CHAPTER: Chapter 29
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Chapter 29
“Why would the Inspectorate be targeting me?”
Uncheon asked back with a puzzled expression.
“There are more than ten organizations in our Cult that coveted you. The Inspectorate was one of them. They are the sort of bastards who would rather break what they cannot possess.”
Ma Chung led Uncheon out of the Inner Archive.
Then, after confirming that there was no one nearby, he spoke in a low voice.
“It may also have something to do with the matter of you crushing Muk Hajin not long ago.”
“Are you saying the Sagal Muk Family instigated this?”
“It is only a guess. But if it is those Muk Family bastards, their eyes would be rolling with rage. After Muk Wijin, a promising talent of their branch family, even Muk Hajin of the direct line was defeated by you. How could they not be?”
Uncheon’s eyes narrowed.
The fact that he had broken through the martial arts of the Sagal Muk Family had ultimately returned to him as poison.
“The charge they have pinned on you is malicious. The martial art you used against Instructor Jeok Mugwang during the monthly evaluation… especially the final move that shattered the Black Iron Plaque, is supposedly too foreign to be a technique of our Cult.”
Since it had been a Leg Art he had created by applying the principles of Heaven-and-Earth Dynamic Art and Limitless Step to Ma Chung’s Blood Wind Leg, it was not unreasonable for them to misunderstand it that way.
“I am curious as well. What exactly was that martial art? It resembled Blood Wind Leg, yet it was somehow different.”
“…I named it Whirlwind Kick.”
“Hoh… Are you saying you created a martial art in the middle of sparring with Instructor Jeok Mugwang? You monstrous brat…!”
A cadet had created a martial art?
Ordinarily, it would be something to scoff at.
However, considering the talent Uncheon had displayed at his side until now, Ma Chung could accept it.
“In any case… the Inspectorate bastards intend to accuse you of being a spy from the Orthodox Faction, and of having used hidden Orthodox internal energy.”
“I have no internal energy to begin with. Will that still be a problem?”
At Uncheon’s calm question, Ma Chung shook his head with a bitter expression.
The charge of being a spy.
At present, there was no accusation within the Demonic Cult more fatal than that.
Once that charge was laid upon someone, regardless of whether it was true or not, they would be dragged to the underground prison of the Inspectorate and tortured.
Few ever emerged from that place intact.
“…You are naive. This is not a matter of truth. It is a matter of power. If the Inspectorate and the Sagal Muk Family are determined to attack, they can fabricate even a nonexistent crime.”
Uncheon was silent for a moment.
However, rather than trembling with fear, his eyes sank coldly as he calculated the board.
‘The Martial Alliance and the Demonic Cult are no different.’
Once power became entangled, even simple matters tended to become twisted and complicated.
“Thank you for telling me, Instructor.”
“No need to thank me. I simply do not want to see the one I invested in die in vain.”
Ma Chung clicked his tongue briefly and urged Uncheon on.
Before long, their steps stopped before Gal Muheun’s office.
Ma Chung reached for the door handle, then stopped and turned back to Uncheon one last time.
“…Keep your wits about you, brat. If the Inspectorate sinks its claws into you, even a decent clan or sect can be torn to pieces.”
Knock, knock.
After leaving that final piece of advice, Ma Chung knocked on the door.
Then he tapped Uncheon once on the shoulder and disappeared into the darkness without hesitation.
CREEEAK—.
The heavy iron door opened, and as Uncheon entered Gal Muheun’s office, a heavy silence flowed through the room.
Unlike usual, Gal Muheun had set down his brush and was gazing out the window.
“…You have come?”
He slowly turned around.
Even the face of the Hall Master of the Demonic Martial Hall, who was always composed, was shadowed.
“You have heard, I assume? Tsk. The Inspectorate bastards have finally crossed the line.”
Displeasure flashed in Gal Muheun’s eyes.
For them to touch Uncheon, whom he had taken directly under his command, was also a challenge to Gal Muheun’s authority.
“It seems the elders of the Sagal Muk Family moved the Inspectorate Chief. A spy charge… They are truly determined.”
He lightly tapped the desk and spoke firmly.
“But do not worry. I will block them. With my authority as Hall Master, I will prevent them from setting foot in the Inner Archive. As long as you are my man, I will not let them touch a single hair on your head….”
“No, Hall Master.”
At Uncheon’s firm refusal, Gal Muheun’s eyebrow twitched.
“Why? It will not be easy for a mere cadet to withstand the conspiracy of the Inspectorate once it bares its teeth in earnest.”
“If I avoid them now, they will only bite more persistently. It will also leave a blemish on your honor, Hall Master.”
Uncheon slowly approached Gal Muheun’s desk.
Then he rolled up his right sleeve and extended his arm.
“…Would you examine my pulse once?”
With a puzzled expression, Gal Muheun took Uncheon’s wrist. The moment he infused his energy, his eyes widened in shock.
“……! Th-This is!”
Gal Muheun’s hand trembled faintly.
‘I guessed there was something wrong with his body, but to think it was this severe!’
