Chapter 98
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 98
Chapter Title: The Outlaw of the Divine Cult (2)
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Thwack!
The sound of a small hole being punched into the rock wasn't very loud.
But that small sound sent a chill down Ma Dongpil's spine. If Seo Ryang hadn't warned him, his chest would have been pierced before the rock was.
And by a single blade of grass, no less.
‘Who the hell?!’
Ma Dongpil quickly straightened up and scanned his surroundings.
By then, Seo Ryang was already on the move.
Fwoosh!
Seo Ryang instantly closed the distance to where the blade of grass had flown from and drew his sword. It was the Seven Night Saber, which he had brought just in case.
Flash! Sh-sh-sh-sh-sh-sh!
As the wind blades of the Six-Linked Hell Wind unfolded, the small patch of grass was instantly torn to shreds.
Seo Ryang’s saber arts had certainly changed. Even without unleashing all six forms of the Six-Linked Hell Wind, his swordplay was as smooth and fluid as if he were performing a linked form.
That made the martial arts of the master who had dodged Seo Ryang's single strike and vanished into a black dot in the distance all the more incredible.
Ma Dongpil's eyes blazed.
Fwoooosh!
He instantly approached the bushes, wanting nothing more than to chase the man down at once.
Just then, Seo Ryang raised a hand.
"Stop."
Tap-tap-tap!
Ma Dongpil halted.
"Young Master?"
"Too late."
Seo Ryang frowned.
"That direction is swarming with hundreds of people. They're all masters from the inner circle. It's impossible to find his presence among so many experts."
"B-but..."
"It's impossible for me, who is stronger than you, and it's impossible for you, who is better at tracking than I am. Accept it."
Ma Dongpil bit his lip. It was an undeniable fact.
Seo Ryang patted his shoulder and walked over to the rock where the blade of grass was embedded.
"Huh? Look at this bastard."
Seo Ryang clicked his tongue.
"The technique of Plucking Leaves and Flying Flowers... Faster than an arrow and powerful enough to pierce rock? This guy's a real piece of work."
Ma Dongpil's face hardened.
"A master capable of such a technique could easily be called a supreme master, couldn't they?"
"They could. But that's not the important part."
"Pardon?"
Seo Ryang glanced down at his chest.
Tucked inside his robes, Geumho was yawning lazily. It didn't seem surprised by the incident at all.
‘The killing intent from the blade of grass definitely wasn't that strong. But I should have been able to sense it beforehand.’
For a master of that caliber to attempt an ambush, there had been no sense of foreboding from his heightened senses. Even Geumho was slowly closing its eyes, looking sleepy.
What did that mean?
"Hey, Dongpil."
"Yes, Young Master."
"What the hell have you been doing when I'm not around? Did you break up with some supreme master's little sister?"
"...Pardon?"
"The one he was after wasn't me. It was you."
"...?!"
"He was aiming for you. If he'd been after me, I would have sensed the attack long before the blade of grass even flew."
Ma Dongpil's jaw dropped in shock.
Seo Ryang spoke with a bewildered expression.
"I think you're screwed."
* * *
"What brings you here?"
"Come on, it's not like I've come somewhere I'm not supposed to be. Why the long face?"
"I'm not making a long face. And look at you, Third Young Master. How could anyone not be on edge seeing you like this?"
As Go Gu said, Seo Ryang's attire was quite intimidating.
A white long robe over a black martial arts uniform. It was a fine outfit that suited his well-honed physique.
The problem was his armament. He wore the Seven Night Saber on his right hip, the Meteor Twin Sabers on his lower back, and even the Dragon Scale Saber, which was five feet long, on his back.
He was practically a walking human armory. Anyone who didn't know better would think he was heading off to war.
Seo Ryang scratched his head.
"I'm just a believer in never letting my guard down, anytime, anywhere."
"..."
"Just roll with it."
"With your incredible skills, I'm sure the swords aren't heavy. However, for the sake of a smooth conversation, how about you set the one on your back aside?"
