have done such a dastardly thing even if the Black Lord hadn't tried to turn our gambling house into ashes, and didn't the Black Lord put a knife in my side at that time, too? What would I have done if I hadn't had a bokudai?"

'What the hell, you must have made a dozen sundaes out of the stuff in your side. I'm sure you got it right then…….'

"Haha, it seems that a martial artist must have good armor and a good belt. How could I have known that the top-quality natural crocodile skin fistguard I bought last time would be so useful? The cheap third-rate cotton fistguard used by the Black Lord can't even block a sword. If you don't want to be subjected to an unexpected intestinal tour, you'll have to be a good guard, won't you?"

"Oh, so you're the one with the alligator suit that's all the rage these days?

This was a great opportunity to buy a first-class cowhide belt, and Zhuge Liang couldn't help but have a bad taste in his mouth. Seeing Najeon bragging about wearing a luxury leather bokken, he felt something deep in his heart.

"And I'm not Jay anymore, I'm the 'work' owner, because I'm credited with saving the gambling house from burning to the ground thanks to this masterpiece, so please be careful with your titles in the future. It's a shame, because if I'd had a better aim back then, I could have been the Grand Master. Anyway, now the Black Lord and I are in the same class, the same. Class."

It was then that Black Zhou stabbed Najeon in the stomach and caught him a little off guard, allowing his sword to be spilled for the sake of his fine crocodile skin replica.

"Who the hell is your equal, you weakling goat fucker, how dare you try to match your elders on the subject?"

Blackjack couldn't help but get excited, thinking, "Oh, he's my classmate.

"Uh huh, why are you looking at me like that, did I say something wrong, would you like me to demonstrate my skills, I don't think my knife was in the air at the time."

Suddenly, the side of his body where Najeon's sword had slashed burned. The hatred in his heart grew stronger.

There was even a wry smile on his face as he spoke, as if he had just remembered.

"How dare the Shiki of Inum try to match you!

Blackjaw's fists shook with fury, but he could not bring himself to strike.

In fact, they could fight with their mouths, but they couldn't fight with their hands. Even if they wanted to send him on a sightseeing tour of the afterlife, it was impossible. The Black Heavenly Blind were not ruthless enough to tolerate private fights in the course of an operation.

One wrong punch, and that very day, the Black Sun Moon will have its name wiped from the rolls of the Black Heavenly League. It would then become the prey of the surrounding Black Island Sect, and he knew that, which was why he was provocative. Decades of cultivation could not be lost in a single moment by cringing.

"See you after this is over. I'll show you what it's like to be a real boss, and don't think your crocodile-skin belly button is going to give you an arm's length."

"If it's an alligator belly, you mean this one, here, here."

As if to provoke him, Nathan undid his waistband and lifted up his top, revealing a glossy, tanned black crocodile skin belly band wrapped around his stomach. It was clearly high-end, with the crocodile crest of Gourmand Vuitton, a company that specializes in the finest fanny packs, clearly visible.

"Here, here, here. Here, you see it, do you want to poke it, do you want to poke it?"

Burrrrrrr!

Blackjaw's fists shook frantically.

Then something happened that no one expected.

The Scourer!

"Huh?

What the heck is that?

Her fists were shaking, and she blinked, looking down at her stomach.

A cheesecloth abdominal band was exposed through the cut. Though it was not a luxury item, the man would have been severely wounded without it.

However, since it wasn't made of leather, it didn't stop the blood from bleeding out.

"What the hell is this……."

Black Panther, who had thought he would never be able to wield a sword, was dumbfounded by the unexpected bite.

If you're going to swing a sword, you should swing it, not the guy who provoked you.

But the knife that sliced through his abdomen was clearly in Najeon's hand, and his other hand was still up, showing off his Copper Vuitton stomach.

The pallor of Najeon's face made him look very embarrassed, but there was no way he could see that from the upturned eyeballs.

"You rotten little goat, how dare you feed me a knife?"

Finally, the pent-up rage of the Black Pearl exploded.

"No, Black Sugar, this is a misunderstanding……."

"Yeah, that's good, you go die today."

"I said misunderstanding, misunderstanding!"

He waved his hands in disbelief, then swung again. This time I was prepared, and I raised my katana to block the blow.

CHANG!

Sparks flew as the tao collided.

"Hey, you goat, you misunderstand!"

"Oh, yes, oh, yes!"

Najeon nodded, puzzled. But his words only backfired on her.

"Misunderstanding? What ocean is that, you goat, and I'm giving you my bastard child today!"

Black Zhou shouted, swinging his greatsword sideways as if to catch a goat.

"Boys, wipe out the red guys!"

Panicked, Najeon shouted to his men, cutting off the wind and blocking the flying toadstools.

"Stop him!"

