Chapter 48

Chapter 48.

“I have come to collect the debt.”

Uncheon calmly faced Sagong Jin, the Deputy Chief of the Inspectorate.

The visit Gal Muheun had warned him about.

Since he had borrowed the Inspectorate’s blade when striking Venom Fang Hall, it was an obvious principle that he would have to pay the price one day.

“I am Uncheon.”

“Well… even if I call it a debt, there is no need to feel too burdened. We also gained much thanks to you. Yes, perhaps it would be proper to call it a good transaction.”

Sagong Jin said that and slipped a hand into his robes.

“Have you… ever heard of the ‘Wind and Cloud Ranking’?”

“What is that?”

Sagong Jin took a folded sheet of paper from his robes and handed it to Uncheon.

Tap.

“It is a wall poster that began circulating around the inns and taverns within the cult half a year ago. They say it ranks the rising talents of the cult.”

When Uncheon unfolded the paper, it listed ranks one through one hundred.

The names of the prominent rising talents within the Demonic Cult, their approximate martial arts level, and their characteristics were written there.

“When this was first posted, everyone ignored it. They dismissed it as scribbles written from hearsay.”

“Then one day, someone dissatisfied with his low rank challenged the warrior ranked directly above him. What do you think the result was?”

“I am not sure… Whether the challenger won or lost, it must have become an interesting spectacle.”

“Yes. The challenger won. People laughed that the Wind and Cloud Ranking was wrong and treated it as nothing more than tavern gossip. But….”

Sagong Jin’s eyes narrowed.

“…That was not the end. The very next day, a new Wind and Cloud Ranking was posted. The victorious challenger’s rank had risen, and the defeated man had fallen far below.”

“Then… does that mean this Wind and Cloud Ranking is being updated?”

“Exactly.”

A strange smile settled on Sagong Jin’s lips.

“It began as a ranking that seemed like a joke, but in just half a year, the Wind and Cloud Ranking has become the most credible indicator within the cult. Now those hot-blooded bastards check the Wind and Cloud Ranking the moment they open their eyes and become frantic trying to put their names on it.”

“…That is astonishing. To make the rising talents dance in the palm of one’s hand with a mere scrap of paper.”

“Yes. Now the rank on the Wind and Cloud Ranking has become that warrior’s value and the prestige of his family.”

Uncheon silently turned over the booklet.

It was cunning.

And interesting.

It was not a simple list of information. It was written cunningly to stimulate the imagination and competitiveness of the reader.

“This is intriguing. But why are you telling me this?”

“Huhu… Naturally, because I have a request for you related to this Wind and Cloud Ranking. It is a chance to repay the Inspectorate’s debt, and also a transaction that will certainly not be a loss to you.”

Sagong Jin held up two fingers.

“There are two requests. An easy one and a difficult one.”

Sagong Jin looked as if he was curious to see which one Uncheon would choose.

Uncheon met that gaze without avoiding it.

‘He said I should repay the debt… but now he’s telling me to choose a request? And he says it won’t be a loss for me….’

At that moment, Uncheon realized.

This was not a simple request.

This old serpent was testing him now.

Testing how useful he was… as the Inspectorate’s blade.

‘The Inspectorate is deliberately entrusting a request to me, an outsider and a mere warrior of the Demonic Martial Hall? He is trying to measure the size of my vessel.’

Having guessed his inner motive, Uncheon answered without hesitation.

“I will hear the difficult one first.”

“Hooh?”

A satisfied look flashed in Sagong Jin’s eyes.

“That is a good attitude. The difficult request is… to find the ‘distributor’ of this Wind and Cloud Ranking.”

Uncheon’s eyebrow twitched.

Find the distributor.

‘He cannot simply mean a small-time underling. The core question is who distributed the Wind and Cloud Ranking, and for what purpose.’

It certainly deserved to be called a difficult task.

Someone was collecting information on countless rising talents and updating it in real time in the heart of the Demonic Cult’s sphere of influence?

That would be impossible with ordinary information-gathering and execution ability.

It also meant that even the Inspectorate had failed to catch the tail.

“What benefit do I receive if I find that person?”

“Huhu… If you find that person.”

Sagong Jin took out a silver plaque from his robes and placed it on the table.

It was a heavy silver plaque engraved with the Inspectorate’s emblem.

“I will give you an ‘immunity privilege’ personally guaranteed by the Inspectorate Chief. It is the authority to nullify all investigations and charges from the Inspectorate once, except in cases of treason.”

Immunity privilege.

The weight of those words struck Uncheon’s mind.

It might not mean much to Uncheon personally.

He was not a common criminal hiding after committing a crime.

