novelraw Chapter 120 : Infiltration (1)
Chapter 120 : Infiltration (1)
Chapter 120: Infiltration (1)
“Take care of Senior Brother!”
“Re… retreat!”
“Everyone, move with full strength!!”
The martial artists of the Diancang Sect hurriedly gathered up Yoon Gil, who had fainted from Sewoon’s strike, and began to flee.
Already, several of their First Disciples had fallen to Sewoon.
If Yoon Gil withdrew from the battlefield as well, victory would be impossible.
Watching the martial artists of the Diancang Sect flee in disgrace, the warriors of the Beast Palace slammed their weapons against the ground and roared in triumph.
“Woooh! Weaklings of the Central Plains!”
“Those without muscles dare to act arrogant!!”
“Never again look down on our Beast Palace!!”
In truth, the victory in this battle was largely thanks to Sewoon, but the warriors of the Beast Palace forgot that fact entirely as they reveled in their triumph.
But only for a moment—soon, their excitement began to settle.
Now, it should be starting.
Sewoon slowly heightened his tension as he waited.
“But who is that nameless brother, really?”
“He fights better than anyone, but his body is far too small to be one of us.”
“Cheh, the Wolf Tribe and the Ape Tribe didn’t come. He must be from one of their clans.”
He could hear the murmurs of the Beast Palace warriors, whispering as they tilted their heads at him.
But Sewoon gave no response, standing tall and proud, waiting for someone.
“Step aside.”
He’s here.
Then, pushing through the crowd, a giant appeared—his massive frame reminiscent of a grown bear.
His muscles bulged so enormously that the vine armor (籐甲) of rattan, crafted from the wilds of the Southern Barbarians, seemed ready to burst.
“I am heir of the Bear Tribe, one of the five tribes of the Beast Palace! I am Tasa-don, first son of Tasa-guk! First, I thank this nameless brother for his help!”
Tasa-don.
It was a name Sewoon had heard before.
He had been one of the leaders of the last surviving forces who resisted the Blood Cult until the very end, just before the Beast Palace fell into their hands.
It seems he’s now the captain of this battle troop.
At that moment, Sewoon spoke out in a disguised voice.
“Well met, first son of Tasa-guk, Brother Tasa-don! I am the warrior, Pa Taeyun!”
“Well met indeed, Brother Pa Taeyun!”
Now, to move straight to the point.
After their greetings, Sewoon immediately revealed his purpose.
“Tasa-don! Take me to the Beast Palace! I wish to meet your Palace Lord!”
“!!”
At Sewoon’s words, the warriors of the Beast Palace muttered among themselves.
After a brief hesitation, Tasa-don spoke.
“Hmph, Beast Palace warriors never forget gratitude. But you must prove beyond doubt that you are truly our brother! Only true brothers may enter the main palace at Mount Ailao!”
“You mean you don’t trust me?”
“That’s right!”
“Khmm!”
When Sewoon let his discomfort show plainly, Tasa-don apologized heartily.
“Forgive me, Brother Pa Taeyun! But your body looks far more like a man of the Central Plains than one of us! Suspicion is not evil—but we have been deceived too many times before!”
“I understand.”
In fact, Sewoon had expected this.
Throughout history, too many villains of the Central Plains had sought to exploit the power of the Beast Palace.
Some had even planted spies within their ranks.
Having suffered such losses, the Beast Palace admitted only those whose identities were thoroughly proven into their main palace.
Grrr!
Grrrr!
Such beasts… their bodies are the size of houses.
The giant beasts raised by the Beast Palace, nurtured in the primeval forests, were far larger and stronger than any of their kind in the Central Plains.
As Sewoon remained silent, the Beast Palace warriors’ eyes began to change—from gratitude to wariness.
A pity. If I had Bone-Shifting Arts, I could erase suspicion at once.
They were all naturally massive, burly men—that was the hallmark of Beast Palace warriors.
Though Sewoon had changed his voice with Pa-eum Bima’s martial art and his face with the Human-Skin Mask, he could not alter his physique.
For that, he would have needed the Bone-Shifting Art, which could rearrange bone and muscle.
The situation was on the verge of exploding.
But Sewoon showed not the slightest trace of panic.
Because he had prepared for exactly this.
Finally, his eyes gleamed as he opened his mouth.
“Then… will you wait a moment, brothers?”
“Hm? Of course.”
“Very well.”
Whoosh!
The moment he finished speaking, Sewoon darted swiftly backward.
What? Is he fleeing?
The Beast Palace warriors blinked in confusion, but Sewoon quickly halted his steps.
Rustle!
Right before the bush where Nameless was hiding.
Nameless, who had been lounging carelessly, started up in alarm when he saw Sewoon.
“Wha—what? Why are you coming here?”
“Well, had a good rest? Now, let’s work together.”
“What do you—ugh!”
Thud!
A dull, resounding strike echoed.
Without warning, Sewoon slammed his fist, filled with full strength, into Nameless’s abdomen.
Why… why me?
Nameless looked at him with eyes like a betrayed lord struck down by his loyal subject, before collapsing unconscious.
Sewoon calmly reached for him.
Swish, swish!
