Chapter 67
Chapter 67
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: Let's Do One Job Together (1)
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Returning to Uichang, the Muyang Inn had already been completed.
They must have collected the compensation and used it for the construction.
"You're back? Where have you been?"
"I went to catch the Divine Thief."
"Judging by your empty hands, looks like you didn't catch them."
"Haha."
"We went around the Uichang area collecting compensation from those who contributed to destroying the Muyang Inn."
"Well done."
"The problem is we might have made enemies of them."
Gu Hwan-gae's words weren't wrong.
He had stepped up personally to collect the compensation.
But narrow-minded martial artists wouldn't just let it slide.
"They might sneakily strike at the Muyang Inn once we're gone."
"But we can't stay here forever, right?"
"I asked a guy I know to station at the Muyang Inn for about a year."
"A guy you know?"
"From the Beggars' Sect. A Five-Knot Beggar, so he should minimize unnecessary conflicts."
"And I asked the magistrate as well."
Seol Ryu-a had stepped forward too.
With the word of the Black Tiger Division General, even bribe-taking officials wouldn't dare touch it carelessly.
"Impressive. So, when is he coming?"
"It'll... take about ten days or so."
"Then we'll stay here for the time being?"
"Yeah."
"Alright, let's do that."
Dang Yu-wol smiled leisurely.
"Customer, where should I put this?"
At that moment, a Muyang Inn errand boy came carrying large boxes.
Why did the empty-handed guy bring those back?
Dang Yu-wol grinned at the puzzled Gu Hwan-gae.
"These will lure out the Divine Thief."
"What?"
Gu Hwan-gae was merely baffled.
"By the way, if we need to move our rooms to the Muyang Inn..."
His gaze turned toward the Crimson King Tower.
"We'll need to prepare to welcome the guests."
They had planned to sightsee Uichang anyway.
Staying a few days longer was no issue.
After killing time with a few days of tourism like that.
Dang Yu-wol opened the door.
An old man sat in the room.
"I didn't expect a Taoist from the Zhongnan Sect to come all the way here."
"...You're the one who figured out the Divine Thief's identity and stole the treasure?"
"That's right."
A smile crept onto Dang Yu-wol's lips.
A sword shot toward his face.
-No killing intent. It's just an attempt to subdue.
'Still, I can't just let it slide.'
If attacked, making them pay the price was only natural.
-Clang!!
"...Gasp?!"
The sword struck by his hand bounced away.
'Heavens!! Even if it wasn't a lethal strike, blocking a sword from a transcendent realm master?!'
Elder Hyeon Go's expression hardened.
In that instant, light burst from Dang Yu-wol's hand.
"Ugh?!"
Letting out a low cry, Hyeon Go barely turned his head.
What flew from his hand was a sharp needle.
'It must have been coated in poison.'
If it had hit, he might have ended up like Na Se-ryeon.
'But I dodged it.'
That was enough.
Thinking that, Hyeon Go thrust his hand out swiftly.
Shattering Moon Finger.
A technique called Moon-Shattering Finger.
The power in his fingers could crush even boulders.
"Cough!"
But those fingers never reached Dang Yu-wol.
Fierce coughing disrupted the flow of his internal energy.
"This... poison?"
"Gentleman's Mountain."
"Wh-when...?"
"From the start."
He had noticed someone in the room when he approached the door.
But would he just walk in?
"You underestimated me too much."
Thanks to the Poison Blood Divine Art, even a transcendent realm expert hadn't noticed the poisoning.
"You're stronger than I thought."
"Urk..."
"A transcendent realm master from Zhongnan, huh."
Dang Yu-wol examined him closely.
"At least at the Elder Hyeon Go level. So, you're an elder."
The Black Tiger Sword appeared in Dang Yu-wol's hand.
"You... filthy cur...!!"
"Not the words from someone who attacked out of nowhere... Actually, no."
Dang Yu-wol's shortsword pressed against his throat.
"Where's the Divine Thief."
"...!!"
Killing intent laced his voice.
'This guy... He knows I'm an Elder Hyeon Go level master and elder of Zhongnan...!!'
Yet he acted as if killing him was nothing.
'A killer...!!'
Hyeon Go stared into Dang Yu-wol's eyes.
He could read nothing in them.
'Eyes that don't see people as people...!!'
He had all sorts of experiences in the martial world.
He had seen eyes like that before.
And most of them belonged to demonic cultists or natural-born killers.
"I don't know what possessed a Taoist like you to serve as the Divine Thief's subordinate..."
The shortsword stuck to his throat.
One twitch, and it would slice.
"But you gain nothing from coming out like this."
"..."
"A swordsman's life would be quite entertaining without fingers."
Without internal energy, resistance was impossible.
If the opponent was untrained, he could overpower with bare-hand techniques.
But this opponent seemed no ordinary expert.
'What to do...'
A swordsman losing fingers.
He knew well how agonizing that was.
"One by one."
"Stop! Stop!!"
Someone jumped in through the window at that moment.
"Aaaack!!"
She collapsed with a scream.
Dang Yu-wol had thrown a flying dagger.
'He aimed for this?! Terrifying bastard!'
He toyed with killing intent at will.
