The Great Heavenly Sword Emperor - Chapter 30

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#030. The Matter of Jandeng-hoe (2)

The next day.
Guang An summoned Tian Wujie and Bei Gong Danya to gather.
What else could he have discovered in just one day?
Yet as Bei Gong Danya made his way toward the Dharma Hall, he harbored no great hopes.
Though Tian Wujie remained convinced it was the work of enemies, Bei Gong Danya had not entirely shed his suspicions of Guang An himself.
When the two arrived at the Dharma Hall, Guang An opened his mouth with careful deliberation.
“Our current situation makes it dangerous to move with the information we possess. So I have conceived of one possible approach.”
“Do tell.”
At Tian Wujie’s word, Guang An spoke with a grave expression.
“You mentioned that the porters who came to Bohyeon Temple seemed suspicious, did you not? Your observation is precise enough that we can act upon it.”
“You mean to apprehend them?”
“Yes. We have reliable intelligence on their movements—we know where they work and where they live with certainty. They come to Bohyeon Temple for employment, but they also visit to make devotions.”
Tian Wujie nodded at Guang An’s words.
“It is the only method we can execute based on the precise information we possess.”
“But what if they’ve taken precautions and spirited people away?”
“We’ll address that when the moment comes. And that is precisely why time is pressing.”
“They are men capable of striking at any hour. To ‘apprehend’ them is to say we must abduct them—and such work is difficult to attempt in broad daylight.”
“Quite so. They will not expect us to make our move in daylight.”
Tian Wujie nodded in agreement.
“Moving by day would only disadvantage us. There is no advantage to it whatsoever.”
“Precisely. In the end, we must wait until after nightfall. Assuming they take countermeasures, we have at most a single watch’s time to work with.”
“That short?”
“Indeed. We must act immediately after they leave work and head home, the moment they enter a place where few eyes fall upon them.”
As he spoke, Guang An laid out the situation once more.
“They operate as a cell organization. If we fail, pursuing them again will be nearly impossible. We must execute everything with absolute swiftness before they can cover their tracks.”
Most of them lived not far from their workplace, so their movement routes were compact.
Early evening still saw many people out and about, so when accounting for their scrutiny, even a single watch’s time might prove too long.
“Do you have a map?”
“Ah, yes.”
At Tian Wujie’s question, Guang An retrieved a map from the side.
“We need a map with a narrower scope.”
“Ah! Please wait a moment.”
With that, Guang An hurried outside and soon returned with a different map.
“Here it is. This is the trading post where they work, and the houses where they live are clustered in this vicinity.”
Guang An traced several points on the map with his finger as he explained.
Tian Wujie and Bei Gong Danya studied the map carefully.
“Then our only viable location is here, it seems.”
Bei Gong Danya pointed to a narrow alley on the path from the trading post to their homes.
“No.”
Tian Wujie pointed to several other locations on the map.
“If we account for alternate routes, there are three more possibilities here, here, and here.”
“What if we wait hidden at their homes and seize them there?”
Bei Gong Danya shook his head at Guang An’s suggestion.
“They might not come home at all and flee directly instead, would they not?”
“True enough. Hmm… this is a thorny problem indeed.”
As Tian Wujie listened to the exchange between Guang An and Bei Gong Danya, he studied the map with focused attention.
“I will do this alone.”
“What? Why?”
At Tian Wujie’s declaration, Bei Gong Danya started in surprise.
“In our current circumstances, I am the only one who can move covertly and discreetly without drawing notice.”
“But—!”
“Bei Gong Danya.”
Guang An stepped in to stop Bei Gong Danya’s protest.
“I believe it would be wise to defer to what Tian Wujie says at this juncture.”
Bei Gong Danya clenched his teeth and looked at Guang An.
“We’re exposed right now. They’ve already sown confusion in our intelligence network with false information. The moment they detect our movements, they’ll act. So we must move without being noticed at all. It’s frustrating, but Tian Wujie’s words hold merit.”
“Tch!”
At Guang An’s words, Bei Gong Danya had no choice but to swallow his protest.
Frustrating as it was, Guang An was right.
“Understood.”
Bei Gong Danya rose from his seat in disappointment and left the Dharma Hall.
“Will he be all right?”
“He will. If he were the type to crumble or lose heart over this, he wouldn’t have come this far.”
At Tian Wujie’s words, Guang An nodded.
A man who’d survived death’s threshold wouldn’t collapse over something like this.
If anything, he’d channel it into fuel for growth.
“You’ll move today then, won’t you?”
“Most likely. Once the sun sets, I’ll go. Don’t look for me until then—just go about your day as usual.”
“Understood.”
Guang An answered tersely.

