Chapter: 657
Gulp.
Tea spilled from the broken teacup and flowed onto the floor.
Geuggeuggeuggeuk—!!!
The table shook with the gust of energy filling the room.
“Ugh….”
Beomdong groaned under the overwhelming pressure pressing down on his shoulders.
A master. A very skilled one, at that.
While being crushed by this force, Beomdong cast a sideways glance at Mo Yong-hee.
Mo Yong-hee was staring wide-eyed at the figure that had suddenly appeared.
And it was only her reaction.
Even with such intense pressure, the woman showed no signs of distress.
This meant she was controlling and manipulating all the energy that was spreading.
‘Where on earth did this master come from…!’
Beomdong, sweating coldly, focused his energy into his danjeon.
It was a tremendous amount of pressure, but certainly not insurmountable.
Thus, Beomdong braced himself and pushed upwards.
Phage crackle-!!
Huh-!
Despite the pain, Beomdong succeeded in lifting himself, overcoming the pressure.
However, was it an illusion? The moment he tried to get up, he felt as though the energy was weak—like it was making it easier for him to rise.
“Phew….”
When Beomdong finally stood upright, the oppressive energy that had filled the room vanished like smoke.
Cold sweat trickled down his forehead.
He glared at the young man in front of him, concealing the wetness on his brow, only to recoil inwards as he inspected him closely.
‘…So young.’
The young man was much younger than Beomdong had anticipated.
Despite his intimidating demeanor, he had a face that seemed like it had only recently surpassed adolescence. Even if you assumed he had gone through a tumultuous period, he might barely be over twenty.
Even so, it was absurd.
‘That energy from just now… could it really have been his?’
Unbelievable.
Who is he? Who could possibly emit such an aura?
Beomdong concealed his cold sweat and steadied himself, directing a question at him.
“… Did you just say that to me?”
The little mutt was barking away, making such a racket.
That young man certainly said that to him.
The leader of the Murim Alliance, that was none other than himself.
Even the heads of high-ranking families and elders who were treated as the third generation would not dare to speak to him like that.
Did that young man truly just say that to him?
Could it be he hadn’t noticed the badge on his shoulder?
When Beomdong expressed his doubt, the young man smirked.
“Oh, no. I was just annoyed by all the barking from around the area that I went outside to check, and lo and behold, there was a dog in front of the building. That’s what I meant.”
“…”
Beomdong’s brow furrowed at those words.
It was a ridiculous excuse. Anyone could see that it was merely a cover-up.
“It looked so filthy. I didn’t even want to see it barking, and when I happened to glance at the table, I thought to myself that I’d want to catch it and boil it. It’s probably still out there; want to take a look?”
Thud.
As those words wrapped around him, Beomdong felt the strength in his fist build up.
The boundaries of words and actions had clearly been crossed. Whoever he was, no one could dare speak to him like that, especially when he was the head of the Murim Alliance.
“How dare you….”
Beomdong shot the young man a piercing gaze. The young man replied, surprised, “Wow, you really don’t look happy. Did something unpleasant happen today?”
“Do you even know who I am, treating me this way?”
“Do I really need to know? I’m not particularly curious…”
Bam!
The veins on his forehead bulged. That was it—he had reached his limit.
“I am the head of the Sword and Dragon Corps of the Murim Alliance.”
“Yes, I can see that.”
“…Huh.”
Even after that introduction, he remained unfazed. It implied that he had already known that from the start.
So, what was he doing here while aware of the fact that he was the leader of the Alliance?
What on earth was this guy?
“… What is your name?”
In response to Beomdong’s question, the young man just nodded his head.
“Why should I tell you that?”
“…What?”
“If you’re going to investigate, shouldn’t you do it like an investigator? You’ve gone ahead and fallen asleep asking questions.”
“…!”
Not only did he know about the leader, but he also seemed aware that Beomdong was part of the investigation team.
“It seems you don’t have a clear grasp of the situation…”
Having realized this, Beomdong continued with a stern expression.
“I know you are a master, but right now, you have attacked the great lord of the Murim Alliance.”
Affiliated with the Murim Alliance.
The very fact that he had taken an aggressive stance against the leader was practically a declaration of war against the alliance itself.
Yet it was something that anyone from a righteous background would fear to mention.
“Me? When?”
The young man merely shrugged and acted shameless.
Upon seeing that, Beomdong’s face flushed with anger.
He had an urge to draw his sword right there and then.
But he had to hold himself back.
‘The opponent is strong.’
Strong enough that he couldn’t even decipher who he was at that moment.
He might very well be an old master in disguise.
Actually, the chances of that were quite high.
“Are you really trying to play dumb after emitting that energy? Surely the branch manager must have seen it too?”
