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“Hey, sleep…!”

Myochoa clung to me. I pushed her away.

A sudden strike from a golden serpent was laced with internal energy.

“Let’s talk for a moment!”

“Didn’t we already?”

“Don’t say that…!”

How self-righteous.

I countered the stealthy strike of the golden serpent. Dodging all angles of attack, I disrupted her stance.

“What?!”

Startled, she gathered more power. Is she mad? Does she plan to use an assassin?

Quickly scanning the area, I found three Huhcho and one Silcho.

The upper right.

—Kaaang!

A metallic sound echoed from the flesh. It indicated the strength of the thread.

Myochoa, sliding down, trembled as she looked at her shaking hands.

“How did you… block that?!”

I shook off the internal energy that had stuck to my hands. Her slightly swollen skin quickly returned to normal.

“To oppose the actions of a Martial Alliance Inspector with brute force… Is that the will of the Elder Council?”

“Oh, no! This is…! Just a conversation…!”

“I said I’ve nothing more to discuss.”

I wasn’t pleased.

I despised the words of someone who takes others’ sacrifices for granted.

“Regardless of what intentions Lady Myochoa harbors, I have no concern for them. But if you try to impose those intentions on me…”

I warned her in a low voice.

“Then I won’t just stand by.”

“…Profit…!”

Myochoa gritted her teeth.

“What makes you so special?! Do you think this situation can be turned around without anyone sacrificing?! For the greater good, some must inevitably die! This is… this is the fastest way! The only way to rectify the tyranny of the Martial Alliance Leader…!”

“You’ve got it wrong.”

I no longer turned back.

“If you’re speaking of the greater good, the first to sacrifice themselves should be you. Isn’t that true righteousness?”

“…You!”

I ignored the shout from behind. To think that the so-called greatest beauty of the Martial Alliance showed such a face…

Pathetic.

I dislike people who take sacrifices for granted and speak of them casually.

Even if that justice is hers…

That justice is not the same as mine.

Then where is my justice? I like martial arts. My desire to catch up with the Heavenly Demon has never wavered.

But when I look back on that path itself, I want a road that I won’t be ashamed of.

Not being ashamed of myself is a rather ambiguous description, isn’t it?

But I understand. I…

Do not wish to compromise reality for the sake of righteousness.

I seek to rescue the wronged. To fight for those who cannot fight.

To save them all…

And with the tip of my sword, I shall grasp the two things I desire most.

Honor is good. It will aid my original mission.

But I will not sacrifice myself for that honor.

“Jeok-un.”

Su-ryeon, appearing from the shadows, bowed her head towards me.

I gazed at her quietly. I recalled the information she’d gathered while probing Hanam Province.

The evidences that supported her words. And all of them, without a single error, matched what Su-ryeon said.

The collapse of Sapa near Shaolin.

The sudden annihilation of Sapa.

Legends about strange beings.

Even the perfectly organized disappearance sites.

“Su-ryeon.”

“Yes, Jeok-un.”

“Please call me by my name. I have done nothing worthy of being called a hero.”

I looked down at her intently.

I had felt it before…

She was small.

Though she exuded an adult aura, her youthful appearance could only be that of a girl.

Had her body not grown? Or was she originally young?

I refrained from asking because it didn’t seem like a worthy inquiry.

Instead, I bent down. Lowering my posture, I met her gaze.

“To be honest, I still don’t know. What is truth and what is falsehood?”

“There is not a single lie in the girl’s words.”

“It’s too much to trust a simple statement when there’s so much at stake.”

Cheonil and her.

Shaolin and me.

I extended my hand.

“Thus, for the last time, I will ask a certainty.”

“…….”

“Su-ryeon.”

The moonlight shone down on us. I carefully examined the small, delicate hand I held.

“Can I trust you?”

Su-ryeon hesitated briefly. She fidgeted her hand atop mine.

A tiny nod. The formal tone crumbled, giving way to a more genuine manner.

“…Please trust me, Jeok-un.”

With those words, I solidified my resolve.

“Then I shall trust you. Sincerely.”

…

Su-ryeon.

The last leader of Sapa.

She revealed her cards. It was clear that all she truly desired was vengeance, as she showed me the final assassins of Sapa without hesitation.

“They start from the first on the left, going up to the tenth. They are the elite of Sapa, my limbs since the day I was born.”

Each one was a powerful warrior. Masters at their peak.

The short swords and their stealthy bodies certainly suited assassins. They were honed to an astonishing degree.

These are the ones who make a profession of killing?

But why? I don’t sense the smell of blood.

“…Su-ryeon. I have a question.”

“You may ask.”

Su-ryeon’s tone had relaxed slightly.

“You are the last leader of Sapa, right?”

“That’s correct.”

“But why… is there no smell of blood?”

“They are my personal guards. Trained since childhood to protect me. They have never engaged in killing. They only watch over me.”

“Then why from you…?”

“I had other matters far more important than killing. Completing the martial arts that had once broken. I received no missions. I had to focus on ‘training.'”

Su-ryeon training, huh.

The last leader of Sapa looked back at me.

“I understand what you’re thinking, but please don’t say it out loud. It’s something I’ve heard from the previous leader of Sapa too often. I don’t want to hear it.”

“Alright. But may I ask your age…?”

“I’ve just undergone my coming-of-age ceremony. I’m now prepared to step into the world.”

Isn’t that a bit… small for that?

The leader of Sapa, Su-ryeon, frowned.

“…I know. I understand that my age and appearance don’t match. But this is something innate. I have this constitution called the ‘Evil Face, Heavenly Pulse.’ I will not grow any taller. This is where it ends.”

“The ‘Evil Face, Heavenly Pulse’…?”

“It’s an acquired constitution, not an innate one. A result of everyone in Sapa exerting their efforts to inherit the vision and martial arts that had been disrupted. Do you know about the ‘Evil Cultivator’?”

“I do not.”

“It is said to be the martial arts used by the legendary assassin, the Black Heavenly Demon. I started training again with the secret techniques I stumbled upon. Because…”

Su-ryeon turned her head.

“Only the girl and her personal guards survived. That is because I had to leave to learn it.”

“……”

“We seem to have strayed from our topic. Jeok-un. If you have another plan, that’s fine too, but how about listening to what I have in mind?”

“Please explain.”

The leader of Sapa, Su-ryeon, pointed to a few locations on a map.

“It’s not an exaggeration to say that Shaolin has permeated all of Hanam Province. What’s important is that these aren’t just a single faction.”

“…What do you mean?”

“One is kidnapping, while the other is diligently tracking the traces. In other words…”

“…There are factions within Shaolin?”

“Exactly.”

Su-ryeon tapped the map.

“The current leader of Shaolin is Heavenly Seer Gongbaek. He is known as Bul-jun, the most esteemed one. And among those with the greatest power beneath him are Master Na Han and Master Jang Gyeong. Importantly, these three are in a state of opposition.”

“Why…?”

“Heavenly Seer Gongbaek is a rare person in current Shaolin. I don’t know what his true intentions are, but he advocates returning to the past, abandoning all ventures. In contrast, Master Na Han and Master Jang Gyeong are the ones who hold the most businesses in Shaolin. As a result, several buildings in Shaolin have been constructed to maintain its prestige in gold.”

“…Is that something a monk should be doing?”

“That’s the current state of Shaolin. Gongbaek faces many difficulties carrying out his plans as many disciples are rebelling against the idea of returning to the past. With public opinion unfavorable, reforms cannot be made. If the leader of Shaolin tries to change everything solely through brute force, the very essence of Shaolin’s existence would be negated. If everything is resolved through violence instead of the teachings of Buddha, then it defeats the purpose of cultivating virtue. Moreover, Gongbaek himself possesses a weak nature. An indecisive and hesitant man. He has nearly abandoned all responsibilities of leadership, leading a hermitic lifestyle, so he has almost no support base.”

Su-ryeon drew circles on the map.

“The locations where disappearances occurred, though they may seem unrelated at first glance, are all connected. The pattern shows that disappearances happen around businesses linked to Master Na Han and Master Jang Gyeong. While their scale is large enough to escape most people’s notice, our investigations indicate that it is indeed certain. Small or large, every case of disappearance is related to Master Na Han and Master Jang Gyeong.”

“…I see.”

I quietly gazed at the red circles drawn on the map.

“That said, I cannot predict the next incident’s location.”

“That’s right. They can abduct people wherever they desire, and we cannot monitor this vast area at all times.”

“Then there’s only one answer.”

“What will you do?”

“Heavenly Seer Gongbaek. I must meet the leader of the current Shaolin.”

“…Gongbaek, unless presented with evidence, will not accept anything. Moreover, he might be deeper in this affair than one would expect. It’s akin to walking into a tiger’s den. Shaolin is dangerous. Very much so.”

Su-ryeon stared at me intently.

“Jeok-un, it’s better to take your time and proceed carefully. We wait for the enemy to make mistakes. Then both you and I can grasp what we desire.”

“The blood we must shed until then is unacceptable.”

“……”

“There might be crucial information mixed in our dialogue with Gongbaek. I share Su-ryeon’s concern that it is a somewhat reckless challenge…”

I slid the map slightly.

“This is my way.”

“…That’s a rather reckless method.”

“Do you regret our agreement?”

“No, I do not regret it. There likely wouldn’t have been another opportunity. But…”

Su-ryeon looked up at me.

“I think I’m beginning to understand what kind of person Jeok-un is.”

“What kind of person am I?”

“You are quite a rare individual.”

That doesn’t sound like a compliment…

“……”

…Is that all?

Before heading to Gongbaek, I decided to visit the vagrants who lost their families.

I needed to update them on my progress so they could sleep peacefully.

As I returned, their previously gloomy expressions lifted.

“Really? Is there progress in the matter…?”

“It seems I have at least found leads. I cannot confirm anything yet, but I felt it was important to let you know.”

“Ahh… Thank you… my benefactor… truly, thank you…”

The vagrants hurriedly put their hands into their pockets, crowding around me.

“I don’t have much, but please accept this. Please… save my daughter.”

“Please eat this on your way. It’s not much, but…”

“Thank you. Sob… truly… thank you…”

I shook the hands of the encroaching people one by one. After patting their hands, I rejected all gifts.

“What I did was not to receive anything in return. Please keep it all.”

“Ah…”

Those who had nothing to give merely shed tears. Their repeatedly bowing heads made me feel a bit embarrassed.

A sleeve was tugged. I turned around.

The girl I had seen before was looking up at me.

“Daddy… can we find her?”

“…….”

Honestly, I couldn’t give a definitive answer. The more I got involved, the more tangled everything felt.

Still, I didn’t want to say it. Because I knew what was contained in that tiny hand.

“I’ll do my best.”

“…I… this…”

The small hand opened. An object plopped down on my palm.

A sparkling bead.

“Take this… and… please… bring Daddy back…”

“…….”

I gazed at the bead. It sparkled so brightly that I couldn’t tell how long she must have held onto it.

It must be precious. A treasure she wouldn’t want to part with. The only thing she could present from a poor family.

…It’s heavy.

My shoulders feel too heavy.

“…It’s okay. Keep it safe. Listen to the adults.”

Instead of taking it, I retrieved a silver coin and gently placed it atop the bead.

“You must wait patiently. Understand?”

The messy face of the girl brightened for a moment.

“…Yes. Big Brother. Thank you.”

I left the vagrants’ side. Su-ryeon was watching me closely.

Though I asked what she was thinking with her silent demeanor, she simply shook her head.

“Let’s go. To Gongbaek.”

Did her tone soften a bit?

I turned my steps, intending to meet the person I need to meet.

I suppose I should arrange an appointment first. I tried before but couldn’t meet…

This time, I plan to make a bit of an effort to ensure I meet.

 

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