Chapter 88: Heukso, Takes the Bait

Ban Yeo sat alone in a dark room without even lighting a lantern, lost in deep thought.

He felt the crisis, but he did not waver. He had faced countless crises to rise to his current position and had overcome them all so far.

There has always been one thing in common.

Anyone who blocked his path or challenged him had never been shown even the slightest mercy. This time would be no different.

Srrrk.

Someone appeared like a ghost.

"You called for me?"

The man in black martial attire with a grim atmosphere was Heukso.

If Yang Jo was a subordinate well known to the outside world, Heukso was one who was not. His presence was dark, but when it came to handling matters, he was reliable.

"Yang Jo is dead."

Even at the news of his comrade’s death, Heukso did not so much as blink. His cold, sharp eyes only shone in the darkness.

"Find out who is behind it."

"Understood."

Srrrk.

Heukso vanished without a sound.

* * *

The first thing Heukso did was visit the Central Plains Treasury.

The building was running as usual. The fact that the vault had been robbed had not yet been made public. The operators had spent a fortune to keep that fact hidden.

Although Heukso was a close aide of Ban Yeo, he could not see the stolen vault or the mechanical devices inside.

The Treasury was treating the incident as extremely serious. If they made a misstep, the hall’s credibility could collapse, and outside pressure could not sway them.

That was not to say there were no openings at all. Ban Yeo had influence in many places, and the Treasury was no exception.

A man walked quickly into the back alley near the hall, where Heukso was waiting. Surprisingly, he was the branch leader of the Murim Alliance Branch here.

"There’s no time, so I’ll get straight to the point. The first-stage investigation is done. The intruders were between three and five people, the job took two hours, and they were highly skilled not only at dismantling mechanisms but also in martial arts. With that level of skill and manpower, they could have taken all the vault’s money, yet they only took that specific vault. Therefore, their sole objective was the contents of that vault."

"Is that all?"

"That’s all we know for now."

Heukso’s expression hardened. There was nothing new beyond what he already knew.

He was about to turn away, but the branch leader added,

"Oh, right. They think the tool the intruders used might have been a detection plate."

"A detection plate? What’s that?"

"A rare device that detects mechanisms. They found broken fragments near the dismantled mechanism, and it turned out to be a detection plate. That’s all."

As the man started to turn away, Heukso stopped him.

"Wait. Is there nothing else about the detection plate?"

For now, it was the only clue they had.

"Nothing else. Oh wait, the fragments were red."

The man mentioned it casually, as if it were insignificant, and hurried off.

Heukso’s eyes gleamed with interest.

"Red fragments from a detection plate?"

* * *

Baek Seolyoung smiled as she looked down at the letter.

It was from Chu Sang-gi. He had written in detail about events in the Northern Sky Clan, who was doing what, and the current state of affairs.

It was so detailed that she almost felt as if she were there herself.

She could feel his sincerity. His earnest face came to mind, and she found herself missing him.

Then she heard a voice in front of her.

"Did something good happen?"

She looked up to see that Lee Jaseung had come closer without her noticing. Yesterday she had asked the question, but today it was him asking her.

"It’s a letter from my lover back home."

At her teasing remark, Lee Jaseung gave a small laugh. From that one sentence, he knew it was from Chu Sang-gi.

"You’re more of a player than I thought."

"What about you?"

"I’m faithful."

"Is that so?"

Lee Jaseung nodded with a serious expression.

The sight made Baek Seolyoung smile faintly.

She still felt she did not fully understand him.

From his looks alone, he seemed like a man who would never turn away a woman who came to him, yet seeing him nod so seriously made him seem like someone who would only look at one woman.

"Wouldn’t it be a problem if your husband were a flirt?"

"I wouldn’t care. An eye for an eye! I’d just enjoy myself too."

Her joke made Lee Jaseung smile again.

Of course, she did not mean it. She was not the type to cheat even if it happened to her. She would just leave instead.

