Chapter 387 Return (1)

In the office of the Vice Society Leader at the main branch of Heaven and Earth Society’s inner sanctum.

Vice Society Leader Mong Seo-cheon stared intently at someone for a long time with a fearsome expression.

It was Mong Mu-yak, his son and the deputy leader of the Society Leader’s direct squad who also commanded the intelligence department.

The look in Vice Society Leader Mong Seo-cheon’s eyes as he gazed at Mong Mu-yak was peculiar.

This was because he had initially called him in to reprimand him out of anger, but upon facing him, the atmosphere had changed, and he regained his composure.

‘…This kid?’

He had changed.

Originally, he always held a hint of fear when facing his father.

But now, he was looking straight into his eyes without the slightest tremor.

Rather than defiance, it was clear confidence.

Could it be that his martial prowess had increased?

Before he left, he could gauge his level to some extent through his qi sense.

But now, he couldn’t accurately determine his level.

To be able to conceal one’s qi from an opponent, one must be at least equal to or superior to them.

‘That can’t be…’

He had expected that this mission, being confidential and extremely difficult, would provide great experience and lead to some growth.

But it seems to have far exceeded those expectations.

Could it be that this child has reached a level nearly equal to his own or even approaching the wall?

If that were the case, he should be happy as this was his son who would become the successor, but the current situation didn’t allow for unrestrained joy.

After staring at his son for a long while, Vice Society Leader Mong Seo-cheon finally spoke in a low voice.

“I need to hear three explanations from you.”

“Please ask.”

The one who answered was his son, Mong Mu-yak, the deputy leader of the Society Leader’s direct squad and commander of the intelligence department.

He was facing his father, the Vice Society Leader Mong Seo-cheon, immediately after returning to the organization.

“Even if not maintaining periodic contact during your return was due to continuous pursuit, you should have known this was a confidential mission. Why did you enter through the main gate instead of the secret passage?”

Their mission was, as stated, confidential.

Yet they had acted in a way that defied expectations.

Because of this, by now, various sects might have discovered the existence of the Holy Fire Priestess.

Even if they had concealed her identity in a carriage, they couldn’t be at ease.

He was curious about the intention behind such an action.

“Speak.”

“I’ll be frank, sir.”

“Frank?”

“Yes.”

“…What is happened are you saying?”

“It was to show that we had returned.”

“What?”

At these words from his son Mong Mu-yak, Vice Society Leader Mong Seo-cheon raised an eyebrow.

For a moment, he was dumbfounded.

Is this child serious?

With this answer alone, this child had already disobeyed the orders of the Society Leader and himself.

He had hoped there was some special reason, like interference near the organization, but the worst possible answer came out.

“Have you forgotten what a confidential mission means?”

“I know. But if we hadn’t done this, you would have tried to kill Young Master Mok Gyeong-un upon his return from completing the mission, Father.”

“You!”

Mong Seo-cheon’s voice rose.

This was related to his second question.

His order had been to kill Mok Gyeong-un if he made any contact with the righteous sects or showed even the slightest suspicious behavior.

All those involved in the confidential mission were prepared to sacrifice Mok Gyeong-un if necessary; he was essentially a disposable pawn.

Thus, Vice Society Leader Mong Seo-cheon was quite displeased that the man he had hoped would be dealt with before returning had come back safely.

And,

“Now… Did you just call that guy Young Master Mok Gyeong-un?”

“Yes.”

“You… Don’t tell me you and he…”

“It’s not ‘don’t tell me.’ Mok Gyeong-un succeeded in his mission, so from that point, he’s the Society Leader’s fourth disciple. Naturally, he should be called Young Master, shouldn’t he?”

“……”

At his son’s response, Mong Seo-cheon was speechless with disbelief.

Could it be that this child truly believes the Society Leader will accept that Mok Gyeong-un fellow as a disciple?

Even he didn’t understand why the Society Leader had shown such a whim, but the Society Leader was not in a state to take on any disciples right now.

