Chapter 272

So-ok’s hand slipped into her sleeve.

A flying blade, ready to be launched at any moment, was tied to the inside of her wrist. It was a weapon she kept hidden for unforeseen circumstances.

As Pyo Wol had said, this place was one of the Hao Clan’s branches.

However, it wasn’t an official branch, but a temporary one set up in a hurry.

Even the Hao Clan hadn’t anticipated that the war between the two sects in Runan would become this serious. That was why they had hastily purchased the brothel and dispatched courtesans belonging to the Hao Clan.

So-ok was one of those dispatched courtesans.

Although she had a petite frame, she was so affable and had such a strong character that she was often sent to dangerous places like this.

So-ok couldn’t hide her flustered expression.

She had kept the secret so thoroughly, yet he had seen right through it.

From the look in his eyes, it seemed he was already certain that this was a new branch of the Hao Clan.

It would be ridiculous to keep denying it to someone who had come already knowing everything.

Clutching the flying blade inside her sleeve, So-ok asked Pyo Wol.

“How did you know this was a Hao Clan branch?”

“The rumor is already out.”

“What?”

“Bring Hong Yushin here. Then you’ll naturally find out.”

“That is…”

It was then.

“There’s no need to go to such trouble. I’ve come myself.”

The door opened, and Hong Yushin stepped inside.

As Hong Yushin entered, So-ok couldn’t hide her flustered expression.

“Captain!”

“You may leave now. He is not someone you can handle.”

“Yes!”

So-ok replied weakly and went outside.

Once the two were left alone, Hong Yushin sat down and spoke.

“We meet again here. I waited for quite a long time back then in Chengdu, but you didn’t return. I was rather disappointed that you left without a word…”

“I went to Tibet.”

“Yes! I heard the news afterward. That the Small Thunder Sound Temple suffered a great misfortune… If I had known, I would have waited a little longer.”

Hong Yushin said with a smile.

His relaxed demeanor suggested he already knew everything.

“You know well.”

“Great Hero Pyo’s movements are a matter of utmost interest to our side as well. That’s why we are observing you carefully.”

“Is that so?”

“We have now gathered quite a lot of information on Great Hero Pyo. You will definitely not be disappointed.”

“You’re so interested in others’ affairs, yet you seem unaware that you yourselves are being watched.”

“Wh-what do you mean?”

“So you really didn’t know.”

Pyo Wol smirked.

In that instant, the corners of Hong Yushin’s eyes shot up.

He was a man who rarely showed emotional turmoil over trivial matters, but whenever he faced Pyo Wol, he was invariably shaken.

Pyo Wol always unsettled him by saying things he never expected. Conversely, Pyo Wol remained completely unaffected by anything he said.

The more he talked with Pyo Wol, the more he felt like he was the only one losing out.

“What do you mean? Being watched. Who would dare to watch us?”

“Is there a reason I have to tell you that?”

“You don’t know either.”

Hong Yushin’s eyes glinted sharply.

He was by no means a fool. He had instantly found the hidden truth in Pyo Wol’s words.

Pyo Wol smirked.

“But it’s true that you’re being watched.”

“Is that what you came to say?”

“I thought I should let you know…”

“What are you after? You wouldn’t tell me such a thing out of simple goodwill.”

“I told you. I thought I should let you know.”

At Pyo Wol’s answer, Hong Yushin’s brow furrowed deeply.

Conversing with Pyo Wol always made him feel like he was on the losing end. This was not a familiar feeling for him, which made him feel even worse.

“How did you know this was a new branch of the Hao Clan?”

“Wouldn’t it be stranger not to know?”

“It seems there’s a problem with the main sect’s security. For an outsider to find out and approach us so easily.”

Hong Yushin let out a low sigh.

In truth, for the past several hundred years, the Hao Clan’s methods had been the same. When a problem arose in a region without a branch, they would hastily set up a new one by purchasing a brothel or the like.

Those who weren’t interested wouldn’t notice any change, but anyone with a keen eye could easily realize that a Hao Clan branch had been established.

