Chapter 68

Chapter 68

As Youngho hummed to himself and continued moving, Kang Chowon asked with a puzzled expression,

“Young Master. Do you know where the important documents are kept?”

“No? I’ve never even been here before, so how would I know?”

“What? Then what about all the rooms we passed? Shouldn’t we at least search them?”

“Normally, yes. But just by looking, I can tell where the important place is.”

Most of what Youngho said was difficult to understand. Still, Kang Chowon trusted him.

After all, Youngho had never been wrong before.

So she simply followed.

The place Youngho arrived at was, surprisingly, the very room where he had spoken with Poan earlier.

“Don’t wait here. Follow me. And Hosan—don’t let your guard down.”

He did not know why Youngho singled him out, but just like Kang Chowon, Kang Hosan trusted him completely and simply nodded.

Youngho placed his hand on a wall at one end of the room and lightly tapped it.

Thud, thud.

‘It’s hollow inside.’

It was probably another mechanism that opened through some device…

‘Compared to where the Poison Demon was, this is pitiful. It’s hardly even worth calling a mechanism.’

Thinking the mechanism before him was laughably crude compared to the last one, Youngho infused Internal Energy into his fist and smashed the wall outright.

Boom!

As the wall crumbled, a hidden passage inside revealed itself to Youngho’s group.

“This is it.”

“Obviously.”

As Hyeon-gang and Kang Hosan spoke, Kang Chowon shot them a glare, as if telling them not to disturb Youngho.

Youngho paid no attention. He was focused.

‘Three at Master Level… Not bad.’

Faint but unmistakable Killing Intent could be felt from within the passage. One of them seemed suitable for Kang Hosan to handle.

Once Youngho confirmed there were no traps, he entered the passage without the slightest hesitation. The others followed behind him.

The tunnel extended deeper underground than expected, and Hyeon-gang felt unease creeping over him.

Perhaps Youngho noticed.

“If you’re scared, light the lantern. We don’t need it.”

Except for Hyeon-gang, the others were confident in their Sensory Perception and did not require light.

With Youngho’s permission, Hyeon-gang immediately lit the candle.

Clang!

At lightning speed, Kang Hosan drew his sword and deflected a hidden weapon that had flown toward his throat.

“Huff! Huff!”

Had he realized he might have died in that instant? His face had turned pale.

‘What about Hyung and Chowon!?’

He did not worry about Youngho. Youngho was not someone who needed worrying over—he was someone others should fear for.

Just as he was about to turn around, Youngho’s Voice Transmission sounded in his head.

—This is real combat experience. I deliberately didn’t protect only you. Don’t worry about Chowon and Hyeon-gang.

Relieved, Kang Hosan let out a quiet breath and fixed his sharp gaze forward once more.

—There are three at Master Level. You take one. I’ll handle the rest.

—Is this also part of real combat experience?

—Yes. You’ve entered the ranks of a true expert now. You need to know how to fight alone. When Chowon reaches Master Level, I’ll have her do the same.

The last remark unsettled him slightly, but Kang Hosan kept his focus ahead.

In this place devoid of even a speck of light, sight was useless.

He did not worry about the others. Right now, he could only think of his own life. The Youngho he knew meant what he said.

If he entrusted one to him, it meant he might not step in until he was on the verge of death—or perhaps not even then.

He concentrated further. His senses sharpened like a blade, his muscles loosening, ready to react at any moment.

Another hidden weapon sliced through the air toward him.

Hearing it, Kang Hosan deflected it with his sword.

‘There!’

By receiving the projectile with his blade, he calculated the direction it had come from. Without hesitation, he charged.

In a flash, he arrived before the assassin and brought his sword down from above.

Paaaang!

The slash tore through the air with an air-splitting sound, threatening to cleave the assassin in two—

But just before the blade struck, Kang Hosan suddenly dropped to one knee.

Clang!

Something like another hidden weapon grazed just above his head and embedded itself into the wall.

It was sharp and dangerous enough to throw off a few sparks. In the brief flash of light, Kang Hosan saw it—

The assassin’s pupils trembling pitifully, as though an earthquake had struck.

‘It’s over!’

Even if one reached Master Level, if they were an assassin, the difference in capability quickly became apparent.

An assassin killed from unseen places. More precisely, they had to remain unseen to assassinate.

Once their position was exposed, their lethality dropped drastically.

Having dismantled all of the assassin’s prepared moves, Kang Hosan swung his sword wide horizontally.

Slice!

With the sound of flesh, bone, and muscle being cut by the Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron Sword, the assassin’s body crumpled.

Relieved, Kang Hosan sheathed his sword, feeling his mental strength greatly drained—

Screeeech!

He had clearly aimed for the chest and severed the heart, yet the assassin’s body sprang toward him as if rebounding.

‘Damn!’

There was no time to draw his sword again. Just as Kang Hosan threw a punch to send the body flying—

Slice!

The assassin’s neck was severed.

By none other than Youngho’s Sword Qi.

“I’ll give you 8 out of 10. Blocking the hidden weapons and dismantling his moves were good. But you failed to finish him.”

“I think that deserves at least 9?”

“You idiot. You only got a score because I was here. If I hadn’t been, you’d be dead.”

“What? I was about to counter with a punch at the end!”

“He was prepared to die together with you.”

Youngho lit the candle and showed the Poisonous Energy lingering on the assassin’s hand.

“See how the nails are blackened? That’s a Poison Claw—poison infused into the hands. If he had even grazed you, you would’ve been poisoned and died miserably.”

