Chapter 165: To Mount Ei (3)
Dongchang.
It was the emperor’s direct intelligence agency, established so he could observe the movents of the officials and the common people.
Alongside the Imperial Guards, the Jinyiwei, it stood as one of the two great powers within the imperial palace. What made them distinct was that every mber was composed of eunuchs of the inner court.
Those unaware might sneer, wondering what was so great about a group of re eunuchs.
But historically, eunuchs who served closest to the emperor had always been at the center of power, and Dongchang, which had mastered countless rare martial arts acquired through that power, was lined with experts.
With intelligence rivaling the Beggars’ Sect and assassins comparable to those of the Gate of Assassins, one could easily imagine how fearso an organization it was.
Just then, Sewoon’s sleepy eyes slowly opened.
‘One among them had unquestionably reached the Manifestation Realm.’
Within Dongchang, only one person had surpassed the Manifestation Realm.
The pinnacle of the imperial palace’s authority.
The two highest-ranking commanders, the Cheophyeong.
Below them were the Du, one hundred commanders.
And the Banyeok, the one thousand field agents.
And above all who oversaw the entirety of Dongchang—
‘Lord Wu Gonggong.’
It was Dongchang Admiral Wu Huayun, addressed as Gonggong.
He was a figure who remained vivid even in Sewoon’s mories before his regression.
‘Wu Gonggong. That man was certainly Namgung Myeong’s backing.’
Namgung Myeong had mobilized all the financial power of the Namgung Clan to pull strings within the imperial palace, and the final link of that chain had been this very eunuch.
And before Sewoon’s regression, Wu Gonggong had aided only Baek Doryeon during the great war against the Blood Cult.
The Blood Demon’s massacres cared nothing for the treaty of non-interference between the authorities and the murim. The officials had also entered full-scale war against the Blood Cult.
But Wu Gonggong had chosen Baek Doryeon, who focused on defense from the rear, while leaving the Anti-Blood Alliance fighting on the front lines behind.
For that reason, Sewoon’s mories of Wu Gonggong and Dongchang did not hold a favorable impression.
‘Dongchang ca to Ei, huh.’
And for the Admiral of Dongchang himself to have arrived, it ant that the person riding the Sain-gyo palanquin must have been an incredibly important figure.
‘Hmm, who could it be? And for what reason?’
The two questions lingered in Sewoon’s mind for a long while.
But that too was brief.
Even after digging through his mories from before regression, no reason existed for them to seek out the Mount Ei Sect at this point in ti.
Then it was correct to focus on other matters piled up before him for now.
‘Well, my purpose is to et the Subduing Tiger Divine Physician anyway, so there’s no reason for
to get tangled up with them.’
Thinking so, Sewoon set his briefly halted group into motion once more.
The Sain-gyo palanquin, which had been ascending a cliffside vertically, finally reached a flat path.
Cheocheok.
At the front of the Sain-gyo, the figure who had been carrying one leg lifted a fist, and all others halted at once.
It was a perfectly disciplined movent, the result of rigorous training.
The one who had stopped the Sain-gyo—wearing a black bamboo hat and covering the face with a black veil—slowly looked downward.
Far below the steep cliff, the group that had passed by them could be seen as tiny dots, wriggling faintly.
Among them, when Wu Gonggong’s eyes fell on a single person, a peculiar light stirred within them.
‘He had interesting eyes. His na has been floating around recently, so perhaps the rumors weren’t baseless.’
Dongchang Admiral Wu Huayun Gonggong evaluated Sewoon in that manner.
When Sewoon used the Eye of Spectral Perception and examined Wu Gonggong’s presence, Wu Gonggong likewise probed into Sewoon.
Though it lasted but a fraction of a mont, Wu Gonggong was greatly astonished.
‘This is the first ti. I’ve only ever been the one peering into others. To be stripped bare so one-sidedly like this…’
In conclusion, his attempt at probing had failed.
The unprecedented power shrouding Sewoon’s entire body veiled him like a dense mist, blocking Wu Gonggong’s sight.
But in reverse, he could not stop the other’s unknown power from sweeping cleanly through his insides.
It had been well over a decade since he had surpassed the wall of the Manifestation Realm, and never once had he experienced anything like this.
[Master Taegam, may I ask why you have halted?]
At that mont, Go Jun—one of the two Cheophyeong—sent him a cautious telepathic ssage.
When Wu Gonggong refrained from answering, Go Jun seed to interpret it differently and replied in a chilling voice.
[If it is because of those we passed earlier, simply give the word. I shall dispose of them at once.]
He uttered the intent to kill and silence witnesses with disturbing ease.
[No, there is no need.]
[You needn’t worry. That Sichuan Tang Clan has just withdrawn from the Murim Alliance and now stands between orthodox and unorthodox. And the treaty of authority-and-murim non-interference matters not as long as no one discovers—]
[If one person disappears, would the balance of the Sain-gyo not be disrupted?]
[……Pardon?]
Go Jun belatedly realized the aning of Wu Gonggong’s words and was left bewildered.
Wu Gonggong was implying that he would die if he attempted to harm “them.”
Just then—
Cough, cough.
A coughing sound issued from within the Sain-gyo.
Both Wu Gonggong and Go Jun snapped their heads toward the interior, their nerves razor-sharp.
From behind the drape covering the front of the Sain-gyo, a single bony hand slightly lifted the curtain.
To the shadowed figure whose outline alone could be seen, Wu Gonggong paid the utmost respect as he spoke.
“Have you awakened from your sleep, Gongja-nim.”
“……Gonggong, is sothing going on outside? Why did we stop?”
“It is nothing, nothing at all. There was a large rock obstructing the path, so we simply cleared it away.”
