Chapter 178
Translator: penny
Chapter: 178
Chapter Title: Revealing Somwol's Identity
Following Peng Deokjo's opinion that we should meet Somwol, we set off for Beijing.
Even on the way there, my mind was a tangled mess.
'What should I do.'
If we kept going like this, Somwol's true identity would be exposed.
It might not happen right away, but it was inevitable eventually.
Where was the Beijing where Somwol was?
It was the territory of the Hebei Peng Family, where Peng Deokjo served as the young master.
So heading straight to Beijing like this was the worst possible move.
It was time to make a decision.
'No choice. Nothing better's coming to mind.'
After passing through Shandong Province and entering Hebei Province, I called out to Peng Deokjo to stop.
"Brother Peng, why don't we take a short break here."
"Hm? Already?"
Peng Deokjo looked around with a puzzled expression.
And he had every reason to. The only times I ever suggested resting first were when we reached a city with a brothel.
This was just barren open plain with nothing around.
Still, he wasn't oblivious. Peng Deokjo scratched his head.
"Do you have something private to discuss with me, by any chance?"
"Yes. I've been agonizing over it, but I think I have to tell you."
"Go ahead. I'm listening."
I took a small deep breath.
This was the crucial part.
I launched into the introduction I'd prepared on the way here.
"First off, before I say anything else—what is the mission of our Harmony Corps?"
"Hm? Isn't it to uncover the shadowy force trying to pit the Murim Alliance against the Four Black Alliance? That's why we're heading to Beijing in the first place."
"Exactly. But what if I told you we don't actually need to go to Beijing?"
"What do you mean by that?"
Peng Deokjo fixed me with a serious look.
I met his gaze squarely and spoke up.
"You suspected Somwol, Brother Peng. Well, the truth is, I know her. Specifically, I was the one who introduced Somwol to the Eun Merchant Group."
He furrowed his brow.
"You're only telling me this now...? What have you been agonizing over all this time?"
"Her identity."
"Identity?"
I'd done a ton of agonizing over this.
If I lied, what kind of story would stick? How could I make it sound convincing?
In the end, what I'd settled on was just telling the truth.
"Somwol is actually a member of the Shadow Gate Sect."
"Shadow Gate Sect? You mean the one I know?"
"Yes."
With that, I watched Peng Deokjo's expression closely.
I'd told him the truth.
Now, how would he react?
'Worst case...'
The phrase "kill and eradicate" flashed through my mind.
Somwol was my woman, through and through.
If anyone threatened her, I knew I could turn plenty ruthless.
'I can just report to the Murim Alliance that masked black-clad assailants ambushed us. I can say there was even a Flower Realm expert among them.'
This was a time when the righteous and unorthodox factions were on especially bad terms.
A few self-inflicted wounds, and a claim that I'd been in danger too—who'd question it?
The only minor issue was our current location.
'Should've decided a bit sooner...'
We'd already passed the fiercely contested Shandong region and entered Hebei.
And among the unorthodox sects around here capable of deploying a Flower Realm expert, there was only the Four Commands Sect.
If I killed Peng Deokjo here, the Hebei Peng Family would obviously suspect the Four Commands Sect.
(For reference, the Four Commands Sect was the faction that included Sa Hye-rin, the "Evil Flower" I'd once rescued from the Shandong Evil Clan.)
'Sorry, Sa Hye-rin, but no choice.'
Sa Hye-rin was attractive too, but Somwol came first for me.
I sorted my thoughts and waited for Peng Deokjo's response.
He seemed lost in thought for a long moment before tossing a question my way.
"If it's not too much trouble, could you explain in more detail? How did you come to know this Shadow Gate Sect member named Somwol?"
"As you know, Brother Peng, I love brothels. Back in Taiyuan—my hometown—I frequented them, and that's where I met Somwol. At first, I had no idea she was with the Shadow Gate Sect..."
I spiced it up just enough and explained to him.
I'd told a similar version to Moyong Hui once before, so it wasn't hard.
I laid out my relationship with Somwol, then smoothly transitioned into the story of the Eun Merchant Group.
From how I'd met Eun Garyeon to the Chu Mun-rak incident—I told him everything.
"...So the Eun Merchant Group had lost all their staff and were in a bind. That's when I introduced Somwol to the young lady of the Eun family. As you know, the Shadow Gate Sect has plenty of talent suited for merchant work."
I'd omitted what needed omitting, but it was mostly truthful.
Peng Deokjo listened quietly until I finished.
"Hmmm..."
Peng Deokjo pondered, deep in thought.
He probably realized it too.
There were no holes in my story.
'He must've heard bits from his Peng Family guys.'
Still, his hesitation wasn't a good sign.
