Murim Psychopath Chapter 48

Chapter 48: In One Whole Piece

The series of events that had unfolded that morning were a clear demonstration that Namgung Byeok and the Namgung Family, no, the entire Murim had been thoroughly toyed with by Do Heo-ok.

Had it not been for the ominous warning, “Ominous Aid,” left behind by the mysterious intruder the previous night, they would have gone ahead with the wedding as planned, and the Namgung Family might have fallen completely into Do Heo-ok’s hands.

Of course, the situation was still far from good.

Although they had driven the mastermind, Do Heo-ok, out of the Namgung Family estate and killed all four vicious assassins he had brought inside, it did nothing to reassure Namgung Byeok.

Do Heo-ok was still alive, and the fact that the Namgung Family remained surrounded had not changed.

Nor was that all.

‘There is still an uninvited “guest” hiding somewhere within the family estate.’

Even if that person had provided information beneficial to the Namgung Family, his true intentions remained shrouded in mystery.

Internal strife and external threats.

How else could one describe the Namgung Family’s current predicament?

Namgung Byeok keenly realized that both he himself and the Namgung Family had fallen into the greatest crisis since the day the plaque bearing the words House of the Emperor had first been raised on the shores of Lake Chaohu.

Watching the sun slowly descend as he reflected on the morning’s events and on Do Heo-ok, he finally lowered his gaze and asked Namgung Bang,

“How many enemy forces have we confirmed?”

He had already received the report, but wanted to verify it once more.

Part of him still hoped he might have heard it wrong.

Unfortunately, Namgung Bang’s answer was every bit as despairing.

“The Heavenly Thunder Unit and the Vault of the Firmament Sword Division have confirmed at least one thousand.”

At least one thousand.

That was by no means a small number.

Even that figure alone was roughly equal to the total number of Namgung Family warriors, excluding the congratulatory guests.

According to every report so far, the ordinary enemy warriors were in no way inferior to the Namgung Family’s.

There was little qualitative difference, and the numbers were comparable as well.

And “at least one thousand” was merely the minimum estimate.

There could very well be even more.

‘What if they still have reinforcements waiting to join them?’

It was something he did not even wish to imagine.

Yet the possibility was more than real.

“At least one thousand…”

As he murmured those words, Namgung Byeok felt the weight of at least pressing heavily upon his shoulders.

Closing his eyes quietly, he asked Namgung Bang another question.

“Have we still been unable to determine how many peak experts they have?”

In truth, in wars between martial sects, the number of masters mattered far more than mere headcount.

If the Namgung Family possessed more peak experts, they could still steer this battle in their favor.

That was precisely what Namgung Byeok wished to confirm.

But once again, Namgung Bang’s answer was bleak.

“…My apologies, Family Head. Our ordinary warriors simply could not gather that information. I feared that forcing the division commanders to investigate would only lead to more losses, so for now we are conducting only standard reconnaissance.”

Even knowing everything about one’s opponent did not guarantee victory.

Yet they knew far less than they did not know.

Meanwhile, it was painfully obvious that the enemy had come with an intimate understanding of the Namgung Family.

Naturally, their preparations had been just as meticulous.

At this rate, the Namgung Family could do nothing but dance to the enemy’s tune.

They could neither march out to confront them nor sit still and endure.

They had truly reached a dead end, unable to advance or retreat.

“Hoo… It’s all right. You have nothing to apologize for. Whether we investigate or not, the outcome will likely be the same. The number of their peak experts certainly won’t be inferior to ours. If our opponent is truly them, there’s no need to see it with our own eyes to know that. Don’t burden yourself over it.”

Their opponent was Heavenly Demon Castle.

The moment they launched their attack, it became self-evident that they had brought a force equal to the Namgung Family’s.

‘Why in the world has Heavenly Demon Castle suddenly appeared in Anhui Province to attack the Namgung Family?’

Namgung Byeok desperately wanted the answer.

But there was no way for him to uncover it.

The situation facing both him and the Namgung Family felt as though,

They had been tied hand and foot, blindfolded, and were being beaten senseless.

They knew nothing about their enemy, yet the damage continued to pile up with alarming speed.

The first clash that morning alone had dealt the Namgung Family a severe blow.

Because of Do Heo-ok and the enemies hidden within his room, one division commander and nearly a dozen elders had already been rendered incapable of fighting.

Not only that, but over twenty percent of the Hall of the Emperor Sword Division, the Namgung Family’s elite force had either been killed or seriously wounded.

Meanwhile, their reconnaissance efforts had yielded virtually nothing while countless family warriors had been slain.

Even now, they continued to die.

It could not yet be called a fatal level of damage.

But if things continued in this manner, they would eventually collapse under the strain.

Most importantly,

The family’s losses were one thing, but an even greater problem was that many of the congratulatory guests who had come to celebrate Do Heo-ok and Namgung Hye’s wedding had also been killed, and those who remained were trembling with fear.

“And the congratulatory guests… Hoo… what are they doing now?”

“They’re all clamoring to be allowed out of the guest halls.”

While cleaning up the aftermath of the morning’s events, the Namgung Family had confined every guest inside the guest halls.

They simply could not distinguish friend from infiltrator.

