Chapter 120

Chapter 120

As soon as Hye-gak left his seat, Myeongjeong, having realized the severity of the current situation, spoke.

“I will bring the Plum Blossom Sword Queen.”

At that, Han Yonghu did not even look at Myeongjeong and merely nodded with a hardened expression.

“Did something happen?”

At that moment, Hyeonu approached Youngho while stuffing a dumpling into his mouth.

He had bought dumplings from the inn, yet the surrounding atmosphere suddenly seemed as grave as if the sky had collapsed.

Under normal circumstances, Youngho would have joked around at Hyeonu’s question and acted as if nothing was wrong, but this time was different.

Seeing Youngho’s stiff expression, Hyeonu asked with a serious face,

“What exactly has happened?”

“A rather serious matter has occurred. It is related to the Demonic Cult.”

For an instant, killing intent flickered in Hyeonu’s eyes. He still remembered the Demonic Practitioner he had fought.

Though he had believed he had not let his guard down against someone who was an Absolute-Level Master like himself, the blood-red eyes from that time still lingered in his mind.

And he could feel the wound inflicted by the Demonic Practitioner throbbing once more.

Youngho let out a sigh and said,

“Daoist, you should first speak with the Sect Leader of the Wudang Sect. Are you not the disciple of the Sword Immortal?”

At those words, the eyes of those nearby who had overheard Youngho widened.

And the first to move was Hyeonjang.

“Child. Are you truly Master’s disciple?”

“Ah, it is my first time greeting you, Senior Brother. I am Hyeonu, Master’s disciple.”

“He did say that in his later years he would raise a disciple and then go into seclusion, but I never imagined that you would truly be Master’s disciple.”

A complex emotion surfaced on Hyeonjang’s face.

Regardless of whether Hyeonjang and Hyeonu caught up or not, Youngho paid them no mind and meticulously examined each member of the Asura Squad one by one.

After thoroughly searching even Horyeung’s body at the end, Youngho finally let out a deep sigh of relief.

“I checked just in case, but fortunately, there is no one.”

Jongpal asked in a puzzled voice,

“Young Master, earlier you said the Demonic Cult had planted Lightning Bombs inside people’s bodies, didn’t you?”

“That’s right.”

“After we arrived at the Murim Alliance, did we do anything that would result in Lightning Bombs being planted in our bodies?”

“It would have been far better if that were the case. That much, Hyeon-gang could simply cut open the belly and remove.”

Even though Hyeon-gang’s expression crumpled, Youngho continued,

“Gravely speaking, the Lightning Bombs the Demonic Cult planted inside the body are not ordinary Lightning Bombs. It would be more accurate to call them Internal Energy.”

“Internal Energy?”

“Yes. In the children of the Sahyeon Sect, there was faint Internal Energy gathered in one place within their bodies.”

“Like a tumor?”

“Exactly. And the location of that Internal Energy was near the heart. It is only my speculation, but that Internal Energy likely exploded instantaneously, causing incidents like the one just now to continue occurring.”

Even after Youngho’s explanation, Kang Hosan tilted his head, still not understanding.

“Young Master, the girl who died just now…”

“There is much to say about that as well. A child who had not even learned martial arts would never have concealed her presence so secretly.”

“Then just how…?”

“We will think about that later. For now, once an Absolute-Level Master arrives, matters will proceed more quickly.”

“Must it truly be an Absolute-Level Master? There are plenty of masters in the Transformation Realm here.”

“An ordinary Transformation Realm master will not suffice. Even within the Sahyeon Sect, it was hidden with extreme secrecy. From what I sensed, at the very least someone at the level of the Plum Blossom Sword Queen must examine the body for us to be at ease.”

“Indeed, observing one’s own body and observing another’s body are incomparably different in difficulty.”

“Exactly.”

All of a sudden, Youngho was reminded of Myeongnyang and turned his gaze to where she stood.

“Oh?”

There stood Myeongnyang, her face pale, biting her lips so hard that blood had begun to seep out, staring at Youngho.

“Well done. As expected of the Strategist I acknowledged. Your mental fortitude is truly remarkable.”

It was astonishing that an ordinary Common Person had endured Youngho’s wrath. Moreover, that Common Person was a frail woman.

For a brief moment, he recalled something the Heavenly Demon had said before the Regression.

—Remarkable. For a woman who has not even learned martial arts to possess such formidable mental strength.

Unable to suppress the smile blooming across his face, Youngho said,

“Myeongnyang, I had no intention of harming you. Your son seems to have fainted, though.”

Youngho slowly approached Myeongnyang. The closer he came, the more fear filled her eyes as she looked at him and said,

“D-Don’t come any closer.”

Cradling her son in her arms, Myeongnyang spoke,

“This is the Murim Alliance. No matter how insignificant a person I may be…!”

Suddenly, Youngho’s body form vanished, and in the blink of an eye he stood directly before Myeongnyang, frowning.

“The way you fear me like that makes this rather awkward. I am going to perform a light examination, so do not move.”

“A-An examination?”

“Yes. To explain briefly, at present there may be someone here carrying a Lightning Bomb inside their body that could detonate at any moment.”

“…What?”

“It is fortunate that the nearby Common People fainted. Had they heard this, there would have been complete chaos. Your son—or even you—might have a Lightning Bomb planted inside your body. So, may I examine you for a moment?”

It was an exceedingly gentle and warm tone of voice—so much so that one could forget the fury Youngho had unleashed just moments ago.

“Just hold out your hand for a moment.”

As though possessed by a yokai, Myeongnyang stared at Youngho with unfocused pupils and extended her wrist.

Youngho took her pulse and carefully examined her body. Even so, it lasted no more than a Fleeting Instant.

He nodded and said,

“Good. Fortunately, there is nothing in you. May I take a look at your son as well?”

