Chapter 17

Jin Gahui, who had just finished her business in the bushes, was scanning the group with a peculiar expression.

“What happened?”

Shock, despair, reverence, hope!

Their faces, filled with all these emotions, were frozen like a painting.

‘Is that… Absolute Realm?’

It was undoubtedly something he had witnessed with his own eyes, but Yeon Sangrok couldn’t believe it.

Absolute Realm!

For a member of the evil sect, the Absolute Realm was an unknown territory and the ultimate aspiration.

Most of the renowned major sects, which claimed to follow the righteous path, boasted of a long history.

Their martial arts history often spanned several hundred years, and in some cases, over a thousand years. The intense perfection of their martial arts, established over generations, was incomparable to that of the evil sect.

Of course, the evil sect’s martial arts were more advantageous in reaching the peak realm.

One could reach the superlative realm faster with less effort compared to the righteous sect.

However, from the realm of Transformation onward, the righteous sect’s long history could not be matched.

The righteous sect had far more high-level experts than the evil sect.

Yet, in the evil sect, there were only four experts who had reached the Absolute Realm.

The Four Tyrants of the evil sect, comparable to the Seven Martial Seats of the righteous sect.

The Dark Heavenly Demon, Hyuk Ryeon-gang, the leader of the Heavenly Demon Sect.

The Black Heavenly Executioner, Lee Gyeong-jin, the leader of the Black Heavenly Lotus Sect.

The Evil Emperor, Dukgo Jang-cheon, the leader of the Four Rivers Sect.

The Blood Lord, Mak Woo, the world’s top assassin.

Was the young man in front of them at the same level as these formidable Four Tyrants?

Yeon Sangrok was trembling with fear.

“What the hell is going on? Speak up, you bastard!”

Jin Gahui, who detested being left out, was pathologically averse to it.

“Crazy bitch! Absolute!”

“Absolute?”

Yeon Sangrok’s gaze, fixed unwaveringly on Jo Hui, made Jin Gahui’s face contort in disbelief.

“Oh, you’re joking.”

“No, you pale bitch! I saw it with my own eyes! He used the Qi-Controlling Sword Technique to send sword beams from three hundred paces away!”

Using the Qi-Controlling Sword Technique to send sword beams from three hundred paces?

That meant even if they tried to escape with their utmost lightness skills, they would be dead the moment the opponent willed it.

“…Shit.”

The fear of an Absolute Realm expert was exactly this.

Then Jo Hui’s voice was heard again.

He was looking at Jeong Geun.

“Let’s calculate. How long do you think it will take for us to deliver the news to the Alliance and for the Alliance’s troops to arrive in Hefei after being dispatched?”

After a moment of serious thought, Jeong Geun replied in a grave voice.

“Two months, or a month and a half at the earliest…”

It would take at least twenty days just to deliver the news to the nearest branch of the Martial Arts Alliance in Henan.

It would take almost a month to dispatch troops and move them to Hefei.

“But the rainy season in Jiangxi will start within half a month. In about a week, the Yangtze River will swell, and the Green Snake Alliance, already regrouping at Dangqian Port, will invade Anhui with their fleet. Considering the start of the rainy season, the swelling of the river, and the speed of the fleet….”

“The Alliance’s troops will arrive in Hefei around the same time.”

Jo Hui shook his head.

“That’s the best-case scenario. If the water rises faster than expected, the time will be even shorter. In the worst case, they might arrive in Hefei about half a month before the Alliance’s troops.”

Namgung Jangho interjected.

“Is there a possibility they will set out without waiting for the rainy season?”

“The large fleet cannot pass through the Shahe District unless the water rises.”

“Hmm…”

Jeong Geun sighed.

“Sigh… If only I had brought a Flying Heavenly Raptor….”

If he had the Flying Heavenly Raptor, the Alliance’s messenger bird, there would have been no need for such worries.

After all, he hadn’t expected the Namgung Family and the Zhao Family Trading Company to defy the Alliance’s orders.

In any case, if Jo Hui was right, going to the Alliance now might be a wasted trip.

Jo Hui spoke again.

“What I’m curious about is whether they will stop their advance on Hefei even if we continue to disrupt the Black Heavenly Lotus from the rear.”

No matter how Jo Hui could employ special modern strategies and tactics, his insight into the world of martial arts was inevitably inferior to theirs.

Jang Yilong offered his opinion.

“Those evil sect bastards are greedy. If their main camp’s warehouses are repeatedly raided and their wealth destroyed, they’ll have no choice but to withdraw their troops, right?”

Suddenly, Jin Gahui clapped her hands and retorted.

“Of course! Hefei is a fish to be caught, while Jiangxi is a fish already in the net! Who in their right mind would choose a risky adventure with uncertain success?”

Yeon Sangrok looked at Jin Gahui as if she were crazy.

“Damn it! Why are you telling them that!”

“It’s the Qi-Controlling Sword Technique! It means he’s stronger than my master!”

“So what!”

A fierce killing intent clouded Jin Gahui’s face.

