Chapter 207: The One Who Leaks Information
“Are you leaving right away?”
At Hwa Yeon-seol’s question, Jin Seong-un nodded.
It would have been nice to relax and share so stories since it had been a while since they t, but the truth was, his heart held no room for leisure.
Both Lee Seowon and the rchant King believed that thanks to the Murim Alliance’s large-scale efforts, there would be no more kidnappings of the children for a while. But human hearts worked differently.
Hwa Yeon-seol spoke with a hint of regret.
“When everything is over, please drop by. Bring Young Master Seomun with you too. I’ll treat you properly then.”
“I shall do so.”
“I shall as well.”
Jin Seong-un and Seo Yu-gyeom stared at Seomun Ak, surprised by his unusually solemn tone.
Seomun Ak cleared his throat awkwardly.
Shin Mok, watching the three of them, smiled mysteriously.
‘In the end, the world won’t leave these lads alone.’
From Shin Mok’s perspective, the three had no grand ambitions. Seomun Ak was a little ambiguous, but at least Jin Seong-un and Seo Yu-gyeom truly were not. They were simply people who wanted to live peacefully, running their little inn.
The problem was that they were far too exceptional.
Even now, Shin Mok could see it clearly.
The gazes of the Orthodox Faction heirs were anything but ordinary.
So held wariness, others competitiveness, and others admiration.
Those people were the martial world itself. The martial world of this era had no intention of letting Seong-un Inn remain a quiet countryside inn.
“Seong-un.”
“Yes, Elder.”
“Has the inn been destroyed again while I was away?”
“Fortunately, it’s still intact. We only just returned there recently ourselves…”
“That’s because it stays intact when you’re not around.”
“Mm.”
Jin Seong-un let out a low murmur.
It was a painful truth, but one he couldn’t deny. During the absence of himself, Seo Yu-gyeom, and Seomun Ak, Seong-un Inn had operated perfectly peacefully and uneventfully.
‘Are we people who shouldn’t be running an inn?’
Such thoughts made his mind a little heavy for a mont.
Then Shin Mok smiled gently.
“Once this matter with the Hwa-un Trading Company is done, I’ll head to Yichang myself and reinforce your inn. I’ll make it sturdy enough that it won’t collapse easily, so don’t worry. And if it does, so what? I still have ten thousand repair techniques I’d like to test out.”
His words were clear.
He ant that Jin Seong-un must continue running the inn.
From Shin Mok’s point of view, Jin Seong-un, Seo Yu-gyeom, and Seomun Ak all needed Seong-un Inn.
Jin Seong-un bowed deeply.
“Thank you, Elder.”
“Go safely.”
Shin Mok patted Jin Seong-un’s shoulder softly. The faces of the Special Task Force martial artists turned even more bewildered.
Shin Mok and the Divine Physician — the two Great Master Artisans of the Central Plains — were both famous for their strict and rigid temperants.
Yet here was Shin Mok treating Jin Seong-un with such warmth, and so the Task Force mbers couldn’t help but see him differently as well.
After their farewells, Jin Seong-un and his party set off imdiately. There was no reason to delay any longer.
Naturally, he didn’t bother explaining their next destination to the Task Force mbers.
Left behind, the Task Force martial artists turned to look at Moyong Hyeon.
Moyong Hyeon cleared his throat and spoke.
“Let’s resu surveil—”
“You an we’re following them again?”
Tang So-yeon interrupted him. Moyong Hyeon shut his mouth. Ever since his duel with Jin Seong-un, his fighting spirit had dimd sowhat.
Thus, the Task Force began moving once more.
They were all successors from the greatest factions under heaven, yet not one of them knew where they were heading.
After leaving Deyang, Jin Seong-un headed northward and arrived in Lanzhou, Gansu Province.
The journey wasn’t difficult for Jin Seong-un and Seo Yu-gyeom, but for Seomun Ak and the Task Force mbers, it was another grueling training session in disguise.
Seomun Ak looked back at the Task Force martial artists and muttered,
“Kids these days have grown up far too soft.”
“Look who’s talking.”
Seo Yu-gyeom glanced at Seomun Ak’s face — so pale it was almost green.
Seomun Ak grinned.
“Think about it. Before, I’d have been hanging off the end of that group, barely keeping up. But now I’m running ahead of them. Imagine how much stronger I’ll be in five more years?”
