138 - Blue Dragon Rain Dance Society (8)

To be honest, it was a reaction I couldn't understand. Aside from everything else, this was the first time I was face to face with Naegak's Gyeon Byeol, which was reason enough. Could it be displeasure over a conflict with his grandson, Jinwon Peak Gyeon Dong? That thought crossed my mind, but soon faded away. According to what I had just heard, wasn't he someone who had given up even his own honor for the sake of the entire martial world? I couldn't help but think that such a person wouldn't show his emotions over a personal conflict. For a brief moment, Dang Hwa-seo bit her lip, then promptly turned and performed a formal bow to Gyeon Byeol, who was walking away. "I pay my respects to the Cabinet Chief." Her head was deeply bowed, not allowing her to see anything above. However, she could see his feet stopping and turning around. Silence ensued for a moment. Then, Gyeon Byeol responded. "Strive forward." He left immediately after uttering just those words. Dang Hwa-seo still appeared dazed. As she was filled with the thought of not being able to figure him out, Gi Taewoon tapped her shoulder. "He's not good with words." Dang Hwa-seo looked at him. Until now, he had been someone apathetic and serious about everything, but today, he was shining his eyes like a boy who had just met the hero he admired. 'Looking back, he seemed to have great ambition for the next Cabinet Chief position.' He seemed to deeply respect Gyeon Byeol. Dang Hwa-seo chuckled softly. 'Not good with words, huh...' Though it wasn't quite fitting, Taewoon must know him better than she did, after all. Dang Hwa-seo nodded in response. "That so." Unconditional empathy often serves as a good response in most situations. * A few days later. While other members were busy preparing for the main event, Dang Hwa-seo alone was occupied with another task. Namely, compiling information from those captured in the recent operation. It was a mission classified as top secret. As it wasn't possible to increase manpower carelessly, the task had to be undertaken by those who already were well-acquainted with it. Jegal Muyeon, Kwon Pyowol, Gi Taewoon, and Dang Hwa-seo. The warriors of the cabinet were too busy with other covert tasks to help, so they spent their days busy with a murderous workload. "No substantial information is emerging." Kwon Pyowol muttered in frustration. Gi Taewoon felt the same. Even though he was tasked with interrogating a highly skilled assassin, he had not been able to extract a single word. The reason was all too clear: the man's tongue had been cut off. "It seems he bit off his tongue while fighting with the Cabinet Chief. The venom in him was no minor affair." "How about the others?" "They too refuse to talk. So I've been tracing the affiliations they claimed when they entered the duel meet, but all of them were using disguised identities." Gi Taewoon asked in a subdued tone. "Lieutenant Dang. Is there no poison that can extract confessions?" "Not that there isn't…." Dang Hwa-seo showed difficulty. "…The confession poison is one of the most lethal toxins, leading to sudden death even when used on those in perfect health. Given the poor condition of the prisoners, they'd likely die before saying anything useful." "Hmm… This is challenging." Gi Taewoon rubbed his face. Dang Hwa-seo bowed her head. "I'm sorry for not being of help." "Not at all. It's my mistake for making an unreasonable request." "Let's all keep our spirits up. It hasn't been long; we should await the outcomes." Kwon Pyowol's words slightly eased the mood. Somewhere within the alliance. Thus, the secret task continued at a sluggish pace. * The Heavenly Commerce Guild existed everywhere in the Central Plains. That was a fact known to everyone living in this era. A miracle achieved in just fifteen years. Some detracted it as a fleeting wave, but the fact remained unchanged. They continued to expand their influence, and today was no exception. This Blue Dragon Martial Meet was of an extraordinary scale. Naturally, managing such a large event required significant financial resources, not something the alliance could cover internally. Support was required from many quarters, and the Heavenly Commerce Guild was one of the biggest sponsors among them. The condition set by the Guild was simple: allow them to establish a branch in Wuhan. The martial alliance readily agreed to this condition, and as a result, the Heavenly Commerce Guild's Wuhan branch was established close to where the martial meet was taking place. On a dark night hidden behind clouded moonlight, a man was seen sneaking into the Heavenly Commerce Guild's Wuhan branch. It was Hyeon Gong. "The Six Gates…" "Aha." Hyeon Gong interrupted playfully. "I am Hyeon Gong of Wudang. May I meet with the Guild Leader?" The guard - no, the assassin - flinched. His eyes shook terribly, and cold sweat dripped down his chin. Hyeon Gong couldn't help but laugh. "You need not be so tense. Would I, a Taoist of Wudang, come to cause trouble in such a place?" At his whisper, the assassin gulped down his fear. "…Please come in." He was led into the Guild. Their destination was a space hidden behind the walls of the hall. As the assassin pushed the wall, stairs leading to a deep underground appeared. The assassin bowed his head. Hyeon Gong passed by the assassin and began descending into the underground. From the moment he took not even ten steps, a faint smell emanated. The air became increasingly damp, interspersed with stifled moans. These were the things that always displeased Hyeon Gong whenever he visited this place. After descending deeply enough to hold his breath, Hyeon Gong finally arrived at his destination. It was a den built of blood. On the floor were women, presumably courtesans from somewhere, gasping for breath as if they might collapse