Chapter 198
Chapter 198
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 198
Chapter Title: Illusory Arts and Misdirection
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The Beggar’s Sect beggar that Hyang-i had “picked up” was tight-lipped.
Even surrounded by members of the Demonic Cult, he showed little sign of intimidation. As if to prove he wasn’t a renowned beggar of the Five-Knot rank for nothing, he showed no intention of opening his mouth, even after being beaten until his face was black and blue.
“Kekeke, you think you can make me talk? I’d rather die than hand over information to you Demonic Cult bastards! Go on, kill me!”
“……”
At the sight of his defiant posture, Wang Cheon’s hand, gripping his sword, twitched. But he couldn’t kill a man they had worked so hard to acquire this easily.
*Now what?*
*How should I handle this guy…*
“Hah, honestly, it’s so noisy I can’t get any sleep.”
“…?”
Hyang-i, who had gone to rest, returned, scratching her head furiously.
“Seriously, why are you making such a racket over a simple interrogation?”
“Well… he won’t talk.”
Jusung shrank back at Hyang-i’s irritated tone, looking apologetic.
“I’ll try to handle it more quietly. Please, get some rest.”
“Bullshit. I’m wide awake now!”
“…My apologies.”
Jusung still found himself instinctively cowering before Hyang-i.
“Tsk, move. I’ll do it.”
“But he won’t talk even after a beating like this.”
“Why beat him? You have to coax him.”
“Coax him?”
“Ugh, to think I’m traveling with such useless people…”
After grumbling for a long while, Hyang-i pushed Wang Cheon and Jusung aside and sat down next to Neung Un-bi.
Her gaze seemed to regard even Neung Un-bi as another useless man.
“You’re going to do it yourself?”
“Yeah.”
“How? Planning to skin him alive?”
“I’m not that cruel of a woman.”
“…Ah.”
At Hyang-i’s words, Neung Un-bi nodded with an expression completely devoid of sincerity.
*Then who is?*
“Hey, you beggar bastard.”
“…What is it, you young bitch!”
“You looking to die? Who are you calling names!”
*Smack!*
The beggar, who had been about to retort, was struck on the head by Hyang-i’s fist and slammed face-first into the ground.
“I was trying to be nice… Who are you calling this bitch and that bitch!? The only person who can call me that is my grandmother!”
Hyang-i began to viciously stomp on the beggar.
“Keok! Keo-eok!”
“……”
Neung Un-bi sighed at the brutal sight.
*Of course. She was going to stomp on him in the end anyway…*
But hadn’t they already confirmed that this wouldn’t be enough to make him talk?
They needed another method.
The Soul-Swaying Art he had used on Black Dog was of a low level and wouldn’t work unless the situation was perfectly orchestrated.
Just as Neung Un-bi was deep in thought, Hyang-i grabbed the Five-Knot beggar by the scruff of his neck and lifted him up.
“Hey! Look me straight in the eye.”
“Kugh…”
In agony from being trampled all over, the Five-Knot beggar barely managed to open his eyes and meet Hyang-i’s gaze.
“Look into my eyes. And listen to my voice.”
“What is this bitch… sayi… ng…”
The beggar’s face contorted as he prepared to spew more insults, but suddenly, his eyes lost focus and grew hazy.
“Huh?”
*It looks like he’s been caught in something.*
Neung Un-bi, along with Wang Cheon and Jusung, tilted their heads in confusion.
After holding the beggar’s gaze for a long moment, Hyang-i casually tossed him aside.
“Done. You can ask him now.”
“Huh? Done? That easily?”
“Yeah.”
“……”
*What’s done?*
Though bewildered, Neung Un-bi began to ask the beggar various questions.
But unlike before, the man straightened his posture and answered politely.
*What is this reaction…?*
Even when asked about the movements of the Beggar’s Sect, he answered respectfully, as if he were reporting to a superior.
He even had a friendly look in his eyes.
Blinking in bewilderment, Neung Un-bi glanced at Hyang-i and asked.
[What did you do to him?]
[An illusory art.]
[An illusory art?]
[Yeah. It’s a profound martial art that only warriors of my caliber can master. It's leagues beyond something like the Soul-Swaying Art. It doesn't work on people with high cultivation, but… tricking a guy like him is a piece of cake. In his eyes right now, you’re probably an elder of the Beggar's Sect.]
At Hyang-i’s telepathic message, the look of bewilderment on Neung Un-bi’s face deepened.
*She can do that too?*
Just what were the limits of Hyang-i’s abilities?
Despite his expression, Neung Un-bi was inwardly amazed.
[How long does the effect last?]
[Shorter than you’d think. About a day?]
