Chapter 168. If I’m to Understand You Properly

“The Divine Physician? Can that man really remove the poison?”

I answered Azure Sword’s question honestly.

“I don’t know. How would I know? Am I a physician?”

Azure Sword’s eyes widened.

“……”

As we spoke, Azure Sword’s expression changed from despair to hope, then was dyed once more in despair.

“Whether he can treat it or not is something the physician must see for himself. But I guarantee you, if that man can’t treat it, then no one can.”

That was the Murong Bai I knew.

Azure Sword asked with his eyes wide open.

“There is something I’m curious about. Why me? If you wanted information, Squad Leader Shi would know far more. Or did I simply survive because I was lucky?”

“As if. If everything in the world ran on coincidence and luck, it wouldn’t be any fun.”

I got up, rummaged through the wreckage of the shattered Chunmong Inn, and pulled out the silver tael embedded in a pillar.

It was the money I had received from Azure Sword after ripping him off with cheap liquor.

I tossed the silver tael to Azure Sword.

Of course, the meaning behind that bastard throwing money at me and the meaning with which I had accepted it were different.

But it didn’t matter.

Because the only bastard worth keeping alive was the one who seemed clear about his accounts. The beggar was sinister, Demon Fairy had been fond of killing even in my previous life, and I had never intended to let Squad Leader Shi live from the beginning.

As Azure Sword stared blankly at the silver tael, I said,

“That silver tael now has a different meaning from any other silver tael. It’s worth more than a bamboo hat, so keep it carefully.”

Azure Sword fiddled with the silver tael as if he found it strange, then tucked it into his robes.

I looked down at Azure Sword with my arms crossed and said,

“Now let’s talk business. And settle accounts, too.”

“What accounts?”

“Business first.”

“Speak.”

I looked at the collapsed Chunmong Inn, then spoke to Azure Sword.

“I’ll collect compensation for the damage to Chunmong Inn from your leader, so let’s set that aside for now.”

“……”

“After you receive treatment from Haomun’s Life-and-Death Divine Physician, if you’re lucky and the poison doesn’t relapse, cooperate with me until I beat your leader to death.”

Azure Sword replied.

“What must I cooperate with?”

“Everything. What I need to know. What would be good for me to know. Movements, strategies, secret reports, operational proposals…… Anything. All of it.”

Azure Sword answered cautiously.

“If it means not merely surviving without purpose, but removing the poison and escaping slavery, it is not difficult. I will cooperate.”

“Good. Once I kill your leader, live however you want, go wherever you want. The contract ends there.”

There was no reason for him to refuse when I was offering him freedom. And from what I saw, this bastard wasn’t the type to say one thing and do another. Rather, he was a rigid man who kept the words he spoke to the point of frustration.

Azure Sword nodded.

“Good. What do you mean by settling accounts?”

I took a sheet from the bundle of drafts rolled up inside my robes and placed it on Azure Sword’s table. Since it had been rolled up, the draft curled inward, so I pressed it flat with my fingers and said,

“It’s an advance payment.”

“Mm.”

“Until the organization you belonged to is smashed to pieces by my hands, use this to eat, sleep, and drink. If there is anything you must report, whether by horse or carriage, come running to me with utmost sincerity and tell me.”

Azure Sword held the draft with a bewildered expression and examined it.

I watched Azure Sword’s expression, then added,

“Your gaze is far too murderous, so buy yourself a bamboo hat of a different shape as well.”

Azure Sword nodded.

“Understood.”

“Officially, to our enemies, you died here today. You’re a dead man.”

“I shall act like a dead man.”

“I let Ye Yehong live and sent him off, so he will be the one to officially announce your death. You heard what he said while running away at the end, right? Though whether he’ll actually avenge you is questionable.”

Azure Sword gave a cold smile.

“He’s all mouth, so I never expected anything.”

“Changing into new clothes will make it easier for you to move around, too.”

Only then did Azure Sword seem to realize what he had to do, and his expression changed from moment to moment. First, he had to treat his poisoned state, then monitor his original organization under a new identity. That was Azure Sword’s mission.

Leaving only one table behind, I kicked the beggar, Demon Fairy, and Squad Leader Shi into the wreckage of the inn. Since they were poisoned corpses anyway, if left alone, wild animals or some incomprehensible phenomenon would spread a plague.

A short while later, I burned the shattered Chunmong Inn together with the corpses.

As I watched the inn engulfed in flames, my temper quietly flared again.

It was fortunate that I had evacuated the innkeeper and his people and saved their lives, but I felt sorry for deliberately settling here and causing them damage.

At least I remembered the faces of the inn’s people, so it was only right that I compensate them somehow later. I thought that if I later built an inn here that also served as a branch of Haomun, the original owner would someday come looking for it.

