Chapter 15
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Uncovering the Mastermind
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Yeonwol Tower.
After dealing with the Three Scoundrels of Gok and Do-yang, I took a room at Yeonwol Tower, located in the center of Yangwon Prefecture.
Entering the room, I leaned back against the bedding and fell into thought.
‘Long Live the Dark Heaven, he said.’
I slowly recalled my confrontation with Do-yang.
The sword art he used was the Taiji Sword Art of the Wudang Sect.
I had sealed his vital points, but his eyes suddenly rolled back, and he attacked.
‘What could it be? Sorcery? Is it related to the human trafficking?’
I tilted my head, puzzled.
It was strange.
I remembered Cheok Mu-hyeok, the leader of the Dark Heavenly Cult, whom I had killed with my own hands thirty-two years ago.
Cheok Mu-hyeok, hailed as the greatest genius in the history of the cult, possessed a pride as immense as his martial prowess.
A man who pursued the path of the supreme overlord, he despised sorcery, and practitioners of such arts trembled in fear of earning his displeasure.
‘I don’t understand. It clearly looked like sorcery, so why would he shout “Long Live the Dark Heaven”? Why?’
My mind grew cluttered with thoughts.
Could it be that someone had founded an organization mimicking the Dark Heavenly Cult, and Do-yang was a member?
I shook my head.
To move and attack even after having one’s vital points sealed was proof of profound and extensive research.
An organization capable of such research was unlikely to be a mere imitation.
‘Perhaps the cult and the unorthodox factions have joined hands to take revenge on the Martial Arts Alliance. After all, I did eradicate them quite thoroughly. Tsk, tsk. Maybe I should have left them a little breathing room.’
It was frustrating.
With my current level of martial skill, I could handle peak masters, but anything beyond that was a stretch.
However, since my opponents didn't know who I was, I could probably manage to face a transcendent master, but a master of the Transformation Realm would be impossible.
Even a transcendent master with deep internal energy and vast experience would be difficult to handle.
The only solution was to increase my internal energy by consuming spiritual elixirs.
I truly had a long way to go.
The next day.
Waking in the morning, I changed my plan to return to Jeongju Prefecture and instead headed to the abandoned house where I had dealt with Do-yang yesterday.
A man of Do-yang’s caliber likely held a high position. If he didn't return, the organization he belonged to would surely make a move.
If an unbeatable powerhouse appeared, I would watch and then flee. Otherwise, I would capture them and uncover the mastermind.
**
The Demon-Dispelling Pavilion of the Martial Arts Alliance, Wuhan Prefecture.
The Pavilion Head, White Sword Hwang Seong-won, frowned, lost in thought.
He picked up a small note from the table, rose, and left his office.
The Alliance Leader's office.
The newly elected Alliance Leader was Phoenix Sword Yang Cheon-rin.
Hwang Seong-won entered the office with a tense expression.
“Greetings to the Alliance Leader.”
Hwang Seong-won clasped his fists and raised his head, his brow furrowing slightly.
Life-Reaping Blade Jo Jin-ryang, head of the Demon-Slaying Pavilion—a rival and superior—was already there.
“Welcome. I was just discussing the state of the Central Plains with Pavilion Head Jo. Please, have a seat.”
“Yes, sir.”
Hwang Seong-won politely sat down next to Jo Jin-ryang.
“What is it? You look as though it’s an urgent matter.”
At Yang Cheon-rin’s question, Hwang Seong-won took a deep breath and spoke gravely.
“A faction seeking to resurrect the Dark Heavenly Cult has appeared.”
At the mention of the Dark Heavenly Cult, the expressions of both Yang Cheon-rin and Jo Jin-ryang hardened simultaneously.
“Are you certain?”
Jo Jin-ryang demanded in a loud voice, glaring at Hwang Seong-won.
He was furious that Hwang Seong-won, whom he usually considered his inferior, had beaten him to the punch.
And on a matter as significant as the Dark Heavenly Cult, no less.
“Our pavilion’s agent, Affectionate, killed Taiji Sword Do-yang, who reportedly mentioned ‘Long Live the Dark Heaven’ as he died.”
“Affectionate? Didn’t that agent die recently?”
“A talented martial artist recently joined the Demon-Dispelling Pavilion and has become the new Affectionate. Our messenger, Pure, witnessed and heard it herself and sent a report via carrier pigeon, so it is reliable. Pure is a highly experienced messenger.”
