Chapter 187
Seeing Jegal Seo-un's resolute expression, Moyong Gyeong reluctantly nodded with a look of resignation.
"Hmm. Understood."
Then, forcing a smile, he turned to Bu Eun-seol and Hyeok So-jin.
"We've prepared a feast, so please come inside as well."
The banquet table was laden with extravagant dishes that seemed impossible to have been prepared in the old manor.
Moyong Gyeong had spent a fortune to bring in skilled cooks from nearby and had them prepare the meal personally.
After several rounds of drinks, the Jegal siblings, the Hwangbo brothers, and Moyong Gyeong exchanged stories, catching up on recent events.
However, Bu Eun-seol and Hyeok So-jin remained silent, eating their food with only half-hearted attention to the conversation.
'Nothing seems out of place.'
In truth, Bu Eun-seol was observing Jegal Seo-un's group with suspicion.
Even though the pursuit teams of the Jegal, Moyong, and Hwangbo families had joined forces, why would they carry out a separate operation?
Of course, it could simply be youthful recklessness.
But the timing was far too coincidental. Moreover, after encountering the masked men on the ship, he hadn't entirely dismissed his doubts.
Moyong Gyeong was thinking the same.
'The Heaven's Will Scholar broke his promise and left for Yunnan, and just then, these young masters appeared...'
Naturally, matters in Murim rarely went as planned, and unexpected events were common.
But Moyong Gyeong couldn't help but eye Bu Eun-seol and Hyeok So-jin with suspicion.
'At least they aren't overstepping their bounds.'
Had the two presumptuously tried to insert themselves into the group, Moyong Gyeong would have been deeply displeased.
However, since they remained quiet and only ate without joining the conversation, he nodded with reluctant acceptance.
'For now, I'll keep an eye on them.'
Once they had eaten and drunk their fill, Moyong Gyeong adopted a grave expression and began discussing their next steps.
"The Suspicious Madman has already killed five young martial artists while fleeing. Right now, three pursuit squads—including the Sun Rope Squad from our main house—are hot on his trail."
Pausing briefly, he continued with a solemn expression.
"According to the Sun Rope Squad's intelligence, he plans to enter Daemyeong Mountain and shake off his pursuers. So, the three squads have split up to guard the mountain's paths."
Hwangbo Cheon-gyeong, who had been listening silently with his arms crossed, responded.
"Daemyeong Mountain... So he intends to escape to Yunnan?"
"Most likely, yes."
After a brief silence, Moyong Gyeong turned to Jegal Seo-un.
"But your opinion still differs, doesn't it?"
Jegal Seo-un nodded.
"Correct. I believe he won't go to Daemyeong Mountain but will instead head to Ujung Mountain in Samyeong Prefecture, the opposite direction."
Glancing around the room, Jegal Seo-un continued.
"The Suspicious Madman has faced countless pursuits from both the Orthodox and Unorthodox Paths in the past. He's even managed to stay hidden without revealing his whereabouts until now."
He spoke with conviction.
"A murderer as elusive as him wouldn't leave traces for pursuers to follow."
"So you're saying he won't go to Yunnan?"
At Hwangbo Cheon-gyeong's question, Jegal Seo-un shook his head.
"No, he will go to Yunnan. However..."
He pointed at the map.
"After shaking off his pursuers at Ujung Mountain and breaking through the encirclement, then he'll head to Yunnan."
Moyong Gyeong, who had been listening quietly, spoke up.
"But that doesn't make sense. If your reasoning holds, wouldn't Jegal Yeon, the leader of the Secret Spear Squad, have predicted the same?"
It was Jegal Seo-rin who answered.
"We suspect the reason the Suspicious Madman has evaded pursuit from both the Orthodox and Unorthodox Paths is precisely because exceptionally skilled masters of the Tracking Art have been deployed."
"I don't follow."
"Experts in a single field sometimes become trapped by rigid thinking."
"That seems a bit far-fetched."
"Of course, there's a second reason as well."
Jegal Seo-rin continued calmly.
"He has an accomplice."
"An accomplice?"
Moyong Gyeong blinked in surprise, and Jegal Seo-rin's large eyes gleamed.
"Every time he's pursued, an accomplice helps the Suspicious Madman by erasing or disrupting his trail."
This time, Hwangbo Je-gyeong shook his head.
"Rin. Even so, would a deranged murderer—a public enemy of Murim—really have an accomplice?"
"Even madmen have money. Among assassins, there are plenty of scoundrels who'll work for the right price."
