Double Conspiracy (3)

“Be on guard.”

The Soul-Hunting First Tiger went to the place where his subordinates were waiting.

“What did he say?”

“Tonight, we attack the Martial Alliance.”

“What? Th-then does that mean we will wage an all-out war?”

The Soul Hunters showed startled expressions at the sudden news. As far as they knew, they were supposed to spend the winter in the current state.

“Hu hu! No, only we are going. In words, he told us to go stir up the Martial Alliance, but what he meant was to go there and die.”

“Pardon? No, how can that be? After how much we have helped those people until now, now of all times…….”

“Did we not expect this would happen from the beginning? From the moment we learned that the person who called us was a figure from Kunlun. When you work with someone who has much to hide, the ending is never good.”

The Soul-Hunting First Tiger’s expression turned grim.

“Then should this not be seen as betrayal?”

“It cannot be called betrayal. He said he would attack the imperial army’s camp himself. Alone, at that.”

“The imperial army’s camp? Haha! That is truly covering one’s eyes and pretending no one can see. Does he think the Martial Alliance and the imperial army’s camp are the same? This is definitely betrayal.”

The Soul Hunters had indignant expressions.

“Even if it is betrayal, there is nothing we can do for now. We are bound, after all. We can only pray that the remaining families are safe. So tell them to hurry with moving the village to a place no one knows.”

“Understood. I will send someone. Aside from that, what will you do tonight?”

“There is no need for everyone to go on a road to death. I will go alone.”

“Pardon? That makes no sense.”

“No, that is actually better. If you think about it, the Martial Alliance is made up of several sects gathered together, is it not? So sneaking in alone may actually be easier. I can slip in like that, assassinate a few people, and return.”

It was a realistic plan. There was no way all those many people knew one another’s faces. So even if one more unfamiliar face slipped in among them, it would not be easy to notice.

“The problem is breaking through their guard, then?”

“Yes. So you only need to create that opening.”

“Understood. I will take a few men and shake up their guard. Use that opening to infiltrate.”

“Good. Then I will leave it to you.”

The Soul Hunters soon put their heads together and made a plan that could break through the Martial Alliance’s guard. Since it was a place they had always faced in ordinary times, they knew the Martial Alliance’s state of vigilance thoroughly.

When Neung Je-gang no longer felt anyone chasing him, he finally descended to the ground. Then he set down Jo Su-won, whom he had placed on his shoulder.

“Aigoo!”

Jo Su-won screamed without realizing it at the sensation of the blood that had rushed to the top of his head circulating through his whole body.

“We are nearly there now. If we go just a little farther, the Martial Alliance will be there, and there should be a physician there.”

Neung Je-gang reassured Jo Su-won and walked ahead toward the Martial Alliance.

The reason he deliberately descended and walked like this was to avoid causing unnecessary conflict with those standing guard for the Martial Alliance. In truth, if he were alone, it would be possible to slip in secretly, but with the Jo father and son, that was impossible. So he was going openly instead.

“Stop!”

So Geo-chang, who had been dispatched to the Martial Alliance from the grandly named Blue Dragon Martial Gate of Henan Province, drew and pointed his saw-toothed blade as he shouted. He prided himself on being bold in ordinary times, and he stepped forward without even ringing the alarm bell that was supposed to be rung when an enemy appeared. Since at a glance there were two frail-looking adults and one child even frailer than them, his expression showed no worry at all.

Neung Je-gang stopped walking for him.

Seeing Neung Je-gang unable to move at a single word from him, So Geo-chang began to look down on him in earnest.

“Where are you coming from?”

Naturally, casual speech came out. At present, he was the strong one.

“Seon-yeong.”

But the answer was short.

“What? Seon-yeong?”

So Geo-chang seized on it. The short answer seemed to have irritated him.

“If you are from Seon-yeong, then you bastards must be Necromancer Cultists.”

So Geo-chang swung the saw-toothed blade he was holding around Neung Je-gang’s head. It was an act meant to frighten him, but for Neung Je-gang, who wanted to quickly show Jo Ja-myeong to a physician, it was an irritating moment.

“Guide me. I am Secret Shadow.”

“What?”

At the words Secret Shadow, So Geo-chang briefly stopped his arrogant behavior. However, he soon laughed loudly.

