Episode 52

We managed to gather some information about the whereabouts of the Georyeokma from the Hao Moon branch located in Seonwi, Guizhou Province.

Well, to be precise, it wasn’t about where the Georyeokma were exactly, but rather why their whereabouts couldn’t be traced.

Manjongim, the Twelfth Grand Lord, muttered almost like a groan.

“Hmm, so they disguised themselves as ronin and moved around, you say?”

According to the intel, there had been rising tensions recently in the western part of Guizhou Province.

It was a conflict between the Jeonghyeopbang, who had been gaining influence in Sichuan Province, and the Yun family—who held two seats among the Guizhou Eight—and the Sangeommun sect. A battle had already taken place, and it was expected to escalate further.

Most of the ronin from Guizhou were heading there, and it was said that many of the poorer ronin were banding together, traveling by carts in groups.

Hao Moon explained that if the Georyeokma had blended in among those ronin, it was only natural that their trail couldn’t be tracked.

Moreover, Hao Moon was certain they never entered the Seonwi itself.

Since most martial artists were out in the field, if any outsiders had entered the Seonwi, it would have been impossible not to notice.

Do Mugo, leader of the Twelfth Squad’s First Unit, asked Manjongim with a grim expression.

“So, in the end, they went to Guizhou Province. What will you do, Grand Lord?”

Manjongim ground his teeth and replied fiercely.

“What else? We follow them! I won’t let them slip away!”

Then Je Won-yeong of the Jeomchang Sword Guard asked.

“But where exactly would we follow them to? If they’ve already mixed with the ronin and made it into Guizhou, they could have gone in any direction from there. How do you expect to track them?”

“Hmm.”

Manjongim was silent, unable to answer. Even he felt Je Won-yeong’s question was reasonable enough to leave no room for stubbornness.

But my thoughts were different.

“No, I think they most likely headed toward either Jeonghyeopbang or the Yun family.”

Everyone turned to me with puzzled looks.

Je Won-yeong asked, “You think so? Why?”

Suddenly, memories from my past life flashed through my mind.

The times when my family was forcibly married off to the Blood Sect, the chaotic period when I couldn’t tell friend from foe.

I looked around sharply and spoke.

“Isn’t it too coincidental that the Georyeokma crossed the front lines right when a major conflict between powerful factions broke out? And then, naturally, they joined up with the ronin at the entrance—not inside—the Seonwi, and moved toward Guizhou Province. Don’t you think all of this happened too smoothly, without any unnecessary complications?”

Most people didn’t grasp what I meant. They just frowned.

Only Cheong-yeon Sojeo seemed to realize something and asked me.

“So, you think it was a prearranged plan? That there are more players involved?”

Of course, it was Cheong-yeon Sojeo.

I smiled faintly and nodded.

“I believe it’s one of three possibilities.”

“Couldn’t it be two?”

“Given the current situation, I don’t think it’s both.”

“Then it’s one of two, not three.”

“Most likely.”

Cheong-yeon Sojeo shook his head with a wry smile.

“The non-aggression pact was really meaningless, wasn’t it? If I could, I’d like to turn back time and witness what was said in those meetings.”

Je Won-yeong, who had been listening blankly, cautiously asked Bisa-yeong.

“What on earth are they talking about? Am I the only one who doesn’t understand?”

Bisa-yeong smiled brightly and answered.

“Don’t worry. I don’t understand either. But just wait a bit. Soon, this friend will translate it into human language for us.”

At that, the others smiled knowingly and nodded, as if enlightened.

I began to explain.

“This is my theory: the recent events don’t look like the Georyeokma crossed the front lines on impulse. It seems more like a well-planned operation.”

Manjongim frowned and asked again.

“A well-planned operation? What do you mean?”

“Someone must have instructed the Georyeokma to come to the Seonwi at a specific time, and from there, they were immediately transported onward.”

“W-what? Who would do such a thing?!”

“Who else? The Blood Sect forces located north of the front lines. Or rather, their forward base.”

“What?!”

Everyone’s faces turned to shock.

Manjongim stammered.

“Is that even possible? How could they have established a foothold north of the front lines?”

I had wondered the same in my past life.

When and how had they managed to set up forces all over the northern front?

Now, I thought I had found the answer.

“We always assumed the Blood Sect’s leaders who fled Yunnan Province did so because they resented the Blood Demon’s control. Some even thought it was a Blood Demon assassination. But what if some of them didn’t leave for those reasons? What if they actually left under the Blood Demon’s orders?”

“Th-that…”

Everyone was stunned, dazed.

The first to regain composure was Squad Leader Seolpung, who asked me.

“So, which one of the three possibilities do you mean?”

“If my theory is correct, the Georyeokma are moving because their strength is needed somewhere. So, among the three warring sects at the ronin’s destination, one is likely their forward base: Jeonghyeopbang, the Yun family, or Sangeommun.”

“Hmmm!”

After I finished, I waited a moment for everyone to absorb the shock and accept reality.

Then, when I felt the time was right, I asked Manjongim.

“So, Grand Lord, what do you plan to do? If I’m right, we’ll have to move north to central Guizhou to track them. Even then, there’s no guarantee we’ll find them. And even if we do, that means their numbers and strength are far greater than we expected.”

Despite my warning, Manjongim answered without hesitation.

“Hmph! I’ve already sworn to the heavens I won’t let them live! Even if their strength is far beyond what we expect, do you think I’ll give up?”

I nodded with a faint smile.

“I see. Understood.”

There was nothing more to say.

I felt the same way.

Even if he refused to go, I intended to persuade our squad members to go.

Honestly, I had treated this mission like a picnic at first.

