Chapter : 42
My Fortuitous Encounter Is a Status Window (42)
—Clang!
“Gyaaahhh!”
A lightning-fast sword strike severed Seo Myeong-ryun’s right arm.
I can’t kill him outright yet.
I need to see what kind of eyes those freakish, prank-pulling eyeballs of his actually are.
Just as I stepped closer to gouge them out—
—Sssrrrrrr….
“…!!”
Seo Myeong-ryun’s body crumbled like grains of sand, then transformed into hundreds of tiny snakes.
They immediately scattered in all directions. Each one wasn’t particularly fast, but since they fled in different directions, it looked like I’d inevitably miss some of them.
‘Should I use Bal-gyeong?’
For a moment, I hesitated.
If I used Bal-gyeong, I could probably catch even the snakes escaping far away.
But then Yang Haeng-sang would see my Baekbo Divine Fist.
Stupid idea. This isn’t even worth considering. Absolutely not.
That’d be like openly announcing, “Hey, I’m a spy.”
Let them go.
Seriously, you see all kinds of things.
On the Mongolian plains, he turned into a scab and ran away. Here, he turns into snakes?
Was the fundamental survival skill of martial artists actually the Thirty-Six Stratagems—specifically, running away? Was I the only one who didn’t know? Heh.
—Pajijijik!
“What the—?”
Just as the snakes were scattering—
From somewhere outside the village, sparks of flame erupted.
I looked over, wondering what was happening, and saw the snakes being struck and burned by fire.
‘What now?’
I moved closer to see what was going on.
The small snakes were unable to cross an invisible boundary. The moment they tried, they burned to death.
It was a barrier.
The multicolored rods Yang Haeng-sang had planted served as anchor points, forming an unseen barrier.
From those rods, a pale, formless energy emanated, incinerating the snakes.
I didn’t know the principle behind it, but one thing was clear: it completely sealed off Seo Myeong-ryun’s cheap escape tricks.
This man, Yang Haeng-sang—
He already knew.
He knew Seo Myeong-ryun would pull this kind of nonsense and try to escape.
He’d accounted for everything.
That was why he made me wait and planted those rods.
—Pajijijik!
—Pajijijik!
Sparks burst out everywhere.
It seemed there was no escape route for the snakes at all.
“Agent Number Four.”
Yang Haeng-sang, who had been hiding in the forest, revealed himself with a gentle smile.
“Ah! Yes. I haven’t caught him yet—”
“He’ll reveal himself soon. Please finish it.”
“Yes. Understood.”
Why is he so calm?
Even when the Miao people were shambling like jiangshi, or when a man turned into snakes, he didn’t bat an eye.
“Gyaaahhh!”
Right on cue, a scream rang out.
Not far away, Seo Myeong-ryun lay collapsed, covered in blood.
I rushed over and checked his condition.
He was practically dead already.
Only half his arms and legs remained, and his body was crudely stitched together in places.
It seemed the main body had suffered severe damage as the snake fragments burned to death.
“Ugh… ugh… ughhh….”
Even breathing looked painful.
Those eyes he boasted about—golden eyes, imperial eyes, whatever—had long since lost their light.
At times like this, it’s better for both sides to end it quickly.
—Clang!
This marked the completion of my third mission.
With Seo Myeong-ryun’s death, the illusion spell placed on the Miao people was lifted.
From what I heard, he had been exploiting this village for over two months.
Since it was a place rarely visited by people from the Central Plains, he’d thought it perfect for hiding.
Unfortunately for him, the Demonic Cult wasn’t so forgiving.
“Wow, this looks incredibly expensive.”
“Indeed. That was precisely what got him into trouble.”
In Yang Haeng-sang’s hands was the Nine-Dragon Grand Lotus Jade Vase (九龍大蓮玉甁).
Nine dragons were lavishly carved in high relief, each holding a jewel-adorned wish-fulfilling pearl.
Beneath the ascending dragons, a lotus was carved, and the entire piece was crafted from white jade, exuding an overwhelming sense of antiquity and elegance.
“Why is that?”
“He couldn’t dispose of it on the black market.”
“Ah… I see.”
“Yes. It’s too famous. No black-market dealer in Sichuan would touch it. Everyone knows an item like this comes from the Demonic Cult.”
He should’ve known moderation.
