Chapter 29 …
Meeting Jin Aseol Again
Personnel control was being enforced in the area surrounding the Zhu River.
From Xianghakru, where the first corpse was found, and twenty li (about 8 km) south along the Zhu River, the area was crowded with government soldiers and martial artists.
The section had been cordoned off to preserve the crime scene.
“So, you were here?”
Yi Je-min unexpectedly encountered Geomryeong by the Zhu River. The Sword Spirit had disappeared without a word earlier.
“I heard the scenery of the Zhu River was beautiful, so I came to take a look,”
Geomryeong explained, greeting him with the martial artists’ formal salute.
“I see. You vanished without saying anything, and Do-gi seemed a bit disappointed.”
“I’ll talk to him next time we meet. But why are you here? Is it because of the person who practiced demonic arts?”
“Yes. It seems to be someone who mastered the particularly vile Suction Star Technique (Heuksung Magong). I suspect it’s related to the death of Hyeon Jin-myeong of Cheonmyeong Villa.”
Geomryeong started to speak, then closed his mouth. Even if he said Hyeon Jin-myeong had practiced demonic arts, Yi Je-min, like Jeok Hwa-myeong, probably wouldn’t believe him.
“But why are you here? The corpses should be over there, shouldn’t they?”
Geomryeong pointed toward the location where the bodies had been found.
“We moved the corpses. We decided to conduct autopsies to investigate more thoroughly.”
The mention of “autopsy” piqued Geomryeong’s interest.
“I see. May I observe the autopsy as well? I’ve never seen one before.”
Yi Je-min nodded absentmindedly.
There were nine corpses in total.
Two bodies were neck-bitten victims (moknae-i), one was Gon Hong-gi—whose dantian had been destroyed and whose blood had been completely drained—and six were badly damaged bodies.
Geomryeong had already seen all of them previously.
His gaze lingered on the neck-bitten courtesan.
In the end, because of him, she had become Gon Hong-gi’s sacrifice.
“May you meet a good person and live happily in your next life.”
The autopsy began, and Geomryeong observed carefully.
He knew a bit about medicine. Jeon Mo Yak-bing’s family were Hua physicians. Though she herself didn’t possess deep medical knowledge, she had taught Geomryeong the basics.
Relying on that knowledge, Geomryeong carefully watched the autopsy and tried to learn from the physicians’ methods as well.
When the autopsy was finished, the lead physician reported:
“These are typical marks of the Suction Star Technique. Both blood and essence were drained simultaneously. Judging from the torn chest, the culprit likely had a sadistic streak. The blood seems to have been sucked through the chest, and the essence through the lower region. And here…”
The physician spoke as if he had witnessed the scene firsthand. It was astonishing to watch.
“But the problem lies here.”
He referred to Gon Hong-gi’s body. Unlike the others, his displayed different symptoms.
“What’s the issue?”
“It looks like blood suction, but rather than demonic energy, it seems his blood concentrated in one place and burst outward. There are traces of internal energy cultivation, but instead of being in the dantian, it looks dispersed. Judging from this, I believe his dantian was shattered.”
“It seems that just as the culprit inflicted sadistic harm on the courtesan, he also tortured this man for amusement.”
Geomryeong narrowed his eyes slightly.
He was neither sadistic nor someone who derived pleasure from others’ pain.
“Excuse me,”
Geomryeong suddenly spoke up.
“What is it?”
“Why don’t you consider that this man might have practiced demonic arts?”
Everyone exchanged confused looks, then turned their gazes toward him.
“You describe everything as if you were at the scene, yet why haven’t you considered that this man might have been the demonic cultivator?”
Yi Je-min asked:
“Do you believe this man was a demonic cultivator?”
“Yes.”
“And why is that?”
“Because I killed him.”
For a moment, Yi Je-min and everyone else looked blank, wondering if they had misheard.
“Could you repeat that?”
“I said, I killed this man.”
Yi Je-min narrowed his eyes. A demonic practitioner had appeared, and someone had died due to such arts.
“Are you joking? You, who don’t even practice martial arts, claim to have killed a demonic cultivator?”
He implied Geomryeong should mind time and place before speaking nonsense.
“Why do you assume I don’t practice martial arts?”
Geomryeong couldn’t understand why they didn’t believe him.
Though he was of about adult age, he looked younger than his years.
Someone who practiced martial arts usually showed clear signs, but Geomryeong didn’t have any.
And no one imagined that a boyish-looking youth like him could have reached a stage where such traces disappeared.
So they dismissed his words as lies.
“Geomryeong, step outside with me.”
Jeok Hwa-myeong, who was present, tried to lead Geomryeong out before the situation escalated further.
“Do you think we’re a joke?”
Yi Je-min’s displeasure was audible in his voice.
“I don’t think that. I simply don’t understand why no one believes me and assumes I’m lying,”
Geomryeong retorted.
“Geomryeong, come with me,”
Jeok Hwa-myeong urged again.
Even righteous sect members don’t take kindly to being mocked.
Geomryeong narrowed his eyes — he could sense Yi Je-min’s killing intent. Jeok Hwa-myeong, unaware of this, hurried to get Geomryeong out.
“So you’re claiming to be a master? Then withstand a single strike from me, and I’ll believe you.”
Geomryeong brushed aside Yi Je-min’s killing intent and replied calmly:
“I didn’t train martial arts to prove it to others.”
Yi Je-min tilted his head in surprise at how easily Geomryeong ignored his killing intent.
“No way…”
“I don’t need to feel frustrated just because others don’t believe me.”
Geomryeong turned to leave with Jeok Hwa-myeong.
Tap tap tap!
Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside. A man rushed in.
“The identities of the victims have been confirmed. And two more people are missing.”
It was Chwi-geom Yu-dong.
The tense atmosphere between Geomryeong and Yi Je-min dissipated with Yu-dong’s report.
“I hope I won’t have to see your face again,”
Yi Je-min muttered.
Geomryeong didn’t respond and left. Yu-dong looked at him quizzically.
“So, who are they?”
“Most of them were local residents. But this man!”
Yu-dong pointed to Gon Hong-gi.
“He’s Gon Hong-gi, the second son of the Myeonghwa Trading Company.”
“The second son of Myeonghwa?”
“Yes. And another missing person is Na Min-cheol, the second son of the Muryeong Trading Company.”
“Na Min-cheol of Muryeong?”
“Brother, both Myeonghwa and Muryeong are among the Ten Great Trading Companies of the Central Plains,”
Yi Je-ung said, and Yi Je-min nodded, frowning.
“Why were they here?”
“Apparently, the second sons of the Ten Great Companies formed a regular gathering called the ‘Taepyeonghoe’ (Society of Great Peace).”
Yu-dong explained his findings.
“And the others?”
“They’re gathered at Myeonghwa Pavilion.”
“Understood. Ask them to stay there for a while with our permission.”
“Yes, sir.”
When Yu-dong left, Yi Je-min exited the autopsy room as well.
“It seems their deaths are unrelated to Hyeon Jin-myeong’s.”
“I think so too, brother.”
With his two younger brothers flanking him, Yi Je-min walked on.
“By the way, brother, isn’t that boy Geomryeong a bit too arrogant?”
Remembering how Geomryeong had brushed off his killing intent, Yi Je-min shook his head.
“Leave him be. He’s just a naive kid. Lecturing such a brat won’t benefit me in any way. If anything, he’ll probably bad-mouth me later.”
His tone made it clear he intended to ignore Geomryeong from now on.
“I suppose so, but I still find him irritating.”
“He’ll probably die by some bandit’s sword sooner or later. Let him live as he pleases.”
Geomryeong walked outside with Jeok Hwa-myeong.
“Why did you say that? Even jokes should be told at the right time and place,”
Jeok Hwa-myeong scolded.
Geomryeong started to reply but closed his mouth. There was no point—no one would believe him anyway.
Just then—
“Mister!”
A familiar voice rang out.
Geomryeong turned and saw Jin Aseol—the daughter of the Gangnam Escort Agency’s head—and her master, Wolyeong Immortal Naeng Yeoseol.
“Aseol!”
Geomryeong called out happily.
As they approached, Geomryeong respectfully nodded to Naeng Yeoseol.
“I heard you were heading to Wolyeong Sect. What brings you here?”
“My disciple wanted to see the Zhu River, so we came. And this gentleman?”
Even in the righteous sects, not everyone recognized every face.
“I’m Jeok Hwa-myeong,”
he introduced himself.
“Ah, the Flashing Sword?”
Naeng Yeoseol asked, recognizing his epithet—a sign she was a martial artist too.
“It’s just an empty title.”
“I am Naeng Yeoseol.”
“Huh!”
Jeok Hwa-myeong unconsciously sucked in a breath.
Naeng Yeoseol was one of the Hundred Masters of the martial world. Though Yi Je-min, the Thunder Spear, was also among the hundred, his level was slightly below hers.
And it was surprising that the former sect leader of Wolyeong would come out to take a disciple.
Jeok Hwa-myeong quickly offered a respectful martial greeting befitting a senior.
“Enough formalities. Have you heard about the demonic arts?”
“Yes. I was at the autopsy earlier. But I had some trouble because of this guy…”
Jeok Hwa-myeong trailed off.
“You lied about being the strongest in the world again, didn’t you?”
“It’s the truth! They just don’t believe it.”
Jin Aseol and Geomryeong began bickering, and the two adults shook their heads.
The young man not only acted immaturely but also seemed a bit… off.
“He looks perfectly fine, but the way he acts is exactly like my Aseol,”
Naeng Yeoseol remarked. Jeok Hwa-myeong could only give an awkward smile.
“Congratulations on taking a disciple, Elder!”
“I did take one, but seeing her now makes me doubt it a little. Still, she’s not usually like this, so don’t speak ill of my disciple.”
“Of course not.”
While the adults talked, Geomryeong and Jin Aseol kept arguing.
“I’m telling you, I really killed the demonic cultivator!”
“Mister, that’s a disease.”
“What disease?”
“The ‘lies every time you open your mouth’ disease!”
“Tsk, I’m done talking to you.”
