The Evil Smiling Demon was delighted.
Although he had lived through all sorts of experiences as a Demon Supreme, he had never been involved in deciding the successor of the Unorthodox Alliance. No, he wouldn’t have even thought it was something he would ever be involved in.
“Are you seriously saying we should decide the successor?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“What is the plan?”
“If we think the current successor, Bih Sa-in, is acceptable, we help him keep his position. But if we find someone else more beneficial to us, we put them in that position. Although I’m meddlesome, I believe the successor of the Unorthodox Alliance should be someone who, regardless of their individual character, is thoroughly beneficial to our cult.”
Of course, it had to be someone beneficial to me as well.
“Then we should put the most foolish one in place.”
“No, doing that would only destabilize the martial world. At the very least, we should install someone whose actions we can predict. If we handle this matter well, we will gain great merit within our cult.”
The Evil Smiling Demon laughed heartily. It was exciting enough to face a formidable opponent like Seok Gwan-chu, but to gain merit from it would be killing two birds with one stone.“Will we finally see your world, Young Master?”
A hint of anticipation flickered in his eyes.
“No, this world still belongs to you, Sir Soma.”
“My world?”
“If you weren’t here, none of this would be possible. Did you think I could face the Grand Elder of the Unorthodox Alliance alone?”
“Are you using your flattery technique again?”
“Why else is it called a technique? It takes a lifetime to master.”
My joke delighted Soma. The unfolding situation was intriguing.
I sent Lee Ahn and Cheong Myeon to the hidden residence where the Sky Flower Pavilion Mistress was.
I had ordered them to protect Yo Jeong, but there were two other reasons as well.
First, it was dangerous. Now that it was revealed our main enemy was the Grand Elder of the Unorthodox Alliance, Seok Gwan-chu, we didn’t know what kind of masters might appear next.
Second, I wanted Lee Ahn and Cheong Myeon to spend time together. I had told Lee Ahn, “Your subordinates should be earned by you.” Whether or not she could achieve that was up to her. I could only hope that Lee Ahn’s capabilities were enough to encompass Cheong Myeon.
Before leaving, Lee Ahn said just one thing to me.
“If you die, so do I.” 1
“Alright, I’ll fight as if I have two lives.”
Cheong Myeon, who had been watching, bowed his head respectfully to the Evil Smiling Demon. The Evil Smiling Demon said nothing.
The Evil Smiling Demon was always curt with his subordinates, and I had never seen him and Cheong Myeon engage in any conversation beyond official orders.
After sending the two of them to the hidden residence, Soma and I dashed off using our light footwork techniques.
“Where are we going?”
“We’re going to meet Bih Sa-in at White Night Valley.”
I had previously informed Bih Sa-in that the ones who attempted to kill the Evil Smiling Demon were the Five Shadow Blood Hands of White Night Valley.
Since then, there hadn’t been any new information from Bih Sa-in or White Night Valley, which meant that Bih Sa-in still hadn’t resolved the issue of finding the mastermind behind the attack. ŔаΝƟʙΕs
—
Bih Sa-in was drinking at a tavern near White Night Valley.
His face was red, not from the alcohol, but from anger. The deeper his worries, the more ghastly the scar on his face appeared.
He still hadn’t identified the mastermind. The valuable information he received, under the condition of paying a huge sum to the White Bird Trading Company in Guizhou, hadn’t panned out as planned.
When he came here, he intended to pressure the Lord of White Night Valley into making the Five Shadow Blood Hands confess to the attempt on the Evil Smiling Demon’s life.
If all else failed, he planned to use force to extract a confession. With himself and the seven members of the Thirteen Unorthodox Path, they could surely handle the lord and the masters of White Night Valley.
But when they arrived, the lord of White Night Valley had already left. He had been there until the day before their arrival but had suddenly departed with his entourage.
Even after intimidating his subordinates, Bih Sa-in couldn’t find out where the lord had gone.
He suspected the lord had been tipped off about his arrival. Secrets kept leaking.
Bih Sa-in emptied another glass of liquor. Suddenly, he thought of Geom Mugeuk. Whenever he felt cornered, he couldn’t help but think of him.
‘Useless.’
