Please Save Only Them
The first rays of dawn slipped through the windows of the West Lake Number One Inn. In the kitchen, Kang Yeon had already begun preparing breakfast. The savory scent of oil and the sizzle of cooking stirred the inn awake.
“Oh? Smells good.”
Jin Mu-gyeong’s face was full of the easy contentment of a long-term guest. Coming down the stairs, he let out a soft exclamation at the sight of the inn already packed with customers so early in the morning.
“Whoa—look at all these people.”
Jo Seol and Nang Hyeon were frantically greeting guests. Jin Mu-gyeong headed toward the kitchen.
“Morning, Yeon.”
Kang Yeon, buried in his cooking, glanced up at him.
“You’re up late, hyung.”
“I can’t remember the last time I slept this well.”
Satisfaction lit Jin Mu-gyeong’s face. A man who had lived under constant tension, he found the West Lake Number One Inn more restful than anywhere else in the Central Plains.
“Go sit down. I’ll bring your food.”
“No empty seats out there.”
“Want me to bring it to your room, then?”
“Nah, I’ll be out back. Bring it whenever.”
Jin Mu-gyeong made his way to the rear courtyard, settled into the pavilion, and let the leisurely morning wash over him. Eyes closed, he drank in the sunlight and the soft breeze.
Before long, Kang Yeon arrived with a tray of freshly steamed rice and carefully prepared dishes: steaming egg soup, crisply fried oil-braised tofu, and the stir-fried bok choy Jin Mu-gyeong loved.
Kang Yeon sat down across from him.
“Breakfast’s a little late.”
Jin Mu-gyeong, who had been drifting back toward sleep, opened his eyes.
“It’s fine. Where’s Dan U-ryeong, by the way?”
“You know how they are. Always wandering off.”
“Can never get a proper look at that face.”
Jin Mu-gyeong started eating.
“Ahh… this is the taste.”
“Eat slowly.”
Jin Mu-gyeong lifted his chopsticks, his expression turning serious.
“I’m planning to start moving in earnest today.”
Kang Yeon poured tea across the table and asked,
“How do you want to begin?”
“I’ve already sent word for the old Cheon-i-gak informants to gather at West Lake.”
Jin Mu-gyeong took a spoonful of egg soup. For a moment the deep flavor softened his face; then it hardened again.
“First thing, we need to uncover the identity of the Blood Shadow Tower’s new Tower Lord. The fact that he suddenly appeared three years ago and seized control of the whole organization is suspicious in itself.”
“Normally a change of leadership in an assassin group comes from internal power struggles…”
“Exactly. But this time was different. They say he dropped out of the sky. The previous Tower Lord vanished overnight, and some of the executives turned up as corpses.”
Kang Yeon spoke quietly.
“Be careful, hyung. This opponent doesn’t seem ordinary.”
By afternoon the sunlight was warm and gentle.
On the outskirts of West Lake stood a quiet teahouse called the Azure Cloud Teahouse.
From the outside it looked like any ordinary shop, yet for generations it had served as a secret meeting place for Cheon-i-gak informants. Jin Mu-gyeong, disguised as a plain merchant in a gray robe, sat in a corner seat.
Whoosh—
A breeze from the lake drifted through the open window. Outside, willows hung low; inside, a faint fragrance of tea filled the air. Jin Mu-gyeong lifted his cup, sipped slowly, and watched the room.
A short while later an elderly man dressed as a scholar entered—thin frame, beard flecked with white, a bundle of books under his arm. He sat across from Jin Mu-gyeong as if it were the most natural thing in the world and spoke in a low voice.
“It’s been a while.”
The tone was casual, like an old friend reuniting.
“Well, well—how long has it been? Kids growing up all right?”
The man before him was Seo-no, a veteran informant who had worked with Jin Mu-gyeong long before the days of Cheon-i-gak.
“Kids are fine. Let’s order some tea first.”
The two men chatted as if exchanging ordinary news. To any onlooker it looked like they were haggling over book prices, but coded information flowed beneath the surface.
“Tea prices around West Lake have gone up a lot lately. Blood Bamboo Tea especially—hard to get hold of.”
