Chapter 335
Sun Woo-jin stood outside, rooted to the spot like a stone statue, his gaze fixed unwaveringly on the western sky.
Not a single blink.
His expression was one of desperate longing.
He had been like this since yesterday.
Ever since Jin So-eun had pulled through her critical condition and began channeling the Mukrang Mind Technique on her own, he had come outside and stood there without moving, waiting anxiously for any news.
No one around him dared to stop him.
They all understood just how deeply desperate he was.
In that moment, Sun Woo-jin felt as if each passing second stretched into an eternity.
Every moment was filled with a pain so sharp it felt like his heart was being torn apart.
If there was a hell, this must be it.
Mukrang, who understood his feelings better than anyone, sighed and spoke gently.
“Why don’t you take a little rest? If you keep this up, you’ll exhaust your energy before any message even arrives, and you’ll collapse.”
But even as he said this, Mukrang knew the truth.
Sun Woo-jin wouldn’t rest until he received word—no matter what.
His words were just an attempt to lighten the mood.
Sun Woo-jin answered in a strained voice.
“I’m fine. If this pain is punishment for not going to save her myself, then I’m willing to bear it for years, even decades.”
Mukrang let out a quiet sigh.
He couldn’t bring himself to say it would be okay.
He knew better than anyone how difficult it would be to save Dang Yeon.
The messages that had to be delivered to her through others—Jeon Seo-eung and Jeon Seo-gu.
Jeung Chil, who had raced like the wind.
No one could be faster than the Reverse Heaven Blood Demon, who had so easily unleashed the Neunggong Void Path.
So Mukrang was already thinking about how he would comfort Sun Woo-jin when the bad news inevitably came.
Then—
Flap, flap!
In the distance, a hawk came into view, flying swiftly.
It was Jeon Seo-eung, sent by Yun Chae-su, the wandering drunkard.
“!”
Sun Woo-jin watched the hawk’s approach with trembling eyes.
Blood dripped from his tightly clenched fists.
He kept muttering the same desperate plea.
“Please, please, please…”
Finally, the hawk arrived, and Sun Woo-jin carefully removed the message and began to read.
His hands shook uncontrollably as he unfolded the letter.
Everyone around him held their breath, eyes wide with anxiety.
The tension was palpable.
Then, suddenly, Sun Woo-jin collapsed to his knees.
“Yeon…”
Thick tears streamed down his face.
Startled by his reaction, Seol Poong asked anxiously.
“What is it, brother? Don’t tell me—Dang Sojeo is…?”
Sun Woo-jin shook his head, sobbing.
But now, his tear-streaked face was lit up with a bright smile.
“No. She’s safe, hyungnim. Yeon… Yeon is safe!”
Seol Poong, stunned for a moment, burst into cheers.
“That’s it!”
The others around them finally exhaled in relief and offered their congratulations.
“Thank heavens! Congratulations, Master Sun!”
“Yes, truly a blessing.”
Sun Woo-jin wiped his tears and thought to himself.
He swore there had never been happier news in his life.
A short while later, having composed himself, Sun Woo-jin gathered everyone for a meeting.
Now that they knew she was safe, it was time to find a solution to the current crisis.
The attendees were an impressive group.
Alongside Seol Poong and his companions were Cheong Gong-jin, newly reinstated as the head of the Hyeongsan Sect, and Mo Dong-ju, the second-in-command and a swordmaster from Beongang.
There were also newcomers.
At Sun Woo-jin’s request, Namhae Seongnyeo Si Seo-woo, who oversaw the top masters in the southern Hyeongsan region, and Yong Woo-shin, the head of the Fukken Dragon Clan, had just arrived.
Sun Woo-jin greeted them politely.
“Thank you for coming such a long way. I’m sorry to trouble you again without giving you proper rest.”
Si Seo-woo’s face twisted into a grimace, scarred and battered.
It was a terrifying expression that startled those watching.
But Sun Woo-jin now understood.
That was Si Seo-woo’s version of a smile.
Knowing her true feelings, it no longer seemed frightening.
She looked at Sun Woo-jin and Seol Poong and said,
“You two have exposed the evil deeds of the Weojeong Kingdom and helped countless innocent people find justice. I’m ashamed of myself, who once prided myself on my good deeds. To be able to join your cause is both a joy and an honor. Please, don’t hesitate to call on me whenever you need.”
Standing beside her, Yong Woo-shin added with a satisfied grin,
“I feel the same. When I first saw you, I thought you were a promising hero. Now I’m ashamed of myself—like a cat who thought a tiger cub was cute because it was small. So don’t forget to take me along next time. Thanks to you, I can finally do some real hero work. Ha ha ha ha!”
Hearing that hearty laugh, Sun Woo-jin smiled warmly.
