Chapter 149: Chapter 149

“Sit.”

At Dan Woo-hyun’s quietly muttered word, Jeok Mooseong frowned. However, his body moved naturally as he approached Dan Woo-hyun, who was playing Go.

“Are you the one who killed Ma Dokjin?”

Dan Woo-hyun did not answer the question.

He just stared quietly at the Go stones in front of him. To Jeok Mooseong, who did not even know what Go was, it only looked like there were more white stones than black stones, regardless of whether he was losing or winning.

What was so interesting about that to be so engrossed in it?

It was utterly pathetic.

“It is distracting, so I told you to sit.”

Dan Woo-hyun’s words grated on his ears.

Just as he was about to laugh it off, wondering if the man was crazy, the black-masked figure who had approached him at some point patted his shoulder.

Thud! His mind shook violently as if he had been struck by a boulder. His body collapsed as if crushed by something massive, and his face slammed straight into the floor, completely crushing his pride.

“That’s better.”

‘W-what!’

Jeok Mooseong could not hide his shock.

Who on earth in this world could reduce him to such a state? Moreover, the power he felt just now was definitely demonic energy. It was a sensation similar to that of Sa Do-hak, which he had experienced countless times in the past and which remained as a terror.

That wild power seemed to be raging through his entire body.

Jeok Mooseong looked up at the masked man with startled eyes.

The moment he saw those eyes, he frowned without realizing it.

“You…!”

He knew those eyes.

They had competed against each other alongside Namgung Cheon since their days as rising stars.

Therefore, he could recognize his opponent just by looking at his eyes.

Undeniably Sa Do-hak.

Why was the old man, who should have been secluded at the peak of the Demonic Cult, here?

“It’s been a long time. Has it been about ten years?”

Sa Do-hak smirked and took off his mask. Since the opponent had already noticed, there was no reason to keep wearing the mask.

When his true face was revealed, Jeok Mooseong frowned.

‘For there to be this much of a difference.’

The five people who stood at the peak of all martial artists.

People called them the Five Emperors.

It was no exaggeration to say they had reached the realm of entering divinity, but even among them, a clear disparity existed.

Jeok Mooseong.

He was surely a presence who could be called the greatest expert of the unorthodox path, and though he was also skilled at ruling Martial Sovereign Castle, he had never once beaten Sa Do-hak, who was said to contend for the top spot even among the Five Emperors.

“Damn it… was it your doing?”

Jeok Mooseong realized that his thoughts had been wrong.

He should have regarded it not simply as a newly established clan, but as a place created by some organization. And he now painfully realized which organization that was.

The Demonic Cult.

A war between orthodox and unorthodox factions could break out here at any moment.

Jeok Mooseong stood up from his seat, gathering his strength. The internal energy he raised in an instant clashed against the pressing momentum to push it away. At the same time, Jeok Mooseong’s fallen body rose in a bizarre manner as if floating in the air.

“Do you want to die?”

He ground his teeth and glared at Sa Do-hak.

There was a difference in their levels, but it was not so great that he could not swing his sword. A powerful killing intent flowed from Jeok Mooseong’s eyes as he glared at Sa Do-hak.

The two men faced each other.

As they stared without a single concession, sparks flew. Even the flowing wind settled, and a cracking sound of stones breaking echoed from the clashing momentums.

Just then, a gentle energy intervened between the two men.

It made its way between the two blade-like momentums incredibly naturally. The heavy atmosphere seemed to lift slightly, and the violently clashing momentums mingled and harmonized with each other.

Jeok Mooseong frowned even more.

Had he not felt this energy somewhere before?

That fellow who was thought to be dead.

He whipped his head around and glared at Namgung Cheon.

“You… aren’t you dead?”

“Hohoho.”

Namgung Cheon also lightly took off his mask and set it down. Still wearing a gentle expression, he possessed a momentum quite different from that of Sa Do-hak and Jeok Mooseong.

It was as if he was trying to achieve harmony with his surroundings.

“It has been a long time.”

“Crazy…”

Jeok Mooseong let out a long sigh and sat down.

What on earth was this manor?

It was large, but it also housed two people who contended for the top spot among the Five Emperors. And who on earth was that man to be with them?

“What on earth is going on? Did you kill Ma Dokjin on purpose?”

“Well… I do not know about that…”

“What about the corpse?”

If these two men were involved, it was best to abandon any thought of revenge. If it were just one, he might try to swing his sword somehow, but facing both at the same time was synonymous with opening the gates to the underworld.

“Sent it.”

Jeok Mooseong frowned and looked to the side.

He saw Dan Woo-hyun, who had been playing Go, brushing the Go stones aside with his hand. The voice had definitely come from those lips just now.

“Sent it? Where?”

“Martial Sovereign Castle.”

“You madmen! What are you thinking! Do you really intend to fight the unorthodox path?”

Jeok Mooseong jumped up and glared at Sa Do-hak and Namgung Cheon. These two must be behind all of this. Since they were not the type of people to be controlled by someone else, this was their plan from start to finish.

For what on earth?

Did they really intend to wage war against the unorthodox path?

The Demonic Cult? The Orthodox faction?

The moment Jeok Mooseong was about to release his killing intent.

Namgung Cheon muttered.

