“Master originally planned to use someone else as bait. That’s why I stepped up.”

Though hidden from Jin Cheonhee, the original plan was.

Three Seasons Tiger and the Wudang Sect Leader.

To focus all targets on these two people.

Three Seasons Tiger wouldn’t refuse since it was a chance to find clues about her sibling.

The Wudang Sect Leader too would surely grab at the chance for revenge.

However, by Jin Cheonhee’s calculations, both would certainly die.

When emotion fills a sword it becomes sticky, and such sticky swords become glue dragging people to death.

To his Master, his own disciple is the most precious.

All others were worthless as stones no matter how many were sent.

Jin Cheonhee knew this all too well.

But no matter how he calculated, survival rate and success rate were most stable if he did it himself.

So the disciple subtly twisted his master’s move.

“And how could I sacrifice my own friends as a physician?”

“Brother. Physicians aren’t invincible. What’s wrong with being a bit selfish?”

That was Sama Hyeon’s thought.

“For the role of luring them out and running away, no one’s more qualified than me. I have Hwanggu and Heavenly Thunder Hawk.”

He, Jin Cheonhee himself can run away.

But those two with grudges would never run from the Blood Immortal Sect.

“Ah, wish Brother was a bit less clever~”

“Hahaha.”

“Would’ve been even better if your profession wasn’t physician~”

Sama Hyeon stopped there and didn’t torment Jin Cheonhee further.

“It must be because Brother’s like this that you saved us siblings without any benefit.”

Jin Cheonhee just smiled.

Though admiring his always upright brother, sometimes he worries too.

“Brother only half believes whether they’ll come or not?”

“Well, yeah.”

The board is already well set. Using himself as bait, and spread rumors about the Dalgi relic.

“Probability is fifty-fifty.”

“If it’s fifty-fifty, heaven will decide~”

“Most things are like that.”

Thinking about it with age, even with calculations and desperate preparations, often things fall apart from one misalignment.

Conversely, sometimes a bat swung without confidence hits a home run.

Ultimately the final piece isn’t a matter of human will.

That’s why fortune tellers and feng shui masters make money.

After circling the city like that, they headed not to the Martial Righteous Alliance headquarters but a house Sama Hyeon prepared.

A safe house filled with traps.

According to Sama Hyeon, he renovated right up to the edge of legality.

More suspicious since an official testified it’s officially legal.

Either way, befitting a safe house greased with money, it’s very advantageous whether fighting or fleeing here.

I can’t seem to sense Ha-ryoon and Cheon Woo at all?

Could ask Hwanggu where they are, but with the ritual tool damaged, it’d be wasteful to spend internal energy just to ask.

Well, they must be following well.

After waiting one hour settled deep in the mansion.

Suddenly, thick fog began rolling in.

From the scale, seemed it might cover the whole city beyond here.

Clearly artificially created fog given the blood scent mixed with the water droplet smell.

At Jin Cheonhee’s warning, all martial artists grew tense.

“Are those bastards… coming?”

At Jin Cheonhee’s words, Sama Hyeon put on gloves.

Heavenly Silkworm Silk gloves.

Jin Cheonhee made many preparations for this operation.

First, he met each younger brother and gave them a spiritual pill each.

Yeo Ha-ryoon and Sama Hyeon.

For Cheon Woo, he personally helped accelerate absorption of the previously given Great Clarity Divine Pill.

Plus completed the Heavenly Silkworm Silk gloves for Sama Hyeon.

After getting designs from the field’s best craftsman, just mindless grinding remained.

Plus the Dragon Phoenix Gathering prize!

The martial world treasure Heavenly Silkworm Garment!

Being thin enough to wear as underwear, when infused with internal energy it creates protective energy that even blocks some strong energy.

Though the clan that made the Heavenly Silkworm Garment was exterminated and the technique lost, Jin Cheonhee and Zhuge Rin wanted to analyze it.

Master and disciple put their heads together to figure out how this was possible.

And the two Zhuge geniuses discovered the secret easier than expected.

Both had realized that the organization created artificial meridians by inserting Five Elements Silk[1] between warp and weft.

Understanding that internal energy moves along the Five Elements Silk to create protective energy like martial artists deploying protective strong energy, they applied this directly to the gloves.

Though analyzed, reconstruction was incredibly difficult.

Not easy to concentrate sword energy to a point and insert needles between warp and weft.

But thinking this too was good training, he devoted himself all day long.

Got excited midway and even embroidered the wrist.

Thus completed was the ‘Heavenly Silkworm Armor[2].’

Sama Hyeon was so moved receiving it that he named it White Dragon Armor.

The White Dragon Armor dyed black was born as a martial world treasure through two geniuses meeting one artifact.

Sama Hyeon proudly pulled up the gloves his brother made.

“Battles depend on equipment.”

…This was provocation.

Provocation toward Ha-ryoon and Cheon Woo watching from somewhere.

I’m Brother’s most favored younger sibling! Look! At! These gloves!

Though he seems to get along well enough with Cheon Woo, Sama Hyeon and Ha-ryoon have terribly bad relations.

Both Cheon Woo and Ha-ryoon coveted the Heavenly Silkworm Armor and asked Jin Cheonhee if he could make more.

But unfortunately, only Heavenly Silkworm Silk level creates protective energy.

Experimenting with White Silkworm Silk, the fabric tore before deploying protective energy.

The two said they’d obtain it before seasons changed.

Jin Cheonhee is researching ways to make it work with White Silkworm Silk level.

No matter how you think about it, Heavenly Silkworm Silk isn’t some kid’s name, how could it be easily obtained?

But the enemy isn’t visible and the fog keeps thickening?

