Chapter 82
Chapter 82
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: Feint Operation 1
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Yeok Mu-gi… or rather, the man who appeared to be Yeok Mu-gi, was flanked by two beauties, chattering away excitedly.
“Hahat! So, get this! I crossed the Aharabdal Mountains, and there was this huge palace! It was a total accident that I went in. And inside, there were these beings, like immortals, who you couldn't even think of as human.”
The beauties played along with flirtatious snorts.
“Oh, come on~ What are you talking about? Nothing like that exists~”
“No, I’m telling you, it was real! They controlled these things that were like evil spirits… oh, right! There were some monster-like fellows, too. If they had so much as lifted a finger, I would’ve been dead.”
“Hoho~ You’re too much, young master~ So how did you make it out alive?”
“Well, I just prostrated myself flat on the ground. Then they told me to get lost, calling me a worthless maggot not even worth dealing with. Hahaha! What else could I do?”
Just then, Mu-heun placed a hand on Yeok Mu-gi’s shoulder. Yeok Mu-gi looked down at the hand resting there.
“Hm?”
Mu-heun spoke with the smile of a good-natured man.
“Young man, a moment of your time.”
“...Huh?”
Yeok Mu-gi was momentarily flustered. His gaze was still fixed on Mu-heun’s hand.
How could he not have sensed him until this very moment? Someone had just placed a hand on his shoulder and spoken to him?
‘Even if I was drinking and distracted by the beauties, this… couldn’t be a mistake.’
He had clearly appeared out of nowhere. The expressions of the women, including himself, were ones of sheer bewilderment.
‘His martial skill is definitely several levels above mine. But… who in the world is he?’
Yeok Mu-gi slowly raised his head and met Mu-heun’s eyes.
“Eh?”
He had expected to see a chilling old master glaring at him, but when he turned his head… a handsome young man, who looked to have just passed the age of twenty, was gazing at him with a pleasant smile.
‘No wonder the hand felt so delicate!’
“Who… who are you?”
“Hahaha, what do you mean, who am I? I am the Mad Doctor, here to capture you.”
“The M-Mad Doctor?”
Yeok Mu-gi was stunned, but also found it absurd. Wasn’t the Mad Doctor the Divine Doctor of Sichuan who had vanished without a trace quite some time ago?
He tried to gauge the man’s strength, just in case he was a master hiding his skills, but he couldn’t feel any energy at all. That confirmed it. This man was not a warrior. But then, how could he have approached without being noticed?
‘I’ll capture him and find out.’
Having made his decision, Yeok Mu-gi loudly berated Mu-heun.
“What do you take me for, you brat! Fine, since you’re impersonating the Mad Doctor, you must have learned a few tricks, but you picked the wrong opponent. You’re just a greenhorn rushing to your own death!”
The moment Yeok Mu-gi was about to execute a martial technique.
“Shall we see what you’ve got?”
Pae-seon spoke up from beside the women, opposite Yeok Mu-gi.
That was right.
The women were stunned not just because of Mu-heun. It was because of Gu Pae-seon, who had instantly bypassed Yeok Mu-gi and appeared behind them.
“My lady, where are you from?”
“I was born and raised here, sir.”
“Oho… It must be because it’s been a while since I’ve been out. Everyone looks like an outsider! Hoho.”
Sweat began to trickle down Yeok Mu-gi’s neck and back. The young, annoyingly handsome man in front of him no longer mattered. The old man chatting with the women behind him wasn’t even looking his way, yet he felt a chilling sensation, as if his entire body were being pierced by awls from every direction.
‘This one is the real deal.’
“W-what do you mean by that, elder?”
Yeok Mu-gi ignored Mu-heun and looked toward Pae-seon.
“Tsk. Tsk, tsk. I wanted to see your skills, but what are you doing looking over here?”
“Pardon?”
What am I doing looking over here? What does that…
‘Ah.’
The instant Yeok Mu-gi quickly turned his head back to Mu-heun.
Tap.
Mu-heun’s finger touched his neck. It felt like it had touched him not just once, but several times. No, it didn’t feel like a finger, but like he’d been struck by a needle. In that moment, his vision spun, and the world began to turn.
