Chapter 388 Return (2)

At the same time,

In Young Master Na Yul-ryang’s estate within the inner sanctum of Heaven and Earth Society.

Young Master Na Yul-ryang, sitting comfortably leaning against the head seat, downed a cup of alcohol in one gulp and then tossed it to the floor.

-Crash!

As the cup shattered, the corners of Na Yul-ryang’s mouth curled up.

Seeing this, his confidant Mo Yak chuckled and said,

“Are you that pleased?”

“Of course I am.”

After his seclusion, he had searched for that guy, but when he suddenly disappeared, his enthusiasm had cooled for a while.

Born with innate killing intent and devoid of emotions, he had lived a life without obstacles due to his natural martial talent.

Because of this, no one except his master, the Heaven and Earth Society Society Leader, and the two Five Kings who held the title of Eight Stars, could arouse his interest.

Even the disciples vying for the position of successor were mere youngsters to him, failing to evoke any response.

But then, that guy appeared.

‘Mok Gyeong-un.’

A monster he encountered for the first time in his life.

He grew during their fight and surpassed the wall before even coming of age.

Not only that, although he received help from Seomdokwang later, he even managed to defeat Na Yul-ryang.

Since then, Na Yul-ryang found interest in life for the first time.

Because he developed a genuine desire to kill someone.

This was clearly an emotion.

-Clench!

Na Yul-ryang clenched his fist and then relaxed it.

How long had he been waiting for that guy to appear?

[It’s a confidential mission, so I cannot disclose it.]

[Is it inside or outside?]

[I cannot disclose that either.]

The only thing he learned through the Vice Society Leader was one fact.

That the guy was carrying out a confidential mission for the Society Leader.

Meanwhile, the Society Leader’s condition had rapidly deteriorated, and he was momentarily caught up in contemplation due to a proposal brought to him by the Elder Council.

And now, finally, that Mok Gyeong-un had appeared.

-Thud!

Young Master Na Yul-ryang stood up.

Mo Yak frowned and said,

“Young Master. Surely you’re not planning to go kill him right now?”

“Is there any reason to wait longer?”

“Not now.”

At those words, Na Yul-ryang looked at Mo Yak with cold eyes and said,

“What do you mean, not now?”

How long had he been waiting for the day to fight that guy again?

And now, was he trying to hold him back?

As he revealed his displeasure, Mo Yak, seeming to have read his mood, carefully said,

“He has returned after completing a confidential mission given by the Society Leader. But isn’t there something strange?”

At these words, Na Yul-ryang raised an eyebrow and then answered,

“…He headed to the Shadow Clan without going to see Master, you say?”

“Yes. And unlike when he disappeared, he appeared through the organization’s main gate.”

At Mo Yak’s words, Na Yul-ryang’s eyes narrowed and the corners of his mouth lifted.

“He feared being discarded like a used tool, it seems.”

“That’s the only way to think of it for now. He probably doesn’t know the Society Leader’s condition yet, but seeing how he headed straight to the Shadow Clan, which could be considered an ally, instead of the main branch…”

At this assessment, Na Yul-ryang clicked his tongue.

He had thought that despite being originally a hostage from the righteous faction, the guy had caught Master’s eye and received a confidential mission due to his tremendous martial talent, but was he just a disposable pawn after all?

To be held back by mere origins.

“Luck doesn’t seem to be on his side.”

“That’s not for us to worry about. But we don’t know yet. It could be that he feared being discarded, but there’s also a slight chance he headed straight to the Shadow Clan on the Society Leader’s orders.”

“…Was that it?”

“Yes.”

What Mo Yak was saying they should be wary of was the latter possibility.

If it was just the former, there wouldn’t be any problem in dealing with him.

However, if it was the latter, it would mean interfering with someone carrying out the Society Leader’s confidential mission.

“So what do you suggest we do?”

“There’s no need for you to move directly or for us to reveal our hand, Young Master.”

“Are you saying we should leave him be?”

“No. We have the most suitable piece, don’t we?”

“Suitable piece? …Oh. You mean him?”

At Young Master Na Yul-ryang’s words, Mo Yak nodded and answered with a faint smile.

“Yes. Weren’t you planning to test him anyway? To see if he has truly turned his back on Miss Wi So-yeon’s faction and Bright Blade King’s side.”

“Your cunning mind is indeed…”

“I don’t understand why you keep calling it cunning when there are better words like strategy or tactics.”

“It’s all the same.”

At Young Master Na Yul-ryang’s words, Mo Yak smacked his lips.

Then he stood up and said,

“Then I’ll take your permission and set him in motion.”

Young Master Na Yul-ryang stared at Mo Yak.

