Chapter 48
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: 14. Preparatory Work (1)
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The rain poured down like a beast, making it downright foolish to try heading anywhere in such weather.
So Flying Tiger moved.
He slipped out of High Stone Mountain Manor and returned to the hillside where he'd tied up his horse. There, he repacked his gear, released the horse, and set off on foot to track them down. His direction was the northern mountain where he'd heard Ghost Face's laughter earlier.
It was a gamble, hoping Ghost Face's gang might have hunkered down nearby to avoid the downpour.
He knew it was wishful thinking, but his rage ran that deep.
...
Drizzle, drizzle.
The rain that hammered the earth like it meant to bore right through it began to ease around the fourth watch—roughly one to three in the morning—before soaking everything in a damp hush by dawn.
In that time, Flying Tiger had covered a lot of ground.
He scoured the northern mountains behind High Stone Mountain Manor but found no sign of firelight. Undeterred, he followed the road toward the northern government highway, checking inns, abandoned houses—any spot where a group might shelter from the rain.
And then...
As the pure darkness grew murky and all things faintly visible in the gloom...
Flying Tiger halted. He had no strength left to walk. The pursuit had failed. Admitting it made the head he'd carried on his back all night like a peddler's pack suddenly feel unbearably heavy.
Emotions swirled in a violent storm.
Damn it all.
Flying Tiger drew his blade, frustrated from tasting no blood, and hurled it with all his might.
The sword plunged into a thick tree trunk up to the hilt, as if slicing into tofu.
Crack. Shudder...
The impact was so fierce the tree thrashed like a madwoman shaking out her wild hair, spewing water droplets and scattering leaves.
"With green mountains aplenty, why fret over firewood? Brother Ma, looks like today ain't our day. Let's head out."
He spat the words with a chilling glare, then dragged his weary feet away.
A short while later...
Slither.
A mysterious masked figure appeared silently like mist where Flying Tiger had stood. He approached and closely examined the sword embedded in the tree. Even from afar, that single strike was no ordinary feat. A glint of admiration flickered in the eyes peering from his mask before fading, and he let out a short whistle of awe.
Without lingering, the masked man departed—the opposite direction from Flying Tiger. His business here was done.
Flying Tiger sneaked into a nearby village shrine and caught a quick nap. About an hour or so? When he woke, his body still felt like lead, but he pressed on another twenty li north anyway.
It was to throw off any tails.
After that, he found an inn, where the sun now shone from a cleared sky.
The innkeeper blanched at the ragged beggar-man barging in first thing in the morning demanding a full day's stay, but his ire melted at the sight of a single silver coin. When Flying Tiger dangled two more, the man bowed nearly to the floor. Soon enough, the innkeeper was bustling about—heating bathwater, preparing food, even fetching a change of clothes.
Flying Tiger washed, ate, and slept.
Exhausted in body and soul, he plunged into deep darkness without even dreaming.
The next morning...
Flying Tiger visited a nearby Taoist temple on the innkeeper's recommendation.
There, he had Ma Yeop's head cremated and collected the ashes in a small gourd bottle he'd brought. In place of the remains, he carved a nameplate with Ma Yeop's jianghu moniker "Flower Rain" and handed it to the Taoists, asking them to perform the forty-nine day rites.
He planned to return Ma Yeop's ashes and sword personally to the Qingcheng Sect later, so this was just a temporary measure.
It wasn't strictly by the book, but he'd stuffed plenty of silver into the pockets of the temple's "horse-nose" Taoists, so everything went smoothly.
*Horse-nose Taoist: A derogatory term for Taoists. When they pull their hair back tightly to wear the crown, their eyes slant up and foreheads shine bare, resembling a horse's nose—hence the name.
Flying Tiger watched from a distance as the Taoists bustled about performing Ma Yeop's rites. Stroking the gourd bottle, he whispered softly.
"Brother Ma, even if you're tired, stick with me a bit longer. Can't spare time for a proper send-off right now, and I need to keep my recent moves under wraps these next few days. Don't feel too slighted, though. In return, I'll show you as many thrills as I can. Got it?"
Flying Tiger truly meant to keep Ma Yeop company for some entertaining mischief.
He planned to wipe out that murderer Ghost Face and his entire crew.
Revenge!
So, not quite a vow, but a promise of sorts.
In truth, executing vengeance for Ma Yeop wouldn't be easy for Flying Tiger.
First off, the task itself was top-tier difficulty.
One. To crush Ghost Face, he first needed to uncover his identity—and that was no simple matter. Even as a serial killer drawing the eyes of all Shaanxi's jianghu, no solid leads had surfaced amid the rampant rumors.
One. Even finding Ghost Face, punishing him wouldn't be a walk in the park. His personal prowess alone seemed daunting enough, not to mention his band's formidable bunch.
Next, Flying Tiger's own circumstances were a tangled mess, making single-minded revenge tough.
One. He needed to urgently reset his ties with those sleazy bastards calling themselves "Ultimate Earthen Array" or whatever. Leave them be, and they'd keep hounding him—ending, of course, in death.
One. Above all, Gong Won-yeong's situation took priority for Flying Tiger. Her treatment and Ma Yeop's revenge didn't clash, so he'd committed; had they, he'd have dropped the latter without hesitation. In that vein, he intended to stay with the Face Pursuit Squad, faithfully playing Hidden Moon's spy.
For these reasons, Flying Tiger felt the need to sort out pressing issues before seriously hunting Ghost Face. Drifting passively could tangle his efforts, so he planned to charge ahead proactively.
Flying Tiger lingered at the temple another hour before heading to Chang'an City.
It was the sixth day since leaving Zhao Family Manor on Ye Mountain. Five days remained until his return to Face Pursuit Unit Jeong.
Was the fiend truly Swordless Blade Jin Ga-yong?
And was he Ghost Face?
Ma Yeop's clue pointed to Jin Ga-yong, but Flying Tiger couldn't believe it. Or maybe he didn't want to.
But who can fathom a man's heart, even if the ocean depths are clear?
Time to go and confirm.
On the ninth day since leaving Zhao Family Manor...
Flying Tiger entered Chang'an City and slipped into a dingy, rundown tavern deep in the market street.
Creak.
Though early evening, patrons already dotted the place, chattering noisily. When Flying Tiger pushed open the door, the din cut short as all eyes turned to him.
For a moment.
The regulars soon averted their gazes and resumed muttering among themselves.
To Flying Tiger's eye, every face looked rough and vicious—not the sort from ordinary trades. He showed no reaction, picking a seat by the window. Soon, a boy with a grimy towel over his shoulder appeared with a teapot.
"What'll it be, sir?"
"Nine lamb skewers and half a jar of chrysanthemum wine. As quick as you can."
"Right away."
The boy bowed deeply and ducked into the kitchen. Moments later, he returned with a plate of thick-sliced boiled pork and a bottle of cheap fiery liquor.
Not what was ordered, but even Flying Tiger said nothing of it.
"Enjoy your meal. Kitchen says the main course'll be out in under an hour."
Flying Tiger tipped him five coppers with a nod, then chewed his appetizer and poured drinks alone.
And his awaited "dessert" arrived on its own two feet even sooner than an hour—the A Ryuk from Seo Nation Hall, Flying Tiger's contact.
This was one of Hidden Moon's secret handover spots.
"The Hall Lord is away, so I'm standing in. So, what'd you need him for? Got some fresh intel?"
"No. Today, I'm here to ask a few favors instead."
"Favors? What kind?"
"You know I took a bad hit during that Face Pursuit Squad mission? Nearly died."
"I heard."
"Wasted too much time laid up because of it. There was something I promised your Hall Lord—I ended up missing the deadline. Begging your pardon, I'd like a bit more time."
"You mean the list?"
Hidden Moon had demanded the real hit list the Face Pursuit Squad was after, and Flying Tiger had asked for a fortnight's extension.
This contact knew their confidential deal?
Flying Tiger nodded faintly. Not just a simple go-between—trusted enough for real talk.
"You knew."
"Yeah. So, until when?"
"Fortnight."
"What? Another fortnight on top of the first? No can do. Too late."
A Ryuk straightened sternly, and Flying Tiger eyed him carefully.
"Heard anything about the Face Pursuit Squad recruiting more mercenaries?"
"No."
"Figured. Alright, then. I'll handle it within a week. And I'll push to get it sooner if I can."
"Sigh, no choice. Fine, but please make it as quick as possible. Any other favors?"
"How's my woman's treatment going?"
"Looking into it every way we can."
"And her safety?"
"...?"
"Move her to a new spot and keep extra eyes on her. That's my second request."
"Got it. But what's going on? Tails on you?"
"No. Just... someone'll be sniffing around my trail by now."
"Who?"
"Ever hear of a secret group called 'Ultimate Earthen Array'? Bumped into them on the Face Pursuit Squad mission, and they came at me to kill out of nowhere. No ordinary thugs."
"If that's the case, shouldn't the Face Pursuit Squad handle it? One of their own got attacked."
"That's the plan. But there's a snag. From the scraps I have, their core seems tied to high-ups in the Martial Qin Alliance."
"Hm, then the Face Pursuit Squad—as a Martial Qin Alliance subgroup—might hit a wall."
"Which brings my third request: investigate Ultimate Earthen Array and share what you find. Also, block them from tailing me."
"Sounds too risky. Heavy burden."
"But if they dig up my connection to you lot, won't that spell trouble one way or another? Besides, I hear Seo Nation Hall trades in info. Intel on Ultimate Earthen Array? Prime merchandise, right?"
"Well..."
A Ryuk pondered visibly, fingers flicking imaginary abacus beads.
Flying Tiger's gaze was ice-cold. Judgment on A Ryuk complete; he hoped only for better from Hidden Moon.
"One last request."
"Another?"
"Investigate Swordless Blade Jin Ga-yong's movements over the past ten days. At minimum, confirm if he stayed at Zhao Family Manor on Ye Mountain."
"Hah~ Promises drag on forever, demands keep piling up."
"A Ryuk."
"Speak."
"Do those words represent Seo Nation Hall's stance?"
"..."
"If not, please relay my requests to Hidden Moon. I'll come back in a few days for his answer."
Much would hinge on that reply.
Flying Tiger's face hardened as he rose from his seat.