abcnovels
Chapter 286
Chapter 286
Chapter 286 – Escape Attempt (1)
A symbol of a single line vertically penetrating the center of the character two (?).
Staring intently at this, Mok Gyeong-un’s mind became complicated.
This charred remnant was definitely said to be related to the day of the Great Calamity.
In fact, since it was also part of the evidence that a divination art, or a technique, was used, he hadn’t thought anything more or less of it, but this was completely unexpected.
‘Didn’t they say the day of the Great Calamity occurred during the era of the old martial world?’
However, the fact that this clue related to the day of the Great Calamity had a symbol meant one thing.
‘…Does this mean that the organization of the symbol existed even back then?’
Mok Gyeong-un’s expression turned strange.
He was convinced through various information he had collected that the organization of the symbol was related to his grandfather’s death.
However, he didn’t know that the organization of the symbol had existed for such a long time.
What the hell are these guys trying to do?
They’re also related to the Fire Faith Order and closely connected to the Heaven and Earth Society.
And although it’s not certain, if the clue is correct, they’re also related to the day of the Great Calamity, which is said to have killed countless people.
‘What could it be?’
It wasn’t strange for an organization to have existed for a long time.
However, this organization wasn’t one that everyone knew about and was close to a secret group.
Moreover, the things this organization has been doing so far are different from other organizations.
If this organization is closely related to the day of the Great Calamity, they become the mastermind who drove the entire Central Plains into the worst crisis.
‘Ha.’
The corners of Mok Gyeong-un’s mouth twitched.
The more he learned about them, the harder it became to fathom their purpose and scale.
He had started with the sole purpose of capturing his grandfather’s enemy, but the more he dug, the more it felt like it was just the tip of the iceberg.
‘Hmm.’
Mok Gyeong-un stroked his chin.
He had thought that he only needed to capture the enemy who killed his grandfather, but now that he knew the scale of the mastermind was beyond expectations, it seemed like it wasn’t a problem he could approach simply.
‘…I need to have more cards.’
When he thought the mastermind was a martial artist, he believed that he only needed to be strong to the desired level.
But the situation was gradually changing.
If the scale of the mastermind was at a level he couldn’t handle alone, he also needed to prepare his own set of cards accordingly.
At that moment, Six Offices Commander So Yerin spoke to Mok Gyeong-un.
“Young Master Mok. Did you discover something?”
At her question, Mok Gyeong-un held up the symbol and said with a smile,
“It seems we are connected in many ways, Officer So.”
“Connected?”
“This is a symbol.”
“Symbol? What is it?”
“Yes. It’s the symbol used by a certain organization.”
“That means… This clue is related to that organization of the symbol?”
“I can’t be certain, but the fact that this is on the clue that Officer So’s father obtained, which is said to be related to the day of the Great Calamity, means there’s a very high probability of that.”
“What kind of organization is it?”
At her question, Mok Gyeong-un shrugged and replied,
“I don’t know that well either.”
“You don’t know?”
“Yes. I’m also trying to find out about this organization of the symbol.”
With those words, Mok Gyeong-un glanced at the Holy Fire Priestess.
She definitely knew something about this organization.
Otherwise, there would be no reason for the organization of the symbol to secure the safety of the Fire Faith Order members and try to find out something through Holy Fire Priestess.
Meeting Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes, the Holy Fire Priestess made a strange expression.
Meanwhile, So Yerin said to Mok Gyeong-un,
“I apologize, Young Master Mok. May I ask why you are trying to find out about this organization of the symbol?”
She had also been investigating based on the clues of the Great Calamity for a long time to find her father’s enemy.
However, she hadn’t been able to find out anything so far, so when Mok Gyeong-un said that this symbol was related to a specific organization, she became curious.
At her question, Mok Gyeong-un replied nonchalantly,
“Because I have a very big debt to pay.”
-Flinch!
A gleam flashed in So Yerin’s eyes.
Although she hadn’t known Mok Gyeong-un for very long, she had never seen him express any special emotions.
