novelraw Chapter 142 : Infiltration of the Black Market (2)
Chapter 142 : Infiltration of the Black Market (2)
Chapter 142: Infiltration of the Black Market (2)
Jeok Seongja strode purposefully down the desolate street of the wasteland.
At first glance, he seemed to be wandering aimlessly, but he clearly had a destination in mind.
[You just need to go precisely there. That place is the Black Market of Sichuan.]
That was exactly what was written on the note handed to him by Do Hoemyung.
Unlike the dull-witted Ma Geollyun, that man possessed a remarkably sharp mind.
Although Jeok Seongja still hadn’t fully dropped his suspicions toward him, he decided to follow his lead for now.
The schemes that spilled from that man’s silver tongue were indeed useful, even to his own judgment.
Cheocheok—
At that moment, Jeok Seongja finally came to a halt.
It was precisely the spot described in the note.
A narrow alleyway between a ruined inn and an abandoned fabric shop—barely wide enough for a person to squeeze through.
The eyes hidden beneath his mask half-opened, scanning the surroundings.
‘But is this really the place? There’s no trace of the Black Market here… not even a rat scurrying about.’
As he pondered that, a voice suddenly came from right beside him.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“-!!”
Startled, Jeok Seongja immediately unsheathed his sword.
Clang!
The quick sword of Qingcheng shone brightly—before he knew it, the blade was already pressed against the stranger’s neck.
Yet, the man who appeared didn’t seem inclined to resist at all.
“Who are you?”
“My apologies. It seems I startled you, sir.”
The man’s face was remarkably ordinary, lacking any distinguishing features.
However, Jeok Seongja could tell he was no ordinary person.
Even though his life was literally a breath away from being severed, the man smiled calmly, completely unshaken.
“Are you a member of the Black Market?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
After a brief moment of contemplation, Jeok Seongja slowly sheathed his sword.
The man bowed politely and continued,
“I was informed of your arrival beforehand by the Si-gong.”
‘…Si-gong?’
It was a title he had never heard before.
He couldn’t determine whether it was truth or deceit.
Even as an Elder of the Murim Alliance, Jeok Seongja possessed little information about the Black Market—
for it operated through an intricate web of secret branches spread throughout the Central Plains.
Apparently, “Si-gong” referred to a higher official within the Black Market.
And that “Si-gong” could only be Do Hoemyung.
‘That man… to think he’s this deeply connected to the Black Market.’
Then, the man smiled faintly and gestured inward through the narrow alley.
“Please follow me.”
The guide stepped forward without hesitation.
Jeok Seongja frowned at first, thinking,
‘What is this, do they think I’m blind, leading me down such a shabby path?’
But then—
Shwaaaa—!
‘What—?!’
The moment he took a step forward, he understood why.
The scene before his eyes shifted instantly—the ruins dissolved into ash, revealing an entirely different space concealed beneath.
“This cursed thing is a forbidden item, even in the Imperial Palace.”
“You bastard, trying to take the goods without paying?!”
“Hehe, I have a fine slave perfect for your needs.”
A bustling marketplace unfolded before him—just as lively as the streets of Chengdu.
The ruined, gray city had merely been camouflage to conceal this place.
‘A formation…!’
Indeed, a high-level formation had been deployed, one so refined that not even a trace of its presence could be sensed.
Even with his cultivation at the threshold of the Manifestation Realm, Jeok Seongja couldn’t detect it at all.
It surpassed even the defensive formations of the Murim Alliance.
“Hehe, honored guest, would you care to buy one of these?”
“…!”
At that moment, a hunched old woman with a grotesque face tried to grab his wrist.
How dare—
Jeok Seongja immediately attempted to draw his sword to cut her down.
But the guide blocked him, extending his hand.
For the first time, his expression turned grave.
“All acts of killing are strictly forbidden within the Black Market. It is the sole law of this place. Should you violate it, even for a ‘customer,’ we won’t be able to protect you. Please bear that in mind.”
Then, he turned and continued walking forward.
A faint chill ran down Jeok Seongja’s spine.
Clicking his tongue, he followed along the path.
The old woman who had tried to lure him earlier now gazed after their departing backs with oddly gleaming eyes.
The two soon entered a building located at the very center of the Black Market.
This was where the managers of the Black Market resided—and only the most select of customers were ever permitted entry.
Passing through maze-like corridors, Jeok Seongja arrived at the room at the very end.
The guide bowed deeply, then disappeared.
Inside the windowless chamber, which resembled a secret vault, stood a single round table with three chairs.
A faint glint flickered in Jeok Seongja’s eyes.
‘Three chairs… so there’s another person expected besides me.’
He was only supposed to meet one individual.
Do Hoemyung—just what are you scheming?
As the thought clouded his mind—
Creak.
“My, you’ve already arrived.”
The door opened, and the very man appeared.
Do Hoemyung entered, carrying a small case in one hand, wearing his usual pleasant smile.
“I should’ve arrived earlier to wait, but I must beg your pardon, Sect Leader.”
“Knowing it’s wrong yet still doing it—there’s nothing more foolish.”
“My apologies once again. However, I was delayed because I was purchasing a certain ‘item.’ I hope you’ll forgive me this once.”
At the mention of an ‘item,’ Jeok Seongja’s expression cooled slightly as he asked,
“Is that it?”
“Yes. Would you like to see it?”
When Jeok Seongja nodded, Do Hoemyeong set the box on the table and opened it.
Ssshhh!
The moment the box opened a horrific aura flowed out.
Inside the box there was a fist-sized jade.
Unlike ordinary jade it bore a sinister purple hue, and it emitted a dreadful poisonous mist that seemed to waver like heat haze in every direction.
