Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Ghost Arts Formation
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The sky began to lighten slightly around the witching hour.
Dang Gon arrived at my summons, yawning his head off as if I'd dragged him out of bed.
“Uhaaaam! What the hell is so urgent this damn early in the morning… Huh?”
“Nice to see you like this, Dang Gon of Pure Wind Pavilion.”
“Dang Gon of Pure Wind Pavilion greets the Lady.”
At the sight of Namgung San-yeong standing beside me in her disheveled state, Dang Gon hurriedly clasped his hands in salute.
Even if he now knew we'd allied with the Demonic Cult, her status as the wife of the man he served remained unchanged.
*Why the hell is this guy here?*
Of course, he wasn't one to badmouth her behind her back like some pumpkin seed.
*Forgot what I told you already?*
*Th-then—*
*I'm about to go start the butchering.*
!!
Dang Gon let out a hollow laugh.
As if he couldn't believe I'd actually pulled it off.
He finally seemed to grasp the metaphor I'd tossed out earlier.
A blade to carve them up from the inside.
If Namgung San-yeong turned to our side, that's exactly what she'd be.
*You couldn't have gotten her to surrender like that with just threats alone. Impressive, truly.*
*See? My virtue? Even enemies who hated my guts bow their heads, swayed by my virtue. You need to show a bit more respect for it, old man.*
*Virtue my ass. You schemed your way into it.*
*In the Tang family, aren't scheming and virtue the same word?*
*…Damn. Can't argue with that.*
Dang Gon shook his head and tossed out another question.
*So what's the reason for calling me here? Looks like you want my help with the butchering.*
*Correct.*
I grinned and handed him something.
He took it, puzzled at first, then his eyes went wide.
“Isn't this a human skin mask?”
A human skin mask was a type of face covering used mainly for disguising one's identity.
“Yep. Had it specially made.”
“Where'd you pick up a trick like this… No, wait—surely you're not saying—”
Namgung San-yeong furrowed her brow slightly.
“Surely the backup you mentioned isn't—”
“That's right. Just Dang Gon here.”
“Impossible!”
“You're saying even a Gale Wind Knight can't handle it?”
“That's not what I mean! You have no idea how dangerous that place is!”
“No, more importantly, explain properly first! You're not seriously suggesting the three of us charge into the White Bone Ghost Master's lair, where the Hundred Bone Net is, are you!?”
Dang Gon jumped in frantically.
I flashed a grin.
“That's exactly it.”
“Did you take a bullet to the head?”
“Hey now! Listen, old man! Last time was one thing, but I'm the son of the man you serve, and I might become your new master—your tone is way too flippant—”
“Fine, rephrased: Did you stuff four or five lead balls into that thick skull of yours?”
Dang Gon bellowed, shaking the human skin mask.
“I told you already! No matter how skilled a master you are, you don't just waltz into a Ghost Arts Formation!!”
What I'd asked of Namgung San-yeong was simple.
—I will personally eliminate the White Bone Ghost Master. So open the path for me to reach him.
The shrine where the White Bone Ghost Master's Ghost Arts Formation was set up was likely a fortress of sorcery, brimming with every curse and array from Black Bone Ghost Valley.
Not to mention the hordes of evil swordsmen and spirit swordsmen stationed there, plus water ghost guards standing watch in shifts—the numbers alone were no joke.
Just as charging a fortress head-on in war invited massive casualties, storming a sorcery fortress demanded the same grim preparations.
Obviously, I had zero intention of smashing my head against bare ground like an idiot.
That's why I'd come up with using Namgung San-yeong.
The White Bone Ghost Master I knew was the type who would never suspect her of betraying him.
He was arrogant enough to believe he held overwhelming superiority over her, and his current situation was too dire to spare her much thought.
*The Warm Demon's got him stripped down to his soul, so he won't even dream we'd scheme separately from him—*
*Those Twelve Black Ghosts are already half-dead corpses once revived, so their brains are dull as dirt—*
So I planned to disguise myself as her escort.
Dang Gon as the servant.
I'm set to become the head of Nine Dragons Branch Family, after all—can't have my underling outranking me in status, right?
“Yeah. I know. Me too.”
“But how can you talk about just the two of us charging into enemy territory—”
“Should I bring the whole Pure Wind Pavilion then? That'd just rack up more casualties. Or do you think they'll catch on and slip away?”
!
Dang Gon couldn't find a retort there.
He knew what Dang Ho-san was plotting.
If the enemy sniffed out something suspicious before the Dark Lord assassination went down, everything could unravel.
“So we move with minimal personnel.”
“Even so, this is suicidal!”
“Hey, old man.”
My voice dropped low.
“How do you know if it's reckless or not without trying? You know more about sorcery than I do?”
!!
Publicly, I was known for mastering curse poisons.
Naturally, I knew more about sorcery than Dang Gon.
“I get that you're drawing from your own youthful experience that breaching a Ghost Arts Formation is tough. But I've got a way.”
