Chapter 182 : Younger Sister
"Cheon Yeohwa? My younger sister, Yeohwa?"
"!?"
Although Namgung Hui was quite flustered by the name Cheon Yeohwa, he quickly regained his composure and thought.
'How many people in this world have the same name?'
"Mad Dragon... no. Cheon Museong. Get a grip. I'm Namgung Hui. Namgung Hui. The Hidden Dragon."
Namgung Hui infused his true ki into the Mad Dragon, hoping he would return to his senses.
Perhaps because Namgung Hui's thunder ki contained the energy of dispelling evil and upholding righteousness.
Or perhaps because of the stinging sensation.
The focus in his somewhat hazy gaze was corrected, and his expression returned to normal.
"Keuk...! My head. Why did I wake up here...?"
"How much do you remember?"
The Mad Dragon, who had belatedly confirmed Namgung Hui's face, opened his eyes wide and said.
"It's the Hidden Dragon!"
"Yes. It's me. If you've come to your senses, answer me properly."
"Ha! I'm in this state because of you, do you think I'd answer you obediently?"
"You never know. I might be able to help you because I feel sorry for you."
Now that he couldn't trust the Demonic Fist and Bukgung Jinwu.
It wasn't a bad thing to increase the variables just in case.
He could even use the Mad Dragon as bait if necessary.
The more options, the better.
"What makes you think I'd trust you?"
"Looking at the situation, it seems you've been abandoned by the Hoicheon Association. Is that true?"
"...That's because my identity was revealed, so it had to flow that way. I knew it would be like this from the beginning."
"Isn't that the same thing? 'If you're caught, die.' That's what it is. Still, I really don't understand why they would consume a Transcendent master like this."
The Mad Dragon, who had been hesitating for a moment, continued.
"...It's probably because they need a justification. After all, I'm one of the Seven Dragons of the White Path martial world. Using this as an excuse, the Association will probably turn the attention of the Martial Alliance to the Blood Cult. They have a justification, and they will surely plan things to make them judge that it's that much of a threat. Probably, besides me, other orthodox faction members have gone missing or will be announced to have been killed by Blood Cult members."
"They're trying to take advantage of the situation? Since they have people they've recruited within the Martial Alliance. If they just fan the flames a little, the Blood Cult and the Martial Alliance will just fight each other to the death."
"Keuk...! What on earth did you do to me? Why does my head hurt so much?"
"I'm sorry, but I don't know. Since the Demonic Fist said she would take you to the Demonic Physician, she must have given you some medicine or performed some medical treatment."
At the words 'Demonic Physician,' the Mad Dragon's expression was stained with complexity.
"The Demonic Physician? Then don't tell me..."
"I don't know what you're thinking, but let me ask you one thing. The Cheon Yeohwa you mentioned a while ago..."
Suddenly, the Mad Dragon shot up and grabbed Namgung Hui's collar.
"You...! Where did you hear that name!"
"Where did I hear it? It just came out of your mouth. Do you really not remember?"
"I said it...?"
The Mad Dragon still looked at Namgung Hui with a confused gaze, as if his memory had not fully returned.
"Then where would I have heard that name? I'm really getting curious what the Demonic Physician did. For a Transcendent master to be so out of it."
"If so... has the restriction been lifted? Cheon. Yeo. Hwa. Hmph!"
The Mad Dragon uttered the name Cheon Yeohwa and hurriedly covered his mouth.
What on earth was the meaning of that name that he was making such a fuss?
Namgung Hui, curious about that, had no choice but to ask again.
"So who is Cheon Yeohwa?"
"...She's my younger sister."
"Really? Coincidentally, she has the same name as someone I know. But since you're a member of the Demonic Heaven, the Cheonhwa Merchant Guild..."
Hudadak.
This time too, the Mad Dragon stood up like a thunderbolt and grabbed Namgung Hui's collar.
Now, Namgung Hui just stared at him without even being surprised.
"Don't tell me you're going to ask where I heard it again?"
"Y-yes! Where did you hear that!"
"It seems it will take a long time to explain this. Why don't you sit down? And lower your voice. Although I've cast a soundproofing formation, it's still immature, so the sound might leak out."
The Mad Dragon, who had nodded, plopped down.
In fact, although Namgung Hui pretended not to be surprised, he was quite surprised inside.
'I wondered if it was possible, but he's Cheon Yeohwa's brother? How on earth is that possible?'
Namgung Hui sat down opposite the Mad Dragon to resolve his curiosity.
The Mad Dragon, who met Namgung Hui's gaze in time with him, opened his mouth with a calm tone.
"I'm at a loss as to where to start."
"Just tell me from the beginning. I have about two hours left."
It seemed he would have to postpone the investigation of the clan village he had originally planned for later.
Since it seemed difficult to investigate in his current state anyway, was it rather a relief?
"Alright. Since you say so, I'll tell you from the beginning. Don't complain that the story is getting long."
And so, the Mad Dragon's long story, as he had boasted, continued for quite a long time.
Namgung Hui learned a lot of information, and the Hoicheon Association's scheme that had been cast over the Cheonhwa Merchant Guild was dirtier and more elaborate than he had thought.
"So they planned it for 20 years. They're really vicious bastards. 10 years ago, you were sold off because of debt. 5 years later, your parents, and recently, Cheon Yeohwa was sold off."
"So I'm asking, is Yeohwa really doing well?"
"The Association definitely knows about it. Even the Demonic Heaven probably knows. The escape of your younger sister from the Black Market was quite a big incident."
Hadn't Eon Jiyeon and Namgung Hui spectacularly set off the thunderclap bombs?
