The Time of Patience (2)
The guard captain of the Military Division stared out the window in shock.
“W-what in the world is this?!”
He was a man who rarely blinked at even the most unusual events, yet the continuous explosions erupting from every direction left even him rattled.
The guard captain turned to Jegal Mun-ho.
“Military Counselor!”
“Do not act rashly,” Jegal Mun-ho replied, his voice steady. At least on the surface, he appeared perfectly calm.
In contrast, Dang Gwan’s face had hardened into a block of ice.
“Do you have any guess as to what’s happening?”
“It appears the spy is making a desperate final stand.”
“That much is obvious.”
Jegal Mun-ho gazed out the window. The pale moonlight felt unusually cold.
“No contact has come even at this hour… The Moyong Family Head would not have made a mistake, so this cannot be on Bok-ho Satae’s side.”
“Not Bok-ho Satae, you say?”
“It must be either Seunghyeon Jinin or Pung-byeok-ja. Had it been Seunghyeon Jinin, Yeon Dae-su would have contacted us the moment he confirmed Pung-byeok-ja’s movements, or come here directly.”
“Then?!”
“Yes. At this point, we can be more than confident that the spy is Pung-byeok-ja.”
Dang Gwan’s cheeks quivered. He recalled Pung-byeok-ja’s face—cheerful yet bold, carrying the straightforward calm expected of a righteous path elder.
“That damned bastard…!”
“It is highly likely, but we still do not know the exact situation. We should wait for separate word from the Military Division’s intelligence unit.”
“Very well. Let us assume we cannot yet be certain who the spy is.”
Dang Gwan pointed out the window.
“Explosions have occurred twice now. You felt it too, didn’t you, Military Counselor? These are no ordinary blasts.”
“I did.”
Jegal Mun-ho stroked his lips.
“The first explosion was not caused by gunpowder alone. To be precise, although gunpowder detonated, the fire qi is far too intense. That suggests a massive quantity of oil turned the entire area into a sea of flames.”
“I thought the same.”
“As for the second explosion…”
“Gunpowder. Most likely heaven-shaking thunder.”
Experts in hidden weapons naturally possessed profound knowledge of both projectile arms and explosives. In the current martial world, few could match Dang Gwan’s vast understanding of gunpowder and incendiary devices.
“And not just one or two blasts. Dozens detonated. From the sound and the subtle intervals between the chain reactions, these are clearly improved versions, not standard heaven-shaking thunder.”
Merely from the scale and pattern of the explosions, he could identify the type and modifications. Dang Gwan’s insight was truly remarkable.
“In other words, the first explosion was to destroy evidence, while the second…”
“Was meant to draw attention and create an opening for escape.”
“Exactly.”
“Should we not deploy forces even now?”
“We cannot.”
Jegal Mun-ho took a calm sip of tea. Despite the urgency, he had not lost his composure.
“These people have no limits. At least, that is what their actions so far suggest. If they only pretend to flee before slipping back into the inner castle to strike at the Military Division or the guardians, we will be caught completely defenseless.”
“……”
“Hold your position. It may be frustrating, but that is what we must do for now.”
Dang Gwan frowned. Sitting and observing the situation was not difficult in itself, but the inability to know what was happening at this very moment was maddening.
Jegal Mun-ho’s eyes deepened. If it truly is Pung-byeok-ja, the second explosion raises questions. The area struck by the second blast included the Penal Hall, the quarters of two combat units, and four or five other clustered organizations.
Of course, “clustered” was relative. Given the immense scale of the inner castle, an explosion of that size would not have inflicted serious damage across multiple groups. The only answer is that the contact or handler was in that sector. It was truly astonishing. Yeon Dae-su would never have let Pung-byeok-ja escape with an explosion of that magnitude. The enemy would know this as well. Then…
Jegal Mun-ho’s pupils dilated. Does this mean Pung-byeok-ja did not sacrifice himself to save the spy, but rather the contact or handler sacrificed the spy to survive?
If that was the case… the entire board had been flipped.
Jegal Mun-ho spoke.
“Simply driving out the spy is already a fortunate outcome. Of course, capturing the spy along with every connected contact and handler would be ideal, but what we have achieved so far is sufficient.”
“It is not sufficient. The moment we learn a spy exists, we begin the fight at a disadvantage. In a war we have already lost, we are merely taking measures to limit further damage.”
“You are correct, Patriarch Dang. However, the very act of exposing the spy is also an offensive against the Three Sects. It may not be a complete victory, but it is the moment we raise the beacon of counterattack.”
Jegal Mun-ho closed his eyes.
“It also makes the reason Yeon Dae-su must head to the Black Dragon Department even more certain.”
From now on, the Three Sects’ gaze would inevitably turn toward the Martial Alliance. The pressure would be enormous. If the Black Dragon Department moved decisively in such a moment, the enemy’s attention would be split. Of course, that is a matter for later. For now, the priority was resolving the current crisis.
In that oppressively heavy atmosphere, as the two men sat silently lost in thought—
“Military Counselor!”
Both men’s eyes flashed.
“Contact has arrived from Yeon Dae-su! The spy Pung-byeok-ja self-destructed, and the contact is also dead! He is heading to capture the handler now!”
Jegal Mun-ho shot to his feet.
“What is the handler’s identity?”
“He says it is unknown! However, he believes it is highly likely to be someone who was imprisoned in the Penal Hall!”
Bang!
