Windwall General Command.
Inside a large room, two men sat facing each other.
Ma Suhyeok and Yeom Muhyeok, head of the Northern Wind Merchant Group.
Tea had been placed on the table, but neither of them touched it.
In the strange atmosphere, Yeom Muhyeok spoke first.
“It is an honor that the Commander General personally sent me a letter.”
He was smiling, but Ma Suhyeok’s expression was stiff.
It was strange, but Yeom Muhyeok tried not to pay attention to it.
To discern the other party’s intent, one had to remain as calm as possible. Like a merchant.
And like a merchant, Yeom Muhyeok continued smiling as he spoke.
“Haha, in any case, what a curious connection. Both you and I have the same final character, ‘hyeok,’ in our names, do we not? Surely this too must be heaven’s will.”
Yeom Muhyeok glanced cautiously at the tea and continued.
“I merely said that I intended to spare no support in many areas to be of help to Windwall. Was there perhaps something lacking? If you only say the word......”
“Merchant Head Yeom.”
“Yes.”
“Did you read the letter?”
“......Yes, I read it.”
“Then you should know why I called you.”
Yeom Muhyeok’s smile stiffened slightly.
“T-that...... I believe there may be some misunderstanding. Our Northern Wind Merchant Group purely wished to help Windwall......”
“Explain the smuggling of the Chaotic Heaven One corpses.”
Yeom Muhyeok’s face went pale.
“T-that is...... a misunderstanding! We would never......”
“I have evidence.”
Ma Suhyeok placed a document on the table.
“Five of your merchant group members were caught by Hyun Seollin while transporting the corpse of a Chaotic Heaven One and were executed.”
“......T-that is......”
“And dozens of Chaotic Heaven One corpses were discovered in an abandoned house at the foot of Seolhwa Mountain. In a place connected to your merchant group.”
Yeom Muhyeok lost his words.
His lips trembled.
Had someone else witnessed this scene, they would have wondered one thing.
Was this—
really a merchant?
The Northern Wind Merchant Group was a merchant group that had recently begun making its name known in the Central Plains.
In other words, their influence had surpassed that of an ordinary merchant group.
Ultimately, that meant the person operating the Northern Wind Merchant Group possessed exceptional skill.
Yet what he was showing now was not the appearance of a merchant of that caliber.
“I, I...... truly...... did not know......”
Even his tone was trembling.
Had Ma Suhyeok’s words been that fatal?
Not exactly.
If he wanted to make excuses, he could have made plenty. A reasonable explanation, or a plausible excuse.
Packaging words somehow was a basic skill of a capable merchant, yet he was only saying that he did not know.
Ma Suhyeok’s eyes shone coldly.
After hearing Unhwi’s words, this man—
was certainly suspicious.
The suspicion began from his ability itself and his expression itself.
Of course, some classified as great merchants might deliberately create such suspicion to overturn the situation or gain some other benefit, but no matter how he thought about it, this was far from that.
“The head of a merchant group did not know what was happening inside his own merchant group? Does that make sense?”
“N-no! That is not......”
This was enough.
Ma Suhyeok sighed in disbelief, and there was another man who shared the same thought.
The door slowly opened, and one person entered.
Yeom Muhyeok stopped speaking and turned his head.
It was a young man.
But the aura he gave off was anything but ordinary, and when Ma Suhyeok immediately rose from his seat and spoke, Yeom Muhyeok received a great shock.
“You have arrived, Hyun Seollin.”
Unhwi, having judged that there was no need to hear any more, revealed himself.
Entering the room, Unhwi passed Ma Suhyeok and walked to the table.
Then he sat in the seat Ma Suhyeok had occupied.
Naturally, Ma Suhyeok stepped aside.
As if it were obvious.
Unhwi looked at Yeom Muhyeok.
Without a word.
He merely stared.
Silence.
A truly heavy silence flowed.
Yeom Muhyeok began to break out in cold sweat.
His back grew damp.
His hands trembled.
What... what is this......
Why does it feel so hard to breathe......
It was the difference in realm.
Unhwi was already a martial artist who had opened a new realm called the Three Profound Realms, while Yeom Muhyeok was merely a martial artist of the fourth stage of Qi Refinement. That difference could only approach him as pressure.
And from the beginning—
the worlds the two men lived in were different.
What they pursued was different as well.
Unhwi slowly opened his mouth.
“Are you Yu Cheong’s private organization?”
“......Pardon?”
Yeom Muhyeok looked bewildered.
“Wh-what are you saying......”
“Then are you the private organization of Jeong Docheon of the Thunder Demon Cult?”
Yeom Muhyeok gulped.
Had this been the usual Unhwi, he would have burst into a hollow laugh. That was how sloppy this was.
But he had to see it differently.
If it is this sloppy, it means they are aiming at something from another direction.
“......I do not...... understand...... what you are saying......”
Yeom Muhyeok’s face had already turned completely white.
“Are you denying your connection to Yu Cheong? Or are you denying your connection to Jeong Docheon?”
“No, what absurd slander is this......”
“Slander?”
Unhwi smirked.
“Then I will ask. Why were you trying to take the Chaotic Heaven Ones?”
“T-that is......”
“You say you will support Windwall and pour money into it? Until recently, the Northern Wind Merchant Group was nothing more than an ordinary merchant group.”
Unhwi tapped the table with his finger.
“Where did such funds come from, and what is the merchant group’s main business? Answer.”
Yeom Muhyeok could not open his mouth.
He could not answer.
Whether it was medicinal herbs or anything else, the answer would be obvious.
And Unhwi would notice that it was a prepared answer.
Yeom Muhyeok had at least that much awareness.
Unhwi continued.
“In the past, Yu Cheong tried to experiment with Chaotic Heaven Ones. He attempted to do so using the former Heavenly Forest. And I took the Heavenly Forest.”
“......”
“Everything, including the research records, is in my hands. From his position, he would have two choices. Take it from my hands, or make a deal.”
Unhwi leaned back in his chair.
“From the look of it, Yu Cheong gave Jeong Docheon some kind of instruction, and Jeong Docheon found a man like you. There must be something they are aiming for......”
Unhwi’s eyes stared straight at Yeom Muhyeok.
His body movements, the movement of his eyes—
he missed nothing.
And he was certain.
“You seem not to know.”
“......Pardon?”
“The method used to secretly smuggle out Chaotic Heaven Ones through the Heavenly Forest and your method are the same. Collecting the corpses of Chaotic Heaven Ones, transporting them secretly, and piling them underground. The same technique.”
“Transporting...... what °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° do you mean, transporting......? Piling them up? What are you talking about......”
Unhwi’s eyes narrowed.
“While you were here, every trace of your movements was investigated. And the Chaotic Heaven One corpses hidden underground in the abandoned land on the outskirts of Windwall, once owned by a martial artist surnamed Yang, were discovered.”
“......Uh...... eh......?”
“It seems you people really are disposable pieces.”
“......D-disposable pieces......?”
“Exactly as it sounds. An organization created with the expectation that it would be discovered. If exposed, the tail is cut off and the body hides. Small fry like you are nothing more than consumables.”
All color disappeared from Yeom Muhyeok’s face.
His lips trembled.
“I, I...... truly...... know nothing......”
“You know nothing?”
Unhwi rose from his seat and looked down at Yeom Muhyeok.
“Then answer just one thing. Who funded the Northern Wind Merchant Group?”
By this point, anger suddenly surged within Yeom Muhyeok.
He shouted.
“This is truly slander!”
“Slander?”
“If you really are Hyun Seollin, then that means you are the one who slaughtered our innocent merchant group members and even seized our goods on the way, does it not?”
Ma Suhyeok and Unhwi looked at each other.
Had he gone mad?
Or was this his final struggle?
Surely he did not think of that as his last move and throw it out.
Their gazes exchanged that meaning.
Unhwi looked back at Yeom Muhyeok.
“I never raised that issue even once! Even though the proud members of our Northern Wind Merchant Group were killed, I remained silent! Because I knew that was the path for the sake of our Northern Wind Merchant Group!”
“......”
“But this is not right! Truly, you cannot do this! I truly do not understand what people with such power are trying to gain from us.”
Yeom Muhyeok’s eyes glittered.
“So please tell me only what you want. If you want funds, I will provide them. For the future of the Northern Wind Merchant Group’s family, I will burn this body of mine......”
“I said I would spare your life if you gave the name.”
“......”
“No matter how desperately you struggle, I am already certain. You broke Windwall’s order and damaged the value of the Snow Mountain that had protected Windwall. That fact will never change. Originally, killing you without fail would be correct, but the reason I am still talking to you like this is—”
Unhwi’s eyes flashed.
“because I wanted the situation to proceed smoothly.”
“......”
“It is not as if I enjoy seeing blood, and I do not enjoy spending time dealing with one disposable piece like you. But it seems you are under a grave misconception.”
“......”
“I will say this one last time. The name of the person who funded the Northern Wind Merchant Group. If you do not say it, you die here.”
Unhwi drew his sword.
The True Fire Heavenly Spirit Sword.
The blade shone faintly.
Yeom Muhyeok stepped back.
He almost fell from his chair.
Now he felt it with certainty.
This man was real.
He was not someone a nobody could deal with.
“I-I will tell you! I will tell you, so please......!”
“Speak.”
“L-Lord Jeong...... No, Jeong Docheon!”
“Jeong Docheon of the Thunder Demon Cult.”
“Yes...... yes, that is right! Jeong Docheon, cult leader of the Thunder Demon Cult, provided the funds! And he ordered me to gather the corpses of Chaotic Heaven Ones!”
“I see.”
“That...... other than that, I know nothing. He merely said he would grow the merchant group and provide funding...... I only did as I was told......”
“......”
“Please...... spare me......”
Unhwi sheathed his sword.
Yeom Muhyeok sighed in relief.
But Unhwi was different from ordinary people.
Even if good words came from his mouth, he was the sort of person one could never feel relieved around.
“Commander General Ma.”
“Yes, Hyun Seollin.”
“Please imprison this man in the underground prison. And torture him until he opens his mouth.”
Yeom Muhyeok’s eyes widened.
“You promised! You said you would spare me if I gave the name......!”
“I said I would spare you. I did not say I would let you live comfortably.”
Unhwi spoke coldly.
“You used the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Palace and Windwall for personal gain. And you betrayed the proud martial artists who have guarded this place for hundreds of years.”
“......That......”
