Chapter 60
Chapter 60
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Translator: TrueDetective
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: 18. Trap (2)
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While I had the feeling that Dang Sa-cheon, who'd become the bait, was off doing something insane.
The way I'd learned about the location-tracking app was none other than thanks to Lion CEO.
"Thank you for telling me about the location-tracking app, CEO."
- No need to thank me. I never promised not to tell So's seed, after all.
"You're really someone who knows no god, CEO."
- Sa CEO pissed me off recently, so this makes me feel better. Good luck!
Lion CEO had contacted us right when we were about to head out to meet the excommunicated disciple.
I thought the timing was perfect, but...
He'd probably heard a hint from our CEO that we were going to meet the excommunicated disciple.
The fact that Lion CEO tipped us off about the location-tracking app was pure whim.
I'd bet on trusting Lion CEO if we lost, but...
Seeing him casually backstab a fellow cultist like this, it hit me that I might take a real loss if I ended up on the wrong side.
Well, I'd expected our CEO to pull some move to track our movements.
I just hadn't anticipated it'd be a location-tracking app embedded in the phone Lion CEO gave us...
If he'd tailed us with a person instead, we'd have been in trouble, but thanks to him using a smartphone, we turned the tables and set a trap in reverse.
The fact that he'd gone this far meant he was definitely planning to raid the meeting spot with the excommunicated disciple.
Which meant he'd surely send the Masked Expert.
That's why I hadn't brought Baek Na-han or the Greatest Sword into this before heading to meet the excommunicated disciple.
Waiting for the excommunicated disciples in the basement of the Jianghu Academy building.
The Heavenly Demon spoke in a relaxed tone.
"You're quick on the uptake, Administrator. Setting up the board the moment that lion ratted us out."
My plan was this.
If the Masked Expert following the location-tracking app saw Dang Sa-cheon alone.
To figure out what was going on.
And to uncover the real meeting spot, he'd obviously have to make a move on Dang Sa-cheon.
Even if the Masked Expert didn't want to engage, Dang Sa-cheon was a pro at the Fury-Inducing Stratagem—he'd provoke the guy into a rage, guaranteeing a fight.
If Dang Sa-cheon could just buy a little time, Tae-geuk, who'd pretended to head out with us but actually hidden, would check back at the dorm with the Alliance Leader and Na-han.
The owner of the empty room would be unmistakably the Masked Expert.
But.
For this plan to succeed, Dang Sa-cheon had to be able to handle the Masked Expert.
"Was it okay to send Dang Sa-cheon alone?"
Dang Sa-cheon had volunteered to be the bait first.
He'd boasted he'd show us something and gone off.
But having seen the Masked Expert's martial arts firsthand, I was deeply worried.
Dang Sa-cheon couldn't even use Air-Grasping Technique.
But the Heavenly Demon clicked his tongue lightly, as if my worry was unnecessary.
"You wouldn't know, but that Dang Clan kid's internal energy is at a considerable level."
"Dang Sa-cheon?"
"Yeah. Probably thanks to steady training while living as some long-term trainee or whatever. Plus, once he learned choreography was an internal energy method, he's been practicing it daily."
I'd thought he was just a smart lunatic, but turns out he's the diligent type.
"And that kid's got... talent."
"Were you about to say 'talent freak' just now?"
"Skip the small stuff. Anyway. Back in Anyang when he faced this seat, he charged in but instinctively pulled back. He shouldn't have been able to gauge this seat's power at his level, yet he reacted that way. Not something you see without exceptional innate senses."
"Good to know he's not all talk..."
A sudden curiosity struck me, so I whispered into the Heavenly Demon's ear where the others couldn't hear.
"Heavenly Demon, if you rank the strength of everyone you've seen so far, how does it go?"
"You're only now wondering who's strongest and weakest?"
The Heavenly Demon stroked his chin, pondered briefly, then whispered low into my ear.
"That monk punk, Masked Expert, Alliance Leader, Dang Clan kid. These four are roughly equal in internal energy level."
"Dang Sa-cheon ranks that high? He can't even use Air-Grasping."
"Not that he can't learn it. He's got animal instincts but weak at handling internal energy. Teach him, and he'll pick it up quick."
"Then where does Lion CEO fit?"
"The lion definitely cultivates demonic arts, but demonic arts make it hard to gauge martial prowess accurately. Next is that Emei bitch with the ice technique. Below her are the dead Zhongnan punk and the Wudang one. Namgung bastard and Huashan punk have basically no internal energy. The Namgung kid at least got minimal family arts from his brother, so the Huashan punk's the weakest."
Hearing it laid out like this gave me a better sense.
"What about Teacher Namgung Ryeo?"
"The Namgung family head? I saw him before recovering my power, so not accurate. Need to see him again."
He'd said he was recovering his power, and now he's regained quite a bit, apparently.
