Chapter 35

At Gong Hyeok-rin's words, what little sleep remained in Cheong-ra completely vanished. All the criminals had died?

"What? The criminals died? Why..."

The criminals who had consumed the drug Enlightened Mind Tea and harmed people from the sect were scheduled to be interrogated starting tomorrow. So, to prevent them from committing suicide, they had been gagged, tightly bound, and locked up in the prison beneath the Hall of Righteous Governance. It was unbelievable and disheartening that such individuals had suddenly died.

"Weren't they prevented from committing suicide?"

"...Yes. We certainly did that."

Gong Hyeok-rin's face looked quite grim as he said this. Cheong-ra, who had been puzzled, was able to understand by looking at the expressions of the Hall Master of the Hall of Righteous Governance and Gong Hyeok-rin, who had been silent until now.

"Could it be... they were murdered?"

Gong Hyeok-rin remained silent for a long time, indicating affirmation. When Cheong-ra quietly asked about the culprit, he shook his head. It meant he didn't know. The Hall Master of the Hall of Righteous Governance cleared his throat uncomfortably, then sighed deeply as if the ground would cave in, and left the place.

The Hall of Righteous Governance was a building constructed to maintain the discipline of Moon Lake Sect. Therefore, there was a prison built underground to confine disciples who had violated the rules. For this reason, it was a place that was always guarded vigilantly even during normal times. Especially today, the security was even tighter.

It was a big deal that someone of unknown identity had sneaked in and killed the criminals in such a place. It would have been much better if the criminals had committed suicide. Suddenly, Dang Ran-yeong's words flashed through Cheong-ra's bewildered mind.

'Even if you take these guys away, it will surely be of no use.'

Did he know that things would turn out like this?

***

The next morning, as expected, Moon Lake Sect was in an uproar. Because it was such a disturbing incident, it was kept secret from the young disciples who had been admitted less than a year ago, but everyone above that level knew about this incident and took it seriously. The Sect Leader summoned the elders and hall masters for a meeting, but in the end, they couldn't even find a clue about the culprit.

With the unsettling atmosphere in the sect, Cheong-ra couldn't rest comfortably even after returning to Moon Lake Sect. He carefully recalled his memories from Dragon Spring until the time they captured and returned with the criminals, wondering if there might be any clues he had missed.

However, the more he did so, the more he only remembered a certain someone and the conversations they had shared.

'I can grant whatever you desire.'

'If you just accept my deal.'

Cheong-ra could tell that Dang Ran-yeong wasn't simply offering to grant his wishes with his wealth and power. The secretive and sinister intent was blatantly evident in his eyes and tone. And he was the only one who had noticed Cheong-ra's desires.

Cheong-ra tried his best to keep his mind pure. However, whenever he had time, his feet led him to Full Moon Lake with a zither, and he could hardly concentrate on training. Moreover, his great senior brother Gong Hyeok-rin was too busy to spar with him due to the incident of the criminals' deaths.

How many days had passed like this? After deep contemplation and worry, Cheong-ra finally made a decision. He sought out Oh Tae-ryeong in the neatest and cleanest attire possible. Despite being busy, Oh Tae-ryeong made time when Cheong-ra said he had something urgent to discuss.

"Well, what is it?"

Grateful for this consideration, Cheong-ra knelt before his master. Oh Tae-ryeong looked at her disciple calmly, not at all surprised by his sudden kneeling. Cheong-ra took a deep breath to calm his nerves, then bowed his head deeply and said to Oh Tae-ryeong.

"Master. I wish to depart for the martial arts world, so please grant me your permission."

Part 3

Spring had passed, and summer was approaching.

Cheong-ra, who had been walking steadily, stopped briefly on a high mountain pass and enjoyed the surrounding scenery. Where flower petals had fallen, young and soft new buds were blooming, coloring the surroundings with greenery. The breeze that blew gently was cooler and drier than in Chongqing. It was a place where the four seasons were always warm and humid, to the extent that it could be said there was no winter.

After enjoying the coolness for a moment, Cheong-ra's gaze turned towards Chang'an visible in the distance. Estimating the distance he could reach within today, he recalled the events of a month ago.

'Master. I wish to depart for the martial arts world, so please grant me your permission.'

Despite the sudden request, Oh Tae-ryeong wasn't surprised at all. She asked her disciple for the reason in a calm voice.

'The reason?'

'I felt many inadequacies while failing to properly complete the sect's mission this time. Also, as I heard from the Beggar Sect last time, there are unsettling events happening in the Central Plains, so I want to investigate that as well...'

