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7. Private revenge (7)
Yukgachang-sik.
The martial art of the Grand General’s Office, a secret technique passed down alongside the history of the Imperial Military for hundreds of years.
The Twelve Styles of Spear Techniques possessed both simple and complex aspects, and they were improved and developed countless times, to the point where it is no exaggeration to say that most of the martial arts of the Imperial Army now originate from these Six Styles of Spear Techniques.
A martial art that truly serves as the root and pillar of the military, much like the Bodhidharma Sutra of Shaolin, Tai Chi of Wudang, and the Heavenly Demon Sutra of the Demonic Cult.
Jwa Dae-gi, a slave of the Six Families in Beijing, stole such martial arts and fled to the Murim Alliance.
His fearless behavior was so extreme that even Du Cheon-gang, a former grave robber, was left speechless.
However, Jwadaegi was rather confident.
“Damn it! It’s not like I chose to be born a slave. After seeing my mother disgraced and my father commit suicide, don’t you want to do one of the two—either kill yourself or screw those fucking bastards over? Don’t you?”
He did not choose the Murim Alliance to survive.
“I chose the place where I could really screw over the military, and it just so happened that it was the Murim Alliance.” “Wait… then in this life… surely this bastard isn’t going to the Dark Alliance, is he?” He came here because the Murim Alliance was the only option in his previous life, but given his eccentric temperament, the thought that the Dark Alliance would suit him better fills me with anxiety. “Damn it, this can’t be…” It’s not because I miss him or any sense of camaraderie…
I can’t even give them a hard time!!! I should pay them back double for what they did to me, damn it.
Anyway, the strategy of Yukga Changsik, which had changed as if to represent the guy’s temperament, was one-sidedly attack and destruction.
Chwa
– Chwa
The pursuers, running past the trees, reveal themselves one by one.
Everyone drew their swords from their waists and stood guard, as if keeping watch on me as I stood on the carriage.
I concentrated my internal energy with my hand.
Whoosh
The ridiculous spear technique called *Hyunghochang*, which that bastard Jwadaegi named, begins to seethe wildly in my hand.
Ddddddddd
The spear, which began to rotate with the power of ki, invariably shatters the delicate palm.
This spear technique, devised based on the concept that a round spear can be rotated, is an attack method that does not consider the safety of the enemy, let alone one’s own.
And such determination inflicts even greater damage on the opponent.
Fierce Tiger Spear, Fierce Tiger Claw: A technique created after witnessing the young masters of the Six Families in Beijing being killed themselves while attempting to finish off a wounded tiger.
The spear extending from Changsik spins furiously and strikes the pursuer’s chest.
The pursuer who tried to block by swinging his sword energy could not withstand the pressure of the fiercely spinning spear and was flung backward like an arrow.
steadfast string
As a brutal attack method was added that went beyond immense destructive power and wounded even the caster, a large scar the size of a human head was left vividly on the tracker’s chest.
“!”
I can feel a glint in the eyes of the pursuers.
The military’s martial arts, which are strictly offensive and distinct from the martial arts of the Jianghu.
It confuses people who have only trained to fight with courtesy, leaving them unsure how to respond.
The pursuer, who had barely dodged the spear shot out while spinning furiously, soon hides his body and widens his eyes upon spotting the fiercely fired spear.
He twists his body abruptly and strikes with sword energy, but the spinning spear, already imbued with the secrets of the Soul-Absorption Technique, greedily devours its prey and tears it to shreds.
“Aaaargh!”
He unleashes his spear again toward the pursuer, who has slumped to the ground with his right arm reduced to a rag, without allowing even the slightest opening.
As the spear slammed down with a powerful punch, another pursuer rushed urgently to save the fallen one. ‘I’m caught.’ I curled the corners of my mouth into a smirk and simultaneously unleashed the third technique of the Fierce Tiger Spear.
Spears pouring down in massive quantities, as if the fierce tiger bird had been enlarged five or six times.
It swallows the two pursuers in an instant.
The more you struggle to avoid being sucked into the vortex, the more severe the damage becomes.
“Ugh!”
“Ah, no!”
Two people collapse to the floor, their bodies covered in blood.
