Chapter: 100
As the first day of the tournament came to a close, the sun was slowly setting on the horizon.
Though many in the audience were surely exhausted and hungry, they showed no signs of fatigue and continued cheering loudly.
“I… lost…”
After a lengthy contest, the final duel at last ended, and the last one standing was a young man named Yung Sung.
He was the same young man I had coincidentally met at the inn with Yung Pung.
I had heard he was among the top three disciples, and excluding Yung Pung, he possessed the smoothest skills.
For reference, Gu Ryunghwa was unable to advance past her initial victory.
Her win had come about because her opponent let his guard down, and no matter how surprising her improvement was, her limits were clear.
Despite her defeat, she appeared surprisingly refreshed as she left the stage.
It seemed she had gained more from the experience than she had lost.
“That girl from the second generation earlier…”
“Oh, that pretty one…”
“I saw her for the first time. What was her name again?”
The crowd had already begun to remember Gu Ryunghwa. Her movements, so extraordinary for such a small girl, were indeed unforgettable.
Once all the duels concluded, the fighters exchanged respectful bows, and disciples began cleaning the arena.
Simultaneously, people were preparing to leave.
Given the steep location of the Mount Hua Sect, it would be dangerous to descend too late at night, so it was time to head down.
Struggling to stay awake, Namgung Bi-ah, who had nearly dozed off from boredom, let Wi Seol-Ah carry her, and I walked over to those cleaning up the arena.
The reason? I recognized a familiar face.
“Master Yung Pung.”
“Oh, Young Master Gu…?”
It was none other than Yung Pung, working diligently alongside his fellow disciples.
Who would have thought the Sword Dragon would be tidying up chairs? This world really is full of surprises.
Yung Pung beamed at me, his face lighting up with a smile.
“Oh, were you watching the tournament?”
“Yeah, I somehow ended up watching till the very end.”
It had merely happened by chance.
I had planned to leave after Gu Ryunghwa’s elimination, but Wi Seol-Ah insisted on watching a little more.
On top of that, Namgung Bi-ah had leaned on my shoulder and dozed off, leading to my unexpected prolonged stay.
As I chatted with Yung Pung, a sudden thought seemed to strike him.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Young Master…”
“Huh? Sorry for what?”
“I can’t do night training with you today; I need to sleep early…”
“I wasn’t even thinking about that…?”
What was he on about? Not only was that an unexpected response, but did he just reject me? By this guy?
For some reason, I felt oddly offended by his words.
“Then why are you here…?”
As Yung Pung posed his question, I straightened up with a serious expression.
This was a matter of importance, and I needed to shift the atmosphere a bit. Perhaps sensing my demeanor, Yung Pung stiffened and leaned in slightly.
I cautiously whispered into Yung Pung’s ear, “Can I get the name of that… person who fought my sister?”
Upon hearing my question, Yung Pung frowned deeply.
“…Pardon?”
He looked at me as if I had lost my mind.
It was now around 1 AM.
Most people would be sound asleep.
Namgung Bi-ah had probably fallen asleep the moment we arrived, given how tired she was during the tournament, and I guessed the same went for the Sword Emperor and Wi Seol-Ah.
Taking advantage of the situation, I snuck out quietly to survey the surroundings. I spotted a few night-watch guards, but thankfully, Muyeon wasn’t among them.
I had deliberately chosen this late hour, and it had fortunately paid off.
I did my best to keep my presence minimal while observing. After ensuring the coast was clear, I jumped over the wall.
If someone spotted me, I could always claim I was just out for a walk, but amusingly, no one caught me.
While my skills had certainly improved, I hadn’t expected my late-night escapade to go this smoothly…
I should tell Muyeon to give them a good talking to later.
Were they perhaps just being careless since they were at the Mount Hua Sect?
Whatever the case, it had allowed me to slip away successfully.
I took off down the mountain quickly using my Qi.
To avoid any unwanted encounters, I needed to return before dawn. That meant I had to move quickly.
I remember they mentioned the west forest.
I had grasped the general location but didn’t have an exact map, so I had to be careful.
I was heading to one of the Black Palace’s hideouts that the Mount Hua Sect had taken over. To be more specific, I was on my way to the place where Ya Hyeoljeok resided.
Initially, I had only planned to stop by after Gu Ryunghwa’s duel, but since things had gotten delayed, I navigated in the cover of night.
I’m glad Yung Pung knew about this place.
That was the main reason I sought him out after the tournament. My inquiry about the disciple who fought Gu Ryunghwa had been half-playful.
Yung Jin, if I recall correctly.
I had memorized his name.
And that silly face of his.
If Yung Pung couldn’t disclose the information due to sect affairs, I was prepared to ambush either the Beggars Sect or the Hao Clan to dig it up myself.
Nevertheless, after the initial shock, Yung Pung readily provided the answer.
So quickly, in fact, that it made me wonder why he hadn’t questioned why I was curious about it.
– Since you’re asking, you must have a good reason.
A malicious smile crept onto my face at that thought.
What makes him trust me so much?
In truth, it bothered me a little.
Lately, more people had been placing their trust in me. While that wasn’t a bad thing, it also left me feeling uneasy.
Am I just not used to this?
Since I had never experienced anything like it in my past life, it was understandable that I would still be adjusting to this feeling.
Tap!
