Bisain was eating at the inn he always frequented.
As always, the Demonic Thirteen were scattered here and there around him, guarding Bisain.
One martial artist came, reported something to Irang, and left.
Irang relayed the contents to Bisain.
“It is a report from the Young Cult Leader’s side.”
Earlier, he had received a report that Geommugeuk and Pyogigwang were being attacked and pursued by assassins. The reason he had not been greatly nervous despite such a report was that the one protecting them was Geommugeuk. As expected, the outcome matched his expectations.
“The assassins have been annihilated.”
Irang reported the details.
“Upon examining the corpses, the assassin organization mobilized this time was the Jiuchuan Hui (九泉會). With all the mobilized assassins dead, they have suffered a heavy blow.”
Bisain was angry not because they had tried to kill Pyogigwang. He was angry because they had tried to kill him despite knowing that Bisain himself intended to protect him.
Geommugeuk, who was tasked with guarding Pyogigwang, was wearing the uniform of the Demonic Thirteen. In other words, the enemy had sent assassins despite clearly knowing that Bisain’s own subordinate was protecting him.
*‘How dare they try to kill even my subordinate?’*
This was ignoring the authority of the Young Alliance Leader—namely, himself—and challenging him head-on.
“Can we not find out who commissioned them?”
Irang shook his head with a troubled expression.
“The Jiuchuan Hui is famous for not discriminating in its targets and for not investigating its clients.”
That was why they were so popular in the assassins’ world. Based on that popularity, they had grown into an organization counted among the greatest in the Central Plains.
“What of the Young Cult Leader?”
“He has hidden his tracks together with Pyogigwang, who was with him.”
There was no way Geommugeuk could have fallen to the assassins, so he would be somewhere safe with Pyogigwang.
Since it had been revealed that the organization using children was not something the Demonic Alliance Leader had ordered to be created, the information Geommugeuk would bring back had become crucial.
“This was not something to be entrusted to the Young Cult Leader alone.”
To Irang’s words, Bisain gave no answer. It was hardly normal to explain his faith to Irang. The friendship with Geommugeuk was perhaps something he would have to keep alone in his heart for a lifetime.
Just then, the proverbial tiger who appeared at the mere mention sent Bisain a voice transmission.
—You should not say such things. You ought to say, ‘I believe in my friend, the Young Cult Leader.’
A smile formed at the corner of Bisain’s lips. The truth was, even while eating, he had been waiting for just such a voice transmission.
—Why not come here instead of sending a voice transmission? You are a full-fledged member of the Demonic Thirteen yourself.
It was a rare joke from Bisain, but this was not a situation to take as a joke.
—I wish I could, but that will not be possible for the time being. They sent assassins as soon as they learned that Pyogigwang had made contact with you. Having failed to kill Pyogigwang, they will be watching you now. Suspecting that you may have uncovered the secret, they could be observing you from somewhere even now.
Bisain’s expression hardened slightly. This was a fight of a different nature than the battles he had fought to become the successor. He was in an even fouler mood at the enemy’s provocation.
—Let us meet at the cliff later.
—Let us.
—Be careful of tails when you come.
Once Geommugeuk’s presence vanished, Bisain put down his chopsticks and rose from his seat. He had even finished all the side dishes he normally would not touch.
* * *
Several dozen martial artists were running in the Alliance Hall training ground. They were running without using internal energy, relying solely on their basic stamina.
People began collapsing from the continuous running that pushed past their limits.
“You applied for the Black Dragon Squad, did you not? If you give up here, you cannot get into the Black Dragon Squad.”
The one who spoke while looking down at the martial artist lying on the ground gasping for breath was Instructor Hwang Seokgyeong.
To enter the organization one aspired to, martial arts skill was important, but the strong stamina and mental strength to match were also necessary. If they could not pass this test, they would be assigned to a place lower than their desired organization.
“I cannot do this anymore. I am sorry.”
Then Hwang Seokgyeong whispered something into his ear. The man who had been on the verge of death got up and ran again.
Instructor Cha, a colleague who had been watching this, approached and asked.
“What did you say to him this time?”
Hwang Seokgyeong answered with a smile.
“I told him that if he acted weak, some other bastard would steal his betrothed back home.”
Instructor Cha exclaimed in admiration.
