The Uninvited Guest Who Received an Invitation (3)
Sahyeokryeon headquarters. Behind the alliance leader's chamber on the top floor lay a secret room, known only to the leader and a select few. Two people who hadn't yet officially joined Sahyeokryeon stepped inside.
"You've arrived."
Chaseokdu, the former Sahwangbong leader—now the Sahyeokryeon leader—rose from his chair.
"I should have come out to greet you myself. My apologies for the rudeness."
A man who had never bowed his head to anyone in his life now did so with utmost courtesy.
"Enough. Now that your position has changed, a heavy ass is just your fate."
"Don't mind it, little brother. If we'd nitpicked over every little thing like that, we never would've come here in the first place."
Blood Struggle and Yeom Gwi-bi. The two sat down before Chaseokdu, as if they owned the place.
"Have you been well?"
Chaseokdu's question drew a chuckle from Blood Struggle.
"You didn't call us here just to exchange pleasantries. Get to the point. Why'd you summon us?"
"……."
"Got some folks who won't listen?"
Chaseokdu let out a weak laugh.
"Trying something I never did before is no easy task."
"Tsk tsk. You think there's any other reason we black pathers survived getting pushed around by the white path? Still, looks like you've set up some solid pillars. Wasn't your idea, though... must've found a good one, eh?"
At Blood Struggle's words, which sounded like he already knew everything, Chaseokdu nodded readily.
"I got lucky."
"That's your blessing."
"Thank you."
Yeom Gwi-bi, who had been listening from the side, let out a soft hum.
"You wouldn't call us outright to cause a ruckus. Someone gnawing at your pillars from within?"
Until now, Chaseokdu had only dealt with types who knew nothing but "I eat" and "I fight." Strangely, this stuffy secret room felt refreshingly clear with them here. He leaned forward and whispered.
"They're cunning. Hiding deep within the ranks, spreading rumors under the guise of benefiting Sahyeokryeon."
"It's said that schemes are more fearsome than hidden numbers."
Chaseokdu shook his head slightly.
"This is beyond something we can overlook."
Blood Struggle's face hardened at Chaseokdu's demeanor.
"Any suspects?"
"Not even that yet."
"Hm……."
After some thought, Blood Struggle spoke.
"Then there's not much we can do right now."
"I'm sorry. I just thought having you two here would ease my mind a bit……."
"Heh, looks like politics has you wielding sweet talk like white path mind arts. Hm……."
After a moment of silence, Blood Struggle nodded, grasping Chaseokdu's intent, and continued.
"We'll look into it slowly. Don't worry too much."
Chaseokdu's expression brightened at their words. Only then did he realize his mistake and speak up.
"My apologies. I've only talked about myself. Was the journey here smooth?"
Blood Struggle's lips curved slightly.
"It was fine. Ran into an interesting fellow on the way."
"You came with Jin Sowoon, right?"
"Yeah. More fun than the rumors, that's for sure. Even if the Black Path Alliance had a joint leader for real, he couldn't hold a candle to that kid."
Chaseokdu nodded in agreement.
"Definitely... he's got a unique side to him."
Blood Struggle's face turned serious for a moment.
"Heard you sent him an invitation. Why'd you go out of your way to do something that could backfire on both you and him?"
"……Have you heard of the Black Path Night Journey?"
Blood Struggle nodded.
"Yeah. Some ridiculous rumor that the Black Flame Dragon led the black path ghosts."
There had been rumors that the Black Flame Dragon orchestrated the Black Path Night Journey, which provided crucial justification for Sahyeokryeon's formation, but no one believed it. He might have hitched a ride on some black path sect's connection, but a kid barely past twenty couldn't have led something like that.
But Chaseokdu shook his head, shattering Blood Struggle's assertion.
"Truth is, that's somewhat accurate."
"……Huh?"
"……Oh my?"
Blood Struggle and Yeom Gwi-bi involuntarily leaned forward.
Chaseokdu then recounted in detail how Jin Sowoon had stormed into Sahwangbong during the Murim Alliance's purification operation. It was no short tale, but neither listener lost focus for a second.
After hearing it all, Blood Struggle let out a groan.
"Damn... so he really led it."
By now, the rumors had faded, and Chaseokdu himself was credited with the great merit of forming Sahyeokryeon. Strictly speaking, though, Jin Sowoon had fired the signal shot for the Black Path Alliance's creation.
"That's why I invited him to the founding ceremony."
Blood Struggle asked sharply.
"……You expecting as much from him as from us?"
Chaseokdu scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"No way……."
His eyes gleamed as he added.
"But I am hoping for something unexpected."
Blood Struggle and Yeom Gwi-bi exchanged glances with odd smiles.
"Fun. A contest with the Black Flame Dragon."
"Hm…… This girl just wants to have lovers' quarrels with her lord."
Chaseokdu nearly asked who "her lord" referred to but shut his mouth tight, recalling the flames Yeom Gwi-bi would unleash.
