Urban Vagabond: Reload

A place where the dazzling nightscape of the city spread out beyond the window.

It was the space where the sect leader of Sun and Moon Gate—one of the Eight Great Sects representing Korea’s martial world—resided.

There, Sun and Moon Gate’s sect leader, Jang Jinmyeong, stood by the window as he spoke on the phone with GREAT HEAVEN GATE’s sect leader.

“Your worries must be heavy, Sect Leader. It won’t be easy for you to deal with the damage to your building either, and yet some filthy trash actually dared to raid your businesses.”

[More than me, I’m worried about my disciples. They were badly hurt and injured in the attackers’ raid. Especially... it seems the burns and frostbite are excruciating.]

At the other man’s words—subtly probing him—Jang Jinmyeong fell silent for a moment before answering.

“...I heard as well. They said those attackers dared to imitate our sect’s martial arts, didn’t they? To be honest, I’ve been deeply concerned you might misunderstand.”

[I don’t think that at all. Where would a master of ice technique and blazing-yang martial arts exist only in Sun and Moon Gate? Still, the injured disciples... their emotions have flared up, and they keep saying outrageous things, so I’m barely calming them down.]

He said it wasn’t so, but Jang Jinmyeong could plainly feel the suspicion.

His expression, reflected in the window, turned icy—yet his voice stayed gentle.

“Rather than this, we should meet soon and talk in person. We will also do our utmost to help capture those who attacked GREAT HEAVEN GATE.”

[Yes. Let’s meet soon. I’ll also tell my disciples that the alliance and friendship between our two sects remains steadfast, so don’t worry too much.]

“...No, not at all. I’ll send you medicine soon—something good for burns and frostbite.”

[I’m always grateful for the sect leader’s consideration.]

“It’s nothing. Then, take care.”

The moment he ended the call, Jang Jinmyeong’s face twisted with irritation. His low mutter came out trembling.

“That stuck-up bastard. Telling me not to worry... who does he think he is....”

Sparks flicked up from Jang Jinmyeong’s exhale. On top of that, dark red flames briefly rippled around his body before sinking back down.

Because of the side effects of the martial art he’d recently begun cultivating, when his emotions surged, it wasn’t easy to control himself. After a short stretch of deep breathing to regain composure, Jang Jinmyeong turned and spoke.

“Black Swallow.”

A moment later, a black-clad subordinate slid into view out of empty air and dropped to one knee before Jang Jinmyeong.

“Yes. The lord.”

Black Swallow was Jang Jinmyeong’s old, trusted confidant.

By Jang Jinmyeong’s order, he had eliminated the assassins imprisoned in the Martial Alliance lightning prison to seal their mouths, fled while evading the Sword Demon’s pursuit, planted a bomb at GREAT HEAVEN GATE, and disappeared—the very culprit behind it all.

“There are bastards who imitated our sect’s martial arts and attacked GREAT HEAVEN GATE. Do you have any guess who it could be?”

“.......”

Black Swallow didn’t answer rashly, holding his tongue.

As if Sun and Moon Gate’s sect leader hadn’t expected an immediate answer anyway, he began to organize his thoughts aloud.

“The most suspicious side is the Martial Alliance. If someone talked before you infiltrated the lightning prison, the Alliance could’ve obtained information about us, and... at this point, the force that profits the most from driving a wedge between GREAT HEAVEN GATE and us is also the Martial Alliance, so....”

Jang Jinmyeong’s reasoning was intuitive—and it brushed close to the truth.

But then, Black Swallow, who had kept his head bowed, carefully raised it and offered a dissenting opinion.

“In my short view, it doesn’t seem like the Martial Alliance’s doing.”

“Why?”

Black Swallow explained, point by point, why the culprit couldn’t be the Martial Alliance.

“First, in that short amount of time, the Martial Alliance’s intelligence network isn’t strong enough to identify GREAT HEAVEN GATE’s backside businesses.”

“Second, most of the assassins who were captured by the Martial Alliance didn’t know who hired them, and the Black-Whites are people trained by the Cult. The probability that we were exposed is extremely low.”

“Third, the attackers’ methods were cruel and meticulous. That is absolutely not the Martial Alliance’s way.”

Jang Jinmyeong listened quietly, then nodded as if he accepted the last point. A sneer gathered at the corner of his mouth.

“That old man Yeo Pilgeuk thinks he’s a righteous hero. The people around him are the same...”

On the other hand, the attackers who raided GREAT HEAVEN GATE moved in a way that was extreme and rough.

So much so that it was unthinkable to attribute it to the rigid martial artists of the Martial Alliance.

‘Then who the hell is it?’

The more he spoke with Black Swallow, the more complicated Sun and Moon Gate’s sect leader’s mind became. One by one, possible enemies surfaced.