I didn't like him enough to just let him die. The guards at the enemy gate raised their weapons in unison.

The fight grew louder and louder, with shouting, cursing, and hatred.

"Hey, what's going on? We're in the middle of an operation. Come to your senses."

The great master of the cultivation center, the stately Hundred Suns, tried to stop them.

Wham!

But it was the swords of Black Zhou, the first lord of the Black Sun Gate, and Najen, the first lord of the Red Sun Gate.

CHANG!

Luckily, the Grandmaster was more martial than the other two and was able to stop the surprise attack.

"How dare you!"

Sparks flew from the eyes of Great Master Baek Sun-moon.

"This, this, this is wrong, Zheng Dadangzhu!"

"Misunderstanding? Where's the ocean, you bastards!"

Repeating the words that Black Zhou had spoken to Najeon earlier, Zheng Xiaoshan also threw himself into the fray, wielding his twin swords.

How can subordinates stand still when their superiors are jumping in?

Now there was nothing to stop this mess.

The battle of the two factions became the battle of the three factions, the battle of the three factions became the battle of the five factions, and the battle of the five factions soon became the battle of the ten factions.

The fight spread among three thousand men in a shovelful of snow, as grass spreads in a dry fall.

But Blackger did not know. Nor did Naji know. Nor, of course, the Three Kings of Noon.

The presence of transparent threads connecting his and Najeon's arms and shoulders.

A being cloaked in a nearby tree, snapping its five fingers as if playing.

That the transparent threads extending from the tips of the being's five fingers were connected to threads that ran down their arms and shoulders.

And the fact that the being's bangs are so long they cover its eyes.

He smiles as he watches the siege line of the Tianlajiang Mumunse crumble under the weight of his light music.

Flying Swords Arcane Secrets Misunderstandings

Chapter of the Tiger (傀儡)

Puppet Dance [傀儡舞]

Wumingun Dance (愚民群舞)

Unbelief (不信地獄)

That's the name of the tune Bi Ryuyeon is playing now, and the humans are dancing to it.

The dance didn't die down, it just got more intense.

Abigail (阿鼻叫喚).

It was the final act in a dance of self-destruction, a dance of disbelief.

"I can't believe……! I can't believe this is really happening……."

Men and women were screaming and clashing here and there. The formation had already been shattered, and holes had begun to appear all over the once solid walls of Yin. Few people were paying attention to Bi Ryuyeon's group now.

In a time when it was said that there was no way out even if there was a way in, there were countless doors everywhere. With every curse word and every fist thrown, one door after another opened.

"Hey, Whee, do you know why umin are called umin?"

"Why?"

"It's called Umin because it's good."

Giggling, Bi Ryuyeon said.

"Outstanding (優秀)? Surely Wu Min's wu is……."

Not that," she said, cutting him off.

"He's really good at dancing on other people's tunes. It doesn't matter how perfect the music is, it's the people who make it up. Just give them a few yarn pulls from behind and watch. Pretty soon it's like that, isn't it?"

She pointed her finger. There, under the rising sun, the crisp morning of Abi Gyuhwan was dawning, a morning of distrust, hatred, and violence.

"What's refreshing about refreshing, it's horrible."

Jang Hong shook his head in disbelief.

"The wounds of distrust tend to fester quickly, so it's refreshing."

"Ryuyeon, you really are a…… scary person."

Jang Hong looked at Bi Ryuyeon and let out a sigh that he didn't know whether to lament or admire. Bi Ryuyeon only smiled weakly.

"What am I afraid of? Your finger is pointing in the wrong direction, mister. It's not me that's scary, it's over there, over there."

His finger pointed to a place that was still a refreshing place of disbelief.

"What are you afraid of?"

"So you're not scared? The stupidity and ignorance of the masses, the masses of people who don't realize they're being manipulated, who are marching to the beat of someone else's drum, you're telling me you're not scared? I'm terrified, and I can't even begin to imagine the stupid things they'll do, the stupid dances they'll do."

The scariest thing about the umin was that they had no common sense or concepts.

"Is that what the person pulling the puppet strings behind the scenes would say?"

"I'm not the only one pulling, right? How many people are trying to pull the thread from behind, and yes, the person pulling is an idiot."

It's shameless, but when it's this shameless, I really admire it.

"Your subcutaneous fat enhancement skills never cease to amaze me, and it seems that you have already passed the level of sword invulnerability and water invulnerability and have reached the level of Heavenly Clotheslessness."

"I'm not kidding, that's the scary part, really. I'm really scared of being pulled, really scared of being pulled. Isn't that right?"

Bi Ryuyeon shook her head in disbelief.

"Haha, Ryuyeon, you're right. The public is indeed a very sad existence."

