Chapter 29 - 28: Third Match and Hunt
The shadows of Mount Mugang felt different as Jinmu moved through them, more alive somehow, as if they were aware of his presence and watching his every step. He had been searching for nearly an hour since leaving his copy to handle the tournament preparations, and the morning sun was climbing higher with each passing moment, marking time that he couldn’t afford to waste.
Where would Do Giseon keep them? he thought, pausing behind a stone wall to survey the pavilion complex spread out before him. The Palace Master and her people aren’t just prisoners—they’re political assets. Too valuable to kill immediately, but too dangerous to keep anywhere obvious or easily accessible.
He had already checked the most obvious locations: the guest quarters where visiting dignitaries might normally be held, the administrative buildings where records and supplies were stored, even the outer watchtowers that commanded views of the surrounding terrain. All of them had been empty, showing no signs of recent occupation beyond the normal activities of pavilion staff going about their daily routines.
But the emptiness itself was telling. Mount Mugang was a large complex, but it wasn’t infinite. There were only so many places where a group of prisoners could be held securely without attracting attention from the thousands of visitors who had come for the tournament. The fact that he hadn’t found any trace of them in the obvious locations meant that Do Giseon had been more careful and clever than he had initially assumed.
Think like him, Jinmu told himself, settling into a crouch behind a decorative boulder that provided both concealment and a good view of the central pavilion structures. You’re a man who has spent years planning a conspiracy to overthrow your own master and seize control of one of the most powerful martial sects in the orthodox world. You’ve kidnapped the Palace Master of a rival sect and her entire entourage. Where do you put them?
The answer, when it came to him, was both obvious and disturbing. Do Giseon wouldn’t just want the prisoners secured—he would want them symbolically positioned. Somewhere that demonstrated his power over both his enemies and his own organization. Somewhere that would send a message to anyone who discovered them about what happened to those who opposed him.
The sealed chambers, he realized, his blood running cold at the implications.
The sealed chambers were located in the oldest part of the pavilion complex, built into the mountainside itself rather than constructed on top of it. They had originally been designed as meditation retreats for the pavilion’s most senior masters, places where someone could withdraw from the world to focus on advanced cultivation techniques. But their isolation and security made them equally suitable for other purposes.
Jinmu began moving toward that section of the complex, staying in the shadows and avoiding the main pathways where he might encounter guards or servants. His progress was necessarily slow—Mount Mugang was crawling with people preparing for the final tournament match, and any sudden movement or suspicious behavior would draw exactly the kind of attention he couldn’t afford.
The copy should be with Haria by now, he thought, feeling a strange dual awareness of his own consciousness existing in two places simultaneously. Meeting with the other finalists, going through the pre-tournament ceremonies, maintaining the deception that nothing unusual is happening. I hope it can handle the stress of performance while I’m focused on this search.
As he got closer to the older sections of the pavilion, the architecture began to change. The newer buildings were elegant but functional, designed to house large numbers of disciples and administrative staff. But the older structures were different—more fortress-like, built during an era when the martial world was more chaotic and pavilions needed to serve as actual military strongholds rather than just schools and meeting places.
It was also quieter here. The sounds of tournament preparation that echoed throughout most of the complex were muted to distant whispers, absorbed by thick stone walls and the natural acoustics of the mountain itself. Which made it easier for Jinmu to detect other sounds—the subtle indicators that would tell him whether he was on the right track.