Chapter 97

I didn’t take my attention off the man and kept staring.

“...Prepare the next search.”

The Clan Head, who had given orders to the ones who came, began to walk slowly.

It seemed he meant to look to the next spot since it wasn’t in that room.

‘If it isn’t there either, we can practically call it nonexistent.’

It was plainly a room where secret texts were gathered.

If even there was no secret manual of Myriad-Flowers Rain, this felt like the point to give up.

The Poison King didn’t seem to think so.

‘Hmph.’

That doesn’t mean I can say the secret manual doesn’t exist.

‘And I hate searching while carrying this heavy thing.’

Full Moon on my back was another problem.

‘Not easy.’

Good rewards aside, playing dumb when you know is, as always, awkward work.

I let out a breath no one would notice and had to get ready for the next move.

But—

“...Clan Head! In here...!”

Everyone focused at the voice from inside.

‘Huh?’

I widened my eyes.

The one who spoke was none other than the man I’d been watching.

“There’s something here...!”

At his shout, the Poison King reacted.

What? Is there really something?

No way... right?

There’s no way what he’s looking for is in there.

I watched, certain of it, when—

“What do you mean?”

The Poison King stepped up to him.

And the man’s eyes suddenly gleamed.

SHEEEK—!

Mid-sentence, the man whipped out a dagger and lunged at the Poison King.

‘Oh, that lunatic.’

The surprise attack startled me for a blink—and that was all.

FLICK—!

“Gkkk!!”

Not only did the Poison King casually block the strike, he lopped the hand off at the wrist.

The severed wrist rolled across the floor.

A dagger had appeared in the Poison King’s hand at some point, and I hadn’t even registered it before he cut the man.

“Father...!”

When the Poison King was ambushed, Tang Yeran cried out and moved toward him.

He stopped her with a raised hand.

His gaze stayed on the man who’d tried to stab him.

“What are you doing.”

His voice hadn’t changed despite the ambush.

Just hearing it, gooseflesh ran up my back.

CRUNCH—! The Poison King gripped the man by the neck and hoisted him up.

Lifting an adult man like nothing—my body felt pressure without meaning to.

“Du Yeongcheon. What is this.”

He asked like it made no sense.

So the attacker’s name was Du Yeongcheon.

“Gggg...”

Du Yeongcheon groaned through the pain, but his eyes stayed on the Poison King.

Meeting that, the Poison King asked again:

“Who put you up to it?”

He seemed sure Du Yeongcheon hadn’t acted alone.

“You couldn’t have thought I’d fall to such a childish trick, so what’s the point.”

As an ambush, it was crude.

The odds of success were effectively zero; even so, doing it meant there was intent.

Remembering that, the Poison King pressed him—but—

“Heh... heh-heh-heh.”

Du Yeongcheon laughed.

Grotesque.

Bleeding and in pain, laughing like that—

It looked downright grotesque.

Then—

“Everything... everything is...”

He spoke to the Poison King.

“...for the sky that will collapse...”

With those words—

EEE-EEK—!

THUMP—!!!

The door to the room the Poison King had entered slammed shut.

“Huh?”

“Clan Head!”

“What the—!!”

As the door banged closed, the martial artists outside reacted.

Watching that, my mind spun on its own.

My eyes rolled.

“Ah.”

I drew a breath and scanned ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) around.

At that moment—

KIRIRIRIRIRIK.

Somewhere, a mechanism started to move.

[Oh. It’s here.]

At that sound, Yoo Cheongil answered like he’d been waiting.

KIRIK—! KIRIRIK.

TAP!

KOOOOOOM—!

No sooner did the sound stop than another wall opened.

Just as every eye swung that way—

TUP. TUP.

Footsteps.

SHRING—!

At that, blades flashed out on all sides.

Mine as well.

Only, in that split second, I did something different.

SWISH—!

THUD!

“Guh...!?”

I didn’t stop at drawing—I swung into the Tang martial artist who was closing in behind Tang Yeran.

His throat pierced, the man collapsed bleeding.

The onlookers recoiled in shock.

“Young Master Bang...!?”

“Bang Sungyeon! What are—!”

Cheon Eujin and Do Hyeong shouted at me, but this wasn’t the time to listen.

“Master Cheon, second from the northwest. Senior, the one lower right. They’re enemies.”

“...!”

At my words, Do Hyeong’s gaze changed.

And then—

SWISSSSH—!!

The very men I’d named slashed in a rush.

CLANG—! Do Hyeong and Cheon Eujin barely caught the attacks.

“What in—!”

Meanwhile Tang Yeran’s eyes went wide at the sudden eruption.

The situation flipped in an instant. Razor-edged killing intent whipped through the space.

With narrowed eyes, I looked at Yoo Cheongil.

He was smiling brightly, looking toward the entrance.

‘So this...’

Is this the situation you wanted? Leaving that vexing scene, I looked to the Poison Sovereign.

Even with a sour face, he kept his mouth shut.

‘...What are you doing?’

It was ugly at a glance. I looked down at my hands.

Tremble-tremble. My fingertips shook. At the same time I looked at the person sprawled on the floor.

I didn’t know his name or age. At best I knew he was a man.

‘Damn.’

I’d killed someone again. Because of it, my hands kept shaking.

Huu. I cycled my breathing and pushed the feeling down.

Then—

CLANG—! CLANG-CLANG!

A sharp clatter rang out. Do Hyeong and Cheon Eujin were fighting.

Do I dive in?

I was debating when—

“Unexpected.”

A weighty voice came from somewhere.

