Chapter 287

A night with the moon hanging bright and full.

“Hoo.”

I dragged my heavy body outside.

Sneaking out of Mount Hua Sect wasn’t exactly easy, but—

[Left from there.]

[Just a little faster.]

Luckily, I had a way to slip past the patrols and scouts.

Old men from the Heaven-Beyond-Heaven. I used their eyes to find the gaps.

And using those gaps, I pulled myself out beyond Mount Hua Sect’s boundaries.

Once I was ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) outside, I could see Mount Tai and the stairs leading down.

I didn’t take the stairs. I used a different ridge.

After climbing a short way, I saw someone waiting for me.

“......You’ve come?”

“Man, this is exhausting.”

The Small Moon Unit Leader.

He was waiting.

I looked at him and smiled.

“Alright, let’s go somewhere, disciple.”

“.......”

At the word disciple, the Small Moon Unit Leader made a face like he’d bitten into shit. It was only for an instant, but I saw it clear as day. I didn’t bother pointing it out.

‘I’ll let it slide today.’

Poking at him only works so many times. Doing it even now would be pushing it.

Because today, I needed him.

*****

We came down the mountain and descended into Huayin County. The way down was rough as hell, but all that training hadn’t been pointless—I didn’t struggle too badly.

Huayin County, once we reached it, still held vivid colors for how late it was.

‘This is a city.’

Henan wasn’t worse, exactly, but after what happened during the festival... if we were talking sheer flashiness, Huayin County felt brighter.

Was Shaanxi always like this? I was staring around like it was new, when—

[It isn’t.]

Seongheon—following behind as a living spirit—explained quietly.

[There’s a festival coming soon, so the mood is unusually bright.]

‘A festival?’

What festival? While I was thinking, Yoo Cheongil spoke in a flat voice.

[Looks like they’re holding the Plum Blossom Festival.]

Plum Blossom Festival. At those words, my eyes widened a fraction.

‘Ah. The Plum Blossom Festival....’

I’d heard of it. The festival where they choose the Plum Blossom Swordsmen.

So they did it around this time.

‘It’s different from the Small Moon Unit.’

In terms of prestige, the Small Moon Unit didn’t lose out. But Blue Moon Sect didn’t throw festivals like this when selecting people.

‘Mount Hua makes a spectacle of it.’

I’d heard Mount Hua Sect held the selection season for Plum Blossom Swordsmen like a festival.

Like a martial tournament, even.

[Isn’t it good for many people to see with their own eyes who will newly guard Shaanxi?]

Letting everyone witness the birth of Plum Blossom Swordsmen.

That seemed to be the intent.

So Huayin County treated the Plum Blossom Festival as a huge celebration.

‘That’s why everything’s so bright.’

With the date approaching, the whole county’s mood was heating up.

And so—

‘Is that why.’

I narrowed my eyes and scanned the surroundings.

‘Why I can see them everywhere.’

A covert, nauseating presence.

Not a massive number, but if you walked around long enough, you’d spot them.

‘HEAVEN-BREAKING PALACE.’

The same stench I’d seen in Henan was scattered here and there.

‘Tsk....’

I rolled my eyes. The fact that I could see them better than expected was the problem.

‘So what now.’

How did I dig into this?

This was why I came down to Huayin County tonight. Now that I knew HEAVEN-BREAKING PALACE had people here, I wanted to grasp their movements at least.

‘Not just seeing them—actually confirming what they’re doing.’

That they were clustered like this—

and—

‘There’s a festival soon.’

Just like Henan, HEAVEN-BREAKING PALACE showing up around a festival period.

I needed to watch this carefully.

If I didn’t want to step in shit myself.

I was scanning the area with that thought when—

“Um.”

“Hm?”

The Small Moon Unit Leader, who’d been following quietly, spoke to me carefully.

“Teacher. Why did you come down here at this hour?”

“Ah. I’ve got something to do.”

“......Something to do?”

