Chapter 120: Chapter 120
“Hall Master, all members of the Hidden Dragon Squad have arrived.”
At Cheon Woo-jin’s report, Cheol Ji-ak nodded his head and looked toward a table on one side. The returned Song Yi-yeon, Jin Un, and Namgung Jin were eating noodles.
“By the way, why did those kids fight?”
Cheol Ji-ak was also someone who ranked among the masters of the martial world. Glancing roughly at the faces of the three, he grasped what sort of fight had taken place.
Seeing that Song Yi-yeon’s face was the most swollen, it seemed Jin Un and Namgung Jin had joined forces. Meanwhile, seeing that the two were not entirely unscathed either, Song Yi-yeon’s counterattack seemed to have been fierce.
All of this occurred because of the vice squad leader post, but Cheon Woo-jin himself merely shrugged his shoulders.
In truth, it did not matter much who became vice squad leader. However, if the three were to be placed in one martial squad anyway, the more frequently ranking disputes occurred, the better.
Because a martial artist who did not compete was bound to fall behind.
Cheon Woo-jin himself considered his two masters as his lifelong rivals. Furthermore, the two masters regarded each other as rivals, agonizing even while sleeping over how to teach Cheon Woo-jin better.
How much time passed like that?
Wailing sounds also arose from among the Black Tortoise Squad members who arrived one after another. Over there as well, the competition to avoid night watch duty seemed to have been quite fierce.
“All members of the Black Tortoise Squad have arrived too.”
At Zhuge Rin’s report, Cheol Ji-ak wore a novel expression. Until just a few days ago, he had been the Black Tortoise Squad Leader.
Although the Black Tortoise Squad was still under his command, the master of the Black Tortoise Squad was now Zhuge Rin, not himself.
As that fact struck him anew, he felt a strange sensation.
“Right. Let’s fill the kids’ bellies first.”
Cheol Ji-ak ordered thin noodles and dumplings according to the head count, casually handing over money retrieved from his coin pouch. It was for the food and room fees.
The innkeeper was startled, yet could not hide a smile on his face.
Cheol Ji-ak briefly stared at the coins still plentiful in his pouch.
“…”
Just a moment ago, he had felt bittersweet as if he had left the Black Tortoise Squad behind, but suddenly such a thought occurred to him. Wouldn’t passing down the seat to a good junior be another source of rewarding pride?
* * *
The Inspection Hall’s mission this time was an investigation into the Qingcheng Sect.
Specifically, it was to inspect whether the Qingcheng Sect had committed misdeeds defying the will of the Righteous Path in the preparation process of founding the Righteous Heavenly Alliance with several factions.
There were two methods of inspection.
The first was for the alliance to officially announce an inspection. The target of inspection had to comply meekly unless they dared turn their backs on the Martial Alliance.
But in this case, it was not suitable. Factions of the stature of the Five Great Clans or the Nine Great Sects and One Clan merely viewed the Martial Alliance as an instrument for their own benefit and did not fear it.
Rather, it would only buy them time to destroy evidence.
The second was a secret inspection.
Literally, confirming their shameful secrets and securing evidence without the target of inspection knowing.
Naturally, the difficulty was far higher than the former, and in some situations, it could lead to physical clashes.
For this mission, a secret inspection was appropriate.
For that reason, they could not drag dozens of Black Tortoise Squad members to Dujiangyan where the Qingcheng Sect was located.
Cheol Ji-ak had all Black Tortoise Squad members except Zhuge Rin remain at the Azure Pine Inn in Deyang, a town near Dujiangyan. Vice Squad Leader Do Seong-hwi was a reliable man because his personality was that of a strict, unbending fundamentalist.
Thus, only Inspection Hall Master Cheol Ji-ak, Black Tortoise Squad Leader Zhuge Rin, Hidden Dragon Squad Leader Cheon Woo-jin, and the three men under his command arrived in Dujiangyan.
Naturally, they had even changed their clothes in Deyang. They wore inconspicuous, solid-colored martial attire rather than the garments of Martial Alliance members.
The place they headed to was the inn with the most patrons in Dujiangyan. Because since ancient times, many stories were shared where wine and food flowed.
Since they could not storm the Qingcheng Sect immediately, they intended to investigate the surroundings first.
Around the time they were merely moistening their throats with wine alongside a few appetizers, having already filled their stomachs before coming.
– They are Qingcheng Sect Daoists.
Cheon Woo-jin’s sound transmission flowed to everyone.
Startled, everyone slightly lowered their heads.
Soon, four Daoists came chuckling down the stairs leading to the second floor. Having drank quite heavily, their faces were flushed red.
The likelihood that they would recognize the people at this table was slim.
Because even if they were Qingcheng Sect Daoists, unless they had a foot in the Martial Alliance, they rarely left the main mountain, so the probability of recognizing the faces of officers, let alone ordinary alliance members, was low.
Even so, everyone grew tense just in case.
Confirming this, Cheon Woo-jin lightly flicked his finger beneath the table.
Swish!
A thin strand of finger wind shot out in an extremely covert manner. A man who had just finished his meal and was standing up was struck on the ankle by the finger wind and almost fell over.
The Qingcheng Sect martial artists who were passing right beside him had their attention diverted to the man, saying, ‘Aigo, you drank quite a lot. Please be careful,’ so thanks to that, they never looked toward the table where Cheon Woo-jin sat.
Three Daoists went outside first.
As the last Daoist tried to pay for the meal through the waiter, the waiter was startled and waved his hands.
“Aigo, how could I accept money? If I unnecessarily take money from the Daoist masters and the cook finds out, I will be the only one getting severely scolded.”
“Ahem, good grief.”
The Daoist attempting to hand over money scratched his head awkwardly.
At that, the cook, who hurriedly emerged from the kitchen, said several times that he wanted to treat them and that it was truly all right.
In the end, the Qingcheng Sect Daoist also shrugged his shoulders and left the inn.
Watching that closely, Cheol Ji-ak’s eyebrow twitched.
Confirming that the Daoists had moved far away, Cheol Ji-ak approached the cook.
“This is my first time visiting this inn, and the food tastes truly wonderful. How did such an outstanding cook come to be hidden in this small town?”
“Hahaha, is that so? It is truly fortunate that the food suits your palate.”
Just as martial arts was to a martial artist, culinary skill was a cook’s pride and self-esteem. Having praised it, a pleasant smile hung on the cook’s lips.
Cheol Ji-ak naturally continued his questioning like flowing water.
“Why didn’t you accept payment for their meal? Could it be that the Qingcheng Sect’s Daoists usually act overbearing?”
“Hehe, how could that be? They are Daoist masters of the Qingcheng Sect, after all.”
“Not everyone of the Righteous Path is clean and honest, is that not so? Rather, unlike the Unorthodox Path, if a righteous faction resolves to harass someone, they cannot even report it anywhere and find themselves in a terrible bind, or so I heard.”
At that, the cook’s expression, which had displayed a genial smile all along, hardened. Glaring at Cheol Ji-ak with a stern face, he even flared up in anger.
“Heoh, what kind of people do you think they are to make such slander?”
“Hm?”
Cheol Ji-ak tilted his head. Daoists and monks originally received respect from common folk, but wasn’t this a bit excessive?
Even so, the cook huffed as though he had no intention of cooling his anger, and even went so far as to issue an eviction order, saying he had no food to sell to someone like him.
Thanks to that, people’s gazes gathered, and they eventually hurried out of the inn before unnecessarily drawing attention.
“What on earth is that?”
Cheol Ji-ak was bewildered even after exiting the inn. The people who followed him out were the same.
“A merchant refusing to accept money is truly the ultimate goodwill. Was the Qingcheng Sect originally respected like this? Is it because they are Daoists?”
Song Yi-yeon spoke thus, glancing unnecessarily at Jin Un, a Daoist of the Mount Hua Sect.
Jin Un scratched his head as if embarrassed.
“Even in Huayin County where our Mount Hua Sect is located, it would be difficult to receive that level of treatment, in truth.”
“Well. In Anhui, such things often happen to martial artists of the Namgung Clan.”
At Namgung Jin’s words, Song Yi-yeon flared up.
“Isn’t that because the Namgung Clan holds the commercial rights completely, so they are watching your mood? Are Daoist sects that do not directly intervene in commercial rights the same as a clan that directly intervenes?”
Having opened his mouth for the first time in a while only to be refuted right away, Namgung Jin grew sullen. Furthermore, because the person who refuted him was that very merchant from Anhui, he had even less to say.
Around the time each was voicing their opinions.
Suddenly, the waiter who emerged from the inn approached cautiously.
“You were all surprised, right? In truth, the cook has his reasons for acting that way, so please understand.”
“What reason?”
When Cheol Ji-ak asked back, the waiter deliberately pretended to hesitate.
From the start, the reason the waiter followed them out was one.
Cheol Ji-ak noticed this and placed several iron coins in the waiter’s hand.
Only then did the waiter, wearing a gratified expression, glance at his surroundings before continuing his explanation.
.
.
.
“That is why the cook got so angry.”
To summarize the fairly long explanation, it was roughly as follows.
Not long ago, quite a few people disappeared in Dujiangyan.
All of them had entrusted themselves to a place called the Pinghai Merchant Guild to work in the Southern Barbarian lands, only to never return.
Naturally, the merchant guild that led the affair vanished overnight.
Those who lost their family members repeatedly asked the Martial Alliance and the authorities for help, but it was said that no answer returned.
Meanwhile, those who stepped forward to investigate the matter without any compensation were none other than the Qingcheng Sect.
“All the people of Dujiangyan respect and thank the Daoist masters of Qingcheng. But framing it as though they were usually overbearing naturally soured his mood. You seem to be outsiders, so you must never badmouth the Qingcheng Sect here. It will truly cause big trouble.”
Having spoken so, the waiter muttered to himself in a low voice as he headed back to the inn.
“At any rate, the officials aside, the Martial Alliance is truly indifferent too. Talking about protecting justice or whatever, yet when it comes to the affairs of such a small town…”
Because the waiter entered the inn, the trailing words faded out.
The Inspection Hall members remaining in their spots looked at one another.
“There is definitely something behind this, right?”
The one who spoke first was Zhuge Rin.
Cheol Ji-ak also nodded with a solemn face.
Judging only by the waiter’s words, the Qingcheng Sect was truly worthy of praise as a pillar of the Righteous Path. However, there was a strange point.
“The Martial Alliance is by no means an organization that ignores matters, no matter how small. Furthermore, dozens of people disappearing is by no means a small matter.”
Considering the scale of the incident.
In this case, the Martial Alliance Sichuan branch should have stepped in long ago. Furthermore, it was an issue large enough that reports should have been submitted all the way to the main headquarters rather than handled arbitrarily.
“First, we must look into that place called the Pinghai Merchant Guild that allegedly hired the disappeared people.”
At Cheol Ji-ak’s words, everyone nodded.
Even if they vanished overnight, there was no way a merchant guild of a scale large enough to hire dozens of people would leave no traces behind.
“I will find out through our Song Clan’s Sichuan branch what kind of place the Pinghai Merchant Guild was in the merchant world. There are probably at least a few people who know the guild head.”
Song Yi-yeon spoke in a tone full of confidence. When it came to tracking down merchants, he had more confidence than martial artists.
Jin Un also said that since Sichuan bordered Shaanxi, he would look into it through Mount Hua’s secular affiliates. It was an attitude suggesting that Daoists understood the affairs of Daoists best.
Of course, Namgung Jin could not remain still either. However, the distance from Anhui to this place was far too great to mobilize the Namgung Clan directly.
Although no one pressed him, Namgung Jin, driven into a corner all by himself, abruptly spoke like this.
“The maternal uncle of the former branch manager of the Martial Alliance Sichuan branch is a person of the Namgung Clan. If we look into it through him…”
“Not even the current one, but the former one?”
“Ahem…”
Namgung Jin cleared his throat. Even in his own thoughts, the former branch manager’s maternal uncle felt like a distant relative by marriage removed eight times over.
It was then.
“The guild head of the Pinghai Merchant Guild is dead.”
Startled, everyone looked at Cheon Woo-jin.
Their gazes questioned how on earth he knew that.
Cheon Woo-jin merely shrugged his shoulders. Just in case, he had simply spoken Hao Sect’s secret code to the returning waiter via sound transmission.