Chapter 53: 53

Mount Emei could be reached by walking south of Chengdu for three days and three nights.

The magnificent scenery, which has a height of more than a thousand meters, was worthy to be a part of Sichuan Province.

When the people of Sichuan think of Mount Emei, five things come to mind.

The first was the sea of clouds.

Those who saw the sea of ​​clouds covering the entire mountain range, leaving only the high mountain peaks, were overwhelmed by its immense majesty.

The second was sunrise.

Specifically the sunrise from the Chengdu Plain on the eastern side of Mount Emei. No matter how many times the people looked at the scenery, they would never get tired of the landscape which was dyed with a golden hue. 

The third was the light of the Buddha.

A seven-light rainbow appears from summer to early autumn near the Geumjeongbong Peak, and when this rainbow illuminates a person, a phenomenon like the halo of Buddha occurs. People accepted this as the blessing of the Buddha.

The fourth was the holy lantern.

In summer, tens of millions of fireflies fly all at once and shine brightly. Its appearance is so sacred that it was accepted in Buddhism as a bodhisattva illuminating the world for the sake of the world.

The fifth and last was the Emei sect.

Emei, located at the foot of Geumjeongbong Peak of Emei Mountain, has been called as the pride of the people of Sichuan.

Although they have declined, in comparison to when they belonged to the old Daemun faction, their prestige was still great.

The Emei sect was a large Buddhist temple before being a sect. For that reason, many people come to Emei to offer Buddhist offerings. But lately, people have stopped going.

This is because, as the confrontation with the Qingcheng sect intensified, the Emei sect did not receive incense from the visitors.

Instead, only the martial artists members of the sect related to the Emei sect visited Mount Emei.

Numerous gates were installed on the mountain road leading up to Emei, and Emei warriors stood guard.

In order to enter the Emei sect, a person had to go through several layers of gates.

Sangyeon, a third generation disciple of Emei, looked at the men and women standing in front of her with a keen eye.

A bewitching woman in revealing attire and a man with a large body were looking into her eyes with a casual expression.

“So, you’re saying that the Black Cloud Mercenary Group came to see the sect leader?”

“That’s right. We’ve come to meet the sect leader of the Emei sect under the command of our Danju.”

The bewitching woman who answered with a smile was Heo Ran-ju. She was accompanied by Oh Yuk-pyo.

“It’s not up to me to decide. I’ll report it to the higher ups first, so please wait here.”

“Ho-ho! We can wait.”

Sang-yeon looked at Heo Ran-ju with distasteful eyes, who had revealing clothes that did not match the sacred Buddhist temple. 

‘Amitabha! He said that his nickname is hyeoljiju (血 蜘妹), so he really looks like Sagal.’

Had she been in a situation where she could make her own decisions, she would never have accepted a woman like Heo Ran-ju into the Emei. But now, they were at war, and the Emei sect needed anything that could increase their power.

She couldn’t make a mistake just because of her personal feelings.

Her reputation for subduing the enemies that attacked the rice carrier was passed on to the Emei sect. So Sang-yeon knew that Heo Ran-ju was a great warrior. 

Sang-yeon brought out a carrier pigeon and waited for an answer.

It didn’t take long for a reply to come back.

There was a message in the carrier pigeon that returned asking her to send them in. Sang-yeon handed a bronze plate to Heo Ran-ju and Oh Yuk-pyo and said,

“If you climb the mountain road like this, you will come across a total of five gates. You can enter the main mountain by showing this bronze plate every time you pass through the gates.”

“Ho-ho! Thank you for your consideration. I’ll see you when I come down.” 

After winking at Sang-yeon, Heo Ran-ju passed through the gate with Oh Yuk-pyo.

Sang-yeon’s disapproving gaze was felt on the back of her head, but she didn’t care much. She wasn’t even a great disciple, and her self-esteem didn’t allow her to be afraid of a third-generation disciple.

“Mount Emei is said to be the absolute best in the world. Indeed, it’s truly something to be proud of.”

Oh Yuk-pyo looked around and admired the scenery of Mount Emei.

The superb view of Mount Emei was so great that it shook the hearts of Oh Yuk-pyo who was usually  indifferent to these external sights.

“Anyway, it’s all useless if they lose the war against the Qingcheng sect. They’ll know better how miserable the words of the clan who were expelled from Mount Emeimust be.”

“But why are they fighting the Qingcheng sect? Were they not on good terms?”

“I don’t know! Seven years ago, their relationship just got worse and they started fighting.”

