When Jo Il-hyeon arrived at his office, he took a seat. His heart was still unsettled, but he slowly regulated his breathing and calmed his mind.
Today, Jo In and Jo Seol-yeon were also at the Henan Escort Agency. If something were to happen to both the Jo family estate and the escort agency at the same time, the situation would be far more dangerous.
As Jo Il-hyeon was deep in thought, he sensed movement outside. When he lifted his head, a hurried voice reached his ears.
"C–Clan Head!"
It was Sama Cheol's voice. Jo Il-hyeon quickly replied.
"Come in."
Sama Cheol entered the room. The urgency on his face was unmistakable.
"Clan Head, Ma Yuk just returned."
"Ma Yuk? You mean the escort leader responsible for this mission to the Tang family? And he's already back?"
"The escort was attacked by someone! All the escorts were killed, and only Ma Yuk barely survived."
Jo Il-hyeon's eyes widened. He had felt an ominous premonition all along—this must have been the reason.
"How could such a thing happen… Then what about the culprit?"
"They say the culprit's identity is still unknown. According to Ma Yuk, the cargo must have been something extremely important."
"That would make sense. That's why thirty elite Tang family warriors were sent along. But even so, with Tang warriors present, to think the escorts were completely wiped out…"
"Ten of the Tang family warriors also died. They say that if not for a wagon driver named Dan Hyung-u, everyone would have been slaughtered."
"Dan Hyung-u?"
At that name, Jo Il-hyeon immediately thought of Jo Seol-yeon.
"Now that you mention it, that boy did say he was going along. But what do you mean they survived because of him? Is he some kind of incredible master?"
"So it seems. They say he dealt with the culprits in an instant—ones even the Tang warriors were struggling against. He must be an extraordinary master."
Even as he spoke, Sama Cheol wore a slightly incredulous expression. Since he hadn't witnessed it himself, he couldn't be certain. And the idea that Dan Hyung-u was a master was truly hard to believe.
How could a dullard who hadn't even mastered the Three Talents Sword Art suddenly become a great master overnight?
"I can't make sense of it. In any case, since all the escorts are dead, we'll need to send more. What did the Tang family say?"
"They said they'll continue the escort with just the wagon drivers. Fortunately, one escort named Hyeong-pyo survived and is leading the mission. And all the wagon drivers are unharmed."
"The wagon drivers are unharmed? When all the escorts were killed? Doesn't that strike you as strange?"
"It seems Dan Hyung-u moved to stop the culprits when they tried to attack the wagon drivers."
At Sama Cheol's reply, Jo Il-hyeon shook his head slowly. It was hard to understand.
He found it difficult to believe that someone would stay idle while the escorts were being slaughtered, only to act when the wagon drivers were targeted.
"Still, at least that's some relief. Make sure the families of the fallen escorts are compensated generously."
"I will do so."
As he listened to Sama Cheol's answer, Jo Il-hyeon's expression darkened further. The ominous feeling pressing on his chest only grew stronger.
"This is strange."
"What do you mean, Clan Head?"
"I have a very bad feeling. What are Seol-yeon and In doing right now?"
"They're probably already in bed by now. Seol-yeon made such a fuss that In must be a bit worn out too, haha."
As Sama Cheol gave a bitter smile, Jo Il-hyeon nodded.
"Still, there's nothing that can be done. Neither you nor In did anything wrong. Seol-yeon will understand eventually."
Even as he said that, the idea that Dan Hyung-u was an extraordinary master kept nagging at Jo Il-hyeon.
If he had defeated enemies that even Tang warriors couldn't handle, he truly would be an incredible master—one who far surpassed himself.
'No. Ma Yuk must have exaggerated in the heat of the moment.'
Jo Il-hyeon decided to let it go. Sama Cheol did the same.
It made no sense that such a master would obediently work as a wagon driver without a word of complaint, no matter how ignorant of the world he might be.
"Hm? Didn't you hear something just now?"
As Jo Il-hyeon suddenly lifted his head and spoke, Sama Cheol looked puzzled. But soon, the color drained from Sama Cheol's face as well. He too heard a suppressed groan.
"This—don't tell me!"
Jo Il-hyeon leapt to his feet and kicked the door open. Now, screams were erupting from all directions.
"C–Clan Head!"
Sama Cheol followed after him, calling out. Jo Il-hyeon stopped for a moment, lost in thought, then turned back and looked straight at Sama Cheol. His eyes were utterly cold.
"Listen carefully to what I say."
"Yes, Clan Head."
"Return to the escort agency immediately. Take In and Seol-yeon with you and leave. Joining the escort mission heading to the Tang family wouldn't be a bad idea either. In any case, I'm entrusting everything afterward to you."
At Jo Il-hyeon's words, Sama Cheol's eyes widened in shock.
"Clan Head!"
