Chapter 45
Chapter 45
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: Intelligence on White Ghost Castle
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The road from Hamyang County to Nakcheon County was unusually narrow and winding.
On that remote path where few people passed, a single carriage was charging ahead without hesitation.
Clop-clop— Clop-clop—
Inside the carriage, which raced on relentlessly amid the sound of hooves, a conversation was in full swing.
“How much longer do you think it’ll take?”
Ha Woojin gauged the distance and replied to Hyeondo’s question, laced with impatience.
“We’ll arrive in three days.”
“Three days? That’s pretty quick.”
“It’s all thanks to you, Merchant Leader. Without your help, we wouldn’t have gotten horses until now.”
Ha Woojin and Hyeondo’s gazes simultaneously turned out the window.
The sun peeking over an unnamed mountaintop illuminated their path.
It was still early dawn, proof that they had set out very early.
“I feel bad for the merchant leader.”
Hyeondo gave a wry smile.
The carriage they were riding in had been handling transport for the Northwind Merchant Group.
Despite the group’s dire straits, Go Gyeong-yeong had gladly provided the carriage and horses, saying it would greatly aid their journey.
Normally, they would have firmly refused, but given the current circumstances, they had accepted the favor.
“I’ll have to express my thanks later.”
“Me too.”
As the two conversed...
‘Three days? That’s quite a distance.’
Cheonhwi, sitting across from them, stared at the driver’s seat with a deflated expression.
A shabby beggar in rags was gripping the reins, driving the carriage.
It was Jin Gae, a rear beggar of the Beggars’ Sect.
He had originally planned only to gather info on White Ghost Castle, but upon seeing the carriage behind, Jin Gae had volunteered to be the driver.
‘The Beggars’ Sect is the same as ever.’
Cheonhwi saw through his intentions—or rather, he knew the sect’s habits well.
‘He must be curious.’
Mount Hua Sect and Southern Edge Sect, whose relations had soured recently, were traveling together. It was bait too good to ignore.
Then.
Swipe—
Jin Gae, who had been perking up his ears to listen to the conversation, glanced back out of curiosity.
“……!”
Caught in an unexpected eye contact, Jin Gae’s bewildered eyes darted around before he forced an awkward smile.
“Ha, haha……”
Cheonhwi grinned.
“You said you know a lot about White Ghost Castle, right?”
Jin Gae responded with exaggerated enthusiasm.
“Of course! In the current martial world, there are few who know more about White Ghost Castle than I do.”
As befitting a Beggars’ Sect disciple, he quickly grasped the intent behind the question.
“Is there specific information you want?”
“I want to know about White Ghost Castle’s forces.”
“Pardon?”
Jin Gae blinked in confusion, wondering if he’d misheard.
A beat later, his eyes widened.
“Wh-White Ghost Castle’s forces?”
“Yes.”
Jin Gae stared at Cheonhwi in disbelief, then glanced at Hyeondo and Ha Woojin.
But the two showed no reaction, simply listening quietly.
‘I thought something was off when they said they were heading to Nakcheon County, but they’re really going to White Ghost Castle?!’
The shocked Jin Gae swallowed hard.
‘This is too much for me to handle…’
Mount Hua and Southern Edge asking about White Ghost Castle’s military power—was that something to take lightly?
His lips went dry.
“Do you know? Or not?”
A curt voice pierced his tense ears.
Snapping to attention, he shook his head vigorously under Cheonhwi’s gaze.
“Y-Yes, I know.”
Jin Gae steadied his breath and asked,
“……What exactly are you curious about? The experts under White Ghost Castle? Or the battalions and troops there?”
“All of it.”
At Cheonhwi’s reply, Jin Gae looked up at the sky with a pale face for a moment.
“Whew, alright.”
He exhaled deeply to calm himself.
“Under White Ghost Castle Lord White Death God, there’s the strategist called White Ghost Chief of Staff, and four peak experts known as the Lords of the Four Directions. The strategist hasn’t cultivated martial arts, so we’ll skip him.”
Glancing at Cheonhwi, Jin Gae promptly excluded irrelevant info.
“All four Lords of the Four Directions are transcendent experts who could lead their own sects if not for White Ghost Castle.”
“Transcendent experts?”
Three faces flashed through Cheonhwi’s mind.
“Ah! So those guys were all the Lords of the Four Directions.”
“You know them?”
Cheonhwi waved off Jin Gae’s gleaming question, as if to say don’t ask.
“……Understood.”
Jin Gae said with a sullen expression.
‘There’ll be chances later.’
His curiosity still burned about who Cheonhwi had thought of, but he suppressed it and continued.
“The known Lords of the Four Directions so far are Poison Hand Sword, Silver Hand Slayer, and Little White Ghost, disciple of White Death God. The identity of the remaining one was hidden, but we recently uncovered it.”
“You found out?”
“As expected of the Beggars’ Sect. Uncovering a secret hidden for decades.”
Hyeondo and Ha Woojin reacted with surprise.
Mount Hua and Southern Edge had gathered info on White Ghost Castle too, but hadn’t identified the last one.
And now they had.
Jin Gae nodded.
“It’s the Sword-Breaking Ghost.”
“Sword-Breaking Ghost……!”
“That ruthless bastard is still alive?!”
Hyeondo and Ha Woojin exclaimed in shock.
Watching their fuss, Cheonhwi asked indifferently,
“Sword-Breaking Ghost? Who’s that?”
Jin Gae faltered for a moment.
“Y-You don’t know Sword-Breaking Ghost?”
“That’s why I’m asking.”
“He poisoned and killed the leader of the Unrivaled Sword Sect, which once dominated the world, and stole their martial arts.”
Hyeondo interjected. He then muttered gravely,
“I heard Unrivaled Sword Sect succeeded in revenge, though……”
“We thought so too. But not only is he alive, he’s joined White Ghost Castle.”
“Hmm……”
“If he’s mastered the sword arts he stole from Unrivaled Sword Sect, he’ll be dangerous.”
As Hyeondo and Ha Woojin murmured...
“Forget him. What about the other forces?”
Cheonhwi cut through their murmurs.
Sword-Breaking Ghost or Unrivaled Sword Sect’s arts—he had no interest. What mattered now was White Ghost Castle’s forces.
Jin Gae glanced at Hyeondo and Ha Woojin, but yielded to Cheonhwi’s urging gaze and continued.
“White Ghost Castle’s most famous military units are, as everyone knows, the White Ghost Three Corps: White Ghost Corps, Ghost Slayer Corps, and the still-unconfirmed Killing Soul Corps. That’s what the martial world calls them collectively.”
“What about the other corps besides those three?”
“There are seven more. They handle White Ghost Castle’s finances, cleanup, and various tasks. Overshadowed by the White Ghost Three Corps’ fame, but each rivals a major sect’s elite unit.”
“Total numbers?”
“Around five hundred to seven hundred.”
Cheonhwi stroked his chin at Jin Gae’s swift reply.
“Five hundred to seven hundred.”
“Most major sects have similar numbers. If White Ghost Castle vastly outstripped the other Six Evil Schools, it would’ve claimed the top spot long ago, right?”
It was pragmatic, calculated intel.
“You know quite a bit.”
“It’s one of the Six Evil Schools—gotta pay special attention.”
Jin Gae shrugged.
Not just any sect, but one of the Six Evil Schools.
Even in this era of the Nine Provinces Triple Hegemons’ peace, the cold war could ignite anytime—information warfare was fiercer than ever.
“Any hidden forces?”
“Absolutely not.”
Jin Gae was firm.
“If there were hidden units, White Death God wouldn’t have stayed quiet this long. He’d have waged war the moment White Ghost Castle fell to the bottom of the Six Evil Schools.”
Cheonhwi chuckled.
He liked White Death God’s style.
‘Straightforward guy.’
For some reason, it overlapped with his past self.
“Well, at most one or two hidden experts.”
Cheonhwi averted his gaze at Jin Gae’s follow-up.
He’d hoped for more from White Ghost Castle, but the forces fell short.
‘About the same as Mount Hua right now.’
Silence fell in the carriage.
Hyeondo and Ha Woojin, deep in thought upon hearing the numbers...
Jin Gae eyed the two, who had listened quietly unlike the probing Cheonhwi.
‘I thought one of them would ask more…’
He was full of questions now.
When he pieced together their identities from the conversation, Jin Gae had been terrified, barely able to breathe.
Mount Hua’s First Sword and Southern Edge’s Flying Sword Lord.
He’d known they weren’t ordinary, but their true identities exceeded expectations.
Yet what shocked him more was...
‘Cheonhwi—I need to learn about that guy. He’s no ordinary person.’
The young Daoist ahead.
Clearly a Mount Hua disciple, yet his words and actions defied logic.
‘That young man seems to lead every conversation and situation…’
Sweat slicked his hands on the reins.
His mind’s questions unresolved, but his instincts screamed.
This journey was a once-in-a-lifetime heaven-sent opportunity.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The sun set, and darkness fell.
Unable to see even a foot ahead in the pitch black, the carriage halted its relentless pace, and the four prepared to camp.
They could have pushed on forcefully, but the horses were exhausted, and a single misstep in the dark could overturn them.
For the days ahead, they needed rest.
As soon as Jin Gae hopped down, he skillfully built a campfire. Days were hot, but nights grew chilly.
Crackle— Crackle—
As the flames grew on the logs...
‘Hm?’
Cheonhwi’s eyes narrowed.
Footsteps approached from afar.
Whoosh—
Hyeondo sensed it next.
Turning toward the approaching presence, he pierced the darkness with narrowed eyes and spoke lowly.
“Someone’s coming this way.”
“……!”
“……!”
Ha Woojin and Jin Gae, who hadn’t sensed a thing, flinched.
“Well now, quite the unexpected group.”
A man emerged from the darkness. Illuminated by the campfire, his appearance was strikingly unique.
Worn martial robes and a bushy beard.
Yet his face bore a smile, giving an air of leisure rather than haggardness.
Noticing their wariness, he approached openly.
“Mind if I warm up by the fire?”
“……Come.”
Hyeondo lowered his guard first.
No killing intent or hostility emanated from the man.
“Much obliged.”
The man sat across from Hyeondo.
“Hahaha! Nightfall brought the chill just as I needed a fire.”
His hearty laugh eased Ha Woojin and Jin Gae’s tension naturally.
“Quite the unique companions.”
The man scanned those around the fire with intrigued eyes.
Their identities were easy to discern.
Cloud-embroidered pale blue Daoist robes.
White robes with plum blossom emblems.
And five large knots swaying from a filthy sackcloth waistband.
Any who knew the martial world would recognize these hallmarks.
“Mount Hua, Southern Edge, and Beggars’ Sect……”
As he spoke, his gaze swept Hyeondo, Ha Woojin, and Jin Gae across from him, landing last on Cheonhwi.
“……”
He fell silent, tilting his head.
Even Hyeondo across faintly emanated presence, but Cheonhwi had none.
As if he were a ghost.
As doubt rose in his eyes...
‘Interesting.’
Cheonhwi met his gaze and smiled.
This sudden, unexpected encounter amused him.
‘Never thought I’d find traces of the Sword Demon here in the Central Plains.’