Stealth Squad Mobilization (3)
Mu Hye began explaining the events connected to the map.
"Shaolin Temple has pursued the secrets of the revenants for a long time."
There had been countless lives lost in the process, but thanks to those sacrifices, they had drawn closer to uncovering the truth.
"The place where the revenants first originated was not Black Wolf Castle."
A few years earlier, Song Hyeon and the infiltration team had sneaked into Black Wolf Castle and slain the progenitor. Yet the revenants had not vanished.
Afterward, a self-proclaimed revenant emperor had appeared in the world, only to vanish mysteriously. Still, the revenant outbreaks showed no sign of stopping.
"Then, a clue to the revenants' secrets was discovered in the diary of a certain eunuch."
Eunuchs were bound by law to serve in the imperial palace for life. But this one had faked his death amid the chaos and slipped out to live out his remaining days.
The eunuch had harbored a lifelong obsession: tracking down Seo Bul.
Seo Bul was the legendary figure from the Qin Dynasty who, on Emperor Qin Shi Huang's orders, had ventured east in search of the elixir of immortality—and never returned, his fate unknown.
By analyzing countless ancient texts, the eunuch had pieced together a guess as to Seo Bul's whereabouts.
He reasoned that Seo Bul was not in some distant land beyond the seas, but somewhere in the Central Plains.
With meticulous preparations, the eunuch set out on his journey, servants in tow, following in Seo Bul's footsteps.
Time passed, and at last, the eunuch discovered Seo Bul's city!
But in the process, all his servants perished, and the eunuch himself suffered a mortal wound.
Escaping the city, he painted a map of the entrance on the wall of an inn, rendering it as a mural.
Afterward, the eunuch sought the path to immortality and reentered Seo Bul's city. No one ever saw him again.
"According to the eunuch's diary, the secret to immortality that Seo Bul discovered was to become a revenant."
At those words, the room's atmosphere turned icy cold, everyone's eyes hardening like frost.
The undead rising from corpses—revenants.
One could argue that becoming a revenant meant never truly dying, depending on how you looked at it. For those obsessed with eternal life, it would be all the more tempting.
Once Mu Hye finished his tale, Seo Baek spoke up.
"A fascinating story. So, this map is a copy of the mural that eunuch drew?"
"Precisely. It's an exact replica of the mural from that inn."
Mu Hye pointed to the center of the map with his index finger.
"That spot marks the entrance to Seo Bul's city."
He then traced a circle around the entrance with his finger, indicating the drawings surrounding it.
"We believe that entrance leads into a revenant lair."
Now that he mentioned it, the images came into focus.
A writhing mass of crimson tentacles, like an octopus's limbs!
They hadn't recognized them as blood thread worms at first because the depiction was so vague. Whoever copied the mural had likely never laid eyes on one.
Mu Hye now pointed to the inscription in the corner of the map.
"This script is from Tianzhu. It reads: 'The revenants began in Seo Bul's city.'"
"……!"
"That's the origin of the revenants. To end their rampage, we must eradicate the source."
Mu Hye, abbot of Shaolin, was resolute.
At that moment, Song Hyeon spoke.
"That place is Chang'an."
Chang'an? Eyes lit up around the room.
Ordinary maps depicted mountains and rivers. But the map held by the Shaolin monks showed neat grids of rectangular districts, aligned in perfect rows and columns.
In other words, it was a city map, not terrain.
"But it doesn't quite match the current Chang'an."
"Indeed. We suspect it's a replica of ancient Chang'an's layout."
Chang'an had become the capital of the Central Plains after the Spring and Autumn period, an ancient metropolis.
Especially during the Tang Dynasty, it reached its zenith with a population nearing a million—the birthplace of the phrase "the talk of Chang'an."
But after repeated rebellions, the capital shifted to Luoyang, and Chang'an gradually fell into ruin, never regaining its former glory.
Its final downfall came with the recent revenant outbreaks.
No one came from Chang'an anymore, nor did anyone speak of going there...
If the eunuch's map was real, it all made sense.
A revenant city hidden in Chang'an—explaining why the outbreaks kept surging endlessly from there!
"This mission is to infiltrate Chang'an."
Infiltrate the heart of a city once home to a million souls, now all turned to revenants? Even for martial arts masters, a chill ran down their spines.
Yet Seo Baek stepped forward without hesitation.
"I'll gladly lead the stealth squad."
He turned to Wang Yi Sam.
"Senior Wang, you'll come with us, right?"
"Of course! Hell yeah, count me in!"
Wang Yi Sam thumped his chest in affirmation.
The old Wang Yi Sam might have hesitated. But faced with this unbelievably grown Seo Baek, he found himself agreeing without thinking.
Mu Hye scanned the group.
Far from fear, their eyes burned with curiosity and resolve—Seo Baek and his companions especially.
Song Hyeon had come from Yunnan at Shaolin's call.
At some point, he'd joined forces with this band led by a youth not yet twenty.
Seo Baek might lack experience, but Mu Hye rated his abilities highly.
Whatever their backstory, they were all trustworthy.
This stealth squad can succeed.
Mu Hye steeled his resolve.
"Then I'll announce the stealth squad members."
Mu Hye listed them, starting with himself: members from the Murim Alliance joining the squad.
Mu Hye, Jin-mun, Jin Hyeop, and Jin Ha-gun, disciple of Wudang.
Next, Seo Baek and his companions who had arrived with him at Shaolin.
Seo Baek, Wang Yi Sam, Joo Eun-ri, Dang Ryong.
Finally, veterans from the Black Wolf Castle infiltration: Song Hyeon and Yi Gang.
"Seo Baek, immune to blood thread worm infection, will lead the vanguard. Song Hyeon, who brilliantly succeeded in the Black Wolf Castle infiltration, will serve as commander."
Mu Hye alternated glances between Seo Baek and Song Hyeon.
"No one knows of this mission except those gathered here and Jegal Seong, who will oversee the Murim Alliance in our absence. We'll eliminate Seo Bul in secret and uproot the revenant plague. Amitabha."
Mu Hye pressed his palms together, proclaiming the stealth squad's departure.
Wang Yi Sam let out a deep sigh.
"Whew, a rough road ahead."
"You know sticking with me brings more bad luck than good fortune, right?"
"Yeah, tell me about it. Can't figure why heaven stuck me with a junior like you."
"You were the one who first approached me back in Sichuan, Senior Wang."
"Tch."
Wang Yi Sam had no retort and shut his mouth.
He'd always known the kid under twenty acted like an old soul.
But in the time apart, Seo Baek had shot up like a different person. No longer a boy, he even carried the air of a true martial master...
Turning away so Seo Baek wouldn't hear, Wang Yi Sam muttered.
"Tch, he used to be kinda cute back then."
"Men grow up all of a sudden at some point. Isn't that right, Chorang?"
"Kyeng."
At Joo Eun-ri's words, Wang Yi Sam pouted and looked away.
Yi Gang eyed Song Hyeon.
"A stealth squad with even the likes of me? Sun's gonna rise in the west tomorrow."
"The Black Wolf Castle team had one more. Thought he'd be here waiting at Shaolin already."
"Who're you talking about... Wait. Speak of the tiger, and he appears—looks like that's him, heh heh heh."
As Song Hyeon turned at Yi Gang's words, two figures entered the Diamond Hall.
One was Wudang's Jin Ha-gun; the other was the Black Wolf Castle veteran Song Hyeon and Yi Gang mentioned.
It was Yu So Un.
Yu So Un, handling Murim Alliance duties, was already acquainted with Jin Ha-gun. He'd just arrived at Shaolin, and Jin Ha-gun had brought him straight to the hall.
"Brother So Un!"
"Yu-bro!"
Seo Baek and Wang Yi Sam greeted him first.
Reunited with comrades who'd shared life-and-death trials from Sichuan onward, joy bubbled over.
But Yu So Un wasn't just welcomed by them.
He offered a formal clasped-hands bow to his old comrade and reliable leader, Song Hyeon, after so long.
"Lord Song, it's been too long."
"So Un, you've grown."
"Just aged uselessly."
Amid the joyful reunions, one was more awkward.
Scanning the faces, Yu So Un's eyes lit up at one in particular.
Yi Gang.
"The weakling pup's grown beyond recognition, heh heh heh."
"You look healthy too—good to see."
As Yu So Un chatted amiably with Seo Baek and Song Hyeon, Joo Eun-ri asked Wang Yi Sam.
"Who's that pale-faced guy?"
"One of the crew from Sichuan. Got separated midway, just made it to Shaolin now."
"Why so late?"
"That guy's the world's worst at directions—must've gotten lost."
"Lost in this chaotic world? What kind of man's that hopeless?"
"Exactly."
For once, Wang Yi Sam and Joo Eun-ri saw eye to eye.
"Didn't expect everyone here. What were you discussing?"
"The stealth squad's departure."
"Ah, I see."
Yu So Un nodded at Mu Hye's reply, then asked again.
"So, when do we leave? Three days? A week?"
"Today."
"Pardon? Today? It's night already."
"At midnight tonight, we'll depart Shaolin in secret."
"I just got here... You're not saying head back out right away, are you?"
"Amitabha."
The natural-born pathfinder Yu So Un, arriving late to Shaolin because of it, now had no time to unpack before heading back down the mountain.
* * *
Creaaaaak.
The inn door swung open, and the owner and errand boy turned with listless eyes.
"What, customers now?"
"Yeah. More martial artists?"
Since the revenant outbreaks, the inn had seen almost no guests.
Yet in the last few days, visitors had come twice.
A few days ago: a monk with a seal on his forehead.
And today's guests...
The owner and boy gaped, eyes bulging.
Soldiers poured in with drilled precision!
And at a glance, they were no ordinary troops.
They wore windbreaker robes reinforced with iron plates on cowhide to fend off blades and swords, embroidered with red-gold thread that caught the eye.
"Th-that's... the Jinyiwei!"
The owner gawked in shock.
The Jinyiwei were the emperor's personal guard, issuing commands in his name.
Emissaries of the emperor himself!
Clack-clack.
The Jinyiwei formed two lines, facing left and right in unison. Between them strode their apparent leader.
But the leader's appearance was utterly bizarre.
Unlike the Jinyiwei, he wore a long robe embroidered with silver thread.
Oddly, his face was powdered ghostly white like a woman's, lips rouged red.
Undeniably male, yet exuding a subtle allure like a famed courtesan.
A eunuch.
The mighty Jinyiwei parting for a mere eunuch—an unbelievable sight, even with their own eyes.
The eunuch spoke, his voice an unsettling neither-man-nor-woman timbre.
"I've heard this inn has a bizarre mural."
"Y-yes, that's right."
"Where is it?"
"Well... to see the mural, you'd need to tip a bit of silver, heh heh heh."
The shrewd owner caught on quick and haggled.
He'd gotten silver from that monk days ago. This time, with a Jinyiwei-backed eunuch, the payout would be fat.
The eunuch flicked his sleeve lightly.
In the next instant, the innkeeper's head tilted sideways and tumbled to the floor, severed.
Thud.
"Where is it?"
"Th-third floor, farthest corner room!"
The errand boy, watching the owner die beside him, answered without pause.
The eunuch flicked his sleeve again, and the boy's head joined the owner's on the floor.
The still-twitching severed head rolled its eyes and rasped in outrage.
"I told you... why..."
"Even a lowly errand boy knows of silencing witnesses."
The eunuch ascended to the third floor, flanked by two subordinate eunuchs.
In the room, a faded mural lingered on the wall.
"So, they say that bastard Seo Bul hid the secret to immortality there?"
Bingpil Taegam Sang Yeong, head of the Eastern Depot, flashed a sinister smile.