Everyone stopped in their places, armed guards entered the Inner Palace and lined up the guests.
Dongfang Dubai approached the Second Guard: "Did you find out anything?"
"No, what was the explosion?"
"From the temporary food storage."
"I saw some servants heading toward the Outer Palace, I'll stay here, you go check over there."
Dongfang Dubai immediately headed to the Outer Palace, the Heavenly Demon's palace was built in two parts – two great walls like concentric rings, with the servants and administrative sections located in the Outer Palace.
Dongfang Dubai ordered all servants to line up, and if they disobeyed the guards' commands, force could be used.
Why would someone do such a thing during the first coming-of-age ceremony? Could they have counted on the Heavenly Demon not leaving the Jade Hall? When all the family members are present, obviously the Heavenly Demon himself wouldn't leave the hall, but does that mean they underestimated me? Am I Dongfang Dubai, an easier opponent for you?
A guard dragged a servant to the ground and brought him before Dongfang Dubai: "This one and another insisted on passing through the gate, and after the explosion they left earlier than everyone else, they didn't even stop when ordered."
Dongfang Dubai bent down slightly and examined the man, hands with small scars and calluses on the back – he's a martial artist, why would a martial artist be dragged to the ground so easily?
"Where did you find him?"
"Near the gate, we requested help from the guards behind the gate and on the wall for a more thorough search."
Dongfang Dubai kneed the cart-puller in the face and kicked down, shattering the cart-puller's knee.
Amid the cart-puller's screams, Dongfang Dubai shouted: "Four-Armed Demons, follow me!"
Only five members of the Four-Armed Demons were present there, and without hesitation they ran after Dongfang Dubai.
Another explosion.
The Beggar Sect lookout stared in bewilderment at what was before his eyes – fifteen men had blown open the gates of the Heavenly Demon's palace.
The attackers infiltrated the palace with superhuman speed and tore the armed guards apart.
Through the dust and blood, a long sword appeared, the sword passed through the attacker's hands and chest, cutting him in half.
The Poison Guard is here, Dongfang Dubai.
Except for four attackers and a mysterious man leaning against the wall behind them, the rest scattered.
Dongfang Dubai ordered the Four-Armed Demons: "Follow them."
It seemed the four attackers' target was Dongfang Dubai, Dongfang Dubai did not refuse the challenge, and with a faint smile, holding his long curved sword, he moved slowly but firmly toward the attackers.
The last fleeing cart-puller wore a sect police uniform and marked the route with chalk up to a single wooden building with no guards or protectors, of simple architecture.
One of the attackers reached him and drew his sword, but the cart-puller murmured under his breath: "Long live the blood path."
The attacker stopped: "Is this the place?"
"Yes."
The attacker said: "The others can't defeat the Four-Armed Demons, the two of us have to complete the mission ourselves."
The wooden door of that mysterious hut seemed as if it had been sealed for years, the attacker placed explosives on the doorframe.
"After this, we won't have time... Huf."
Explosion.
A woman with silver hair stood waiting in front of the door.
They bowed quickly: "Lady Namgung, we came from the Alliance, this is your rescue operation, we have no time."
The woman examined them, she stepped forward and stood among those men: "Alright, let's go."
The attackers attacked Dongfang Dubai from all sides, anyone watching could tell they were highly trained in teamwork, but there was a problem – there was no opening in Dongfang Dubai's defense.
The attackers' formation shifted to defense and offense, one of the four lowered his center of gravity as much as possible and aimed his sword tip at Dongfang Dubai's side.
The sword went toward Dongfang Dubai's side, but Dongfang Dubai caught the blade with his bare hand and struck the attacker's face with his bleeding palm.
The attackers stepped back a little and reformed their formation, but one of them was acting strangely – he was trembling and his face was changing color.
Dongfang Dubai's blood, like acid, was burning the man's face, he fell to the ground convulsing.
The attackers' terrified gazes were fixed on Dongfang Dubai: "Poison blood!"
Without a word, Dongfang Dubai looked at the mysterious man leaning against the wall, impaled one attacker through the neck with his sword tip, and bent the blade toward another attacker's chest, skewering two attackers at once.
Dongfang Dubai raised his hand toward the last attacker and, with a quick clench, threw a few drops of blood toward the attacker's eyes.
The sword emerged from the corpses, having split their necks and chests, and Dongfang Dubai stood waiting for the mysterious man.
"They were supposed to stall you longer, I told them that wouldn't be enough, but they had their secrets – enough for a guard."
"You talk too much, either surrender or draw your sword."
The man stepped away from the wall and stood two steps from Dongfang Dubai, revealing his hands from under his robe: "Which sword?"
Dongfang Dubai's long sword moved toward the man without hesitation, this should have been a fatal blow, but the man dodged.
Dongfang Dubai shifted his grip and sliced upward, but the man threw his robe to block Dongfang Dubai's cut.
Dongfang Dubai's smile became more apparent, and he traced the sword edge in an arc, bloodying his palm.
"Heh heh, this is getting serious!"
