Chapter 471

Chapter 471
## Chapter 471. Finding Evidence (1)

—

The fury of the helpless carried no weight. That was simply because they lacked the means to act. Their only recourse was to lean on those equally powerless, sharing their grievances, or to obsessively sharpen their weapons. Yet, no matter how keen they made those edges, it never transformed into authentic strength. Resentment that found no outlet would ultimately turn inward, piercing the person who harbored it.

In my previous existence, after deserting the front lines entirely on my own, I ground my blade against the Murim Alliance while clinging to my recollections to mask my own cowardice. When the end arrived, I did not offer my breath to the Heavenly Pure Divine Sword (Yong So-a), who had journeyed from the North Sea specifically to find me; instead, I fell by the hand of my foe, Gwak Gung. Even if Gwak Gung had not appeared at that precise instant, my life would not have concluded because of Yong So-a. At that juncture, I had already steeled myself to leap into a chasm a thousand feet deep.

The fury of the helpless carried no weight. Even so, it possessed a stubborn endurance that outlasted the wrath of the mighty. Even if it evolved into a weapon that eventually tore into oneself. Knowing that truth so intimately made me absolutely certain.

“The Tang-hyeon Sect is up to something.”

“….”

“Without a doubt.”

I kept the sensations I had experienced to myself rather than sharing them with the companions. I merely repeated my conviction regarding the anomalies I had observed.

“Um…”

Danmok Gyo-ryeon offered a hesitant remark.

“Might it be a simple misinterpretation or a blunder? Ah! I do not mean that *Danjunim* committed an error, but rather the Tang-hyeon Sect itself.”

“Naturally, that is a possibility, but if so, what reason did the General Manager have to place such heavy emphasis on the precise count of four hundred and eighty-eight individuals?”

It was highly likely that General Manager Sang Ja-yang remained unaware that my recollection was flawless. Who on earth could spot and declare with certainty that a mere ten individuals had been replaced within a gathering of four hundred and eighty-eight? On top of that, Sang Ja-yang had casually remarked that ‘every single follower of the Tang-hyeon Sect has ceased their chores and remains assembled inside the compound.’ He claimed this was a holiday meant to receive the delegates for the Yong-bong Association’s arrival.

“….”
“….”
“….”

As I laid out that final detail, a heavy quiet fell over the room. These assertions were, when it came down to it, nothing more than conjecture. Stripping away the internal impressions I felt, these observations fell short of proving their guilt. Nobody spoke up. The primary obstacle at present was that the authority to act was splintered between two paths. Although the official in charge of the scrutiny was the Leader of the Yong-bong Association, the presence of Il-gak and myself made it awkward for either the Leader or the two of us to take the initiative.

I reached a conclusion.

“In the end, the responsibility for this scrutiny lies with the Leader of the Yong-bong Association. I am merely offering my perspective. I shall comply with whatever course the Leader chooses.”

“…!”

Gwak Su-san looked caught off guard, though he did not conceal his stance.

“*Danju*, are you absolutely positive?”

It had been quite some time since the Sa-hwal Squad was dissolved, yet I wondered how much longer he intended to address me as *Danju*.

“Regrettably, I am certain.”

“…Is that the case?”

The period of hesitation was brief.

“In that case, let us commence the scrutiny in earnest.”

Gwak Su-san reached his verdict.

The moment the dawn light crept in, we approached Sang Ja-yang, who had gotten there ahead of us, expressing our desire to examine the interior premises of the Tang-hyeon Sect once more.

“…Once more, you say?”

“We failed to observe the Tang-hyeon Sect thoroughly due to our haste yesterday.”

“….”

Faced with such an overt demand, Sang Ja-yang’s features tightened in irritation, though he quickly masked his expression.

“If that is your wish, then by all means.”

Despite the awkwardness, Sang Ja-yang acquiesced without demanding an explanation.

“Ah, given that we need to inspect the outer grounds regardless, perhaps we could separate into two parties?”

“But there is only one of me to guide you.”

“We received ample commentary yesterday, so it shouldn’t matter if the party examining the internal structures goes without the General Manager’s direct supervision, correct?”

“…Do as you please.”

With a distinctly cool demeanor, Sang Ja-yang granted his consent, and our group split into two.

“Indeed, this is the agricultural land that the Tang-hyeon Sect has preserved across generations.”

Likely owing to our morning discussion, Sang Ja-yang’s behavior was markedly different from the previous day. Looking somewhat drained of enthusiasm, he delivered his rigid explanations like a man merely checking boxes, devoid of any genuine feeling. After showing us the Tang-hyeon Sect’s agricultural plots and fields, along with the laborers managing them, we toured the commercial shops run by the Tang-hyeon Sect in the adjacent settlement, but nothing out of the ordinary caught our eye.

“Hmm…”

The alternate party had met with a similar lack of success. By the time evening came and we sat down to eat, a gloomy air had settled over our table.

“The tension is absolutely suffocating.”

Seo Cheon-pung, who normally delighted in spirits and camaraderie, rolled his head back.

“It feels like everyone has realized we are distrustful of them, and they are behaving quite stiffly.”

Just as Seo Cheon-pung noted, it extended beyond the rank-and-file disciples of the Tang-hyeon Sect. Sang Ja-yang and the senior figures were likewise beginning to display irritation at our transparent behavior.

“Jin *Danju*.”

Inevitably, the frustration shifted in my direction.

“Are we absolutely certain that something is amiss here?”

I understood all too well how draining it was to harbor suspicion toward hosts who had shown nothing but hospitality. Thus, it was entirely logical that their irritation would project onto me. Even I found myself beginning to question if I had overlooked a detail or if they had simply made an honest mistake. Furthermore, the statements uttered by the Sect Leader the previous day had been turning over in my mind since morning. I wondered if crossing that line was truly so effortless, regardless of how deep one’s fury ran.

Yet, I swiftly purged all such wishful thinking from my consciousness. There are truths that can only be perceived because it is me. There are facts that can only be verified because it is me.

‘If I were in their shoes…’

If I occupied the position of the Tang-hyeon Sect Leader. If I were the individual burdened with the fates of nearly five hundred souls.

“A bit earlier, during the evening meal, I took another tally of the Tang-hyeon followers outside the mess hall.”

“….”

“Four hundred and eighty-eight individuals. And once again, five people have been substituted.”

“…!!!”

If I were the Tang-hyeon Sect Leader, I would have stepped over that threshold without a second thought.

Broadly speaking, there are two distinct approaches to a scrutiny. The overt investigation managed by the White Officials of the Inspection Bureau, and the clandestine operations where the Black Officials slip into the shadows. Arriving under the guise of White Officials, we had come up entirely empty-handed; from this point forward, we had to adopt the tactics of the Black Officials.

“If word leaks out that the Yong-bong Association operated as common thieves within the very sect that welcomed them as honored guests, every remaining investigation is finished. Do you grasp the weight of this?”

We resolved to select only those possessing elite stealth and the capacity to entirely erase their presence for the nocturnal search. Opinions were split regarding whether to permit Il-gak to join, but the matter was settled by wrapping his head in a dark cloth. I attempted to block his involvement until the very end, but I relented because the aura emanating from Il-gak felt distinctly unusual.

It was settled that a group of five—Gwak Su-san, Cheon Yu-gang, Danmok Gyo-ryeon, Il-gak, and myself—would venture out into the dark. Unlike pure stealth, concealing one’s presence entirely was tied to the depth of one’s inner cultivation, so I opted to reconnoiter the most heavily guarded Sect Leader’s Pavilion, alongside the Elders’ Pavilion and the quarters hosting the ranking leaders.

“Precisely one double-hour (*si-jin*). Regardless of what you uncover in that span, make your way back. Is that understood?”

The other four scaled the wall ahead of me. Truly, as expected of individuals handpicked from an already elite pool, not a single one produced the faintest sound upon landing. Once the figures of the infiltration team vanished from sight, I made my way toward the Elders’ Pavilion, utilizing the Breath-Holding Step (*Gwi-sik-haeng-bo*).

If the Tang-hyeon Sect were executing a hidden plot, they could not possibly keep their highest-ranking elders in the dark. It is a fundamental tenet of the Orthodox path that those with tainted legitimacy cannot ascend to the position of Sect Leader. This mirrors the reality that most unorthodox Black Path factions lack an Elders’ Pavilion altogether. Yet, no unusual noises or covert signals drifted from the structure. Only the rhythmic sound of deep slumber reached my ears.

Seizing the moment a cluster of clouds obscured the moonlight, I slipped deep into the interior of the Elders’ Pavilion, but my search yielded no hidden mechanisms or suspicious items. Moving on, I directed my steps toward the residential quarters of the junior leaders. A few who had not yet drifted off to sleep were engaged in a quiet discussion.

“Hwang Gi-u’s progress is advancing with every passing day.”

“I am actually contemplating initiating his comprehensive martial training in the near future. The boy is finding it counterproductive to practice alongside his peers now. I am also considering taking him on as a formal disciple.”

“Is that not a bit premature? Are his folks pushing for it?”

