Chapter 83

• A Bet on an Ambush with a Conspiracy

The sword of Chu Il-tae, who had been silently staring at the flickering candlelight,
instantly disappeared in mid-air. So it seemed.
Then the shadow of the candlestick, which had been swaying on the floor, was cut into eight pieces.
And the light disappeared from the room.

A human figure flowed into the room of the Sun-Hiding Shadowless, Chu Il-tae, who was in the middle of training, as if seeping in. It was a skill of stealth and concealment so neat and perfect that an ordinary person could not even imagine it, a skill worthy of being a model for all people (all the hermits who exist in the darkness).

"...Is it the First Secret?"

It seemed that his presence, which had seeped in like a shadow and was fixed in the darkness, could not deceive Chu Il-tae's eyes and ears. Chu Il-tae accurately pointed out the existence of the seeped-in darkness.

"It seems your skills haven't rusted yet. How did you know?"

The First Secret's figure revealed itself from Chu Il-tae's left. He had revealed himself from his left because he did not want to suddenly appear behind Chu Il-tae and receive a surprise attack. Originally, masters of stealth like himself or Chu Il-tae had a common, strange characteristic of never welcoming the existence of another human behind their backs.

"Among the people I have a friendly relationship with, who else but you can deceive my eyes and ears and visit me here?"

Although he was speaking calmly, there was a stir in his heart. Just as the First Secret had been stirred because his presence had been detected in advance.

The reason he was stirred was because the position of the First Secret, who had revealed himself, was on his left. The choice of the left, which was bound to be less skilled than the right, was the most common and universally valid, and therefore a praiseworthy choice of position. Because as long as the opponent was right-handed, the proficiency of the left hand was bound to be lower than that of the right hand. In other words, in order to respond to an opponent located on one's left, the line of movement becomes longer, and the ability to cope is also bound to decrease. But it was not a courtesy when visiting. Unless it was during a confrontation with an enemy.

"Did a friendly relationship exist between us?"

The First Secret said bluntly and coldly, showing an expression of great surprise at having learned a new fact today. But Chu Il-tae seemed to not care much, thinking that his coldness, which was full of cold air, was his innate personality.

"Tsk! You're still as cold as an ice block. But what's the matter? For you to come all the way here, I'm looking forward to tomorrow's weather anomaly."

If it was a little grander, he might even be able to look forward to the anomaly of the heaven and earth's movement, where the sun rises in the west. The fact that the First Secret did not know that Chu Il-tae was harboring such a fantastical thought was a very desirable thing for the already awkward human relationship between the two. At least it could prevent further deterioration.

"In life, there are often times when you have to do things you don't want to do. For me, unfortunately, that day was just today."

It was a word so cold that it was as if he were exhaling the ten-star power of the Ice River Divine Art of the North Sea Divine Palace with his mouth. But Chu Il-tae, as if he had stolen and learned the Sun Divine Art of the Sun Palace, did not suffer a single wound or blow from the First Secret's extreme coldness.

"Is there something you want to ask for?"

At the two words 'ask for', the First Secret's eyebrows twitched. Both his reason and emotion could not accept the word 'ask for'.

"It's not a request."

He exhaled a cold wave from his lips through the vibration of his vocal cords with an even colder voice. The First Secret could absolutely not admit that he had come to ask Chu Il-tae for a favor.

"Then what is it? I can't even imagine anything else."

"I am conveying this as the head of the Ten Secret Squad. It is an order from the upper echelons of the Nine Orthodoxies Association. I would like you to take on one task. No, it would be more accurate to say that you must take it on."

The First Secret used the expression 'order'. If the opponent had been someone else, the First Secret would have used the word 'request'. But he absolutely did not want to use the word 'request' to Chu Il-tae.

"Tsk tsk, my friend. In our world, we call that a request."

Chu Il-tae said with a pitiful expression, but the First Secret ignored him. He was now on official duty. He shouted sharply.

"Speak accurately. We are not friends. I would appreciate it if you would not use such an unpleasant expression again."

Chu Il-tae, showing a fed-up expression at the First Secret's words, which were as if he had hidden an ice pick made of ten-thousand-year-old cold snow under his tongue, refrained from any more verbal sparring.

"Yes, yes, I understand. Then shall we hear the business? What's the reason the Nine Orthodoxies Association is suddenly looking for me, whom they had forgotten about?"

Although he had been neglecting the affairs of the Nine Orthodoxies Association for a while, as a member of the nine great sects, he was not in a position to refuse the request of the Nine Orthodoxies Association with a single stroke. If he had, the First Secret standing in front of him would not have stood still.

"A test of one person!"

That was the First Secret's business.

