Pajeo River (1)
Hefei, deep in the heart of the Central Plains, within Anhui Province.
Namgung Jin was handling the affairs of the Wulin Alliance as he always did when a flutter of wings sounded beyond the window and a hawk swept inside.
…A hawk?
It was a message hawk—the kind the Beggars' Sect used only for the most urgent business.
"…What could be so pressing that they'd send a message hawk?"
He unrolled the scrap of paper bound to the bird's leg. A moment later, Namgung Jin let out a long sigh.
"Hah…. Is anyone outside?"
"Yes, Alliance Leader."
"Summon the elders of every sect currently present in the Alliance to the council chamber. This is urgent."
"…Yes, sir!"
Namgung Jin watched the messenger race off to gather the elders, then lifted his gaze to the sky. The heavens were utterly indifferent—whether they knew the weight in his chest or not, they simply remained blue.
"…Blood will flow again."
With heavy steps, Namgung Jin made his way to the council chamber.
Once the elders of every sect had assembled, he opened his mouth.
"…I have called you here today for no other reason than an urgent request from Elder Silent Immortal. I regret the trouble this has caused you all."
"…What request could the Beggars' Sect Leader have made of the Alliance Leader so suddenly?"
"…He asked for an Extermination Order."
"An Extermination Order!"
At Namgung Jin's words, the elders erupted into murmurs.
"If the Beggars' Sect Leader himself is requesting it, the target must be a truly vicious one. Why have you not issued the order at once?"
"…I wished to discuss the matter with the elders first."
"Discuss what? No—who on earth is this person, that you would hesitate so?"
"…The Mad Demon, Dokgo Jin, and his daughter. Ice Emperor Baek Ryeonhwi claims the sacred treasure of the Ice Palace has been stolen."
The moment Namgung Jin spoke Dokgo Jin's name, an old man in green martial robes slammed the table and shot to his feet.
Bang!
"Dokgo Jin—that dog bastard had a daughter?!"
"Unbelievable…. That bastard of bastards, with a daughter…."
"He must have raped some woman he met on the road and gotten a child that way. No woman in her right mind would ever marry the likes of him!"
"Exactly. Of course."
As the elders grew loud and agitated at the mere mention of Dokgo Jin, Namgung Jin layered a thread of inner energy into his voice and spoke quietly.
"Everyone, please calm yourselves a little."
"…Calm?"
The others fell silent at his words—but the old man in green martial robes alone refused to listen.
"Calm down? After hearing the name of that dog bastard who wrought havoc on our Tang Clan?"
"…Elder, please settle your heart. An Extermination Order is a terrifying power—it erases a martial artist's very existence from the jianghu."
"All the more reason!! To use it on a dog bastard like the Mad Demon!"
The Tang Clan elder slammed the table again and turned to the others.
"Was our Tang Clan the only one tormented by that Mad Demon? We simply suffered the worst of it, so I speak for us all! Has the Moyong Clan forgotten its grudge?"
"…How could we forget? But I am only a proxy for our Clan Head."
"And the Beggars' Sect?! How many of their elders died by that bastard's hand?!!"
"…"
"Wudang, Mount Hua, Zhongnan—and even the Namgung Clan of our current Alliance Leader suffered at his hands! Is it not a problem that such a vicious man still walks free in the jianghu?!"
"…Please sit down."
"Just tell me where he is! I'll go myself and melt that bastard down with my own hands!!"
"I said sit."
As Namgung Jin slowly drew up his inner energy, the Tang Clan elder read his expression and subsided a little. Once the man seemed somewhat calmer, Namgung Jin spoke again.
"If we are to follow the opinion of whoever shouts the loudest, then we have no need for a Wulin Alliance. We may as well brawl it out like those unorthodox dogs and simply obey the strongest martial artist among us."
"You know that is not what I meant, Alliance Leader!"
"All the more reason, then. Let us talk. I will say this plainly from the start: I am opposed to this Extermination Order."
"Alliance Leader!!"
"No—what do you mean by that?!"
As the elders grew noisy again, Namgung Jin raised a hand.
"…Compose yourselves. Issuing an Extermination Order against the Mad Demon Dokgo Jin is something I, too, agree with. But what crime has the child committed?"
"Is it not likely that the child of a demon will become a demon as well?"
"…Then is it not our role to guide her onto the proper path?"
"Amitabha…. This humble monk also agrees with the Alliance Leader's view."
A monk with a clean-shaven head continued.
"However, there are those in this world for whom even guidance is impossible. Donor Dokgo Jin is one such man."
"…I feel the same. I cannot imagine that man's madness settling before the day he dies."
"…"
The mood in the chamber seemed firmly set.
"Haa…. Then what of this? We issue an Extermination Order against the Mad Demon Dokgo Jin, and for his daughter we issue only a Capture Order. I believe that is the right course."
"This humble monk agrees with the Alliance Leader."
"If the Mad Demon's daughter is captured, our Emei Sect will thoroughly guide and reform her."
"…The Moyong Clan will follow the majority."
"Mount Hua agrees as well."
One by one the elders voiced their assent, until only the Tang Clan elder remained. Namgung Jin turned to him.
"…What is the Tang Clan's opinion?"
"Honestly, I'd like to kill them both. But I will follow the other elders."
"…I am grateful for your consideration."
Namgung Jin offered a courteous bow to the Tang Clan elder, then addressed the chamber.
"Then as of this day, I hereby issue an Extermination Order against the Mad Demon Dokgo Jin, and a Capture Order against his daughter. Elders, please convey this decision to your respective sects and request their cooperation."
"Understood."
"Then that will be all. This meeting is adjourned."
Namgung Jin left first, and the other elders drifted out one after another.
Outside the council chamber, the Tang Clan elder sent a sound transmission to the Beggars' Sect elder.
"Heavenly Flying Beggar. Stay a moment. I need a word."
"…"
Elder Heavenly Flying Beggar glanced around, then approached the Tang Clan elder.
"…What is it?"
"Did Elder Silent Immortal truly send that request?"
"…"
Elder Heavenly Flying Beggar checked their surroundings once more and lowered his voice.
"…Hardly. Elder Silent Immortal stepped back from practical affairs long ago. The Junior Beggar handles everything now."
"Just as I thought…. Knowing Elder Silent Immortal's temperament, I never believed he would request an Extermination Order."
"Heh. But that is precisely why his name carries such weight."
Heavenly Flying Beggar's eyes glittered with rage.
"I… can never forgive that dog bastard Dokgo Jin."
"Nor can I. If you need anything, contact the Tang Clan. We will help."
"The Extermination Order has been declared. Before long, that bastard's corpse will be delivered to the Alliance."
Crunch.
Heavenly Flying Beggar ground his teeth.
"A true pity…. My dream was to shatter that bastard's legs myself and make him crawl all the way here…."
"…Does it still hurt? That leg of yours?"
"It hurts…. Every night, it hurts…."
Heavenly Flying Beggar rubbed the empty space where his right leg should have been.
"Seeing his corpse might ease things a little."
"…Have you finished the medicine I gave you last time?"
"There's a little left. But it will run out soon enough."
"I thought as much, so I brought some more."
The Tang Clan elder rummaged in his sleeve and produced a small pouch.
"…Thank you."
"Think nothing of it. How much help has our Tang Clan received from the Beggars' Sect?"
Heavenly Flying Beggar quickly tucked the pouch into his sleeve.
"Haha…. More than that, this medicine is truly excellent. Being a Tang Clan secret formula, the pain vanishes completely."
"It's nothing…. If you need more next time, just say the word."
"Yes. I'll take my leave first, then…."
Elder Heavenly Flying Beggar bowed his head and began to limp away with his cane.
Watching his retreating back, the Tang Clan elder clicked his tongue.
"Tsk, tsk…. To think a man who was once a candidate for Junior Beggar of the Beggars' Sect has fallen so low…."
Once known throughout the jianghu as the second-fastest man alive—the beggar who flew through the heavens—he had lost a leg to the Mad Demon and become a different person entirely.
Had he simply avoided a frontal clash, he might well have beaten the Mad Demon, whose lightness skill was weak. Instead he charged head-on like a fool, lost his leg, and crawled into the Wulin Alliance. There he met the Tang Clan elder and began his slow corruption.
Watching him cling ever tighter, never realizing the medicine he was given was a highly addictive narcotic, was so amusing that the Tang Clan elder had to struggle not to laugh every time.
