Three figures emerged through the thick cloud of dust.
“What the hell?”
The Blood Thunder Gate Master frowned at the sudden intruders, then shouted,
“Who are you bastards?”
Jin Muryang, who had smashed his way through the gate, grinned.
“You the Gate Master here?”
Perhaps sensing something ominous in that question, the Blood Thunder Gate Master immediately barked,
“Sound the Thousand-Household Alert! Now!”
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM—!
Drums thundered rapidly, and martial artists poured in from every direction.
Jin Muryang grinned and glanced behind him.
“Can I take them all myself?”
Ye Yahyeon replied,
“Then the Gate Master is mine.”
“Hmm.”
Jin Muryang considered it.
“Fine. That crowd looks more entertaining than the Gate Master anyway.”
“I knew you’d choose quantity over quality.”
“Chances like this don’t come around often. Might as well enjoy it properly. Baek Ryeongso, you sitting this one out?”
“I’m good. I’ll stay here and make sure none of them escape.”
“What’s there to guard? You already spread a formation over the entire sect.”
Baek Ryeongso grinned.
“All right, then. Shall we have some fun for the first time in ages?”
*****
“Ugh....”
“Urgh....”
Groans rose from every direction.
Countless people writhed across the ground in pain.
Not a single one still had all four limbs intact.
“What? It’s already over? That was way too easy.”
Jin Muryang sounded disappointed.
Ye Yahyeon snorted.
“You got too excited. You should’ve controlled your strength better.”
“Tch! Then why did you finish yours in one hit?”
“Ah... I honestly didn’t think he’d pass out from that. People keep saying the martial world has gotten stronger lately, but I guess that was all nonsense.”
At Ye Yahyeon’s feet lay the Blood Thunder Gate Master, unconscious and foaming at the mouth.
The White Ram Gate Master had watched the entire scene in a daze.
He could not begin to understand what was happening.
“You’re the White Ram Gate Master?”
At Jin Muryang’s question, he nodded.
“You’re lucky. They say great fortune comes three times in a man’s life. Looks like today’s one of yours.”
It certainly seemed that way.
“Who... are you?”
“Ah, we had business here. On the way over, we found one of your men in trouble. Heard what happened, felt sorry for him, so we took care of it while we were at it.”
“Th-Thank you.”
“You can’t untie yourself?”
“Well... I was poisoned with Qi-Scattering Poison....”
“Right. You did say that.”
Jin Muryang’s sword left its sheath and returned in an instant.
The White Ram Gate Master never even saw it move.
He only heard the sound.
SNAP—
The ropes binding his hands fell apart.
Just as he stared in awe—
SNAP— SNAP-SNAP—
The sound of ropes breaking echoed from all around him.
No way.
“What? Oh, those? Figured I might as well while I was at it.”
Good heavens.
He had cut every one of those ropes in that single instant?
That was beyond skill.
It was something close to the divine.
How powerful did one have to be to perform something like that?
The White Ram Gate Master was certain he could train for his entire life and never reach such a realm.
He truly had been blessed by fortune.
The heavens themselves had helped him.
What were the odds that experts this powerful would happen to have business with the Blood Thunder Gate?
And what were the odds that it would happen today of all days?
“Thank you. I don’t know how I could ever repay this kindness.”
“Forget it. Just keep living properly.”
“At least tell me your name. I swear I’ll repay this debt.”
“Forget the debt. You can take this place too.”
“What?”
“I heard on the way here that you two were fighting over territory. Then if you take over this place, doesn’t that solve everything?”
“Th-That is...”
“What? Worried about that guy?”
The White Ram Gate Master nodded.
“Hold on.”
Jin Muryang walked over to the unconscious Blood Thunder Gate Master and gently took hold of him.
Then—
“SKREEE!”
The man shot upright with an inhuman shriek.
“Good reaction.”
Jin Muryang grinned, delighted.
“Damn. Reactions that good get me excited....”
He licked his lips.
The sight was terrifying.
The Blood Thunder Gate Master, jolted awake by overwhelming pain, looked around in bewilderment.
His eyes plainly asked what was going on.
