Chapter 117 : Am I a Public Enemy of the Martial World? (5)
Moomyeong was running through the forest at a fast speed.
Phat—
After crossing the forest for a while, a wide space appeared.
In the center of it, a huge old tree stood alone.
Moomyeong stopped running only after arriving in front of it.
"..."
Standing in front of the old tree, Moomyeong looked around.
He was checking to see if a pursuer had come, but no presence was felt from the surroundings.
Swoosh—
As soon as he confirmed that, Moomyeong brought his right hand to the back of his head.
The mask that was easily untied when he lightly pulled the tied point with his finger.
As he pulled off the loosened mask, Moomyeong's face, which had been hidden until now, showed itself to the world.
"Phew— I almost died from suffocation."
The person who was taking off the mask and saying so was none other than Namgung Il.
In other words, the identity of the strange man who had attacked the students of the Azure Dragon Class until now was Namgung Il.
It was an identity that the other students, including Jegal Myeong, had not even thought of in their dreams.
"Hoo— it should be alright to catch my breath for a moment."
Namgung Il muttered and leaned his back against the old tree, sitting down on the floor.
At that moment, a line formed on Namgung Il's lips.
Recalling the dazed faces of the Azure Dragon Class students earlier, such a smile naturally appeared.
'As expected, it was worth the effort to set it up.'
Namgung Il's current appearance was very different from usual.
Especially his face. The part that had been covered by the mask was no different from usual, but the part that had not been covered was colored as if he were wearing makeup.
Of course, he had not used ordinary cosmetics, but had temporarily painted it using the plants that had grown around.
"..."
Just by making his face like this, his impression had changed drastically from usual.
On top of that, his hair, which had been artificially disheveled.
Finally, as he threw off the outer robe he had been wearing, Namgung Il had become a completely different person.
'My acting was also quite good.'
Appearing with such a suspicious appearance, the students had no choice but to be deceived by Namgung Il's acting.
Moreover, except for Namgung Hae, the other students had no acquaintance with Namgung Il.
Since even that Namgung Hae could not recognize Namgung Il, it was a very easy task to deceive the other students.
'So far, so good.'
The reason why Namgung Il had gone to the trouble of disguising himself was one.
Because if he made them believe that a strange man had actually appeared, the students would be agitated.
A real battle, not a class. Inexperienced students would become much more nervous than usual just with that one difference.
And that nervousness would be revealed in their movements, and in fact, most of the students could not properly display their true skills and were defeated by Namgung Il.
"..."
No matter how much it was Namgung Il, it was too much to face all the students of the Azure Dragon Class.
Although they were still fledglings, one could not easily ignore their lineage, could they?
So he had created a virtual character named Moomyeong by disguising himself like this, and he had been able to easily defeat more than ten people by taking advantage of the students' agitation.
Grin—
In fact, Namgung Il did not even need to fight.
Even if he just ran away without being caught until the time limit was over, he could have achieved victory, but Namgung Il pursued a more perfect victory.
That was to subdue all the students of the Azure Dragon Class himself.
Not just running away, but making all the students of the Azure Dragon Class unable to fight. Of course, that would be a more perfect victory.
'I wonder what kind of reaction that brat, Cha Yul-ryeong, will show.'
The ones who would become the representatives of the orthodox faction in the future are all defeated by him alone.
Wouldn't there be nothing more humiliating to Cha Yul-ryeong than that?
Namgung Il was planning to release all the things he had been piling up on this opportunity.
'Cha Yul-ryeong, you're the one who made me like this.'
He had just faithfully carried out the work that Cha Yul-ryeong had ordered.
Since he had told him to become a public enemy of the martial world, he had just acted accordingly.
If Cha Yul-ryeong were to question the part where he had attacked the students, this side also had a legitimate point to make.
"Which public enemy of the martial world would just run away?"
"...!"
"I was just being faithful to my role."
If he said that, Cha Yul-ryeong would have nothing more to say.
Because the person who had called him a public enemy of the martial world was none other than Cha Yul-ryeong himself.
In the first place, if he had not wanted a situation like this, he should have brought a different setting, not a public enemy of the martial world.
"..."
Well, he had a rough justification. Namgung Il was planning to carry out the plan as it was.
The number of Azure Dragon Class students he had defeated so far was about half.
Although he had said that he had taken the students hostage on this side earlier, in reality, he had just knocked them out and had left them on the spot.
Since his purpose was to make the remaining students chase him, the presence or absence of hostages was not particularly important.
'Now, then... how many will chase me?'
Namgung Il did not think that all of them would chase him.
In a situation like this, how many people would generally be able to risk their lives for their comrades?
Especially the younger one was, the more difficult it was to have such courage.
'Jegal Myeong. That brat will chase me.'
He was the brat who had acted alone among the students when he had taken Namgung Hae hostage.
And Tang Il-yeong, who had ambushed him from behind.
He had a feeling that these two would surely chase him.
Swoosh—.
Just then, Namgung Il brushed off his pants and got up from his seat.
'Shall I start moving now?'
By now, the students who were there would have started chasing him.
Although he didn't know how many would chase him, Namgung Il also wanted to avoid facing them all at once.
