Hwa-reu-reuk!

The fire in the bronze brazier burns brightly.

At the news that he had come to the Blue Green Sect's Upper Hall like a bolt from the blue, Il-u's face contorted.

The news that had just been delivered by the night patrol.

The family head of the Tang Family's estate had been attacked at the Sangdogwan where Cheonsadong was located, and he had requested a private meeting with him as the family head of a sect from the patrol that had gone there.

How could he refuse?

The circumstances of the matter were obvious.

"Junior brother, did you really do it?"

"..."

"I told you not to."

At Il-u's words, Ilhae said with a hardened face.

"I will take care of it. Sect Leader, please pretend you don't know."

"My good man, didn't I tell you not to go any further? I didn't ask you to do that."

"We have already crossed the line long ago."

"I know. I know too. But when you realize you have dirt on your hands, you must wash them quickly."

At Il-u's words, Ilhae raised his head with a faint smile on his lips.

"Sect Leader."

"..."

"Washing may clean your hands, but the water you wash with will become muddy."

"Junior brother!"

"Sect Leader, you are the Blue Green Sect. A person who suits clean white hands. So please pretend you know nothing. I will become the muddy water. I will also take the blame."

"Junior brother!"

"But, please remember that all my words and actions were for the Blue Green Sect. That is all."

At Ilhae's words, Il-u could not say anything more.

Ilhae had already covered his ears and eyes.

He would not hear and he would not see.

"Immeasurable Life Buddha, Immeasurable Life Buddha..."

Il-u's face contorts with a worried Taoist greeting.

He shouldn't have done it.

He should have quit everything when he had the thought of doing it for the Blue Green Sect. It was greed, and something he should have been wary of.

In the end, it was not for the Blue Green Sect.

Their feelings for Yu Seongyeon, whom they had tried to pave the way for, would instead become a demon in his heart and remain as an indelible stain.

"I will resolve it and take responsibility."

At the sight of Ilhae, who had shown a firm will, Il-u sighed.

Resolving the situation was not the only solution...

Responsibility is to admit one's fault and ask for forgiveness when one realizes one's mistake.

"Immeasurable Life Buddha."

Il-u just mutters the unfortunate Taoist greeting and looks at the mountains and rivers in the distance.

The approaching light.

It was the night patrol coming up from the Sangdogwan.

Tang Cheonyeong was coming here.

Although Ilhae had said he would take on everything, it was not something that should be done.

The responsibility lies with him.

If he was the Blue Green Sect, as Ilhae said, then everything was his fault.

Hadn't he been the one to start it in the first place?

As the sect leader of the Blue Green Sect, he would take on all the blame.

"...Immeasurable Life Buddha."

***

Cheonyeong walked slowly.

Even though it was a path he could have run up in one go, even though it was a path he could have climbed without a light, he climbed slowly, one step at a time, relying on the light of the lantern that lit his way.

They must be discussing countermeasures by now.

They must be gathered at the Upper Hall, preparing to greet him.

They would soon find out. How useless and futile their excuses were.

Tang! Tang-tang!

Just as he was passing the competition stage, he saw carpenters busily repairing the competition stage.

Perhaps it was for tomorrow's finals.

Well, Lee Cheongik's skills were indeed amazing.

"Family Head!"

"Cheonyeong-ah!"

Then, a group of people came running and stopped Cheonyeong's steps.

It was the family members of the Tang Family's estate, Baekta, and those he had made a connection with at the Assembly of Elders.

"An attack! Who on earth are they! I'll kill these damn bastards!"

Yongcheon, who seemed to have heard the whole story, was angry, snorting. He was so angry that he was speaking informally in front of so many people.

By the way, the news travels fast.

Although Cheonsadong was quite a distance away, it seemed the Wild Cats of the Beggars' Sect, who had seen the patrol moving busily, had quickly reported what had happened to him.

"Calm down, calm down."

"Do I look like I can calm down? Are you hurt anywhere?"

"I'm fine."

"Fine! What's with your clothes? Oh, blood! You're bleeding! Blood!"

Yongcheon made a fuss, looking over Cheonyeong's body.

Well, if you get stabbed with a knife, won't you bleed?

