Would You Like Me To Introduce You To Them?

In the end, the group failed to find anything.

“Let us rest and resume the investigation tomorrow.”

Moyong Hwi left only those words before heading up to his room.
Jeon Pyeong encouraged the group in Moyong Hwi’s place.

“Come now, isn’t this only our first day? Let’s have a light drink tonight and search again tomorrow.”

The group nodded at Jeon Pyeong’s words.
Until then, their expressions had not been particularly grim.
But after one day passed, then two, and finally three, the others’ expressions also hardened.
At this rate, they might have to return without accomplishing anything.
It would be bad for everyone, but it would be even worse for Moyong Hwi.
He had left the Azure Dragon Unit to join the mission, so failing to produce results could cause problems.
His questioning inevitably became harsher.
When Jeon Pung happened upon Moyong Hwi interrogating a villager, he stepped forward.

“Are you not going too far?”
“Are you not the one taking this too lightly? We did not come here for sightseeing.”
“…I believe you’ve gone too far with your words.”

Jeon Pung’s expression stiffened. Moyong Hwi’s gaze remained cold as he looked at him.

“I am responsible for this mission. You may return if you do not wish to participate.”

He was telling Jeon Pung not to interfere.
Jeon Pung bit his lip. Moyong Hwi was right.
However, if he returned now, he would have to bear the consequences.
Regardless of the Nine Sects, One Union and the Five Great Clans, they were one group belonging to the Murim Alliance.
Jeon Pung turned and left. The members of the Nine Sects, One Union also glanced at the villagers before departing.
Gyo-ha scratched his head as he watched the two sides from afar.
After that day, the rift between them grew even wider.
As Moyong Hwi’s behavior became increasingly severe, complaints began to emerge not only from Jeon Pung but from the others as well.
Eventually, perhaps deciding that the Nine Sects, One Union were only getting in his way, Moyong Hwi moved his group to another inn.
That had happened just yesterday.

“What shall we do now?”

Hyeon Gong, a disciple of Shaolin, spoke with a troubled expression.
The group’s gazes also turned toward the empty seats.
They could not continue operating separately like this.
In a sense, it was something they had already anticipated.

“Why don’t we simply continue on our own?”

Cheong Beom of the Diancang Sect spoke in an aggressive tone.

“…I don’t like them either, but this is a mission. We cannot avoid them merely because we dislike them.”

It was Danmok Yun of the Hengshan Sect. Danmok Seo, who stood beside him, also nodded.

“By the way, is it all right for Young Master Namgung to remain here?”

A Beggars’ Union disciple named Gwak Jae abruptly asked.
At his words, everyone’s gaze gathered in one place.
They looked at Namgung Hyeok, who was beside Gyo-ha.

“I may be reprimanded later, but it should not become a serious problem. Besides, joining them under the current circumstances wouldn’t improve their opinion of me.”

Namgung Hyeok had already clashed with the Moyong Clan as well.
His relationship with them was even worse than that of the Nine Sects, One Union.
It might be better for him to remain apart from them.

“Still, we cannot continue like this. Let’s go see them tomorrow.”

The group nodded at Jeon Pung’s words.

The following morning.
Jeon Pung led the group to the inn where Moyong Hwi was staying.
It was a lavish inn that couldn’t be compared to the one where their group was staying.
The inn was already quiet.
The members of the investigation team staying there had already left to search for clues.
However, Moyong Hwi, the person in charge, remained behind.
Moyong Hwi frowned upon seeing the group enter.

“If you have come to complain, I will not listen.”
“…No. We came to assist with the investigation.”

Moyong Hwi stared calmly at Jeon Pung.
The silence was brief.

“…Very well. Nothing good will come from continuing this conflict. In return, you must follow my orders from now on.”

Contrary to their expectations, Moyong Hwi readily accepted them.
Cheong Beom frowned at his overbearing tone but chose not to speak.
He also understood the importance of the mission.

