Thud.
The torn human-skin mask fell to the floor.
After glancing at it, I examined the man standing before me.
The bewitching beauty who had been there moments ago was gone, replaced by a handsome young master.
His white hair, faintly tinged with light, was strikingly unusual.
Looking at him, I couldn’t help but marvel.
‘No matter how many times I see it, it’s still incredible.’
How could something like that be possible?
Far too much had changed in an instant.
A disguise was, by nature, nothing more than something superimposed over the body. Naturally, there were bound to be parts that gave it away.
Especially when a man disguised himself as a woman.
Since physical features were the problem, it was usually possible for a woman to disguise herself as a man, but difficult for a man to disguise himself as a woman.
‘Can it really be this precise?’
The Dark King had solved even that problem.
His arms and legs had grown slender, the lines of his body had softened, and even his ample breasts looked completely natural.
How was that possible?
‘At first, I thought he might be using something like the Body-Transmutation Technique.’
But judging by the look of it, that didn’t seem to be the case. If there was a method, then perhaps…
‘That martial attire he’s wearing.’
The black martial attire. I suspected that was the reason.
The tight-fitting clothes made the lines of his body look elegant.
It seemed to forcibly reshape the body, but…
‘Wouldn’t that restrict his movements?’
If there was enough pressure to change his body’s shape that much, it should naturally have caused problems with movement. Yet the Dark King looked as free as ever, as if nothing were amiss.
He had even adopted movements suited to his appearance, making them distinctly feminine. No wonder people were deceived.
‘That stiff, expressionless man… Who would have thought he’d go that far?’
How surprised I had been when I first saw him.
The Dark King, who had seemed quiet and utterly devoid of emotion, had been playing a woman and fluttering his eyelashes at people like that.
‘He even changed his voice.’
Whatever principle he had used, the Dark King had even employed a coy, feminine voice.
The existence known as the Dark King had disappeared, replaced entirely by a captivating woman named Yeonhong.
Only after witnessing that did I finally understand.
‘Why no one had discovered the Dark King’s identity until now.’
I had thought it was because he killed every witness, leaving no one who knew his identity. But after seeing this, my thoughts had changed.
It was simply because his disguise was so extraordinary.
‘Even when disguising himself as the opposite sex, he’s that perfect.’
Even if he had used some specific treasure, it was astonishing. And on top of that—
‘He didn’t just recreate his missing arm; he even accounted for the difference in height…’
The arm that had been torn off while he was explaining something to me last time.
The Dark King had recreated even that as part of his disguise, and had even stretched himself taller.
He wasn’t particularly short for a killer.
In other words, when he disguised himself as a woman, he became considerably taller.
He could alter everything else, but height should have been impossible. That alone ought to have looked strange.
‘Yet somehow, it doesn’t.’
Even with his tall stature, there was no sense of incongruity.
How was that possible?
‘He didn’t do anything to his height.’
He simply walked around while remaining tall, yet strangely, no one seemed to find it odd. It was almost as if they failed to properly register his height.
‘Did he use his energy?’
A method of suppressing one’s presence by using energy. Had he applied that principle here?
If so, how could such a thing be possible?
It was fascinating.
I had the Body-Transmutation Technique anyway, so I had no particular need for it, but since this was a method I had never seen before, my curiosity was piqued.
“You’re amazing every time I see you.”
I marveled sincerely. The Dark King answered without the slightest change in expression.
“If you wish, I can teach you.”
He said it in such a matter-of-fact manner that it seemed like it wasn’t some particularly impressive secret.
“…No, I don’t particularly intend to learn it.”
As I’d said before, I had no real need for it, so I declined. If I had to learn it from the Dark King at this point, it would take far too long.
‘As if I don’t already have a mountain of things to master. I can’t take on that as well.’
There was no reason to learn something merely because I found it interesting. Besides, I didn’t have the time.
“If I become curious later, I’ll ask you.”
“Understood.”
“But, Dark King.”
“Yes.”
“…Did you really have to be a woman?”
The disguise itself was fine. But was it really necessary to disguise himself as a woman named Yeonhong?
That was what I was curious about.
Wouldn’t disguising himself as a man have been more complete and convenient?
That was the intention behind my question.
“This is more convenient.”
The Dark King explained in his usual impassive voice.