But what if he used that immunity privilege in a matter related to the Ten Sects of the Demonic Cult or the Twelve Guardian Families?

‘If the Inspectorate turns a blind eye to anything… it would even be possible to save a wavering family or sect. I can manipulate the power structure within the Demonic Cult to my liking.’

To Uncheon, who intended to implode the Demonic Cult from within, there was no sweeter weapon than this.

‘Indeed… it is fitting compensation for a difficult task.’

If finding the distributor was the difficult task.

Then deducing the easy task was simple.

“Then the easy task must be to enter the ranks of this Wind and Cloud Ranking. Is that correct?”

Uncheon asked Sagong Jin as if he had expected it.

“You guessed correctly again! Huhuhu….”

A strange gleam swirled in Sagong Jin’s eyes.

“As expected… you were Gal Muheun’s blade and his brain. To deduce this much at once.”

Sagong Jin leaned forward as if he liked Uncheon.

“The Inspectorate intends to use this Wind and Cloud Ranking. Most of those currently in the upper ranks of the Wind and Cloud Ranking are from the Ten Sects of the Demonic Cult and the Twelve Guardian Families.”

“So you are telling me to overturn that board.”

“Correct. Because if it is you, it should be possible. We wish to check them indirectly.”

Sagong Jin pointed to the bottom rank of the Wind and Cloud Ranking.

“First, rank one hundred. The Wind and Cloud Ranking only records up to one hundred people. Therefore, if your name enters the Wind and Cloud Ranking and rises in rank, the Inspectorate will sponsor you.”

The Inspectorate’s objective was clear.

‘The Twelve Guardian Families and the Ten Sects of the Demonic Cult. In other words, they intend to foster emerging masters who are not part of the vested powers.’

As Sagong Jin said, it was an offer with nothing bad for Uncheon either.

“Very well. I will do so.”

“Then I wish you martial fortune.”

“One thing. I have a question.”

“Speak freely. What is it?”

“How many others besides me have you made the same offer to?”

“…How did you know?”

Sagong Jin’s eyes gleamed coldly.

Young men around Uncheon’s age were hot-blooded, so with only a slight push like this, they would easily become the Inspectorate’s chess pieces.

Just the fact that the Inspectorate, a central organization of the cult, had approached them was enough to make them rejoice as though they had become a rare genius under heaven.

But the boy before him was different.

Far from getting excited, he was instead deducing the Inspectorate’s intentions and movements.

“It is simple. From the Inspectorate’s perspective, the more emerging masters there are to check the vested powers, the better, is it not?”

Even if the Inspectorate found the distributor of the Wind and Cloud Ranking, it probably had no intention of harming him.

Rather, it was obvious they would think the Wind and Cloud Ranking was an exquisite method to check the existing vested powers.

‘To begin with… he only told me to find the distributor. He did not tell me to capture or kill him.’

Reading between the lines of Uncheon’s question, Sagong Jin burst into hearty laughter.

“Hahaha…! I understand why Gal Muheun treasures you so dearly. Very well. Is there anything else you are curious about? Shall I tell you the people we have tied strings to?”

“That is unnecessary. However, please send me one copy of every Wind and Cloud Ranking that has been distributed until now. That will be enough.”

“…I will do so. I shall send them through Sado Myeong shortly. Somehow, I feel that if it is you, you may be able to find the distributor. There is no need to hurry too much.”

The transaction was established.

After Sagong Jin left, Uncheon remained alone and examined the Wind and Cloud Ranking.

‘Inciting competition among rising talents through the Wind and Cloud Ranking… It resembles someone I know.’

The fox of the Hidden Demon Cave.

The Smiling Fox, Yuha.

Come to think of it, it had been around a year since he had last seen him.

At that moment, as Uncheon examined the Wind and Cloud Ranking, a familiar handwriting entered his eyes.

‘This crooked handwriting… It was you after all, Yuha.’

They had only crossed paths for a brief period in the Hidden Demon Cave, but it was a connection that remained in his memory.

‘…I do not know where that fellow is, but somehow, it feels like he is always nearby.’

He had used the Black Iron Plaque on Gal Muheun one step ahead of Uncheon.

He had sent Kongqing Stone Marrow in preparation for Uncheon’s meeting with the Life-and-Death Exalted One.

‘…Are even the Inspectorate’s movements on your chessboard?’

Yuha had clearly said this.

[Let us make a larger board from a higher place.]

“This should be interesting.”

***

After accepting Sagong Jin’s offer.

Uncheon shut himself for a while in a training stone chamber prepared in one corner of the Inner Archive.

He pushed the Wind and Cloud Ranking aside for the moment and took his place at the center of the stone chamber.

‘Shall I begin?’

His two hands slowly stretched out toward the air.

