By Zephyria Exterminate the Clan (1)
“How dare a Demonic Cult subject insult me, the Young master of the Jegal Clan?”
Jegal Un, greatly agitated, growled, whether out of anger over the situation going awry.
“You and I are clearly in different positions. As proof, even if I kill you on the spot right now, is there anyone who would blame me?”
He brought his hand to the iron fan tucked into his waist, raising the corner of his lips in a sneer.
“Ah, except for that arrogant Heartless Sword Baek Ryeo-il. That guy kept badgering us, spouting nonsense about your innocence, but look what became of him in the end!”
The sharp fan ribs emitted a chilling light. Seong Mu-yeon sighed deeply.
“As Young master said, there is a spy inside the manor. On the night of the attack, Third Young Master Seong Mu-geuk came to see me.”
Jegal Un flinched.
“He said he had planted someone and could retrieve the Spirit Pill at any time.”
The oppressive murderous aura emanating from him subsided in an instant. Instead, Jegal Un’s eyes gleamed.
“Is that true?”
Seong Mu-yeon nodded. Jegal Un’s fierce energy dissipated, but he still didn’t let go of his suspicious gaze.
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Didn’t I say? I have no intention of antagonizing Young master. My goal is to take the Spirit Pill and Sixth Young Master back, and to do that, I need to track down the Demon Slayer Unit, so aren’t we going the same way anyway?”
“……”
Jegal Un stared intently at Seong Mu-yeon, as if gauging the truth. At the same time, it was clear that he was deep in thought, his mind racing.
“……That’s something we’ll have to see.”
So muttering, he released Seong Mu-yeon’s collar as if throwing it away. Seong Mu-yeon breathed a sigh of relief.
“I know you suspect me, but it’s not me. Whatever plan you’ve made, you must be extremely careful to prevent information from leaking. Limit the number of people who can access it and keep thorough records.”
“Now a Demonic Cult bastard is trying to teach me. Get lost.”
He glared fiercely at Seong Mu-yeon one last time, adding a word.
“No matter what you do, remember that you can’t escape my eyes within this manor.”
The threats and suspicious gazes were now so familiar that Seong Mu-yeon didn’t feel anything.
As the saying goes, a word without feet travels a thousand miles; overnight, rumors spread like wildfire that the Demonic Cult had appeared in Wuhan. Even before dawn, Wuhan was even more crowded, as third-rate martial artists eager to make a name for themselves with feats of arms and wandering vagrants looking to make money in this opportunity flocked to the city.
“It seems more people will gather in the future.”
Gang Woong, who had returned after delivering news to the Flying Swallow Sect waiting for them, brought news from outside.
“The number of outsiders entering and leaving the manor has also noticeably increased.”
Seong Mu-yeon nodded worriedly. The orthodox sect figures, including Jegal and Wudang, who had begun to gather, were furious at the Demonic Cult’s preemptive strike and vowed to return the insult. Meetings were held dozens of times every day, but Seong Mu-yeon had no idea what was being discussed inside.
Baek Ryeo-il, representing Mount Hua, was lying in bed and unable to fulfill his role, and his disciple, the only one who could replace him, was a young boy who knew nothing.
Not knowing how the situation was unfolding, he felt a precarious sense of unease, as if they were currently moving as planned on the board laid out by Seong Mu-geuk.
Would Seong Mu-geuk really wait idly by until the orthodox sect formed a proper alliance and launched a counterattack?
What was the reason for taking Seong Mu-jae?
〈You are destined to come to me anyway.〉
The last words Seong Mu-geuk left before leaving made him anxious.
The next day, he became even more disturbed when the Jegal Clan martial artists appeared at the gate with Bang Gyeom.
“This man has not yet been completely cleared of suspicion, so do not release the restraints. Also, please note that Young master will be responsible if he causes any problems.”
The warriors, after giving a stern warning, handed Bang Gyeom over as if dumping him and quickly left.
“……Seventh Young Master. Sixth Young Master…… I couldn’t save Sixth Young Master.”
Bang Gyeom’s appearance was not good, but the dark shadow cast on his face was even more serious. He drooped his shoulders powerlessly, like someone who had lost the will to live, and didn’t even lift his head.
“Come on in for now. Let’s wash up and change clothes.”
“……How can I dare to wash up and walk around looking neat when I don’t know what Sixth Young Master is going through right now? I’ll just stay here.”