‘Don’t tell me there’s a traitor inside our sect?’

‘If one of the Eight Great Sects is involved in this?’

‘Or did that Glacier Priestess—this thorn in my side—notice something...?’

The thought that someone had noticed his plans and was interfering made killing intent boil up. As his mind churned, it felt like blood rushed hotly to his head.

“Even if I don’t know who it is...”

All he could think about was grinding them alive if they were in front of him. He would tear their limbs off while they were still breathing, butcher them cruelly, and make their blood pour out like a waterfall.

“Heh... heh... heh....”

It was right as Jang Jinmyeong let out that grotesque chuckle and released thick killing intent.

Suddenly, a huge commotion erupted outside.

“E-Elder Grand Elder! You can’t just barge in like this!”

“Move. I’ve held back as much as I’m going to!”

Familiar voices struggling outside the sect leader’s office reached his ears. The one causing the disturbance sounded ready to force their way in with sheer power.

Jang Jinmyeong snapped back to himself and gave Black Swallow an order.

“Go find out who the culprit is and report back. Right now.”

“As you command.”

Right after Black Swallow vanished like a mirage, the door to the sect leader’s office flew open and a woman strode in.

A middle-aged woman with snow-white hair scattering through the air.

She was Glacier Priestess—the strongest master in Sun and Moon Gate, and the Grand Elder that even the sect leader could not ignore.

“Grand Elder. What brings you here so suddenly, without even sending word?”

When Jang Jinmyeong asked without hiding his displeasure, Glacier Priestess answered while stabbing him with a sharp gaze.

“I contacted you again and again to set a meeting. But since the sect leader refused to see me, I had no choice but to be rude. I do apologize for startling you.”

Despite her words, Glacier Priestess’s neck stayed stiff.

If anything, her eyes swept the room as if searching for something—so insolent it bordered on blasphemous.

“I thought there was a guest, but it seems some bug crawled in and crawled back out?”

She was mocking him—having sensed Black Swallow’s presence just moments ago. It was also an accusation: What are you hiding?

Jang Jinmyeong’s face hardened.

“Do I need to report my every move to the Grand Elder?”

“When did I ever say that? It seems the sect leader has something to feel guilty about.”

“.......”

“.......”

Sect leader and Grand Elder.

The heads of the two factions split between ice technique and blazing-yang martial arts stared at each other like they wanted to devour the other alive.

After a short contest of silent glares, Jang Jinmyeong asked bluntly.

“Fine. If you came in this rude a way because it’s urgent, then let’s hear it.”

Glacier Priestess placed the documents she had brought onto the sect leader’s desk as she spoke.

“We’re going to begin a full search for the people behind the ones who tried to kidnap Hayun. We plan to request cooperation from the Martial Alliance and the other Eight Great Sects as well. We need the sect leader’s approval.”

Glacier Priestess hadn’t forgotten that her one and only disciple had nearly been abducted by assassins, and she intended to chase the people behind it to the ends of hell and punish them.

“.......”

After skimming the papers roughly, Jang Jinmyeong set them back down and spoke.

“I understand the Grand Elder’s feelings. But right now, there are several matters more urgent than this—”

KWAANG—!

Glacier Priestess slammed the sect leader’s desk. Her hair bristled in every direction, and a savage burst of force swept through like a blizzard.

“Hayun isn’t simply my disciple—she’s a candidate for the next sect leader. The sect’s future nearly got cut down, and you’re telling me there’s something more urgent than this?”

“...What do you think you’re doing?”

Flame-like force rose from Jang Jinmyeong as well, coiling around his body.

The two of them raised their momentum as if they might strike at any moment, glaring at each other.

“Jang Jinmyeong.”

“Hyun Eunha.”

They called each other’s real names, but it was nowhere near affection.

They had been bitter rivals since their days as rising talents.

And for a very long time, Jang Jinmyeong had carried an inferiority complex toward Glacier Priestess.

“Your behavior right now is a clear overreach. Because people prop you up as the sect’s strongest, do you think even the sect leader is beneath you?”

“Why do you always jump to that conclusion? Ever since before, you’ve always thought I was disrespecting you whenever I opened my mouth.”

“Because you actually were.”

“Your inferiority made it sound that way.”

They entered Sun and Moon Gate around the same time and competed, but the greatest rising talent in the sect had always been Glacier Priestess.

That was why Jang Jinmyeong had to listen to whispers that he ‘became sect leader just because the timing was good.’

From the moment they first met decades ago—until even now.

“Hyun Eunha. Don’t cross the line any further.”

“.......”

After glaring at the sect leader for a long moment, Glacier Priestess let out a sigh and finally turned away first.

