Chapter 7: The Spy

“Branch Manager, I have something to report.”

A man spoke to Branch Leader Namgung Hwi.

It was to report about a young boy named Cheongun, who had recently joined as a guest.

The boy, not yet in his twenties, appeared out of nowhere, swinging a fishing rod and instantly killing five martial artists in one strike.

Moreover, it was said that he had reached the level of controlling tremendous internal energy through his emotions, mastering the art of ceremonial breathing.

What was even more remarkable was that, despite his actions and demeanor clearly resembling that of the black path (the dark side), the internal energy he wielded felt more akin to that of a high-ranking Wudang practitioner, deep and pure.

But could this be true?

None of it seemed to add up.

Although the boy had saved the life of his only sister, Namgung Yul, by obsessively pursuing the Jinwonbo (Golden Wonton), it was hard to believe everything at face value.

The only relief came from the fact that his sister, Namgung Yul, had cleverly buried the five corpses near the scene.

The corpses, as traces of the battle, were vital clues for a more thorough investigation into the boy’s martial arts abilities.

Thus, Namgung Hwi secretly dispatched people to recover and transport the bodies to the branch.

As a result…

“We have recovered five bodies near the Yangtze river.”

As Yul had said, the bodies were still there.

There were exactly five, and their burial site was exactly as described.

“Where are the bodies?”

“They have been stored in the underground chamber. Measures have been taken to ensure they are out of sight.”

“Good. Lead the way.”

“Follow me.”

Namgung Hwi followed the man, who led him to a hidden door behind the warehouse.

The narrow stairs descended further.

The air grew heavier and more damp as they descended.

Torches were sparsely mounted along the walls, pushing back the darkness.

At the end of the narrow passage, an iron door appeared.

The man took a key from his pocket and unlocked the door, and a blast of cold air greeted them.

Inside the room, five stone platforms were lined up in a row.

Each platform had a white cloth covering it, and beneath the cloth, the shape of a human form was clearly visible.

“Are these them?”

“Yes.”

Namgung Hwi stepped forward and swiftly removed the cloth.

The bodies revealed were surprisingly clean.

When martial artists die, they are usually found mutilated or covered in blood, but these bodies were astonishingly neat.

There was only a faint blush on their pale faces, indicating that their condition was quite good.

But upon closer inspection, there was something strange.

Each of them had a small, clean hole drilled into the center of their foreheads.

There were only traces left of something having passed through, but very little blood had flowed.

It seemed that Yul’s story about using fishing lines to create human skewers was true.

“Each one was struck precisely at the Indang (Yintang) point.”

The Indang point.

It is located at the center of the forehead.

“But isn’t the Indang point a vital point? A hole like that wouldn’t kill someone instantly.”

“If the internal energy of a sword was transmitted, tearing apart the nearby brain vessels, the story would be different.”

“Sword energy? Are you saying this was done with a fishing line?”

“Exactly. He used the principles of Yin Yang and the Five Elements to channel the sword energy into the fishing line. In that brief moment, he sent the energy through, tearing apart the brain vessels of his opponents. A truly remarkable control ability.”

“Is that so? In that case, it’s as though he used a sword technique with the fishing line.”

As Namgung Hwi’s words grew longer, the man’s gaze gradually turned to one of astonishment.

“Is it ‘manryu-gwijong’ they call it?”

Once martial arts, be it swordsmanship or spear techniques, transcend a certain level, the weapon becomes merely a medium to channel one’s energy, rendering its form meaningless.

In the hands of a master, even a simple twig can become a sharper blade than the finest sword.

But still, this… using a fishing rod as a weapon?

Neither Namgung Hwi nor the man had ever heard of such a thing.

To summarize, it went like this:

“A peculiar person, indeed.”

“There’s no such thing as a peculiar person.”

A peculiar person.

Not just any peculiar person, but an eccentric hermit who had hidden away in the mountains, without a trace, for many years.

“This doesn’t seem like a trivial matter.”