Although it would be easier to move directly than this method, it was certainly not a good situation to act rashly now.

Therefore, there was no harm in testing through that person.

“Do as you wish.”

Na Yul-ryang shrugged and sat down.

As his permission was given, Mo Yak raised the corner of his mouth slyly and said,

“Hehehe. Even if he employs a strategy of suffering a flesh wound, unlike with Wi So-yeon’s faction he allied with or Woo Ho-rang, Bright Blade King’s chief disciple, he’ll properly take action this time, even if just for show. If he’s unlucky, he might end up half-crippled.”

At these words, Na Yul-ryang snorted.

Although the opponent was the worst, if he became half-crippled from this, then he wasn’t qualified to compete with himself now.

***

Meanwhile,

Shadow Clan Leader Hwan Ya-seon’s expression hardened.

Byeok, his bodyguard and confidant, was no different from his right arm.

For such a person to suddenly aim a sword at his back, he couldn’t help but be bewildered.

He had personally selected Byeok when he was an orphan, taught him martial arts, and raised him, so he never had the slightest doubt about his loyalty.

But now this person had betrayed him?

Although he was the leader of the Shadow Clan, which dealt with the intelligence department and spies, this was somewhat unbelievable.

“…Byeok. Have you really betrayed me?”

“I only follow Master Mok Gyeong-un.”

“How dare you!”

Hwan Ya-seon’s voice rose slightly as his composure broke.

The part of his neck not covered by the human skin mask reddened with disappointment.

It might have been a natural reaction, believing he had been betrayed by someone he trusted.

However, the reality was not betrayal.

Byeok had merely been possessed by Demonic Monk, Mok Gyeong-un’s loyal spirit servant.

For Hwan Ya-seon, who was unaware of the principles of mystic arts, vengeful spirits, or evil spirits, this relationship was incomprehensible, but one thing was certain,

‘…This has gone wrong.’

He judged that everything was going awry.

Hwan Ya-seon carefully pressed the Laogong acupoint in his left palm with his middle finger.

Along with this, he opened his mouth while letting out his characteristic laugh.

“Ohoho. They say one shouldn’t raise a black-haired beast, indeed.”

“……”

As befitting the leader of a faction that dealt with spies, he was skilled at controlling his emotions.

After all, if it was certain that his disciple Mok Gyeong-un and his confidant Byeok had betrayed him, he couldn’t remain caught up in feelings of disappointment forever.

Right now, he needed to devise a way to break through this unfavorable situation.

Shadow Clan Leader Hwan Ya-seon, continuously racking his brain, glared at Mok Gyeong-un and continued speaking.

“It’s unfortunate.”

“What is?”

“Your grandfather, Guardian Zhang, might lament in the afterlife if he learns of your degeneration in abandoning the cult.”

At these words, a strange light flickered in Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes.

When he first learned that Shadow Clan Leader Hwan Ya-seon was a member of the Fire Faith Order, he had fabricated a situation to deceive him, calling his grandfather an unknown old master and pretending to be a member of the Fire Faith Order.

Yet coincidentally, his grandfather was indeed a member of the Fire Faith Order.

At the time, Shadow Clan Leader Hwan Ya-seon had spoken as if he might know who Mok Gyeong-un’s grandfather was.

[Since he kept it from you until the end, it’s difficult to tell you right away. But it’s certain that he was quite a high-ranking figure in our cult.]

Surprisingly, those words were true.

He had unexpectedly come close to the truth.

“How interesting.”

“Interesting? Are you saying this about the current situation?”

“Yes, I never thought the person you had in mind would actually be him, Master.”

At Mok Gyeong-un’s response, Shadow Clan Leader Hwan Ya-seon frowned.

Although he was quick-witted enough to infer many things from small clues, he found it difficult to understand the intention behind Mok Gyeong-un’s current words.

However, right now, his mind was more focused on escaping this place than conversing with Mok Gyeong-un.

Hwan Ya-seon, who had been pressing the Laogong acupoint in his left palm, relaxed the muscles in his arm.

At that moment,

-Pa pa pa pak!

Something fell to the floor from the flesh of his left arm.

As it touched the ground,

-Pu pu pu pu pu peng!

Gray smoke began to flow out.

Seeing this, Demonic Monk, who was possessing Byeok and aiming a sword at Hwan Ya-seon’s back, hurriedly tried to subdue him with the Golden Silk Palm technique.

However,

-Pa pak!

In that instant, Hwan Ya-seon dodged Demonic Monk’s hand in the blink of an eye with a body technique that swayed like a willow tree, then grabbed his wrist and twisted it,

-Crack!

-Thud!

He kicked him in the chest.

Even though he was caught from behind, Shadow Clan Leader Hwan Ya-seon was also a supreme master.

He was not an opponent who could be easily subdued with Byeok’s body, which had reached the peak of supremacy.

And,

-Whoosh!

By now, the smoke had spread in all directions.

Byeok, who inhaled it, frowned.

The moment he breathed in the smoke, he felt his body go limp and start to stiffen.

It seemed to be a poisonous mist.

Looking at him convulsing as his body stiffened, Hwan Ya-seon clicked his tongue and said,

“You brought this upon yourself. The Clan Leader cared for you so much.”

This poisonous mist was Hwan Ya-seon’s trump card.

It was a mixture of paralyzing poison and various other poisons, which he always kept hidden in his left arm through surgery.

Created for use in the worst situations, it was a strong mist that could spread up to about twenty jang.

Of course, an inner force master could block it with qi circulation, but they would have to waste time to do so momentarily.

‘I’m not sure if it would work on a master who has surpassed the wall, though.’

The only concern was that Mok Gyeong-un was a master of the Transformation Realm.

Having already seen him contend with the Society Leader, he knew that his skills had surpassed his own, which was why he had resorted to using his trump card.

Whether this would work on Mok Gyeong-un or not was uncertain, but he had to attempt to escape with the Holy Fire Priestess in this moment.

-Flinch!

Shadow Clan Leader Hwan Ya-seon, who was about to swiftly move towards the carriage, unconsciously hesitated.

This was due to the vast true qi filling the surroundings.

‘What kind of true qi is this?’

The energy was so strong that it made his whole body break out in goosebumps.

It was at that very moment.

-Whoosh!

The gray mist, which had been so thick it obscured the surrounding view, suddenly began to move rapidly.

It was creating a single flow.

That flow,

‘Could it be?’

Shadow Clan Leader Hwan Ya-seon lifted his head.

The mist that had spread widely and was moving was gradually narrowing upwards, forming a vortex.

Seeing this, Hwan Ya-seon was dumbfounded.

The vast true qi filling the surroundings was trapping the mist, making it swirl and sending it upwards.

Eventually, the gray mist that had been swirling and surging upwards completely disappeared.

‘This can’t be…’

To be able to dispel the poisonous mist with true qi alone.

This was something he had never anticipated.

Who on earth could it be?

Only those at the level of the Eight Stars or above among the Five Kings could handle true qi to this extent, right?

No, this should only be possible for someone like the Society Leader.

In his field of vision, he saw Mok Gyeong-un extending his hand and slightly raising his index finger.

The true qi flowing from the tip of his finger was nothing short of awe-inspiring.

‘!?’

Shadow Clan Leader Hwan Ya-seon’s eyes widened.

Was it that child Mok Gyeong-un who did this?

He unconsciously swallowed, his mouth having gone dry without him realizing.

He knew that the speed of his martial arts development was incredibly fast, surpassing his expectations.

But this was beyond the realm of expectations.

What is happened had happened during the few months he was away on the confidential mission?

-Crack! Crack!

Hwan Ya-seon, who had been too shocked to speak, turned his head at the sound coming from beside him.

There, his confidant and bodyguard Byeok was not only moving his stiffened body, but,

-Hiss!

A black liquid, presumed to be poison, could be seen flowing from the tips of his ten fingers.

‘What? Is he… expelling the poison from his body?’

And in such a short moment?

Although Byeok’s martial arts were excellent, having been personally trained by him, he couldn’t have responded this quickly after being suddenly exposed to the poisonous mist.

What is happened was happening?

As he was bewildered,

-Creeeeak!

The carriage door opened.

Someone came down, leaning on a cane, and the moment Hwan Ya-seon saw this person, various complex emotions clouded his eyes.

‘The Holy Fire Priestess.’

He had wondered if the day would ever come when he would see her again after she was imprisoned in the underground prison of the imperial palace.

Yet here he was, seeing her again like this.

Even in the midst of crisis, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotion.

-Grind!

What should he do?

No matter how joyous this reunion was, he couldn’t hand her over to the Heaven and Earth Society here.

Even at the cost of his own life, he had to take her outside the organization, but…

It was then.

“Clan Leader Ya-seon.”

She called out to him.

He wanted to immediately call out to the Holy Fire Priestess and pay his respects, but fearing there might be eyes and ears from the intelligence department sent by the Society Leader’s side, he couldn’t hastily respond.

As Hwan Ya-seon was about to gesture to her not to speak, the Holy Fire Priestess uttered words he never expected.

“Immediately lower your body and pay respects to that person.”

“What are you saying…”

“The person before your eyes is the true master of the Holy Fire.”

‘!!!!!!’