What do death and moonlight have in common?
It's that when the time comes, they visit everyone in the world equally.
Like the shadow of death that follows behind everyone in the world even when one tries desperately to avoid it, the moonlight that illuminated the Namgung Family was naturally also shining brightly on places other than there.
The peak of Seungryong Mountain.
Of course, the moon cast its light fully upon this place as well.
Receiving that light fully, there were two people casting long shadows behind them.
Among them, the man in black clothes with a languid expression, Paga Blood, spoke first. He was watching the distant Namgung Family with his arms crossed, and even while speaking, he didn't turn his gaze elsewhere.
"Transformed Shadow... should I call you Do Heo-ok now? Well, whatever doesn't matter. Shall I hear your excuses now?"
Standing beside him was a man with handsome features, Do Heo-ok.
The blue clothes Do Heo-ok wore had lost their original color long ago from how much blood had soaked into them. Now they had turned so black that they were almost indistinguishable from the black clothes Paga Blood wore. Just from his appearance, one could fully guess how much fierce battle he had fought today. That said, most of that blood belonged to other people.
Do Heo-ok also spoke while looking toward the Namgung Family like Paga Blood.
"Gray Shadow, you're talking as if I definitely failed."
"Then are you saying you didn't? Although they were outer shadows rather than true shadows, four shadows died without much gain. And the very fact that you, Transformed Shadow, are standing beside me flapping your mouth means the First Stratagem failed long ago. The First Stratagem only had a chance of success when you could be a hero who would become the focal point of the Orthodox Faction, but now that you're flapping your mouth while looking like a neighborhood dog trampled by village brats, the stratagem is already over."
Do Heo-ok chuckled at Paga Blood's somewhat loose manner of speaking and retorted.
"You're only half right. The core of the First Stratagem is indeed that I become a hero of the Orthodox Faction. But just because I'm standing here in this state doesn't mean I can't become a hero of the Orthodox Faction."
"What do you mean by that? Don't tell me you're planning to slaughter everyone in the Namgung Family without leaving a single one, then claim 'I am the successor of the Namgung Family'?"
Paga Blood, who had been looking only at the Namgung Family with languid eyes, turned his head to look at Do Heo-ok.
"If that's what you're thinking, give it up from the start. The Orthodox Faction trash values family or sect nameplates more, so they might acknowledge you as a somewhat talented master, but they won't think of you as the successor of the Namgung Family who will restore it. Maybe if you had learned the Namgung Family's martial arts, but as things stand now, it's impossible."
"Is that so?"
At Do Heo-ok's nonchalant response, Paga Blood clicked his tongue lightly.
"Ah, forget it. Don't make petty excuses going on and on. That's not like you, Transformed Shadow. When I met Gwang-un after over ten years, nothing about that guy had changed, but you, Transformed Shadow, have changed to be completely pathetic. Just clean up the Namgung Family and those trash here completely, then return to headquarters and report the truth to that person and await punishment. Wouldn't that be more like you...? Huh!? You...?"
Paga Blood, who had been telling Do Heo-ok to admit his mistake, suddenly closed his mouth with a surprised expression.
Twist…snap…crack…pop.
That was because Do Heo-ok's face and body were suddenly twisting and changing bizarrely.
Twist...
A moment later.
The handsome man named Do Heo-ok who had been standing there disappeared, and in his place stood some peerless beauty. Do Heo-ok, no, the beautiful woman whose name was unknown, smiled bashfully and acted coquettishly toward Paga Blood.
"How is this? If it's this appearance, don't you think I could become the successor of the Namgung Family without needing a witness named Namgung Hye, and without learning the Namgung Family's martial arts?"
The voice of Do Heo-ok, who had transformed into a peerless beauty, had also become that of a woman, making Paga Blood bewildered.
"...Don't tell me, your current appearance is!?"
"That's correct. This young lady is called Namgung Hye."
That's right. The current appearance of Do Heo-ok, who was shyly lowering his head, was precisely Namgung Hye, with whom he had been about to make a hundred-year marriage vow just earlier.
At that sight, Paga Blood burst into laughter.
"Kekekeke, hahahaha. Sorry. I take back what I just said. You're the same now as you were then..."
"The same?"
"A crazy bastard."
Usually, calling someone a crazy bastard is an insult. However, the words 'crazy bastard' coming from the mouth of Paga Blood, no, Gray Shadow, were the highest praise.
The true shadows and true clouds were all those who learned martial arts directly from Mubon. All of them possessed some outstanding quality, and that's why they were chosen by Mubon.
Mubon transmitted martial arts to each shadow and cloud that could maximize such qualities. Some had even reached the end of those specialized martial arts. Gray Shadow's words 'crazy bastard' were a special term referring precisely to such people.
Do Heo-ok, no, Transformed Shadow also knew this fact well, and from Gray Shadow's words 'crazy bastard,' he could guess that he had understood well the meaning of transforming into this appearance.
"A family that was annihilated. And revenge against a man who passed on all the true teachings of Thunder Clap Blade and even his internal energy before dying. Moreover, this woman originally knew nothing about martial arts. No one will suspect—no, can't suspect—that Namgung Hye doesn't know the Namgung Family's martial arts. Isn't this enough to have sufficient elements to continue with the First Stratagem? Gray Shadow?"
The polite speech of 'her' had already returned to Transformed Shadow's original tone. At this, Gray Shadow burst into laughter again and said,
"Kekekeke, hahahaha. Good, good. Very good."
At Gray Shadow's laughter, Transformed Shadow also laughed back as if joining in.
"Hahahaha. Ah, this won't do. From now on I should laugh like this, right? Hohohohoho!"
