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Chapter 657: The Plan

Drip, drip.

Tea flowed from the broken cup down onto the floor.

The table shook under the swirling energy.

“Ugh….”

Beomdong let out a muffled sound as the pressure weighed down on his shoulders.

A master. A considerable one at that.

While being pressed down, Beomdong glanced sideways at Moyong Hi-ah.

Moyong Hi-ah stared in shock at the sudden arrival.

That was all there was to it.

Despite such pressure, that girl seemed completely unharmed.

This meant she was controlling and manipulating all the energy radiating around her.

‘Where did such a master come from…!’

Sweating profusely, Beomdong gathered strength in his lower dantian.

The pressure was formidable, but it wasn’t impossible to withstand.

Thus, he mustered all his strength and sprang to his feet.

Crack-!!

‘Ugh-!’

Though the pain was overwhelming, Beomdong succeeded in rising against the pressure.

Yet, was it just an illusion? The moment he stood up, he felt the energy weakening.

As if it was making it easier for him to rise.

“Phew….”

As Beomdong stood, the pressure that filled the room disappeared as if it were a ghost.

He was drenched in cold sweat.

Hiding his wet forehead, he glared at his opponent, carefully observing him, and was taken aback internally.

‘…He’s young.’

The rival was much younger than Beomdong expected.

Despite his fierce appearance, he looked like he had just surpassed his coming-of-age. He couldn’t have been over thirty at most.

It was absurd.

‘That energy from just now, was that his?’

Unbelievable.

Who was he? Who could emit such energy?

Concealing his cold sweat, Beomdong adjusted his stance and asked him.

“…What did you just say to me?”

The little pup barked noisily.

The young man had definitely spoken that way to him.

None other than the Great Lord of the Martial Alliance.

Even leaders and elders of prestigious families treating the three great clans wouldn’t dare to talk to him like that.

Did that young man truly just speak to him that way?

Could it be that he didn’t see the decorations on his shoulders?

With those doubts swirling, Beomdong inquired, and the corner of the young man’s mouth twitched upwards.

“Ah, no. I just got annoyed by all the barking outside, so I went to check it out, and lo and behold, there was a dog in front of the building. That’s what I said.”

“…”

Beomdong frowned at the absurd excuse.

It was clearly just a flimsy alibi that anyone could see through.

“And it looked so filthy. I didn’t want to see it barking, and when I looked at its face, I just felt like boiling it alive. It should still be outside; would you like to take a look?”

Crack.

The moment he heard those words, Beomdong’s fist tightened with rage.

The line of conduct had been utterly crossed. Regardless of who the opponent was, nobody dared to approach the Great Lord of the Martial Alliance like this.

“How dare….”

Beomdong glared at the young man with blazing eyes, to which the young man responded with a surprised tone.

“Wow, you look a bit unhappy. Did something bad happen today?”

“Do you even know who I am to treat me this way?”

“Should I really know? I’m not that curious about it…”

Snap!

Veins bulged on Beomdong’s forehead. It was the last straw.

“I am the Great Lord of the Sword Team, Flying Dragon!”

“Yes, you certainly look that way.”

“…Huh.”

Even after the introduction, the young man acted as if it was no big deal. It meant he must have known from the beginning.

He was aware even after knowing that he was the Great Lord?

Who the heck was he?

“…What is your name?”

At Beomdong’s inquiry, the young man nodded and replied.

“Why should I tell you that?”

“…What?”

“You might as well find out for yourself. What a silly question to ask.”

“…!”

Not only did he know who the great master was, but it seemed the young man also understood Beomdong’s position in the investigation team.

“You seem to be in the dark about the situation…”

Upon realizing this, Beomdong continued with a stern expression.

“I acknowledge that you are a master, but you just attacked the Great Lord of the Martial Alliance.”

From the Martial Alliance.

To attack a great lord was not much different than declaring direct war on the Alliance itself.

A righteous martial artist should be terrified at even the mention of that fact.

“Me? When?”

The young man merely shrugged off nonchalantly.

Seeing that, Beomdong felt heat rising to his face.

He wanted nothing more than to draw his sword right there.

But he had to endure.

‘The opponent is a strong master.’

One whose identity he didn’t properly grasp yet.

He could potentially be a senior martial artist clad in disguise.

No, the probability was high.

“Are you trying to play dumb after just releasing that energy? I’m sure the branch leader here saw it all!”

