A Warning from the Heavenly Martial Alliance
"I am Yoo Eunhyeon."
Jang Deokhyeon's tone came across as a bit rude, yet there was no real sense that he was looking down on or dismissing the other man, so Yoo Eunhyeon bowed his head for the moment. After a perfunctory greeting, however, he turned his gaze past Jang Deokhyeon to the old woman standing beside him.
This guy's no ordinary person, but this old woman seems even more terrifying.
She had been standing a little behind Jang Deokhyeon, observing the situation from a slight distance. When Yoo Eunhyeon's eyes met hers, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes softened, and she offered him a kindly smile as she pressed her palms together in greeting.
"Amitabha. I am Hwajin Satae of the Emei Sect."
Her voice was somewhat thin and unusual for someone who looked so advanced in years, but what caught his attention even more than the voice was the look in Hwajin Satae's eyes. A strange heat radiated from the gaze that peered out between her wrinkled lids.
Of course both Jang Deokhyeon and Hwajin Satae had come to see him, so it was only natural that they would study him. Still, the intensity in her eyes ran deeper than the young man's.
"……"
Despite that heat, a brief silence settled over them. It was only natural—Yoo Eunhyeon had no particular interest in these two. Since they were the ones who had dragged things out and sought this meeting in the first place, any frustration or disappointment belonged to them. Jang Deokhyeon opened his mouth again.
"The atmosphere is quite different from what I'd heard beforehand. I assume it's all right if we sit?"
Even as he asked the question, Jang Deokhyeon did not wait for an answer. He simply took a seat in a chair near the table where Yoo Eunhyeon had been sitting.
"Satae, this way as well."
"Thank you."
At least Jang Deokhyeon was not a complete ruffian; he politely pulled out a chair for Hwajin Satae. That very courtesy only left Yoo Eunhyeon more incredulous.
So he only acts that way toward me? Because he's a great disciple of one of the Nine Great Sects, is that it?
As a great disciple of the Cheongseong Sect—one of the core great sects that formed the backbone of the Heavenly Martial Alliance—he was certainly in a position to regard someone like Yoo Eunhyeon as nothing at all. Separate from that, though, Yoo Eunhyeon did not particularly mind.
Perhaps it was because he sensed no arrogance or contempt from Jang Deokhyeon. The man simply understood his own station and acted accordingly, without caring what others thought or seeking their understanding. Arguing with someone like that over something like this would only produce a pointless, tedious war of words, so it was easier on the spirit to just let it go. They looked about the same age, after all; rather than calling the man ill-natured, it was better to think of him as excessively upright.
"It seems we are ready to talk now."
Hwajin Satae settled into her seat with deliberate calm, smoothing her robes as she did so. When she was seated, Jang Deokhyeon looked at Yoo Eunhyeon and spoke. Yoo Eunhyeon answered in kind.
"Go ahead and talk."
"Aren't you the one with questions?"
"I said I could figure things out on my own. You're the ones who stopped me, so it seems proper that you state your business first."
Yoo Eunhyeon spoke as if he had nothing to lose, but Jang Deokhyeon only gave a short, derisive laugh and leaned back with an arrogant air, making it clear he would not fall for such a ploy.
"You seem to be under some misunderstanding. You appear to be under the delusion that you possess some great information. Do you take the Heavenly Martial Alliance's intelligence network so lightly? We know your name is Yoo Eunhyeon, that you are the son of Su Hwa-seon—eldest daughter of the Uiseon Suga and the Lady of the Eastern Blood. We even know that until recently you were inside the Demonic Cult's territory."
Jang Deokhyeon had a more detailed grasp of the facts than expected. Yoo Eunhyeon was surprised, yet a moment's thought made it clear that the Heavenly Martial Alliance had likely already investigated him thoroughly.
Had he not met Yu Yeop and Hong Ju-goe of the Heavenly Martial Alliance in person during the martial contest on Mount Taesan? The Uiseon Suga was famous enough that a little digging would easily turn up Yoo Eunhyeon's personal details. Yu Yeop and Hong Ju-goe had not witnessed the fight themselves, but they knew he had been able to contend with Cho-yeong, who had reached the Yeonhwagyeong realm. They would have a fair idea of his martial level as well.
"So state your business. You claim to know everything, so how is a lowly farmer like me supposed to know what you want?"
Jang Deokhyeon's attitude was starting to sour Yoo Eunhyeon's mood. Even if the other man meant no real offense, pushing it this far made a reaction only natural.
"Now, now. Both of you, calm yourselves. There is no real contradiction between your positions, so there is no need to quarrel."
As their voices began to rise a little, Hwajin Satae intervened at just the right moment, mediating in a serene tone.
Jang Deokhyeon closed his mouth without further protest. Once the other man fell silent, Yoo Eunhyeon also held his tongue for a moment and looked at Hwajin Satae.
Jang Deokhyeon was one thing, but Hwajin Satae looked at least three or four times Yoo Eunhyeon's age, and her speech carried the calm of a Buddhist nun. He saw no reason to raise his voice with her.
"Let us see. Young Hero Yoo. I shall call you Young Hero Yoo. Is that all right?"
"As you prefer."
"Amitabha. Thank you. Your sharp reaction is not entirely beyond understanding. Especially when senior figures of the Heavenly Martial Alliance such as ourselves suddenly appear before you—it must have been quite a shock."
Hearing her elevate herself and her companion as "senior figures" might have been enough to leave anyone speechless, but Yoo Eunhyeon showed little of it on his face.
She's not wrong. A great disciple of the Cheongseong Sect and a senior nun of the Emei Sect…
And from the way she directed the last part of her words toward Jang Deokhyeon rather than him, it was obvious even without asking that she was deliberately building the young man up. That much experience colored every word Hwajin Satae spoke; she was giving a textbook demonstration of what mediation looked like.
"I was surprised, yes. I have nothing particular to hide, but coming straight from the Demonic Cult made me wonder if you might be suspicious of me for no good reason."
"We of the Heavenly Martial Alliance uphold the righteousness and chivalry of the martial world. We do not cast suspicion on people without evidence."
Jang Deokhyeon added a remark, but Yoo Eunhyeon did not even glance his way. He spoke again to Hwajin Satae.
"I went to the Demonic Cult to farm, but I doubt you would believe me if I left it at that. The truth is, I heard they were farming on a large scale and wondered if there might be some other reason for it, so I went to look. I was discovered and had to flee in a hurry."
Since things had come to this, Yoo Eunhyeon decided to simply admit that he had infiltrated the Demonic Cult. Naturally he kept any mention of the Doyakju hidden. It was the truth—just not the whole truth—so it was not a lie. That was the tactic he chose.
"Of course. From the perspective of the Demonic Cultists, the Uiseon Suga is simply another enemy."
"From the perspective of those vicious Demonic Cultists, anyone is an enemy."
Hwajin Satae nodded quietly, but Jang Deokhyeon continued to stare straight at Yoo Eunhyeon as he spoke. Yoo Eunhyeon ignored him again and asked Hwajin Satae once more.
"I'm glad you understand. If this is not the issue, then why have you come for me?"
The fact that they had accepted his explanation so readily was unexpected. He still did not know their true purpose, but he had assumed they would not simply let the Demonic Cult matter slide. And that realization carried a clear implication of its own.
For all their boasting that they know everything, they don't seem to know all that much. How far did the old master restrict the information?
If it were So Biwon, he would certainly know about Yoo Eunhyeon's connection to Sa Unsik. He would at least be able to guess that Yoo Eunhyeon had gone to the Demonic Cult in order to make contact with Sa Unsik. If these two knew that, they would never be sitting here so calmly.
