Nano Machine c 351 to 360

 Chapter 351 - Alumni Chapter 351 - Alumni “Kuak! Kuak!” The leader of the spies was a Master Level martial artist. He had pride in his skills, but when he was grabbed by the neck and unable to move, he was left with nothing. ‘Wh-who the hell is this man?’ Generally, spies are not trained in martial arts. The energy that he was able to feel from Chun Yeowun was no different from an ordinary criminal. However, the concentrated energy he sensed from the right hand of the socalled spy was beyond imagination. Swoosh! As Chun Yeowun slightly lifted the leader’s head, the robe that was covering his face came off. His appearance caught the eyes of Chun Yeowun. “Eunuch?” The one inside the striped robe leading the group of spies was none other than a eunuch. Seeing the white-painted face used by the eunuchs in their blue attire, it seems that he is still in his training phase. ‘Yin energy?’ Chun Yeowun felt, as he tightly grabbed onto the eunuch’s neck. It was completely different energy from what a member of the Blade God Six Martial clan must use. ‘This is weird.’ Chun Yeowun gazed, as he considered this to be an abnormal finding. Naturally, he turned towards Yoon Baek Ho. Yoon Baek Ho, who witnessed the overwhelming power of the opponent didn’t know what to do and stood still. Chun Yeowun asked Yoon Baek ho. “Aren’t you the spies of Blade God Six Martial clan?” Hearing the question, Yoon Baek Ho managed to answer through his trembling body. “Blade- blade God Six Martial clan? What are you talking about?” His attitude changed after recognizing that a superior martial artist was right in front of him. He spoke politely to Chun Yeowun. ‘Are they unaware?’ Chun Yeowun lowered his right hand, pretending to press something. The tremendous energy that just a moment ago suppressed all the spies in the warehouse disappeared like a sham. Yet, those who already suffered severe internal injuries were in a state of fainting. ‘Alumni’s Masters are no different from beginners.’ It was clear that they don’t know anything. Chun Yeowun reached out and pulled Yoon Baek Ho with his hand. Without possessing any will to rebel against a strong opponent, he got drawn helplessly. Wooong! Thud! “Kyak!” Forcibly making Baek Ho kneel on the floor, Chun Yeowun questioned him. “Why did the Golden Council contact the eunuchs of Alumni?” “Well, that is…” Even though the question was simple and straightforward, Yoon Baek Ho struggled to answer. No matter how strong and overwhelming the opponent was, if he opened his mouth, he would be betraying his comrades. Dying seemed to be a better option. “You are a funny guy. Are you saying that you’d stay loyal with the spies?” “…” At the silence of Yoon Baek Ho, Chun Yeowun waved his hand. That was when Yoo Baek Ho’s right wrist, which was placed on the ground got bent back, allowing the bone in the elbow to pierce through the skin. Crack! Crack! “Kyakk! Ugh!” Imagine how painful it would be for a healthy bone to get broken and pierce through the skin. However, Yoon Baek Ho was unable to scream out in pain. All because of the energy that was blocking his mouth. ‘He, he doesn’t seem to be a telltale.’ While Chun Yeowun’s other hand was still holding onto the neck, he looked over at the eunuch who had turned pale at the sight. What’s more terrifying about Chun Yeowun was his cold eyes, he didn’t even blink when torturing the man in front of him. “Kuakkkk…” Since he couldn’t scream, Yoon Baek Ho began to shed tears forgetting that he was a military officer. Not giving a damn about it, Chun Yeowun continued with his questions. “If you don’t answer me again, your other hand will meet with the same end.” Humans are truly unique beings. Until a moment ago, he seemed righteous and has chosen death, but after tasting pain and suffering, his will easily collapsed. Once the intangible energy that was blocking his mouth disappeared, Yoon Baek Ho spoke. “I am a spy for the Alumni.” “Alumni? Like the eunuch?” “I was trained in the Alumni, but I am no eunuch.” Despite what the facts indicate, Chun Yeowun’s gaze turned disappointed. He thought that the ones in the warehouse were all spies of the Blade God Six Martial clan, but unexpectedly, they were spies from the Alumni. They were of no use to him. ‘Shall I just kill him?’ Chun Yeowun, while thinking, decided to ask one more thing. “Why are you positioned as an Imperial Palace guard? Were you asked to keep an eye on crown prince?” The eunuch’s eyes widened at the question. ‘Are they keeping an eye on Zhu Taikhan?’ At first, he thought that the spies were sent by the Golden Council or a person from the Imperial palace, like Joo Tae Gyeom. “… We were ordered to find out if the prince had formed any kind of arrangement with the Lord of the Demonic Cult.” ‘To find out if he made an agreement with me?’ The man didn’t seem to be lying. He was certain that he was a spy of the Alumni and not the Blade God Six Martial clan. They were all spies who were asked to only keep an eye on the prince of the Imperial Palace. It was to know whether prince Zhu Taekhan was trying to cross over the others. Yun Baek Ho, who had told all the facts leaned on the floor and prayed with his head down. “Pl-please let go of me. If you show mercy on me, I will not cause any trouble for Your Majesty.” He decided to betray the Alumni. And it was useless to kill him. ‘Begging for his life. Ugh. This spy wasn’t trained properly.’ He must have voluntarily reached out to be a spy, but no one would have thought that he would succumb so quickly. Of course, he was afraid. However, the words that Chun Yeowun uttered weren’t what Yoon Baek Ho was expecting at all. “Did I tell you that I’ll let you go?” “Huh? We-well…” Thud! Even before Yoon Baek Ho could say anything his neck was snapped. “Kuak! Hiick!” As a result, the eunuch, whose neck was being held, couldn’t hide his fear. Until a moment ago, they assumed that Chun Yeowun would let them go if they answered the truth, but that didn’t seem to be the case. ‘Is, is he really going to kill me? This is bad. No matter what I say he will kill me.’ And he was indeed right. Chun Yeowun wasn’t the kind to spare people. But that didn’t mean that there were no exceptions. ‘It would be better to get rid of them, but if I kill them all, the Imperial Palace’s vigilance will intensify.’ No matter how many thousands of guards or eunuchs and officials were in the palace, if more than 20 people disappeared at the same time, an uproar was bound to happen. If that happens, finding the spies of the Blade God Six Martial clan that are hiding in the Imperial Palace will turn out to be more difficult. Even if they are disguising themselves in other ways, they are all beasts wearing human masks. So, if the mask couldn’t be taken down, they couldn’t be caught. The leader, the eunuch, thought that he would be killed next. “Well… kuak… hold on… hear… me… for a second… I’ll speak.” Nothing was worth listening to anymore. Chun Yeowun ignored him and tried to stun the eunuch by grabbing on to him tightly until he said. “Ah, if you spare me. I would serve you as a scrounger of the Alumni. Kuak… I, we care about talented people.” ‘Alumni’s scrounger?’ Scrounger. It is also called a Feeder. A custom that had been widespread since the Sengoku period. It is where the nobles prefer to treat the talented individuals are their guests, like customers, and instead of feeding them, the noblemen are to be treated as their masters. It was amusing to hear it from a eunuch, but, a completely different idea popped into his mind. ‘Should I go along with this?’ The fact that he expressed his wish to serve under him as a feeder wasn’t something that a Martial Artist would do. Loosening his hand a little around his neck, Chun Yeowun spoke. “It’s interesting. You want to serve me as a feeder? Do you think that I would believe your words?” The eunuch turned anxious at Chun Yeowun’s words. For Chun Yeowun, it was like an adventure. ‘I expected this much. Since this person failed to perform his task as the spy, he thinks that I would just accept his requests.’ Carefully thinking, the eunuch opened his mouth. “I am the leader of the group. And I have sufficient authority to recommend talents.” Chun Yeowun thought that the man would be of a higher position, just as he thought he seemed important. Nonetheless, he had heard that the spies descended upon the order of the admirals like Deadang-Du and Dang-Du. “I am Daedang-Du…” Chun Yeowun hesitated at the word of Daedang-Du. “If you won’t believe me, you can ask around.” “What are you talking about?” “This is a request you received from the West Spear unit, right.” ‘West Spear?’ Those words made Chun Yeowun puzzled. It was a simple question, but Chun Yeowun was able to understand two things from it. Firstly, the Alumni unit struggled with not just the Golden Council, but also the West Spear, a group made up of the same eunuchs. Secondly, among the spies the elder found out, one could have been a spy of the West Spear and not the Blade God Six Martial clan. ‘This isn’t turning out any easier.’ The task was turning more difficult as the Imperial forces were getting involved. If this was going to continue, then the probability of his task ending up in vain intensifies. ‘I have no intention of diving into muddy water, but…’ He had to check. He had to get the doubts out of his mind to proceed further. If there is a spy of the Blade God Six Martial clan, then, there is a high chance of the spy collaborating with an Alumni who has power in the Imperial Palace. “… I don’t need to answer.” Chun Yeowun deliberately answered as such. Thanks to that, Daedang-Du was convinced that he was the man who received the order from the West Spear. ‘I am sure that he belongs to the West Spear. To seek out such a great master… those bastards don’t spare any money because they side with prince Gan Tae-sik. But if I try to persuade this man.’ Not only will West Spear’s plan fail, but even the strength of the Alumni would grow stronger. If that happened, the name Daedang-Du would be recognized by the public and get promoted to a high official position in the future, this made Daedang-Du try and convince him. “Hear me out, please. I can be of huge help to you. I don’t know what they offered you in return, but we can offer you ten times of what those West Spear have told you.” “Do you see me as someone who changes sides for money?” If he changed sides too easily, it would lead to suspicion, so he deliberately bounced off the suggestion. And it seemed effective. Daedang-Du turned anxious at those words, not knowing what had to be done. ‘He is a real piece. Uh, uh, then…’ When Chun Yeowun didn’t change sides as expected, Daedang-Du drew out the last straw. “Since you are such a talented person, with a little merit, the council may take you in as a recommendation to be placed under his majesty the Young King.” ‘Young King?’ Young King, Zhu Tae-Yoon. The first prince of the empire and the one closest to being crowned as the successor. Numerous officials were rooting for him and among the three forces of the Imperial Palace, the Alumni were acting as his limbs. Earlier, he remembered when the gold guards were talking, they said something about the Young King having guards. ‘This has turned out to be more annoying than I thought.’ The worst and the most annoying situation is for the Blade God Six Martial clan to be related to the Young King. If so, then their purpose wouldn’t just be to hold the Moorim under their hands, but also the Imperial family. Eventually, Cun Yeowun decided to play according to his own pace. “… Can you really put in a word to the Young King?” ‘I did it!’ Although he seemed reluctant, Daedang-Du was pleased with the positive response. He was so happy that he didn’t even think of anything else. “Is- isn’t it natural? If a word from someone like me is sent, even the Young King would be pleased. Even if that doesn’t go through, I’ll make sure you get some merit.” Thud! “Ugh!” Fall! Chun Yeowun took off his hands from Daedung-Du’s neck. Relieved that he wasn’t going to lose his life, he sank to the ground. It was surprising that the force that was squeezing out the life from him disappeared just like that. Taking pity, Chun Yeowun said to him. “Then Daedang-du, follow up on your word.” Meanwhile, on the left side of the Imperial’s Dragon Palace, was the Flower Palace of the court ladies. The Flower Palace is the place where only the court ladies and the Emperor would enter. On its west side was a bamboo forest, where a person wrapped in a cloth secretly entered. Even though it was dark because of the sun setting, appearing familiar with the path, the person moved without a light. However, during his walk, the person had no idea that his movement caught someone’s attention. Swoosh! Swoosh! Someone wanted the person dead. Just like him, the follower also covered his face with something similar to a white cloth, if carefully observed, one could see the gold armor. ‘How far is that one going to move?’ The man wearing the gold shield armor was none other than a warrior from the Demonic Cult. It wasn’t just Chun Yeowun that sneaked into the Imperial Palace to find answers. His men too were infiltrating and chasing the suspicious ones to track down the five spies. They were all elite, made up of Grand Master or near to Superior Master Level. The person who had been walking through the bamboo forest for a long time suddenly came to a halt. ‘Ah!’ -tak! Holding on to the bamboo, the Demonic Cult’s warrior stopped. Holding his breath, he looked at the person. The person seemed like someone trained to assassinate, he was excellent in stealth when compared to ordinary trainees. ‘Huh?’ Half an hour after the person stopped, someone began to appear. It was dark, but the faint moonlight shining through the bamboo trees made the face vaguely visible. A dress the elite had seen countless times. ‘Maid?’ Shockingly, the one who appeared in the bamboo forest was an elderly court lady. As she wore a red silk robe, she seemed to be a high-class martial arts user among the court ladies. At that moment he tried to focus on listening to their conversation by trying to breathe as silently as possible. Swoosh! ‘Ah!’ The image of the maid standing in front of the supposed spy disappeared. Judging from that, something strange was unfolding below. He moved closer to look but ended up hearing a woman’s voice from behind. “There seem to be a lot of rats in this dignified Imperial Palace.” ‘Im… impossible.’ He looked at her, perceiving a person full of confidence. Every cell in his body warned out loud that he had to get away, to run away as fast as possible. Without hesitation, the Demonic Cult’s warrior tried to escape from the unknown court lady by kicking a bamboo at her in an attempt to widen their distance. But. Puck! “Kuak!” Before he could do anything, he was stunned by the force which hit his bare neck. Losing consciousness, the man fell on the ground below. “It is time to hunt down all the rats.” At the end of her words, the eyes of countless human figures flickered deep inside the bamboo forest. Chapter 352 - The Hidden Power Within The Imperial Palace (1) Chapter 352 - The Hidden Power Within The Imperial Palace (1) Enclosed in the dark sky, the shining full moon was covered by the clouds. It was still early in the evening when the entire Imperial Palace was lit up. There were numerous buildings located inside the Dragon Palace, beginning with the Empress and the concubines’ Palace, and through the buildings intended for the bureaucrats that are located just at the right spot for work. A castle on the Eastern side was where the eunuchs of the Eastern Spear live. It is located not far from their dining area. There were about ten people heading towards the innermost section of the east. Nine of them were all dressed as East Spear eunuchs, and one was wearing a military officer’s uniform inlaid with gold, it was Chun Yeowun. Flinch! The eunuchs who were walking along the path would look into Chun Yeowun’s eyes and flinched at his gaze. Everything went well according to Dae Dung-Du’s narrative. But, all were still afraid of the said ridiculous ability that Chun Yeowun possessed. ‘I am not sure if I can take down this person.’ The remaining nine eunuchs shuddered at the thought of how Chun Yeowun killed Yoon Baek Ho. It was hard to believe that Chun Yeowun had the capability to do that. Not realizing what these ten people were going through, someone enthusiastically stated: “The institute will be greatly pleased to know that a master like him is giving us a hand, Hohoho.” Unlike the other eunuchs, Dae Dang-Du was excited at the thought that he managed to do something for once. He thought that he would be greatly appreciated since he managed to invite a Supreme Master Warrior, which no one had ever achieved. ‘So noisy.’ It was the first time that Chun Yeowun had come across someone who was as talkative as Hu Bong. He tried to ignore the words, but it was difficult to disregard that screeching laugh. As he was getting vexed, he came close to a building. It seemed like that was where the East Spear’s eunuchs stayed and worked. “Over there.” A large structured manor was seen at the place where Dae Dang-Du had pointed towards. Even within the Imperial Palace, such manor is still considered to be on a huge scale. It proved how inexorable the power of the East Spear has. ‘That manor could accommodate two to three thousand people.’ It seemed like the words which said that the Imperial Palace of the Daemyeong Empire was overflowing with eunuchs wasn’t false at all. He followed Dae Dang-Du to the entrance of the manor. Reaching the entrance, Dae Dang-Du asked the guards who watched over the place. “Did the Gong-Gong return yet?” “He hasn’t come back yet.” “It is getting late.” Normally, he would retire and return before it got dark. But the fact that the person hadn’t come seemed to be related to his workload. ‘Was it because His Highness had just returned?’ Even if that wasn’t the case, it was said that Zhu Taikhan had returned after completing the order for the envoy. “Then Lord Oh must not have come back yet too.” “Yes.” It was expected. Lord Oh has always been complimented by East Spear’s commander, Im Gong-Gong. Thus, he could be considered as the right arm of the commander. His absence meant that he was still working. ‘Ahh…’ Dae Dang-Du glanced at Chun Yeowun, who was standing next to him. He insisted that he would be recommended to Im Gong-Gong right away, but the man himself wasn’t even present. ‘How did it all come to this? If Im Gong-Gong isn’t here, he cannot be admitted into our organization.’ If only Lord Oh, the next in power, was present, Chun Yeowun could be granted access to enter. ‘What should I do? Ah…’ Chun Yeowun felt awkward and anxious for no reason. While Dae DangDu, who was contemplating, came up with a method. ‘Aee. If so, it would be better to take him to the Khum Elder and let him know. There is no way that Gong-Gong would oppose it.’ Khum Elder was the left arm of Im Gong-Gong and was responsible for the internal affairs of the East House and the Guest House. In the morning he would stay at the East House, but he would end up in the Guest House in the evening. It would be better for him to talk to the Elder that always stayed at the Guest Hall. “I’ll…Gong-Gong hasn’t come back yet, so, if you’re comfortable with it, why don’t we go and see Khum Elder in the guest hall?” Chun Yeowon nodded as Dae Dang-Du cautiously asked. There was no reason for him to refuse since he could get a good look at what was in the guest hall. Feeling fortunate, Dae Dang-du asked Chun Yeowun to follow him. “We need to head this way.” He said that the guest hall wasn’t far. However, Chun Yeowun who was heading towards it suddenly stopped and stared somewhere with a frown. “What is it?” Dae Dang-du asked, wondering, but Chun Yeowun who was solemnly looking at something did not bother to answer back. ‘What is it? This mix of energy…’ It is a foreign energy that made him feel extremely disturbed. On the outskirts of the east lies the East House Manor with ‘East House and Guest House’ written on the signboard. It is a short distance away from the Northern Manor. From the courtyard to the main hall, 30 people stood while facing each other. In the highest seat of the main hall was a man, a middle-aged man with a patched eye and a cut on his face that went down until the cheek. Unlike the other eunuchs, he was a man who didn’t disclose himself, but it looked like the energy he was releasing wasn’t unusual. “…they have been selected as the most outstanding ones. And…” A eunuch in front of him was reporting. When he listened to the contents, it seemed like they were making a plan to mobilize Masters. It looked like the ones in the yard were Masters. They were all wearing official uniforms of low-ranking cadets in the Imperial Palace, but each was said to have an energy better than high ranked warriors. However, there was one person that Chun Yeowun noticed. A man with a grim and scared face, it was none other than Hu Bong. He was all tensed up and sweating, unlike his usual confident self. ‘Uh uh, what is he up to?’ Hu Bong always managed to follow Chun Yeowun wherever he went. Like the others, he was in charge of entering the Palace as a spy, whether he was lucky or unfortunate, he still managed to enter. ‘Idiot. Always up to something useless.’ Unlike the masters who were keeping an eye from a distance, Hu Bong made direct contact with someone and entered into the palace as a member of the East Spear. [Are you interested in succeeding?] For several days, Hu Bong acted like a perfect Imperial guard that checked for spies. He thought that something great was going to unfold and entered the East Spear’s location with excitement. [I like your martial arts, the impression, the flow, and the well-established structure. Come to the main hall in the middle of the day.] Unfortunately, Hu Bong got picked up by one of the East Spear before he could even dig up any information about the spies. He wanted to inform Chun Yeowun, but there was no way that they could contact each other with how things were going. The internal energy of those around him wasn’t normal, and he couldn’t even guess how strong Elder Khum was, the one seated in the middle of the hall. ‘If I could just get out of here.’ Hearing their plans, it seemed like escaping from their grasp was going to be a tough task. Which was why Hu Bong decided to peek at any opportunity and run away. On the other hand, the eunuch called Khum, who seemed to be a bigwig in the main hall was in deep thought. Shkk! He kept on touching the cut on his right cheek, which didn’t appear to be an old wound. It seemed fresh as if it happened before the exam. ‘Fuck. I wasn’t even sure about the location, but I need to come up with a plan!’ Originally, his plan was to come up with a solution after finding the real location of spies. On the other hand, his relationship with the 1st Prince, Zhu Taeyoon was also going strong. But he felt hurt when the Prince objected to his proposal of accelerating the plan. The Prince said that the bookkeeping ceremony was a tradition to be done. [The location of Su Hochun isn’t clear, and even those before him also lost their lives after acting too vigilant. Are they trying to work in a rush because of the upcoming examinations…?] Shhk! [Huh!] [Dojo head Khum. You are currently under the main office’s jurisdiction. As the one in the main seat, you weren’t supposed to be delayed. Accept those who are near the door.] […Understood.] Eventually, he had to give in to the orders. ‘It was said that he’s the perfect match to be a gatekeeper and one of the craziest among the six.’ Even with the order, he wasn’t sure about taking in someone who had been mobile inside the Imperial Palace. It made him feel uneasy. Well, once the mission tonight was done, he would no longer be in the Imperial Palace, and the time he spent will be for naught. “…that is all. Elder Khum.” After reporting, the eunuch looked at him. As if he was waiting for some kind of an assurance. However, Elder Khum seemed out of place, making expressions as if he was in anguish. ‘Say something, so I can get out of here already, why is he delaying like that?’ Hu Bong, who began to feel impatient, coughed. “Ugh, ugh!” Yet, the moment he coughed, the expressions of the 30 warriors who were looking at Elder Khum went stiff. ‘Huh? Why, what happened?’ Hu Bong was puzzled. But he would soon see the reason. Khum Elder, who garnered his attention, got up, looked around, and opened his mouth with a low voice. “Who was it? Who coughed right now?” Around 30 warriors turned their gazes at the elder without saying a word. With that, Hu Bong knew what his mistake was. ‘Damn it!’ He thought that things were going well. He decided to stay silent as things would only get complicated from there. Even so, Elder Khum still shouted this time. “Who just coughed right now!” It felt absurd to Hu Bong. He never guessed that someone would get mad at the sound of a cough. ‘No. He is a crazy bastard for sure.’ Still, he tried to pretend as if he didn’t know. But, the 30 warriors quietly turned their heads towards Hu Bong. ‘Ugh! Bastards with no loyalty!’ Thanks to them, Elder Khum gazed at him. Hu Bong began to break out in cold sweat. One cough messed up his entire plan. Hu Bong, who had been worrying for a while, grieved for the ruined plan. But he still bowed his head to avoid being noticed. “I, I am sorry. Elder.” When Hu Bong apologized, the eunuch next to Khum noticed and tried to calm him down. He knew how uncomfortable the warriors were to be there. Khum was the kind who always vent at the subordinates when he got angry. “…Elder. He is known as Mu Chung, he was invited here for a meal for the first time today, so he is unaware of our manners. Please…” Before the eunuch could reason for the warrior, Elder Khum cut his words. “A newbie? Huh, this is bad. An elder is struggling at the moment, how could he even think of coughing? That foolish bastard.” ‘Damn it.’ Hu Bong pretended to apologize, bowed further, and spoke loudly. “I am sorry, Elder. Please forgive me.” In fact, he knew that the situation would worsen. Being planted in the unit of elder Khum is the most distressing situation for him. He really wanted to go out and relieve his anger. “Just because the Elder is staying calm, doesn’t mean that you can get rid of all the military rules in your head. You, mediocre, are truly pathetic. Someone, please tell me that the East Spear isn’t a place where people like that can enter.” As if something ominous was said. It happened. Phat! ‘Huh?’ Elder Khum, who was in his seat bounced off and flew towards Hu Bong, attempting to blow away his head. It was a swift move. But Hu Bong, who was anxious and fidgety from the beginning moved instantaneously and took a couple steps back. “How dare he avoid the punishment?” As he escaped from the blow, Elder Khum’s anger rose. Gathering internal energy in both of his hands, he unleashed it towards Hu Bong. Hu Bong, who had already reached the highest mark of a warrior, couldn’t comprehend the movement with his naked eye. ‘S-shit!’ His face contorted and seemed like there were sharp nails penetrating his chest. Patpatatpat! “No?!” All of a sudden, someone intervened in front of Hu Bong and dissipated his attack. Despite being revered as someone powerful, his attack got easily blocked, and the man immediately countered back. Swa! Swa! Swa! Swa! The Air Sword which moved with profound aerodynamics drew its trajectory and stabbed the heart of Elder Khum. Elder Khum was shocked at the sudden appearance of an unknown man, but he was still a Supreme Master Warrior. Without letting himself be too flustered, Elder Khum tried to use the opportunity and utilized a unique step to avoid the trajectory of the Air Sword. ‘Such great sword.’ The splendid swordsmanship, consisting of 24 swords, managed to move Elder Khum without a second to breathe. Inevitably, the last sword ended up brushing past his forehead. Slash! His body, which was already at a weird angle, was further bent back as the swords aimed for his heart. ‘It is my first time coming across such an attack!’ It was generally impossible to hit something and make it bounce back right away. However, Elder Khum displayed such sophisticated moves. Everyone watching the duel were amazed, apart from one, the man who intervened, he just smirked. ‘he is smirking?’ Elder was ready to plunge his nails into the man’s heart. ‘Let’s aim??’ Shockingly, as if he had already predicted Elder Khum’s intent to pierce his heart, the man aimed for the Elder’s wrist. He raised his right hand to pull him near and strike him down. “Damn it!” Elder Khum was ready to use his right arm to bring down this unknown man who was challenging him. However, the power of that man’s attacks seemed far beyond imagination. ‘Th-this makes no sense! Ugh!’ Puck! Tear! “Kuahhhhh!” The attack was strong enough to break an arm and ripped it off the moment it struck. Elder Khum screamed and grunted as the pain of his bones breaking and arm ripped off overwhelmed his body. “AHHH!” It was excruciating, but elder Khum endured it and moved 10 steps back. Holding onto his bleeding wrist, he glared at the unknown man. “The-the Golden?” The man was wearing a golden robe. Hu Bong, who almost died, was shocked when he looked at the man before him, his eyes widened at the sight. If it wasn’t for the 24 swords he had seen before, he wouldn’t have guessed it. ‘Lord!’ The man was none other than Chun Yeowun. Chapter 353 - The Hidden Power Within The Imperial Palace Chapter 353 - The Hidden Power Within The Imperial Palace The Qi energy that was released by Chun Yeowun, who reached the level of Perfect Supreme Master Warrior was overwhelming. It’s natural to neither distinguish the opponent’s Qi nor read their strength, but as the opponent gets closer, the more it’s possible to recognize the energy they hold. Chun Yeowun, who sensed Hu Bong’s energy in the East House and Guest House left Dae Dang-Du and the eunuchs who were traveling along with him. Thanks to that, Hu Bong buzzed back to life, as he realized who saved him. [Lord!] [You did well. Hu Bong.] Chun Yeowun looked and praised him. In order to save him, he had to confront Elder Khum. As a result, Chun Yeowun learned that he was tough to deal with. Unlike the other eunuchs, he was mastering an extraordinary skill with his internal energy. Although the eunuch had transformed his internal energy into a skill, Chun Yeowun was never deceived and knew that the opponent had exceeded the unique human limits. [Sorry? I did well?] Hu Bong, who knew that both their behaviors would be deemed as suspicious was puzzled. [You found the warrior and the members of the Blade God Six Martial Clan.] [UGH? Did I found it? Then, then that eunuch is from that clan?] He was stunned. Hu Bong would’ve never guessed it. He looked at Elder Khum whose body oozed with white steam as he tried to seal off his torn arm. That was when Chun Yeowun gave him an urgent warning. [Hu Bong. Once I give you a signal, get ready to run or hide.] [What?] Hu Bong felt extremely lost at Chun Yeowun’s order. However, there was one other person who could have understood what Chun Yeowun meant, it was Elder Khum. ‘Kuahh’ Elder Khum’s complexion wasn’t good as he turned pale while he stopped the bleeding on his arm. The moment he sparred with Chun Yeowun, he realized that the man didn’t belong to the Golden Guards. ‘There is no such skilled person in the Golden Guards.’ Even the Southern Commander, who is known to be the best of the guards, is far inferior than the man standing in front of him. That being said, the opponent seemed to be higher than Super Master Warrior. Anything beyond that was hard to guess. ‘He isn’t a person from the Imperial Palace. What the hell…ugh?’ Swoosh! As he was contemplating for answers, Elder Khum’s expression went stiff. Afar, an unknown energy seemed to be approaching him at a rapid pace. Sinister energy. Elder Khum immediately shouted to the ones wearing a junior officer’s uniform. “Something is approaching us! Take your stance and be on guard!” “What? What do you mean?” “Don’t ask and just follow!” At first, they thought that their Elder was trying to warn them about the Perfect Supreme Master who suddenly popped out. However, the members of the East Spear sensed something off and quickly pulled out their weapons. Clang! Clang! They were masters who were approaching Superior Master Level, but when compared to Elder Khum or Chun Yeowun, they seemed weak. Yet, they still managed to sense the foreign energy that was coming for them. Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! The sound of something stepping on the ground kept entering their ears. The source of the creepy and eerie foreign energy surfaced. “It is here.” “All of you be quiet!” Elder Khum silenced the officials of the East Spear who kept on mumbling in anxiousness. Heeeeiiiing! As the unknown cold energy circulated, the wind began to move in incomprehensible directions and extinguished the torches on the walls. With the torches extinguished, everything turned dark in an instant. Small spheres of light appeared one after the other, accompanied by a sound from the walls and ceiling of the building, which didn’t belong to the East Spear nor Chun Yeowun. ‘There are Flame Energy Warriors here.’ Elder Khum cautiously looked around with narrowed eyes. Suddenly, he could see that countless eyes had surrounded their building. Those eyes, shining in yellow under the moonlight, watched them closely. ‘Wh-what are they?’ ‘Does the Imperial Palace have such people?’ Surrounded by humans with ominous energy, the 30 something warriors tensed up. Their hands that were gripping onto the spears tightened. Turning nervous and anxious because of an unknown enemy is a natural reaction. Swwosh! At that moment, a person appeared in the middle of the yard. The moon hidden by the clouds showed up and the person’s face was dimly seen. She was a court lady wearing a red silk robe, with straight flowing white hair, and clasped hands. “Chief Maid?” Elder Khum opened his mouth in surprise. Although Elder Khum was only in charge of the duties of the East Spear, he still entered the Palace for events and festivities, which was why he knew her. The identity of the court lady was Yeongwol, who was said to be the 2nd ranked Court of Lady of the Imperial Palace. She was placed in charge of the deposit and payments of the Imperial Warehouses in case of a civil war. ‘No way!’ He couldn’t help but be surprised at what he witnessed. Standing on walls and fences, with their hands and feet placed on the ground like hunting animals, were the holders of the yellow eyes, the court ladies! Rustle! Rustle! Even those who were newly recruited couldn’t hide their unease. The foreign energy they sensed from the court ladies was fundamentally unknown and made them feel nervous. They weren’t ordinary court ladies anymore, they all looked unfamiliar and ambiguous. ‘…it can’t be, are they the ones who are called Guardians?’ The hidden power of the Imperial Palace, the Imperial Palace Guardians. Since infiltrating the Imperial Palace, every effort made was for the sole purpose of finding the Guardians. According to the rumors, the leaders of the Guardians had skilled members that even those from the Forces of Justice couldn’t match. Elder Khum, who only came across East Spear and West Spear would have never in a million years thought that the Guardians would end up being the court ladies! ‘If they really are the members of the Guardian, we need to avoid fighting with them. Moreover…’ He had already lost his right arm and his internal energy was drained. He had previously decided that it would be impossible to deal with the unknown Golden Guard. It felt even more unreasonable to clash with Yeongwol, the Chief maid of the court ladies, who was exuding unfathomable energy. Clench! Elder Khum clenched his wounded hand. “Was the Chief Maid sent here to the Guest Hall to deliver some task?” According to the eunuch’s rank, Elder Khum would have been on the same level as the lady. But, because of the East Spear and its effective workings, he was able to become a high ranking bureaucrat. Chief Maid of the court ladies, Yeongwol, opened her lips as she looked around. “There were rats in the Imperial Palace and the most dangerous one of them got chased in this direction, did anything interesting catch your eyes?” “Interesting?” “I have been thinking for a while, but the audience of the East House seemed to have the Devil’s Pandemonium.” Hidden Devil’s Pandemonium. A term that refers to a battlefield where a devil is said to be hiding. It means that bad things or conspiracy are constantly being done for some evil cause. Elder Khum responded right away to avoid getting cornered. “Devil’s pandemonium? What kind of nonsense is that? This is the realm of the East Spear! No matter how important you are as the Chief Maid, this isn’t a place where you intrude and speak without evidence!” It was the rule of the Imperial Palace, irrespective of the royal titles given, the access to the residence and training grounds had to be given by the person in charge of the guards. Elder Khum was intent on using the Imperial Court Law as an excuse to kick out the Guardians. Though it’s indefinite that it would work. “I didn’t come here as the Chief Maid of the Court ladies.” “…then?” “I came here as a member of the Imperial Palace Guardians, the one you were desperately looking for.” “Chief Maid!” Shockingly, the Chief Maid, Yeongwol boldly revealed her identity. There was only one reason why a member of the Imperial Guardians would reveal the identity. To punish and threaten those who disrupted the order in the Imperial Palace. “…Chief Maid, the 3rd leader of the Guardians, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” “Everyone says the same thing.” Yeongwol’s right hand began to gather energy. Elder Khum, who sensed it, hastily raised his arm and said. “Lady! It seems like that man there is the Devil’s Pandemonium. Look here, I don’t know if you can see but he tore off my arm. I was struck!” For an arm to be ripped out, there would be no further explanation other than that. Grateful, he thought that his statement was reasonable, but the Chief Maid didn’t even care. Rather, she spoke in a voice filled with power. “What of the injury? As I said before, I paid close attention to you from the moment you entered the Imperial Palace.” “Yah! Chief Maid! I wanted to persecute the spies I saw earlier, but yo… ugh!?” Wheeing! Elder Khum tried to point towards the unknown Golden Guard, but he wasn’t in sight. From the moment the torches were extinguished and darkness engulfed them, it was certain that the Golden Guard wasn’t in the yard anymore. Moreover, the new recruit who coughed disappeared too. ‘Th-those men!’ Elder Khum was embarrassed as the people he was trying to blame disappeared! Either they were present or not, Chief Maid, the 3rd leader of the Guardians, had already ordered the court ladies to surround the building. “According to the law of the Guardians, subdue everything and everyone. If they rebel, you can kill them.” “What!!!” Swosh! Swosh! Swosh! The moment the order was given, the court ladies simultaneously entered the courtyard. The recruits, who were nervous and anxious about their future, swung their spears. “Fight them!” “Even if they are the Imperial Palace Guardians, they are just girls!” The ominous energy exuding from the court ladies penetrated their minds, but they were soldiers who were trained to fight till the very end. They weren’t the kind who would step back without fighting. “Haaaaa!” A military officer with a spear rushed towards a court lady. The spear, imbued with internal energy, split into five, drawing out exquisite trajectories, trying to cut the lady. Swosh! Swosh! Swosh! Shockingly, the court ladies flooded the enemy’s yard. They didn’t even gather energy on both of their hands. A court lady manifested a technique loaded with Qi as her bare hands moved towards the men. A startling scene to behold. ‘That girl is crazy to the core!’ The boldness of taking down the enemy with their spears began to sink as they witnessed the force of the ladies. Still, the men decided to meet their end with a brave heart. Cang! Cang! Cang! Shockingly, the spear which was used to cut down the girl’s hands bounced back upon contact, it was as if the spear hit something rigid. Rather, his palm that was holding onto the sword began to tingle. “Wh-what is this?” While the man was muddled and unable to understand, the court lady’s eyes flashed as her palm gathered Qi and struck the man’s chest. Puck! “Kuwak!” The moment he was struck on the chest, it felt like fire was implanted into his heart. Along with the pain of his internal organs burning up, black smoke began to escape from the man’s gasping mouth. A never before seen phenomenon. “These, these women, something is weird about them!” The other officers also experienced a similar effect. The court ladies ran around like crazed warriors who weren’t afraid of death. Cang! Clang! “The- the sword isn’t stopping them?” However, unlike regular girls with delicate moves, these girls didn’t even flinch at the incoming attacks and went for those who were equipped with weapons. The only attack that worked on them was an attack imbued with a strong Qi. Puhk! Among the officers, there were few Superior Master Warriors. Once they witnessed that neither the swords nor the spears worked on the girls, they intensified their Qi. ‘This will work!’ Fortunately, the intensified Qi attack worked on them. Although they were strong, they weren’t at the level of Elder Khum, who could have destroyed them in an instant. The attack worked and caused damage. But the problem was, it didn’t stop them. “Th-this is crazy!” Even though the arm of the girl had been cut off, she still ran towards the officer with her eerie eyes glowing in yellow. It was as if she couldn’t feel pain. ‘These girls are like monsters!?’ Tatatatatak! As a result of what he witnessed, a Superior Master Warrior immediately decided to increase the distance between them. He realized how dangerous it would be to continue fighting such a person. “Hoo…Hoo…” Gooooooh! The court ladies, who could feel the heat rising in their bodies, approached them at a terrifying speed to wring their hearts. The recruits and the officers eventually got tired of running and failing at attacking the ladies who seemed to be immortal. On the other hand, Elder Khum who witnessed it all, was gloating inside. ‘Found it! This is it!’ Chapter 354 - The Hidden Power Within The Imperial Palace Chapter 354 - The Hidden Power Within The Imperial Palace Chop! Chop! “Damn it!!” The Superior Master Warrior’s Qi caused his arm to tremble. However, to take down the manic one-arm woman that was running towards him, he unfurled his Qi in the form of a sword. Through his swordsmanship, his Qi shot rampant in abundance, as if it was welcoming the rushing zombie-like court lady towards her demise. However, the court lady wasn’t foolish enough to run blindly into it, which could’ve sliced her into two. Pat! Bang! ‘She avoided it?’ The lady turned around and avoided the Qi that was rushing at her. She tried to find flaws in his technique as she kept moving swiftly. ‘What kind of movements are those!’ The court lady’s movements were different from the usual striding sequence. Like a lean, well-balanced cat, she jumped back and forth avoiding the sword Qi. She was a tough opponent to deal with. ‘I need to cut down either her leg or neck!’ If the lady could move so precisely even with a lacking arm, he had no choice but to either cut her leg or her throat. She may be unaware of pain, but it didn’t mean that she was immortal. Swish! Swish! Swish! Pat! Phat! Phat! The court lady was gradually turning accustomed to the sword Qi and its movements. Thus, the Superior Master Warrior couldn’t help but come to a decision. If he continues the sword Qi’s motion and abruptly changes its course, he’ll be able to disrupt her maneuvers. ‘Now!’ Before the court lady could reach his sword Qi, he carefully observed how she charged towards him and decided to move slightly to the left. At that moment, with a shattering sound, the Superior Master Warrior pushed the sword to the court lady’s throat. She was surprised and desperately tried to avoid it, but there was no way she could stop after storming ahead. “AGH!” Slash! The Superior Master Warrior succeeded in slashing her throat. She got lacerated, and her zombie-like body fell onto the floor like a detached puppet. “I did it! Immortal? What bullshit…” Puck! Puck! “KWAH!” The exhilaration he felt after taking down the court lady lasted only for so long. He felt pain and looked at his back in distress just to see that two court ladies had struck him at his back and side. He felt cornered as his insides bleed and fire burned through his organs. Of course, it wasn’t just a sensation. Kiiiiiick! “UGH!” He was frightened at the sudden attack and tried to protect his blood points, but it was too late. The fire seeped into his body and scorched his innards. Even in his last moments, the Superior Master Warrior managed to pull out the sword Qi with preciseness and slit the throat of a court lady. Slash! The court lady, who saw her colleague’s neck get slit, grabbed the man’s throat. “Le, let go… Ugh, uh, cough!” The Superior Master Warrior’s face turned red as fire filled his head. He, who had already exhausted his reserved Qi for taking down the opponent, had no strength to rebel anymore. Bom! Bom! His eyes burst black as if they got burned with fire. To call the flame that they’re using as the foreign power called Yang was a great misconception. It was literal, pure flame energy. Tingle! Tingle! “AHHHHHH!” Screams resonated everywhere along with the nasty smell of burning flesh. The warriors died one after the other ignorant to the mysterious power that the monstrous court ladies possessed. Of course, not everyone died. “Huh!” Although one arm got torn off, Elder Khum, a Supreme Master, managed to save his internal energy. No matter how fast the court ladies were, his eyes interpreted no difference in their movements. Swosh! Swosh! Swosh! When one of the court ladies rushed towards him, he just faintly moved his upper body to avoid the attack. The court lady tried to change her form, getting pissed at his minimal movements, but… Thud! “You seem to look down on the Elder whose one arm is cut off, hmmm!” Crack! Getting hold of the court lady’s arm, he fractured her bones and ripped it off. Elder Khum, who pulled out her arm, kicked her on the stomach. Kick! Thud! With Qi imbued into the attack, the court lady’s body flew ten steps in the air and rolled on the ground. No matter how strong she might be, she couldn’t let herself be taken down by basic assaults. But as she tried to get up, her body staggered as if it had been crushed. Kiiiick! Elder Khum, who held the lady’s arm in his hand, removed the clothing on it. Seeing the stripped arm, his eyes flooded with joy. “Kukuku, at last! At last! Found it!” Shockingly, dense red scales were on the court lady’s arm. Such scales defended the owner from the sword Qi and numerous other attacks. Elder Khum, who figured out the answer, shouted in joy at the warriors who were fighting the court ladies. “Blood Reversion is allowed against these insects!” Once his orders fell, the four warriors who were still fighting roared. Sudden changes were occurring inside the four warriors’ bodies. Regardless, the court ladies didn’t hesitate to rush towards the strengthened men. Dum! Dum! Their muscular upper body began to bulk up at a bizarre and rapid rate. Their eyes turned red and veins popped and bulged on their faces, making them hideous to look at. “Roarrrrrrrr!” A beast’s cry escaped from their mouths. Even the other warriors who were in the vicinity of the fight were scared by their appearance. The four monster-like men, now twice the height of an adult, were devoid of any human features. “WH-what the hell is this?” “How were these monsters part of the house?” They were unaware that the demons had disguised themselves as humans. Unlike the warriors who couldn’t shut their mouths with surprise, the court ladies halted and ran towards the warriors who had used Blood Reversion. Kwak! The man using the Blood Reversion technique snatched a sword and rushed towards a court lady. It looked like a behemoth had seized the villain. The giant grabbed the ankle of the lady and tore it off while holding her other leg. Tear! The court lady got torn in half effortlessly. After killing her cruelly with ease, everyone nodded at the weight of the moment. “Kwah!” “Hic!” The few remaining warriors couldn’t overcome their fear and scrambled to escape the hellhole. They lit the walls in an attempt to run away, but the court ladies intercepted them. “Da- damn it! these monsters!” Clang! Clang! “Shit!” The soldiers desperately tried to defeat them. But to no avail, their Qi wasn’t strong enough to injure the ladies. Moreover, they had witnessed the downfall of the 3 Superior Master Warriors who were adept in handling strong Qi and the four warriors’ transformation into monsters. “Kwaahhhh!” Yeongwol, a member of the Guardians, stared at the deranged men that looked like monsters. With a smile on his face, Elder Khum spoke to her. “Did you think that an Elder like me wouldn’t have a secret up my sleeve? Heh, heh.” “… I knew that the devil’s pandemonium was in here.” “If you decide to stop fighting and surrender, I will spare your life along with the other court ladies.” Elder Khum had no intention to kill them. He just wanted to locate the head of the Imperial Palace Guardian and figure out the foreign power they possess. Yeongwol clicked her tongue at Elder Khum, who didn’t even bother to hide his greedy expression. “You’re trying to find out the Guardian’s identity with those monsters disguised as humans? Tch.” “What?” Tap! As Yeonwol flicked her fingers, two court ladies wearing veils appeared behind her. They were wearing blue silk robes with red patterns stitched on them. “Inspection Maids?” Looking at the costumes, it seemed like they must have been in the prosecutor’s office assisting the deacons. Despite the yellow glowing eyes which could be seen through the veils, they were exuding different energy from the other court ladies. If there was anything visibly different, it was the long sword present in their eyes. “Help the other court ladies in killing those beasts who emerged from their human masks.” “The leader’s order has been received.” Phat! Simultaneously as the former fell, the newly arrived ladies moved towards the beast-like men who were unleashing their strength. “GGRRRRRRR!” The beast-like men moved and attacked every lady who rushed towards them. However, the inspection maids were faster than the previous ones, they kept on moving, bouncing from one place to another. Jump! Jump! Jump! “GRRRRR, you crazy wench!” The beast-like man boiled with anger and extended his sharp nails, unfolding a high-level technique. Hwak! Despite the beast’s increasing power, while avoiding the attacks, a lady struck his arm with a sword. “Kuuuuuu! It’s no use!” Launching the higher-level technique strengthened his body. Both sides were masters in their own domain, one possessing the Flame Qi and the other having the Blood Reversion. However, their strength forced them into a stalemate. But, Puhk! “KWAAAK!” But, when done correctly, the thick arm that seemed to be unpierceable got cut by the sword. Though the lady failed to cut through the bones, the sword still wounded the flesh with the help of her skill. Clang! The beast-like man was shocked as he witnessed her sword slit his skin. The sword was burning red as if it had been placed in a fire. Moreover, he witnessed a faint blue light, which seemed to be the reason behind their strength. Unlike the other court ladies, these new ones are extremely skilled. “Kuaaaaak!” The beast on Blood Reversion, who judged the lady as a dangerous opponent, rushed towards her with the intent to kill. But due to his hasty movement, one thing was overlooked. He doesn’t only have one opponent. Once the gap was created, a 2nd lady struck him behind. Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! No matter how sturdy the beast’s body, it’s bound to break when hit on the same spot with the Flame Qi. “Ah! Ahhhhhhhh!” The roar shook the ground as it slowly turned into a cry of pain. ‘Ohh! This is what I get for looking down at the power of the Guardians.’ Elder Khum felt cheated as he thought that the situation would turn around because of the Blood Reversion act. Even after being outnumbered, the beast-like men still fought and killed numerous ladies. It was a mistake to assume that he could trick the Guardian. ‘I have no other choice but to subdue their leader.’ Yeonwhol, herself, verified her identity as one of the three leaders of the Imperial Palace Guardian. If he could subdue her, he might be able to reverse the situation. ‘Since our efforts are turning useless, the best warriors will be used to overwhelm them.’ Elder Khum, who was making a plan, raised his left hand. At that moment, Yeonwol’s gaze drifted to the fighting court ladies and the beast-like men. It was then that something came towards her. Right then, Puck! Kwak! “Kuak!” She, who had turned her gaze away, was actually waiting for Elder Khum to attack her, she grabbed him by the neck as he neared her. Yeonwol’s eyes, which had been fine till a moment ago, turned yellow. “You have a bad habit. Elder Khum.” “Kuak… kuk! Ugh!” Elder Khum hurriedly tried to intensify his Qi as he held onto her hand that was squeezing the life out of him. However, no matter how much he tried to impair her hand, she didn’t budge. Kaaaang! “Huak!” He could guess that it was similar to what the court ladies were doing. Despite that, he never thought that she would be strong enough to withstand his Qi at such close range. Yeongwol’s dark eyes were gleaming. “You cheeky bastard. Neither you nor those devil’s men out there need to stay alive. Just die.” Clench! “Kuaaak!” She already had him in her grasp, as if intending to break his neck, she began to gather internal energy on her hand. He was immersed in fear of his neck being twisted at any moment. Hot! Hot! “Huh? What…” Elder Khum’s throat began to turn crimson. Yet, it appears like the end is still out of reach, his upper body began to swell with blood vessels protruding on the face, creating a sickening face. Meanwhile, he used Blood Reversion to escape from her grasp. “Foolish attempt!” Yeongwol raised her left hand and aimed it at his heart to cleanly kill him before he completed the Blood Reversion. Her left hand turned red as the fire burned through. At that moment. Bang! ‘Huh?’ A stranger’s energy. Yeonwol was so surprised that she couldn’t help but loosen her grasp on the Elder. Bang! At the same time, someone appeared out of nowhere behind Elder Khum and unfurled a sword Qi. The man, who landed from above, grabbed Elder Khum’s head. -clench! “Wh-who?” Elder Khum was unnerved at someone’s sudden touch, he couldn’t turn as a tremendous shock spread throughout his head. Chirirng! “Kuuuuuuakk!” It was a spectacle, white light ran through his body like fire. As the undyed energy entered him, the Blood Reversion act, which created a new energy flow, stopped, and the bulked body shrank, along with his eyes turning back to normal. Brrrrrr! The white light subsided, but the aftermath remained. Elder Khum’s body convulsed. Resulting in his hair getting burned and him turning bald. “This… this… manic!” Before he could even unravel his skill, his technique was blocked. He shook his head at the absurdity of the situation, and the Golden Guard, who once disappeared was standing in front of him, again! Chun Yeowun. ‘Didn’t he run away? No… no way…’ “You… fucking… bastard…” Thud! Elder Khum cursed till the very moment he passed out. The leader of the Guardians, Yeongwol, who was trying to keep him alive, spoke with displeasure as she looked at the intruder. “Haa… here I was thinking where you hid.” She couldn’t analyze Chun Yeowun’s power and only his grim demonic energy could be felt. Had it not been for that, she could’ve never found him. Chun Yeowun confidently spoke back. “This man belongs to me” “Huh? What did you say? You ran away from us when we arrived! Suddenly coming and saying that… wait a moment! Did you?” At that moment, leader Yeonwol’s expression turned stiff. At first, she thought that he just ran away because of the disparity of their strength. “Yo- you were aiming for this?” Yep, he was. Chun Yeowun was waiting for them to fight and drain each other. She finally realized why Elder Khum swore as he fell. Chapter 355 - The Hidden Power Within The Imperial Palace Chapter 355 - The Hidden Power Within The Imperial Palace Nano Machine 355: The Hidden Power Within The Imperial Palace (4) The presence of a different, unknown energy. In short, Chun Yeowun’s ability to judge the situation was accurate. If Chun Yeowun decided to remain in the courtyard, it was definite that the spies of the Blade God Six Martial clan might join forces with the Guardians and confront the most dangerous person out there, which was none other than Chun Yeowun. However, by hiding himself for a while, he managed to lessen the people from both sides, increasing his chances of survival. ‘The hidden power of the Imperial family…’ He was aware of the presence of such forces, but seeing them with his own eyes made him realize their staggering power. In the war of Gyoju, gauging the hidden power of the Imperial family was difficult, besides it was the promise to maintain a non-aggression treaty between the clans. It was absolute that their strength and forte were different from the common martial arts. ‘A completely unique form of power. Like…’ “How dare you use such tricks against the leader of the Imperial Palace’s Guardians!” Lady Yeongwol soared in anger at the thought of her being manipulated by an unknown person. Nearly 10 of her people had died trying to subdue the East Spear Warriors who were spies of the Blade God Six Martial clan. Even if they’re unable to feel pain, death wasn’t what their leader wished for them. ‘That unruly energy being released from his body.’ The energy which Chun Yeowun was releasing made Yeongwol’s entire body rigid in alertness that magnified her senses. Moreover, she realized how dangerous he was once he took down Elder Khum of the Blade God Six Martial clan in one hit while he was using the Blood Reversion Act. -Swoosh! Yeongwol’s eyes, which turned back to their normal black color, began to emit a yellow hue. Her body began to release a red haze all around as if she was on fire. ‘Should I try negotiating with words?’ He had changed his appearance to that of a guard to find the spies, but Chun Yeowun didn’t exactly kill the spy of the Blade God Six Martial clan. He only concealed himself as much as possible. It was because he wanted to speak to Elder Khum. “Stop! I am not trying to fight you.” “What did you say? Not trying to fight?” “I just came here because I needed something. I have nothing against the Imperial Palace.” He was someone capable enough to reach the Sky Demon energy and was already a Perfect Supreme Master warrior in both skill and execution. However, his previous actions were disrespectful to the non-aggression treaty, thus he had to be taken alive. Chun Yeowun himself revealed that he had no hostility towards them. However, it didn’t seem trustworthy. “You were here because you needed something? How futile. You entered the Imperial Palace as if it was your bedroom.” Even though Chun Yeowun had no intention of fighting, from Yeongwol’s point of view, he was no more than an intruder in the Palace. He came all the way to the Daemyeong Empire and said that his deeds were warranted. His reasons felt shady to the ear. “Let’s see if your skills can help you out!” Phat! Yeongwol suddenly moved ahead and reached for Chun Yeowun. She was nimble as she teleported to her target in a matter of seconds and went to pierce his neck. But, Phuk! Chun Yeowun simply raised his hand and lightly struck a simple blow on her hand. As if she predicted motion, her left hand targeted Chun Yeowun, who just blocked her. ‘Flame?’ Her sleeve was covered in red and it looked like fire danced on her hand. Fortunately, Chun Yeowun acted cautiously because of witnessing the defeat of the warriors using the Blood Reversion to the court ladies. ‘Then…’ -Swoosh! Chun Yeowun’s left hand moved faster than Yeongwol and stopped right at her wounded forehead. If she didn’t retreat right away, or even if she tried to move her hand further towards him, her forehead would’ve gotten pierced, leaving her dead. However, Yeongwol plowed ahead and attacked Chun Yeowun. Phat! Pak! The two of them simultaneously attacked and hit each other. In that instant, Chun Yeowun’s eyes discerned something. Yeonwol, who got her forehead slightly cut because of Chun Yeowun’s Sky Demon energy, took a few steps back. Phat! Blood began to flow from her wound as she was pushed back in ten strides. Although Chun Yeowun tried his best to make sure that the Sky Demon’s energy didn’t fatally wound her, he still wounded her pretty badly. Thankfully she survived. The woman didn’t even blink. ‘Can’t she feel any pain?’ She wiped the blood on her forehead, eyes, and nose with her long sleeves. What was more shocking was the rapidly healing wound on her forehead. The blood stopped flowing and the skin regenerated back. ‘Such great regeneration skill!’ Honestly, the regeneration wasn’t that astounding for Chun Yeowun. But it wasn’t as if the lady harbored Nano Machine in her body, seeing such resilience from her stunned him. That wasn’t the only thing that shocked Chun Yeowun. ‘She was trying to cut down my arm.’ Her red-colored left hand was trembling violently. She deliberately took a hit on her forehead so she could cut down his hand. But the body of Chun Yeowun, which developed rapidly into an Perfect Supreme Master Level with the help of Nano, couldn’t be easily attacked. Ssssshhhhhh! Chun Yeowun looked at his hand that was struck by her. The trace of flame didn’t disappear, and it seemed like the flame on his hand was trying to penetrate into his skin. ‘Dealing with a woman who has such weird attacks is troublesome.’ It was difficult for women to learn martial arts since it requires yang energy. Girls, on the other hand, innately possess yin energy. However, in order to develop such kinds of flame Qi, it was necessary to hold a high level of yang. He felt that the energy that flowed out was inherent rather than an acquired one. “Huuu.” Chun Yeowun immediately gathered his internal energy to the veins which were under his wound. The flame, which stubbornly burned his hand, soon lost its power and disappeared with a steam. That sight made Yeongwol go stiff. ‘I saw him generate a white light, but does he have the power to get rid of the flame Qi too? Who in the world is that person?’ She did classify him as a dangerous person, but he seemed to be a lot stronger than she imagined. Her gaze turned serious. She came to the decision that she wouldn’t be able to subdue him. “Oh my. You must have invaded the Imperial Palace thinking that we are nothing! If this is how you are going to act, then I will have to bring you down!” Goooooo! The leader, Yeongwol, began to raise internal energy in earnest. The pale and red haze around her body began to gradually turn darker, indicating that she’s becoming stronger. Stabling his voice, Chun Yeowun once again spoke. “I’ll repeat it once again, but I have no intention of spying nor intruding on the Imperial Palace. If you let me take this one, I will retire from here as quietly as possible.” He knew that it was better to step back before things took a turn for the worse. From what he heard from her, he knew that these women weren’t the only hidden power of the Imperial Palace. They were being cautious not to reveal everything, but Chun Yeowun didn’t need her to spill everything for him to understand. “This one is a spy of the Blade God Six Martial clan who is plotting against the Wulin. Since hitting them in the Imperial Palace would be humiliating for them, I came here. The only reason I am here is to stop these people.” “Blade God Six Martial clan?” Hearing the phrase ‘Blade God Six Martial Clan’, Yeongwol’s eyes narrowed. One of the roles of the Imperial Palace’s Guardians was to collect information regarding all the clans in order to protect the Imperial Palace. “You want to stop them?” “Yes. Wulin and we are involved. But the Blade God Six Martial Clan is using the Imperial Palace to execute their plan. This is why I am trying to figure out who they are and stop them.” He revealed quite a bit of information. However, he was aware that he could be misunderstood for giving too much. But, not everything worked in favor of Chun Yeowun all the time. “If that is the case, I can’t let go of it anymore. The Emperor and the Crown Prince showed favor and acknowledged the Wulin. But now you want to fight in the Imperial Palace!” ‘…words don’t work on her.’ Yeongwol, the leader of the Imperial Palace Guardians, couldn’t share the same ideas and thoughts regarding the Wulin. From her point of view, they would only judge the entire situation as the Wulin clans acting rudely towards the Imperial Palace and the family. “I knew that the Wulin too had to be brought under the control of the Emperor.” Moreover, she was someone who was loyal and in support of the Imperial Palace. The hostility she showed was understandable. ‘She has to be knocked down.’ Persuading her didn’t seem to be helping. It looked like it would be more efficient to suppress all the court ladies of the Imperial Palace Guardians. “Well, there is nothing more that I can do. I tried to warn you.” With those words, Chun Yeowun began to take slow strides towards Yeongwol, who flicked her finger and said. Snap! “Forget about the fame and titles you were given in the Wulin. This is the Imperial Palace. Throw away the illusion that you’ll be able to leave from a place filled with Guardian warriors.” Swwosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! The court ladies began to gather at the snap of her finger. Due to the numerous battles that transpired in the courtyard, their number had decreased by a lot, but more than 50 of them still survived. Two of the inspection maids, who overpowered those beastly men also walked towards her with stained swords dripping with blood. The fact that these women vanquished those men who used Blood Reversion meant that they were extremely skilled. Hweeing! The sleeves of Yeongwol burned with the flames. Ashes formed where her sleeves previously touched revealing red scales. Like a shield, the red haze began to wrap around her arms and legs. “It will be different from before. This time, make sure to be on guard. Oh, arrogant and cheeky Wulin warrior. You will have to fall alone.” With a numerical advantage on their side, Yeongwol couldn’t help but feel confident. She judged Chun Yeowun as someone who was equal to her in terms of power, but with her subordinates by her side, she was sure that the intruder could be taken down. But it was strange. Despite being alone, Chun Yeowun didn’t seem afraid. Rather, he muttered unexpected words. “Alone…” “What are you talking about?” At Chun Yeowun’s words, Yeongwol couldn’t help but ask. “Who told you I was alone in this?” “What was that?” It was then, From the eastern wall and the roof of the main hall of the Guest House, three humans dressed in full black appeared. Yeongwol couldn’t help going stiff at the sight of the people whose energy couldn’t even be felt by her! ‘He wasn’t alone?’ Looking up, she saw one man dressed in a junior officer’s uniform, his face was full of scars. The moment she tried to look at other’s face: Slash! The other one disappeared in an instant. She tried to move her gaze to find out where the other was positioned, but it seemed like her naked eyes weren’t of much help. Giving up on her sight, she concentrated on hearing his movement. The sound she heard made it felt like the entire court ladies were surrounded by an unknown force. ‘Unbelievable? How could I miss an enemy’s presence?’ Someone came over and stood next to Chun Yeowun. This person wore a strange mask on his face. “Marakim has come as called for.” This person seemed to be waiting for Chun Yeowun’s order. Unlike the words that escaped his mouth, the body of the one beside Chun Yeowun radiated energy that poured in all the directions where the court ladies stood. A feeling like death was waiting for them. The released energy’s true identity was related to a section of the Wulin, it was none other than the Demonic Cult. “You were all hiding!” “Well, I never said that I was alone.” At that moment, the man standing on the east wall, who was hidden in the shadows, came down and slowly walked towards the court ladies. A man with flaming red hair. ‘Red hair?’ As they slowly moved, one of the inspection maids stepped forward and yelled while aiming her sword at the red haired one. “Stop right there. How dare you break into this place? If you don’t stop right now…” Despite her warning, the masked man with red hair didn’t stop. Feeling threatened by the energy he was releasing, she immediately imbued her flame Qi onto her sword without bothering to warn him again. -Hwweeeing! Crack! Crack! The sword which turned red with the flame Qi bent like a whip while moving at the speed of lightning towards the masked man. “Flame, huh…” The masked man had gaps on his mask, seeing the skill the lady unraveled, he couldn’t help but smile. The moment the sword reached him, the masked man pulled out a sword from his waist. Slash! A blade covered in red patterns. In an instant, intense heat began to engulf everything around him and collided with the sword of the inspection maid. Clang! Clang! Their swords clashed with heat, and the result was bizarre. Blaze! “Th-that sword is!” The eyes of the Guardians were filled with shock and embarrassment. Startlingly, the sword of the inspection maid began to crack as it was unable to overcome the masked swordsman’s skill and shattered on spot. Clang! Crack! ‘My, my flame sword got taken down?’ The man in the mask spoke to her in a daunting voice. “You are acting so arrogant just because you used the flame Qi? Woman, you only operate the flame Qi. I am the sword of the red flames which consumes every flame that surrounds me.” “Red flame?” “My skills and yours, are like heaven and earth.” Hweeing! Woong! With his words, the red sword began to vibrate and the masked man went to stab the maid right at her heart. Pierce! Shocked, she tried to avoid getting hit by moving her body, but the masked man was quick to move and went for her shoulder. Even though they were unable to feel physical pain, she still felt fear from the overwhelming energy he was releasing. As soon as she was injured, she made sure to increase their distance. “It can’t be?! My, my sword got cut with his?” Another maid took the guard position to protect her injured companion. Two of the new court ladies were more powerful compared to the others, but they didn’t seem to have any regenerative power, as their right arm seemed weakened. “Ugh, the red hair and red flame?… it can’t be… you are the Fire King, Lee Hameng?” Their eyes widened as they looked at him. Although they weren’t active in the Wulin, they were still aware of the guardians who were known to be the most loyal and skilled members of it. “What?” At the words of the court maid, the leader, Yeogwol, looked at the masked man in shock. “You are the Fire King? The left hand of the Demonic Cult’s Lord? Wait… wait a moment… if that is the case, then the one in the mask right next to him is Marakim?” It was none other than the Great Guardian Marakim, the famous Guardian of the Wulin. Hundred of masters had died in his hands, and he was known as the greatest of the three Guardians of the Demonic Cult. The Fire King and the Great Guardian of the Demonic Cult. Yeongwol, who couldn’t guess the true identity of the man who used Sky Demon energy, was now trembling as she opened her mouth. “The, then you must be… the… Lord… of… the Demonic Cult?” Chapter 356 - The Blood Of Monsters Chapter 356 - The Blood Of Monsters The Imperial Palace and the Wulin signed a non-aggression treaty. It was a truce, wherein one party wouldn’t interfere with the workings of the other, however, neither of them was the kind to stand still when an armed group infiltrated their base. At the Imperial Palace, Wulin was always treated as a threat and was carefully kept in place. The Demonic Cult was considered to be the deadliest by the Imperial Palace ever since the war. The Guardians were created as the hidden power to protect the Imperial Palace from internal threats since the time of King Taejo. ‘A place where one can savour their power to its utmost might.’ Of the three major powers, only the Demonic Cult was the odd one. The other two groups were a huge cluster of numerous clans so the direction, working, and power could shift at any moment, but the Demonic cult was a one-man-powered working system. Just like how the Imperial family inherits the throne. ‘I thought they’d be from a wandering Wulin clan, but it turns out to be the Lord himself.’ It was a well-known fact that the Demonic cult had thousands of believers. Everyone heard that thousands of men of the Demonic Cult would even jump into hellfire with one order from their Lord. If such a strong person, the Lord of the Demonic Cult, harbours ill feelings towards the Imperial family, the Daemyeong Empire wouldn’t be able to handle the situation when it gets out of hand. “You, you’re the Lord of the Demonic Cult?” Yeonwol couldn’t hide her trembling voice when she asked Chun Yeowun. Chun Yeowun didn’t bother giving her a genuine answer. Rather, he spoke words that made Yeongwol doubt her ears. “…I can’t waste time here.” Chun Yeowun shook his head. He had never guessed that Hameng wasn’t just famous in Wulin, but also in the Imperial Palace. He surmised that it was his red hair that gave away their identity. [Hmm, I am sorry.] Hameng apologized to Chun Yeowun. Honestly, he didn’t intend to do this. Before leaving the Demonic Cult, Chun Yeowun had asked Hameng to dye his hair black. However, it wasn’t like he refused, he actually willingly colored his hair to disguise himself, but each time he used his inner energy, his hair turned back to its original color. ‘I should have at least used a hood!’ Unless there was anything that needed his immediate attention, he was to stay hidden. Hameng knew that someone would definitely recognize him for his hair, yet, he only covered his face. To think that he got identified in a matter of seconds during his first rendezvous. Leader Yeongwol. Couldn’t hide her embarrassment anymore. ‘He-he didn’t deny it.’ Hameng didn’t outright affirm it, but it was the presence of the Lord of the Demonic Cult which answered her question. Who else would get escorted by the Guardians of the Demonic Cult, if not their Lord? ‘For the Lord of the Demonic Cult to invade the Imperial Palace.’ Under Yeongwol’s impression, the Lord of the Demonic Cult was fearless. This was referenced to his reputation within the Wulin. However, in reality, the Lord was different from the hearsays. Wasn’t he one of the Lords who signed the non-aggression treaty and had a fair relationship with the Emperor? ‘How should I act now?’ According to the Imperial and Guardian’s rules, anyone who was discovered to have trespassed into the Imperial Palace had to be suppressed unconditionally, regardless of their status. They can be killed in an event of a rebellion. However, Yeongwol found it hard to come to a decision. She couldn’t even guess what would happen to her if she touched the Lord of the Demonic Cult. Swoosh! The two inspection maids were waiting for her orders. ‘If he is the Lord of the Demonic cult… keuk!’ If the Lord of the Demonic Cult invaded alone, she would’ve definitely tried to exterminate him. However, when the two savvy guardians appeared, Yeongwol wasn’t sure what to do. In the end, she came to conclude that it would be difficult to solve the problem at hand. Therefore, she came up with an exquisite trick. ‘Ah! Right! Since it has come to this, I can take them into the Guardian’s palace and deal with them.’ The Guardian’s palace was filled with skilled people including a Supreme Master Warrior. It seemed better to take them to the 2nd leader, who had greater executive and deciding power than herself. Politely, Yeongwol said to Chun Yeowun: “If you sir, are the Lord of the Demonic Cult, how about we talk this out?” She cautiously spoke. Obviously, it was unreasonable to call them infiltrators in their faces. However, she couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable as they didn’t answer for a long time. She continued the conversation. “First of all, forgive me for my rudeness as I was unaware of your noble status.” Leader Yeongwol bowed her head and apologized. Considering that they were in the Imperial Palace, the place where the Emperor resides, she treated the Lord of the Demonic Cult accordingly. Yeongwol slowly lifted her head and spoke. “I would still like to make a point. The Lord entered the Imperial Palace without any prior notice despite the non-aggression treaty. So, if you can consider forsaking your mission, we will be more than happy to turn a blind eye.” She tried her finest to act politely. However, she put it as if Chun Yeowun was the one at fault. And her words continued. “Well, how could we mistreat the noble as such? We can continue with talking in the Guardian Palace along with the others so that this matter can be handled as smoothly as possible. I know that you may feel wary of us, but I will earnestly serve you.” Bringing her hands together, she once again bowed. The woman was clever. In doing so, she was hoping for a negotiation without coming off as rude. Chun Yeowun wasn’t an opponent she wanted to fight anymore. She would be able to prevent futile sacrifices, saving face for the other members of the Guardians. ‘Huhu, you can’t do anything anymore. Even if you are part of the Wulin, you can’t act stubborn like any soldier as you are being considered as a Lord now. In addition, if his identity is revealed, it will be difficult for him to make a fuss in the Imperial Palace.’ She was gloating as she thought of the plan she weaved. Yeongwol looked at Chun Yeowun and waited for his answer. Smirk! Chun Yeowun showed a light smile. Yeongwol, who took it as a positive reaction, thought that her trick worked. ‘I did it!’ Now all she had to do was take the Lord and his men to the Guardian Palace, report it to the 1st leader or even the Emperor, and wait for their orders. In fact, she was hoping for the non-aggression treaty between the Imperial Palace and the Wulin to fall apart because of this situation. ‘Hopefully, His Highness, who hears the report from the 1st leader, gets angry and orders for the destruction of the entire Wulin. Hohoho!’ Just the thought of it was pleasing. She was the kind who thought that the men of Wulin could never stand on an equal footing with the Imperial family. If what she hoped for happened, everyone would be under the Emperor. “You have made the right choice. Now follow m…” Puhk! Before she could even finish her words, the sound of something slashing rang in her ears. The sound subsided and a red line appeared on the bodies of the five court ladies who stood between Chun Yeowun and Yeongwol. “What?” The moment she came back to reality, she realized that the court ladies’ throats were cut. -thud! Thud! Thud! Blood gushed out from their bodies soaking their clothes. Due to the scales on them, the women were unable to move their hands promptly. Yeongwol was shocked at what happened, all she could see was a bright blue hand blade on Chun Yeowun. ‘Air Sword?’ It was obvious that this was incomparable to any other Air Sword. “This…! This! …What are you doing?” She never imagined that he would kill all the court ladies. Seeing Yeongwol stutter, Chun Yeowun opened his mouth to let her know his intentions. “This was fun while it lasted. You wrapped your intention in good words, but in the end, you’ll backstab me?” “Uh, when did I even say that? Did I even act as such? I am going to assist you while we speak to the higher leaders…” “Stop with the bullshit.” Strong energy began to emanate from his body. It was an energymomentum that would occasionally come from the Emperor. Yeongwol went silent without realizing it. “You old woman, you roll your tongue like a fox. I clearly warned you. I guess it was good enough seeing how you forsake your people.” Honestly, this situation held no benefits to the Demonic Cult. They hid in the Imperial Palace to get rid of all the spies. If only the Guardians had handed over one spy (Elder Khum) as Chun Yeowun asked, he would’ve let the Guardians take credit, while he gets the information. Apparently, she was not satisfied with that, Yeongwol used tricks that were obvious to everyone’s eyes. “Ar-aren’t you scared of the aftereffects of such behaviour? If His Highness is told of such unruliness, the non-aggression treaty will be broken.” When her plan didn’t work, Yeongwol decided to use the Emperor’s name for her benefit. With his lips curled up, Chun Yeowun spoke. “Who would let the Emperor know if all of you ended up dying here?” “Y-you!” Yeongwol’s eyes shook, unable to focus. She tried to turn herself into a prominent figure but ended up walking to the edge of a cliff. ‘It, it was my misjudgement.’ There were two kinds of opponents, one who could be dealt with words, and the other, wherein words should never be used. Foolishly, she ended up being the latter. “Great Guardian and Left Guardian. Kill them all, don’t even spare a single person.” “Yes!” At Chun Yeowun’s command, both of them accepted the order. As if they were waiting for the command to fall, they leaped forward making Yeongwol and the other court ladies act like mere mortals who needed saving. “S-stop! Don’t come any further!” Unlike the leader, the expressions of the court ladies went blunt. As soon as the order fell, Great Guardian Marakim and Left Guardian Hameng moved to implement it. Their speed and efficiency couldn’t even compare to the other warriors as they went to kill them all. They were notorious ranked Guardians of the Demonic Cult. Phat! The court ladies tried to attack Hameng with flame Qi from all directions, but none could touch a strand of his hair. “That flame doesn’t work on me!” Puhk! Puhk! They were no match for his skills. Instead, they were hit by the red sword of Hameng. They were the court ladies who were unable to feel pain, so even if they got cut or pierced, they kept on attacking until they could move no more. Puhk! Clang! Thud! The sword cut through the ladies and they fell to the floor unable to get up. They turned immobile because of the energy that Hameng released while using the Fire Sword. There was no man who could live with the aftereffects of Hameng’s sword. Slash! Chop! Pierce! With the nickname Wind God, Marakim moved swiftly, cutting down the throats of the court ladies at the speed of the wind. He moved with such agility that even the court ladies who showed beast resilient moves weren’t able to assess what was going on. ‘Wh-where is…’ Puhk! Thud! Even if they were unable to feel pain, they couldn’t help but feel scared towards an invisible opponent. “I can’t see him.” The faces of the remaining people in the courtyard turned pale. Nearly half of the court ladies died. Even the two court ladies who were skilled enough to deal with the four Blade God Six Martial Clan’s spies seemed like nothing but children. “Get yourself in the game!” Yeongwol couldn’t help but fall into confusion as the tables got turned. Biting down on her lips, her eyes wandered. “I will take care of the leader.” “Lord…Lord of the Demonic Cult?” “Don’t be scared. No matter what you plan, I can stop it.” There was no way that he would let her go, at least not after she knew his real identity. She knew that he was the Lord of the Demonic Cult, and also fought with him for a brief moment. From her knowledge, he seemed to be less skilled than the 2 guardians. ‘When we fought before, we were on the same level. If the others joined, I can subdue him.’ If the Lord of the Demonic Cult was captured, his two guardians would cease. “To create a gap between us by collaborating with others!” “Pity!” The two court maids hesitated for a moment before they ran to Chun Yeowun. Swwosh! One of the maid’s shoulders was hit, her joint had trouble moving because of the clash she had with Hameng previously. Despite that, they still aimed for Chun Yeowun’s head while unfolding their sword. Phat! ‘Aim at the moment they stop their attacks.’ In a breath, Yeongwol moved from her position to the back of Chun Yeowun as the two maids dealt with him in front. Her movements were quick, she couldn’t be compared to the court ladies or the spies. Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash! As the sword aimed for the head, it turned into a whip. However, even as she wielded her blazing sword whip right in front of Chun Yeowun, he didn’t look scared. ‘What is he up to?’ When her confidence turned into confusion, Chun Yeowun’s hands moved like lightning and grasped the wrist of the maid who was waving the sword. Grab! ‘It- it makes no sense. To do this in the middle of wielding!’ It wasn’t like her sword had been destroyed, but she was blocked head-on. Chun Yeowon held onto her flaming hand as if it didn’t invoke pain. She was shocked. Crackle! ‘Ugh, it’s cold!’ A strong chill spread into her bones. It was shocking enough that her hand got caught, but when she tried to pull it out from Chun Yeowun’s grasp, something more flustering happened. Crack! “Ahhh! W-wait! What did you do…” Chun Yeowun strengthened his hands, lifted her body as if she was a stuffed toy, and threw her aside as the maids readied to strike him. Crash! “Kuakkk!” “Puhk! Bang!” “UGH!” As they were thrown onto the floor, its impact on the wounded court maids was undetectable. The force he used to throw the maid made the stone floor crack that was beneath the point of impact. They all felt helpless against Chun Yeowun. Wheeing! It was then that Yeongwol, who was waiting for a gap, struck him. She let her burning red arms covered with scales out of her sleeves. “Take this!” Phat! Her flame Qi emanated a force that wanted to burn down everything that surrounded her. It was the moment that she had been waiting for. However, it didn’t go as planned. Tap! She thought that when she attacked him from behind, Chun Yeowun would turn and block her. But Chun Yeowun moved away. ‘Shit!’ Thanks to that, her flame Qi couldn’t reach Chun Yeowun. However, Chun Yeowun, who felt the rising energy behind him, jumped and moved in the opposite direction in the yard. ‘It can’t be!’ Step! Step! Step! Step! Chun Yeowun’s hand held a sword imbued with black Qi as he narrowed the distance between the both of them. With the black sword blazing, Chun Yeowun struck her side. He was aiming for her hands that held the flames. ‘I need to avoid it!’ Normally, she would trust that the scales on her body could protect her. But the energy from the black Qi sword instilled fear in her. ‘I- I need to avoid it at all costs!’ Shocked, she tried to force herself to stop. Though exerting more energy than she had could cause her internal damage, she felt that internal injury was a lot better than getting her arms cut off. Flinch! Seeing the blood gush from her sides, she pulled her arms away. “I did warn you in the beginning,” Yeongwol’s eyes looked at Chun Yeowun who spoke frigidly. Cold metal passed through her wrists before she could even regain her composure. Slash! Thuk! Yeongwol’s eyes widened as she realized what happened. She screamed so loud that veins began to pop on her neck and face. “AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” Chapter 357 - The Blood Of Monsters Chapter 357 - The Blood Of Monsters Just like the other court ladies, Yeongwol couldn’t feel any pain. But how many people could be composed seeing their hands cut off and fall onto the floor right in front of them? She was expecting for the black sword to stop, but her hands were cut in a single strike. “UGHHHH!” ‘Even the scales on my hand weren’t able to withstand the power.’ Yeongwol’s energy was incomparable to the other court ladies, but even that wasn’t enough to withstand the sword of Chun Yeowun. Twitch! Twitch! Her veins wriggled like earthworms in her severed arm. Her ability to regenerate had been initiated yet, it didn’t stop the blood from gushing out. It looked as if she didn’t possess any regenerative ability at all. The shock of getting her hand cut in front of her lasted for a moment and when Yeongwol looked up… Slash! The sharp tip of Chun Yeowun’s sword pressed on her wrinkled old neck. It was clear to her that Chun Yeowun wanted her dead. ‘Ugh! This monster!’ From the moment she clashed with him, she thought that his skill could be deciphered by her but it turned out to be an illusion. She was oblivious of Chun Yeowun’s capability. ‘Am I going to die like this?’ The sensation of fear that she felt when the tip of the black sword touched her couldn’t be shaken off. As soon as it became clear to Yeongwol that Chun Yeowun was intent on silencing her at any cost, her politeness disappeared. She began to change tactics. “Uh! Do you need help in smoothly leaving the Imperial Palace?” Her speaking tone and style became uncourteous. An attitude that’s nearly identical from the first time she talked with him. Human nature would never change. “Do you think I will have trouble getting out?” “Ha! You’re belittling the Imperial Palace. You made such a racket and you thought no one would notice you.” His fight together with the battle between the Guardians’ court ladies and the East Spear’s warrior made such a racket that even the nearby East House, the base of the East Spear, and the Golden Guards who served as night guards, would surely notice. “As soon as they arrive, you’ll be considered as an enemy of the Imperial Palace! Murderer! Huhuhu, don’t go around dreaming bullshit about escaping!” She acknowledged that Chun Yeowun was a strong opponent but she thought that he couldn’t handle the forces of the Imperial Palace in its entirety. “If the Imperial Palace turns noisier with the arrival of others, even the high ranking officials of the Guardians will come. And they are a lot stronger than me! You will never be able to walk past them! The Demonic Cult will cease to exist!” Yeongwol was blinded by the power she thought the Imperial Palace had. However, Chun Yeowun’s reaction was weird. He didn’t show unease at the information nor had any thoughts, it was as if he was indifferent to it. ‘What is he up to?’ Looking at his indifferent behaviour, she wondered. But the tip of the sword that was on her neck soon touched her right cheek. Tap! “What are…” Slash! “UGHHHH!” Before she could even ask, Chun Yeowun’s sword pierced her cheek from one side to the other, and pulled it out. Yeongwol screamed as her mouth got ripped and hanged in shock. “WH-what the hell did you do!” Her words filled with shock and fear. Chun Yeowun answered while pitying her. “I tried to cut your tongue, but it looks like it didn’t work.” “Wh-What?!” Yeongwol felt a chill run down her spine at his words. The moment the sword was pushed into her mouth, she made sure to save her tongue by shoving it down, otherwise it would’ve been cut off. Shhhhhhkkkkk! The veins in her cheek once again began to regenerate. Such regenerative ability is hard to imagine that humans have it. Looking at her, the minor wounds easily healed while her limbs, that were completely cut off, were hopeless. ‘Wah! Wah! Why aren’t they here yet?’ Although the wounds healed, Yeongwol began to turn impatient at the thought of facing more humiliation from Chun Yeowun. People around the Guest House must have heard the commotion considering how usually quiet the nights were. Even the Imperial Army should have arrived. Disdaining the anxious Yeongwol, Chun Yeowun clicked his tongue. “You are so stupid” “What?” “Don’t tell me you thought I wasn’t thinking things through?” “What do you mean?” Chun Yeowun’s words made Yeongwol look around puzzledly. “This entire area has been covered with Sound Blockage.” “Sou-Sound Blockage?! What nonsense are you spouting?! How can that be used in such a vast area?!” She shouted in shock. Yeonwol always thought of herself as someone who’s equal to the commander due to the nature of her skills and abilities. She was adept at Profound Sound Blockage in a certain area however, only in small rooms could she maintain the sound blockage. She becomes exhausted maintaining exorbitant internal energy used for it. ‘Impossible! Does he possess infinite internal energy to make me seem so useless?’ Even if her internal energy increased by tenfold, it would still be improbable for her to block the sound of the main vast courtyard of the Guest House. “You seem to be the one of the stereotypical people who say – 'since I can’t do it no one can”” “It…it makes no sense.” She found reality unacceptable. She wanted to reject what her eyes showed her. Still, she waited, she waited to hear some kind of the sound, but it was in vain. Which meant that Chun Yeowun’s words were indeed true. Sound had been completely cut off. “Your body seems to regenerate, but will it regenerate if I cut down your throat?” Shhhh! He raised his black sword, checking if he could cut her throat or not. Yeongwol paled as she saw that. ‘No! No! If this happens, even someone as strong as me will meet a dog’s death!’ A dog’s death meant dying with the truth being distorted. She couldn’t let that happen to her. So in order to escape that, Yeongwol yelled desperately. “If-If you kill me, your men will die too!” “Don’t talk bullshit” Just before dying, she began to speak rubbish. Ignoring her words, Chun Yeowun raised his sword after adjusting the angle for a clean strike. Holding her severed hands close to her chest, she begged earnestly. “Th-The Guardians have currently caught three spies who wore a mask and gold armor on them. You wouldn’t say that you don’t know them, right?” Pang! Immediately Chun Yeowun’s sword, which was ready to strike her throat, stopped mid-air. She said that there were three people who wore gold armor. They were the people he knew. ‘Did they get caught?’ They settled to meet with Zhu Taikhan at his residence tonight. Chun Yeowun didn’t know that they got caught. Seeing Chun Yeowun stop, hope blossomed in Yeongwol’s eyes. ‘It worked. So, they’re this man’s subordinates!’ She just has this last straw to save herself, and it worked! Her sweating face that barely held any sanity, finally found some hope. “You said that the Guardians caught them?” “Y-yes!” Chun Yeowun, who looked unconcerned until a moment ago, was frowning. It made Yeongwol feel delighted. Finally, she found his weakness. ‘I thought he was some cruel monster, but I guess not’ It was hard to believe that Chun Yeowun wasn’t willing to abandon his subordinates so easily. There were always rumors about the Lord of Demonic Cult being cruel to others, but righteous to their members. Yeongwol decided to use this rumor against him. ‘If only he would follow me to the Guardian Hall telling him that I’d release them…’ She could somehow use the situation to save herself. Once she reaches the Guardian Hall, she can scream to let them know that he is an enemy, and they would attack him right away. If she took him to the Elder, the true hidden power of the Imperial Palace, even the Lord of Demonic Cult would be brought down on his knees, which was why she was carefully trying to bait Chun Yeowun. “So, if you can spare me, your men can be released…” Puck! “HUH?!” Yeongwol’s eyes were in shock. She couldn’t differentiate reality and her imagination anymore. Even before she could put forth her deal, Chun Yeowun swung his sword. Her throat felt dry and cold as the sword came closer and closer. “Wh-what are you doing?!” “You sly and verbose fox, just die!” “!?” Shhhiiinnngg! Tuk! The moment his words fell, Chun Yeowun’s sword moved and her vision became hazy as she fell. It wasn’t until her head fell to the ground that she realized that she had been decapitated. Was it a side effect of her regenerative power which was abnormal? Even though her neck got cut, she didn’t die immediately. ‘H.. how… how did it come to this?’ It was only for a moment. Crack! Chun Yeowun crushed Yeongwol’s head, which was currently on the ground. A miserable end for a person who tried to work hard the entire time. Shh! Shh! Shh! In front of Chun Yeowun, who seemed vexed, Great Guardian Marakim and Left Guardian Hameng appeared from the roof. Putting their hands together, Lee Hameng and Marakim greeted him. “Your command has been carried off!” They were the ones who killed all the court ladies. It didn’t feel right to hit or kill women, but seeing how they acted, they took the task seriously. They made sure to not use the swordsmanship of the Demonic Cult as much as possible. That would probably make it hard for others to guess the wounds or the cause of death of the corpses. That’s precisely why Chun Yeowun didn’t use the Demon Sword. “Then…shall we take this man and withdraw?” Lee Hameng asked, pointing to the bald man who fainted on the ground. Chun Yeowun sighed. “I would like to do that, but the others have been captured.” “Are you talking about them?” At the unexpected turn of events, the two Guardians were shocked. It was shocking that the trained people spying and assassination got caught. Great Guardian Marakim, asked carefully. “What do you plan on doing, my Lord?” It was known that spies were to be killed, but in order to save his men who got trapped, Chun Yeowun had no other choice but to break in. Moreover, Chun Yeowun was unaware of the Guardian Hall’s location, as it was known to be hidden from everyone. It was a place that even the members of the Blade God Six Martial Clan couldn’t find. “Lord, realistically, rescuing them shouldn’t be an option for us. It is a pity, but… how about we just give up on them?” The left Guardian, Lee Hameng suggested a rational option. Our members were already taught to be prepared in case they got caught by the enemy. If escaping is difficult, then they have to kill themselves. Grunt! ‘Ugh… is there really no other choice but to abandon them?’ Hu Bong bit his lip at the thought of abandoning his members, however, even he knew that there was no concrete way to help them. That was when Chun Yeowun shook his head and spoke. “If I decide to abandon the people who I picked up with my own hands, I am unqualified as Lord. I can’t stand and let them kill themselves just because they got caught.” Chun Yeowun looked at Yeongwol’s smashed head as he said those words. When he decided to infiltrate the Imperial Palace, he was aware of the fact that there were people who used unique methods and tricks. “Ah… then what are we gonna do?” Lee Hameng, who opposed the rescue operation because of the risk, asked anxiously. But it wasn’t Chun Yeowun who answered… “Some are still breathing” Suddenly, Marakim pointed to the inspection maids who were on the floor. All the other court ladies were dead, but these two were kept alive. He spoke. “… Great Guardian. Would they bow to us easily?” Would they really give out the location of the Imperial Palace Guardian Hall just because they slaughtered a few court ladies? But Chun Yeowun wanted to grab onto any thread he could. If he had time, he could take them outside, infuse them with drugs and make them confess, but Chun Yeowun didn’t have time.It was also impractical doing it in the courtyard. However, if they missed such a perfect timing, they would never find the location of Guardian Hall. Especially if news spread that court ladies and their group leader were killed. Marakim, shook his head. “Of course, enemies won’t bow to us” “Huh?” Marakim turned to Chun Yeowun and spoke. “Lord, how does this sound?” How long has it been since they decided to walk on the same path as the Lord of the Demonic Cult? ‘Did I pass out?’ Having a strong and cursed body that couldn’t sense pain felt amazing. As it was her first time meeting a strong opponent, she fainted from being overpowered. ‘What happened?’ She finally got her thoughts sorted out and tried to get up, but her body betrayed her. Thud! “Ah?” Was this the drawback of her inability to feel pain? She was completely unaware of her condition until she tried to get up. Unfortunately, it took time for her to realize that her ankle got severed. “My… feet…” Realizing that both her feet got amputated, the maid’s face turned pallid. It was like living inside a nightmare. What happened after she passed out? On one side, she found numerous bodies of women on the ground as their blood’s malodour invaded her nose. “Uh… ughh…” It was foul enough to make her eyes burn. When she looked nearby, she saw a familiar outfit on her body. The hands and neck were brutally severed, which meant that the bearer was dead. “Le.. le… leader!” While she fainted, all the court ladies including her leader got killed. They crossed paths with monsters. ‘How long was I out?’ It was still dark, and no one wandered. It seemed like nobody found them. At that moment, a deep voice reached her ears. “Ah! It seems that a court lady still lives!” As she turned her head towards the voice, two men, who appeared to be cadets of the Golden Guards appeared. They appeared to be the night guards of the House. “Ah! Goodness!” One of the guards expressed his shock as he saw her cut off ankles. A white masked man examined her condition. “Aren’t you a maid? Are you alright?” As these people arrived, the shocked maid answered. “I-I am fine. When did the Golden Guards come?”, she pried. Maybe the terrible battle only transpired briefly, and the others hadn’t discovered it yet. “We heard some clamor, and when he entered the East Spear Hall, we were confronted by this atrocious sight. Ugh! One of our guards had gone to report to our central office, people will arrive soon.” “Ah!” ‘It hadn’t been long!’ Her eyes shook. If the words of the man were indeed correct, it hadn’t been that long since that horrible battle. If so, she had to report it to the higher ups of the Guardians to prevent the Lord of the Demonic Cult from escaping outside the Imperial Palace. But the problem was her severed foot. “I-I am sorry, but could the guard please help me?” “Of course. We will take you to the Imperial Palace’s infirmary…” “No. it’s crucial than that. Bigwigs have infiltrated the palace, and they might escape. I need to let someone know” At her hasted words, one of the guards tried to sooth her. “Uh! Is that true? That is huge. But don’t worry, the Guards will come soon” “No. Not just them. Sorry. Could you please lift me up? I… I will guide you” “Treating you is important. Why guide us somewhere?” “Please! Please just trust me! We are running out of time! Please!” “Uh… ah, fine.” Seeing the stubborn maid, one of the guards put her on his back and carried her. Laying on him, she pointed to the northwest direction of the Imperial Palace, and asked him to hurry. That was when the white masked guard who was following them from behind smiled wantonly. Chapter 358 - The Blood Of Monsters Chapter 358 - The Blood Of Monsters “Sir Guard, could you run faster?” “It won’t be pleasant with the wounds on your body, will you be okay?” “Please don’t fret over these small wounds, and hurry up” “Fine, hold on tight!” Swish! The Guard picked up speed at the words of the anxious maid. The speed at which he was currently moving, was incomparable to the previous run. ‘Ah…he’s fast!’ The maid’s eyes reflected astonishment. She knew that the Guards were being taught Martial Arts, but his energy seemed to be far above Grand Master level. She wondered how they could be trained so efficiently, but decided to ask on another occasion as she had more important things on hand right now. “That way” The moment the maid gave the directions, the Guard would change his direction and continue. The palace grounds were so huge, that even with him picking up speed by using his internal energy, he couldn’t reach the destination right away. Shortly after, he reached the northwest side of the Palace. ‘Ah…!’ A huge tomb-like structure stood in front of the duo. This tomb, which seemed considerably larger than the Emperor’s residence, was the royal shrine of the former Emperor. A tablet was entrench in front of the ornate shrine. ‘Why is it the Emperor’s tomb?’ The Guard couldn’t help but look puzzled as he carried the maid. It was a foreseeable reaction. He couldn’t comprehend why the maid had asked him to bring her to the Royal Shrine of the former Emperor instead of the higher ups. And of course, the tomb was a decoy, it doesn’t possess the former Emperor’s body. The tomb was to commemorate the 1st Emperor who founded the Daemyeong Empire. “Why are we here?”, the guard questioned the maid in a flustered manner, when suddenly, the maid struck him. “Hey!?” He was unscathed because he had the armor on. The armor turned red because of her fire Qi attack. But, his safety didn’t last for long. The maid used both her hands to grab his neck. “Cough! Wh-what are you doing?!” “I, a maid of a Guardian, receives instructions and orders directly from His Majesty. From this moment on, you shall forget everything you witnessed now. If not, I will behead you according to the royal laws” At the threatening voice and her choice of words, the Guard couldn’t talk back. He bowed to her orders as he wanted to keep his life. “The Guard behind too” “… Understood.” After listening to the answer of the Guard behind them, the maid pointed to the shrine. “Please head inside” “Yo-you mean the shrine?” “Yes” As soon as she answered, the Guards hesitantly went into the shrine. Everything inside was dark as if the lights of the shrine were turned off. During the day, the scent of the incense would enter the noses of those who would enter. The inside of the shrine lit up when the Guard in the back found a lamp hanging on the wall of the shrine and lit it. “Oh…” The Guard who was carrying the maid couldn’t hold back the exclamation as he saw the interior. The Shrine was entirely decorated in gold and was in no way comparable to the ordinary shrines. A portrait of the first Emperor hung on the inner wall of the shrine, and on the altar ahead of them was a tablet with an incense holder with a burnt down incense in it. “You just witnessed the First Emperor, why are you not bowing to him?” “Ah!… that was…” When both the guards looked at the portrait and did not bow, the maid asked them suddenly. When the guard who was carrying the maid became flustered, the guard from behind answered her question right away. “Inspection maid, we would always bow to the First Emperor, but weren’t you the one who said that an invasion within the palace may happen and we had to hurry to inform?” “Ahh…” The words of the guard seemed to convince the maid, and she immediately pointed to the right side of the altar and asked them to move. Once they walked to the right of the altar, there was a huge red cloth embroidered with golden dragons on it in front of them. When she reached out and pulled the cloth above, a road leading to the back of the altar appeared. ‘What?! There was such a path hidden behind the shrine?!’ Who would have thought that such a secret is hidden in the royal shrine of the First Emperor? Upon entering the road, they were now able to enter behind the walls of the altar. At the back of the portrait wall, there was space wide enough for two people to stand. It seemed like a hidden passage would open in front of them, but their path was blocked by a blue wall. ‘Sapphire stone wall?’ A wall, made of solid sapphire, suddenly appeared in front of them. As the guard lifted the lamp to light the wall, an illustration of an animal came to life. However, it wasn’t a real animal. The body was shaped like a deer, the tail of a cow and the hooves of a horse. The most peculiar feature of that so-called animal was its head which looked like a dragon with horns attached to it and an elongated neck joined its head and its body. ‘A Qilin?’ The wall had a strange painting of a Qilin (Chinese mythical creature). It is also referred to as the Flame Qilin, as it could breathe fire from its body. It is also said that a Qilin is the incarnation of fire. It is a sacred being in the ancient legends and also mentioned in the Book of Songs and Spring and Autumn Period. Like a phoenix, when the Qilin appeared, it was said to be an auspicious sign of an appearance of a great King or a great Emperor. ‘To draw this right behind the portrait of the 1st Emperor…’ What was the most astonishing was that the person who engraved the Qilin’s picture seemed to be a devoted person. seeing how cleanly he drew on the sapphire wall with his fingers. While they were wondering, the maid spoke, “This is no time to be in shock, please go closer to the wall where the picture is drawn” The guard went closer to the painting and asked, “Like this?” As the guard stopped, the maid reached out to the painting and pressed both eyes of the Qilin at the same time. The eyes that were drawn on the wall, went inside. ‘Eyes?’ Grrrrng! The moment the eyes went inside the wall a sound of something moving inside the wall echoed. The sapphire wall split in half like a castle gate opening and a path lay in front of them. This was the entrance to the secret Imperial Palace’s Guardian Hall. “Please follow the path”, the maid spoke as soon the sound faded into oblivion. Considering that the altar was attached to the innermost wall of the shrine, the Guardian Hall could only be located inside the Royal Shrine. Swoosh! What was inside the sapphire wall was unknown, but as the wall opened, an alien energy welcomed them. ‘I need to hurry.’ As they entered the inner passage of the Guardian Hall, the maid’s eyes began to turn heavy. The white masked Guard only followed them. “I never would have imagined that such a place would be behind the shrine” “… this should not be the concern of the members of the Guards or the Golden Council. Please, just follow my instructions” Responding quietly, she bit her lip. Honestly, she felt bad for them. Anyone who doesn’t receive the permission from the Emperor or the Guardian’s Master and enters the Guardian Hall would be beheaded. Perhaps, the moment they reach the end of the path, the Guards would be killed. Which was why she didn’t want to talk to them. As if he had no intentions of complying with her words, the Guard in the back spoke again. “If this is a hidden path, then there could be traps placed here. Do you have an idea where they are?” “What are you talking about…” She tried to turn back and say something to the Guard but they ended up arriving at the end of the passage. At the end of the passage was a wide opening. However, the moment she arrived at the hall, she went speechless. The smell of blood invaded her nose once again. “Th-this is…” This hall in the middle was a place where three roads intersected. Normally, guards of the Guardians would be standing on all three roads with spears in their hands. But right now, the guards were on the ground, lifeless. “H-how is that possible?” The maid was beyond shocked as she couldn’t guess what happened, until the voice of the guards entered her ears. “This is unexpected. I mean, were there people who visited this place before us?” “!?” The maid was shocked. The voice of the Guards changed from before. However, she recognized the voice. It belonged to the Lord of Demonic Cult, whose voice she heard before fainting. ‘No! it can’t be!’ She wanted to deny everything she was experiencing right now, but no matter how much she thought, it was that man’s voice. As she heard the voice again, she felt convinced. “Nothing can be done. Where is the Guardian’s prison cell?” “I… I was deceived!” The man who beat her up. She thought that they had slaughtered all the women and fled away, but that wasn’t clearly true. They deceived themselves as the guards. ‘How did this happen?!’ Oh! It wasn’t enough that they killed their leader and the other court ladies, because now, they even tricked her and invaded the Guardian Hall. At that moment, she decided to take down the man who was carrying her. Sure, she would suffer but she won’t do nothing in this situation. “Ugh!” The moment she reached out and grabbed the neck of the Guard. Thud! “Kuak!” The maid’s neck suddenly broke. The maid, who was trying to attack, fell back onto the back of the guard. She saw Chun Yeowun’s face looking at her in her last moments before she drifted into an eternal slumber. “Hu Bong. You can put her down.” “Ugh? Did you kill her?” Thump! The Guard carrying her dead body dropped her to the floor right away. Hu Bong was the man who carried her. Thanks to the plan that Great Guardian Marakim came up with, they easily infiltrated the Guardian Hall. However, new problems had risen. There were others who invaded the Imperial palace Guardian Hall. “What happened here?” Looking around, Hu Bong asked after seeing the dead guards. Seeing that the blood hadn’t clotted yet, he came to the conclusion that it hadn’t been long since they were killed. However there was a problem. ‘This method of killing is similar to our Sword Demon. And to leave such obvious tracks..!’ All the dead bodies had traces of the Demonic Cult’s energy on them. There was no way that Chun Yeowun or any other men belonging to the Demonic Cult would leave such obvious traits on the guards. There seemed no resistance from the guards when they were killed and the guards emitted no demonic energy, but it seemed like someone made it look like the guards were taken down by the Demonic Cult members. Realizing what was happening, Chun Yeowun opened his mouth. “Hu Bong, trying to save our men might end up turning into a huge problem.” Meanwhile, in the large hall of the Guardian Hall. Around fifty men wearing the uniforms of the regular soldiers, holding onto their spear, looked at the hall entrance with a tense look. In the middle of them, a middle-aged man wearing the official uniform of the commander of the Imperial Palace, touched the sword in his hand with a serious expression. Tatatatak! At that time, a soldier from the common entrance of the hall ran in and spoke in a hurry. He hurriedly reported to the commander and knelt on one knee. “We-we are in trouble, Master! The wall opened, I think they will be here soon.” The commander’s identity was the Master of the Imperial Palace’s Guardian. Unlike the other commanders and generals in the palace, the warriors of the Guardian only concerned them with the matters of the Imperial Palace. “How did all this even happen?!” The Master groaned, not being pleased with what was happening. Since the founding of the Guardians, not once had any enemy infiltrated their hall. As if that wasn’t enough, the invaders weren’t just passing through, but they crossed all the borders and headed straight for the central hall. ‘What is their purpose for doing it?’ The purpose for coming to the centre hall was clear. It was the treasure of the Palace. The treasure from generation to generation of the Imperial family was under the protection of the Guardians under the command of the Master. Such treasure should never fall into the hands of enemies. ‘Was it planned?’ It was suspicious that the enemy began their attack where the Guardian members were missing. Had the court ladies and their leader, who went out to tackle spies, been present, tackling the enemies would have been more efficient. “We are going to be hit! Prepare yourselves!” The Master shouted at the 50 men. “No matter what happens, don’t let the enemies enter the 7th passage. Put your life at stake. Use any means possible…” Startle! Master, who was trying to increase morale, went silent. From the common aisle, the sound of someone approaching them could be heard. ‘They arrived!’ Before long, they made their appearance at the entrance of the hall. The clothes of the three men who invaded their grounds were stained with blood, except for the woman who had a sword in front of them. Just how many people did they have to kill for their clothes to turn red? The woman with the sword was muttering something under her breath. “There is no end to killing these bugs who are hiding behind a grave” She was muttering such things in front of the Hidden Power of the Imperial palace. Rather than being frightened, she was displaying an annoyed attitude. As if trying to showcase her power. The bearded man next to her, clicked his tongue. “Measly flies. We need to leave marks, so leave this place to us and go ahead with the plan” The two men stepped out, and the women, whose clothes were drenched in blood, nodded at the bearded man’s words. She then tried to casually cross the hall from the middle of the warriors. As a result, she incurred the wrath of the Guardians. “How dare you speak such words in the presence of the Guardians!” “Die!” Phat! Although the people were wearing soldier’s clothes, most of them were Superior Master level warriors. Three soldiers began to release energy and ran for the woman who was covered in blood and unfolded their sword. Before they could even prepare for the attack, something amazing happened. Chak! When did she even move? The woman brought out the sword which was at her waist. Cha! Cha! Cha! Cha! Cha! That moment they reached her, the bodies of the three split open like boiled eggs, and then crumbled to the floor. Thud! Thud! Thud! Without even being able to scream, they ended up suffering miserable death. At the cruel sight which unfolded in front of their eyes, the warriors of Guardian were at a loss of words. ‘It-it makes no sense…’ Even the Master, who was supposed to lead the Guardians, was shocked. He couldn’t get his mind to adjust to what just happened. “You worthless trash” The woman took a step again, heading for the Master who had to be taken down. Chapter 359 - Not An Ally Chapter 359 - Not An Ally The base of the Imperial Palace Guardian was hidden deep within the enormous Shrine. There were a total of seven underground halls. The last hall, the 7th cavity, which was said to be located in the deepest underground path, had only been visited a couple of times. Even by the Masters, who were the heads of the Guardians. It was the place where the treasure of the Empire, since its founding, had been kept and protected. ‘Hot… it is getting so hot’ The face of a middle-aged man, who was accompanying the woman called Blood Master, was drenched in sweat. Even though they were cultivating their bodies, the heat seemed to be too high to consider it normal. The heat around them didn’t seem like a natural phenomenon, it’s as if the underground hall was rejecting them. “Are you alright?” “How is it so hot in here?” He tried to think of a possible reason for it, but it was completely clueless. The woman, Blood Master, wasn’t sweating at all, as if the heat didn’t have much effect on her. She was showing them how different she was when compared to them. ‘… surely she is one of the leading ones of Blade God Six Martial Clan’ Putting aside the useless worries, the middle-aged man decided to protect himself by handling the heat invading his body. Shortly after, they saw the end of the passage. “I think we reached the location” The moment they were about to pass into the passage, a white barrier appeared in front of their eyes. It felt strange to finally see the end of the passage. There didn’t seem to be any other entrance after the white wall which blocked them. As they approached the wall, a text was engraved on the wall which seemed to be the entrance side. [Anyone who wishes for the treasures here will be trapped in here for eternity, and will die miserably. For those who try to escape by using force, they will also die] The words were vague and contained ominous warnings. The woman called Blood Master, touched the wall as she read it. Seeing from a distance, it looked like a simple pure white wall, but viewing it up close, she noticed how it was made by stacking the bricks. ‘It couldn’t be, right?’ Just thinking of a possibility, she entered the wall. “Ha!” An annoyed voice escaped from her lips. The walls were made of bricks, each brick stacked upon another, but they seemed to be connected. The wall had been designed so thoughtfully and beautifully that the entire structure would collapse if anyone broke even one brick in the wall to pass through. [Ku…ku…ku… Intruders, no matter how much you try, you will never be able to reach the final floor] It was a warning from the person who called himself the Great Guardian. The people who guarded the underground palace, guarded every hall, and it seemed like this Great Gaurdian was the last guard to protect the treasure. “You are wasting your time here” Shaking her head at the warnings, she entered the wall without any hesitation and was soon followed by the middle-aged man. But the moment they stepped inside, they felt a strange vibration on the floor and the wall, as if the ground was rotating. On the other hand, the 4th underground opening, which was a long way from the 7th level, was a mess. At the bottom of the 4th underground opening, there were traces of fierce battle with numerous lifeless bodies scattered around. It was just a rough estimate, it seemed like there were around 50 dead people. There was only one person who was still breathing in that place. With his clothes stained in thick blood, he seemed to be doing something with the dead bodies. Swish! Cha! Cha! Unusually, he inflicted new wounds on the already dead bodies. Most of the bodies seemed to be dead for a few days now, and he seemed to be carving something on their bodies with their swords. “Ugh, it’s such a mess” It was a complaint for doing it on the body one-by-one. Since only the best of the men entered the base of the Guardian, there was no other choice but to do such tasks. Cha! Cha! Cha! Cha! Killing them didn’t take long, but the process of manipulating the sword on their body to carve things, took a long time. Since there were other tasks which had to be done, this man had to remain alone and clean up the mess, like a servant. ‘Even then, it is almost done’ There were another six dead bodies or so for him to get the work done. Perhaps, the Blood Master, that monster, must have already reached the place where the treasure was being hidden. ‘I need to hurry up’ He, too, was curious about the hidden treasure. As he quickly approached the next body, he felt a sudden release of energy from the common entrance, which was on the other side. ‘Is it possible to have reinforcements sent this quickly?’ It was too short of a time for reinforcements to come. With a curious feeling, he turned his head and looked at the entrance. At the entrance of the passage, a young officer clad in gold armor made an appearance. ‘A Guard?’ He thought it would be reinforcements, but only one person was sent? And the Guard was none other than Hu Bong. As Hu Bong looked at the dead bodies, he clicked his tongue. “Wah… There are more here! This is too much… ugh?” Hu Bong, who was shocked with the number of the corpses lying around, found a man standing among them. Pointing his finger, he shouted at the man. “Found him! I came down 4 levels into the basement, only to barely catch you!” Hu Bong, who was disguised as a Guard, let out a cry as the man raised his eyebrows in confusion. When he felt the energy, he thought an entire squadron of Guardians came, but it was just one person. Moreover, from feeling the energy up close of the Guard, he seemed nothing but a Grand Master level. Although he was a strong Wulin martial arts wielder, it saddened him to know that he would have to take down the Guard, who was just maturing. ‘Ha! How dare he point a finger at me, someone who is higher than him!’ The man didn’t want to come out as cheeky or over confident. Still, just to be sure, the unknown man asked. “Are you alone?” “Ah, yes, I’m still single.” The man was momentarily stunned by the absurd answer from the Guard. “Are you trying to mess with me by using such puns?” “Pun? I just answered your question honestly!” “How dare you!” Phat! The man couldn’t hold back his anger as the Guard continued the joke, so he decided to kill the cheeky Guard. He narrowed the distance between them with five steps in just a single moment and unfolded his sword. “How dare you talk like that to me? I am going to tear down that damn mouth of yours!” As he said that, the exquisite sword Qi spread and soon reached Hu Bong’s face. At that moment… Creep! ‘Th-this is…’ The sudden release of energy began to warn every cell and neuron in his body. The sudden release of another energy made a chill run down his spine. The man who sensed the increased amount of energy, decided to give up an upfront attack and tried to change his tactic, but it was too late. Slash! Pop! Pop! “Cough! Cough! Cough!” In an instant, a sword with black qi spreading around, appeared from behind Hu Bong and stabbed the unknown man right in the chest. Everything happened so fast that the man had no chance to avoid or block the attack. Thud! The man, who got stabbed suddenly began to cough up blood as he collapsed on the floor. Looking at that, Hu Bong shouted. “I believe the person behind me. Hehehe” The person behind Hu Bong was Chun Yeowun. As Chun Yeowun stayed in the passage, he couldn’t be seen, but he was witnessing everything which happened. However, Chun Yeowun couldn’t fully comprehend the skills of the unknown man. “Cough… cough!” The man, who still hadn’t died yet, looked up at Chun Yeowun with shock in his eyes. His face became white and pale, with a grim look in his eyes. ‘Ho, a main seat as myself got overpowered by a young Guard, that too with just one strike?’ It was hard to believe. Moreover, the Guard didn’t even seem that skilled to his eyes. Within a couple seconds, he started denying this reality. Anyone, with such a monster-like skill and agility, could never be part of the Guards. “Cough… Cough… you… you… who the hell… are you?” Looking down at him, Chun Yeowun spoke in a cold voice. “After using my methods on these bodies, how could you not know?” “Methods? … What?!” The man who couldn’t understand the answer at first, soon understood, making him go stiff. There was only one man who would proudly use the word ‘my method’. It was none other than the Lord of the Demonic Cult. ‘Demonic Cult!!! Why are they here?’ The man was supposed to use the Demonic method for their plan to work, but the own Lord of the Demonic Cult made an appearance in front of him! Chuck! “Kuuuuakkk!” As if he was still in thought, Chun Yeowun cut off his right arm. At the sudden severance of the right arm, the man was still unable to comprehend what was happening. While he held onto the severed hand which was bleeding, Chun Yeowun spoke in a calm voice. “I am busy… every time you don’t give me the right answer, I will cut off one of your limbs. Okay?” “Uhhh…” The man was surprised at how Chun Yeowun casually spoke about cutting down the limbs. The man, who was on the ground, started groaning in pain because of his severed arm. At that moment, Chun Yeowun’s sword cut his left thigh. Slash! “AHHHH!!” As he screamed in pain, Chun Yeowun bluntly spoke. “You still haven’t answered me” ‘This… this crazy bastard!’ The man’s face slowly started turning pale due to his limbs being torn. The 6th opening, the last line of defence, before entering the final underground cavity, was the battlefield for a fierce battle. Despite having already sent the monster-like woman to the place, the battle turned into a fight for survival. On the floor, on the side of the entrance, which led to the 7th (Underground) opening, was a middle-aged man with no arms. He was on the three pillars of the Imperial Palace Guardian. The Great Guardian. Thump! The Great Guardian, without arms gritted his teeth in anger. How did such a situation happen? It was a tragedy which took place while he tried to stop the woman, who was referred to as the Blood Master, trying to cross the hall and heading for the 7th opening entrance, while trying to kill the Guardian warriors who were guarding the 7th opening entrance . However, in just one attack, such a result was achieved. ‘How can the Great Guardian of the Imperial Palace turn out like this?’ Even after he was considered as the Master of the Guardians, who reached the Superior Master level, he couldn’t stand against the woman. She truly was an unimaginable monster. The Great Guardian, who lost both his arms, turned helpless after just one attack, but there was no doubt that the other Guardians couldn’t stop her. Slash! “AHHHH!” The entire opening was swarming with sounds of slashes and screams. The woman called Blood Monster, was indeed a monster, but the two bloodsoaked warriors who were standing beside her, were also powerful. One of them was on the same level as the Great Guardian. “Cough!” In the battle, the throats of the court maids were slashed in an instant, not giving them a chance to fight. Although they were women, the Blood Master didn’t go easy on them, and boldly attacked them, making their blood splatter everywhere. It was too painful to watch such battles happen. ‘You will be the last to die’ As commanded by the Blood Master, the Great Guardian wasn’t touched and the others were being killed, by her companions with spears Right now, including the Great Guardian, there were only eight people alive. “Kuek… these people!” Gulp! Tears flowed from the eyes of the Guardians when he saw his companions being killed in the cruelest way possible, right in front of his eyes. They were hoping to be killed first to avoid seeing such a scene, but it seemed that did not go as planned. “Not many are left. They are so terrible!” “I know…” Shock! “Cough!” It was an overwhelmingly incapacitated battle, yet, not a single warrior of the Guardian stepped back and retreated. Also, it was impossible for the two intruders to stay unscathed in a battle with such skilled Guardian warriors. They were injured, albeit, to a minor level. “Uhhh.” Five people left. With only the five of them remaining, they were all terrified of losing the remaining companions. They were aware of what outcome would come from engaging in a battle with these enemies. Clang! The woman held the spear in her hand and raised the other hand as she stepped forward. The hand signals were meant to deal with the people in the best way possible. The man with her nodded. “Woohoo, you can do whatever you want with these people” When the women’s order was told loudly, the man smiled as he walked for the remaining surviving warriors of the Guardian. Tap! Tap! Tap! ‘What?’ At that time, something like mud began to fall on their heads. None of them cared, thinking that the mud-like object was falling as a result of the fierce battle happening underground, but that was when the middle-aged man, accompanying the woman, shouted. “Blood Master! Avoid it! Crack! At that very moment, a crack appeared as the ceiling broke and collapsed. Large pieces of rocks, comparable to huge stones, began to fall to the floor. “Shit!” Shocked by the unexpected turn of events, the one with the spear, the man who accompanied Blood Master, moved forward. Kwak! Kwak! Kwak! He started hitting the huge rocks that were falling from the ceiling. And thanks to that, dust flew everywhere and obscured everyone’s vision. ‘Th-thank god!’ Although the place was a mess, the man with the spear sighed in relief as he managed to avoid large rocks. He couldn’t hear the voice of the Blood Master, if she was a second late in escaping the rocks, she would have been injured for sure and said something. As the dust began to set, the man with the spear could see an outline of a figure. ‘Who is that?’ Though he could see a person, he couldn’t feel any energy from that person. It was like an ordinary person who didn’t learn martial arts. Whing! At that time, the figure shook his hand lightly in the air, and the dust, which was covering the area, soon subsided. Doing so, the figure’s appearance was visible to everyone there. “What?” A young man with white face and long hair was wearing the Guard’s uniform. However, there was something about his face that felt familiar. “Ah! It can’t be, right?” The eyes of the one called Blood Master, and the spear man widened. It was none other than their companion, whom the Blood Master had ordered to work on leaving sword marks on the corpses of the upper levels of the underground. Chapter 360 - Not An Ally Chapter 360 - Not An Ally This man was supposed to come down to this place after he was done putting the Demonic Art mark on the corpses. However, unexpected situations occurred. How could he have known that his head would get cut off in the hands of a guard he had never heard of. Both the Blood Master and the man with the spear were at a loss of words, and the long haired man in a gold uniform spoke, while his lips curled into a cruel smile. “This was the fastest way” The guard with long hair, pure white face and gold uniform was Chun Yeowun. Why did he make an appearance in that underground level by breaking the ceiling? It was a drastic attempt. A few hours ago… “Besides these ones, there are four more people?” “Cough… cough… that is right” The man caught by Chun Yeowun wasn’t just grunting in pain while his arms and legs were being cut off. He also told information about his companions to Chun Yeowun. It was all so that he could get hit in his head and die without suffering any more. Suddenly, the temperature in the surroundings started to rise. Chun Yeowun didn’t have any choice but to cut off his neck before the man tried to selfdestruct himself with energy running wild in his body. Chun Yeowun was told about the number of people who were inside. And, one of the purposes that they infiltrated the Guardian Hall was because it held the blood of Qilin in the Royal Shrine. ‘So it really does exist’ That alien energy which was felt from the court ladies, the red scales on their skin, everything pointed to something suspicious happening and for the Qilin blood to be real! ‘Anyways, I’ll have to hurry up’ He had no idea what would happen if the precious blood of Qilin got into the hands of the infiltrators. He had to stop them at all costs so that another problem didn’t pop up. However, the passages and the halls connected in the basement were a lot more complicated than Chun Yeowun thought, which gave Chun Yeowun a bold idea. ‘Break through the ground!’ Even the sapphire wall could be burst through with Chun Yeowun’s power. Combining it with Air Sword, it was worth a try. And the result was, he came down to the 6th level through the ceiling. ‘G-Guard?’ It wasn’t just the infiltrators who were shocked by Chun Yeowun appearing from the ceiling. The warriors of the Imperial Palace Guardian were shocked too. Looking at the appearance, they couldn’t help but feel that a guard had just entered the hall. ‘Ahhh!’ ‘May-maybe it’s the reinforcements?’ Due to the unusual appearance, the remaining warriors misunderstood that His Majesty, the Emperor, had sent reinforcements for them. Their desire to hold onto life made them lose their reasoning. “Hi-His Majesty has sent us reinforcements!” “Yeahhhh!” As one of the warriors shouted, the rest of the Guardian warriors cheered. The face of the Great Guardian, who was in despair, leaning against a wall turned red. He just saw someone fall from the sky. “Long live the Emperor!” They were extremely grateful for the Emperor’s grace. At the sound of their cheers, the eyes of the two Jang Po-in (Spearmen) turned pale. While the others were cheering, they were shocked. They already reached the conclusion that the colleague, whose job was to put demonic arts marks on the corpses, had died at the hands of this guard. ‘Just one guard did that?’ A measly Imperial Guard, who didn’t learn Wulin but mastered any kind of martial arts, struck and killed their companion? The Spearman, who couldn’t hold back his emotions and started rushing towards Chun Yeowun. ‘Ah! He’s so impatient!’ The Spearman, who released energy, couldn’t hide his anger. The guard in front of him had just come down through the ceiling. The spearman couldn’t grasp just how strong the man was. “DIE!!” Woong! From the Spearman’s spear, a blue qi began to rise. Unlike any general spearman, the one in this man’s hand was long and had an exquisite look. As the spear went to attack, dozens of trajectories of the spearheads formed, covered, and headed towards Chun Yeowun. Cha! Cha! Cha! Cha! Cha! Each of the arrow heads aiming only for the Guard. The warriors, who thought that the guard was there to save them, screamed on top of their voices. “Avoid! Deflect them!” Dealing such an attack from close range was impossible. Even the Great Guardian would have a hard time at tackling this attack. Everyone wanted the guard to avoid the attack. ‘Oh! In the front?’ Rather than listening to the warriors, Chun Yeowun walked towards the spearheads as if he didn’t care at all. “You idiot! You are only walking towards your death!” The lip corners of the Spearman rose. Although he attacked on emotions, he wasn’t sure where the battle would go. This spear attack is a combination of many spear attacks. He had invented the technique himself. At that time, Chun Yeowun threw the spy’s head in his extended hand. Chak! ‘What?’ At that moment, the Spearman’s eyes went wide. It definitely looked like Chun Yeowun pulling out a sword from his waist, and he seemed like he picked out a white sword, but only half of its body came out. ‘No-no way!’ At that moment. Cha! Cha! Cha! Cha! Clang! Clang! The spearheads, which were heading towards the Chun Yeowun, suddenly got deflected and bounced towards all the directions. It looked as if the spearheads had hit an invisible wall. ‘Ah! What is this attack?’ Looking at the skill, even the Great Guardian couldn’t hide his shocked expression. This guard seemed similar to the monstrous woman called the Blood Master, the Great Guardian thought. Crrrrrk! “Kuak!” Blood flowed from both the hands of the Spearman, who held the spear tightly. Why? How did that happen? His palms were torn! It was the aftermath of his own attacks being deflected by Chun Yeowun. The deflected attacks reflected with such a speed that even the spearman’s body couldn’t handle it, and when the spearheads touched his palm, the palms tore. ‘I can’t handle him’ Even though the spearman pulled out his best attack, he was the one who got hurt, not Chun Yeowun. Clang! Clang! Clang! The Spearman, who couldn’t overcome the constant attacks for the Air Sword, got pushed back by ten steps. As if he passed through the storm, his hair turned into a mess and his eyes were losing focus. In the midst of all that, he couldn’t help but shout at the Guard who was displaying such skill. “Y-you… who the hell are you?! How could you use that skill?!” It was no surprise that he screamed. The skill Chun Yeowun used to deflect the arrows was the 5th level skill of Blade God Six Martial Clan’s. It was a technique that not everyone could use, and even those who reached the highest levels, had trouble using it. To use that technique meant that the guard was someone more skilled than the spearman. ‘How could this happen…’ The problem was that the technique Chun Yeowun used was something only a few of the elders in the Blade God Six Clan could use. This attack, the Extreme Art of Blade God, added speed to the body which made the body bypass the normal limit, and there was no way that someone other than the Blade God Six Clan could learn it. “How is a Guard using our… ugh!” Clang! Suddenly, the spearman’s spear cracked and broke into two pieces. It was no surprise that Chun Yeowun decided to close the distance between them. “You talk a lot” “Ugh!” Spearman tried to increase the distance between them by swinging the broken spear and taking steps back. However, Chun Yeowun was much faster, leaving afterimages as he approached the spearman and jumped towards the man. ‘H-how is he using the Extreme Art of Blade God?’ Shocked by the guard using their swordsman skills, the spearman began to increase the energy as he rotated the spear’s pieces to defend any incoming attacks. Puck! Shhhhh! “Cough!” However, Chun Yeowun appeared behind him. A black energy with an eerie feeling rose from Chun Yeowun fingers, which were holding onto the sword. The Spearman stared at his chest in shock. ‘He has such unbelievable skills?’ His chest was wide open and a hole was present where Chun Yeowun attacked. Chun Yeowun, casually mumbled under his breath. “I am sorry, but I am in a hurry, so I don’t have time to deal with you” The sword, which penetrated the spearman’s chest, was giving out a heavenly aura. In an instant, the guard was able to change the sword skills. The guard seemed to be a terrifying person because even the Superior Master of the Blade God Six Martial clan couldn’t do such a skill. “.. impossible. How can I…” Thud! The spearman who was muttering to himself stopped talking and fell down to the ground. The moment he fell to the ground, the warriors of the Guardian screamed loudly. “Woahhhh!” “He killed the enemy!” Even when fifty warriors tried to attack him at the same time, the spearman only had shallow wounds on his body, but this man, with his amazing skills, killed two of the infiltrators. ‘This…! How did such a talent bloom in the Guards?’ At first, the Great Guardian was thrilled because he assumed that this guard was His Majesty’s reinforcements. Among the Guards, the Southern Commander was known to be strongest, but no one had witnessed his strength. Even if he was a guard who was solely appointed to protect the Emperor, this guard was giving out a feeling that he could take down dozens of infiltrators. The guard seemed to be as strong as the Spearman without breaking a sweat. It was almost as if the guard was one of the top 5 Wulin warriors. ‘It can’t be! How can he die with only two strikes?’ Another spearman, who was there, couldn’t hide his shock. The dead man was known to be inferior in the skills of the Blade God Six Martial Clan, but he was talented in terms of Moorim. ‘A guard took him down?’ The warriors of the Great Guardian couldn’t understand how he belonged to the Guards. If everyone of the guards were this strong, then the spies who infiltrated the Palace could be taken down by them easily and quickly. ‘No. He is unlike any Guard I’ve seen. Who is this person?’ Confusion arose among the warriors minds. They wouldn’t have been so confused if Chun Yeowun didn’t use the Extreme Art of Blade God. At that moment, Chun Yeowun turned towards him and asked: “Are you the last one here?” His icy eyes stared at the infiltrator. ‘Damn it!’ Srrrrng! Just meeting Chun Yeowun’s gaze made the Spearman feel fear. Crossing blows with the monstrous Guard in front didn’t matter to him anymore. There was no need to fight a losing battle. Death was the only result for him. To fight against someone you cannot deal was beyond stupid. ‘I need to take him to Blood Master’ That monster was the only one who could deal with Chun Yeowun in the spearman’s eyes. There was no way a spearman could take down the Guard. Thinking so, he decided to escape towards Blood Master, and started to move. ‘I need to create a gap between us’ Woong! The infiltrator raised his spear and began to release energy to the place where Chun Yeowun was standing. He wasn’t exactly aiming at Chun Yeowun, but just around Chun Yeowun. Bang! Bang! Bang! As the floor got hit, dust began to rise around Chun Yeowun, obscuring his vision. All the infiltrator needed was a moment to run away. ‘Now!’ Once the spearman saw enough dust rise, he quickly moved to the passage which would lead them to the last hall. It was the right choice. Facing a confrontation with Chun Yeowun would only bring him death. Woosh! Suddenly something moved. The spearman ignored it and rushed towards the passage, but a light suddenly appeared at the entrance of the passage. However, after running, he couldn’t help but stop at the entrance, which was currently blocked. Kiik! “H-how is this possible?” The man was shocked after seeing the passage being blocked. While he saw that it was just some simple light, it gave him an eerie sensation. And then, something amazing happened. Shiiiiing! Dozens of ice swords floated in the air right at the entrance of the passage, all pointing towards him. The man was speechless. “Ice Swords? It can’t be!” No one would even know how the Ice Swords work unless they saw them. It was even questionable whether it was realistically possible to create such a large number of Ice Swords. ‘What the hell? Is he some kind of monster?’ The Ice Swords seemed like they were desperate to plunge into the man. “Did you really think that you could run away?” ‘Sh-shit!’ The voice of Chun Yeowun reached in the spearman’s ears. Sadly, even his plan to live a little longer failed. The man, who lost his last resort, felt his heart pounding against his ribs. He wielded his spear and stood against the ice sword. ‘Just end it!’ It was better to break through the Ice Swords than deal with the monster behind him. The spearman unfolded his best technique to break down all the Ice Swords. Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Among the techniques based on Blade God Six Martial clan, his forte was close combat. As he took position, dozens of ice swords flew towards him like rain falling to the ground. Swooosh! ‘I just need to be vigilant!’ In order to not get hit, the man began to release energy as swords collided and fell. Clang! Clang! clang! Although the ice swords were sharp and hard, it couldn’t compare to the strength of a real sword. Whenever his spear clashed with the Ice Sword, the Ice Sword would crumble. After realizing this, color returned to the man’s face. ‘I can get away!’ Half of the Ice Swords were already broken, but there was one thing he missed. If it was a Grand Master, then moving while using the Ice Sword would be tough. However, Chun Yeowun was not normal, with the help of the system, he could simultaneously control the Ice Sword and move. “His Back is unprotected” “What?” The moment the man turned his head, a voice surprised him from behind. Puck! “Cough!” A white sword passed through the spearman’s neck. The spearman had no time to react. His eyes, which were filled with life and hope thinking that he could escape, soon turned into despair. “…how?” He wanted to ask how the Guard could move but the next moment, he lost his life. Thud! Puck! The man’s neck cracked and his head fell onto the floor. “Woah!” Cheers escaped from the mouth of the Great Guardian who leaned towards the entrance. Seeing the man’s head roll around, he couldn’t help but admire the guard. It would be no exaggeration to call the man as God’s Warrior. ‘This is amazing! To think there was such a skilled man…’ His identity didn’t matter anymore and he was fortunate enough that this monster was their ally. ‘Right! This person will be able to deal with that monstrous woman!’ It’s been quite some time since the woman went down and if the Guard hurried, he could stop her from touching the treasure. “Ugh! Go down and stop the enemies in there. You need to hurry before the treasure gets stolen!” With urgency in his voice, the Great Guardian shouted to Chun Yeowun. However, he felt something was off. ‘?’ Chun Yeowun approached him without saying anything. The Great Guardian, who was puzzled, started to worry. “G-Guard?” As the Guardian felt scared and the Guard spoke. “What should I do?” “What do you mean?” “… I am not your ally either” “Huh? What is that…” Slash! Before he could respond, Chun Yeowun slit his throat. The head of the Great Guardian, whose throat was slit, fell on the floor with a thud. “What the hell?” “Guard! How can you do this?!” In an instant, the warriors who were cheering and believed that he was an ally sent by the Emperor went mute and still. It was natural that they were shocked. After all, it was the head of the Great Guardian which fell down. Turning his head, Chun Yeowun asked the remaining warriors. “Guard… do I still look like a Guard?” “!?” If he wasn’t the Guard, then who was he? Chun Yeowun lifted his sword and aimed it at them, and spoke in an authoritative voice. “I am the Lord of the Ten Thousand Mountains” “Ten Thousand Mountains? No… Demonic Cult?” The Lord of the Ten Thousand Mountains was another term for the Lord of Demonic Cult. Their eyes, which looked at Chun Yeowun, went wide at the obvious truth that he spoke. But that wasn’t the end. “And now I am an enemy who is going to kill you all” “!!!” Slash! The moment he was done speaking, Chun Yeowun unfolded the Sword Force of Heavenly Demon.