Chapter 20
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Finally, a Lead
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Pure began to remove the ceiling, one piece at a time.
After that, she tore up the floorboards to check underneath and ran her hands over every inch of the walls.
She was particularly thorough in her search of the room where Ghost Wolf had died and the one where his disciple had met his end.
If she couldn't find a clue here, it was unlikely she'd find one in any of the other rooms.
That evening.
She scooped a spoonful of rice into her mouth with a dejected expression.
“Nothing?”
“No. Do you think we were wrong?”
“Not we, the Martial Arts Alliance. To be precise, the head of the Demon-Dispelling Pavilion. You and I are just following orders.”
“That’s true. Sigh, I was so sure we’d find something. I feel a bit lost.”
“The previous Alliance Leader was ruthless in his subjugation of the heretical factions. To survive, they became a thorough network of secret cells. That’s why finding clues isn’t going to be easy.”
“Hearing you say that, Sir Affectionate, makes it feel even more hopeless.”
“Where did all your patience and persistence go?”
“Don’t tease me. I’m not in the mood for jokes.”
Pure looked genuinely disheartened.
She must have had incredibly high hopes.
That kind of expression only appears when such expectations are crushed.
“Let’s go together tomorrow. I’ll help you.”
I smiled faintly, encouraging her.
The next day.
We headed back to the manor early in the morning.
I went with her to the room where I had killed Ghost Wolf’s disciple.
The ceiling, walls, and floor had been so thoroughly turned upside down that it was hard to believe this was the same room where he had died.
I calmly surveyed the room.
Having dealt with countless heretical factions in my past life, I knew their habits well.
“Did you check there?”
I pointed a finger at the safe.
When Ghost Wolf’s disciple was on the verge of death, he had opened the safe himself and offered its contents to me.
“Yes. It was completely empty.”
“There could be a safe within the safe.”
“Inside the safe?”
“Yes. I thought about where I would install a safe to store extremely important information. The conclusion is that there’s no other place besides Ghost Wolf’s room or his disciple’s.”
“I thought so too.”
“And as they say, the darkest place is under the candlestick. If someone broke in and cleaned out the money, they wouldn’t pay any more attention to the safe. So, even if the money is stolen in a critical situation, the information remains secure.”
Only then did Pure’s expression change completely.
“Sir Affectionate, what did you do before?”
“I was a scoundrel.”
“Pardon?”
“I just didn’t listen, things like that. Go on, take a look.”
As I gestured with a faint smile, she nodded with a determined look and began to meticulously examine the area around and inside the safe, using a light to see better.
“I found it.”
At her words, I crouched down and looked at the safe as well. Inside, there was a spot that was smooth from being touched many times.
“It’s locked.”
“Wait a moment. Step back.”
I placed my hand on the spot, closed my eyes, and sent my energy flowing into it to examine its structure.
“This is nothing.”
*Crumble.*
When I applied force, the inner safe was torn away effortlessly.
“How did you do that?”
She seemed utterly astonished that the safe had opened so easily.
She must have thought that a lock for important information would be more intricate and robust.
“The outer safe is already sturdy. And since they placed money, gold, and silver inside, even if a thief broke in, they wouldn't think there was something else inside. That's why the inside is often surprisingly flimsy. It’s a gap in one’s thinking. Hurry and check.”
“Oh? Yes.”
Pure nodded quickly and turned her gaze to the inside of the safe.
She, who had thought herself at least superior to Affectionate in investigative matters, realized how narrow her thinking had been.
Now she understood why the head of the Demon-Slaying Pavilion wanted Affectionate so badly, and why the head of the Demon-Dispelling Pavilion fought so hard not to lose him.
Those old foxes, weathered by years in the martial world, had accurately grasped Affectionate’s potential just by looking at a few of Pure’s reports.
‘I still have a long way to go.’
Pure let out a short sigh.
Shaking off the negative thoughts, she carefully inspected the interior and found a rather thick ledger.
“Found it.”
“Congratulations.”
“I’ll send this to the Martial Arts Alliance. There’s a separate department that specializes in analysis.”
“Do that.”
I was curious.
The thought of taking a look crossed my mind, but I quickly dismissed it.
I had too much to do to waste time poring over the ledger of some human traffickers.
