Chapter 26

Chapter 26
“The Jeol-gang Branch Leader arrived in person?”

Yeom Jeong-gil’s face darkened with a deep frown as he heard Baek So-cheon’s report.

“He traveled all the way here to personally look into Cheon Yang-ho’s disappearance.”

“Damn it, why right at this moment?”

Wang Gon, standing nearby, displayed an irritated grimace, though behind that mask he was secretly celebrating.

*This actually works out for the best.*

When Yeom Jeong-gil had handed down that deranged directive, Wang Gon had merely wished Baek So-cheon could survive the trial. But looking at things dispassionately, having a branch leader assassinated right on his home turf brought zero advantages. Any alternate trial would be vastly superior.

“Cheon Yang-ho wielded the true authority across the Jeol-gang Branch, didn’t he? That alone explains why the branch leader would intervene personally.”

“And isn’t this entire mess that bastard’s fault to begin with?” Baek So-cheon retorted, standing firm beneath Yeom Jeong-gil’s icy, disapproving stare. “All because Cheon Yang-ho made an attempt on my life.”

Yeom Jeong-gil’s glare grew venomous, wordlessly admonishing him for daring to speak out of turn. Baek So-cheon immediately dropped his eyes, acting as if he were thoroughly intimidated.

That insolent display had been entirely calculated. Making a show of petty defiance directed their attention toward his bad attitude rather than whatever secrets he might be hiding.

Wang Gon carefully intervened.

“It would be wise to hold off on getting rid of Im Choong until the branch leader departs. If the man is present at the headquarters when his branch leader is slain, he will track down the culprit relentlessly. If that unfolds…”

Yeom Jeong-gil cut him off without a shred of hesitation.

“Execute him regardless.”

*This man has lost his mind!*

Yet Baek So-cheon, the recipient of this extreme command, seemed almost unburdened.

“Let us proceed, then. Since events have come to this pass, we might as well make a grand spectacle of it.”

Baek So-cheon wheeled around and headed briskly for the exit. Yeom Jeong-gil watched him in silence until the very last second.

Just as his hand reached the door handle, Yeom Jeong-gil’s voice rang out from behind.

“How exactly do you intend to take his life?”

Baek So-cheon paused and glanced over his shoulder.

“Infiltrate the branch leader’s residence under cover of darkness and silence him permanently.”

“He resides with his kin, does he not?”

“Slaughter every last one of them. That will make it look like the work of whoever butchered Yang Chu. A savage monster who wipes out entire households—nobody will trace it back to our door.”

The very menace Wang Gon had once leveled against Im Choong had now come full circle, echoed by Baek So-cheon straight toward Yeom Jeong-gil.

Having laid out his bloody scheme, Baek So-cheon turned to walk out once more.

That was the exact instant Yeom Jeong-gil brought the test to an end.

“Stand down on this assignment for the time being.”

Baek So-cheon, however, pretended to insist on carrying it through.

“Now that the plan is already set…”

“I did not offer advice—I issued a command.”

Only after Yeom Jeong-gil roared with thunderous authority did Baek So-cheon yield.

“As you command.”

Baek So-cheon exited the quarters. As his steps carried him into the corridor, an icy smirk touched his lips.

*That choice just spared your life.*

Yeom Jeong-gil remained oblivious, but had he not reversed his decree, Baek So-cheon would have ensured his demise by any means necessary. The solitary reason his life was preserved despite demanding Im Choong’s head was his enduring utility as the lure to expose Teacher Jong.

“A thoroughly rotten wretch!”

Yeom Jeong-gil certainly did not place blind faith in Baek So-cheon, yet he had felt unmistakable murderous intent radiate from the youth when describing how he would sneak into Im Choong’s residence and butcher his entire household.

A ferocious bloodlust emanating from someone devoid of internal energy?

It proved he was a born criminal through and through.

Every single mannerism the youth possessed grated violently on Yeom Jeong-gil’s nerves, but that very abrasive quality made him convincing. A schemer hiding true malice would have bent over backward to flatter and appease.

Naturally, this did not sweep away all suspicion—it simply chipped away one layer of defensive vigilance against Baek So-cheon.

“He is definitely a fellow worth keeping an eye on.”

It was no longer mere surveillance on Wang Gon’s behalf; Yeom Jeong-gil himself had developed genuine intrigue regarding Baek So-cheon.

—

Baek So-cheon walked straight to Im Choong’s quarters to break the development.

“The directive to execute you has been suspended.”

“Ah!”

Im Choong stood stunned, rendered speechless for several heartbeats. Even with his absolute trust in Baek So-cheon, his very existence had been teetering on a razor’s edge.

