Chapter 814: Where is my son?

The season was still autumn.

It was just around the time when the emerald leaves began to change color and the fallen leaves started to drift down.

I climbed for a long time along the quiet path.

There was no time to see any sights or scenery that looked beautiful.

All that could be heard were shallow, brushing breaths.

Looking at them, it seemed like well over ten people had gathered and were climbing the path.

Even the complaints about how difficult it was, which could be heard until yesterday, were no longer audible.

The destination was just ahead, and besides, they no longer had the strength to cry out ‘It’s difficult’.

It had been such a grueling march, and the days were enough to make the members sick and tired.

“Ah, I see the destination up ahead.”

At someone’s utterance, people’s breaths grew ragged.

As the place they had longed for came into view, their weary emotions were revitalized.

After that, they climbed the stairs for a short while longer. Finally, they reached a large gate, and as soon as the people arrived, the gate opened as if it had been waiting.

This was thanks to the individuals already guarding the gate.

Screeeech-!

As the gate opened, a person came into view.

It was a middle-aged man with a friendly impression, who opened his mouth with a kind smile as he looked at the group, but…

“You who have come from the Main Alliance-.”

“Uwaaah…!”

“W-we’ve arrived-!”

“M-move-!”

“…Everyone…?”

Before the middle-aged man could say anything, the group seized the opening and pushed their way in.

The desperation was so intense that no one could stop them.

The group moved past the gate and went inside. As soon as they entered, they began to collapse onto the ground.

“Kkeueo….”

“W-water… please give me some.”

“…Huh. What is this….”

Everyone looked delirious and staggering, which was quite frightening.

The sight was so unexpected that the person who appeared to be the manager was clearly flustered.

What on earth was this situation?

Just as the man was pondering for a while.

“Welcome.”

Someone spoke up in a refreshing voice.

The man turned his head and flinched.

A young man approached with a smile, but the smile was too terrifying.

However, his bewilderment had to be brief.

“Ah, goodness. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

As I saw his appearance, I knew.

That this young man was precisely the one the man had been waiting for.

It was unthinkable not to know this young man in the current Central Plains.

Moreover, look at the robe he was wearing.

That was an official sword uniform from the Main Alliance itself. Furthermore, it was an item issued only to those of the Grand Master level.

His identity was practically already proven.

The middle-aged man forced a smile and said to the young man.

“It is an honor to meet the Holy King. I am Mok Risun, the Branch Manager of the Sichuan Branch.”

“I am Gu Yangcheon of the Sacred Dragon Unit.”

“You must have had a hard time traveling such a long distance.”

“No, it wasn’t that much of a hardship coming here. It wasn’t particularly difficult.”

“Ah, I… I see.”

As he spoke, Mok Risun glanced sideways.

As if they had turned into Jiangshi, the individuals presumed to be from the Sacred Dragon Unit were busy collapsing and gasping for breath.

If it wasn’t difficult, then why were these people in such a state?

And.

‘Is this young man truly… the new Grand Master?’

He looked young, even younger than my son.

Could it be true that such a young man saved people in Henan and ascended as a King-level martial artist?

No matter how I looked at it, I couldn’t believe it. But.

‘…Since the Main Alliance says it’s true, I suppose I have to believe it.’

It was the word of the Main Alliance, not some other place.

It meant that whether Mok Risun believed it or not, nothing would change.

Making that judgment, Mok Risun casually surveyed his surroundings.

‘Hmm?’

He realized something was amiss.

“Excuse me….”

“Yes.”

“I heard that the Grand Master of the Azure Dragon Unit was also accompanying you…?”

According to the letter received beforehand, the Azure Dragon Unit members, including their Grand Master, were supposed to be among the arriving personnel, but for some reason, the One-Cloud Sword was nowhere to be seen.

“Ah, that.”

The Holy King, hearing the question, chuckled and replied.

“The Azure Dragon Unit will arrive in about two to three days.”

“What?”

“We came a bit in a hurry. It seems the Azure Dragon Unit plans to take their time.”

“I-I see,”

They came in a hurry. Hearing that, Mok Risun nodded.

As they said, they were indeed fast.

I had expected them to arrive at least five days later, so their arrival already showed how quickly the Sacred Dragon Unit had moved.

‘…Could it be. That’s why?’

Only then did Mok Risun realize.

Why these sword unit members were so utterly exhausted.

An arrival five days earlier than scheduled.