While the inn burned, I took out the Flash Dagger and left words on the only remaining table.

“I will compensate you later.”

I made the table into a signpost and drove it into the ground.

After finishing the cleanup, I said to Azure Sword,

“Let’s go.”

Azure Sword was injured anyway and could not move quickly. While heading toward Murong Bai, I intended to slowly hear about the unidentified organization.

* * *

“……Then the officer who knows the most is the White-Faced Young Master (Baimian Gongzi)?”

“Most likely. When the White-Faced Young Master assigned a task, many experts were mobilized. Even Squad Leader Shi spoke respectfully to the White-Faced Young Master.”

“What about the other squad leaders?”

“They’re scattered, so I don’t know. I was never introduced to the organization as a whole, either. In truth, Valley Master Youxiang’s skills are not inferior to Squad Leader Shi’s, but since he was in a position where he had to receive the antidote, he probably couldn’t act recklessly.”

If Murong Bai could save Azure Sword, that meant he could detoxify even Valley Master Youxiang.

If so, this was possible because Murong Bai existed.

Detoxifying those who had been oppressed because of poison and bringing down these bastards’ organization.

In a sense, when it came to defeating one of the Five Evils, the most important role had fallen not to me, but to Murong Bai.

Only then did I ask Azure Sword.

“So…… who the hell is it?”

Until now, Azure Sword had not said a single word about the leader. Azure Sword stopped walking for a moment and looked around. As if trying to overcome his fear, he barely managed to open his mouth.

“The Third Grand Duke (San Da Gong).”

For a moment, I asked back in bewilderment.

“What are you talking about? Who is the Third Grand Duke?”

'Is it not the Five Evils?' The question rose to my throat before sinking back down. Because it could be different from the nickname I knew, or my guess could simply be wrong from the start.

Byeokgeom continued his explanation.

"I thought you roughly knew. I am speaking of the Third Young Master."

"......."

"The Cult Leader's third son."

Words failed me, so I stared blankly at Byeokgeom.

"So that's why everyone was surprised when I mentioned the Cult Leader earlier. After all, it meant we were acquainted with the superior of the superior we so struggle with. But there are circumstances at play. This bastard is probably thrashing about just to survive. The Cult Leader has left the Deputy Cult Leader position vacant in advance to avoid repeating his predecessor's mistake, and is watching from the sidelines as his successors fight. He needs to scrape together money, gather experts, and if he fails to ascend to the Deputy Cult Leader position, eventually even the maternal family forces of the Third Young Master could be annihilated, so……"

"So in the end, your organization's core consists of the Third Young Master and his maternal family?"

"Exactly. They must be throwing all their strength into it. If he fails to become the Deputy Cult Leader, he could be annihilated by the other Deputy Cult Leader candidates, or else fall victim to the Cult Leader later. Since no one knows what the Cult Leader is thinking, they have no choice but to prepare. That is also why they do not distinguish between means and methods."

"Then who do you suspect the White-Faced Gentleman to be?"

"It is most likely someone from the Third Young Master's maternal family. The great lords frequently answer the Cult Leader's summons, making it difficult to focus solely on external activities. A martial arts expert from the maternal family has probably become the overall commander and is preparing for the succession war."

I recalled how the Cult Leader had suddenly appeared at the Blood Night Palace.

The cult's intelligence organization might have been surveilling the Blood Night Palace.

It seems the successors' family lines are scattered and also serve as intelligence organizations. Anyway, these bastards too must constantly prove their competence if they want to survive the Cult Leader.

The Cult Leader was a man who would work people to the bone and then dispose of them once they were useless.

I organized my thoughts as I headed toward the Black Cat Chamber.

* * *

Returning after a long while, surrounded by the subordinates of the Black Cat Chamber, I spoke to Moyongbaek.

"Sir."

"Yes."

I pointed at Byeokgeom.

"It seems this nasty-eyed bastard has taken poison."

Moyongbaek had been coming to support me together with the Black Cat Chamber subordinates, so we were able to reunite midway.

Moyongbaek looked at Byeokgeom and spoke.

"He looks perfectly fine on the outside."

"What does that mean?"

"It means the antidote will be difficult to make."

I smiled and looked at Moyongbaek.

"It is a rather complex poison with many things tangled together. If we cannot unravel it, I will be in trouble, and Haomun will be in trouble."

"Please explain in a bit more detail."

I explained to Moyongbaek as we walked.

