Chapter 233: Behind (3)
Sect leader Yang Jong could not hide his shock at this sudden change in tone.
There was a vague feeling that he was now no longer his original self. All of this became evident through the expression on his face.
I could see all this because I shared my sight with what True Evil Sword saw.
I had told her to convey what I said, but she was a sword who followed her own way of doing things.
Don’t overdramatize it, and just do what I said.
-You are so picky about what kind of slave you want to be.
Who was a slave!
Phew.
Do it right now.
Again, just say it quickly.
-Fine.
“You asked if I was the True Faced Evil. Uh?”
… damn it. I don’t know anymore.
What could I even do if she spoke like this? Just what…
“… who are you?”
Yang Jong asked this warily, probably realizing that the person he was speaking to was no longer the masked man.
“Eheh. None of your business.”
“… what kind of tricks are these?!”
“I said you don’t have to know.”
The masked man under True Evil Sword’s control nodded towards the outside of the carriage and said to Yang Jong.
“You did well, you know.”
The bodies outside were all warriors of the Murim Alliance Sichuan branch.
They all had been killed just to silence them. Hearing this, Yang Jong snorted.
“Huh.”
The man was in an odd situation where he didn’t know when he would die because of the things happening before him, but he did not look too surprised.
That’s right, he wasn’t aiming for just normal women, but also women of the Murim. That was why he had guts.
“So bold.”
The man sneered.
“If you have so many eyes and ears around, then killing is just expected.”
“You have allies, though, and what is this? He wouldn’t last a few days with a wound like this and would just die.”
True Evil Sword had gone through the stomach.
If left untreated, death was inevitable. The expression on the laughing man’s face became distorted by these words.
“If you do this right away and break the trick you used to control Gong Jeon, then I will let this matter go.”
It seemed that the masked man’s name was Gong Jeon. He seemed to have a strong desire to save his comrade, but he had yet to grasp the situation.
“If that was the case, I wouldn’t have done anything like this.”
“Ha!”
The man snorted as if he was enraged. He then looked up and said.
“Do you people really not know who we are?”
Uh?
This was an unexpected reaction.
I had deliberately left gaps to allow him to interpret things, but did they notice my intervention?
Well, perhaps.
Since it was revealed that we were part of a team, the head of the masked people must have entered it.
If that was the case, I needed to kill him… though there was something odd here.
Did he just refer to us as you people?
It was as if he was talking about getting revenge. That would be odd if it was targeted at me or Yong-yong.
Maybe I should push this a bit further.
“Hoh. There are some pretty smart things about you.”
“… we had agreed to not interfere with each other. Do you think Mother will stay still if you make a mess like this?”
Mother…
As expected, the rumors I heard before dying were true then. However, the fact that they had decided not to interfere with each other meant that this was an alliance of people who didn’t like each other.
I wondered what kind of people they were.
What should I say to get him to say the right things?
I hadn’t given an order yet, but True Evil Sword decided to speak.
“It will be difficult since you are aiming for us by coveting things from our side. Hmm?”
… good.
This was a much more natural speech compared to what I expected from her. Perhaps because she had once belonged to an infamous person.
The man responded to her improvisation.
“Covet? Are you actually referring to the women of the Phoenix Hall?”
“Well.”
There was no need to affirm this anymore.
If I was really acquainted with this man and we were in an unhappy relationship, I wouldn’t reveal any of my own cards.
“… has to be the Little Immortal Swordsman.”
He spoke of me. Why did he suddenly do that?
True Evil Sword didn’t answer and just stared at him. Sect leader Yang Jong sighed and then smiled.
“Looks like I got it right. Well, you people move only to deal with those who get in the way of the plan. Right?”
She didn’t answer yet.
So that he would speak more.
“…”
As expected, he continued to speak.
“But what do you even do? We even mobilized the Ghost Killing Fist Demon, but he is dead without any results, so the Lord must be angry.”
‘..!!’
I was shocked. He must be talking about the golden-eyed man’s organization.
I was glad I was not facing him directly, as my emotions would instantly reveal it.
-What do I say?
Just wait and see.
For the first time, we were making contact with someone who knew the man himself instead of just the organization.
This was going well.
Even if he hadn’t mentioned it, I had wondered whether the golden-eyed man was related to all of this. The existence of a monster who could not feel pain had given me some surety.
How should I approach this?
The problem was that the people behind this group seemed as ruthless as the golden eye.
-Ruthless?
The Alliance Leader, Baek Hyang-muk, was behind this sect leader. He would inevitably step forward if we couldn’t prove anything and attempt to do something. This was why I deliberately sent them far away and tried to deal with them this way.
However, I think I would have to change the plan. I will try to make the most of the situation.
-It will be fun. Hehe.
True Evil Sword’s role had become quite important.
-If you promise not to put me in the sheath, I will help you, darling.
… Do not use this timing to negotiate.
-Huhuh. Well.
She was even snorting. It seemed that she wouldn’t back down.
Phew. Fine. I will find some way.
-Hehehe, nice. My baby should help me, right?
Just do as I said.
She then spoke through the mouth of the man called Gong Jeon.
“Doesn’t it seem like a waste of your life or his to carelessly talk about the Lord?”
