Chapter 205: Awl in a Pouch (5)
Read more at Nineheavens.org
“It’s a success!”
Murong Jun’s eyes shone.
Zhuge Wen-hu rarely showed an excited complexion.
“Yang Cheon responded to the Practical Operations group’s request. We received contact that they are moving, so by now they would have already entered that side.”
“It’s the real deal from now on.”
Murong Jun’s expression became serious.
“It’s the real deal from now on. If things go wrong even a little, all members of the practical group could die on the spot.”
“Of course, that could happen.”
Murong Jun glanced at Zhuge Wen-hu. For some reason, he showed no sign of being greatly worried.
“Are you not worried?”
“A person who will live won’t die, and a person who will die won’t live just because I worry. Now is the time to be relieved that the handling of matters, which almost got somewhat radical, proceeded more smoothly than thought.”
Murong Jun smirked.
“That’s also true.”
He definitely thought that Zhuge Wen-hu was quite a figure too.
In the working group, there is the daughter he cherishes. Even so, he shows such a joyful appearance.
Whether it’s genuine or he’s acting on purpose, it’s certain that he’s an extraordinary figure.
“Still, it would be right to worry. The Saintly Heaven Thirteen Seats are not human, all of them.”
“That is true.”
“With their level of martial arts, just by looking at the opponent once, they would be able to know not only what martial arts they learned and the characteristics of those martial arts, but even for what purpose they were created.”
Zhuge Wen-hu, whose excited complexion had been evident, slowly calmed down.
“It is a realm this person cannot understand yet, but I clearly heard that is so.”
It was the same for Murong Jun as well.
They were two people who had reached the present realm after breaking through the Wall of the Martial Arts’ End to ascend to the realm of super peak, and continuing countless training and enlightenment even in that realm.
However, even if they had built such a lofty realm, there was no end to the path of martial arts. Not to mention Murong Jun, Zhuge Wen-hu also could not understand even a fragment of the realm of the Saintly Heaven.
Until now, it was certainly so.
“I don’t know about the others, but there are two most dangerous people.”
Zhuge Wen-hu’s eyes sparkled.
“The Successor of the Beggars, and the eldest daughter of the Tang Clan Head, right.”
“You saw accurately. Furthermore, if I had to pick one of the two, the Successor of the Beggars has a greater risk of being caught.”
Doubt arose on Zhuge Wen-hu’s face. His thoughts were different for that part at least.
“Why do you think so? I actually view that child Tang Sang-ah as more dangerous.”
“The Tang Clan’s martial arts are not well known to the world. Their martial arts names are so famous that everyone knows them just by bringing them up, but practically, there are almost no survivors among those who have seen the martial arts of the Tang family. Especially if they are people of the Unorthodox.”
It was correct words.
Murong Jun’s eyes deepened.
“On the other hand, there is no place in the entire Central Plains where the Beggars’ Gang members haven’t spread. The martial arts of the ordinary members with a low number of knots are nothing but trivial, but the current Beggars’ Gang martial arts were created by those trivial martial arts piling up and accumulating.”
“That’s right.”
“The martial arts learned by ordinary members and the martial arts learned by the Successor of the Beggars would be heaven and earth apart in difference. However, with the Combat King’s eyes, he would be able to read the core of the martial arts dwelling within that extreme difference.”
Zhuge Wen-hu nodded his head.
“They are words that make sense.”
Interest lingered on Murong Jun’s face.
“Seeing the Strategist’s reaction, somehow it seems you are not greatly paying attention to such problems.”
Zhuge Wen-hu smiled.
“Because I made preparations in advance regarding that part.”
“Oho.”
“Even at my level, reading the aura and guessing the opponent’s martial arts school is not difficult. Not to mention if it’s the Combat King.”
“So you have set up some countermeasure.”
“There are many mysterious artifacts in the world. And our clan has a lot of interest in artifacts dotted with that mystery and legend.”
“Those are also unexpected words. You mean the Zhuge Clan, which pursues intellect and seeks the full bloom of wisdom, paid attention to artifacts that are so hard to understand?”