*…Grk. Do as you please.*
In the end, Dang Gon groaned in defeat.
Only then did I smirk.
“But you'll come with me, right? It's dangerous if I go alone.”
“Damn it all!! Fine! I'll go, I'll go!”
Knew he'd say yes.
Classic tsundere old man.
“I—”
Namgung San-yeong's eyes wavered as she glanced between me and Dang Gon, but I had no intention of changing my mind.
“You begged to live, didn't you?”
“…….”
“Those who live shall die, those who die shall live (生卽死, 死卽生). Want to live? Then do as you're told.”
She bit her lower lip hard, then nodded heavily.
She knew it too.
There was no path left for her to return to.
* * *
“First, before we head out—someone might notice if I slip away, so let's do a quick house cleaning. Old man.”
“Alright, alright. Who're you siccing me on now?”
“There's a guy named Mu-yeong in the Crimson War Hall. Take him out.”
At the assassination order, Dang Gon's eyes flashed murderously for an instant.
He knew this wasn't a joke.
*…Understood.*
Whoosh!
Dang Gon vanished into thin air.
A man who'd once climbed to second-in-command of Gale Wind Unit could silently eliminate some shadow without issue.
“You—”
Meanwhile, Namgung San-yeong looked shocked.
“You're wondering when I found out about this Mu-yeong?”
“…….”
She clamped her lips shut.
Silent affirmation.
“From the start.”
!!
“Next time you're back at your family home, pass a message to the Thunder Shadow Pavilion Master. Tell him guys who make a living off stealth and infiltration have footsteps like thunder—what good are they?”
!!!
Thunder Shadow Pavilion was the South Palace Clan's intel network, so secretive even direct kin rarely knew of its existence.
Of course, the New Cult ran something similar, so I knew all about Thunder Shadow Pavilion—its structure, operations, everything.
I'd suspected South Palace Clan, in the midst of their schemes, had planted a tendril in Nine Dragons Branch Family too… and look, we hooked a big one.
*Ahem!! No matter how elite the spy, they couldn't detect us!*
*Wonder how it'll hit him knowing we've been watching that bastard the whole time. Heh heh heh!*
Wraiths were cheats like that.
“That Mu-yeong wasn't just spying on you for your mother-in-law—he was funneling Nine Dragons Branch Family intel straight to the White Bone Ghost Master. Even some critical secrets leaked through.”
“…….”
“So don't feel hard done by losing an arm. Oh, right—turns out he's the one who's been steadily poisoning your food with thread snake venom too.”
!!!
Namgung San-yeong paled, head bowed deep to avoid my eyes.
Never dreamed I'd uncover even the steady poisoning in her meals.
Especially since I'd nailed the exact toxin—must look like a ghost to her.
I'd tossed it as a warning to keep her mind off distractions before the big job, and it landed perfectly.
Tremble tremble……
As her shaking intensified, Dang Gon landed quietly.
In one hand, a head dripping blood.
“Got him. Just in case, I cleared out the Crimson War Hall and all shadows nearby—no worries left.”
“Good work. Let's move out.”
The carriage we boarded slipped silently away from the compound.
* * *
The White Bone Ghost Master's base lay in low hills far from Nine Dragons Branch Family.
“Murky.”
The hills were shrouded in thick fog, visibility near zero.
My gaze turned to Namgung San-yeong.
She spoke in a slightly trembling voice.
“Wh-when I came, th-there was always fog, but n-not this thick. I-I don't know. B-but up the path, the f-fog always cleared, and h-he'd come to greet me.”
“Looks like the Ghost Arts Formation starts right at the hill entrance. Monitors everyone who enters.”
Tch!
I clicked my tongue at the fog.
*This is a pain.*
*Seems he's on guard against possible Warm Demon intruders—*
*Ghost energy's too thick. You sure you're okay?*
*Okay? You call that a question?*
*Ap-pologies!!*
*Young Cult Leader! We'll drill manners into this fool!*
*You scum! The Young Cult Leader is the world's top sorcerer! How dare you question his skill!*
*Have faith! Blessed are those who believe in the Young Cult Leader!!*
*Ow! Stop hitting the same spot! Aaaagh! Aaaaagh!*
Ignoring the rowdy wraiths, the carriage began ascending the mountain path.
As Namgung San-yeong said, the ghost energy parted on its own, revealing only the winding single trail.
But my Lion's Eye saw beyond the ghost energy.
Will-o'-wisps prowling around us, watching.
Ghosts of victims trapped in the fog, starved to death.
Traces left by evil swordsmen and water ghost guards patrolling the hills.
I pushed further, Purple Glow Eye blooming wide, glimpsing the formation's structure and components one by one.
My takeaway from scanning it all?
Huh.
Would you look at that?
*Hey, Number Fifteen.*
*Y-yes! N-number Fifteen! A-answering the Young Cult Leader's call!*
*Did you lot, after I died six years ago—*
Couldn't even laugh.
*Steal my sorcery manual?*