“Kurgh... kuhheok...”
That man was clearly an assassin from Guihon Pavilion of the Ghost Soul Sect. But even Seol Unwi couldn’t possibly know every single assassin working under Guihon Pavilion.
Judging by his level, he was likely in the Five Dragon Blooming Star Realm—probably a low-ranking operative even within Guihon Pavilion.
Which explained why Yu Hwarin had brought him along so casually.
That was Yu Hwarin’s habit. He liked surrounding himself with easy-to-control pawns to act like he was soone important.
Unwi turned his head toward Cheonpung.
He walked over to where Cheonpung had collapsed and personally pulled the embedded daggers from his body.
Each ti one was removed, Cheonpung let out odd sounds like “Hiiik” or “Kkeheok,” but Unwi didn’t pay it any mind.
He’d said it before, and he’d say it again: Cheonpung was gifted.
He had a sense of responsibility, and whenever he was given a task, he completed it—no matter what it took.
Unwi applied pressure to stop the bleeding and spoke briefly.
“Rest for a bit.”
“Heh... yes... understood.”
Unwi moved forward at a slow pace. An assassin lay collapsed on the ground, still squirming.
His mask had torn, exposing his face, but it wasn’t anyone Unwi recognized.
He didn’t particularly care to know the man’s na or identity either.
“You probably won’t get to die peacefully.”
No sooner had Unwi spoken than the man tried to bite his own tongue.
Thwack—!
Unwi kicked the man’s solar plexus with the tip of his foot, causing him to gasp and vomit blood.
Unwi imdiately struck his pressure points.
Frozen solid without so much as a twitch, the assassin lay motionless as Unwi continued.
“Knowing Yu Hwarin’s personality, he definitely kept a ledger.”
The assassin’s eyes widened.
It was simple logic.
Yu Hwarin was an assassin who handled the infiltration and planting of spies.
Which sects had spies placed in them—all of that information probably existed in his head, but the world didn’t work that easily.
No matter how much one morized, anything related to spy networks had to be written down.
To hold the leash for when, not if, they turned traitor.
That was a given.
“I have a few guesses, but I want certainty. If you tell where that ledger is, I’ll give you a painless death—right here, right now.”
He released the man’s pressure points and waited.
The assassin looked up and asked,
“...Can you... swear... on that?”
“I swear.”
“...”
“I’ve never broken a single promise in my life. That includes ones I made to enemies.”
After a long pause, the assassin lowered his head.
“...I’ll talk.”
“But first,” Unwi added, “there’s sothing you need to understand.”
The assassin looked up.
“I hate gas.”
Unwi crouched before him.
“If you try anything clever to buy ti or send in circles, you’ll spend the rest of your living days regretting this choice.”
The assassin swallowed hard.
“Ten years. I’ll keep you alive for ten years, and in that ti, I’ll drive every agony you’ve never imagined deep into your flesh. Do you understand?”
“...Yes... yes, I understand.”
Unwi asked quietly,
“Where is the ledger?”
***
He had joined the White Snow Spirit Guard, trained, and spent years carrying out real missions all across the Central Plains—sotis as a rchant, sotis a porter, sotis a manager or coachman.
Twenty years of that.
And all those years, he’d believed that experience to be sothing grand.
But the past few days had forced him to reconsider everything.
It was overwhelming.
This wasn’t sothing he’d ever imagined, let alone thought he’d witness with his own eyes.
The youngest of the Polar Successors—Seol Unwi.
That man had reached the Three Harmonies Purification Realm and slain an assassin in the Harmonization Stage.
And assassins at that level were nothing like ordinary martial artists.
Their thods of fighting were on another plane entirely—yet Seol Unwi had killed one using assassin-style tactics.
This was just...
It didn’t make sense.
His decisiveness never wavered. He could see one, two—no, five or more moves ahead.
...He’s a monster...
There was no other word for it.
Even his insight was terrifying.
He had just obtained a ledger from the captured assassin and was now flipping through it in a corner.
His injuries weren’t minor... and yet he had the ti for this.
Not just Seol Unwi—Cheonpung, who’d had three daggers stuck in him, was the sa.
He should have been in too much pain to laugh—and yet he was laughing.
Unwi looked like a monster. But Cheonpung looked completely insane.
Is that thing even human?
Just as those thoughts passed through Yang Cheol’s mind, Unwi’s voice reached his ears.
“Yang Cheol.”
“Y-yes?”
“Co here.”
“...Yes.”
Like a rabbit before a predator, Yang Cheol trembled as he stepped forward.
There was no explaining a man like this.
From the mont they first t—when Unwi had seen right through him—Yang Cheol had known they didn’t live in the sa world.
Without question, Seol Unwi was the most promising talent in the Everlasting Snow Palace.
“Sit.”
“...Yes.”
Yang Cheol carefully sat down across from him.
