"He was fine just four days ago... To think it was assassination...."

"More importantly, how is the situation?"

"It is chaotic."

Mak Sohong pointed inside the city.

"The city lord had already chosen a successor, but that is separate from this. They caught the assassin. And the rumors are also a problem."

"Rumors, you say."

Mak Sohong lowered his voice.

"The culprit is a man from the Enemy State."

"I heard."

"All sorts of titles are flying around, but to be precise, it is Yeom Chuseop, who served as the guard of the Enemy State's Third Prince, Jeok Myeongcheol."

"Jeok Myeongcheol... and Yeom Chuseop?"

"Yes... You are such a sharp man that you will understand with only that much said."

Mak Sohong's expression was grave.

"A war could break out between the Yang Empire and the Enemy State."

"Yes... The possibility is slim, but the rumors are spreading beyond control."

Having said that, Mak Sohong looked at Seol Unhwi.

"...Still, there is no way you simply came here for nothing... May I ask the reason you came?"

"I came to offer help."

"Help...."

"I made a promise to Elder Song."

"A promise, you say...?"

"He asked me to help if the Enemy State ever fell into crisis."

"...Hah...."

As far as Mak Sohong was concerned, he could not help but voice his admiration.

From the time Song Hak had taken to his sickbed, he had continually wanted to know what Seol Unhwi was doing.

Mak Sohong was the one who had kept delivering that information.

Each time Song Hak saw Seol Unhwi's movements, he smiled, then smiled again.

When Mak Sohong once asked him why he smiled so much, Song Hak had replied like this.

Seol Unhwi. That man, no matter when it may be, is a man who will save the Yang Empire if a crisis ever comes upon it.

Song Hak had said Seol Unhwi was indeed a man who valued debts and favors, but that his backing was the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Palace, and the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Palace had no particular reason to protect the Yang Empire.

When Mak Sohong said that, Song Hak had stroked his head with an arm that was nearly nothing but bone.

When you live about ninety years, you start to see it. Whether a man is real or fake. And whether he is the kind of man who keeps his promises.

In my eyes, he is the sort of man who would keep a promise even with a blade at his throat.

Whether that promise brings good results to him personally or not, keeping it without fail is that man's conviction.

When Mak Sohong asked how he could possibly know that.

Did I not tell you? If you live about ninety years, you start to see it. You should try living that long yourself.

He had said that while bursting into a hearty laugh.

And his words had been right.

Seol Unhwi had come. He had come even though he did not need to. He had come to keep that promise.

"...Please, Young Master Seol."

Seol Unhwi nodded and said,

"First, I would like to see Elder Song Hak's body."

"...The body?"

Mak Sohong wore an awkward expression.

"That... normally, it would not be allowed...."

"I know."

Mak Sohong hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

"Understood. The city lord trusted Young Master Seol that deeply, so I will trust Young Master Seol as well."

"Thank you."

"This way, please."

After getting down from the carriage, Seol Unhwi and Namgung Wonyang followed Mak Sohong and moved to the city lord's residence.

It took about half a siju, and the three of them arrived at a great manor located in the center of Heaven-and-Earth Province.

Mak Sohong guided Seol Unhwi and Namgung Wonyang into an inner hall.

It was quiet.

Everyone had withdrawn.

There, on the bed, lay an old man covered with a white cloth.

Mak Sohong approached first.

"...Pardon me for a moment."

With that, Mak Sohong lifted the cloth.

"Please, come."

At those words, Seol Unhwi and Namgung Wonyang stepped over to his side.

Song Hak's revealed face looked very peaceful.

As though he were asleep.

But at this moment, Seol Unhwi's eyes had narrowed too much.

What had entered his sight was the wound around the neck.

It was a very small wound. It was not deep, but it was precise.

"..."

He slowly examined Song Hak's body.

Chest, abdomen, arms, and legs.

There were fine marks everywhere.

They were not easily visible outwardly, but Seol Unhwi could see them.

He struck the blood channels precisely.

And not only that.

To maximize the pain.

Seol Unhwi's gaze turned cold.

At the moment of death, Song Hak must have felt immense pain.

But he would not have been able to scream.

The wound at the neck had prevented that.

He stared at Song Hak in silence.

His matches with this old man had been interesting, and enjoyable too.

What had impressed him most was the man's loyalty to his country.

And the regard the people held for him was also exceedingly deep.

Outside, there were countless people mourning him and worrying over him.

For the end of such a man

to be like this.

This should not have happened.

To torture an old man already on the verge of death? And while even using the lost Soul-Extinguishing Needle Method?

Seol Unhwi covered him with the cloth again.

Mak Sohong then asked carefully,

"What do you think?"

"It is regrettable."

Mak Sohong looked at Seol Unhwi as though he could not grasp him at all when he suddenly dropped the formal speech, but then his eyes widened at the words that followed.

"I wish Elder Song Hak could have passed without pain."

"...Without pain?"

Mak Sohong tilted his head.

"The physicians said it was an instant death...."

"That is how it would appear on the surface."

Seol Unhwi paused for a moment, then continued.

"But in reality, he would have felt tremendous pain."

Mak Sohong's face hardened.

"Do you know the Soul-Extinguishing Needle Method?"

"...I have never heard of it."

"As far as I know, there is one original copy in the royal storehouse of the Enemy State, and a copied version containing half of it somewhere in the martial world."

"...Such a thing... exists?"

