Baekgeomun, Fujian Province.
A plain full of rice paddies and fields could be seen between the winding rivers and mountain ranges. Beyond the plain, a white wall extending from the mountain crossed the plain and continued to the next mountain.
The length of the front wall alone seemed to be over one li.
Inside, numerous buildings and people could be seen.
It was a place with a scale befitting a sect that vied with the Namgung family for the top spot in Gangnam.
The evening glow cast a deep shadow over the place.
Shin Woo-yang, the master of Baekgeomun, the Iron Sword Martial Lord, was quietly drinking in a tea room prepared on the ninth floor of a nine-story grand building.
Shin Woo-yang, with a long beard and half-white hair, looked to be in his late fifties.
Drinking a cup of bamboo leaf liquor while looking at the reddened sky was a moment of rest for him.
"It's the master of the Yellow Dragon Garden."
"Come in."
As Shin Woo-yang's voice echoed, a tall figure with a plain face, who looked to be in his late thirties, entered the tea room.
It was Shin Woo-saeng, the master of the Yellow Dragon Garden and Shin Woo-yang's son.
"The Martial Alliance Leader wishes to see you, father."
"Hmph! If he wants to see me, he should come himself. Is there a need for me to go?"
"Should I refuse again this time?"
"Do so."
At Shin Woo-yang's answer, Shin Woo-saeng thought that the Martial Alliance Leader and his father were having a pride battle.
Shin Woo-yang was a senior in the martial world compared to Namgung Min, the Martial Alliance Leader, and they were in a position to compete for the top spot in Gangnam, so it seemed neither wanted to lose to the other.
On top of that, Shin Woo-yang was one of the figures who had opposed Namgung Min becoming the Martial Alliance Leader.
If the power of the Namgung family grew, it would naturally pressure Baekgeomun. Moreover, the Zhuge family had joined hands with the Namgung family and was preventing Baekgeomun's power from growing.
The reason Zhuge Qing of the Zhuge family had helped Namgung Min was also to keep Baekgeomun in check.
"More importantly, have you looked into the Thousand Gold Vault?"
"The rumors are rampant, but no one has seen its reality yet. Even those who entered the Gangnam Grand Inn in Guguang have not seen the Thousand Gold Vault. Our sect also investigated, but there were no results."
Shin Woo-saeng was disappointed that he hadn't thoroughly investigated the inn when Buk Myeong-woo died.
Since the rumor of the Thousand Gold Vault had spread after that, he could not move independently.
"What about the Martial Alliance?"
"They don't seem to have much interest in the Thousand Gold Vault. It seems the Martial Alliance is busy with the disappearance of the Ice Palace's young master right now."
Hearing Shin Woo-saeng's answer, Shin Woo-yang nodded silently. After that, Shin Woo-yang drank a cup of alcohol and looked at the western sky outside the window.
"It has only been about fifty years since the prestige of Baekgeomun has grown to this extent. Half a century... At this time of day, I always think of the friends who died for our sect."
Shin Woo-yang remembered the faces of his friends and disciples who had fought and died against enemies for Baekgeomun.
The air in the tea room was heavy, and Shin Woo-yang was silent.
A short while later, after drinking another cup of alcohol, Shin Woo-yang waved his hand.
As he gestured for him to leave, Shin Woo-saeng stood up without a word and left the tea room.
Shin Woo-saeng, who had come out of the nine-story grand building, headed for the Yellow Dragon Garden. As Shin Woo-saeng walked there, he frowned with a worried face.
'How should I convey the refusal to the Martial Alliance?'
Although Shin Woo-yang had spoken casually, Shin Woo-saeng had to find a pretext to refuse the Martial Alliance's invitation.
He could not hurt the Martial Alliance Leader's feelings.
As Shin Woo-saeng entered the Yellow Dragon Garden with a face full of worries, a middle-aged man who had been waiting approached him.
"A message has come from the Blue Dragon Garden."
Seeing the middle-aged man who handed him the letter, Shin Woo-saeng's expression relaxed, and he took the letter.
"The Iron Horse Squad that went out to investigate the Blood Killing Faction has gone missing? They're dead."
"It seems so. If they're missing against an evil sect like the Blood Killing Faction, it means they're dead."
