novelraw Chapter 14
Chapter 14
Chapter 14
Seo Mugyeom wasn’t the only one surprised by the words — Won Jirim and Ho Jo-yeong also looked at each other in shock.
Though it could have been offensive, it was ultimately a warning, and perhaps thinking that staying silent would spare them from such consequences, they promptly agreed without resistance.
Seo Mugyeom began to wonder whether Pyo Inhaeng could truly follow through with his words, should he choose to.
Yet neither of the two seemed to doubt it.
In fact, Won Jirim appeared to believe it even more than Ho Jo-yeong did.
Pyo Inhaeng, perhaps guessing Seo Mugyeom’s thoughts, looked at him and chuckled.
“Seo Mugyeom, you seem to think I wouldn’t be able to do it. You’ll be the witness to my words. If one of these two ends up found dead without a head, you must step forward for me.”
Uncertain whether it was a joke or a threat, Pyo Inhaeng then turned to look at Won Jirim and Ho Jo-yeong.
“Let’s cut to the chase. The culprit who killed Vice Division Leader Jang Ilmun of the Sixth Division has been identified. The murderer is the new Vice Division Leader, Un Jongak.”
Pyo Inhaeng didn’t give them a moment to react.
Without allowing time for surprise, he spoke what he had to say, leaving Won Jirim and Ho Jo-yeong staring at each other in a daze.
They looked dumbfounded, rendered speechless by the shocking news.
Knowing the division leader to some degree, the impact was all the more severe.
It wasn’t something their division leader would speak frivolously about, nor a matter to be taken lightly even if he had that sort of personality.
“How did you come to know this, Division Leader?”
Won Jirim asked, seemingly the first to recover.
“I have several spies in place. I received the information from them and verified it myself. So you don’t need to question its validity.”
Seo Mugyeom couldn’t understand why the division leader believed his words so readily.
And he felt grateful that he wasn’t mentioned during the explanation.
Surely, the division leader didn’t completely trust Won Jirim and Ho Jo-yeong either.
He probably avoided bringing up Seo Mugyeom’s name to protect him from any potential danger.
“I never expected this. But if it’s coming from you, then it must be true. Does anyone in the Sixth Division know about this?”
Won Jirim asked, and Pyo Inhaeng shook his head.
“That’s why I called you both. First, you should approach someone you know in the Sixth Division and gather information about Un Jongak.”
Won Jirim and Ho Jo-yeong seemed to find that reasonable and exchanged glances.
Their looks seemed to say, ‘I don’t know anyone, so go ahead and speak.’
“Why are you staring at me? I don’t know anyone in the Sixth Division. I rarely interact with others, so I don’t have many acquaintances. Even in the Martial Arts Academy, I didn’t build close relationships with others.”
Listening to Won Jirim’s words, both Pyo Inhaeng and Seo Mugyeom thought it sounded plausible.
Now all eyes turned to Ho Jo-yeong.
Among them, the one with the best personality and the most connections was undoubtedly Ho Jo-yeong.
The anticipation in their eyes gradually intensified.
Eventually, Ho Jo-yeong seemed burdened by it.
It wasn’t that he was withholding names on purpose — he simply couldn’t think of anyone immediately.
“Well… I do know quite a few people, but I’m a bit unsure about which divisions they belong to. I’ll need to check. But I’m sure a few of them are in the Sixth Division.”
“Good. That’s a relief. That’s what I expect from you, Ho Jo-yeong. Who’s the highest-ranking person among them?”
As he said that, Pyo Inhaeng glanced at Seo Mugyeom.
He was wondering if they should approach someone high-ranking.
But after speaking, even Pyo Inhaeng realized that might not be the best approach.
“Rather than rank, wouldn’t it be better to find someone who’s close to Vice Division Leader Un? Instead of someone who spends a lot of time around him, we should identify the person Un Jongak seeks out when something important comes up. But someone like that might report straight to Un Jongak if we question them.”
Listening to Seo Mugyeom’s suggestion, Ho Jo-yeong looked at him with curiosity.
He knew Seo Mugyeom better than anyone else in the room.
And the Seo Mugyeom he knew was not someone who could say such a thing.
That wasn’t a thought born of intelligence alone — it came from experience and the ability to weigh different factors.
It required a level of maturity, and it was strange to hear such insight from the youngest Seo Mugyeom.
It wasn’t just Ho Jo-yeong thinking that — Won Jirim also looked at Seo Mugyeom with a puzzled expression.
“I don’t know anyone like that. Most of the people I know are from the Martial Arts Academy or ones I met by chance during missions. Back then, I couldn’t even approach high-ranking people, let alone become personally acquainted with them.”
Seo Mugyeom nodded as if he had expected that.
Now that the trusted Ho Jo-yeong said so, the three of them naturally turned to look at Seo Mugyeom.
