It was quite far from Wuhan to Qinghai where Kunlun was located.

It was a far distance from East to West.

“Human, can’t we just teleport?”

Cale shook his head at Raon’s comment.

“It is better not to use it because of the living jiangshis.”

There were two living jiangshis in their group.

Sui Khan, who had his arms crossed and eyes closed, asked a question.

“One is Zhuge Eun So. Who is the other one?”

Clack. Clack.

The carriage was moving quite quickly but the inside was peaceful without any shaking.

“Jeong Chan. Apparently he is someone dispatched from Shaolin.”

Lee Soo Hyuk slowly opened the carriage window as if to confirm Jeong Chan’s face.

He then scoffed before closing the window.

“The mood outside is quite vicious.”

Cale’s group’s carriage was the only carriage in the second party.

Everybody else was using movement techniques to match the horse’s speed. Even within Cale’s group, the Fist King, Mok Hee, and Chief Eunuch Wi were outside following the carriage.

“I guess it couldn’t be helped because both the Unorthodox faction and the Orthodox faction are together.”

Lee Soo Hyuk seemed a bit entertained as he leisurely spoke.

Cale looked at him and scowled.

“Groan.”

He heard a groan at that moment.

Although this was a very large carriage…

Toonka was taking quite a lot of room and making it look full.

He was groaning while unable to hide his discomfort.

Toonka made a pitiful face and started to speak once he made eye contact with Cale.

“It feels so stuffy.”

Cale thought that his face was quite heinous as he responded.

“Be quiet.”

“Groan.”

Toonka groaned again and his shoulder slumped.

– Human, Toonka looks so pitiful!

Cale did not agree with Raon at all.

‘I can’t let him cause any headaches.’

If Toonka went outside right now, he would be moving with Sima Jung.

‘It will be quite annoying if the two of them are going around together and causing some sort of incident.’

Toonka was in the carriage to keep them separated.

“Young master-nim, please eat this.”

Cale accepted the refreshments from Ron and leaned back on the comfortable chair.

‘Anyway, it is nice since it is so quiet.’

The team leader said that the mood outside was vicious, but Cale didn’t really want to pay any attention to that.

‘I heard that there was opposition to the Unorthodox faction joining us?’

Chief Advisor Zhuge Mi Ryeo had approved the group of about eight members of the Divergent Coalition, with the three Sima siblings in the lead, to join them.

‘It was an obvious decision since our next move was to drag the Unorthodox faction in to fight against the Blood Cult and the living jiangshis.’

Naturally, the Alliance leader approved of the Chief Advisor’s decision as well.

As a result, there were protests from within the Martial Arts Alliance.

Furthermore, there was even someone involved in the negotiating team that showed his opposition and said that he would not go.

‘It was the Cleave Saint.’

He was one of the Orthodox faction’s Five Saints and someone who loathed the government quite a bit. His hatred for the Unorthodox faction was at about the same level.

However, the Cleave Saint ended up agreeing to go once the Alliance leader and the Chief Advisor convinced him.

‘He then moved himself to the second party.’

He said that he would thoroughly observe them with his two eyes and keep those dirty Unorthodox faction bastards in line.

‘He also plans to keep an eye on me.’

Either way, the Sima siblings used traveling with young master Kim as the excuse to join this group.

Of course, the people of the Martial Arts Alliance believed that the Unorthodox faction was trying to scope out the negotiation between the Orthodox faction and the Demon Cult or to hinder it. That was why they were opposed to them joining.

‘The real reason is because of the Blood Cult.’

At least Sima Dan and Sima Gong had figured out this group’s goal and were quietly keeping their mouths shut.

This was because of Cale’s request.

‘Most people don’t know about it so I would like us to travel quietly.’

Sima Gong had been quite shocked at that comment.

‘Y, you really did figure out my thoughts, young master Kim-nim!’

Cale, who could not say that he heard the sound transmissions thanks to Raon, just nodded his head. The two siblings responded with serious looks on their faces.

‘I will keep this secret with my alcohol on the line.’

‘Only my sister and I will know about this. We will not even report it to the Coalition leader-nim yet. I will quit gambling if I go against my word.’

Cale’s face stiffened while thinking about how the two of them used alcohol and gambling as their promise.

‘It’s fine since things are quiet for now.’

Today was the second day since they left Wuhan and nothing much had happened.

The mood felt as if they were on thin ice but they were moving quickly without any friction.

The reason behind it was simple.

Fist King Mok Hyeon.

He revealed his identity and moved in a spot between the Unorthodox faction and the Orthodox faction, making nobody dare to cause an issue.

Even the Cleave Saint, who did not like the government and the Unorthodox faction, could not be rude to the Fist King, an expert of the past generation and one of the Three Kings.

Cale was quite satisfied that it allowed them to travel quietly.

‘This is actually better.’

The living jiangshis, Zhuge Eun So and Jeong Chan…

The two of them were keeping a low profile because the Orthodox faction and the Unorthodox faction were so wary of each other.

It decreased the chances of a variable happening.

‘It’d be great if we could go to Kunlun like this and then to the Demon Cult.’

