Chapter 322

“Ughhh…”

Wi Jeong-guk began trembling uncontrollably.

This couldn’t be happening.

The disciples of Hyeongsan Sect—whom he had raised as part of the Nine Great Sects, whom he had nurtured to become rulers of Honam Province—

How could they look at their own chief, Wi Jeong-guk, with such eyes?!

He simply couldn’t accept this reality.

Losing all reason, Wi Jeong-guk suddenly shouted in a fit of rage.

“Lies! It’s all lies! Nothing but baseless slander meant to undermine me! Attack! All Hyeongsan disciples, attack! Wipe out those who dare to defame the greatness I built!”

His voice, charged with all his inner energy, boomed thunderously.

The powerful sound echoed through the hundred or so chapters of the hall, shaking the entire space.

Yet, at the same time, his voice sounded hollow—because not a single Hyeongsan disciple obeyed his command.

Instead of following orders, they only stared back at him with even more contemptuous eyes.

Seeing the Hyeongsan warriors frozen in place, Wi Jeong-guk was struck like a splash of cold water, his mind snapping sharply awake.

He realized the harsh truth: his words no longer held any sway.

Still, he couldn’t let go of his stubborn pride.

Casting a betrayed glare at his disciples, he shouted again.

“You ungrateful wretches… What are you waiting for?! Can’t you hear my orders?! I am your chief! The orders of your chief!”

At that moment, Cheonggong Jin-in’s blazing eyes cut through the tension as he spoke up.

“You’re wrong! You who turned your own disciples into lost souls are no longer their chief! How can someone who sacrifices their own disciples for selfish gain still call themselves a chief?!”

Then, addressing the Hyeongsan warriors, he commanded,

“Hyeongsan warriors, clear the way! Let those who sowed the seeds of hatred reap what they’ve sown!”

The Hyeongsan warriors exchanged surprised looks for a moment.

But soon, resigned, they parted to create a path.

A path for Seol Poong and the warriors to pass through.

Seeing this, Seon Woo-jin bowed deeply to Cheonggong Jin-in in gratitude.

“Thank you, sir.”

This was exactly what Seon Woo-jin had asked of Cheonggong Jin-in before arriving here.

But it was no easy favor to grant.

The proud warriors of the Nine Great Sects would never hand over their own disciples to outsiders, no matter how grave their crimes.

Even when punishing or killing, they dealt with it internally, never allowing outsiders to interfere.

And Wi Jeong-guk was their chief.

Under normal circumstances, no matter how serious his mistakes, no one would have allowed others to lay a hand on him.

Cheonggong Jin-in himself had hesitated before answering Seon Woo-jin’s request.

With a bitter expression, Cheonggong Jin-in replied,

“We’ve done almost nothing to get this far. How could we claim any right or pride? Consider this a repayment for the favor granted by the Master who stopped that man.”

Hearing this, Seon Woo-jin bowed once more deeply.

No matter the reason, he was grateful for such a difficult decision.

Meanwhile, Seol Poong and the warriors strode confidently down the path opened by the Hyeongsan warriors.

Through the gap, the figure of their long-hated enemy, Wi Jeong-guk, came into view.

The members of the Banhyung Society clenched their fists tightly, murmuring,

“Wi Jeong-guk…”

“Finally…”

A fierce heat welled up in their chests.

The moment of revenge they had dreamed of—even in their nightmares—was finally approaching reality.

Their one and only hope for so long was about to be fulfilled.

On the other hand, Wi Jeong-guk glared at the Hyeongsan warriors who had opened the path for his enemies as if he wanted to tear them apart.

If looks could kill, he would have slaughtered them dozens of times over.

But then he forced himself to calm down.

Though briefly riled, he was still a hero of his era—he couldn’t afford to lose his composure in such a crisis.

His eyes flicked to Wu Nan-seol of Seonmu Woo-hee standing expressionless behind him.

Even now, she maintained that inscrutable, unreadable expression.

‘Even in this situation…’

Wi Jeong-guk realized that her blank face, which usually stirred his anger, now only irritated him further.

To think she could wear such a look in the face of his crisis—it felt like a betrayal.

He hesitated for a moment.

‘Should I kill her?’

Given the uncertain future, it seemed like the right choice.

He couldn’t bear the thought of her surviving and being sent to another man.

But at the same time, he hesitated.

Killing her felt like admitting defeat.

He wasn’t beaten yet, but the moment he killed her, it would feel like the end.

So, after a brief pause, Wi Jeong-guk turned his head away from her.

The situation wasn’t over yet.

At least, he wanted to believe that.

He decided to try everything he could.

Turning to Ja Gwang Jin-in, who stood beside him with a stunned expression, he said,

“Take the Gwanghyeol Dan.”

Ja Gwang Jin-in gasped in shock.

“W-what?!”

At that moment, Wi Jeong-guk’s eyes narrowed sharply.

Suddenly, Ja Gwang Jin-in felt an unbearable pain tearing through his abdomen, forcing him to cough up blood.

“Ughk!”

He collapsed, writhing on the ground, clawing at the dirt.

“Ugh…”

With eyes full of disbelief and agony, he barely managed to speak.

