Chapter 135 Guizhou Province

Chapter 135: Guizhou Province

A serpentine, wicked smile suddenly appeared on Huashayu’s face.

“These young whippersnappers have no manners. How dare they casually utter my name? I told you, being too kind-hearted is no good. These youngsters are getting too big for their britches, aren’t they? How insolent!”

As soon as the words ended, Hwasayu’s figure vanished.

Gong Daegak immediately shouted urgently and leapt forward.

“D-Dodge!”

The three members of the Galssamgwi scattered hastily in three directions. They knew it was hopeless to face Hwasayu, who stood directly beneath the Absolute Masters.

But it was useless.

Before he knew it, Hwasayu appeared behind Lee Gwi Gong-gol and lightly drew her claws through the air.

Gongigol’s back split open in five deep gashes.

Puhwaaah!

“Gahhh!”

It looked as if an invisible, long claw had extended to a length of about a yard.

Instant death.

But that wasn’t all.

Gongsamnan’s neck had been severed by the fan Hwasayu held, as if it had been thrown at some point.

The fan, spinning violently, circled through the air and was returning toward Hwasayu.

Wiiiiiiing!

Galsamgwi’s eldest brother, Gong Daegak, was utterly stunned.

My two younger brothers, masters of over eighty years of cultivation who never lost track of a predator’s location, had lost their lives in this brief moment.

Enraged, Gong Daegak no longer fled but charged toward Hwasayu.

“You bastard!”

It was the fierce, lion-like momentum that had earned him the name ‘Galssamgwi’.

But Hwasayu merely chuckled softly upon seeing him and extended a finger.

Puff!

“!”

Gong Daegak couldn’t even scream.

His head had been pierced through before he even realized it.

Something invisible, hurtling through the air, had pierced his head.

He could only crash to the ground with the momentum of his flight, tumbling like a ragdoll.

Thud!

Instant death.

Seeing the famed Galsamgwi, whose reputation had spread since the last Blood War, all perish in an instant like this, Gu Yusang, watching from behind, smiled faintly and said to Hwasayu.

“Uncle Hua’s colorless steel qi never ceases to amaze me. Well done.”

Hua Shuyu shook his head playfully and replied.

“Oh, come now. It’s nothing. Anyway, Yoo Sang-ah, may this uncle go upstairs now? That lovely face just won’t leave my mind.”

“Of course. Please go ahead. I’m sorry Suk-in took up your precious time.”

“Alright, alright. Well then.”

With that, Hwasayu’s figure vanished on the spot.

He must have gone straight up to embrace the woman.

Only after he was gone did Gu Yu-sang shake his head with a look of pity and command his men.

“Hurry up and clean this up. We’re heading back to the Yun Clan.”

“Yes, sir!”

As soon as his order was given, the other subordinates began the massacre again.

The air was soon filled with screams once more.

Watching the scene, Gu Yoo-sang suddenly asked Yeomra’s Blood Monk, Chuk Ho-tak, beside him.

“Is the next stop the Seonwoo Clan?”

Chukhotak bowed respectfully in response to his question.

“Yes, Master.”

A smile then appeared on Gu Yousang’s lips as if he had thought of something.

“Hmm, this time I must win over that lovely young lady’s heart. I shouldn’t have cursed Uncle Hwa. I suppose I’ll have to learn some secret technique for capturing a woman’s heart.”

The smile of the First Prince of Sicheon, who had even earned the title “White Jade Dragon,” was breathtakingly beautiful.

But it seemed less like the smile of a man thinking of a woman he cared for, and more like the smile of a gourmet anticipating a delicious meal.

***

Three days later, I finally arrived in Guiyang, Guizhou Province, where the Sunwoo family resided.

It had been nearly eight months.

Though I had no idea what was happening in the shadows, Guiyang in broad daylight was still bustling.

The streets were packed with people, and the various restaurants I’d frequented during my pig days at the Sunwoo household were still thriving.

Seeing those signs again after so long made my mouth water involuntarily.

‘Though it was a time when nothing much went right, I find myself longing for the taste of that food.’

With that thought, I chuckled softly and hurried on my way.

But the direction I headed wasn’t west toward Guiyang, where the Seonwoo family estate was located, but south.

Then, suddenly, the telepathic voice of the demonic warrior, who must have been following me in hiding, reached me.

– Are you not heading toward the Seonwoo family estate, young master?

I smiled faintly.

It seemed he had already grasped the geography to some extent, even though this was his first time in Guiyang.

He must not have had time to do so, yet his resourcefulness was truly remarkable.

A satisfied smile escaped me at my first subordinate’s competence.

– There are two places we must stop at before heading to Seonwoo Seago.

Upon hearing this, Jik Mahyeok answered without further questions, as if convinced.

– Yes! Understood, Young Master.

Jik Mahyeok didn’t ask any questions beyond what he absolutely needed to know about the upcoming schedule.

It seemed his own way of expressing that he would faithfully follow whatever my intentions might be.

Such an attitude was, of course, desirable for a loyal subordinate.

But it was not what I desired.

I ultimately wished for my subordinates to stand tall as true warriors in the light.

Not as my faithful limbs, but as splendid warriors possessing their own will.

Therefore, he had to question more, judge more, and present his opinions to me.

Not just silently following whatever I did.

So I began explaining step by step to Jie Zhong, who followed me without a word no matter what I did, and to Zhi Ma Xue.

– Our first destination is the Hao Gate branch in Guiyang. The reason we’re going there is…

A short while later, I arrived at a splendid tavern bearing the signboard “Gwiyangjeilru.”

This three-story establishment offered a wide variety of liquors, each with a remarkably deep flavor. It was a place frequently patronized even during the Sunwoo family’s humble beginnings.

‘But this was the Hao Gate branch? I couldn’t see it even if I had eyes.’

But now I could see it.

The burly waiter beaming at the entrance, repeatedly shouting “Welcome!” was a top-tier intermediate martial artist, and the presence of martial artists lurking throughout the tavern building, monitoring the surroundings, was also unmistakable.

I chuckled softly and began to slowly stroll around the vicinity of Gyeongyangjeil-ro, keeping my senses as open as possible.

Then, the moment I turned to the side and spotted a blind spot in the surveillance, I slipped straight into the shadows.

Swish!

It was a movement no one nearby could detect.

***

All the guests coming to Guiyangjeilru believed this was a three-story building.

The higher the floor, the more expensive and luxurious the service became, and the top floor was the third.

But Guiyang First Pavilion was originally a four-story building.

It was cleverly constructed so that the third floor appeared slightly elevated from the outside.

And on that fourth floor was the office of Luo Sanlong, the head of the Guiyang First Pavilion and the branch chief of the Guiyang branch of the Hao Gate Guizhou Province.

“Hmm, so in the end…”

Luo Sanlong sat in his office today, sipping tea and scrutinizing documents with a grave expression.

Though he was usually seen smiling foolishly, earning him the nickname “Mr. Foolish,” he wore such a serious expression in his empty office.

But then,

In the office where he thought no one was present, and where no one should have been, someone’s voice suddenly echoed.

“You seem troubled by something.”

Noh Sam-ryong felt goosebumps rise all over his body in that instant.

Someone had entered this place, and he hadn’t even noticed.

If it had been an assassin, he might as well have been dead already.

He was utterly flustered and terrified.

But Noh Sam-ryong was also the seasoned branch chief of Hao Mun, who had weathered every storm.

He barely suppressed the urge to immediately lift his head and look at the intruder, instead calmly beginning to think.

‘Is it the Blood Sect? An assassin? But they wouldn’t have a reason yet. Besides, the voice is young. A young man—and one with a polite tone at that. Not a Blood Sect member. Above all, if it were an assassin, they wouldn’t have bothered speaking to me.’

Having reached that conclusion, Noh Sam-ryong lifted his head with his usual cheerful smile and said.

“Oh dear, it seems I must have lost my mind! I was so engrossed in the letters I didn’t even notice a guest had arrived. Lately, my mind keeps going blank. I suppose this is what they mean when they say old age is a death sentence.”

As he spoke, he could suddenly make out the face of the handsome young man sitting across from him at the desk.

Then, realizing the other man hadn’t even noticed he was sitting across from him, cold sweat ran down his back.

His refined appearance was equally astonishing.

And the fact that he was so handsome yet a face he didn’t recognize at all was even more surprising.

But Noh Sam-ryong showed no sign of it.

“Now then, since we have a guest, I suppose I should at least bring some tea. Where the hell are those bastards? Hey, you bastards! Can’t you bring the tea already?!”

He tried to get up, shouting like that.

The atmosphere was so natural, it felt like he might even offer him tea.

But the man, Seon Woo-jin, who had been watching him with a faint smile, suddenly opened his mouth and said.

“It probably won’t do any good even if you go.”

Noh Sam-ryong had no choice but to freeze mid-rise.

At the same moment Seon Woo-jin spoke, two men entered through the door.

They were not No Sam-ryong’s men, but masked figures clad in black robes.

Seon Woo-jin continued speaking.

“Because the people who would serve you tea are all asleep.”

Noh Sam-ryong swallowed hard, no longer hiding his tense expression.

Outside that door, his men should have been guarding the fourth floor like a fortress.

Therefore, the fact that they had entered through that door could only mean his men had all been taken out.

He had no way to respond now.

Seon Woo-jin smiled faintly at him and said.

“Please sit down, Branch Chief.”

Noh Sam-ryong slowly sat back down.

He had no choice left.

He opened his mouth to ask, no longer hiding his tense expression.

“Where are you from? What brings you here?”

Seon Woo-jin answered with a bright smile.

“My name is Seon Woo-jin. And… I’ve come to take over the Hao Gate Exile Branch here.”

At Seon Woo-jin’s blunt words, Noh Sam-ryong’s startled eyes widened.

***

After a moment, unable to hide his startled expression, Noh Sam-ryong burst into a hearty laugh as if nothing had happened and said to me.

“Hahaha! I don’t know who you are, Master, but you’ve come without doing your homework. If you were going to erase it, that might be one thing, but the Hao Gate of Gui Prefecture isn’t a place any individual can take over. Besides, those who currently control the Hao Gate of Gui Prefecture…”

He replied with a faint smile.

“I am well aware that Gui Zhou’s Hao Gate differs from other provinces in its centralized structure. I also know it is currently occupied by the Blood Sect.”

At that, the smile vanished from Luo Sanlong’s face.

“H-how do you know that?”

“And I know that Director Luo Sanlong of the Soso Branch is reluctantly cooperating with both the former Blood Cultists and the subsequent ones.”

When I was at the Yibin Branch in Sichuan Province, I had examined information about this exiled branch chief in particular detail.

Given that this was where the Sunwoo family was located, I believed whether or not we could cooperate with this man would determine the success or failure of the mission.

According to the intelligence, he was somewhat of a gray area figure.

Even when the previous Blood Cultists, who were unusually concerned with the poor, orphans, and courtesans, were in control, they weren’t particularly cooperative. And even after the current radical Blood Cultists took over, they’ve only been half-heartedly cooperating.

However, Chief Officer Yi-bin’s analysis was that his temperament—not enthusiastic toward anyone, yet never rebellious—was what saved his life.

Even as the former Hao Gate Master’s loyalists were being swept away, no one paid him any mind.

At that, he snorted derisively and said.

“Hmph! It’s true I’m reluctantly cooperating with the Blood Sect, but did you really think I’d cooperate with you? Why do you think I’m cooperating with the Blood Sect in the first place? If I defy them, I’ll die for sure. Why would I risk my life to cooperate with you?”

He gave a wry smile.

Among the analysis by Branch Chief Uibin, there was definitely such a statement.

A coward blinded by self-preservation.

And that was precisely why I had singled him out.

I answered with a broad smile.

“I suppose so. Life is precious, after all. That’s why I’ve made some preparations myself.”

His expression turned puzzled.

“Prepared? What do you mean, prepared?”

I snapped my fingers lightly.

Then, the two masked figures standing behind me, Jik Mahyeok and Gyeon Jung, began to move silently like ghosts.

“Whoa! What, what is this?!”

It didn’t take long for the two to subdue No Sam-ryong, stuff something into his mouth, and return to my side.

Their movements were fluid, like watching real ghosts.

Having begun mastering the Heavenly Killing Technique, the two now displayed movements incomparable to their previous selves.

It seemed their pace of progress was fundamentally different from mine, who had mastered the art of living as a hobby.

I gave the two of them a smile of appreciation for their hard work, then looked at No Sam-ryong, who was clutching his throat and coughing.

