Chapter 38: 55

Zhang Mu-ryang could not sleep.

He originally just sleeps a little, but there were many cases where he couldn’t sleep at all, especially when he had more important things to do.

That’s what happened this time.

It was a gamble to ride the line between the Emei sect and Qingcheng sect, the absolute two strongholds of Sichuan. If they failed, the Black Cloud Mercenary Group could disappear without a trace in the world.

Although the Black Cloud Mercenary Group was said to be a group of rogues with strong military power, they could still not survive a head-on confrontation with the Emei and Qingcheng sect. 

So the tightrope was important.

Neither the Qingcheng sect nor the Emei sect would have normally cared about them, but things have changed.

The two sects were in sharp opposition to each other, and they were facing a head-to-head confrontation. In a situation where one sect’s power was lacking, having the Black Cloud Mercenary Group join their sect could make it possible for the weight of the battlefield to lean on one side. 

Knowing this, Zhang Mu-ryang boldly jumped into the conflict between the Emei sect and the Qingcheng sect.

He knew his plan was going to go well, but he still couldn’t help but get nervous.

The lives of three hundred and fifty men of the Black Cloud Mercenary Group depended on his decision.

“Tsk! I really should retire after this job is over.”

Zhang Mu-ryang clicked his tongue. This was the biggest gamble in the history of the Black Cloud Mercenary Group. If they manage to succeed, they can gain a huge advantage, but if they fail, they will disappear without a trace.

Zhang Mu-ryang went out to wash his face.

He stayed up all night with his eyes wide open, so his eyes felt heavy. At that moment, he saw the Go Dosa come into the guest house.

“Danju!”

“Are you returning now?”

“I was originally going to come back yesterday, but then I met someone.”

“Who?”

“I met him by chance the other day, and he accompanied me to this neighborhood. His name is Pyo-wol.”

“Is he the guy who you said was super handsome?”

“Yes. I met him in Jintang County.”

“That’s the place where the Thunder Gates is located.”

Zhang Mu-ryang touched his chin with his hand.

“That’s right. I went to investigate the Thunder gates, then I stumbled upon him there.”

“By chance?”

“Yes. It was actually a coincidence. Why? Is it strange?”

“Isn’t it? To see him twice in Sichuan, not anywhere else. It may be a coincidence that the two of you met, but if you look at the circumstances, it is clear that there is a certain cause and effect at work.”

“If that’s what you’re saying then it must be that. Do you want to monitor him?”

Go Dosa trusted Zhang Mu-ryang.

Zhang Mu-ryang has a very good sense of intuition and sixth sense, so he never overlooks any unusual things, no matter how small.

If he said it was strange, then it’s strange. If he cared, then there must have been a good reason. That was the extent of Go Dosa and the Black Cloud Mercenary Group’s trust in Zhang Mu-ryang.

“Keep an eye on his whereabouts, but make sure he never notices that we’ve put a tail on him.”

“Of course. I’ll have Maun follow him.”

Maun was from the military and was the most nimble and quick-witted person in the Black Cloud Mercenary Group. For that reason, there was no one above him in terms of reconnaissance and surveillance.

“So, what is going on inside of the Thunder Gates?”

“So Young Master Nam Ho-san seems to have fallen for Woo Seonha of the White Flower Room. If the marriage takes place, he will probably stand on the side of the Emei sect.”

“Alright. Is there anything else to be concerned about?”

“Not right now.”

“Still, remain vigilant.”

“When did you see me not being vigilant? Don’t worry.”

“You know that I believe in you a lot, right?”

“Of course!”

The conversation between the two ended like that.

There were still many things they wanted to talk about, but other people came in so their conversation was cut off.

“Danju oraboni!”

It was Heo Ran-ju who came in greeting Zhang Mu-ryang with her characteristic lively voice. However, behind Heo Ran-ju’s back, he saw not only Hyeol Seung, but also some new unfamiliar faces.

Zhang Mu-ryang’s eyes gleamed coldly.

It was because he knew that a middle-aged woman who had her one eye covered with an eye patch was Jeonghwa, the second-in-command of the Emei sect. 

There was another woman with an outstanding beauty that greatly overwhelms even Heo Ranju. It was Yong Seol-ran, who was said to have a talent comparable to Woo Gunsang who was recently assassinated.

Zhang Mu-ryang loosened his expression, and greeted the people following behind Heo Ran-ju.

