I was at a loss for words at his unexpectedly wretched state. I had guessed he wouldn't look as healthy as he did on the portrait, since he had been bedridden for two years after being struck by a Hidden Force. But I never imagined he would be this broken.
Jeok Chu-yeong looked so critical that it wouldn't be strange if he died at any moment. He was still alive. His chest rose and fell faintly with his shallow breaths.
But that was all; he was just barely alive. I forced myself to calm down and checked the most important thing first.
"Is Master Jeok asleep? Or is he completely unconscious?"
"He opens his eyes sometimes."
"Can he speak?"
"He can manage a few words."
"Can't you wake him now?"
Bok Ha-gyu shook his head with a sorrowful expression.
"Even if he wakes up, his mind will be too hazy to have a conversation."
"What's his condition?"
"The Hidden Force trapped in his energy core is eating away at the vitality in his meridians. The only cure is to draw it out through a direct transmission of true energy."
"How much longer can he hold on?"
Bok Ha-gyu couldn't answer easily. It wasn't that he didn't know, but that he couldn't bring himself to say it.
"... They said three years at most. It's already been two years."
So, within a year, the inner cultivation method I'd acquired had to be used to perform the direct transmission of true energy. It might be possible for one of the internal arts masters who helped Jeok Chu-yeong, or one of the Nine Great Sects backing the Black Night Gang. But it was doubtful they would cooperate to that extent.
Bok Ha-gyu put his hands together, paid his respects to the unconscious Jeok Chu-yeong, and turned around.
"Stay here. I have to go."
"What about the master?"
"Those friends from before. They won't move until I go, right? For them to strike the enemy's rear, I must attack from the front."
This kind of pincer attack was predictable, so Bok Ha-gyu knew what he had to do without being told.
"Is it okay for you to leave Master Jeok with me?"
"Of all the men in the Black Night Gang right now, you're the most suitable person."
"I didn't know you trusted me that much."
"Wouldn't you protect the master until the end? You need him until you get the answers you want."
Bok Ha-gyu turned his head. He stared straight at me with a determined and solemn expression, as if he had resolved to die. There was not a hint of wavering in his stern eyes.
"If... if it looks like this place is about to be breached, carry the master on your back and escape through that back door from before. I'll find you later through the Underworld Information Clan."
"Shouldn't you have a trusted subordinate do that?"
Bok Ha-gyu frowned as if he regretted it too, and clicked his tongue softly.
"He went out to take over the Blood Snake Gang's territory. He should be rushing back by now."
The situation was so urgent that there was no time to even call for his trusted subordinate. As I was listening to his explanation on where to escape, one of his men ran in.
"Squad Master. We're in big trouble!"
"Have they already attacked? Im Ja-gyeon, or Seon Do-mu? Which one is it?"
"It's not that, a fire has broken out."
"What?"
I rushed out and saw flames soaring in the distance beyond the buildings.
"Where is that?"
Bok Ha-gyu's reply was strangely reluctant.
"That's the Five Phoenix Pavilion."
Who was it that went there... In my memory, a middle-aged man and two young women were running stealthily. Ho Yeon-geom, that crazy bastard...
I clenched my jaw to swallow the curses that were about to burst out. Bok Ha-gyu glared at me with menacing eyes.
"What do you think you're doing? Why set a fire?"
"I don't know either. This wasn't part of the agreement."
The plan was definitely to help Bok Ha-gyu by hiding and then striking the enemy from behind. But that son of a bitch Ho Yeon-geom didn't even wait for Bok Ha-gyu's attack and set a fire right after he got in. His plan must be to have a grand time stealing while everyone is busy putting out the fire.
It was obvious even without seeing it. To think that a natural-born murderer and robber like him had the title 'Sword of Righteous Spirit,' it made me let out a hollow laugh at how hypocritical the righteous sects were. Then I suddenly paused.
Was this really Ho Yeon-geom's independent action? Won Seo-gang was not that careless or an easy man to deal with. Perhaps this was all discussed beforehand.
