Emperor’s Sword [EN]: Chapter 16

Following the Night Walker!

“Hey, Woo Jang-chang! Everyone’s busy eating, drinking, and having fun, so why are we stuck on night patrol duty on a day like this? You and I are just plain unlucky.”

His colleague, Woo Jang-chang, standing opposite him, chimed in.

“You’re telling me. Who would dare to enter our Northern Sword Society? On a day like today, even lowlifes like us should be given some booze, shouldn’t we? What’s the point of thinking about it? We just have to do as we’re told. What else can we do? It’s all fate. People just need to get ahead in life!”

The two guards of the outer west gate grumbled about their misfortune, casting envious glances at the brightly lit areas.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh.

In the sky covered by darkness, an even darker shadow was passing by. Coincidentally, Woo Jang-chang’s gaze was fixed on that spot.

“Huh? What’s that?”

“What, a horse?”

At Woo Jang-chang’s words, Jong-ja-gi looked in the direction of his gaze.

The moon was in the sky, and the stars were twinkling. Somewhere in the sky, something was passing by quickly.

“Isn’t that a night bird? Why is it like that?”

“Well, it must be a bird, flying so high. I’m almost envious of that thing.”

As he said, a bird was cutting through the sky and disappearing. But could they have imagined that what they thought was a bird was actually a person?

★ Pachaen didn’t go to the Subin Pavilion but went straight to the banquet hall. He had briefly left the drinking party and needed to return quickly to avoid suspicion. Moreover, Namgung Seolran was always watching him closely. He was sure that she was focusing all her attention on him again.

“Haha! Master Moon, where have you been? We agreed to drink until dawn today. Surely you haven’t forgotten that promise already?”

“Of course not. Let’s start now, so don’t scold me too much.”

Pachaen joined in with Namgung Hyuk-ryun, and the two quickly hit it off, exchanging drinks. Everyone was amazed at how quickly they emptied several bottles of alcohol. The atmosphere of the banquet hall was still boisterous. Yesterday afternoon, a group of martial artists had left, and most of the sects would leave the Northern Sword Society before the end of today.

“Great Hero.”

Namgung Hyuk-ryun’s title for Pachaen had changed from ‘Young Master’ to ‘Great Hero.’ This showed that his attitude towards Pachaen had changed.

“Are you planning to leave tomorrow?”

“That’s the plan.”

“Then, if you don’t have any other plans, would you like to join us for a trip to Oryeon Hall?”

“I’m so sorry, but I have somewhere to go as soon as I leave here. I’ll definitely visit you sometime later.”

“Then, it can’t be helped. So, is today’s gathering a farewell party? Everyone, let’s have a drink for Master Moon’s journey!”

“For the journey!”

Peng Jeong-hu raised his glass along with them.

The three of them got along relatively well. They were deeply immersed in drinking, losing track of time. The alcohol had begun to consume them.

★ The Northern Sword Society was in an uproar. Due to overdrinking the previous night, Pachaen and his group woke up late and prepared to leave immediately. As they approached the west gate to leave the Northern Sword Society, the gate guards stopped them. The reason was that an incident had occurred within the Northern Sword Society, and no one was allowed to leave until further notice. An emergency order had been issued throughout the Northern Sword Society, and the society’s swordsmen were holding back the martial artists who had not yet left.

In the Divine Sword Pavilion, on the 8th floor, was the medical hall, Taeui Hall. The head of the society was seated high on the dais, and the top 20 figures of the Northern Sword Society were seated. It seemed that something serious had happened within the society.

So Cheon-ak, the eighth-ranked member and strategist of the Northern Sword Society, also known as the Three-Eyed Thousand Brain, rose from his seat.

“According to my investigation, it is impossible that Lady Seolran was kidnapped by an outsider. First of all, there are no signs of intrusion from the outside, nor any signs of resistance from a kidnapping. Furthermore, the security of the Suhwa Pavilion is managed by the Guardian Hall directly under the Law Enforcement Hall, so it is virtually impossible to kidnap the young lady without leaving any traces. Of course, a master of supreme skill could evade the guards, but as you all know, a master of supreme skill, known only to the head of the society, is always protecting the young lady. Considering the current situation, it would be wise to focus on that person, as he has also disappeared. According to the guards of the Guardian Hall, it is known that a person named Hwansa and a maid, Geum-aeng, left the Suhwa Pavilion together sometime after midnight yesterday. The problem is that the maid, Geum-aeng, has never accompanied Hwansa and has never gone outside. This is a fact I obtained by questioning the child, Geum-aeng. Therefore, the conclusion is that the Geum-aeng who accompanied Hwansa is actually Lady Seolran.”

