On the way back from visiting the Jiangxi branch of the Martial Alliance.
"Demonic arts...?"
Yan Huo still had a dazed expression, unable to shake off the shock from the conversation he had earlier with Goo Ju-yeol.
"Brother, if it's true, isn't this a huge deal?"
"It might not be. And even if it is, it's not a big deal."
"How is it not a big deal?! Someone crazy enough to practice demonic arts right next to the Martial Alliance branch? That's insane!"
Realizing his voice had risen, Yan Huo quickly leaned closer to me and whispered, "It's hot. Move away."
I pushed Yan Huo aside, who reeked of some sweet, sticky scent, as if he had doused himself in perfume, and casually said, "Demonic arts aren't a big deal."
Demonic arts refer to martial techniques that achieve rapid progress at the cost of physical or mental strain (usually both).
It's not just about exuding a sinister, dark aura.
'...
Though there are some like that.'
In fact, the Reverse Heaven Divine Art I practice would be considered a demonic art by orthodox standards.
But the real danger of demonic arts lies in the fact that most practitioners can't endure the strain and end up going mad.
However, if the side effects are later eliminated, it's called a divine art.
In the end, it's the result that matters.
'There were quite a few in the Blood Cult.
People who did all sorts of crazy things to get stronger, only to end up crippled or insane.'
Some even drank the blood of young boys and girls or absorbed toxins from corpses—truly insane acts.
But I was certain the culprit in this case wasn't one of those.
Yan Huo, who was nervously following me, seemed to think otherwise.
"Brother, aren't you worried? What if we have to fight a demonic arts expert from the unorthodox sects...?"
I looked at Yan Huo with a baffled expression.
He was new to the martial world and had no idea where he stood in terms of strength.
"If they're stronger than you, they'd be a peak expert. What would a peak expert from the unorthodox sects gain from tearing an old man apart?"
"Because they're evil?"
As someone who was once part of an evil organization, I felt the need to clear up this naive misunderstanding.
"You've read too many martial arts novels. Once you reach the level of a peak expert in the unorthodox sects, you're too lazy to do such things yourself. You just order your lackeys to do it."
"Ah, is that so...?"
"And if the situation were that serious, the Martial Alliance wouldn't have entrusted us with the task. It might not even be demonic arts, and even if it is, it's probably just some low-level practitioner."
I recalled the conversation I had earlier with Goo Ju-yeol.
-"It might be demonic arts... Are you sure you should be telling me this?"
-"Officially, no. But lately, the Alliance has been short on manpower. With the Qinglong Academy entrance exams coming up, martial artists are flooding in, and incidents are on the rise... There are also some unspoken circumstances."
Goo Ju-yeol drew a line, saying he couldn't elaborate on the unspoken circumstances.
-"You've identified unorthodox martial arts before, haven't you?"
The incident at the Zhenwu Hall.
Goo Ju-yeol remembered how I had exposed a group of unorthodox practitioners who were impersonating the Namgung family to teach martial arts.
It was true that I was somewhat of an expert when it came to demonic arts.
-"It's not confirmed yet, but the brutality of the murder and the severe mutilation of the corpse are suspicious..."
-"So, you just need to confirm if it's demonic arts?"
Goo Ju-yeol's eyes widened at my words, then he smiled and said,
-"It would be even better if you could catch the culprit. If you help solve the case, the Alliance will prepare a commendation for you."
A commendation from the Martial Alliance.
For someone like me with no background or experience, it would undoubtedly be a huge help.
-"What do you think? Will you investigate? If you agree, I'll notify the authorities."
-"Yes, I'll do it."
-"Good decision. Even if you don't catch the culprit, assisting in the investigation will still add a line to your resume."
"A line on the resume..."
And so, we were now on our way to the government office where the old man's corpse was being held.
"By the way, you don't have to follow me, do you?"
I asked Yan Huo, who was still trailing behind me.
"Me?"
Unlike me, Yan Huo was a disciple of the Shandong E family.
Moreover, his martial prowess was at the peak level.
With that background and skill, the chances of him failing an interview were almost zero unless he beat up the interviewer.
Yan Huo grinned at my words.
"I have plenty of time before the entrance exams anyway. I thought I'd tag along with you for something to do."
"Weren't you just scared of fighting an unorthodox expert?"
"Ah, it's never boring when I'm with you, Brother."
"You must have had a good upbringing, being from a prestigious family. You know how to ignore things when they don't suit you."
"Hey! I heard there's a brothel with five floors over there!"
We chatted as we arrived at the government office.
Perhaps the notice had already been sent, as a stern-looking young constable came out to greet us after we mentioned Goo Ju-yeol's name.
"You must be from the Martial Alliance. I'm Constable Cheongcheon, in charge of this case."
"I'm Baek Soo-ryong. I'm new to the martial world, so I don't have a nickname yet."
"I'm Yan Huo! Nice to meet you!"
Constable Cheongcheon gave us a suspicious look but quickly returned to his expressionless demeanor.
"Shall we see the body first?"
The orthodox Martial Alliance and the government generally have a cooperative relationship.
When it comes to the everyday fights and their consequences in the martial world, the government usually doesn't interfere.
However, when civilians are injured or killed due to martial arts, the government seeks the Alliance's help to find the culprit.
This case was one of those.
"The condition of the body isn't great."
As Constable Cheongcheon lifted the cloth, the dismembered corpse of the old man was revealed, looking like butchered meat from a slaughterhouse.
"Ugh..."