The reason he didn't tell me might be because he judged I would oppose it due to my relationship with Bok Ha-gyu. From Won Seo-gang's perspective, as long as he caught Ban Ho-yang, it didn't matter if the Black Night Gang burned down. Ho Yeon-geom and his junior sisters could just loot and run.
The same went for Jin Seok-man. Hwang Kang-ju would have no reason to oppose it either, as it was a matter of eradicating evil. Honestly, it was the same for me.
All I needed was to find out the whereabouts of Sister Soso's family from Jeok Chu-yeong. The method itself wasn't wrong either. When attacking a sect with a small elite force, the best way is to set a fire.
It disperses the enemy's manpower, and in the chaos, you can kill or escape, so one's hand naturally reaches for a tinderbox. From Bok Ha-gyu's perspective, it was a crazy act that would make him curse, but for the seven martial artists who entered here tonight, starting with a fire wasn't a bad move.
Watching the flames slowly swallow the Five Phoenix Pavilion, Bok Ha-gyu let out an empty, bitter laugh.
"Are you planning to turn the Black Night Gang into a sea of fire?"
It was early winter, so the weather was dry. If not careful, the fire could spread not only throughout the Black Night Gang but also to the downtown area of the Western Village.
"The wind is calm, so if you put it out in time, it will end with only one or two pavilions lost. Now is the chance to launch a surprise attack. The Five Phoenix Pavilion must be in chaos, and the Destruction Pavilion will be in turmoil as well."
"Ugh. Keep in mind what I said."
After entrusting Jeok Chu-yeong to me once more, Bok Ha-gyu rushed off, leading about ten armed subordinates. He headed not toward the burning Five Phoenix Pavilion, but in the opposite direction.
The Master of the Five Phoenix Squad would be busy putting out the fire, so it seemed he intended to take out the Master of the Destruction Squad, Im Ja-gyeon, in the meantime. * "Wow, Senior Brother.
Look here.
There's a silver ingot." Su-hui, who had opened a wooden box, cheered quietly as she picked up a chunk of silver. Ju Seo-rin, who was rummaging through ledgers and documents on one side, replied nonchalantly.
"Pack a reasonable amount so it's not too heavy. Look for banknotes or documents rather than silver."
"I said it's a silver ingot, not silver taels. Do you know how expensive this is?"
"Do you think our ancestors will carry the bundle for you if you put silver ingots in it? You could die climbing over a wall if you get tired on the way."
"Still, silver is better. Banknotes are useless if they get wet..."
Ho Yeon-geom, after checking a storage cabinet, glanced around and quietly slipped into an adjacent secret room. There was one thing he had learned for certain while growing up together in the school. It was better to stand on the front lines of the great war between the righteous and demonic sects than to be caught between those two.
No matter how carefully he spoke, one of them would end up sulking, or both would get upset, so in times like these, it was best to just shut up and move. Outside the window, a chaotic scene was unfolding.
"Fire! Fire!"
"You bastard, who doesn't know there's a fire? Shut your mouth and bring more sand!"
"Where is the Squad Master?"
"Go over there where the fire is!"
A proud smile formed on Ho Yeon-geom's lips as he listened quietly. As expected, setting the fire was the right thing to do. He had generously sprinkled pine resin and oil before lighting the kindling, so the flames shot up quickly.
Still, it would take time for the fire to catch on to the thick wood of the pavilion. There was almost no wind, and not only the men inside the pavilion but also the dark path members on patrol had all rushed over, so it might burn for a bit and then be extinguished.
In any case, he and his junior sisters would not be disturbed or engulfed by the flames until they had looted everything and escaped. The secret room was lavishly decorated with expensive luxury items. For the residence of a mere squad master, not the master of the gang, to be like this...
"The power of the Black Night Gang is quite formidable."
