Chapter 170: v7c20 - An Uninvited Guest
Volume 7 Chapter 20 – An Uninvited Guest
Read it only at Nineheavens.org
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A crow fluttered and sat atop the head of a person lying down toward the sky.
In the process of landing, its sharp claws tore the facial skin, but there was no response from the one lying down.
Because it was a corpse.
When its sharp beak pecked hard at the face, the corpse’s eyeball came out along with the optic nerve cord.
Tossing back its head and swallowing the eyeball in just a couple of tries, the creature looked around.
The sight of the plaza was reflected in its black eyeball.
The plaza, brightly lit in various places by bonfires and torches fallen on the ground, was filled with corpses.
The creature captured a person who was still wriggling and crawling among the corpses.
The crow, hesitating for a moment, flew up into the sky.
Because a woman holding a sword was approaching from behind the crawling person.
The woman’s sword flashed, plunging into the back, and the crawling person’s breath ceased.
The hand of the one who had stretched toward somewhere until the very end dropped onto the ground.
A maid of Pavilion of Perfect Enlightenment, whose face was covered in the enemy’s blood, pulled the sword out of the corpse.
She looked down at the lifeless corpse.
‘Persistent.’
Drunk on the narcotic, Poppy, the underworld organization member had been crawling across the plaza with his intestines trailing long. ….
With a face devoid of unnecessary sentimentality, she plunged the blade into the back of the next survivor.
In the plaza, besides her, several personnel were aligned in a horizontal row, still cutting off the breath of the enemies who were alive and moving.
“How shall we handle the corpses of the enemies?”
“Just leave them as they are. We do not have the luxury of time right now…”
At the question of a senior maid, Maid Captain Hyang conveyed Yeon So-hyeon’s will.
“It is the master’s command that there is no need to dispose of them separately.”
At those words, the senior maid seemed to realize something.
“…Understood.”
Hyang’s gaze directed toward the buildings surrounding the plaza in the distance.
Through the gaps in the roofs, the small holes of the basements, and the holes of the stone buildings, countless gazes were felt.
The eyeballs reflected the light of the plaza, glistening even in the darkness.
They were the poor who had hidden themselves to avoid the conflict. ….
Confirming that their gazes were directed toward the corpses scattered in the plaza, Hyang raised her head and looked at the night sky.
She let out a small sigh.
Flocks of birds were circling the sky.
And it would not be only the flocks of birds that would fill their hungry bellies today.
* * *
The reason the forward base of the middle stream was in a position to take in the plaza at a single glance was because they had recycled a site used as a government office in the past dynasty era.
Although that site was now filled with buildings built by the poor.
However, that point rather acted as an advantage in constructing defensive facilities.
Without such an advantage, they would not have lasted this long in the conflict of the underworld organizations.
“With this, the treatment that can be done immediately is finished, but a scar might remain on your face.”
Caressing the bandage that Yeon So-hyeon had personally wrapped after treatment, the maid of the Maid Division smiled.
She was the maid who had been struck in the face when the string of the repeating crossbow snapped.
“We are prepared to dedicate our lives for the master at any time.”
Yeon So-hyeon wore a bitter smile.
“Even so, I cannot lose you in a place like this.”
He stood up from his seat and patted the shoulder of the maid who bowed and withdrew.
“You must grow further and remain with me until the end.”
“…I will keep it in mind.”
Watching the maid steel her resolve and withdraw, Chief Maid Jeong-ah spoke.
“She was the last of the urgent patients.”
Yeon So-hyeon’s gaze directed toward the combat personnel of the forward base who were recovering the bodies of their comrades.
Some of them were shedding tears, and others had red rims around their eyes, but without exception, they clenched their teeth.
“…We must ensure that the bodies of the fallen return to their families without leaving a single corpse behind.”
Since those words were not an instruction directed at Jeong-ah, the answer came from those who were approaching Yeon So-hyeon.
“Amitabha, we will personally oversee their final departure.”
They were the fake monk and the donkey-nose, the leaders of the House of Benevolence and Love in the Valley of Sin.
They, who had already known Yeon So-hyeon from before, skipped formalities and immediately began the report.
“For now, a temporary wooden palisade has been erected on the broken defensive wall, and the recovery of the injured has also been finalized.”
“It seems right to handle the primary aftermath of the forward base to this extent for immediate urgency.”
“I understand.”
The old men did not even bring up the talk of Yeon So-hyeon’s hidden martial prowess.
They simply delivered the necessary report.
Because they had been through all kinds of hardships since the past, and knew better than anyone that the current situation of the lower stream was grave.
“By the way, where is the other leader?”
Originally, there were three leaders on the side of the House of Benevolence and Love in the Valley of Sin.
