Sword God Reborn

Chapter 253 : You really have to use a professional

Deceiving people is difficult. Even if Gok Ji-heum's disguise skills were the best in the world, there were limits.

Because the person themselves does not change.

Cheon Mubaeck's actions were natural because he had thoroughly melted the life experiences he had gained through repeated reincarnations.

Neung-heo was also natural in the Black Society.

'He's shamelessly brazen and has a good nerve. Since he was originally a black path bastard, pretending to be a black path person is easier than walking on two feet.'

Somehow thinking that Neung-heo might be digging his ears in the distant Henan, Cheon Mubaeck ordered Gok Ji-heum precisely.

"Make it natural."

"Natural? It's not like women's makeup, to make such a request..."

Gok Ji-heum grumbled, showing his reluctance.

"It has to be."

No matter how much you disguise yourself as someone else, there are things you can't hide.

"Even if you dress up as a high-ranking official or a wealthy merchant, you can't imitate their actions exactly."

Actions cannot be changed immediately. From a light gait to a hand gesture, to a very small habit.

If it were a matter of infiltrating another sect, Cheon Mubaeck wouldn't have cared this much.

However, this time the opponent was the Wolya Faction, assassins.

They were crazy bastards who invested months to years just observing their assassination targets.

They were people whose habit was to observe, analyze, and evaluate people.

Their eye for detail was something that even Cheon Mubaeck was amazed by, which was why he had called Gok Ji-heum.

Disguise techniques temporarily transform the skeleton using internal energy.

Assassins, who are more sensitive to the flow of qi than martial artists of the same realm, had a high probability of noticing it at once.

Without using internal energy, the only one who could disguise them for certain was Gok Ji-heum.

However, what even Gok Ji-heum's skills couldn't do anything about were actions and habits.

Cheon Mubaeck was confident, but...

"These kids are too young."

At those words, all the members of the Demon Repelling Squad looked at Cheon Mubaeck with sullen eyes.

Zhuge Seol-ah let out a deep sigh.

"Young Master Cheon, no, Squad Leader, you're the youngest here."

"I sometimes forget too. In any case, it's true that they don't have much experience in the martial world. The assassins will notice right away."

Then, Cheon Mubaeck looked at Gok Ji-heum.

"So you're asking me to make even their actions and habits not look awkward?"

"That's right. Whatever they do, make it look natural. Can you do it?"

Although the words were a suggestion, what was felt was a demand. Gok Ji-heum was dumbfounded.

It was one thing for the Hanamun's leader to rush all the way here, but this absurd request. Wasn't he asking him to disguise them in a way that even their awkward actions could be understood?

However, Gok Ji-heum, who had gained a lot from Cheon Mubaeck, suppressed his anger.

"No... do you think disguise is some kind of evil art?"

"If the oral formula for the Dark True Wisdom Sword is completed, it will become one of the peerless techniques in the world."

"In fact, my disguise skills are no different from an evil art. If I put my mind to it, I can even deceive parents."

Gok Ji-heum rolled up his sleeves and stepped forward.

"What are you all doing? You guys, hurry up and wash your faces."

At his enthusiastic appearance, the members of the Demon Repelling Squad made bewildered expressions.

While working inside the Black Society, Gok Ji-heum had realized how much of a great danger it would be to the Hanamun if the black path people were to unite.

Thus, he had worked hard to make the water bandits, mountain bandits, and the Taeryong Faction split from each other within the Black Society.

It was consistent with Cheon Mubaeck's position. Cheon Mubaeck also wanted the Black Society to fall into chaos so that they could not interfere in the midst of the Righteous-Demonic War.

Gok Ji-heum also did his best because he realized that if the Black Society were to unite, it would be a direct threat to the Hanamun.

At the same time, he was also thinking of ways to augment the Hanamun's power just in case.

'The answer is the Dark True Wisdom Sword!'

If he could obtain the perfect oral formula for the Dark True Wisdom Sword, the Hanamun's power would jump in an instant.

If Cheon Mubaeck could give him the Dark True Wisdom Sword, wasn't there anything he could do?

Even if it were impossible.

'I have to make it possible.'

Gok Ji-heum's eyes shone, and he displayed the skills he had accumulated until now to his heart's content.

Watching the ever-changing Demon Repelling Squad, Cheon Mubaeck nodded.

"As expected, you have to use a professional."

