Episode 71

When I first heard that the women’s abductions were likely the work of the Jeonghyeopbang, the immediate thought that came to mind was, “Then we have to rescue them, don’t we?”

But Sojeo Jeongyeon shook her head with a grave expression.

“I’m sorry, but we can’t afford to get stuck here right now. If they really are the same people from before, they’ll be hiding thoroughly this time as well. It would take a lot of time to track them down. And Jeongin Sojeo’s estate… won’t be able to wait that long.”

She lowered her head deeply as she spoke.

It was clear she felt miserable having to say such things.

I understood how she felt.

Of course, saving the precious estate should be the priority, but as a disciple of the Daeamipa—one of the pillars of the righteous sect—she probably didn’t feel right turning her back on others just to save her own.

So we didn’t press the matter further.

Instead, I asked about what had happened back then.

“Could you tell me about that? How did you manage to catch a lead on Jeonghyeopbang?”

Her story went like this.

“To be honest… it was nothing but sheer luck.”

As the abductions kept happening periodically, the Amipa had sent an elder and several disciples to investigate.

But after more than a month, they hadn’t found a single clue. Then, by chance, two Sojeos who had sneaked out of the training hall against the elders’ orders—Jeongin Sojeo and her companions—happened to witness an abduction in progress.

“I think they had already figured out our investigation team’s movements. So they didn’t know about our different approach, and that’s how we got spotted.”

Jeongin Sojeo wanted to rush in immediately, but Jeongyeon stopped her.

They needed to follow the kidnappers all the way to their base.

What they found left them horrified.

“The kidnappers had taken the women to a place called Gwaneumjang. It’s a long-established, prestigious sect within the righteous factions—and even a branch of the Amipa.”

Gwaneumjang was the most respected sect nearby and maintained good relations with the Amipa, so they couldn’t just barge in recklessly.

They decided to retreat and gather more information first.

They went to the nearby Haomun and inquired about Gwaneumjang’s recent activities.

They learned that Gwaneumjang hadn’t been active publicly for about a year, and even their sect leader hadn’t been seen.

They also found out that just before this quiet period, Baek Okjiryong Gu Yusang from Jeonghyeopbang had visited Gwaneumjang.

“Even recently, members of Jeonghyeopbang have been visiting Gwaneumjang regularly, despite the sect’s lack of external activity. Jeongin Sojeo and we became certain that Jeonghyeopbang was behind this. After all, Jeongin Sojeo was placed under a ban because she had openly condemned Jeonghyeopbang for gradually encroaching on Amipa’s territory. Gwaneumjang’s region was one of those contested areas.”

But when they tried to investigate inside Gwaneumjang, they were suddenly ambushed by unknown assailants and captured.

I muttered softly, “It must be Haomun. They must have provided the information.”

Jeongyeon nodded solemnly.

“I thought so while I was captured, too. But I don’t understand. Why would Haomun do that? Could they have been recruited by Hyeolgyeo as well?”

I shook my head in response.

“Considering Haomun’s widespread presence across the martial world, I doubt it’s that deep. More likely, they made a deal with a local branch—something like, ‘If you find anyone digging into us, let us know.’ Haomun doesn’t discriminate when it comes to business.”

Jeongan Sojeo’s face twisted with anger.

“That’s outrageous! Even if they’re not part of the righteous sect, how could they cooperate with Hyeolgyeo’s gang?”

“Well, the righteous sect probably isn’t a priority for them. Anyway, what happened next?”

Up to that point, the evidence wasn’t enough to conclusively prove Jeonghyeopbang’s involvement.

But as Jeongyeon Sojeo spoke next, the proof became clear.

Among the attackers was none other than Baek Okjiryong Gu Yusang—the so-called ‘Sichun’s Number One Nobleman’ of Jeonghyeopbang.

“He was wearing a mask, but Jeongin Sojeo, who had met him several times before, recognized him by his build and eyes. When she called out his name, he took off his mask, grabbed her hair, and said greedily that he would make her regret recognizing him.”

At that point, Jeongyeon trembled slightly, as if recalling the trauma, and couldn’t continue.

We didn’t press her further and let her rest in her room.

Later, after going up with Bisa-yeong, I sat lost in thought for a long time.

Bisa-yeong finally asked, “What are you thinking about?”

