Clearing the Path
Upon receiving this order, Jegal Jeok-un, Leader of the White Night Squad, shall immediately prepare and depart for the mission destination during the first watch of the night (between 7:00 PM and 9:00 PM) today.
Dok-go Cheon's command had fallen.
There was no turning back now.
Perhaps that was why Dok-go Cheon wore such a peculiar expression when Jeok-un looked at him.
It was as if he was worried about Jeok-un taking on such a perilous task, yet simultaneously eager to see how he would pull it off.
Of course, aside from Dok-go Cheon, the room was filled with far more hostility and ridicule.
It was the natural consequence of Jeok-un's incredibly arrogant behavior during the meeting.
But Jeok-un did not care whether they barked like dogs or not. He simply focused on what he had to do.
I should show my face to the squad before I leave, or they might get anxious.
With that thought, Jeok-un headed straight to the White Night Squad's headquarters.
The White Night Squad was as peaceful as ever.
Jeok-un had not told them anything about the trial.
So, when they heard that he was leaving for Tongseong County to resolve a Black-grade mission as a punishment...
"W-What?! What do you mean by that?!"
Go Bok-gil flew into a frenzy, decrying it as an absolute outrage.
"You should just refuse! Tell them to rip your belly open instead! Honestly, you have a better chance of surviving that than a Black-grade mission...! Aaargh!"
"Ah, stop making such a racket."
Thwack!
With a sharp flick to the forehead, Go Bok-gil collapsed to the ground.
Jeok-un smirked at the tearful Go Bok-gil and replied, "Don't worry. Nothing is going to happen."
As Jeok-un spoke, Hae-yeon approached him.
"What is it?" Jeok-un asked.
"Leader, may I see the order?"
Jeok-un handed it over. Hae-yeon scanned the document in an instant, her lips pressing into a tight line.
"You won't receive... any support at all."
"Well, it wouldn't be much of a punishment otherwise."
"Then at least let me—"
"Now, now. Who's going to watch the house if you leave, Elder Hwang?"
Jeok-un cut off Elder Hwang's words cleanly. He then looked each of them in the eye and spoke.
"I'll be back soon, so just make sure you handle the tasks I left you."
"Yes. Please make sure you return safely, Leader."
"Return safely? As if those bastards could do anything to me."
Hae-yeon mistook Jeok-un's confident words as an attempt to ease their worries. She silently resolved to complete the development of the solution—for which she had finally found a clue—before his return.
"Well, I trust Elder Hwang to do well on his own."
"I will do my utmost."
"Go Bok-gil, as for you..."
Go Bok-gil's eyes sparkled with anticipation. His heart fluttered as he wondered what kind of crucial order he would receive.
"If I hear that you went to a gambling house while I was gone, you're dead. Seriously."
"Leader, please...!"
"I'm kidding, kid. Manage the business well in my stead. If you need anything, consult with Elder Hwang before moving forward."
"Yes, sir!"
Hearing his subordinates' energetic response, Jeok-un let out a small chuckle.
However, he did not have the luxury of resting before his departure.
It was already time to set out.
To resolve the Black-grade mission.
Changsha, where Sadocheon was located, was in Hunan Province, while their destination, Tongseong County, was in Hubei Province.
Naturally, the road was familiar to Jeok-un.
Time really flies.
It was the very path he had taken when escaping the Jegal Family Manor a few months ago.
Since he was retracing his steps back toward his birthplace like a salmon swimming upstream, it was only natural that he felt a sense of déjà vu.
Yet, while similar, it was not exactly the same.
When he had left the Jegal Family Manor, the rain had been pouring in torrents, and he had been entirely alone.
Now, neither of those things was true.
Snort!
"Aigoo, why is this beast snorting so much?"
There was another person riding beside Jeok-un.
The man was constantly stealing glances at Jeok-un, looking incredibly anxious.
As clearly stated in the order, this was a punitive mission, meaning it was supposed to be carried out alone.
However, Do Ye-cheon had changed his stance the moment the Black-grade mission was finalized.
He had argued the necessity of recovering the relic and restoring Sadocheon's reputation, using it as a pretext to assign one additional person to assist.
Of course, it wasn't for Jeok-un's benefit.
He attached a watchdog to figure out my intentions for volunteering for a Black-grade mission.
Do Ye-cheon was truly a sly old fox.
And the watchdog he chose...
Was none other than the Leader of the Ghost Dream Squad, Jang Bo-heum.
When Jeok-un narrowed his eyes and released a chilling aura, Jang Bo-heum spoke up, his pupils trembling as if experiencing an earthquake.
"Ha, haha. The, the weather is quite lovely, isn't it, Leader Jeok?"
Jang Bo-heum licked his dry lips, his extreme tension painfully obvious.
There was no sign of any hidden, insidious intent.
He behaved exactly as he had when the Black-grade mission was first assigned—rubbing his hands together like a fly and bowing obsequiously.
He showed absolutely no regard for his dignity as a leader of the Ten Heavenly Squads.
Naturally, Jang Bo-heum, as a leader of the Ten Heavenly Squads, held a much higher rank than Jeok-un.
The difference between an Outer Squad Leader and a Ten Heavenly Squad Leader was as vast as the heavens and the earth.
Yet, because Jang Bo-heum was groveling like a frog, it was only natural for Jeok-un to find it suspicious.
Is this a high-level strategy to lower my guard by acting like an idiot?
Jeok-un even considered that possibility.
But the reason Jang Bo-heum was acting this way was actually quite simple.
"At least you have a brain."
"T-Thank you."
Jang Bo-heum had personally witnessed Jeok-un beat Ya-ju to death.
And ever since witnessing Jeok-un's true nature...
Aaaaah. He's too scary.
Like a mouse cornered by a cat, he couldn't help but tremble and lose his composure whenever he looked at Jeok-un.
"Jang Bo-heum, Leader of the Ghost Dream Squad. This is your last chance."
"Watch Jeok-un closely. Uncover every single detail of what he is planning."
"If you disappoint me one more time..."
The threat left unsaid was obvious.
It meant he would pay for his failure with his life. Thus, Jang Bo-heum knew this was his final chance, but...
"Did Do Ye-cheon order you to spy on me?" Jeok-un asked.
"Huh? Yes! Yes, that's correct. He told me to immediately send a carrier pigeon if there were any unusual movements."
"...?"
He simply could not bring himself to defy Jeok-un.
As Jang Bo-heum admitted it so quickly that even the one who asked was taken aback, Jeok-un's eyes narrowed slightly.
I did hear rumors that he tried to avoid getting involved with me after the Ya-ju incident, and consequently fell out of favor with the Vice Lord.
It didn't seem like he was just acting submissive to his face while plotting behind his back. Since the Ya-ju incident, Jang Bo-heum had kept his mouth shut about Jeok-un even in front of the Vice Lord's faction.
In fact, whenever they tried to hatch a scheme, he had consistently taken a defensive and passive stance, to the point where rumors spread that he had completely lost Do Ye-cheon's favor.
How was this guy in my past life?
It was a bit hazy, but Jeok-un could vaguely recall.
He had served under Do Ye-cheon, but around the time Jeok-un overthrew the Vice Lord, Jang Bo-heum had defected to Black Hegemony Castle to save his own skin.
And after that, didn't they say he worked as a spy for the Murim Alliance?
He possessed the survival instincts and adaptability of a cockroach.
When it came to survival, his intuition was terrifyingly accurate.
Although they hadn't had much of a relationship, Jeok-un had never heard any rumors of him joining the Demonic Cult in the end, so his character probably wasn't completely rotten.
"Jang Bo-heum, was it?"
"Y-Yes! That is correct! Ha, haha. I am honored that you remember my name..."
"Excessive flattery is poison."
"Understood! I will adjust the dosage accordingly from now on!"
Though the brief exchange reminded him of Go Bok-gil, Jang Bo-heum was different.
Go Bok-gil lacked tact and practically begged to be punched, but this guy was...
A natural-born sycophant?
With his quick wits and a tongue as smooth as oil, he was the perfect material for a born courtier.
Since Do Ye-cheon sent him, I should treat him as a spy for now.
But perhaps he could observe him a little longer.
"I like that you're quick-witted. I'll be keeping an eye on you."
