"This can't be."
Even when viewed up close, it was horrific, but once the building debris was cleared, the scene revealed was truly indescribable. The phrase "too gruesome to look at" fit perfectly.
"There are many traces of a large amount of blood being spilled. It means they didn't just die from a simple battle."
She looked around.
"It's hard to know exactly what happened. But..."
They destroyed the building and set it on fire. It was an attempt to erase the traces here. But it was too half-hearted.
"If they really wanted to erase the traces, they could have been much more thorough. They could have completely gotten rid of everything from the bodies to the building debris."
Was it because they lacked time? No, that's not it. Considering the distance the scouts had to return and come back here, there was certainly enough time. If they had the guts to mess with the Demonic Sect, they would have known it's better to take the time to erase the traces.
Of course, it couldn't have been a mistake.
"There are two conclusions."
Either this sloppy trace itself is a bait, or they have a definite destination where they can't be caught no matter where they flee.
Saaaak.
As her hand brushed over the cracked wall, a white frost formed on it. The Frost Heaven Hand of the Moon Yin Demonic Art naturally manifested. The cold seeped not only on the surface but also inside, making the wall's structure unstable.
Ju Hwa tapped the frozen wall.
Kurung.
The broken wall collapsed to the ground.
"As expected, it's clumsy. They just roughly sprinkled oil here and there."
Everyone was flustered by the sudden situation, but even in the midst of it, Ju Hwa maintained her composure. At least, that's how it appeared on the outside.
Of course, how could she not be surprised? But Ju Hwa was more concerned about how to handle this situation immediately.
"Temporary leader."
"Yes, Chief."
"Did you send a message to the nearby branch?"
"I did. Considering the distance, it should arrive in a day and a half. After that, it should take two days to reach the main headquarters."
Waiting for orders from above would be too late. In that case, it would be better to handle it in the form of taking action first and reporting later.
"I need some time to think. Please start collecting the bodies."
"Understood."
Ju Hwa, who stepped aside from the accident scene, sighed.
"Anyway, Jiangxi is a region where our sect's influence is strong. There's no need to rush."
If it were another region, they would have immediately organized a pursuit team and sent them. Since it's a region bordering Guangdong and Jiangxi, they want to monitor the situation more closely.
"Let's not move hastily. That way, we won't make mistakes."
It was a desirable thought. If she had a hasty nature or was blinded by merit, she wouldn't have been able to move like this.
Unconsciously crossing her arms, Ju Hwa felt her forearms getting cold and released her hands.
"Was it still in operation?"
A subtle excitement appeared on Ju Hwa's face as she looked down at her hands.
"Already this much... It's really fast."
The treatment in Xiliang didn't just end with normalizing her exhausted body.
Five days before arriving here, she was able to fully operate the Moon Yin Demonic Art.
It wasn't just about circulating energy and nourishing the body. She extracted the cold needed for the Moon Yin Demonic Art, built the foundation of demonic energy, and increased the amount of demonic energy to fill more than three-tenths of her dantian.
It was still insufficient to fully regain her previous martial power, but it was enough to hold her ground against most experts.
"The period I thought was a month. No, even if I practiced for a month, I doubt I could reach this level."
Ju Hwa's eyes wavered.
"Just what is the Third Young Master..."
Every time she woke up, she felt the traces of the thick demonic energy remaining in her body.
Though it was a tiny amount, the demonic energy was so dense that the Moon Yin Demonic Art hurriedly activated to chase that energy.
The Young Master made sure to inject a small amount of demonic energy once a day, spurring the revival of the Moon Yin Demonic Art.
If it weren't for his efforts, she would still be sitting in the carriage, spending her time circulating energy.
"Ah! Come to think of it..."
The Young Master hadn't come out of the carriage yet. He would surely be curious about this situation.
She walked briskly towards the carriage.
It was then.
Boom!!
A tremendous explosion was heard from the rear carriage.
Startled, Ju Hwa looked over there. Not only her but all the demonic practitioners clearing the debris turned their gaze.
There stood Ma Dongpil with a flustered face.
Ju Hwa quickly used her movement technique to approach Ma Dongpil.
"What happened?"
"Well..."
Ma Dongpil slightly opened the carriage door.
Ju Hwa's eyes widened.
"...Where to?"
It was a question asked without any context, as if Ma Dongpil wouldn't know it was about the Third Young Master.
Looking around, Ma Dongpil sent a voice transmission to Ju Hwa.
[The Third Young Master said he would look around for a while and left. He also gave a strict order not to follow.]
[...Did you know about this too?]
[Yes. I was the one who served the Young Master in the Ancient Bamboo Forest.]
[Whatever, find the Young Master quickly...]
[No.]
"What do you mean? The sect's high-ranking official left alone without any attendants! Especially when such an incident occurred!"
With eyes asking why he didn't stop him, Ma Dongpil sighed.
"He said that if we go about fifty li northeast after clearing the debris, we would find traces."
"...What?"
"That's all he left behind. He also said to avoid confrontation as much as possible because the enemy's power is considerable."
Wooong.
White steam rose from Ju Hwa's hand. At the same time, the surrounding air became cold.
Ma Dongpil sighed again.
"I also want to follow him, but the orders given to the transport team and the Law Protection Institute are..."
"Right."
"Hmm?"
