The results of the county sweep ended in something that was downright shocking.

An entire inn had been a HEAVEN-BREAKING PALACE stronghold. And everyone inside had been unorthodox.

The fact that this existed in a county in Shaanxi—where Mount Hua Sect was stationed—left everyone stunned.

And it wasn’t even some inn that had opened yesterday.

The innkeeper had been born in Huayin County and lived here for an entire lifetime—someone who’d opened the inn with backing from a merchant company.

Most of the people inside were escorts from an escort agency operating in Huayin County.

Saying people like that had become HEAVEN-BREAKING PALACE spies carried an enormous shockwave.

‘Because it meant everyone was tied together and needed to be investigated.’

What exactly had gathered into that one inn?

The merchant company that funded it would be implicated.

The escort agency—suspected of being unorthodox—would become a problem too.

And the people they’d attacked were Mount Hua Sect martial artists. Beyond that, Blue Moon Sect from Henan.

And the target had been the Moon Knight—someone called the most promising young talent in the Central Plains right now.

Once you were tangled up with someone like that, this couldn’t be brushed aside.

That was the same reason Mount Hua’s elders were pushing back.

“Sect Master. You need to summon the escort leader and the merchant lord immediately.”

“Summon? You think summoning is even a thing right now? We should be dragging them in. What if they run the moment you ‘summon’ them?”

“Third Elder. There are rules. Ignoring them and proceeding like that—”

The meeting room was loud. Everyone raised voices, sharpening blades under the guise of discussion.

“They’d already infiltrated the county itself. Moon Knight—like he said, it’s entirely possible there are spies inside Mount Hua Sect too.”

“Possible? That word’s a joke. At this point, it wouldn’t be strange to call it certainty.”

“......Even so, certainty? We should trust the disciples—”

“Junior brother, does ‘trust’ sound like the right word right now? How can you be this relaxed—ah. Or maybe...”

The old man’s eyes narrowed.

“...What is that look? Senior brother. Are you suspecting me right now?”

“It’s a situation where you suspect anyone.”

“What are you—!”

The elder who’d been accused shot up. The anger on that face was real.

Then—

“Enough!”

A shout, heavy with plum blossoms, exploded through the meeting room.

Dense inner power froze everyone in place.

“Enough.”

“Sect Master....”

“Doesn’t seem like this is the time for us to fight each other.”

Seongheon—looking exhausted to the bone—forced down a sigh and spoke to the elders.

“What about the one you brought in...?”

“We are interrogating him, but....”

“So you aren’t getting answers.”

“......Yes.”

The man who’d tried to ambush the Moon Knight during the investigation. We’d captured him and started interrogation, but—

“He keeps saying he can’t remember.”

No memory of it. He didn’t do it. Please forgive him.

Over and over. Dozens of times. Hundreds.

That was why everyone was tearing their hair out.

‘What is this.’

Nothing about it made sense.

Not just the aura that had vanished—

‘His eyes look sincere.’

Maybe because the aura was gone, but the man’s words felt weirdly genuine.

That was the problem.

‘What did they do.’

The disappearance of HEAVEN-BREAKING PALACE aura was the question.

‘He’s different from the others.’

The other spies severed life force the moment they were caught and killed themselves.

The one who’d ambushed me hadn’t.

The aura vanished, and the man acted like he truly had no idea what was happening.

‘What is it.’

If it wasn’t an act—

‘There’s a chance he came back to his senses when the aura disappeared.’

It could be part of a brainwashing process.

That possibility formed in my head.

‘This is a mess.’

And just like that, the list of possibilities got longer.

In the most goddamn useless way.

“Moon Knight.”

“Yes, Sect Master.”

I answered Seongheon. He looked far more worn down than before.

“I heard you rendered tremendous help in this matter. And that you even faced danger... I offer thanks and apology at once.”

“It’s nothing. It was something that needed doing.”

I at least kept the formality. It had been dangerous. And yeah, I’d done well.

“I heard you’re moving with certainty regarding the spies. Is # Nоvеlight # that true?”

“Yes. I’m receiving information steadily, and moving to confirm it.”

“Information... are you talking about that double agent mentioned in the report?”

“Yes.”

Double agent. A few people reacted to that phrase.

Some were carrying HEAVEN-BREAKING PALACE aura.

Some weren’t.

“...A double agent. And you said it was a Mount Hua disciple.”

“It could be. Or it might not be.”

“So you can’t say.”

“Yes. People are risking lives doing this. I can’t just blurt it out, can I.”

