Chapter 657: Plan (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 657: Plan (3)
Drip, drip.
Tea spilled from the shattered cup, trickling onto the floor.
Grrrrrr—!!!
The table shook violently from the radiating aura.
“Ghk…”
Beomdong let out a strangled groan under the immense pressure crushing his shoulders.
A master. A truly powerful one at that.
Even as he was being pressed down, Beomdong glanced at Moyong Hi-ah. She was staring at the sudden intruder with a look of genuine surprise.
And that was it.
Despite the intense pressure filling the room, the girl was completely unaffected. This meant the man was perfectly controlling and directing his entire aura with surgical precision.
Where did a master like this come from…!
Beomdong, breaking into a cold sweat, focused the energy in his dantian. The pressure was formidable, but not unbearable. Tensing his muscles, he forced himself to his feet.
Pzzzzzt—!!
Hk—!
Pain flared through his joints, but Beomdong managed to overcome the weight and stand. But was it his imagination? The moment he tried to rise, the aura seemed to weaken, as if intentionally making it easier for him to get up.
“Hoo…”
As Beomdong stood, the pressure filling the room vanished as if it had never existed. Cold sweat trickled down his face. He tried to hide his dampening forehead and glared at his opponent, his eyes widening in shock as he finally took in the man’s appearance.
…He’s young.
The man was far younger than Beomdong had expected. Despite his fierce presence, his face looked as though he had just passed twenty. Even if he possessed an impossibly youthful appearance through cultivation, he couldn't be much older than thirty.
Either way, it made no sense.
That aura just now… it came from him?
It was unbelievable. Who was he? Who in the world could emit such a crushing aura at that age?
Hiding his agitation, Beomdong straightened his posture and addressed the man.
“…Were you just speaking to me?”
“Some son of a bitch is barking his head off.”
The young man had clearly directed those words at him. Beomdong was a Captain of the Murim Alliance, no less. Even the lords and elders of the great clans—now treated as part of the Three Noble Clans—wouldn't dare address him so disrespectfully.
And this brat had said that to his face? Perhaps he hadn't seen the insignia on his shoulder.
With that doubt in mind, Beomdong asked his question, only for a corner of the young man’s mouth to curl into a smirk.
“Oh, no, not at all. There was a dog barking so loudly nearby that I got annoyed and came to check. And what do you know, there was a dog right in front of the building. That's what I was talking about.”
“...”
Beomdong’s brow furrowed. It was a ridiculous excuse—a blatant provocation.
“And it was so filthy, too. Its barking was annoying enough, but the sight of its face made me want to catch it and boil it alive. It’s probably still outside. Would you like to see?”
Crrrack.
Beomdong’s fists clenched tightly. The man had crossed the line. He didn't know who this opponent was, but no one could treat a Captain of the Murim Alliance this way.
“How dare you…”
Beomdong glared at the young man with flashing eyes. The young man, feigning surprise, replied.
“My, you look a bit upset. You must have had a bad day.”
“Do you know who I am, to be so rude?”
“Do I have to know that? I’m not particularly curious…”
Throb!
A vein pulsed on Beomdong's forehead. He had reached his limit.
“I am the Captain of the Sky Dragon Army, a swordsmen unit of the Murim Alliance.”
“Yes, you look the part.”
“…Ha.”
The man was completely unfazed. It meant he had known from the start. He was acting like this even though he knew he was facing a Captain of the Alliance?
Who in the world was this man?
“…May I ask your name?”
At Beomdong’s question, the young man tilted his head.
“Why should I tell you that?”
“…What did you say?”
“If you're from an investigation team, then act like it and look it up yourself. I can’t believe you’re actually asking me.”
“…!”
Not only did he know he was a Captain, but he also knew Beomdong was part of an investigation team.
“It seems you don’t quite grasp the situation…”
Realizing this, Beomdong’s expression hardened.
“I acknowledge that you are a master, but you have just initiated an attack on a Captain of the Alliance.”
A member of the Murim Alliance. Moreover, showing aggression toward a Captain was no different from a direct declaration of hostility against the Murim Alliance itself. He mentioned a fact that should strike fear into any martial artist of the Orthodox Faction, but…
“I did? When?”
The young man just shrugged his shoulders, acting shamelessly.
Beomdong’s face flushed with rage. He wanted to draw his sword right then and there. But he had to endure.
My opponent is strong.
And he was a strong opponent whose identity was a complete mystery. He could be an old master wearing a mask. No, that was highly probable.
