chapter 308

It’s Darkest Under the Lamp (2)

Eun Mu-yeong’s eyes grew cold.

“Where on earth has he disappeared to?”

He tried everything to find out where Nam Woo-gyeong was. But there was no trace of him anywhere outside the sect.

Even contacting the Hao clan proved difficult.

He didn’t know when, but all the members of the Hao clan had disappeared from the streets.

At first, no one in the Nine Dragons Clan noticed their absence because everyone’s attention was focused on the martial arts tournament.

The martial artists who had been invited to the event were the first to notice. After watching the low-ranked fights, they went to visit the local pleasure houses, but for some reason, many of the courtesans were missing.

Even the owners of these establishments had no idea why. All they could say was that the courtesans had suddenly disappeared. And it wasn’t just one or two brothels, many of them experienced the same disappearance.

Next came the servants and the innkeepers. Then the beggars and the poor who lived on the streets were gone.

At this point, people began to sense something strange and began to whisper. Even those who were rarely sensitive to subtleties realised that the sudden disappearance of all the poor people in the Nine Dragons Clan was anything but natural.

No one was more taken aback than Eun Mu-yeong.

He had come up with the plan to use the Hao Clan members living in the Nine Dragons Clan as hostages to force Nam Woo-gyeong into submission. It was Eun Mu-yeong who devised the plan and received approval from his master, Gyeong Un-cheon.

He had believed the plan entirely feasible, and indeed it had nearly succeeded—if only Nam Woo-gyeong hadn’t escaped at the last moment.

“shit!”

Eun Mu-yeong, who normally hid his emotions well, now wore a look of anxiety.

Not only had he kidnapped the young master of the Hao Clan, but he had even tried to use poison to force his submission. If this got out, he’d have no place in the Jianghu.

Eun Mu-yeong assumed Nam Woo-gyeong had slipped out of the Nine Dragons Clan and was now commanding the Hao Clan from the outside. Otherwise, the Hao Clan’s invisible moves couldn’t be explained.

“How in the world did he escape the sect?”

As soon as Eun Mu-yeong discovered that Nam Woo-gyeong was gone, he had all the gates sealed and the security drastically tightened. Yet they found no trace of Nam Woo-gyeong anywhere.

“Unless… he never left and is still inside?”

He shook his head.

If Nam Woo-gyeong was still within the Nine Dragons Clan, it wouldn’t explain the Hao Clan’s ongoing actions.

Eun Mu-yeong’s mind was a tangled mess.

Bang!

Unable to hold back his anger, Eun Mu-yeong slammed his palm on the armrest of his chair. The sturdy rosewood shattered into dust under his hand.

“Who the hell took Woo-gyeong away?”

Gnash!

Eun Mu-yeong ground his teeth so hard it seemed they might break.

With so many martial artists inside the Nine Dragons Clan, it was impossible to determine who had rescued Nam Woo-gyeong.

He needed to make contact with Nam Woo-gyeong to either apologize or compensate him to win him back, but without knowing his whereabouts, there was no way to do so.

If relations with the Hao Clan worsened, it would be a disaster for the Nine Dragons Clan.

At that moment:

“Young Master! There is trouble.”

A young martial artist burst into his quarters. It was Lee Ja-an, Eun Mu-yeong’s right-hand man.

Eun Mu-yeong frowned deeply.

“What’s the commotion?”

His voice was full of irritation.

His head was already in chaos, and now his subordinate was causing a disturbance without reading the mood.

Lee Ja-an ignored Eun Mu-yeong’s irritation and continued,

“Urgent news from Hidden Dragon Hall!”

“The Hidden Dragon Hall?”

Only then did Eun Mu-yeong realise the seriousness of the situation.

The Hidden Dragon Hall was the department that oversaw information for the Nine Dragons Clan.

Although it paled in comparison to the Jade Heaven Alliance or the Hao Clan in terms of intelligence, it was still crucial. Without the Hidden Dragon Hall, the Nine Dragons Clan couldn’t gather information about the outside world or formulate responses in time.

“The information flowing into the Hidden Dragon Hall has completely stopped.”

“What do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said. Someone has blocked all information coming into the Hidden Dragon Hall.”

“What?”

Eun Mu-yeong’s expression quickly hardened. A sudden possibility flashed through his mind.

‘Could it be the Hao Clan…’

He sprang to his feet.

“I’m heading there immediately.”

“Yes, sir!”

The two of them rushed to the Hidden Dragon Hall.

The place was like a funeral hall.

“All contact from the Dongting Lake has been severed!”