SLAP—
Sparks seemed to burst from his cheek.
“Hey. Wake up.”
Once his vision cleared, he saw a familiar face in front of him.
“Starting today, this is White Ram Gate territory. Got it?”
His hazy mind cleared instantly.
“N-No!”
“No?”
“Absolutely not!”
“Really?”
Jin Muryang turned his head.
“Hey! Bring me those things from earlier.”
The moment he finished speaking, the Blood Thunder Gate martial artist who had been carrying the torture tools came rushing over and respectfully presented them.
RATTLE—
“Finally get to try these.”
Jin Muryang practically salivated as he looked over the instruments, debating which one to use.
It was horrifying.
“I-I really can’t. If I hand this place over, I’ll die.”
“Die? Who’s going to kill you?”
“The Heavenly Yin Gate Master.”
“What’s the Heavenly Yin Gate?”
“Y-You don’t know?”
The Blood Thunder Gate Master had expected the name alone to explain everything.
Jin Muryang’s ignorance left him stunned.
“Of course I don’t! Unless it’s one of the Eight Gates of Dark Heaven among the unorthodox factions, I don’t know any of them.”
The Eight Gates of Dark Heaven?
Those were sects from a heaven beyond heaven.
The Heavenly Yin Gate could not even be compared to them.
“So you’re saying you can’t do it because you’re afraid of this Heavenly Yin Gate Master?”
“Th-That’s right.”
“Well, now you’ve made me competitive.”
“What?”
“You’re standing right in front of me, and you’re telling me you’re more afraid of some other bastard?”
“Th-That’s...”
“I can’t let that slide. Guess I’ll have to teach you properly today which one of us is scarier.”
Jin Muryang stood and hoisted the Blood Thunder Gate Master up.
“Point.”
“What?”
“Point me toward the Heavenly Yin Gate!”
“O-Over there....”
“I’ll be back.”
BANG—
Jin Muryang kicked off the ground and vanished into the distance.
Baek Ryeongso shook his head.
“Good grief. His personality hasn’t changed at all.”
“Where would it go? Elder Brother’s the only reason he’s been restraining himself all this time.”
“Poor Heavenly Yin Gate Master.”
“You think he went there because of that excuse? His mouth was twitching when he launched himself just now.”
“Really? No wonder he left so fast. He was worried I’d say I was coming too.”
“Forget him. Let’s clean this place up.”
“What do we do with them?”
By now, the surviving Blood Thunder Gate disciples had gathered together on one side.
Ye Yahyeon asked the White Ram Gate Master,
“You’re taking over this place. You willing to accept them too?”
“What? W-Well... our principles don’t exactly align with theirs....”
“So that’d be difficult?”
“Yes.”
“What do we do with this many people, then?”
“What else? When Jin Muryang brings the Blood Thunder Gate Master back, we put them under him again.”
“But we said this place was going to the White Ram Gate.”
“Then make the Blood Thunder Gate a subordinate sect of the White Ram Gate.”
“Ah! That works.”
Ye Yahyeon turned to the White Ram Gate Master.
“That’s fine, right?”
“What?”
“Why? Too difficult?”
“The Heavenly Yin Gate stands behind them. They won’t leave us alone.”
Ye Yahyeon smirked.
“You don’t need to worry about that. The Heavenly Yin Gate will be one of your subordinate sects too.”
“What?”
“He just went to sort them out.”
“C-Can he really do that alone?”
“Obviously. It’d be strange to bring a whole crowd just to deal with some nameless sect.”
The Heavenly Yin Gate was hardly nameless.
It had several hundred disciples, and its Gate Master was a Transformation Realm expert renowned as the greatest martial artist in Jiangxi.
Its ranks were also filled with formidable experts, making it the strongest sect in Jiangxi.
Yet these men spoke of it as though it were some obscure backwater school.
“Just wait. Before long, the Heavenly Yin Gate Master will come begging through tears and snot to be placed under you.”
What power did the White Ram Gate have to resist any of this?
All they could do was wait exactly as Ye Yahyeon instructed.
