I Became the Successor of the Martial God Chapter 138

I Became the Successor of the Martial God

Chapter 138.  

Yoo Baek-jun and Yoo Jung-yeon met in a dimly lit alley, the path leading to an abandoned factory.

An abandoned factory on the outskirts, half-ruined due to monster attacks.  

There had been talks of restoration, but nothing had been done yet.

“Did we really have to meet in a place like this?”  

“Please bear with it a little. Why are you so impatient?”  

“Ugh, the smell of dust.”  

Yoo Jung-yeon, clearly displeased with the alley, kept fanning herself with her hand.  

It was indeed a dusty place.  

“You made sure we weren’t followed, right?”  

“Of course. The intelligence division must’ve heard about our meeting, so they definitely tailed us.”  

“That’s perfect.”  

Yoo Baek-jun leaned against the wall, waiting for a signal from Min Yi-jae.  

“Sister, you know what we need to discuss inside the abandoned factory, right?”  

“Of course I do. We just have to stick to the plan, right?”  

“Yes.”  

Yoo Baek-jun nodded.  

“I’m worried things won’t go as planned.”  

“I leaked the same information through someone I recruited from the intelligence division. They shouldn’t suspect a thing.”  

“You involved someone from the intelligence division?”  

Yoo Jung-yeon’s eyes widened.  

“You’re playing a dangerous game.”  

“What do you mean?”  

“You know the rules. The intelligence division isn’t supposed to interfere in the successor dispute. If Father finds out, you’ll be in trouble too.”  

Yoo Baek-jun scoffed at her words.  

“Who broke that rule first?”  

It was Yoo Tae-rang.  

He privately used the intelligence division to gather information on his rival brothers.  

That’s his style.  

“Brother broke the rules. If one side breaks them, why should I play fair?”  

Yoo Baek-jun swirled the glass in his hand.  

“Whether it’s underhanded or petty…”  

A faint smile played on his lips.  

“The one who survives is the winner.”  

* * *  

Yoo Ji-woong had arrived at a temporary hideout near the abandoned factory. It was a place prepared by Jeon Soo-yeon.  

Close to the factory, it allowed them to use all the surveillance devices set up in advance.  

“…….”  

Yoo Ji-woong stared at the abandoned factory.  

A deserted factory with no one around. Its remote location meant even passersby were rare.  

The rumors of monsters appearing also kept people away.  

“Perfect for a secret meeting.”  

—I doubt Yoo Jung-yeon came alone. Did she bring guards separately?  

A voice came through the earpiece in Yoo Ji-woong’s ear. 

Only he and Jeon Soo-yeon were in the hideout.  

The comrades they brought were waiting at prearranged points.  

He glanced at Jeon Soo-yeon.  

“You said she didn’t.”  

“No, no! It didn’t seem like she brought any guards. She came alone.”  

—Did she come alone to move discreetly?  

“Well, I heard she’s been distancing herself from her subordinates lately. Even her closest aides were sent away. It’s practically a purge.”  

“That woman…”  

“Right, the one who collaborated with Yoo Tae-rang.”  

Yoon Seo-ha sighed irritably through the earpiece.  

—The information must’ve leaked. She probably found out there’s a traitor among her close aides. That’s why she couldn’t bring anyone.  

“Probably. If the information leaked, it was likely Yoo Baek-jun who told her. He’s the only one she’s met recently.”  

—Yoo Baek-jun.  

Choi Yi-chang gritted his teeth.  

—I can’t stand that bastard. If it weren’t for him, the successor position would’ve been…  

No one said it aloud, but they all agreed.  

Everyone here had high hopes for the new Sword Saint family Yoo Tae-rang would establish.  

And they expected to be rewarded with suitable positions for their early contributions.  

“Yoo Baek-jun… what an annoying existence.”  

From their perspective, Yoo Baek-jun was nothing but a nuisance.  

He reignited the successor dispute that had nearly been settled.  

“No need to worry. We just have to do our part. Master Yoo Tae-rang will handle the rest.”  

—I suppose so.  

