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Chapter 386: Ambush (4)
The Wuhan Branch Chief, who had been searching for traces of Silkworm Thread Scholar Deok-hun and Blossom-Urging Water Master Gam Eung-bo, headed for Chowol Manor upon hearing the urgent report from one of his subordinates.
"A major battle is breaking out, you say?"
"Yes. The entire manor lit up bright as day, and then after a long pause, fighting broke out again."
He couldn't make sense of it.
If a battle had occurred, it meant the target was the person Young Master Jin had been looking for, and if one fight had already taken place, there should have been no reason for a second one to follow......
W̌еḃ n̈ о vеl Е̃ n ü m.а̌
Piecing together the full picture from fragments of intelligence was his trade, but these scattered scraps alone were not enough to comprehend the entire situation.
At times like this, seeing it in person was best.
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When he approached Chowol Manor at full speed, flying through the night with every ounce of his movement art—
CRASH—! BOOM-BOOM-CRASH—! BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-CRASH—!
A deafening roar split the air as if to rupture his eardrums, while a piercing radiance flared at the same instant.
Unable to take another step forward, the Branch Chief asked.
W̃ е̇b̃n о̄v̊ еl̃ E n u.m̂ а
"How far...... are we from the manor?"
"About two hundred paces, I'd say."
This much impact from two hundred paces away.
"How long has it been since the battle started?"
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"Over a quarter-hour at least."
"......"
En ŭm̃ а
Considering that duels between masters were decided in the span of a heartbeat, this was absurdly long.
This could only mean the fighting inside the manor was not merely a martial duel—it was a life-and-death battle.
"What in the world...... is going on in there......"
Jin So-un had told him nothing, but the mere fact that someone had impersonated Wind Master Song Baek was enough to know something deeply troubling was underway.
He couldn't paint the full picture right away, but even from these fragmentary events alone, it was obvious which side needed his help.
'Moreover, Young Master Jin is a Guest Retainer.'
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Once the decision was made, he moved fast.
"Wake every off-duty member in the branch. And from this moment on, I want every single incident occurring in Wuhan reported down to the last detail."
"How thorough should the reports be?"
What reason could someone hiding their identity possibly have for infiltrating all the way to Wuhan?
"Right down to what people are ordering as bar snacks."
"Understood."
E n ũmа
"Have the warriors advance to within a hundred fifty paces and hold a perimeter. And......"
THUD— THWACK— BOOM—! KA-BOOM-BOOM-CRASH—!
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
The problem was that light and those thunderous sounds.
If the commotion continued in the dead of night like this, it would inevitably keep drawing eyes.
Once people gathered, containing information would become impossible.
With Silkworm Thread Scholar and Blossom-Urging Water Master still unaccounted for, all this amounted to was handing the enemy an opportunity to flee.
E ǹum̂ á
He needed to decide as quickly as possible.
"Where are the nearest paddy fields?"
"Old Man Jang owns a fair number of them around here."
"Old Man Jang, you say......"
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After a moment's thought, the Branch Chief nodded.
"Perfect. Let's have ourselves a little field burning."
Е ṅ ù m̃_а̌
"Out of...... nowhere?"
Gazing up at the sky embroidered with unnatural light, the Branch Chief murmured softly.
"If you want to hide a light, it's better to set it among greater ones."
The Hao Gate Member cocked his head.
"But isn't it a bit early for that?"
Field burning was typically done to torch the pests that lay dormant through winter and awakened in spring, so the season had not yet come.
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Lighting fires this early might draw complaints not only from Old Man Jang, the landowner, but also from the tenant farmers who depended on those fields for their livelihoods.
But that was only a concern from the perspective of 'ordinary people.'
"Why does an information broker gather information?"
"To sell it at a high price, of course."
"Then you should also think about why he sells it."
"......"
Е̂ n̆u̇m̊ а̌ .і̄d̃
"If Old Man Jang complains, tell him we know about the illegitimate child he's been hiding in Yueyang. As for the tenant farmers, tell Jang to deal with them himself."
"Ah!"
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With that realization, the Hao Gate Members scrambled into action.
Before long, fires began springing up across the paddy fields in the area.
WHOOSH— CRACKLE-CRACKLE-CRACKLE-BOOM—!
The rice straw, bone-dry after the long winter, blazed up as though soaked in oil, and when dry firewood was tossed in, the flames grew large enough to swallow the flashes of light erupting from the manor.
Ê ṅü ḿ a
On top of that, they hurriedly brought out loud instruments and made a show of banging away and dancing with abandon.
Those who had been approaching to investigate the light retreated, fearing they might come to harm at the hands of these rowdy ruffians.
CRASH—! BOOM-BOOM-CRASH—!
Even as they bought time like this, thunderous booms and radiant flashes continued to pour out of the manor without cease.
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'It's been nearly an hour already......'
The Branch Chief could scarcely grasp the situation before him, despite witnessing it with his own two eyes.
