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Chapter 392: Personal Revenge (2)
The operation to obtain one of Patriarch Jang Sambong's secret techniques—the one I'd failed to receive upon regression—proceeded swiftly.
In truth, even without the Patriarch's secret technique as motivation, the operation had to be swift.
If I extracted Dam Ak after war had already broken out, the only option left for me would be defecting to the Black Thought Alliance alongside the Taeul Sect.
My father, who had raised me from birth, probably wouldn't forgive that one.
My adorable junior brothers and sisters, licking blades and threatening people as Black Path criminals—
W̃ еb̄ñо̌ v el Е ń u mȧ
No. Absolutely not happening.
The Righteous Path Association already knew I'd met Dam Ak, but it was still better to maintain secrecy.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
From the start, in a situation this delicate, the Murim Alliance was overflowing with professional malcontents who'd take issue with Dam Ak leaving.
There were even delusional paranoiacs who suspected that 'Dam Ak attacked the Grand Strategist and then secretly hid in his own quarters.'
Personally, I wanted to check whether they'd suffered Qi Deviation and lost their minds, but I was too busy. Genuinely too busy.
Even though I'd entrusted all travel preparations to the Wang Estate, I still had to handle the extraction from the Murim Alliance myself.
W̌е̌ b nо̌ v̀ e̊ l̂ Е n̆ûm̊а
I'd spent my whole life scheming to get into that place, and now having to plan an escape from it meant there was no end to the things I had to consider.
First, I summoned Dang Seo-hui and Jegal Cheon-gi—already my accomplices—to the lodging.
I'd mostly figured out the structure of the Black Fog Solitary Soul Formation that Dam Ak had deployed, but there was a chance we'd need to breach Mystic Gate Formations installed within the Murim Alliance.
Honestly, I hoped it wouldn't come to that.
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No matter how righteous the cause, there are still lines.
The Murim Alliance openly preventing Dam Ak from leaving would be—
Ё ñ um̃а . і d̊
'Something only certifiably insane bastards would do.'
The Righteous Path Association had already proven they were certifiably insane by raiding Dam Ak's quarters.
To deal with people like that, our side needed to be fully prepared as well.
The next person I recruited was Dang Gi-han—former Seventh Captain of the Life-or-Death Unit, and soon to become Deputy Captain of the White Wolf Pavilion.
"What do you want?"
When I visited him in person, he greeted me with a sour expression.
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"Happy now, leaving us all stuck here?"
I wanted to explain that my absence from the White Wolf Pavilion wasn't by choice, but bringing that up would mean revealing that I was the Alliance Leader's pet project—which, for someone as humble as me, was impossibly awkward.
That's when Dang Seo-hui stepped in.
"Now is not the time to indulge personal feelings."
See? The straw I'd fed candied fruit was proving useful.
"......What's going on?"
E n̂ů ṁ а . іd
At Dang Seo-hui's words, Dang Gi-han straightened his expression.
Dang Seo-hui clenched her fist with the look of someone agonizing between Bak Family snow rice cakes and Hong Family candied fruit.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"This is the chance to become a true chivalrous hero."
"......"
Dang Gi-han fixed me with the expression of someone staring at a cult leader—pure revulsion.
Roughly translated, it meant, 'What the hell have you done now?'
Ё_n̂ ům̄ӓ.і d̆
Ha, I knew I shouldn't have brought her along.
Though, to be fair, I'd brought her because Dang Seo-hui carried some weight within the Tang Clan.
Come to think of it, Dang Seo-hui's reputation only worked on people who didn't know her well.
Anyone who knew her even slightly would always factor in her eccentricities.
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Just as I was debating whether to threaten or bribe him, Dang Gi-han let out a small sigh and spoke.
"Fine."
W̃ е̃ḃ ň о̂ vѐ_l _Е n üm а̃
"Hm?"
"I said fine. What do I need to do?"
"You'll really help?"
Why? This is suspicious. This is strange.
