Guanyin Manor – 1
"Elder, we will arrive at Guanyin Manor soon."
The youngest elder of the Emei Sect, Elder Gyeoljin, only gave a single nod at her disciple Jeong-hye's words.
Jeong-hye knew her master's mood was not good, but as the youngest among the ten disciples included in this investigation unit, she had no choice but to carefully ask again:
"Elder, what do you intend to do once we arrive?"
Elder Gyeoljin shot a sharp glance at Jeong-hye and snapped back with a question:
"What do you mean, what do I intend to do? When visiting another sect, isn't it proper etiquette to first pay formal respects?"
At that, Jeong-hye looked flustered and asked again:
"B-but… what if that place truly is the den of Blood Cultists who kidnapped Senior Sister Jeong-in? If that's the case…"
They had come to investigate Guanyin Manor because of the contents of a letter Jeong-yeon had sent.
So the idea of entering with formal greetings was incomprehensible to Jeong-hye.
But Elder Gyeoljin scowled and shouted at her disciple's protest:
"Has it even been confirmed that Guanyin Manor is truly a Blood Cult hideout?! To suspect our long-standing ally on an unverified rumor—can you still call yourself a disciple of the Great Emei Sect?!"
"But Elder, we came here to investigate them…!"
"Silence! You still don't realize your mistake and dare to prattle on! When we return to the main sect, I'll report this to the Sect Leader and have you confined for a month!"
Jeong-hye bit her lip.
Things were unfolding exactly as her master's rival, Elder Gyeolun, had feared.
That was why Elder Gyeolun had insisted on coming herself.
A few days earlier, the letter Jeong-yeon sent had shaken the leadership of the Emei Sect.
The report claimed that Jeong-in, one of Emei's most brilliant young disciples, had been kidnapped by Blood Cultists.
But when Sect Leader Gyeolhan read it, she tried to dismiss it outright.
However, Jeong-yeon hadn't only sent the letter to the Sect Leader.
On Seonu Jin's advice, she had also sent one to her own master, Elder Gyeola. And so, in front of all the elders, Elder Gyeola was able to expose the Sect Leader's attempt to bury the matter.
"To ignore a report that one of our disciples has been kidnapped and her life unknown—are you truly fit to call yourself Sect Leader of Emei?!"
Sect Leader Gyeolhan had been thrown into extreme embarrassment.
She had never imagined Jeong-yeon sent duplicate letters.
But Gyeolhan, who had risen to power solely through political skill, did not falter. She boldly claimed it was too absurd to even mention.
"Jeong-in, who was supposed to be under disciplinary confinement, sneaked out and now claims she was kidnapped? By Blood Cultists disguised as the Justice Alliance? That's clearly just an excuse to escape punishment! Am I supposed to believe such nonsense?!"
Many were outraged at her disregard for her disciple's safety.
But Gyeolhan never cared about opposition, and as always, it seemed her authority would simply override everything.
Had there been no evidence, the matter would indeed have ended there.
But Elder Gyeola had evidence.
Seonu Jin had given half of a torn Blood Cult manual to Sak Muhun and the other half to Jeong-yeon, who had enclosed it in the letter.
So when Elder Gyeola presented the Blood Cult manual, she could confidently rebuke the Sect Leader:
"Absurd, you say? And what of this Blood Cult manual included with the letter?"
"…What?!"
In the end, even Sect Leader Gyeolhan had no choice but to agree that an investigation was necessary.
At the very least, the discovery of Blood Cult writings was undeniable.
The next problem was selecting the investigation team.
Elders Gyeola and Gyeolun—both rivals of the Sect Leader—had volunteered to personally lead the inquiry.
But Sect Leader Gyeolhan declared that such matters were best suited for the younger generation to gain experience, appointing Elder Gyeoljin—her own ally—as leader of the investigation unit.
And that was how this situation came to be.
So that's it… Elder Gyeoljin must have been ordered to only pretend to investigate. But why? With Blood Cult remnants discovered and Senior Sister Jeong-in kidnapped, why would the Sect Leader give such an order?
Jeong-hye could not understand.
Worse, she didn't know what she could do.
She felt utterly powerless.
To her shock, Elder Gyeoljin even sent a formal visiting note to Guanyin Manor, announcing that the Emei Sect would be paying a courtesy call the next day.
Jeong-hye was left speechless.
No… I have to do something.
She spent the entire night agonizing over her options.
The next morning, Elder Gyeoljin led the ten disciples, including Jeong-hye, to Guanyin Manor.
The front gates stood wide open.
Lined up on either side to "welcome" them were about thirty warriors.
At the center stepped forth a middle-aged man, who cupped his fist and greeted them.
"Welcome! To think you would come all this way from Emei—what a journey you must have had!"
