Most of the people gathered around the platform were too intimidated by the Great Protector’s presence to voice any objections.
But this was Mount Tian. A place where those with unyielding spines and stiff necks gathered.
A refuge for the exiled, the fugitives, and those who refused to bow.
In other words, there were those here who would not back down, even if it meant facing death.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
A middle-aged warrior drew his sword and leapt onto the platform.
The Left Protector responded swiftly to the unexpected move, delivering a powerful kick to the man’s chest, charged with inner energy.
Thud. A dull, cracking sound, followed by the unmistakable noise of something breaking.
The warrior flew through the air, landing lifelessly below the platform without even a scream. His chest was caved in, as if struck by a sledgehammer.
“Show respect before the Cult Leader.”
Meanwhile, Sam Anbul was still panting heavily, staring at the body of the Cult Leader. Or rather, the former Cult Leader.
His fierce face twisted even more with rage.
“You filthy scoundrels!”
Sam Anbul lunged at the Great Protector, but the Great Protector remained unfazed.
Instead, the Left and Right Protectors stepped in to block him. Both were supreme masters in their own right, capable of holding Sam Anbul at bay.
Sam Anbul shouted, “The martial arts hidden beneath the Cult Leader’s hall were meant to protect the sect! To use them to murder the Cult Leader—disgraceful!”
The Left Protector sneered at his outburst.
“The old Cult Leader is dead, but the sect lives on, doesn’t it?”
“That’s nonsense!”
“Why is it nonsense? With a stronger leader, the sect will only grow more powerful. Isn’t that the true purpose of protective martial arts?”
“Twisted logic!”
Sam Anbul turned to the Right Protector.
“Right Protector! It was the Cult Leader who took you in when you fled, covered in blood! Eight of our comrades died to fend off your pursuers! Aren’t you ashamed?”
The Right Protector shrugged.
“Times change, and so do circumstances. It’s not the way of a true man to be swayed by personal feelings, even if he knows the right path.”
Sam Anbul spoke with a hint of despair.
“When did you become like this…?”
“Who knows? Maybe last autumn. The more I thought about it, the more this side seemed right.”
The two Protectors raised their swords against Sam Anbul, who faced them with labored breaths.
Unlike others, Sam Anbul knew when to retreat if the odds were against him. Having learned martial arts without a master, he had no delusions about honor or pride.
He had fled twice this year alone—once from the Great Protector just last night, and another time from the sword demon Namgung Jincheon.
Some called him a coward, but it was this pragmatism that had kept him alive, his body covered in scars.
Practicality over pride, survival over a noble death. That was Sam Anbul’s way.
Yet now, Sam Anbul did not flee.
For two reasons: loyalty and gratitude to the former Cult Leader, and because there was someone he needed to protect.
“Argh!”
Sam Anbul charged at the Left and Right Protectors.
The clash of three supreme masters.
With each exchange of blows, the air seemed to explode, and the platform beneath them shattered, sending debris flying.
Spectators were injured by the sharp fragments, but they couldn’t tear themselves away from the spectacle. Such a battle was a once-in-a-lifetime sight.
As the fight continued, Sam Anbul kept glancing around, as if searching for someone.
Finally, his eyes landed on a young man—Tang Mujin.
Sam Anbul mouthed a silent message to him.
-What are you standing there for? Run! I don’t know how much longer I can hold them off!
Tang Mujin snapped out of his daze. It was a fight that could mesmerize any martial artist, but he, at least, should not have been watching. Sam Anbul whispered again.
-Even if you’re caught, don’t give up! I’ll find a way to get you out!
With that, Tang Mujin began to move. Seeing this, Sam Anbul allowed himself a small smile, just as the Great Protector joined the fray.
“Stand down.”
The Left and Right Protectors sheathed their swords and stepped aside, as the Great Protector approached Sam Anbul with a leisurely stride.
His presence was overwhelming, as if pressing down on everyone around him.
It wasn’t just an illusion. Sam Anbul had to exert more strength than usual just to stay upright.
“What kind of footwork is that?”