However, for the first time, she detected a faint but killing intent in Mok Gyeong-un’s voice.
This meant one thing.
‘They have a hostile relationship.’
If that was the case, it was truly coincidental.
They had met for different purposes, but at the intersection, there was the same goal.
To her, Mok Gyeong-un said with a smile,
“It seems Officer So and I have some aligned interests.”
“…What a coincidence. I had the same thought.”
If their objectives were the same, there was no need to confront each other; it would be better to join hands.
At that moment,
-Swish!
Someone familiar appeared, penetrating through the warehouse building.
It was none other than Cheong-ryeong.
Suddenly appearing, Cheong-ryeong approached Mok Gyeong-un and said as if it was absurd,
-What are you doing? Mortal. Why are you still here?
She had expected him to have moved to the outside of the outer castle by now, according to the plan.
However, when she couldn’t see him, she sensed the connection and came looking for Mok Gyeong-un.
-I went through the trouble of killing the Prince Gyeongjin to distract the Embroidered Uniform Guards, yet you’re dawdling here.
-It’s not dawdling; there was a bit of a situation.
-Situation or not, because of the underground golden prison, the troops of the Embroidered Uniform Guards have already set up formations at all the gates of the outer castle, and the eunuchs of the East and Western Depots have started searching inside the castle. If you don’t hurry, you really won’t be able to leave.
-…We’ve delayed quite a bit.
-If you know, then hurry up.
-I’ll have to do that.
As he responded like that, So Yerin suddenly frowned and looked towards where Cheong-ryeong was.
It wasn’t just her.
Nine Blood Sect’s Blood Demon Dam Baek-ha was also looking with eyes filled with vigilance.
-Ho. These beings have unusual spiritual perception.
Cheong-ryeong was amazed.
She had reached a level close to Indigo Spirit and was hiding her spiritual power to the maximum, yet these two were capturing her faint traces with their senses.
Even if they couldn’t see her, something would feel uncomfortably stimulating their sixth sense, not just their five senses.
-Swish!
At that moment, So Yerin drew out her innate true energy and tried to approach where Cheong-ryeong was.
At this, Mok Gyeong-un blocked her way and said,
“It seems we’ve delayed too much.”
“Delayed?”
“Yes, unlike the original plan, I met Officer So and stayed here for too long.”
“Ah… Are you going to leave the imperial palace?”
“As you can see.”
Mok Gyeong-un pointed to Holy Fire Priestess with a nod and said,
Originally, the purpose was to kidnap her, who had been imprisoned in the Eternal Hell Prison.
“You said you would remain here, Officer So, right?”
“…Yes. I have things to do.”
“Then I think we’ll have to part ways for now. If we obtain useful information from the inside and outside, let’s meet later and exchange it.”
At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, So Yerin nodded.
Even if they had the same purpose, there was no need to stick together.
Rather, if they each gathered information from the inside and outside and combined it, they could get closer to their goal.
“By the way, Young Master Mok. How are you going to leave the imperial palace?”
At her question, Mok Gyeong-un looked at the masked Embroidered Uniform Guard Ma Ra-hyeon, who was sitting cross-legged and entering a state of meditation.
As if he had just finished organizing his enlightenment, he was slowly opening his eyes.
***
-Rattle rattle rattle rattle!
Three large carts loaded with food waste containers were lined up.
In the imperial palace, where tens of thousands of people reside, including the outer and inner palace, the leftover food and such from that day are classified and used as fodder for livestock or fertilizer for cultivation.
For this purpose, food waste carts leave the imperial palace several times a day.
There were three palace servants pulling these food waste carts, and they were Mok Gyeong-un, Seop Chun, and Mong Mu-yak wearing human skin masks that had been prepared in advance.
And next to these food waste carts, as if escorting them, was the masked Embroidered Uniform Guard Thousand-men Commander Ma Ra-hyeon Ra-hyeon.
After traveling for a while, a fork in the road appeared.
-Swish!
