CHAPTER 409: THE HONOR FLOWER DISCIPLES (1)

They addressed Yi-gang as junior nephew.

Then, the two people before him wearing the robes of the Honor Flower Disciples must be one rank above Yi-gang.

Although warm smiles appeared on their faces, Yi-gang did not smile.

This place was Xinjiang.

Right in front of Sky Shattering Island.

The claim that they were sent from Azure Forest seemed even more suspicious.

Yi-gang, who had crossed the Great Desert himself to arrive here, knew well.

Crossing the Central Plains was no easy task.

They said Master had sent them…

The Honor Flower Disciples were the most secretive among Azure Forest.

Yi-gang had never met the senior and junior brothers of his master, Yu Jeong-shin.

“Oh my, look at this.”

When Yi-gang gave a wary look, the pot-bellied man among them gave a broad smile.

“Just as Junior Jeong-shin said! You have the wary expression of a cautious cat.”

Cat?

Yi-gang’s face was filled with bewilderment.

He barely composed himself and asked.

“I am Baek Yi-gang, a Four Flower Disciple of Azure Forest. I apologize for not recognizing my senior and elder senior uncles as I was outside the sect.”

It was a hint to introduce himself.

Though it seemed too casual given the Demon Cult followers were chasing from behind, he couldn’t just trust anyone.

The pot-bellied man chuckled heartily.

“You really have been outside the sect for a long time. You are no longer a Four Flower Disciple but a Five Flower Disciple.”

“…Is that so?”

“Your achievements and deeds are not small, so it can’t be helped. Now, Se-ryeong.”

When he called the name Se-ryeong, a woman with red lips took out a purple flower from her bosom.

She placed a dried flower on top of Yi-gang’s head.

“It’s a gift.”

Yi-gang made a bewildered expression.

Then he took the flower off his head and put it into his bosom.

The pot-bellied man looked hurt.

“How disappointing… Normally, flowers are embroidered on robes within the sect. But those of us who can’t return to the sect and live outside are given flowers like this.”

He didn’t seem genuinely hurt.

Soon he smiled broadly and introduced himself.

“My name is Do Cheon. That junior sister is Wi Se-ryeong. I am your Elder Senior Uncle and she is your Senior Uncle.”

“We did not come directly from the sect.”

Do Cheon pointed towards Sky Shattering Island.

No, more precisely, beyond Sky Shattering Island.

“We came from the west.”

“Do you mean the Western Regions?”

The Western Regions refer to the western part of the Central Plains.

Though broadly including Xinjiang, that word here likely meant something else.

“We stayed near the Parsa Country over there. Some are also in the southern region of Tianzhu.”

Most of Azure Forest’s Honor Flower Disciple wander outside the sect.

It was rare for them to stay only within Azure Forest like Yu Jeong-shin, who manages the Great Library.

However, even Yi-gang, the disciple of the Honor Flower Disciple and Great Library Master, did not know what they did or where they were.

“Why…”

“You ask if we were there? It’s not something I can’t tell you.”

“No, I mean, why have you returned?”

That was what Yi-gang was concerned about.

Why did the Honor Flower Disciples, who had never shown their faces, suddenly appear?

“A summons was issued. To drop all missions and return to Azure Forest.”

“And we heard that our youngest junior nephew is struggling in Xinjiang, so we were told to rescue him.”

Apparently, Azure Forest had a way to communicate with those far away.

They couldn’t reach Tianzhu by courier or messenger.

“We were wondering how to find and bring you with us, but then the junior nephew flew through the sky like a shooting star. It was quite a sight. Hahaha.”

Do Cheon chuckled and patted Yi-gang on the back.

He showed no reaction despite seeing Ha-jun leaking demonic energy and the dazed Yo Yeon-bi.

“I’d like to talk more, but now is not the time.”

Saying that, Do Cheon suddenly stretched out his hand.

Thwack!

In Do Cheon’s hand was an arrow.

A Demon Cult follower chasing them by boat had shot the arrow.

Of course, Yi-gang was not surprised.

“My mission is to safely guide the junior nephew and his group to the Central Plains,” said Do Cheon.

Yi-gang wondered how high Do Cheon’s realm was.

He didn’t look old, being a disciple of the Do line.

But since he called his master Yu Jeong-shin so easily, he must have great achievements as a top disciple.

