I watched Joo Jonghak move first from behind after closing the door.

He brought a chair and placed it in front of Moyong Beongeum.

Even in that situation, Moyong Beongeum kept his gaze fixed on me, not Joo Jonghak.

I also quietly looked at Moyong Beongeum without avoiding his gaze.

Until Moyong Do was born, Moyong Beongeum was a talent who would lead the Moyong clan.

His outstanding skills were unmatched among the four disciples.

However, due to his arrogant personality and too much confidence in his own talent, he neglected his efforts.

Around the time he was over twenty years old, Moyong Do was born, and all the attention Moyong Beongeum received was entirely focused on Moyong Do. As a result, the once-promising disciple was abandoned in an instant.

However, that wasn’t Moyong Do’s fault, but the fault caused by Moyong Beongeum’s laziness.

But he resented Moyong Do, and in the end, he tried to kill him but failed, and he was excommunicated for that sin.

Joo Jonghak followed Moyong Beongeum’s gaze, turned his head to glance at me, and then tapped Moyong Beongeum’s cheek. Only then did Moyong Beongeum’s gaze land on Joo Jonghak.

“Where are you looking? The one you should be looking at is me, isn’t it?”

Joo Jonghak clicked his tongue. At his gesture, the warrior removed the gag and put a different device in Moyong Beongeum’s mouth.

Then, although slurred, his voice could flow out of his mouth.

“Heh… Your luck has improved. The mutant who looked like a corpse about to die is now leading the Demon Cult’s leaders like her servants.”

His eyes flashed, and his teeth were exposed.

“While someone has become a cockroach driven out of their clan because of some trash.”

“…”

Joo Jonghak sighed and grabbed his cheek. Only then did Moyong Beongeum’s gaze, which had turned to Joo Jonghak, become sharp.

“Are you enjoying it? It must be great to be a dog panting under a mutant bitch who is nothing. To think that a person called an elder of the world-renowned Demon Cult is flattering the daughter of the Righteous Sect.”

Ptooey! Moyong Beongeum spat on Joo Jonghak’s cheek and chuckled.

“The Demon Cult has gone to the dogs.”

Joo Jonghak frowned, wiped his cheek with a cloth offered by the warrior, and calmly spoke.

“If you think you can avoid interrogation with such mockery and provocation, you’re mistaken. No matter how hard you resist now, nothing will change. So answer now. If you tell us who is behind your actions, we’ll kill you without pain.”

“Kill me.”

Moyong Beongeum gave a mocking smile. Joo Jonghak glared at him with a frown, but Moyong Beongeum’s mouth opened first.

“Asking someone who came here prepared to die to answer if they don’t want to die? It’s ridiculous. Okay, I’ll answer. The mastermind? There’s no such thing. I came here to kill that bitch because I have a grudge against her. Nothing more, nothing less. Satisfied?”

“Do you expect me to believe such words?”

“If you don’t want to believe it, torture me.”

Kekeke, his laughter shaking even his shoulders was far from normal.

Joo Jonghak stared at him intently, then got up from his seat and approached me.

“Young Madam. This is not someone who can be talked to. From now on, things might get a bit violent, so it’s better if you leave…”

I slowly shook my head at his words of concern in a cautious voice.

As Joo Jonghak looked at me with a puzzled expression, I slipped past him and approached Moyong Beongeum.

“Young Ma…!”

The warriors flinched and tried to block me, but it was after I had already taken a seat on the chair.

As I came close and sat down, Moyong Beongeum’s eyes flashed, and he grinned.

With a strange device in his mouth, that smile was grotesque and ugly.

I blankly watched the saliva dripping down to the ground, then raised my eyes to meet his gaze. His eyes were full of murderous intent.

“It’s been ten years since we last met as disciples, but you seem to be looking at me too fiercely.”

“…”

“Honestly, I had doubts. I’m glad my memory wasn’t wrong. Isn’t that right?”

I watched his brow and nose bridge wrinkle deeply with indifferent eyes and spoke softly.

“Ten years ago, you tried to kill my brother, and now, after ten years, you’re trying to kill me. You really hate us siblings, don’t you?”

The way he had been constantly provoking Joo Jonghak had completely disappeared. I stared intently at the silent man and continued calmly.

“I vaguely heard that contact had been cut off, so seeing you here is both joyful and regrettable.”

“…”

“Honestly, there are many things I want to ask, but it doesn’t seem like you’ll answer. However, I don’t have the personality to torture… Moreover, hearing you say to kill you if I tell you to kill and torture you if I tell you to torture, it seems like someone either told you to keep your mouth shut or there’s a reason you have to keep it shut.”

I trailed off and lifted the corners of my mouth.

“In that situation, I don’t think there’s any point in asking more or torturing you.”

