Chapter 190: An Unsatisfactory Act (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 190: An Unsatisfactory Act (5)
“Oouugh…!”
Even the sword this fake Muyeon carried was an exact replica of the one provided by the Gu Clan. They had copied everything, down to the last detail.
“So that’s why you’ve been tailing me for the past week.”
For the last seven days, I’d felt unseen eyes following me. They never made a move, merely watching. Now, I understood their purpose. They were searching for the perfect candidate to replicate.
It made sense. To create a convincing double, they needed more than just a physical likeness. They required time to study speech patterns, mannerisms, and facial expressions. Their confidence in remaining undetected suggested a high level of skill, a fact confirmed by my brief assessment of their capabilities. They were highly trained; I wouldn't have noticed them at all if I hadn't been specifically on alert.
If I hadn't been focused enough to detect them back in Hanam, during my conversation with Peng Woojin, I likely wouldn't have noticed their presence now.
So, are they making their move now because they believe their imitation is complete?
This led me to another question: why reveal themselves to me like this? An ambush to kill me? That didn't seem to be the case. They must have known my level of martial arts from their surveillance. If I could overpower them so easily, their goal had to be something else.
I relaxed my grip on the impostor’s mouth slightly.
“Huff… Huff…!”
“Who are you?” I demanded.
“Young Master… why are you doing this to—"
Crack-
“Ughhh!”
I brutally twisted his arm, and a genuine scream of pain tore from his throat. The way his muscles reacted to the agony was telling.
“So you can feel pain?”
This one was different from the creature I’d encountered at Shaolin. That thing had been impervious to pain and possessed a frightening regenerative ability, healing a twisted neck with ease. This impostor, however, seemed to lack that power. Or was it merely an act? Without comprehensive knowledge of their kind, I needed more information.
“Y…Young Master. Please stop…!”
“If you wanted to imitate him, you should have done a better job.”
“What do you…”
Shing-
I pulled the sword from the scabbard at his waist. It was a fine blade, meticulously maintained, just as the real Muyeon would keep it.
“Hey, did you not notice his sword changed? I didn't know you were that blind.”
My mocking tone froze the expression on his face. Seeing his reaction, I smirked.
“Just kidding.”
“…!”
“He keeps that sword hidden because he doesn’t want to ruin a gift from me,” I explained. I’d given it to him for use, but he treated it like a treasure, almost as if he feared it would be stolen. Although Gu Jeolyub did seem to stare at it a lot… Probably just drooling over a sword he couldn't obtain.
I’d said it only to test him, and his momentary lapse was all the confirmation I needed. He was definitely an impostor.
“Where are the others?”
“…”
His eyes darted around, betraying his shock at being discovered. This reaction suggested he didn’t know I had killed one of his kind at Shaolin. Either that, or they belonged to a different group altogether.
“Seven.”
“…!”
“That’s correct, isn’t it? The number of people in your group.”
He flinched, confirming my deduction.
It doesn’t seem like they belong to the Dark King. If they did, I would never have sensed them, and they would have no reason to target me. And it seems they can’t regenerate. Unlike the painless, regenerative creature from before, this one could feel pain and use martial arts, but lacked the other abilities. Is the difference the presence of Qi? It was a possibility, but too early to say for sure.
Nevertheless, that wasn't my primary concern. I sharpened my senses to their absolute limit. It consumed a massive amount of Qi, but thanks to my access to the middle dantian, I could manage it with relative ease.
They aren’t nearby. I couldn’t detect the other four, nor could I feel Muyeon’s presence. This meant they were either too far away, or… they were actively employing measures to avoid detection.
The thought that Muyeon had been defeated crossed my mind, but I dismissed it. He was a First-Rate martial artist on the brink of the Peak Realm. He wasn't someone who could be easily beaten.
I stared coldly at the impostor. “Are you not going to talk?”
“How did you know?” he finally asked, his expression shifting as he abandoned his act. Now he seemed more natural.
“I told you. It was quite noticeable.”
“That’s not possible. There’s no way a kid like you should be able to notice…”
“So you have no intention of telling me where you’re from, correct?” I interrupted.
A subtle, almost smug smile formed on his trembling lips. “Kill me.”
Without hesitation, I twisted his neck. The sound of cracking bone echoed, and his body crumpled to the ground.
[…Hmm?] Elder Shin expressed surprise at my swift action. He hadn’t expected me to kill him so decisively. [Weren’t you going to torture him for information?]
I was going to. Given that he could feel pain, extracting information should have been straightforward. But I didn’t have time to waste. I needed to find Muyeon and uncover the purpose behind the group splitting up. More importantly, something else was on my mind.
I placed my hand on the fallen body. As I activated my Demonic Absorption Art technique, drawing in the red energy, the body twitched violently.
“Urgh… Ug…”
“So you’re not dead.”
As I suspected. The lingering energy around his body had already told me he was still alive. While he didn't possess the rapid regeneration of the Shaolin creature, he was feigning death. His panic as his energy was drained was proof enough.
“Now do you want to tell me?”
“Ugh… Urghhh…” Though his twisted neck prevented a nod, his gurgled responses indicated agreement.
I maintained my gaze on him. “Sorry, I don’t really give second chances for things like these.”
As I finished speaking, I absorbed the last of his energy. Once completely drained, his body disintegrated into nothingness, just like the one before. Only the distinctive red uniform of the Gu Clan and the sword meant for their swordsmen remained.
I picked up the uniform. It’s not a fake. Only a genuine member of the Gu Clan could possess a uniform of this dense red fabric. Its perfect resemblance to my own erased any doubt.