I trusted that if the Martial Arts Alliance analyzed it, they would do so accurately.
“Let’s go now. This ledger should be enough.”
She stood up with an expression that said she didn't want to stay there any longer, and we walked outside.
“I’ve learned so much from you, Sir Affectionate.”
“I haven’t taught you anything.”
“No. You’re so experienced. I was truly surprised.”
“Stop flattering me. It was just a lucky break.”
She didn’t take my words about being ‘lucky’ at face value.
“I’ll contact you again. And you’ll be paid a stipend for this job.”
“Good work.”
Once I had completely disappeared, Pure wore a look of disappointment for a moment before vanishing as well.
**
Martial Arts Alliance, Demon-Dispelling Pavilion.
As soon as the ledger from Ghost Wolf, sent by Pure, arrived, Pavilion Head Hwang Seong-won gathered every available person.
They caused a stir analyzing the ledger, and news of this reached the ears of Jo Jin-ryang, the head of the Demon-Slaying Pavilion.
“Damn it all.”
Jo Jin-ryang slammed his fist on the table, fuming.
The more he thought about it, the more he coveted Affectionate, and his inability to do anything about it made him furious.
“Should I just offer 500,000 nyang and bring him over?”
The desire to recruit Affectionate was overwhelming.
“You cannot.”
Vice-Head Gwan Hae firmly opposed the idea.
“I know that. Damn it!”
Just as Gwan Hae was about to list the reasons, Jo Jin-ryang shouted, silencing him.
He felt that hearing the reasons why he couldn't would only make him more frustrated.
At that moment.
The Demon-Dispelling Pavilion had achieved significant results from analyzing the ledger.
Hwang Seong-won sent word to the Demon-Slaying Pavilion and immediately headed for the Alliance Leader’s hall.
Jo Jin-ryang followed him with a stiff expression.
Since Alliance Leader Yang Cheon-rin had ordered the Demon-Slaying and Demon-Dispelling Pavilions to work together, essential information had to be shared, which was why Hwang Seong-won had contacted him.
The Alliance Leader’s Hall.
After receiving the report from Hwang Seong-won, Yang Cheon-rin smiled and nodded.
“Affectionate, you said?”
“Yes, sir. He recently joined the pavilion.”
“Impressive.”
“It was likely our contact, Pure, who found it. While Affectionate has been doing well lately, his experience is still shallow. Pure, on the other hand, is very experienced.”
Jo Jin-ryang subtly tried to downplay Affectionate’s contribution.
Hwang Seong-won immediately countered.
“That is not the case. Pure conducted the search and couldn’t find the secret safe, so Affectionate pointed it out to her. Even Pure was astonished by Affectionate’s knowledge on the matter.”
“This is a blessing for the Alliance.”
A bright smile spread across Yang Cheon-rin’s face.
It had been a long time since a promising talent had joined, and they had finally caught the tail of the Dark Blood Heaven Cult they had been searching for so desperately.
No, this was more than just a tail.
They had found the Shanxi Branch.
It wouldn't be easy for the Dark Blood Heaven Cult to try and cut their losses with the Shanxi Branch.
“But something is strange.”
As Jo Jin-ryang raised an objection, Hwang Seong-won’s pleasant expression soured.
“What do you mean, strange?”
“Affectionate is known to be very young, so how is he so well-versed in the habits of the heretical factions? Isn’t it odd that he knows more than Pure, who has been fighting on the front lines against them for a long time? Pavilion Head Hwang, you yourself said that Pure is an exceptional contact.”
“What are you trying to say? Are you suggesting he’s a spy for the heretics?”
“There’s no harm in being cautious. Now that we’ve identified the Shanxi Branch, we’ll need to deploy many elite warriors. If Affectionate is a double agent and this information is a ploy to lure us in, it would be a disaster. Alliance Leader, I believe it would not be too late to investigate more carefully before making a decision.”
Faced with Jo Jin-ryang’s sharp point, Hwang Seong-won seethed inwardly.
It was a difficult point to refute.
Yang Cheon-rin, too, began to have his doubts and fell into deep thought.
“Alliance Leader.”
As Hwang Seong-won quickly tried to speak, Yang Cheon-rin raised a hand to silence him and continued to ponder before speaking.
