“They are currently pursuing masters believed to be a Mo Yong Clan special-operations unit with two Death-Soul Team forces. One team is advancing from the north and one from the east, blocking their escape routes.”

Yangcheon’s expression as he listened to White Rat’s report was as cold as a sheet of ice.

He listened to White Rat with his ears while glaring at Phantom Snake, who was sprawled on the floor, with his eyes.

White Rat continued.

“At present, five Twelve Zodiac Gods units are engaged with the Mo Yong Clan’s forces, and Blue Tiger, Water Dragon, and Mad Dog are fighting the head of the Mo Yong Clan. According to the report, the head of the Mo Yong Clan’s martial arts are exceptional, so the battle is expected to become difficu—”

“Do you know your crime?”

White Rat stopped reporting.

Yangcheon’s words were aimed not at White Rat, but at Phantom Snake.

Phantom Snake spoke in a trembling voice.

“Please kill me.”

Yangcheon’s face twisted.

“When White Rat sent you with the Director of the Intelligence Division, it was not merely to have you assist him. Even if the worst came to pass, it meant that at the very least, you were to save him no matter what.”

“......”

“And yet, instead of saving him, you lost consciousness and came back slung over a subordinate’s back?”

Phantom Snake bit his lip.

“......Please kill me.”

There was nothing he could say except to ask to be killed.

Yangcheon glared at Phantom Snake with a twisted expression, then let out a sigh.

“Report in detail.”

Phantom Snake reported the situation in as calm a tone as he could manage.

His reports were always clear. Delivering events through an objective perspective stripped of subjectivity was Phantom Snake’s greatest strength.

After hearing the entire report, Yangcheon let out a low sigh.

“You fool......”

The image of Jeong, the Director of the Intelligence Division, rose in his mind.

That confident tone. That somewhat tense face. But those eyes, flashing with passion and wisdom.

He was the kind of man who stepped forward and said he would take responsibility for just about anything. And despite that rough temperament of his, he also knew how to step back, saying that the high command of the Manor might feel uneasy, so he would bring in members of his own sect later.

It had been a brief connection, but Yangcheon had truly thought he had gained a talent he would never see again in his lifetime.

“I thought the heavens were placing a hidden dragon in my hands, only for the storm clouds that suddenly rolled in to snatch away the dragon before it could even sprout.”

Yangcheon closed his eyes.

“How bitterly unjust. Is it still not yet time?”

At first, for only the briefest moment, he had suspected the bastard might be a spy from some other organization.

But what organization in the world would send such a genius in as a spy? And beyond that, what infiltrating agent would try to rip out an organization’s problems from the root and reform them?

If anything, a spy trying to win his trust would have fawned over him, not handed over a reorganization plan and even emptied out the trade guild’s funds bound for the Alliance of the Martial World.

And yet that remarkable talent had been swept up in battle and died before he could even begin to bloom. It was enough to leave one speechless.

“Mo Yonggun.”

CRUMBLE.

The armrest under Yangcheon’s hand turned to powder and scattered.

“You dared lay hands on the headquarters.”

But there was something else that made him even angrier.

I can’t move against the Mo Yong Clan carelessly.

If he stood alone above the world, he would not have spared the Mo Yong Clan or the Shaolin Sect. He would have crushed them no matter what it took.

But as the head of an organization, he could not rashly strike one of the pillars of the Alliance of the Martial World.

If Ink Dragon Manor’s strength had been enough to wage open war against the Alliance of the Martial World, he would have sent their full force at once and wiped out the Mo Yong Clan.

No matter the reason, Mo Yonggun laid hands on the headquarters. Which means they knew we existed.

Then Phantom Snake spoke.

“My Lord.”

“What is it?”

“Please...... send me to the Mo Yong Clan.”

“What?”

“The one who should have died was me, not the Director of the Intelligence Division. But the Director of the Intelligence Division died, and I survived instead.”

Phantom Snake raised his head.

The eyes of Phantom Snake, famous for his calmness, were bloodshot.

