There is a saying: "Using someone else's knife to kill an enemy."
This is a common tactic not only in Jinju but also throughout the martial world.
There are strategies like sowing discord or using spies, even kidnapping the daughters of rival sects to kill them and then throwing their bodies into another sect.
In the martial world, all sorts of vicious schemes are employed.
Once you've learned martial arts and started living in this world, you can't afford to think of such tactics as dirty.
Seoyun had expected that he would also be used in such a manner.
Although it was merely a symptom, he was certain that Dang Yuji had used both him and Dang Yuhwa as tools to capture Sa Yunyung.
But what could he do about it now?
He couldn't do anything to Dang Yuji at this moment.
The revenge of a gentleman takes ten years to plan.
So, he just needed to remember it well.
'Being used and using others is something I'm accustomed to.'
"But why did Sa Yunyung go into your room?"
Seoyun had heard that Dang Yuhwa encountered Sa Yunyung in Dang Yuji's room.
That much was unclear to Seoyun.
Why had that man suddenly been there?
At Seoyun's question, Dang Yuhwa looked flustered.
"That's what I want to know too. I wasn't there."
"Was he trying to steal your underwear or something?"
"Oh, come on! Surely not that far!"
After all, he was already dead; what did honor matter now?
At Seoyun's crude joke, Dang Yuhwa waved her hand dismissively.
Glancing up at the ongoing renovations of Okyunjjeon, she sighed lightly.
"Ah, where should I stay now? Are you staying at your house?"
"Yes, since there are issues with the Three Yang Water and the Vice Secretary's techniques."
"I wish I could stay there too; I know the Three Yang Water and the Vice Secretary well. Should I teach you?"
"No, thank you."
Seoyun cut her off firmly.
Perhaps it was just a casual suggestion, but Dang Yuhwa broke into a bright smile and turned away.
"Anyway, thank you! You've helped me reduce one worry."
"Worry... I hope you can fulfill my request properly this time; you know you broke your promise last time, right?"
"I did my best."
"You can't call just saying that effort."
"It was my own effort... Well, I'll try again at least once more."
Although it was essentially a statement of not wanting to do it openly, Dang Yuhwa only laughed as if she found it amusing.
As she waved goodbye lightly and stepped inside, Seoyun sighed again.
"What a troublesome opponent; should I call her an enemy or not...?"
As long as she couldn't wipe that stone-like smile off her face—and since he was definitely inferior to Dang Yuji—there was nothing he could do at this moment.
"It feels like I've been taken advantage of, but it's not entirely unpleasant."
Turning his body around while walking toward where Dang Yuhwa awaited him, Seoyun muttered softly to himself.
The reason he wasn't feeling bad was that he had gained quite a lot from working as a tool for her.
First off, there were fifty gold coins.
And he had completed one mission.
But more importantly, he had obtained the Three Yang Water technique.
"Three Yang Water..."
According to what he heard from Dang Yuhwa, Three Yang Water was one of Tang Sect's treasures.
It was a technique that would never be passed down unless granted permission and was considered top-tier even within the martial world.
Of course, mastering top-tier martial arts wasn't easy either.
It wasn't something like Sawan Water where knowing just a few techniques meant you could use them immediately.
As an advanced martial art mixed with rising techniques, it required extensive training.
'Well... I'll figure something out.'
Arriving where Dang Yuhwa awaited him,
he found her leaning against the wall playing with dirt while her feet were wrapped in cloth.
She didn't seem particularly unhappy.
"I'm here."
"Oh? You came back quickly?"
"I just had a little chat."
"What did you talk about?"
"Nothing much; I got scolded for not fulfilling my promise from last time and expressed my gratitude for this situation."
"Hmm... Is that all?"
"Yes."
A sense of relief mixed with her expression on seeing Seoyun's response.
Compared to the masked face of Dang Yuji hiding her true self,
this was far better; Seoyun smiled back at her with ease.
"Dung Wang called for you? You should go see him soon."
---
Dung Wang spoke about capturing orcs when they met him.
He suggested giving up if it seemed too difficult.
Since Dang Yuji was precious enough,
he threatened that if they couldn't retrieve them within seven days,
he would issue orders against her as well.
