137 - Blue Dragon Rain Dance Society (7)

Ilwoon's preliminaries had all come to an end. Naturally, he advanced to the main competition. Was meeting Gosang the end of his bad luck? Since then, Ilwoon only faced first-class warriors, making it easy for him to conclude his matches. However, there was something unusual - Ilwoon wasn’t particularly happy about advancing to the main round. When Dang Hwa-seo asked him about this, his answer was as follows: "...I actually wanted to confront the Sun Dragon. You could say it's a desire for revenge from our encounter at the Yongbong Branch. Yes, it's not exactly a monk-like desire." It was indeed an understandable reason. Although he said it shyly, wasn't that just like him? Despite his easygoing nature, Ilwoon had a competitive streak. The moment a 'contest' was mentioned, he was the type of man whose first instinct was to win. 'You’ve been holding on to that.' It seemed the incident at the Yongbong Branch had really hurt his pride. Although supporting him felt right, Dang Hwa-seo still cautioned him. 'An obsession with power can lead you astray.' And wasn't Dang Sageuk a prime example of that? Dang Hwa-seo hoped her team member wouldn’t get caught up in such desires. So, while supporting Ilwoon, she didn’t forget to offer him advice. That night, as she bid him farewell. “Miss.” Naegak's Warrior came out to greet her as she approached the pavilion. Dang Hwa-seo, wearing her covert attire, responded. “Let's go.” “Yes.” She snuck out of the pavilion, her leaving unbeknownst to her team members. * To explain the situation, we need to go back to the end of the recent Tang Sect affair. That day was when Dang Hwa-seo met with the Sect Leader Sa Baekwoon, where she was acknowledged as the leader of the Sacheondang Sect. After finishing discussions about the Tang Sect and Dang Sageuk, Sa Baekwoon said, "There will be a Blue Dragon Martial Arts Tournament." "A martial arts tournament?" "Yes. We’ll call upon all the masters of the Central Plains to this place." "The situation doesn’t seem good to me." "That’s exactly why we’re doing it." "Excuse me?" Sa Baekwoon smiled as he spoke, "It’s a perfect opportunity to weed out those lurking in the shadows." That was Sa Baekwoon’s intent. The Cheonma Sin Church’s agents had infiltrated the martial world of the Central Plains. Their movement as individual cells made it difficult to catch their main forces, thus only adding to the chaos. The Blue Dragon Martial Arts Tournament was bait thrown into this situation. With so many warriors and people gathered, it would be inevitable for those causing chaos to be mixed in as well. Sa Baekwoon was planning to catch them all in one fell swoop. And so, today arrived. “Yongbong Peak.” “Welcome.” Being received at the sect’s back gate by Naegak's Warrior, several people were waiting. “Greetings to the White Sword of Gold Kwon Pyowol.” The first to arrive was White Sword of Gold Kwon Pyowol, and beside him stood the Blue Dragon Gi Taewoon. Dang Hwa-seo, looking around, asked, “Where is Cumulus Belt Kang Chan?” This mission was kept secret even within the sect, known only to a few. Thus, only trustworthy leaders from each branch were part of the mission. Dang Hwa-seo was flying solo, and among those supposed to join was Cumulus Belt Kang Chan. “Where indeed.” Gi Taewoon sighed. Kwon Pyowol chuckled and replied on his behalf, “He decided to participate in the martial arts tournament. Couldn’t resist.” "...Excuse me?" “That man is stubborn beyond belief. He clung to our Leader’s legs, begging to be allowed to go, and eventually, our Leader gave in.” Dang Hwa-seo pressed her lips together. Indeed, every time she saw him, she thought he was an energetic man, but she hadn’t expected this extent. At Dang Hwa-seo’s stunned expression, Gi Taewoon sighed again, and then a figure appeared. “We are all assembled.” “Ah, the Strategist.” The newcomer was Strategist Jegal Muyeon. Like Dang Hwa-seo and the other leaders, he was dressed for a covert mission. “The night grows late. Let us begin.” Jegal Muyeon said, “As you might have already heard, but let me explain once more. We have traced the agents’ steps.” “We heard a participant has mingled with them.” “Yes, several who were eliminated from the preliminaries are still around, gathering in an inn without leaving Wuhan. Our spies traced them and found traces of demonic energy.” Jegal Muyeon produced a small stone. It was a fragment of a dark-red gem, from which demonic energy blatantly flowed. “A demonic energy crystal…” Tension rose on Dang Hwa-seo’s face. That was a crystal that could be harvested from the Danjung of a deceased demon agent. “It’s confirmed then.” “Yes, the agents are believed to still be gathered at the inn. It’s in a remote location, so getting there won’t be easy.” “What’s the plan?” “A diversion.” “A diversion means…” “We are the bait.” Dang Hwa-seo frowned. There were four of them present. But none of them were weak by any means. Kwon Pyowol and Gi Taewoon were at the pinnacle of their power, and she and the Strategist were at their peak as well. To use such force as bait, who then was in the main force… “...Ah.” Dang Hwa-seo soon realized. Jegal Muyeon smiled and nodded. “Yes.” And then he spoke, “The Head of Naegak himself will take action.” Sea Wave Sword Gyeon Gweol. He was part of this mission. In the most secluded alley of Wuhan, Dang Hwa-seo arrived at a place lined with a few dilapidated inns that seemed close to collapsing, alongside a couple of already bankrupt shops. "Over there?" Dang Hwa-seo pointed to an inn from where a faint light was seeping out. Jegal Muyeon nodded in affirmation. "Yes." "Indeed…" It might have been her imagination, but she could almost sense the demonic energy. Her heightened senses detected thirty-six presences inside; their discovery