“We can’t track any movements of the Thousand Kingdom School!”

“There’s no word from the spies we sent to the Sky High Castle!”

Voices close to screaming filled the hall.

These men had spent decades in intelligence work – long enough to grow old in the trade – yet even they were terrified.

It was rare for these seasoned intelligence operatives to show such terror.

The situation they faced was indeed terrifying, especially for those whose profession was gathering information.

Eun Mu-young urgently asked Goo Yeo-hae, the chief of Hidden Dragon Hall.

“What happened?”

“I don’t know why, but the network that was working fine until yesterday has completely collapsed.”

“Collapsed?”

“The regular reports from our spies have completely stopped.”

“All our regular field reports have dried up. No one’s reporting in.”

Goo Yeo-hae’s lips were nearly blue with dread.

He had been managing and operating the Nine Dragon Clan’s intelligence network for decades. Never in all those years had their information stream been cut off.

“Our eyes and ears have gone completely blind.”

Even if their own spy network was blocked, it wasn’t as though they would know nothing of what was happening in the world. Rumors or information from those entering the Nine Dragons Clan could provide some insights, but for a sect aiming at dominance over the Jianghu, such haphazard intel was unacceptable.

They should be able to learn of distant events within a few days at most. This is the only way they can anticipate enemy troop movements or strategies.

Currently, the Nine Dragons Clan’s information network was entirely severed. It was as if they were isolated from the rest of the world.

Goo Yeo-hae murmured in despair.

“Who could it be…”

Eun Mu-yeong knew the answer.

‘Woo-gyeong!’

＊＊＊

Slurp!

Inside a small room, the sound of someone drinking soup echoed.

“Ahhh, that hits the spot.”

Nam Woo-gyeong set down the bowl.

After draining every last drop, he wore a satisfied expression.

“Shall I bring more, uncle?”

“No, this is enough.”

In response to Lee Cheong’s question, Nam Woo-gyeong shook his head.

Nam Woo-gyeong’s complexion had improved significantly compared to three days ago, thanks to resting and eating well.

Lee Cheong had been busy bringing food, aiding Nam Woo-gyeong’s recovery. As a result, Nam Woo-gyeong had completely recovered from the poisoning.

His martial arts skills had also returned to some extent, giving him more freedom of movement.

Yet, Nam Woo-gyeong remained confined to his room, erasing his presence as though he didn’t exist.

Just then, someone’s footsteps echoed outside.

Nam Woo-gyeong tensed for a moment, but then he recognized the voice and relaxed.

“Brother, it’s me.”

It was Lee Gwak’s voice.

Following that, the door opened, and Lee Gwak entered the room.

Nam Woo-gyeong smiled and asked.

“How did it go?”

“As you instructed.”

“Thank you.”

“It’s nothing. It wasn’t that difficult.”

Over the past three days, Nam Woo-gyeong had asked Lee Gwak to leave his letter near the south gate of the Nine Dragon Clan’s outer court.

Sure enough, when Lee Gwak checked the following day, the letter had vanished without a trace. Someone from the Hao Clan had taken it.

Nam Woo-gyeong had been issuing instructions to the Hao Clan through the letter, but the details were unknown.

Nam Woo-gyeong muttered.

“It’s just the beginning, don’t relax yet. I’ll crush them completely.”

“Pardon?”

“Never mind! Just talking to myself.”

Nam Woo-gyeong chuckled.

Lee Gwak looked at him for a moment, then spoke to Lee Cheong.

“Let’s go! It’s time.”

“Yes!”

Lee Cheong stood up quickly.

Nam Woo-gyeong asked Lee Gwak.

“Is it that day already?”

“Yes. It’s the final round. They’ll start with the lower rank fights, then move on to the Heaven Rank and Earth Rank finals”.

“So, two more wins, and Cheong will be the champion?”

“That’s correct.”

“Impressive. As expected of your son.”

“He has nothing to do with me. It’s all his own skill.”

“A son always learns the most from his father. Cheong grew up well because of your guidance.”

Lee Gwak gave an awkward look. Then, Nam Woo-gyeong waved him away.

“Go ahead then.”

“Yes!”

Lee Gwak and Lee Cheong left for the martial arts tournament.

Lee Cheong’s steps were light as he headed to the arena.

His face showed both nerves and excitement.

The finalists were no pushovers:

• Seo Wang-ho from Goseon Martial Hall
• Yoo Seon-jin from Dokchang Gate
• Ho So-ryeon from Ho Family Manor

All had already made names for themselves in the northern regions before competing here.