The creed of the best brain of the Nine Orthodoxies Association, Baek Mu-yeong, was to use what could be used to the fullest. It was his theory that even an incompetent person who seemed useless at a glance was sometimes useful. Therefore, even if it was a person whom those around him had given up on, if he himself thought that they were useful, he would unhesitatingly use them as a card despite the dissuasion of those around him. This Chu Il-tae case was also promoted in the same context without great expectations.

But the next thing Chu Il-tae did made him dumbfounded. Later, Baek Mu-yeong would regret the decision he had made at this time over and over again.

---

"Excuse me..."

Yun Jun-ho, who had been walking with him, hesitated and then carefully spoke. It seemed that he had finally gathered his courage after thinking for a long time.

"Why? Is something wrong?"

Bi Ryu-yeon asked back.

"No. It's just... it seems like someone has been following us from behind for a while..."

His words were extremely cautious, as if he was not sure of his senses. Bi Ryu-yeon smiled faintly, as if it were interesting.

"Tsk tsk, they are really friends with no talent."

Bi Ryu-yeon said with a face full of pity, as if he were pitiful.

"What do you mean?"

Hyo-ryong, who was next to him, asked. He had also already noticed the presence of the pursuers.

"I'm talking about the people who are secretly hiding behind us and following our tails. Since they were caught by Jun-ho's eyes and ears, isn't it all over?"

"Well, that's also true."

How clumsy they must have been... Hyo-ryong also agreed.

Bi Ryu-yeon asked Hyo-ryong again.

"How many do you think there are?"

"Um, two... two people."

"Wrong! Wrong. There are three. Shall we check?"

Bi Ryu-yeon suddenly raised his voice and shouted.

"Now, you clumsy pursuer uncles. Are you still not going to show yourselves even after we've said this much?"

Then, human figures appeared, parting the bushes behind them. There were two of them in total. Both were wearing blue clothes and had a blue steel sword at their waists, and both had a white cloth wrapped around their heads. Then was Bi Ryu-yeon's judgment wrong?

"Who are you?"

Bi Ryu-yeon asked once for the sake of courtesy.

"There's no need to ask for the names of such punks."

At that moment, a loud and uninhibited voice was heard from behind.

Bi Ryu-yeon turned his head and looked behind him. There stood Jin Seong-gon, Im Seong-jin, and other members of the Young Lady Lovers' Society. Even the vice-president, Bi Yeon-tae, whose two legs were doubtful to be able to support his body weight, was there. It was a surprising fact, but his two legs were able to support his weight.

Jin Seong-gon and Im Seong-jin took a step forward and said proudly. His iron staff made a dent in the ground.

"If you have business with my junior, you have to get my permission first."

When he drew out the people who were lurking in the surroundings, they were faces he did not know well. Seeing the white cloths tied tightly on their heads, they were undoubtedly members of the Ice Phoenix Flower Guard. His ears were also wide open to the surroundings, so it was not that he did not know why they had followed Bi Ryu-yeon. How surprised he had been when he had heard the news. It was a fact that was not readily believable. He had thought that the informant punk was just playing a prank. But after hearing the same news through three or four different routes, he was able to confirm that the news was true. He was also inwardly envious. It was something that any man who knew her would have dreamed of at least once.

Anyway, the incident had already happened, but even so, Im Seong-jin did not want to lose the new member he had gotten his hands on after a long time. He knew better than anyone that getting a new member for a club like his was like plucking a star from the sky. He did not harbor a vain dream, nor did he over-interpret the situation. He faced the reality as it was and found a way to cope with it accordingly. Illusion is free, but Im Seong-jin had long since returned that freedom.

The name of the person on the right among the blue-clothed people with white cloths was Kang Man-hyeon, and the name of the person on the left was Jeon Mun-yeon, and both were fellow disciples from the Zhongnan Sect. For all that, they were recognized talents in their sect.

When he told them to come at him, the two really drew their swords and rushed at him. Accordingly, the iron staff held in his hand also slowly moved.

His staff moved as heavily as Mount Tai. But even at his slow strike, Kang Man-hyeon and Jeon Mun-yeon did not dare to act rashly. No, seeing their whole bodies trembling, it seemed that they were struggling to move. Their appearance, blocking the strike of his Seongjin Twelve Staff, was so difficult that it was pitiful.

The first person to clash weapons was Kang Man-hyeon, who was attacking from the right. As soon as Im Seong-jin's slowly moving staff touched his sword, the blue steel sword shattered into pieces like a plate that had fallen from the second floor.

Bang!

