Chapter 317
Chapter 317
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 317
Chapter Title: A Step Ahead
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“What is it?”
As Myo Cheon-u asked urgently, Yu Un-ryong spoke in a firm voice.
“That he's a madman, completely incapable of understanding the feelings of others.”
“Huh?”
Myo Cheon-u said, unable to hide his bewilderment.
“Aren't all madmen incapable of understanding others' feelings?”
“This is completely different.”
A smile touched Yu Un-ryong's lips.
“Because he's a madman who pretends to be sane.”
“Pretends to be sane…”
After a moment of thought, Myo Cheon-u furrowed his brow and shook his head.
“Even if that's true, how can you be so sure? It might just be a guess.”
“A month ago, the Yojin Sword Unit, led by Cheon-geom, subjugated a branch of the Gwanghyeoldokji.”
Yu Un-ryong continued calmly.
“When he saw a subordinate suffering after being hit by a poison dart, he claimed to be helping and used telekinesis to rip it out in one go.”
The poison dart is a type of coagulating hidden weapon made by the Gwanghyeoldokji.
When struck by this dart, the sharp needles on its surface bend like fishhooks.
Therefore, to remove it, one must meticulously cut the barbs before carefully pulling it out.
But Cheon-geom, under the pretense of saving his men, simply ripped the dart out.
“Isn't that just a cruel personality?”
Yu Un-ryong nodded at Myo Cheon-u's question.
“If that were the only incident, you might think so. But something similar happened when he dealt with the Jeokdomun.”
“What was it?”
“They say he passed by a village that was on fire. His reason was that if he didn't get to the Jeokdomun quickly, they would set up a defensive line.”
Yu Un-ryong said with a confident expression.
“I've investigated various other incidents and actions as well. In conclusion, the reason Cheon-geom's methods are so cruel and fearless… is because he is incapable of comprehending the feelings of others.”
Understanding the meaning behind his words, Bu Eun-seol gave a faint nod.
He, too, had suspected to some extent that Cheon-geom was someone who couldn't properly empathize with others.
But Yu Un-ryong, after a thorough investigation, had definitively stated he was ‘incapable’.
There is a big difference between ‘choosing not to’ and ‘being unable to’.
If that analysis was correct, Bu Eun-seol could devise various strategies to bring Cheon-geom down.
“I'm certain.”
As if reading Bu Eun-seol's mind, Yu Un-ryong spoke firmly.
“You've probably felt it too.”
Yu Un-ryong's abilities as a strategist had not only fully blossomed, but his personality and analytical skills had also become just as meticulous.
Moreover, this was the result of long observation and analysis of Cheon-geom's actions, so his prediction was likely flawless.
“I see.”
As Bu Eun-seol nodded, Yu Un-ryong continued his explanation.
“Furthermore, for some reason, he seems desperate to build up his achievements.”
“He must be aiming to rise to the level of a Hall Lord.”
Bu Eun-seol nodded as if it were obvious.
“If that happens, he'll become someone I can't touch at all.”
Cheon-geom intended to constantly build his merits to become a Hall Lord-level figure, untouchable by Bu Eun-seol.
The Demonic Cult and the Murim Alliance.
These two great powers do not easily encroach upon each other. In particular, Hall Lord-level figures are part of the leadership and must never be touched.
A single misstep could trigger a war between the Orthodox and Unorthodox factions.
“I did my best to investigate, but I'm not sure if it's enough.”
As Yu Un-ryong looked worried, Bu Eun-seol nodded.
“It's enough.”
Just by hearing Yu Un-ryong's analysis of Cheon-geom's personality,
Bu Eun-seol had already begun to organize his existing plans, refining them into a perfect form.
“The plan I had originally conceived required twelve steps.”
Bu Eun-seol said in a low voice.
“But now that I have a firm grasp of Cheon-geom's weakness, I can reduce it to five.”
“Hmm.”
Yu Un-ryong hummed, stroking his chin.
No matter how he thought about it, he couldn't predict how Bu Eun-seol would bring about Cheon-geom's downfall.
What was certain was that Bu Eun-seol always executed his plans in stages, deploying complex tactics that pierced the enemy's psyche.
By the time one realized the full scope of his plan, they would already be trapped in an inescapable mire.
“From now on, I will drag that madman down to the very bottom, step by step.”
At that moment, a cold light spread from Bu Eun-seol's eyes as a chilling smile formed on his lips.
