Shadow War (6)
It felt like a massive pickaxe had slammed right into the crown of his head with a thwack!
Spy? What spy? Huh? And what the hell does a spy even do?
Gi U-hui's face was a wreck, twisted in utter shock and confusion on the verge of passing out. Yeon Hojeong watched her and thought,
Interesting.
This reaction confirmed it: the Western Divine Healer, Gi U-hui, was affiliated with the Three Sects.
At the same time, he sensed a leak in their operations.
What's with the sloppiness?
He knew the power and brutality of the Mad Faith Three Sects. He didn't know their true goal, but he was certain they aimed to conquer the Central Plains and wipe out both the martial world and the imperial court. That alone made them enemies of the entire Central Plains.
Naturally, the Three Sects would be aware of that reality. If they sent a spy, it would be someone meticulously selected with utmost caution.
So what was this? Who in their right mind would send an idiot like her?
Yeon Hojeong felt a twinge of fatigue.
Did history change and turn all the Three Sects' people into morons or something?
No matter how sharp Yeon Hojeong's insight, it was hard for him to turn that gaze inward.
Gi U-hui wasn't the resolute type by nature. But over a decade of treating patients had built her a solid backbone and grit.
Yet even that wasn't enough to withstand Yeon Hojeong's pressure. His eyes, locked in a one-on-one with a Three Sects figure for the first time outside of Heuk Yang, were as sharp as blades.
Anyone—not just her—would shrink under that gaze.
Crucially, Gi U-hui's reaction stemmed from her instincts. Her senses weren't top-tier, but they were exceptional enough to detect Jam Yeong-il-ho's stealth techniques. It was an innate talent.
And that talent was screaming now: Yeon Hojeong's danger, the bomb-like killing intent hidden beneath his scholar-like facade.
Ziiing! Ziiiing!
Gi U-hui swallowed unconsciously. The eyes fixed on her were growing clearer, more piercing. Her instincts thrashed wildly.
It hurts.
The fear her senses stirred made her brain boil. A vicious headache whitened her vision.
Never had her instincts rung such fierce alarms—only twice before.
She recalled one man: the absolute ruler who overlooked all with spotless blue eyes like an unblemished sea.
Father.
The one who kindled the Divine Flame. The sole Heavenly Sovereign destined to illuminate the world with the purest, hottest blaze—the Divine Flame Cult Leader.
And another absolute being surfaced.
And... that one!
Where there was light, there was shadow. The master of the darkest, most vicious horde in the world, dwelling in the lowliest depths yet poised to claim the most exalted throne through paradox—the lord of Saneum.
This can't be! This man is...?!
Incredibly, Yeon Hojeong emanated a pressure that evoked the world's two supreme powerhouses.
Martial prowess? Strength? No, it wasn't that.
This youth hadn't reached her father or the Saneum Cult Leader's level. Even among the Thirteen Sacred Thrones vying for supremacy in the era, fewer than three could match the Three Sects' masters.
So what about this young man evoked them so vividly?
Whoosh...
Suddenly, Gi U-hui hallucinated. The sharp, venomous-eyed scholar-like youth morphed into a monster with hundreds of limbs, dozens of eyes, and beastly fangs.
Every breath spewed poison, every gesture summoned typhoons. Each step triggered earthquakes, every roar unleashed thunderbolts.
Krummble!
Gasp!
A vision beyond "three heads and six arms"—a true monster. An evil god risen from the earth, trailed by five demon kings, an unprecedented incarnation of malice ready to burn the continent and pierce the heavens.
Gi U-hui shuddered in abject terror. Born of the Divine Flame's bloodline—its purest yet murkiest strain—she possessed the Spirit Eyes, a gift unseen in any other of her kin.
Through those eyes, Yeon Hojeong appeared as an uncontrollable beast forged in terror, hatred, and destruction.
"What's wrong?"
"......"
"Hey."
"Hic!"
Startled, Gi U-hui snapped back to reality. Yeon Hojeong frowned.
"Are you sick? Why the cold sweat?"
Well, getting exposed as a spy out of nowhere would rattle anyone.
"N-no, it's nothing."
Hand on her chest, gasping raggedly, she looked far from normal. Yeon Hojeong watched her quietly, then relaxed his posture.
"Fine. Looks like you are a spy."
He stated it flatly. Clearly, he'd known her identity from the start.
