Chapter 58
Chapter 58
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Secret Agents (4)
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That's why I hate it even more.
Every single word grated on him. They were clues, implying more investigation was needed.
Knowing that, his head had started throbbing on its own.
Danimun loathed handling information even more than the Five Tigers did.
"Everything you've said is news to me. How does Lord Yeom know the history of such a secretive group?"
Still, he had to ask precise questions. After all, he was with the Secret Agents. One of the core three in the Shanxi Branch, no less.
"It's best if you don't know my exact identity. Just call me a key figure."
"That seems like an understatement—you're deeply involved. But fine. We brought you here to protect you, not interrogate you."
"My thanks."
"First, tell me this. When I wore their masks, I felt a strange euphoria. Maybe it was my imagination, but my internal energy flowed more smoothly. I heard bizarre whispers in my ear, but they weren't hard to ignore... So, are all their masks like that?"
"Hold on—whispers?"
"A nagging, whining voice."
'Whining? Bone Ghosts have faint life force, so they rarely react immediately. And he just ignored it?'
Yeom Seoksan's eyes flickered.
Bone Masks weren't the strongest, but they held a clear rank above White Masks. They weren't something an untrained person could handle. Especially Bone Ghosts, which were typically malevolent spirits moving on bare bones—their ghostly voices were vicious, with strong interference in the wearer's mind.
In plain terms, hearing them could drive you mad on the spot. If he'd brushed off a Bone Ghost's voice so easily, his internal energy control had reached the level of those Nine Great Sects mountain hermits, or he had innate talent for this lineage. Such talent—whether for sorcerers or mask lords—was a rare gift found in only a handful of people, no matter how hard you searched.
"I know them as voices hard to endure. Your resolve must be exceptionally firm."
"Not particularly. I'm not someone with that kind of iron will. More importantly, what exactly are those masks?"
Danimun spoke plainly and honestly.
In that sense, he wasn't perfectly suited for counter-espionage. He always struggled with fabrication and pretense. But sometimes, that worked in his favor. Like now. Yeom Seoksan naturally let his guard down and answered.
"Those masks are vessels for gods. Sacred utensils linking heaven and earth, tools for prayers that soothe苦難 lives, and instruments to exorcise evil and ward off calamity. That's what they used to be."
"Not anymore?"
"Apparently not."
A sigh mingled with Yeom Seoksan's words. Danimun waited.
Yeom Seoksan continued.
"They'll rise soon. Like what we encountered yesterday, it's already begun. When they fully emerge into the martial world, all under heaven will plunge into chaos. And my guess is, if you check your clan's secret records, you'll find information on the Demon Mask Union there too. As I said, it's an ancient group. They've shaken the jianghu before."
That alone was quite a lot of information from Yeom Seoksan.
He wouldn't have shared this much with Tianwei or the Five Tigers.
Danimun asked again. The key question.
"So, what is their goal?"
"The entire jianghu? Or here?"
"Both, if you please."
"I don't even know what the Seat Leaders of the masks are thinking. Just as everyone in this land has different thoughts, the diviners pursue different ends, and the mask lords desire different things. And the higher up the hierarchy you go, the less you can fathom their aims. They have power but no clear ultimate goal—that's the scariest part."
"Scary... You see them as a dangerous group."
"I told you. The world will fall into chaos."
"But chaos isn't necessarily a bad thing."
Yeom Seoksan, who had seemed to relax and share freely, lifted his head and looked at Danimun again.
For a moment, he wondered if he'd misjudged the man.
Danimun wasn't normal.
Even calling him normal before had been relative to the other mask-wearers. He might need to reassess. He'd gotten the baseline wrong from the start.
"Of course, you have a point. World changes always come with turmoil."
"Who knows what results will follow the chaos? And if the world grows disordered, it won't just be one or two groups causing it. Anyway, assuming we can't know their final goal right now, why did they appear here?"
"Because of me."
"Then, was the Flame Jade Merchant Guild bloodbath their doing too?"
"You could say that."
"Then it's not definitive? What makes it only 'possible'?"
"They may have sparked it, but they didn't carry it out."
