Chapter 209: The First Sin (1)
The collapsed debris formed a solid wall.
A man stared at the thick wall, grinding his teeth.
“Haha, these little bastards.”
The man, Jeon Oh-Jin, Vice-Lord of the Black Palace, cursed as he reflected on the recent situation.
An outrageously beautiful girl and a boy who had yet to fully mature.
It was odd that either one of them was even here.
One of them seemed to be from the Namgung Clan…
With a blue uniform and bluish-white hair, combined with the dazzling sword art that shot out Lightning Qi, it was unmistakably a trademark of the Namgung Clan.
Judging by her appearance, she must be a direct descendant.
A blood relative of the Namgung Clan at such a young age…
Was there someone else besides the Lightning Dragon?
Furthermore, she was a martial artist who had reached the Peak Realm, despite looking barely twenty.
Jeon Oh-Jin realized the girl’s skill had shattered the boundaries that lay before her.
At that moment, he recalled some recent rumors.
Was it called the Sword Dancer?
A blood relative of the Namgung Clan who had stood out during the recent tournament.
It was a name he remembered hearing vaguely.
However, the girl from the Namgung Clan wasn’t the main issue.
Rather, he had to remember the boy who stood next to her.
The girl was certainly impressive, but she couldn’t hold a candle to that boy.
The red uniform he wore, the vibrant flame he unfurled in his palm, and that feral gaze directed at him without a hint of fear—they all reminded Jeon Oh-Jin of the monster currently lurking outside the formation.
“…Vice-Lord!”
Members of the Black Palace rushed in upon hearing the noise, their faces turning astonished at the scene before them.
“You said a rat sneaked in…?”
“…Yes, the intruder—”
“Correct yourself; it wasn’t a rat.”
“Pardon?”
In response to the question, Jeon Oh-Jin wore a chilling smile.
“It was a tiger cub.”
Bang!
With a sword strike infused with his formidable energy, the wall blocking his path crumbled before him in an instant.
The Palace members stumbled backward, narrowly escaping the falling debris.
“What are the Lord’s orders?”
At his cold inquiry, the members behind him flinched slightly.
“It seems the Lord went to face the Flaming Demon.”
“Is that so? Then I will deal with this myself.”
Jeon Oh-Jin believed there wouldn’t be any issues as long as the Lord was gone.
As he thought this, he turned his gaze to search for any traces left behind as the wall collapsed, his eyes widening in surprise.
“…Look at this brat.”
There was an enormous hole in the floor!
Flames smoldered on the walls, and the potent, lingering energy in the air was anything but shallow.
“So, they say it’s a True Dragon?”
“If I’m right… the one who’s the True Dragon of the Gu Clan.”
The monster who had dominated young champions in the tournament and snatched the coveted place of the last dragon!
“It resembles the Flaming Demon a great deal, huh? Truly a spitting image.”
Additionally, it seemed their talents echoed one another.
Jeon Oh-Jin recalled hearing something about the True Dragon being responsible for the death of the foolish Ya Hyeoljeok.
If that’s the case…
“I must hunt him down and kill him.”
“Vice-Lord! Perhaps we should inform the Lord first—”
Slice!
The figure who was about to speak suddenly fell silent, his life cut short with a slash.
“The only person that can issue me an order is the Lord himself.”
With that, Jeon Oh-Jin shook off his sword and gathered his Qi.
If the Lord went out to face the Flaming Demon, then it was his responsibility to catch the Little Tiger!
“Moreover, that flame I witnessed earlier…”
The blue flame enveloping the True Dragon felt oddly familiar, as if it mirrored the energy within him.
He couldn’t help but want to verify this further.
Leaving the rest of the members behind, Jeon Oh-Jin leaped into the hole made by the True Dragon.
It was evident where the brat was heading.
Toward the Sword Phoenix.
Although he questioned why the Lord had gone through so much trouble to bring the Sword Phoenix here, he didn’t ponder more than that, trusting his Lord had a good reason.
Yet, one thing he was certain about was that the appearances of both the Flaming Demon and the True Dragon were definitely the Sword Phoenix’s responsibility.
“But how did they find out about this location?”
It was a curiosity that gnawed at him.
The Sword Phoenix hadn’t been here for long, so how could the Flaming Demon or the True Dragon have tracked this place down?