A look of bewilderment flickers in the eyes of the remaining pursuers.
You must have been appalled that such a horrific attack was carried out without hesitation.
Even if the goal ultimately culminates in the act of ‘killing’ people, the starting points are distinctly different. This is because the martial arts that began as part of training for ‘the Way and enlightenment’ and the military’s martial arts aimed at ‘efficiently cleansing humans’ follow distinctly different trajectories.
Moreover, ‘Heroic Spear,’ imbued with Jwa Dae-gi’s ‘malice’ toward the world, merely exudes demonic power and cannot even be considered a martial art of the White Path.
I am reminded once again of the greatness of Yukgachang-sik.
If Jwaedaegi had stolen all twelve types instead of the six and run away, could he have lived a little longer?
That probably wasn’t the case. Not long after he died, the Imperial military came to capture Jwa Dae-gi.
He stole someone else’s martial arts. And not just any martial arts, but the martial arts of the Six Families of Beijing, and died at the hands of the Demonic Cult; from his perspective, it was a fair death in its own way.
Whirring
The spearhead spins terrifyingly fast along the high-speed rotating shaft.
He thrusts in very simply at the sword techniques rushing in with flashy variations.
Kiririririririk──The changgeuk clashing with the sword face digs in like a madman, as if to pierce through the sword itself.
The transfer of that energy immediately throws the opponent into disarray, and the pursuer twists their sword to escape the range of the spear strike.
But why is a window a window?
Isn’t it a window because it’s long?
I pulled the spear shaft all the way back and thrust it straight into the guy’s dantian.
Pfft—the pursuer widens his eyes as if he hadn’t expected this.
“Don’t act ridiculous. Did you really set out on this assassination mission without even being prepared for this?”
“……
“Ugh.”
A henchman of the Jeongdo Society who thought he was the protagonist of the world.
However, I kicked the pursuer, who must now have painfully realized his position.
His new body falls under the carriage and rolls on the floor.
The remaining pursuers debated between chasing the target and tending to the injured, but soon made a decision and ran toward the wounded.
Blatant hostility is directed at me, as if to pierce through my entire body.
So what are you going to do if you glare at me like that?
I readjusted my posture again.
There is truly not a single thing wrong with what the ancients said.
For guys who can’t even properly recognize their own mistakes, a beating is the answer.
Fierce spears pour down on them, slicing through the air with extreme rotational force.
The terrified pursuers thrust their swords to protect the wounded, but
*Burp*
-Kyaak
With a scream, the two people’s arms turn into rags.
He quietly informed the guys who were drenched in blood.
“If I had run away leaving him behind, I would have killed everyone.”
“…….”
The guys stared blankly up at the carriage with dazed eyes.
I turned away from them without hesitation.
And then fired a signal flare.
Now, the military’s singing style has appeared. Qingshu Zhenren, what are you going to do now?
A slight smile formed on my lips at the thought of Cheongsu Jin-in making a disgusted face as he received the report. #Bang!
The morning sun was slowly peeking out, but it was still dark.
Thanks to this, the sound and blue color of the signal flare rising from the far east were clearly identified.
Eunho felt relieved as he watched the signal flare.
If a red signal flare had gone off, their destination would have been the Black Alliance.
I quickly dismissed the regret over the position of clan head that I might have ascended.
Geumpyo and Dongryong took off the headscarves they were wearing and put them in their bosoms.
However, seeing Geumpyo’s expression as he giggled weakly for some reason, Eunho felt annoyed.
“You can laugh in this situation?”
“After visiting my parents recently, I realized… haven’t we changed a lot?”
I wonder why you are suddenly bringing that up in this situation.
“You know. We, who were just ordinary people who thought we’d make a living helping out at the mill… now we know exactly how many people are tracking us.”
Come to think of it, it is indeed an earth-shattering event.
No matter where you go in the neighborhood, there will be countless people just like them who are not only ordinary but even below average.
But to think that those three brothers graduated from the Murim Academy and are now carrying out special operations against members of the Jeongdohoe.
It was surprising to realize once again that the warriors of the Jeongdohoe, whom I used to be as fearsome as the sky and afraid to even look up at, now seemed like nothing more than enemies to be faced.
