Episode 165: The Game of Tag

The Black Butterfly shouted, “You are the Three-Eyed Flame…!”

“You? Such insolence,” the Three-Eyed Flame retorted, bringing his hand down on the Black Butterfly’s head.

Thud. The sound was far too loud to have come from a human skull.

The Black Butterfly nearly lost his life, but thanks to the Three-Eyed Flame pulling back at the last moment, he avoided a broken neck.

The Three-Eyed Flame let out a sigh of relief. ‘I almost killed him.’

He wasn’t particularly skilled at pressure point techniques, so dealing with someone like the Black Butterfly wasn’t easy. But his reflexes had saved him the trouble of fumbling around.

‘Why is this guy here, anyway?’ he wondered.

In truth, the Three-Eyed Flame hadn’t known it was the Black Butterfly on the roof. He had just been about to fall asleep when he sensed a faint presence above him, waking him up.

In the entire city, the only person who would be sneaking around on rooftops at night was Namgung Myung. Naturally, the Three-Eyed Flame assumed Namgung Myung had returned.

He had grabbed the intruder’s ankle and pulled him down as a playful act of revenge for disturbing his sleep. But the person he caught wasn’t Namgung Myung.

In fact, he had a pretty good idea who it was, judging by the attire and martial prowess. It had to be the leader of the Assassins’ Guild.

The Three-Eyed Flame scratched his head. If the old master were here, he would have figured out the situation in an instant, but the old master was off wandering the world.

Instead, the Three-Eyed Flame stepped outside to survey the area. Two followers from the Demonic Cult were wiping blood off their swords onto the bodies of some assassins.

“Who are they?” he asked.

“They seem to be assassins. We thought it was Namgung Myung and went to capture him, but when it wasn’t, we cut them down.”

It seemed everyone had the same thought process. The Three-Eyed Flame clicked his tongue.

“Just make sure you don’t accidentally attack Namgung Myung.”

“We have eyes, you know. We won’t make that mistake. But what should we do with the bodies? It’s been a while since we last killed someone.”

“Just bury them in a secluded mountain. They were killed in one strike while wearing black, so even if someone finds them, it won’t cause much trouble. But it’s best to avoid any hassle.”

“Understood.”

The two swordsmen from the Demonic Cult dragged the bodies away, and the Three-Eyed Flame returned inside.

He slapped the still-unconscious Black Butterfly across the face. Smack!

The Black Butterfly awoke, bewildered, his eyes darting around in confusion.

‘Was that… a dream?’

He had thought it was a nightmare. How could there be a supreme martial artist in every shabby house, and then an even greater one in the fourth? It was absurd.

The biggest problem was that it was reality.

His luck was terrible. He might as well have been struck by lightning.

‘Is this place some kind of den of monsters?’

He couldn’t comprehend why the supreme martial artist was the Three-Eyed Flame. Wasn’t he the one who had tried to capture Tang Mujin for the Demonic Cult?

It was strange enough that Tang Mujin had escaped unharmed, but even stranger that the Three-Eyed Flame lived next door to the Tang family clinic.

The Black Butterfly racked his brain, but the situation was so surreal that he couldn’t come up with anything.

In the end, he had only one option: to grovel for his life.

“Master Three-Eyed Flame, please spare my life.”

“Hmm. Begging for your life right away? Does that mean you came here with such vile intentions?”

The Three-Eyed Flame seized on the opportunity, and the Black Butterfly panicked.

“That wasn’t my intention…!”

“Silence.”

The Three-Eyed Flame’s fist struck the Black Butterfly’s head again. Thud.

The Black Butterfly slumped, blood trickling from his nose. The Three-Eyed Flame tied him up tightly and hung him from the eaves, thinking, ‘I don’t know what’s going on, but I should show him to Tang Mujin.’

He returned to bed.

It took Tang Mujin and his companions seven days and nights to return to the city from Yangyang.

Hyun Gong, pretending not to be interested, kept glancing around.

In Hubei, especially near Wudang Mountain, there was no city as large as this one. Compared to Yangyang, the largest nearby city, this place was at least five times bigger.

‘He’s not just any doctor. If his family is the most reputable in a city this large, that’s not bad at all.’

As the four of them trudged through the city, a familiar face appeared in the distance.

It was Hwang Ryeongja, the head of the Qingcheng Sect’s branch in the city.

Hwang Ryeongja approached Tang Mujin and said, “I heard you went out of town for some business. Just returning now?”

“Yes, sir.”

“You’ve worked hard. I’ll send someone for some zhijuzi later. If you have any, could you spare a handful?”

“I’ll bring it to you myself. No need to send anyone.”

“I’d appreciate that. See you later.”

During the brief exchange, Hyun Gong observed Hwang Ryeongja closely. His attire, demeanor, and considerable martial prowess all pointed to him being a Taoist of the Qingcheng Sect.

Once Hwang Ryeongja left, Hyun Gong asked Tang Mujin, “He seems to be a Taoist of the Qingcheng Sect. Why is he in the city?”

“Master Hwang Ryeongja? He’s the head of the Qingcheng Sect’s branch here.”

“Hmm. You seem quite close.”

“The Tang family clinic has always had ties with the Qingcheng Sect. We’ve been their neighbors for generations.”

Hyun Gong nodded. Even if he wasn’t a Taoist of the Qingcheng Sect, he had indirect connections.

‘One more point.’

After walking along the Qingcheng Sect’s branch wall for a while, the Tang family clinic came into view.

However, the clinic didn’t capture Hyun Gong’s attention. It wasn’t that he wasn’t curious about it; something else was more pressing.

There were an unusual number of martial artists around the clinic.

