Chapter 83
Chapter 83
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 83
Chapter Title: Diversionary Tactic 2
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Gu Pae-seon and Baek Mu-heun took Yeok-mugi with them toward the summit of Mount Bugwang. Gu Pae-seon had completely erased his presence, while Baek Mu-heun had wrapped himself in a Demon-Sealing Talisman, almost entirely blocking his demonic energy.
Unless one had reached the same state of mastery, it would be difficult to detect the two of them.
In particular, while Baek Mu-heun had contained his own energy, the Demon-Sealing Talisman from the Heavenly Dance Family made it nearly impossible for anyone to sense his aura.
However, Yeok-mugi knew. He knew that both of these men were incredibly dangerous. That was why he had no choice but to accompany them to the summit of Mount Bugwang.
At the same time, he couldn't help but doubt his eyes.
*‘Who in the world is this young-looking man, to be moving with such footwork at his age? And how is it that I can’t feel any energy from him, even as he moves so swiftly?’*
Sensing Yeok-mugi’s gaze, Baek Mu-heun spoke.
“Don’t try to know too much. You’ll get hurt.”
“Ah… yes.”
Yeok-mugi didn’t show it on his face, but his insides twisted.
*‘Such a disrespectful brat…’*
The three of them arrived at the summit of Mount Bugwang. At the peak, there was a clearing with no trees, only low-growing grass.
Several martial artists were gathered there, maintaining an awkward distance from one another, as if both scattered and assembled.
The night was illuminated by a bright full moon. As the moonlight bathed the clearing, the martial artists altered their faces and gestures, each revealing themselves to be a disciple of the Transformation Immortal.
Among them, two figures stood out…
“A pleasure to meet you, my martial brothers and sisters!”
“Haha, how long has it been?”
It was Un-pyo and Pa-sun.
“What are they doing here?”
“I… I don’t know.”
“Do you know them?”
“I do, very well…”
“But how did they end up there?”
“That’s the problem. I have no idea.”
“What is going on?”
Baek Mu-heun and Gu Pae-seon had come chasing Eum-mugi with Yeok-mugi in tow, but to find Un-pyo and Pa-sun there… it was dumbfounding.
But looking at it another way, they had to correct their initial judgment that their subordinates would have a hard time finding Eum-mugi. They had underestimated Pa-sun and Un-pyo, moving separately, only to have their men beat them to it.
From Baek Mu-heun’s perspective as their superior, it was quite commendable.
*‘But now what…’*
* * *
While Baek Mu-heun and Gu Pae-seon were interrogating Yeok-mugi, Un-pyo and Pa-sun had been making inquiries around the market streets. They went from inns to brothels to blacksmiths, asking the same question.
“Have you seen anyone who doesn’t seem to be from Bugwang County, yet speaks as if they know the area well and talks naturally about things only the locals would know? Someone with a face you’ve never seen before, but who feels familiar for some reason.”
Pa-sun and Un-pyo moved systematically, investigating one conjecture at a time.
The man known as Yeok-mugi had arrived here five months ago. For such a man to commit repeated murders and remain uncaught meant he must be quite confident in his transformation skills.
However, while he could change his appearance, he couldn't remain tense and act constantly. He likely wouldn't have been able to pretend to be a newcomer every single time, even at a tavern in the market.
So, they began asking about someone with an unfamiliar face but natural, familiar actions. The responses they received, however, were not very forthcoming.
“Hmm… I can’t say there’s no one like that, but there have been a lot of people like that lately, so I can’t say for sure.”
Faced with this unhelpful attitude, Un-pyo ordered a large amount of food from the inn and asked again. The innkeeper's response was drastically different from before.
“Actually, now that I think about it, there was one person like that recently. Yes.”
“Then, do you perhaps remember which direction he came from and where he went?”
“I believe he came from the right, facing the main gate from outside, and when he left, he went to the right again.”
“Do you happen to recall his most recent appearance?”
“His appearance, you say. I can’t quite remember…”
The innkeeper slyly rubbed his thumb and index finger together in a circle. Seeing the gesture, Un-pyo smiled and said.
“Ah! Please, tell us! I’ll give you a silver nyang!”
“My, my! That’s not what I meant at all! My dear martial artists, I remember now. The man’s hair was red and very short. He had a faint scar above his right eye and wore something like a dark red martial artist's uniform. He carried a sword on his left hip, and the sword had about five strands of red thread tied to it.”
