Chapter 156

Chapter: 156

In the dark—

Three people gathered in a tightly sealed space, so devoid of light that even a sliver of moonlight couldn’t seep through. The thick, sticky stench of blood filled the area.

One was a master, while the other two were slaves—a distinction easily discerned by their postures.

The nobleman nonchalantly rested his chin on his hand, while the other two were prostrate, deeply bowing their heads on a flat area three steps below.

“…Are you saying you could finally find it?”

“Y-Yes, I apologize. I didn’t expect such a cute thing to have hidden so close to Jebu City…”

“Well, discovering it now is better than never. Once we know its location, killing it will be a piece of cake.”

The two kneeling old men lifted their heads, their appearance grotesque—wrinkled and emaciated, making them look almost like something other than human.

As if corpses had come to life.

Any knowledgeable person in the martial world would be greatly shocked. The two old men were remnants of the notorious Blood Cult, known as the Blood Spider Old Woman and Sleep-Killing Vice Father.

Famous for their foul deeds, it was bewildering to see such esteemed experts bowing to a young nobleman.

The reason lay within a mysterious book.

Thud.

The nobleman’s hand rested upon an ominous book inscribed with the words “Magic Conjuration.” This was a compilation of the Blood Cult’s visions and also served as a precious tome.

Additionally, it was the lifeline that kept the two old men, who should have met their end ages ago, alive. Without the elaborate Yi Gyeok technique detailed in the book, the two old men would perish.

Having their lives mortgaged this way, they had no choice but to bow to a much younger runt.

That was also how the nobleman, without any foundational power in the Divine Realm, was able to build a formidable underground force in just three years. He absorbed the power of the Blood Spider Old Woman and Sleep-Killing Vice Father entirely, facing no difficulties at all.

The nobleman frowned, irritation etching into his features as he scolded, “I’ve heard bad rumors coming from Jebu City. While it’s fine to eat people, I explicitly told you not to be caught by anyone!”

“As autumn approaches, I got hungrier… I’m truly sorry.”

“I’m saddened and infuriated that you would blame me for your eating habits. Are you willing to take away the last pleasure of these old men?”

“I said be quiet! If I’m caught, it’s the end for you as well. Understand? Without this book, you’ll be dead!”

Bloodshot eyes glared from the nobleman.

Slither. Red vitality seeped from the treacherous book and was absorbed by the nobleman’s body. Seeing this, the two old men quickly bowed their heads again.

They must not let the nobleman catch them smiling.

His temperament was progressively turning more volatile, and his cunning seemed to fade away. Under the influence of the blood essence infiltrating his very marrow, he was gradually becoming depraved.

So once, a man who advised to sustain himself on the blood of pigs or chickens…

Now he was utterly okay with devouring humans.

“…Go, go kill it this time with no future repercussions. Disappear from my sight at once! I can’t even stand looking at your ugly faces!”

Chuckle chuckle, “How difficult it must be for you to look into a mirror; allow me to step aside. I will fulfill your command.”

“Y-Yes, I’ll come back to report after the deed is done.”

Whoosh.

As if a candle extinguished, the forms of the two old men vanished.

The nobleman pressed his forehead with a searing headache, suppressing his rising fury. After barely managing to muster a smile, he exited the secret chamber.

The completion of the Heavenly Demon Magic Conjuration was drawing near. All that was needed was to obtain the blood of the lineage. Once he acquired the power of the heavenly demon…

“…What was I planning to do upon becoming stronger…?”

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“I need to crush those who looked down on the Namgoong family!”

“…But the Namgoong family did do something to make them resentful, didn’t they?”

“True, I admit that. But we didn’t go around smashing and wrecking things like the Demon Cult; we were just minding our own business as calamity passed by! Now they label us as collaborators with the Demon Cult at every opportunity…”

Namgoong Seung-Ah raged in the inn room, shaking her fists. In response to Cheong-Hwi’s question about what he planned to do once he got stronger, this was her answer.

“And what makes it even more infuriating is that they belittle Namgoong So’s accomplishments too! Capturing the Blood Cult and the Demon Cult, they claim it’s all exaggerated or staged.”

