Chapter 43
The Great Sima Family’s Patriarch, Sima Chongjing, summoned his steward, Sima Chongxia. He then asked the latter, “Have you learned why the Great Huangfu Family is loitering around Yangzhou?”
“I think they’ve noticed our real identity.”
“How did they find out?”
“The person who annihilated the Flying Lion Platoon and captured the Flying Shadow Platoon Leader probably informed the Great Huangfu Family.”
“How did he know, though?”
“This is just a conjecture, but I think he found out when he saw the martial arts of the Flying Lion Platoon Leader and Flying Shadow Platoon Leader.”
“Those fools.”
“There’s a high chance they instinctively used the Asura Cult’s martial arts due to how dire their situations were.”
“If they didn't have any other choice, they should've just let themselves be killed. That aside, have we still not figured out who that man is?”
“I apologize. However, I don’t think he belongs to a particular force.”
“What about his relationship with the Great Huangfu Family?”
“He likely got the Great Huangfu Family involved because he couldn’t handle us alone.”
“What you’re saying is just all speculation, right?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Now that the Great Huangfu Family has seen through us, there’s no way they’ll let us get away with it. Do we have any countermeasures against them?”
“Given the great damage the Flying Lion Platoon and Flying Shadow Platoon have sustained, it won’t be easy to defend against the Great Huangfu Family if four out of the Ten Heavenly King Platoons come.”
“What if we ask the Lee Household and Taiyun Household for support?”
“Then we’ll be able to fight up to six of the Ten Heavenly King Platoons. The question is whether they’ll provide support.”
“I’ll take care of that. You just have to make preparations accordingly,” Sima Chongqing replied, seemingly confident.
“If we can pull in the Lee Household and the Taiyun Household, we’ll be able to easily fend off the Great Huangfu Family’s assault. Under various circumstances, the Great Huangfu Family will only be able to mobilize up to five of the Ten Heavenly King Platoons. However, even if we fight off the Great Huangfu Family, the moment they expose our identity, the entire murim will be a threat to us.”
“Does the Great Huangfu Family have a way to prove our identity?”
“The Flying Shadow Platoon Leader was captured alive, so his words would probably be the evidence.”
“It’s a forced confession. What if we say that the Great Huangfu Family is just tricking murim because they want to take over Jiangsu Province?”
“The Great Sima Family’s status in murim isn’t comparable to the Great Huangfu Family. Murim will trust their words more.”
“What if the Lee Household and Taiyun Household make the same stance as us?”
“if they actively confirm with us, murim won’t side with only the Great Huangfu Family. Recently, there has also been a growing hostility against the Seven Great Clans in murim.”
“If we pull this off properly, we will also be able to get the justification we need to wipe out the Great Huangfu Family.”
It was a very probable backstory. The Seven Great Clans had a vested interest in murim for thirty years after they defeated the Hell-Blood Demon Sect. To strengthen their vested interests, they unknowingly exerted their authority on murim. This resulted in many murim forces harboring ill feelings against the Seven Great Clans. Sima Chongqing intended to take advantage of this opportunity.
In particular, the Nine Prominent Sects, which were the main leaders of murim before the Seven Great Clans, had completely resumed their activities after being sealed for so long. Hence, the tension between the Nine Prominent Sects and the Seven Great Clans was rising. Unless there was concrete proof, the Nine Prominent Sects were likely to support the Three Great Families of Jiangsu as they were looking to regain their vested interest in the face of the Seven Great Clans—the leading sects.
The rest of the Seven Great Clans would naturally support the Great Huangfu Family, but if the Great Huangfu Family were annihilated before they could intervene, they wouldn’t be able to immediately retaliate.
“What should we do about the Great Huangfu Family martial artists that are in Yangzhou right now?”
“Leave them be for now. Rather than making the first move, it would be much easier for us to get justification to fight back if we let the Great Huangfu Family attack first.”
“Understood.”
***
A few days later, Mu-Gun moved to lure the Great Sima Family out according to what he told the Great Huangfu Family. The Great Sima Family found Mu-Gun’s traces without much difficulty. However, the Great Sima Family didn’t deploy their combat forces to catch Mu-Gun.
When the Great Sima Family didn’t budge even after he had exposed his location, Mu-Gun realized that they were aware of his luring tactic. That also meant it was highly likely that the Great Sima Family was aware of the Great Huangfu Family’s movements and his cooperation with them.
Mu-Gun immediately relayed that information to Huangfu Ren.
“I think what you just said is right, Young Master Gu. However, the fact that the Great Sima Family isn’t taking any action is suspicious. If they knew about our existence, it would make sense for them to take action first. It’s like they’re waiting for us to attack first.”
