Dark Struggle: The Winner (2)
The Sangan Tower in Kaifeng was neither a large nor a famous tavern.
Moreover, it was a place that almost no one visited unless they were outsiders. That was only natural—after all, who would deliberately seek out a tavern that closed for more than half the month?
Thanks to that, there had once been no end to the rumors swirling around the Sangan Tower. From chilling whispers that it was a hideout for assassins or a base for a black-path gang, to claims that a retired tycoon ran it as a hobby.
Naturally, people began to poke around the Sangan Tower out of curiosity. And most of them either disappeared or returned as cripples. This held true for both commoners and martial artists alike.
The people, gripped by fear, reported the matter to the authorities, but the officials remained silent. They made no move against the Sangan Tower—nor did they even bother to investigate it in the first place.
In the end, the people stopped paying attention to the Sangan Tower. After all, it was not as though monsters were emerging from it, and only those who had gone snooping around had suffered.
Furthermore, the once-loud rumors died down with unnatural speed. In other words, someone had deliberately suppressed them.
Thus, the Sangan Tower faded from the memories of Kaifeng’s residents. Since no one sought to learn more, it was only natural that it would be forgotten.
‘Hmm.’
Moyong Gun’s eyes, gazing at the Sangan Tower from the darkness, were deeply sunken.
‘How peculiar.’
The location of the Sangan Tower was truly strange.
A tavern sold liquor and food. For business to thrive, it naturally had to be situated in a bustling marketplace, somewhere highly visible.
Yet the Sangan Tower was not. It was not exactly hidden, but neither was it in a prime location.
‘An ideal spot to avoid outside eyes. Not hidden, but a place that leaves no impression even if one happens to pass by.’
The corner of Moyong Gun’s mouth curled upward.
‘Interesting. It was clearly built here on purpose.’
There was another reason he was so certain.
‘Quite substantial.’
Countless experts were hidden throughout every corner of the Sangan Tower. Their number reached fifty.
Considering the size of the Sangan Tower, that was not a particularly large number. But what mattered was the individual strength of each one.
‘Fifty peak-level experts? And not mediocre ones, but each capable of taking on a hundred men?’
Moyong Gun clicked his tongue inwardly.
They surpassed even the head-of-household-level guards of the Six Great Families. Among those called peak experts, there were tiers, and these men had all reached a level of maturity where they could perform beyond their usual capacity in any battle.
‘Hmm.’
Moyong Gun noticed another peculiarity.
‘Flaming Sun Art?’
Though they tried to conceal it, Moyong Gun’s keen senses detected that every hidden figure had cultivated an extreme yang art.
The Flaming Sun Art was inherently unsuited for stealth. Yet the fact that they had suppressed their presence to this degree meant their skill was extraordinary.
‘Flaming Sun Art…… Then?’
A faint killing intent flickered in Moyong Gun’s eyes.
‘Are these the Shinhwa Sect’s men?’
His fists clenched involuntarily.
‘…….’
Moyong Gun quietly regulated his breathing. For a moment, rage surged within him, but he forced himself to regain composure.
‘Receiving protection from foreign scum…… and from the Provincial Military Commander, no less.’
The real problem was this.
‘Is it truly protection?’
Indeed.
Moyong Gun’s doubt stemmed from the fact that the hidden figures moved with considerable freedom.
Whether in the Central Plains’ martial world or beyond, guards were all the same. If concealing their presence while protecting someone, they should sit in positions that allowed them to observe all directions and remain still. That was the basics.
But these men were different. Though they hid their presence, they moved ceaselessly inside and outside the tavern.
That was not the movement of guards.
‘Then……’
Moyong Gun’s eyes deepened.
‘This is worth taking a risk for.’
It was instinct, before logic.
Whoosh!
Moyong Gun leapt onto the roof of the Sangan Tower in a single bound.
Even with fifty experts present, the gap between Moyong Gun and them was vast. If they formed a formation and attacked, it would be one thing, but if he moved with intent, it was not impossible to deceive their eyes.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
Fortunately, the night wind was still cold, and its speed was considerable.
The sound of the wind aided Moyong Gun’s movements. He carefully slipped through the window of the uppermost floor.
Whoosh!
The wind that entered through the window made the candle flame flicker.
A burly, elderly man seated at the table, examining documents, spoke in a flat voice.
“The wind is cold. Almost as if a ghost has entered.”
His voice was rough.
Judging by the long pipe set beside the table, he seemed to have smoked tobacco for quite some time. Yet that thick, coarse tone only added to his natural dignity.
The elderly man glanced around the room.
“I don’t see anything, but it doesn’t feel like I’m alone. How strange.”
His perception was remarkable.
Even without cultivating internal energy, his instincts were sharp and his senses keen. It was the intuition of a general who had spent his life on brutal battlefields.
Whether on the actual battlefield or the battlefield of political intrigue, Yeo Sang-do, Henan’s Provincial Military Commander, was a man who had always seized victory.
The senses of one who had faced countless threats to his life. Detecting the breath of danger was a survival instinct that even non-martial artists could acquire.
Yeo Sang-do, who had been quietly surveying his surroundings, closed the window.
He spoke in a calm voice.
“I don’t know who you are, but this room is well soundproofed. Enough with the ghost games—show yourself.”
Slide.
In an instant, Moyong Gun emerged from a shadowed corner.
Yeo Sang-do’s eyes widened slightly.
“You are……?”
“It has been a long time, Lord Yeo.”
“……Hah!”
Surprisingly, the two men were acquainted.
Before Yeo Sang-do became Henan’s Provincial Military Commander, he had once been stationed in Hunan. That was when he and Moyong Gun had shared drinks several times.
A shallow connection from over a decade ago. The man with whom he had exchanged not a single letter since had now come to him in secret.
“How did you know I was here……?!”
“First, please have a seat.”
Moyong Gun waved his hand.
Hum.
An invisible barrier of qi completely masked Moyong Gun’s presence.
It was a technique that consumed considerable internal energy. However, it was sufficient for holding a conversation.
Yeo Sang-do, who had been staring at Moyong Gun, sat down.
He was surprised, yet remained composed. He did not seem greatly tense, nor did he underestimate his opponent.
It was the demeanor befitting the supreme commander of a province’s military affairs. Even if lightning struck before his eyes, he would remain calm.
Yeo Sang-do gazed quietly at Moyong Gun.
‘Hmm.’
Moyong Gun’s face, cast in shadow, looked strangely eerie.
Yet there was no killing intent within it. At the very least, it did not seem he had come to kill him.
“So you came here knowing I was present.”
“Of course.”
“You wouldn’t have touched the authorities’ intelligence network, so you must have used the martial world’s information organizations.”
“That is correct.”
“That is a dangerous act that could violate the Martial World–Official Non-Interference Treaty. You know that, don’t you?”
“I would not be unaware.”
“In other words, you took on that level of risk to find me—and even came to see me.”
Yeo Sang-do tilted his head.
“The Moyong Gun I know is not the sort to engage in such reckless endeavors.”
“…….”
“It must be one of two things. Either this is a collective action, or something urgent enough to force you into this has occurred. I believe it is the former.”
His insight was fearsome.
Moyong Gun could not help but marvel anew at Yeo Sang-do’s mind. From the mere fact that the head of the Moyong Family had come in secret, he had deduced this much.
That was why the man in charge of a province’s military administration had to be a monster. One needed this level of intellect and perception to serve as Provincial Military Commander.
Yeo Sang-do’s gaze sharpened.
“If you cannot convince me, the Moyong Family will face considerable trouble—even if the martial world does not.”
It was a terrifying threat.
This was no empty words. A Provincial Military Commander possessed the power to annihilate even the most prominent martial sects, no matter how renowned.
However, due to political relations and the risk of sparking war between the authorities and the martial world, such action was not easily taken. That was how powerful a Provincial Military Commander was.
Moyong Gun spoke.
“Forgive my presumption, but I too have something to say.”
“…….”
“If, by any chance, Lord Yeo is using those hidden experts here as guards, then your head may well end up in my hands.”
He countered a strong move with an even stronger one.
Of course, from Yeo Sang-do’s perspective, it was an utterly outrageous threat. How dare even a giant of the martial world threaten to kill a Provincial Military Commander?
Yet.
“…….”
Yeo Sang-do did not grow angry. He showed no killing intent in his eyes, nor did he slam the table.
He merely looked at Moyong Gun with surprised eyes.
“……So it is as I thought.”
Moyong Gun smiled.
Though his gaze was cold.
“You are not here under the protection of guards, Lord Yeo. You are under surveillance. Am I wrong?”
If Yeo Sang-do had not become Provincial Military Commander for nothing, then Moyong Gun had not become the ruler of Hunan for nothing either.
The ability to see through what the other had left unsaid in an instant.
This was how conversations between giants unfolded. Since they could grasp each other’s intentions without words, the dialogue progressed swiftly and efficiently.
“I am relieved.”
“What do you mean?”
“If you had been won over by those Shinhwa Sect bastards, things would have become quite troublesome.”
“You……”
“Please speak.”
Yeo Sang-do swallowed lightly.
“You…… knew about them?”
“I did not. Not until recently.”
“…….”
“But now that I know of their existence, I have realized it is time to act.”
Moyong Gun’s smile deepened.
“You think the same, do you not, Lord Yeo?”
“……Hoo.”
Yeo Sang-do let out a quiet sigh.
“For a brief moment, I wondered if you were a spy sent by them.”
“That cannot be. Judging by your complexion, it seems most of Henan’s authorities have already been seized. Would they really bring someone with whom you share only a shallow connection to monitor you in such a situation?”
“That is what I meant.”
“In other words, the situation must be dire enough that even you, Lord Yeo—who would not normally harbor such fleeting suspicions—found yourself considering it.”
“You saw correctly.”
Yeo Sang-do’s eyes deepened.
“Has the Martial Alliance noticed?”
“To be precise, only those who know are aware. We are taking every precaution in case there are spies among us who have been won over by them. Fewer than ten people know about the Three Sects.”
Yeo Sang-do exhaled in relief.
“Well done. Very well done. Considering their capabilities…… Ah, wait a moment!”
“……?”
“The Three Sects? Does that mean the Shinhwa Sect is not the end of it?”
Moyong Gun’s eyes gleamed.
“It seems you were unaware.”
“……!!”
“The Black Dragon Department, the alliance of the dark factions, was born with the support of the Sahum Sect, one of the Three Sects. The remaining one has yet to make a move, though we cannot be certain of that either.”
“This cannot be……”
Yeo Sang-do’s complexion turned slightly pale. Given his usual character and boldness, his shock must have been extraordinary.
Moyong Gun looked around.
“Wait here for now. After I deal with the men outside……”
“No!”
His voice was quiet yet resolute.
Tension clouded Yeo Sang-do’s face.
“Do not touch the experts here. Absolutely not!”
“If you are worried that my identity will be exposed……”
“It is not because I doubt your skill, nor is it for my own safety.”
“……?”
“They are immortals. Unless you sever their heads and tear their limbs apart, they will not die.”
“What do you mean?”
“Exactly as I said.”
Yeo Sang-do’s face twisted.
“They are monsters.”
* * *
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
‘Hmm?’
Dang Gwan turned around.
Whoosh!
Along with a strong gust of wind, the massive man who had been caught in the explosion slowly rose to his feet.
The corner of Dang Gwan’s mouth lifted.
“What an interesting slab of meat.”