Chapter 264: Chapter 264

“Is this really the place?”

“Without a doubt.”

Those who had been moving in pursuit of the traces of the vanished Murong Janguk stopped in front of a ruined house and frowned.

Why had a guy who went out saying he would clear his head come all the way to a place like this?

They had even found traces of battle on the way here.

Moreover, since they had already seen a few corpses of the warriors who had gone out with Murong Janguk, it seemed as if they had either been ambushed by someone or had ambushed someone only to be defeated instead.

Murong Daeung, a master who vied for the top ranks even among the collateral branches of the Murong Clan, forced down his ominous feelings and caught his breath. If by any chance Janguk had been defeated, it would have a huge impact on the entire Murong Clan.

With ominous thoughts, he cautiously stepped inside the ruined house.

In that moment, he was lost for words at the sight that unfolded before his eyes.

The guards protecting Murong Janguk were sprawled here and there.

Some appeared to have met a gruesome end, while others did not even have a scratch but looked as if their breath had stopped just like that.

Among them, there was one that stood out particularly.

“Young Clan Leader…”

It was Murong Janguk.

It was vividly clear that his appearance was hideously distorted, as if he had been beaten by someone. His face was bruised black and blue to the point where its original shape could not even be found, and the sword he used was embedded in his chest.

Just who on earth could have done such a thing?

Tremble.

His body began to shake.

No matter how much the name of the Murong Clan had fallen to the ground, its power was still intact, so who on earth dared to commit such an atrocity!

Even finding and killing them right away would not be enough to appease his anger.

“Retrieve the bodies and search for traces.”

“Yes!”

Murong Daeung looked around to find any traces of the enemy that might remain. If there was even a tiny clue, they might be able to identify the opponent.

‘The Namgung Clan? No… Is it the Martial Alliance or the Heaven Alliance?’

Because there were so many who were hostile to the Murong Clan, he could not even begin to guess who the enemy was.

Murong Daeung let out a hollow laugh and clenched his fists tightly.

As the next clan leader, there was no one like Murong Janguk.

Although he had younger brothers, neither their skill nor their talent could match Murong Janguk.

For that reason, not only the elders but also the guardians and collateral branches looked only to Murong Janguk.

Thinking that he would once again raise the Murong Clan.

The reason they pursued Murong Hyeok-mun and tried to protect him was also in the same vein.

It was in order to have Murong Janguk learn everything that Murong Hyeok-mun possessed.

But to think that Janguk, whom they firmly believed to be the future of the family, was killed in a place like this, how could this futility be consoled?

Grind!

He ground his teeth and emitted killing intent.

“The traces on the corpses we saw from below appeared to be those of the Namgung Clan.”

“What do you mean by ‘appeared to be’?”

“Well… it seems like the swordsmanship of the Namgung Clan, but the feeling is very different. It is as if something else was mixed in…”

“Does that mean the culprit might have framed it to look like the work of the Namgung Clan?”

“That is correct.”

Murong Daeung frowned and clicked his tongue.

It was no exaggeration to say that the Murong Clan and the Namgung Clan were already at odds. Under such circumstances, the possibility was very high that this was a trick by someone trying to deepen the rift even further.

Murong Daeung sighed and shook his head.

“See? I told you they would come.”

Just then, the voice of a man echoed in his ears.

When he quickly turned his head to look, several human figures could be seen at the wide-open entrance. They were smirking as they looked at the gathered Murong Daeung and his subordinates.

It was as if they had expected them to come.

“Who are you?”

“No need for you to know.”

Gwon Mu-jin spat out the words and drew his twin short swords.

“I tried to endure it as much as possible, but I just couldn’t. I must collect the price, right?”

Ma Jang-gang smiled and raised his saber.

As his momentum as one of the top hundred masters spread in all directions, even Murong Daeung felt a chill intense enough to break into a cold sweat. He flinched unconsciously.

“You people…”

At that moment, there was one who emitted the greatest killing intent.

The moment that woman confirmed Murong Daeung’s face, she ground her teeth fiercely.

The sword she had drawn at some point gleamed with a bluish sharpness, emitting a momentum that seemed ready to charge forward at any second.

“Zhuge Yeon…!”

Murong Daeung knew that face well.

They were once members of the same Eight Great Families, and before that, they were called the Five Great Families and led the orthodox path, so they had crossed paths a few times during exchanges.

“I will kill you!”

Zhuge Yeon dashed forward.

Even Murong Daeung felt threatened by the sword that stretched out, drawing a brilliant trajectory.

“Keuk! Kill them!”

Murong Daeung raised his voice as he evaded the attack.

Although she was not on the level of Namgung So-hye, Zhuge Yeon was also a master who should not be taken lightly.

It was common to think that the Zhuge Clan was famous for its strategy, tactics, and extensive knowledge of formations and mechanisms, but Zhuge Yeon was different.

While her mind was naturally outstanding, she was born with a martial talent so exceptional that it was hard to believe she was a child born to the Zhuge Clan.

