Scholar Demon Venerable

"And I will offer another ten thousand taels for the caravan's operating expenses. In return, give me three-tenths of the profits, and let me use the detached house in the back as I please."

Gong Xian's eyes trembled.

With that money, he could pay off all the money he had borrowed at high interest, and all the difficulties of the Gong family caravan would be solved.

The detached house in the back was also rarely used now, so there would be no inconvenience even if he gave it away.

But would he really offer that money?

"Are you serious?"

"I will give you the full amount tonight. The right to the collateral will be generated at the same time as the payment is completed."

Gong Xian could not hold out any longer. Even if he waited longer, no one would offer such good conditions.

"Alright, young master. I will accept your request. The detached house is always kept clean, so you can use it right away."

"Really? That's great. Then I'll see you at night."

That night, Cheongun offered thirty thousand silver taels and formally signed a contract.

Since he had left a part of the money he had embezzled from the Zirong Palace secret passage as an emergency fund, it was not difficult to pay the price.

Late that night.

Cheongun, who had settled in the detached house of the Gong family manor with the Jinyiwei, discussed the next day's work.

He had to catch Hyeokryeon Hui, and he also had to reveal the identity of the mysterious force behind him.

* * *

"This time, I obtained a manual from the Zirong Palace library."

[A manual?]

"Yes, there was something interesting written in it."

[What kind of manual is it? Let me see.]

Cheongun took out a thin manual from his bosom.

Thousand Faces.

Only those two characters were written on the cover of the manual.

The Blood Emperor gestured with an indifferent expression.

He was telling him to hurry up and turn the page.

Cheongun turned the pages one by one.

After turning about five pages, the Blood Emperor said.

[It's a face-changing art.]

"Yes, isn't it amazing? To change one's face with internal energy. With this, I think I can change the shape of my face without using a human skin mask."

Cheongun opened the first page of the manual again.

On the first page, it was written as Thousand Faces Ten Thousand Transformations Divine Art.

Looking at that phrase, the Blood Emperor said with a displeased tone.

[The name is grand. To be able to change one's face into a thousand, ten thousand kinds. Tsk, tsk.]

Although the Blood Emperor was displeased, he examined the manual from beginning to end. He soon thought deeply and then said to Cheongun.

[I can't tell just by looking at it like this. For now, let's not learn it rashly and study it. There could be side effects.]

"Yes."

[And, how about just attacking them?]

"I would like to do that too, but if I go in without a plan, I could suffer considerable damage."

Why wouldn't Cheongun want to do that?

He wanted to catch Hyeokryeon Hui right away and give him more than ten times the suffering he had endured.

Cheongun told his thoughts to the displeased Blood Emperor.

"But it's not just because of the damage. There is a high possibility that they are related to the group that attacked the Heavenly Cult. But if I attack them without a plan to eliminate Hyeokryeon Hui, the connection might be broken."

From what he had seen so far, it was clear that they were connected to the Zirong Palace in some way.

Moreover, not only the two old monsters, but the other martial artists were also stronger than he had thought.

"I have asked the Beggars' Sect to find out their identities, so a contact will come soon."

Cheongun had already contacted the Beggars' Sect as well.

The Beggars' Sect leader, Yeom-ak, had not come himself. The third elder, Tie Suanban An Dal, had come, saying he had gone to another place for some matter.

He was still holding an iron abacus, and as befitting a person in charge of the Beggars' Sect's livelihood, he had received a hefty price for this matter.

* * *

After a full day had passed, the third elder of the Beggars' Sect brought the news he had been waiting for.

The third elder, who was facing him in the inner room of the detached house, did not look very well.

He took out a thin booklet from his bosom.

"This is the content about the Yongfeng Manor and the identities of the two old monsters you mentioned."

Cheongun glanced at the third elder and then opened the booklet.

While Cheongun was quickly reading the booklet, the third elder closed his mouth and quietly examined Cheongun.