“Given the ratio of the sexes, disguising myself as a woman makes it easier to manage the others.”
“…Hmm.”
Manage.
Was he referring to all those people he had locked away in the fish tank he mentioned earlier?
If so, he had indeed managed them, just as he said.
‘…They’re all under his control with a single word from the Dark King.’
The men who would move like a swarm of bees whenever he wanted something.
Looking at them, I had to admit he had managed them.
‘Though I do feel rather sorry for them.’
They were obsessed with her appearance, unaware that the person inside was a man. What would happen if they learned the truth later?
I didn’t know for certain, but it probably wouldn’t end well.
Of course—
‘It doesn’t seem likely that the Dark King will be discovered.’
He was the Dark King. He would handle it himself. That was the kind of faith I had in him.
“Yes. Well… As long as you take care of it, I don’t mind what you do, but…”
I moved past that point and got to the matter at hand.
“I’m on my way back from meeting the Lord of Gyecheon Gate. Do you know anything about him?”
“I do.”
The answer came quickly. I had expected the Dark King, who operated an assassin corps, to know at least something. And as expected, he did.
“Then do you happen to know of any noteworthy details that I should pay particular attention to?”
The Dark King fell silent for a moment before quickly answering.
“The information I know likely won’t differ much from what you already know.”
“Hmm.”
So there was a difference, and he meant that it would be faster for me to investigate it personally…
“If you wish, I can look into it.”
“Ah, no. There’s another way to investigate this matter, so it’s fine. What I want to ask is something else.”
“Please, go ahead.”
“I’ve heard that the current Lord of Gyecheon Gate has contacted another faction and is plotting something. Could you look into this ‘other faction’ for me?”
“Understood.”
“Uh… Yes.”
His effortless answer actually left me flustered.
The Dark King had agreed without even the slightest hesitation.
“Do you have a deadline in mind?”
“…The sooner, the better. Within three days, if possible. More precisely, it would be best if you could finish before the Azure Dragon Captain arrives.”
“Understood. Then I’ll begin preparing immediately.”
“Yes. I’m counting on you.”
Fortunately, the Dark King had agreed to help. I was about to at least bow my head in thanks, but—
“Thank—ah, damn.”
Before I could, the Dark King had already vanished from before my eyes.
Even the remnants of the torn human-skin mask on the floor and the clothes Yeonhong had taken off were gone.
Had he cleared everything away and left in that brief moment?
“He’s still as fast as ever.”
My perception had improved enough that I could barely sense his presence, yet the Dark King remained as quick as ever.
What a pity. If I could even perceive that, I’d have little chance of dying under ordinary circumstances.
‘If I could perceive the Dark King’s speed as well, could I say I’d reached the level of the Three Venerables?’
I suspected I could.
How long would it take… No, wait.
‘Even if it kills me, I’ll finish it within three years.’
It wasn’t a question of how long it would take, but of when I would accomplish it.
That was what I needed.
Within three years, I would break through to the level of the Three Venerables, at the very least.
The moment I made that resolution, I let out a hollow laugh.
‘If people in the world heard that, they’d call me insane.’
If it were as easy as saying it, everyone and their dog would have done it already.
How could I possibly reach the level of the Three Venerables in a mere three years? No matter how I thought about it, it was an absurd resolution. And yet—
‘One of those amazing Three Venerables said it himself.’
Even if something was impossible—
“Make it possible somehow.”
I repeated the mad words the Tyrant Venerable always uttered out of habit, then steadied my breathing.
“Now, let’s move on to the next thing.”
There was still plenty to do.
******************
It was past the Hour of the Boar, the time when everyone was slowly beginning to fall asleep.
The members would be assigning sentries and standing watch even within the branch by then.
At that late hour, someone came to my room.
It was Dang Soyeol, who had just finished training.
“I came to see you, Captain.”
Dang Soyeol’s hair was slightly damp, as if she had washed her face after training.
I glanced at it, then gave a small cough.
“Sorry for calling you so late.”
“Not at all. Of course I had to come.”
“…I told you that when it’s just the two of us, you can speak normally.”
“Ah.”
When I pointed out how stiffly she was speaking, Dang Soyeol made an expression as if she had just realized her mistake.
Then her face quickly transformed into a sheepish smile.
“It’s become a habit… Hehe.”