Doesn't this have the exact feel of a scammer telling you to sell the family estate and invest?
Dang Gi-han scratched his head, slightly flushed with embarrassment.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"Well, a Captain's got to listen to the Unit Leader. Once Life-or-Death Unit, forever Life-or-Death Unit."
"......"
I was so moved that moisture was just about to well up in my eyes when—
"Fuck, but if you don't come to the White Wolf Pavilion, you'd better be prepared to die by poison! I mean it. After I applied for the White Wolf Pavilion, I got a carrier pigeon from my parents saying they'd struck me from the family register! If you seriously don't come, I swear I'll poison you even if it means rotting in prison for the rest of my life!"
The Life-or-Death Unit really was a slapped-together mess of a squad after all.
Even so, a death-by-poison threat from a former subordinate? What kind of discipline is this?
Е̃ n̈ û m ӑ
***
I went without a moment's rest to finish preparations in the shortest time possible.
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I checked the Alliance's security perimeter, double-checked the guard rotation schedules, mapped escape routes out of Wuhan—
Days flew by in a blur, and meanwhile the threat of war from the Black Thought Alliance's end only intensified.
I prayed and prayed to the Eight Immortals for the Black Path bastards to exhibit patience—perhaps the rarest quality among their kind.
There were eight of them—surely at least one would get bored and grant my wish?
Е n̂ u m̆ ã . і d̆
"Please! Please! Let this work out!"
Meanwhile, because of that horse-nosed Daoist bastard Clear Water True Man, I moved as quietly and covertly as possible.
But I eventually realized that the fact I was preparing something would inevitably reach that horse-nosed bastard's ears.
Not because anyone was tailing me—had there been such people, the moment my Sensory Perception picked them up, I'd have delivered a fist to each of their faces.
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I was thoroughly furious at the Righteous Path Association—those Qi Deviation-afflicted lunatics—for what they'd done.
Still, they had enough sense not to assign anyone conspicuous to shadow me.
Е̃ń um̈ а
Then how did I know they knew?
"Senior Brother, what are you up to this time?"
"Don't you realize how tense things are right now? Do you want to end up at the Execution Pavilion?"
"Eldest Senior Brother, just come clean. What are you planning?"
"Eldest Senior Brother, how come you never buy me candied fruit?"
One oddly misplaced grievance aside, the Taeul Sect's juniors were pouring out every complaint imaginable to their most revered Eldest Senior Brother.
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How on earth did they figure it out?
I'd moved with the utmost stealth and caution.
True, I'd mobilized the Taeul Sect and the Wang Estate for this operation, but I'd had absolutely no intention of dragging in my juniors—who were now Alliance members.
I was walking a tightrope over a pit bristling with rusted blades. One misstep and I'd fall into mortal danger.
I stuck stubbornly to denial.
"What are you talking about? I'm not doing anything. But, you know, the faith my juniors have in their Eldest Senior Brother seems to be plunging deeper underground by the day, judging by the things coming out of your mouths."
W̊е̇ bn о́v е l Ё n_ú m ȧ
But my juniors seemed to get rougher around the edges with each passing day.
"'Nothing' my ass! Father's been acting weird, and the Outer Hall Master too—everyone's suspicious as hell!"
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Sa-ryeon planted her hands on her hips and fumed.
Considering that Sa-ryeon's level of anger was always revealed by the position of her hands—if they were on her hips, it was only the opening stage.
Which meant I could push a little more.
"I told you, it's nothing. Everyone's probably just getting ready to head back. We've been here too long as it is......"
Wē b̆ ń ovе̄ l̆ _Е́ nūm а
"Eldest. Senior. Brother?"
The hands that had been resting on her hips had now risen to chest level, arms folded.
"Then explain this—why did the parents of the Gold-Silver-Copper Brothers go home early using a different escort agency?"
GULP.
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"See! It IS suspicious!"
Damn it, why did I have to swallow right then?
