Chapter 19. Guangming Right Envoy (2)
“Right Envoy.”
“Is it really fine for me to leave the Black Blood Unit like this?”
“Hmm?”
“The Black Blood Unit is a prisoner unit.”
“I was assigned there for special reasons, but normally I should not be allowed to leave without permission.”
The Right Envoy chuckled and shook his head.
“My friend.”
“I am the Guangming Right Envoy.”
“Do you know what that means?”
“No.”
“It has not even been one month since I entered the Cult.”
“It means only the Cult Leader and Left Envoy can complain to me inside this Cult.”
“That is true both in rank and martial arts.”
“You do not seem like someone who abuses his authority.”
“I dislike relying on authority.”
“But sometimes it is useful.”
Dangerous.
Every time I spoke with the Right Envoy, I could feel my guard lowering without realizing it.
If the Left Envoy was a sharp winter wind, the Right Envoy was warm sunlight.
Talking to the Left Envoy made me more suspicious.
Talking to the Right Envoy made me relax as if melting beneath sunlight.
That was why, honestly, I found the Right Envoy more frightening than the Left Envoy.
“Where exactly are we going?”
“It feels as though we have reached a very remote place.”
“We are heading to my safe house.”
“Follow carefully.”
“There is a formation along the road.”
“What happens if I get lost?”
“You will wander inside the formation until you die.”
“Hahahahaha!”
Apparently, the formation was not a joke.
Dense fog soon appeared and covered my vision.
I focused and followed directly behind the Right Envoy.
“Did you create this formation yourself?”
“No.”
“I do not even know who originally created it.”
“Pardon?”
“The formation around this area is extremely old.”
“In fact, it existed before the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult itself.”
“That is impossible.”
“How could a formation survive for hundreds of years?”
“Believe it or not.”
“I have no interest in persuading you.”
If this formation predated the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, then it came from a time that almost overlapped with the birth of the martial world itself.
A formation surviving from that age could reasonably be called the work of an immortal.
“Then did you build your safe house inside such a formation?”
“No.”
“I found a house hidden within the formation and turned it into my safe house.”
“My guess is that it belonged to the ancient master who created this formation.”
“...Why did you turn such a place into your safe house?”
“Because it is impressive!”
“A house hidden inside a centuries-old formation!”
“The moment I found it, I begged Brother Cheon to give it to me!”
Brother Cheon?
Was he talking about the Cult Leader?
No way.
“Ah.”
“Keep it secret that I called the Cult Leader Brother Cheon.”
“I am not supposed to do that outside.”
I needed to change my opinion.
I thought he was simply an extremely manly man.
Apparently, he was just an extremely wild beast.
After racing through the deep fog for some time, we eventually reached a building constructed atop a tall peak.
For a building that might have been hundreds of years old, it looked surprisingly clean.
The Right Envoy had probably repaired it after turning it into his safe house.
“Come inside.”
“We will talk there.”
Should I enter the Right Envoy's safe house?
I knew very little about him.
In truth, following a master like him this far into an isolated place was already dangerous.
I could not feel any hostility from him.
But that was not a reason to lower my guard.
“Why did you bring me here?”
“I told you.”
“To help you.”
“The Right Envoy is a generous and broad-minded man.”
“I, however, am a suspicious small-minded bastard.”
“Honestly, I am too frightened to casually enter your safe house.”
“Are you doubting the intentions of this Guangming Right Envoy?”
“I doubt everyone's intentions.”
“Except one person.”
“What an exhausting fellow.”
At that moment, the door of the building suddenly opened from inside.
Someone familiar appeared with a smile.
“I told you, Uncle Right.”
“He is hopelessly stiff like that.”
“...Wolyeong?”
It felt like my heart stopped.
The person who had appeared was Wolyeong.
My woman.
The first person I had met since entering the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult whom I trusted without question.
The only person in this world I trusted completely.
My partner, carrying my child inside her.
She looked at me and smiled.
“Welcome, Husband.”
“...Yeah.”
As if enchanted, I followed her inside.
