Chapter 91

Chapter 91
Only three days remained until the highly anticipated clash. News of the upcoming showdown between Baek So-cheon and Yeom Sa-won had spread across the vast Central Plains, ensuring that virtually no one remained unaware of it. Across the land, people referred to the event as the Righteous-Evil Duel.

Martial artists from every distant region poured into Mu-han to witness the direct confrontation. Even though attendance was strictly invitation-only, massive crowds gathered in the city regardless, hoping to catch a rare glimpse of the participants. Because the prolonged conflict had prevented any Murim Tournament from occurring in recent years, this match between representatives of the opposing factions felt like a massive celebration for the entire jianghu.

The overwhelming gathering led to extraordinary occurrences. Uninvited warriors swarmed outside the Murim Alliance headquarters, shouting in protest and demanding that the historic duel be made an open tournament so everyone could watch fairly. Such demonstrations were completely unprecedented in the history of martial arts duels.

However, opening the event to everyone was impossible. No arena existed that could hold such an immense crowd, and managing such a massive gathering would be uncontrollable. Furthermore, the event was a crucial assembly for the Alliance Lord, high-ranking Alliance officials, and prominent elders from various provinces. Allowing unrestrained crowds created a severe risk of Black Heaven Alliance assassins infiltrating the venue.

To pacify the frustrated crowds, the Alliance organized public entertainment around the headquarters. Traveling troupes staged puppet shows and plays, senior Alliance instructors delivered martial arts lectures and demonstrations, and smaller sects held minor fighting contests. As a result, Mu-han was swept into an unprecedented state of excitement.

The vast throngs included more than just martial artists. Wherever immense crowds gathered, merchants from all corners of the Central Plains followed to hawk their goods, selling rare items seldom seen in Mu-han, along with numerous traders from the Western Regions.

Alongside the merchants came gamblers and bookmakers, setting up active betting pools on the evenly matched duel. On this occasion, even the Murim Alliance chose to ignore the widespread betting operations.

Amidst the constant noise of Mu-han, Yeom Sa-won—who had been cooped up inside the Alliance headquarters—decided to head outside. His designated guard immediately stepped forward to block his path, telling him he could not leave. Yeom Sa-won dismissed the warning, stating he merely wanted to get some air.

Although his guard was significantly older and held the rank of squad leader within the Alliance, Yeom Sa-won treated him with complete disrespect. The guard warned him that Mu-han was currently filled with powerful martial artists, many of whom had lost relatives to the Black Heaven Alliance during the war, making it dangerous for him to wander openly. Yeom Sa-won arrogant reply challenged them to try, promising to send them to join their deceased families.

When the guard addressed him as Young Master Yeom, the young man corrected him sharply, insisting on being called Great Hero Yeom. The guard reminded Great Hero Yeom that the duel was only three days away and asked what would happen if an incident occurred now. Yeom Sa-won threatened him to move out of the way unless he wanted to die. Ultimately, the guard surrendered to Yeom Sa-won’s intense pressure. Jan-baek and Go-gong simply allowed him to proceed as he pleased, following at a distance to provide protection.

Exiting the Alliance grounds, Yeom Sa-won paused to look at the nearly finished arena, where workers were bustling to complete final preparations. He had never seen a structure of such massive scale. Seeing it in person made the reality dawn on him: he was truly about to fight Baek So-cheon. He resolved to kill him on that stage, believing that slaying Baek So-cheon would restore his father’s trust in him.

Stepping into the streets, Yeom Sa-won found them crowded with martial artists, just as expected. He secretly hoped someone would recognize him so he could beat them senselessly until they screamed for true experts to save them. He craved that chaotic scene, yet no one along the street gave him a second look. In the dense crowd, he could have worn a sign identifying himself as the Black Heaven Heir and still passed unnoticed. Cursing the crowd as foolish hypocrites of the righteous path, he vowed to destroy them all one day.

Instead of returning to the Alliance, Yeom Sa-won made a stop at Cheon-geuk’s Daroo Tea House. Demanding that the waiter bring out the owner rather than ordering tea, he waited until Cheon-geuk emerged from the back.

She greeted him with a bright smile—not out of genuine happiness to see him, but because her mood had been exceptionally high lately. Yeom Sa-won mocked her immediately, accusing her of flirting with every customer and asking if that was how she had seduced Baek So-cheon. Cheon-geuk playfully asked if he thought she looked attractive, prompting him to tell her not to flatter herself.

In truth, Yeom Sa-won found Cheon-geuk remarkably stunning. When she had been with Baek So-cheon previously, his focus had been entirely on his rival, but seeing her alone now, her beauty was unmistakable. While Myeol Ji-ryun was younger and possessed an exotic charm, she seemed lesser in comparison to Cheon-geuk.

Yeom Sa-won warned her that once their Alliance unified the Murim, her past connection with Baek So-cheon would not be forgotten. Cheon-geuk privately viewed him as pathetic, considering it pitiful for a man to rely on the Black Heaven Alliance’s reputation rather than his own power to intimidate others.

She questioned why he assumed her group sided with the righteous faction. When Yeom Sa-won asked why she stayed around Baek So-cheon, she asked if he was unaware of their past history with him. When he pressed her on the matter, she explained that Baek So-cheon had slain all their senior assassins, leaving them unable to defy him.

Yeom Sa-won recalled the event but accused her of lying, pointing out that since Baek So-cheon had lost his inner power, she could have killed him at any time. Cheon-geuk countered that the Murim Alliance backed him, asking why else she would be stuck running a tea house. The explanation sounded convincing, as Yeom Sa-won had previously wondered why she was selling tea there.

