Chapter 28: Preparing the Operation (3)

The Heuksu Mun was a small-to-medium sized sect located in the Shanxi region.

Although it was commonly referred to as a small-to-medium sized sect, if one were to be picky, it would be correct to call it a small sect, a humble sect.

If one were to classify its affiliation, it would be between the righteous and the unorthodox, but since it did not usually commit atrocities against the common people like the groups that openly professed to be unorthodox factions, the common people of Shanxi recognized the Heuksu Mun as a righteous faction.

That Heuksu Mun held a secret that could never be revealed to the world.

That was the fact that this place was a sect founded by a follower of the Demonic Cult.

A spy of the fourth rank of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult had settled in Shanxi and founded the Heuksu Mun; he was a person named Ma Han-seong.

The core objective of a fourth-rank spy was to blend in with the common people of the Central Plains, so the spy Ma Han-seong, who had successfully settled in Shanxi, chose to found a sect.

That Ma Han-seong was the great-great-grandfather of the current young sect leader of the Heuksu Mun, Ma Yu-han.

Since it had spanned four generations, it meant that about a hundred years had passed since the Heuksu Mun had settled in Shanxi.

A hundred years.

If a sect had settled and spent that period of time, it might be insufficient to say it was historic, but it was a period of time that was not lacking in being called a long-established fixture.

Ma Han-seong, the founder of the Heuksu Mun, was a capable and thorough person.

Therefore, he would have been able to hide the fact that he was a spy of the Demonic Cult until the moment he closed his eyes for his entire life.

And Ma Han-seong was as enthusiastic about the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult as he was capable.

The existence of the Heavenly Demon itself was his faith and his everything.

Ma Han-seong, who had settled in Shanxi and founded the Heuksu Mun, married a daughter from a humble family that had settled in Shanxi.

Naturally, he made his son practice demonic arts and made him a follower of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

He passed down everything he had.

Ma Han-seong’s son, in turn, made his son, and that son, in turn, made his own son practice demonic arts and become a follower of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

Since they were hiding their identity as followers of the Demonic Cult and hiding in the Central Plains Murim, it would be appropriate to call all of them spies of the Demonic Cult.

In the end, by passing it down through the generations, the current young sect leader of the Heuksu Mun, Ma Yu-han, also practiced demonic arts and became a follower of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult in his childhood, before he even came of age.

However, the founder of the Heuksu Mun, Ma Han-seong, and the current young sect leader, Ma Yu-han, could not be of the same mind.

Although Ma Yu-han had also learned the doctrines of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and practiced demonic arts from a young age, it was because he was a half-baked follower who had not even seen a hair of the Tianshan Mountains or the great Heavenly Demon.

Wouldn't there be a difference in their devotion to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult?

Nevertheless, Ma Yu-han defined himself as a person of the Demonic Cult, and this too was the greatness of faith.

“My son, the opportunity has finally come.”

Ma Yu-han’s father.

The current sect leader of the Heuksu Mun, Ma Cheol-gu’s expression was full of joy.

“An opportunity? What are you suddenly talking about, Father?”

Ma Yu-han was just unfamiliar with his father’s bright appearance, which he was seeing for the first time.

“An order has finally come down from our cult. As expected, our cult has not forgotten us.”

“From our cult?”

Unlike Ma Cheol-gu, who was filled with emotion, Ma Yu-han’s expression was indifferent.

In fact, wasn't the existence of 'our cult' an existence with which he had had almost no contact in his life, which had surpassed the age of twenty?

Regardless of Ma Yu-han’s feelings, his father Ma Cheol-gu, drunk with joy, held out something in a luxurious box.

“Look at this.”

“What is this?”

Ma Yu-han, who was not very knowledgeable, could not recognize the precious item at once.

“It’s a Ten-Thousand-Year-Old Fleeceflower Root.”

“……!”

However, no matter how little knowledge he had, he was not foolish enough not to know even its name.

In an instant, greed appeared in Ma Yu-han’s eyes.

“Our cult has bestowed this upon our Heuksu Mun.”

“Ooh……”

A reverence for the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, which had faded, or perhaps had never existed from the beginning, welled up from the depths of Ma Yu-han’s heart.