Jegal Mun-ho slammed his fist on the table. The anxiety he had been suppressing erupted as rage, yet his eyes remained coldly composed.
“Where did the handler flee?”
“That is still unclear!”
Jegal Mun-ho spoke rapidly.
“Issue a red alert across the entire inner castle at once! From this moment forward, no one is permitted to enter or leave! All warriors, except the minimum personnel required to manage the blast sites, must perfectly secure the walls of both the inner and outer castles!”
“Y-yes!”
“And Patriarch Dang.”
“Speak.”
Jegal Mun-ho’s face twisted.
“Go to the entrance of the underground prison! Block anyone attempting to enter! If anyone tries to force their way in, subdue them without question!”
Dang Gwan did not understand why the underground prison had suddenly become the focus, but he did not argue.
Whoosh!
Dang Gwan’s figure leapt through the window and vanished into a distant speck.
Whoosh!
Having broken free of Pung-byeok-ja’s poison formation, Yeon Hojeong contacted the Military Division’s intelligence unit and immediately raced toward the Penal Hall.
Incredible.
He had only survived because he had anticipated the trap would involve either poison or explosives. Had he been unprepared, even he might not have escaped unscathed.
Hiss!
As he sprinted at terrifying speed, Yeon Hojeong suddenly heard a faint sizzling sound coming from his shoulder.
He tore the fabric away in a single motion.
Flutter! Hiss!
The torn cloth began to melt, releasing acrid smoke.
It was an unimaginably vicious toxin. No—it was closer to bone-dissolving powder. Even within the Tang Family, masters of poison, it was potent enough that anyone short of a true poison expert or someone who had taken thorough precautions beforehand would fall victim even if they knew it was coming.
Clink!
His exposed left arm was swollen. The dark-gray Flood Dragon Chain was wrapped tightly around the clearly defined muscles.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
After changing direction several times in midair, Yeon Hojeong spotted Jegal A-yeon with a startled expression.
She cried out the moment she saw him.
“Ho…!”
Whoosh!
He swept her into his arms without slowing down and spoke.
“You know the proper method to suppress fires at an explosion site, correct?”
“Huh? Ah, yes, I do!”
“Put out the fire at the Penal Hall. As quickly as you can!”
There were many things he wanted to say and hear, but Jegal A-yeon understood the gravity of the situation.
“Understood!”
Whoooosh!
Having closed the distance with everything he had, Yeon Hojeong finally laid eyes on the Penal Hall. It was utter chaos.
These lunatics!
Not even half an hour had passed since the explosives detonated, yet the Penal Hall had become a living hell.
“Aaaargh!”
“Break the walls! We have to put out the fire!”
“Rescue the people first! There’s someone trapped under that collapsed wall! They’re still alive!”
“Bring sand! Hurry!”
Countless people moved with perfect coordination, suppressing the flames and saving lives.
It’s insane.
He could not tell how many heaven-shaking thunders had gone off. Not a single building in the vast Penal Hall complex remained intact.
Yeon Hojeong shouted.
“Prioritize rescuing the people!”
“Don’t worry!”
Swish!
He hurled Jegal A-yeon into the air. She descended gracefully before the Penal Hall’s main gate using exquisite footwork.
Thud!
Yeon Hojeong kicked off a still-standing section of wall and shot upward, his eyes flashing. There.
Even amid the devastation, one area remained relatively undamaged—the spot connected to the wild mountain, the point in the Penal Hall closest to the outer castle.
Whoosh!
Propelled by the extreme speed of Blood Wing Flight, Yeon Hojeong landed on the ground.
‘……!’
A deep crater and a large wooden crate lying on its side came into view. It had undoubtedly contained the heaven-shaking thunders.
Hummm!
The Yeon Family Divine Elixir spun, scattering a vast amount of true energy throughout his body.
But this was not the time to exert raw power. He converted the energy spreading through his limbs into Profound Martial Energy and channeled it directly into the spinal cord connected to his brain.
Flash!
His vision brightened. Time seemed to slow.
His perception had more than doubled. By pouring true energy directly into his nerves, he had heightened his sensory abilities themselves.
This method was extremely dangerous. A single mistake could result in paralysis or even instant death. It demanded flawless internal energy control.
The safest and most effective approach would have been to use the powerful White Tiger or Vermilion Bird energies, yet even during his days as the Black Dark Emperor he had never attempted it. The risk of actual death had simply been too great. I see it.
In the slowed world, Yeon Hojeong’s eyes traced the escapee’s footprints. Toward the outer castle, over the wild mountain.
Bang!
As he leapt across the wild mountain, a continuous trail of footprints stretched before him.
Traces he would never have noticed under normal circumstances. The faint prints, the flow of the wind, the scent of gunpowder, and the smell of nervous sweat all revealed the escapee’s path.
He could not maintain his previous speed, but the ability to clearly perceive the enemy’s route was already a tremendous advantage. Maximizing his heightened perception, Yeon Hojeong pursued the escapee at less than half his normal pace.
How long had it been?
‘……!’
The trail had stopped.
Judging by the direction, the escapee should have passed through the outer castle. Yet the scent and footprints did not continue beyond it. To the right.
Yeon Hojeong’s pupils darkened with Profound Martial Energy. Back into the inner castle?!
The logical escape route lay beyond the outer walls, yet this bastard had returned inside.
Where in the inner castle?
Suddenly Yeon Hojeong’s face contorted.
“The underground prison!”
Boom!
Retracting his Profound Martial Energy, he shot forward at blinding speed.