# The night before Sahyeokryeon's founding felt less like a white path sect banquet and more like the back alleys of a tourist city. In a word: chaos.
"Pick and choose, grab anything! No pick, you lose; pick right, jackpot! This ain't an everyday chance. The hidden weapons most used in the black path martial world……."
From the guy hawking hidden weapons in the training ground.
"Now, watch closely. I'm about to swallow this sword. Do not try this at home!"
A traveling troupe showing off their internal force tricks before the warriors.
"Hey! This ain't daily grub. Straight from Shaolin, the pinnacle of the white path—the elixir itself! Summon Pill! For Sahyeokryeon's founding, today only, a measly ten nyang in silver!"
Well, look, a guy peddling Summon Pills.
Whoa! Can't miss this chance?
No matter how dumb black pathers are, would anyone fall for that scam…….
"I wanna buy a Summon Pill!"
And here's the sucker.
I grabbed Dang Seohui by the scruff just as she was about to charge forward.
"No. Don't eat that stuff."
"I got money!"
"It's not about money. Unknown herbs mixed in—could give you the runs bad."
Dang Seohui blinked her big eyes.
"How do you know?"
How? I ate it in my past life.
Ridiculously, I even tried a Great Return Pill back then. Thought it'd put me in the peak realm. Peak my ass—it was just a laxative that'd send you to the outhouse.
"……Don't ask. It's dangerous."
Where'd that bald monk go, anyway? With a guy brazenly selling Shaolin elixirs like that. Shouldn't we grab him and beat some sense in?
I scanned the surroundings.
"Senior Ilmyeong's nowhere in sight."
"He found someone to preach to and already moved out."
"I see."
Still, Ilmyeong wouldn't pull stunts like Dang Seohui. And he wasn't the type to go picking fights anyway.
His shining name was overshadowed by Yong So-a, but without Yong So-a, Ilmyeong's name would echo through the world instead. In Sahyeokryeon, few could harm him, and if push came to shove, he could just run.
I turned to Dang Seohui.
"Then let's move on our own."
"Sounds good!"
The excited Dang Seohui grabbed my hand and dragged me along.
"I want those hidden weapons."
"Made of rotten iron. Breaks on one throw. And doesn't Dang Clan make them anyway?"
"I wanna do knife throwing."
"They swap it for a blunt one for normals. Won't even stick in wood."
Dang Seohui clenched her fists and yelled.
"I wanna enter the stone-lifting contest!"
"No internal energy allowed. It's pure external strength."
"……."
Her grip on my hand weakened. I turned to see her cheeks puffed out.
"……Then what's the point of coming out?"
Oh right, this was to blow off steam.
I quickly bought two candied haws from a stall and handed one to her.
Dang Seohui deftly pulled two needles from her bosom, stabbed the candy deeply, checked them, then handed one back to me.
"Let's find something decent."
"Then how about that!"
Munching her candy, she pointed to one side.
Ten men stood at a small table, stroking their chins in thought.
"Money down, money up—the game even passersby nail! Powder for ladies, fare for gents, pocket change for kids—one nyang flat! One nyang! Money down, money up! Not everyday stuff. Even street dogs get it right! Find the bean, bean!"
Three cups upside down on the table. The man shuffled them wildly, switching the bean's spot.
'Gambling?'
Totally shameless. Down to gambling now?
Even more impressive was the gambler. Setting up a gambling den packed with warriors?
Anyway, didn't look dangerous, cheap too. Dang Seohui could use some worldly education. Not a bad first lesson.
I nodded readily.
"Sure."
As we approached with candy in mouth, onlookers parted slightly.
The gambler smiled at Dang Seohui.
"Aigoo, cute miss and handsome gent! How'll you play?"
"I can nail 'em all!"
"Of course! Even dogs get it. Let's start."
He showed the red bean under the middle cup, then shuffled fast.
"Money down, money up! Not everyday! Even dogs nail it! Find the bean!"
Dang Seohui tracked intently amid the quick cups.
When he stopped, she slammed ten nyang silver on the far right.
"Hic! T-Ten nyang?!"
"Why, can't?"
Why's she betting so big?
I held her back.
"This is for fun. Got no coppers?"
"Only silver. And I'm confident!"
Makes sense—spoiled Dang Clan princess from Sichuan wouldn't know hardship. Her pockets never empty.
I let it go.
All eyes on the table.
"Gulp."
The tense shell-game hustler lifted her bet cup…….
"Agh…… How?!"
The red bean popped out!
"Wooo! I got it! I got it!"
Dang Seohui jumped in joy. The hustler grimaced but shuffled again.
She pointed confidently, snorting.
"Here this time!"
She bet twenty nyang total, including her winnings, on the far left.
But when he lifted…….
No bean.
'Well, look at this guy.'
As I chuckled inwardly, he taunted her.
"Aigoo! Cute miss missed this time."
He swept up the twenty. Dang Seohui pulled out another twenty.
"Money down, money up! Not everyday! Even dogs! Find the bean!"
