In a solemn atmosphere, Myeong-chun's corpse was collected.

As his two hands were gently folded over his abdomen, white cloth covered them.

While the Tang Family martial artists performed the ceremony, Cheonyeong checked No Gwanyeong's condition.

"How are you?"

"I can endure."

"The emergency treatment is done, but if left too long, the poison will spread again. I'll add more internal force for now."

"Hmm."

Cheonyeong sat behind No Gwanyeong and placed his hand on the Gate of Life acupoint, drawing only the extreme yang essence of the Samyang Divine Art and flowing it in.

"Grgh!"

As the hot heat seeped in, No Gwanyeong's face contorted in pain.

But he had to endure.

It was heterogeneous internal force. If something went wrong, the forces could collide, putting both himself and Cheonyeong in danger.

"Cough!"

After considerable treatment, No Gwanyeong coughed up blood.

Black clotted blood soaked the ground, and an unpleasant smell arose.

It was part of the corpse poison that had remained in No Gwanyeong's body.

When the coughing ended, No Gwanyeong's expression seemed more comfortable than before, but Cheonyeong was drenched in sweat and looked haggard from the depletion of mental energy.

"Before poisoning, an antidote pill would have been effective, but Elder, you're already poisoned, so it won't work. For now, I'll treat you like this until we return."

"Thank you, Family Head. And I'm sorry. Because of me."

No Gwanyeong wore an apologetic expression.

Expelling poison from another's body was very delicate work, and it consumed considerable internal force.

But Cheonyeong laughed and shook his head.

"Don't think like that. It's natural for a Family Head to care for his subordinates."

"Family Head."

"Rest for now. Once we finish preparing to move, I'll have you transported by carriage."

"I should be helping, but instead I've become a burden."

"Don't say such things."

Cheonyeong smiled faintly and recovered his depleted internal force through circulation. When he went outside, the Tang Family's leaders, who had been spread out in formation for protection, rushed forward.

"Family Head, are you alright? Your complexion doesn't look good."

"I'm fine. Myeong-chun's corpse?"

"We've finished collecting it."

"Good work."

"What should we do with the assassin's corpse?"

At Yongcheon's question, Cheonyeong, after brief consideration, spoke coldly.

"Hang it from a tree and carve this into it. Everyone should know what happens when they touch the Tang Family."

The phrase Cheonyeong handed over was "Exhume the tomb and flog the corpse."

It meant excessively cruel revenge, intending to show those people that if they held resentment against the Tang Family, they would find no peace even in death.

It didn't matter if Jinkagu didn't discover it.

If passersby spread the news, it would eventually reach their ears.

"Family Head."

"Hmm?"

"How is the Elder?"

Gongsun Seung approached where Yongcheon had withdrawn, his face stiff as he asked with difficulty. Cheonyeong, who had been watching intently, laughed and ruffled Gongsun Seung's hair.

"It's not your fault."

"..."

"Just remember that the Elder tried to protect you."

"Yes."

At Cheonyeong's words, Gongsun Seung nodded with a dejected expression.

"Seung."

"Yes."

"If you make that expression, the Elder will worry."

"But..."

"He's a strong person. Though his condition isn't good, he'll get up healthy once treatment is complete."

"Yes."

After comforting Gongsun Seung, Cheonyeong looked at Sanghui and spoke.

"Inner Hall Master."

"Yes."

"The Elder's condition isn't good. Even small shocks could be dangerous, so head toward a nearby inn."

"Understood."

"And contact the Hyeon Gal clan martial artists staying at the Tang Family, have them bring items that can detoxify corpse poison and send them rushing here. Also contact the medicine shop and have them provide everything they need."

"Yes!"

Sanghui rushed off.

As the Green Warrior Unit and Dokgak-gwi quickly erased traces of the temporary camp, Cheonyeong pondered what lay ahead.

Jinkagu couldn't possibly be unaware of Jin Il-hak's death.

The paired poison within his body must have died too.

The Changlim Sword Saint had opened the Nine Dragon Meeting, and the Orthodox Faction was secretly moving investigation teams to probe further, so Jinkagu's movements would be constrained, but he couldn't neglect preparations.

