Chapter 450

Several dozen people had gathered near the sandy shore at the far end of the island.

When the martial artists surrounding us opened a path, I finally spotted some familiar faces.

“Uncle Hwang! How could you leave your nephew behind? How could you!”

Mu Song wailed in a hoarse voice. Perfected Being Hyeongong of Wudang watched him with a sorrowful expression, while Crouching Dragon Guest Zhuge Feng watched with a profound, unreadable gaze.

And then…

Mungyeong.

Mungyeong usually faded into the background, barely making his presence felt among the others. But from the moment he realized something had happened at Donghu Stronghold, he had moved faster than anyone.

Not as the Slaughter Saint, but as a medical apprentice, he had rushed everywhere in an effort to save even a single life.

But as if to mock his efforts, there wasn’t a single survivor.

The corpse Mu Song clutched as he wept was merely one of the countless victims of the tragedy.

“You’ve arrived.”

Jeok Cheongang gave Zhuge Feng a displeased glance before speaking.

“Is that Yangtze One Saber Hwang Chung?”

“It may be difficult to recognize him, but from what we’ve determined, there can be no doubt.”

That.

It might have sounded inappropriate to use such a word for the dead.

But anyone who saw Yangtze One Saber Hwang Chung’s corpse in person would have found it hard to object. I was no different.

What kind of lunatic did this?

The corpse was so badly mutilated that it was difficult to believe it had once been a living person.

His face looked as if it had been pounded with a boulder, and there was simply nothing below his chest.

The stench of rotting flesh and entrails stabbed at my nose.

“Urgh—ugh!”

I couldn’t blame Hyuk Mujin for staggering backward with a retch.

Even my stomach churned, and I had seen more corpses and gruesome scenes than I could count.

The sworn brother of the Seafaring King. A Supreme Peak master who had ruled the vast Yangtze with his formidable martial arts.

Yangtze One Saber Hwang Chung now looked more like a lump of meat than a corpse.

“Benefactor, this is…”

“It’s horrifying. What kind of godforsaken bastard would do this?”

Cheongpung and Gung Gibang murmured, their faces pale.

I stared at the corpse with my face stiff as stone, then suddenly felt something strange and opened my mouth.

“What are those corpses?”

The island was littered with bodies, so a few more were hardly surprising.

But the two corpses I had noticed were laid side by side next to Yangtze One Saber Hwang Chung.

They must have been important, too.

Zhuge Feng followed my gaze and answered.

“Mad Water Saber Demon Hwang Cheol and Wave Fox Do Ripgun.”

“Mad Water Saber Demon… Wave Fox…”

I had heard those names a few times before, and fairly recently.

After a brief search of my memory, my head snapped up.

“Could they be…?”

“That’s right. They were the Stronghold Lords of Dangyang Stronghold and Honghu Stronghold, the two strongholds on Dongting Lake.”

“Weren’t they the ones who vanished without a trace after seizing the Sea Serpent Society’s territory?”

“Yes. They certainly were.”

Zhuge Feng continued, his deep gaze fixed on the bodies of the two Stronghold Lords.

“The Mad Water Saber Demon was hot-tempered, while the Wave Fox was cunning. That was why everyone had no choice but to suspect them when the Sea Serpent Society incident occurred a month ago.”

Gung Gibang suddenly spoke up.

“My Master once told me that only two people in the Yangtze River Channel League could keep the Mad Water Saber Demon and the Wave Fox under control.”

“That is correct. Whatever their personalities, both possessed formidable martial arts. Without a leash to restrain them, they would have run wild like vicious hounds.”

In that sense, Yangtze One Saber Hwang Chung would have made the perfect leash.

He was the second strongest master in the Yangtze River Channel League after the Seafaring King, and he must have been exceptionally skilled at handling people as well.

But the sturdy leash had snapped, and the two vicious hounds had also been found dead.

The Yangtze River Channel League’s forces in Hubei Province, which had fought the Sea Serpent Society over local interests for years, had also been laid to waste.

And there was only one group that could commit such an act without reason or justification.

“Dark Heaven. Is it them again?”

Perfected Being Hyeongong’s sigh carried unmistakable anger and sorrow.

After Henan and Sichuan, Dark Heaven’s shadow had finally fallen over Hubei Province.

No—perhaps Dark Heaven had stood astride the world for a very long time.

Perhaps we simply had not felt its shadow because it had been night, with not a single ray of light.

Just as the Head Elder joined hands with Dark Heaven long ago.

This scheme hadn’t begun yesterday or the day before. It had been taking shape since the time of the Great Faction War.

“An age of chaos. We have truly entered an age of chaos.”

Crouching Dragon Guest Zhuge Feng muttered under his breath, then raised his head and looked around.

His eyes gleamed with an inscrutable light as he stared into the thick fog on every side.

It was as if he could see through it to something crouching beyond.

Everyone, including my companions and me, sprang into action.

But even after thoroughly searching the island and the surrounding cliffs for a single survivor or witness, we found nothing.

If anything, we were left with even more questions and frustration.

It’s one thing for there to be no survivors, but how can there be no trace of a formation, either?

If Dark Heaven had reached this place through a Moving Formation instead of passing through Tianling Falls, traces like the ones we had found in Sichuan had to remain somewhere nearby.

Yet even after retainers of the Zhuge Clan, renowned for their knowledge of formations and mechanisms, joined the search, we had nothing to show for it.

Even Zhuge Feng eventually came to question me.