His hands moved faster now.
Dang Seohui tracked without missing a beat, betting even higher.
"Here!"
Tension peaked—not just hustler and watchers, but passersby gathered at the big pot.
He peeked under a cup.
"Huh? Huh? Why? Why? It's gone?!"
Dang Seohui stood stunned, world crumbling.
He drooped his brows dramatically.
"Too bad. Little faster and you'd have it. Another go?"
"……You take gold too?"
"……G-Gold?"
His pupils dilated for the first time.
"W-Whatever, if you're betting."
"Good, then with gold……."
I stepped in front of her.
"My turn now."
"Huh?"
"Not gonna let you have all the fun?"
She hesitated, then said.
"……If you miss, I go again."
I nodded.
"Deal."
I jingled silver, eyeing him. He smacked his lips, regretting the lost mark, but lit up at her return and shuffled.
"Money down, money up! Not everyday! Even dogs! Find the bean!"
Three cups. Nail the first bean spot, win money.
As he said, even kids could.
He looked up slyly.
"Where you betting?"
"Where?"
But I knew. You can't win shell games fair. It's all a scam from the start.
"All of them."
"Huh?"
I placed one silver on each.
"What're you doing? Pick one!"
I knew it was rigged from the first shuffle.
Still let it go because I spotted something odd about this hustler.
He bluffed hard.
"Man, some folks. Watch."
He flipped all three. Sure enough, red bean under one.
"Next, cute miss's turn?"
I grabbed his hand as he went to reshuffle and cover.
"Wh-What! What the hell?!"
"Where you pulling this scam?"
"Scam? What scam! You saw……."
I flipped the one with the bean again.
No red bean.
He flinched in panic.
"Th-This…… Shit! Boys, get him!"
The onlookers—his crew—lunged to knock my hand away.
But—
Thwack-thwack-thwack-thwack-thwack!
Dang Seohui's hand strikes dropped them all in seconds, groaning on the ground.
"……Scam? It was a scam?"
Dang Seohui had reverted to her black pathers' nightmare, the White Rabbit Divine Maiden.
"All shell games are."
"……Really? For real?"
She glared at the hustler.
"Hic!"
He stared like she'd grown a second head.
"S-Spare me! I'll return all I took today plus what I earned!"
I stroked my chin, looking down.
"Hmm? Nah. No need."
"P-Pardon? What?"
"How'd you do that just now?"
"D-Do what?"
Usually, hustlers skip the bean at start, slip it in after the pick. That's why decent warriors don't fall for it.
But this guy never reinserted except when intentionally losing first.
"You made the bean appear and vanish."
What intrigued me was the bean itself. Like Blood Struggle packing voice into qi orbs, he'd shaped red qi into a bean inside his qi.
Curious if this could unlock Mutual Destruction Fist's secrets.
His pupils widened.
"Eek? Th-That's our sect's secret……."
A sect for shell games? Impressive.
"Yeah, give me that secret for the silver."
"B-But…… Master'll……."
Oho, a master too? Tough choice.
I eased his dilemma with a clap and words.
"Hey! Not everyday chance. Even dogs'd agree—best deal! Unless you want arms and legs swapped, pick quick! Pick and choose!"
I mimicked him, but off-key? His face soured.
Sigh, gotta lop off some limbs for real?
# After getting his sect's secret technique for free from the hustler.
I tried leading the now-downcast Dang Seohui, wise to the world's cruelty, back to the inn.
But she planted her feet, refusing to budge.
"……Gotta bring Ilmyeong too."
"Huh?"
"The world's scarier than it seems. Ilmyeong could get duped by anyone."
Pfft, you think the world's Ilmyeong is like you?
But she heaved her shoulders and yelled.
"Gotta save Ilmyeong! He might be trembling in fear somewhere!"
In my past life, Ilmyeong faced the Asura Demon Slaughter Unit alone without flinching. Scared of black path small fries?
Yet.
"My gut's telling me! Gotta go save Ilmyeong!"
Her oddly surging energy, plus worry he might be preaching to tough black pathers and getting thrashed, made me nod.
"Alright. It's getting late anyway."
Asking passing servants revealed his whereabouts surprisingly quick.
Makes sense—a monk in kasaya among black pathers? Stands out like a sore thumb.
Tracking him led to a weird spot.
'Gambling den?'
Temporary tents everywhere in the mini arena, hordes gambling below.
What the hell brought this guy here?
Scanning the sitters, Dang Seohui piped up.
"Jin Sowoon! There! That's him!"
Sure enough, the bald monk sat smack in the gambling den's center.
Approaching revealed a bizarre sight.
Ilmyeong, who vowed to proselytize, held gambling plaques?
'What? Breaking precepts?'
And he looked rough. Why was his whole body trembling?
I called out.
"Senior Ilmyeong, what're you doing here?"
He whipped around at my voice.
His face was pale—no, ashen black.
"J-Jin layman…… S-Save me! P-Please!"
……Dude, what the hell are you even doing here?