"…More importantly—so that dog bastard had a daughter, did he…."
The Tang Clan elder stroked his chin in thought, then a smile curved his lips.
"If she dies by accident, well, these things happen…. Or she'd make a fine test subject…."
Excited at the thought of reporting this news to his clan, the Tang Clan elder made no effort to hide his bouncing shoulders as he returned to his quarters.
Reading the letter delivered by owl, Heo Gwanyeong let out a long sigh.
"Haa…. Miss Dokgo. We're screwed."
"…What now?"
"The Wulin Alliance has put a bounty on your head."
"…On me?"
"…Yes."
"Fuck, give it here."
"You won't be able to read it. It's written in cipher."
"…Thorough bastards for no damn reason. Read it."
"…Yes."
Heo Gwanyeong took hold of the letter again and read its contents aloud.
The Wulin Alliance has issued an Extermination Order against the Mad Demon Dokgo Jin, and a Capture Order against his daughter. The decree was proclaimed directly by Alliance Leader Sword Immortal Namgung Jin. The one who proposed it is believed to be the Beggars' Sect Leader, Silent Immortal.
"…Sword Immortal? Silent Immortal? Those bastards got involved?"
"…You speak as if you know them personally?"
"Ah…. They're just that famous."
Dokgo Ryeong brushed it off casually for Heo Gwanyeong's benefit and swallowed hard.
Two of the ten strongest martial artists in the entire jianghu were mixed up in this.
Sword Immortal and Silent Immortal.
One was Namgung Jin—current Clan Head of the Namgung Clan, first among the Five Great Clans.
The other was Silent Immortal, Shadowless Beggar—Leader of the Beggars' Sect, said to be the fastest man in the murim, a beggar whose very shadow could not be seen.
But hearing both names only deepened Dokgo Ryeong's suspicion.
…Namgung Jin is just the kind of bastard who announces the elders' opinions under his own name, so fine—but why Silent Immortal?
Silent Immortal was a master whose name rang high as a chivalrous hero. From his youth he had built his renown through countless righteous deeds, and every word from his mouth carried weight.
Dokgo Ryeong could not believe such a man would be the first to propose something as grim as an Extermination Order.
…Those Beggars' Sect bastards have something going on too.
There were plenty of reasons for the Beggars' Sect to hold a grudge against her, so Dokgo Ryeong set the thought aside and spoke to Heo Gwanyeong again.
"So what are you gonna do about it?"
"…Pardon?"
"The Hao Sect—you got some plan for how you're gonna act? Anything like that?"
"…We'll just have to wait and watch."
"Bat-like bastards. That's why people call you a gray sect and curse you out, ugh…."
"Hey…. But if it's the Mad Demon, isn't he a great demon lord? Sounds like good news to me…."
"You wanna die? In front of who, exactly…."
"Ah…. Forgive me. That was a slip of the tongue."
Heo Gwanyeong slapped his own mouth a few times, and Dokgo Ryeong sighed at the sight.
"Ugh…. Fuck. Not a single reliable bastard around me. One's a dullard, one's a Lust Demon, and one's a complete airhead…."
"…I'm sorry."
"And you, you loyalty-free bastard—do you have any idea how much the Mad Demon did for your Hao Sect, and now you're just dumping him?"
"…I don't know anything about that."
"Make sure you ask your sect leader later. Half the brothels you lot own were built by the Mad Demon, you bastard. Got it?"
"…Yes."
Heo Gwanyeong still looked thoroughly unconvinced. Dokgo Ryeong's mouth itched with the urge to tell him everything she had done with the Hao Sect back in her Mad Demon days—but she held it in.
"Bastard, let's get the hell out of here first. Those Moyong Clan bastards' footsteps are getting closer."
"…You can hear that?"
"Listen, you bastard—my sensory perception is insane. So just move the way I tell you."
"…I'm the coachman, and somehow I've become the horse."
Hoisted onto Heo Gwanyeong's back once more, Dokgo Ryeong patted his head and said,
"That's right—run! Giddyup!"
"Hi… hiiiiiing!!"
"Heh, you funny bastard. Let's go!!"
"Yes!"
Heo Gwanyeong set his feet moving diligently once again.