“The lad is an orphan. It appears he is eager to secure a position as a caravan guard to support his younger martial siblings. He grew restless upon discovering the exorbitant fees required for the Murim Academy’s standard examinations.”

“Tsk, tsk. A youngster with talent of that caliber isn’t even aiming to enroll himself.”

“He brought you to mind, which is why I found his character so admirable.”

“That is precisely my point. Even with that kind of backing, I ultimately failed to clear those standard examinations.”

“Are such milestones achieved through mere desire alone?”

Because the junior leaders remained awake, I was unable to penetrate deeply into their quarters, but nothing out of the ordinary manifested there either. To be thorough, I even scanned the space beneath the floorboards, but it yielded nothing. I had investigated only two locations, yet half of our allotted double-hour had already slipped away.

‘I have time left to inspect only one final location…’

The quarters of the first-generation disciples, the administrative chambers, or the Sect Leader’s Pavilion. After a brief internal debate, I settled on the Sect Leader’s Pavilion. At the end of the day, if a conspiracy was being orchestrated, it had to originate from the current master of the sect. Exercising greater caution than I ever had before, I pulled myself onto the roof of the Sect Leader’s Pavilion.

I carefully shifted a few tiles to peer into the space below. As fortune would have it, a mildly intoxicated Mak Hyo-wol and Sang Ja-yang were sharing a quiet exchange inside the room.

“Rest your mind; is this entire endeavor not ultimately for the benefit of the *Kangho*?”

“Even so, I believe it goes too far. There remains a boundary of propriety that must be maintained in these affairs, does there not?”

“I… I offer my apologies.”

“No, what reason does the Sect Leader have to apologize… *Sigh*. Still, you have been turning to the bottle quite frequently of late.”

“Hmm? Have I?”

“Is there a matter weighing on your mind?”

“…I am thinking of Jin So-un.”

Suddenly, my own name slipped from his lips, nearly causing me to break my concentration and expose my presence. Fortunately, it appeared neither Sang Ja-yang nor Mak Hyo-wol caught the slight shift, allowing me to continue monitoring their exchange.

“Did that individual offer some insult to the Sect Leader?”

“No, it is quite the opposite. Rather, he offered words of validation.”

“…?”

A poignant melancholy drifted across Mak Hyo-wol’s features, illuminated by the pale moonlight.

“He claimed to comprehend my fury. He spoke as though he recognized my dread.”

Mak Hyo-wol hesitated for a beat before offering more.

“It is profoundly peculiar. Those sentiments struck me as entirely genuine. Despite him being a young man who could not possibly have encountered such hardships.”

“Sect Leader…”

“Which is why, Ja-yang. I grieve to say this to you, but…”

Just as Mak Hyo-wol was on the verge of finishing his thought.

*Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!*

A piercing, metallic alarm shattered the silence of the night. Instinct immediately flared within me. This disruption had been triggered by a member of our own party. Leaving the rooftop without a moment’s delay, I darted back toward our guest quarters. Utilizing every ounce of my stealth, I slipped back into our rooms as rapidly as humanly possible.

“Gasp!”

Wi Gong-un, who had remained behind in the quarters, recoiled in shock at my sudden arrival, but I had no time to offer reassurance. I frantically tore off my espionage gear and changed. Seconds later, Il-gak, Gwak Su-san, Cheon Yu-gang, and Danmok Gyo-ryeon slipped through the entrance one after the other. Just as they frantically began to strip off their dark garments, the martial artists of the Tang-hyeon Sect burst across the threshold. The rustling of fabric came to a sudden, dead stop. It was glaringly obvious that not everyone had managed to complete their change.

“What is the meaning of this intrusion?”

At Seo Cheon-pung’s attempt at an unbothered front, a middle-aged martial artist countered with a sharp query. This was a senior leader who had introduced himself previously as Du Jin-gyun.

“Where are the remaining members?”

“Everyone is asleep.”

“…With the lanterns ablaze in every single chamber?”

The expressions of the surrounding Tang-hyeon warriors steadily darkened. The leader hoisted a dark fabric hood into the air. It was the exact head covering our infiltration team had utilized.

“To whom does this article belong?”

“….”

In a crisis of this nature, the best defense was a bold, unyielding front, but Seo Cheon-pung lacked the seasoned composure required to pull it off. His hesitant pause only served to cement the Tang-hyeon Sect’s convictions.

“We intend to search these rooms thoroughly.”

Following Du Jin-gyun’s directive, the Tang-hyeon martial artists surged forward into the living quarters. Observing their advance, I interjected with a cold, steady tone.

“Are you truly prepared to treat your invited guests as common prowlers?”