"Our orders are to load the items to be handed over and return to the main sect. The Law Protection Institute's mission is to safely escort the transport team."
"..."
"So we all move."
Ju Hwa shouted to Yeon Yi.
"Collect the bodies and move immediately!"
The demonic practitioners moved quickly. Now that a clear order had been given, all that was left was to move swiftly.
Clatter.
The shaking carriage door. Inside, there was no one.
Of course, there was no sign of Geum Ho either.
"Whew."
Oh Kyunghwa shook his head.
"Now all that's left is to wait. Hey!"
"Yes, Leader."
"Bring me some alcohol."
Gwak Sa bowed his head and moved quickly.
He seemed to have gotten quite nimble now, which was pleasing. Oh Kyunghwa, who was grinning, suddenly felt a huge shadow covering his head.
He looked up and frowned.
"What is it?"
"..."
"I'm asking what it is!"
The sharp rebuke was filled with irritation.
The man standing in front of Oh Kyunghwa was truly a giant. His height seemed to reach eight feet, and his broad chest and shoulders looked as sturdy as steel.
Moreover, despite the cold weather, he wore clothes that exposed his shoulders and arms. His top made of leopard skin and bottom made of bear skin exuded a strong wildness.
Contrary to his powerful body, his face was quite neat. He had shaved all his facial hair, and his eyes were as deep as an abyss. However, since he had also shaved his eyebrows, he had a slightly fierce impression.
The giant opened his mouth.
"We need food."
"...What?"
"We need food to feed the children. Have your members procure it."
Oh Kyunghwa's cheeks trembled.
"Are you ordering me now?"
"It's not an order, it's a request."
"We have no food to give to the likes of you. Get your own food!"
The man spoke without blinking an eye.
"In this collaboration, your group promised to take care of our food. Keep your promise."
"Crazy! Think about how much you've eaten so far! Besides, didn't you just gnaw on corpses a moment ago!"
"We're just asking. We need more food."
The low mumbling voice sounded strangely awkward.
Saaaak.
Murderous intent emanated from Oh Kyunghwa.
At the same time, the man's eyes, which had been looking down at him, changed.
Grrr.
From behind the man, where the pitch-black darkness was stuck, the cries of beasts could be heard. Dozens of pairs of blood-red eyes were intimidating and threatening in themselves.
"Are you breaking your promise?"
Srrrk.
At some point, the man's thick upper lip revealed a fang that wasn't visible before.
Oh Kyunghwa, who was looking up at him with murderous eyes, smiled grimly.
"Of course, we have to fill the bellies of you beasts who are worse than dogs and pigs. After all, the higher-ups promised, didn't they? Right?"
"Good."
The man turned without a word.
Oh Kyunghwa, who was glaring at his back as he walked away, twisted his wrist.
Crack. Crack.
It was an action filled with murderous intent. It seemed as if he wanted to blow his head off right away.
"Yes, eat a lot."
In every mission in the world, sacrifice is an inevitable element. Anyway, the report of what happened here cannot go up without going through him.
"After this is over, I'll bury all you beasts."
If Oh Kyunghwa had seen the man's face as he turned his back, he wouldn't have dared to think such thoughts.
The man was smiling with his face twisted like a ghost. It was even scarier because he didn't show a hint of murderous intent.
A little later, Oh Kyunghwa's subordinates appeared carrying about ten deer.
Crunch! Munch.
The deer, sucked into the darkness, disappeared quickly. The giant man just watched the scene blankly from the side.
"Ruins my appetite."
Oh Kyunghwa turned his head away.
"Really can't understand."
The Iron Blood Fortress is still powerful. He thought there was no need to train with other organizations.
Why wouldn't the Heavenly Alliance or those damned Demonic Sect bastards mess with the Iron Blood Fortress? It's because they don't know if they can win or not.
In other words, the power of the Iron Blood Fortress is not inferior to the Heavenly Alliance or the Demonic Sect. The term "Three Great Powers of the Martial World" didn't come out for nothing.
"No."
Oh Kyunghwa's eyes sparkled.
"Training with those barbaric bastards? No way. They must be planning to use and discard them."
The term "training" was just a tool. Oh Kyunghwa firmly believed that.
If it wasn't, if it was a collaboration on equal footing, it would be unbearable. The pride of living as a member of the Iron Blood Fortress all his life would be torn to shreds.
"Calling it the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace, but they're just beasts, neither human nor anything else."
The company of those he didn't want to be with, and the added waiting made him incredibly annoyed.
Oh Kyunghwa, who emptied a bottle of alcohol, grumbled.
"Damn it, when are they coming?"
It was then.
"Were you waiting for me?"
A person approached step by step from afar.
The giant man's eyes flashed, and the beasts that had been gnawing on the deer growled and retreated.
Oh Kyunghwa, who threw the empty bottle carelessly, grumbled as he stood up.
"Why are you so late?"
"I had some business. But I'm not too late, so calm down."
Oh Kyunghwa smiled slyly.
"What business? You must have been chewing on some bribes from some foolish sect."
"They say to eat well as you get older."
"If you eat too much, you'll get sick. You know that, right?"
"My stomach is as strong as any young man's, even though I'm over seventy."
The old man with white beard, Jeong Il-ryong, revealed himself with a smile.
"It's been a while, Iron Guard Leader."
"It's been a while."