Chapter 227
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 227
Chapter Title: A Madman's Gambit
Everyone stared, dumbfounded, at Kang Ja-seo scratching his head.
The double… wasn’t a double, but the real one?
Not only had he fooled everyone perfectly, but his attitude changed completely the moment he was caught.
“Young lady, would you mind letting go? My wrist is weaker than it looks.”
Kang Ja-seo winked casually, and Hyang-i slowly released her grip.
“Thanks, pretty lady.”
Pretty… lady?
And that greasy expression and tone on top of it.
This is the man who's supposed to become the Sage of Insight of Sacred Fire Valley?
Hyang-i's face scrunched up slightly at his flirtatious demeanor, but she soon shook her head.
A faint smile on his face, Neung Un-bi descended from the platform.
Nervousness? Fear?
No such emotions were visible on Kang Ja-seo's face. He was completely unfazed, standing in a battlefield drenched in blood and filled with the wounded.
As if it were familiar.
“Hwa Bi sang your praises, so I had my hopes… and it seems he was right. I'm glad you have more backbone than I expected.”
“Thanks for the compliment, Third Young Master. Or was it the Cult Leader of the Sun and Moon Demonic Cult?”
“Call me whatever you're comfortable with.”
Neung Un-bi let out a soft chuckle and stood before Kang Ja-seo.
“But how did you know I was the real one? Was it obvious?”
“…I guessed.”
Struck speechless for a moment, Kang Ja-seo found Neung Un-bi's answer utterly devoid of deceit.
“What? You guessed?”
“Yes.”
“That's ridiculous!”
“Why is it ridiculous?”
“You mean, you just guessed without any basis?”
“There was a basis.”
“…”
“A feeling, you could say?”
“A feeling?”
“Yes, a feeling. Something felt off. No matter how certain defeat seemed, it was strange that he said nothing at all.”
“…”
“With that unsettling feeling, I watched you, and the moment our eyes met, you immediately started acting scared.”
“Ha!”
Kang Ja-seo couldn't help but let out a dry laugh.
“You read me in a mere instant?”
“I once trained for that kind of thing until I nearly died. It naturally became a habit.”
“What?”
“Sometimes, a single small detail can decide life and death.”
Recalling his habits from his time as an assassin, Neung Un-bi gave a wry smile.
To be an exceptional assassin, one must have a keen eye. You have to quickly read and memorize your surroundings, never missing the slightest change within them.
Furthermore, the nature of the missions often involved fighting powerful foes, requiring a meticulous analysis of the opponent's martial arts.
To find something advantageous amidst their rapid movements.
That was precisely why he had grasped the concept of observation faster than anything else.
Moreover, it was because of that ability that he had been able to survive for so long, even while the Orthodox Faction hunted him with fiery determination.
Though, that was a realization he only came to later.
“Haha… This guy is completely insane.”
As Kang Ja-seo laughed in disbelief, the atmosphere around them instantly turned cold.
“How dare you!”
“Watch your tongue!”
“…”
Kang Ja-seo frowned at the hostile atmosphere.
“Damn it, I can't even speak freely.”
“This bastard!”
At Kang Ja-seo's grumbling, even Hyang-i, who had been holding back, seemed to lose her temper and gripped the dagger at her side.
“Hyang-i.”
“?”
“You're a divine maiden now.”
Restrained by Neung Un-bi, Hyang-i glared at Kang Ja-seo, ground her teeth, and then whipped her head away.
“Everyone, stand down. We're having a conversation.”
“Our apologies, Cult Leader.”
At the calm reprimand, Hwa Bi and the others replied respectfully and withdrew their killing intent.
“You have good subordinates.”
“They're trustworthy subordinates.”
“Still… it's a shame. If I had known you had such a keen eye, I would have been more careful.”
“Heh… You think it was just a keen eye?”
“What?”
“Hwa Bi told me. He said you're good at running away, right?”
“…”
“So I thought about it. If I were you, which role would be easier to escape from?”
“What are you talking about?”
“What do you mean? If everyone's focused on the guy pretending to be you, it's easy to play the part of the double and then slip away when the time is right.”
As he spoke with a faint smile, a flicker of surprise crossed Kang Ja-seo's eyes.
No way. Had he considered this from the very beginning?
It wasn't just a feeling or a keen eye. Although they had never met, Neung Un-bi hadn't ignored the words others used to describe him.
“Ha, haha… Well, I'll be.”
Kang Ja-seo couldn't help but burst into laughter out of sheer exasperation.
As someone living in the Demonic Cult, how could he not be interested in who would become the next Cult Leader? Even if he wasn't part of the power struggle, it was natural to make predictions.
This was especially true for intellects like Kang Ja-seo. They analyzed the power and character of each individual to draw conclusions close to the eventual outcome.
But he had never once considered Neung Un-bi.
Skill?
If he truly killed the Sword Emperor, then in terms of personal ability, he could be called the best of the five.
Of course, it was likely exaggerated. There must have been help from someone.
But regardless, breaking through the blockade set up by most of the Orthodox Faction and returning to the Demonic Cult was truly a remarkable feat.
And hadn't he done it accompanied only by his escort?
However, aiming for the throne with that alone was next to impossible.
The reason was his lack of a power base.
He lacked the people to support him. He was just a guy who was good on his own.
Although the Snow Mountain Manor had sided with him, what good would that be if he died in the Dragon Ascension Ceremony?
“Haa, well now.”
Kang Ja-seo glanced around.
Roughly… three hundred men.
That was the number of those who had attacked the Howling Wolf Gate with Neung Un-bi.
