Fortunately, Muk-yeong followed along the road without protest.

Song Biryeong grumbled about why she was being left behind, but Bae Seokjin’s intervention just barely managed to shut her up. Yoo Geonwoo was said to be at the pleasure house again, so Seo Woojin never even saw his face. And so, seen off by the two of them, he set out.

“If we ride without stopping we’d arrive by around tomorrow night, but let’s take it easy.”

Muk-yeong immediately voiced a question.

— I heard the time it takes to handle the matter is important as well.

Reading the words written in the small notebook, Seo Woojin smiled.

“Haha. Getting there fast doesn’t mean I’ll handle the matter right away anyway. More to the point — writing everything out like that every time must be a hassle. How about I learn sign language on the way?”

Muk-yeong frowned. He didn’t understand Seo Woojin’s attitude. No one aside from the Four Black Dragons had ever asked him to teach them sign language.

Still, inwardly pleased, Muk-yeong nodded readily.

And so the two of them headed slowly toward Ningbo.

“That bastard. Left the very same day, apparently.”

Gok Taejun came in, irritated. Cheon Doyun, handling paperwork in his office, glanced over once and refocused on his work. Gok Taejun scowled and fumed.

“You hear me? He left today!”

“I heard.”

“You heard? That’s it? Don’t you have some other plan?”

Cheon Doyun let out a quiet sigh and closed the book he’d been reading.

“You don’t know where he went?”

“Hm? Isn’t he going to Ningbo?”

Cheon Doyun let out a hollow laugh.

“You really are dense.”

“What was that, you——?”

“The Clear Water Baek Clan. Do you not know where that is?”

“Hm? Am I supposed to? I feel like I’ve heard of it somewhere……”

Of course. There was no way that man knew the details of his own clan’s affairs. Right now he was throwing himself into this out of pure spite, because he’d been humiliated. Normally, at this hour, he’d be drunk at some pleasure house chasing women.

“The Clear Water Baek Clan is a place the Gok Clan worked on. More precisely, it was worked on by a group that follows your clan.”

Only then did Gok Taejun let out a sound of realization.

“Ahh. I remember now. Huh? Weren’t we originally working on them to bring them under the Gok Clan or bleed them for their assets?”

“Hmph. Seeing how stubbornly they’ve held out until now, isn’t it obvious? They’d sooner die than come under the Gok Clan. Instead, they’ll be put to valuable use this time, so don’t feel too disappointed.”

Gok Taejun clicked his tongue.

“Tch. You’re saying you’ve already got everything prepared?”

Cheon Doyun smirked.

“This time, the victory is ours. No matter what choice he makes.”

“Hm? What’s that supposed to mean?”

Gok Taejun threw out the question, but Cheon Doyun didn’t answer.

Losing the Crazed Fiend to him first had been an extreme loss. That he couldn’t make use of the son he’d disguised to lure the old man out — that was fine. The problem was the price he’d paid to obtain the information that the Crazed Fiend’s weak spot was his son. To get that information, he’d handed three business operations over to the Cho Clan. The thought of that loss jolted him awake even in his sleep. His wounded pride tormented him further, too.

But he soon reconsidered. He would return this pain twofold. No — tenfold. And so he quietly savored it inwardly. This pain. This rage.

To that end, he’d made a great many preparations in a short span of time.

Could a man raised among the righteous path stomach the Dark Path’s cruel, bare face?

He would despair. He would fall into ruin.

And Cheon Doyun wanted to see that despair-stained face as soon as possible. The patience until that day would be well worth it.

Cheon Doyun began his time of waiting once more. Wearing a smile full of malice.

Seo Woojin and Muk-yeong’s journey went smoothly.

He’d worried they might send assassins again like last time, but fortunately, nothing of the sort happened.

Before he knew it, Seo Woojin had learned most of Muk-yeong’s sign language. His hands weren’t used to it, so actually using it was awkward, but understanding what Muk-yeong said posed no problem.

— There’s someone camping up ahead.

As they entered the mountains, Muk-yeong, who’d gone ahead to scout for danger, returned.

“Someone?”

— It was the Cheon Clan’s candidate.

Seo Woojin let out a small sound.

“Ah.”

Somehow unsettling, yet by the same measure, a woman who’d looked lonely.

“Alone?”

— Yes.

That was unexpected too. The Cheon Clan could have provided ample support. Or was the support force moving separately?

Seo Woojin nodded slightly and spurred his horse.

“Well, let’s say hello. Like Clan Head Cho said, there’s such a thing as the warmth of the Dark Path.”

