It was a dark room.

People entered the dark room.

Among them, the figure with the smallest physique let out an old voice.

“Was there such a device in this maze?”

“It won’t deviate from the plan, will it?”

“It probably won’t deviate. But, I had hoped that as many sacrifices as possible would gather.”

“The fact that there were no mechanism traps and that it was a maze fit our plan perfectly…!”

“It’s fine. It’s enough if only Mount Hua or Zhongnan survive and become sacrifices.”

“Eum!”

“How is the poison?”

At the old voice’s question, a voice with a relatively sharp tone answered.

“The newly developed poison this time has been spreading since they entered the maze. Since it is colorless and odorless, no one knows.”

“Moreover, as they go through the maze, their internal energy consumption is severe, and they are mentally unstable. It is a very good state for the poison to spread. They are all becoming excellent sacrifices.”

“It’s a pity. There were no such things as mechanism traps.”

The reason why they had chosen this place in the first place was because there were no mazes, mechanism traps, or traps.

Because it was the best environment they had hoped for.

But as the mechanism traps were suddenly activated, the martial artists who had come in were dying in droves.

They did not want the martial artists to die.

Because they had hoped that they would all come out of the maze and become sacrifices.

“It’s fine. Mount Hua and Zhongnan, and the Mute Red Demon and the Star-Gazing Sword. It’s enough if only they survive and are offered as sacrifices.”

“Even if we just extort their internal energy with the Absorption Demonic Art…!”

At those words, the eyes of the people who were sitting around the table glittered with desire.

Someone, as if he were coveting it just by imagining it, stuck out his red tongue and licked his lips.

A strange energy that could not be felt from humans was exuding from them.

“Ah, and. The Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero. He is also there.”

“…You mean Cheon Mubaeck.”

“Yes. The one who ruined all our work in Henan, and who also caused us great damage at Shaolin…”

“Eum.”

“Is he also poisoned?”

“It is a colorless and odorless poison. It doesn’t even have any symptoms. There is no way he would notice.”

“Is that so. Then… it will be revenge for Yuk Seong and Gu Jin-hae.”

“If that’s the case, if we use the Absorption Demonic Art on all the martial artists gathered here…”

“Even those red ghost bastards who treat us as just their subordinates won’t be able to treat us carelessly.”

“I will prepare the ritual.”

The old man smiled with satisfaction and nodded his head.

All the elders who were sitting at the table also smiled with satisfaction. But the old man felt a streak of ominousness rising from within.

‘The Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero… he’s a guy who even made those red ghost bastards run away… eum. No. It’s going well. So far, it’s going well according to the plan.’

The old man tried to deny the ominousness.

The plan was perfect, and the progress was also perfect.

Now all he had to do was to extort all the internal energy of the martial artists with the Absorption Demonic Art.

The old man’s eyes shone eerily.

* * *

“This, this has become quite interesting. Plum Blossom One Sword.”

“…”

The Mute Red Demon curled his lips as if he were amused.

“Mount Hua can’t monopolize the way to get out of the maze. When this old man is telling you nicely, hurry up and tell me.”

“Unfortunately, the method we knew is also wrong now.”

Gukbo said calmly.

As the walls newly rose, the patterns and pictures that had had a certain rule also changed.

Although he could find a specific rule if he looked closely at the newly appeared pictures, the situation was not favorable.

Gukbo glanced at the two second-generation disciples who were drawing their swords behind him and clenched his scabbard.

“Hmph. Do you have to be severely punished to come to your senses? This old man will have to educate you.”

The Mute Red Demon raised his red beard.

His spear shone sharply as if it were asking for blood.

‘Even if I kill him here, how would anyone know?’

A maze that was thoroughly concealed from the outside.

Even Cheonghyeonjin, who had been with him, had been separated by the rising walls.

A state where they did not know where each other was.

Even if he killed the Plum Blossom One Sword here, who would know?

The culprit could not be known. They would suspect, of course.

‘Moreover, before I kill him properly, I’ll dig out the way to get out of this maze.’

Once he got out of the maze, he was a competitor who had to be killed anyway.

In particular, Mount Hua was the biggest competitor along with Zhongnan.

So it was beneficial to reduce the numbers even a little here. And if the opponent was the Plum Blossom One Sword.

The Mute Red Demon slowly raised his momentum.