At that moment, Six Offices Commander So Yerin appeared about a dozen jang away and pointed in a direction with a hand gesture.
At her signal, Ma Ra-hyeon nodded and said to Mok Gyeong-un and the others who were pulling the carts,
“To the right path.”
At this, they pulled the carts to the right and moved.
Their method was as follows.
Six Offices Commander So Yerin would go ahead and guide the path so that the food waste carts could move in a direction where there were no search teams from the Embroidered Uniform Guards, Eastern Depot, or Western Depot.
Originally, So Yerin’s role could have been sufficiently handled by Cheong-ryeong alone, but she had volunteered to help with their escape, so they left it to her.
-Rattle rattle rattle rattle rattle!
Among these food waste containers, there were ones where the Holy Fire Priestess and Nine Blood Sect’s Blood Demon Dam Baek-ha were hiding.
‘Whew.’
‘Damn it.’
Those who were inside the containers filled with mixed food waste were internally feeling like they were going to die.
It was because the mixture of food waste emitted a nauseating smell like vomit.
However, from the perspective of those who had endured all sorts of torture and interrogation while imprisoned in the Eternal Hell Prison, this much was not unbearable.
-Rattle rattle rattle rattle rattle!
Worry filled the eyes of So Yerin, who had been moving ahead and guiding them.
For now, she was avoiding the search teams by heightening her five senses and spiritual perception, but soon they would reach the central gate of the outer palace.
Normally, if it was a food waste cart, they would just let it pass, but since the imperial palace was in chaos due to the underground golden prison incident, there was a high probability that search teams would be guarding that place.
‘We must not get caught.’
If it weren’t for Holy Fire Priestess, the escape would have been relatively easier.
However, to get out while taking her, who hadn’t even properly cultivated martial arts and couldn’t even walk without a cane due to her old age, they had to be as cautious as possible.
‘At least the fortunate thing is that there are no Embroidered Uniform Guards in the search teams.’
For some reason, the Embroidered Uniform Guards were nowhere to be seen.
If they were also in the search teams, it would have been quite difficult to help.
Here, she didn’t know the exact reason, but this was something that happened thanks to Cheong-ryeong.
Because Cheong-ryeong, possessing Prince Gyeongjin’s body, had jumped to his death shouting that the Embroidered Uniform Guards had driven him to suicide, most of the urgently summoned Embroidered Uniform Guards were detained in Bigyeong Palace.
Although they had missed the optimal opportunity to escape before the search began, it could be said to be the last chance to escape since the Embroidered Uniform Guards were still absent.
-Rattle rattle rattle!
Like that, the food waste carts they were pulling reached the central gate of the outer palace, which Six Offices Commander So Yerin had been concerned about.
As expected, the Embroidered Uniform Guards and Western Depot eunuchs had set up formations at the central gate pavilion of the outer palace.
The one commanding them was the Supervising Attendant, the position just below the Junior Eunuch of the Western Depot.
“Stop.”
As the Supervising Attendant stopped the carts, the masked Embroidered Uniform Guard Thousand-men Commander Ma Ra-hyeon Ra-hyeon stepped forward.
Ma Ra-hyeon showed his identification tag to the Western Depot Supervising Attendant and said,
“I am Ma Ra-hyeon, Thousand-men Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. These are food waste carts. The inspection was completed before departure, and I received orders to let them out…”
“Please step aside, Commander.”
“What…”
“Not what, but since a red alert has been issued, all entry and exit must undergo an inspection procedure.”
“…I understand.”
“Check them.”
“Yes!”
As the Western Depot Supervising Attendant gave the order, the Western Depot eunuchs began opening the lids of the food waste containers on the carts.
Each time a lid was opened, tension filled the eyes of Ma Ra-hyeon, Seop Chun, and Mong Mu-yak, who were wearing human skin masks.
If they were caught here, everything would be ruined.
-Click! Click!
The Western Depot eunuchs, who were opening the food waste containers while covering their noses with their sleeves, had already reached the containers where Holy Fire Priestess and Dam Baek-ha were hiding.
