By Zephyria Enlightenment (6)
“Who did it to you? Who is the reason for this?”
A crack appeared in Peng Yuan-jin’s smile.
The blood and flesh of Flowering Bone greatly enhances inner force more than any Spirit Pill. If Peng Yuan-jin is Flowering Bone, then his family must also be Flowering Bone.
“I know that Young master’s father, the Peng Clan Head, is alive and well. And the Second Young master……”
“Are you talking about Do-hwan? That child knows nothing. Born into a good family with outstanding talent…… The perfect young master that Seong Mu-yeon was talking about, who grew up without any lack, is precisely that child.”
“Then……”
“It’s my mother.”
Peng Yuan-jin said as if he couldn’t bear it.
“One day, my mother left home and never returned. My father searched for her like a madman, but couldn’t find a single strand of her hair. Haha. Why do you think that is?”
Seong Mu-yeon took a long breath.
“Eventually, my father gave up looking for my mother, and Do-hwan was born through a new wife. When I was young, I started looking for my mother again only after I grew up. And…… I found out why my mother couldn’t return.”
“……”
Peng Yuan-jin stared straight at Seong Mu-yeon and raised the corner of his mouth.
Seong Mu-yeon was speechless at the shocking truth. In the midst of this, Jegal Un, who was standing blankly, caught his eye. He was staring at the empty air, clutching his iron fan tightly, as if he couldn’t even hear the sound of voices.
“Then what about Jegal Young Clan Head? What did Young Clan Head do wrong to have to take the blame for a crime he didn’t commit? Was the Jegal Clan also at that place?”
Peng Yuan-jin chuckled at Seong Mu-yeon’s reproachful question.
“I investigated exactly who and how many people were involved, but the deeper I dug, the more I realized that it didn’t matter. Everyone was trying to hush it up and hide it among themselves. They are the same kind of people who would do the same thing if they were in the same situation.”
“That’s an excessive assumption! Jegal Young Clan Head didn’t do such a thing, but you made him kill people on your behalf!”
“Well, I wonder if they will blame Un.”
Seong Mu-yeon shuddered.
“The expedition that set out at dawn will eventually fail. They will find out that the internal confidential information of the alliance has been leaked. When they return empty-handed and the Spirit Pill is gone, who will they suspect first?”
“I, I……”
“And soon they will also find out that this Spirit Pill is a heavenly Spirit Pill with condensed inner force. Seong Mu-yeon, the Seventh Young Master who doesn’t hesitate to bow his head to the enemy to save his life, what wouldn’t he do to cure his illness?”
“……”
Peng Yuan-jin looked at him pitifully, showing a somewhat apologetic expression.
“Even if I didn’t do anything, it would eventually turn out that way someday. They live with pride, believing that they revere justice, but they are the kind of people who need someone to blame when things go wrong. The reason I’m doing this now is to let Seong Mu-yeon know that.”
Seong Mu-yeon opened his mouth to protest, feeling something surge up, but in the end, he couldn’t utter a word and lowered his head. He had been suspected of doing something he hadn’t done all along.
It was a fact that even he couldn’t deny.
“Do you know how much he cares for Young master? Have a heart that is willing to endure even such great losses to enlighten you. Third Young Master is the only one who can save you. Isn’t this what happened because you trusted Second Young Master?”
“……Why is Second Older Brother suddenly coming up here?”
Seong Mu-yeon glared at him with wary eyes. Then Peng Yuan-jin shook his head as if he was feeling sorry for him.
“How can you be so ignorant? What do you even know, Young master?”
“Don’t talk nonsense and answer me! What did Second Older Brother do?”
“That night, the night of the banquet. I am the one who told Yang Ha-gakju, who is lying there, about what happened that day through Jegal Young Clan Head. And I am now going to tell Young master a secret that you still don’t know.”
Peng Yuan-jin continued leisurely. Seong Mu-yeon felt an unknown ominous feeling, and his palms began to sweat.
“How did Cult Leader know that Seventh Young Master and his mother were planning to escape that day?”
“……What are you trying to say?”
His heart began to beat unpleasantly.
He was too curious about the next words that would come out of Peng Yuan-jin’s mouth, but on the other hand, he felt the urge to cover his ears.
“No matter how great Cult Leader is, he can’t know everything that happens in the vast Main Palace. Even about the Seventh Madam and his son. Would he even care about them? Of course, Seventh Madam would have made thorough plans, but……. There was someone who spread the plan in the middle. Someone close who frequently visited Seventh Madam’s residence. Someone who secretly hoped that you wouldn’t abandon them and leave…… Who do you think it is?”
