His Identity Is Discovered (2)

“Chief!”

“Chief!”

“Senior brother!”

The first one to confirm Neung Je-gang was Cheong Yeon. After him, Je So-yeon and Ma-jil found him and ran over with cheers.

“Huh? Cheong Yeon, Ma-jil, So-yeon? So-yeon, why are you here……?”

Neung Je-gang found Je So-yeon among the three running toward him and frowned. Was this not the dangerous martial world? On top of that, this place was a battlefield. Once a fight broke out, it was hard to distinguish friend from foe. Why had Je So-yeon come to such a dangerous place?

“How could I stay still when my senior brother went missing?”

Je So-yeon pouted and talked back, seemingly upset by Neung Je-gang’s questioning tone.

“Well, anyway, I’m glad to see you. Here!”

Neung Je-gang held out Jo Ja-myeong, whom he had been carrying in his arms, to Je So-yeon. There would be other physicians in the Martial Alliance too, but Neung Je-gang knew Je So-yeon’s skills better than anyone. Entrusting him to Je So-yeon was more certain than entrusting him to other physicians.

“Wh-who is he?”

Je So-yeon, who had received Jo Ja-myeong in confusion, asked in bewilderment. How could she feel otherwise when he appeared after so long and suddenly handed her a child?

“I’m going to take him as my disciple. But his body isn’t in good condition right now. Please treat him carefully.”

Neung Je-gang made a firm request to Je So-yeon.

“Disciple? Then does that make him my martial nephew?”

At the word disciple, Je So-yeon looked down at Jo Ja-myeong’s face again. It was an extremely ordinary face. In a way, he also looked similar to Neung Je-gang’s original face.

“Got it. I’ll make him lively again right away. But to do that, I’ll need medicinal ingredients…….”

“Tell me whatever you need. I’ll get everything for you.”

Neung Je-gang answered that way, then belatedly looked at Cheong Yeon and Ma-jil. But the two of them had strange expressions. Their faces held an odd feeling in which joy at seeing him and a sense that something had gone wrong were both plainly revealed.

“Why? Did something happen? Am I the only one who’s glad?”

“That is not it. But…… Anyway, this is not the place for this, so please go quickly. Her Highness the Princess is waiting.”

“Her Highness the Princess? No, how did she know?”

“There were circumstances……. In any case, please go quickly. You can catch up with us later. But no matter what Her Highness says, please do not be surprised.”

“What exactly is it?”

Neung Je-gang asked back in irritation at Cheong Yeon, who kept circling around the answer without answering clearly. But the answer came not from Cheong Yeon, but from Ma-jil.

“Chief, the princess found out everything.”

“What?”

“Your identity. And mine too…….”

“Wh-what?”

Neung Je-gang stopped dead on the spot.

“How?”

Neung Je-gang looked toward Cheong Yeon. If he wanted a coherent answer, Cheong Yeon was better than Ma-jil. As if he had resolved to tell everything now that things had come to this, Cheong Yeon took a deep breath and finally opened his mouth.

“It seems the Eastern Depot investigated the Forbidden Demon Prison. And they say they found the tunnel used during the escape. They also found out that the tunnel was blown up several years ago. Moreover, they found the name Human-Faced Leech on the Forbidden Demon Prison’s list of prisoners, and they seem to have investigated my past movements and yours as well. As a result of that investigation, they seem to have concluded that you and Neung Je-gang are the same person.”

“And?”

“Well, for now, that is what happened. Her Highness said she would cover everything up, so I do not think there will be any later trouble, but…….”

Cheong Yeon trailed off.

“But?”

“What I mean is that I do not know what will happen if you pretend not to know Her Highness’s feelings. After all, Her Highness is a woman too.”

Cheong Yeon’s story ended there. And Neung Je-gang’s feet were nailed to the spot.

That was right. The princess was also a woman. And Neung Je-gang himself had met her while transformed into an extremely handsome face, one that any woman would have no choice but to fall for after one look.

‘Damn it, I shouldn’t have changed into this face…….’

It was a belated regret. There had been many times when this face had helped him. But now he had fallen into a predicament from which he could neither advance nor retreat.

“If she knows I’m Neung Je-gang, then she also knows this face isn’t my original face, right?”

“Th-that would be the case, wouldn’t it? Probably…….”

“Then if she sees my original face, her feelings might change.”

“Would they? Would she not instead be angry that you deceived her all this time?”

“With the princess’s personality as I know it, she probably wouldn’t vent her anger over something like that.”

She was a princess who had once drunk alcohol she could not handle and lost consciousness because of the fact that people had died and disappeared because of her. She also had that warm-hearted side.

“But Her Highness is still a woman. She may be narrow-minded. Do you not remember? The way she treated those bandits before.”

He recalled the sight of her screaming while mercilessly swinging her sword.

“Damn it, then what am I supposed to do?”

“There is nothing to do. It just depends on Her Highness’s feelings. If her feelings change after seeing your true face, that is a worry, and if her feelings do not change, that is also a worry in its own way…….”

Cheong Yeon’s words stated the present situation plainly. In a word, everything depended on the princess’s heart. Whether Neung Je-gang and his hangers-on lived or died was going to be decided by her feelings.

While talking like that, they arrived in front of the place where the Martial Alliance warriors had formed camp. They did not return, but stood there and merely examined Secret Shadow’s appearance in order to see the Secret Shadow they had only heard about.

And soon, murmurs could be heard here and there. There were remarks saying he was handsome, remarks saying he looked like a pretty-boy gisaeng’s lover, and even voices asking one another whether he was really an expert.

Neung Je-gang gave a bitter smile while listening to those words. They were speaking because they thought he could not hear them, but Neung Je-gang’s ears heard them very clearly.

“Ah! I forgot. Greet him. He is the father of the child I took in as a disciple this time. Once this matter is resolved, he will go to Antang Mountain with us.”

Neung Je-gang introduced Jo Su-won, who had been following behind, to his party. Ma-jil and Cheong Yeon each greeted Jo Su-won and went together toward Go Won-gi’s office. The most dangerous and also the most difficult barrier was waiting for them there.

Cheong Yeon and Ma-jil waited anxiously outside the tent for the result. Inside the tent right now, only Neung Je-gang and Princess Jang-ok were conversing. It was the moment when their fate would be decided according to the conversation between those two.

“I’m glad you’re safe.”

“It is thanks to Your Highness’s concern.”

“You already heard everything from Operative Cheong Yeon, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I heard. There was nothing I needed to say separately.”

“Hoho! The Deputy Commissioner’s master is quite capable. To think he dug a tunnel into the Forbidden Demon Prison, whose location no one knows, and made an escape possible.”

“Thanks to that, I’m alive. Otherwise, I would have already turned into a handful of bone fragments inside that place. It is simply something to be grateful for.”

Neung Je-gang spoke calmly. It was all in the past now. He no longer wanted to recall the memories and emotions of that darkness he had felt in the Forbidden Demon Prison.

“There is one thing I’m curious about. How did no one in the Eastern Depot recognize you? Was it a human-skin mask?”

It was the question Neung Je-gang had been waiting for. Now, everything would be decided depending on the result of this question.

“There are many wondrous martial arts in the martial world. Among them, there are even martial arts that can not only change one’s face but also completely transform one’s body. In the martial world, such martial arts are called illusion arts and are classified as a type of strange and bizarre art. I learned one of them.”

“Illusion arts? Were those not just tricks of the eye? I knew them that way and did not even think of learning them…….”

“Most are tricks of the eye, but some are not.”

“I see. Then does that mean you can change back into your old face too? I want to see it.”

At last, that moment had come. What would the princess’s reaction be after seeing his true face? It was the moment when it would be decided whether she would become negative like Go So-jeong or remain unchanged like Je So-yeon.

“You will be disappointed.”

Srrrk.

Neung Je-gang instantly cut off the circulation of his true qi.

“Ah……!”

Princess Jang-ok had a startled expression at the phenomenon occurring on Neung Je-gang’s face. Watching a person’s face change into an entirely unfamiliar face right before one’s eyes was truly not something one could commonly experience.

Once again after a long time, Neung Je-gang regained his original appearance. It was the first time since he had transformed into Secret Shadow that he had cut off the flow of true qi by his own will and regained his original appearance.

“So it was that face.”

The princess suddenly said.

“It has been a long time since I found this face again.”

Neung Je-gang raised his hand and stroked his own face. Now this face felt like someone else’s face.

“You may live with your original face now. The matters of the past have all been erased.”

At the princess’s words, Neung Je-gang could feel, fortunately, that she was not angry. It seemed there would at least be no case of the princess throwing ashes on his affairs. For now, he felt as if he had crossed one barrier.

But if he did not somehow deal with the princess’s romantic feelings toward him, another great problem would soon arrive. The emperor would not leave him alone.

Srrrk.

But Neung Je-gang raised his true qi again and changed his face.

“Why?”

“I am more used to this face now. This face is more convenient for moving about in the martial world. I will return to my original appearance when I leave the martial world.”

“Ah, I see.”

The princess nodded. A red glow spread over both of her cheeks. It was a redness different from makeup. The princess was imagining a scene after retiring from the martial world together with Neung Je-gang.

Neung Je-gang shook his head at the sight of the princess. His expression seemed to say he did not understand why her face flushed at the mention of retiring from the martial world.

“Now I have something to tell Your Highness. No, I suppose I should call you Commissioner. It is something that must also be conveyed to the Martial Alliance, so I would like you to call the others as well.”

“Is it important?”

The princess expressed her regret in that way. It had truly been a long time since they had time alone together, but the insensitive Neung Je-gang did not notice that.

“It is important.”

Overwhelmed by Neung Je-gang’s extremely heavy atmosphere as he answered, the princess let out a light sigh and opened her mouth.

“Do so. If it is important, then there is no choice.”

“Cheong Yeon, bring in the Investigation Unit Chief.”

“Yes.”

Cheong Yeon and Go Won-gi, who had been waiting outside, looked at each other once and then entered the tent. As Go Won-gi entered his own tent, he grumbled inwardly, wondering why he had to be so flustered like this.

“The Deputy Commissioner says he has something to say. He says it is important.”

Everyone’s eyes turned toward Neung Je-gang.

Neung Je-gang moistened his lips once with his tongue and slowly opened his mouth.

“It is something I learned at Kunlun. Listen carefully.”

Neung Je-gang soon explained, one by one, everything he had experienced after arriving at Kunlun. In particular, when the story of the fraud spanning three generations—Deung Gak, his son, and his grandson—ended, Go Won-gi could not close his mouth. It was literally a case of one man deceiving the entire martial world.

“The bigger problem lies elsewhere. From now on, the entire martial world must beware of women.”

“Women? It is true that women are beings men must always beware of, but is there some other reason?”

Go Won-gi asked back.

“The Necromancer Cult apparently has another secret art in addition to the Spirit-Command Mind-Seal Technique. It is called the Spirit-Command Soul-Washing Art, and if one is caught in it, one apparently carries out implanted actions without realizing it.”

“Is that not the same as the Necromancer Cultists?”

“No, it is different. The Necromancer Cultists merely do what they are ordered to do, but women caught by the Spirit-Command Soul-Washing Art are exactly the same as usual. They cannot be recognized at all. However, when some condition is fulfilled, they carry out one task.”

“What sort of task is one task?”

This time, the princess asked.

“It is killing one implanted person. Whether that person is the woman’s father, brother, husband, or son, she will use a deadly hand without hesitation.”

“Wh-what?”

“They say hundreds of such women exist. However, they said they do not know who those women are.”

“Is there no one who knows? If there is such a person, can we not capture them and make them confess?”

“Even if they confess, there is no real method.”

“No, why? If we only know who has been caught by that evil secret art, we can find them first and…….”

“There is no way to undo it.”

Neung Je-gang cut off the princess’s words.

“Pardon?”

“They say that even the Necromancer Cult does not have a method to undo the Spirit-Command Soul-Washing Art. And even if you know in advance, what will you do? If you arrest those women, do you think their families will stay still?”

“But they are women who will try to kill them…….”

“Did I not say they are the same as usual unless a certain condition is fulfilled? Even if you arrest them, they are merely ordinary women.”

“Ah, I see. You said they could not be known before they caused an incident.”

“That is right. So there is nothing to do but warn the men and tell them to be careful. If they are arrested after causing an incident, it will already be too late.”

“Chief! Then what is that condition? Wouldn’t it be enough if we found out that condition?”

Cheong Yeon, who had only been listening, asked that.

“The condition is simple. It is the death of the current Martial Alliance Leader.”

“Pardon?”

“If the news that the current Martial Alliance Leader has died spreads throughout the entire martial world, those women will hear that news too. Then those women will suddenly change. They will turn from virtuous women into cruel witches.”

“That is simple. Then would it not be enough to protect the Martial Alliance Leader?”

Princess Jang-ok spoke lightly, as if she had worried for nothing. But Neung Je-gang shook his head.

“It is a serious matter. People die someday. Even if that does not happen right now, the Martial Alliance Leader will die someday. Then those women will suddenly change. Even if the Necromancer Cult has already collapsed and disappeared by then, what was implanted in them will not disappear.”

“Ah! I see.”

“And even if the Martial Alliance Leader does not die, the problem has not disappeared. Rumors can be fabricated at any time. If even a false rumor that the Martial Alliance Leader has died spreads through the martial world, the matter will occur at that moment. No matter how hard we try, we may be able to protect the Martial Alliance Leader, but we cannot block every rumor from spreading.”

“Then what should we do?”

Not only the princess, but Go Won-gi and Cheong Yeon as well became serious.

“First, the Investigation Unit Chief must inform every figure in the Martial Alliance of this fact. Since we do not know who is targeted, everyone must know.”

“I understand. Heoheo! This is a major problem. There will not be just one or two innocent women who die…….”

“Pardon?”

“Your Highness may not know this well, but it is no exaggeration to say that martial artists live by grudges and debts. If this matter becomes known, there will also be countless people who draw their blades against women they normally held hostility toward. They are people who consider it natural to kill first before being killed.”

“How could that be……!”

The princess looked shocked.

“That is what the martial world is originally like.”

Go Won-gi concluded with those words. Just as he said, the martial world could be called a place that lived by grudges and debts. It was also a place where no one could avoid grudges and debts. Such was the world called the martial world of jianghu.

“Also, Your Highness must inform the imperial palace of this fact. You cannot feel at ease just because they are members of the court.”

Neung Je-gang did not give the princess time to sink into sentiment.

“The court as well?”

“I learned about the Necromancer Cult because a high official was killed by the hand of his daughter, who had been caught by the Necromancer Cult’s secret art. Moreover, do not forget that Sohee lived in the Chancellor’s residence for a long time. There are no high officials’ wives who did not meet her once or twice during that time.”

“Ah! I understand. Come to think of it, the court may be more dangerous than the martial world.”

Only then did the princess realize the seriousness of the matter. It meant that if, by any chance, one of the palace maids in the imperial palace had been caught by the Necromancer Cult’s secret art, even the emperor could be in danger.

“They say Deung Hyeon has infiltrated the Martial Alliance. You once said there was a suspicious figure, did you not? Do you know his movements?”

Neung Je-gang asked while looking at the Investigation Unit Chief.

“You mean the Vice Alliance Leader. We investigated him anyway, but his movements after he went toward Sichuan are currently unknown.”

“The Vice Alliance Leader?”

“That is right. He is currently hiding himself. Ah! And not long ago, news came from the Tang Clan. They said someone robbed the cargo they were transporting here.”

“Cargo, you say……?”

“What cargo would the Tang Clan send? Hidden weapons, of course. Because of that, we are currently unable to replenish the hidden weapons we have consumed.”

“Are you saying the Vice Alliance Leader did that?”

“We are guessing so.”

“Then what about the Alliance Leader?”

“He is in Zhengzhou.”

“Would that not be dangerous? If the Vice Alliance Leader is Deung Hyeon, he may launch a surprise attack.”

“Dangerous? Hahaha! There is absolutely no need to worry about that person.”

Just as the Demon-Steed Branch Master of the Black Path Alliance had said there was no need to worry at all, Go Won-gi also did not worry at all about the Martial Alliance Leader. Neung Je-gang became curious as to what kind of person could give them such firm faith.

“Please issue a wanted order for Deung Hyeon. Perhaps he may have disguised himself as someone else in the Martial Alliance. You must also not neglect surveillance of the movements of others.”

“I understand.”

Go Won-gi rose from his seat. He greeted the princess and turned his head toward Neung Je-gang.

“I will go inform the Martial Alliance of everything right now.”

“Understood.”

“What will Your Highness do?”

“I should go as well. If I am to send news to Beijing…….”

“You can have someone else send the news. I am thinking of holding a banquet tonight to celebrate the Deputy Commissioner’s safe return, so I hope you will attend.”

At Go Won-gi’s words, the princess’s face brightened. Few people disliked banquets. Especially for someone like the princess, who admired the martial world, this would be her first experience of a martial-world banquet. Moreover, it was a banquet for Neung Je-gang, toward whom she had good feelings. Was this not something she had to make time for, even if she had none?

“Then shall I do that? It is naturally something I should be doing, but since my current residence is the army, there are practical difficulties. Guard Captain!”

“Did you call?”

The Eorim Institute Guard Captain entered from outside the tent.

“Go and call an Eastern Depot operative.”

“Understood.”

“Ah, I will handle that matter.”

Suddenly, Cheong Yeon stepped forward. With Go Won-gi gone as well, he felt somehow awkward being caught between Neung Je-gang and the princess.

“I am also a member of the Eastern Depot, so I will handle that matter. Would that be all right?”

“Do so.”

The princess realized Cheong Yeon’s intention. He was trying to let them be alone together. She gladly accepted that favor.

But Neung Je-gang did not understand that happy feeling. He also made Cheong Yeon’s consideration into a futile act.

“Then I should go see So-yeon.”

Neung Je-gang also rose from his seat.

“Pardon?”

The disappointed princess stared blankly at him.

“So-yeon is treating my disciple right now.”

“Disciple? You had a disciple?”

“When I stopped by Seon-yeong, I saved a father and son in danger, and I liked the child’s aptitude, so I decided to take him as my disciple. Of course, my master in Antang Mountain must approve it, but I do not think he will oppose it.”

The princess also had no choice but to rise from her seat.

“Then I should go as well. If he is the Deputy Commissioner’s disciple, I should greet him for the sake of the future too.”

He was a talent accepted as a disciple by the Secret Shadow of all people. If she marked him in advance and later drew him into government service, he would become a great strength to the empire. Of course, that was not the only reason for this desire. She also wanted to stay with Neung Je-gang even a little longer.

Cheong Yeon shook his head as he watched the two of them and launched himself toward the imperial army’s side. In his view, Neung Je-gang was truly a person insensitive to women.

But did Cheong Yeon know? The fact that he, who did not recognize Go So-jeong’s feelings, was no different from Neung Je-gang.

In any case, while pointlessly trying to create time for the two of them, he had ended up taking on a bothersome errand.