Pyo Seung, the Silent Sword and Deputy Sect Leader of Haomun, set out for Hangzhou with 100 members of the Seomyeongdae immediately upon receiving the Sect Leader’s orders.
Their objective was singular: the recovery of the Mangwon-pae.
The Mangwon-pae was one half of the Sect Leader’s Command Token that the Sect Leader’s daughter had taken when she fled twenty years ago. Because of this loss, the Sect Leader had never been able to fully consolidate his control over Haomun, suffering under the stigma of being a “half-leader.”
Pyo Seung and the Seomyeongdae were currently waiting for a ship at the Yangtze River in Jiangxi Province.
As the pre-arranged vessel entered the port and 100 men radiating murderous intent occupied the pier, the commoners dared not even approach. They simply grumbled from a distance, waiting for the group to depart.
It was the fifth day of their voyage when the group, having traveled by water from the Yangtze River, arrived at Fuyang, which was a one-day journey from Hangzhou.
They had chosen to travel by boat because the Seomyeongdae were naturally temperamentally volatile; traveling by land would have likely led to unnecessary conflicts. Furthermore, it was a move intended to minimize the depletion of their stamina.
Pyo Seung reopened the secret letter he had received the previous day.
• Cheonhyangru is closed.
• The Mistress is expected to flee to the Heavenly Mandate Hall.
• Blood Wolf Sect warriors are stationed throughout Hangzhou.
• Materials regarding the Heavenly Mandate Hall will be sent at a later date.
If the contents of the letter were accurate, it meant that the Mistress of Cheonhyangru, suspected to be Mo Seol, was already aware of their movements.
He had expected Cheonhyangru to have its own information network, but such a rapid response was unexpected. Moreover, for unknown reasons, Haomun’s information network had slowed down significantly the closer they got to Hangzhou.
In the end, Pyo Seung wasted a day trying to gauge the strength of the Heavenly Mandate Hall, but he did not mind. In his mind, the Heavenly Mandate Hall was merely an Underworld faction. Furthermore, the Underworld faction currently controlling Hangzhou was the Blood Wolf Sect. If that was the case, the power of the Heavenly Mandate Hall was likely inferior to, or at best equal to, the Blood Wolf Sect.
With himself and 100 members of the Seomyeongdae, erasing a single Underworld faction would be effortless.
The Seomyeongdae was an elite group that the Haomun Sect Leader had meticulously cultivated over many years to serve as his final bastion, with every single member being a first-rate expert.
After renting out an entire inn in Fuyang, Pyo Seung informed the Seomyeongdae that they would depart for Hangzhou tomorrow. Then, he settled into his room to take a relaxed rest.
***
Meanwhile, Nanseol was in a room provided by the Heavenly Mandate Hall, reading a secret letter alongside her Bodyguard, Gaho Wi.
‘Pyo Seung and 100 members of the Seomyeongdae have arrived in Fuyang. Currently resting at an inn.’
“Gaho Wi, why do you think those bastards stopped in Fuyang?”
“Perhaps they intend to replenish their strength?”
“Do you think so? They came by boat. Their stamina consumption should be considered almost nonexistent. And yet they’re stalling for time to recover?”
“Do you suspect a reason, Mistress?”
“I don’t know. There’s something… But one thing is certain. Their attack is imminent. Please double-check if there is anyone left at Cheonhyangru.”
“I have already checked several times. Do not worry.”
“Then shall we head to the Heavenly Mandate Hall now?”
“I will escort you.”
After receiving intelligence regarding Haomun’s attack, the first thing Nanseol had done was close Cheonhyangru.
She used the excuse of renovations to the outside world and gave the regular employees a vacation. Furthermore, she took measures to ensure that any individuals even slightly associated with Haomun thoroughly erased their tracks and went into hiding.
She also utilized the Blood Wolf Sect to control all information entering and exiting Hangzhou as much as possible, making the flow of intelligence sluggish.
The secret letter she had been waiting for from Gangchan was brief.
‘I will head to Hangzhou after dealing with Doak in Wuhan. Hold out as much as possible, ensure Cheonhyangru is closed, and fight at the Heavenly Mandate Hall. And stay by Pang Gipyeong’s side.’
Nanseol stared at the letter for a long time, pondering the intention Gangchan had hidden within it. When she arrived at the Heavenly Mandate Hall, she was greeted by Hong Hyeon, the Captain of the Cheongeomdae, and Pang Gipyeong.
“So, where did the Hall Leader say he was?”