“Though our connection was brief, the Director of the Intelligence Division had both the ability and the character to become one of the pillars of the headquarters. A talent like that died before he could even bloom. How could I possibly stand by and do nothing?”

“......”

“I will not let him walk the road to the underworld alone. Please give the order.”

Yangcheon, who had been staring silently at Phantom Snake, suddenly roared.

“Silence!”

“......”

“Your crime deserves death! But the Director of the Intelligence Division saved you instead of himself! Which means the Director of the Intelligence Division’s life now rests on your shoulders as well!”

Phantom Snake bit his lip.

Yangcheon waved a hand.

“Return to your quarters and reflect on yourself. I will not question your guilt in this matter specially, so think long and hard about what truly serves the headquarters.”

“......I receive your command.”

It was an extraordinary measure.

And that measure also showed that Yangcheon’s capacity was anything but small. No matter how favored a subordinate might be, it was no ordinary thing to send him off for reflection without holding him accountable for any crime at all.

After Phantom Snake left, Yangcheon asked White Rat,

“Mo Yonggun knew of the headquarters.”

“That is correct.”

White Rat deliberately said nothing about the Director of the Intelligence Division. There was something more important than that now.

Yangcheon’s gaze turned cold.

“If Mo Yonggun knows, then it would not be unreasonable to interpret that as meaning the Alliance of the Martial World knows of the headquarters as well.”

White Rat spoke carefully.

“That may not necessarily be the case.”

“Why do you think that?”

“If they had truly known of our existence, they would not have gone out of their way to split off Mo Yong Clan forces just to blow up the entrance.”

Yangcheon’s eyes flashed.

“If they meant to strike, they would have struck with full intent. And if they meant only to observe, they would not have touched us at all?”

“That is how I see it.”

Yangcheon nodded.

“You’re right.”

He had been trying to regain his composure, but he had only just awakened, and now he had lost even the Director of the Intelligence Division. No matter how great Yangcheon was, he could not display his usual clarity of judgment under those circumstances.

“But even so, I don’t think we can be certain.”

“......”

Yangcheon rose from his seat.

His eyes burned with rage. White Rat had served Yangcheon for more than ten years, and had never once seen him this angry.

“So then—where is Mo Yonggun right now?”

*****

“Huff, huff.”

The group drew ragged breaths.

Gangryang spoke.

“Is everyone all right?”

Though he was from the Dark Path, Gangryang was extremely respectful. Since they were people he would be working with from now on, he likely meant to show that much courtesy to those older than himself.

Gangryang’s eyes trembled.

“But where is that man right now? And the explosions I hear from over there......?”

“He’s back there.”

Pae Yul asked Ga Deoksang,

“You said all we need to do is cross Cheonja Mountain, right?”

“Huff-huff, that’s right.”

Catching his breath, Ga Deoksang asked,

“But Senior, are you really going to keep going like this?”

“Of course.”

“The operational-team leader stayed behind and is fighting the enemy!”

“So what, are you saying we should go help him?”

Ga Deoksang bit his lip.

“We can’t just leave Young Master Yeon behind.”

Then Je Gal Ahyeon spoke.

“Separate public duty from personal feeling properly, Hu Gae.”

Everyone turned to look at Je Gal Ahyeon in surprise.

Her breathing was rough as well. But unlike that harsh breathing, her expression was colder than anyone else’s there.

“The operational-team leader stayed because he’s capable of staying. If we would have been any help, he never would have planned to split off alone in the first place.”

“B-but.......”

“Going to help the operational-team leader right now would only mean disobeying a superior’s order. And beyond that, it would interfere with this mission.”

“It would not be wrong to say the mission is already over! In a situation like this, leaving an ally behind is instead—!”

“Listen!”

That blade-sharp voice made Ga Deoksang flinch.

Je ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) Gal Ahyeon’s eyes blazed with anger.

“Do you think we don’t want to help the operational-team leader too? Stop making a scene. There are people here who want it even more desperately than you do, Hu Gae.”

“......”

“I’m weak, and so are you. Weak people presumptuously running off to save someone strong? Do you want to die that badly?”

“......”