An empty dantian.
And what was even more shocking was the state of his Qi Meridians, which were abnormally twisted and tightly blocked.
“……Severed Meridian Affliction. And congenital at that….”
“As you can see. There is no way I could possess something like internal energy.”
“Hoh…!”
Gal Muheun sighed.
To think that a child who had displayed such outstanding martial talent possessed a body with Severed Meridian Affliction, no different from that of someone with a terminal illness.
“I thought you were a prodigy seen once in a thousand years, but you are one whose talent is fated to die young….”
He was shocked by the fact that Uncheon had achieved so much without internal energy, and at the same time, a wave of pity surged within him.
“That is precisely why we must use this board.”
Uncheon lowered his sleeve and spoke calmly.
“The Inspectorate’s forced accusation? I can clear myself of that immediately. But I must not.”
“Why not?”
However, Uncheon slowly shook his head.
“Even if I prove my innocence now, they will simply cut off the tail and claim there was a misunderstanding. The Sagal Muk Family bastards will suffer no damage and hide behind the scenes.”
Uncheon’s eyes gleamed coldly.
They were the eyes of a hunter luring prey into a trap.
“If we wish to cut them down completely, we must make them step deeper inside. All the way to a checkmate they cannot escape.”
An intrigued smile spread across Gal Muheun’s lips.
“Ho… You intend to lay a trap and wait? You certainly have nerve. Very well. What do you need me to do?”
“Set the board for me. Find the informant and guide them into verifying me in a public place.”
“A public trial… Good. I will gladly provide the training ground.”
Just as Gal Muheun was about to nod, Uncheon added one more sentence.
“And there is one more thing I would like to ask.”
“Speak.”
“In that case, what do you think about drawing in the Hall of Myriad Demons? …….”
After hearing Uncheon’s plan, Gal Muheun smiled with satisfaction.
“Keke… Good. Very good. That is a clever plan! I will proceed with it that way.”
“I leave it in your hands.”
***
Half a day later.
Men dressed in black martial uniforms stormed into the front of the Inner Archive.
The character ‘Inspector’ embroidered on their chests revealed their affiliation.
They were an enforcement squad of the Inspectorate.
“Criminal Uncheon, come out and submit to being bound!”
A rough shout shattered the silence of the Inner Archive.
Uncheon closed the book he had been reading and slowly rose from his seat. It was something he had already expected.
‘They have come.’
He moved calmly toward the entrance.
Behind Uncheon, he felt someone’s gaze from deep among the shelves.
‘…….’
Seolyeong, dressed in thick fur clothing, was hiding between the bookshelves and watching with a pale face as Uncheon was taken away.
Her blue eyes shook with unease.
“You bastard! What are you doing instead of walking?”
Even as he was dragged away by them, a faint smile hung on Uncheon’s lips.
‘Now… the board is fully set.’
***
The day of judgment designed by Uncheon and arranged by Gal Muheun dawned.
The location was the central training ground where the monthly evaluation had been held.
However, the atmosphere was quite different from that time.
The heat had vanished, and only the crackling of the bonfires lingered through the cold courtroom-like space.
On the platform, Hall Master Gal Muheun and observers from each organization stood in solemn rows with heavy expressions.
And opposite them, in the honored seats where deep shadows lay, rare guests who were seldom seen had taken their places.
‘The elders of the Hall of Myriad Demons have come as well….’
They were Old Monsters who emitted such heavy auras that even the observers held their breath.
Their attendance had partly been requested by Gal Muheun, but it was also because the provocative matter of a ‘genius cadet suspected of being a spy’ had stirred their curiosity.
Gal Muheun opened his mouth in a low voice.
“Everyone has gathered, so let us begin.”
As soon as his words fell, the Inspectorate’s observer stepped forward as though he had been waiting.
“I am Sado Myeong, an observer of the Inspectorate. I will question the cadet Uncheon.”
Beside Sado Myeong stood a man in black, his entire body wrapped in black cloth like a shadow.
“You are accused of avoiding others’ suspicion through the lie that you had no internal energy, then using a strange internal energy during the monthly evaluation to commit fraud. This Inspectorate suspects that you may be a spy of the Orthodox Faction.”
The training ground stirred. The impact of the word spy was enormous.
“Therefore, according to the regulations of the Inspectorate, we must thoroughly examine your internal power! Make that criminal kneel at once!”
At Sado Myeong’s command, the warriors of the Inspectorate tried to approach Uncheon. But at that moment—
“Stop!”
Gal Muheun’s thunderous shout burst out.
“Uncheon is no longer a cadet, but a formal warrior under my command. You claim you will examine his internal power without clear evidence? Do you intend to insult me, the Hall Master?”
When Gal Muheun blocked them, Sado Myeong flinched for a moment.
However, he soon smiled triumphantly.
As though even this resistance had been expected.
“Evidence? Of course we have evidence. There is an informant.”
“An informant? Reveal their identity.”
