Chapter 100: Nice to Meet You, Brat. (1)

As the first day of the Jehwajeon drew to a close, the sun was already setting.

Though it was a time when everyone was tired and hungry, the audience seemed tireless, their cheers undiminished.

“I… lost…”

The final martial arts match, which had taken a long time, finally concluded.

The one who ultimately remained was a young man named Yeongseong.

He was the same young man I’d coincidentally bumped into at the inn where Yeongpung used to be.

I believe he was said to be the highest-ranking among the Third Generation Disciples, possessing the smoothest skills besides Yeongpung.

For reference, Gu Ryeonghwa couldn’t advance further after her initial victory.

Her first match’s victory was actually due to her opponent’s carelessness, and no matter how much Gu Ryeonghwa had suddenly changed, her limits were clear.

Although Gu Ryeonghwa had experienced defeat, her expression as she stepped down from the martial arts stage looked refreshed.

It seemed she had gained more than she lost through the defeat.

“You know that girl from the Second Generation Disciples I mentioned earlier?”

“Ah, the pretty one…”

“She was a disciple I saw for the first time, what was her name again…”

People were already starting to remember Gu Ryeonghwa.

It was understandable, as her agility was far too exceptional for a small girl.

Whether the matches had all concluded, the disciples began coming out to clean up after exchanging formal greetings.

At the same time, the people were preparing to leave.

Given Hwasan Sect’s location, it would be dangerous to descend too late into the night, so they should start heading down soon.

Namgung Bi-ah, who was half-asleep from boredom, was taken care of by Wi Seol-ah, and I approached those diligently cleaning up the stage.

It was because I spotted a familiar face.

“Yeongpung Dojang.”

“Oh, Gu Sohyup…?”

It was Mi Gongja, Yeongpung, working diligently amongst the disciples.

To think Geomryong was just tidying up chairs… The world is truly unpredictable.

Yeongpung smiled brightly upon seeing me.

“Ah, were you watching the Jehwajeon?”

“Well, I ended up watching until the very end.”

It really was by chance.

I had intended to leave the moment Gu Ryeonghwa was eliminated, but Wi Seol-ah pestered me, saying she wanted to watch just a little longer.

Plus, Namgung Bi-ah fell asleep leaning on my shoulder during it all, so I ended up here.

When I spoke to him, Yeongpung paused in thought before saying brightly,

“Ah, I apologize, Sohyup…”

“Huh? For what?”

“I have to sleep early today, so I can’t join you for night training…”

“…I wasn’t planning on it anyway?”

What kind of ridiculous assumption is this? Did he just reject me?

I felt strangely displeased.

“Then, what did you need?”

To Yeongpung’s question, I adopted a rather serious expression.

It was important, so I needed to change the mood. Seeing my expression seemed to get through to him, as Yeongpung also leaned in slightly, his face hardening a bit.

I leaned close to Yeongpung’s ear and asked carefully,

“The disciple who fought my younger sibling earlier… May I know their name?”

After asking, I pulled back slightly, and Yeongpung’s brow was furrowed.

“…What?”

He looked at me like I was slightly crazy.

******************

It was past midnight.

The time when most people would be asleep.

Namgung Bi-ah, who had been half-asleep since we returned, must have fallen asleep long ago.

Sword Master and Wi Seol-ah would be the same. I took this chance to slip out and survey my surroundings.

I could see a few guards standing watch. Fortunately, it seemed Mu-yeon wasn’t around.

I had deliberately chosen this time, and it was fortunate.

Suppressing my presence as much as possible and gauging the situation, I climbed over the wall and slipped out.

I had a backup excuse ready about going for a stroll if I got caught, but amusingly, I wasn’t stopped.

My own level has improved significantly, but I didn’t expect to be able to slip out this smoothly…

‘I should call Mu-yeon later and give him a bit of a grilling.’

Is it because they’re staying at Hwasan Sect that their guard is so lax?

Regardless, I managed to slip out successfully, thankfully.

Wrapping myself in my internal energy, I quickly descended the mountain.

If I didn’t want things to get complicated, I needed to be back at least early in the morning, so I had to move quickly.

‘They said the western forest.’

I had a general idea of the location, but without a map, I had to be cautious.

I was currently heading towards the Black Night Palace branch that Hwasan Sect had taken over. More precisely, the place where Ya Hyeoljeok resided.

My original plan was to leave after watching Gu Ryeonghwa’s match, but since it got late, I was heading there even at this late hour.

‘It’s fortunate Yeongpung knows.’

This was what I intended to ask Yeongpung about earlier.

The talk about the disciple who fought Gu Ryeonghwa was only half-joking.

‘Yeongjin, wasn’t it.’

Of course, I remembered the name anyway.

And the face, too.

If Yeongpung had said he couldn’t tell me due to sect matters, I had planned to immediately seek out either the Gaebang or Hao Moon to obtain the information.

To my question, Yeongpung simply gave an answer without hesitation.

I even asked him, ‘Aren’t you going to ask why I’m asking?’

‘-Since Sohyup is asking, I believe there must be a reason.’

Yeongpung’s answer made me chuckle.

Where does all that boundless trust come from?

In fact, it was so trusting that it felt unsettling.

Lately, an unusual number of people have shown me trust. While I think it’s a positive trend, it’s accompanied by an unconscious sense of unease.

‘Is it pressure?’

Perhaps it’s because I haven’t experienced such things in the past, but I felt it wouldn’t be such a convenient thing.

