Chapter v20c5

## The Midnight Wall-Climber

– Shadow of the Moon

People often overlook the fact that the moon casts shadows just like the sun. It’s just that her darkness isn’t as noticeable amidst the night.

*Rustle!*

Two shadows stealthily darted through the darkness, concealed by the shadows of the wall and the night, where the moonlight couldn’t reach. Their footsteps were silent, as if they were gliding on air, their presence masked by the chill of the night.

The main gate was just ahead. Like other manor houses, it would have a plaque above it, bearing the name ‘Middle Heaven Merchant Guild.’ And the plaque on the right pillar would undoubtedly read ‘Nanchang Branch.’ There was a gate for people to enter and exit. But these two considered using such an ordinary entrance as a betrayal of their identity, a surrender to societal norms. They decided to resist.

Their resolve, commendably, was immediately put into action. It was a revolutionary idea to enter through something designed to keep people out. But this revolutionary idea met a rather anticlimactic end, transforming into the relatively mundane act of scaling the wall.

The man in the lead silently placed his index finger on his lips, then leaped onto the wall. Despite appearing to have merely hopped, he landed gracefully on top of the wall. He looked around, then signaled to the second man with two flicks of his left hand. The second man, waiting below, reluctantly jumped. A long rope, like a snake in the darkness, swayed. The two men were connected by the rope, which the first man had used to signal.

Their movements were cautious and silent, as if they were afraid of breaking the night’s stillness, where the sound of a pin dropping would be louder than thunder. They leaped towards a large tree, about a mile away from the wall. Neither of them spoke.

‘There it is!’

The first man looked around, locating their target. It was a place that would still be lit at this late hour.

‘That’s the Branch Manager’s office…’

Although temporary, that was their target.

And then it happened. Like a bird failing to take flight, their movements froze mid-leap.

“Don’t move!”

‘Gasp!’

The woman’s voice, coming from behind them in the dead of night, wasn’t scary. But the long, thin blade, gleaming in the moonlight, pressed against the first man’s neck, was terrifying.

“Damn it!”

The second man, seeing his companion immobilized, tried to retreat. But his attempt was also thwarted.

“Don’t move! Unless you want a hole in your head!”

Before he could finish his sentence, a sharp, cold object pressed against the back of his head, sending a chill down his spine.

“Now, now, stay still. I’m easily startled. If you move, I might swing my arm in surprise, and someone might get hurt. I don’t want to clean blood off my sword at this hour. It’s too depressing.”

The man who had silently appeared behind the second man, claiming to be easily startled, spoke in a casual tone, a hint of amusement in his voice.

“Sheathe your sword.”

The woman ordered calmly. The first man’s sword was now fully drawn, gleaming in the moonlight. One more inch, and he would have unleashed his sword energy. His swordsmanship was impressive, attempting to draw his sword with his left hand while holding the hilt with his right hand, but it had been anticipated.

“You can just let go of your sword.”

The man holding the sword to the second man’s head said quietly. There was no menace in his voice, no tension. He sounded confident and relaxed.

The second man managed to push his sword up slightly with his left thumb. That small detail revealed the difference in their skills. But they were both subdued.

The woman, her sword still poised to strike, asked calmly,

“Are you the ones who’ve been lurking around here for the past few days?”

“…”

They remained silent, and the middle-aged man scolded them.

“Didn’t you hear the Divine Maiden? Answer her!”

He seemed annoyed by their lack of response. But they still didn’t answer.

“How dare you!”

Their silence only fueled his anger.

“I’ve been suspicious of those unidentified individuals lurking around! I haven’t been able to sleep properly! But now that I’ve caught you, I can finally get a good night’s sleep. But what should I do with you two? You’re not talking, so I guess I’ll have to find out myself!”

He sounded exasperated.

“Both of you, turn around slowly! And don’t try anything funny! You don’t want to know what will happen to you. Now, turn around! Quickly!”

They slowly turned around, their bodies tense. The invisible pressure emanating from the two sword tips was suffocating, preventing them from making any rash moves.

They finally turned around.

But their faces were still hidden by their hoods.

“Take it off!”

The first man, blushing, started to unbutton his shirt.

“Not that!”

The middle-aged man shouted, his gaze darting towards the woman. He wished he hadn’t looked. He lowered his head, filled with regret. The woman’s gaze, which seemed to suspect him of having a peculiar hobby, made him want to kill her and himself at the same time. He was torn.

“Damn it! I didn’t tell you to take off your clothes! Take off your hood! Your hood! That damn hood covering your face!”

He swore, his frustration getting the better of him. They flinched, but they still hesitated.

“What’s wrong? Are you hiding something? Why are you so hesitant? Take it off!”

He quickly added,

“…Your hood! Your hood!”

But they were still slow to comply.

