Chapter 142
Chapter 142
Infiltration of the Black Market (2)
Juk Seong-ja strode briskly down the desolate alleyway.
At a glance, it seemed as though he was wandering aimlessly, but he had a clear destination in mind.
[Simply head to this location. This is the Black Market of Sichuan.]
That was what was written on the note handed to him by Tang Hoe-myeong.
Unlike the utterly foolish Ma Geol-ryun, this man was known for his sharp intellect.
Though Juk Seong-ja still harbored doubts about him, he had decided to follow his instructions—because the schemes spun from that silver tongue had indeed proven useful.
Crunch.
At that very moment, Juk Seong-ja finally halted his steps.
He had arrived precisely at the location marked on the note.
A narrow passage between a ruined inn and a fabric shop—barely wide enough for a single person to pass through.
His eyes, hidden behind his mask, narrowed faintly.
'But is this really the right place? There's not a single trace of the Black Market here—not even a rat scurrying about.'
Just as Juk Seong-ja was lost in thought—
"A pleasure to meet you."
"—!!"
A stranger's voice suddenly spoke up right beside him.
Shing!
Juk Seong-ja instantly drew his sword.
The swift blade of Qingcheng was unmatched in the martial world.
In the blink of an eye, his sword was already pressed against the stranger's throat.
Yet, the man who had revealed himself showed no intention of retaliating.
"Who are you?"
"My apologies. It seems I startled you, honored guest."
The man had an unremarkable face—so ordinary it was almost forgettable.
But one thing was certain: he was no ordinary man.
Even with a blade at his throat, the man remained perfectly still, smiling faintly.
"Are you from the Black Market?"
"Yes, precisely."
After a brief hesitation, Juk Seong-ja slowly sheathed his sword.
The man bowed slightly before speaking again.
"The Market Lord has already informed us of your arrival."
'...Market Lord?'
It was a title he had never heard before.
But there was no way to verify its authenticity.
The Black Market operated as a secretive, decentralized network spread across the Central Plains—so covert that even Juk Seong-ja, an elder of the Martial Alliance, had no concrete information about it.
It seemed that the Market Lord was the high-ranking authority within the Black Market.
And that Market Lord was undoubtedly Tang Hoe-myeong.
'To think that bastard was this deeply involved with the Black Market...'
Just then, the man grinned and gestured toward the depths of the alleyway.
"Please follow me."
He strode confidently into the narrow passage.
Juk Seong-ja, who was neither blind nor in need of such guidance, scoffed inwardly—
Whoosh!
'What—?!'
The moment he took a single step forward—
He immediately understood why the guide was necessary.
In an instant, the ashen ruins vanished, and an entirely different space unfolded before his eyes.
"These ritual artifacts are banned even by the Imperial Palace!"
"You damn bastard, trying to take medicine without paying?!"
"Hehe, I've got just the right slave for household work."
A bustling marketplace, rivaling even the liveliest streets of the capital, appeared before him.
The ruins painted in gray had merely been a disguise—a veil to conceal this place.
'A concealment formation...!'
Indeed. A formation of such sophistication had been laid out that he hadn't sensed even a trace of it.
Even behind his mask, Juk Seong-ja couldn't hide his astonishment.
Despite being at the threshold of the Mystic Realm, he had failed to detect even the slightest hint of its presence.
This formation surpassed even the most advanced ones used by the Martial Alliance.
"Hehe, honored guest. How about buying this?"
"—!"
Just then, a hunched old woman with a grotesque face tried to grab Juk Seong-ja's wrist.
How dare—
As Juk Seong-ja was about to draw his sword and cut her down—
The guide swiftly extended his arm to block him.
For the first time, his expression turned stern.
"All acts of killing are strictly forbidden within the Black Market. This is the sole law here. Should you violate it, even as an honored guest, we will be unable to assist you further. Please keep that in mind."
With that, he turned and continued forward.
A strange chill ran down Juk Seong-ja's spine.
Clicking his tongue, he followed.
The old woman, who had been soliciting customers, watched their retreating figures with an eerie glint in her eyes.
The two soon entered a building at the center of the Black Market.
This was the domain of those who managed the Black Market—a place accessible only to a select few high-ranking guests.
After navigating a maze-like corridor, Juk Seong-ja arrived at a room at the end.
The guide bowed deeply before disappearing without another word.
The room was windowless, resembling a sealed chamber. Inside, a round table and three chairs were arranged.
A flicker of suspicion crossed Juk Seong-ja's eyes.
'Three chairs... So there's one more person coming?'
He had only arranged to meet one person.
Tang Hoe-myeong, what kind of scheme are you pulling now?
Just as his thoughts grew tangled—
Creak.
"Ah, you've already arrived."
The door opened, revealing the man himself.
Tang Hoe-myeong, carrying a small box, greeted him with an ingratiating smile.
"I should have come earlier to wait for you. My deepest apologies, Sect Leader."
"Committing a mistake knowingly is the height of stupidity."
"I sincerely apologize once more. However, I was delayed while procuring an item. I hope you can forgive me."
At the mention of the item, Juk Seong-ja suppressed his irritation and asked,
"Is that it?"
"Yes. Would you like to see?"
When Juk Seong-ja nodded, Tang Hoe-myeong placed the box on the table and opened it.
Hiss—!
The moment the lid lifted, a terrifying aura seeped out.
Inside the box lay a fist-sized jade.