“It’s called the ‘Stride of the Sovereign.’ A fitting name, don’t you think?”
“With such an arrogant martial art, no wonder your tongue is just as arrogant!”
Sam Anbul tensed his muscles, shaking off the pressure, and charged at the Great Protector.
But the odds were stacked against him. Not only was there a difference in skill, but the Left and Right Protectors maintained a threatening distance, ready to draw their swords at any moment.
Fighting a master while worrying about attacks from the side or behind was nearly impossible.
In the end, Sam Anbul couldn’t hold out for long and was subdued.
The Great Protector pinned Sam Anbul to the ground, driving a sword into his left shoulder to immobilize him.
Sam Anbul shouted defiantly.
“Kill me!”
“Don’t say things you don’t mean. Few value their lives as much as you do.”
“I won’t beg for my life from a dog that bites its master!”
“I have no intention of wasting such a valuable asset. Let’s cool our heads and talk again.”
Even for the Great Protector, it wasn’t easy to subdue someone with Sam Anbul’s immense inner strength and tough skin.
Instead, he delivered a powerful kick to the back of Sam Anbul’s head.
The force was enough to break an ordinary person’s neck, but it was just right to knock Sam Anbul unconscious.
Even as Sam Anbul went limp, Tang Mujin hadn’t fully escaped the crowd.
The fight had ended sooner than expected, and he was being cautious not to draw attention as he slipped away.
‘I can’t get caught.’
His knees felt weak, his heart pounding in his temples.
There were over fifty martial artists of various ranks around the platform.
If he drew their attention, they’d surround him in an instant.
Just as he was about to break free, Tang Mujin bumped into someone who had been watching the platform.
Their eyes met. Though unfamiliar, the aura of the person was clearly that of a martial artist more accomplished than Tang Mujin. His heart sank.
‘Is this the end?’
He had no intention of being captured without a fight. He reached for his sword, ready for a last stand.
But then, the stranger frowned slightly and spoke.
“Watch where you’re going, kid. Keep your eyes ahead.”
“Oh… uh, yes.”
The unexpected response caught him off guard.
The stranger returned his focus to the platform, and Tang Mujin, bewildered, continued to weave through the crowd.
‘Well, that was lucky.’
As he finally broke free, he realized the area around the platform had fallen silent. The sounds of battle had ceased. The outcome was clear.
He didn’t need to look to know who had won and who had lost. But sometimes, you have to see for yourself.
As expected, Sam Anbul lay defeated. The Left Protector hoisted him onto his shoulder, preparing to take him away.
At that moment, the Left Protector’s eyes met Tang Mujin’s.
‘This is it. I’m done for.’
But the Left Protector’s gaze shifted elsewhere, showing no interest in him.
’…What?’
It took a moment for Tang Mujin to understand the situation.
Since arriving at the sect, Tang Mujin had spent most of his time in seclusion.
Few people knew his face. Those who did only recognized him as “the young doctor Sam Anbul brought from outside.” Which wasn’t entirely wrong.
Moreover, Tang Mujin hadn’t caused any trouble around the platform.
He had come to testify on Sam Anbul’s behalf, but the Great Protector had acted before he could.
’…There’s no reason for the sect to capture me, is there?’
So why had Sam Anbul been so desperate for him to flee?
The answer was simple. Sam Anbul and Tang Mujin were in completely different positions.
Sam Anbul was a renowned master, his striking appearance drawing attention wherever he went. A man destined to be at the center of events.
But Tang Mujin was different. He wasn’t a towering figure with gray skin like Sam Anbul, nor did he possess extraordinary martial prowess.
Sure, being first-rate is a decent achievement, but in a place teeming with top-tier masters and countless experts, it hardly makes a mark.
“Well… being first-rate should have its perks at least once.”
Tang Mujin let out a sigh of relief, though a nagging sense of defeat seemed to hover around him.
He trudged towards the Poison Cave, where a crowd had gathered around the platform, curious about the commotion. Yet, none of them paid him any attention.
As Tang Mujin returned to the cave, Mok Wana approached him eagerly.
