Chapter 231
Chapter 231. The Dungeon
It was the hour when the sun was setting. Nearly a full day had passed since she had been brought into the underground dungeon.
Sitting on the dust-covered floor, So-hwa counted the days.
There would have been travel time from Emei Mountain to the Tang Clan, so by the time a Blood Sect member came looking for her, the Demonic Sect would have arrived at the Tang Clan estate about a day earlier.
So-hwa folded one finger.
At the time, she had immediately handed the Blood Sect member over to the Four Seasons Hall, and the Four Seasons Hall Lord had responded swiftly, promptly dispatching the Four Directions Hall Lord to confirm the passage.
'Now two days.......'
A little more than two days must have passed since the Demonic Sect arrived at the Tang Clan estate.
Even if the Four Directions Hall Lord returned the day after tomorrow and guided them through the passage, it would take another two to three days to move to Sichuan.
Her finger stopped.
'Support can only arrive about seven days after the Demonic Sect attacks the Tang Clan.'
Without a word, So-hwa lowered her hand.
The Tang Clan estate would have to endure seven days and nights against the Demonic Sect.
And that was assuming an optimistic scenario.
If no passage existed, they would have to run directly to Sichuan.
The condition of a martial artist who arrived after running for seven days and nights could not be compared to that of one who arrived after running for only two days.
Combat strength deteriorated in proportion to time.
So-hwa leaned her head against the wall.
Her weak heart once again recalled the shortcut.
'...... Could I persuade Namgung Hyun once more?'
If, as Namgung Hyun had said, they could move directly to the Tang Clan estate, there would be nothing to worry about.
The heads of giant sects counted among the greatest in the Central Plains would be going together, at peak condition, no less. Even if the Demonic Sect numbered four hundred, there was no way they would lose.
In fact, in her previous life, the Demonic Sect had been suppressed by three sects that went to Sichuan, even though they arrived after days of running.
She unconsciously looked up at her luck, then put that thought aside.
She could not waste an opportunity by wishing for luck that could not be attained.
So-hwa continued to think about the fastest possible way to arrive.
Could she ask the Hao Sect's informants at the Red Sea Pavilion for help? Surely they had a way to transmit news quickly.
It was then.
Sensing a presence beyond the door, So-hwa lifted her head from the wall.
Step.
Footsteps entered the underground dungeon, into which not a single ray of light reached.
She felt a familiar lingering aura.
Soon, the person who had approached the door spoke.
"Are you all right?"
So-hwa's eyebrows lifted.
"How did you get in?"
Namgung Hyun did not answer. Only the sound of fabric brushing against wood tickled her eardrums. It seemed he had sat down leaning against the door.
He looked like he had come for a long conversation.
Unable to grasp the situation, So-hwa waited for him to speak first.
After a long while, Namgung Hyun's voice came.
"Why...... did you not tell them?"
It seemed that the fact she had been imprisoned in the dungeon had already spread.
"Did the Clan Head grant the young warrior permission to enter?"
"No."
"Then how did you enter the pavilion?"
"Calculating a distance of this degree is not particularly difficult for me."
Only after a short pause did So-hwa understand his words.
"The formation you mentioned?"
"Yes."
"You can move into the pavilion as well?"
A faint sound of air escaped—whether a sigh or a dry laugh, she could not tell.
"It is possible. However, had I done that, a hole would have been left in this pavilion. I entered through the rear door."
The space between the rear door and the wall was narrow. With the view obscured, it was easy to hide and enter. In fact, Namgung Jin had once climbed over that very wall to infiltrate the Tang Clan pavilion.
So-hwa's eyes narrowed slightly.
The passage between the pavilion and the wall was so narrow that two people walking side by side would completely fill it. The fact that he could move to such a place was astonishing.
"Can you calculate the destination that precisely?"
While she thought it made sense, given that it was a talent the Blood Demon coveted, her feelings grew complicated.
Because it occurred to her that the Namgung Hyun of her previous life had also been able to go to Sichuan quite easily.
For something as simple as inscribing a formation on the ground, he had described it as a long journey and turned away the Tang Clan's request. That memory stirred strange emotions.