I smiled and replied, “The same thing as you.”

She shook her head with a sigh.

“Yeah, I figured. I want to save them too, but like Jeongyeon said, it might be impossible. We have so little information. From what I heard, it’s true that we need to rescue Jeongin Sojeo quickly.”

She was right.

We didn’t have the luxury of time to waste on rescuing these women.

But… what if it didn’t take that long?

What if we could do it tonight? Then it wouldn’t matter so much, right?

Besides, there was another reason I couldn’t ignore them.

That was the trial Mokrang had mentioned.

I didn’t know exactly what the trial was, but after thinking it over, I realized that every time I heard his voice, it was when I was moving to save someone.

So maybe the trial had something to do with cooperation or rescue.

And he had said I was the candidate he liked best so far.

Surely, that didn’t mean I was the best swordsman to have ever wielded the Mokrang sword.

No way.

So, I said to Bisa-yeong,

“Of course, we can’t waste time here because we need to rescue Jeongin Sojeo quickly. But if we move just tonight, it shouldn’t be a problem, right? How’s your body feeling now?”

She looked a bit surprised, then chuckled.

“You’ve got another idea, huh? I’m fine now. Actually, after letting everything go earlier, I feel lighter than I have in a while. So? What’s your hunch?”

Having a friend who understood me so well was a blessing.

I smiled and shared my thoughts.

“After hearing Jeongyeon Sojeo’s story, I think the kidnappers might have taken over the most trusted sect in the area and are using it as a base to abduct the women. So if it’s the same group, their methods should be similar.”

Bisa-yeong nodded.

“Hmm, that makes sense. But how do we know which sect is the most trusted here? Should we ask around?”

I smiled knowingly.

“Remember what that man said? After his daughter disappeared, the first place he went to after the authorities was the Gwageommum.”

“…Gwageommum?”

“Yeah. That’s probably the most trusted place around here.”

We decided to check out Gwageommum quietly, without alerting the Sojeos, and if it wasn’t them, we’d give up.

After getting dressed, we opened the window and slipped outside.

Bisa-yeong landed lightly on the ground and darted forward.

“We have to be quick… Huh? Jeongan Sojeo?!”

She stopped abruptly, startled.

I was just as surprised.

Outside the window, Jeongyeon and Jeongan Sojeo were already waiting for us, as if expecting our move.

Jeongan Sojeo smiled brightly.

“See, Sojeo? I told you you two wouldn’t just sit still.”

I was genuinely shocked.

---

About half an hour later, we were hiding in the shade of a tree near Gwageommum, watching its main gate.

Jeongan Sojeo whispered excitedly, “What now? Are you going to storm in and demand the kidnapped women be released?”

Her hopeful tone made me want to say, “Of course not,” but I forced a calm expression and explained.

“No. First, we need to quietly confirm if the women are even there. We can’t be sure Gwageommum is definitely working with Hyeolgyeo.”

“Oh.”

She nodded in understanding, then asked again.

“So, are we sneaking in by climbing over the walls? Like thieves or assassins?”

Her eyes sparkled with an almost overwhelming excitement.

Jeongyeon, who had been catching her breath nearby, explained.

“Sama has always had a bit of a romanticized view of secret missions and covert operations. Please understand.”

Jeongan nodded vigorously.

“That’s right! I’ve always wanted to try something like that. I was so looking forward to sneaking into Gwaneumjang with Jeongin Sojeo, but we got ambushed and captured before we could even try. I was so disappointed. I thought I might die without ever experiencing a thrilling covert mission.”

Sneaking in and a covert mission are a bit different…

This Sojeo must have read some strange novels and built up wild dreams.

She was definitely unique.

Curious to see how Bisa-yeong would react, I glanced at her expression. She was looking at her with an utterly adoring gaze.

I couldn’t help but shake my head.

But setting that aside, the one who had anticipated that we’d sneak out of the inn earlier was none other than Jeong-an Sojeo.

“I was really surprised when I realized that.”

I had always thought Jeong-yeon Sojeo was the calm and wise one, but it was Jeong-an Sojeo—who seemed a bit quirky and immature—who accurately predicted our actions. I had wondered if I was just misjudging her because I only saw her surface behavior, but apparently, that wasn’t the case.

“Maybe she was just so eager for an adventure that she pinned her hopes on our plan.”

Originally, Bisa-yeong and I had planned to come alone, to give the others time to recover their strength. But the two Sojeos, who had been waiting for us, insisted on coming along.

“We’re disciples of the Amipa school. We can’t just sit this out! Besides, my nickname at Amipa is ‘Bi-yeon.’ I’m pretty confident in the new techniques, so don’t worry about the schedule being delayed because of me,” said Jeong-an Sojeo.

“I have to admit… I felt ashamed earlier when I said we had to ignore them to save Sa-jeo. I even doubted whether I deserved to be a disciple of Ami. Sa-jeo would probably be angry if she knew I gave up the others for her sake. I’m not as skilled in the new techniques as Sa-mae, but I’ll do my best not to be a burden. Please, let me come with you.”

After hearing that, I couldn’t tell her not to come.

So, in the end, we all went together. The manor we arrived at was no Black Market, but it was still impressively large and heavily guarded.

Not only were there gate guards at the main entrance, but I could sense warriors patrolling behind the walls everywhere.

Bisa-yeong asked, “The defenses are pretty tight. What’s the plan? Should we do what we did before—have one person draw attention while the rest sneak in?”

Jeong-an Sojeo’s face lit up at the mention of infiltration. She seemed thrilled just hearing the word.

But even so, it didn’t quite feel right.

In the end, it seemed we had no choice but to follow Bisa-yeong’s suggestion, but drawing attention wouldn’t be easy. The place was much larger than expected, and without any intel, I doubted we could find where the women were being held inside.

We needed information.

But we couldn’t use Haomun either.

Hmm, should I just force my way in, like I did with Bae Jong-gwan before?

While I was lost in thought, Jeong-yeon Sojeo suddenly spoke up.

“How about I approach them alone? If they’re really from the Blood Sect, wouldn’t they try to kidnap me as well?”

“Huh?”

Her suggestion was tempting.

If she deliberately let herself be captured as bait, we could quickly find out whether they were Blood Sect members and where the women were being held.

But…

I shook my head.

“It’s too dangerous. We don’t know what might happen if you’re captured alone. If their forces are stronger than expected, we might fail to rescue you and you could end up as a hostage.”

“I see.”

After rejecting Jeong-yeon Sojeo’s idea, we still had no better plan.

Time just kept slipping away.

Then, out of nowhere, Bisa-yeong offered an idea.

“Jeong-yeon Sojeo’s idea is good, but it’s too risky, right? So how about you pretend to be a woman instead?”

“Huh? Me, pretend to be a woman?”

I frowned, as if she’d just said something ridiculous.

After training external martial arts with Bae Jong-gwan, my body had become muscular and solid—not bulky, but definitely not feminine. No one would be fooled if I tried to pass as a woman.

But Bisa-yeong wasn’t finished.

“You know, that bone-shrinking technique you showed us last time—the Chukgol-gong. Couldn’t you use that?”

“…Chukgol-gong?”

Among the miscellaneous techniques I’d learned in my father’s study was the Chukgol-gong. I’d never really had a reason to use it, but I had once shown it as a joke to Bae Jong-gwan and Bisa-yeong. Apparently, she remembered.

Hmm, using Chukgol-gong to shrink my frame and pretend to be a woman?

It wasn’t entirely impossible…

“No. Even if I reduce my build, they’ll see my face or hear my voice and figure it out. I don’t know how to change my voice.”

At the mention of Chukgol-gong, Jeong-an Sojeo’s eyes widened, and she quickly said, “No! With Lord Seonwoo’s face, you’d make a convincing woman! You’re so handsome!”

Well, I appreciated the compliment, but still—the voice…

Then Jeong-yeon Sojeo said, “If it’s just Lord Seonwoo alone, they’ll definitely see through it. But what if you come with me? You could say you’re injured and can’t speak.”

“No, that’s…”

At that moment, Bisa-yeong smiled brightly.

“That’s brilliant. If you two go together, you can help each other, so it’s less risky. And if they think Jin is injured, they won’t be as suspicious.”

Cold sweat trickled down my back.

It looked like I’d have to pretend to be a woman without even trying anything else.

“Wait, hold on. That doesn’t sound like a good idea. There must be a better plan…”

Bisa-yeong smiled knowingly and asked me, “A better plan? What is it?”

…Damn it.

There was no better plan.