The next morning, I slept in for a change. I had stayed up late into the night, replaying my exchange with Pyo Hol-deuk dozens of times in my mind before I finally went to bed. Circulating my energy helped with the fatigue, but I still didn't feel quite refreshed without a proper night's sleep.
When I opened the window, sunlight streamed down through the scattered clouds. The weather was better than yesterday, and the temperature was just right for late autumn. I made a simple breakfast of tea and dry rations, then wrapped the Murim Alliance Inspector's uniform in a cloth.
After a moment's thought, I also wrapped Pyo Hol-deuk's sword in cloth to make it unrecognizable. I tucked the inspector's identification token and seal into my robes, and grabbed my pouch and long blade. Tying the cloth bundle with a rope, I slung it over my shoulder and left the house.
On the first floor of the Wandering Swordsmen Inn, several swordsmen who had gathered looking for work were sitting around idly, even though it was morning. As I entered, the innkeeper recognized my face and hurried over.
“You're here to see Vice Lord Bok, right? I've saved a seat for you in a room on the second floor. Please go up and wait.”
“There are plenty of seats here, why?”
“Oh, please, have some mercy.”
The innkeeper bowed with a pained expression. I chuckled and headed for the stairs. It seemed the Black Night Gang kept coming to the inn and chasing away customers, which was bad for business.
If I sat on the first floor, they would probably have to clear out the inn again. And it wasn't like the Black Night Gang would pay for their troubles. I sat on the windowsill of the largest room on the second floor, chewing on some jerky as I waited.
A while later, Bok Ha-gyu appeared. The sword wound on his thigh didn't seem too severe; he walked perfectly fine without a limp. Since we had sparred once before and had also worked together in the mountains, this time we sat comfortably across a table from each other.
“So you’re alive.”
“Did you think I would die?”
“Did you bring it?”
I placed the cloth bundle on the table. From my robes, I also took out the inspector's identification token and seal and showed them to him. Bok Ha-gyu held out his hand.
I glanced down at his rough palm. Calluses were firmly set in the parts that touched the hilt of a sword, a sign that he never neglected his training.
“Your palm line says you are fortunate in your relationships, but you must be careful with your words and deeds and always keep the promises you make to live a long life.”
I gave him a bogus palm reading that held a subtle warning, before putting the token and seal back into my robes. Bok Ha-gyu’s eyes narrowed.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“I risked my life fighting that bastard Pyo Hol-deuk to get my hands on this. Besides, is this some ordinary item? This is the identification token and seal of a Murim Alliance Inspector. If I hand this over to someone from the dark path, wouldn't my own neck be on the line, no matter how much of a rootless wandering swordsman I am?”
“So?”
“I need to receive my payment in full before I hand it over.”
Bok Ha-gyu’s expression turned serious and grim.
“The Gang Master is currently unwell. I will arrange a meeting once his energy is restored. I give you my word on it.”
“Then let's talk about that first. You said the Murim Alliance used an assassin from the Black Night Gang two years ago, right? Is Master Jeok sick from a chronic illness, or was he ambushed back then?”
That’s what Bok Ha-gyu had clearly said in the mountains yesterday. He also said that for some reason, the Murim Alliance hadn't come near the Western Village since. That meant this man had suspected Pyo Hol-deuk was a fake from the moment I sent a letter requesting a private meeting and bluffed about being a Murim Alliance Inspector.
And yet, he had readily made a deal with me. It was clear he was looking for an opportunity to ambush Pyo Hol-deuk and seize the inspector's token and seal. What was he planning to do with them?
It seemed he intended to impersonate an inspector, but what could he possibly gain from that? Bok Ha-gyu studied me intently.
“What are you pondering so hard about? If you’re thinking of cutting me down and taking it, forget it. It won’t be easy.”
Bok Ha-gyu let out a dry laugh at the very dark path-like approach.
“I’m contemplating how far I can trust you.”
“Is the wound on your leg alright?”
“I’ll live.”