The death of two Upper Heavenly Ghosts would be a significant blow to them.

Especially since Jin Il-hak, who had been investigating him, was dead. Perhaps the Poison Master would personally lead the organization to find him.

No matter how much stronger he had become compared to before, he couldn't protect the entire Tang Family from Jinkagu.

If they came with intent, not only the Tang Family but Ganyang would likely be devastated.

He needed to prepare countermeasures urgently.

A defensive strategy?

Even with a perfect strategy, preparation would take considerable time.

Moreover, even after preparations were complete, if fighting broke out, there would undoubtedly be many casualties.

The Tang Family's martial artists had never properly fought assassins before. And their hidden weapon techniques still couldn't surpass Jinkagu's.

A more certain countermeasure was necessary.

"Hmm. Is that the only way?"

Cheonyeong's eyes, lost in thought, sharpened.

Work he had planned to do later.

But to truly constrain Jin Gu-myeong's actions, that was the only method. Additionally, it could redirect his attention that might have focused on the Tang Family.

"Preemptive strike."

In the current era, Cheonyeong didn't know where Jinkagu's headquarters was located.

He had trained there, but he was too young, and by the time his training ended and he became an assassin, the headquarters had already moved elsewhere.

But there were places whose locations were certain.

The safe houses of assassins, and the numerous branch organizations Jinkagu had scattered throughout the Central Plains.

Attack those simultaneously.

With branch organizations under attack, they couldn't reveal themselves to attack the Tang Family. If it was Jin Gu-myeong as Cheonyeong knew him, he would choose to cut off the tail and hide his body.

The Tang Family would naturally become secondary.

Of course, the Tang Family didn't need to conduct the preemptive strike themselves.

Didn't the Blue Green Sect, which had already lost people to assassins, exist? And didn't the Blue Heaven Alliance, pressed by the Blue Green Sect, exist as well?

"First, I should summon Baekta."

Who better at instigating people than that person?

One more step and he'd become a commander.

A person hungry for merit would surely rush in without hesitation.

The world has always been: those who run, those who fly above them, and those who use them above that.

A sinister smile played at Cheonyeong's lips when.

"Family Head."

Gongsun Seung approached.

"Why? Still worried? I told you it's not your fault."

"It's not just about the Elder, but something else is bothering me."

"Something else?"

"Yes."

"What is it?"

"Actually, the assassin said something strange to me. I was too confused at the time to pay attention, but thinking about it now, something seems odd."

At Gongsun Seung's words, Cheonyeong tilted his head.

What could he have said?

"He said he had many questions. About you, and about that thing Jasu was after."

"What?"

"Who exactly is this person called Jasu? I've never heard the name before, so I thought perhaps you might know."

Unlike Gongsun Seung's expression full of questions, Cheonyeong's surprise was indescribable.

Jasu?

Why did Jin Il-hak say such a thing?

A thought suddenly struck him, and a knot that had remained a mystery for a long time seemed to unravel.

Jasu had targeted Gongsun Seung's life.

That too had been a constant question in his mind.

Why?

No matter how much it was a contract for payment, it wasn't something a Special Upper would personally handle. Information about the Gongsun Family could be gathered sufficiently through rumors, and with the manor's defenses and martial artists' levels not being high, infiltration was easy.

If he hadn't been involved, a first-class assassin would have been sufficient for such a contract.

"That thing Jasu was after."

Cheonyeong fell into thought with narrowed eyes.

It was probably that.

The reason a Special Upper personally moved for a contract that a first-class assassin could handle.

What object was in the Gongsun Family...

Could it be? Samyang?

It was somewhat excessive thinking, but having recently learned that Jinkagu was after the Samyang Divine Art, his thoughts kept turning in that direction.

"Seung."

"Yes?"

"By any chance, when you left the Gongsun Family, did you bring anything special with you?"

"How could I? You're the one who faked my death and switched me with a plague victim's corpse to smuggle me out."

"That's right. Then, from childhood, was there anything you always carried with you?"

"There was something, but... why are you asking?"

"There was?"

