By Zephyria Il-gwang’s Conspiracy (3)
The Cliff of Chance appeared.
Below the dizzying cliff, only a hazy mist filled the air. Above it, a single wooden bridge stretched out. The distance between the cliffs was so great that the end of the bridge was nowhere to be seen.
“Y-You want me to go over there?”
Seong Mu-yeon trembled. The ropes connecting the planks looked too thin, and the wooden planks themselves were so old and worn that they seemed ready to crumble at any moment.
“Are you scared of this?”
Baek Ryeo-il laughed mockingly.
“Aren’t you?”
“It won’t collapse. Come on, Seventh Young master.”
Il-gwang was already crossing the bridge. When even Baek Ryeo-il started striding forward, Seong Mu-yeon had no choice but to follow.
From a certain point onward, the front, back, and sides were filled with a hazy cloud. There was no way to know the end.
“Don’t shake it!”
Seong Mu-yeon shrieked and hugged the ropes. Baek Ryeo-il, who had been giggling annoyingly, suddenly changed his expression. He stared at the unseen end of the bridge.
As a thin breeze blew, the mist that had been obscuring their vision was swept away, and beyond it, an old castle came into view. Sharp energy gleamed from each level. Dozens of people were aiming bows at the bridge in unison.
“The Seventh Young master has arrived. Lower your weapons.”
Il-gwang said calmly. Then, the ominous energy subsided as if washed away, and all the arrows that had been protruding from the battlements disappeared.
“Let’s go in.”
Seong Mu-yeon nodded.
It was a strange feeling.
In the original story, Baek Ryeo-il faced difficulties from the moment he entered this place. Attacks rained down while crossing the bridge, and soon the bridge’s ropes were cut. He had to climb the walls, avoid the arrows pouring down from above, and cut down hundreds of demonic cultists rushing at him one by one to barely manage to enter.
But now, it was as if…
“Welcome, Seventh Young master!”
“The Seventh Young master has arrived!”
Dozens of demonic cultists split to the sides as if giving a welcoming greeting.
“This way.”
Someone guided the three inside. Following a wide corridor with a high ceiling, they arrived at a large door where a woman was standing. She was dressed entirely in black, and her hair was also jet black, making only her white skin seem to float.
“It is an honor for this Black Demon Mother to have the Seventh Young master visit.”
The Black Demon Mother smiled, folding her seductive eyes, and pushed open the massive door, revealing a space decorated like a reception room.
She guided Seong Mu-yeon straight to the seat of honor.
Originally, it was the seat of the branch leader, but since the highest-ranking person in this space was now Seong Mu-yeon, he naturally stepped up the few stairs and took the seat of honor.
Seong Mu-yeon’s demeanor as he sat down was so natural, as if the seat had always been his. Seong Mu-yeon slowly surveyed the space. Everyone in this place, except for Baek Ryeo-il, bowed to him.
“Seong Mu-yeon?”
As Baek Ryeo-il tried to approach Seong Mu-yeon, the Black Demon Mother cast a sharp gaze to stop him. Seong Mu-yeon raised his hand to stop her.
“Leave him alone. More importantly, I have something to ask.”
“Speak your command.”
Baek Ryeo-il seemed bewildered by Seong Mu-yeon’s unfamiliar demeanor. The Seong Mu-yeon he had known always shrieked or didn’t hesitate to beg abjectly. He was someone who seemed accustomed to living in the lowest position.
But now…
“You were suddenly dispatched to the Henan branch. Is living in a foreign land alright?”
Seong Mu-yeon murmured, touching the edge of the large chair with his fingertips. From that slow gesture, an aura of a ruler that could not be hidden emanated.
For some reason, Baek Ryeo-il’s heart began to pound…
“The previous one was so inflexible that I had some trouble removing unnecessary decorations, but it’s livable.”
As expected, the Black Demon Mother, a favorite of the First Young master, spoke almost petulantly without being intimidated even in front of a Demonic Cult young master.
“I see. That’s a relief.”
All the lackeys of the dead Fourth Young master had been cast out and demoted to unimportant positions. If Seong Mu-yeon had as much influence in the Demonic Cult as the Fourth Young master, he would not have been welcomed like this.
Although the seven brothers were not particularly affectionate with each other, the First Young master was generous, perhaps because of his solid position. Especially towards the youngest, Seong Mu-yeon, there was no reason to feel threatened, so his subordinates also had mental composure.
“Black Demon Mother.”
“Yes.”
“I heard that among the guys the previous branch leader had, there’s one called Dok-goe who’s here now.”
“That’s right. The martial world has been quite noisy recently because of what that guy did. Before I came, he apparently gained the trust of the previous branch leader and ran wild quite a bit. He must have gotten scared, because he rushed to me and begged me to protect him.”
“Hand him over.”
“Why?”
Seong Mu-yeon seemed relaxed, but inwardly he did not let his guard down. Just as Il-gwang followed Seong Mu-ryong, all demonic cultists outwardly pretended to serve while inwardly choosing their own lord.