The moment a silver nyang was mentioned, the innkeeper spewed out information without hesitation, leaving Pa-sun astonished.
“You… you remember all that?”
“Haha! It’s nothing. Safe travels!”
“Here is one silver nyang!”
“Oh, thank you!”
“We are men of our word! One silver nyang? It’s nothing! Remember us well!”
“Heh heh, a discerning customer. Of course, I will.”
Un-pyo and Pa-sun left the inn. However, Pa-sun couldn't understand it. It was strange enough to buy information with money, but it was even stranger how naturally the innkeeper recalled such detailed information.
“What in the world was that innkeeper?”
“The Underworld Sect!”
“Pardon?”
“He’s from the Underworld Sect. That’s why a mere innkeeper can be so confident in front of us, who have learned martial arts. I saw it once before when I was traveling the Central Plains with Lord Blade Leaf Demon. You should be careful too. If you mess with places like that, you’ll find yourself in a very tiresome situation.”
“Ah… yes, I understand.”
Having confirmed the man’s appearance, Un-pyo and Pa-sun left the inn and walked to the right.
“Huh? Lord Un-pyo. Isn’t that him?”
A man passed before them. He had a sword at his left hip, and on it were tied five strands of red thread.
“Follow him.”
“Yes!”
Un-pyo and Pa-sun began to tail the man who was likely Yeok-mugi. They followed him until he entered his house and confirmed that he was the only one inside.
Un-pyo and Pa-sun entered the house immediately.
“Greetings. We’ve come to ask you something.”
Pa-sun called out toward the room, while Un-pyo waited on the roof to prevent any escape.
The door to the room opened, and a man with short red hair came out.
“Who are you?”
“Do you happen to practice sonic arts and transformation techniques?”
Pa-sun asked the question and carefully observed the man’s reaction. However, the man showed no response, merely looking at him as if he were strange.
“I don’t know any such arts. I’ve only learned a bit of martial arts.”
“Could you perhaps tell us your name or title?”
“Are you from Kunlun, by any chance?”
“…You seem to know. Then you must also know why we are here.”
“…You’ve got the wrong person. I am Peng Li-hyeok from the Martial Alliance, here on an investigation.”
“The… the Martial Alliance, you say?”
“That’s right. Just like the great heroes from Kunlun, I am tracking a user of transformation techniques and sonic arts.”
“Is… is that really true?”
“It is. The person you heroes are looking for is… Eum… something-mugi…”
“Yeok-mugi!”
“Yeok-mugi? R-right! Yeok-mugi! You’re looking for Yeok-mugi, aren’t you?”
Peng Li-hyeok smiled with a kind face, deceiving Pa-sun and Un-pyo.
This man, Peng Li-hyeok—no, this man impersonating Peng Li-hyeok of the Martial Alliance—was none other than Eum-mugi.
Eum-mugi assumed that Un-pyo and Pa-sun were from Kunlun, sent to capture him. To escape the situation, he impersonated a member of the Martial Alliance, but then a completely different name came out of their mouths.
*‘Yeok-mugi? That was the name of the first martial brother or sister I saw after coming to this town.’*
The disciples of the Transformation Immortal did not know each other's faces, but Eum-mugi did. He had chanced upon Yeok-mugi using his transformation technique.
After that, Eum-mugi had tailed Yeok-mugi, learned his name, and then committed heinous crimes in the village while impersonating him.
He thought he had successfully evaded Kunlun’s pursuit. Fortunately, it seemed Kunlun still didn't know he was impersonating Yeok-mugi.
As soon as Eum-mugi realized his impersonation was still working, a triumphant smile spread across his face.
Meanwhile, his mind raced in another direction. He planned to use these two to ruin the meeting of his martial siblings scheduled for tonight.
“That fiend Yeok-mugi not only beheads wealthy homeowners and hangs their heads on the front gate, but he also takes women, drains their yin energy, and leaves them for dead. In short, he’s a shameless, vermin-like scoundrel.”
Seizing the opportunity, Eum-mugi painted Yeok-mugi as an even more heinous criminal. Pa-sun then took it a step further.
“Furthermore, since he is running rampant in our Kunlun territory, how can we let him be? We should capture him and beat him to a pulp right away, but we have orders to bring him in alive, so we are trying to capture him.”
“Capture him alive…”
Eum-mugi thought it was truly fortunate that Yeok-mugi happened to be in Bugwang County. A practitioner of both transformation techniques and sonic arts. Such individuals were rare even in the martial world, so if he just impersonated the name, it was plausible enough for them to be mistaken.