As the food waste container was opened, it was filled with food waste.
‘Huff.’
The Holy Fire Priestess, who was holding her breath inside, remained still as if she were dead.
She had been prepared in advance and learned how to hold her breath, but she hadn’t properly cultivated martial arts and was of old age, so it was difficult for her to hold her breath for a long time.
Like that, all the lids were opened.
The Western Depot eunuchs who had inspected this soon signaled to the Western Depot Supervising Attendant that it was fine.
Fortunately, it seemed they hadn’t been discovered.
“Since there doesn’t seem to be any problem, let them pass through the central gate…”
“No. Not yet.”
“…Not yet? What’s the problem?”
“Lend me a sword.”
As the Supervising Attendant stretched out his hand and spoke to one of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he took out a sword from the scabbard at his waist and brought it over.
Ma Ra-hyeon frowned.
‘Could it be?’
It was that moment.
The Western Depot Supervising Attendant stabbed the sword into one of the food waste containers.
-Stab!
‘!?’
The expression of Seop Chun, who was watching this from up close, stiffened.
He thought they would pass safely, but the worst situation had occurred.
The Western Depot Supervising Attendant wasn’t just stabbing the inside of the food waste container once but was frantically stabbing it all over.
-Stab! Stab! Stab! Stab!
Then,
“Here, you saw it, right? Guards warriors, please do this to each food waste container as I did.”
“Understood.”
They were stabbing the inside of the foo”Understood.”
-Shing! Shing! Shing!
The Embroidered Uniform Guard, who understood the words of the Western Depot Supervising Attendant, drew their swords.
Then, one or two of them divided up and went to the food waste carts.
At this, Mong Mu-yak and Seop Chun, who were in front of the carts, hesitated for a moment with perplexed eyes, wondering what to do.
Since it had come to this, should they subdue these guys?
However, there were too many of them to do that.
There were nearly fifty of them, and if they couldn’t subdue them all at once, they would blow the small horn around their necks and request assistance.
-Stab! Stab!
But it was no longer a situation to consider that.
They were stabbing the inside of the food waste containers with swords, and if they got stabbed by that, not only would they be discovered, but the Holy Fire Priestess might die.
At that moment, an Embroidered Uniform Guard tried to bring his sword towards the food waste container where Holy Fire Priestess was.
‘Damn it!’
Mong Mu-yak, who thought there was no other way, finally tried to step forward and take action.
But right at that moment,
-Poof!
Suddenly, a hand popped out from one of the food waste containers.
“Gasp! Wha-what…”
The Embroidered Uniform Guards warrior who had tried to stab the food waste container was startled and tried to shout.
But before he could, the hand that had popped out from the food waste suddenly flicked its fingers.
-Flick!
As soon as the fingers were flicked like that,
-Thud! Thud! Thud!
The Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Western Depot eunuchs nearby all collapsed on the spot with their eyes rolled back, falling unconscious.
At that sight, Ma Ra-hyeon’s eyes widened, as did those of Mong Mu-yak and Seop Chun.
But while they thought everyone had fainted, there was one person among them who had endured it.
He was the Western Depot Supervising Attendant, who had the deepest internal energy among them.
“Th-this is…”
-Pak!
“Mmph!”
Someone covered his mouth.
“You made things bigger. It would have been nice if you had just let us pass.”
The one whispering in his ear while covering his mouth was none other than Mok Gyeong-un, who was wearing a human skin mask.
“Mmph mmph!”
The Western Depot Supervising Attendant, flustered, tried to shake off Mok Gyeong-un’s hand.
But before he could,
-Crack!
Mok Gyeong-un twisted the Supervising Attendant’s neck.
With his neck twisted in the opposite direction, the Supervising Attendant’s breath was cut off.
Mok Gyeong-un gently placed his dead body on the ground and looked at the hand that had popped out from the food waste container.
The hand with sharp nails belonged to none other than Blood Demon Dam Baek-ha.
Looking at her popped-out hand, interest stirred in Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes.