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The person reporting behind him was Number Seven.

“A person called the Nameless Hero killed the Slaughterer.”

Without turning around, Number One asked,

“Did you see the fight directly?”

“Yes.”

“How was it?”

“It was a martial art I’ve never seen before.”

“How does it compare to you?”

“I’m not confident I could win.”

At Number Seven’s honest answer, Number One asked again,

“What about Strange Phantom?”

In truth, asking such questions about assassins was meaningless. Assassins were capable of killing enemies stronger than themselves using various methods. Especially with a skilled assassin like Strange Phantom, discussing the opponent’s skill level was pointless.

Nevertheless, Number Seven’s outlook was negative.

“I believe it wouldn’t be easy even for Strange Phantom.”

Number One finally turned away from the picture to face her.

“So he’s that strong?”

“Yes.”

“Who on earth is he?”

“Nothing has been revealed yet.”

“A random guy just fell from the sky, killed the Slaughterer, and disappeared?”

“Yes.”

“Is this separate from us, a coincidence?”

“I believe so. Neither my movements nor Strange Phantom’s were detected anywhere.”

“Of course not.”

Number One sat in his seat, lightly tapping the desk with his fingers. This was his habit when concentrating on something.

“The martial world has been too quiet lately. It’s time for an awl to pierce the pocket. Number Seven.”

“Yes.”

“You take charge of this Nameless Hero. Find out who he is, where he’s from, and what he does. We can’t walk around wearing clothes with an awl sticking out of the pocket, can we?”

“Yes, I understand.”

Just then, a man entered and reported.

“The Nameless Hero’s location has been confirmed.”

“What?”

Both Number One and Number Seven were surprised.

“Where is he?”

“He’s in Zhengzhou.”

“Zhengzhou?”

“Where the Ma Ryeong-in is. Number Two sent a message. The Nameless Hero has made contact with the Ma Ryeong-in.”

In the organization, Number Three was assigned to Ma Cheol-gun, and Number Two to the Ma Ryeong-in.

“I see.”

The man who gave the report immediately withdrew.

“He interfered with your work, and now he’s involved with Number Two? This can’t be a coincidence. This guy is not to be taken lightly.”

Number One’s eyes shone sharply. His fingers tapping the table sped up. After a moment, the tapping stopped.

“Number Seven, you go and assess the situation.”

“Number Two won’t like it if I interfere.”

“I’m sure he won’t.”

Number One looked at Number Seven. Under his reproachful gaze that seemed to ask if she intended to disobey his order, Number Seven bowed her head.

“I’m sorry. I’ll leave right away.”

“Take Strange Phantom and Drunken Gentleman[1] with you.”

Drunken Gentleman was one of the four strongest assassins in the organization, along with Strange Phantom.

“Even that Drunken Gentleman?”

“You said he was strong, didn’t you? If you think he needs to be eliminated, do it immediately. Ignore Number Two’s opinion. I trust your judgment.”

“Understood.”

Number Seven turned and left.

Number One watched her until the door closed, then finally rose from his seat.

He looked at the picture on the wall again. He muttered to himself:

“Don’t die. Even if you die… only the dead are pitiful.”

It was unclear whether he was speaking to Number Seven who had already left, to the picture, or to himself.

***

I had dinner with the Ma Ryeong-in.

It was a very fine banquet. I was puzzled how such cuisine could be available in an underground secret room.

Although they had fed me three Unrepentant Demonic Spiritual Pills, I was still just a disposable swordsman with an untrustworthy one-year lifespan. Enjoying a banquet with someone like me meant one thing: they needed me for something.

What kind of task were they planning to assign me?

“Can you really remove the restriction of that Unrepentant Demonic Spiritual Pill or whatever it is?”

When I showed impatience, the Ma Ryeong-in put down his chopsticks forcefully.

Clack.

“Didn’t I tell you? I have a way to remove it. I really hate it when men whine.”

“I’m sorry.”

As I flinched and became dejected, he consoled me.

“Don’t be so impatient. I’ll solve everything when the time comes.”

Once he gets properly angry like this, it becomes difficult to ask about it again. The Ma Ryeong-in knows how to handle people.

“But I have one question.”

“Go ahead.”

“Why did that man die yesterday? It looked like some kind of test.”

The Ma Ryeong-in silently stared at me.

“Didn’t you show me that to make me curious? If not, why show me such a thing?”

The Ma Ryeong-in, who had been stiff, smirked. It seemed he thought that made sense.

“Do you know why I’m not sending you away immediately and having dinner with you?”

“How would I know your reasons?”

“This is why.”

“Speak plainly.”

“This. You’re strangely impudent.”

“That’s odd. It’s good that I’m impudent? If all martial artists were like you, I could become the Martial Righteous Alliance Leader.”

“Haha.”

I started using my chopsticks again. I didn’t discriminate among the dishes laid out. This is the good thing about being impervious to all poisons. You can eat anything deliciously.

The Ma Ryeong-in, who had been silently staring at me, suddenly said,

“I’m gathering ingredients.”

My chopsticks paused for a moment.

“What kind of ingredients?”

The Ma Ryeong-in smiled enigmatically and said,

“Would you like to go see what they are?”

“Sure. But let’s finish eating first.”

I resumed using my chopsticks. There’s no need to appear too eager to know his secrets.

If he wants to show me, he’ll find a way to do so, and if he doesn’t intend to show me, no amount of begging will make him.

The Ma Ryeong-in smirked and asked,

“Is the food you eat every day so delicious?”

With my mouth full, I said,

“Isn’t all this commotion because of this daily food?”

“Hahaha.”

After finishing the meal, the Ma Ryeong-in took me out of the room.

I followed him down the corridor. Although I didn’t show it, I was concentrating all my senses to observe the surroundings.

The room I just left is located about ten paces away from the room where I first met him. There are no mechanical devices between this room and that one. At least, none that I can sense.

Passing the room where we first met and turning the corner, we come to the corridor I walked with Joo Do-chi. This corridor is the second one where I sensed people’s presence after the mechanisms.

I can still sense the aura of eight masters.

Further ahead are two rooms facing each other.

From one room, a powerful energy was flowing out, and from the other, a strange, mysterious energy was emanating.

Just as the Ma Ryeong-in was about to lead me into the room with the mysterious energy.

Click.

The room behind opened. It was the very room where the test had taken place yesterday.

“Outsiders are not allowed.”

Turning around, I saw a man standing behind the open door.

The moment I saw the man, I knew who he was.

The distinctive indifferent gaze.

It was the same look as Number Seven’s, and also the man who was with Ma Cheol-gun.

He’s from that organization. Indeed, they were assigned one to each successor. Even the Ma Ryeong-in, who was plotting something grand, was no exception.

So is Ma Bong-gi involved in this? Or if not? Various questions arose.

The gazes of the Ma Ryeong-in and the man crossed in the air. The man showed no emotion. At the same time, he didn’t seem like he would accept anyone else’s emotions either. It felt like getting angry would only waste our emotions.

The Ma Ryeong-in grinned and said to me,

“He says it’s not allowed.”

I whispered to the Ma Ryeong-in.

“Aren’t you going to ask my impression of that person?”

“What do you think?”

“I want to beat him up even more than you.”

“Hahaha.”

The Ma Ryeong-in, with a brightened expression, said,

“Take your time. Wouldn’t it be boring if you learned everything in one day?”

“I suppose so.”

Clack.

The man closed the door and went back inside.

As I turned to follow the Ma Ryeong-in, I looked back and forth between the two rooms again.

Powerful energy and mysterious energy.

The answer to what their plan was lay in these rooms.

***

Once again, I was led out by Joo Do-chi with my eyes blindfolded.

The carriage moved somewhere again.

This time too, I strained all my senses to remember where we were going.

If we had returned to the same place we came from, it would have been easy to estimate the location of this place, but the carriage did not return to Fangcheng.

After a long ride, we arrived at an inn in the marketplace of Zhengzhou.

“Wait here for orders.”

“In the inn?”

“Yes.”

“Damn! You’re treating people too lightly. At least rent me a separate building.”

“As I said before, you are nothing. You should sleep in the stable if you have to.”

“Hmph! I haven’t forgotten. You fed me three doses of poison.”

“If you keep being so insolent, it’ll be hard for you to keep that neck of yours.”

Despite confirming that my internal energy was approaching one and a half lifetimes’ worth, Joo Do-chi wasn’t intimidated at all. The people I saw earlier at the Joo family estate were the same. Regardless of who they faced or their skill level, they didn’t fear death.

Joo Do-chi soothed me in a slightly softer tone.

“Anyway, didn’t you gain one and a half lifetimes’ worth of internal energy thanks to this? And I intended to take you to Master Ma from the beginning. I wasn’t trying to kill you, you know.”

This guy’s lying, that guy’s lying. The martial world is full of lies.

“Are you sincere?”

“I swear.”

If he’s going to lie to that extent, I might as well pretend to believe him.

With a relaxed face, I said,

“How long do I have to wait?”

“Until we give you orders.”

“Fine. But I won’t stay cooped up in the inn. I can’t stand being confined. So give me orders early in the morning.”

“We’ll try if possible.”

As he was about to turn away, I added,

“Don’t have me watched. If there’s anyone watching me, I’ll cut them down without hesitation. I’m warning you clearly.”

Joo Do-chi snorted and said,

“You still think you’re some great being. You’re not that important. Leave if you want to. You can live grandly for a year with that internal energy.”

Joo Do-chi left the inn without looking back.

I went up to the room he had arranged for me. As I went up, I told the attendant,

“I’m going to sleep, so don’t wake me.”

“Yes, understood.”

The moment I entered the second-floor room, I heightened my senses to check if there were any watchers around.

Whether they were underestimating me or overconfident in themselves, there were no watchers.

Anyway, I’m grateful for that.

I leaped out of the second-floor window.

I tailed Joo Do-chi, who was going far away. He really couldn’t have imagined that I would follow him right away.

This was the reason I had said I would cut down any watchers. If there really had been someone watching, I would have eliminated them. If they sent more, I would eliminate them too.

If I kept eliminating them, they would eventually stop sending watchers. As with everything, the initial stage is always important.

He didn’t return to the previous estate. The place he arrived at was the Zhengzhou Martial Arts Academy.

A martial artist who opened the door at the entrance greeted him respectfully.

I realized this was another base for them. The man who opened the door was one I had seen earlier at the Joo family estate.

The scale of these people is not to be underestimated.

From there, I rented a carriage with a coachman.

I rode the carriage to the entrance where we had come into Zhengzhou from Fangcheng.

“Now, please go as I direct. It’s a road I came on long ago, so I might get confused. Please understand.”

“Take your time, sir.”

Since I had paid the fare until midnight anyway, the coachman would actually prefer going slowly.

I recalled all my memories and senses from that time.

It wasn’t as easy as I thought. The time of day was different from when I had come before, so the sounds I heard were different. The feeling of the ground was also different because it was a different carriage.

But my memory was better than ever, and my concentration and senses were at their peak. I recalled the memories over and over.

After several trials and errors, I finally found the estate I had been taken to. It was a small estate located far from the marketplace.

They really couldn’t have thought that I would try to find this place immediately after they released me. One of the most important tactics in fighting enemies is to catch them off guard like this.

The estate didn’t even have an old signboard. It was a very small and old place among estates.

Beneath that estate, which looked like it could be home to an old couple tending flowers in the garden, something terrifying was hidden.

I didn’t rashly try to infiltrate the place. The real problem wasn’t the masters, but the mechanical devices. It would be difficult to break through, and impossible to pass through secretly.

Therefore, if I were to infiltrate from the outside, there would be only one chance. When I’m determined to break everything and turn it upside down.

For now, I climbed a distant tree to watch the place.

I was hoping to see if anyone would come here.

Finding the mastermind? The simplest and quickest way would be to identify the people contacting the Ma Ryeong-in, wouldn’t it?

Knowing that surveillance is a battle of patience, I sat on a tree branch, circulating my energy and watching the place with a relaxed mind.

After midnight, someone walked out of the building.

It was the Ma Ryeong-in. Eight people followed him.

I could tell they were the eight masters I had sensed in the rooms on both sides of the corridor. They were the martial artists guarding the Ma Ryeong-in.

He got into a carriage and left the estate. The men rode horses to escort him.

Seeing him go out, I was briefly tempted to infiltrate the estate. I was so curious about what was in those rooms.

But if I couldn’t break through the mechanisms, or if I couldn’t find anything in those rooms, the effort to find the mastermind would be in vain. They would all go into hiding. Infiltration was still premature.

My choice for today was the Ma Ryeong-in.

I flew like a bird towards where the carriage had gone.