“So that he can no longer set foot in the Murim Alliance.”
***
Bu Eun-seol, with the information networks of Nangyagak and Muhasuyujeong, and even the Demonic Cult's top-secret unit, the Gusaldai, under his command.
His intelligence-gathering capabilities rivaled those of the Biyeonggak, the Demonic Cult's foremost intelligence agency.
Besides, taking down Cheon-geom couldn't be called Bu Eun-seol's personal affair. It was a battle between a Sipmajeonin and a Daeuigusu.
Having ultimately gained the cooperation of the Biyeonggak as well, Bu Eun-seol now possessed what was truly the greatest intelligence network in the demonic path.
With it, he could instantly predict Cheon-geom's next move.
Salyakmun.
An utterly evil assassin's sect, home to ruthless killers who would murder even a child for money.
As their atrocities grew increasingly excessive, the Murim Alliance had tried to annihilate the Salyakmun several times.
However, the Salyakmun was located in a deep valley of Mount Wolbaek.
The only path leading there was a single iron chain connecting two cliffs.
Moreover, the chain could only support the weight of one person crossing at a time.
At the slightest sign of even a small force approaching, they would cut the bridge.
After much deliberation, the Murim Alliance decided to use this to their advantage, planning to cut the bridge themselves and isolate the Salyakmun.
But an unexpected power interfered. It was the Nokrim.
—This area around Mount Wolbaek is the territory of the Namgangchae. The Murim Alliance should not interfere.
How could the Nokrim dare to oppose the Murim Alliance? But the Salyakmun was situated in a remote borderland, far from the Central Plains.
In particular, there were no orthodox sects near Mount Wolbaek, and it was a region where the Nokrim's influence was strongest.
On top of that, the Salyakmun sent a huge sum of money to the Nokrim every year… so the bandits were desperately blocking the Murim Alliance's intervention.
In the end, the Salyakmun had built a natural fortress on Mount Wolbaek and, with the Nokrim's backing, were now freely committing atrocities throughout the Murim.
Cheon-geom intended to annihilate them and rack up another achievement.
***
“This should be the place.”
A massive figure arrived before Mount Wolbaek, where the Salyakmun was located.
He had the build of a bear and carried a greatsword on his back.
It was Cheon-geom.
“It's been a while since I've had a good workout.”
Cheon-geom laughed, cracking his neck.
He had come to the Murim leading all the members of his first-rate sword unit, the Yojin Sword Unit.
But upon arriving near Mount Wolbaek, he had his unit stay at a nearby inn.
—You all wait here.
The unit members couldn't hide their bewilderment at Cheon-geom's order.
They had followed him all this way, thousands of miles, to deal with the Salyakmun. And now he was suddenly telling them to wait here?
—If you go to Mount Wolbaek, the Salyakmun will detect your movements and cut the bridge. So I'll handle it alone.
The members all scowled and asked.
—If you were going to do this, why did you bring us?
They were well aware of Cheon-geom's immense martial prowess.
But if he was determined to handle it alone, why had he brought the whole unit?
—I'd get chewed out if I went alone, wouldn't I? The Alliance wouldn't have approved it, either.
Murim Alliance Sword Unit Leaders were forbidden from taking solo action and leaving their members behind.
Cheon-geom was shamelessly telling his men that he had only brought them along because of that rule.
The members looked at each other and bit their lips.
He might be the Sword Venerable's disciple, but to treat his own subordinates like baggage?
—Well, I'm off.
But Cheon-geom had ignored his members' reactions and come here alone.
“Sorry, but I don't have much time.”
Cheon-geom muttered under his breath, recalling the expressions on his men's faces.
He had to build his achievements and climb to a higher position as quickly as possible.
Because he needed to become the youngest Hall Lord in the shortest time possible.
“The position of Sword Unit Leader is good, but it's not on the level of a Hall Lord.”
In the Murim Alliance, the position of a first-rate Unit Leader was by no means low.
However, it wasn't a position that guaranteed lifetime tenure, and one could be demoted based on their merits and demerits.
But a Hall Lord was different.
Unless one committed an unforgivable crime or major corruption that warranted a Council of Ten meeting, the position was guaranteed indefinitely.
Furthermore, they could carry out operations independently, giving them immense authority, practically on par with a Sword Division Lord.
“Once I secure a Hall Lord position, that guy will start getting restless, won't he?”