* * *

Heo Seok was a porter working at the Haejin Trading Post, a mid-sized merchant house.
The work wasn’t as demanding as it would have been at a larger trading company, but after a full day of constant labor, his body ached so thoroughly that he had no energy for anything else.
“Heo! You heading straight home again today?”
A coworker called out to Heo Seok as he left work.
“Yeah! I’m exhausted. I need to get some rest.”
“You’d better eat more! That’s why you’re always worn out!”
“My wife keeps nagging me to eat less! I’m going!”
After exchanging these lighthearted quips, Heo Seok dragged his weary body homeward.
The moment he turned into the alley toward his neighborhood—
Heo Seok collapsed like a machine suddenly shutting down.
Hands caught him quietly as he fell.
It was Tian Wujie.
Hidden in the darkness, waiting for Heo Seok to appear, he’d struck an Acupoint and sent the man into unconsciousness.
Supporting Heo Seok, Tian Wujie vanished without a trace.

* * *

“Mm…….”
Heo Seok’s eyes opened slowly with a groan.
“What—what is this?”
The unfamiliar surroundings startled him, and he tried to jolt upright.
But he couldn’t move.
Bound to a chair, his entire body and limbs were tied so tightly he couldn’t budge an inch.
“I apologize for this rough reception.”
A voice came from behind him.
“W-who are you? What is the meaning of this?”
Heo Seok asked in a frightened voice.
He thrashed about, trying somehow to break free, but the tightly bound rope held firm.
“If you struggle, the rope will only dig deeper and wound you further. And you won’t be able to use your Inner Energy either. Please remain still.”
At those words, Heo Seok’s eyes widened.
The panic that had gripped his face just moments before vanished entirely.
“Damn. I’ve been made.”
At Heo Seok’s words, Tian Wujie, standing behind him, regarded him quietly.
“Are you Tian Wujie, or Bei Gong Danya?”
“I ask the questions.”
Tian Wujie did not answer his query.
“Are you with Tongyun-gak?”
“Tongyun-gak? Ah, you mean Ammo-gak. I’m not affiliated with them.”
“Ammo-gak?”
“You didn’t know? Bohyeon Temple isn’t as impressive as I thought.”
At Heo Seok’s words, Tian Wujie fell silent for a moment before continuing his interrogation.
“Are you truly not affiliated with Tongyun-gak?”
“You could search my entire body and find not a single mark of their allegiance.”
He spoke true.
Before bringing Heo Seok to Bohyeon Temple and binding him, I had examined every inch of his body—no marks, no insignia.
“Then who are you?”
“I cannot say. There is nothing to tell.”
At that moment, Tian Wujie’s hand came to rest on Heo Seok’s shoulder.
The touch was light, almost gentle, yet Heo Seok went rigid with tension.
And then—
“Aaaaaagh!”
Tian Wujie had barely exerted pressure, yet agony flooded through Heo Seok’s shoulder as though it were shattering.
A moment later, the pain vanished.
It had lasted only seconds, but it was a torment he had never known in all his life.
“I have no intention of killing you or maiming you. Answer my questions truthfully, and you will come to no harm.”
“There is nothing I can tell you—nothing within my reach!”
Heo Seok cried out in desperation.
“So you are affiliated with someone, then.”
Tian Wujie murmured, half to himself.
“Very well. Let me ask differently. Tongyun-gak—behind the Ammo-gak you mentioned, who stands?”
“I don’t know! I truly don’t! We only observed Ammo-gak; we never uncovered who pulled their strings!”
At Heo Seok’s answer, Tian Wujie’s hand rose toward his shoulder once more.
“I swear I don’t know! Men like me are mere foot soldiers—we do what we’re told, nothing more!”
“Then tell me your affiliation.”
“I—that is—!”
Heo Seok wavered, but in the end, he refused to name his master.
“Aaaaaagh!”
Tian Wujie bore down harder this time.
The pain cut deeper than before, and Heo Seok screamed, cold sweat pouring down his face.
“Tian, enough.”
Guang An, who had been watching in quiet vigilance from the side, stepped forward to restrain him.
Tian Wujie released the pressure at once.
“I believe I know his affiliation now. We have been mistaken all along.”
“You are certain?”
“Yes. If he is not with Tongyun-gak, there is only one possibility.”
“Which is?”
“Jandeng-hoe.”
The moment Guang An spoke the name—Jandeng-hoe—Heo Seok’s body went rigid, every muscle taut.
Seeing his reaction, Guang An glanced at Tian Wujie and nodded.
In truth, Guang An had been guessing; he had no proof.
It was a name thrown out to test the waters, and Heo Seok’s response had confirmed it perfectly.
“I see.”
Tian Wujie did not press further on the matter of Jandeng-hoe.
“Since you are not with Tongyun-gak, we will let you go. But speak of this to no one, understand?”
With that, Tian Wujie placed his hand on Heo Seok’s shoulder one last time.
“Yes, yes! My lips are sealed—I swear it!”
Heo Seok cried out urgently.
He never wanted to feel that pain again.
And then Heo Seok slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

