The Namcheon Pavilion's nine-story pavilion had the seventh floor as Bi-sun's office. The eighth floor was Jin Sa-wol's study and office, and the ninth floor was made into Jin Sa-wol's chamber.
The most important person in the Namcheonhoe was, no matter what anyone said, Jin Sa-wol. The leader's room was the most important.
Bi-sun organized the eighth and ninth floors and came down to the seventh floor.
As he passed the tea room and entered the office, Seo Nan greeted him.
"General Manager."
She showed a smile and held out two red letters to Bi-sun. As the red color caught his eye, Bi-sun frowned.
"Where did this come from?"
"It came secretly from the Demonic Cult."
"Is there anyone in the Demonic Cult who would secretly send us a letter?"
Bi-sun felt that something was unusual because there were two letters, not just one. It was an instinctive feeling.
"Who brought it?"
"It's a letter that came through the hands of the Fifth Pavilion Master. The Fifth Pavilion Master is coming down with Pavilion Master Jo now."
The Fifth Pavilion Master of the Hwahwaru was Seo Mun-jeong, who was a relative of Seo Mun-ryeon. She was scheduled to join the Namcheonhoe, and Bi-sun also knew that fact well.
"It was originally sent to the inn, but since there was no one at the inn, it was brought here."
"Who sent it?"
"I didn't open it."
At Seo Nan's answer, Bi-sun nodded and opened the letter.
Although it was addressed to Jin Sa-wol, Jin Sa-wol was not here now, and the red color meant urgency.
Bi-sun unfolded the letter and read it slowly.
-The Blood Martial Pavilion has lost its place, so I would like to temporarily rely on the inn.
"Hmph!"
A smile appeared on Bi-sun's lips without him realizing it. Because he knew that the urgency was the survival of the Blood Martial Pavilion.
"It seems the Dokgo Cult Leader is trying to get rid of the Blood Martial Pavilion. The Blood Martial Pavilion Master is saying that he will rely on the leader."
"Since the Blood Martial Pavilion Master joined hands with Gung Ma-yeop and fought the Dokgo family, it's natural for him to be cast out."
As Seo Nan said, Dokgo Hyeon had organized those who had been with Gung Ma-yeop, and the Blood Martial Pavilion was also included among them.
The Blood Martial Pavilion Master was currently hiding in the Minshan Mountains in northern Sichuan and had expressed his intention to come whenever he was called.
As he unfolded the next page, a familiar name was written this time.
-I am Lee Mak-jeong, the master of the Blood Saber Hall. I will go to the inn, so prepare some food.
Lee Mak-jeong's letter was not long, so he read it quickly. Bi-sun folded the letter and then frowned.
The Blood Martial Pavilion was waiting in the Minshan Mountains, so there was no problem, but if Lee Mak-jeong came to the inn, there was a possibility that the Martial Alliance would also move.
"Where is the Seo Mun Master?"
"I heard she crossed the Poyang Lake in the morning."
"It's a long way to come."
Bi-sun shook his head. He wanted to tell Lee Mak-jeong not to come and to live his own life through the Hao Faction, but he couldn't do that right now.
As he showed Lee Mak-jeong's letter to Seo Nan, her expression hardened noticeably.
"He's a crazy bastard. Why is this bastard trying to come here?"
Lee Mak-jeong was the best master among Gung Ma-yeop's disciples. It was only natural for him to seem like a person that the Namcheonhoe could not handle.
Unlike the Blood Martial Pavilion Master, Lee Mak-jeong was a burdensome opponent for Bi-sun, so he did not welcome his coming.
"When was the letter sent?"
"I don't know that either. It seems to have been at least five days."
"If it's five days, he must have passed Chang'an. If he has a brain, he will cross to Chongqing and use the Yangtze River, and if he has no brain, he will cross the Yellow River."
"I'm sure of it, this master will definitely cross the Yellow River. Because he's ignorant. He won't listen even if someone advises him from the side. I'm willing to bet."
At Seo Nan's answer, Bi-sun frowned.
It really seemed so.
***
A group of about six hundred people were sitting and resting in a wide plain in the southeast of Luoyang Fortress.
There was a forest on one side, and dozens of people were sitting or lying down near it.
They looked tired as if they had made a forced march.
Had they rested for about a shikyeong (two hours)...
In the distance, with the sound of horse hooves, the earth began to vibrate.
"What is it?"
Lee Mak-jeong, who had been sleeping in the shade, stood up with a large saber on his back.
It was only natural that he would wake up as the ground vibrated.
He had chosen to go to the Central Plains after discussing with his subordinates. He thought it was better to go to the livable Central Plains than to go to Xinjiang.
But as he crossed Luoyang, the Martial Alliance appeared.
He looked at the hundreds of horses rushing in and the hundreds of blue crowds running behind them with an annoyed expression.
"The flag says 'North Wind'. The other flag also shows 'Alliance'."
"You stupid bastard. Anyone can see it's the Martial Alliance. Can't you see?"
Lee Mak-jeong, who had hit his subordinate on the back of the head with a ttak! sound, clicked his tongue and walked to the plain. His subordinates all stood up and followed him.
Among the group of the Martial Alliance who had read the movement of Lee Mak-jeong and his subordinates, about ten horses broke away faster and approached Lee Mak-jeong's front.
When they approached about twenty zhang, the horses also stopped. One of them slowly approached Lee Mak-jeong with a ttagak! ttagak! sound of horse hooves.
On the horse was a man in his mid-thirties with a neat appearance, wearing a blue martial arts uniform.
"I am Gok Gwan of the Hwasan Sect. I am in charge of the first squad of the Martial Alliance's North Wind Division."
Lee Mak-jeong raised his head at Gok Gwan, who was introducing himself. As he looked at Gok Gwan, who was sitting on the horse and looking down at him, Lee Mak-jeong's mood worsened.
He saw arrogance on Gok Gwan's face and felt a condescending gaze.
"The Demonic Cult bastards can no longer enter the Central Plains. If you turn your body as you are and return to the deep mountains where you live, I will not hold you back."
"You crazy bastard. How dare you look down? Have you seen an arrogant bastard?"
With his words, Lee Mak-jeong's large saber swung diagonally with a whoosh!, cutting the empty air.
Immediately after, with a thwack! sound, the head of the horse Gok Gwan was riding was cut in half.
"Hmph! This bastard!"
Gok Gwan was startled, shouted, and stumbled as he jumped off the horse.
As a huge amount of blood spurted from the horse, Gok Gwan's subordinates shouted and rushed in.
"Grand Master!"
"The Grand Master is dead! Attack them!"
"Waaaaaah!"
A loud roar echoed.
Although Lee Mak-jeong had only cut the horse, Gok Gwan's subordinates mistook it as an attack on Gok Gwan.
As blood spurted and Gok Gwan came down from the horse, it looked as if he had been seriously injured or had died.
It was an attack that had occurred due to a misunderstanding.
Lee Mak-jeong swung his large saber at the rushing Martial Alliance warriors and shouted.
"The ones who started the fight first are the Martial Alliance! Attack! Kill all those who block our way!"
"Waaaaaah!"
With a roar, the Demonic Cult members, including the Blood Saber Hall and the Blood Sun Palace, who belonged to Gung Ma-yeop, drew their sabers and followed Lee Mak-jeong.
As Lee Mak-jeong's large saber drew a huge semicircle in the empty air with a bung! sound, the five warriors who were attacking him were cut on their waists and chests and flew back.
"Kraaak!"
"Ugh!"
"Break through! Get out of the way!"
Lee Mak-jeong shouted, ran forward, and cut down all the Martial Alliance warriors who were blocking his way.
***
Thump!
Son Muk, who had hit the desk, held his forehead and threw the letter.
"Is the Grand Master bastard crazy? Why did he go out alone and get himself killed!"
