Chapter 64
Chapter 64
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: Traitors
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Judging from Chan-jo's urgent entrance and the recent sounds of clashing blades, it was instantly clear that Myeongwollu's head was in mortal danger.
Namgung Urin spoke hastily.
“I will go.”
“No. Let’s all go together.”
And so, everyone in the room headed for the main building of Myeongwollu.
It was the time of night when the establishment should have been overflowing with guests. At such a time, someone had stormed Myeongwollu, brandishing a sword. The startled patrons had fled outside.
However, a few martial artists, unfazed by the spattering blood and rampant screams, continued to drink and enjoy themselves with courtesans at their sides.
At Namgung Urin's command, the Five Swords of Namgung began to deal with the warriors who had taken control of the area in front of Myeongwollu.
Chan-jo and Namgung Urin’s party went straight to the fifth floor of the main building. Upon reaching the fifth floor, they found nearly twenty men blocking the corridor leading to the head’s chamber.
Namgung Urin knew. The Namgung Family Head, Jang Gae, and Han Seo-hui must have known as well.
That the head of Myeongwollu was still alive.
After all, they were all masters of considerable skill.
It was a relief they weren't too late.
Chan-jo must have rushed to Namgung Urin’s group the moment trouble broke out, rather than trying to protect his superior, So Hwi, himself. That was why they had made it in time.
It was truly a wise decision.
If Chan-jo had tried to fend off the danger and protect So Hwi, it was clear that today would have been her last as the head of Myeongwollu and the Anhui branch leader of the Lower Five Gates.
That much was obvious from the current situation.
Namgung Urin, at the head of the group, turned his head back and spoke.
“Shall I show you something interesting?”
Everyone looked at him as if to ask what he meant in such an urgent situation. Chan-jo, for his part, was about to jump out of his skin.
“Young Lord! Our Head could die at this rate!”
“She won’t die. Don’t worry.”
At Namgung Urin's assurance, Chan-jo immediately calmed down. Unconsciously, he had developed an unshakable trust in Namgung Urin’s words.
Had they not spent the last few days together? He had witnessed Namgung Urin’s abilities and knew he was not one to speak carelessly.
No.
Without realizing it, a fear akin to trust for Namgung Urin had been deeply etched into Chan-jo’s heart.
Namgung Urin spoke again.
“Chan-jo. Cover your ears and close your eyes.”
“Why?”
“From now on, there is something you must not hear or see. If you still wish to, you may. But the moment you speak of what you hear and see now, you will die. What will you do?”
“I’ll… I’ll cover them, and close them.”
*That bastard will kill me if he says he will.*
For Chan-jo, whose profession was information, living with a secret he knew was a difficult task. Thus, he chose to cover his ears and close his eyes.
Chan-jo covered his ears and closed his eyes.
Namgung Yul, Jang Gae, Han Seo-hui, and Baekri Jang-won were all curious about what he intended to do in this situation.
It was at that moment.
Four black, human-shaped figures suddenly appeared before their eyes.
They were the Shadows.
“……!”
They were all masters. That went without saying. Nevertheless, the sudden appearance of the Shadows made them all take an involuntary step back.
This was true even for Jang Gae, who had heard about them from Geolgae. Knowing about it and experiencing it with his own eyes were two different things.
The enemies on the opposite side were so startled they froze in place.
Jang Gae opened his mouth.
“……Is… is this that thing?”
It wasn't human, nor did it look like a ghost. His disciple's words finally hit home.
Namgung Urin said,
“This is the true form of the Primordial Chaos Art I have mastered.”
“Th-these things… are the Primordial Chaos Art?”
When he had heard it from his disciple, he thought Urin might have learned some other strange sorcery besides the Primordial Chaos Art…
“That’s right. You will now see something interesting.”
Jang Gae, Namgung Yul, and Baekri Jang-won all knew that Namgung Urin had mastered the Primordial Chaos Art. But they had only known it as a formidable martial art.
Just a martial art.
But what they saw before them was no martial art. How could one call that a martial art?
A martial art, by definition, was something a person honed and displayed through their body.
This… was sorcery…
Yes. Was this not sorcery?
For things that didn't even look human to suddenly appear out of thin air.
Did that even make sense?
It went without saying that Han Seo-hui was shocked.
‘What is the Primordial Chaos Art…?’
Then, a thought suddenly struck her.
‘Could it be… *that* Primordial Chaos Art?’
The martial art that had appeared out of nowhere 200 years ago and thrown the martial world into turmoil!
And at the sound of everyone's startled gasps, Chan-jo couldn't help but open his eyes.
“Hiiik!”
*Thud.*
He fell backward, landing ungracefully on his bottom.
“Wh-what are those…?”
“Didn’t I tell you to keep your eyes closed?”
“W-well…”
“If you speak of what you see now, death is the only thing that awaits you.”
“……R-right. I-I understand.”
As everyone stood in a state of shock, a situation that made them even more flabbergasted unfolded.
All the Shadows looked at Han Seo-hui. Then, they bowed their heads deeply.
“We greet our Lady.”
“……M-me?”
“Yes, My Lady. Our Lord cherishes you, so naturally you are our Lady. And you are truly beautiful.”
“……Ah, yes.”
Han Seo-hui was bewildered, but for a moment, she didn’t feel displeased. She was, after all, being acknowledged as Namgung Urin’s woman.
The First Shadow spoke.
“Lord. Shall we erase them all?”
“Erase them quickly.”
The Second Shadow spoke.
“What about those inside the room?”
Chan-jo had already seen. So Hwi would naturally find out as well.
“Erase them all.”
“Yes, sir!”
*Swish, swish, swish, swish.*
The Shadows instantly lunged at the enemies in the corridor. Witnessing the spectacle, Jang Gae opened his mouth.