“...Hm.”

It wasn’t like I could talk about a double agent that didn’t exist in the first place.

‘This is miserable.’

It was a convenient story. It built trust. It helped secure standing.

But—

‘It’s reaching the limit.’

Pushing one “double agent” forever had an ending baked into it.

Still—

‘Doesn’t matter.’

I didn’t care that much. Once I got what I wanted, it didn’t matter whether the lie collapsed or not.

“Moon Knight.”

“Yes.”

From where I stood—

“I have a request for you....”

This incident had brought me right to the part I wanted.

“A request?”

I asked carefully, like I didn’t already know. Seongheon spoke.

“I want to entrust you with full authority over the investigation... Will you move for Mount Hua?”

“Ah.”

I smiled.

“Of course. That’s why I came to Shaanxi.”

Because I’d finally gotten what I wanted.

*****

Full authority over the investigation.

Not “cooperating with us,” but me holding the entire right to investigate HEAVEN-BREAKING PALACE.

Once I secured it, I raked a hand through my hair.

‘...Took long enough.’

How could they entrust something this big to an outsider—there was pushback from the elder side, but the result didn’t change.

The most transparent and most powerful person in this incident.

The one who’d nearly suffered the greatest damage in the investigation—

and still produced results in the middle of that.

That was how Mount Hua saw me. And based on that, I forced full authority through.

Literally full authority.

Not “working with Plum Blossom Commander.”

A stage where I could issue orders because of this incident.

Of course—

‘I did make a contract with Seongheon for it.’

But that was something I could step over whenever I wanted.

What mattered was—

‘It’s easier for me to move now.’

My battered body was a problem, sure. But that was fine.

WHOOSH—!

The lit lantern went out. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

I sat down in my quarters.

Now that I had full authority, I could speed things up.

‘And I can finally gather the things I left out there.’

I’d asked my people for things too. Using all that would make it easier to finish this cleanly.

The problem was—

‘Strange Demon.’

That bastard was the biggest thorn.

I had no idea how Strange Demon would move.

If Strange Demon had wanted, Strange Demon could’ve killed me any time. The fact that Strange Demon hadn’t touched me meant there was intent.

‘And the reason is probably—’

Strange Demon thought I was the Heavenly Demon’s bloodline.

That seemed like an incredibly important point to Strange Demon.

‘So.’

If Strange Demon learned I wasn’t actually the Heavenly Demon’s child—

‘Strange Demon’s attitude would flip instantly.’

I had to stay cautious. Stay on guard. It was a misunderstanding caused by the Divine Sword.

The moment that misunderstanding was exposed, Strange Demon could turn and kill me.

And given Strange Demon’s level—

killing me looked easy.

Worse—

‘When Strange Demon was near, Yoo Cheongil couldn’t possess me.’

Maybe it was only for a moment. But that’s what happened.

It caught both Yoo Cheongil and me off guard. And I had no certainty it wouldn’t happen again.

So I had to be careful.

‘Hah....’

I let out a silent breath and brought a hand to my chest.

[.......]

Yoo Cheongil watched me without speaking.

I could feel the stare. I ignored it.

With my hand pressed where my heart was—

KRRRICK.

I moved it, just slightly, like I was grabbing and twisting something.

Then—

KIIIIIIING—!

The ring shifted, like a hinge being forced. I adjusted it as delicately as possible.

If I opened it too far, the seal I’d put on it would break.

If I opened it too little, I wouldn’t get what I wanted.

‘...Carefully.’

I concentrated—twisting it little by little.

Then, once it reached the level I wanted—

‘Now.’

I timed it and pulled out what I’d bound inside.

—GUUOOOAAAAAA—!!!

A soul got yanked out of my chest.

A grotesque scream rang out.

—KIEEEEUUOOOAAAA!!!!

It was a malicious ghost.

The one I’d caught at the inn and shoved inside.

The moment it burst out, it started shrieking.

—Ghh...! This...! This...!

It looked like it was about to aim its fury at me—

GRAB—!

—GHK!?

I seized it and slammed it into the floor.

—Grrk... ghhk....

“Sorry. It’s been a while. I don’t think I can control my strength.”

Veins stood out.

It had been over a decade since I’d grabbed a ghost with my hand.

“You remember, right? What I asked you earlier.”

—Ghh... uhh...!!

The malicious ghost twisted in pain.

I didn’t care.

“Hope you remembered it well.”

Because—

“Otherwise this is going to get really hard for you.”

From here on out, I was planning to make it hurt several times worse than this.