Ah, damn it. I only gave a few words of advice on farming, and now look at the mess I'm in.
While he grumbled inwardly, Yoo Eunhyeon noticed the deep gaze hidden among Hwajin Satae's wrinkles fixed intently upon him, and he swallowed a quiet breath. Hwajin Satae pressed her palms together lightly toward him and spoke.
"We heard about you from Vice Commander Yu Yeop and Elder Hong Ju-goe."
She said it as if it were nothing, but Yoo Eunhyeon muttered to himself.
As I thought, this old woman is the more dangerous one. Just how much does she know?
Even so, he kept his expression neutral and answered.
"Ah. I am indebted to both of them. Are they well?"
"It would be a serious matter if two senior figures of the Heavenly Martial Alliance were not well."
She paused briefly after that, then continued. This, it seemed, was the real business.
"Shall I first tell you what you were curious about? Lady Ju Yu-ryeon is currently at the Dang Clan, and the Young Master of the Chukhobang is at the Honjakmun."
"Hmm……"
At Hwajin Satae's words, Yoo Eunhyeon furrowed his brow slightly and let out a soft hum. The locations themselves were one thing, but the fact that the two of them were in completely different places was surprising.
Did they fight? Or did something happen? Yu-ryeon may look ordinary on the surface, but her martial arts and hidden talent make her far more than just another member of the Uiseon Suga. Still, outwardly she's ordinary enough. Won-jik, though—he's the Young Master of the Chukhobang, one of the Six Pillars of the Demonic Heaven. He could easily have gotten tangled up in something.
If even Yoo Eunhyeon kept getting dragged into these affairs, then Ho Won-jik, Young Master of the Chukhobang, might well have been swept into something far larger.
Even so, I can't tell Won-jik to turn his back on the Demonic Path. And Yu-ryeon, as a member of the Uiseon Suga, can't exactly stand with him on the Demonic side either. Is that why?
Yoo Eunhyeon tried to form a reasonable judgment, but without knowing the truth, it was all only speculation. Hwajin Satae watched him with deep eyes, as if trying to read his thoughts. Jang Deokhyeon spoke in her place.
"We came to you today in order to give you a warning."
The word shattered Yoo Eunhyeon's train of thought, and he frowned. "Warning," was it? From everything they had done so far, it sounded more like a threat.
"I have no intention of starting anything, as a rule. But life doesn't always go as one plans. This situation is a perfect example—I was minding my own business, and people still came looking for me."
"How dare you mock the Heavenly Martial Alliance, which upholds the chivalry of the martial world?!"
Jang Deokhyeon, who had been proudly bandying about words like justice and righteousness, reacted exactly as Yoo Eunhyeon had hoped. He immediately flared with rough energy and anger.
Yoo Eunhyeon simply turned his head away, making it clear he had no desire to deal with the man. In truth, he did not find Jang Deokhyeon particularly frightening.
As a great disciple of the Cheongseong Sect he would not be weak, but he was still not at a level that Yoo Eunhyeon needed to fear. Hwajin Satae spoke quietly to the young man.
"Young Master Jang."
"……I apologize."
Her voice was low and weighty, almost like the recitation of a sutra. Jang Deokhyeon immediately reined in his energy, and the look he turned on Yoo Eunhyeon returned to the same indifferent calm as at the beginning.
The speed with which he mastered his emotions was enough to surprise even Yoo Eunhyeon. Hwajin Satae addressed him again.
"It seems Young Hero Yoo is unaware of the events currently unfolding in Chengdu, so it would be more accurate to call this advice rather than a warning."
"Events unfolding?"
Yoo Eunhyeon asked before he could stop himself. Hwajin Satae paused as if reluctant even to speak the words, then intoned a Buddhist invocation before posing her question.
"Namo Avalokitesvara. Young Hero Yoo… have you by any chance heard of the Jeokgang-dokshi—the Red Steel Poison Corpse?"