The RoFan Novel Fan Has Reincarnated Into A Martial Arts Novel-Chapter 23

Chapter 23: The Warning Letter Delivered with a Siren

Gongye choked violently at the voice ringing right beside his eardrum. He had swallowed wrong.

‘That voice... no way?’

His face turned bright red as he doubled over, coughing harshly. At the same time, he swiftly hid his liquor bottle and skewered meat inside his sleeve. At least, in his mind, it was an act of cleverness.

‘How much did she see? She couldn’t have seen everything, right?’

Feigning another bout of coughing to buy himself time, he slowly straightened up with an air of dignity. Hwang Bo Shiju and Tang Shiju were staring at him.

Putting on a voice of exaggerated warmth, Gongye greeted them.

"Ah! If it isn’t Hwang Bo Shiju! And Tang Shiju as well!"

As he spoke, he expertly trapped the air inside his mouth to suppress the smell of alcohol. Such a skill was practically second nature to him.

Hwang Bo Shiju, utterly expressionless, asked,

“What are you doing here? In such a secluded place?”

"Haha, didn't I tell you before? This humble monk seeks solitude for meditation." fгeewebnovёl.com

"Meditation."

“Yes, Amitabha...”

Gongye instinctively put his hands together in prayer but swiftly pulled them apart. He was still holding a liquor bottle.

"Haha... ahaha."

His laugh was stiff as his eyes darted around rapidly. Since Hwang Bo Shiju wasn’t pressing the issue, it seemed she hadn’t noticed.

“Monk, we’re leaving today. Will you be fine?”

"Today, you say?"

"Yes. Is there a problem?"

“A problem? Of course not. I was just concerned... isn't this a bit rushed?”

If possible, he wanted to stay in the Hwang Bo manor a little longer. He had only just begun to enjoy himself properly.

“Then take your time. We’ll be heading out first.”

“Oh? Is that really alright? Then, this humble monk shall take up the rear. I will keep an eye out for any pursuers along the way. Hohoho!”

Gongye could barely hold back a grin. Traveling alone was as good as having free rein. He didn't know the exact destination, but he only needed to follow at a leisurely pace.

‘I’ll slip in at the last moment when things wrap up.’

Just as he was admiring his own perfect plan, Hwang Bo Shiju turned and spoke.

“I’ll report to the Abbot separately. Then...”

‘...What?’

"Wait! Shiju!"

“Yes?”

“Th-that... what do you mean by report?”

“Didn’t you know? The Abbot has been sending letters now and then, inquiring about our progress. I was actually on my way to send one right now.”

Gongye unconsciously swallowed. His Adam’s apple bobbed visibly.

‘I should’ve known something was off.’

“Shiju, you know about me, don’t you? Haha...”

"Hm? Know what?"

She {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} blinked at him with an innocent look, and Gongye put on his most distressed expression.

“If you could write that this humble monk is fulfilling his duties well, I would be most grateful. The Grandmaster worries quite a lot, you see.”

“So... you’re saying I should write exactly what’s happening?”

“Yes! Exactly that!”

“Alright.”

As she walked away, she muttered softly,

“...Gongye Monk is enjoying himself with liquor and meat, living in good health. That should do. Right, Soso?”

"Huh? Uh... yes, unni..."

“Sh-shijuuuuu!”

Gongye rushed forward desperately, calling out to Hwang Bo Shiju. When she turned back, her gaze flashed dangerously.

“Ugh!”

It was like being struck by lightning. No—was her aura getting even stronger? What did she eat? Did she take elixirs with every meal?

“Monk.”

“Yes...”

“Take out whatever you’re hiding.”

“...Excuse me?”

Zap!

‘So she knew all along.’

Head hanging in shame, Gongye reluctantly pulled out the liquor bottle and skewers. A deep, disappointed sigh thundered around them.

“Are you even a real monk?”

"Ah... well, that is..."

“Oh, come on.”

He attempted a feeble excuse, but Hwang Bo Shiju’s frigid voice cut him off.

“No more talking. Gather your things and meet us at the front gate. We’re leaving today.”

"Y-yes, ma’am..."

With that, Hwang Bo Shiju turned and strode ahead with Tang Shiju.

Tang Shiju cast him a brief, pitying glance, but that was all. Shoulders slumped in defeat, Gongye trailed after them.

****

Huangbo Manor was in Shandong, far from Changsha in Hunan. To the north lay Dongting Lake, and to the south, the Hengshan Sect. It was here that a group of travelers had arrived.

Four in total—two men and two women. A composition so ordinary that no one would look twice.

A woman wearing a bamboo hat murmured,

“It’s definitely hotter here in the south. And this isn’t even the peak of summer.”

She fanned herself lightly. It was Yeon. Beside her, a man with a plain, unremarkable face nodded in agreement.

“Probably because you’re wearing a bamboo hat.”

“If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be worse for Cheon-gang?”

Cheon-gang’s silent smile was somewhat awkward. He was currently wearing an Infiltration Mask.

‘To think that handsome face has to stay covered. I should’ve just made him wear a bamboo hat like me. At least then I could’ve seen his face when he took it off now and then...’

Cheon-gang had insisted on using the mask to conceal his identity. After all, he was the Young Lord of the Yi Clan, and publicly, the Baekha Escort Agency matter was considered settled.

Gongye, the Shaolin monk, had also concealed his bald head with a wig.

Only Soso remained unchanged. But since she was from Sichuan, no one here would recognize her, and even if her lineage was revealed, it wouldn’t cause any real issues. The status of the Sichuan Tang Clan was quite different from that of the Yi Clan or Shaolin.

“Yeon Sojeo, where should we head first?”

Cheon-gang’s question asked her to choose between two destinations: the Baekha Escort Agency or the Red Sword Gate.

“Hmm...”

Her heart immediately leaned toward the Baekha Escort Agency.

Baek Ju-a must have been anxiously waiting for her. Though over a month had passed, Yeon still remembered her desperate eyes. The stark red blood droplets splattering against white walls.

Even a small cut on a finger stings, yet she had slashed her entire arm. The thought of what had driven Baek Ju-a to such an extreme made Yeon want to rush to her side immediately.

However...

‘The Escort Agency is under surveillance. Wouldn’t it be foolish to announce our arrival? Perhaps it’s better to strike the Red Sword Gate first...?’

Cheon-gang remained silent, waiting for her decision. Soso’s wide, eager eyes and Gongye’s lifeless gaze—clearly dragged along against his will—also pressed on her.

Finally, she organized her thoughts and opened her mouth.

“The first place we’ll go is...”

*****

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Cheon-gang knocked on the door and spoke.

“Is anyone there?”

After a moment, the door creaked open, and a man cautiously peeked out. He wore a black robe, but the shadows under his eyes were just as dark. His hollow, weary gaze made it clear he hadn’t slept properly in a long time.

“Who are you?”

At his guarded expression, Yeon stepped forward.

“I am Hwang Bo Yeon from the Hwang Bo Family. Is this the Baekha Escort Agency...?”

Before she could even finish her sentence, the man’s dull eyes suddenly lit up.

“H-Hwang Bo Family, you say? You’ve finally arrived! Please wait a moment!”

With a loud clatter, he bolted off somewhere. At his intense reaction, Yeon glanced at Cheon-gang and gave a sheepish smile.

“Looks like coming here first was the right choice.”

“It seems so.”

In the end, Yeon had decided to visit the Baekha Escort Agency first. Attacking the Red Sword Gate first wasn’t a bad option, but she was worried something might happen in the meantime.

“Yeon Sojeo, did you notice?”

“Notice what?”

Cheon-gang subtly scanned the surroundings before continuing.

“There are quite a few eyes watching us.”

“Oh... I was wondering why I felt so strange.”

Yeon took note of the sensation, engraving it in her memory. Slowly but surely, she was developing the instincts of a martial artist.

“It’s fine. I expected this.”

News of her arrival would soon be reported to the Red Sword Gate. They would have time to prepare, but for now, they wouldn’t be able to interfere with the Baekha Escort Agency. This was an idea influenced by modern knowledge.

