A figure was moving quickly in the darkness.
Although it was a rather suspicious movent that could be mistaken for a strange man if soone saw it, the identity of that figure was none other than Namgung Il.
Rustle—
Namgung Il, who had lted into the darkness, hid his body behind an obstacle for a mont.
His eyes, which were moving quickly from side to side without rest even while he was hiding.
Only after confirming that there was no one around could Namgung Il catch his breath for a mont.
'Good. It's been smooth so far.'
He didn't want to show himself to other people in this state if possible.
Especially, he must not be caught by Ak Simin.
Although he had barely gotten away with the excuse that his stomach hurt, if he were to be caught, wouldn't he not have a chance to be alone again?
Since Ak Simin was not a fool, he would not be deceived by him twice.
"..."
Namgung Il had faked a stomachache several tis in the past to skip out on things.
Especially when his position in the Beggars' Sect was still at the bottom.
He had skipped out on begging quite often by faking a stomachache, just like now.
'I thought it would be difficult to even make a sound in my stomach, but my acting skills are not dead yet.'
A simple feigned illness does not work well in the harsh world of beggars.
So Namgung Il, after repeated efforts, was able to artificially produce a sound similar to a stomachache in his stomach, and he used that skill at the right ti to increase the success rate of his feigned illness.
At that ti, he had reached a divine level, so he could make a sound whenever he wanted, but now, years had passed, and his body had also changed.
So he had been a little nervous about whether he could properly deceive Ak Simin, but as expected, a master's skill remained the sa even if his body changed.
'He must have noticed that I'm gone by now.'
It didn't really matter if he was caught now.
Because he was no longer there, and he had run far away to a place where Ak Simin's hands could not reach.
Although he was sorry to Ak Simin, he had no intention of going back until he had achieved his purpose.
"..."
The reason why Namgung Il had run away from Ak Simin was not simply for revenge for his teasing.
Of course, he could not say that that was not a reason at all, but the ultimate purpose was elsewhere.
'...Blood Spot Grass.'
That was Namgung Il's purpose.
To sneak into Cha Yul-ryeong's office and read all the back parts that he had not been able to read at that ti.
The reason he had joined the night patrol team was also for that.
"..."
Even if the revival of the Blood Demon was really possible, Namgung Il had been thinking of sneaking into Cha Yul-ryeong's office again soday to confirm it for sure.
But hadn't a very good opportunity rolled in on its own, unintentionally?
Now, he would be able to break into Cha Yul-ryeong's office without being caught by anyone.
'Cha Yul-ryeong is probably still searching outside.'
On top of that, no one wanders the streets at night.
Of course, so patrol teams were currently going around inside, but he would be able to avoid them sufficiently by being careful.
Rustle—
After catching his breath for a mont, Namgung Il released his stealth and began to move again.
The place where Namgung Il was currently located was still the southern area.
Since Cha Yul-ryeong's office was in the eastern area, he had to move there first.
'As expected, it would be safer to go through there.'
Namgung Il was quickly moving and was drawing a route to Cha Yul-ryeong's office in his head.
As he had said earlier, he must not be caught by Ak Simin until he reached his destination, but he did not want to show himself to other patrol teams either.
Especially if he were to be caught in the eastern area, wouldn't it be quite troubleso?
Since he was wandering alone, not to ntion having left his designated patrol area, it would feel suspicious even if he made an excuse.
"..."
In order not to run into anyone, it would be much safer to take a path that people did not usually take.
Namgung Il thought so and had already set his route there and was moving.
Thud—
Namgung Il stopped moving for a mont.
A rather familiar scene that was now in front of his eyes.
Since it was a place he had co to again in less than ten days, it was a place that could not help but feel familiar to Namgung Il.
'I didn't know I would co here again.'
The place where Namgung Il had arrived now was the southern forbidden area.
The place where he had had a big fight with Hwang Dong-jae's gang a while ago.
Since there would naturally be no people here, there would be no more perfect place to pass by without being noticed.
'I'm a little sorry to Seo Saeng-won.'
He had promised Seo Shin-won that he would not set foot in the forbidden area again.
Although Namgung Il had tried to keep that promise if possible, wouldn't it be unavoidable in a situation like this?
Since he was breaking his promise because of a matter related to the Blood Dragon Cult, Seo Shin-won would be able to understand him sufficiently.
Squeeze—
Namgung Il grabbed the necklace in his clothes with one hand.
The two necklaces that were currently around Namgung Il's neck.
One was the necklace that the deceased Namgung Jeong-ung had given him, and the other was a necklace with the ring that Seo Shin-won had given him inserted.
"...But what happens if I lose this?"
"Then you'll be expelled."
"...Pardon?"
"So keep it preciously so that you don't lose it."
Although he didn't know if it was a joke or not, Seo Shin-won had earnestly requested that when he had given him the ring.
So he had tried to always carry it with him if possible, but since he was not used to the ring, he could not help but feel a sense of rejection to wearing it on his finger.
On top of that, if he were to wear such a thing on his finger, wouldn't it have so effect when he perford martial arts?
