Chapter 127: Chapter 127

Chapter 127 – Shadow Clan (4)[TL/N: Title Name changes:

Sect Leader → Society Leader.

Shadow Master → Shadow Clan Master

Note: Amendments will be made for earlier chapters.

***

Inside a soundproof room within the secret special operations building of the Shadow Clan, the External Affairs Director pointed to a messenger pigeon with an encrypted message and spoke.

“Clan Master, it looks certain this time. The known appearance matches, and doesn’t the imperial palace also want to completely uproot ‘their’ origins?”

“Hmm… That’s true. But the fact that he’s being detained in the underground Golden Jade[1] of the imperial palace… This has become quite a headache.”

The Shadow Clan Master stroked his chin as if perplexed.

They had planted spies throughout the Central Plains to observe the unfolding situation, but to think that out of the many possible places, it would be the underground Golden Jade of the imperial palace…

They had found him in the most troublesome location.

“What should we do? Shouldn’t we report this to the Society Leader first? The Shadow Clan has its own reputation to uphold, and for a direct subordinate group of the Society Leader to find him first…”

“No. Not yet.”

“But they keep urging…”

“If this turns out to be misidentified information like last time or deliberately exposed information, it might displease the Society Leader instead.”

“……”

The Shadow Clan Master’s concern lay in certainty.

Based on the current information alone, there seemed to be a 70% possibility.

However, to report and launch an operation, over 90% confidence was necessary.

“And even if it becomes certain, the means to immediately enter the underground Golden Jade of the imperial palace are far-fetched.”

The place with the strictest security after the inner palace where the emperor, empress dowager, and royal relatives resided was the underground Golden Jade.

It was difficult for even long-term embedded spies in the imperial palace to enter this place.

At the Shadow Clan Master’s words, the External Affairs Director pondered and opened his mouth.

“Then what about trying to infiltrate a spy into the Embroidered Uniform Guard?”

“The Embroidered Uniform Guard…”

Those guarding the underground Golden Jade of the imperial palace were the Embroidered Uniform Guard[2] , a special operations organization.

Unlike other imperial palace warriors, the Embroidered Uniform Guard had many masters skilled in martial arts.

That was why infiltrating the underground Golden Jade was tricky.

“Didn’t the Embroidered Uniform Guard request young disciples from the Righteous Alliance and our Clan to send over when they announced reforms and reorganization more than a decade ago?”

“Request…”

Ah, there had been such an incident.

However, without the Society Leader’s approval, that matter fell through.

‘But now would be a considerably opportune time.’

And why was that?

It was because the imperial palace was currently in disarray due to the emperor’s illness.

As the emperor’s condition worsened, signs of internal strife emerged.

According to the information, the Righteous Alliance dispatching disciples wasn’t simply to form good ties with the government either.

‘Are they trying to intervene in the next succession?’

Whoever becomes the emperor influences the relationship between the government and the martial world.

The Righteous Alliance was likely aiming to enthrone an emperor favorable to the orthodox faction.

Taking this into account, if the Heaven and Earth Society also intervenes through this opportunity…

-Knock knock!

Right then, someone rapped on the door.

-Clan Master!

At the urgent-sounding voice, the Shadow Clan Master personally opened the door and went out.

Not many had the authority to enter the Clan’s Main Hall.

“I apologize for the discourtesy during the meeting.”

The one who knocked was none other than one of the guards watching over the Clan Master’s private indoor training room.

“What is it?”

“I believe you should go to the indoor training room right away.”

‘!?’

***

-Swish!

A sharp aura grazed past the wrist.

Along with it, something familiar fell to the floor.

-Thud!

It was none other than…

“Aaaaaargh! My arm, my arm!”

Hwan Yun-myeong, the Shadow Clan Master’s first junior disciple, screamed at the sight of his severed arm.

He never thought Mok Gyeong-un would really cut off his arm.

He wasn’t the only one shocked by this scene.

