Chapter 1419: Even If It’s Meaningless. (4)

Emei Sect.

“You villains of the Evil Sect!”

“Do not belittle the Emei!”

The shorn-headed bhikkhunis in monastic robes swung their sharp swords fiercely.

But the members of the Evil Sect, having already tasted blood, lunged like starving wolves.

A grotesque weapon from the Blood Palace Sect, wrapped in a cloak of red blood, flew from behind and pierced one bhikkhuni after another.

“Aaaaah!”

“Master!”

“Th-this fiendish…”

Despite blood gushing from her mouth, the bhikkhuni raised her arm to swing her sword. In that moment, the weapon that had pierced her twisted first and shredded her entrails.

Splat!

Another life expired in a fountain of blood.

Tears of anguish poured from the eyes of Emei Sect bhikkhuni Ok Dang-Hyang.

‘Master!’

The body of Geum Seo, the master she had served all her life, was torn apart by the blade of the enemy.

‘Why…’

Why did this happen?

They had only tried to live following the duties of the faithful at the foot of Emei Mountain; why must they endure such a brutal assault?

She had never once hated or opposed anyone in her life; she had lived carefully to avoid even taking the life of the smallest creature.

That was the Buddha’s teaching and the life a bhikkhuni must uphold.

What are those who so readily snatch others’ lives and mock life and death? How will they bear all this karmic retribution?

“You scoundrels!”

Kraaaang!

With a thunderous command, Emei Sect’s Sect leader Gwan Hae slammed her staff hard into the ground.

A formidable internal qi spread instantly in all directions. At once, everyone’s gaze focused on Gwan Hae.

Grit!

Gwan Hae’s face, which had drawn everyone’s attention, was contorted fiercely like a heavenly guardian.

It was almost unbelievable that such power flowed from an old woman wrinkled with age; she cried out with a force that seemed to split the sky.

“Are you not afraid of heavenly punishment!”

Even the Blood Palace Sect and the Lower District Sect, who had been rampaging without fear, faltered for a moment and eyed her.

Sensing the change, the Red Dogs licked their lips and slowly began to tighten their encirclement at the appearance of a formidable opponent.

At that moment, a voice suddenly drifted in.

“Sect leader Gwan Hae herself intervenes.”

Step. Step.

A man walked slowly toward Gwan Hae’s front.

“What an honor.”

“Who are you?”

Gwan Hae frowned slightly and asked coldly.

In the martial world, age doesn’t necessarily reflect status or ability, but the man who stepped forward still looked far too young.

He looked hardly the sort who should dare stand across from Gwan Hae in such a situation.

Yet the man standing opposite remained completely composed.

“I doubt you would take kindly to me speaking.”

“You are not Jang Ilso! Summon Jang Ilso at once! I will hold him accountable for this slaughter!”

The young man who had stepped forward snorted at Gwan Hae’s exclamation.

“Jang Ilso…”

A dark gleam flashed sharply in the man’s eyes.

“The old bhikkhuni must be so buried in the mountains she can’t grasp the situation… The Alliance lord is not someone you could speak to privately.”

“How dare you!”

“I am more than sufficient to face Emei Sect’s Sect leader Gwan Hae.”

Gwan Hae, about to shout another command, suddenly fell silent; she sensed that the pale young man’s presence was not ordinary.

Though his face was extremely young, the aura he emitted was not something that could come from a youth. Wrath shadowed Gwan Hae’s face.

“…You! You are the Thousand Faced Scholar!”

“Ho.”

A strange smile crossed the mouth of the Thousand Faced Scholar, who wore the young man’s face.

“Of all the world, Sect leader Gwan Hae knows even this fool’s sobriquet and I am moved…”

“You cur!”

Kwang!

Gwan Hae slammed her staff down again as if to drive the enemy away.

“What on earth are you trying to do! Why do this! What do you gain from this? How can you bear so many sins from these fleeting lives…”

“Ah.”

The Thousand Faced Scholar waved his hand as if weary of the conversation.

“There are only filthy creatures here unfit to accept your exalted teachings, so spare me the needless words.”

“You…”

“But one thing does bother me. You asked what we would gain?”

A chilling, tutting laugh escaped, at odds with the youthful face.

“For you, the murim world has been nothing but pleasure; no one dared covet what you had.”

“…”

“But all we obtained were the crumbs you dropped while eating. You call it peace when the world is like this.”

“So you plan to spill such innocent blood!”

The Thousand Faced Scholar shook his head.

“Sect leader. You have enjoyed enough; you may fear about the next life and hell, but that doesn’t matter to us. What matters is what we can gain right now.”

The Thousand Faced Scholar’s hands slowly lowered.

“That’s enough talk. The one behind me is not as patient as he appears. If I delay further, I might lose my head.”

Gwan Hae’s hand trembled as she gripped her divine staff.

She was not afraid of the Thousand Faced Scholar; she could handle him alone.

But the Evil Sect members lined up far behind the Thousand Faced Scholar could never be handled by the Emei disciples alone.

They had to face countless such people unprepared; how could they possibly cope?

“What exactly did we ever do to you…”

“Let’s drop the pathetic talk.”

The Thousand Faced Scholar approached Gwan Hae leisurely.