Even a martial artist accustomed to corpses would feel nauseous at the sight.
Yan Huo frowned and took a step back.
Of course, that didn't apply to me.
"May I examine the wounds closely?"
"... Go ahead."
Constable Cheongcheon looked slightly surprised as I approached the body without hesitation.
With his permission, I put on gloves and carefully examined the old man's wounds.
'It does seem like demonic arts.'
The body was so mutilated that it was hard to tell it had once been human.
Whoever the killer was, their hatred and anger toward this old man were palpable.
'But this...'
As I examined the body, I frowned and fell into thought.
'Could it be?'
Looking at the wounds, they reminded me of a certain martial art technique I knew.
...
Not exactly the same, but there were enough similarities to make me uneasy.
'I'll have to catch the culprit to be sure.'
After organizing my thoughts, I took off the gloves and turned to Constable Cheongcheon.
"I'm done."
"Did you find anything noteworthy?"
I shook my head.
I had found something, but it wasn't something I could share with anyone.
"Sorry, but I can't tell much from this alone."
"I see."
"Goo Ju-yeol came by a few days ago, right? What did he say?"
"He said something similar."
The old man's body was returned to the storage room.
Yan Huo, who had been standing back with a pale face, came over and poked my side.
"Brother, you look like a scholar, but you handle corpses so well? It's creepy."
"Want me to touch you with the same hands that touched the corpse?"
"Eek!"
Yan Huo jumped back in fright at my joke.
Constable Cheongcheon, who had been expressionless the whole time, watched us intently.
Clearing my throat, I asked him,
"Can you tell us more about the murder case?"
"Of course."
Constable Cheongcheon explained the case as follows:
A few days ago, an old man named Heo, a prominent figure in the loan-sharking business in Nanchang, was found murdered in his mansion.
The estimated time of death was between 9 PM and 5 AM.
A maid who brought him his meals found the dismembered body when Heo didn't come down for breakfast and immediately reported it to the authorities.
"Are there any suspects?"
"There are three suspicious individuals. Heo's son, a middle-aged woman named Madam Son who runs a brothel owned by Heo, and his bodyguard."
According to Constable Cheongcheon, these three had the strongest motives among those who could freely enter and leave Heo's mansion.
"Madam Son was in a secret relationship with Heo, but they recently had a big argument over the brothel's management. Heo's son has always had a strained relationship with his father and was disowned not long ago. The bodyguard is a former rogue with a shady past."
Since Heo was a loan shark, there could be others with grudges against him, but for now, these three were the prime suspects.
I asked Constable Cheongcheon,
"Can I meet these three individuals? I need to see them in person to determine what kind of martial arts they practice."
"Of course. I'll arrange it."
Shortly after, we followed the expressionless Constable Cheongcheon to meet the first suspect.
"I'm truly innocent."
Madam Son was a gracefully aged middle-aged woman.
She looked to be in her forties, but Constable Cheongcheon had told us earlier that she was actually well past fifty.
"It's true that I argued with him that night. But that kind of thing happened often before."
We were in a private room at the Red Flower Pavilion, a brothel owned by Heo, listening to Madam Son's story.
A lavish spread of food and wine was laid out before us.
But Constable Cheongcheon sat stiffly with an expressionless face, and I barely touched the food.
Yan Huo was busy looking around the brothel.
'Is this his first time here?'
For someone from a prestigious family, he sure acted like a country bumpkin...
Anyway, Madam Son continued to assert her innocence.
"I never practiced martial arts. I'm too scared to even kill a chicken, let alone a person..."
It seemed like we'd only hear excuses if this continued, so I cut her off and asked,
"You were in a relationship with the deceased Heo, right?"
"..."
Whether she was angry or embarrassed by my blunt question, Madam Son's face turned red, and she fell silent.
But soon, she snorted and looked straight at me.
"Yes. It was a relationship everyone knew about, so there's no need to be ashamed. But do you find it amusing to tease an old woman, young man?"
"If that's how you feel, I apologize. I just wanted to confirm the facts."
Depending on the martial arts one practices, physical changes can occur when one is angry.
"If you don't mind, you said you often argued with Heo. May I ask why?"
Madam Son grumbled about having to explain everything but, seeing Constable Cheongcheon's expressionless face, slowly began to speak.
"... He wanted to hand over this brothel to someone else. He told me to step aside. I refused. He provided the money, but I was the one who built the Red Flower Pavilion to what it is today."
Madam Son seemed deeply attached to the Red Flower Pavilion.
It was indeed one of the top ten brothels in Nanchang.
Naturally, the money it brought in was substantial.
"I loved him. The world pointed fingers at him for being a loan shark, but he had a surprisingly caring side..."
At some point, we found ourselves listening to Madam Son's lament.
"..."
Constable Cheongcheon, who could have cut her off, remained silent like a stone, leaving it all to me.
"Alright, we've heard enough."
We had heard enough from Madam Son, and I had also 'seen' enough.
She didn't practice martial arts.
Meaning, she wasn't the one who directly killed Heo.
She might still be indirectly involved, though.
"Let's go meet the next person..."
We got up and left the room, with Madam Son seeing us out.
Just then—
Crash!
"Move, you bastards! Do you know who I am?!"
The sound of something breaking and a drunken man's voice echoed through the hall.
"Tell that old hag to come out now!"
Madam Son's face twisted in anger.
And then, Constable Cheongcheon, who had been silent until now, spoke.
"It seems we won't need to go meet the second suspect separately."