Deep in the night.

Rustle.

Seo Woojin sat perched on a tree trunk, turning pages. A thin booklet — no title on the cover.

Flip.

After leafing through several pages in quick succession, he snapped it shut.

[I’ve written down a brief overview of the Dark Alliance. Look it over on your way.]

That was what Woon Seorin had said when she handed it to him. As though she had anticipated something like this might happen — the notes were surprisingly thorough.

‘I don’t need to read this.’

Curiosity had made him open it. But the reason he closed it came down to one thing.

‘I have no intention of ever going back to the Dark Alliance.’

He had never planned to accept Woon Seorin’s proposal in the first place. He’d had his fantasies about the murim world since childhood — but never about the Dark Path. If anything, he had dreamed of being the one to bring Dark Path scum to justice. The idea of becoming their leader made no sense whatsoever.

‘And obviously, becoming the Dark Alliance Lord wouldn’t be the end of it.’

It could easily get him killed for nothing. Even the booklet Woon Seorin had given him said as much — the previous Dark Alliance Lord had died under suspicious circumstances.

The real question was how to escape.

Seo Woojin looked over at the sleeping Four Black Dragons. They had probably heard from Woon Seorin by now — that he was a fraud. And yet they were still treating him as the Young Alliance Lord. On the other hand, they had also accepted his offer to stand watch without any objection.

An ambiguous stance all around.

If he made a run for it right now — would he make it?

He let out a quiet sigh. They were clearly asleep. And yet something told him that trying to flee right now would be a mistake. Like invisible eyes were still on him, watching his every move.

‘It’s fine. I wasn’t planning to bolt just yet anyway.’

Patience. That was what he needed. Until he reached the place where he had lived with his grandfather.

‘Five more days.’

It wasn’t far now.

Neither was the day he’d finally slip out of their grasp.

Night camp after night camp.

And just before reaching their destination, the group entered a small village — thanks entirely to Song Biryeong’s insistent argument that they deserved at least one proper night’s rest.

The village was modest, but it had a surprisingly decent inn. Probably a waypoint for trading caravans passing through. The group took the chance to wash up and get themselves looking human again.

“Haah. Now I can breathe.”

Song Biryeong floated down from the second floor trailing a pleasant fragrance. Bae Seokjin frowned.

“You took too long. We ordered without you.”

“Tch. How long could I have possibly taken?”

Song Biryeong stuck out her lower lip like a child and dropped into the seat across from Yoo Geonwoo. He had been sitting there with his chin in his hand, staring blankly at nothing.

“Hah……. Shouldn’t have bothered coming.”

It was a murmur to himself — but the boredom and listlessness packed into it were palpable.

Seo Woojin, sitting beside him, offered an awkward smile.

“I feel terrible for putting everyone through this trouble.”

Yoo Geonwoo shifted only his eyes to look at him.

“Ah. You heard that? Don’t worry about it. It’s just the kind of complaining I do out of habit. And even if I’d stayed in Hangzhou, I’d have just been holed up in a pleasure house drinking myself into a stupor.”

Polite in wording, utterly indifferent in tone. Song Biryeong immediately scolded him.

“The mouth on you. Haah — honestly, when are you ever going to grow up.”

Already immune to her scolding, Yoo Geonwoo scoffed and looked away. Song Biryeong had no further interest in talking to him either, and turned her gaze elsewhere just as quickly.

“What about our handsome Young Lord? You looked like you had some real stamina back when you were running from us. Was camping every night too rough?”

“Hmph. So speaking informally to the Young Alliance Lord is the correct sort of nerve, is it.”

Yoo Geonwoo muttered that as if he’d been waiting for the moment, but Song Biryeong breezed right past him. She was looking only at Seo Woojin.

He was uncomfortable under her lingering gaze but kept his composure.

“I’m alright. I’ve always been the type who can sleep anywhere.”

“Oh really? Then come visit my room sometime. I’m curious whether you can sleep just as well right next to me.”

“Cough——!!“

Seo Woojin choked on his tea and broke into a coughing fit.

“Ha, haha…… What a joke……”

He quickly looked away from her and cast around for something else to talk about.

Fortunately — or unfortunately.

BOOM!

A thunderous crash erupted from downstairs.

He happened to be seated near the railing, so he had a clear view.

A door — smashed to splinters.

A mass of men pouring in — every last one of them rough-faced and dangerous-looking.

Bang!

The man at the front brought a massive broadsword down on a table — a weapon as brutish as the body that wielded it.

“Ai, ai——!! G-Great Hero! Wh-why are you——……”

A middle-aged man who appeared to be the innkeeper came rushing out, frantically trying to placate him.

“Why am I here? You’re telling me you genuinely don’t know?”

The innkeeper wrung his hands together and bowed over and over, his face a mask of misery.