Son Muk was dumbfounded when he learned of the death of Gok Gwan, the first squad leader of the North Wind Division, who had fought Lee Mak-jeong in Luoyang.
It was an absurd thing.
He had only ordered him to hold Lee Mak-jeong's feet, not to fight. It seemed he had taken it as a fight.
Son Muk's eyes turned to the middle-aged man standing by the door. He bowed his head and did not lift it.
"No, why did he attack first! Huh! How cunning are the Demonic Cult bastards, so why did he make a preemptive attack! It could have been a bait thrown by the Demonic Cult to start a war with our alliance! Why didn't he know that! Heok! Heok!"
Son Muk, panting, gasped for breath, drank water, and then asked the middle-aged man.
"Where are the Demonic Cult bastards?"
"They have passed Huichang and are heading south."
"Already? No, didn't you just inform me that the first squad leader had died in Luoyang? How can they move so fast?"
"It seems they are making a forced march."
"What is their destination?"
"I don't know that either."
"We have to subdue them, so send the entire North Wind Division. And we need to know their purpose, so send a fast person to try to negotiate."
"What kind of negotiation?"
"Do it yourself! Anything! Bring them alcohol and food! Just tie their feet for now!"
Son Muk shouted and raised his voice again with a rough tone.
"Should I go to the Alliance Leader and report that the Demonic Cult bastards have come right in front of the Martial Alliance, but we don't know why they came! If he asks what their purpose is, should I answer that I don't know?!"
Son Muk's shouting continued.
"And why is the report so late! They've gone down to Huichang, so why! are you telling me now!"
Son Muk wanted to curse, but he was barely holding it in.
His shouting pierced the roof.
Jin Sa-wol, who was sitting next to a dark pillar on the ceiling, also heard Son Muk's shouting well.
'Did the Demonic Cult invade the Central Plains?'
Since he didn't know the situation well, Jin Sa-wol could have been mistaken. But he didn't care because he wasn't interested.
Jin Sa-wol's interest was in Gwak Ji of the Jongnam Sect and Wang Hong, the traitor of the Hao Faction.
With a hudadak! thump! thump! sound, Son Muk's figure, who was leaving the house, was seen.
Seeing him running in a hurry, it seemed he was in a hurry.
As he went out, Jin Sa-wol turned his eyes towards the presence that had just appeared.
A black sphere was moving, wriggling, between the shadows of the wall behind the pillar.
The black sphere, which was slowly coming down, slowly turned into a masked woman. Although it was a similar appearance to Jo-rim's stealth technique, it had a more crude feeling.
Jin Sa-wol observed the masked person wearing a black night-walking suit with curiosity.
The masked person seemed to be looking for something. The masked person, who had been searching the room for a long time, hid in the shadows again upon hearing footsteps.
Immediately after her presence disappeared, maids entered the room.
***
A black shadow moved silently through the gaps in the trees beyond the wall.
The shadow passed the garden, flowed into the house like water, and then disappeared a short while later.
Wang Hong, who had gotten up from the floor next to Gwak Ji, who was lying on the bed, examined the still-sleeping Gwak Ji.
Since she had fed him a decoction with a sleeping pill, he would not wake up for a while.
"You poor man... Tsk! Tsk! Everyone will try to use you."
Wang Hong clicked her tongue and stroked the sleeping Gwak Ji's cheek. In that instant, Wang Hong's whole body stiffened.
Wang Hong rolled her eyes and looked around, but she couldn't see anything.
"Ugh!"
She tried to speak, but her voice wouldn't come out. She finally noticed that her acupoints for speech and movement had been suppressed at the same time.
Immediately after, she closed her eyes and lost consciousness.
Thud!
Jin Sa-wol was standing next to the fallen Wang Hong.
Jin Sa-wol sat in a chair and rested, waiting for the sun to set.
If he were alone, he could leave the alliance now. But if he had to take one person out, night was better.
(End of Chapter)
