Chapter 116: Chapter 116

* * *

Murong San-san emerged from the alley with brisk steps.

Yang Gae-yong, whom she had killed earlier, was a man called a sort of emperor in the back alleys of Plateau City. Although his influence was not as strong as the underworld in the three major cities of the New Continent and his personal martial prowess was nothing special, most people in this Plateau City were Central Plains merchants or natives working beneath them. Thanks to that, he had accumulated vast wealth by controlling eastern goods and people flowing into Plateau City midway.

The Great Warrior of the Tribal Alliance, ‘Raging Horse,’ attempted to persuade him to guarantee native interests within Plateau City, and subsequently attempted to purchase the buildings and land he possessed. In that process, it was not that there was no backlash from Yang Gae-yong’s organization, but before the military demonstration of Raging Horse—who sought to quell the boiling rage of the Tribal Alliance and expand his own influence—there was not much a mere back-alley boss could do.

If Yang Gae-yong had met with Raging Horse’s special envoy today, Yang Gae-yong would have had to reluctantly offer up a substantial portion of his wealth to the Tribal Alliance. Having advanced into the Central Plains district afterwards, Raging Horse would have swallowed the economy of Plateau City based upon that, and with the funds generated there, he would have firmly solidified his position as the Great Warrior of the Tribal Alliance. In the end, he would have prevented a war between the Tribal Alliance and Central Plainsmen—specifically, the Murim Alliance—and implemented an appeasement policy.

That was not the picture desired by The Palace.

The Tribal Alliance was a group formed by uniting several tribes that had lived scattered across the vast lands east of Plateau City. In the process of their uniting, long-standing grudges and bonds between tribes were intertwined, but the underlying emotion beneath it was simple.

Blood vengeance.

For their grand scheme, The Palace hunted the spiritual beasts that the natives worshipped and believed to be spirits, slaughtering countless tribes in that process. In the west, because they had to avoid the eyes of Central Plainsmen and the Murim Alliance, they took time to formulate long plans, but across the mountain ranges where their eyes did not reach, there was no need for that. Once a spiritual beast was confirmed to exist, The Palace deployed demonic practitioners indiscriminately to slaughter the tribes and extract Origin Spirit Elixirs.

Not all tribes on the New Continent disliked one another and kept their distance. Leading a wandering hunting life across the vast lands, they met once in a while, and in that process, marriages and friendships passed between them. Thus, The Palace’s merciless slaughter naturally spread by word of mouth among the natives, arousing immense fear and rage.

The eastern tribes did not know well about the Central Plainsmen coming from the west. Those close to Plateau City or the tribes in the far south longed for their culture as well as horses through frequent commerce, but to the natives much farther away, they were merely ruffians who had appeared from across the sea.

Ultimately, several eastern tribes united into one for revenge for the vanished tribes and to prevent the recurrence of massacres. And as their chieftain, they elected the most outstanding warrior among them: ‘Raging Horse.’

Up to this point was the outcome induced by The Palace. Having those united natives attack Central Plainsmen starting from Plateau City and ignite a war, consequently grinding down the power of the Murim Alliance—the empire’s vanguard—was the secondary plan of the grand scheme.

The problem was that, unfitting for his name and prowess, the elected Raging Horse was a moderate who sought to find the exact culprits and receive apologies from Central Plainsmen first rather than wage war.

“They call him Raging Horse? Why is he like that after giving himself such a dashing name?”

Murong San-san untied her bound sleeves, shook them out, and muttered so.

At the sight of the Great Warrior implementing appeasement, considerable discontent naturally squirmed within the Tribal Alliance. They had chosen their greatest warrior to wage war, yet that warrior kept suppressing the other warriors. However, it was undeniable that he was their greatest warrior, and by showing through the initiative of practically swallowing half of Plateau City right now that he would not simply let things pass meekly, he quelled that discontent.

From the perspective of The Palace, which sought to incite a clash between the Tribal Alliance and the Murim Alliance, this was naturally something that could not be overlooked.

Fluttering her sleeves and strolling leisurely along the night street, Murong San-san suddenly stopped before a bookstore where the lights were still lit, then soon stepped inside.

“Hello.”

“Yeah.”

Sitting with crossed legs and reading a book sullenly, the old man answered nonchalantly without even looking at San-san entering. It was an attitude that showed no desire to do business at all, but San-san didn’t mind it much either. She walked naturally toward the inner part of the bookstore. There existed a peculiar blind spot concealed by bookshelves that could not be seen from outside the bookstore. San-san reached her hand deep into one of those bookshelves and touched a mechanism.

With a click, the lock unfastened. When she pulled that bookshelf, it became a small door reaching about her chest height. She stepped inside.

The stairs descending underground were dark. Because the passage was narrow and a bookstore was above, candles could not be kept lit. However, San-san descended the stairs as if accustomed without particular difficulty. Because no light entered, her field of vision was dyed black. It was comical, but within that darkness, Jang Geon’s face surfaced in her mind for some reason.