*Crack!*

He had reached his limit.

“You don’t have to take it off if you don’t want to. As a reward for your stubbornness, you’ll get to experience the versatility of a sword. It can be used for more than just killing people. It can also be used to remove hoods.”

The first man hesitated for a long time, then finally made up his mind. He gritted his teeth and slowly reached for his hood. The darkness beneath the hood was revealed.

“Gasp!”

Jin So-Ryeong gasped, her voice filled with shock. She instinctively reached for her sword, ready to exorcise the demon. If Yoo Eun-Seong hadn’t stopped her, she would have sliced the man into twenty-seven pieces. And her niece would have become a widow before she even got married.

“H-how did you…?”

Even this fearless woman was trembling.

“You’re supposed to be dead.”

She uttered the name that should have been carved on a tombstone, a name that should have lost its purpose.

“…Namgung-Sang! How are you here…?”

The face beneath the hood belonged to Namgung-Sang, who had been declared dead a few days ago. It was understandable that she had mistaken him for a ghost.

“Well, you see…”

He was speechless. And Jin So-Ryeong, the Emei Goddess, was the worst possible person to be caught lying to.

“Are you mocking me?”

Her shock quickly turned to anger.

“N-no, ma’am! I would never dare…”

He was truly innocent. But she wasn’t buying it.

“I’ve always wondered what stories the dead would tell if they came back to life. Tell me about your near-death experience, or your escape from the underworld.”

*Swish!*

Her sword was now pressed against his chin.

“W-well… You see… I…”

*Crash!*

Jang Woo-Yang burst out of his temporary office, his arms waving frantically, as if he were afraid the door would shatter.

“Wait! Wait! Wait!”

He shouted, his voice as frantic as his movements.

“They’re not intruders!”

He finally reached them, his breath ragged.

“Then what are they, Branch Manager Jang?”

Yoo Eun-Seong asked, his voice laced with suspicion.

“They’re… Huff! Huff!”

He took a deep breath.

“Calm down and tell us.”

Yoo Eun-Seong said, trying to soothe him.

“T-thank you.”

He finally caught his breath and shouted,

“T-they’re… my guests!”

Jin So-Ryeong and Yoo Eun-Seong exchanged bewildered glances.

“Guests?”

Yoo Eun-Seong almost laughed.

“They have a rather unique way of entering, Branch Manager Jang.”

And one of them was supposed to be dead.

“You’re saying you knew they were coming at this hour?”

“Y-yes, Hero Jin!”

He replied, wiping the sweat from his brow.

Her sharp gaze turned towards Namgung-Sang. He averted his eyes, as if he couldn’t meet her gaze.

“A ghost who keeps his appointments… Then let’s see who this dead ghost’s companion is.”

She pointed her sword at the second man, her voice cold.

“Show me your face!”

The second man hesitated, then slowly removed his hood. A young man, handsome but slightly immature, was revealed.

“Fortunately, I don’t recognize this one.”

He blushed, his brow furrowed, clearly embarrassed by the situation. He was still lacking in emotional control.

“State your name!”

“J-Jeol-Hwi.”

He replied.

“Your family name?”

He hesitated again, but he couldn’t avoid the question.

“Gongson.”

Jin So-Ryeong didn’t recognize the name, but Yoo Eun-Seong, who was more experienced in the martial arts world, had a few guesses.

The young man was clearly a swordsman, judging by the sword at his waist, and a skilled one at that. There were only a handful of sects or families capable of producing such a talented young swordsman. He was clearly from a wealthy family, judging by his attire and his demeanor. He didn’t seem like a disciple from a large sect, with their strict discipline. That narrowed down the possibilities.

“What’s your relationship with the Sword Saint?”

He flinched, but he didn’t deny it.

“He’s… my grandfather.”

He confessed.

“I knew it!”

Yoo Eun-Seong muttered, as if he had expected it. Jang Woo-Yang was shocked. He couldn’t maintain his composure like Yoo Eun-Seong. This young man was also a big shot.

‘Damn it…’

He cursed inwardly, blaming Bi Ryu-Yeon for expanding his social circle in such an inconvenient way.

But Jin So-Ryeong was unfazed by his identity. She wasn’t interested in his lineage. She only had one question on her mind.

“Now, Mr. Dead-and-Resurrected Namgung-Sang! Unless you’re claiming to have defied death, I’d like to hear your explanation.”

Her voice was firm, brooking no refusal.

“I’m curious too. And I’d like to know what kind of bond you two share.”

Yoo Eun-Seong added, pointing at the leather rope binding their wrists.

“Well… You see…”

He had no choice but to speak, knowing that if his explanation wasn’t convincing, she would make him pay for startling her.

“So, you see…”

He began his story, carefully omitting Bi Ryu-Yeon’s name, the mastermind behind this whole mess.