Thwack.

Cheongun turned the last page, closed the booklet, and then looked at the third elder and said.

"The explanation about the two old monsters is insufficient. Can you explain?"

"Since it was not a matter of my time, I also do not know in detail. But since they were so famous, I have heard stories. I didn't know they were still alive."

As if to confirm the contents of the booklet, the third elder quickly talked about the two old monsters.

"The two old monsters are called the Yin and Yang Twin Monsters. There were many problems when they were active, but I don't know for what reason, but it is said that they always brought a storm of blood with them. Since they have come out to the martial world again, a big storm of blood might blow."

"Hmm, continue the story."

Cheongun felt something strange and listened to the third elder's words.

"In the past, it is said that a person named Xiaosu Sword Han Mei caused a problem. Her sect was the Huashan Sect. After being expelled for some matter, she changed her name to Han Mei. And the man who went with her was a person named Yunxing Sword Han Zhu. He was a martial artist of the Kunlun Sect, but he was also expelled and followed Xiaosu Sword. Of course, this person also changed his name to Han Zhu."

"Since they changed their names, it seems something happened."

"It's a rumor that is circulating in the martial world, but it is said that Xiaosu Sword had an incident where she pointed her sword at an elder of her sect during her journey in the martial world. It is said that Yunxing Sword helped at that time."

For the descendants of the nine great sects to point their swords at an elder of their sect corresponds to betraying their master and destroying their ancestors.

Usually, they would cut their limbs and tendons and cripple their martial arts or expel them, but to be expelled while being fine, something was strange.

"Do you know the details?"

"It is not known. Because the parties involved have closed their mouths..."

"Really? If they had been wronged, either the party involved or the opponent would have said something, but it's a strange thing."

"Because of that, there were many words. But I heard that it quickly died down. One thing you should know is that the person Xiaosu Sword pointed her sword at was the current leader of the Huashan Sect."

"Hoo!"

Cheongun opened the book again and looked at the names of the two.

The two were using the character for cold, Han, as their surname.

Xiaosu Sword Han Mei.

Yunxing Sword Han Zhu.

'This is strange. If they had a grudge, they would have used the character for grudge, Han, but to use the character for cold, Han. It's not a grudge, but it seems there is some other story.'

Cheongun suddenly had a thought and asked again.

"But if their names are plum and bamboo, are there also orchid and chrysanthemum?"

"There are two more who were active with the two. They are called the Ice and White Demonesses, the White Killing Demoness and the Ice Soul Demoness."

White Killing Demoness Han Lan.

Ice Soul Demoness Han Guk.

"Among the people, there are also people who call the four the Four Gentlemen."

Cheongun gathered his brows and asked about the two who were called the Ice and White Demonesses.

"Where are Han Lan and Han Guk?"

"If the two have shown their faces this time, it can be seen that there is a high probability that they are somewhere."

At the third elder's answer, Cheongun's mind became complicated.

'It means they could be together.'

At such a Cheongun's appearance, the third elder said carefully.

"If they know they are alive, many martial artists will not stay still."

"Why...?"

"When they were active, they saw a lot of blood without distinguishing between righteous, evil, and demonic paths, so they bought a lot of grudges."

"Hmm. But they still showed their faces? And at a nameless caravan?"

A strong smell of suspicion arose.

If their skills were strong enough to ignore the gazes of their enemies, there would be no problem, but since that was not the case, it was hard to understand that they had shown their faces.

Cheongun and the third elder talked about various other things.

After a long time, the third elder returned, and Cheongun, who was left alone, was lost in deep thought.

'The force behind them seems to be more secretive and larger than I had thought. What should I do...'

* * *

Cheongun, who had entrusted the work of gathering information to the Beggars' Sect, called Xiong Tian.

"Baihu Xiong, I heard you received a martial art while preparing for this dispatch. Is that right?"

"Yes, Your Excellency. I heard it is a martial art that you brought out from the Imperial Palace Armory."

