Episode 318

The Murim Alliance is the center of the Justice Faction.

It is an organization where sects and clans with long tradition, prestigious names, and history gather to lead the Justice Faction, wielding immense power while governing the rightful people without a single invasion for a very long time.

That place is precisely the Central Murim Alliance.

The sight of the Central Murim Alliance blazing fiercely left onlookers utterly shocked.

Many whispered and pointed fingers.

Even Shaolin, which could be considered the leader of the Nine Great Sects, was not spared, leading some to think that the very roots of the Central Murim Alliance had been uprooted.

Many people died.

So many that it would be impossible to count.

Inside the blazing Murim Alliance, a pungent and nauseating smell pierced the nose.

This was undoubtedly the smell of burning corpses.

People hesitated, unable to approach the place.

“What… What happened to the Murim Alliance Leader?”

“Well, I suppose, if you look at that sight…”

He must have surely died.

It was unknown who the attackers were, but if they were masters capable of instantly destroying Shaolin and the Murim Alliance, they wouldn’t have left the Murim Alliance Leader and the leaders of the Nine Great Sects alone.

Moreover, if they were alive, the Murim Alliance wouldn’t be in such a state, so the situation before their eyes was by no means good.

People had to swallow hard and watch the scene.

It was a historic moment signaling the passage of time and the changing of an era.

“The ones who attacked the Murim Alliance are figures from the Evil Sect. They call themselves the Blood Heaven and are gradually expanding their power downwards from Murim Emperor Castle.”

At Gu Mu-ack’s explanation, Namgung Chun had a dazed expression.

He didn’t know where Blood Heaven was or what they did, but if they were swallowing up the Murim Alliance ruled by the Abbot, they were undoubtedly a force not to be ignored.

Even Shaolin was smashed?

That’s not something ordinary groups can achieve.

“How many have died?”

Namgung Chun firmly grasped the wooden pillar of the porch.

Crunch!

The pillar shattered, but no one cared.

“As far as we know…it was a massacre.”

“Sigh…”

Namgung Chun sank to the ground.

The word ‘massacre’ means that not a single person survived. It meant that most of those who had lived through the era with Namgung Chun, including Seon Jin, could not escape death.

Namgung Chun frowned.

Is this situation even possible?

How could the Murim Alliance crumble so easily?

The more he thought about it, the more it seemed absurd.

“And then…what happened?”

Namgung Chun’s somber voice was heard.

Gu Mu-ack couldn’t bring himself to continue speaking. Others might not understand, but it would be quite shocking from Namgung Chun’s perspective.

However, with Sa Dohak, Jeok Mu-seong, and even Dan Woo-hyun giving him looks, he could not avoid answering.

“Cur…currently, they have seized control of the southern waters and have begun constructing new palaces there. The flag of Blood Heaven has been raised, and it is already declared as the land of Blood Heaven.”

“Who on earth are those people!”

Bang!

A fierce qi exploded from Namgung Chun. No one could withstand that force, so Gu Mu-ack, who was in front, and even Kwon Mujin and Namgung Sohye, who were quietly listening, were helplessly thrown back.

Such was the power that Namgung Chun fiercely unleashed.

Sa Dohak lightly dispelled the energy and blocked it, then looked at Gu Mu-ack with an intrigued gaze and spoke.

“It is the Murim Alliance of the world. If they are strong enough to dismantle it, they must be formidable ones, right?”

“We cannot know for sure, but…those who attacked the Murim Alliance were just a few. We judge that each of their martial skills is comparable to the Seven Stars or the Five Emperors.”

Gu Mu-ack, too, hadn’t been able to gather proper information on that part, but based on the circumstances of the Murim Alliance’s collapse and the massacre of the branch before it, he could make this guess.

Gu Mu-ack glanced at Dan Woo-hyun’s reaction.

He thought he had brought proper information, but for some reason, Dan Woo-hyun’s expression wasn’t good.

“Even the dogs living nearby would know that much.”

“Ugh…!”

At Dan Woo-hyun’s single remark, Gu Mu-ack held his breath.

Dogs?

Of course, it wasn’t based on precise facts but merely a conjecture made by judging the situation, yet it was information brought out faster than anywhere else.

In this situation, this was all he had.

Gu Mu-ack wore a frustrated expression.

Then, Dan Woo-hyun looked at him and sneered as if mocking him. Soon, his gaze turned to Zhuge Yun.

“How does it seem?”

“It’s within the expected range.”

Zhuge Yun looked at Gu Mu-ack with a triumphant expression.

Zhuge Yun, who had a high opinion of the Lower District Sect, seemed to think that the information they brought wasn’t always impressive.

“Useless.”

Thud!

At Dan Woo-hyun’s single word, Gu Mu-ack swallowed his breath.

Being abandoned by him seemed to mean death. Knowing all the information about Gu Mu-ack, the Hunan Dan family was more frightening than any other group.

“W-with the current information…there’s no way…”

But Gu Mu-ack had something to say.

There was no way to know where the group called Blood Heaven appeared from, or what their purpose was. It was as if the information was tightly blocked in one place and not flowing out, so from Gu Mu-ack’s perspective, it was only natural to feel frustrated.

At that moment, Dan Woo-hyun let out a slight laugh.

‘What now?’

Seeing that laugh made Gu Mu-ack inexplicably nervous.

