Chapter 87: Infiltration (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 87: Infiltration (4)
‘The Sword Immortal’s Successor?’
The moment I heard those words, I couldn't help but be flabbergasted.
I had been surprised when he asked if the Fuse had sent me, but this question felt as if he had predicted everything from the start.
I looked at the Emperor sitting on the Dragon Throne, his face flushed with elation. It was as if he had been waiting for this exact moment.
-What’s going on? He knows who you are.
Indeed.
In a situation like this, there was no need for guesswork. From the mention of the Fuse to the "Sword Immortal’s Successor," there was only one person who could have provided such information.
-Jagyeongjeong!
I had suspected as much from the moment the Dragon-Tiger Golden Pill—the elixir of longevity—was mentioned. But I never expected his betrayal to go this far, crossing into full-blown defection.
He wasn't the man Master Sword Immortal thought he was—someone who cared for the people and possessed his own sense of justice. He had provided far too much information for this to be a mere ploy to deceive the Emperor. He had essentially allowed them to prepare this entire defense.
-What an incredibly annoying bastard.
I scanned the surroundings. As expected, he wasn't here.
Annoyance aside, he was remarkably cunning. Among all the enemies I had faced so far, he was the first since Zhuge Won-myeong, the Chief Strategist of the Martial Alliance, to corner me with such a scheme.
-A scheme?
The Needle Board had pointed here because of the Dharma Tool. However, the fact that he wasn't here meant he had used the artifact—a treasure of the ages—as bait. Since he had fled the Fuse with the Dharma Tool, he must have anticipated a pursuer and laid this trap accordingly.
-He’s clever.
He had the ability to set a board based purely on prediction. From his perspective, sacrificing one Dharma Tool to eliminate a pursuer and prove his worth to the Emperor was a small price to pay.
At that moment, the Grand General pressed the tip of his saber closer to me and barked, "You insolent brat! How dare you stare so rudely at His Majesty’s countenance? Lower your head this instant!"
"That is enough, Grand General. It matters not."
"But, Your Majesty..."
"Has it not been said that one must look into a man's eyes to see his true intentions?"
"......I understand, Sire."
At the Emperor's words, the Grand General fell silent, though his expression remained dissatisfied. The Emperor spoke to me with a face that seemed to be granting a great mercy.
"Among those who are not of the Imperial Court, the number of people I have allowed to look me directly in the eye can be counted on one hand."
Was I supposed to be grateful? To hear such words from a tyrant of the past, not even the current Emperor. Regardless of my thoughts, the Emperor continued.
"That is how high my expectations for you are."
"I'm not sure what you're expecting, Your Majesty."
"How dare you speak so flippantly to His Majesty!"
This time, General Yeom could not contain his rage at my retort. It seemed he found the very act of speaking rudely to the Emperor unforgivable. However, he too was silenced by a single wave of the Emperor's hand.
"Unlike other Taoists, I find your directness refreshing. I, too, do not like asking things twice."
Despite the smooth tone, it was a warning: Answer my question, or face the consequences.
"That’s quite a burden," I replied honestly.
The Emperor let out a boisterous laugh. "Hahahaha! The world says I have neither blood nor tears, but I am a merciful man. Did I not take in Commander Chosa and Vice Governor Yang here?"
It sounded as if he were telling me to surrender and join his ranks. The Emperor took a drag from a magnificent long pipe resting on the table beside the Dragon Throne, exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, and spoke.
"The Central Plains is in utter chaos. From those who call themselves martial artists to countless bands of rebels, they are shaking the very foundations of the nation. I intend to set this right."
He was stating his ambitions. History, however, had already told the tale. In the end, he remained a tyrant.
"Countless dynasties and predecessors have tried to fix this, but all have failed. Do you know why?"
"......Why is that?"
"Because they lacked the time to maintain it. The reason my predecessors failed was not because they lacked the power to establish discipline in the nation."
So that was why he wanted the Dragon-Tiger Golden Pill? To obtain the elixir of longevity and rule forever? His ambition was grander than other emperors, but in the end, it was no different from wanting to conquer death.
The Emperor smiled at me. "But now, a solution has appeared. Everything that man said has been proven true."
"Proven? What do you mean?"
"The man who called himself an apostate Taoist told me. He said that before long, someone from the Fuse—that paradise of Taoists—would come to capture him."
An apostate Taoist. So that’s how he introduced himself. At least he had enough shame not to call himself a true Taoist.
I stared at the Emperor and opened my lips. "Is that apostate Taoist a man named Jagyeongjeong?"
At that question, the corners of the Emperor's mouth curled up. It was an affirmation, not a denial.
'As I thought.'
This was all a trap laid by Jagyeongjeong. How should I respond? Thinking quickly, I spoke in a voice laced with feigned politeness.
