Chapter 170 : Shall We Make a Bet?

“Betrayal… what do you mean, betrayal?”

While Jeokmyeon was flustered, Baekmyeon laughed heartily.

“As expected of the wise Ok Myeon! To see through that person’s cunning heart at once!”

“That’s right. That person has been hiding his cunning heart for a long time. To plot an assassination against a fellow branch lord this time is an unforgivable act.”

Ok Myeon’s fingertip aimed at Jeokmyeon.

“We must immediately take off Jeokmyeon’s mask and kill that person to re-establish the discipline of the Hao Sect.”

Following that, the martial artists of the Hao Sect rushed into the office.

They radiated a menacing aura and held out their blades to Jeokmyeon.

At this, the flustered Jeokmyeon raised his two hands and begged.

“O-Ok Myeon… a misunderstanding… it’s a misunderstanding! This is something wrong…”

“There is nothing wrong. What do you think, Baekmyeon? Shall we kill this person here?”

“How about we take off his mask first?”

“That would be good too.”

At Ok Myeon’s instruction, one of the martial artists holding a sword roughly took off Jeokmyeon’s mask.

At that, Jeokmyeon’s bare face was revealed.

“Ah… aah…”

Jeokmyeon’s face, which was exposed to the outside, was pale.

To have his mask taken off meant that his qualification as a branch lord was revoked.

He had now become a being less than even a low-ranking member of the Hao Sect.

“So this is what you look like. Jeokmyeon.”

“…”

“Now! An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. I will give Baekmyeon the opportunity for retribution. What will you do?”

“To think that I would kill a person who was once a branch lord of the Hao Sect with my own hands…”

“Haha! Since he was a branch lord, it is only right that he should die at the hands of a branch lord. Rather, it is a greater insult to die at the hands of a low-ranking martial artist.”

“Well, if that’s what Ok Myeon wants.”

Baekmyeon stood up from his seat himself and gripped his sword.

He stood in front of the terrified Jeokmyeon and raised his sword.

“Don’t resent me too much. All of this is your karma.”

“B-Baekmyeon…”

The moment Jeokmyeon, who had sensed his death, closed his eyes tightly.

Baekmyeon’s sword moved quickly.

Swish—!

The martial artists of the Hao Sect, whose necks were cut, collapsed all at once.

In just a single sword strike, five martial artists had met their death.

Ok Myeon, who was watching their deaths heartlessly, said softly.

“These are the people who were on the reward list that Jeokmyeon requested. What do you think? Are you satisfied?”

Ok Myeon stared straight at Baekmyeon.

“Jin Sohyun.”

At his call, Jin Sohyun, who had taken off his mask, turned around.

Soon, the two looked at each other.

“Since when?”

“That’s a secret. In fact, it was so perfect that I was almost completely deceived. From Baekmyeon’s voice to his gait and trivial movements… I was almost mistaken into thinking that the real Baekmyeon had come.”

Creak!

With the sound of his musculoskeletal system twisting, Jin Sohyun returned to his original body shape.

“Bone Shrinking Art! Just how far does your talent go, Young Master Jin?”

“Bieunggaek.”

“Hmm?”

“A while ago, you killed Bieunggaek. Isn’t that right?”

“Ah… that’s right. He paid for the crime of infiltrating the main sect as a spy of the Hao Sect and leaking the secrets of the main sect to the outside with his life.”

“He was my master.”

At Jin Sohyun’s following words, Ok Myeon’s face hardened.

“Are you… planning to get revenge for your master’s death?”

“Yes. You, of course, and everyone who was involved in my master’s death.”

“Excellent! Elder Bi will also be shedding tears of blood, watching his disciple from the heavens.”

Ok Myeon’s voice suddenly changed.

“Jin Sohyun. A monster who not only faced the Nameless Pavilion alone but also killed the Nameless Pavilion Master and even all the special-grade assassins. Such a person is fine… and now he has come all this way to kill me.”

As Jin Sohyun gestured, the swords of the dead martial artists floated up into the sky.

The five swords surrounded Ok Myeon from five directions.

“A high-level sword control technique. This is… just what is your identity? What are you to have such great talent?”

“I’m the one asking the questions.”

“Hoh. Then ask away. What are you curious about?”

“Ma Seongun. Bring him here.”

“Are you asking me to bring the Blood-Sucking Sword Demon?”

“Yes. If you knew I was coming, you would have called Ma Seongun too.”

“That’s correct. But unfortunately, that person did not come.”

“Why?”

“Wouldn’t only the Blood-Sucking Sword Demon know that?”

Jin Sohyun’s gaze swept around.

Numerous presences were felt.

Most of them were masters of the first-rate or higher.

“Is this all the force you can gather?”

“I’ve thought about your method. It seems you imitated Baekmyeon’s body shape with the Bone Shrinking Art and put on his mask. You must have imitated his voice with the Sound Devouring Art you learned from the Heavenly Sound White Flower… isn’t that right?”

Jin Sohyun did not bother to answer.

“Now you’re thinking of taking my mask and imitating me, but unfortunately, that will be impossible. I’m not that soft. I have to reveal myself as Ok Myeon with a code that changes every hour at noon and midnight. If even one is wrong…”

Ok Myeon pointed to the ceiling with his hand.

“Bang—! and the branch office is designed to collapse. Why do you think I remained here, knowing that the great Jin Sohyun was coming?”

Ok Myeon cackled.

“This is your grave. Jin Sohyun. No matter how much you are the number one in the world, you can never escape from here.”

“Is that all?”

“What?”

“What you’ve prepared. Is that all?”

“Phew. A young brat’s arrogance pierces the heavens just because he was born with outstanding martial talent. Do you think my words are a lie?”

“No. I was just a little disappointed.”

Jin Sohyun said heartlessly, scratching his head.

“I thought you would have known I was coming through Baekhwa… no, Umi, but to have prepared only this much. I thought you would have at least called Ma Seongun. Should I have given you more time?”

“…”

Ok Myeon’s unwavering eyes shook greatly.

‘Did he intend this from the beginning?’

Before Ok Myeon could calm his agitation, Jin Sohyun continued.

“I thought about who you would have planted if you had planted someone among the branch lords, but no matter how much I thought about it, the only suitable person was Baekhwa. Isn’t that right?”

“…”

“I deliberately explained everything to Umi. I’m disappointed. Ok Myeon.”

“How did you know?”

“It was strange from the beginning. The Hao Sect is an existence that operates in a place deeper than the shadows. Isn’t it strange that a mere courtesan would know about the Hao Sect?”

When he had come to him and had told him the truth of Honggang, and had told him to be careful about mentioning the Hao Sect.

Jin Sohyun had realized that Baekhwa was a Hao Sect member.

Right at that moment, Jin Sohyun had felt a kind of incongruity.

Baekhwa, who was trusted enough to know the existence of the Hao Sect.

And the Cheonhwagak Master who had cast out such a Baekhwa.

The one who had resolved the incongruity felt between the two was surprisingly Jeokmyeon.

Through Jeokmyeon’s words about the role Ok Myeon had as a branch manager and that he would have planted people, Jin Sohyun had harbored the thought that perhaps Baekhwa was Ok Myeon’s person.

Since then, Jin Sohyun had generously given information to Baekhwa, who was stealthily trying to dig up information.

The reason was simple.

“I told you to bring Ma Seongun. This makes things more troublesome.”

Only then did Ok Myeon realize Jin Sohyun’s true intention.

He had deliberately let him know that he would be coming to him through Baekhwa, who was Ok Myeon’s informant.

And the reason he had intended all of this was one.

It was to bring Ma Seongun, who had killed Bieunggaek.

‘The one who set the trap was not me… but Jin Sohyun.’

Ok Myeon’s fingertips trembled.

He was scared.

The power and scheme that the man named Jin Sohyun possessed had already far surpassed Ok Myeon.

‘This bastard must not be sent out alive.’

For the future of the Hao Sect, Jin Sohyun deserved to die.

The problem was the method.

How could he kill an existence that had destroyed the Nameless Pavilion alone and that even the Heretic Path's Alliance could not kill?