They were humble and down-to-earth—people he couldn’t help but respect.
He glanced at the two, who now seemed closer than before, and finally got down to business.
“Alright, let’s begin the meeting. Since Headmaster Yoo Hae-eung of the Haenam Sect hasn’t arrived yet, Myeo A-ran will represent them.”
Myeo A-ran bowed gracefully to the others, who returned the gesture.
Sun Woo-jin began.
“First, I’ll explain the current situation.”
He told them about the Reverse Heaven Blood Demon who had returned through the Reverse Heaven Soul Return Technique.
The expressions around the room grew increasingly grave.
When he finished, Cheong Gong-jin sighed deeply.
“Huh, a Reverse Heaven Blood Demon who died a hundred years ago has reappeared. And at the level of a Four Kings master, no less. If you hadn’t told me, Master Sun, I wouldn’t have believed it.”
Several nodded in agreement.
It was certainly hard to believe without seeing it firsthand.
Then Namhae Seongnyeo Si Seo-woo spoke up.
“I once saw records about this at Botaam Temple. A hundred years ago, when Thunder God and Sword God defeated the Reverse Heaven Blood Demon, she had actually died but was revived by possessing another’s body—just as Master Sun said, through the Reverse Heaven Soul Return Technique. But her body couldn’t handle the power and collapsed, killing her again. And now she’s returned.”
As one of the absolute masters of this era and a legendary hero alongside the Sword Saint, her words carried undeniable weight.
No one doubted the truth of her statement.
Yong Woo-shin chuckled wryly.
“Just one Blood Demon caused such chaos. Now there’s a Reverse Heaven Blood Demon with power beyond the Four Kings? How on earth are we supposed to deal with that?”
Everyone swallowed hard.
The mere thought was terrifying.
Then Sun Woo-jin smiled faintly.
“There’s no need to be so pessimistic. We’re not at such a disadvantage yet.”
All eyes turned to him.
He continued brightly.
“Though they have the Blood Demon and Reverse Heaven Blood Demon, we have this Seongnyeo here. Also, with Brother Seol now effectively the successor to the Four Kings, we can count the Four Kings as on our side.”
The room erupted in cheers.
“Ohhh!”
“The Four Kings, you say?!”
Their faces brightened instantly.
Even if the Reverse Heaven Blood Demon was a Four Kings-level master, she couldn’t compare to the real Four Kings.
He was the leader of the massive Sa-wang Alliance.
One of the three great powers of the martial world.
So even if there was another master of that caliber, no one could stand against the Four Kings backed by the Sa-wang Alliance.
Relieved, everyone exhaled deeply.
Sun Woo-jin pressed on.
“That’s not all.”
Everyone’s eyes widened.
One Four Kings master was already reassuring—what else could there be?
Sun Woo-jin struggled to contain his smile.
“According to the message we just received, the Sword Saint is alive.”
“Huh?”
“The Sword Saint?”
Those who had been stunned suddenly had their eyes pop wide open.
“The Sword Saint is alive?!”
“Ha, Haedaehyup! Is that true?!”
Everyone was shocked.
The news that Haewoon Baek, one of the Three Sages of the world and the greatest hero alongside the Sword Saint, was still alive was beyond joyous.
Any righteous person would be moved to tears.
Sun Woo-jin’s face lit up with joy as he answered.
“Actually, he didn’t die back then. At the suggestion of Seo Il, the Poisonous Sword Master, he entered a state of suspended animation. Since then, Master Ma Jong-hwan of the Saengsa Guild and Senior Son Eun-sang of the Yeoryeong Seokma have been treating him. It seems he’s currently with them.”
“Wow!”
“That’s incredible!”
Everyone was overwhelmed with emotion.
Not only was he alive, but their forces against the Blood Sect had just grown stronger.
Cheong Gong-jin let out a dry laugh.
“For Seo Il to do something so noble… that’s like the sun rising in the west.”
At those words, Sun Woo-jin smiled softly, recalling the expression on Seo Il’s face from that moment.
Suddenly, Mukrang spoke quietly to himself.
— Perhaps it’s thanks to what you said. Maybe he wanted to become a chivalrous hero too, didn’t he?
Sun Woo-jin chuckled softly, shaking his head in denial.
‘No way it’s because of what I said.’
But then again, a thought crossed his mind.
Maybe Seo Il wanted to become a hero to break the seal on the Byeokrang Sword he possessed.
Whatever the case, it was undeniably good news.
At that moment, Mo Dong-ju spoke excitedly.
“Then it’s almost like we’ve already won. With the Saintess on our side, the Four Kings allied with us, and now the Sword Saint and the Lady of the Phantom Colors… there’s no way we can lose!”
Everyone laughed at his words.
Though to varying degrees, they all seemed to agree with him.
