A middle-aged man who looked like a grand master approached Mae Cheong-pung's side. He had a sword scar on his face, and his impression was not good.

"According to our investigation, there are several masters with high martial arts at the Gangnam Grand Inn."

"So?"

"We need to be careful..."

"Careful? If we can't even burn down a single inn with this many heads, we should stick our noses in a puddle and die. If you don't want that, shall I kill you?"

"I'm sorry for saying something useless."

As the grand master bowed his head, Mae Cheong-pung walked forward.

Thump! Thump!

The warriors guarding the main gate of the inn fell powerlessly. Mae Cheong-pung, the master of the Ghost Hand Pavilion, walked past them and slowly entered the inn.

From the dead-silent surroundings of the inn, countless footsteps were heard simultaneously.

The area around the brightly lit Do Faction and Gisaeng House was full of awake people, even though it was past the hour of the ox.

"Kill all who resist and those who carry weapons. Do not kill the women of the gisaeng house."

Mae Cheong-pung's voice spread far, riding the night air.

The warriors of the Blood Killing Faction and the Ghost Hand Pavilion heading for the gisaeng house and the Do Faction came into Mae Cheong-pung's eyes.

A short while later, death screams erupted from all over.

"Kraaak!"

"Kaaak!"

"Uwaaaak!"

As the screams were heard, Mae Cheong-pung raised his hand.

From behind him, subordinates holding torches rushed out and set fire to the inn.

Fwoosh!

As the fire rose, black smoke billowed up.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Screech!

The urgent sound of a bell and a whistle echoed throughout the inn.

***

Bi-sun, who was standing in his office and observing the inn through the window, saw the unknown group moving in perfect order and fastened his flexible sword to his waist.

Immediately after, he wrapped the Blood Thread around his wrist and held two daggers in his hands.

"Who are these bastards?"

There was no unorthodox faction of that scale nearby. That meant they had come from a considerable distance, but no place came to mind.

"General Manager!"

Thump!

Shin Hong, the master of the Do Faction, who had opened the door and entered, saw Bi-sun wearing a black martial arts uniform and swallowed his dry saliva.

"Suspicious individuals have invaded the inn and are attacking."

"Have everyone gather at the pier of the Geumwon."

"I understand."

Tadadak!

At the pier, there were several boats and cruise ships that went back and forth to Muyeon Island. Once they got on a boat, they could avoid the enemy's attack.

Whoosh!

Bi-sun, who had jumped over the window, headed for the Geumwon.

Since he had already told them to gather at the Geumwon if something happened at the inn, everyone would come to the Geumwon.

***

"Kraaak!"

The scream that erupted from the gisaeng house was from the Blood Killing Faction members. After all the gisaeng house's guards were killed, they, who were capturing the gisaengs, were killed by Il-bi's sword.

Boom!

Blood gushed from the chest of the Blood Killing Faction member who had broken the door and gone out.

Il-hu, who had gone out the door, shouted, cutting and stabbing the approaching Blood Killing Faction members with the sword in her hand.

"Quickly, to the Geumwon!"

At her shout, the gisaengs came out of the gisaeng house and ran to the Geumwon.

Jo-rim, who was standing at the entrance to the Geumwon, killed a dozen or so Blood Killing Faction members by herself.

"Move quickly! Quickly!"

She shouted loudly and then swung her sword at the again-rushing Blood Killing Faction members.

As the sharp sword light cut through the necks of the Blood Killing Faction members, blood spurted and screams echoed.

"Kraaak!"

Jo-rim, who was moving her sword while listening to the screams, retreated to the Geumwon with Il-hu and Il-bi when they came.

***

Thud! Thud!

The enemies in black fell at his feet. The holes drilled in their Tiantu acupoints were filled with blood, and blood flowed onto the cold floor.

The dagger in his hand was unfamiliar since it had been a long time, but there was no difficulty in moving.

He stood in front of the gate leading to the Geumwon and looked at the approaching man in black.

