Ch. 20
Chapter 20: Encounter
"Is the preparation firmly in place?"
"Yes, Captain."
At the answer of Gu Won, the First Squad Leader of the Black Shadow Army, the Second Squad Leader Deung Unbi and the Third Squad Leader Hyeok Ryeonhwi also replied.
"Preparations are perfectly completed."
"Then shall we go welcome the one who will eventually become our master?"
"Yes, Captain."
The Captain of the Black Shadow Army, Han Cheolryeong, looked around at his squad leaders.
"We are slated to become the sword and shield of the Young Cult Leader. You all know how the Cult Leader has utilized us, don't you?"
"Yes, we know!"
"Therefore, I hope you maintain your pride as members of the Black Shadow Army, no matter how much pressure comes from the Seven Great Demon Sects."
"You don't need to worry too much about that, Captain."
"Do not be careless. You know what the mission we must perform is, right?"
"Yes."
First, hide the six Black Shadow Pills.
Second, scatter the Young Cult Leader candidates who come looking for the pills.
Third, each squad leader of the Black Shadow Army must cause the candidates to scatter and provide clues regarding the locations of the pills.
This was the task the Black Shadow Army had to perform.
"Let us move."
With the shout of Captain Han Cheolryeong, the squad leaders began to move with their members.
'This will be the day we first encounter the Young Cult Leader candidates.'
And among them stood Number 2, the spy and co-successor of the Murim Alliance.
* * *
"Please tell me the plan."
"Plan? I don't have anything like that."
Sa Hyeongseol, the Young Sect Leader of the Poison Demon Sect, furrowed his brow at the Seventh Young Master's answer.
"You mean to say you will climb the Hundred Thousand Mountains without a plan, when we don't even know where the pills are hidden?"
Dan Woojin smirked at Sa Hyeongseol’s reaction.
He already knew where the Black Shadow Pills were hidden, all except for one.
In the past, as a member of the Black Shadow Army, Am Yeong knew every location where the pills were hidden.
Knowing all this information meant he could play a very significant role in the second trial.
'Because it means I can personally decide who will be eliminated from the candidacy.'
When he heard about the second trial from the Cult Leader, Dan Woojin began to contemplate who should be dropped.
In his heart, he wanted to thoroughly exclude and eliminate the Second Young Master.
'But I shouldn't do that yet.'
The Second Young Master, Dan Hyunwoo, was someone who would survive no matter what.
A dropout would occur in every subsequent trial that was to follow.
'The first trial was seen as something to be done individually, but the second trial is different.'
This time, it seemed he would inevitably have to move as the Eldest Young Master, Dan Cheolwoo, as well.
Playing two roles had clear limits.
'In this trial, the Eldest Young Master must eventually be eliminated.'
Aside from that.
Since he couldn't do anything about the Second Young Master right now, he had to leave him be.
The Third Young Lady, Dan Soso, was not someone who would give up the position of Young Cult Leader in a short time.
The same went for the Fourth Young Master, Dan Shinhyeok.
As for the Fifth Young Master, Dan Yuun, since he didn't even care about the position, it seemed he could be dealt with just by creating an opportunity.
'Ideally, it would be good if the Sixth Young Lady, Dan Youngyoung, were eliminated as well.'
Only then could he become stronger than he was now,
And move one step closer to the throne.
'It is an unavoidable matter.'
The important thing was,
The fact that Dan Youngyoung was destined to die in the original life.
'Breaking out of that cycle of fate will not be easy.'
"My Lord, there is news that everyone from the Eldest Young Master to the Sixth Young Lady has departed for the Hundred Thousand Mountains."
Kang Muhyeok delivered news of the other brothers and sisters.
"And the Black Shadow Army?"
"It seems they have already left the Cult first."
Meaning the preparations were already finished.
Likely, once we start moving, those bastards will start moving as well.
"Let us move too."
"...Where must we go?"
"Let us climb the mountain furthest from here."
