Chapter 151 : Mook Young, Steps In

Chapter 151: Mook Young, Steps In

When the door opened and the smell of blood rushed out, Baek Seolyoung thought her mind had gone blank.

She feared the blood belonged to Lee Jaseung, or to Mujin or Mook Young.

But thankfully, it was not them. A dozen or so bodies had fallen before her eyes. At a scene so horrific that she would once have gagged, Baek Seolyoung examined the corpses first.

They all wore the same outfit. On the left chest was a single emblem, the figure of a coiled snake. Baek Seolyoung could not have known, but they were the Mad Serpent’s men whom Jang Wonso had raised in secret.

A man was waiting by the open door. After offering a polite fist-and-palm salute, he spoke. He was the Fist King, one of the Three Kings.

“Have you come?”

“Have you still not succeeded in killing them?”

“I’m sorry.”

The Fist King bowed his head with a shamefaced look.

It had already been two hours since the report came that there were two intruders in the underground secret chamber.

Either they had come to rescue Seop Mu-pyeong, or they were new intruders. Fortunately, there were five Transcendent Peak Realm masters here whom he valued. By now they should have captured or executed them all, yet they had not caught even one.

“Report the situation first.”

“The Sword King and the Blade King, the Mad Serpent and the Demonic Toad are engaging them.”

Jang Wonso’s expression twisted for an instant.

“Everyone but you has stepped in, and they still have not caught even one of the two?”

“Well… the Mad Serpent lost his men and flew into a rage, which delayed us at the start.”

“That fool! This is why you do not use rootless ronin.”

Jang Wonso spoke as if blaming himself.

The five secret subordinates he had raised, the Three Kings, the Mad Serpent, and the Demonic Toad.

Among them, the Mad Serpent was a martial artist of ronin origin.

“Their skill is formidable. One has superb stealth arts, the other exceptional martial skill.”

Jang Wonso suddenly raised his voice.

“If they crawled in this far, that is to be expected. Do you think I hired you to catch men of ordinary skill?”

“My apologies.”

The Fist King lowered his head as if it were his own fault.

Then footsteps sounded from the ceiling overhead. More footsteps followed behind.

“That is precisely the man whose stealth I mentioned. Not only stealth, he knows the mechanism layout, so he slips between the devices like his own house.”

Crack.

The ceiling gave way and a body fell through. He too wore the serpent emblem, one of the Mad Serpent’s subordinates. Rage glinted in Jang Wonso’s eyes when he saw it.

The Fist King spoke quickly.

“Even so, he will not be able to escape. We have completely sealed the routes to the outside.”

“What about the other one?”

“We have driven him that way.”

“Lead the way.”

“Yes.”

The Fist King took the lead. Jang Wonso glanced sidelong at Baek Seolyoung. She stood with her eyes half lowered, as if she had no interest at all.

“Let us go. They are your subordinates, so you should at least exchange greetings.”

He assumed the two intruders were Baek Seolyoung’s people. In other words, he did not know that Lee Jaseung was the Black Way Alliance Leader.

Baek Seolyoung neither affirmed nor denied. She judged that silence was better than some clumsy reaction.

The bodies were strewn along the right-hand passage. All were the Mad Serpent’s men.

When Jang Wonso appeared, the warriors filling the narrow corridor spread to either side.

All gazes turned to Jang Wonso for a moment, then fixed on Baek Seolyoung.

Though men’s heated eyes swept over her body, Baek Seolyoung stood proud. With her resolve set on saving Lee Jaseung, she felt no fear and no hesitation.

There was only one thing in her heart, the desire to save Lee Jaseung.

And there was one more who felt the same.

“Huff, huff, huff, huff.”

The ragged breathing belonged to Mujin. He stood with his back against the corridor wall, a pair of swords in his hands.

He was drenched head to toe in blood and looked exhausted.

Facing Mujin stood the Blade King.

Behind the Blade King was the Mad Serpent. His arm had a deep wound. Enraged by the sight of his men dying, he had rushed in to kill Mujin, but Mujin outclassed him by a level.

Before even thirty exchanges passed, Mujin had cut the Mad Serpent’s arm, and in the moment when he was about to pierce his heart as well, the Sword King had rushed in to save him.

If not for the Sword King, the Mad Serpent would already have been a dead man.

After that, the Sword King took a wound to the thigh and withdrew. The Blade King then stepped in to save him and was now fighting.

The Sword King, the Blade King, and even the Mad Serpent were taking turns against Mujin.

They were all masters who had reached the transcendent peak realm.

But Mujin’s skill surpassed theirs. If they had fought one on one to the end, he would already have killed at least two.

However, the enemy used rotating assaults, trying to wear Mujin down until he collapsed.

The Blade King glared at Mujin with a face full of fury, as if to kill him. Mujin was worn out from handling the Mad Serpent and the Sword King. The Blade King, coming in last, should have finished him.

