I had no intention of heading straight back, so I made my way toward a nearby inn. On the way, I noticed something odd–many of the martial artists I passed seemed to be more skilled than the disciples training at Woonhyang Sect. It left me slightly confused.

The Drunk asked me,

“Why?”

I came to a halt and stared silently at the back of a man walking away.

“It’s nothing.”

There was a vague sense of unease, though I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Some of those so-called merchants didn’t look like merchants at all, so I took mental note of a few of their faces.

Once we were seated at an outside table and ordered some drinks, the Drunk carefully opened a box and checked the silver coins inside.

“All intact.”

The reason I left Woonhyang Sect quietly was because Sect Master Yeo Un-byeok remained courteous until the end.

He had both manners and skill. There was no reason for a martial master of his level to be working under Yongmyeong the First Sword of Dragon Gate. That alone made him suspicious.

I gathered the new information I had learned about the Scholar faction and explained it to the others.

After listening, the Lecher crossed his arms and said,

“…So you’re saying there are more experts on the level of the White-Robed Scholar. And that even among themselves, the Scholars operate in competition or opposition?”

“Rather than competition or opposition, I’d say ‘independent’ is a more accurate term.”

The Lecher asked,

“Could they be enemies of the martial world?”

I shook my head.

“I don’t know.”

We went silent as Jomsoi arrived with the drinks and food.

Then, a strange thought crossed my mind.

If the Demonic Cult and the Scholars were to clash, whose side should I take?