Chapter 229

**Season 2, Chapter 143:** A flashback reveals that at some point in the Heavenly Destruction Sect's conquest, anti-Heavenly Destruction Sect sentiment started forming among the factions of the Murim that did not get involved in the conflict due to opposing relations with the Murim Alliance, and the Gangho started to become sympathetic to the Alliance because of the Heavenly Destruction Sect's domination. Meanwhile, the Four Heavenly Kings had a meeting, and Mak Sapyeong blamed Gang Yoon and the Haidong Sword Clan as the cause for all the changes. When Gwi Yeong asked about what their master said regarding the Haidong Sword Clan, Hyeol Bi recalled Dokgo Ryong's words, causing Gwi Yeong and Mak Sapyeong to start arguing about how to take action.

Later, Hwan Sa spoke privately with Hyeol Bi and told him how a small crack could bring everything down and that they must not give in to the enemies' demands. However, Hyeol Bi responded that the majority were siding with the Haidong Sword Clan, and speculated that if their goal was to rouse all the martial artists to action even if it took their sacrifice, using force to suppress them might just be what they wanted. He then wondered when Gang Yoon got so close to Dokgo Ryong. Hwan Sa reassured him that their master would not let his personal relationship get in the way of their Sect and commented that when it comes to domination, they could not change their course because of circumstances, before telling Hyeol Bi to make a decision. Eventually, Hwan Sa convinced Hyeol Bi to make a move against Gang Yoon, resulting in the "Haidong Sword Clan catastrophe", and the death of Gang Yoon. After finding out about the incident, Dokgo Ryong angrily confronted his disciples who pretend that by the time they received a report about people attacking the Haidong Sword Clan, they were too late to stop them, and that it wasn't their orders. The Four Heavenly Kings begged him to forgive them since they did it out of loyalty to the Sect but the Supreme Overlord refused. Dokgo Ryong then punished them before slaughtering the perpetrators outside. From then on, cracks started growing between the master and disciples.

Some time later, the Four Heavenly Kings have another meeting about how Dokgo Ryong left them for a month, only to return and leave again without seeing them. They also note that their master had been avoiding them ever since the incident with the Haidong Sword Clan. It is also revealed that Dokgo Ryong put everything aside, trying to track down Gang Ryong's mother at that time. Furthermore, Dokgo Ryong was still suffering from Sa Paecheon's poison, Demonic Blight. His doctor noted that he cannot cure the poison, only slow it down, and that Dokgo Ryong would eventually lose use of his right leg. The doctor further explained that if he doesn't get the poison under control with medicine and rest, it wouldn't end with just the right leg. Unbeknownst to them both, Hwan Sa was eavesdropping on them.

Yang Jeonghak then says it is unclear how Dokgo Ryong was injured by his disciples and abandoned in a valley but after scouring through records and intel, speculated that they baited the Heavenly Destroyer with a woman disguised as Gang Ryong's mother which when combined with his leg being crippled by poison and loss of composure due to his mother, made it difficult for him to respond to their deliberately planned trap. He also speculated that they committed such a thing out of fear that their master would get to the bottom of what happened and direct his anger at them. Not long after Dokgo Ryong's supposed demise, the Heavenly Destruction Sect collapsed and the Four Heavenly Kings faked their deaths. At that time, Yang Jeonghak infiltrated the Murim, disguised as someone who defected from the Heavenly Destruction Sect and was taken into the Baekma Valley by the then leader.

Dokgo Ryong then spent his days living as a crippled hermit at the bottom of a valley. One day, not along after the secret agents started their report on Dokgo Ryong, the old man found a woman that had fallen down who turned out to be none other than Gang Ryong's mother and Gang Yoon's widow.

## Appearing Characters

* Dokgo Ryong (flashback)
* Gang Ryong
* Gang Yoon (flashback)
* Gwi Yeong (flashback)
* Hwan Sa (flashback)
* Hyeol Bi (flashback)
* Jin Garyeong's mother (flashback)
* Mak Sapyeong (flashback)
* Yang Jeonghak