Jin Mu-gyeong’s eyes narrowed as he caught the meaning. “Blood Bamboo Tea” was the cipher for the Blood Shadow Tower.
“Is that so? Did you manage to get the item I asked for?”
Seo-no drew a small bamboo slip from his robe, slipped it between the pages of a book, and slid it across the table.
“Got it. Here.”
As he handed over the volume, sound transmission began to pass between them—speaking aloud while sending the true message, a precaution against eavesdroppers.
This is the list of promising young talents assassinated by the Blood Shadow Tower over the past three years. While investigating, I found something strange.
Seo-no raised his cup to his lips and continued via sound transmission.
Most of the victims… had ties to the Absolute Martial God.
Jin Mu-gyeong’s gaze sharpened for an instant, though his face remained mild.
Azure Cloud Sword Lee Tae-san of Mount Hua, Shadow Sword Song Mu-hyeon of Diancang, Iron Fist Gwak Dae-san of the Beggars’ Guild… all of them were direct disciples of men who fought beside the Absolute Martial God during the Heavenly Demon War.
Pretending to flip through the book, Jin Mu-gyeong unrolled the bamboo slip. The names filled the page. Of the fifteen dead, twelve were connected—directly or indirectly—to the Absolute Martial God.
This isn’t simple assassination… it’s a calculated purge.
Seo-no set his cup down.
“The tea here really is deep and fine.”
At the same time the sound transmission continued.
Even stranger—the timing of their deaths overlaps in a peculiar way. Exactly two months after one dies, the next one falls. As if someone were eliminating people around the Absolute Martial God one by one, digging for information on his whereabouts.
Jin Mu-gyeong picked up the thread.
“Azure Cloud Teahouse tea is famous, after all.”
And the most recent death was Drunken Sword Do Cheol of Mount Mao—two months ago.
Jin Mu-gyeong’s brow furrowed deeply.
Do Cheol was one of the people the Absolute Martial God had met just before retiring.
While sipping his tea, Jin Mu-gyeong thought,
A stepping stone to find Yeon? Systematic and meticulous. This is no ordinary revenge.
He sent a sound transmission back.
Seo-no, any intelligence from inside the Blood Shadow Tower?
I looked into that as well… but only a handful of people know anything about the new Tower Lord. Even among the executives, those who have seen his face can be counted on one hand. One thing is certain, though… since he appeared, the Blood Shadow Tower’s assassination success rate has been one hundred percent. Not a single failure.
They fell silent for a moment. Outside the teahouse, a carriage rattled past.
Keep digging. Especially into the new Tower Lord’s identity.
Understood. But, Pavilion Lord…
Seo-no asked carefully.
Do you know the Absolute Martial God’s whereabouts?
Jin Mu-gyeong smiled faintly.
“Well, I’ve got the book, so I’ll be on my way. See you next time.”
As the sun sank toward the western hills, the West Lake Number One Inn bustled with preparations for the evening rush.
“Nang Hyeon oppa, help me clear table three!”
“Just finishing this—be right there!”
Laughter and the aroma of cooking filled the lively air. But in the rear courtyard a far more serious conversation was underway.
Jin Mu-gyeong had summoned Kang Yeon and Jang Mu-eon. The evening light painted their faces red.
“Jang Mu-eon, after your master Jang Mun-cheon died, how was the Black Wind Association founded?”
The sudden question caught Jang Mu-eon off guard. His hand froze over his teacup.
“That… I built it to avenge my master.”
“By yourself? Raising something like the Black Wind Association so quickly without help would have been difficult, wouldn’t it?”
Jang Mu-eon’s true status had been that of a spy for the Demonic Cult. After his master’s death his standing inside the cult had vanished, and he certainly could not reveal himself to the Murim Alliance. For someone in that position to create a solid organization like the Black Wind Association bordered on impossible.
“No. The vice-leader, Amyeongdo, helped me. Without him it would never have been possible.”
Jang Mu-eon spoke as if looking back into the past.
“After Master died I was lost. I wanted revenge but had no idea how. For a while I did nothing… then Amyeongdo appeared.”
“How did he find you?”
“One night I was weeping in front of Master’s grave. He asked if I was Jang Mun-cheon’s disciple. Then he said he would help me.”
Jin Mu-gyeong’s eyes gleamed.
“Exactly when did this Amyeongdo start working with you?”
Jang Mu-eon searched his memory.
“Three years ago. Right when I was first swearing revenge for Master. He had outstanding martial arts and a real gift for running an organization.”
“Three years ago…”
Jin Mu-gyeong murmured, the words heavy with meaning. It matched exactly the period when the new Tower Lord of the Blood Shadow Tower had appeared.
“What level was Amyeongdo’s martial skill?”
“About the same as mine—Super-Peak Realm, I think. His movement technique, slipping around like a shadow, was first-rate.”
Kang Yeon and Jin Mu-gyeong exchanged a glance.
“What reason did he give for helping you?”
“He said he wanted to aid Jang Mun-cheon’s disciple… that the sealed Demonic Cult’s lineage had to be continued. And…”
Jang Mu-eon hesitated, then spoke with resolve.
“He was also the one who told me the Absolute Martial God’s family was here at West Lake.”
Silence settled over the courtyard. An evening breeze stirred the leaves.
“What exactly did he say?”
Jin Mu-gyeong asked calmly.
“That the Absolute Martial God spent his childhood at an inn by West Lake, and that his family still runs it… that if we attacked the place, the Absolute Martial God himself would appear.”
Jang Mu-eon’s voice trembled.
“At first I didn’t believe it. The Absolute Martial God, from an ordinary inn…? But I was burning with the need for revenge, so I decided to target the West Lake Number One Inn anyway.”
Jin Mu-gyeong stroked his chin, analyzing.
“Interesting. The timing of Amyeongdo’s appearance lines up perfectly with the new Blood Shadow Tower Lord’s rise. And there’s only one reason he fed you that information.”
“I was bait, wasn’t I? Used from the start? It was all planned?”
Jin Mu-gyeong answered with a composed face.
“Yes. You were bait—to confirm whether Yeon was really at the inn.”
Jang Mu-eon’s hands began to shake.
Anger and betrayal warred across his features.
“Then everything I did… founding the Black Wind Association, gathering the men…”
“All of it was inside their plan.”
Jin Mu-gyeong spread a large sheet of paper on the table and began sketching the situation with a brush.
“The pieces of information are falling into place. The new Tower Lord of the Blood Shadow Tower has been moving with purpose for three years.”
Ink flowed from the brush tip, drawing a line.
“First: he systematically assassinated people connected to the Absolute Martial God—every two months, as if extracting information.”
Another line appeared.
“Second: at the same time he infiltrated the Black Wind Association under the identity of Amyeongdo and manipulated Jang Mu-eon. Using a man consumed by revenge, he built an organization…”
Jin Mu-gyeong drew a final line and circled the center.
“Third: at the right moment he leaked information about the Absolute Martial God’s family and had them attacked. The sole purpose—to draw the Absolute Martial God out into the open.”
Jang Mu-eon clenched his fists so hard his nails dug into his palms.
“So the Black Wind Association… was a puppet of the Blood Shadow Tower from the beginning?”
“Essentially. Blinded by revenge, you never saw it.”
The words pierced Jang Mu-eon’s chest like a blade. He clutched his head, face twisted in anguish.
“My subordinates… they followed me knowing nothing. Are they being used too?”
Genuine worry filled his voice. Some members of the Black Wind Association had betrayed him, but others clearly had not.
“People with nowhere else to go, people cast out by the world—those were the ones who gathered under the Black Wind Association. Some, like me, dreamed of revenge; others simply joined to survive. They would never have betrayed me. Right now they probably have no idea what’s happening.”
Jang Mu-eon lifted his head and looked at Kang Yeon.
“I have to save them. I led them down the wrong path, so I have to take responsibility.”
Kang Yeon regarded him steadily.
“Do you truly want to save them?”
“Yes. Even though I led them astray, they sincerely believed in me and followed.”
Pleading filled Jang Mu-eon’s eyes.
“Please. Save only them.”
Kang Yeon nodded.
“All right. We’ll do that. But the one who saves them will be you.”