When Beomdong questioned Mo Yong-hee, she responded with wide, surprised eyes.
“Huh? What do you mean? Energy?”
Beomdong’s eyes widened at Mo Yong-hee’s response.
‘This girl…!’
Clearly, everyone had witnessed it, yet Mo Yong-hee was acting as if she was completely unaware.
The energy had passed her by, so she might not have recognized it.
However, given how exaggerated her reaction was, it was impossible for her not to know. Mo Yong-hee was deliberately pretending to be oblivious despite being fully aware.
Observing the scene, the young man chuckled and said to Beomdong, “Oh, come on. Are you suggesting I was just blowing off steam? Oh, it was just a joke.”
“A joke? You said that was a joke?”
“Yes, it was merely a joke.”
“You think you can emit energy like that and just pass it off as a joke? So the head of the Alliance took it lightly, did he…!”
The moment Beomdong was about to hurl his words out in frustration…
“It has to be a joke or else….”
A chill ran down his spine, causing Beomdong’s mouth to snap shut involuntarily.
He no longer felt the same energy that had weighed down on him before. Regardless, Beomdong’s body felt rigid.
The young man was now directly in front of him.
Looking into Beomdong’s eyes, the young man continued, “Wouldn’t your previous actions also be no joke?”
“…!”
At those words, Beomdong instinctively flinched.
‘How?’
The young man’s ominous words pierced Beomdong’s heart.
It referred to the energy he had just fired at Mo Yong-hee.
‘How on earth did he know?’
It was an energy he barely emitted.
Moreover, it wasn’t something aimed at this young man but rather directed at the woman standing right before him.
No matter how high your skill level is, recognizing that shouldn’t be easy.
What in the world is he?
“I can even hear the gears turning in your head from here.”
The young man’s words loosened Beomdong’s previously rigid stance.
“Let’s take it easy…. We were just messing around. Isn’t it easier to just let it go?”
Tap, tap.
He felt a touch on his shoulder as the young man poked him.
Beomdong was thrown into confusion by the incomprehensible situation surrounding him.
That was when he failed to notice something seeping beyond the shoulder that was touched.
“Or would you prefer to dance here? I can join you. Although I’m not a fan of dancing, I could do that for you if you’d like.”
“…”
Every word he said with a smile felt like a knife scraping inside him.
Beomdong had to rattle his brain.
‘This isn’t good.’
The situation was decidedly not in his favor.
After decades working under the Alliance, Beomdong could feel it from experience.
Those eyes were genuine. They were eyes that could strike a deadly deal in the heart of Hanam.
Once he met that gaze, his hand instinctively moved toward the sword hilt.
Could he win? He had no confidence. The hairs on his body stood on end.
Feeling that, Beomdong withdrew his hand from the hilt.
“… Crack.”
Finally lowering his guard, the young man’s smile faded.
Had he lost interest?
On the contrary, this reaction made Beomdong feel increasingly uncomfortable.
‘Does this mean it would be no issue if we fought here?’
That haunting realization struck Beomdong, prompting him to rise from his seat.
Still, he made sure to say what he needed to Mo Yong-hee.
“As the branch manager mentioned, I will return properly with investigative authority next time.”
“Yes, I will be waiting. I apologize for not being able to see you off since we have a new guest.”
Mo Yong-hee spoke with an elegant smile, causing Beomdong to frown.
“There….”
He forced himself to speak, glancing over at the young man.
“I believe I will see you again soon, so I hope we can have a proper introduction by then.”
Having treated him in such a manner and bullied an important figure, he would undoubtedly cross paths again soon.
That was a warning, however.
“I’ll catch all the nonsense you toss around by jumping all over you… Oh, sorry, just thinking out loud.”
“…”
Beomdong trembled from the tension; should he draw his sword, he would hesitate hundreds of times.
“Phew…”
With a heavy sigh, Beomdong set off.
The young man did not glance his way until Beomdong brushed past him on his way to the exit.
Once Beomdong had fully exited the venue, the young man looked back and said, “Ha…”
Mo Yong-hee released a sigh she’d been holding. Gu Yang-cheon turned to glance at the door through which Beomdong had departed.
Observing that, Mo Yong-hee asked Gu Yang-cheon.
“… Why didn’t you stop him?”
At the question, Gu Yang-cheon redirected his gaze to Mo Yong-hee.
“Should I have?”
“No. If you had stopped him, it could’ve gotten troublesome.”
At that moment, letting him go was indeed the correct decision.
Nevertheless, Mo Yong-hee had her own reasoning.
“However, it’s a bit surprising that the young master would say such a thing.”
You don’t feel that way, right?
There was an implication behind her words.
Hearing this, Gu Yang-cheon couldn’t help but chuckle softly.