Since he says he'll know for sure next time.
"What are you two whispering about?"
Ja-ha, who'd been fidgeting anxiously while waiting for the excommunicated disciples, suddenly butted in.
The Heavenly Demon furrowed his brow neatly.
"Stop shaking your leg. Why so jittery?"
"It's past midnight, and they still haven't shown."
"Unnecessary worry. They're already nearby."
"They're here?"
It was me, not Ja-ha, who asked the Heavenly Demon back.
The Heavenly Demon looked at me, raised one eyebrow, and smirked.
"You're anxious too, huh, Administrator. Yeah, they're around here. Probably testing if it's safe to show at this spot."
Testing the waters—wise choice.
If we hadn't spotted the location-tracking trap and met the excommunicated disciple as planned.
Who knows what would've happened.
But just before, we'd gotten an urgent message from Dang Sa-cheon's phone, passed via Dang Sa-cheon after ditching Lion 6.
Meaning the Masked Expert had shown up at the lured spot, just as planned.
So the Masked Expert wouldn't come here now.
Judging it safe to call in the excommunicated disciples.
"If the excommunicated disciple's nearby, send a transmission telling them to come down."
"Got it."
The Heavenly Demon seemed to close his eyes briefly, then his lips moved faintly.
Namgung Mu, seeing this, widened his eyes in admiration.
"Inside a building, yet sensing auras and sending transmission through walls—impressive."
"Getting impressed by this shows how hopeless your levels are."
As Namgung Mu looked sheepish for speaking up.
Footsteps echoed from the stairs.
Ja-ha startled and looked that way.
"Sending more, So hyung?"
Familiar faces descended to the basement one by one, lining up before us.
The already-known Zhongnan Sect's Yuk Jong-nam and Emei Sect's Yu A-mi.
Following them: Jeomchang Sect's Mun Sa-il and Qingcheng Sect's O Jeok-ha.
Last to descend: Kongtong Sect's Demon-Slaying Sword.
I immediately sensed something off.
'One person's missing.'
There should be seven excommunicated disciples originally.
Even excluding Shin Tae-eul, six should be here.
"Where's Tae-heo?"
Not seeing Kunlun Sect's Kim Tae-heo, I asked, and Yuk Jong-nam fell silent briefly before answering.
"Tae-heo's consciousness is flickering."
"Flickering consciousness?"
"Whether misfortune or fortune, he didn't lose part of his body like us... but his awareness fades and returns repeatedly."
...So instead of a body part, his consciousness flew off?
The failure risk wasn't limited to physical loss, huh.
As I frowned, Ja-ha yelled with a face pale as a sheet.
"D-Demon-Slaying Sword, y-your n-nose!!"
It was nearly a scream, but Demon-Slaying Sword smirked crookedly, as if expecting the reaction.
"F-Fuck, f-first t-time in y-years, and t-that's the f-first thing y-you n-notice? Y-You're one to t-talk, Sa-il hyung's m-missing an a-arm too. Jeok-ha's g-got a m-matching e-ear?"
"So hyung was telling the truth?"
Tears welled up instantly in Ja-ha's big eyes.
"You and your bros... even up to A-mi... the CEO did that? For real?"
"Not CEO— that CEO bastard, Ja-ha."
Mun Sa-il playfully shot back on purpose, but Ja-ha burst into tears anyway.
Watching Ja-ha cry, the excommunicated disciples murmured.
"I-I t-told you s-she'd c-cry, huh?"
"Yeah. Still ugly when she cries."
"R-rolled in i-idol l-land s-six y-years, and s-still c-cries?"
"Demon-Slaying, you cry at the drop of a hat too."
Demon-Slaying bristled, but the chatter stopped.
Because the Heavenly Demon, who'd been scrutinizing Demon-Slaying Sword's face, suddenly spoke.
"Now I see—it's not completely gone, huh?"
"Pardon?"
I looked at him like what do you mean, but the excommunicated disciples' eyes sharpened instantly.
Yuk Jong-nam stepped forward and asked sharply.
"You're the Heavenly Demon?"
"Indeed."
"What did you just mean? About physical defects?"
The Heavenly Demon seemed displeased with Yuk Jong-nam's sharp attitude but answered readily anyway.
"Until now, I thought you'd lost body parts due to failed summoning. But seeing you up close, it's a bit different."
"What's different?"
"You didn't fail. The 'transfer' just got stuck midway."
The excommunicated disciples' faces changed briefly, but they didn't panic much.
"...So what? We still lost our bodies."
"No. If your bodies transferred to another world, we just send them back."
I reacted faster and sharper than the excommunicated disciples.
"What do you mean? Send them back?"
"Exactly as said. Their bodies aren't gone—they're somewhere else. That's why the transfer spots turned black. That formation wasn't summoning—it was transfer substitution. So... high chance the Namgung Jun punk swapped with this seat is there too."
This time, Namgung Mu reacted.
"My brother?!"
Next reacted Ja-ha, eyes red from crying.
"Wait, Namgung Jun's there? Brother?"
Eager at any clue to his missing brother's whereabouts, Namgung Mu grabbed Ja-ha's hands and spilled everything.
"Ja-ha sunbae, sorry for deceiving you this far. I'm Namgung Mu, Namgung Jun's twin younger brother. I've been active as an idol in his place since he vanished. I apologize for fooling you against my will. I should've told you sooner, but never got the chance."
"What... You're not Namgung Jun? The Jun who practiced Heart of Adamant with me all night isn't you?"
"Ah, that was me. Hyung vanished right after debut..."
Ja-ha looked back and forth between Namgung Mu and me in confusion, then noticed from my expression that I already knew, making an incredulous face.
"There's still stuff you haven't told me? Spill it now. I'll be more pissed if I hear later."
Seizing the moment, I confessed.
"One of Alliance Leader or Na-han might be CEO's son."
"Crazy. Should've heard that later."
As Ja-ha clutched his forehead, Yuk Jong-nam cut in urgently.
"Don't know what that's about, but is there a way to get our lost bodies back?"
"Yeah."
"How?"
"CEO's house has a scroll leading to another world. Send this seat back to his original world through it, and I'll find your bodies and return them."
The Heavenly Demon answered without hesitation.
Stunned by this unexpected turn, I gaped briefly before asking.
"Is that... possible?"
"Easy. Find your bodies and burn them. It'll be an offering to you here."
At the words they could recover their lost bodies, the excommunicated disciples buzzed excitedly.
The dark, resigned eyes regained focus.
"To do that, you need to send this seat back to his original world, right?"
"We raided CEO's house once. No reason we can't twice."
"Yeah, his place was covered in scrolls. Thought they were just hobby antiques."
As the excommunicated disciples responded eagerly, the Heavenly Demon wore a cryptic smile.
"One thing I'll ask."
"Please speak."
"Revenge first, or body recovery first?"
"......!"
In other words.
Borrow the Heavenly Demon's power for revenge on the CEO.
Or send him back to recover their bodies.
Which to prioritize.
No one answered readily, then Demon-Slaying Sword spat curses.
"F-Fuck, obvious q-question. Revenge, duh. Gotta m-make that CEO b-bastard match my n-nose. Heavenly D-Demon, you g-gotta help. He f-flaunted s-summoning you, t-turning me into th-this...!"
"Insolent for begging help."
The Heavenly Demon glared at Demon-Slaying Sword, curling one lip.
"Ask more politely. As former righteous secters, you know manners, right?"
"M-Manners..."
"Yeah, manners."
"R-Rite..."
"......!"
The Heavenly Demon's eyes wavered as Demon-Slaying Sword approached, roughly dropping to one knee before him.
He raised a fist salute.
"N-Nine G-Great F-Factions' Demon-S-Slaying..."
The Heavenly Demon gestured to stop.
"No stuttering. You lost your nose, not tongue."
Demon-Slaying Sword clamped his mouth, then started over slowly.
"Nine... Great F-Factions' Demon... Slaying Sword. To the Hea-Heavenly Demon... I be-beg the p-power for re-revenge."
The excommunicated disciples knelt one by one after Demon-Slaying Sword, fist salutes up.
"We beg together."
The Heavenly Demon covered his mouth with his sleeve and laughed.
Seemed thrilled receiving righteous sect rites.
Then Mun Sa-il, fist still up, spoke.
"May I say one thing?"
"Go ahead. Speak."
"Demon-Slaying wants to cut off the CEO's nose, but I don't think that's how to hurt him. So for revenge, make it the most painful thing for the CEO."
"That's something the Administrator's already thought of."
At those words, the excommunicated disciples' gazes turned to me.
Passing the buck to me after taking the salute.
Scratching my cheek, I repeated what I'd told the Heavenly Demon before.
"We'll block Nine Great Factions' renewal and poach you. If we take you—the ones CEO nurtured—and start our own agency..."
Surprise flashed across the excommunicated disciples' faces.
"......! Indeed... That'd make the CEO tremble."
"Th-That works, n-no need to c-cut his n-nose."
"But he'd try to kill So hyung instead."
"Worth a shot."
"If it works and we recover our bodies, we could debut again under So hyung's agency."
Watching us quietly, the Heavenly Demon smirked as if struck by an idea.
"Decided on a name for your sect?"
"Sect... agency name? Not yet."
"Watching you, a perfect name came to mind."
"A fitting name?"
"You're a pointy-eared thief, and they're thieves who sing."
The Heavenly Demon smirked and continued.
"Call it Afternoon Gate."