Chapter 76 – Hidden Card (1)

Whisper!

The dorm site was in chaos. Along with the numerous people from the academy, the masters, and even the office staff all came to the side of the dorms.

This was the largest even since the founding of the institute. This was because it was an even of chaos–and this wasn’t one with natural causes. It hadn’t been happenstance but planned arson.

The three dead people in the dorm’s superintendent room. The dorm’s guards were also found dead.

“This is…”

“Who would do this?”

“Is this why we didn’t find out right away?”

They were all killed. It was also by the hands of someone strong.

Knowing this, the main building and the masters realized how serious this situation was.

But fortunately, despite the planned nature of the crime, the damage wasn’t too much. This was all because the fire was stopped before it could burn down the entire dorm.

The guards and warriors, who came to extinguish the fire, only saw the soot from the fire.

“Was the fire extinguished?”

“I saw the smoke rise for sure.”

“I am saying the same thing.”

“There is no wind too, should we call this luck?”

“No one seemed to die.”

“True. A miracle.”

Because the investigation wasn’t done properly, the masters of the academy regarded this as a miracle. However, the only thing this miracle brought was the immediate safety of the students, nothing had been truly resolved yet though.

“Phew.”

There was a handsome man who sighed looking at the huge crowd of students who were gathered near the dorms. It was Kang Mui, the second-placed student in the third year, and his eyes were cold.

‘… not a single one died?’

The result was also unexpected.

If this act of rebellion had been carried out as planned, more than 80% of the students would have died tonight. Only then could the entire faction be shaken. Yet not a single one had died.

It should have been the beginning strike of a long-prepared war.

‘How did the flame go out?’

Obviously, the exterior of the dorm was full of oil, soot, and embers. The building and the students who should have burned to the ground were fine and the flame had been easily extinguished.

It was strange to dismiss this as a miracle. Kang Mui was sure.

‘Something happened.’

It wasn’t known what the variable was. Except that something which shouldn’t have happened had happened.

Clench!

‘Uh?’

At that time, the surroundings were buzzing and the eyes of the students turned. It was a lot more chaotic than before.

Why were they doing this? The stories the students spoke of entered the ears of Kang Mui.

“Yah. It was amazing!”

“The students of the North Heavenly Dorm and the West Wind Dorm caught those who set fire to the dorms?”

“Really? Catch the culprits? Who?”

“Was it Guyang Seorin, Ma Yeon-hwa, and Tang So-so? I think that was who went?”

“The seniors of 2nd year and 3rd years of the West Wind Dorm and the 1st years of the North Heavenly Dorm.”

“1st years? Really?”

“Yes. The 1st years. They said they were the first to notice the fire.”

“But, they caught them?”

“I think all the culprits are dead.”

‘Everyone is dead?’

Tak!

Kang Mui climbed up to the tree closest to them and he concentrated his eyes on the northwest side, the management team of the main building and the masters of the academy were gathered there, and there were familiar faces among them.

Mumu, Yu Jin-hyuk, Hae-ryang, Tang So-so, Guyang Seorim and Ma Yeon-hwa.

Kang Mui who saw them had gone cold.

‘… them?’

The unexpected variable. He also saw the bodies of the dead masked men around them and the bodies of the masters too.

However, if there was something unusual, it was the bodies that weren’t intact.

‘Did the deputy head deal with them?’

Something felt strange. Even the masked men were all Master level people. They weren’t at a level that students could handle.

Kang Mui ended up looking at Mumu.

‘He is strong but he couldn’t have improved to a level that could handle the masters of the academy in a single week’s time. Then…’

He looked at the blue-haired girl.

‘Guyang Seorin.’

If anyone had a chance, it had to be her. Among the current Murim people, her grandfather was the one who was known to be at the peak at handling poison and the most dangerous of the Four Great Warriors.

The special poison they used was something even the strongest person was wary of. Everyone knew how he took down six sects committing evil deeds in a single night with poison.

So she had a chance.

‘Did the successor of Four Great Warriors stop the war we had prepared so much? Is this a joke made by fate?’

If that was the case he hated this. Was the unluckiness from the past constantly being passed down from generation to generation?

Kang Mui smiled.

‘But if you think that this is the entire war, you are mistaken.’

This fire was just a flame that signaled the beginning. This wasn’t the true war.

Same time.

There was someone rushing down to the first basement of the library. It was the deputy, Dan Pil-hoo.

‘The problem is that ominous thoughts always come true.’

He had turned his steps from the dorms where the fire broke out, and just in case went to the dorms of the Infinity Ten of the Heavenly Upbringing.

It was because there were guards there, but he was getting no news, and he soon discovered the dorm was empty.

At that time, Dan Pil-hoo had summarized the situation with the experience and unique insight from his time in the Murim Association.

‘As soon as the news of our staff was cut off, the fire broke out. This isn’t just a fire, this is an attempt to divert attention.’

For the academy, the most important things were the students. According to the policy of the academy, the students were the highest priority. If anything happens, all the people in the academy would go right to the dorms and the gazes on other places would fade away.

‘Aside from the students, what more is important in the academy?’

The only thing which could pass through his head is the library. The three underground floors where the treasures of all time are stored.

‘Sounds in East and West!’

Sounds in East and West.

A plan to attack the west after making a fuss in the east. Dan Pil-hoo headed to the library.

And when he arrived on the first floor, he discovered that all the guards there were dead. So without delay, he headed for the basement.

‘This rotting smell!’

Unsurprisingly, this was where they aimed for. For eight years, Hang Yeon was taking care of this place, he was the one who kept watch of this place.

‘They must have looked down on me. Did they think that this Dan Pil-hoo wouldn’t know their plan?’

