Because I Still Have Business Left.

Kkiruk, kkiruk.

Seagulls cried in time with the sound of the waves.

It felt as if they were voicing the hearts of those who remained.

The Putuo Sect’s disciples held their breath as they looked at the dead.

Among the younger disciples, some could not hold back their tears.

Even among the living, those who were uninjured could be counted on one hand.

Losing one arm was on the lighter end. There were countless who had lost both.

The Red Flame Unit men’s corpses were piled up on the other side.

They could not bring themselves to lay them together.

Yet they could not just throw them into the sea either.

They said they would cremate them once some time had passed.

Yeon-gyeong watched the scene with a shadowed expression.

It was because of guilt.

Back then, if she had killed those black-path men, would this have happened?

Would her martial aunts and sisters still be alive?

“It is not your fault. This would have happened anyway.”

“Master?”

It was the Sword Queen.

Startled that her heart had been seen through, Yeon-gyeong spun around.

“They were men whose reach extended even to the village. They would have crossed the sea before long.”

There was no way they would have left the Putuo Sect alone.

Yeon-gyeong nodded.

Yet the look of self-reproach still lingered on her face.

The Sword Queen let out a short sigh.

Knowing that what she needed now was time, she said nothing more.

“Show our benefactor to a guest room.”

The Putuo Sect also had guest rooms.

But they were rarely used, since no pilgrims came. At most, those who came to be inducted into the Putuo Sect stayed there briefly.

“Yes.”

Gyo-ha followed Yeon-gyeong’s lead toward the guest quarters.

In a sense, he was entering a forbidden sanctuary, yet neither the Putuo Sect nor anyone else voiced a complaint.

On the contrary, they pressed their palms together and showed him respect whenever he passed.

Gyo-ha could only give an awkward smile at that sight.

Even the next day, Gyo-ha remained on the island.

There was too much to take care of.

With only women here, there were many places where strength was needed. Of course, some of them were sword disciples who had trained in martial arts, but their bodies were far from sound.

They gathered the Red Flame Unit’s dead in one place to cremate them, and held memorial rites for the disciples who had died.

The boat that had brought Gyo-ha left, saying it would return in a week.

In that time, Gyo-ha grew quite close with the Putuo Sect’s disciples.

Then, he saw a boat approaching from afar.

At the distant sight of the boat, a few faint-hearted disciples shuddered.

They still had not forgotten the terror of that day.

Feeling sorry for them, Gyo-ha turned his gaze back to the boat.

‘Has it already been a week?’

It had not. There were still about two days left before that boat was due.

But he soon understood why.

There were two people aboard.

A man in a scholar’s robe and a beggar rode the boat.

Each had a sword and a cudgel at their waist.

Both had unusual auras.

‘One of them looks like he is from the Beggars’ Sect.’

A beggar who knew martial arts was almost certainly from the Beggars’ Sect.

Gyo-ha lightly bounded down the mountain. A few other sword disciples, who had also noticed the approaching boat, were coming down as well.

Wariness shone in their eyes.

They made their way to the shore, and before long, the boat came to a stop.

Soon, the two disembarked.

The middle-aged man in a scholar’s robe stepped off first, followed by the beggar.

Gyo-ha’s eyes widened at the sight of the beggar.

He had not realized because of the messy hair, but it was a woman.

As if to show they bore no hostility, the man drew his sheathed sword and set it down beside him.

“I am Jegal Gak of the Jegal Clan.”

“I am Yeom Hong of the Beggars’ Sect.”

As expected, the beggar was indeed from the Beggars’ Sect.

Gyo-ha tore his eyes away from the beggar woman and looked to the side.

The Jegal Clan.

He felt like he had heard the name somewhere before.

And the answer came from beside him.

“The Jegal Clan is a noble house that produced many successful candidates in the civil examinations.”

“They are said to be descendants of Jegal Gong-myeong¹.”

Exclamations spilled from the mouths of the sword disciples standing nearby.

They knew well how difficult the examinations were, and they had heard the name Jegal Gong-myeong before.