Hong Yushin had told the Sect Leader several times that they needed to change their methods, but he was ignored every time.

Because of that, he was now in a state of half-resignation.

Hong Yushin asked, forcing a calm expression.

“Is that all you came for?”

“That’s all.”

“Hah! You truly are an inscrutable person.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“I’ll ask just one thing. How did you know that someone was watching us?”

“By chance!”

“By chance… It seems Great Hero Pyo has established your own information network here as well.”

“Why do you think so?”

“It’s common sense. The first thing assassins do is gather information, isn’t it? The easiest way to get information is to place a request with the main sect, but since no request from you has come into any of our branches, it’s only right to assume you’ve built an independent information network.”

“Clever.”

“Am I as clever as you? Since it has come to this, let’s make a deal.”

“Go on.”

“If you tell me who is watching us, I will provide you with the information you need. How about it? It seems beneficial for both of us.”

At Hong Yushin’s proposal, Pyo Wol gave a slight nod.

“Fine!”

“As I thought, you came here aiming for this result from the beginning.”

“As you said, it’s a deal that benefits us both.”

“I certainly hope it stays that way until the end. Now, please tell me. Who is it? The one watching me.”

Pyo Wol told Hong Yushin the story he had heard from Jang Noya.

As he listened, Hong Yushin’s face hardened.

He was the Surveillance Chief of the Hao Clan, and the fact that he hadn’t noticed someone else watching him was deeply shameful.

He considered the possibility that it was a lie, but there was no reason for Pyo Wol to lie to him. He wasn’t the type of person to lie about something that would be exposed so quickly.

“Their identities?”

“For now, I can only guess that they are people mobilized by Lee Yul.”

“Lee Yul… Is there anything you know about him?”

“That’s the problem. That nothing is known about him.”

“Is that true?”

Hong Yushin frowned.

He knew Pyo Wol’s abilities better than anyone.

His skill in gathering information was uncanny, to the point that he had built his own information network in a short time even in Chengdu. If such a man couldn’t find any information, it meant that Lee Yul had hidden his information that flawlessly.

There was no one who thoroughly concealed their information who didn’t have a shady past.

“I’ll have to mobilize the power of the main sect to dig into his background.”

“It won’t be easy.”

“You underestimate the power of the main sect. We may not have known, but if we set our minds to digging, there is nothing we cannot find out.”

“I look forward to it.”

“You will not be disappointed.”

Hong Yushin smiled coldly.

＊＊＊

“Good! This is good!”

From the moment he entered Runan, Dokgo Hwang had been grinning, letting out exclamations of admiration.

At the sight of Dokgo Hwang acting like a common ruffian, Eom So-so frowned. But her reaction was limited to just that.

She didn’t like that side of Dokgo Hwang, but she couldn’t point out his every action.

Of course, even if she did, Dokgo Hwang wasn’t the type to change.

Dokgo Hwang had been like this since he was young, and his free-spirited nature hadn’t changed even after growing up.

Dokgo Hwang seemed to quite like Runan.

The air in Runan was charged, as if it could explode at any moment.

It had been a long time since he had been in such an atmosphere.

At least, it was the first time he had experienced it since coming ashore.

Just as the air was heated, Dokgo Hwang’s face was also flushed red.

“This is how it should be. A life in a place like this is a real life.”

Dokgo Hwang walked on, grinning continuously.

Countless people brushed past them. Among them were martial artists who seemed to have a considerable presence.

As Dokgo Hwang took them all in with his eyes, Three Swords of the Southern Sea spoke to him cautiously.

“We have arrived.”

“Hm? Already.”

“Yes! It’s the Four Seas Hall, our meeting place.”

Before them was an inn with a sign that read Four Seas Hall. Despite its grand name, it was a very small inn.

Dokgo Hwang entered the Four Seas Hall without hesitation.

Eom So-so and Three Swords of the Southern Sea followed behind him.

The inside of the Four Seas Hall was quiet.

