An Unplanned Death (3)

The next day came. Thanks to being beaten all night, Ma-jil was receiving bruise treatment bordering on torture at Je So-yeon’s hands. Since he had thrown a fireball at Neung Je-gang, there was no way Je So-yeon’s treating hands would be gentle.

Ma-jil received the stinging treatment at Je So-yeon’s hands while even his mute acupoint was sealed.

At that time, Neung Je-gang and Gongsun Gyeong-in reported to Princess Jang-ok about what had happened the previous night.

“Huh! Then the Deputy Commissioner killed that man called Deung Myeong, one of the three chief culprits?”

Princess Jang-ok asked Neung Je-gang in shock.

“That is what happened. Once we actually had each other before us, both Deung Myeong and I could not restrain our desire to compete. In the end, we entered a life-or-death duel, and fortunately, perhaps because I was about half a move above Deung Myeong, I was able to kill him with difficulty.”

“This is serious. Is anyone there?”

Princess Jang-ok shouted urgently.

“Did you call?”

One Eastern Depot agent who had been waiting outside hurriedly entered and prostrated himself.

“Go at once and tell the imperial army to prepare against the enemy’s attack. Also tell the Martial Alliance to prepare against the enemy’s all-out attack.”

“Yes? Yes, understood.”

The Eastern Depot agent was startled and reflexively asked back, but he quickly realized his mistake, answered hurriedly, and disappeared outside.

After he disappeared, Neung Je-gang sent Princess Jang-ok a curious look.

“Do you find my order to prepare for war strange?”

“I do. Since one of the enemy leaders is dead, I thought the enemies would become more cautious and shrink back.”

That was Neung Je-gang’s opinion. When a leader died, morale dropped, force diminished, and people shrank back. But did Princess Jang-ok not seem to be thinking the opposite?

“That would be true if the only leader were Deung Myeong. But the true leader of the enemy bandits is Deung Gak, is he not?”

“That is true.”

“Then think about it. What if the Deputy Commissioner were the Kunlun Sect Leader? Deung Myeong was Deung Gak’s hope. In other words, from the Kunlun Sect Leader’s standpoint, Deung Myeong was someone he had to protect no matter what. But Deung Myeong is already dead, and that fact will soon be made known to Deung Gak as well. Do you think Deung Gak will forgive the Kunlun Sect Leader? Him, who failed to protect Deung Myeong?”

“That would likely be difficult.”

If it was someone like Deung Gak, who had reigned for decades, he would know even less what forgiveness was. Moreover, Deung Myeong had been his everything. Was he not the person chosen to become the emperor of the new empire that would be established in Cheonghae Province?

Naturally, Deung Gak would rage like fire, and that anger would first pour down on the subordinates who had failed to protect Deung Myeong.

When Neung Je-gang answered like that, Princess Jang-ok smiled and continued speaking.

“If I were the Kunlun Sect Leader, I would absolutely not wish to die meaninglessly at Deung Gak’s hands. Even if I died, I would try to die while taking some responsibility. I think that will appear as an all-out war with the Necromancer Cultists put forward. Since they will die anyway, they may as well fight once on a large scale and die. Of course, my prediction may be wrong.”

Neung Je-gang thought for a moment and nodded. Princess Jang-ok’s opinion certainly had validity. If he was going to die either way, Neung Je-gang himself would not want to die meaninglessly either.

But if an all-out war broke out, a serious problem would arise for the imperial army. The Necromancer Cultists were ordinary people who were not in their right minds. Ordinary people who had not learned martial arts. Even if they were not in their right minds, the fact that they were subjects of the Ming Empire did not change.

“What will you do about the Necromancer Cultists?”

In truth, it was precisely because of that issue above all that the Ming Empire had deliberately avoided an all-out war.

“In truth, His Majesty has already issued a secret edict.”

Princess Jang-ok could not look straight at Neung Je-gang’s face and cautiously began to speak.

“It was a secret edict of only one character regarding the handling of the Necromancer Cultists.”

“If it was one character?”

“Kill.”

“Mm!”

The single character Princess Jang-ok spoke of—kill. In the end, it was an order to swiftly eradicate the current rebel forces even if they had to kill all the Necromancer Cultists.

“If that is His Majesty’s will, then there is nothing that can be done. But the future consequences will by no means be light.”

There were no fewer than two million Necromancer Cultists. They were people scraped together from all across the Central Plains, and likewise, their relatives must be living all across the Central Plains.