"It is a high-grade martial art even among Heaven-and-Earth grade techniques. Even the half-copy would still rank at the lower end of Heaven-and-Earth grade."

"...Then...?"

"It attacked the blood channels with precision. The neck was struck first so that no voice could come out, the chest was struck so that he would not die too easily, and both arms and the left thigh were struck to maximize the pain. Judging by the marks of the wounds, they were not inflicted after death. Every one of them was inflicted while Elder Song was still alive... so he must have suffered terribly."

Mak Sohong collapsed where he stood as though he could not believe it.

Then Seol Unhwi's voice drove into his ears like thunder.

"Ordinarily, I would not have said this, but Elder Song must have trusted you. That is why, when I had friction with the Yang Empire, you came as his messenger. And you must also have continuously informed Elder Song of my situation."

"...How do you know such a thing...."

"It is only a deduction based on the circumstances. What matters is that if there is anyone in this city who ought to know this truth, then at the very least it should be you first."

"...Young Master...."

"What you must do is not grieve."

Seol Unhwi's cold eyes turned toward Mak Sohong, who was still half-collapsed on the floor.

"Is taking revenge for the one you served not what you ought to do?"

Strength began to enter Mak Sohong's eyes.

"Stand up."

"...Yes."

Mak Sohong rose to his feet and clenched his teeth.

Seol Unhwi asked him,

"I want to see the culprit."

"...He is being interrogated right now."

"So?"

"...There are officials from the court there right now, and representatives from several forces as well."

"And so?"

Mak Sohong looked straight at Seol Unhwi.

"I will lead the way."

And so Seol Unhwi and Namgung Wonyang left the hall.

The place Mak Sohong led them to was beneath the city lord's residence.

The path to the interrogation chamber.

The corridor was dark, and only the torches hanging on the walls lit the narrow passage.

Mak Sohong pointed at a heavy iron door.

"It is just ahead."

Guards were standing there.

The moment they saw Mak Sohong, they gave a cupped-fist salute.

"Open it."

At Mak Sohong's killing-tinged voice, different from usual, the guards made no objections and opened the door at once.

Voices could be heard from within.

"Speak!! Is it truly the Enemy State's prince who ordered this?!"

"...Kgh... That is right!"

"You insolent dog bastard, stop framing him and answer properly!"

If it truly had been ordered by the Enemy State's prince, then this was not merely a diplomatic issue. It was something that could go as far as war.

Whether it was a setup or not, establishing that was what mattered most.

Into such a place, Seol Unhwi stepped.

A wide room.

At its center, one man was bound.

His entire body was covered in blood.

Yeom Chuseop.

The culprit.

And around him stood many people.

Court officials, martial artists of Heaven-and-Earth Province, and representatives of other forces.

"Who are you?"

One official looked at Seol Unhwi and asked.

"Seol Unhwi."

"...The Chief Justice of the Heavenly Alliance?"

The people began to murmur.

"The one from the Heavenly Alliance...?"

"...The Demon Lord of the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Palace?"

He ignored them.

Seol Unhwi looked at Yeom Chuseop.

Yeom Chuseop looked back at Seol Unhwi.

A face smeared in blood.

But the eyes were still alive. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

His realm looked to be around Entry-Divinity Realm.

He was strong, but only to that extent.

"...A big figure has come."

Yeom Chuseop spat blood and laughed.

"I heard the rumors were something else... What an honor, for a lowly [N O V E L I G H T] piece of trash like me to get a visit too."

"Ordinarily, there would have been no reason for me ever to look at someone like you."

"...."

"Did you learn the Soul-Extinguishing Needle Technique while serving as the Third Prince's guard?"

At those words, Yeom Chuseop's eyes flew wide, and the surrounding people stirred as well.

"Soul-Extinguishing... Needle Technique?"

"What is that?"

"Was there such a technique?"

Ignoring them again, Seol Unhwi walked over to Yeom Chuseop.

Then he whispered quietly.

One life for one life. A blood debt is repaid in blood.

Just as the three members of the Return-of-Life Society had reacted earlier at Yangnyeong City headquarters, Yeom Chuseop's response was the same as theirs.

It was so obvious it was absurd.

Seol Unhwi asked,

"Did it really have to go that far?"

"...."

"He was an old man already near death anyway. Did you have to inflict that much pain?"

Someone nearby tried to ask Seol Unhwi what in the world he was talking about, but Mak Sohong stopped them.

"...I... never inflicted pain... I just... killed him. By the Third Prince's order!"

He emphasized the latter half of his words, but to Seol Unhwi's eyes it was plain.

That was a lie.

"Yes. It must have been the Third Prince's order."

"...?"

"You only followed that order."

Yeom Chuseop's eyes shook.

Seol Unhwi took one more step closer.

"But Jeok Myeongcheol is not the kind of man who would give such an order."

Yeom Chuseop flared up.

"How would you know that! I served as his personal guard. I know him better than anyone in this room! He gave me the order. To kill Song Hak! So I killed him! I am a tool. Nothing more than someone's blade!"

Clearly,

Jeok Myeongcheol was not the kind of man who would give such an order.

Seol Unhwi wanted to stress this one more time.

There was only one reason.

The Jeok Myeongcheol he had seen in his previous life.

The man who would become the twenty-fourth king of the Enemy State was certainly violent, but he valued dominance, debts, and favors, and his mind was exceptional as well.

A man like that would never do something this stupid.