Thinking of Bu Eun-seol's cold face, Cheon-geom's eyes curved into crescents.
If he were to become a Hall Lord?
Bu Eun-seol would have no choice but to accept his proposal and step down from the position of successor.
Because he had to get his revenge.
“Hehehe. Hahahaha!”
Cheon-geom burst into triumphant laughter, picturing Bu Eun-seol's flushed, angry eyes.
As the Sword Venerable's disciple, he had never before found anyone who could get on his nerves or challenge him in martial arts.
But now, he had finally found a worthy rival from the demonic path.
And that madness etched in his eyes.
Wasn't it the kind of indiscriminate madness one could only sense from a kindred spirit?
“This is fun. So much fun.”
Cheon-geom flicked his tongue with an ecstatic expression.
For him, the world had been colored in shades of gray, neither bright nor dark.
But after meeting Bu Eun-seol, the world regained its vibrant colors.
His boring and frustrating daily life had completely vanished, replaced by a taut tension he had never felt before.
The successor of the Demonic Cult, Bu Eun-seol.
He possessed the ability to take his head at any moment.
“I wonder when he'll give up on everything?”
Cheon-geom hummed as he unleashed his movement technique again.
“A year? No, maybe half a year? By then, he'll have no choice but to give it all up, right?”
The position of the Demonic Cult's successor was like the sun in the sky.
Cheon-geom would cast Bu Eun-seol, who stood upon it, down into the abyss in an instant.
And that sight would bring him a more fantastic and thrilling pleasure than anything else.
“I'm here.”
Unleashing a movement technique like a gale, he stood before the chain leading to the Salyakmun.
“Shall we get started?”
He took a deep breath and briefly closed his eyes.
This was to unify his body and spirit before battle, maximizing his senses and reflexes, and enhancing the power of his swordsmanship.
*Hmm?*
But something was strange.
The moment he heightened his senses, didn't he hear faint groans and the clash of weapons from the opposite cliff?
*Could it be?*
Just as Cheon-geom sensed something ominous and was about to cross the chain bridge in one go,
*Shhh.*
A black shadow emerged from the opposite cliff.
He carried a pitch-black sword on his back, and his black robes were soaked in blood.
“You…!”
Cheon-geom's eyes widened.
Wasn't the person standing opposite him none other than his rival, Bu Eun-seol?
*Clang. Clang.*
Bu Eun-seol walked across the chain bridge, swaying in the wind as if it were solid ground, and arrived in front of Cheon-geom.
*Pfft.*
Bu Eun-seol looked at Cheon-geom and let out a cold sneer.
Then, without a word, he turned and walked past him.
“What a coincidence.”
Cheon-geom said with a wide smile.
But Bu Eun-seol walked on calmly, as if he hadn't heard a thing.
“Hahaha.”
Cheon-geom watched Bu Eun-seol's departing back.
He was smiling broadly, but flames sparked in his eyes.
“So this is how you plan to interfere?”
Bu Eun-seol was the successor of the Demonic Cult.
In terms of intelligence gathering alone, he would be comparable to the Murim Alliance's Information Hall Lord. No, perhaps even the Chief Commander above him.
“But what a shame. There are plenty of other ways to build achievements besides this.”
With a sneer, Cheon-geom turned away nonchalantly.
***
The Flower-Plucking Great Thief, Yong Mu-gang.
He was a vicious lecher who enjoyed raping the daughters of wealthy families.
He had a dignified build, was not bad-looking, possessed excellent martial arts, and had a remarkable movement technique.
Had he chosen a different path, he could have been very successful as a martial artist, or as a wanderer if he had wanted money.
But Yong Mu-gang chose to commit crimes and gain pleasure from them.
And for the past five years, he had roamed the Murim, committing countless evil deeds.
Yet he had always managed to survive the pursuit of experts, because his original profession was that of a thief.
He was once the disciple of a famous master thief known as the Dokhaengdo.
Thieves devise meticulous plans in advance just to steal a single item.
They consider tens of thousands of unexpected situations and prepare a perfect escape plan. They also set up various backup plans in case it fails.
Moreover, Yong Mu-gang was born with animalistic instincts.
Thanks to this combination of talent and skill, he had been able to shake off numerous pursuers and survive until now.
—Capture Yong Mu-gang!
Recently, however, the Orthodox Murim had been turned upside down in its efforts to catch Yong Mu-gang.