At Seo Woojin’s sly remark, Muk-yeong made an awkward face. He didn’t particularly want to have him run into the Cheon Clan’s killing machine. But what could he do — Seo Woojin was already well ahead of him.

Unlike Song Biryeong and Yoo Geonwoo, Muk-yeong was on the obedient side. In the end, he only let out a quiet sigh and followed Seo Woojin without protest. Resolving that if Cheon Suryeon tried anything, he wouldn’t stand idly by.

They hadn’t gone far before a light came into view. Seo Woojin approached without hesitation. Having already sensed the presence, Cheon Suryeon was composed. She stared only at the fire and treated Seo Woojin as though he weren’t there.

“Might I borrow your fire for a moment?”

Cheon Suryeon glanced at Seo Woojin, then ignored him again. Seo Woojin took that as consent and dismounted.

“Are you traveling alone, Lady Cheon?”

“……”

“Ah, have you not eaten yet? I’ve got some dried jerky — would you like some?”

“……”

“Maybe because of the downpour a few days ago, the ground still seems damp. Ah, shall I lend you a windbreaker?”

At the ceaseless chatter, a change came over Cheon Suryeon’s expression.

“Are we close enough to be having a conversation?”

Seo Woojin let out a small laugh.

“So I finally hear your voice. Don’t they say that within the jianghu, all within the four seas are brothers? And we’re under the same Dark Path sky, so surely this much light conversation is fine?”

Discomfort was plain on her. But she didn’t drive him off. Cheon Suryeon’s gaze went to Seo Woojin’s left hand.

Feeling her gaze, Seo Woojin raised his left hand.

“Ah, this. It got wrecked fighting the Crazed Fiend. His reputation truly precedes him. They say he was once a hero of the Central Plains — a genuinely remarkable man.”

Cheon Suryeon parted her lips. She seemed to want to say something but was torn. This time, Seo Woojin waited patiently. And soon she slowly opened her mouth.

“……Was he strong?”

Seo Woojin gave a faint smile. To think all she’d ask was whether the Crazed Fiend was strong.

“He’s strong. If he’d had his reason intact, someone like me wouldn’t have lasted a single exchange.”

“……Then how did you make him leave?”

The first words are the hardest — once the dam broke, the conversation flowed. Seo Woojin thought for a moment, then shrugged.

“Well, I threw a tantrum. Bellowed at him. Later on I even grabbed him by the collar. Of course, I got hurled straight to the ground for it.”

Cheon Suryeon furrowed her brow.

“You expect me to believe that?”

“Well, isn’t ‘I subdued the Crazed Fiend by force’ even more unrealistic?”

“……”

Seo Woojin continued, looking satisfied.

“Now it’s my turn.”

“……Turn?”

“I answered your question, so isn’t it only human decency for you to answer mine in return, Lady Cheon?”

Cheon Suryeon’s expression turned cold.

“Am I supposed to count a hard-to-believe answer as an answer? And I think lending you this spot has covered the price of a question.”

Seo Woojin let out a small sound of admiration.

“Ah. Rather calculating, in your own way. Because people call you a killing machine, I’d assumed you were some doll-like person with no blood or tears.”

“……”

“Well. Fine. Then I’ll take one more question.”

Cheon Suryeon shook her head.

“There’s nothing I’m curious about.”

“Hm. Is that so?”

This time she was firm, as though determined not to fall into any trap. Seo Woojin nodded readily and took out dried jerky from his pack. Then shared it with Muk-yeong, who was on edge beside him.

Chewing the jerky, Seo Woojin brought it up casually.

“The Crazed Fiend’s martial arts had something special about them. I only realized it belatedly, but he was once called the Martial Lord, wasn’t he? That title truly wasn’t excessive.”

“……”

“Aren’t you curious? What kind of martial arts the Crazed Fiend uses?”

Cheon Suryeon’s pupils wavered slightly. Seo Woojin smiled to himself. With only the peculiar Four Black Dragons and the sharp Woon Seorin around, he’d never had a chance to put this to use.

Did anyone know how much effort went into deceiving his grandfather’s eyes to go play in White Cloud Village? Reading his grandfather’s psychology and mapping out escape routes had become second nature. Later on, he’d even deceived his grandfather clean and skipped training for days on end. Of course, he got caught eventually, since there were no results to show.

At any rate, he was skilled enough at psychological warfare to fool even his seasoned grandfather. However much that woman was called a killing machine, she couldn’t escape his eyes.

‘Deeply interested in the Crazed Fiend. Brilliant, but her way of conversing is immature. Is she the type who can’t bring herself to say unpleasant things? If it were me, I’d have bellowed at her to leave already.’

Seo Woojin nodded.

“I’ll ask first. If you think it’s worth answering, how about we exchange information?”

“……”

“Are you, by chance, going alone?”

Cheon Suryeon let out a quiet sound. Seo Woojin didn’t wait for her deliberation and continued.

“The Crazed Fiend fundamentally used fist-and-leg techniques. But no distinct forms were visible. It was more like he simply adjusted the variation and the rhythm of his movements. And yet there were no openings — if anything, I was the one under pressure. To strength, he answered with softness. To speed, with illusion. And the reverse, likewise.”

Cheon Suryeon had her eyes lowered, but it was clear she was listening intently to Seo Woojin.

“It was as natural a reaction as breathing. Watching it, I felt something. That form and technique are certainly important, but to reach those high places, perhaps they’re something that must be erased.”

Cheon Suryeon thought hard about something, then soon nodded.

“……That makes sense. Techniques were originally created to defend against an enemy’s attacks more easily and to kill enemies more efficiently. A master of that caliber would no longer be bound by technique.”

Seo Woojin let out a hollow laugh. Contrary to the impression she gave, an obsession with martial arts came through. Seo Woojin shook his head slightly and jerked his chin.

“Now it’s your turn, Lady Cheon.”

Cheon Suryeon made a displeased face, but answered without resistance.

“That’s right. I’m going alone.”

Seo Woojin nodded slowly.

‘Going alone, huh…… In that case, at the very least, it isn’t her.’

They’d surely made preparations. So while he had no certainty, he’d first sounded out Cheon Suryeon. And considering the disposition he’d felt while conversing with her, there was a high chance those words weren’t a lie.

‘Winning is as important as my failing. That woman is a piece meant for victory.’

He didn’t know exactly how great her martial ability was, but if she annihilated an entire clan alone, the impact wouldn’t be small. He himself had brought Muk-yeong along, hadn’t he? The difference between one and two was clear. Even if he succeeded, her success would shine brighter. Though whether that was even possible remained a question.

‘Then will another candidate target me? The Gok Clan’s the more likely option, but……’

He looked at Cheon Suryeon for another question. But she leaned against a tree and closed her eyes. It seemed to be an expression of her will to refuse further conversation with Seo Woojin. Seo Woojin was disappointed, but soon shut his mouth. Pushing any harder here, and he might really get to see the killing machine.

Seo Woojin lay down too and closed his eyes. Only Muk-yeong, left alone, had to maintain his vigilance and keep watch at Seo Woojin’s side all night.

When he opened his eyes in the morning, Cheon Suryeon was nowhere to be seen. According to Muk-yeong, she’d left before dawn even broke. Seo Woojin clicked his tongue in disappointment and got ready to depart. From then on, the two picked up their pace.

And around the time darkness began to fall——

They arrived in Ningbo.

Despite the late hour, the city was full of people. There were those drunk and causing a ruckus, while there were also those still working, hauling materials like lumber. Contrasting sights, yet somehow fitting. It was a city with a vitality different from Hangzhou’s.

‘Just going by the city’s atmosphere, it doesn’t seem bad.’

They didn’t seem to be exploiting the common folk.

‘So it wasn’t that greed got the better of them?’

As he walked the streets, continuing his thoughts, Muk-yeong tapped his shoulder. When he turned his head, Muk-yeong’s fingers moved busily.

— Shall we visit the Baek Clan right away?

Seo Woojin shook his head.

“There’s something to look into first. And information to wait for, too.”

Woon Seorin had said she’d use Cheongeum to check whether there was any information Cho Igyeom had hidden. In the meantime, Seo Woojin intended to look into the Baek Clan from within Ningbo.

‘Marching up, declaring their crimes, and executing them just like that leaves a bad taste……’

Since he was certain there was a trap, he had no choice but to be careful with each and every step.

Seo Woojin asked Muk-yeong.

“When you gather information, what’s the first thing you do?”

Muk-yeong answered without hesitation.

— I visit that region’s slums.

“The slums?”

— People in the slums will do anything to survive. And among those things, information is the most important part of how they earn their bread.

Seo Woojin let out a small sound of admiration.

“Then there’d be someone controlling those slums too?”

Muk-yeong gave a faint smile.

— Correct. They’re the primary target.

Seo Woojin wore a satisfied expression.

“Then let’s go take a look. To get some information.”

And so the two of them headed into the darkness.

(End of Chapter 24)