So Dan Pil-hoo arrived right at the 1st basement. And he arrived there frowning at the smell. The place looked like a riot had taken place. It looked like there was an all-out war. And he saw someone,

‘Hang Yeon!’

Hang Yeon, the manager of the library. Dan Pil-hoo who ran to him couldn’t hide the shock at the cold skin.

‘No!’

The man had stopped breathing.

Even in the past, Hang Yeon wasn’t short of ten strong people. Then how could he have just died?

‘Is the intruder’s strength far greater than I expected?’

He thought there was no one in the academy except for the academy head who could take this man down, so one could understand how shocking this was. Dan Pil-hoo looked at the wounds.

‘There aren’t known attacks’

The wounds on the body were the wounds he knew. These were from the blade. And the traces of it seemed similar to blade wounds.

Dan Pil-hoo gulped and took off the robe which was soaked in the blood of Hang Yeon.

‘!?’

He was speechless.

‘How is this?’

He took the clothes off Hang Yeon to inspect the wounds closer and he was sure that these were from blades.

Flash Blade Shadow technique.

One technique he came across in his time wandering around, and he looked at the other traces left around.

All the marks around them were all from unique blade techniques.

Dan Pil-hoo was confused at this. In the end, the fact that the traces of the blade were here, meant that someone was using blade techniques on the people of the academy.

‘A trap?’

Dan Pil-hoo got up. At that moment, a number of shouts could be heard. And not long after the administrators and managers of the library came down to where he was.

“Oh my! Deputy head?”

This was a bizarre situation.

The training center at the northeast side of the dorm. The warriors of the academy who were searching around to see if there was anything else related to the arson case to be found, found something near the training center.

And everyone was shocked.

It was because there was a corpse. However, this wasn’t the corpse of a guard.

“… what is this?”

“I will turn it.”

“No, what happened here?”

What was so shocking for them? One of the warriors gulped at it.

“The academy will be a mess.”

“A mess? I don’t think this is the end,”

Even they, who were only the guards at the bottom, were concerned about what to do with the corpse.

“Master Mumu!”

“Uh? Manager!”

Do Yang-woon, the manager of North Heavenly Dorm limped as he got closer to Mumu. His eyes were full of respect.

Until now, although he had been learning muscle training from Mumu, he thought that he was superior to the man, but now the time has changed.

It was because he saw Mumu put out the flame of North Heavenly Dorm.

“Ha… you are a real monster.”

Ki Majin, who had been supporting Do Yang-woon, bit his lip.

Who would have imagined that a guy not trained in martial arts would show such incredible abilities? If it hadn’t been for Mumu, this arson would have turned into a mess.

“Not a monster. Senior. What kind of disrespect is that to Master Mumu?”

“… don’t call him master.”

Ki Majin shook his head. Do Yang-woon didn’t seem to care. Rather, he thought it was all thanks to Mumu so he tried to thank him.

“If it wasn’t for Master Mumu….”

“Manager.”

Mumu immediately called him and whispered,

“Please keep it a secret that I put out the flames.”

“Uh? why?”

Do Yang-woon was curious as to why Mumu wanted to hide this despite doing a heroic deed. Mumu scratched his head and said.

“I just don’t want it to bother me.”

“You don’t want to be bothered? However, if something like this comes out, Master Mumu’s academic record can…”

“Sh!”

Mumu put his finger to Do Yang-woon’s mouth.

“A secret please.”

This is because of his promise to Dan Pil-hoo. It was not that he didn’t want to reveal it, but because he was warned that if his power was out in the public eye, it would turn into a debate in the academy.

‘Ahhh. He has a great attitude. Just like what my grandfather said.’

His grandfather always told him that fame and name were natural things for a warrior, so do not try to be proud or judge people by it.

“You know the path of Tao. I respect you even more.”

Mumu tilted his head at the words of Do Yang-woon. He asked him to keep it a secret to avoid trouble but this man was calling him a Taoist? While he was doing that, someone came into his eyes.

It was Hong Hye-ryeong.

‘Phew.’

It was the woman who was waiting for Mumu, who was talking about what had happened to the masters around. And the reason she was waiting was to say thank you to Mumu.

‘… right. I was helped.’

She wanted to thank him, but the moment Mumu put out the fires he disappeared before she could say it. But right now when she was trying to say it, she felt embarrassed. It was because she suddenly remembered that Mumu hugged her while landing.

‘Why am I suddenly thinking of that?’

It was the first time someone other than her father held her. For that reason, she seemed a bit concerned.

“Oh! Hong samae(a).”

At that time, Do Yang-woon recognized her and called out.

“Do sahyung.”

Although they had different years of admission, the two of them had a long relationship as they were family friends and of the same master.

“Hong samae. Do you have something to say to Master Mumu?”

“Master Mumu?”

Hong Hae-ryeong frowned. She must have heard him wrong?

It was the moment when she was puzzled.

“Here!”

Suddenly, some warriors of the academy rushed and suddenly surrounded them. She was unaware of this sudden action and Do Yang-woon asked,

“What is it?”

The warrior didn’t answer and a middle-aged woman full of dignity appeared with her hair raised into a bun. Do Yang-woon with Ki Majin were both surprised when they recognized her.

“Master Yeon Cheong-ha?”

Yeon Cheong-ha, a member of the training center and who served as the general head.

It wasn’t often that she appeared out to the students. And she walked to Hong Hye-ryeong.

“Student Hong Hye-ryeong. After roll call, you gave your pass and went to the special training center?”

“Uh? Yes. Why?”

“I see. According to the rules, I will now arrest the student for the murder of student Young Chun.”

‘!?’

At the words, everyone was shocked.

Young Chun.

He is the third disciple of the East River Sword.

TL NOTES:

(a): Female Disciple