Among them, Seo Wang-ho from Goseon Martial Hall was particularly formidable. He had dominated every match and made it to the finals with ease. He was the most anticipated winner of today’s tournament, and he was Lee Cheong’s next opponent.

The biggest obstacle to reaching the championship match stood directly before him, however there was no trace of fear on Lee Cheong’s face.

Whatever the outcome, he was prepared to give his all.

Being the final day of the tournament, the stage was filled with people: the Nine Dragon’s leader Gyeong Un-cheon, his disciple Eun Mu-yeong, and the rest of the higher-ups all took their seats.

They were trying to maintain a cheerful, composed front, but a heavy gloom darkened their expressions.

In truth, they had little energy left to devote to the tournament. They urgently needed to rebuild their collapsed intelligence network, yet as hosts, they had no choice but to show up.

Though their bodies were present at the dueling grounds, their minds were elsewhere.

Gyeong Un-cheon glanced at the martial artists briefly before shifting his gaze to Eun Mu-yeong, who flinched under his look.

There was a chill in Gyeong Un-cheon’s gaze.

The meaning was clear: “Fix this mess—whatever it takes.”

Although there was no formal proof, both Gyeong Un-cheon and Eun Mu-yeong knew that the Hao Clan was behind this crisis.

They were now reaping the consequences of provoking Nam Woo-gyeong.

The Hao Clan took their revenge in their own way, cutting off the Nine Dragons Clan from all incoming information and leaving them in complete isolation.

A direct clash of arms would have been less nerve-wracking. The Nine Dragons Clan prided itself on being able to take on even the Jade Heaven Alliance in a head-to-head battle.

But the enemy was attacking in a way the Nine Dragons had never imagined. They had no idea how to fight back. That made it even more terrifying.

Eun Mu-yeong’s eyes twitched.

shit…!

Young prodigies were stepping into the dueling ring, but he paid them no attention.

The moment the matches started, Eun Mu-yeong planned to leave the stands and resume his search for Nam Woo-gyeong.

There would be no end to this crisis unless they found Nam Woo-gyeong and made peace.

Eun Mu-yeong would have to swallow his pride and beg Nam Woo-gyeong’s forgiveness.

Whether Nam Woo-gyeong would grant it was another matter, but it was the only option.

On the dueling stage, they began announcing the finalists one by one.

Seo Wang-ho, Yoo Seon-jin, Ho So-ryeon, and Lee Cheong were introduced.

“Waaah!”

The crowd cheered enthusiastically as the four contestants stood on the platform.

Soon, Gyeong Un-cheon delivered his congratulatory address. His words were rather typical, urging them to do their best and wishing them good fortune.

Finally, after Gyeong Un-cheon’s brief speech, the final competition began.

The first match was between Yoo Seon-jin from Dokchang Gate  and Ho So-ryeon from Ho Family Manor

Yoo Seon-jin and Ho So-ryeon were both thirteen years old.

Ho So-ryeon was slightly larger in build, as girls tend to grow faster during childhood.

“Cha!”

With a vigorous yell, the two clashed.

Yoo Seon-jin utilized the whirlwind spear technique of Dokchang Gate, and Ho So-ryeon used the white snake hunting whip technique of Ho Family Manor

It was a battle between spear and whip.

Yoo Seon-jin’s spear technique was graceful, and Ho So-ryeon’s whip was vicious.

Clash! The sound of their weapons colliding burst forth continuously.

The intensity of their duel was far beyond what one would expect from children.

With personal and sect honor at stake, both gave their all, and Ho So-ryeon emerged victorious.

The crowd offered thunderous applause for her.

Next up was the second match.

Seo Wang-ho of Goseon Martial Hall and Lee Cheong took their places on the stage.

Seo Wang-ho possessed a remarkably sturdy physique. Even the angular contours of his face gave him a fierce aura.

He clasped his fists in greeting toward Lee Cheong.

“I’m Seo Wang-ho of Goseon Martial Hall.”

“Lee Cheong from Mad Martial Sect.”

Lee Cheong returned the fist salute.

Seo Wang-ho pointed both fists towards Lee Cheong and spoke:

“Just so you know, I always fight with everything I’ve got, even if I’m hunting a single rabbit. I’ll give this match my all. So you’d better do the same.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way, brother.”

“Good!”

Seo Wang-ho smiled at his own words, but soon his eyes turned as fierce as his face.

Lee Cheong thought Seo Wang-ho looked like a ferocious tiger.

Paat!

The tiger charged at Lee Cheong.