Mo Yonghui muttered with a gloomy face. They were supposed to be united and chasing a single goal, but they were busy stabbing each other. How could so many people fall into self-doubt at once……. Perhaps, as Bi Ryuyeon had said, the masses were the most terrifying.

"Well, at least it made it a little easier for us to cry, didn't it?"

Namgungsang came to the defense of his brother.

"That's right."

After all, Jang Hong was also a man who operated in the shadows. He was one of the few people who knew how much behind-the-scenes maneuvering was going on in this world.

"That's it."

After being together for so long, Namgungsang was no stranger to the sight of his big brother.

"It's not like it's a day or two, it's a big brother thing.

And she doesn't pull the strings behind their backs.

"I just pull it out in front of me.

I didn't know whether to call it a good thing or a bad thing.

"You're scary, but you pull the puppet strings just fine, and I'm lucky you're not my friend…… and I'm lucky you're not my enemy."

"So what happens to our bet?"

Curling her fingers into a ball, she chuckled.

"Hah, I was a fool to bet with you. You win this bet."

I'll definitely charge this to Meng as a business expense, Jang Hong said, determined.

"Then you owe me three hundred."

"For only three hundred yuan, I broke through to the Heavenly Kingdom of Mumunse, so I suppose it was a bargain."

Anyway, this got the door open.

* * *

It was no exaggeration to say that crossing the Thousand Ridges was like finally crossing a mountain for them, a mountain that they had to pass through to reach their destination.

The Yin Order tends to rely on the mobility of horses, so there weren't too many search parties in the mountains. But when they reached their destination so easily, Jang Hong was puzzled.

"Something's not right……."

"What are you talking about, Brother Zhang?

Hearing Mo Yonghui's casual question, Jang Hong shook his head with a serious face.

"That's too easy."

"Shouldn't it be easy?"

"No, it's not like I'm going to be able to say, "This isn't the world I know.""

Despite its fearsome name, the encirclement was too loosely constructed. Even though it's meant to keep what's inside from getting out, so it's a bit vulnerable to getting in from the outside, it's still a bit too much.

The herpes of the Jin method was a top-secret secret, so I didn't know the details of it yet, but it wasn't a Jin method with the name Annihilation Jin. I felt a little queasy that it ended so easily.

"Don't think you're going to get three hundred bucks for that."

"Don't worry, I won't do that to save my life."

It made sense not to do something so unhealthy.

"As if they let it in on purpose. Well…… it's probably just me."

However, a nagging feeling lingered.

"Maybe I'm being too sensitive?

I wish I had more information about this wipeout…….

It's hard to make a judgment with the information we have now.

His background was in intelligence, so he always made informed judgments, not just hunches.

His role was originally to collect information, to gather it. It was not his role to judge.

So, out of habit, he ignored his instincts and withheld judgment.

Little did they know it would come back to bite them in the ass.

"Okay, so we've finally reached the river with the cliffs, where is this Namcheon thing, Uncle Jang Hong?"

Bi Ryuyeon's words stopped Jang Hong's thinking.

"I don't know the exact location either. I forgot."

"Don't be so bold as to say something like that."

Jang Hong felt the sting of everyone's gazes as they all turned to him at once.

"Oh, my skin is tingling, but that just means it's an important secret place. Don't worry, you'll remember it soon enough, once you find the 'Namtian'."

"I mean, what does that tropical water look like?"

"That's a flower. A red flower of the rhododendron family. Look for the one by the cliff. It's next to a pine tree growing on a cliff with a winding torrent."

Jang Hong tried his best to explain vaguely, but his colleagues were a little skeptical.

"Do you think you'll ever find that flower at this time of year, unless it's a year-round flower……."

"There you go."

"And the rationale?"

Then Jang Hong pointed his finger toward the people's backs and said.

"That's because it's blooming over there."

"What?"

The three heads snapped back.

And there they were, dozens of tiny red flowers blooming like red beads.

A pine tree stretched out like a sideways hand from the side of a sharp-angled cliff, and from it a single vine stretched toward the river, which swirled beneath it among the jagged reefs.

If I fell, I'd hit a reef that stood out like a sore thumb. And next to the pine tree, among the grasses, tiny red flowers dotted the ground.

It was a flower that looked more like a cluster of tiny dots from a distance than anything spectacular, but Jang Hong's voice was filled with admiration.

"That's namcheon!"

At that moment, Jang Hong heard a whisper in his head about the Great Refuge, the place of last resort.

Extraordinary Extraordinary Regime Authorization

Declassify (解制) Top Secret Information

Unblocking (解拒拒拒拒拒拒拒拒拒拒拒拒)

It was as if someone was whispering in his ear; it could be his own voice, the one he had once hinted at, or it could be the voice of a complete stranger, or it could be the voice of Meng Zhu Nai Bai Tian.