“Fine. I’ll go for today. Seeing you, it doesn’t look like you’re in any state to have a proper conversation anyway. At the next leadership meeting, I’ll formally put this agenda item on the table.”

As Glacier Priestess was about to leave the sect leader’s office, she stopped and looked back at Jang Jinmyeong.

A sliver of unease flickered in the Grand Elder’s eyes as she stared at him.

She hesitated for a moment, then forced her lips open.

“Jinmyeong. You’re not, right?”

“...You’re trying to cross the line again.”

“I believe it’s not you. It can’t be you. If your name comes up in anything related to my disciple...”

WHOOOOSH—!

A terrifying cold swept through the room, like it would freeze the entire area in an instant.

“Even if it splits the sect in two, I’ll make you pay the price.”

Leaving that short warning behind, Glacier Priestess shut the door and left.

Even after she disappeared, Jang Jinmyeong kept staring at the same spot for a long time, muttering.

“That monster...”

Sun and Moon Gate.

One of the Eight Great Sects representing Korea’s martial world.

Cracks that had formed in the walls that once seemed solid began to spread wider and wider.

*****

“Huahahaha! A bumper harvest, a bumper harvest!”

Over the past few days, Hwang Suksu’s face had practically bloomed beyond recognition.

It was because of the goods piled high in The Dark Den’s warehouse.

All of it had been taken from GREAT HEAVEN GATE’s businesses—bundles of cash and valuables alike. An amount comparable to several years’ worth of how much The Dark Den normally made sat stacked up in front of him.

“Just looking at it makes me feel full!”

Some of it still had a complicated process ahead—stuff that had to be handled as stolen goods—but compared to what he’d earned, that effort was nothing.

“Hey, mister. Calculate it properly after you take your fee. If you secretly stuff your back pocket, I’ll feed you to Kkagwi.”

Even with Kim Bokja at his side, eyes wide and gleaming as she threatened him, he didn’t feel bad at all. Even with the bandaged saber-wielder glaring while striking a ridiculous pose, Hwang Suksu couldn’t hold back his grin.

“Heh heh heh! If you take away my credit, I’m a dead man. I told you—leave it to me and trust me!”

That slick smile felt suspicious in its own way, but Kim Bokja didn’t press it further.

Instead, she looked at Kim Muhyuk with an expression that asked if it was really okay to trust this guy.

Kim Muhyuk shrugged.

“Stolen goods are their specialty. You’ve gotta trust the specialist.”

“Haha! That’s why you need specialists in every field. I’ll take responsibility and get full value for everything—”

Hwang Suksu’s head was already full of thoughts about how much ‘extra fee’ he could skim after he sold it all off.

“—And if problems come up later, then our specialist can step in.”

“—And if problems come up later, then our specialist can step in.”

“Huh?”

The moment Hwang Suksu tilted his head at that meaningful line, he felt a cold touch against the back of his neck—like a blade.

“You took quite a lot from those rotten bastards.”

“...!”

It was a voice he’d never heard before. There was a ringing sharpness to it, a knife-like edge that cut into the air.

‘When the hell? No—how?’

The warehouse they were in was the most heavily secured place in The Dark Den.

It was hard to even find in the first place, and slipping in unnoticed was close to impossible.

As Hwang Suksu slowly turned around, he saw someone wearing a black demon mask with a single finger resting against his neck.

The “blade” he’d felt was a finger.

“W-Who are you?”

Gulp....

Back in his vagabond days, Hwang Suksu had met and dealt with assassins countless times.

But this was the first time he’d faced someone he couldn’t even sense at all.

Every hair on his body stood up, and cold sweat ran down.

‘At this level, that’s a top-class assassin. What the hell is this Blue Wolves thing...?’

Hwang Suksu’s evaluation of Blue Wolves kept climbing higher and higher.

“This is our crew’s professional assassin.”

When Kim Muhyuk introduced him in a teasing tone, the masked Sword Demon smirked.

“So this is the information broker you talked about? The way his eyes are rolling around, he doesn’t look like a trustworthy bastard....”

“His ability is solid. And he’s got credit, in his own way.”

“Well, you’d know how to handle it. Anyway, I stopped by in a hurry because I have news to pass along.”

“Uh...”

Listening to the two of them talk while only darting his eyes left and right, Hwang Suksu tried to slip away from his spot.

He knew his own bowl. This was his limit—right here. If he got tangled deeper than this, he was done. That thought flooded his head.

“You two talk comfortably, yeah? I should go out and watch the shop, so—”

Kim Muhyuk stared at him, then turned his head to look at the Sword Demon. Realizing what that look meant, the Sword Demon finished what he was about to say.

“The Martial Alliance is going to start moving in earnest soon.”

“...!”

The instant a name he couldn’t possibly handle came out, Hwang Suksu wanted nothing more than to just pass out.