Reacting to it, the frightened Na Se-ryeon who rushed in was subdued in one strike.
"What's going on?!"
"Young Master Dang!"
"You fool! What the... Huh? What's this."
Who could stay put hearing such commotion?
His companions downstairs rushed into the room urgently.
And upon seeing the situation, their jaws dropped.
"...Isn't that Hyeon Go?"
"...Thousand-Li Flying Swallow...?"
After hearing a rough explanation of the situation, Gu Hwan-gae was dumbfounded.
Who would have thought the Divine Thief was a disciple of the Zhongnan Sect?
"...So, this kid is the Divine Thief?"
"Yes."
Hwan-gyu, Gu Hwan-gae, and Seol Ryu-a felt dizzy.
"For real?"
"Have you ever seen me lie?"
"All the time."
Dang Yu-wol lied every time he opened his mouth in a fight.
Gu Hwan-gae spoke dryly, but Hwan-gyu just shook his head.
"Why did a Zhongnan disciple become the Divine Thief?"
"Well..."
Hyeon Go couldn't lift his head.
They said eternal secrets don't exist, but he never imagined it would leak like this.
"I had a junior brother..."
Hyeon Go unraveled the story he had kept.
His cherished junior brother had been the previous Divine Thief.
And his sole remaining disciple had inherited the role.
"...I was uneasy about Se-ryeon living as the Divine Thief."
His voice sounded quite weary.
"But it's what he... and she wanted."
It was his dying junior brother's final request.
And Na Se-ryeon had begged through tears as well.
He couldn't bring himself to refuse.
"...Even so, this is unacceptable."
Seol Ryu-a said coldly.
And rightly so—the Divine Thief was a serious criminal designated by the empire.
"We should capture this woman immediately..."
"Let's not."
Dang Yu-wol blocked her sharp words.
"Pardon?"
"The Divine Thief is a righteous thief, aren't they?"
"Even so, we can't deny they're a criminal."
"I know. I'm not saying just let them go."
"...Young Master Dang. This sounds like you have a use for the Divine Thief."
"Yes."
Dang Yu-wol nodded without hiding it.
Seol Ryu-a stared at him intently before sighing.
'As an officer, should I just let a thief go...?'
But it was Dang Yu-wol's decision.
She couldn't refuse outright.
"If it gets out that the Divine Thief is a Zhongnan disciple, Zhongnan's reputation will hit rock bottom, and the government will come after them."
"...Yes, it would."
"Right now, the Great Empire isn't just dealing with the Blood Cult—unorthodox factions are stirring too."
She couldn't deny it.
They had just experienced it in the Five Strongholds of the West.
"In times like these, when the world needs unity, I don't want internal strife."
"Still..."
"I'm telling you this, Miss Seol, because I trust you."
"...What do you mean?"
"There are enemies of the empire even within the imperial palace."
Not just Blood Cultists.
There were those allied with them or doing deals.
"...!!!"
Seol Ryu-a's expression stiffened.
"Why the surprise? Everyone's been suspecting and talking about it."
The Beggars' Sect had plenty of suspects too.
They just hadn't found solid evidence yet.
"...You plan to use the Divine Thief to create an opportunity to strike them down?"
"Yes."
"...But this might be considered disloyal."
"Then report it to Commander Bi-seon."
"......"
"She'll approve it."
"Sigh. Fine."
Seol Ryu-a had no choice but to nod.
"Um..."
Then Na Se-ryeon raised her hand.
The discussion proceeded as if her opinion didn't matter.
She couldn't help feeling anxious.
"I may be the Divine Thief, but I'm still not skilled enough to infiltrate the palace..."
"What you're lacking can be honed through training."
"...That's."
"Take this first."
"What... is it?"
"Ever heard of the Lone Poison Worm?"
"Eek!"
Lone Poison Worm.
A poison that parasitizes the heart of whoever ingests it, forcing lifelong obedience.
Terror settled on Na Se-ryeon's face.
"I don't plan to bind you for life like a slave."
At least until the Blood Cult was utterly crushed.
Dang Yu-wol swallowed the rest.
"Or... would Elder Hyeon Go prefer to take it?"
"...Yes. Give it to me. It's my failing for not properly teaching this child."
-Not bad.
'Noble intent, but useless here.'
Dang Yu-wol glanced at Na Se-ryeon.
Before she could speak, he cut in.
"Truly lacking in conscience."
"Ugh."
"Once the Divine Thief is caught, just do as told without complaint."
"Eek."
"Trying to shift the blame for your own crimes."
"I was about to say I'd take it!"
Talking over her and then scolding like this.
"Martial Uncle!! I'll take it! Me! I'm an adult, so it's right I take responsibility!"
-Simple-minded.
'She's human.'
Na Se-ryeon popped the Lone Poison Worm into her mouth before Hyeon Go could stop her.
"Ughhh..."
The invading worm burrowed into her heart.
It quickly took root.
Dang Yu-wol crossed his arms and said,
"That settles the Divine Thief issue."
"Not done yet?"
"Yes. Next is the Zhongnan Sect issue."
"What? That's my problem..."
"A Zhongnan Taoist attacked the heir of the Sacheon Tang Clan."
An opportunity to skin them alive had arisen— no reason to let it slip.