Chapter 213
Chapter 213
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 213
Chapter Title: Shattered into Pieces (3)
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Shweeek!
The Heavenly Demon Sword, transformed into a blade, sliced through the air as it flew forward.
Yeong Hopyeong, fleeing in a blind panic, twisted his body in horror, but the Heavenly Demon Sword permitted no evasion. It abruptly changed direction and plunged deep into his side.
With a single strangled scream, the collapsing Yeong Hopyeong was dragged over by Dan Ri-hwa, who arrived belatedly.
Those who had chosen to flee alongside Yeong Hopyeong were mostly captured by the Sword Pavilion's swordsmen. Some resisted until the bitter end and lost their lives.
Yeong Hogi stared blankly with dazed eyes at the chain of events that had unfolded in the blink of an eye. He couldn't comprehend what on earth was happening right before him.
The Yeongho Clan had been slapped with the absurd false charge of ties to the Blood Slaughter Cult, and now Yeong Hopyeong and a handful of retainers fleeing away had only lent credibility to the enemy's claims.
"You seem unable to make sense of the current situation."
Je Gal-su approached Yeong Hogi, his face tinged with a touch of pity as he spoke.
"That's right."
Yeong Hogi replied without even turning his head. His gaze was fixed on Yeong Hopyeong, who was being dragged in looking utterly wretched.
"Just accept it as you've heard. The Yeongho Clan—no, let me correct that. Those people who fled with him are definitely connected to the Blood Slaughter Cult. They lured away a small group of enemies, leaving the Sword Pavilion's rear completely exposed. They aided the Blood Slaughter Cult's scheme to attack the Sword Pavilion."
"......"
Still unable to believe it, Yeong Hogi said nothing.
"Just before they arrived, you said the Yeongho Clan hadn't completely fallen to the Blood Slaughter Cult. How did you come to that conclusion?"
Sima Geon, having retrieved the Heavenly Demon Sword from Yeong Hopyeong's side, asked as he returned.
Yeong Hogi's gaze subtly shifted toward Je Gal-su.
As if anticipating the question, Je Gal-su immediately opened his mouth.
"The Sword Lord once visited our main house."
"The previous Sword Lord?"
"Yes. He came to consult about the Blood Slaughter Cult issue."
"I've heard bits about it. They said you made major contributions back then."
"Not major—more like I just helped a little with his judgment."
Je Gal-su waved his hand lightly and continued.
"Immodest as it sounds, I'm a bit clever."
"That's bragging."
Je Gal-geom grimaced.
"It's not wrong, though. Anyway, back then I looked into the murim situation through various pieces of information, and it all seemed so strange. Unexplainable things kept happening. So I went to the Record Pavilion and combed through all the intelligence coming into our house. I meticulously checked about five years' worth of records."
"That kid didn't sleep for days, barely drank water, just investigated nonstop."
Je Gal-geom, who had first encountered Je Gal-su emerging from the Record Pavilion at the time, added a brief explanation.
"Through that process, I found some information that had been strangely manipulated, even reports that were omitted entirely. Blood Slaughter Cult spies had been operating in secret."
Sima Geon and Yeong Hogi nodded, recalling that the purge of Blood Slaughter Cult infiltrators had first begun in the Je Gal Clan.
"During that investigation, I was shocked by one thing. While the Heavenly Demon Cult was stirring up trouble, an unusually high number of sect leaders or clan heads had changed. Around a hundred places within a single month."
"That's definitely odd."
Unlike Sima Geon, who showed little reaction despite his words, Yeong Hogi displayed a clear response—because Je Gal-su had been staring right at his face while mentioning the change in clan heads.
'The clan head changed?'
A past event involuntarily flashed through Yeong Hogi's mind.
The shocking incident where his father, who had seemed unquestionably secure as the next clan head, had been ousted by his uncle. He'd thought it unavoidable at the time, but hearing Je Gal-su now made something feel off.