Yoo Ji-woong kept his eyes on the factory.  

Just then, a report came in from Jeon Chi-hoon and the others scouting the area.  

Their voices were laced with irritation.  

—Hey, you said there’s no one here except Han Seong-ah?  

“Is there a problem?”  

—There are too many guards. This is…  

—They’re disciples from Grandmaster Ja-yeon.  

Yoo Ji-woong’s expression turned icy.  

“I heard she liked Yoo Baek-jun, but I didn’t expect it to be this much.”  

He glared at Jeon Soo-yeon.  

“You idiot. Did you mess up because you couldn’t even gather basic intel?”  

“S-sorry…”  

“We’ll have a long talk when we get back.”  

Yoo Ji-woong sighed.  

The intelligence operatives outside moved swiftly, confirming the disciples’ positions.  

—The plan shouldn’t be disrupted.  

—But there’s something odd. We can’t spot Min Yi-jae anywhere.  

“Did they recruit Min Yi-jae?”  

—Yeah, with his unique ability, even we’d have trouble finding him. He might be nearby…  

“N-no, I don’t think so.”  

Jeon Soo-yeon interjected. Yoo Ji-woong shot her a frosty look.  

“I got the info through Choi Gun-woo. He said Min Yi-jae was sent overseas for a separate mission.”  

“Overseas?”  

“Yes, as you know, Yoo Baek-jun came here because of the impending disaster in Busan…”  

“Hmm, so it’s related to stopping that? Not too strange. It’s plausible.”  

“Choi Gun-woo confirmed there’s a record of him going abroad.”  

Everyone looked back at Yoo Ji-woong.  

He was the leader. Ultimately, they’d act based on his decision.  

“No suspicious presence detected?”  

“Yeah, confirmed.”  

“Choi Gun-woo is trustworthy. He owes Im Woo-do a debt, so he wouldn’t betray us. His intel should be reliable.”  

He didn’t trust Jeon Soo-yeon. 

He trusted Choi Gun-woo, her source.  

Yoo Ji-woong reached out to her.  

“We can relax for now. The comms.”  

“Here.”  

Yoo Ji-woong inserted the earpiece.  

Jeon Soo-yeon had already planted surveillance devices inside the factory. They’d hear everything discussed inside.  

—Yoo Baek-jun and Yoo Jung-yeon are in sight. Entering now.  

Right on cue, the targets appeared.  

Yoo Baek-jun and Yoo Jung-yeon entered the factory, escorted by swordsmen.  

Yoo Ji-woong scowled.  

“Utterly incompetent.”  

Contrary to Jeon Soo-yeon’s report, the number of escorts was significant.  

The only relief was that Yoon Song-ha, the ranker hunter Yoo Baek-jun recruited, wasn’t among them.  

—They’re going inside.  

Soon, the two entered the factory. The disciples spread out as if guarding the perimeter.  

Then, snippets of conversation came through.  

—Long time no see, Sister.  

—Indeed. But we’re not exactly on friendly terms, are we?  

—True. We’re rivals vying for the same family head position…  

Yoo Ji-woong focused on the voices.  

They exchanged trivial small talk.  

—But even rivals can cooperate against a common enemy. You know what they say—the enemy of my enemy is my friend.  

—What are you getting at?  

—Sister, we can’t win like this.  

But soon, Yoo Baek-jun cut to the chase. Yoo Ji-woong listened intently.  

—Let’s stage a coup.  

—What?  

“What?!”  

Just as Yoo Jung-yeon reacted with shock, Yoo Ji-woong echoed her disbelief.  

A coup? What kind of—  

—Yoo Tae-rang’s influence has spread too far within the family. I warned you before—your closest aide might be a traitor.  

—Right, and she was.  

So that’s why.  

Yoo Ji-woong finally understood why Yoo Jung-yeon suddenly expelled her aide. She’d been exposed.  

Her intel had been quite useful. He swallowed his disappointment.  

—The Sword Saint family’s forces, branches, even the intelligence division… Yoo Tae-rang controls them all.  