With this confirmation, I leaped into action. I moved through the forest with my senses honed to a razor's edge, heading first for the camp. As I raced forward, I detected a faint presence in the distance—a benefit of my heightened senses. But it wasn’t Muyeon.
It feels like Namgung Bi-ah. The faint Lightning Qi I sensed was unmistakably hers. The problem was, she wasn’t alone.
Urgency surged through me. Flames enveloped my feet as heat intensified within my body. When I arrived at the location, my body wreathed in fire, I found the area utterly devastated, clear evidence of a fierce battle.
Namgung Bi-ah stood at the center, calmly gripping a man by the neck.
“Ah.”
She was already looking in my direction, as if she had sensed my arrival. A quick check confirmed she was the real Bi-ah. The scene told the story: while I had faced one opponent, she had dealt with several. Figures lay scattered across the destroyed ground.
“…What happened here?” I asked carefully.
She calmly sheathed her sword and released her grip on the man. A tingling sensation ran through me; it wouldn’t be long before Namgung Bi-ah reached the Peak Realm.
“Ambush,” she stated. That single word was explanation enough.
“This.” As I walked toward her, she gestured downward. There, on the ground, was another impostor wearing Muyeon’s face.
I opened my mouth to tell her it wasn’t him, but she spoke first.
“It’s not him.”
I was taken aback by her certainty. “How did you know…?”
In response, she simply tilted her head, her eyes seeming to ask, ‘Then how did you know?’ I had my methods, thanks to the treasure’s ability. But what was hers?
“Are you hurt anywhere?” I set the question aside for now, prioritizing her well-being.
She shook her head. I counted the fallen figures—four in total. Namgung Bi-ah had fought four of them alone, yet she looked as composed as if she had just woken from a nap, much like in the carriage. It suggested the fight hadn't been difficult for her. So they didn’t send their strongest fighters? Their motive for orchestrating this remained unclear.
“This person, it’s not him,” Bi-ah repeated insistently.
“I know it’s not him,” I replied. “Go back to the camp for now.”
“…Alone?”
“Yes. I have something I need to check.”
However she had discerned the truth, now wasn't the time to probe. I needed her away from here.
“Go protect Wi Seol-Ah for me.”
“Oh.”
A stubborn expression flashed across her face, but at the mention of Wi Seol-Ah, Lightning Qi flickered around her body as she prepared to leave. With more urgency than usual, she asked, “…What direction… is it?”
“The direction you’re facing right now.”
“Okay.”
It reminded me of her notorious lack of direction. I’d thought she’d improved recently, but apparently not. “…I’ll be back… right away,” she said with a worried tone before disappearing into the trees.
Once she was gone, I began my preparations. Using Wi Seol-Ah as an excuse had been intentional.
Thankfully, it didn’t seem I needed to return to the camp myself.
[What are you thinking of doing?] Elder Shin asked.
I didn’t answer. Instead, I approached the impostor with Muyeon’s face and absorbed his energy until he perished and disintegrated. The other three were still breathing, merely overpowered by Namgung Bi-ah. Using a pulse of Qi, I forcibly awakened one of them.
“Ughh…!”
The moment he regained consciousness, I seized his neck, giving him no time to react.
“I thought it was weird.”
“Ugh…!”
“The uniform is one thing, but obtaining the clan’s signature sword couldn’t have been easy for you.” I channeled Qi into him, probing his internals. The truth became clear. “Putting aside the non-human impostors, this strange energy felt familiar.”
I gradually increased the heat in my hand, which was clamped around his neck.
“Where are you from?”
“K-Kill me…! You think I’ll tell you…!” he yelled, enduring the growing pain.
Unlike the shape-shifting impostors who only died when their energy was fully absorbed, the man I held now was a regular human, with a martial realm around Second or First-Rate. As he continued to scream for death, I spoke in a way he would understand.
“Are you from the Third or the Second Sword Army?”
“…!”
“If not, are you from the Fourth? I doubt it’s the First.”
His eyes shook violently. That was all the confirmation I needed. This man belonged to the Gu Clan. Despite his attempts to conceal his presence, the peculiar energy I’d sensed from afar and now confirmed up close left no room for doubt.
“What nonsense are you talking about…!” he shouted, unable to hide the fear in his trembling eyes.
I had expected this. “Yeah. The first one usually doesn’t say anything.” It was a lesson learned from a past life. And there was a simple solution.
Blaze.
“H-Huh…?” He panicked as he felt the strange heat intensifying on his neck. His eyes widened in realization. “W-Wait!”
Blaaaze!
“Aghhhh!”
Flames erupted from my hand, engulfing him completely. The fire burned passionately. For anyone, even protected by Qi, this would be unbearable. But for this man, trapped and unable to muster any defense, the agony was excruciating.
I left him burning and turned to the other two, who were pretending to be unconscious on the ground.
“You got a good look, right? There are lots of mouths here. Think carefully.”
As I finished speaking, I sensed their presences spike. They had been secretly watching, thinking they were undetected, and were now preparing to flee.
Blaze!
But before they could move, my flames erupted, forming a huge, domed wall of fire around them.
-Aghhh!
The first man continued to burn, screaming. I set him aside for the moment and approached the others. I felt no shock at discovering they were from the Gu Clan. If anything, I felt a sense of relief. This could be used to my advantage. It wasn't entirely unexpected. I had anticipated the fox-like old man would make a move soon. I just hadn't expected him to use such a poor method.
“…Ugh!” I quickly overpowered the last one as he tried to run.
My thoughts turned to the man I suspected of orchestrating this entire situation.
First Elder.