The person sorting rice in the sun was a first-rate martial artist, and the one sitting on the porch weaving straw ropes was a supreme master. They didn’t seem to be Taoists of the Qingcheng Sect.

‘This is strange.’

There was no reason for a martial artist of such caliber to live in a simple house like that.

With their skills, they could easily establish a sect in a decent city, gather disciples, and live comfortably.

Even the most prominent sect in Yangyang, the Taiyi Sword Sect, had a former leader who was a supreme master, while the current leader was only first-rate.

Moreover, they kept glancing at Tang Mujin, not with suspicion, but with familiarity.

Unable to contain his curiosity, Hyun Gong asked, “Who are those people? They don’t seem to be Taoists of the Qingcheng Sect.”

Tang Mujin hesitated. How should he introduce them?

Remnants of the Demonic Cult? Refugees from the Demonic Cult? None of the descriptions sounded good.

In the end, Tang Mujin answered vaguely, “They’re just people who ended up living around our house. Just neighbors.”

“Oh… I see. Neighbors.”

It was clear that a lot of information was being left out, but Hyun Gong wasn’t in a position to pry. He figured he’d learn more naturally while staying at the Tang family clinic.

As the four of them entered the clinic, a woman who had been dozing in a corner of the yard suddenly stood up.

She had tanned skin and bright, sparkling eyes. There was also something about her that resembled Tang Mujin.

Hyun Gong’s eyes gleamed. ‘Is she Tang Mujin’s sister? Three more points for the brother-in-law.’

The next moment, the woman ran to Tang Mujin and wrapped her arms around his waist.

“I told you to come back within a month, and you waited until the very last day? I was worried you’d be late again.”

“Sorry. I tried to come back sooner, but unexpected things kept happening.”

Tang Mujin, seemingly unbothered by the onlookers, embraced Dan Seol-young tightly.

It was clearly not the embrace of a brother to his sister, so Hyun Gong deducted three points from Tang Mujin’s score. Justice prevails. What is wrong will eventually be set right.

Dan Seol-young asked, “Is everything settled?”

“Almost.”

“Can you tell me what happened?”

“Now?”

“Of course, now. Should we go to the annex and talk slowly?”

“Yeah, we should.”

As their brief conversation ended, Namgung Myung and Hong Geolgae spat in annoyance.

Ignoring their reactions, Tang Mujin held Dan Seol-young’s hand and was about to head to the annex when a voice called out from outside the clinic. It was a booming voice.

“Tang Mujin! Before you go in, have a word with me.”

“Oh, yes. I’m coming.”

Dan Seol-young crossed her arms, clearly displeased.

Beyond the low wall of the Tang family clinic stood a large man.

The large man asked Tang Mujin, “The young man beside you is new. Who is he?”

“He’s Hyun Gong from the Wudang Sect.”

“Every time you go out, you bring someone back.”

“It just happens that way.”

“Well, I’m not one to talk. I’m one of those people too. Haha!”

The most confused person in this situation was Hyun Gong.

The man standing outside the Tang family clinic had such a distinctive appearance that it was impossible to ignore.

This was Hyun-gong’s first time leaving Hubei, but even he couldn’t mistake the appearance of the Three-Eyed Buddha.

There was only one monk in the world with gray skin, countless scars, and a massive build.

Moreover, the way the Three-Eyed Buddha conversed with Tang Mujin seemed unusually friendly.

Hyun-gong found himself deep in thought. The Three-Eyed Buddha was one of the most notorious figures in the martial world.

Was having a connection with such a notorious figure an advantage or a disadvantage?

“This place is strange in so many ways.”

Hyun-gong decided to stop pondering.

Following the Three-Eyed Buddha, Tang Mujin discovered a man tied up and hanging from the eaves, unconscious. The face was unfamiliar.

Judging by the dark, almost blackened color of his hands, it seemed he had been hanging there for quite some time, with blood circulation cut off.

“Who is this man?”

“He climbed onto my roof a few days ago.”

“Isn’t this a bit harsh for a petty thief?”

“No. He was dressed in black and masked. You might not be able to tell now since he’s unconscious, but his martial skills are quite decent. And look at this.”

The Three-Eyed Buddha tore open the man’s shirt, revealing a prominent black butterfly tattoo on his chest.

“I suspect he’s an assassin from the Black Pavilion.”

Tang Mujin recalled the assassin he had encountered not long ago.

Though it had been a dark night and the man was dressed in black, his build was similar, and the slight upward slant of his eyes seemed familiar.

Taking a deep breath, Tang Mujin swung his sword.

The rope holding the man snapped, and he tumbled unceremoniously to the ground.

The man groaned and slowly began to move, rubbing his numb limbs as he surveyed his surroundings.

The moment his eyes met Tang Mujin’s, he froze.

Tang Mujin grinned, baring his teeth.

He wasn’t one to smile often, but this was different. The last time he had smiled like this was when he had infiltrated the Jeweon family and killed Baek Chuseo.

Unlike when he killed other assassins, an overwhelming sense of exhilaration and excitement coursed through him.

The Black Butterfly pointed a trembling finger at Tang Mujin.

“You, you!”

“We met not too long ago, didn’t we? Nice to see you again.”

Yes, returning to the capital without learning the Taiji Sword was the best decision.

There was no better technique than the Heart-Piercing Sword to pierce this man’s heart.

Tang Mujin’s hand trembled with anticipation. He wanted to put a hole in the man’s heart right then and there.

But it would be a waste to end it so simply. Tang Mujin raised his sword and deeply stabbed the Black Butterfly’s thighs.

The poison released from Tang Mujin’s body seeped into the Black Butterfly through the sword.

Tang Mujin stepped back.

“Now, you know how to play tag, right? Run with all your might.”