“It seems we’ll continue to see each other in the Western Village. Let’s try to live with a little trust. Who knows? Maybe another situation like yesterday will arise where I can be of help.”
Though it was a calculated move, it was a fact that my intervention in the mountains yesterday had saved Bok Ha-gyu and his men’s lives. Bok Ha-gyu seemed somewhat swayed and couldn’t easily refuse. He stroked his chin, lost in thought for a long while, before finally making up his mind and speaking with a heavy tone.
“Two years ago, a middle-aged martial artist, dressed respectably, visited the Black Night Gang. He said he had brought a letter for the Gang Master from the Henan branch of the Murim Alliance.”
“The master of the Black Night Gang exchanges letters with the Murim Alliance?”
Neither the unorthodox paths nor the dark path can join the Murim Alliance. Only martial artists from the righteous sects are members, and to them, those from the dark path were not even considered human.
“Do you think silver taels fall from the sky for those righteous sect bastards? All the real money-making businesses in this world are run by the dark path…”
It is said that a considerable number of the Nine Great Sects, which claim roots in Daoism and Buddhism, secretly invest in the businesses of the dark path through intermediaries. It seems that training lay disciples doesn't bring in enough money. Sometimes, they even commission shady work or treat them like dogs.
From the dark path’s perspective, maintaining ties with the Murim Alliance reduced the risk of being subjugated, so it wasn't a bad deal. At least, as long as the hen continued to lay eggs, they wouldn't cut its belly open. The Black Night Gang had a similar symbiotic relationship with a certain sect belonging to the Murim Alliance.
Even as he revealed these private matters, Bok Ha-gyu did not disclose the name of the sect.
“The man who came then had a clear identity. His identification token and seal were also real. He even unbuckled the sword at his waist and met the Gang Master empty-handed. The moment the Gang Master confirmed the letter, he showed his true colors.”
He had charged in without warning, unleashing a palm technique. No matter how great a fist art practitioner, one cannot defeat a sword and blade with bare hands. But that fiend was different.
He dodged the sword strikes with unbelievable speed, closed the distance, and struck Jeok Chu-yeong's arm. He could have killed him with a follow-up blow, but instead, he turned and quickly disappeared over the wall. Jeok Chu-yeong was hit just once.
On the arm, not even a vital point. The spot where the palm strike landed turned dark red, and his meridians began to twist. At first, they thought it was poison.
After all the renowned physicians threw up their hands in defeat, Bok Ha-gyu managed to connect with a master of internal arts. After examining Jeok Chu-yeong's condition, the internal arts master brought up something he had never heard before.
“The palm technique the fiend used to strike the Gang Master's arm was imbued with Hidden Force.”
“Hidden Force? What is that?”
As if it were natural not to know, Bok Ha-gyu shook his head with a stern face.
“I don’t know either. He said it’s a realm of internal arts techniques. It’s about materializing inner energy and projecting it into the opponent’s body like a hidden weapon… It sounds like nonsense.”
Since I had never met a master who used inner energy in my life, it was natural that I didn't understand. Even I, who used inner energy, was hearing it for the first time. Do Gwang-il might know.
“He said that even if you properly learn a heart method and circulate your inner energy, if you're unlucky, your qi and blood can get twisted, leading to qi deviation, death, or disability. How could he be fine after being hit by another's inner energy, sharpened into Hidden Force at that?”
The master of the Black Night Gang, Jeok Chu-yeong, had suffered an internal injury. No matter how much he rested or used good medicine, he just wouldn't get better. In fact, his condition worsened over time.
The Hidden Force, like a living insect, gnawed at his meridians, sickening his entire body.
“For a thousand gold, all we could do was confine the Hidden Force that entered the Gang Master's body to his energy core and prevent it from getting worse.”
“Is he even alive?”
“He is alive. Just bedridden.”
“Is there no way to detoxify it?”
“The internal arts master told me only one way to detoxify the Hidden Force. Direct transmission.”
“Then couldn't that internal arts master do it?”
I had received a direct transmission a few times myself. It consumed the practitioner's inner energy, but the Black Night Gang could surely afford to pay the price.