“Even so, let’s stay alert, brother. This is an extremely dangerous operation. If we make even the slightest mistake, all three of us brothers might have to join hands and defect to the Dark Path…”
“So what? I’m going with Senior Brother. He’ll surely take care of us.”
I thought the trust was a bit excessive at this point, but then again, that isn’t entirely wrong either.
Just as we were able to come this far thanks to the power of the Senior Brother, his power will have a significant impact on future events as well.
And whenever something special like this happened, something big always changed. I’m actually looking forward to seeing what else will change after this is over.
As Geumpyo said, Jin So-un is like the center of a storm.
He himself is completely at ease, but wherever he passes, the whole world is turned upside down.
Just as I was thinking of the extraordinary senior disciple.
“The guys…… are coming.”
A sleepy-sounding voice was heard.
Dong-ryong rubbed his eyes and adjusted his posture, wondering if the reason he had been quiet on the carriage was because he was asleep.
“Our role is merely to let people know that someone from Taeeulmun is here. So, don’t push yourself too hard.”
Eunho reminded them of the plan once again, and Geumpyo and Dongryong silently nodded and drew their swords.#“What does that mean?”
Zhuge Xiaoming frowned deeply at the report from the Cheonmokgak personnel.
It is not that I asked again because I did not understand the report from each office.
He pressed the timing, asking why the report was made only now.
Even Meng Zhuyuan, who was originally supposed to listen to the Cheonmokgak personnel and report to his superiors on their behalf, was so dumbfounded by the current situation that he brought the personnel himself and stood them before Zhuge Xiaoming.
“I asked. What on earth does that mean?”
“Th-that… the security of the side story was breached….”
bang!
Zhuge Xiaoming slammed his fist on the table.
“You are reporting that… only now… when the sun is high in the sky?” Gakwon, who was about to reflexively react by saying, “It’s not high in the sky yet…”, barely managed to keep his mouth shut.
If you run your mouth carelessly here, you will become a victim of a flaming club instead of a footnote.
“The footnotes! Where are the footnotes! Why aren’t the footnotes being passed down?!”
“I-the Footnote Master is currently investigating what happened in the side story…….”
Bang! Crunch.
Eventually, the table in the General Affairs Department was split in half.
He, who had never lost his composure amidst numerous political battles, openly displayed his anger for the first time.
“You’re only telling me now that the security for the side story was breached, and the footnote holder didn’t even show their face?”
Jegal So-myeong was so enraged that his body began to tremble.
Even the members who had somewhat braced themselves were so terrified that they wet their pants.
The eerie gaze instantly froze the air.
When did Cheonmokgak find out about this?
“When did you know!”
“To the report of the last shift changers at the hour of the rabbit…….”
“But you’re only reporting that now?! Unless you’re all collectively insane, is this even possible?!”
“Th-that, the thing that happened by mistake…… Ugh.”
Gakwon could not continue speaking. After all, the inkstone held in Jegal Somyeong’s hand flew through the air and struck Gakwon on the head.
“Ugh…….”
Jegal So-myeong is also well aware that, with the exception of the Mantong Department and a few other departments, the majority of departments provide significant advantages to the factions to which they belong.
However, this has crossed the line way too far.
A cutoff of information implies that something is being hidden, and given the grave situation the Murim Alliance is currently facing, there is… ultimately only one important thing that needs to be concealed.
Summon Jeokryonggak to Bonganjeon.
“four!”
Sensing the atmosphere, Meng Zhuyuan rushed out, and at the same time, Zhuge Xiaoming also sprang from his seat and left.
Gakwon dared to try and stop him, but stood abruptly in his tracks as if frozen by the formidable aura.
Zhuge Xiaoming could not possibly hide his rising anger.
I had a thought that couldn’t be true.
Unlike the investigation report on the person who raided his quarters, which was uploaded quickly, the investigation report on the Bonganjeon area was uploaded quite a long time later.
Nevertheless, they endured it because the Ministry of Public Works interfering in the affairs of every department was nothing more than an abuse of power.
However, all those actions of upholding principles ultimately only benefited the politicians.
“C-General!”
