Chapter 526

“Waaaaaaah!”

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A thunderous roar swallowed everything.

Thousands of martial artists shouted with internal energy behind their voices. Their fierce fighting spirit roused tranquil Mount Song, and their cries echoed without end.

A flag flew high above them. Each had a different name, a different nature, a different life. They were men and women from every walk of life, but now they stood beneath the same banner.

Murim Alliance.

Those three words were all that had been written across the pure white cloth.

The flag was neither as splendid as an emperor’s nor as enormous as the Demonic Cult’s standard had been when its army invaded the Central Plains.

But it was enough.

Everything was contained within those three words: Murim Alliance.

Now the martial artists of the Central Plains would become one beneath that flag. In the new era they had opened for themselves, they would fight a new enemy.

And…

“A new hero will be born.”

The quiet mutter came from somewhere.

From atop a towering tree now thick with leaves, Mungyeong watched the scene below. His gaze came to rest on one person.

Jin Taekyung.

Mungyeong could see the fire in the young man’s eyes as he stood like an iron tower, holding the flag.

With two giants—the Sword Saint and the Fire King—and another rising star, Huashan Divine Dragon Cheongpung, beside him, Taekyung received the cheers raining down from every direction.

He already looked every bit a hero.

“Blazing Flame Divine Dragon!”

“Blazing Flame Divine Dragon Jin Taekyung!”

The martial artists chanted the name of the young hero holding the Murim Alliance’s flag.

As Mungyeong watched, another quiet murmur escaped him.

“It’s finally beginning.”

A new era. A new enemy. And new heroes.

At last, the curtain had risen on a stage long closed.

Some would fall on nameless fields and never rise again. Others would carve their names into a page of Murim’s long history.

Life and death. Humiliation and glory.

Right here, on Mount Song, the prelude to a massive war for the world was beginning.

The world trembled. No—it was undergoing a tremendous upheaval.

Until something happened, it was only rumor, no more real than fiction. But once it became reality, its impact was enormous.

The Mount Song Resolution.

On a warm spring day, news spread far and wide that the Nine Sects and One Gang, the Five Great Families, and countless other Murim factions had finally gathered beneath a single flag.

It meant that a fierce war to decide who would rule the world had begun.

“Sect Leader, they say the Murim Alliance has been founded in Henan!”

“Send a messenger pigeon immediately. Our sect will gladly stand beneath the Murim Alliance’s flag.”

“Yes, Sect Leader!”

“Send word to the other Sect Leaders in Fujian as well. We need to meet.”

The world was vast, with more sects and families than anyone could count.

Those who had been unable to make the journey to Henan for one reason or another declared their intention to join the Murim Alliance. Martial artists without a sect chose their own paths.

“Great Hero Jang, come to Henan with me. Shouldn’t we join the Murim Alliance?”

“I’m sorry, but I intend to go to Sichuan. You’ll have to travel to Henan without me, Great Hero Gwak.”

“Huh. Qingcheng and Emei may still stand, but if Dark Heaven heads to Sichuan first, as the Demonic Cult once did, the region could become a demon-slaying battleground.”

“That is precisely why I must go to Sichuan. Shouldn’t I lend whatever aid I can?”

Some carried the words righteous chivalry in their hearts.

“Brother, it sounds as though we’re headed the same way. Let’s travel together.”

“You’re a true hero. May I ask your name?”

“My name? Never mind that. I’m just a wandering martial artist who makes his living by the sword, so spare me that embarrassing ‘hero’ business. I don’t know how strong these Dark Heaven bastards are, but if I kill enough of them, I’ll make a name for myself and earn a decent sum.”

Others took up their weapons, driven by competitive spirit and dreams of making a name for themselves.

Among those who belonged to no particular sect and set out for their own reasons were unfamiliar faces—people who had not appeared in Murim for years, or had never appeared at all.

“What brings you out here, Master?”

“The weather was pleasant, so I came out for some air. But you look troubled. What happened?”

“Well, I was wandering through the mountains looking for snow ginseng to give you, Master, when I met a herb gatherer. He told me that…”

Rumors that the Murim Alliance would be restored in Henan had spread well before the Mount Song Resolution.

News of Murim’s affairs reached even the reclusive masters who had withdrawn from the world into remote mountains and deep valleys.

“Hmm. Dark Heaven and the Murim Alliance…”

“They say everything below the mountain is in an uproar. The Murim Alliance has declared war on Dark Heaven, and the common people are trembling with fear.”

“Hah. After a long peace, calamity has come.”

“Master, what should we do?”

“Countless people will die, as they did during the Great Faction War. Prepare at once, before it’s too late. We’re going to Henan.”

An old master who had spent his remaining years in a nameless valley set out for the Central Plains with his Disciple.

“Old Master, did you catch much today?”

“Bah. The fish aren’t biting worth a damn.”

“Haha. You’ve been saying that for forty years. I caught a few carp. Take some home to eat.”

“Of course I will. I saved your father’s life ten years ago, didn’t I? Give me a big, plump one.”

“All right. Since this is the last time, take them all.”

“Hmm? The last time? What kind of nonsense is that?”

“Haven’t you heard? They say a great calamity has come to Murim.”

“A calamity? Tell me more.”

