So-called forces or factions existed in countless numbers throughout the Central Plains.
Even the so-called Nine Great Sects and One Great School, or the Four Great Families, were such forces.
The Murim Alliance itself, which included them, was naught but a force, and the Demonic Cult likewise stood in such a position.
What mattered here was what role such forces played and what intentions they held.
Simply put, were they of the righteous faction or the unorthodox? That had to be the priority.
It had been the same in his previous life.
Even then, he had seen many bastards with strange, bizarre names.
There had been no end to those calling themselves martial sects or great houses from the start, but the real problem among them was...
‘Those who called themselves religious orders.’
If they caused a major problem, it was mostly those bastards.
Fanatics who worshipped something, addicted as though possessed.
This was not so strange in itself.
The Taoist or Buddhist orders—just looking at the representative Wudang or Shaolin was enough to see that.
It was only a matter of names; there was nothing odd about calling them religious orders, too. In fact, one could say they were quite successful ones.
However, what he was talking about here were the crazies among such religious orders.
Whenever trouble happened, it was always those bastards causing it.
Just look at the Demonic Cult. Either way, he had never seen a decent bastard among those with ‘Cult’ in their name.
In that sense.
‘The Ilcheon Cult?’
The sensation he felt upon hearing it now was nothing short of bone-chilling.
Crackle—! Crackle—!
Flames flickered in the night air. A small building was burning in its entirety.
Naturally, I was the one who had lit the fire.
I was burning everything to erase all traces of the bastards who had been inside, stroking my chin as I watched the blazing flames.
‘Something feels off.’
Bastards who had approached Gye Cheon-mun. Or those scheming something with Gye Cheon-mun.
That such bastards called themselves the Ilcheon Cult... After hearing the name, I felt an unease like nothing else.
‘In my previous life, the Gye Cheon-mun bastards obtained something from the Hidden Pavilion of the Geumcheon Yeon Clan.’
Thanks to that, the Sect Leader’s realm had soared dramatically, and he had even made a name for himself as a demonic master. He must have obtained quite an incredible fortuitous encounter back then. That was roughly what I had thought.
‘But what about now?’
I had cleaned out the Geumcheon Yeon Clan’s Hidden Pavilion. It hadn’t been an amazing fortuitous encounter that would make the Gye Cheon-mun Sect Leader’s realm soar like that, but... anyway, I was the one who had found and obtained it.
But then, what about the current Sect Leader?
‘That bastard was definitely not weak.’
He was far above his known realm. I could feel it just by looking at him.
‘He looked to be at the lower ranks of the Ten Great Experts.’
This wasn’t some mediocre Huajing. He possessed an aura far more stable and powerful.
He clearly hadn’t obtained the Hidden Pavilion either, so how could that be?
‘Ultimately, it means there is something.’
While I wondered what that something was, the name Ilcheon Cult made me think of many things.
The fortuitous encounter of the Geumcheon Yeon Clan that Gye Cheon-mun had obtained in my previous life.
And Ilcheon (One Heaven).
Only one heaven.
Whether that name was coincidence or inevitability... the name of the man who had been the lord of the Geumcheon Yeon Clan. And the man called a hero for stopping the Bloody Calamity back then.
Because it was identical to Yeon Ilcheon, the number one under heaven.
More than enough to get on my nerves.
******************
A day had passed since I burned the Ilcheon Cult bastards to death.
I hadn’t been able to kill them all, and it hadn’t been their main base, so it was time to expand the search range.
The only problem was...
‘I’m in a situation where it’s difficult for me to move.’
It was a point in time where I had certain matters to attend to, making it difficult to conduct a search personally.
Of course, there was no major issue in this regard since I had the Dark King, but...
‘It’s another matter to leave everything to that fellow.’
It felt incredibly awkward to keep ordering around a one-armed gentleman.
Of course, that didn’t mean I would search myself...
‘Because I’m not cut out for searching, either.’
If it were about smashing and overturning everything to find something, maybe.
Sneaking around and grasping things one by one didn’t suit my nature. I could do it if I tried, but... honestly, it would be much easier if someone better at it took over.
‘Tch.’
Right, let’s think positively.
‘Besides... for some reason, the Dark King also seems eager to do it.’
When I heard the name Ilcheon Cult, the Dark King had been beside me. After that, the Dark King had brought up wanting to dig a little deeper, seemingly hooked by something.
It was convenient since he had volunteered.
‘Sst.’
Tap, tap. I furrowed my brows, drumming the table.
“There is definitely something...”
There was something. Something enough to get on my nerves.
But I couldn’t figure out what that something was.