At that moment, as if he had read her thoughts, Namgung Hyun answered.
"The closer the distance, the more precisely the formation can be deployed. However, the farther the distance, the harder it becomes to estimate the arrival range. The same technique might connect to a lakeside one day, and into the mountains on another."
"Is Sichuan a long distance?"
"Yes, it can be considered far."
"Then even if you had drawn the formation, it would have been difficult to guarantee arriving at the Tang Clan estate."
So-hwa's voice was calm, but it carried a subtle disappointment. Her gaze dropped to the dark floor.
"In truth, that is what I came to talk about."
So-hwa's eyes, which had been fixed on her hem, lifted.
Soon, a bright voice flowed through the crack in the door, like sunlight piercing the darkness.
"I have thought of a way to move everyone without revealing my identity."
So-hwa silently looked at the door.
"Calculating the location of a pavilion is actually not difficult. One could even say it is easier than understanding a person's standing position on land or in the mountains. Moreover, since there is no interference from nature such as wind or water, the probability of completing the formation within time is high."
As Namgung Hyun offered a hopeful explanation, he then raised a matter that was far less hopeful.
"However, the farther the land requesting the connection, the harder it is to calculate its position. Even if one intends to move into the Tang Clan estate, one could end up dropping right into the middle of enemy territory."
"......."
"A sorcerer's art borrows the power of the Five Elements—an act in which humans, standing between heaven and earth, display their skill upon the land and seek the heavens' permission."
He explained in a way that even those who were not practitioners of dark arts could understand.
"The Five Elements are nature itself. When rain, the shadows of trees, and the like interfere and obscure human skill, intent becomes distorted. Thus, calculating a spell perfectly is not really a matter of dexterity or intelligence. If one must put it bluntly......."
Namgung Hyun seemed hesitant, then added,
"It means being favored by heaven."
She already knew, having heard it from the Alliance Leader, that he was a practitioner favored by heaven.
"Young warrior."
So-hwa, who had been quietly listening, cut in.
"Are you, perhaps, trying to help me right now?"
"Yes, that is my intention."
The sound of her heart dropping seemed to block her ears.
So-hwa slowly approached the door against which Namgung Hyun leaned, afraid of missing a single sound.
"I am considering moving the Tang Clan's pavilion itself."
"This pavilion, right now?"
"Yes. If we fill each room with people, then I alone enter an empty room and inscribe the formation, we should be able to move to Sichuan without anyone noticing. In truth, it does not have to be the Tang Clan's pavilion. As long as there is space to hold roughly two hundred and sixty people—sixty from Wudang, fifty from Mount Hua, fifty from Namgung, and one hundred from the Tang Clan—it will suffice."
Namgung Hyun added,
"It seemed that the only building whose disappearance from the main grounds would not cause major issues was the guest pavilion, which is why I suggested it."
"Since we are not laying people down, if five to ten people enter a room, it should be enough to accommodate everyone."
"Yes. If it is a Tang Clan pavilion, capacity will not be an issue."
Namgung Hyun said in a calm voice.
"There are two points that concern me. One is calculating a destination within the Tang Clan estate where there are no people, and the second is gathering all those who will travel to Sichuan into the Tang Clan pavilion."
He continued in a grave tone.
"If the calculation goes wrong and the Tang Clan's storehouse swaps positions, the Tang Clan's secret records could be exposed at the main grounds. Or the pavilion could be transferred, split in half, seriously injuring those inside. Moreover, the Young Lady's family is currently there, is it not?"
So-hwa's expression hardened. Fortunately, he did not stop there and proposed a solution.
"That is why it would be better to move to an uninhabited location, so that even if an error occurs, it will not cause major problems. However, from what I recall, there were not many secluded places within the Tang Clan, so I must be cautious."
After pausing briefly, Namgung Hyun suggested a location.
"If you are amenable, may I calculate the destination as your study, Young Lady Tang?"
At his words, a strange expression crossed So-hwa's face. But Namgung Hyun, unaware of it, persuaded her in an apologetic tone.