“That’s indeed frustrating… But don’t you call him brother?”

“He treats me like a stranger! Still, we are from the same family… What about you, Master Cheong-Hwi? If you grow stronger, do you have something you wish to do?”

“Hmm.”

Having realized that possessing strength didn’t equate to having willpower, she pondered going back to her clan to reunite with her brother, regardless of strength.

That would prevent her from living with regrets.

So, when asked whether there was a wish that required strength…

“Oh, there is. I want to have a kiss.”

“…?!”

“He said he would give it to me if I won during the spar…”

“W-What a scandalous person! …!!”

Namgoong Seung-Ah dashed away from Cheong-Hwi. If he was brazen enough to flaunt a tail, he surely must be a lecherous fake Taoist revealing his attraction to women.

However, it wasn’t lust that held his interests—it was martial arts, striking a balance there. If he were to take an interest in vulgar matters, it could lead to troublesome situations.

Cheong-Hwi glanced at the fleeing Namgoong Seung-Ah and then at Namgoong Myung, who was sleeping soundly on the bed. Rising from his seat, he said, “I’ll go buy some food.”

“If you return with just cold noodles and wormwood tea, you might get hit with a steel tail.”

“If you swing your tail, I’ll counter with the Toru Dragon Strike!”

“If you lower your position during the Toru Dragon Strike, twist in midair and stab downward…”

A natural transition into their martial discussions made Cheong-Hwi think it would take at least thirty minutes to leave. Thus, he decided to use his ultimate move.

“My Toru Dragon Strike bursts forth faster than a thunderstorm; by the time you turn in midair, I will have already subdued you and claimed victory.”

“Hey!!”

Cheong-Hwi closed the door and fled.

It had been three days since they defeated the Immugi beneath Cheonggyeong Lake. Namgoong Myung, after consuming the elixir, remained in deep slumber as he recuperated. Considering it best to leave him in the inn rather than the freezing cave, they decided to take him above.

They had pondered extensively on how to swim while carrying someone unconscious. There had been ideas about kissing Namgoong Myung and giving him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation as they swam up, but that was too odd, so they sought another method.

Instead, they could butcher the Immugi’s corpse and gather viable organs to use as air bladders.

In the meantime, they forgot about the internal elixir.

While they considered ideas of taking Namgoong Myung back to the Namgoong family in a cart, they decided against it, fearing a real risk if ambushed on the way.

Thus, for the time being, they had to remain in Jebu City until he woke up.

Only one room was booked for their protection. The innkeeper shot them peculiar looks for sharing a room, but this wasn’t a time to care about others’ opinions.

“Sharing a room for three days—how scandalous! Is your wife okay?”

“…Mind your own business!”

Such cheerful remarks came from the innkeeper, but this wasn’t the time to get upset!

If they dispersed their attention too much, they could face serious trouble if an assassin entered.

Cheong-Hwi tucked his money pouch tightly and glanced around the street, deciding to step into an inn where he could grab some food.

Initially, he aspired to order the cold noodles and wormwood tea, but having faced stern directions from Namgoong Seung-Ah, who was sick of them after three rounds, he had to choose something else today.

“…Dumplings?”

Dumplings.

As he leaned into the inn filled with delightful aromas, he spotted steam rising from the dumpling steamer. His mouth watered. This would surely satisfy Namgoong Seung-Ah as well.

Raising his hand, he called for the waitress, who flinched, fearing he might speak in some barbarian tongue, but what emerged from his mouth was fluent Central Plains dialect.

“Ten dumplings, please. I’ll take them to go; no need for any side dishes.”

“We have a shortage of bowls….”

“I brought a sack to fill with dumplings, so do not worry.”

“Well, it’ll take some time. We have a prior order…”

The waitress cast a glance.

A middle-aged man beneath a straw hat sat with a serene demeanor, sipping green tea as he waited. However, something about his jawline seemed strikingly familiar; Cheong-Hwi raised an eyebrow.

That goat-like beard looked suspiciously familiar.

“…”

“…”

Clip-clop,

As Cheong-Hwi drew closer, the man beneath the straw hat flinched. A drop of sweat ran down his temple as he noticed him.