"I'll take that to mean we can't pinpoint the culprits simply. More importantly, they targeted Young Lady Seol and Young Lady Hyang before you. In the end, Young Lady Seol was kidnapped. That's suspicious. Saying they only grabbed the two young ladies to lure you out feels too obsessive for mere bait. Meaning, not just you, but the two young ladies were important targets too, right?"
Danimun was a Secret Agent through and through.
His questions sharpened. Yeom Seoksan's voice lost its ease.
"Naturally. What better weapon to control me than my two daughters?"
From that answer, Danimun knew Yeom Seoksan was hiding something.
He let it slide.
Yeom Seoksan had said much, but left out even more.
First, his identity.
He'd immobilized the brute Hwang Po-goe with bizarre sorcery Danimun had never seen. He possessed antidote pills for White Bone Witch's deadly poison and distributed them to the Heaven-Destroying Squad's poison victims. And he knew the Demon Mask Union's present and ancient roots inside out.
He wasn't just involved. No way.
He was probably with the Demon Mask Union. A core member, even.
Danimun stopped there.
There were plenty of clues. Let the other Secret Agents verify and analyze. Who Yeom Seoksan was, why he'd lost his base in that group and sought refuge with the Peng Clan—none of that mattered to Danimun.
"So, what happens next? Will they attack again to find you?"
Danimun cut straight to the point.
The pivotal question piercing the conversation.
The Demon Mask Union's experts were strong. Especially Hwang Po-goe, whom Danimun couldn't handle alone. From Yeom Seoksan's words, there were likely more at that level.
The world had plenty of sects with many masters.
But challenging the Six Great Families wasn't just about numbers. The Six Families were the most prestigious among the mighty clans across the vast Central Plains. No sect could take them lightly.
Sure, sporadic clashes between combat squads could happen against anyone—Six Families or Nine Great Sects. But a full-frontal provocation against an entire family was unthinkable in the current martial forest, unless you were mad.
In other words, if they could pull it off, the Demon Mask Union's power was immense. Assuming Yeom Seoksan wasn't mistaken.
"They might try luring me out, but they won't strike the Peng Clan directly. Not now."
That made sense.
It had to be that way.
"Disappointing."
Danimun's true feelings slipped out.
Yeom Seoksan was taken aback.
He'd definitely misjudged. The scales tipped toward abnormal. Last night, he'd chalked it up to the mask's influence, but no. It was fundamental. Warriors of the Six Families were born special, but this was beyond that—an unnatural core.
"I don't know how far the Demon Mask Union will go or what they'll do later, but Hebei isn't their focus yet. Of course, only 'yet.' Instead, the Peng Clan will likely face attacks from other groups."
"Oh!"
Danimun let out a short cheer of delight.
As if realizing his slip, he rubbed his temple with a finger, cleared his throat, and asked.
"Ahem. Which ones?"
"I don't know precisely. I only heard that an era is coming where the current martial order—led by major sects and powerhouses—will collapse overnight. And it starts with direct assaults on the Nine Great Sects and Six Great Families."
"No idea when?"
"That's all I know. Only that it's not far off."
"Not far... Exciting."
Yeom Seoksan gazed steadily into Danimun's eyes.
Danimun paid no mind.
Truth be told, he didn't care if it was the Demon Mask Union or anyone else.
If there was a group bold enough to challenge the Peng Clan, that was more than welcome.
If the stagnant Peng Clan waters could ripple, his life would get more interesting.
That's why.
The Five Tigers and Danimun should have switched opponents.
If Ohho had spoken with Yeom Seoksan, the Peng Clan would have gained more intel.
If Danimun had clashed with Bang Jung-heon, the Peng Clan would have faced greater upheaval.
But in the martial world, few things were as meaningless as "what ifs."
What happened had happened. What would happen would happen.
"My daughter's detoxification isn't complete. Let's talk more later."
Yeom Seoksan rose to check on Hyang's condition.
Danimun took up brush and ink.
His conversation with Yeom Seoksan went into the Secret Agents' report.
Much was recorded as is.
And.
Much was omitted.