He wondered if Dan Woo-hyun knew something they didn’t. No matter how many times he reassured himself that it couldn’t be, he couldn’t help but feel anxious every time he saw Dan Woo-hyun’s smile.

‘No way… He doesn’t really know something, does he?’

Buying and selling information was Gu Mu-ack’s job.

If someone like him had less information than a member of a single household, it was as good as being useless in that field.

At the moment when his anxiety was gradually reaching its peak.

Dan Woo-hyun opened his mouth.

“Sam-tae.”

“Yes?”

Though the voice was softly spoken, Jang Sam-tae clearly heard Dan Woo-hyun’s voice. The tightly closed window quietly opened, and Jang Sam-tae poked his head out of it. He looked at Dan Woo-hyun with a somewhat puzzled expression.

“Do you know about any Blood Heaven?”

“What kind of ruffians are they?”

Jang Sam-tae tilted his head in confusion.

It was the first time he had heard of those called Blood Heaven.

Gu Mu-ack nodded as if to say, ‘I knew it’. He thought Dan Woo-hyun had some unknown information because he spoke so confidently, but it seemed that was not the case.

Gu Mu-ack sighed in relief and smiled broadly.

But then, Dan Woo-hyun spoke again.

“They’re the ones who escaped from Mount Changbai last time. Why don’t you tell me what you know about them?”

“The ones who escaped… Are you talking about those guys that Manor Lord was beating to death at Mount Changbai?”

“…Yes.”

Dan Woo-hyun frowned, as if the expression “beat to death” was somewhat unpleasant to his ears. However, since no other expression came to mind, he sighed lightly and urged Jang Sam-tae.

“Must we do this?”

“Yes.”

Jang Sam-tae grimaced.

In truth, it was something he never wanted to recall again. But noticing something in Dan Woo-hyun’s sidelong glance, he nodded, realizing something. The two seemed to be conspiring together.

Jang Sam-tae’s eyes sparkled.

“Ahem… It’s about that. There has been an organization in Mount Changbai since a long time ago.”

Jang Sam-tae looked around the room with an expression that said, ‘Listen carefully!’ Even Sa Dohak and Namgung Chun, who had already heard the story, listened intently to Jang Sam-tae’s words.

“It is called the Blood Demon Cult!”

When the name “Blood Demon Cult” was mentioned, everyone’s eyes widened in shock.

Wasn’t it the organization that had unified Central Plains a thousand years ago during the time of the Martial God?

Even though it had been absurdly destroyed by the hands of the Martial God, it was an organization that could be called legendary alongside him.

Brrrr-

Gu Mu-ack shivered.

“Blood Demon Cult? Are you saying that the group has been hiding in Central Plains all this time?”

This was something even Gu Mu-ack, who had been gathering information for a long time, did not know. He wondered if Jang Sam-tae was lying, but no matter how he looked, there wasn’t a trace of falsehood on his face.

“Those bastards kept provoking our Manor Lord… So our Manor Lord got angry.”

“Hahaha, so what happened then?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Manor Lord chased them all the way to Mount Changbai and beat them as if he were hunting dogs. We realized that the term ‘mountain of corpses’ could indeed exist.”

Jang Sam-tae shuddered as he recalled the time.

A mountain of corpses?

It was beyond that.

If anyone other than Dan Woo-hyun had tried to create such a scene, it would have required a war, at the very least.

“Many of them managed to escape, you see. I suspect that those who gathered together formed Blood Heaven.”

“What…!”

“Ugh!”

The most surprised by Jang Sam-tae’s words was Jeok Mu-seong.

Does this mean that the ones who attacked the Murim Emperor Castle were none other than the remnants of the Blood Demon Cult, and that the mastermind behind it was Dan Woo-hyun?

He looked at him with disbelief, but Dan Woo-hyun turned his head indifferently.

“Haah… If that’s the case, I’m curious about who the leader is.”

Zhuge Yun sighed and pinched his brow.

To think that the worst incident ever was instigated by Dan Woo-hyun.

He had somewhat expected it, but hearing it directly made his head ache for no reason.

“Well, I don’t know.”

Dan Woo-hyun shook his head confidently.

He didn’t want to know who the leader was. Most of those who could lead the Blood Demon Cult had been killed. Especially since even the elders, the protectors, and the Blood Demon himself were killed, he naturally had no interest in others.

Dan Woo-hyun nonchalantly accepted the entire situation and looked at Gu Mu-ack.

He was quite surprised, his mouth agape.

Since Dan Woo-hyun was the cause of this situation, he could speculate and be certain of all the information.

“Now do you understand?”

“Ah, of course…”

Gu Mu-ack trembled violently.

The information that just came out of Dan Woo-hyun’s mouth is invaluable. Even if you searched the entire Murim world, you would never find such perfect information.

At the moment Gu Mu-ack swallowed dryly.

Dan Woo-hyun grinned and extended his hand.

“Then you should pay for the information, right?”

“What?”

Gu Mu-ack flinched at the unexpected words. He looked at Dan Woo-hyun in confusion, wondering if he had misheard. But the moment he saw his expression, he realized he hadn’t.

“You buy and sell information. I also buy information from you, so shouldn’t you also buy information from me?”

Seeing Dan Woo-hyun’s grinning face, Gu Mu-ack, for the first time, broke into a cold sweat and bowed his head.

He instinctively realized it wasn’t just a small sum.

Was the glance exchanged earlier between Jang Sam-tae and Dan Woo-hyun about this?