C157
Tang Ho of the Tang Family of Sichuan couldn't provide any answer. Were they followers of the Blood Cult, or had they simply been talking nonsense by calling themselves rulers without knowing what was happening in their own backyard?
In this choice question between these two options, naturally, Tang Ho had no answer.
"Oh, it seems I asked the wrong question," Cale said at that moment.
Then, Cale spoke in a refined manner. "Eunuch Wi, who is this person in the Tang Family?"
Eunuch Wi responded immediately.
"He's in charge of an external branch in the Tang Family."
"I see, I asked the wrong question."
Cale shook his head and muttered.
He, Ami, Qing Sheng, and a few others around him looked at Cale with puzzled faces.
Some people near him, including Emei and Qingcheng, looked at him with surprised expressions.
They had no choice but to do so since just a moment ago, someone who had been reprimanding Tang Ho was admitting their mistake.
However, those who were older or had clearer minds began to notice that Tang Ho's face was turning pale.
Cale smiled as he looked at Tang Ho.
"Maybe we should ask someone who can answer the question."
It's as if Cale were saying: Tang Ho, you don't have the position or responsibility to answer my questions.
So...
"I'll come back to the Tang Family later and ask again."
I will ask someone in a position to take responsibility.
Suddenly, people realized.
'This has gotten out of hand.'
That's what they thought.
As a result of what Tang Ho had said, the Tang Family of Sichuan was in a situation where they had to clarify two things.
One, they had to properly explain to the people of the Imperial Family that they were protecting Sichuan, especially Sichuan Province. And the other, they had to make a decision between an alliance with the Blood Cult and inaction.
There was no other choice.
-Human! Your way of speaking is like the way the Crown Prince talks to the nobles! Oh! Human, Grandpa Ron is here!
Cale ignored Raon's words. Instead, he simply looked at Tang Ho. Tang Ho seemed to have no words. Cale unapologetically averted his gaze from him and looked around.
Quite a few people had gathered due to the commotion.
They all avoided his gaze, unable to say anything.
'Even in the Murim, people are more subdued in front of royalty (government).'
Comfortable, very comfortable.
Cale smiled, feeling supported by the Imperial Family for the first time.
Seeing that smile, the Martial Artists' faces hardened even more, but Cale didn't notice because he didn't care in the slightest.
"Mmm."
But his expression quickly hardened.
-Human, Grandpa Ron has a message for you!
Ron seemed to have returned from that tunnel, and Cale turned around to look.
From the basement entrance, Ron was dragging someone lying on the ground.
Then, he said something to the air.
He seemed to be talking to Raon.
-He says the tunnel leads to the mansion of the Lord of Sichuan Province!
Wow.
Cale relaxed his stony expression and sighed.
"I'll visit the Tang Family when I finish my business here, so..."
His gaze passed Tang Ho once again, and then he scrutinized the key members of the Sichuan factions.
"It would be good if I could also meet with the members of Emei and Qingcheng to get answers to my questions in the Tang Family."
No one said a word, not even a sigh. They were overwhelmed by the invisible but tangible pressure emanating from him.
Young Master Kim Haeil.
The rumors about his level of martial arts mastery were not exaggerated.
In fact, they realized that even with just his presence, he could make them feel suffocated.
It was then...
"Oh, man."
A loud voice caught everyone's attention.
A very familiar voice.
Cale's expression relaxed slightly.
"Our Young Master Kim has improved even further during this time! Hahaha!"
It was Elder Ho from the Beggar's Band. He rushed toward Cale as if flying. Behind him, Byuk Sun walked calmly.
"The General Commander asked us to assist Young Master Kim, so we rushed here with all our might!"
Smiling broadly, the beggar quickly assessed the situation.
He stared at Tang Ho as if he wanted to tear him apart.
Tang Ho's shoulders slumped even more. Elder Ho looked at him very pitifully.
"Elder Ho, it's been a while."
Cale thought that was good.
"I plan to visit the Tang Family later, so-"
But that was all he said.
"Don't worry, Young Master, I'll make all the preparations, hahaha!"
He laughed heartily, patting his chest as if to say, "Trust me."
"It's been a long time."
"Nice to see you again, Byuk Sun."
After exchanging greetings with Byuk Sun, Cale noticed that Byuk Sun was giving the members of the Sichuan factions a murderous look.
'With Elder Ho and Byuk Sun taking action, the Sichuan sects will sort themselves out.'
