[Subordinates have been informed about Geum Man-Jung.] [Contact Geum Man-Jun, a large business manager.]
No matter how many times he saw it, time freezing was always strange to see.
“Captain, there’s a branch managed by Geum Man-Jung around here. I heard that it’s an office of sorts, so we can use it to meet if we head there now.” Yorim pulled something out of his sleeves. “This is how he looks.”
Seol-Hwi took the parchment from Yorim. Geum Man-Jung was an old man with plump cheeks and a long, hooked nose.
“Our information says that he’s usually contacted through secret letters,” Jeok Seong noted. “I think that’s better than going in person.”
A secret letter was a good idea.
“I think meeting face-to-face is better,” Yongjin said. “Geum Man-Jung is from the sect, but he’s ultimately working for our group. Are you sure we need to do anything fancy?”
Seol-Hwi nodded. That was a good point as well.
However, Jeok Seong’s suggestions seemed like the most appropriate approach. Whether they worked for the same organization or not, it wouldn’t be right to show up on his doorstep without notice. Best to stick to protocol.
“I have a different opinion,” Seo Ryeong interjected. “The head instructor told us to contact him first, but there’s something we need to keep in mind: what if Geum Man-Jung is collaborating with our target? We could be in danger.”
Seol-Hwi frowned. He hadn’t thought of that. Of course, he didn’t have a reason to suspect Geum Man-Jung, but it didn’t hurt to be careful.
It’s a good thing I brought all of them. Their different perspectives were valuable—especially Seo Ryeong’s foresight.
“But… Where’s Imugi?”
The team became uncomfortably silent until Seo Ryeong, the most uncomfortable-looking of them all, pointed to the side.
Seol-Hwi’s expression went stiff. Imgui had arrived, but not where they were.
“That happened? Hahaha! You are such a great wife!”
Seol-Hwi didn’t know if he was acting or just playing around, but there he was, giggling in the corner.
“…I’ll get him.” Jeok Seong stood up.
“No, wait.” Seol-Hwi stopped him—but not to cover for Imugi. He knew that Imugi wasn’t stupid, in spite of his strange behavior. If he was openly mingling, there had to be a reason for it.
“He’s coming.” Yongjin sighed and shook his head.
Seol-Hwi raised his hand.
“Captain, I found something.” Imugi smiled brightly. “Where Geum Man-Jung lives and sleeps, who he hangs out with, and where he’s been taking an interest in lately.”
“Huh?”
“Hmm.”
The other members were a little surprised.
“And…” Imugi’s voice dropped into a whisper. “About our man, Baek Yang-Chun.”
Baek Yang-Chun, a 38-year-old disciple of the Mount Hua Sect, was already well-known in Sichuan for his skills. They called him “Yunnan” and “the Loyal Heart Scholar” for his many topics of study. He entered Mount Hua at the age of 20 and learned their martial arts. At the age of 32, he descended from the mountain and gathered his forces—rumor had it he was out to defeat a direct disciple. They also said that his flying martial art was famous, but Seol-Hwi didn’t know enough about the outside world to comment.
In conclusion, people decided he was good because he had good martial arts.
In the guest house, Seol-Hwi ordered his subordinates to gather information. Once he knew Geum Man-Jung’s situation, he’d be able to come up with proper countermeasures.
How much did he earn, and how much money did he send to the Hidden Truth Corps? He left the funding investigation to Yorim. It seemed like it would take a while, so Seol-Hwi gave him about a week.
He sent Jeok Seong to investigate the Blue Dragon Sect where Baek Yang-Chun was located. In the worst-case scenario, Baek Yang-Chun would have to be killed; if that happened, they needed to know the layout of the buildings and the guards.
Yorim was entrusted with researching Geum Man-Jung’s current project.
They also needed to know how big Geum Man-Jung’s business was, so Seo Ryeong was asked to investigate his activities.
And if there was a problem, they had to know what was happening. Seol-Hwi ordered Imugi to investigate people related to Baek Yang-Chun.
If it came down to killing him, the biggest problem was making sure the money kept flowing.
“So…”
After five days, the team gathered.
“Is it true that the funds being sent have decreased since Baek Yang-Chun arrived?”
Yorim nodded. “Right. Baek Yang-Chun demanded about 200 silvers a month from Geum Man-Jung.”
200 silvers was half the monthly funds sent to the Hidden Truth.
“Then we don’t need to look into it further.”
Their problem was Baek Yang-Chun, not Geum Man-Jung.
“What about the Blue Dragon?”
“Yes.” Jeok Seong stepped up. “There are 322 people in the sect. About 200 of them are trainees we don’t need to worry about. The problem is that there are 120 warriors; 30 of them are quite skilled.”
“How skilled…?”
“It doesn’t look like they will be a threat, except for five or six instructors.”
“Hmm.” In other words, there would be about six people at the level of a captain.
“And this is the building layout.” Jeok Seong handed him a map.
“Were there any problems in Geum Man-Jung’s business?” Seol-Hwi asked Yongjin.
“No problems—on the contrary, he was fine. On top of his usury business, leasing, and renting, he’s purchased several shops. He must have accumulated several times more than his past wealth.”
“Hmm.” That was problematic; it seemed like the Hidden Truth didn’t know Geum Man-Jung as well as they thought. “What did you find out about Geum Man-Jung?” he asked Seo Ryeong.
“There were no problems,” she replied, “but there was one unusual point.”
“Oh?”
“Only a few people knew of his whereabouts around two months back.”
“Are you saying his actions were suspicious?”
“Yes. Usually, businessmen don’t travel much—but he was frequently out and about or making appointments with other people.”
“Is he still doing it?”
“Yes. The warriors who usually escort him were replaced.”
“His escorts…” Seol-Hwi pondered for a moment. Seo Ryeong’s foresight had allowed her to discover things others couldn’t. “Imugi. Were there any groups behind Baek Yang-Chun that we should know about?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“They’re connected to Mount Hua.”
“Isn’t that normal?”
“No. Usually, there shouldn’t be much contact with the sect after he descends. However, there were people in Mount Hua who continued to exchange information with him—even elders.”
Seol-Hwi’s eyes widened. That was odd. Connections with Mount Hua’s elder, despite exiting the sect?
He turned to Jeok Seong. “We can contact him, right?”
“Yes. We can head down there right now.”
Seol-Hwi stood up. Time to go see the man. They’d already made an appointment.
Although the Demonic Sect didn’t lie within any city, it had branches in many regions. They allowed the sect to gather funds and information. But the biggest reason was to have a place to hide; they needed a space where they wouldn’t be chased by other sects.
The Demonic Sect’s branch in Sichuan was splendid. The five-story pavilion was as majestic as a castle. Seol-Hwi and his team were escorted into the first floor.
They looked around. The floor was richly carpeted. A beautifully crafted dragon wound across the ceiling, and the entire room was festooned with precious metals and expensive articles.
“Nice to meet you,” an old man with an oily face said. “I am Geum Man-Jung.”
“I am captain Seol-Hwi.”
“I’ve heard about you. Please, take a seat.”
He gestured to the chairs, but Seol-Hwi didn’t respond. There were two reasons.
First, the man standing next to Geum Man-Jung caught his eye.
“H-He’s my escort.”
And therein lay the problem.
Sang Chun-Jang [Rank 3 in the Supreme Pavilion] Body: Normal Health: 4.4 million/4.4 million Internal Energy: 4.5 million/4.5 million Combat Power: 7.2 million
“My name is Sang Chun-Jang.”
When did he contact the Supreme Pavilion? No, how did he get this man as his escort?
But the second reason Seol-Hwi paused was the words floating over Geum Man-Jung’s head.
[Unsealing Scroll 1]
Well, well, what a coincidence. The answer to unsealing his sword was right in front of him.