“Guh! What did you feed me?!”

I answered with a sly smile.

“It’s a gift.”

His face turned pale.

“…What did you say?”

“It’s the poison used at the water gate. They say if you don’t take the antidote I give you once a month, it runs wild inside your body, killing the host in terrible agony. Well, I’ve never seen it happen myself, so I don’t really know what it’s like.”

Then he looked at me with a dazed expression and asked.

“Wh-why are you doing this to me?”

I answered with a sly grin.

“It seems you cannot move for fear of having your life taken by the Blood Sect. Now things are fair. If you cooperate with me and are caught, you will die at the hands of the Blood Sect. But if you refuse to cooperate with me, you will still die a painful death. Either way, you will die. So why not choose the path that appeals more to your heart? Now then, which side would you rather cooperate with?”

His expression changed several times in an instant.

His face, alternating between pale and flushed, was utterly fascinating.

After a moment, he finally spoke to me with an expression that seemed on the verge of tears.

“…How am I supposed to choose when I don’t even know who Confucius is?”

He shook his head and replied.

“I told you, my name is Seonwoojin.”

His eyes, which had briefly narrowed in disapproval, slowly widened.

“You mean… Sunwoo Sam, the pig of the Sunwoo family? The one they said was dragged off to the front lines?”

“Well, he actually ran off.”

His eyes rolled back in his head.

“Then… you must be that lowly black wolf, Seonwoo Jin, who supposedly destroyed the Black Chamber long ago. I thought it was just a namesake… And you’re also the one who fought the Demon King of Small Noodles alongside the Red-Eyed Sword, Hwa Yeong-bin, at the Justice Chamber…?”

“That would be me.”

He finally let out a hollow sigh.

“Good heavens! Is such a thing possible in such a short time? No, wait—Confucius was famously gifted even as a child. Could he have deliberately concealed his talents?”

Honestly, that wasn’t true.

Back then, I was just a pig, plain and simple.

But I just gave him a faint smile.

Then, interpreting my smile somehow, he let out another exclamation of admiration.

“Wow! Good heavens! To conceal yourself like that for so long! Confucius truly was a hidden dragon!”

…It was terribly embarrassing, but I resolved to endure it stoically.

Noh Sam-ryong asked me with a tense look in his eyes.

“Then what does Confucius desire? Does he wish to settle the Sunwoo family? Or could it be the Blood Cultists lurking in Gwiju Castle?”

His earnest question prompted me to respond with equal gravity.

“I believe those two are not different.”

Then, Luo Sanlong sighed deeply and said.

“Huh, Master. The Blood Cult in Guizhou City is not something you can confront alone. Besides, unlike Sichuan Province, there are no Qingcheng or Tangmen here either.”

“I’m well aware of that. That’s precisely why we need to plan more carefully. Which is why your cooperation is even more crucial to me. And… I never said I’d face this alone. I have my own hidden cards up my sleeve.”

He gave me a questioning look at my words.

But I couldn’t lay all my cards on the table for him now.

Leaning closer, I asked him.

“So… what will you do now, Director Roh?”

He sighed with a grim expression, then finally nodded.

“Well, what choice do I have? If I can avoid being caught by the Blood Cult, I might survive, but isn’t it true that if I don’t cooperate with the Master, I’ll surely die?”

That was true enough.

He grinned and extended his hand to him.

“Then I’ll be counting on you.”

He took my hand with a hollow laugh.

It was the moment the first button was perfectly fastened in Guizhou Province.

***

Two days later, I finally stood before the main gate of the Seonwoo family estate. Seeing the ancestral home after eight months filled me with overwhelming emotion.

As I stood gazing blankly at the gate with a look of awe, the gate guards approached me with puzzled expressions and asked,

“Do you have business at the Seonwoo Estate?”

I answered with a sly grin.

“Guard Jeong, Guard Sang. I am Seonwoo Jin.”

“Huh?”

At that, the guards who had initially frowned and looked at me as if to say, ‘What are you talking about?’ gradually began to widen their eyes.

And finally, they cried out in shock.

“Th-th-th-Third Young Master?!”

“I-is that really you, Third Young Master?!”

He smiled brightly and nodded.

“Indeed. Is my father well?”