Chapter 165: Into the snake’s mouth (8)

About an hour ago, old man who arrived at the Demonic Academy with 10 warriors snuck into the academy while pressing his energy down as much as possible. He was worried about guards standing inside the academy, but if Chun Yeowun and his members managed to sneak through them, then he figured his trained warriors also can do it. And when he did, there weren’t much guards standing at the gate, and guards inside was also very crude.

‘I didn’t think the security was this bad… nobody would have known if we killed him back at the academy.’

Old man scoffed at underwhelming level of security at the academy. Chun Yeowun was powerful so it was understandable from the beginning, but these level of security proved that it would have been easy for Yeowun’s members to walk freely into the Academy. When old man got to the hill where prison cave was located at, he made his warriors to hide down at the hill and ambush Yeowun’s members when he comes down. And when he got up to the peak, old man opened his senses to find Chun Muyun and Mu Jinyun.

‘There they are.’

He found people gathered in one place and walked over. The stone that should have been sealing the cave was open and when the old man took a step in, he was shocked.

With the sound of sword pulling out, three man came out of the cave. They were instructors of Demonic Academy.

‘What is going on? Wait… did he lied to us?’

It was good that he hid his fac with a mask in case. One of the instructor was senior instructor Hou Jinchang. Hou Jinchang shouted at old man.

“How dare you infiltrate into the Demonic Academy! Put down your weapon and surrender!”

Of course, old man wasn’t going to surrender. He immediately turned and ran down the mountain. He was better than them in martial art, so he knew he can run away from them.

“Stop!”

The shout from behind got further away. He had to get down to the mountain and retreat from this place right away. He had to go straight to the Wise clan to have warriors bringing out hostage to go back.

‘How dare he lie! I’ll never…’

“What?!”

The old man when he came down had to stop. Warriors who were ordered to hide and ambush were down on the ground, drenched in blood. And in front of them, a man with long fiery red hair was standing. There were no one in the cult who didn’t know about this man.

“…Left Guardian.”

It was Left Guardian Lee Hameng. Old man frowned. He knew what was going on immediately.

‘…So, he was Chun Yeowun’s man. How can this be…’

He didn’t imagine one of guardians that served the Lord was working with Chun Yeowun. That was only explanation for such trap.

‘I have to run.’

If things had come to this, then he had to run. Warriors of Wise clan were already ordered to kill himself if they were caught. But if he gets caught, then that was different story. Old man then turned to the right and began to run. He couldn’t even think about difference in power. There was no way he will defeat supreme level warrior, so it was at least better to try to run away. But that was a false hope.

“You think you can run?”

Old man flinched and turned, and Lee Hameng’s red sword was penetrating into the old man’s neck.

‘No…!’

And that was the last sight the old man saw in his life.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

Lady Mu screamed as she looked at the head.

‘Uncle Suhn!’

Old man was the apprentice of former leader of Wise clan, Suhn Ginung. He was a teacher to Lady Mu since she was very young and had been trusty guard for her entire life. It was shocking to see his death. Lady Mu became confused. She didn’t imagined that Left Guardian was involved in this.

‘Wait… his ‘servants’ are…?’

Lady Mu looked at Lee Hameng with disbelief. Lee Hameng bowed to Yeowun politely and flashed the old man’s head.

“It’s as you said, Prince.”

“Thank you, Left Guardian.”

“You’re welcome.”

They weren’t trying to hide their relationships either. Lady Mu bit on his lips. She shouted angrily at Lee Hameng.

“Left guardian! Since when the guardians supported a candidate of the heir?! You are breaking the laws of the cult!”

Lee Hameng then turned to Lady Mu for the first time and spoke.

“Lady Mu. It’s been a while.”

“I don’t care if it’s been a while. Answer my question!”

Lee Hameng grinned at Lady Mu’s anger.

“I am sure the competition is already over.”

“T-that’s…!”

With every competitor defeated, only one who can try to become the heir was Chun Yeowun. If Yeowun doesn’t fail in gathering approvals, then it was inevitable that he will become the future Lord. And of course for other candidates who were drove out, they would gain another chance if Yeowun dies, and that was why Lady Mu had set up this trap.

Lady Mu became more angered at Lee Hameng’s attitude and gritted her teeth.

“You think this is over?! Did you forget I still hold onto the people you love?”

She had failed in bringing her sons back, but she still had Guard Jang and two of Chun Yeowun’s members. Even if Lee Hameng appeared here, she thought Yeowun will not try to do anything reckless while she still had hostages.

‘But with Lee Hameng here, I won’t be able to kill him. I have to return back to the clan while I hold onto those hostages.’

If Chun Yeowun was alone, she could have done something by using her forces here, but with Lee Hameng joined, then it was too late. Two supreme level warrior was enough to wipe out forces at the place. It was better for her to wait until elders from six clans to return.

‘I have to join forces with them and kill Chun Yeowun. This is out of my boundary.’

If Chun Yeowun was alone, she would have found way to kill him, but if Yeowun had members then it was different. And as Yeowun looked at Lady Mu silently thinking, he spoke.

“You sure you have those hostages?”

“…Don’t try my patience. I will kill that Guard Jang to show you that I am not bluffing.”

“Kill Guard Jang?”

“You think I can’t do…”

But before she can finish, archers standing guard over at the roof shouted.

“N-no!”

“L-Lady Mu! There’s an…!”

Archers seemed lost for words from shock and Lady Mu opened her senses. She then turned grim. There were many signs of people outside the mansion. At least 300 people were circling the mansion now.

‘W-what is going on?!’

There was no Lord at the cult right now, so it wasn’t going to be warriors from the Guardians who went with the Lord. Then who were these people? That’s when someone jumped over the building and down at the courtyard. He had red silk clothes with yellow butterfly embroidery, and make ups on his face. It was 11th elder Huan Yi.

‘Who is this man?’

Huan Yi never showed himself other than to Lord or Elder meeting, so Lady Mu did not know who this was. But she knew that he was a powerful man just by looking at his movement. Huan Yi spoke to Yoeuwn.

“Huan Yi, the leader of Ghost Illusion clan, at your service, Prince. I have completed the order. Hehe, am I late?”

“G-ghost illusion clan? A-are you the 11th elder?”

Lady Mu became grim. She figured it wasn’t any man, but she didn’t imagine it was 11th elder.

‘At your service, he say? Is the 11th elder working for Chun Yeowun too? By the gods…!’

She didn’t even think this was possible. She thought Yeowun just got out of the Academy, so it was not understandable how Yeowun even took elder as his servant.

‘This is bad.’

If she didn’t have her hostage, then she was in a trap now. She began to shake from terror.

“We brought them over to my mansion. You can be reassured.”

‘What?’

Lady Mu became shocked. She thought hostage was only one she can count on. Huan Yi smiled at Lady Mu.

“Oh, I am just saying I moved your precious hostage to my mansion. It seems you have taken ‘good’ care of them, Lady Mu.”

“H…hostage…”

Lady Mu became pale and almost fell to the ground.

‘I… I lost…?’