Before long, people began to gather from all directions.
Among them were eight top martial artists, including Ilseonja, the head of the Jongnam Sect, and Seonwuja, the head of the Hwasan Sect. Nearly half of the core strength of both sects was present.
Ilseonja approached Dang Mujin with a courteous greeting.
“Thank you for the valuable information. If we hadn’t found a lead on the lost item, I would have been left with a tarnished name in our sect.”
Dang Mujin waved his hand dismissively, feigning modesty.
“It’s too early to say. We still don’t know if the Jongnam Sect will recover the lost item.”
“Regardless, we were wandering aimlessly without a clue, and thanks to you, we have a lead. I can’t thank you enough.”
The two sect leaders then expressed their gratitude to Namgung Myung, Hong Geolgae, and Hyeon Gong.
Namgung Myung and Hong Geolgae responded with polite indifference, as one would to a superior, but Hyeon Gong was different.
He pondered, ‘Are these two really my superiors?’
Though Seonwuja and Ilseonja were older and more skilled, they weren’t supreme masters. In a direct confrontation, Hyeon Gong might even stand a chance.
There was also the matter of status. Hyeon Gong had always shown deference to other sect leaders, not because of a lack of skill, but due to their higher positions.
However, Hyeon Gong had recently been chosen as the next head of the Wudang Sect. While he wasn’t the leader yet, his future tenure would far surpass that of Ilseonja or Seonwuja.
Hyeon Gong quickly calculated his standing. Combining skill and background, he was only slightly behind, scoring just shy of a perfect twenty. He suppressed his disappointment.
‘Not yet, but soon I’ll be on equal footing.’
He offered a respectful yet subtly defiant bow to the two leaders, perfectly capturing the slight gap in their standings.
To Ilseonja and Seonwuja, Hyeon Gong’s gesture seemed lacking in sincerity, yet it wasn’t disrespectful enough to warrant criticism. They swallowed their faint dissatisfaction.
‘Young people these days are known for their lack of manners. But considering his achievements at such a young age, the Rising Dragon Sword is relatively well-mannered.’
Seonwuja offered a compliment, albeit a hollow one.
“Ah, the Rising Dragon Sword, is it?”
“Yes, you can call me Jeong-eon.”
“Impressive achievements for someone so young. With the Wudang Sect’s future so promising, the righteous martial world looks bright.”
“You’re too kind.”
As they waited for others to arrive, martial artists from various sects and clans began to gather. Soon, there were ten top martial artists in Pyeongryang County, excluding Dang Mujin’s group.
However, no one from the Wudang Sect was present. They hadn’t lost any items, and everyone knew that Elder Yeongbo was not in a condition to travel.
But Hyeon Gong was ready to lend a hand, so there was no room to criticize the Wudang Sect’s lack of participation.
Finally, a well-known figure arrived.
It was Manryeokseung, the only close friend of Dang Mujin’s enigmatic acquaintance and a consistent top martial artist since Dang Mujin first began his training.
Despite the years and the rise of new talents like Yujin Gwang and Baek Yaho, Manryeokseung remained steadfast in his mastery. He approached Dang Mujin with a broad smile.
“Dang Mujin, I didn’t expect to see you again so soon after the meeting.”
“I didn’t expect you here either, Manryeokseung.”
“I was planning to explore the world a bit instead of returning to the Shaolin Temple, but I heard help was needed and came running.”
Dang Mujin glanced at Namgung Myung, silently questioning if the Shaolin Temple had also been robbed.
Namgung Myung shook his head. It would have been difficult to infiltrate the Shaolin Temple, even with Manryeokseung and the other monks away for a meeting.
Dang Mujin’s group, the sect leaders, and Manryeokseung gathered to discuss their next move.
“Are we heading to the Gongdong Sect right away?” Hyeon Gong asked.
Ilseonja replied, “We should. There’s no reason to delay.”
“But isn’t the head of the Gongdong Sect a supreme master? We should proceed with caution.”
Hong Geolgae chimed in, “Elder Geolseon enjoys traveling, so he might not have returned to Kaifeng yet. We could seek his help.”
A small issue arose. Dang Mujin’s group knew the Gongdong Sect had been overtaken by rogue martial artists, but the others were unaware of their dark scheme. They were simply there to retrieve their lost items.
This created a subtle difference in attitude between Dang Mujin’s group and the others.
Seonwuja smiled, “The young ones worry too much. There’s no need to be concerned. The Gongdong Sect won’t want to fight us.”
“Is that so?”
“Of course. The Gongdong Sect is a reputable sect. It’s just that a rogue element acted out of line. If we present evidence, Head Baek won’t object.”
Ilseonja added, “You may not know this, but the Gongdong Sect has had its share of troublemakers. Other sects understand the difficult path they’ve chosen, so they don’t blame the entire sect for individual misdeeds. They’ll likely handle the culprit internally.”
Despite their previous disagreements, Ilseonja and Seonwuja found common ground, suggesting they might have been close friends if they belonged to the same sect.
Everyone, except Dang Mujin’s group, agreed on one course of action: head to the Gongdong Sect immediately. There was no point in waiting for Elder Geolseon, who might be anywhere.
The threat wasn’t significant enough to warrant delay, and they were eager to recover their lost treasures. Martial artists aren’t known for their patience.
Ultimately, Dang Mujin’s group had to agree.
‘Even without a supreme master, we have fifteen top martial artists. Even if Baek Yaho draws his sword, with the help of the two sect leaders and Manryeokseung, we can handle it. Our forces are superior.’
With that, Dang Mujin’s group joined the martial artists heading to Gongdong Mountain.
“Stop right there!”
As dozens of righteous martial artists, including fifteen top masters, approached, the guards at the Gongdong Sect’s gate were filled with fear.
Not wanting to die at their post, they nervously asked, “Who are you, and why have you come in such numbers?”
Typically, guards speak with authority, but the Gongdong Sect’s guards were full of respect and deference. Survival was their priority.
Contrary to their fears, Ilseonja didn’t draw his weapon.
“I am Ilseonja, head of the Jongnam Sect. We’re here to see your head. Is he in?”
“What should I tell him?”
“Tell him we’re here to look for a lost item.”
“A lost item? What exactly…?”
“That’s not for you to know. We’re not here to fight, so you can relax.”
The guards exchanged glances. They didn’t know the full story, but it seemed their lives were spared. Two guards quickly disappeared into the sect’s grounds.
Soon, Baek Yaho appeared, his narrow eyes and thin lips reminiscent of a white snake.
He surveyed the group with wary eyes and asked Ilseonja, “You mentioned a lost item. What exactly are you referring to?”
Ilseonja produced two manuals from his robe, items unfamiliar to Baek Yaho.
“You’ve heard of the Phantom Thief stealing manuals and treasures, haven’t you?”
“Yes, I have.”
“We couldn’t trace the thief’s movements, but we found these two manuals near Gongdong Mountain. We’re hoping to find clues, so we request the Gongdong Sect’s cooperation.”
The abruptness of the situation was almost a relief for Baek Yahyo, allowing him to relax a bit.
Instead, he began to think things through.
“Are they really here to find the secret manual? Or is this just a show of dominance?”
His thoughts leaned towards the latter. The unnecessary crowd seemed to be a display of their power.
Moreover, he was aware that the orthodox martial artists felt uneasy about the Gongdong Sect due to their origins.
“If I had known, I should have made some connections during the Wudang Mountain meeting. I was short-sighted.”
In any case, it wasn’t a dire situation. Rather than causing trouble, it seemed wiser to let them have their way and show them around the sect. He felt foolish for having been so tense.
Baek Yahyo stepped aside to make way and addressed Ilsunja, Seonwuja, and Manryeokseung.
“Please, come in and take your time looking around. Leave the search to others, and the three of you, come with me.”
“What’s the matter?”
“Well, since you’ve come all this way, it’s only right to offer you some tea.”
