A Clan With Roots (4)

Even if they were past their prime, the White Tiger Unit was a unit that had carried out countless operations, so they too knew how to adapt to the situation.

But finding a few masters was not something that required that much thought. Of course, if they pestered the Sichuan Branch, it would be easily resolved, but Heo Do, who already had great complaints about the organization, had no desire whatsoever to receive help from a Heavenly Will Alliance branch.

Moreover, Heo Do had resolved countless missions through simple and intuitive methods, and he enjoyed doing so.

Not taking the long way around when carrying out work, but breaking through proudly from the front. That was how the White Tiger Unit handled matters, and that was why they were strong.

But today, the White Tiger Unit felt the limits of how they handled matters.

“Ah, the young Patriarch? Do you see that hill over there? He lives there. Well, I’ve never gone there myself, though.”

“Where might you people be from?”

“Oh my, how can people be this hard of hearing? Right now, all of Sichuan is in an uproar because of that young Patriarch. They say he’s the hero who swept away all those wicked sects!”

“You must be from out of town. But are you not going to have your clothes mended? They are torn all over. I’ll do it cheaply.”

“I don’t know.”

“Ah, you’re not customers. Then go away! I’m busy!”

Heo Do blankly blinked.

Finding the white-haired young man named Jin-hyeon was far easier than he had expected. If they simply grabbed anyone in Ziyang County and asked, everyone knew.

Because it was too easy, he instead suspected it might be a trap, so he kept stopping merchants and passersby one by one to ask.

And yet the answers he heard were consistent. To be precise, the answers were all a little different, but there was no disagreement about where Jin-hyeon lived or how well he was regarded.

What was even more surprising was this.

“These people don’t seem surprised at all.”

Bewilderment showed on Song Oe’s face as he scratched his head.

There truly were many people in Ziyang County. Judging only by the number of people coming and going, it almost seemed like a county near central headquarters.

Even so, their attitude toward the White Tiger Unit was far too indifferent.

Because they were exhausted from a long life on the borderlands, the White Tiger Unit’s qi waves had become quite rough. The warriors of the White Tiger Unit were already said to be the roughest and most belligerent among the Four Divine Beast Units, and now that they were so tired they couldn’t even control their qi presence properly, their menace was difficult to describe in words.

And yet not a single person seemed nervous.

“This is, well… no matter how I look at it, I think they don’t know we’re the White Tiger Unit.”

“That much can happen. Look at the state of us. We are dripping with grime.”

“That is true, but how should I put it… Do the people here not seem incredibly used to the very existence of Murim people?”

“…”

“Look over there. That spearman walking there. Even at a glance, he’s carrying a menacing long spear right out in the open, but the people don’t seem afraid.”

“Mm.”

“Our White Tiger Unit specializes in barehanded fighting, so we don’t even carry impressive blades. Suddenly, we seem kind of shabby.”

Heo Do frowned.

“Did we come here to have a pride contest with these people? Stop talking nonsense and let’s go to that hill.”

He said that, but something felt strangely unpleasant.

Of course, Heo Do and Song Oe were not villains who would only feel satisfied if the people of the marketplace were cautious of them or afraid. They were not third-rate thugs, so why would they bolster their self-esteem with something like that?

What surprised them was the abundance and peace overflowing through the marketplace.

‘It’s not easy for the atmosphere to be this good.’

This too was similar to the counties near central headquarters. The people living there were not afraid of Murim people at all. It was not that they regarded them as friendly, but at the very least, they had firm faith that they wouldn’t be harmed.

But this place went even further than that. It was so lively and the people were so good-natured that if one roughly entered anywhere and had a drink, one could make three or four drinking companions within a quarter-hour.

Heo Do gave a bitter smile.

‘It seems the Sichuan Branch is controlling things well.’

It was a well-known fact that Sichuan’s Murim was especially lower in level than other regions.

But level and public order were separate matters. If anything, organizations with middling strength were more likely to harass civilians.

For the people of the marketplace to be this lively meant that not only the Sichuan Branch, but also the Investigation and Defense Court, were doing their jobs properly.

Even if the level of their Murim was low, the safety of the people’s livelihood was excellent. Heo Do suddenly felt envious of them.

‘These people all live well without worrying about tomorrow.’

Heo Do, who had been quietly looking over the people, spoke to Song Oe.

“We might cause harm to these people for no reason, so have the men scatter around here. If they find anyone suspicious, have them report immediately. If not, have them gather at that hill.”

“Understood.”

Just as Song Oe was about to give orders to the unit members.

“Oh-ho, look at these hands.”

Song Oe flinched and looked to the side.

There stood an old man with a slightly bent back, holding a pipe in his mouth.

“You trained external martial arts properly. The calluses are still that vivid.”

Heo Do was inwardly startled. He had not noticed the old man’s presence until he spoke.

‘What’s this?’

Heo Do sharply swept his gaze over the old man, and his eyes narrowed for an instant.

‘He’s just an ordinary old man.’

He couldn’t feel any internal energy. Nor did the old man have the sturdy body unique to someone who had trained in martial arts.

Heo Do let out a small sigh.

‘I must have missed him because there are so many people. I still have a long way to go.’

The old man continued.

“Your internal energy is considerable too. Your presence is not ordinary. This is enough force to annihilate most sects in a single night.”

“?!”

“You seem very tired, but maintaining that much qi presence is no easy thing. From training to real combat, you are quite a solid organization.”

Heo Do and Song Oe’s eyes sharpened.

The old man, who had spoken as if talking to himself in a voice both men could hear, suddenly let out a strange ho ho ho laugh at the gazes shooting toward him.

“Ah, pay me no mind. You all simply looked so full of spirit that I wondered if something was happening, so I came to watch. Do not mind me.”

Song Oe carefully asked.

“Are you a Murim senior?”

“Puhul!”

Pipe smoke suddenly burst out.

In that instant, Heo Do flinched.

“Senior, my foot. I’m just an old villager who wandered without a destination until he found himself a fine horse to ride in his twilight years.”

“Ah, is that so?”

Song Oe nudged Heo Do’s arm with his elbow.

Heo Do asked bluntly.

“Are you perhaps from the Heavenly Will Alliance?”

“The Heavenly Will Alliance…”

The old man examined the left side of Heo Do’s chest.

It was difficult to see clearly because of the grime, but the mark of a tiger was embroidered there in bright thread.

“Now that I look, are you people the Heavenly Will Alliance’s White Tiger Unit? That looks like the White Tiger Unit’s uniform.”

“…How did you know?”

“Just intuition, that is all.”

Song Oe, who had been about to say something, suddenly looked at Heo Do with puzzled eyes.

Cold sweat had beaded on Heo Do’s forehead. He was clearly nervous.

“Unit Leader?”

Heo Do raised his hand. It meant not to interfere.

There was good reason.

‘No matter how I look at him, he’s just an ordinary old man… But what was that killing intent just now?’

When he had laughed at the question of whether he was a Murim senior.

The faint killing intent emitted along with the pipe smoke had set Heo Do’s nerves on edge.

It was killing intent that was extremely subtle, but incredibly dense. Its quality was so tremendous that even Heo Do, who had been through all manner of hardships, momentarily felt the strength leave his legs.

That could not have been coincidence either. Moreover, there was no way someone with such killing intent had no internal energy.

‘A supreme master!’

A master capable of concealing his internal energy so thoroughly that he could deceive the eyes of the White Tiger Unit Leader.

Heo Do’s back grew wet with sweat.

‘Was there such a master in Sichuan?’

At that moment, the old man tapped out his pipe and spoke.

“Well, it doesn’t matter to me whether you are the White Tiger Unit or the White Dog Unit. I’m only curious. What brings the famous White Tiger Unit to this rural corner?”

The marketplace was so lively, and the clothes of the people coming and going so stylish, that the words rural corner sounded almost insulting.

Heo Do, who had been quietly looking at the old man, asked respectfully.

“I will ask directly. Senior, do you perhaps know a man named Jin-hyeon who lives on that hill?”

The old man grinned.

Strangely, even at his age, his teeth were neat and white.

“I do.”

“Do you, by any chance, have a connection with him, Senior?”

“Why? If I say I do, are you going to capture and beat me too?”

Heo Do’s eyes narrowed.

Only then did the people, sensing the unusual atmosphere, begin to put distance between themselves and the White Tiger Unit. Of course, even then, they only glanced over, and didn’t seem to feel any great anxiety or fear.

“How did you know that we intend to capture and transport him?”

The old man gave a small laugh.

“My good man, of course I know. You came as a group with that much spirit, asking whether people know Jin-hyeon and where he lives. Naturally, you must be trying to capture and transport him.”

“…”

“Furthermore, if there had been a problem, the Sichuan Branch would have acted first. Seeing that they are quiet, this means the order was issued without the Sichuan Branch knowing. In other words, it’s a mission from the central headquarters, is it not?”

Huk.

Faint qi waves leaked from Heo Do’s body.

It was an act with a clear intent to pressure the other party. At the same time, it was also an act of preparing his body so he could react immediately whenever battle broke out.

He wasn’t the only one. Song Oe and the remaining White Tiger Unit members also began emitting menacing qi waves all at once.

Manguwi Street’s Third Street fell silent for a moment. No matter how unafraid they were of Murim people, how could they not grow tense when such rough qi waves were being raised openly?

“I will ask one last time.”

Tension rose in Heo Do’s voice as well.

He was the most nervous person on this street.

“What is your name?”

That was when it happened.

“What are you doing, bothering a man who’ll be dead of lung disease soon?”

Startled, Heo Do turned his head.

From far away, three people, men and woman, were walking through the crowd.

When Heo Do saw the man in the middle, who appeared to be in his mid-thirties, his qi presence flared sharply.

‘A master!’

He was an extraordinary master.

He was not at the level of the old man beside him, but he was a master of such level that even if Heo Do attacked in earnest, he could not easily guarantee victory.

Moreover, the young man beside him was also extraordinary. Even at a glance, his qi presence was filled with righteous energy, yet beyond that, he seemed to hold a strange power.

And the woman as well, even from her steps, had a qi presence that was considerably restrained. Rather than the greatness of her qi presence, it was her movements that drew more admiration.

‘Just who are these people?!’

They said the level of Sichuan’s Murim was the lowest in the Central Plains, so where had masters like this suddenly come from?

As Heo Do silently glared at Han Cheol-sang, Song Oe stepped out beside him.

“We are the White Tiger Unit under the Heavenly Will Alliance.”

His voice rang out loudly.

The people who heard it began to murmur. The Heavenly Will Alliance’s Four Divine Beast Units were quite famous, after all. They were even one of the core units belonging to the central headquarters, not a unit under a branch.

Song Oe continued.

“By order from above, we have been dispatched to transport a white-haired young man named Jin-hyeon and the masters under him to the central headquarters. If anyone here knows of them…”

“You’re being noisy, so stop showing off your voice with internal energy mixed into it.”

Han Cheol-sang drew the Soul-Killing Blade from his waist.

Seureureung.

The sound of the blade leaving the scabbard was chillingly cold and steady.

“I don’t have time, so let’s finish this quickly. I have cooking to teach.”

“…Are you daring to pick a fight with the White Tiger Unit right now?”

“You picked it first.”

“What?”

Han Cheol-sang flicked the tip of his blade.

“Our Patriarch’s name is Jin-hyeon. And we’re his people. Satisfied?”

“!!”

“How dare you crawl in here of all places? Take your stances, you bastards.”