"The Righteous Heaven Squad was ambushed?"
Jin Tae-chul, whom they had just met face-to-face, had already met his end. Even with danger breathing down his neck, King Gyeong neither flinched nor faltered. Instead, his expression grew intrigued as he listened to the report from Hong Hee, the Western Village branch master of the Underworld Information Clan.
He had dispatched several Underworld Clan members, skilled in tracking, to tail the Righteous Heaven Squad as they hurriedly left Western Village. He had wanted to confirm their destination, but the incident erupted not far off on a secluded main road on the outskirts.
It was a dim evening, twilight mixing with dusk, and the distance coupled with the assailants' black hats made identification impossible. One thing was certain: they were masters strong enough to slaughter every member of the Righteous Heaven Squad and force the Plum Blossom swordsman Jin Tae-chul to flee wounded.
The attackers had driven off with the carriage and vanished into the nearby mountains. When Geuk-hwan, upon receiving the report, led swift Underworld Clan members in pursuit, the carriage was already gone and the valley was empty.
"The Underworld Clan knows this area well. Any guesses who the attackers might be?"