“This is a sight to make ghosts wail.”
To think that things that didn't even look like ghosts could speak.
If Geolgae had been here, he would have shouted, ‘What did I tell you!’
Moreover, they were calling the leader of the Iron Blood Sect ‘My Lady.’
His mind, which had been boggled all night, felt like it was about to shut down completely.
Namgung Yul, so astounded his ears felt clogged, asked his nephew.
“Urin, is… is that the Primordial Chaos Art, or is it sorcery? If you don’t tell me the truth…”
“It is the Primordial Chaos Art. It would be best for you to think of it that way, for everyone’s sake.”
“……Right.”
Indeed.
He would have to think of it that way.
If his nephew had truly learned sorcery… that… would be no different from the Namgung family itself learning sorcery, would it?
So that couldn't be.
His nephew had mastered an absolute martial art that no one else could.
Yes. That was it.
It had to be.
Baekri Jang-won, who had stood as if struck by lightning, finally regained his senses and spoke.
“Hey, Urin.”
“What?”
“I… want to learn that sor… no, that martial art too…”
“You can’t.”
“I want to learn it, no matter what it takes…”
“If you were capable of learning it, that old man would have taught you the Primordial Chaos Art.”
“That old man?”
“I’m talking about Sa Jung-u.”
“……You’ve already met him?”
“Yes. So you can’t.”
“Dammit.”
* * *
“It seems quite noisy outside, so you must still have people to help you, eh? But what can you do? The men I brought are no ordinary thugs. Hahaha.”
The head of Hwawollu, who had stormed in to kill So Hwi, the head of Myeongwollu, sneered at her.
Two years ago, she had lost the position of the Lower Five Gates’ Anhui branch leader to So Hwi, and she had been counting down the days until today.
A corner of So Hwi’s blood-drenched lips curled up.
So Hwi knew where Chan-jo had disappeared to. So she had a good idea of who was in the corridor right now.
That was why she smiled in relief, knowing she was saved.
“You bitch picked the wrong day, a very wrong day indeed.”
If it had been tomorrow night instead of tonight, the Hwawollu head's plan would have been a resounding success.
The plan to kill So Hwi and reclaim the position of the Lower Five Gates’ Anhui branch leader.
“I’ll rip that mouth of yours myself. So you can’t run that little mouth of yours anymore. How dare you sweet-talk the Sect Leader with your nonsense! And what was that? You’re close with the Namgung Family’s Young Lord? You crazy bitch. Is the Namgung Young Lord insane? To get tangled up with the likes of you.”
“Hahaha. It seems you still don’t know why you lost the branch leader position to me.”
“What! This bitch, really!”
“It means you don’t know how to distinguish accurate information.”
The Hwawollu head barked ferociously.
“What does that mean!?”
“The Namgung Family’s Young Lord is a genuine madman. Haven’t you heard the rumors spreading through Anhui? The Mad Dragon of Namgung.”
“That’s just gossip from people who love to talk!”
“And that’s why you’ll never make it. This position isn’t for you.”
“You damn bitch, watch your mouth. Hey, gut her. I’ll rip her mouth myself.”
The Hwawollu head commanded her five subordinates.
“Yes, ma’am!”
*CRASH!*
Suddenly, the door to the chamber burst open as if it were being shattered.
“What! You call me the Mad Dragon of Namgung!”
It was Namgung Urin.
He had intended to let the Shadows handle things to the end, but he couldn't just stand by and listen to the conversation unfolding inside the chamber.
The Hwawollu head and her five subordinates started in shock, their eyes wide as saucers. The hands holding their swords began to tremble.
“……The Namgung Family’s Young Lord…”
And behind him entered the Namgung Family Head and the leader of the Beggars' Sect.
The legs of the Hwawollu head and her five subordinates began to shake.
Then, following them were the leader of the Iron Blood Sect and the Young Lord of the Baekri Family.
*Clang.*
*Clang.*
The Hwawollu head and her subordinates dropped the swords they were holding. No, they let them go.
They couldn’t possibly remain standing there with swords in their hands.
How could they dare hold a sword in such a presence?
One of the Ten Great Masters of the Realm, the Head of the Namgung Family who held sway over Anhui, the leader of the Iron Blood Sect, and on top of that, the Young Lord of the Baekri Family who vied for supremacy in Anhui, had all appeared in this place!
These were beings one couldn't hope to see all at once, even in a dream…
And yet!
They had appeared right before the head of Hwawollu.
“……H-how… could this be…”
The Hwawollu head's gaze turned to So Hwi.
“……That… damn bitch… how…”
She couldn't comprehend or believe how So Hwi had managed to build connections with such formidable individuals.
“……Damn… my luck…”
Namgung Urin turned to So Hwi and spoke again.
“So Hwi. Tell me now. What, I’m the Mad Dragon of Namgung? Just who the hell is spreading such rumors?”
So Hwi, covered in blood, smiled brightly and said,
“It wasn’t me. I didn’t do it. So don’t get worked up at me.”
Mad Dragon?
Fine.
Namgung Urin knew he was something like that himself, so he could let that slide.
“Quash that rumor. You can do that, right?”
So Hwi tilted her head.
“Could it be… this is the first time you’re hearing the name ‘Mad Dragon’?”
“Yeah. Of course.”
“Hah. Your moniker, the Mad Dragon of Namgung, has probably spread all the way to the Martial Alliance by now, no, maybe even to Sichuan.”
“……Sichuan?”
“Yep.”
“Then does that mean… everyone knows but me…”
“Of course. Did no one tell you?”
Namgung Urin’s head turned back.
Not a single person met his gaze.
Not even Han Seo-hui, who was now his woman.
“Yeah. No one told me.”
Traitors.