"As far as I know, the current Yeongho Clan head also took over around that time."
"That's true, but......"
Yeong Hogi tried to defend the clan, suppressing the irreverent suspicion rising in a corner of his heart.
"According to our house's intelligence, your father, the eldest son, had an overwhelmingly higher chance of becoming clan head."
Yeong Hogi's face registered shock at the mention of "eldest son."
"It seems Young Master Je Gal knows who I am."
"Yes. Twelve years ago, I visited the Yeongho Clan with my father for the previous clan head's birthday. We exchanged greetings then."
"I... see."
Yeong Hogi let out an awkward laugh. Searching his memory from twelve years ago, he had no recollection of meeting Je Gal-su.
"Twelve years ago—how old were you?"
Sima Geon asked.
"Seven."
Everyone fell silent at Je Gal-su's calm reply.
"Anyway, the atmosphere back then was like that, but your uncle's influence was formidable."
"No. The possibility was slim. According to the reports at the time, a force he was secretly cultivating called the Black Ox Squad vanished, and his presence within the Yeongho Clan faded accordingly."
"Black Ox Squad?"
Sima Geon asked involuntarily.
"Yes."
"I see."
Sima Geon quietly closed his mouth, recalling the men who had targeted the Celestial Pure Jade Milk only to be massacred by Cheol Woo. He knew through Yong Jung that the Black Ox Squad had been dispatched by the Yeongho Clan, but not that they were under the current clan head's direct command.
"For a figure with slim chances to become clan head is grounds for suspicion enough. And the radical actions he took after becoming head were far from ordinary."
"That was my uncle's capability..."
"Of course, we know the current clan head is exceptionally capable. But there's such a thing as going too far. The Yeongho Clan's actions since then have been beyond imagination. That's why our house had no choice but to keep a close watch on the Yeongho Clan—and the Heavenly Justice Alliance's movements. We monitored the Yeongho Clan, responsible for the Sword Pavilion's rear, precisely for that reason. And the result is as you see."
Je Gal-su pointed at Yeong Hopyeong, who was trembling in pain and fear, and shrugged.
"Interrogating this one will clarify how the Yeongho Clan is currently being run."
Sima Geon walked toward Yeong Hopyeong, asked a few questions, and then promptly struck.
A horrific scream followed.
Watching Yeong Hopyeong writhe on the ground in agony, Yeong Hogi bit his lip until it bled. But he made no move. He even gestured to the other retainers inclined to rebel, signaling them to stay put.
Yeong Hopyeong, subjected to the Bone Marrow Extraction technique, didn't hold out long. And what he spewed out amid tears and snot matched Je Gal-su's predictions closely.
"Ah!"
Faced with the staggering truth, Yeong Hogi could only stare blankly at the sky, speechless and motionless.
"W-what do you mean by that?"
The face of the Henan Divine Fist Branch Leader, commanding the Heavenly Justice Alliance's forces, twisted in fury. He was already racking his brains over the report that the Conciliation Party, moving stealthily to strike the Sword Pavilion, had been ambushed by the Je Gal Clan's Wa Ryong Corps out of nowhere. And now this impossible event had occurred.
"Speak clearly. Who got what?"
The Branch Leader grabbed Han Gan, an agent of the Gold Command, by the collar and bellowed.
"The... the Leader..."
Han Gan trailed off, bowing his head unable to continue.
"H-how could such an absurd thing happen."
The Branch Leader clutched his head and slumped down.
"Who did he fall to? The Sword Lord?"
Im Pung-myeon, the Branch Leader's right-hand man, asked.
"No. The Leader lost his life to the Divine Demon Division Leader."
"Who...?"
"Divine Demon Division Leader Sima Geon."
Im Pung-myeon's face filled with disbelief.
"Why would that man be here? Neither the Heavenly Justice Alliance, the Yeongho Clan, nor even you mentioned anything about him."
"My apologies."
Han Gan bowed his head in shame.
