Chapter 889: I missed you.

Kuuuung—!!! Kwaaa!!

The holy spear soaring into the sky causes an explosion.

As a result of the explosion’s aftermath, traces of the blue flame rained down like rain.

Tadadak.

The flames that fell to the ground created embers.

“Aargh!”

“Dodge!”

The warriors below, seemingly startled, scrambled to dodge.

Normally, I would have controlled it. But not this time. Because I had to focus entirely on the opponent before me.

‘The Dragon Lord.’

A warrior wearing a mask, gripping his sword.

The Meng’s martial attire. Among them, golden embroidery is visible. It was the martial attire signifying the Dragon Brigade.

Furthermore.

‘What is this.’

I felt nothing from the figure.

He stood blocking the space between Sword Emperor and me, and even though he blocked both our martial arts simultaneously, I felt no aura whatsoever.

If there was anything I could feel.

‘It’s unpleasant.’

A subtly perceived sense of discomfort. That grazed the tip of my nose.

It was always like that. It was the same when I first encountered him.

‘It’s less than back then.’

It’s quite different from the sensation I felt then.

‘…The Blood Demon’s presence has also faded.’

That damn sensation I felt from him, the feeling back then that convinced me he was connected to the Blood Demon has also weakened.

All I feel now is a shallow discomfort and, rather, a strangeness of feeling nothing at all.

“What are you?”

I asked, frowning, but the Dragon Lord didn’t react.

The fingertip of my lowered index finger flickered.

I lit a small flame.

‘Should I try the white flame?’

How would the white flame affect him? If he’s connected to the Blood Demon, maybe it would work?

Thinking that, I looked around.

There were too many eyes watching to use it recklessly.

In that case…

‘What if I just kill them all?’

Wouldn’t it be enough to eliminate all the eyes?

Such a thought flashed briefly, but.

‘Tsk.’

I couldn’t do that, so I had to hold back.

Tik-!

I extinguished the flame. I stared straight at the Dragon Lord.

“I asked what you were?”

“…”

Sreung-! Cheol-geok

The sword I was holding spun once before going into its sheath.

As it spun, the golden aura clinging to the sword lingered in the air.

Seeing that, I narrowed my eyes.

‘What is this.’

It was an aura I felt like I’d seen somewhere before.

Just because it’s golden, I could feel it was similar to Wi Seol-ah’s aura, but.

‘No.’

It was fundamentally different from Wi Seol-ah’s aura. Only the color was the same.

The structure of the internal energy composing the aura. I could feel it was completely different.

“Dragon Lord.”

Sword Emperor spoke up from behind.

Even though his attack was easily blocked, his expression remained nonchalant.

“Your presence here might mean….”

As he spoke, Sword Emperor suddenly looked somewhere.

I was also directing my gaze there.

“Cough.”

A presence was detected along with a clearing of the throat.

Sensing that, my eyes widened.

‘Ha.’

The figure who appeared was none other than Muk Yeon.

At his appearance, I let out a silent gasp.

‘I didn’t sense him.’

I only just now detected Muk Yeon’s presence. This was a significant problem.

‘Muk Yeon has no internal energy.’

He does have some, but it’s almost non-existent. He was closer to a commoner than a warrior.

To sense the presence of someone like Muk Yeon only after he got close? That means…

‘Someone was masking Muk Yeon’s presence,’

and the one doing the masking was, with high probability, the Dragon Lord standing before me.

‘He blocked the attack even while masking someone’s presence…?’

Masking someone’s presence is quite a troublesome act. It requires extreme precision, as much as manipulating someone else’s energy, and there are few warriors relaxed enough to fight while doing it.

‘If it were me…’

It’s possible. It’s not an impossible theory. However, whether I could block that last blow in that state…

‘It’s uncertain.’

I don’t think I couldn’t do it, but whether it’s absolutely possible is uncertain, perhaps?

‘But he managed to do it.’

What on earth is his identity?

Even when I tried to use my senses, I couldn’t see past the mask.

‘Is it the same performance as the mask Dark King gave me?’

The possibility was high.

“…Please stop now.”