“It is the Rot-Demon Jade (腐妖玉). It will serve as the ‘justification’ for Qingcheng Sect to swallow the Tang Clan whole.”
At Do Hoemyeong’s words Jeok Seongja nodded before he realized it.
With poison of that caliber the plan the other had described would indeed be feasible.
The details of the plan that Do Hoemyeong had quietly explained before the elders returned flashed through Jeok Seongja’s mind.
[…Make it look like the Tang Clan caused an epidemic?]
[Yes, exactly.]
Do Hoemyeong’s plan went like this.
Everyone already knew that the Sichuan Tang Clan had been mining in Shuangliu County, in Wol Mountain, where their territory bordered Qingcheng’s domain.
Although the Murim Alliance had granted them rights, that could be used to drive the Tang Clan into a corner.
There was a small village near Wol Mountain that Qingcheng Sect turned a blind eye to.
If lethal poison were secretly released into the waters that flowed down from upstream Wol Mountain and an epidemic broke out there,
Qingcheng Sect would step in, pretend to investigate, and point to the water coming from upstream as the problem.
[We will pin it on unauthorized dumping of mine waste from the abandoned mine?]
[Yes, and if we also blamed the waste on ingredients for the recently reproduced Qi Dispersing Poison that the Tang Clan had been rumored to recreate.]
[The court would pressure them because civilians suffered as well, and the Murim Alliance would lose any pretext to stop our actions.]
Then, at an unpredictable moment, Jeok Seongja would lead all of Qingcheng Sect’s forces and, in short order, wipe out the Tang Clan — that would be the end of it.
Just as the Namgung Clan had devoured the Hwangbo Clan, Qingcheng would absorb the Tang Clan.
If they seized the Celestial Flame Furnace afterwards, Qingcheng’s financial power would rival that of the Four Great Trading Companies.
A truly righteous sect would never carry out such a thing.
Of course — because it would trigger an enormous slaughter.
‘All the better.’
But Jeok Seongja did not care.
He would have gladly barged in and killed every last person in the Tang Clan.
To him the Sichuan Tang Clan had become nothing but an obstacle daring to block his path.
‘Only one concern remained.’
It would be the involvement of Sword Emperor Yoo Jinhak.
A lightning-fast annihilation of the Tang Clan would be possible without fail.
No one in the Tang Clan could defeat him.
But once everything was over, if Sword Emperor Yoo Jinhak came to investigate seriously, and probed too deeply, it could become a problem.
“If Jinhak were to investigate with the Shrine Maiden Sect Leader in tow, wouldn’t they be able to find the components of the Rot-Demon Jade?” Jeok Seongja asked.
Do Hoemyeong shook his head.
“Rot-Demon Jade is not an ordinary poison. It is an extreme toxin close to sorcery. They won’t find any clues.”
“No — isn’t that even more dangerous? The Shrine Maiden Sect Leader is the foremost expert on sorcery in the Central Plains.”
“Everything is within my expectations.”
“Have you prepared a countermeasure?”
At Jeok Seongja’s words Do Hoemyeong smiled eerily.
“Yes. A sorcerer of equal rank will exert their power for us.”
Jeok Seongja was puzzled.
If someone of equal rank to the Shrine Maiden Sect Leader existed, there should only be one person in the Central Plains.
But that person was not of the orthodox sects.
“Please come in.”
Creak.
At Do Hoemyeong’s words the door opened.
The owner of the empty third seat revealed a figure.
“Pleased to meet you for the first time.”
“!!”
The voice that answered was neither fully masculine nor feminine — an eerie, in-between voice.
Another figure, covered head to toe in black hat and black cloak, stepped into view.
But the ferocious sorcery power overflowing from that presence revealed the identity even without a name being spoken.
“The Heaven-Piercing Sect Leader…!”
The head of the Five Evils who supported the Demonic Alliance.
It was An Cheongmyeong, the Ghostly-Strange Nether King (귀기명왕) — leader of the Heaven-Piercing Sect.
Taken completely by surprise, Jeok Seongja bared his killing intent and shouted.
“You dare to summon the head of the Five Evils without even telling me! What is this trickery?”
“Please calm your excitement, Sect Leader. The enemy of my enemy is not necessarily my ally, is it?” An Cheongmyeong said.
“…What?”
“I accepted Do Hoemyeong’s proposal after some hesitation in order to gain a small benefit for myself.”
Sss.
Then he handed Jeok Seongja another prepared box.
“Would I come empty-handed to ask to be included? This is to show how seriously the Heaven-Piercing Sect treats this matter, so please accept it comfortably.”
When the Heaven-Piercing Sect Leader opened the box after he finished speaking,
“!!”
Jeok Seongja’s eyes shook as if an earthquake struck when he saw the item inside.
All resentment toward the Demonic Alliance’s enemies vanished without a trace.
‘If only I had this, breaking through the wall of Perfection would be…!’
Only a dense light of greed had taken hold of him.
Seeing that, Do Hoemyeong —
or rather, Gui Yeongja — inwardly laughed openly.
‘Foolish man. Do you think you can use that power properly?’
The object that the Heaven-Piercing Sect Leader had handed over had actually been prepared by the Blood Cult.
The Heaven-Piercing Sect had long ago fallen into the Blood Cult’s hands.
They had arranged it so Qingcheng would make a mistake and so the Tang Clan and Tang Sewoon could not possibly avoid being implicated.
Using the two forces to create a pincer, they planned to drive them into a dead end.
‘I will kill you, Tang Sewoon.’
Thus the three burned for their own different desires.
Perhaps because of that, none of them noticed.
Even though the chamber was closed and not a breath of wind should have moved,
Srrrk!
One of the shadows draped across the room quivered as if it were trembling.