Chapter 405
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 405
Chapter Title: Do Geom and Dong Ja-ryang Head to Yeon Kingdom
Dark Heaven Cult headquarters.
Do Geom and Dong Ja-ryang tilted their cups amid the stunning scenery of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, like a single ink-wash painting of mountains and rivers.
“Months have passed. Why have they left us alone this whole time?”
“How should I know?”
As Do Geom had predicted, the Dark Heaven Cult had accepted them.
But all they had done so far was recite the cult’s doctrines. No missions, no roles—nothing.
“It’s not even like a prison. Damn it all.”
“Let’s wait a bit longer.”
“Until when?”
“There’s nothing else we can do but wait. So stop whining like a child.”
It was then. A presence stirred behind them. Moments later, Military Strategist Ma Jung-hyo appeared before the two.
Do Geom rose and cupped his fists in greeting, but Dong Ja-ryang remained seated, not even glancing at the man. Ma Jung-hyo stared at Dong Ja-ryang and smiled instead.
“Looks like you’re bored.”
“What else is there to do but recite doctrines? Of course we’re bored. If that’s all, why accept us at all?”
“Of course, it’s because we recognize your abilities.”
Ma Jung-hyo sat and drained Dong Ja-ryang’s cup.
Clink.
“That time was a test.”
“......”
“I came today because you’ve both passed the first test.”
“What test? All we’ve done here is recite doctrines, eat, shit, and sleep.”
“Doing nothing. That was the test. More precisely, it was to gauge your patience.”
“......”
“So now, we’ll proceed to the second test.”
Irritation finally flickered in Dong Ja-ryang’s eyes. Ma Jung-hyo continued.
“You know who Great Prince Yi Hwan of Yeon Kingdom is, I assume?”
“Who in the world doesn’t?”
“Is the second test to kill him?”
At Do Geom’s question, Ma Jung-hyo smiled faintly.
“With your abilities, killing him would be impossible, don’t you think? You couldn’t even breach his guards.”
As Dong Ja-ryang bristled, Do Geom gripped his arm and asked.
“Then what is it?”
“Cross into Yeon Kingdom and stand by for orders.”
Snap!
Ma Jung-hyo snapped his fingers. A white-robed figure materialized like a ghost.
“This one will guide you to your lodgings. Go with him.”
“There are still people operating in Yeon Kingdom?”
“Of course. In a place completely free from Yeon’s intelligence network.”
“Are you planning to assassinate Yeon’s Great Prince later?”
“Nothing’s decided yet. But orders will come eventually. Until then, stay there, gather intelligence, and assist. Don’t do anything foolish out of ambition.”
Ma Jung-hyo drew something from his robes and held it out: two exquisitely crafted human skin masks.
Do Geom silently accepted them and passed one to Dong Ja-ryang.
“What happens if we pass this second test?”
Ma Jung-hyo smiled at Dong Ja-ryang’s question.
“You’ll finally become true cultists. With quite a few privileges, of course.”
“......”
Dong Ja-ryang stared at Do Geom. Do Geom downed the rest of the liquor straight from the bottle and stood.
“Let’s go.”
Moments later, Do Geom and Dong Ja-ryang left the Dark Heaven Cult headquarters with the white-robed figure.
Ma Jung-hyo watched their retreating backs, hands clasped behind him.
Rustle.
A green-robed figure appeared behind him.
“What if they defect to Yeon Kingdom?”
“If they were going to, they wouldn’t have come here in the first place.”
“You seem overly optimistic.”
“Does it look that way?”
“Yes.”
An enigmatic, faint smile played on Ma Jung-hyo’s lips.
“What’s the Young Cult Leader doing?”
“He’s meeting with the Cult Leader. The atmosphere feels markedly different from before.”
“It would. He survived and returned on his own power. He passed the Cult Leader’s most perilous and deadly test, so his position is now unshakeable.”
“That’s no good for us, is it?”
“It’s not bad either. When things follow their natural course, variables decrease accordingly.”
Ma Jung-hyo muttered cryptically.
Only after Do Geom and Dong Ja-ryang had vanished from sight did he finally turn away.
* * *
Do Geom and Dong Ja-ryang followed behind the white-robed figure.
Do Geom was utterly calm, but Dong Ja-ryang wore a uneasy expression.
Dong Ja-ryang sent a transmission.
[If the order is to kill Yi Hwan, that’s just telling us to die. You okay with that?]
[We don’t know what the orders will be, so let’s wait and see.]
[So carefree.]
[Worrying won’t change anything.]
[You’re not worried?]
[Of course I am.]
[......]
Dong Ja-ryang called out to the white-robed figure ahead.
“How many are in Yeon Kingdom?”
“You’ll see when you get there. Don’t be a nuisance.”
“You little...”
Whoosh!
Do Geom grabbed Dong Ja-ryang’s arm.
“Let’s just go.”
“Watch your back.”
Snicker.
The white-robed figure sneered. But Do Geom and Dong Ja-ryang, walking behind, didn’t see it.
Do Geom thought of Ma Jung-hyo.
‘Like a fog.’
From their first meeting, Do Geom had found Ma Jung-hyo unsettling. He’d even met Cult Leader Jang Cheon-hwa, who felt like a towering mountain, but Ma Jung-hyo was like mist.
‘Why ask nothing?’
That was it. Neither Cult Leader Jang Cheon-hwa nor Military Strategist Ma Jung-hyo had asked anything about Zhao Kingdom, even after they revealed themselves as Blood Demon followers.