Dropping her playful tone, Baek Seolyoung asked seriously,

"No word from Master Ban yet?"

Lee Jaseung nodded.

She knew, of course, that such matters could not be resolved overnight. Especially if the opponent was the Undying Ghouls, it would be difficult not only to subdue them but even to find them.

But receiving Chu Sang-gi’s letter made her long to return to her clan as soon as possible.

Sensing her feelings, Lee Jaseung could not say anything.

Things had only just begun. Would she be able to return to the Northern Sky Clan? He wasn’t certain.

He needed to find the right moment to tell her the truth.

Even for the bold Lee Jaseung, it would not be easy. He could already anticipate how she might react.

"Shall we have a drink tonight?"

At his words, Baek Seolyoung nodded and replied.

"Sure."

Just then, from a distance, Dan Woobin called out to him with a wave.

"Senior Brother!"

Lee Jaseung looked at Baek Seolyoung.

"Looks like I have to go."

"See you later."

As she watched him walk away, the fortune-teller’s words came to mind.

Love and turmoil will come together.

She pouted at the thought.

‘When is that ever going to happen when he’s so busy like that!’

Amused by her own thoughts, she turned with a bright smile.

From afar, Dan Woobin watched her and murmured with his mouth slightly open,

"Ah, her smile really is beautiful."

"Is it?"

At Lee Jaseung’s reaction, Dan Woobin gave a strange smile.

"What is it?"

"Nothing, but…"

Dan Woobin stopped himself from saying more.

"Say it."

"I just think you seem embarrassed whenever Lord Baek is mentioned. I don’t think you need to be anymore."

"Do I?"

"Ah, don’t get me wrong. I mean it in a good way. It’s refreshing."

"Refreshing?"

When Lee Jaseung gave him a baffled look, Dan Woobin chuckled.

"So, what is it?"

At Lee Jaseung’s question, Dan Woobin’s playful expression vanished.

"He’s taken the bait."

* * *

An hour later, Heukso was in another location.

One of the most mysterious organizations in the martial world, and one that had earned absolute trust, was the Golden Ant’s Murim Alliance Branch.

"Information on detection plates is classified as top-tier."

In a dim secret room, a Golden Ants martial artist who did not reveal his face spoke quietly.

Standing before him was Heukso.

Without a word, Heukso handed him an envelope containing a promissory note for a hundred thousand silver coins. That was the price for information on the detection plate.

The man slid the note into a small slot in the wall. Moments later, another man’s voice came from inside.

"Confirmed."

Once the note was verified as genuine, the man spoke in a softer tone.

"The reason information on detection plates is so expensive is because of the organizations that use them."

"Which one is it?"

"There are only three groups in the martial world that use them. The Murim Alliance, the Black Way Alliance, and the Demonic Cult."

The names made Heukso flinch. He had not expected those three.

"Couldn’t other groups use them too?"

"Do you know where detection plates are made? They were created by the Demonic Cult. The craftsman who invented them made a public declaration in the martial world. Anyone who imitated and used his detection plate would be wiped out along with their entire family. Even though that craftsman died and many years have passed, no individual uses detection plates."

"Couldn’t someone use one without knowing?"

"Anyone capable of using a detection plate would be highly knowledgeable in mechanical arts, and there is no way they wouldn’t know this famous fact. I guarantee the chance of an individual using one is extremely low."

Heukso’s eyes narrowed. Judging by the act, it could not have been done by an individual.

‘Then one of those three groups must have planned this…’

He asked cautiously,

"Which of them uses red detection plates?"

The moment he asked, he expected the answer to be the Black Way Alliance. It could not be the Murim Alliance, and the Demonic Cult felt less likely. The Black Way Alliance seemed the clear suspect.

But the man’s answer was entirely unexpected.

"The Murim Alliance."

Heukso was stunned. The Demonic Cult would have been easier to believe, but the Murim Alliance?