Pang Gipyeong, curious about Gangchan’s whereabouts, skipped the greetings and jumped straight to the question.
“He should be nearing Wuhan by now.”
“Eh? Wuhan? You mean Wuhan in Hubei Province?”
“Yes, Elder.”
“No, why is he suddenly going there? Instead of coming here?”
“The members of the Cheongeomdae’s Squad One are on their way here, while the Hall Leader headed toward Wuhan alone.”
“Tsk. I have no idea what’s going on.”
“Let us head inside first. I will explain everything in detail.”
The three of them entered the Heavenly Mandate Hall’s office.
“Alright, tell me the details.”
As Pang Gipyeong pressed her, Nanseol slowly began to speak.
“It seems the Hall Leader believes that now, while Haomun’s martial force is absent, is the opportunity to face the Sect Leader of Haomun. That appears to be why he diverted his path toward Wuhan instead of coming to Hangzhou.”
“But why is the Hall Leader trying to strike the Haomun Sect Leader?”
Nanseol could not readily answer Pang Gipyeong’s question. Seeing her hesitation, Pang Gipyeong spoke first.
“Does it have something to do with you?”
“Yes. I apologize for not being able to tell you.”
Pang Gipyeong stared intently at Nanseol. A faint memory lingering in his mind resurfaced.
It was during the period after the war with the Demonic Sect had ended strangely, and the Cheonyeon Union, formed by the Noble Families, and the Changcheon League, established by the Nine Great Sects, were fiercely competing to establish their positions.
Back then, there was an organization both powers had vied to recruit. However, a sudden tragedy occurred there. The Sect Leader died, and his young daughter fled. Afterward, the man who had been the Sect Leader’s sworn brother took over the organization and declared that they would not belong to any faction.
Pang Gipyeong’s eyes narrowed.
“Are you that child from back then?”
“I believe so.”
“But are you saying the Sect Leader of Haomun was in Wuhan? Right under the nose of the Cheonyeon Union?”
“Yes.”
Pang Gipyeong let out a hollow laugh.
“Haha. The Black Swallow Pavilion of the Cheonyeon Union was nothing but a gathering of blind men.”
He shook his head with a bitter expression.
“I didn’t intend to hide it on purpose.”
“I know. And you don’t need to feel sorry.”
Nanseol fell silent, pressing her lips together.
“That aside, how do you plan to resolve this situation? Did the Hall Leader relay any specific plan?”
Nanseol took out the secret letter Gangchan had sent and held it out to Pang Gipyeong and Hong Hyeon.
As the two of them read the letter, their expressions diverged sharply. Anticipation appeared on Hong Hyeon’s face, whereas Pang Gipyeong pouted with a bitter look.
“This is how I interpreted the Hall Leader’s intent. Do not involve the Blood Wolf Sect in this fight, and conduct the battle within the Heavenly Mandate Hall. His intention is likely to prevent the fight from spreading throughout Hangzhou and harming the commoners. To do that, the target and the scope of the battle must be limited to the Heavenly Mandate Hall. It means we must never step outside its walls. And the words ‘stay by the Elder’s side’ likely mean we should utilize everything the Elder has to offer.”
Pang Gipyeong snorted.
“Does this look like a plan to your eyes? In the end, he’s just telling me to protect this place.”
Pang Gipyeong’s grumbling was the perfect medicine to ease the tense atmosphere. Smiles spread across the lips of Nanseol and Hong Hyeon.
“Hey! The master and his subordinate are exactly the same. Does it make you that happy to work an old man to the bone?”
“It’s a misunderstanding, Elder.”
“Misunderstanding, my foot. If you laugh from now on, I’ll hit you.”
“I will not laugh until the Hall Leader returns.”
“Quiet! Get out there and start positioning the kids.”
Hong Hyeon, stifling his laughter, headed outside.
At that moment, detailed information regarding the Heavenly Mandate Hall was delivered to Pyo Seung, who was waiting at the inn in Fuyang.
• Hall Leader: Gangchan.
• Level of martial arts: Unknown.
• Rumored to be excellent at archery.
• Currently absent from Hangzhou due to personal matters.
• Personnel of the Heavenly Mandate Hall: Approximately 200 members.
• Most are at the second-rate level, with only a few evaluated as first-rate experts.
• Gentleman Sword Pang Gipyeong: Currently residing at the Heavenly Mandate Hall due to a personal connection with the Hall Leader.
Pyo Seung frowned as he read the letter.
‘Why did the Gentleman Sword Pang Gipyeong suddenly pop up here?’
The vague information of a “personal connection” bothered him. The power that had unified the Hangzhou Underworld was the Blood Wolf Sect, so why had Nanseol sought refuge at the Heavenly Mandate Hall instead?
He felt that this task, which he had considered trivial, was becoming increasingly complicated.
Pyo Seung handed a message to the Haomun disciple who had brought the letter, intended for the Blood Wolf of the Blood Wolf Sect, Kang Bulhae.
One saving grace was the fact that the mysterious Heavenly Mandate Hall Leader was currently absent.
‘The problem is the Gentleman Sword…’
Pyo Seung fell into deep thought.
***
At the Blood Wolf Sect headquarters.
The secret letter Pyo Seung had sent to Kang Bulhae lay before Nanseol.
‘We have no intention of fighting the Blood Wolf Sect if you do not interfere in our business.’
Kang Bulhae cautiously asked for her opinion.
“How should we handle this?”
After the war in Hangzhou, Kang Bulhae’s workload had exploded. The number of personnel to manage had increased, and the territory he was responsible for was several times larger than before. The number of matters he had to decide personally had also grown. Kang Bulhae had become so busy he barely had time to sleep.
Perhaps because of that, his face looked ten years older.
Nanseol spoke slowly.
“Send a reply saying we will do so. In any case, the Hall Leader believes the commoners of Hangzhou must not suffer damage. To ensure that, the Blood Wolf Sect had to stay out of this matter no matter what. It’s a good thing they drew the line first. Have all members of the Blood Wolf Sect return to their daily lives and resume normal activities.”
“I understand.”
As Kang Bulhae was about to leave, he suddenly stopped. Outside, Hong Hyeon and Pang Gipyeong were discussing something. Kang Bulhae intended to greet them, but their expressions were grave. Fearing he might be an intrusion, he quietly left the area.
“I apologize for making such a request. You may scold me for acting beyond my station.”
“Is this the wish of all the squad members?”
“It is.”
“They are admirable people. But you must not overdo it.”
“If it’s judged to be too much, please step in then.”
“Fine. If that’s what you all think, then give it a try.”
“Thank you, Elder.”
The two finished their conversation and entered the office. Pang Gipyeong looked at Nanseol and asked, “The Blood Wolf was just here; did something happen?”
“Pyo Seung sent a letter to the Blood Wolf Sect stating he has no intention of fighting if they don’t interfere. So I told them to reply accordingly.”
“If the Blood Wolf Sect stays out of it, the damage to the citizens will be reduced.”
“Most likely.”
“Well, our preparations are more or less complete, but didn’t you say the enemy’s strength is formidable?”
“The information is scarce, so it’s not exact, but the martial level of all 100 members of the Seomyeongdae is said to be near the first-rate level. And Pyo Seung, the Deputy Sect Leader of Haomun, is known as a Peak Realm expert.”
Pang Gipyeong let out a low whistle.
“One hundred first-rate experts and one Peak Realm expert…”
“Pyo Seung must also know that you are here, Elder. If so, he won’t be able to move freely. Ultimately, the clash between the Seomyeongdae and the Cheongeomdae will likely decide the victory.”
Pang Gipyeong crossed his arms and spoke.
“One hundred first-rate experts against 200 members of the Cheongeomdae… Are you confident?”
Hong Hyeon answered without a moment’s hesitation.
“I am confident.”
Despite Hong Hyeon’s confident demeanor, an unknown sense of anxiety bloomed in Nanseol’s heart.
“Captain, are the squad members handling the Small Rapid Bows well?”
Hong Hyeon nodded.
“You don’t need to worry too much. Since they have been practicing in their spare time, they will make good use of them.”
Nanseol urged once more.
“Winning is important, but there must not be many casualties. Please instruct the members again that it is fine to pull back if they find themselves in a difficult situation and that they must never lose their lives.”
Hearing the conversation between the two, Pang Gipyeong asked Nanseol, “By the way, how do you expect the opponent to move?”
“They won’t use special tactics. Their confidence in the strength of the Seomyeongdae is strong. And they likely already know we have no hidden martial force. Therefore, they are likely to come at us head-on without any particular schemes. For them, the only major variable is you, Elder.”
“So it’s a frontal confrontation, then.”
“How they will stop you, Elder… that will be the only variable.”
Pang Gipyeong nodded.
“Preparations against me…”
He let out a deep sigh. He felt his shoulders becoming increasingly heavy.
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