Chapter 237

Chapter 237
Chapter 237. Seizing the Concealed Perpetrator (2)

“So…… you consented?”

As Dam Ak’s face grew rigid, Gun Yu-hyeon’s expression mirrored that sudden tenseness.

“I informed him that I would seek your perspective first, Strategist Dam. Did I commit an error?”

“……No, that is not it……. I was simply startled because I felt concern for you, Young Master Yu-hyeon. Please do not dwell on it.”

Dam Ak turned his head away, yet Gun Yu-hyeon kept his eyes fixed on him.

“It seems I inserted myself where I wasn’t needed. I genuinely believed it would benefit you, Strategist Dam, so I gave my word……”

“No. It is certain that it will be an asset to me. I spoke only because I feared you and your faction might face repercussions once this ordeal concludes.”

Even though their status within the Black Path Murim had flipped, the Heavenly Crown Sect and Gun Yu-hyeon remained, in essence, lifesavers to Dam Ak.

If not for Gun Yu-hyeon, Dam Ak would have perished during the slaughter at Cheongwa Academy, much like his companions.

Beyond that, Gun Yu-hyeon had supported Dam Ak when he was mired in agony and cursing his fate, and he was currently tracking down the kin of Dam Ak’s academy peers who had vanished.

Dam Ak was fearful that the savior who had shown him such immense kindness might be thrust into a perilous situation due to Jin So-un’s ego.

Gun Yu-hyeon, his features softening after a moment, gave his usual gentle smile.

“There is no cause for you to fret over that. While the Heavenly Crown Sect may lack vast authority, we are not so fragile that we must behave with submission wherever we tread, are we?”

“……”

If matters were truly as Gun Yu-hyeon claimed, there should be no worry, yet was the reality not vastly different?

Even if the irritation known as the Murim Alliance’s Envoy Delegation exposed the real killer, Gun Yu-hyeon might be labeled an informant and face unforeseen retribution later.

If harm were to befall him……

Just as Dam Ak was about to descend into a spiral of thoughts.

“Ah, now that I mention it……”

Gun Yu-hyeon produced a piece of paper from his sleeve.

“We located the kin of an individual named Shin Il-seong, one of your peers from the academy.”

“T-truly?”

How long had he endured this waiting?

Dam Ak pushed aside his previous anxieties as if they had vanished entirely, opened the note, and read the contents.

However.

“……”

With every word he processed, Dam Ak’s features contorted slightly.

Gun Yu-hyeon’s calm tone stirred the stagnant air.

“My condolences.”

“……”

Clench.

Without conscious thought, Dam Ak squeezed the paper until his knuckles turned ivory.

The update he had so desperately yearned for.

……Was news he had prayed never to receive.

“It appears their means of survival vanished, forcing them to flee into the mountains to escape famine. There, brigands……”

“Cease, cease…… You need say nothing more.”

As if struggling to contain his inner turmoil, Dam Ak squeezed his eyes shut.

Gun Yu-hyeon’s face, as he observed him, was heavy with sympathy.

“I no longer know if pursuing this task serves you, Strategist Dam.”

At that remark laden with doubt, Dam Ak forced himself to compose his features and answered as if he were fine.

“……Please persist in your search for them, for my sake. That is truly how you can assist me.”

Gun Yu-hyeon gave a slow nod.

“Understood.”

Gun Yu-hyeon cast one final glance at Dam Ak, who still clutched the note, then quietly stood up.

After exiting Dam Ak’s living quarters, he gazed up at the night sky and began tallying the stars.

The more fluidly his hands gestured through the air, the more his anxious expression gradually smoothed, until finally, a look of quiet satisfaction took root.

“Since the celestial patterns are auspicious, this will end favorably. What a relief.”

He dropped the hand that had been measuring the constellations and resumed walking.

Gun Yu-hyeon faded into the gloom.

And as the sun rose, displacing the stars that had slipped away unnoticed.

Gal Mun-jeong of the Four Dragons Sect was discovered lifeless.

In the early twilight before dawn, Il-myeong was making preparations for a trip to the marketplace.

“I intend to procure basic provisions.”

Ever since tainted sustenance and water had infiltrated the quarters, Flame Ghost Consort had conducted aggressive interrogations of the staff to unmask the poisoner, but the culprit remained elusive.

Cha Seok-du, upon hearing that toxin had been found in the meals provided to the Envoy Delegation, was filled with rage and ordered that food be fetched exclusively from the Alliance Leader’s Pavilion.

However, poison was again detected in some of those items, and it became clear the staff were not the ones responsible.

“The toxin is not exceptionally potent, so if properly neutralized, consuming it won’t pose a risk.”

Dang Seo-hui said this with composure while ingesting the tainted food, but a master of the Sichuan Tang Clan’s toxic arts and an ordinary person do not share the same level of immunity.

With a convalescent among their ranks, Il-myeong had no choice but to use the shroud of darkness to acquire supplies from outside.

“Do you require anything else?”

“These are essential for the Delegation Leader’s recovery.”

Dang Seo-hui handed him a list of medicinal herbs.

Even though Ak Byeong-bi had survived through sheer tenacity, his current state remained precarious, and his recovery was a pressing issue.

If the food supply had been compromised, there was no reason to believe the medicine was safe.

A deeply troublesome situation was developing on multiple fronts.

I handed a package and the Black Token to Il-myeong, who was readying to depart.

“If you display this at your belt while moving through the market, someone will inevitably approach to question your identity, Senior Il-myeong.”

“They will approach even if I remain stationary?”

I pressed the Black Token into his palm and flashed a grin.

“Presenting this Black Token signifies that you have paid a visit to a ‘certain place,’ you see.”

Il-myeong tilted his head, seemingly confused.

I leaned toward his ear and whispered softly.

“The Hao Gate.”

“……!”

Il-myeong’s eyes bulged immediately.

“Could it be, Benefactor Jin…… you are a ‘Guest Retainer’ of the Hao Gate?!”

I gave a steady nod.

“Indeed.”

“……”

Il-myeong shifted his gaze between me and the Black Token with profound disbelief.

“No…… How can you speak of being a Guest Retainer of the Hao Gate as if you were merely mentioning becoming a regular patron at a local eatery……!”

That is hardly the priority right now, you bald man.

I settled Il-myeong, whose scalp was flushing with agitation, and added,

“If you provide my name and state your needs, they will fulfill them with haste. And please deliver this bundle.”

“What is contained within?”

“The singular key to solving this mystery.”

“The key……”

Il-myeong fixed his gaze on the bundle before stowing it securely inside his robes.

It seemed his nerves had finally steadied.

I gave him a slight bow.

“Go safely, then.”

Moments later, just as Il-myeong unlatched the door to exit.

Thud-

An armored warrior blocked the passage and stepped inside.

Despite being physically pushed back before he could defend himself, Il-myeong asked with formal courtesy,

“May I ask your identity?”

The man was none other than Hwang Bu-sik.

“……”

Hwang Bu-sik shoved Il-myeong aside when he attempted to leave again and pushed into the room. He stared intently at Il-myeong near the doorway.

His gaze was piercing, as if he intended to bore through Il-myeong’s head.

I took a step toward him.

“To what do I owe this visit before dawn?”

At my inquiry, Hwang Bu-sik slowly dragged his eyes toward me.

He surveyed me with a completely blank expression, then fixed his sight on Blood Battle once more.

“……Elder, was this man, Il-myeong, present here for the duration of the night?”

What is this? What is the motive behind such a query?

Surely……

Struck by a dark premonition, I glanced at Blood Battle.

Blood Battle, confused by the sudden interrogation, answered,

“Indeed.”

However, Hwang Bu-sik did not easily retreat.

