Dong Ho-sak quickly scanned the laborers carrying the baggage.
“Cough, cough.”
Giving a dry cough, he brought his left hand to his mouth and pressed his index finger to his lips. He indicated the carriage with his eyes and jutted his chin toward the back of the pavilion. Beside him, Tang Hye-seo narrowed her eyes and whispered.
“It seems he wants us to meet him over there after they’ve moved all the baggage.”
“Let’s wait for now.”
They stepped aside, keeping a close eye on Dong Ho-sak so they could catch him immediately if he tried to flee. After finishing the work and sending the carriage on its way, Dong Ho-sak casually exchanged jokes with the other laborers before stealthily approaching them.
Seeing him give them a look and slip behind the promised pavilion, Tang Hye-seo let out a small smirk.
“His movements are quite impressive, aren’t they? It seems he learned some kind of stealth art somewhere.”
“He doesn’t seem to be on the level of a master thief, though.”
“Of course not. If he tried to impersonate a master thief with those skills, a hundred necks wouldn’t be enough.”
They stood facing Dong Ho-sak in a secluded spot, hidden by the pavilion and a wall.
“I never would have guessed that you were the notorious Notification Master Thief of Zhongqing.”
Dong Ho-sak waved his hands frantically, looking disgusted.
“Don’t accuse an innocent man. I’ve washed my hands of that life.”
“Then what are you doing here?”
“Do you know that I joined the Underworld Information Clan?”
“I heard. If Great Hero Won knew that you were back to thieving after he went to the trouble of saving your life, he’d probably come running.”
“I am a member of the Underworld Information Clan. I came to Radiant Star Pavilion on clan business.”
“If you use the clan’s name in vain, you won’t have a clean death, you know.”
As they continued to threaten him, Dong Ho-sak jumped.
“That’s what I want to say. If you interfere with the clan’s affairs, you’ll be in a very difficult position as well. There’s an Underworld Information Clan branch in Zhongqing, so if you don’t believe me, go and ask.”
There was no hint of falsehood in Dong Ho-sak’s eyes, expression, tone, or gestures. For now, it seemed he was telling the truth.
“Did the Manor Lord hire the Underworld Information Clan?”
“Well, the thing is…”
Dong Ho-sak was about to speak, but upon seeing Tang Hye-seo, he shivered and clamped his mouth shut. Tang Hye-seo was a rare beauty. Her face was beautiful enough to remain in one’s memory for a long time after a single glance, but for Dong Ho-sak, there was another, unforgettable reason.
After capturing the traitor Tang Do-hun, he had nearly been killed to silence him for having witnessed the Tang Clan’s shame. It was something he could never forget, even if he wanted to. At that time, Dong Ho-sak had desperately argued that his lips were as heavy as Mount Tai.
It would not be to his benefit to be seen blabbering carelessly here. Tang Hye-seo might try to kill him again, asking if he had babbled about what he saw that night in the same way. I wanted to say that the Tang Hye-seo I knew was not that kind of person.
But it was true that she had tried to eliminate Dong Ho-sak. If Won Seo-gang had not intervened, she would have surely bloodied her sword. A bitter and unpleasant thought churned in my mind.
If I were to learn of the Tang Clan’s shame or secrets that must never be revealed to outsiders… Or if I fell out of favor with the Tang Clan and a harsh order was given… What would Tang Hye-seo do to me?
Would she use her sword or poison without hesitation, just as she did with Dong Ho-sak? Or would she defy her school’s orders and save me?
“Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?”
“If you know, take it off.”
“Huh? Is there really something on my face?”
I watched a flustered Tang Hye-seo take out a small bronze mirror, then patted Dong Ho-sak on the shoulder.
“For now, let’s go together.”
“Please don’t do this. I’m from the Underworld Information Clan…”
“That’s why I’m telling you to come. Let’s go and you can explain.”
I took the fidgeting Dong Ho-sak and returned to the reception room. In our absence, the Manor Lord and Daoist Jeong Gyun had disappeared, and Gwang-hyo was waiting for us alone, sipping tea.
“Did the talk go well?”
“We’ve decided to spend the night at Radiant Star Pavilion and take a merchant ship leaving at noon tomorrow." "The captain is an experienced sailor, so he says four days is enough to reach Gaehyeon. And who is this wandering soul?”
Gwang-hyo looked Dong Ho-sak over with his characteristically deep, indifferent eyes.
“He’s a former master thief, says he works for the Underworld Information Clan now.”
“The Underworld Information Clan?”
Gwang-hyo’s expression became pensive.
“Was the Zhongqing branch called Dream Immortal Pavilion?”