“You’ll be five years older.”
“…Let’s just stop talking.”
The two glared at each other for no reason, then quickly turned their heads in opposite directions.
Jin Seong-un sighed softly and glanced around.
“Young Master Jin, are we staying here this ti?”
Tang So-yeon asked.
Jin Seong-un kept scanning the surroundings as he replied.
“Yes. I know soone here, and I’ve already sent word ahead…”
At that mont, soone appeared — soone who instantly captured the gaze of everyone on the street, including Jin Seong-un and the Task Force mbers.
She liked being the center of attention.
Her appearance alone was dazzling, but she also wore flowing robes like a celestial immortal and subtly released her inner qi so the fabric fluttered gracefully.
The sight was as if a heavenly maiden had descended to walk among mortals.
It was none other than the Lingbo Immortal Maiden, now the Branch Leader of the Hao Sect’s Gansu Branch.
Upon spotting Jin Seong-un, she glided toward him with ethereal grace and smiled faintly.
“Seong-un, what brings you all the way out here? Ah, Seo the Chef and that rascal Seomun are with you too.”
Her gaze lingered particularly on Seo Yu-gyeom — a piercing look. The taste of Cheongtang Bamboo Stew seed still to linger on her tongue.
As they exchanged greetings, a voice suddenly echoed in Jin Seong-un’s mind.
– Are you close with every beauty under heaven?
– Ahem, that’s not it.
– Ah, what an enviable life.
It was Huamyeong.
He smiled mischievously and gave Jin Seong-un a thumbs-up.
Jin Seong-un could only shake his head.
There really didn’t seem to be a single normal person around him.
“I’ve prepared a place for you all to stay quietly. However…”
Lingbo Immortal Maiden’s gaze shifted toward the Task Force mbers. To her, already in her forties, they looked like re children.
So of the Task Force mbers, especially the ones fond of pleasure, recognized her instantly. Her reputation in that particular line of work(?) was indeed quite legendary.
Lingbo Immortal Maiden continued speaking.
“Are those ones yours as well?”
The Special Task Force martial artists, now referred to as “those ones,” coughed awkwardly. They had lived their entire lives as protagonists, yet ever since setting foot in Seong-un Inn, they couldn’t shake off the feeling that they had beco burdens.
Jin Seong-un nodded.
“They followed us on their own, and since I didn’t bother to shake them off, you could say I brought them.”
“It must have been troubleso. Then perhaps I should prepare lodging for those fellows as well…”
Lingbo Immortal Maiden and Jin Seong-un turned their gazes toward the Special Task Force mbers at the sa ti.
Then, the Guanglong of the Diancang Sect stepped forward and bowed toward Lingbo Immortal Maiden.
“I am Yoo Ho-gwang, the second disciple of the Diancang Sect. It is an honor to et the fad Lingbo Immortal Maiden. If you could provide a place for us to stay, we would be grateful.”
“Should a later-generation prodigy of the Diancang Sect be bowing like that to soone of the Hao Sect?”
Guanglong straightened up in haste.
Few people knew she had joined the Hao Sect.
Lingbo Immortal Maiden continued.
“Your attitude changes as soon as you hear the na Hao Sect. Martial artists of the Orthodox Faction really dislike the Hao Sect, don’t they?”
“Ahem, it’s not that we dislike them…”
“Then do you look down on us?”
“No, I understand that the Murim Alliance even requested the Hao Sect’s cooperation for this case.”
Lingbo Immortal Maiden nodded.
As the Branch Leader of the Hao Sect’s Gansu Branch, she was well aware of the Murim Alliance’s request for information.
She spoke again.
“In any case, I’ll arrange lodging for you all. But I’m only doing so for Seong-un’s sake. From now on, do not trouble him.”
“...Thank you.”
Guanglong gave a smaller bow this ti.
He didn’t want to show excessive courtesy to soone from the Hao Sect, but there weren’t many suitable lodgings in Gansu Province, so he had no choice but to accept her help.
Jin Seong-un dropped off his belongings at the place Lingbo Immortal Maiden had prepared, then imdiately stepped back outside.
He was planning to et the craftsman Hwa Yeon-seol had told him about. The Myriad Gold Manor might have refined the Cold Bloom into a spiritual dicine for easier preservation, after all.