Since there was a probability that the other candidates had already searched the nearby areas, Dan Woojin decided to aim for the Black Shadow Pill hidden in a place where no one could find it until the very end.
And while he was at it,
'I must also perform the role of preventing Dan Youngyoung from acquiring a pill.'
— You have much to do.
The Demonic Sword spoke to him.
'If you aren't going to help, I'd appreciate it if you stayed quiet this time.'
He was in an extremely sensitive state, so even a little noise was distracting.
— Hmm, so if I help, you won't ignore me, is that it?
'Do you know something?'
— I can help you cut what you cannot cut.
With that single remark, Dan Woojin could realize what the Demonic Sword was talking about.
'Fine, just stay quiet for now. I will call you when I need you.'
— Understood.
As soon as the conversation with the sword ended, Sa Hyeongseol offered an opinion on the previous talk.
"If we head to the furthest mountain, it seems we will encounter quite a lot of people?"
"I am aiming for exactly that too."
The brothers and sisters would be guarding against Dan Woojin the most in the current situation.
In such a situation, what would happen if Dan Woojin revealed the location of a Black Shadow Pill?
"If it is a scheme, I shall acknowledge it. What is the task I must perform?"
Dan Woojin grinned at Sa Hyeongseol’s question.
"I was just about to ask you."
There was only one thing Sa Hyeongseol had to do.
"Take charge of the Young Sect Leaders of the Seven Great Demon Sects."
"Pardon?"
It was a difficult mission for the Young Sect Leader of the despised Poison Demon Sect.
* * *
Seo Moonyul, the Young Sect Leader of the Sword Demon Sect, stared at the Second Young Master, Dan Hyunwoo, who could not stay still for a single moment while climbing the Hundred Thousand Mountains.
"Second Young Master, you must acquire a Black Shadow Pill this time no matter what."
The Sword Demon Sect had invested in the Second Young Master.
He had to receive acknowledgement from his father that his choice was not wrong.
"Hmm, to receive this kind of treatment just because I didn't take first place in the very first trial. That hurts."
His expression was one that was not affected at all.
"Don't worry. You know who I am, don't you?"
"The second son of the Cult Leader, Dan Hyunwoo."
He was the man who had inherited the blood of the Heavenly Demon, stained with madness, most intensely.
'I may have said that, but,'
Dan Hyunwoo furrowed his brow.
Originally, this trial should have been conducted by five people, not seven.
'Why is she not dead?'
He knew the cause.
The youngest who should have died in the Demonic Cave.
The Seventh Young Master, Dan Woojin.
It was because that bastard lived.
He thought it was a mere coincidence.
Because the others thought so as well.
But to pass even the first trial in first place?
He could only think that something was strange.
'The bastard who could not even master martial arts properly caught the Young Lord of the Tang Clan?'
Furthermore, he was said to have recruited the Poison Demon Sect.
Skill that was almost unbelievable.
In this case, he had no choice but to think that Dan Woojin had been hiding his true strength all this time.
Furthermore,
'Dan Woojin even prevented the death of Dan Soso.'
He couldn't even properly touch his original target, the Sixth Young Lady Dan Youngyoung.
The plans of the cold-blooded Dan Hyunwoo were failing repeatedly.
'This time, for sure......'
He intended to take a shot.
Even if one person was naturally eliminated, that elimination was not death.
The very first person Dan Hyunwoo targeted was none other than,
'Found him.'
It was Dan Woojin, who was unfolding a movement technique toward a distant mountain in Dan Hyunwoo's sight.
"Yul, if you know that, will you do one favor for me?"
"What favor is it?"
"Deail with the Young Sect Leader of the Poison Demon Sect."
"Sa Hyeongseol?"
"Because I'm going to aim for that bastard."
Dan Hyunwoo pointed at Dan Woojin.
Seo Moonyul, checking Dan Woojin and Sa Hyeongseol, had a flash in his eyes.
"Naturally, if we just drop one person, it will be possible to pass this trial."
