“I pay my respects, Commander.”

Everyone gathered offered Yu Gang a cupped-fist salute in unison.

They were of similar age, but now that he’d been revealed as Ouyang Do’s disciple and appointed a commander of the Martial Alliance, courtesy was only proper.

Seolhwa also saluted toward Yu Gang.

“I pay my respects, Commander.”

Yu Gang nodded with a smile.

Then he faced the group and returned the salute.

“I’m Yu Gang, commander of the Demon-Slaying Corps in charge of this Beggar’s Union inquiry. I’ll be in your care.”

Those assigned to the investigation answered with another round of salutes.

“Since everyone’s here, I’ll report to the Alliance Lord and be right back. Please wait a moment.”

Yu Gang left for the Alliance Lord’s office to signal their departure.

The instant he stepped away, Peng Hogwang and Peng Mirang sidled up to Seolhwa and nudged her with their elbows.

“Seolhwa, you seem awfully close with the Corps Commander, huh?”

“How did you know?”

She hadn’t exactly displayed any personal familiarity in public settings.

Peng Mirang chuckled, eyes narrowing.

“You wouldn’t know since you skipped the training grounds, but a few of us have already exchanged greetings there. The Corps Commander included.”

Seolhwa hadn’t used the Alliance’s public training grounds.

For the past few days, Namgoong Mucheon had sparred with her himself so she could acclimate to fighting while drawing on the Imoogi’s power, which meant she’d been in and out of the Alliance Lord’s private grounds.

Apparently those staying at the Alliance had gotten acquainted in the meantime.

“Anyway, I’ve seen the commander several times now, but I’ve never seen him smile that brightly until today. Right, brother?”

Peng Mirang thumped Peng Hogwang’s shoulder.

He scowled and knocked her arm away, but Mirang looped an arm right back over his shoulder as if nothing had happened.

“Well, the Corps Commander beats my bear of a brother any day! Don’t mind our grandfather—go for it!”

“Eh?”

“Hahaha!”

Laughing big, Peng Mirang dragged Hogwang off.

He kept trying to pry her off, but her burly arm held his nape in a solid hook.

Before long, Yu Gang returned with Chief Division Lord Seop Mugwang.

“Well now, what’s with the mob? You’d think you were off to save the nation. Move it, whelps—keep up!”

The group bustled after Seop Mugwang.

As Seop Mugwang and Yu Gang walked side by side talking, Jegal Hwi drifted up beside Seolhwa.

“I noticed at the training grounds—Golden Lotus Rain and the Corps Commander seemed on very good terms.”

Seolhwa flicked him a glance.

Despite her indifference, Jegal Hwi leaned in, hiding his mouth behind his fan as he continued.

“The Corps Commander appeared quite interested in Golden Lotus Rain.”

“And?”

Why say this to me?

She knit her brows and looked at him; Jegal Hwi straightened with a sly smile.

“No hidden meaning.”

Seolhwa gave him the briefest glare and looked away.

In that moment, her eyes met Yu Gang’s as he looked back toward them.

He averted his gaze at once, but the fact that his attention lingered this way made a laugh slip out.

“Hwi, are you headed to the Wudang Sect?”

Startled, Jegal Hwi reacted.

“There’s truly nothing I can hide from you.”

The Wudang Sect had kept silent despite the tournament’s successful close.

Originally, the Alliance had planned to respect Wudang’s stance and wait for them to accept the Alliance in their own time, but a problem had arisen.

It turned out all the miasma couriers involved in the incident during the tournament lived near Mount Wudang.

As expected, the couriers were ordinary civilians who hadn’t even known they were spreading miasma.

People who’d only planned to run errands for pay.

People driven by want and short on money.

Once that came to light, the Alliance couldn’t just sit and watch.

Even if Wudang hadn’t participated in the incident, Mount Wudang was indisputably Wudang’s territory.

Whether they didn’t know {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} or knew and did nothing, it was a problem either way—so the Alliance chose to act.

Jegal Hwi was included in the party visiting Wudang.

“My uncle trusts me far too much.”

“Does he?”

Of course, it was at Seolhwa’s word that Jegal Hwi had been added.

With Strategist Jegal Myeong unable to vacate his seat easily, Hwi would surely catch anything off about Wudang.

“My uncle will be going as well, so I’ll count on you.”

In Strategist Jegal Myeong’s stead, Deputy Strategist Namgoong Cheonghae would lead the delegation.

“There shouldn’t be danger, but take care just in case.”

“Are you worried about me?”

“Let’s say I’m worried about your uncle.”

“I’ll take that as an honor.”

They reached the departure point.

Four horses waited for them before the Alliance’s gate.

