Chapter 62
Chapter 62
The Later Beggar, Jang So-pyeong (1)
Jang So-pyeong had been furious, thinking Se-woon was disrespecting his sect—so much so that he had even used the crude phrase "the likes of the Tang Clan."
But—
"...What?"
The words that followed from Se-woon made him momentarily forget his anger.
All he could do was stare blankly.
Dazed, Jang So-pyeong stared at Se-woon's faint smile before finally snapping back to reality and asking again.
"Hah, what the hell does that mean?"
"What do you mean? Exactly what I said."
Se-woon shrugged nonchalantly, and a vein bulged on Jang So-pyeong's forehead.
"...Seeing you crack jokes even now makes me think the Young Master doesn't know why my former nickname was 'Dragon Fighter'—"
"Lately, haven't the demonic cultivators the Beggar Sect's been chasing been slipping through your nets too easily?"
"—!"
Se-woon abruptly cut him off.
For a fleeting moment, confusion flashed in Jang So-pyeong's eyes before vanishing just as quickly.
"...How does this bastard know that?"
Outwardly, he tried to maintain composure, but inwardly, he was more shocked than ever.
Knowing about Mileo and uncovering his identity—those were improbable but still within the realm of possibility.
But what Se-woon had just mentioned was different.
It was a matter treated as top-secret, even within the Beggar Sect.
Yet Se-woon didn't stop there.
"Especially those demonic cultivators at the peak of the Flower Realm or higher—they vanish into thin air as if they've evaporated, leaving no trace behind."
"!!"
"You must've tried relying on the Sect Leader's Spirit Hounds to track them, but it was useless."
"Hah."
Jang So-pyeong let out an involuntary sigh.
He gave up pretending to be calm.
No—he had to give up.
Because everything Se-woon had said was completely accurate.
The reason he had been appointed as the Kaifeng Branch Leader earlier than planned was precisely because his predecessor, Internal Inspector Pungsan, had been reassigned to investigate this very mystery.
'What kind of absurd nonsense is this...?!'
Rubbing his throbbing temples, Jang So-pyeong muttered,
"Damn it, so there really is a mole leaking information from within."
"No need to worry about that."
"Don't joke arou—!"
Tap.
Suddenly, Se-woon pulled something from his sleeve and placed it on the mat between them.
A small vial, no longer than a finger joint.
Inside the transparent glass was an unknown liquid glowing faintly green.
"...What's that?"
"The price I mentioned earlier."
"...!"
"And the solution to the Beggar Sect's current problem."
That?
Jang So-pyeong stared at the vial in disbelief.
"A tracking poison that can follow the Scent-Concealing Perfume used by demonic cultivators."
"...What?!"
"While pursuing Dokma, I obtained a sample and immediately began researching it. Recently, I achieved results."
"No, no—wait. Are you saying our tracking failures were because of the Divine Thief's Scent-Concealing Perfume? And you created a poison that can track it?"
"Correct."
"!?"
The barrage of shocking revelations from Se-woon left Jang So-pyeong feeling as if he'd been struck in the head with a hammer.
Scent-Concealing Perfume.
A Divine Artifact that erased all traces of scent left by its user—the very reason the Divine Thief earned his title.
He had read in a recent Martial Alliance report that Dokma might have used it to evade pursuit in Sichuan, but he dismissed it as exaggerated nonsense.
The report claimed that Tang Se-woon, the last heir of the fallen Tang Clan, had tracked the scentless perfume by smell alone.
'Tracking the untraceable perfume with human senses? That's impossible.'
Everyone who read that passage concluded the Tang Clan was desperately trying to restore its lost honor.
Jang So-pyeong had assumed Se-woon had simply gotten lucky—like stumbling backward and catching a rat.
But now, the man before him was confirming the report's accuracy and claiming he had even developed a countermeasure.
'...The Alliance's Chief Strategist and the Divine Doctor failed even when working together, and he did it alone? How is that possible?'
In the past, when the Divine Thief wreaked havoc across the Central Plains, the Martial Alliance's Chief Strategist—Jegal Hoon, leader of the Jegal Clan—and the Divine Doctor Boyeon had collaborated to create a tracking poison for the Scent-Concealing Perfume.
They failed.
Yet a mere descendant of a fallen clan had succeeded where the two greatest minds of the orthodox faction had not.
'...But if the demonic cultivators really were using the perfume, it explains why Mabok's tracking failed.'
Unconsciously, Jang So-pyeong let out a groan as his thoughts deepened.
Then, hesitantly, he asked Se-woon:
"...Can you prove it?"
"Easily."
Tap.
Se-woon pulled out another vial from his sleeve.
This one contained a clear, water-like liquid.
Jang So-pyeong didn't need an explanation to recognize it.
"Y-you have Scent-Concealing Perfume?"
"What kind of stupid question is that? Of course I'd need the original to make a tracking poison."
"...Right."
Se-woon clicked his tongue at Jang So-pyeong's dumbfounded expression.
He reached out, picked up a small pebble from the ground, and—
Tap.
Opened the vial and let a single drop fall onto the pebble before tossing it to Jang So-pyeong.
Catching it, Jang So-pyeong sniffed the stone with a grave expression.
'...There's really no scent at all.'
He had no choice but to admit the liquid in the vial was indeed Scent-Concealing Perfume.
Everything inside the hut should have reeked of sweat and grime—yet the stone carried no trace of odor whatsoever.
Ignoring his stunned reaction, Se-woon picked up the green-glowing vial.
Then—
"Now, watch closely."
The moment Se-woon uncorked it—
Sssss—!
Whoosh!
"!!"
A bizarre phenomenon unfolded in the air between them.
Following the trajectory of the pebble from Se-woon's hand to Jang So-pyeong's—
A trail of green mist snaked through the air, marking the path the Scent-Concealing Perfume had taken.
It's real...
Jang So-pyeong's jaw dropped in shock, dignity forgotten.
"I enhanced its propagation so that a single dose could spread through the air in a chain reaction. Then I added a property that changes color to automatically track paths contaminated by the perfume."
"..."
"For now, I've named it Ten-Thousand-Mile Tracking Scent."
Could creating such an unbelievable poison really be spoken of so casually?
Jang So-pyeong was speechless at how effortlessly Se-woon described it.
But that lasted only a moment before excitement lit up his eyes.
'With this...!'
This poison could truly allow the Beggar Sect to resume tracking demonic cultivators they had been forced to abandon.
It was the best possible breakthrough in an impossible situation—
'...Wait.'
A chill ran down his spine.
A terrifying realization struck Jang So-pyeong, making his eyes tremble like an earthquake.
Because Se-woon's proof confirmed something else—
A suspicion that could throw the entire martial world into chaos.
Slowly meeting Se-woon's gaze, he understood—
'He already knows...!'
Se-woon had anticipated this revelation long before him.
Jang So-pyeong spoke heavily.
"...Looking back at the suspicious cases we closed..."
"..."
"...The number of demonic cultivators suspected of using Scent-Concealing Perfume is far too high. Not just recently—if we count from when Dokma disappeared, the number would be unimaginable."
"..."
"It's not just a matter of Dokma sharing it with allies or selling it. This... this is..."
Unable to voice his suspicion, Jang So-pyeong hesitated—
But Se-woon finished for him.
"Right. Someone—or some faction—intentionally supplying demonic cultivators with Scent-Concealing Perfume to destabilize the martial world."
"...!"
"No—considering the scale, it's not an individual. Only an organization could mass-produce and distribute it like this."
"!!"
Se-woon laid out the horrifying truth.
Jang So-pyeong's suspicions were correct.
From the start, Dokma obtaining the Divine Thief's artifact had been under the Blood Demon's orders.
As a reward for uncovering the Divine Thief's hideout, the Blood Demon gifted Dokma the Wandering Shadow Step.
The Blood Cult had secured Scent-Concealing Perfume and, using sorcerers and demonic physicians, succeeded in mass-producing it.
Thus, for the first time since his regression, Se-woon revealed the existence of a shadowy faction manipulating events from the dark.
"Have you found any leads?"
Se-woon shook his head.
"None."
"...Right. Of course."
But he didn't divulge the Blood Cult's identity or further details.
'If they learn too much, the Beggar Sect itself could be in danger.'
Even now, before their full resurgence, the Blood Cult had the power to erase every Beggar Sect branch from existence.
Losing the Beggar Sect would be a disaster he couldn't allow.
To prepare for war against the Blood Cult, he needed Jang So-pyeong and the Beggar Sect's strength.
As heavy silence settled over the hut—
Jang So-pyeong finally spoke again.
"...But why come to us instead of the Martial Alliance?"
Se-woon scoffed as if the question were absurd.
"Do you really think the Alliance would investigate properly if they knew?"
"!!"
Unfiltered fury laced Se-woon's voice.
"How many factions in the martial world still hunt demonic cultivators to the end for the sake of the people?"
The Beggar Sect's pursuit of demonic cultivators had never been an official Martial Alliance mission.
The Alliance was too busy with internal power struggles.
Tracking escaped demonic cultivators or investigating traces of demonic arts was an afterthought.
The reason was simple.
"Most of those so-called 'righteous sects' recoil at anything that doesn't turn a profit, don't they?"
To the Martial Alliance, every action was about money.
Sending forces to recapture escaped demonic cultivators? A waste of resources with no reward—only losses.
Better to focus on missions with tangible benefits.
Such petty thinking had become pervasive.
Even though the Alliance Leader, the Sword Emperor, tried to change this—
The reality was that the elder faction held real power, making progress difficult.
Especially for an issue as grave as this—
One that could shake the martial world's foundations—
No, one that could threaten their own privileges.
"They'd likely bury it or downplay it as insignificant."
"..."
Jang So-pyeong had no rebuttal.
Because Se-woon was right—the Alliance's leaders would do exactly that.
As bitterness choked his words, Se-woon continued.
"That's why, the moment I confirmed Scent-Concealing Perfume was being distributed, I came to the Beggar Sect."
Then, punctuating his words—
"Because this is one of the few places left that still upholds righteousness."
"...!!"
Jang So-pyeong's heart pounded.