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It was in the same main hall where the previous gathering of Shandong’s sect leaders had taken place.

I arrived much earlier than when the banquet was set to begin.

I met Jeong Yeo in the room next to the bedchamber. Showing the same mask and the iron token I received last time, I was able to pass through without issue.

“Is there a safe he uses?”

“There’s a secret safe in his bedchamber.”

“A safe that opens with a mechanism?”

“Yes. You need to input the correct numbers on the abacus attached to it. If you input the wrong numbers three times in a row, it won’t open for a day. At that point, a mechanism expert needs to come to open it.”

“He must have changed the numbers, of course.”

“Yes, he asked me for the existing numbers, so I told him. He would have certainly changed them to new numbers.”

“How big is the safe?”

“It’s a safe fixed to the wall. If you’re asking whether it’s possible to move the entire safe, that’s absolutely impossible. Also, the steel is too thick to cut with sword qi, and if you try to force it open, an alarm will sound.”

“Is there a possibility he entrusted the money to a money house?”

“That’s highly unlikely. Neither he nor his group have visited any money houses. Our sect has surveillance networks in the marketplace.”

They probably didn’t freely visit money houses due to the public eye on them.

“So the money must be in that safe.”

“That’s what we expect.”

Although he might have already guessed my intentions from our previous conversation, I formally stated my purpose.

“I’ll be honest with you, Faction Leader Jeong. I intend to completely clean out everything that guy has.”

Jeong Yeo smiled faintly.

“As expected, you’re impressive.”

It was closer to admiration than worry. If anything, I was the one worrying.

“If I succeed, you might be in trouble.”

Since it would be happening inside the Yang Minor Faction.

“They won’t even think that I could have done such a thing. So don’t worry and proceed. I’ll make sure I have someone who can confirm my whereabouts during the banquet.”

“I don’t have any plan yet. I’m vaguely hoping for an opportunity to arise during today’s banquet. At least he’ll be away from his bedchamber during that time.”

“I believe you’ll manage well.”

This time, I asked about something else.

“Is there a way to get to his room from the main hall where the banquet is being held without using the entrance?”

Jeong Yeo then made a meaningful expression and said:

“You know what kind of person the previous sect leader was, don’t you?”

The previous faction leader referred to Yang Gi-cheol, who died by my hand. He was a greedy and suspicious man.

“He had many secret passages made throughout the place to escape in case of emergencies. There’s one secret passage in the main hall too. It’s so intricately made that unless you’re an expert, you’d never find it, and with long curtains hanging on all four walls, even if there are many people, you can enter the secret passage without drawing attention. Through that passage, there’s a way leading to the separate building.”

He told me where the entrance to the secret passage was, how to open it, and how to get to the separate building. Fortunately, the main hall and the separate building weren’t far apart.

I asked him to place a portable leather bag in that passage, just in case.

The real problem was still the numbers. Without knowing the numbers, it would all be useless.

How should I find them out?

The banquet was grand.

It was a splendid banquet with delicious food and drinks, skilled musicians, and beautiful dancing girls.

Even during my time as the Alliance Leader, I hadn’t often seen banquets of this scale.

The reason for holding such a large banquet was obvious. It was to show off his influence.

Scale certainly has an impact on people.

One example is the Alliance Leader’s palace. The interior is incredibly spacious and large. It takes a long time to walk from the entrance to the Grand Council chamber.

While there are security reasons, the primary intention was to intimidate others and elevate the Alliance Leader’s authority. This banquet was exactly like that.

Many young people had gathered in the main hall.

While there were some I was seeing for the first time, most were those I had seen at the banquet held at our house previously.

I blended in with the people and observed Ma Jeongsu.

He handled the young masters of the later generations well. First, his background research was thorough. He already knew what kind of personality each person had, what they liked, and what their family circumstances were.

He knew exactly what these children around twenty years old, and from prestigious families at that, liked. He captivated them by showing off appropriately and revealing just enough of his human side.

From the perspective of the invited guys, he was someone they needed to impress somehow. They had come feeling very tense, but finding him unexpectedly fun and easy-going, their guard was coming down.

Ma Jeongsu started calling some of the young masters by familiar terms. They were the sons of the Heavenly Blade Sect and the Nine Dragons Clan who had taken the lead in offering money, as well as the sons of those who had attended the secret meeting, including the Western Blade Sect.

This too struck me as an extremely clever move.

As Ma Jeongsu displayed deeper friendships with a few individuals, it affected the rest.

Even if they hadn’t particularly wanted to be close to him before, seeing others becoming friendly with him made them feel uneasy. That’s just human nature.

