Shadows of Treason
Long after Dokgo Jin had vanished into the night, the Thousand-Faced Ghost Fox remained slumped in his seat, dazed and hollow-eyed as though his very soul had been torn from his body.
Cold sweat cascaded down his spine, soaking through his robes and drenching the wooden chair beneath him.
The Dark Lord...
Just rolling those syllables across his tongue sent a paralyzing chill straight to his marrow. In his long life, he had crossed paths with countless terrifying masters, but never had he tasted dread of this caliber. Even when standing before the Eight Divine Demons of the Kunlun Demon Palace, he had never felt such crushing, suffocating pressure. It was not merely a disparity in martial prowess; it was an existence carved from an entirely different plane.
Could it... could it truly be real?
As the minutes trickled past, the reason that had fled his numbed mind slowly crept back. His eyes sharpened once more.
The Dark Lord of the Red Blood Gang.
Moving with frantic urgency, he tore through his bookshelves until his fingers clamped onto a leather-bound dossier. It was a comprehensive compilation of intelligence on the Red Blood Gang. He flipped through the parchment leaves at blinding speed, his gaze raking across every page. Yet nowhere in the records did the title of "Dark Lord" appear.
Is he a hidden grandmaster of the Red Blood Gang?
Doubt naturally flared in his chest. Why would the Red Blood Gang, one of the Four Hegemons of the Central Plains, go out of its way to employ an obscure institution like the Golden Frog Money House in the far western frontier of Lanzhou just to spy on the Kunlun Demon Palace?
Yet the overwhelming martial might he had witnessed with his own eyes was undeniably genuine.
A master of that caliber would have no reason to impersonate the Red Blood Gang.
A monster possessing the sheer power to slaughter the Ghost Demon Sect single-handedly had no need to play petty deceptions on someone like him.
If he truly is a hidden master of the Red Blood Gang and the Golden Frog Money House is his cat's-paw...
Then the real danger was the Kunlun Demon Palace. Should Kunlun ever discover that the Ghost Demon Sect had strayed into treachery, they would wipe them from the earth without hesitation.
Damn it all.
The Thousand-Faced Ghost Fox bit his lower lip until it nearly bled. One truth remained crystal clear: defying that monster right now meant his head would part from his shoulders. Yet, suspicious to his very bones, he had no intention of offering blind obedience either.
His gaze drifted toward the outskirts of Lanzhou, where the Golden Frog Money House lay.
The Golden Frog Money House... I need to dig deeper into their roots.
If he pried hard enough, the true identity of that monstrous "Dark Lord" would surely surface.
By now, any thought of Vice Sect Leader Doksimma had long since evaporated from his mind.
Inside the Golden Frog Money House, within Wi Geum-seong's private office.
Wi Geum-seong listened intently to Dokgo Jin's recount of the encounter and nodded in profound admiration.
"As expected of the Young Master. To deceive even that cunning Thousand-Faced Ghost Fox!"
"He was merely paralyzed by terror and lost the capacity to judge the situation calmly," Dokgo Jin said evenly. "Once time passes, doubt will take root in his mind."
"Undoubtedly. Even so, sparing the Ghost Demon Sect was the right decision. There was no need to provoke their superiors prematurely."
In truth, Dokgo Jin's primary reason for sparing them had been concern for the safety of Wi Geum-seong and the money house. Yet the elderly steward interpreted it as a grand, far-reaching strategic maneuver, and Dokgo Jin saw no reason to correct him.
"The Dark Lord," Wi Geum-seong murmured, a faint smile touching his lips. "It is a title that suits the nature of your martial arts to perfection, Young Master."
"Are you not disappointed?" Dokgo Jin asked quietly. "You must know that what I wield is not the art of our clan."
"How could I ever be disappointed?" Wi Geum-seong replied, his eyes softening with deep reverence and sorrow. "Having survived that living hell, what agony you must have endured to master such power... this humble servant cannot begin to fathom."
"..."
"You had no other choice, Young Master. Moreover, in my humble opinion, when it comes to vengeance, such an art is far more suited to the task than the righteous path of the Dokgo Clan."
Hearing Wi Geum-seong's heartfelt words, Dokgo Jin felt a quiet warmth settle over the cold expanse of his chest.
"...Thank you for understanding, Elder Wi."
"You honor me too much, Young Master. Even the former clan head, resting in the Yellow Springs, would give his blessing."
Dokgo Jin offered a bittersweet smile, then let his expression turn solemn. "The Thousand-Faced Ghost Fox will soon turn his attention toward the Golden Frog Money House."
"Naturally. He must be caught between belief and doubt."
"Will you be all right?"
A cold, steely glint—unique to a veteran merchant who had survived decades of hidden strife—gleamed in Wi Geum-seong's eyes.
"Of course, Young Master. Though I showed an unsightly side of myself earlier, you need not worry. I shall ensure that he comes to believe in the existence of the 'Dark Lord' without a shadow of a doubt."
"Very well. If you ever require my aid, do not hesitate to ask."
"Understood, Young Master. However, I will not let such a situation arise again. Furthermore..."
Wi Geum-seong withdrew a ledger from his desk and presented it with both hands.
"I had intended to report this to you soon in any case, but since you are here, please examine this."
Dokgo Jin accepted the ledger and leafed through its contents. It was an intricate summary of transaction records spanning multiple merchant associations and money houses.
"This is..."
"Have you noticed it?"
A sharp light flickered in Dokgo Jin's eyes. "Funds originating from the Kunlun Demon Palace... are covertly flowing into the Northern Heavenly Alliance."
"As expected, you grasped it immediately. That is correct."
"Have you determined who within the alliance is receiving them?"
"The web of transactions is so deliberately convoluted that I could not pinpoint the exact recipient, but one fact is beyond dispute."
"And that is?"
Wi Geum-seong's eyes glinted. "The destination is one of the Three Hidden Halls."
Dokgo Jin's gaze turned razor-sharp.
The Three Hidden Halls.
The three personal disciples of the Alliance Leader were locked in a fierce contest for succession. Any cutthroat struggle for supreme authority required astronomical wealth.
The Hall Master secures the capital needed to become the next Alliance Leader, while the Kunlun Demon Palace installs their chosen pawn at the helm of the alliance and reaps greater spoils later.
From their perspective, it was a mutually lucrative arrangement—though for the Northern Heavenly Alliance itself, it was a lethal poison taking root within its core.
Then which of the three is the Kunlun Demon Palace backing?
All three Hall Masters possessed sufficient motive.
The Limitless Hall Master might have sought foreign gold to solidify his overwhelming lead; the Supreme Harmony Hall Master might have reached out to expand his factional reach; and even the Cloud Sea Hall Master might have turned to an outside power in a desperate bid to turn the tables.
The dilemma was mirrored from the Kunlun Demon Palace's perspective as well.
Backing a candidate with a weaker foundation would make them easier to control once seated on the throne, yet it remained a high-risk gamble that might yield nothing. Conversely, backing the front-runner—the Limitless Hall Master—virtually guaranteed victory, but would leave Kunlun with far less leverage to demand concessions later.
To ensure their wager paid off, supporting two or all three might seem safer, but the financial burden would be far too immense.
The Northern Heavenly Alliance was an entity equal to, if not slightly greater than, the Kunlun Demon Palace in overall might. Pouring resources into multiple fronts was foolish; it made far more sense to concentrate their investment into a single vessel.
In the end, one of the three is receiving Kunlun's backing.
Noticing Dokgo Jin deep in thought, Wi Geum-seong lowered his head. "Forgive me, Young Master. Had I been able to uncover precisely which hall it was, things would be much simpler. But this is the limit of what I can trace."
"No. Had it not been for you, Elder Wi, no one in the world would have unraveled such an elaborate web of transactions. You have done splendidly."
Though this matter did not directly link to the culprits behind his clan's destruction, it was nonetheless of tremendous significance. If Dokgo Jin could dig into this lead and unmask the traitor among the three disciples, the feat would send shockwaves throughout the entire Northern Heavenly Alliance. It was the perfect stepping stone to forge an unassailable standing within the alliance.
"I will handle the rest."
Yet a concrete plan of action was required.
There are two hurdles.
As a mere rank-and-file warrior of the Iron Soul Unit, launching an investigation into the Three Hidden Halls was impossible on his own. He inevitably needed external authority to back him.
The first problem was how to present reasonable grounds for suspecting the Three Hidden Halls in the first place. If he claimed the Golden Frog Money House had discovered the trail, he would have to explain his ties to them—an outcome he had to avoid at all costs.
The second problem was the method of investigation.
Even if he persuaded higher authorities to sanction a probe into the Three Hidden Halls, proving the guilt of someone so entrenched was an entirely different beast.
I need undeniable evidence of their betrayal.
When Dokgo Jin voiced these concerns, Wi Geum-seong responded as if he had been anticipating the question.
"While it was by sheer coincidence that I caught the scent of the money, would the Kunlun Demon Palace have limited their aid to mere gold?"
"What do you mean?"
"It is highly probable they provided other forms of support as well. Martial arts, for instance."
Dokgo Jin's eyes narrowed. "Martial arts..."
"Indeed. After all, the entity we are dealing with is the Kunlun Demon Palace."
"On what grounds do you base that?"
"As you know, the Kunlun Demon Palace has seduced countless martial artists across the realm over the years. Masters from the Nine Sects and One Gang and the Eight Great Clans were no exception."
Just like the other three hegemons, the Kunlun Demon Palace had not carved out a fourth of the Central Plains in just a few decades through raw numbers alone. It was achieved by drawing existing masters to their banner.
Above all, the Kunlun Demon Palace had ensnared more high-ranking experts than any other faction through the forbidden allure of demonic arts. Not stopping there, they used those demonic techniques as bait to breed traitors throughout the prestigious orthodox sects.
"Among those turned by the Kunlun Demon Palace, there were many who remained within their own sects to serve as embedded moles."
The most notorious among these turncoats was the Wind Cloud Sword, Chu So-gi, formerly the head disciple of the Kunlun Sect's second generation. His betrayal had been the deciding factor that forced the Kunlun Sect into total isolation behind sealed gates. Today, that very traitor sat as one of the Elders of the Kunlun Demon Palace.
Dokgo Jin's gaze deepened with dark realization.
"It is possible the demonic art came before the gold."
"Precisely. According to my investigations, not a single traitor who defected to the Kunlun Demon Palace ever refused to learn their demonic arts."
"Even so, would a Hall Master of our alliance truly stoop to practicing demonic techniques?"
"Is the Northern Heavenly Alliance not an order founded on the Hegemonic Way? If one could grow stronger without being discovered—and if that strength was what it took to claim the mantle of Alliance Leader—there is nothing they wouldn't do."
It was a compelling point.
For a martial artist walking the path of hegemony, resisting the temptation of absolute power is nearly impossible.
In that sense, any of the three Hall Masters could have succumbed.
"If that is the case, it must be a demonic art that leaves no visible outward signs. In the end, would that not make it impossible to prove?"
Wi Geum-seong's expression clouded with difficulty. "Indeed. That will be the most arduous part."
"..."
After a moment of quiet contemplation, Dokgo Jin spoke.
"I will find a way."
Upon returning to the Northern Heavenly Alliance, Dokgo Jin immediately requested an audience with the White Tiger Flag Master the following morning.
To his surprise, the request was granted that very evening following the dinner hour.
Dokgo Jin bowed deeply. "Thank you for granting me this audience."
"I heard you accomplished great deeds during your last assignment, Dragon Tiger Plaque Master. As expected of my expectations."
"I merely carried out my duty."
A faint, appreciative smile touched the White Tiger Flag Master's lips. "An admirable attitude."
He then cut straight to the heart of the matter. "Now, what business brings you before me?"
"During my recent mission to Lanzhou, I happened to cross paths with someone from the Golden Frog Money House, a rather prominent financial institution in the region. However..."
"..."
"Upon learning that I belonged to the Northern Heavenly Alliance, they proposed a trade."
"A trade?"
Dokgo Jin reached into his robes and produced a black ledger.
"Yes. In exchange for this ledger, they requested permission to establish a branch within our alliance's territory. Would you care to examine it?"
The ledger gently lifted from Dokgo Jin's palm, drawn across the room by a thread of invisible internal energy straight into the White Tiger Flag Master's hand.
"..."
As his eyes traced the entries, a deep crease formed between the Flag Master's brows.
"Fascinating. Is this authentic?"
"The master of the money house stated he would wager his entire enterprise on its authenticity."
"Hmm. If this holds true, granting permission for a mere branch is trivial. Have you read it as well?"
"Yes. What is your assessment, Flag Master?"
"It is unquestionably suspicious. However, this alone is too fragile to serve as definitive proof of treason."
"Your assessment is correct, Flag Master. Yet the circumstantial suspicion cannot be ignored."
Sensing something beneath the young man's words, the White Tiger Flag Master looked up.
"You... wish to unmask the traitor yourself, don't you?"
"Yes, Flag Master. I do."
Gauging Dokgo Jin's resolve, an unexpected look of intrigue crossed the Flag Master's face.
"Haha! I had no idea you harbored such ambition. Then why did you decline the squad leader position offered by the Blue Dragon Banner?"
"Because I wish to rise solely through my own strength."
A thoroughly satisfied smile spread across the White Tiger Flag Master's face.
Hmm. I find myself liking him more and more.
It was precisely the kind of ambition fitting for an exceptionally gifted young warrior confident in his own martial prowess.
"Splendid. However, you are currently nothing more than a warrior of the Iron Soul Unit. How do you intend to root out such a figure?"
"That is why I require a small measure of assistance from you, Flag Master."
The White Tiger Flag Master drew a clear boundary. "Assistance, you say. Let me make one thing abundantly clear: I have no intention of making enemies of the Three Hidden Halls."
"Of course. This investigation will be conducted entirely in secret, by me alone. Once I have uncovered the traitor, all I ask is that you verify after the fact that my actions were carried out under your tacit authorization."
"Is that all?"
"Naturally, I will leave the matter of my reward entirely to your generous discretion, Flag Master."
"Hahahahaha!"
The White Tiger Flag Master burst into hearty laughter and nodded approvingly.
"Very well! If you can truly expose the traitor, I shall bestow a reward worthy of the deed. However..."
His gaze narrowed, settling into a deep, calculating stillness.
"Just how do you plan to ferret out the traitor?"