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The news of the Thunder God Lineage’s sect conflict was quickly circulated by the Bancheon Alliance’s secret agents, and it happened in just three days. The word spread all over Guanzhong and nearby prestigious orthodox sects, reaching even the True Heaven Alliance. Of course, the secret agents kept their identities hidden through various means, so their identities remained undiscovered.

With the help of wealth, the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School was spruced up and prepared to welcome guests. Workers bustled around, creating sitting spaces for everyone. It didn’t take long for the already spacious school to expand even more.

The official start of the Thunder God Lineage’s sect conflict was precisely ten days after the news was spread.

I was waiting inside the venue to greet the attendees for the sect conflict when people began arriving early in the morning. I stood with Yun Guang, Lee Ji-pyeong, and others, checking their Sun’s Vital Energy, which was bulging with energy.

‘These are definitely experts from the Martial Arts World,’ I thought.

Honestly, I couldn’t possibly know each and every minor expert, so I could only guess based on their names on the guest list and their signatures. Most of the early arrivals were from ordinary households, while the masters from Buddhist and Taoist sects arrived a bit later. The last group to arrive was a rather flashy bunch from a heretical sect.

Buzzing…

About a hundred and seventy guests had gathered. It was astonishing to think that each of them had formally trained in martial arts. It would be hard to gather this many from ordinary folks, let alone finding a mix of renowned masters from the True Heaven Alliance and peak experts in one place. This was a clear indication of how the Martial Arts World viewed the Thunder God Lineage’s sect conflict.

After a short while, noon arrived, and Lee Kwang ascended the platform in the hall. With gentle internal energy, he addressed everyone in the assembly using the Six Harmonies Assembly technique.

“I, Samjeol Lee Kwang, extend my heartfelt gratitude to all Jianghu friends gathering for our Thunder God Lineage’s sect conflict.”

Just as Lee Kwang was about to transition into the main agenda after his brief opening remarks, a loud snicker erupted from the crowd.

“Ha! What is there to be thankful for, you shameless villain!”

The sharp, high-pitched voice made Lee Kwang’s eyebrows twitch. Simultaneously, the gazes of the Thunder God disciples and the masterful guests in the hall turned towards the voice’s source.

The owner of the voice was a woman in her twenties, donned in a white cloak. She had a sharp expression, and with her sword slung across her back, she seemed to belong to the Sword Gate faction. Drawing her sword, she shouted robustly.

“Everyone! Is there really any need to wait? Let’s strike against the evil White Lotus Sect and uphold Jianghu justice!”

“Right!”

At her signal, about ten individuals suddenly stood up from the crowd. They mostly seemed to be part of the same sect as the woman or formidable first-class experts. They advanced forward, brandishing weapons at Lee Kwang.

“Thunder God Lineage! You shamelessly hold a sect conflict while harming innocent people and revealing your nefarious ambitions…! I will eliminate you on this spot!”

My heart raced as I witnessed the scene.

‘Is that woman out of her mind?’

Of course, I couldn’t help but worry about the ten rogue figures. There was no way that the mighty Lee Kwang would fear such lowlife rogues, as he used to effortlessly slay dozens of Golden Eagle Guards using the Thunder Cloud Palm technique while laughing. It’d be fortunate if he didn’t just smile and take them down.

But Lee Kwang calmly replied without changing his expression.

“I do not understand what you are saying. What wrongdoing has our Thunder God Lineage committed?”

“Are you feigning ignorance? You killed everyone from the Qingliu Sect, the Beizhang Sect, and the Shenyin Sect while trying to cover your tracks! Not only that, you even killed newborns and pregnant women! You monsters!”

The sect names they mentioned were unfamiliar to me, likely the work of the Wind Spirit Sect plotting against the Thunder God Lineage far outside its territory.

“Kill them!!”

“Finish them off!!”

As the ten rogues shouted in fury, killing intent began brewing among the gathered martial artists. More than half of them showed uncertain expressions, but upon the condemnation of the Thunder God Lineage’s “evil deeds,” they began to see them as an enemy.

If it were the usual Lee Kwang, he would’ve erupted in anger by now, but he leisurely said.

“I don’t understand. Do you have any evidence that we did so?”

“If you need evidence, we have it.”

With that, three or four experts stood up from their seats, all members of the Huashan Sect dressed in their distinct attire. The leader, an elder from the Huashan Sect, bowed to the venue and proclaimed.

“I am Kong Jae of the Huashan Sect. I was sent here at the behest of the sect leader regarding this matter.”

“Ohh…!!”