‘Why didn’t the Blood-Sucking Sword Demon come!’

He gritted his teeth on his own.

He had sent an urgent letter in advance that Jin Sohyun was coming.

He had believed without a doubt that Ma Seongun, who enjoyed sucking the blood of masters, would respond to Ok Myeon’s call this time as well.

But the Ma Seongun he had believed in was silent.

‘Could it be that even he is afraid of Jin Sohyun?’

Even the Blood-Sucking Sword Demon, who had killed all the masters without distinguishing between the righteous and heretic paths, was afraid of Jin Sohyun and in the end did not come.

Now what remained was.

‘Is this all?’

Ok Myeon caressed the iron poison pill hidden under the table with his fingertip.

Excluding the Formless Earth Killing Poison pill that Bieunggaek had stolen, this was the only iron poison pill left.

‘No matter how outstanding a master is, he won’t be able to avoid the Formless Earth Killing Poison.’

This was a place where all the secrets of the Hao Sect were sleeping.

Destroying the branch office was the last resort.

If possible, he had to end it by poisoning Jin Sohyun using the iron poison pill containing the Formless Earth Killing Poison.

“Ok Myeon.”

At Jin Sohyun’s call, Ok Myeon flinched.

“I heard your role is to monitor and supervise the branch lords.”

‘He knows that too?’

Ok Myeon glared at Jeokmyeon with a sharp gaze.

‘That traitor…!’

Even at Ok Myeon’s piercing gaze, Jeokmyeon was constantly rolling his eyes and calculating.

‘Is this okay!?’

The most important thing for Jeokmyeon now was survival.

If this branch office collapsed as Ok Myeon said, he would surely die, even if Jin Sohyun didn't.

When should he run away?

For Jeokmyeon, that was the most urgent problem.

It was then.

As Jin Sohyun stretched out his hand, the five swords were sucked into him.

As he withdrew the swords, the puzzled Ok Myeon asked, still with his hand on the iron poison pill.

“What’s your intention. You’re not going to stop now, are you?”

“Ma Seongun’s location.”

“What?”

“Tell me Ma Seongun’s and the Heretic Path's Alliance’s location.”

“Heh…! Why should I tell you that?”

At Ok Myeon’s answer, Jin Sohyun shrugged his shoulders and shot a sword up to the ceiling.

Swoosh—!

A single sword that cut through the space and flew fiercely was embedded so deeply that the blade could not be seen.

At that, the branch office shook greatly.

Kuuuung!!

As the branch office shook as if there were an earthquake, the pale-faced Jeokmyeon and Ok Myeon quickly grabbed the table or a chair and let out a rough breath.

“Heok… heok…!”

In particular, Ok Myeon’s body trembled rapidly.

“Wh-what are you doing!”

“Shall we make a bet? How many times your prepared prison can withstand my sword?”

“Then you’ll die too!”

“We’ll all die.”

Looking at the handsome young man with a smile on his lips, Ok Myeon felt as if he would go mad.

‘Should I use the iron poison pill?’

If he used the Formless Earth Killing Poison, he could kill Jin Sohyun, but he also had to be prepared to die.

But if he left it like this, the branch office would collapse.

“I think your prepared prison will collapse on the third time. What do you think?”

“Are you determined to die?”

“We’ll know when we try.”

As Jin Sohyun shot up the second sword, his sword, which had flown at a fierce speed again, was embedded deep in the ceiling.

And the second vibration began.

A crack appeared in the sturdily designed branch office, and a piece of stone fell from the cracked gap.

Thump—!

As a fist-sized piece of stone fell onto the table right in front of him, Ok Myeon gasped for breath.

“I don’t know Ma Seongun’s location! In the first place, the location of the Heretic Path's Alliance is a taboo, so even the sect master doesn’t know where the Heretic Path's Alliance is! How could a mere branch lord like me know!”

“Ok Myeon.”

Jin Sohyun picked up the third sword he had announced.

He raised the sword high with unwavering eyes and imbued it with internal energy.

The blade spewed a blue lightning ki.

“Bring Ma Seongun.”

(End of Chapter)