Antlion Pit (2)

“Report.”

A man in blue martial robes knelt.

“Of the two teams currently sent out for investigation, contact has been lost with one team.”

“What?”

Divine Fist Squad Leader Jo Yang frowned.

“Where?”

“Near Ziyang. It is the place where Divine Iron’s Supreme Patriarch and smiths headed.”

“Did they simply lose contact? Or were they perhaps taken down by someone?”

“At present, we do not know the exact circumstances. The remaining team has stopped activity in preparation for any unforeseen situation and is watching several selected spots in the marketplace.”

Jo Yang sighed without meaning to.

‘Damn it.’

The Divine Fist Squad was one of the two armed groups representing the Cheongyang Association. As the Squad Leader of such a place, he possessed immense authority. In truth, his ability was not inferior to a Cheongyang Association elder’s.

But for several years now, the Cheongyang Association’s intelligence network had been focused outside Sichuan, so its internal intelligence had become weak.

Weak information within the city naturally made the unit’s response slower too. Of course, if they put in the effort, they could learn most information and rumors, but the problem was speed.

If the Cheongyang Association’s intelligence had not been focused outward, he would never have had to hear this sort of report.

“What should we do?”

“What do you mean, what should we do?”

Jo Yang snorted.

Though he was nearly fifty, he had not cast off the fiery personality of his twenties.

“Send in three more teams. The targets are the same as before. Gyeong Hang and that smith called Ok Jin. If they resist, some degree of violence is permitted.”

“Will that be all right?”

“They are just an old man who hasn’t even learned a bit of martial arts and a smith nobody. If three whole teams are sent in and still can’t bring them back, I should start by taking off the Blue Fist Unit Leader’s head.”

The investigation unit was the Blue Fist Unit, an external unit of the Cheongyang Association. Numbering three hundred, the Blue Fist Unit was even larger than the Green Palm Unit, another external unit.

Though they were not elites, they had learned the Cheongyang Association’s martial arts. There were ten men to a team, so three teams meant thirty men.

“The Association Leader will soon resume activity. In times like these, how can we cause a useless uproar?”

Lee Hoe, the Vice Leader of the Divine Fist Squad who had been reporting, sighed inwardly.

He did serve him as his Squad Leader, but every now and then, the Squad Leader’s carefree attitude made his insides twist.

‘If these are times like that, wouldn’t it be better to send in the pugilists from the main squad instead?’

As the head of a unit competing to be the strongest in the Cheongyang Association, it was natural for him to be arrogant. But a team had gone missing, hadn’t it? Considering the possibility that some kind of master had been brought in, the normal thing would be to send at least five elite warriors with them.

‘This won’t do. The main squad’s pugilists…’

At that moment, Jo Yang spoke in a cold voice.

“Lee Hoe.”

“Yes, Squad Leader.”

“I’m saying this just in case. Don’t slip in any useless orders behind my back like before. Unless you want to be beaten bloody for overstepping your authority. Understood?”

And how sharp he was about things like this.

Lee Hoe lowered his head.

“I will keep it in mind.”

But Lee Hoe did not need to be disappointed.

Jo Yang would have no choice but to move anyway.

Half a day later.

“Squad Leader.”

Reading the unusual look on Lee Hoe’s face, Jo Yang’s face hardened.

“What happened? What about Gyeong Hang?”

“All three teams that were sent in… are missing.”

“What?!”

Jo Yang was startled.

Only half a day had passed. Not a whole day, but half a day.

And yet thirty pugilists of the Blue Fist Unit had gone missing? This was impossible.

“What kind of nonsense is that! Missing? Again?”

“Y-yes.”

“Are you sure the report is accurate? They didn’t fight or infiltrate somewhere secretly or anything like that, they just went missing?”

“…Yes.”

“What kind of bullshit is that!”

Jo Yang’s roar was enough to make the building shake.

Lee Hoe lowered his head deeply.

“According to the information, it is certain they entered the outskirts of Ziyang. But after that, they’re said to have vanished like ghosts.”

It was an unusual situation.

Jo Yang quietly glared at Lee Hoe, then spoke in a low voice.

“Bring the Blue Fist Unit Leader.”

A moment later.

“Greetings, Divine Fist Squad Leader.”

“Hey, Unit Leader Gong.”

“Yes.”

Jo Yang’s eyes narrowed.

“Don’t tell me you’re rebelling right now.”

“H-how could that be?”

Blue Fist Unit Leader Gong Juk jumped in alarm.

In rank, a Unit Leader was higher, but that didn’t apply in this case. Including the elders, Jo Yang was a master who ranked within the top ten of Cheongyang Association.

In fact, Jo Yang was also a senior who had entered Cheongyang Association ten years before Gong Juk.

“If you aren’t rebelling, then what? How did you train those brats for all of them to go missing in half a day? You bastard, did you hide your people somewhere because you were afraid they’d get hurt? So the main squad would have to step in?”

“Ab-absolutely not! I’m also bewildered by the current situation!”

Beyond being bewildered, he was dumbfounded. Gong Juk barely held back the curses rising to his throat.

‘This crazy bastard, seriously!’

Everyone knew Jo Yang’s ability was incredible.

But there was a reason that, despite possessing such outstanding ability, he remained only the Squad Leader of an elite unit.

Jo Yang was incompetent. His fist art ability was so great that one would want to emulate it, but he had no eye for assessing a situation, and his judgment was not good either.

Paradoxically, thanks to that simple and ignorant personality, the Divine Fist Squad had grown into the strongest unit. Because it was a unit that solved things with strength instead of making plans, survival itself led to improvement in ability.

There had been much talk among the Cheongyang Association’s upper ranks about how to treat Jo Yang. Originally, he was someone who rightly deserved an Elder’s seat despite not bearing the Ha surname. However, his intellect was so utterly abysmal compared to his martial prowess that they ultimately relegated him to a mere squad leader.

What was even funnier was that Jo Yang was extremely satisfied with the position of Divine Fist Squad Leader.

He was the one who had laughed loudly, saying it was better to simply punch things than become an elder and take on troublesome odd jobs. In many ways, he could be called a truly incredible man.

But things changed when that incredible man’s target became oneself.

“No matter how I look at it, the situation is unusual. It’s clear that someone has intervened.”

“What kind of bastard!”

Bang!

The table broke under Jo Yang’s fist.

That makes thirty-one as of today. Thinking of all the precious tables Jo Yang had destroyed so far, Lee Hoe sighed deeply inwardly.

“What kind of bastard would dare touch the Cheongyang Association? Do you think that makes any sense?”

“B-but judging by the circumstances…”

“That’s why I’m asking! Are you rebelling right now?”

Flash!

Killing intent even gathered in Jo Yang’s two eyes.

At times like this, it was best to bow down flat rather than talk back word for word. Gong Juk had realized that through his long experience with Jo Yang.

“Th-that is absolutely not the case! There seems to be some kind of mistake, so I will personally lead the pugilists under me and go to Ziyang!”

Jo Yang openly snorted.

“Don’t bullshit me. What if you go missing too? What am I supposed to do then? Do you want me to take responsibility for this and get demoted?”

“No!”

“You people can’t do a single job properly, but you sure do eat up your stipends just fine. You son of a bitch, once this matter is over, know that your pay will be cut for a year. Understand?”

“U-understood!”

He had no authority over personnel matters, let alone salaries, but Jo Yang was angry for now, so Gong Juk had no choice but to answer however he could.

Jo Yang glared at Gong Juk with contemptuous eyes, then stood up irritably.

“Lee Hoe. Pick roughly ten men within a quarter-hour and gather them in the training yard. I’m going personally.”

It was absurd that only ten men would be selected when the Squad Leader himself was going.

But considering his authority, it was only natural. With forty men of the Blue Fist Unit missing, he wouldn’t be able to save face if he brought the entire Divine Fist Squad.

Ten men were enough. That was likely what Jo Yang thought.

Lee Hoe lowered his head.

“I will prepare the men.”

Watching Jo Yang and Team One, the finest elites of the Divine Fist Squad, leave from afar, Lee Hoe scratched his head.

“You went through a lot, Unit Leader.”

Gong Juk let out a deep sigh.

“No. It was nothing.”

He said that, but he was surely burning inside.

But anger was anger, and reality was reality. Gong Juk was truly a person qualified to lead an organization.

“I’m worried. For forty men to suddenly disappear like this, some unidentified master must have gotten involved.”

“I think the same.”

Even Third Elder Ha Suk-heon and the second-rate Ghost Gate scoundrels he had secretly led had gone missing.

This had happened when not a single elder of the Cheongyang Association was present, so it was truly a bolt from a clear sky. Even if it were anyone else, the fact that the meticulous Ha Suk-heon had vanished without contact could only mean he had been taken down by someone.

As Jo Yang had said, in Sichuan, there was no person or organization bold enough to touch the Cheongyang Association.

That was precisely why it was an even greater problem. If someone was touching the Cheongyang Association, which no one had touched before, what else could it mean but that they had that much confidence?

“I keep finding Gyeong Hang suspicious. Isn’t he a giant of the merchant world who more than doubled the influence of the Divine Iron Merchant House? Even if the merchant house is being dismantled, there is no way all his connections have died. It is possible he has warriors or assassins listed on public wanted notices under the pretext of guards.”

“That is exactly what I’m worried about. Frankly, if we set our minds to this matter, there is no way we’ll fail, but if not only our missing men but even Third Elder has been killed… this could truly grow into a major problem.”

A look of resolve appeared on Gong Juk’s face.

“We cannot leave things like this. I will submit a request to the upper ranks to dispatch the Divine Palm Squad.”

Concern appeared on Lee Hoe’s face.

“Our Squad Leader will go absolutely wild when he returns…”

“Even so, a Vice Leader cannot ignore his Squad Leader’s judgment and make a move, can he?”

He could make a move. The situation called for it.

But Lee Hoe was grateful that Gong Juk put it that way. Truly, just thinking about the Squad Leader returning and beating him made his hair stand on end already.

“At present, none of the elders are here.”

“I hear the gate guards received word that the Fourth Elder will return in two hours.”

“…In that case, there’s no helping it. We have no choice but to report it.”

“…”

Jo Yang’s eyes were truly sharp as he entered Ziyang and watched the bustling marketplace.

‘Nothing seems out of the ordinary, but…’

Fortunately, Jo Yang was not quite as foolish as Lee Hoe or Gong Juk thought.

He was, to some extent, acting out his hot-tempered side. That did not mean he was deep-thinking, but he had to show this sort of behavior so those beneath him would know to keep their heads down.

At the very least, Jo Yang was more sensible than the two thought.

‘It’s definitely strange. The streets are lively, and it’s hard to sense any miscellaneous killing intent…’

In any case, there was nothing bad about being careful.

‘I should send two or three men ahead first.’

Jo Yang asked with a face full of irritation.

“Where did you say Gyeong Hang is?”

Team One’s leader lowered his head deeply and answered.

“Judging by the map, it is toward the hill at the end of the third marketplace over there.”

“There is a hill… but there’s nothing there?”

“It is said to be surrounded by tall brush, so it cannot be seen from outside. There is one large house there, and we suspect it may be a villa that Gyeong Hang built recently.”

A villa.

Jo Yang snorted.

“He really does all sorts of things. Team One Leader, take two men and head straight to the top of the hill. If you see anything suspicious, set off a signal firework.”

It meant he was telling them to go through the rough mountain path, not the comfortable marketplace.

“As you command!”

Pababak!

Team One Leader and two pugilists disappeared into the forest in an instant.

The corners of Jo Yang’s mouth rose.

‘It’s been a while since things have gotten interesting.’

There had been far too few people challenging him, or the Cheongyang Association, lately.

‘Whoever you are, you’ve plucked a lion’s whiskers…’

That was when it happened.

‘!!’

Far away, within the shadows of the forest, a middle-aged man holding a long saber in his arms entered Jo Yang’s sight.