It was barely a day's travel, so the "journey" was no hardship.
But at his polite words, Elder Gyeoljin beamed and returned the courtesy.
"Not at all. For you to show us such warm hospitality despite our uninvited visit, I am deeply grateful. I am Gyeoljin of the Emei Sect."
The man also bowed respectfully.
"Ah! So you are Elder Gyeoljin! I have long heard of your reputation. To meet you in person is truly an honor! I am Jin Won-guk of Guanyin Manor."
"So it is you, Hero Jin! I too have heard of your great name. What an honor to meet you."
Though she had never once heard of the name Jin Won-guk, Elder Gyeoljin smiled warmly and returned the greeting.
She then glanced back at Jeong-hye, as if to say: Do you see? This is the conduct befitting righteous sects.
But Jeong-hye didn't look back.
She had already made up her mind the previous night.
Stepping forward, she saluted.
"It is an honor to meet you. I am Jeong-hye of the Emei Sect. Once, I received great kindness from Manor Lord Seo. Might I pay my respects to him?"
Elder Gyeoljin glared furiously at Jeong-hye's sudden intrusion, but with others watching, she could not scold her outright.
Jin Won-guk gave a troubled smile.
"So you had ties to our Manor Lord. Unfortunately, he is away at the moment. Had we known of your visit, he would surely have awaited you."
The Manor Lord is absent?
Jeong-hye's gaze sharpened.
But she kept her smile as she pressed again.
"Ah, I see. That is unfortunate. Then might I meet with Chief Manager Choi or Leader Yang? I very much wished to see them as well."
At this, Jin Won-guk's eyes flickered ever so slightly.
Again he forced a smile.
"Ah… regretfully, they too are away. But when they return, I will be sure to…"
At that instant, Jeong-hye suddenly drew her sword and struck at him.
Clang!
"W-what?!"
Jin Won-guk managed to retreat just in time, evading the lightning-fast strike.
Elder Gyeoljin, who had already been scowling at Jeong-hye, was utterly shocked.
"Jeong-hye, you wretch! What are you—?!"
But Jeong-hye spoke first, leveling her sword at Jin Won-guk and shouting:
"Blood Cult fiend, you've been caught! Guanyin Manor has no such person as Leader Yang!"
Elder Gyeoljin, startled, turned toward Jin Won-guk in confusion.
For an instant his expression twisted—then he began to laugh lowly.
"Hehehehe… so be it. If you had remained ignorant, you might have left here unharmed. Blame your own cleverness."
At his words, Elder Gyeoljin's face drained of color.
Could it be true?
Then…
Jin Won-guk shouted:
"Kill them!"
The thirty "welcoming" warriors instantly dropped their polite facades, their faces twisting into savage glee as they rushed in.
"Hahaha! Kill the old hag and take only the young ones!"
"Fool! Only keep the pretty ones alive! This place will be abandoned anyway!"
The Emei investigation team numbered only eleven, against more than thirty enemies.
And their disadvantage was not only in numbers.
"Die, old hag!"
"You dare?!"
"Impudent!"
As soon as the fight began, three warriors charged at Elder Gyeoljin.
Each of their sabers faintly radiated blade force.
All three were clearly peak-level experts at the entry stage of mastery.
"Uhaaa!"
"Chaap!"
Cha-cha-chaeng! Cha-chaeng!
Though Elder Gyeoljin was an elder of the Emei Sect who had surpassed seventy years of cultivation and attained the peak realm, even she was forced into defense under the simultaneous assault of three peak-level warriors.
"You wretched Blood Cult fiends!"
Gritting her teeth, Elder Gyeoljin desperately blocked their ferocious attacks, but the three only burst out in cruel laughter as they pressed her harder.
"Wahahaha! What should we call you, old hag?!"
"Old and ugly too! Khahaha!"
"That's it! Let's call her the ugly old hag! Kihihihi!"
At their vile mockery, Elder Gyeoljin's face flushed crimson, ready to burst.
"You filthy bastards!"
Her reaction only made the Blood Cult warriors exchange glances. The way they looked at her was like wolves toying with their prey.
Meanwhile, Jin Won-guk, who seemed to be in charge, didn't rush. Hands clasped behind his back, he strolled leisurely toward Jeong-hye as though on a walk.
Yet Jeong-hye, sword drawn and pointed at him, could only retreat step by step.
The crushing aura radiating from his body was suffocating—far beyond what she could withstand.
There was no doubt—he was a master she could never hope to match.
With a sinister smile, Jin Won-guk said:
"I like you. I really do. Such cleverness pleases me. Don't worry. I'll kill the others, but you… I'll keep you alive."
Jeong-hye swallowed hard, then clenched her teeth and shouted:
"If we don't return, the Emei Sect elites will descend upon this place! The Justice Alliance already knows this is a Blood Cult den! Do you think you'll escape alive?!"
Jin Won-guk chuckled mockingly.
"Emei elites? Do you really believe that? Your Sect Leader seems to care more about the tribute we provide than about her disciples' lives."
Tribute?!
Jeong-hye's eyes shook violently.
Could that really be why the Sect Leader had always favored the Justice Alliance?
Jin Won-guk sneered and pressed on:
"Look at the evidence. If we were truly suspected, would your sect have sent only a handful of people? And even announced your visit with a calling card?"
His ridicule pierced her heart, leaving her unable to refute him.
Satisfied with her silence, Jin Won-guk slowly scanned the battlefield.
Everywhere his gaze fell, Emei disciples were being struck down.
Puhak!
"Aaagh!"
"Senior Sister!"
"Kahahaha! Don't kill that one—take her alive!"
"No, stop! Aaaah!"
Jeong-hye could only watch it unfold.
It was despair itself.
But she clenched her teeth once more.
This was exactly as she had foreseen. And so, she would bear the result.
She had already known—if these were truly Blood Cultists, things would end like this.
What could Elder Gyeoljin, the weakest among the elders, and ten disciples possibly do?
Her only purpose had been to reveal the Blood Cult's presence, even at the cost of her life.
With casualties this severe, even a corrupt leadership would be forced to launch a real investigation.
But Jin Won-guk, reading her expression, smirked and said:
"Do you think your sacrifice will let them catch us? Dream on. Once you're gone, we'll burn Guanyin Manor to the ground and vanish. Do you really think your Emei Sect could track us?"
He still didn't strike.
Instead, he seemed to savor the conversation, as if crushing her spirit with words brought him greater pleasure.
Jeong-hye glared fiercely and shouted:
"You came from the Justice Alliance! Even if you run here, you can't—!"
But Jin Won-guk cut her off smoothly:
"Do you have proof?"
Her tongue froze.
"…What?"
"I said, do you have proof? Evidence we came from the Justice Alliance? Evidence it's a Blood Cult nest?"
"…"
There was the Blood Cult manual, but she did not mention it.
Jin Won-guk smiled in satisfaction.
"Then let me tell you how this will play out. You'll vanish. Your Sect Leader, Elder Gyeolhan, may send another investigation. Perhaps even against the Justice Alliance. But there will be no evidence. And Gyeolhan will never press them—she's taken too much from us already. She never imagined it would become her own weakness."
Jeong-hye's face darkened further.
She had long known the Sect Leader was not honorable.
But still, she had believed the pride of the Emei Sect would hold.
Never had she imagined such rot.
If the Justice Alliance had her in their grip, then perhaps the sect really would do nothing.
The thought grew heavier and heavier.
Jin Won-guk delivered the final blow:
"Your sacrifice will be meaningless. Emei will never strike the Justice Alliance. And do you know why we dared extend our reach into Emei's territory?"
Jeong-hye, her face pale and trembling, still looked at him with doubt.
Jin Won-guk's grin widened.
"Because we judged that Emei, as it is now, is ripe for the taking."
Jeong-hye trembled.
Somehow, she knew it was true. That her once-proud sect had rotted this far.
The despair in her eyes made Jin Won-guk smile in deep satisfaction.
At last, he moved.
Looking toward Elder Gyeoljin, who was still barely holding out alone, he said:
"The pleasant chat ends here. I'll subdue you, then deal with her."
He reached for Jeong-hye—
Fwoosh-shu-shu-shu!
Suddenly, throwing weapons flew from somewhere.
"Hm?"
Jin Won-guk jerked his hand back, forced to deflect them.
Tang! Tang! Tang-tang!
He spun toward the source, ready to shout—
"Who dares—?!"
At that instant—
Fwaak!
"Kyaaah?!"
"What—what is this?!"
Jin Won-guk froze.
In that brief moment, someone had shot forward with the speed of a thrown dagger and snatched Jeong-hye away.
It had to be a person, but they were so fast it was as though a gust of wind had ripped past.
It was Bi Sa-yeong.
With his supreme lightness skill, coupled with the explosive Stormstep, he had seized Jeong-hye from the battlefield.
As he carried her away, he shouted:
"I leave the rest to you!"
Jin Won-guk stared blankly at Bi Sa-yeong vanishing at impossible speed.
Leave the rest?
Then he sensed it—whirling around, he hastily drew his saber.
Chaeng!
And saw another figure rushing at him with blistering speed.
A strikingly handsome man, grinning fiercely.
"Of course!"
Jin Won-guk leapt back in alarm—just in time to see sword-light unfurl before him like radiant wings.
It was Seonu Jin.