Believing her words, Yeom Sa-won cursed the Murim Alliance members as scum. Cheon-geuk urged him to lower his voice lest someone hear, expertly manipulating him like a small pebble in her palm. Yeom Sa-won raised his voice further in response, declaring that he did not care who heard.

Cheon-geuk thought to herself that if the entire Murim consisted of people like him, unifying it would be effortless. A sudden thought then struck her: perhaps Baek So-cheon felt the exact same way when observing her or others.

Yeom Sa-won declared that Baek So-cheon would die in the upcoming duel anyway. Cheon-geuk feigned excitement, stating she would finally be free of oppression. Her expectant look lifted Yeom Sa-won’s spirits. Observing his behavior, Cheon-geuk gained a renewed appreciation for how composed and grounded Baek So-cheon was in comparison.

When Yeom Sa-won irritably asked if she had seen Baek So-cheon recently, Cheon-geuk lied directly, claiming she had not. Yeom Sa-won snapped in frustration, wondering aloud where his rival was hiding and complaining that he had not shown his face lately.

Meanwhile, inside her private room, Myeol Ji-ryun sat sipping tea alongside Rap-sa. Rap-sa remarked that the duel between Baek So-cheon and Yeom Sa-won was only three days away and noted how packed the streets of Mu-han were. When he asked if she felt nervous, Myeol Ji-ryun acted like an innocent young girl, replying that she had no reason to be since she was not the one fighting. Rap-sa agreed.

Myeol Ji-ryun urged the elder to rest, and Rap-sa advised her to get to sleep early before exiting the room. He remained completely unaware of her true intentions, believing she had fled to this location merely to avoid an unwanted marriage to Yeom Sa-won.

The moment he departed, her innocent demeanor vanished, replaced by a ruthless figure focused on a dangerous mission. When truth and deception were interwoven, the enemy would naturally fall into confusion.

Just as Baek So-cheon had sensed, the public rift between Myeol Saeng and Jeok Pa-rap was entirely deliberate. Myeol Ji-ryun recalled the night prior to her departure from the cult.

Inside the most secret chamber of the Blood Cult, a farewell meeting had taken place. Her father, Myeol Saeng, had appeared in his true form: a shaved head featuring a blood-red tattoo of nine entwined serpents in the center, his skin covered in sinister, incomprehensible symbols. His mere appearance was eerie and unsettling.

He had asked if she could handle her crucial role, and she had confirmed her readiness, having long awaited the moment their cult would claim victory.

Jeok Pa-rap had stood beside Myeol Saeng. He also appeared unnatural: despite being over a century old, his skin remained smooth and taut, making him look even younger than Myeol Saeng. He maintained his youth by absorbing the vitality of young people through dark sorcery.

Jeok Pa-rap had told her that the cult’s future depended on her, reassuring her that Pa-jeong would assist her so she would not fail. Pa-jeong was an exceptional figure—the newest disciple of Jeok Pa-rap, who had previously sworn never to take another student after Myeol Saeng. Pa-jeong’s extraordinary talent had changed his mind, as his skills surpassed all others despite his young age. Even Rap-sa, a high-ranking master among the Blood Cult’s Ten Great Experts, was inferior to him. For that reason, Myeol Saeng and Jeok Pa-rap had dispatched her to the Murim Alliance with complete confidence.

They had warned her to be particularly wary of Baek So-cheon, noting that regardless of whether he possessed inner energy, he was a formidable opponent who required more caution than figures like Ak So-gun or Je-gal Hyeon.

Myeol Ji-ryun returned her focus to the present moment, resolving to succeed and fulfill her cult’s long-standing ambition. Her gray eyes darkened with determination.

At that moment, the young guardian Pa-jeong entered the room. He reported that Baek So-cheon had left money with Jeong Pung. Looking out the window, Myeol Ji-ryun sneered, mocking the members of the righteous faction for acting righteous. Pa-jeong remarked that handing three hundred thousand nyang to Baek So-cheon felt like a waste, but Myeol Ji-ryun stated that once their grand cause was achieved, such a small sum would be irrelevant.

She asked about their preparations, and Pa-jeong confirmed that everything was proceeding according to plan, noting that the commotion surrounding the duel was making his task even easier. Myeol Ji-ryun advised him to remain cautious, warning that Baek So-cheon possessed sharp instincts and was already suspicious of her.

Suddenly, Pa-jeong motioned for quiet. He moved silently to the window where she had been standing and threw it open, letting cold wind sweep into the room. Myeol Ji-ryun asked what was wrong as Pa-jeong searched the darkness outside. Seeing nothing, he closed the window and stated it was nothing, apologizing for what he assumed was a mistake.

However, it was not an error. A short distance away from the window, Baek So-cheon was standing in hiding. Though he had successfully hidden his presence from Myeol Ji-ryun nearby, he had nearly been detected by Pa-jeong further away.

Baek So-cheon recognized that Pa-jeong was no ordinary individual. It was not a matter of martial mastery or internal power; much like how Baek So-cheon could perceive Cheon-geuk despite lacking qi, Pa-jeong possessed exceptionally sharp natural senses.

Baek So-cheon wondered what scheme they were preparing, knowing the Blood Cult was undoubtedly planning a massive operation. All that remained was to uncover the truth. With only three days left until the duel, Baek So-cheon faded away as quietly as he had arrived, moving as naturally and silently as the gathering night.