Chapter 114: Chapter 114
Cheon-hwi, standing under the bright full moon in the sky, looked at the Nine Dragons Gang.
“It’s small.”
Unlike the grand name of Nine Dragons, the Nine Dragons Gang was a smaller sect than expected.
‘No, is it not small?’
Cheon-hwi scratched his head.
Come to think of it, it was a large pavilion.
It was a place capable of accommodating roughly over two hundred people, and there were several pavilions.
‘Tsk, my standards have gotten higher.’
What were the things he had seen recently?
Murim Alliance, Namgung Clan, and Zhongnan Sect.
Weren’t they all giant sects counted among the top in the world?
‘At this level, it’s similar to the Supreme King Sect.’
He thought of a sect that was at least comparable.
He looked at the pavilions for a moment.
Swish…
Cheon-hwi immediately jumped over the wall.
The Dark Fragrance Drift, unfolded in the darkness, moved so stealthily that no one could notice it, slowly seeping into the darkness.
‘Let’s see, the place where the Gang Leader is staying.’
Cheon-hwi moved quickly, recalling the information he had kept in his head.
Soon, he arrived at a pavilion.
‘Hmm? A light?’
A faint light leaked through the gap in the window, as if a kerosene lamp had been lit inside.
Cheon-hwi suppressed his presence and moved.
At that moment.
“…You failed?”
A sharp voice was heard.
Hmm?
Cheon-hwi immediately looked inside the pavilion through the slightly opened window.
“Does that make any sense! Not only did I bring you the martial arts from the Imperial Armory, but I also gave you money that would be hard to touch in a lifetime, so how could you have failed!”
The frail-looking middle-aged man began to pour out harsh words along with pointing fingers at the large-built older man.
‘I found the right place, didn’t I?’
Cheon-hwi immediately listened closely.
“This is why stupid things are…! Do you even know what will happen if He finds out about this situation? Your life will…”
The older man listened to his words silently before his two eyes flashed coldly.
“The information was wrong.”
The middle-aged man flinched slightly.
“T-the information was wrong?”
“Unlike what you told us, there were other masters besides them.”
“O-other masters?”
The older man’s momentum amplified.
“This is truly suspicious. He said He would support this sect, but since you bring such false information, can we even trust you?”
The middle-aged man felt his drunkenness instantly fade. At the same time, his face turned red.
“Nine Dragons Gang Leader!”
Ah, as expected, that guy was the Nine Dragons Gang Leader.
Cheon-hwi looked the older man up and down and nodded.
‘That guy is the one from Qinghai Province.’
While he was watching, the Nine Dragons Gang Leader looked at the middle-aged man with cold eyes.
“Why are you calling me?”
The Nine Dragons Gang Leader’s voice was cold.
Sensing something unusual, the middle-aged man asked with a pale complexion.
“Is it true that there are more masters?”
“Couldn’t you even confirm that?”
“…”
At the Nine Dragons Gang Leader’s words mixed with laughter, the middle-aged man’s face distorted drastically.
“I will quickly check it.”
The Nine Dragons Gang Leader, who had been treated like a subordinate until now, slightly raised the corners of his mouth and quickly lowered them, as if he found this situation thrilling.
“You mean now?”
The Nine Dragons Gang Leader said, looking at the middle-aged man.
It was a reprimand.
Because the moment Princess Sohui’s group left Shaanxi and went to Gansu, there would be no chance.
The middle-aged man bit his lip.
“…Is there anything you need right now? If you kill her, I will help you with anything, both materially and morally.”
The Nine Dragons Gang Leader smiled widely.
He had been waiting for these words.
“Money, poison, and spirit medicine.”
The middle-aged man’s brow narrowed.
“I understand money and poison, but spirit medicine…?”
“I plan to recruit masters.”
“If it’s that, you can use money…”
“Lord. Masters of the Jianghu are easier to move with spirit medicine than money.”
It was exaggerated, but it was correct.
If they were a master, unless they were a demonic practitioner or a public enemy of the Murim, there were many ways to earn money.
Such as taking requests like a wandering warrior, or entering a sect as a guest.
However, it was different for spirit medicine.
In the case of spirit medicines that were hard to obtain with money, there were masters who took on difficult requests to get them.
“Besides, in order to defeat them, we must request a master of at least the Peak or the Limitless Realm. To do so, spirit medicine is unconditionally essential.”
The middle-aged man stared at the Nine Dragons Gang Leader.