At Cheon Mubaeck's satisfied words, who was treating the great Hanamun's leader as a mere makeup artist, all the members of the Demon Repelling Squad fell silent.

* * *

The Yudang Medical Hall.

It was a huge mansion composed of high walls and splendid pavilions, too grand to be seen as a mere medical hall.

Despite its splendid and large scale, the medical hall was unusually quiet.

It was famous for only accepting people with reservations, so there were no people who came unannounced.

In particular, for the past month, the medical hall had not been accepting patients, as if there had been some trouble inside.

"It's been exactly since I was attacked."

"That's right. According to the combined information from the Hanamun and the Beggars' Sect, after that, most of the places suspected of being Wolya Faction bases have ceased their activities. Whether it's an escort agency, a merchant group, or a medical hall."

"Good. Does everyone know their roles?"

Cheon Mubaeck glanced around. Except for Cheon Mubaeck and Zhuge Seol-ah, the rest of the Demon Repelling Squad had not changed much.

Although they had disguised themselves to some extent, they still looked like typical martial artists.

However, it seemed that the somewhat naive feeling had been enhanced.

On the other hand, among them was Gok Ji-heum, who was being supported, covered in blood. The disguise was so cleverly made that even Cheon Mubaeck, who knew, wondered if he had been seriously injured.

If it were a simple disguise, it wouldn't have been able to deceive Cheon Mubaeck's eyes, but his facial expression was so earnest that the feeling of pain was transmitted through his skin.

Having confirmed the situation, Cheon Mubaeck nodded and knocked on the main gate without hesitation.

After some time had passed.

The gatekeeper of the medical hall opened the door with a frown and stuck his head out.

The moment he confirmed the gatekeeper's face, a faint smile flashed across Cheon Mubaeck's lips.

* * *

"Who are you?"

Eyes filled with all sorts of fatigue and annoyance. It was the face of an ordinary low-ranking warrior, worn out by work.

But the moment he saw the group knocking on the gate, his eyes flashed quickly beyond that expression.

'One middle-aged man. Two handsome young people, and their bodyguards?'

The gatekeeper's eyes instantly swept over everyone.

In a short moment, the entire appearance of Cheon Mubaeck's party was inputted into the gatekeeper's mind as if it were being copied.

It wasn't just that it had entered his mind.

Numerous analyses and evaluations were quickly carried out in his mind.

-A noble attitude and a subtly felt dignity. High probability of being the children of a prestigious family.

-The woman next to him is the same. However, their facial features do not match. They are not siblings.

-Young age.

-No internal energy felt.

-The rest of the warriors have some flow of internal energy. First-rate.

-The middle-aged man's injury is a stab wound to the abdomen. He was hit by a sword.

The gatekeeper, who had found the peculiarities one by one in an instant, stared at Cheon Mubaeck.

Cheon Mubaeck hurriedly performed a fist-and-palm salute and bowed his waist.

The gatekeeper's eyebrow twitched.

There were almost no cases of showing such excessive courtesy to a gatekeeper one-sidedly.

In particular, the people who visited the Yudang Medical Hall were mostly high-ranking officials or extremely wealthy merchants.

If not, it was secretly sought out by proud martial artists.

Thus, showing courtesy to a gatekeeper was a rare sight.

"We were attacked while traveling with my uncle in Sichuan. We came here because we heard there was a medical hall with the best skills in the vicinity, so please, I beg you, do not turn us away and take care of my uncle's treatment."

His voice was so earnest that the gatekeeper, who suspected everything in the world, had his suspicions fade, even if for a moment.

But the gatekeeper did not let his guard down.

Because for some reason, an ominous feeling had flashed through his mind.

"You were injured? By whom?"

"I don't know the details. But they were mountain bandits with red headscarves..."

Cheon Mubaeck couldn't even finish his words properly with an urgent face.

Although his attitude of stuttering and being jumbled was suspicious, it actually came across as more sincere to the gatekeeper.

'There's no pretense. If they were actually suddenly ambushed, that would be a natural reaction. The words he's spitting out are all jumbled, but the core is clear... If it's red headscarves, it must be the Red Scarf Bandits, and it doesn't seem wrong that they were attacked nearby.'

The gatekeeper did not open the gate easily.

The Yudang Medical Hall was closed.

Due to the incident where a significant number of Wolya Faction assassins had died recently, all assassinations had been stopped.

