“Is that truly the truth?”
Ilcheonggeom asks again at Beom Dong’s words.
The Sage King is suffering from internal injuries.
The information he has brought is certainly enticing.
But—
“Yes, it is true.”
“What evidence do you have to prove it…?”
Though the story is tempting, there is insufficient information to substantiate it.
Beom Dong answers.
“Are you aware that the Divine Doctor is staying near the Sage King’s residence, Azure Dragon Captain?”
“I am.”
Ilcheonggeom nods.
It was already widely known that the Baekhwa Merchant Guild had taken the Divine Doctor in as a guest, and that he was staying in Henan.
As soon as the Alliance learned of this, they immediately contacted the Divine Doctor.
Naturally, they had hoped he would make the Alliance his residence, but…
The Divine Doctor flatly refused their request.
Well, “flatly” was not entirely accurate, since he had told them to speak with the Baekhwa Merchant Guild.
But that was no different from a refusal.
What merchant guild would take in the Divine Doctor, only to hand him over to someone else?
Moreover, the Baekhwa Merchant Guild was a somewhat ambiguous establishment when it came to being pro-Alliance.
There was no chance they would agree. And, as expected, they did not.
‘If they intended to keep the Divine Doctor there, they might as well have handed him over.’
The value the Divine Doctor possessed in the Central Plains was incalculable. Merely hearing that he had appeared nearby could set several merchant guilds, sects, and clans into motion.
Yet despite possessing such a person, the Baekhwa Merchant Guild had taken no particular action.
They had simply provided him with a residence. And that was the end of it.
Regarding this, the Alliance had concluded that—
‘Someone within the merchant guild must be in extremely poor health, which is why they have kept the Divine Doctor there.’
But nothing had actually been uncovered.
There had been occasional reports that the Divine Doctor was treating others, but there was no information suggesting that the guild was using him for anything.
Even when they wished to learn more—
‘It is difficult to approach.’
Entering the area where the Divine Doctor was staying was extraordinarily difficult.
They had actually dispatched several informants, but instead of returning with information, they had suffered nothing but injuries.
‘They say some came back half-crippled or with their minds addled.’
No one had lost their life, but they had returned having suffered damage no less severe.
This inevitably implied that there was something within the residence prepared by the Baekhwa Merchant Guild.
The problem was—
‘There is no evidence to prove it.’
No evidence remained behind.
The Murim Alliance could not exactly admit that it had sent informants to investigate the place.
And most of those who returned had been mentally deranged, making it impossible to obtain even the slightest bit of information.
Because of this, the Alliance’s Intelligence Bureau had gone so far as to—
‘They said the Baekhwa Merchant Guild was a demonic lair.’
That was what the place was apparently called within the Alliance’s Intelligence Bureau.
And yet, in such a situation—
“You are saying you obtained some information from there.”
“That is correct.”
“…”
Ilcheonggeom’s brow furrows slightly at Beom Dong’s words.
Could what he said really be true?
Doubt began to sprout.
But—
‘There is no reason for the Flying Dragon Captain to lie.’
Considering everything Beom Dong had done until now, there was no reason for him to lie.
“…Explain in detail.”
For that reason, Ilcheonggeom first decided to hear him out.
“To begin with… there were clear circumstances pointing to it.”
“Circumstances?”
“Yes. The Sage King has recently fought a fierce battle. It was the aftermath of the demon-beast summoning carried out by the descendants of the Zhuge Clan.”
“…”
The heretics who had attacked Henan the previous time.
The Alliance had presented them to the world merely as heretics.
They had also included information concerning the Zhuge Clan, but had deliberately blurred the explanation, making it difficult to recognize.
Because of that, the only things remaining in people’s minds now would be the heretics and the Demonic Cult.
Research into the demon-beast summoning they had carried out was still underway.
“The demon beast summoned at the time was White Grade. It was a demon beast spoken of only in distant history.”
A breathing calamity said to have existed hundreds of years ago.
The demon beast summoned by the Zhuge Clan had been a monster ranked White Grade, and as though to prove that the name given to such creatures was accurate, it had laid waste to the region of Henan.
“The one who confronted such a monster head-on was none other than the Sage King. As you saw afterward, Azure Dragon Captain, was the Sage King’s condition not quite poor?”
“…”
Ilcheonggeom immediately recalled the scene at Beom Dong’s words.
The day the White Grade demon beast attacked. The moment the Sage King arrived at the Alliance immediately after defeating it.
Ilcheonggeom had encountered the Sage King then.
Even at a glance, his condition had been poor.
He had looked as though it would not have been strange for him to collapse at any moment.
His body had been in such a state that it was astonishing he had managed to remain standing on both legs.
“Furthermore, this happened after his spar with the Blade King. His condition could hardly be good.”
“…”
It sounded reasonable.
More precisely, just as Beom Dong had said, it was certain that the Sage King’s condition was poor. Anyone could see that much.
But—
“That is merely an assumption. You still have none of the definite evidence you mentioned earlier.”