He was a person with long black hair and cold eyes.

"Who are you?"

It was an instinct to know who the opponent was.

"I am Mae Cheong-pung of the Ghost Hand Pavilion. I came with the Blood Killing Faction."

Although Mae Cheong-pung was a person loyal to the Demonic Cult, he was a person who rarely showed himself in the cult. And he was also a disciple of Gung Ma-yeop.

"You should have just played in the water, why did you crawl onto the land?"

"You killed the Blood Killing Faction Leader, didn't you? Blood must be repaid with blood."

"Is that all?"

"They say there's a lot to eat besides that."

"Who said such a thing?"

Sreung!

Mae Cheong-pung, who had a willow-leaf saber in his hand, moved the saber like lightning as if there was no reason to answer.

A dozen or so saber shadows rose like phantoms and filled the space in front of him. But it was slow.

Clang!

The daggers in both hands parried the saber shadows and stabbed Mae Cheong-pung's chest and neck.

Whoosh!

Mae Cheong-pung, who had jumped back, stood three zhang away.

"They said there were a few masters at the inn, and it seems it's you. What's your name?"

"I am Bi-sun."

Since it was a name he had never heard before, Mae Cheong-pung just nodded his head out of obligation. In that instant, he saw his subordinates falling with screams behind him.

After that, a boong! sound was heard, and one man and two women landed next to Bi-sun. They were Jo-rim, Il-hu, and Il-bi.

"It's Mae Cheong-pung of the Ghost Hand Pavilion."

"It was the Demonic Cult."

Jo-rim muttered as if surprised.

If it was the Demonic Cult, there were many reasons to rush to the inn. If it was to punish a traitor, it was fully understandable.

"Attack!"

As Mae Cheong-pung shouted, the warriors of the Ghost Hand Pavilion standing behind him rushed forward at once.

"Fall back."

At Bi-sun's words, Jo-rim first threw a hidden weapon and jumped over the wall of the Geumwon. Il-hu and Il-bi followed.

Bi-sun ran forward, stabbed the necks of the two foremost, and then turned his body back and ran.

His movements were so agile that even the warriors of the Ghost Hand Pavilion could not catch him.

"Do you think you can escape!"

Whoosh!

Mae Cheong-pung, who had shouted loudly, jumped into the air to cross the wall of the Geumwon.

In that instant, a dagger appeared on his forehead. It seemed as if it had been waiting for him to jump.

"Keuk!"

Mae Cheong-pung, who had twisted his head to avoid the dagger, landed on the ground and then turned his body again. Another dagger had grazed his side in the meantime.

"You rat-like bastard!"

Mae Cheong-pung shouted and looked for Bi-sun, who had hidden himself among the buildings under construction. But it was full of darkness, so he couldn't see.

"Chase him quickly!"

As Mae Cheong-pung shouted loudly, his subordinates stepped forward. Just then, from far away, a roar and countless footsteps shook the earth.

"Waaaaah!"

"They are unorthodox faction bastards! Kill them all!"

"Show them the fear of the Martial Alliance!"

With the roar, the warriors of the Martial Alliance's Guguang branch rushed into the inn at once and began to fight with the Blood Killing Faction members.

At the appearance of the Martial Alliance, Mae Cheong-pung clicked his tongue.

***

On a small hill overlooking the Gangnam Grand Inn, a large number of black-clad people with masks appeared. Their number was well over two hundred, and they all carried swords.

The masked person standing at the very top was admiring the burning Grand Inn.

Boom! Rumble!

A collapsing building was visible. There were also places that were still burning fiercely.

It was nothing short of a magnificent sight under the night sky.

"The preparations are complete."

Another masked person approached the side of the masked person and said.

"When one more building collapses, we will depart then."

"Yes. But there are many ordinary people inside who don't know martial arts. Do we have to kill them all too?"

"No. We only kill those who carry weapons."

"That's a relief."

"A relief?"

