By Zephyria Enlightenment (5)
But Jegal Un was faster. Jegal Un wielded his iron fan, and the metal ribs shot out, piercing Yang Ha-gakju’s torso.
“Keuk!”
At the same time, Jang Han-soo kicked off the ground. Jegal Un, holding the box in one hand and the iron fan in the other, began to fight Jang Han-soo.
“You’re determined to make a foolish choice!”
Jang Han-soo shouted, swinging his sword wildly.
“You won’t be able to kill us all!”
Seong Mu-yeon, who had only seen him being thoroughly defeated by Baek Ryeo-il, involuntarily exclaimed at the sharp swordsmanship Jang Han-soo displayed. Jegal Un was barely managing to block the relentless attacks.
Taking advantage of the time Jang Han-soo was buying, he hurriedly checked on Yang Ha-gakju. Jegal Un had undoubtedly aimed for a vital point, but Yang Ha-gakju, with his tenacious life force, seemed to have twisted his body at the last moment to avoid it. However, he was unconscious, likely due to the impact.
“Young Master Seomun, I’ll entrust the Young master to you.”
Seong Mu-yeon said, having decided to subdue Jegal Un first, and Seomun Yuha nodded solemnly.
“Do-jang! Can you hold the Young master for a moment?”
“What are you suddenly saying…! Keuek!”
Jang Han-soo retreated, leaping back to avoid Jegal Un, who was attacking from below.
“I’ll explain later!”
Jang Han-soo seemed to hesitate for a moment when Seomun Yuha drew his Hwarin whip and joined the fight. However, Jang Han-soo, who didn’t have an overwhelming advantage in skill, wouldn’t be able to hold out against Jegal Un for long. Even considering that Jegal Un wasn’t able to use his full strength due to the limitations of the narrow space, sacrifices would be inevitable to completely subdue him.
Finally, as if having made up his mind, Jang Han-soo’s eyes gleamed, and he began to push Jegal Un with all his might. Jegal Un staggered back little by little as the unique, fast, and sharp sword attacks poured down relentlessly.
When Jegal Un finally showed an opening due to the relentless attacks from Jang Han-soo and Seomun Yuha, Jang Han-soo quickly struck him on the head with the hilt of his sword. Then, he wrapped his arms around Jegal Un’s shoulders, who was momentarily faltering.
Seomun Yuha didn’t miss the opportunity and covered Jegal Un’s temples, making eye contact.
“Drop your weapon, Young master.”
At the soft but firm command, Jegal Un’s eyes widened. But he didn’t give in easily. He trembled, refusing to let go of the iron fan.
“Drop your weapon!”
Seomun Yuha shouted again.
It was the moment Seong Mu-yeon let out a sigh of relief, seeing Jegal Un succumb to the allure of the Flowering Bone and his trembling subside.
There was a clanging sound as metal fell to the floor. But Jegal Un still gripped the iron fan tightly.
The one who dropped the weapon was none other than Jang Han-soo.
Jang Han-soo opened his mouth blankly, then suddenly rolled his eyes back and collapsed to the floor. Before anyone could grasp the situation, a white hand suddenly emerged from behind Jegal Un and grabbed Seomun Yuha’s cheek.
“This is quite interesting.”
As Jegal Un stepped aside, the owner of the soft voice revealed himself.
Seong Mu-yeon felt his body stiffen.
“To meet a young Flowering Bone here.”
Peng Yuan-jin turned Seomun Yuha’s face this way and that, as if observing a rare object.
“Young master Peng… Why are you here…”
“Greetings, Young master Seong Mu-yeon.”
Peng Yuan-jin greeted him kindly, as usual. The sight, so out of place in this situation, felt unreal.
“Young master.”
At the light call, Jegal Un handed the box he was holding to Peng Yuan-jin.
Seomun Yuha, with a bloodless, pale face, could only stiffen and watch, unable to move. Seong Mu-yeon’s situation was no different.
A chilling coldness swept over him, as if all the blood had been drained from his body in an instant. His legs trembled, and he had to struggle to stand properly.
Peng Yuan-jin glanced over the box he had received, then suddenly raised his head and looked at Seong Mu-yeon.
“Oh dear, I seem to have startled you.”