“We paid the protection money just five days ago…… At that time, Great Hero Thunder Blade said there was nothing to worry about……”

Shhk! BOOM!

The man called Thunder Blade swung his broadsword again. A table and chairs shattered into pieces and scattered. The innkeeper dropped to his knees, pleading.

“Ah, ai——!! I-I’m sorry! Whatever you say, this foolish one will comply!! So please, no more——”

Thunder Blade drew out a slow, satisfied smile. He crouched to meet the innkeeper eye to eye and nodded.

“Heh heh. Now we’re getting somewhere. What you paid five days ago — that was five days ago’s protection money. You haven’t paid today’s, have you?”

“Th-that’s…… Protection money is paid once a month……”

“Hey. What’s this. Didn’t you pass the message along?”

One of the men standing behind him scratched his head with an awkward grin.

“Ah, hehe. Me and big brother were drinking all night, so…… Sorry……”

Shhk! Thud!

Thunder Blade swung his sword from where he crouched. The flat of the blade drove straight into the subordinate’s gut. The man let out a groan and crumpled to the ground.

“Useless piece of trash. You can drink all you want — but you still do your damn job.”

Thunder Blade looked back at the innkeeper.

“Well now. My apologies for this. Our side is partly at fault too, so I’ll be kind and explain it one more time.”

The innkeeper could only blink, his eyes full of terror, without a word of protest.

“No need to look so frightened. Depending on how you see it, this could actually be good news for you. I’ll give you a choice.”

Thunder Blade held up two fingers.

“One. Pay protection money every five days. Why? Ah — that doesn’t matter. We’ve decided it shall be so, therefore it shall be so.”

“Th-that’s——”

He folded one finger down.

“Two. I hear you have a daughter. Heh heh heh. What did I say? This could be good news. Our Sect Leader seems to have taken quite a liking to her. How about it? Becoming the father-in-law of the Dragon Tiger Sect Leader. If that happens — protection money, forget it. You’d have the Dragon Tiger Sect at your back for the rest of your life.”

The innkeeper’s entire body began to shake.

Was it fear consuming him?

No.

Something far darker had begun to burn in those reddening eyes.

“This…… you animals……. My daughter hasn’t even come of age!! The Dragon Tiger Sect Leader is well past sixty!! How could you——!!”

“Hehe. No need to get so worked up. If you love your daughter that much, you just have to pay the protection money every five days, don’t you?”

Thunder Blade leaned forward with a vile grin, bringing his face close to the innkeeper’s ear, and dropped his voice to a murmur.

“But think carefully. What do you imagine would happen if we decided to take matters into our own hands? Better to spare your purse than face the worst.”

He straightened up, smirked, and turned away.

“I’ll give you until tomorrow. Think it over.”

And just like that — they vanished as quickly as they had come.

The innkeeper was left sitting there, hollow-eyed and utterly lost.

From the second floor, Seo Woojin watched the entire scene unfold. His voice, when he spoke, was cold.

“Why are you stopping me?”

He had been about to vault over the railing. But Yoo Geonwoo had caught him by the wrist.

Yoo Geonwoo let out a quiet sigh and answered in his usual languid tone.

“Several reasons. First — we’re moving in secret right now. There’s no need to draw attention to ourselves here.”

“……”

“Second — do you think stepping in right now actually changes anything? If anything, once we leave, that man might end up in a far worse hell than today.”

Yoo Geonwoo’s indifferent eyes settled on Seo Woojin.

Seo Woojin held his gaze — colder than usual. Whether Yoo Geonwoo found that surprising or simply amusing, the faintest smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

“And third — the most important one. Those men aren’t interesting enough for me to bother drawing my sword. They’d have to be at least somewhat worth my time.”

Seo Woojin shook off his hand.

“You’re telling me your interest matters more than that man’s suffering?”

“Isn’t that obvious? I’d never have crossed paths with that person if not for today. Why should I go to the trouble for someone like that?”

A short, humorless laugh escaped Seo Woojin.

Right.

Because these people were Dark Path.

“Fine. I have no intention of trying to change your mind. But don’t stop me.”

“The first reason makes that impossible.”

“I’ll move more quietly.”

“Hmm. We don’t exactly trust each other enough for that, do we?”

“Then.”

Something heavy settled behind Seo Woojin’s eyes.

“I’ll have to move whatever’s in my way.”

His hand shot toward his sword hilt in an instant.

Just before the draw——

Thud!

Song Biryeong brought her hand down lightly on the table.

A deep resonance bored straight into his ears, and his body locked for just a moment.

Seo Woojin’s cold eyes shifted to her.

“Are you going to stop me too?”

Song Biryeong furrowed her brow and let out a quiet sigh.

“Wow, our handsome Young Lord is actually kind of scary when he’s angry. Settle down for a second.”