A loud noise erupted. Jeon Mun-yeon, who had seen his colleague's failure, hastily scattered his sword ki and rushed at him. This time too, Im Seong-jin's staff moved as heavily as Mount Tai. His sword was as if sucked in and hit Im Seong-jin's iron staff. This time, it seemed to be a different move from the one just now. Jeon Mun-yeon's blue steel sword, which had hit the iron staff this time, was crumpled like a piece of taffy in the middle of summer. It had become a state where it could no longer perform its duty as a weapon.

"No, how can this be!"

A dazed cry of astonishment burst from the mouth of Jeon Mun-yeon, who was holding a sword that was bent like a limp piece of taffy. How could he not be surprised when the life of the sword he had cherished had been bent like a piece of taffy that had melted under the summer sun?

"Do you still want to fight?"

There was no way he would. What could a swordsman who had lost his sword do? They were silent without a word. It was a sign that they had lost.

The fight ended with Im Seong-jin's victory in a bland way.

"Then go. Don't touch my lovely juniors again."

Only then did the two hurriedly move their bodies and leave the place.

"Tsk tsk, to be so weak, the four characters of the Cheonmu Academy's name are ashamed."

Im Seong-jin spat out as if it were pathetic.

"But there's still someone who's hiding and not showing themselves!"

Bi Ryu-yeon said to Im Seong-jin, who was dusting off his hands. Seeing that he didn't care whether the two in front of him became porridge or rice, it seemed that they were not of the same affiliation.

"Oh, you noticed too. Your eyes and ears are amazing!"

Im Seong-jin was impressed with a pure heart. His presence was so secret that he himself had almost failed to discover it, but this pitch-black junior had noticed it.

He appeared as if he were a mirage. He had not revealed himself by rustling out of the bushes where he had been hiding his body like the two in front. He had appeared in front of them like magic from the shadow of the building. But Im Seong-jin and Bi Ryu-yeon did not seem to be shaken at all.

"Huk!"

The only person who was surprised was Yun Jun-ho, who had not detected his presence.

"An excellent concealment art."

It was a short comment from Bi Yeon-tae, who was called a master of stealth.

"Oh, who is this? Isn't it Brother Chu, who hides because he dislikes the sunlight?"

Im Seong-jin said with an expression that he was overjoyed to see him. Surprisingly, the person who had appeared was someone he knew.

"It's been a long time, Seong-jin."

The person who had appeared like magic from the shadow of the afternoon was none other than the Sun-Hiding Shadowless, Chu Il-tae. It seemed that the two had known each other from before.

"Do you also have business with our cute junior?"

"Of course I came because I have business."

He obediently admitted to Im Seong-jin's question.

"Then are you saying you want to have a go with me too? I won't decline."

Im Seong-jin asked, his eyes shining sharply. Chu Il-tae shook his head.

"I'll decline that. Your iron staff is too scary. I'll decline being crumpled under your collapsing staff."

Chu Il-tae said, trembling exaggeratedly. But the story that he did not want to fight was sincere. Although Im Seong-jin was secretly looked down upon by the disciples from the so-called prestigious sects because of their origins, his skill was by no means weak enough to be looked down upon by others. He was one of the few people who knew well how scary Im Seong-jin's study of the collapsing staff was. He also knew well that the taste he had shown against the two guard members just now was nothing.

"Then is your business finished?"

It was a story that if he had finished his business, he should leave now.

"It's not over yet. I just came here because I wanted to have a simple bet."

"I can't believe that you, who are so heavy-bottomed, would move for such a thing in broad daylight."

When had he ever seen him to have a bet with Bi Ryu-yeon? Im Seong-jin, who knew quite a lot about Chu Il-tae's eccentric personality, could absolutely not believe his words. There was definitely an inside story that he did not know.

"Then don't believe it."

It seemed that the other side would not force him to believe it either. It was even more suspicious.

"I won't. So, what's the content of the bet?"

"Since that child happens to be a member of your Young Lady Lovers' Society, it's just as well. This will be something that will be tempting for your side too."

"The more you say that, the more curious I become."

Im Seong-jin was really curious. Originally, he was a person with a more vigorous curiosity than anyone else. If one looked down on him because he looked dull, one was bound to get a big nose.

"Actually, what strength do I, who am so weak, have to fight and brawl? The only talent I have is to hide my body and sneak into somewhere. So I was hoping to compete with that talent..."

"To compete with you in stealth and concealment is to say that I should go in losing before I even start. I cannot consent."

Im Seong-jin said cuttingly. It was a story that was not worth listening to any more.

"Is that so? But the person I am asking for a bet is unfortunately not you. The person I asked for is over there."

Chu Il-tae's finger pointed directly at Bi Ryu-yeon.