Chapter 188
Chapter 188
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 188
Chapter Title: Clue (2)
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As Grand Strategist Zhuge Hui had predicted, if there was another base nearby with something important, the Demonic Cult had no choice but to make a move.
'They have to move.'
They would either try to recover it or destroy it to keep it from falling into our hands.
'To force their hand earlier, Grand Strategist used a feint-within-a-feint stratagem.'
With just the Alliance Leader's direct strike team and the Grand Strategist's staff, they couldn't completely seal off and comb the area anyway.
So, focus on one side—if it's found there, great.
Even if they guessed wrong, the Demonic Cult scum on the other side would have no choice but to move, so no worries.
'Just station someone like Gonghon Mugeol at a vantage point overlooking the valley.'
If they don't move, it's not that important a base, so they can search slowly.
Anyway, that was as far as the thinking went.
'They're moving.'
Conclusion: there was something at the base they were heading to.
I quickly approached the campfire.
I kicked dirt into the flames to extinguish it.
Then strapped Regret to my waist and tossed Gonghon Mugeol's Blue-Red Sword back to its owner.
Whoosh.
Gonghon Mugeol caught it with a sharp thwack and spoke.
"Let's go."
At those words from Gonghon Mugeol, my master—now returned to my waist—erupted in anger.
- Where do you think you're going, you Gonghon bastard?! I thought you were good for teaching Yong-un about the importance of rest! But this? Total failure!! Argh!!
But Gonghon Mugeol seemed a bit guilty too.
"...Ahem. I really did think we'd rest. You know the Grand Strategist is famed for seeing a thousand ri while seated, right?"
He offered an unasked-for excuse.
"She asked us to guard the pass for just a day of rest, so I agreed. Who knew the Demonic Cult's base was on our side."
"You didn't say anything?"
"Really? My ears are itching for some reason. Anyway, let's check it out. There might be an ambush, so draw your sword and tread carefully."
Gonghon Mugeol and I calmly activated our lightness skills and headed toward the sound of footsteps rustling through the grass.
'By the way, Master.'
- ?
'If your disciple is messing up, why don't you pull me back?'
- Pull you back? I've told you over and over to let go of everything, rest, and contemplate!
'...Ah. You did say that.'
- Yes! You ignored me when I said it while you were busy with the Demon Defense Alliance stuff?! And it wasn't messing up. Those processes led to that moment just now visiting you!
'Aha.'
- ...Hearing that 'aha' makes my blood boil all of a sudden! If I had a body, I'd give you a conk on the head! Since I don't, smack yourself!!
'...What was that? I didn't hear.'
- ?
Is my mind clouded?
Why is Master's voice so hard to hear today of all days?
- You rascal!
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ How long had we been chasing the Demonic Cult thugs sprinting ahead up the mountain?
They must have known our search had feints built in—they hadn't walked into it blindly.
Sure enough, ambushers hidden in the grass launched killing blows at Gonghon Mugeol and me.
"We've got a tail!"
"Die!!"
But we'd anticipated this possibility.
And with their total numbers around twelve,
only two were the ambush.
So it wasn't hard to handle.
Gonghon Mugeol and I didn't exchange words—we each struck at the nearest foe with sword strikes.
Screeeeech!!
Splatter!
In the stretching time, I spun and bisected one ambusher, and by then Gonghon Mugeol was already flicking blood from his blade.
We handled the two ambushers without issue.
"Looks like we're made."
"Yeah."
But the real fight was just beginning.
The man who seemed to be their leader emerged from the brush.
"We knew you ignorant heathens were up to petty tricks disrupting our sacred cause..."
Nine more black-clad men leaped out from all sides.
"Didn't expect the Murim Alliance Leader himself to be here."
I sneered back at them.
"You didn't know that and call us ignorant? I thought you were at least hunting dogs, but with heads that slow, you're chickens! Chickens."
"......"
"You dark lumps ougol chickens? Whatever! Hey! Where's your master? You're just chicken-heads who go when he says go and come when he says come, right? Bring your master!"
"You must be Eon Yong-un. Your mouth's as filthy as they say, unlike your looks."
"Yeah. Cleaner than your insides."
The leader-looking man ground his teeth and spoke.
"...Good. Everyone, avenge our brothers. Even a single scar on Murim Alliance Leader Gonghon Mugeol's body is victory for our Six Divisions."
At his words, the ten black-clad split into twos and eights.
Excluding the two keeping me in check, the rest rushed Gonghon Mugeol with sword strikes.
Screeeeech!!!!
But I didn't falter.
Gonghon Mugeol's sword was no pushover.
'Just handle the ones coming at me.'
With that thought, I held my ground firmly, deflected one black-clad's sword,
Clang!!
and stabbed a Heaven-Splitting Fierce Array stance into another's shoulder, drilling a Regret-shaped hole.
But actually, despite their words, their real target seemed to be me, not the Alliance Leader.
At my lack of reaction,
the ougol-chicken leader grumbled in annoyance.
"Tch!"
Six of those who'd seemed headed for Gonghon Mugeol turned toward me.
"Be careful!"
