Chapter 90
Chapter 90
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 90
Chapter Title: A Name I Really Don't Like
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"Dang Un-hwi?"
"He's arrived near the manor by now."
"How many people did he bring?"
"From what we've grasped so far, it looks like about ten."
"I clearly told him to come alone, but these Central Plains bastards really can't understand plain words."
Red Bone Death Valley tilted his head as he answered Gu Min-chae's questions.
"Seriously, it's a name that stirs up killing intent every time it's called. Of all names, why that one—"
"That's exactly what I think. What a name I really don't like."
It wasn't just that he didn't like it.
If possible, it was a name he wanted to tear apart and kill.
Look at it now.
The number of demonic ghosts who had gathered at this manor was pathetically low.
The elite infiltrators of the Bare Hand Elite Squad, whom they thought had successfully infiltrated the key positions of the Nine Dragons Branch Family, had been completely wiped out.
According to the original plan, the moment Gu Min-chae gave the order, the Bare Hand Elite Squad's demonic ghosts were supposed to assassinate the Nine Dragons Branch Family's major executives right away.
The targets were the Ruthless Heroes Hall, Main Hall, Medicine Hall, Punishment Prison, Justice Wind Pavilion, White Corps, and Blue Corps.
Then the Nine Dragons Branch Family would effectively fall into a brain-dead state, and if the North Sea Sect's top strike force, the Bare Hand Slaughter Squad, swept through to finish off the remnants, the Nine Dragons Branch Family would be done for.
But the grand undertaking was cooked before it even happened—no, right before it did.
As if they'd been waiting, the enemy burst into the spot where the demonic ghosts were assembling.
Because of that, the demonic ghosts, who had just been organizing their ranks, were caught off guard and slaughtered.
Both the Bare Hand Elite Squad's assassins and the Bare Hand Slaughter Squad's butchers lost their heads before they could even lift a hand.
Leading them was none other than the former Stormwind Corps members.
That very name, Stormwind Corps, which he wouldn't mind chewing up and swallowing!
Grit!
Gu Min-chae ground his teeth.
He instinctively felt that Dang Un-hwi was at the center of this catastrophe.
That cursed name, constantly dredging up past memories, was reaching out its claws at him again.
"As I thought."
"What do you mean?"
"The Nine Dragons Branch Family's defense system."
"?"
"It was the Divine Cult's Destruction of Orthodox Sects Assault Plan, reversed in order. And you hadn't noticed until now?"
"!"
Red Bone Death Valley's pupils shook.
The Destruction of Orthodox Sects Assault Plan was the backbone of the Divine Cult's conquest plan against the Central Plains, devised six years ago.
It was a guideline on how the Divine Cult and the Seventy-Two Demonic Sects would confront and seize the Central Plains' major sects if the Righteous-Demonic Great War broke out.
Though much of it had been revised during the internal strife, the core outline remained the same.
And now, one of the Dang Family's branches had used something treated as top secret even in the Divine Cult?
"It seemed thoroughly prepared. The night market side that kidnapped Heavenly Leaf Immortal wasn't that meticulous, but the branch family was different. It was so tightly woven that we had no choice but to fall for it."
"...How on earth."
"It means the Dang Family's intelligence capabilities are far superior to what we anticipated."
"!"
"From the start, that place was an antlion pit designed to devour us. We walked right into hell without even knowing it."
"......"
Red Bone Death Valley was so shocked he couldn't utter a word.
Gu Min-chae's explanation continued.
"But do you know what's even more ridiculous?"
"...What?"
"As far as I know, the defense system before the revision wasn't like this at all. But the moment Dang Un-hwi was seated as the branch leader, everything changed overnight."
"!!"
"How did Dang Un-hwi know about the Destruction of Orthodox Sects Assault Plan? By what means?"
"...Isn't it because all the credit for what Gui Yeol-gal and the Dang Family uncovered was credited to Dang Un-hwi? Or it could connect to the speculation that the Dark Demon God Myth Sect has some link to the Nine Dragons Branch Family!"
"That could be."
"Then—"
"But still, it's too strange. Everything. Nothing fits together properly."
To dismantle the Destruction of Orthodox Sects Assault Plan so thoroughly meant having an equally deep understanding of it.
The problem was that the plan was notoriously complex, matching its importance.
It was filled with demonic knowledge that even strategists from the Divine Cult—let alone high-ranking ones—couldn't unravel.
For a single righteous faction member to analyze it so meticulously felt utterly bizarre.
"In the end, one thing is certain. Dang Un-hwi, that bastard, is at the center of all this turmoil."
"!!"
"And above all."
"...There's more?"
"I can't help but think the Sect Leader might have known about this."
"Y-You're not suspecting the Sect Leader now...!!"
"Then how else do you explain this?"
"Lord Yi!!"
"From the moment the sudden order came down, I felt something was off. The Dark Venerable hadn't even arrived at the branch family yet, and suddenly a 'gift.' And even though the Sect Leader was in the Nine Dragons District, he didn't show his face once?"
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that!"
Red Bone Death Valley's face drained of color as he shot to his feet.
Disrespecting the Sect Leader was blasphemy.
Blasphemy was a capital crime punishable on the spot.
Moreover, the North Sea Sect Leader, mentioned among the apostles, was now a figure revered even in the Assembly. Better to leave before the sparks flew his way.