"T-Thank you! Haha."
Jang Bo-heum was genuinely delighted.
This man is the real deal. Every single one of my instincts is telling me to cling to him.
It wasn't just because Jeok-un had beaten Ya-ju to death, or because he had rejected the position of the Lord of Sadocheon's disciple.
His intuition, the primary reason he had risen to the position of the Ghost Dream Squad Leader, was screaming that Jeok-un was a being incomparable to the likes of the Vice Lord.
No, his potential feels even greater than the Lion Sword Emperor, let alone Do Ye-cheon...
"Now, since it's getting boring, explain the Black-grade mission I've been assigned."
"Yes, sir! I shall give you a splendid summary."
As one traveled further from the headquarters of the major factions, their influence waned, allowing smaller sects to run rampant.
Tongseong County was exactly like that.
It was a strategic hub where three provinces met.
And it was here, amidst the chaotic clash of sects belonging to the Murim Alliance, Sadocheon, and Black Hegemony Castle, that the incident had begun.
"Actually, the original owner of the relic was the Murim Alliance," Jang Bo-heum explained.
The relic was called the Snow Soul Gauntlets. The Tang Clan of Sichuan had acquired it during a battle against the North Sea Ice Palace and kept it as a family treasure.
Then, fifty years ago, a major battle broke out in Tongseong County between Black Hegemony Castle and the Murim Alliance. During this battle, Tang Chu-rang, the Poison Heart Blood Rain, was killed.
The problem was that Tang Chu-rang had been wearing the Snow Soul Gauntlets, and instead of falling on land, he had plunged into the river.
A martial artist from Sadocheon was lucky enough to recover Tang Chu-rang's body as it drifted down the river. Since then, Sadocheon had claimed the Snow Soul Gauntlets as their own relic.
Naturally, the Tang Clan, the original owners of the gauntlets, were furious, but they could not simply march into Sadocheon's territory.
Then, ten years ago, a sinner who had committed a grave offense against Sadocheon stole the Snow Soul Gauntlets and fled to Black Hegemony Castle, believing it was the only place he could survive.
Thus, the owner of the gauntlets changed from the North Sea Ice Palace to the Tang Clan, from the Tang Clan to Sadocheon, and finally into the hands of Black Hegemony Castle.
Sadocheon had tried everything to recover the relic, but...
"The Black Hegemony Castle branch there consists of water bandits stationed on the river that cuts through Tongseong County."
"Since they are on an island, any approach by boat is immediately spotted. Even if we manage to sneak in, we will inevitably be caught on the way out, forcing a major battle."
"And if we fight like that and make it back to land, the Murim Alliance will notice. They would surely try to reap the spoils while we are exhausted from the battle."
"That is why both we and the Murim Alliance have been warily watching each other until now."
After explaining the outline of the mission, Jang Bo-heum scratched his head.
"I apologize, but I do not know of any clever solution to overcome this problem either..."
"What a bunch of fools. They don't even know something so simple?"
"...Pardon?"
Jang Bo-heum blinked in genuine surprise.
Jeok-un grinned.
"If you're worried about them reaping the spoils, you just have to make sure they aren't in a position to do so."
"??"
Preventing them from reaping the spoils?
What did that mean?
Jang Bo-heum tilted his head, unable to comprehend what Jeok-un meant, but Jeok-un did not elaborate further.
He simply fell deep into thought.
Tongseong County is a strategic location and the perfect place for me to build my own power. I will take control of this place as quickly as possible, then infiltrate Poyang Lake in Jiangxi to retrieve the divine relic.
The second of the Seven Divine Relics was located in Poyang Lake.
This was another reason why Jeok-un had volunteered for the mission in Tongseong County.
It was a perfect opportunity to naturally recover one of the Seven Divine Relics without raising anyone's suspicion.
With those thoughts in mind, Jeok-un dismounted from his horse.
"Oh, are we taking a break?"
"No."
Jeok-un's gaze shifted past Jang Bo-heum, focusing on the forest behind him.
As his eyes swept through every corner of the woods, a dense, suffocating killing intent began to pool in his eyes.
"We need to clean up the stray dogs clinging to our tails first."