“So, you’re saying she was disguised using a transformation technique?”

“Yes, that’s correct. The problem is that it’s likely not a common transformation technique but a variant. The maid, Geum-aeng, was said to have a close relationship with the guards. The fact that they were completely deceived suggests that it must have been a variant transformation technique. They were trained to identify intruders, so they would easily detect ordinary disguises or skin-changing techniques. The problem is that the young lady has not learned martial arts. Therefore, the conclusion is that a third party or Hwansa used a variant transformation technique on the young lady and left the Northern Sword Society without a trace…”

“What? Are you saying Seolran left on her own accord?”

“Yes, that’s correct, Head of the Society! I have a question for you. Is this Hwansa that skilled?”

“Hmm… It’s true that he is skilled, but not to that extent.”

“Then, a third party was involved. A master who could leave the society without a trace, taking the young lady who doesn’t know martial arts. And that person is probably someone who has some familiarity with Lady Seolran.”

“Who the hell is it? How many people in the martial world can enter the Northern Sword Society as if it were their own home and take her away without anyone noticing?”

“So, I have issued a top-level emergency order within the society to keep all the masters in place. However, I believe that person has already left the society.”

“That’s likely. Damn it… What kind of fools are you that such a thing can happen in our own backyard? Fine. So, who do you think it is?”

“Perhaps… if it’s a master of that level, it would be one of the representatives of the righteous third generation or the leaders of the righteous sects who attended the Grand Gathering, excluding us. The problem is that most of them left the society yesterday afternoon. Of course, that could be a deliberate disguise, but I think it’s more likely to be a third party we haven’t considered. So, we are secretly investigating the movements of the masters who did not leave the society last night after midnight. We should have a clearer picture soon. If no clues are found in this investigation, it must have been done by a third force.”

“Understood. Investigate carefully and report… Put everyone under investigation, including me and all the leaders of our Northern Sword Society. Do you understand? We must find her. We must find her. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Head of the Society.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Everyone, leave.”

…

★ It was a dark passage. Torches were lit on the walls every two steps. This was the basement of the Divine Sword Pavilion. No one knew that there was such a secret passage in the basement of the Divine Sword Pavilion.

Step, step.

Only the echo of footsteps followed in the empty space.

Clang.

Step, step.

The person who had been walking for a while opened an iron door from the outside and entered, then walked for a while longer. Then, another iron door appeared.

“Open the door. It’s me.”

Clang.

“Have you arrived?”

“Yes. Is he still alive?”

“Yes, there hasn’t been any significant reaction yet. No matter how much we torture him, he won’t open his mouth.”

“What about his grandson?”

“That guy is also quite stubborn…”

“Make sure he gets his meals on time. They are still useful…”

“Yes, we are doing that.”

“Lead me to that place.”

“Yes, Lord!”

Step, step.

What was that? The walls were covered in moss, and about an inch of water that had seeped up from the ground was pooled on the floor. Its color was black. And an unknown stench filled the stone chamber. On the wall directly in front, a person was hanging with his head drooping, fixed to the wall by iron chains. He was not wearing anything. His wrists and ankles were fixed with iron chains, and in that position, he seemed to be taking care of everything. The reason for the stench from the water on the floor was also from him. He had been tortured countless times, with tears and ruptures all over his body, and the blood and excrement that had flowed from him had remained pooled there. How could this be called alive?

Clang.

Even when the iron door opened, the grotesque figure bound to the wall did not react. The occasional breaths he exhaled sounded labored, whether due to phlegm or a damaged airway. He was still alive.

“Hey. Raise your head.”

There was no response.

“Huhu, well, it doesn’t matter. You and your grandson are truly tenacious. I’ll admit that much. How about it? Aren’t you curious about your granddaughter’s news?”

Twitch.

For the first time, the grotesque figure showed that he was alive.

“Huhu, so you do react to your own blood. Be happy. Last night, your granddaughter escaped.”

Cough.

A lump of blood was coughed up from his mouth. Yet, the fact that he was still alive was truly a miracle. The blood he coughed up was dark and murky.

“You’ll be dying soon. Who is it? Was there still someone who could help your granddaughter? That woman, Hwansa, wouldn’t have that kind of ability. Tell me. Who took Seolran, that girl?”

