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C94. He Wasn't Listening
Just as Hong Jeokso arrived with the liquor and appetizers, the conversation naturally paused.
After a couple of rounds of liquor, Bi Bong Jeon Surin brought up what happened in Kaifeng again.
"Brother Go, those wanderers from the brothel. Do you know anything more about them?"
Go Jiseok nodded.
"Yes, according to the new manager, they are from Waryong Manor."
"What? Really? That Waryong Manor founded by the Moon-Splitting Swordsman?"
"Yes, that very same Waryong Manor."
"Oh my! Were there other masters besides the Moon-Splitting Swordsman? I can't believe it."
Jeon Surin nudged Yang Manseung, the Absolute Swordsman, who was sitting next to her.
"Brother Yang, did you hear that? Waryong Manor! Is that possible?"
"Why wouldn't it be possible? Haven't you heard that 'the world is vast and full of strange people'?"
"Brother, were those wanderers Yeon? If they were Yeon, it could be possible."
"No, they weren't."
"What?"
"What?"
Jeon Surin and Yang Manseung asked almost simultaneously.
Surprised, they both seemed to think the wanderers must have been from the Yeon Family.
"No, they weren't Yeon. They were something like Pung."
Jeon Surin's eyes widened.
"Pung? So, were they wanderers that Waryong Manor had gathered?"
"Wow! Sister, I've got goosebumps. Wanderers working in a brothel who have split someone in half?"
As the two spoke excitedly, Go Jiseok clicked his tongue.
"Guys, even if that's the case, it doesn't matter."
"Why? Have those wanderers already died?"
Jeon Surin's voice rose with anticipation of a plot twist.
To the ears of Yeon Jeokha and Old Shim, the woman's conversation at the next table made them shake their heads.
Although it kept them entertained, the shouting was annoying.
"Sister, lower your voice a bit. We're not alone here, okay?"
Go Jiseok tried to calm Jeon Surin, who was clearly very engrossed in the story.
Jeon Surin, realizing her mistake, looked around and then whispered.
"Why doesn't it matter?"
"The man split in half before dying threw a poisoned dart at that Pung."
"A poisoned dart?"
Jeon Surin couldn't help but be surprised.
A poisoned dart in a brothel fight?
Poisoned darts were hard to handle and only used after special training.
They were used by Assassins.
Which meant that the person who fought with the bodyguard in the brothel was an Assassin.
"And what happened after that?"
"The bodyguard who was poisoned is in critical condition."
"And the other one? The one who made the hole in the assassin's head."
"If it weren't for him, that Pung would have died. He stopped the assassin with dual daggers who was trying to kill him."
Yang Manseung, who had been listening silently, let out a cry.
"Wait! You're saying two Assassins tried to kill the bodyguard Pung? One with a poisoned dart and the other with dual daggers. And the bodyguard was poisoned and is in critical condition? Is that correct?"
"In summary, yes."
"Wow! Brother Go, this is really fascinating. Who would send assassins after brothel bodyguards? Wanderers usually handle their own business, they don't hire assassins. And where would they get the money to do that?"
"I don't know. The grudge is..."
Go Jiseok was in the middle of his explanation when someone suddenly interrupted.
It was Yeon Jeokha.
"Hold on. Did you say assassins tried to kill a bodyguard named Pung?"
Go Jiseok, Jeon Surin, and Yang Manseung looked at the young man in surprise.
It was annoying that someone was eavesdropping on their conversation, but interrupting was even worse.
Jeon Surin responded with disgust.
"What is it? Were you listening to us?"
"I wasn't listening, I just overheard. Old Shim, isn't it true that we just overheard?"
Yeon Jeokha involved Old Shim, who was sitting silently.
"Of course. Talking so loudly and expecting not to be heard is crazy."
Old Shim's words made Go Jiseok and his companions rise from their seats.
Who dared to speak like that to the disciples of the Uicheon Sect in Luoyang?
Although the influence of the Uicheon Sect had diminished due to the Yoomyung Cult, they were still a dominant force in Luoyang.
As the atmosphere grew tense, the other customers discreetly withdrew.
They didn't want to get caught in a fight between martial artists.
Old Shim, looking disdainfully at the three, said.
"Hehe, these kids. If you don't sit down immediately, I'll cut your legs off."
For the three disciples, this was an unacceptable insult.
How dared anyone challenge the disciples of the Uicheon Sect in their own city?
The oldest of the three, Go Jiseok, suppressed his anger and asked.
"We are second-generation disciples of the Uicheon Sect. I would like to know the name of this old man who threatens us to see if he has the authority to do so."
A sinister laugh escaped Old Shim's lips.
"Hehe. If you were the Virtue Swordsman, maybe, but second-generation disciples of the Uicheon Sect asking for my name? Do you have a death wish? Ten years ago..."
Yeon Jeokha interrupted Old Shim.
"Old Shim, enough. Ten years ago I was nine. Why are you talking nonsense? Just say you overheard because they were talking loudly."
"Yes, Young Master. Hehe, we weren't listening. They were just talking too loudly. Understand?"
"..."
Go Jiseok exchanged quick glances with Jeon Surin and Yang Manseung.
The vulgar behavior of the young man and the old man was intolerable.
They mentioned the Sect Leader, so, for honor's sake, they had to draw their swords.