Since there was no word that he must wear it on his hand, Namgung Il had threaded the ring on a string and had made it into a necklace.
'I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry!'
Grabbing the ring tightly, Namgung Il shouted so three tis in his heart.
At this point, he would have expressed his apology to Seo Shin-won as much as he could in his current state.
Namgung Il let go of the ring he was holding and moved to the forbidden area.
Phat—
Since he had been here once before, he already knew that the chanisms of the southern forbidden area were not working.
If not, no matter how deserted it was, he would not have tried to pass through here.
Because if the chanisms here were working properly, not only would ti be delayed, but it would also have beco quite dangerous.
When Namgung Il had attended the academy in the past, he had had chanism classes here, so he knew well how scary it was.
'I think I heard that this place was closed for that reason.'
Although the chanism class was also about theory, it was most important to see it with one's own eyes.
So the students had received classes by experiencing the chanisms installed here with their own bodies, and because of that, many injuries had occurred.
No matter how much they had been explained in advance, in this kind of class, a mont of carelessness leads to an accident.
If they installed the chanisms carelessly, it would not be a proper class, so I rember that there were quite a lot of words about the chanism class at that ti.
"..."
In the end, as protests ca in from here and there, it seed that the academy had closed this area.
So now, only theory classes are held... to be honest, Namgung Il did not think that was good.
'What's the use of just listening to the theory? You won't be able to do anything in a real battle.'
As a good example, hadn't the students of the Azure Dragon Class been like that this ti?
No matter how much knowledge they put in their heads, there are few people who can use it properly in a real battle.
What makes it possible to do that a little more is real battle training.
Especially since chanisms are more difficult to deal with properly in a real battle unless you see and experience them directly.
'Well... it can't be helped.'
Although he said this, he understood the academy's position.
No matter how much the purpose was to educate the students, if the students were to get hurt, it would be putting the cart before the horse.
Especially since the chanism was a dangerous class that could lead to death, the academy would have had no choice but to choose to close it due to the pressure from the outside.
'So... we must sohow prevent another war from happening at a ti like this.'
Although the damage caused by the Righteous-Demonic War was great, the fact that it could be limited to that extent would have been influenced to so extent by the classes of the Flying Dragon Academy.
Because they had conducted classes that were closer to real battles, wouldn't the graduates of the Flying Dragon Academy have been able to calmly face the enemy?
In fact, Namgung Il had also used the knowledge he had learned at the academy quite usefully.
"..."
But not anymore.
The educational policy, which had changed a lot from the past, would surely have a considerable impact on real battles.
Just as the enemy would not stop using chanisms just because they had only heard about them in theory in the academy's chanism class, war was truly cold and ruthless.
Since it was clear that there would be more sacrifices this ti, Namgung Il could not help but react so sensitively to the revival of the Blood Demon.
'For now, if I just read the rest of that book...'
It was then.
As a killing intent was suddenly felt from the side, Namgung Il imdiately reacted and drew his sword.
Clang—
In the darkness, their swords clashed violently.
'What, this brat!'
Although he had blocked it properly, Namgung Il was quite flustered by this situation.
He had not expected there to be a person in a place like this, and he had not thought at all that he would be attacked like this.
Although he had not yet accurately identified the opponent's identity, from the circumstances, the possibility of it being a strange man was very high.
'What kind of case is this...'
Why on earth had this brat appeared in front of him?
Although there would be a lot of people looking for him here and there... to think that a strange man had appeared in front of him, not that side, Namgung Il was truly dumbfounded.
'...It can't be helped.'
Still, he could not just ignore the brat who had appeared in front of him.
Although it was an unexpected situation, this could be considered a harvest in its own way.
If the brat who had attacked him now was a remnant of the Blood Dragon Cult, just like the one who had appeared before... he was thinking of properly interrogating him this ti to find out his sche.
Swish—
Just then, the opponent swung his sword at Namgung Il again.
Although the sword strike was not properly visible in the darkness, Namgung Il could roughly grasp the movent by looking at the opponent's hand movents.
Clang—
Namgung Il, who had perfectly blocked the opponent's sword strike this ti as well.
At that mont, the opponent took out another sword from the opposite side and swung it at Namgung Il.
'He had another sword?'
When he looked at it for a mont, it seed that this sword was much shorter than the one he was currently facing.
Swish—
As soon as he realized that, Namgung Il pulled his head back.
A sword strike that grazed past his eyes by a hair's breadth.
At that mont, Namgung Il realized that the brat he was currently facing was stronger than the enemy he had faced before.
'This brat can't be subdued easily.'
He was by no ans an opponent he could fight while holding back.
Crackle—
In the end, Namgung Il began to use his internal energy in earnest.
Namgung Il's sword began to shine with the electric light that was rising around his body.
"...Namgung Il?"
"...?"
"Is that you, student Namgung Il?"
Just then, a familiar voice was heard from the front.
As the sword qi repelled more strongly, the surroundings beca much brighter than before.
Because of that, Namgung Il could confirm the face of the strange man who had attacked him.
"...Teacher Gok I-hyeon?"
That na ca out of Namgung Il's bewildered mouth.
(End of Chapter)
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