“I am indebted to you. You have preserved my life once again, Brother.”

“Indebted? I feel guilty for not cutting down Yeom Jeong-gil where he stood. I stayed my hand only out of concern that Shin-hwa-bang might scurry into hiding if our strike proved indecisive.”

“You are truly determined to bring down the entirety of Shin-hwa-bang.”

“I told you before. Either turn a blind eye completely, or deliver a devastating blow from which they cannot recover.”

“Understood.”

“Do not allow fear to rule you. Bastards who rely on these cowardly underhanded schemes prove hollow the moment you confront them directly. Look at it from another angle—how utterly pathetic must they be to resort to such gutter tactics?”

“Understood!”

“Now, do me a favor in return.”

“Name it, anything.”

Having absorbed their opponent’s maneuver, the hour had arrived to strike back.

“You must go and unsettle Jeong-pung.”

—

Im Choong stepped inside to face Jeong-pung, who had firmly claimed his office desk.

“I have arrived to consult with you on an urgent matter.”

“Speak.”

“It seems evident that we require assistance from our associates at headquarters if we wish to settle this case.”

Jeong-pung flinched visibly the moment the word headquarters left his lips.

“Assistance of what nature?”

“Any way one views this, the circumstances are profoundly unnatural. If an assailant managed to assassinate a deputy leader of the Murim Alliance, headquarters ought to take charge of the inquiry.”

“Listen closely, Branch Leader Im.”

“I am listening, Branch Leader.”

“Cheon was our man. He answered directly to me. Ought we not settle our own household affairs within the branch? How would headquarters perceive my competence if I proved incapable of resolving even this much?”

“What if the situation escalates out of control?”

“You have grown remarkably bold.”

Jeong-pung’s gaze turned frigid, his tone sharp and biting.

“Excuse me?”

“You never carried yourself with such arrogance before. You haven’t let a single clash with the Black Society go to your head, have you?”

Jeong-pung’s expression relaxed just a fraction.

“I recognize your eagerness to bring this matter to a close, but this remains our branch’s responsibility.”

As Im Choong opened his mouth to press further, Jeong-pung waved his hand dismissively, signaling him to leave.

Reaching the threshold, Im Choong stopped and turned back after giving a slight bow.

“If you truly wish to unravel this mystery, seek counsel from Warrior Baek. He keeps certain details concealed from me, but he unquestionably holds deeper knowledge.”

—

Not long after, Baek So-cheon was escorted into Jeong-pung’s presence.

Ordering him to appear rather than visiting him in person was, of course, a matter of stubborn pride.

The moment Baek So-cheon crossed the threshold, Jeong-pung demanded answers.

“Do you know the identity of the culprit responsible for the Yang Chu massacre?”

“I have my suspicions.”

“Then why have you kept silent?”

“Allow me to pose a query in return. You were fully aware that the Black Society was tyrannizing ordinary citizens, correct? Why did you overlook their cruelty? Were you terrified of provoking Shin-hwa-bang, who lurk right behind them?”

“Mind your tongue!”

Jeong-pung’s voice spiked with outrage instantly.

“Why should I share the truth regarding the Yang Chu household’s slaughter with a man who turned a blind eye to such atrocities?”

“It is your sworn obligation to disclose it.”

“Branch Leader Im surely informed you already. Yang Chu invited disaster because he poked his nose into Shin-hwa-bang’s new venture. Did you receive that report?”

“I did.”

“Then Shin-hwa-bang is the party you should have been investigating from the very beginning. Yet here you are, summoning me to preach about obligations instead. Tell me why I should place an ounce of faith in you. Come clean—are you lining your pockets with Shin-hwa-bang’s coin?”

Jeong-pung’s visceral outrage hinted that he hadn’t taken dirty silver, yet Baek So-cheon remained deeply skeptical. Veteran experience had taught him that the most dangerous villains were consummate performers.

“If your conscience is truly spotless, initiate an investigation against Shin-hwa-bang this instant.”

“Shin-hwa-bang is recognized as an upright and righteous sect.”

“And so? That renders them incapable of wickedness? Is that what you genuinely believe, or merely a lie you tell yourself to dodge trouble?”

Jeong-pung went silent, visibly caught closer to the latter truth.

“You remarked earlier that I am drawn to bloodshed. Perhaps you spoke truly. But do not deceive yourself into thinking your own blood cannot spill. Yes, consider that a direct threat. So commit all your strength to helping, or scurry back to headquarters. Just do not dare obstruct my path.”