“No, you… There’s no way… Were you the spy Third Young Master planted?”
Peng Yuan-jin curved his eyes and smiled kindly.
“Don’t look at me like that. I was planning to visit you later and explain everything formally, but you couldn’t wait and came looking for me first, thanks to Seventh Young Master.”
“…How could you.”
Seong Mu-yeon muttered blankly at the appearance of someone he had never imagined.
He knew the original story, so he could fully trust Baek Ryeo-il. For the same reason, he had trusted Peng Yuan-jin, so the shock was immeasurable.
It was as absurd as Baek Ryeo-il turning into a villain.
No. At least Peng Yuan-jin shouldn’t have been like that.
Suddenly, Seomun Yuha, still held by Peng Yuan-jin, came into view. Seong Mu-yeon barely managed to regain his composure.
“…Please release Young Master Seomun. He has nothing to do with this, so please don’t harm him.”
“This Flowering Bone, you mean? Are you worried I might harm him?”
“…”
Seong Mu-yeon bit his lip. He was surprised that he was standing upright, as confused as he was, but at the same time, he felt all the nerve cells in his body awakening to deal with the crisis.
Peng Yuan-jin patted Seomun Yuha’s cheek with a gentle gesture.
“Don’t worry. In this era where there are hardly any living Flowering Bones left, I can’t afford to lose a precious young member of the same race.”
Seong Mu-yeon didn’t understand the meaning of his words for a moment.
But seeing Jang Han-soo, who had suddenly lost consciousness and collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut, and Jegal Un, who was standing blankly to one side like someone broken, he quickly realized.
“You, could it be…”
Peng Yuan-jin’s smile deepened.
“Young master Peng, you are a Flowering Bone.”
No sooner had those words left his mouth than Seomun Yuha collapsed to the floor like Jang Han-soo, without any warning.
“I’m a little disappointed that you only realized it now, even though you’ve been close to a Flowering Bone.”
Seong Mu-yeon hurriedly lowered his eyes.
Now everything was explained. Jegal Un’s suspicious actions, his careless behavior, were all characteristics of someone captivated by a Flowering Bone.
He faintly heard laughter from above his head.
“Do you think you can avoid me just by not making eye contact? That might work on a young Flowering Bone. Once this child gains experience like me, he’ll be able to use his abilities without making eye contact. But I won’t use my abilities on you, so relax.”
“…”
“You don’t believe me? Well, I can’t help that, but it’ll be easier for you to believe me. Some things can’t be achieved by force.”
“Why… Why are you doing this? Since when have you been working with the Demonic Cult?”
His body trembled like an aspen.
“You’re the Young master of the Habeok Peng Clan…! What could you possibly lack? What’s the reason for betraying your family and the martial world like this?”
“You asked why I’m working with the Demonic Cult?”
Step, step. Peng Yuan-jin took light steps, like someone out for a stroll. He continued in a soft voice.
“You must have felt it too, Young master? The Nine Great Sects, the Five Great Families… They’re all vile hypocrites. They preach about valuing righteousness on the surface, but they’re all petty villains.”
He stealthily raised his head and saw Peng Yuan-jin scanning Jang Han-soo, Yang Ha-gakju, and Jegal Un, who was standing blankly to one side, with a cold gaze he had never shown before.
“I don’t want to see those people living well and prospering. I want them to be trampled on mercilessly until not even their souls remain, and to despair. But my own strength is not enough, so wouldn’t I need the help of a greater person?”
His eyes swirled with turbulence. Within them, a thick hatred and anger, boiled down and sticky, overflowed. Seong Mu-yeon was speechless at how Peng Yuan-jin had so perfectly concealed such intense emotions.
“Don’t you want to take revenge too, Young master? Don’t you want to inflict terrible pain on the enemy who took away your precious people?”
Peng Yuan-jin, suddenly returning to his usual friendly demeanor, smiled and said.
“Take the Spirit Pill and follow the Third Young Master. He will do that for you. When he unifies the Central Plains, the existing Demonic Cult and martial world will die and be reborn.”
His mouth was smiling, but his eyes were not, making him eerie.
On the one hand, his heart felt heavy and constricted. It wasn’t hard to imagine a Flowering Bone having reason to be angry at the world.