"Yes? What are you talking about?"

"The Hall of Light Master wants to see me, which means he wants to kill me. Elder Mae will also die the moment he meets Zhuge Qing. What does he want from us that he would meet us? The contact with the Martial Alliance should be left to the subordinates, not Elder Mae, and don't show yourself. We will also withdraw from here as soon as possible. Since Elder Mae is here, there's no way Zhuge Qing doesn't know about this place."

"I will prepare."

Mae Gang-hwa answered, put down the towel, and then said as if she had remembered something, "The Hwahwaru is moving busily."

"For what?"

"I don't know that much. About ten people left the fortress yesterday."

"Assassination..."

The movement of that many people meant death.

Had a kill order been issued?

But no matter how curious she was, she had no intention of contacting Dam-ji. Because of her pride.

"Find out."

"I understand."

As she went out, Seo Mun-ryeon raised her head to the ceiling.

"Dark Bee."

"Yes."

Sreuk!

A black masked person poked his head out from a corner of the wall.

"How is Elder Mae?"

"So far, we haven't found anything."

"That's a relief. There's no report on Elder Yoo. It seems something has happened, so send the kids to investigate."

"As you command."

Sreuk!

As the figure of the Dark Bee disappeared, Seo Mun-ryeon closed her eyes with a relaxed face.

The next day, at dawn, Jin Sa-wol, along with Son Ae-hwa, took a boat and headed for Jinan. From there, he planned to use the canal to go down to Gangnam.

***

Bong-sik, who had moved urgently, entered through the side gate of the Gangnam Grand Inn.

Although it was a place guarded by the warriors of the Martial Alliance, Bong-sik, who had shown his nameplate, was able to enter without any restraint.

Many buildings had burned down, but many buildings still remained, and there were also many guest halls.

In the place where Bong-sik entered, there was Do-jeong, the master of the Gold Flower Pavilion's Gold Hall, who had just finished eating.

Do-jeong was startled to see Bong-sik enter and stood up from his seat.

"Why are you here? And what's with that face?"

"Some bastard did this to me. Since that bastard keeps digging into the back of the inn, I came to report first."

"Really? Who is he?"

"I don't know either. He's a bastard I've never seen before, but he has an unusual interest in the inn. I can draw his appearance, so don't worry."

If he had come for no reason, he had intended to give him a punch, but since he said he would draw his appearance, Do-jeong gave him a desk and a brush, ink, and paper.

Bong-sik, who sat in front of the desk, took a brush and began to draw a portrait.

"You bastard. You're dead now. Fuck."

He spat out curses as if he had a lot of resentment and concentrated all his mind on the drawing.

Just as he was drawing the shape of the face and raising the hair, the scent of peaches stimulated his nose.

"Huh?"

Bong-sik, who was flaring his nostrils at the fragrant smell, opened his eyes wide as his neck stung.

"Keuk!"

The moment he was about to turn his head to see what was going on, a fine hand covered his mouth and nose. Although he opened his eyes wide, he could not see his opponent.

"Ugh!"

He was about to say something, but his face turned red, and he finally rolled his eyes back. He was dead.

Jo-rim, who had quietly laid Bong-sik on the desk, nodded to Bi-sun, who was sitting next to Do-jeong.

Bi-sun had gagged Do-jeong and tied his whole body.

A short while later, Bi-sun, with Do-jeong slung over his shoulder, leisurely jumped over the wall of the inn and then moved to the riverside.

***

Do-jeong, who was tied to a tree, glared at Bi-sun standing in front of him with a cold gaze and cursed.

"Ugh! Ugh!"

It seemed he was saying he would kill him.

But Bi-sun, as if he hadn't heard, took out a dagger and stabbed Do-jeong's left shoulder several times.

Thwack!

As he kept stabbing the same place, Do-jeong could not endure the pain and screamed.

But his voice did not come out loudly. He just closed his eyes, trembled all over, and then wet himself.

"Hoo-up! Hoo-up!"

Bi-sun looked at the gasping Do-jeong. As if he still didn't like Do-jeong's gaze, he raised the dagger again.

Seeing the blood-soaked dagger, Do-jeong shook his head wildly.

Only then did Bi-sun take off the gag in Do-jeong's mouth.

"Heok! Heok! Why are you doing this? What is your purpose?"

"Was it the Gold Hall of the Gold Flower Pavilion? I know you as the master there, so why are you at the inn?"

At the words that he knew him, Do-jeong's eyes widened.

"I came to open the safe."

"The explanation is short."

Bi-sun raised the dagger again.

"Hee-ik! I mean, I came because of the safe. I came by order of the pavilion master. But since I couldn't open the safe, I ordered the Hao Faction to hire a famous thief."

"They say the ones who did that to the inn were the Martial Alliance. Who in the Martial Alliance?"

"I really don't know about that. I just do what I'm told."

At those words, Bi-sun stabbed both of Do-jeong's knees with the dagger.

"Aaargh!"

As blood spurted, Do-jeong screamed and trembled all over.

"If you want to live, tell me. Who is it?"

"The Sword, the Sword Wind Hall. The master knows. I happened to hear the master of the Sword Wind Hall talking with the pavilion master. He said he killed the Ghost Hand Pavilion and the Blood Killing Faction members who had attacked the inn."

A smile sat on Bi-sun's lips for the first time in a long time. Immediately after, Bi-sun raised the dagger and stabbed Do-jeong's neck.

"Keok!"

Although Do-jeong opened his mouth and coughed up blood, he could do nothing.

Bi-sun just left the dagger embedded in Do-jeong's neck as it was.

Sreuk!

With the sound of the wind, Bi-sun's figure disappeared from the bushes.

***

The next day, several warriors were standing in the garden of the inn.

Buk Myeong-woo, the master of the Sword Wind Hall, examined the dead body of Do-jeong with a cold expression.

The dagger stabbed in his neck had no special mark, so it was of no great significance.

"He was tortured."

Buk Myeong-woo, who had examined the knees and shoulders, muttered and turned his body.

"Send him to the alliance."

"Yes."

Hearing his subordinates' answer, Buk Myeong-woo headed for the Geumwon. At the entrance of the Geumwon, Wang Yao, the master of the Gold Flower Pavilion, was waiting for Buk Myeong-woo.

"The one who killed Do-jeong is surely an assassin. Since there are traces of torture, it seems he was trying to find something out, but I don't know what he was trying to find out."

"Only the assassin would know."

Buk Myeong-woo's appearance was one of not being very interested. He moved to the entrance of the safe and asked, "When is the person who can open the safe coming?"

"He said he would be a little late due to personal reasons. He will come within three days, so I think we can just wait."

"We'll meet the assassin before that. Since the assassin might invade, we'll change from a three-shift system to a two-shift system starting today. Double the personnel!"

"Yes!"

At his loud voice, the members of the Sword Wind Hall around the safe answered with a loud voice.

Namgung Ji approached Buk Myeong-woo, who was heading for his room.

"Do-jeong was kidnapped from here and was found as a corpse on the lakeside a li away. That means someone came in here and then went out, and it's surely someone who knows the inn very well."

At Namgung Ji's chattering voice, Buk Myeong-woo stopped walking. He looked at Namgung Ji with a face full of annoyance.

"I know that much. So hurry up and sort out the front and go back to the alliance."

At Buk Myeong-woo's cold words, Namgung Ji pouted her lips.

Buk Myeong-woo ignored her and entered a wide separate courtyard. Since there were division members guarding all around, no one could enter.

"Move!"

Unless they forced their way in like that.

Woo Jeong-bong pushed aside the guards who were guarding the door, went inside, and stood in front of Buk Myeong-woo.

Buk Myeong-woo, seeing the approaching subordinates, raised his hand. The subordinates retreated.

Buk Myeong-woo looked at Woo Jeong-bong once and then turned his body.

As he sat down in the tea room, Woo Jeong-bong sat in front of him.

"You still haven't left?"

"What on earth are you doing, Senior Buk Myeong?"

"I'm following the orders of the alliance."

"Is it the order of the alliance to open someone else's safe?"

"It's not someone else's, but the Martial Alliance's. We're recovering the wealth left by the deceased former Alliance Leader, so what's the problem?"

"Do you have proof?" 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"No. The higher-ups must have it."

Buk Myeong-woo, as if he were annoyed, poured tea, drank it, and then gestured for him to leave quickly.

"I can't go because I can't understand. I don't know why the Martial Alliance is acting like the owner."

"The inn, which was under the management of the Martial Alliance, has burned down, and the innkeeper is also gone. Then, of course, the Martial Alliance has to manage it. Or are you also very interested in the wealth?"

When Buk Myeong-woo asked, Woo Jeong-bong was dumbfounded. Buk Myeong-woo spoke again.

"The Wudang Sect needs a lot of money. They say you ate a lot with the deceased former Alliance Leader."

"Where did you spread such a strange rumor?"

As Woo Jeong-bong's expression changed, Buk Myeong-woo stood up from his seat.

"Go away. My mind is complicated right now. Do-jeong of the Gold Flower Pavilion was killed by an assassin last night."

Woo Jeong-bong had also heard that story and knew it. As Buk Myeong-woo turned his body, Woo Jeong-bong had no choice but to stand up from his seat.

Buk Myeong-woo, as if he had remembered something, asked, "It wasn't your doing, was it?"

"Me, an assassin? Is that possible?"

"I asked because you know the inn well. What did Miss Jo do last night?"

"She slept at the inn."

"Go."

Buk Myeong-woo waved his hand with a face of no particular suspicion. Woo Jeong-bong went outside without any gain.

Buk Myeong-woo sat at his desk, took a brush, and reported Do-jeong's death to the alliance.

Flap!

A pigeon flew high into the sky with a powerful flap of its wings.

On the third floor of the half-burned gisaeng house, two people were looking at the pigeon flying far away.

They were Bi-sun and Jo-rim.

The room where the two were standing was in a corner. It was the innermost room of the building that was once called the Silver Room.

Bi-sun, who was leaning against the wall, closed the window and said, "Do-jeong was easy, but the master of the Sword Wind Hall is not to be trifled with."

The room was filled with complete darkness. In the darkness, Jo-rim said, "It will be rewarding to kill him."

"It's not a matter that will be solved by killing. The one we must kill is the one who killed Il-hu and Il-bi. Finding that bastard is the priority."

Jo-rim was silent for a moment. Although her head clearly understood Bi-sun's story, her heart did not.

Because it was full of killing intent, she had to kill everyone she saw.

"It won't be too late to think after we kill him."

At her words, Bi-sun sighed, went into the darkness, and embraced Jo-rim. Jo-rim's shoulders trembled slightly.

"If the mastermind is the Martial Alliance, the inn has become like this by order of the Alliance Leader. Then our enemy is the Martial Alliance Leader, right? Can the two of us really face the Martial Alliance Leader? Let's be calm. We... still have a lot to do."

At Bi-sun's story, Jo-rim let out a deep breath and buried her head in Bi-sun's chest.

***

Song Ha-sang, who was sleeping, felt a strange sensation and instinctively opened his eyes.

As he turned his head, he saw Jin Sa-wol sitting under an oil lamp.

"Young Master Jin."

Song Ha-sang stood up with a happy heart without realizing it.

"There's a patient to see."

At Jin Sa-wol's story, Song Ha-sang nodded, put aside his happy feelings, and entered the next room.

Seeing Son Ae-hwa lying in the room, Song Ha-sang took her pulse and began to place needles.

"Did you hear the news of the inn?"

"I heard. What about Brother Bi and Sister Jo?"

"They seem to be nearby, but they don't come. A few days ago, they said that a person named Do-jeong, the master of the Gold Hall of the Gold Flower Pavilion, was killed by an assassin. There has been no other news since then."

At the words of Song Ha-sang, who was placing needles, Jin Sa-wol thought it was a relief. Jin Sa-wol, who was staring at the back of Song Ha-sang, who was placing needles, lowered his voice.

"Report to the Dark Cloud Division about the inn, but keep your mouth shut about me or Brother Bi."

At Jin Sa-wol's story, Song Ha-sang's expression hardened for a moment.

(End of Chapter)