The Black Demon Mother was especially a long-time subordinate of the promising First Young master, so if she thought he would be a threat to her lord, she would try to eliminate the Seventh Young master Seong Mu-yeon even if it meant overstepping her authority.
“Il-gwang, you explain.”
At Seong Mu-yeon’s words, Il-gwang stepped forward and neatly summarized the situation. Fortunately, the Black Demon Mother came to a rational conclusion.
“I see. I agree with the Seventh Young master’s opinion as well. In any case, we must not cause unnecessary disturbances and harm the Demonic Cult.”
She judged that it would be helpful when the First Young master became the Cult Leader and commanded the Demonic Cult in the future.
“Bring Dok-goe here.”
The Black Demon Mother nodded to her subordinate. It was a distinctly different, ruthless expression from when she was dealing with Seong Mu-yeon.
However, the subordinate with a troubled expression approached the Black Demon Mother and whispered.
“He… he has escaped.”
“What?”
Dok-goe had not yet been imprisoned, so upon hearing the news that the Seventh Young master and a Hwasan Sect Taoist had barged in, he had quickly run away.
“Since the only exit from this castle is the central bridge anyway, he won’t be able to get out. Block the bridge and bring him back.”
“I’ll go myself.”
Baek Ryeo-il seemed furious at the thought of missing Dok-goe. He immediately followed the Black Demon Mother’s subordinate.
“Take good care of the Seventh Young master.”
Il-gwang also instructed the Black Demon Mother before following him.
“Don’t worry. I’ll bring him to the Young master soon. The Hwasan Sect brat went with him, so it’ll be even faster. Shall we have a cup of tea?”
“Shall we?”
The central bridge was blocked.
Baek Ryeo-il discovered Dok-goe’s retreating figure as he fled from the pursuit of the subordinates and immediately chased after him.
“He’s going underground! Chase him!”
Before the subordinates could swarm in, Baek Ryeo-il landed in front of them.
“Why is he going underground?”
“Did you really think there was only one exit? The Black Demon Mother doesn’t know because she hasn’t been here long, but there are a few more exits through the underground.”
“Heeik!”
Dok-goe, seeing Baek Ryeo-il chasing fiercely, poured even more inner force into his legs.
The underground passage was narrow and winding, so he couldn’t increase his speed at once. But Dok-goe was someone who had lived here for a long time, so he knew every corner like the back of his hand, and he cleverly escaped using the terrain.
The deeper they went underground, the more natural passages appeared.
Baek Ryeo-il closely pursued Dok-goe.
But at some point, Baek Ryeo-il turned around because he no longer felt the presence following him.
Il-gwang stood in front of the narrow entrance where another passage began, with a calm attitude as if nothing had been urgent. He reached out and slammed shut the iron bars hidden in the wall.
Baek Ryeo-il immediately sensed that the situation was taking a strange turn. Dok-goe’s presence gradually faded away, but this was the priority.
“What is this?”
“Just keep chasing Dok-goe.”
“So, you had an ulterior motive.”
At those words, Il-gwang chuckled.
“It’s better not to come back. Otherwise, you won’t be able to leave this place alive. Quietly catch that guy and go back to where you lived.”
“You’re being annoyingly talkative. I asked what your ulterior motive is.”
Baek Ryeo-il’s eyes flashed. However, Il-gwang, separated by iron bars made of black iron that even martial artists could not easily cut, did not care at all.
“The Black Demon Mother will kill you.”
“Why?”
“Recently, you went to Shanxi, didn’t you? To the Seomun Clan, was it? I heard the stench of blood was overwhelming.”
“…….”
Seeing Baek Ryeo-il’s face harden, Il-gwang became certain of his guess.
“Funnily enough, there was another piece of news where the location and timing matched up. A Demonic Cult officer was found dead there. Wi-rim, I think. Ah, maybe you don’t even know the name.”
One corner of Il-gwang’s mouth quirked up slightly.
“Wi-rim was the most beloved concubine of the Black Demon Mother who now controls this castle. She is now desperately trying to find the culprit who killed her beloved concubine. I’m going to go up and immediately announce that the Heartless Sword is the culprit who killed Officer Wi. So, it’s better not to come back.”
“……You bastard!”
Unable to contain his anger, Baek Ryeo-il slammed the bars violently. But the iron bars did not budge.
“I’ll take good care of the Seventh Young master, so don’t worry. Perhaps, we’ll never see each other again.”
Il-gwang turned around after delivering a satisfying blow.
“Wait!”
Baek Ryeo-il gripped the black iron bars tightly.
“Seong Mu-yeon… he’s with the Black Demon Mother right now, isn’t he?”
“Why do you ask…….”
Il-gwang’s face instantly turned ashen.
He was quick-witted. That’s why he pieced together the information and concluded that Baek Ryeo-il had killed Wi-rim. However… there was one more person there.
“Don’t tell me, the Seventh Young master killed Officer Wi……?”
“Damn it! You thought I killed her? That’s why you set up this dirty scheme? Leaving Seong Mu-yeon alone with the Black Demon Mother? You idiot!”
“T-This can’t be!”
Il-gwang started running without looking back.