Just as Bih Sa-in tried to shake off thoughts of Geom Mugeuk and reached for another drink, a man wearing a bamboo hat strode confidently towards his table. The seven members of the Thirteen Wolves sprang to their feet, drawing their swords.
The man removed his bamboo hat, revealing his identity.
“It’s been a while.”
The man who had come to see him was none other than Geom Mugeuk. Bih Sa-in was truly shocked to see him right after thinking about him.
“How did you know I was here?”
Bih Sa-in glared at Geom Mugeuk suspiciously.
Geom Mugeuk, on the other hand, remained calm.
“It was obvious you’d come to White Night Valley based on the information I gave you. And with such a large group, how could you not be found?”
Geom Mugeuk glanced around at the members of the Thirteen Wolves. With eight martial artists traveling together, their location would be easy to track.
“May I sit?”
“Go ahead.”
Geom Mugeuk sat across from Bih Sa-in.
Bih Sa-in commanded the members of the Thirteen Wolves to sit. They complied, but remained tense. Il-rang Baek Cheol-gi sat next to Bih Sa-in, ready to draw his sword at any moment.
“Why are you here?”
Bih Sa-in’s tone was curt, but inwardly, he was glad to see Geom Mugeuk. Despite himself, he felt a growing reliance on him, a sentiment he knew he shouldn’t have.
“I have important information for you.”
“What is it?”
“I’ve found out who is behind this scheme.”
Bih Sa-in was momentarily stunned. So were Baek Cheol-gi and the other members of the Thirteen Wolves.
“Who is it?”
Geom Mugeuk didn’t answer immediately.
“Such vital information can’t be given away freely.”
In that instant, Bih Sa-in realized his mistake and looked at Geom Mugeuk.
‘Young Master, you’ve made a grave error.’
He shouldn’t have mentioned such crucial information in front of the Thirteen Wolves members.
The reason was that Bih Sa-in suspected there was a spy among the seven members following him, someone planted to kill him.
Recently, many plans had gone awry, and he believed it was due to the spy leaking information to the enemy.
When they arrived at White Night Valley and found the lord gone, his suspicions were confirmed. Someone had definitely been passing information to the other side.
Now that such important information had been disclosed in this situation, it was only a matter of time before the mastermind found out.
Previously, he had stopped short of sending a sound transmission to Geom Mugeuk, intending to ask for his help. He regretted it now, feeling ashamed for nearly seeking help from the bloodline of the Heavenly Demon.
“How far have you come? I’m thirsty.”
Geom Mugeuk extended his glass.
Bih Sa-in poured him a drink.
At that moment, a sound transmission from Geom Mugeuk reached Bih Sa-in.
—Let’s catch the rat first before we discuss further.
—!
Bih Sa-in’s hand paused momentarily as he poured, then he continued filling the glass.
Bih Sa-in could tell that Geom Mugeuk understood the situation he was in perfectly. His heart began to beat rapidly at the thought that the problem he had been worrying about might finally be resolved.
This was a change that happened after meeting Geom Mugeuk. This man constantly made his heart race, made him compare himself, and feel insignificant. 2
‘Damn it!’
He made him hopeful.
That night, a masked man silently descended onto the roof of the largest inn in the village.
He hid something under the tiles at the edge of the roof. There was a set rule for sending secret letters. In any village, you would hide the letter at the corner of the largest inn’s roof, and someone would retrieve and send it. If it was in the mountains, there was a designated tree, and in the fields, a specific buried spot.
As he hurried to leave after hiding the letter, someone spoke from behind him.
“Geom Mugeuk discovered the identity of the mastermind.”
The masked man was startled and turned around, seeing Geom Mugeuk silently approaching and reading the hidden letter.
Geom Mugeuk had left after confirming that Bih Sa-in had fallen asleep after drinking together at the White Night Valley residence.
“I’m a light sleeper. I heard someone sneaking out like a thief while I was dozing off.”
The masked man instantly realized that all of this was a trap. The urgency to relay the important information had been his downfall.
As the masked man prepared to flee.
“I’ll follow you and tell everyone that the traitor among the Thirteen Wolves is the one who left the camp. I’m confident in my light footwork, so you won’t get back before me.”
The masked man froze in his tracks, and Geom Mugeuk taunted him.
“It would be better to kill me right here. At least that way, your identity wouldn’t be revealed.”