Watching from the side, it had seemed that in that condition, with that level of fatigue, killing him would be easy.

But when he actually fought, Mujin was far stronger than he looked.

Meeting the Blade King’s stare, Mujin gave a crooked smile, all leisure.

“Your eyes are going to shoot out Sword Qi at this rate.”

“You bastard!”

“Ah, since you use a saber, should I say Saber Qi? Then again, you lot attack like a single body all mixed together, so what does it matter?”

At Mujin’s taunt, the Blade King’s face twitched.

He provoked him on purpose. If he could induce a mistake and kill the Blade King, there would be a sliver of hope to break out.

The Blade King’s death would strike fear into the enemy. If he could somehow cut down only two of them, the rest might be manageable.

But just then, Jang Wonso and the Fist King arrived.

When Jang Wonso and Baek Seolyoung appeared together, Mujin was inwardly shocked.

‘Why is the Lady here?’

Quick-witted, Mujin grasped the situation at once. Since he had failed to return at the promised time, Dan Woobin must have been about to strike the Murim Alliance. Baek Seolyoung likely stepped forward and asked them to give him a chance.

Mujin and Baek Seolyoung’s eyes met.

Baek Seolyoung’s pupils trembled. Leaning against the wall, covered in blood, Mujin looked perilously close to collapse.

Mujin saw Baek Seolyoung but pretended not to. He judged that, for now, he had to act as if she had nothing to do with this matter.

“With three of you, you still cannot kill that little brat, and you make this mess?”

At Jang Wonso’s words, the three men’s faces hardened. Then a warrior came up from behind and whispered something to Jang Wonso.

Jang Wonso looked at Mujin and spoke loudly.

“He is Seop Mu-pyeong’s disciple?”

There was no hiding it. Mujin and the others were Seop Mu-pyeong’s disciples, and the Murim Alliance’s warriors knew their faces.

Realizing that the intruder was Lee Jaseung’s disciple, Jang Wonso finally understood.

“A disciple with this level of skill means Seop Mu-pyeong has been hiding tremendous martial arts. He fooled me completely.”

In truth, the forces behind Jang Wonso had learned Lee Jaseung’s true identity only very recently. Before that, the only ones who knew were Mountain and Water, just those two.

Jang Wonso stepped forward and spoke.

“I will remove him myself.”

Mujin despaired. Jang Wonso’s martial arts were clearly a level above these men. Likely a level above his own. However rotten he might be, the opponent was the Murim Alliance Leader.

He was hard to face even in full health, and now he was utterly exhausted and injured besides.

Baek Seolyoung also grew flustered. Somehow, she had to stop Jang Wonso. And she had to save Mujin.

Right then.

Crack.

The ceiling broke and someone dropped down in front of Mujin.

It was Mook Young.

Hiding among the ceiling’s mechanisms, he had realized Mujin was cornered and revealed himself. He too had taken many wounds and was covered in blood.

“You should have just escaped!”

Mujin yelled out angrily. While he held off so many, he had wanted Mook Young to slip away.

Without looking back, Mook Young answered.

“I can’t do that.”

Mujin grimaced.

“Damn it! Even if you do this, I won’t feel touched by it!”

“I know.”

Mook Young added evenly.

“Your last sword dance will be with me.”

His tone was calm, unafraid of death.

Hearing that, Mujin’s overstrung heart settled. It struck him that Mook Young was more mature than he was. This had nothing to do with strong martial arts or sharp instincts. Age could not be fooled.

Mujin heaved a theatrical sigh and said,

“I only dance with women!”

Mook Young’s shoulders twitched slightly. He laughed.

Looking at his solid back, Mujin spoke.

“I appreciate it, senior.”

At that sincere word, Mook Young gave no answer.

Strength filled Mujin’s hands where they gripped the twin swords.

Beside Jang Wonso, the Three Kings and the Mad Serpent, and the Demonic Toad who had joined late, lined up shoulder to shoulder.

Mook Young knew that he and Mujin could not handle them.

He sensed this was the end. Beyond them he saw Baek Seolyoung. When she appeared here, Mook Young had been even more shocked and despondent than Mujin.

Guarding her had been his duty. Now he would die having failed even to fulfill his duty. Worse still, he would die first, not knowing what would become of Baek Seolyoung.

‘I am sorry, My Lady.’

From his heart, Mook Young felt sorry for her. And he was sorry to Lee Jaseung, who had entrusted him with the mission.

‘I am sorry, my Lord. I will repay this sin in my next life.’

Drawing up his Qi, Jang Wonso stepped forward.

“Arrogant wretches!”

Just then.

A calm voice came from behind.

“Wait.”

Baek Seolyoung walked forward slowly. She too could tell. At this rate, the two of them would meet their deaths.

Now there was only one person who could save them, herself.