To achieve that, they must have traveled at considerable speed from Henan to here, with almost no rest.

Perhaps that’s why they looked like this?

Mok Risun cautiously harbored a suspicion.

No, it was almost a certainty, but there was also a reason why he couldn’t be entirely sure.

‘Why are only half of them exhausted?’

Certainly, many were completely worn out, but the other half, while looking tired, seemed somewhat intact.

Especially. The women looked remarkably well.

‘And how beautiful they all are.’

Every single one of them had outstanding appearances.

So, as Mok Risun found himself staring, captivated,

He glanced at one of the women and his eyes widened slightly.

“Hut…! Could it be Miss Tang?”

“Ah.”

The woman with emerald green hair. He was surprised to see Tang Xiaoye, a blood relative of the Tang Clan, and greeted her familiarly.

In response, Tang Xiaoye gave an awkward smile and bowed her head.

“…It’s been a while since we last met.”

“H-have you been well since then?”

“Yes. I’ve been doing well.”

“I never imagined you’d join the Martial Arts Alliance…. Ah, is Clan Head Tang doing well…?”

“…Yes. The Clan Head is also….”

An awkward conversation ensued.

As the branch itself was in Sichuan, they had a close relationship with the Tang Clan, so they knew each other.

Gu Yangcheon, watching this quietly, frowned slightly.

“Second-in-Command.”

“Ah, yes. Commander.”

He quietly called out to Tang Xiaoye.

“Now that we’ve arrived, get the accommodation guidance and settle in. I need to talk with the Branch Manager for a bit.”

“How should we handle the rest?”

“Rest, you say…”

Whispering, Gu Yangcheon slightly averted his gaze.

Expressions suggesting they would die if they moved any further were visible.

Seeing that, Gu Yangcheon slightly raised the corners of his mouth and said.

“Rest today, and gather by the Hour of the Tiger tomorrow. Don’t skip guard duty just because you’re tired.”

“Understood.”

Hearing that, tired cheers erupted.

It seemed the fact that they could rest for even a day was that pleasing.

Watching that, Gu Yangcheon shook his head.

He didn’t seem pleased at all.

‘What hardship did they even endure.’

At best, they just ran a bit faster, but was that really so difficult?

Of course, since those with relatively lower cultivation levels were mixed in, they would have suffered, but.

‘I matched the speed to the lowest-ranked member.’

It was a speed adjusted so that they could somehow keep up.

If it had been adjusted to my level, we could have arrived twice as fast as now.

To think they’re struggling this much even after I went to such lengths.

‘Tsk tsk.’

I had a lot to say, but ultimately, since we arrived somehow, I decided to let it slide.

Whatever the important thing was.

It was the fact that we had finally arrived in Sichuan.

---

Immediately after entrusting the members to Tang Xiaoye, Gu Yangcheon followed the Branch Manager into a room.

“Thank you once again for coming….”

“Not at all. I’m just doing what I’m told.”

“…Hahaha. You must be tired right after arriving. Is it alright not to rest?”

“I’m fine. It wasn’t that difficult, so let’s get straight to it.”

“Ah, understood….”

After a brief exchange, Gu Yangcheon immediately took out a letter from his robe and handed it over.

“This is the Alliance’s seal and confirmation letter.”

“Thank you. I’ve received it.”

It signified that they had acted according to the Alliance’s will and was proof that they would proceed with the mission from now on.

As soon as he received it, Mok Risun, in turn, handed over a letter.

“This is the information confirmed so far.”

“The amount isn’t that much, is it?”

“Yes. It’s content that has been condensed as much as possible.”

Counting them, it seemed to be about five pages.

“Hmm.”

Rustle.

He quietly checked the text of the letter.

The content hadn’t changed much from what Mukyeon had given me.

If I had to be precise…

‘The difference in the frequency of contact with unknown individuals.’

The previously received information stated they were making contact about five days out of fifteen, but.

Now, it had reached the point where it was over half.

Sensing this, he asked Mok Risun.

“Do you know the identities of the individuals they are meeting at the Sky Opening Gate?”

“That… based on our assessment, we believe they are merchants….”

“Meaning, it’s not definitive.”

“…That’s correct.”

Hearing this, Gu Yangcheon nodded.

“Indeed. The Sky Opening Gate itself has a pronounced aggressive tendency, and merchants frequently contacting them… there are many peculiar aspects.”