The Heavenly Thread coiled around Nameless’s body like constable ropes, binding him tightly.
Rustle!
Then Sewoon hoisted him onto his shoulder and strode back toward the Beast Palace warriors.
For a moment, everyone—including Tasa-don—blinked at the sudden scene.
Whoosh!
Sewoon suddenly flung Nameless down before them.
Then, his voice thundered with righteous fury.
“Me, the only son of the Beast Palace warrior Pa Taho, who was sold to slavers and met a miserable death! I, Pa Taeyun, have captured the villain who sold my father into slavery and returned to my homeland!”
“!!”
At the name Pa Taho, Tasa-don was shocked.
That person… surely…!
He had never seen him in person, but it was a name he had heard countless times from the elders of the Beast Palace when he was young.
It was a name no one outside the Beast Palace could possibly know.
‘Sorry, elder. I’ll borrow your name for a while.’
And for Sewoon, it was also a being he could never forget, someone he had once crossed paths with through the Blood Cult.
As Sewoon briefly sank into thought, Tasa-don cautiously asked:
“……You mean he was dragged away by slave traders?”
“That’s right.”
“Then, would you come with us and tell the King the whole story, brother?”
“Of course.”
When Sewoon nodded, suddenly—
Whoosh!
……What?
Several Beast Palace warriors suddenly darted forward like lightning.
For a moment, Sewoon was startled, but he didn’t evade.
He quickly realized their target wasn’t him.
“You wretched slave trader!”
“How dare you sell off our warriors!!”
“We’ll never forgive you!!”
Stomp! Crack!
The Beast Palace warriors brutally stomped down on Nameless, who lay sprawled on the ground.
“Argh! Aaagh!!”
His screams of agony echoed out.
Given their mountain-sized frames, their violence was truly savage.
Listening to their curses, Nameless belatedly realized what was happening.
He writhed, trying to lessen the pain by shifting his body, then looked at Sewoon with eyes full of resentment.
Why… I rested while you fought, didn’t I?
Of course, Sewoon felt not even a shred of guilt.
At that moment, Tasa-don spoke to Sewoon.
“Don’t worry, Nameless—no, Brother Pa Taeyun! From now on, our brothers will look after you!”
“Thank you, Brother Tasa-don.”
Thump, thump!
He struck his right chest twice with his fist.
It was the symbol of solidarity between Beast Palace warriors.
Sewoon mimicked the gesture.
Then Tasa-don raised his voice toward the surrounding warriors.
“Now, warriors of the Beast Palace! We return to the Main Palace!”
Thus, with a new warrior and a captured slave trader, the Beast Palace warriors began their march toward the main palace of Mount Ailao.
At the summit of Mount Ailao, below the Beast Palace’s Main Palace, the five tribes had their territories spread across the mountain.
Among them, Meng Yung (孟融), chieftain of the Wolf Tribe, was meeting secretly inside his earthen house with a certain figure.
“Tell me! When will you finally pass me the throne!?”
Meng Yung, whose physique rivaled Tasa-don’s, wore wolfskin garments that covered his massive frame, his voice burning with fury.
The old scar carved across his right eye made his expression even more ferocious.
Opposite him sat a mysterious man, completely cloaked in black robes.
“The great plan proceeds perfectly. Chieftain, if you wait just a little longer, everything will—”
“Wait! Wait! That’s all I’ve done! I can’t wait anymore!”
The mysterious figure sighed inwardly as Meng Yung snorted angrily.
‘This stupid barbarian…’
In truth, it was Um Ji-myeong, deputy leader of the Jiangshi Sect, one of the followers of the Blood Cult’s Elder, the Demon of Prayers.
He barely restrained his irritation, though his heart burned to snap the man’s neck.
But he couldn’t.
Turning Meng Yung into a traitor and using him as the Beast Palace’s next ruler was essential to the Blood Cult’s grand plan.
“I understand your impatience, Chieftain. But please endure a little longer. Soon the Male and Female Gu Poison we fed ‘that person’ will take effect.”
“Tch. And what’s taking that damned bug so long?”
“Ha, ha ha… indeed, it does seem that way.”
Um Ji-myeong suppressed his anger and continued.
At that moment, something greedy—not furious—lit Meng Yung’s eyes as he recalled something.
“Then give me another pellet like the last one. After taking it, my outer arts advanced at an incredible rate.”
“That’s not difficult at all.”
Smirking secretly, Um Ji-myeong drew out a pitch-black pellet from his sleeve.
But at that moment—
“Chieftain!”
Thud-thud-thud!
Someone suddenly burst into the earthen house.
Instantly, Um Ji-myeong’s body sank into the ground and vanished.
Fortunately, the subordinate who entered did not notice his presence.
Meng Yung glared at the subordinate with a chilling gaze.
“What is it? I told you no one was to enter!”
“M-my apologies! B-but an urgent decree has been issued from the Main Palace…”
“An urgent decree?”
An urgent decree was only ever proclaimed directly by the Palace Lord himself, when there was news that all of the palace had to hear.
But why now, all of a sudden?
Meng Yung narrowed his eyes.
“Yes, they say a warrior claiming to be the son of Pa Taho has returned!”
“!!”
News completely beyond his expectations struck him.