---

**

In the chilly air, Su-ryeon spoke.

“You have good eyesight.”

“And your hearing seems to be quite decent as well.”

“Young lady, I am in awe. You are more impressive than I had heard.”

Amidst the brief whistle, all traces of presence vanished completely.

Su-ryeon whispered.

“Are you satisfied?”

“Please take care of one more.”

“…Shouldn’t the young lady also have some trust?”

“……”

Silently, I flicked my sword.

Su-ryeon sighed.

“…Hoo.”

A short signal was sent.

The last presence disappeared.

“Please follow me, young lady. I have prepared a place for conversation.”

“Let’s do it here.”

“…The night wind is quite cold, Great Hero.”

“You don’t seem to have the skills to freeze to death.”

“You certainly have your stubborn side. However, could you also consider the young lady’s worries? She is fragile. If the cold wind sweeps over her, she will soon fall ill.”

“I said to do it here.”

“…There might be ears that are listening. The young lady is concerned about the two people secretly following you.”

Gu Yangdo and Purple Sword.

She must be referring to Geumpyeong and Myochoa.

I had noticed the tailing long ago. The only reason I left them alone was that they hadn’t interfered with me.

The one who introduced herself as Su-ryeon sighed.

“The young lady can’t be exposed to the surface. It would be troublesome if someone like Purple Sword or Gu Yangdo discovered her.”

“…….”

“Please consider the circumstances, Great Hero.”

“Can I trust you?”

“If I intended to kill you, would I not have attacked you already? Please trust the young lady.”

Su-ryeon, who had walked across the roof, took my hand and led me.

Suddenly, the roof gave way. She entered before me and guided me inside.

“Further in.”

A labyrinth of secret passages. After navigating through a few, we arrived at a room with walls on all sides.

I glanced up.

I stopped without entering.

Su-ryeon gestured.

“These are the ones that the young lady prepared in advance… but I will remove them all.”

All traces of presence gathered on the ceiling vanished.

“Please sit. I may not have much skill to boast of, but I’ve heard I possess decent knowledge in tea ceremony.”

She poured tea.

Of course, I didn’t drink.

“Let’s get to the point.”

“You are a cautious individual, aren’t you?”

The wariness I had was within her grasp.

Countless concealed weapons looked as if they would explode at any moment. They were covered in black cloth, but I could see them all.

Having too many weapons for merely being an informant hinted at something else.

“So…”

Silent footsteps. But the number of weapons was different from Black Wind’s.

“What does the assassin want from me?”

“…Young lady, I am once again impressed. To have noticed at once that we are people from Sapa. The reputation of the Great Hero is insignificant in comparison.”

“Please just tell me what you want.”

“If you wish.”

Su-ryeon lifted the fox mask slightly.

An impassive expression greeted me.

Her voice also became serious.

“What the young lady desires is simple. Revenge. She was used by Shaolin and then discarded.”

“Excuse me?”

“The Sapa led by the young lady assisted Shaolin in the shadows. Not only did we provide all necessary funds, but we also did not hesitate to eliminate rivals. Countless sects silently vanished by our hand. However, that final blade reversed back to us.”

Su-ryeon pressed her chest.

“With the previous head and the Sapa destroyed, only ten assassins remain apart from me.”

“…….”

“All the young lady wishes is for Shaolin to pay the price. And since the goals of the Great Hero and the young lady align, I have requested this meeting.”

“I have no intention of involving myself in someone else’s revenge. I do not intend to be used as a tool, either.”

I stood up.

But Su-ryeon shook her head.

“Don’t think the young lady’s wish is the complete obliteration of Shaolin. She only wants to strip away what Sapa had given them. Since it is what we achieved, it would not matter if we eliminate them, would it?”

“……?”

“The young lady’s and Great Hero’s interests align. The young lady knows the circumstances surrounding the current missing person case that you wish to understand. And as you investigate it, the young lady’s goals will naturally be accomplished as well.”

“What do you mean…?”

“The missing persons case involves Shaolin.”

Su-ryeon opened her mouth.