It seemed he had learned one of the ten martial arts that Cheongun had passed on from the Imperial Palace Armory.

"What did you learn?"

"It is the Heavenly Stream Divine Art."

It was a martial art that the Jinyiwei had bestowed with a big heart.

Heavenly Stream Divine Art.

It was a martial art that was made by putting the movements of the sky into a specific form. If one learned it properly, it was a martial art that could reach the peak.

Since it had not been long since they had learned it, there were no people who had learned it properly, but if time passed like this, many people would rise to the realm of the peak.

"Really? Tonight, gather the Jinyiwei. If it's the Heavenly Stream Divine Art, I have also looked at it roughly. I don't know how much it will help in improving your martial arts, but I will tell you as much as I know."

The enemies he had to face were mostly stronger than the Jinyiwei individually.

If he were to just deal with the Yongfeng Manor, he and a few others would be enough. But it was clear that there would be other people behind them.

If he got involved with them, the sacrifice of the Jinyiwei would be inevitable.

In that case, he had to raise the martial arts level of the Jinyiwei as much as possible when he had time.

"Your Excellency, thank you!"

Xiong Tian immediately prostrated himself and gave a big bow to Cheongun.

For a martial artist, what they wanted most was not a reward but a martial art. But Cheongun's martial prowess was so strong that he could not even grasp how much it was.

He had had an expectation that he might be able to receive a martial art from Cheongun if he was lucky, and finally, that expectation had become a reality.

"By the way, what happened to the Zirong Palace matter?"

"It is said that it will take more time because the scale of the Zirong Palace is larger than expected."

"It won't be easy to dig up the Zirong Palace, which has a history of two hundred years. So, is there anything else?"

"Why wouldn't there be? It is said that the pressure from the imperial capital is great. It is said that the inspectors are holding on, gritting their teeth. It is a strange thing since it would not be an easy thing given the nature of their work."

It was all possible because Cheongun was holding their weakness.

Moreover, since the representatives of the Eastern Depot and the Five Military Governor's Offices who had been dispatched were all high-ranking officials, it seemed they were holding on.

"Hmm. It seems we don't have much time either."

"Yes, I also think so. If we don't catch some evidence quickly, I think the charges against the Zirong Palace could be dropped."

Evidence can be a nose ring if you put it on your nose, and an earring if you put it on your ear.

In that respect, the witness that they had escaped and the secret passage were a little insufficient. Moreover, if they denied their relationship with them and framed them as traitors of their family, a way to live could be created again.

The power and connections that the Zirong Palace had were too vast.

So this kind of thing had to be concluded quickly, but there were too many people related to the Zirong Palace.

'I can't help it. In any case, that will also be solved if the force behind them is revealed.'

Cheongun began to pass on martial arts to the Jinyiwei from that night.

Although Cheongun had never taught anyone, he had the Blood Emperor, and although it was different from martial arts, he had the experience of teaching academics.

Thanks to that, he began to look at the martial arts of each of the Jinyiwei and give advice.

But the Blood Emperor did not step forward and look at the martial arts of the Jinyiwei entirely.

He just occasionally told him the parts that Cheongun missed.

What Cheongun lacked was experience. His understanding of martial arts was so great that even the Blood Emperor acknowledged it.

In any case, experience was a problem that they had to solve on their own. Even just learning about the understanding of martial arts was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the Jinyiwei.

* * *

Cheongun went back to the inn he had stopped by when he had first come to Yongcheng.

He sat in the same seat and drank tea, looking at the people coming and going.

The scenery seen from the window on the second floor was not very beautiful. But from that seat, he could see all the main roads coming out of the Yongfeng Manor.

Cheongun looked at the street for a long time and then said to the Blood Emperor, who was standing blankly and looking at the sky.

-Blood Emperor, I'll have to touch them once.

[Didn't you say you couldn't?]

It was a somewhat sulky voice.

(End of Chapter)