Thus, even the Zhuge Clan placed more weight on martial arts than literature when teaching her.

Since she had not fought much with the younger generation and had never properly revealed her true skills, the level of her martial arts was simply not famous, but she was perhaps equal to Namgung So-hye or at least on par with Murong Janguk.

Clang, clang, clang!

“Keuk!”

Murong Daeung was flustered by Zhuge Yeon’s relentless onslaught.

As expected!

Rather than unfolding her sword with raw strength, Zhuge Yeon did not forget her soft swordsmanship even in her extremely angry state.

Each and every move penetrated incredibly sharply and smoothly.

Instead of forcibly aiming for gaps, she was executing high-level swordsmanship that created gaps in the opponent with a single move.

“Damn it!”

“Just die!”

With fire in her eyes, Zhuge Yeon’s swordsmanship stretched out gorgeously.

He tried to block it and suppress it with his overwhelming internal energy, but Zhuge Yeon’s sword flew in as if it would shatter everything.

Murong Daeung broke into a cold sweat as he deflected the attacks.

His strategy was to break Zhuge Yeon’s flexibility with strength and create an opening.

However, throwing away her sword that was suppressed by strength, Zhuge Yeon smiled softly and stepped back as light as a feather.

At the same time, she threw something from her sleeve.

Swish, swish, swish!

“Gah!?”

Murong Daeung immediately recognized what it was that flew in like an arrow.

It was a hidden weapon of the Sichuan Tang Clan.

Since he had never imagined that Zhuge Yeon would use hidden weapons, he was completely caught off guard.

Thud!

Murong Daeung’s body collapsed helplessly.

Perhaps because of the poison coated on the hidden weapon, his body was gradually turning purple.

“Argh!”

“It’s the deadly poison of the Tang Clan. I heard that you die even if it just grazes you, but I guess that was a lie.”

Zhuge Yeon sneered as she looked down at the fallen Murong Daeung. Even though she was looking at a dying man, not a shred of sympathy could be found in her eyes.

“Groan…”

“It doesn’t look like your subordinates will survive either.”

Gwon Mu-jin’s twin short swords fiercely pressured his opponents and brought them down in an instant.

Ma Jang-gang’s saber heavily cleaved an opponent in half, driving them to death.

Jang Sam-tae was leaping around sneakily, mocking his opponents.

Since he too was without a single wound, it was no exaggeration to say that the balance of this battle had already tilted.

Zhuge Yeon squatted in front of Murong Daeung and looked at his face, where the poison was gradually creeping into his bone marrow.

She reached out her finger and tapped Murong Daeung’s forehead.

“You shouldn’t have touched So-hye.”

“!?”

Only then did Murong Daeung realize whom Murong Janguk had crossed.

He had happened to see Namgung So-hye, a direct descendant of the Namgung Clan, and moved to kill her, only to be defeated instead.

However, since she too was not safe, the angered Zhuge Yeon had brought companions to seek them out.

Once all his doubts were resolved, an absurd laugh escaped his mouth.

“Heh… heh…”

“I guess a person crossing the threshold of the underworld still has the strength to laugh?”

He wanted to refute her sarcastic words, but no voice came out.

Born as a member of the Murong Clan, the days he spent doing anything for the sake of the clan flashed by.

He had clung solely to the glory of the clan and looked at nothing else.

The Murong Clan was the sole reason for his existence.

Zhuge Yeon leaned her upper body slightly toward Murong Daeung and whispered.

“Don’t worry. The Murong Clan will also soon disappear without a trace.”

“…!”

At those words, Murong Daeung reached out and grabbed Zhuge Yeon by the collar. Squeezing out his remaining strength, he barely managed to lift his head.

His bloodshot eyes glared at her.

“If you… touch the Murong Clan… even in death, I will not let…”

“Ah, this is why I hate people who can’t grasp the situation.”

Zhuge Yeon snorted and lightly pushed Murong Daeung’s forehead away with her finger.

However, Murong Daeung, who was squeezing out all his strength as he died, did not push back easily.

Looking at that, Zhuge Yeon smirked and slightly lifted her finger.

“Shall I say one more thing?”

She spoke, lowering her voice.

As if she did not want others to overhear.

It even felt somewhat shy, as if she were confiding a secret she held.

However, because her eyes looking at Murong Daeung burned like an active volcano, the eyes of Murong Daeung who met them trembled.

“If So-hye had died… I would have shattered even your souls… so consider yourself lucky.”

Thud!

“Gack!”

Her extended finger pierced Murong Daeung’s throat.

Murong Daeung clutched his spurting neck and gasped in agony. At the same time, his vision blurred and strength left his body.

His pupils began to unfocus.

Yet even as he collapsed, his gaze remained fixed on Zhuge Yeon.

Smiling as she looked at the dying man, she was truly like a demon.

Do not touch the Murong Clan!

I will kill you!

He wanted to spit out those words, but no more sound came out. Soon, his body gradually went limp as darkness swallowed him whole.

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