Frankly, it was obvious.

Why had Unwi initiated a purge in Yangryeong?

It was clear—he intended to unify Yangryeong into a single front to prepare for what was coming.

But did he know?

That Ijagyeom had planted spies in Yangryeong precisely in order to get caught?

He wanted them to trigger internal strife.

The pieces he had played might have been swept away—but that didn’t matter.

Yangryeong had to be pressed. And then pressed again.

So that everyone would see just how worthless the “protection of Everlasting Snow Palace” truly was.

Trust had to be shattered. Faith had to be broken.

That was what it meant—to consume an entire city.

“Bring me everything you have on Yangryeong’s merchant convoys. All of it.”

An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth.

Unwi, the illegitimate son of Yangryeong, had spared survivors instead of wiping them all out. But Ijagyeom was not like that.

He was fully confident in his ability to leave no one alive.

***

The group rested briefly at Iron Gate Mountain, situated between Jeogan and Yangryeong, before entering Yangryeong deep into the night.

They went straight to the branch—and there, they saw him.

Seol Unwi, smiling brightly.

No, it was Yangso, disguised as Seol Unwi.

At the sight of him, the expressions on Ju Soa and Wonyang subtly shifted.

Thinking back, Unwi really only had three expressions.

When he let out a # Nоvеlight # dry chuckle, when he was expressionless, and when he was angry.

They had never seen this face of Seol Unwi beaming so cheerfully before. Frankly, it was hard to even describe.

“Hahaha...! You’ve returned, my lord!”

“Any problems?”

“There were a few, but I handled them. One unusual bit of news, though.”

“Unusual?”

“The sects of Yangryeong came back and pledged loyalty again... and that guy Shin Janghu of the Shin Clan absorbed all their forces. He said he’ll come by tomorrow morning to greet you. That’s all.”

“The chief steward?”

“Sleeping like a baby. He stood guard the whole time, but never woke up once. Still, his breathing’s steady, and his qi circulation is smooth... I think he’ll wake up soon.”

Unwi nodded and plopped down beneath the eaves.

“You did well.”

“Not at all, I just did what had to be done. But...”

Trailing off, Yangso grinned slyly.

“You must be quite the expert in counter-illusion arts. The disguise was flawless. No one doubted me.”

“Someone must’ve caught on.”

At Unwi’s words, Yangso blinked in surprise and looked at him.

“How did you know? That, um, was it the head of the Cheonha Merchant Guild? Name was...”

“Han Seokhyeon.”

“Yes. That Han Seokhyeon definitely noticed. He didn’t seem ordinary. Maybe you should keep him close.”

“I already am.”

Unwi gestured for him to come closer, and Yangso approached with a mildly disappointed expression.

Unwi tapped a few points on Yangso’s face and chest—and his appearance reverted back to his original face.

“Such a shame. I was getting treated like royalty. It was wild.”

Yangso stepped back with a chuckle.

Unwi’s demeanor had grown heavy again.

Everyone looked at him squarely, waiting for what he would say.

Slowly, as he gathered his thoughts, Unwi spoke.

“You’re not fools. I’m sure you all know what I’m trying to do.”

The events unfolding between Jeogan and Yangryeong now were more than just tense—they were explosive.

And each of these four had, at least once, experienced something like this before.

It resembled that time between Seolap and Yangryeong in more ways than one.

The only difference now was the scale of the forces and the caliber of the people involved.

“Ijagyeom of Jeogan will soon take action. Cheonpung.”

Caught off guard by being named, Cheonpung jolted.

“Y-yes, Lord.”

“Why did Ijagyeom plant spies in Yangryeong’s sects?”

Cheonpung smiled brightly.

“Oh, I get that part, Lord! It’s so they could stab Yangryeong in the back, right? If they betray at the most critical moment, it’ll cause a disaster.”

“Wrong.”

Unwi’s reply was so firm that Cheonpung wondered if he’d misheard.

“Ijagyeom is far more cunning than you think.”

“...”

“He didn’t infiltrate Yangryeong’s sects to stab us in the back—but to break Yangryeong apart from the inside.”

“Break it apart...?”

“He crafted a scheme he knew would be discovered.”

Everyone blinked.

“Five days ago—no, now it’s been six—Ijagyeom led the sects of Jeogan into Yangryeong. At the time, he had no agreement with the Sacheon Alliance, and yet he moved unilaterally. His talks with the Alliance came afterward. He struck a deal with the Master of Cheolmyeong Pavilion. That’s how their third division ended up stationed in Yangryeong. So, the core question is: why did Ijagyeom move? For one reason only—to plant fear in the city of Yangryeong.”

“...”

“Ijagyeom’s methods are always the same. He intends to weaken Yangryeong’s power as much as possible. Ju Soa. This time, you answer. Why would Ijagyeom go through such trouble instead of taking a simpler route?”

Ju Soa paused in thought, then answered.