I thought we’d lose their trail and the pursuit would fail anyway.

But now, knowing the Blood Sect’s forces had already spread to the northern front and having found this clue, there was no way I could turn back.

For the future, I had to pull on this thread and root out the problem completely.

So, we all decided to head to Inhoe in the northwest of Guizhou Province, where the tension was thickening.

But the journey was far from smooth.

Manjongim frowned and said to me.

“As front-line operatives, it’s our duty to report what we’ve learned and our movements to the Alliance. Why do you insist we shouldn’t report?”

This time, his words were reasonable.

But I wanted to prevent that reasonable action at all costs.

“Again, if you only report the facts and plan to return as is, I don’t mind. But if we report that we’re moving north into Guizhou, the Alliance will definitely try to stop us.”

That was it. In my past life, the reason the dispatched teams returned was because the Alliance forbade them from moving north. So, it was natural they’d do the same this time.

But Manjongim, who had no memories of that life, asked incredulously.

“That’s nonsense! Why would the Alliance try to stop us?”

I wanted to say they might even kill us to stop us, but with no memories of the past life or even the Shadow Division, he wouldn’t understand.

In the end, seeing no way to persuade him, I sighed and said.

“If you insist, then report. But if things go as I predict this time, please listen to me next time.”

He shot me a displeased glare, then sent a special dispatch to the Alliance, reporting our situation and decision.

It was unfortunate, but there was nothing I could do.

Later that afternoon, as we were leaving Yunnan Province and entering Guizhou, Alliance warriors blocked our path.

“Stop!”

Eleven men dressed in black, wearing large bamboo hats, appeared before us.

Having seen similar attire before, our squad immediately recognized them.

They were from the Shadow Division.

They asked,

“Are you Manjongim, the Twelfth Grand Lord of Biryong?”

Manjongim, ready to draw his sword and wary, asked with a curious look,

“You know me? Who are you?”

The apparent leader stepped forward, bowed, and said,

“An honor to meet you. We come from the Alliance.”

“The Alliance? You mean Alliance warriors?”

Manjongim finally relaxed and looked pleased.

But the bamboo-hatted man ignored his friendliness and got straight to the point.

“Grand Lord Man, we have received your report. The task of tracking the Georyeokma will be taken over by our Alliance warriors. You and the Biryong squad may return.”

Manjongim was shocked.

“What? What do you mean? You’re telling us to go back?”

As expected.

But Manjongim, caught off guard, looked very flustered.

The bamboo-hatted man replied coldly,

“The matters outside Yunnan Province are handled by our Alliance warriors. The Biryong squad should focus solely on maintaining the front lines.”

Though his words were polite, his tone was anything but.

Their attitude was so rigid it almost felt oppressive.

Man Jong-im glanced at my face briefly, then, with a hint of anger, addressed them.

“You’ve surely been informed already, but those bastards killed nearly twenty of my men. I swore to the heavens that I wouldn’t return until I tore them apart!”

Yet their stance didn’t waver in the slightest.

“The Biryu Corps guards the front lines. Matters beyond the front are handled by us—that’s the clan’s policy. As members of the clan, you must abide by the rules.”

“What? What is this nonsense?”

Man Jong-im seemed at a loss for words, stunned by their unyielding attitude.

I casually glanced toward Cheong-yeon Sojeo.

She was already standing behind Bae Jong-gwan’s large frame, seemingly trying to stay out of the shadow of the Eumyang Corps.

Having confirmed her position, I stepped forward with confidence.

“This is strange. It sounds as if you’re trying to lock the Biryu Corps behind the front lines, doesn’t it? Wouldn’t you agree, Grand Master?”

Jukripin, who had been watching me with a hint of surprise, spoke again.

“That’s not the case. This is simply the clan’s rule…”

“Then why should we follow the clan’s rules? We came to the front lines voluntarily, driven purely by our will to stop the Blood Sect. We’re more like militia, not warriors belonging to the clan.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Didn’t you sign an oath when you joined the Biryu Corps?”

“Of course we signed an oath—a confidentiality agreement. But was it ever a document that said we were joining the clan? I don’t recall anything like that. Nor was there any clause restricting our movement beyond the front lines.”

This time, Jukripin was at a loss for words.

I caught the glare beneath his brows—his eyes narrowing, the coldness in them growing sharper.

After a moment, he spoke again.

“I repeat, these are the clan’s rules. If you refuse to comply, there’s nothing more we can do.”

“Nothing you can do, huh?”

There was something about that phrase that smelled faintly of blood.

Despite his forceful tone, I let out a short, bitter laugh and replied fiercely.

“We’re on our way to avenge our comrades. Is there any law in the martial world more important than revenge? If you want to stop us, first explain why. Don’t just parrot some mysterious ‘rule’ we don’t even know about. When and why was this rule created—one that even the front-line soldiers don’t know?”

I then glanced at Man Jong-im and asked quietly.

“Isn’t that right, Grand Master?”

“Uh, yes? Of course it is!”

Shifting their attention slightly toward Man Jong-im, I smiled slyly and delivered my final blow.

“I understand your position—you must follow orders from above. But blindly obeying without questioning right or wrong… can that really be called the way of the martial world? No, what kind of martial artist would that make you? You’d be no better than a mindless beast. Don’t you agree?”

Provoked like that, the man who had been glaring at me as if to kill finally left, leaving only these words behind.

“You will regret this.”

I was a little disappointed.

I had expected him to fly into a rage and attack on the spot.

But I could tell it wouldn’t be long before that happened anyway.

Watching their backs as they left, I smiled to myself, thinking that it was still uncertain who would end up regretting this.