Chapter 191: Old Dog
Rustle…
Blackened ashes crumble and scatter around. It was due to the fire that I intentionally let roam free through the surrounding area.
“Kill… kill me… please!”
At the pitiful last words of the last remaining bastard, I granted his wish.
Crack!
The creature with the broken neck breathed its last. It was destined to die anyway if I had just left it be.
I guess it’s been a while, so controlling this power isn’t as easy as it used to be.
In the past, I would have savored the kill, prolonging their suffering without letting them die.
But unfortunately, that was out of the question now.
[You’ve created quite a little purgatory here, haven’t you?]
Elder Shin commented, surveying the scorched surroundings.
Purgatory, huh?
It does have a similar feel to it.
The flames that lingered, voraciously eating away at the greenery around me emitted an eerie glow.
And from the charred corpses, an unrecognizable stench wafted through the air.
One of them had vanished into dust as I absorbed its energy, while the remaining five ended their lives reduced to ashes.
And since I had also turned the one I encountered earlier into dust, that made a total of seven.
…How many bastards like this are there?
I thought it couldn’t just be one.
To think there were two among them who could change their appearance at will was something I was unaware of in my previous life.
Have I dealt with them all for now?
Their fiery end was far from a peaceful one.
Yet still, my furrowed brow reflected my lingering dissatisfaction.
It wasn’t because I felt remorse for having killed with my own hands.
By now, too much time had departed for me to experience that kind of feeling.
I didn’t gain much from this.
That’s what left me in a sour mood.
I had five helpless mouths from which to extract information, yet the actual details I got were practically nonexistent.
It’s not that they didn’t speak, but rather that the information I desired was never revealed.
Though it was more appropriate to say they simply couldn’t speak about it at all.
That annoying shackle…
I knew those with crucial secrets were required to carry such restraints.
Given the complexity of the matter, it rendered extracting any information immediately impossible.
The only thing I gleaned is that they are indeed part of the Gu Clan.
While their faces were unrecognizable to me, that wasn’t the essence of the issue.
After all, it wasn’t like I was acquainted with every martial artist in my clan.
However, the unique aura emanating from their bodies definitely belonged to the Gu Sunmoon.
It was the distinct Qi unique to Gu Sunmoon possessed by Gu Jeolyub and the First Elder.
It differed from the Destructive Flame Qi that would be in the direct bloodlines of the Gu Clan.
This piece of information was gleaned when I moved on to the third victim after roasting the second one alive.
I didn’t find it surprising, so it wasn’t particularly useful.
But why are they collaborating with such strange individuals?
The fact that I was clueless about this stemmed from the shared ignorance among them.
They were just pawns playing out orders, tricked into believing they were using disguises to conceal their identities.
And there’s also the possibility that this might be a lie.
It wasn’t entirely implausible, but the likelihood was minimal.
The reason for them pulling a stunt like this directed at me, a direct blood relative, wasn’t something I cared to ponder.
Given the circumstances, I couldn’t afford to trust anyone when even blood relations were suspect.
What really matters is that, in the end, I couldn’t obtain any solid facts from them.
I had extracted some useful insights, yet I was incapable of securing the essential pieces of information.
I couldn’t discern that the First Elder was the mastermind behind it all.
If I could shatter that shackling bond, things might be more convenient.
To undo a shackle placed on someone, the breaker had to possess a martial level higher than that of the one who had cast it in the first place.
It also required an insane amount of precision with Qi.
With my current level, attempting such a feat shouldn’t even cross my mind.
Having fought with ridiculous amounts of Qi since my previous incarnation, I completely lacked finesse.
That bastard has a knack for this sort of thing.
The insane dog of the Wudang Clan, who toyed with shackles, was probably more suited for such tasks than I was.
Tsk.
I got up, clicking my tongue.
As I rose, I recalled all the Qi I had recklessly scattered around.
Whoosh!
With a gentle breeze returning the Qi back into my body, the flames around me subsided.
While I didn’t acquire any legitimate reason from this incident, it didn’t matter.
If needed, I’ll just fabricate one.
What truly mattered was that he had finally shown his fangs.
Even after I had delivered a clear warning.
I distinctly remembered mentioning to that old fox what happens when a pet bears its fangs at its master, but it seemed my message didn’t get through.