"The Blue Dragon Garden Master says he will handle it himself. Tell him to do so."
"Is it okay not to report to the sect master?"
"There's no good in bothering the sect master with such a thing. It's not too late to do it after it's handled."
"I understand."
Hearing the middle-aged man's answer, Shin Woo-saeng entered his office and spent the night worrying about what to send to the Martial Alliance.
***
It had only been about ten years since the power of the Blood Killing Faction had grown. As a result, most of the buildings built at the main headquarters of the Blood Killing Faction were new and could be used as they were.
There were hundreds of rooms, and it was a large-scale place that could comfortably accommodate more than a thousand people.
Having obtained a house of this scale without any effort, Bi-sun felt as if he had climbed an ownerless mountain.
The underground stone chamber was filled with gold and silver treasures brought from the Thousand Gold Vault, and the Flower Ghosts were moving busily.
The place that was once the residence of the Blood Killing Faction Master had been renamed Namcheon Pavilion.
Changing the name first meant that the owner had changed.
"Should I have just named it Sa-wol Pavilion after Sa-wol?"
Bi-sun, who had come out of the underground stone chamber, thought of Jin Sa-wol and headed for the nine-story Namcheon Pavilion.
Seo Nan, the master of the Hwahwaru, silently approached Bi-sun's side.
"General Manager."
At Seo Nan's voice, Bi-sun showed a smile.
"Miss Seo. You're already here?"
"Yes. As ordered, I looked around the Guryeon Mountains, but there are no special evil sects. Most of the evil sects have been absorbed by the Blood Killing Faction or have scattered. The Blood Killing Faction's notoriety is so high that it is said that even the government troops have given up on the area near the Guryeon Mountains."
Seo Nan's expression as she answered was not very good.
"You don't look well."
When Bi-sun asked, Seo Nan nodded.
"There are no people near the Guryeon Mountains. The villages are all empty, and there are only abandoned houses. There was also a village where white bones were piled up."
"The Blood Killing Faction must have killed them."
"No matter how evil a sect is, if they kill everyone regardless of gender or age, they are no different from beasts."
"It's no different for the orthodox sects. They also don't care about gender or age if they get angry. The only difference between the evil sects and the orthodox sects is that the evil sects have no reason, and the orthodox sects have a pretext. The difference is a single sheet of paper."
Hearing Bi-sun's words, Seo Nan's expression relaxed as if she understood.
"How is Baekgeomun?"
"The Blue Dragon Garden of Baekgeomun is quiet."
The place that managed Guangdong in Baekgeomun was the Blue Dragon Garden, and the Iron Horse Squad that Bi-sun had dealt with a while ago belonged to the Blue Dragon Garden.
Seo Nan asked with a curious face.
"I've been curious for a while, why is the young Jin Sa-wol the leader and not you, General Manager? Looking at your experience and age in the martial world, it seems you would be a better fit, General Manager."
Her question was provocative. But Bi-sun listened purely. Because Seo Nan did not know Jin Sa-wol well yet.
"The most important thing in the martial world is martial arts. The leader's martial arts are such that he would not lose even if he fought the former Demonic Cult Leader, the Cheon Cult Leader. If that's the reason, do you understand?"
"Yes."
Seo Nan answered with a hardened expression. And she understood why Seo Mun-ryeon and Jo-rim were so careful with Jin Sa-wol.
***
Fifteen days later, Hangzhou Fortress.
In the early morning, about ten corpses were floating on the bank of the Qiantang River. Fishermen who had come out on boats early in the morning discovered them and reported them to the authorities. The dead were all people from the famous Ildo Faction in Hangzhou, and that place was also a branch of the Hao Faction.
The rumor spread throughout Hangzhou Fortress in an instant.
Around noon, even the restaurants near West Lake were full of stories of people who had died.
"What on earth is this? I don't know how many people have died in a few days. Yesterday, they said the master of the Seoseo Pavilion and the warriors died."
"That's right. I'm scared to live. Tsk! The day before yesterday, they said the Dongryong Faction and the Seobeom Faction fought a big fight, and dozens of people died or were injured. Why is it like this lately?"
"It seems a war broke out because the leader of the Seobeom Faction was killed by an assassin sent by the Dongryong Faction."