Gukbo, as if he had felt the killing intent, drew his sword.

“Hoo. I’ve heard a lot from the elders. That the Mute Red Demon is a bastard who is not even worth facing.”

“…Huh.”

“Shut up and come at me.”

“This arrogant!”

The Mute Red Demon got angry and rushed in in an instant.

Jjeong! Jjeong!

“…!”

The Mute Red Demon, who had exchanged blows in an instant, stepped back with a slightly surprised face.

The repulsive force that was felt in his wrist was unusual.

On the other hand, Gukbo stood silently with his sword pointed.

‘Indeed, the Plum Blossom One Sword!’

They said he was the best among the successors, along with the great young master of the Namgung family.

He was indeed not to be trifled with. At least considering that he was one generation, no, a couple of generations higher, the situation where he had been pushed back one step was rather embarrassing.

“Kkeulkkeul. Mute Red Demon. You’ve gotten old too!”

It was then.

Gukbo’s calm expression wavered for a moment.

What had appeared at some point was the Old Tiger Ghost, who had been defeated by Cheonghyeonjin once.

The Mute Red Demon responded as if he were displeased.

“You’ve only grown in your stubbornness. You were knocked out by some brat on the ground, and just now you were knocked out by the Guardian Sword. You’re still walking around fine.”

“…Keung! I was defeated by the Guardian Sword, but you’re struggling with just one brat.”

Gukbo bit his lip.

Both the Old Tiger Ghost and the Mute Red Demon were people of the unorthodox sects.

They knew each other quite well. Of course, they would point their swords at each other for profit at any time, but if you think about it the other way, it meant that they could also join forces for profit.

Like now.

“There’s no need to fight now, is there?”

“We have to get rid of the Mount Hua or Zhongnan guys first.”

“I have the same thought.”

The Old Tiger Ghost smirked and took a step forward.

Although his nails were cut short by half, it did not look funny.

Gukbo sighed. Although he was confident that he could face one of them alone, to be honest, two was too much.

‘Still, I have to do what I can.’

When Gukbo straightened his posture, the Old Tiger Ghost approached, cackling.

“Kkeulkkeul. I’ll have to be satisfied with you instead of the Guardian Sword. You brat…”

It was at that moment.

Kwaaaang!

The Mute Red Demon’s eyes widened. With a loud noise that suddenly erupted, the Old Tiger Ghost who had been in front of him had disappeared without a trace.

‘What the…!’

In the place where the Old Tiger Ghost had been dripping with killing intent, a young man was standing.

No, he wasn’t even young. Anyone could see that he was so young that he didn’t even seem to be of age.

‘Huh? That guy from the ground?’

The back of the Mute Red Demon’s neck turned cold.

It was a familiar sight for some reason.

The Mute Red Demon’s gaze slowly turned to one side.

“Ugh!”

The Old Tiger Ghost was literally writhing.

This time, there seemed to be no possibility of recovery. Both his shoulders were crushed by the shock and were hanging limply. His already bent waist was bent and crumpled as if it were almost folded.

The Mute Red Demon felt fear rather than surprise.

‘This time too… I didn’t see anything.’

Like when the Old Tiger Ghost had been knocked out on the ground.

This time too, he had not seen anything. What if he had been in that place instead of the Old Tiger Ghost?

“Ah…”

The Mute Red Demon raised his stiff head and looked at the young man, that is, Cheon Mubaeck.

The crowd was silent for a moment.

Cheon Mubaeck said with a slightly sullen look.

“No, I mean, why are you just standing there? You should have dodged.”

“…”

No, why is that his fault?

“W-Who are you!”

The Mute Red Demon’s voice trembled.

Cheon Mubaeck’s head tilted.

At that moment, Neung-heo, who had been chasing him late, said.

“The old man who was hit and flew away over there is the Old Tiger Ghost, and that old man is the Mute Red Demon. They are quite well-known figures in Shaanxi.”

“The Old Tiger Ghost? The Mute Red Demon? Why are there so many bastards I’ve never heard of?”

“…”

Uh, that’s… you just don’t know.

But Neung-heo did not say his inner thoughts out loud.

“Well, it doesn’t matter. Hey. Old man.”

“You mean me?”

“Choose. Move aside. Or get beaten.”

“…!”