Thinking back, that inexplicable unease from their first meeting might've been because he knew.
Whew.
Steadying her breath, Gi U-hui felt an odd calm settle in.
She spoke evenly. "Do you think I'm a spy from some other organization?"
"Yes."
His tone shifted. She read a savage edge in it—overwhelming, uncontrollable.
And strangely, it soothed her further. She never liked hiding from others or lying anyway.
"Then, which organization do you think sent me?"
Yeon Hojeong's eyes gleamed. He sensed her change too.
She wasn't dodging—she was about to spill everything.
What a weirdo.
Normally, after such a bombshell, one would deny it outright, shock aside. That was standard.
But not her. Her voice grew steadier, almost relieved.
His eyes narrowed. "Who knows? One of the three, I suppose—but not Saneum."
Gi U-hui flinched.
As expected.
He knew of the Three Sects. She swallowed again.
"You know about them. The Three Sects."
"Yes."
"H-how...?"
"I don't owe you an explanation."
Fair enough. She sighed.
"Will you kill me?"
"If necessary."
"......If necessary?"
"Yes."
Yeon Hojeong flashed a hazy smile, instantly squeezing her newfound calm into fear.
"Spies don't admit they're spies. But you did."
"......"
"I don't know your circumstances, but you seem to hate the spying itself."
Gi U-hui swallowed again. He lacked her instincts or Spirit Eyes, but his battlefield-honed experience and insight were far superior—mightier than any innate gift.
Under that near-certain gaze, she couldn't lie.
Yeon Hojeong sighed inwardly.
Brother wasn't wrong.
He'd planned to spare no one tied to the Three Sects. But Mo Yong Woo had said: she didn't seem inherently evil, and posed no immediate threat—talk first.
For this case, at least, Mo Yong Woo was right.
Young or not, the real deal is the real deal.
Staring at her intently, Yeon Hojeong suddenly slammed the table.
Thud!
Gi U-hui jumped, eyes wide with fear. He spoke calmly.
"Enough chit-chat. I know you're a spy, and you've admitted it."
"......!"
"Time to choose."
"......Choose?"
"Yes."
He crossed his arms.
"Want to die?"
Her face paled.
"Of course not. But now that you're exposed, death's hard to avoid. So you have two paths."
"What?"
"Die here, or bring us intel on your side."
Her eyes wavered. He smiled.
"Killing you's easy. Just snap your neck."
"......!!"
"But getting Three Sects info? Tough. So you're a valuable piece."
"You want me to... betray the cult?"
"Yes."
"I can't."
"Then die."
Scraaape.
Yeon Hojeong stood. Trembling, she watched him, then closed her eyes.
Gazing down, he chuckled.
"Fun, isn't it?"
"......Pardon?"
"Truth is, if the Three Sects weren't trying to conquer the Central Plains, we'd have no reason to hate them. We'd stay vigilant, sure."
"......!"
"Got it? We know nothing about them. But they're coming for us. And that path will be soaked in blood."
Her clenched fists trembled faintly.
"They're evil. Regardless of their pursuits, the moment they target innocent Central Plains folk, no justification or excuse holds. Why? Because they're evil."
"......"
"Even murderers have backstories. But that doesn't forgive their crimes. That's what your lot's doing."
His eyes spat blue sparks.
"And you're a healer. You mend bodies, save lives—that's your calling. Yet you stand by as your group spills innocent blood."
"......!"
"Don't claim you were a healer when you face King Yama. Disgusting."
Gi U-hui opened her eyes. Bloodshot, brimming with fury and turmoil.
"I hate the chaos too! I hate seeing blood!"
"Then why not change it?"
"How, without power...!"
"And this is the result. If so, why not speak truth and die early? You'd have died younger, but at least with pride."
"......!!"
"You're spouting the same excuses as countless villains. What's the point of a good heart when the outcome's this? No meaning."
His smile vanished.
"No excuses about age, status, or courage. You failed to choose when you should have. You're unfit to scorn the Righteous Assembly."
Her expression filled with despair. She had rebuttals aplenty—but none viable.
She understood: he was right.
Thwack!
"Guhk!"
Her body lifted into the air. Gripping her throat, Yeon Hojeong said coldly,
"Last chance."
"......"
"Die ugly? Or struggle to change your pathetic life?"
"......!!"
"Choose. Now."