“Yes. That is why I am telling you that I sent an informant to confirm it.”
“Confirm what?”
“Last night. That the Sage King entered and left the Divine Doctor’s residence.”
“…!”
Ilcheonggeom’s eyes narrow at Beom Dong’s words.
The Sage King had entered the Divine Doctor’s residence.
Ilcheonggeom stroked the edge of his mouth with one hand.
Seeing this, Beom Dong continued.
“You are likely aware, but… the Sage King is the current guild master’s son. Since it is a residence belonging to the guild master, there should be no problem with him coming and going. But is the situation not rather peculiar?”
“…Hmm.”
Numerous thoughts flashed through his mind.
Ultimately, Beom Dong’s words contained no concrete evidence whatsoever.
But as he continued to point out, the circumstances were the problem.
A spar with the Blade King. A battle with a demon beast afterward. Then visits to the Divine Doctor’s residence.
‘That alone is not enough, but…’
As Ilcheonggeom pondered this, he suddenly recalled what had happened moments earlier.
The Golden Dragon Captain and the Iron Dragon Captain.
The behavior the Sage King had displayed while confronting the two of them.
‘That was most certainly cold sweat.’
At the instant Ilcheonggeom blocked him, the Sage King had wiped away the cold sweat flowing down his face.
His expression had not seemed particularly strained, but…
‘Could he truly be suffering from internal injuries?’
The moment he entered the Alliance.
It had been the same when he engaged Ilcheonggeom in a battle of wills.
The Sage King had approached him and seized his hand to prevent him from drawing his sword.
The pressure Ilcheonggeom had felt then was tremendous. Yet within it, he had clearly sensed something.
‘His energy had wavered.’
The Sage King’s energy had been strangely trembling within him.
That was not an action one could perform deliberately.
In all his life, Ilcheonggeom had never seen anyone capable of making their energy tremble in such a manner by force.
If such a thing were possible—
‘Then he would not be human. He would be a monster.’
It was an act even the Three Venerables, who stood near the realm of gods, could not perform.
Knowing this, Ilcheonggeom began to sympathize with Beom Dong’s reasoning.
However—
“Why are you telling me this?”
Why was the Flying Dragon Captain offering him such information?
That was his greatest question.
“From the way you have brought it up directly, I assume you do not intend to report it to your superiors.”
“…”
At Ilcheonggeom’s words, Beom Dong nods.
“That is correct. If Azure Dragon Captain does not wish it, there is no need to report it.”
“…”
“The reason I am giving you this information is nothing complicated.”
Beom Dong’s eyes gleam as he continued.
“Like the other captains, I do not like the Sage King. And besides, I thought this information might be necessary for Azure Dragon Captain.”
“…Ha.”
Ilcheonggeom lets out a hollow laugh at those words.
“If he is suffering from internal injuries, they are likely quite severe. According to the martial artist who participated in the battle with the demon beast, he even collapsed after vomiting blood.”
How was he supposed to interpret this?
What purpose could Beom Dong have in telling him such things?
What did he want Ilcheonggeom to do, that he was speaking so insistently about the Sage King’s internal injuries?
He was swept up in countless thoughts.
“…”
Ilcheonggeom continued covering his mouth and remained silent for a long while.
“…I have heard what you had to say.”
He spoke to Beom Dong with an expression that had darkened somewhat.
“It seems I have something to consider. Could you leave for now?”
“…Understood.”
Without hesitation, Beom Dong rises at Ilcheonggeom’s words.
Then, just as he was about to step outside—
“Azure Dragon Captain.”
“…What is it?”
“As you asked earlier, if you do not wish it, I do not intend to report this matter to the higher-ups. What are your thoughts?”
Beom Dong asked him that.
“…”
Ilcheonggeom answered in a voice mixed with a breath.
“For the time being… I do not think it needs to be reported. Once I have finished considering the matter, I will tell you separately.”
“…Understood.”
After receiving his answer, Beom Dong bows his head slightly and steps outside.
He walked calmly, one step after another, until he had finally put a sufficient distance between himself and Ilcheonggeom.
Then—
“Huff… huff…!”
In a place where no one could see him, Beom Dong collapsed to the ground.
Trickle.
The cold sweat he had been holding back ran down his chin.
Droplets fell and dampened the floor.
Beyond them, Beom Dong had to gasp for breath, his eyes wide with terror.
“What the hell… what the hell…”
He groped at one arm with a trembling hand and felt the gooseflesh covering it.
He could not help it.
-There is only one thing you need to do.
-Find Ilcheonggeom after approximately one shichen has passed from now.
The reason Beom Dong had gone to find Ilcheonggeom was none other than the Sage King, Gu Yangcheon, and his words.
-He will probably be very angry. Don’t worry about it. Just say exactly what I tell you. You work in the Intelligence Bureau, so you’re good at memorizing things, right?
Gu Yangcheon had drilled several lines into Beom Dong.
No matter what Ilcheonggeom said, he had told him to respond only in that manner.
After hearing that, Beom Dong had begun the conversation exactly as instructed.