*A day… is that short?*
But he knew Hyang-i wouldn’t exaggerate for no reason.
And if the man considered him a superior, it would be much easier to extract information.
This meant that, from this moment on, he had to become an elder of the Beggar’s Sect.
“Ahem! What were you all doing here? Weren’t you supposed to have gone north?”
“Ah, we received orders to find Neung Un-bi.”
“Neung Un-bi?”
“Yes. We were told he would be moving toward the northern waterways.”
“Hmm… Zhuge Qingren certainly used his head.”
“Pardon? What do you mean?”
“Hm?”
“Oh, Elder, you jest. This plan was devised by the Grand Elder, not the Strategist, wasn’t it? As you well know…”
He had now started calling him ‘Elder.’
But who was this Grand Elder?
“Who is the Grand Elder?”
“Pardon?”
“Ahem! You insolent fool! When asked a question, you should answer, not dither about!”
As he suddenly raised his voice and berated him, the beggar flinched and glanced around nervously.
“It is, of course, the Heavenly Strategist, Jegal Cheon-u.”
“Jegal Cheon-u…?”
The moment he heard that name, a chill ran down Neung Un-bi’s spine.
It was a shiver of dread.
The corners of his eyes twitched, and his breathing grew ragged.
The man who had killed his comrades, who had used them to set a trap to capture him.
The very man who had brutally tortured him until the moment of his death, trying to uncover the mastermind behind him.
*That bastard Jegal Cheon-u is still alive?*
Thirty years had already passed. Moreover, the man had been over fifty when he was active as Cheok Wol-rin.
He would be in his eighties by now…
“So that bastard has been pulling his dog-like tricks from behind the Orthodox Murim Alliance all this time.”
“Pardon?”
“Never mind. If Jegal Cheon-u is on the move, are they with him as well?”
“…Who are you referring to?”
“The Sword Emperor, Spear Emperor, Fist Emperor, Saber Emperor…”
“You’re stating the obvious. Did you eat something strange?”
“Enough nonsense! Just answer my questions!”
As Neung Un-bi repeatedly barked at him, the beggar puffed out his cheeks and replied.
“Oh, Elder, they were the ones who took charge of the trap at Three Gates Gorge to capture Neung Un-bi.”
“Three Gates Gorge?”
“Yes.”
“Hmph.”
Neung Un-bi’s brow furrowed deeply.
They were men who had once proclaimed themselves the sky of the Central Plains.
They were the ones at the apex of the Orthodox Faction’s corruption that he had investigated.
Madmen obsessed with power.
Bastards who would stop at nothing for the benefit of their families.
*Damn it, I can’t believe they’ve shown themselves.*
They posed a completely different threat from the Heavenly Net. If the Heavenly Net was a snare to trap prey, those men were harpoons that never missed their target.
What if he hadn't discovered Black Dog midway and had entered Three Gates Gorge?
A cold shiver ran down his spine at the thought that he could have been killed without a chance.
“But they are not here now. As soon as they heard the Third Young Master had appeared in Luoha District, they immediately moved north. All except the Sword Emperor, that is.”
“What?”
“He has separated from the others and is currently tracking the Third Young Master’s trail.”
“What do you mean?”
“You know, don’t you? Elder Namgung Hak was his second son.”
“Ah!”
Neung Un-bi let out a small gasp.
*If his son was killed…*
It would be stranger if a parent’s eyes didn’t turn red with fury.
“So, is it Namgung Mu-wi who is in command of you right now?”
“Ah, not in command, but he did request our cooperation. He asked us to contact him immediately if we found any trace of the Third Young Master.”
“I see.”
Neung Un-bi narrowed his eyes, organizing his thoughts.
The Sword Emperor, Namgung Mu-wi.
With his current skills, he couldn’t even begin to fathom his level.
*Hyang-i?*
At best, she might be able to fight him to a standstill. No, considering her skills were specialized for assassination, the Sword Emperor would likely have the upper hand in a direct confrontation.
But perhaps this was a blessing in disguise.
He knew them, but they didn’t know him.
And it was better to have them separated than all four in one place.
Most importantly, he had this Five-Knot beggar.
The fact that this man was in his hands was crucial.
While the beggar believed him to be an elder of the Beggar’s Sect, he could feed him false information and shake off Namgung Mu-wi’s pursuit.
Of course, that still left three other monsters to deal with…
“Alright, then one more question.”
“Please, ask.”
The beggar looked straight at Neung Un-bi, his eyes shining as if to say he was ready to answer anything.
“To be honest, I received my orders a bit late, so I wasn't fully briefed on the situation here.”
“Ah! Is that so? You should have said so earlier.”