“… the Lord you serve knows very well that Mother doesn’t like her children being touched.”
He was coming out even stronger.
He knew of the golden-eyed man’s organization yet was not afraid. Perhaps that was why they were this upfront.
This was good. I think taunting them would be even better.
“Do you think the lord would blink an eye at your mother?”
“You bastard!”
These words caused sect leader Yong Jong to burst out in anger.
I could see the veins on his face rising. It seemed that his loyalty was quite strong.
True Evil Sword, do it like this.
-For real?
Just trust me.
She seemed puzzled at my directions.
True Evil Sword moved Gong Jeon’s body.
Clench!
And grabbed Yang Jong by the neck.
“Kuak!”
“I don’t like the attitude you are giving when my life is at stake. I knew it. I should just kill you.”
Yang Jong was shocked by this action, and his eyes glowed with hatred.
“Right… you really… are trying to cross the line… right?”
“It was your Mother who interfered with our efforts first!”
“You bastardddd!!”
His anger was reaching its peak even with his throat like this.
True Evil Sword then said to me.
-He’s acting as if he’s not scared. Is this alright? Since we want information, continuing to do this might not yield anything.
Information?
My purpose was something else.
We decided not to interfere with each other, but wasn’t there a better use for them if we could ruin their relationship?
We could pit them against each other.
-Ohoo. My darling is using his head.
If it was the Mother, then she would never stay still. I was sure they would try to get revenge at any cost.
Even if it was not that, they were thinking of targeting me anyway. How could I leave them alone?
-How long until this happened?
As long as you maintain control, you can do it. I needed him alive still.
He then opened his mouth.
“Kuak… still… the sword… heard… everything… cannot… retrieve and… right?”
Uh?
What was this now?
This was even more interesting information being divulged. What did he mean when he said that a sword could not be retrieved?
I told her to take her hands off his neck. The sect leader coughed when his throat was released.
“Cough… cough… cough…”
“…what did you just say?”
The man coughed for a long while and had a red face.
“What? Did you think Mother wouldn’t know about your group’s search for those odd swords?”
As expected, it was about the five Yokai swords.
“No, come to think of it, your Lord might know. That is why he couldn’t easily touch Mother, right?”
This was amazing news to me.
Now that I knew this, I could get an understanding of why the golden-eyed man’s organization was searching for the Yokai swords. I could also find out what they know and why this pact was made.
True Evil Sword continued to question him.
“You… what do you know?”
At those words, sect leader Yang Jong frowned.
He stared at her through his frown and then sneered.
“You aren’t a sorcerer.”
“What?”
“That was why you’re questioning me. Well, your Lord has always been too cautious. He wouldn’t trust anyone, not even his subordinates.”
This was fine.
I had nothing to be angry about, but if I really belonged to the golden-eyed man’s organization, I might have killed him on the spot.
Fortunately, he didn’t notice yet. It felt like more. He might explode.
True Evil Sword then said,
“I am asking how much you people know.”
“Kuahahaha.”
Hearing this, the man exploded into laughter and then spoke seriously.
“Isn’t that what you are saying despite knowing? Even if you hadn’t been put through it, you would have understood what I was saying now.”
“….”
“I don’t know where they practice it, but isn’t there someone higher than you or the Lord? Then pass it on. If I quit now, the contract between my Mother and your Lord wouldn’t happen.”
…This was the furthest, huh. He would realize I was a fake if I pushed a little more.
What was certain was that the reason they were searching for the yokai swords was to overcome something.
Let’s use our heads.
Being a sorcerer meant to have strange healing abilities. The golden-eyed person, who I had met at the valley, had asked me if I had undergone treatment through sorcery.
Didn’t I also manage to do it after that?
‘… he said he couldn’t.’
Does that mean there was some other way to take them out besides decapitation?
Or was there something else they couldn’t overcome? No matter how I thought about it, there was no clear answer.
Change of plans.
-Uh?
True Evil Sword, do as I tell you for now.
And I told her my orders.
-I have to do everything here.
Do as you are told.
-Kekeke, what is fun about that?
She said that to me and then said.
“I told you, the decision was made unanimously.”
Yang Jong smiled and said,
“Then release the blood points and the enchantment placed on him! Now!”
“No. Now we will pretend that there is nothing we agreed to not interfere with.”
“What?”
Clench!
“Kuak!!!”
Once again, she caught him by the neck.
“Yo… you bastard….”
“Just die.”
With his throat clenched, his eyes were turning red as if they would explode.
Since he couldn’t move, he must have been afraid of death.
That was the moment.
Slash!
It was the sound of something cutting through the wagon. Through Yang Jong’s eyes, I could see him watching Gong Jeon’s neck being split.
Swish!
Blood sprouted out like a fountain as his grip on Yang Jong was released.
“Cough… cough… th… this…”
He seemed to be unable to understand.
Grrr!
At that moment, the wagon was also split as his body fell through.
The top of the wagon was torn off.
Thanks to this, Yang Jong could see outside and noticed someone wearing a demon mask approaching him.
It was me.
“Cough… cough… ghost mask?”
The man stared at me incredulously and screamed.
“B-Blood Demon!!”