"Hmm."
Moyong Gyeong, who had been listening silently, nodded his head.
"That could very well be the case."
Truly, the Jegal Clan lived up to their name.
Not only was their insight astonishing—recognizing that an expert's vast knowledge and skill could become their very vulnerability—but their perspective on the grand scheme of things also differed from that of ordinary martial artists.
"So what's the plan?"
At Moyong Gyeong's question, Jegal Seo-un responded again.
"To pass through Ujung Mountain, they must come through this point."
Jegal Seo-un, who had already unfolded a map, wore a solemn expression.
"This villain is known for his extraordinary movement techniques. The moment he arrives here, we must surround him in an instant."
Taking a deep breath, Jegal Seo-un's eyes flashed as he spoke.
"If Brother Moyong, Young Hero Bu, and Young Hero Hyeok block the escape routes and hold the defense, while I, Brother Hwangbo, and younger brother Je-gyeong lead the attack in a rotating wheel battle, victory will surely be ours."
At the confident tone of Jegal Seo-un's voice, everyone in the room nodded in agreement.
His plan was undeniably flawless, with no room for criticism.
But what they didn't know was this:
Though the strategists of the martial world often devise seemingly perfect plans, unforeseen circumstances frequently arise in real battle.
Dozens of masters raced through the mountain as darkness fell.
Swish, swish.
Despite brushing past trees and bushes, their movements were nearly silent.
Divided into three groups, the martial artists maintained a triangular formation as they advanced at a steady pace.
Whoosh.
Then, the figure leading the charge halted his movement technique and raised a hand. Those following immediately held their breath and stopped.
"As expected, he's heading that way."
The man at the front crouched low, examining the ground for a long moment before nodding.
With an oddly shaped sword strapped to his back like an assassin's spike, he would have easily been mistaken for a hired killer if not for his attire.
But the refined martial robes embroidered with indigo patterns and the unmistakably righteous gleam in his eyes dispelled any such notion.
This was none other than the leader of the Moyong Clan's Sun Rope Squad—Moyong Cheong-un.
"It seems we'll finally catch that madman."
A deep voice spoke as a sturdy man with iron gauntlets on both hands approached Moyong Cheong-un's side.
Hwangbo Gwang-un, leader of the Hwangbo Clan's Heaven-Shaking Squad.
"Something feels off."
At that moment, a middle-aged man dressed in scholar's robes, a Judge's Brush hanging at his waist, spoke up while examining the traces left on the ground.
"The escape route seems covert, but it's too... formulaic."
This was Jegal Yeon, leader of the Jegal Clan's Secret Spear Squad.
"It's as if someone deliberately left behind faint traces—just enough for experts like us to barely detect."
"Hahaha. What nonsense. Are you suggesting that madman predicted our entire pursuit and left clues in advance? That makes no sense."
"Of course not."
Jegal Yeon shook his head quietly.
"But perhaps... an accomplice anticipated our pursuit and deliberately planted misleading traces."
"Hahahaha. Truly, one can always count on the Jegal Clan."
This time, Moyong Cheong-un laughed as he spoke.
"You already considered the possibility of an accomplice, didn't you? That's why the three clans joined forces for this large-scale pursuit."
"No, my concern is... that these accomplices might belong to an organization with an intelligence network."
"Impossible. What deranged faction would systematically aid a public enemy of both the righteous and unorthodox paths?"
Hwangbo Gwang-un also nodded in agreement.
"Brother Yeon, sometimes simplicity is necessary. After all, haven't we suddenly uncovered the whereabouts of that lunatic who evaded capture for over a decade?"
"But..."
Hwangbo Gwang-un waved his hand dismissively.
"It simply means that murderer's luck has finally run out. That's why we can catch him now."
Tapping the Thundering Heaven Gauntlets on his hands, he chuckled.
"Don't worry. Even if we lose the trail, the unit members we positioned ahead will block his escape route."
"Understood."
Jegal Yeon replied, though something still felt unresolved.
Whoosh.
Moyong Cheong-un and Hwangbo Gwang-un led their squad members as they resumed their movement techniques.
"Hmm."
Judging by the traces left behind, capturing the Suspicious Madman was only a matter of time. But why did he feel so uneasy?
'This is pointless overthinking.'
Taking a deep breath, Jegal Yeon shook his head as if trying to dispel the lingering doubts in his mind.
And soon, he led the unit members and followed after them.
Ujung Mountain.