After running toward the direction Yung Pung described, I stopped.
He hadn’t given me the exact location, so I had to spread my awareness.
This place should be under the jurisdiction of the Murim Alliance by now.
The Mount Hua Sect operated under the Murim Alliance, and even since it initially discovered the area, it was quickly absorbed into their control.
“I hope they’ve finished their search…”
I figured the Murim Alliance would have wrapped up their examination and begun cleaning up by now.
If they hadn’t, it’d be wiser for me to retreat instead of risking anything, especially since I was already gambling on whether I should even come here.
I dashed for quite a while before finally arriving at my destination.
There was a massive cave veiled in foliage. It wasn’t just a remote area—very few people ever passed through, and with the trees surrounding it, it was nearly impossible to spot in the dark of night.
They even set up some sort of spatial magic; no wonder it’s hard to find.
Had I only relied on Yung Pung’s vague instructions, I definitely wouldn’t have pinpointed it.
Except for me, of course.
It feels faint, but there’s still some trace remaining.
I could sense a light hint of Demonic Qi emanating from the cave.
For me, this subtle energy was all I needed—though it might have been well hidden, it wasn’t difficult to locate.
Did everyone from the Murim Alliance already leave?
I scanned the area with my Qi but couldn’t detect any signs of life.
Moving cautiously, I stepped into the cave.
Hissss-!
The cave echoed with damp sounds and was enveloped in darkness. I summoned flames in my hands to illuminate the dark chamber.
As I proceeded further into the cave, I realized it was much larger and deeper than I had anticipated.
I found myself wandering for quite some time.
Following a path, I eventually stumbled into an open area.
While not particularly large, the space allowed for movement.
This is their branch office?
Even after seeing it with my own eyes, I couldn’t grasp the reasoning. It appeared far too inadequate for a branch office.
Despite the Mount Hua Sect and the Murim Alliance having swept through, remnants of habitation were still visible.
Not only did this place look sparse, but it appeared they had actively worked to make it seem completely devoid of anything.
What on earth were they doing here?
As I explored a bit more, I ended up in a room that, while slightly larger than the others, was the only space so far where one could stand upright.
Looking at the enormous chair against the wall, it seemed to be Ya Hyeoljeok’s chamber.
Calling this a room feels a bit ridiculous.
There were no remains of occupation. Had they removed everything that could indicate their presence?
This place also appeared bare, just like the rest. Just as I was about to conclude that looking for information here might be futile—
“…Huh?”
I paused as an unmistakable, pungent scent brushed against my nostrils.
The cave was reeking of an unidentifiable blood odor.
What on earth…
The scent was unnaturally strong.
It made my stomach churn, and to think the Murim Alliance had left without leaving any guards behind?
That prickling sensation crept up my spine, prompting me to take a step back.
Only then did I start to piece it together.
This isn’t just any smell.
It wasn’t simply an odor.
It was closer to Qi.
Where? Where is this energy coming from?
And why didn’t anyone else sense this?
If they had, they wouldn’t have just abandoned this place.
Where is it emanating from?
I intensified the flames in my hand to try illuminating the space further. Indeed, the only exit was the one I entered, with solid rock walls surrounding me on all sides.
However, I could definitely feel the energy coming from one of the walls…
Is this some kind of spatial mechanism?
Though such a notion crossed my mind, it didn’t seem right, as I felt no further indications even when concentrating.
Could it be some sort of mechanism?
I found it hard to believe they would invest in such things for a mere branch; I doubted the Black Palace would possess the necessary capabilities.
Nonetheless, if they truly had ties to the Demonic Cult, it wouldn’t be too shocking.
I brushed my hands over the cave wall, expecting to find traces of whatever mechanism was there.
I’m not an expert on this, but considering this place belonged to Ya Hyeoljeok…
The mechanism shouldn’t be all that complex, seeing as he wasn’t exactly known for his intelligence.
Just my assumption, of course.
I stepped away from the wall and began exploring around the chair.
Nothing seems out of the ordinary here either…
Tap, tap.
“…!”
I felt an unusual sensation beneath the armrest of the chair.
The discrepancy between it and the right armrest was minuscule, but something was clearly there.
Pressing on the protrusion, I easily pushed it into the arm.
To my surprise, nothing happened; the room remained unchanged.
There was absolutely no way a search party could have missed it given its location.
Doubting the chair, I contemplated searching elsewhere, when suddenly, an idea caused me to freeze in place.
Just to be sure…
I let that faint strand of Demonic Qi within me circulate.
I had to do this separately since it couldn’t mix with any of the other types of Qi.
I felt the Demonic Qi inside my body respond ever so subtly.
Flinch.
Once more, I pressed the protruding area underneath the armrest.
Creaaak… Creeeeak…!
“Damn.”
That part of my hopes that I wished was wrong turned out exactly right.
Now I understand why the Murim Alliance and the Mount Hua Sect failed to find it.
The mechanisms cultivated by the Ferocious Beast were designed for future branches of the Demonic Cult.
This particular chair I discovered could only be activated by infusing it with a hint of Demonic Qi.
Slamm-!
With a resounding bang that echoed throughout the cave, dust danced around as the walls trembled.
Soon, the wall behind the chair opened, revealing an enormous door.
And with that revelation, the nauseating stench of blood washed over me again…
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.