Heavenly Inquisition Sword Novel - Chapter 197
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Chapter 197. The Beginning of the War
Southern Zhili Province, also known as Namjikryeseong
Nanjing.
Justice Alliance.
The headquarters of the Justice Alliance is not a single building.
It is a vast area that could almost be considered an independent village.
There is a “Special Residential Zone” for the Seven Great Sects and the Four Great Families, and a “General Residential Zone” for regional leaders and the influential sects under their control.
The minor sects that didn’t qualify for any of these areas had to lodge in inns or private homes.
The members of the Namgung Family were in the Special Residential Zone.
However, any keen observer would notice something different regarding the other Four Great Families.
The five mansions where the Namgung stayed were occupied solely by them. There were no servants or attendants, so they essentially only had a place to sleep.
The difference between the Special Residential Zone and the General Residential Zone is simple. If the Justice Alliance assigns workers, it’s special; if not, it’s general. Therefore, the Namgung Family was in a special zone but received the treatment of a general zone.
Early in the morning.
Three Taoists headed to the Namgung Family’s residence, which was receiving this second-rate treatment.
They were the Three Immortals of Kunlun.
In front of the main mansion, Taiyi Immortal raised his voice.
“Is there anyone here?”
The Blue Cloud Swordsman, Namgung Cheon, came out and cautiously asked.
“Who are you?”
“We are from Kunlun. We have come to see the leader (Gaju) of your family.”
“Ah, please, come in.”
Namgung Cheon led the Three Immortals of Kunlun inside.
The Sword Emperor, Namgung Byeok, rose from his seat when he saw the three masters and introduced himself.
“Welcome. I am Namgung Byeok.”
Namgung Byeok, despite being the Gaju of the Namgung Family, was extremely courteous. He felt a natural respect for the transcendent presence of the Kunlun masters.
“They call me Taiyi.”
Taiyi Immortal felt uncomfortable calling himself Immortal, so he only gave his Taoist name.
Seeing this, the other two Taoists also introduced themselves with their Taoist names.
“I am Taimu.”
“They call me Tairyong.”
Namgung Byeok, feeling uncomfortable sitting while the Taoists remained standing, approached them.
“Please, take a seat. Yeon, go fetch some tea.”
Following Namgung Byeok’s instructions, Namgung Yeon silently rose and left.
With no servants or attendants, the members of the Namgung Family had to do everything themselves.
“You said you came from Kunlun?”
Namgung Byeok observed the three Taoists with curiosity.
He had heard much about the Kunlun Sect, but it was the first time he had met anyone from there in person.
Taiyi Immortal nodded with a smile.
“Yes. We were traveling the world under the orders of our leader and arrived here.”
“Is something the matter?”
Taiyi Immortal signaled to Tairyong, who took out a divination board from his robe and showed it to Namgung Byeok.
Namgung Byeok looked at the board with curiosity as Taiyi explained the recent events.
“…After helping Young Master Yeon defeat the demons, we came to the Justice Alliance. However, no one here seemed aware of the danger posed by the demons.”
“Yes, the Supreme Master dismissed them as mere techniques of the Evil Sect.”
“We heard. It seems only the Namgung Family understands the true nature of these demons.”
“My sons were with Yeon Jeokha for about a year and witnessed many things. I have to believe them.”
“We know that the Blue Cloud Swordsman and the Heart-Reading Solitary Flower did an excellent job.”
“But due to their lack of experience in Murim, the Seven Great Schools and the Four Great Families don’t believe them, which is frustrating.”
“I understand. Although we are Taoists, we did not fully believe in the demons until we saw them with our own eyes.”
“To be honest, I’m not entirely convinced either. I just try to believe them because they are my sons.”
Taiyi Immortal, looking at Namgung Byeok with calm eyes, spoke cautiously.
“Our Kunlun Sect, though it is beyond the ordinary world, is willing to help as much as we can for the safety of the world. Today we heard that you are organizing to march.”
“Yes, this morning we will split into four teams and set out no later than noon. The consensus is that we must weaken the Yoomyung Cult before the first snow falls.”
“It will be difficult even if you stay together. Splitting into four teams worries me. The demons are not mere techniques of the sorcerers, but real forces. To destroy demonic energy, spiritual power or spiritual treasures are needed. Has the Justice Alliance made any special preparations for this?”
“The others believe that the martial arts of the Seven Great Schools will be enough to defeat them.”
“So, have they not invited any sorcerers?”
“No.”
“Ah!”
Taiyi Immortal automatically recited a mantra to calm himself.
Namgung Byeok, observing Taiyi’s concerned expression, cautiously asked.
“Can’t the masters of the Seven Great Schools and the Four Great Families face the demons with their pure power?”
“It might be possible if they have reached the pinnacle of their skills. But how many of them are there? Think about how many will die while the few experts deal with the demons.”
“Would even the Ten Supreme Masters of the World have difficulty facing the demons?”