Yu Gang mounted first, with Golden Lotus Rain and Tang Hojin following.

Seolhwa started toward her horse as well.

Sssk—

“?”

As she moved to mount, Jegal Hwi extended a hand to her.

Seolhwa eyed the hand with a faint frown, ignored it, and swung lightly into the saddle.

Jegal Hwi smiled and drew his hand back.

“Do come back unhurt, Seolhwa.”

As he had before the final bout, he offered a parting filled with concern.

Seolhwa dipped her chin in a brief nod, then urged her horse toward the others.

Seop Mugwang stood before the four.

“Whelps, don’t forget: the Alliance isn’t sending you out there to fight. Avoid engagements where you can, and don’t panic about coming back with empty hands.”

It was the Alliance’s first dispatched investigation team.

Chasing after “results” led to mistakes, and mistakes led to incidents.

“Don’t make a mess.”

Seop Mugwang’s gaze slid to Seolhwa.

Meeting his eyes, Seolhwa’s brows tightened—just a hair.

“Come back safe.”

He finished by giving a light smack to Yu Gang’s horse.

Yu Gang, Seolhwa, Golden Lotus Rain, and Tang Hojin.

With everyone seeing them off, the four left the Martial Alliance.

****

Clop. Clop.

A peaceful midday with nothing out of the ordinary.

Having departed the Alliance, the party was crossing the range that marked the boundary between Hubei and Henan.

Their destination: Tianjin County, Hebei Province.

It was said the Beggar’s Union had a main base there.

[This path doesn’t seem much used by humans.]

At some point the Imoogi had circled the environs; it slipped into Seolhwa’s sleeve and spoke.

— It’s a shortcut into Henan. Monk Hyeon gave it to Tang, apparently.

Contrary to expectations of a scion raised soft under clan protection, Tang Hojin was, surprisingly, the most versed in geography among the four.

With an excellent memory for routes and a knack for reading wind and sky, he had taken the lead as their guide.

[Same Tang family, yet so different.]

— No kidding.

Worlds apart from that other Tang who’d picked a fight the moment you met.

If Tang Gajin, the clan’s eldest, hadn’t been born with the Thousand-Poison Physique, Hojin might well have contested the clan headship.

Setting aside constitution, he lacked nothing in character, wit, or martial skill.

‘He even resembles the Tang Clan Head more than that other one, doesn’t he?’

Thinking so, she glanced at Tang Hojin—who, sensing the look, glanced back at her.

When their eyes met, he guided his horse up beside hers.

Narrowing his eyes, Tang Hojin asked,

“Are you weary?”

“Not particularly.”

“I was genuinely impressed by your martial skill during the tournament. Though you didn’t take the title, I believed you would.”

“I found your bouts interesting as well, Tang. You’re proficient in poisons and throwing weapons.”

“Being acknowledged by you makes the years of training feel repaid.”

Tang Hojin laughed.

With pleasantries done, both gazes naturally slid to Yu Gang and Golden Lotus Rain riding ahead.

“The Commander seemed very interested in Golden Lotus Rain’s archery.”

Seolhwa looked back at Tang Hojin, curious.

“Her archery?”

“Yes. She was the only one to reach the final eight with archery alone. She even demonstrated her shooting at the training grounds.”

“...I see.”

So Yu Gang’s interest lay not in Golden Lotus Rain herself but in her martial art?

Of course, you couldn’t entirely separate a person from their art, but...

‘...Jegal Hwi.’

Without realizing it, Seolhwa’s grip tightened on the reins.

The image of Jegal Hwi’s faint smile rose unbidden, and something hot pricked in her chest for no good reason.

Once the Beggar’s Union matter was done and they crossed paths again, she would—

Just then—

Shwik— shiiik— shwick!

“!”

As the sharp hiss of flights cutting air knifed past her ears—

“Down!”

Yu Gang’s shout rang out.

Seolhwa caught the rain of arrows and seized her sword’s hilt.

‘A little closer...’

In the heartbeat before impact, she traced a line of steel—intent fixed on leaving not a single arrow to spare.

If she wanted the horses untouched, the best course was to stop every shaft.

The moment the arrows entered the range she’d calculated—

Fwoooong—

KRASH-krak-krak!

A massive saber roared, blotting out the sky.

No—so fast and close it felt that way because Yu Gang swept the blade right in front of her.

Tak—

He dropped to the ground before Seolhwa’s horse.

A beat later, dozens of arrow fragments he’d sheared in two rattled down. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Golden Lotus Rain led Yu Gang’s horse over and rejoined; Seolhwa and Tang Hojin dismounted as well.

Rustle— hiss—

All four raised their senses and scanned the surroundings.

At some point, dozens of presences had encircled them.