“Did it go well?”
“Not really… I don’t know…”
After Tang Mujin recounted the events in the village, Mok Wana’s eyes widened. The news of the former cult leader’s death and the new leader’s usurpation was shocking, but Mok Wana had never even seen the previous leader’s face, nor was he acquainted with the Three-Eyed Buddha.
“Things have gotten complicated.”
“Yeah.”
Tang Mujin began to gather his belongings. He didn’t have much to pack, so it was a quick task. Watching him, Mok Wana asked, “Where are you going?”
“I should prepare to leave. I need to get out of the cult before things get messier.”
“When are you leaving?”
“Maybe today.”
Mok Wana seemed to have something to say, fidgeting with his fingers, but Tang Mujin was too busy packing to notice.
Soon, they sensed someone approaching the cave. Mok Wana hid deeper inside, while Tang Mujin tensed up. No one who would come here was likely to be a welcome guest.
“Could it be the new leader?”
The door opened, revealing not the leader, but a man who had been by Tang Mujin’s side when he regained consciousness. Still, it wasn’t much different from the leader showing up, as this man was likely one of the leader’s direct subordinates.
He got straight to the point. “I’ve come with a message from the leader.”
“Uh… what is it?”
“Stay in the cult for now. If you need anything for your research, just ask.”
It wasn’t what Tang Mujin wanted to hear. Many were unhappy with the new leader, especially those living outside the cult. Staying in a place that would soon be in chaos wasn’t a good idea. Even if the outsiders didn’t cause trouble, the new leader seemed like someone who would.
Staying in the cult for too long was dangerous in itself. Rumors could spread, like “Tang Mujin, the son of the Tang family doctor, was a spy for the cult” or “Tang Mujin spent years with the cultists in the mountains.”
Tang Mujin cautiously asked, “How long do I have to stay?”
The man just smiled, a simple answer: until the leader says you can leave.
The future looked bleak. There was a shortage of doctors in the mountains, and those skilled in poison arts were rare across the land. The leader had no reason to let Tang Mujin go. Keeping him was more beneficial than letting him leave.
The man spoke with a playful tone, “You two are about the same age and seem to get along. Why not settle down here? It’s not a bad place, and there are plenty of poisons to study.”
Half-joking, half-serious, the suggestion made Tang Mujin’s expression grow more serious. Meanwhile, Mok Wana, overhearing, fidgeted even more, though only he noticed.
Tang Mujin thought, “Should I have just run away instead of coming back here? No, even if I had, it probably wouldn’t have worked out.”
He also worried about the Three-Eyed Buddha, who had fought to give Tang Mujin a chance to escape and was captured as a result. The future didn’t look good for him either.
“If only the Three-Eyed Buddha and I could escape the cult.”
But rescuing someone else when he couldn’t even save himself was impossible. Tang Mujin glanced at the man before him.
“If I can’t escape, I might as well study the poison of the Jinse bird and wait for an opportunity.”
The new leader had no reason to keep feeding the Jinse bird, and it would soon leave the leader’s quarters. The time to study its poison was running out.
“Well, since it’s come to this, I should do what I can and look for a chance…”
Just then, a thought struck Tang Mujin.
Resigned, he said, “Alright, I understand.”
Mok Wana paused for a moment, then fidgeted even faster. Only he knew why.
The leader’s subordinate, surprised by Tang Mujin’s compliance, raised an eyebrow. “What? What did you say?”
“Since I can’t leave the mountains for now, I might as well make myself comfortable. At least I have something to do.”
Tang Mujin’s calm acceptance softened the man’s expression. “Good thinking. A young person should stay positive.”
“By the way, as you mentioned, could you provide what I need for my research?”
“What do you need?”
“It would be great if you could gather poisons and herbs from around the mountains.”
“We have some collected already. I’ll bring them to you soon.”
Tang Mujin made a few more simple requests, and the man soon left.
His hands were damp with sweat. Wiping them on his pants, Tang Mujin let out a light sigh.
With luck, perhaps both he and the Three-Eyed Buddha could escape the cult.