“……Are you absolutely certain?”

“Eh?”

The overt suspicion and distrust were etched across Hwang Bu-sik’s face.

Blood Battle’s tone turned frigid instantly.

“Must I provide an answer to that?”

“……”

Hwang Bu-sik pivoted and stared at Flame Ghost Consort.

Though he said nothing, it was evident he held identical doubts regarding her.

“You insolent fool……!”

As Blood Battle’s complexion deepened in anger, Flame Ghost Consort released a soft sigh.

“……That is correct. Throughout last night, Il-myeong did not venture a single step from this room.”

She then moved toward Hwang Bu-sik and smiled brightly.

“But little brother……. Are you not going to explain why you are acting with such discourtesy?”

Seeing Flame Ghost Consort’s smile as she masked her fury, Hwang Bu-sik finally exhaled and bowed his head.

“……I offer my apologies.”

He shook his head as if struggling to center himself, then looked up again.

“Last night, Four Dragons Sect Leader Gal Mun-jeong was found dead.”

“……!”

“What?”

He then fixed a glare on Il-myeong and declared,

“Clear markers of the Diamond One-Finger and the Diamond Fist were identified on the body.”

“Hah!”

“What does that imply……”

Everyone inside the room knew the truth.

Il-myeong had not committed the murder.

Yet, simultaneously, everyone grasped the grim reality.

The masses would surely think, “Il-myeong is the killer.”

I questioned Hwang Bu-sik,

“Were those markings truly the Diamond One-Finger and Diamond Fist?”

“……What is your point?”

“I am asking if you are positive. Could they be imitations, perhaps someone mimicking the Ak Clan’s spear techniques?”

Hwang Bu-sik emanated a killing aura and ground his teeth.

“They are indisputable. I was once struck by the Diamond One-Finger myself years ago.”

Hmm, is that so?

I nodded in compliance.

“Then it must be accurate.”

“……What are your intentions now? You have squandered your chance to escape.”

Why does he feel rage when we are the ones who lost our exit?

A curious man, indeed.

I shrugged and replied,

“More importantly, permit me to ask another favor.”

“Do not request that I forge an escape path. I have no ambition to become a Public Enemy of the Black Thought Alliance……”

“No! Not that. Please visit the market on our behalf.”

“……The market?”

Hwang Bu-sik looked completely bewildered, as if he could not comprehend the request.

I clarified for the dazed man.

“Now that Senior Il-myeong has been framed as an assassin, would it not create a major incident if he were caught moving about freely?”

“……”

So you go to the market and perform our shopping instead.

The atmosphere of the Black Thought Alliance, which had been simmering with rage like a storm brewing, now turned into a powder keg awaiting a spark.

Those who had been drowning their frustrations in liquor, and those awaiting instructions from their superiors, all grabbed their weapons and converged on the pavilion.

A full day had elapsed since Do Bong-su perished.

Before any real inquiry could begin, before the cause of death had been verified, Gal Mun-jeong’s body was recovered, and the tolerance of the Black Path members finally shattered.

Moreover, the unmistakable Fist Form discovered on Gal Mun-jeong’s corpse had been whispered about, pointing directly at Il-myeong of the Envoy Delegation as the murderer.

In a sense, their rage was natural; they were incensed by the inaction of their leaders, who did nothing while the apparent culprits from the Envoy Delegation remained at large.

Abandoning the noble objective of resisting the Murim Alliance, they poured their boiling resentment into the stones and masonry fragments they grasped in their hands.

CRASH!

CRASH!

BOOM!

Some even brandished spears and axes distributed by the Black Thought Alliance.

That served as a testament to just how far the fury of the Black Path members had escalated.

“The Murim Alliance must surrender and answer for their atrocities!”

“How long will you tolerate such underhanded schemes?!”

“Why wait any longer? Let us storm in and sever those bastards’ throats!”

Even as deaths continued to mount, the leadership remained passive, and Jin So-un was arrogantly claiming he would find the killer, despite the evidence pointing to the Envoy Delegation. To the rank and file, this was no longer tolerable.

“Was not Cha Seok-du, who requested the Murim Alliance send this delegation to the Founding Ceremony in the first place, the root of the problem?”

“Cha Seok-du and a faction of the leaders have forged a pact with the Black Flame Dragon. They are clearly using the Black Flame Dragon to purge political rivals!”

“Let us hang both the Envoy Delegation and Cha Seok-du!”

The collective rage surged in a single direction, and no one dared to oppose it.

To counter this one-sided narrative, different proof was required, but every scrap of evidence only served to deepen the suspicion against the Envoy Delegation.

Gun Yu-hyeon, who had arrived at the pavilion as promised, observed the unfolding chaos outside and asked me with concern,

“Are you…… quite all right?”

“Thanks to the diligence of those two supreme masters over there, we remain unharmed.”

He observed the debris—stones, spear tips, arrows, and hand axes—strewn around Blood Battle and Flame Ghost Consort, yet his expression remained tight.

Hmm, the interior had become a disaster area; did those fools outside realize that the Black Thought Alliance’s treasury would have to cover the repairs?

Seeing my absolute lack of alarm, Gun Yu-hyeon became even more restless.

“We cannot continue like this. I will petition Strategist Dam to dispatch martial artists from Four Emperors Peak, at the very least.”

“Ah, it is unnecessary. To be honest, I have merely been preventing those two from stepping outside to shatter the ankles of those idiots gathered there.”

“……Pardon?”

I rolled my shoulders and smiled brightly at Gun Yu-hyeon.

“I mean, I intend to resolve this matter now, so there is no need to disturb important people.”

“Resolve…… it?”

“Indeed.”

If I had only witnessed the deaths of Gu Gye-ak and Do Bong-su, I might have struggled more to identify the perpetrator.

However, after reviewing the new intelligence I gathered while ostensibly investigating.

And finally, seeing the distinct Fist Form left on Gal Mun-jeong’s corpse, even if others remained in the dark, I was certain of the culprit.

“Who is the perpetrator?”

Gun Yu-hyeon, usually composed, asked with caution.

“Ah, I require your assistance with that aspect, Young Master Yu-hyeon. Will you accompany me?”

Gun Yu-hyeon possessed intelligence not only on us, members of the Murim Alliance, but also on the majority of those staying within the Black Thought Alliance.

Moreover, his calculations were so rapid that his mind operated at a blistering pace.

Traveling alongside him would be the most efficient strategy.

Upon my request, Gun Yu-hyeon appeared hesitant.

“……Must I accompany you as well?”

“Indeed.”

He had promised his help, but it appeared even Gun Yu-hyeon was reluctant to step into the fray given the current volatility.

He is more timid than I anticipated.

I patted him on the shoulder.

“You need not worry. We have the finest guard.”

At my comment, Blood Battle, who had been stretching his limbs with various aggressive grimaces, roared.

“Who is a guard?!”

Gun Yu-hyeon glanced at Blood Battle and whispered to me warily.

“Can you truly apprehend the perpetrator?”

I could state it with total certainty.

I could apprehend them.

I already possessed a solid theory regarding their identity.

To think those bastards had infiltrated this place.

I had assumed they would only mobilize once full-scale war erupted.

‘Twin-Shadow Vicious Demon Brigade.’

Even among the Demonic Cult’s specialized units, they were a spy division so vile and cunning that the mere thought of them made one’s blood boil.

To think these treacherous hounds were currently executing a scheme of killing with a borrowed knife inside the Black Thought Alliance.

Fine.

“I do not intend to simply apprehend them.”

“Pardon? What does that imply……”

This exceeded the grievances of the current incident.

It was time to collect on the debts from my past life as well.

“I am going to tear those bastards to pieces.”