‘Is this truly the final test? Or are we disposable pawns?’
Do Geom felt uneasy.
The sense that he and Dong Ja-ryang were meant to be used and discarded grew stronger.
‘I’ll wait for now.’
Then Dong Ja-ryang grumbled.
“Damn it. Should’ve grabbed some liquor.”
* * *
Drip!
A water droplet from the eaves fell onto Go Mi’s nose tip.
She touched it with a finger, a smile forming on her lips.
‘Spring’s already here.’
The rain that had poured until yesterday had stopped. The piercing blue sky dotted with fluffy clouds stirred her heart ever so slightly.
“Have some tea.”
“Thanks.”
Hwa Ryeong gazed at the sea where seagulls wheeled, propping her chin on her hands.
“The sea’s always beautiful. If only those warships weren’t there—could there be any place more peaceful in the world?”
Go Mi looked at the sea too.
Amid its sky-blue expanse, warships bustled about. They were training in new tactics.
Go Mi’s eyes shifted to the particularly large flagship. It was the one Yi Hwan commanded from.
Hwa Ryeong turned to her with a beaming smile.
“Shall we go see?”
“We’d just be in the way.”
“We can take a small boat and watch from afar.”
“......”
“Let’s go!”
In the end, Go Mi left the pavilion.
The spot, built atop the highest point of the new city under construction, served as the command headquarters for strategy meetings among the top brass. But when Yi Hwan arrived, it became his residence.
Stepping out revealed a wide, clean street. Identical houses lined both sides, and laborers swarmed everywhere, finishing up.
Completed streets already had inns open, bustling with crowds.
Hwa Ryeong let out an exclamation.
“It’s like a whole city springing up overnight. I never imagined it’d go up this fast.”
“With this many people mobilized.”
It would take time to fully complete, but progress exceeded all expectations.
Soon, entering the path to the sea, passing martial artists bowed to them.
Many were Shaolin monk warriors; Yi Hwan had even ordered a small temple built for them.
Splash!
Waves from the maneuvering warships surged onto the white sands. Closer now, the warriors’ shouts faintly reached them.
Go Mi turned from the beach.
‘It’s become a completely new place.’
No longer just a military command post, it unfolded before her like a beautiful painting—a city.
It was then.
“Moon Lord!”
A female warrior rushed up like the wind.
Go Mi eyed her.
“What is it?”
“We’ve received word that Qin Kingdom is attacking Hainan Island.”
“Certain?”
“Yes. It seems reliable.”
Hainan Island lay off Qin’s southern coast—a massive isle belonging to none of the Central Plains Three Kingdoms.
A sizable population had settled there, refusing subordination to anywhere.
Qin had repeatedly invaded to claim it, but Hainan’s navy, pouring all efforts into shipbuilding, repelled them each time, inflicting heavy losses.
Eventually, Qin’s late emperor signed a non-aggression pact, recognizing Hainan’s sovereignty. That was decades ago.
Yet now, attacking again.
Go Mi stared at the sea. With so many warships milling about, Yi Hwan’s flagship was invisible.
“Tell the warriors in Guangdong to closely monitor Zhao Kingdom’s movements.”
“Understood.”
The female warrior departed.
Hwa Ryeong asked.
“You think Zhao will intervene?”
“We can’t rule out Hainan requesting Zhao’s aid. With Dongyeong allied to Qin, they have no way to resist—only Zhao’s navy in Yunnan remains.”
“I see.”
Hwa Ryeong frowned and continued.
“Hopefully this doesn’t spark another big war.”
“Perhaps.”
Go Mi strode toward the sea.
Warriors bowed deeply to greet her.
“I need to see the Great Prince.”
“He’s training now—it’d be difficult.”
“It’s urgent. Hurry.”
“......Understood.”
Soon, Go Mi and Hwa Ryeong boarded a sleek speedboat and headed out to sea.
* * *
Splash!
Yi Hwan stood at the prow of the flagship, watching the warships maneuver swiftly. Grand Commander Wang Jeon was beside him.
“Satisfied?”
“The turning speed exceeds expectations.”
“Following Park Gong’s advice, we increased rowers, enlarged sails, and reduced cannons to prevent weight gain. That seems to be the effect.”
Splash!
Waves from the warships rocked the flagship heavily. Yet Yi Hwan, arms crossed, didn’t budge.
‘Faster than before.’
The turning speed Park Ji-mun emphasized astonished even him.
Having come to the sea gate as winter waned and stayed to witness the navy’s progress, he couldn’t be more pleased.
It was then.
“Great Prince.”
A general approached.
“The Moon Lord is coming.”
Yi Hwan turned where the general pointed. A speedboat raced toward them, Go Mi and Hwa Ryeong at its prow.
Wang Jeon shouted.
“Tell them to stop—they’ll be swept by the waves if they get closer!”
“Yes, Grand Commander!”
“No, I’ll go.”
“......Pardon?”
Boom!
Yi Hwan kicked off the deck and leaped.
He soared toward the speedboat like a bird, leaving Wang Jeon and the generals staring wide-eyed.
“Wow, haha.”
One general let out a hollow laugh. As martial artists themselves, they knew how extraordinary Yi Hwan’s lightness skill was.
Wang Jeon turned to the general.
“Could you do that?”
“Impossible.”
He wore armor but was a Wudang elder sent by the Righteous Alliance, now guarding Wang Jeon.
He too shook his head at Yi Hwan.
‘They called him a heavenly expert, and it’s true.’