“I’ve heard about the junior nephew. He confronted the Cardinal of the Evil Cult using the power of the First Founder Bodhidharma. He inherited the power of the Heavenly Thunder White-Tailed Fox and experienced the spirit possession of the immortal Zhang Sanfeng.”

“…You know everything.”

“Yes, an amazing talent. No Honor Flower Disciple could achieve what the junior nephew has. To have an immortal directly possess your body!”

Yi-gang’s spirit possession.

Do Cheon seemed deeply impressed by it.

“Us Honor Flower Disciples who went outside also performed similar feats, but the difference in level is like heaven and earth.”

“…You mean similar things?”

“Yes, junior nephew communicated directly with the Great Immortal. You had the immortal Zhang Sanfeng possess your body directly. We at best receive messages through spirit boards or borrow part of that power.”

Yi-gang felt curious.

Borrow power? From whom?

Though Yi-gang urged to leave quickly, Do Cheon grinned and lingered.

What was he doing?

He took arrows from a large quiver on his back.

Uniquely, the arrows were as tall as a child.

He stuck them firmly into the sandy riverbank.

“Wi Se-ryeong, my junior sister, has been offering tributes to Hou Yi.”

Hou Yi is the name of an ancient deity.

Legend says he shot down ten suns with his bow under the Jade Emperor’s command.

He can be called the God of Archery.

However, Yi-gang reflexively frowned at the word ‘tribute.’

I don’t know what you’re imagining, but tribute is a matter of common sense. Most of the time, we offer inner cores. There are plenty of wicked monsters beyond the Central Plains, after all.

That was the first time Yi-gang heard such a story.

Meanwhile, Wi Se-ryeong strung a long bow from her back.

It looked like a strong bow with great tension.

“After serving Hou Yi for a long time and building a relationship, she borrows part of his power.”

Wi Se-ryeong lifted the long bow.

The bow was almost as big as her torso.

She hung the bow on the ground and drew the string.

Creak!

An ominous sound echoed, hinting at the bow’s tension.

At that moment, Yi-gang’s eyes snapped open.

A strange power suddenly infused Wi Se-ryeong’s right arm as she drew the string.

It was neither martial arts nor a spell technique.

And as she released the string, the arrow was shot.

To Yi-gang, an Absolute master, the arrow’s trajectory was clearly visible.

The amazing thing was the arrow glowed white.

Like the ten white arrows Hou Yi used to shoot the suns in legend…

It curved as if alive, piercing the boats crossing the river.

Thud thud thunk!

The arrow pierced the side panel of a boat submerged in water.

The impact made all the boats rock simultaneously.

Each boat had two fist-sized holes, so survival was impossible.

The boats sank instantly, and the pursuing Demon Cult followers all fell into the water.

The arrow sank after sinking two boats at once.

But that amazing skill did not end with one arrow.

Wi Se-ryeong shot all five arrows stuck in the ground.

Seven boats sank; only two remained.

Wi Se-ryeong was sweating cold sweat.

Her right arm was flushed red and trembling.

It looked similar to the aftereffects of possession Yi-gang had experienced.

“How is it? Compared to the junior nephew’s feats, it’s insignificant, but still a fine trick, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it’s amazing.”

It was no exaggeration.

His senior uncle Wi Se-ryeong borrowed the power of the god Hou Yi.

In terms of rank, the greatest feat is to manifest in reality like at Podalrap Palace.

But the sacrifice to manifest Śākyamuni Tathāgata was immense.

It was a heavy burden and not something one could do just because they wanted to.

The second was Yi-gang’s case.

Yi-gang had the immortal Zhang Sanfeng possess his body.

He possessed the Heavenly Demon and directly reproduced his martial art in the world.

Even that was not something anyone could do.

Until now, only Yi-gang could do it.

The third is borrowing someone’s power like this.

Like Yi-gang borrowed the spiritual energy of Heavenly Thunder White-Tailed Fox, it’s called borrowing power.

Their first priority was to escape the pursuit.

Do Cheon and Wi Se-ryeong had prepared horses.

The group mounted the horses.

Yi-gang rode a black horse and skillfully guided it.

The horses were quite fine, wherever they were obtained from.

They rode in the opposite direction of Sky Shattering Island.

Riding beside Do Cheon, Yi-gang asked.

“Elder Senior Uncle, I have a question.”

“Ask me anything!”

They seemed to have a way to communicate with Azure Forest.