Those who weren’t chosen would go back and tell their fathers about today’s events. If their parents want them to get closer to Ma Jeongsu because it’s about their children, they’d pay attention too. It was a thoroughly calculated action in every way.

I wanted to tell the kids:

When a good person suggests calling each other by familiar terms, it’s to become friends quickly, but when a bad person suggests it, it’s to exploit you better.

Si Gon was always by Ma Jeongsu’s side. It seemed that Si Gon was exclusively in charge of his protection. He never let his guard down for a moment.

I couldn’t see Flower Fan Elder or the mysterious woman. I looked out the window in case they were outside, but they weren’t visible.

Si Gon is always stuck to Ma Jeongsu, and the two seem to move around freely.

I gathered every bit of information about him without missing anything.

I tried my best not to catch Ma Jeongsu’s eye, but he found me. He came over to where I was standing in the corner and greeted me in a friendly manner.

“Young Master Byeok, have you been well?”

I smiled awkwardly and greeted him.

“Have you been well?”

Neither of us felt the friendliness we were showing.

After exchanging a few greetings, Ma Jeongsu suddenly said, as if he had just remembered:

“Oh, I heard that Miss Song wouldn’t be attending today.”

“I know.”

“I heard you beat her up?”

The moment I heard those words, I could be certain.

That he was interested in Song Hwa-rin. The Song Clan wouldn’t have revealed the reason in detail. He must have investigated her thoroughly.

Making her unable to attend turned out to be a very good move.

“What was your reason for having a duel with Miss Song?”

This bastard, extorting money and now eyeing women too. Is he going to do everything he can?

I forcibly suppressed the urge to clench my fists. The desire to just cut him down in one stroke was bubbling up.

Of course, instead of drawing my sword, I smiled.

“It just happened that way.”

I wonder how much he knows about me?

He probably has all the basic information, right? Including the news that I used to be a scoundrel but have recently straightened out.

“Alright. I’ll be honest with you. She was the one who first brought up breaking off the engagement.”

This was already a widely circulated rumor. He probably already knew about it.

But I acted as if I was revealing a great secret.

“She and I are betrothed from before birth. But to talk about breaking it off? It’s an absolutely unforgivable thing.”

This would be the most plausible reason for injuring one’s fiancée in a duel.

To increase the credibility of my words, I added one more thing.

“Previously, I got drunk and fought with her, and ridiculously, I lost. Of course, it was because of the alcohol. So this time, I had a duel with her, partly for revenge.”

He probably knew about this beforehand too, right?

Anyway, this should be enough to hide my true intentions. From his perspective, I’d look like someone who beats his own woman, someone easy to manipulate. It’s a two-birds-with-one-stone effect.

“Hahaha, so you succeeded in your revenge.”

“I’m ashamed.”

“But I heard Miss Song received teachings from a famous master.”

“Even so, she’s still a woman, isn’t she?”

“Hahaha. Our little brother is a real man, a true man.”

“Thank you for recognizing that.”

“I heard Miss Song is extremely beautiful. Is that true?”

“Yes, she is quite beautiful.”

I flexed my shoulders as if showing off.

“Little brother, let’s have a meal together sometime. So you can enlighten this elder brother’s lowly eyes.”

“Haha, that sounds good.”

“They say she should recover in about ten days, so let’s set a date around then.”

This bastard, you even checked when she’d recover.

There’s something I always emphasized to the juniors in the Martial Righteous Alliance’s martial world.

Be careful of beautiful women.

I had the same thought when I met the young masters at the inn before.

That Song Hwa-rin’s beauty would become a great disaster.

See, wasn’t I right? He’s interested in her too, and now he’s met with me, a disaster. Of course, I was going to destroy him anyway, even without her.

Ma Jeongsu went to the center of the hall and spoke loudly.

“I have something to show you all.”

He nodded to Si Gon, who went outside the hall.

A moment later, Si Gon returned with a sword.

Just looking at the ornate scabbard decorated with jewels, it was clear this was no ordinary sword.

Ma Jeongsu picked up the sword and unsheathed it.

Ching.

Everyone marveled at the sharp, gleaming blade.

“This is the Heavenly Creation Sword[1] that the previous Alliance Leader used.”

Everyone was shocked by Ma Jeongsu’s words.

I wonder if anyone was as surprised as I was?

That’s right. It was definitely the Heavenly Creation Sword that I had used.

I was moved to see my sword after so long. In my previous life, I had used five swords in total.

The Heavenly Creation Sword he brought, the Smoke Wave Sword[2], the Dark Heavens Sword[3], the Cold Snow Sword[4], and the Asura Bright King Sword[5].

They were all precious swords, but each had a different shape, length, and nature.

Among them, the one I treasured most was the Asura Bright King Sword.

Named to sometimes become an asura subduing evil, and sometimes a bright and wise king, that sword was my unique weapon that I used when waging war against the Demonic Sects.

People thought those five swords were similar, but that just showed they didn’t know how extraordinary the Asura Bright King Sword was. The other four combined couldn’t compare to the Asura Bright King Sword.

Come to think of it, I wonder what happened to my Asura Bright King Sword?

Did Ma Bonggi take it? Or did it go into the Martial Righteous Alliance’s treasury[6]? Or maybe? I hope Gal Saryang set it aside separately…

Anyway, although it was far inferior to the Asura Bright King Sword, the Heavenly Creation Sword could be considered an excellent famous sword.

Ma Jeongsu proudly told everyone:

“My father personally bestowed this sword upon me.”

At this moment, I could infer another important fact.

That it was Ma Bonggi who sent him down here. Otherwise, there’s no way he would have given this sword to Ma Jeongsu, who was low in the succession order. He must have given it to him to use the Alliance Leader’s authority.

“Does anyone want it?”

At those words, everyone’s hearts must have skipped a beat. If it was a sword used by the Alliance Leader, its value would be immeasurable.

“If someone becomes a true brother to me…”

His tone suggested he might actually give it away.

I inwardly sneered.

The one who becomes a true brother will be thoroughly used and then discarded.

But the people gathered here were just young kids around twenty years old. They lacked the experience to grasp Ma Jeongsu’s true intentions, and they were in a situation where they needed to impress him. On top of that, the Heavenly Creation Sword stirred their hearts.

The list of things to recover has grown by one.

Not just the money, but I absolutely must recover that Heavenly Creation Sword. I didn’t want to see that sword in his hands.

Of course, even if I recover it, I won’t be able to use it openly, so I’ll have to modify it or sell it in the black market. As long as it’s not the Asura Bright King Sword, either method is fine.

Ma Jeongsu addressed everyone:

“Doesn’t the future of Shandong depend on us young people? In that sense, I have a suggestion to make.”

“What is it?”

“How about we hold regular gatherings?”

“That’s a great idea!”

“Hahaha. Come, let’s toast!”

Everyone raised their cups high. The atmosphere heated up.

Si Gon took the Heavenly Creation Sword he had brought and went outside the hall.

At the very moment he went out through the door, I was no longer there either.

***

Si Gon slowly moved the abacus attached to the safe.

The moment the numbers aligned correctly, the safe opened with a loud click.

He bent down to put the Heavenly Creation Sword into the safe.

The next moment, he twisted his body and drew his sword with lightning speed.

Swish!

Thwack!

Before the sword was fully drawn, my fist connected with Si Gon’s face, sending him flying backward.

I had been faster.

I had arrived in the room before Si Gon and was hiding. I was standing by the window beyond the bed next to the safe. I was hiding my body behind the window curtains.

I was standing there, suppressing my presence as much as I could. And I moved the moment the safe door opened.

The clicking sound masked the noise of my movement.

The best scenario would have been to find out the numbers and open it after he left, but there was no place to hide and see that. Moreover, if I had done that, all suspicion would fall on Jeong Yeo. They might think he had tampered with the safe.

Anyway, if I had fought Si Gon normally, the outcome would have been unpredictable.

But this was an ambush. An ambush attempted by me, the world’s strongest, with twenty-four years of inner force. Si Gon, who had been knocked down, was in an unconscious state.

I swept everything in the safe into the leather bag I had prepared beforehand.

There was no time to check what everything inside was. I swept everything in and took the Heavenly Creation Sword as well.

Then I ran out like the wind.

It all happened in an instant.

***

A moment later.

The door of the main hall where the banquet was being held burst open, and Jeong Yeo and Flower Fan Elder rushed in.

Flower Fan Elder quickly whispered something into Ma Jeongsu’s ear.

Ma Jeongsu’s eyes grew wider and wider, and then he glared fiercely.

“Everyone, be quiet!”

Silence instantly fell over the banquet hall.

When the whispering finished, Ma Jeongsu’s expression was indescribably distorted.

He was about to hurriedly follow the two out, but he stopped at the entrance.

“Find the one who’s not here!”

Ma Jeongsu, Flower Fan Elder, and Jeong Yeo came forward and carefully checked each person.

When it was my turn, I asked with a surprised face:

“What on earth has happened?”

I had already returned. The leather bag was placed behind the secret door. I had only slipped my body back into the main hall.

All the young masters were gathered in the hall. No one had gone out through the door.

Even if someone had gone out, they wouldn’t think that person could have knocked down Si Gon. Right now, they were checking the attendees first, just in case.