“…Should I have had a cup of liquor with him after all?”

Murong San-san. She had already encountered Jang Geon once in the past. When the Emperor’s daughter left Hawaii and entered the New Continent, she had disguised herself as a character from a heroic chronicle the princess liked with the intention of approaching her, only to encounter Jang Geon who was with her.

At that time, as cooperation with the Nine Yin Evil Blood faction fell through, the plan targeting the princess failed. However, she remembered Jang Geon, who had displayed extraordinary prowess back then, and thanks to that, she was able to recognize him immediately as he entered Plateau City. And seeing his appearance and conduct, Murong San-san was able to be certain that he was definitely not an expert of the Imperial Army.

If he had been an arrogant Imperial Army master, far from surrendering when the native warriors intimidated him, he would have drawn his sword right away and slaughtered the warriors.

“It would have been rather convenient if he had been such an Imperial Army master.”

If so, The Palace’s plan would have continued without hitch. The Tribal Alliance, harboring subtle discontent, would have sought to wage battles and pillage through that commotion, and Raging Horse, faced with dead warriors right before his eyes, would no longer have been able to stop the war.

Having thought like that while watching Jang Geon surrender obediently, San-san soon wondered if she could pull off a similar feat using him. Judging by his martial arts that had dealt with The Palace’s serpent, it was guessed that clashing with the Tribal Alliance would inflict considerable damage upon them.

She had already stayed in this Plateau City since several months ago, conducting diverse operations. Among them, the name and face of San-san was an identity she had used since very long ago; it was her first identity and her true appearance without any alteration. Since she had operated in Plateau City with that face in the past, blending back in was not difficult.

Using that identity to dismiss the native warriors and place Jang Geon in her debt, she utilized it immediately. She had slotted him into the originally planned assassination of Yang Gae-yong.

Having descended the stairs completely, she passed through another small door and arrived at The Palace’s stronghold. In a spacious warehouse-like place, various supplies were piled up. Looking across the interior, she walked with heavy steps toward the center of the warehouse.

Just then, a low, thick voice echoed.

“Was the task finished well, Murong White Snake?”

Startled by the voice echoing from behind her back, Murong San-san quickly turned around, knelt on one knee, and answered in a clear, resonant voice.

“Yes, General. With Yang Gae-yong dead like that, the discontent and anxiety of Central Plains merchants will grow. Perhaps they will even suspect and blame Raging Horse for killing him.”

“What about that master you reported this afternoon?”

Murong San-san slightly lowered her head and spoke.

“Since he was at the scene, he will become a suspect. If he resists there, he will faithfully fulfill the role of a fuse expediting the grand scheme here in Plateau City; even if he is captured without resistance, the Tribal Alliance, needing a target for their rage, will torture him to uncover the mastermind or execute him. Either way, the rebel who obstructed The Palace’s plan previously will be disposed of without us lifting a finger.”

The one called General was buried in dark shadows, only his vague silhouette showing. However, even within those shadows, the fiercely glittering light in his eyes demonstrated the power he possessed.

He spoke.

“The identity you used this time was your original face. It is an identity you built up in Plateau City for a long time; will it be fine?”

“For the sake of the grand scheme, such a thing is nothing. On the contrary, in the process of investigating that identity, the confrontation between natives and Plateau City’s Central Plainsmen will only intensify.”

Though his expression was not revealed, the owner of the voice seemed satisfied. He gestured briskly toward Murong San-san and said.

“Good. Then go back up now and observe the aftermath of this incident. I must watch how the Great Warrior of the Tribal Alliance overcomes this crisis.”

“Yes, General. I shall take my leave.”

Bowing her head deeply, Murong San-san rose with her head still bowed and retreated with backward steps. Now she would go up through a different passage from the one she entered, carrying out a new operation under a completely different identity and face.

Watching the departing Murong San-san, the figure in the shadows soon raised his head and looked up at the ceiling. His eyes were blocked by that black ceiling, but the gleaming light looked toward the ground above beyond it.

* * *

“Big Brother!”

The hulks, who had been astonished at the sight of Jang Geon knocking down the door with his bare palms, soon screamed upon checking the internal scene as he did. They rushed inside and checked the two people sprawled on the floor.

However, both had already breathed their last.

“Big Brotheeer—! What on earth happened!”

“E-eldest Brother and Second Brother are both…”

The hulks cradled the two without even realizing their hands were covered in blood, but those who had already become corpses couldn’t possibly respond.

“Ugh… Dammit…”

Entering inside behind them, the Central Plains broker groaned and gritted his teeth. It wasn’t an appearance of mere fluster over someone dying. Rather, it seemed he had landed in immense trouble. Beside that broker, the native warrior with crossed arms looked around the room with a hardened face.

“…You! You bastard!”

Just then, one of the hulks trembling with blood on both hands sprang to his feet and glared at Jang Geon. That hulk abruptly pulled a small dagger from behind his waist, thrust it at Jang Geon, and yelled.

“You came with that wench, didn’t you? Spill everything you know! Unless you want to drop dead!”

At that moment, Jang Geon’s hand moved in a pale blur. The hulk, wondering what that was, soon realized that the dagger he had drawn and thrust had vanished from his hand. That small dagger was already held in Jang Geon’s hand.

“It would be best to calm down first.”

“Wh-what? You bastard—”

Even amidst his surprise, the hulk clenched his fists tight and did not subside his anger, looking ready to pounce on Jang Geon instead. But before that, Jang Geon’s hand blurred once more and flash—a beam of light brushed past the hulk’s cheek.

Afterwards, with a thud, a mounted trophy hanging on the far wall dropped to the floor. In that wall, the hulk’s short dagger was embedded deeply.

“…Y-you bastard…”

The hulk trembled, blood trickling down his cheek. If earlier was a tremor of rage, this time it was a tremor of fear, having instinctively realized he had encountered a master. Thanks to that, all the other hulks watching froze awkwardly, unable to vent their anger.

Having quelled the agitated hulks like that, Jang Geon soon walked with heavy steps toward the corpses, slowly looking around the room. Not only the hulks, but also the broker and the native warrior kept their mouths shut and focused on his movements.

Stepping close to the corpses, Jang Geon crouched down. And he examined the wounds left on the two corpses.

“The throat was slashed, followed by a stab through the heart. An excessive motion, but certainly thorough.”

Jang Geon recalled how the two were sprawled before the hulks rushed in to embrace the bodies, and visualized the killer’s movements.

“This rat face was struck first. Ambushed so quickly he couldn’t even respond. Afterwards, this man sitting in that chair was also slashed across the throat and stabbed through the heart before he could even rise in surprise. Only after that did he collapse to the floor while clutching his wound.”

“…Deducing the situation purely from corpses is amazing, but wouldn’t how the culprit escaped from here be more important?”

The watching broker spoke with a lukewarm face. Without even turning to look at him, Jang Geon replied.

“I had to first confirm whether she was indeed the culprit. Seeing that neither of these two could particularly react and the direction of the wounds, it is indeed true that she killed them.”

The broker’s lukewarm displeasure deepened.

“Well, that is fascinating. But do you know me? Why speak so casually…”

“There are no windows in this room. Did this gentleman originally live here?”

Ignoring the broker’s words, Jang Geon asked the hulk. The hulk answered while reading Jang Geon’s mood.

“…No. Originally, he had a large mansion south of Plateau City. Recently, looking for a safe place because of the Tribal Alliance, he came here. Originally, this was a warehouse storing expensive valuables.”

“Then it must be suffocating.”

“Ventilation holes were drilled two days ago. Fist-sized, so only wind can pass through while humans cannot.”

Jang Geon looked up at where the hulk pointed. Indeed, three or four small holes were drilled there. A size through which barely a rat could pass, let alone a human.

Nodding his head, Jang Geon soon inspected the floor. The floor covered with a soft carpet was soaked heavily with the blood of the dead middle-aged man and the rat-faced man. Jang Geon tilted his head while maintaining his crouched posture, looking at the carpeted floor, then suddenly stood up.

The broker asked.

“Do you see something?”

“It cannot be seen with eyes. It seems she wiped the blood that would have stained the blade onto the corpses.”

At Jang Geon’s answer, the broker’s expression was gradually turning sour.

“…Look here, mister. I understand that the situation of people dying is flustering, but without even knowing me, why speak so disresp—”

His words could not continue. Jang Geon had raised a finger before him. It was not any physical suppression but a simple gesture, yet the broker shut his mouth without realizing it. And just as he was about to flare up in anger at his own reaction, he realized that Jang Geon had closed both eyes and was listening attentively.

“What the…”

“This way.”

Opening his eyes right away, Jang Geon strode toward the inner wall of the room, where a closet stood. While he acted so unhesitatingly, the hulks, the broker, and the native warrior all merely had to watch him quietly.

Opening the closet and examining its interior for a moment, Jang Geon soon pushed the wall there with a clunk. Then, with a creaking sound, a small door opened, revealing a secret passage inside. Surprise surfaced on the faces of not only the hulks, but also the broker and the native warrior.

Just then, Jang Geon turned to the broker and spoke.

“Hey, you. Follow me.”

“…What? Me? What kind of bullshit are you—”

[Can I reveal your identity, Dark Dragon?]

The broker froze in shock that Jang Geon’s voice was suddenly heard as if whispering in his ear. And soon understanding the meaning of those words as well, his face turned pale.

“…Uh, uh… No, what… Who are you…”

“I am Jang Geon.”

The broker, or to be precise, Dark Dragon Agent No. 5 disguised as a broker, was startled by the name Jang Geon. That name belonged to a figure headquarters had ordered primary surveillance on, and it was also a name he had never imagined encountering in a place like this.

“Wh-why are you here…?”