Chapter 206: Awl in a Pouch (6)
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“This place is exactly the Black Dragon Manor.”
Black Dragon Manor.
It was an organization with a quite grandiose name, meaning a place where an ink-colored dragon coiled up.
However, the actual Black Dragon Manor was a much more magnificent and bizarre place than the impression the name gave.
‘It’s incredible.’
Ga Deuk-sang looked around his surroundings and inwardly clicked his tongue in amazement.
‘This is why it wasn’t revealed on the outside.’
The Black Dragon Manor was not a castle built on the ground.
Underground. The Black Dragon Manor existed underground.
The scale of this place, full of caverns whose numbers were hard to count, truly exceeded imagination.
Just the central open space seen as soon as one entered the entrance was wide enough to combine over ten large training grounds of the Murim Alliance. And in that spacious open space, hundreds of laborers were making something while continuously making hammering noises.
Ga Deuk-sang raised his head and looked at the ceiling.
His eyes deepened.
‘It makes no sense.’
Just the height to the ceiling easily exceeded five zhang.
And hundreds of luminous pearls were studded in a row on that high ceiling.
‘Where on earth did they get that many luminous pearls?!’
Even if one just took off and sold one of those luminous pearls, a considerable family could spend their entire lives comfortably.
There are hundreds of such luminous pearls. Furthermore, this was just the open space at the beginning of the entrance. He couldn’t even imagine how many luminous pearls would be studded inside.
Ga Deuk-sang clicked his tongue in amazement.
‘It’s a tremendous financial power. Where on earth did Yang Cheon secure this much funds?’
Even by simple analogy, the Black Dragon Manor’s financial power seemed like it wouldn’t fall behind any bank or merchant group in the Central Plains. No, it might rather surpass them, but it would definitely not fall behind.
‘Luminous pearls are luminous pearls, but creating such an underground world in the first place itself is not an ordinary matter.’
At that time, a telepathy came from Zhuge Ah-yeon.
[It’s old.]
[Huh?]
[This place was not created recently. No matter how little, it’s over a hundred years. In my thought, it seems to have been fully three hundred years, but an accurate guess is difficult just by examining with the eyes.]
[How do you know that?]
[Because I had a lot of interest in geology, I studied this and that. Looking at the traces and humidity of this place, it’s absolutely not a place created in a short period.]
[I see.]
[Moreover, look. In a closed space, living beings cannot live because the air does not circulate. Even so, this many people are working without any discomfort.]
[Ah!]
[There are many air passages everywhere. And those passages are all connected to the outside. No matter how much the Unorthodox Murim blocked information, they cannot proceed with a grand construction of this scale without being caught by our side.]
It was a valid deduction.
‘In other words, it means this huge underground world was not intentionally created by these guys, but they only found a place that was already created and are using it.’
Ga Deuk-sang continuously looked around his surroundings and sent a telepathy to Yeon Ho-jeong.
[Young Master Yeon, I think we must be careful. Lady Zhuge says this place was not newly established. If so, probably their preparations are more…]
[There is no way it’s newly established.]
[Huh?]
[This place is absolutely not newly established.]
Ga Deuk-sang turned his head and looked at Yeon Ho-jeong.
‘…?’
Yeon Ho-jeong’s face was expressionless.
It was a face that seemed to have no particular inspiration. However, Ga Deuk-sang could feel the thick confusion and unknown faintness cast in his eyes.
[Young Master Yeon?]
Yeon Ho-jeong had no answer.
Ga Deuk-sang frowned.
‘Why is he acting like that? Surely there’s no way it’s a place he knows…’
Ga Deuk-sang’s thought was wrong.
Yeon Ho-jeong, the Dark Emperor.
He, who enjoyed an invincible reputation all over the world as the direct descendant of the Four Gods Martial Arts and the Grandmaster of the Unorthodox, already knew of the existence of this underground world that was wide and huge to the extent of exceeding imagination.
‘Blood Dragon Vein!’
Turbulence lingered in Yeon Ho-jeong’s two eyes.
‘Had he coiled up in the Blood Dragon Vein?!’
Black Dragon Manor. No, Blood Dragon Vein.
This place with a strange legend that an evil dragon defeated by an immortal led its blood-soaked body and dug into the ground, creating a huge crater.