The Mute Red Demon flinched for a moment.

It was a choice he had never heard before. Who would force such a choice on him? Who would dare?

Even the martial artists of Mount Hua had not done that to him.

The Mute Red Demon felt something welling up inside and glared at Cheon Mubaeck.

But the moment he saw Cheon Mubaeck’s two eyes, the Mute Red Demon had no choice but to make a decision.

Deep two eyes.

The deep eyes that seemed to suck you in looked clear at a glance, but in them, a dragon that seemed to swallow you up at any moment was writhing.

The Mute Red Demon, without caring about the gaze of Gukbo, who was watching this scene with a dazed look, threw away his dignity.

“I-I’ll move aside!”

“No. You should just get beaten.”

Huh?

Why?

“I don’t like your eyes.”

What kind of crazy bastard is this…

* * *

Gukbo felt a sudden pity as he looked at the Old Tiger Ghost, who was writhing on one side of the wall, and the Mute Red Demon, whose face was so swollen that he was hard to recognize.

‘They must have families too…’

The Mute Red Demon and the Old Tiger Ghost were representatives of the unorthodox sect martial artists in Shaanxi.

Hadn’t Gukbo been a little excited at the thought of gaining fame by defeating the Mute Red Demon in this place?

The sight of those two being beaten like a dog on a rainy day and collapsing was a sight he had never imagined.

Gukbo looked at Cheon Mubaeck, who had created this situation.

“First, I’d like to thank you for your help. I am the Plum Blossom One Sword, Gukbo.”

Cheon Mubaeck looked at Gukbo with a sullen face and then turned his gaze to Neung-heo.

“Is he famous?”

“He’s the Plum Blossom One Sword, isn’t he?”

“…”

Gukbo shut his mouth.

It was as if the words ‘So what?’ were floating in Cheon Mubaeck’s gaze.

Gukbo barely suppressed the urge to well up.

“Excuse me, but may I ask for the young hero’s name?”

“It’s Cheon Mubaeck.”

“…”

He just said his name when I asked for his name.

Then how would I know?

Cheon Mubaeck, as if it were annoying to talk to Gukbo, or as if he were looking for something, tilted his head here and there.

Neung-heo answered instead.

“He is the one who has the title of Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero. Unlike what you see.”

“The Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero!”

Gukbo’s eyes flashed.

Wasn’t he the most famous person recently, whose name he had heard until his ears hurt!

Only then did he understand. Why the Mute Red Demon and the Old Tiger Ghost had been defeated so easily. And the feeling of being jealous of the Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero’s fame had completely disappeared.

Because his martial prowess was too powerful to be jealous of.

Gukbo spoke to Cheon Mubaeck with eyes full of a slight heat.

No, he was about to speak.

“Move aside.”

“…Pardon?”

“Hoo, I’m busy, so either move aside quickly. Or get beaten and move aside. Or get beaten to a pulp and move aside. You choose too.”

“…”

Gukbo quickly moved his body. It would be foolish not to move even after seeing the state of the Mute Red Demon, which was looming before his eyes.

Cheon Mubaeck approached the wall behind Gukbo.

A cone-shaped structure was sticking out from the wall.

“Is that the last one?”

“Right. If I just pull this out, all those things will be aligned.”

Neung-heo looked at Cheon Mubaeck with admiration.

Cheon Mubaeck, as if he had suddenly realized something, had been going through the maze and pulling out the cones.

Every time he pulled out a cone, the maze structure kept changing, but the quick-witted Neung-heo realized that the pictures drawn on the wall were gradually changing into a certain rule and shape.

So now Cheon Mubaeck was aligning the maze by pulling out the cones one by one.

“Alright. Let’s get out of here now.”

Cheon Mubaeck smiled lightly and pulled out the cone.

Neung-heo smiled brightly at the thought of getting out of the tedious maze.

But that smile soon…

Kugugugugugugung!

“Huh?”

“Yes?”

“…What, what is it?”

As if the floor were shaking like when the maze had first changed.

Soon, it vibrated even more violently. As if an earthquake had occurred.

“…My lord.”

“Yes?”

“The ceiling… is collapsing.”

“I see.”

“…Is this right?”

Cheon Mubae-ck laughed awkwardly.

“I guess it’s wrong.”

This crazy bastard, really.

(End of Chapter)

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep