Murim Alliance's Mantong Bureau.

A place where Alliance members screamed as they were ground down by a chronic shortage of manpower.

Usually, this place was an endless commotion of flying documents and groaning Alliance members, but for some reason, it was currently submerged in silence.

Zhuge Somyeong pressed his fingers firmly against his throbbing head.

"Is there still no reply from the Taiyuan Branch?"

"... No, sir."

The Underworld factions around Sichuan kept squirming suspiciously.

They couldn't possibly be unaware that the Murim Alliance's nerves were sharply on edge due to the war with the Blood Cult.

Right now, the Underworld's actions were no different from heralding a full-scale war.

With the subjugation of the Blood Cult right before their eyes, it was a time when the Murim Alliance had to decide whether to take another step forward or turn their horses around to go slap the cheeks of the Underworld in Sichuan.

They had sent messages to the Taiyuan Branch multiple times to figure out what the Underworld Alliance was scheming, but in the end, no reply came.

TAP-TAP.

"Hmm..."

Lost in agony, Zhuge Somyeong tapped his desk with his fingers and organized his thoughts.

"There's still no word from the Cheonmok Pavilion either, right?"

"Yes, sir. The promised date has already passed, but... there is no word at all."

Carrier pigeons carried a high risk of getting lost.

Because of that, the recent cutoff of information was understandable, but seeing even the personnel of the Cheonmok Pavilion delayed in their response like this, he could only assume someone was intentionally blocking information from Shanxi Province.

"Could it be the Underworld Alliance?"

THUD.

In that instant, the finger Zhuge Somyeong had been using to tap the desk stopped moving.

He quietly stared at the Alliance member who asked the question.

"Why... is there something on my face..."

"Hmm..."

'Maeng Ju-won wouldn't have asked such a question.'

Zhuge Somyeong shook his head.

"It's nothing."

Though he was a carefully selected talent, there was a clear difference in competence.

They had somehow managed to hold out with Maeng Ju-won so far, but even that was slowly showing its limits.

If a situation arose where they inevitably had to dispatch him like this time, Zhuge Somyeong would have to handle all the work of the Mantong Bureau alone.

This was not the sort of work someone should be doing at his age.

'I need to seat that punk Jin Sowoon in the Mantong Bureau as soon as possible.'

It was bothersome, but he had no choice until then.

Zhuge Somyeong informed the Alliance member who asked the question.

"There is no way the Underworld Alliance, having just raised its pillars and covered its roof, would have such an intelligence organization."

In truth, it was incredible that a crude, newly formed organization had even made it this far.

Regardless, they had gathered people and taken their first step.

'Dam-ak of the Cheongwa Academy... We've been robbed of a fine talent.'

Of course, because he knew from the start that the man was a talent destined to enter the Imperial Court, he thought there was no way he would cross paths with the Murim Alliance.

But to suddenly become the Underworld Alliance's Chief Strategist.

His choice was incredibly unexpected.

He wanted to look into the inner workings, but the Murim Alliance didn't even have the luxury to do so right now.

Because even now, the warriors dispatched to Sichuan were screaming from not receiving proper supplies.

At this rate, it wouldn't be the Blood Cult's desperate struggles that shook the Murim Alliance, but a rebellion by the Alliance members that caused it to collapse.

Of course, such difficulties hadn't just started happening yesterday or today.

The Murim Alliance would likely continue to experience similar difficulties in the future.

That was why, more than anything, they needed people to carry on their will.

People who transcended noble clans and their own sects, sincerely wishing for the peace of Jianghu.

This was the reason Zhuge Somyeong couldn't help but always be thirsty for talent.

'Maeng Ju-won and Jin Sowoon... Those brats will be the starting point.'

Pressing his eyes firmly, he felt as if the world were spinning.

However, even that momentary rest wasn't permitted for Zhuge Somyeong.

"Chief Strategist! A missive from the Cheonmok Pavilion has arrived."

"...!"

At that news, Zhuge Somyeong, who had just been thinking he wanted to rest a little, jumped up from his seat, completely forgetting his fatigue.

A red missive delivered directly to the Chief Strategist without undergoing inspection by the Cheonmok Pavilion and Mantong Bureau.

Only a brief sentence was written on the red missive.

[Mission Failed]

At the brief sentence without any explanation, both Zhuge Somyeong and the Alliance member fell silent.

The Alliance member barely parted his lips.

"Chief Strategist. This is..."

The Cheonmok Pavilion's reports had a fixed format.

A format that could convey the core content of the information with only the utmost brevity.