“Is the orthodox faction not currently at war?”

“…”

“Also, doing so was entirely our Lord’s will.”

“Lord…?”

Who was he referring to as the Lord?

At Namgung Cheon’s words, Jeok Mooseong turned back to Sa Do-hak. But as Sa Do-hak shrugged and shook his head, there was only one person left to look at in this place.

“Is this man the Lord?”

“Yes.”

Dan Woo-hyun smiled and nodded.

At that action, Jeok Mooseong’s face distorted endlessly. If he knew of Sa Do-hak and Namgung Cheon, he should reasonably know who Jeok Mooseong was, but the fellow did not seem to care about such things at all.

“You are insane. You bastard! Do you think you will be safe after touching Martial Sovereign Castle?”

“Hmm.”

Dan Woo-hyun stroked his chin.

Even while receiving the skin-piercing killing intent, he thought about something for a long time before nodding slightly.

“Conversely… did you think you would leave safely when you entered this manor?”

“…What?”

“He probably thought he would smash everything and walk out leisurely by himself. Hahaha!”

Sa Do-hak laughed as he spoke, as if he had opened up Jeok Mooseong’s head and read his mind. Indeed, anyone who had reached this level would think the same thing.

They would never be defeated by anyone.

Thus, they were brimming with confidence.

“These madmen really!”

Jeok Mooseong lost his temper and gripped his sword. He was fully prepared to draw it and slice off Dan Woo-hyun’s neck first. The killing intent he emitted, and his mindset, were undoubtedly intent on killing his opponent.

The moment he was about to draw his sword.

Thud, thud!

A strange sound was heard.

Jeok Mooseong only turned his eyes to look to the side in that state.

The five shadows following him were already lying on the ground.

Had they been defeated by someone?

Not only Sa Do-hak but also Namgung Cheon and Dan Woo-hyun were keeping their guard up and observing. For an expert of Jeok Mooseong’s caliber to be on guard meant a mindset that would not miss even the slightest movement.

And yet.

He had seen nothing.

Were others hiding?

No.

The only things felt in the vicinity were the presence of the child inside that large building and one other person. It was an energy definitely judged to belong to Gwon Mu-jin.

Excluding those two, there was no one else.

He was certain of it.

No shadow could deceive the eyes and ears of the Five Emperors.

And yet…?

“Go ahead and try to draw it.”

That single statement weighed heavily on his shoulders.

Jeok Mooseong, who had tried to draw his sword, froze like a stone statue and could not move. It was as if the single sentence Dan Woo-hyun uttered was dominating his mind.

Drip.

Cold sweat poured down from between his brows.

“It is a pity about Ma Dokjin. But thanks to that, the kid on our side had an opportunity to take another step forward, so I am merely grateful.”

Without even looking at Jeok Mooseong, Dan Woo-hyun moved his lips as he looked at the Go stones he had pushed aside. It was clearly felt that he was ignoring his opponent.

Jeok Mooseong felt it too.

However, he could not do anything.

His body did not listen, as if it were bound.

‘Who on earth is he! To do this to the great Jeok Mooseong!’

It made no sense!

He was Jeok Mooseong, called one of the Five Emperors. Because no expert surpassing the Five Emperors had appeared in the Central Plains, they had always stood at the highest position.

But now.

What was this state?

‘Is he someone who has reached the realm of the Three Heavens?’

Tremble, tremble!

The hand holding the sword shook violently.

He tried hard to deny it, thinking it could not be, but all the situations before his eyes pointed to an even stronger affirmation. Since even Sa Do-hak, not to mention Namgung Cheon, was looking up at Dan Woo-hyun.

“You bastard! Who are you?”

“The master of this manor… and the father of a child.”

“You are truly insane! Will you only wake up after seeing blood?”

Jeok Mooseong could not accept this situation.

It would be the same for anyone. Even more so when one could not clearly feel the opponent’s capability! Therefore, with strong mental power, he broke through Dan Woo-hyun’s pressure and slowly drew his sword.

Clang!

The drawn sword pointed toward Dan Woo-hyun’s neck.

“I told you… not to draw it.”

Sa Do-hak looked at Jeok Mooseong with a face full of ridicule. That look was clearly mocking and looking down on Jeok Mooseong.

Also.

How could a guy like you win?

It seemed to say something like that.

Namgung Cheon was the same.

He tried his best not to show it, but his eyes were filled with the feeling that the outcome of this fight was obvious.

That irritated Jeok Mooseong even more.

Just then, Dan Woo-hyun stood up.

Without saying a single word, Dan Woo-hyun stood up and, without even emitting killing intent, reached his hand toward Jeok Mooseong’s face and opened his palm.

What was happening?

The moment Jeok Mooseong stared at it with a wary gaze.

Suddenly, his surroundings blurred disorientingly, and he felt a sense of speed in his body. His eyes widened at the unexpected situation. While he was feeling that unfamiliar sensation, Dan Woo-hyun’s hand grabbed his head and slammed it violently against a huge rock.

Crash!

“Aaargh!”

Jeok Mooseong could not understand.

The pain felt was painful, but scenery appeared through his shaky vision. It was clear that he had been inside the manor just a moment ago, but now the surroundings were full of forest.

At some point, he had been dragged to a place completely different from the manor.

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