“We tried, but it failed.”
“Was his inner energy insufficient?”
“The nature of his inner energy was different. Even when he infused inner energy into the Gang Master's body, the Hidden Force didn't budge.”
When he tried to move it by force, the Hidden Force thrashed as if having a seizure, tearing through the meridians. He said that not all inner energy is the same. The nature of inner energy changes depending on the inner cultivation method one has learned.
The inner energy of that master and the Hidden Force had different properties, so they didn't mix and instead repelled each other. They had to find an internal arts master with inner energy of the same nature as that used in the Hidden Force and use a direct transmission to draw out the Hidden Force.
Listening to it, I wondered if that was even possible. Inner cultivation methods themselves are rare, so how could they find out which one the fiend had learned? Surprisingly, Bok Ha-gyu had managed it.
“It wasn't difficult to find out who the fiend was. A master of that caliber isn't common. He was sent by a political rival of the Murim Alliance sect we have ties with. It was a scheme to drive a wedge between us. And to cut off their source of funds while they were at it. It was an internal power struggle within the Murim Alliance. We spent a fortune to acquire a secret manual from the black market with the inner cultivation method he uses.”
My ears perked up at that.
“Then you’re all set, right? Learn the inner cultivation method and use direct transmission to remove the Hidden Force…”
Bok Ha-gyu shook his head, his face filled with rage.
“It was stolen while we were transporting the secret manual. The men carrying it were all killed, so we don't even know where the manual went. It was definitely the work of those who sent the fiend.”
I tilted my head without realizing it.
“With an inspector’s identification token and seal, you can visit a Murim Alliance branch and review reports and ledgers. If those robbers were sent by another sect belonging to the Murim Alliance, then surely…”
The memory of that day resurfaced vividly in my mind. The three masked robbers who attacked the carriage, the inner cultivation method they stole…
“When did that happen?”
“A few months ago.”
“What time of day?”
“It was broad daylight.”
“Where?”
After hearing Bok Ha-gyu's answer, I was certain. It was the robbery I had witnessed on my way to the Choi Family Manor with Ye Hyang. Considering what I saw and heard at the Choi Family Manor afterward, everything fit perfectly.
“Vice Lord Bok. What if… I knew who has that stolen inner cultivation method right now?”
Bok Ha-gyu was dumbfounded.
“Don't tell me it was your doing?”
“Do I look like the type to commit murder and robbery in broad daylight?”
“You're not incapable of it.”
Bok Ha-gyu nodded without a moment's hesitation. His eyes were more certain than ever. It left a bitter taste in my mouth, but in my eyes, Bok Ha-gyu also seemed like the type who wouldn't hesitate to pull on a mask if necessary.
How many martial artists were there who hadn't committed murder or robbery?
“Have you forgotten that I’m a house guest of the Underworld Information Clan? I’ve seen and heard many things coming and going. How about we make a new deal? Instead of the inspector's token and seal, I’ll provide information on where that inner cultivation method is right now.”
“Fine. If we can recover that inner cultivation method, I will let you meet the Gang Master. I swear on my name.”
There were no men of the dark path without pride, but few held their own names in high regard. The world was full of ruffians who would cast aside promises and trust like worn-out shoes for a few coins, cackling that the one who was deceived was the fool.
From the first time I saw him until now, Bok Ha-gyu had always maintained the image of a steadfast warrior. Even now, his eyes burned with loyalty for his master. If the other party to a deal was someone like this, a vow made on his name was worth trusting at least once.
I carefully retraced the events of that day when I escorted Ye Hyang to the Choi Family Manor. The masked Ho Yeon-geom and his martial sisters killed the martial artists and handed the book they had stolen from the carriage to Choi Sa-deuk.
The ledger that Ye Hyang had handed over on behalf of the Underworld Information Clan, which detailed all the assets, businesses, and hidden lands of the Black Night Gang, fell into the hands of the Heaven-Shattering Sect.