Dong Ho-sak, who had been anxiously glancing around, brightened considerably.
“The Great Monk knows of it. Yes, that’s right! The pavilion master there is the Zhongqing branch master.”
“Did the lord of Radiant Star Pavilion make a request to the Underworld Information Clan?”
When Dong Ho-sak couldn’t answer, Gwang-hyo turned his eyes.
“The two of you should go to the Zhongqing branch.”
Tang Hye-seo asked with a troubled expression.
“You’re not coming with us?”
“If I leave my post, the Manor Lord will become anxious.”
“If just the two of us go, the branch master won’t cooperate.”
Since it wasn't a directly related matter, Tang Hye-seo couldn't use the Tang Clan's name to pressure the Underworld Information Clan. I was a mere martial artist with no school or title.
I had the token given to me by Hong Hee, the Western Village branch master of the Underworld Information Clan, but I didn't want to use a token of gratitude on such a trivial matter. Gwang-hyo, as if it were nothing, told us how to make the branch master talk.
“Reveal my Dharma name and my identity. Tell him I came to protect the Radiant Star Pavilion, and if he doesn’t want his affairs ruined, he should explain what’s going on.”
Gwang-hyo was an absolute master of a bygone era and a former hall master of Shaolin. I didn't know what the Underworld Information Clan was doing at Radiant Star Pavilion, but if Gwang-hyo decided to intervene, he was more than capable of disrupting their plans.
“Let’s go.”
Dong Ho-sak, whose face had lit up at the mention of the Zhongqing branch, now scratched his head with a reluctant expression when I suggested we actually go. He was glad to be out of a difficult situation, but the thought of being reprimanded seemed to make his feet heavy.
“Sigh, let’s go. How did things get so…”
He trailed off. I took the head-shaking Dong Ho-sak outside and headed for the stables. * The faint fog that remained when we left the inn had completely vanished.
The sky was still thick with clouds, but the streets were bustling and full of life.
‘Dream Immortal Pavilion’ was a five-story tavern located near a back alley, slightly off the main street.
It was not yet open for business, so the main door was closed. Dong Ho-sak went in through a side door to announce us, and a moment later, the main door opened. We were guided to a private room on the fifth floor, and after waiting for about half an hour, the Zhongqing branch master appeared.
He was a middle-aged man with a greasy face, splendidly dressed in silk.
“I am Ja-hyeon, the Zhongqing branch master of the Underworld Information Clan. I hear you are companions of the great monk Gwang-hyo?”
It seemed Gwang-hyo’s name carried some serious weight. The branch master spoke politely to the young martial artists he was meeting for the first time.
“I am Tang Hye-seo of the Sichuan Tang Clan.”
“I am Jeong Dae-cheon, a house guest of the Underworld Information Clan’s Western Village branch.”
As soon as the introductions were over, Ja-hyeon got straight to the point without any beating around the bush.
“You are staying at Radiant Star Pavilion?”
“At the request of the lord of Radiant Star Pavilion to stop the Notification Master Thief, we are staying there for a short while with the great monk Gwang-hyo." "We found a member of the Underworld Information Clan, a former thief, working as a laborer in the manor.”
“Are you referring to Dong Ho-sak? He is a member of our clan, so you have nothing to worry about.”
Ja-hyeon said it as if it were a trivial matter.
“Why is a member of the Underworld Information Clan at Radiant Star Pavilion?”
“That is… to prepare for the master thief, of course.”
“Is this a request from the lord of Radiant Star Pavilion?”
As if struck at a vital point, Ja-hyeon did not answer easily.
Probably not.
If the Manor Lord had made the request, Dong Ho-sak would not be disguised as a laborer. He would have proudly revealed himself when Gwang-hyo and I asked. If the Manor Lord found out about this, all hell would break loose.
Deciding he couldn’t deceive us, Ja-hyeon shook his head with a stiff face.
“…It is not.”
“So, you’re saying the Underworld Information Clan secretly entered the manor and is standing guard without being asked by the owner?”
Despite Tang Hye-seo’s apt point, Ja-hyeon showed no particular sign of being flustered. He simply drew a line coldly and pushed back bluntly.
“This is a matter for our school. It has nothing to do with the Tang Clan or the Western Village branch, so do not interfere.”
“The great monk Gwang-hyo could inform the Manor Lord that a member of the Underworld Information Clan is in the manor.”
Was Dong Ho-sak the only one who had infiltrated? There were probably a few more. If the Manor Lord found out that members of the Underworld Information Clan had entered his home without his permission, he wouldn't just stand by.
He would mobilize all the wealth and connections he had to make the Zhongqing branch of the Underworld Information Clan pay the price. The branch master’s head could very well roll.