Somwol could be in danger.
So as I weighed whether to go for kill-and-eradicate, I said to him,
"Could you keep Somwol's identity a secret, by any chance?"
If he showed any suspicious reaction here, I planned to draw my sword on the spot.
But Peng Deokjo answered brightly and readily.
"Hm? Oh, don't worry. As I said earlier, our Harmony Corps' mission is to uncover the shadowy force behind it all—not to out every Shadow Gate Sect member. Even without your request, exposing a hidden one would just escalate the war pointlessly, so I was planning to keep it quiet anyway."
His voice rang with sincerity.
Did he realize he'd just saved his own life?
'Then what was he agonizing over?'
As if reading my doubt, he hesitated before speaking up.
"That said... the Shadow Gate Sect could still be the shadowy force, couldn't they?"
"Pardon?"
The worst-case was averted, but now annoyance was piling up.
He'd suspected the Eun Merchant Group and Somwol before—now the Shadow Gate Sect too?
"Think about it. You know how secretive the Shadow Gate Sect is. Even if they've planted spies everywhere, it wouldn't be surprising..."
"Brother Peng. Common sense: if the Shadow Gate Sect had that kind of power, wouldn't they be the top unorthodox sect instead of the Four Black Alliance by now?"
"True, but... isn't it true they're profiting through the Eun Merchant Group?"
He tilted his head.
What was I supposed to say to that?
I let out a deep sigh and replied.
"No. Somwol's helping the Eun Merchant Group because I asked her to—not because the Shadow Gate Sect stands to gain anything extra. And Brother Peng, you might not have heard, but the ones actually profiting from the Eun Merchant Group's moves are the Hebei Peng Family and other righteous factions..."
This was straight from Eun Garyeon just recently.
The Eun Merchant Group was handing out benefits to their allied factions even at a loss.
Peng Deokjo seemed to have looked into it himself, nodding reluctantly.
"Hm, yeah, I've heard that much. Seems like the Shadow Gate Sect really isn't involved, as you say."
I'd seriously agonized over this before, but thankfully, things had worked out.
My mind eased a bit.
"So, we turn back now?"
"Hm, before that—have I ever told you about the Shandong Evil Clan?"
"Shandong Evil Clan? You mentioned they seemed suspicious..."
Guess I hadn't brought up the Four Commands Sect.
It was something he'd learn soon anyway, so I recounted what had gone down between the Four Commands Sect and the Shandong Evil Clan.
"It was when Hye-ah and I were heading to the Murim Alliance. We heard sounds of fighting somewhere, so we checked it out—and there were black-clad figures attacking a small group. So..."
Peng Deokjo, who'd been listening quietly at first, looked stunned when he learned the black-clad attackers were actually the Shandong Evil Clan and the ones I'd saved were from the Four Commands Sect.
"What happened next?"
"Backing off right then with a 'sorry, my mistake' would've been ridiculous. So I tried to stop them and hear both sides out, but the Shandong Evil Clan guys bolted immediately. No choice but to ask the remaining Four Commands Sect members..."
Of course, I skipped any parts that made me look bad.
Peng Deokjo nodded quietly, seeming convinced.
Once I'd told the whole story, he spoke up in surprise.
"So you're saying the Four Commands Sect has spies?"
"Yes. Could just be ones sent by the Shandong Evil Clan... but doesn't something feel off?"
"Hm, definitely way more suspicious than the Shadow Gate Sect."
"Right? So since we're already here, how about we drop by the Four Commands Sect?"
(Plus, it'd let me check on Sa Hye-rin.)
Honestly, that was the biggest reason.
'If we head back down to Shandong now, who knows when I'll get back up here.'
Peng Deokjo seemed intrigued but soon voiced his concern.
"...But the Four Commands Sect is an unorthodox faction."
"Eh, so what? You think they'd kill their lifesaver?"
"..."
He looked conflicted.
To nudge his decision, I lightly prodded his pride.
"If you're that worried, Brother Peng, you can wait outside for me. I'll swing by the Four Commands Sect alone and come back."
"Ahem! Jimyeong, what do you take me for? I'm going with you!"
And just like that, our next destination was set for the Four Commands Sect.
We were about to head out right away since it wasn't far, when Peng Deokjo suddenly remembered something and looked at me.
"...But suppose I'd said earlier that I'd report that woman Somwol's identity to the Murim Alliance—what were you planning to do then?"
What else?
Kill and eradicate.
But there was no need to stir up trouble over something already settled.
I smiled and answered.
"What else? I'd have kept begging until you said yes."
"...Really?"
Peng Deokjo eyed me skeptically.
"Haha! Brother Peng, what are you thinking? Of course."
The guy had better instincts than I'd given him credit for.