Chapter 66
Chapter 66
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: The Monster Awakens
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Crunch.
Bae Hyo-gang's hand, having crumpled the wanted sketch, trembled fiercely. Jong Se-in tilted his head and asked.
“What's wrong?”
“This bastard… is he really the Third Young Master of the Demonic Cult?”
“...?”
Jong Se-in was merely puzzled, but Bae Hyo-gang couldn't contain his surging anger.
He'd been deceived. Deceived by the name of the Okcheong Escort Agency, he had brought a disciple of the Demonic Cult into his own home.
It felt as if he had laid bare all his secrets.
But how did that bastard know…
Bae Hyo-gang suddenly glared at Jong Se-in, who stood beside him with a bewildered expression.
“You mean to tell me you knew nothing?”
“What?”
“…”
He had asked just in case, but Jong Se-in seemed completely oblivious.
“Damn it, he's the one who attacked the prison.”
“What?”
In that moment, Jong Se-in felt as though he'd been struck in the head.
If Neung Un-bi was the culprit who attacked the Heavenly Pillar Gate's prison? Did he bring it up at the banquet to test me?
Could it be that he knew everything?
Just as the shock in Jong Se-in's eyes reached its peak.
KABOOM!
“...?”
A powerful noise echoed from the direction of the forest.
It had to be from the Heavenly Pillar Gate warriors guarding the perimeter.
“I-It's an attack! Aaargh!”
A scream followed the shout.
CLANG!
The sound of clashing metal.
Whoosh!
And soon, a jet-black shadow burst through the forest, revealing itself in the moonlight.
“Th-Third Young Master…”
Jong Se-in's eyes, snapping upward, trembled violently.
The one looking down upon the world like an eclipse blocking the moonlight was none other than Neung Un-bi.
Jong Se-in, Bae Hyo-gang, and Jong Se-in's hidden personal guards, along with the warriors of the Heavenly Pillar Gate, all looked up at him in unison.
“You sons of bitches…”
The moment he saw their faces, a killing intent, unchecked by the Demon-Subduing Bead, erupted like a whirlwind.
A short while ago, when he arrived near Cheongjin Hermitage, a telepathic message had reached him.
An unidentified warrior.
The one he had privately dubbed 'that bastard' had relayed their entire conversation.
Of course, whether the two of them colluded or the honor of the Demonic Cult and the Orthodox Faction was tarnished, it was none of his business.
What did a mere name matter?
What mattered were the filthy deeds they had committed together.
Using their immunity from government interference to evade the authorities' eyes, they captured refugees and sold them as slaves. That was one of their crimes.
For the prosperity of their families, and to accumulate their own wealth.
For a paltry profit, they had trampled upon the lives of people who had nothing to do with the martial world.
It felt as if his own past, where he had stained his hands with blood, was being completely disregarded. He had even accepted death to change a world infested with such filth…
The moment his anger surged, the heart in the character for patience vanished, leaving only the blade. A monster had awakened.
Consumed by the surging demonic energy, his emotions faded. His aversion to and fear of blood also disappeared.
All that remained was a beast drunk on killing intent.
“Jong Se-in, I had hoped it wasn't you.”
“…”
Though it was just a single, low-spoken phrase, it reached Jong Se-in's ears clearly.
Shwaaaak!
At the same time he was startled, the twelve personal guards shot toward Neung Un-bi, unleashing a barrage of sword strikes.
Having not confirmed his identity, they had reacted instinctively to an enemy attack.
“N-No!”
He tried to stop them urgently, but the twelve sword strikes were already reaching Neung Un-bi.
What was he to do?
Although they had lived in the Central Plains for a long time, they were, in the end, warriors of the Demonic Cult.
For them to attack a disciple of the Cult Leader?
It was clear treason.
He had dreamed of defecting, but the time was not yet right…
But it couldn't be undone.
Wasn't it already spilt milk?
The guards' swords were already upon him.
The Cult Leader's disciples were said to possess great martial prowess, but they wouldn't be able to block an attack in a situation like this.
It would be better if he just died like this…
Believing that killing him was the only way to silence him, a hint of cruel anticipation flickered in Jong Se-in's eyes.
However, that anticipation was shattered by Neung Un-bi's hands as they swept through the air, his eyes blazing with ferocity.
