Do They Mean to Fight the Righteous Faction?
"For now, rest."
Seol-ah looked at him without lowering the hand that rested on her head.
"What about my reward?"
"......"
"Give me a reward."
Seol-ah said it again. Her voice was quiet, but she gave no sign of backing down. Lee Kang gave a soft laugh.
"All right."
He stepped closer. Seol-ah lifted her head a fraction, very slightly.
Lee Kang reached out. He lowered his hand slowly and set his palm on top of her head. Then he petted her gently.
She slowly closed her eyes.
Like a little kitten, she accepted Lee Kang's touch in complete silence. The serious expression she had worn just moments ago while holding a branch was gone, leaving only the look of someone carefully savoring a pleasant sensation.
Looking down at her, Lee Kang thought to himself, Seol-ah really likes human warmth and contact.
She had been that way from the beginning.
She had been the same when he adjusted her stance, and the same when his hand touched her body. Even when Seol-ah grew flustered, she did not push him away. On the contrary, she accepted it, still unfamiliar with the sensation but willing to take it in.
This time was no different. As Lee Kang slowly stroked her hair, Seol-ah let out the faintest breath with her eyes closed.
[Lee Seol-ah's Affection increased]
Just as I thought.
Lee Kang checked the translucent letters and nodded inwardly. He stroked Seol-ah's head a few more times.
After a little more time passed, Lee Kang slowly withdrew his hand.
Seol-ah's eyes opened cautiously. Her face looked a little disappointed. Lee Kang pretended not to notice.
"I'll take care of something for a moment."
Seol-ah nodded.
"Yes."
Lee Kang sat down at the desk and opened the translucent gallery window.
Modern Murim Gallery.
Posts were still flying up at a frantic pace. It was the only channel where modern people could feel safe enough to talk to one another as modern people. A place packed with every sort of topic imaginable.
But this gallery was not just a place for random chatter and anonymous contact.
He entered a title into the search bar.
Sasameng.
Before long, a post appeared.
Title: Sasameng
Author: ㅇㅇ
.
There was nothing in the body. More precisely, there was only a period. Anyone seeing it for the first time would think it was meaningless junk. But Lee Kang was not one of them.
This post was the Sasameng's contact channel. A secret communication network where they met regularly every Sunday at 10 p.m. to confirm who was still alive and exchange information.
Lee Kang checked the time.
9:59 p.m. It was almost time.
He left the comment window open and waited.
Seol-ah sat to one side, quietly steadying her breathing. Only the small creaks of the old building and the breaths of the two of them remained in the room.
And the moment it struck 10 p.m., a comment appeared.
ㄴNo Hyeonjin: Sasameng members, did you all survive this week too?
Lee Kang moved his fingers at once.
ㄴLee Kang: I'm alive.
Almost at the same time, other comments appeared as well.
ㄴCheong Jangmi: I survived.
ㄴJang Ori: Hahaha! The Golden Sect is alive and well too!
The three comments went up almost at once.
No Hyeonjin's reply followed immediately.
ㄴNo Hyeonjin: Good. It seems you all returned safely from the auction. Did you find anything worthwhile?
Jang Ori answered first.
ㄴJang Ori: I hauled a fair amount of silver from the silver vault side. Thanks to that, the sect's finances will be fine for a while.
No Hyeonjin replied.
ㄴNo Hyeonjin: A fine harvest, as befits Sect Leader Jang.
ㄴJang Ori: Did Sect Leader No get that one girl with the Nine Yin Severed Meridian?
Soon, No Hyeonjin replied directly.
ㄴNo Hyeonjin: No. I obtained an important item that will become the cornerstone of future plans for the Sasameng.
Lee Kang narrowed his eyes at the line.
An important item. A cornerstone. It was a fairly abstract answer, but No Hyeonjin always commented like this, so no one paid much mind. Digging too deeply usually turned out to be a waste of time, so people let it slide.
Cheong Jangmi's comment followed.
ㄴCheong Jangmi: I brought back a great many medicinal pills needed for training. If anyone wants to trade, I will exchange them at a reasonable price.
ㄴLee Kang: I acquired a sect member with excellent aptitude. I've been training her happily.
ㄴCheong Jangmi: Sect Leader Lee Kang.
ㄴCheong Jangmi: I just heard that Mak Daehan of the Mak Family is chasing after Sect Leader Lee Kang.
ㄴCheong Jangmi: It doesn't sound like you're in a situation where you can leisurely train a talented sect member.
After a moment's thought, Lee Kang replied honestly.
ㄴLee Kang: I'm planning to wipe out the Mak Family soon.
The comment window went quiet for a moment. Lee Kang immediately added:
ㄴLee Kang: I won't let this spill over and harm the Sasameng.
ㄴLee Kang: Though if I end up needing help, I'd like to ask for it. Would that be all right?
The first to react was Jang Ori.
ㄴJang Ori: Hahaha! I know Sect Leader Lee Kang's skill very well.
ㄴJang Ori: Say the word if you need something. If there's anything the Golden Sect can do, we'll help.
Cheong Jangmi's comment followed as well.
ㄴCheong Jangmi: I will help too.
ㄴCheong Jangmi: The Mak Family stirring up trouble in the Mangwon area is not something the Justice Sect can just ignore.
Their willingness to help was appreciated.
But he couldn't trust it too easily. The Sasameng was an alliance, yes, but in the end it was only a loose gathering of smaller sects. Each had its own interests, and each one's survival came first.
That did not mean he distrusted them completely, but Lee Kang had no intention of forcing his allies to take unnecessary risks.
Then No Hyeonjin's comment appeared.
ㄴNo Hyeonjin: Can it be resolved quickly?
Lee Kang paused for a moment. Soon after, another comment from No Hyeonjin followed.
ㄴNo Hyeonjin: A good opportunity will soon arise that will help everyone in the Sasameng.
Jang Ori responded at once.
ㄴJang Ori: A good opportunity? What is it?
ㄴNo Hyeonjin: The modern-people group I'm affiliated with has decided to attack a small branch of the Beggars' Sect.
The instant Lee Kang read it, his eyes widened.
A small branch of the Beggars' Sect. A righteous faction stronghold.
That was not something to take lightly.
The Beggars' Sect was a force with information and connections. Even if it was only a small branch, there was a good chance it was not just a handful of people standing around. Since it bore the name of a righteous faction, there was no room to underestimate it.
Looking at the screen, Lee Kang muttered inwardly, Have they lost their minds?
Jang Ori's comment appeared first.
ㄴJang Ori: Isn't that a little dangerous?
ㄴJang Ori: The Beggars' Sect is a righteous faction, after all. Even if it's only a small branch, it won't be a place to take lightly.
Cheong Jangmi quickly added her own reply.
ㄴCheong Jangmi: It is dangerous.
ㄴCheong Jangmi: The Beggars' Sect is not merely an armed group. It is a place with its own intelligence network.
ㄴCheong Jangmi: If you provoke them the wrong way, retaliation could follow.
Lee Kang nodded as he read the two comments.
No Hyeonjin's reply came right after.
ㄴNo Hyeonjin: Do you all know much about the Beggars' Sect?
Lee Kang stared at the comment window for a moment.
Anyone who knew even a little about wuxia would know the name Beggars' Sect. But in this world, the Beggars' Sect was not just a fictional organization from a novel.
A righteous faction that had manifested in reality. A vast organization that controlled information and connections, rooting itself throughout the streets.
Lee Kang organized the information he knew and replied.
ㄴLee Kang: From what I've investigated, the Beggars' Sect is divided into a central branch, main branches, and small branches, spreading across the world.
ㄴLee Kang: Modern people know the locations of some of the branches and small branches, but no one knows where the central branch is.
ㄴLee Kang: Still, it seems the number of beggars belonging to the Beggars' Sect is at least 100,000, and perhaps as many as 1,000,000.
The reason the Beggars' Sect was frightening lay in that number and its intelligence network. Its countless feet, eyes, and ears spread across the world, becoming the sect's strength.
Soon, No Hyeonjin replied.
ㄴNo Hyeonjin: Correct. Sect Leader Lee Kang has done quite a thorough investigation.
ㄴNo Hyeonjin: Let me be a little more precise.
Lee Kang fixed his attention on the comment window.
ㄴNo Hyeonjin: The Beggars' Sect beggars travel with knots tied into a rope. Those knots mark their rank.
ㄴNo Hyeonjin: There are from one knot to nine knots, and generally speaking, their martial skill rises in proportion to that rank.
No Hyeonjin's comment continued.
ㄴNo Hyeonjin: The small branch we're targeting is hidden in the northern capital region.
ㄴNo Hyeonjin: It is the place where the 3-knot branch leader, Gi Rimwon, and numerous 1-knot and 2-knot beggars are stationed.
Cheong Jangmi immediately replied.
ㄴCheong Jangmi: What level of skill does a 3-knot hold?
ㄴNo Hyeonjin: A 3-knot is roughly on the level of a first-class martial artist.
ㄴJang Ori: That's weaker than I expected for a righteous faction.
ㄴJang Ori: Really? I thought a Beggars' Sect branch leader would be stronger.
No Hyeonjin answered at once.
ㄴNo Hyeonjin: The strength of the Beggars' Way lies more in its intelligence than in overwhelming force.
ㄴNo Hyeonjin: And in the many beggars it commands.
ㄴNo Hyeonjin: As for small branches, they don't have as many experts as one might expect.
ㄴNo Hyeonjin: That does not mean they are easy, of course.
ㄴLee Kang: I'll think about it. There's no need to decide immediately, is there?
ㄴJang Ori: Same for me.
ㄴCheong Jangmi: Me too.
ㄴNo Hyeonjin: Hahaha, I'll investigate and share more information as well, so let's discuss it after that.
ㄴNo Hyeonjin: I'm not planning to trust everything they've told me blindly either.
ㄴNo Hyeonjin: Anything else on your minds?