“So you called him Young Master and disobeyed the organization’s order because of that?”

“Didn’t I tell you?”

“Are you trying to claim you disobeyed orders for fear of being discarded like a used tool?”

“It’s not a claim, it’s a fact.”

“…You’re disappointing this father for the first time.”

“…I only did what I had to do.”

-Bang!

As soon as those words ended, Mong Seo-cheon slammed down on the round table in front of him.

As the table shattered and collapsed weakly, Mong Seo-cheon spoke with an angry voice.

“You don’t realize what you’ve done. The last question seems meaningless now, so I’ll replace it with an order.”

“An order?”

“Bring Mok Gyeong-un… No.”

That guy isn’t necessary right now.

Anyway, that guy would have many enemies even if left alone, so it didn’t matter.

“Forget about Mok Gyeong-un for now. Bring the Holy Fire Priestess here immediately.”

The priority was to put out the immediate fire.

When he ordered them to bring the Holy Fire Priestess, not only did they not use the secret passage, but they appeared boldly through the front gate, and even took a carriage to the Shadow Clan.

This was clearly disobeying orders.

However, since it was a secret order and the situation was unfavorable, he couldn’t openly mobilize the Society Leader’s direct squad, so he had no choice but to give this order to Mong Mu-yak.

But,

“I cannot do that.”

What came out of Mong Mu-yak’s mouth was a clear refusal.

At this, the greatly angered Vice Society Leader Mong Seo-cheon stood up abruptly and raised his voice.

“Are you really going to disobey the order?”

“Disobeying the order was merely a matter of the method of return. More importantly, the Young Master requests that the Society Leader fulfill his promise and grant him a private audience.”

“What?”

Fulfill the promise and grant a private audience?

Did he just relay Mok Gyeong-un’s wishes to him, his direct superior and father?

These youngsters were truly crossing the line.

At this, Mong Seo-cheon’s hand moved.

-Pat!

The table was already broken, and since he was standing and only one and a half steps away, he was within immediate reach.

As he tried to subdue him at once with the Golden Silk Palm technique,

-Pa pa pak!

Not only did Mong Mu-yak lightly block his technique, but he also pushed Vice Society Leader Mong Seo-cheon back.

Pushed back about three steps, Mong Seo-cheon’s eyes widened.

He had suspected it due to the qi sense, but this child’s martial prowess had truly approached the wall.

Even if he had survived a life-threatening crisis and returned safely, how could his capabilities have increased this much in just a few months?

As he wondered, Mong Mu-yak spoke.

“Vice Society Leader, no, Father.”

“You…”

“Just as you chose to serve the Society Leader, I have chosen Young Master Mok Gyeong-un.”

“Now you’re saying that…”

“You may reprimand me now, Father, but soon your thoughts will change.”

‘!?’

***

Around the same time.

At the Shadow Clan’s estate in the inner sanctum.

Hwan Ya-seon, the leader of the Shadow Clan and one of the Three Clan Leaders who were high-ranking officials of the Heaven and Earth Society, had a look of bewilderment in his eyes after receiving an urgent message.

This was because, according to the Shadow Clan warrior who brought him the message, Mok Gyeong-un had not returned through the organization’s secret passage but had entered through the main gate.

Moreover, according to the warriors guarding the city gate, there was an old woman riding in the carriage.

‘The Holy Fire Priestess!’

Shadow Clan Leader Hwan Ya-seon was certain that the old woman was the Holy Fire Priestess as soon as he heard this.

But what kind of bolt from the blue was this?

It was good news that she, who could be considered the spiritual pillar of the Fire Faith Order, had escaped alive from the underground prison of the imperial palace, but bringing her here? What kind of act was this?

‘I clearly gave the order.’

The order he had given to Mok Gyeong-un was to divert the Holy Fire Priestess before returning to the Heaven and Earth Society.

He had thought that with the guy’s wit and skills, he would succeed even in this dangerous mission.

