Next Time
The shout that enemies were coming was no mere diversion.
From front and rear, the Demonic Cult masters charged in perfect unison.
“Shattering Wind Tiger!”
Her massive greatsaber tore the wind apart with a roaring howl.
Clang!
Two Transcendental Peak Demonic Cultists who had rushed in with killing intent went skidding all the way to the far end of the alley. Shock registered on their faces at the monstrous strength they felt in their hands.
In that opening I faced the Transcendent Realm master alongside Ilhong.
Ilhong split left and right at my sound transmission. I coiled the tip of my staff around the enemy’s sword force as it split the air with a sonic boom, deflecting it away.
At the same moment Ilhong slid in low and scattered sword qi.
Whish!
She twisted her body with the fluid grace of a soft sword, thrusting along an unexpected trajectory.
But our opponent was a thoroughly seasoned Transcendent Realm master. His brow twitched; he drove his blade even deeper while thrusting fist force with his free hand—a middle-aged man in black.
I smashed the thrusting blade to the ground, and Ilhong flung herself sideways to meet the fist force head-on.
Boom!
The two martial artists’ cannonball-like fists collided, shaking the entire alley as if an earthquake had struck. Windows in the surrounding buildings shattered, and roof tiles from nearby houses rained down in a cascade.
“You bastard! You’re tough…!”
Both of us were driven back three or four steps by the tremendous rebound.
When my fist remained intact even after clashing head-on with a Transcendent Realm martial artist, the middle-aged man in black showed puzzlement at my bizarre durability.
Then another shout erupted from behind me.
“I am the Tiger of Mount Song!”
Jo Harang swept aside two crossing streams of sword force with her domineering saber techniques.
“Guh!”
She then sent the charging Demonic Cult masters flying with a headbutt and a kick.
The two Transcendental Peak martial artists, battered by the greatsaber and raw physical strikes, seemed too shocked to form sword force again. They could only barely manage hazy sword qi.
“What kind of monster is that woman…?”
Looks like she’s handling her side just fine.
Though they’re both Transcendental Peak, as the bearer of the Purple Micro Star she can easily take on two Transcendental Peak masters alone. And if she judges her opponents to be evil, her power grows even stronger.
“You go back and help Jo Harang.”
I ordered Ilhong to assist Jo Harang.
Prolonging the fight on my end looked less advantageous than finishing the other fight first. While I held off this Transcendent Realm master, the two of them would take down the remaining Demonic Cultists and join me to gang up on this one.
Ilhong seemed to understand the plan at once; she slipped away and rejoined Jo Harang.
Whish! Ping—
The sound of air being torn by the swift blade of the Kyuji Sword Technique reached my ears.
A sidelong glance showed a beauty in fluttering silk robes flashing sword qi as she wove freely among the enemies. Her movements were as agile and fierce as a weasel on a rampage. And once she scrambled the enemies’ vision—
Boom!
Jo Harang’s every motion was destructive as she crushed and smashed the foes. Their swords shattered like dry stalks before her vivid saber force.
Clang!
As if to scold me for letting my attention wander, a blade suddenly appeared right in front of my nose; I barely managed to knock it aside. My body had moved on pure instinct at the killing intent.
When I somehow defended against that sure-kill strike, the enemy Transcendent Realm master once again wore an expression of incomprehension.
“You’re a strange one from the Central Plains.”
It had been a razor-thin margin. I felt a cold sweat trickle down my back.
Normally, with my Heavenly Killing Eyes open, a surprise attack should be meaningless—yet this one had floated in like a ghost.
“To move as if you predicted it… The Divine Maiden would never have let someone like you slip by.”
He seemed more shocked that he hadn’t foreseen this clash and meeting than curious about me.
Slice!
“Aaaagh!”
In that interval Ilhong severed one of the Transcendental Peak martial artists’ forearms and returned to my side.
Her once-fine silk robes were now dotted with spatters of blood. So much for our date.
Thud!
Jo Harang seemed to be finishing off the remaining one with great enthusiasm. At this rate we’d get the three-on-one picture I wanted.
“Protect the Protector!”
Taah!
But then another group of black-clad figures appeared, shattering that hope.
From the alley corner, Demonic Cultists who looked to be around Peak and Transcendental Peak Realm burst out.
Damn it, where do they keep crawling from? Just how many Demonic Cultists have infiltrated this imperial capital?
“Haa, damned Demonic Cult bastards.”
We leveled our weapons and fell into a brief stalemate.
In the silence only tense breaths and sharp glances flew back and forth.
Seeing the half-incapacitated state of the Transcendental Peak martial artists, the newly arrived Demonic Cultists carefully began forming a coordinated formation.
But perhaps we had raised too much of a ruckus crossing the main thoroughfare.
Tweeeet—
A piercing whistle sounded, and armored soldiers poured out from the main street.
“Here! Over here!”
Beijing residents who had fled from the unexpected clash of murim people shouted toward this back alley.
At the same time, constables and the capital’s security force, the Pogon, came charging at us—about a hundred of them, eyes glaring murderously.
“Ruthless murim scum! Drop your weapons, all of you!”
Murmurs rose inside and outside the alley. They weren’t particularly strong in martial arts, but touching the imperial court’s forces in the capital where the emperor resides would get messy. And that went double for murim criminals who had hidden their identities all the way into the capital.
“Tsk, retreat…!”
Just as I expected, the Demonic Cult masters promptly fled. They deployed ghostly lightness skills and vanished into the dark, multi-branched maze of back alleys.
Left at the scene now were only us.
“Vicious murim dogs! Drawing blades in broad daylight! What do you think you’re doing!”
Since I had put down roots and was living in Beijing, I should have been more careful in front of residents who might become potential clients. But chasing Heuk Jin-jo, Ilhong’s enemy, I’d gotten carried away without realizing it.
“And using hidden weapons and thunder bombs right in the middle of the imperial capital!”
Ah, so that’s why they—who normally dragged their feet with murim disputes—had come running so fast this time. They were definitely sensitive about murim people using firearms.
“Identify yourselves! Who the hell are you!”
Then bare-faced Jo Harang sheathed her greatsaber on her back and was the first to reveal her identity.
“I am Jo Harang, the Divine Wind Saber.”
Her name was fairly well-known in Beijing, so the soldiers looked at one another and murmured for a moment.
“And I’m Beijing’s troubleshooter.”
I took off my mask beside her and revealed myself.
I had no real reason to hide—I could just say I’d been chasing Demonic Cultists who were public enemies of the murim. Besides, I had a perfect means of getting out of this situation.
And as for Ilhong, who needed to keep her identity hidden in front of Jo Harang…
“I’m this troubleshooter’s lover.”
She latched onto my arm and maintained the morning’s concept.
Jo Harang’s eyes narrowed as she looked at me as if to say, What the hell is with this woman for real?
But since the wish ticket still hadn’t expired, I could only shrug without a word.
“I-I’m so sorry! I had no idea you were people sent by Imperial Consort Ma…!”
The commandant in charge of the capital security district where we had caused the ruckus kept bowing deeply before us. More precisely, he was bowing not to us but to the Imperial Jade Plaque that Imperial Consort Ma Juyeong had issued me.
Possession of this meant the Imperial Consort vouched for and protected one’s identity, so a mere commandant couldn’t touch us.
Over this, an argument broke out between the constable chief and the inspector leading the constables.
“Is that Imperial Jade Plaque genuine?”
“…It probably is. I received word. One of Beijing’s troubleshooters was given one, so don’t treat him carelessly.”
“Hoo, what kind of guy is that troubleshooter?”
Like flashing a secret royal inspector’s badge.
I explained to the court people that those who had fled were Demonic Cultists and that we had merely been pursuing them, then walked out of the yamen building packed with criminals.
Even after making a mess on the main street, we could return to the streets without a single hair harmed. Was this the power of imperial influence in the capital?
“Boss…”
“Don’t worry. There’ll be another chance to catch Heuk Jin-jo.”
I covered the dejected Ilhong’s head with my hand. Feeling the warmth of my palm, she recovered some of her composure from her gloom.
I’d sent Jo Harang away early so she wouldn’t cause an incident with that temper of hers, and given the nature of the incident I seemed to have follow-up work of my own.
“Ilhong, where’s Il-hye-hyang?”
“There’s a place we arranged to rendezvous if something went wrong.”
As expected of the thoroughly prepared Ilhong. She’d dug a bolthole in advance in case Honghwaru was exposed.
“Where is it?”
“…Cheonhwaru.”
The master of Honghwaru had gone to Cheonhwaru, practically her mortal enemy. She’d planted her in the last place anyone would look. As they say, it’s darkest under the lamp.
“Stay at the office. I’ll wrap things up and come back.”
She’d come out dressed so prettily to enjoy the day, but Ilhong no longer looked fit for leisure.
“Um…”
“Don’t worry. We can go on another outing later.”
“…That wasn’t what I was going to say, but that is important too.”
We decided to keep the remaining wish ticket. When she learned that, she turned away as if convinced.
We can use the Beggar Sect’s information, so as long as he’s alive there’ll be another chance to run into him.
I watched Ilhong’s retreating figure heading for the office for a moment, then set off for Cheonhwaru, where the leader of the Sinbigak, Il-hye-hyang, was supposedly hiding.
Guided by the master of Cheonhwaru, I came face to face with Il-hye-hyang, who was tightly hidden in the underground warehouse.
“Il-hye-hyang?”
Gone was the haughty pavilion master’s demeanor; Il-hye-hyang greeted me looking haggard after her ordeal.
“…Honghwaru, our information exchange hub, has been hit, but we still have remaining methods.”
A woman living with a time bomb in her chest that could explode at any moment. Judging that her value had dropped now that Honghwaru was gone, she made a counter-proposal.
“What method?”
“Young hero, fortunately I still have many subordinates who follow me.”
She seemed to have enjoyed a fair amount of popularity.
“The individuals the Haoman sacred relic points to—the locations of the Upper and Lower Spirits—seem to have been somewhat revealed. We will continue tracking them separately.”
There was no helping it. The Haoman leader had boldly joined hands with the Demonic Cult in secret and was receiving masters from them. Charging in with our forces alone had become a bit dicey; we’d need about two more Transcendent Realm masters.
“Fine. If you find them, I’ll honor what I promised at the start.”
She had switched sides and been promised a new title and wealth under Ilhong. When I said that promise would still be kept even after she lost her position as Sinbigak leader, Il-hye-hyang looked relieved.
She left with her subordinates, saying to leave it to her.
I hope some gain comes at the end of that journey. At least better than the enemies finding them first.
“Well then, shall I go soothe Ilhong?”
Just as I was about to leave Cheonhwaru’s building to comfort her after she had lost Heuk Jin-jo and fallen into despair—
“Where do you think you’re going?”
A slightly seductive yet terrifying voice reached me.
When I turned my head, Ju Wolay stood there like a single orchid, wearing a pretty smile that somehow carried an inexplicable pressure.
“Ah, well. I need to get back to the office…”
“Who is she? That night-blooming flower… no, that woman?”
“…”
Until a moment ago my head had been full of thoughts of the escaped Heuk Jin-jo and Ilhong. But the delicate woman before me possessed a strange aura that blew all those worries and concerns clean away.