The Heavenly Demon Who Reigns

Jo Ducheon was walking with his breath held.

No matter how much Soyeon Sang was not at the Socheongak, it was not that there were no servants.

If he were to wake them up, he would have no choice but to kill them to silence them.

Of course, killing them itself was not a very difficult task, but in the process, traces would inevitably be left.

That's why Jo Ducheon was planning to take the target's life as secretly as possible.

"..."

As he walked through the building, Jo Ducheon sharpened all his senses.

It seemed that he could hear even the sound of a bug crawling now.

To that extent, Jo Ducheon had now raised his concentration to his limit.

It seemed that his lifespan would be shortened by ten years if this was over, but it didn't matter.

Jo Ducheon's mind was full of only one thought: to take Cheon Myeong's life.

'It was definitely this room.'

Jo Ducheon stopped walking and looked at the door in front of him.

A door firmly closed in the silence.

That was Cheon Myeong's room.

When he had tried to assassinate Cheon Myeong using a Musibong before, he had already confirmed it, so if he hadn't moved his room since then, Cheon Myeong would still be sleeping in this room.

'I hope he's here.'

Since Jo Ducheon had been watching from the outside, he did not know how the situation inside the Socheongak had changed.

If Cheon Myeong had moved his room, he would have to look at all the rooms inside the Socheongak.

In addition to the room in front of him, there were numerous rooms here and there in the Socheongak, and there was even another building besides this one.

If he were to check all those places one by one, it would inevitably be more dangerous than now.

It would be nice if Cheon Myeong was found at once, but realistically, that would be impossible.

Jo Ducheon prayed inwardly that such a situation would not come to him.

Gulp-.

Thinking so, Jo Ducheon unknowingly had saliva pool in his mouth.

His Adam's apple moved up and down greatly, as if he were anxious.

Even the act of swallowing saliva had to be cautious.

'Let's go.'

The situation doesn't change even if I worry in front of the door like this.

Just as he had done before entering this place, Jo Ducheon made up his mind once more and held out his hand.

Creak-.

The door opened slowly and cautiously.

After opening the door to the minimum space for him to enter, Jo Ducheon pushed his body into the room.

"..."

As soon as he entered the room, a bed came into view.

Looking at the bulging bedding, it was certain that someone was lying there.

'He's here...!'

Jo Ducheon thought that the person lying there was Cheon Myeong.

Besides him, there was no one else who would be lying there.

It would not be too late to confirm after the deed was done.

Swish-.

Thinking so, Jo Ducheon took out a dagger from his bosom.

And he slowly approached the bed.

"..."

After walking right up to the bed, Jo Ducheon raised his right hand, which was holding the dagger.

He had to finish it in one go, and accurately.

It would be better if he removed the bedding, but if he did that and Cheon Myeong woke up, things would become more complicated.

Jo Ducheon was planning to proceed with the work in this state.

'I will pay for my sins after I die.'

After apologizing to Cheon Myeong inwardly, Jo Ducheon stabbed the dagger without hesitation.

Thud-.

At the same time as he stabbed the dagger, his empty left hand went towards the face.

The left hand he was holding to stop Cheon Myeong's mouth from screaming.

However, even though he had stabbed the dagger, no sound came from inside the bedding.

"...?"

Something is strange.

Did he stab the vital point so accurately that he died without even being able to scream?

But to think so, the sensation when he had stabbed the dagger was strange, and it was also strange that no blood was flowing from the stabbed area.

Whoosh-.

Jo Ducheon hurriedly removed the bedding.

Inside the removed bedding, only pillows were piled up, and Cheon Myeong's figure was nowhere to be seen.

'What happened?'

As the situation became like this, Jo Ducheon's mind was filled with confusion.

And at that moment, a voice was heard from behind Jo Ducheon.

"Who are you?"

"..."

At the sudden voice, Jo Ducheon was startled and turned his head to the back.

A human figure had appeared behind him at some point.

Jo Ducheon looked at the figure's face with a wary gaze.

'Who is it?'

To think that he hadn't noticed his presence until now.

Is the person in front of him now Soyeon Sang?

If that was true, then he had fallen into a trap set by Soyeon Sang.

"I asked who you are."

Such a voice was heard again in the darkness.

However, Jo Ducheon did not answer.

As he maintained his silence, the moonlight slowly began to enter the room.

"..."

The upper body was gradually revealed by the moonlight.

And as the moonlight shone on his face, Jo Ducheon was able to confirm the person in front of him.

'C-Cheon Myeong...!'

He had thought that Soyeon Sang would be standing there.

Unlike Jo Ducheon's expectation, Cheon Myeong was looking at him from in front.

'Why is Cheon Myeong there?'

What Jo Ducheon was most curious about was that he had not felt any presence until the voice was heard.

That's why he had thought that Soyeon Sang was there.

But if he was not seeing things now, that face was undoubtedly Cheon Myeong.

'Was I too focused...'

It seemed that he had not noticed Cheon Myeong's presence because he had been too focused on the target in front of him.

Otherwise, there was no way he would not have noticed Cheon Myeong's presence.

Although his skills might be inferior to Soyeon Sang's, they were not to the extent that he would not notice Cheon Myeong's presence.

"..."

Jo Ducheon immediately regained his composure and looked around.

He had looked around with the thought of running away immediately if Soyeon Sang was there.

But for now, only Cheon Myeong was visible.

'Is he alone?'

That can't be.

