Chapter 78
Chapter 78
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: Sound Soul Palm Technique
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Right now, taking care of Bok Yeon-hwa, So Eun-ri, and the others was more important.
But there was something neither of them had even dreamed of...
The fact that Han Ibi possessed considerable resistance to poison.
It stemmed from the Red Dream Great Law. The inner energy of the Red Dream Great Law implanted in his body acted like a living creature, neutralizing the poisoning in its "host."
That was precisely why Han Ibi alone had been able to regain his senses when those mysterious figures poisoned everyone through the steam from the gourd.
In any case, the two hurriedly unleashed their lightness skills and raced toward the Qingcheng Sect grounds.
The Qingcheng Sect grounds were as quiet as if that commotion had never happened.
Corpses lay scattered here and there.
There were guests among them, but the vast majority were Qingcheng Sect disciples.
No small number of the injured were visible, groaning in pain.
Once that cursed flute sound had stopped, their eyes had cleared up again—but their appearances were utterly wretched.
As befitting the Qingcheng Sect's core disciple and protagonist, Jong Ri-hyeok was dashing toward the guest seating first, setting aside any personal concerns.
To look after the current sect leader and the elders, no doubt.
'Damn it. Heartless bastard... What's so precious about the sect leader and his lackeys...'
Han Ibi grumbled inwardly as he desperately searched for the two women.
No need to look far—Bok Yeon-hwa and So Eun-ri.
He headed straight for the spot where he'd last parted from them.
And there they were.
So Eun-ri had collapsed to the ground, her eyes puffy and red from tears, clutching Bok Yeon-hwa tightly in her arms.
Bok Yeon-hwa's body was covered head to toe in blood, and she lay unconscious.
Judging from the countless disciples sprawled around her, she must have desperately fought to keep her sanity and prevent her fellow disciples from turning on one another.
As Han Ibi approached them, he said,
"S-So Junior Sister. Are you all right? You're not hurt anywhere, are you?"
But So Eun-ri remained utterly still.
The shock must have hit her hard.
Han Ibi thought,
'Hmm... With the sect leader and all those expert guests poisoned out of their minds... How was Elder Bok able to hold on to her senses until the very end? If it was sheer willpower, she's one hell of a tough old lady...'
That's when Han Ibi noticed the white object stuffed into Bok Yeon-hwa's ear.
And her torn sleeve.
Snap!
Without thinking, Han Ibi smacked his forehead and realized,
'She took emergency measures right then to block out the flute sound... Different reason, but still... What a truly respectable woman.'
At that moment, Han Ibi spotted Jong Ri-hyeok helping support Sect Leader Hong Gu-geum.
'Yeah, sure. Your shit don't stink. Anyone would think you're desperate for a promotion...'
And at the same time, another person...
A familiar face caught his eye.
A hefty figure sprawled on the ground, his soul long departed...
It was none other than the Qingcheng Sect's Chief Steward, Seo Ui-jae.
Han Ibi hadn't shared any particular bond with him... but a pang of bitterness was unavoidable.
Unfortunately, those who had suffered severe injuries or died were all the young, low-skilled Qingcheng disciples.
Even in their madness, the gaps in their martial prowess had proven decisive.
Of course, there was no telling who had struck down whom.
All they could do was bury it deep in their hearts...
A hasty funeral was held for those pitiful disciples who had perished without ever attaining the Dao.
The incident was also kept strictly secret from the outside world... The Murim Alliance extracted blood oaths from the surviving VIP guests, pledging their lives as collateral for silence.
Once things had been sorted out, at least somewhat...
An elders' meeting was convened to address the aftermath.
A few had bandages wrapped around their wounds here and there, thanks to their injuries.
In any event, all the elders were summoned, including current Sect Leader Hong Gu-geum.
Everyone except the late Seo Ui-jae, that is...
The Murim Alliance envoy, Chae Geuk-ik, also attended without returning home.
He had already sent a messenger pigeon to inform the Alliance of the broad strokes.
The elders' meeting devolved into heated debate over the culprits behind the incident.
Nam Cheol-hong spoke up.
"This incident was undoubtedly the work of the Charity Cult!"
The Charity Cult was a vicious group currently classified as a Demonic Cult in the murim world.
It was the prime suspect—the fateful organization that had to be considered first.
At that moment, Gi Baek-eom said,
"Vicious as they are, I can't believe they'd act so brazenly... The core of this incident was sorcery and hallucinations... Which makes the illusion- and taoist arts-using Mosan Sect the most suspicious, in fact."
I Sin-song then countered,
"Elder Gi has a point... But the Mosan Sect hasn't involved itself in the murim world for nearly a century. Someone skilled in illusions was clearly involved... Yet the use of poison and explosives points to the Red Flag Gate as the backer."
"Not at all. The poison was to amplify the illusions..."
At that point, current Sect Leader Hong Gu-geum bellowed,
"Quiet down! What are you doing with our guests right here? We can have this discussion after a thorough investigation!"
The atmosphere instantly cooled.
Not an unreasonable point, after all.
That's when Chae Geuk-ik—the man just referred to as a "guest"—finally spoke.
"Now, now, I fully understand your anger after such a calamity. Especially at the sacred sect leader selection tournament... How furious you must be! That said, Sect Leader Hong is absolutely right. This sort of fruitless debate won't solve anything. I was there myself, and the Murim Alliance is watching this incident with the utmost interest."