“With the Great Sima Family’s combat forces, it would be difficult to fend off the Great Huangfu Family. It seems like they have something they're confident they can rely on.”
“Do you have any idea what that is?”
“Their demeanor would be understandable if it’s because the Asura Cult sent reinforcements. However, if that were the case, then they would be revealing their true identity. Whether they’d actually do that is questionable.”
“Hmmm, it’s hard to judge due to our lack of information on Jiangsu Province.”
“For now, I think we will have to move prudently with the assumption that the Great Sima Family has some sort of combat force great enough to match the Great Huangfu Family.”
“Don’t worry. We have already foreseen such variables.”
“Then you likely have a countermeasure.”
“The Great Namgung Family will be moving with us.”
“The Great Namgung Family?”
“Do understand that we couldn’t tell you in advance.”
“It’s fine. The more crucial the situation, the more covert it has to be.”
Mu-Gun wasn’t particularly offended that Huangfu Ren didn’t mention the Great Namgung Family’s involvement. That was only natural, after all. The Great Namgung Family’s involvement was an important matter that could determine the direction of this battle. It would be foolish for him to tell Mu-Gun, considering he wasn’t even affiliated with the Great Huangfu Family. If Mu-Gun was Huangfu Ren, he would’ve done the same.
“Thank you for understanding.”
“When will the Great Namgung Family arrive?”
“They’re going to enter Yangzhou tonight. As soon as they arrive, we will surround the Great Sima Family and make a declaration of war. We will give them a chance to surrender. If they don’t comply, we will launch an attack. You should prepare accordingly too, Young Master Gu.”
“I will.”
The Great Huangfu Family’s thorough plan reminded Mu-Gun once again why they were one of the Seven Great Clans. The Great Sima Family couldn’t have imagined that the Great Huangfu Family would involve the Great Namgung Family on such short notice. In the same sense, if the Great Namgung Family’s forces stormed in, it would be difficult for it to have any significant effect no matter what they had prepared.
‘What a coincidence.’
Mu-Gun felt strange about the current situation. He would be fighting alongside the families of the two people he had a grudge against in his past life. However, now wasn’t the time to think of other matters. To him, stopping the Nine Celestial Demons Sect was more important to him than the resentment of his past life.
There was one thing he had to do before fighting the Great Sima Family. After returning to the annex, Mu-Gun took out the wooden box he had received from Seonwoo Pyo and opened the lid, revealing the Yin Yang Poison Horn Serpent’s dark brown beast core. Mu-Gun intended to absorb it before fighting the Great Sima Family. With the Great Huangfu Family and Great Namgung Family joining forces, they’d emerge victorious without any difficulty.
However, their opponent was the Asura Cult, not the Great Sima Family. Based on his experiences from his previous life, the Nine Celestial Demons Sect was by no means a pushover. There was more to them than met the eye. Against them, he had to move while assuming the worst-case scenario and keep his guard up at all times. Unfortunately, responding to unexpected variables with his current strength would be difficult.
Of course, if he used the Thunder God's Descent, he would be able to mitigate and crush any variables. However, the problem was what came after. He didn’t trust the Great Huangfu Family and Great Namgung Family enough to entrust his safety to them. As such, he needed to refrain from using the Thunder God’s Descent, which would put him in a sluggish state afterward.
Absorbing the Yin Yang Poison Horn Serpent’s beast core would allow him to advance into the Absolute Realm, which in turn would enable him to react to any factors without having to resort to the Thunder God’s Descent. The deadly poison aura contained in the Yin Yang Poison Horn Serpent’s beast core was a problem, but he thought he could sufficiently detoxify it with the Heavenly Thunder Constellation Divine Art since he had already enhanced his internal energy using the Divine Thunder Essence Elixir.
Having made up his mind, Mu-Gun ingested the Yin Yang Poison Horn Serpent’s beast core without hesitation. It quickly melted down as soon as he put the beast core in his mouth, allowing him to swallow it without much issue. The hot and cold energy stemming from the beast core flooded his dantian, and the Heavenly Thunder Constellation Divine Art’s thunder qi, which was protecting his dantian, resisted the foreign aura.
Mu-Gun began to circulate his qi with the Heavenly Thunder Constellation Divine Art, the thunder qi of which could handle all the energy that existed in the world. The Yin Yang Poison Horn Serpent’s yin-yang qi was no different. The problem was the deadly poison aura it contained. The poison aura resisted violently, refusing to harmonize with the thunder qi. Instead of surrendering to the thunder qi, it desired to become the main energy. The thunder qi and the deadly poison qi were like water and oil.
‘Burn it and get rid of it.’