It would be safer to defeat a small number by surprise, as he had been doing until now.
Namgung Il wrapped the mask he was holding in his hand around his face again.
'Tang Il-yeong, that brat is a person to watch out for.'
If he hadn't seen Jegal Myeong's gaze, he would not have easily noticed Tang Il-yeong's existence.
That's how much Tang Il-yeong's stealth skills were at a level that could be called first-class without any shame.
If it had been him in the past, it would be different. With his current skills, he needed to be careful.
Phat—
At that moment, Namgung Il's figure began to move quickly again.
Since he was planning to ambush the opponent from this side, he moved while focusing on hiding his presence rather than speed.
"..."
Namgung Il settled down at a suitable point and did not move anymore.
To increase the success rate of a surprise attack, it is much more efficient to settle down in one place and wait rather than moving around uselessly.
Because if you move carelessly, the possibility of being discovered by the enemy is higher.
Namgung Il settled down on a path where the students were likely to move and waited, holding his breath like a beast aiming for its prey.
'Hmm... they're not coming.'
Although quite a long time had passed, the students' figures were not visible.
At this point, was it that no one was chasing him?
Although he had warned Jegal Myeong not to report it to the outside and to come directly, he did not think that all the students would act like that.
'Cha Yul-ryeong... if that human comes, this is also the end.'
No matter how much it was Namgung Il, he had no confidence in facing Cha Yul-ryeong.
In the end, after much deliberation, Namgung Il released his stealth and got up from his seat.
Although he would have waited a little longer if it were normal, since there was not much time left, he had finally decided to move.
"..."
He had to defeat as many brats as possible before Cha Yul-ryeong interfered.
At this very moment, Namgung Il was searching for the students with the heart of a public enemy of the martial world.
'These brats... where on earth are they!'
Shouting so inwardly, Namgung Il had a sinister smile on his lips.
A sight as if he had really become an evil person after acting as a public enemy of the martial world.
Although his expression was not revealed because it was hidden by the mask, the face inside the mask now was by no means the face of a person who had once been called one of the Ten Stars of Light.
"...?"
It was then.
A certain sound was heard from the right.
Although it was a very faint sound, it could not escape Namgung Il's ears.
'There it is!'
As soon as he heard the sound, Namgung Il immediately turned his direction.
Phat—
Like a beast that had smelled blood, Namgung Il ran to the spot where the sound had come from.
The sound that grew stronger as the distance got closer.
At this point, it seemed that there was definitely a person in front.
'Wait...'
Just then, Namgung Il could sense that something was strange.
This sharp metallic sound... this was surely the sound of weapons clashing with each other.
Did that mean that a battle was taking place in front of him now?
Namgung Il could not understand that.
"..."
The students' enemy was him.
Although he was here now, why on earth was a battle taking place in front of him?
There was no way to explain this situation unless a civil war had broken out among the students.
Swoosh—.
As soon as he sensed the abnormality, Namgung Il's expression changed.
At the same time, slowing down, Namgung Il cautiously approached the spot where the sound had come from.
Since he did not know what was happening in front, he was planning to hide his appearance as much as possible until he confirmed that.
"..."
As he approached to some extent, the figures of people began to be seen.
First, what he saw first were the backs of two people.
Namgung Hae and Moyong Ryeong were standing with swords in their hands, glaring somewhere.
'That's... it's surely a battle.'
From this side, he could not see who the two were aiming their swords at.
To confirm the situation for sure, Namgung Il moved his steps a little further inside.
At that moment.
Swish—
An unpleasant sound echoed in the forest.
This sound and smell.
Since it was a sound and smell he had encountered so often in the past, Namgung Il immediately knew its identity.
'Someone was cut.'
At that moment, a person came into Namgung Il's sight.
A stream of blood flowing down his drooping right arm.
And yet, Namgung Il could discover the figure of Jegal Myeong, who was not letting go of the sword held in his right hand.
"...!"
Confirming that, Namgung Il's two eyes widened slightly.
That sword wound on his right shoulder looked quite deep even at a glance.
That was not something that had happened by accident or mistake, but a sword wound inflicted by a sword swung with the determination to surely kill Jegal Myeong.
'Who on earth...'
He had just acted as a strange man, but he had not actually tried to kill the students.
So hadn't he deliberately avoided attacks that would leave aftereffects on the bodies of the students he had subdued, just knocking them out?
But to inflict such a wound on Jegal Myeong... this was no longer at a level that could be called acting.
"...!"
Leaving Jegal Myeong, who was bleeding, behind, Namgung Il turned his gaze to the side.
At that moment, his two eyes widened in surprise.
There, there was a man holding a broadsword in both hands, and blood was dripping from one of them.
Although he was also surprised by the appearance of the strange man, who was not suspicious, the decisive reason why Namgung Il was surprised was not that.
"..."
The strange man's chest was visible through his torn clothes.
A red tail of something drawn on his exposed skin.
Namgung Il knew what that tail meant.
'...Blood Dragon Cult!'
Proof that he was a member of the Blood Dragon Cult.
It was that mark.
(End of Chapter)