My Eyes Can’t Be Deceived. (2)

Incredibly, there were no wound marks on Elder Gwak’s wrist.

By all appearances they had been certain. It was something they could not understand.

Then who on earth was the culprit?

While everyone wore puzzled expressions,

Ta-at!

Suddenly someone started sprinting like a madman toward the opposite side.

“S-sahyung Jeong-hyun is running away!”

It was a desperate, all-out dash.

His back, as he unleashed his lightness skill at full force, rapidly receded.

A few disciples gave chase, but no one could catch him. In fact, the distance only grew.

Elder Gwak shouted urgently.

“Th-That man is the culprit — seize him at once!”

Yu Seol, who had let go of his wrist, turned her head to look.

But she had no intention of pursuing; her grandfather had already started moving first.

His form racing through the air was as fast as an arrow.

The disciples of the Taiyi Sect couldn’t help but marvel at the astonishing lightness skill.

“Wow….”

“That’s that ‘void-stepping,’ right?”

“That’s no joke.”

The Taiyi Sect disciples, seeing void-stepping for the first time, shivered.

In the blink of an eye, the distance between Yu Jinsan and Jeong-hyun had closed considerably.

Then, after another breath, Yu Jinsan’s divine form descended toward the top of his head.

Crack-!

It was the sound of Yu Jinsan’s forepaw striking Jeong-hyun’s nape.

Soon after, he grabbed the limp Jeong-hyun and began to turn back.

“You boldly claimed the culprit wasn’t an insider — and it was you after all.”

“……”

He looked resigned, as if he’d given up on everything.

After a moment, Yu Jinsan returned to his place and slammed him to the ground.

Thud-!

Yu Seol, who had been waiting, approached and snatched his wrist.

“Stay still!”

Everyone focused their gaze on his wrist.

After a moment, his sleeve was gradually pushed back, revealing his wrist.

Sure enough, there was a clear scratch scar left on it.

At that sight, the Taiyi Sect disciples trembled with a sense of betrayal.

“S-Senior Brother, how could you….”

“Are you saying Jeong-hyun great sahyung really attacked the sect leader?”

“Don’t even call that bastard ‘great sahyung’!”

Finally, one of the elders slapped his kneeling cheek.

Smack-!

“How could you betray the sect!? Can’t you confess at once!!”

“……”

Yu Jinsan and his granddaughter stepped back and watched the interrogation unfold.

Jeong-hyun, head bowed low, kept his mouth tightly shut.

His demeanor only stoked the other elders’ anger further.

“You beast who doesn’t even know the favor of being raised!”

“Won’t open your mouth? Fine — then first I’ll sever all the sinews and meridians in your limbs!”

To seal the dantian and cut the limb sinews — that would mean complete ruin, reduction to a cripple.

That was the usual code of the Justice Faction.

But Jeong-hyun, who had murdered the sect leader, would not be finished with just that.

As the elder twisted his sword in his grip, suddenly someone blocked his way.

It was Bang Yu-cheol, the Great sahyung.

“Wait a moment, Elder Yeon!”

“Step aside.”

“Isn’t it proper to hear the details first? I’ll try talking to him.”

“He’s already been identified as the culprit; what more is there to discuss? And it will be useless anyway.”

Jeong-hyun remained tightly shut-mouthed, as if he would not speak.

His eyes were bloodshot with murderous intent.

Bang Yu-cheol knelt on one knee beside him and spoke.

“I can’t believe a disciple would do such a thing. There must have been something we don’t know. Isn’t that so?”

Among the jeers from everyone, he was the only one to offer a warm word.

Perhaps because of that, Jeong-hyun’s pupils suddenly began to tremble.

“…Please kill me, Great sahyung. I am the culprit.”

He admitted to the crime, but there were still unsettling parts.

His hoarse voice and trembling shoulders clearly suggested he felt wronged.

“That’s not all. Tell me quickly. I know this disciple’s nature better than anyone.”

At that moment, Bang’s warm words touched Jeong-hyun’s heart.

At last, he burst into tears.

“Sniff…”

Bang Yu-cheol patted Jeong-hyun’s shoulder and continued to persuade him.

“What on earth happened?”

“I… I committed a crime worthy of death. They said if I didn’t cooperate, they’d tell everything…”

“Who said that? And what did they threaten to reveal?”

Suddenly Jeong-hyun began to slam his head into the ground.

Bang-! Bang-! Bang-!

He must have been tormenting himself out of guilt.

Blood flowed freely from his head. If left like this, he would die.

Bang Yu-cheol grabbed his shoulder.

His face was already smeared with tears and blood.

“…I deserve to die. I embezzled the money the Painting Guild collected and lost it all at the gambling tables. Sob.”

Not only had he embezzled the sect’s funds, he squandered them at gambling dens.

If discovered, it would be scandalous enough to expel him from the sect.

“Listen to me, disciple. From now on, fixing this situation is more important.”

“…Yes.”

“Tell me quickly who it was that used that leverage to manipulate you. That’s the least way to atone to the sect leader.”

Jeong-hyun hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

Then he answered with eyes full of anger.

“Elder Gwak gave me arsenic powder. He said if I didn’t do as he ordered, he’d reveal everything.”

At that moment everyone looked around.

They were trying to snatch the mastermind hiding in the background.

But his figure was already nowhere to be seen.

“Where did he go?”

“H-He seems to have escaped!”

“That damn old bastard!”

The disciples were furious at his wicked deed.

“Elder Yeon! Shall we spread out and search?”

At that moment, Yu Jinsan, who had been watching silently, spoke instead.

“It’s a wasted effort. The Yin Monster has already given chase.”

Elder Gwak had covertly left during the interrogation to flee, but he couldn’t fool the Yin Monster’s gaze.

As expected.

Someone pointed to the sky with an index finger.

“L-Look over there!”

The Yin Monster had grabbed Elder Gwak by the scruff and was flying in.

It was a lightness skill of a completely different caliber than the void-stepping the Yang Monster had displayed earlier.

“Is that even possible?”

“C-Could that be the legendary light footwork skill, Void Step?”

“…Good heavens.”

Soon Yu Seol arrived at the spot and set Elder Gwak down on the ground.

But he was unconscious.

His face was swollen and his clothes stained with blood. It was clear he’d been brutally beaten.

One of the disciples approached and carefully checked him.

“Ah, he’s still breathing.”

At that moment, Elder Yeon, watching with a blank expression, said softly.

“Bring both of them in. We’ll return to the sect and deal with them according to the rules.”

Now all that remained was punishment for the two accomplices.

The incident was over.

Elder Yeon, representing the Taiyi Sect, approached the Yin Yang Twin Monster and clasped his hands.

“Thanks to you two, we recovered the missing secret manual and uncovered the truth of the matter. Truly, thank you.”

Yu Seol tilted her head and said.

“The Taiyi Sect belongs to the Murim Alliance, right? Is it okay for you to say that to us?”

“If one abandons humanity out of fear of the alliance’s rules, how are you different from those two? If it’s all right with you, allow us the opportunity to offer a meal as thanks.”

At that, Yu Jinsan, who had been watching, firmly shook his head.

“We have an awkward relationship with each other — what meaning would such a gathering have? The misunderstanding is cleared; we’ll take our leave.”

There was no reason to stay any longer.

Even if the Taiyi Sect had said that, they would still feel uneasy. If rumors spread that they’d entertained the Yin Yang Twin Monster, the Murim Alliance wouldn’t look kindly upon it.

Yu Seol, knowing this too, turned her back without hesitation.

“Come on, Grandpa. I’ll buy you noodles.”

“All right. I was actually craving meat noodles anyway.”

The elders of the Taiyi Sect watched the receding backs of the Yin Yang Twin Monster intently.

No one tore their eyes away until they had completely disappeared from sight.

The grandfather and granddaughter left the Taiyi Sect and headed toward the village to fill their stomachs.

“Grandpa, what will happen to those two?”

“Won’t they be dealt with according to the sect’s rules? They assassinated the highest elder of the sect; they’ll likely face severe punishment.”

“So they’ll both be executed?”

“Hmm. Elder Gwak will certainly be executed. As for that Jeong-hyun, he seems remorseful, so if he’s lucky there might be leniency. At the very least, they’ll sever his limb sinews and meridians.”

At that, Yu Seol sighed and looked back.

Bang Yu-cheol, the Taiyi Sect’s Great sahyung, was tentatively following them.

“Sir, why do you keep following us?”

“W-Well…”

Yu Seol narrowed her eyes and glared at him, as if on guard.

“Did you come to get my spoils back? I can’t give them back — I’ve already spent them all.”

She was referring to the silver coins she had acquired from him when they first met.

She guessed he was following them to reclaim it.

At that, Bang Yu-cheol waved his hand in a more polite tone than before.

“N-No, it’s not about that. I don’t need the money at all.”

Only then did Yu Seol relax; a gentle smile bloomed on her face.

“Hehe. Then why did you follow us?”

Bang Yu-cheol hesitated a moment, then suddenly clasped his hands and bowed his head.

“Thank you truly! I thought I had to at least offer my thanks this way…”

Yu Jinsan, who had been watching, waved his left hand as if to say it wasn’t necessary.

“No need to keep it. You only caught a guy impersonating us.”

“Um… and there’s something else I thought I should tell you.”

“What is it?”

Bang Yu-cheol glanced around carefully, checking if anyone was watching.

After confirming there was no one else, he whispered.

“Actually, the reason I first trailed you two was to report your location to the Murim Alliance.”

It was something they had already suspected.

He must have planned to inform the southern branch of the Murim Alliance of the Yin Yang Twin Monster’s location and request vengeance for the sect leader — though the chances of that being carried out were slim.

Yu Jinsan snorted and said.

“We knew. So you weren’t planning to ambush us, were you? Your tailing seemed excessive, so I guessed there was a reason.”

“Ah… and there was also an order from the command: if you spotted you two, keep reporting your location.”

“Well, that’s not something new.”

Then Bang lowered his voice further.

“Actually, there was information I heard directly before the sect leader passed. The Murim Alliance assembled an assassination squad to capture you two.”

They had heard something similar from Eun Hwa-rin of the Black Night Clan.

It seemed her words were likely true.

It wasn’t particularly surprising, but Yu Jinsan acted as if he’d never heard it before.

“I see. If they were plotting such a thing, we must be prepared. Noted.”

“Anyway, I came to warn you to be careful. Among them, I heard the Taiji Sword Master of the Wudang Sect and Fire Dragon Beggar of the Beggars Union are included.”

Taiji Sword Master Mu-jin, famed as the supreme shaman-sword, and Fire Dragon Beggar, the top Beggars Union warrior and successor to the clan leader.

Both were fearsome figures often listed among the top ten martial artists.

In the past their names would have caused trembling, but the situation was different now.

In fact, the fact they were coming on their own felt like a fortunate thing.

“But is it really okay to give us this information?”

“…This is all I can offer in return.”

Although they were from an opposing force, they couldn’t help but appreciate Bang’s intention.

They wanted to repay him somehow, but Yu Jinsan, who had nothing, could offer nothing. He was penniless.

Instead, he could promise at least one thing.

“If by any chance we go to war with the Murim Alliance, we’ll spare the Taiyi Sect for your sake.”

“T-Thank you.”

Now it was time to fill their bellies and set off on a long journey.

Then Yu Seol grabbed Bang Yu-cheol’s collar and asked.

“By the way, you haven’t eaten, have you? Want to come eat noodles with us?”

“I left in such a hurry that I don’t have any money right now…”

Yu Seol smiled brightly and shook her pouch.

“I’ll pay.”

At that moment, a look of puzzlement crossed Yu Jinsan’s face.

Strangely, his granddaughter’s pouch looked heavier than before.

‘When did that pouch get thicker? Did she loot someone else in the meantime…?’