"Are you certain?"

"I am certain."

"Absolutely certain? Would you stake your life on it?"

The man’s expression hardened as he responded.  

"We are the Golden Ants. You spent one hundred thousand silver coins because you trust us, did you not?"

Without another word, Heukso left.

As soon as he was gone, two people entered. The man who had spoken to Heukso just now, bowed respectfully to them.

Surprisingly, it was Lee Jaseung and Nam Seohyang, leader of the Golden Ants.

Lee Jaseung looked at Nam Seohyang.

"Thank you."

"Think nothing of it. I’m glad it helped."

"When did you get here?"

"Right after you arrived, my Lord."

She did not avoid his gaze. Like Hwa Su, her eyes held a certain yearning. If Hwa Su’s felt more personal, Nam Seohyang’s had a strong political air.

"You don’t need to doubt me. I’ve staked everything on this matter. My being here is only natural."

Bringing in the Golden Ants had truly been a masterstroke.

But it technically was not a lie. The Murim Alliance did indeed use red detection plates.

She had only left out one fact. The Demonic Cult and the Black Way Alliance’s tokens were also red.

* * *

"What? The Murim Alliance was behind it?"

At Heukso’s report, Ban Yeo was shocked. He had considered many possibilities, but he had never thought the Murim Alliance would be behind it.

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

At Heukso’s certainty, Ban Yeo’s shock turned to fury.

"That damned Alliance Leader!"

Until now, they had been in sharp opposition, but it turned out to be a kind of tug-of-war in which they acknowledged each other’s power.

This incident was of an entirely different nature.

"So he means to get rid of me?"

But then Ban Yeo tilted his head.

"No, no, something’s off."

If the Alliance Leader had robbed the Treasury to obtain the ledger, why had he not used it to destroy Ban Yeo immediately? He could have crushed him in one blow.

"Something important is missing."

Just then, a subordinate came in with news.

"Seop Mu-pyeong has requested a private meeting with the Alliance Leader."

Ban Yeo’s eyes widened.

"It’s him! That bastard’s behind this!"

The fog in his mind cleared. The involvement of the Murim Alliance had made him forget about Seop Mu-pyeong for a moment.

Ban Yeo knew Seop Mu-pyeong as the heir of the Hainan Sect. Knowing he had come to the Murim Alliance for revenge, it all now made sense.

Seop Mu-pyeong was scheming between them, using both him and the Alliance Leader for his revenge. He must have intended to remove Ban Yeo and take his place.

But the Alliance Leader had not moved according to his plan. He was likely trying to use both of them to remove each other. The Alliance Leader was fully capable of such a move.

Ban Yeo sat back with a calmer expression. The busier things were, the more one needed to step back.

No one knew better than Ban Yeo that running around recklessly in a crisis could lead to complete ruin. At times like this, one had to stay calm, assess the situation, and respond carefully.

"Heh, it won’t go as you wish."

Everything in his mind fell into place.

This had all been orchestrated by Dan Woobin.

Even the request for a private meeting with the Alliance Leader had been to achieve this outcome. Because Ban Yeo had gotten along with the Alliance Leader until now, he would not easily believe that the Alliance Leader had suddenly plotted this.

But Dan Woobin had added the perfect touch to finish the dish.

The revenge of the Hainan heir.

Those who are full of suspicion will eventually be destroyed by it.

Dan Woobin was making full use of that fact.

Ban Yeo’s gaze turned cold.

‘I never considered the Alliance Leader a friend, but I at least respected him as a great man. Yet to resort to such a low trick over someone like Seop Mu-pyeong!?’

"After all the storms we’ve weathered together, you treat me like some fool?"

Crunch.

The armrest of his throne crumbled into powder in his grip.

In that moment, Ban Yeo failed to hear the sound of fate beneath his feet.

Zzzzzzzzt.

Once from above, and now from below.

The second split was happening.

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