“…If that is not the case, what business keeps you awake with full lighting while claiming to be asleep?”

“Each individual possesses their own private matters, and we are hardly obligated to report the minutiae of our personal habits to the Tang-hyeon Sect, are we?”

My retort caused Du Jin-gyun’s face to flush with rage. I held his gaze and pressed further.

“We stand here as the designated representatives and emissaries of the Murim Alliance, visiting under the formal invitation of the Tang-hyeon Sect. Are you fully prepared to face the ramifications of the actions you are taking at this moment?”

“….”

Just as Du Jin-gyun clenched his jaw, drawing in a sharp breath that signaled his readiness to abandon all diplomatic restraint.

“The Tang-hyeon Sect engages its *Gimun* Formation beginning at the hour of the Pig (*Hae-si*). It is an architecture derived from the Jegal Clan, one that has never suffered a single breach in its history until this evening.”

A composed voice sliced through the tension, instantly quieting the assembly. The source of the words was…

“Young Hero Jin.”

It was none other than Sang Ja-yang. He parted the ranks of his men and stepped into the clearing.

“Should we conclude that the *Gimun* Formation, unbroken since its inception, simply failed by chance tonight? Or ought we to conclude that the Yong-bong Association has been discovered acting as common prowlers?”

“….”

Sang Ja-yang accepted the dark hood from his subordinate, examining it deliberately.

“Let the sentries step forward.”

A pair of Tang-hyeon guards moved out from the ranks.

“You observed them retreating directly toward these chambers?”

“Without a shadow of a doubt.”

The manager’s focus returned to me.

“That appears to settle it.”

“….”

I weighed the wisdom of physically barring their entry to conceal the unfinished changes inside, and just as Du Jin-gyun began to bark an order with a smug look of victory.

“That will suffice.”

“Eh?”

Sang Ja-yang tossed the fabric hood he held straight toward our living area. Fueled by a subtle current of inner energy, the garment cut a straight path through the air, hitting the floorboards with a dull thud.

“Regarding the events of this evening, the Murim Alliance will be expected to provide a formal accounting directly. As for your party, it would be highly advisable for you to vacate these premises the moment dawn breaks.”

While Du Jin-gyun visibly seethed with unresolved anger, Sang Ja-yang fixed us with a chilling glare.

“This is not an invitation to negotiate.”

The very individuals who had treated us with such warmth only hours prior now cast looks of deep revulsion at us as they withdrew in the wake of Sang Ja-yang.

“Whew…”

Seo Cheon-pung exhaled a long, ragged breath.

“We are entirely ruined.”

At that exact instant, the companions who had been hiding in the back to discard their gear crept out into the open. Catching sight of a prominent, rounded surface catching the lantern light and gleaming brilliantly, a surge of irritation flooded my mind, prompting me to snap.

“I called it! I explicitly stated that the bald head would give us away! We should have left the bald one behind…!”

“…Jin *Siju*, the fault does not lie with me.”

“Eh?”

To the side, Cheon Yu-gang tentatively raised his hand, his posture trembling slightly.

“My footing gave way, and in my haste to prevent a roof tile from shattering on the ground, I accidentally…”

“….”
“….”
“….”

A dense, awkward quiet blanketed the room, though ultimately, the identity of the blunder was irrelevant.

“What is our next move?”

Seo Cheon-pung’s inquiry perfectly captured the desperation of our circumstances. An anomaly undoubtedly existed, yet any hope of a covert operation had been utterly destroyed. Furthermore, if we were to be unceremoniously expelled come morning, we wouldn’t even have the opportunity to leverage the Yong-bong Association for an official, public inquiry.

“At this stage, pursuing a legitimate inquiry through the Yong-bong Association is completely out of the question. Word of this will travel fast.”

Within the factions of the Orthodox path, ‘deceit and hypocrisy’ ranked among the most egregious transgressions. The Yong-bong Association had just profoundly compromised the core principles of the Orthodox world. It was an unmitigated disaster, leaving one to wonder if circumstances could possibly deteriorate any further.

“Jin *Danju*, how do we proceed from here?”

Technically, the authority rested with Gwak Su-san, yet as if it were the most natural thing in the world, every face turned toward me for direction. As for our next step… my brief calculation concluded.

“We strike.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“We launch an assault on the Tang-hyeon Sect.”

“…????”
“????”

The companions gaped at me, their bewildered features signaling that they found my words entirely incomprehensible. Looking back at those stunned expressions, a slow grin spread across my face.

“I am telling you, let us mount an attack against the Tang-hyeon Sect.”

In the grand scheme of things, an initial blunder is easily overshadowed by an even greater disruption.