Zhuge Wen-hu smiled bitterly.
“If it is hard to understand, it’s due to the curiosity of our clan’s scholars who have to dig into it until they understand.”
Murong Jun smiled faintly.
“But I am a bit disappointed. If you had such an item, wasn’t it right for you to give a hint to me, the commander of this operation?”
Zhuge Wen-hu bowed his head.
“I feel sorry about that part.”
He just said he was sorry without giving any other reasons.
Murong Jun was inwardly surprised by Zhuge Wen-hu’s response like that.
‘He’s quite confident. He probably didn’t do it on purpose.’
Zhuge Wen-hu was a person whose distinction between public and private affairs is clear. He didn’t inform him because he didn’t trust the other party? He was a person where such a thing absolutely wouldn’t happen.
Becoming pointlessly curious, Murong Jun provoked him once more.
“By any chance, do you not trust this person?”
Zhuge Wen-hu shook his head.
“Clan Head Murong is definitely not a personally trustworthy person, right. However, now that I have entrusted everything to the Clan Head, I also have no intention of hindering the mission with personal feelings.”
“Hmm.”
“As the Clan Head said, this lacking person’s daughter is in the Practical Operation group. Even for the safety of my daughter, I intend to help with everything I can.”
It was a voice containing sincerity.
Murong Jun, who was gazing at Zhuge Wen-hu, smiled.
“Whether there was such an artifact or not, there wouldn’t have been a big change to the operation. However, I wish there wouldn’t be such a thing in the future.”
“I will bear it in mind. I apologize once again.”
This much should be sufficient.
Murong Jun stood up from his seat while smiling.
“Now, then I will be back for a moment.”
Doubt lingered on Zhuge Wen-hu’s face.
“Where are you going?”
“Ah, I hadn’t told you this.”
“…?”
Murong Jun looked out the window with his hands behind his back.
“When was it… Yes, it was right before the Practical group departed. At that time, Commander Yeon said these words to me.”
“…”
“Asking if I wouldn’t go together. He said the possibility of the mission’s success would become much larger if we joined forces together.”
Zhuge Wen-hu smirked.
‘Truly, his boldness is an art.’
It was probably half-joke, half-serious.
He absolutely wouldn’t have thought that Murong Jun would actually follow. He probably threw those words as a warning, wondering if Murong Jun would shake up the alliance with useless tricks taking advantage of the gap while he wasn’t in the Murim Alliance.
‘No matter how much of an enemy, they aren’t words to easily pass to a person at the level of Clan Head Murong. My man, words and actions that are too dangerous are forbidden.’
At that time, Murong Jun opened his mouth.
“But come to think of it.”
“…?”
“Wouldn’t Commander Yeon’s words also have made sense?”
In an instant, surprise lingered on Zhuge Wen-hu’s face.
“Could those words mean…?”
“Hahaha, I was feeling frustrated anyway. Even if I can’t give proper help, there’s nothing bad about the command and reporting system being faster and more certain, is there.”
“Do you truly intend to go there?”
Murong Jun smiled faintly.
“I don’t know what you will think of this person, but in my youth, I learned a lot while traversing the world in my own way.”
“…!”
“It seems it wouldn’t be a bad thing for this person to go directly, partly to feel the mood of my youth, and partly to lend strength to the operations group.”
It’s not to the extent of not being bad.
It is a great benefit in many ways for the commander of the operation to be active together near the field agents. It was just that they couldn’t easily propose it because of Murong Jun’s position and name value as an Honored Guest of the Murim Alliance.
But he’s going directly? The Murong Jun of the world?
‘It’s an absolutely perfect situation, but.’
A streak of tension was cast into Zhuge Wen-hu’s eyes, which had been full of surprise.
‘That’s why it’s even stranger.’
Murong Jun was absolutely not the type to step forward to the front.
He was a person who didn’t even have the thought of stepping forward in the first place. But suddenly now, changing his thoughts and saying he will directly go to a place swarming with Unorthodox forces, how could one not be suspicious.