“Y-Yes!”

Youngho began meticulously observing the inside of the unconscious boy’s body.

After a short while, he turned to Myeongnyang with a hardened expression.

“You may not believe this, but I will first tell you what I sensed. A Lightning Bomb has been planted inside your child’s body.”

Thud—!

Such words were never spoken even in jest. That was how dangerous a Lightning Bomb was.

And the one standing before her was an Absolute Master far beyond her imagination. At the very least, the Mad Black Sword Ghost bore her goodwill. Which meant there was a high possibility that this statement was true.

The strength left Myeongnyang’s legs, and she could no longer support herself.

Youngho lightly supported her staggering body with one hand and spoke gently,

“It’s alright. The Lightning Bomb planted in your child’s body—I can remove it.”

For a brief moment, light returned to Myeongnyang’s lifeless eyes.

Dropping to her knees, she said,

“Great Hero! I beg of you! I will do anything—please save my child! If you want money, I will give you all my wealth and my house! No—if you demand my body, I will offer that as well! So please…!”

Seeing Myeongnyang gazing at him with desperate eyes, Youngho clicked his tongue once.

“Stand up, Myeongnyang.”

“Great Hero…”

“I will take responsibility for your child and protect him. So get up.”

“I-Is that truly so?”

“Yes. If you don’t stand, I won’t treat him.”

Springing up!

As though she had never knelt at all, Myeongnyang quickly rose to her feet.

“Thank you! Thank you!”

It was an incongruous sight. It had been Youngho who had rendered the surrounding people unconscious.

One would expect her to feel terror at such a display, yet Myeongnyang was strangely composed.

More accurately, she had not lost her mind—but in Youngho’s eyes, she appeared different from the very beginning, as though her sprout had been unlike others from the start.

In a warm voice, he spoke to Myeongnyang, who still could not stop crying.

“Calm yourself a little. Hosan, bring some water.”

“To splash on her face?”

“Are you Myeongnyang? Of course it’s for drinking.”

“Ah… y-yes.”

Kang Hosan dashed toward the well at great speed.

Entrusting Myeongnyang to Kang Chowon, Youngho looked at Han Yonghu and said,

“Originally, I should be speaking informally—but you do know it was the Alliance Leader who first broke the atmosphere, don’t you?”

“…Yes.”

“Rather than trusting the words of an unbelievable member of the Unorthodox Faction, far more weight will be given to yours. So please examine this child’s body first.”

Letting out a low groan, Han Yonghu began slowly observing the boy’s body.

Unlike Youngho, who had merely checked the pulse briefly, Han Yonghu examined the boy for nearly half a Dakyung.

It was not that he was more meticulous than Youngho. It was simply that Youngho existed in a realm entirely different from Han Yonghu’s, allowing him to complete his observation swiftly.

Han Yonghu suddenly flung open his previously closed eyes and spoke. Rage, fury, wrath—intense emotions erupted within his heart.

“These bastards deserve to be chewed to pieces…!”

At his furious words, Namgung Hyeon approached and asked,

“Alliance Leader, are the words of the Mad Black Sword Ghost true?”

Han Yonghu kept his gaze fixed on the boy as his teeth ground together.

Crunch!

“…Yes, they are true. I do not know the exact nature of it. However, at the very least, there is an energy within this child more dangerous than Demonic Energy.”

Han Yonghu was the Murim Alliance Leader. He stood at the center of the Orthodox Sect and represented them.

Any words that left his mouth—whether good or bad—would demand accountability from someone.

And at present, Han Yonghu felt utterly foul.

“First, we must extract the Internal Energy within the child.”

As Han Yonghu reached toward the boy, Youngho suddenly seized his wrist.

Startled by the sudden action, Han Yonghu looked at Youngho in surprise.

Yet what was even more startling was Youngho’s expression. Not his usual playful face, but one utterly rigid.

“Alliance Leader. If you touch that, it will explode immediately.”

And in the words that followed, Han Yonghu understood why Youngho’s face had hardened so severely.

“Explode?”

“Yes. Unless heaven’s fortune favors you, Alliance Leader, you will not be able to remove the Internal Energy within this child.”

It was so insolent that one could hardly believe it had come from a mere Junior Disciple.

But Youngho was not someone who could be defined by the word Junior Disciple.

Not yet even at the Age of Forty, he possessed insight far beyond that of Han Yonghu, the Murim Alliance Leader.

Age and status held no meaning before Youngho. That was why Han Yonghu trusted him and listened to his words.

Without rebutting, Han Yonghu listened carefully.

“Even if I personally extract the Internal Energy, the success rate would barely reach eight out of ten. I do not mean to disregard you, Alliance Leader, but please wait a little.”

“Hm… If you say so, then it must be so.”

“Yes. And it is not as though he will die immediately if we do not act right now.”

“Hmm…”

After a moment of contemplation, Han Yonghu spoke.

“Youngho. Would you be willing to help us?”

For Han Yonghu, it was an exceedingly cautious question. One could even say it was a request made despite his lingering guilt.

Until now, Youngho had endured countless insulting remarks from the Orthodox Sect.

Regardless of his character or conduct, merely because he belonged to the Unorthodox Faction.

Youngho nodded.

“I can help. If it is something that will cause the Alliance Leader hardship, Master would surely tell me to assist.”

“That is true.”

“I will first analyze how to extract the Internal Energy within the body in the most stable manner.”

“Then what should we do in the meantime?”

“It is simple. Please observe the bodies of every person in Anhui.”

“Very well, I understand… hm?”

“Assuming you neither eat nor sleep, it should take about half a year to finish.”

At Youngho’s composed words, Han Yonghu let out a hollow laugh.

…There truly was nothing else he could do but laugh.