Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 19: Jo Seong-won (3)

Jo Seong-won and I were scaling the cliff of the mountain peak.

The footwork of the Beggar’s Sect was certainly superior to the basic Body Lightening Method practiced by the Blood Cult warriors. Since the Beggar’s Sect prioritized practicality over aesthetics, they actively used both hands and feet whenever necessary. Because of that...

—He’s climbing that cliff exactly like a dog.

Hmm. Watching him kick off with his feet, it did look a bit like that.

Still, his climbing speed was incredible. But then again, can dogs even climb cliffs?

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

—Anyway, that kid isn't a total idiot. How are you going to handle that?

The Lesser Conversation Sword, Sodamgeom, asked this because of what Jo Seong-won had said barely fifteen minutes ago.

The boy, burning with a desire for revenge against Hong Geol-gae, had almost completely fallen for my persuasion. However, he had raised one concern.

[Supposing I follow you, Unit Leader So... what if that damn old—I mean, what if the Beggar’s Sect makes the first move and reveals that I’m a spy?]

Even if he had been a clumsy spy, he wasn't a fool, just as Sodamgeom said. His brain was working fine. As he pointed out, we couldn't rule out the possibility of the Beggar’s Sect leaking the information first.

So, he said he would swear his loyalty to me only if I could resolve that issue. He had dumped the burden he should have solved onto me.

—If it seems like too much, just spit him out. You said it yourself—he’s a thorn in your throat. If you try to swallow someone with a hidden agenda without chewing properly, you might get dragged down too.

Sodamgeom offered a realistic solution. I shook my head. I already had a plan for that.

I sent a Sound Transmission to Jo Seong-won, who was busy climbing the cliff like a dog.

[Let me ask you one thing.]

[Yes?]

[Did you come here as a spy on your own initiative? Or do others in the Beggar’s Sect know?]

He didn't answer immediately. Seeing that, it seemed someone did know.

[So it wasn't your own decision?]

[No. I did come here on my own.]

[You "did" come? It won't be good for your health if you aren't precise.]

He flinched at my words and hesitated for a moment. Then, he sent another transmission.

[......I instructed a Six-Fingered Beggar in charge of the Hunan Province Branch to collect records regarding villages that vanished and people who went missing over the last ten years.]

Ah. I see.

Of course, it wouldn't have been possible through your own power alone. In the end, even if he hadn't reported to his superiors, he had left a trail.

—They might know, then.

'Probably.'

Even if Jo Seong-won hadn't reported it directly, the details of his investigation would have eventually reached the ears of the Beggar’s Sect Leader. He had been missing for a year, so it was a certainty.

Yet, seeing how quiet they had been until now, my guess seemed correct.

—You mean he’s a discarded pawn?

'Most likely.'

He was in a position to compete for the succession against the Leader's grandson, Hong Geol-gae. But then he vanished of his own accord. There was no need to go looking for him; they could simply dispose of him by leaking the information at the right time.

—That beggar boss is a sly one.

He was the head of the Beggar’s Sect, an organization that handled massive amounts of information. Naturally, his mind would work much faster than that of an average martial artist. This kid was the only one in a pitiful situation.

—Why don't you just give up? I feel like you'll only get tired if you get involved for no reason.

Sodamgeom spoke as if warning me. His words made sense. If I bit off more than I could chew, I’d end up with a nasty case of indigestion.

'Give up?'

I curled the corner of my mouth.

'If a fish has a lot of small bones, you just have to pick them out carefully before you eat.'

—Huh?

Sodamgeom sounded puzzled. Meanwhile, Jo Seong-won and I arrived at Hae Ak-cheon’s cave dwelling.

The candidates were moving luggage out of the cave. Song Jwa-baek walked out from inside, his eyebrows arched in an angry expression.

"Hey! I told you to get up here fast—!?"

He grimaced as he saw Jo Seong-won’s swollen face. Jo Seong-won slightly raised his hands and looked at me slyly. It was a look that asked how I was going to explain this.

Song Jwa-baek approached me and clicked his tongue.

"If you were going to discipline him, you should've told me beforehand."

Jo Seong-won smirked, looking at me with eyes that said, See? You should have gone easy. However, his expression flipped at Song Jwa-baek’s next words.

"Man. You really went easy on him since he's a newbie."

"Easy?"

Jo Seong-won looked dumbfounded. Even the other candidates looked shocked at Jo Seong-won’s battered face.

What are you all so surprised about?

When that crazy old man Hae Ak-cheon lays a hand on you, he beats you until your eyelids are so swollen you can't see. On bad days, you have to crawl around. This much is just a light tap.

"Discipline?"

"And here I thought he said it was a family-like atmosphere."

I could hear the candidates whispering. Right. From now on, if anyone tells you it’s a "family-like atmosphere," run the other way.

After bringing the luggage down from the cave, I left the other candidates to move it and took Jo Seong-won to the guest room where Hae Ak-cheon was staying.

Before entering the room, I gave him a final warning via Sound Transmission.

[Once we go inside, don't react unnecessarily. Just agree with most of what I say and only answer when I tell you to.]

[What?]

[If you want this resolved, do as I say.]

[......Understood.]

Not knowing my true intentions, he replied with an anxious face. Regardless, I knocked on the door.

Knock, knock!

"Enter."

Hae Ak-cheon’s voice came from inside. Since he didn't even ask who it was, he must have recognized my presence just by my aura.

Slide!

When I opened the door, Hae Ak-cheon and Escort Unit Leader Jang Mun-woong were sitting at a table with a Central Plains Map spread out, deep in conversation.

"What is it? Why is the boy's face like that?"

As soon as we entered, Hae Ak-cheon looked at Jo Seong-won and asked, sounding puzzled. I spoke to him nonchalantly.

"I had to use a bit of force to find out if he was hiding anything."

'!!!'

Hearing that, Jo Seong-won’s eyes widened as if they might pop out. He had followed me because I said I’d fix the problem, so he was clearly flustered by my words.

"Hiding something? What could this brat possibly have to hide?"

"He isn't from the Haomen Sect."

Hae Ak-cheon and Jang Mun-woong frowned simultaneously.

"If not the Haomen, then where?"

"The Beggar’s Sect."

"What?"

At the mention of the Beggar’s Sect, Hae Ak-cheon’s face transformed, and Jang Mun-woong’s posture shifted instantly. He looked ready to strike at any moment.

Jo Seong-won looked at me, lost for words. Though he didn't speak, his trembling eyes clearly asked, What the hell are you doing?

He must be shocked. He probably never imagined I would reveal his identity right here.

Grab!

"Gah!"

The short-tempered Hae Ak-cheon immediately stood up and gripped Jo Seong-won by the throat. Even if he was a first-rate master, the gap between him and Hae Ak-cheon was vast. Consequently, the boy could do nothing but dangle there, gasping for air.

"Who are you? Are you here to play spy...?"

"That wasn't it."

"What?"

Hae Ak-cheon looked at me with an incomprehensible expression.

"He truly came to join our Cult."

At my words, Hae Ak-cheon asked with a grim face.

"How can you be so sure of that?"

"Young Master. The Elder is right."

Jang Mun-woong chimed in as well. I spoke to them.

"To be precise, he is formerly of the Beggar’s Sect."

"Formerly?"

To the puzzled men, I briefly explained Jo Seong-won’s situation. I packaged it convincingly: he had been competing for the succession against the Beggar’s Sect Leader’s grandson, but because of blood ties, he was pushed aside and joined our Cult out of a desire for revenge. His original mission to infiltrate for merit had turned into a genuine defection for vengeance.

Hae Ak-cheon glared at Jo Seong-won with narrowed eyes. It was a look of deep suspicion. Naturally, I didn't think this alone would work.

Then, Unit Leader Jang Mun-woong spoke up.

"Young Master. But how did you know he was from the Beggar’s Sect?"

He had pointed out the crucial part. I replied without a change in expression.

"I saw him in Yul Rang-hyeon a few years ago."

"You saw him?"

"He came to the Yikyang So Family on business related to the Alliance."

"Ah... the Yikyang So Family."

Judging by Jang Mun-woong’s reaction, he must have heard about my background from Hae Ak-cheon. That made things easier.

"Back then, he was younger, his skin was darker, and he looked like a filthy beggar, so I didn't recognize him at first. But I realized it when I saw him up close during the Selection Ceremony."

At my words, Jo Seong-won, still dangling from Hae Ak-cheon’s grip, looked at me with bewildered eyes. It was a natural reaction. He and I had never met. This was a total lie.

"You recognized him then?"

"Do you remember? Jo Seong-won tried to apply for a position under the First Blood Star’s subordinate unit leader."

Both men nodded. To anyone watching, it was clear Jo Seong-won had intended to go to Unit Leader Na Sim-hyeong. Then he had suddenly changed direction.

"That’s because I recognized him and sent him a Sound Transmission. He was quite flustered."

Jo Seong-won, still hanging, nodded his head vigorously. Hae Ak-cheon, staring intently at the boy’s face, asked.

"So, how did he react?"

"It was quite funny."

"What was?"

"At ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠first, he begged me not to tell anyone, fearing he’d be cast out if the Cult found out about his background. Tsk, tsk."

Jo Seong-won was left speechless. I was spouting things he had never said as if they were facts.

—As expected, your reputation is well-deserved.

Sodamgeom clicked his tongue. By now, he just watched my acting as if it were a performance. I continued.

"What would you ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠have done, Master, or you, Unit Leader?"

"Hmm?"

"Even so, I couldn't trust him. Thinking he might be a spy, I used my hands on him, as you can see."

I pointed to the boy’s face, which was a mess of bruises. Seemingly convinced to some extent, Unit Leader Jang Mun-woong nodded. However, he still didn't completely drop his suspicion of Jo Seong-won. He voiced his opinion to Hae Ak-cheon.

"Even if the Young Master disciplined him, we still need to verify whether he’s a spy or a genuine defector."

This was where I played my prepared trump card.

"Since he’s been inside Six Blood Valley for a year, it’s hard to trust him, but he gave me some very interesting information."

"Interesting information?"

I spoke to them in a meaningful tone.

"He said that before long, the relationship between the Martial Alliance and Peerless Fortress will fall apart."

"What did you just say?"

Jang Mun-woong bolted upright. Hae Ak-cheon also looked at Jo Seong-won with wide, shocked eyes. Jo Seong-won just gasped and nodded, but his eyes were fixed on me.

Because I had just spoken of information even he didn't know.

—What? Was that for real?

It was real. In about six months, the alliance between the Martial Alliance and Peerless Fortress would break. As the relationship between the two powers that divided the current Martial World soured, it would become the catalyst for the Blood Cult, which had been hiding in cells, to rise to the surface again.

Before my regression, it was just something that happened, but for the current Blood Cult, it was top-tier intelligence. At the very least, it would give them time to prepare.

Leaving Hae Ak-cheon’s guest room, Jo Seong-won looked at So Woon-hwi with an expression of utter disbelief. Barely an hour ago, the situation had been so dire he wasn't sure if he’d keep his life.

But he had actually made it through safely. Hae Ak-cheon had even expressed joy, saying a useful pawn had joined them and that he would raise him under his own wing. All of it had happened because of So Woon-hwi’s words.

As they moved away from the guest house, So Woon-hwi’s Sound Transmission reached his ears.

[There. No more problems.]

Jo Seong-won nodded. Certainly, he no longer had to worry about what the Beggar’s Sect Leader might do.

'Wait.'

But then he realized something. Even if the Beggar’s Sect leaked information that he was a spy, the Blood Cult might now protect him.

However, if he thought about it carefully, the situation had been reversed.

'If this guy or the Blood Cult leaks information about me to the Beggar’s Sect, won't I become a public enemy not just to the Beggar’s Sect, but to the entire Orthodox Faction?'

Suddenly, he had become a traitor who sold information to the Blood Cult. Even if it was information he hadn't actually known.

So Woon-hwi was the one who spoke, but somehow, he was the one who had become that person. Jo Seong-won realized he had been played.

'Ha!'

Even if he changed his mind now, there was no turning back. As he stood there dumbfounded, So Woon-hwi looked at him and gave a thin smile.

He was a terrifyingly cunning man.

'......Just who the hell ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠is this guy?'

He couldn't figure it out. How did he know information that even someone in the Beggar’s Sect didn't know? He was thick-skinned enough to lie shamelessly depending on the situation. He wasn't even sure if this was the same man known as the trash of the Yikyang So Family.

Only one thing was certain. Or rather, his instincts told him.

This man was far too dangerous to have as an enemy.

After staring at So Woon-hwi for a long time, Jo Seong-won eventually bowed his head slightly and sent a transmission.

[I swear my loyalty to you, Unit Leader So.]

Around midnight.

I slipped out of my room and headed toward the open space near the main hall.

It was time to collect my reward for the bet from the Blood Hand Witch.