At their reaction, Jegal Gak gave a wry smile.

He could tell how little they cared for the Murim. In fact, this was the normal response among common folk, who saw them as a noble family that had produced many great men.

But to people of the Murim, the Jegal Clan had a different meaning.

Jegal Gak pressed his fists together again.

“On behalf of the Murim Alliance, I wish to meet your Sect Leader.”

Divine Strategist Jegal.

Another pillar that supported the Murim Alliance alongside the Nine Great Sects.

They were one of the Five Great Clans.

They led the two up the mountain.

Along the way, nuns who caught sight of them from midway up the mountain sent wary looks their way.

One from the Jegal Clan and one from the Beggars’ Sect.

When had the two of them ever received looks like this?

For Yeom Hong of the Beggars’ Sect, it was not too strange, but for Jegal Gak, it was a novel experience.

They could have been offended, but neither said anything.

They knew what had happened here.

The wounds on the sword disciples following them like escorts were proof enough.

And as they climbed, they could clearly see traces of something burned on one side of the beach.

The traces of bodies burned.

They would not have burned their own comrades like that.

Thus the group headed for the reception room.

The news had already reached them, and the Sect Leader and the Sword Queen were waiting in the room.

A thick smell of medicinal herbs wafted from the Sword Queen’s body.

She had clearly been receiving treatment until just moments ago.

“Then, we will take our leave.”

The sword disciples who had brought them pressed their palms together. Then the Sword Queen spoke.

“Yeon-gyeong will stay.”

“And Young Master Gyo as well, if you please.”

Following the Sword Queen, the Sect Leader spoke.

At the sudden words, Gyo-ha blinked. Wondering if he had misheard, he pointed at himself.

The Sect Leader gave a small nod.

Puzzled, Gyo-ha stayed where he was.

But there was someone else just as puzzled as he was.

It was Yeon-gyeong.

Her martial aunts and sisters were here too. She could not see why she, in particular, had to stay.

But since it was the order of her master and the Sect Leader, she obeyed.

Jegal Gak and Yeom Hong, however, understood what it meant.

‘…I see. So she is the one…’

The next Sword Queen.

The Sect Leader did not practice martial arts, and she still appeared hale and sound.

They knew the former Sect Leader had also not trained in martial arts.

The Jegal Clan was a sect based in Zhejiang, so they had been keeping an eye on the Putuo Sect.

The Putuo Sect’s leaders had never been martial artists, generation after generation.

If so, there was only one reason Yeon-gyeong would remain here.

“First, we offer our condolences for what has happened to your sect. We rushed here upon hearing the news, but it seems we were already too late.”

“Do not say that. More importantly, this news?”

The answer came from the side.

“One head escort informed us.”

It was Yeom Hong. At the word ‘head escort,’ the Sect Leader and the Sword Queen tilted their heads, but Gyo-ha had someone in mind.

From the moment she had entered, Yeom Hong had been looking not at the Sect Leader and the Sword Queen, but at Gyo-ha.

“By any chance.”

“Head Escort Kwak of the Yeo-un Escort Agency. More importantly, may I confirm one thing?”

“Branch Master Yeom.”

Jegal Gak chided her quietly, but she paid it no mind.

“You are Gyo-ha of the Kunlun Sect, correct?”

“Yes.”

Gyo-ha nodded as if it were nothing, and even Jegal Gak at his side could not hide his surprise.

The Sect Leader and the Sword Queen were just as startled.

They too knew of the Kunlun Sect.

Yeon-gyeong, who had heard a bit beforehand, also widened her eyes.

She had only been told he came from Mount Kunlun, not that he belonged to the Kunlun Sect.

“When I heard your name and what you looked like, I thought it could not be, but it really is you.”

Yeom Hong tapped her forehead.

“I would like to know how someone who vanished from Cheonghae ended up here in Zhejiang, but this hardly seems the place, so I will save it for later.”

Yeom Hong stepped back as she said this, but now the others had something else to be curious about.

Missing? What was that about?

Still, as Yeom Hong had said, they could not start questioning a guest they had just seated.

Clearing his throat, Jegal Gak began to speak.

“We had originally planned to call on you, but we did not expect to visit in this fashion.”

“What do you mean you had originally planned to seek us out?”

“Lately, the movements of the Unorthodox Sects have been unusual. They are building their power around the Evil Heaven Alliance.”

Gyo-ha already knew this, so he nodded.

But the Sect Leader, the Sword Queen, and Yeon-gyeong did not.

They listened intently to Jegal Gak’s words.

“Among other things, they are subjugating small and mid-sized sects that do not belong to the Murim Alliance by force. We expected them to reach for the Putuo Sect eventually, but not to move this quickly…”

At that, Yeon-gyeong’s expression darkened.

Yet again, she thought it was all because of her.

“The Evil Heaven Alliance, you say. Does what happened to our sect occur often?”

At the Sect Leader’s worried question, Jegal Gak nodded.

“It has grown more frequent lately.”

“They are distinguishing friend from foe before starting a war.”

Yeom Hong, at his side, added to his words.

War.

At that word, the faces of the Sect Leader and the Sword Queen grew grim.

“The Jegal Clan is well aware of the Putuo Sect’s deeds, and we also know why you refrain from involving yourselves with the mundane world.”

Jegal Gak held his tongue after that.

But there was no one who did not understand what he meant.

It meant that it would be difficult to continue as they had before.

“It will be hard to overcome this adversity alone. Of course, in line with the Alliance’s ideals, we will look after the other sects as best we can, but once war breaks out, we will frankly not have the leeway.”

It would be hard enough simply to protect the sects already under the Murim Alliance.

“…So you are telling us to join the Murim Alliance?”

When the Sword Queen asked, Jegal Gak nodded.

“Naturally, if you come under the Murim Alliance, you will also take on the duties that entails. You may have to send your disciples to the battlefield.”

Jegal Gak stated the facts without hiding anything.

There was no such thing as goodwill without cost.

Having said this much, he let out a sigh.

“To speak of this at such a time makes it feel as if we were threatening you, which weighs on my heart. But it is something your sect needs to hear, so I say it.”

“…We understand. But it will be difficult to answer you right away.”

Jegal Gak nodded, as if he had expected that.

“Of course. We have stationed martial artists in the village on the coast, so once your will is decided, you may inform them.”

At the mention of martial artists, Yeon-gyeong’s eyes widened.

But the Sect Leader and the Sword Queen nodded as if they had expected as much.

They would not have come with just the two of them if they were here to help.

No doubt they had left the others in the village out of consideration for their circumstances here.

And so, Jegal Gak took his leave.

But unlike when he had arrived, he left alone.

Naturally, everyone’s eyes turned to Yeom Hong, who was seeing Jegal Gak off.

Before they knew it, she was standing on their side, observing Jegal Gak’s departure.

“Ah, I still have business left here.”

She jerked her chin toward Gyo-ha as if it were nothing.

Jegal Gak was the only one who had come on behalf of the Murim Alliance.

“I will stay somewhere nearby, so let me know when you are done with your business.”

With that, she strode off.

“In that case, allow us to show you to a guest room.”

Startled, Yeon-gyeong called out to her, but Yeom Hong waved her hand.

“It is fine. Sleeping in a place like that would only make me uneasy. The ground is my home and the sky is my blanket, so where could I not sleep!”

Yeom Hong walked off with a hearty laugh.

Seeing her, Gyo-ha thought of Bong-seok.

‘…They really are different.’

If it were Bong-seok, he would not have refused.

On top of that, she did not look much older than Bong-seok, yet she had three knots.

And Jegal Gak had called her a branch master.

The Xiang Prefecture Branch Master.

Lanzhou might also be a provincial capital in Gansu, but it could not be compared with Xiang Prefecture.

The later-generation talent of Lanzhou and the Xiang Prefecture Branch Master.

It was an insult to her to even make the comparison in the first place.