Seeing the Poisonous Energy coating the assassin’s hand, Kang Hosan’s face turned pale once more.

Though Youngho found his ashen face amusing, he continued his warning.

“Never let your guard down until the very end. I’ve told you countless times. For Demonic Cult bastards, this is basic.”

Kang Hosan simply nodded and steeled himself again. Youngho smirked.

“Still, since he was from the Demonic Cult, you get 8 points. If he wasn’t, it would’ve been a penalty instead.”

“What? He was from the Demonic Cult?”

“Ah. What a shame. We should’ve extracted something.”

“I don’t think that’s something the person who put a hole in his throat should be saying…”

“Didn’t you see? He was still alive even after his heart was cut. These bastards are like that by nature. Well, he’s dead now.”

“Huh? Then did he commit suicide?”

“That’s right.”

“You could have stopped it, Young Master.”

“Aren’t you overestimating me a bit?”

When Kang Hosan nodded without hesitation, Youngho clicked his tongue.

“There was a Restriction placed on him. Even if we questioned him, we wouldn’t have gotten anything.”

“Ah…”

The Demonic Cult’s Restriction was not something like the verbal command Youngho had placed on Horyeung.

If one attempted to reveal information through parasitic poison or Heretical Arts, the Restriction implanted in their mind would activate, killing them on the spot.

There were many gruesome ways to die. Some had their heads explode. Others, in a slightly less brutal manner, simply had their brains destroyed.

‘We wouldn’t have obtained anything important anyway.’

The Black Dragon Branch was far too small a force for the Demonic Cult to use in a grand scheme.

At best…

‘Perhaps planted as spies?’

Embedding spies in enemy territory before preparing for war was only natural.

‘Is the Demonic Cult preparing for war? This quickly?’

He could not clearly determine whether the situation had been the same before his Regression.

“Hmm…”

Youngho let out a low groan and said,

“For now, gather all nearby documents. I’ll check for any additional Secret Passages or traps.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

To collect as much information as possible, Youngho’s group gathered everything in sight.

…A bit too much.

Carrying such a massive load of books and documents that his legs trembled, Kang Hosan spoke.

“Do we really have to carry all of this ourselves?”

“What can we do? This was Master’s order too.”

“Ugh… Right. It was the Alliance Lord’s order.”

Youngho clasped his empty hands behind his back as if showing them off and said,

“Cheer up, Hosan. This is training too.”

“Carry at least a little!”

Kang Chowon glanced at the relatively small load in her hands, then at the mountain Kang Hosan carried.

Soon she burst into laughter.

“Cheer up, Oppa!”

Before long, she followed after Youngho.

“Seriously!”

Hyeon-gang had already long since gone after Youngho. Kang Hosan forced his trembling legs to move.

“Horyeung, I’m back.”

“Have you finished your business?”

“Mm.”

Everyone except Poan was dead—a brutal sight by any measure—but Youngho spoke casually to Horyeung.

“Just kill this one.”

At Youngho’s words, Poan’s body trembled violently. As if he had just heard something utterly terrifying, his hands and feet shook pitifully.

But Horyeung showed not the slightest hint of pity. Still staring at Poan intently, he asked,

“Do you not require information?”

“I skimmed through the documents underground. We don’t need him.”

“I see.”

“W-Wait!”

Slice.

The moment Youngho finished speaking, Horyeung severed Poan’s neck without a shred of hesitation.

“Grrrk!”

Unable even to beg for his life, Poan glared at Youngho with bloodshot eyes, resentment burning within them.

Youngho frowned in irritation at the gaze.

“Unpleasant to look at. A Demonic Cult dog daring to look at me.”

“Was this incident also the Demonic Cult?”

At Horyeung’s question, Youngho spoke while watching Poan’s body collapse.

“Yes. It seems the Demonic Cult is trying to start a war.”

“Hah… It may truly be the day when the Orthodox Sect and the Unorthodox Faction join hands again.”

“Most likely.”

Facing the main gate of the Black Dragon Branch, Youngho spoke aloud.

“Come in. It’s already safe.”

Kang Chowon looked puzzled, not knowing who he addressed, but Horyeung’s expression did not change. She quickly concluded that someone must be at the gate.

As expected, figures began appearing from the direction of the main gate.

“Which unit are you from?”

“Direct subordinates of the Blood Ghost Hall.”

“Oh really? Is your Hall Master well?”

“Mind your words regarding him.”

“If you leak even a sliver of Martial Presence at me, I’ll kill you. Act accordingly.”

“Haha, what a joke.”

“Name?”

“Woo Hong.”

“Right. It would be better not to take it as a joke.”

Though it was a final warning, Woo Hong unconsciously sneered at Youngho. A reaction born from viewing Youngho as beneath him.

Youngho had yet to leave a strong impression within the Unorthodox Alliance. Externally, he was merely a somewhat strong Junior Disciple.

Knowing that, Youngho had warned him not to show disrespect. No one knew what might happen.

Yet the man treated it as a joke and mocked him instead.

Youngho was newly reminded how important outward reputation could be. With a faint smile, he moved.

Boom—!

Kicking off the ground, Youngho threw a punch into Woo Hong’s face before the latter could even perceive it.

KWAANG—!

The impact sounded as though the bones of his face had shattered into pieces.

Woo Hong’s subordinates stared blankly between Youngho and Woo Hong, unable to hide their shock.

“Stop acting cocky and do your job.”