"Y-you, did you even suffer internal injuries?"

"It just happened."

"Heh! What an amazing attacker. What kind of skill did he have, to inflict internal injuries on you, who are no different from a monster."

Not only Baekta, but also Lee Cheongik and everyone who was staying at the lodging with him had surprised expressions.

...The Blue Green Sect.

But Cheonyeong just smiled without saying it until the end.

If Baekta had known, it would have been a mess.

He would have been so proud, saying that he was right, that he knew the Blue Green Sect would do that, and he would have been jumping up and down, and he couldn't bear to see that.

Well, and it wasn't time to reveal it yet.

"First, everyone calm down, and I need to see the Sect Leader."

"Hmm... I understand."

"Wait here for now."

"What? You're not going up together?"

I told you, you can't.

I hate it even more because I can imagine you smiling slyly.

Cheonyeong shook his head.

"Wait."

"Tch!"

"Yongcheon-ah."

"Yeah!"

"You wait too."

"Huh?"

"And don't do anything unnecessary. Got it?"

"Uh-huh."

Yongcheon made a sullen expression.

Cheonyeong smirked, patted his shoulder a few times, and was about to pass by.

...Huh?

In an instant, Cheonyeong's steps hesitate.

Tang, tang, tang.

His heart beats in time with the uniform hammering sound.

Tang-tang-tang.

And it gets faster.

It felt like his breath was being caught.

"Why?"

At Yongcheon's reaction, who was looking at him with a curious expression, Cheonyeong quickly turned his gaze.

"Ah, the internal injuries..."

"Is it that bad?"

"Hmm."

"These damn bastards..."

Yongcheon gets even more angry.

Yes, internal injuries. The moment I confirmed the face of the punk I saw in front of me, I suffered a huge mental blow.

Tang, tang-tang.

A carpenter hammering away, as if he had no interest in the affairs of the martial world.

A wise rat. The assassin, Hwiseo.

It was definitely him.

The one who had once been raised under the name of the Twelve Divine Generals.

Hehehehe...

Cheonyeong forcibly swallowed the sly laughter that was about to burst out.

Jingagu, you were here.

You guys were really here.

It was like digging in the wrong place.

After hearing that there was a bloody handprint on the victory notice of the young master of the Gamsook Hyeokseonbang, who had been allowed to participate in the Assembly of Elders, his thoughts had become fixed and he had been digging in a completely different place.

The punks were either participants or observers.

He had only thought that they had disguised themselves as one of them and infiltrated.

But in the first place, they didn't need to take such a risk and disguise themselves.

A place no one paid attention to.

A status that could infiltrate the Blue Green Sect without arousing anyone's suspicion.

A carpenter.

The Blue Green Sect had needed a lot of manpower ahead of the Assembly of Elders.

Wasn't it a tournament held on an unprecedented scale, with a hundred participants?

They would have needed lodging for the participants and their attendants who would come from all over, and they would have needed more competition grounds for the preliminaries, so they would have recruited a large number of carpenters and workers from here and there.

When he had first arrived at the foot of the mountain, hadn't Lee Cheongik said it?

That the Blue Green Sect had hired anyone who could hold a hammer as a carpenter.

He should have thought about those words more carefully.

The punks had mixed in with them.

Without any restrictions.

So that neither the Blue Green Sect nor the Beggars' Sect could notice.

And now he could see.

Hwiseo, who was pretending to be a carpenter in front of him and sweating profusely from hammering, and next to him, and next to him.

They were assassins.

Because he had been a heretic in his past life, because he had lived the same life as them, he could clearly recognize them.

The assassin's skill contained in the hand that was hammering...

Although it was covered by clothes, it seemed he could even see the unique leg muscles that had hardened from learning and practicing the Eun-eun-yu-gyeong.

This is why, this is why he couldn't find them.

In the end, both of Baekta's two reasonings were correct. From the fact that the Blue Green Sect had chosen Yu Seongyeon as the winner and was manipulating the matches, to the fact that an assassin had infiltrated the Assembly of Elders.

Cheonyeong, who had controlled his breathing longer than usual so as not to reveal his surprise, sent a telepathic message to Baekta.

[Myeongseon.]