That was why the meeting must not proceed. He needed to impersonate another one of his martial siblings.
Thus, Eum-mugi decided to play along with them and lead them to the meeting place.
“Haha, that’s right. Yeok-mugi deserves to be torn to shreds. The Martial Alliance is here to investigate, but everyone knows this is Kunlun’s jurisdiction. I will simply cooperate, and Kunlun can take him away.”
“Haha! The Martial Alliance is truly generous. Thank you.”
Pa-sun and Un-pyo, who were from the Demonic Cult, were impersonating Kunlun disciples, and the heinous criminal Eum-mugi was impersonating a Martial Alliance member, yet neither side suspected the other in the slightest.
“This is highly confidential, but since you are disciples from Kunlun, I shall tell you.”
“What is it?”
“Those who use transformation techniques and sonic arts like Eum… I mean, Yeok-mugi, mostly share a single master.”
“A master?”
“Yes, a master called the Transformation Immortal. In a short while, the disciples of the Transformation Immortal have arranged to meet at the summit of Mount Bugwang.”
“Why would they arrange such a meeting?”
“Well, they are disciples of the same master, and transformation is such a rare and dangerous art. The purpose is to warn each other not to use it to disturb the world and to foster cooperation among themselves.”
“Would a wicked man like Yeok-mugi really attend such a gathering?”
“I doubt it. He will likely go just to check the faces of those who might get in his way.”
“Then, does that mean we can capture Yeok-mugi if we go there?”
“…I cannot be certain, but he will probably come.”
“But, is it alright for us to go to a place where only disciples are gathering?”
“Do not worry. They do not know each other’s faces, and I have already memorized the names of some deceased disciples. You gentlemen can impersonate them with me.”
“Oho, thank you.”
Pa-sun called down Un-pyo, who was waiting on the roof, and explained the plan. Eum-mugi was thrilled at the thought of using these two fools.
“May I ask your names, honored disciples?”
“I am Pa-sun, and this is…”
“Un-pyo.”
“Then, Sir Pa-sun, please use the name Kang Gi-cheon, and Sir Un-pyo, please use the name Ji Gi-gi.”
“I understand.”
“Understood!”
Eum-mugi looked at the two of them with pity and smirked.
*‘What fools. Well, this worked out perfectly. I was getting tired of running. Now I can use these Kunlun idiots to capture that bastard Yeok-mugi, frame him, and kill him. Then, for a while at least, no one will come looking for me. Kikikikik.’*
“Now then, honored disciples of Kunlun, let us go to the summit of Mount Bugwang together.”
“Excellent!”
*‘While I’m at it, I should use these fools to thin out the number of my martial siblings.’*
And so, Eum-mugi, Pa-sun, and Un-pyo arrived at the summit of Mount Bugwang, where Un-pyo and Pa-sun put on their best performance.
“A pleasure to meet you, my martial brothers and sisters!”
“Haha, how long has it been?”
The disciples of the Transformation Immortal greeted them without any change in expression.
“State your names.”
“Haha! I am Kang Gi-cheon.”
“I am Ji Gi-gi.”
“I am Eum-mugi.”
“Yes, the names are correct.”
Over a dozen disciples of the Transformation Immortal were gathered there. The names Pa-sun and Un-pyo were using, Kang Gi-cheon and Ji Gi-gi, belonged to disciples who had been killed by Eum-mugi long ago.
However, the only one who knew that fact was Eum-mugi himself.
“But we cannot tell just by hearing your names. We must verify.”
“Verify?”
“Yes. Not everyone has gathered yet. I will tell you when the time comes.”
“Understood. By the way, has a man named Yeok-mugi arrived?”
“Not yet.”
Just then, someone strode forward and spoke.
“Greetings, martial siblings! It is I, Yeok-mugi!”
“…!”
Pa-sun and Un-pyo were thrown into confusion. The face of the man who introduced himself as Yeok-mugi was incredibly familiar.
“What… what in the world…”
“I don’t know either…”
Everything about this Yeok-mugi was familiar to Pa-sun and Un-pyo. His clothes, his gait, his voice, his pronunciation. But what truly astonished the two of them was his face…
A man with the face of Baek Mu-heun walked from the edge of the clearing on the summit of Mount Bugwang, smiling broadly.
“It is a great pleasure to meet you all.”