“They might defeat lesser demons with a single blow. But the demons we’ve seen are not so easy to overcome. Even the Ten Supreme Masters of the World would need at least half an hour to defeat one.”
“Half an hour just for the Demon Warriors?”
“That is the best estimate, without other distractions. If the cultists of the Yoomyung Cult assist the demons, it could take longer or even be impossible.”
“Are you suggesting that the Yoomyung Cult’s cultists might cooperate with the demons?”
“We cannot know the thoughts of the demons, but the Yoomyung Cult’s cultists would help them to survive. They think the demons are transformed Demon Warriors.”
“That makes sense.”
Namgung Byeok realized that the situation was more complicated than it seemed.
Of the Ten Supreme Masters of the World, only four were participating in the Justice Alliance, himself included. Monk Won Gong of the Shaolin Temple and the Enlightened Grand Master of the Wudang Sect were retired due to their advanced age.
The other four were experts from the Evil Sect and could not be relied upon. In fact, they were more likely to betray the group rather than help.
After reflecting, Namgung Byeok cautiously asked.
“You three said you defeated a demon in Hwangsan (Mount Hwang). I don’t know much about spiritual power or spiritual treasures, but how long did it take you?”
Taiyi Immortal understood the intention of the question.
Namgung Byeok wanted to know how much faster the sorcerers could handle the demons compared to the Ten Supreme Masters of the World.
“We, three brothers, are skilled in both martial arts and spiritual magic, and it took us about twenty minutes. Only with spiritual skills would it take longer, depending on the quality of the spiritual treasure.”
“Ah!”
Namgung Byeok felt like he was seeing a new world.
These three Taoists could handle the demons faster than the Ten Supreme Masters of the World. If the Seven Great Schools knew this, they would do everything they could to recruit them.
Namgung Byeok wanted to ask for their help, but he couldn’t.
The Justice Alliance had treated him like a pariah, and he found it shameful to ask for help from others.
———————
The people who had finished breakfast gathered in the square of the headquarters.
After the leader’s speech, the Chief General and Strategist of the Justice Alliance, Jegal Seung, took the podium.
“Warriors of Murim! We will divide into four units to operate efficiently. I will introduce the leaders of each unit, so please head to the unit of your choice. The leader of the Demon Extermination Unit will be the Grandmaster Swordsman of Uicheon. The Destruction Unit will be led by the Sage of Heaven and Earth. The Justice Unit will be led by the Sword Emperor, and the Celestial Unit will be led by Immortal Sin Mu.”
“Hooray!”
The warriors cheered, excited to fight under the leadership of the Ten Supreme Masters of the World.
“Please move towards the flags of the units you wish to join.”
After Jegal Seung’s words, the warriors began to move, evaluating the leaders and their abilities to choose the safest unit.
As the warriors positioned themselves, Jegal Seung signaled the experts of the Jegal Clan/Family.
Thirty experts from the Jegal Clan visibly headed towards the Celestial Unit.
Immortal Sin Mu smiled at this sight. It was confirmation that his unit was the strongest.
Seeing the Jegal Clan’s choice, the warriors flocked to the Celestial Unit.
The Seven Great Sects and the Four Great Families waited until the minor sects positioned themselves before moving.
After about thirty minutes, nine hundred warriors lined up in front of the four units.
Jegal Seung, noticing that the Justice Unit was empty, smiled.
The other three units had around three hundred warriors each.
The Justice Unit, led by the Sword Emperor, was composed only of the members of the Namgung Family, the Three Taoists of Kunlun, and a few others.
The contrast with the other units of over three hundred warriors was obvious.
‘Ah, they should have quietly withdrawn instead of insisting on being treated as a Great Family of Murim.’
However, Namgung Byeok did not seem discouraged. In fact, he was smiling.
Jegal Seung thought it was just a final act of pride.
‘He may still rely on the Wudang Sect, but this will not be an easy path.’
Finally, the Seven Great Sects and the Four Great Families moved.
The Uicheon Sect, Qingcheng Sect, Quanzhen Sect, and Peng Family joined the Demon Extermination Unit.
The Mount Hua Sect, Gongdong Sect, Zhenchang Sect, and Tang Family joined the Destruction Unit.
The Shaolin Temple, Wugumen Sect, and Murong Family joined the Celestial Unit, positioning themselves alongside the Jegal Clan.
There were no significant changes as the units were the same as before.
Jegal Seung slightly frowned upon seeing the Seonu Family joining the Justice Unit along with the Wudang Sect.
He could understand that the Wudang Sect supported Namgung Byeok due to their marriage relationship.
But he didn’t understand why the Seonu Family would make such a reckless choice.
‘Ah, Leader Seonu mentioned something about loyalty last night, and now it’s causing problems.’
Jegal Seung sighed inwardly, raising his voice energetically.
“Warriors of Murim! It is time to defeat the evildoers of the Yoomyung Cult and restore the righteousness of Murim! Demon Extermination!”
“Demon Extermination!”
“Demon Extermination!”
The warriors responded fervently, ready for battle.
Thus, the war began.
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