“You disgust me, but I will remain here this time—strictly to vindicate my own honor.”

“Good grief. You might at least pretend it is to grant justice to the wrongfully slaughtered.”

*Bang!*

Unable to swallow the insult, Jeong-pung slammed his palm down, splintering the polished desk that Im Choong so dearly treasured.

Only after pushing the man to his breaking point did Baek So-cheon’s demeanor soften slightly.

“Very well, I will give your innocence the benefit of the doubt and grant you a single piece of intelligence. Yeom Jeong-gil has already arrived in Mun-seong.”

“Yeom the Great Hero?”

Jeong-pung recognized the name instantly—one of the renowned Four Great Experts of Shin-hwa-bang, an elite figure who never mobilized unless affairs were of grave significance.

Before turning to depart, Baek So-cheon drove the final thorn into his mind.

“You have observed their influence expand across Jeol-gang Province over these recent years. Look deep within your own heart and answer whether they are truly an organization deserving of your trust.”

Jeong-pung watched the youth stroll out of the chamber, unable to utter a single reply.

—

Under the shroud of night, Cheon-geuk slipped into Baek So-cheon’s quarters.

“The branch leader descended upon the region?”

“We arranged his arrival.”

“Still poking around our affairs?”

“Call it managing our clientele.”

“Not counting your victims?”

“Are you truly unaware? You would be astonished by how desperately your people plead for our services. It sounds preposterous, yet it happens all the time.”

“There exist adversaries whom our hands cannot directly strike. To move openly would risk war with the Black Heaven Alliance, leaving us no choice but to farm the wet work out to you.”

“So you were already aware.”

“We simply combat poison using worse poison. Do not dare compare the honorable Murim Alliance to an organization of your kind.”

“My, aren’t you a proud and righteous lackey of the Murim Alliance?”

Cheon-geuk fixed her gaze on Baek So-cheon for an extended moment.

“You summoned me here, and now you stand mute?”

“Why defend the Murim Alliance with such fierce loyalty? They discarded you.”

“Can an organization truly discard someone without that person’s knowledge?”

“Perhaps it is merely unrequited devotion.”

A quiet stillness fell between them for a short span.

Cheon-geuk chose not to dig any deeper into that wound. Even without knowing every intricate detail, she recognized that the Murim Alliance remained a source of deep, tangled love and resentment for him.

“Putting that aside, why did you request my presence?”

“I uncovered the client who commissioned the contract.”

“Ah!”

Cheon-geuk’s features instantly brightened with excitement.

“Shin-hwa-bang keeps a strategist known as Teacher Jong. He placed the hit with the Seven Swords Society in person. Does that provide sufficient leverage for your needs? I fulfilled my end of the bargain, so make sure you honor yours.”

Her duty was to hand Gwang-sal over to her custody.

“Seeing as you are offering assistance, why not see the matter through entirely? If I make a move right now, the Seven Swords Society will likely catch on.”

Baek So-cheon had no opportunity to rendezvous with Gwang-sal at this moment anyway. Yeom Jeong-gil was maintaining sharp vigilance, and the branch leader had eyes trained everywhere.

“Can you not act with genuine gallantry for once? Wouldn’t that make you appear dashing?”

“Put on an act to impress you?”

“Who can say? I might just… grant you a night of passion.”

“No interest. Produce the funds instead. One hundred thousand nyang!”

Cheon-geuk’s playful demeanor instantly froze into solid stone.

“What an outrageous insult!”

“Listen, one hundred thousand nyang is the valuation I place on declining an intimate night with you. In what way does that constitute an insult?”

Cheon-geuk found herself momentarily baffled by the reasoning. When phrased that way, it actually sounded bizarrely reasonable.

*Wait! Is that truly what he meant?*

Yet if the romantic tension were to carry any true weight, the exchange ought to have flowed in the opposite direction. It would only make sense if she had presented the mountain of gold first, and he had countered by asking for her company instead.

Her thoughts simply had not mapped out that far ahead.

“Very well, one hundred thousand nyang.”

“My involvement ends the moment I deliver Teacher Jong into your hands. Whatever unfolds afterward is entirely on your shoulders.”

“That is more than acceptable. However, payment will be settled upon completion.”

“It’s a deal.”

Baek So-cheon had tossed out one hundred thousand nyang with the inner expectation of settling for thirty thousand at most. Her immediate, effortless agreement left him utterly flabbergasted.

Stepping out from Baek So-cheon’s residence into the cool evening air, she hummed a soft, lighthearted tune.

*One hundred thousand nyang… So that is the worth you place on spending a night with me.*