Srrrk—

The door slid open, and the Sado Union Lord stepped inside.

Mo-wol, who had arrived early and been waiting, rose from her seat and remained standing until the Union Lord sat; only then did she sit.

“It has been a while, Union Lord. I did not expect we would meet again so soon.”

“I told you, ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) didn’t I? Once preparations were complete, I would contact you.”

It had been Mo-wol who requested the meeting with the Sado Union Lord.

Not long after Seolhwa had said she would send word once So-and-so was found.

“Are you daring to rush me?”

Mo-wol’s violet-tinted lips curved softly.

Smiling, she said, “Perish the thought. I came only so that you would not waste your efforts needlessly.”

“Waste my efforts?”

“We found him. The Martial Alliance was a step faster. He is to meet the Hugae of the Beggar’s Union in a few days.”

“!”

Seolhwa’s brow furrowed beneath the mask.

Mo-wol already knew everything.

That the Martial Alliance was moving, that it was the Alliance that had found So-and-so,

and even that So-and-so and the Hugae would meet in a few days.

That she had the shape of it all could only mean one thing.

‘There is someone in the Beggar’s Union colluding with the Blood Cult.’

Unless that person had reported the chain of events, there was no explaining how Mo-wol knew all this.

Seolhwa’s voice dropped a measure.

“I hadn’t heard the Martial Alliance was entangled in this.”

“We learned late as well. The matter has grown quite irksome. Which is why I braved discourtesy to come.”

“What do you mean?”

“I would have you stop the Martial Alliance fledglings.”

Seolhwa knit her brows.

“Stop the Martial Alliance fledglings?”

“Yes. When that man meets the Hugae of the Beggar’s Union, those fledglings will surely be alongside them. We would like the Union Lord to help us so they do not obstruct our great work.”

“What great work would that be?”

“Seizing the Sacred Object he took.”

“The Sacred Object...? You mean the Dog-Beating Staff?”

“Yes. Only with the Dog-Beating Staff can the current Hugae be recognized as Dragon-Head Lord of the Beggar’s Union.”

The current Hugae.

That could only mean Cheon Guiho.

So-and-so had said it:

that the Dragon-Head Lord and the Hugae were in collusion with Hwaoru.

‘The Dragon-Head Lord was killed by Outlanders of the Blood Cult, yet if the Hugae is still colluding with the Cult, then...’

Was Cheon Guiho complicit in the Lord’s murder?

But by Yu Gang’s account, he was suspect yet did not seem to be a bad man...

“Why are you helping the Hugae become the Dragon-Head Lord?”

“Isn’t it obvious? To win the strength of the Beggar’s Union. We of Hwaoru hold the Union’s information network in high esteem.”

The aim was exactly as Seolhwa expected.

The Blood Cult coveted the Beggar’s Union’s intelligence.

“If we recover the Sacred Object and obtain the Beggar’s Union’s might, it will benefit you as well, Union Lord.”

“The Sado Union already has people who excel at gathering information.”

“You mean the Hao Sect.”

The Blood Cult already knew of the Hao Sect, too.

Even without owning the Beggar’s Union or the Hao Sect, their information had not lagged.

Proof that, though they had lost much power compared to the previous life, there were still many Blood Cult agents scattered across the Central Plains.

“If the Hao Sect’s intelligence is joined with the Beggar’s Union’s might, will you not hold the world in your hand, Union Lord?”

Mo-wol spoke of “the world” in a honeyed voice, as if acquiring the Beggar’s Union’s strength were the same as empowering the Sado Union.

A whisper that made it feel as if one need only add a little strength to obtain power vast and mighty.

‘So very Mo-wol.’

A temptation that might have deceived anyone who did not know Hwaoru’s true face.

Sweet words like a ripe strawberry set upon a serpent’s tongue.

But Seolhwa knew better than anyone that the instant you reached for that strawberry, it would be you who was swallowed.

“By the way...”

“?”

“You do have enough of those elixirs, don’t you?”

At Seolhwa’s words, Mo-wol’s lips drew into a deep arc.

A satisfied smile.

“I knew you would ask, so I prepared them in advance.”

Mo-wol drew a small pouch from her bosom and set it upon the table.

The more one craved power, the more addictive those pills became; she had guessed Seolhwa would ask.

And to meet that expectation, Seolhwa snatched the pouch and tucked it away.

Watching that, Mo-wol’s smile and posture were more bewitching than ever.

****

Step, step.

After meeting the Sado Union Lord, Mo-wol did not return to her quarters. She headed elsewhere.

Another pavilion not far from where she had met the Union Lord.

Unlike that place, this one reeked of lust, the sort of hall that made it hard to turn one’s eyes away.

Mo-wol passed by the partitioned drinking booths as if they were nothing and stopped before the largest room.

Beyond the door came the laughter of women and the sound of instruments.

“May I enter?”

No sooner had she spoken than the door rattled open as if someone had shoved it with force.