While other inns were in an uproar with no rooms available, the Four Seas Hall was silent, without a single person.

Despite the very strange scene, Dokgo Hwang nodded as if it were a matter of course.

Just then, a middle-aged man who appeared to be the owner of the Four Seas Hall came out and said.

“This inn is not open for business, so we cannot accept guests.”

“But there are so many empty seats?”

“I apologize.”

“No need to apologize. I’m not leaving.”

“I believe I made it clear that we are not open for business?”

The voice of the Four Seas Hall’s owner turned cold.

An aura and presence, difficult to see in a mere innkeeper, emanated from his body.

Ssk!

Just then, Eom So-so stepped forward.

She simply stood in front of Dokgo Hwang. Yet, the owner of the Four Seas Hall felt the illusion of a giant sword aimed at his neck.

The corners of the Four Seas Hall owner’s eyes trembled.

‘A… master.’

He too had learned martial arts profound enough to feel pride in his own achievements. That was why he looked down on others. But the woman before him was so powerful that she could look down on him.

He hadn’t felt any threat until she stepped forward on her own. It meant her level was so high that he couldn’t even sense it.

Eom So-so opened her mouth.

“We have come from the South Sea.”

“The South Sea? Then…”

“That’s right.”

The moment Eom So-so finished speaking, the owner of the Four Seas Hall bowed his head and apologized.

“I apologize. My eyes were blind, and I failed to recognize that a distinguished person had arrived.”

“It’s fine! It happens.”

Dokgo Hwang smiled as if it were nothing. But beads of cold sweat formed on the back of the Four Seas Hall owner’s neck.

Dokgo Hwang patted the owner’s shoulder and said.

“I said it’s fine. Relax.”

“Th-thank you.”

“Where is Mu-guk?”

“He is waiting upstairs.”

“Is that so?”

Dokgo Hwang looked at the stairs.

The top of the stairs was very dark, so he couldn’t see what was up there. It looked just like a monster with its maw open, waiting for its prey to walk right in.

As he started up the stairs, Dokgo Hwang said to Eom So-so.

“I will meet Mu-guk alone. You wait here.”

“Understood.”

Eom So-so replied and stepped back.

Leaving her behind, Dokgo Hwang ascended the stairs alone.

Passing through the dark section, he finally arrived on the second floor, where a wide space greeted him.

It should have been full of dining tables, but all but one had been cleared away, making it look even more spacious.

A man was sitting at the table.

The man sat in a chair at the table, looking out at the scenery beyond the window.

The moment he saw the man’s back, Dokgo Hwang’s eyebrows twitched.

It was as if a great mountain was spread out before his eyes.

The man’s build was ordinary. Yet, he felt a weight and presence like that of Mount Tai.

‘As expected, this is interesting.’

Dokgo Hwang grinned and walked around to the front of the man.

Dokgo Hwang’s shadow fell long over the man’s head. Only then did the man raise his head and look up at Dokgo Hwang.

“Ah! You’ve come?”

His face was as ordinary as his build.

His eyes were small, and the bridge of his nose was low, giving an overall plain impression. Yet, the moment he saw the man’s face, Dokgo Hwang felt a pressure as if a mountain range was pressing down on him. But the pressure vanished in the next instant, as if snow had melted.

Dokgo Hwang sat down in front of the man and said.

“What were you looking at that was so interesting?”

“Just this and that. You’ve had a hard time coming all this way.”

“Not at all! I met an interesting friend, so it was enjoyable, thanks to you.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

“So I’m grateful to you. For inviting me to a place like this.”

“It would have been better if I had invited you to the Heavenly Martial Fortress, but please be satisfied with this for today.”

“It’s a shame I couldn’t go to the Heavenly Martial Fortress, but it’s still good to see your face here like this.”

Dokgo Hwang smiled.

The name of the ordinary-looking man was Jang Mu-guk.

He was the man who would become the young master of the Heavenly Martial Fortress, one of the Two Powerhouses of All Under Heaven.