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He was greatly pleased that I had succeeded in cracking the safe.

“I knew Young Master Byeok would definitely pull it off.”

He didn’t seem particularly surprised either. Rather, his reaction was as if it was to be expected.

“It’s thanks to your help, Leader.”

“What did I do? It was all Young Master Byeok’s work.”

“If you hadn’t told me about the secret passage, how could I have been in that room before that Si-gon? It’s all thanks to Leader Jeong.”

When I gave him credit, Jeong Yeo smiled with satisfaction. I meant it sincerely. Without his active help, it would have been absolutely impossible to accomplish.

“They’re not suspecting you, are they?”

“Fortunately, it doesn’t seem so.”

From the beginning, they regarded us as country bumpkins from a rural faction. That’s why they didn’t think we would dare to challenge the Five Great Sects of the Central Plains. Because no regional faction had ever done so until now.

“How are they doing now?”

“It seems they’re trying to make connections with the Shandong Merchant Association.”

The Shandong Merchant Association was the very place that had failed to bring in Clan Leader Song earlier.

The Shandong Merchant Association needed power, and Ma Jeongsu needed money, so it could be seen as a perfect combination.

“If they bring in the Shandong Merchant Association, their money problems will be solved.”

“That’s right. Perhaps even more money might flow in.”

The corners of my mouth lifted slightly.

“Why are you smiling?”

“Then I might be able to get even more money, right?”

“Hahaha.”

Jeong Yeo laughed pleasantly. He took it as a joke, but I meant it sincerely.

Since I’ve already inserted the straw, I might as well suck properly.

Moreover, the Shandong Merchant Association was originally a group that had fallen out of my favor. They had tried to use Clan Leader Song to escape from danger themselves. They were opponents I should have gone to punish intentionally, and now they’re getting entangled with Ma Jeongsu’s affairs.

“I’ve commissioned the information broker for anything related to the Shandong Merchant Association. I’ll let you know as soon as news comes in.”

“Thank you.”

Jeong Yeo was showing me loyalty. It was too active and great a loyalty to be seen as mere courtesy for becoming a leader thanks to me. Just this safe incident alone could have cost him his life if things had gone wrong.

I sensed that the time had come.

“Leader Jeong.”

“Yes.”

“You said your dream was to raise Yang Minor Faction well?”

“That’s right.”

“Don’t you want to dream bigger?”

Jeong Yeo flinched for a moment. He immediately understood the meaning behind my question. It was an invitation to dream of a great cause together.

“Do you trust me?”

Jeong Yeo’s voice trembled. He knew. He knew that my previous question could change his fate.

“I’m not sure.”

“Then why did you say such a thing?”

“Because you’re someone I’d like to try trusting once.”

In my past life, I didn’t trust just anyone. We went through several verification processes, and if not me, then Gal Sa-ryang took care of that task.

The relationships formed that way were always dry.

This is the result of that.

As if they had been waiting for the moment of my death, those I trusted turned their backs on me.

Now that I think about it, my relationship with them wasn’t bound by loyalty.

What maintained our relationship was fear.

The fear that if they displeased me, it might be the end for them. That was at the core of our relationship instead of trust.

That relationship of over twenty years was inferior to my relationship with Jeong Yeo, whom I’ve known for less than a year.

So in this life, I’m trying to approach human relationships a bit differently.

Instead of starting from verification or certainty, I’m trying to follow my instincts.

“Someone I’d like to try trusting once… Perhaps that’s the same as my heart.”

Jeong Yeo revealed his honest feelings. He, too, had a similar heart to mine.

If he had said he trusted me, I would have been disappointed instead.

Yes, this is the exact distance between him and me.

I shouldn’t mistake him for being closer just because he helped me. There’s no need to think he’s too far away if he refuses my proposal either.

“You said before. That you’re not such a good person, but you’re not someone who doesn’t know gratitude either.”

“Yes, I did say that.”

“What I want from you is not goodness.”

I already had good people by my side.

“I need someone who won’t betray and will silently carry out their work.”

