Chapter 541: You Might Think We're Heartless and Shameless Because We're Unorthodox Sects

TL: FoodieMonster007

Pyeong Wi stepped into the Hundred Prosperities Trading Company. His entire body ached as if he were dying on the days he returned from meeting the palanquin.

He stared for a moment at the empty training ground, which was bathed in the cold light of the moon. After taking a deep breath, he began to walk with caution. He had to remain focused because a single mistake would not just hurt him, it would kill him.

He moved by stepping on precise, predetermined spots. A complex mechanism was installed that would tear his body to pieces the moment he took a single wrong step.

After crossing the training ground, he entered the building. He knocked twice on the wall in a hallway that was filled with an eerie energy.

A moment later.

SHHHHH.

The scenery before him changed as the formations inside were deactivated. Formations had surprisingly been laid within this narrow hallway.

Installing formations in a small indoor space was far more difficult than creating them outdoors. This alone showed the high level of skill of the person who had created these formations.

He passed through the hallway and went into the room at the end. Two people were present in the dark room.

One person was lying on a bed. The man, whose face was pale with sickness, was the Trading Company's owner, So Jongtae.

In front of him, his wife sat with her back turned.

"Tomorrow is finally the day," Pyeong Wi said, his voice full of determination.

The wife's voice, in contrast, was weary and strained. "We're counting on you, Vice Director."

"Yes, madam."

Pyeong Wi bowed respectfully and then left the room.

In front of the door, Pyeong Wi took a deep breath.

He didn't know how he had ended up in this situation. When he had lifted his head after being frantically pushed around by that bastard called fate, a black palanquin had been floating before his eyes.

Geom Mugeuk slept in for the first time in a while. He had trained in martial arts late into the night, using the Heavenly Space Secret Art to skimp on sleep.

He replayed his bloody battle with the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon in his mind, training over and over. He repeated it until he was sick of it.

Enlightenment always had a way of arriving the day after you screamed, "I can't take this anymore, I'm sick of it!" and stormed out.

His head was clear and he felt refreshed since he had slept his fill. Getting out of bed, Geom Mugeuk threw open the window and took a deep breath.

"Ah! This is great!"

He was about to look up at the perfectly clear, sunny sky when he noticed someone standing in the courtyard with their back to him.

It was the back of someone unexpected.

Geom Mugeuk leaned against the window and spoke to him. "You must really want to have fun if you're here this early. The brothel isn't open in the morning."

At that, the man turned toward Geom Mugeuk. It was a rugged face that now felt rather welcoming, a face he sometimes even thought was handsomely masculine. It was none other than Bi Sayin.

"The sun is high in the sky, what do you mean 'morning'? Is it right for a martial artist to sleep so soundly? A hundred assassins could have come and gone."

Of course, if Bi Sayin had tried to enter the room or revealed even a hint of killing intent, the Heavenly Demon Defense Art would have activated and woken Geom Mugeuk.

"Unlike you, I'm a pacifist, aren't I? No assassin would have a reason to come for me."

An unconcealable smile appeared on Bi Sayin's fierce face.

This was the same Geom Mugeuk who had rushed over to warn him of the crisis. This was the same Geom Mugeuk who was now here at the Thousand Flower Palace, preparing for today on his behalf.

"Are you done preparing to save me?"

Bi Sayin's cold, chilling gaze and Geom Mugeuk's clear, deep eyes met in midair.

"I'm done preparing to die with you."

Bi Sayin knew. Those words were by no means just empty flattery.

"I have no desire to die on the same day and at the same time as you. So make sure you save me."

"Don't we have a reliable swordsman friend? Ask him." Geom Mugeuk leaped nimbly out of the window.

"Oh, right. Did you bring the stylish clothes that go with white?"

"Who in the world are you meeting that you're acting like this? Don't tell me it's a woman?" Not just any clothes, but stylish clothes. It had to be a woman.

"What if it is?"

"I have no interest in women."

"If it's a woman, you should ask if she's pretty first!" Geom Mugeuk asked with a look of disbelief.

"So? You didn't forget to bring the clothes, did you?"

"…I brought them."

As Geom Mugeuk watched him with a strange smile, Bi Sayin changed the subject. "Where's Commander Jin?"

"He's found a new calling."

Geom Mugeuk led Bi Sayin to the rear building of the Thousand Flower Palace. Jin Hagun was there, in front of the warehouse.

"What are you doing?" At Bi Sayin's question, Jin Hagun set down the crate of liquor he was holding and answered.

"As you can see, I'm organizing the liquor."

"Did you fall into the Young Cult Leader's trap again?" Jin Hagun laughed at Bi Sayin's words. This was the only time he and Bi Sayin found common ground.

Their common enemy was Geom Mugeuk.

"Seeing as I'm wearing clothes I've never worn in my life and doing work I've never done before, perhaps I have fallen into another trap," Jin Hagun lamented, and Bi Sayin agreed.

"As for the clothes problem, it seems I've fallen into the same trap."

When Jin Hagun gave him a look that asked what he meant, Bi Sayin answered. "There's a reason. Should I help move this?" Bi Sayin went over and started moving the liquor crates with him.

Geom Mugeuk raised his voice. "Why are you two suddenly acting all friendly? You're not close, are you? Without me, you're so awkward you can't even say a word to each other, right?"

Bi Sayin pretended not to hear and said to Jin Hagun, "Thanks for coming. Be sure to call me next time you need help."

"I will."

"If you're grateful, you should be thanking me!" Geom Mugeuk shouted, but the two men pretended not to hear.

Geom Mugeuk sat on an old chair and watched the two of them carry the liquor crates.

"Instead of just watching, why don't you help a little?"

"Wouldn't that tarnish our Young Alliance Chairman's friendship toward you?"

"What an excuse."

While lazing about, Geom Mugeuk suddenly said, "The Hundred Prosperities Trading Company has dangerous mechanisms and formations set up. They've laid a trap, so don't go in there carelessly. They've been confirmed to be very high-level mechanisms and formations. I'm telling you in advance so you can deal with them carefully later."

Bi Sayin set down a crate and sat on it.

"I don't understand." He couldn't understand why the Hundred Prosperities Trading Company would try to kill him, or why they would set up such mechanisms and formations. They had been closer to the Evil Alliance than anyone.

"Could it be them?" At Bi Sayin's question, Geom Mugeuk nodded.

"It seems so." There were too many things that didn't make sense for it to be the Hundred Prosperities Trading Company acting alone, and above all, it was too reckless.

"Just as they've always done, they must have dug into a weakness of the Hundred Prosperities Trading Company. Their dark scheme is probably hidden where no one would expect."

Jin Hagun's and Bi Sayin's expressions turned serious. They had already experienced how secretly and viciously those people could infiltrate someone's life.

"However, this case feels a bit different from the previous ones. It's cruder, for some reason."

Bi Sayin and Jin Hagun knew exactly what Geom Mugeuk's words meant. The substance of that feeling was danger.

In this case especially, the Cult Leader and the Chairman would not be intervening. The three of them had to solve it on their own.

"We have to show them that we're all grown up now." Bi Sayin and Jin Hagun nodded at Geom Mugeuk's words.

"Right, what about the Thirteen Evil Wolves?" Bi Sayin answered Geom Mugeuk's question.

"They're checking inside and outside the Thousand Flower Palace. They're probably in a war of nerves with your subordinates."

The Thirteen Evil Wolves were surprised twice upon arriving at the Thousand Flower Palace. They were surprised once outside, and again inside.

First, outside, it was because of the Faceless Warriors.

The Thirteen Evil Wolves began by searching the surroundings. Whenever the Young Alliance Chairman had a drinking party at a brothel, they would naturally inspect and investigate the area perfectly.

They knocked on the door of the nearest house, and it opened. Ten of the Faceless Warriors were on standby there. Although they had already heard they were here, they still had to conduct a search.

An indescribable tension rose between the searching Thirteen Evil Wolves and the watching Faceless Warriors.

"Thank you for your cooperation." At First Wolf's words after finishing the search, the Faceless Warriors nodded silently.

It wasn't just that house. All the houses adjacent to the Thousand Flower Palace were occupied by the Faceless Warriors.

In the past, they would have kicked out all the residents, but this time, they paid a sufficient amount of money to rent the places for a day.

It was for surveillance, yes, but if a big fight broke out here, the residents' lives would be in danger, so Geom Mugeuk had asked the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon to clear everyone out completely.

The Faceless Warriors were hidden in nearby houses, in carriages, in temporarily built structures, and in the trees. The exterior was truly guarded like an iron fortress.

So they were surprised outside, and then surprised again inside.

"It's the Demon Slaying Brigade." Even without I-rang saying it from beside him, First Wolf could tell. He recognized the person sweeping the courtyard over there.

The Thirteen Evil Wolves and the Demon Slaying Brigade, in particular, were organizations directly under the heirs, so they were unspoken rivals. Thus, they knew as much as there was to know about each other.

Those martial artists from the Demon Slaying Brigade were disguised as brothel workers and were working everywhere. Chopping firewood, moving luggage, carrying liquor.

The Thirteen Evil Wolves felt the gravity of the situation firsthand. Until they arrived while acting as Bi Sayin's bodyguard, they hadn't expected such an ironclad perimeter to be in place.

"This is a first." At First Wolf's words, I-rang looked at him.

"For the Orthodox and Demonic factions to conduct a joint operation. This is the first time since I joined the alliance."

That was why this scene felt so unfamiliar.

"The Demon Slaying Brigade has probably already checked, but search every nook and cranny anyway. We do our job."

"Yes, sir!"

And so, the Thirteen Evil Wolves thoroughly investigated the interior of the Thousand Flower Palace as well.

They checked for ambushes and also if the food ingredients were safe. They truly took every precaution for the Young Alliance Chairman's safety. They only exchanged nods with the martial artists of the Demon Slaying Brigade.

Fortunately, they finished the search without any conflict.

First Wolf felt that this alone showed how much the atmosphere between the factions had truly changed from the past. To think that the Thirteen Evil Wolves, the Faceless Warriors, and the Demon Slaying Brigade could be in one place. And so peacefully at that.

First Wolf felt that a new jianghu was coming.

Because above the head of the Demon Slaying Brigade martial artist sweeping the courtyard, among the branches outside the wall, a white mask was smiling.

The three heirs were in Geom Mugeuk's quarters. Geom Mugeuk was showing them the information he had received from the All-Knowing Hall.

"This is the file on the Hundred Prosperities Trading Company. Have a look."

"Is it okay to just show us classified information like this?" Jin Hagun asked, seeing that the documents were from the All-Knowing Hall.

"It's not."

"And yet?"

"You guys have to keep it a secret."

"I've heard that two can keep a secret, but three cannot."

Geom Mugeuk laughed and said, "I'm not worried about you two. If the secret gets out, I'll be the one to leak it first anyway. Just to brag about how I have no secrets with my friends!"

Bi Sayin and Jin Hagun nodded with expressions that said, "He really would do that." When facing their common adversary, the two were perfectly in sync.

The playful look vanished from Geom Mugeuk's face.

"It's information you all know, and it might not be that important, but I'm showing you because I thought we shouldn't miss a single detail."

This was Geom Mugeuk's way. Just as he told his father everything that happened when he returned from being away, he did the same with the Demon Supremes, and with these two here. It was a cardinal rule of Geom Mugeuk's life to prevent any misunderstandings that could arise from not speaking up.

Just then, Bi Sayin, who was looking at the documents, found something. "When was this information obtained?"

"Recently." They had only started looking into them properly after the incident broke out.

"Is all of this information true?"

"If you doubt the information from the All-Knowing Hall, then you must never start a war with us in the future."

It was meant to convey just how accurate the All-Knowing Hall's information was.

"There's a mistake here." Bi Sayin held out a piece of paper. It was the section about why the Hundred Prosperities Trading Company held a grudge against Bi Sayin.

The Evil Alliance had misunderstood, thinking the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon had massacred Evil Alliance martial artists, and had pushed the Hundred Prosperities Trading Company into the territory he managed, supporting them.

After the misunderstanding between both sides was cleared up, the Evil Alliance drove out the Hundred Prosperities Trading Company and compensated the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon for the losses he had suffered over two years.

"At that time, the Hundred Prosperities Trading Company had to give up all the money they had earned over two years, and their fortunes declined afterward. Their relationship with the Vice Director also soured. There are also rumors that the Trading Company owner's health has deteriorated. In the end, it's believed this grudge started as revenge for that. What's wrong with this part?"

At that, Bi Sayin said calmly, "You might think we're heartless and shameless because we're unorthodox sects."

Bi Sayin said something completely unexpected.

"The money we paid as compensation back then didn't come from the Hundred Prosperities Trading Company. It came from our main alliance."

Geom Mugeuk was startled by those words. It was a very important detail. It was the reason for the grudge.

Since Bi Sayin wouldn't lie, what if they hadn't suffered any losses? And yet they played the victim, acting as if they had paid the money themselves?

"Then why did they target you?"

He could now clearly understand what Bi Sayin had meant earlier when he said he didn't understand them.

Before, he had interpreted it this way. They're trying to kill the Young Alliance Chairman just because they had to give back some money? That's what he didn't understand.

Geom Mugeuk, who had been lost in thought, flinched. A guess flowed from him, starting with, "No way…"

"What if the goal of today's events wasn't to kill you?"

Bi Sayin's and Jin Hagun's gazes sharpened.

"Then what is the goal?" At Bi Sayin's question, Geom Mugeuk offered a guess.

"To ruin the Thousand Flower Palace. What if, from the very beginning, that was the sole objective?"

Geom Mugeuk had been focused on why they were trying to kill Bi Sayin. However, what if it wasn't that, but about ruining the Thousand Flower Palace?

"When we met before, you were wondering, weren't you? How exactly do they plan to kill me? We thought they might use a poison that could even fool the Thirteen Evil Wolves. But there's no need for that."

Bi Sayin picked up where Geom Mugeuk left off. "Just the fact that they attempted to poison me would be enough for the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman to be executed, and the Thousand Flower Palace would be ruined."

Why was the target Bi Sayin? Because it was the fastest and surest way to ruin the Thousand Flower Palace.

The mere fact that an assassination attempt was made on the Young Alliance Chairman, along with fabricated evidence and witnesses claiming the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman ordered it, would have been enough.

The Hundred Prosperities Trading Company also wouldn't have been revealed as the masterminds of the plot under normal circumstances. They would have made it seem like their only fault was inviting Bi Sayin to the Thousand Flower Palace.

However, with the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult getting involved, and with his own intervention, the matter had escalated.

Bi Sayin asked with a calm gaze, "Do you have any idea who's behind this?"

Geom Mugeuk shook his head. At least one thing was certain.

"It must be someone who wants to fill the void left by the Thousand Flower Palace's disappearance."

It would be someone trying to steal the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman's dream of becoming the empress of the night. Someone who wants to become the new ruler of the night.

Just then, First Wolf's voice was heard from outside. "The Hundred Prosperities Trading Company's Vice Director has arrived."

Geom Mugeuk gazed at the darkening scenery outside. The party had now begun, and it was time to take another step closer to the truth.

"Now, go get changed."