Wolbok-dang.
The Wolbok-dang, the world’s number one information organization, often enjoys acquiring information through partnerships with local intel groups while keeping its true identity hidden.
Each Wolbok-dang member has exceptional information-gathering abilities, but collecting data across these vast martial realms with only a handful of members is simply impossible.
However, important information can’t be obtained without thorough investigation and careful unearthing.
That’s why Wolbok-dang members were stationed in key locations across the martial world.
Naturally, they had members stationed in Hubei, where the Pang family, Mu-dang Sect, and House of Jegal were based.
“Hmmm…”
Wolbok-dang member Moki lightly exhaled upon receiving a secret letter.
The letter tied to the foot of that secret messenger had the signature of the Lord. How long had it been since they heard that Ho Cheon-an was already back in Hubei?
One couldn’t help but marvel at the speed of the Bicheongmacha’s movement; it was beyond common sense.
“Looks like the Central Plains is rather cramped for someone who runs around so freely.”
Moki couldn’t help but smile at the memory of the Black Cat, who had awkwardly interacted with the Wolbok-dang members.
It had been several years since, but good memories never fade.
Moki thought of the person next to the Lord.
The individual who had caused several positive changes for the Black Cat.
Now fiercely renown as the Brain Knife Outcast, Ho Cheon-an.
While he had previously only gained fame for his immense power, following a duel, doubts had arisen due to his ongoing pursuit of Jeong Cheol, causing his reputation to acquire complex colors.
Of course, Moki held no interest in the current reputation surrounding Ho Cheon-an.
“Most of the Lord’s requests lately seem to be for that Ho Cheon-an fellow… Looks like I’ll finally have the chance to repay the favor for making good memories.”
Moki mumbled as he deciphered the secret letter.
And upon finishing the decoding, he couldn’t help but sigh.
The number ticket from the House of Jegal had been forged.
Immediately, the names of possible culprits flashed through Moki’s mind.
Even without evidence, how many madmen would commit such a lunatic act?
“Those guys have really crossed the line.”
How clueless could these outcasts be?
Moki quickly composed a reply.
While there was no physical proof, those rascals didn’t care for such things, so gathering evidence should be easy.
Flap!
The secret letter containing his response took flight.
—
“Ha! Ha! Haaaaaap!”
Shooosh! Shooooooosh!!
Ho Cheon-an’s unsheathed great sword sliced through the air fiercely, practicing his forms with the intent to cut down whatever was in front of him.
Upon arriving at the inn, the comrades watching Ho Cheon-an acting eccentric their expressions were puzzled as they turned to look at the Black Cat, who had just returned from sending a letter.
“Did the disciple eat rotten candies from a merchant?”
“What’s the matter?”
“Sigh…”
The Black Cat sighed and began to explain the situation.
Hearing the Black Cat’s explanation, Tang Do-yeon chuckled.
“Even monkeys fall from trees sometimes—who would’ve thought?”
“It’s unthinkable that the Honorable Person would be fooled by anyone else.”
Everyone chuckled lightly at the sight of Ho Cheon-an twirling his great sword.
“…Is that really the case?”
Until Hyeok Gi-rin spoke up with a significant tone.
Everyone turned to look at Hyeok Gi-rin.
“What do you mean?”
“I was right next to him yesterday when he bought a ticket from that Anonymous Merchant. Honestly, I thought it was odd. Even I found that guy suspicious, but Ho the Senior just bought the ticket without a second thought.”
“That’s…”
Maybe he just wasn’t thinking, or he was too indifferent.
The Black Cat thought that way.
Although it was well known that Ho Cheon-an was often naive, sometimes he showed such a clueless side that it seemed unbelievable he would be swindled.
However, the Black Cat couldn’t finish her thoughts.
The atmosphere among the group had suddenly turned serious.
‘What’s going on… Why is the mood like this?’
“Hmm… Is it possible that the disciple is pulling some trick again?”
“I believe so.”
As Hyeok Gi-rin’s statement received nods of agreement from the group, the Black Cat became flabbergasted.
“Wait… The Senior isn’t that scheming!”