There was no complete secret in the world. Someday, the fact that all the Necromancer Cultists had been massacred by the hands of the imperial army and martial artists would eventually become known. Those who knew the Necromancer Cultists well might be different, but ordinary people who did not know them well would live with resentment toward the Ming Empire in their hearts. And that would one day explode.

Of course, it would not be right now. It would be something that happened long after the current emperor died. It would happen at some point in the future, when the resentment accumulated now had gradually swollen, but the one who provided its beginning was ultimately the current emperor. Resentment would gradually make the empire’s future more difficult.

“I know. But there are some things that must be done even if there is no choice. As long as there is currently no way to return the Necromancer Cultists to their senses, it is also the most reasonable method.”

Princess Jang-ok’s words were also right. Of course, Neung Je-gang knew that as well. But it was also something that one could not rashly touch, even while knowing it. In that sense, the current emperor seemed to be a figure whose decisiveness, at least, was extraordinary.

Neung Je-gang came out of his tent, looked up at the sky, let out one long sigh, and headed toward the Martial Alliance.

“Welcome.”

Investigation Unit Leader Go Won-gi still welcomed Neung Je-gang warmly. Perhaps he had also heard the news that Neung Je-gang’s hair had changed into something that looked like it would crumble apart, because he did not say even a single word about Neung Je-gang’s ugly altered appearance.

“Did you hear the story?”

At Neung Je-gang’s question, Go Won-gi’s expression hardened stiffly. It was probably because they had to kill all the Necromancer Cultists. For the Martial Alliance as well, having to kill people who did not know martial arts could not help but be a great burden.

“By the way, I heard you killed Deung Myeong?”

“Somehow, it ended up that way….”

Neung Je-gang was blaming himself because the fact that he had killed Deung Myeong had brought about an all-out war.

“You killed him well. He was someone who had to be killed anyway.”

“But because of that, it seems an all-out war will soon break out….”

“It was something that would have erupted someday anyway. If that side did not start it, we might have been the ones to attack first, so you did nothing wrong. But how did you come to fight Deung Myeong? If he was skilled enough to impersonate Deung Gak after Reverse Aging, he could not have been an ordinary expert.”

From the standpoint of a martial artist, Go Won-gi was extremely regretful that he had not been present. In duels between experts who had reached high realms, simply watching could bring gains.

And were they ordinary experts? One was Secret Shadow, who had learned a forbidden art and had a future place as the greatest expert under heaven reserved, and the other was a figure who had completed the martial arts of Kunlun of a thousand years. He was someone who had dared try to become emperor while trusting in that ability.

How could one not feel regretful after missing a rare duel, scarce in both ancient and modern times? That was why he was asking like this despite the lack of propriety. It was to soothe the regret of not having been there.

“If it is about that fight, there is not much worth talking about.”

Neung Je-gang first tried to pull back, but Go Won-gi’s eyes were filled with the resolve that he would absolutely not let him go before he spoke.

“Haa! It cannot be helped. Then I will tell you briefly.”

Neung Je-gang picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip to moisten his lips, paused for a while, and finally began talking about his duel with Deung Myeong the previous night.

“Mm, …that was how I finally came to cross swords with Deung Myeong.”

Deung Myeong began the first attack. Through the dust brought by the small whirlwind, Kunlun’s sword had torn through the whirlwind and rushed in.

In the midst of that, Neung Je-gang had foolishly not even decided clearly what martial art he would use. He had been worrying about whether he should use the forbidden art or not.

Clang, clang.

He did manage to defend with difficulty against the unexpected strike. Perhaps because Deung Myeong had little real combat experience, he was revealing his killing intent exactly as it was. No matter how stupidly Neung Je-gang had been standing, he was not someone who would get hit by a sword scattering killing intent.

Neung Je-gang, who had only been defending, faced many crises. It was because the surviving Jieun Territory members, whom he had used as bait to draw out Deung Myeong, carried out cunning sneak attacks from time to time after the dust settled.

Because of their sneak attacks, Neung Je-gang repeatedly lost the chance to switch to offense.

‘Damn it!’

Jieun Territory consisted of those who were the strongest in martial arts except for Kunlun’s leaders. Though most had died after unluckily meeting Neung Je-gang, all of them had been experts who could look toward the absolute peak.

The situation had been completely unfavorable to Neung Je-gang from the beginning. As time passed, it grew worse and worse.

‘There’s no helping it.’

In the end, Neung Je-gang decided that even if he suffered a slight loss, he would first strike down and eliminate the Jieun Territory small fry. The first one he aimed for was the man watching for an opening behind him. It was because of that very man that he had been unable to switch to offense since earlier.