“Uwahahaha! If you are Secret Shadow, then I am the Martial Alliance Leader. Where did you hear the name Secret Shadow and decide to act like that……? You bastards are definitely spies sent by the Necromancer Cult. Right? If you speak the truth, I will not kill you.”

So Geo-chang looked at Neung Je-gang’s face and did not believe the words Secret Shadow. Though he had a handsome face, Secret Shadow was a peak master. He was not some frail fellow like this.

“Is the Investigation Unit Chief here?”

Neung Je-gang no longer dealt with So Geo-chang. What conversation could he have when words did not get through? Since So Geo-chang would not believe him even after he revealed that he was Secret Shadow, there was no method. But it was not as though he could beat a perfectly fine person to death for failing to recognize him.

As he brushed past So Geo-chang’s side, he lightly struck his paralyzing acupoint. Then he simply kept walking.

Jo Su-won blinked, and when he noticed that So Geo-chang was not moving, only then did he hurriedly follow behind Neung Je-gang.

“Huh? Huh? Wh-what? When did he strike my paralyzing acupoint……?”

So Geo-chang muttered something in confusion, then suddenly shouted. Only after he felt that his body would not move did he think that perhaps Neung Je-gang might truly be Secret Shadow. Well, unless he was a madman, a fake would not appear at the Martial Alliance while calling himself Secret Shadow.

Only then did he regret it. He had kicked away an opportunity to earn merit.

There was no one who did not know how anxiously the Martial Alliance’s Investigation Unit was searching for Secret Shadow. Yet he had been deceived by his outward appearance and failed to recognize Secret Shadow, who had appeared on his own, so what a foolish thing this was.

Even so, there was still hope. Fortunately, Neung Je-gang had not blocked his mute acupoint.

“S-Secret Shadow! Secret Shadow has appeared!”

So Geo-chang shouted at the top of his lungs. Even Neung Je-gang, who had been passing him, was startled by it. There was no need to even mention Jo Su-won. He had not believed him even when he said he was Secret Shadow, so why was he suddenly shouting?

Jo Su-won covered his ears and looked back. He could not understand how a human voice could be so loud.

Neung Je-gang gave a bitter smile and flicked his finger to release the acupoint. Since So Geo-chang now seemed to believe he was Secret Shadow, he released him.

So Geo-chang, who had been shouting, realized that his body could move and briefly put his head to work. He, too, was somewhat heated. Why did Neung Je-gang have to look so frail and cause a misunderstanding? The reason he had failed to recognize him lay purely in Neung Je-gang’s pretty-boy appearance.

He put his hand into his robe and took out a small bell. It was the alarm bell supplied by the Martial Alliance. If this was rung, an unusually sharp sound spread far away. But literally speaking, this was an alarm bell. It was supposed to be used only when an enemy appeared.

However, it could also be used when an important incident like this happened. And Secret Shadow appearing was truly an important incident. In other words, he would not be reprimanded later.

So Geo-chang deliberately rang the alarm bell, though there was no real need to ring it. It was something he did almost like a prank because he was angry, even though he could have guided him himself. He also had the thought that, if Neung Je-gang truly was Secret Shadow, surely nothing would happen.

Ddaengddaengddaengddaengddaengddaeng.

He infused internal energy and shook the alarm bell wildly. That urgent sound soon rang out all the way to the Martial Alliance. And naturally, the Martial Alliance entered full battle readiness.

Dudududududu.

Soon, a group of warhorses rushed over from the Martial Alliance. Riding on the horses were people holding executioner blades that looked threatening even at a glance.

They rode horses and held executioner blades. Though it might be difficult for them to deal with masters of the martial world, when dealing with Necromancer Cultists who did not know martial arts, as in the current situation, cavalry like them could most easily cut off necks.

“Haa!”

They hurriedly drove their horses forward, then swung their executioner blades without asking anything. They did not attack only Neung Je-gang. The executioner blades also flew toward Jo Su-won’s neck. Since the alarm bell had rung, from their perspective, Neung Je-gang was naturally an enemy right now.

Neung Je-gang was startled. He hastily grabbed Jo Su-won’s arm and launched himself backward.

After avoiding them, Neung Je-gang glanced at So Geo-chang. Now it was time for him to step forward. He had to step forward and explain so that a useless fight would not break out.

However, when Neung Je-gang saw So Geo-chang’s face, anger quietly surged up. He had seen So Geo-chang’s smile. Neung Je-gang understood why he had rung the alarm bell.

