Chapter: 826
Crack-! The roof collapses, and suddenly, sword blades rain down.
Counting them, there are five.
Five sword tips rush toward my neck, yet I do not move, even as I watch.
After all, I knew they would stop anyway.
As expected, the swords halt right before reaching my neck.
What’s peculiar is that while there are five swords, no one is holding them.
Five swords floating in the air, aimed directly at my neck.
Is this some kind of sorcery?
Even a person of average skill would struggle to conjure just one of those swords, let alone five.
Moreover, it doesn’t even appear to be particularly taxing for the Lord of Gyecheon, who is vaguely showing me his power.
The swords, which seem sharp enough to pierce flesh at any moment, compel me to speak to the Lord of Gyecheon.
“Oh, come on. I just asked a simple question, but you reacted so violently.”
I shrug as I say this, and the Lord of Gyecheon asks me with chilling eyes, “What’s the matter with you?”
“Hmm?”
I reply as if it’s an obvious query.
“Do you want me to reintroduce myself from the start? It’s a bit tedious, but given our rapport, I could manage it.”
Chomp-!
After claiming he will start from the beginning, Gyecheon just bites hard on his teeth instead.
How rude when a person is showing sincerity.
“Why? Doesn’t that sit well with you?”
“Are you going to keep playing word games?”
“Games? Is this amusing…? I suppose if it is, then that’s fortunate.”
“… Hah.”
Shsshh…!! A massive wave of malice bursts forth from the Lord of Gyecheon.
The energy instantly fills the room. If it gets any stronger, it might even disturb the barrier we’ve set up.
“Do you truly wish to die here?”
His words emanate a heavy murderous intent, his voice soaked with an unfathomable menace.
But then, I chuckle within such a lethal atmosphere and say to the Lord of Gyecheon,
“Old man, stop climbing up. Your mouth might just get torn apart.”
“This punk….”
The tips of the five swords quiver in response to my taunts. I scrutinize them and add to the Lord of Gyecheon, “If you don’t believe me, how about we give it a try? Let’s see what happens.”
“Your underlings must be blind, given how they treat you like a king; I told you last time, didn’t I? The world isn’t just what you can see.”
The world isn’t merely what meets the eye. Such a profound statement, at least for me.
That’s why this is fascinating.
“Indeed, that’s a correct statement.”
I wrap my index finger around my thumb—not to strengthen my fist but to prevent myself from leaping forward.
“Why is someone who claims to know it all behaving this way?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You perceive the world quite clearly. Why keep burning your lifeline with your own hands when it’s almost all used up?”
Creek. Leaning forward, I inch closer to the Lord of Gyecheon.
Because of that, the nearby sword grazes my neck.
Gyecheon’s eyes widen in surprise.
The sword tip digs in slightly, drawing blood. I can feel it trickling down.
It stings just enough.
“What can’t I see? That can’t be true. With such sharp eyes… it makes no sense that you are oblivious.”
“You…”
“Do you think you’ll be able to kill me if you really want to? That’s quite the wild imagination.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. Slowly, I gather my strength.
“Do I look like mere fodder to you? Just because of you?”
“…!”
The Lord of Gyecheon’s expression distorts. At the same time, the sword at my throat trembles.
It seems ready to strike. Acknowledging this, I immediately state, “Old man, make the right choice.”
The sword pauses for a split second.
“If you keep flaunting your pride unnecessarily, I won’t have a choice but to make a mess of things. Go ahead, let’s see your sword dance, shall we?”
“Do you think I’d be scared by such words?”
“Then give it a try. I’ll take out all those goons you brought outside right now.”
“…”
He frowns at my words.
“What do you mean?”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
Is he pretending to be clueless? I add, almost incredulously:
“If you continue to bother me, I’ll wipe out not just you, old man, but all six of your pals outside as well.”
Upon hearing the exact number, Gyecheon’s eyes flicker. It seems he didn’t expect me to figure it out.
“Did you really think I wouldn’t know? How inconsiderate! Oh, just to clarify, I have no intentions of ratting you out for bringing friends, so don’t worry.”
I had clearly instructed him to come alone, but of course, I had anticipated he wouldn’t.
I’d already picked up on all the presence around the Maeng. Not that it was me but the Dark King’s doing.
Of course, even if he had not been the Dark King, he still would have detected it.
The Dark King simply has greater accuracy than I do.
“Now, let’s not beat around the bush. You didn’t come to show off to me, did you? We’ve partnered up with aligned goals, right?”
“…”
The more I speak, the more blood trickles from my throat.
This is solidly a warning. A notice that if you overstep one more time, everything will go awry.
That’s realistic, too.
If you go any further, cleaning house becomes the right play.
Using him may be convenient, but it’s not worth unleashing something uncontrollable.
I ponder how I can possibly emerge victorious when a blade is at my throat.
But behind the Lord of Gyecheon lurks the Dark King, ever watchful.
He just hasn’t realized it yet.
If he wanted to, he could end me at any moment.
Regardless of what blessings the Lord of Gyecheon may have gained, it appears he hasn’t yet sensed the Dark King.
I notice his eyes flickering nervously.
“So… how about we end this petty showdown and you quietly sheath your sword? Or shall we get serious?”
I concentrate, channeling energy into my heart’s pulse.
The force swirls and spreads throughout my body, transitioning into a true battle stance—not just for show.