However, seeing his unwavering eyes, he eventually let out a sigh.
“I understand. I will quickly obtain the things you mentioned separately and send them.”
“Thank you. This time, I will definitely repay you with success.”
“I will trust only the Gang Leader.”
The moment the middle-aged man was about to turn his body.
“Ah, right. Lord.”
The Nine Dragons Gang Leader called out as if he had forgotten.
“Due to the false information the Lord gave us, a very precious disciple of our sect died, but…”
“…”
The middle-aged man bit his lip.
Then, he rummaged through his sleeve and handed over a jewel that was dazzling at a glance.
“Let’s call it even with this.”
“Good.”
The Nine Dragons Gang Leader sneered inwardly.
‘You insidious rat.’
The fact that he took a jewel out of his sleeve meant he had already brought it with the intention of giving it.
But giving it only now meant he clearly had the intention of pocketing it in the middle.
‘I want to extort more, but.’
The Nine Dragons Gang Leader held back.
‘Since we have already joined hands, it would be troublesome if our relationship worsened further.’
At that time, the middle-aged man spoke as he went out.
“I will take my leave for today.”
“Have a safe trip.”
The Nine Dragons Gang Leader, who greeted the departing middle-aged man with a slight nod, looked at the jewel with greedy eyes.
‘The operation I poured my heart into failed, but is it fortunate since I gained a lot?’
A chilling smile appeared on his lips, then disappeared at a very fast speed.
‘However, I must not fail the next time.’
There would not be a second failure.
If he were to fail.
‘The Nine Dragons Gang might disappear.’
His Adam’s apple bobbed heavily.
It was because He was someone who could completely exterminate the Nine Dragons Gang and still have power left over.
The Nine Dragons Gang Leader put the jewel in his hand into his embrace, then walked towards the bed.
And the moment he lightly touched and shook the corner of the bed.
Creak…
The bed moved to the left, revealing an underground passage leading down.
The Nine Dragons Gang Leader looked at the underground passage, then looked around, and very carefully turned his body toward the passage and disappeared.
‘Oho.’
Meanwhile, Cheon-hwi, who was watching the whole situation from outside the window, smirked.
‘There was a secret passage.’
He wanted to chase after him immediately, but Cheon-hwi turned his steps for now.
‘That’s for next time.’
* * *
“Damn it!”
The middle-aged man, who was heading to the annex prepared by the Nine Dragons Gang Leader, kicked a stone on the ground to vent his anger and ground his teeth.
“To think I have to hear such words from an ignorant bastard like him.”
It was a matter of injured pride.
“Such useless fools! Smearing my name and His name!”
“Who is He?”
“Ahem, how dare you say His…”
The middle-aged man who was speaking flinched.
A young man with a face full of smiles appeared from the empty air where there had been no one just a moment ago, looking at him.
“Eek! Ghost!”
“That’s not it.”
“P-person?”
“That’s right.”
Confirming that he was a person, the middle-aged man’s pale complexion slowly returned.
“K-ahem.”
Soon, feeling embarrassed, he continuously cleared his throat, straightened his back, and spoke.
“Who are you? Are you a subordinate of the Nine Dragons Gang Leader?”
“No.”
“Then…”
“Hmm, simply put, an enemy?”
“Yes, an enemy… Wh-what did you say?”
Cheon-hwi immediately struck the middle-aged man’s mute acupoint, then lifted him by the nape of his neck like a piece of luggage.
“U-mmp!”
The panicked middle-aged man shouted, but.
Tap!
Cheon-hwi moved faster than that.
“We’re going now, so keep your mouth shut.”
At the same time Cheon-hwi gave advice to the middle-aged man, his figure stretched out long.
The place he arrived at was the Gang Leader’s room.
“…!”
The middle-aged man’s jaw dropped at the astonishing martial arts prowess Cheon-hwi had just shown.
‘Wh-what bizarre…’
In the blink of an eye.
In that time, he, who had been outside, had returned to the Nine Dragons Gang Leader’s room.
“The Nine Dragons Gang Leader hasn’t come out yet.”
Cheon-hwi set the middle-aged man down.
“Then, first I’ll release the mute acupoint.”
Cheon-hwi released the middle-aged man’s mute acupoint.
“Uh, uh?”
As soon as the middle-aged man confirmed that his voice could come out, he shouted immediately.
“You bastard! Do you know who I am?”
“Who are you?”
“I am the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner of Qinghai Province!”
“Ah, you were the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner?”
Cheon-hwi stroked his chin.