But a completely unexpected variable had occurred.

‘What is happened have you done?’

He had trusted Mok Gyeong-un because he was a fellow Fire Faith Order member and his disciple.

However, from the moment he brought the Holy Fire Priestess here, he couldn’t understand why the guy had done such a thing.

If he had offered the Holy Fire Priestess to the Society Leader, it could have been dismissed as betrayal out of greed to become the fourth disciple, but he brought her to the Shadow Clan.

Because of this, he found himself in an extremely difficult situation.

‘Why?’

By bringing the Holy Fire Priestess to the Shadow Clan, all eyes from the Society Leader’s direct squad and the intelligence department were now focused here.

No, this was a situation worthy of suspicion.

It meant he had brought someone to the Shadow Clan who was ordered to be brought in defiance of the Society Leader’s orders.

Shadow Clan Leader Hwan Ya-seon’s mind became complicated.

What should he do about this?

The one fortunate thing was that although the Vice Society Leader and the Society Leader’s direct squad had somehow managed to block and hide the information, the Society Leader’s condition seemed to have reached a critical point.

If so,

‘…Should I attempt to escape with the Holy Fire Priestess, even if it means abandoning the foundation here?’

She held a very important position in the order.

As someone in the position of the order’s leader, he had a duty to protect her.

If she falls into the Society Leader’s hands, her safety would be in danger.

He must make a decision one way or another.

With that, Shadow Clan Leader Hwan Ya-seon arrived at the rear garden of the estate where the carriage was said to have arrived.

‘!?’

Upon arrival, Hwan Ya-seon immediately frowned.

This was because Hwan Ya-seon had ordered to detain Mok Gyeong-un and the carriage as soon as they arrived.

It was to avoid suspicion since the Society Leader’s direct intelligence department was watching.

But all the Shadow Clan warriors in the rear garden were collapsed, and several masked individuals could be seen unconscious near the walls as well.

What was going on here?

Why were all of them in such a state?

As Hwan Ya-seon wondered, his gaze turned towards the carriage.

‘That is?’

In front of the carriage, he saw a horse with an enormous build incomparable to ordinary horses.

Just looking at its fierce mane that seemed about to burst into flames, it was clearly an extraordinary steed.

Someone was standing in front of it with their hands behind their back, and,

“Gyeong-un?”

At his call, the person standing with their hands behind their back lowered their arms and turned around.

It was Mok Gyeong-un.

Mok Gyeong-un smiled faintly and then, as if paying respects to his master, he put his hands together in a fist-palm salute and greeted him.

“It’s been a long time, Master.”

At this greeting, Shadow Clan Leader Hwan Ya-seon, with eyes full of wariness, immediately moved his hand to the sword at his waist and said,

“What is the meaning of this?”

Hwan Ya-seon gestured towards the collapsed Shadow Clan warriors around them as he asked.

To this question, Mok Gyeong-un shrugged and answered,

“They’re not dead.”

“That’s not what I’m asking, is it?”

The true intent of his question was not that.

Not only had he brought the Holy Fire Priestess here, but he had also taken down all the Shadow Clan warriors who were ordered to surround them to avoid outside surveillance.

This could only be seen as intentional in any way.

To Hwan Ya-seon, whose hand was touching his sword, Mok Gyeong-un said,

“I’ve dealt with those watching as well, so you can speak freely.”

Mok Gyeong-un pointed to two locations with his hand.

Those were the western and southeastern walls, where the collapsed masked individuals were not people of the Shadow Clan.

Hwan Ya-seon couldn’t have been unaware of this.

“You know very well that’s not what I’m asking…”

-Swish!

At that moment, Hwan Ya-seon frowned.

This was because someone had placed the sharp tip of a sword against his back while he was holding his sword.

“Please take your hand off your sword, Elder Clan Leader.”

‘No way?’

To his disbelief, it was none other than Byeok, his bodyguard and confidant.