Chapter 283
Chapter 283
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 283
Chapter Title: Kunlun Mountains (5)
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‘Damn it.’
My head throbbed at this worst-case scenario.
Of course, whatever happened to Jeok Yi’s party wasn’t my responsibility. I had only assigned them the task, not commanded them directly.
However, the person who had vanished was none other than the bloodline of the Red Dragon Hall Master.
The Red Dragon Hall Master was not only my greatest political ally but also a reliable partner in business. In fact, aside from my master, he was the adult I've grown most fond of.
How could I face him if I let Jeok Yi die?
‘What should I do?’
Overwhelmed by anxiety and frustration, I unknowingly began to drift into a daze.
“...-ga.”
‘What do I do? What do I do?’
“Ga-ga! Snap out of it!”
“Hah!”
I saw Jeok Hwa-ran before me, biting her lip.
And the tears she was desperately holding back.
‘Ah…’
The sight of her maintaining her composure, despite having far more reason to be anxious than I, jolted me back to my senses.
*Whooosh.*
My mind calmed as I gazed at the hills stretching beyond the distant horizon.
I realized the clue was right in front of me.
Jeok Hwa-ran was a direct descendant of the Red Dragon Hall.
She would be able to predict how Jeok Yi would act in a situation like this.
“How does the Red Dragon Hall operate in an emergency?”
As if she had expected the question, Jeok Hwa-ran answered immediately.
“We erase our tracks as much as possible and hide. Then we wait for allies.”
“Not run away?”
“Statistically, hiding is safer. As you know, our Red Dragon Hall is proficient in formations and traps, so if we secure a good position, we can hold out for a long time. We’re trained for it.”
“I see.”
Hiding.
She wasn’t wrong.
It was far better than fleeing blindly through unfamiliar territory.
There was also the matter of supplies, including food.
However.
*Whooosh.*
Where could one possibly hide in the barren Kunlun Mountains, devoid of a single tree?
When I explained this, Jeok Hwa-ran’s eyes lit up as she replied.
“There is a place to hide.”
“Is there a hidden safe house or something?”
“Wasn't the request to find the Flying Heavenly Tiger's secret cavern? It must be well-hidden, so that’s the only place they could be.”
“Ah…”
At her answer, I immediately called for Bukgung Baek.
“Black Dragon Commander!”
“Yes!”
“Find the secret cavern at once. The Red Dragon Hall will be there.”
“Yes!”
Under his command, the thirty members of the Black Dragon Corps began to search the area meticulously.
Some struck the ground, while others shattered boulders.
It couldn't be called a conventional method, but we had no other choice right now.
We had to join up with the Red Dragon Hall as quickly as possible.
Of course, I couldn't just stand by either.
*CRASH!*
I unleashed Explosive Death Force wherever I saw a likely spot, tearing up the ground.
After about thirty minutes of this.
As I was moving, a passage I had read when obtaining the Seven Senses Scroll came to mind.
[One must risk their life to learn the Seven Senses Scroll. However, should you risk your life and master it, the reward will surely not disappoint.]
At the time, I thought the ‘reward’ referred to the treasure map and secret manuals hidden inside the Dragon's Maw Grotto, but now I saw that wasn't it.
‘Wait.’
The Seven Senses Scroll was a martial arts version of radar, capable of piercing through walls, trees, and boulders.
Which meant I could use the Seven Senses Scroll to find the secret cavern.
I finally understood why the map had been so poorly drawn.
As long as it gave a rough location, one could find the rest with the Seven Senses Scroll.
The moment I found the answer, I focused my mind.
*Shaaa.*
*Shaaaa.*
Just as I had when searching for Jeok Hwa-ran, I spread out my Seven Senses with all my might.
I could feel various things—sand, rock, groundwater.
A moment later.
‘Found it!’
I located a large space existing beneath the ground.
In all likelihood, it was the secret cavern where the Flying Heavenly Tiger's legacy was hidden.
“Everyone, stand back!”
To get more detailed information, I ran to the spot and deployed my Seven Senses.
*Shaaa…*
The cavity I found was the midpoint of an incredibly long tunnel.
‘Where’s the entrance? No. It’s faster to just go in from here.’