Yikes!

Memories sealed by self-suggestion were unsealed, and the location of the Great Refuge flashed into his mind.

"I can't believe I was in that place……."

The information came as a great surprise to Jang Hong himself, and he muttered in disbelief.

"Where the hell is it?"

"There's the big one."

Jang Hong pointed to the center of a whirlpool that was churning among the jagged reefs.

A chunk of log, swept up from somewhere, is caught in a spiral and spun around and around…….

Oops!

It hit a protruding rock and snapped in half with a loud crack.

"……."

At the sight of this, Nan Gongsheng, Bi Ryuyeon, Mo Yonghui, the three of them, and even Jang Hong were left speechless.

"Well, I don't have any suicidal hobbies. You go first."

Bi Ryuyeon looked at Jang Hong with a suspicious glance and said in a cold voice.

"Zee, Zee, are you doubting me? How could I possibly point you to the wrong place?"

Jang Hong cried out.

"Well, maybe. There's no law against that, is there? Right?"

Namgungsang and Mo Yonghui nodded in agreement.

"Okay, you guys……."

When Mo Yonghui nodded in agreement, Jang Hong's shock was not the only one. The eyes of the others, still unconvinced, turned toward him.

"Nope. Trust me. If you dive into that exact spot, you'll reach the underwater cave where the Great Refuge is, Ah-ma-do!"

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

I can't help but think that last statement sounds a little creepy.

"Well, that's new to me too……."

Jang Hong scratched the back of his head with an ah-ha, embarrassed laugh, but no one laughed along with him.

"Hmm, are you sure you want to jump into that?"

"I don't want to jump in the river with a bunch of men, that's water pollution!"

Bi Ryuyeon responded to Namgung's serious question.

"Oh, come on, trust me."

"I don't know what I'd trust you with, no way."

"Come on, come on, jump. Isn't that what they say about instant death?"

"Brother Zhang, what if you really die?"

"Well, whatever…… can't be helped."

It was indeed an irresponsible thing to say. Three pairs of disbelieving, fierce gazes turned toward Jang Hong.

"Ha, what do you want to say?"

Beep, beep, Jang Hong asked in a cold sweat.

"Other Mountain's Stone!"

Mo said.

"Lead by example!"

Namgungsang said.

"Long live the child!"

And the last one was from Ryuyeon Bi.

The three of them were so determined that they didn't dare say no.

"Ha, I see, I see, I see. I'll jump first, I'll jump first! Ha ha, I'm number one…… I'm number one……."

Jang Hong let out a long sigh as he watched the river swirl wildly. He had hoped to avoid the first one somehow, but it seemed that would end up being wishful thinking.

"Okay, you go first. And I'll jump last."

"Why, Ryuyeon?"

"He's jumping to see if the person in front of him is going to die or not."

"……."

At a loss for words, Bi Ryuyeon asked the three what was wrong.

"Why, you're supposed to learn from other people's failures, and it's too costly to learn from your own mistakes, especially when the cost is death, as in this case."

"So how do we know you're really going to jump?"

"Don't worry, I promised Yerin I'd bring her father back, so I won't break my promise to her."

"So you're saying you can break your promises to us?"

"Well, I'll leave that to your imagination."

Bi Ryuyeon laughed. It was an ominous laugh, full of freshness.

In any case, there was no other way around it.

Jang Hong was the first challenger, and like Shen Qing jumping into the water, he could only close his eyes tightly and jump into the middle of the whirlpool.

"Alright, everyone, I'll see you all at the Dragon Palace!"

Whoo-hoo!

Jang Hong's new model was sucked into the vortex with a tailspin.

And then it never came up again.

"……."

After watching the swirling vortex for a while, Bi Ryuyeon bowed her head in silent agreement.

Mo Yonghui and Namgung Sang, who were beside him, also bowed their heads in respectful silence.

With her eyes closed, she muttered quietly to herself.

"Goodbye, mister. We will never forget your sacrifice."

He turned away without a second thought.

Then, his pause button pulled back slightly.

"Chit, you're alive."

The Brain Spirit, which had been quickly wrapped around Jang Hong's ankle, reacted.

It was proof that the Long Hong was moving, proof that there really was something beneath that vortex.

"Ha, well, in that case, I guess I'll just have to go. Don't you think?"

"I'm going to get wet…… and my clothes are going to get wrinkled……."

Mo Yonghui didn't like the idea of getting his clothes wet. Of course, he's not a fan of messy clothes, but so what?

Nangong Shang jumped down, followed by Mo Yonghui with a trembling face, as Bi Ryuyeon pushed him from behind.

"Father-in-law, I'm coming!"

And finally, once she was sure that all three were safe, she threw herself into the vortex.