But to not even be able to use that format.

This meant the Cheonmok Pavilion personnel who went out to investigate had not only failed their mission but were in a life-threatening situation.

"Could it be... that Dam-ak made preparations?"

Zhuge Somyeong shook his head wordlessly.

'No matter if it's the great Dam-ak, he wouldn't be able to block the Cheonmok Pavilion without proper preparations.'

What kind of organization was the Cheonmok Pavilion? They were the eyes and ears of the Murim Alliance.

They were people who had received special training from the Murim Alliance since the beginning.

They might be lacking in martial arts, but in terms of their skills in infiltrating targets to gather and handle information, they were so outstanding that none of the Nine Sects and One Gang or the Five Great Noble Clans could compare.

To say that Dam-ak, no matter how clever he was, could easily fend off those who even handled assassination missions in emergencies was absurd.

TAP-TAP.

"What happened..."

It wasn't just a matter of whether the Cheonmok Pavilion's mission succeeded or failed.

Taiyuan, Shanxi Province. The problem was that they didn't know what was happening right now in the place where the Underworld Alliance was located.

What mattered right now was who exactly was blocking the information, and why.

Zhuge Somyeong, who had been tapping his desk, suddenly clenched his fist.

'Could it be... those bastards from the Demonic Cult!'

Right now, the situation in Taiyuan couldn't be explained unless it was them.

The problem was what they were plotting.

If they were plotting a war between the Underworld Alliance and the Murim Alliance, if that was truly the case...

The difficulty of the delegation's mission would skyrocket to an impossible level.

No, the mission wasn't the issue; the very safety of the delegation would be endangered.

'Did I entrust them with too difficult of a mission!'

He had entrusted it to them with the feeling that it would be great if it worked out, and oh well if it didn't, but seeing things turn out like this, worry took over.

"Shall we wait for now?"

At the Alliance member's words, Zhuge Somyeong jumped up from his seat.

He didn't know who the culprit was, but this wasn't a situation to act so leisurely.

"Chief Strategist?"

"I will go visit the Alliance Leader's Pavilion."

Zhuge Somyeong could not just sit still.

* * *

Shock rippled through the entirety of the Underworld Alliance as it was revealed that the fourth brother of the Five Hounds of Seopyeong was a hidden assassin wearing a human skin mask.

The shock among the executives was especially massive.

The fact that Do Bongsu and the Five Hounds of Seopyeong brothers hadn't known was proof of just how incredible the assassin's skills were.

Furthermore, they began to grow highly tense from the realization that they could also be targets for assassination, and some even started distancing themselves from those closest to them.

"What's important right now is who sent this hidden assassin."

"Obviously the Murim Alliance sent them."

"You son of a bitch! Are you still spouting nonsense about starting a war without coming to your senses? Unless the Murim Alliance went completely crazy, why would they pull something like this now?"

"..."

The fact that the hidden assassin's abilities were formidable ultimately meant that the organization that raised such beings was formidable.

But right now in the world, excluding the Murim Alliance, the Underworld Alliance, and the Blood Cult, where was there an entity capable of raising such individuals?

Furthermore, if they had to count those with a mind wicked enough to kill a person and have someone mimic them, the list would be even shorter.

Even within the Underworld Alliance, opinions strongly demanding that they root out the hidden assassins grew fierce.

"We must first single out the assassins."

"But we don't know who the assassins are."

"Could we not... use the method Black Flame Dragon used?"

However, they merely hesitated to actually carry it out.

Everyone knew how Jin Sowoon had caught the hidden assassin, but none possessed the nerve to actually pull it off.

Because rather than stopping at suspecting an assassin, it was something where even the slightest mistake could lead to killing their innocent martial siblings and comrades.

The executives, including the pro-war faction that had previously argued for dragging the delegation out and beheading them at once, all shut their mouths.

And everyone began to watch Black Flame Dragon's next move.

* * *

As if to relieve the unfair false charge he had been burdened with until now, Jin Sowoon swaggered triumphantly around the Underworld Alliance.

Of course, he had never once walked around feeling intimidated to begin with.

CRASH!

The door to the pavilion where the Four Dragons Sect resided was smashed open, and the disciples of the Four Dragons Sect raised their snake-like eyes, pulling out their weapons.

"Who's there! To dare trespass in the Four Dragons Sect..."

"It's me, you snake bastards!"

The entity making his presence known and entering in such an endlessly rude manner was none other than Jin Sowoon.

"..."

