Chapter 111: Identity (1)
Chapter 111: Identity (1)
“Come in and have a seat.”
With the guidance of Jegal Sung, Woon-seong entered the shack.
The interior of the rickety old building was much larger and cleaner than its outside.
It was unbelievable that it was just an old shack.
Woon-seong stared out the window. The shack… Was it also under an illusion?
But soon he realized that was not the case.
The outward appearance of the wooden shack was real. The building just consisted of multiple layers.
Jegal Sung had dug into the ground, allowing for more space between the floor and the ceiling. But on the outside, it would still look like a worn-down building.
Woon-seong nodded to himself, admiring the ingenuity of the disguise.
Meanwhile, Jegal Sung placed a warm cup of tea in front of him. “It’s White Hair Silver Needle tea. I prepared some high quality ones, so I hope it works for you.”
Just as he said, the tea was not bad.
Woon-seong quickly finished his tea.
“I want to get to the point now.”
Jegal Sung sipped some tea, nodding. “Very well. Let’s do it this way. You ask me what you’d like to know and I will answer it.”
Woon-seong agreed. If he could ask the questions, it would be easier to get the answer he wanted.
Moreover, the first question he wanted to ask was already set.
“Okay then… Did the Spearmaster go that way because he truly wanted to do so himself?”
It was a question about Nok Yu-on.
Woon-seong had already heard the story from the Sage of Bright Rock, who assured him that it had been the Spearmaster’s own decision.
But Woon-seong wanted to confirm one more time.
Jegal Sung sighed deeply.
“I have never seen a man as righteous as he. People of the Spearmaster Sect have always been known to be chivalrous. But I doubt many of them would’ve sacrificed their own lives with the ease he did.”
Jegal Sung did not answer the question directly, but his words had meaning.
In those words, Woon-seong could confirm that his master had chosen his own path.
Master…
It was a decision he had been cornered into, but still a decision Nok Yu-on had made on his own. Moreover, even on the way, he had refused to tell Woon-seong to protect his only apprentice.
Understanding his master’s mindset once more, Woon-seong gripped the teacup in his hand.
Those who led to such a wonderful master’s death?
He could never forgive them.
The tea in Woon-seong’s cup boiled.
It was not until cloudy vapor was rising from the tea that Woon-seong asked his next question.
“Tell me what the Spearmaster was looking into.”
“As the Fifth Master, you have the right to know. But before that, there’s one thing I need to check.”
Jegal Sung’s razor-sharp stare pierced into Woon-seong, like he was looking through Woon-seong’s mind. This was a piercing look that viewed Woon-seong not as a martial artist, but as just another human.
Woon-seong nodded calmly, indicating for the man to continue.
“Do you have any intentions of working as the master of the Fifth Jade Knife of our sect? I’m asking if you can become a man of the Justice Blood Sect.”
When asked, Woon-seong pulled out the Fifth Jade Knife.
He plunged the knife deep into the table, between the space left behind by his teacup. The knife dug deep into the table, cutting through it like tofu.
Once the knife was stuck half-way to its hilt, Woon-seong took his hand off.
With frosty eyes, he spoke. “While I do not plan to stray from the path of a human being, I have no intention of being a hero. Therefore, I cannot be the master of this Fifth Jade Knife.”
Woon-seong had proven himself to the members of the Justice Blood Sect simply because he wished to meet with the First Master.
To remain as the master of the Fifth Jade Knife, to become the Fifth Master of the Justice Blood Sect… Woon-seong did not know how much more of a hero he needed to be.
And most importantly, Woon-seong had no intention to live as a righteous man. He had no idea when his revenge would come to an end, but until then, concepts like justice were beyond him.
“So, you’re refusing to be the master of the Fifth Jade Knife, one of the Seven Masters of our sect?”
Jegal Sung’s voice was hard.
There was a threat hidden in those words: If you don’t become the master of the Fifth Jade Knife, you won’t get any information.
“How about I take this position temporarily, not officially?”
Jegal Sung’s gaze shifted. “Oh-ho?”
Usually, when faced with two options, people would pick between the two given.
Woon-seong had made a completely different choice. Not liking the ones offered, he had created a third option.
It seemed that Jegal Sung and Woon-seong had something in common — they were straightforward.
I don’t dislike this stubborn honesty. Jegal Sung leaned back in his seat, waiting to hear Woon-seong’s explanation.
“What I want is vengeance against those who made the Spear Master Sect like this. And for my revenge, I can be a man of the Justice Blood Sect, one of the Seven Masters or the master of the Fifth Jade Knife.
“But?”