Beomdong looked at Moyong Hi-ah as he spoke, only to see her wide-eyed in astonishment.

“Huh? What do you mean? Energy?”

Beomdong’s eyes widened at her response.

‘This girl…!’

Even after everyone clearly saw it, Moyong Hi-ah was acting like she knew nothing.

The energy completely bypassed her, so she might genuinely not know.

But to act so exaggeratedly as if she didn’t notice was simply impossible. Moyong Hi-ah was clearly pretending not to know.

Seeing her act, the young man chuckled and said to Beomdong.

“Oh, are you saying that energy I just let out? Ah, come on. That was just a joke.”

“A joke? You’re calling that a joke?”

“Yes, it was just a joke.”

“After releasing such energy, you say it’s just a joke? I see the Great Lord is quite the comedian…!”

Just as Beomdong was about to burst with anger—

“It must be a joke. Otherwise…”

A chill.

Beomdong’s spine tingled at those words, and his mouth involuntarily went shut.

He no longer felt the same energy as before. Yet his body remained stiff.

The young man had already closed in on Beomdong.

Having approached, the young man looked into Beomdong’s eyes and continued speaking.

“Isn’t the action you just took directed at the Great Lord also no longer a joke?”

“…!”

Those words made Beomdong shudder uncontrollably.

‘How…?’

The young man’s ambiguous remark pierced deep into his heart.

It referred to the energy Beomdong had previously directed at Moyong Hi-ah.

‘How did he know?’

It was a minuscule amount of energy he had leaked out.

Moreover, he released it not to the young man but to the girl right next to him.

Even if one had a high realm, it was difficult to catch such a subtle hint.

What on earth was he?

“I can hear the gears turning in your head.”

The young man’s words broke Beomdong out of his stupor.

“Let’s just take it light and easy. We were just playing around. Isn’t it better to just brush it off?”

Tap, tap.

Beomdong felt a touch on his shoulder. The young man had nudged him.

Uncomfortably bewildered by the situation, Beomdong didn’t even realize what was seeping into his shoulder.

“Or, would you prefer to dance with swords? Then I can join in. Not a huge fan of dancing, but if you want, I’ll gladly partake.”

“…”

The young man’s playful words gnawed at Beomdong’s insides.

He couldn’t believe such a person existed. Yet he had to seriously think it over.

‘This is bad.’

The situation was undoubtedly bad.

Having spent decades in the alliance, Beomdong recognized from experience.

That gaze was genuine. It looked like it was willing to engage in life-and-death battles right in the middle of Hanam.

Meeting that gaze instinctively, his hand went towards the sword handle.

Could he win? He wasn’t sure. Every hair on his body was on end.

Feeling that, Beomdong drew his hand back from the handle.

“…Crack.”

As Beomdong lowered his guard, the young man’s smile faded.

Perhaps he had lost interest?

That expression made Beomdong feel even more uneasy.

‘Does this mean he was perfectly fine with a fight right here?’

With that chilling certainty, Beomdong immediately stood up.

Still, he didn’t forget what he needed to say to Moyong Hi-ah.

“As the branch leader mentioned, I shall return with proper investigative authority next time.”

“Yes, I’ll be expecting it. However, I apologize as I may not be able to send you off because a new guest has arrived.”

Moyong Hi-ah spoke gracefully, and Beomdong grimaced.

“On that note….”

He then glanced at the young man again, adding.

“I believe I shall see you again soon, and when I do, I hope to be officially introduced.”

Having acted with such disdain towards a member of the alliance, he would undoubtedly cross paths with that young man again soon.

That was a warning.

“Look at you, strutting around like a peacock. My apologies. I just thought about it.”

“…”

Shivering… Beomdong had to deliberate dozens of times whether to draw his sword or give in.

“Phew….”

He let out a deep sigh and began to walk away.

As Beomdong brushed past the young man towards the entrance, the young man didn’t watch him.

Once Beomdong completely disappeared from the main hall,

“Hah….”

Moyong Hi-ah released a breath she had been holding in, while the young man, Gu Yangcheong, turned to look at the entrance Beomdong had exited.

Noticing this, Moyong Hi-ah asked Gu Yangcheong.

“…Why didn’t you catch him?”

Upon hearing the question, Gu Yangcheong shifted his gaze to Moyong Hi-ah.

“Should I have caught him?”

“No, it would have turned troublesome if you had.”