Watching the scene, Pae-seon clicked his tongue and said.
“Your senses are far too swayed by appearances.”
“Uh…?”
And with that, Yeok Mu-gi’s consciousness faded.
Pae-seon and Mu-heun immediately got up and took hold of Yeok Mu-gi.
“Let’s take him.”
“Got it.”
* * *
Mooooo. Mooooo.
Cluck cluck cluck! Bawk!
‘What are these animal sounds…’
Yeok Mu-gi opened his eyes to find himself tightly bound to a post in a barn.
“Is he awake?”
“Don’t kill him.”
“Of course not.”
The animal sounds soon subsided, and the only voices Yeok Mu-gi could hear were those of the handsome man and the terrifying old man from just before he passed out.
‘It wasn’t a dream…’
Overwhelmed with fear and confusion, Yeok Mu-gi spoke in a pleading tone.
“W-why are you doing this to me…”
“Is your name Yeok Mu-gi?”
“That… that is.”
‘They already know everything.’
Mu-heun sat off to the side, watching, while Pae-seon interrogated Yeok Mu-gi.
“Y-yes, it is. I-I’ve done wrong. Please, just spare my life.”
“Hoho, this fool was knocked out by a pressure point strike and can’t grasp the situation.”
“I was wrong… I’ll compensate for everything and apologize. So please, just my life…!”
“To think you want to live after committing such acts… You’ve got some nerve. What do you think? Do you think you deserve to live? You know what you’ve done, don’t you?”
“...Yes.”
“And you think you can live after doing such things?”
“W-well, of course it was my fault, but that young lady approached me first. I was just thinking of having a little fun and… I-I’m sorry.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about. Besides those trivial matters, there was something else, wasn’t there?”
“Ah… I stole some grain and valuables from the Jang family household. I thought stealing a little from a wealthy family wouldn’t be a big deal, so I…”
“Why did you cut off the family members’ heads and hang them on the gate?”
“…Pardon?”
“What did that woman do to deserve having her yin energy drained before you killed her?”
“Pardon…?”
“I was going to keep this bastard alive a little longer because he might be useful, but I see that’s not going to work. I’ll give you a taste of hell first.”
“W-w-w-w-wait a moment, elder! Sir! I-I’ve never done anything like that.”
“What did you say?”
Just then, someone arrived.
“Senior Brother!”
It was Un Ja-yang, an elder of Kunlun, who had come looking for Pae-seon.
Mu-heun, who had been sitting to the side, immediately stood up upon hearing the words “Senior Brother” and bowed his head to Un Ja-yang.
“Greetings to the esteemed elder of Kunlun.”
“Oh…? And who might you be?”
“I am Baek Mu-heun, a disciple of the Divine Doctor of Sichuan, Baek Jung-hyeok. My master had left a letter for Elder Gu Pae-seon, but I hadn’t had the chance to deliver it amidst the chaos. I came to give it to him now.”
“Ah, is that so? A disciple of the Divine Doctor of Sichuan? Hahaha, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Welcome to Qinghai.”
“Thank you for your warm welcome, Elder.”
“Hahaha, if you have time, please stop by Kunlun Mountain. The disciple of the Divine Doctor, an acquaintance of my Senior Brother… I hope we can build a connection as well.”
“The honor would be all mine. I will visit soon with Elder Gu Pae-seon.”
“Excellent, excellent.”
Gu Pae-seon waited for their greetings to conclude before speaking.
“Why have you come looking for me?”
“Ah… well…”
Pae-seon gestured to Mu-heun with his eyes, and Mu-heun understood at once.
“I will step out for a moment so you may speak freely.”
“Haha, thank you, young man.”
After Mu-heun left, Pae-seon pressed Yeok Mu-gi’s mute point to silence him, then spoke with his junior brother, Un Ja-yang.
* * *
“Senior Brother, I heard you were spotted at the Hongnok Hall, the tavern in Bugwang County, so I rushed here.”
“You rascal… Are you having me watched now?”