Hwang Seong-won handed the note sent by Pure and the cipher key to Yang Cheon-rin.
The note from Pure was written in code, unreadable to anyone not from the Demon-Dispelling or Demon-Slaying Pavilions.
Glancing at the note, Jo Jin-ryang realized Hwang Seong-won was telling the truth, and his face flushed red.
“Shanxi Province… That’s deep territory.”
“Indeed. Shanxi is home to the treacherous Taihang Mountains and has long been known as a region where unorthodox practitioners flee to hide.”
Yang Cheon-rin fell into thought.
Searching the vast and rugged terrain of Shanxi Province without any clues would be like finding a needle in a haystack.
“Pavilion Head Hwang. Give me your opinion.”
“We have yet to secure any concrete leads, so a blind search of Shanxi is out of the question. However, we cannot simply do nothing. Therefore, please issue a Level 1 Alert to all branches and order them to monitor the movements of the unorthodox factions more closely.”
Yang Cheon-rin turned his gaze to Jo Jin-ryang.
It was a silent request for his opinion. Jo Jin-ryang cleared his throat and spoke.
“Pavilion Head Hwang’s opinion is sound. It is sufficient for the branches to be on alert.”
“So be it. I will issue the Level 1 Alert. Pavilion Head Jo and Pavilion Head Hwang, I want you to gather intelligence more meticulously.”
“We accept your command.”
Jo Jin-ryang and Hwang Seong-won respectfully clasped their fists and acknowledged the order.
Demon-Slaying Pavilion.
As soon as he returned, Jo Jin-ryang summoned his vice-pavilion head.
“Who is this agent, Affectionate?”
The vice-pavilion head, Gwan Hae, answered with a troubled expression.
“He is a martial artist newly selected from Henan Province, but I do not know the details.”
“Find out.”
“Pavilion Head. The identities of our agents are kept strictly confidential. And any attempt to investigate them is illegal.”
“If you check those who took the Demon-Dispelling Pavilion’s entrance exam in Henan recently, you should be able to get a rough idea of who he is, shouldn’t you?”
Jo Jin-ryang was treading on sensitive ground that could cause friction with the Demon-Dispelling Pavilion, and Gwan Hae’s expression grew even more troubled.
But Jo Jin-ryang did not back down.
“Bring me the information.”
“Understood.”
Gwan Hae acknowledged the order and withdrew.
To the outside world, the Demon-Slaying Pavilion, along with the Demon-Dispelling Pavilion, was known simply as an organization that dealt with unorthodox practitioners, but in reality, it was a powerful organization that collected and processed a wide range of intelligence.
About two hours later.
Gwan Hae returned with a document. Jo Jin-ryang quickly took it and scanned it, then set it down with a look of disappointment.
He had hoped to find some remarkable martial artist, but there was no one special.
This made it even harder to deduce who Affectionate could be.
“What is the skill level of Taiji Sword Do-yang and the Three Scoundrels of Gok?”
“Do-yang is a peak master. The Three Scoundrels of Gok are slightly below that level.”
At Gwan Hae’s answer, Jo Jin-ryang’s face contorted.
According to Pure’s report, which he had seen in the Alliance Leader’s office, Affectionate had subdued Do-yang in seconds and, when Do-yang had a seizure and launched a surprise attack, cut him down with a swift strike in a single second.
If what Gwan Hae said was true, it meant Affectionate’s martial skill was at the transcendent level.
“That would make him a transcendent master… Why would someone like that be an agent for the Demon-Dispelling Pavilion?”
“Let us observe for now. If it is confirmed that he is a great warrior, I will have Pure extend an offer for him to join the Demon-Slaying Pavilion.”
“Do it.”
Jo Jin-ryang nodded reluctantly.
He wanted to see Affectionate for himself, but that was impossible. The only way to communicate was to relay his intentions through the messenger, Pure.
“And issue a Level 1 Alert to all branches. There are signs of the Dark Heavenly Cult’s revival. Instruct them to report even the smallest piece of information immediately.”
“Understood.”
Gwan Hae promptly acknowledged the order and left.
Jo Jin-ryang frowned and opened a document.
**
Before leaving Yeonwol Tower, I used a disguise technique to hide my face, then used my lightness art to head for the abandoned house.