It was a decision made out of a lack of time.
I found the point where the depth to the tunnel was shallowest and unleashed my Explosive Death Force.
*KABOOOOM!*
The force was enough to shake the surrounding ground, but it wasn't nearly enough to break through the rocky mountain floor.
However, I had consumed four vials of Snow Jade Essence, the Cheong family's greatest secret elixir.
With my internal energy, I could unleash the Explosive Death Force twenty times without issue.
*Crackle. Sizzle.*
I drew up my War King Ki and slammed another Explosive Death Force into the ground.
“Hup!”
*CRASH!*
*CRASH!*
Just as the ground had shaken several times and I was starting to grow breathless.
*Rumble.*
The ground collapsed, revealing the secret cavern.
I immediately jumped down, and Jeok Hwa-ran and the entire Black Dragon Corps followed.
As soon as we landed, Jeok Hwa-ran raised her voice.
“Let’s go deeper inside!”
I didn't know why she said to go deeper.
But right now, following her advice was the closest thing to a right answer.
The problem was.
“Which way is deeper inside?”
We didn't know which direction that was.
“…”
Everyone fell silent.
But we had to make a decision, and fast.
‘Should we split up?’
It was a logical and efficient plan, but we didn't know what traps lay waiting inside the cavern.
We came to save people, but we could end up getting killed ourselves.
In the end.
“We’re going forward. Everyone, follow me!”
I chose to go with my gut.
*Rumble.*
I was confident. After all, wasn't I the husband of Myo Hyang, a woman born with the fortune of a tycoon?
Surely, the goddess of luck would smile upon me…
*Thwack.*
“Whoa!”
An arrow flew from the side, grazing past my eyes.
***
A small cave, shrouded in darkness.
“…”
Jeok Yi and the ten members of the Red Dragon Hall were hiding in silence.
Jeok Yi thought with a bitter smile.
‘Every time I come to Qinghai, it's a damn mess.’
He had been the first to notice the Ten Demon Alliance's stirrings.
If his subordinates who had accompanied him then hadn't sacrificed themselves, he wouldn't be alive right now either.
And now, Jeok Yi felt a sense of mortal danger even greater than before.
It wasn't because the enemy was powerful. It was because there was a traitor in their midst.
An unbelievable reality.
Though they had softened considerably now, the Red Dragon Hall had its origins as a gathering of killing fiends, tracing back to the old Outcast Guild.
In the process of disciplining its once-unruly members, its regulations had become incomparably strict.
Especially when it came to betrayal.
Depending on the severity, not only the traitor's life but the lives of their entire extended family could be forfeit.
For a traitor to emerge despite that meant one of two things.
Either the reward was great enough to risk it.
‘Or he was being blackmailed.’
That something was being held hostage.
Jeok Yi recalled the moment he realized there was a traitor.
Three months ago, just as they had entered Qinghai Fortress, Jeok Yi noticed someone watching their party.
At first, he dismissed it.
Qinghai Fortress was overflowing with people who held grudges against the Ten Demon Alliance.
There had to be at least thousands with such grievances, so it wasn't strange for them to be wary of outsiders.
However, since they were searching for the Flying Heavenly Tiger's legacy, they needed to maintain security. He ordered his men to use the Red Dragon Hall's secret arts to conceal themselves while they moved.
The problem came after that.
The moment they deliberately hid themselves, everyone in Qinghai Fortress began searching for the Red Dragon Hall.
It wasn't long before he heard the reason why.
An order from someone, saying the Red Dragon Hall was searching for treasure and to track them down.
It was something that couldn't have happened unless there was a traitor in their midst.
Thus, Jeok Yi used their only carrier pigeon to send a message to Mujeon requesting help, condensing the meaning as much as possible.
He wasn't worried about the interpretation.
Mujeon possessed a heaven-sent strategic genius, enough to make his grandfather a Vice-Fortress Lord.
All that was left was to buy time until their allies arrived.
First, he ordered them to erase all their tracks as they moved forward.
It was to prevent the traitor from passing information to the enemy and to throw off any pursuit.
Next, he began a death march.