“Are you going to deny it after emitting such an aura? The Branch Manager here surely saw it as well, did she not?”
When Beomdong looked at Moyong Hi-ah, she reacted with wide, innocent eyes.
“Pardon? What are you talking about? An aura?”
Beomdong’s eyes widened.
This bitch…!
She had clearly seen everything, yet Moyong Hi-ah was speaking as if she knew nothing. The aura had bypassed her, so it was possible she hadn't felt the weight, but her exaggerated reaction gave her away. Moyong Hi-ah knew everything and was pretending not to.
Watching her, the young man smirked and said to Beomdong.
“Oh, surely not. Are you making a fuss over me releasing a little bit of my aura? Goodness. It was just a joke.”
“A joke? Did you just say it was a joke?”
“Yes, it was just a joke.”
“You call emitting an aura like that a joke? It seems you hold a Captain in such low regard—!”
Just as Beomdong was about to lash out in anger—
“It has to be a joke. Otherwise…”
Shudder.
A sudden chill ran down his spine, and Beomdong’s mouth snapped shut. He didn't feel the same aura as before, yet his body was frozen stiff.
The young man was now standing right in front of him. Closing the distance in an instant, the young man looked into Beomdong’s eyes and finished his sentence.
“…The stunt you just pulled wouldn't be a joke anymore, either, would it?”
“…!”
Beomdong flinched involuntarily.
How?
The young man’s cryptic words pierced straight through Beomdong’s heart. He was referring to the aura Beomdong had been about to unleash on Moyong Hi-ah.
How in the world did he know?
It had been a subtle release of Qi. Moreover, he hadn't directed it at the young man, but at the girl right in front of him. No matter how high his level was, it shouldn't have been easy to notice.
What was his true identity…?
“I can hear the gears turning in your head from here.”
The young man’s voice broke Beomdong out of his stupor.
“Let’s just keep things simple. We both played a little joke on each other. Isn’t it easier to just leave it at that?”
Pat, pat.
He felt a touch on his shoulder. The young man was patting him. The situation was so incomprehensible that Beomdong was simply bewildered. Because of that, he failed to notice that something was seeping into him from the shoulder being touched.
“Or would you rather have a sword dance right here? I can play along if you’d like. I’m not a big fan of dancing, but if you insist, I’ll make an exception.”
“...”
Every word he said with a smile was grating. While wondering what kind of bastard this was, Beomdong had to rack his brain.
This is not good.
Nothing about this situation was good. Having served the Alliance for decades, Beomdong knew from experience: those eyes were serious. They were the eyes of a man who would start a life-and-death battle in the middle of Henan without a second thought.
Meeting his gaze, Beomdong's hand instinctively went to the hilt of his sword.
Can I win? He wasn't sure. He felt every hair on his body stand on end. Feeling this, Beomdong slowly removed his hand from the hilt.
“…Grit.”
As Beomdong finally backed down, the young man’s smile vanished. Had he lost interest? If anything, that cold expression made Beomdong even more uncomfortable.
Does he really not care if we fight here?
That chilling certainty made Beomdong immediately turn to leave. Even so, he didn't forget what he had to say to Moyong Hi-ah.
“As the Branch Manager said. I will return next time with a proper warrant for investigation.”
“Yes, I will be waiting. I’m afraid I cannot see you out, as I have a new guest. My apologies.”
Moyong Hi-ah spoke with a graceful smile, and Beomdong scowled.
“And as for you…” He forced himself to look at the young man and added, “I expect we will be seeing each other again in the near future. I hope to receive a formal introduction then.”
Having shown such hostility toward an Alliance official, they would surely meet again soon. It was a warning, but…
“Running away with your tail between your legs while spouting all sorts of bull—ah, my apologies. I was just thinking out loud.”
“...”
Tremble… Beomdong had to fight the urge to draw his sword dozens of times, survival instinct be damned.
“Hoo…”
With a deep sigh, Beomdong started walking. The young man didn't even look at him as Beomdong passed by and headed for the entrance.
Finally, after confirming that Beomdong had completely left the merchant association.
“Haa…”
Moyong Hi-ah let out the sigh she had been holding back. The young man, Gu Yangcheon, turned around and stared at the entrance Beomdong had just left through.
Seeing this, Moyong Hi-ah asked, “…Why didn’t you stop him?”
Gu Yangcheon shifted his gaze to her. “Should I have?”
“No. It would have been quite troublesome if you had.”
Letting him go was the right move for now. That was Moyong Hi-ah’s calculation, but…
“It’s just a little surprising that you did, Young Master.”