“You know that, so that’s a relief. So? Are you going to kill me?”

“No. Why would I? I’m not as violent as you. I want to achieve results with the minimum time and effort possible.”

I smiled brightly at him as he raised his eyebrows. Pushing my hair back that had fallen forward, I spoke indifferently.

“I’m going to ask someone else.”

His brows narrowed. Pointing to the room next door, I spoke softly.

“Over there, they’ve imprisoned the ten people you brought to assassinate me in separate rooms. And I’m going to tell those people that if they reveal the mastermind behind this, they’ll be spared. I’ll say that the first one to speak will be spared, and the rest will be killed.”

Wanna bet?

Meeting his shaking eyes, I slowly opened my mouth.

“How many of them will reveal the mastermind? I bet all nine of them except you will reveal the mastermind.”

I tilted my head and smiled brightly.

“What about you?”

* * *

Torture, beating, interrogation. Those weren’t my style.

Putting aside the barbaric and cruel nature, it took too much time.

I wanted to know the truth behind this incident at least before Hyuk Dojin returned. I didn’t want to forcibly burden him when he was already tired from traveling far.

That’s why I chose negotiation.

No, to be precise, it was a threat under the name of negotiation. And the tool for the threat was a simple game.

When I was in so much pain and agony that I couldn’t even get up from my seat, the only thing I could do was read books.

Novels that sang of love and justice were also interesting in their own way, but what I enjoyed reading the most were generally difficult theories filled with content related to negotiation or economics.

Books filled with English and an abundance of words that were difficult to understand one by one.

It was so difficult to read that I had to keep a dictionary with me to read a single page.

But that’s why I liked it. Because if I concentrated on reading it, I could forget the pain for a while.

“The results are in.”

Joo Jonghak came to find me to report as soon as breakfast was over.

He approached me with an organized report in his hand, placed it on the table, and continued his explanation.

“As you instructed, I made the same proposal to all ten of them, and when I set a time limit until this morning, they all revealed the mastermind.”

I took the report he handed me, slowly examined it, then placed it back on the table and raised my head.

Joo Jonghak nodded his head once and spoke.

“As expected, all ten of them pointed to the same person.”

There was only one name written in the report.

[Namgoong Seolbyeok]

“I investigated and found out that he is the disciple of Namgoong Baek, the Murim Alliance Leader brought by Namgoong Danghwi. He was always quiet during the meetings and never opened his mouth, so I didn’t even know he was there, but to think he would commit such an act… It was a bit unexpected.”

“…This man wouldn’t have decided it alone. There must be someone behind him, and this man is just a scapegoat in case something goes wrong.”

I narrowed my eyes. Exhaling deeply, I raised my eyes and looked up at the ceiling.

“Shall we capture him?”

“No. Not yet.”

Lowering my gaze that had been looking at the ceiling, I got up from my seat.

I called Joo Hwarin and told her to prepare neat clothes, then looked at Joo Jonghak and spoke.

“Keep this matter a secret for now and make sure the information doesn’t leak out by keeping their mouths shut.”

“I understand.”

Joo Jonghak immediately nodded his head without questioning or doubting my words.

Seeing him not asking unnecessary questions or expressing doubts, I understood a little why Hyuk Dojin kept him close.

After dismissing Joo Jonghak, I changed clothes and immediately went out.

I went up a floor, opened the door, and entered. Inside, a neatly dressed man was sitting and looking out the window.

I looked at him blankly, told Joo Hwarin to wait outside, and closed the door.

With a thud, the man’s gaze turned to me.

He could be considered frail-looking in a way.

He didn’t give off a strong impression with thick features like Hyuk Dojin, but maybe it was because of his slightly thin features.

He looked like a gentle-looking scholar. He had a striking appearance that could be mistaken for a woman if well-dressed.

‘Just as described.’

I quietly looked at his dark, murky eyes and moved my steps inside.

He was quietly looking at me. His gaze followed the path I was moving.

I stopped about ten steps away from him and silently faced each other.

As if savoring the lowered silence, I kept my mouth tightly closed and slowly opened it.

“You are Namgoong Seolbyeok, right?”

“…”

He kept his mouth tightly shut. In a way, it seemed like he was wary of me or maybe afraid of me.

But if he was the Namgoong Seolbyeok I knew, this man wasn’t afraid or wary of anything.

He was observing me.

After rolling his eyes for a while, his mouth slowly opened.

“Moyong Sowol.”

I gently lifted the corners of my mouth and nodded my head.

I never thought I would see this man here.

He looked calm and very timid, but he was a master of energy techniques and formations, and at the same time, the man who would succeed Namgoong Baek as the Murim Alliance Leader.

“Nice to meet you.”

And he was also the person who would stab Hyuk Dojin’s heart.