My wariness toward the Right Envoy disappeared like snow beneath sunlight.
I remembered the half year when Wolyeong and I had lived in the same house before coming to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
The half year when my stopped time and dead heart had begun moving again.
After arriving at the Cult and being separated from her, I had realized just how precious those days had been.
There were even moments when I thought it would have been better never to know such happiness.
That was how painful the time away from her had been.
Now that she had suddenly appeared before me, a smile naturally spread across my face.
“What is going on?”
“Why are you here?”
“Uncle Right will explain.”
“Come inside first.”
“The night wind is cold.”
“Okay.”
The moment we entered, Wolyeong poured tea she had already prepared.
“I heard about what happened in the Great Desert.”
“Really?”
“How?”
“I heard you were practically confined.”
“It is all thanks to Uncle Right.”
“I heard you are trying to find the traitor?”
“That’s right.”
“I can run small missions in the Black Blood Unit forever and still never be accepted as Prince Consort.”
“A wise choice.”
“A man should always aim for one big score.”
“So how are you here?”
Instead of answering, Wolyeong glanced toward the Right Envoy.
The Right Envoy smiled.
“The reason Young Miss was confined was to hide her pregnancy.”
“If that is the purpose, then my safe house, where no other cult member can approach, is far more suitable.”
“Uncle Right is correct.”
“My original residence had countless maids and guards.”
“No matter how careful we were, rumors would eventually spread.”
“So I spoke with Brother Cheon and moved Young Miss here.”
“This place is much safer.”
I see.
Her stomach still did not show very much.
But as time passed, it would gradually grow larger.
Walls had ears.
The larger her stomach became, the more likely the secret would leak.
Still, there was one concern.
“Are you sure this is safe?”
“You are pregnant.”
“What if something happens and there are no maids or physicians nearby?”
“Do not worry.”
“This building has more rooms than it looks like.”
What did she mean?
From outside, the place had looked barely large enough for one person.
“You will understand once you see it.”
The Right Envoy walked toward a bookshelf and slightly pulled out one book.
A sound of gears turning came from inside the wall.
Then the entire bookshelf slowly moved sideways.
“The building on top of the peak is only the tip of the iceberg.”
“The true value of Uncle Right's safe house is underground.”
Behind the bookshelf was a passage and stairs leading downward.
This building was clearly constructed on top of a mountain peak.
For it to have an underground level, someone must have hollowed out the inside of the mountain itself.
In other words, this entire peak was part of the Right Envoy's safe house.
“...I thought nothing could surprise me anymore after learning you were the Heavenly Demon's daughter.”
“Apparently I was arrogant.”
“There are places underground where people can live comfortably.”
“So I brought one physician and one maid.”
“I sent them away for now.”
The Right Envoy operated the mechanism again and closed the passage.
“Truthfully, even I have not explored the entire underground area.”
“There are extremely advanced mechanical formations down there.”
“I could simply destroy them, but doing that would feel wasteful.”
The Right Envoy sat again with an unhappy smile.
“If we ever have the chance, I would like to explore it with you.”
“Breaking through those ancient mechanisms will require both strength and intelligence.”
“I look forward to it.”
“Exploring a massive ancient mechanical formation created by some old master.”
“What man could refuse that?”
If the Right Envoy was telling the truth, then this enormous mechanical formation disguised as a safe house had a history even older than the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
Who knew what sort of fortuitous encounter might be hidden inside?
“You two.”
“I understand you are excited about an ancient treasure house, but should we not deal with our immediate problem first?”
If Wolyeong had not pulled on the reins, the Right Envoy and I would probably have begun exploring underground immediately.
However, she was right.
We had to solve the problem in front of us first.
“For Husband to become Prince Consort, we need to find the hidden traitor behind the Black and White Demon Venerable's rebellion.”
“I heard an unknown archer shot the prisoner you captured.”
“Is that correct?”
“Yes.”
“The Right Envoy advised me to investigate the Thousand Arrows Demon Venerable.”
“What do you think?”
“I agree that you should investigate him.”
“But the Thousand Arrows Demon Venerable himself is probably not directly connected to the rebellion.”