As for the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, it was an Upper Third Rank position that held absolute power in Qinghai Province, excluding the Province Governor.
‘This actually worked out better, didn’t it?’
The Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, seeing Cheon-hwi deep in thought, shouted with even more momentum.
“Do you know what you have just done? This matter will be handled by Imperial Law.”
“What will happen?”
“It’s the death penalty!”
“Ah, is that so?”
The corners of Cheon-hwi’s mouth twisted.
“Then what happens to the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner who is trying to kill Princess Sohui, a member of the Imperial Family?”
“…!”
The Provincial Surveillance Commissioner’s eyes shook.
“What nonsense…”
Cheon-hwi’s eyes sank coldly.
“Is it not?”
“You bastaaard! How dare you spout such nonsense… Keok!”
Seeing the panicked Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, Cheon-hwi lightly raised his hand and grabbed his neck.
“Ke, kek!”
The Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, suspended in the air with his feet not touching the ground, struggled in the empty air.
Then, when he gradually started suffocating and his face was about to turn bright red.
Tap.
Cheon-hwi let go of the hand gripping his neck.
“Heook, heook.”
While the kneeling Provincial Surveillance Commissioner grabbed his neck and drooled, a cold voice was heard from above his head.
“From now on, you will have to answer properly.”
Hearing the voice that seemed to pierce his ears like thorns, he raised his head and froze in that state.
Two eyes that reflected nothing.
They were reflecting himself like a transparent bronze mirror.
“Who is He?”
“He is…”
When the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner hesitated, Cheon-hwi slowly raised his hand.
Then, the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner spoke in terror.
“Th-the Commander of the Eastern Depot!”
“The Commander of the Eastern Depot?”
Surprise tinged Cheon-hwi’s eyes.
He was a bigger shot than expected.
‘Isn’t this strange?’
At the same time, a question arose.
The Commander of the Eastern Depot, who protects the Imperial Family, is trying to kill Princess Sohui and the Qinghai Province Governor?
The logic didn’t add up.
“Why is the Commander of the Eastern Depot trying to kill the Qinghai Province Governor and Princess Sohui?”
“Th-that, I also do not know.”
Cheon-hwi’s eyes sank coldly.
“You have good determination.”
Immediately at the same time, he struck the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner’s acupoints.
At that moment.
Crunch…
With the sound of bones breaking, the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner’s body began to twist back and forth.
Cheon-hwi, who had unleashed the Muscle-Dividing Bone-Displacing and even struck his mute acupoint, watched him roll on the floor with silent screams for a while.
Soon, seeing him crying, snotting, and even peeing himself, he withdrew the Muscle-Dividing Bone-Displacing.
And as he released the mute acupoint.
“Uh, uhuhuk, I tr-truly do not know.”
The Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, speaking in a sobbing voice, did not seem to be lying.
“Then you followed the order to kill Princess Sohui without knowing?”
“Th-that is because he said he would guarantee me a position in the Imperial Palace if I did so!”
Cheon-hwi’s eyes narrowed into slits as he looked at the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner spitting out words as if denouncing.
‘It doesn’t seem like a lie.’
Cheon-hwi nodded.
“Is there anyone else involved besides you?”
“N-no one else but me.”
“Are you certain?”
“No. That is… honestly, I don’t know well either. Whether there is anyone else involved besides me…”
Seeing the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner unable to give a definite answer and trailing off actually made him more believable.
“Then I have nothing more to ask.”
“I-is that so?!”
The Provincial Surveillance Commissioner’s expression brightened.
“Then won’t you let me go now?”
Cheon-hwi grinned.
“That won’t do.”
“Uh, why…”
“Because I still need you.”
Along with his words, Cheon-hwi struck the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner’s paralyzing and mute acupoints, then threw him to the floor.
It wasn’t time to kill him yet.
‘Until I find out the Nine Dragons Gang Leader’s martial arts.’
Cheon-hwi’s plan was simple.
Leaving traces by killing the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner with the Nine Dragons Gang Leader’s martial arts, it was a simple method but one that only Cheon-hwi could use.
“I wonder when he’ll come out.”
Cheon-hwi sat on a chair and waited.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea passed.
Creak…
The bed moved, and the passage appeared.
Soon, the Nine Dragons Gang Leader appeared.
“…”
His expression hardened.
“Who are you?”
“Me?”
Cheon-hwi chuckled, looking at him who asked for his name above all else.
“Cheon-hwi.”
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