Chapter 169 : A Change Not Yet Realized
Chapter 169: A Change Not Yet Realized
At Guisa-chu’s question, a subordinate answered.
“The one from the Bright Cult whom we saw before……”
Realizing who the subordinate was referring to, Guisa-chu’s complexion turned pale.
“T-that person? Why?”
Even though neither the Vice Cult Leader nor even a watcher of the Bright Cult was present, Guisa-chu was so frightened that he attached the honorific ‘person.’
“We do not know the reason either, but the only one capable of causing such a thing would be that person……”
After pondering for quite a while at the subordinate’s answer, Guisa-chu spoke.
“Where is the Human-Faced Spider?”
“I believe he is still staying at the Flower Pavilion.”
“Bring him.”
“By force?”
The subordinate brightened, thinking the troublesome problem would finally be solved, but Guisa-chu frowned.
“Did you forget what that person said about not touching him? What, do we want to be destroyed too?”
“N-no.”
Guisa-chu gave an order to the flustered subordinate.
“Then go persuade him nicely and bring him. Say that we have something to discuss, and if there is anything he wants, we will grant it—anything except the position of Stronghold Lord.”
The subordinate, showing a disappointed expression at Guisa-chu’s words, lowered his head and left.
Guisa-chu had intended to have the Human-Faced Spider, who seemed to have some connection with ‘that person,’ confirm whether the culprit of the bloodshed was indeed him.
At the very least, if someone he knew asked, he wouldn’t start swinging a blade first.
Of course, there was no guarantee.
If there had been, Guisa-chu would have gone himself instead of calling the Human-Faced Spider.
Just when people began wondering why no fight had broken out in Seogak, the Human-Faced Spider came to the Bright Cult.
“Who did you say has come?”
At Yul Han’s question, the Pavilion Lord of the Gate Pavilion responsible for guarding the Main Fortress answered cautiously.
“He said that if I told you it was the Human-Faced Spider, the Vice Cult Leader would understand.”
At the Gate Pavilion Lord’s answer, Iron Demon’s face brightened. Of course, someone else moved even before him.
“I’ll go.”
Yul Han smiled bitterly at Pageuk, who even raised his hand, and nodded.
“Bring him.”
The moment Yul Han gave permission, Pageuk’s figure vanished.
Because of that, the Gate Pavilion Lord had to hurry after him. Bowing hastily, he quickly ran down.
“They say a quiet cat climbs onto the kitchen first. That bastard Pageuk fits it perfectly.”
People laughed at Iron Demon’s grumbling.
Everyone knew.
Since visiting the Flower Pavilion, Pageuk’s interest in beauties of the Central Plains had increased noticeably.
Well, the women of the Lu Tribe, who lived in regions scattered with perennial snow and harsh winds, had rough and reddish skin.
After seeing only such women, encountering beauties with pale and delicate skin was enough to make his eyes spin.
Moreover, Yul Han had already promised to take them there again.
While recalling that promise and smiling, Yul Han suddenly saw Pageuk appear right before him.
He was carrying the Human-Faced Spider on his back, completely dazed.
Apparently, he had rushed over so urgently that he simply ran there, carried the slower Human-Faced Spider on his back, and sprinted back.
Laughter broke out again at the sight.
The Human-Faced Spider climbed down from Pageuk’s back with a confused expression, not understanding why everyone was laughing. Quickly composing himself, he bowed to Yul Han.
“I greet the Vice Cult Leader.”
“It has been a while. What brings you here?”
“Wouldn’t he have come to solicit customers?”
Once again, it was Pageuk who answered before the person actually asked.
Soliciting customers. In other words, Pageuk seemed to hope that he had come to invite them.
After all, the Human-Faced Spider hadn’t traveled all that distance just to invite Yul Han to be a customer at the Flower Pavilion.
At Pageuk’s remark, Yul Han smiled bitterly and gazed steadily at the Human-Faced Spider.
It meant that he should answer without worrying.
Perhaps realizing the meaning of that gaze, the Human-Faced Spider replied cautiously.
“There has been trouble in the Four Calamity Emperors’ Stronghold.”