“It’s difficult to let this opportunity pass. But as Pavilion Head Jo says, it could be a trap, so we must be cautious. Let’s do this. I’ll mobilize the Tiger and Leopard Squad to observe the Shanxi Branch. Until we have a result, Pavilion Head Hwang and Pavilion Head Jo, please continue to gather information. Once the Shanxi Branch is confirmed, we will deploy the Alliance’s elite.”
The Tiger and Leopard Squad was the Alliance Leader’s direct intelligence agency, a small, elite unit.
While the Demon-Dispelling and Demon-Slaying Pavilions gathered information by subjugating heretics, the Tiger and Leopard Squad was composed of zealous warriors who wouldn't hesitate to charge into the enemy’s heart.
Their loyalty was high, and their martial arts were second to none.
Hwang Seong-won, who had worried things might go awry, breathed a sigh of relief when Yang Cheon-rin made a reasonable decision.
Jo Jin-ryang, who had secretly hoped the Demon-Slaying Pavilion would be sent to investigate, looked disappointed but couldn't offer any more advice, as Yang Cheon-rin had made his decision firmly.
Leaving the Alliance Leader’s hall, Hwang Seong-won was heading back to the Demon-Dispelling Pavilion with a grim face when Jo Jin-ryang stopped him.
“What is it?”
“Don’t look so grim. I was merely offering advice for the good of the Alliance.”
“How detestable. Is that why you were so hell-bent on poaching Affectionate? A man who might be a spy?”
“After hearing your words in the hall just now, what could I do but think that way?”
Jo Jin-ryang wore an expression of complete innocence.
Hwang Seong-won gritted his teeth and issued him a declaration of war.
“Until now, I have tolerated it when our Demon-Dispelling Pavilion enforcers moved to the Demon-Slaying Pavilion. I respected their choice. But from now on, I will not stand for it. I will actively persuade them to stay, and we will offer the best possible terms to keep them. Especially Affectionate—don’t even dream of it. Then again, after you accused him of being a spy today, I doubt he’d want to go anyway.”
Hwang Seong-won turned and stormed away.
The resentment from being taken advantage of by the Demon-Slaying Pavilion for so long had finally erupted into fury.
Only then did Jo Jin-ryang realize his mistake.
He had said it because he couldn’t stand to see Hwang Seong-won succeed, but now it had truly become impossible to recruit Affectionate.
Demon-Dispelling Pavilion.
Hwang Seong-won wrote down the situation in detail and sent a carrier pigeon to Pure.
Alliance Leader’s Hall.
A man clad entirely in black, with only his eyes visible, sat before Yang Cheon-rin like a finely honed sword.
He was Cheol Mu-ui, also known as Lightning Soul-Taker, the leader of the Martial Arts Alliance’s secret weapon, the Tiger and Leopard Squad.
“Can you do it?”
“Do not worry. During the previous Alliance Leader's time, there were missions far more difficult than this.”
“I know. But this time, I have a bad feeling. In any case, be careful. Do not engage in direct combat; simply observe and report. If it’s dangerous, request backup immediately.”
“I can escape on my own.”
“This is an order from me as the Alliance Leader. Gather your gear and go.”
As Yang Cheon-rin gave the firm command, Cheol Mu-ui acknowledged it.
“Understood. I will gather satisfactory intelligence and report back.”
“I’m counting on you. Once the Shanxi Branch is confirmed, I will send our elites to crush them.”
“Then won’t their main headquarters and other branches just go back into hiding?”
“I don’t think so. I have a bad feeling.”
Yang Cheon-rin shook his head.
“Then I shall be on my way.”
Cheol Mu-ui clasped his fists and left the hall.
Left alone, Yang Cheon-rin squeezed his eyes shut and thought of the previous Alliance Leader, Hwa Un-ryong.
When he was in power, ruling with a strong iron fist, the heretical factions had kept their heads down.
As Cheol Mu-ui had said, there was a possibility that the Dark Blood Heaven Cult would go underground again.
Even so, the reason for his unease was that after Hwa Un-ryong’s death, the great demons of the past who had vanished were reappearing one by one.
‘Do not take me, Yang Cheon-rin, lightly. I will wipe out every last one of you who preys upon the martial world.’
Yang Cheon-rin clenched his fists and growled.