[Are you planning to eliminate him? That old man?]
In order to respond to Elder Shin’s question, I had to ponder for a moment.
I had wanted to spare him until next year, but what could I do if he was coming at me like this?
No matter what he did, I was inclined to let it slide unless it was something serious.
But he crossed the line with this one, that First Elder.
Seeing him trying to harm Namgung Bi-ah couldn’t be overlooked.
[So, what you’re saying is, you were okay with letting him live until he went after your bride?]
I’m saying I can’t let it go because he targeted people close to me. Why twist my words?
[You’re not even addressing the fact that I called her your bride, you rotten scoundrel.]
I was aware that if I argued about it, he would just keep cursing at me, so I chose to ignore him for the moment.
I dusted off my clothes and glanced around.
This level of decay wouldn’t even tempt demons to dine on it.
The charred remains looked so horrible that even demons would avoid them like the plague.
While I reduced my sharpened senses just in case, right as I was preparing to return to the camp, I felt a presence behind me.
“Ah.”
When I turned around, it was Namgung Bi-ah, who had descended to the camp first.
She promised to come back, and she clearly kept her word.
I glanced at Namgung Bi-ah and remarked curtly.
“Why are you here? I was just about to leave.”
Upon hearing my words, Namgung Bi-ah just panted quietly, failing to respond.
She appeared to have rushed over since her once neatly groomed hair was now a chaotic mess.
Seeing leaves caught in her hair reminded me of our initial encounter.
Did she rush over?
While I had that thought, Namgung Bi-ah questioned me.
“…Are you alright?”
I nodded in response to her inquiry.
I looked fine, didn’t I? There were no visible injuries on me.
“I’m way past the point of getting beaten up.”
I jested, but she approached me and started prodding in various places, as if unconvinced.
“Hey, what’s with that?”
“…You might be hurt…”
“I’m fine! And I told you to guard over there!”
And why are you poking around to check if I’m okay?
As I backed away slightly while speaking, Namgung Bi-ah averted her gaze and answered.
“There was nothing… wrong.”
“Well, that’s good.”
Though I was already quite confident their target was never at the camp to begin with.
It seems like it wasn’t an assassination attempt after all.
There were simply too many discrepancies for it to qualify as an assassination.
First and foremost, those they sent were far too weak for such a task.
If they had been following me from Hanam, they would certainly have had enough information about me from the tournament.
They shouldn’t have sent a group consisting solely of second-rate martial artists.
Of course, they seemed skilled in shadowing, yet assassination was a completely different skill set.
If they intended to kill me instead of tailing me, they needed to prepare far more extensively.
Though I doubt they anticipated that Namgung Bi-ah and I would figure it out.
I might be an exception, but I was still taken aback that she was able to uncover their true identities independently.
“How did you know it wasn’t Muyeon?”
“Hm?”
“I was simply shocked by your certainty.”
Not only did he wear the same uniform, but even his appearance and aura echoed Muyeon’s.
While the internal energy might differ, one couldn’t determine that without physical contact or being at the Transcendence level of martial arts.
Namgung Bi-ah shifted her pearl-like eyes around in response to my question.
“The smell was different.”
Then she provided that answer.
Smell…?
I looked at Namgung Bi-ah, surprised at her unexpected reply, but she was glancing away from me, focusing on her surroundings.
After surveying the charred world and the corpses I had dispatched, she eventually brought her gaze back to me.
Although her expression appeared emotionally numb at first glance, there was a subtle emotion hidden in her eyes.
It was so faint that I couldn’t decipher what it represented.
“It’s cold.”
“Huh?”
“Suddenly?”
“Let’s go back now.”
Namgung Bi-ah approached me, took my hand, and started to pull me along.
Caught off guard by her sudden gesture, I didn’t resist.
“Where are we headed?”
Responding to my question, Namgung Bi-ah halted her steps.
“To where there are people…?”
Why did she ask something so obvious?
I sighed deeply.
“Then we have to go in the opposite direction, you fool.”
“Oh!”
As soon as she processed my words, she turned around.
The issue was that she turned in the wrong direction again, so ultimately, I had to guide her back to the camp.
“Young Master!”