"There's no time. Hurry! Ah—and inform the three people from the Martial Alliance to run. Make sure they remember my words. I'm counting on you."
As soon as he finished speaking, Jo Il-hyeon hurled himself toward the direction where the screams were the loudest.
Sama Cheol hesitated for a moment as he watched him, then turned away. He had decided to follow Jo Il-hyeon's orders.
It wasn't particularly difficult for Sama Cheol to escape the Jo family estate. However, he couldn't identify who the culprits were.
To slip out unnoticed, Sama Cheol used a secret passage. Thanks to that, he managed to escape quietly, though he couldn't help worrying about what would become of the Jo family estate.
Even so, Sama Cheol acted without hesitation. He returned to the escort agency, woke the sleeping Jo In and Jo Seol-yeon, and led them out.
Coincidentally, the three people from the Martial Alliance were also staying at the escort agency, so they were able to flee together. They left Heochang before the darkness faded.
"Uncle, what on earth is happening for you to act like this?"
Even at Jo In's question, Sama Cheol remained silent, merely pushing his lightness skill onward. They had already passed far beyond Heochang, yet Sama Cheol still didn't slow down, and Jo In and Jo Seol-yeon had no choice but to follow.
Jo In and Jo Seol-yeon aside, Paeng Cheol-yeong was nearly bursting with frustration from the questions filling his chest. The same was true for Namgung Jin and Paeng Mi-ryeong.
Before they knew it, the six of them had entered a fairly large town. They went into a suitable inn.
Under normal circumstances, Jo Seol-yeon and Paeng Mi-ryeong would have been given separate rooms, but today they were not. All six stayed in one large room.
Jo Seol-yeon and Jo In couldn't hide their puzzled expressions.
"Uncle."
The moment they sat down, Jo In called out to Sama Cheol. Only then did Sama Cheol let out a low sigh.
"Phew… I'll tell you now. The escort mission was attacked and suffered heavy losses."
"What?"
Jo In and Jo Seol-yeon stared at Sama Cheol in shock, eyes wide open. Paeng Cheol-yeong and the other two did the same.
But soon, Paeng Mi-ryeong wore a puzzled expression. An escort being attacked was a matter for the Jo family estate or the Henan Escort Agency. It wasn't something that warranted dragging them out in the middle of the night.
"So I decided to go there myself."
At Sama Cheol's words, Jo In asked,
"Then bringing us along was…?"
"It was the Clan Head's order to take you with me."
Only then did Jo In nod. This was clearly meant as another learning experience.
Of course, not all his questions had been answered. But the atmosphere made it difficult to press further, so he decided to leave it for now.
"In any case, we need to hurry as much as possible and catch up to the escort mission."
At Sama Cheol's words, Paeng Mi-ryeong's eyes gleamed, and she nodded.
"We should return to the Martial Alliance from here."
At Paeng Mi-ryeong's words, Paeng Cheol-yeong and Namgung Jin were utterly taken aback. The situation itself was already confusing, but Paeng Mi-ryeong's action swept aside such minor confusion entirely.
"Mi-ryeong! How could you—!"
Paeng Cheol-yeong shouted in agitation, barely able to finish his sentence. Namgung Jin didn't speak, but he looked like he wanted to shout just the same. Yet Sama Cheol replied calmly, his expression unchanged.
"I think the same. You should return to the Martial Alliance now. From here on, this is a matter for our Jo family estate and the Henan Escort Agency."
At Sama Cheol's words, Paeng Cheol-yeong and Namgung Jin's mouths fell open. Jo In also gaped in shock. None of them could say anything; they could only listen to Sama Cheol's continued words.
"That's why I deliberately didn't rent separate rooms. I'd like you to leave now."
It was an unmistakable dismissal—blunt to the point of rudeness. Yet Paeng Mi-ryeong rose from her seat with a gentle smile.
"Then, as you say, we'll be on our way."
When Paeng Mi-ryeong made the decision just like that, Paeng Cheol-yeong was flustered. He wanted to shout something, but faced with Sama Cheol's cold expression, he couldn't contain his resentment and sprang to his feet.
In the end, the three from the Martial Alliance left the inn. Sama Cheol let out a heavy sigh as he watched them go.
"U–Uncle, why in the world…?"
At Jo In's words, Sama Cheol did not answer.
"Let's rest for now. We have a long road ahead."
Sama Cheol lay down on the bed. Jo In had no choice but to lie down as well and try to sleep.
"Mi-ryeong! What on earth are you doing?!"
The moment they left the inn, Paeng Cheol-yeong shouted as he chased after Paeng Mi-ryeong, who had already activated her lightness skill. Paeng Mi-ryeong glanced at him sidelong and spoke as if it were no big deal.
"I just did what Elder Sama told me to do."
"What did you say?"
"He told me to do it that way through voice transmission."
At Paeng Mi-ryeong's unexpected answer, Paeng Cheol-yeong was greatly startled. Namgung Jin was no less shocked.
