Chapter 156
Upon returning to Shaoxing, Baek Mu-Gun devoted himself to his martial arts training. He was currently at the entrance of the Supreme Realm. His enlightenment had already entered it, but he lacked the body and internal energy to support it. Hence, Mu-Gun intensively focused on increasing his internal energy and using the Iron Blood Vajra Body Cultivation Technique. However, those alone werent enough to achieve substantial growth within a short period.
Should I buy an elixir or something from somewhere?
The best way to swiftly increase internal energy was to consume elixirs or spiritual pills, but those were hard to come by. In addition, the normal kind was less effective in increasing the Heavenly Thunder Constellation Divine Arts Thunder God qi. It was quite a pity that two of the Three-Headed Centipedes beast cores, which contained yin and yang energies, were consumed by Cho Woo-Kyung. If Mu-Gun had consumed them, he would have amassed six hundred years worth of internal energy and completed his Supreme Realm state.
However, there was no changing what had already happened. Those beast cores rightfully belonged to Woo-Kyung anyway, so Mu-Gun was already very thankful that he was given the thunder qi beast core.
After increasing his internal energy and using the Iron Blood Vajra Body Cultivation Technique, Mu-Gun visited Dan Seol-Youngs residence to rest and drink some tea.
Youre here? Please sit down and wait a moment. I will bring you some tea.
Seol-Young immediately prepared a cup of tea for Mu-Gun.
Did you get any information today? Mu-Gun asked, then took a sip of tea.
I received two intel. First, we discovered a location that is believed to be the Four Seas Gangs headquarters.
Really?
Yes. There is an island known as Black Spirit Island approximately one hundred twenty kilometers away from the shores of Qingdao, Shandong Province. We believe that to be their hideout.
Black Spirit Island?
It is surrounded by powerful sea currents and covered in black fog all year round. Even fishing boats that go far out in the sea do not wander near it.
Why do you think its the Four Seas Gangs headquarters? Mu-Gun asked.
While monitoring the Qingdao Sect in Shandong Province, we discovered that they regularly supply goods to unknown figures, Seol-Young explained.
The Qingdao Sect was suspected of being a disguised force of the Nine Celestial Demons Sect, but they found no evidence that could connect the Qingdao Sect to the Nine Celestial Demons Sect despite having investigated them. Nevertheless, Mu-Gun and the Heavenly Secret Hall continued to monitor the Qingdao Sect since they still had their suspicions.
Who are those figures?
Pirates of the Four Seas Gang.
If what you said is true, then that proves that the Qingdao Sect is also connected to the Nine Celestial Demons Sect.
I agree. On a related note, the Heavenly Secret Hall members secretly tracking the Four Seas Gang pirates confirmed that they entered Black Spirit Island. However, our members failed to get into Black Spirit Island, Seol-Young said, finding it a shame.
As expected of the Heavenly Secret Hall. Other organizations wouldnt have even discovered the existence of Black Spirit Island, Mu-Gun complimented the Heavenly Secret Hall, making Seol-Young chuckle.
What could the Four Seas Gang be doing inside Black Spirit Island? she wondered.
Considering they have not shown up at all in the last few months, Im certain that they are up to something. The Seventy-Two Strongholds of Lulin and the Changjiang Waterway Alliance are probably involved in it as well.
Why do you think so?
They went missing around the same time the Four Seas Gang did. That cant be a mere coincidence.
You have a point. What are you going to do? Youre not planning to personally take action again this time, are you?
I plan to leave the Four Seas Gang to others. They have been waiting for this chance, after all.
You mean the Great Namgung Family and the Great Huangfu Family? Seol-Young immediately deduced.
Thats correct. The Four Seas Gang attacked their vassal families in Jiangsu Province, inflicting heavy losses on them. To repay that grudge, they will definitely step forward.
This will also be a great opportunity for the Great Huangfu Family to finally get rid of the Qingdao Sect. That will probably make them want to take this matter into their own hands even more.
Exactly.
We dont have to worry about the Four Seas Gang anymore, then, Seol-Young said.
Thats right. Leaving it to the Great Namgung Family and the Great Huangfu Family will be more than enough. Anyway, whats the other news?
It is about the Ten Wanderers, whom I previously mentioned.
Did they reply?
Yes. Seven of the Ten Wanderers have decided to accept the Baek Sword Sects offer.
Seven? Really? Mu-Gun asked in surprise.
He thought only two or three at most would accept the offer.