Lunar Eclipse, Moon Halo.
Following his faintly glowing hands, demonic energy swirled, transforming into a massive circle.
Kla-kla-klang!
“Keuk!”
As the materialized demonic energy from Neung Un-bi's hands deflected the twelve sword strikes, the personal guards grimaced at their stinging wrists but continued their assault.
…*You'll probably make the excuse that you were just following orders because you're guards.*
*You condoned it for that reason.*
*But you bastards, how are you any different from that branch chief?*
*You should have stopped him.*
*Like Wang Cheon and Ju Seung, you should have proclaimed your loyalty, but when your master tried to walk the wrong path, you should have stopped him no matter what!*
*Go on ahead and wait.*
*I'll send that branch chief bastard to join you soon.*
*Along with everyone from the Heavenly Pillar Gate, and all the others involved in this.*
Shing!
The Biyeon, a gift from the Snow Mountain Manor, was brought upright with a gesture from Neung Un-bi.
The moon-bathed blade gleamed with a piercing blue light.
“All of you, die.”
With that chilling utterance, his sword slashed vertically.
Lunar Eclipse, Moonlight Over the World.
Rumble!
With a single, slow-moving strike, moonlight poured down.
The twelve personal guards were frozen in place, unable to make their next move.
Moonlight filled their eyes and then vanished.
All that remained were fragments of flesh, minced so finely their original forms were unrecognizable, raining down with a soft patter.
Shwaaaaa.
Blood poured down like a passing shower.
Thud!
Neung Un-bi landed on the ground, now soaked and reeking of blood.
Silence fell.
The people in the clearing could only watch, speechless, as Neung Un-bi splashed through the puddles of blood.
“My lord! Huk! Th-This is…”
Wang Cheon and Ju Seung, who had rushed in late, were startled, but it didn't take them long to grasp the situation.
A meeting between the Orthodox and the Unorthodox.
They didn't know the exact reason yet, but they could guess just by looking at Jong Se-in's clearly flustered expression.
The suspicion Neung Un-bi had held all along.
His words, which they had dismissed with near-contemptuous behavior, had become fact.
Whatever the reason for the meeting, Neung Un-bi must have been right.
They… had been disloyal once again.
Within the anger Neung Un-bi was showing now, there must also be disappointment toward them.
How could they face Neung Un-bi?
While Wang Cheon and Ju Seung lowered their heads, the ferocious beast, who had been leisurely admiring the hellscape he had created, slowly turned its head.
The moment he met that cold gaze, Jong Se-in had a strange experience.
What is this?
Suddenly, the world seemed to grow dark, as if swallowed by shadows.
Of course, it was night.
But it was a night where the moonlight faintly illuminated everything.
They had even lit a bonfire.
And yet, it was endlessly dark. It felt as if he were the only one in a world painted black.
“Jong Se-in.”
“...?”
“Jong Se-in.”
“...!”
Snapping back to his senses at the call of his name, Jong Se-in whipped his head around.
What was that just now?
Jong Se-in looked bewildered, as if he had just experienced a hallucination.
And then he realized.
The fact that all twelve of his personal guards had been killed by Neung Un-bi's single strike.
And the fact that Neung Un-bi was standing amidst the fragments of their bodies and pools of blood, staring at him.
“Th-Third Young Master…”
He found himself taking a step back involuntarily.
The sight of blood dripping from his lowered sword sent a chill down his spine.
“Jong Se-in.”
“…”
The call came a third time.
It was as if the grim reaper was calling his name.
“I had hoped it wasn't you.”
“…”
“Because my first impression of you was good. I thought that even if you walked the Demonic Path, pointed at and called wicked by others, you would at least uphold a minimum of pride, unlike that hypocrite from the Orthodox Faction over there.”
“Th-Third Young Master… I…”
“No excuses are needed. I've already heard everything.”
“…”
Jong Se-in could no longer speak.
The Third Young Master, Neung Un-bi.
He had never imagined he would be this strong.
He had heard that the Cult Leader's disciples all possessed martial arts prowess on the level of demigods, but wasn't he just a youth?
Furthermore, when he had visited the branch, he hadn't felt any power from him strong enough to be a threat.
He had simply assumed the rumors were exaggerated.
Wasn't he just a brat who had barely come of age?