And there was one more thing:
"Research on countermeasures..."
Once they returned to Tang Sect,
they wouldn't be able to study orcs anymore.
This was because reinforcing their martial arts took priority.
In the end, they needed to capture an orc before the head monk of Shaolin Temple finished his seclusion
if they wanted to receive those fifty gold coins.
Ultimately, the point was clear: they needed to capture an orc quickly.
"Damn it."
"They're still causing trouble even after death... Sigh. There's nothing I can do about this..."
"You mentioned giving orders to Miss Dang Yuji too,
but she seems busy due to Sa Yunyung's incident—so there may be opportunities available.
If necessary, should we dig around ourselves?"
"Do you have any good leads?"
"Well... I'm not sure."
"Right now we need to catch even a rat! If there's any information at all,
let's hear it!"
Recalling events from Shaolin Temple,
Seoyun mentioned: "Do you remember? The man who lost his son?"
"Oh? Ah yes! What happened with that?"
"It's not about how it happened...
The man who lost his son headed towards Seongwi Mountain for burial purposes.
On his way back after burying his son,
he claimed to have heard a monster's roar."
"A monster's roar? Did he see it?"
"No; he only heard the roar—so it's somewhat ambiguous."
Seoyun hadn't said much because it felt too vague.
He didn't even know if it really was an orc,
and Seongwi Mountain was approximately a day's ride away.
What if they went there only to find nothing?
And what if an orc appeared in the meantime?
Dang Yuji staying in Jiuhyeon would surely take action.
Neither Seoyun nor Dang Yuhwa wanted such an outcome.
"I'll leave the decision up to you."
"You always pass these choices onto me; do you have decision-making difficulties?"
"Hey~ Where does a mere servant have decision-making power?"
Dang Yuhwa closed her eyes.
After finishing her contemplation,
she let out a heavy sigh: "Let's go."
"Alright."
Waiting idly without doing anything wasn't in line with Dang Yuhwa's temperament.
If there was something they could struggle against,
it would be better to fight back as much as possible.
She nodded at Seoyun's decision: "Then I'll prepare."
"What kind of preparation?"
"We need horses ready."
"Horses? Where will we find them?"
Silently pointing toward the stables within Justice Alliance headquarters,
Dang Yuhwa chuckled before clicking her tongue: "You really are relentless."
"Hey~ What's so great about borrowing just one or two horses?
If it's Chief Sun, he'll probably lend them without hesitation.
Then I'll be off!"
While waiting at the stables for Dang Yuhwa,
Seoyun headed straight toward the chief's office.
After persuading Sun Jung-mo and borrowing two horse tokens,
he showed them at the stables.
As he chatted with some servants there,
they all laughed heartily together.
It seemed their conversation ended well.
Returning to Dang Yuhwa,
Seoyun casually mentioned: "They said they'll connect our cart—let's go get our supplies."
"...Huh? Supplies?"
"Yes! We need everything we can save."
Taking Dang Yuhwa along with him,
they headed toward Justice Alliance's supply depot.
Upon seeing Seoyun enter,
the attendant chuckled softly: "Well now! Should I welcome you or not?"
"You're that person from before."
"Yes indeed! Who would have thought that our servant would become involved with capturing Sa Heuk-ryeon?"
After giving a slight nod toward Dang Yuhwa,
the attendant cleared his throat quietly before continuing:
"So what brings you here today?"
"The Chief asked me to show this."
Upon seeing the permission slip written by Sun Jung-mo,
the attendant sighed heavily before leading him into the storage room.
When Seoyun emerged from the storage room,
he held two large bags filled with various items.
"Remember this: these supplies were purchased using Justice Alliance's precious funds..."
"I understand; I'll be sure to leave some behind."
"It better be so! Seriously... With these quantities being mismatched like this... Sigh."
As he vented his frustrations regarding middle management woes,
Seoyun tried comforting him: "I'll buy you drinks later! Don't be too harsh on yourself."
"Tsk! Fine then—just hurry along!"
It would only take two days round trip at most—
so why did he pack so much?