Upon returning to the camp, Wi Seol-Ah rushed toward me and wrapped her arms around me.
She sprinted toward me with such urgency that I had to catch her carefully to prevent any potential injuries.
“Are you okay?”
“Can’t you see I am?”
As I held Wi Seol-Ah, I scanned the area.
It was to check if anything had happened, but fortunately, as I expected, everything seemed fine.
However, the level of vigilance seemed substantially heightened compared to before.
It’s probably because Namgung Bi-ah relayed the information.
Both the martial artists from my clan and those accompanying me had increased their alertness.
Observing this, I noticed Tang Soyeol approaching from a distance.
“Lord Gu! I heard you’ve been ambushed… Are you okay?”
“It wasn’t really a dangerous situation. Nothing major occurred here, right?”
“Yes, we only heard the news, and there were no issues. And those who ambushed you….”
“I took care of all of them. Trying to extract any information wasn’t easy due to those shackles on them.”
I nonchalantly remarked, causing those around to subtly recoil in surprise.
It seemingly startled them to witness someone of my age taking lives.
“Damn.”
Then, Tang Soyeol frowned slightly in concern.
“What’s wrong?”
“I thought it would’ve been much easier had I been there… It’s a shame. If you have the chance to take them down next time, please bring them to me.”
“And what would you do if I brought them?”
“Pardon?”
Finding her request rather odd, I inquired again, but Tang Soyeol merely smiled cheerfully.
“Geez… why’re you asking such things? It’s a secret, a secret!”
Her shy chuckle sent chills down my spine.
As she insisted that it was a secret, I could no longer question her about it.
…Am I so close to her that I ended up forgetting which clan she belonged to?
The Tang Clan of Sichuan, one of the Four Noble Clans, was a prestigious family managing poison and steel, as well as specializing in the arts of assassination and torture.
While many claimed that such practices had vanished during this peaceful era, any martial artist worth their salt knew the truth.
After all, even Tang Soyeol’s older brother, leading the clan, was still indistinctly involved in inhumane actions for the sake of ‘peace.’
Is Tang Soyeol the same?
Though I was previously unaware of much regarding her, I couldn’t dismiss the possibility that she might align with her clan’s traits now.
As I brushed off thoughts of Tang Soyeol, who was regretting her absence during the interrogation, my mind wandered to how best to proceed with our journey.
“Young Master!”
“Hm?”
Muyeon hurriedly dashed towards me.
This time, it was the genuine Muyeon.
As he stepped into the camp, those around us drew their weapons and set themselves on high alert.
It appeared Namgung Bi-ah had briefed them on the previous events.
Whoa!
Muyeon, shock evident on his face, looked bewildered by the unfolding situation.
I approached Muyeon with no concern.
“Wait, Young Master!”
An escort of mine attempted to intervene, fearing for my safety, yet I reached Muyeon before they could restrain me.
Fortunately, Muyeon seemed not to have endured an ambush like Namgung Bi-ah.
I asked him, “Where have you been?”
“Huh?”
Muyeon’s expression conveyed his confusion at my question.
Why was he wearing that face?
As I maintained my gaze, demanding an explanation, Muyeon finally began to speak in a bewildered tone.
“You mentioned you had something to discuss, so we ascended the mountain together.”
“I did?”
I frowned at Muyeon’s statement.
Having never asked him such a thing, I felt perplexed.
“Yes… Yet you told me to wait a second, then disappeared and never returned… I was searching for you.”
“Ha.”
I couldn’t help but burst into laughter upon hearing Muyeon.
Finally, I began to understand why the First Elder had resorted to such pointless antics.
‘Wow, this crazy old man.’
“Young Master?”
The fact that something mimicking my appearance had separated Muyeon from me.
The artifice that attempted to harm me with Muyeon’s likeness…
The attempt to ambush Namgung Bi-ah with a strategy that was destined to fail…
The sourness of understanding his motives just made me more irritated.
It seemed he aimed to center mistrust around me, generating a sense of isolation.
If my assumption was correct, the First Elder was a more cunning fox than I had initially anticipated.
But in a way, it relieved me.
The slight hesitation I had clung to vanished.
I need to kill him.
The insistent old dog had to be put down myself, considering he brazenly revealed his fangs to his master without recognizing his position.
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