Chapter 120: Infiltration (1)
Chapter 120
Infiltration (1)
"Retrieve the Grand Martial Brother!"
"Fall back!"
"Full retreat—move with everything you've got!"
The Diancang Sect warriors hastily gathered the unconscious Ungil—knocked out cold by Se-woon's single strike—and began their frantic escape.
Several of their elite disciples had already fallen to Se-woon.
And now, with Ungil out of the fight, victory was impossible.
The Beast Palace warriors watched the Diancang Sect flee like whipped dogs, slamming their weapons into the ground and roaring in triumph.
"Woo! Weaklings from the Central Plains!"
"Look at them—not a shred of muscle, yet they dare act so arrogant!"
"Never underestimate the Beast Palace again!"
Though Se-woon had been the one to turn the tide, the Beast Palace warriors conveniently forgot that fact, basking in their victory.
But soon, their excitement began to fade.
Alright, now it's time.
Se-woon slowly tensed, waiting.
"Hey, who is this unfamiliar brother?"
"He fights like a demon, but his body's too small for one of us."
"Hmm, the Wolf and Ape Tribes aren't here. Maybe he's from one of them?"
The Beast Palace warriors murmured among themselves, eyeing him curiously.
Se-woon remained silent, standing tall with squared shoulders, waiting for someone.
"Make way."
Here he comes.
A giant emerged through the ranks—a man whose bulk rivaled that of a full-grown bear.
His muscles were so enormous that the rattan armor woven from southern vines strained at the seams, threatening to burst.
"I am Tasadon, first son of the Bear Tribe, one of the five ruling clans of the Beast Palace! First, I offer my gratitude for your aid, nameless brother!"
Tasadon.
A name Se-woon recognized.
He had been one of the leaders of the resistance against the Blood Cult just before the Beast Palace fell into their hands.
Seems he's leading this war party now.
Se-woon raised his voice, modulating it with his vocal technique.
"Well met, Brother Tasadon, first son of the Bear Tribe! I am the warrior Pataewoon!"
"Well met, Brother Pataewoon!"
Now, straight to business.
Se-woon wasted no time.
"Tasadon! Take me to the Beast Palace! I wish to meet the Beast King!"
"!!"
The warriors exchanged murmurs at his bold request.
Tasadon hesitated before responding.
"Hmm... The Beast Palace never forgets a debt, but we must be certain you are truly one of us! Only true brothers may enter Thunderous Love Mountain's inner palace!"
"You doubt me now?"
"I do!"
Se-woon made a show of displeasure.
Tasadon immediately apologized.
"Forgive me, Brother Pataewoon! But your physique resembles that of a Central Plains man! Suspicion is ugly, but we've been deceived too many times!"
"...I understand."
Se-woon had expected this.
History was littered with Central Plains schemers trying to exploit the Beast Palace's strength—some even attempting to infiltrate spies into their ranks.
After suffering losses, the Beast Palace had tightened its gates, admitting only those whose identities were verified.
Grrrl!
Grrrr!
Damn, their beasts are the size of houses.
The monstrous creatures raised by the Beast Palace warriors growled at Se-woon.
Born and raised in the primeval forests, these beasts dwarfed their Central Plains counterparts in both size and ferocity.
As silence stretched, the warriors' gazes shifted from gratitude to wariness.
Too bad. If I had the Bone Shrinking Art, I could've erased their doubts instantly.
Every one of them was a natural-born giant—a hallmark of the Beast Palace warriors.
Se-woon had altered his voice with martial arts and his face with a Human-Skin Mask, but his build remained unchanged.
For that, he would've needed the Bone Shrinking Art—the ability to rearrange bones and muscles.
The situation was razor-thin.
But Se-woon didn't panic.
I came prepared for this.
Finally, he spoke, his eyes gleaming.
"Wait here a moment, brothers."
"Huh? Of course."
"Understood."
Whoosh!
Se-woon suddenly darted toward the bushes where Muming had been hiding.
Was he running?
The warriors blinked in confusion, but Se-woon stopped just as abruptly.
Thud!
Right in front of Muming's hiding spot.
The man, who had been lounging comfortably, scrambled up in panic.
"W-what? Why are you—"
"Had enough rest? Time to work."
"Work? What do you—URK!"
A dull thud echoed as Se-woon drove a full-powered fist into Muming's gut without warning.
Why... me...?
Muming stared at Se-woon with the betrayed eyes of an abandoned lord before collapsing unconscious.