“I cannot reveal their identity! However, for the sake of a fair verification… Elder Muk of the Sagal Muk Family, who happens to be present here, has agreed to personally conduct the examination.”
At Sado Myeong’s gesture, an old man who had been sitting on one side of the observer seats rose with a sinister smile.
“An elder of the Sagal Muk Family?”
It was Muk Wigyu, a master of Poison Art and an elder of the Sagal Muk Family.
“Hoh… It is often said that poison and medicine are divided by only a single sheet of paper. With his skill….”
Even the other observers nodded, acknowledging Muk Wigyu’s authority.
It was a thoroughly prepared trap to topple Uncheon.
“Hehehe… I could not refuse the Inspectorate’s request, so this elder has stepped forward. Hall Master Gal Muheun, surely you are not saying you cannot even trust this elder’s medical skill?”
Uncheon’s eyes shone coldly.
An elder of the Sagal Muk Family had personally stepped forward.
‘As expected… they have drawn their blade themselves.’
The moment Muk Wigyu touched Uncheon’s body under the pretext of examination, what he intended to do was obvious.
He would inject poison, or sever his acupoints.
However, as Uncheon looked at Muk Wigyu, the corner of his mouth rose by the faintest degree.
‘Everything is going according to plan.’
All of them were moving on the board he had arranged.
Now it was Hall Master Gal Muheun’s turn to provoke him.
“No, I object.”
Gal Muheun strongly protested once again.
“Surely you are not saying you cannot trust this elder’s medical skill? How insulting!”
“No, that is not the reason. The Sagal Muk Family has a private grudge against Uncheon! There is no way this can be a fair verification!”
“Hah! A grudge? Are you insulting our family?”
Muk Wigyu shouted indignantly.
“A grudge between a mere cadet and the Sagal Muk Family?”
The observers stirred once more.
In that gap, Gal Muheun publicly declared.
“Muk Wijin of the Sagal Muk Family’s branch line and Muk Hajin of its direct line were both defeated by that child. How could a grudge not arise?”
When Gal Muheun publicly exposed their shame, Elder Muk Wigyu’s face turned ashen.
“…What? A cadet of the Sagal Muk Family was defeated by that child?”
“Could it be that Elder Muk Wigyu was brought here for that reason?”
Considering the temperament of the Sagal Muk Family, it was a suspicion that was fully plausible.
However, raising it publicly was a different matter.
It was like pouring oil onto a fire.
The dispute intensified in an instant.
“Chief Instructor Gal Muheun! To drag the honor of the Sagal Muk Family through the mud… Can you take responsibility for those words?”
Elder Muk Wigyu flew into a rage, even pointing his finger as he raised his voice.
“Good. I, Gal Muheun, will stake my position as Hall Master of the Demonic Martial Hall. Then what will you stake?”
“Th-That is….”
Sado Myeong tried to take a step back, but when Elder Muk Wigyu moved his lips.
Soon, he stepped forward with an expression that said he had no choice.
“…There is no helping it. I will stake my position as an Inspector.”
“I will stake my elder plaque of the Sagal Muk Family. Will that suffice?”
Elder Muk Wigyu could not back down.
The defeat of Muk Wijin had already been publicly revealed.
It was only a matter of time before this fact spread to the other organizations.
If he retreated here, it was obvious that the honor of the Sagal Muk Family would fall to the ground.
‘Well, it does not matter. The boy will die here anyway! I only need to poison him first, then claim that he swallowed poison out of fear that his spy charges would be exposed.’
Elder Muk Wigyu slipped his hand into his sleeve and took a step toward Uncheon, preparing to administer poison.
“Are you satisfied now? This elder will stake his honor and examine the boy’s pulse. Or do you still have some complaint?”
He withdrew his hand from his sleeve and looked around at those present.
“If there is anyone here with medical skill superior to mine, this elder will step back as well.”
Elder Muk Wigyu swept his gaze across the assembly with a confident expression.
“Hehehe… Of course, there cannot be. If no one steps forward, I will take it that there are no objections!”
At that moment, a cold smile appeared on Gal Muheun’s lips.
‘Foolish things. You never imagined that the pit you dug would become the trap that tightens around your own necks.’
Gal Muheun’s voice rang across the entire training ground like a rebuke.
“Elder Muk Wigyu! How dare you utter such arrogant nonsense when the Life-and-Death Exalted One has personally graced this place with his presence?”
Then Gal Muheun respectfully bowed and opened the way.
An absolute authority that even the Hall Master of the Demonic Martial Hall had to bow his head before.
At the end of that path, a figure slowly rose from the deepest darkness of the observer seats.
RUMBLE—.
He had merely risen to his feet, yet the air of the training ground sank heavily.
When he slowly removed the bamboo hat he had been wearing, the face of an old man weathered by the storms of time was revealed.
“So, child of the Muk Family. Why do you not repeat the arrogant words you spoke a moment ago, exactly as they were, without changing a single syllable, in front of this Exalted One?”
The Life-and-Death Exalted One.
The greatest physician of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, bearing the title of the Exalted One who governed life and death, stood there.
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