Chapter 98 Cipher Text (2)

Chapter 98 Cipher Text (2)

Creating a spy.

It sounds like something that would only happen during a military dictatorship, but flip it around, and it’s entirely possible even in Hell’s Martial World.

‘This is why a judicial system without lawyers is so terrifying.’

That’s why I confidently brought all the Ijowon members with me.

Woo Je-jun, who remembered the incident from four years ago, spoke with a worried voice.

“If the Military Bureau’s scholars rise up en masse, even you, Captain, could be in danger.”

He wasn’t wrong. Given the nature of the Military Bureau, if news spread that a superior’s own brother had been captured, regardless of right or wrong, the scholars’ backlash would surely follow.

Moreover, Yang Ho-seon, due to his duties in the Military Bureau, was likely quite friendly with the warriors of the Inner Eight Palms Sect. It couldn’t be ruled out that he might bring all his martial artist acquaintances along.

Unless North Palace Baek intervened, if things escalated that far, my plan would almost certainly go awry.

Of course.

“If you defend a traitor who betrayed the city by clinging to the Ten-Horse Alliance, then you’re a traitor too.”

“What? A traitor to the city? Are you saying Yang Ho-jan is the Ten-Horse Alliance?”

With the evidence in my hand, if Yang Ho-jan is the Ten-Horse Alliance, not even the Military Bureau’s old man himself would dare challenge it.

“This time, I’ll have to teach those Military Bureau clerks a lesson.”

I’ve disliked them for a long time.

“So stop worrying and follow me.”

We set off like that. About an hour later.

We crossed Guolong Fortress and arrived at Yanghozan’s business premises located north of the fortress.

[Mireuk Daru]

Outwardly, it looked like an ordinary daru, but digging deeper revealed it was a place where all manner of human trafficking, including vicious loan sharking, took place.

Gulp.

Upon reaching our destination, several warriors swallowed hard.

Seems they’re all tense.

I walked up to the daru’s gate, in full view of everyone.

Perhaps because over twenty people had appeared, armed warriors began pouring out from inside the daru.

“Look at these bastards?”

Daring to carry blades within the outer city?

No need to think twice.

“Who the hell are you…!”

Crack. Thud.

Criminals deserve a good beating.

I drove a middle kick into the waist of the first one who lunged out, shattering his pelvis.

Given the medical standards of this era, it was an injury that would leave him crippled for life.

Silence fell around the daru as they witnessed the single blow that showed exactly what they’d come for.

Passersby all fled into nearby houses, and the patrons inside the tavern scrambled to escape through windows and back doors.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, five men jumped from the fourth floor.

A quick glance revealed they were a top-tier martial artist and several others close to that level.

A burly middle-aged man wielding a massive sword approached.

He was the martial artist I’d just assessed as top-tier.

“So you’re the Flying Dragon of the Outer Sect. You must know where this place is… Might I ask what brings you here?”

“Why? To catch Yang Ho-jan, of course. And while I’m at it, I’ll take the heads of inhuman scum like you.”

“…You speak words you cannot back up.”

“Well? What responsibility would I have for killing the likes of you?”

“Just in case you didn’t know, Lu Zhu’s younger brother…”

“I know. Yang Hoxun, the first-class secretary of the Military Bureau. I’ll be going to capture him later too. So.”

“…”

“Bring Yang Ho-jan, that son of a bitch, before me. Hand him over quietly, and I’ll spare his life.”

“Lord Lu is currently away on business. If you return later…”

“Why is it that you lot never deviate from the expected?”

Thud.

At the predictable response, he fired a nail with a heavenly hammer.

“Kyaaah!”

The eyes of the man standing right next to the one I was talking to burst out, and a scream echoed.

“From now on, anyone who blocks my path will be killed.”

Clang. Clang. Clang.

As soon as my words fell, the swords of the twenty men behind me were drawn.

Not to be outdone, the five masters guarding the entrance to Dalu and the thirty thugs also drew their weapons.

