Chapter 276
Chapter 276
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 76
>Chapter Title: Blood Star (2)
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-Tatata tatak!
Leading the way was Im Gyu-wol, the Six Thousand Commander of the Imperial Guard's Execution Bureau, which oversaw all the Golden Prisons within the imperial palace. Behind him followed four Imperial Guard Centurions and someone wearing a bamboo hat, descending into the Avici Golden Prison.
Just looking at Im Gyu-wol's grave expression as he moved made it clear the situation was extremely urgent.
'Damn it. We're about to burn down the whole house just to catch one flea.'
The disciples Baek Ji-seok and Ju Un-hyang.
The trouble had started when they altered the Golden Prison layout to capture those two.
Even then, they should have guided them only into the mechanism-filled traps. Instead, against all intentions, they had lured them to a place no one should ever approach.
'Cell One Hundred Fifty-Six...'
It wasn't part of the Golden Prison itself—approaching even the vicinity was forbidden.
And for good reason: it was incredibly dangerous.
The monster known as a remnant of the Nine Blood Cult had ensnared the minds of Imperial Guards with bizarre illusions, despite being fully restrained.
Without thorough preparation, entering the designated perimeter was absolutely prohibited.
-Tak!
Having descended into the Avici Golden Prison, Im Gyu-wol hurried onward in his anxiety.
If even the slightest chance allowed the prisoner in Cell One Hundred Fifty-Six to escape, it would spell the absolute worst-case scenario.
Cleanup would be an issue, but as the head of the Execution Bureau, he himself might bear full responsibility.
That's why they had to stop it before it happened.
'Hurry.'
Running at the front through the cavernous tunnel of the Avici Golden Prison for some time, Six Thousand Commander Im Gyu-wol suddenly furrowed his brow.
-Chae chae chaeng!
The sound of weapons clashing echoed from one of the inner outposts.
Wondering what was going on, he rushed there, only to find—
'What the hell?'
The guards stationed at the outpost were desperately fighting someone.
But that someone wasn't the dreaded prisoner from Cell One Hundred Fifty-Six.
More precisely, it was several someones—and they were none other than the prisoners who should have been locked away.
"Crack up, hahaha!"
"Die! Die!"
"You bastards dare hold us?"
The prisoners, filled with murderous intent, rampaged with a bizarre madness that turned their eyes bloodshot, while the martial arts-trained guards fought desperately to subdue them.
-Grip!
Six Thousand Commander Im Gyu-wol bit his lower lip hard.
He had no idea how these prisoners had escaped the Golden Prison, but the situation had become even more tangled than feared.
'Damn.'
Im Gyu-wol glanced at the bamboo-hatted figure behind him.
Their eyes met, and the man, slightly lifting his hat and shaking his head, was none other than Senior Martial Officer Muk Seom.
Senior Martial Officer Muk Seom mouthed silently.
'Tidy this up. I'll check further in.'
With no other choice, Im Gyu-wol nodded at Senior Martial Officer Muk Seom's words.
-Sring!
He drew his sword and commanded.
"Subdue them."
"Yes, sir!"
Im Gyu-wol and the four Imperial Guard Centurions launched themselves toward the rampaging prisoners.
* * *
Deepest section of the Avici Golden Prison.
Her pupils trembled.
'It's true. Even at such a young age, he wasn't affected by the illusion—that much is certain.'
-Pachichichik!
She had been wielding lightning wrapped in blue flames, but at the sight of Mok Kyung-un charging with afterimages splitting into two, she suddenly withdrew her thunder force.
Then,
-Pat!
She leaped back, creating distance, and extended her hand in a gesture to stop.
Mok Kyung-un, who had been ready to properly clash with her, raised one eyebrow and halted.
"Why the sudden change?"
Just moments ago, she had been desperate to kill him out of distrust.
So why was she suddenly retracting her unleashed energy?
Puzzled, she suddenly clasped her hands in respect and spoke in a trembling voice.
"Six Blood Star Dan Baek-ha offers her greetings."
'!?'
What?
She was even using formal speech now, unlike before.
He couldn't understand why she was acting this way.
Then, as she raised her head with clasped hands, her eyes reddened and she opened her mouth.
"By any chance, are you of the Jin Clan?"
"...What are you talking about?"
Jin Clan? He had no idea what she meant out of the blue.
At Mok Kyung-un's reaction, she waved her hands as if to ease his guard and said.
"I am the direct disciple of the previous Six Blood Star, Lord Dam Ye-hwa, who was personally taught by that lord. Though I have unwillingly prolonged my life beyond my station with this wretched existence, if you are of the Jin Clan, you are my senior in every way. Please lower your guard and speak with me."
"......"
Her polite words narrowed Mok Kyung-un's eyes.
He still couldn't quite grasp what she was saying.
Why was she suddenly behaving like this?
'What could it be?'
In a flash, Mok Kyung-un retraced the cause.
It had happened right after he revealed his demonic energy to properly engage her.
But demonic energy was purely his own power.
So it couldn't be because of that.
Then,
'...Wind God Step?'
To confuse her, he had used the Wind God Step he stole from the masked Imperial Guard Thousand Commander, Mara Hyun.