“What? No, of course not. How could I possibly have you watched, Senior Brother? I came in a hurry because I have something to tell you.”
“Something to tell me?”
“Yes. Do you remember the man I asked you about before, the one causing trouble in the marketplace? The one who uses disguise techniques, making him difficult to catch, so I asked for your help.”
“Of course. The one named Yeok Mu-gi, isn’t it?”
“Yes. You remember.”
“Of course I remember. Even now, that scoundrel…”
“His name wasn’t Yeok Mu-gi.”
“…What did you say?”
“His name wasn’t Yeok Mu-gi. We thought he was the same person because he used identical disguise and yin energy techniques, but his name is Eum Mu-gi. The man named Yeok Mu-gi is just a petty troublemaker.”
“Hmm… Hmmm… is that so?”
“Yes. It seems Eum Mu-gi knew this and was impersonating Yeok Mu-gi while using his disguise techniques.”
Hearing their conversation, Yeok Mu-gi began to struggle violently. His mute point had been pressed so he couldn’t speak, but he could still hear. He realized he had been captured due to a misunderstanding.
Mph! Mph!
“Yes. By the way, Senior Brother… it seems you’ve caught a petty thief. Are you in the middle of an interrogation?”
“Haha, yes, yes. Once I’m done with this one, I’ll have my disciples search for Eum Mu-gi, so you can head back first.”
“Y-your disciples, Senior Brother? You, who so adamantly refused to take on disciples, have finally taken them?”
“That’s right. I’ll introduce them to you soon, so go on and wait.”
Mph! Mph!
Un Ja-yang’s eyes welled with tears as he spoke.
“Sniff, sniff… Senior Brother, you’re finally thinking about the future of Kunlun. I’m truly moved.”
“What’s there to be so moved about…”
Mph! Mph!
“Then, I will await you at the main sect.”
“Alright, I’ll see you soon.”
Mph! Mph!
“Yes, Senior Brother. By the way, this one is quite noisy. You must be having a hard time.”
“Heh, ahem… It’s nothing, really.”
“In any case, thank you once again for your cooperation.”
“Of course…”
Mph! Mph!
After Un Ja-yang left, Mu-heun came back in.
Mph! Mph!
Looking at the frantic Yeok Mu-gi, Mu-heun asked Pae-seon.
“What’s gotten into him all of a sudden?”
“Well, you see…”
Pae-seon told Mu-heun the information he had learned from his conversation with Un Ja-yang, and Mu-heun broke out in a cold sweat.
* * *
With a stiff expression, Pae-seon apologized to Yeok Mu-gi.
“First, I apologize for discussing whether to kill you or not when you haven’t committed a crime worthy of death.”
Mph! Mph!
“Ah! I pressed his mute point.”
Tap. Tap.
“There, I’ve released it. Now, speak.”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you! I’ve never done anything like that!”
“Right, but you’re not entirely blameless, are you?”
“W-well.”
“I’ll ask. What is your relationship with Eum Mu-gi?”
“...That is.”
“You rascal… Should I hand you over to the authorities?”
“W-we are martial brothers who served the same master.”
“Martial brothers?”
“That’s right. Eum Mu-gi and I served a master who was skilled in Ice Arts and the art of disguise.”
“A master? Who is he?”
“He is known as the Shapeshifting Immortal. Of course, our master has since vanished, so all the disciples have scattered. That’s why I know the name Eum Mu-gi, but I have no idea where he is or what he’s been doing.”
Both Pae-seon and Mu-heun knew of the Shapeshifting Immortal. He was quite famous in the martial world for being elusive and a master who had reached the Transformation Realm.
However, he was a level below Pae-seon, the Cloud Dragon of Kunlun, and had always been respectful to him.
“You don’t know what he’s doing? Then is there no way to find him?”
“There is.”
“What is it?”
“Actually, the disciples of the Shapeshifting Immortal made a pact to meet at the summit of Bugwang Mountain, behind Bugwang County. It was a secret arrangement shared only among the martial brothers, so others don’t know about it. Eum Mu-gi will likely be at the gathering.”
“When is this pact supposed to take place?”
“It has probably already started.”
“What?”