At the murmuring of the people, Jin Sa-wol, who was eating, looked at Geumdo, who was sitting in front of him.
Geumdo was silent.
Since Jin Sa-wol was also silent, the conversation between the two was cut off as if they were strangers.
Geumdo frowned at the words that the dead Sasaru Master's beauty was so outstanding that she had died early, had committed adultery, and had been killed by a man she had given her heart to, and that it was a pity she had died.
Geumdo whispered in a very low voice.
"The Sasaru Master was a branch master that General Manager Sama cherished. The Ildo Faction Master was also a branch master, and the leader of the Seobeom Faction was also a branch master."
"There are many branch masters."
"They are all branches of different organizations."
As he was speaking, Geumdo switched to telepathy as people sat down at a nearby table.
-The Hao Faction has a central faction that the master and the general managers manage directly. The Sasaru Master belongs to the central faction. Besides that, there is a gambling house, a brothel where prostitutes are gathered, and various other organizations. Their leaders are the elders.
-So?
-Since the Hao Faction in Hangzhou has been annihilated, it will be difficult to get information on the Salmun.
In conclusion, it sounded as if they could not find out the main headquarters of the Salmun.
-Does that mean you don't know the main headquarters of the Salmun?
-It will take longer than expected. Our faction's information power is the best in the world, and we will look into a few places that are expected to be the main headquarters of the Salmun.
-For now, it seems we should interrogate the Dongryong Faction. Two days.
At Jin Sa-wol's words, Geumdo nodded. Although two days was tight, he had to find out somehow.
He had to kill the Salmun Master and show the world clearly what would happen if they aimed a sword at the Hao Faction.
***
Bae Deung-shin, the leader of the Dongryong Faction, wanted to become the best in Hangzhou and, furthermore, a well-known evil sect member in Zhejiang.
Since he was young, he had a good physique and was strong, so he had been called a man of great strength.
He gathered his friends, entered Hangzhou Fortress, created the Deungryong Faction, and gradually increased its power. As a result, after about ten years, it became a great faction that occupied half of Hangzhou Fortress.
He had over a hundred subordinates who used their strength, and he had also built up a long friendship with the authorities.
He thought that if he had power, money would gather, and if money gathered, he could do anything.
But now he was hanging upside down in the forest.
He had definitely been drinking a celebratory drink at a brothel after driving out the Seobeom Faction yesterday, but when he opened his eyes, it was a deep forest with no one.
It was an unbelievable situation.
"Fuck! What did I do so wrong!"
Although he shouted with all his might, his voice only echoed, and what came back was a club.
A large club hit his buttocks with a thwack!.
"Keok!"
The person holding the club was Geumdo.
Geumdo had carried the drunk and fallen Bae Deung-shin from a brothel at dawn and had left Hangzhou Fortress.
After that, he had entered a forest with no one, had tied Bae Deung-shin's hands and feet, and had hung him upside down.
The club drew a graceful semicircle and hit Bae Deung-shin's buttocks.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
"Ugh! Keok! It hurts! I said it hurts! You fucking bastard! You dog bastard! I'll kill you!"
Bae Deung-shin shouted and glared at Geumdo. Seeing his face full of killing intent, Geumdo held the club and aimed at his crotch.
"Huh? Wait! Not there! How can a fellow man aim there!"
"If you answer the questions well, you will avoid being a eunuch."
"Ask. Hurry up and ask!"
"I heard you sent an assassin to kill the leader of the Seobeom Faction. Was it an assassin from the Salmun?"
"No! I said no! I didn't send any assassin. I heard this morning that the leader of the Seobeom Faction was dead. So I went to attack. Are you an assassin sent by the Seobeom Faction?"
As Bae Deung-shin threw a question, Geumdo raised the club high. Bae Deung-shin shook his head wildly.
"Sorry! I said I'm sorry!"
"Who did you hear it from?"
"The Mongsangru Master. It's a tea house on the bank of West Lake. He's close to me! If you mention my name, you won't have to pay for tea."
"An informant."
Geumdo showed a smile, put down the club, and drew the saber from his waist.
Bae Deung-shin's eyes widened as he saw the sharp sword.
(End of Chapter)