Se-woon casually reached out.
Ssssk!
Silk threads coiled around Muming's body like shackles, binding him tightly.
Thud!
Se-woon slung him over his shoulder and returned to the warriors.
They blinked in shock—Tasadon included.
Whoosh!
Se-woon unceremoniously dumped Muming at their feet.
Then, with a voice thick with indignation, he declared:
"I am Pataewoon, sole son of Pataho—a warrior of the Beast Palace sold into slavery to die a wretched death! I have returned to my homeland after capturing the villain who sold my father!"
"!!"
Tasadon jolted at the name Pataho.
That man—!
He had never met him, but the name was legendary among the Beast Palace elders.
A name no outsider would know.
Sorry, old man. Borrowing your name for a bit.
And for Se-woon, Pataho was someone unforgettable—a man tied to the Blood Cult.
As Se-woon lingered in thought, Tasadon cautiously asked:
"...He was taken by slavers?"
"Yes."
"Brother... would you come with us and tell the king everything?"
"Of course."
Se-woon nodded.
Whoosh!
—Wait, what?
Suddenly, several warriors lunged forward like lightning.
Se-woon froze momentarily but didn't evade—he knew their target wasn't him.
"You damn slaver scum!"
"Daring to sell our warriors?!"
"You'll pay for this!!"
Crunch!Smash!
The warriors began viciously stomping on Muming's prone form.
"ARGH! AAAGH!"
His agonized screams filled the air.
With their massive frames, their brutality was unmatched.
Muming, piecing together the situation from their shouts, writhed desperately, trying to shield his less-injured parts as he glared at Se-woon with venom.
What? You rested well while I fought, didn't you?
Se-woon felt not an ounce of guilt.
Tasadon spoke up.
"Worry not, nameless—no, Brother Pataewoon! You are now under the protection of your brothers!"
"My thanks, Brother Tasadon."
Thump-thump!
Tasadon struck his chest twice with a fist—a Beast Palace warrior's salute.
Se-woon mirrored the gesture.
Tasadon then bellowed to his men:
"Warriors of the Beast Palace! We return to the inner palace!"
And so, with their new brother and a slaver in tow, the Beast Palace warriors began their march toward Thunderous Love Mountain.
Meanwhile, at Thunderous Love Mountain
The Beast Palace's inner palace stood atop the mountain, with the territories of the five ruling tribes scattered across its slopes.
Among them, Meng Rong, chieftain of the Wolf Tribe, was in his earthen lodge, engaged in a secret meeting.
"Tell me! When will the throne finally be mine?!"
Meng Rong—a man as massive as Tasdon, clad in the pelt of a giant wolf—seethed with fury.
An old scar over his right eye made his expression even more fearsome.
Opposite him sat a shadowy figure draped in black robes.
"The grand scheme proceeds perfectly. If the chieftain waits just a little longer—"
"Enough! Wait, wait, wait! I've waited long enough! No more!"
The figure—Yin Zhiming, deputy master of the Jiangshi Sect under Blood Cult Elder Qilian Demon—barely suppressed his disgust.
This stupid barbarian.
He wanted nothing more than to snap the man's neck.
But he couldn't.
Meng Rong's betrayal was essential to the Blood Cult's plans.
"I understand your impatience, but please endure a little longer. Soon, the Male-Female Gu Poison fed to him will take effect."
"Tch. What's taking those damn bugs so long?"
"Haha... Indeed."
As Yin Zhiming forced a smile, Meng Rong's eyes suddenly gleamed—not with anger, but greed.
"Then give me more of that Danhwan from last time. My External Martial Arts improved absurdly fast after taking it."
"That... is easily arranged."
Yin Zhiming's lips twisted as he retrieved a pitch-black pill from his robes.
But just then—
"Chieftain!"
Thud-thud-thud!
A subordinate burst into the lodge.
In that instant, Yin Zhiming's body melted into the shadows, vanishing without a trace.
Luckily, the newcomer noticed nothing.
Meng Rong glared daggers at the intruder.
"What is it? I gave strict orders not to be disturbed!"
"M-my apologies! But... an emergency decree has been issued from the inner palace!"
"An emergency decree?"
Such decrees came directly from the Beast King himself—only declared for matters of utmost importance.
...Why now?
Meng Rong's eyes narrowed.
"Y-yes! A warrior claiming to be the son of Pataho has returned!"
"!!"
The news struck like a thunderbolt.
(To be continued in Chapter 121: The Tyrant of Sichuan)