However, from the guests’ perspective, it was a bolt from the blue.

They had come merely to witness or celebrate a wedding, only to find themselves in mortal danger.

To make matters worse, the very Namgung Family responsible for protecting them had imprisoned them inside the guest halls without offering any meaningful solution.

The Namgung Family had mobilized both the Heavenly Wind Division and the Unhindered Sword Division throughout the entire afternoon in an attempt to find whoever had left the Bone Inscriptions the previous night.

They found nothing.

Naturally.

There was no physical evidence.

Not even a likely suspect.

Judging by the amount of internal energy required to emit the Three Sacred Lights, the only possible intruder would have been Tang Wu.

Tang Wu, the culprit?

Impossible.

It simply could not be.

Nor could they allow themselves to believe it.

He was Namgung Byeok’s sworn uncle, making him practically a member of the Namgung Family.

Furthermore, although not seriously, his own granddaughter, Tang Hwa, had also been injured that morning.

“What is Uncle Tang doing now?”

As his thoughts turned to Tang Wu, Namgung Byeok became curious about his current whereabouts.

“He is at the Medical Hall.”

Namgung Byeok nodded.

Since Tang Hwa had been wounded, it was only natural that Tang Wu would remain at the Medical Hall while she received treatment.

With an empty expression, he once more raised his head toward the sky.

The busy day was drawing to a close, and the sun was slowly setting.

Yet the heavens remained perfectly clear, without a single cloud.

While such dense storm clouds loomed over the Namgung Family, the sky alone remained serenely blue.

Unable to determine what to do next, Namgung Byeok closed his eyes and sank into thought.

Namgung Bang, who had been quietly waiting for an order, cautiously spoke.

“Family Head. If I may be so bold, may I offer a suggestion?”

Opening his eyes, Namgung Byeok nodded.

Traditionally, the Commander of the Hall of the Emperor Sword Division served as the right hand of the Namgung Family Head, and the current commander, Namgung Bang, was no exception.

Namgung Byeok usually listened to his advice whenever possible.

Especially in a situation like this.

“As I see it, there are three possible ways to deal with our current situation. Resist. Escape. Or send a messenger.”

Namgung Byeok silently watched him as Namgung Bang continued.

“Resistance means exactly what it sounds like remaining here and waging an all-out battle with the resolve to die. Escape means having everyone leave the estate at once, break through the enemy’s encirclement in a single direction, and force our way out.”

Shaking his head from side to side as though neither option was worth discussing, Namgung Byeok replied,

“Move on to the third option. You know as well as I do that the first two are impossible.”

Had there been even a fifty-percent chance of victory in a desperate last stand, they would not have been having this discussion.

And fleeing?

That was absolutely out of the question.

The moment the Namgung Family abandoned their estate and ran, they would cease to be the House of the Emperor.

As Family Head, Namgung Byeok would sooner die a glorious death here than make such a choice.

In truth, Namgung Bang’s real proposal had always been the third option.

He continued immediately.

“The messenger option is to send someone to inform the Murim Alliance of our situation and wait for reinforcements. Considering the distance from here to Zhengzhou, someone using movement techniques could arrive in less than a week. If they truly pushed themselves, they could make the round trip and return here with reinforcements within ten days and nights.”

Once again, Namgung Byeok shook his head.

Everything Namgung Bang had suggested was something he himself had already considered.

Speaking in a low, heavy voice, he said,

“I understand your proposal. But who in the Namgung Family could possibly break through their encirclement and reach Zhengzhou?”

As though he had been waiting for exactly that question, Namgung Bang answered without hesitation.

“Does the messenger necessarily have to be someone from the Namgung Family?”

The instant he heard those words, Namgung Byeok knew exactly whom Namgung Bang had in mind.

Someone who was not a member of the Namgung Family, yet could be trusted completely.

Someone whose movement techniques and martial arts were extraordinarily profound.

At present, there was only one such person within the estate.

“You’re suggesting we send Uncle Tang to Zhengzhou?”

“Yes, Family Head. We have no other choice. Unless it is him, I truly see no way to overcome our current predicament.”

“Even so, can he really break through the encirclement of so many enemies by himself?”

Do Heo-ok alone had been capable of matching Tang Wu blow for blow.

Could Tang Wu really carve a path through layer upon layer of enemy forces and reach Zhengzhou alone?

That was what Namgung Byeok meant.

But Namgung Bang had already considered that as well.

“If he were alone, then unless he were one of the Two Gods or the Three Monsters, no one could possibly break through that encirclement. But… what if he doesn’t go alone?”

“What do you mean? Are you suggesting we mobilize the entire family to tear open a gap in the enemy lines? If that goes wrong, they’ll counterattack instead, and we may end up exposing the entrance to the estate.”

Namgung Bang gently shook his head.

“No. That is not the method I had in mind.”

“Hm!? Then what do you mean?”

“At this very moment, there are several hundred people inside the estate who are desperate to escape.”

“So?”

“The intruder who left the Bone Inscriptions is among them.”

He paused before continuing.

“If we cannot single him out… then perhaps we should simply send all of them outside together.”

If they could not separate him…

Then send them all out in one whole piece.