Bang Gyeom knelt down in a corner near the entrance with a gloomy face.
“…….”
Seong Mu-yeon stared intently at Bang Gyeom, who was volunteering to be punished.
“That’s too bad.”
Even Gang Woong couldn’t help but sigh with pity as he looked at him. But this wasn’t the end.
“Bang Gyeom, I’m sorry, but I have to tell you that Sixth Brother excommunicated you when I last saw him.”
“Yes……? Ex…… What did you say?”
Poor Bang Gyeom denied reality even though he had clearly heard it.
“Sixth Young Master excommunicated you.”
Seong Mu-yeon’s heart ached, but he had to say what he had to say.
“No, it can’t be……. That can’t be true.”
“It’s unfortunate, but it’s true. Brother no longer wants you to remain in the Demonic Cult. He wants you to not be bound to him anymore. Once things settle down a bit, pack your bags and leave to wherever you want to go.”
“…….”
Bang Gyeom’s eyes widened as he gaped for a long time. Then, he plopped down haphazardly, exuding an even more dismal aura than before. Leaving the dazed man behind, he entered Baek Ryeo-il’s room, and Gang Woong cautiously followed.
“Um……. Young master, you were too harsh. He already went through something bad. You could have put it more gently.”
Seong Mu-yeon shrugged.
“Isn’t it better to accept what you don’t like quickly?”
Right now, his mind was complicated with other problems, and he didn’t have the leisure to worry about Bang Gyeom’s despair.
Jegal Un had said he would never release Bang Gyeom, but in the end, he sent him back. It wasn’t because he trusted Seong Mu-yeon or showed mercy.
‘He wants him to cause trouble.’
If the two of them did anything even slightly suspicious, he intended to seize the opportunity to get rid of them altogether. Perhaps eyes and ears were watching them from all directions, monitoring their movements.
Seong Mu-yeon sighed.
It was a waste of manpower when he should have been focusing solely on Third Young Master and the Demon Slayer Unit.
Not long after, the situation worsened when dozens of elite disciples sent by the Wudang sect arrived at the manor. The Wudang disciples glared around as if trying to find the culprit who had put their Senior Brother in this state, so Seong Mu-yeon found it difficult to even go outside his room for fear of getting into a fight with them.
Jegal and Wudang seemed to have entered into a power struggle to gain command while cooperating with each other, and Jegal Un and Hyeon-jin Elder were frequently seen arguing.
‘Is this going to be okay…….’
Moreover, the numerous outsiders who had rushed in, wanting to capture a Demonic Cult Young master, were constantly causing a ruckus, so Seong Mu-yeon’s worries only deepened day by day.
Fortunately, a piece of good news arrived a few days later.
“Je Cheon-deuk Dojo has woken up!”
Gang Woong said with a bright face for the first time in a while. The boy, who had been gloomy ever since his Master was injured, had gone to get a meal and rushed to Seong Mu-yeon to deliver the welcome news.
“That’s really good!”
His heart felt lighter.
With Je Cheon-deuk’s awakening, the Wudang sect’s attitude also softened, and they would just pass by Seong Mu-yeon without acknowledging him.
After some time, Seong Mu-yeon opened his mouth after much deliberation.
“I think I should meet Je Cheon-deuk Dojo.”
“Why?”
Gang Woong furrowed his brow worriedly. Even though they had softened, the Wudang faction still seemed to blame Seong Mu-yeon for Je Cheon-deuk’s injury, so it was clear that he wouldn’t receive good treatment even if he went to see him in person.
Seong Mu-yeon read Gang Woong’s worries and smiled gently.
“I can’t just sit idly by, can I? Mount Hua will be sending support soon, but it would be good to find out the Wudang’s movements somehow before that……. And Je Dojo directly faced the Demon Slayer Unit and crossed swords with them, so we might be able to get a small clue.”
Gang Woong, who knew in advance from Seong Mu-yeon that there was a spy hidden inside, nodded resolutely.
They headed to where the Wudang sect was staying at the right time. As soon as Seong Mu-yeon appeared in the alley, the disciples swarmed around and became very wary. It was as expected.
“Go back.”
When Seong Mu-yeon asked, a young Taoist priest who appeared to be Je Cheon-deuk’s Junior Brother crossed his arms over his chest and glared fiercely at him.