“Ah, that fellow…”
Just then, a middle-aged man who had finished treating the injured along with the doctors was seen running in a flurry.
“I-I am a bit late!”
The reason his appearance was particularly striking was none other than because he had blond hair and blue eyes.
He was a Semu person.
“I greet the Eldest Young Master, the leader of the House of Benevolence and Love!”
Even while panting out of breath, both his pronunciation and the way he showed respect were quite plausible.
“So you are that man called Johan, who was newly promoted to executive this time.”
Johan bowed his head.
“Yes, I am Priest Johan of the Order of Friars Minor (Ordo Fratrum Minorum), the Rusty Brotherhood branch.”
Sure enough, a rosary (Rosarius) was held in his hand.
“Priest Johan. I have heard that you serve those in the lowest places just as you serve your Lord. As the leader of the House of Benevolence and Love, I, Yeon So-hyeon, welcome you beyond the differences of faith.”
For whatever reason Johan, who had come a vast distance from his birthplace, shook his head while wearing a benevolent smile.
“Beyond faith? Since the teachings of the Medicine Fairy do not differ much from the Lord’s word, being able to serve by following the footsteps of the saint is the true path of glory.”
Hearing those words, donkey-nose smiled faintly and spoke to fake monk.
“…A priest who serves a monotheistic god adhering to the Fairy faith. If that fellow goes back, he will be excommunicated just like us, excommunicated.”
At those words, fake monk frowned and chanted a low Buddhist prayer to hold back the laugh that almost burst out inappropriately for the situation.
“…Amitabha.”
Just then, a personnel member of the forward base ran over and reported.
“All preparations for withdrawal are finished.”
At that report, fake monk asked Yeon So-hyeon with a bit of concern.
“…Is it truly alright for all of us to withdraw?”
Yeon So-hyeon nodded.
“Of course. In the first place, I came personally to deploy all of you to the site of the lower stream.”
On the highest roof of the forward base, the giant Eldest Young Master flag that Yeon So-hyeon had brought was fluttering.
As long as Yeon So-hyeon stayed here, the underworld organizations would never be able to target the forward base in a direct manner.
They could not assault the Eldest Young Master of the Luoyang Sword Family, nor could they occupy the forward base while ignoring Yeon So-hyeon, who had shown martial prowess of an unfathomable realm.
“You all probably know well what you have to do when you go down to the lower stream, correct?”
Without exception, the leaders of the House of Benevolence and Love nodded.
“We must gather the poor who are cooperative with the House of Benevolence and Love, organize them, and restore order.”
“If we go personally, we can sufficiently persuade and disperse the mob that is reportedly committing looting.”
Even without Yeon So-hyeon issuing separate instructions, they knew their tasks inside out.
They were competent people.
“Good.”
Yeon So-hyeon glanced at the position of the stars and calculated the time.
“By now, all the underworld organizations in the middle stream must have retreated.”
Right on time, the transmission of Il-ryeong, who had returned from a reconnaissance-in-force, was heard.
[Master, the safety of the retreat path has been secured.]
“Begin the withdrawal.”
Yeon So-hyeon did not blame them for all the leaders of the House of Benevolence and Love being isolated in one place.
For he guessed that this situation was difficult to predict enough to make an exception, and the leaders themselves would be sufficiently reflecting on it.
“We will follow the leader’s command.”
They immediately began to move without any complaints.
“Withdraw! We are withdrawing!”
The procession of armored carriages that Yeon So-hyeon had brought in abundance was sufficient to accommodate the personnel of the forward base to the extent of tolerating discomfort.
[Priest Johan.]
At Yeon So-hyeon’s transmission, Johan, who was about to board the carriage, looked back.
[In Northern China, firearms are controlled so that only the military can use them exclusively.]
With a surprised expression, Johan stroked his chest.
[However, in the future, use them as much as you need in necessary situations. I will take full responsibility for it.]
At that transmission, Johan bowed his head deeply to Yeon So-hyeon and boarded the carriage.
The Maid Division also followed the rear of the procession with light body art, leaving only the minimum number of personnel.
Il-ryeong took charge of leading the procession.
Yeon So-hyeon, tracing the procession leaving the plaza with his eyes until the very end, spoke to Jeong-ah.
“…Find the safest place inside the base. Somewhere where no one passes by.”
Jeong-ah hurriedly guided him.
She was one who had already grasped Yeon So-hyeon’s state through the Dragon Eyes.
“Eldest Young Master.”
At a bleak voice, Yeon So-hyeon’s gaze directed behind.
There stood Tang Baek with an expressionless face.
“I will also stand guard with the Chief Maid.”
For a moment, Yeon So-hyeon stared at him quietly without saying anything.
Did he read something in Tang Baek’s eyes, where not even a fragment of emotion was felt?