Yes. I think the fact that you are the Thunder Gods successor worked in our favor. However, they included a condition, Seol-Young added.
What is it?
They want to spar with you regularly, dear.
I can have that arranged, Mu-Gun said, finding their condition quite easy to meet.
Ill let them know and invite them to Shaoxing, then.
Please do. Thank you.
What for?
Since youre helping me with such important matters, I can focus on my martial arts training and issues related to the sect.
Does that mean that you want me to work harder from now on? You didnt marry me to take full advantage of me and ask me to do these tasks for you, did you? Seol-Young joked.
If you look deep into my eyes, you will discover that I do not have such thoughts. Dont you think my eyes are overflowing with love for you, my dear wife? Mu-Gun said while staring at Seol-Young with a cheesy expression, dumbfounding her.
I dont know how you can say something so embarrassing without blushing, Seol-Young replied shyly.
I am not lying, so what is there to be embarrassed about? If I dont express my feelings, you will never know about them. You should express yourself as much as you want to as well, my dear wife, Mu-Gun confidently said.
I will try my best. On that note, I would like to thank you as well. I am saying this not as your wife, but as the Heavenly Secret Hall Vice Leader.
What are you thanking me for?
You turned the Heavenly Secret Hall into a proper organization. Back then, we had no use for the Heavenly Secret Halls information network. Fortunately, you brought meaning to it. Thank you for letting us do our job with pride and for paying us to do what we do best. Seol-Young smiled. I say this not for myself alone, but on behalf of all the Heavenly Secret Hall members as well.
I was going to ask you to give our sect a discount if youre really grateful, but I guess I shouldnt.
Dont even think about it.
That is so cold-hearted. Are you really my wife?
Work and personal lives should be kept separate. Seol-Young smiled widely when Mu-Gun pouted.
After having tea with Seol-Young, Mu-Gun visited Baek Cheon-Sang and relayed to him the information he obtained from the Heavenly Secret Hall. In response, Cheon-Sang decided to send the intel on the Four Seas Gang to the Great Namgung Family and the Great Huangfu Family. He then entrusted Mu-Gun to take care of the seven Wanderers who expressed their intention to sign a contract with the Baek Sword Sect. Mu-Gun was already planning to do that anyway, so Cheon-Sang just gave his permission.
After completing his martial arts training at the training hall, Mu-Gun detected a source of hidden energy on his way back to his residence. Having already come across it before, he immediately identified it to be the Specter Slayer Kings aura.
Mu-Gun pretended not to notice at first. However, as soon as he reached his room, he looked at the empty space and said, Why dont you stop hiding and show yourself?
Ive already witnessed this before, but you are truly amazing. To think you can see through my Dark Specter Stealth Art so easily, the Specter Slayer King said in astonishment.
Its only natural that you can see as much as youre aware of. There is no way I would not see through you, considering my martial realm is higher than yours, Mu-Gun nonchalantly replied.
As promised, I brought our members here. What do you need me to do now?
How many members does the Specter Sect have?
We are fifty strong.
That is less than I thought.
We suffered quite a huge loss at Mount Yuhua, the Specter Slayer King admitted.
You probably resent me, then.
No, I only regret my own decisions.
Thats quite an unexpected answer.
As the Specter Sect Patriarch, I learned to take responsibility for the results of my decision. Blaming others will not change anything.
That is a good mindset. Hide your presence and wait. I have nothing for you to do right now.
Can you not pass down the Heavenly Spectral Assassin Sword Art to us now? the Specter Slayer King asked.
You already know the answer to that.
Understood. Make sure you keep your promise later.
Of course.
We will be staying at the Silver Star Manor on the outskirts of Shaoxing. If you need anything, come find me there.
Got it.
The Specter Slayer King left the Baek Sword Sects manor as stealthily as he entered it. Mu-Gun was the only one who knew he had come and gone, but that did not mean that the manor had lax security. The Specter Slayer King simply had excellent stealth skills. Considering even Absolute-Realm masters would find it difficult to detect him, ordinary martial artists naturally couldnt detect him.
* * *
Having received information on the Four Seas Gang from the Baek Sword Sect, the Great Namgung Family and the Great Huangfu Family first confirmed whether the information was true instead of immediately taking action. It could have been difficult if they were investigating without any leads, but it was not that hard for them to fact-check available information.