As if he read Zhuge Wen-hu’s suspicion, Murong Jun spoke with a cheerful voice.
“Don’t worry too much. Just like the Strategist, this person also intends to do my best efforts for this operation at least.”
Zhuge Wen-hu, who had been quietly examining Murong Jun’s complexion, stood up from his seat and took a fist-palm salute.
“I thank you for the Clan Head’s decision. Just in case, an attendant at the alliance level…”
“No, that’s not needed. Increasing the personnel pointlessly will only draw the attention of the Unorthodox bastards.”
Murong Jun turned his body.
His eyes as he turned his body were truly profound. They were dotted with countless emotions like excitement, anticipation, ambition, desire, tension, etc.
“I will depart in half a shichen. Strategist, please deliver the permit in advance so there is no setback in leaving the alliance.”
* * *
“…Hmm.”
Yang Cheon, who was sitting on a grand chair, slowly opened his eyes.
‘A dream?’
Truly, he had a dream after a long time.
And that dream bestowed a truly dirty feeling as soon as he woke up.
Flinch!
Yang Cheon unknowingly stroked his chest.
‘It’s still hot.’
An intense pulsation that wasn’t revealed over the skin, which only Yang Cheon was feeling.
That power whose origin was hard to know was running wild particularly roughly today.
A fire-like killing intent flickered in Yang Cheon’s two eyes.
‘Evil Lust.’
The bright smile of the person who introduced himself as the God of Evil Lust.
And, the ferocity of pure evil and absolute martial arts hidden within that innocent face.
Kwadeuk!
His left hand crushed the armrest of the grand chair as it was.
‘Have I still not escaped?’
The power of the one who introduced himself as the self-proclaimed God of Evil Lust was still tormenting him even now.
If it was internal injuries, it could be called internal injuries, but also this could not be seen as internal injuries. Because it wasn’t causing any hindrance to martial arts manifestation or health.
Only that the unique sticky and unpleasant heat would occasionally plunge his mood into the mud.
‘Unpleasant bastard.’
Recalling that time, Yang Cheon could not help but admit it. That he was still obsessing over that match.
And that the mind full of obsession was the cause of this chest pain that couldn’t be seen as pain.
‘Where on earth did that guy, no, those guys appear from.’
Did they come down from the sky, or did they shoot up from the earth.
After Yang Cheon came out to the world and harbored an ambition, he studied and memorized completely not only the history of the Central Plains but also the forces and major figures of the outer-territorial regions.
Because he couldn’t tolerate even the minimum variables, he poured effort into accumulating knowledge as much as completing his martial arts. He was certain to the extent of daring to say that his efforts during those days were above those of the scholars of the Zhuge Clan.
In the knowledge that piled up and accumulated like that.
The moment he reached his hand out to one world that was endlessly dangerous, they appeared.
‘…You will make me a king?’
A sneer dwelled on Yang Cheon’s face.
‘They are funny bastards. I became the king of the Unorthodox and gained a region in just a few months, so did it seem I would need your ridiculous power?’
Originally, he didn’t intend to execute his plan this quickly.
However, the Murim Alliance was abruptly established, and in its aftermath, the Unorthodox factions contracted. In the meantime, pressure was also applied from that wicked religion’s side.
He didn’t particularly want to pay attention to them, but the financial support that far exceeded imagination was sufficiently fascinating. Moreover, as they said, it was a situation where the more time passed, the harder the rallying of the Unorthodox itself would become.
So Yang Cheon took the great first step of uniting the Unorthodox, which he had planned for decades.
No, should he say he started planting flags on the path he was already walking.
‘Still.’
Yang Cheon smiled.
‘I finally feel like I’m living a little.’
He was a person with big ambitions. His patience was deep to the extent of enduring and studying for decades to achieve that huge ambition.
Now the time had come to achieve that will.
That will to become the master of the world through the three stages of division, seizing, and unification of the world.
At that time, a voice was heard from outside the door.
“Manor Lord. The descendants of the Martial Ancestor Sect have arrived at the Manor.”