Chapter 300 |
Lost in the Fog
Mu-jin muttered a small curse under his breath, but in the silent, dark forest, it was too loud.
However, there was no time to care about Mu-jin’s foul language.
“Mu-jin.”
When Mu-gyeong called him, Mu-jin nodded.
The reason Mu-gyeong called him was not because he cursed in front of the senior masters.
And Mu-jin knew the reason.
Buzzing sound
As Mu-jin nodded, Mu-gyeong immediately began to gather his inner energy and create golden crows.
Pop!
Matching his movements, Mu-jin threw himself in the direction the golden crows flew.
“!?”
A surprised face of a black-clad man hiding in the shadows of the dark night and thick bushes greeted Mu-jin.
But before the man could make a move,
Bang!
Mu-jin’s punch pierced the man’s abdomen.
Meanwhile, the disciples of Shaolin and Wudang, realizing the situation, also moved quickly.
All around, faint golden flames, like fireflies, lit up the darkness of the night.
These were the golden crows Mu-gyeong had spread everywhere.
Wherever the golden crows flew, black-clad men were hiding.
There was no need to ponder their identity.
Immediately after dealing with the black-clad men,
Mu-jin, returning to the ruins, spoke.
“It seems we were not completely caught off guard since the remnants of the Demonic Cult were watching this place.”
“It looks like they chose to abandon this place and escape.”
Mu-jin nodded at Hyun-hyeon’s response.
Although he had cursed seeing the place in ruins, it was highly likely that Ou-yang Pae was still alive based on the circumstances.
If Ou-yang Pae had been defeated, the remnants of the Demonic Cult would have no reason to remain.
Additionally,
“Given the smell of blood still lingering, it seems not much time has passed since a battle took place here.”
The strong smell of blood still permeated the area.
The problem was,
‘So, where did you run off to, Ou-yang Pae?’
Knowing where Ou-yang Pae was hiding was crucial to either join forces or assist in the battle.
* * *
Meanwhile, at that time,
In a small village near the traitors’ stronghold,
Originally a place where Southern Barbarians lived, it had now become a resting place for outsiders.
Among the shabby buildings of the small village, the one that was the most well-kept,
Two men in similar attire were having a conversation.
“Have you heard the news, brother?”
The man with a gentle appearance asked with a smile on his face, causing the fierce-looking man to frown.
It was an odd sight.
Though they had similar faces, one had a gentle appearance while the other had a fierce one.
The man addressed as “brother,”
Gouyang Cheon, the first prince of the Demonic Cult, responded.
“I told you before, didn’t I? If you smile like that in front of me again, I’ll rip your mouth apart.”
“Hahaha. How can you talk about killing someone just because their expression annoys you? Talking like that makes you less popular, doesn’t it?”
At the provocation of Gouyang Hyeon, the second prince, Gouyang Cheon’s eyebrow twitched. At the same time, a tremendous aura emanated from Gouyang Cheon.
Despite the murderous aura as if he would kill him any moment, Gouyang Hyeon did not stop smirking.
It was a smile similar to Jegal Mu Hwan’s; his eyes were not smiling at all.
Gouyang Cheon, who was pressing his brother and rival for the throne with his aura, barely managed to control his rising anger and spoke.
“Hmph. Our cult follows the doctrine of the strong. Do you really think there will be anyone who truly follows a coward like you?”
“Hahaha. Better than being an ignorant brute, wouldn’t you say?”
The smirking second prince and the scowling first prince glared at each other as if they would kill.
‘A cunning snake dares.’
‘Tch. To think I have to deal with this brute.’
After a brief showdown, the two princes, realizing it was a waste of time, withdrew their auras.
“If it’s about the news, are you talking about the arrival of the Shaolin monks and the Taoist priests?”
“Heh heh heh. You know well. What do you think about it?”
“Hmph. It must be true. That wretched bastard of an illegitimate child must have teamed up with the orthodox sects.”
At Gouyang Cheon’s answer, Gouyang Hyeon nodded.
‘Even this idiot could deduce that much.’
Hiding his thoughts, Gouyang Hyeon asked again.
“So, what do you plan to do?”
“Hmph. What else, kill them. There’s no reason to spare the orthodox sect members.”
“To find the hidden traitors, we need to spread out our forces. But if Shaolin and Wudang join forces during that time, there’s a risk of being defeated one by one, isn’t there?”
“That’s a cowardly thought. Why should the mighty Heavenly Demon Cult fear mere traitors and orthodox sects?”
At the domineering response of the first prince, the second prince smirked bitterly.
This time, it was an outright sneer.
“Given that you couldn’t even handle that wretched illegitimate child in today’s battle, it doesn’t seem like you’re in a position to talk.”
Bang!!!
As soon as Gouyang Hyeon’s words ended, Gouyang Cheon slammed the table with his fist, shattering it.
For the first time, Gouyang Cheon, who had shown only a hint of irritation (by Gouyang Hyeon’s standards) during the provocations, now had a genuinely enraged face.
“Do you really wish to die here today?”
Sensing the more intense murderous aura from Gouyang Cheon, Gouyang Hyeon decided to take a step back.
“I apologize, brother.”
Changing his expression at will and expressing his apology, the sight of his younger brother made Gouyang Cheon tremble with anger but managed to suppress it.
Not out of affection for his brother.
He sensed the presence of people gathering around the building due to the earlier noise.
Among them were several elders and guards who sided with Gouyang Cheon, but there were also many who sided with Gouyang Hyeon. If a fight broke out now, it would lead to a massive internal conflict.
Although he was confident in dealing with Gouyang Hyeon, the aftermath was the problem.
‘If only I had killed that wretched illegitimate child.’
