“Hmm, so is the Nine Yin technique being well handled?”
“We’re gradually seeing the results of the training. Even if I get the hang of handling the Nine Yin, there’s just too much of it, so I can’t process it all in a short time.”
Black Cat spread her palm. It seemed as if the Nine Yin was gathering in her hand, and then an ice ring emerged.
“Oh.”
“It’s useless, but I’ve gained this ability now. If we’re talking about usefulness, being able to drink ice water even in the summer would be more practical, though.”
Is she a Human Freezer, this Black Cat?
Drinking ice water in summer already gets the saliva flowing.
“So, how much can you freeze the water? It would be great if you could freeze it into poison.”
Black Cat looked at me with a wry smile.
“Are you seriously thinking about drinking ice in summer using my ice technique? If it were another ice master, I might have had my cheeks frozen by now, you know?”
“Don’t act like that. Even ice masters create cold tea for themselves in summer, right?”
“Hmm… Is that so?”
I spent time chatting aimlessly with Black Cat. I was already used to killing time with her like this. Since Black Cat joined as a new Outcast, I’ve spent most of my time with her. And most of that time consisted of such unnutritious conversations.
Rather than exchanging information, we were just chatting to alleviate boredom.
“Right, I assure you! Who would only be good at ice techniques? A Quick Sword master would also throw food around while cooking during solo camping and say, ‘Hah, I just sliced some useless stuff away!’”
“Aha, what is that? That can’t be true.”
As I was having such a lively conversation with Black Cat,
“What kind of enjoyable conversation are you having?”
Hyeok Gi-rin and Miss Yeo Il-ye joined us.
* *
“…Cooking with a Quick Sword?”
Both Hyeok Gi-rin and Yeo Il-ye looked puzzled.
“Well, I guess that could happen when you’re alone.”
“Hey, aren’t masters still human? Sometimes they might want to play alone or act foolishly.”
For some reason, watching Ho Cheon-an get all heated made them chuckle. It was indeed something only Ho Cheon-an could come up with.
“Ugh, I wonder when our Great Hero Ho Cheon-an will grow up.”
Black Cat shook her head while Ho Cheon-an bounced around, causing Yeo Il-ye and Hyeok Gi-rin to chuckle again.
While laughing, I recalled the past. Listening to Ho Cheon-an reminded me of the memories from the Jeomchang Faction when it was a trend to kick leaves from trees to see how many could fit on a sword.
“Speaking of which…”
Yeo Il-ye hesitated as she was about to speak.
“Hey, Black Cat, why do you play around in secret and treat me as a fool? I’m just being honest!”
It was because Hyeok Gi-rin was staring at Ho Cheon-an, who was amusingly bouncing around.
Hyeok Gi-rin’s eyes were dripping with honey, and a smile on her face was drawn with a different meaning than before.
‘…Could it be?’
In an instant, Yeo Il-ye’s head became a mess. Shaking her head vigorously at the suspicion that crossed her mind, Yeo Il-ye thought, No, it can’t be!
Instinctively denying her thoughts, Yeo Il-ye swallowed hard.
Hyeok Gi-rin revealed everything to Yeo Il-ye: that she was a Princess, that she would live with two identities, and that she was here to pressure the Yunnan Outcasts by leading the Jeokgwi Daebyeol.
It was a continuous stream of astonishing information, and Yeo Il-ye was just hurriedly trying to accept it. However, as she started to look at Hyeok Gi-rin with suspicion, there were indeed several questionable parts.
‘When Big Brother heard that Black Cat was in the Outcasts, he changed direction right away. Thinking about it, abandoning his own plans to join her isn’t a trivial matter.’
As such thoughts crossed her mind, Yeo Il-ye looked again at Hyeok Gi-rin.
Once she started being suspicious, the revelation of her gender seemed to carry undue significance. It felt like it wasn’t just for the sake of creating a third identity!
Could it be that she was trying to show Ho Cheon-an her feminine side?
Once suspicion got its foothold, even Hyeok Gi-rin’s long hair, which seemed unsuitable for training, began to look suspicious.
Upon reconsideration, the situation was brimming with suspicion!
“Senior Ho needs to get his act together someday.”
“Wait, even Great Hero Hyeok Gi-rin is saying that?”
“Haaa, remembering how we infiltrated the Dark Dragon Sect and faced mental strife… we’ve really seen some tough times.”
Yeo Il-ye gulped and alternated her gaze between the two.
From the playful teasing to the mock-resentful glances, a deep sense of intimacy was palpable.
Looking at Hyeok Gi-rin and Ho Cheon-an quarrel, Yeo Il-ye soon denied her thoughts.
‘I’m thinking too much. There are hardly any people who can talk about the secrets of gender or identities, so it’s natural to feel close.’
Right. This is a bit overthinking. Yeo Il-ye patted her chest to calm herself.
‘Black Cat won’t just sit by either.’
Yeo Il-ye recalled Black Cat, who was hissing since she snuck closer to Ho Cheon-an, and nodded. Even if she lacked experience in relationships, her sharp instincts were undeniable. If Hyeok Gi-rin really had feelings for Ho Cheon-an, she wouldn’t be clinging to Hyeok Gi-rin like that.
As she thought this, Yeo Il-ye turned to Black Cat.
Black Cat’s face wore a significant expression as if she could see through Yeo Il-ye’s thoughts like it was written on her face!
‘…Do you know something?’
Trying to collect her thoughts, Yeo Il-ye looked intently at Black Cat, but all Black Cat gave in return was a teasing smile.
Such an action seemed to suggest that something was indeed going on, causing Yeo Il-ye to fall into confusion. Did Black Cat really know something, or was she just making fun of Yeo Il-ye’s suspicions?
Bang! Bang!
“Everyone, it’s time to eat!”
“Yes, let’s go.”
Tang Do-yeon, in charge of meals, called everyone over with a pan. Black Cat took Hyeok Gi-rin by the hand, showing a friendly appearance, while Yeo Il-ye looked at them with a confused expression, glancing between Black Cat, Hyeok Gi-rin, and Ho Cheon-an.
“Ha, everyone’s mindset is too rigid! Wouldn’t it be great to enjoy the martial arts we’ve learned?”
And even Ho Cheon-an, grumbling about how he was still upset about the scolding he received from the women.
Observing from a distance, Tang So-yeol puffed out smoke from his cigarette and smirked.
“What an amusing bunch.”
Only Tang Do-yeon, hearing that muttering from Tang So-yeol, smiled wryly.
* *
Every day, Black Cat’s hair color was soaking darker.
Yeo Il-ye pondered what kind of trouble she was in.
And despite Tang So-yeol’s satisfied smile spreading across his face, we arrived at the destination.
“Are you saying we’re targeting the drug fields and warehouses managed by the Odokmun?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
I nodded, listening to Hyeok Gi-rin’s plan. If it’s Odokmun’s strength, much like the Tang Clan, it would be poisonous substances, but unlike the Tang Clan, they would ruthlessly defend their warehouse rather than give away their poison. Since a mass mobilization of royal guards was involved, if things went wrong, it could lead to immense damage.
To safely handle the deadly poison, extensive effort and equipment would be needed. Even if we managed a surprise occupation of the warehouse, it would still take a long time to safely dispose of the poison, meaning we’d have to keep defending against Odokmun’s attacks.
Thus, the realistically strikable targets were the drug warehouses and production sites. And since the production and distribution of drugs was illegal to begin with, it wouldn’t be weird for the Imperial Army to strike.
However, what worried me was the backlash.
“Will this be okay? The repercussions from this incident will likely provoke severe retaliation from Odokmun.”
The opponent used drugs and poison as they pleased, literally the infamous Immoral Guys. They’re truly Crazy Guys who can bounce unpredictably.
The problem isn’t just that these guys could freak out, but that it’d be extremely hard to stop them from acting out.
Poison is inherently dangerous the more stealthily it is used. It could be in the tea or food someone drinks, or at midnight, pounds of poison could rain down on homes. Or, those who have lost their sanity due to drugs might charge in wielding poisoned weapons.
Hyeok Gi-rin shook his head at my words.
“We’re not planning on using extreme measures like exposing the entire drug warehouse or burning all drug fields.”
Wasn’t the intention of mobilizing the Imperial Army to burn the production sites or warehouses? As such doubts crossed my mind, Hyeok Gi-rin continued.
“We’re thinking of an indirect assault.”
“…Indirect?”
“When the Jeokgwi Daebyeol starts the investigation, the evidence of Odokmun dealing with drugs will emerge. Naturally, they’d have trimmed their tails beforehand, but once the investigation starts, exposing that connection won’t be difficult. We’re thinking of slapping them with an astronomical fine under the pretext of that. How about five thousand nyang?”
After hearing that, I finally understood Hyeok Gi-rin’s plan.
“You mean to induce a shell removal?”
“Exactly.”
The factions of the Outcasts are centered on individuals rather than martial arts. Therefore, it’s common to see the renowned first faction’s core masters joining to create a new faction that’s practically the same as the first.
Shell removal signifies that kind of act of dissolving a faction and establishing a new one under a better image.
With evidence of sending martial artists to create confusion, plus the suspicions and responsibilities regarding drug dealings and cultivation—there’s certainly enough grounds to impose astronomical fines.
But would Odokmun easily pay those fines?
They’re likely to pretend they can’t afford them and disband, then reassemble under a fitting name from somewhere else.
“It’s a brilliant maneuver.”
If the shell removal happens, Odokmun, which has been around for quite a while, would be significantly damaged in prestige, but they stand to gain benefits in the process.
One of those benefits is that they would no longer be obliged to respond to Sadoryeon’s summons. While the core of their organization may remain intact, the official faction name of Odokmun would be disbanded.
With the Sokryeong Sect declaring a departure, the pressure on other factions regarding their leaders would increase, thus providing Odokmun with an excellent opportunity to escape that pressure.
Sadoryeon will teeter once again.
Though in any case, Odokmun will suffer significant losses, but I’m sure Odokmun was expecting to take on some losses given that the Imperial Army was involved.
If they decide to perform a shell removal, it’s best to clean up the evidence thoroughly, which would minimize the chance of seeking unnecessary revenge.
It’s an operation that, in various ways, truly justifies the term ‘brilliant maneuver.’
“I really want to one-shot take down all the drug lords, but… it won’t be easy to uproot them all at once.”
“Good thinking.”
I nodded again as I assessed Hyeok Gi-rin anew. What was Hyeok Gi-rin like when we first met? He was righteous and straightforward, but short on cunning plans. What did he do when he was under pressure from Hwang Geum-seon, trying to expel Yeo Il-ye?
He went to every single member of the Sacheon Merchant Association to sway them.
While both Black Cat and I were impressed by Hyeok Gi-rin’s demeanor,
None of the top-tier merchants he’d met ended up siding with him.
In a desperate situation, he resorted to actions that yielded no pragmatic results.
But now, Hyeok Gi-rin had matured, possessing his own thoughts and the ability to derive refined strategies using his abilities.
Is this the power of… the Imperial Palace?
Even Hyeok Gi-rin, who was innocent to the world, had turned into a master of political maneuvers because of the Imperial Palace.
Truly frightening.
“First, we will pressure Odokmun using circumstantial evidence. Naturally, Odokmun will vehemently deny any connection to drugs. At that point, I intend to identify a convenient production site to strike. I anticipate the Odokmun members at that site will resist fiercely, so I would appreciate your assistance.”
“Of course.”
I examined the map that Hyeok Gi-rin laid out. It was a map showing the suspected drug production sites or warehouses of Odokmun.
“Hmm?”
“Is there something on your mind?”
“Well, it’s not that exactly. However, if there isn’t a special reason for picking a particular site, how about this one? Again, this choice is personal with some biases mixed in, so if there’s a reason to choose another location without hesitation, please do so.”
Upon seeing the spot I indicated, Hyeok Gi-rin nodded.
“It doesn’t seem like a bad location. Unless there’s a specific issue, let’s target this area then. It seems there’s something interesting there?”
“Um… how should I put it?”
I scratched my head contemplating what to say.
“There’s a chance to acquire something unknown.”
The location I had chosen as our objective had a device that could spin and draw a lot!