at any moment, and on the bed, a man was lying languidly soaked in blood, gazing at the ceiling. Perhaps he had already killed them all. Only after the breaths of one or two dying down and leaving only Hyeon Gong and the man in the space did Hyeon Gong kneel. "Under the Demon King's rule, may all demons prosper. I pay my respects to the Lesser Sect Leader." "State your purpose." "We have suffered a setback." "Who is 'we'?" "One of our spies planning to join the martial meet under the guise of a top-ranking martial artist." "What happened?" "It seems the Alliance set a trap." "Useless lot." The man, the Lesser Sect Leader, clicked his tongue. "Have they been captured?" "Yes." "What about the Gu poison?" "It has yet to be activated." Hyeon Gong took out a small vial from his robe. Placing it on the ground, the vial made a rattling sound. Inside, was the Gu poison. Comprising a pair of insects that complement each other to form a whole, it possessed the peculiar property where if one dies, the other would die as well. In such cases, if the Gu poison enters a person's body, the moment it dies, it releases a toxin that leads even the host to death. The Demon Sect employs it by implanting one into a sect member's body while another is kept by a handler, serving as a measure against potential defectors. "Use it now." "Wouldn't you wish to spare them?" "Is there any reason to give a loser a second chance?" The Lesser Sect Leader's eyes rolled. His dry, dark-red pupils pierced through Hyeon Gong. A dense murderous intent and boredom. Only those two feelings were discernible from his gaze. Hyeon Gong bowed his head. "I will follow your command." Upon opening the vial's lid, the insect crawled out. Hyeon Gong exerted his energy to crush it. Crack— The insect turned to dust and vanished. By now, the captured member would have met his end. No sense of sympathy emerged anew. Hyeon Gong simply gathered his energy and looked at the Lesser Sect Leader. "What are your plans now?" "What do you mean?" "Pardon my boldness, but we needed at least two entrants for the main event. With one dead, we need another top-tier martial artist to replace him." "Has his identity been uncovered?" "Yes, but he had been using a disguised identity all along, and the martial artists of the Alliance who examined our member have all been assassinated, making it possible to replace him with another person using the same identity." "Is that so." Tock, tock. The Lesser Sect Leader flicked his fingers. Hyeon Gong asked. "Shall we use one of the Six Devils?" "Aren't their faces known?" "There are still two whose faces haven’t been revealed." "And these are of no use for this task." "We can abandon their disguised identities." "No, they need to remain there longer." The Lesser Sect Leader sat up. "I will go myself." "Using other sect members of your caliber could suffice." "And how well can those scoundrels perform?" "It’s just a mission after all…" "There are plenty who have been dumped out there for failing even that." Hyeon Gong kept his mouth shut. His words painfully pointed out a sore spot. It had been 15 years since they infiltrated the Central Plains. Most of the foundation they had built up until starting to act conclusively had crumbled. They might have been mere peons but that wasn't the point. For the Lesser Sect Leader, only the outcome was important. The reason for the failure wasn't due to lack of preparation or haste. It was simply that today’s Central Plains martial world was too strong. It was this era, continuously growing stronger since the bloodbath twenty years ago, that was the problem. "We can't leave it to these failures any longer." "There might be those who recognize the Lesser Sect Leader there." "Kill them." "There will be chaos." "By then, we’ll have finished everything. We’ll leave the Central Plains." "I believe it's too hasty." "How dare you." Whoooosh— Demonic energy swirled. Hyeon Gong gasped for breath. His wide-open eyes spoke for him, conveying the overwhelming sense of dread from the murderous intent and demonic energy. "Dare you lecture me?" The Lesser Sect Leader advanced. As he did, the pressure only intensified, and Hyeon Gong's head sank lower. "I ask for your forgiveness for the disrespect." The Lesser Sect Leader's hand touched Hyeon Gong's crown. Even without any action, Hyeon Gong instinctively thought of death. The aura of one who once harbored the Killing Star was that terrifying. "I dislike repeating myself. Prepare yourself." There was a whisper. Hyeon Gong bit his lip and lowered his head further. "Under the Demon King's rule, may all demons prosper." There's no forgiveness for defiance. Only submission remained. "I follow the Lesser Sect Leader’s command." The Lesser Sect Leader passed by him. * On the same day, at the Dragon Peak Sect's Hall. Mok Riwon opened his eyes after a long meditation in the practice room. Stars of pristine clarity were nested within his eyes, and a small smile graced his lips. "I saw it." Saying so, Mok Riwon dusted himself off and got up. His destination was the courtyard. A place adorned with a pond and wildflowers, exuding charming simplicity, Mok Riwon’s favorite spot in this entire hall. He looked up to find the moon hidden behind clouds. Mok Riwon gazed at it for a long while. And only when the clouds had passed and the moon shone its light did he draw his sword. Shing— A dark blue light faintly clung to the sword. Mok Riwon closed his eyes tightly, then took a step forward. The sword dance embroidered the air. There was not the slightest hesitation in his movement. It seemed like the sword dance was chasing after something already complete. Indeed, it was a fitting description. Thud— Mok Riwon took a stance. At that moment, the sword energy gently agitated the surroundings. The Third Form of the Myriad Lotus Sword had been perfected.