“Yes. Of course, Ho the Senior didn’t intend to be scammed by that person. But he must have had some aim in that situation.”
What was he talking about?
People weren’t machines that plotted out every action like chess moves.
Sure, Hyeok Gi-rin’s confidence made the Black Cat think that way, but his insistence continued.
“Getting scammed or acquiring a ticket is not a bad situation either.”
“Huh?”
“Those swindlers have scammed using the House of Jegal’s name multiple times. They must have some backing. If we flush them out, the House of Jegal would have to respond.”
“That’s a fair point. If someone of the Honorable Person’s reputation were to deal with such matters in their domain, they at least owe an expression of gratitude.”
“Hmmm. Did the disciple intend to take advantage of that opportunity? A trickster like him must pounce on any opportunity he can find.”
Hyeok Gi-rin nodded, brimming with confidence.
“Perhaps that was in mind when he acted.”
“How very like Yongji Maeng, or should I say, very much like the Brain Knife Outcast I know.”
The Black Cat looked at her agreeing comrades and then gazed into the yard.
“Ahhh!!”
Shoooosh! Shoooosh!
Regular guests whispered among themselves, watching Ho Cheon-an swing his sword like a madman. Ho Cheon-an wasn’t paying any mind to the other guests at all.
‘No way, no matter how you slice it, he looks like a sucker who’s furious from being scammed.’
“Hmmm. So is waving that great sword and causing this racket a kind of justification?”
“Yes. Perhaps he intends to inform others that he’s very angry about being swindled?”
The Black Cat thought of the saying “interpreting dreams with a dream,” witnessing the spectacle unfold.
Flap, flap.
The sound of the return letter’s wings reached the Black Cat’s ears.
Had the reply already arrived?
Stepping outside, the Black Cat received the letter and nodded while evaluating the information.
“Is it here? Who is it?”
Flinching at the sight of Ho Cheon-an gripping his great sword, the Black Cat shivered before speaking.
“There’s no evidence yet, but apparently, some folks named the Brain Knife Trio have recently come here. It seems like they tried to settle in Sacheon but failed and are retreating, but they’ve been causing all sorts of trouble in the vicinity lately.”
Ho Cheon-an burst into laughter.
If only it were someone genuinely formidable, losing to them wouldn’t sting the pride as much, but getting scammed by these clueless rookies?
It was so absurd that it made him chuckle helplessly.
“Let’s go.”
“No…”
“Let’s go!”
“Still, without evidence, we should investigate first…”
“Let’s gooooooo!!”
The Black Cat looked at Ho Cheon-an, who didn’t get the hint, with exasperation in her eyes.
“Let’s take Miss Yeo Il-ye with us. That would be more helpful.”
Hyeok Gi-rin, the most recognized among the group, suggested that taking Miss Yeo Il-ye along would be best to spread the news that Ho Cheon-an had arrived in the House of Jegal.
Miss Yeo Il-ye nodded.
“Yes. Let’s go together.”
“Sounds good! Let’s set off immediately!”
“Well then, I suggest you go and stir things up. We’ll take care of the rest.”
Although Hyeok Gi-rin’s words held some significance, Ho Cheon-an, already fired up, charged ahead.
Watching this, Hyeok Gi-rin spoke up.
“Then I and Tang So-yeol will go and gather evidence. To forge that ticket, we’ll need the same type of paper; there must be a clue in the workshop supplying paper to the House of Jegal.”
Tang Do-yeon joined in.
“And since the Tang Clan and House of Jegal are closely connected, passing a casual greeting wouldn’t raise any eyebrows. We’ll convey that we’re here discreetly.”
“Alright. I’ll look for the victim of the forged ticket.”
“Hmm.”
The Black Cat watched her companions quickly divide their tasks, thinking.
Ho Cheon-an had simply been swindled and was engulfed in anger, but his actions were being misinterpreted as some grand scheme by his companions.
What kind of expression would Ho Cheon-an make when he returned, having pummeled the swindlers and received the results gathered by everyone?
Imagining that scene, the Black Cat chuckled.
Resolving the issue while also getting a look at that confused expression on Ho Cheon-an’s face was a win-win. There was no reason to oppose it.
“I’ll gather some information too.”
Ho Cheon-an’s group started their respective actions.
—
“Ha ha ha!”
“Ha ha ha!”
Two members of the Brain Knife Trio, Gu In-cheong and Ma Ga-rim, burst into loud laughter.
“Ha ha! Jackpot! What a success!”
“Hyung! Didn’t I tell you? This would surely be a lucrative venture!”
“Ha ha ha! I never imagined your keen insight would reach this level!”
The subordinates laughed along with Gu In-cheong and Ma Ga-rim, but there was a dark cloud of worry filling the mind of the Anonymous Merchant among them.
Suddenly appearing, Gu In-cheong and Ma Ga-rim began recruiting Hubei villains recklessly, believing in their power to earn money.
However, would simply squeezing the underground groups yield unexpected profits?
Soon, Gu In-cheong and Ma Ga-rim’s gazes shifted toward the area they had previously avoided.
That was the House of Jegal.
Specifically, they began to target those who came to request formation-related services from the House of Jegal.
While typically, those who could implement formations were not easy to mess with, most who came to the House of Jegal to request such services were merely errand runners, making it a viable target.
Using pickpockets, Gu In-cheong and Ma Ga-rim aimed to plunder those runners’ pockets.
After tasting money in this way, Gu In-cheong and Ma Ga-rim grew ravenous for real guests of the House of Jegal.
And the result? The forging of tickets.
The Anonymous Merchant squeezed his eyes shut.
Recently, the House of Jegal was mobilizing all forces to handle the surge in formation requests, thus had overlooked some petty issues…
But if the forging of tickets continued, the House of Jegal could not simply let that slide.
The Anonymous Merchant knew this well but felt powerless.
Disobeying Gu In-cheong and Ma Ga-rim’s orders or attempting to flee might result in death at their hands immediately.
“Hyung! Let’s make a good score here!”
“Yes! Though we parted ways with our big brother for unavoidable reasons, our Brain Knife Trio needs funds to come back together and restore our legacy!”
‘What a bunch of idiots.’
The Anonymous Merchant silently cursed.
Though he had no idea who their big brother was, he could easily guess that Gu In-cheong and Ma Ga-rim had scared him off with their stupidity.
“Ha ha ha!”
“Ha ha ha ha!”
Yet, despite such thoughts, the Anonymous Merchant had to smile brightly like the other villains dragged into the party.
“Fortune that never existed in Sacheon is finally opening up!”
“Yeah, you’re absolutely right.”
With a chest full of joy, Ma Ga-rim raised the pouch of coins filled with five golds, which belonged to Ho Cheon-an, the reason for their good mood and the reason for the feast.
“Who would’ve thought such a fool exists, one willing to throw five golds on a forged ticket!”
“Ha ha ha ha! Indeed! Such a sucker should be seated at a gambling table and have money milked from him for ages!”
“Oh!”
Ma Ga-rim’s eyes sparkled.
“Wait a minute, that fool must have more money in his pocket, right? Plus, he’ll be thinking about getting his losses back, so wouldn’t it be nice to dig into his background and set him at the gambling table?”
At Ma Ga-rim’s suggestion, Gu In-cheong slapped his knee.
“Wow… Your insight never ceases to amaze me!”
“Ha ha ha! You’re too generous with your praise!”
As Gu In-cheong and Ma Ga-rim burst into laughter, their gaze turned back to the Anonymous Merchant.
“Right! That fool! What does that fool look like?”
“That would be…”
At that moment, the Anonymous Merchant was dripping with cold sweat.
Boom!!
The door of the banquet hall exploded.
The debris of the door scattered as Hubei thugs screamed and collapsed, and Gu In-cheong and Ma Ga-rim jumped up in shock.
Zzzzzzzzzzzz!!!
At the same time, a tempest of might surged in from all directions, almost suffocating even the souls whose powers had not yet been honed.
Debris falling around him, hunched over in fear, the Anonymous Merchant’s eyes fell on two figures.
The man he saw yesterday and a woman wearing an eye patch.
“This is what he looks like, you fools.”
Ho Cheon-an and Miss Yeo Il-ye.
The two burst into the banquet hall.