“Ch-chief…”

But that was all he could say.

He coughed up blood again, then slumped motionless.

“Ughk!”

He was dead.

The other elders watched in horror.

They all knew why he died.

Wi Jeong-guk’s internal poison had melted his organs from within.

But knowing the cause didn’t make the situation any easier to understand.

At a time when every fighter was precious, had Wi Jeong-guk really killed Ja Gwang Jin-in so easily?

They couldn’t believe it.

In a moment when they needed to strengthen their forces, killing a top-tier master like Ja Gwang Jin-in seemed madness.

But regardless of their thoughts, their turn came next.

Wi Jeong-guk looked around and ordered,

“Everyone, take the Gwanghyeol Dan.”

“!”

It was the one thing they had prayed to avoid.

They had begged the heavens to spare them from this.

But the heavens had no intention of answering their prayers.

And they had no choice.

If they didn’t want to die like Ja Gwang Jin-in, they had to take it.

All the elders hurriedly swallowed the Gwanghyeol Dan.

In that moment, they suddenly understood why Wi Jeong-guk had sacrificed Ja Gwang Jin-in first.

“He made a scapegoat to force us into action!”

If he hadn’t killed one of them as an example, no one would have obeyed his orders, which clearly led to ruin.

Everyone would have thought they just needed to hold on a little longer.

They would have believed he wouldn’t sacrifice them so recklessly.

So Wi Jeong-guk struck first, killing one to show that anyone who disobeyed would be next.

He was truly terrifying.

“Besides, Ja Gwang Jin-in’s martial skill was the lowest among us. That’s why he was chosen first.”

Realizing this, a pang of regret hit them.

‘Maybe if we had held out a little longer, it would have been okay…’

But it was too late now.

And they didn’t have the mental strength to dwell on it.

Their minds were growing hazy.

They felt an overwhelming surge of inner energy rising within them, staring blankly at their own bodies.

Their breathing grew heavy, and a dull heat spread through them.

“Huff… huff… The energy… it’s surging!”

“Such profound inner energy!”

Though only moments had passed since taking the Gwanghyeol Dan, their bodies were already burning hot, their inner energy rising.

A power they had never felt before.

At the same time, their minds were overtaken by excitement.

Unbeknownst to them, their eyes had turned bloodshot, glowing red as if soaked in blood.

With those crimson eyes and ragged breaths, they looked less like martial arts masters and more like wild beasts.

Wi Jeong-guk gave them a cold smile and ordered,

“Stop them.”

Eight top-tier masters turned their crazed gazes toward Seol Poong.

They chuckled darkly and began advancing.

Each one radiated the aura of a Thirty-Six Heavenly Star-level powerhouse.

Seol Poong and his companions immediately sensed their overwhelming presence.

Seeing their bloodshot eyes, they guessed what had caused this transformation.

Jin So-eun, standing near Seol Poong, groaned softly.

“The Gwanghyeol Dan! They’ve taken the Gwanghyeol Dan!”

As expected, being from the Jin family of Guangdong, who all carried the Gwanghyeol Dan, she was the first to notice.

Yeon Tae-jin scoffed and said—

“They’re making one last desperate stand. But no matter how much a cat struggles, it’s still just a wildcat.”

Her words drew a few smirks from those around her.

Everyone seemed to share her sentiment, convinced the outcome was already decided.

But Jin So-eun didn’t laugh.

As I mentioned earlier, everyone in the group carried a Blood Fury Pill, being members of the Guangdong Jin family. Among them, she understood better than anyone just how terrifying those pills could be.

Shaking her head, Jin So-eun issued a warning.

“A cat’s desperate thrashing might only be a wildcat’s, but if a leopard fights back, it could become a tiger. The Blood Fury Pill amplifies one’s martial power exponentially the stronger they already are. And the fact that they’ve taken it means they’re prepared to die. They’re not just cornered rats—they could be wounded tigers. Even a cornered rat bites a cat; imagine what a tiger would do… You must never let your guard down.”

Her serious tone made the group’s expressions harden.

Those familiar with Seol Poong’s martial prowess knew that, despite her innocent and gentle appearance, this young woman was a fearsome warrior. They couldn’t take her words lightly.

But the Ban Hyung members were different.

They had never witnessed Jin So-eun’s strength, and by now, they were beyond hearing reason.

Their minds were already burning with a fierce desire for revenge.

One impatient Ban Hyung member scoffed.

“Hmph! So what if they’re tigers or lions? We’re not afraid! Seol Gongja, stop holding us back! We can’t bear it any longer!”

Others quickly chimed in, echoing his fervor.

“That’s right! Thanks to Seol Gongja, we’ve avoided all-out war so far, haven’t we? Now, at least let us take revenge with our own hands!”

“Exactly! Let us have our vengeance!”

“Give the order to attack immediately!”

They were like a volcano on the verge of eruption.

If anyone tried to stop them now, they’d explode without hesitation.

Seol Poong glanced anxiously at Ban Hyung’s leader, Jeong So-sang.

But Jeong So-sang looked just as unsettled.

No, he seemed downright confused.

The urge to take revenge with his own hands was battling fiercely against his cold, rational mind.