It was not absolute certainty.
There was always a possibility that they were wrong.
However…
Logically speaking, Cheon So-yak (천소약) believed that her deduction had a strong foundation.
And she was not alone in this belief.
Cheon Jeong (천정) felt the sa way.
"If it really is Myeong-jeok Tae Sa-baek…"
"Yes. He was on the verge of breaking through the wall of Peak Realm (화경)."
"This is bad."
Cheon Jeong rubbed his forehead.
There was no doubt about it—
The Demonic Cult had found themselves a powerful host.
Whether he could fully control that power—or perhaps even surpass it—remained unknown…
But one thing was certain—
A supre martial artist had disappeared from Mount Hua.
"And at this point… I can't help but suspect sothing."
"…So-yak."
Cheon Jeong's voice grew lower.
Because he knew exactly whom she was beginning to doubt.
"But…"
"Yes, from Eunbyeok Sa-baek (은벽 사백) to Myeong-jeok Tae Sa-baek (명적 태사백). I know. If we follow this pattern upward, we can guess who might be next. But this isn't sothing we should speculate on."
"…Understood."
Cheon So-yak was right.
But to Cheon Jeong, her safety was more important than her righteousness.
Mount Hua (화산) was a great sect, yet even a great sect could collapse if its leadership crumbled.
And the implication that their leader had ties to the Demonic Cult…
Was a fatal flaw that could bring down one of the Nine Great Sects (구파일방).
But that was not sothing they, two re third-generation disciples, should handle.
That responsibility…
Belonged to Jeong Gang (정강) and Eun Song (은송).
And the one to take the lead would likely be Eun Jeong Sa-suk (은정 사숙).
"Let's go back."
Cheon Jeong shut the doors one by one.
Cheon So-yak nodded and followed, closing each door behind her.
After erasing their footprints and ensuring no trace of their presence remained…
The two silently used Lightness Skill (경공) to vanish from Myeong-jeok's residence.
The next morning was the sa as any other.
Sunlight stread through the wooden lattice windows, and the cheerful chatter of children filled the air.
Hearing all that excitent just beyond a single wall—
It was impossible to stay asleep.
After last night's secret mission, Cheon So-yak had struggled to wake up early.
And so had Cheon Jeong.
Normally, he would have been up before dawn, heading straight to the training grounds.
But today, for once, he had woken up at the sa ti as everyone else.
"…Did sothing happen last night?"
It was only natural for Cheon Hwa (천화) to be curious.
They had left in the middle of the night and returned visibly exhausted, only to wake up later than usual.
Cheon So-yak shrugged.
"There was sothing I needed to do."
"You're not going to tell , are you?"
Cheon Hwa pouted.
Cheon So-yak shook her head before lowering her voice.
"Last night, Senior Brother and I visited Myeong-jeok Tae Sa-baek's residence."
"…And? What happened?"
"There was no one there. The hearth had been cold for a long ti. It seems…"
She didn't need to finish the sentence.
Cheon Hwa could infer the rest.
Her face went pale.
Glancing toward the entrance, Cheon So-yak leaned in and whispered a warning.
"You must not tell anyone."
"I—I know. I know…"
"Act as if you heard nothing. As if nothing happened."
Cheon Hwa nodded repeatedly.
Then, she took a deep breath.
Her color returned faster than expected.
"…Still, I really thought it wouldn't be true…"
"I thought the sa."
To clear her mind, Cheon So-yak opened the wooden lattice window.
Below, she saw Cheon Jeong standing on the training platform.
It seed he had already finished cleaning his bedding and stepped outside first.
Soon after, Cheon Gak (천각), Cheon Gu (천구), and Cheon Ju (천주) erged as well.
"Senior Sister."
"Hmm?"
"We're the last ones to wake up."
"Ah… Ah, no…!"
Panicking, Cheon Hwa hastily finished folding her bedding, then sprinted out into the hallway.
anwhile, Cheon So-yak…
Simply jumped out the window.
It was obvious who would arrive first.
Cheon Jeong quickly counted heads before sending each disciple off to their respective masters.
Then, he gathered the third-generation disciples under Eun Song's command.
"You seem to be in a rush today, Senior Brother."
Cheon Gak widened his eyes.
Normally, Cheon Jeong was a calm and easygoing person.
He was the type to slack off when Eun Song wasn't around, even gazing at the sky rather than training.
Despite his responsibilities, he had never been overly strict.
"There is sothing that needs to be done. Cheon Gak (천각), go to Master Eun Song (은송) and tell him that we need him at Elder Jeong Gang's residence (정강 사조)."
"M-? Why ?"
"Yes, you."
It wasn't just Cheon Gak who looked surprised.
Everyone else shared the sa expression.