At the same time—

SLAASH—!

“...!”

The enemies they were fighting suddenly lost their heads; the severed necks tumbled across the floor.

At that, Do Hyeong flung his blade up in guard.

KANG—!

A rough sound kicked off his sword with a shock that crashed over him.

“Kh.”

He grimaced and fell back.

“Oh. You blocked?”

Someone came on, sounding pleased.

That one.

‘Owner of the footsteps.’

The one whose tread I’d been hearing.

The one who made every hair on my body stand the moment I heard him.

It was that one.

“Huuu... hu.”

The breath I’d barely steadied began to shake again. Not just me—everyone here seemed the same.

Every eye fixed in one place.

TUP. TUP.

There were several sets of footsteps. Strangely, only one rang clear in my ears.

Soon enough, figures emerged from the open entrance.

Roughly a dozen and a half.

All of them wore black martial garb and masks.

All but exactly one. Only one showed his bare face.

A man near eight feet tall.

Wide shoulders, a massive frame, long hair.

Cold sweat slid down my cheek at the sight.

I knew at a glance.

He was the source of the vigilance firing through my whole body.

“Hm.”

The giant let out a low breath.

Then he drew up the corners of his mouth and split his face in a grin.

Showing yellowed teeth, beaming wide, the giant looked at us and spoke.

“Pleasure to meet you.”

“...Who are you.”

Do Hyeong eyed him warily.

“Me?”

At that, the giant pointed at himself with thick fingers.

“Dunno if telling a bunch of whelps will make it register, but.”

Kk-k-k.

He chuckled, and my heart pounded. The killing intent packed into that small laugh raised my hackles.

“This uncle is called Pal Duyeok. Ever heard of me?”

“...!”

Pal Duyeok. At the name, Cheon Eujin reacted at once.

“The Demonic Leather Spear...?”

“Oh.”

At Cheon Eujin’s words, the giant clapped.

“You know me.”

“How are you... here...”

‘Demonic Leather Spear?’

A nickname I didn’t know. Cheon Eujin clearly did; not just him—Do Hyeong and Tang Yeran started in shock the moment it was said.

“If it’s the Demonic Leather Spear... he died ten years ago... and at that.”

Tang Yeran clamped her mouth shut mid-sentence, tense. Seeing that, the giant snickered and continued:

“Right. Your father gave me quite the beating.”

“...”

“Well now. Since everyone seems to know, I’m in a good mood. Then—”

Tuk.

“...!”

Every body went rigid. By the time we registered it, the giant—Pal Duyeok—had come up right beside us.

We hadn’t perceived it.

He’d been way over there—when did he move?

“I’ve got something to ask too. Will you answer?”

Tuk. Pal Duyeok dropped an arm over Cheon Eujin’s shoulder.

“Which of you is the Sword Saint’s successor.”

I had to stall at the words. Cheon Eujin’s eyes trembled.

“I heard he was good-looking... but all your mugs are decent, so it’s hard to tell. Is it you?”

He looked Cheon Eujin over, then shook his head.

“No. Not this one...”

Then his gaze came to me.

“Mm, that one... that one’s more ambiguous. Then—”

At last he turned to Do Hyeong.

“It’s you. You’re the best of the lot.”

“...”

Then, as if certain, Pal Duyeok said:

“You’re the Sword Saint’s successor. Right?”

Do Hyeong frowned for a beat—

“That’s right.”

—and then admitted it outright.

Except—

“I—!”

BOOM—!

He didn’t get to finish. Pal Duyeok vanished again and swung a fist at him.

“Grk!”

He barely got his blade up, but Do Hyeong’s body lifted and flew.

He managed to land and bleed off the force, but Pal Duyeok was already standing in front of him.

“When a man asks you something, you shouldn’t answer with a lie.”

Then his gaze slid to me.

“Isn’t that so, Bang Sungyeon.”

“...”

I had to grimace.

He already knew everything.

Damn it. With a hand still shaking, I pushed my hair back.

Yeah, hell. I always knew something like this would happen.

I should’ve expected it from the moment I tangled with that damned vicious ghost.

“Were you... looking for me, Senior?”

Didn’t know who he was, but I called him senior.

“Hmmm.”

At my words, Pal Duyeok looked me over like he was intrigued.

“The description matches... but you’re really that monster’s successor?”

“I’m definitely a lot better-looking than that guy.”

“Ha-ha.”

Tap.

With a short sound, Pal Duyeok popped up right in my face. What is he, a thief in a tale—why is he flashing east and west like this.

My back was already damp.

Hiding the cold sweat soaking through, I looked at him.

“I like your tongue. A man should have some spine.”

Pal Duyeok laughed big and hearty. His laughter seemed to shake the space, then, after a long chuckle, his face went blank.

“However.”

KUUUUU—!

“...Kh!”

A tremendous force crushed down over my whole body.

“You should still pick the time and place.”

Killing intent.

I’d never felt anything this vicious. Killing intent alone, pressing me down.

‘...I’m seriously screwed.’

A different order from anything I’d met.

Monsters beyond what people call masters.

He reeked of absolute master.

What the hell is he? Why did something like this show up?

And—

‘What is he thinking.’

What is that old man thinking, watching and letting it get to this state.

As questions piled—

“Curious, really. You don’t look like much... so why is the Gentleman paying attention to you. Or is he concerned with your monster who’s already dead?”

Pal Duyeok spoke.

Even then, the killing intent still poured off him—

“And yet the man himself erased him with his own hand. Isn’t that hilarious.”

“...What?”

The moment he said it next, my fear dropped away.