And before long, he was shocked.
‘What is this…? What the hell is this?’
No matter what Ilcheonggeom said, it fit perfectly with the answers he had memorized.
There might have been slight differences, but every word matched.
-Before you leave, ask him.
-Finally, ask whether you may report it to the higher-ups. If Ilcheonggeom answers like this, it means you succeeded.
-To the higher-ups.
“Tell them not to report it for the time being…”
Gu Yangcheon’s voice and Ilcheonggeom’s answer overlapped.
As the words resounded together like an echo, Beom Dong had to wipe away his cold sweat again and again.
‘What in the world is he?’
How had this situation come to pass?
Faced with something so unbelievable, Beom Dong’s eyes trembled.
At the same time, fear surged within him.
What kind of existence had he been caught by?
His pounding heart seemed to constrict his throat.
He wanted nothing more than to tell Ilcheonggeom everything, hide himself, and flee with his daughter.
Would it not be enough to ask Ilcheonggeom for help, then quickly take his daughter somewhere safe?
Those thoughts repeatedly rose within him.
But in the end, Beom Dong could not make such a choice.
Because his instincts kept telling him so.
That he could not disobey the man’s orders. That he must not choose any other path.
His instincts had screamed it at him.
And this was the result.
‘…I…’
Had he made the right choice?
This was, undeniably, an act of betrayal against the Alliance.
Even so, was he truly going to be all right?
It felt as though he were gradually being swallowed by a deep darkness.
Just as Beom Dong was trembling violently—
[I have confirmed it.]
“…!”
A voice suddenly brushed past Beom Dong’s ear.
He immediately raised his head and searched his surroundings.
“What? Who are you?”
[I have confirmed that you carried out the order. I will inform my master.]
[You have done well.]
“No—! I asked who you are!”
Beom Dong cried out repeatedly in terror, but the woman’s voice had already vanished.
Thud.
The strength left Beom Dong’s legs.
“…That’s impossible…”
Was she watching him carry out the order all along?
“Ha… haha.”
So this meant he had been placed in a situation where he could not even betray them in the first place.
Beom Dong covered his face with trembling hands.
And remained there, his body shaking for some time.
*****************
After leaving the Alliance and returning to my residence, I sat quietly and looked out over the pond.
That was when someone spoke to me.
“Master.”
I turned toward the familiar voice and saw Nahi kneeling beside me.
As soon as our eyes met, Nahi continued.
“I delivered the message as you instructed.”
I nodded at the report.
“I could not approach too closely because of Ilcheonggeom’s presence, but I delivered the message at the moment Seomgeom came out, just as you said.”
“Well done.”
“However… I was unable to confirm whether Seomgeom truly carried out your order…”
Nahi spoke to me with concern, but I merely gave a small laugh.
“It’s fine. He would have done it anyway.”
“…”
There was no way Beom Dong could have made another choice.
“That man’s mind is narrow. Very narrow.”
For someone who ostensibly ran the Intelligence Bureau, he was much less capable of seeing the forest than I had expected.
No, perhaps he could see the forest, but he was incapable of properly reading the situation he himself was in.
I was certain of it.
‘That’s why he died so idiotically in my previous life.’
There was no way he could defy me.
“So just leave things as they are for now.”
“…Understood.”
This much was appropriate for the moment.
Seomgeom would be terrified as he watched the rope gradually tighten around his own neck.
I had to maximize that fear without end.
Let it continue to build until it overflowed.
‘Then make it burst at the very end.’
In a manner so humiliating that it would be utterly wretched.
Beom Dong’s end had to be that way.
‘Beom Dong is taken care of for now.’
The remaining problem was—
‘When will Ilcheonggeom make his move?’
He had readily bitten the bait I had put out. But biting it was not the end.
‘Ilcheonggeom is a rather large fish.’
If I pulled the moment he bit, he was the kind of big fish that would snap the line clean in two.
To hook him, it was important to tire him out further.
‘Let’s see… this part.’
There were still many ways to make use of this, so I would think about it some more.
For now, I would have to go to the Alliance again tomorrow. I should organize my plans for that.
Having reached that conclusion, I rested my chin on my hand.
“Master.”
At Nahi’s sudden call, I turned my head again.
“What?”
“I have another matter to report.”
“Hmm?”
A report. The information I had wanted was already finished, so this must be something to pass on personally.
‘What is it? That Jiseon fellow…? Or perhaps Zhuge Hyeok?’
Just as I wondered what it could be, Nahi gave me the answer.
“The First Elder of the Gu Family has arrived in Henan.”
“…What?”
I heard an entirely unexpected answer.
“The First Elder?”
“Yes. I just received word… Master?”
Nahi stared at me with her eyes wide.
She seemed startled by my sudden movement.
“…Where are you going?”
She asked cautiously.
I began hurriedly packing my belongings and answered.
“Where do you think I’m going?”
Why ask something so obvious?
“I’m running.”
“…”
At my answer, Nahi wore an unusually blank expression.