“It would be best not to. No matter how great Shaolin’s power is, the aftermath will not be easy to handle. I will visit the great monk later to explain, so please tell him to exercise restraint.”
Shaolin Temple was tucked away deep in Mount Song, but its power was not confined to the mountains. It had the influence to cooperate with the other Nine Great Sects of the Murim Alliance and move the Five Great Families. It was not an opponent the likes of the Underworld Information Clan could dare to boss around.
Yet, for a mere branch master to be so stiff-necked meant that the backing for this matter was greater than Shaolin. In the midst of the roundabout conversation, someone made their presence known and opened the door. A servant, who had approached quickly on the balls of his feet, whispered something in Ja-hyeon’s ear.
Whatever he was told, Ja-hyeon’s expression turned serious. Strangely, his gaze toward me softened and calmed down.
“Great Hero Jeong, did you by any chance escort the Prefectural Lord in the Western Village some time ago?”
“I guarded him for a short while.”
“Did the Prefectural Lord say anything to you at that time?”
“He said he would remember my name and face.”
It was the kind of thing high-ranking people always said when praising their subordinates. He must have said it out of joy at safely recovering his kidnapped grandson. By now, he had probably forgotten all about it.
That should have been the case, but the strange expression on Ja-hyeon’s face made me feel uneasy.
“The lord of Radiant Star Pavilion is the Prefectural Lord’s man. It is a long-standing relationship that began when he was a county magistrate.”
Ja-hyeon, who had been feigning ignorance until now, suddenly changed his attitude. My connection to the Prefectural Lord was nothing special, but it seemed Ja-hyeon thought otherwise.
“Recently, when the Prefectural Lord faltered for a moment, there were signs that the terrified Manor Lord was playing both sides.”
I frowned and tilted my head.
“Isn’t the Prefectural Lord’s position in Zhongqing still solid? I haven’t heard any rumors of him being embroiled in scandal…”
“There was such an incident.”
Ja-hyeon looked at me with a meaningful gaze, as if to say, ‘You know what I’m talking about.’ In that moment, the only connection between me and the Prefectural Lord flashed in my mind like a spark. The grandson’s kidnapping case.
There was no way his position would be threatened because his grandson was kidnapped. But what if that child was not of the Prefectural Lord’s bloodline? The Prefectural Lord’s attitude toward his grandson was extremely cautious and awkward.
What if the demonic sect opium merchants had mistaken a child of high status visiting the Prefectural Lord’s house for his grandson and kidnapped him… If the child’s parents were powerful enough to bestow and revoke official posts, wouldn’t even the great Prefectural Lord’s neck be on the line?
It was reason enough to attempt a deal by offering opium, which was forbidden by national law, as ransom.
“The Prefectural Lord wants to confirm. Whether the lord of Radiant Star Pavilion really sided with his political rival, or if it’s just a groundless rumor.”
As an overwhelming backer was mentioned, Tang Hye-seo asked for clarification.
“So you’re saying it was the Prefectural Lord who hired the Underworld Information Clan to secretly infiltrate Radiant Star Pavilion and stop the Notification Master Thief?”
Ja-hyeon silently nodded. I could feel the crafty machinations of a seasoned veteran in the Zhongqing branch master’s words and actions. It was as if… he was handling pieces on a game board.
There was definitely something he wasn’t saying. Mulling over what it could be, I threw out a guess.
“By any chance, is the Notification Master Thief also a member of the Underworld Information Clan?”
“That thief has no connection whatsoever with our school.”
Ja-hyeon shook his head firmly.
“But one thing is certain. The official and the other wealthy man in Zhongqing who had their family heirlooms stolen by the Notification Master Thief earlier. Both of them were in the same position as the lord of Radiant Star Pavilion.”
Traitors who had enjoyed prosperity as close associates of the Prefectural Lord, only to try and switch to the other side.
“We were too slow to grasp the situation then and couldn’t secure any evidence, but this time will be different.”
Ja-hyeon rose from his seat and looked at me and Tang Hye-seo in turn.
“Return to Radiant Star Pavilion. Stay quietly for one night and then leave. Then nothing will happen.”
Watching Ja-hyeon dismiss us and retreat, Tang Hye-seo let out a sigh.
“I don’t think this is a game we should be playing.”
“It seems so. Let’s head back for now.”
Whether we stayed at Radiant Star Pavilion or left, we first needed to talk to Gwang-hyo. We took the carriage and retraced our path. As the fog receded, sunlight began to shine in patches on the streets.
The view was clear enough to see distant mountains and buildings, but my mind was thick with fog.