“Do I have to explain even that to my disciple?”

“.......”

A vein popped at the Small Moon Unit Leader’s brow.

It was a joke. I think I slipped.

I coughed and immediately added,

“Ahem. It’s nothing big. There’s something I need to confirm... and I might need my disciple’s help.”

“Me.”

“Your original purpose was being my escort, wasn’t it?”

“Ah.”

“......What was that reaction?”

The Small Moon Unit Leader’s expression shifted like he’d just remembered something he’d forgotten.

This guy... don’t tell me he actually forgot.

‘Unbelievable.’

Maybe it was a Blue Moon Sect trait—Yoo Cheongil too, this guy too—everyone kept forgetting important things.

‘Are they addicted to Moon Heaven or something?’

Forgetting the fact you came to protect me?

It was absurd.

“...At least you remembered now.”

“......Heh heh. Seriously.”

Even while reacting awkwardly—

Clink.

“......!”

The Small Moon Unit Leader suddenly put his hand to his waist. He’d only grabbed the sword hilt, but the entire atmosphere flipped.

“Then you’re saying there may be a situation where we’ll have to draw.”

Not just the mood—his voice changed, too.

“...I’d rather not. But just in case.”

“And why are you going somewhere like that?”

“...Mm.”

How do I explain. I hesitated. If it felt dangerous, he might refuse to let me go.

Fortunately, I’d prepared an excuse for moments like this.

“Sect Master’s orders.”

“.......”

The Small Moon Unit Leader shut his mouth.

Orders from the Sect Master—the Moon-Thread Sword. That was enough to seal him.

“So. I’m asking you to help me check something. That’s all.”

“...Understood.”

The Small Moon Unit Leader nodded, apparently accepting it.

I was about to turn back to scanning—

and then.

I froze.

The Small Moon Unit Leader sent voice transmission.

—What should we do about the one following us?

‘Someone’s following us?’

There was?

My eyes widened.

At that moment—

[No point in saying it if that bastard already noticed.]

Yoo Cheongil spoke.

[It’s him.]

‘Him?’

Who—ah.

I got it.

—Bring him.

I told the Small Moon Unit Leader immediately.

THUMP—!

His figure vanished. He disappeared for a heartbeat—and then reappeared.

And when he did—

THUD—!

“Kgh!”

He wasn’t alone.

And the person he dragged back was exactly who I expected.

“Yeo Hyeok.”

“Ah.... Moon Knight.”

At my call, Yeo Hyeok flinched. His face screamed I didn’t think I’d be caught.

What was going on?

I didn’t ask. It was obvious.

‘He wanted to confirm something.’

He wanted to confirm me. That was why he followed.

‘Fair enough.’

If I suddenly showed up claiming I’d come to investigate a problem in Mount Hua, Yeo Hyeok wouldn’t trust me completely.

He probably wanted to check me in whatever way he could.

The one thing that bothered me was—

‘It doesn’t look like he followed from Mount Hua.’

If Yeo Hyeok had tailed us from there, Yoo Cheongil would’ve pointed it out.

But he didn’t.

Which meant—

‘He started tailing us from Huayin County.’

From the moment I came down into Huayin County.

That was the more accurate read.

Meaning—

“It looks like you had something you were searching for, too.”

“......That is....”

Yeo Hyeok had business in Huayin County on his own.

That was the right way to see it.

Yeo Hyeok’s eyes shifted like I’d hit the bullseye.

He didn’t seem good at lying.

“......I’m sorry.”

Maybe he couldn’t find an excuse, because he apologized outright.

“I saw you in the middle of the night, Moon Knight, and wondered what you were doing... so I tailed you.”

Honest. No messy excuse—just a short apology.

“......It was rude.”

“Mm.”

Honestly, even if it hadn’t been the Small Moon Unit Leader, Yoo Cheongil would’ve pointed him out.

But—

‘If it’s like this.’

I smiled inwardly.

This was better.