By tonight, the Sichuan sects would be in perfect condition to follow Cale's orders.
With Elder Ho, who was more flexible, and Byuk Sun, who was as rigid as a wall, in charge, that was guaranteed.
'I didn't hear that these two would come. Maybe the General Commander made a decision.'
It was likely that Jegal Miryeo, the General Commander of the Murim Alliance, had hastily sent someone to prevent the Justice Faction from being rude to Cale.
'If I can resolve this with just their help, I'll be satisfied.'
Cale spoke to Byuk Sun and Elder Ho.
"Well, I'll trust you two, so I'll occupy myself with my affairs for a moment."
Byuk Sun's eyes blinked when he heard that Cale trusted them.
However, Cale signaled to Eunuch Wi.
"Could you guide me?"
"...To where specifically?"
"The house of the Lord of Sichuan Province."
With those words, Cale looked at Ron. Eunuch Wi's expression hardened when he saw the Blood Cult member that Ron was holding.
"I'll take you there."
--------------
"Why are you here?"
The Pinnacle Demon following Cale looked at the impressive mansion with a perplexed expression.
"Do you have business with the Lord of Sichuan? In that case, we should head to the government."
Cale ignored the Pinnacle Demon's words with indifference and asked Eunuch Wi, who had silently guided him here.
"Who is the Lord of Sichuan?"
"He is the second-generation ruler of Sichuan Province. The previous Lord of Sichuan was a person who rose to a high position in Beijing and became the Lord of the Province because he wanted to govern his hometown, Sichuan."
He continued.
"His son entered the government through the civil service examination, was recognized for his outstanding talent and loyalty, and was given the position to rule this place, succeeding the previous Lord of the Province."
The father ruled his hometown, and the son continued his father's will and governed Sichuan.
The gatekeepers of the magnificent mansion stopped and looked at Cale. Although they were on guard, they did not take hasty action after looking at his attire.
However, when they recognized the Pinnacle Demon, they firmly gripped the handles of their swords. But it seemed they did not suspect that the Pinnacle Demon would dare to target the home of the Lord of Sichuan.
Cale asked the Pinnacle Demon.
"Are you coming with us?"
"Eh?"
The Pinnacle Demon, who was very excited about what Cale would do next, stopped upon hearing the following words.
"You'll know too much if you come."
She took a step back immediately.
"I'll stay here waiting! Haha!"
She was willing to risk her life for her research, but she wasn't willing to sacrifice her life out of simple curiosity.
In response, Cale looked a bit farther ahead.
-Do you need me for anything?
The Heavenly Demon's voice resonated in Cale's mind.
Cale opened his mouth.
"You better stay here."
There was a sound of a snarl.
There was a mocking laugh in response to Cale's words.
-It seems the Blood Cult is related to the Lord of Sichuan.
Cale did not respond to the Heavenly Demon's comment. He simply remained silent.
At that moment, the Heavenly Demon was concealed.
She didn't want the Blood Cult to realize that she was associated with him.
-I'll wait.
After hearing the Heavenly Demon's response, Cale looked at Eunuch Wi.
"Let's go in."
"Yes."
Eunuch Wi's expression was more serious and tense than usual.
The Lord of Sichuan Province.
The fact that the Lord of Sichuan's mansion was connected to the Silver Blue Commercial Guild implied that there was some kind of connection point between this place and the Blood Cult. Whether there was a Blood Cult spy in the Lord of Sichuan's house or a Blood Cult collaborator among the servants, either option was problematic from Eunuch Wi's perspective.
"The fact that the Blood Cult has influence in the Government... or even in the Imperial Family..."
That was not good at all.
Cale casually observed Eunuch Wi's rigid expression and made a light remark.
"Didn't see this coming, did you?"
"..."
Facing Eunuch Wi, who couldn't articulate a word, Cale spoke calmly.
"It's surprising that we discovered this so late."
Cale shrugged when he met Eunuch Wi's gaze.
"After all, there are holes everywhere in this world."
Smile~
Eunuch Wi let out a forced laugh.
"Yes, that's true. There are always holes somewhere."
At that moment, the gatekeepers approached while eyeing Eunuch Wi and Cale.
"Who are you?"
The voice, polite but filled with suspicion, revealed that they were well-trained individuals.
"Have you made an appointment?"
Faced with the calm question, Cale looked at Eunuch Wi.
How would he respond?
"Young Master."
Eunuch Wi raised his head and looked at the sky as if there was someone up there.
"I better than anyone else know how the Emperor operates."
His voice was solemn.
"Today, it seems there will be much to report."
Just as he finished speaking, Cale fell silent.
Cale had never properly seen Eunuch Wi's martial arts before.
But he knew that he was quite strong.
'Wow...'
Cale let out a sigh.
At that moment, the flaps of Eunuch Wi's clothing fluttered, and energy flowed from his two hands.
A beam of blue energy shot out.
Baaang!
And then, the main door of the mansion shattered.
Wow. He's better at breaking things than me! Cale exclaimed in his mind.
"What the hell are you doing!"
"If you don't reveal your identity, you can't pass!"
The gatekeepers quickly reacted.
At that moment, Eunuch Wi raised his hand.
"Eh!"
One of the gatekeepers took a deep breath.
People started to appear on the surrounding rooftops and between the alleyways. The clothing they wore was not unfamiliar to most, especially those who worked in officials' residences. The mansion's master had always told them to be alert to anyone wearing that clothing.
"...Eastern Depot!"
The Emperor had at his disposal the Golden Guard and the Eastern Depot, two types of sharp knives he could use. Eunuch Wi's mouth opened.
"Search everything."
At that moment, all the members of the Eastern Depot who had been sent to Sichuan to investigate the Blood Cult leaped over the walls of the Lord of Sichuan's residence. A person who appeared to be the butler came out from inside the mansion and tried to intervene, but Eunuch Wi showed him a black emblem. It was an emblem indicating the Eastern Depot working for the Emperor and also representing an inspector.
"This, this..."
Leaving behind the stunned butler, Eunuch Wi walked through the broken gate, turned around, and made a slight bow to Cale.
"Young Master, please, come in."
Cale, feeling uncomfortable with Eunuch Wi's sudden display of power, hesitantly entered the mansion.
"Aaaah!"
"Everyone, stay still! You must not brandish your swords recklessly!"
"What is happening here?!"
Voices filled the room from all directions. However, the members of the Eastern Depot continued their work silently, and every time they passed by, the people around them stood in shock with pale faces.
At that moment, one of the Eastern Depot members approached Eunuch Wi, showing no emotion on his face.
In response, Eunuch Wi ordered with an expressionless face.
"Search the place thoroughly. Don't let a speck of dust escape your notice."
The Eastern Depot member left without saying a word.
"Ah..."
Cale was impressed.
"Young Master, can we take care of this?"
Eunuch Wi asked the question calmly.
"No problem."
With everything in disarray, Eunuch Wi would eventually have something to report to the Emperor.
"Good. Although you'll need a place to rest, so I'll show you the study of the Lord of Sichuan."
Eunuch Wi proceeded with the same composure as before. Then, he casually added:
"Given the Emperor's benevolence, there will likely be further cooperation with your work in the future."
The Emperor, fearing that wars and the Blood Cult's invasion would cause great harm to the Central Plains, had provided quite a bit of support, delivering the Golden Guard and the Eastern Depot, as well as the royal treasures of the Imperial Family. But the fact that the Blood Cult had infiltrated the Government was not much different from trying to disturb a sleeping dragon.
"The Emperor doesn't tolerate even a mosquito in his own territory."
Eunuch Wi spoke calmly and smiled.
-Human! Jefe Eunuco Wi's laugh is similar to Grandpa Ron's!
Cale, surprised that Raon shared his thoughts, moved away from Eunuch Wi a bit. It seemed that not just anyone could be a confidant of the Dowager Empress.
Despite the chaos in the Lord of Sichuan's mansion, Cale entered the study without difficulty. He saw many bookshelves filled with books, desks, and a conference table.
"Should I prepare tea for you?"
Eunuch Wi spoke with a smile. But Ron, one of Cale's group following them, stepped forward.
"I will do it."
"Alright, let's go together."
Cale, who was amazed by Ron and Eunuch Wi's good relationship, suddenly froze.
-Sniff
Suddenly, the Sky Eating Water reacted. Currently, about half of the seal on the Sky Eating Water was released.
-Where is that strong scent of water coming from?
Huh? Cale looked around. When he glanced at the bookshelves, the Sky Eating Water mentioned something.
-Sniff. There, it seems there's something.
As Cale got closer to the bookshelves, he heard Raon's voice in his head.
-Human, what are you doing? Have you found a treasure vault?
It seems so. Cale had never experienced such an action from the Sky Eating Water before. Something didn't seem normal. Suddenly, Cale started to get excited.
-