Piiut.

Neung Je-gang first launched finger-force at Deung Myeong with his left hand. Deung Myeong delayed his offense very briefly to avoid that finger-force.

In truth, scenes like this had continued since earlier. At this point, whenever Neung Je-gang tried to attack Deung Myeong, the Jieun Territory small fry would join attacks against him, and Neung Je-gang would again be driven onto the defensive.

“Chaap!”

Neung Je-gang’s shout burst out.

Flinch—the Jieun Territory members who were joining attacks were startled. It was probably because of his response, which differed from before. Perhaps because of that, their perfect combined attack briefly fell apart.

And in that short instant, Neung Je-gang turned his body unlike before and launched himself toward the one approaching from behind.

“Hut!”

The man, who had never expected Neung Je-gang to launch himself toward him, could not even dare to face him. He too knew very well that he could not handle Neung Je-gang alone.

Pubeok.

At that moment, several streams of force flew in and struck Neung Je-gang’s back.

‘Ugh!’

Neung Je-gang ignored them. If he turned his body again here, he would only end up facing Deung Myeong again without any substance. Instead, he stretched his finger toward the man he had aimed at first. It was the method of One-Finger Piercing-Through, which Deung Myeong had avoided, but which had known no failure before that.

Thud.

Without even time to scream, the man flew backward with a hole pierced in his forehead. But Neung Je-gang was no longer looking at him. He had already launched himself to the left and was thrusting out a powerful fist force.

Rumble.

The Heaven-Shattering Thunderbolt Sovereign, too wasteful to use on one person, shot out in a reduced form.

Thud.

A dull sound rang out.

“Uaaak!”

The man struck by the Heaven-Shattering Thunderbolt Sovereign was still probably happier than the one who had died first. After all, he had at least gained the chance to scream. The indifferent fist force of the Heaven-Shattering Thunderbolt Sovereign completely crushed his corpse until its shape could not be recognized.

Was it too cruel a scene? The two surviving Jieun Territory small fry and even Deung Myeong stopped for an instant as if rooted to the spot.

“D-damn it! Even if it’s a forbidden art, to think he could not last even one move….”

It was far too different from the Heaven-Shattering Thunderbolt Sovereign they had only heard about. It was the result produced by Neung Je-gang’s tremendous internal power.

“I-I don’t want to fight anymore. My attack definitely landed, but I could not even cut his clothes. How am I supposed to fight someone like that?”

They were watching Neung Je-gang, looking for an opening. Unlike until now, however, it was not an opening to attack, but a chance to flee.

But they did not know what kind of person Neung Je-gang was. Neung Je-gang never left alive those who had tried to kill him. Also, Deung Myeong was not the sort of person who would simply watch them flee.

“Focus. With the three of us, we can catch him plenty. Attack together.”

At Deung Myeong’s voice, the two survivors soon closed their mouths. Having followed Deung Myeong’s orders for a long time, they did not dare disobey his words and run away.

Neung Je-gang looked at Deung Myeong and formed a faint smile on his face. He had already escaped from Deung Myeong’s offense. He would no longer be chased by a one-sided offense as before.

He concentrated on Deung Myeong again. Deung Myeong was losing momentum. While crossing hands with him, Neung Je-gang had killed two people. Anyone would think that in ability, Deung Myeong appeared one level behind Neung Je-gang.

“Now that the annoying ones have decreased, it’s a little more comfortable.”

Neung Je-gang’s mutter was heard. Deung Myeong’s complexion turned slightly red. Only now was he ashamed that, as someone from a famous orthodox sect in name, he had joined attacks against an opponent. But in battle, there was originally no standard method. Using everything one could use was the way to survive longer, was it not?

“People kept saying Secret Shadow, Secret Shadow, and you truly are impressive. But I do not see our Kunlun’s sword as weaker than the martial arts you learned.”

Deung Myeong shouted that to Neung Je-gang and then turned to the other two and shouted.

“Now I will fight alone. You two do not interfere. I will show him that our great Kunlun’s Supreme Taicheong Sword is the best.”

The two slowly retreated with expressions that said they had survived. But even so, they did not withdraw their weapons, and it was clear that if necessary, they would jump into the fight.

The position where they gathered as they retreated was, cunningly enough, right behind Neung Je-gang. It was not directly behind him, but it was outside Neung Je-gang’s field of vision.

