Chapter 102 : Operation (2)
Namgung Il was hiding his presence and looking around.
'...It seems I came in well.'
The place where Namgung Il had arrived was the southern forbidden area.
After confirming that Hwang Dong-jae's gang was at the entrance, Namgung Il had secretly gone around and entered inside.
"..."
Namgung Il was wearing clothes that were completely different from usual.
He was wearing old and shabby ragged clothes and even had a Beggar's Staff on his back.
Just as Jong Seo-eon was wearing Namgung Il's clothes, Namgung Il was wearing Jong Seo-eon's clothes.
The reason why Namgung Il and Jong Seo-eon had switched their clothes was simple.
Because they needed to deceive Hwang Dong-jae's eyes to buy even a little more time.
In the middle of the night like this, just by changing clothes, it would be difficult to distinguish who was who to some extent.
'Wearing this makes me feel like I've gone back to the old days.'
In the past, Namgung Il had always worn such ragged clothes.
On the other hand, the clothes that Namgung Il was wearing now were all made of high-quality fabric.
If he had worn them as usual, he would have naturally caught people's eyes, so there was also the fact that he had deliberately switched clothes with Jong Seo-eon.
'Jong Seo-eon, that brat needs to buy me some time.'
In a little while, Jong Seo-eon would appear in front of Hwang Dong-jae in his place.
Since he had even handed over the Thunder Roar Sword, he wouldn't be found out right away.
Still, it would be a matter of time before his identity was revealed and it turned into a chaotic situation, so this side didn't have that much time either.
'Find Tang Wol-yeong before Jong Seo-eon falls.'
Namgung Il thought so in his heart and raised his lowered upper body.
If he could just rescue the hostage first, it would be much easier to defeat Hwang Dong-jae and his gang.
Since he had not been able to confirm Tang Wol-yeong's figure at the entrance earlier, there was a very high possibility that she had been imprisoned somewhere inside the forbidden area.
Rustle—
Namgung Il moved quietly and searched for Tang Wol-yeong.
The first goal of the plan was for him to sneak in and find Tang Wol-yeong.
In fact, although this was a plan to rescue Tang Wol-yeong, there was also the purpose of fulfilling Jong Seo-eon's love at the same time.
"Yeoksan, shall I tell you something good?"
"...?"
"If you want to win a woman's heart, aim for when her heart is at its weakest."
Namgung Jeongung said that a woman's heart was like a rock.
Although a woman who did not easily open her heart was likely to remain the same even after several years, still, there was one chance to reverse that situation.
That was when a woman was in a difficult situation.
No matter how much a man she didn't even glance at in her daily life, if he helped or comforted her when she was weak, she would feel that he was a different person.
"No matter how hard a rock is, it's easy to break if a crack forms."
"..."
"Remember that well and be sure to use it later."
"You're talking nonsense."
At that time, he had said that and had ignored Namgung Jeongung's words.
But it was an undeniable fact that Namgung Jeongung had had countless relationships in the past.
Since he had had far more relationships than him, at least, Namgung Il had made this plan with reference to Namgung Jeongung's theory of love.
'By now, Tang Wol-yeong must be experiencing a fear she has never felt before.'
It was natural since she had been suddenly kidnapped and imprisoned.
Wasn't that fear the time when a woman became weak, as Namgung Jeongung had said?
Normally, just by coming to rescue her in that situation, he would be able to win Tang Wol-yeong's heart, but to surely win Tang Wol-yeong's heart, Namgung Il had made a plan that went one step further than that.
'If she sees Jong Seo-eon fighting dozens of people alone for her... even I would fall for him.'
There was no need to win.
Just by the fact that he was fighting dozens of people alone to save her, Tang Wol-yeong would feel a different emotion towards Jong Seo-eon than usual.
On the contrary, the sight of him standing firm in a near-death state would come as a greater emotion to Tang Wol-yeong.
After that, there was no need for Jong Seo-eon to do anything more, and it would just be the end.
'How about it, Namgung Jeongung, isn't this a case of the student surpassing the master?'
It was a perfect plan that even Namgung Jeongung would acknowledge.
But since Namgung Il did not want Jong Seo-eon to become disabled because of love, he needed to hurry and rescue Tang Wol-yeong before that.
'Where on earth is she?'
Although he had wandered around the inside to some extent, Namgung Il still had not found Tang Wol-yeong.
According to his memory, this area seemed to be a place where they had had mechanism classes in the old days.
The memory of breaking through various devices with his body as a student was still vivid in Namgung Il's mind.
'I don't know why this place became a forbidden area... don't tell me a mechanism will suddenly activate?'
Still, since there might be a situation just in case, Namgung Il was also sufficiently wary of that part.
Clang—
Just then, a commotion was heard from the entrance.
At that sound, Namgung Il stopped his movement and looked at the entrance for a moment.
'What, was he already found out?'
There was no other reason for a commotion to break out over there.
According to the original plan, he should have bought more time, but to be found out already.
Since it now depended on Jong Seo-eon's stamina, Namgung Il's heart became anxious, and he started looking for Tang Wol-yeong again.
'...There!'
Just then, Namgung Il discovered a trace of a person's footsteps and immediately followed that path.
Soon, a building was discovered in front.