The masked man turned towards Geom Mugeuk and drew his sword.
He still didn’t say a word. There was no need to let his voice be heard when the outcome was uncertain.
Since things had come to this, there was only one option: kill and silence him, then return quietly and feign ignorance.
The masked man rushed straight at Geom Mugeuk.
Swoosh!
True to his reputation as being stronger than a Demon Supreme when teamed up, the masked man’s movements were impressive.
Swoosh.
In an instant, he closed the distance, flying at Geom Mugeuk with his sword.
Clang!
The moment their swords clashed, the masked man’s heart sank. He almost lost his grip on his sword. At that moment, he realized Geom Mugeuk had far superior internal energy.
It wasn’t just his internal energy that was exceptional.
Clang! Clang!
The techniques he had used to kill opponents with ease were completely ineffective.
His attacks aimed at vital points were invariably blocked by Geom Mugeuk’s sword. He was giving it his all, yet it seemed like his opponent was blocking with minimal effort.
Realizing the clear difference in their skills, the masked man leaped in the opposite direction, thinking that his only chance of survival was to escape as far as possible.
Just then!
Swish!
Thud!
A gust of wind struck, piercing his thigh.
With a scream, he tumbled to the ground but quickly scrambled to his feet. Standing in his way was the Evil Smiling Demon.
“A man turning his back in a fight? Aren’t you ashamed?”
The masked man’s eyes reddened with shame.
Geom Mugeuk had already caught up behind him. The real problem was that these two weren’t the only ones present.
“Yukrang!”
Hearing his name called, the masked man’s heart sank again.
Bih Sa-in and the remaining members of the Thirteen Wolves appeared.
The masked man was indeed Yukrang, the sixth member of the Thirteen Wolves. Il-rang Baek Cheol-gi, their leader, was furious.
“Is it true that you betrayed us?”
Even after seeing it with his own eyes, Baek Cheol-gi couldn’t believe it. If someone had asked him to pick the least likely traitor among the thirteen, he would have chosen Yukrang first.
“Why did you do this? Don’t you know that the Thirteen Wolves must never get involved in politics?”
Yukrang removed his mask.
“Why shouldn’t we?”
“What?”
“Why should we live bound by rules set by someone we don’t even know?”
“You fool, what more did you want from life as a martial artist? If you didn’t want to live this way, you shouldn’t have pledged your loyalty in the first place!”
“Because I didn’t know. I didn’t know that the martial arts I trained my entire life would lead to such a pathetic existence! I didn’t know I would end up following around to protect a single young master!”
Bih Sa-in’s expression hardened at that moment. He hadn’t realized that Yukrang felt this way about following him. Did the others feel the same?
Il-rang shouted at him.
“Enough with the excuses! What did they offer you? What did they promise to give you to escape this miserable life?”
Yukrang couldn’t respond. He couldn’t bring himself to tell Il-rang and the other comrades that he had been promised a large sum of money and a high position.
“I am not a traitor. I was just trying to reclaim my life!”
Yukrang shouted, choosing his target for mutual destruction. The person he chose was Geom Mugeuk.
“This is all your fault!”
Yukrang lunged at Geom Mugeuk.
Even when he wasn’t agitated, he couldn’t match Geom Mugeuk, and now he was also injured.
Just as he unleashed his techniques towards Geom Mugeuk.
Thud!
A sword pierced through his back and protruded from his chest.
Yukrang slowly turned his head to see Bih Sa-in standing behind him.
“… This is all your fault.”
To Yukrang’s accusation, Bih Sa-in replied coldly.
“A moment ago, you said it was because of the Young Master.” 3
Bih Sa-in pulled out his sword, indicating he didn’t want to converse any longer.
Under the moonlight, blood spouted from Yukrang’s body. If Geom Mugeuk had stayed still, he would have been covered in blood, but he stepped aside. This conflict was entirely an internal affair of the Unorthodox Alliance.
Holding a blood-dripping sword, Bih Sa-in turned to Geom Mugeuk and asked.
“Now, tell me. Who is behind this?”
1 : Awwww, so cute ^^
2 : You’re already caught, dear fish ^^ You will be the new Jeong Dae !!!
3 : Good, don’t let accusations from traitors shake you. They don’t deserve it.
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