“Obviously. While the information is limited, it’s enough to turn the martial world upside down.”

A chance encounter.

For wandering martial artists who roam the land, such encounters are the stuff of dreams, but dreams are fleeting and often just that—dreams.

However, this Cheongun, this boy, was different.

His cruel skill and reckless nature might hold him back, but confusion inevitably calls forth heroes.

He would surely rise to become the martial world’s rising star.

Even if he himself had no intention of stepping into this world, the world would take notice of him, like a dagger cutting through its pocket.

The man, shaken from his thoughts, quietly asked:

“Should we gather more information?”

“Maintain the highest level of confidentiality, activate the network everywhere, and thoroughly investigate his past and origins. Ensure no information leaks elsewhere, especially avoid alerting the authorities. Keep everything under strict control, even to the point that not even a shadow of it is revealed.”

“Understood.”

****

It was about a week after Cheongun entered as a guest.

The closed door was opened.

At that moment, Namgung Yul, who was passing by the door, blocked Cheongun’s way as he was coming out.

“Ah, Cheong Daehyup! Where are you going?”

“I’m just stepping out for a bit.”

“Where to? The latrine?”

“No, I was thinking of going to the outer courtyard to take a look around.”

“Then…!”

“I’ll be back soon.”

Before Namgung Yul’s words could finish, Cheongun was faster than saying, “I’ll come with you!”

Namgung Yul was so taken aback by Cheongun’s sudden response that he shook his head in disbelief.

Namgung Yul had grown up as the treasured jewel of the Namgung family, receiving the love of many.

Because of this, his beauty was not the only thing that stood out, but also his straightforward actions without any hesitation.

Especially the concept of being shy or reserved didn’t even apply to her.

But Cheongun was different.

It wasn’t that he was necessarily shy, but rather, it seemed like he didn’t really trust people that much.

It felt like there was an invisible wall around him.

This, too, was likely a side effect of living a life of isolation for many years.

“Hmm, this is not easy.”

Namgung Yul thought as she kept an eye on Cheongun’s back.

At first, she was interested in his lofty martial arts, but now, she was curious about the person he was. Namgung Yul wanted to get closer to him.

He was a very unique man.

What she liked the most was his thorough sense of economics.

After all, many people in the martial world thought that wandering the world with nothing but a sword was the romantic ideal, but Cheongun was different.

He understood the importance of money and always prioritized his own safety.

In that regard, she felt a strange sense of kinship with Cheongun, who, just like her, seemed to have a strong attachment to money.

Most importantly, he was her lifesaver!

It was only right to repay the favor by staying by his side for the rest of her life.

She followed Cheongun closely and persistently tried to talk to him.

“Cheong Daehyup! Cheong Daehyup!”

“What is it?”

“Why do you fish? What’s the fun in it?”

“I do it for the fun of having no fun.”

“Aha! So, it’s fun because it wastes time.”

“Exactly.”

Cheongun smiled faintly and kept walking.

Though Cheongun disliked unnecessary attention, this only applied when the person was either hostile or a dull, boorish man who was inconsiderate.

No matter how headstrong and relentless Cheongun was, he had no reason to push away someone like Namgung Yul, who approached him without hesitation and made an effort.

Moreover, having someone like Namgung Yul around, a martial artist of her caliber, wasn’t a bad idea, especially considering he had something to gain.

She would later become a powerful figure in the Namgung family and wander through the martial world.

Above all, she was a woman, and a woman of exceptional beauty at that.

Anyway, Cheongun, being a man, didn’t dislike women.

“If you receive the gold wonbo, what would be the first thing you would do?”

“I’d buy a house.”

“Hehe, land and buildings are symbols of power and stability. That’s a wise choice. How about the area near the west gate of the city?”

“Seongdo West Gate?”

“Yes. It’s the entrance to the trade route leading to Yunnan… There’s a lot of foot traffic from herbalists, merchants, and the courier guild. Plus, I heard they’re planning to build the headquarters of the courier guild outside the West Gate, so with the good security, the land prices are bound to go up.”