Jo Ducheon couldn't understand for what reason Cheon Myeong had appeared in front of him so confidently alone.

However, this could be called a golden opportunity for him.

Since the target had appeared in front of him on his own, there was no need to go looking for him.

'I'll take care of him here and now.'

If Soyeon Sang was there, he was planning to run away.

But if it was only Cheon Myeong, the story changes.

Jo Ducheon also knew the fact that Cheon Myeong had lost all his internal energy in the past due to Qi Deviation.

Even if he had trained again since then, he would not be his match.

Swish-.

As he made that judgment, Jo Ducheon immediately raised his dagger.

'I'll take care of him as quickly as possible.'

It didn't matter if there was a little commotion.

Jo Ducheon began to move with the thought of leaving this place immediately after killing Cheon Myeong.

"Well... he won't answer obediently."

Cheon Myeong muttered as he looked at Jo Ducheon, who was rushing towards him.

And in the meantime, Jo Ducheon swung the dagger in his right hand towards Cheon Myeong's neck.

'It's over!'

Jo Ducheon thought so as he looked at Cheon Myeong, who showed no movement until he swung the dagger.

However, at that moment.

The dagger that Jo Ducheon was holding was bounced off by an unknown impact.

Thwack-.

And at the same time, an impact was felt in his chest.

Jo Ducheon could not withstand the impact and was thrown backwards.

'W-what on earth happened...'

He was sure that he had stabbed the dagger into Cheon Myeong's vital point.

But for the dagger to suddenly be bounced off and for him to be counterattacked.

Since it had happened in an instant in the darkness, Jo Ducheon still did not know by what move he had been hit.

"Kuh..."

Jo Ducheon barely raised his head, spitting blood from his mouth.

Then, he was able to confirm the figure of Cheon Myeong, who was holding a sword at some point.

'When did he get a sword...?'

Did Cheon Myeong have a sword?

Before that, he had not seen Cheon Myeong draw his sword.

He was sure that Cheon Myeong had just been standing still until he had swung his dagger...

"..."

Suddenly, a thought came to Jo Ducheon's mind.

'The person who bounced off the dagger and gave me an impact, could it be...'

Cheon Myeong?

But that didn't make sense.

Cheon Myeong would surely have lost all his internal energy in the past.

Although he didn't know what he had done since then, it was impossible to regain all his strength.

'Even if he had regained his strength, it wouldn't be at a level where I couldn't handle him.'

Before he had fallen into Qi Deviation, Cheon Myeong had had skills that were at a similar level to his own at best.

Or had Cheon Myeong been hiding his strength until now?

And the rumor that he had fallen into Qi Deviation was also all a lie?

As he looked at Cheon Myeong, who was standing with a sword towards him, Jo Ducheon even had such thoughts.

Thump- thump-.

Cheon Myeong approached the fallen Jo Ducheon.

Whoosh-.

At that moment, a hidden weapon flew towards Cheon Myeong.

Cheon Myeong leisurely swung his sword a few times and deflected all the hidden weapons that were heading towards him.

And he said in a calm voice.

"You are no match for me."

"..."

"It would be better to surrender obediently."

Although Cheon Myeong spoke to him in such a way, Jo Ducheon could not particularly refute those words.

As Cheon Myeong had said, the difference in skill between Jo Ducheon and Cheon Myeong was significant.

That was a fact that could be known just by looking at how the attack just now had ended in vain.

As even the hidden weapon, which could be called a decisive blow, did not work, Jo Ducheon had no choice but to admit those words.

"..."

Cheon Myeong had no intention of killing Jo Ducheon.

More than that, it was more important to figure out who the culprit who had ordered him to be killed was.

"If you surrender, I will spare your life."

"..."

"It's true. But if you are even a little uncooperative, I will kill you."

Cheon Myeong said gently, but threateningly.

Then, Jo Ducheon did not show even a slight movement.

And as if to show his will to surrender, he lowered his two hands to the floor.

"..."

Seeing this, Cheon Myeong slowly walked towards Jo Ducheon again.

However, at that moment, Jo Ducheon suddenly vomited a handful of blood.

"..."

As if he had realized something, Cheon Myeong hurriedly approached Jo Ducheon.

And he immediately examined Jo Ducheon's body.

When Cheon Myeong confirmed it, Jo Ducheon had already passed away.

'...He committed suicide.'

He had attacked Jo Ducheon by controlling his strength appropriately.

So it was not that Jo Ducheon had died because of his attack.

What he could think of right away was that Jo Ducheon had chosen to commit suicide by biting the poison hidden in his mouth.

It is a method that is quite commonly used in the martial world as a way to silence oneself.

'He's a tough guy...'

To think he would choose to commit suicide so quickly.

Was the guy tough, or was the person who had ordered the assassination such a guy?

Anyway, with this, the means to find out the culprit had disappeared.

"..."

But he couldn't give up like this.

Cheon Myeong, as a last resort, began to search Jo Ducheon's bosom.

Then, he was able to find a few hidden weapons in his bosom. And among them, there was also one that was identical to the hidden weapon that Jo Ducheon had thrown at Cheon Myeong just now.

'Is there nothing else besides this?'

This was the only thing that could be called a clue.

Of course, Cheon Myeong could not find out who the culprit was with just these hidden weapons.

However.

That person might be able to find out who the culprit was with just this.

'Should I take this, at least?'

It would be nice if he could find out something.

Cheon Myeong gathered the hidden weapons in one place with that thought.

(End of Chapter)