At Muk Yeon’s words, I chuckled.

“Stop?”

“Dragon Saint.”

“Stop what? I was working my fingers to the bone in Sichuan doing the work I was assigned, and now they tell me my father’s been imprisoned. What am I supposed to stop here?”

“Do you think this is what the Old Family Head wished for?”

“I’m not saying this is what Father wished for.”

Giiing.

I conjured flames in my hand. Instantly, the holy spear was completed.

“I’m just doing this because I’m pissed off.”

“So, you’re saying you intend to antagonize not only the Guardian Leader but the entire Alliance?”

“If I have to do that, I will gladly.”

“…That is not a good choice. You, as the Dragon Saint, should know that well?”

“A person cannot always make the right choice, and today is just one of those times for me.”

Cheol-geok.

The sound could be heard. Not only Sword Emperor but also the Dragon Lord had their hands gripping their hilts.

One step.

Just one more step, and it would truly be all-out war.

What are the benefits of this fight, and is there even a chance of victory?

‘There are no benefits.’

And if you ask if there’s a chance of victory, that’s not the case either.

I felt it clearly during the fight with Sword Emperor.

‘I won’t lose.’

I might not win, but I won’t lose easily. If I used all the strength I possessed, I felt I could win easily. Of course, if Sword Emperor had hidden moves, that would be another story.

The problem is.

‘That guy.’

The Dragon Lord standing before me and the warriors in the Alliance.

If I could win against all of them, the answer is obviously no.

‘It’s still too much.’

Wiping them all out at once. Even using Dragon Language would be dangerous.

In other words, backing down now is the right move.

“So, stop provoking me.”

Even so, I didn’t want to bow my head.

“…”

Muk Yeon looked at me with a subtle expression. It wasn’t quite anger, yet it was more intense than sadness. What kind of expression is that? The thought crossed my mind for a moment, but.

“I know why the Old Family Head was imprisoned.”

“I heard rumors.”

There were so many stories, I couldn’t help but hear them, even if I didn’t want to.

“The Old Family Head’s imprisonment was a just outcome. A trial regarding this is scheduled to open soon.”

A just outcome.

That was true. If he invaded the Main Alliance to kill the strategist, imprisonment would be a reasonable consequence.

“Well…”

I couldn’t fully believe that.

“Then I have a question.”

I asked, looking at Muk Yeon.

“Could you also tell me why he did it?”

“…”

Why Father acted that way. I hadn’t heard about that.

Upon hearing this, Muk Yeon’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

“Don’t you think so? More than the fact that my father is currently imprisoned as a criminal, why he did it is more important to me.”

There was no way Father would have attacked Muk Yeon without reason. And besides.

‘It’s impossible he was just captured.’

It also didn’t make sense that he went into prison obediently during the process.

“As long as that part isn’t resolved,”

Hwareureureuk—-!!!

Flames rose as the ring of my heart spun rapidly.

“I have no intention of backing down from here.”

Even if it means my plans go awry here, I won’t retreat. With that resolve, I continued to raise my fighting spirit.

“…Dragon Saint.”

Muk Yeon looked at me, his face contorting. Just as he was about to say something while looking at me,

Hwareuk-!

“…!”

Suddenly, flames erupted before my eyes.

It wasn’t the blue flame I possessed. It was a blazing red flame.

“This is….”

I couldn’t possibly not know. My heart reacted the moment I saw it. This flame is from the Nine Flame Wheel Technique.

Judging by the texture and intensity of the flame. There was only one person capable of conjuring it right now.

‘Father?’

It’s definitely Father’s flame.

The moment I recognized this, a voice reached me.

-It’s alright.

Hearing that, my eyes widened considerably.

‘Where is he?’

It’s not telepathy. The voice came from the flame.

How could he embed his voice in the flame? If this is possible, it means his energy isn’t bound. Then why isn’t he escaping?

I couldn’t understand. Based on what I felt, his energy was quite distant. Yet, such a clear voice and flame…

-It’s alright, so go back.

I had to contort my face at the heavy voice.

“What do you mean, ‘it’s alright’?”

Why did you suddenly go in there? I wanted to ask that, but.