Though the fog is thick, it can’t deceive Hwanggu’s nose and Heavenly Thunder Hawk’s eyes.

Wasted effort.

Just as he thought that, a tremendous sound rang from afar.

RUMBLE!

Looking toward the explosion sound, it was the Martial Righteous Alliance headquarters direction.

Surprised Jin Cheonhee and Sama Hyeon immediately climbed to the roof.

The Martial Righteous Alliance headquarters was burning.

Explosion sounds rang in succession. Sama Hyeon said.

“Brother. They sure are real crazy bastards~ To think they’re straight up attacking the Martial Righteous Alliance headquarters? But not targeting you Brother, that’s somehow unexpected?”

“No. That can’t be.”

Mystic energy settled in Jin Cheonhee’s retinas.

The blue mystic energy immediately grasped the enemy’s next move.

“Attack east to strike west…! Hwanggu! Guard the surroundings!”

Kaeng! Kaeng kaeng!

At that moment, Hwanggu’s fur stood up like a hedgehog’s.

That meant only one thing.

Swoosh!

Blue lightning struck the ground.

Boom!

Someone appeared parting the fog while leisurely dodging that.

Having deceived formations and even the spiritual beasts’ nose and eyes, that person smiled at Jin Cheonhee.

“Hello. I’m Heavenly Commander Yeo. Nice to meet you. Let’s be friends?”

The unknown opponent greeted Jin Cheonhee and Sama Hyeon brightly.

Wearing a snake-symbolizing mask on his face, his robes were slightly loose.

But underneath those robes he wore clothes made of snakeskin with scales still attached.

Voice like he was missing a screw overall.

However, sweat ran cold down his back the moment he recognized what kind of being the opponent was.

Heavenly Commander Yeo! So this bastard was indeed behind this incident…?

Seu. Seuseuek. Shaaa.

Snake breathing sounds filled the air beyond the fog. An enormous number of snakes had appeared who knows when, lurking in that fog.

Jin Cheonhee grit his teeth.

A sorcerer and snake master. Martial arts half a level below other Heavenly Commanders. But a more troublesome and annoying enemy than other Heavenly Commanders due to various sorceries and snake controlling ability… especially need to watch out for his spiritual beast, the Black Horned Snake.

Controlling rats or snakes is his basic ability, plus silent swift movement is his specialty.

The original work described his body temperature as lower than normal humans, making his presence very hard to detect.

“Hyeon. He’s one of the Blood Immortal Sect’s top ten executives. Has ability to handle sorcery and snakes. And his martial arts…”

Quickly, Jin Cheonhee transmitted information about the enemy to Sama Hyeon via voice transmission.

“Executing this strategy was quite difficult. My children suffered in various ways too. How did you figure it out?”

Though Heavenly Commander Yeo asked in a casual tone, Jin Cheonhee and Sama Hyeon raised their internal energy vigilantly.

And between the three facing off like that,

A small snake poked out from Heavenly Commander Yeo’s loose sleeve.

A blue snake with a black horn about one inch long.

“Brother~ Is that the Black Horned Snake?”

“Yes. We must absolutely not get bitten. It has poison that is difficult to handle unless one is at least at Poison Human realm.”

Even at Jin Cheonhee’s current level, he wasn’t confident in neutralizing that guy’s poison.

“How troublesome~”

“Our opponent is in the Transformation Realm. And a Transformation Realm individual eyeing the Profound Realm.”

“Seems dangerous…”

“Oh my. You two. Are you ignoring me?”

Heavenly Commander Yeo’s sleeve waved once.

Ping!

Something flew in with a tiny sound.

Jin Cheonhee noticed it flying almost simultaneously with the sound and dodged by a hair’s breadth.

Swoosh.

However. Seems he didn’t dodge completely as some hair was cut off.

“Hmm. Not bad. There’s a reason the Blood Immortals ordered to offer you as sacrifice.”

Heavenly Commander Yeo took a step forward stepping on part of the roof.

“Then… be an obedient sacrifice?”

Jin Cheonhee drew his Ice Clarity Sword, and Heavenly Thunder Hawk generated lightning in the sky.

As Sama Hyeon’s hand tendons writhed, Hwanggu’s body swelled.

Jin Cheonhee pretended to take a technique stance while quickly giving hand signals.

Orders for Cheon Woo and Ha-ryoon hiding somewhere to ambush when they saw an opening.

Fortunately, Heavenly Commander Yeo didn’t seem to notice their ambush.

Good thing he didn’t notice that. Was planning to vomit without hesitation if he had. Everything according to plan so far.

The bloody battle began.

***

The moment Heavenly Commander Yeo attacked Sama Hyeon and Jin Cheonhee.

The Martial Righteous Alliance headquarters was also under attack.

The Martial Righteous Alliance headquarters was about the size of a small city, its area far exceeding normal large mansions.

Because so many martial artists were stationed in such a place, attacking the Martial Righteous Alliance headquarters would be insane by ‘normal methods.’

Powerful formations. Countless martial artists. Exquisitely constructed buildings.

The Martial Righteous Alliance was the greatest gathering place of righteous martial world forces.

Such Martial Righteous Alliance headquarters being in chaos now wasn’t for any special reason.

It was because the attackers used extraordinary methods.

Also gaps formed from the previous attack, and most martial artists finished with Dragon Phoenix Gathering business started returning, causing chaos.

The martial artists remaining now were the original Martial Righteous Alliance guards, martial artists injured in the previous incident and their clan members.

Plus some clans delayed returning due to negotiations with merchant groups and escort agencies.

So the Martial Righteous Alliance was floundering with its gaps exposed.

It was clear many were dying in that floundering.