For Cheon Jeong (천정) to act this way ant only one thing—
The matter at hand was sothing Elder Jeong Gang had to know before Master Eun Song.
And since this involved Myeong-jeok (명적) and Sect Leader Jeong Yang (장문인 정양)…
Master Eun Song would likely figure out the situation as soon as Cheon Gak delivered the ssage.
"Then… We'll et at Elder Jeong Gang's residence, right?"
"Yes. The rest of you, follow ."
"Was the house truly that cold?"
Elder Jeong Gang (정강) stroked his snow-white beard, his voice filled with sorrow.
Though Myeong-jeok was not his direct disciple…
He was still a martial artist raised by Mount Hua.
He had believed that Myeong-jeok might one day break through to the Peak Realm (화경).
"Yes. The ashes in the hearth were damp and clumped together."
Master Eun Song sighed, his face equally somber as he listened to Cheon Jeong's report.
anwhile, Cheon So-yak (천소약) sat silently beside him.
Behind them…
Cheon Ju (천주), Cheon Hwa (천화), Cheon Gak, and Cheon Gu (천구) sat with expressions of disbelief.
"So then… Myeong-jeok Sa-baek (명적 사백) is…"
"I already know, Eun Song. It seems he has beco a sacrifice. The real issue is… where is he now?"
The situation had beco complicated.
They couldn't search openly.
And they had no leads.
If there were other disciples from the sa lineage, they might have noticed sothing.
But among the third-generation disciples, Cheon Hwa and Cheon Ju had lost their only ties to that group.
And Eunbyeok (은벽) was dead.
Which ant…
No one would find it suspicious that Myeong-jeok was missing.
There wasn't even a proper excuse to begin a search.
At that mont, a knock sounded at the door.
It was Myeong-gon (명곤).
Disciple of Jeong Gang.
Master of Eun Song.
He stepped in with a knowing smile.
"Gathered here like this… What could you all be discussing so intently?"
He was already aware of everything.
Of course, Jeong Gang and Eun Song had inford him.
However, unlike them, Myeong-gon had little connection to the third-generation disciples.
So he had kept his distance—
Until now.
Because now, it was his turn to act.
They needed soone who would naturally find Myeong-jeok's disappearance suspicious.
Soone who could justify initiating a search.
And that soone was Myeong-gon.
To Eun Song, Myeong-jeok was rely his senior martial brother.
To Jeong Gang, Myeong-jeok was just his disciple's martial brother.
But to Myeong-gon…
Myeong-jeok had been his Elder Senior Brother, soone he had grown up with since childhood.
Myeong-gon walked forward and sat beside Eun Song.
At that mont, Cheon So-yak realized…
She had completely overlooked Myeong-gon's existence.
"…Elder Martial Uncle, will you take charge of this matter?"
She asked politely.
Myeong-gon chuckled and nodded.
Then, he turned to her with a smirk.
"What happened to that confidence you had before, when you asked if I hated you?"
"…"
That was months ago.
And yet he still rembered, just to tease her now?
Cheon So-yak felt slightly wronged.
"Haha, don't worry. I actually prefer straightforward disciples. It's the ones who hide their thoughts that are truly exhausting."
"…Master. I'm right here."
Eun Song sighed, narrowing his eyes at the unexpected jab.
Myeong-gon burst into laughter and clapped Eun Song on the back.
anwhile, Jeong Gang remained deep in thought.
Then, he asked Myeong-gon a question.
"Myeong-gon… You and Myeong-jeok never got along very well, did you?"
"That's true, Master."
"But still… There is a certain bond, isn't there? Even if it's just the affection of old grudges."
"…That sounds about right."
Jeong Gang nodded in agreent.
After glancing at both Eun Song and Jeong Gang, Myeong-gon accepted the tea Jeong Gang poured him and took a sip.
Then, he spoke.
"When should I make my move?"
"When…?"
Jeong Gang narrowed his eyes, deep in thought.
Master Eun Song also pondered carefully.
They could act imdiately, striking while the iron was hot.
However, Jeong Gang believed there was one more place that needed to be investigated first.
"Let's do it in two days."
"Is there a reason for the extra day?"
Myeong-gon asked.
Jeong Gang answered.
"There is a small storage house behind Jeokwa Pavilion (적와각)."
"…I wouldn't know about that. I've never been there."
Myeong-gon walked forward and sat beside Eun Song.
At that mont, Cheon So-yak realized…
She had completely overlooked Myeong-gon's existence.
"…Elder Martial Uncle, will you take charge of this matter?"
She asked politely.
Myeong-gon chuckled and nodded.
Then, he turned to her with a smirk.
"What happened to that confidence you had before, when you asked if I hated you?"
"…"
That was months ago.
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