‘This crazy bastard…’

Myeong Tak, the second junior disciple, also couldn’t hide his consternation at Hwan Yun-myeong’s severed arm.

When the youngest Yong-su’s arm was broken, he thought it was somewhat understandable.

However, to a martial artist, the right arm was no different from one’s life.

“Wh-what are you doing!”

Myeong Tak shouted at Mok Gyeong-un.

At this, Mok Gyeong-un tilted his head and spoke.

“What am I doing? I helped him let go of his sword, didn’t I?”

Mok Gyeong-un answered with an expressionless face, as if feeling no emotion at all.

Seeing this, a chill ran down Myeong Tak’s spine.

What the hell is this guy?

While thinking that, Mok Gyeong-un grabbed Hwan Yun-myeong’s severed arm, which was still writhing on the floor, and lifted it.

“It’s quite fresh. Seeing it move like this even after being separated.”

“Y-you! You!”

Hwan Yun-myeong, who had been holding his severed arm, gritted his teeth and glared at Mok Gyeong-un.

The pain of having one’s arm cut off was an agony beyond words.

But more distressing than that pain was the fact that his right arm, as a martial artist, had been severed.

-Tap tap tap!

Hwan Yun-myeong tapped the blood points above his severed arm to stop the bleeding.

And the moment the pain subsided,

‘I’ll kill you!’

Burning with vengeance, he tried to attack Mok Gyeong-un, but…

-Swish!

He couldn’t move due to the blade of the Evil Commandment Sword touching his neck.

The aura emanating from the tip of the sword was enough to separate his head from his body at any moment.

‘…I couldn’t see it.’

Even watching right in front of his eyes, the trajectory was lost to such a degree of swiftness that even his eyes couldn’t follow.

This guy wasn’t someone he could do anything about even with an intact arm.

Mok Gyeong-un grinned and said,

“You want to lose your head too?”

“You… Just what are you? How can a mere hostage of the righteous faction…”

Be this strong?

He knew that those who passed through the Corpse Blood Valley’s gates were far stronger and superior to their peers.

But he was a disciple of a direct executive of the Heaven and Earth Society, not just a subordinate clan.

So how could this be?

-Grind!

His wounded pride made him so furious.

With that, Hwan Yun-myeong gnashed his teeth and spoke as if vowing revenge.

“Haa… Haa… Enjoy it while you can. Although I’ve lost my right arm…”

-Thwack!

“Ugh!”

The moment he tried to say something, Mok Gyeong-un kicked Hwan Yun-myeong’s chin.

He kicked so hard that Hwan Yun-myeong’s teeth seemed to break as he kept spitting out blood.

To the suffering Hwan Yun-myeong, Mok Gyeong-un spoke as if annoyed.

“You’re quite funny.”

“Hnnngh…”

“Just keep your mouth shut like that. And…”

Mok Gyeong-un turned his head to Yong-su, who was holding his broken arm, and Myeong Tak, who was at a loss, and said,

“Have you two grasped the situation now?”

“What?”

“Listening to what this senior brother here has been babbling about, it seems that I, as a formal disciple, have a higher rank than you. Isn’t that right?”

‘!?’

At his words, the expressions of the two hardened.

They had been angry that he had bypassed their own senior brother and was given the Evil Commandment Sword, wasn’t castrated despite being a hostage of the righteous faction, and was accepted as a disciple, so they had tried to teach him a lesson.

But strictly speaking, Mok Gyeong-un was a formal disciple of the Shadow Clan Master and ranked above them.

However, admitting this fact that they didn’t want to acknowledge out of submission to the guy’s power was unforgivable to their pride.

Yong-su, who had been holding his broken arm, spoke to Mok Gyeong-un while suppressing his anger.

“…Don’t be ridiculous! You think we’ll recognize a mere hostage from the righteous faction as a formal disciple?”

“Hm?”

“You should worry about yourself first. No matter what, you cut off our senior brother’s arm, so do you think Master will just let this slide…”

-Swish!