“An elder from the Nine Great Sects…!!”

The rogue figures looked astonished. Lee Kwang and the Thunder God disciples stared at Kong Jae without altering their expressions. Kong Jae retrieved a silver token from his robe and continued speaking softly.

“What I am about to say carries the authority of the Huashan Sect and the sect leader. I promise to speak only the truth without a single lie.”

“Please tell us!”

“We from the Huashan Sect, in conjunction with the True Heaven Alliance Special Investigative Team, examined the horrific event involving the three sects. As a result, we discovered numerous corpses showing marks of Thunder Wounds.”

“Thunder Wounds?”

Kong Jae glared at Lee Kwang atop the platform as he continued.

“They are the signs that emerge when the cursed master of the Thunder God lineage reaches the realm of Thunder Spirit. It is the terrifying trace of a powerful Thunder Spirit Technique capable of scalding one’s wounds!”

Of course, Thunder Spirits were a real realm, and Thunder Wounds were indeed a real technique. The difference was that Thunder God masters could leave Thunder Wounds only at will.

‘They’re really mixing just enough truth into their information.’

I couldn’t help but chuckle at their attempt. It would indeed be hard to deny such claims.

“……!!”

The people looked at us with shock. It wasn’t that they were startled by our role as villains, but rather by the fact that we could manipulate Thunder Spirits with martial arts. It made sense; generally, manipulating forces of nature requires a very deep level of mastery.

Lee Kwang grinned coldly and countered.

“Impressive. Even masters of the Thunder God Lineage are sometimes ignorant of the nature of Thunder Spirits, yet you from the Nine Great Sects claim to have grasped such a significant secret at a glance?”

In response to Lee Kwang’s mocking words, Kong Jae replied.

“I expected you to say that. However, we sought advice from someone with the most knowledge about the White Lotus Sect for this investigation, and that person has verified this. Therefore, I believe it to be accurate.”

“And who might that be?”

“I cannot reveal that. It is to protect the person’s safety. However, I want to assure you that it holds validity, backed by the honor of the True Heaven Alliance leader.”

Just then, a stern-looking middle-aged man sitting next to Kong Jae stood up, speaking.

“I, Namgung-seonsaeng, endorse his words.”

“Ohh…!!”

“It’s Namgung-seonsaeng, the strategist of the True Heaven Alliance…!!”

The crowd gasped at the appearance of Namgung-seonsaeng!

He was a figure holding a strategical position in the True Heaven Alliance, which was the federation of the Nine Great Sects and the Orthodox sect. Although of Namgung Clan origin, he was known for entering the Huashan Sect at a young age to train in their martial arts, being renowned for his exceptional wisdom and combat prowess. He also served as an excellent political mediator between the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families. His true name was unknown.

As the situation escalated quickly, I started to feel annoyed.

‘I expected this, but it feels worse than I imagined.’

Currently, Kong Jae’s claims had no solid basis. Logically, once you reach the point of not disclosing the “proof” of your claims, they already lose significance. However, they pushed ahead as if it was logically undeniable, leveraging the authority of the True Heaven Alliance and the Huashan Sect. Being condemned this way was certainly infuriating.

I’ve never encountered a situation like this before. Being treated as a dead man among Jianghu martial artists and being out-argued, especially in a public setting, was not something easily experienced. I frowned and couldn’t manage my expression when Jin So-cheong, who stood beside me, smiled and sent me a secret message.

[Relax your expression, Master. Didn’t you expect this?]

[But I can’t help but feel like I want to kill them all.]

[Of course, while you could do that alone, let’s wait for the plan to unfold as intended.]

[Understood.]

I vented a bit to Jin So-cheong but settled my mood. The truth was, after some recent revelations regarding secrets from my past life, I found myself opening up a little to him.

After a brief moment, Lee Kwang spoke again.

“Then, why do you think we would fearlessly engage in such wicked acts right before this significant sect conflict?”

“It’s obvious, isn’t it? You secretly eliminated sects that would impede your expansion while fulfilling your twisted murderous desires!”

“Let’s set aside the Qingliu Sect; but the Beizhang and Shenyin Sects are more than three hundred li away. Is that true?”

“The fact remains, the corpses of the victims bore your martial arts marks. As long as this holds, you’ll be responsible for the lives claimed.”

Just as I was about to ask, ‘With what?’ combat would erupt with the reply being, “with your lives.” Lee Kwang already understood the flow, calmly handling the pressure that Kong Jae continued to exert.