“Are you certain such a formation truly exists?”

“I told you, it does. We left Henan as soon as everything was over, so we couldn’t search for it there. But during the Sichuan Blood Tragedy, I saw it clearly with my own two eyes.”

“I knew of it from the letters I received, but no such bizarre formation exists in our family’s records.”

“Then this is your chance to add it.”

“…”

“It’s here somewhere. We have to find it.”

“I agree. But the people gathered here are not enough.”

The sheer size of the island Donghu Stronghold had made its headquarters was one problem, but the surrounding terrain was an even greater one.

Cliffs stretching hundreds of jang¹ surrounded it on every side, making it impossible to approach by land, while an even greater expanse of river lay beyond them.

With only four swift ships and roughly three hundred people, there was a limit to how much we could search.

“It was a mistake to select people for their martial prowess. We should have brought retainers well versed in formations.”

Regretting it now wouldn’t change anything.

Zhuge Feng, myself, and everyone else here had been worried about a bloody clash with the Yangtze River Channel League. None of us had dreamed that this would be waiting for us.

“Then we’ll go to the Zhuge Clan and bring back the people we need.”

“It would be best if I went myself as Family Head, but under the circumstances, that appears to be our best option. I’ll assign several of our retainers to accompany you.”

Jeok Cheongang, who had been listening quietly, suddenly spoke to me.

“Does that ‘we’ of yours include this old man?”

“Of course. Don’t you know the saying? Wherever the needle goes, the thread follows.”

“I see. Then have you heard this saying?”

“…?”

“Talk bullshit and you die.”

“…!”

I flinched, and Jeok Cheongang clenched his fist menacingly.

“This old man isn’t going. If you want to go, go by yourself.”

“What, are you planning to live here for the rest of your life? Are you never leaving?”

“Who said this old man would stay forever? There’s no need for everyone to rush off together. If even one more person remains behind to help search for the formation, we can uncover the culprit and restore peace to Hubei, can’t we?”

Ever since his friend, the Dharma King Hong Dao, had been killed by Dark Heaven, Jeok Cheongang had ground his teeth at the mere mention of its name. Yet something about his reaction this time didn’t add up.

After thinking for a moment, I clapped my hands.

“Ah. Now I get it. It’s because of Tianling Falls.”

“…!”

“You should have just said so instead of beating around the bush. I forgot to take that into account, too.”

“W-who says I care about a little water? Have you forgotten who this old man is?”

“Hmm. A Coward?”

“You little—!”

Bam! Bam! Baaam!

After taking about seven blows to the back of the head, I fled and headed toward my next destination.

The familiar faces gathered nearby turned toward me.

“Captain. What do we do now?”

I gave Hyuk Mujin a light kick in the butt as I answered.

“I just talked it over with them. We have to leave immediately, so get ready.”

“Leave? Where are we going?”

“The Zhuge Clan. It seems we need to bring back people skilled in formations and mechanisms. If necessary, we’ll also bring in reinforcements from Wudang. I heard they have several Daoists who are well versed in formations.”

“Wudang might be difficult.”

I frowned at Gung Gibang’s sudden interruption.

“What kind of bullshit is that?”

“I’m not the one who said it. Perfected Being Hyeongong did.”

“Hmm. Now that I think about it, he must have had a good reason.”

“…”

“Whatever. Explain. What do you mean?”

“It seems Wudang has troubles of its own. Even before the Sea Serpent Society incident, some madman they’re calling the Killing Ghost had been murdering people throughout Hubei Province… Apparently, the situation has grown serious. More than thirty people have already died by his hand, so I suppose that’s no surprise.”

“The Killing Ghost? Is he a martial artist?”

“He certainly seems to be a martial artist of considerable skill. Most of his victims were commoners, but a fairly renowned First Rate wandering martial artist was reportedly found dead after accepting a government commission to hunt him down.”

A First Rate wandering martial artist would be considered a First Rate master wherever he went.

If the rumored Killing Ghost had truly disposed of one with ease and escaped, there was a good chance he was a Peak master.

Still, Wudang wouldn’t mobilize the entire sect just to catch one man.

The question vanished at Gung Gibang’s next words.

“Was it three days ago? Twenty pilgrims climbing Mount Wudang were massacred. Among them were children of high officials and nobles who intended to enter Wudang as lay disciples.”

“Ah.”

This hadn’t happened just anywhere. The massacre had taken place on Mount Wudang itself.

As if pilgrims being massacred right in Wudang’s own front yard weren’t enough, the victims included children of high officials and nobles. Wudang’s fury was only natural.

He’s completely insane. Bold, too.

For a moment, the words Dark Heaven crossed my mind, but I soon shook my head.

This was Murim. It was full of lunatics who made modern serial killers look like amateurs.

Even if someone were murdered in broad daylight on a main road, it would not be all that surprising.

If Dark Heaven had done this, an incident incomparably larger would have erupted.

In any case, that was Wudang’s situation. We could reconsider the matter after reaching the Zhuge Clan.

“Well, now that I know, everyone pack your things. They’re already preparing outside to take us back.”

Jin Wikyung had already decided to remain behind before I went to meet Zhuge Feng, so I only needed to bring the people gathered here.

But one bastard—or rather, one gentleman—seemed to have other ideas.

“I’ll stay.”

“Which bastard— Oh. It’s Mungyeong.”

“Is there any reason I need to accompany you?”

“Nope. Stay. Stay.”

Please stay.