Chapter 188: Chapter 188

Chapter 188 – Pinnacle (3)Half a quarter-hour ago.

Hwan Ya-seon, the Shadow Clan Master, stood in front of the entrance to the Society Leader’s bedchamber with a somewhat tense gaze.

‘When was the last time?’

It had been quite a long time since he had seen the face of the Society Leader, whose illness had deepened.

He hadn’t seen the Society Leader for so long that he gave orders through the vice-leader, even to him, the head of Shadow Clan in charge of secrets.

But unexpectedly, he had been summoned abruptly.

So he couldn’t help but be inwardly puzzled.

However, there was one thing he could guess.

‘…Could it be that the vice-leader’s side found out?’

If that’s the case, it becomes quite troublesome.

How much effort had he put in to prevent that information from reaching the Society Leader?

He hoped that what he was worrying about wouldn’t happen.

Creak!

At that moment, the door to the residence opened.

The one who opened the door was none other than Vice-Leader Mong Seo-cheon.

Thud!

The Shadow Clan Master managed his expression and clasped his hands together in a salute with a smile.

“Ohoho. Greetings to the Vice-Leader.”

At his greeting, Vice-Leader Mong Seo-cheon showed no particular reaction.

Rather, he looked at the Shadow Clan Master with a strange expression.

Then,

“Why didn’t you bring your disciple?”

“My disciple is out on an errand for me, so I sent a subordinate to bring him…”

“Then come in.”

Before he could even finish speaking, Vice-Leader Mong Seo-cheon turned his body and gestured.

At his appearance that seemed much colder than usual, the eyes of Hwan Ya-seon, the Shadow Clan Master, narrowed.

He thought that his concern might become reality.

‘It’s troublesome.’

He couldn’t make a move yet because he hadn’t secured the exact location and a perfect escape route.

In the meantime, if the Society Leader finds out about it, the situation will end up throughly twisted.

If that happens…

‘…’

Hwan Ya-seon clenched his teeth slightly.

Then he soon entered the residence with a smiling face, covering his mouth.

The Society Leader’s residence, where a few lamps were lit, was a place he had been to many times, but today the entire interior felt heavy and chilling.

There was no way the air in the residence of a sick person could be cold, and it was probably because the tension had grown.

Step step!

The footsteps were heavy.

Although he maintained a smiling face, his stomach was about to churn.

The other party was the leader of the Heaven and Earth Society, one of the Six Heavens (六天) called the pinnacle of the current martial world.

Facing him had to be uncomfortable, no matter who it was.

On the large bed attached to the wall of the spacious residence, there was a thin cloth hanging down, so the inside could be seen dimly.

Swish!

The vice-leader stood in front, clasping his hands together, and said,

“The Shadow Clan Master has arrived.”

“Cough cough.”

A coughing sound came from inside.

At this, Hwan Ya-seon, the Shadow Clan Master, who was standing behind the vice-leader, hurriedly clasped his hands together and lowered his head.

“I pay my respects to the Society Leader.”

The eyes of Hwan Ya-seon, who was bowing his head, narrowed even more.

He was already curious about the extent of the Society Leader’s condition.

But hearing the scratching sound mixed with the coughing, it seemed like the illness was still the same.

‘Strange.’

Why is the illness of such a master like the Society Leader himself is lasting so long?

‘Is it certain that he suffered incurable internal injuries from that person?’

Only a very few people in the organization knew about this.

The reason why only a very few people knew was obviously because the Society Leader’s internal injuries were more severe than expected, and because they ultimately failed to gain the upper hand in the confrontation with that person.

But even so, it was too long.

If a person was an inner master with profound internal energy like the Society Leader, he should have been able to heal his own internal injuries by this point and still have plenty left over.

It was at that moment when he was finding it strange.

“Shadow Clan Master.”

It was the Society Leader’s voice that he heard after a long time.

“Yes, please speak.”

“Do you perhaps have something to say to me?”

“…”

For a moment, the expression of Hwan Ya-seon, the Shadow Clan Master, hardened.

He thought there would be some prior discussion about the reason for calling him, but he didn’t expect for the man to suddenly come at him like this.

However, Hwan Ya-seon did not easily expose his emotions in such situations.

“Ah ah. Is your illness a bit bett-“

“The Imperial Palace.”

It was before he could even finish speaking.

With just one word, Hwan Ya-seon’s throat felt blocked.

What he had been worrying about had happened.

He had tried so hard to confuse the information so that the vice-leader’s side wouldn’t notice, but it seemed he couldn’t stop it after all.

‘It was reckless.’