Mount Kunlun located in Qinghai…

The Kunlun Sect located there…

Once they got past Qinghai, they would get to Xinjiang.

Xinjiang was where the Demon Cult was located.

Xinjiang was a place with a desert and a barren environment.

‘Things will go easily with the Demon Cult if we can just convince the Heavenly Demon.’

The Heavenly Demon was the leader of the Demon Cult and treated as a god.

Dragging him into this was the most important.

‘I’m sure it’ll work out somehow.’

Cale decided not to think too deeply about it in advance.

Crunch crunch.

He ate his snacks and decided to enjoy this peace.

‘It is disappointing that we cannot move quickly through teleport but it’s been a while since I rested like this. I might as well enjoy it.’

They were staying in nearby inns every night where he managed to get a good night’s sleep, so Cale enjoyed this relaxing trip.

‘Yes, when else would I enjoy such relaxation?’

He started smiling.

“Hmm?”

Choi Jung Soo suddenly stood up at that moment.

Choi Han put a hand on his scabbard.

The team leader oddly twisted his mouth.

– Human!

Raon then called out to him.

Cale got the chills.

‘Something is headed this way.’

Baaaaang—!

They suddenly heard a loud noise in front of the carriage.

“Ugh!”

The horses must have been scared as the carriage was shaking.

“Young master-nim. You can be at ease as I am here.”

Ron had a benign smile on his face as he supported the shaking Cale.

Cale was about to think that his smile looked vicious when he heard some knocking.

Knock knock knock.

‘Something must have happened.’

“Fuck.”

‘Whenever I try to get some rest! Something happens! Always something!’

Cale subconsciously swore.

“!”

As Chief Eunuch Wi, who opened the door, became anxious after hearing Cale swear and his shoulders started shaking…

Choi Han calmly asked.

“Did something happen outside?”

“That-”

As Chief Eunuch Wi snapped back to his senses and was about to speak…

“Did some mountain bandit bastards really dare to attack us?!”

‘Mountain bandits?’

Chief Eunuch Wi urgently responded as Cale scowled.

“The Green Forest suddenly attacked us. The Fist King stopped them but it looks like we will need to stop for a moment.”

“Haaaa.”

Cale let out a sigh.

Chief Eunuch Wi subconsciously flinched and his shoulders curled forward.

‘Someone with a heart as big as young master Kim-nim-’

Said such a coarse word like Fuck.

He had never seen young master Kim act like this. The inside of Chief Eunuch Wi’s mouth felt dry at this mysterious sense of nervousness.

However, the situation outside was turning explosive.

The path Cale’s group was going through right now had a cliff to one side.

Boom.

A person jumped off the cliff.

“Keke. Shouldn’t you at least say hello if you stepped into our territory?”

The Cleave Saint scowled after seeing the person who walked over with leisure steps.

“Why are you here, you bastard?!”

“Mm.”

Sima Dan gulped.

Peng Yu walked over to Namgung Ma Hee’s side and whispered.

“I didn’t expect for the Green Forest’s second in command to show up.”

The current Divergent Coalition was split into two with both sides meddling in each other’s affairs.

The cores of the two factions were the Sima Clan and the Green Forest.

However, the current Green Forest’s second in command, Xia Mun, had appeared on the cliff with dozens of his subordinates.

It was obvious that they had come in advance, hid their presence, and waited for them.

“You must be the famous Senior Fist King. My bad for greeting you in such a rough manner.”

Xia Mun at least showed some respect and bowed toward the Fist King.

“Hoo hoo. It was indeed rough.”

The Fist King shook his hand a bit.

In front of him were pieces of wood that were so destroyed that someone could not tell its original appearance.

“Wow. But you are amazing, sir. You were able to send that large piece of wood flying. As expected of the Fist King! Kahahahahah!”

Xia Mun was laughing loudly when he heard a sharp voice.

“Such arrogance! A damn mountain bandit dares to get in the way of the Martial Arts Alliance?!”

Xia Mun turned his head after hearing the Cleave Saint’s frost-like shouting.

His expression changed.

Boom.

He stabbed the axe that was over his shoulder into the ground.

This axe was big enough that it weighed as much as an average adult male.

“I don’t think that is something that you Orthodox faction bastards who pretend to be good but do all sorts of shady shit in secret should be saying?”

“W, what did you say?”

“What’s wrong? They call you the Cleave Saint but did you turn into a wall? (TL: Cleave and Wall are pronounced the same in Korean) Can you not hear? Hmm? Kekeke!”

“Ha! You stupid bastard!”

Flap, flap.

The Cleave Saint’s wide sleeves started to flutter. Internal ki started to swirl with him at the center.

Click. Click click.

The other people from the Martial Arts Alliance stationed themselves behind him and put their hands on their weapons.

“Grandfather.”

“Haaaaa.”

The Fist King let out a sigh at Mok Hee calling him before shaking his head as if he had a headache.

They looked ready to start fighting at any moment.

“Wow. You’re really going to fight us?”

Xia Mun raised his hand.

The Fist King immediately looked around, looked at the top of the mountain, and held back a gulp.