W еbň о vе̂l Е̄ n u̇ṁӑ
Even if someone were told to do nothing but run for an hour, few could keep going without rest.
So no matter how formidable a warrior might be, fighting at full strength for nearly an hour would naturally push anyone to the very limits of their endurance.
The Branch Chief was beginning to worry about Jin So-un's safety inside the manor.
And at that moment.
FLASH—
Energy tangled in a dizzying weave of gold, crimson, and black exploded outward in every direction.
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He lost himself for an instant at the sight—something that could not possibly belong to this mortal world.
Then he realized that no more thunderous booms or flashes of light were erupting from inside the manor.
"I-is it over?"
The subordinate watching alongside him muttered to himself.
The Branch Chief wet his dry lips with his tongue.
There was no telling who would emerge from inside.
W̊ ebn о́ v̇ è l̈ Еnu m̆а
"Branch Chief. Shall we move in?"
"......"
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If Jin So-un walked out, that would be the best possible outcome—but if someone else appeared, the Hao Gate would suffer devastating losses. The decision was not easily made.
But the moment of decision was upon him, and the Branch Chief clenched his fist tight as though steeling his resolve.
"We move in."
If Jin So-un was in critical condition, rescuing him was the Hao Gate's duty.
W̆ е̃ b̀n̊о v е l Е n ùm̀ а̌
With the warriors at the center, they slowly advanced toward the manor.
The closer they drew, the more starkly the manor's condition revealed itself—details invisible from a distance.
'What in the......'
Abandoned though it was, this place had still been in operation just a year ago.
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But the manor that its previous owner had used after completing a thorough renovation—
"......"
É n̄ um ӓ
—could scarcely be called a manor anymore.
Most of the perimeter walls had collapsed, and the halls had either lost their roofs or been partially obliterated entirely.
The marble-paved landscaping had been scoured beyond any trace, and the surface of the earth itself had been torn apart in every direction.
Had an outright war been fought inside this manor?
The deeper they went, the more gruesome the scene became.
Severed arms. Severed legs.
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Scraps of skin that must have belonged to someone, and bloodstains strewn so thickly there was no room to set a foot.
Not a single intact corpse could be found.
Most of what remained were lumps of cloth and flesh melted together as though by Bone-Melting Powder, and the only things left relatively whole were ownerless weapons.
Rather than the aftermath of a battle, it was more accurate to say hell itself had descended upon the mortal world.
Then—
The warrior at the very front stopped dead in his tracks.
Ẁ е b́ nо̆.v́ё ľ Е́ ñ úma
"......"
As the moon's shadow swept briefly past, a single figure was revealed for an instant.
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That sight...... was nothing short of terrifying.
A man, his upper garments torn completely away, drenched head to toe in blood.
"Haa, haa, haa."
The yaksha—no, the man—breathing heavily as though somewhat winded, slowly turned his head toward them.
Еn ù ḿ ǎ .і̆ d́
A crimson light flared in his eyes, blasting killing intent at the Hao Gate Members.
They froze stiff, their entire bodies locking up as if they had come face to face with a natural predator.
But the crimson light vanished as though it had never been, and a voice entirely at odds with the surrounding carnage was tossed out casually.
"Ah, you're here?"
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The Branch Chief asked back with a dazed expression.
"I-is that really you, Young Master Jin?"
Ёn umа̃ .і ḋ
"It must be hard to see in the dark. It's me."
At that moment, the moon revealed itself, and Jin So-un's appearance came into full clarity.
Even the Hao Gate warriors flinched and took a step back at the sight of him.
Jin So-un shook his head as he surveyed the scattered fragments of flesh around him.
"They were tenacious bastards."
"D-did you deal with all of them alone?"
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"Some tried to run, but fortunately I caught them all."
Jin So-un said it flatly, as though it were nothing at all.
"......I-I see."
The Branch Chief felt a chill run through his body, goosebumps rising across his skin.
"How are things on the Wuhan side? Seeing how these bastards came at me like this, they must have prepared something in earnest."
"......Everyone who was off duty has been woken and deployed across Wuhan."
Е n̂ûma
"Hmm, I see."
The Branch Chief swallowed hard and asked carefully.
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"What exactly are these people......"
But before his question could finish, a Hao Gate Member rushed in.
"An emergency has been declared at the Murim Alliance!"
"An emergency?!"
W̄ е b̃ nо̃vе l̀. Ӗnum̃ а̀
"Yes! The inner compound has been sealed off and all Martial Pavilions have been dispatched in an emergency deploym......"
BOOM—
The air burst apart, and a killing intent heavy enough to make the heart drop crushed the atmosphere flat.
The Hao Gate Members whipped their heads toward the source in terror.
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Then Jin So-un spoke, his face expressionless.
"I'll be going on ahead."
Е.n̂úṁ а ._і d̀
CRACK-CRACK-CRACK—!
The instant he kicked off the ground and launched himself skyward, the earth's surface exploded outward in waves.
Before anyone could even register the enormity of that energy—
Jin So-un's figure had already vanished into the dark night sky.