“The reason for blockading the north and investigating the waterways must be to find the group that tried to overthrow the Orthodox Murim Alliance.”
“That is correct.”
At Neung Un-bi’s words, the beggar began to explain, starting from the report of a missing fishing boat in Mengjin.
The fisherman who discovered his boat was missing had reported it to the authorities, and the Beggar’s Sect, upon confirming this, had quickly begun their pursuit.
*Damn beggars…*
They were quite resourceful. To think they found it so easily.
“However, before we could even set up a checkpoint, they had already passed through the northern gate of Three Gates Gorge.”
“And so?”
“Twenty boats are pursuing them along the northern waterway, and the members who blockaded the north are searching as they move south… but I heard their trail suddenly went cold.”
“What? The trail went cold?”
“That is correct.”
A strange light flickered in Neung Un-bi’s eyes at the beggar’s words.
“From what I heard, only the boat was found, floating empty on the water.”
“Just the boat?”
“Yes. I was told it was definitely the missing fishing boat we were chasing.”
*The people vanished, leaving only the boat?*
*What is this about?*
*Did they escape by diving underwater to evade pursuit?*
*How on earth…*
At that moment, a small possibility flashed through Neung Un-bi’s mind.
*Could it be?*
“Have you looked into the movements of the river pirates?”
“The river pirates?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm, river pirates… That’s a rather good approach. As expected of you, Elder. It’s certainly possible. At least on this Yellow River, no one is faster with information than them. This is good. Mak Cheong-ju has been staying near Three Gates Gorge recently…”
In response to Neung Un-bi’s words, the Beggar’s Sect member nodded and began to ponder.
In truth, what Neung Un-bi had thought of was just a small possibility.
With the Central Plains in such an uproar because of him and Yun An-ro, how could Mak Cheong-ju not have heard the news?
If Yun An-ro and his group disappeared, leaving only their boat behind… there was a high probability that Mak Cheong-ju was involved.
Even if he wasn’t, there was no one better at finding the missing Yun An-ro than them.
What kind of man was he?
He was a man who reigned as a king, at least within the waterways of the Central Plains. Not only the river pirates, but everyone who made a living on the Yellow River was under his control.
This was something worth checking.
Perhaps after reuniting with Yun An-ro, there would be no better plan to escape the eyes of the Orthodox Murim Alliance and leave the Yellow River than to receive his help.
“Elder, in that case, I will immediately dispatch my men to request cooperation from the river pirates. Mak Cheong-ju has a difficult personality, but… surely he wouldn’t refuse after hearing the name of the Orthodox Murim Alliance?”
Neung Un-bi shook his head at the beggar’s words.
*Crazy bastard, why would I entrust that to you?*
“There’s no need for that.”
“Pardon?”
“I will go and find Mak Cheong-ju myself.”
“What? You, Elder? But you don’t have a good relationship with Mak Cheong-ju, do you? The moment he sees you, he’s bound to fly into a rage…”
Neung Un-bi shook his head again at the beggar’s words.
*Still, I can’t leave it to you. From now on, you have to spread false information for our sake.*
“Regarding the river pirates, I have separate, secret orders from the Sect Leader. You are to handle another matter.”
“Another matter?”
“Yes.”
“What is it?”
“The movements of Neung Un-bi.”
“Neung Un-bi?”
“Hm? Don’t you remember?”
“Pardon?”
“Wasn’t it the Demonic Cult members who captured you and brought you here just a moment ago?”
“Ah!”
The beggar’s eyes widened at Neung Un-bi’s words.
Whether he had actually remembered or his memory had been distorted by Neung Un-bi’s words, a cold killing intent flickered in the beggar’s eyes for a moment.
“Come to think of it, those bastards… I must have lost consciousness for a moment.”
“Hoho, you poor fellow. It’s understandable. After being beaten like that by the Demonic Cult.”
“Where did he go?”
“He fled like the wind as soon as I appeared with my disciples. It seems he headed toward Shaanxi.”
“Shaanxi?”
“Yes.”
“How did he… We were guarding the entire vicinity…”
“Tsk, tsk, isn’t he the one who escaped the Heavenly Net twice?”
“Hmm…”
“I will contact the Orthodox Murim Alliance. You are to join the Sword Emperor and pursue Neung Un-bi toward Shaanxi.”
“Understood. I will do so.”
“Alright. Then I’ll see you later.”
“Yes!”
Hyang-i’s illusory art would last for a day. That was enough time to deceive Namgung Mu-wi.
Having altered the beggar’s memory to prevent suspicion, Neung Un-bi quickly left the place with the Lunar Eclipse Unit.
He left behind the beggar, who was bowing his head deeply in farewell.