“Excuse me, dear sir. Do we know each other?”

“W-Who are you talking to? No, I’ve never seen you before…”

“Lift your straw hat for a second.”

“I-I have a scar on my face…”

Smack!

The middle-aged man grabbed a sandbag from his room and hurled it at Cheong-Hwi.

In a swift motion, Cheong-Hwi crouched down just as something flew by, the sandbag arcing through the air and crashing directly into the dumpling steamer.

AHHHHHH!!

As the dumplings turned into desert dumplings, the chef let out a horrifying scream while Cheong-Hwi dashed on all fours, chasing after the middle-aged man.

This was the best way to accelerate!

This guy was definitely the fake Taoist who had been invited to the Namgoong family!

Clang!

Crash after crash echoed through the inn as the fugitive and pursuer stormed out, the waitress stood there in shock, aghast at the chaos unfolding, trying to comprehend what had just happened.

Now she would have to explain to the innkeeper how this mess occurred.

‘A middle-aged man in a straw hat threw sand onto the dumplings, and a well-dressed foreigner chased him like a dog, causing a few chairs to break…’ Would they actually believe her?

They better believe her…!

===============================================================

After approximately three minutes of chase, Cheong-Hwi tackled the fake Taoist to the ground, pinning him down in a mount position. The fake Taoist immediately squeezed his eyes shut and surrendered.

“I-I give up! I give up! I had no choice; it was all under orders! I’m innocent!”

“I haven’t even hit you yet… What’s wrong with taking just three hits for the truth?”

“AHHHHH! NOOOO!”

“Why are you already whining when I haven’t even laid a finger on you…?”

He had previously been yelled at as a swindler and had to put up with ridiculous accusations at the banquet; witnessing him tremble like a frightened chick made Cheong-Hwi feel a bit sorry for him.

Cheong-Hwi let go of his clenched fists and asked calmly, “Who are you?”

“…I-I am Kim Seo-Pyeong, a traveling performer!”

“…A performer?”

“Yes, yes! I’m not a Taoist; I earn my living with my acting… I’m an unfortunate regular person. I’m not from the martial world, so please show me mercy!”

Not a Taoist but an actor. He definitely had been invited by Namgoong So.

Cheong-Hwi kept his composure as he pried for information.

“How did you end up with the Namgoong family?”

“What would a fake Taoist be doing at a banquet? They called me to say, ‘The heavens foretell that everything will go well from now on, and luck will befall.’ I was brought in for such positive words!”

“Why did you target me?”

“That’s… um… it was my employer’s order. They wondered why the two Taoists were needed, saying if I didn’t remove you, I wouldn’t get paid. So I acted hastily!”

“You weren’t very skillful at it. You must have been pressed for time.”

In that case, who was your employer?

Cheong-Hwi pondered whether to voice that question or keep it tucked away. In the end, he opted to remain silent and just kept it as a suspicion.

However, he decided to confirm one more thing.

“…Did they instruct you to read the heavens and say that Namgoong Myung shouldn’t become the clan head?”

“…”

“Let’s skip the heavy stuff and settle our debts here.”

Pushing the blame on the subordinate of the Demon Cult. Things had gone smoothly, but if it had gone awry, he could have faced severe torture or maybe even death.

Yet, taking a life didn’t sit well with him, thus, he opted for a less drastic solution—taking a lock of the fake Taoist’s hair instead.

“Selvier once said that there are remarkably many bald heads in the Red Tower. They attribute it all to heat. They mentioned that scalp heat might be one of the causes of hair loss.”

“W-What…?”

“And this scroll contains a spell called ‘Hair Loss Inducement.’ It apparently warms the scalp and is designed for anyone out for revenge.”

“N-No, no…!!”

Shhhh—!

As the scroll ripped apart, the magical energy began to envelop the fake Taoist’s scalp. Cheong-Hwi stood up with a relieved expression and turned to leave.

“It’s sorcery! Horrible sorcery!”

Only the desperate wail of the barely spared fake Taoist echoed down the alley.

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“What about the meal?”

“Ah.”

“…The Steel Tail?!”

“AAAH!”

Cheong-Hwi was hit by the tail.