"...?"

[Don't show it and listen carefully. No, turn your head away completely.]

Although they didn't look at each other, at the atmosphere contained in Cheonyeong's voice, Baekta slowly turned his head in a direction where there were no people.

[Carpenters and workers.]

"...?!"

[We were focused on the wrong place from the start. From now on, deploy all the Wild Cats and secretly observe them.]

Baekta answered with a nod that was invisible to others.

He would do well on his own.

Because he was a smart guy.

Yongcheon or the Green Warrior Unit couldn't help.

They were not agile. It was one thing to just observe from a distance, but if a fight broke out, the damage would be immense.

Because they were not yet skilled enough to handle the assassins of Jingagu.

"Hoo, I feel like I can live after catching my breath. Yongcheon-ah, I'll be back."

"Yeah!"

Cheonyeong left Yongcheon behind and went up towards the Upper Hall.

He had tried to calm down, but it wasn't easy.

His steps, without him realizing it, were filled with strength and pressed down on the ground.

Sect Leader, it seems I have a lot to say today.

From the warriors of the Blue Green Sect who had attacked him, to the assassins who had infiltrated the Blue Green Sect and were plotting a conspiracy.

...At this rate, how much compensation should I receive?

It was to the point where he thought it would be good if Jingagu went to other sects and caused trouble.

"Hehehehe."

Cheonyeong, who was quite a distance from the competition stage, let out an eerie laugh without realizing it.

"Why are you laughing like that?"

"...Ah!"

Ok-hyeon, the leader of the night patrol who had guided Cheonyeong to the Upper Hall, asks with a wary expression.

"Ah, I just thought of something pleasant. Hehehehe." 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

At Cheonyeong's words, Ok-hyeon frowns.

What an incomprehensible character.

The family head of the Tang Family's estate, he had already seen his skills.

The day before, he had watched from a distance as he competed against the Ghost Hand, who had such a great reputation.

Others had pointed fingers and cursed at the sight of him beating Jeokseong, but Ok-hyeon's thoughts were different.

He was strong.

Because he was several times stronger than Jeokseong, he could be merciless.

And in the fight with Lee Cheongik, he could not hide his surprise.

The Blue Wind Descends Red Sword he had shown had made him ashamed.

Even though he was from a secular family and had not received the great teachings of the Blue Green Sect, he already had skills far superior to him, a first-generation disciple.

And Cheonyeong had defeated such a Lee Cheongik.

While showing off a splendid martial art that made him completely forget the appearance of the previous day.

But now?

"Hehehehe."

He was utterly sly.

"I'm going to be rich. Rich."

He was spouting incomprehensible words.

How on earth could a person make such a vulgar expression? He really couldn't understand.

"Hoo, we have arrived. Family Head."

"Pardon? Ah! I see."

Cheonyeong, who had been lost in his own thoughts for a long time, quickly came to his senses at Ok-hyeon's words and looked ahead.

The Upper Hall, brightly lit by the brazier.

The warriors of the Blue Green Sect standing in front of it, and the person standing on the platform with a serious expression.

He could tell as soon as he saw him.

The sect leader of the Blue Green Sect.

The Changlim Sword Saint, Il-u.

He was greeting him with a worried face.

Now, from now on, I am a creditor.

Who has come with a blank check with no amount recorded.

Cheonyeong walked confidently, overtaking Ok-hyeon. And when he arrived in front of Il-u, he greeted him politely and shouted loudly.

"Sect Leader! This humble one is the debt... no, the family head of the Tang Family's estate, Tang Cheonyeong. It is a pleasure to meet you for the first time."

"I am Il-u of the Blue Green Sect. I heard you requested a private meeting."

"Yes."

As Cheonyeong answered with a bright smile, Il-u, who had been looking at him for a moment, said.

"Everyone, leave, and Ok-hyeon, remember that there must be no listening ears in the Upper Hall!"

"Yes! Sect Leader!"

The Upper Hall is emptied.

And himself and Il-u... huh?

Cheonyeong tilts his head, looking at Ilhae, who is still standing next to Il-u even though he was told to leave.

You, why aren't you going?

He said to go.

And why are you glaring at me?

(End of Chapter)