At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un disappeared from Yong-su’s sight.

‘What?’

Wondering where he had gone, Yong-su suddenly felt someone’s touch on his back.

-Tap!

-Flinch!

The startled Yong-su tried to shake off the hand that put an arm around his shoulder, but…

-Crack!

“Ugh!”

He couldn’t move at all due to the crushing grip on his left shoulder.

Mok Gyeong-un had his arm around him and was gripping his left shoulder, causing so much pain that Yong-su knelt down before he knew it.

-Thud!

But it didn’t end there.

-Crunch!

The sound of something breaking came from his shoulder.

On top of having his right elbow broken, Yong-su’s left shoulder blade shattered, causing him to grimace in pain and try to scream.

However…

“Mmmph!”

“Shh. You’re noisy.”

He couldn’t scream because Mok Gyeong-un covered his mouth.

To the suffering Yong-su, Mok Gyeong-un grinned and said,

“You all came rushing in, going on about me being a hostage of the righteous faction and whatnot. Have you already forgotten telling me to hand over the sword?”

“Mmmmph…”

“And your thinking is quite short-sighted. If I were Master, I think he would say that punishing you for disrespecting a formal disciple was the right thing to do. Don’t you agree?”

“……”

Yong-su couldn’t refute Mok Gyeong-un’s words.

In the heat of the moment, he had said he couldn’t acknowledge it, but Mok Gyeong-un was already a formal disciple accepted by their Master.

In contrast, they were junior disciples who had refused castration.

‘Damn it.’

Until now, it had been foolish of them not to become formal disciples.

To such Yong-su, Mok Gyeong-un said,

“Hmm. Since we’re practically fellow disciples, I was going to end it moderately, but now that it’s come to this, should I just make you a cripple unable to use your limbs? It’d be fun. I’m curious how you’d live if I cut off all your arms and legs.”

-Shudder!

Mok Gyeong-un spoke those chilling words while laughing as if it were nothing.

At his words, Yong-su’s face turned deathly pale.

He might not know about others, but this bastard really seemed like he would do it.

Right then…

-Thud!

The second junior disciple, Myeong Tak, knelt on one knee and politely clasped his hands.

Since the Master held the highest position, prostrating was not allowed, and this was no different from the etiquette shown to a senior brother.

After kneeling like that, Myeong Tak spoke in an earnest voice.

“P-please forgive our rudeness.”

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Seeing his senior brother’s sudden change, Yong-su found it absurd even while suffering.

However, after being beaten alongside Yong-su, Myeong Tak was mentally broken.

The thought of holding a grudge against Mok Gyeong-un had long disappeared from his mind.

He just desperately wanted to be forgiven.

“We were wrong, so please…”

At that moment…

-Creak! Thud!

The closed iron door of the indoor training room opened, revealing the Shadow Clan Master and the External Affairs Director.

To them, it was like saviors had appeared.

Mok Gyeong-un shrugged his shoulders and whispered.

“You’re lucky.”

With that, he released his grip on Yong-su.

The Shadow Clan Master surveyed the scene inside with a furrowed brow.

‘Oh, dear…’

He had rushed over upon hearing that his three junior disciples had angrily entered the Clan Master’s private indoor training room, worried that an incident might occur.

Although all three he had personally taught had reached the Peak Realm, he had been concerned just in case, but the result was completely different from his expectation.

‘To think they would be this outmatched even without learning the True Essence Techniques of this clan.’

Regardless of the circumstances, it was somewhat disappointing.

But then, something unexpected happened.

Hwan Yun-myeong, who had spotted the Shadow Clan Master, crawled to him with one arm, clung to his legs, and tearfully pleaded,

“M-Master… I want to be castrated. Please castrate me.”

“…What?”

However, that wasn’t all.

Yong-su and Myeong Tak also prostrated and pleaded in unison.

“Master, please castrate us!”

Just what was going on?