The sword tip is lodged in my throat. But I’m unperturbed. If that’s his wish, I’ll allow him to be swept away.
Just as I’m about to unleash my suppressed energy.
“…What are you curious about?”
At the Lord of Gyecheon’s question, my spirit freezes momentarily. He has finally retreated.
With a smirk, I reply, “What I’m curious about was asked just a moment ago.”
Ilcheongyo (一天敎). I have definitely inquired about that. The Lord of Gyecheon frowns at the question.
“How the hell do you know about that…!”
Suddenly caught off-guard, the Lord’s eyes narrow sharply. It seems he recalls something.
“Do you really not…?!”
“Hmm?”
I tilt my head in response to Gyecheon’s reaction.
As though he were unaware of anything. Of course, he’s already aware deep down.
“Why act clueless?”
“…”
The Lord of Gyecheon wears a troubled expression, hesitant to voice out further. Perhaps a certain incident crosses his mind.
The upper echelon he had joined forces with. The eradication of one of their bases. This information likely reached them, as well as the Lord of Gyecheon.
But in this context, someone who knows of Ilcheongyo has emerged.
He must be thinking, could this guy perhaps be the one behind the assault?
I’m sure he is grappling with that notion.
“What?”
That thought is only a hunch. There’s no physical evidence. The Dark King wouldn’t have left anything behind, and if he had, I wouldn’t be here like this.
So the Lord of Gyecheon finds it hard to step out.
“Do you have something to say?”
Gyecheon finally musters the effort to respond to my offhanded comment.
“…How do you know about Ilcheongyo?”
Are you suspecting me as the perpetrator? He seems to be itching to ask but appears to have held his tongue at the last moment.
My response is simple.
“What’s that to you?”
“What did you say?”
“I mentioned this previously. My vision is broader and deeper than you think.”
I point at my eyes.
“What matters isn’t how I know, right?”
What truly matters is that I am aware of it.
That’s the same thing I relayed to the Lord of Gyecheon the last time we spoke.
But,
“There’s a contradiction in your words.”
“Contradiction?”
“If you truly possess such keen sight, then you shouldn’t need to bother asking me about Ilcheongyo.”
“…”
Oh.
Look at this old man.
I have dug in effectively.
Yes, as the Lord of Gyecheon inferred, if I had a plethora of intel, there would be no need for these questions.
Yet, this very inquiry itself raises suspicions. Moreover,
I can sense his vague certainty now.
He’ll surely question whether I was involved somehow.
If that’s the case, then perhaps this was a slight slip of the tongue?
No.
When viewed through that lens, that’s not the situation.
“Right. There’s indeed no need to go through all that. But I managed to get something from this, didn’t I?”
“What do you mean?”
“I have a strong suspicion you are tied to Ilcheongyo.”
“…!”
“Can this also be denied? Because I don’t see that happening.”
The Lord of Gyecheon’s forehead twitches. After all, this is just a game of words. I was aware of his connection to Ilcheongyo from the very start.
Knowledge from my past life may seem shallow but runs deep, significantly assisting me without appearing to do so in this life.
“Even if you’re not fully versed in Ilcheongyo, old man, I know you have relationships with them. Is that not enough?”
“Enough…?”
“Yeah, that’s quite a sufficient reason to ask you.”
“…”
His eyes tremble and his beard shakes. A pressure creeps slowly upward, brewing beneath the surface.
In a situation escalating with imminent danger, this time, I was the first to act.
Swish.
I halt my advance and create distance between us.
As I do, the blade that had barely grazed my neck also separates.
The moment I pull back sharply, the expression on the Lord of Gyecheon shifts noticeably.
“Actually, you don’t need to answer if you don’t want to.”
“What…?”
Surprised, the Lord of Gyecheon blinks at the words that spill out.
Clearly flustered after asking and taking a step back, that reaction was exactly what I wanted.
“I was curious, yes, but I was just interested in seeing your reaction. If you don’t want to answer, there’s no need to force it.”
Since I have ways to find out anyway, I don’t need to claw at this old man.
This is merely a pretense.
“So, how about it, will you tell me?”
“…”
“From your reaction, it appears you have no intention of divulging anything.”
Confirming this, I distance myself entirely.
“I believe I’ve gotten what I wanted… Since we’re both busy, you can take your leave. I was merely interested in whether you were progressing well with your tasks.”
I reach out and give the Lord of Gyecheon a pat on the shoulder. Even then, the swords continue to hover in mid-air.
“I know it must have taken effort to come here. I have nothing for you to take, so please be cautious on your way back…”
“Did you just ask what Ilcheongyo is?”
The interrupting voice stops me in my tracks. It was indeed the Lord of Gyecheon speaking.
His expression reflects amazement.
“What? Are you about to share something?”
“Do you know what the current political situation is?”
Suddenly?
The current political situation? I blink at this unexpected query.
The current political situation… As I ponder this, the Lord of Gyecheon adds, as if ready for me,
“People might not understand, but the current political faction… is rotting from its roots.”
“It’s decayed to an alarming depth, very, deeply so.”
“…”
I chuckle awkwardly at his statement.
“Oh, I just happened to recall what I had been thinking—how embarrassing! Please, do go on.”
“…”
“…”
The dialogue grinds to a halt.
It seems I may have misstepped somewhat.
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