“Hey! What kind of hospitality is this? Aren’t you supposed to serve your guests?”
At Ye Yahyeon’s shout, the Blood Thunder Gate disciples jumped to their feet and immediately began moving in perfect order.
“Put out a proper feast. I’m hungry.”
“Yes!”
*****
WHOOOOM— WHOOOOM— WHOOOOM—
The Blood Thunder Gate Master stared in horror as the scenery blurred and changed around him in an instant.
What kind of lightness art was this fast?
They were moving so quickly he could barely breathe.
“You bastard. Are you pointing me the right way or not?”
“O-Over there....”
“That big building up ahead?”
“Y-Yes.”
The moment he answered, Jin Muryang accelerated again.
SWOOSH—
CLACK—
Jin Muryang landed near the Heavenly Yin Gate’s main entrance and tossed the Blood Thunder Gate Master aside.
THUD—
Too dizzy to balance himself, the man collapsed onto the ground.
“What are you doing?”
“S-Sorry. I’m dizzy....”
“Tsk, tsk. You call yourself a martial artist and can’t even endure that much? Pathetic.”
There was nothing he could say to that.
But why had this lunatic come here alone?
Surely...
He wasn’t planning to take on the Heavenly Yin Gate by himself, was he?
No.
That could not be it.
He must have come to negotiate with the Gate Master.
Just then, a Heavenly Yin Gate martial artist on patrol spotted the Blood Thunder Gate Master and approached.
“Well! Isn’t this the Blood Thunder Gate Master?”
The Blood Thunder Gate Master quickly straightened himself, clasped his hands behind his back, and cleared his throat.
“Ahem. Indeed.”
“What brings you here?”
“I came to see my elder brother, the Gate Master.”
“Ah! My apologies. The Gate Master is currently receiving some important guests, so I’m afraid you may have to wait a little.”
“That... I see.”
“Please head inside at your leisure. I’ll let the men at the main gate know you’ve arrived.”
“My thanks.”
After the Heavenly Yin Gate martial artist departed, the Blood Thunder Gate Master cautiously glanced at Jin Muryang.
“They say we have to wait.”
Jin Muryang smirked.
“Do I look like a man who waits?”
The Blood Thunder Gate Master shook his head.
“What are you going to do?”
“Make him come out.”
“How?”
“If I smash enough things, won’t he eventually come out?”
“That would mean war with the Heavenly Yin Gate.”
“Exactly. That’s why I came.”
“What?”
“You lot were too easy. It’s been a while since I stretched my body. I should at least do it properly.”
The nightmare he had feared was actually happening.
“Y-You really intend to wage war against the Heavenly Yin Gate? They’re on a completely different level from the Blood Thunder Gate.”
“By your standards. By mine, you’re all about the same. Lead the way.”
“C-Can I sit this one out?”
“You want to sit it out?”
“Yes.”
“Fine. Leave your last words.”
“What?”
“You said you wanted out.”
“Why would I need last words for that?”
“So this doesn’t happen again. I’m going to let you sit out of this world altogether. Come on, hurry up and leave your last words. I’m busy.”
Was that supposed to be a joke?
The Blood Thunder Gate Master studied Jin Muryang’s eyes.
It was not.
“N-No! I-I’ll go!”
“You bastard. I’m busy enough already. Are you going to keep changing your mind?”
“I’m sorry. Let me try talking to them first. Would you wait just until then?”
“You’ll bring the Gate Master out?”
“Yes. I’ll try.”
“Fine. I’ll wait a little. Now move!”
“Yes!”
Either way, he might die.
But even a little more life was still life.
*****
“You’ve arrived.”
The man greeting the Blood Thunder Gate Master was the Heavenly Yin Gate’s chief steward.
“I heard you were here, so I came in the Gate Master’s place. He’s in the middle of an important discussion right now, so I hope you won’t take offense.”
“N-No, of course not. Why would I? Do you happen to know when... my elder brother might be free?”
“I’m afraid I don’t. He said he would be holding a banquet with several important guests this evening as well, so it may be difficult for you to see him today. Still, I’ll go and inform him that you’re here.”
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