That’s not like you. That was the meaning embedded in her words.
Gu Yangcheon let out a smirk. “You’re right. Normally, I wouldn’t have…”
He had almost killed him on sight. His scheming was so pathetic that Gu Yangcheon had wanted to burn him to a crisp, leaving not even a strand of hair behind. But he had held back.
“I thought he might be useful. That’s why I let him go for now.”
“...”
He wasn't even treating him as a person, but as a tool. At Gu Yangcheon’s cold, dry tone, Moyong Hi-ah found herself swallowing hard.
“…Do you perhaps know him?”
There was a strange familiarity in his eyes. Beomdong, Captain of the Sky Dragon Army. Also known as the Annihilating Sword, Beomdong. He was a fairly famous figure, so it wouldn't be strange for Gu Yangcheon to know him. But Gu Yangcheon’s reaction was subtly different from simple recognition.
Gu Yangcheon pondered for a moment, then denied it casually. “No.”
It wasn't a lie. At least in this life, he didn't know the man. But his past life was a different story.
“Haha.”
Gu Yangcheon laughed, recalling the face of Beomdong. At his shallow laugh, Moyong Hi-ah rubbed her own shoulders.
He had never forgotten, even across lifetimes. He hadn't forgotten a single face, and Beomdong was no exception.
Nice to see you again.
How could he not be glad?
To think a bastard I need to kill would show up on his own two feet.
It wasn't his turn yet. He had planned to finish the tasks at hand one by one before seeking him out later. But for him to appear like this, in such a fucking disgusting manner…
How could I not be happy to see you?
He was so happy he felt like he was going crazy. Gu Yangcheon hid his hands in his sleeves. He had to hide them because they were trembling from the effort of holding back.
A shame. If I had provoked him a little more, he might have drawn his sword.
Then he would have lost control and killed him. It was a real shame that he hadn't.
Or maybe not? Would that bastard have endured until the very end?
Perhaps. No, he probably would have.
He wiggled his trembling fingers, finally managing to still them, and wiped his lips.
“Looks like your talk is over. Let’s go up now. Or do you have more business?”
“Ah… no. I was just about to leave.”
“Alright.”
Moyong Hi-ah stood up, and Gu Yangcheon also turned around. As he turned, his expression became utterly cold and subdued.
I’ve sent him off with some Demonic Qi inside him… Now, how should I play with him?
He happened to need one person anyway. This was perfect timing. And if that person was Beomdong, it couldn't be better.
Let’s have a refreshing game together, shall we, Captain?
He was a man with sense and ability. That's why, in his past life, he had been entrusted by the Alliance Leader to lead the newly formed Snow Flower Squad as its Captain. And also, that's why…
He was able to betray them faster than anyone else.
He had been able to betray the Alliance one step ahead of everyone else and pull all sorts of bullshit with that bastard of a Vice-Captain.
Mad Ghost Dog Sword, Beomdong. One of the first to become a Demonic Human when he betrayed the Alliance, and the man who had been his superior during his time in the Murim Alliance.
Remembering him, Gu Yangcheon thought: Please die as usefully as possible, Captain.
And if that wasn't possible, he would make it so.
* * *
Afterward, I went up to the Branch Manager’s office with Moyong Hi-ah. Seodong, who saw me come back in with her after I had gone out, looked at me with surprise. But there was nothing he could do about it, so I just gave him a wink to smooth things over.
Just when I thought things were more or less settled and I could finally sit down for a relaxed chat…
“…What did you say?”
I had to make a dumbfounded face at what Moyong Hi-ah brought up.
“A new group has apparently emerged in the Central Plains.”
I couldn't help it.
“The group’s name is the Demonic Cult.”
It was a very familiar name.
“They say it’s a cult founded by a master no one has ever heard of, called the Heavenly Demon… and that they attack both the Orthodox and Unorthodox Factions without discrimination.”
Just hearing that much gave me an indescribable feeling. But the bigger problem here was…
“The group seems to possess considerable power, and the Alliance is struggling because they can’t find any information… However, according to the rumors.”
The words that followed hit like a hammer.
“The identity of this Heavenly Demon… is said to be one of the Three Venerables, the Dishonored Venerable.”
Moyong Hi-ah spoke with a serious expression. And before I could even react to what I heard—
“…Huh?”
From behind me, the man who had been standing with his arms crossed—the former Dishonored Venerable and current second son of the Bi Clan, Mr. Dragon Warrior Bi Eejin—let out a dazed sound.