“Hm! We don’t exactly know why they’re fighting each other, but nonetheless, for us, this is a great opportunity to earn a lot of money.”

“It was a match promoted by Danju and there was nothing that didn’t cost money. We can only believe in Danju.”

“Hoho, of course. I don’t believe in anyone else except for Danju.”

Heo Ran-ju nodded at the words of Oh Yuk-pyo. It was the same with Heo Ran-ju. Everyone in the world was suspicious, with the exception of Danju. 

As she thought of Danju, a person suddenly came to mind.

‘Pyo-wol!’

She didn’t know why he was coming to her mind at this moment.Maybe it was because he was so handsome. The image of Pyo-wol was still vividly etched in her mind.

“What are you thinking about? Are you thinking of that handsome guy?”

“Shut up!”

“Huh! I want to see him too.”

“Don’t set your eyes on the person I picked up first. He’s not someone who you could covet.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. There is no male bastard who didn’t get over because these five groups made up their mind.”

The laughter of Oh Yuk-pyo made Heo Ran-ju’s mood even worse.

Why does she have to go with a bastard like him? She really don’t know what Danju is thinking.

“Huh! It’s all because Danju-sama’s eyes are high. If it’s not me, who will control the four years?”

“Who controls who? Crazy bastard!”

The two turned their heads away from each other.

After fighting like that, I arrived at Geumjeongbong Peak where Emei was located.

“Huyu!”

Oh Yuk-pyo, who saw the Emei sect, whistled.Oh Yuk-pyo was a confident man who’s not afraid of anything in the world, but now his face was full of tension.

It was the same with Heo Ran-ju.

They had no choice but to feel that way.

Establishments which boast the sect’s immense power, were spread out in front of them. If the buildings were only large, there was no reason for the two of them to be nervous.

But a great momentum as enormous as the weight of the name the Emei sect was felt in the premises.

Despite the fact that the Black Cloud Mercenary Group has been gaining momentum recently, it cannot be compared to the weight and presence of the Emei, who have been establishing its roots in Sichuan for hundreds of years.

The aura that naturally radiated from being part of a noble family of a prestigious sect made even two people who have lived a rough life as a rogue withdrawn.

A middle-aged woman approached them.

The woman approaching with her back straight, had an unusual momentum.

“My name is Cheol-shim. Are you two from the Black Cloud Group?”

She was Cheol-shim, who was the current student of the Abbess of Nine Calamities. 

Seven years made her stronger. Her martial arts also progressed by leaps and bounds, securing the position of the third person following Jeonghwa.

Heo Ran-ju replied politely.

“That’s right.”

“Master is waiting. Follow me.”

Cheol Shim took the two of them to the Daejeon in Emei.

Dozens of martial artists stood guard outside the Daejeon.

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They stared at Heo Ran-ju and Oh Yuk-pyo with sharp eyes as if they were about to mutilate them. It’s the first time they have seen an outsider, so they were wary.

‘They really live up to their name of being a prestigious sect. Even the soldiers standing on the border have reached such a level.’

Heo Ran-ju felt a cold sweat running down her back.

She could tell by looking at them what the power of the soldiers was.

The quantity and quality of martial arts that have been systematically passed down from a young age were not something that a rogue group such as the Black Cloud Mercenary Group could match. 

The gap was so great between the two that no matter how much time passed, it could never be closed.

‘Anyway, we just need to make money.’

The two groups were originally created for different purposes. So if she tries to compare the two groups, she would only feel inferior. 

She’d rather focus on the purpose of coming here in the first place.

The door of Daejeon opened and the two went inside together with Cheol-sim.

Inside Daejeon, there was a large chair, and to its left and right were the disciples of the Emei Most of the disciples were women, and had a high rank within the Emei.

Among them, there were three people who stood out.

The old woman sitting in the middle, the one-eyed middle-aged woman sitting next to her, and the beautiful woman in her twenties sitting opposite her.

They were special in different ways. 

The old woman sitting was Guhwasata, the oldest member of the Emei family.

With her crow-like appearance and eyes, there was an overflowing sense of intimidation that made even Heo Ran-ju and Oh Yuk-yo swallow dry saliva.

The one-eyed woman who wore an eyepatch, was the great disciple, Jeonghwa. A ferocious momentum was radiating from her that was no less than the Guhwasata. 

She was staring at them with one eye, as if she was about to eat them.

The woman as beautiful as the Seonha was Yong Seol-ran, the youngest disciple of the Guhwasata.

Seven years of time made Yong Seol-ran even more beautiful. Even though they were both women, Heo Ran-ju fell in love with the appearance of Yong Seol-ran.