"I was just about to. It feels great in my hands, but it's a real pain when I try to sit down."
Seo Ryang set the Dragon Scale Saber aside and sat in a chair.
Go Gu glanced at the Dragon Scale Saber.
"You handle heavy weapons?"
"Pretty well, right?"
"I had no idea."
"I hope it stays that way. For some reason, I feel like the more you know about me, the more tired I'll get."
It wasn't just "pretty well."
When Lee Cheonsang had offered a lesson and told him to pick one of the four swords, Seo Ryang had chosen the Dragon Scale Saber without hesitation.
He had swung that heavy Dragon Scale Saber for half a day. And he did it against a transcendentally powerful opponent whose attacks he couldn't land a single hit on.
He hadn't chosen it consciously. No, there had been no time to think.
It was instinct, so to speak. It meant his body was now trained to a point where a weapon with the weight of the Dragon Scale Saber was needed to use his physical strength most efficiently.
In the same situation now, he could probably swing it not just for half a day, but for a whole day.
"Well, let's cut the small talk and get to it."
"My thoughts exactly. What brings you here?"
"You heard, right? About the scene I caused in front of the Lord of the Demonic Sword House."
"I heard. It was nerve-wracking."
"And you heard it ended well?"
"Just because no swords were drawn doesn't mean it ended well."
Seo Ryang let out a smirk.
"Why? You didn't like it?"
"Of course not. You were too hasty, Third Young Master. And what was with that ambiguous question? Had you declared it to everyone present, it might have been different, but your vague question only served to alert the real culprit."
"Has this man lost his mind? Declare the culprit's crimes in front of everyone? You trying to make me look like a fool?"
"What I'm trying to say is, you shouldn't have stepped forward like that in the first place. Because of your statement, the culprit will be even more cautious."
"On the other hand, there's an advantage."
"An advantage?"
"The advantage is that even if the culprit is cornered into the worst-case scenario, we won't have to make an enemy of the Demonic Sword House."
"...!"
"A man of the Demonic Sword Lord's stature has to consider his reputation. In the Divine Cult, in front of all those people, the Lord gave his answer. That he would be even less forgiving because it was his son."
"..."
"He won't be able to defend the culprit, at least not openly, because there were witnesses. Why? Because his reputation would be ruined."
Seo Ryang smiled coldly.
"Reputation is the key that determines the rise and fall of a faction. I don't think the Lord of the Demonic Sword House is such a blockhead that he'd ruin his family just to save one son."
Go Gu's eyes wavered. He finally understood why Seo Ryang had acted so rashly.
"I understand your intention, Third Young Master. But that's a problem for after we've caught the culprit. If we just push him without evidence, the enraged Lord's sword will be aimed at us instead."
"Well, you're not wrong about that."
"Do you have some other plan in mind?"
"No plan, but one thing is certain now."
"And what is that?"
"The fact that if we don't catch the culprit during the Festival of Papiyas, the Lord of the Demonic Sword House will forever look down on me."
"...!"
"So we have to catch the culprit, no matter what it takes. How about it? Feeling the fire under your ass yet?"
"What does the Lord of the Demonic Sword House looking down on you have to do with me?"
"Are you being serious?"
Go Gu sighed.
"You are a truly tiring person, Third Young Master."
They were in the same boat, anyway. For this matter at least, they had to protect each other. Only then could they achieve their goals.
"But I'm a great motivator, aren't I? Let's stay on our toes from now on."
"I assume you didn't come all this way just to say that. What's the other reason you came to see me?"
"Getting to the point, I like it. But before that!"
"What now?"
"I've called one more person. Hope that's okay."
"Called someone? What do you mean?"
Just then, the sound of soft footsteps approached from outside the door.
Go Gu's eyes flickered. He recognized who it was not by the footsteps, but by the faint aura they exuded.
"Third Young Master..."
"Come on in!"
Click!
The door opened, and So Yeonsim entered.
Her usual gentle smile was nowhere to be seen. Her expressionless face was so cold that it made one hesitate to even speak.
Seo Ryang cleared his throat.