As soon as they exited the storage room,
Dang Yuhwa received Seoyun's bag and peeked inside:
"Dagger... armor... jerky... flour...? Why did you bring so much?"
There were nearly dozens of daggers inside!
The armor looked decent enough too,
and there were thick sturdy chains as well.
Seeing all this made Dang Yuhwa frown slightly while Seoyun shook his head:
"When we catch an orc, we'll need things like these too. And don't think we're just catching orcs for ourselves."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Monsters pose risks to ordinary people; they attack anyone who invades their territory without mercy. Since Seongwi Mountain is often visited by woodcutters and hunters from Seongwi County..."
"So investigating that area is important too?"
"Yes! What is Justice Alliance about? It's about upholding justice and protecting those people—it's our duty after all! Helping them out means we deserve some compensation..."
As Seoyun spoke enthusiastically,
Dang Yuhwa covered his mouth with her hand.
If left unchecked, she felt like he'd keep talking about justifying taking supplies for days on end.
"Okay okay! Good job! Why didn't you ask for funding while you were at it?"
Seoyun lowered his gaze slightly:
Of course...
The evaluations made by Beopju or Myohae regarding him were all wrong.
He shouldn't have any greed—but look how greedy he became!
When she reached out her hand,
Seoyun grumbled while pulling coins from his pocket:
"A ghost indeed."
"The ten gold coins... Is this all you've received?"
"If things went according to plan originally—I intended on wrapping everything up with money alone but since time is tight—there's no room left for spending."
"So?"
Dang Yuhwa chuckled lightly while pouting adorably with her lips sticking out slightly.
She tossed him a pouch filled with silver coins:
"You take this; you'll need it more than I will."
"Oh? Really?"
"In any case..."
Dang Yuhwa murmured in a bittersweet tone:
"Whether we catch an orc or not this time… once I join Tang Sect—I probably won't be able to leave for several years either way. So money won't mean much then."
This was due to issues involving Vice Secretary.
Since she too needed participation in research after mastering up until ten stars,
it made sense she'd have obligations awaiting her.
Seeing shadows of regret etched across her face made Seoyun speak gently:
"I'll visit sometimes."
"Sure! You're always welcome! Now shall we head out?"
With renewed energy despite herself—
Dang Yuhwa lightly patted Seoyun on his back.
The cart had already been prepared.
After loading their belongings onto it,
Dang Yuhwa hopped onto the carriage while Seoyun took his place on the driver's seat:
"I'll drive us right away!"
---
Thanks to their relentless pace throughout the night,
they arrived at Seongwi County right next door Jiuhyeon late into the evening.
They immediately began gathering information
and found quite a few people were aware of what happened:
"I heard terrible sounds coming from halfway up that mountain!"
"Horrible sounds?"
"They say there's been sightings of green-skinned monsters by hunters..."
"Green skin...?"
"Their teeth stuck out like this!"
With Justice Alliance's insignia present,
gathering information proved relatively easy.
Hanam County was dominated by righteous sects;
thus merely having Justice Alliance's insignia allowed them assistance from commoners and officials alike.
With guidance from local authorities pinpointing areas where monsters appeared,
Seoyun and Dang Yuhwa donned protective gear for safety measures.
"It seems real enough."
Large footprints presumed belonging to an orc were visible ahead.
Upon confirming this sighting with a nod,
- *Rumble... Crash!!* A bolt from clear skies struck down unexpectedly!
"Kraaaah!!"
This roar sounded different from last time;
it seemed filled with terror instead of aggression.
Seoyun and Dang Yuhwa exchanged glances before sprinting toward where they heard the sound coming from:
"What is that…?"
In a wide clearing halfway up the mountain stood an orc drenched in blood
with its body scorched by golden lightning!
As soon as it dropped its axe upon collapsing onto its knees—
Seoyun clenched his fists tightly:
"Ah... Damn."
The one who took down this orc wasn't another martial artist;
it wasn't soldiers either;
it wasn't even 'humans.'
"Come closer!"
"Radun Katcha!"
"Radun Katcha!"
"Radun Katcha!"
Three skeletons clad in armor wielding bone staffs appeared before them!
They resembled soldiers from northern regions—dressed heavily
and covered in blood from slaying an orc!