Sun Woo-jin shook his head to clear the mood.
“Not yet. If those guys manage to join forces with the Martial Alliance, they could become an overwhelming force. So…”
He looked toward Seol Poong and said,
“Brother, you need to act as quickly as possible.”
Seol Poong’s smile faded as he asked,
“Alright, what do you need me to do?”
“Contact the Four Kings immediately. Explain the situation and warn them not to let the Blood Sect gain control over Mo Yong-gum, the Martial Alliance leader. Ask them to keep him in check. Since Mo Yong-gum is greedy but cowardly, if he knows the Four Kings are watching him, he won’t make a move. And if there are any elite strike teams left after that, I’d like to request their support as well.”
Sun Woo-jin had studied Mo Yong-gum carefully. The Martial Alliance leader was both greedy and fearful.
He had sacrificed others for his own greed and, despite knowing that maintaining ties with the Blood Sect was ultimately disadvantageous, he couldn’t bring himself to sever those ties.
He feared retaliation if he attacked them, and he dreaded his past misdeeds being exposed.
In that sense, the Four Kings’ leader, Gwe Gal-hyeon, was the perfect person to keep him in check.
Not only was the Four Kings’ faction stronger than the Martial Alliance, but Gwe Gal-hyeon’s martial skills far surpassed Mo Yong-gum’s.
Mo Yong-gum would never dare to clash with the Four Kings, knowing he would surely lose.
So if the Four Kings kept Mo Yong-gum under control, even if he allied with the Blood Sect, he wouldn’t be able to act.
Seol Poong, understanding the implication, nodded solemnly.
“Understood. I’ll send a swift message to the Four Kings as soon as this meeting ends.”
Sun Woo-jin smiled warmly at Seol Poong’s dependable response.
Then he turned to the others.
“Everyone else, please select the forces that will attack the Blood Sect. As soon as I return from Zhejiang Province, we’ll launch the assault.”
Everyone’s eyes gleamed as they nodded in agreement.
“Understood.”
“Leave it to us.”
Sun Woo-jin felt a surge of warmth in his chest as he looked at them.
An attack on the Blood Sect.
Though he had just said it aloud, the words filled him with indescribable emotion.
After two lifetimes, the moment he had dreamed of was finally within reach.
And the quality of the strike team was exceptional.
The Southern Sea Saintess, Si Seo-woo, one of the Fifteen Absolutes, had promised to join, along with elite fighters from the Fukien Dragon Clan.
The Hyeongsan Sect had pledged to send over a dozen top-tier masters from the southern region.
Since they would be following Sun Woo-jin, there was no need to leave forces behind in the Hyeongsan Sect, so the Six Harmonies Swordmaster, Pa Cheon-jo, would also be joining.
But that wasn’t all.
The Sword Saint and the Lady of the Phantom Colors—two of the greatest warriors in the Tang Dynasty—were on their way here.
If they arrived, three of the Fifteen Absolutes would be gathered in one place.
It was almost unbelievable.
Yet Sun Woo-jin had no intention of stopping there.
His eyes shone as he thought,
‘I’ll bring in even more forces and overwhelm them completely. Not a single chance of victory left for those bastards!’
This was exactly why he planned to depart for Zhejiang Province first thing tomorrow.
He intended to enter Bidong, where the Sword God’s heir, Yu Jin, resided—something he hadn’t managed last time.
‘Gain the Elder’s Mang-a Gong and persuade the Sword Master.’
These were his two main goals.
Between the two, Sun Woo-jin had higher hopes for persuading the Sword Master Ban Joong-yang than for mastering Mang-a Gong.
Mang-a Gong was a technique the Sword God had waited a hundred years to pass on, never finding a successor.
Even if he obtained it, there was no guarantee he could master it quickly.
But Ban Joong-yang was different.
A master even stronger than the Four Kings’ Gwe Gal-hyeon and a renowned chivalrous hero.
If he could bring Ban Joong-yang into the strike team, their chances of victory would rise from maybe 40% to as high as 80%.
So persuading him was absolutely essential.
Just as Sun Woo-jin’s eyes gleamed with this resolve, Seol Poong suddenly asked,
“By the way, if the Sword Saint and the Lady of the Phantom Colors come here, will Tang So-jeo be coming along too?”
Sun Woo-jin shook his head with a faint, bittersweet smile.
“No. I asked my brother Jung-chil to have her go to Gwanggeomneung instead.”
It might have been selfish, but Sun Woo-jin couldn’t bear the thought of Tang Yeo-eun being in danger anymore.
So instead of calling her here—where the Reverse Blood Demon already knew the location—he sent a letter asking her to go to Gwanggeomneung.
He asked her to inform their friends there of the situation.
He missed her terribly, but there was no other choice.
Her safety was more important than his longing.