“However, I am not a man that suits the Justice Blood Sect. So let’s make a deal. I will take the position of the owner of the Fifth Jade Knife for a while. And when this is all over, I will hand it over to someone more suitable. This shouldn’t be a bad deal for you people either.”
As he spoke, Woon-seong revealed more of his aura.
At that moment, Jegal Sung felt something appear in front of him.
A sense of pressure that has sprouted from an endless cliff.
It’s not simply a cliff.
It’s a vast mass of land.
Land that is only allowed to those who have pioneered a new paradigm in martial arts.
The young man in front of me is allowed to roam that place.
So there’s a reason why he showed such confidence.
Inwardly, Jegal Sung was quite amazed.
Woon-seong had decided to reveal his strength while he offered a deal.
Woon-seong was obviously not intending to let himself get the worse end of the deal. He had no intention of going out of his way for something he did not want. Besides, the young man obviously had the power to do what he wanted.
Jegal Sung glanced at Woon-seong’s eyes and laughed. What an interesting fellow.
Eyes were the window to the soul.
As a martial artist, you could hide as much of your heart as you wanted, but Jegal Sung had many people in his lifetime.
Among them, some had a unique aura and disposition.
Just like Woon-seong.
From experience, Jegal Sung just knew. These people will never go behind my back while cooperating.
Jegal Sung emptied his cup of tea.
“Good. Then I will consider you as the temporary master of the Fifth Jade Knife. I hope the position of the next master goes to no villain, but to a hero who will strive for the path of justice.”
Woon-seong wouldn’t even bother thinking about it until he had avenged his masters. So he nodded. “It’s always a possibility.”
A kind of deal was made.
“Then I’ll tell you. But before that, can you tell me how much you already know?”
“The fact that the Spearmaster was investigating a certain group and that he sacrificed himself to lure them out. And the fact that said group may or may not be the Cult of the Inverted Sky, which may or may not have taken over the Imperial Court.”
“Ha!” Jegal Sung almost spat out his tea. “If you already know that much, you know most of it. I’m not sure what more you want to know. Do you just want to reconfirm the truth?”
Shocked, Woon-seong’s voice pitched a bit higher. “Then is it true that the Cult of the Inverted Sky took over the Imperial Court?”
Jegal Sung nodded solemnly. “They didn’t simply take over it. They have already become both the Imperial Court itself as well as the very power moving it.”
Woon-seong went completely solemn. He thought back to what Do Jin-myung had said and muttered, “Now the emperor is not the Emperor, but someone wearing his husk…”
Woon-seong’s murmurs caused Jegal Sung to stiffen. Clenching his fist, the teacup shattered.
It was also because he was so surprised that his words came out harsher than before.
“How did you know that?”
“…”
Woon-seong stayed silent instead of answering.
Jegal Sung began to regard Woon-seong with more caution.
“A level of martial arts too high for your age. A man who knows too many secrets unknown to the world. Does it make sense that I am describing one person? Who on earth are you?”
Jegal Sang’s gaze was sharp.
A huge wave of energy surged from behind the man’s back and aimed at Woon-seong.
So he’s willing to attack me at any moment… What now? Woon-seong sighed.
There were a lot of options he could choose from.
So he just chose one of them.
It may have been a more…radical approach…
But sometimes it was better to rip the band-aid off then let a lie rot under the surface.
“The enemy is the Imperial Court and the Emperor himself. It looks like the Justice Blood Sect is already having a hard time handling the Orthodox side of Murim. Do you really have the strength to deal with the Imperial Court?”
“You have not answered me yet.”
“I am asking you to answer that question.”
Woon-seong also released some of his own energy, not lagging behind Jegal Sung at all.
Invisible to the naked eye, the forces collided with each other, causing the air to tremble.
At the same time, Jegal Sung began to feel pressure.
The enormous energy emanating from Woon-seong’s body began to crush him.
Yet, he began to feel a strand of a peculiarly familiar energy.
“This is…”
Demonic qi!
It was such a pure demonic qi that Jegal Sung would even think Woon-seong had cultivated it with an orthodox method.
Jegal Sung’s fingertips trembled.
There was only one martial artist capable of having such pure demonic qi.
Moreover…
I’ve had a recent report that said the new leader of the Divine Cult looked very young.
“Then are you…?”
For the first time since meeting Woon-seong, Jegal Sung’s voice trembled.
“I am the zenith of the 100,000 demonic practitioners, the Leader of the Demonic Cult.”
As he spoke in a calm voice, Woon-seong’s body became covered with a silent, purple-gray flame.
Two golden eyes pierced through the flames, locking Jegal Sung in place.
“I am the Heavenly Demon.”