“Do you know how creepy that old pervert’s gaze is? Haha! Soon I’ll get to see that old man’s twisted face?”

Jeong Geun, who had been observing the situation, spread out the map of Jiangxi.

“Can you tell me the places that would hurt the Black Heavenly Lotus the most?”

Jin Gahui glanced at Jo Hui and folded her arms.

“Sure.”

Look at this cute girl.

She’s quite good at business, isn’t she?

Jo Hui smiled faintly with interest.

“Ten taels of silver.”

Jin Gahui made a dissatisfied expression, and Jo Hui smiled even more broadly.

“Gold coins.”

Instantly, Jin Gahui snatched the map from Jeong Geun and crouched down.

“Sit down. First, look at Yujang. At the end of the northwest hills of Yujang, there’s a secret treasury of the Giant Force Saber King. All the wealth collected from the fish market is stored there, right?”

Jeong Geun, who had crouched down and pulled out a notebook, scribbled furiously.

“What’s next?”

“There’s a mountain called Wuxian Mountain to the east of Anyi County. At the entrance of the mountain’s gorge is the mansion of Iron Fist King Gubae. This place is….”

The more Jin Gahui spoke, the more Yeon Sangrok’s face contorted in horror.

“That, that, that bitch!”

Jin Gahui’s head was spinning!

No matter how weak the loyalty and sense of belonging of the evil sect members might be, this was going too far, wasn’t it?

After all, she had been rumored to have been kidnapped by her master and forced to learn martial arts since she was young.

Moreover, her master, the One-Legged Executioner King, had tried to seduce his disciple in the middle of the night and suffered the humiliation of having his ear torn.

She had always been half-hearted about the Black Heavenly Lotus.

As Jin Gahui’s voice faded, Jo Hui looked at Yeon Sangrok.

“Tell me everything you know.”

“Damn! Shut up!”

Rrrrrr.

A highly refined sword aura surged from Jo Hui’s iron sword.

“Ugh… Damn…!”

Yeon Sangrok, utterly terrified.

What kind of legendary sword aura is he pulling out like a bundle of grass?

“If you’re useless, you’ll die.”

“Wait, wait!”

Jo Hui’s eyes, chillingly transparent.

He was clearly a person who would cut without a moment’s hesitation. Is this guy really from the righteous sect?

“I’ll tell you everything!”

A cold smile spread across Jin Gahui’s face.

“Idiot. At least I made some money.”

Instantly, a wave of self-loathing washed over Yeon Sangrok. If he could survive this crisis, he would stab that bitch with a sickle right away.

Finally, Yeon Sangrok, trembling, crouched down and pointed at the map.

“Damn, this is the main treasury of the First Branch. A tenth of the crops from the Yangzi Plain are gathered here.”

Main Treasury.

There was a reason they had stationed a thousand experts to guard the First Branch so tightly.

The amount of crops produced at the edge of the vast Yangzi Plain was enormous.

The Black Heavenly Lotus had been purchasing about a tenth of those crops annually through their own trading company.

It was practically extortion, as the purchase price was so low.

They resold the crops at a high price during the famine, making a huge profit.

“And this place. I don’t know what’s here, but it’s guarded by as many experts as the main treasury. There must be something important here.”

The targets that Yeon Sangrok mentioned one after another surprised Jo Hui.

Was there such a big difference in rank?

The information Yeon Sangrok provided was consistently of a higher quality than Jin Gahui’s.

Indeed, the value of rank could not be ignored.

“I want a hundred gold coins too….”

Jo Hui ignored Yeon Sangrok’s request and gathered his inner strength.

Papapap!

“Guh!”

Yeon Sangrok, whose entire body’s qi and blood were sealed, was the result of Jo Hui using the Southern Palace’s unique inner strength restriction technique, the Imperial Restriction Technique.

As the intense inner strength that had been swirling inside him dissipated like melting snow, Yeon Sangrok’s face contorted like a demon’s.

“Ah! Damn! Why did you suddenly remove my inner strength!”

“Shut up, you brat.”

Jo Hui turned his gaze to Jin Gahui, about to move his hand, but quickly withdrew it.

She’s still a woman.

To perform the Imperial Restriction Technique, he had to seal the Yin Jiao point, which is below the navel.

Although it consumed a lot of inner strength, Jo Hui had no choice but to raise his mental energy and emit intangible qi.

Papapap!

“Ah! Ah! Ah…!”

Jin Gahui, making strange sounds as her points were sealed.

Jo Hui narrowed his eyes.

“Are you making those sounds on purpose?”

A rosy blush spread across Jin Gahui’s pale face.

“No? I just feel good and refreshed. It’s my first time experiencing intangible qi. It’s quite refreshing.”

“Hmph.”

Jo Hui turned away, as if he didn’t want to deal with her.

She’s not a normal woman. If she has survived in the evil and sinister world of the evil sect until now, her mental state must be far from ordinary.

Soon, Jo Hui examined the points marked on the map by Jeong Geun and drew the optimal route in his mind.

