Chapter 392: The Spy

As the monk Senna slumped to the ground, lifeless, Namgung Jincheon’s eyebrows twitched in surprise.

“What… just happened?”

His voice was filled not with triumph or joy, but with bewilderment.

It was understandable. Senna’s death had been so sudden, so devoid of any dramatic struggle, that to Namgung Jincheon, it might have seemed as if the monk had simply dropped dead.

But Hyun Gong had a pretty good idea of what had transpired.

“That guy used a cunning trick.”

“Yes, it was all part of the plan. Lure him in with a feigned weakness, then strike at his vulnerabilities. I feel a bit sorry for Senna, but with his skills, he was never going to let me take the lead.”

As Tang Mujin boasted, Namgung Jincheon finally grasped the situation.

“Poison arts, was it? The match-up was exceptionally favorable. But even so, the potency…”

Namgung Jincheon paused, contemplating before speaking again.

“To be able to administer a poison that lethal without any preparation means the Tang Clan’s leader can withstand such deadly toxins without issue.”

“Exactly.”

“It seems my friend Ichung had a much keener eye for talent than I gave him credit for. To have a young disciple surpass his master’s achievements so thoroughly…”

Tang Mujin enjoyed the praise, but he relished even more seeing others acknowledge Ichung. It wasn’t a common occurrence.

“My master elevated my skills to his level in a short time, so everything I achieved beyond that was entirely my own.”

“Impressive. Truly impressive. I wish I could have taught Myeong like that…”

Namgung Jincheon sighed lightly, turning to look behind him.

There stood Senna’s two disciples, suddenly bereft of their master. Tang Mujin hesitated, unsure of what to do with them, but Hyun Gong did not.

Hyun Gong approached the two disciples. They were too tense to attack him, watching him with wary eyes.

With his sword hanging loosely in his right hand, Hyun Gong slowly beckoned with the fingers of his left. It was the preparatory stance for his most powerful technique, Daejongyeoha.

But Senna’s disciples didn’t understand the significance of his actions.

In a flash, Hyun Gong’s sword traced an unavoidable arc, and one of the disciples’ heads flew into the air.

“…!”

A swift, unhesitating execution.

The last remaining disciple, realizing his fate, tried to flee, but it was futile.

Namgung Jincheon, having approached unnoticed, swung his sword, and another head fell.

Namgung Jincheon flicked his sword to shake off the blood and spoke.

“Let’s talk more once this is all over.”

He then walked steadily towards the remaining Kunlun monks, the end of the battle clearly in sight. There was no need for Tang Mujin and Hyun Gong to intervene further.

Tang Mujin turned to Hyun Gong.

“I didn’t expect you to kill Senna’s disciples so abruptly.”

Hyun Gong replied, “They were part of the Demonic Cult. We can kill them, but they’re of no use to us. So, we kill them.”

Tang Mujin thought Hyun Gong’s demeanor had changed.

A year ago, Hyun Gong might not have killed Senna’s disciples so easily. He would have at least talked to them first.

But people change. Just as Tang Mujin had evolved, Hyun Gong couldn’t remain the same forever.

Tang Mujin sighed softly, and Hyun Gong asked him, “Are you alright?”

“I lost quite a bit of internal energy, but… I’m fine. It’s not enough to hinder me.”

“Then let’s go.”

“Where to?”

Hyun Gong gestured westward, in the direction where Gwangyeomra had fled with the unconscious Left Guardian.

The fight with Senna had ended quickly, so Gwangyeomra hadn’t had much time to escape. Plus, carrying the unconscious Left Guardian would have slowed him down.

To make matters worse, Gwangyeomra had left plenty of traces in his haste, making it easy for even Tang Mujin and Hyun Gong to track him.

“Are we going to fight?”

Hyun Gong shook his head at Tang Mujin’s question.

“No. I don’t think we need to kill him. He’s part of the Demonic Cult, but he might be useful. Even just talking to him could be beneficial.”

“Got it.”

After sending a message to Namgung Jincheon, Tang Mujin and Hyun Gong sprinted westward.

In less than an hour, Tang Mujin and Hyun Gong caught up with Gwangyeomra and the Left Guardian.

The Left Guardian sat on a flat rock, clutching his jaw where Gwangyeomra had struck him, looking rather annoyed.

Tang Mujin whispered to Hyun Gong, “Looks like he’s upset about being knocked out.”

“Seems that way. Let’s hear what they’re saying first.”

Hidden behind the bushes, Tang Mujin and Hyun Gong focused their hearing.

“…We need to leave immediately. Now!”

“Left Guardian, don’t be ridiculous.”