‘If you want me to cause an incident, I will do just that.’

Neung Je-gang truly did not want to cause a pointless dispute. Showing Jo Ja-myeong to a physician was more urgent than anything. But he was not the kind of person who avoided a provocation that had been thrown at him. To So Geo-chang, it might be a prank, but for Neung Je-gang, it was a real fight with the life of his precious disciple at stake. And So Geo-chang had to take responsibility for all of this.

Neung Je-gang put his hand into his robe and took out Pungroe. If he held a sword, he might end up killing. He had no choice but to let go of Jo Su-won’s hand.

Kuuuuung.

At that instant, So Geo-chang’s body, which was far away, trembled wildly at the pressure felt from Neung Je-gang’s body.

“Haat!”

The cavalry charged again.

Pat.

This time, Neung Je-gang’s movement was one step faster. If he did not move first, the cavalry might threaten Jo Su-won. But before that, he sent out Earth Wind and once again struck So Geo-chang’s paralyzing and mute acupoints. Now, even if So Geo-chang wanted to stop it, he would not be able to.

Pupupupupupuk.

What sin had the horses committed, but Neung Je-gang swung Pungroe toward the horses charging threateningly at him.

Hihihing.

Kudang tang tang.

“Aigoo!”

“Uak!”

The neighing and the screams of the cavalrymen who had to tumble along with the collapsing horses entered So Geo-chang’s ears. He probably had not imagined that Neung Je-gang would act so ruthlessly.

But that was not the end. Pungroe was swung once again toward the people staggering to their feet. Thus began a marvelous cudgel beating that could not be avoided even if one tried to avoid it.

It was not simply ignorant beating. Those struck by Pungroe had their bodies stiffen in an instant. He deliberately struck only the paralyzing acupoints with Pungroe and made them unable to move.

After making the cavalry unable to move in an instant that way, Neung Je-gang put away Pungroe and approached So Geo-chang. Then he glared at him as he dripped cold sweat in fear.

“If even the slightest thing happens to this child because of your prank, I will smash you and everything around you. This is my oath as Secret Shadow. Do you understand?”

Leaving behind So Geo-chang, who in any case could neither move nor speak, Neung Je-gang walked toward the Martial Alliance again. Jo Su-won hurriedly followed behind him.

He became a little frightened after seeing Secret Shadow use his hands without hesitation even against the Martial Alliance’s warriors. And he became worried as well. He feared that perhaps Neung Je-gang might take the child away under the name of a disciple and ruin him.

After Neung Je-gang left, the cavalrymen who had fallen began standing up one by one. Neung Je-gang had made their paralyzing acupoints release quickly.

Only their paralyzing acupoints had been struck; their ears had never been blocked. So they had heard everything Neung Je-gang said. If they did not realize the word “prank,” that So Geo-chang had rung the alarm bell as a prank, then they could be called fools.

Moreover, they naturally heard the words Secret Shadow as well. So they knew who the opponent was. The one currently being cautiously discussed as the greatest under heaven was none other than Secret Shadow. Since there was still no one else in the martial world who had learned the Forbidden Art, he was naturally acknowledged as such an existence.

And yet, because of some bastard’s prank, they had charged at such an existence. It was a moment where even if they had died, they would have had nothing to say.

“Euhehe! So we ended up like this because of this bastard, did we?”

It seemed the cavalrymen’s retaliation would be severe.

One person was approaching after knocking down the entire cavalry. No, there were three people in all. The Martial Alliance camp stirred. They seemed to be enemies. Otherwise, there would be no reason for them to have fought the cavalry.

But there were only three people. And the child being carried seemed to be a patient, while the other person, who was looking around, did not seem to have learned martial arts.

“Who are you?”

Once again, someone stepped forward and threw out a question.

“I am called Secret Shadow.”

Neung Je-gang revealed his identity as he walked. Now even answering when asked who he was annoyed him.

“Secret Shadow?”

“Right, now that I look, he does seem like Secret Shadow. I saw him at the Martial Alliance before.”

“If that is true, this is a big matter. What are you doing? Hurry and inform the Investigation Unit Chief.”

“Uh, right.”

In that way, Neung Je-gang was able to enter the Martial Alliance with more difficulty than leaving Seon-yeong.