“How are you finding the position of Vice Captain?”
Dang Soyeol hesitated briefly at the question before answering.
“There’s still a lot I don’t know, so it’s a little difficult. But I’m all right.”
“If you want, I can replace you.”
There were plenty of people who wanted the position of Vice Captain.
Wi Seol-Ah and Namgung Bi-ah, for instance. There were probably other members who would take it if asked.
So I had meant that she could step down if it became too burdensome.
“No. I can do it. Please believe me.”
Dang Soyeol spoke to me with an intense look in her eyes.
“Uh… All right. Then that’s a relief.”
Did she really want the position that badly? Since it seemed to involve little but unnecessary work, I couldn’t quite understand her.
“Anyway, that’s that.”
The reason I had called Dang Soyeol at this hour came first.
“There’s something else. It looks like I’ll have to visit the Tang Clan within the next few days. Could you send a letter to your clan head?”
“Uh… The Tang Clan?”
“Yes. Since you’re in Sichuan, you should visit your family home as well. Tell them I have something to discuss when we stop by.”
“Hmm, all right. But, Captain—no, Young Master, weren’t you already in contact with my father?”
“…I was.”
That was in the past tense.
As Dang Soyeol had said, I had exchanged letters with the Tang Clan from time to time because of the restoration of the Poison Heaven Corps.
I had originally contacted the Poison King directly, but recently I had been exchanging letters with the Young Clan Head instead.
The reason my correspondence had suddenly shifted to the Young Clan Head was simple.
“…The Tang Clan Head is a little angry with me. I’d like you to smooth things over.”
That man was sulking because of me.
“Pardon…? My father? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“It’s a long story… So I’m asking you for a favor.”
“Ah… All right.”
I couldn’t explain the reason.
Especially not to Dang Soyeol.
It wasn’t because of me. It was because of the Poison King.
If I told Dang Soyeol that I was being hated because I had done this or that—
‘That man wouldn’t stop at merely sulking.’
I had no idea how the Poison King would react.
He might go from being mildly upset to outright resentful.
That was why I had to ask Dang Soyeol to tell them I would be visiting the Tang Clan.
If I said I was coming myself, it was obvious he’d prepare some troublesome task for me.
“Should I just tell him that you’re coming?”
“Yes. And write that you’ll be coming with me.”
“Ah, understood… Then when should I say you’ll be coming?”
“Hmm. It’ll probably be after the Azure Dragon Captain arrives… So I suppose about five days from now.”
Three to five days. That was just right.
By then—
‘I can finish laying out the bait, and investigate the Lord of Gyecheon Gate.’
At the same time, I could also make arrangements with the branch leader.
That was what this time was for.
Of course, it was only possible if the Dark King moved as I wanted and the branch leader acted according to my expectations…
‘There won’t be a problem.’
I wasn’t particularly worried.
I knew what the Dark King was capable of. And as far as I could tell, the branch leader wouldn’t stray from my predictions.
Besides, Cheol Ji-seon was already in motion, so there shouldn’t be any major problems.
‘Now, what remains is how I move.’
A great deal would change depending on which option I chose.
But my ultimate goal would not change.
That was the situation I had created.
“Then I’m counting on you.”
“Yes.”
After asking Dang Soyeol to do that, I looked outside.
The moon happened to be shining that night.
For some reason, seeing it made me feel that everything would proceed smoothly.
“Then, over the next few days… Shall I scatter some bait here and there?”
“Bait? What bait?”
Dang Soyeol tilted her head at my quiet whisper.
I smiled and answered.
“Ah, there’s something I need to catch.”
“If you’re catching something… Are you going fishing?”
“Something like that.”
It was fishing, in a sense.
The difference was that I wasn’t trying to catch fish.
‘I’m trying to catch the Azure Dragon.’
While cleaning up Gyecheon Gate,
I intended to kill two birds with one stone by luring out the Azure Dragon of the Martial Alliance—
catching him, cutting him up, and even slicing him into sashimi.
******************
And so, four days passed.
Just as I had expected, the Azure Dragon—the Azure Dragon Captain, Ilcheong Sword—appeared at the Sichuan Branch with his men.
And—
“Seongwang--!!”
He was—
“You bastard--! Where are you? I’ll kill you right now--!!”
—furious, with his sword drawn.