The foremost masked person turned his head and looked at his subordinate. Although his face could not be seen because of the mask, his eyes were visible.

The word 'relief' was grating to the ear. It was a story that only weak-minded bastards would say.

"Do not show your faces to the enemy. Tonight, those who have seen our faces must all be killed, regardless of age or gender."

"I will keep that in mind."

In the meantime, a building collapsed with a sound like thunder. The masked person raised his hand.

"All units, charge into the inn!"

The moment his shout erupted, numerous masked people ran towards the inn.

***

Many people rushed to the pier located at the end of the inn's Geumwon and got on the boats.

Il-bi, with a dozen or so warriors, commanded them.

Fortunately, everyone moved in perfect order, so they were all able to get on the boats in a short time.

Il-bi, who had gotten on the last remaining small boat, rowed and moved quickly over the lake.

"Stop!"

Papat!

Although Mae Cheong-pung, the master of the Ghost Hand Pavilion, ran, the boat had already disappeared into the darkness.

"Damn bastards!"

"Fuck! Spit!"

The subordinates who appeared behind Mae Cheong-pung vented their anger.

Just then, a single lantern was seen being lit on the lake far away. It was the small boat that Il-bi was on.

Il-bi was waiting on the lake.

She had to wait for the three people who were still left in the Geumwon. Those three were people who loved the darkness very much.

"Waaaaah!"

"They are two-faced Martial Alliance bastards! Kill them!"

"Remember the comrades who were killed by the Martial Alliance bastards! Uwaaap!"

"Fight! Kill the dirty unorthodox faction bastards!"

"You fucking bastards! Kill them all!"

Mae Cheong-pung turned his body at the shouts and heroic cries heard from the entrance of the Geumwon.

"Go and fight quickly!"

As he shouted, his subordinates all headed for the entrance of the Geumwon. Mae Cheong-pung also ran there and then looked at Namsan.

Although it was a low mountain, it was a place with a dense forest.

He felt a strange heat from there. His intuition told him that someone was there.

On top of that, since the forest was dense, it looked good for an ambush. If they were hit from behind while fighting the Martial Alliance, it would be a fatal blow.

If there was a possibility of an ambush, it had to be eliminated.

"The third division will remain and burn the mountain!"

As Mae Cheong-pung shouted, about fifty members of the third division remained and set fire to Namsan. Mae Cheong-pung flew to the entrance of the Geumwon.

Immediately after Mae Cheong-pung disappeared, a dagger flew from the darkness and pierced the forehead of a warrior who was setting a fire. The dagger immediately disappeared into the darkness.

It was a dagger tied to the Blood Thread thrown by Il-hu. After that, Bi-sun appeared, cut down three warriors who were setting fires, and then disappeared into the mountain again.

"Fuck!"

"What! Where are you hiding!"

"You rat-like bastard."

The members of the third division, who had gathered, leaving their dead comrades behind, glared into the mountain.

"Show yourself quickly! If you're a man, come out and fight with dignity."

Although the third division master shouted, Bi-sun did not show himself.

"Don't hide like a girl and just aim for the back, come out quickly!"

He shouted again, but the mountain was silent.

They did not even dare to enter the forest.

"What are you doing! Throw the fire quickly!"

As the third division master shouted again, the division members threw the torches in their hands into the forest.

Bi-sun and Jo-rim, who were standing on a tree, had indifferent faces. On another tree next to them sat Il-hu.

Since they were all black, it was impossible to find them from outside the forest.

"Fortunately, the Guguang branch came."

"It's a relief they weren't late. If they had been a little later, we would have been in danger too."

At Jo-rim's story, Bi-sun smiled. But if the Guguang branch were all killed by them, they would have to enter Muyeon Island and wait for support.

The Martial Alliance, who had heard the news of the inn, would surely come. They had to hold out until then.

"Shouldn't we help the branch?"

"If the Guguang branch is pushed back, we will also be in danger."

"We could die if we step forward unnecessarily. There are too many enemies."

(End of Chapter)