The Dog Bites the Poisoned Bait
The manor that the Blood Shadow Pavilion had used as its Jong-sang branch.
A place that should have stood empty and hollow after its masters fled was instead overflowing with guests.
The vanguard of the Changcheon Sword Corps, halted mid-northward advance after smashing the minor sects under the Blood Shadow Pavilion, and the support force that had set out from Wuhan to reinforce them—together they filled the grounds.
With nearly three hundred martial artists occupying it, the Jong-sang branch manor looked more like the seat of a mid-tier sect than a deserted outpost.
Yet for all that their numbers should have made them swagger, the atmosphere hung heavy and subdued.
Inside the manor, the face of Mok Ja-un, Head of the Gangmu Pavilion and commander of the arriving support force, was etched with open irritation.
"You lost…."
"I am sorry. I failed in my duty as the vanguard. I will accept whatever punishment is due."
So Rok-pa kept his head bowed where he knelt. His injuries were severe. Splints braced broken limbs; bandages wound every which way across his body. Even with a crutch he could barely walk without someone holding him up.
Worst of all were his eyes. The light of will had gone out of them.
"Was he that strong?"
"…He was a monster."
"Hah… First Gu Byeok-geom, and now you as well. The Jegal Family has raised something formidable. Something truly formidable."
Mok Ja-un repeated the words through grinding teeth, a cold flash of fury crossing his gaze.
He did not want to admit it. That the pride of the Changcheon Sword Corps—its very vanguard—had been broken by some young martial artist of the Jegal Family.
But then—
"Pavilion Head."
"Speak."
"It was not merely formidable."
"What?"
"Having fought him, I can say this much: no simple word can capture it."
So Rok-pa even shuddered, as if the memory of that fight still lived in his bones.
Jegal Mun-Hyeon.
The man had recreated the core of So Rok-pa's own martial art as if he had known it from the start. Worse—in the middle of the battle he had casually dismantled that art and taught it back to him.
It defied all reason.
To grasp the secret formulas of another's martial art after a single look—and then to break those formulas down so simply that he could teach them again—both were impossible.
And he had spared So Rok-pa only because he was sure of himself. Sure that even if So Rok-pa returned stronger, he could still win.
Beyond that, the man had clearly never drawn on his full strength against him.
Which meant he was at least Intent Qi… and perhaps something beyond it.
The thought sent fear flooding in.
At that age it should have been utterly impossible—but if, by some chance, the man had already set foot in the realm of Sword Qi… then every Namgung martial artist who had invaded Hubei would die.
Three hundred?
Against a martial artist who had transcended the human realm, numbers meant nothing. A single stroke of the sword could cut down dozens.
Only a master of Sword Qi could stop another master of Sword Qi. The mere existence of such a person decided the fate of an entire house.
"And he was not alone."
"What do you mean?"
"At first I thought there was only one. But the people who came with him were no ordinary fighters either. They were of similar age… and one of them was a fully matured Peak master, more than worthy of the title. The rest—"
"Silence!"
Mok Ja-un could not hold it in. His shout cracked out, qi riding the sound waves hard enough to set the air whistling.
The pressure crushed down on So Rok-pa's already broken body until it was nearly unbearable—yet he believed he had to deliver exactly what he had seen.
One wrong decision would cost countless lives.
"Pavilion Head."
"…."
"Please send word to the main house. Something is wrong here. It is not simply because I was defeated. I believe we have completely misjudged the Jegal Family."
"You—you insolent—!"
Even under that glaring, bulging stare, So Rok-pa forced out every word he still had left.
"The moment they confirmed our advance, they seized the Blood Shadow Pavilion. If the Jegal Family has truly become something other than what we knew…."
"You dog! I told you to shut your mouth!"
Mok Ja-un could listen no further.
Only the vanguard had fallen. A proper battle had not even begun—how dare the man pour out fretting that would only gut their morale?
And more than that, his own position hung on this war.
Like So Rok-pa, he was a man of outside blood. Yet he had climbed past the direct line to become Head of the Gangmu Pavilion and take command of the Namgung Family's martial forces.
The road ahead was still long. Even if the seat of Family Head remained out of reach, he meant to climb at least as high as Great Elder—first under one, above ten thousand.
This expedition into Hubei was the crucial fight that would pave that road.
Expand into Hubei. Force the blockading Jegal to kneel.
Among the great martial houses of the Central Plains—once called the Five, the Six, or the Seven Great Families as their fortunes rose and fell—they would plant themselves firmly at the front.
And in time, they would gather the Nine Sects under their wing and claim the vacant seat of the Orthodox Martial Alliance.
The greatest family under heaven.
Hubei was the first step onto that grand path, and the one who would write that history had to be him.
And yet—and yet—
"Useless fool. Your very tone already concedes the enemy."
"Pavilion Head, that is not it. Please, listen carefully to what I—"
"Be silent! You were simply not good enough! You rose from outside blood all the way to vice-captain of the Changcheon Sword Corps, much as I did, so I thought to make you my left hand—"
"Pavilion Head…."
"I will not hear it! After a defeat, you should grind your teeth and think of nothing but victory! How dare you become a hundred-tailed cur and drag the name of the Namgung Family through the mud! I will listen to no more of your whimpering—get out!"
Mok Ja-un jerked his head away.
So Rok-pa stared at him for a long moment, then lowered his gaze. What face did a defeated general have left to cling to stubborn pride?
Even so—
"Pavilion Head. Even if you have closed your ears, remember this much. The opponent is the Jegal Family. Strength alone will not be everything. Look carefully in every direction, and make the right judgment."
So Rok-pa rose with a bitter face. Someone moved to support his staggering frame, but he lifted a hand to stop them. Jaw locked, he stood alone and bowed to Mok Ja-un.
"I will withdraw. And for leading us into defeat, I resign my post as vice-captain. May you achieve your great ambitions."
He was courteous even through the pain. Mok Ja-un did not spare him so much as a glance.
The Namgung did not care for those who had outlived their use.
Not even family.
That was the will of the Family Head who had raised a new Namgung to march forward.
Idiot… I might even have overlooked a single defeat.
Mok Ja-un's face twisted at the sound of limping footsteps receding into the distance.
But his fate was the same.
They had already pushed deep into Hubei, and all they held were a few stretches of land once occupied by minor sects and two branch outposts.
They had not even laid eyes on the Blood Shadow Pavilion's true halls.
How was that any different from Gu Byeok-geom, driven off at the very foot of Yungjung Mountain?
For failing to grasp the true state of Hubei after that affair, Namgung Jin, Head of the Hyeonyeong Pavilion, had been cast out.
Even a man who bore the bloodline surname had fallen that far—what chance did those of outside surnames have?
If he returned like this, his fate was as clear as fire. He would be driven from the pavilion head's seat.
No matter what merit he had built before.
Jegal… you bastards…
His eyes burned. That name pricked at the edge of his vision like a thorn lodged under the lid.
But still—
"If you chose the path of the demonic heretics, then of course you must be wiped out. You will learn just how wrong that choice was…."
Mok Ja-un ground his teeth and called over a nearby martial artist—Namgung Hwan.
"Second Vice-Captain, hear me."
"Your orders."
"At once, seize the beggar whelps loitering in the area and bring them here."
"…."
"If they refuse to listen, thrash them and drag them in. Before we begin the fight in earnest, I mean to know the mood of Hubei in every detail."
"Understood."
Namgung Hwan bowed without a word of protest and left the manor with several subordinates.
"First Vice-Captain—deploy patrols around the manor at once and raise a security net. If anyone is found scouting the area, cut them down without asking why."
"Yes!"
Chaos erupted in short order.
With sword-bearing martial artists locking down the area around the manor, the nearby common folk bolted their doors in terror and watched only from the corners of their eyes.
And the beggars who had been gathered in a cheerful cluster, bowls of begged food in hand, eating together, were struck by sudden disaster.
Martial artists appeared without warning and started thrashing them with scabbards; there was no hope of resisting.
Beaten half to death and herded into one place, the oldest-looking among the beggars found a cold blade set against his throat.
After the beating they had already taken, resistance was out of the question.
"Aigo, sir warrior! How can you treat miserable wretches like us this way?"
He tried to lean as hard as he could on pity. What he got back was a frigid stare and a colder voice.
"Are you the local beggar pack's sangdu?"
A sangdu was the rank that led the beggars living out of a single village—beneath the branch leaders who oversaw wider regions.
At Namgung Hwan's question, the beggar nodded frantically.
"Yes, sir. I am Kwak Chu, sangdu of Jong-sang County."
"Were you of the Beggar's Union?"
"Pardon?"
"I will not ask twice."
The edge of that voice was sharp as a drawn blade. Murderous intent layered itself onto the sword's killing aura until goosebumps raced up Kwak Chu's skin. He answered at once.
"I was, once. But as you know, after the Beggar's Union fell apart, we all scattered…."
"You still have contact with the nearby regions, though."
"These days it's…."
"If you do not, you die."
The blade pressed in until a sharp sting bit the side of his neck. Kwak Chu blurted the answer in a panic.
"I do! This humble one was always a news-bearer for Hubei. Whatever information you need, say the word and I will find it out."
Whether he was simply fighting to live or truly had such ability, Kwak Chu sold his usefulness with everything he had—and luckily, the sword was withdrawn.
"I am Namgung Hwan of the Namgung Family."
"Aigo! This lowly one failed to recognize so exalted a personage and committed a grave discourtesy. You dogs! Bow at once!"
At Kwak Chu's cry the whole pack of beggars slammed their heads to the dirt in a frantic salute.
"If you were once of the Beggar's Union, you know how things stand."
"Of course, of course! No one moves faster on rumor than the likes of us."
"…."
"I know full well that three hundred of the Namgung Family's Changcheon Sword Corps marched north from Muju Pass and cleared out the minor sects under the Blood Shadow Pavilion. This humble one is deeply grateful. Thanks to you, every last one of those Blood Shadow scum who used to plague Jong-sang ran for their lives—and now we can beg in peace, can't we?"
"Good to hear that attitude."
"More than good, sir. But if you need contact with the surrounding regions… is it for information on the Blood Shadow Pavilion?"
"That question is for the Pavilion Head to ask. Follow me."
"The Pavilion Head…? Do you mean the great hero Mok Ja-un, Head of the Gangmu Pavilion?"
"So your ears were open after all."
"Ah, what an honor! That I should be allowed to meet such a precious personage in the flesh!"
Kwak Chu scrubbed at the corners of his eyes with his sleeve as if he could not contain the swelling of his heart. The sight was so ridiculous that the Namgung martial artists let out soft snorts of laughter.
"I will help. If you are going to fight those damned Blood Shadow dogs, of course a former man of the Beggar's Union should lend a hand."
"I like that well enough. Carry out what you are told and you will be paid handsomely."
"Aiyu, no need for payment. You're making a world we can live in peace—what need is there for reward?"
Beaming, Kwak Chu rose and trailed after Namgung Hwan on his shabby legs.
And then—
A secret sound transmission slipped from Kwak Chu's lips…
"Tell the Young Branch Leader. The dog has bitten the poisoned bait."
Kwak Chu's veiled message passed quietly among his fellow beggars.