“That’s true. It wasn’t originally like that…”
He had almost killed Beomdong as soon as he had seen him.
Seeing his demeanor had seemed so pathetic, he had initially thought to burn him to a crisp, leaving not a single hair behind.
Yet he held back.
“I thought it might have some use, so I let him go.”
“…”
Treating him not as a person but as a mere object.
Mo Yong-hee swallowed hard without realizing it, overwhelmed by Gu Yang-cheon’s cold, detached tone.
“… Do you know him, at least?”
Those eyes seemed strangely familiar.
Beomdong of the Sword and Dragon Corps. Or Seomgyeom (殲劍) Beomdong.
Given he was quite a well-known figure, it wouldn’t be odd if Gu Yang-cheon recognized him.
Yet, Gu Yang-cheon’s reaction implied something beyond mere acquaintance.
Thinking a moment at the inquiry, Gu Yang-cheon replied flatly, “No.”
He bluntly denied it without a second thought.
It wasn’t a lie; at least in this lifetime, he was someone Gu Yang-cheon had no recollection of.
It wasn’t the same for a past life, however.
“Ha ha.”
Gu Yang-cheon chuckled as he recalled Beomdong, the man he had just encountered.
His softened laugh allowed Mo Yong-hee to gently pat her own shoulder.
Having lived beyond many lifetimes, he had never once forgotten a face.
He had not forgotten a single individual, and Beomdong was amongst them.
‘What a pleasant surprise.’
How could he not feel delighted?
‘I never expected that the one I’d set out to kill would come walking back to me.’
It wasn’t his turn just yet.
For now, he needed to tackle the tasks at hand one by one and plan for reunion later on.
If someone chose to stroll into his path looking like that, they were about to be in for it.
‘How could I not welcome it?’
He was beyond thrilled. It felt like he might burst from excitement.
As Gu Yang-cheon pondered, he concealed his hands inside his sleeves.
He needed to hide the trembling in his hands from the effort of containing himself.
‘What a shame; if I had just dug a little deeper, I could’ve drawn my blade.’
And then he would’ve been unable to hold back and would have killed him.
He found it such a pity not to have done so.
‘Or, maybe if it were him, he would’ve held back right until the end.’
That was certainly an option. No, it was likely.
He managed to still the trembling of his fingers and licked his lips.
“I think we’re done here. Let’s head up now. Or is there anything else you need to do?”
“Ah… no. I was just about to get up.”
“Alright.”
With that, Mo Yong-hee rose to her feet while Gu Yang-cheon turned away.
The expression on Gu Yang-cheon’s face, now turned cold and serious, was frightfully calm.
‘The magic has been placed inside and sent off… what shall I toy with it.’
It was a necessary move for him at that moment.
Fortuitously, it presented itself at a perfect time.
It would be even better if it proved to be an exceptional occurrence.
‘Let’s have some fun together, Lord.’
He was a perceptive man with skills to match.
That’s why, in the previous life, he had been entrusted by the chief of the Seolhwa Unit to lead the newly formed squad.
And so, perhaps.
‘He could betray the Alliance faster than anyone else.’
With one step ahead, he could’ve betrayed them while stirring up chaos with that brat called the sub-leader.
Mad Ghost Dog Sword, Beomdong.
One of the early traitors to the Alliance. He had served as a superior back in the days of the Murim alliance.
Remembering him, Gu Yang-cheon reflected.
‘Please meet your end as usefully as possible, my lord.’
If that wasn’t to be, he intended to orchestrate it into being.
Afterward, I ascended to the branch manager’s office with Mo Yong-hee.
Seodong initially wore a surprised look after observing me accompany Mo Yong-hee back in.
But since there was nothing he could do, he merely flashed a vague smile to conceal it.
With the situation seeming resolved, I thought it was finally time to sit down for some comfortable conversation.
“… What?”
I was left dumbfounded by the topic that Mo Yong-hee introduced.
“They say a new group has emerged in the Central Plains.”
It had to be true.
“The name of that group is the Demonic Cult.”
That name felt alarmingly familiar.
“It is rumored that this sect was founded by a master known as Cheonma, someone who attacks without distinguishing between righteous and evil factions.”
Just hearing this was enough to invoke an indescribable anxiety within me.
However.
The greater problem lay ahead.
“The group’s power seems considerable; even the Alliance is struggling to gather intel. Yet, from rumors…”
I could hardly believe what I was hearing.
“… reports have suggested that Cheonma’s true identity is none other than Paejon, one of the three Lords.”
Mo Yong-hee proclaimed that with a grave expression.
Before I could respond in any way,
“… What?”
The ex-traitor linking arms behind me, the second son of the Hyen Bigane family, Turong Bi-jin, let out a stunned voice.
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