Bohyeon Temple handled the matter of releasing Heo Seok.
When Guang An and Tian Wujie returned to the Dharma Hall, they found Bei Gong Danya waiting for them, and the three resumed their conversation.
“That man is almost certainly affiliated with Jandeng-hoe.”
“What is Jandeng-hoe?”
At Bei Gong Danya’s question, Guang An continued.
“An organization formed by those who harbor resentment against the Dongfang Sect.”
“The Dongfang Sect.”
Once again, the name of the Dongfang Sect surfaced.
“As the Dongfang Sect rose to its present station, many have suffered—directly or indirectly. Some among them nursed their grudges and banded together, yet they remain powerless against a force already grown so vast. In essence, Jandeng-hoe is an assembly of those who would oppose the Dongfang Sect, but in truth, it is little more than a phantom.”
“They’ve been watching Bohyeon Temple for quite some time now. I wonder what their reason is?”
“They know we’re an information organization, so that’s likely why. At first, they probably approached hoping to dig up something useful. And if needed, they could join hands with us.”
“So our appearance at Bohyeon Temple changed things.”
“Yes. News about the two young masters has probably already reached Jandeng-hoe by now.”
Bei Gong Danya nodded at Guang An’s words.
Even now, it remained difficult to discern Jandeng-hoe’s true objective.
“This confirms that the Dongfang Sect stands behind Tongyun-gak.”
“Even that’s not certain. We don’t know whether Tongyun-gak simply carries out commissions for the Dongfang Sect, or if it’s their secret organization.”
Tian Wujie, who had been lost in thought, finally spoke up at Guang An’s words.
“We need to meet with Jandeng-hoe. They may know something we don’t.”
“I’ll look for a way to make contact, though meeting them carries both risks and benefits.”
Tian Wujie nodded at Guang An’s remark.
Various clues pointed toward the Dongfang Sect, yet nothing was certain.
But soon, everything would become clear.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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