“The Blue Robe Swordsman Tak Go-jeok died two months ago after getting into a quarrel at an inn while on his way from Honam Province to Hubei Province. There were several witnesses.”
So, a dead guy came to assassinate me? Did the genre suddenly switch from martial arts to horror? What on earth is happening?
“Are you saying the one who came to assassinate me wasn’t the Blue Robe Swordsman?”
If the assassin isn’t the Blue Robe Swordsman, that’s actually good news. We might be able to change the direction of the investigation and find the culprit.
“It was indeed the Blue Robe Swordsman. That’s what makes it stranger.”
Sir Si-mun Hyang-ju shook his head at my deduction.
“Are you suggesting a dead man has returned to life?”
I thought the resurrection of the dead was forbidden.
“It seems like one side is impersonating the other, and I’ve dug deeper into it, but the conclusion remains the same. Both the dead guy and the living guy are real.”
“That’s so eerie.”
Has the prohibition been lifted due to a slight genre change? A nonsensical thought made a chuckle escape my lips.
“The person who died two months ago reappeared in Wuhan a month ago. Then, after attempting an assassination, they vanished again. The fact that an investigation led to such a conclusion… We’re really in the midst of ghostly happenings.”
Sir Si-mun mentioned that even among the Hyang-ju, their meetings didn’t conclude anything, and he apologized as he shared the story with me.
What on earth is going on?
A person who died two months ago showed up in Wuhan a month later. And both of them are real. Is that even logical?
No, wait.
“Got it. Thank you for telling me.”
I immediately stood up and turned my body.
“Where are you going?”
“I have a place in mind.”
If the words from the Hao Moon are true, there’s certainly a place I need to check.
“I feel bad sending you off like this. Is there something I can help with?”
“The quarrel, which I suspected was someone poisoning the drink shared between me and Man Geum-jeon, has vanished.”
I might not have found the Blue Robe Swordsman, but if I can find the details of the quarrel, I should be able to find the culprit.
“Let’s look for it right away.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
I headed for my next destination.
—
“Master Kang! A sudden meal invitation? Are you perhaps planning to send a letter to 5-ho?”
The person I found was the head of the Hidden Knife branch in Wuhan, who Cheon So-hee belonged to.
“Haha. You make it sound like I only visit you when I need something.”
Sure, I mostly visit when I need something, but I pretended to pour some drink into the branch leader’s glass with a nonchalant smile.
“Not for a letter? Then could it be, perhaps…?”
If it wasn’t to send a letter to Cheon So-hee, there’s only one reason for me to seek the head of the Hidden Knife. The usually shocked branch leader looked at me with surprise.
“Of course, I didn’t come for a request.”
I shook my head with a friendly smile.
“Then what for?…”
I had been familiar with the head of the Hidden Knife for over half a year. I had to build rapport to write a lengthy letter to So-hee, and now we were at a stage where I could accept a meal invitation.
Today’s meal was sumptuous enough to be called quite the feast.
Now, let’s get to the point. I withdrew my smile and looked at the branch leader with a serious expression.
“Let’s say, hypothetically, that someone offers an exorbitant amount of money to have me killed. Would the Hidden Knife accept such a request?”
The reason I called upon the head of the Hidden Knife was not without cause.
If the assassin who attempted to kill me was indeed from the Hidden Knife, then the special Reversal Technique and Transformation Technique could be in play.
The martial arts that disguise faces and bodies aren’t easy or common. But if it were the Hidden Knife, the narrative would change.
So-hee could transform into anyone in the blink of an eye. If the one called the Blue Robe Swordsman was an assassin from the Hidden Knife, it would explain all the mysteries.
“No, we wouldn’t. Are you crazy?”
The branch leader laughed and waved his hand toward me, sensing my tension.
“Even for such a hefty sum?”
Of course, the Hidden Knife had been quite accommodating to me. But could enormous sums change that story?
In a doubting manner, I asked again.
“Well! If an unscrupulous merchant like Kang Yoon-ho were to request it, they’d likely say to hold on a bit.”
His awkward laughter made shivers run down my spine.
“If the unscrupulous merchant turned out to be the type who actually pays his servants reliably, provides lunches, and guarantees days off, they’d probably pause there. And then look at the sum again. Oh, a hefty payment, huh? There must be a reason to kill him.”
“I have heard that when you share a drink together, you investigate the targeted requests in advance.”
Truth be told, it’s hard to believe that the Hidden Knife would do anything unless compelled. But circumstantial evidence places them as the prime suspects.
“Yes, that’s right. Upon investigation, it turns out they might be a benefactor to the Tang family and the son-in-law of the Zhuge family? Eventually, it dawns on us that the amount wasn’t a fortune but possibly poison. And then, if the identity is that of Ho Pil… If it surfaces that the Hidden Knife was involved, it’ll be a big deal. But who knows? Since it is a large sum, perhaps it will be reported back to the main branch. A letter might just come down.”
“What kind of letter?”
“It’ll say that if you wish to retire from this world, do it alone.”
The branch leader shivered at the thought.
“Haha.”
“Master Kang! There’s something I must assure you here and now.”
The branch leader looked at me, still wearing a light-hearted smile.
“What is it?”
“The Hidden Knife would never harm you under any circumstances.”
His words were imbued with a confidence that transcended mere promises.
“Really?”
“If 5-ho’s lover were to die, there would be three people in the main branch who couldn’t handle it.”
“Three people?”
There was a strange fear in the branch leader’s smile. One of them was certainly the Heavenly Killing Star So-hee. But who were the other two?
“Well, that’s how things are.”
“Phew. So it wasn’t the Hidden Knife, after all.”
I sighed dramatically as if relieved.
That was a major leap of courage. Did you come all the way here just to kill me? What kind of question is that? I was super tense. The branch leader seemed to sense my feelings and chuckled softly.
Actually, the Three-Eyed Sword brothers and the warriors from the Man Geum Battlefield were prepared to spring out at any moment.
“It looks like this is related to the incidents happening at the Man Geum Battlefield. I don’t know much, but I’d like to offer one piece of advice.”
The fact that he knew about the Man Geum Battlefield’s events was intriguing. I nodded happily.
“I’ll be grateful for your guidance.”
“For an assassin to vanish from the eyes of the Hao Moon and the forces at the Man Geum Battlefield in Wuhan, even for the Hidden Knife, wouldn’t be an easy task.”
“Even for the world-renowned Hidden Knife, that’s quite difficult….”
Does that mean the Blue Robe Swordsman accomplished something even the professionals struggled with?
“Can I get up now?”
The branch leader smiled as he stood up.
“I apologize for taking up your time unnecessarily.”
“If you’re sorry, then hurry up and publish the next volume! I’m waiting with bated breath.”
“Haha. I’ll strive to have it out as soon as possible.”
I couldn’t bring myself to ask the branch leader, who sometimes uses Transformation Technique to attend the Tea and Book Club, to wait a little longer.
—
“We successfully retrieved the data.”
“You did well.”
I smiled softly while reading through the report I brought from the Hidden Knife.
The Hidden Knife would never harm me no matter what. Although queries stemmed from the Blue Robe Swordsman remained unsolved, I could ease my unnecessary worries.
“…….”
Even having snuck in successfully, why do I look so brooding?
“Is something wrong?”
“While skimming through the data from the Eun Family, I found something suspicious.”
“Suspicious?”
Since the Eun Family was among the last candidates, that was concerning.
“They purchased a large quantity of elixirs from an unidentified source, but it seems to have flowed somewhere else. This has happened recently over the last few months.”
“Elixirs?”
“They spent a fortune yet have no sales records. If it was bribes, they ought to be recorded in the bribery ledger, but they’re absent from there too. It has, quite literally, evaporated.”
“Seems like a lot of things vanish in Wuhan.”
From the Blue Robe Swordsman to the quarrel, now elixirs.
“What?”
“Nothing. Purchasing a large quantity of elixirs from a non-martial household might imply that if they hired an assassin, they could have offered elixirs as a payment.”
The Blue Robe Swordsman dispatched the protective forces of the Man Geum Battlefield with ease, and upon realizing the skill gap with the Three-Eyed Sword, retreated immediately. This skilled assassin likely had to pay a substantial price for such talent.
“For now, it’s just suspicion. I’ll quickly organize the data and compile only what may aid Master Kang.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
—
“What is happening here?”
I ultimately could not find the traces of the vanished quarrel.
Both the quarrel and the Blue Robe Swordsman evaporated. Even with the full force of the Hao Moon and the Man Geum Battlefield searching, there wasn’t a trace. How can this make sense?
Something feels off.
This is unsettling.
“Master Kang, is something worrying you?”
Had I been pacing too much in the office? Miss Zhuge asked with concern.
“I’m not sure.”
“Pardon?”
“It feels like after I excitedly finished solving a complex Go problem, I suddenly found an unexpected black stone had appeared. I could just ignore it, convincing myself it wasn’t part of the original problem, but it seems like just that one black stone could render everything I did up to now as terrible errors.”
I don’t think I made any mistakes, but why does my instinct keep sounding alarms? My impatience bubbled over, and my words began to flow faster.
“Is it about the Blue Robe Swordsman?”
I nodded.
“Perhaps I underestimated my maternal family. They could have hired an exceptional assassin. But still, still… I feel like I’m missing something.”
All resistance from the opponents has ended.
Now it’s my turn to ponder. I have gained both justification and authority. Now I just need to solve the problem. If only I could think of how to bring it to a conclusion.
But.
“Don’t you think you’re overcomplicating things a bit?”
“Yes, you’re right. It could be a minor concern that doesn’t disrupt the overall situation. I have the justification; I have the power. I merely have to swing it now. But…!”
Why? That suddenly appearing black stone is nagging at me.
“Master Kang.”
I felt a gentle hand from the sleeve. When I turned, I met trembling eyes gazing at me.
“I apologize. It seems I raised my voice a little. I don’t know why my heart feels so heated today.”
My face turned hot. My heart raced. It was difficult to maintain composure.
“It’s natural to feel on edge after almost being killed twice.”
Her worried voice cooled my heated feelings a little.
“I think I’m getting impatient. It’s not easy to calm a boiling heart.”
Twice I attempted an assassination. Once I tried to poison my drink. The one person who believed in me till the end, Jang Noya, is now unconscious. Someone is trying to take away the results I struggled to achieve.
Yes. It would be strange to pass over this situation without a care.
I took a deep breath. Would resting help?
“Hooah.”
Suddenly, the lights in the room went out.
“Miss Zhuge? Why is it suddenly dark?”
As the lights disappeared, a cool moonlight illuminated the room. The messy silver hair sparkled beautifully in the moonlight.
“Master Kang.”
Her flushed cheeks, contrasting against the moonlight, appeared more beautiful than any makeup.
“M-Miss Zhuge?”
What is happening?
“Could you come over here?”
Miss Zhuge sat on the bed, her gaze averted as she shyly patted the empty space beside her.
Wait a moment. Could this situation be?
“M-Miss Zhuge. I thought it’d be good to have an open mind and gain courage not to stay hidden in the mansion. There’s no one watching, so the concern of rumors spreading is less, but still…”
I blurted it all out in one breath.
Wait, wait a minute. Is this an opportunity? I have no reason to refuse. But still, I am ultimately responsible for it. I should hold back.
Wait. Why am I moving toward the bed?
In the midst of the sudden opportunity, my reason and sexual desire clashed.
“Ah!”
What?
Suddenly, something large crashed down on me.
“What is this?”
“It’s my, my box.”
In an instant, Miss Zhuge and I found ourselves inside a gigantic cabinet-like box.
“Why the box? Ah.”
My shoulder bumped against hers. I turned my head, feeling her breath, and quickly turned away.
“I thought Master Kang might need to turn this box upside down.”
From the small gap the box created, light burst in, revealing her worried blue eyes peering at me.
“Me?”
“W-Well, you see. When I have lots of worries, I sometimes hide in this box.”
Her shy confession whispered next to my ear. The confined space felt so small that I felt like we would stick together with just a slight shift.
Miss Zhuge must have some intention behind this. I listened earnestly.
“What everyone says outside, or whatever disgraceful things I might have done, inside here, I’m paying attention only to myself, not to the outside world.”
“Listening to yourself?”
“Forgetting worries for a moment. What can I enjoy? What brings me happiness? What should I draw? What novel should I read? I imagine myself happy.”
Her cool fingers brushed beneath my eyes.
Life isn’t simple. The world doesn’t treat the black-haired kindly. Though tears aren’t flowing, I felt a sense of comfort as if being consoled.
“What kind of imagination do you have on a daily basis?”
I felt her touch on my face, asking gently.
“Huh? Ah, umm. W-Well, I…”
“If you speak honestly, I’ll follow through.”
“Um, umm, imagining defeating Hayeon unnie. Although I lose every, every time. But it still… helps. Ummm, Master Kang?”
A bashful voice, a hot sigh, and a trembling anxiety about how I might respond. I intertwined my hand with hers.
So much has happened within a single day. Was it too much stress? Did I inadvertently overreact to all these new problems?
‘I need to find the answer within me.’
While the issues might exist outside, the solution lies within me.
What do I want? To connect with the Man Geum Battlefield. I want to write stories. What do I wish for? I want to become famous. I want to save them. I want to be a man worth respecting.
Building walls.
To endure the storms of life, a version of myself I could endure. The answer I found within…
Wait a moment.
Wait a minute!
‘The answer lies within me?!’
“Miss Zhuge.”
I opened my eyes and looked at Miss Zhuge. Somehow, her expression was dazed as she gazed at me.
“Huh? Yes?”
“Thank you. You were the answer, Miss Zhuge.”
“What? Huh…?!”
In the faint light of the moon, I brought my lips to her forehead, clearly visible on her blushing expression.
“I’ve found the answer.”
I emerged from the box. What had I been missing? How should I resolve this issue? What about the identity of the Blue Robe Swordsman?
I discovered the answer.
Yes! The answer wasn’t far off.
“Waaah… Waaaah…”
“M-Miss Zhuge?”
The answer was within me.
As I turned to thank her again, what I saw was Miss Zhuge cradling her forehead in shock as she swiftly began to fade away.
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