He thought rumors about the Cult Leader's disciples were bound to be baseless and inflated.
But now that he had revealed his power, he exuded a demonic aura so thick it was suffocating just to look at him.
It was the demonic energy of a superior master, so his body instinctively recoiled.
To the point where he couldn't even lift a finger.
Shhk.
Neung Un-bi raised the Biyeon sword and pointed it at Jong Se-in.
“As the Cult Leader's representative, it is only right that I sentence you to death by beheading for your crimes.”
“…”
“However, before that… I will give you a chance to preserve your pride by revealing everything clearly.”
“...?”
“The Heavenly Pillar Gate. Speak of your collusion with them. I can't guarantee it will be your lifeline, but I will take it into consideration.”
Neung Un-bi said, glancing at Bae Hyo-gang.
In that moment, Jong Se-in hesitated.
If he told everything…
If he just handed over the ledger of their misdeeds…
“Hmph, what kind of bullshit is that?”
“...?!”
But his hopes were cleanly shattered by the Heavenly Pillar Gate's Master, Bae Hyo-gang.
“Have you ever seen such a madman? What was that? A chance to reveal everything?”
“Gate Master…”
“Shut up, you idiot!”
“…”
Bae Hyo-gang shouted sharply at Jong Se-in.
“Do you believe such nonsense?”
“What?”
“If you talk? Do you think he'll let you live?”
“…”
“Look at his face. He already knows everything we've done.”
Jong Se-in couldn't answer, only lowering his head deeply.
Seeing this, one of Bae Hyo-gang's eyes narrowed.
“You pathetic bastard. To think I've been working with a coward like you all this time.”
“I, I…”
“Hmph! I have no use for a sniveling coward. Get back.”
“…”
As Bae Hyo-gang extended a hand with a cold expression, Jong Se-in was pushed back weakly.
What could he do?
He had never sworn loyalty to Neung Un-bi, but now his crimes had been exposed.
It was a clear act of treason. The fear of the consequences had sapped his will, leaving his body paralyzed.
“This is why you should never trust a demonic path bastard.”
Bae Hyo-gang openly sneered at Jong Se-in.
He was a fierce dog raised to fight the tiger that was the Central Plains, but in the end, a dog couldn't bite its master.
A guy like that, defecting?
What a joke.
His usefulness ended here.
After pushing Jong Se-in aside, Bae Hyo-gang stared at Neung Un-bi with cold eyes.
A disciple of the Cult Leader with enough skill to cut down Jong Se-in's twelve personal guards in a single blow.
But he was still a brat.
The Demonic Cult dogs might not be able to bite their master, but he was different.
Bae Hyo-gang trusted in his own martial prowess, which had reached the pinnacle.
Besides, how could his accumulated experience compare to that of a mere brat?
Though it was the outskirts, this was still the territory of the Heavenly Pillar Gate.
If a disciple of the Cult Leader, out on an inspection of the Central Plains, met with an "unfortunate incident" in his territory, it would cause a huge problem, but he absolutely could not let him leave alive.
Hadn't the bastard already seen his family's shame?
Moreover, he had caught them in the act of colluding with the Demonic Cult…
One of the warriors he glanced at shook his head. It meant there were no other threats nearby.
“Heh heh, just the three of you?”
Neung Un-bi's brow furrowed deeply at Bae Hyo-gang's words.
“So?”
“What do you mean, 'so'? It means I'm grateful.”
“Grateful? For what?”
“For your arrogance, coming here with only two others.”
“Arrogance?”
“Yes, thanks to that, things have become much easier. I was already wondering when I should dispose of that bastard Jong Se-in, since he's gotten too deeply involved with us…”
“…”
“Hahaha, isn't this perfect? Now I can bury both you and Jong Se-in to keep my secret safe.”
Neung Un-bi stared silently at Bae Hyo-gang, who was watching him with cold eyes.
A conflict with the Heavenly Pillar Gate.
As they proclaimed themselves the rulers of northern Gansu, it probably wouldn't end quietly.
But this demonic energy seemed to have a strange power.
Once it started to boil, it made him completely forget about the consequences.
And now, it was even harder to stop. Because the monster inside him, the one they had awakened, was clamoring for a taste of blood.
Neung Un-bi rested the Biyeon sword on his shoulder and gave a sinister smile.
“Then try it.”