Gongdong Storm (1)

Tap.

“Eudadadadada!”

Princess Jang-ok stretched greatly with only one document left. The relief that she could go rest after handling just one more sheet made her whole body feel languid.

“Eastern Depot Commissioner, boring.”

She had stubbornly insisted and become Commissioner of the Eastern Depot in order to vicariously satisfy her yearning for the martial world. However, not even a few months had passed, and she was gradually becoming exhausted by a daily life different from what she had imagined.

“Sigh! Let’s finish quickly and go sleep. But these days, I really have no time to train at all.”

Though she disliked seeing blood, she was unmistakably a martial arts expert. She was not unaware that the more she trained, the stronger she became.

However, this damned position of Eastern Depot Commissioner did not even allow her that little bit of spare time. Because of that, as days passed, her body became more exhausted and her mind became more fatigued.

“Let’s see. A report on reverse-tracking the destination of the rebels? Rebels? What is this, did some treason plot happen again?”

Princess Jang-ok carefully read the report from the beginning. Only after reading all of it over a short time did she realize that it was not about a current rebellion, but the story of the past Beijing Blood Incident.

“That startled me. But it looks like this was something that person ordered. The mountain the rebels came down from was Kunlun? If it is Kunlun, isn’t that an incredibly distant place beyond the frontier? Are they saying rebels are gathered there, of all places?”

Beijing and Kunlun were so far apart that they could be called the eastern and western extremes of the continent. Naturally, it was also a place the military power of the Ming Empire could not reach. Kunlun, one of the Nine Sects and One Gang and a sacred land of Taoism, was in truth an outer-frontier sect that had nothing to do with the Central Plains.

“Is this something I should tell that person?”

Princess Jang-ok pulled the cord beside her.

“Did you call?”

One Brocade Guard attendant quickly ran in and prostrated himself.

“Go and find out where the Eastern Depot Deputy Commissioner is right now.”

“Understood.”

In truth, she was frequently tracking Neung Je-gang’s movements. In her words, it was to protect him, an important person of the Eastern Depot, but there was no one who did not know that she was doing so because of her extremely personal feelings.

Because of that, in the Eastern Depot these days, tracking Neung Je-gang without his knowledge and recording his movements had become one of the most important duties. If Princess Jang-ok wanted it, they had to tell her where Neung Je-gang was at any time.

After a short while, the Brocade Guard attendant ran back and prostrated himself again.

“They say the Deputy Commissioner is now heading from Shaanxi Province toward Gansu Province.”

“To Gansu Province? For what?”

“That is not exactly…….”

There was no way the attendant could know even that.

“Wait, if it is Gansu, then it is right beside Cheonghae. Could he possibly be going to Kunlun?”

Princess Jang-ok had merely thought in the simplest way, matching it with the information she currently possessed.

But who could have known that it would be the correct answer?

“Who is he going with?”

“They say he is alone.”

“Alone? What about that person who was traveling with him…… who was it?”

Princess Jang-ok did not remember Cheong Yeon’s name.

“The one called Cheong Yeon…….”

“Right, Cheong Yeon. What about him?”

“They say he was injured and did not move with him.”

“Injured? At such an important moment…….”

Springing up.

Princess Jang-ok sprang up from her seat.

“Put the Eastern Depot on emergency alert. If he is going to Kunlun, this is serious. He needs to know this information.”

“Yes?”

“Hurry!”

“Understood.”

The attendant hurriedly ran outside.

However, it was impossible for that message to reach Neung Je-gang, who was already deep inside Gansu Province.

Gongdong Mountain, a famous mountain in southern Gansu Province.

When Princess Jang-ok was causing a commotion in Beijing and tormenting the Eastern Depot, Neung Je-gang already had Cheonghae Province before his eyes.

Neung Je-gang had chosen this place, where Gongdong Sect, one of the Nine Sects and One Gang, existed, as his route to Kunlun.

A mountain path thick with greenery.

The reason he had abandoned the official road and chosen the mountain path like this was to take a risk. If there were people trying to attack him, it would probably be more comfortable for the attackers’ minds than on the official road, since he was giving them an opportunity.

Gongdong Mountain was, in truth, not that large a mountain. However, the trees of Gongdong, which had endured while facing the fierce winds of the outer frontier, were as hard as iron, so breaking through places where the forest was thick was not easy.

Before long, darkness dyed the sky over Gongdong black. Neung Je-gang stopped walking and looked at the sky. It was still early for it to become completely night, but night in the mountains began quickly. Rather than wandering through the darkness and going somewhere absurd, the proper attitude was to rest there and move once daylight broke.

Neung Je-gang gathered dry wood and lit a fire. Even if he did not bother lighting a fire, he would not be affected by cold or heat anyway, but this too was his considerate thoughtfulness. It was the kindness of letting the people following him know his location.

Crackle, crackle.

When the sound of burning wood was the only thing cutting through the silence, Neung Je-gang saw a group of people approaching him. Perhaps they had seen the firelight, because their movements were headed straight toward him.

“The Necromancer Cult?”

He muttered to himself as he watched, but they did not seem to be the Necromancer Cult. All of them were wearing Taoist robes.

“They must be Gongdong Sect.”

Since this mountain was Gongdong Mountain, unless they were Gongdong Sect, there was no reason for Taoists to appear in such a group like that.

“Immeasurable Buddha! From where have you come?”

“I came from Shaanxi and am on my way to Cheonghae.”

Neung Je-gang answered the Taoist’s question precisely.

“I apologize, but may I ask your identity?”

The Taoists seemed to regard Neung Je-gang suspiciously. Well, they had no choice but to do so. After all, he had entered this deep mountain alone at this hour.

“I am Secret Shadow.”

Flinch.

The Taoists’ startled appearances were visible to Neung Je-gang’s eyes.

“Are you truly Secret Shadow?”

“That is right.”

“Then what business brings you here……?”

The Taoists were wary of him. This was probably also because he had learned forbidden arts.

“Did I not just tell you? I said I was going to Cheonghae Province.”

“Ah, you did.”

“Then what business brings you to Cheonghae Province……?”

“Must I even tell you that?”

Neung Je-gang was slowly becoming annoyed as well. No matter how much this place was Gongdong Mountain and they were members of Gongdong Sect, they had no right to interfere even with someone passing through the mountain. If one examined it, they too had merely built Taoist temples here and were living off the place; they were not its owners.

However, there was a separate point that was even stranger. Rather than surrounding Neung Je-gang, the Taoists were surrounding one of their fellow Taoists and preventing him from moving, were they not?

“I apologize. But if you truly are Secret Shadow, could you please leave immediately right now?”

“What?”

“I apologize. Please, you must leave Gongdong Mountain right now.”

“No, why……?”

Just as Neung Je-gang was about to say something because he was truly angry, a line of sound transmission flew to him.

〔Among my junior disciples, there is one from the Eon Clan. I apologize. This is to avoid unnecessary conflict, so…….〕

“……I understand.”

In the end, Neung Je-gang walked quickly down toward the base of the mountain in order to leave Gongdong Mountain. Since they said it was to avoid conflict, he could not stubbornly dig in against that.

However, once his figure was no longer visible, a faint killing intent rose from the Taoists.

“The preparations are all complete, yes?”

“The Taoists of Gongdong Sect and Secret Shadow will soon encounter each other.”

“Khehehe! We will secretly follow behind and finish off the bastard after he grows exhausted fighting Gongdong Sect. Let’s go!”

“Yes!”

They bypassed the path Neung Je-gang had descended and likewise went down.