“I can’t believe without seeing the corpses myself. You all mustn’t mislead the crowd so carelessly. Do you think saying just the term True Heaven Alliance is enough?”

“What…?”

“To be frank, I’m worried about whether you’re a novelist or a pitiful soul with madness. Until you can definitively present those ‘Thunder Wounds’ before the assembly, I won’t accept such preposterous accusations.”

Then Namgung-seonsaeng stepped forward, glaring at Lee Kwang and said.

“That remark can be understood as directly defying the authority of the True Heaven Alliance, right?”

“If there’s authority, must truth bend to it without proof? That’s what I’d like to question.”

“……”

I couldn’t help but admire Lee Kwang, as he articulated his points so well without a hint of agitation.

Though he was undoubtedly prepared beforehand, his calm demeanour elegantly countered every attempt of their high-handed authority. It was a result of Lee Kwang’s sharp understanding of the gaps in their logic and a grasp of the crowd’s psychology. He wasn’t just a muscle-bound brute relying on force; he had a cunning side that made him a formidable strategist.

Then something happened.

“You want corpses? Here’s one.”

From somewhere, Huashan Sect martial artists emerged carrying horrific corpses into the hall. The bodies appeared frozen by some unique method, not yet decayed, layered in frost. The martial artists set the corpses down in the hall, and Kong Jae seized the moment to shout out loud.

“Look at these bodies! The Thunder Wounds are making precise cuts across them! Are you still going to deny it?”

It seemed they had come well-prepared. I inwardly scoffed.

‘What kind of ruffians bring corpses to someone else’s sect conflict?’

The more I thought, the more I felt like smashing the Wind Spirit Sect to pieces. And I felt puzzled as to what the True Heaven Alliance leader was doing to be swayed by such ruffians. While my insides simmered with anger, Lee Kwang seemed to be waiting for the right moment.

“Denying it…”

At that moment, Lee Kwang subtly moved his lips. His discreet message towards Kong Jae seemed to have jolted the man out of his fervent speeches, causing him to tremble as if struck by lightning. Sweat began pouring from Kong Jae’s forehead like rain.

“……”

Seeing Kong Jae suddenly freeze in terror, the crowd buzzed with confusion. Lee Kwang, now discarding the Six Harmonies Assembly technique, delivered a roaring Lion’s Roar into the hall.

“I’m sorry, but we cannot proceed with our sect conflict alongside the ruffians who brazenly bring forth gruesome corpses. I must uphold the honor of our lineage and settle the score with these lunatics before finishing our sect conflict. Those who agree with the madmen should leave; those who are righteous should stay.”

Buzzing…

The martial artists murmured among themselves in response. If Kong Jae had pressed a little further, the hundreds gathered would have had to engage in a fight, but the situation had now become ambiguous. Namgung-seonsaeng yelled at Kong Jae, who stood beside him.

“Hey! This isn’t what we discussed! Why pull back now?!”

“……”

Kong Jae remained silent, sweating heavily like a fish out of water. Even his pupils trembled as his disciples rushed in to help him, bewilderedly supporting him to a chair, resembling a puppet.

‘What’s going on?’

I thought, watching him, but there was no sign of any particular injury. Moments later, people amongst the crowd began to get up and leave one by one.

Rumble…

As time passed, a dozen or so figures affiliated with the Huashan Sect, along with several who seemed to have grudges against the Thunder God Lineage, remained. About ten or more remained cautiously watching the situation. In other words, more than two-thirds of the martial artists had fled.

Namgung-seonsaeng appeared flustered, as if the turnout was vastly different from his expectations. He likely intended to rally everyone and launch an all-out attack. But with so few remaining, he probably realized they would be at greater risk of slaughter by Lee Kwang.

Calmly, Lee Kwang addressed the remaining martial artists.

“Do you really believe our Thunder God Lineage was responsible for that horrific tragedy?”

“Spare us the excuses, you villain!”

“Um….”

Lee Kwang paused for a moment before saying, “Then let’s add a few more lines to the tragedy.”

“What…?”

Bam!

It was all in an instant. Lee Kwang’s hand moved unseen, and in one fluid motion, he wielded a spear, slaughtering the martial artists standing in front of him.

There were women among those attacked, yet he showed no mercy, swiftly eliminating them all.

“……?”

The experts from the Huashan Sect and the True Heaven Alliance stared in disbelief, shocked at the turn of events. The first to register was Namgung-seonsaeng, who wore an expression of ‘This wasn’t the plan.’ He looked panicked and shouted hurriedly.