“I heard that there was bloodshed among the opposition factions of several stronghold lords there. Is that what you mean?”
“Yes. That is correct.”
Like the rumors of the world, the people of the Bright Cult—including Yul Han—had assumed that Guisa-chu had finally lost patience and drawn his blade.
“You didn’t come to ask us to stop it, did you?”
It was not Yul Han but the Cult Leader who had forbidden Guisa-chu from laying a hand on the Human-Faced Spider.
Of course, Yul Han had been beside the Cult Leader when those words were spoken and had supported it, but it didn’t mean he thought it absolutely had to be upheld.
That was why Yul Han asked in a lukewarm tone.
The Human-Faced Spider shook his head.
“N-no, that is not it. I was sent to ask whether the Vice Cult Leader might have been the one who did it.”
“Are you saying the Stronghold Lord of the Four Calamity Emperors’ Stronghold told you to ask me that?”
“Yes, Vice Cult Leader.”
The moment the answer ended, Iron Demon stepped forward with a growl.
“These bastards get treated kindly and now they grab their grandfather’s beard and pull it. That’s exactly what this is. They want to die!”
Though he was suppressed by both the Vice Cult Leader and the Cult Leader, Iron Demon was still in the Manifestation Realm.
In other words, he was a powerhouse capable of slaughtering an average martial sect by himself in an instant.
Now that very man exploded with demonic energy as he revealed his fury.
It was more than enough to terrify the Human-Faced Spider.
Just as the Human-Faced Spider stood frozen in fear and Iron Demon’s demonic energy poured out endlessly, Yul Han stepped between them.
With that alone, the demonic energy rushing toward the Human-Faced Spider was instantly cut off.
Only then could he breathe properly again.
Yul Han asked him calmly.
“There must be a reason why the Stronghold Lord sent you here of all people to ask that question. What is it? Why did he think it might have been me?”
“T-there were no traces.”
“No traces? What traces do you mean?”
After hearing the explanation that followed, Yul Han’s eyes deepened.
“So even a Super-Peak Realm master appeared as though he had simply been torn apart and killed.”
“Yes. Because of that, Guisa-chu judged that no one but the Vice Cult Leader could have done such a thing and asked me to……”
Though he trailed off, the reason for his visit was clear.
Killing a Super-Peak Realm master is easily possible for someone in the Transcendent Realm. For someone in the Manifestation Realm, it would be as easy as twisting a child’s wrist.
The problem was that they had been torn apart without using any martial arts at all.
To produce such a result, even someone in the Manifestation Realm would find it difficult unless they had reached a mature level like the Cult Leader.
When his thoughts reached that point, Yul Han said, “Wait here for a moment,” and headed toward the Cult Leader’s residence.
A few days ago, the Cult Leader had briefly left the Main Fortress. Yul Han wondered if perhaps he had really taken action then.
However, while heading toward the Cult Leader’s residence, Yul Han suddenly changed direction toward Seogak.
He had sensed the aura of the Clan Head from there.
Just as Yul Han stepped over the threshold of Seogak, the Cult Leader’s voice entered his ears.
“So try starting with this. A man gets tempted when you wear clothes that reveal things like this.”
When he stepped inside, the Cult Leader was holding up a very revealing outfit to Namgung Hee-yeon.
It was the sort of outfit that courtesans in pleasure houses might wear—an extremely revealing garment.
Seeing Namgung Hee-yeon’s flustered reaction, Yul Han could fully understand her feelings.
In truth, the current situation was practically Yul Han’s fault.
A few days earlier, Namgung Hee-yeon had begun coming to see him.
Since Yul Han already knew about the promise the Cult Leader had made when sending the younger generation talents back, he had no intention of being swayed by it.
Naturally, he refused.
It wasn’t easy.
Dressed neatly in a court dress and elegantly adorned, Namgung Hee-yeon emitted a charm that few men could resist.
Because of that, Yul Han had even had to circulate his energy to calm his mind before telling her to leave.
Anyway, it seemed the Cult Leader had concluded that the reason Namgung Hee-yeon had been rejected lay in her clothing.