"You two know each other well, right? Go on, say hello."
So Yeonsim's clear gaze fell upon Go Gu.
Go Gu, who had been looking at her with a stoic expression, stood and cupped his fist.
"It has been a while."
"About two years, I believe."
"I had no idea the Third Young Master would call upon you as well, Lord So."
"You don't seem pleased."
"..."
"I, for one, am delighted. I would have been even more so if the Head of the Hall had requested my help himself."
Go Gu shook his head.
"I am too ashamed to face you, Lord So."
"You should be. That's why I came myself, didn't I? To wash away this uncomfortable relationship."
Failing to prevent the crime in the first place was one thing. That incident had been the fault of the Garden of Joy and the Hall of Protectors.
But arresting the wrong person was entirely the fault of the Hall of Punishments.
And the cultist who was wrongly accused and executed had worked in the Garden of Joy until three years ago.
As a result of the Hall of Punishments' flawed investigation, the Garden of Joy not only lost a member of their family but also had to endure great hardship.
Go Gu looked at Seo Ryang.
"You could have given me a heads-up."
"I was going to, but I was short on time. I know it was a bit much considering your relationship, but let it slide this once."
Seo Ryang scratched his head.
"Crucially, Lord So has also more or less figured out the culprit's identity. She was already working hard to find him herself."
"...!"
"Where else are we going to find someone this capable? It's better to join forces and catch the bastard as soon as possible. Don't you agree?"
Go Gu sighed. He seemed to be sighing a lot today.
"I understand."
"Good."
And so, three of the Divine Cult's most influential figures gathered in one place.
"Before we discuss anything else, I think I should tell you why I came here."
Seo Ryang told the two of them what had happened an hour ago.
Both So Yeonsim and Go Gu couldn't hide their surprise. To attack the Third Young Master? And within the Divine Cult's main headquarters?
"To be precise, he wasn't after me, but Dongpil."
Seo Ryang said seriously.
"I've spoken with Dongpil at length. And even before that, I know what kind of man he is. He's so rigid that while some people might avoid him, he's not the type to hold a grudge against anyone."
So Yeonsim nodded.
"I agree."
Although she had no personal acquaintance with him, he was a master who had been the Third Team Leader of the Hall of Protectors. So Yeonsim was quite familiar with Ma Dongpil's personality and disposition.
"And yet, this mysterious master targeted Dongpil. If he had targeted me instead, I wouldn't have given it this much thought."
"Are you saying, Young Master, that the mysterious master who targeted your guard might not actually have a grudge against him?"
"This is why I find it so convenient to talk with smart and perceptive people. Yes, that's what I think."
"Why do you think so? I know Guard Ma's personality, but grudges between people can arise for any reason."
"If there was a grudge, he should have targeted me even more."
"Why is that?"
"Because I'm stronger than Dongpil."
"..."
"Taking me out first, since I'm stronger than Dongpil, and then dealing with Dongpil afterward would be more certain. Wouldn't it? Just looking at our movement speed, I'm much faster than Dongpil."
So Yeonsim nodded.
There was no need to assume the mysterious master was unaware of Seo Ryang's martial prowess. Even without his skills, Seo Ryang was an influential figure.
If he wanted to kill Ma Dongpil that badly, dealing with Seo Ryang first would be the correct course of action.
"Therefore, I concluded that it's more important to first figure out what he's after, rather than worrying about who this mysterious master is."
"And did you find an answer?"
"Yes."
"What is...?"
Seo Ryang shouted towards the door.
"Dongpil!"
A moment later, the door opened and Ma Dongpil entered.
He drew his sword from his waist.
Upon seeing the sword, Go Gu's and So Yeonsim's eyes widened as if they would tear.
"This is the only reason that master would have to attack Dongpil."
The Silent King Sword.
A legendary demonic weapon, counted among the Five Great Demonic Swords of the Divine Cult and the Ten Great Demonic Swords of the Martial World.
Seo Ryang's eyes deepened.
"And I do not believe this incident is unrelated to catching the real culprit."