“L-Lee Kwang! Wait! This is a suicide act…”

Lee Kwang interrupted Namgung-seonsaeng casually.

“You see, Namgung-seonsaeng, I’ve always disliked you. You are a sycophant to my friend Wei Zhi-hun while undermining the leader of the True Heaven Alliance, aiming to manipulate the Five Great Families’ interests.”

“Uh… uh…”

Lee Kwang then revealed his fangs like a beast.

“At a time like this, it feels incredibly refreshing to deal with trash like you.”

With that, Lee Kwang charged forward, mixing the techniques of Lan and Chal to instantaneously rend Namgung-seonsaeng into pieces. He seemed to be near peak mastery himself, yet he couldn’t resist and was killed in seconds.

The guards of Namgung-seonsaeng rushed towards Lee Kwang, but he didn’t change his expression and dealt with them silently, wielding his spear evenly.

Swoosh!

“Aaaargh…”

“Save me…”

Bang!

It all happened so fast. The martial artists from the True Heaven Alliance plummeted into complete chaos, turning into collateral damage before everyone could comprehensively grasp the situation. Fear and horror reflected on their faces.

Now, only the elder Kong Jae, the remaining Huashan Sect martial artists, and those still spectating remained. Having scanned the hall, Lee Kwang approached Kong Jae and halted in front of him.

“Since you’ve been cooperative, I’ll spare your two direct disciples. Point them out.”

“……”

Kong Jae, trembling, shakily pointed at his two disciples standing beside him. Lee Kwang nodded, confirming their identities before resuming his killing spree.

Bang!

Crash!

Thud.

“Aaaaaargh!!”

As the slaughter unfolded anew, save for the two chosen Huashan disciples, all of Kong Jae’s martial artists were annihilated. Lee Kwang had eliminated nearly thirty in a fraction of a moment without a single drop of blood staining his garment.

“A… ah…”

“Master…”

The two Huashan disciples wailed, clinging to the remains of their dismembered master. Lee Kwang coldly remarked.

“Your master saved you by keeping his mouth shut. Never forget his death and ensure you live your lives buried in the Huashan Sect for eternity.”

Indeed, Lee Kwang had suppressed Kong Jae’s spirit using the Formless Qi, allowing him to seal Kong Jae’s fate with mere silence, promising to spare his disciples’ lives.

“……”

The two disciples sobbed blood tears as they gathered their master’s remains before departing. Lee Kwang snickered at their retreating figures before addressing the remaining spectators.

“And you all should leave. This place will soon become a battlefield.”

“Hiiik.”

They hastily abandoned their pride as Jianghu experts and fled at Lee Kwang’s utterance. They likely wanted to escape initially but were simply paralyzed by fear.

Amidst the sea of blood, Lee Kwang extended his arms and proclaimed.

“Let the festivities begin.”

“Indeed. The Heavenly Net has begun.”

Mangnyang, who had been behind the platform, emerged and calmly stated while spreading the Seven Fires, Seven Golds Line. He looked at Lee Kwang amidst the blood flood.

“If it gets too overwhelming, don’t forget to rush back to Baek Woong.”

“Ha ha, I doubt that will happen before Cheon Woo-jin makes his move.”

“Sounds good.”

By now, the area must be surrounded by the main forces of the True Heaven Alliance, Jianghu masters, and various mercenaries. Kong Jae and Namgung-seonsaeng likely intended to incite the gathered martial artists to attack us while plotting our escape, but Lee Kwang’s brazen slaughter obliterated their timing.

Miho, standing next to me, sent a message.

[Today’s going to be a blast! How many will die?]

“Hmm…”

I understood that the objective of the Thunder God Lineage today was to appear as if it were a sect conflict while executing mass slaughter. Taking a moment to ponder, I muttered.

“They’re going to build mountains of corpses…”

The more uproar, the better.

Any notoriety would suffice.

Only then would the masters of the Thunder God Lineage be inclined to join!

It seemed like a deranged plan, but it stemmed from Mangnyang’s communication with the master of the White Lotus Sect to postpone the operations along with the confidence in the Thunder God Lineage’s might. Simultaneously, there was an urge to deliver a harsh blow to the True Heaven Alliance that carried itself arrogantly under the guise of righteousness.

Once we exceeded the point where discussions with the True Heaven Alliance would be useful, the only option left was to seek a new order through force. Therein lies the natural hostility, as fearing the grudge of the True Heaven Alliance would mean we could never stand against the White Lotus Sect. It was far better to compel recognition through power. That was how the Thunder God Lineage survived in Jianghu.

 

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