“What should we do with this now?”

While asking this, a glimmer of hope colored Ma Yu-han’s face.

The kind of hope that, for the future of the Heuksu Mun and the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, that Ten-Thousand-Year-Old Fleeceflower Root might be given to him, the young sect leader.

But…….

“We have to sell it.”

At his father Ma Cheol-gu’s answer, Ma Yu-han’s excitement deflated.

Ma Cheol-gu was not one to miss Ma Yu-han’s change of mood.

“Haha, you rascal. Are you disappointed?”

“No, I’m not.”

Ma Yu-han’s words and expression were at odds.

“My son, it’s not that I don’t want to give this to you. But haven’t I told you before? That spiritual medicines have no effect on those who have learned demonic arts.”

“Ah……”

Ma Yu-han, who had learned demonic arts but had never used them properly, could only then understand his father’s true meaning.

“Although I cannot feed you this precious item, all of this will become yours.”

Ma Cheol-gu continued, as if making a vow.

“With the money from selling the Ten-Thousand-Year-Old Fleeceflower Root, our sect will be able to leap to become a mid-sized sect.”

“I see.”

“Since you will succeed the Heuksu Mun, won't all of this become yours?”

“Father……!”

Expectations once again appeared on Ma Yu-han’s face.

A powerful martial artist was good, but the position of the heir to the Heuksu Mun, a prestigious mid-sized sect that held sway over Shanxi, was not bad either.

The young sect leader of a small sect.

He would shake off the sorrow of being called a small-young-sect-leader and assume the status of a mid-sized sect's heir.

Hope welled up in Ma Yu-han’s eyes.

“Aeng-ran! Are you there!”

Ma Yu-han, tipsy, visited a brothel.

Aeng-ran was a renowned artist in Shanxi, a courtesan whose beauty was known to be comparable to the Five Beauties of Shanxi.

Furthermore, that Aeng-ran was a proud woman who had not given Ma Yu-han a single shred of interest despite his earnest efforts for nearly three years.

Although he was the heir to a sect, Ma Yu-han of the Heuksu Mun, which was only a small sect, did not dare to take Aeng-ran by force.

But today’s Ma Yu-han was quite different.

His face was full of confidence.

This was not the bravado of being tipsy, but confidence in himself, who would soon become the heir to a mid-sized sect.

“Aeng-ran! I asked if you were here!”

“Young Master Ma, this is troubling.”

“Get out of the way!”

An attendant of the brothel tried to stop Ma Yu-han, but Ma Yu-han pushed him aside and walked inside.

Could a mere attendant of a brothel stop the heir to a mid-sized sect?

“Aeng-ran!”

Since a brothel was not that large, after walking a little further, Ma Yu-han was able to capture the Aeng-ran he had so longed for in his eyes.

However, it was not the image he wanted.

The reason was that Aeng-ran was chatting with another man, wearing a blush-like smile he had never seen in his life.

“Hohoho. Young Master Myeong, why are you so funny?”

“What’s so funny? I’m being serious?”

“Hohoho. You’re funny.”

The small-young-sect-leader Ma Yu-han might have backed down upon seeing that, but the current Ma Yu-han could not.

The reason was that he was a person who would rise to be the heir of a mid-sized sect.

Thump!

Ma Yu-han, with a serious face, stomped his foot with internal energy, and the brothel shook.

Only then did Aeng-ran’s gaze turn to Ma Yu-han.

“Aeng-ran, what is this? This bastard who looks like a pretty boy?”

“Young Master Ma, what is the meaning of this?”

As Aeng-ran tried to argue, that man stopped Aeng-ran.

I do not like it.

Who does he think he is to try to protect my Aeng-ran!

“Who are you?”

Ma Yu-han asked roughly.

“Me?”

That annoyingly handsome bastard answered.

“A passing bastard who looks like a pretty boy?”

He smiled brightly.

“You, follow me outside.”

Ma Yu-han did not like him, so he was going to teach him a lesson.

“Young Master Ma! What kind of outrage is this?”

The angry Aeng-ran shouted at Ma Yu-han.

“Huh? Um, well.”

Although he had gained courage from the Ten-Thousand-Year-Old Fleeceflower Root, it had only been half a day.

Ma Yu-han’s true nature was still the same, so Ma Yu-han flinched at Aeng-ran’s stern scolding.

“I-I’m sorry, Aeng-ran.”

Ma Yu-han, having returned to his original self, apologized to Aeng-ran.

“Ran-mae, I’m fine.”

“Young Master Myeong, I’m sorry. Don’t mind him.”

However, Aeng-ran’s attention was not on apologizing Ma Yu-han, but on that fellow called Young Master Myeong.

Grind.

Immediately, anger once again filled Ma Yu-han’s face.

The title ‘Ran-mae’ that came out of that pretty boy’s mouth, a title he had never used himself.

The words that came out of the mouth of his beloved Aeng-ran, telling him not to mind him.

The tipsiness that had risen.

The confidence in himself, who would rise to be the heir of a mid-sized sect.

“Eek!”

All of these intertwined, and arrogant anger settled in Ma Yu-han’s eyes.

“This bitch!”

Ma Yu-han, who could not control his misguided anger, finally crossed the line.

“Kyaak!”

Ma Yu-han’s palm had quickly rushed towards Aeng-ran’s cheek.

But even that could not be achieved.

Thud.

The pretty boy fellow had stood in front of Aeng-ran and snatched Ma Yu-han’s wrist.

Only then did Ma Yu-han come to his senses.

What on earth was this?

“You……!”

What was that venomous look in Aeng-ran’s eyes?

Why was Aeng-ran, who should now be sending him a look of courtship, him who would rise to be the heir of a mid-sized sect, looking at him like that?

Ma Yu-han’s gaze turned to the pretty boy who had blocked him.

That's him.

That fellow is the cause of all this.

“You called me a pretty boy, but you were a ruffian who lays hands on women?”

He was a fellow whose words were as smooth as his dandy-like face.

“Follow me. I will show you the bitter taste of the Jianghu.”

The sight of the frail-looking fellow trying to act tough in front of a woman was endlessly annoying.

However, this was also what Ma Yu-han wanted.

“Sure. Fine.”

He was going to teach the fellow the spicy taste of life.

Just as he was about to go outside the brothel like that, Aeng-ran spoke to the pretty boy.

“Young Master Myeong, be careful. That man is a martial artist.”

“Haha. Ran-mae, don’t worry. I’ve also learned a thing or two about martial arts.”

Grind.

Ma Yu-han’s mind changed.

That fellow, I will kill him.

“How about that place?”

He asked Ma Yu-han.

The place I pointed to was a completely deserted alley.

It was a place I had checked in advance for this moment.

“Good.”

Ma Yu-han, who answered so, leaped up using his movement arts.

It seemed he was showing off his martial arts.

Even though he had not yet reached the Peak, his crudeness, which focused only on showing off, almost made me laugh, but I held it in.

I followed him, acting out a movement art that was a little more crude but looked graceful than Ma Yu-han’s.

If I were to name it, it would be something like the dandy footwork.

Since I needed to look weak now, this much effort was nothing.

I faced Ma Yu-han.

“If you promise to kneel and apologize to Ran-mae right now, I will forgive you.”

Of course, this was a setup to provoke Ma Yu-han’s temper even more.

“You bastard!”

As expected, an excellent incitement tactic helps to shorten the time for arguing, so Ma Yu-han drew his sword and rushed at me.

However, for a fellow who was the young sect leader of a sect to display such crude body movements, it was something to sigh about.

I readied my stance.

From now on, I had to start the acting I had told Lee Chun-baek about.

Kagang!

“Ugh.”

Barely blocking.

Hwik!

“Chahap!”

A sloppy thrust.

Hwoong!

“Hup!”

Barely dodging.

A fight that could be described as a truly neck-and-neck contest unfolded.

To others, it would look sincere, but a half-baked act performed with all my might blossomed at my fingertips.

The clumsy-looking martial arts went well with the dandy’s attire and eliminated any sense of incongruity.

Chaeng! Chaeng! Chaeng!

And so, the evenly matched battle instantly passed a hundred exchanges.