The court dress Pageuk had obtained for her at her request was actually a genuine court garment, bound by strict etiquette, revealing not even the slightest hint of skin.
Perhaps dissatisfied with that, the Cult Leader had obtained that outfit.
The problem was that it was too extreme.
The court dress Namgung Hee-yeon had wanted was actually the kind worn by women of ordinary households who imitated court garments.
A modest outfit that emphasized the chest slightly while showing a little skin.
But the clothing Pageuk had brought was completely different from what she had imagined.
Yet she also couldn’t wear the garment the Cult Leader had brought.
Though called clothing, it was little more than a strip of cloth that revealed almost everything except the most essential parts.
In short, it was clothing designed after maximizing the question: how to stimulate a man’s lust.
Yul Han approached the two of them.
“What are you doing here?”
Startled by Yul Han’s sudden voice, Namgung Hee-yeon’s face turned red like a radish, but the Cult Leader remained calm.
After all, there was no way the Cult Leader wouldn’t have noticed Yul Han approaching.
“Oh, you’re here? I was recommending some clothes to your sister-in-law. What do you think? Don’t you like it too?”
The Cult Leader turned the clothes he had been holding toward Namgung Hee-yeon and showed them to Yul Han.
Yul Han looked at him with a bitter smile.
“Senior Brother. That’s not clothing. It’s just a piece of cloth.”
“A piece of cloth? This is a garment treasured by the number one courtesan of Hangzhou. They say if you go out wearing this, even the Abbot of Shaolin would fall in one strike.”
“You didn’t actually go to the pleasure houses in Hangzhou, did you?”
“Well, that is… I didn’t go there to drink or anything……”
Judging by the Cult Leader’s expression, it seemed he hadn’t gone there only to obtain the clothes.
But Yul Han had no intention of criticizing him.
Given the Cult Leader’s personality, his real target had probably been the clothing rather than the courtesans.
The problem was that Hangzhou, where the Cult Leader had gone, was far from the region where the bloodshed had occurred.
“Senior Brother, did you visit anywhere besides Hangzhou?”
“Besides Hangzhou? Why, is there somewhere with even more revealing clothes?”
At the Cult Leader’s wide-eyed question, Yul Han became certain.
The Cult Leader was not the culprit.
“If not, then that’s fine. Continue with your work.”
Leaving those words behind, Yul Han exited Seogak.
The Cult Leader leaned close to Namgung Hee-yeon and spoke meaningfully.
“You heard that, didn’t you?”
“Heard what?”
To the startled Namgung Hee-yeon, the Cult Leader replied,
“He told me to ‘continue’ my work.”
He emphasized the word continue unusually strongly.
Namgung Hee-yeon asked,
“So what?”
“What am I doing right now? I’m recommending these clothes to you. So what does it mean? It means—put this on!”
At those words, Namgung Hee-yeon could only stare in shock.
Listening to him, it almost sounded convincing.
The problem was imagining herself actually wearing those clothes.
Her face flushed as she imagined it.
The Cult Leader then said,
“As you know, promises exist to be kept. Sister-in-law.”
Returning to his residence, Yul Han spoke to the Human-Faced Spider.
“It was not our doing. Go and tell them that the Bright Cult has nothing to do with this matter.”
At Yul Han’s words, the Human-Faced Spider asked with a worried expression,
“Then does that mean there is another person capable of doing such a thing?”
“The world is wide, and strange experts are said to be as numerous as grains of sand. So perhaps.”
Yul Han’s indifferent voice clearly showed he had no intention of getting involved.
Bowing his head, the Human-Faced Spider left with drooping shoulders.
To be honest, among those Yul Han knew, there was only one person besides himself and the Cult Leader capable of such a feat.
However, if that person had intervened, there would not have been a drop of blood visible on the corpses.
That was why Yul Han paid it no attention.
Because he had not yet realized that the Blood Corpses were no longer the same Blood Corpses as before.
On the very day the Human-Faced Spider left the Bright Cult, the Four Calamity Emperors’ Stronghold was attacked.