If it weren’t for the Imperial Palace, he could have bought more time.

But it seemed he had missed that opportunity.

As he was quickly thinking about what to do,

The voice of Vice-Leader Mong Seo-cheon, who was in front of him, was heard.

“Don’t tell me you’re saying that the information department of our esteemed organization, the Shadow Clan, have no knowledge of what you’ve found out?”

“…”

Damn it.

There was no room for evasion.

They already found out.

Testing him like this was a kind of trial in itself.

The Society Leader was that kind of person.

If it came to this, there was only one way.

Hwan Ya-seon, the Shadow Clan Master, raised his head, smiled brightly, and said,

“Ohoho. How could that be? This subordinate has also obtained information of that person being detained in the Imperial Palace.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the vice-leader slightly turned his head, glared fiercely, and said,

“But why didn’t you report it?”

“This is quite troublesome.”

“Troublesome?”

“The vice-leader is speaking as if I deliberately hid it.”

Hwan Ya-seon spoke in a tone as if he was offended by being suspected.

Then the vice-leader snorted and said,

“Then what’s the reason you haven’t reported the fact that you knew that person is being imprisoned in the Imperial Palace’s Golden Jade all this time?”

‘Ah ah.’

So this is how it’s going to be.

Seeing how he was interrogating and pressuring him, it seemed he was indeed called because of suspicion.

There was no other way now.

Hwan Ya-seon said calmly, without losing his composure,

“Do you really believe that’s true?”

“What?”

The vice-leader frowned.

“What if it’s information deliberately spread by the Imperial Palace to lure in the remnants of the Fire Faith Order?”

“…”

At these words from Hwan Ya-seon, the Shadow Clan Master, the vice-leader was momentarily at a loss for words.

This was also a gamble for Hwan Ya-seon.

From his position as a real remnant of the Fire Faith Order, it was better not to talk about the Fire Faith Order as much as possible, but now he had no choice.

Otherwise, it was obvious that the vice-leader would press him even more.

Fortunately,

‘He’s not convinced of the information yet.’

It seemed the vice-leader had not obtained definite information.

Like himself, it seemed he had only obtained information that that person was being detained in the Imperial Palace’s Golden Jade.

If so, he could push a little more.

“As the head of the information department, if I report unconfirmed information, I have to take responsibility for it. Naturally, I have to carefully verify the authenticity…”

“Verification is unnecessary.”

The one who cut him off was none other than the Society Leader.

At this, Hwan Ya-seon hurriedly bowed his head as if apologetic and said,

“But Society Leader…”

“Cough cough. There’s not much time left.”

“What?”

What on earth does that mean?

There’s not much time left?

It was right then.

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Swish!

The thin cloth was lifted, and the Society Leader revealed himself from the bed.

The two eyes of Hwan Ya-seon, who unconsciously raised his head to look at the Society Leader, widened.

‘…What the hell is this?’

***

Half a quarter-hour later.

In the training ground of the secret wall inside the main hall.

“If you’re slower than a pig, are you a maggot?”

‘This bastard!’

The surprise was brief, and at Mok Gyeong-un’s sneer mocking him, Mong Mu-yak’s eyes turned fierce.

However, unlike how he started the fight first, Mong Mu-yak was a very cool-headed person.

So, in a short moment, he analyzed Mok Gyeong-un.

‘The energy I felt from him is only at the Peak Realm level at most. But this series of movements and the strength pressing the tip of the sword are beyond that.’

That meant he had concealed his energy.

Realizing this, Mong Mu-yak inwardly clicked his tongue.

He had heard that the person in front of him had graduated as the top disciple from the Corpse Blood Valley gate, but the boy was only 17 years old, and considering the level of the previous rear disciples of Corpse Blood Valley, Mong Mu-yak had expected Mok Gyeong-un to be at the proficient-stage or at the pinnacle-stage of Peak Realm at most.

But if this bastard could deceive his own energy sensing to this extent,

‘I’ll have to consider the possibility of his real level to be more than I expected.’

Bam!

Mong Mu-yak, who judged that Mok Gyeong-un might have higher martial arts than expected, soon shifted his weight back with his footwork, making his center of gravity unbalanced.

Then naturally, Mok Gyeong-un’s body, which was pressing the tip of the sword, also leaned forward.

At that moment,

Bam!

Mong Mu-yak swiftly kicked towards Mok Gyeong-un’s neck as he leaned forward.

If the guy has a narrow field of vision, he would get hit by this, and if his martial prowess is indeed higher, he would have to avoid the kick and let go of the sword hilt to prevent himself from leaning forward.