"What about the others?"
The Branch Leader, shedding tears with a devastated expression, asked weakly.
"Elder Yi and the forces he raised were all wiped out as well. U Gong fell to him too..."
"Enough! Any survivors? Not a single one made it?"
"Exactly five survived."
"Who?"
"The Gold Command's Deputy Commander and two subordinates who were scouting the perimeter instead of entering the battlefield, plus the Blood Command's Commander and Deputy Commander."
"The Blood Command's Commander survived?"
The Branch Leader's expression brightened slightly, knowing full well that Ya Hul-hon was the Leader's blood kin. It was as if he'd spotted a ray of light in the darkness.
"Yes. According to the Deputy Commander's report, the Leader staked his life to ensure his escape."
"Ah! I see."
The Branch Leader, envisioning the Leader's desperate resolve to save his bloodline and Ya Hul-hon's anguish at fleeing while leaving his grandfather behind, fell silent for a long while.
"Where is he now?"
Regaining his composure with difficulty, the Branch Leader asked in a trembling voice.
"He's shaken off the Sword Pavilion's pursuit and retreated to a safe location, as far as I know. The Deputy Commander and agents are escorting him now."
"Thank goodness. Have you informed the Leader about this?"
"We sent carrier pigeons to the Red Tower Fortress and the Heavenly Justice Alliance, but it will take some time for them to arrive."
"What about the others?"
"Not yet."
After a moment's thought, the Branch Leader spoke.
"From now on, cancel all plans at Phoenix Mountain. Relay to our cult's disciples: escape Phoenix Mountain immediately. But emphasize they must move as stealthily as possible."
"Understood."
"Also, issue an order prohibiting any hostile actions whatsoever against Shandong murim."
"I'll handle it right away."
"Make haste."
Han Gan withdrew hurriedly at the Branch Leader's command.
"What about handling the Conciliation Party matter?"
Im Pung-myeon asked.
"The Je Gal Clan, right?"
"Yes."
"As I said earlier, the Je Gal Clan wouldn't just attack the Conciliation Party out of the blue. Their cover was probably blown."
"Likely."
"Hah! Trouble on top of trouble."
The Branch Leader shook his head with a frustrated expression.
"Of all places, the Je Gal Clan. And now the Sword Pavilion's involved too. They'll use the Conciliation Party as a pretext to cast suspicion on the entire Heavenly Justice Alliance."
"We need to sever the connections somehow. Claim that flies inevitably swarm when rapidly expanding our forces... Hold on."
The Branch Leader's eyes began to gleam.
"Seo Ju Clan."
"Yes."
"They were massacred at Bongik Ridge, right?"
"Yes. By our cult's disciples disguised as Shandong murim forces."
"There were Heavenly Justice Alliance members too."
"Yes. Protector O Gwang and roughly fifty others under him perished together."
"O Gwang has no ties to our cult?"
"None."
"Perfect. Frame the Seo Ju Clan as infiltrators we planted in the Heavenly Justice Alliance."
"Pardon?"
Im Pung-myeon blurted in surprise.
"Make it the same as the Conciliation Party situation. The Seo Ju Clan, colluding with our cult, attacked O Gwang and his Heavenly Justice Alliance warriors. We only stepped in to suppress the Seo Ju Clan after realizing it late."
"Ah!"
A cry of admiration escaped Im Pung-myeon as he grasped the Branch Leader's intent.
"Not just the Seo Ju Clan—package some of the other kills we've made the same way. Even the all-knowing Je Gal Clan won't suspect the entire Heavenly Justice Alliance then. Even if they do, they won't act rashly without solid proof."
"I'll go to Bongik Ridge personally."
"Good. Make it airtight."
"Understood."
As Im Pung-myeon departed, the Branch Leader slowly closed his eyes.
'Leader. This grudge, I will surely...'
Tears streamed once more from the Branch Leader's eyes as he recalled his bond with Ya Hul-jae.