Episode 115

No matter how strong and sturdy Jun Myung was, an unexpected blow to the abdomen was bound to be painful.

Moreover, since Son Hee-il covered Jun Myung’s mouth with his hand, Jun Myung couldn’t even properly groan.

Flowing Cloud Flying Dragon and Lightning Flash let out bitter laughs at the sudden turn of events.

“Hahaha! This guy, really!”

“Haha, my junior brother made a slip of the tongue.”

Yu Su-rin quickly straightened her clothes and smiled sweetly.

Leaving the chortling Jun Myung behind, she took control of the situation.

“We don’t have any nicknames yet. We’re just starting out in the Jianghu.”

“Is-is that so?”

“Yes, Green Forest… That’s just nonsensical talk. Someday, we hope to have cool nicknames like the young masters here.”

Yu Su-rin brushed back her hair as she said this.

She tried to appear dignified while smiling, but it wasn’t enough to look refined.

In the minds of Lee Jae-il from Zhongnan and Yu Tae-jin from Diancang, the image of Yu Su-rin striking the solar plexus of her junior brother was deeply engraved.

Son Hee-il, who had been blocking Jun Myung’s breathing, quickly removed his hand from Jun Myung’s mouth when he saw Jun Myung struggling to breathe.

“Puhak! Heuk, heuuuk.”

“Ew, saliva.”

And then, grimacing at Jun Myung’s saliva on his hand, he casually wiped it on his clothes.

Both Yu Su-rin and Son Hee-il thought they were better than Jun Myung, but to others, they seemed quite similar.

As they took seats near the window in the tea house, a waiter soon appeared. He brought a teapot and tea utensils.

“You’ve been waiting for a while.”

This place was a tea house, belonging to the Kaifeng branch of the Low Down Sect.

The next-generation successors decided to wait here while Jin Ri-yeon met with the Kaifeng branch manager.

Lee Jae-il took a whiff of the tea and quietly exclaimed in admiration.

“So, Longjing tea really exists.”

“Hehe, there’s hardly any tea leaves you can’t find in Kaifeng.”

Flowing Cloud Flying Dragon, Lee Jae-il, showed the luxury of ordering Longjing tea in this place.

This situation was no different from raiding the headquarters of the Low Down Sect Kaifeng branch.

Unlike the third-generation disciples of the Azure Forest, who were inwardly tense, watching the waiter pour the tea, Yu Tae-jin made a remark, “It doesn’t seem like you’ve been working in the tea house for very long.”

“Ye-yeah, it’s been just under two years.”

“I see. Then it can’t be helped.”

It appeared that the waiter was slightly inexperienced in brewing tea. Of course, none of the third-generation disciples noticed such a detail.

Yu Su-rin sneakily glanced at Lightning Flash and mimicked his way of drinking tea.

Lee Jae-il and Yu Tae-jin also drank their tea with flawless etiquette. They silently savored the hot tea, appreciating its aroma.

On the other hand, what about Yu Su-rin’s companions?

“Ouch, hot.”

“Huuurrrup.”

Son Hee-il burned his tongue on the hot tea, while Jun Myung made noises as if he was drinking soup.

Yu Su-rin felt a bit embarrassed by her martial brothers.

It wasn’t their fault, though. While they did learn some manners in the Azure Forest, they hadn’t been properly taught the art of tea ceremony.

Even the relaxed and easygoing senior members of their sect who enjoyed tea didn’t drink it with etiquette like Zhongnan or Diancang’s next-generation successors.

‘No, that’s not entirely true.’

Yu Su-rin thought of Yi-gang.

Unlike others, Yi-gang certainly had a dignified way of drinking tea. Among all the disciples, he seemed to enjoy tea the most and appeared to be well-versed in the etiquette.

However, it wasn’t so much that he was trying to follow the etiquette; it was more like it was ingrained in him.

Once, when Yu Su-rin asked Yi-gang about the proper way to drink tea, he looked at her with wide eyes.

‘The way to drink tea?’

‘Yes, so that no one looks down on me outside.’

‘Just slurp it or be careful not to choke on it. Being comfortable is the essence of tea ceremony.’

‘But… What if someone mocks me? I’ll be attending the Dragon-Phoenix Conference and drinking tea there.’

At those words, Yi-gang seemed to laugh heartily.

‘If anyone says anything to you, tell me.’

‘To Senior?’

‘Yes.’

Was he implying that he would scold them himself?

After that thought, Yu Su-rin somehow felt comfortable drinking her tea without worrying about others’ gazes.

The high-quality Longjing tea tasted more bland than expected.

Then, she heard a snickering sound.

Looking up, she saw Flowing Cloud Flying Dragon, Lee Jae-il, laughing at Jun Myung and Son Hee-il.

Displeased by their mockery of the crude way they were drinking tea, Yu Su-rin frowned.

Just as she was about to speak up.

“What do you all think about the upcoming Dragon-Phoenix Conference?” Yu Tae-jin from the Diancang Sect asked.

Son Hee-il put down his teacup and raised his head.

“What do I think about it…”

“I heard that the prize is a sword made of cold iron and a Golden Flower Carp’s internal elixir.”

“Really?”

Son Hee-il and Jun Myung’s eyes widened as big as saucers.

A sword made entirely of cold iron was an incredibly valuable item.

But they were more astonished by the Golden Flower Carp’s internal elixir. What was a Golden Flower Carp? It was a remarkable spiritual creature that supposedly carried a golden nugget-like internal elixir in its belly.

Even the disciples of the Azure Forest, who were particular about elixirs, were amazed by such a grand prize.

At their intense reactions, Yu Tae-jin smirked. It was the confidence of having preempted such information.

“I’m not greedy for wealth, but it’s hard not to be tempted.”

“Such incredible items!”

“This time, at the Seven Stars Conference… next-generation successors from various sects will gather at the Murim Alliance. It seems the leaders of each sect have exerted their influence.”

When he mentioned the “Seven Stars Conference,” he made a grimacing face. It seemed like an intentionally exaggerated expression.

“This time we’ll meet martial artists from the noble clans.”

“The disciples of the Seven Great Clans can be rather troublesome.”

“Troublesome?”

“They are much more closed off compared to our Nine Sects. They only pass down their true martial arts to their blood relatives. Because of that, they are quite arrogant. I once met a warrior from the Namgung clan, who was not only arrogant but also incredibly rude.”

Yu Tae-jin casually criticized the Seven Great Clans, despite being similarly arrogant himself.

Son Hee-il unintentionally thought of his senior, Yi-gang, and burst into laughter.

“Hahaha! Their arrogance is indeed extraordinary!”

“Yes, that’s right. That’s why I think this Dragon-Phoenix Conference won’t just be an ordinary martial arts competition.”

Yu Tae-jin spoke softly, and Lee Jae-il, who was listening, nodded in agreement as if to concur.

The method for determining the winner of the Dragon-Phoenix Conference changed each time. However, the most common format was indeed a martial arts competition.

It’s straightforward and clear, with little room for disputes over the results.

“So, how do you think it will be conducted this time?”

“Whether it’s through martial contests or mission completion, we’ll surely be competing with the disciples of the Seven Stars Conference.”

“Ah, I see…”

“Probably our next-generation successors from the Dragon-Phoenix Conference will form an alliance to compete against them. And the one who contributes the most… will win the prize. I’m certain from what I’ve heard.”

His tone was full of confidence for someone merely relaying rumors.

Jun Myung, blinking his eyes and listening, chimed in, “So, what exactly will the competition be about?”

“Pardon?”

“Are we going to have a martial contest with the disciples of the Seven Stars Conference?”

“Uh… well.”

Yu Tae-jin seemed flustered.

He fumbled his words and couldn’t give a clear answer, just sipping his tea instead.

Yu Su-rin realized it as she watched him.

‘He doesn’t know either.’

He seemed to enjoy the attention he got from sharing a story he heard somewhere, but apparently, he didn’t know the details.

‘That’s not what’s important right now.’

After all, this was the lair of the Low Down Sect.

Was it really okay to be leisurely enjoying tea and engaging in interesting small talk while Jin Ri-yeon, a senior in Jianghu, was having a private meeting with the Kaifeng branch manager of the Low Down Sect?

It was the moment Yu Su-rin quietly looked towards the private room Jin Ri-yeon had entered.

Bang!

“Aaargh!”

A scream came from where Jin Ri-yeon had gone.

They immediately grabbed their weapons and stood up.

The identity and position of the sect leader of the Low Down Sect were top secret.

Some branches, like this one, operate openly to a certain extent to conduct their information business, even though a few keep their locations hidden.

Yeo Man-chung, the branch manager of the Low Down Sect Kaifeng branch, had dealt with numerous “clients,” from the unorthodox faction to the orthodox one.

However, it was the first time a disciple from the Azure Forest had come.

The Azure Forest’s Jin Ri-yeon.

A young female swordsman who finished second in the previous Dragon-Phoenix Conference.

Although he knew about her strength in martial arts, he thought she would be as sloppy and naive as the next-generation successors of Taoist sects.

When Jin Ri-yeon requested information about the Face Plunderer in the name of the Murim Alliance, Yeo Man-chung provided only the basic information.

It was a document of two pages.

Jin Ri-yeon read it silently, then sighed deeply.

“Sigh.”

“That’s all the information we have.”

“Is that so?”

Jin Ri-yeon started to roll up the document.

She rolled the paper in a peculiar way that made one end sharp.

It seemed more like a habit of someone fidgety than for storage.

“How disappointing.”

“It’s a tricky situation for us too… There were hardly any traces.”

Until that moment, Yeo Man-chung had underestimated Jin Ri-yeon.

That was until Jin Ri-yeon suddenly threw the rolled-up paper like a hidden weapon.

Swoosh!

The paper grazed Yeo Man-chung’s ear and embedded itself in the wooden wall behind him.

“Eek!”

“Gasp!”

The first scream was from Yeo Man-chung, and the following gasp was from one of his subordinates who had been hiding within the wall.

Jin Ri-yeon precisely inserted the paper into the hole through which she was being spied on from behind the wall.

The moment Yeo Man-chung reflexively turned around, Jin Ri-yeon’s hand flashed, and her sword’s light scattered.

Clatter!

She hadn’t swung the sword to decapitate Yeo Man-chung.

Her whip sword strokes skimmed the ceiling. As the ceiling cracked open, a member of the Low Down Sect hidden in the attic fell through.

Crash!

“Ughhh!”

Realizing he hadn’t been cut and was intact, the Low Down Sect member screamed and retreated to a corner of the wall.

Yeo Man-chung jumped to his feet and exclaimed, “M-Miss Jin, what are you doing!”

“Who’s spying? It seems the branch manager already knew.”

At Jin Ri-yeon’s icy voice, Yeo Man-chung was rendered speechless.

Hiding guards and watchers during an information exchange was a problem, potentially creating grounds for criticism.

The issue was that Yeo Man-chung hadn’t expected Jin Ri-yeon to react so aggressively.

“One of the Low Down Sect members was found in Yanling County yesterday, his face skinned.”

“That, that’s…”

“It’s not written here.”

Jin Ri-yeon already knew about the incident that occurred just yesterday. Despite that, she pretended not to know.

Yeo Man-chung realized that Jin Ri-yeon was testing him.

“I won’t ask twice. Give me all the information you have, without any omissions.”

“…”

“This is not a personal request, but a request from the alliance.”

Jin Ri-yeon handed over a pouch jingling with silver.

It was a generous amount for information about a fiend, not someone affiliated with a major sect.

But it wasn’t the amount that compelled Yeo Man-chung to submit; it was fear of Jin Ri-yeon’s threat.

“I wasn’t trying to deceive. This issue is very hot right now. I didn’t want to give you the wrong information and cause confusion…”

Jin Ri-yeon answered with silence.

“I-I’ll provide additional information.”

“Thank you.”

At the signal to the subordinate who had just fallen from the ceiling, he staggered to his feet.

“You, give her all the data we’ve collected so far.”

“Yes, Branch Manager.”

Jin Ri-yeon nodded briefly and left the private room.

As she opened the door, outside were Yu Su-rin and the third-generation disciples, ready to burst in at any moment.

“Senior! What happened?”

“Oh, uh, it’s okay now.”

Right in front of the door, Yu Su-rin stood with her sword drawn, glaring. At the feet of the next-generation successors lay the subdued members of the Low Down Sect who were guarding the door.

Jin Ri-yeon cast one last look at Yeo Man-chung.

It was as if warning him not to do anything foolish, sending shivers down Yeo Man-chung’s spine.

The door closed.

Yeo Man-chung let out a sigh of relief only after he heard that Jin Ri-yeon and her group had completely left the tea house.

No, right after that, he began to tear his hair out in frustration.

“What should I do?”

His already thinning hair fell out in clumps.

He distorted his face in anguish.

Soon, astonishing words slipped from his lips.

“If it becomes known that this is all my fault. I’m finished.”

The situation where a fiend was skinning people’s faces, and both Henan Province governor and the Murim Alliance were frantically searching.

It was supposedly Yeo Man-chung, the Kaifeng branch manager’s fault.

“No, it’s not my fault… It’s all because of that Seo Saeng-won…!”

And then, unexpectedly, that name came up.

It was the name of Seo Saeng-won, who had just arrived in Kaifeng today with Yi-gang.