“Are you familiar with the ‘Weird Monk’?”

…

Weird Monk.

Su-ryeon chewed over that name, which she had spoken herself.

The nemesis of Sapa. A name that pierced through the current situation.

“…Could you explain?”

The man before me asked. Su-ryeon stole a glance at him.

The atmosphere was heavy. Though his background wasn’t apparent, he seemed to be hiding much.

What kind of person is he?

I thought perhaps as we conversed, the questions would unravel. Yet unlike the scattered information, Su-ryeon sought something beyond that.

Could he be the kind of man capable of defeating the Weird Monk?

I didn’t know. It was all uncertain. However, if I let this opportunity slip, I wouldn’t be able to dream of revenge against Shaolin again.

There are moments when one has no choice but to gamble.

Just like now.

“…The Weird Monk is a rumor that has floated around since ancient times. He is quite famous in Hanam Province. The term refers to a monk twisted because he couldn’t let go of what he should have.”

“What do you mean ‘couldn’t let go’?”

“It’s a simple tale. The teachings cultivated at Shaolin ultimately aim for the salvation of beings through letting go. And to reach that, one must shed their possessions one by one. Family. Friends. Bonds. Love. Only by achieving liberation from all these can one attain Nirvana. Thus, only then can one reach the realm where they can save others.”

“……”

“However, the Weird Monk refers to those who cannot let go of what they should have and become trapped. While the initial purpose may start from a good intention, the end results can be dark. Ultimately, these are the grotesque monsters that are unable to forsake their greed.”

“Could you explain a bit more in detail?”

“Very well.”

Su-ryeon pressed her lips together for tea.

“There was a former head monk at Shaolin named Great Master Cheonil (天日大師), a man named Gye-yeop.”

“…….”

“I believe you would agree he was a person of good character. Even during our first meeting, he was outstanding. In the meeting I saw for the first time, led by the previous head, he alone exuded nobility.”

A figure that could be imagined if the Buddha had reincarnated.

And his intentions were also noble.

“The reason Great Master Cheonil came to Sapa was to request the eradication of the Sapa in the area of Shaolin.”

“That is not something a monk would utter.”

“In a way, it was a significant decision. The Sapa roaming around Hanam Province had entangled itself with the local officials. They took complete advantage of the inviolability of the administrative affairs and frequently pulled favorable situations. The Martial Alliance could not readily interfere either.”

“……”

“To resolve the situation would require violence. However, cruel violence is the story furthest from Shaolin. That is why Great Master Cheonil came to us. To bear that burden alone.”

But what began with kindness did not end with kindness.

Once a monk tastes blood, they can never separate from the mortal realm.

He was like that.

“The beginning was smooth. Sapa was the king of shadows, and eliminating the Sapa was easy. We also took down the officials we colluded with based on the commission. We were the sword, and Great Master Cheonil wielded that sword without hesitation.”

“…….”

“However, the funds Great Master Cheonil had were insufficient to deal with all of them. Having spent his life honing his devotion, it was only natural that he wouldn’t have any accumulated wealth, right?”

“…That’s not incorrect.”

“Great Master Cheonil began to take over the businesses of the deceased Sapa. He did it to bring closure to what he started. However, from the moment he took over those businesses, he was consumed by greed.”

“…….”

“Indulgence became the norm. He began to delegate personal matters to us. We were a sword, so if he paid us, we would do as ordered. However, we had sworn not to touch anyone who wasn’t a warrior, so we didn’t strike those who couldn’t wield a sword. The moment Great Master Cheonil’s requests began to target civilians, Sapa refused those commissions.”

“…That means…”

“Yes. It became the catalyst. That was the reason Shaolin began to eliminate Sapa. Great Master Cheonil raided the Sapa headquarters and erased all records of himself. At the same time, he killed everyone who had seen him. He said it was to excise the rotten limb—but it was closer to true monstrosity.”

“What happened to him?”

“Officially, he died. I witnessed him spitting blood by the current head of Shaolin, Gongbaek. Numerous witnesses were present. He was buried. Beneath the ground. Deep.”