“They say something called the Murim Alliance has been formed in Henan, and that it’s going to fight Dark Heaven, which is said to be the successor to that Demonic Cult. No one knows what might happen, so I was going to take my family and leave for a while… Old Master? What are you doing?”

“Can’t you see? I’m getting ready to leave.”

“Where are you going? Wait, you’re leaving your fishing rod?”

“I don’t think I’ll need it anymore. You keep it.”

“Old Master! Old Master!”

“We’ll meet again someday. Stay safe.”

The white-haired old man who had spent his days beside a secluded lake departed with a spear on his back instead of a fishing rod.

Some of the old martial artists who had once dominated an era—or some of the reclusive masters from remote valleys who had devoted their entire lives to the single character martial—stepped back into the secular world and flowed into the wider world.

“Is this the Murim Alliance?”

“It is. But if you’ve come to join, we can’t let you in right away. You’ll need to go to that pavilion and provide your sobriquet, your name, and something to prove your identity…”

“Then I’ve come to the right place. Go tell them Hong Jeok is here.”

“Hong Jeok, Red Turbans,¹ whatever you call yourself, you still have to go through verification… Wait. What did you just say?”

“Hong Jeok. Hong Jeok of Guangxi.”

“Th-the Fist King…!”

Names swept away by the waves of time, sobriquets that had vanished from sight.

And yet, despite everything, titles clearly etched into the memories of ordinary people began appearing everywhere.

Even when the sun set and darkness fell, their presence shone like torches.

And rumors of the newly risen stars continued to pass from mouth to mouth.

“I’ll guarantee the Ten Dragons and Phoenixes will play a major role in this war.”

At the middle-aged man’s words, the narrow-eyed man snorted. The speaker had a chin shaped like a spatula.

“What a joke. Call them the Ten Dragons and Phoenixes or the finest young prodigies in the martial world, but weren’t they picked from the disciples and heirs of prestigious sects and families?”

“And? What’s your point?”

“They’re hothouse flowers. How much good will people raised in comfort be on a battlefield?”

Spatula Chin narrowed his eyes.

“Listen to this fellow. Are you with Dark Heaven?”

“What!”

Bird Eyes bristled and shouted.

“They say even a crooked mouth ought to speak straight. Don’t say something that could get me killed! Why would I be with Dark Heaven?”

“Then why are you putting down the pillars of our orthodox faction?”

“Putting them down? I’m just stating the facts! It’s not as though I can shave down your chin!”

“What does my chin have to do with this? Why are you insulting my looks?”

Fire blazed in Spatula Chin’s eyes.

“Say one more word about my chin and you’ll regret it. Got that?”

“Spatula Chin! That chin takes my breath away! Chin-chin, ka-thunk-thunk-chin!”

“You fucking bastard!”

Crash! Crack!

The table overturned, sending side dishes and liquor bottles tumbling to the floor.

A sword fight seemed ready to break out at any moment. Watching Bird Eyes and Spatula Chin square off, a man with a goatee spoke with measured dignity.

“You’re both wrong.”

Bird Eyes and Spatula Chin turned toward him together.

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“I’ll rip out every hair of that beard.”

“……”

The goateed man shook his head and continued.

“I don’t doubt the Ten Dragons and Phoenixes will distinguish themselves. But compared with the strength Dark Heaven has shown so far, they’re still only young prodigies.”

Bird Eyes brightened.

“So I’m right?”

“To a degree.”

“I knew it. You’ve got uncommon insight. Your beard looks especially fine today.”

“……”

Spatula Chin ground his teeth and glared at Bird Eyes.

“Your eyes are smaller than your asshole, and now you’re deaf too? Did you already forget he said both of us were wrong?”

“…Fair point. But why? I don’t see what’s wrong with what I said.”

The goateed man stroked his beard as he answered.

“There are genuine talents everywhere. You’re right that the Ten Dragons and Phoenixes grew up in the best possible conditions. But that doesn’t change the fact that they’re the finest young prodigies in the martial world.”

“Hm. And?”

“Nor are they all disciples of prestigious sects. Jin Mukyung, the Heaven Shaking Sword and Second Young Master of the Jin Family of Taiyuan, is a prime example.”

“Ah, I forgot about the Heaven Shaking Sword.”

Spatula Chin, who had been waiting for an opening, cut in with a mocking grin.

“The Heaven Shaking Sword is impressive, but Murong Yeonghwi, a blood relative of the Murong Family, is overwhelming too. Still, what could a nobody like you possibly know?”

“What did you say, you bastard? If you fell in the water, that chin would float…”

The two began growling at each other again. The goateed man sighed deeply.

“Stop fighting and listen. The young prodigies to watch aren’t the Ten Dragons and Phoenixes. The Two Dragons stand above them.”

Bird Eyes and Spatula Chin froze.

Even they had to admit he was right. The Ten Dragons and Phoenixes could not compare with those two Divine Dragons: Blazing Flame Divine Dragon Jin Taekyung and Huashan Divine Dragon Cheongpung.

“Certainly…”

“That’s true.”

They nodded despite themselves. Then a question occurred to them.

“What are those two doing right now?”

“Who knows? But one thing is certain.”

The goateed man continued, his expression solemn.

“They must be doing something extraordinary.”

Cheongpung spoke with a stiff expression.

“Ahh, I want dumplings!”

“……”

Don’t say it so loudly, you idiot.