It was still an extremely unpleasant situation. While I was thinking deeply, hiding my frustrated emotions—
Knock, knock.
“Great Lord.”
I sensed a presence from beyond the door.
“It is Mun Dohyeok. May I enter for a moment?”
“Come in.”
A man entered. It was Mun Dohyeok, a member of the Seongryongdae.
“What is it?”
“I have come to report the current status of the investigation.”
“Ah.”
I nodded.
Once permission was given, Mun Dohyeok cautiously held out a letter. Taking it and unfurling it, I found the status of the past several days written there.
“Hmm.”
Reading through it quickly, I asked Mun Dohyeok,
“How many days’ worth is this?”
“Three days’ worth.”
“Is that so?”
Three days’ worth? Hearing this, I smirked.
“Got it. I’ve checked it, so you may leave.”
“Do you have any further orders?”
“None at the moment. For now, continue as you are... ah. Officer Mun.”
“Yes.”
“If possible, keep an eye on the Cheongnyongdae’s movements.”
“The... Cheongnyongdae, my lord?”
“Yeah. Nothing detailed. Just moderately.”
“Chu—...”
Mun Dohyeok left, and only then did I let out the laugh I had been holding back. Laughing for a while, I stopped and hardened my expression.
“Ah... hilarious.”
Crumple—! I immediately crumpled the letter and burned it.
It disappeared into ashes. There was no need to go out of my way to preserve it as information.
Since...
“It was useless information.”
Because the information Mun Dohyeok had brought was worthless, fake information.
The report he had brought—three days’ worth—looked decent on the outside, but the intelligence within was entirely meaningless.
The movements of Gye Cheon-mun. Pinpointing their location. Even the movements of their personnel were written there, but.
“Damn.”
It was all fake. I could be certain because I had what the Dark King had brought and what I had grasped myself.
Mun Dohyeok’s information was nothing but lies, only appearing decent on the surface.
“These bastards.”
Though I was cursing, my expression wasn’t all that bad.
Because I had expected this from the start.
If I had wanted proper information, there would have been no need to assign these fellows to begin with.
I could have investigated myself or ordered trustworthy men.
The reason I had assigned this fellow despite that was none other than the fact that I already knew the proper information, and...
‘Because this is more convenient for weeding them out.’
This method was convenient for picking out a few individuals. That was why I had deliberately assigned them.
‘I didn’t think they’d be this blatant about it.’
It was far too obvious.
‘Could it be that it looks even worse because I already know the information?’
That might have been the case, but whatever the reason, that wasn’t what was important.
What was important was...
‘That there were bastards who needed to be weeded out.’
That there were definitely fellows in the Seongryongdae who needed to be caught.
Especially Mun Dohyeok, who had just come to deliver the letter.
That bastard had transferred from none other than the Cheongnyongdae.
From what I had heard, the fellow had left almost as if expelled due to a lack of merit in the Cheongnyongdae as well.
It was quite a peculiar connection.
“Hmm.”
What to do about it. While pondering for a moment, I slowly rose to my feet.
I felt there was somewhere I needed to go.
*****************
The man who had exited Ouyang Tian’s quarters. Mun Dohyeok walked, hiding his urgent feelings.
As the presences around him dwindled, his expression gradually revealed itself. At a glance, it was clear he was extremely tense.
“Hoo... hoo.”
Clutching his violently pounding heart, he breathed out repeatedly.
Mun Dohyeok was terrified. He recalled Ouyang Tian’s eyes that he had faced until just now.
“Kgh...”
How could a person’s eyes be so terrifying? The pupils, tinged with a faint blue light, were sharp as though piercing through everything about him.
Eyes that seemed to say they knew everything he was doing. Recalling them, Mun Dohyeok slowly exhaled.
Could he have been found out? It was possible. Anxiety welled up, but Mun Dohyeok forced himself to hold back and moved his feet.
Avoiding people’s gazes, he walked further into the branch. Then.
“You’re here.”
At Mun Dohyeok’s intended destination, someone was already waiting.
Seeing this, Mun Dohyeok immediately fell to his knees.
It was far more polite and swifter than the attitude he had shown Ouyang Tian earlier.
“M-my respects to the Great Lord.”
The middle-aged man nodded. It was none other than Il Cheong-geom.
Il Cheong-geom, watching Mun Dohyeok, moved his hand slightly. At that moment, the surroundings wavered.
Whoosh—! Wind blew, and Mun Dohyeok’s hair moved slightly.
A barrier had been erected.
Once the surroundings grew silent, Il Cheong-geom looked at him and asked.
“Did you handle the matter well?”
“Y-yes...! I handled it surely as you ordered.”
‘As ordered.’ Focusing on that part, Il Cheong-geom smiled slightly.