This place was definitely the Blood Dragon Vein. It couldn’t not be the Blood Dragon Vein.
It was an extremely old memory, but Yeon Ho-jeong remembered this place clearly.
‘The place of the final decisive battle!’
That’s right.
This was the place where Yeon Ho-jeong fought a life-and-death battle with Yang Cheon, who was his greatest difficult enemy, before he established the Dark Emperor Castle. So to speak, it was the historical place where the king of the Unorthodox was decided.
At that time, Yeon Ho-jeong was a clear inferior compared to Yang Cheon. Even with the rare divine art called Four Gods Martial Arts and actual combat experience exceeding imagination, it was difficult to handle Yang Cheon’s absolute martial arts.
So Yeon Ho-jeong stepped forward directly and called him to this place.
The Blood Dragon Vein, a maze of history that was so wide and deep that one couldn’t even know where its end was.
Yeon Ho-jeong, who drew Yang Cheon into the Blood Dragon Vein, used the geographical features and poured out countless tricks and surprise attacks, and in the end, he was finally able to catch Yang Cheon.
A fair and square match? Such a thing had no meaning.
If he could have killed Yang Cheon by launching a surprise attack in the first place, he wouldn’t have bothered calling him to the Blood Dragon Vein. Yang Cheon’s martial arts were already at a realm where sending assassins wouldn’t do anything, so Yeon Ho-jeong stepped forward directly.
Of course, he had to cut off his life directly even just to show the symbolism of a king.
‘There is no change.’
Countless laborers were each making huge structures here and there in the open space.
But his eyes did not go to such things. Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes were sweeping through this place, the entire Blood Dragon Vein.
‘Yeah, over there was that place.’
Before luring Yang Cheon in the past, he investigated various places in the Blood Dragon Vein.
Because it was so wide and deep, it took even Yeon Ho-jeong over half a month to memorize the paths here.
Was it because of that? Except for a few hazy parts, he remembered most of the paths.
‘As expected.’
Yeon Ho-jeong, who was examining here and there in the Blood Dragon Vein, felt the changed history with his entire body.
‘It has indeed changed. At that time, even though Yang Cheon knew of the Blood Dragon Vein’s existence, he did not think of settling down here.’
It was because it was excessively gloomy and cost a lot of money. Furthermore, he had a desire to show off matching his huge ambition.
And at the same time, he had confidence. Confidence that there was no need to deliberately hide and gather forces.
A firm and unwavering will that if it was a power that couldn’t even inform the whole world of its health, even if he united the Unorthodox, he wouldn’t be able to engage in a grand brawl with the Orthodox.
‘You, who were like that, took the Blood Dragon Vein as your residence in this life.’
Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes became glaring.
‘What on earth is it? What made you move this cautiously? Is it a simple change of mind? Or else, did you experience an incident I don’t know about in the reversed history?’
Thoughts bit the tails of thoughts.
No matter what happened, the fact that Yang Cheon settled down here in the Blood Dragon Vein itself approached Yeon Ho-jeong as a great surprise and faintness.
Ga Deuk-sang looked at Pae-yul, Tang Sang-ah, and Zhuge Ah-yeon.
They also seemed to have felt something while looking at Yeon Ho-jeong’s expression. The eyes that continuously glanced at him were full of doubt.
At that time, Azure Tiger opened his mouth.
“The Manor Lord wishes to see you guys right away.”
A light of tension was cast on Zhuge Ah-yeon’s face.
She sent a telepathy to each of them.
[You all have the Form-Hiding Pill I gave you yesterday, right? Everyone swallow that.]
Yeon Ho-jeong said.
“I will go as the representative.”
The group, surprised by the unexpected remark, looked at Yeon Ho-jeong.
Azure Tiger dismissed it with an insensitive voice.
“The Manor Lord wishes to see all of you. To the Manor Lord’s command…”
“Speak straight. We came to meet that person you call Manor Lord, and to judge whether it’s okay to join hands with him, or whether to enter under his command. We are not his subordinates or anything yet.”
“…”
“Is it hard to understand? If so, I will tell you clearly. That we have no reason to listen to your commands or requests.”
Yeon Ho-jeong’s face was also no less cold than Azure Tiger’s.
“If you brought us as guests, you should treat us befittingly. If you ruin our mood with useless tricks, it won’t be a good thing for you either.”