"I beg your pardon, Your Majesty, but it seems there has been a misunderstanding."
"A misunderstanding?"
"I do not know what this 'Fuse' you speak of is, but it is true that I came to find the man named Jagyeongjeong. However, it is because he betrayed his sect, harmed his fellow disciples, and stole a treasure."
Since things had come to this, I decided to try and shake things up with my usual silver tongue. The Jonju was here, as was the man with the golden eyes, but my immediate goal was Jagyeongjeong. I had to catch him and recover the Dharma Tool. I needed to induce a three-way confrontation to create an opening.
"You came to catch a man who betrayed his sect?"
"Yes. I apologize for disappointing Your Majesty, but I am also quite distressed by this sudden turn of events."
The Emperor stared at me intently and asked, "Are you saying you are not the Sword Immortal’s Successor?"
Watching the Emperor's eyes narrow, I replied nonchalantly. "The Sword Immortal’s Successor... He is the founder who established our sect hundreds of years ago. By that logic, all of us disciples are his successors."
I had told enough lies to last a lifetime. I had lied back when my Dantian was destroyed, and I had lied to my master, the Bizarre Hae Ak-cheon. Would I hesitate now just because I was surrounded by enemies?
I continued smoothly. "How can a mere tongue explain everything? Bring Jagyeongjeong here so we may face each other. Then Your Majesty’s doubts will be cleared."
"My doubts will be cleared if he is here, you say?"
"I do not know what lies Jagyeongjeong used to bewitch Your Majesty, but he is a wicked man who betrayed his own master and even kidnapped his junior sister. I am concerned that you would trust and employ such a man..."
Before I could finish, I was forced to stop. The Emperor's mouth twitched, and his face turned red. Then, he burst into a fit of mad laughter.
"Hahahahahaha!"
As I watched in confusion, the Emperor stopped laughing and shook his head. "Truly entertaining."
"......What do you mean?"
"You are indeed different from other Taoists. Every word out of your mouth is a consistent lie."
"Your Majesty. If you bring Jagyeongjeong, everything will—"
Shhh.
The Emperor raised a hand, signaling me to stop. He let out a snort and said, "Enough. I thought your boldness was impressive enough to take you under my wing, but I have changed my mind."
"What are you saying?"
The Emperor spoke to the assembly as if he had lost all interest. "This boy’s role is nothing more than a key to the Fuse. Capture him, destroy his Dantian, and keep him imprisoned until we arrive there."
"By your command!"
Everyone in the tent responded in unison. It seemed trying to talk my way out of this was no longer an option.
-Sometimes the silver tongue doesn't work.
It was proof of how well Jagyeongjeong had prepared the ground. Since the Emperor trusted him, words would be useless.
-So, what now?
The only solution is right in front of me.
I stared at the Emperor, who was about to put his golden pipe to his lips as if I were no longer worth his attention.
Then, Ghostly Bow Chosa spoke to me. "If you move so much as a fingertip from that spot, I will fire."
Before I knew it, he had drawn three arrows and was aiming his bow. The intense killing intent radiating from the bow suggested he was ready to fire at any second. Similarly, Wondrous Moon Yang Myeongshin took a Qi Control Stance and warned me.
"Even as the Sword Immortal’s Successor, you must realize you cannot escape this place. If you surrender quietly, you may keep your life."
As the two masters, members of the Twelve Peaks of the World, surged their energy, the surrounding air became thick with True Qi. At their warning, I let out a sigh.
"Whew."
The Grand General, irritated by my attitude, thrust his saber even closer and shouted, "Insolent! I should cut out that arrogant tongue and those eyes first..."
"Your Majesty."
I cut him off and called out to the Emperor. The Emperor arched an eyebrow and looked at me.
"In military strategy, if you find yourself trapped in the heart of enemy territory, what do you think the solution is?"
"You brat... surely you don't..."
"Yes, that's right. You take down the leader."
'!!!'
At my words, the Grand General and General Yeom, unable to contain their fury, swung their sword and saber simultaneously.
"You bastard!"
"How dare you!"
Clang!
'!?'
In that instant, the expressions of the Grand General and General Yeom became identical. Both were so shocked their eyes nearly popped out of their heads. It was because the weapons they had swung were caught between the index and middle fingers of my hands—and snapped.
"What!"
The shock was brief. The Grand General, a Supreme Peak master and an experienced veteran, let go of his broken saber and delivered a lightning-fast kick toward my neck.
Thwack!
Unfortunately for him, he was slow in my eyes. I snatched his foot out of the air.
"Huh?"
As soon as I grabbed his ankle, I used my strength to hurl him away. I threw him directly toward Ghostly Bow Chosa.