Rustle, after flipping through a couple more pages, he added, looking at Mok Risun.

“But is there a specific reason why you suspect them to be merchants?”

“Ah, that is…”

Huh.

As he was about to speak, Mok Risun suddenly narrowed his eyes. It was because he sensed something strange.

‘Why is everything flowing so smoothly?’

Reporting to someone of the Grand Master level might seem natural, but something felt off.

‘…Why does this seem so natural.’

I heard the Holy King was merely a late-blooming disciple before becoming a Grand Master, but the way he spoke and exchanged words was incredibly adept.

It felt like conversing with seasoned veterans, at least squad leaders.

The impression of conversing with them was palpable.

“When we confirmed through tailing them, we found out they were merchants operating in the Guangdong region….”

“Guangdong?”

“Yes. Called the Choya Merchants. It was an actual existing merchant group, but….”

As Mok Risun trailed off, Gu Yangcheon immediately added.

“There’s a chance they just used the identity. They wouldn’t be crazy enough to openly trade with a sect outside the Martial Arts Alliance’s notice like this.”

“…Y-yes, that’s right.”

“Hmm.”

After that, a couple more times.

He continued reading the letters consecutively, trying to understand them in more detail.

Time passed slightly like that.

“I understand that the Sky Opening Gate is planning something immediately… but I don’t see any connection to the Demonic Cult here. What about the Ghostly Axe?”

To Gu Yangcheon’s question, Mok Risun swallowed nervously and replied.

“Among the individuals presumed to be the merchants’ escorts, we found someone whose appearance was very similar to Ghostly Axe.”

“Hmm. This isn’t a certainty either, is it?”

“Yes, but considering the recent strange movements of the Sky Opening Gate, it’s odd that usually quiet individuals would suddenly start something like this. If, like in Henan, the Demonic Cult is preparing something….”

Mok Risun, with a tense expression, swallowed dryly once and added.

“Especially… since the Tang Clan’s strength has weakened, we felt the need to handle this differently.”

“So you sent information to the Alliance to request support…. Is that what you mean?”

“That’s correct.”

Upon Mok Risun’s affirmation, Gu Yangcheon neatly folded the letters and put them in his robe.

“That makes sense. The condensed information was well-organized and easy to read. It seems you worked very hard.”

“Haha… No. I am merely doing my duty as the Branch Manager.”

“As Branch Manager Mok-nim said, the Sky Opening Gate’s actions do seem strange… so I will proceed with the investigation. That’s why I came, after all.”

At Gu Yangcheon’s words, Mok Risun showed a bright reaction. It felt like relief.

“Understood. Then, should I organize the branch personnel to prepare support?”

“Yes, that would be good. Ah, and also.”

Gu Yangcheon tilted his head slightly and said to Mok Risun.

“Could you also prepare and give me the information before it was condensed later?”

“What?”

Hearing this, Mok Risun asked back, seemingly taken aback.

“The information before condensation, why… Ah, if you felt the information was insufficient, I can organize it again…”

“It’s not like that. It’s just that, to see it clearly, I think it would be easier if I organized it myself. Please do me that favor.”

“Ah… Understood.”

Though a hint of surprise was visible, Mok Risun quickly concealed it and replied.

Watching him quietly, Gu Yangcheon stood up first.

“First, since I think I’ve heard everything I needed to, I’ll be leaving now.”

“Then I shall guide you to your quarters immediately.”

“No. There’s no need for that. I plan to go out for a bit.”

“What? You’re going out?”

At Gu Yangcheon’s words, Mok Risun reacted with surprise.

How long has it been since we arrived, and he’s already leaving?

“Earlier you said you were resting today….”

“That was for the members to rest. I have some business to attend to, so I’ll be back shortly. It won’t take too long.”

Gu Yangcheon said with a smile and gave a slight bow.

“Well then, I’ll see you later.”

“No, ah… yes…. I’ll see you later.”

Mok Risun looked somewhat displeased. Gu Yangcheon ignored him, turned his back, and reached for the doorknob.

Just then. Gu Yangcheon had already wiped away the smile he had been wearing.

With a thoroughly chilled expression. He thought to himself.

‘I see.’

I don’t quite know what’s going on with the Sky Opening Gate, but one thing became certain.

‘First, I need to rough up the Branch Manager.’

Mok Risun, the Branch Manager of the Sichuan Branch.

This bastard was a spy.