A hundred or so had just gone outside to guard the perimeter, so the total number was a little over four hundred.
Just four hundred. An utterly insufficient number.
The other disciples had long ago established their own domains, commanding several large sects and thousands of warriors. It meant there was no way it could be a fair fight.
Furthermore, by proclaiming himself Cult Leader under the name of the Sun and Moon Divine Cult, he was essentially usurping the title, which was no different from treason. He had made an enemy of the entire Demonic Cult.
In other words, the chances of Neung Un-bi taking the throne were nonexistent. It would be the same even if he managed to get the Howling Wolf Gate under his control.
But he found himself interested in the man named Neung Un-bi. His wit, his ability to read the situation in an instant and make a judgment call to find him, was strangely compelling.
But… it was only a personal interest.
Kang Ja-seo shook his head, clearing his complicated thoughts, and looked at Neung Un-bi.
“Alright, fine. You found me. Now what are you going to do?”
“Well… I'm still thinking about it.”
“Thinking?”
“I came here after listening to Hwa Bi, but I'm not entirely sure myself.”
After a brief pause, Neung Un-bi spoke again.
“Can I ask you one thing?”
“In a situation where my head could roll at any moment, I'm not in a position to be picky. Go ahead, I'll answer anything.”
“Why did you use a double?”
“Huh?”
“It means you already knew someone would come for you.”
“Hmm…”
At Neung Un-bi's question, Kang Ja-seo's eyes narrowed.
“Shall I tell you what I think?”
“…”
“You probably wanted to watch.”
“What do you mean?”
“Actually, a thought occurred to me just now.”
“…”
“You expected someone to come, so why bother using a double?”
At those words, Kang Ja-seo's pupils trembled faintly.
Could this man…?
“You're just a guest elder, after all. You could have just run away early on.”
“…”
“And yet, the reason you went so far as to use a double to hide yourself couldn't have been just for your own safety.”
As Neung Un-bi continued, Kang Ja-seo's expression gradually hardened.
“Now that the Howling Wolf Gate has declared neutrality, if someone came, their target would be you.”
“…”
“That's why you wanted to see. To see if the person who came for you was someone worthy of entrusting the future to. Hiding behind the guise of a double.”
When Neung Un-bi finished speaking, Kang Ja-seo couldn't hide his astonishment, staring at him with wide eyes.
He read that far?
“But then again, thinking about it, I'm starting to suspect the Howling Wolf Gate Master was in on it too.”
“What did you say?”
“It was strange. When I fought him, for the Gate Master of the Howling Wolf Gate, who calls himself the hegemon of the north, he was weak, even if he had declared neutrality. It felt like he was intentionally losing, you know? And to admit defeat right after I took down one wolf… isn't that funny? No matter how spiritual the beast, it's still just a tamed animal.”
“…!”
“You joined hands, didn't you? Declared neutrality for now, planning to side with whichever faction you choose to join.”
At those words, the Howling Wolf Gate Master flinched.
“Keuk, kuhahahaha!”
And Kang Ja-seo, who had been staring intently at Neung Un-bi, threw his head back and began to laugh.
He was more than I imagined. To think he could see right into my mind.
It was a truly perfect defeat.
And for some reason, rather than the bitter sting of defeat, he felt a sense of relief.
As if his complicated thoughts had been neatly cleared away.
“Cult Leader, you truly are a remarkable person.”
“?”
After his laughter subsided, Kang Ja-seo's tone changed, the levity gone, replaced by respectful formality. His expression was also dead serious.
“Everything the Cult Leader said is correct.”
“As I thought…”
Neung Un-bi grinned and nodded.
“So, what will you do now?”
“Hmm, what should I do?”
“…”
“I need you very much right now.”
“Well… is that really so? Seeing how you can peer right into my thoughts, it seems you'd be more than capable on your own.”
“That's not true. Reaching a conclusion by piecing things together from a brief situation is a different matter from reading the tide of a great war and devising a strategy. I know my abilities don't extend that far.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“You know it too, don't you? That I have no chance.”
“…I hadn't considered it at all. At least, not until a moment ago.”
“That's a relief. It means you've started considering it since a moment ago.”
“I won't deny it.”
“Good. Then let's discuss the options you can choose from.”
“…”
“First, the Second Young Master is from Hyesim Pavilion, so there's no reason to choose him in the first place. He won't need you. If you join him, even if you speak the truth, you'll be ignored or cast aside.”
“…”
“The First Young Master? That's probably a good choice. He's the closest to the throne right now. But serving a stubborn lord is harder than you think.”
“Hmm…”
“That leaves the fourth and fifth. A very good option. They're simple-minded fellows, so they're easy to handle. But their power bases are weak. To put one of them on the throne, you'd have to form an alliance. And that's where the problem begins. Those proud bastards would never yield to each other.”
“…”
“And finally, there's me. Honestly, looking at the possibilities alone, my chances of taking the throne are the slimmest. I'm impulsive, a troublemaker, and I create chaos wherever I go. I'm even claiming to be a traitor right now. Damn, now that I've said it all out loud, it sounds like I'm telling you not to choose me.”
Neung Un-bi, who had been objectively assessing himself, gave a bitter smile.
“But, despite all that, help me. I need your help. It's not about putting me on the throne, but about achieving your dream and my dream together. With our own strength.”
“And if I refuse… what will you do?”
“That… I haven't thought about.”
Neung Un-bi simply beamed like a child.
And at that sight, Kang Ja-seo found himself smiling back without realizing it.
Madman…
But for some reason, he liked this madman.