Infusing his sword with a powerful Qi, Jeon Oh-Jin spoke to himself.
“Whatever it is, I’ll just have to ask that brat after I catch him.”
With a grin, he melted into the darkness.
After a long journey through the darkness in search of the right path…
“Damn…”
The backlash from using Blood Qi still hung over him, with every movement draining his energy faster than he could comprehend.
“This was a close call.”
In hindsight, not engaging in a fight was indeed the wisest decision.
Sure, some may cringe at the thought of fleeing from an enemy, but to that, he’d retort:
“[Honor doesn’t keep you alive, you know.]”
Elder Shin’s words rang clear in his mind.
“Still, for a hero who saved the world, that’s a bit ridiculous to hear.”
“[Hmph! Surviving is key to fulfilling your goals, you see.]”
Boom!
As he followed the marble’s light, the sound of swords slicing through the gloom behind him echoed through the air.
Namgung Bi-ah was right on his tail, clearing the way with her sword.
Given the strength of their enemy, he knew it wouldn’t take long for them to catch up by smashing down everything in their path.
So, she was cutting down pillars to make the ceiling collapse, hindering his pursuit.
What impressed him the most was she had done it all without him even asking!
“It feels as if she can read my mind,” he mused, watching her swing her sword.
In a perfect world, he’d have done that himself. But using both Blood Qi and creating such a big explosion back-to-back proved to be incredibly taxing on his body.
His dantian felt like it was under siege, a constant, throbbing pain that wouldn’t relent.
“I need to find her fast.”
Before it was too late, he had to locate Gu Huibi.
“Seems like I just need to go straight ahead.”
If the marble wasn’t spewing nonsense, continuing straight should lead him to Gu Huibi.
Yet, a question gnawed at him along the way.
“Why is this place so deserted?”
Since entering the Black Palace, one of the largest forces among the Unorthodox Faction, the absence of people had been puzzling.
Given that one of the Four Emperors and Five Kings was the Lord of the Black Palace, it was strange that he saw so few people around, especially in the main palace.
“This is way too few.”
Indeed, the number of enemies was significantly less than he had anticipated.
Even now, as they scoured the prison, he noticed that there were even fewer foes than upstairs.
Moreover, the few that they encountered were low-level martial artists, easy prey who could be dispatched with a single strike.
“Did something happen?”
There was a subtle atmosphere lurking around, but he couldn’t accurately identify the source.
“-In front.”
Hearing the warning from Namgung Bi-ah, he instinctively reached out, not knowing precisely where, and unleashed his energy.
Boom! Whoosh!
He launched flames ahead, incinerating the enemies that lay in wait.
They must have been intending to ambush them.
Namgung Bi-ah had provided warnings before, but experiencing it never ceased to amaze him.
“Her Qi senses surpass mine.”
He was undoubtedly at a higher realm, but her ability to detect enemy presence was incredibly sharp compared to his.
Ordinarily, the sensitivity of one’s senses correlated with their realm.
“Could this be another aspect of her talent?”
Noticing his gaze on her, Namgung Bi-ah tilted her head, confused.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
He turned his attention back to the path ahead, dismissing any distracting thoughts.
The underground was rife with jail cells; it wouldn’t do to explore them all with time running out.
Fortunately, the marble’s light guided him, saving precious minutes.
“We’re almost there.”
“Yeah.”
In the distance, a door came into view.
Following the light, he quickened his pace.
As he drew closer, he gathered his energy in his hand.
“Ugh…”
The pain in his dantian shot through him, but launching flames posed no problem.
Fire!
Wrapping his fist with flames, he slammed it against the iron door.
Smash!
Thankfully, it was merely an ordinary iron door, yielding easily without much resistance.
After a loud crash, dust filled the air as the door flew away.
“Well, so this really is a prison.”
Within were large iron bars, along with several torture devices and a small window allowing a sliver of light.
This was undoubtedly the jail he’d spotted through the marble’s power—the cell where Gu Huibi was held.
“Where’s Gu Huibi?”
Scoping out the area, he spotted someone inside the prison.
“…!”
It was Gu Huibi, her eyes wide in shock as she stared at him.
“Brother?”
Her outfit was tattered and disheveled, but
“She doesn’t seem badly injured.”
Fortunately, she appeared unharmed.