After saying that, Cheong-ra hesitated for a moment before slowly opening his mouth.

'Although I cannot tell you, Master, there are things I want to investigate in detail.'

Because he was already hiding things from his master, Cheong-ra spoke honestly about his feelings out of guilt.

He thought it would be unavoidable if he was rejected for being disloyal. A disciple should rightfully regard their master's words as heavenly and follow them, so he was prepared to obey. Oh Tae-ryeong didn't immediately grant permission but gazed at him intently. Feeling the heavy gaze, Cheong-ra couldn't raise his head for a while.

'Cheong-ra.'

'Yes, Master.'

Only when Oh Tae-ryeong called his name did Cheong-ra finally raise his head. Oh Tae-ryeong's gaze was neither stern nor cold. Although she was far from being affectionate, she wasn't a master who was merely cruel to her disciples either.

'Why do you ask me as if you've committed a crime? If you want to leave, I, as your master, have no reason to stop you. You are a full-fledged martial artist. People weaker and less talented than you roam freely throughout the Central Plains, so what's stopping you?'

'Master...'

'Your uncle, Hyeok-rin, and Geum-hye always treat you like a child, so they would oppose it, but I don't want to treat you like an immature child.'

After saying that, Oh Tae-ryeong looked at Cheong-ra with a straight gaze. This was a gaze that provided strength rather than comfort. And what followed was unexpected.

'Actually, the Sect Leader has given you a mission.'

Cheong-ra raised his head in surprise. As she had said before, Oh Tae-ryeong seemed to have conveyed Cheong-ra's opinion well to the Sect Leader.

'The Sect Leader also agreed with your opinion. And he expressed great concern about the situation where there might be those targeting Moon Lake Sect. Moreover, although we don't want to suspect our disciples, there might be another spy.'

'Your words are correct, Master.'

Cheong-ra nodded with a hardened face, agreeing. There were twelve disciples in Moon Lake Sect who had consumed the Enlightened Mind Tea. It was surprising that there were as many as two digits, and with the captured criminals even being murdered, the Sect Leader seemed to take this very seriously.

'Nominally, it will be said that you're going on a trip, but the order is to secretly investigate the forces that attacked Moon Lake Sect. Therefore, you must not tell anyone about this mission, including those from Moon Lake Sect.'

'Yes, Master! I will follow the order.'

Cheong-ra answered with a joyful heart. He couldn't help but be happy that the Sect Leader trusted him so much. However, Oh Tae-ryeong's face didn't seem completely happy. She sighed almost inaudibly and said,

'It could be a dangerous mission. If it weren't for the Sect Leader's order, I would want to send Geum-hye or Mu-gwang with you...'

'As you said, Master, I'm not a child but a martial artist. It's what I should do to repay the sect's kindness.'

When Cheong-ra answered like that, Oh Tae-ryeong tried to hide her worried expression. Proud of her disciple, she gripped his shoulder once firmly and said,

'And this master will give you permission, so go and do everything you want to do.'

'Thank you, Master!'

Cheong-ra's face brightened as he sincerely expressed his gratitude. With his master and the Sect Leader giving their permission like this, his heart felt much lighter.

And as expected, when Baek Ri Yeong-hyeon heard that Cheong-ra was heading to the martial arts world alone, he barged in. He tried to persuade Cheong-ra, suggesting they go on a trip together with his uncle after such a long time, or saying it was still cold so he should leave later, but he was dragged out by Oh Tae-ryeong.

Because of the master's stern order, Hyeok-rin and Geum-hye couldn't oppose it outright. Instead, they probed, asking if he didn't need a companion. Only Mu-gwang calmly wished him a good trip and provided him with plenty of veils to cover his face. Eventually, as time passed and Cheong-ra didn't budge, even Baek Ri Yeong-hyeon reluctantly packed a lot of luggage for him, worrying greatly.

Thanks to that, the travel bag on his back was quite heavy even now. It was thanks to his uncle, who had worried that Cheong-ra might struggle without travel expenses and had packed a handful of silver taels. It was reassuring to have a budget sufficient to eat and sleep comfortably for several years if used sparingly.

After leaving Moon Lake Sect, Cheong-ra headed straight for Shaanxi Province. Considering it an opportunity to train his lightness skill, he moved diligently, and it took nearly a month to reach Shaanxi Province. During that month, he also enthusiastically dealt with the criminal factions he encountered, further raising the reputation of the Moonlight Beauty Sword and Moon Lake Sect. In doing so, Cheong-ra was also able to sort out his troubled mind to some extent.