“What was the Sacred King’s reaction? Did he seem suspicious?”
“At first, it seemed that way... but fortunately, he does not seem to harbor any particular suspicion.”
“Is that so?”
Il Cheong-geom reacted as if surprised at Mun Dohyeok’s words.
“He did not react...”
It was somewhat unexpected. Seeing this, Mun Dohyeok hastily added.
“Also. He gave one order.”
“Oh, an order, you say?”
“It was an order to observe the Cheongnyongdae’s movements.”
“Hmm.”
The Cheongnyongdae’s movements. Hearing that, Il Cheong-geom opened his eyes peculiarly. So the Sacred King was paying attention to that side as well?
It was fine. Even if he tried to pay attention now, it was already rather too late.
“What should I do...?”
Mun Dohyeok asked cautiously. Il Cheong-geom spoke to him indifferently.
“Proceed as the Sacred King said.”
“Do you mean that I should report regarding the Cheongnyongdae?”
“Yes. Only tell him what seems appropriately visible.”
“I-I understand.”
Only what is visible. At those words, Mun Dohyeok nodded repeatedly. Perhaps satisfied with that display, Il Cheong-geom smirked and patted his shoulder.
“As expected, your comprehension is quick. Our... our...”
The moment Mun Dohyeok’s eyes shone with the thought of being recognized.
“What was your name again?”
At Il Cheong-geom’s words, his pupils flickered for an instant.
“...It is Mun Dohyeok.”
“Ah, yes. I remember, Officer Mun.”
“...”
“I look forward to your continued good work. You remember what you must do?”
“...Yes.”
Recalling what he had to do, Mun Dohyeok slightly clenched his fist. An inexplicable anxiety welled up. Thus, he asked Il Cheong-geom what he had been holding back.
“I-I... Great Lord.”
“Hm?”
“A-as you said, once this matter is finished... will you take me back into the Cheongnyongdae?”
At Mun Dohyeok’s desperate question, Il Cheong-geom’s eyebrows twisted. But it was only for an instant. Il Cheong-geom quickly recovered his expression, smiled, and stroked Mun Dohyeok’s shoulder as he spoke.
“Why, did I not promise? Once you finish this matter, returning to the Cheongnyongdae is a given... and I said I would even prepare a proper position for you.”
At the words spoken as if to reassure him, Mun Dohyeok’s expression finally brightened slightly.
“Thank you...! I-I will work hard.”
“Yes, don’t worry and just do your assigned task diligently. You know, don’t you? That tomorrow is important.”
“I shall keep it firmly in mind—!”
Mun Dohyeok nodded earnestly.
Il Cheong-geom took a step back as he watched. Realizing what it meant, Mun Dohyeok rose.
“I shall take my leave now. Great Lord.”
“You’ve worked hard.”
“Yes...!”
After Mun Dohyeok left and disappeared, Il Cheong-geom, realizing the presence beyond the barrier had vanished,
“Tch.”
...immediately clicked his tongue and scrunched up his face.
“Worthless wretch.”
A reaction indicating his displeasure with Mun Dohyeok.
He expressed his annoyed expression without hiding it. The benevolent demeanor he had shown until just now was nowhere to be seen.
“How dare he, in front of anyone.”
The former Cheongnyongdae member who had been before him until just now. What was his name? Was it Mun Hyeok-do or Mun Dohyeok? It was a fellow not even worth remembering properly.
But what did he say to his face?
‘Will you really take me back once the work is done?’
Recalling those words, Il Cheong-geom clicked his tongue once more.
A bastard who doesn’t know his place dared say what to him?
He had seemed like suitable bait, so he had intended to use him, yet the moment he gave him a chance, the wretch seemed to get ahead of himself.
He wanted to just dispose of him, but...
‘No... it doesn’t matter.’
Il Cheong-geom quickly changed his expression and thought. If he thought about it carefully, what did it matter?
He had indeed promised to give him a position upon returning, so if he simply handled his work properly, he really would have given it.
Indeed.
‘If he returns, that is.’
If the bastard could properly return to Ha-nam, that is.
‘Bait has no need to be used again once the fish is hooked.’
It was no different for that bastard. Therefore, it did not matter.
Thinking thus, Il Cheong-geom turned and disappeared.
Beyond the barrier that dissolved as its caster vanished. Blue eyes watched this from afar.
Ouyang Tian revealed his presence, capturing the recent scene in his eyes.
“Well, now...”
Watching Il Cheong-geom’s disappearing back, he couldn’t help but worry.
“Where should I make his grave?”
Where, how, and when should he bury him?
It was truly a delightful dilemma.