Seo Moonyul's gaze also turned toward Sa Hyeongseol.
Just as Seo Moonyul and Dan Hyunwoo were about to move toward the two,
"Second Young Master, Dan Hyunwoo."
Several men in black appeared before them.
"You are?"
"I am Deung Unbi, the Second Squad Leader of the Black Shadow Army. You aren't even the Young Cult Leader yet, yet your speech is quite short."
The Black Shadow Army revealed themselves before the Young Cult Leader candidate.
* * *
A space in the darkness.
Two eyes blinked.
— The Master is looking for the Sixth Young Lady. And the other bastards are busy looking for the elixirs.
Glance.
As the gaze turned, Dan Woojin and Sa Hyeongseol were reflected in the pupils.
— Those aiming for these two... are approaching from all over.
Should I tell him? No. He told me to stay quiet for now.
The Demonic Sword watched the situation with interest.
Competition between those who shared the same bloodline.
The flavor of watching was quite savory.
"We could just climb up the Hundred Thousand Mountains directly, so why are you looking for the Sixth Young Lady?"
Sa Hyeongseol expressed his doubt.
"Because Dan Youngyoung must be eliminated in this trial."
"You speak as if you have completely passed this trial already?"
"I will pass no matter what."
Sa Hyeongseol found Dan Woojin's certainty strange, but because of the figure he had shown so far, he decided to believe it.
"I shall move."
Finding Dan Youngyoung was something Dan Woojin had to do anyway.
Sa Hyeongseol decided to find what he could do.
He heard that the Young Sect Leaders of the Seven Great Demon Sects were currently helping each respective Young Cult Leader candidate.
If Dan Woojin had decided to drop Dan Youngyoung for whatever reason,
'I should peel away the Demon Sect that is with Dan Youngyoung.'
And the Demon Sect that had decided to be with Dan Youngyoung was,
"Oh my, Sa Hyeongseol. Did you climb the Hundred Thousand Mountains too? With whom?"
Gongson Baekryeon, the Young Sect Leader of the Sound Demon Sect, encountered Sa Hyeongseol.
The important thing was,
'The Sixth Young Lady isn't here?'
The Sixth Young Lady, whom he thought would be looking for a Black Shadow Pill together, was not visible.
"You surely knew that I was with the Seventh Young Master?"
"Ah, was that so? I thought you had taken Youngyoung with you."
Has Dan Youngyoung disappeared?
"Good information, thanks."
Swish—
At the sight of Dan Woojin rushing past Gongson Baekryeon in an instant, she wore an expression full of surprise.
"Is that the Seventh Young Master I only heard about through rumors?"
"I shall take charge here."
"I leave it to you!"
Dan Woojin left Gongson Baekryeon to Sa Hyeongseol and began to run to find Dan Youngyoung.
He already knew where Dan Youngyoung was.
'To think the kidnapping has already begun.'
It was the Black Shadow Army.
He didn't know which squad had stepped forward, but it seemed the candidate they had kidnapped was Dan Youngyoung.
The seven candidates were each provided with clues regarding the locations of the pills at different starting points.
Among them, there was also one who would be kidnapped directly by the Black Shadow Army and receive a pill upon escaping, and it seemed that this time, it was Dan Youngyoung.
'At the very least, not Dan Youngyoung.'
If he left Dan Youngyoung, who had the highest probability of dying, like this.
'I won't be able to kill her personally!'
Therefore,
He had to reclaim Dan Youngyoung from the Black Shadow Army.
However,
"Seventh Young Master, Dan Woojin."
There was something he had forgotten.
He had forgotten because his head was filled with thoughts of Dan Youngyoung.
That Dan Woojin was also in the middle of a trial.
Dan Woojin's pupils shook as he identified the men in black who appeared out of nowhere before him.
"I am Gu Won, the First Squad Leader of the Black Shadow Army. From now on, our First Squad of the Black Shadow Army will restrain your person."
He encountered Gu Won again, a squad leader from the time when they shared a deep bond in the past.