‘Let’s see now…’

Sweeping my gaze over their overall momentum, aside from the five in front, the rest were nothing special. It didn’t look like our boys would get hurt.

After all, we were the super ultra elite squad that had faced countless enemies in the Namman Grand Tournament.

Moreover, the Ijowon had peak masters like Dangyanggang, Dangpal, and Dangjinhyeong. If anyone was in danger, they would step in.

It felt unsettling to spill so much blood just to take down Yanghozan, but these bastards deserved to die. Even the King of Hell wouldn’t complain.

“Kill them all.”

When I spoke, every member of the Sunrise Sect stared at me, eyes wide.

Their expressions asked, Are you serious?

“These are the bastards who sold children barely over ten years old into brothels and iron mines. Don’t they deserve to die?”

At my single command, every member of the group unleashed murderous intent and charged at the men.

Their resolve to spare not a single one was palpable.

Seizing the moment, I unleashed the Flying Heaven Wind at full speed, smashing through the door of the tavern.

I immediately grabbed one clerk by the collar and demanded.

“Where is your boss?”

“Th-that… well…”

For the hesitant bastard, I threw a Hyuncheol nail packed with my full inner strength.

CRASH!

The pillar exploded cleanly through the middle, leaving no trace, and the entire building shook.

“The fourth floor! He’s on the fourth floor!”

Thud.

He dropped the guy like he was tossing him aside, then leaped through the ceiling, stepping on the ceiling tiles, and landed on the fourth floor.

Nearly ten men were waiting on the fourth floor, weapons drawn. A fat, bald old man, protected by the others, stood there, glaring at him fiercely.

“Yang Ho-jan?”

“You bastard! How dare you commit such atrocities here?!”

“You’re the atrocity, you piece of shit. The very fact you’re breathing is an atrocity.”

“What are you waiting for?! Cut that bastard’s throat this instant!”

At his command, ten men stepped forward.

‘So that’s why they held out?’

Martial artists on par with the five he’d seen earlier.

He probably figured he could handle them all in a day or so, not the entire Oedang.

He likely thought any bloodshed that erupted could be covered up with his brother’s power.

‘Everyone has their plans.’

Until he got hit.

Crack! Snap.

I unfolded the Zhenwangbao and moved sideways, simultaneously slashing one guy’s neck.

The sound of something snapping echoed as he collapsed like a ragdoll.

I charged straight in, unfurling the Zhenwangshisangtu to shatter another guy’s ribs completely.

Taking down two in an instant, I saw shock and fear frost over the remaining guys’ eyes.

” “Don’t you think it’s too late to run?”

“Guh!”

Eight of them charged at me simultaneously in response to my provocation.

Their weapons poured in, each aiming for my vital points.

Kwoong. Bang!

As if I’d been waiting for it, the explosive projectile I unleashed blew them all away.

No holding back—I killed them all with a single strike.

‘Yang Ho-jan himself didn’t step forward; he sent his minions to do the dirty work.’

These must be the minions Yongmasan mentioned. They deserved to die.

Above all.

‘The fewer witnesses to this, the better.’

Fewer witnesses meant fewer problems.

Squelch. Squelch.

With every step, sticky blood clung to the soles of my shoes.

“Hee, heeek!”

Seeing his ten men reduced to bloody pulp, Yang Ho-jan backed away like a madman.

Thud.

“Guh!”

I fired a steel nail, piercing his heart.

Normally, sending someone to the other world with maximum suffering would be proper, but due to being busy, I showed mercy.

Checking outside, the situation on the first floor was also nearly resolved.

I went straight into Yang Ho-jan’s office, scattered fake evidence like the emblem representing the Ten-Armed Lotus and the decoded cipher text around the room, then stepped outside.

* * *

Word must have spread that over fifty people had died in a bloodbath, for all the former members of the Outer Court rushed in.

The Deputy Leader, Garip, shouted, his face ashen.

“To kill so many people in broad daylight! What on earth is going on?!”

“Ah, well…

“Do you know who the master of this place is?!”

“Isn’t Yang Ho-jan the one who deserves to die?”

“So you knew that and still did this?!”

“Would he have acted without knowing that?”

“Th-that’s right. Where is Yang Ho-jan? If we can negotiate, before his brother arrives…”

“His physical body is on the fourth floor.”

“His, his body? You wouldn’t be…?!”

“His soul was sent to Yama.”

“You lunatic!”

“Don’t worry. He was such a scoundrel, His Majesty will likely praise you for it.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about right now?!”

Just as Garip was shouting angrily,

“I found something strange here!”

Woo Je-jun, who was on the fourth floor, had come to retrieve the things I’d hidden.

Taking them, I pretended to examine them slowly and said.

“Let’s see… Of course!”

“What is it?”

Garip snatched them away and checked them.

“Th-this is!”

He stared at me with a stunned expression.

“What on earth is going on here?”

“Didn’t I report to you not long ago that we found a spy from the Ten Demon Alliance connected to the murder at the Jo Family Storehouse?”

“Yes.”

“Just in case, I searched for traces of the ones left in the city and this place came up. After looking into it here and there, I confirmed that Yang Ho-jan is a traitor who betrayed the city and joined the Ten Demon Alliance.”

He paused to catch his breath before continuing.

“And when we came to raid this place today, seeing the resisting mob confirmed it. This is the very lair of the demons.”

“Th-then?!”

“Further investigation is needed, but with such clear evidence, I suspect his brother, Yang Ho-seon, is also a spy for the Ten Demon Alliance.”

“Damn it!”

“Lord Bu, please rest at headquarters without worry. We will investigate thoroughly according to ‘law and principle’.”

Shocked, Garip stood there blankly, his mouth agape.

I gave orders to the Oedang warriors surrounding him.

“What? Not escorting Lord Bu?”

“Yes!”

* * *

The situation unfolded swiftly.

Regaining his senses, Garip rushed to North Palace Lord Baek with evidence proving Yang Ho-jan was Sipmallyeon’s lackey and the decoded message.

Left behind, I mobilized all the Oedang personnel Garip had brought and uprooted every organization even remotely connected to Yang Ho-jan.

Thanks to this, a significant number of legal loan sharks operating within the outer city were arrested and dragged in one after another.

Under normal circumstances, we would have punished them moderately and ended it there, but this time was different.

“Expel them all with nothing but the clothes on their backs.”

We decided to confiscate all their property and banish them.

Naturally, protests followed.

“Even if unintentional, the evidence that you aided the Ten Demon Clan’s henchmen is overwhelming. Shall we handle this strictly according to the law and principles? “

Faced with this polite proposal, they bowed their heads and confessed their guilt.

Starting with Yang Ho-jan, they stripped the assets of a significant number of loan sharks, amassing a sum reaching ten thousand nyang.

A staggering fortune.

But this was money stained with the blood and tears of the Outer City residents. I cannot dispose of it as I please.

”Je-jun.”

“Yes.”

“Go find a room and come back. Tell those who lost their families because of these scoundrels to come to headquarters immediately.”

“Pardon?”

“Lending money and charging high interest isn’t illegal, but buying and selling people is, isn’t it?”

“You intend to compensate them with the seized assets.”

“If they hadn’t known, it might have passed. But now that they know, this is the only way.”

“Understood. I’ll carry it out immediately.”

“Just be careful the compensation doesn’t go to some scammer.”

“Most of the warriors who’ve married live in the outer city. Many were born and raised there. Everyone knows everyone else through one connection or another. They wouldn’t dare try to deceive anyone, nor would they be deceived.”

“I trust you.”

“Don’t worry.”

Shortly after Woo Je-jun left.

“You scoundrels! How dare you cause such a ruckus here?!”

The expected villain appeared, spouting a classic villain’s line.

It was Yang Ho-seon, the First-Class Secretary of the Military Bureau.

Given the location, he addressed the man who had brought his guards along.

“Where else? This is the Nine Dragons Fortress branch of the Ten Thousand Soldiers Corps.”