‘This is dangerous.’

Heo Ran-ju, who managed to come to her senses, bit her lip.

At that time, Guhwasata opened his mouth.

“Did the master of the Black Cloud Group send you?”

“That’s right.”

“Why did he send a messenger?”

There was a hint of dissatisfaction in the voice of the Guhwasata.

In ordinary times, a mercenary would not have been brought into their holy place. But now, the Emei sect was facing its worst crisis ever due to the confrontation with the Qingcheng sect. 

Heo Ran-ju, who picked up her breath for a moment, said their business.

“Danju wishes to offer the services of the Black Cloud Mercenary Group to help the Emei sect.”

“So, you want to participate in the battle against the Qingcheng sect?”

“That’s right.”

“There’s no way a group of mercenaries would shed blood for free, so there must be a price you want.”

“Yes. We can’t be on the losing side either.”

“How much do you want?”

“I think 500,000 gold would be appropriate.”

The moment Heo Ran-ju opened his mouth, the atmosphere in Daejeon changed.

“Such crazy things!”

“You’re asking for such a huge amount?”

“Master! We don’t have to hear any more. If we accept such a request, our sect will become the laughing stock of Jianghu.”

If it was 500,000 nyang of gold, a few years would be enough to run Emei on a budget.

That’s why a group of mercenaries were asking for such a huge amount of money a day. It was an amount that was absolutely unacceptable for the Emei disciples.

Guhwasa’s eyes narrowed.

To assassinate Woo Gunsang of the Qingcheng sect, the amount requested by the Blood Shadow Group was 500,000 nyang of gold. However, there was little loss in recovering the gold that was given to them while destroying the Blood Shadow Group and the riches hidden in the remarks. However, that did not mean that she could hand over such a huge amount to the Black Cloud Group.

“You don’t think I will accept your proposal, do you? 500,000 gold nyang is enough to call a few more mercenary groups like you.”

“But no other group of mercenaries will be as strong as the Black Cloud Group.”

“What if I refuse?”

“By now, martial artists of the Black Cloud Group should have arrived at Mt. Qingcheng.”

“Are you laying both legs across? Cheeky!”

Tuoung!

A strong wave was emitted from the Abbess of Nine Calamities.

“Keuk!”

“Hiic!”

The complexions of Heo Ran-ju and Oh Yuk-pyo turned white. Dark red blood was running down their lips. They immediately suffered internal injuries from the aura emitted by the Abbess of Nine Calamities.

‘Is this the prowess of the sect leader of Emei?’

‘It’s scary. To have this kind of momentum from such an old woman.’

The two had to use their internal energy to correct their trembling state. 

It was not because of nothing that Guhwasata managed to become the sect leader of Emei. It was because of her martial arts and leadership that Emei, who was inferior to the Qingcheng sect, was still able to survive.

All the warriors of the Emei sect respected and followed her, even if they were ordered to kill a person from the Qingcheng sect.

Even though there was blood on their lips, Heo Ran-ju and Oh Yuk-pyo tried their best to keep a calm expression.

This was a fight of momentum.

 The moment they show weakness, they would be pushed by the momentum of the Abbess of Nine Calamities and be eaten up.

The Abbess of Nine Calamities opened her mouth.

“Tell me honestly. I know you really don’t think I’ll give you 500,000 gold. Just tell me how much you really want.”

“We are mercenaries who sell their force. We follow clients who’s capable of paying more. If you give us more money, even a single chime, you will become our master.”

“So you’re not going to tell me until the end? You’re probably going to say the same thing to the Qingcheng sect.”

Heo Ran-ju didn’t answer. However, the Guhwasata already accepted her answer as an established fact.

“You’re so bold. It makes me want to see the face of your Danju, in person.”

“If you ask us, it will be so.”

“Hck!”

Guhwasata’s eyes softened a little.

In her heart, she wanted to give a lesson to the master of the Black Cloud Group by cutting the two people in front of her at once.

If it had been an ordinary time, rather than wartime, the Emei sect would have never negotiated with the Black Cloud Group.

The problem is that the confrontation with the Qingcheng sect has reached its climax.

A large-scale conflict will soon occur.

It is said that in order to defeat the Qingcheng sect, even a cat’s hand has to be borrowed.

It will be the same for the Qingcheng sect.

They were superior to the Emei sect, but there was no guarantee that they wouldn’t hire the Black Cloud Group to win.

‘Clever. Really clever.’

Guhwasata tapped the handle of her chair with her finger for a long time.

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