"The Cult Leader's Third Young Master. It seems all the martial arts experts of the jianghu who were forced to submit to that Third Young Master's faction have taken poison. If we can free them with an antidote, quite a lot of fighting force will turn away from the Third Young Master. You could say that simply creating the antidote would spark an internal strife. After all, these bastards are carrying out the Cult Leader's orders, so it is an opportunity to weaken the cult's military power as well. Much depends on the antidote."

Moyongbaek nodded.

I poured everything I had into spurring Moyongbaek on.

"Is the poison of the Demonic Path superior? Or are Sir Moyong's medical skills and antidotes superior? Let us find out."

Moyongbaek let out a hollow laugh, perhaps at a loss.

"……Gate Lord, this is no easy task."

I slapped Moyongbaek on the back and said.

"I agree. It is no easy task. Since I am always risking my life, you too should undertake your research with a light heart. Never worry about material costs, travel expenses, research and development costs, and the like. I will support you perfectly. Did I not beat up those dark path bastards all this time and steal their money precisely to support this kind of thing? Funds are plentiful, so do not worry."

"......."

Moyongbaek spoke to me with a very uncomfortable expression.

"My heart feels so much lighter."

"Good."

"Peace settles upon my heart."

"That is the right mindset."

I stopped walking for a moment and spoke to the Black Cat Chamber subordinates.

"Let us all give Sir Moyong, who is working so hard, a round of applause. Go on."

As I started clapping, the monkey brats training in the Black Cat Chamber grinned and started clapping along.

I placed my hands on my hips and said.

"Listen well, everyone."

"Yes."

"Our lives hang on Sir Moyong."

Moyongbaek's nostrils flared repeatedly for a moment. I gave an order to Sogunpyeong.

"Sogunpyeong."

"Yes, Gate Lord."

"Select two subordinates who have trained with exceptional diligence and severity all this time, triple their monthly pay, and assign them as Sir Moyong's dedicated bodyguards. It is a promotion."

Sogunpyeong cupped his fists toward me.

"I accept the order."

I nodded and then called for Chaseongtae.

"Chief Steward Cha."

"Yes, Gate Lord."

"From now on, do not ask me about funds that Sir Moyong requests. Approve them yourself and see that they are all disbursed swiftly."

"Understood."

I pointed at Moyongbaek.

"Our lives hang on Sir Moyong."

The moment I finished speaking, the Black Cat Chamber subordinates applauded again and cheered for Moyongbaek.

"Sir, we are counting on you."

"When did you join Haomun? Welcome."

"Are we not holding a separate welcome ceremony?"

Since the subordinates were chattering away at random, I quelled the disturbance.

"Shut up for a bit."

"Yes."

I looked around at the subordinates and asked.

"Where are our Chamber Lord Daeo, Chamber Lord Hwang, and Knight-Errant Hwang who defeated the horse bandits?"

Moyongbaek answered.

"He collapsed the moment he arrived at the Black Cat Chamber."

"Fainting is good. Let us go."

"Yes."

I walked with my hands clasped behind my back and let out a sigh. Bored, I cursed mindlessly.

"I tell you, the jianghu has lost all sense of decency."

Chaseongtae, who was following behind, replied.

"Indeed."

I organized what I had been thinking all this time and spoke to the subordinates.

"Listen well, everyone."

"Yes."

“From now on, anyone who enters Haomun will first be put through harsh physical training by So Gunpyeong and weeded out. If they pass that, Master Hoyeon will teach them swordsmanship. The most outstanding talents taught by Master Hoyeon will then go on to Master Yukhap…….”

Only then did I check whether Master Yukhap was alive or dead.

“Is that bastard still alive?”

Cha Seongtae answered.

“Yes. For a few days he kept wearing a look like he’d chewed on shit, but as soon as he recovered, he must have gotten bored, because he often sparred with Master Hoyeon.”

“Who wins? His internal energy can’t be normal.”

“Even with his internal energy not being normal, Master Yukhap wins most of the time.”

“I see.”

I roughly explained Haomun’s future plans to my subordinates.

“……Soon we’ll establish several branches, take in orphans, spread money around, use them as an intelligence organization, and do all sorts of things. But the most important task will be for those who belong to our Haomun to join forces and—”

I stopped walking and looked at my subordinates.

“So Gunpyeong will teach them, Seongtae will grind them down, Master Hoyeon will teach them, Master Moyong will treat them, and as for that bastard Yukhap, who knows. At any rate, we’ll pour all our strength into raising chivalrous heroes. That will be our mid- to long-term goal.”

I grinned and said,

“Among them, I’ll take the most outstanding talent as my disciple later. After all, to properly understand the mishmash of martial arts I’ve learned and the erratic things I say, an ordinary genius won’t be enough. Everyone got that?”

My subordinates looked at me, then all cupped their fists.

“Understood, Sect Leader.”

“Let’s go.”