“We recently received information that a suspicious individual was seen in the forest outside Hongjiang. The unit members have gone to investigate. You should join them…”

Moyong Hwi could not finish speaking.
The inn’s door had flown open.

“Brother!”

The one who entered was Moyong Min.
Moyong Min fell silent upon seeing the group.
It was because Moyong Hwi had displayed his displeasure.

“I-I apologize, Unit Leader.”

Moyong Min hurriedly corrected his form of address.

“What is it?”
“They found traces of the woman. Young Lady Jegal asked me to bring you, Unit Leader.”

Moyong Hwi nodded and turned toward the group.

“That works out well. Come with us.”

His words were courteous, but they were little different from an order.
The group nodded and followed Moyong Min.

As they followed Moyong Min, Jeon Pyeong cautiously spoke.

“Great Sahyung, if the suspect is a woman, would that not mean she’s different from the people we are searching for?”

Jeon Pung nodded at Jeon Pyeong’s question.
The location was also far from where they had expected to find their targets.

“Given our current situation, we should investigate.”

They had no other clues.
Moreover, Hongjiang was an ideal place to hide. She might be an entirely different criminal.
As members of the Murim Alliance, they couldn’t ignore the possibility.

“…I only hope we aren’t pursuing an innocent person.”

Cheong Beom, who was following behind them, muttered quietly.
He looked unfavorably at the Moyong brothers walking at the front.

“He may be extreme, but I don’t believe he’s entirely unreasonable.”

Jeon Pung spoke quietly to Cheong Beom.
He was telling him not to cause further conflict. Understanding Jeon Pung’s intention, Cheong Beom nodded.
There was no need to worry about something that hadn’t happened.
As they continued onward, the group met up with the investigation team from the Five Great Clans.
The investigation team didn’t find it strange that the others had followed.
Although they followed their Unit Leader, they also privately believed that he had gone too far.
They were not foolish enough to make enemies of the Nine Sects, One Union over something like this.

“The trail leads to a cave beyond the hill.”

A cave?
Confusion appeared on the group’s faces at the mention of a cave.

“I think we may have the wrong person.”

Peng Seon-ho muttered from the back, but fell silent when Jegal Yeon looked at him.
However, everyone present had heard him.
Moyong Hwi spoke.

“Let’s go.”

At his cold voice, the group exchanged glances and continued forward.
After passing through the undergrowth, they saw a cave just as Jegal Yeon had said.
Gyo-ha stopped walking.

“Brother, what is it?”

Gyo-ha looked down at his arm.

“No. Something just feels strange.”

When had he felt this before?
He searched his memories carefully and realized the answer.

“Ah… When I ran away from home and Master came looking for me.”

He had felt something similar then.
Namgung Hyeok’s and Jeon Pyeong’s expressions hardened at Gyo-ha’s words.
They knew how accurate Gyo-ha’s senses were.

“Leave if you are afraid.”

It was Moyong Min. He had been observing Gyo-ha and spoke after overhearing the trio’s conversation.
Displeasure appeared on Namgung Hyeok’s and Jeon Pyeong’s faces, but Gyo-ha shook his head.
The group resumed walking.
The moment they entered the cave, Gyo-ha smelled an overpowering stench.

“This…”

It was the scent of a yokai.
Gyo-ha scratched his cheek.

“Brother Gyo. Is it what we think?”
“It is a yokai, but…”

It was probably not one of the people they were searching for.
They had been told that their targets were human, yet wielded the power of yokai.

‘There’s no way that alone would produce a scent this strong.’

Goosebumps were rising along his arm.
The scent was stronger than any he had encountered before.

“Be careful.”

Gyo-ha spoke quietly. Namgung Hyeok and Jeon Pyeong immediately became vigilant.
Moyong Min snorted derisively, but Gyo-ha paid him no attention.
Meanwhile, the group continued deeper into the cave.

“…I couldn’t tell from outside, but this cave is quite spacious.”

Jegal Yeon muttered.

“More importantly, why are there so many spiderwebs?”

Peng Seon-ho spoke irritably. The moment Gyo-ha heard him, he stopped dead.

“Ah.”

A belated realization.
A forgotten memory surfaced.
The structure was different, but he had seen a similar sight before.

“Everyone needs to leave.”

Gyo-ha spoke while looking around.
The others stopped and turned toward him.

“I think I know who owns this place.”
“What are you talking about…?”
“I will explain later, so for now, move back…”
“Leave on your own if you are afraid.”

Moyong Min snapped coldly. Moyong Hwi wore the same expression.
Gyo-ha scratched his head as he looked at them.

“Young Master Gyo?”
“Brother?”

The others also looked at him in confusion.
Moyong Hwi addressed Gyo-ha.

“As Min said, if you are uneasy, you may leave on your own…”
“Ah, it’s too late.”

The chills crawling over his body told Gyo-ha that it was already too late.
The moment the others frowned at his incomprehensible words.

“When you enter someone else’s home, you should greet the owner.”

A woman’s gentle voice came from somewhere.
The darkness shifted.
The startled group turned and saw a woman standing there.
Her hair cascaded all the way to the ground.
Her tight black clothing exposed her shoulders and cleavage, making her silhouette appear almost naked within the shadows.
Her snow-white skin contrasted sharply with her clothing, and her red lips stood out vividly.
Several of the men blushed at her beauty.
The woman slowly turned her head toward Gyo-ha.

“We meet again?”

The woman waved at him cheerfully.
Jealousy appeared on Moyong Min’s face when the beautiful woman greeted Gyo-ha as an acquaintance.
Gyo-ha sighed and spoke.

“Yes. You seem to be doing well, Sis.”

The woman let out a soft laugh at Gyo-ha’s casual response.

“You’ve become stronger. Unbelievably so.”

The air surrounding her felt different.
It was not merely that Gyo-ha had grown enough to perceive it now.
He no longer felt the same suffocating presence as before.
Instead, he felt as though the darkness were slowly consuming him.
He hadn’t felt this way even when facing Baek Gun-ak and Moyong Cheon.

“I haven’t grown stronger. I was weakened back then. I am merely returning to my original state little by little. It was unavoidable if I wanted to emerge into this land.”
“…If you are still returning to your original state, then you haven’t fully returned to it yet, have you?”

The woman gave him an alluring smile without answering.
But that alone was answer enough.
The group’s expressions gradually hardened as they listened to the conversation.
Gyo-ha had remained crouched throughout the exchange.
Like a beast.
As though he would immediately tear into her the moment he saw an opening.
Those who knew Gyo-ha had never seen him so wary.
Even those who didn’t know him realized from the strange atmosphere that the woman was no ordinary being.
Something unnatural lay hidden behind her beauty.
However, not everyone reacted in the same way.
Moyong Hwi and Jeon Pung.
The two had been unable to move since the woman appeared.
They could vaguely perceive her true nature.
The woman was a monster.
The woman soon looked away from Gyo-ha and turned toward the group.

“So it was you. You are the ones who have been rummaging around this area lately. Thanks to you, my children are very angry.”
“Kkieeeeeeeeeee!”

The moment she finished speaking, a chilling shriek came from behind her.
It wasn’t alone. Countless shrieks rang out.
The group’s gazes turned toward the darkness behind the woman.

“Wh-what was that?”

It was not something of the human world. It was a horror that seemed to have crawled out of Hell.
Gyo-ha spoke in place of the bewildered group.

“…It seems you’ve had quite a few children.”

The woman smiled at Gyo-ha’s words.
Her expression was remarkably maternal, in sharp contrast to the current situation.

“Then, would you like me to introduce you to them?”
“I’ll pass. You’re already more than I can handle right now, Sis.”

The woman covered her mouth as though amused by Gyo-ha’s response.
At that moment.
Someone moved.

“Min, stop!”

Moyong Hwi shouted urgently.
Moyong Min had already reached the woman’s side. Even then, she had not looked at him.

‘An opening!’

Moyong Min’s sword shot toward the woman.
And then.
Chwaak!
His sword hand flew into the air.