It would be nice if he could sell them, but the real money was elsewhere. When he moved the twelve-panel folding screen behind the bed, a safe, about two hands' spans in width and height and embedded in the wall, appeared as expected. He carefully examined the keyhole and handle.
It was a safe made by the Gwanghu Merchant Guild, a place he had robbed a few times before. This kind of thing couldn't be opened by poking at the keyhole. You had to aim for the hinges.
Ho Yeon-geom took out a chisel and hammer from his bundle, placed the chisel on the safe's hinge, and struck it with all his might. Outside, it was noisy with urgent shouts and footsteps as people tried to put out the fire. Still, just in case someone might hear, he struck as briefly and strongly as possible.
It wasn't his first or second time, so after just three strikes of the hammer, one of the hinges bent slightly. He inserted a wire with a hook at the end into the gap. Pushing it toward the keyhole, he slowly lowered and raised it as if fishing.
Something touched the hook. He skillfully manipulated it with his hands, hooked it onto the locking mechanism, and pulled the wire.
Click!
The lock was pulled up, making a clean metallic sound. A thrill shot up to the top of his head, and Ho Yeon-geom grinned broadly as he opened the safe wide. It was packed with banknotes, ledgers, and gold bars.
He stuffed everything into his bundle and went out into the inner chamber. His junior sisters were also almost finished with their work. They had done this so many times it was nauseating, so there was no need to tell them where to look and what to loot.
Their teamwork was as perfect as when they performed joint attacks with their swords. Watching them, they truly looked like nothing but thieves. Ho Yeon-geom unknowingly felt a sense of dismay.
How did it come to this? Until five years ago, they were proud disciples of a fairly reputable sword school.
Five years.
It had already been that long. Since he and his two junior sisters lost their nest and started wandering the Central Plains. It had been a continuous downhill slide since the unforgettable Murim Alliance tournament where, at the age of twenty-five, he had earned the glorious title 'Ho Yeon-geom'.
The sect leader guaranteeing a loan was the problem. As a price for trusting his closest friend, the school's buildings, land, and even the businesses it managed were all handed over to creditors. The sword school, which had been slowly declining since the previous generation, collapsed just like that.
The sect leader, who collapsed from the shock, sickened for a while before departing for the underworld to face his ancestors with a shameful face. When martial sects are annihilated, it is usually after a desperate, bloody battle with a vengeful force. But their sword school fell without a single drop of blood being shed.
Ho Yeon-geom had never in his life felt his sword to be so powerless. He could risk his life fighting against the legendary masters of the Nine Great Sects, the great demons of the Heavenly Mountains, or the vicious fiends of the unorthodox paths, but he could not fight against money.
His school was collapsing before his eyes, and he could do nothing. The few remaining disciples scattered in all directions to find their own ways to live. Ho Yeon-geom also turned his back on the neighborhood he had grown fond of, along with his two junior sisters.
All three were orphans, so they had nowhere in particular to go. The only thing they knew how to do was wield a sword. The pride of a righteous sect martial artist did not allow them to live as wandering swordsmen.
And with two women in their group, they couldn't get any proper work done because of the men who drooled over them wherever they went. So they began their 'righteous path'. At first, they filled their pouches by raiding mountain fortresses, then they started climbing the walls of easy dark path factions.
One wall after another, they eventually ended up here. They had killed and stolen so much during that time. Strangely, neither he nor his two junior sisters felt any guilt.
The life of a martial artist was a daily routine of killing and being killed anyway. Was there any reason to feel self-loathing just because theft was added to the mix? They weren't innocent commoners; they were dark path scum who were worse than beasts anyway.
"Thieves! There are thieves in the inner hall!"
"You bastards! Do you know where you are!"
A few dark path members, perhaps having heard the hammering, opened the door and drew their blades. As expected, they were worse than beasts. Ho Yeon-geom immediately drew his sword and shot from the ground.
Su-hui and Ju Seo-rin also swung their swords without a moment's hesitation.
Fwoosh!
"Kuaargh!"