“If you want to die that much, then put a blade in your mouth and throw yourself to the ground right here. Don’t use other people as an excuse for why you want to go die.”

It was a brutal thing to say.

But they all knew it. Je Gal Ahyeon too—or rather, more than anyone, she was the most desperate of all. They knew she was somehow forcing herself to hold together the pain that felt as though it were tearing her chest apart.

Ga Deoksang looked at Je Gal Ahyeon with shaken eyes, then lowered his head.

“......I spoke out of turn and disturbed everyone’s peace of mind. I apologize.”

Je Gal Ahyeon let out a sigh.

“I know. I know how angry you are, Hu Gae. But times like this are exactly when we have to stay calm.” 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

“The young lady is right.”

Je Gal Ahyeon looked at Pae Yul and said,

“Judging by the time the support request was sent and the last contact from the reinforcements, I think we can meet them if we go about one more shichen. It’ll be hard, but I think it’s better if we leave without resting.”

Pae Yul nodded.

“Then that’s what we’ll do.”

“Yes.”

BANG!

With that, the group launched their movement techniques.

In the still forest, their harsh breathing echoed in every direction.

Carefully watching the others, Gangryang asked Pae Yul,

“What exactly happened in the meantime?”

He had asked him because Pae Yul looked the least wrecked out of everyone there. Pae Yul’s breathing was not normal either, but among them all, he was the most stable.

Pae Yul said,

“It’s complicated to explain. Hear it from that bastard later.”

Gangryang scratched his head.

“All right.”

It had to be frustrating. He had waited on that mountain peak for a full day and a half, and yet the one person who mattered most was nowhere to be seen; only the group had arrived and was now moving with him.

Once he trusted someone, he trusted to the end. But curiosity was one thing he could not help.

Still.

Gangryang looked around at the group with astonished eyes.

For these people to be this exhausted.

Even Je Gal Ahyeon, the weakest among them, looked difficult to judge at a glance in terms of victory or defeat. In particular, the presence of mind and formation methods she had shown on the way to the estate with him had been truly incredible.

In a certain sense, that was an even greater power than martial arts. Which meant every single person here was an extraordinary talent beyond question.

And yet people like that had been worn down this badly.

Ink Dragon Manor.......

Gangryang’s face darkened.

Was Ink Dragon Manor really that powerful an organization?

Now he understood why Yeon Hojeong had flatly said he would not last even a month. Truly, if he had not gone through something like this himself, he never would have understood it even now.

It’s all right. At least I know now.

Gangryang bit his lip.

I need strength. Until I become stronger than anyone else, I won’t move rashly. Not ever.

How long had they been running?

It had not yet been even half a shichen since they had started moving again.

......?

Gangryang’s eyes flashed.

“Someone’s coming.”

“I know.”

Pae Yul turned to Je Gal Ahyeon.

Surprise spread across Je Gal Ahyeon’s face as well.

“You said it would take a shichen. Why are they so fast?”

DUDUDUDUDU.

The mountains and rivers were trembling.

To their shock, the thunderous sound of hoofbeats and the ground-shaking vibrations rushed closer at a terrifying speed. It was nearly as fast as the movement technique of a Peak master.

And then, a moment later—

KABOOOOM!

The enormous boulder blocking the path ahead shattered to pieces and scattered.

Gangryang’s mouth fell open.

HIIIIIHIIIIIHIIIING!

Dozens of warhorses closed the distance at tremendous speed, letting out cries like dragon roars.

“W-what the hell is that?!”

Violent emotion surged into Je Gal Ahyeon’s eyes.

“The Evil-Smiting Corps!”

Right then—

BAAAANG!

Someone with a bow slung across the back grabbed Je Gal Ahyeon by the collar and yanked her upward.

“Division Chief Mook!”

“Hyah!”

KRRRRRUMBLE!

Fifty riders passed straight through the group.

Not one of the martial artists on horseback spoke. They merely drove their horses hard in silence, their eyes sunken and cold.

They were on their way to save their superior, the Commander of the Evil-Smiting Corps.

The Killing Intent burning off them with terrifying heat became a violent storm that shook Cheonja Mountain.