The Huangfu Familys covert investigation confirmed that the Qingdao Sect exported large amounts of supplies once a month. They also managed to figure out the situation within Black Spirit Island. Perhaps because the enemy thought that they would never be discovered, the Black Spirit Islands security was lax. Thanks to that, the Huangfu Familys spies managed to infiltrate it without difficulty and obtain intel on its layout.
As a result, they were able to confirm that Black Spirit Island was the Four Seas Gangs headquarters and that the elite forces of the Seventy-Two Strongholds of Lulin and the Changjiang Waterway Alliance were also staying in it.
Upon closer examination, the Namgung Family and Huangfu Family found out that only the Lulin Heavenly King was left of the Seventy-Two Strongholds of Lulins Three Kings of Lulin. Meanwhile, the Changjiang Waterway Alliances Three Kings of Changjiang still had the Changjiang Dragon King and the Changjiang Shark King. Lastly, the Four Seas Gang no longer had any Absolute-Realm masters because the Three Dragons of the Four Seas had all been killed.
In conclusion, the three outlaw groups had three Absolute-Realm masters and fourteen Upper-Peak-Realm masters in total. Moreover, they had also gathered a little over seven hundred people on Black Spirit Island. Their forces alone werent anything to worry about, but the problem was the Qingdao Sect, which had two Absolute-Realm masters within their ranks. If the Qingdao Sect joined forces with the outlaw groups gathered on Black Spirit Island, the Namgung Family and the Huangfu Family would likely suffer even larger casualties.
The best way to tackle this was to separate their opponents and defeat them one by one. They could attack the Qingdao Sect first before attacking the enemy on Black Spirit Island, but as soon as the Namgung Family and the Huangfu Family mobilized their forces, the Qingdao Sect would immediately figure out what they were planning. The Qingdao Sects forces were nothing to laugh at, so it would be difficult to attack them with only a small number of elite personnel.
The moment the Qingdao Sect detected the Namgung Family and the Huangfu Familys movements, they would likely join forces with the three outlaw groups as fast as they could. Hence, the Namgung Family and the Huangfu Family decided to ask for the Hebei Peng Familys help. If the Hebei Peng Familys forces cooperated with them, their enemy would not be a problem at all even if they joined hands.
Fortunately, the Hebei Peng Family willingly accepted their request, allowing them to deploy a total of eight Absolute-Realm masters and nine martial platoons. The Hebei Peng Family and Namgung Family, who were far away, first sent their forces to Shandong Province, and the Huangfu Family waited for them to arrive so they could advance to the Qingdao Sect together. Considering the distance, it would take them a month at the earliest to actually begin their attack on the Qingdao Sect.
The intelligence syndicate swiftly caught wind of their movements, which was only natural since they were moving quite a large force. The Qingdao Sects intelligence organization, which was secretly monitoring the Nine Prominent Sects and the Seven Great Families, immediately informed the Qingdao Sect about it.
After deducing that the three families were marching to attack the outlaw groups at Black Spirit Island, Heavenly Killer Divine Demon Dok Go-Seong immediately relayed the information to the Invincible Clan.
The Great Namgung Family, the Great Huangfu Family, and even the Hebei Peng Family are on the move? Invincible Divine Demon So Geuk-Sang asked.
Yes, Spirit Manifestation Demonic Monarch Neung Mong-Hon replied.
Which one do you think they are aiming for, the Qingdao Sect or Black Spirit Island?
Considering the movements of their forces, they seem to have both the Qingdao Sect and Black Spirit Island in mind.
I knew it, Geuk-Sang said.
If they only wanted to attack one of the two, they would not have mobilized such a large force, Mong-Hon inferred.
This timing is quite unfortunate. They decided to attack us just as we completed the production of the Soul-Burning Invincibility Pill and were about to mobilize the forces at the Black Spirit Island, Geuk-Sang said, clearly displeased.
On the contrary, I think this is beneficial to us. We can just wipe out the forces marching to the Qingdao Sect and the Black Spirit Island, then destroy the Great Huangfu Family afterward.
That is a good idea.
It would certainly be better if they could wipe out the incoming enemy forces and then both the Huangfu Family and the Namgung family instead of just the latter.
I will instruct the Death Shadow Demonic Monarch to act accordingly, then.
Go.
After making adjustments to their plan, the Invincible Divine Demon had it delivered to the Death Shadow Demonic Monarch, who was currently at Black Spirit Island.
The sourc𝗲 of this content is free(w)ebnov(𝒆)l