"If it is a place I have been to, I can calculate the location in much greater detail. Also, from what I remember, your study was quite far from the other pavilions, and one had to pass through a forest path to go outside, which should make it easier to conceal the dark arts."
"I do not mind. If it allows us to reach the Tang Clan estate as soon as possible, I will follow your words, whatever they may be."
"I am glad to hear you say that."
Namgung Hyun let out a small sigh.
"Now, the biggest problem remains."
He spoke in a heavy voice.
"We need someone to gather people into the Tang Clan pavilion. If I say it, it would be no different from openly confessing. I even considered confessing that I am a member of the Blood Sect, but if that were to happen, within the Namgung Clan......."
Namgung Hyun suddenly stopped speaking.
It seemed difficult for him to continue.
So-hwa, who knew the atmosphere of the Namgung Clan well, understood the meaning he had swallowed.
"You don't need to say it yourself, young warrior."
She closed her mouth for a moment, as if thinking, then spoke again.
"When you return to the Namgung Clan pavilion, please send a message to Grand Elder Tang Min. If it is him, he will come down to see me just from receiving a letter."
No one had gone down to the underground dungeon out of concern for the Tang Clan Head's mood, but ignoring the Clan Head's orders was an exceedingly easy matter for Tang Min.
"I will tell the Grand Elder that I have found a way. He will trust me, so you do not need to reveal your identity."
Namgung Hyun parted his lips as if to say something. However, unable to see that, So-hwa continued speaking.
She asked the question she was most curious about.
"Then, when can we depart?"
Her voice was urgent, and Namgung Hyun could not ignore the question.
In the end, he swallowed what he had been about to say and answered her.
"If those who are leaving simply fill the pavilion, we can reach the Tang Clan estate within this watch."
"This watch?"
"Yes. I only need the time to inscribe the formation."
"I understand."
So-hwa replied for now.
With a method in sight, her heart grew impatient.
She resented being confined underground. If there had been a window, she would have summoned Mae-hwa and found a way to move directly herself. She had no choice but to wait until Namgung Hyun sent Tang Min.
Step.
Hearing Namgung Hyun rise, So-hwa hurriedly called out to him.
"Young warrior."
"Yes."
"The Clan Head is not in a good mood. I worry he may speak harshly to you, so please be careful on your way back."
There was no immediate reply.
Then, with an inexplicable laugh, Namgung Hyun spoke.
"Do not worry."
"And."
A small sigh, as if in relief, followed.
"Thank you for making your decision."
Namgung Hyun had more he wished to say, but knowing what Tang So-hwa wanted, he did not linger and turned away.
Each step he took up the stairs to the surface stirred dust into the air.
Reaching the first floor, he surveyed his surroundings.
He was not particularly fortunate by nature, so he always needed to be cautious.
Especially now, when he had resolved to make a mistake, he had to be even more careful.
Step.
Having climbed to the third floor, he fixed his gaze on a single lit room.
A fierce aura reached him even where he stood at the end of the corridor.
It was the room where the master of the Tang Clan resided.
After watching it with sunken eyes, Namgung Hyun took a step forward.
"Who goes there?"
The voice rang out the instant he moved.
A martial artist of the White Tiger Unit, who had been concealing himself, appeared.
The White Tiger Unit martial artist stood with his back to the door as if guarding the Clan Head's room, staring at him.
The White Tiger Unit already knew the intruder's identity. At the Alliance of Noble Clans, the Clan Head had ordered his every move watched, so the young man's face was very familiar. For that reason, the White Tiger Unit did not treat Namgung Hyun with excessive suspicion.
Namgung Hyun offered a polite bow.
"I wish to have an audience with the Clan Head."
"The Clan Head is not someone you may see simply because you wish to."
Maintaining courtesy, the White Tiger Unit dismissed him at his post.
However, Namgung Hyun said something unexpected.
"Young Lady Tang does not need to be confined in the dungeon."
The White Tiger Unit martial artist frowned.
He could not understand the sudden remark.
"Please, at least convey to the Clan Head that I request an audience."
Letting out a short breath, Namgung Hyun spoke as if resolved.
"I wish to inform him of the reason Young Lady Tang came to see me."