"Yes."

"What kind of thing?"

"It's a keepsake my grandfather left me after my father passed away."

"A keepsake?"

"Yes, an ornament made of amber that I always carried with me."

"Do you still have it?"

"No, it's at the Tang Family. But why?"

"Would it be alright if I examined it later?"

At Cheonyeong's request, Gongsun Seung looked at him with a puzzled expression before nodding.

This wasn't the type of request he usually made, so there might be some significance to it.

"Understood. I'll show it to you as soon as we return."

"Good."

Cheonyeong nodded with satisfaction.

Gongsun Seung's grandfather's keepsake.

It might be unrelated.

But if the keepsake was connected to something Jinkagu was searching for, and if that was the Samyang Divine Art...

He might be able to predict Jinkagu's actions.

* * *

"It came from the Tang Family?"

"Yes. We haven't confirmed the contents yet."

Baekta stared at the red pigeon-mail tube in the hands of the Director of Information Compilation for Sichuan at the Beggar Gang headquarters.

Sender: Tang Family.

Recipient: Baekta himself.

It was strange.

He heard that the fighting with the Blue Green Sect had ended and they were returning, so why would they send him a pigeon-mail?

"This... friend?"

Opening the tube and reading its contents, Baekta's eyes widened.

"Why? What's the matter?"

Chui Bulgae, the Beggar Gang Leader who had been having tea with Baekta, tilted his head with a puzzled expression.

"The Family Head of the Tang Family... Cheonyeong!"

"Ah, so what did that bastard write?!"

"Beggar Gang Leader!"

"What?!"

"Please gather the night spies deployed in Huandong and Blue Green, and have them follow me urgently."

Instead of answering his question, Baekta just spoke his own words, causing Chui Bulgae to furrow both eyebrows.

No, shouldn't he at least explain what the contents were?

"I'll go immediately!"

Before Chui Bulgae could grab him, Baekta kicked open the door and rushed out.

"Huh! That bastard? Now that he's gained some fame, he's really becoming lawless, lawless."

Irritated by Baekta's sudden disappearance, but unable to do anything about someone who had already left, Chui Bulgae shook his head.

Then he noticed the red pigeon-mail Baekta had dropped on the ground.

"Director."

"Yes."

"Bring that here."

"Yes!"

At Chui Bulgae's command, the Director picked up the fallen mail and respectfully handed it over.

"What on earth is the content... Huh!"

Chui Bulgae's eyes widened as he irritably unfolded and read it.

"W-what is this?"

His hands trembled in shock as he suddenly shouted with all his might.

"Director!"

"Yes? Yes!"

"Immediately gather Huandong and the night spies, dispatch them urgently to Noru Mok's Sangilru!"

"Yes?"

"You bastard! Are your ears blocked? Didn't you hear me? Do it now!"

"Yes!"

At Chui Bulgae's fierce shout, the Director rushed out.

Watching his retreating figure, Chui Bulgae's mouth split into a grin.

"Hehehehe. Ehehehe."

Cheonyeong, the Family Head of the Tang Family.

What a remarkable fellow.

Chui Bulgae already knew.

Baekta's every achievement had Cheonyeong's involvement. In fact, all of Baekta's recent fame should rightfully have gone to Cheonyeong.

Yunnan, and even the Blue Green Sect.

But what did it matter?

Baekta's achievements were already established, and he was in a much more advantageous position than other candidates for the position of commander. If he achieved one more merit, Baekta would be confirmed as commander.

And he would become the mentor responsible for the commander's childhood.

If Baekta became the Beggar Gang Leader?

He could confidently enter the Council of Elders of the Beggar Gang he had always dreamed of.

Ah, what an honorable thing that would be!

"Oh right, this isn't the time for this. I need to quickly inform Blood Venerable, Baekta's patron. Ahem!"

Chui Bulgae crumpled the mail from the Tang Family in his hand and hurriedly walked toward the Information Bureau.

The contents of the mail sent from the Tang Family were very simple.

Baekta. If you want to become commander, come to Sangilru at Noru Mok immediately.

The Tang Family's Departure from the World