Thud-thud-thud!
"Aaaargh!"
A scream erupted from the Grand General. True to his warning, Chosa had fired his arrows the moment I moved, and all three had buried themselves in the Grand General's body. Chosa, who hadn't expected me to use his own ally as a shield in such a split second, cried out in shock.
"Grand General!"
Ignoring the commotion, I delivered a kick to the chest of General Yeom, who was trying to retreat in surprise.
Crack!
"Gah!"
Despite his armor, the sound of breaking bones echoed as General Yeom was sent flying backward. He crashed straight into Wondrous Moon Yang Myeongshin, who was lunging toward me. Since he couldn't simply dodge or strike down his own ally, Yang Myeongshin was forced to catch him. In that moment, his momentum was halted, and he was pushed back.
"What?"
Vrrrrm!
It was a technique of transferring force. While General Yeom took the physical trauma, the impact of my internal power was directed at Yang Myeongshin. It was only a momentary opening, but for me, it was enough. I lunged toward the Emperor.
"Protect His Majesty!"
"Stop him!"
The Eastern Depot eunuchs near the Emperor drew their daggers and lunged at me. They were all first-rate masters, but as I swept my gaze over them, they all simultaneously rolled their eyes back and collapsed.
Thud! Thud!
There was no need to waste time.
"How can this be?"
The Emperor was struck with disbelief as his guards fell without me even touching them. Similarly shocked, the man with the golden eyes, whose eyes were covered with a black cloth, rushed toward me.
"You shall not approach His Majesty."
I spoke to him mockingly. "Why does a man with perfectly good eyes pretend to be blind?"
'!?'
At those words, the Golden-Eyed Man faltered, momentarily flustered. I reached out like a flash of lightning toward the black cloth covering his eyes. Startled, he jerked his head back.
'Now.'
That wasn't my true target. When we met in Bongnim Valley, I was no match for him in terms of internal power. But what about now?
Thump!
My hand, which had seemed to be reaching for the cloth, suddenly delivered a punch to his chest. The Golden-Eyed Man realized the change in technique and tried to cross his arms in defense, but my strike was much faster.
Pow!
"Cough!"
Fresh blood sprayed from his mouth as the punch landed squarely on his chest. I didn't stop there; I spun my body and delivered a powerful kick to his right shoulder. This time he managed to raise his forearm to block it, but the force sent him tumbling away.
"Impossible!"
A cry of shock escaped Wondrous Moon Yang Myeongshin. He had just set General Yeom down and lunged to stop me, only to have someone else—the Golden-Eyed Man—thrown his way.
Grit!
"You little...!"
Realizing the same trick wouldn't work twice, Yang Myeongshin dodged the flying Golden-Eyed Man. He lunged at me, unfolding a brilliant technique with his folding fan.
Swish-swish-swish!
He wasn't the only one. Ghostly Bow Chosa, instead of firing arrows, swung his massive bow like a saber and charged at me. Simultaneously, the black-veiled guard—presumably the Jonju—who had been guarding the Emperor's side, drew his sword and lunged.
"Let us subdue him together!"
"Agreed!"
The three masters, who had all crossed the "Wall," abandoned any notion of fighting one-on-one to protect the Emperor and launched a coordinated attack.
'Fighting them one by one is a waste of time. In that case...'
Schwing!
The three of them were only about three paces away. In that instant, I drew the Namcheon Iron Sword and thrust it upward.
Crackle-crackle!
An anomaly occurred within the Namcheon Iron Sword. Suddenly, blue lightning erupted, coiling around the blade. The eyes of the three charging masters widened.
'Thunder Sword Cheondun!'
Infusing the sword with thunder energy to maximize its power—that was the essence of the Thunder Sword Cheondun.
'New Path Life-Drawing Sword Technique, 4th Form: Rising Dragon Return Sword!'
Zap-crackle!
The blue lightning sword-light rotated rapidly, surging upward like a whirlwind, striking out in all directions. The three masters tried to block it with their own ultimate techniques, but...
Crackle!
With the power of the sword form combined with thunder energy, the destructive force was beyond imagination. They tried to withstand the technique, but after clashing with the lightning-infused blade a few times, they were blown backward.
"Gah!"
"Urgh!"
Slide!
Spark! Spark!
The three masters were pushed back more than ten paces. Blue sparks of lightning continued to flicker across their weapons and bodies. They stood frozen for a moment, as if they had received a massive shock.
Crackle!
However, as masters who had crossed the Wall, they used their profound internal energy to quickly discharge the thunder energy through the Yongcheon acupoints on the soles of their feet. But by the time they had cleared it...
"If you don't want to see the Emperor's head fly, you'd better stay exactly where you are."
'!!!'
My sword was resting against the Emperor's throat.