On top of that, the elder named Daesangheum, who seemed to be a force of the Demonic Heaven, had even used demonic arts.
If so, it meant that the Demonic Heaven had provided the demonic arts to the Black Market, so there was no way the Demonic Heaven, which was in a close relationship, wouldn't know about it.
"And Murong Yeonhui, who was at the Golden Merchant Guild, also knew about your younger sister's whereabouts, along with the Chang Gung Merchant Guild. If so, it means that at least the Imperial Heaven knows."
"As expected. I was just a pawn..."
It seemed the Hoicheon Association had aimed for not only the Cheonhwa Merchant Guild's banknote business but also the Mad Dragon, who had outstanding martial talent.
On top of that, they had been exploiting him for over 10 years, saying that if he just carried out the orders they gave him, they would cancel the Cheonhwa Merchant Guild's debt.
And most of all, the most shocking fact was the method of the restriction; it was called 'gudok', and they would insert a parasite imbued with sorcery into the brain to restrict the utterance of certain words, and if this was violated, the brain would be turned into mush, leading to death.
'They're extremely vicious bastards. To implant a male in the hosts and control them with the female the practitioner has.'
It seemed the Demonic Physician had removed the gudok through a surgical method.
That was why the Mad Dragon, whose brain had been somewhat damaged, had his memory confused.
Still, if he could remove the gudok with just this much of a side effect, it was a profitable business.
"Mad Dragon. No, Cheon Museong. Now that you know that all the Hoicheon Association's words were lies and that they were just using you, how about coming over to our side?"
"...I'd love to, but if I join that side, Yeohwa might be in danger. Although I only know the first half of the Heaven-Shattering Mad Demon Fist, I know other core information of the Hoicheon Association. This is a type of information that can't be found out even if they break the restriction and hypnotize me. Because I've encrypted it myself."
"Oho. Encryption. Quite clever."
If they couldn't figure out not only the existence of the code but also the way to solve it, the words the Mad Dragon uttered would just sound like empty words.
Or they would think he had gone crazy and was spouting nonsense.
Because it was made to sound that way if you didn't know the formula for interpreting the code.
"So if the Association finds out I'm alive, they will definitely chase me. Even if it's the Namgung family."
"How great is the information you know? Do you know the shame of the Martial Alliance Leader?"
"No. Does the Martial Alliance Leader have such a thing... he does. Anyway. That's not it."
"Then is it the General's secret taste?"
"The General, who is just a eunuch, has no such hobby."
"Then how great is the information? Let me know too."
Cheon Museong, who was pondering with a serious expression.
He was serious, as if he were at a crossroads in his life.
A little while later, Cheon Museong slowly opened his mouth with a resolved expression.
"I know the conspiracy the Association is plotting. Specifically, when, where, and what they will do. On top of that, I also know some very surprising information. I can guarantee this. It's information that will surprise you very much. For your information, I haven't passed this information on to the Association."
Namgung Hui picked his ear at the cliché answer and said.
"Since you were involved in the conspiracy the Association was plotting, you would naturally know that. What kind of great information is it that you're so hesitant to say? Just say it quickly."
Cheon Museong, who had nodded, continued.
"I know where the Heavenly Demon Divine Art manual is sleeping."
"What!? The Heavenly Demon Divine Art?!"
To the point where Namgung Hui's two eyes popped out.
He couldn't help but be surprised by this.
Not any other martial art, but the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, the best ultimate technique of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Art was a supreme divine art that could not even be called a demonic art.
In all of history, if you were to pick a martial art comparable to the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, it would be at most the legendary North Sea Divine Art or the Dugu Nine Swords.
That was how invincible the Heavenly Demon Divine Art was.
The reason Namgung Cheonhu was able to fight the Heavenly Demon to a mutual destruction was because of the spirit medicines he had eaten like rice since he was young, and because Namgung Cheonhu was at least 10 years older than the Heavenly Demon, so his total amount of internal energy was ahead.
In Namgung Hui's opinion, he had no doubt that his sworn brother's talent for martial arts was superior to the Heavenly Demon's.
Because his sworn brother's martial talent was the Three Talents Body, which was comparable to the Heavenly Martial Body.
'Even though my sworn brother was such a genius in martial arts, the reason the Heavenly Demon could close that gap was thanks to the greatness of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. The Great Expansion Divine Art and the Azure Sky Boundless Sword Art were also divine arts, but they were lacking.'
While Namgung Hui was reminiscing about the past, Cheon Museong continued with a triumphant tone.
"Yes. It's the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. However, the Association doesn't know that the information about the manual I found is the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. On top of that, the information I found is honestly abstract information. It's not the exact location."
At the words 'not certain,' Namgung Hui looked at Cheon Museong with a disappointed expression and said.
"Then it's as good as not knowing, isn't it? I don't think the Association will chase you with their eyes on fire. No matter how much you know about the Association's conspiracy."
In the first place, if they were worried about leaking such information, they would not have thrown him as bait to the Blood Cult like this.
No matter how much of a restriction called 'gudok' was on him, if it was the Blood Cult, they would be able to break it, and the General would not have failed to guess this.
If so, it meant that the value of the information Cheon Museong knew was not that great.
Perhaps by the time Cheon Museong leaked this, that conspiracy would have already been carried out.
"The Association is still confident that they have found a clue to a precious manual. Because they detected it with the General's Three Eyes."
"Speaking of the Three Eyes, what on earth is the General's Three Eyes? It's not like he really has three eyes, as the name suggests."
Cheon Museong smiled a triumphant smile and said.
"Your guess is right. The General's Three Eyes really refers to a third eye.”
(End of Chapter)