Chapter 97

Staring at the yellowing leaves of the vine, Mae-yeong-in let out a low sigh. With her outstanding martial arts, the solid background as the golden leaf of the Wu-ying Sect, the slender figure shaped by martial arts, and the beautiful face inherited from her grandmother, it seemed as if there was no reason for her, a girl who was the goal of all martial arts apprentices and the envy of boys, to sigh. "Huuu." Her room, decorated by the maids on the orders of Ma-hwa, was quite pretty, but it did nothing to soothe her heart. It had been over half a month since she had taken a single step out of this room. If she hadn't had a high level of martial arts and a strong body and mind, or if she hadn't had the conversation partners of Eok-yang-so-so and Ma-hwa, she would have gone mad long ago. "Why are you sighing so much?" "Lately, I feel like something strange is happening." "What?" "Suddenly being locked in the room, and when I glance out the window, I see guards standing in front of the door... All of this never happened before. Could something big have happened? And look at them." Mae-yeong-in pointed to the many guards visible through the window. "Before, the guards on duty emitted such a strong, suffocating aura that they didn't even seem like guards. But now, they don't. Where have they all gone? It gives me chills just thinking about it." "It's okay, it's okay. Everything will be fine. Let's think positively, okay?" As So-so patted Mae-yeong-in's shoulder to comfort her, the door suddenly opened. At the same time, they turned their heads toward the door, where a fierce demon stood. The only way to describe him was as a demon, as he emitted a powerful aura that the guards on duty had previously exuded. Eok-yang-so-so felt a tightness in her chest from the overwhelming aura and forced herself to speak. "What is it?" She managed to maintain her composure and spoke with a stern expression, but the other's attitude did not change. He still had a rigid expression and nodded his head. "Follow me." As they crossed the corridor, following the back of the intimidating figure, they had all sorts of thoughts. 'Is this finally the moment of execution? No, it can't be. If that were the case, they wouldn't have let us keep our weapons. Or is Ma-hwa calling us? No, if it were her, she would have come herself, not sent such a rude person...' While they were having these thoughts, they had already arrived at a spacious room. A man in his late forties, with a fierce gaze and a scruffy beard, sat on the opposite side of a large table. "Sit there." The man's words carried an unimaginable sense of authority. They dared not make a sound and sat down in the chairs. A suffocating, strange aura. The person who had guided them emitted a powerful aura, but compared to this man, it was like a drop in the ocean. "Are your names Mae-yeong-in and Eok-yang-so-so?" The man, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly spoke, making Mae-yeong-in, who was already on edge, almost draw her sword and stand up. However, So-so, who had more experience and composure, grabbed her hand and quietly answered. "Yes." "Hmm..." The man stared at them for a moment, like a predator eyeing its prey. As his gaze swept over them, they felt chills run down their spines. "You look too thin. Is this how you usually look, or have you not been given enough food?" "I'm naturally slender." Mae-yeong-in, feeling her pride and anger override her fear, retorted. The man, taken aback by her bold attitude, glared at her sharply and sneered. "Is that so? The condition of the goods seems to be decent enough. Wang-jeok!" "Yes, Captain." Only then did they realize that the question about not being given enough food was directed at Wang-jeok, who was standing behind them. "Make sure to return them and get a receipt!" 'A receipt? What receipt?' Before they could understand what he meant, they were led by Wang-jeok to a carriage and dragged around for ten days without even being able to ask where they were going. When they finally arrived at a building called Jeong-chun-gak, Wang-jeok led Mae-yeong-in and Eok-yang-so-so inside. A moment later, the door opened, and Ok-hwa-moo-je entered. Seeing her grandmother, Mae-yeong-in felt a sudden warmth in her eyes. "Grandma!" "Yes, yes. You must have suffered a lot." Ok-hwa-moo-je, who looked like an older sister to Mae-yeong-in, gently hugged and patted her. At this moment, Wang-jeok, taking a piece of paper from his pocket, ruined the reunion. "Let's save the joy of the reunion for later. Please sign this first." In Wang-jeok's hand was a piece of paper clearly stating, "I hereby confirm the safe return of Mae-yeong-in and Eok-yang-so-so." She took her granddaughter out of her embrace, took the paper, and sneered. "You handle things very thoroughly." "Thank you." However, Wang-jeok's face did not show any gratitude. "What is your position?" "It's difficult to disclose. Please understand." If he said he was a member of the 12th generation of the Yan-wang Team, the clever Ok-hwa-moo-je might deduce the location of the Yan-wang Team from that one sentence. She might even figure out the current situation of the Black Sect, so Wang-jeok refused to answer without hesitation. However, Ok-hwa-moo-je, as if she had known Wang-jeok would refuse in this manner, handed over the signed paper without changing her expression. "Here it is. Please tell the Sect Leader that I am grateful for the safe return of my granddaughter." The mention of the Sect Leader made Wang-jeok's eyebrows twitch. He knew that the matter had been handled quietly and quickly at the headquarters. He inwardly thought that Ok-hwa-moo-je, as the leader of the Wu-ying Sect, the best intelligence organization in the Central Plains martial world, lived up to her reputation. "Understood. The Sect Leader said he would like to meet you soon." "Good. In a month, there." Wang-jeok did not know where 'there' was, but he did not ask. He would just pass on the message, and the Sect Leader would take care of the rest. "Farewell." Wang-jeok's respectful bow, regardless of the distinction between the righteous and the evil, contained a sense of reverence for a great martial artist.