“Why?”
This time, the Right Envoy answered instead of Wolyeong.
“His relationship with the Black and White Demon Venerable was terrible.”
“Whenever they saw each other, they openly released killing intent.”
“There is also that.”
“But the Thousand Arrows Demon Venerable is someone who cares about nothing except raising disciples.”
Ah.
In other words, the classic strange old master.
There was little chance someone like that would join a rebellion led by a man he hated.
“Husband, how good was the archer who killed the prisoner?”
“If we only compare archery, he was about two levels above me.”
“Then he may have been an old disciple of the Thousand Arrows Demon Venerable.”
“There are more than a hundred disciples he accepted and later expelled.”
Crazy.
He expelled more than a hundred disciples?
How difficult was that old man?
“Uncle Right.”
“Tell Uncle Left to gather information on the Thousand Arrows Demon Venerable's former disciples and secretly monitor them.”
“Understood, Young Miss.”
“Husband, approach the Thousand Arrows Demon Venerable and investigate his surroundings.”
“If Uncle Right or Uncle Left moves, the Thousand Arrows Demon Venerable will become suspicious.”
“You are still unknown, so you are the right person.”
“Understood.”
“But how do I approach the Thousand Arrows Demon Venerable?”
“I am a Demon Soldier, while he is a Demon Venerable.”
Wolyeong thought for a moment, then nodded.
“I will create an opportunity for you to approach the Thousand Arrows Demon Venerable.”
“Uncle Right, I will need your help.”
“Just tell me what to do, Young Miss.”
“I have almost nothing to do anyway.”
Everything was progressing smoothly.
Was this what having a capable wife felt like?
“Things will be much easier thanks to you.”
“Thank you.”
“Of course I have to work too if Husband is going to become Prince Consort.”
“Ah, and there is something I want to ask.”
Wolyeong suddenly looked toward the Right Envoy.
Apparently, she gave him some kind of signal.
The Right Envoy silently stood and headed outside.
“Ahem.”
“It seems the business discussion is mostly finished.”
“This old man will step outside.”
What was this?
When lovers who had not seen each other in a long time were finally alone, should the atmosphere not become warm and intimate?
Why was the air suddenly so murderous?
After the Right Envoy left, Wolyeong smiled beautifully.
“I heard you went on this mission with a woman named Yeonhwa.”
“Is that true?”
“Hmm?”
“You mean the Deputy Leader?”
“Yeah.”
“I was planning to go alone, but that woman kept clinging to me.”
“Clinging... to you?”
If the coin had landed on tails back then, I would have killed the Deputy Leader and gone on the mission alone.
But in the end, taking her with me had been beneficial.
I had acquired everything I needed without making my own name known.
“The Deputy Leader is strange, but she has some surprisingly decent sides.”
“Looking back, I am glad I took her with me.”
“...”
Seriously.
It was a relief I had not killed her.
Hmm?
Why was Wolyeong's face becoming bright red?
“Are you all right?”
“Why is your face so red?”
“Do you have a fever?”
“Yes.”
“My blood is boiling.”
“Is this what qi deviation feels like?”
“What?”
“Is that really...”
“Your proper wife is practically imprisoned and sleeping alone while you run around outside having fun with another woman?”
“I should kill this man!”
“W, what are you suddenly talking about?!”
Wolyeong grabbed my collar and began shaking me.
I tried to escape her grip.
But her absurd strength made it impossible.
“If you are going to take a concubine, at least wait until after we are married!”
“We have not even held a proper wedding yet, and you are already cheating?!”
Hmm.
There seemed to be some misunderstanding.
What should I do?
At this rate, I might actually die.
“D, darling!”
“It is not like that!”
“The Deputy Leader is not even my type!”
“Oh?”
“So if a woman who is your type appears, you might chase after her?”
“That feels like an extreme interpretation!”
“Today either you die or I die, bastard!”
As my vision shook violently, an indescribable fear rose inside me.
I was certain.
This was more frightening than being trapped in the Martial Alliance's Heavenly Net.