"What do you mean by that, Miss Paeng?"
"They said the Jo family estate was attacked. We need to hurry back to the Martial Alliance and report this. Judging by the way Elder Sama spoke, it sounded extremely dangerous, but we won't know anything for certain until some time has passed and we can confirm it."
Paeng Mi-ryeong's words were shocking. Paeng Cheol-yeong and Namgung Jin closed their mouths and silently activated their lightness skills. The fact that the Jo family estate had been attacked was that astonishing.
"There's no way the Jo family estate would fall… right?"
"Who knows. That's something no one can be sure of—except those directly involved."
Paeng Mi-ryeong's cold reply drifted quietly into the night sky.
The escort party, now having entered Shaanxi, was passing through a village near Xi'an. Though not large, it was a village that had everything one might need. Still, the group passed it by and prepared to camp out in a suitable spot nearby.
Tang Cheol-gi still wore a confused expression. Tang Ho-gwan left him alone.
Mental confusion, too, could be one of the paths that broke down barriers and led to a new realm. In Tang Ho-gwan's eyes, this was an opportunity that had come to Tang Cheol-gi.
After glancing once at Tang Cheol-gi, who sat lost in thought, Tang Ho-gwan turned his head to look for Dan Hyung-u.
Dan Hyung-u was with the wagon drivers, his expression as unreadable as ever.
"What a truly strange man."
Traveling with Dan Hyung-u, Tang Ho-gwan had discovered something genuinely surprising. Dan Hyung-u always stood at night. He had never once seen him lie down or even sit.
If they had stopped at an inn, he might have seen the rare sight of Dan Hyung-u sitting while eating—but during an escort mission, they almost never stayed at inns.
Naturally, this time was no different. They always camped outdoors, and meals were hastily eaten on the road. Dan Hyung-u, of course, ate on the road as well—standing.
Eating like that was one thing, but not sleeping at night was something Tang Ho-gwan found hard to comprehend. A person couldn't survive without sleep. And yet, here Dan Hyung-u was, doing exactly that.
Strictly speaking, he was sleeping while standing—but Tang Ho-gwan had no way of knowing that.
Of course, Dan Hyung-u truly could endure perfectly well without sleep. In fact, sleep didn't affect his body at all. Sleeping now was merely a habit.
"Still, it's frustrating. It'd be nice to have a drink or two in a village…"
Tang Ho-gwan smacked his lips. It had been far too long since he'd last had alcohol. Of course, with such an important matter at hand, he had no intention of drinking.
After sitting for a long while, Tang Ho-gwan looked at Tang Cheol-gi and flinched. Tang Cheol-gi's expression was growing increasingly lifeless.
"Tsk, tsk. To fall into heart demons over something like this…"
Tang Ho-gwan stood and approached Tang Cheol-gi.
"You fool! Pull yourself together."
Tang Ho-gwan scolded him in a low voice as he sat beside him, placing a hand lightly on his back and channeling inner energy into him.
Tang Cheol-gi snapped back to his senses in an instant.
"Hah—! U-Uncle."
"Good. You're back to yourself. Be more careful from now on."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Tang Cheol-gi bowed respectfully. That truly had been dangerous. If Tang Ho-gwan hadn't intervened, the consequences would have been severe.
"Endure just a little longer. When we reach Xi'an, let's rest for a bit. There's a branch family there, so we can at least have a drink."
At Tang Ho-gwan's words, Tang Cheol-gi lowered his head in embarrassment. He was deeply grateful for his uncle's consideration.
"I'm sorry for causing you concern."
"There's no need to apologize. Everyone passes through such things. Don't worry too much—I believe you'll overcome it splendidly."
Tang Ho-gwan truly believed that. Tang Cheol-gi was an exceptionally talented individual.
While Tang Cheol-gi and Tang Ho-gwan spoke, the remaining Tang family warriors handled the surroundings on their own, set up night watches, and began to rest.
The wagon drivers did the same.
Dinner had been dealt with roughly; all that remained was to conserve strength for the forced march the next day.
Hyeong-pyo sat beside Dan Hyung-u, watching the wagon drivers settle in to rest. He glanced sideways at Dan Hyung-u. As always, Dan Hyung-u was standing.
"You're always standing."
At Hyeong-pyo's remark, Dan Hyung-u looked down at him and nodded.
"It's comfortable."
Hearing that, Hyeong-pyo smiled faintly. To be honest, since the previous attack, it had been difficult for him to face Dan Hyung-u.
The sight of Dan Hyung-u ruthlessly eliminating enemies had been chilling—even for someone as experienced as Hyeong-pyo.
That sense of dread had blocked his path to approaching Dan Hyung-u. But enough time had passed now, and he could approach him again.
Of course, none of the other wagon drivers approached Dan Hyung-u. No—rather than wouldn't, they couldn't.