Upon reaching the Bonganjeon Hall, the chief priests of Cheonmokgak and Haenghaenggak, who were said to be conducting an investigation, stood in unison to block the way.
“Hey, what brings you here?”
Move aside.
Part of the Bongheonjeon building is damaged and could collapse at any moment. If such a dangerous task is to be handled, please leave it to us, your subordinates…
“I told him to move aside.”
He almost reached out his hand right then and there, but Zhuge Xiaoming barely managed to swallow his boiling anger.
A brief standoff ensued.
Eventually, the Cheonmokgakju and Haengnyunggakdanju, who had been sweating profusely, soon stepped aside one by one.
They felt that if they stood in his way any longer, the situation would become something they absolutely could not handle.
As Jegal So-myeong entered the Bonganjeon Hall, the debris of the damaged building came into view piece by piece.
Although I lacked professional knowledge of investigation and inquiry, I could at least tell what those damaged traces indicated.
In addition, I could also immediately see the reason why the investigation had been sluggish and uncertain.
“Did you call, Commander-in-Chief?”
At that time, the Lord of the Red Dragon Pavilion arrived at the Hall of Enlightenment, leading his subordinate clan leaders and high-ranking personnel.
Zhuge Xiaoming gave the order without looking back at him.
From now on, go and stand where I instruct you.
The Lord of the Red Dragon Pavilion, who was about to ask for the reason, quickly noticed the unusual surrounding situation and signaled his subordinates with a nod.
Then, the personnel of Jeokryonggak surrounded the area around the Gimunjinsik in the annex that Jegal Somyeong had pointed out.
“Start!”
Although Zhuge Xiaoming’s explanation was incredibly simple, the members and leaders of the Red Dragon Pavilion were also figures of the highest caliber.
They began to push tension containing the desired level of destructive power exactly where he wanted it, just like the hands and feet of Zhuge Xiaoming.
Ddddddddd.
Then, the entire annex building, including the Gimunjinsik, began to shake.
The black fog surrounding the area repeatedly clumped together and spread out, obscuring the view.
More! Stronger!
At Jegal Somyeong’s signal, the members of the Red Dragon Pavilion began to infuse greater power, and the trembling grew even stronger.
Then, in the end, the black mists, unable to hold out any longer, spread their immense energy in all directions as if exploding.
Rumble rumble.
Pffft.
The black mist formation surrounding the annex was dismantled.
“……!”
The site where the annex building had stood was deeply gouged into the ground, with the building shattered into pieces, as if it had been hit by a bomb.
If anyone had been inside, they would have been crushed to death without a trace.
Investigate.
At Jegal So-myeong’s command, the Cheonmokgak personnel and the leaders of the Haengnyonggak who were watching nearby attempted to move, but.
“Do not lift a fingertip.”
Passing by them, the Lord of the Red Dragon Pavilion approached Jegal So-myeong and bowed his head.
“What should I look for?”
Jegal So-myeong, gazing at the ground crushed by cold anger in his eyes, murmured softly.
The corpse of Damak, the commander-in-chief of the Saheukryeon.
Without a word, the Red Dragon Pavilion Master gestured to the side, and his subordinates turned on the lights to search for bodies at the scene of the crushing deaths.
Had a moment or so passed?
“I found them! But they are not members of the delegation.”
“A body was found here, too! Likewise, it is not affiliated with the Black Alliance.”
A total of four corpses were found.
One body is presumed to be that of a man who was Damak’s bodyguard.
The remaining three are corpses whose affiliation is unknown.
No bodies of Damak or the other members of the delegation could be found anywhere.
Zhuge Xiaoming was speechless.
No, to be precise, he was extremely indignant at the scene that vividly displayed the horrific abuses, as if visualizing the true nature of the Murim Alliance, which had rotted to the core.
He turned around with a cold, mocking smile.
Because the outline of the culprit was already roughly formed in his mind.
The Heavenly Wood Pavilion Master, pale with fear, hurriedly bowed his head toward Jegal Somyeong as he turned to leave.
Zhuge Xiaoming, who was about to pass him, stopped abruptly in front of him and spoke coldly.
“Just wait. I will make you pay the full price for the things you have done.”