Without even a moment to hesitate, Namgung Il threw his body at the door.
Crash—!
Namgung Il, who broke the door and entered inside.
Since they would not have left Tang Wol-yeong alone here, Namgung Il immediately entered a combat stance.
"...?"
Just then, Namgung Il realized that something was strange.
Why on earth were two men foaming at the mouth and trembling in their bodies over there?
At a glance, it seemed that those two were the guards... but if so, it was strange that they were now lying on their backs on the floor like dead frogs and trembling.
Swish—
At that moment, something flew towards Namgung Il from a blind spot.
Although a rather sharp attack had flown in surprisingly from the darkness, Namgung Il dodged the attack by a hair's breadth by pulling his head back.
'Was there one more person?'
Judging by the situation, it seemed that the brat who had attacked him was the one who had defeated those two.
Although he could not yet know his identity, it was a clear fact that he had been the first to attack him.
Namgung Il decided to consider the brat in front of him as an enemy for now and to respond.
Swoosh—
A green energy was moving slightly in the darkness.
Two lights that were flowing leisurely like fireflies reflected on the surface of the water.
Namgung Il could tell that that was the light coming from the opponent's hand.
'That's... don't tell me it's a poison hand?'
He could not yet determine for sure.
But in cases where it had such a green light, it was safe to think that the majority were poison arts.
Besides, recalling the symptoms of the two who were lying on the floor earlier, it seemed that they had been hit by that poison hand and had become poisoned.
'I'll have to fight in a way that I don't touch that hand as much as possible.'
In the case of poison arts, just by touching that hand with bare skin, it could lead to a considerable fatal wound.
Recalling the poison arts that Tang Cheol-go had used, it was to the point where one could not move their body just by being slightly grazed.
Namgung Il had been poisoned by Tang Cheol-go's poison a few times in the past when he had been careless and had been unable to move for several hours.
'Wait... Tang Cheol-go?'
At that moment, as if he had realized something, Namgung Il's two eyes widened.
Come to think of it, that energy... wasn't it similar to what Tang Cheol-go had used?
Namgung Il belatedly realized that and hurriedly opened his mouth.
"W-wait..."
Before he could finish his words, the opponent swung his right hand again.
This time too, the right hand that grazed his cheek by a hair's breadth.
At that moment, Namgung Il could feel a tingling pain on the cheek where the opponent's right hand had grazed.
'This is definitely a poison art.'
The pain felt on his cheek was the proof.
Besides, this attack method.
Namgung Il was now in a state where he had clearly realized who the opponent who was attacking him was.
Swish—
As he found out who the opponent was, Namgung Il's hostility could not help but disappear.
But as if the opponent still had a strong will to fight, he poured attacks on Namgung Il without rest.
'W-wait...'
He had to open his mouth quickly and reveal to the opponent that he was Namgung Il.
However.
At the opponent's fierce attack, Namgung Il was in a situation where he could not open his mouth.
"...!"
Namgung Il dodged the attack that was flying in front of his eyes by a hair's breadth again.
If it had been an ordinary palm technique, he would have caught it or blocked it with his hand, but since the technique the opponent was using was a poison art, he could not do that.
Unless he counterattacked, there was no answer but to just dodge.
In the end, Namgung Il decided to respond a little roughly to stop this fierce attack.
Phat—
The figure of Namgung Il, who had only been backing away until now, suddenly shot forward.
At the same time, the two hands that were heading towards the opponent's two shoulder bones.
As if he had not expected Namgung Il to close the distance like this, the opponent allowed Namgung Il's attack defenselessly.
"Kuh—"
The opponent's body was pushed back.
Although it was a power that would not have been strange if he had flown several feet back if it had been a normal person, the opponent was just pushed back a little and was enduring.
Swish—
At that moment, Namgung Il lowered his stance and kicked the opponent's leg.
Since the opponent's body was already in a state where his balance was broken due to the Twin Dragons Taking Water just now, and since Namgung Il had kicked his leg, he had no choice but to fall back helplessly.
Crash—!
The opponent who fell with a loud noise.
Although he was about to get up right away since it was not a big shock, since Namgung Il got on top of him and held his two arms, he could not move any more.
"Wait!"
"...!"
"It's me! It's Namgung Il!"
As soon as he held his two arms so that he could not move, Namgung Il shouted.
At that moment, as if he had realized something, the opponent who no longer resisted.
As the distance became so close that they could feel each other's breath, Tang Wol-yeong could confirm Namgung Il's face.
"...Namgung Il?"
"Yes. It's me."
"Why are you here..."
"Why are you asking the obvious? I came to save you."
When Namgung Il said that, Tang Wol-yeong's two eyes widened slightly.
"...I'm sorry. I thought you were an enemy and ambushed you."
"It's alright. I would have thought so too."
"...I see."
Just then, Tang Wol-yeong blushed slightly and avoided Namgung Il's eyes.
"Uh... how long are you going to stay like that?"
"...?"
"...You're heavy."
Two men and women entangled on the floor in the middle of the night.
Although he had taken this posture to avoid Tang Wol-yeong's poison hand, Namgung Il realized that the atmosphere was now quite strange.
'...This isn't it?'
It was a situation where he felt quite sorry for Jong Seo-eon.
(End of Chapter)