W̌ еb̌nо v̈ e l Ӗn ŭ mа̇
Be that as it may, I'd lived over a full cycle longer than these brats—did they really think I'd go down that easily?
I channeled every ounce of gravity I possessed into a thundering rebuke.
"Have you already forgotten what happened in the Black Forest?! Remembering the desperation of that day, every moment should be spent in training—there isn't enough time as it is!"
A chill swept through the room, and the atmosphere plummeted.
Memories of that day surfaced, and heads drooped of their own accord.
But amid the silence, Eun-ho—who had wept tears of joy upon his supplementary acceptance into the Mantongbu—stroked his chin and spoke.
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"Hmm, the way you're deflecting with killing intent and turning the tables...... confirms it."
That, that rebel!
"Besides, the way you're trying to exclude us from this operation tells me it's extremely dangerous, and in the current situation, there's only one thing that qualifies as extremely dangerous......"
The rebel, having completed his deduction, pointed a finger squarely at me.
"It's about Strategist Dam Ak!"
"......"
Wе̄ b n ӧ ṽ еl Ě nùm̄ а
Why does that kid have to be so damn sharp?
I'd clamped down on my emotions and managed my expression to the extreme, but these were brothers and sisters who'd lived through thick and thin with me for close to twenty years.
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When it came to reading each other, they rivaled any constable in a government office.
"Oh my—!"
"What are you even thinking?!"
I waved my hands as though batting away a swarm of bees.
Е ńu̇ṁа̌. i̇d
"That's exactly why I didn't tell you!"
I even raised my voice in frustration, but—
"Confess while we're still asking nicely!!!"
These brats showed no sign of backing down.
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The guts I'd been so proud they'd developed through training pushed to the breaking point—and now they were using those guts on me.
"Are you planning to help Strategist Dam escape?"
Ŵе bn о̆v.ѐl Е́ń ǔm а̃
Under Eun-ho's relentless questioning, I finally nodded.
They'd find out eventually anyway.
"Yeah."
"Strategist Dam is still alive?!"
Ha, was that a trick question too?
While I gaped like a fish, realizing I'd been had—
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
After a moment's thought, Eun-ho nodded.
"Then we should join in."
"As you've all heard, this is an extremely dangerous operation. The answer is no."
At my firm refusal, Eun-ho actually stepped closer.
"Think about it the other way around."
"What?"
E_n u̇mа.
"If you help Dam Ak escape and war does break out, doesn't that make the Taeul Sect and all of us traitors?"
Eun-ho continued with a look that said, What kind of nonsensical leadership is this?
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Damn, that kid's already dyed black to the core. He's like this just after passing the Mantongbu exam—what'll happen once he actually starts working there? Tsk, tsk.
When I didn't respond, Eun-ho nodded as though he'd confirmed everything.
"In that case, wouldn't we all end up dragged to the Execution Pavilion anyway? Better to be in from the start, and if things go south, we can all defect to the Black Thought Alliance together."
Fuck, why does he have to jinx it by bringing up failure?
Е ñu.m̂ a .і d
But Eun-ho's logic wasn't entirely wrong.
Shifting the blame, I asked once more.
"And that's what you all want? To be part of this?"
And without a shred of hesitation, they answered.
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"Obviously."
"Of course."
Enu m̄ ӑ_
"You're sure Father agreed to this, right?"
"I don't care either way."
I tried to talk them out of it several times, but in the end the brats decided of their own free will to join.
Alright then, time to resume preparations—
"But if we do end up defecting to the Black Thought Alliance, we're getting at least a Captain's rank, right?"
Eun-ho's obnoxious remark was cheerfully ignored.
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***
The day of reckoning.
I headed for the Hall of Repose, accompanied as before by Dang Seo-hui and Jegal Cheon-gi.
Even more people than last time were standing guard at the Hall of Repose.
Honestly, at this point the attempt to block Dam Ak was so blatant it was embarrassing.
"What should we do?"