Ilsunja and Seonwuja smiled, satisfied with Baek Yahyo’s accommodating demeanor. It was exactly the reaction they had hoped for.
Ilsunja, Seonwuja, and Manryeokseung followed Baek Yahyo to the headmaster’s room.
Though Manryeokseung wasn’t the head of a sect, his status was comparable to that of a major sect leader, so he was comfortable in such settings.
The four of them chatted leisurely over tea.
Baek Yahyo felt at ease since the guests weren’t being overly critical.
“It seems they came not to assert dominance but to foster camaraderie. I should have spent more time talking at Wudang Mountain.”
As the four were enjoying their conversation, they sensed someone approaching the headmaster’s room. Baek Yahyo turned towards the entrance.
“Come in.”
The door opened, revealing two individuals.
One was a member of the Gongdong Sect, and the other was a top martial artist from the Jongnam Sect, who had been searching the sect grounds with Dang Mujin’s group. Both wore stern expressions.
Baek Yahyo asked them, “So, did you find anything?”
His voice was calm, confident that nothing could have been discovered.
However, the Jongnam Sect martial artist gave an unexpected answer.
“Yes, we did.”
”…What? What did you find?”
With a grave expression, the Jongnam martial artist held up a sword.
“Namgungmyeong found this sword in a dry well within the Gongdong Sect grounds.”
The Jongnam Sect member drew the sword.
At first glance, it appeared old, but the blade gleamed as if freshly forged, unmistakably the sword of Yeodongbin, the Sword Saint of the Jongnam Sect.
The evidence was so clear that even the usually unflappable Baek Yahyo found it hard to accept.
“Could something have happened within the Gongdong Sect without my knowledge?”
Impossible. Since last year, they had strictly controlled who could leave the sect.
The only unusual event recently was when two novices had run off with water buckets.
“What… What do you mean? Are you sure the sword was found here?”
The Jongnam Sect member nodded solemnly.
“I stake my life on it.”
Baek Yahyo felt dizzy but tried to handle the situation naturally. Escalating things wouldn’t help.
“It seems someone acted without my knowledge. At least we can return the sword to the Jongnam Sect. I’ll take responsibility and find the culprit.”
Yet, the Jongnam Sect member’s expression remained unyielding.
”…This doesn’t seem like the work of just one person.”
“Hmm?”
As the Jongnam Sect member stepped aside, the scene within the Gongdong Sect came into view.
A large brown square was visible, resembling a wooden floor, but it was actually a mass of something covering the ground.
Baek Yahyo squinted to see what it was.
Books. Dozens of martial arts manuals were neatly spread across the floor.
To make matters worse, more manuals kept appearing, expanding the area they covered.
“Wells, under the floors, the monks’ quarters… Manuals are popping up everywhere. And these are the ones that have recently gone missing!”
A member of the Huashan Sect, with a bright expression, held up two manuals to show his sect leader.
“I found them! Master! The manuals for the Chongryeong Sword Technique and Dragon Wandering Skill!”
”…”
Baek Yahyo’s expression twisted in frustration.
As the Jongnam Sect member had said, these manuals couldn’t have been smuggled in by just one person.
“Is this an obvious trap?”
Baek Yahyo sensed the endless malice of the orthodox martial artists from the pile of manuals.
This wasn’t evidence of someone in the Gongdong Sect going rogue.
It was proof that the orthodox sects had uncovered everything happening within the Gongdong Sect and had conspired to set this trap. Otherwise, they couldn’t have gathered so many manuals in one place.
Baek Yahyo’s eyes narrowed, curving like a crescent moon.
“You should have just said you knew everything from the start. Why go through all this trouble?”
”…What do you mean?”
Ilsunja, puzzled by Baek Yahyo’s sudden change in tone, responded, but to Baek Yahyo, it all felt like a cunning scheme.
So, he reached for his sword.
“What do you think it means? This.”
Baek Yahyo’s sword flew towards Ilsunja’s neck.