Seong Mu-yeon’s body stiffened as if struck by lightning.
“Second Young Master Seong Mu-ryong ratted you out.”
Seong Mu-yeon shook his head. That couldn’t be. Seong Mu-ryong was the one who helped them escape.
“You’re so naive. Is there anyone in the Demonic Cult who doesn’t know that Second Young Master relied on Seventh Madam as his mother and depended on her? The lonely Young master, who is about to turn twenty, probably didn’t want to be left alone in his young heart. But he didn’t want to refuse Seventh Madam’s request for help and disappoint her.”
“No……”
“Of course, he probably didn’t expect that Seventh Madam would die because of that. He probably didn’t know that Seventh Young Master’s secret would be revealed. But his selfish actions ruined the lives of two people.”
Seong Mu-yeon shook his head even more violently. Suddenly, he felt suffocated. He opened his mouth to breathe in the air, but he began to pant like a fish out of water.
Even so, he was his trusted older brother.
Peng Yuan-jin’s betrayal was shocking enough. If Seong Mu-ryong was added to that, Seong Mu-yeon instinctively felt that he would not be able to handle it.
Seong Mu-yeon barely raised his head with bloodshot eyes and glared at Peng Yuan-jin.
“I don’t believe what you’re saying…… If you were trying to shake me with such nonsense, you’re mistaken. Do you think I would trust Peng Young master, whom I’ve only met recently, more than my family, whom I’ve spent my whole life with?”
“If that’s the case, you can just check with Second Young Master directly.”
Peng Yuan-jin brushed it off nonchalantly and turned the topic back to a serious tone.
“Please accept it now. The more you refuse, the more people will die. Countless shamans and martial artists from the Jegal Clan have lost their precious lives. Isn’t Jecheondeuk Dojo the biggest victim among them? He wouldn’t have died if Young master hadn’t hesitated.”
“What are you talking about? My dojo’s injury worsened and…….”
Seong Mu-yeon’s heart sank when he saw Peng Yuan-jin’s cold smile, and he took a step back in shock.
“Could it be……. Did you do it?”
“Ah, as it turns out, my dojo recognized me at the gambling house that night. I heard he woke up, so I went to see him just in case, and he was surprised to see me even though his memory was hazy. Of course, he didn’t seem sure because I was covering my whole body with the Demon Slayer Unit uniform, but it was only a matter of time.”
“That can’t be……. He clearly didn’t have any signs of homicide…….”
At that moment, Seong Mu-yeon’s eyes widened as a thought flashed through his mind.
If it’s Flowering Bone, he can kill people without leaving any external wounds. It was possible if he used his ability to absorb the Essence of others and make it his own to break the opponent’s dantian and absorb all of the innate true energy that sustains life.
“I didn’t want to do that either, but I couldn’t help it because I was afraid that the plan would go wrong if I left him alone.”
Anger surged at his pitiful expression and tone, which seemed to be sincerely regretful. Seong Mu-yeon clenched his fists. He never imagined that he would hate someone he liked so much until yesterday in such a short time.
Peng Yuan-jin suddenly turned his head and stared as if piercing through the wall.
“Oh dear……. Someone is rushing this way. Seong Mu-yeon, did you do this?”
“I already sent someone a while ago. It must be a plan you’ve been preparing for a long time, but too bad, Peng Young master. They’ll be here soon.”
Seong Mu-yeon twisted up the corners of his mouth without letting his guard down.
“Then what you’ve done will be exposed to the whole world.”
If he could just hold on a little longer, the people Bang Gyeom sent would arrive.
If he could just buy time until then…….
Suddenly, Peng Yuan-jin quickly approached Seong Mu-yeon and grabbed his arm before he could avoid it. He couldn’t move an inch because of the unexpectedly strong force.
Just as Seong Mu-yeon was about to draw up his inner force in panic, the Spirit Pill box fell from Peng Yuan-jin’s grasp. The joint of the box, which had hit the floor hard, fell off, revealing the inside.
Seong Mu-yeon’s eyes widened. There was nothing in the box. It was an empty box from the beginning.
Peng Yuan-jin pulled out a dagger from his waist. As the sharp blade revealed itself, shining with a cold light, Seong Mu-yeon grabbed his wrist with his free left hand.