The two laughed like that for a while.
At some moment, Gray Shadow stopped laughing and looked Transformed Shadow up and down with a suggestive gaze, speaking lewdly.
"But Namgung Hye's beauty is truly beautiful. Even though I know you're a man, my thing is getting excited."
At his words, Transformed Shadow abruptly stopped the female laughter and made a murderous expression. A gloomy and bizarre voice that the real Namgung Hye could never produce flowed from her mouth.
"If you don't restore that filthy thing to its original state right now, you'll never be able to get excited again. Because I will, right here, right now, carve it out very. beau. ti. ful. ly."
Gray Shadow knew well that Transformed Shadow's words were a joke. However, he couldn't keep drooling over a man who was only a woman on the outside.
He had no choice but to swallow his saliva once with a gulp and calm down the third leg attached to his lower body.
That was when it happened.
Crackle.
A raptor appeared from far away in the sky and flew rapidly toward them.
The hawk that arrived above the peak of Seungryong Mountain in an instant circled above their heads for a moment, then began descending rapidly toward them. When they saw the hawk's appearance gradually enlarging, it was not the same species as the Killer Falcon that Gray Shadow had released to catch carrier pigeons.
"Ring Hawk?"
That hawk was precisely a Ring Hawk, raised for regular information exchange instead of carrier pigeons by a quite famous organization in the Martial World. Gray Shadow and Transformed Shadow both knew well who the master of that organization was.
He was precisely.
The last shadow not here among the seven shadows mobilized for this First Stratagem—Water Shadow.
The Ring Hawk coming here meant the time to begin the work was approaching.
Gray Shadow recovered his original utterly languid expression and raised one arm horizontally.
Fwoosh, flap flap…
The Ring Hawk glided down, gradually reducing speed, and landed on his arm.
A small and elongated wooden case was tied to the hawk's feet.
Pop!
Gray Shadow untied the wooden case from the hawk's feet and immediately opened the lid.
A pleasant sound came as the air filling the case escaped. Inside the case was a single piece of paper, on which was briefly written:
[Float.]
As soon as Gray Shadow confirmed the contents, he ignited Samadhi True Fire and burned the paper. Then he tossed out a remark in a languid voice.
"It has floated."
Though it was a statement without context, Transformed Shadow understood his words.
"Already? Well, it would be hard to say 'already.' The plan itself to begin on the full moon has already gone awry, so there's nothing strange about the ships floating now."
Tchik!
Gray Shadow suddenly tore the hem of his pants and poked holes here and there with his finger. Transformed Shadow knew well what he was doing, so just watched silently without saying anything.
A moment later, a single character 'Begin' was carved into the hem.
Gray Shadow rolled up that hem, put it in the case, and tied it again to the Ring Hawk's feet.
Then he immediately released the Ring Hawk back into the sky.
Watching the Ring Hawk fly away flapping, Gray Shadow grinned. The bloody feast that would unfold from now on. That anticipation made his heart excited.
"Then I should also move faster than planned. But what will you do, Transformed Shadow? Will you stay here and work with me?"
Transformed Shadow immediately shook his head.
"No, I'll follow that hawk."
"Going to Water Shadow? Why? I think this side will be much more fun?"
"You don't know. That side will be much more fun. I guarantee it."
"How? Ah? Because of Tang O? Eh, that one person doesn't match the weight of the Namgung Family."
"I don't know. If it were one person maybe, but if it's two people, the story is different."
"Two people? Ah! That light from last night?"
Gray Shadow could immediately tell who Do Heo-ok, that is, Transformed Shadow was talking about.
"Right, that light. That person is not from the Namgung Family, so he'll definitely come that way. I didn't see that light yesterday, but from what I heard, it seems to be at the level of the Two Divinities, Three Eccentrics. Perhaps... it might really be one of the Two Divinities, Three Eccentrics. Or it could be their predecessor. If not, wouldn't he at least be a reclusive master?"
"Ah, damn. Hearing your words makes me much more tempted by that side?"
"You just finish things up well here. Leave everything on that side entirely to me and Water Shadow."
"But you know. If yesterday's tremendous flash was truly made entirely of internal energy alone... even if you and Water Shadow attack together, you won't be able to beat that person."
"That's right. But... wouldn't that be fun in its own way? Haha... hoho."
With laughter that was difficult to distinguish as male or female, Transformed Shadow bent his knees. He was preparing to leap to depart.
The direction he aimed for was south, toward Chaohu Lake where the Ring Hawk had just disappeared.
It was precisely the moment when he was about to straighten his knees and leap.
"Ah, but Transformed Shadow, be careful on your way. I've spread our kids all over this area. As you know, our Heavenly Demon Castle kids are incredibly rough."
At those words, Transformed Shadow answered with a chuckle.
At the same time, Transformed Shadow's beautiful face and slender figure began to distort.
Twist, snap, crack, pop...
Before long, Namgung Hye disappeared, and in her place, a man with a terribly languid expression was crouching with his knees fully bent.
"Is this good? Hahahaha"
The face, manner of speech, laughter. Everything resembled him too closely. Gray Shadow had no choice but to let out an empty laugh at Transformed Shadow's new appearance.
Thud!
Transformed Shadow finally left the peak of Seungryong Mountain.
Watching that sight, Gray Shadow shook his head and muttered to himself.
"Just as Gwang-un is annoying, that bastard is annoying too. Though the meanings are very different. But, if he transformed into my appearance, shouldn't he also change into my clothes? He should have changed clothes here and then transformed. Kekeke."
With those lewd words, Gray Shadow also disappeared from the scene.
The ships had floated, and Mubon's Grand Plan, which had creaked momentarily, began flowing again.