“Officially…”

“We later secretly dug up his grave. To carry out a cruel punishment.”

I remember that day.

Leading my subordinates, I had secretly infiltrated Shaolin, digging up a grave while losing a few.

It was a rainy day. The damp smell of earth brushed against my nostrils.

The shovel struck the earth. It touched the lid of the coffin.

However…

“There was no corpse.”

He is alive.

Without a doubt, somewhere.

Su-ryeon fiddled with her teacup.

“There is a commonality among those who go missing, Great Hero. That commonality is that most of the missing persons are vagrants. They are individuals who have nothing to lose, so there’s hardly anyone to search for them after they disappear.”

“…….”

“If you promise to continue together, then I will share more, Great Hero.”

“Then let me inquire about one thing. Is it correct to speculate that Shaolin is the culprit? And that behind this lies the Weird Monk, who is alive and commands them?”

“I can assure you there is at least a connection. The information we gathered is closely tied to them.”

Su-ryeon reached out. She placed her hand on Jeok-un’s hand.

“I am not asking for revenge from Sapa, Great Hero. You merely need to do what you must. Below that, we will support you. Instead…”

Su-ryeon thought of the previous head.

The Sapa leader, who was brutally torn apart and killed.

He issued his final command in blood. A perfect assassination order demanding the death of Great Master Cheonil.

“The young lady wishes for the collapse of the businesses currently held by Shaolin, alongside the complete death of the Weird Monk. That is all she desires.”

“…….”

Jeok-un.

The Martial Alliance Inspector paused. His gaze toward me was filled with suspicion.

Surely, he couldn’t trust me.

I don’t think I could make everything clear with a single encounter. What’s lacking would simply need to be shown through action.

“From now on, I will share all information I gather with you, Great Hero. Please trust the young lady and leave it to her. We will be a reliable foundation for you.”

“…If I am involved with Sapa, will my position not become awkward?”

“The young lady will act as nothing more than a fish beneath the surface. Since she is not visible, there will be no one to suspect, and the Great Hero won’t have to worry about the back.”

“If you wish, you can certainly hold a weakness over me. Since I have vowed to dedicate my life to revenge, nothing is more important to the young lady than this.”

“…….”

Jeok-un let out a sigh.

“Please give me time to think.”

Su-ryeon nodded.

“I will guide you out.”

After passing through several passageways, she led him outside. Before he departed, he asked.

“May I hold your hand just once?”

“…My hand?”

His unexpected request broke Su-ryeon’s serious expression. With a blink, she slowly extended her hand.

Does he want to draw blood or something? It doesn’t matter. If he refuses, the way to revenge would vanish entirely.

Sapa has nearly fallen apart, and Shaolin still stands tall.

Not to mention, she knew that one Weird Monk was the reason Sapa met its demise. Thus, it was nearly impossible for her to kill him alone, as she had yet to reach full strength.

She needed an ally. A warrior to stand by her side. Even if it was a dangerous endeavor…

To accept him as her ally, she’d have to take the risk.

But it felt strange. It didn’t feel like she would be caught; it was simply a gentle touch of their hands.

“My master said that there is much within a hand. Just by holding it, you can roughly see how one has lived.”

“……”

His hand was solid and large. Simultaneously, there was something peculiar about it.

It felt like standing before a mountain.

Though I felt no force, it was immense. Absurdly so.

“Can I trust Su-ryeon?”

“……”

His upturned gaze was profound.

Su-ryeon hesitated. She nodded slightly.

There was no falsehood in the words she had uttered. Only sincerity.

“Please trust the young lady.”

“It is agreed.”

Jeok-un released her hand. Suddenly curious, Su-ryeon asked him.

“What did you see from my hand?”

“I saw traces.”

He turned his back.

“You are quite a diligent person, Su-ryeon.”

“…….?”

What could that mean?

He vanished. Su-ryeon followed the shadow that had disappeared with her eyes.

What a strange fellow. Something feels…

…Just like that.

 

---