Just as Go Jiseok was about to reach for his sword, Jeon Surin attacked Yeon Jeokha with hers.
From the beginning, Jeon Surin had found the young man unpleasant.
He not only interrupted their conversation but also involved that ill-tempered old man.
If she attacked the young man first, it was certain her elder brother and the others would take care of the old man.
So, without hesitation, she struck faster than her elder brothers.
They say in critical moments, time seems to slow down.
This seems to be one of those moments.
Her sword's speed seemed desperately slow.
So slow she could see every hair on the back of her hand holding the sword.
Oh my!
Despite reciting the Five Elements Sword Mantra twice, the sword still hadn't reached the young man's neck.
Is this possible?
When she felt something was wrong, suddenly the world started moving quickly.
The young man grabbed the blade of the sword, and her body spun quickly.
"Huh?"
The ceiling of the unknown brothel filled her vision.
And she felt as if someone punched her in the back.
Boom!
A high-pitched ringing echoed in her head, as if lightning had struck her.
'Ah! Brother Go and Brother Yang must not die...'
In the midst of the chaos, Jeon Surin only wished for her elder brothers' safety.
But Go Jiseok and Yang Manseung's condition was much worse than hers.
They were facing Old Shim, known as the Immortal Demon of the Sword.
Go Jiseok had his forehead split open and Yang Manseung had his arm broken.
Thanks to Old Shim being pleased, that was the worst that happened to them. They would never know how close they came to death.
Yeon Jeokha, seating the three, spoke politely.
"Alright, brothers and sister. Let's calm down and continue our conversation. You said the bodyguard named Pung was poisoned by an Assassin, right?"
Go Jiseok, holding his bleeding forehead with his palm, replied.
"No, it was the other way around. A man who seemed like an Assassin poisoned the bodyguard."
"Ah, so the bodyguard named Pung is in critical condition."
"Yes."
"Why do you think he was an Assassin?"
"Because poisoned darts are hard to handle and only trained Assassins use them."
"I see. Then, the second question. You said the person with dual daggers was also an Assassin. Why do you think that?"
Go Jiseok sighed.
"The man holding the dual daggers burst into the room to kill the bodyguard, so we assumed he was an assassin. No customer would burst into a room with a patient wielding a sword, right?"
Yeon Jeokha scratched his head.
That made sense.
The poisoned dart was something he didn't understand due to his lack of experience in the Murim World, but the dual daggers were obvious.
He had let Old Shim handle everything, and he felt foolish for being so passive.
Feeling a pang of self-blame, Yeon Jeokha asked the final question.
"This is the last question, so listen carefully and answer. Which group of Assassins do you suspect?"
Go Jiseok hesitated to answer.
Pointing to someone as the culprit is extremely dangerous, especially if it's an assassin group. One wrong move and they could make a deadly enemy.
Yeon Jeokha stared at the three, with a determined expression that he wouldn't let them go without an answer.
Yang Manseung glanced at Go Jiseok.
The pain of his broken arm was unbearable, and he wanted to finish the conversation quickly to receive treatment.
"I've heard that users of poisoned darts are in the Red Blood House (Jeokhyeolru) and Jukbang. I'm not sure about the dual daggers..."
At that moment, Jeon Surin, who had been sitting silently, spoke up.
"I know. Masters of the dual daggers are in Samdocheon and Jukbang."
Yeon Jeokha asked to confirm.
"So, one of them is from the Red Blood House (Jeokhyeolru), Jukbang, or Samdocheon?"
"That's right."
Old Shim, who had been listening, intervened.
"Young Master, I know someone in the Red Blood House (Jeokhyeolru). That person should know about Jukbang and Samdocheon as well. I'm not sure if he's still alive."
Yeon Jeokha glanced at Old Shim.
"Is that person older or younger than you?"
"We should be around the same age."
"So we really don't know if he's alive or dead. You're also at that critical age."
"Martial artists usually live long lives, so he probably is still alive. I'm also quite healthy, right?"
"Healthy? Bah. Find that person in the Red Blood House (Jeokhyeolru). And..."
Yeon Jeokha turned to Go Jiseok.
"Do you know where the poisoned bodyguard is? Or at least the name of the brothel?"
"I don't know where the bodyguard is, but I know the name of the brothel. It's Longxi Pavilion, one of the three most famous in Kaifeng."
Jeon Surin murmured with disdain.
"It's an infamous brothel."
"I understand. Longxi Pavilion, one of the three most famous in Kaifeng, an infamous brothel. Alright, you may go."
The three got up but didn't move immediately.
They seemed not to believe they were actually being allowed to leave.
Before they realized it, Yeon Jeokha had already left the place.
On the way back to the inn, Yeon Jeokha spoke.
"Old Shim, cancel the siheyuan. We leave at dawn, so prepare everything. After that dream last night, I think something has happened to our elder brother."
"Yes, if it involves two people, it must be Brother Pung and Brother Tak."
Old Shim had changed how he referred to the Ten Heroes of the Five Peaks Mountain after they descended from the mountains. He couldn't call them by names associated with Nokrim.
"I think so too."
The mention of Waryong Manor was probably due to their mastery of the Nine Heavens Swordsmanship. He thought they would be fine in Kaifeng, but how had they become involved with assassins?