"The Sect Leader already knew! About what the Dang Family and Nine Dragons Branch Family were plotting! About what kind of bastard Dang Un-hwi is! He ordered us to move just to gauge their full strength before the grand undertaking!!"
Red Bone Death Valley quickened his steps.
Gu Min-chae's laughter was laced with madness.
If he got caught up in it, he'd lose his mind too.
"We! We were nothing but lab rats!!"
As Red Bone Death Valley hurriedly reached for the door, the world suddenly spun.
'Damn it!'
Boom!
Red Bone Death Valley's head exploded.
Like ice bursting at extreme temperatures.
"I hate everything! All of it!!"
The demonic fury in the lone Gu Min-chae's eyes erupted.
"Dang Un-hwi, I don't know what your true identity is, but if I neatly slice off your head and rip out what's inside, I'll find out what the hell is in there!"
Gu Min-chae admitted to himself that he had gone mad.
That's why he could entertain such hypotheses.
Perhaps.
Just perhaps.
Dang Un-hwi's real identity was......
* * *
"All units, halt."
The Gold Sword Sect's manor that Hyeok U-gi mentioned came into view.
"Everyone, stand by here until further orders. I'll go alone."
"It's too dangerous, Young Branch Leader."
Dang Gon stepped forward with a hardened expression.
I stared at him blankly.
"...What's with that smug grin?"
"Say it again."
"What?"
"What you just said."
"Danger... ous?"
"No, the part after that."
"Young Branch... Leader?"
"Sounds good. Keep up that loyal attitude from now on."
Dang Gon's face twisted.
"You're joking around in a situation like this?"
"What's wrong with it? Loosens the tension."
"Seriously—"
"And it's not a joke, so I'm definitely going alone."
"?"
"Among us right now, is there anyone who knows the Demonic Cult better than me?"
"!"
"The manors where the defense systems I described activated were no problem, right? But what about the outskirts that didn't listen?"
"......"
"So, the one who can handle a hostage situation most flexibly isn't Justice Wind Pavilion—it's me."
Dang Gon stared at me with a blank face.
I grinned.
Dang Gon sighed.
"If you put it that way... Yes, understood. We'll stand by here."
"Gon, what are you—"
An agent stepped forward urgently, but Dang Gon raised a hand and shook his head.
"Follow the Young Branch Leader's words for now. Isn't he the one who will become our master going forward?"
"!!"
In the end, all the agents withdrew with heavy expressions.
Dang Gon looked at me again and spoke in a serious tone.
"But promise me one thing."
I nodded that I understood.
"Don't act recklessly."
"Recklessly?"
"Yes. And don't get swept up in youthful bravado to claim merits. If it feels dangerous, turn tail without looking back, fire the signal flare. In an emergency, our top priority is protecting the Young Branch Leader."
It meant that if things went south, they'd focus on me first, everyone else be damned.
"Understood?"
"You know the phrase 'nal-kki-ppa-ppa'?"
"...What now."
"It's a trendy slang among the kids these days. Means 'stick in when you should, bail when you should.'"
"?"
"Teasing the enemy and dipping out smoothly is my specialty. Your master knows that best, right?"
Dang Gon let out a hollow laugh.
"That's true. Alright then. Go ahead and humiliate them like you did when you picked my pockets clean."
"Of course. I haven't even spent all of Master's monthly stipend yet. Wouldn't want to get hurt and waste it."
While Dang Gon's face twisted in confusion between laughter and annoyance, I unleashed Gale Wind Divine Speed.
"See you soon."
Whoosh!
A long tail of wind trailed behind.
The moment I lightly vaulted over the manor's wall.
「The formation activates!」
Zing!
The world around me flipped, revealing a vast white snowy plain as a freezing blizzard howled in.
North Wind Chill Hell Prison Formation.
A formation born from the North Sea Sect's long research to manifest the Chill Ice Hell directly in the mortal world.
Its main purpose was to disorient those trapped, leading to death by freezing.
And here... the Bare Hand Demonic Ghosts became snow yokai, invincible.
Swoosh!
A blade wind sliced through the blizzard toward me.
I pulled out the Fear Wind Orb, batting it upward while thrusting my left hand like lightning.
Boom!
With the Fear Wind Cannon's immense power, the demonic ghost's form appeared.
He buried face-first in the snowdrift, eyes wide in disbelief.
A massive wind hole gaped in his chest.
「Tsk tsk, what an idiot—」
「Every Divine Cult formation has passed through the Little Cult Leader's hands—」
I fully opened Violet Demon Eyes, staring in one direction.
Beyond the relentlessly raging blizzard, I saw Gu Min-chae's vicious grin.
He sat on a rock, no longer wearing his human皮 mask.
"You're not surprised to see me. You seem to know exactly how the North Wind Chill Hell Prison Formation works. As if you 'knew' it all along."
"Where are Nui and Sima Sojeo?"
"So I was right."
"I came alone, as you requested. So release those two now."
"You know the Divine Cult too damn well."
Our conversation with Gu Min-chae was going in circles.
Each of us just spouting what we wanted to say.
"As expected. No intention of releasing them. Figures, you North Sea Sect bastards are all the same. Brains stuffed with ice, tossing promises to the dogs and living like beasts who do whatever they please."
"You—"
Gu Min-chae wasn't listening to me at all this time either.
That jerk's the same as ever.
How does a guy not change after six years? Total loser.
My face reflected in his madness-filled eyes.
"It's Un-hwi."