Choi Sa-deuk gave the book from Ho Yeon-geom to an illiterate man named A-ryong, the Asura Saber, who was number three in the Blood Snake Gang. When his subordinate confirmed the contents of the book and whispered in his ear, A-ryong’s eyes widened.
‘Manor Lord Choi. Is what’s written here true? Is this really the… heart method that the Gang Lord was looking for?’
Why was the master of the Blood Snake Gang trying to obtain a heart method? The Blood Snake Gang and the Black Night Gang were mortal enemies. During their fight over the Western Village, the eldest son of the Blood Snake Gang's master was dismembered by Jeok Chu-yeong, and they had been grinding their teeth for revenge ever since.
Was it to obstruct the master of the Black Night Gang from detoxifying the Hidden Force? Or was it a scheme to learn the inner cultivation method and demand something in return for curing the Black Night Gang master's Hidden Force?
That night, the members of the Blood Snake Gang who had gathered at the Choi Family Manor were ambushed and annihilated in the mountains on their way to attack the Black Night Gang with the Heaven-Shattering Sect.
I didn't know what happened to A-ryong, but he wouldn't have rushed into battle carrying the inner cultivation method his master was looking for. He would have run straight to his master and presented it to him.
“The inner cultivation method is with the Blood Snake Gang.”
* After finishing my deal with Bok Ha-gyu, I left the Wandering Swordsmen Inn and went straight to the Deep Fragrance Pavilion. The new escorts standing guard at the gate looked at me with displeasure. As I walked past, I noticed both of them had bruises on their faces, likely from drinking and fighting all night.
I had stood guard here myself for a short time, but the previous escorts weren't this messy. When you're short-staffed and hire just anyone, you end up with a collection of incompetent people like this. Come to think of it, it had been quite a while since the Dragon Sky Escort Agency left for a large-scale escort mission to Sichuan.
It should be about time for them to return… I met with Geuk-hwan and handed over everything: the Murim Alliance Inspector's uniform, identification token, seal, and Pyo Hol-deuk's sword.
“What happened to the impostor?”
“He’s dead. He’s probably wolf food by now.”
“That’s impressive. That man was no ordinary fellow.”
Geuk-hwan stared at me with eyes full of curiosity.
“I was lucky. What do you think we should do with these?”
These items were tied to the Murim Alliance. They couldn't be sold, and shouldn't be. Still, the Underworld Information Clan could probably dispose of them.
As expected, Geuk-hwan did not disappoint me.
“The proper way would be to send a letter explaining the situation and return them to the Murim Alliance. The reward will probably be generous.”
“Will it be in silver taels or banknotes?”
“Most likely.”
“Would it be difficult to receive it in spiritual herbs instead of silver?”
“I’ll look into it.”
My business was done, so I was about to get up and leave when something came to mind.
“By any chance, did the people from the Tang Clan come yesterday?”
“They are staying in the detached houses.”
“Did they come back because of that incident?”
“You should ask them yourself.”
What would be the point of meeting them? Tang Hye-seo and I weren't that close. It also bothered me that her aunt did not seem to like me.
The people of the Tang Clan were known to use poison whenever and wherever if you got on their bad side. It was best not to get involved. I shook my head and was leaving the detached houses when, by chance, Tang Hye-seo's guard, Bi-hyeon, cupped his fist in a salute.
Caught off guard, I also brought my hands together and bowed my head.
“Were you waiting for me?”
“The young lady is looking for you. Is now a good time?”
“I’m fine, but… isn't your aunt in the detached house?”
The guard smiled faintly, as if something was amusing.
“She has requested to see you at the Wind River Inn.”
“Don’t tell me the young woman is at that inn?”
“If you go there first, I will escort her.”
“Let's do that. I’ll go right away.”
I went to the stable, retrieved the bundle I had left there yesterday, and exited the Deep Fragrance Pavilion. The streets were bustling with merchants and pedestrians. The clouds had cleared, revealing a bright sky, and the distant mountains still held the beautiful colors of autumn leaves.
I mingled with the people who were diligently living out their day, selling, buying, and carrying goods, and slowly made my way to the Wind River Inn.