“Hey, Gwangyeomra. A person should have integrity. If you’ve received a favor, you should repay it. You know what would have happened to my leg if I hadn’t been helped, right? It would have been cut off at the shin. I might have died.”

The Left Guardian seemed troubled by leaving without helping Tang Mujin’s group. Hyun Gong whispered playfully, “Tang Mujin, you sly dog, you were in cahoots with the Demonic Cult all along. I knew it.”

“Stop joking and listen.”

Gwangyeomra, sounding frustrated, retorted, “You know what will happen if we go back? If we kill Senna, we’re next on the list.”

Tang Mujin nodded, thinking, Gwangyeomra is definitely sharper than the Left Guardian.

Gwangyeomra continued, “Your leg will take time to heal. You’re limping, and I’m not in top shape either. Do you think we can take on three people? We might win if we’re lucky, but the cost will be high. Especially with the Tang Clan leader and Jeong-eon, they’re really dangerous. You’ve seen it yourself.”

But the Left Guardian shook his head.

“No.”

“What?”

“They won’t target us. If they were going to, they wouldn’t have saved me.”

Tang Mujin was impressed. Who knew the Left Guardian was so pure-hearted?

Of course, Gwangyeomra wasn’t as naive, and he pounded his chest in frustration.

“You fool! Do you think they helped you because they like you? They were just trying to manipulate the situation while we were fighting Senna!”

“…But they did help us! And I said I’d repay the favor.”

“If you think about it, isn’t the cult leader your benefactor too? His favor is even greater.”

“I know. That’s why I’m still following him…”

The conversation paused there. As if on cue, Tang Mujin and Hyun Gong stepped out from their hiding place and called out.

“Hey!”

The Left Guardian and Gwangyeomra jumped, turning to face Tang Mujin and Hyun Gong.

Gwangyeomra drew his sword, but the Left Guardian seemed somewhat relieved. The distance between them was too great for immediate hostility.

“You survived!”

The Left Guardian shouted, and Tang Mujin replied, “We didn’t just survive. We won.”

“You defeated Senna? Already?”

“It wasn’t difficult. No injuries, either.”

“Amazing!”

Despite the fact that Tang Mujin’s group had killed his allies, the Left Guardian was genuinely pleased.

In hindsight, from the moment the Left Guardian fell for Tang Mujin’s ruse, he and Senna were no longer on the same side.

‘…Do they still not realize they were tricked by me?’

Tang Mujin felt a thrill.

He thought he might be able to use a voice similar to Gwangyeomra’s again someday.

Gwangyeomra interrupted the Left Guardian’s musings, asking with a wary tone, “Why did you come?”

“It’s fate that brought us together, so we thought we’d have a chat.”

Hyun Gong answered.

Gwangyeomra’s eyes flickered, clearly uneasy about conversing with Hyun Gong.

“Don’t worry. It’s nothing serious.”

“What do you want to know?”

“Your safety.”

“…What?”

“If you go back to the Demonic Cult like this, won’t there be trouble?”

Gwangyeomra shook his head.

“Under different circumstances, we might be reprimanded. But this time, the cult leader will understand. He knows Senna was a loose cannon.”

“True, he did seem like a strange character.”

Gwangyeomra’s expression relaxed a bit, relieved that the conversation was light.

The Left Guardian raised his voice, “Why don’t you join the Demonic Cult? The winner of the Great War will be the Demonic Cult.”

Tang Mujin thought Hyun Gong might get angry, but his tone remained calm.

“That’s a tough one. How can you just switch sides like flipping a coin when you have a role to play?”

“That’s unfortunate.”

Jwa Hobup looked genuinely disappointed, his eyes filled with lingering regret.

“If you ever change your mind, let me know. Just mention the name Jwa Hobup Yeon Sa-wook, and even the warriors of the Demonic Cult won’t take it lightly. I’ll do my best to ensure your safety, even if the Cult wins.”

“I appreciate the offer. And let’s use this opportunity to clear any bad blood. We’re just on different sides, there’s no personal grudge, right?”

Gwang Yeom-ra seemed to have more to say, but Jwa Hobup responded without hesitation.

“Of course! I’ve let it all go!”

This time, it was Dang Mujin’s turn to speak up, his voice ringing out.

“If we’ve let go of the bad ties, it’s time to build good ones. Here, take this!”

With that, Dang Mujin tossed a small, dark lump about the size of half a palm.

The lump flew through the air, guided by some mysterious force, and landed in Jwa Hobup’s hand.

It had the distinct bitter smell of medicinal herbs and felt slightly sticky to the touch.

Gwang Yeom-ra eyed it warily.

“What is this?”