Gonghon Mugeol's urgent voice leaked out.
But in the stretching time, I calmly tore off the dragon-eye wristband Uncle Yoon Young had gifted me,
Pop—
and flung it at the Demonic Cult thugs' faces.
I hadn't properly mastered throwing arts like Finger Godsends,
nor coated the bracelet with poison.
Ting! Ting! Ting! Ting! Ting! Ting!
Ting! Ting!
So my action wasn't lethal—it just bought a little time.
But that was enough.
"Rise!"
Using that brief window before they swarmed, I cast Corpse Manipulation Technique on the ambusher corpses I'd already sent to the afterlife.
Grrraaahh!!
Stab!
Stab! Stab!!!
So the black-clad who stabbed the innocent corpses had their throats exposed for my swing.
"!"
"!?"
Splaaash!!!!
And Gonghon Mugeol's charging sword filled the air with bloody foam.
Splatter! Splatter!!!
Splaaaash!!!
In an instant.
Truly an instant, and only one of the ten black-clad remained.
That last one, drained of excellence, would die from blood loss if left alone.
"That's why I said bring your master. Real chicken-heads."
Instead of answering my sneer, he pulled something from his bosom.
Gonghon Mugeol and I tensed our sword forms, wary of hidden weapons.
But he crumpled the item into a metal ball,
picked up a nearby sword, and slashed his own nape's vital point.
"Heavenly Demon Reincarnation. Myriad Demons Rise in Mourning."
And the brief chaos ended.
Gonghon Mugeol wiped blood from his face and spoke.
"Rise? That must be your family's revived Corpse Manipulation Technique that drove those Mosan Sect elders into demonic possession. Or should I say Necromancy?"
"Pardon? Ah, yes."
"Seeing it in person, no wonder those old folks were shocked. Anyway, that thing the suicide just crushed looked like a key to me—was it?"
"Yes. This is the key."
"...Guess there's something nearby after all. Let's look around."
Gonghon Mugeol and I thoroughly searched the terrain.
Not far off, we found a cave camouflaged cleverly with the landscape.
Inside, we discovered an iron door with a keyhole.
But this wasn't ordinary iron—it was reinforced with cold-forged steel.
"Hm. How should I open this to make rumors of doing it cleanly? Cold-forged steel prices are high these days—hate to force it."
"Alliance Leader. Could you step out a moment? Let me try."
"Alright, but you won't have any clever idea..."
But it was worth a shot.
I had Blood Ancestry Art.
I immediately drew blood from my fingertip and pressed it to the keyhole,
Ssshh—
forming a perfectly shaped blood key and turning it.
Clunk—
The lock turned with a sound, and the door opened.
"...Impossible. But it worked? What did you do? Just pressed your finger and turned?"
Gonghon Mugeol, quite shocked, peered into the keyhole, tried sticking his own finger in, and questioned me.
I dismissed it with one word.
"Secret art."
Then entered the warehouse with him.
It was filled with all sorts of herbs.
"Sour smell—this side's poisons, this antidote? Hm, that jar's for making deadly poison."
"These are preservatives for corpses."
Among them were spirit herbs classified as elixirs.
"This box has spirit grass? Sniff sniff. Huh? A few vials of Heavenly Pool Elixir Water!"
"Oh, really? I've had it before—the scent's distinctive."
"Hm. Heavenly Pool Elixir Water comes from lands bordering Tianzhu. Water Dragon Guild too—clearly these guys have schemes in Southern Jiang. Anyway, this box is yours."
"I'll enjoy... I mean, you can give it?"
At my words, Gonghon Mugeol nodded and spoke.
"This incident, and the last—the Alliance wants to help, but proposing it to the Backbone Council would just be dismissed as duty, or they'd offer a pittance as vague scholarship, possibly benefiting some unrelated disciple."
With that preamble, Gonghon Mugeol sighed and shook his head.
"This much I can handle myself. Grand Strategist will process it smoothly."
At those words, I grabbed the box while thinking,
'Says he'll handle it, then passes it to Grand Strategist like water flowing.'
Then my master at my waist snorted.
- Weak?
'What about me?'
- Never mind. Just never mind.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Days after Eon Yong-un and Gonghon Mugeol found the safehouse supplying the Anjia and lackeys with various herbs.
In a market at southern Hubei, a peddler with ghostly glint in his eyes approached a hawking jianghu physician and whispered.
"...As ordered."
At the man's words, the jianghu physician packed his mat and banner marked with the character for "medicine" and replied.
"Really? If there's such a patient, I'll go myself. Where? Lead the way!"
But around the corner, away from the crowd, his tone shifted.
"Good. How'd it go?"
The peddler elaborated on his report.
"Surviving Six Divisions ran into searching Murim Alliance Leader and Eon Yong-un—total wipeout of the Shadow Camp. Safehouse and herb warehouse exposed, supplies taken by them."
Yet the jianghu physician smiled.
"Eon Yong-un. This name keeps popping up, huh? Whether it's his skill or that Grand Strategist's, they're no slouches. Well, since the safehouse is raided, might as well give it up boldly. That way they'll relax and neglect right under their noses."