Chapter 187: Unexpected Exposure (2)
Thus, it was decided that the younger generation of the Orthodox noble clans would participate.
Responding to their support, the Dokgo Clan also agreed to form an alliance with other Orthodox factions in Luoyang.
But seriously, is this really okay?
No one seemed to notice, but the sword Cheon Yura had drawn before the younger generation of the noble clans...
‘Isn’t that the Heavenly Demon Sacred Sword?’
A sacred relic that should have been stored deep within the Heavenly Demon Palace.
For some reason, the Cult Leader seemed to have given it to her.
Did they not realize they were cheering in front of a sacred relic of the Demonic Cult?
‘…This is a complete mess!’
I quickly sorted out the situation unfolding before me.
***
Unexpectedly, Cheon Yura's proactive behavior had another reason behind it.
“I cannot just stand by and watch trash trying to exploit our cult’s prestige for their own ends.”
“Ah...”
“What’s that reaction? Do I look like I stepped up just because my Luoyang sightseeing might be canceled?”
“Wasn’t it?”
“……”
Normally, I would have subtly turned my head to avoid her gaze.
But at least in this case, Baek Sang-ah and I had nothing to be ashamed of.
“...I won’t say I didn’t feel that way at all.”
In the end, it was Cheon Yura who turned her gaze away.
“Hmph.”
Crossing my arms, I spoke seriously.
“There’s no helping it. We’ll just have to remove anyone who tries to interfere with your sightseeing, Lady.”
At that, the way Baek Sang-ah looked at me became quite similar to how she had been looking at Cheon Yura earlier.
“…I hate to say this, but don’t you think you're spoiling her a bit too much?”
“There really aren’t any major tourist spots between Luoyang and the Murim Alliance.”
“Exactly!”
“More importantly, the ones causing trouble now seem to be connected to the Colorful Flower Lord.”
To make matters worse, even the Wudang Sect was involved.
It was possible the two factions were plotting something together.
Crossing her arms, Baek Sang-ah asked,
“So? How do you plan to deal with it?”
“As I said earlier, we need to find the ringleader. If a large-scale conflict breaks out on the streets of Luoyang, there will be countless civilian casualties.”
In that case, it wouldn’t just be Luoyang — the entire Henan Province could get swept up in the chaos.
In effect, Cheon Yura’s sightseeing would be over.
“The people of Luoyang may not be our cult’s believers, but they are still innocent. I don’t want needless sacrifices.”
“What about using the Beggars’ Sect or the Hao Sect?”
Baek Sang-ah offered her opinion, but I shook my head.
“The Hao Sect might have some leads, but it’ll probably be difficult.”
“Why?”
“Because of how things have unfolded.”
No matter how strong Soul-Corrupting Lust Fiend was, a large sect like the Beggars’ Sect should have had the ability to take measures before things got this bad.
“The fact that the situation has deteriorated this much means Soul-Corrupting Lust Fiend’s capabilities have exceeded even the Beggars’ Sect’s.”
“Grrr!”
“Then is there no way?”
Even I couldn’t track Soul-Corrupting Lust Fiend down without any leads.
Still, I knew how to get started.
“I have an idea. For now, I think it would be best to cooperate with the Wudang Sect.”
“…Wudang Sect?”
“Yes. According to Dokgo Hyeon, the Wudang Sect is currently stirring up the entire city of Luoyang. I also heard they’ve clashed a few times with low-level members of the Evil Faction.”
But since they only numbered a few dozen, even stirring things up hadn’t yielded much success.
Baek Sang-ah nodded in understanding.
“So, you're saying we should use the Wudang Sect as backing and begin our investigation.”
“Not exactly, but something along those lines.”
‘And while we’re at it, I’ll investigate him too.’
The only thing that worried me was whether I’d be able to keep my composure in front of him.
‘I’m seriously afraid I’ll lose control and charge at him.’
The image of him and the Heavenly Divine Dragon Squad rushing toward Cheon Yura, who had been poisoned with a deadly toxin, was burned into my memory.
Even though I ended up pathetically fainting, the horrid state I saw Cheon Yura in when I awoke….
I squeezed my eyes shut.
‘No, stop thinking about it.’
Just imagining the scene that followed made my skin crawl and the killing intent surge uncontrollably through my body.
“For now, let’s go meet the head of the Wudang Sect. I have something personal to confirm too.”
***
Thankfully—
I didn’t have a meltdown when I met Gwan Hyun.
“Hohoho, the rising stars of the Orthodox Factions have stepped forward to help us. It would be rude of me to refuse.”
“Thank you, Sect Leader!”
“But as you already know, Soul-Corrupting Lust Fiend is a martial artist who has reached the peak. If you happen to run into him by chance, you must not give yourself away.”