“Perfect timing.”

“...Pardon?”

“Come with us.”

“......Where...?”

“You want to confirm things, don’t you. So do I.”

He needed confirmation about me.

I needed confirmation about this place.

Our purposes fit neatly.

“So follow.”

“......Huh?”

“It’s fine, isn’t it, Small Moon Unit Leader?”

Because Yeo Hyeok was here, I adjusted my tone.

The Small Moon Unit Leader stared at me in silence.

Then nodded.

“...It’s fin— It’s fine.”

“Let’s go.”

I hauled Yeo Hyeok up.

“W-where are you even going...?”

“Ah. We’re going to find that out starting now.”

“...What?”

“...Hm?”

Both Yeo Hyeok and the Small Moon Unit Leader reacted... strangely.

*****

About half a shichen passed. Me, Yeo Hyeok, and the Small Moon Unit Leader.

That much time had passed since the three of us started moving.

And we still hadn’t left the county. We were circling around and looking.

Corner to corner.

We looped and looped again.

Sometimes we walked the same place in circles. Sometimes we moved with gaps in time.

Just as I was starting to get tired of the repetition—

“Moon Knight.... What are you trying to find?”

Unable to hold back, Yeo Hyeok asked.

I was bored too.

But I had to answer, so I looked at him.

“Ah, I’m not finding something. I’m waiting.”

“Waiting?”

“Yeah.”

“For what—”

“I’m tossing bait right now. The reaction will come soon.”

I said it while scanning the area again.

And after a short scan—

‘There it is.’

I felt the difference and let out a quiet laugh.

I moved.

‘So it’s now.’

The HEAVEN-BREAKING PALACE bastards that had been subtly visible all around—

they weren’t visible anymore.

If you looked at how few I could see, it had to be now.

The one I’d been watching since earlier moved, too.

The moment that bastard moved, I jerked my chin at Yoo Cheongil.

[......Tsk. You insolent little shit.]

Yoo Cheongil didn’t like it, but he moved anyway.

Yoo Cheongil went after the HEAVEN-BREAKING PALACE group.

‘Good.’

I grasped the situation and nodded with satisfaction.

“Moon Knight...?”

Yeo Hyeok still looked like he didn’t understand.

“Yeo Hyeok.”

“Yes.”

“Let’s go. They finally moved.”

“...What moved, exactly?”

“HEAVEN-BREAKING PALACE.”

“...!”

“Let’s go.”

“W-wait. What does that—”

Yeo Hyeok asked for more explanation, but—

I didn’t listen. I moved.

‘Like this.’

I just had to go in the direction Yoo Cheongil pointed out.

The reason I’d been walking in circles and making myself conspicuous wasn’t complicated.

‘Those bastards already know we’re here.’

They knew we existed, and they’d be on guard.

We’d suddenly appeared in Huayin County.

So if the bastards who were on guard suddenly start whipping their eyes everywhere like they’re searching for something—

it looks strange.

Then they get suspicious.

‘What if we learned something about them?’

That thought would rise.

And once the suspicion that it’s dangerous takes hold—

‘They’ll pull back their forces first.’

They’ll retract the HEAVEN-BREAKING PALACE strength they placed in Huayin County.

And then—

‘Where do those forces go?’

They’ll gather somewhere quietly.

The important part was that somewhere.

And—

‘You just follow the ones that disappear.’

If I followed the HEAVEN-BREAKING PALACE spies that vanished, I’d find the destination.

That was the plan.

“Wait...!”

Yeo Hyeok kept stammering, flustered. Like he was uneasy with “just follow.”

So I told him,

“This is news from my information network. So trust me for now and come.”

“...Information network?”

At my words, Yeo Hyeok froze—

“Information network...?”

Even the Small Moon Unit Leader quietly furrowed his brow.

I smiled at both of them.

“Yes. Information network.”

Information so valuable it came from the Greatest Under Heaven.

Or what used to be.