“Because... he wants to destroy trust.”

“Trust?”

“Yes. True conquest doesn’t just mean taking land. It means capturing the hearts of the people.”

She leaned forward slightly, voice gaining confidence.

“Ijagyeom attacked the trust inside Yangryeong before he ever attacked the city itself. Now that we’ve purged the spies, the people inside Yangryeong will start to wonder—who’s next? They’ll suspect neighbors, colleagues... even family.”

The more she spoke, the more certain she became—her voice growing stronger.

“And once Yangryeong weakens from internal strife, Ijagyeom can attack—and some will even welcome him as a savior.”

“For example?”

“They’ll think: At least Ijagyeom will bring stability. At least under the Sacheon Alliance, Yangryeong will be safe.”

A smile curled at Unwi’s lips.

“Keep going.”

Ju Soa took a breath and continued.

“He’s sending the message that the protection of Seolgung is untrustworthy. He’s attacking people’s ideology. Yangryeong hasn’t been under Everlasting Snow Palace’s rule for long—so he judged it wouldn’t take long to make that trust collapse.”

Unwi laughed.

“Not bad.”

“...Thank you.”

“As Ju Soa said, Ijagyeom’s target is trust. So predicting his next move becomes easy.”

Maybe not for the others—but for Unwi, it was enough.

“Yangso.”

“Yes, Lord.”

“Remain in Yangryeong until this is over.”

“Oh? May I?”

“There are plenty of empty rooms. Allocate them as you see fit to the people you brought.”

“Yes, I will.”

“And Cheonpung.”

“Yes, Lord.”

“Bring me brush and paper. Han Murin, summon the head of Beggar Clan, Jang Seok.”

“Understood.”

At that, Ju Soa and Wonyang exchanged odd glances. As if thinking, why not us?

“You two have separate tasks. Wait for now.”

Before they could even blink, Cheonpung had returned with brush and paper in hand.

Unwi scribbled something quickly, then handed it to Ju Soa.

“Deliver this to Thunderblade Sword Sect’s Thunderbolt Sword, Song Euigyeong. Tell him to come ‘together.’”

She thought she’d misheard.

“...Who?”

“Thunderbolt Sword, Song Euigyeong. You saw him, didn’t you?”

“...I did, but... he’s with the Martial Alliance.”

Unwi gave a strange smile.

“Is that what you really think?”

“...”

“Hurry. Unless he’s an idiot, he’s already waiting for my letter.”

Scratching her head, Ju Soa nodded and turned to go. As she did, Wonyang looked back at Unwi.

“I’ll return soon.”

“Go.”

Everyone moved.

In that brief window, Unwi exhaled deeply and pulled out another elixir from his pouch.

He had to recover quickly.

Faster than anyone could imagine.

***

Thunderbolt Sword Song Euigyeong stared at the letter in his hands, expression twisted with emotion.

It read:

“They say the river seeks its own path, yet always flows to the sea.

The sword you could not swing that day still remains vivid in my memory.

Those who fail to act become stones on someone else’s Go board. The skies of Bongnae have never looked grayer.

Will you sink with the crumbling ship—or take a new course?

The decision is yours, but the consequences will belong to all of Bongnae.

I found a fine scabbard—but no blade to place within.

Will you become the owner of that scabbard?”

He folded the letter carefully.

In that short moment, Song Euigyeong looked ten years older.

“...Ju Soa, was it?”

“Yes.”

“Master of Salgeommun, a one-line transmission sect... and Yangryeong’s branch officer?”

“That too, yes.”

His eyes moved to the woman standing beside her.

“You said your family name is Namgung... is that true?”

Namgung Wonyang didn’t answer aloud—she simply nodded.

Song Euigyeong was deeply curious.

The former Master of Salgeommun was a swordsman named Ju Cheongpung, known by the epithet Blade Demon of Salgeom.

And now, his only daughter was here... serving as a branch member?

The Ogi Jowon level of cultivation wasn’t common. Perhaps only one or two per city.

Even in Jeogan or Bongnae, there weren’t more than ten at most.

And a direct descendant of the Namgung Clan, too?

“...Why do you follow that man?”

Ju Soa chuckled.

“Do I have to answer?”

“You don’t. I’m just curious.”

She shrugged.

“Because he’s worth following.”

“...‘Worth following,’ huh... And the Namgung girl feels the same?”

“Yes.”

Song Euigyeong let out a dry laugh.

“...When I first met him, I thought he wasn’t ordinary. But after reading this letter... he’s really something else. It’s like he sees straight through me.”

He wasn’t a fool.

The way things were unfolding—he could see it all.

They had asked the Martial Alliance for protection—and been ignored.

He had already been discarded.

If this was Jegal Yeonghyeon’s decision—or worse, Gun Mugyeol’s—then so be it.

He had to see Seol Unwi for himself.

Song Euigyeong stood.

“Let’s go. I’ll decide after I meet him.”