At No Song's words, O Duseok and Jang Ucheol turned to look at Dan Sahyeok.
Cook Jin, who had been standing slightly apart from them, spoke preemptively.
"I've got a feeling this isn't the sort of talk a mere cook ought to be hearing. Mind if I head in first?"
"As you wish."
"Then I'll be on my way."
The instant Dan Sahyeok answered, Cook Jin tossed out one last remark and left without ceremony.
Watching him go, Jang Ucheol let out a hollow laugh.
"Heh, honestly. Is that man timid, or is he bold......?"
"He is wise. Unlike you."
"Pardon? Sir, what do you mean by that?"
"Keep your idle curiosity at bay and do not let unnecessary words leave your mouth carelessly. Such are the unwritten rules of the martial world—do you not know that?"
"Mm, mmm......"
Jang Ucheol groaned under O Duseok's rebuke.
Regardless, No Song turned to Dan Sahyeok.
"About you chasing off that Jegal girl. That was not simply because she tried to use you, was it?"
"......"
"To be frank, her intentions were closer to goodwill than anything. She was not trying to swindle you."
"But old man, you were badmouthing her alongside me just a moment ago, weren't you?"
O Duseok cut in before Dan Sahyeok could even open his mouth.
No Song clicked his tongue briefly at the unnecessary interjection.
"You were the only one badmouthing her, not I."
"N-no. But......"
"Calculation behind a person's actions is only natural. That does not necessarily mean the intent behind it is selfish."
"Hmm."
"Even if the Jegal girl was being calculating, she was hardly excessive about it. More importantly, in the end, she was trying to help this young man."
At No Song's words, O Duseok closed his mouth.
Truthfully, he too had privately wondered whether Dan Sahyeok's actions had been a touch excessive.
"And yet you drove her away rather harshly."
No Song directed this at Dan Sahyeok.
"I trust there is a reason behind it?"
"It is nothing especially grand."
Dan Sahyeok answered No Song's question with composure.
"I simply want only people I can trust completely by my side for the time being."
"People you can trust completely?"
"That is correct."
Dan Sahyeok's gaze swept over O Duseok.
O Duseok, caught off guard by the sudden attention, looked around him.
"First, Branch Chief O is a man I have had my eye on since Gansu. He is simple and rough, but he possesses more loyalty and integrity than anyone."
"Wh-what?"
"And Jang Ucheol."
"Yes, Sir?"
"You are foolish and every bit as simple as Branch Chief O, but that is precisely why you are not the sort to commit betrayal."
"Hmm."
Jang Ucheol scratched the back of his head sheepishly, while O Duseok's face reddened slightly before scrunching into a scowl.
"Are you going to keep calling me simple, simple, simple? This damned bastard is now trying to lord over me like some master."
"The truth is the truth. And......"
Dan Sahyeok trailed off, his gaze shifting to No Song.
"As you saw earlier, Cook Jin is wise and knows not to overstep. He may not practice martial arts, but he is more than an admirable veteran of the murim."
"Hmm. And what about me?"
"My master vouched for you. That is why I can trust you."
At Dan Sahyeok's words, the wrinkles on No Song's face deepened.
The deep creases around his mouth could almost have been mistaken for a bitter smile.
"I see."
"Indeed."
"Then in the case of that Jegal girl......?"
"Because she is good-natured. And that is precisely why I cannot trust her."
"Good-natured, and therefore untrustworthy. That is not an easy claim to accept at face value."
"Being calculating is actually preferable. You need only choose the option that fits their logic. But being good-natured is different. The moment their threshold is crossed even slightly, their hearts will turn."
"Hmm, now I believe I understand your thinking."
No Song spoke with a nod.
O Duseok also wore an expression suggesting he grasped the gist.
"In short, what I'm hearing is that you—and this Yellow Dragon Fortress—might get dragged into something dirty."
"You see it clearly, Branch Chief."
"So what the hell is it?"
"I don't know."
"What?"
"Not yet."
Dan Sahyeok added, his gaze drifting toward the empty sky.
"The death of the Blood Sky Demon was a tolling bell heralding the beginning of everything. Even his death will prove to be but a ripple compared to the storm that approaches."
"......Someone told you that, it seems."
"They did, old man."
"And that someone was surely your master."
"Exactly so."
"I see."
No Song responded with complete acceptance at Dan Sahyeok's answer.
Unable to hold back any longer, O Duseok asked.
"Just what kind of man is his master that you're reacting like this?"
"What kind of man? Heh."
No Song let out a dry laugh.
"You already know, do you not? He is the man who raised the disciple who killed the Blood Sky Demon and single-handedly disbanded the Martial Alliance."
"Mm......"
"It may go without saying, but I have never in my life seen a being stronger than him. Nor have I seen one since."
Having declared that with certainty, No Song turned to Dan Sahyeok.
"This may sting a bit to hear, but it is my belief that even now, you have not reached the level of your master's prowess."
"There is nothing stinging about it. I think the same."
"Is that so? But you still have a long time ahead of you, so one never knows. Even your master could not have possessed such prowess at your age."
"Well, conversely, there's no guarantee that I'll grow that strong just because I reach his age."
"That is...... also true."
"I might die some unlucky death before I get that old."
At Dan Sahyeok's words, O Duseok made a disgusted face.
"You really are something else. Why do you have to go and say something that ill-omened?"
"The truth is the truth. That's just how the martial world is. Even someone once called the Supreme Under Heaven could meet a sudden, violent death one day."
"And the Blood Sky Demon did precisely that."
When No Song added that, O Duseok clicked his tongue.
"He's the one who killed him."
"Exactly my point. The world is vast and masters are many. And...... there are always those plotting to overturn this world from places we cannot see."
"What? What do you mean by......?"
"Do you not understand? Think back on what Dan Sahyeok's master supposedly said. That even the death of the Blood Sky Demon is merely a harbinger of the coming storm."
"Hmm. So in other words......"
"Just because the Blood Sky Demon is dead does not mean the martial world of today will simply settle into peace."
No Song's expression hardened.
"Dan Sahyeok became the lord of this Yellow Dragon Fortress to prepare for that crisis."
***
"I see. So that is what happened."
The streets of Xi'an, lined with inns.
In the quarters of a particularly large inn among them, Jegal Unseong was consoling his daughter.
"I do not understand why Hero Dan would treat me that way. I only wanted to help him."
"Perhaps there are reasons he cannot speak of. In any case, I do not believe he harbors ill will toward our clan."
"Do you really think so?"
"Of course."
Jegal Unseong answered gently and offered his daughter a smile.
Jegal Seoyeon's mood lifted somewhat.
She had been frightened by Dan Sahyeok earlier, but she was a martial artist in her own right.
She was not so fragile as to crumble or flee over something like this.
"Then for now...... I should begin investigating separately from Hero Dan."
"Investigating?"
"Yes. I suspect this incident was not the work of the Green Snake Gang alone."
At his daughter's words, Jegal Unseong's expression grew serious.
"Do you have grounds for thinking so?"
"The Green Snake Gang's Unorthodox members were winning people over through inns and taverns. To do that, they would first need to be able to enter those inns and taverns, would they not?"
"But such places do not typically refuse entry just because someone is Unorthodox? ......Ah."
Jegal Unseong's reaction suggested he had realized something.
Jegal Seoyeon nodded.
"Exactly. Even if they were not refused entry, they would still need money to go in and strike up conversations."
"And most sects—especially Unorthodox ones—tend to have empty coffers."
"Right. In the decades since the Blood Sky Sect was driven out, the vast majority of gold and wealth flowing into the martial world was swallowed up by the Martial Alliance."
At Jegal Seoyeon's words, Jegal Unseong smiled bitterly.
"A biting way to put it. Then again, you too wished to reform the old ways of the Martial Alliance."
"That is right. Just as Hero Dan does now. In a word, we are on the same side. So why would Hero Dan......?"
"Hmm, let us set that topic aside for now. In any case...... your conclusion is that someone was backing the Green Snake Gang from behind the scenes."
"That is right."
Jegal Seoyeon's eyes gleamed with clarity.
"I intend to start by digging into that hidden backer."
***
"......Mmm."
"Y-you are awake, my lord!"
Namgung Un furrowed his brow at the deafening shout.
"Are you trying to make your lord go deaf?"
"M-my deepest apologies!"
The middle-aged man threw himself flat on the ground in a fluster.
It was Ma Seongchu, the Avalanche Fist—a sworn retainer of the Namgung Clan.
Ever since Namgung Un's devastating defeat at the hands of Dan Sahyeok, he too had spent every night in restless anguish.
During the internal deliberations beforehand, he had been the one to most forcefully push for the duel.
Of course, a mere subordinate's words could hardly have been what compelled Namgung Un.
But the heart of a loyal retainer was what it was, and that could not be helped.
"I spoke carelessly back then. I have truly committed a mortal sin, my lord!"
"Enough. Lower your voice. My skull is ringing because of you."
"M-my apologies."
Ma Seongchu apologized in a voice that shrank to a whisper.
Namgung Un exhaled a sigh, then surveyed his surroundings.
"Where am I?"
"I secured one of the estates in central Xi'an. It seemed best to wait until you had fully recovered before returning to Hefei......"
"How long was I unconscious?"
"It has been close to ten days."
"And Yellow Dragon Fortress?"
At Namgung Un's question, Ma Seongchu bit his lip until it bled.
"I am grieved beyond words to report...... it has fallen entirely into that vile man's hands."
"Vile? Who do you mean?"
"Pardon? Why, of course, the one who did that to you, my lord......"
"You mean Dan Sahyeok? What a foolish thing to say."
Ma Seongchu was momentarily stunned by the sight of Namgung Un seemingly defending the man who had shattered him and left him comatose for a full ten days.
But Namgung Un had not adopted this attitude without thought.
"Our duel was fought fair and square. If fault is to be found, it lies with me, not with him."
"M-my lord......"
"A defeat is a defeat, and excuses are unnecessary. Especially in a case such as this."
Strength entered Namgung Un's voice.
"I will use this defeat as a stepping stone to grow even stronger. As befitting the name of the Azure Sky Sword King."
"My lord......!"
"So I expect you and the others to understand this as well. Do not let idle talk cross your lips. Any retaliation against Dan Sahyeok is also strictly forbidden."
"Yes...... understood, my lord."
Ma Seongchu answered with his head bowed low.
The sight of a middle-aged man whose stiff whiskers hid half his face looking so deflated was rather pitiful.
Namgung Un barely suppressed the sigh that rose unbidden.
"By the way, where are the others? Why are you the only one at my side?"
At Namgung Un's question, Ma Seongchu's voice grew markedly more cautious.
"Well, you see, the thing is."