Sangan Pavilion in Kaifeng Prefecture was a tavern that was neither especially large nor especially famous.

In fact, unless someone was from out of town, almost no customers came looking for it. Of course they didn’t. The place closed for more than half the month. Who would go out of the way to visit a tavern like that?

Thanks to that, for a time, ugly rumors about Sangan Pavilion had been endless. There were chilling rumors that it was an assassins’ hideout or a Dark Path gang’s stronghold, and there were even claims that a retired magnate ran it as a hobby.

Naturally, some people began poking around Sangan Pavilion out of curiosity. Most of them either disappeared or returned ruined. It made no difference whether they were ordinary civilians or martial artists.

Frightened, people reported this to the authorities, but the authorities gave no answer. Far from taking measures against Sangan Pavilion, they did not even try to investigate it in the first place.

In the end, people stopped paying attention to Sangan Pavilion. After all, it was not as though monsters came out of the place. Only people who had pointlessly gone poking around suffered harm.

On top of that, the once-noisy rumors died down with unnatural speed. In other words, someone had deliberately suppressed them.

And so Sangan Pavilion was forgotten from the memories of Kaifeng Prefecture’s people. Since no one tried to learn about it, there was no other way for things to turn out.

Hmm.

Mo Yonggun’s eyes, watching Sangan Pavilion from the darkness, had sunk deep.

Curious.

Sangan Pavilion’s location was truly curious.

A tavern sold wine and food. If it wanted business, it naturally had to stand in a marketplace, somewhere easy to see.

But Sangan Pavilion was not like that. It was not in an extremely hidden place, but neither was it located anywhere with good foot traffic.

It is a good place to avoid outside eyes. Not secretive, but somewhere that would not linger in the memory even if one happened to pass by.

The corner of Mo Yonggun’s mouth rose.

Interesting. It was definitely built here on purpose.

There was another reason he was so certain.

Impressive.

Countless masters were hidden throughout Sangan Pavilion. Their number reached fifty.

Considering the size of Sangan Pavilion, that might not seem many. But what mattered was the martial power of each individual.

Fifty Peak masters? And not mediocre masters, either. Every last one is worth a hundred men?

Mo Yonggun inwardly clicked his tongue.

They were above the caliber of guards assigned to the clan lords of the Six Great Clans. Even among those called Peak masters, there were levels, and every one of these men was fully seasoned, capable of doing more than his expected share in any battle.

Hmm.

Mo Yonggun noticed another peculiarity.

Heat-yang arts?

They were hiding it, but Mo Yonggun’s sharp sensory perception could tell that every hidden figure had learned martial arts of extreme yang.

By nature, heat-yang arts were not suited to stealth. The fact that they had still killed their presence to this degree meant their skill was that exceptional.

Heat-yang arts, then... in that case?

A faint Killing Intent settled in Mo Yonggun’s eyes.

Are these the Divine Flame Cult bastards?

Strength entered his fists on its own.

......

Mo Yonggun quietly regulated his breathing. Rage had surged up in him for an instant, but he forced himself to regain his composure.

Being guarded by trash from beyond the frontier... and a Provincial Defense Commissioner, no less.

The problem was this.

Are they truly guards?

That was the question.

Mo Yonggun’s doubt arose from the fact that the hidden figures were moving with a somewhat free hand.

Whether in the Central Plains martial world or beyond the frontier, guards were all the same. If they were guarding someone while concealing their presence, they had to sit in places from which they could easily watch all directions and remain still. That was basic.

But these men were different. They hid their presence, yet they were constantly moving inside and outside the tavern.

Those were absolutely not the movements of guards.

If so...

Mo Yonggun’s eyes deepened.

This is worth taking a gamble on.

It was instinct before logic.

PAAK!

Mo Yonggun leaped onto the roof of Sangan Pavilion in a single burst.

Even if there were fifty masters, the gap between them and Mo Yonggun was unfathomable. It would be another matter if they formed a formation and attacked together, but if he moved with full intent, deceiving their eyes was not impossible.

HOOOOOOONG.

Fortunately, the night wind was still cold, and the wind speed was fairly strong.

The sound of that wind helped Mo Yonggun’s movement. Carefully, he entered through a window on the top floor.

WHISH!

The wind coming through the window shook the candle flame.

The burly, gray-haired man seated before the table and examining documents spoke in an indifferent voice.

“The wind is cold. As if a ghost had slipped in.”

His voice was rough.

Judging from the pipe set to one side of the table, he seemed to have smoked tobacco for quite a long time. Yet that thick, rough voice seemed to add a distinctive dignity to him.

The older man looked around the room.

“I cannot see anything, yet somehow it feels as though I am not alone. A strange feeling.”

His sense was impressive.

Though he had not trained in Inner Qi, he was quick-witted and had excellent instincts. One might call it the intuition of a general who had spent his whole life on brutal battlefields.

Whether on an actual battlefield or the battlefield of political struggle, Yeo Sangdo, the Provincial Defense Commissioner of Henan, was a man who had always seized victory.

The senses of one who had faced threats to his life countless times. Detecting the breath of danger was a survival instinct that could be acquired even by someone who was not a master of the internal path.

Yeo Sangdo, who had been calmly looking around, closed the window.

Then he spoke in a composed voice.

“I do not know who you are, but this room is well soundproofed. Enough of playing ghost. Show yourself.”

SHHHK.

In that instant, Mo Yonggun appeared from a shadowed corner.

Yeo Sangdo’s eyes widened slightly.

“You are?”

“It has been a long time, Lord Yeo.”

“......Ha!”

Surprisingly, the two had met before.

Before Yeo Sangdo came to Henan Province as Provincial Defense Commissioner, he had once handled official duties in Hunan. That was when Yeo Sangdo and Mo Yonggun had shared cups of wine several times.

A connection from more than ten years ago, and not a particularly deep one. A man with whom he had not exchanged a single message in all that time had secretly come to him now.

“How did you know I was here...?!”

“Please sit first.”

Mo Yonggun waved his hand.

WOOOOONG.

An invisible qi barrier perfectly concealed Mo Yonggun’s presence.

It was a technique that consumed a considerable amount of Inner Qi. Still, it would pose no real problem while they conversed.

Yeo Sangdo silently looked at Mo Yonggun, then sat in his chair.

He was startled, yet still composed. He did not seem especially tense, nor did he seem to take the other man lightly.

It was the bearing of the highest commander responsible for the military administration of an entire province. Even if lightning struck before his eyes, he would remain calm.

Yeo Sangdo quietly stared at Mo Yonggun.

Hmm.

Mo Yonggun’s face, cast in shadow, looked strangely chilling.

But there was no Killing Intent in it. At the very least, it did not seem he had come here to kill him.

“You came here knowing I was in this place.”

“Of course.”

“You could not have touched the government’s intelligence organization, so you must have used an intelligence network of the martial world.”

“That is correct.” 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

“That is an extremely dangerous act, one that could violate the Pact of Mutual Non-Interference Between the Government and the Martial World. You know that, I assume?”

“How could I not?”

“Meaning you accepted that level of danger to find me, and then came to me in person.”

Yeo Sangdo tilted his head.

“The man I know would not be one to do something so perilous.”

“......”

“It must be one of two things. Either this is collective action, or something urgent enough has happened that you had no choice but to overreach like this. In my view, it seems to be the former.”

It was terrifying insight.

Mo Yonggun could not help but admire Yeo Sangdo’s mind anew. From the single fact that the lord of the Mo Yong Clan had secretly come to see him, he had inferred that much.

That was why a man responsible for the military administration of an entire province had to be a monster. One needed this degree of intellect and instinct to serve as Provincial Defense Commissioner.

Yeo Sangdo’s gaze sharpened.

“If you cannot convince me, I cannot say about the whole martial world, but the Mo Yong Clan will suffer a rather severe ordeal.”

It was a terrifying threat.