The first prince, Gouyang Cheon, was not foolish enough to wage a civil war in this place, which was as dangerous as the enemy’s territory. He just had a violent temperament.
Moreover, if he lost his influence compared to himself or the second prince, his younger brother remaining in the main school, the fourth prince, might take advantage. Therefore, he could not afford to recklessly wage a civil war here.
‘This guy is the last one.’
First prince Gouyang Cheon calmed his mind while glaring at his brother, Gouyang Hyeon, as if he would kill him.
‘First, I’ll deal with that lowly illegitimate child.’
The biggest reason for this thought was the battle that had occurred a few hours ago.
Although it was a humiliating experience, he couldn’t overwhelm Ou-yang Pae.
No, it wasn’t just that he couldn’t overwhelm him.
The gray lightning that flowed from Ou-yang Pae’s sword easily tore apart the first prince’s domineering sword technique.
‘It was definitely a martial art I’ve never seen before. I don’t know where he obtained it, but it’s dangerous to let him grow any further.’
The first prince, who couldn’t even imagine that Ou-yang Pae had created the Honwonmu’s divine technique himself, just thought it best to kill him before he grew any further.
On the other hand, despite apologizing, the second prince was calculating busily in his mind after confirming his brother’s trembling figure.
‘As expected, he is sensitive about martial arts. I can use this in the future.’
Seeing his brother’s snake-like eyes watching him, the first prince’s lips also twisted into a sinister smile.
“Come to think of it, the biggest reason we couldn’t capture that illegitimate child is because your scheme was exposed, isn’t it? The damage was massive because of it, so are you prepared to take responsibility?”
“What do you mean? I gave you enough chances to kill him.”
“Hahaha. It’s funny. Although it’s true that I couldn’t kill that illegitimate child, it’s also true that I was holding him. Instead, thanks to your useless scheme, they had a chance to escape.”
The face of the second prince, who had been pretending to be relaxed until now, turned cold. His previously soft impression changed to a cold-hearted one.
“If you had just pushed through with force, it would have been fine, but you ruined it by overthinking. Ah, now that I see it, it seems that illegitimate child has a better head than you, so it might not be a bad idea to coax him into becoming my soldier.”
“Are you out of your mind to keep a traitor as a soldier?”
Despite the second prince’s blatant remark, the first prince smiled.
It was because the reaction was different from usual.
‘This idiot who thinks only his head is good.’
Normally, the second prince would have smirked with a smile on his face, but now he failed to manage his expression, speaking coldly.
If the first prince had a great pride in martial arts, the second prince had a great pride in his intellect.
And more than anything, there was nothing more damaging to his pride than being criticized about strategy by the first prince, whom he considered ignorant.
Just when the fierce atmosphere between the two was about to escalate again.
They sensed someone approaching the entrance of the building where they were talking.
“Come in.”
“Come on in.”
Both princes called out simultaneously, and a middle-aged man opened the door and entered the room.
That middle-aged man was the current Red Flame King, who had ascended to the position after Geum Yang-hwi left the demonic cult, with the help of the left and right guardian lions.
“We have tracked down the traitors.”
At the concise report that cut out any pleasantries, the eyes of the two princes changed.
* * *
Hyun-hyeon spoke to Mu-jin, who was deep in thought.
“First, let’s get out of here. Although we’ve dealt with the watchers, the main force of the demonic cult might come here if we stay.”
Before responding to Hyun-hyeon’s words, Mu-jin had a sudden thought and quickly spoke to Mu-yul.
“Mu-yul! Can you track the smell of blood with Ling-ling? Follow the farthest trail.”
Considering the state of the ruins and the lingering smell of blood in the area, the battle hadn’t happened long ago. Moreover, if Ou-yang Pae was likely to be alive,
‘There must have been a pursuit, so the trail of blood likely continues in one direction.’
Others, understanding Mu-jin’s intention, also looked at Mu-yul and Ling-ling with hopeful faces.
“Okay! I’ll try to find it!”
Mu-yul, who answered energetically, began to sniff and analyze the smell, just as they did in the Murim Alliance.
It wasn’t easy to determine the exact direction. The smell of blood was coming from all directions.
Mu-yul and Ling-ling twisted their bodies, distinguishing the scent of blood carried by the wind.
How long had they sniffed hopefully?
“I think it’s this way!”
“Screech! Screech!!”
“Ling-ling says the smell of blood coming from that direction is the freshest!”
Their statements sounded like something out of a blood-crazed vampire’s mouth, but they were quite reasonable.
Following Mu-yul and Ling-ling’s lead, they moved for a while.
At first, Mu-yul and Ling-ling moved slowly, but once they left the ruins, they picked up speed.
Unlike the ruins where the smell of blood was everywhere, the scent started to continue in a straight line at some point.
How long had they followed the dark forest path?
Ling-ling and Mu-yul, who had been running with joyful expressions, suddenly stopped.
“What should we do?”
“What’s wrong?”
At Mu-jin’s question, Mu-yul answered with a downcast face.
“From here, the smell of blood is scattered everywhere.”
“Ah…….”
Mu-jin seemed to understand what had happened.
“It seems they scattered and fled from here to avoid pursuit.”
It felt like nothing was going smoothly.
While they were considering whether they should also scatter and follow the trail to find Ou-yang Pae,
Sss.
They sensed a small movement from afar.
It wasn’t someone approaching them using stealth techniques. It was the presence of someone using lightness skills to head somewhere.
‘Could it be?’
In the late-night tropical rainforest, in this area where a battle had occurred not long ago, the person moving urgently was likely one of two possibilities.
They were either the pursued traitors or the pursuing members of the demonic cult.