Unwi was still reading the ledger. A faint smile played on his lips, as if he’d found sothing interesting.
But let’s be clear—calling that thing a “ledger” was being generous.
It was a kill list.
A record of nas of those who’d betrayed the Palace and pledged allegiance elsewhere. The term “kill list” suited it far better.
“Fascinating. The nas written here.”
Yang Cheol said nothing. Unwi continued calmly.
“Judging by the contents, this was compiled over a long period.”
He closed the ledger and looked up. His gaze seed to pierce right through Yang Cheol’s soul.
“Yang Cheol.”
“...Yes, Honored Successor.”
“What kind of reports do you submit to the Commander each week?”
Cold sweat ran down Yang Cheol’s spine.
What was this supposed to an?
“I... I...”
“It’s a simple question. As a mber of the Spirit Guard, what reports do you submit to the Commander?”
Just as he was about to answer—
“The Spirit Guard compiles reports on the movents of the Polar Successors, any contact with outsiders, the Palace Lord’s health, activity of the White Guard, Sky Guard, and Tactical Division... whether any threats have breached the Palace, and whether any spies are present.”
Unwi’s eyes were freezing cold.
“Yang Cheol. Doesn’t sothing about this strike you as strange?”
“...Are you saying...”
His words faltered. He couldn’t continue. That’s how heavy this was.
“Look with your own eyes. Does this ledger look thin to you?”
“...No. It looks thick.”
“How many families do you think are listed in here?”
Yang Cheol swallowed hard and thought it over.
He didn’t know who Yu Hwarin was. He didn’t know what Guihon Pavilion was.
He wasn’t an assassin, but he lived similarly and knew how they operated.
The spies listed in this ledger had clearly pledged themselves to Yu Hwarin. So what kind of evidence would he have left behind?
Nas, tifras, information received, and other random details.
Judging by the thickness of the ledger, through the eyes of a professional—
“...At least nineteen. At most, twenty-five.”
A smile ford on Unwi’s lips.
“Not bad. You were close.”
“...Thank you.”
Unwi stared at him for a while before speaking casually.
“If you’re not an idiot, you know what I’m about to say.”
“...Yes.”
“Most of the nas here are from regions outside the Palace. But a few are close to the inner palace. Yu Hwarin may have been a top assassin and information broker—but this many is beyond belief. More importantly, no one’s forgotten that the Poison Serpent Valley from the Original Blood Sect infiltrated Snow Mountain recently. Yang Cheol.”
“...Yes, Honored Successor.”
“At the ti, I suspected the White Guard for one reason—the place where the poisoners were hiding was under their jurisdiction. But now... even that seems questionable.”
“...Are you saying... you suspect the Spirit Guard?”
“If you were , wouldn’t you ask the sa?”
“...”
“I’m asking a reasonable question. For spies like this to be planted under the Spirit Guard’s nose? The simplest explanation is that the Spirit Guard assisted them.”
“But...”
“How would they know who left what position, when, and who replaced them? That kind of information had to be provided. Otherwise, this list couldn’t exist.”
Another thought crept into Yang Cheol’s mind.
Shouldn’t they have captured Yu Hwarin alive?
Unwi read that thought like a ghost.
“You’re thinking things would’ve been easier if I hadn’t killed Yu Hwarin. Am I wrong?”
“...No.”
“But you already know the answer to that question. Don’t you?”
“...Yes.”
It was simple logic.
Even if Yu Hwarin had been Pavilion Lord of Guihon Pavilion, he still answered to soone.
The one who gave him orders—
In other words, the Sect Lord of Ghost Soul Sect, or one of its high-ranking vice lords—those were the people they would need to catch to get the full story.
And worse—Ghost Soul Sect was located frighteningly close to the main headquarters of the Original Blood Cult.
Which ant the Everlasting Snow Palace would have to purge them themselves.
Unwi spoke decisively.
“There’s a traitor in the White Snow Spirit Guard.”
Yang Cheol’s head jerked up.
“Honored Successor...!”
“The way you flinched tells you understand how serious this is.”
“...Of course I do. You know as well as I do that only the Commander and the Palace Lord know all the Spirit Guard mbers by na.”
Unwi shook his head.
“Think carefully. There are two more people who would know.”
Yang Cheol swallowed hard.
“Vice Commander Yeon Suon... and Instructor Gok Jinbung.”
“But... ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) those two... that’s impossible.”
“Why?”
“...Yeon Suon lost all her internal energy from qi deviation, and even lost her left arm. She stepped down from all her roles and declared she’d retire in eight years. This is the seventh year. What reason would she have to betray the Palace?”
Unwi laughed.
“What about Gok Jinbung?”
“...He trains the Spirit Guard, but he doesn’t know all the mbers. As you know, the Commander handles most affairs, and he...”
“You know, sothing about this bothers the more I listen to you.”
“...Yes?”
“You’re not certain they’re innocent—you just want to believe they are.”
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