-Go back and look after Hyo Ran.

“…”

-I ask of you.

At Father’s words, I had no choice but to shut my mouth.

Hyo Ran.

It was the first time I heard Father call Madam Mi by that name.

He even asked for a favor?

‘This is driving me crazy.’

I ran a hand over my forehead. I pondered for a moment. My heart wanted to smash everything and cause chaos, but doing so would also cause me losses. More importantly, Father’s words weighed on me.

‘Does he have a reason?’

Sending the flame to convey a message means he definitely has a reason for acting like this. Even so, normally, I wouldn’t have cared.

But.

‘Why is he acting out of character?’

Hearing Madam Mi’s name come from Father’s lips made curses well up inside me. If this is his idea of a favor, what am I supposed to do?

‘If you were going to do it, why not sooner.’

If I had known he could do something like this, I wish he’d done it sooner. Such a flimsy thought crossed my mind.

No.

‘That’s not for me to say.’

I recalled the image of Father from my memories. The middle-aged man who hesitated, unable to approach me as I cried, and ultimately turned his back.

“Tsk.”

I clicked my tongue and waved my hand.

Pat-!

The holy spear that was formed vanished, and the fighting spirit radiating from my body was instantly quelled.

Cheol-geok.

Seeing that, the Dragon Lord released the grip on his hilt.

I stared calmly at Muk Yeon. I met the old man’s eyes, then turned my back.

“…I came in such a hurry that I didn’t bring anything, so I’ll submit my report later.”

“…”

“I will come tomorrow to hear the detailed explanation. Please provide as much detail as possible. So that I can understand.”

With those words, I kicked off the ground and soared upwards.

---

Immediately after Gu Yangcheon disappeared, Sword Emperor asked Muk Yeon.

“…Strategist Muk. Why didn’t you apprehend him?”

Sword Emperor’s face was full of questions.

To the question, Muk Yeon replied, covering his eyes with a dry hand.

“I had no justification to apprehend him.”

No justification?

Sword Emperor couldn’t believe those words.

“The Sacred King attacked the Main Alliance and caused a disturbance. What greater justification could there be?”

“Then, conversely, I would have had to provide an answer.”

“An answer, you say.”

“He should have said something, anything, but I found it difficult to bear.”

A faint sense of guilt permeated his weary voice.

Hearing that, Sword Emperor understood. The justification Muk Yeon mentioned wasn’t the Alliance’s justification, but Muk Yeon’s personal justification.

“Regarding the attack committed by the Sacred King, I will take responsibility and handle it. Since he said he’d return tomorrow, if you intend to hold him accountable, let’s do it then.”

“…”

Sword Emperor wore a displeased expression at Muk Yeon’s words, but that was all.

And.

“I trust you will agree as well.”

Muk Yeon spoke to the figure beside him, the Dragon Lord.

The Dragon Lord glanced briefly at Muk Yeon through his mask, then.

Hwaak-!

Bursting with golden light, he vanished instantly.

“…”

Seeing him go, Muk Yeon let out a low sigh. A very deep and cold breath.

---

I headed straight for Madam Mi’s quarters. Although it was Father’s request, I also needed to go to hear about the situation immediately.

As if signaling my urgency, I bypassed the guards and went straight into the quarters.

“Wha, just…!”

The guards noticed me belatedly, but by then, I had already stepped inside the quarters.

“Madam Mi. Are you there?”

Catching my breath slightly, I called her name before her door, and I sensed movement from inside.

Drrrk-! The door opened, and Madam Mi appeared.

Madam Mi greeted me with wide, startled eyes.

“…How did you…?”

“I came straight here after reading the letter you sent. I was just coming from the Alliance.”

“What?”

At my words, Madam Mi’s expression changed even more drastically. Perhaps she was surprised that I came immediately after receiving the letter? I thought so.

But.

“So, first, let me hear about the situation….”

“What do you mean, the letter I sent? What are you talking about?”

“…Huh?”

“It hasn’t even been a few days since I sent the letter. So, there’s no way it could have arrived already?”

At Madam Mi’s words, my blood ran cold.