Because his latest victim was Wang Seo-eon, a secular disciple of the Emei Sect and the daughter of Wang Un, a magnate of Jinan.
After being violated by Yong Mu-gang, Wang Seo-eon eventually took her own life.
And when this news spread, the enraged Emei Sect mobilized its disciples to pursue Yong Mu-gang.
But when they couldn't catch a trace of him, they requested help from the Murim Alliance.
—You must find that vicious lecher!
The Murim Alliance immediately dispatched a dozen sword units to track Yong Mu-gang.
In addition, numerous wanderers pursued him for a reward, but… Yong Mu-gang, having already grasped the situation, had vanished without a trace.
Even numerous intelligence organizations and competent investigators from the authorities tracked him, but they all failed to catch him.
Yeonjubu, the village of Nonggahong.
In this area, the disabled and the deaf-mute live together, forming a village.
On the surface, it looks like an ordinary village, but in reality, Nonggahong was a Murim sect.
This large village of Nonggahong was the headquarters of the Jangyeolbang, a sect formed by the disabled.
It might seem insignificant since it's a gathering of people with disabilities, but in fact, the Jangyeolbang wields considerable influence, no less than any major sect.
All those with disabilities join the Jangyeolbang and stick together. And like the Beggars' Sect, they are scattered throughout the Central Plains, gathering all sorts of information.
The Jangyeolbang sells this information at a high price while also getting involved in various interests and businesses.
Inside a shabby thatched house located in the innermost part of Nonggahong.
*Gulp, gulp, gulp.*
A man was there, leaning against a wall and drinking.
His build was imposing and his features handsome, but he had dark circles under his eyes and his eyes were narrow.
A somehow sinister and eerie light lingered in his pupils, such that even a fierce-looking man would feel compelled to look away if they met his gaze.
It was none other than the Flower-Plucking Great Thief, Yong Mu-gang.
“I'll have to stay here for another month.”
He stared into space with a bored expression.
In truth, he had been a member of the Jangyeolbang even before becoming a disciple of the Dokhaengdo.
No Murim sect paid any attention to the Jangyeolbang, and they would do anything for money.
After learning martial arts and the art of thievery from the Dokhaengdo, he used the Jangyeolbang's branches, spread across the vast Central Plains, as his hideouts.
Since it was a gathering place for the disabled, no one conducted even a cursory search.
If they searched for no reason and found nothing, they would face heavy criticism.
“What would the likes of you know about the Jangyeolbang?”
He sneered and flopped down on the floor.
“Whether it's the Murim Alliance or the Emei Sect, the pursuit won't last even a month anyway.”
He wore a scornful smile.
The pursuits of sects are not that persistent.
Because while crushing a rival sect or a certain power brings fame, influence, and various side incomes…
…mobilizing manpower to catch a single criminal is simply not cost-effective.
“The Murim Alliance only got involved because the Geumcheonjang put up the money. In time, only the wanderers hoping to get a piece of the bounty will be left.”
*Gulp, gulp.*
Yong Mu-gang finished the remaining alcohol in the bottle and lay down comfortably.
After about a month, the pursuers from the Murim Alliance and the Emei Sect would give up on their own, so he planned to go back out into the Murim and stir up trouble as he pleased.
“She was quite good, you know.”
He licked his lips as he recalled the image of Wang Seo-eon, whom he had recently violated.
The reason he had touched her, even knowing she was a secular disciple of one of the Nine Sects, One Union, was because her beauty was simply irresistible.
“Why'd she have to go and kill herself. If she were alive, I would have paid her another visit.”
At that moment, a low voice came from the opposite side of where he was lying.
“You can look for her in the afterlife.”
Yong Mu-gang felt a chill run down his spine.
Having inherited all the teachings of the Dokhaengdo, his senses were sharper than most martial arts masters.
But to think someone had entered the room without him sensing even the slightest presence?
*If I move rashly, I'll die.*
As Yong Mu-gang swallowed hard,
“No need to be tense.”
the shadow standing behind him said softly.
“If I intended to kill you, you'd already be dead.”
Hearing those words, Yong Mu-gang quickly got up and turned around.
There, he saw a man dressed in gray martial arts robes.
His features were as beautiful as a peerless beauty's, but his eyes were red and coldly sunken, like those of a grim reaper.
In that instant, Yong Mu-gang felt a fear that seemed to suffocate him.
The bizarre contrast between his beautiful face and his terrifying gaze evoked an inexplicable sense of dread.