—What?! The intelligence division too?!  

—Yes. Lee Ja-yea, Yoo Ji-woong, Choi Yi-chang, Yoon Seo-ha, Jeon Chi-hoon, Jeon Soo-yeon… and more.  

“……!”  

Yoo Ji-woong shot to his feet.  

Names that should never have been revealed—their names.  

“How?!”  

It was common knowledge that Yoo Tae-rang had infiltrated the family’s forces and branches.  

But the intelligence division was different.  

They operated in absolute secrecy.  

‘They know about us?’  

Yoo Ji-woong’s gaze sharpened.  

There was no way Yoo Baek-jun uncovered this alone. Perhaps he had allies within the intelligence division.  

—In this situation, we can’t defeat Yoo Tae-rang through normal means.  

—Then what do you suggest?  

—We’ll eliminate Yoo Tae—Bzzt,Static.

“What? What’s with the noise?!”  

At the critical moment, the comms malfunctioned. Yoo Ji-woong stood up in frustration.  

Jeon Soo-yeon shrank back.  

“I-I don’t know. Maybe a jamming spell…?”  

“A jamming spell? Don’t be ridiculous! Countering that is basic for the intelligence division!”  

“S-sorry. W-we definitely set up countermeasures…”  

Just then, the comms flickered back to life briefly.  

—I have a plan. I’ll explain it now—Static 

“Damn it, this is ridiculous.”  

Yoo Ji-woong cursed and grabbed his gear. With no hope of restoring the comms, he decided to move in and listen firsthand.  

—What’s wrong?  

“Change of plans. Distract the guards. I’ll infiltrate the factory.”  

—You sure?  

“Are you questioning me?”  

Yoo Ji-woong possessed a unique stealth ability, rivaling even Min Yi-jae’s.  

“Once this is over, split up and track Yoo Baek-jun and Yoo Jung-yeon. We need to know everything they discuss and who they meet.”  

—Got it.  

Yoo Ji-woong vanished.  

Jeon Soo-yeon, who had been trembling beside him, finally exhaled once he was gone.  

“Haaa, I was so nervous I thought I’d die.”  

She carefully picked up the radio.  

“Yoo Ji-woong is on the move. The rest of the intelligence team will flee through the escape route if things go south. So…”  

A smile curled on her lips.  

“Let’s eliminate them there.”  

* * *  

Yoo Ji-woong moved swiftly, blending seamlessly into the surroundings.  

Even at a near-sprint, his footsteps made no sound.  

‘Too many guards on the ground. I’ll have to take the roof.’  

The swordsmen guarding the perimeter didn’t notice him.  

He infiltrated the factory in an instant.  

—Say that again.  

—Sister, what I’m saying is…  

Inside, Yoo Jung-yeon and Yoo Baek-jun were deep in conversation.  

Yoo Ji-woong descended from the ceiling and made his way down the stairs.  

‘First floor, center.’  

The voices came from the first floor.  

He navigated the factory’s complex interior and reached a vantage point.  

The second-floor railing overlooked the first floor.  

But,  

‘What?’  

No one was there.  

The voices that had echoed through the factory moments ago—and their owners—were gone.  

Only an empty factory remained.  

‘What the…’  

Yoo Ji-woong narrowed his eyes.  

The voices had definitely come from there. 

A table, two chairs, and—  

‘A recorder?’  

Click! 

A mechanical sound played, and the voices resumed.  

—Say that again.  

—Sister, what I’m saying is…  

Something was wrong.  

Yoo Ji-woong’s instincts screamed at him.  

The moment he realized it, he turned to flee—but it was too late.  

“You’ve been tricked.”  

“Guh—!”  

Crackle!  

A fist struck Yoo Ji-woong’s face from his blind spot. Lightning surged through his body, sending him flying.  

“Ghk—!”  

Excruciating pain.  

Yoo Ji-woong desperately raised his head. His vision cleared to reveal—  

“Yoo Baek-jun…!”  

Yoo Baek-jun stood there, grinning fiercely.  

“Got you, bastard.”