“You’ve brought precious guests. Zhang Mu-ryang, the captain of the Black Cloud Mercenary Groups, greets the distinguished members of the Emei sect.”

“Jeonghwa of the Emei sect.”

Jeonghwa answered in a cold voice. Her eyes, looking at Zhang Mu-ryang, were full of energy.

It was not of her own will that Jeonghwa came here. She was only here because their sect leader, Guhwasata, understood the power of the Black Cloud Mercenary Group and hence, ordered them to recruit them if they turned out to be useful. 

The woman who was beside Jeonghwa was the next person to introduce herself.

“My name is Yong Seol-ran.”

“I’ve heard the name of Yong Seol-ran a lot. You’re beautiful as the rumors say.”

“You are too kind. Anyway, it’s nice to see you.”

Zhang Mu-ryang couldn’t help but admire Yong Seol-ran’s calm words.

‘Yong Seol-ran of the Emei sect is said to be the best, but even the rumors could not even come close to describing the real thing.’

With her beauty, countless men would be willing to risk their lives for her. 

However, for some reason, Yong Seol-ran always stayed in the Emei sect and did not go out.

While Yong Seol-ran’s beauty was undeniable, Zhang Mu-ryang still did not take his eyes off Jeong-hwa. Jeonghwa was radiating a blade-like momentum without hiding it.

Her momentum was terrifying since she was the second in command of the Emei sect. The amount of pressure she gave off was enough to make an impression on Zhang Mu-ryang.

‘If the pressure that comes off from a great disciple is already like this, how much force does Guhwasata or the Three Monks of White Moon1 possess?”

The Three Monks of White Moon were twice as strong as those of the Guhwasata, and were hiding in Baekryeonam, which was located in a remote part of ​​Mount Emei.

After the Guhwasata, the Abbess of Nine Calamities, became the sect leader, they stopped paying attention to world affairs and entered closed-door training. 

Looking at Jeonghwa, Zhang Mu-ryang felt the power of a prestigious sect again.

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Zhang Mu-ryang carefully spoke to Jeonghwa.

“Since a great disciple of the Emei sect has come in person, is it okay to take this as a sign that the Emei sect  is willing to do business with us?”

“It will depend on the outcome of our negotiations. If you dare deceive our sect, we will postpone the war with the Qingcheng sect and the Black Cloud Mercenary Group will pay a heavy price.”

“Of course, we are prepared for that.”

A smile appeared on the corner of Zhang Mu-ryang’s lips.

Although they were far behind the Emei sect, the power of the Black Cloud Mercenary Group could still not be taken lightly.

Of the three hundred and fifty men, only fifty could be called masters, but among the remaining martial artists, as many as two hundred were from outside the country. Their power of collective warfare can rival that of the Emei and Qingcheng sect. 

Jeonghwa’s eyes grew colder at Zhang Mu-ryang’s confidence.

She might have only one eye left, but the glow in her eyes grew much more intense than before. As a result, her martial arts level had risen dramatically.

Zhang Mu-ryang bowed his head slightly and said,

“Then should we try to set the conditions now? Let’s head inside.”

He stayed up all night, but he didn’t feel tired at all. In order to get the best results, he needed to be more alert and mindful from now on.

* * *

Even after Go Dosa returned, Pyo-wol remained in Jintang County while observing the Thunder gates  and collecting information.

In the meantime, Nam Ho-san, the rumored young master of the Thunder gates, has never appeared even once outside. 

Information on him was severely limited. He hasn’t gone outside lately, so there wasn’t much to find out. Furthermore, he could not ask other people directly for information about him or the current state of affairs of the sects.

Because of that, it was difficult to dig out information about him.

He could have stayed like this for a few more days and continue to collect information, but it would be a waste to spend his time like that.

Time was never on the side of Pyo-wol.

Pyo-wol slightly changed the features of his face. 

Just by touching his face little by little, his mood made a complete turn of a hundred and eighty degrees. Pyo-wol changed into a light jacket and wore the iron sword he had bought in advance on his waist. 

When night came, he went through the alleyway to the west and approached the vicinity of the Thunder gates.

The appearance of Pyo-wol was no different from that of other ordinary warriors. People living in residential areas didn’t think it was strange to see Pyo-wol.

This is because many martial artists lived in residential areas, and their atmosphere and vibe matches with Pyo-wol. They consider Pyo-wol as one of them, which is a person living in a residential area.