But unlike ordinary jade, this one emitted a sinister violet hue, surrounded by a haze of lethal poison that seemed to rise like heat waves.
"The Corrupt Demon Jade. This will serve as the 'justification' for the Qingcheng Faction to devour the Sichuan Tang Clan."
Juk Seong-ja found himself nodding unconsciously at Tang Hoe-myeong's words.
With poison of this caliber, the plan he had proposed could indeed be executed flawlessly.
The details of the scheme Tang Hoe-myeong had secretly presented to him and the elders resurfaced in his mind.
[...Framing the Tang Clan for causing an epidemic?]
[Yes, precisely.]
The plan was as follows:
Everyone knew that the Sichuan Tang Clan was mining in Wolsan, located in the twin-river county bordering the Qingcheng Faction's territory—a right granted by the Martial Alliance.
But this very privilege could be twisted to corner them.
Near Wolsan lay a small village under the Qingcheng Faction's protection.
By secretly contaminating the river flowing downstream from Wolsan with an extreme poison, they could trigger an epidemic.
Then, the Qingcheng Faction would step forward under the guise of investigation, declaring that the poisoned water originated upstream.
[Pin the blame on the Tang Clan for illegally dumping mining waste?]
[Yes. And further accuse them of using materials to recreate the Mountain Hollow Poison—something they've allegedly been experimenting with recently.]
[With civilian casualties reported even near the Imperial Palace, pressure will mount. The Martial Alliance will have no grounds to stop us.]
Once that happened, Juk Seong-ja would mobilize the Qingcheng Faction's full force and annihilate the Sichuan Tang Clan in a single, unpredictable strike.
Just as the Namgung Family had devoured the Hwangbo Family, the Qingcheng Faction would absorb the Tang Clan.
With control over the Mystical Forge, the Qingcheng Faction's financial power would rival even the Four Great Merchant Guilds.
Any true orthodox sect member would never dare carry out such a plan—because it would inevitably lead to massive bloodshed.
'All the better.'
But Juk Seong-ja didn't care.
In fact, he would have preferred to storm the Tang Clan immediately and slaughter every last one of them.
To him, the Sichuan Tang Clan was nothing more than an obstacle blocking his path.
'The only concern is...'
The intervention of Sword Emperor Yoo Jin-hak.
Wiping out the Tang Clan swiftly was entirely possible—none among them could stand against him.
But if Sword Emperor Yoo Jin-hak later investigated the truth, complications could arise.
"If Yoo Jin-hak brings the Divine Doctor of the Divine Maiden Sect to investigate, won't they uncover traces of the Corrupt Demon Jade?"
Tang Hoe-myeong shook his head in response.
"The Corrupt Demon Jade is no ordinary poison. It's a cursed toxin—closer to sorcery. No clues will remain."
"But isn't that even riskier? The Divine Doctor is the foremost expert in sorcery in the Central Plains."
"Everything is within my expectations."
"You've prepared a countermeasure?"
Tang Hoe-myeong smiled eerily.
"Yes. A sorcerer of equal standing will intervene on our behalf."
Juk Seong-ja was puzzled.
There was only one person in the Central Plains who could match the Divine Doctor—and that person was not of the orthodox faction.
"Please come in."
Creak.
At Tang Hoe-myeong's words, the door opened.
The owner of the third chair made their entrance.
"A pleasure to meet you."
"!!"
The voice was neither male nor female—an eerie, androgynous tone.
A figure draped entirely in black robes and a wide-brimmed hat stepped forward.
But the overwhelming, sinister aura radiating from them was unmistakable—their identity required no introduction.
"The Tongcheon Hall Master...!"
One of the Five Evils—the leader of the Evil Faction's Tongcheon Hall.
The Ghostly Strange Underworld King, An Cheongmyeong.
Faced with this completely unexpected turn of events, Juk Seong-ja's killing intent surged as he shouted,
"You dare summon one of the Five Evils without consulting me?! What kind of farce is this?!"
"Please calm yourself, Sect Leader. Isn't it said that the enemy of one's enemy is an ally?"
"...What?"
"I, too, have accepted Market Lord Tang's proposal after much deliberation—for mutual benefit."
Swish.
With that, An Cheongmyeong handed Juk Seong-ja another prepared box.
"Did you think I would come empty-handed? This is proof of how seriously Tongcheon Hall takes this matter. Please accept it without hesitation."
When the box was opened—
"!!"
Juk Seong-ja's eyes trembled as if struck by an earthquake.
All hostility toward the Evil Faction vanished in an instant.
'With this... I can break through the pinnacle of the Mystic Realm!'
Only the glow of insatiable greed remained.
Watching this, Tang Hoe-myeong—
No, Ghost Shadow—laughed mockingly in his heart.
'Fool. Do you really think you can wield that power properly?'
The item given by the Tongcheon Hall Master had actually been prepared by the Blood Cult.
Tongcheon Hall had long since fallen under the Blood Cult's control.
This was a contingency plan—to ensure that even if the Qingcheng Faction faltered, the Sichuan Tang Clan and Tang Se-woon would have no escape.
By manipulating both factions into mutual destruction, they would be driven into a corner.
'I will kill you without fail, Tang Se-woon.'
Thus, the three men burned with their respective desires.
But perhaps because of that—
None of them noticed.
Despite the room being sealed tight, without a single draft—
Rustle.
One of the shadows cast in the room rippled, as if disturbed by an unseen force.