“Find common sense outside. The Manor Lord’s command is absolute. If you do not receive the order, on this spot…”
“I will kill you first.”
A faint killing intent surfaced in Azure Tiger’s eyes.
Even in the midst of that, he controlled his killing intent. It was amazing patience.
Yeon Ho-jeong continued his words.
“If you utter bullshit one more time, I will kill you first and go firmly argue with the person you call Elder. Understood?”
“…You bastard.”
“We have already entered the Black Dragon Manor. Even if we wanted to leave, it would be hard to leave as we please, right?”
“…”
“With that, haven’t we already shown sufficient sincerity? I don’t know what you are so afraid of that you live and die by a single command, but you should know that your common sense and our common sense are different.”
“Do you truly want to die?”
“If we die, won’t you guys also be in trouble? You’re acting like you’re blowing away a wonderful opportunity by throwing a bullshit fit over killing or letting live just because of one request from guests you brought in as talents.”
“…”
“Don’t think of grabbing new recruits with a logic that isn’t even funny, and if you’re a subordinate, you should also know how to act while considering your master’s mind like a subordinate should.”
Azure Tiger’s cheek began to tremble minutely.
Act while considering the master’s mind? It was not words to be heard by himself, who was famous for being the most thorough with commands among Yang Cheon’s subordinates.
“It won’t do.”
Puseuseu.
Eventually, killing intent flowed out of Azure Tiger’s body.
“You have crossed the line. You are guys who have no value in facing the Manor Lord. I will kill you on this spot.”
“Wasn’t that person called your Elder someone who liked crossing the line?”
Yeon Ho-jeong smirked.
It was a clear provocation.
“By the way, before you said it was a matter for the Manor Lord to judge, so why is someone like you judging us now? It seems you forgot the Elder’s command in that meantime?”
“This bastard…!”
It was then.
“Azure Tiger.”
In an instant, Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes shone.
That was not all. Pae-yul, Ga Deuk-sang, Tang Sang-ah, and Zhuge Ah-yeon were also surprised by the voice full of reverberation that was abruptly heard.
“Escort the other four people to their residence. And take only that young man to the Manor Lord.”
Azure Tiger clenched his teeth.
“But…”
“Since when did you know how to do something called thinking?”
In an instant, Azure Tiger’s complexion turned pale.
Ga Deuk-sang’s eyes, seeing that appearance, deepened.
‘He’s terrified?’
That’s right. He quickly returned to his unique expressionless face, but Azure Tiger was clearly feeling fear.
Azure Tiger turned his body to the left.
“You four follow me.”
Yeon Ho-jeong looked at the four people and said.
“I’ll be back.”
The four people who were about to talk to him flinched simultaneously. Yeon Ho-jeong’s tone of voice had changed.
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled and raised his index finger.
‘To the first plan.’
It was a change of plan.
They had pondered how to deal with it if they actually entered the Black Dragon Manor or met Yang Cheon, and their disguise as martial siblings within a faction was discovered.
Various agendas came out, and they made a total of three plans.
The signal Yeon Ho-jeong sent meant to change their relationship to the first of those plans.
If so, what was the core of that first plan?
‘The collapse of the existing relationship and the capture of Yang Cheon.’
Ga Deuk-sang smiled meaningfully.
“Have a good trip.”
Azure Tiger paused.
Yeon Ho-jeong’s tone of voice, and Ga Deuk-sang’s tone of voice had also changed.
An intense sense of incongruity was felt.
“You bastards…?”
Yeon Ho-jeong waved his hand.
“What are you doing? Escort them quickly. They are all exhausted from the journey.”
Azure Tiger, who stood still and glared at Yeon Ho-jeong, walked with large strides. And the four people followed behind him.
Zhuge Ah-yeon continuously glanced at Yeon Ho-jeong.
Yeon Ho-jeong nodded his head without a word. Zhuge Ah-yeon sighed quietly and turned her head.
In front of Yeon Ho-jeong, who became alone like that, an old man with a hunched back revealed his appearance before he knew it. It was the owner of the voice who had warned Azure Tiger a moment ago.
“Let’s go.”
Yeon Ho-jeong took a deep breath.
“Let’s go.”
The old enemy who was the most difficult to deal with in the Unorthodox Murim.
He finally meets the Combat King, Yang Cheon.