“It’s a medicinal paste. It can help with wounds, and if you dissolve a bit in warm water, it can be quite effective.”

“I know that. What I’m asking is, what’s your angle?”

“My nickname is the Healing Dragon. I’m the head of the Dang family, known for being the best physician in the land. Does a doctor need a reason to treat a patient?”

Jwa Hobup was so moved that his voice seemed to quiver with emotion.

“Thank you! I’ll repay this kindness someday!”

Hyeon Gong replied with a gentle, harmless smile.

“Sure. We may have started off on the wrong foot, but let’s not forget we fought against a common enemy together. Doesn’t that make us allies, even if just a little? Perhaps fate brought us together for this reason.”

Of course, Hyeon Gong’s claim of fighting together against a common enemy was a complete fabrication. Gwang Yeom-ra’s group and Dang Mujin’s had never actually joined forces against the enemy.

But the atmosphere was so warm and congenial that Gwang Yeom-ra didn’t immediately catch on.

Jwa Hobup shouted out.

“Did I help?”

“Absolutely. Thanks to you, Dang Mujin found the clue to defeat the enemy. You might be the real hero here, not Dang Mujin.”

Despite the twenty-year age gap between Jwa Hobup and Hyeon Gong, Hyeon Gong addressed him casually, as if they were old friends.

Strangely enough, it felt perfectly natural.

As Hyeon Gong spoke, he glanced at Dang Mujin, who instinctively knew what to say next.

“Talking like this makes me realize how foolish and narrow-minded we’ve been. Gwang Yeom-ra!”

Startled by the sudden mention of his name, Gwang Yeom-ra snapped to attention.

“Why are you calling me?”

“Back when I stayed with the Demonic Cult, did you ever hold a grudge against me?”

“No. I only heard rumors about a doctor from the Central Plains staying in the cave of the Demonic Cult.”

“Same here. I only saw your face once or twice. We never really talked. Can I ask you one more thing?”

“Go ahead.”

Gwang Yeom-ra replied, and both Dang Mujin and Hyeon Gong sensed it. The wariness in Gwang Yeom-ra’s voice had softened a bit.

“Since then, have we ever fought out of personal vendetta?”

Gwang Yeom-ra and Jwa Hobup pondered for a moment.

It didn’t take long for them to conclude. They never had.

They had always clashed as members of the Demonic Cult and the righteous sects.

“Right. The grudge was between the Cult and the sects, not us personally. Do we really have a reason to bear grudges and fight each other?”

Gwang Yeom-ra seemed skeptical, but Jwa Hobup was visibly shaken. It was a thought he’d never considered.

Caught up in the moment, Jwa Hobup shouted on behalf of Gwang Yeom-ra.

”…No! There’s nothing like that!”

“Good. It’s a relief to clear up the misunderstanding. Even on a battlefield soaked in blood, a single wildflower can bloom. Let’s not forget that we once fought against a common enemy, even if the Cult and the sects clash.”

In simple terms, it was a suggestion to maintain an implicit alliance, even if the Cult and the sects were at odds.

From the perspective of other Cult members, it might seem like betrayal. But Dang Mujin and Hyeon Gong managed to wrap it in a beautiful, heartwarming package.

Finally, Hyeon Gong dangled an enticing bait.

“You believe the Cult will win the great war, but I believe the righteous sects will prevail. If we do, we’ll do our best to save your lives, returning the favor Jwa Hobup Yeon Sa-wook showed us.”

This was an appealing offer for Gwang Yeom-ra as well.

However, the phrase “do our best” didn’t guarantee results. It implied the possibility of not achieving the desired outcome.

But Gwang Yeom-ra and Jwa Hobup didn’t realize this.

Gwang Yeom-ra hesitated before speaking.

“Alright… But you must have some ulterior motive for coming here. Be honest about your purpose. I’ll consider it positively, though I can’t promise to agree to everything…”

His voice was noticeably less hostile. Dang Mujin shook his head and replied.

“Another motive? There isn’t one.”

“That can’t be true. Be honest.”

“We’ve turned a bad relationship into friendship through conversation. What more could we need?”

Dang Mujin said this, looking at Jwa Hobup and Gwang Yeom-ra with clear eyes. Hyeon Gong’s gaze was much the same.

Gwang Yeom-ra and Jwa Hobup paused for a moment, then nodded and turned away.

”…Right. There’s nothing more needed.”

And that was the end of the conversation. The four parted ways without any conflict.

Dang Mujin and Hyeon Gong shared a similar smile.

Difficult to kill, but plenty of potential to use.

Dang Mujin and Hyeon Gong had just created two potential informants within the upper echelons of the Demonic Cult.