Ink Guest felt his breath catch.
Why is the Beggars' Sect Leader here...?
In his younger days, when he had briefly belonged to the Beggars' Sect, he had seen its leader once, and only from a distance.
As he stood there with his face drawn tight, the woman spoke.
"Your face looks familiar. Have we met somewhere before?"
Ink Guest studied her expression and listened carefully to her tone, trying to determine whether she was testing him or genuinely failed to recognize him.
But he soon abandoned the effort.
If the Beggars' Sect Leader wished to deceive him, how could he possibly see through her?
This was Wildflower, after all. Alongside the Dragon Head of the Beggars' Sect, she was said to be among the most knowledgeable people in the world.
After a moment, Ink Guest shook his head.
"...I don't believe so. This is my first time seeing you."
"Oh, really? I suppose you just have one of those faces."
"..."
Her response was utterly casual.
While the two exchanged words, Cheon Woojin, who had been watching Gu Jinseok, gave a faint chuckle and began walking away.
Why is he smiling? Has he figured it out?
That strange smile only left Gu Jinseok more unsettled.
******
Ink Guest returned to the residence with Gu Jinseok, drove out the other young martial artists, and spread a sound-blocking barrier throughout the room.
Thud.
Then he dropped to his knees.
With his head bowed, Ink Guest spoke in a low voice.
"...I believe we've been found out."
"What?"
"The woman who accompanied Cheon Woojin is the Beggars' Sect Leader. She's famous for never forgetting a face she's seen, even once. There's no chance she genuinely forgot mine. She was deliberately pretending not to recognize me."
In other words, Wildflower had begun to suspect him.
And once she turned her attention to someone, getting to the truth was only a matter of time.
Bang!
Gu Jinseok slammed his fist against the wall.
A savage aura surged from his enormous frame, one that hardly seemed to belong to a young martial artist of the Orthodox Path.
Ink Guest flinched.
It wasn't Gu Jinseok himself he feared. Rather, the young man's expression reminded him all too vividly of the Gu family head.
Even Ink Guest, who had endured countless hardships and once lived among the Beggars' Sect, feared that man.
For generations, the Gu family had occupied an ambiguous position between the Orthodox and Black Paths. Only recently had it committed itself entirely to the Orthodox Path.
But centuries of dealings with unorthodox factions could not simply be erased overnight.
The Gu family head still wielded considerable influence within the Black Path. There were even rumors that he was on friendly terms with the Black Plaque Star Lord, the foremost figure of the Black Path.
Ink Guest pressed his forehead to the floor.
"...Please kill me."
"Just moments ago, you were boasting that we'd never be caught!"
"I'll atone with my life."
"You mad bastard! If you die, who's going to take responsibility?"
"..."
Still bowing, Ink Guest let out a heavy sigh.
If Gu Jinseok ended up imprisoned in the Martial Alliance's dungeon over this affair, his father would never allow Ink Guest, the guard entrusted with his protection, to live.
"Young Master, might I suggest another approach?"
Something in Ink Guest's resolute voice made Gu Jinseok look at him differently.
Ink Guest continued.
"Report the matter to the Martial Alliance."
"W-what?"
Gu Jinseok stared at him in disbelief.
They were supposed to be concealing their involvement, not reporting it themselves.
But when Ink Guest spoke again, the corners of Gu Jinseok's mouth slowly lifted.
"Report me."
"Oh."
So that was his plan.
Cut off the tail to save the body.
Naturally, some suspicion would still fall on Gu Jinseok. But everything had been arranged under Ink Guest's name. Even if evidence surfaced, the Martial Alliance would have little grounds to act against the young master himself.
******
The moment the Beggars' Sect Leader entered the room, she deftly erected a sound-blocking barrier.
Cheon Woojin, Song Yiyeon, and the Beggars' Sect Leader settled around a tea table.
She spoke first.
"Even an organization like the West Heaven Society would have kept a ledger."
"The Asura Demon Lord told me it wouldn't be easy to find."
She nodded.
"Of course it won't. But those Black Path bastards are predictable enough. They'll have hidden it with some small merchant they do business with, or perhaps in a Taoist or Buddhist temple where no one would think to look."
"Wouldn't a corrupt orthodox family or a government office be more likely, then?" Song Yiyeon asked.
The Beggars' Sect Leader shook her head.
"You're missing the point. That ledger is a weakness the West Heaven Society would never want exposed. Why would they entrust it to someone more powerful than themselves? They'll have put it somewhere they can control completely."
"Aha."
"In any case, finding the ledger is only a matter of time. The question is, what will you do once we have it?"
She directed the question at Cheon Woojin, but Song Yiyeon answered first.
"We should hand it over to the Martial Alliance immediately! Once the culprit's identity is exposed, if they're a participant in the selection examination, they should be punished accordingly!"
The Beggars' Sect Leader chuckled.
It was exactly the sort of answer she would expect from a promising young martial artist of the Orthodox Path.
But Cheon Woojin was hardly an ordinary young martial artist of the Orthodox Path.
She turned toward him.
"Really? Is that man's disciple such a gentle soul?"
Cheon Woojin calmly met her curious gaze.
"What exactly was your relationship with my master? You've been speaking as though you knew him quite well."
"Before he disappeared from the martial world, we used to help each other out. Though he was on even closer terms with my master."
A peculiar smile touched her lips, as though she had recalled a pleasant memory.
Cheon Woojin stared at her.
Just how old is she?
Judging by her appearance, she looked scarcely older than Zhuge Lin or Song Yiyeon.
But considering how effortlessly she had erected that sound-blocking barrier, not to mention her connection to Black Master, she had to be approaching forty at the very least.
Perhaps she was naturally youthful. Perhaps she had mastered a martial art that preserved her appearance. Or perhaps her cultivation was simply that advanced.
The Beggars' Sect Leader's reddish lips curved slightly.
"Curious about my age?"
"...A little, yes."
Cheon Woojin was honest about everything.
His frankness amused her, reminding her of Black Master.
"Naturally, my age is a secret. But may I ask you something in return?"
"Anything."
"Do you intend to enter the martial world officially?"
Cheon Woojin considered the question for a moment.
"Well, I suppose that's how things have turned out."
"Then I imagine you'll have plenty of opportunities to make use of our services."
Her eyes curved into narrow crescents.
Watching her, Song Yiyeon couldn't help thinking that the woman had a rather dangerous charm.
Of course, Cheon Woojin was notoriously oblivious to such things.
He answered without a moment's hesitation.
"Probably."
"Hehe. In that case, I'll handle this matter free of charge. It's a small job, after all, and it will mark our very first transaction. A memorable occasion, don't you think?"
The Beggars' Sect Leader smiled pleasantly.
There was a clear reason for her favorable attitude toward Cheon Woojin.
Black Master had been an extraordinarily valuable client of the Beggars' Sect.
More importantly, he had protected the sect, whose martial strength was modest compared to the vast reach of its organization.
She hoped Cheon Woojin would eventually assume that same role.
******
Cheon Woojin wasn't the only one who had returned to the Martial Alliance.
Zhuge Lin cautiously entered the office of the Black Tortoise Unit Commander.
Finding it empty, she breathed a sigh of relief.
"...Phew. There's going to be an uproar when he finds out."
"The uproar has already happened."
The door behind her flew open.
A chill shot down Zhuge Lin's spine.
Commander Cheol Jiak strode into the room and fixed her with a fierce glare.
"Well, look who's alive. I thought you were dead! I've been running around like a mad dog for days and nights trying to find you!"
"Hehe... I'm sorry."
"You're laughing?"
At the look on his face, Zhuge Lin immediately wiped away her smile and stood rigidly at attention.
The cheerful, playful commander she knew was nowhere to be seen.
Cheol Jiak perched on the edge of his desk, his expression grim.
"Imagine this. A deputy commander takes it upon herself to go after the leader of a regional Black Path organization. An organization that's harboring a second-class public enemy of the martial world. And she does it alone."
Zhuge Lin narrowed her eyes thoughtfully and nodded.
"That certainly sounds like someone who's lost her mind."
"And that someone happens to be my subordinate."
"How unfortunate for you. But strictly speaking, I wasn't alone. Young Hero Cheon was with me."
"That's even worse! You were responsible for those applicants, yet instead of stopping him, you went along with him?"
"Thanks to that, we managed to kill the Asura Demon Lord. Well, Young Hero Cheon did. Not me."
Cheol Jiak heaved a long sigh.
"...Yes, that's certainly an achievement. But do you have any idea how many people the Martial Alliance mobilized to find you and that Cheon Woojin brat? Not just the Black Tortoise Unit. The entire White Dragon Unit was deployed as well!"
Zhuge Lin looked closely at his face.
His already rough complexion had grown even worse. His eyes were bloodshot, and his lips were cracked and dry.
He had spent days and nights searching across the Central Plains for her and Cheon Woojin.
"I'm sorry, Commander."
"Haa... As long as you understand."
"But I had no choice if I wanted to uncover the truth—"
"Shut up and get out!"
His sudden roar cut her off.
"You're suspended for three months. Consider yourself informed!"
"What?"
Zhuge Lin's eyes widened like a startled rabbit's.
Her family had all but cast her aside, and nothing brought her more satisfaction than her work at the Martial Alliance.
Cheol Jiak spoke coldly.
"The decision came from above. You're lucky you weren't dismissed outright. Now stop arguing and get out."
"...Yes, sir."
Zhuge Lin lowered her head and turned to leave.
But just as she reached the door, she stopped.
"Commander?"
"What?"
At his curt response, she hesitated before asking carefully.
"Do you happen to know Black Master?"
"Why are you asking about Black Master?"
Cheol Jiak's eyes narrowed.
"Oh, no particular reason. I heard that he was a disciple of the Dark Heavenly Son, just like the Asura Demon Lord who died this time. A deputy commander's clearance isn't enough to access information about Black Master, so I was wondering whether someone of your rank could."
"Black Master..."
Cheol Jiak gazed into the distance.
For some reason, his eyes held a faint trace of sorrow.
"I know him. But why do you ask? Has that bastard reappeared?"
Zhuge Lin hesitated.
"No, it isn't Black Master himself, but..."
His disciple has appeared.
And it's Young Hero Cheon—the one who killed the Asura Demon Lord.
The words rose to her lips.
But in the end, she shook her head.
"It's nothing. I was just curious."
Cheol Jiak sat back down, looking strangely disappointed.
"Fine. Now get out."
"Yes, sir. Oh, but Commander, I won't be getting paid during my suspension, will I?"
"You little lunatic...!"
"I'm sorry! Get some rest, Commander! And thank you for worrying about me!"
The words tumbled from Zhuge Lin's mouth as she hurriedly fled the office.
Left alone, Cheol Jiak released a long sigh.
"Why would she suddenly bring up Black Master? And come to think of it, she said that Cheon Woojin brat killed the Asura Demon Lord."
Even amid everything else that had happened, it was an astonishing revelation.
A young man barely in his early twenties had killed a disciple of the Dark Heavenly Son.
"Cheon Woojin... Cheon Woojin..."
Cheol Jiak rested his chin on the desk, trying to recall everything he knew about the young man.
"I'm certain I've never heard that name before."
******
Several days had passed since the Martial Alliance suspended its selection examination.
Song Yiyeon glanced at the book lying between himself and Cheon Woojin, then asked cautiously,
"Young Hero Cheon, what are you planning to do now?"
"I'm not sure."
"We haven't known each other very long, but I've already figured out that you're not the sort of person who bothers with a backup plan. That's why I'm worried..."
Song Yiyeon cast an unnecessarily wary glance around the empty room before lowering his voice.
"The Gu family is no ordinary family. They have enormous wealth, extensive connections, and a long, deeply rooted history. Anyway, they're not people you can afford to antagonize lightly."
"Is that so?"
Cheon Woojin's indifferent response only made Song Yiyeon more anxious.
"What do you mean, 'Is that so?' Just look at your eyes! I can practically see you picking up that iron staff, marching over to Gu Jinseok, and smashing his head in! You're scaring me to death!"
"Oh. That's a good idea."
Cheon Woojin sprang to his feet.
Song Yiyeon nearly jumped out of his skin.
He lunged forward and clung desperately to Woojin's arm.
"Young Hero Cheon! You're not serious, are you?"