‘Police cars blare their sirens when they arrive at a crime scene. Even if the culprit escapes, it forces them to stop whatever they were doing.’

With that thought, Yeon suddenly spun around.

She sharply released her aura, targeting those lurking nearby.

Paaaang!

Disguised as ordinary pedestrians or merchants, several figures quickly retreated.

Watching them slink away, Yeon smirked.

‘Just wait a little longer. I’ll be coming for you soon.’

At that moment, the doors of the Baekha Escort Agency swung open.

Baek Ju-a, looking even more haggard than before, stepped out to greet them.

“You really came!”

Gripping Yeon’s hands tightly, she trembled, on the verge of tears. The determination Yeon had just built up was suddenly overtaken by emotion.

“You’ve been waiting a long time, haven’t you?”

“No... just the fact that you kept your promise is enough for me...”

Her voice wavered as she glanced around nervously, still holding Yeon’s hand tightly.

“For now, please come inside.”

****

The Baekha Escort Agency, which was said to be quite large, was eerily empty. It felt abandoned, as if its owner had long since left.

The courtyard was littered with scattered debris and wooden crates. As Baek Ju-a led them through the desolate space, she spoke.

“It’s embarrassing, but this is the current state of the Baekha Escort Agency. It wasn’t always like this, but... circumstances forced us to let most of our people go. More than that, we couldn’t stop those who chose to leave on their own.”

Yeon didn’t bother with empty consolations. Instead, she silently observed the agency’s condition.

Here and there, a few people remained—but all were dressed in black.

“Is black the original uniform of the Baekha Escort Agency?”

“No... actually...”

Baek Ju-a hesitated, overwhelmed by emotion, before answering.

“Ever since my father passed, everyone voluntarily started wearing mourning clothes. They swore not to take them off until they avenged him. I intend to do the same.”

It was a testament to how deeply respected the late Escort Chief had been. Yeon simply nodded without a word.

Baek Ju-a led them to a large room. Though it was empty of people, everything inside—from the candles to the pillars—was luxurious and well-maintained. It was clear how quickly the agency had fallen from prosperity.

After offering them seats, Baek Ju-a called for an attendant to prepare tea and then spoke.

“Once again, I sincerely thank you for coming. Are you aware of the situation between our escort agency and the Red Sword Gate—no, I should say the Red Flower Trading Group?”

“I have a rough idea. But I’d rather hear the full details from you, Baek Sojeo.”

Baek Ju-a nodded slowly at Yeon’s words.

“Then I should start by explaining the Red Sword Gate...”

Just then, someone suddenly entered the room.

The boy who stepped in was frail, his movements unsteady. His face was gaunt and pale.

“Noona...”

Baek Ju-a gasped and shot up from her seat.

“Cho-un! How did you get here?!”

She rushed to support him, her face filled with alarm.

“This is my younger brother, Cho-un. He’s been bedridden for some time...”

“Noona... did Shaolin come?”

His speech was slightly slurred, but the word Shaolin was unmistakable.

The group’s eyes instinctively turned to Gongye, but since they couldn’t expose his identity, they quickly averted their gazes.

Noticing their reactions, the boy’s face filled with despair. His red-rimmed eyes flickered with heartbreak.

“...They didn’t come.”

“Cho-un, you shouldn’t push yourself like this.”

“Hik... so they really aren’t coming?”

At his repeated question, Baek Ju-a’s eyes grew misty.

“Let’s get you back to bed. We can talk after—”

But before she could finish, Baek Cho-un’s eyes rolled back, and he collapsed.

“Cho-un!”

Yeon leapt from her seat and rushed forward.

“What’s wrong with him?”

“He’s sick... The doctors don’t even know what’s wrong. He just kept getting worse until he ended up like this...”

Just then, a small voice spoke from behind Yeon.

“U-unnie?”

Yeon turned to see Soso, staring at Baek Cho-un with furrowed brows, looking deeply unsettled.

“What is it, Soso?”

Soso hesitated before finally voicing the words no one expected.

“Unnie... it’s poison.”

“...What?”

“This boy... he’s been poisoned.”