Tak-!

Following the direction Yeongpung had indicated, I stopped.

Since it wasn’t the exact location, I had to use my senses to some extent as I moved.

‘The Murim Alliance must be managing it now.’

Hwasan, being a righteous sect, is clearly registered under the Murim Alliance.

Hwasan Sect might have handled the initial traces and management upon discovery, but the matter has likely been handed over to the Murim Alliance by now.

‘It would be good if the search is already over…’

I thought the Murim Alliance would have finished their search and withdrawn by now.

If not, it would be better to return than to force anything.

After all, deciding to come here was half a gamble.

After running for quite some time, I finally reached the destination.

Amidst the bushes, a conspicuously large cave was visible. Not only was it an isolated place, but the surrounding trees concealed it, making it difficult to find at night.

‘With such terrain and even a formation array active, there’s no way anyone could find it easily.’

If I had only relied on Yeongpung’s explanation, I would never have found it.

Or rather, if it were anyone else.

‘It’s faint, but it’s still there.’

The faint trace of demonic energy felt from the cave still lingered.

Since I moved following that energy, I could find it easily despite the difficult terrain.

‘Did the Murim Alliance withdraw completely?’

I scanned the surroundings using my internal energy, but there was still no sign of anyone.

Thus, I cautiously stepped into the cave.

Sssseu-!

Accompanied by a damp sound, the cave was filled with darkness. Then, I conjured flames from my hand to serve as a torch.

Walking slowly along the wall, the cave turned out to be much wider and longer than I expected.

I had to walk quite a distance from the entrance.

Using my internal energy as a guide, I walked until I reached flat ground.

Given it’s a cave, it didn’t seem like they made it very large.

‘They used this place as a branch headquarters?’

Even seeing it with my own eyes, I couldn’t understand. It seemed woefully inadequate as a branch.

Even considering that Hwasan Sect and the Murim Alliance had already swept through, I could tell just by looking at the remaining structure.

This place was not just lacking in utility as a branch; it was practically useless.

‘What on earth were they doing here?’

After wandering through the cramped space, I arrived at the only relatively large area.

In terms of size, this was the only place large enough for people to move around.

There was a huge chair against the wall; it seemed to be the room where Ya Hyeoljeok resided.

‘Calling this a ‘room’ feels rather inadequate.’

There was nothing that could serve as a trace. Had they already cleaned it up?

This place didn’t seem to hold any discoveries either. Just as I was thinking it might be better to seek information through Gaebang or Hao Moon rather than trying to find it myself, excluding what I already knew…

“…Hmm?”

I flinched at a faint, fishy scent brushing against my nose.

An unknown smell of blood permeated the cave.

‘What the….’

It was an unusually strong smell.

It was so nauseating it made my stomach churn. And they just left without leaving any members behind, despite this?

A chilling sensation ran down my spine, making me take a step back.

Only then did I vaguely realize.

‘It’s not a smell.’

It’s not a fragrance (Hyang).

This was closer to Ki (Gi).

From where? Just where could such energy be emanating from?

‘Even if it’s energy, it’s the same question. Why didn’t anyone else feel this?’

If they had felt it, they wouldn’t have just abandoned this place and disappeared.

‘Where is it coming from?’

I amplified the flame in my hand, illuminating the room further. As expected, except for the entrance, the space was enclosed by stone on all sides.

However, the energy was clearly emanating from one of the walls.

Was it a formation array? Judging by the lack of energy felt even when concentrating, probably not.

‘Could it be a mechanism?’

I wondered if they invested enough to create a mechanism in a mere branch, and if Black Night Palace’s technology was really at that level, but…

If it was connected to the Demonic Cult, it wouldn’t be strange at all.

I felt along the cave walls. I thought a mechanism would leave some trace.

‘I’m not much of an expert in that area, but given that the branch master was Ya Hyeoljeok…’

Seeing as he wasn’t exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, managing the mechanism probably wasn’t overly complicated.

That was just a guess, though.

Moving away from the wall, I felt around the chair.

I couldn’t feel anything unusual here either…

Tuk.

“…!”

I felt a snagging sensation beneath the armrest of the chair.

Unlike the right armrest, there was something slightly protruding, albeit subtly.

Curious, I pressed it, and it depressed easily.

However, contrary to my expectation that something would appear, nothing changed in the room.

After all, if it was in this location, the search party couldn’t possibly have missed it.

Thinking this wasn’t it and considering looking elsewhere, I froze upon a sudden thought.

Just in case.

I lightly prodded the faint demonic energy remaining in my body.

It doesn’t mix when using internal energy, so I had to stimulate it separately.

Gguruk.

I felt the dormant demonic energy in my dantian stir.

In that state, I pressed the protruding part once more.

Kkigik… Kkigigik…!

“…Fuck.”

The part I hoped wasn’t the case turned out to be exactly that.

Setting aside the smell of blood, I now understood why the Murim Alliance and Hwasan Sect couldn’t find any significant traces.

Taejan-gwi (Great Cruel Return), who incorporated hundreds of mechanisms when later creating the main palace of the New Religion.

This was the work of the guy who created insane mechanisms that required demonic energy for activation.

Kuwuwuwung-!

With a sound that echoed through the cave, dust billowed out as the wall shook.

Finally, the wall behind the chair opened, revealing a massive door.

Accompanied by a sickeningly pungent smell of blood.