He cleared his throat a few times, then continued.
"To that end, this is the directive from the Alliance Lord."
I Sin-song said,
"Please, Great Hero Chae, tell us."
"Very well. The Murim Alliance's request is this: An investigation will naturally take time... But we can't simply stand by indefinitely. Conduct your probe for one month, then dispatch someone for an initial report."
Silence fell for a moment.
Hong Gu-geum pondered briefly before speaking.
"Understood, Great Hero Chae. The Qingcheng Sect will investigate this incident thoroughly and send a representative to the Alliance."
Chae Geuk-ik nodded.
"Excellent. We're grateful for your compliance with the Alliance's directive. We'll also mobilize our informants to determine..."
His expression twisted with restrained fury. He clenched his teeth, his voice subdued as he continued.
"...who was behind this. We'll share any confirmed intelligence with the Qingcheng Sect immediately."
Hong Gu-geum expressed his gratitude.
"Very good. The Qingcheng Sect is deeply thankful for the Murim Alliance's and Great Hero Chae's goodwill."
Chae Geuk-ik chuckled heartily in response.
"Not at all. We're merely doing what must be done."
Hong Gu-geum added,
"And one more thing..."
All eyes turned to him.
"...The report on that matter will be delivered by Bok Yeon-hwa, who will assume the role of next sect leader. Isn't that right, Elder Bok?"
The sudden proposal left Bok Yeon-hwa momentarily speechless, her eyes wide as she stared at Hong Gu-geum.
A small commotion arose.
Han Ibi had indeed beaten Seong Chun-don in the end... but that was after everyone had already been poisoned and lost their minds.
Ha Bong-rye from the Hong Gu-geum faction was just about to voice his dissatisfaction when I Sin-song cut in first.
"He's right. Regardless of the outcome... we can't go back on our original promise."
Ha Bong-rye looked genuinely surprised at his ally's words, his mouth opening and closing in bewilderment...
Then a voice called from outside.
"Jong Ri-hyeok and Jong Ri-mae have arrived."
Hong Gu-geum said,
"Let them in."
"Yes, understood."
The doors opened, and the two men entered.
Jong Ri-hyeok looked confident and poised, while Han Ibi shuffled in awkwardly, visibly uncomfortable.
Han Ibi thought,
'Goddamn it. This feels just like walking into an executive board meeting back at the company. Even stuck in a novel, I have to deal with this crap...'
At that moment, Nam Cheol-hong spoke in a somewhat surprised tone.
"Jong Ri-hyeok, fine... but why on earth did you bring your brother along?"
An awkward silence descended.
'What... Weren't you the ones who called for me?'
Even Han Ibi felt the awkwardness.
It fell to Bok Yeon-hwa to break the tension.
"I suggested it to the sect leader. It's to reflect Jong Ri-hyeok's opinion that they provided crucial aid in resolving this incident."
Ha Bong-rye said with a displeased expression,
"Come on... Isn't Jong Ri-hyeok just saying that to save face for his half-brother? How much could a total newbie like Jong Ri-mae have contributed? We can't handle a matter this important so carelessly."
Bok Yeon-hwa didn't back down.
"We can discuss that after hearing from the parties involved."
"Hmph."
Ha Bong-rye looked dissatisfied but had nothing more to say in the current atmosphere, so he fell silent.
Watching this, Han Ibi thought,
'Tch. If you're just gonna fight among yourselves, why drag people into it.'
He subtly glanced around the room.
But...
'Huh? That's Chae Geuk-ik from before... but there's one guy I don't recognize sitting there.'
Indeed.
Jong Ri-hyeok was handsome enough... but this man in his thirties was even taller and more refined, with the air of a noble young master, firmly occupying his seat.
'That's weird... Sitting at the high seat next to Chae Geuk-ik, he must be someone important...'
Unable to contain his curiosity, Han Ibi kept stealing glances at him.
But something felt off... familiar.
He felt like he should know him, but the name wouldn't come.
As he floundered in that frustrating sensation...
'Ah! Of course!'
Finally, Han Ibi pulled the man's silhouette from his memory.
Surprisingly, he had attended the Qingcheng sect leader tournament.
'He must've been in disguise back then.'
Indeed.
The man was the bushy-bearded fellow Han Ibi had privately dismissed as an arrogant "rich pig" at the time.
With not a single hair on his face now, his bare features made him hard to recognize at first.
At that instant, the man—who had seemed to merely observe the proceedings until now—spoke for the first time.
His gaze was fixed on Jong Ri-hyeok.
"How did you know?"
Jong Ri-hyeok replied,
"Know what?"
"How did you know they had infiltrated?"
Jong Ri-hyeok turned his head without a word.
Was it because some random young nobody had bluntly demanded an answer out of nowhere...?
Faced with this seemingly rude situation, the elders—including Hong Gu-geum, save for Bok Yeon-hwa—went pale in an instant.
I Sin-song spoke first.
"Hey now. When someone asks you a question, you answer! How dare you evade it!"
Instead, the young man stepped forward to defend Jong Ri-hyeok.
"No, the rudeness is mine."
Chae Geuk-ik chimed in.
"Not at all. How could we say that of the young master..."
The man raised a hand to silence Chae Geuk-ik and continued.
(To be continued)