“Cra…zy…bastard…”

“Hahahaha. Emperor of the Hidden Dragon, your son is dead, and your grandson is no better than you. Both of them will die soon. Then, the only remaining bloodline of the Dokgo family on this land is that girl. I promise you. If you tell me where that girl might be, I will guarantee her safety. The marriage with the Namdo Alliance is already underway. But that girl has escaped.”

Swish.

It was a whip. Even though it seemed like there was no more blood left in his body, blood was still being drawn. He rolled up the whip with the flesh still attached to it.

“Tell me now. Tell me!”

Swish.

“You damn… stubborn old man…”

He handed the whip to the masked man standing behind him.

“Shall I tell you something? Now, your Northern Sword Society will plunge the martial world into a sea of blood under the pretext of subjugating the Demonic Cult. Huhu, by then, you’ll probably be in hell. That’s good too. I’ll send many guys up there soon so you won’t be bored. If you don’t want to talk, you don’t have to. Either way, the wheels are already turning. Don’t say anything. But I’ll make one thing clear. I will definitely catch Dokgo Seolran, rape her in front of you, and sell her to a brothel. Isn’t that great? I kept my promise. If that girl had done as I said, she would have lived a good life. But that girl escaped. Say something. Surely you’re not completely indifferent?”

“Huhu, don’t think you have everything… The martial world is not that easy… Whether she is ruined… humiliated… or unhappy… it’s all part of her life… it’s all her fate… Just kill me now… Do you think I’ll answer even one word of yours? Even when my son died, even when my grandson’s arm… was cut off, I didn’t even blink. But… now you’re threatening me with the safety of my granddaughter, whom I don’t even know if she’s dead or alive? Hurry… kill me.”

It had been a long time since he had spoken so much. He was speaking in a clear tone with distinct pronunciation. He paused occasionally, as if he was struggling, but it was not difficult to understand.

“Ho, Emperor of the Hidden Dragon! You are truly amazing. You still have so much energy left. Well, you were a supreme master who once dominated the martial world, so it’s not surprising. Now, I’m leaving and won’t come back. And when you two die, this place will be permanently closed. If you change your mind before then, tell me anytime. I’ll give you a comfortable death…”

Then, he turned around. He was Dokgo Han-cheon, the head of the Northern Sword Society. But what was going on? The Emperor of the Hidden Dragon was clearly Dokgo Han-cheon’s father and the former head of the Northern Sword Society. He was said to have left with Dokgo Han-cheon’s son, the grandson of the Emperor of the Hidden Dragon, to train in martial arts… It was truly a mystery.

★ “What kind of tyranny is this? We’re leaving on our own accord, so why are you stopping us? Can the Northern Sword Society really act so arbitrarily?”

The dissatisfaction of the martial artists was rising. The chief manager came out to explain, but it was useless. There were still a little less than 3,000 martial artists remaining in the Northern Sword Society. Most of them had left yesterday.

It was also the last day of the Grand Gathering, so as the day dawned and time passed, more and more people began to leave the Northern Sword Society, but for some reason, the Northern Sword Society was not letting them go. As things turned out this way, the martial artists were forming groups and showing signs of resorting to force.

“Let us see the head of the society. I don’t know what’s going on, but by what authority are you stopping us from leaving? We need to meet the head of the society and demand an explanation.”

“It will only take a moment to complete the investigation.”

“What kind of investigation are you talking about?”

“We are investigating your movements last night. We are already investigating the movements of the attendants and escorts who were serving you, so those who are not suspected will be able to leave immediately.”

“What kind of suspicion are you talking about?”

“I cannot give you the details, so please cooperate for a moment, even if it is inconvenient.”

“Damn it…”

“What the hell is this?”

“It seems the Northern Sword Society is a lawless group.”

“Are you trying to start something?”

The martial artists’ agitation showed no signs of calming down. Pachaen and his group were among them.

“What on earth is going on?”

At Namgung Hyuk-ryun’s words, Pachaen was deep in thought.

‘So, the attendants and escorts who were helping with the banquet were actually surveillance? Then, they’ll be reaching out to me soon. Huhu, this is going to be interesting…’

————————-

To be continued.

Due to Christmas, this is the only installment for today.

I will only post about one installment per day until the end of the year.

I’m sorry.

Thank you to those who read my work.

Merry Christmas.

Title: [Serial] Emperor’s Sword 18. Find the Demonic Cult! Related Materials: None [59153]

Sender: Im Sam-yeol (logos333) 2000-12-26 00:04 Views: 1983

-Emperor’s Sword-