“But I heard there’s no property available there.”

“They’re pretending there isn’t.”

“Can you help?”

“Of course. Just let me know anytime.”

At those words, the annoyance vanished completely.

Cheongun smiled in a way that wasn’t like her usual self, matching her pace with Namgung Yul.

A woman with outstanding looks, quick wits, and no empty spots in her intelligence was rare in the martial world.

In that moment, Namgung Yul’s favorability toward Cheongun increased dramatically.

Just then…

— Kaang! Kakakang!

The sharp sound of swords clashing echoed loudly.

Cheongun turned her head toward the direction of the noise.

In the center of the training ground, two men were fighting, exchanging blows with their swords.

Cheongun immediately fixed her gaze on them.

Namgung Yul tilted his head as he watched Cheongun.

Was the great hero paying attention to something other than money?

Surely she wouldn’t be interested in something as lowly as a sparring match.

What could have caught her attention?

Naturally, he followed her gaze.

In a corner of the training ground, away from the action, there stood a woman watching the duel.

“…”

Cheongun narrowed her eyes and stared at the woman.

It couldn’t be helped.

Cheongun’s body had been altered to become extremely sensitive to the flow of natural energy, which included being able to feel the opposite force, the most repulsive energy, better than anyone else.

And right now, from that woman, she could sense a faint aura of demonic energy.

“Yul-sama.”

“Yes?”

“Who is that woman?”

“She’s Hong Soyeon, a newly appointed instructor. She started recently.”

Recently?

The moment she heard that, Cheongun’s mind began to run.

‘An agent?’

It was only a faint trace, but Cheongun definitely felt it.

That sticky, cold, and unpleasant… the last remnants of demonic energy.

Suddenly, her memory of the original story resurfaced.

It was said that the branch of the Justice Alliance located on Cheongseongsan Mountain was annihilated by the Demon Sect’s attack.

So, it wouldn’t be strange if one or two spies were hiding around.

But how could she confirm it?

And why hadn’t her special abilities activated yet?

Was it because this person wasn’t an enemy yet?

Come to think of it, the ability only activated when facing an ‘enemy.’

Damn. This is so tricky, so troublesome.

But it would be uncomfortable to leave things as they were without any proof.

What if the Demon Sect attacks before I collect the Golden Treasure?

What if all the people I need to get the Golden Treasure from end up killed by the Demon Sect?

Damn it.

Just thinking about it made her spine tingle.

What should she do about that woman?

Wait, think a little more…

“Cheong Daehyup, she’s staring at you.”

Hmm, it seems she noticed after I stared at her for too long.

But Cheongun didn’t avert his gaze.

Instead, he grinned mischievously and stared even more intensely as if he were crazy.

Cheongun strode toward the woman confidently.

Naturally, all eyes were on them.

Namgung Yul also looked at Cheongun with a puzzled expression.

The woman, who was suspected to be a spy, suddenly froze.

In the midst of the silence, Cheongun seized the moment and spoke up.

“Do you know something?”

“Excuse me?”

“You know the Heavenly Demon, right? That guy, he’s actually an orphan.”

“???”

“And he’s a eunuch. Bald, too. He’s got no hair, no… well, no manhood either, and no parents…”

[You are facing a member of the demonic cult as your enemy!]

Words appeared in front of him.

[Special Trait: “Demonic Cult Extermination!” has been activated!]

Cheongun’s lips curled up into a grin.

[Cheongryeong Jeonggitae (Blue Spirit Cleansing Qi) has been activated!]

[Shinjeong Bulchim Maek (Divine Cleansing, Uninvadable Meridian) has been activated!]

[Geumgang Bulgoe (Indestructible Diamond Body) has been activated!]

[Kongnyeong Jiche (Void Spirit Body) has been activated!]

…

…

Huhh.

You’re in for it now.