After the cold valley wind brushed past, Yeon So-hyeon’s mouth opened.
“…I permit it.”
* * *
In the deepest part of the building that was formerly part of the government office, Yeon So-hyeon sat cross-legged.
His face was pale, without a single drop of blood.
“Huuuu….”
Beside him burned a single oil lamp, but for some reason, it did not light up the surroundings at all.
Because the surroundings were entirely warped and distorted by the black energy leaking from his body.
‘This is the limit point of internal energy that I can use immediately.’
That internal energy was finite was a natural story at the level of common sense, but Yeon So-hyeon’s case was slightly more special.
[Why didn’t you devour them? If you don’t fill your stomach even now, you might starve to death like this?]
[What a foolish chosen one. How long do you think you can endure?]
Voices like grinding metal were throbbing inside him.
Those voices seemed about to tear Yeon So-hyeon’s inside and crawl out at any moment.
[Ah, what becomes of our resentment?]
[Please repay this pain to them!]
Sorrowful voices were ringing incessantly in his ears.
The illusions of the vengeful souls shown by the Scripture of Controlling Darkness and Shaking the Heavens continued incessantly.
“Huuuu….”
Yeon So-hyeon suppressed the demonic energy boiling up as a counter-effect of the consumed and reduced internal energy.
He was circulating his energy to the limit using the Dual Principles Mind Art he had modified.
In his mental image world, the internal energy of the Dual Principles Mind Art, which had shrunk thin, glowed white hot as if screaming, desperately defending his mind.
As much as the internal energy was consumed, the protection of his mind had also weakened.
“Huuuu….”
However, before long, due to the depth of his cultivation and mental strength that defied all comparisons, he reached his deepest part and could eventually fall into a state of selflessness.
And the upper dantian artificially formed by him opened, and his mind forcibly began to achieve a state of clear mirror and still water.
How much time had passed?
The demonic energy overflowing from his body gradually began to subside. ….
It was a skill of which it was safe to say only Yeon So-hyeon could dare perform.
* * *
Standing tall like a stone statue on the roof of the building where Yeon So-hyeon was, Tang Baek’s sharp gaze flashed as he guarded the surroundings.
A bizarre and unusual energy had been felt from below the roof, but he merely twitched his eyebrows for a moment. ….
Rather, he raised his senses and momentum a step further, strengthening the guard so that no one could approach.
‘Is it trust…?’
Jeong-ah, who had been watching that sight through the Dragon Eyes for a moment, thought.
‘…Was there something about him that connected with the master?’
Since she opened the Dragon Eyes, the person with the heaviest mouth and the sturdiest mind among those observed so far was precisely Tang Baek (excluding her master, of course). ….
Besides, he was a guard permitted by the master.
Therefore, Jeong-ah did not show any signs and simply protected the entrance of the building where Yeon So-hyeon was circulating his energy.
A moment later.
Her eyes flashed golden in the darkness.
[Unidentified personnel approaching!]
Simultaneously with her transmission, Tang Baek’s sleeve fluttered.
Three pitch-black flying daggers became rays of light, precisely piercing the place where Jeong-ah’s gaze was directed.
“Oops.”
No, they seemed to have pierced.
“My, my. As expected of that Eldest Young Master, even the escort personnel are not ordinary.”
It was a gentle male voice.
However, the energy hidden within it was to the point of being goosebump-inducing. ….
The three flying daggers Tang Baek had thrown were held in a hand that seemed to have popped out of empty air.
It was a glove of strange luster made of some kind of leather.
Recognizing that glove at a glance, Tang Baek’s complexion changed.
“Gwangryang Deer Leather…?!”
The owner of that glove was a surprising person, enough to change the complexion of him who had almost no changes in expression.
“It has been a long time, Tang Baek.”
As if appearing from behind a pillar, a middle-aged man who revealed his form in empty air smiled toward Tang Baek.
His impression was gentle, yet had a somewhat sinister side.
“How…?”
Confirming the middle-aged man’s face, Tang Baek frowned as if he could not believe his eyes and said.
“Why are you in this place?”
At the opponent’s reply, Jeong-ah’s expression also changed.
“What a face as if seeing a ghost. Is it that strange for this ‘Vice Patriarch of the Sichuan Tang Family’, Tang Gwi-ho, to be in Luoyang?”
While Tang Baek was momentarily shaken, Jeong-ah could read the thoughts that rose to his surface.
‘Vice Patriarch Tang Gwi-ho. The leader of the Shadow Group, an intelligence organization directly under the Sichuan Tang Family Patriarch.’
Jeong-ah groaned inwardly.
‘An opponent who must never be trusted.’
Although this uninvited guest was not an enemy, he was not an ally either.