At the sight of him marching in so confidently, the Four Dragons Sect disciples who had been about to unleash their fury just moments ago froze.

Accompanied by Gun Yuhyeon and Hyeoltu, Jin Sowoon unhesitatingly pulled up a chair and sat down, acting as if he had just entered his own living room.

"Gather all the escorts while I'm asking nicely."

"..."

Intuition telling them why Jin Sowoon had visited the Four Dragons Sect and what he was about to do, the disciples hesitated and exchanged wary glances.

He had visited the Four Dragons Sect to find the hidden assassin who killed their Vice Sect Leader, Gal Munjeong.

From the perspective of the Four Dragons Sect, who had claimed until now that the assassin was Ilmyeong of the delegation, it wouldn't have been strange for their blood to boil over. However, the situation had completely reversed when Jin Sowoon found the assassin among Do Bongsu's men.

Since Jin Sowoon had realized the existence of an assassin no one knew about, and even found and killed one.

There was no one who could stand in the way of him, who had even received permission from the Leader.

Just then.

"Black Flame Dragon."

As if he had been waiting, Vice Sect Leader Wang Ju-bal of the Four Dragons Sect rose from his seat.

He asked in the most polite voice possible.

"You must have come to find the assassin?"

Then he stated firmly.

"Through internal interrogation, we have confirmed that there are no assassins. So go look somewhere else."

Looking at Wang Ju-bal, Jin Sowoon tilted his head.

'Internal interrogation?'

"Bullshit."

"..."

Wang Ju-bal's eyes twitched at Jin Sowoon's insulting words.

"We clearly conducted thorough questioning..."

"Then why is there still an assassin?"

"What?"

Jin Sowoon gestured toward the Four Dragons Sect disciples with his chin.

"Are you really going to leave the assassin be? Then the Four Dragons Sect will have to bear the responsibility for all future assassinations..."

He then looked at Wang Ju-bal and smiled faintly.

"Are you still okay with that?"

In an instant, Wang Ju-bal's eyes sharpened.

"How are you so sure?"

"Are you still doubting my abilities?"

"..."

Fierce glares went back and forth between the two.

An unyielding battle of pride between Wang Ju-bal, who was now the head of a sect, and Jin Sowoon, who had to keep the delegation alive and return them to the Murim Alliance.

The fierce battle of spirits heightened the tension in the room.

At that moment.

COUGH, COUGH.

A light coughing sound broke the silence.

Jin Sowoon's eyes flashed menacingly.

"Who is it? Who made that coughing sound!"

"..."

Soon, Jin Sowoon shot up from his chair.

"This Seat is using the Mind-Reading Art right now, so who made that coughing sound, I ask!"

At Jin Sowoon's roar, the disciples of the Four Dragons Sect began to look toward one side, one by one.

The face of the man standing where all eyes gathered turned pale.

HIC.

"Was it you?"

"I-I'm sorry."

Jin Sowoon approached the man, widening his eyes as he stared at his face.

"How could you cough when This Seat is currently using the Mind-Reading Art, you foolish thing!"

HIC! HIC! HIC!

"Looking closely, your mind is full of demons."

HIC... "I-I heard the Taiyi Sect is a Daoist sect..."

The burly man with a bushy beard shrank back as if he had become a little boy, and spoke.

Jin Sowoon angrily shouted.

"Seeing you talk back to my words, it is certain that you are the assassin!!!"

"W-What does that even...!!!"

With the situation reaching this point, the man who had coughed couldn't believe he was in danger of dying just because of a single cough.

Eventually, Wang Ju-bal let out a long sigh and stepped forward.

"Stop this. Black Flame Dragon."

He didn't know what kind of humiliation he would suffer if he provoked Jin Sowoon's temper any further.

Because even if they didn't know anything else, it was already a widely known fact within the Underworld Murim that Black Flame Dragon had an awful personality.

Wang Ju-bal looked at Jin Sowoon and asked.

"Do I just need to gather the escorts for you?"

"Gather all the escorts and the elders."

"I will be included too, right?"

"No. It doesn't matter if you don't come."

"Huh?"

With his arms crossed, Jin Sowoon scanned his face once over.

"Because This Seat has already used the Mind-Reading Art to confirm that there are no demons in your mind."

"..."

Wang Ju-bal could not hide his complicated expression.

Just as his disciple had said moments ago, wasn't the Taiyi Sect originally a Daoist sect?

He wanted to ask why he was bringing up demons, a Buddhist concept, but feeling like it would only lead to annoyance, he kept his mouth firmly shut.