"L-Lord."

Byeon Gil-tae looked around with a tense expression.

He felt it too.

A chilling killing intent was settling in thickly from all directions.

"It's alright, Senior Brother."

"But…"

"It's alright, so take a deep breath. It's not good to be intimidated. That's what they'll be hoping for."

Cheonyeong calmed Byeon Gil-tae and looked towards a part of the forest from which a fierce aura was emanating.

Swish, swish.

Two middle-aged men emerged from the shadows. A wicked smile formed on Cheonyeong's lips as he looked at them.

"Yes, how could I ever forget you two?"

High Heavenly Ghost Jin Samhyeon, and Jin Obyeong.

Facing them, the memories buried deep in his heart resurfaced one by one, filling his mind.

"Tang Cheonyeong."

"…"

"So we meet like this."

Jin Samhyeon stopped his approach and spoke with a hardened face.

What should he say?

Should he say, 'It's been a while'?

No, he knew them, but they didn't know him.

The terrible memories intertwined with them filled his mind, and for a moment, a murderous impulse arose, but Cheonyeong quickly regained his composure.

"Assassins?"

"You know well."

"Your aura says as much. It seems I'm surrounded?"

"Heh, this guy… to have that expression even when you know everything. The great rumors that follow the name Tang Cheonyeong weren't just empty talk after all."

At Cheonyeong's completely relaxed demeanor, Jin Obyeong, who was behind, taunted him.

That's the kind of guy he was.

Wasn't he ostracized among the High Heavenly Ghosts because of that tone and personality?

"Since when?"

But unlike Jin Obyeong, Jin Samhyeon stared at him with sharp eyes and asked in a calm, subdued voice.

"What?"

"I'm asking since when you noticed we were following you."

"Well… not long after leaving the Namgung Family?"

"What?"

"Don't be so surprised. Your tracking skills were that crude."

"Cr-crude, you say?"

"Yes, why wouldn't I notice a suspicious boat continuously following me?"

"Hmm, you're a man of excellent observation."

"Observation? Don't be ridiculous."

"What?"

"That's not something to praise me for. Shouldn't you be blaming your own foolishness?"

"What do you mean?"

"Hah, do I have to explain this too? Fine, it's not like you can run away now anyway…"

Shaking his head with a look of pity, Cheonyeong began to explain as if he had no choice.

"You don't know much about your boat, do you?"

"…"

"Well, I suppose so. You've always avoided naval warfare because you're at a disadvantage. At most, you probably learned how to dive and how to swim, right?"

"What are you talking about?"

At his way of speaking as if he knew them well, Jin Samhyeon narrowed his eyes, and Cheonyeong waved his hand as if annoyed.

"Never mind that."

"…"

"A boat, you see, is supposed to fly a sigil when it sets sail. That's the law, the law."

"The law?"

"Yes, the government doesn't particularly regulate it, but it's a very important matter in the martial world. I learned about it while working with a merchant group."

"…"

"You have to let the water bandits know. 'I am connected to this family, or this faction.'"

"Hmm…"

At Cheonyeong's words, Jin Samhyeon realized his mistake.

They hadn't flown a flag on the boat they came on.

Because they hadn't paid it any mind at all.

"You probably didn't know, right? You must have just taken a nearby boat to chase me. You probably killed all the sailors and threw them to the fish."

"…So it was because of the flag. Well, well."

"You think so? Was it only because of the flag?"

"What?"

"You guys, your rowing was terrible."

"…"

"At first, I just glanced at it, but it was strange, so I looked closer and saw the boat couldn't ride the waves."

"The waves?"

"Yes. There's a path in the water too, but you guys completely ignored it. So the boat couldn't help but shake a lot. And yet, you kept stubbornly chasing. Even a rookie sailor wouldn't steer a boat like that."

"Hmm…"

"So I became suspicious and checked. To see how long you would follow."

"I see. So there was such an unexpected mistake. But why did you stop here? And even lure us in."

"Hoh? You figured that out? I went to the trouble of visiting an apothecary, making an excuse about seasickness, and even came out to look for herbs."

"At first, I was puzzled. Your actions seemed to have some reason. And then, I saw that and knew. That you were luring us."

Jin Samhyeon said, glancing at Gwangryong, who was still struggling at Cheonyeong's feet.

"Good, good. Such insight deserves praise."

At Cheonyeong's words, the corner of Jin Samhyeon's eye twitched.

Not only did he dislike the tone, which was like talking to a child, but the praise also felt like a provocation.

"Are you trying to provoke me?"

"Don't misinterpret my sincerity. It was pure admiration."

"Arrogant fool."

"I know."

Cheonyeong shrugged and replied with a smirk.

"Anyway, wasn't there something you wanted to ask?"

"What do you mean?"

"If not, there was no need to drag this out, was there? From the looks of it, you've set up a solid encirclement. And you don't seem to have any intention of saving this guy."

Cheonyeong said, kicking Gwangryong.

It was a light kick, but the power contained within it was not ordinary, so Gwangryong curled up like a pill bug in pain.

And there was no change in Jin Samhyeon's expression.

He had no intention of saving him.

Even though he had risen to Special Grade, the man was just another consumable that could be discarded for the organization at any time.

A pitiful guy.

To think he used his comrades so much, not knowing he would be abandoned like this.

"Then why are you so relaxed?"

At Jin Samhyeon's question, Cheonyeong grinned.

"Because I'm the same."

"The same?"

"Yes, I have something to ask you."

"So you lured us?"

"Yes."