was still imminent. This was because Jegal Muyeon had deployed a simple formation to hide their presence. "Is everyone ready?" Jegal Muyeon inquired. The moment he threw the jade stone he was holding, their formation would dissolve, exposing their presence and revealing their position. "Where's the main force?" "They are waiting nearby, hidden within a formation I laid out earlier, hence undetectable." Dang Hwa-seo nodded at his explanation. Gi Taewoon and Kwon Pyowol had already drawn their swords, ready for battle. Responding in kind, Dang Hwa-seo summoned a dark green qi wave. Without hesitation, Jegal Muyeon dropped the jade stone. Clatter— With that sound, the movements inside the inn stirred. * Bang! The door of the inn burst open, and sword-wielding figures dashed out. Despite their hidden demonic energy, the dark veins in their sclera were unmistakable. "They must have been practicing demonic arts." "It seems so." It was a well-known secret that the sclera would turn black from practicing demonic arts. They had no reason to hide it. "To massacre, no doubt." "Eliminating witnesses means it never happened." "Typical demonic sect thinking." Dang Hwa-seo smirked. The demonic agents had spotted them and launched an attack. However, she remained unfazed. Dancing avoid a blade by a paper-thin margin, Dang Hwa-seo noted, "Five at the pinnacle, seventeen first-class. The rest seem to be inside." Beside her, Kwon Pyowol cleaved a pinnacle demonic agent as he spoke, "I heard there's also a transcendent demonic agent inside." "Enough chatter." Gi Taewoon divided two pinnacle agents as he spoke, the situation overly relaxed. Dang Hwa-seo grabbed one of the agents' faces, releasing an acidic toxin. Hiss— "Aaahhhh!!!" Screams echoed. By the time Dang Hwa-seo released her grip, the agent’s respiratory system was completely corroded, making breathing impossible. The agent gasped momentarily before succumbing to death. "Toxic arts are truly fearsome." "That’s why one must handle them properly. Unlike some." Dang Hwa-seo’s joke, aimed at Dang Sageuk, made Kwon Pyowol chuckle awkwardly, remembering the man was her grandfather. Swoosh— Gi Taewoon decapitated the last pinnacle-level fighter. With the alley now littered with corpses of demonic agents, Gi Taewoon calmed his energy and looked towards the inn. "They've started to flee." Movements escaping the inn were felt. Agents dashed in different directions, only to be intercepted by Naegak's warriors popping out from everywhere. Amid the chaos of captures and killings, Dang Hwa-seo sensed something. "...The demonic energy is dense." The demonic energy trailing towards the inn's back was particularly heavy, foreboding a formidable opponent. Her tension rose, but the leaders around her remained calm. "...Is everything alright?" "Hmm?" "Shouldn’t we assist? Considering how strong that demonic agent seems, can the Head of Naegak manage alone?" "Ah, Yongbong Peak hasn’t seen our Head in real combat, I assume." Kwon Pyowol chuckled. Dang Hwa-seo merely nodded. As far as she knew, Gyeon Gweol, the Head of Naegak, after the Blood War, had half-retired, never engaging in battle and was a mystique, known only to be transcendent. "Let’s go see then." "You’ll be surprised." Kwon Pyowol said, and Dang Hwa-seo nodded, feeling somewhat out of her element. * They left the city behind. For whatever reason, as the demonic agent fled, the Naegak Head followed at the same pace, neither outpacing nor falling behind – Kwon Pyowol and Gi Taewoon's calm demeanors indicated they were deliberately matching speeds. Then, "It's starting." Kwon Pyowol remarked as the Head of Naegak’s qi surged notably. Dang Hwa-seo's eyes widened. "This is…!" This wasn’t just transcendent-level. To Dang Hwa-seo’s knowledge, such an imposing qi was singular. "Yes, beyond transcendence." "What does that even mean…?" "That’s a highly classified secret. Really crucial." Kwon Pyowol chuckled, adding more, "There’s a saying in the martial world. True masters hide a third of their power. The sect does the same. When considering the entire sect as one warrior, our Head represents that hidden third of our strength. By keeping himself hidden, he strengthens us even further." Can a person truly do that? Dang Hwa-seo wondered. Beyond transcendence wasn’t merely another level. The moment one could prove such a state, they would receive the entire Central Plains Martial World's acclaim and carve their name into the annals of martial arts history. Keeping such a reputation hidden one's entire life was no small feat. "Why do you not reveal yourself? If you are beyond transcendence, you could even challenge for the position of Sect Leader." Considering the time the Head of Naegak had served the sect, he could have contested for the Sect Leader position long ago. Yet, why did he choose to conceal his own capabilities? Gi Taewoon answered the question, his voice filled with unmistakable admiration. "It’s because he values the peace of the entire martial world over personal glory. For that, he chooses not to elevate his own name." Before Dang Hwa-seo could respond, they had already caught up with Gyeon Gweol. The situation had concluded. "You're late." Head of Naegak, Gyeon Gweol, was sheathing his sword, his back turned to them. It was a grim sight. The surrounding forest looked as though it had been swept over by some force, utterly devastated, and the demonic agent was gasping for breath, limbs torn away. Blood flowed from their lower abdomen, their Danjung seemingly destroyed. "Take this one alive to the prison. The interrogation will be overseen by the Blue Dragon. I'll leave it to you." "Yes!" Gyeon Gweol turned and walked past Dang Hwa-seo. The moment their eyes met, she involuntarily flinched. ‘...What?’ Displeasure filled Gyeon Gweol’s gaze as he looked at her.