“Until now you were stronger, so we bore it in silence. Now we are stronger, so you die. Isn’t that enough for the martial world?”

Gwan Hae squeezed her eyes shut.

‘In my generation, Emei will meet its end.’

There was no way out. If one death could make it end, she would give it, but those blood-starved jackals would never be satisfied with Gwan Hae’s life alone.

‘If I had known…’

Regrets surged, but it was all pointless now.

“Geum Hwa.”

“Yes, Sect leader.”

“Take the children and escape.”

“But, Sect leader! That…”

“This is not the time for arguing!”

Gwan Hae’s command was unyielding. Geum Hwa bit her lip and nodded.

“I will obey.”

“Go! Quickly!”

“Yes!”

As Geum Hwa ran off, Gwan Hae let out a deep sigh.

‘Is this also the Buddha’s will?’

Everything is merely karma.

If Emei is paying for karma, then the sins they committed are returning to them.

The sins Gwan Hae had committed were failing to properly look after those suffering and groaning in the world.

And the sins of Emei are…

A bitter smile passed Gwan Hae’s lips.

‘I cannot even resent them.’

It was the sin of turning away those who long ago shed blood fighting for the world.

‘If this is karma, I must accept it. But…’

How can newly initiated young disciples shoulder that sin? It is too cruel.

“ Merciful Bodhisattva…“

If Gwan Eum extends mercy to save sentient beings, she would surely reach out to Emei’s young disciples.

Gwan Hae could only cling to that belief.

“Come then, fiends of the Evil Sect. Emei will never fall so easily.”

“Old bhikkhunis have nothing but mouths left! Strike them!”

The Thousand Faced Scholar produced hundreds of warrior-forms and surged toward Gwan Hae.

At the same time, the Lower District Sect and the Blood Palace Sect renewed their momentum and began to press the Emei bhikkhunis.

“Alliance lord!”

One person prostrated behind Jang Ilso, who was calmly surveying the Emei.

“Emei will be dealt with within the hour.”

“Hmm.”

Jang Ilso tilted his head slightly as if puzzled.

“How easy.”

“…”

“It was simpler than I thought. It’s almost humiliating. I’ve been bowing even to creatures like these all this time.”

Jang Ilso chuckled.

It was absurd.

It was true they had prepared thoroughly, but even so, the Emei sect was not supposed to collapse so easily.

By his calculations it should have taken longer, and the Four Sects Alliance should have suffered greater losses.

But when the lid was lifted, the battle became one-sided to the point of anticlimax.

It meant the power of the Emei sect did not live up to its name at all.

While the Evil Sects fought and tore each other apart countless times, those in Sichuan lived the world leisurely as if in celestial play—like sheep who never feared wolves.

“My stomach turns in disgust.”

Jang Ilso smiled quietly, his expression twisted and chilling like that of a fiend.

The world is not fair.

Some are born into great houses and believe that a splinter in their finger is the worst thing in the world.

Others are born in filthy dung-pits and must drive a knife into a person’s throat to survive one meal.

Not that he necessarily resented that fact, but…

“Well, whatever. It doesn’t matter.”

Jang Ilso murmured quietly and then asked.

“And Thousand Faced Scholar?”

“He is facing Sect leader Gwan Hae. The Red Dogs are supporting him, so he’ll soon have the old woman’s head.”

“Hmm.”

Jang Ilso nodded and gave an order.

“Go tell the Thousand Faced Scholar.”

“Yes!”

“Once Emei is dealt with, we will split our forces in two. Tell the Thousand Faced Scholar to lead the Blood Palace and the Lower District Sect to clear the garrison houses and return.”

“The Lower District Sect and the Blood Palace… Both of them?”

“Yes. Is there a problem?”

At Jang Ilso’s question, the man prostrated and bowed his head deeper in haste.

“Ah, no! I will convey it.”

“Good, good. That will do.”

Jang Ilso smiled gently.

“And tell our men to prepare separately.”

“…Where to?”

“We’re going to collect payment for the liquor.”

“…Yes?”

Jang Ilso’s gaze turned north.

“The liquor we gave °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° the Poison King turned out to be more expensive than expected.”

If he had wanted, he could have passed through Qingcheng and dealt with the Tang Family on his way down.

But it was a priority to strike Emei, whose strength was still intact, rather than the Tang Family, which had lost its main force. If news of Qingcheng reached them and they prepared, a surprise attack would be less effective.

Now that Emei was somewhat dealt with, Jang Ilso finally had leeway.

“Tang Gunak, Tang Gunak…”

A predatory gleam darkened Jang Ilso’s eyes as he murmured softly.

He could still see Tang Gunak’s figure in his mind—the one who had come alone as the Ten Thousand People Clan and threatened him before turning away.

“I’ve always been curious.”

“…”

“Whether the Poison King’s expression will stay unmoved even when the Tang Family’s heirs are all dead and the line is gone. Whether he could still spout those nauseating words about friendship then.”

The man who had prostrated trembled violently.

“I just want to confirm it this time. Hahahah. Ahahahahah! Ahahahahahahahaha!”

A licentious laugh rang out, as if celebrating the fallen renown of the Emei sect—so loud it made one want to cover their ears.