Though not particularly high, the mountain was dense with forests and rugged in terrain. The main ridge formed rocky ravines, creating a strikingly beautiful landscape.
On the darkened slopes of Ujung Mountain...
A small shadow climbed the mountain with labored breaths.
"Huff. Huff."
It was a young man dressed in tattered clothes, a bamboo basket slung over his shoulder.
The steep mountain path seemed to have drained his strength, as beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.
"Haa..."
Finally spotting a flat stretch on the mountainside, the young man let out a sigh and halted his steps.
His clear, bright eyes gazed up at the star-strewn sky, shimmering even in the darkness.
"Gulp, gulp."
Pulling a waterskin from the bamboo basket, he drank deeply before wiping his brow and hurrying onward.
"He looks like a traveling merchant passing through the village."
From the depths of the thick forest, Jegal Seo-un observed the young man and sent a telepathic transmission to the group.
"He'll likely pass by soon. Let's ignore him and maintain our positions."
At that, Hwangbo Je-gyeong frowned and transmitted back.
"A full day has already passed. When do you think that Suspicious Madman will finally show up?"
"Given the time it would take to shake off pursuers by changing course drastically, he'll probably arrive by tomorrow—"
Whoosh.
Just then, Bu Eun-seol, who had been hidden in the trees, abruptly dropped to the ground.
Without hesitation, he strode toward the young man.
"Young Hero Bu!"
Startled, Jegal Seo-un sent another transmission, but Bu Eun-seol ignored it, stepping directly behind the young man.
"Ah!"
The young man, who had been leaning against a great tree to catch his breath, flinched in surprise and stumbled backward upon noticing Bu Eun-seol.
"Who—who are you?"
Instead of answering, Bu Eun-seol swept his cold gaze over the young man's entire body.
Then, as if realizing something, he nodded.
"So that's how it is."
"Huh?"
"Reveal your identity."
"Wh-what are you talking about?"
"Suspicious Madman."
A flash of something sharp flickered through the young man's eyes—but only for the briefest of moments before his expression returned to its innocent simplicity.
"The Suspicious Madman? What's that supposed to mean?"
Bu Eun-seol didn't answer. Instead, he clenched his fist.
It wasn't just a threatening gesture. The air around him rippled as blade-like killing intent surged upward.
"Young Hero Bu."
Unable to stand by any longer, Jegal Seo-un rushed out from the forest and blocked Bu Eun-seol's path.
"Young Hero Bu, what are you doing? Why are you suddenly—"
"That man is the Suspicious Madman."
"What kind of nonsense is that? How could this young man be the Suspicious Madman?"
Bu Eun-seol muttered something under his breath—whether an answer or a soliloquy was unclear.
"To wear the skin of someone so young so skillfully... No wonder he was never caught."
BOOM!
Without warning, Bu Eun-seol threw a punch at the young man.
Though it seemed like a casual strike, an overwhelming gale of fist energy blasted toward the young man's face.
CRASH!
But the force didn't hit him—it collided with the great tree behind him.
The young man, who had been leaning against the tree, dodged the attack with lightning speed.
"Fascinating."
The clear, youthful voice that had once belonged to the young man had completely changed.
Not only that—his eyes, which had been bright and transparent, now split vertically like a bat's.
This was the true face of the deranged murderer who dissected people alive—Gongson Gu-reung.
"Gongson Gu-reung!"
At that moment, the Hwangbo brothers and Moyong Gyeong, who had been waiting in the air, roared as they surrounded him.
"So you're the Suspicious Madman!"
Even as the Hwangbo brothers and Moyong Gyeong closed in, Gongson Gu-reung's expression remained unchanged.
His gaze was still fixed solely on Bu Eun-seol.
"The skins I wear are real—taken from the young. There should have been no way to detect them."
"Who knows?"
"How did you figure it out?"
Gongson Gu-reung pressed relentlessly for an answer.
If he didn't learn the reason now, there was a chance his disguises would be exposed again in the future.
This sly, murderous madman was desperate to extract an answer—even if it meant provoking Bu Eun-seol into speaking.
"I didn't know. I nearly fell for it myself."
Gongson Gu-reung was a wanted criminal of both the Orthodox and Unorthodox Factions—a murderer.
Since there was no need to show courtesy to such a man, Bu Eun-seol spoke to him with undisguised disdain.
"You look like you're dying of curiosity."
"Then tell me before I die."
As Gongson Gu-reung persisted, Bu Eun-seol curled the corner of his lips.
"The bamboo basket."