In his left hand was a heavy saber, and in his right hand was a sharp sword.

Weapons of different length, weight, and nature.

They were two weapons that would burden an ordinary martial artist to learn even one of, yet Uncheon was holding them at the same time.

Slide.

Uncheon’s eyes closed, and his consciousness split into two.

Soul-Division Twin Absolutes.

The sword in his left hand drew a gentle circle through the air.

Gonryun’s Orthodox Two Polarities Sword Art.

Like the endless waves of the Yangtze River, its sword path was flowing and upright.

Meanwhile, the saber in his right hand drew a line like a thunderbolt.

Mount Hua’s Reverse Two Polarities Saber Art.

It contained a speed that rushed without leaving room to breathe, and a fierce spirit that seemed ready to tear space apart.

Flowing water and a thunderbolt striking down.

Principles of two extremes that seemed impossible to mix bloomed into a strange coexistence within the single vessel that was Uncheon.

Left Sword, Right Saber.

It was both a sword dance and a saber wind.

The sword and saber held in his two hands flowed sometimes gently, sometimes swiftly.

It was truly ever-changing.

Even with one sword, a thousand variations would be possible.

But the sword and saber held in each hand could create endless changes.

‘This is… Orthodox-Reverse Two Polarities…!’

He glimpsed a peerless martial art under heaven that could handle all directions around him.

Uncheon, engrossed in that fascination, fell into a selfless trance and swung the sword and saber madly.

‘…Not yet. It is lacking.’

However, as time passed, the limit revealed itself.

As Uncheon could only handle Yin-Cold Qi, he could not manifest sufficient two polarities.

Thick veins bulged on Uncheon’s forehead.

‘For now… this is as far as I can go.’

Uncheon abandoned his lingering attachment and withdrew the weapons in both hands.

At the same time, he slowly calmed the whirlpool in his qi center that had been spinning fiercely.

“Phew…….”

Cold breath poured from his mouth.

It was not complete, but he had confirmed the possibility.

Even though it was a half-formed Orthodox-Reverse Two Polarities performed only with Yin-Cold Qi, its power had been enough to tear apart the air inside the stone chamber.

‘If I can one day control Yang Qi as well…’

Just as Uncheon emerged from the selfless trance, wiped away his sweat, and steadied his breathing.

“……Uncheon.”

When Uncheon looked back, Yayul Hui stood there with a deeply furrowed face.

“…Did I make you wait?”

“I don’t care about waiting. But…,”

Yayul Hui protested in an irritable voice.

“What the hell was that?! Left Sword, Right Saber…! I finally learned Wind God Dance and thought I had caught up even a little!”

“Mm… You are doing well enough. There is no need to be impatient.”

“Tch… Whatever. More importantly, what is this?”

At some point, she was holding the Wind and Cloud Ranking that had been placed in the corner of the stone chamber.

“The ranking of the Demonic Cult’s rising talents…? My elder brother’s name is here too…?”

“Hooh….”

Come to think of it, Uncheon also seemed to have seen the surname Yayul on the Wind and Cloud Ranking.

“…Thirty-seventh rank. Young Family Head of the Mad Wind Yayul Family. Yayul Cheok.”

Yayul Hui’s voice trembled faintly.

“My elder brother’s rank is only this much…? I’m not even on the list at all…?”

Yayul Hui seemed shocked.

“There is no need to be disappointed. The Wind and Cloud Ranking is updated every month. My name is not on it yet either.”

Uncheon answered.

Only then did Yayul Hui appear relieved.

“What? Your name isn’t there either? Then… it’s complete nonsense!”

“That is not necessarily the case… The reason we are not ranked is probably because we have never displayed our martial force outside the Demonic Martial Hall. Without information, they cannot evaluate us.”

“Ah…? Is that so? Well… looking at the faces of the people whose names are listed….”

Yayul Hui’s expression softened slightly, but indignation still remained.

“I intend to put my name on the Wind and Cloud Ranking soon.”

“How?”

“Is that not simple? I need only publicly defeat someone whose name is on the Wind and Cloud Ranking.”

“…Are you saying you’re going outside the Demonic Martial Hall?”

“Yes. I graduated from the Hidden Demon Cave long ago, did I not? Now I am ready. I intend to depart on a sparring journey.”

Uncheon’s gaze lingered on the lower part of the Wind and Cloud Ranking.

‘If it is Yuha… he would have raised the ranks in the way that produces the greatest effect through the Wind and Cloud Ranking.’

That would mean climbing upward from the very bottom faster than anyone else.

“…This man would be good as the first sacrifice. Rank one hundred. Young Gang Leader of the Black Dragon Gang, Little Dragon.”