“I’ll take these two with me for now since they’re quite useful. Mr. Chief Inspector and Mr. Jeong, please continue to buy small plots of land from merchants… Mr. Chief Inspector?”

Jang Yilong answered as if he had been waiting for it.

“What should I do?”

“I’ll move with you.”

Jang Yilong was a remarkable man, the more he experienced, the more surprising he was.

His martial arts were strong, and his understanding of the evil sect was perfect. His timely improvisation and ability to assess crises were also outstanding.

A man who stood out even more than Xiao Zhuge.

In fact, he still didn’t understand why Jeong Geun was called Xiao Zhuge.

“Haha! Great. To be honest, I was tired of playing mind games with those petty merchants.”

Negotiating with prominent merchants and maintaining the upper hand in intense bargaining was no easy task.

A single word or gesture could make thousands of taels of silver change hands.

It was a task that didn’t suit Jang Yilong’s fiery nature at all.

Jo Hui handed the whip he had prepared for Jin Gahui to Jang Yilong.

“Let’s tie these guys up first.”

“Hmm? With this?”

It was a whip with numerous tiny blood-red spines embedded in it.

Its name was Blood Whip.

If one were to be bound with this, the pain would be quite severe.

“Let’s tie them up with this for now. I’m still uneasy even though I’ve sealed their inner strength. They’re quite troublesome.”

Jang Yilong, who had been nodding silently, soon pulled out the whip and started tying up Yeon Sangrok.

“Guh! Damn! What the hell is this!”

Yeon Sangrok, wincing in pain and muttering.

“Aah! Ah!”

Jin Gahui, who had never imagined she would be bound with her own weapon, was moaning and writhing.

Was being tied up this arousing?

Today, Jin Gahui discovered a sticky instinct deep within herself.

Jo Hui, shaking his head as if he were fed up, finally spoke.

“Let’s go, Mr. Chief Inspector.”

Jang Yilong, holding the handle of the whip and observing Jin Gahui’s expression, had a troubled look on his face.

“This woman is a bit strange. Hey, walk.”

When Yeon Sangrok started moving, Jin Gahui, tied to the whip, had no choice but to follow.

As the whip’s spines dug into her skin with each step, Jin Gahui trembled with a strange pleasure.

“Ah.”

Jang Yilong, startled, handed the whip’s handle to Jo Hui.

“I can’t do it.”

Jo Hui sighed while Jang Yilong asked again.

“Brother, where do you plan to go first?”

Jo Hui’s intense gaze turned north.

“The Main Treasury.”

* * *

The view of the Black Heavenly Lotus’s First Branch from the top of Lishi Mountain was truly impressive.

A moat-like waterway was dug along the long wall, and the massive granaries inside were hidden behind a maze of wooden palisades, making it difficult to distinguish.

Tall watchtowers were erected at intervals along the wooden palisades, with martial artists on guard, and hundreds of torches were neatly arranged, illuminating the surroundings like broad daylight.

With such a formidable defense, it would be impossible to approach with just a few experts.

Even if one could break through, how could they deal with the monsters of the Black Flower Sect who would rush out at the sound of the horn?

There were about seventy to eighty massive granaries, each as large as a small village.

Yeon Sangrok, tied with the whip, swallowed hard and looked at Jo Hui.

Jo Hui, sitting cross-legged on a rock, was cultivating his qi.

It was still hard to believe that such a young man was an Absolute Realm martial artist.

If he had his inner strength, he could have dealt with that muscular brat. But he couldn’t miss this golden opportunity while Jo Hui was cultivating.

Unaware of Yeon Sangrok’s thoughts, Jin Gahui was only exclaiming in admiration.

“Wow! That’s the realm where inner strength materializes, the True Martial Flower, right?”

The white qi swirling around Jo Hui’s body.

Jin Gahui, with her curious eyes, was looking at the mysterious white mist, like will-o’-the-wisps.

The True Martial Flower is a typical external characteristic of martial artists who have surpassed the Transformation Realm.

Jang Yilong’s eyes also lit up.

“Wow!”

The True Martial Flower.

A realm he had always aspired to.

The realm where the entire body’s meridians are condensed into the dantian, forming an Empty Dan.

When the entire body is condensed into the dantian, inner strength can be used to emit tangible qi.

Only at this realm can one develop a protective aura that surpasses the physical body of an external martial artist.

To witness this phenomenon with his own eyes, even though he hadn’t achieved it himself, was enough to make him tremble.

The Transformation Realm itself was already incredible.

The mighty Nan Gong Family, which dominated Anhui, had poured all their resources into Nan Gong Zhanghu for over ten years and still hadn’t achieved the Transformation Realm.

A realm of enlightenment that cannot be achieved by mere effort, support, or the quality of martial arts.

If the Transformation Realm was already astonishing, then the Absolute Realm!

Jang Yilong still couldn’t believe Jo Hui’s martial prowess.

“Hmm.”

Jo Hui, who had opened his half-closed eyes, was checking his body’s condition.

Soon, he slowly stood up and gazed