To leave no trace, they ate almost nothing, didn't relieve themselves until they found a river, and never lit a fire even in the freezing cold.
After about a month of this.
They finally discovered the Flying Heavenly Tiger's secret cavern and immediately took refuge.
There was nothing more they could do.
They could only hope that their allies would arrive before the enemy.
After half a month of this.
*Shing.*
Having deduced who the traitor was, Jeok Yi rose from his spot.
He had to eliminate him before the enemy attacked to be safe.
“Ju-ho.”
“...!”
“Why did you betray us?”
The other members' eyes widened at the sudden name and the question that followed.
*Thud.*
The man whose name was called dropped to his knees.
“I’m sorry.”
No excuses.
Among the three brothers, Jeok Yi was the only one who led the intelligence division, not the combat division. If he was this certain, it meant he already knew everything.
“I don’t need an apology. I’m asking for a reason.”
At his uncharacteristically serious tone, Ju-ho slammed his head to the ground.
*Shling.*
Frustrated, Jeok Yi drew his sword and asked again.
“I’ll ask one last time. Why did you betray your brothers?”
“...Cheong, Cheong-yi was poisoned with a gu. They said they would kill him if I didn’t follow their demands.”
At the mention of his son’s name from the traitor’s mouth, Jeok Yi’s eyes went wide.
“A gu poison?! Who in the world would do such a thing?”
The most difficult poison in the world to handle was gu.
Naturally, very few groups could use it.
Still on his knees, he met Jeok Yi’s gaze.
“They concealed their identities so thoroughly, so I’m not certain, but.”
“…”
“Every time I met them, I smelled a thick scent of blood.”
“The Blood Sect!”
Jeok Yi’s voice grew loud at the completely unexpected identity of the enemy.
The Blood Sect.
Those bastards from the Ten Demon Alliance were annihilated ages ago.
“Are you sure?”
“My son’s life is on the line. I used all my senses whenever I met them.”
“So you’re certain.”
“...Yes.”
“Since when?”
“...Right after the Ten Demon Alliance was annihilated.”
“That was a long time ago. What information have you passed on?”
“You won’t believe me, but I swear, this is the first time.”
Jeok Yi looked down at the traitor and asked.
“Anything else to say?”
“I’m sorry.”
“If I make it back alive, I’ll take Cheong-yi to the Green Dragon Hall.”
“Th-thank you.”
*SWISH!*
The moment Ju-ho finished speaking, Jeok Yi swung his sword.
The traitor’s head fell, and the metallic scent of blood soon filled the cave.
“Clean this up.”
At Jeok Yi’s command, two Red Dragon Hall members dragged the body away.
Just as Jeok Yi, watching this, was about to close his eyes.
*KABOOOOM!*
A massive explosion shook the cave.
“Damn it all…”
If Mujeon had arrived, he would have come through the entrance; there would be no reason for such an explosion.
“It’s the enemy.”
At Jeok Yi’s words, the now nine members of the Red Dragon Hall moved like lightning.
Three in the front, two on the ceiling, one on each wall, and two hidden in the darkness.
It was the Heavenly Killing Demon Formation, the pride of the Red Dragon Hall.
‘Come.’
Standing at the center of the formation, Jeok Yi steeled his resolve.
He was confident he could block them at least once.
The numerous traps they had set on their way here, the narrow entrance, plus the traps that were originally laid out.
His calculation was that even if dozens of peak masters attacked, seven out of ten would die, and those who survived would be in no condition to fight.
‘I just have to block them once.’
Then they would have a chance to escape, and maybe even survive.
However, the situation did not unfold as Jeok Yi had imagined.
*BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!*
Dozens of traps were breached in less than an hour.
‘Wh-what kind of person…’
Jeok Yi gulped as the sound of explosions drew closer without pause.
Of course, his subordinates were watching.
He couldn’t show weakness before a decisive battle, so he drew his sword with grim determination.
A moment later.
*KABOOOOM!*
Finally, an explosion erupted right in front of the cave where they were hiding.
*Gulp.*
One of the Red Dragon Hall members gulped, feeling the pressure of a supreme master.
And then.
“Found you.”
A young man with a very bright smile appeared.
It was Mujeon.