“Ah, then that is fortunate. I thought perhaps…”
At that mont, a thin, chilly breeze slipped into the Sain-gyo.
A normal person might have found it refreshing, but the mysterious figure shivered as if struck by a frigid winter wind.
“Huu, hu. Since it is the mountains, it is quite cold. Let us hurry.”
“Yes, Gongja. We shall make haste.”
A deep worry surfaced in Wu Gonggong’s eyes as he watched the figure.
All thoughts of Sewoon had vanished entirely.
[We will proceed at full speed to Golden Summit Peak.]
[By your command!]
With Wu Gonggong’s telepathic order—
Pah-at!
The Sain-gyo surged forward once more at incredible speed.
One sichen (=2 hours) later.
Having finally arrived at Golden Summit Peak, Sewoon was guided to the Great Hall of the Mount Ei Sect.
On both sides stood the elders of Mount Ei, along with Do Ha-yeong and Cheong Yeon.
Sewoon, Tang Serin, and Moomyeong were positioned in the center.
But the Subduing Tiger Divine Physician and Geum Hwa Sa-tae were nowhere to be found.
They had been told that an unexpected and important guest had arrived, and so they were asked to wait here for the ti being.
‘As expected, the destination of that Dongchang group we encountered earlier was this place.’
Sewoon imdiately recognized the identity of that guest.
Yet while he pretended not to know and waited casually—
[Why’re those bastards staring at us like we’re fiendish murder spirits when they’re the ones who called us here? I oughta pull the ink right outta their eyeballs!]
[Hey, quiet down.]
[Hmph.]
Just like Moomyeong’s telepathic outcry, countless sharp gazes were pouring toward them.
Had those gazes been blades, Sewoon would already have been shredded.
The elders of the Mount Ei Sect clicked their tongues repeatedly and coughed as though displeased, revealing their hostility toward Sewoon without hiding it.
Sewoon thought it was natural.
‘Because of the Qingcheng Sect incident, so people within the Mount Ei Sect must now see
as dangerous.’
But it seed the proportion was higher than he expected.
Then—
“Tang Clan Head, may I ask you one thing?”
“……!”
One of the elders standing in formation finally opened his mouth, unable to endure any longer.
Sewoon glanced at him and nodded.
“Yes, go ahead.”
“That coffin you brought—what in the world is it? Are you perhaps trying to send us a warning?”
The elder took issue with the coffin Sewoon had brought.
There were sects that brought gifts, but this was the first ti anyone had brought a coffin containing a corpse.
Fortunately, thanks to the talisman of the Shrine Maiden Sect Leader sealing it with freezing energy, it did not emit any stench of decay. Even so, from Ei’s perspective, it was absurd.
“Hm, it is difficult for
to speak of that right now.”
“What does that an?”
“It ans I can only speak after I et the Divine Physician.”
“Hmph.”
At Sewoon’s reply, the elder let out a scoffing breath, as if dumbfounded.
At that sight, Elder Yeon, whose temper was fiery, could not hold back.
“Tsk, to bring an unorthodox figure into the Great Hall. Even if you had ties in the past, what sort of ludicrous behavior is this.”
“……!!”
“Elder Yeon! How dare you speak such disrespect before our guest!”
“He’s right! Apologize at once!”
Tang Serin and Moomyeong’s expressions cooled at the insult.
Even among the elders who had been more lenient, several turned pale in fright.
But Elder Yeon beca even more forceful.
“Hmph! Did I say anything wrong? Didn’t the Tang Clan Head himself announce it—that the Sichuan Tang Clan now stands between orthodox and unorthodox? Is that not so, Tang Clan Head?”
“Well, it isn’t incorrect.”
“……!”
Just when it seed Sewoon intended to let it slide—
“But let
say this.”
He twisted one corner of his mouth.
His actions might be misunderstood, but Sewoon had absolutely no intention of tolerating behavior that stepped over the line.
“As you have said, I am soone standing between the orthodox and unorthodox. And now that the Murim Alliance’s protection is no longer around, should you treat
rudely in such a manner, I would have no reason to endure it, would I?”
“W–what did you say?”
“I have co here at your invitation solely as a gesture of gratitude and respect for the many deeds the Divine Physician has perford throughout the jianghu.”
Saaa—
Sewoon released his qi in full.
Qi far beyond what the Ei elders expected filled the entire Great Hall in an instant.
As Do Ha-yeong and all the elders stared in shock, Sewoon added a single line.
“You should clearly understand that neither the Sichuan Tang Clan nor I ca here out of fear of the Mount Ei Sect.”
“……!!”
Swaaa—
No one dared to answer.
So heavy was the ominous pressure radiating from Sewoon.
Step. Step.
Just then, footsteps echoed.
‘She arrived.’
Sewoon retracted his qi.
At the sa ti—
“The Sect Leader enters.”
With the voice of an Ei disciple, a figure stepped into the Great Hall.
It was Geum Hwa Sa-tae, the Sect Leader of the Mount Ei Sect.
For so reason, her complexion was completely drained of color.
“Huu, my apologies, Tang Clan Head. Have you waited long?”
“No, not at all. Did the matter you went to handle resolve well?”
“Hm, that is……”
She could not bring herself to lie that everything was fine.
Sewoon looked at her, suspicion flickering in his eyes.
‘It seems related to Dongchang’s visit. Did sothing truly happen?’
Unable to answer, she finally let out a sigh and spoke.
“Huu, I am truly sorry, but I ca here only for a mont while dealing with that issue. If you do not urgently need to return today, might you spare
a little more ti?”
“May I ask for what reason?”
“As you are also a physician, you would understand. A patient in critical condition suddenly appeared. My master and I must treat them together. I cannot ignore it.”
“……!”
Soone was gravely ill.
A faint glimr of intrigue stirred in Sewoon’s eyes.
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