Perhaps he might feel offended by these words. But that was my sincere truth.

“My expectations of you will start from there.”

Jeong Yeo, who had been staring at me silently, spoke calmly.

“Could you give me some time to think?”

“Of course. It’s fine if it takes a few months, or even a few years. Take all the time you need.”

“Thank you.”

Jeong Yeo bowed politely and left the room.

I heard him enter the adjacent room.

This is the current distance he has given me. How this distance will change depends on his decision.

***

Before eliminating Flower Fan Elder, I had to find one person.

According to Gwang-du, when various incidents occurred in Jinan, Flower Fan Elder was in a place where he could prove his whereabouts.

This meant that there must be someone he uses like his hands and feet. Well, it’s unlikely that Flower Fan Elder would have done those things directly.

There must be someone who acts as his hands and feet.

In the situation where he came down with Ma Jeongsu, he couldn’t openly use his subordinates, so they were probably waiting nearby and receiving orders.

I need to find that guy first. Through his mouth, I need to get a confession that he committed those acts and that Flower Fan Elder ordered them. I couldn’t kill them based on mere speculation.

I bought another new human skin mask. I couldn’t use the mask I use to enter and exit Yang Minor Faction for this task.

This time I bought a high-grade mask. It wasn’t something I would use once and throw away.

Because masks are sold in a completely sealed state, even the general store owner selling it doesn’t know what face it is. Naturally, the buyer doesn’t know what face it is either. Of course, you can choose the gender and age range. The mask I bought this time was the face of a man in his thirties.

Of course, if you pay a bit more, you can choose a mask with certain features. For example, things like sword scars or burn marks.

In the past, a mask specialist had to make masks one by one as if applying makeup, but now it’s become such a convenient era. Moreover, the quality is surprisingly good. A truly high-grade mask was indistinguishable to anyone. Of course, it was expensive.

I tailed and observed Flower Fan Elder with my new face. Since his martial arts skills were extraordinary, tailing him was not an easy task.

As I didn’t have much experience in tailing, I just tracked his movements from as far away as possible.

Flower Fan Elder was truly a diligent and systematic person.

He would wake up early in the morning, take a walk in the nearby bamboo forest, eat breakfast, have a cup of tea at a teahouse, and then start his work.

He busily went here and there. He mainly went to meet people.

It gave me chills to think that all these busy activities were processes to fill his selfish desires, like the tragedy in Jinan.

On the fourth day, I finally caught a tail.

I discovered that he was meeting someone in the bamboo forest where he takes his morning walk every day.

I didn’t follow him into the bamboo forest, but watched his walk from afar, and just in case, I continued to wait even after Flower Fan Elder had left.

Then, a man came out of the bamboo forest.

The next day, and the day after that, this man came out of the bamboo forest a certain time after Flower Fan Elder had left. It was too coincidental to be a coincidence, and the timing of his exit was consistent.

On the fifth day of tailing, today, after Flower Fan Elder left, I immediately entered the bamboo forest.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh.

The sound of bamboo swaying in the wind sounded like flowing water.

Feeling my mind become peaceful, I moved forward.

How far had I walked? At the end of the path, that man was walking towards me.

I walked leisurely like someone out for a stroll. The man also continued walking towards me.

Just as we were about to pass each other.

Shwaaak!

The man’s sword was drawn and flew towards my neck.

Fast sword-drawing speed, the man was quite skilled. But unfortunately for him, I was on high alert.

Grab!

The sword stopped abruptly in mid-air. My hand had caught the man’s wrist. Just by the fact that he tried to kill without even confirming who I was, I could tell what kind of person he was.

Without hesitation, I twisted the man’s arm. He resisted with his internal energy, but couldn’t withstand my internal energy.

Crack!

His arm twisted and broke like a dry reed.

“Argh!”

The man screamed and dropped his sword, but even in that moment, he tried to stab my eyes with the fingers of his other hand.

I quickly caught his fingers and broke them too.

Crack!

“Ugh!”

Another scream burst from the man’s mouth. Now he had no more chances.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

My fists repeatedly struck his ribs and chest. He collapsed on the spot.

“Urgh…”

The man let out a pain-filled groan. Several of his ribs had been broken by my recent punches. Of course, I intentionally broke places that wouldn’t endanger his life.

He looked up at me with a face contorted in pain.

“…Who are you?”

“You tried to kill me without even knowing who I am?”

He was at least incredibly quick-witted. You could tell just by how he tried to kill me without any hesitation. Usually, this type of person values their own life very much. If that’s the case, he’ll be easy to handle.

“Do you want to live?”

The man hesitated to answer.

Shing.

I drew my sword and raised it. As I was about to cut him down in one stroke, the man hurriedly said,

“I want to live!”

I looked down coldly at him while holding up the sword.

“The murders committed in Jinan related to the martial arts school land, were they ordered by Flower Fan Elder?”

His eyes wavered. There was fear that if he spoke, Flower Fan Elder might kill him, but he had already answered with his body’s reaction.

As he hesitated to answer, I mercilessly swung down the sword.

“Wait!”

Swish!

The sword pierced into his shoulder. Blood flowed from the shoulder where the blade was embedded. If I hadn’t stopped, his shoulder would have been cut off and he would have died.

The guy realized there was no mercy in my actions.

“The one I want to punish is Flower Fan Elder. Is Flower Fan Elder someone who would risk his life to protect you like this? If so, you don’t have to answer.”

The man’s deliberation wasn’t long. Because Flower Fan Elder wasn’t that kind of person.

“All the deeds were ordered by Flower Fan Elder.”

I pulled out the sword that was stuck in his shoulder.

I pressed an acupoint to stop the bleeding from his gushing shoulder wound. Then I sheathed the sword I was holding.

It seemed like an action implying I would spare his life since he opened his mouth, so the man confessed everything.

“He didn’t directly order to kill people, but he ordered to stop at nothing to buy the land at a dirt-cheap price.”

The clever Flower Fan Elder would never have given a direct order to kill. But to this swordsman, the order to stop at nothing was essentially an order to kill.

“Do you meet Flower Fan Elder every day?”

“Yes.”

Once he started talking, the man answered smoothly.

“What did he tell you today?”

“There’s a woman who came down with us this time. He’s been investigating her continuously these days.”

That was information I needed too.

“Weren’t they on the same side?”

“Yes, that woman was sent by Martial Righteous Alliance Leader Ma Bong-gi.”

“Why did the woman come along?”

“It seems to be to monitor Ma Jeongsu, but I’m not certain.”

“So what have you found out about her?”

“Nothing. We’ve been asking around in various places, but no one even knows her appearance or clothing.”

“What does she usually do?”

“Sometimes she stays at Yang Minor Faction, sometimes she suddenly disappears somewhere. Her behavior is unpredictable.”

Currently, she is the most dangerous existence.

The scariest enemy in the martial world isn’t someone stronger than me. It’s an enemy whose identity is unknown.

“Are you supposed to meet Flower Fan Elder here tomorrow too?”

“Yes.”

“Is there a separate method of contact? Like a codeword?”

“No, there isn’t. If you walk a bit further in, there’s a small rock. If you wait there first, the old master comes.”

“I see.”

“Then what about me?”

As his expectant eyes reflected the sight of my palm flying towards him.

Thwack!

With my palm strike, the man’s skull was shattered. He died without even a scream.

He might feel wronged because he believed I would spare him. But I never had any intention of letting him live from the start. I only pretended to spare him for a moment to confirm if it was Flower Fan Elder’s order.

He deserves to die.

No matter if it was an order, he killed people who knew no martial arts to steal the land of good people. And even children and the elderly at that.

Looking down at his corpse, I spoke coldly.

“Don’t worry, you’ll be able to meet your master tomorrow morning.”

Of course, the sight you’ll see won’t be these beautiful bamboos, but a scene of roaring fires and evil people skewered on long spits.

I’ll send you all, one by one.