51 - I Spent the Night with the Youngest Daughter of the Martial Arts Leader

**Title: Spent a Night with the Martial Alliance Leader's Youngest Daughter, Chapter 51** **The Departure of Ma Won Pyeong and the Mount Heng Sect** Once Ma Won Pyeong and his gang from the Mount Heng Sect left, we all shared the same feeling—suspicion. "Aren't they being overly territorial? We weren't expecting cooperation, but still." "Indeed. They've seemed reluctant from the start." "Is this usual behavior for the Baekyangdan affairs?" "No. They're not usually proactive, but such overt hostility is rare." "Hmm..." The demeanor of Ma Won Pyeong seemed oddly composed to claim he was blinded by the fury of losing sect disciples. It appeared as if he only sought a justification to decline cooperation, as if he did not want us delving too deep into this affair. "Senior, didn't you say Jeok Sal Gaek only targets bandits?" "Yeah, that's based on the reports we've received." "A man who had solely hunted bandits suddenly targeted the Mount Heng Sect..." Jeok Sal Gaek avoided public condemnation because he selectively hunted bandits—those who attacked civilians or plundered merchant groups. No one would publicly defend such outlaws. It was only when the indiscriminate slaughter caught public attention that Baekyangdan decided to intervene. However, assaulting a martial sect was an entirely different matter. Turning a sect into an enemy was madness. In the martial world, legitimacy was sharper than any blade—a token you could wield to act without repercussions, even for murder. Avenging an attack on a sect disciple would be celebrated. Thus, one survived in the martial world by avoiding unnecessary grudges. Defeating a few disciples coming for revenge was pointless. If the third-generation disciples fell, the second-generation would come, followed by the first until the sect's masters acted—a relentless cycle of revenge. "Unless Jeok Sal Gaek is entirely deranged, he wouldn't assault the Mount Heng Sect without reason." "A reason... would such a blood-thirsty demon need one?" "We'll have to investigate." There might not even be a reason. Perhaps a Mount Heng Sect disciple offended Jeok Sal Gaek and paid the price. However, as we investigated throughout Honam Province, suspicion only grew. "Jeok Sal Gaek? He's like a rare hero these days! With bandits rampant lately, making life tough for us." "Don't even get me started. Our last caravan was wiped out by those Black Dragon Chae thieves. It's such a relief!" "What's the Mount Heng Sect doing? Ignoring bandits while searching for Jeok Sal Gaek like criminals!" The people of Honam Province were sympathetic to Jeok Sal Gaek, eyeing us with suspicion as we searched for him. It was a testament to the lawlessness that prevailed there. ‘They don't even seem to care about concealing it.’ A peculiar observation: despite us merely investigating rumors, which is hardly suspicious, yellow-robed figures constantly watched us as we roamed Honam Province. To watch us so closely implies they've something to hide. "The Mount Heng Sect seems to be hiding something." "Absolutely. They're blatantly watching." "You noticed too? I almost felt like giving some of them a beating to make a point." "Senior... Let's not cause more trouble than necessary." Je Gal Yeong brushed off Hwang Bo Se Yool's joke and continued, "There are too many suspicious details..." "It seems we'll learn nothing without meeting Jeok Sal Gaek directly." "Right. But how do we find him? The people of Honam are tight-lipped, and the Mount Heng Sect certainly isn't talking." Ultimately, Jeok Sal Gaek was the key. Understanding why he antagonized the Mount Heng Sect was crucial to unraveling this perplexing mystery. "Senior, I have an idea." "What is it?" "Let's start by taking down a bandit's hideout." “?” Luckily, this sort of thing is right up my alley. * For Lim Gyeong Tak, the chieftain of the Jeok Sa Chae, events were unbearable. The notorious Jeok Sal Gaek had decimated several bandit camps across Honam Province, too numerous to count. Forewarned about him, they'd ceased raids and fortified their defenses. But then— ‘Who the hell are these people!’ Instead of Jeok Sal Gaek, a peculiar group invaded. One man and two women. Before Lim Gyeong Tak could finish admiring the handsome man's companions—their breathtaking beauty—his camp's forces crumbled in an instant. "Senior, are you mad about what I said earlier?" "No, not at all. I've never minded your cold demeanor." "Well... We probably didn't need to interfere anyway." Their nonchalant demeanor felt out of place for warriors who subdued dozens effortlessly. The fact that they left no fatalities behind only highlighted their formidable skills—they treated armed combatants like children. "Hey, you're the leader, right?" "Yes, yes, that's me!" "Answer my questions properly if you don't want to spend the rest of your days crawling." The man leveled his sword beside Lim Gyeong Tak's sprawled form as he spoke. Not that there would be any resistance. Lim Gyeong Tak wriggled, eager to cooperate fully. "I-I'll tell you everything! Even where my treasure is! Just spare my life!" "Oh, come on now. Why make me out to be a killer? Anyone could think I'm Jeok Sal Gaek." "Gasp! Could it be!" The man smiled wickedly, and to Lim Gyeong Tak, it looked menacingly evil. He vowed to answer everything. ‘This should make things easier.’ With just the right amount of intimidation, Lee Se Woong began his questioning of Lim Gyeong Tak. "You're paying tribute to the Mount Heng Sect, aren't you?" "Y-Yes... What?" Startling someone with a strong opening question often threw them off balance, leading to confusion and eventual confession. This method was a favorite of Lee Se Woong’s. "And yet..." "What happened to all that bravado about revealing everything down to the last detail of your treasure? If you're reluctant to answer, I'll have to bring in the next candidate." "Y-You're right, sir!" "Thought so." Lim Gyeong Tak knew that admitting this could cause repercussions from the Mount Heng Sect, but immediate survival took priority. "They've agreed to turn a blind eye to our bandit activities in exchange for a tribute of fifty percent of our earnings. That's the condition from Mount Heng." "Fifty percent? They’re not monks, they’re robbers." "Yes! Exactly, they're no better than bandits!" "The word 'bandit' applies more to scum like you. Just answer my questions." "Yes, sir!" Wanting to stay on Lee Se Woong’s good side, Lim Gyeong Tak stayed silent when reprimanded. "No wonder there are so many bandit camps around here. Setting up shop within the Nine Great Schools’ domain is madness without Mount Heng’s permission." "That's correct!" "Were there any demands besides the tribute?" "Um... Occasionally, they'd order us to disrupt certain caravan routes or raid civilian homes." "Seems like you're practically one of their subordinate organizations." "They treated us like servant dogs, those so-called righteous sects!" "Say one more useless thing." Thud! Lee Se Woong plunged his sword into the ground—first merely aiming at Lim Gyeong Tak, but now the blade was embedded in the floor next to him. The next time, it might be aimed elsewhere. Realizing this, Lim Gyeong Tak abandoned his banter and earnestly began to divulge every detail, including things he wasn't directly asked about. * "How was that? Don’t you think my method was pretty effective?" "You sure are skilled at intimidation, junior!" "I'll give you that it's efficient. But is it wise? It might provoke other camps in the area." I’d heard enough necessary information. After leaving the bandit leader unconscious, Je Gal Yeong voiced her concerns. “Are you worried these bandits might retaliate together, maybe?” “Something like that. We could handle them, but I'm concerned about them interfering with our mission.” "Don't worry. Bandits only stand in solidarity when they're comfortable and well-fed. Talking about another Jeok Sal Gaek appearing will have them hiding in their nests like mice." "You seem to know quite a bit about bandit behavior. Do you have some experience?" "There were circumstances that taught me." Je Gal Yeong looked at me curiously. Initially, she'd been opposed to my approach. -This mission is about testing judgment, so let’s go with what junior has in mind! Without Hwang Bo Se Yool's enthusiastic support, it wouldn’t have been possible. Once we got going, and things started to resolve quickly, even Je Gal Yeong stopped opposing my strategy. We gathered testimonies from victims of bandit raids to narrow down the locations since bandits were creatures of habit, rarely straying far from their hideouts. Investigating those areas, we searched for peculiar markings—like cloths tied to branches or stones arranged unusually. Unnatural and obvious signs. Once we had a lead on a hideout's outline, we’d attack swiftly. If a sentry discovered us, things would get complicated. That was my tried and tested approach for bandit hunting and eradication. "I think we’ve got a good grasp of the situation." "I never imagined the Mount Heng Sect could be involved in such things..." "Exactly. It's the sort of thing you'd expect from petty thugs, not a venerated sect like the Nine Great Schools. Shows how unreliable these so-called righteous sects can be." "Do you have something against monks?" "There were reasons for that too." Reasons. Such a convenient word. Je Gal Yeong seemed a bit disappointed at my vague answers, but she tried not to show it. "And there’s another reason we raided this hideout beyond just interrogation." "What’s that?" "I didn't expect it to hit the mark from the start but..." "Huh?" Whoosh! A dagger flew toward the bandit leader, still unconscious on the ground. Clang! I deflected it with my sword. Even though we planned to hand him over to the authorities, I had no intention of letting blood be shed before my eyes. "Defending bandits now?" A low, harsh voice like scraping metal. "If you want to catch a tiger, you have to enter its den." "Explain yourself. Depending on your answer, we’ll decide your fate." "Isn't it obvious that to catch Jeok Sal Gaek, we need to root out the bandits first?" "You don't intend to answer, I see. I’ll get my response with the sword." The attacker wore black robes, made even more ominous dyed with blood. From beneath a shadowed hat, eyes shone like those of a wolf. Without further ado, Jeok Sal Gaek charged at me with his sword.