In this situation, they should have looked to the one who called the meeting — the division leader — or the strategist of the Tenth Division, Won Jirim.
But instinctively, they looked at Seo Mugyeom instead.
“Then how about changing the order? Let’s first find out who knows Un Jongak well and then approach that person.”
At that, Pyo Inhaeng clapped his hands.
“That’s right. That’ll work. Don’t worry about that, Seo Mugyeom. I’ll make sure you get to work with that person on a mission.”
“…Pardon?”
“There’s nothing better than sharing a mission to build a new connection. Don’t you agree? I’ll arrange it so you can go on a mission with them.”
Seo Mugyeom had only made one comment, but Pyo Inhaeng was already thinking several steps ahead.
Won Jirim and Ho Jo-yeong looked at each other in surprise.
“Division Leader, how could Seo Mugyeom handle such a mission? If the Sixth Division is involved, it can’t be an ordinary one. And the person we’re looking for within the Sixth Division likely holds a decent rank. I don’t know the details about Un Jongak, but now that he’s Vice Division Leader, wouldn’t he have promoted those close to him to good positions?”
Pyo Inhaeng nodded at Won Jirim’s words.
Seeing him nod, Won Jirim and Ho Jo-yeong felt relieved.
They thought he understood and would retract his earlier statement.
However, Pyo Inhaeng’s expression remained unchanged as he looked at Seo Mugyeom and said,
“You heard them? Make sure to be careful about all that.”
“Yes, Division Leader.”
Now that even Seo Mugyeom responded like that, Won Jirim and Ho Jo-yeong began to grow anxious.
“Division Leader, are you planning to send Seo Mugyeom to his death? Are you saying it doesn’t matter if his life is at risk? Even if Un Jongak is indeed the culprit who killed Jang Ilmun as you said, is that worth risking Seo Mugyeom’s life? What benefit would revealing Un Jongak as the true culprit bring to you or the Tenth Division?”
Won Jirim spoke in anger, and Pyo Inhaeng laughed as he looked at Seo Mugyeom.
“You’re popular, Seo Mugyeom. Look how your Vice Division Leader is ready to risk his life for you.”
Won Jirim flinched.
Watching that, Seo Mugyeom thought Pyo Inhaeng truly had something hidden up his sleeve.
Otherwise, there’s no reason for the Vice Division Leader to react like that.
“Seo Mugyeom, you decide.”
Pyo Inhaeng seemed unwilling to back down as he spoke, and this time Ho Jo-yeong stepped forward.
“To be honest, Division Leader, I’m disappointed. I fully agree with the Vice Division Leader on this. What does revealing the truth about the Sixth Division’s Vice Division Leader have to do with us? Shouldn’t the Sixth Division take care of their own matters? We barely interact with them anyway. If we ever do work together, we can just stay wary of Un Jongak then.”
“Ho Jo-yeong, are you saying you’ll go against my will?”
Pyo Inhaeng asked with a terrifying expression.
Seo Mugyeom deeply appreciated how far Ho Jo-yeong was willing to go for him.
Seo Mugyeom knew Pyo Inhaeng was just trying to scare him, but Ho Jo-yeong wouldn’t have known that.
He was taking a real risk, and Seo Mugyeom hoped the division leader would stop there.
But Ho Jo-yeong spoke with resolve.
“Isn’t that what I must do? Even if others mock the Tenth Division, I’ve always felt pride and loyalty. I even respected you, Division Leader. But if you’re asking Seo Mugyeom to risk his life for something without gain or cause, then I will stop you.”
“How? Are you planning to defy me?”
“I’ll find a way.”
Seo Mugyeom thought he’d never seen Ho Jo-yeong’s face so serious, devoid of any smile.
The situation was now on the verge of explosion.
Though Pyo Inhaeng glared threateningly, Ho Jo-yeong didn’t back down in the slightest.
“Tch. Why are all of you so headstrong? Maybe I’ve been too lenient. Fine. Fine. We won’t do it. But if Seo Mugyeom wants to, there’s nothing I can do.”
As Pyo Inhaeng took a step back, both Ho Jo-yeong and Won Jirim looked relieved.
They believed Seo Mugyeom wouldn’t agree if the Division Leader let go of his insistence.
However, in that moment, Seo Mugyeom’s thoughts shifted sharply.
His ultimate goal was to be brought to the brink of death during a mission and be chosen by Gwei.
That way, he could become a Blood Demon and gain an invulnerable body.
If he worked alongside the Sixth Division, that opportunity might arise naturally.
He had only brought up Un Jongak’s actions because he happened to remember them.
What happened to Un Jongak wasn’t important to him.
By revealing Un Jongak’s true nature, those present wouldn’t misjudge him and fall victim.
Now that the Division Leader knew, he could warn all Tenth Division warriors to be cautious.
That was enough closure for this issue.
Now, he would focus again on becoming a Blood Demon.
So Seo Mugyeom’s answer was simple.