Mu-Gun began to apply the Heavenly Thunder Constellation Divine Art’s detoxification attribute, but the deadly poison qi resisted the thunder qi that tried to burn it away with even more intensity. The deadly poison qi was stronger than Mu-Gun had thought. Even though he was now using a much higher amount of thunder qi, it still couldn’t overpower the deadly poison qi.
On the contrary, as time passed, the deadly poison qi gnawed and devoured the thunder qi in an effort to take control of Mu-Gun’s internal body. Mu-Gun tensed up. If he lost the initiative to the deadly poison qi like this, its poison would spread throughout his body and kill him.
Strong when united and weak when dispersed!
At the phrase that suddenly came to mind, Mu-Gun tried to split the deadly poison qi using his thunder qi. However, the deadly poison qi was cunning. As if trying to creep over a wall, it prevented the thunder qi from scattering it, then began to counterattack. Mu-Gun tried to condense the thunder qi to fight the deadly poison qi, but the latter, which had momentum in its favor, permeated into the thunder qi and tried to scatter it in return.
Mu-Gun focused and tried his best to prevent the deadly poison qi from succeeding. Cold sweat dripped down his forehead, indicating the urgency of the situation.
If by some chance, he made the wrong move, he would lose his life to the deadly poison qi. Mu-Gun fought against it with his life on the line. A push-and-pull fight ensued between the two qis. Before he knew it, two hours had passed, and the deadly poison qi was still executing a violent assault.
Mu-Gun’s thunder qi was also firmly holding its ground, sparing no effort in removing the deadly poison qi. The problem was that Mu-Gun’s concentration had begun to waver now that two hours had passed. Even though his previous life had given him a very strong mentality, it wasn’t easy for him to maintain a high level of concentration for more than two hours. When his focus was momentarily disrupted, the deadly poison qi burrowed through, not missing the opportunity. The deadly poison qi gained momentum and began to devour the thunder qi.
Mu-Gun tried to focus again, but it wasn’t easy to regain the momentum he had already lost. He couldn’t let it go on like this. Mu-Gun had to find another method.
At that moment, an idea crossed his mind.
The Heavenly Thunder Constellation Divine Art could harmonize with the energies of all things. The deadly poison qi was no exception. After all, it was just one of the energies of all things in the universe.
Instead of trying to get rid of it, what would happen if he tried to harmonize it with the thunder qi?
With that crazy idea in mind, Mu-Gun immediately stopped applying the detoxification attribute and instead began to use the harmonization attribute. It was a very dangerous attempt. If the detoxification attribute was akin to locking the fortress gate and attacking the deadly poison qi, then the harmonization attribute was like opening the gate and letting it in. If it rejected the harmonization attribute, it would basically be like facing the enemy in a defenseless state.
The most important thing when using the harmonization attribute was unconditional faith. One had to have not even a single hint of doubt. It definitely wasn’t easy for Mu-Gun to bear that mindset toward the deadly poison qi, considering it could take his life. However, he had to do so to embrace it with the harmonization attribute.
He accepted the deadly poison qi, which was still attacking the thunder qi.
This was only possible because Mu-Gun had absolute faith in the Heavenly Thunder Constellation Divine Art. When he abandoned all hostility toward the deadly poison qi and left it to its own accord, it began to attack the thunder qi like a reinless horse.
Nevertheless, the thunder qi didn’t resist at all. It just tried to harmonize with the deadly poison qi. In response, the deadly poison qi, which had been aggressively attacking the thunder qi, suddenly slowed down when the latter stopped showing any hostility toward its offensive. The former had realized that the thunder qi wanted to be one with it and coexist in harmony. Now, it was up to the deadly poison qi’s decision.
Would the deadly poison qi continue to attack and devour the thunder qi or would it coexist as one with it?
The deadly poison qi knew that everything would be over the moment it devoured the thunder qi. It didn’t want it to end like this, but coexisting with the thunder qi was the only way it could continue to exist.
Even if it couldn’t become the main energy, it wanted to continue existing. To do that, it had to become one with the thunder qi and fully entrust itself to it. Hence, the deadly poison qi stopped its assault and started to harmonize with the thunder qi.
‘It’s working.’
Mu-Gun soon sensed that the deadly poison qi had given in to the thunder qi. His belief had worked. He unleashed the harmonization attribute and began to harmonize the thunder qi and the deadly poison qi, and the thunder qi quickly began to absorb the yin-yang qi, which had been locked up in the deadly poison qi.
Through qi circulation, the deadly poison qi started becoming a part of the thunder qi and soon perfectly united with it. The amount of thunder qi that returned to Mu-Gun’s dantian after twelve cycles of circulation exceeded 180 years’ worth.
‘I’ve advanced into the Absolute Realm!’
Mu-Gun didn’t stop after completely absorbing the Yin Yang Poison Horn Serpent’s beast core, however. On the contrary, he proceeded to the next step.
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