A Flute?

The newly arrived reinforcements surrounded Myeong-gong.
One against many.
The investigation team was not accustomed to fighting like this.
However, every one of them came from the Nine Sects, One Union or the Five Great Clans.
They found their respective positions in an instant.
Their attacks quickly interlocked.
Myeong-gong’s eyebrow twitched.

‘These bothersome insects!’

He had dragged this out for too long.
He should have fought them at full strength from the beginning.
Despite his appearance, Myeong-gong was cautious by nature.
That was why his abilities had manifested as the Sound-Shattering Roar and spines.
A yokai’s abilities changed according to its disposition.
It was not a bad thing.
His cautious nature had allowed him to survive many times.
Most of the reinforcements were not particularly threatening.
However, Gyo-ha, Moyong Hwi, Namgung Hyeok, and Jeon Pung were different.
Even Myeong-gong could not ignore their attacks.
That inevitably forced him to act cautiously.
It was stifling.
He felt as though ropes were binding his entire body.
At that moment, Myeong-gong’s choice was simple.
Jjeujeujeuk.
The fur along his back rose sharply.
In an instant, Myeong-gong was covered in spines.
The people charging toward him stopped.
Myeong-gong drew in a deep breath.
“An attack is coming!”

At the warning from Peng Seon-ho, who had already experienced the attack, the others retreated.
However, Gyo-ha and Jegal Yeon sensed that something was wrong.

‘This isn’t an attack.’

[Awooooooooo!]

A roar erupted.
It was an enormous roar that shook heaven and earth, but it did not possess the same destructive force as before.
While the others stared in confusion after preparing for an attack.
Gyo-ha and Jegal Yeon shouted at the same time.

“He’s running away!”
“We have to stop him!”

However, by the time everyone reacted, it was already too late.
Myeong-gong launched himself backward.
Gyo-ha’s foot struck toward Myeong-gong’s side, but Myeong-gong didn’t even attempt to block it.
Unlike his back, his sides weren’t covered in spines.
Kwang!
Myeong-gong’s body shook from the impact, but he continued his escape.
Unlike when he fought, he kicked off the ground on all fours.
The others hurriedly pursued him, but they were no match for his speed.
Someone threw a throwing knife they had been carrying for emergencies.
However, it struck his spines and bounced away.
Even then, Myeong-gong continued to accelerate.
He soon disappeared from sight.

“…So he can run while covered in spines.”

Jegal Yeon spoke with a weary expression.
He had kept his final escape method hidden until the end, then fled without a moment’s hesitation.
That meant this was not his first time running away.
However, no one could bring themselves to mock him.
That only made him more frightening. He despised humans, yet could cast aside all concern for appearances at any moment.

“…We may have lost their leader, but we captured the others.”

Jeon Pung spoke with a sigh.
They had not come away empty-handed.
Their gazes turned toward the captured enemies.
Their acupoints had been sealed, leaving them unable to move.
They were not the only prisoners. The other groups had captured enemies as well.
One person had remained at each location to guard them.
By any measure, the mission had been a great success.

“You have all done well. The mission is over. We will regroup at our lodgings and then return to the Alliance.”

Moyong Hwi delivered those words and walked away.
He said nothing about abandoning the group or attempting to leave Jegal Yeon behind.

The group gathered at their lodgings.
The mission had succeeded.
Fortunately, no one had died, but their expressions were grim.
They still couldn’t believe what they had witnessed.
They had no idea how they were supposed to report it.
Moyong Hwi soon entered the inn. It was already dark outside.

“It is already late, so we will depart tomorrow morning. Tonight, we will divide into groups and stand watch in shifts.”

The prisoners were being held in empty rooms.
Moyong Hwi’s gaze turned toward Gyo-ha and Namgung Hyeok.

“Decide among yourselves, excluding the injured.”

The others nodded.
They had no intention of making the injured stand watch either.
Moyong Hwi then went upstairs to his room.

“…That means he isn’t standing watch himself, right?”

Peng Seon-ho said cautiously.
After hearing what had happened from Jegal Yeon, Peng Seon-ho’s opinion of Moyong Hwi had soured.
Jegal Yeon responded dismissively.

“He said the injured were excluded.”

The four most severely injured were Gyo-ha, Namgung Hyeok, Jegal Yeon, and Peng Seon-ho.
It was because they had fought Myeong-gong first.
However, Moyong Hwi still had the wound from Myeong-gong’s spines.
He could also be considered injured.
Jegal Yeon sighed and noticed Gyo-ha.
Gyo-ha was staring intently toward the rooms containing the prisoners.

“You don’t have to worry. No matter how formidable that creature is, he won’t come all the way here.”

They were in the middle of the town.
Not only the investigation team but also the government soldiers would respond.
Besides, hadn’t he already fled?
Gyo-ha scratched his cheek at her words.

“I’m not worried about that.”

Something else was bothering Gyo-ha.

“I’m worried about them.”

The prisoners confined in the rooms.
Yokai Qi remained within their bodies.
Namgung Hyeok spoke after hearing Gyo-ha.

“Is it because of the transformations?”

When Gyo-ha nodded, Jegal Yeon looked puzzled.

“Transformations? What do you mean?”

Gyo-ha explained what had happened to his group.
The others, who had been gathered in small groups nearby, also focused on Gyo-ha’s story.
It was difficult to believe, but they had already seen a yokai themselves.
Once Namgung Hyeok and Jeon Pyeong corroborated his account, they had no choice but to believe it.

“…Do you know why he suddenly transformed like that?”

Someone asked.
Gyo-ha did have a suspicion. The Yokai Qi he had absorbed.
However, it was not something he could discuss in front of so many people.
When Gyo-ha shook his head, the others nodded.

“We should monitor the prisoners’ condition while standing watch.”

A Hengshan Sect disciple laughed.

“It’s only one night. Nothing will happen.”

It was already night, so morning was not far away.
But why did those words sound even more ominous?
Gyo-ha looked away from the rooms.

Soft moonlight shone upon the inn’s roof.
The town was quiet and peaceful.

“Aren’t you going to sleep?”

Gyo-ha, who was sitting on the roof, turned his head. Namgung Hyeok stood there.
Gyo-ha nodded and looked out over the town.
Namgung Hyeok walked over and sat beside him.
Gyo-ha aside, even an expert of Namgung Hyeok’s caliber would suffer no ill effects from going one night without sleep.
The same was true for the others.
Quite a few people remained awake even though they were not on watch.
After everything they had witnessed, there was no way they could easily fall asleep.

“Will you leave once this matter is over?”

Gyo-ha nodded at Namgung Hyeok’s question.

“I should.”

He had been away for too long. He didn’t know when his master would return.
Besides, none of this had been planned.
He had simply been caught up in the incident.

“What will you do?”

Namgung Hyeok furrowed his brow at Gyo-ha’s question.
Just as members of the Nine Sects, One Union joined the Black Tortoise Unit, most martial artists from the Five Great Clans eventually joined the Azure Dragon Unit.
It was not an obligation they could avoid simply because they wished to.
It was a duty borne by the Nine Sects, One Union and the Five Great Clans.
In exchange, they enjoyed more freedom than ordinary members of the Murim Alliance.
However, Namgung Hyeok was still young.
There was no need for him to begin serving the Murim Alliance so soon.

“I plan to remain with the Murim Alliance, though I won’t join the Azure Dragon Unit.”

Gyo-ha nodded.
Moyong Hwi was the Commander of the Azure Dragon Unit.
Of course, members of the Namgung Clan also served within the unit.

“All right.”

Gyo-ha nodded.
Namgung Hyeok was about to speak when Gyo-ha raised his hand.

“Brother?”

Keung, keung.
Gyo-ha sniffed the air.
His gaze soon grew cold.

“It’s him.”

Had Myeong-gong refused to give up?
Namgung Hyeok’s expression also changed at Gyo-ha’s words, and he swept a sharp gaze across their surroundings.
However, only the scent reached them. Myeong-gong himself was nowhere to be seen.

“He’s far away.”

Was he observing them from a distance?
However, Gyo-ha soon realized that was not the case.
Hwieeeeeek.
Gyo-ha’s eyebrow arched at the sudden sound of wind.
He could hear it, but no wind was actually blowing.

“A flute?”
“A flute? What do you mean?”

Namgung Hyeok asked. Gyo-ha’s senses far exceeded those of ordinary people.
However, Namgung Hyeok was also an expert.
If Gyo-ha could hear it so clearly, Namgung Hyeok should have been able to hear it as well.
Of course, this wasn’t the first time something like this had happened.
Even an expert could not smell the foul scents Gyo-ha detected.
The scent of yokai.
Gyo-ha’s expression hardened when that thought occurred to him.
This was no ordinary flute.
The moment he realized that, the Yokai Qi within him began to churn.
It was reacting to the flute’s sound.
A sound that only yokai power reacted to.
However, it was not aimed at Gyo-ha.

“…The prisoners!”

Gyo-ha leaped from the roof, and Namgung Hyeok urgently followed.

Gyo-ha kicked open the door to the room holding the prisoners.

“Geurrrr.”
“Eueo, eo.”

Their condition was visibly abnormal.
The people standing watch looked helplessly toward Gyo-ha.

“Th-they suddenly became like this.”
“We were watching them carefully.”
“I know.”
“Brother.”

Namgung Hyeok looked at the prisoners and questioned Gyo-ha.
Gyo-ha gave a small nod.
They were transforming.

‘…The yokai power is a detonator.’

They were bombs prepared for situations like this, when a mission failed.
There were twelve prisoners.
At this rate, not only the investigation team but the entire town would be in danger.
Gyo-ha signaled to Namgung Hyeok with his eyes.
Namgung Hyeok then spoke.

“We’ll handle things here. Hurry and alert the others.”

The two guards came to their senses at Namgung Hyeok’s words and hurried out of the room.
Once they were gone, Gyo-ha raised his hand.

‘I can’t stop the transformation.’

Gyo-ha bit his lip.

‘Not all of them will transform.’

Some were reacting less severely than the others. If it appeared that all of them would transform, he could take action.
But if that was not the case, he couldn’t act recklessly.
Gyo-ha decided to do what he could.
He reached toward the nearest prisoner.
He couldn’t prevent the transformation, but he could at least weaken them.
However, the yokai power did not flow into him as he expected.
Gyo-ha frowned.
Then something came to mind.
Qi-Borrowing Support Art.

‘…I mustn’t circulate it as internal energy. I have to move the Yokai Qi.’

He had merely formed the thought, yet the Yokai Qi responded.
Yokai Qi was absorbed from the trembling prisoner.
Gyo-ha saw Namgung Hyeok react in surprise beside him.
Namgung Hyeok could now sense Yokai Qi as well, so Gyo-ha’s actions must have looked strange to him.
However, Gyo-ha had no time to worry about Namgung Hyeok.
He reached toward the next prisoner.
At the same time, he spoke to Namgung Hyeok.

“Behead anyone who looks like they’re about to transform.”

They could not stop them all anyway.
Namgung Hyeok nodded and severed the neck of a prisoner foaming at the mouth.
The man’s body had begun to swell.
Even the dead man’s yokai power was drawn into Gyo-ha.
Meanwhile, Namgung Hyeok beheaded the prisoner beside him.
At that moment.

“What is happening?”

Moyong Hwi and the others rushed into the room.
Rather than the prisoners who were convulsing, Moyong Hwi frowned at the dead bodies.

“Who gave you permission to kill the prisoners?”

Moyong Hwi’s gaze was directed at Namgung Hyeok rather than the prisoners.
To those unable to perceive Yokai Qi, Gyo-ha merely appeared to be examining the prisoners, so Moyong Hwi did not address him.
Even so, Namgung Hyeok was dumbfounded and prepared to respond, but someone stepped forward first.

“Is that what matters right now? Will the Unit Leader take responsibility if they transform and begin rampaging?”

It was Jegal Yeon.
She responded sharply.

“These supposed transformations are nothing more than their unsupported claim.”
“You…”

Jegal Yeon spoke as though she could not believe him.

“You saw the yokai transform too!”

Moyong Hwi did not respond.
Jegal Yeon glared at him before turning her head.

“Brother.”

At the end of her gaze, one prisoner’s bones were bending out of shape. Kkigigik.

“All right.”

Peng Seon-ho’s saber split the man’s head. Namgung Hyeok then cut down the prisoner beside him.
The others looked helplessly between Jegal Yeon and Moyong Hwi.
At that moment, Jeon Pung and Jeon Pyeong arrived and quickly assessed the situation.
When they moved to join in, Moyong Hwi drew his sword.

“Everyone, stop. I am the commander. That decision is mine.”

Their gazes clashed.
Just as Moyong Hwi was about to speak again.

“It’s already too late.”

Gyo-ha spoke flatly.
His gaze was fixed on one man.
A man who appeared completely normal.
However, his skin began splitting down the middle as though he were shedding it.
What emerged from within was a snake.