Е̃ n û m а̊. і̃ d̃
Good question—what should we do?
With this many guards, the word 'covert' seemed laughable.
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But having come this far, there was no turning back.
I put on a sunny smile.
"Let's just put them to sleep for a good long while."
If we can't be covert, better to knock them into a deep slumber.
Ѐṅu m а.
That way, even if they wake up partway through, they'll have trouble responding.
I gently stroked Dang Seo-hui's head.
"That Numbing Powder—can you use it at a non-lethal dosage?"
Dang Seo-hui puffed a snort and rumbled.
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"Who do you take me for?"
She promptly drew four mother-of-pearl bottles and began dispersing poison across the Hall of Repose area.
Ё ńumà . id
Before long—
Thud— Thud—
People began dropping.
Those on watch saw their colleagues suddenly collapsing around them and tried to sound the emergency bell, but—
"Wha— emer—......"
"Huuuhhhh......"
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The potent sleeping poison overwhelmed their shallow willpower and sent them crumpling to the ground in an instant.
I nodded to Dang Seo-hui and Jegal Cheon-gi.
Once we broke through the Black Fog Solitary Soul Formation and entered—
"You've come?"
Dam Ak, even gaunter than before, was waiting.
"But where did you get those black garments?"
Е̇_ǹǔm_ӑ
How on earth had he procured clothing in a place sealed off on all sides?
"We need Stealth Clothes, don't we? Fortunately there was plenty of ink, so I dyed them myself."
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Dam Ak wore the faintest smile at the corners of his lips.
I stared at him incredulously, and he added with perfect nonchalance.
"I've been involved in the murim, but this is actually my first time participating in an operation like this. I'm quite excited."
Sir, your life is on the line in this operation.
W̊ е́ b̆ nо v̇ е́_l̂ Ӗ n̊ uma
This is not the time to be excited and having fun.
But figuring it was better than him being a nervous wreck, I held my tongue.
Instead, I raised something more important.
"Before we begin, there's one thing I need you to promise."
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"What is it?"
"From this moment on, I make every decision. Strategist Dam and every member of the envoy delegation must follow my lead without exception."
Ё n̄ u̇ m̂ а̀
Sure enough, protests erupted from Dam Ak's subordinates.
"Absolutely not."
"That's absurd!"
"How would we know what schemes you have in mind!"
I mean, the person risking this much is asking you—can't you at least think about it?
If every single Black Path fighter is this devoid of patience, this whole operation is dead in the water.
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Still, I could understand them to a degree.
What I'd just asked for was barely distinguishable from demanding the power of life and death over them.
While the delegation and guards objected, Dam Ak raised a hand to silence them.
Then he gave me a slight nod.
"I'd already braced myself for this when I asked Young Master Jin for help."
"Strategist Dam!"
Е_n̄ u mа
"This is outrageous!"
Dam Ak surveyed those around him and continued calmly.
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"This is the man who broke through the enemy's encirclement in the Black Forest and reached the Ten-Thousand-Poison Sect. Is there anyone better suited for this task? And if someone else's misguided opinion derails the operation, I—and all of us—could die."
"......"
"I'm entrusting everything to Young Master Jin."
No further objections arose.
Énu̇m̊ а̃ .ĩ d̄
Though objections would have been warranted, the ease with which they accepted Dam Ak's word spoke volumes about how deep his trust ran within the Black Path murim.
While I quietly marveled at this, Dam Ak tilted his head slightly and spoke.
"There is one thing that concerns me, however."
A concern, even after handing over full authority?
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Moreover, Dam Ak's expression had turned genuinely serious.
What critical matter was he about to raise......
Е̂ňum̆å . і d̈
"We'll be together for the foreseeable future, so in that case......"
"In that case?"
"Will Young Master Jin and I have to share a table for meals?"
"......"
"I'm joking."
What the—has the stress pushed him over the edge?
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Anyone watching would think he was heading out on a stroll around the neighborhood.
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