However,
“Is that Demonic Qi?”
Frowning, he noticed the Demonic Qi swirling within her dantian.
Though less than what he had sensed with the Plum Blossom Sword, it was evident that Demonic Qi was present.
With that level, she likely couldn’t use her Qi and her physical abilities had probably taken a hit.
“Did the Palace Lord do this?”
He could only think of the Palace Lord as the one capable of such a feat.
Gu Huibi’s expression rapidly changed to shock as she continued to stare at him.
“H-How!?”
“I mean, how could it happen? I just came looking for my troublemaking sister.”
In that moment, Gu Huibi’s astonishment morphed into a frown as she shifted her gaze toward Namgung Bi-ah.
Was it the surprise of seeing her?
Ignoring that reaction, he reached out towards the cell, preparing to tear it apart.
Zap!
“Hmm?”
As soon as his hand touched the bars, a barrier rebuffed him.
Seeing this, Namgung Bi-ah swiftly pulled him back.
Shing!
Simultaneously, she drew her sword, preparing to unleash her Lightning Qi as if intent on cutting through the barrier.
“Hold on!”
If she did that, Gu Huibi could be in danger.
He halted Namgung Bi-ah, attempting instead to analyze the cell.
“…The Qi surrounding the iron bars.”
From how Gu Huibi was gripping it, it didn’t appear as though it was utterly impossible to grab hold.
“Perhaps?”
Recognizing the Demonic Qi resonating within Gu Huibi, he too summoned the sealed Demonic Qi from the corner of his own body.
“…!”
Namgung Bi-ah gasped and took a step back, shocked as he summoned forth his Demonic Qi.
Could she sense it too?
Setting aside that question, he extended his hand towards the iron bars once more.
“I knew it.”
This time, rather than being repelled, he gripped the iron bars effortlessly.
It looked as if they reacted to the influx of Demonic Qi.
“They had created such things even before the Demonic Cult emerged?”
Previously, he had let it slide without much thought, but now he was left pondering how they had managed to create such barriers.
Crack!
Concluding his thoughts, he ripped apart the iron bars.
The material felt surprisingly weak, easily yielding to just a smidge of his Qi.
Turning towards the bewildered Gu Huibi, he said,
“Come out.”
“Brother…”
“Hurry! Let’s go home!”
This wasn’t just for show; they truly needed to move fast.
After all, they had no idea when enemies were going to show up again.
Yet, at that very instant,
“Yes! Yes! We must hurry and return home!”
Someone besides Gu Huibi chimed in.
“…Who is it?”
It was surprising that he hadn’t sensed someone so close to them.
“Elder Mook!”
Gu Huibi seemed to recognize the old man as he approached.
“Elder Mook?”
The aged figure, staggering toward them, looked far from well.
His body bore the signs of torment, and his eyes appeared bandaged, an indication of injury.
“Hehe, to think a cub would come instead of the Tiger Warrior. How unexpected.”
“Who are you?”
The old man chuckled in response to his inquiry.
“Just call me Elder Mook. You must be the little sibling of the Sword Phoenix, I presume.”
He was indeed a curious old man.
Although his eyes were obscured, he acted as if he could see everything around him.
There was also a faint, strange energy emanating from him.
“Are you, by any chance, the Lord of the Hao Clan?” he dared to ask.
The old man hesitated briefly.
Though he couldn’t see, the way he scrutinized him through the bindings was peculiar.
“…You.”
“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”
It seemed he was indeed the person he’d suspected. Yet he had no desire to get entangled in such troubles.
He had regretted asking in the first place; that was his mistake.
“So he really was here.”
He wondered why only the two of them were in such a vast prison, but it became apparent that this old man was indeed the Lord of the Hao Clan.
“Lord of the Hao Clan?”
Gu Huibi’s surprise showed in her eyes as she directed her gaze at the old man.
Namgung Bi-ah, standing next to him, bore a similar expression.
Crunch!
While he was preoccupied, he shattered the shackle binding Gu Huibi.
“If you want to observe, do it later. Right now, we need to leave.”
“Brother, you seem to have lost your manners in our time apart.”
“But tell me, have we really been apart this long?”
“Huh?”
“Seems like you’ve been keeping an eye on me the whole time.”
The instant she realized he’d uncovered her secret, her expression crumbled.
