The next day.
Moyong Yeon-hwa surveyed the gathered branch clans and martial artists.
Naturally, their expressions were grim, having been summoned for unpleasant reasons, and there were quite a few martial artists casting hostile glances at Moyong Mo, who stood behind Moyong Yeon-hwa.
“The atmosphere is downright tense,”
Moyong Chan-gyeong grumbled, and Moyong Yeon-hwa secretly agreed as her gaze shifted to the Master of the Faction and the senior members at the forefront.
“It certainly has been a while since we’ve all gathered in the same place.”
“It’s just that I’ve been busy with work. Yesterday’s commotion was regrettable.”
“I wonder why a senior member didn’t come out to see what was happening.”
“It was just the ruckus of common folks who haven’t practiced martial arts. I believed others could handle it sufficiently and only prepared for any potential emergencies.”
Moyong Yeon-hwa let out a light sigh and stepped back. After all, she didn’t think anything could be resolved through such light banter.
“Is everything prepared?”
“To your distinct request, all available personnel, except for the security forces, have been mobilized. I don’t understand why this many members are needed,” said the Master of the Faction with a hint of sarcasm, and Moyong Yeon-hwa inwardly agreed.
Even she thought it was excessive.
With numerous martial artists and branch clans, they were truly a massive group. It was too many for merely overseeing the mine inspection.
This wasn’t Moyong Yeon-hwa’s decision.
It was, in fact, a request made by Ho Cheon-an just yesterday.
“Have I stirred unnecessary suspicion?”
Since they were explicitly asked to withdraw members from the faction, wouldn’t that have made the faction suspicious enough to strengthen security?
Seeing the pale-faced Master of the Faction, Moyong Jin-gyeong, she felt a sense of unease, but she quickly calmed her mind by recalling Ho Cheon-an’s face.
“He must have had reasoning behind this request.”
“Let’s set off.”
“Alright.”
The multitude of martial artists began to vacate the Moyong Clan and head towards the Shengsu Faction.
*
Once the commotion had spread through the faction, it eventually quieted down.
It seemed that the mine inspection team, led by Moyong Yeon-hwa, had finally set off.
I wondered if the outcome of the mine inspection, with all the faction members participating, would unfold as I expected.
If so, it would be quite a bitter story.
Shaking my head to dispel such thoughts, I silently landed and rubbed my waist.
“Ugh…”
After more than half a day of hiding in various places and observing, my head started to throb.
The pressure of infiltration was one thing, but having not taken a moment’s rest since sneaking into the Shengsu Faction was enough to accumulate fatigue.
I recalled Moyong Yeon-hwa.
The transformation from a graceful lady to a fox-like figure.
Her choice was truly exceptional. Acting like I was enthralled by her allowed me to justify my peculiar actions.
But that wasn’t all.
Due to the image of a fool easily swayed by a woman, I was able to roam around without attracting suspicion.
I had no complaints about her act.
Even I, who knew she was acting, was left suspicious about whether she was genuinely enjoying the situation with her remarkable performance.
The concern was the fatigue caused by the act.
To synchronize with Moyong Yeon-hwa, I had to genuinely get swept up, and the exertion involved in that was beyond my imagining.
Moreover, I had to investigate the Shengsu Faction, so it wasn’t surprising that mental fatigue had accumulated.
Being a pretend lover wasn’t easy.
Acting like actual lovers, I was curious how real lovers managed to live like that.
As I shook my head, a booming voice rang out from outside.
“The Master of the Faction has vacated the premises! You are already aware of the emergency security status, correct? Absolutely do not let your guard down!”
“Yes!”
The martial artists, now galvanized, replied.
I leisurely moved my feet, listening to the cries of the martial artists from a distance.
Regardless of how tight the security became, I was already deep within the security zone established by the Moyong Clan’s martial artists.
When is a house in its most disorderly state?
The answer is just before a vacant spot.
The senior members of the Shengsu Faction were in the same boat.
With them having to be away the next day, there had to be plenty they would need to hide, right?
They had to boost the security and clean up any clues that could hint at any intruders, discuss how to handle the current situation, and prepare for the events of tomorrow…
It must have been a chaotic half-day for them.
Naturally, the surroundings would become unsettled, with people coming and going for reports, and since personnel provided security, it was inevitable that there would be some confusion, creating a natural opportunity for infiltration.
Did anyone expect me to choose a sneaky approach among the personnel of the Shengsu Faction?
Well, I can’t be sure, but I didn’t think so.
The approach I took required a solid understanding of the current situation within the Shengsu Faction.
In truth, infiltrating already necessitated thorough intelligence of the target area beforehand.
When bolstering external defenses, thoroughly scouting and confirming the security zone’s interior is a fundamental practice.
However, I knew for certain that such scouting wouldn’t take place.
Over a week of investigation, who had I encountered the most? Naturally, it was the martial artists of Shengsu Faction.
Yet, amidst all those encounters with the regular martial artists, I hadn’t caught even a hint of the senior members’ schemes.
Rumors naturally spread if there’s even a shred of clue.
Yet among those within the faction, the martial artists had no inkling of what the senior members were up to, indicating a complete cutoff of communication between them.
For instance, they might have created a blank zone that the martial artists couldn’t access.
That blank zone was exactly near the senior members’ lodgings.
Only the outskirts were thoroughly secured, while the security measures inside were practically just for show.
I couldn’t believe they would simply leave such a vital area open for inspection just because they were absent for merely one day.
As I had anticipated, the Shengsu Faction chose to maintain this blank zone.
Of course, there hadn’t been a total absence of threats.
Perhaps it was due to today’s events, but the branch clans had been bustling in and out last night.
Several meticulous members of the branch clans may have sensed unease and passed by the blank area for a look.
However, if a single martial artist could identify an intruder, then why would a thorough security system and numerous personnel be necessary?
In such vast grounds, it was far too easy to find a hiding spot and evade detection.
And within that process, there had been a harvest.
Thanks to the branch clan members passing by here, I had gotten a good grasp of where the Master of the Faction and the senior members were planning their activities.
“Phew.”
The building, presumed to be where the senior members were scheming, felt like a kind of rest area. It had the ambiance of a quiet study perfect for solitary relaxation.
In normal circumstances, I figured one of the members from the branch clan would have been guarding, pretending to take a break.
After confirming no one was inside, I began searching the building when I easily located a hidden area.
Beneath a rug, there was a passage leading downstairs.
As I peered down the staircase, which descended several levels deep, I felt a surge of tension.
Even though Moyong Yeon-hwa held legitimacy in this, it was entirely possible to leave one or two members behind. Yet somehow, the fact that there was no one standing guard at such a critical place and I could easily find the entrance was troubling.
Entering might be simple, but escaping would be tricky.
Well, I had sufficiently prepared for danger.
I drew my sword and heightened my Qi as I stepped down the stairs into the depths. I expected traps from the start, yet not a single pebble or arrow came flying during the descent.
As I entered the underground space, I widened my eyes at the sight before me.
The scene was just as I had anticipated!
Before my eyes lay the Training Hall!
“Just as I suspected.”
In fact, it was all too obvious that the Master of the Faction and the senior members were secretly honing their martial arts.
What else could martial artists do when they were holed up avoiding outside activity?
It could only be practicing martial arts.
I focused my internal energy and began inspecting the shadowy traces within the Training Hall.
There was nothing wrong with the Master of the Faction and senior members practicing their martial arts.
What posed a potential problem was how much and what kind of martial arts they were training in.
I didn’t know how they had acquired these martial arts, but one thing was certain; their origins weren’t straightforward.
If they were legitimate, there would be no need to dodge around like this.
“Whoa~”
As I examined the deep marks scattered about the Training Hall, I couldn’t help but whistle.
Those traces marked deep grooves, indicating that the martial arts being trained had to be powerful. From the patterns, it seemed like they were following a martial arts method, but…
“Is there really a martial arts method from the Rising Styles that bears such destructive power?”
I scratched my head, but decided to let my suspicions remain as just that—suspicions. It was too uncertain to draw conclusions based only on marks.
More importantly, something had been gnawing at my nerves since a while ago.
The smell of blood.
A faint odor of blood wafted through the area.
If this Training Hall was used for four people’s practice, having some scent of blood wouldn’t be unusual. It is entirely possible to bleed from a heated match, and given the hall’s depth underground, that scent would remain trapped.
However.
There was a contradiction in the premise that the Master of the Faction and the senior members would meet and refine martial arts in a hidden place.
Is Shengsu Faction just your average wealthy family? They were among the wealthiest of the wealthy, making money hand over fist in the mining industry.
For them, constructing a hidden Training Hall beneath their own lodgings where they could practice without any outsiders peering in would be easy.
So why build such a suspicious space instead of just constructing an underground Training Hall at their lodgings?
There must’ve been some necessity behind it.
This Training Hall was but a veil to conceal that necessity.
As I thoroughly examined every nook of the Training Hall, another secret entrance was revealed.
Following the shape of what looked like a beast’s den, I began moving inside as the distinctive odor of beast and blood intensified.
I was convinced that the secrets of the Shengsu Faction, hidden with multiple layers of concealment, would lie ahead in that large chamber.
And upon entering that chamber, I encountered.
“Haha… So you are the little rat.”
A blood person with crimson eyes.
And!
A massive rat beast!