Neung Je-gang did not mind them. In any case, their movements were being fully caught by his senses. Whatever they did, Neung Je-gang was confident he could avoid it sufficiently.

“Was there something called the Supreme Taicheong Sword in Kunlun?”

Neung Je-gang asked as if he was hearing of it for the first time. In truth, what was known to the outside were martial arts separately known as the Taicheong Sword and the Formless Sword.

“How would a bastard like you know the martial arts of our great Kunlun? Now, come at me.”

Deung Myeong raised his sword and pointed it at Neung Je-gang. Neung Je-gang also raised his sword and pointed it at Deung Myeong. Tension flowed between the two of them. The fight seemed to have returned to the beginning. The only difference was that the Jieun Territory small fry had been reduced to two.

Shuk.

It was right then. Neung Je-gang displayed the lightness art of Extreme Secrecy, cultivated to the pinnacle. His body vanished into the darkness as if mist scattered.

In truth, Neung Je-gang was not an orthodox martial artist, but an assassin and problem-solver. Though he sometimes forgot his true duty and acted as if he were a warrior, as long as he had Nam Yeong as his master, it was difficult to call him an orthodox martial artist.

Because he had forgotten that, he had suffered so much in the early part of the fight, unable to escape Deung Myeong’s offense. And by taking a few attacks on his back, he had seized this very opportunity.

The martial arts of Hidden Shadows and Extreme Secrecy Method were the peak of illusion arts. They were the only martial arts comparable to Death Demon Flow. Naturally, the inexperienced Deung Myeong did not have the ability to see through the lightness art of Hidden Shadows and Extreme Secrecy Method when it was displayed deliberately. There was no need to even mention the other two.

Sseuk.

Neung Je-gang did not move with Deung Myeong as his target. From the start, what he had aimed to do was clean up all the small fry first and fight Deung Myeong in earnest. Therefore, there was no need to leave the two remaining Jieun Territory small fry alive any longer.

Deung Myeong, who had grown extremely tense at Neung Je-gang’s sudden disappearance, was the first to see him.

“Danger! Dodge!”

Perhaps this was the first time Deung Myeong had cared so much for his subordinates’ lives.

The two men, who had been startled by Neung Je-gang suddenly disappearing, realized at Deung Myeong’s shout that Neung Je-gang was targeting them.

Pupuck.

But the illusion art of Extreme Secrecy was something one could not avoid even if one knew.

Flop.

Without even being able to scream, one man sprayed blood from both temples and fell forward.

“Y-you bastard!”

The last remaining Jieun Territory small fry now sensed his own death. The reason Neung Je-gang had attacked them first instead of Deung Myeong was clear. If he failed to notice that, then all the experience he had gained roaming across the martial world until now would be false.

Those who sense death and resolve themselves for death unexpectedly become reckless. A desperate attack that did not consider defense from the start unfolded from his hands. However, Neung Je-gang was not someone who would linger there clumsily just because an attack had succeeded.

Neung Je-gang fired a One-Finger Piercing-Through to prevent Deung Myeong from approaching and force his movement, then appeared behind the last remaining Jieun Territory small fry again.

Crack.

Was it even a waste to use martial arts? The neck of the last man, who had been frenzied, turned completely halfway around and came to see Neung Je-gang’s face, and of course, with a neck like that, he could no longer go on living.

Thud.

Neung Je-gang threw aside the corpse with the twisted neck.

“Now let’s properly compete without any interference. Let’s see whether Kunlun’s martial arts, which you boast of so much, are truly the strongest.”

Neung Je-gang knew many martial arts of other sects. He also knew many of Kunlun’s martial arts. It was because he had learned the basics at the Eastern Depot’s Depot Martial Academy.

However, their true power was something one could not know before experiencing it. It was because each sect’s martial arts that flowed into the Eastern Depot were not made with the proper formulas.

And yet he had met Deung Myeong, who had likely learned nearly all of Kunlun’s martial arts. In order to face Deung Hyeon and Deung Gak even slightly more easily later, it was necessary to learn about Kunlun’s martial arts from Deung Myeong now.

This was also included in Neung Je-gang’s inner thoughts as he tried to properly compete with Deung Myeong.

Deung Myeong clenched his teeth. The thought that he might perhaps die kept floating up in his mind. The fact that, if he went just a little farther, he could seize the position of emperor might have been making him tremble even more now.

“Hoo!”

Deung Myeong took a deep breath and finally began to display the martial art he was most confident in. The essence of great Kunlun was revealing its momentum from his hand and the tip of his sword.