However,

Grab!

Mong Mu-yak’s prediction was off.

Mok Gyeong-un, who had been pressing the tip of the sword with his palm, grabbed it, and,

Swoosh!

He seized it and swung it.

As a result,

‘Urk.’

Mong Mu-yak’s body, which had been holding the sword hilt while kicking, staggered to the side and was forcibly twisted.

But it didn’t end there.

Mong Mu-yak drew upon his inner force to resist this, but,

Whoosh!

‘Damn it!’

Nevertheless, Mong Mu-yak’s body was swung even more strongly, and soon,

Whoosh!

Along with letting go of the sword hilt he was holding, he was sent flying nearly eight steps away.

Although startled, Mong Mu-yak calmly twisted his body in the air to regain his posture, but,

Skid skid skid skid!

He was pushed back nearly seven steps on the ground, unable to dissipate Mok Gyeong-un’s inner force.

Watching this with wide eyes, Seop Chun, the captain of the third guard unit of the main hall, clapped his hands and cheered.

Clap clap clap!

“Gwahahaha! Good! Very good!”

Inwardly, he had thought that if trouble occurred, Mok Gyeong-un would naturally be the one to suffer.

It had to be that way because Mong Mu-yak was the son of Vice-Leader Mong Seo-cheon and the grandson of Bright Blade King Mong Woo-jong, who had retired before joining as an elder in the elder council.

Seeing Mong Mu-yak being pushed back by a newcomer who wasn’t even the same age as him, let alone the same Five Tigers, after receiving teachings from a supreme master who was considered one of the top five even including the previous and current generations, Seop Chun couldn’t help but feel excited.

Grit!

Of course, Seop Chun’s cheers were enough to stimulate Mong Mu-yak’s pride.

Although he was the one who picked the fight first, he had his own reasons.

It was because he thought Mok Gyeong-un had insulted the sword.

He really didn’t like the fact that a disciple of the Shadow Clan Master, who must be a swordmaster, not a swordsman, was carrying that great sword made by the legendary craftsman Ou Yezi like a decorative piece.

So he went calling it a pearl necklace on a pig’s neck.

But the situation had become ridiculous.

He had tried to teach him a lesson as a swordsman, but he ended up being humiliated instead.

Mong Mu-yak glared at Mok Gyeong-un.

If he backed down like this, this humiliation would really become set in stone.

So,

Swish!

Mong Mu-yak, gripping his sword hilt, raised his energy.

“Good. Let’s have a proper duel-“

“Before that, take this back.”

‘!?’

At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un threw something as if throwing a spear.

It was none other than the sword he had taken from Mong Mu-yak.

Whoosh! Swish swish swish!

The sword flew to right in front of him in an instant.

Just how strong was this bastard’s inner force that the sword flew right in front of him in the blink of an eye?

Just by looking at the speed, one could guess its power.

However,

Bam!

The flying sword suddenly stopped in midair.

Boing boing!

Seeing the sword stop precariously right in front of him, Seop Chun couldn’t hide his surprise.

‘No way. He blocked that with his energy?’

The power imbued in the sword seemed to be no joke, so he thought he should avoid it, but he didn’t expect him to be able to block it with just his energy.

Mong Mu-yak’s inner energy level seemed to have become much thicker than before.

At this, Seop Chun shouted to Mong Mu-yak with amazement,

“Hah! Mong Mu-yak! Did you eat centuries-old wild ginseng or something?”

However,

“…It wasn’t me.”

Mong Mu-yak said with a perplexed expression.

Seop Chun tilted his head.

What is he saying now?

It wasn’t him?

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m saying it wasn’t me who stopped the sword just now!”

“What?”

At this, Seop Chun looked at Mok Gyeong-un, thinking it couldn’t be.

‘Huh?’

But Mok Gyeong-un was looking at Mong Mu-yak’s sword floating in the air with a serious face, the smile gone from his face.

It wasn’t him either?

What on earth is going on?

He was puzzled, wondering what was going on, when,

Swish!

‘Huh? The sword?’

At that moment, the sword that had come out of Mong Mu-yak’s scabbard on its own, which was floating in the air, charged towards Mok Gyeong-un at a tremendous speed, cutting through the air.

Swish swish swish!

Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes looking at this turned sharp.

The energy imbued in the flying sword was something he had never experienced before.

The energy was moving the sword as if it were a living, breathing supreme swordsman.

What kind of sorcery is this?

As he was shocked, Cheong-ryeong’s exclamation pierced his ears.

– It’s the Art of Sword Control[1]!