Since they were being cautious and not moving rashly, letting in outsiders was a matter that had to be seriously considered.

"Unfortunately, the Yudang Medical Hall only accepts patients through reservations."

"I've heard. But please help us. Isn't medicine the art of saving people? We will give you what money we have now, and we will arrange for the rest through the Unhang Escort Agency by tomorrow or the day after. I am afraid my uncle's condition will worsen before we can return."

At those words, the gatekeeper flinched.

'If it's the Unhang Escort Agency, it's run by the Geumroe Merchant Group. To entrust an escort once, you have to draw a ticket and wait. He's saying he'll have the money brought by tomorrow or the day after?'

The gatekeeper carefully examined the uninvited guests once again.

"By any chance, what is your family..."

His gaze fell on Zhuge Seol-ah.

'I think I heard that the youngest daughter of the Geumroe Merchant Group is about that age.'

Did she read his gaze?

Zhuge Seol-ah performed a fist-and-palm salute with a somewhat urgent movement.

"I am Geum So-yong of the Geumroe Merchant Group."

"...Then is this person perhaps your betrothed?"

At those words, Zhuge Seol-ah flinched, but Cheon Mubaeck, who was next to her, nodded and gently embraced her.

The trembling of Zhuge Seol-ah, who had been shaking for a moment, subsided.

To the gatekeeper, it looked like he was comforting a woman who was afraid of the attack.

"That's right."

"Hah. I heard that the youngest daughter of the Geumroe Merchant Group was getting married soon, so you must be the young master of the Yoo family, who was a grand scholar?"

"That is also correct."

Only then did the gatekeeper nod.

'This is a headache. Of all people, the Geumroe Merchant Group and the Yoo family.'

The influence of the Geumroe Merchant Group and the Yoo family in Sichuan was on the same level as the Sichuan Tang Clan in the martial world.

What if he refused them here and the man called the uncle died?

It would be making enemies of the two families.

Then it was obvious that the Yudang Medical Hall would be in a difficult position. Since the majority of those who requested assassinations from them were high-ranking officials or wealthy merchants, they would be reluctant to even come to request an assassination, as they would be mindful of the two places.

The gatekeeper carefully judged.

'Treating a stab wound is simple, so there's no problem. Rather, if I take this opportunity to form a connection with the Geumroe Merchant Group and the Yoo family...'

In fact, how could a gatekeeper make such a decision?

Rather, it was a decision that was possible because he was a gatekeeper.

The Yudang Medical Hall.

Its true identity was the number one assassin sect in the world, the Wolya Faction.

The important role of examining the people who came to the Wolya Faction at the gate to determine if they were dangerous was the gatekeeper.

A role that only the top assassins in the Wolya Faction could take on.

He was a special-grade assassin.

Moreover, since they were disguised as a medical hall, to refuse a patient would rather arouse suspicion.

'What the Faction Lord forbade was assassination.'

In the end, the gatekeeper came to a conclusion.

"Come in. Let's start with the treatment."

Cheon Mubaeck's eyes flashed.

* * *

"How many physicians are there?"

Cheon Mubaeck, who had come inside following the gatekeeper's guidance, suddenly asked.

"That's a secret."

"The number of physicians is a secret?"

At Cheon Mubaeck's persistent questioning, the gatekeeper felt a strange sense of unease.

The gatekeeper, who had been thinking for a moment, glared at Cheon Mubaeck.

"It's a trade secret."

At that, a strange smile appeared on Cheon Mubaeck's lips.

It was not the urgent expression he had had just a moment ago, asking to treat his uncle.

"Why... are you doing this?"

A clear wariness appeared on the gatekeeper's face.

"That's the medical hall's trade secret, you say?"

"That's... right. But you're suddenly speaking informally."

"Because there is no courtesy of speaking formally to a gatekeeper."

"Well, that's true, but..."

The gatekeeper was flustered for a moment. A sudden change in attitude. A rough tone that didn't seem to belong to a child of the noble Yoo family.

Cheon Mubaeck smiled.

"No, let's be precise. It's not the medical hall's trade secret, is it?"

"..."

"Isn't it the Wolya Faction's trade secret? Not revealing the number of assassins belonging to it."

The gatekeeper closed his mouth and looked at Cheon Mubaeck. Cheon Mubaeck's hand flashed pure white.

(End of Chapter)