"He tried to kill me. Is there any reason I should let him live?"
"Well, that's true, but let's think this through! The woman who found this ledger is clearly someone extraordinary. Why don't we ask her what to do? No, better yet, let's tell my father. I don't like bringing this up myself, but my family does have a fair amount of influence within the Martial Alliance..."
Song Yiyeon fidgeted like a puppy desperately needing to relieve itself.
Watching him, Cheon Woojin chuckled.
"Is the Gu family really so formidable that even the son of an influential Martial Alliance family is afraid of them?"
"Ahem! I-I'm not afraid. It's just... an awkward situation. Besides, the Gu family head is on friendly terms with the Black Plaque Star Lord, the foremost figure of the Black Path!"
Cheon Woojin's eyes widened.
Seeing his reaction, Song Yiyeon thought with relief that his warning had finally gotten through.
But then—
"That fellow is considered the strongest figure of the Black Path?"
"..."
He had misunderstood completely.
Song Yiyeon squeezed his eyes shut.
His dangerously reckless friend seemed utterly unconcerned about the Gu family itself.
"I'm telling you again, the Gu family is dangerous. Really dangerous."
"But he isn't the Black Plaque Star Lord himself, is he? Why should I fear a family that borrows someone else's reputation?"
With that, Cheon Woojin picked up the Crescent Moon Staff and left the room.
Now that he had secured the ledger bearing Ink Guest's name, there was no reason to delay matters any longer.
Cheon Woojin walked without hesitation.
He proceeded down a long corridor and stopped before a particular door.
Extending his senses, he confirmed who was inside.
Then he flung the door open.
The occupants started in surprise, but Cheon Woojin entered calmly.
Inside were Gu Jinseok, Ink Guest, and several other young martial artists gathered in a corner.
"Everyone except Gu Jinseok, please leave."
His tone was remarkably polite.
Yet the moment those young martial artists met his gaze, they went pale and hurried out.
In the blink of an eye, only three people remained.
Cheon Woojin turned his attention to Ink Guest.
"You should leave too. I have something to discuss with this fellow."
"I can't do that. I'm his bodyguard."
Ink Guest answered while eyeing Cheon Woojin and the Crescent Moon Staff he had pointed toward Gu Jinseok.
Cheon Woojin gave a faint smile.
"A bodyguard is only useful if he can actually protect someone."
"..."
A faint killing intent began to emanate from Ink Guest.
He was a swordsman who had personally earned the Gu family head's trust.
Even Gu Jinseok, standing beside him, flinched at the sudden chill in the air.
Ink Guest's martial prowess ranked among the finest in the entire Gu family.
So there was a reason Father assigned him to protect me.
Ink Guest, meanwhile, had nothing left to lose.
The young master had already submitted a formal accusation against him to the Martial Alliance.
Soon enough, Alliance members would arrive to arrest him.
If he was going to shoulder the blame for everything anyway...
He might as well teach this arrogant young martial artist a lesson first.
Even if the lesson had to be somewhat rough.
Of course, he would never have entertained such a thought if he had known that the young man before him had returned after utterly destroying the West Heaven Society, the organization that had harbored the Asura Demon Lord.
Cheon Woojin's lips curved upward.
To Ink Guest, the expression looked unmistakably contemptuous.
His face twisted with anger.
Then, without warning, a powerful aura surged from Cheon Woojin's body.
Rumble!
A brief tremor shook the air.
Ink Guest's killing intent was swept away as though it had never existed.
Cheon Woojin's overwhelming presence filled the room, utterly suppressing everything else.
Every hair on Ink Guest's body stood on end.
Instinctively, his hand flew to the hilt of his sword.
His specialty was a sword-drawing technique: drawing his dark longsword in a single lightning-fast motion and severing his opponent's neck before they could react.
Cheon Woojin watched him closely, his gaze fixed on Ink Guest's eyes.
"Draw."
To Ink Guest's ears, it sounded as though the young man had simply omitted the words if you want to die.
For a moment, Ink Guest wavered.
He glanced toward Gu Jinseok.
The image of the Gu family head, whose features so closely resembled his son's, immediately rose in his mind.
Ink Guest's gaze steadied.
Then his fingers tightened around the sword hilt.