Chapter 238
Chapter 238
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 238
>Chapter Title: Spying (2)
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A secluded village about half a day's journey from Lanzhou, the castle town of Gansu Province.
Until recently, a gang of third-rate black path thugs had made it their turf, tormenting the residents, but now peace had returned to the place. It was then that an outsider arrived.
"You want to work as a waiter?"
The innkeeper of Yunhua Inn tilted his head at the words of the young man who had come to the place for the first time today.
"I want to settle down here and make a new start, but I have nothing to my name and no way to make a living, so that's why."
"Why would a penniless fellow like you insist on setting up here of all places?"
At the innkeeper's question, the waiter spilled out his life story in exhaustive detail.
Having laid out a heartbreaking tale that could bring tears to anyone's eyes, the young man boldly declared with tears welling up in his eyes.
"Even so, I've never heard anyone say I lack wits for work, sir! Give me just one day to prove myself, and if I'm lacking, you can kick me out, no problem!"
Convinced by the offer to watch him for a day and decide, the innkeeper finally hired the young man as a waiter.
And so the business hours began.
The young man displayed astonishing affability.
"Your ordered noodles and dumplings are here, miss!"
"Oh ho ho ho. Calling me 'miss.' What a charming young man."
It was par for the course to lightly flirt and banter with women who looked at least ten years his senior.
"The food at our Yunhua Inn is all delicious, but if I had to pick what the boss is most proud of, it'd be the dongpo pork, hands down!"
He chatted naturally with customers as if he'd been working here for years.
"Sir! One bowl of sliced beef noodles and a bottle of bamboo leaf liquor here!"
And on top of that, he worked like a pro—no detail escaped him even while deep in conversation with guests.
He had the unmistakable air of someone with years of waiter experience.
After the hectic lunch rush finally died down.
Watching the young man tidy up swiftly, the innkeeper let out a hearty laugh.
"Ha ha ha. Feels like my luck's turned lately. Those rotten Maitreya Illuminated Cult bastards got wiped out, and now a top-notch waiter like you shows up at my inn."
At the innkeeper's words, the young man smiled brightly with an innocent expression and asked.
"Ha ha ha. You're too kind, sir. By the way, what's this Maitreya Illuminated Cult? The name sounds like some religion—first time hearing it."
At the young man's question, the innkeeper recounted recent events: how self-proclaimed incarnations of Maitreya had come, eliminated the black path gang, and even delivered uplifting sermons during gatherings.
Lost in praise for the Maitreya Illuminated Cult, the innkeeper failed to notice.
"That so? Ha ha ha. Sounds like a truly wonderful place."
The cold glint in the eyes of the young man, who smiled with feigned innocence.
And a few days later. The day of the Maitreya Illuminated Cult's regular gathering arrived.
The young man showed up at the gathering site with the innkeeper, wearing his usual simple expression.
While he exchanged greetings with locals he'd gotten acquainted with during his stay.
A man wearing an angry Four Heavenly Kings mask appeared from somewhere, and the gathering began.
As the others focused on the man's words and sang hymns fervently, the young man blended seamlessly into the crowd.
'New face—must be that young waiter who started working at the inn here recently.'
The man in the Four Heavenly Kings mask leading the gathering had been eyeing him from the start.
* * *
A few days later.
While Il-mok was sleeping in, meditating, or practicing his eerie, creaking sword dance as usual, some news reached him.
"Hmm. More outsiders showing up lately, you say."
It wasn't just in Lanzhou.
Reports were pouring in from Maitreya Illuminated Cult branches fully established across Gansu Province.
Considering the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's manpower shortage, it was nearly impossible to set up branches in every county and village in Gansu and continue proselytizing.
But as always, Il-mok found the solution through 'outsourcing.'
For larger counties, he sent Heavenly Demon Divine Cult branch members or Demonic Path Academy graduates to lead gatherings and missionary work.
For smaller counties and villages, he hired literate locals—but only converts to the Maitreya Illuminated Cult.
In other words, missionary envoys.
On top of that, construction of the Hall of Arts in Pingliang County had wrapped up, so he hired former beggars now skilled in construction and carpentry, dispatching them to various villages and counties.
Instead of grand structures like Lanzhou's worship halls or Pingliang's Hall of Arts, they were to build modest gathering sites suited to small villages.
Though small-scale, coordinating projects across multiple villages cost a pretty penny.
But for the Maitreya Illuminated Cult, money was no issue.
They had revenue from Lanzhou's red-light district. And increasingly from Pingliang County as it took root.
Above all, Il-mok had no intention of skimming off the top.
Not because he was incorruptibly honest.
With fanatics everywhere, the risk of getting caught was too high. And the terror of what might happen if word reached the Heavenly Demon stopped him cold.
In any case, at this pivotal time when all of Gansu was turning to the Maitreya Illuminated Cult, news of outsiders was disturbing on multiple levels.
Especially after recently purging Lanzhou's Hao Clan informants.
As Il-mok seemed deep in thought, Dam Bin spoke up.
"Are you considering they might be Hao Clan spies, Young Master?"
"Yes."
At Il-mok's reply, Jin Ha-yeon asked indifferently.
"Then wouldn't it just be easier to wipe them out?"
Thinking how typical of a psychopath, Il-mok shook his head.
"That'd be the simplest way, but we can't just kill everyone on suspicion alone."
There might be real Hao Clan spies, but surely some were genuine settlers from out of town.
On top of that.
'If we kill indiscriminately on flimsy suspicion, it risks shaking the faithful's devotion to the Maitreya Illuminated Cult, so massacres should be avoided if possible.'
It could jeopardize the cult's budding dominance across Gansu.
"Then you'll just leave them be?"
"The best is steady surveillance to catch them with evidence, then deal with only those. Problem is manpower. Gansu is too vast, and we lack the people to tail every outsider."
Il-mok sighed lightly after answering.
All solutions popping into his head were either mass slaughter—the worst option—or unattainable idealism.
Just then, a commotion arose outside, followed soon by familiar voices at the hall entrance.
"Young Master! We're back!"
"We rushed here as soon as we heard you were in the hall, Young Master!"
Guyang Mun and Joo Seo-yeon.
They had finally returned after their Gansu tour with the martial troupe.
"Come in."
No sooner had Il-mok spoken than the pair burst into the hall, vying to be first.
"Greetings, Young Master!"
"Greetings, Young Master!"
After bowing with clasped fists to Il-mok, they turned to Jin Ha-yeon.
"Ha-yeon. You holding up okay?"
"Long time no see! Senior Jin!"
As expected, they'd rushed back to see Jin Ha-yeon, not him.
Despite his headache, Il-mok oddly didn't snap at their lovesick antics.
"You two timed your return perfectly. I've got extra work for you."
"...For us?"
"W-We just got back..."
Mumbling like puppies who'd had treats snatched away, they looked at him, and Il-mok grinned.
"Don't worry, nothing tough. Just surveillance."
Why get mad when the needed manpower walked in on its own?
* * *
Without even a proper glimpse of Jin Ha-yeon's face, Guyang Mun received his bizarre orders and was sent packing again—this time to a quiet village.
'Surveil the waiter who came from out of town to Yunhua Inn.'
If suspicious, capture alive—could be a Hao Clan spy.
'Wish he was a spy.'
Not for merit. Just to wrap it up fast and return to Lanzhou.
So he could spend time with Jin Ha-yeon again.
"Come on in!"
Harboring such thoughts, Guyang Mun entered Yunhua Inn.
Pure non-contact surveillance was ideal, but in a sleepy village like this, avoiding encounters entirely was impossible.
"Goodness. New face. Traveler?"
Flashing a hearty smile at the friendly waiter, Guyang Mun replied in kind.
"Ha ha ha. Just a wanderer drifting here and there. Place feels nice and peaceful—thinking of sticking around awhile."
Guyang Mun ordered food, chatted idly with the waiter, then took a room after eating.
True to his Demonic Path Academy graduation and martial troupe days, he slipped out stealthily and tailed the waiter diligently.
During work hours, nothing stood out.
"Glor~y, glory, Maitreya Illuminated Cult."
"Ha ha ha ha. That tune's stuck in your head too, eh?"
"Ahem. Yes. Heard it just once at the last gathering, but it keeps coming back."
Just his affable self, chatting steadily with the innkeeper and guests.
'...Call that intel gathering and nab him?'
Tempted to rush back to Lanzhou, Guyang Mun resisted.
Days passed like this—brief daytime chats during meals, stealth tails otherwise.
Then the innkeeper, waiter, and villagers headed somewhere together. Another gathering day.
Guyang Mun followed stealthily, but gained nothing.
True to his charm, the young man had already meshed with the locals despite short time here.
After each sermon.
"Maitreya has come."
"Salvation for all!!"
He shouted slogans with gusto.
"This time's hymn is 'We Shall Fight the Wicked.'"
"Waaaaah!!"
He cheered wildly at the mere announcement.
"Glo~ry, glory, Maitreya Illu~minated Cult!"
Even on his second gathering, belting hymns with fervor.
Watching from afar, Guyang Mun tilted his head.
'...Acting or true believer? Can't tell.'
* * *
A few days later.
Multiple letters arrived at the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult branch in Lanzhou.
Il-mok hadn't limited surveillance to Joo Seo-yeon and Guyang Mun.
Too many outsiders for full coverage, but he'd sent them plus a few martial troupe warriors to maximize efforts.
And the reports from days of watching filled these letters.
"...Singing hymns enthusiastically? Same here."
Even Il-mok scratched his head upon reading.
You couldn't brand someone a spy just for joining cult gatherings zealously.
"Tch. At least two solid suspects. Practicing martial arts yet posing as waiter or cook."
"Planning to grab them right away?"
As Jin Ha-yeon asked while standing guard, Il-mok was about to reply when footsteps approached from outside.
"Young Master. Urgent message from Crimson Red Tower Madam."
Il-mok stepped out at Dam Bin's voice from beyond the hall.
"What's the news?"
Dam Bin, usually so poised, wore an awkward expression as he answered.
"Well... One of the new courtesans in the red-light district came forward, claiming she's a Hao Clan spy sent here."
Il-mok was just as baffled by the spy outing herself.
"What nonsense is that?"
"I only know from the hasty letter the Crimson Red Tower Madam sent to the Maitreya Illuminated Cult estate. Details require a visit to the tower."
"Then let's go."
Il-mok geared up and headed to Crimson Red Tower with Dam Bin and Jin Ha-yeon.
"Maitreya has come! Salvation for all! Greetings, incarnations of Maitreya!!"
The Crimson Red Tower Madam welcomed their sudden visit without missing a beat.
Following her were two women bowing hastily.
"Maitreya has come! Salvation for all! Greetings, incarnations of Maitreya!!"
Il-mok vaguely recalled one.
'Sohyang, was it?'
The woman tortured after trying to flee Red Flower Tower. He'd rescued her, so she stuck in his memory.
Just one question arose.
'Why is she here?'