Chapter – 48
The preliminary rounds of the Yongbong Gathering, which had lasted a total of nine days, finally came to an end.
The thirty-two contestants who advanced to the middle round—the de facto main tournament—were granted five days of rest.
However, Hyehwa, who was solely responsible for maintaining Kanggu’s reverse disguise technique, had no rest at all.
Even outside of matches, she had to stay alert in case of unexpected exposure.
“Please go in.”
“…….”
Hyehwa let out a quiet breath as she turned to leave Kangyu’s room.
She felt a little disappointed.
He had insisted on escorting her every single time before, no matter how much she refused.
But today, nothing.
“I’m really leaving now.”
“Yes.”
Hyehwa stomped down the inn’s stairs with heavy steps.
Of course, she was the one who had kept refusing—but still, couldn’t he at least say something?
“Tch.”
With a pout, she exited the inn and stopped by the market to take care of various errands.
Before she knew it, dusk had fallen.
After gathering all the supplies she needed, she headed toward the pleasure district where the courtesan houses were clustered.
It was then—while passing through a deserted alley.
“Come out.”
As soon as she entered the alley, Hyehwa pulled the hairpin from the back of her head.
When she turned around, just as expected, a single figure stood within a shadow that stretched more than five jang.
Someone who had followed her all day without giving off the slightest presence.
Judging by the steady, balanced footsteps, this was no ordinary expert.
Hyehwa split the hairpin apart.
A thin dagger appeared, its blade pressed against her own throat.
“Go back. Whatever your purpose is, things won’t go the way you want.”
In contrast to her resolute tone, the voice that came from the shadows was flustered.
“Ah—uh—”
Soon, the face hidden in the shadow was revealed beneath the setting sun.
It was an exceptionally handsome face, but with an oddly awkward expression.
As if pleading with her not to do anything rash, the man raised both hands and slowly stepped forward.
“I—I was sent by Lord Kanggu. I’m not some kind of pervert or anything!”
“Who?”
“Lord Kanggu! The one staying at Jinhwa Inn—the one you visited earlier today…”
“Kanggu?”
Kanggu meant Kangyu.
And it was true that today was one of the days he stayed at Jinhwa Inn.
Hyehwa tilted her head slightly.
“What do you mean, he sent you?”
Feeling the tension in the dagger loosen slightly, Yeodongwan finally breathed easier.
“Well—he told me to choose between receiving one tael of silver or guarding you as part of my duty, so…”
“What?”
“O-of course, asking for silver must’ve been a joke, and I don’t really know what he meant, but he said you were old enough to go to a pleasure house and all, and…”
“…….”
—I’ll escort you.
—Oh no. It doesn’t look good for a young man to be frequenting pleasure houses already. Especially not at a time like this—it would draw unnecessary attention.
Hyehwa’s eyes wavered.
“Ah…”
Yeodongwan, who had stopped at a respectful distance, cupped his fists in greeting.
“If I made you uncomfortable, I’ll stay out of sight from now on. I sincerely apologize for causing you concern.”
At his earnest attitude, the hand holding the dagger slowly lowered.
—Please go in.
—…….
Only now did she understand Kangyu’s unusual farewell.
Hyehwa let out a faint sigh.
“Seriously… this is driving me crazy.”
“Pardon?”
“Thank you. Really.”
Yeodongwan scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
“Haha… it was nothing.”
“Not you.”
“…….”
And so, that was the first time Yeodongwan and Hyehwa properly met face to face.
“Hmm?”
At that same moment, an unexpected guest arrived at Kangyu’s room.
“Grandpa? What brings you here?”
It was Yong Sobaek, who had just been rejected from a beggar gathering.
The moment the door opened, he strode right in.
“What? You don’t like me being here?”
“No, I was just asking.”
Yong Sobaek tossed over a small booklet.
“Your hotshot leader asked for this. Information on the thirty-two middle-round contestants.”
“Oh.”
Before leaving Chang’an, the Sect Leader had mentioned this.
Since Kangyu would be busy with the tournament, he said he’d send someone once the numbers narrowed.
He just hadn’t expected that person to be an old beggar.
Despite all the talk of rivalry, it seemed they still helped each other when it mattered.
“I didn’t expect you to come, Grandpa.”
“Neither did I, you brat.”
To think that the leader of the Beggars’ Union would end up working under Jin Jong’s command.
In the past, it would’ve been unimaginable.
No—actually, it always would have been.
Still, he had used this opportunity to rub shoulders a little, hoping it might earn him even a sliver of hope at reclaiming his former position.
That cunning bastard Wiyeon was surely aiming for the same thing.
Of course, his pride demanded at least one complaint.
“This is what’s wrong with you kids. You’re picky like you’re begging only for white rice—then when it really matters, you’re short-handed.”
Yong Sobaek added casually,
“This kind of work really needs numbers—”
“I’m not becoming a beggar.”
“…….”
After smacking his lips a few times, Yong Sobaek sat on the bed.
“Well. We can talk about that later.”
He pointed at one of the names in the booklet.
“Do you see him?”
“Huh?”
“In my opinion, that guy is the culprit.”
* * *
“Name: Cheongmyeong. Age: 27. Affiliation: Wudang Sect. Master: Hyeonjin. Uses the Thirteen Divine Gate Swords based on the Six Yang Divine Art. Current location: VIP Hall of Hankum Auction House. Accompanied by fellow third-generation disciple Cheongyeon and—”
“Not that one. Isn’t he your opponent two rounds from now?”
Yong Sobaek jerked his chin.
“Look at the one right below him.”
Kangyu followed his instruction.
Unlike the others, whose entries were filled with meticulous details, this one consisted of only two short lines.
“Name: Yeon Gyeom. Affiliation: Haeseong Guild of Zhejiang. Current location: Baekyeon Manor, southeast of Chang’an.”
Kangyu looked up.
“That’s it?”
“That’s all.”
Yong Sobaek stood up.
“They’ve rented the entire manor, so it’s hard to approach. Dozens of guards are packed in there.”
“Baekyeon Manor?”
Kangyu knew the place well.
On the way back from the arena, there was an enormous, beautiful estate—one that rivaled even Huaqing Palace, the emperor’s retreat.
Tall walls, ponds filled with white lotus flowers.
And just as the old beggar said, an absurd number of guards.
“They must be really rich.”
“Haeseong Guild has always been swimming in money. They started out as merchants running auction houses.”
“But what does that have to do with him being the culprit?”
“It’s his age.”
“What?”
Seeing Kangyu’s confusion, Yong Sobaek explained.
“During the time when the country was in chaos due to coups and rebellions, a severe plague swept through Jiangxi and Zhejiang. Most children in those regions died.”
Kangyu’s expression darkened.
Yong Sobaek continued.
“Because of that, sects in those regions couldn’t recruit second-generation disciples at the proper time. The plague even reached nearby Wudang, resulting in less than a ten-year age gap between their second-generation Tae disciples and third-generation Cheong disciples. Even a great sect like Wudang was affected—so imagine Haeseong Guild, which was directly in the epicenter. As far as I know, they’ve only just begun recruiting third-generation disciples now.”
“Then…”
“All of Haeseong Guild’s second-generation disciples are past forty. And since they’re only now recruiting third-generation disciples, those kids are at most ten years old.”
Yong Sobaek pointed at the booklet.
“But this guy is at least in his mid-twenties. That age simply shouldn’t exist in Haeseong Guild. Too young for second generation, too old for third.”
“So if he’s neither forty nor ten…”
“He likely passed the regional preliminaries as a substitute. Or he stole someone else’s spot.”
“Oh…”
It was a convincing argument.
Still, Kangyu hesitated.
Age inconsistency alone wasn’t enough to label someone the culprit.
Even during a plague, some children survived.
And recruitment timing could always be adjusted.
“I don’t think this alone is definitive.”
“Of course not. The real reason I’m convinced is something else.”
“Huh?”
“What I’m about to say will give weight to my claim.”
Yong Sobaek’s eyes sharpened as he looked down at the booklet.
“This guy is doing the same thing you are.”
“Doing the same thing?”
“Like you, he’s hiding his strength—winning only to the level of his opponent. Why are you doing that?”
“To avoid drawing attention until the decisive moment.”
“Then why would his reason be any different?”
“Are you sure?”
“I didn’t check his pulse, so I can’t say with absolute certainty. But my eyes don’t lie. If he wanted to, he could’ve ended every match so far in a single exchange.”
“…….”
Faced with Yong Sobaek’s absolute confidence, Kangyu looked down at the booklet again.
Yeon Gyeom.
Age: Approximately 25.
Affiliation: Haeseong Guild.
In summary: Yeon Gyeom was hiding his strength just like Kangyu, and his age shouldn’t exist within Haeseong Guild due to the old plague.
Ever since the boss had assigned him this task, Kangyu had been thinking about one thing.
Until now, it had felt distant—almost unreal.
But in truth, this was a plot bordering on treason: an attempt on a member of the imperial family.
There was no way the culprit would be weak.
The culprit had to be strong.
If Yong Sobaek’s judgment was correct, the reasoning made sense.
As Kangyu organized his thoughts, Yong Sobaek spoke with a subtle smile.
“Well? This is the power of our Beggars’ Union. If you just make up your mind, all of this could be yours—”
“Let’s go there first. I want to see it myself.”
“…….”
Kangyu left the room without looking back.
Yong Sobaek let out a deep sigh and followed, grumbling.
* * *
Early night, as darkness began to settle.
Kangyu and Yong Sobaek appeared at a distance from the overwhelming scale of Baekyeon Manor.
Just as described, guards densely patrolled the perimeter.
At a glance, there were more than a hundred.
From within the bushes, Yong Sobaek muttered,
“Look at that. You’d think he was the emperor himself.”
“There really are a lot.”
“Doesn’t that alone make him suspicious? Just for a tournament contestant.”
“Yeah.”
Kangyu whispered,
“Wait here for a moment. I’ll go in and take a look.”
Yong Sobaek grabbed him as he tried to stand.
“Y-you idiot! What are you planning to do?”
“What do you think? I’m going in.”
Yong Sobaek yanked him back down.
“You fool! If brute force worked, I’d have gone in already. Even if they’re low-level, there are too many eyes. One mistake and everything’s ruined!”
“I don’t think I’ll get caught.”
“What?”
“Grandpa, haven’t you ever played hide-and-seek?”
“What nonsense are you spouting all of a sudden?”
“It’s a game I played with the village grandmas and grandpas. Strange. You’re such a high-level expert—how do you not know it? Maybe it was only in our village.”
“What?”
The boy suddenly looked up at the sky.
“It’d be better if it were a bit darker… but this should be fine.”
“What should be fine?!”
Before Yong Sobaek could finish, Kangyu’s body blurred.
No—rather than blurring, it seemed to absorb the light.
In an instant, the child melted into the shadows of the bushes.
Yong Sobaek’s brow twisted.
“W-what the—?!”
“I’ll be back!”
Only Kangyu’s voice remained.
“N-no—!”
If his eyes weren’t deceiving him, what he had just seen was the signature movement technique of the only assassin ever to be crowned the world’s greatest—
The Shadow King, Mumyeong.
Shadowless Step (Muyeonghaeng).
But as far as Yong Sobaek knew, Mumyeong was currently far away.
At the edge of Mount Changbai in Liaodong—
in a remote village nestled between the peaks of Cheongseok Ridge.
“It’s a game I played with the village grandmas and grandpas.”
A game played with village elders.
“Don’t forget what I asked you!”
“…….”
Staring at the empty space where the boy had vanished, Yong Sobaek swallowed hard.