So Yi-gang wanted to confirm something.

“Have you heard about Senior Brother Dam Hyun? He led the children who escaped from Sky Shattering Island and returned first.”

He wondered if the group who escaped earlier was alright.

But Do Cheon’s answer was unsatisfactory.

“Uh, well… I haven’t heard detailed news.”

“…I see.”

Considering the time, they probably hadn’t arrived in the Central Plains yet.

There was no way to know the situation of Dam Hyun’s group on the move.

Seeing Yi-gang’s downcast expression, Do Cheon smiled.

“Don’t worry too much. The Honor Flower Disciples will also go through the Kunlun Mountains where that child, Dam Hyun, will pass.”

They were not the only Honor Flower Disciples returning to the Central Plains.

“Yes, probably those in the North Sea will go find them.”

Saying that, Do Cheon laughed heartily and surged forward.

Yi-gang followed behind him.

Now, they would return to the Central Plains.

At the entrance of the Kunlun Mountains.

Dam Hyun stuck out his tongue and licked the blood at the corner of his mouth.

The metallic taste was in the bitter blood.

It was said that in the Western Regions, there were vampires that drank human blood.

Perhaps they drank this tasteless blood because there was nothing else to eat.

The blood flowing down Dam Hyun’s face came from his broken forehead.

Dam Hyun roughly wiped his forehead with his hand.

Crossing the burning hot Great Desert was arduous.

The Murim Alliance really dispatched troops to support the rescue.

When they met them in the Great Desert, it was a truly critical moment.

Yet, their numerical inferiority did not disappear.

The Dark Heaven Execution Pursuit Squad were as notorious and vicious as their reputation.

The journey from the Great Desert to the Kunlun Mountains was even more grueling.

Half of the fifty who came as the rescue team died.

One disciple of Kunlun also tragically died. Go Yo-ja wailed.

They continued fleeing, but though it was still daytime, they had no choice but to rest.

Because Noh Shik was dying.

In fact, it was amazing he was still alive.

It was a miracle he crossed the Great Desert with a body consumed by demonic energy.

Of course, Gal Dong-tak carried him, but even that had its limits.

While staying to see Noh Shik’s off, they were bombarded with crossbow bolts.

These were crossbow bolts that could pierce iron plates.

Even masters’ concentration dulled after long harassment.

A crossbow bolt grazed Dam Hyun’s forehead.

They managed to evade for now, but this seemed a truly dangerous moment.

Dam Hyun chuckled and took out a pocket watch from his bosom.

Click, opening the watch revealed a stopped clock face.

Because the spring was not wound.

‘I wanted to visit the Western Regions once.’

Such sophisticated technology did not exist in the Central Plains.

However, the true value of the pocket watch surprised Dam Hyun.

He had discovered it when he disassembled the clock face recently.

Inside were complex mechanisms and a unique item.

Instead of winding the spring, you pull it out with force.

Tick tick tick tick—

Then, a small sound of something turning inside was heard.

Inside the mechanism, green liquid was contained in a glass tube.

It was definitely a deadly poison.

When the spring is pulled out, the wire inside breaks and the watch explodes.

The glass tube containing poison also breaks, making it a poison weapon itself.

‘A place that makes such things… Outside the Central Plains is no different from a demon realm.’

An interesting hidden weapon.

Dam Hyun planned to use this item against the approaching pursuers.

Those approaching through the bushes.

Just as Dam Hyun grinned and was about to throw the pocket watch.

A tall, lanky middle-aged man suddenly appeared.

He was not wearing the Dark Heaven Execution Pursuit Squad uniform.

A thick quilted leather coat.

Several purple flowers embroidered incongruously.

Above all, it was a familiar face.

“Dam Hyun!”

“…Senior Uncle?”

An Honor Flower Disciple who had left for the North Sea.

Why did he suddenly appear here? Dam Hyun couldn’t hide his surprise.

Ttittik!

At that moment, the pocket watch in his hand stopped ticking.

Startled, Dam Hyun quickly threw it behind him.

It seemed someone was hit.

Anyone hit would likely die instantly.

But whether lucky or unlucky, the one caught in the explosion appeared alive.

“Which asshole was it!”

Another Honor Flower Disciple wearing fur clothes.

“Senior Uncle here too?”

“Dam Hyun, you bastard!”

Again, it was a familiar face.

Dam Hyun just laughed dryly.