Dongfang Dubai prepared to attack again, but the man punched the wall, sending debris toward Dongfang Dubai, and with a kick created an exit for himself through another part of the wall.
"You thought I'd let you go?"
"No, I thought you'd follow me."
A chase began in the Outer Palace, the man's physical power was so great that each strike created an escape route for himself.
Until, in an instant, he disappeared from before Dongfang Dubai.
"You didn't attack the sect just to break a few walls, what's your goal?"
From the rubble, the man charged at Dongfang Dubai, but Dongfang Dubai struck his face with his bleeding palm.
"It seems you know more than the others, in exchange for one of your hands, I'll give you the antidote."
The man, who had lost his balance slightly, turned to Dongfang Dubai: "Damn it, even if I don't tell you, you'll figure it out yourself."
After a brief hesitation, Dongfang Dubai froze, his poison blood hadn't affected the man until now, so either he was at a very high martial rank, or...
"Blood Cult! How dare you?"
The man leaped backward and broke through the rear wall: "You want me even more now, don't you?"
Dongfang Dubai continued chasing the man, and after a few seconds they reached the entrance wall, with a jump the attacker reached the wall's edge, disarmed a guard on the wall in an instant, and threw him down at Dongfang Dubai.
Dongfang Dubai kicked to stop the guard's fall and leaped to the top of the wall, but the attacker was no longer on the wall.
Dongfang Dubai's gaze turned back inside the sect, buildings damaged by the fighting, dust spreading like mist over the sect, and the moonlight dimmed behind clouds.
Namgung and the attackers exited through the main gate, now dressed in servants' clothes.
But the Beggar Sect lookout recognized the white and silver hair under the servant's headscarf, and the dark eyes that glanced at him for a moment.
"Namgung!"
People gathered in front of the Heavenly Demon's palace, unsure of what had happened.
Is this the start of a new war? Has there been a conflict inside the sect?
A man with an old sheet over his head went up to the Beggar Sect lookout and sat beside him.
"Second Steward?"
"Never mind, nothing surprises me today."
The Second Steward removed the sheet from his head: "What exactly happened?"
"You were inside the palace, and you don't know?"
"To you, isn't it only money that matters? Tell me anything worth paying for."
The beggar lowered his head slightly and motioned to the Second Steward: "Alright, bring your head closer." The conversation between two men who only knew a small part of something much larger began.
Namgung and the attackers reached one of the Hao faction's headquarters, the headquarters was empty, clearly belonging to the main Hao clan, not an affiliate.
"Huf, we finally escaped that hell, Lady Namgung, are you alright?"
Namgung looked around and answered without turning: "Yes, I'm fine."
"Did you come on behalf of the Alliance?"
"Yes, that's right."
Namgung turned and looked at the man: "So the Alliance is now working with the Blood Cult?"
He figured it out that quickly!
"Yes, for mutual benefit."
Namgung murmured under her breath: Mutual benefit...
A servant came up the stairs with Geon-ma in her arms, Namgung's body suddenly trembled, and she turned to the servant: "Geon-ma?"
The cart-puller approached: "Yes, they're the guarantee that will allow us to get you out safely, and..."
"Dungi..."
Wait a moment... How does she know about Geon-ma and Dung-i? Even the Heavenly Demon's official wives don't know about Geon-ma, isn't she just a prisoner?
"As long as your mouths are intact, you can answer me."
The cart-puller and the accompanying attacker's instincts worked correctly – the killing intent emanating from Namgung was enough to paralyze the servant with fear.
Namgung reached out her hand, blinded the cart-puller's eyes, and with another movement severed the attacker's head.
She walked toward the servant and stood in front of her, who had fallen to her knees: "Give Geon-ma to me."
The servant's body reacted instinctively, and she tremblingly gave Geon-ma to Namgung.
Namgung broke both of the servant's legs with two kicks, walked to the attacker's corpse, and picked up his sword.
"Only four of you are left, are you coming, or should I come?"
The attackers who had killed the guards at Dung-i's villa lay in ambush on the rooftops and corridors.
The attackers' leader was at the hiding place route.
He watched the agitated people and listened to their murmurs.
Damn it, Dongfang Dubai was too persistent, we knew we'd encounter one of the guards, or in the worst case two of them, but he was too strong, I want to get a good retirement payout and never be near these damned monsters again.
But what's going on here?
With the onset of drizzle, the man felt a bad sensation – like cold hands touching his throat.
He stood before a building that showed clear signs of battle, boarded-up windows broken from the inside, wooden walls full of cracks, the smell of blood and iron was easily detectable, and most importantly, the hand of a large-built man – clearly an archer's hand – was thrown out from a window.
Silver hair slightly stained red with blood fell over a child held in someone's arms.
The target that was supposed to be rescued had slaughtered everyone.
Their eyes met, and the man raised his hands.
He hadn't felt this much danger even against Dongfang Dubai: "I don't care, you can go."
The man slowly retreated step by step and disappeared into the darkness.
Namgung took a deep breath and went back inside.