Surprisingly, Gwan Hyun welcomed our cooperation and offered various advice and concerns.
“Thank you for your guidance, Sect Leader!”
Though he was the leader of the rival Wudang Sect, he was also one of the Eight Generals and a master of the Fire Realm.
The younger generation was deeply moved by his humble and unpretentious demeanor, especially considering his high status.
“Jeon Seok.”
“Yes, Sect Leader!”
Jeon Seok, the top disciple of the Wudang Sect, bowed politely.
“Show them the location of the relay stations and assign them appropriate missions.”
“I will carry out your orders, Sect Leader.”
“Hoho, then I leave it to you.”
Our meeting with Gwan Hyun didn’t take very long.
His attitude and manners were impeccable — truly befitting a sage of the martial world.
‘Still, he seems... hurried.’
Carefully observing Gwan Hyun’s behavior, I drew a conclusion.
‘Gwan Hyun has little to no connection to Soul-Corrupting Lust Fiend.’
More precisely, even if they were connected, they were not on the same side.
Gwan Hyun was clearly focused on wrapping things up in Luoyang as quickly as possible, as if his mind was somewhere else entirely.
Normally, he wouldn’t have overlooked someone like Cheon Yura wearing a strange mask or a mysterious outsider like me.
But then—
“Hm? Wait a moment.”
“Do you have something more to say?”
Gwan Hyun suddenly stopped us from leaving… or more precisely, he specifically pointed to Baek Sang-ah among us.
“You there. Could it be… are you perhaps the daughter of Namcheon?”
Baek Sang-ah offered a polite martial greeting.
“Yes, Sect Leader. I’m Baek Sang-ah of Namcheon. Have you been well?”
“……”
For some reason, Gwan Hyun silently stared at Baek Sang-ah for a long while.
His gaze was so intense that it almost felt like he was glaring at her.
I cautiously moved my hand toward my waist, ready to strike at any moment.
But then—
“I see. I had heard the granddaughter of the Sword King had disappeared from the family recently, and I found it strange… so you had gone out on a journey.”
Baek Sang-ah kept her composure and smiled gracefully.
“Yes, the mood in the family has been rather chaotic lately, so I stepped into the martial world for some fresh air.”
“I understand… forgive me for holding you up. Please enjoy your time with your friends.”
Gwan Hyun, who seemed like he had more to say, simply gave a polite farewell without any further comment.
However, in that fleeting moment, I caught where his gaze had been.
Her twin swords tied at her waist.
Gwan Hyun had clearly noticed the swords strapped to Baek Sang-ah’s hips.
There was no doubt about it.
‘Jade Green Heavenly Net Divine Swords. This is getting even more suspicious.’
Was he acting as a rival of the current Alliance Leader, vying for the position of the next Murim Alliance Leader?
Or perhaps he was operating as a tool of that group—Heaven-Defying Society.
I couldn’t make a judgment yet.
‘This… I’ll have to keep watching.’
I narrowed my eyes as I watched Gwan Hyun’s back grow distant.
Jeon Seok, the first disciple of the Wudang Sect, assigned us a simple patrol mission.
“Even though it’s just a patrol, please don’t let your guard down. There’s been a surge of trouble from the Evil Faction harassing civilians since they arrived in Luoyang.”
I offered a martial salute to Jeon Seok.
“I will take the words of the Azure Pine Sword, Jeon Seok-jinin, to heart.”
“Haha! Just call me a Taoist. The title of Jinin is too grand for me.”
Whether my flattery had worked or not, he waved his hand in denial, though the corners of his mouth were stretched wide.
With a baffled look, Baek Sang-ah whispered in my ear.
“…He’s not exactly famous, so how do you even know that nickname?”
“Let’s just say I take an interest in these things.”
Azure Pine Sword Jeon Seok.
He was the classic late-bloomer type. He might not be well-known now, but in twenty years, he would become an elder of the Murim Alliance formed by both Orthodox and Demonic Sects.
He might become an enemy in the future, so knowing him now wouldn’t hurt.
“…The future peace of the Central Plains…”
“Huh? Peace?”
I tilted my head at Baek Sang-ah’s sudden, nonsensical remark.
She sighed and shook her head.
“Nothing. But still, can we really catch any trace of Soul-Corrupting Lust Fiend with just a simple patrol?”
“Of course not like this. Just wait half a day.”
Jeon Seok disappeared after telling us to report anything suspicious we saw to the nearest relay station during patrol.
Honestly, he didn’t seem to expect much from the noble children barely into their twenties.
“Let’s go.”
Taking the lead, I guided the group as we began patrolling the vast city of Luoyang.
We roamed through wealthy districts, red-light areas, and shady backstreets without discrimination.
Now and then, we roughed up some low-level thugs from the Evil Faction, but there were no meaningful gains.
As dusk fell and we returned to the Dokgo Clan estate—
While the younger generation were preoccupied with food and baths—
I quietly called only Cheon Yura and Baek Sang-ah aside.
“Let’s head out again.”
“Where to?”
“At this hour?”
Both of them looked puzzled, but I smiled confidently.
“This is the only time we can find Soul-Corrupting Lust Fiend.”
Though suspicious, they obediently followed my lead.
And the place I brought them to was…
None other than the red-light district.
“Y-Young Master Jin?! T-This place…!”
A place teeming with men and women entangled in all shades of pink emotions, where differences in wealth and status were blatantly evident.
Though Luoyang had several red-light districts, I brought them to the most bustling one.
“Young Master Jin. Where exactly are we going?”
“Just follow me and you’ll see.”
I headed toward one of the places I’d made note of during our patrol.
“Welcome, dear customer.”
“T-T-T-This place?!”
Baek Sang-ah blushed fiercely and turned her gaze away from the lavish building before us.
Red lanterns glowed warmly throughout the premises.
“A brothel… huh.”
Even Cheon Yura, who was wearing a mask, spoke in a composed voice.
But even her voice had a subtle tremble to it.
“More accurately, this is a gisaeng house that also performs brothel services.”
“Isn’t that the same thing?!”
Baek Sang-ah shot me a glare as if I were the worst kind of pervert on earth.
I shrugged and asked,
“My lady, who exactly are we trying to catch right now?”
“Obviously, a filthy degenerate like you… Ah!”
Only then did Baek Sang-ah look like she realized something.
“‘Like you’?! …Anyway…”
I sighed and continued explaining.
“I have no intention—none whatsoever—of engaging in the kind of lewd behavior you’re imagining, my lascivious lady.”
“W-Who are you calling lascivious?!”
Baek Sang-ah was flabbergasted and widened her eyes, but I ignored her and went on.
“Not even the Wudang Sect could search this kind of place at this time of night. The Beggars' Sect? Impossible. The Hao Sect maybe… but definitely not Wudang, even after months.”
“Hm… now that you mention it…”
Baek Sang-ah nodded, seeming convinced.
“But still, Jin Yeomyung. The Wudang Sect is right around the corner. Unless he’s completely lost his mind, would that guy really commit murder through seduction so close by?”
Just lusting after women wouldn’t make someone a proper saekma (perverted demon).
One had to repeatedly kill their targets through extreme yin-harvesting techniques to truly be recognized as a depraved pervert, the martial world’s public enemy.
“As you know, sexual cultivation techniques are a type of demonic art with severe side effects. It’s basically near impossible to control oneself.”
“That’s true.”
The two who had encountered the Colorful Flower Lord nodded in agreement.
“On top of that, since he’s ranked among the Ten Great Evils, he must’ve lived his life constantly surrounded by women. No matter what obstacles are in the way, could someone like that truly resist?”
“Indeed. That sounds plausible.”
“So, what exactly are we supposed to do now?”
“My lady, have you by any chance seen the appearance of someone from the Colorful Flower Lord?”
Both women shook their heads.
“If you’re talking about that bizarre, giant tentacled turtle, then yes.”
“...So, you haven’t seen a human form.”
Well, to be fair, I was creeped out the first time I saw it, too.
“Now, this is just my personal opinion, but both the Colorful Flower Lord and Soul-Corrupting Lust Fiend must be absurdly handsome—at least on the surface.”
“Handsome?”
“The thing is, in that particular… line of work, you can’t survive long without good looks.”
“…Young Master Jin, how do you know that so well?”
I obviously couldn’t say it was because of statistical experience from my past life.
Then—
Cheon Yura’s voice came out like a frosty wind from the Northern Sea.
“A good-for-nothing of the Jin Clan, the Colorful Flower Prince of Miok Fortress. Or was it the Colorful Flower Player?”
“Co…rful… Pla—what now?”
Baek Sang-ah blinked, not quite understanding the implication of her words.
“You’re misunderstanding!”
I hastily raised my palms in defense, trying to clear my name.
I could clearly picture the source of that information.
‘Those damn bastards from the Ghost Command Unit.’
Avoiding Cheon Yura’s icy gaze, I hurriedly continued.
“A-A-Anyway. Since Soul-Corrupting Lust Fiend has reached the peak level, he must have extremely picky standards for choosing women.”
“And?”
“My first plan is to look for someone like a male companion in a higher-end gisaeng house—somewhere more refined than a common brothel.”