This was absolutely not an empty statement. Once someone reached the level of Provincial Defense Commissioner, he could annihilate even the mightiest martial sect.

It was only that such a thing could not be easily attempted because of relationships, political controversy, and the risk of war breaking out between the government and the martial world. A Provincial Defense Commissioner was that powerful an authority.

Mo Yonggun said, “Forgive my impertinence, but I must also say one thing.”

“......”

“If by any chance Lord Yeo is using the masters hidden here as guards, your head may leave your body by my hand right now.”

Force was met with force.

Of course, from Yeo Sangdo’s position, it was a threat so absurd it could leave him speechless. However great a figure of the martial world he might be, he dared to say he would kill a Provincial Defense Commissioner?

And yet.

“......”

Yeo Sangdo did not grow angry. He showed no Killing Intent in his eyes, nor did he slam his hand on the table.

He merely looked at Mo Yonggun in surprise.

“......As expected.”

Mo Yonggun smiled.

His eyes, however, were cold.

“Lord Yeo is not here with guards. You are being watched. Am I wrong?”

If Yeo Sangdo had not become Provincial Defense Commissioner for nothing, then Mo Yonggun had not ruled as the hegemon of Hunan for nothing, either.

Insight that pierced at once what neither side had said.

This was what a conversation between great figures was like. Because each had the ability to feel out the other’s intent without words, the conversation proceeded quickly and efficiently.

“What a relief.”

“What is?”

“If Lord Yeo had been recruited by those Divine Flame Cult bastards, things would have become quite troublesome.”

“You...”

“Speak.”

Yeo Sangdo swallowed slightly.

“Did you know about them?”

“I did not. Not until recently.”

“......”

“But now that I have learned of them, I have also realized that this is the time to move.”

Mo Yonggun’s smile deepened.

“Lord Yeo thinks the same, do you not?”

“......Hoo.”

Yeo Sangdo let out a low sigh.

“For a very brief moment, I wondered whether you might be a spy sent by them.”

“That could not be. Judging by Lord Yeo’s complexion, most of the Henan authorities seem to have already been seized. In such a situation, would they drag in someone with only a shallow connection to you and have him watch you?”

“That is exactly my point.”

“In other words, the situation must be bad enough that even Lord Yeo, who normally would not have entertained such a momentary suspicion, had to consider it.”

“You see clearly.”

Yeo Sangdo’s eyes deepened.

“Has the Martial Alliance noticed?”

“To be precise, only those who know, know. We are taking every precaution in case spies recruited by them are on our side as well. Fewer than ten people know about the Three Creeds.”

Yeo Sangdo let out a sigh of relief.

“Well done. Very well done. Judging by their ability to act... Ah, no, wait!”

“......?”

“The Three Creeds? Are you telling me the Divine Flame Cult is not the end of it?”

Mo Yonggun’s eyes flashed.

“It seems you did not know.”

“......!!”

“Ink Dragon Manor, the Dark Path alliance of the martial world, was born with the support of the Perverse Lust Cult, one of the Three Creeds. They say the last remaining one has not stepped forward yet, but that cannot be certain either.”

“How can this be...”

Yeo Sangdo’s complexion turned a little pale. Considering his usual character and courage, he must have been shocked beyond the ordinary.

Mo Yonggun looked around.

“Wait here for now. After I drive away the men around us...”

“No!”

It was a quiet but firm voice.

Tension settled over Yeo Sangdo’s face.

“Do not touch the masters here. Absolutely.”

“If you are worried my identity will be exposed...”

“This is not because I doubt your skill, nor because I am concerned for my own safety.”

“......?”

“They are immortal. Unless their heads are cut off and their limbs torn apart, they absolutely do not die.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean it literally.”

Yeo Sangdo’s face twisted.

“They are monsters.”

*****

Fsssss.

Hmm?

Tang Gwan turned around.

HOOF!

With a strong gust of wind, the enormous man who had been caught in the explosion slowly rose to his feet.

The corner of Tang Gwan’s mouth lifted.

“What an amusing hunk of meat.”