Seo Myeong-ryun’s greed was excessive.
Anyone could tell this jade vase was a priceless treasure—how did he think he could steal it and get away clean?
“So he planned to sell it and make some money?”
“Yes. If it had sold, it would’ve been enough to buy a large estate and still have money left over.”
“Where did it come from?”
“It belonged to the Tang imperial family. The Cult Leader acquired it during the war with the Yuan.”
“Heh… I see.”
Yang Haeng-sang carefully began wrapping the jade vase.
Judging by how skillfully he padded it with straw and cloth, he’d clearly done this many times before.
“But… Seo Myeong-ryun turned into snakes, didn’t he?”
“Yes.”
“Then… could he have been a cultivator?”
I’ve got something of a cultivator phobia, you see.
And those eyes of his—no matter how I think about it, that didn’t seem like martial arts.
It felt more like the bizarre spells cultivators use.
“Are you knowledgeable about cultivators?”
“…?”
What’s with him?
If someone asks you a question, you answer it—why respond with another question?
Honestly, I thought well of Yang Haeng-sang, but that was a point deduction.
“I don’t know much, but his attacks didn’t look like martial arts, so I asked.”
“I see….”
What the hell.
He didn’t give a real answer at all.
Come to think of it, ever since Seo Myeong-ryun died, the smile Yang Haeng-sang always wore during conversation had vanished.
Now his face was closer to expressionless.
What’s his problem? What’s he unhappy about?
“Well then. I’ll be heading west, crossing the mountains into Sichuan Province. I must return to the main sect.”
“Understood.”
“Agent Number Four, you should return to Changsha along the route you came. You remember the way, right?”
“Yes. I remember.”
…Do I, though?
It barely even qualified as a road.
Well, as long as I keep the direction right, I’ll manage somehow.
“It’s late, but I’ll be departing now. Since it’s such a valuable item, I want to deliver it to the main sect as soon as possible.”
“I understand.”
I really do.
Back when I was collecting debts for the Banghoe Sect, I never liked holding onto collection bags for long either.
“Then, until we meet again.”
“Yes. Until next time.”
Yang Haeng-sang bowed politely, so I returned the bow.
A simple clasped-hands salute would’ve sufficed—why go this far?
Still, if he’s polite, I should be polite too.
Travel safely, Yang Haeng-sang.
And don’t let bandits steal that precious item.
—Coo, coo-coo.
As Yang Haeng-sang continued walking after parting ways with Dancheon, a Night-Bright Messenger Pigeon (夜明傳書鳩) flew toward him, cutting through the pitch-black darkness.
The pigeon perched on his shoulder as if it were used to it.
Yang Haeng-sang stopped, took out writing tools from a satchel resembling a bag of holding, and laid the satchel flat, instantly turning it into a fine writing desk.
Black Slaughter Sect Assassin No. 4 – Confidential Record and Opinion
Confirmed to be a different individual from the previous No. 4.
Speech patterns and tone differ.
Signs of reverse body-disguise technique on the neck.
Martial arts level at the peak of first-rate, possibly entering the early stage of supreme.
The deaths of Jeok An-seo and Jin Cheol-sim were not mere luck.
Martial foundation appears to be from the orthodox sects, but is not certain.
Sword techniques align with Black Slaughter Sect methods, but footwork was unfamiliar and carried an air of profundity.
Behavior is too careless and unrestrained to be an orthodox sect spy.
Well-versed in rough travel; eats filthy food greedily without hesitation.
Not an act—this is genuine temperament.
If forced to speculate, Beggars’ Sect is a possibility, but his footwork is far too different.
Probability of being a spy from the Heretical Alliance is very low.
More likely a spy sent by the Martial Alliance to assess our situation.
Recommendation: continue deploying him to battlefields between our sect and the Heretical Alliance to draw out his limits.
Upon reaching his limits, he will likely reveal his true identity, at which point his disposal can be decided.
If he dies before that, he will have served well as expendable fodder—either way, beneficial to us.
In an instant, Yang Haeng-sang finished writing the confidential record on Dancheon.
He was no ordinary merchant.
He was an agent of the Shadow Pavilion (暗影堂), the intelligence division of the Demonic Cult, belonging to the Shadow-Scout Unit (探影隊).
Among them, Yang Haeng-sang was one of the most seasoned and experienced agents.
He had been specially selected and dispatched for this mission to investigate Dancheon.
Seo Myeong-ryun had been no easy opponent, and the Nine-Dragon Grand Lotus Jade Vase was an invaluable item—but more than anything, the Shadow-Scout Unit’s commander was keeping a close eye on Dancheon.
That was why they sent their most reliable man.
“Here you go.”
Before inserting the message into the pigeon’s tube, Yang Haeng-sang fed it first.
Its favorite—fragrant sunflower seeds.
—Coo, coo-coo-coo.
While the pigeon happily pecked at the seeds, Yang Haeng-sang slid the letter into the tube tied to its leg.
“Go now.”
—Flap, flap!
Having finished its meal, the messenger pigeon soared high into the sky at Yang Haeng-sang’s signal.
Guided by moonlight, it flew off to deliver information about Dancheon to the Shadow Pavilion, which managed the Demonic Cult’s intelligence.
“Hey there.”
“Yessir~.”
“So… we know each other pretty well by now. Could I eat something other than plain noodles?”
Two days had passed since I returned to Changsha from the Miao territory.
I’d already confirmed that the mission count on my status window had decreased, so when the sun rose, my destination was, as always, Mangaek Pavilion.
“Then what would you like?”
“Are dumplings and chaofan (fried rice) possible?”
“Yessir~.”
Ohhh.
So they serve other things too?
I should’ve said something earlier.
If I’d known, I wouldn’t have eaten boring plain noodles every time—I’d have ordered all sorts of things.
“Your food’s ready.”
—Thud.
Steaming dumplings and fried rice were set down—and along with them, a bundle of papers flew into my arms.
The waiter shot me a subtle look and smiled as if to say, Do your best, before walking off.
‘Hey, it’s only been a few days since I was sent into the mountains….’
You Demonic Cult bastards.
I only got back to Changsha two days ago.
Shouldn’t you let a guy rest a little?
Damn it… I shouldn’t have come to Mangaek Pavilion to eat.
If I’d known this would happen, I’d have rested at home for a few more days.
Walking from the Miao region to Changsha took forever.
Sure, I used footwork on the way back and arrived quickly, but it was still exhausting.
‘Let’s eat first.’
The dumplings and fried rice were delicious, at least.
I didn’t leave a single grain of rice behind, then exited Mangaek Pavilion.
‘I’ll read it at home.’
By my third mission, my curiosity about what kind of task awaited me had dulled considerably.
Last time, I couldn’t resist and opened the paper in an alley, but this time I walked home slowly before unfolding it.
Hubei Province – Red Cliff – Greenwood Water Fortress
Join the surprise attack.
Stand by at Mangaek Pavilion at the Hour of the Dog (7–9 PM) today.
Ha ha ha.
Wasn’t I an assassin?
Now they’re openly treating me like a Demonic Cult combat operative?
Join a surprise attack? Hahaha.
These guys are really planning to work me to the bone.
Dumplings and fried rice, my ass.
Next time I’m ordering roast duck, twice-cooked pork, kung pao chicken—everything I want.
I’ll bankrupt Mangaek Pavilion myself. Heh.
But if the mission is to join a surprise attack…
Does that mean just showing up counts?
If I join, is it automatically a success?
Can I just join and laze around?
…Yeah, right. Probably not.
There’s a hierarchy, after all.
If I slack off or just watch from the sidelines, it could cause trouble for future missions.
So I should probably cooperate—
Huh? Wait… where exactly are we ambushing?
I checked the order again.
Hubei Province – Red Cliff – Greenwood Water Fortress
The word that caught my eye was Greenwood.
When I hear Greenwood, one guy immediately comes to mind.
Maeng So-pyeong of the Red Axe.
That axe-wielding bastard who tried to kill me on my way to take the White Tiger Division exam.
He was from the Greenwood faction.
‘Will I get to meet that bastard?’
If I meet him now, could I win?
It feels doable… but I’m not completely confident.
‘I definitely need to go.’
Suddenly, motivation surged.
All thoughts of Aren’t they overworking me? vanished.
Maeng So-pyeong.
If I can meet him, I’d pay money just to go.
Isn’t the martial world built on grudges and vendettas? Heh.
This feels like the perfect chance to properly gauge how much my skills have improved.