Pyo-wol proudly crossed the residential area and arrived at the western wall of the Thunder gates. After confirming that there were no people around, Pyo-wol lightly jumped onto the fence.

As he climbed over the wall, the interior of the Thunder Gates came into view.

The inside of the Thunder Gates was well organized as he expected.

Fortifications and gates were effectively placed to defend against external enemies. The security was also strict, with numerous torches lit everywhere and soldiers standing guard.

No matter who manages the inside of the Thunder Gates, there were almost no blind spots due to the exquisite location of the martial artists.

The security system was so perfect that no martial artists could even dare to try to infiltrate the Thunder Gates. 

However, Pyo-wol did not believe in the word perfection.

It was Pyo-wol who has a history of assassinating Woo Gunsang by breaking through the inescapable net of the Qingcheng sect.

No matter how perfect a system was, in the end it was up to humans to operate it. And he knew better than anyone that human concentration never lasts.

Especially at night, after standing on alert for a long time, the attention of the soldiers would easily be disturbed.

In fact, Pyo-wol could see that the soldiers standing were somehow slacking off. Their faces showed a sense of conceit, since they don’t think anyone would dare to infiltrate the Thunder Gates.

“Haa!”

The man closest to the fence let out a yawn. The yawn spread to those who were standing nearby.

Pyo-wol did not miss the opening and flew away. Pyo-wol, who infiltrated the interior like this, immediately found a residence of Nam Ho-san.

Although this was the first time he had entered the Thunder Gates, Pyo-wol already identified the abode of Nam Ho-san.

The conversations of the unsuspecting merchants who trade with the Thunder gates, gave him a clue about where Nam Ho-san was staying.

‘It was called Geumjujeon.2‘

The hall was made of golden pillars, hence its name of Geumjujeon. The halls weren’t actually made of gold but rather, were made of similar materials that shine similarly like gold.

Pyo-wol could tell the owner’s tendencies and inclinations just by looking at the residence.

From that point of view, Nam Ho-san, the rumored master of the Thunder gates, had a strong bravado and was sensitive to external gaze. He was a lecherous man, flirting with Woo Seonha regardless of the circumstances within his clan.

It wasn’t too difficult to find the Geumjujeon. Because even in the dark, the pillars were shining like gold because of the illumination of the torches.”

The problem was how to approach him secretly.

As it is the residence of a young master, an iron-clad security network had been established in the perimeter. Dozens of martial artists surrounded the area, guarding Nam Ho-san.

Their gazes were directed in different directions.

Pyo-wol analyzed the directions in which their eyes were facing one by one. And he found the only space where their gaze did not reach.

Pyo-wol moved towards the space he had found.

It was a very strange sight.

There are obviously dozens of warriors, but none of them were aware of the existence of Pyo-wol. Pyo-wol’s walking in the blind spot of human beings.

While the human eye is very precise and delicate, it also contains many loopholes.

The human eye is divided into the main eye and the auxiliary eye. It is common to see the field of view with the main eye and assist with the auxiliary eye. For that reason, the eye that became the auxiliary vision had no choice but to lose its thrust.

It would initially seem that a person could see everything with his two eyes facing the front, but that wasn’t the case at all. The part that humans looked at attentively was only a fraction of the field of vision.

Pyo-wol digs into that point. There, he used his fine sense and synchronization at the same time.

He used his fine senses to figure out where the other’s gaze was headed, and he used synchronization to make them feel uncomfortable.

For that reason, the soldiers were not aware at all even though Pyo-wol was approaching openly. If there were more people or they were scattered more chaotically, Pyo-wol would never have used this method.

Because the probability of success was not so high.

It was a technique worth trying only when such special circumstances and special conditions were met.

When Pyo-wol reached the distance of the soldiers, he took a meandering path and passed by them.

Thrack!

Just like a snake flowing down a wall, Pyo-wol passed through the soldiers without leaving a trace.

It made the eyes of many people useless.

“Hm?”

“Did something just pass?”

Belatedly, people felt a sense of incongruity and closed their eyes. 

But by that time, Pyo-wol had already passed them and disappeared.

Editor’s Notes

Enjoy reading!

Three Monks of White Moon. Other Translations: three monks of Baekwol, 백월삼승(白月三僧). 白 white, pure 月 moon, month 三 three 僧 monk, Buddhist priest,  Geumjujeon. 金柱殿 金 gold, money 柱 pillar, post, support 殿 hall, palace

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