"......What on earth."
"Branch Chief! Wh-what do we do?!"
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The Branch Chief was every bit as stunned.
But of one thing he could be certain.
"Sound the alarm! Tell everyone to drop what they're doing and focus here!"
Whatever was happening, this night's events could very well upend the entire balance of the murim.
***
Clink, clink.
W̌е̄ b n̈ о v̀ еl̀ E ñ u mа̀
The small pebbles in her hand had dwindled considerably.
Dang Seo-hui fiddled with the few remaining stones and blurted out.
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"That was dangerous."
"Have you forgotten that you must not let your guard down?"
Dang Seo-hui puffed out both cheeks and stared at Yong So-ah.
"I can't get through to you! Do you think I was scared?"
Еn̊ ǔ mа
"You certainly showed signs of alarm at their unexpected behavior."
Yong So-ah looked down at the corpses of the assailants sprawled at his feet and spoke without emotion.
"Beings that move against human instinct—it's only natural to be caught off guard......"
CRACK—
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Dang Seo-hui hurled a stone at the ground and seized the hem of Yong So-ah's garment.
"If I hadn't stopped the other assassin, you would've had a hard time handling them on your own!"
Е̄ n ǔ m а
Sand dust smeared across Yong So-ah's white martial arts uniform, and his brow furrowed.
"And yet you still let the one you caught slip away."
Yong So-ah's gaze turned toward Jegal So-myeong's quarters.
Of the four guards who had been assigned exclusively to Jegal So-myeong, three had ended up dead.
It was not a matter of their skill being lacking.
If they were skilled enough to serve as Jegal So-myeong's personal guard, it meant they ranked among the strongest in the murim.
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The problem was the resolve of their killers.
"Do you know how excruciating the pain is when your body is being dissolved?"
When the emergency bell sounded, dozens of dispatched warriors and guards had formed a cordon around the hall, and from within, three half-dissolved corpses of the guards were carried out.
Yong So-ah stared at the sight and answered in a low voice.
"I cannot know."
"I once dissolved the skin on my fourth finger."
Ẅ ӗ bnо̃ v е l Ё n̆u ṁ а
Dang Seo-hui spread her palm wide open.
The color of her fourth finger was subtly different from the rest.
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"That's why...... I vowed never to use this particular poison, not even on my worst enemy."
"They were beings beyond anything that could have been anticipated."
His tone was as dispassionate as ever, yet somewhere in Yong So-ah's voice lurked a trace of self-reproach.
Then—
Еn ǔm̃ а̃.ì d.
"Tsk, tsk. What great disaster has everyone in such a frenzy in the dead of night?"
Jegal So-myeong clicked his tongue as he stepped outside.
"Grand Strategist, the identity of the assailants has not yet been fully determined. For now, it would be best if you stayed insi......"
Jegal So-myeong's brow furrowed at the guard's suggestion, and he raised his voice.
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"Are you saying this old man's life matters less than those of our young people?!"
"N-no, that's not what I meant......"
Е̂ nũ m̌a .і̆d
"What kind of person is worth throwing your life away for—throwing it away, I say!"
Jegal So-myeong's fist clenched silently where no one could see, as he watched the three corpses being carried out of the hall.
"I'm going to the Mantongbu. Stand down from the emergency and send everyone back except a minimal guard detail."
"But Grand Strategist......"
"The Alliance's outer compound has hundreds of sentries, and the inner compound is riddled with Mystic Gate Formations hidden in every corner. Yet despite all of that, the Murim Alliance's inner compound was breached. Knowing that, do you really think adding more guards would make a difference?"
"......"
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The guard finally nodded and stepped back.
After surveying the area around the hall one more time, Jegal So-myeong began walking toward the Mantongbu, then stopped before Dang Seo-hui and Yong So-ah.
"Answer me."
He looked back and forth between the two with a gaze that could have bored right through them.
"Does the fact that you two have been lingering near me have anything to do with tonight's events?"
Even under the Grand Strategist's question, Yong So-ah kept his mouth shut.
E ň u m а . î d̀
"......"
Jegal So-myeong's gaze shifted to Dang Seo-hui.
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"Did that Jin So-un ask you to do this, by any chance?"
Dang Seo-hui even hiccupped as she visibly fumbled for words.
"I—I don't— hic —know. I just, just— hic —came here for learning."
"......"
W еb̄n̆_õ vе́ l̆ Е ń u m̆ ӑ
"......sir."
Jegal So-myeong stared at Dang Seo-hui piercingly, then—
"......Truly an impossible boy to figure out."
He turned and left the hall.
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A moment later, Dang Seo-hui let out a long sigh.
"Phew...... L-like a true chivalrous hero, I said nothing."
Е̊ n̄ u m̀ а
"......"
Yong So-ah's dim gaze settled on Dang Seo-hui, but—
"I am a true chivalrous hero."
—it was of no concern to Dang Seo-hui, who clenched her fist and let her eyes shine with conviction.
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