“As expected. You have even memorized the personal details of all the new recruits who joined the Alliance this time.”
This was one of the reasons Hwang Seokgyeong had made a name for himself as the best instructor. He knew everything about the dozens of new martial artists who entered every month. He had memorized where they were from, their family relations, their personalities and hobbies, and which places they had applied to.
There were several reasons he had made a name for himself as the Fighting King, but the decisive reason was that he was intelligent. He was strong because he was smart.
“I say, Instructor Hwang. It is not as though you receive more pay for working this hard, so take it easy.”
Hwang Seokgyeong simply smiled a kind smile.
Instructor Cha did not know. He did not know how different this instructor persona was from his true nature, that everything except breathing was a lie and an act.
When training ended, the martial artist who had heard the whisper earlier ran over to express his gratitude.
“Thanks to you, I did not give up and succeeded. Thank you.”
Hwang Seokgyeong patted his shoulder with a kind face.
“You must triumph and return home in glory.”
“I will do my best.”
No matter who looked, he seemed like an instructor who truly cherished and liked his juniors.
But the moment he left the training ground, he became not an instructor but the Fighting King. A voice transmission flew in from somewhere.
—The assassins are all dead, and Pyogigwang has disappeared.
He stopped walking for a moment at the unexpected result.
—Did you not say one of the Demonic Thirteen was protecting him?
—That is correct.
—And yet all the assassins are dead?
—Yes, that is correct.
The Fighting King began walking again. He had mobilized external assassins this time because he had had a bad feeling and had not used his own people.
—Did the Young Alliance Leader lay a trap? If so, he may have already noticed my existence.
The Fighting King’s judgment was accurate.
—Prepare them.
—Who is the target?
And he made a decision that would decide the fate of the unorthodox Murim without a moment’s hesitation.
—Bisain.
* * *
That night, when Bisain arrived, Geommugeuk was sitting on the edge of a cliff.
“Where is Pyogigwang?”
Bisain asked, sitting down beside Geommugeuk. In the past, he had always stood by his side, but now he naturally sat in the place beside him.
“I came from watching him live the life of Jei.”
Bisain looked at Geommugeuk as if wondering what he meant, then asked with an expression that said, *Could it be?*
“Surely Leader Pyo did not leave?”
Geommugeuk nodded.
“Is he not the only one who knows the mastermind at present?”
There must have been a reason he had let him go, but Bisain could not understand. Geommugeuk of all people should know that fact well.
Soon, the reason that would shock Bisain was revealed.
“Before leaving, he told me who the mastermind is.”
Bisain stared at Geommugeuk in silence.
Yes, he had believed Geommugeuk would find out the mastermind. That was why he had entrusted Pyogigwang to him.
But he had never imagined he would find out in just one day.
If it were anyone else, they would think it was a lie. They would think he had used some sorcery to find out.
But Bisain could be certain. Pyogigwang must have truly wanted to tell him from the heart. And in just one day.
“You truly are….”
He could not think of the words to express it. Of course, Geommugeuk was not one to miss this moment.
“Your wonderful friend.”
Bisain simply hoped this feeling would not change. Not yet—no, even in the future, he could not fathom defeating this person. Now, not even his pride was hurt by it.
And his surprise was only beginning.
“Who is the mastermind?”
“Do you know Hwang Seokgyeong?”
Now Bisain turned fully toward Geommugeuk. It was a name he had never imagined.
“Surely you do not mean Instructor Hwang of the Alliance Hall?”
“So you know him.”
He had predicted several names that could be the mastermind, but Instructor Hwang was someone he had not expected at all.
“This is hard to believe. Truly hard to believe.”
Hwang Seokgyeong was the model instructor of the Alliance Hall, with a good reputation, good skill, and even a good personality.
Geommugeuk understood Bisain’s surprise. If even he had found it unexpected, how surprised must Bisain be?
But in this situation, the problem was not that an Alliance Hall instructor was the mastermind. It was the fact that the mastermind was the Fighting King.
“Today I observed him secretly, and he was hiding his martial arts.”
He did not speak ambiguously, saying it seemed like he was hiding them. He stated it as a certainty. Because he was an opponent Bisain truly had to be careful of.
“Then he must be a member of that hidden force you spoke of.”
“I believe so.”