“W-What? How?”
“Leave that for later too.”
“Ugh!”
He slung Gu Huibi over his shoulder.
It would have been far easier for her to walk if time permitted, but
“I can’t afford to absorb the Demonic Qi inside her now.”
He was in no situation that allowed for the luxury of dealing with the Demonic Qi within Gu Huibi’s body.
Their primary concern was escaping this place.
As he turned to leave, the old man, perplexed, called after him,
“W-Wait! What about me?”
He pointed toward his shackle.
“It’s tough for me to carry two people.”
He replied unbothered.
“Hey! Young Warrior! What sort of nonsense is this?!”
“Apologies, but you weren’t part of my plan.”
“You heartless fiend! Whatever happened to mutual aid amongst the Orthodox Faction?”
“What nonsense!” he quipped. “You’re not even one of them.”
The Hao Clan was undeniably part of the Unorthodox Faction, yet here was this old man shamelessly seeking help from the Orthodox Faction.
The Lord of the Hao Clan might think he was feigning ignorance about saving him, but he genuinely had no intention.
Even if he left him there, he wouldn’t die; someone like him was far too valuable alive than dead.
Yet saving him would have been impractical, especially since he couldn’t afford such a gamble.
Most importantly…
Bang! Bang!
“Great.”
There were pursuers on their tail.
Namgung Bi-ah spoke with a tense voice.
“He’s coming.”
Her tone echoed with urgency.
As predicted, it proved too challenging to detain a Fusion Realm martial artist for long.
But still…
“He caught up way quicker than I anticipated.”
It was as if he were gnashing his teeth in sheer determination.
Even from across the collapsed corridor, the wave of his combat Qi was unmistakable.
“Dammit.”
He quickly turned to look in the other direction.
The passage wasn’t entirely underground, meaning it was conceivable to break through the wall and reach the surface.
“Ugh!”
As he summoned his energy, overwhelming pain struck him, causing him to stagger.
Using even more Qi right after drawing on Demonic Qi while battling the backlash of using Blood Qi simply pushed him over the edge.
His wearied dantian had reached its limit.
“What terrible timing…”
Of all the moments for this to happen, it had to be now. Really?
“Brother!”
Gu Huibi rushed to him, panic in her voice as she approached.
Immediately Namgung Bi-ah perceived his intent and drove her sword towards the wall.
Crack!
Yet all she managed was a deep gash, unable to break it completely.
Gathering more of her Qi, Namgung Bi-ah prepared for another strike but
BAM!
The wall that guarded them shattered first.
Tumble!
Debris scattered around as the Fusion Realm martial artist they had encountered earlier stepped into view.
With a chilling grin, he locked eyes on them.
“Finally found you, you little bastards.”
As his combat Qi began leaking from him, Jeon Oh-Jin felt a scowl form on his face.
It was as if he were proving he had reached the Fusion Realm.
As he began to gather his energy…
“I am the Vice-Lord of the Black Palace…”
Crack!
In an instant, his head splattered against the floor.
“…Huh?”
A colossal fist emerged from behind him, obliterating his skull.
Jeon Oh-Jin hadn’t sensed the presence of another approaching from behind.
This implied that the one responsible for the kill acted with incredible speed, and their proficiency in concealing their presence was astonishing.
As the man’s body fell in a heap, hot air rushed in, filling the prison with heat.
Thud.
Heavy footsteps thudded as a figure strode through the path opened by the shredded iron bars.
A giant clad in deep red stood before them.
His blood-soaked hands revealed his violent nature.
Realizing who it was, Gu Huibi gasped.
“Lord?”
The gigantic figure was their father.
Instead of paying any mind to the now-dead man, Father’s gaze was solely directed toward Gu Huibi.
However, when he spotted Jeon Oh-Jin crouching on the floor, his eyes widened in surprise.
It was clear he had not expected to see him here.
Though his moment of surprise passed quickly, he then turned his attention back toward Gu Huibi and said,
“Let’s go home.”
His tone was as calm as if he were merely suggesting a casual stroll home after a walk in the park.
However, Jeon Oh-Jin was left in a state of confusion, grappling with the implications of his father’s presence.
For even if he had broken through the formation barrier, the speed of his arrival was remarkable.
But if Father is here…
Where could the Lord of the Black Palace have gone?
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.