She glanced over at Muk-yeong.

Without any change in expression, Muk-yeong moved immediately. Seo Woojin watched him slip quietly out of the inn, then turned back.

“What’s he doing?”

“What do you mean, what’s he doing. You want to save that person no matter what. And this one here has no reason to do it.”

Seo Woojin frowned.

“And?”

“I’ll do it instead.”

“What?”

Before he could ask further, Song Biryeong turned to Yoo Geonwoo.

“You — keep an eye on the Young Lord.”

Yoo Geonwoo’s face scrunched up. He clearly had opinions about that — but one look at Song Biryeong’s firm gaze and the protest died on his lips.

“……Fine.”

Just a flat word of compliance.

Song Biryeong looked over at Bae Seokjin next.

He had been silent this entire time. He let out a quiet sigh.

“I’ll handle the cleanup. Same as always.”

“Hehe. Thanks.”

Song Biryeong flashed a childlike grin and turned back to Seo Woojin.

“It won’t take long. So just rest.”

With that, she too slipped out.

In the wake of how quickly everything had shifted, Seo Woojin had nothing left to say.

Late into the night.

Three of the Four Black Dragons were on the move.

Yoo Geonwoo had stayed behind at the inn under the pretext of watching Seo Woojin — but he wasn’t doing anything in particular. Which left Seo Woojin free to sit on the inn’s rooftop and sort through his thoughts.

‘That was a mistake. I should have held back.’

There had been no need to show his hand like that. He could have appeared to go along with things and then slipped away quietly in the dead of night — just like now.

He knew it in his head. His chest had refused to follow.

Was it because of what Yoo Geonwoo had said about interest?

‘No. The frustration was already rising before that. I just…… didn’t want to admit he was right.’

That stepping in now wouldn’t improve that man’s life.

[Chivalry is a double-edged sword. It can save others — and it can ruin everyone. It must always be questioned. Are you acting out of a genuine desire to help? Or are you simply trying to fill yourself with the feeling of having acted?]

His grandfather had always been cold on the subject of chivalry.

Not so different from what Yoo Geonwoo had said.

‘Even if I save him from tonight’s danger — I won’t be staying here.’

The group had a schedule. They had to return to Hangzhou within a tight window. Could he truly deal with the root of the problem in that time?

And if not……

“Haah……”

A sigh slipped out on its own.

He felt foolish. Embarrassed at himself for letting his heart charge so far ahead.

And that was exactly why it puzzled him.

What was Song Biryeong planning to do?

And where had Muk-yeong and Bae Seokjin gone?

A short while later — from the rooftop, looking down at the street, a figure came into view.

Seo Woojin launched off the roof and landed in front of her in an instant.

“Song——”

He stopped.

She looked nothing like she had that afternoon — clean and radiant. Her entire body was drenched in blood.

Song Biryeong looked at his stunned expression and smiled.

“What? Surprised?”

“……”

She raised a finger to her lips and licked the blood from it.

The image was unsettling. And somehow, at the same time, deeply captivating. Nothing like any version of Song Biryeong he had seen before.

She let out a quiet, mocking laugh and walked right past him.

“Were you planning to protect that innkeeper without even being prepared for this? Hehe. Our Young Lord really is naive. Geonwoo wasn’t wrong. Handle something carelessly and you leave behind a bigger disaster.”

“……”

“I killed every last one of the Dragon Tiger Sect. Now that we’re leaving, there’s no one left to cause trouble. Don’t worry.”

Seo Woojin closed his eyes.

Could he condemn what he had just seen?

What was chivalry, really?

What was good?

Was taking a life not an evil in itself?

Then — was letting evil live the road toward good?

He was lost.

This was precisely the kind of conduct he had always despised from the Dark Path. And yet——

At least because of her, when dawn broke and they set out, their steps would be lighter.

Seo Woojin opened his eyes and turned.

Song Biryeong was already far ahead. He brought his hands together in a formal salute toward her retreating figure.

“I am grateful for the lesson, Song Warrior! Thanks to you — I understand now what I’ve been missing!”

Song Biryeong spun around, genuinely startled.

She clearly hadn’t expected that reaction.

A small smile spread across her face. She waved her hand dismissively.

“Hehe. You really are something, aren’t you. Come visit my room for real sometime. I’ll show you something interesting too.”

She left only that incorrigible parting remark — and disappeared back into the inn.

Seo Woojin stood for a long moment, staring at the place where she had been.

Then——

Smack!

He slapped both hands against his own cheeks.

The sharp sting made his mind a little clearer.

‘Maybe I’ve been too trapped in my own assumptions. Maybe…… Grandfather’s world wasn’t the whole of it……’

For the first time.

He entertained the thought that his grandfather might not have been right about everything.

(End of Chapter 5)