“I will capture him immediately and interrogate him.”
Geommugeuk stopped Bisain, who was trying to get up at once.
“His strength is no ordinary matter. You must never try to face him alone. I do not think it would be easy even if you and the Demonic Thirteen attacked together.”
“!”
Bisain looked at Geommugeuk with an expression of disbelief. He thought it might be a joke, but it was not. Geommugeuk was looking at him with a more serious expression than ever.
“The problem is that this is not the matter of one man alone. The Lord of the Liu Sword Gate said they had been given vested rights, so there must be a powerful figure within the Alliance who has joined hands with Instructor Hwang. It could be one person, or several. There is no need to be so surprised. The one who infiltrated the Murim Alliance invested a full ten years. I do not think this man is very different.”
Bisain realized this matter was far more serious and dangerous than he had thought. If it had not been for Geommugeuk, this conspiracy would have continued. The more he thought about it, the more chilling it became.
“He must know by now that they failed to kill Pyogigwang. Will he not flee then?”
If it were anyone else, perhaps. But the Fighting King was someone with overwhelmingly superb martial arts and strong pride in that strength. He was not the type to make running away the solution to a problem.
“If you consider the time he has invested in the Demonic Alliance, he will not back down easily. He will be watching to see how you respond.”
Thinking that there were those who dared to scheme against the Demonic Alliance, fighting spirit boiled up in Bisain’s chest.
But he had to remain calm. The instructor’s strength was said to be far superior to his own.
If the opponent was an expert of that level, asking the Demonic Alliance Leader for help was the wisest choice.
Realistically, it was the best plan, but emotionally, it was the worst.
Because it meant asking the Alliance Leader to handle something he could not handle himself.
Another problem was those who had joined hands with him. Somehow, he had to find out who they were. He could not sleep peacefully with such people nearby.
“If we capture him alive, will he not confess who he is working with?”
To Bisain’s question, Geommugeuk shook his head.
“He will not confess. No, judging by his strength, capturing him alive will likely be impossible.”
Geommugeuk emphasized the Fighting King’s strength once again. Since Bisain was now directly entangled with him, he was warning him to be careful.
After pondering for a moment, Bisain spoke carefully.
“Can you help me just one more time?”
“If it is the Young Alliance Leader of the Demonic Alliance, I can gladly invest. Repay me generously with interest later. What do you need me to do?”
Bisain made a truly unexpected request.
“Would you care to tour the Alliance Hall?”
It meant entering as a new recruit to get close to Instructor Hwang.
“New martial artists enter the Alliance Hall every month. If it is you, could you not approach Instructor Hwang and find out who he is working with?”
This was by no means a request an ordinary person could fulfill. No, not even Jin Hagun, the Lord of the Demon Extermination Corps, could have made such a request.
The mission itself was of extreme difficulty, for an indeterminate amount of time. This was something neither he nor anyone else could do.
However, perhaps if it were someone who could open Pyogigwang’s mouth in just one day.
“He will be focusing on my movements. He would never expect a new recruit to approach him, so you would be striking at his core from within.”
Geommugeuk, who had always answered positively, telling him to trust him, shook his head this time.
“I am not confident I can do that.”
He knew to some extent what kind of person the Fighting King was. He was smarter than anyone. If an eye-catching new recruit appeared in this situation, he would be suspicious from the start. Perhaps at another time, but in the current situation, it was absolutely not easy.
Bisain made a strange expression.
“Why do you look at me like that?”
“Because you seem human too.”
“You have not regarded me as human until now?”
“You would have had to show me a human-like appearance first.”
“I have clung to you so much, asking to be friends, and you say I do not seem human! That is what is truly inhuman!”
After that bout of lighthearted banter, Geommugeuk revealed the reason for his refusal.
“I do not think our opponent will give us that much time.”
Bisain was curious. What had he seen in Hwang Seokgyeong to be so cautious? Why did he think so highly of him?
“When you return, wear the best protective armor you have. You may wear two layers, even three.”
Geommugeuk had surprised him several times today, but he was most surprised by these words.
“Surely? You think he will try to kill even me? Is he truly that reckless?”
The reason Geommugeuk had warned him again and again was to say these very words.
“Yes. If I were him, I would kill you first.”
Absolute Regression — Chapter 352