Far in the distance on top of the mountain that was too far for his senses…

There were a lot of flags.

Anybody would be able to tell that the Green Forest was gathered up there waiting.

“Kekeke. I guess our subordinates will come down now!”

Xia Mun smiled brightly with his teeth showing.

“I would be very happy to fight! People keep talking about the Five Saints this, Five Saints that, so I’ve been curious. I would be able to fight with old man Cleave Saint. Very good!”

“Ha, looks like an opponent you cannot communicate with!”

Xia Mun nonchalantly commented as the Cleave Saint clicked his tongue in disbelief.

“But there is a way for us to not fight.”

“What?”

“Cast them aside and take us.”

Silence filled the area for a moment.

“Noble Warrior Xia. What do you mean by that?”

Sima Dan, who Xia Mun was pointing at, stepped forward with a calm look on his face.

Xia Mun snorted in response.

“Hmph! Noble Warrior my ass. You must be drunk as hell if you are calling a mountain bandit a Noble Warrior.”

“I am always drunk.”

As Xia Mun flinched at Sima Dan’s calm response…

“What the hell are you saying?!”

The Cleave Saint released his anger. He had been reaching his limit with his anger for the past few days.

“Senior Cleave Saint.”

Peng Yu came over to calm him down and addressed Xia Mun.

“To suddenly ask us to take you, we do not understand as there is no context. Please explain.”

“Hmph.”

Xia Mun’s lips started to twist up.

“You must think we are total idiots.”

“Excuse me?”

“It’s obvious that the Orthodox faction, Unorthodox faction, and the Demon Cult are plotting something! But the core of the Unorthodox faction, the Green Forest, is missing there?! You are trying to take those feeble bastards from the Sima Clan who only know how to use their heads to do something. How could our Green Forest sit still?! Huh?”

“Excuse me?”

As both Peng Yu and the Fist King were confused at this unexpected situation…

And as Sima Gong seemed to have noticed something and was about to step forward with an awkward look on his face…

“That-”

“What? The feeble Sima Clan?”

The trash of the Unorthodox faction… The second son of Sima Pyeong…

Sima Jung’s eyes rolled over.

“You damn mountain bandits who only know how to steal shit!”

He charged forward almost as if he was flying.

He was rushing toward Xia Mun.

“Hmph! You are just a puny kid! Fine! Come! We will kill all of you bastards and go in your place!”

Xia Mun picked up his axe.

The bandits who were coming down a path on the side of the cliff or via rope all pulled out their weapons as soon as they reached the ground.

“T, these stupid bastards! I knew you bastards planned on meddling with our Orthodox faction’s issues! You dare to get involved with our business?”

“Senior Cleave Saint! It clearly seems like a misunderstanding, so how about you calm-”

“I do not wish to do so! We should never have agreed to take these Unorthodox faction trashes with us! Beating these bastards to death would not be enough! I will put an end to them today!”

“S, senior!”

The Cleave Saint also seemed unable to hold himself back any longer and used a foot technique to approach where Xia Mun and Sima Jung were about to fight.

“Oh dear.”

As the Fist King subconsciously gasped as it looked as if a fight might break out at any moment, no, as a fight had already begun…

“!”

His shoulder slightly shook.

He got chills on his back.

This sense of danger was something he had not felt since reaching this higher level.

This feeling that he might die…

No, to be more accurate, this feeling of meeting an overbearing presence that made him want to kneel right away…

He took a breath in and barely managed to get a name out.

“…Y, young master Kim-”

Click.

The carriage door opened.

Xia Mun, who was standing with his axe in his hand…

The charging Sima Jung…

The shouting bandits and the people from the Unorthodox faction who formed a circle to protect the Sima siblings…

And the people from the Martial Arts Alliance who followed the Cleave Saint to charge into the fight…

“H, how could such an aura……”

Finally, the Cleave Saint who had gone crazy with anger…

Everybody stopped moving.

Although it was the middle of the day and the sun was high up in the sky…

As if they were sinking into darkness and no sun was above their heads…

It felt as if coldness was suffocating their whole body.

They felt suffocated.

Everybody looked toward one person.

That person alighted from the carriage.

Cale nonchalantly spoke to the people looking at him.

“What are you all doing right now?”

Although he was speaking in a relaxed manner, an aura that made it hard to look at him was coming out of his body.

However, they could not avoid that aura either.

They could only be as stiff as rocks as they looked at him.

An extremely annoyed Cale started speaking.

He asked as if he was confused.

“What is it?”

He then smiled as he spoke.

“You want to have a fight where you kill and be killed? Is that the kind of fight you want?”

Nobody could easily open their mouth in this situation as they felt as if they could suffocate to death in this area dominated by Cale at any moment.

—

Translator’s Comments

FIGHT TO THE FINISH!

TCF is currently posted Mondays and Fridays at evening time GMT. Join our discord to be notified as soon as the chapter posts!

If you can’t wait, please subscribe to advanced chapters on our EAP website to get access to up to 8 chapters! Almost all tiers already have access to part 2 of TCF!

You can subscribe (immediate access) through our PATREON

<< Previous Chapter | Index | Next Chapter >>