"Well, well, you're a man with more guts than any I've faced so far. But, do you know that this place is a deathtrap?"

"…"

"You have now created a deathtrap for yourself just to satisfy your curiosity. With nowhere to run, and no way to survive."

Jin Samhyeon asked with a cold face, but Cheonyeong answered nonchalantly.

"That depends on how you think about it. For now, how about we ask and answer each other's questions?"

Frowning at Cheonyeong's consistently relaxed attitude, Jin Samhyeon let out a small sigh and nodded.

"Fine. I don't like what you're doing one bit, but I have questions too. I'll play along with your tune."

"Good thinking. I'll give you the first chance to ask."

At Cheonyeong's words, Jin Samhyeon quietly looked at him.

He was choosing one of the many questions that came to mind.

"Did you kill Jin Iseon and Jin Ilhak?"

"What a waste of a chance, asking a question with an obvious answer."

Cheonyeong smirked.

That was the answer.

"What do you know about Byeon Gil-tae?"

"That he is a descendant of the Eight Immortals."

"What?"

Cheonyeong answered without hesitation, as if it were no great secret, but not only Jin Samhyeon but also Jin Obyeong's eyes went wide.

"H-how do you know that?"

"What? That they are the ones who have inherited the Samyang Divine Art you're looking for?"

"…"

"Did you forget so quickly? That I killed Jin Iseon and Jin Ilhak?"

"Are you saying they divulged information about the organization?"

"Then how would I know? Should I tell you more? I also know that you, who I'm talking to right now, are a High Heavenly Ghost of the Jingagu."

"Wh-what did you say?"

Jin Samhyeon's eyes trembled minutely.

It was understandable to be surprised.

No, he had said it to surprise him.

Because they wouldn't be able to accept it.

For a High Heavenly Ghost, not just an auxiliary assassin or a Special Grade, to divulge information about the organization was an impossible event for them.

"Nonsense! There's no way they would have talked!"

"They had trained to endure torture, in their own way."

"What?"

"But is there only one or two ways to make someone open their mouth? No matter how great the training, no one is a match for a beating."

At Cheonyeong's smile, which seemed to know everything, or rather, a smile he could make because he already knew everything, Jin Samhyeon's expression changed from moment to moment.

Surprise, disbelief, bewilderment…

It was quite a sight to behold.

"They… they broke the taboo?"

"Yes."

"Then, were you the one who revealed the location of the cell?"

"Yes, a successor of the Beggars' Sect is a friend of mine. I gave him a little hint. And what do you know, he moved the Clear Sky Alliance on his own. He's really good at his job. That's probably why he became a successor."

"Y-you… You were a man who should have died long ago. Killing you was the priority over finding the descendant of the Eight Immortals!"

Jin Samhyeon, whose face had been turning red and pale, contorted his face and raised his voice.

"What's with that order? If your questions are done, now you have to answer mine."

Shaking his head with a displeased expression, Cheonyeong asked Jin Samhyeon.

"Was the Demonic Cult behind this from the beginning? Are they the ones looking for the Samyang?"

"Wh-what?"

The question seemed to have surprised him.

He had only asked, but the man's body trembled as if he'd been struck by lightning, which was a sufficient answer.

He probably wouldn't have been able to answer with his own mouth anyway.

Because they would have been brainwashed not to utter the words 'Demonic Cult' even if they knew the truth.

It occurred to him that the High Heavenly Ghosts who knew the Demonic Cult was behind them might have been fed a slightly different kind of Gu poison.

Were there only one or two kinds of Gu?

But having gained enough conviction that he didn't need to hear the answer, Cheonyeong nodded and said.

"I see, so they were afraid of the Samyang."

"…"

"That's why they created an organization called the Jingagu in the Central Plains."

"…"

"They were afraid, that someone might become the second Samyang Divine Lord and stand in their way."

Jin Samhyeon could only stare with wide eyes, unable to say a word.

Now, his eyes held nothing but astonishment.

"How foolish."

"…"

"Haven't you ever thought about this? Why an assassin organization? Why have they suppressed you with that vicious Gu poison and demanded your loyalty?"

"What are you talking about?"

"What do you mean? You know it well too. You've treated those below you as consumables all this time. This guy is no different."

Cheonyeong kicked Gwangryong again.

"But why didn't you know? That the Jingagu organization itself is a consumable for the Demonic Cult."

"What?"

"It's an assassin organization. Kidnapping so many children from all over the Central Plains, training them, annihilating their humanity, feeding them Gu to make them loyal. On top of that, they rot the bodies of the dead children and use them as corpse poison."

"…"

"Anyone can see you're villains, guys who deserve to be the public enemy of the martial world. To the point where it wouldn't be strange if the entire martial world rose up in righteous anger. Is that all? They've even brainwashed you into a taboo so you won't answer about your connection to the Demonic Cult."

"…"

"To think you're so loyal, not even knowing when you'll be thrown away."

Cheonyeong recited their plight and sneered.

"You… you know too much."

"No, not yet."

"Not yet?"

"Yes, not yet. I'm missing one very important thing."

"What do you mean?"

"That, I'm going to find out by capturing you guys from now on."

Cheonyeong smiled. It was a bright smile, his eyes narrowing so much they couldn't be seen.

And Jin Samhyeon, who had no more questions or answers, resolved that he must kill him and shouted.

"Close in!"

The order was given, and killing intent rushed in from all directions.

And Cheonyeong, as if his earlier smile was a lie, muttered in a low voice with a chilling expression.

"The only ones dying here today… are you."

(End of Chapter)