Thinking back, right after he deployed it, she withdrew her thunder force and changed her attitude.
Her previous arrogance had vanished completely.
Then, something flashed through Mok Kyung-un's mind.
[Do you perhaps bear the Jin surname?]
[Jin surname?]
[Yes.]
[No.]
[Then perhaps the So surname...]
[All sorts of surnames. I'm Mok.]
[Mok Clan?]
It was the conversation with the masked Imperial Guard Thousand Commander, Mara Hyun.
When Mok Kyung-un said he was Mok, Mara Hyun showed a strange reaction and then said.
[You really stole the lightness skill.]
Recalling this, Mok Kyung-un became certain that her attitude changed because of the Wind God Step he had stolen.
Mara Hyun had also suddenly asked if he bore the Jin surname.
What was the Jin Clan that a single lightness skill could change attitudes like this?
He didn't know the reason, but piecing it together from her words—where she called herself Six Blood Star Dan Baek-ha—her master, the previous Six Blood Star Dam Ye-hwa, seemed to have been taught by someone from the Jin Clan she referred to as "that lord."
'Treating me as his descendant, hence the respect?'
That was the extent of what he could speculate now.
How immense was the prestige of the Jin Clan that it humbled even a monster like her?
Mok Kyung-un's gaze turned peculiar.
He didn't know who the Jin Clan was anyway, so he and this woman had no connection.
And through talking, she would soon realize it herself.
'Hmm.'
But Mok Kyung-un's thinking surpassed ordinary boldness.
He judged he could exploit this situation.
When she had shown killing intent toward him, he had no choice but to kill her. But if he coaxed her just right, she could be useful for diverting attention, like before.
First, one thing to confirm for sure.
Mok Kyung-un clasped his hands in respect, mimicking her, and said.
"You said Dan Baek-ha? Did you recognize me from my lightness skill?"
"Ah, so you truly are of the Jin Clan?"
Dan Baek-ha's eyes sparkled as she asked.
From this, Mok Kyung-un reconfirmed it was because of the lightness skill.
The reason for confirming was simple.
It was to verify if this lightness skill belonged to someone with the Jin surname, like her or the masked Thousand Commander Mara Hyun had asked about.
'I see.'
Mok Kyung-un shook his head and replied.
"My apologies. You must have hoped because of the lightness skill, but I am not of the Jin Clan."
'!?'
At those words, Dan Baek-ha, whose eyes had been full of expectation, furrowed her brow.
"Not of the Jin Clan? What do you mean..."
"It's exactly as I said."
At Mok Kyung-un's words, Dan Baek-ha spoke in disbelief.
"That can't be. You are undoubtedly of the Jin Clan. Just the fact that you withstood the Pure Essential Illusion Scripture so easily that he passed down..."
"It's true. Why would I lie about this?"
"...Do you perhaps not trust me?"
"That's not it..."
"If it's because I claimed to be Lord Dam Ye-hwa's direct disciple, I can also explain the secret of my longevity. Please don't push me away out of suspicion. After the cult fell, I wandered for so long searching for the bloodlines of the Baek and Jin Clans. So please..."
"I really am not of the Jin Clan."
"My lord!"
"However, my master who taught me this lightness skill might know that person from the Jin Clan."
"......"
At Mok Kyung-un's words, Dan Baek-ha's eyes grew complicated.
From the circumstances so far, she had been convinced this man was of the Jin Clan.
Yet he denied it so vehemently, leaving her hollow and wondering if he simply didn't trust her.
'Hm?'
Then, a sudden doubt arose in her mind.
With a slightly heavier voice, she asked.
"You said the one who taught you the lightness skill knows someone from the Jin Clan, so does that mean that person isn't of the Jin Clan either?"
"Yes, that's right. He bears a different surname. Do you perhaps know the Mara surname?"
Mok Kyung-un asked just in case.
The masked Thousand Commander Mara Hyun clearly had ties to someone with the Jin surname.
So when Mok Kyung-un imitated the lightness skill, he had asked about the surname.
-Pachik!
Through his opened inner sight, Mok Kyung-un saw Dan Baek-ha gathering her thunder force again.
At the mention of learning the lightness skill from someone with the Mara surname, her expression turned icy, her attitude shifting once more.
Mok Kyung-un quickly added.
"My master with the Mara surname who taught me this lightness skill also instructed me to show utmost respect to those of the Jin and So Clans if I encountered them."
Of course, he had never said any such thing.
He had only asked if Mok Kyung-un had the Jin surname, then the So surname.
Just in case, Mok Kyung-un was improvising, wondering if the So surname was also connected.
But then,
-Srururu!
No sooner had the words left his mouth than the thunder force in her body subsided again.
Then Dan Baek-ha approached Mok Kyung-un closely, clutched the front of his robe with both hands, and spoke in an agitated voice.
"Your master! Where is your master? Take me to him at once."
She was convinced that the Mara-surnamed person Mok Kyung-un mentioned was connected to that lord's bloodline.
Otherwise, there was no reason to mention both the Jin and So Clans.
Looking down at her emotionally stirred state, a shadow darkened Mok Kyung-un's face as the corner of his mouth twitched.
'Ah.'
This was more than enough.
She was nicely primed to be manipulated just right.