The difference in martial ability was so great that the dark path members couldn't even block a single exchange before they collapsed, spitting blood. They flicked their swords to shake off the blood and searched the bodies of the dead men.
"Damn bastard! He's broke! Hahk, ptooey!"
Su-hui threw down an empty pouch and spat phlegm at the man she had just killed. Though she had a pretty face, her words and actions were as rough as a battle-hardened wandering swordsman. If she had been born a man, she probably would have become a notorious robber before even coming of age.
Su-hui shouldered her bundle. It sagged heavily, as if she hadn't given up a single silver ingot.
"Let me carry that, give me the bundle."
"It's fine. Yours is heavier, Senior Brother."
Su-hui smiled, revealing her white teeth. Even after stealing and killing a person just now, she looked so innocently bright. It seemed she enjoyed living like this.
Having grown up beating up boys since she was young, living as a martial artist seemed to suit her aptitude. It wasn't his place to talk. He was making a similar expression himself.
I can't live like this forever. Before I get stabbed and die, I need to settle down somewhere and build a stable foundation for my life. His junior sisters didn't seem to have any intention of getting married, but he was different.
Ho Yeon-geom steeled his heart. This is the last time. There had been several "last times" until now, but this time was truly the last.
What they had looted today was more than what they had gathered over the past year. This was enough to wash their hands of this life and settle down. Ju Seo-rin calmly pointed her finger upwards.
"We should loot the second floor too, right? I heard those guys earlier say that's where they keep the collected money."
"Of course."
Su-hui readily agreed. Ho Yeon-geom absentmindedly looked up at the ceiling. His bundle wasn't that heavy as it was mostly filled with banknotes.
Since this was the last robbery, he had to loot as much as possible. Besides, it was still too early to leave. Although they had managed to get into the Five Phoenix Pavilion, escaping from here was another matter.
The area around the pavilion was swarming with dark path members who had gathered to put out the fire. A safe escape route would only open up when the rest of their group and Bok Ha-gyu launched a surprise attack from the outside to create a diversion.
Rather than waiting idly until then, it was better to pick up even one more banknote. Sword in hand, they stepped over the corpses of the dark path members and went out into the hallway. They moved quickly on the balls of their feet with hurried steps.
Outside, everyone was preoccupied with fighting the fire. It seemed they were throwing sand and water, but fortunately, the flames had not yet been brought under control. It was worth using the pine resin generously.
Ho Yeon-geom and his junior sisters checked the stairs at the end of the hallway and swiftly went up to the second floor. * Watching the flames rise from the pavilion at the promised time, Won Seo-gang was inwardly impressed. This friend, Ho Yeon-geom.
He's quite bold. It was no easy task to infiltrate an enemy camp, avoid patrols, and set a fire. He had been inwardly uneasy, wondering if he would be backstabbed, since Jeong Dae-cheon had detested the idea so much, but he had performed his part brilliantly.
"What's that? Is there a fire?"
"Inform the Squad Master!"
"Everyone, assemble! Assemble!"
The Destruction Pavilion also began to get noisy. It seemed likely they would send their subordinates to the Five Phoenix Pavilion. Im Ja-gyeon was also vying with Seon Do-mu for the position of the next gang master.
It wouldn't be strange if he launched a surprise attack from behind while pretending to help put out the fire. Usually, when the higher-ups who could suppress them with force were gone, dark path members would prey on each other until they all died together. A group of dark path members swarmed out of the Destruction Pavilion.
Listening to their conversation, they were the Master of the Destruction Squad, Im Ja-gyeon, and his trusted subordinates. Among the faces revealed under the moonlight, Ban Ho-yang was not present. Won Seo-gang watched quietly for a moment, then rose from the darkness behind the wall.
He motioned to Hwang Kang-ju, who stood beside him, and slipped into the back alley of the Destruction Pavilion where Ban Ho-yang was hiding. Hwang Kang-ju silently followed behind him.