“Want
to co along?”
Seo Yu-gyeom asked from where he was sprawled across the bed.
Seomun Ak, who had been running nonstop until now, had already fallen into a deep sleep.
Jin Seong-un looked at the two, then shook his head.
“It’s fine. I’m just eting a craftsman. Besides, if Young Master Seomun is like that, the Special Task Force mbers are probably all collapsed by now too.”
“Most likely. Those pampered kids… Still, it was probably a good experience for them. Maybe that bald one’s the only one still awake.”
The Shaolin Sect was known for its solid inner strength.
That was why among the Task Force, only Seung-ryong still looked fine.
Jin Seong-un nodded and said,
“I won’t be long. Rest while you can. And if possible…”
“Don’t kill anyone, don’t pick fights, don’t get annoyed, and don’t start a brawl, right?”
Jin Seong-un gave him a thumbs-up.
As Seo Yu-gyeom chuckled helplessly, Jin Seong-un also let out a faint laugh before stepping outside.
He went straight to find Lingbo Immortal Maiden. According to Hwa Yeon-seol, the craftsman he sought was quite well-known, and surely she would know of him too.
After hearing his explanation, Lingbo Immortal Maiden furrowed her brow and thought for a mont before speaking.
“So you’re looking for that old man. The path is rather complicated and rough, so I’ll go with you.”
“You can just tell
the way—”
“Oh, hush! Do you know how bored I am here in Gansu Province? I regret joining the Hao Sect sotis. It’s far too peaceful here. I’m coming.”
“...Understood.”
And so, Jin Seong-un and Lingbo Immortal Maiden set out together to find the craftsman.
Apparently, she wasn’t just making an excuse — the route was indeed rough and complex.
The northwestern part of Gansu Province was perpetually covered in winter weather.
As they climbed higher, the snow beneath their feet thickened, and razor-sharp winds brushed against their bodies.
After quietly ascending the snowy mountain for a while, they finally spotted a lone hut standing in an oddly remote location.
“Is that it?”
“Yes, but…”
Lingbo Immortal Maiden and Jin Seong-un stood still for a mont, gazing at the hut. Both were clearly masters, capable of seeing, hearing, and sensing much even from this distance.
The thick scent of blood brushed their noses.
Around the hut were a few footprints that the snow hadn’t yet covered.
“Let’s go check.”
Lingbo Immortal Maiden spread her movent technique and advanced.
Jin Seong-un followed, ready to draw his Straight Saber at any mont.
They stood before the hut, quietly extending their senses to survey the area.
Nothing unusual could be felt.
Then Lingbo Immortal Maiden opened the door — and a stronger stench of blood poured out.
The scene inside was horrific.
The body of an old man, brutally murdered, lay sprawled across the floor.
“...Is that him?”
“Yes.”
Lingbo Immortal Maiden gently closed the old man’s open eyes.
“He was an old fool who could’ve died anyti. Claid to practice alchemy but tricked others into drinking untested dicines, pretending they were miraculous elixirs.”
“...That’s practically a demonic act.”
A failed elixir was no different from poison.
Feeding such things to others ant he had surely accumulated many grudges.
It was clear now why he had chosen to live in a hut deep in the mountains.
“Practically a demonic one indeed. He was from the North Sea — so say he was from the Northern Sea Ice Palace.”
In the Central Plains, the Northern Sea Ice Palace was regarded almost like a Demonic Cult. Every ti they appeared in the Central Plains, bloodshed inevitably followed.
Jin Seong-un nodded.
“He must’ve made many enemies.”
“That’s right. But the timing is strange. Seong-un, you were tracking the ones behind the Baek Li Clan — the scum who’ve been kidnapping children, weren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Then they must have thought this old man had sothing to do with it, so they ca for him.”
Jin Seong-un nodded again.
Lingbo Immortal Maiden’s eyes narrowed.
“He could’ve just been killed by soone bearing a grudge, but the timing is too perfect. My guess is they killed him to sever a loose end. The question is — why now, of all tis? Right when you arrived in Gansu Province?”
As Jin Seong-un fell deep into thought, Lingbo Immortal Maiden covered her mouth with her fan and said quietly,
“Could it be that among those brats trailing after you, there’s soone leaking information?”
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