Arriving at the house, I heightened my energy sense to its peak and scanned the surroundings.
After confirming no one was around, I cautiously entered the house. A foul stench hit me, and I saw the floor, where the bodies had been hastily covered with dirt, now stained with a spreading black liquid.
‘So this is how they dispose of bodies.’
I calmly looked around, then left the house and climbed a tall, nearby tree.
Waiting requires a great deal of patience.
Hunger, boredom, biological needs.
There were more than a few problems to solve.
Nevertheless, one endures and waits because there is a goal.
I waited for several days, surviving on catnaps.
With higher internal energy, one could maintain peak physical condition with less sleep than an ordinary person.
‘When was the last time I waited so secretly for someone? It must have been almost fifty years.’
Memories of the hardships I endured after joining the Martial Arts Alliance and rising to become its leader resurfaced.
Back then, I didn’t know the proper way and stumbled through many trials, facing great difficulties.
Fortunately, luck was on my side, and I became a warrior stronger than anyone else, allowing me to ascend to the position of Alliance Leader.
After waiting for about five days, a group of men appeared.
They exuded a sinister aura, but I didn’t sense any transcendent masters among them.
I circulated my internal energy for a full cycle and loosened my joints.
Five men in total.
I was confident I could subdue them in an instant.
*Swoosh.*
I threw myself from the tree and landed on the ground. They all spun around and drew their swords.
But my sword was faster.
I slashed the side of the black-clad man blocking my path, then took two steps and cleaved the blue-clad man on my left from his left shoulder down to his right side.
“Gaaah!”
“Ugh.”
As the two men fell screaming, the faces of the remaining three turned a putrid purple, like a rotten pig’s liver.
“Assume the Three-Man Formation!”
At the command of the one who appeared to be the leader, the other two men used their footwork to flank me.
Just as they took their positions, I unleashed a full-power Lightning Strike at the man on my left.
*Swiiish.*
*Slice.*
“Kraaah!”
The man on my left hastily raised his sword to block, but he was helpless against the full force of my Lightning Strike.
His right hand, which held the sword, was cleanly severed, and his body was split vertically in two.
I slowly turned around.
With the Three-Man Formation broken, the expression on the man to my right was so wretched it was pitiful to see him alone.
*Thud.*
I converted the Heavenly Will Sword Art’s Third Form, Thunderclap’s Impact, into a finger technique. He clutched his pierced shoulder and collapsed.
I quickly rushed forward, sealing his vital and muting points, then turned to face the leader.
“Who… who are you?”
“You don’t need to know. What’s your connection to Do-yang? Oh, and since I’m the one who killed him and waited for you, don’t bother with any tiring nonsense.”
“Do you have any idea who we are to do something like this?”
“I’m asking because I don’t know.”
As I answered with a hardened expression, he shouted.
“You bastard, you’re wearing a human-skin mask!”
Damn it.
It was a low-grade disguise technique, after all.
To think it couldn’t even fool a guy like this.
Well, it didn’t matter as long as my true identity remained hidden.
It was then.
A faint smile appeared on the leader’s lips.
“Kurrrrrr.”
The man who had collapsed on my right let out a strange noise and charged at me.
He was the one whose vital points I had sealed.
Having already learned from Do-yang that they could move even with their vital points sealed, my response was swift.
I immediately fired a Thunderclap’s Impact, piercing the leader’s right shoulder and felling him, then kicked the man on my right with a powerful leg technique.
Imbued with internal energy, my kick sent him sliding back.
I rushed forward and beat him relentlessly.
I could hear his flesh tearing and bones breaking, but I didn’t care.
“S-stop. Please. Stop.”
The man on the right let out a pitiful scream.
“Go on, try some more of your weird sorcery. I’ll show you what hell really is. Stay quiet.”
After the severe beating, he lay on the ground, gasping in agony and shedding tears.
When I turned around, the leader was staring at me with a dumbfounded expression.
*Thud.*
I fired another Thunderclap’s Impact.
This time, it was his left shoulder.
He wouldn’t be running away now.
“Now, start talking about the organization you belong to. And for your information, biting down on the poison pill in your mouth? Biting your tongue? It’s useless, so don’t bother. If you’re confident you can die, go ahead. That’s when I’ll show you what true hell is.”
When it came to the ways of the unorthodox factions, I was the foremost expert.
Fear began to creep into the two men’s faces.