Now was the time to let him go.

That was Moyong Hi-ah’s reasoning.

“However, I find it fascinating that the Prince referred to you.”

There was an implicit meaning behind her words.

Replying to her, Gu Yangcheong chuckled softly.

“True. I normally wouldn’t have reacted like that…”

I nearly killed him on sight.

His antics were infuriating, and he had almost burned him down to the last hair.

But he held back.

“There might be some potential uses for him. So I let him go for now.”

“…”

Treating him like an object rather than a person.

Moyong Hi-ah couldn’t help but swallow nervously at Gu Yangcheong’s cold, dry words.

“…Do you know him?”

There was a familiarity in his eyes.

The Great Lord of the Flying Dragon, Beomdong. Or the SHarp Sword Beomdong.

He was a rather renowned figure, so it wouldn’t be strange for Gu Yangcheong to know him.

But the slight difference in Gu Yangcheong’s response felt unusual.

After pondering for a moment, Gu Yangcheong answered casually.

“No.”

There was no hesitation in his denial.

It wasn’t a lie. At least for this life, he didn’t know him.

Not to mention their previous life.

“Haha.”

Recalling the Beomdong he had just encountered made Gu Yangcheong chuckle lightly.

Moyong Hi-ah patted her shoulder at his shallow laugh.

Even beyond life, he had never forgotten a single face.

Beomdong wouldn’t have forgotten either.

‘What a nostalgic feeling.’

How could he not feel nostalgic?

‘The very person I wished to kill shows up right before me.’

It wasn’t his turn yet.

He had to finish the matters at hand methodically, intending to confront him later.

But now he was here, acting all cocky.

‘How could I not be happy?’

Too happy. So happy it was driving him mad.

As Gu Yangcheong thought, he hid his trembling hands inside his sleeves.

‘What a pity, if he had pushed a little more, I might have drawn my sword.’

If that happened, he might have lost control and killed him.

That was something he regretted not being able to do.

‘Or did he hold back till the end?’

He might have. No, he most definitely did.

Fidgeting his trembling fingers, he finally calmed down and licked his lips.

“I think our chat has come to an end. Shall we head upstairs? Or do you have more work to do?”

“Oh… Nope. I was just about to get up.”

“Alright.”

Thus, Moyong Hi-ah stood up, and Gu Yangcheong turned his body as well.

As Gu Yangcheong turned, his expression became incredibly cold.

‘The Demon Energy has been sent away… Now, how to play with it.’

He had been in need of someone anyway.

And if that someone was Beomdong, that would be even better.

‘Let’s have some fun together, Great Lord.’

He was a perceptive and capable individual.

That’s why, in his previous life, he had been entrusted by the Great Lord to lead the new unit as the commander.

Furthermore,

‘Who could betray the alliance faster than anyone.’

Gu Yangcheong thought about the Great Lord, the Mad Dog Sword Beomdong.

One of the first to become a demon upon betraying the alliance.

He was someone he had once served.

As he contemplated, Gu Yangcheong mused.

‘Please die in the most useful way possible, Great Lord.’

If that didn’t work out, he was prepared to make it happen himself.

Moyong Hi-ah and Gu Yangcheong headed upstairs to the branch leader’s office.

When they stepped out, Seo Dong, who had brought Moyong Hi-ah inside, looked at them with surprise, but there wasn’t much he could do, so he just gave a vague smile to ease the tension.

Thinking they could finally settle down and engage in some light conversation now that things seemed to have calmed down—

“…What did you say?”

I had to wear a blank expression at what Moyong Hi-ah had just revealed.

“A new group has emerged in the Central Plains.”

It couldn’t be helped.

“The group is called the Demonic Sect.”

It was a name I was quite familiar with.

“A sect founded by a previously unheard-of master known as the Heavenly Demon. It seems they’re attacking regardless of righteous or demonic stands…”

Just hearing this brought up feelings I couldn’t quite describe.

However,

The bigger issue was yet to come.

“The power they possess seems quite significant, as the alliance is struggling to gather information… However, from the rumors I’ve heard…”

That next statement hit hard.

“The Heavenly Demon is rumored to be one of the Three Eminent Beings, the Pejon.”

Moyong Hi-ah spoke in a serious tone.

Before I could even react,

“…Huh?”

From behind, the former Pejon, now the second son of the Bi Clan, Bi Yi-jin, uttered in a dazed voice.

 

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