Unstartled, Mo-wol stepped in.

The door slammed shut harshly behind her.

“Sit. I’ve been waiting.”

Mo-wol took the seat opposite the man sitting among the courtesans.

“Would you have the ladies withdraw for a moment?”

The man chuckled and looked around.

“Are we about to say something they mustn’t hear?”

Mo-wol’s lips curved.

Conversely, the man’s amusement vanished in an instant. He crooked a finger.

From somewhere, masked men appeared and in a blink cut down the pavilion’s women clustered around him.

Chwak— chwacha-chwak—!

“Kh....”

“Ghk....”

The women collapsed onto the floor and tables, spraying blood, without managing a single scream.

Mo-wol lowered her gaze to the side.

There, the musician who had been playing moments ago sat frozen, aghast.

“I’ll praise you for not screaming.”

“S-spare...”

Mo-wol drew an abacus from her bosom and flicked one of its beads—tang.

Something snapped from the abacus and lodged precisely between the trembling musician’s brows.

Violet spread swiftly across the woman’s forehead.

Moments later, she too collapsed without a scream, like the others.

The man watching it all let out a chuckle.

“As pitiless as ever.”

“Clean up properly.”

Mo-wol looked to the man.

“Fourth Blood Lord.”

Bronzed skin, heavy brows, strange markings covering his body, and an appearance and aura ill-fitting any ordinary Central Plains man.

The man’s identity was the Fourth Blood Lord of the Blood Cult.

A sorcerer of the Southern Wilds and the one called king of their warriors.

“If the Lord hears of this, you’ll be in for it.”

“Did the Lord send you to watch me?”

“That is not the case.”

Mo-wol slid the scattered beads of her abacus back into place with a soft rattle and tucked it away.

“Then why has the head of Hwaoru come to find me?”

“I have a favor to ask.”

“You, asking me for a favor?”

“I intend to kill the Sado Union Lord.”

“Ho.”

A thin smile crept over the Fourth Blood Lord’s lips.

His body leaned toward Mo-wol.

“That is rather interesting. I thought you meant to set her up as the Sixth Blood Lord. Why—does she refuse to obey?”

“The opposite.”

Mo-wol laced her fingers together.

Her long, violet-tinted nails tapped lightly on the backs of her hands.

“She obeys too well—that is the problem. When one yields this readily, how can we not be suspicious?”

The Fourth Blood Lord chuckled.

“So you’ll kill her because she’s too compliant?”

“That is beside the point.”

“Kekeke... You meant to kill her from the start, then?”

Mo-wol smiled.

“Should we bring in someone who could threaten Hwaoru? No. We cut such things away.”

“Is this the Lord’s will?”

He tipped his bottle and asked.

“The Lord knows nothing of it.”

His hand stopped dead.

The Fourth Blood Lord arched his brows and looked at Mo-wol.

“This is my design, for Hwaoru alone. You know this: I do nothing that harms Hwaoru.”

“...I know your loyalty well.”

He set the bottle down and tossed back his cup in a single swallow.

“So—what would you have me do?”

****

In the deep of night, when all were asleep.

A black shadow slipped through the open window, slid up onto Seolhwa’s sleeping form, and coiled atop her.

Presently, Seolhwa blinked awake.

She gazed for a moment at the Imoogi perched in a coil upon her body.

[You foist the troublesome work upon this seat, then sleep in perfect peace.]

“I wasn’t asleep. I was waiting for you.”

[Hmph. Denial, when those big round eyes are full of sleep?]

Seolhwa puffed a soft laugh.

[Do not laugh. Do you grasp how grave this moment is?]

“How grave?”

[Mo-wol seems to be plotting something suspicious.]

“Suspicious?”

[As you said, I tailed the one called Mo-wol. He met someone. A nasty piece of work.]

“You couldn’t see who?”

[I could not draw close; he would have sensed my energy. Which is to say, he was that dangerous.] 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

“...”

Seolhwa sat up.

The Imoogi slithered onto her hand.

Naturally, Seolhwa stroked the creature’s round head.

[What do you intend to do?]

“What else.”

Seolhwa nodded slowly.

“Fight.”

There was no avoiding it anyway.

She had never thought Mo-wol would yield so tamely.

Mo-wol was suspicious by nature and deft with stratagems; it was expected she would have another move prepared.

‘The one Mo-wol met must be the man who commands the Barbarians of the Southern Wilds.’

Likely one of the Blood Lords.

A clash with a Blood Lord was something she had already steeled herself for; it did not surprise her.

[Nor will the Martial Alliance reinforcements come, will they? Are you certain you’re all right?]

Her hand, stroking the Imoogi, slowly halted.

“If I dodge this, we lose the Beggar’s Union. I told So-and-so to trust me.”

Seolhwa smiled and looked down at the Imoogi.

Her hand began to move again.

“Don’t worry. It will go well.”