Rumors of the arrival of the Heavenly Flower Variety Theater Troupe spread throughout the city of Runan.
The performers played their musical instruments, sang songs, and showcased their tricks.
“Wow!”
“This is the best!”
The people cheered as they watched the performers.
The atmosphere, which had been somewhat dampened by the fight between the Jin family and Snow Sword Manor, was enlivened by their appearance.
There was also news of the gathering of the Golden Heaven Society, a social organization of young martial artists.
These two pieces of news became a source of vitality for the people of Runan. Whenever two or more people gathered, they would talk about these two topics.
“The meeting of the Golden Heaven Society in Runan must be because of Jin Geum-woo, right?”
“Isn’t it obvious? He’s the one who founded the Golden Heaven Society.”
“How good would it have been if he was still alive.”
“If he had been alive, the Snow Sword Manor would not have dared to challenge the Jin family.”
“Still, I’m glad that the Jin family won. The Golden Heaven Society probably gathered in Runan to honor Jin Geum-woo.”
“That’s right, and I’m sure the Jin family knew they were coming, so they invited some performers to lighten the mood.”
The people misunderstood that the troupe had come to welcome Heavenly Flower Variety Theater Troupe.
As the cheers grew louder and louder, so did the people’s misunderstanding grew deeper and deeper.
“Hmph, fools.”
So Gyeoksan sneered at them.
He walked through the streets alone with his hat pressed down. While the troupe caught the people’s attention, So Gyeoksan moved alone somewhere.
He headed towards a back alley of Runan. After looking around for a moment, he approached a shabby mansion.
The house had a small black flag next to a red gate. The flag was so small that it was hard to spot unless you paid attention.
Knock! Knock!
So Gyeoksan knocked on the gate. The gate soon opened without a sound.
He stared at the wide-open gate for a moment, then stepped inside.
The mansion he entered had a typical northern-style structure. The courtyard was in the middle, with pavilions surrounding it, thus completely blocking the view from the outside.
It was a structure adapted to withstand the harsh cold of the north, but there was no better structure for keeping secrets.
So Gyeoksan stood in the middle of the courtyard, looking around.
It was then.
“Are you the Blood Bat?”1
A muffled voice came from the main hall connected to the courtyard.
So Gyeoksan squinted and looked at the main hall.
He saw a man sitting in a chair looking at him.
The man was also wearing the same kind of hat as him, so he couldn’t see the man’s face.
So Gyeoksan nodded and said,
“That’s right, I’m the Blood Bat.”
The name Blood Bat was one of his aliases. Whenever he took on a job as an assassin or handled any secret missions, he would use the name Blood Bat.
He kept this kind of work a secret even from his subordinates. The only person who knew this fact was Yi Okran..
He strained his eyes to make out the man’s face, but even with his enhanced eyesight, he couldn’t see through the man’s hat.
Tak!
The man threw something at his feet.
It was an envelope containing a letter.
“What you need to do is simple. Take the person written in the letter to the Prison of No Return.”2
“You’re telling me that the Prison of No Return actually exists?”
So Gyeoksan looked at the man in surprise.
But the man’s voice that returned was cold as ice.
“It exists. That’s why I’m entrusting you with this task.”
“Goodness!”
“There’s a map inside that leads to the Prison of No Return. Memorize it and then burn it.”
“Ah, I understand.”
So Gyeoksan couldn’t help but have a stony expression even as he answered.
‘He made a mistake. The Prison of No Return…’
Rumors about the Prison of No Return have been circulating around Jianghu for a long time.
No one knew who created it, or when it was created.
No one even knew what purpose it was created for.
It was only rumored that such a place existed.
Many even doubted the fact that it even existed.
The most terrifying rumor about the Prison of No Return is that once you enter, you can never get out. That’s why it was named the Prison of No Return.
There have been people who mysteriously disappeared from Jianghu from time to time.
People who vanished without leaving any trace, as if their very existence had been erased.
Some said they had all been taken to a place called the Prison of No Return. But there was no evidence, and it was just a story that floated around like a legend.
So Gyeoksan gritted his teeth.
‘I have a bad feeling about this…’
He was asked to take on this mission all the way from Runan.
The identity of the client was unclear.
Above all, he had a bad feeling, which was why he initially tried to refuse this mission. However, it was a request that he couldn’t afford to refuse, so he had no choice but to accept it.
He then tried to pass the task on to Pyo-wol as an alternative, but that attempt failed. Now, he found himself in a situation where he had to carry out the request himself.
The location of the place, Prison of No Return, had been kept secret up until now.
There must have been a good reason for the secret to be kept so well.
A killing machine, perhaps, or a shackle that could never be broken.
Either way, it wasn’t a good thing for So Gyeoksan.
In the worst case scenario, he could lose his life. But now, turning down the request was even more impossible.
So Gyeoksan gritted his teeth and walked forward.
He picked up the envelope that had fallen on the floor.
When he opened the envelope, someone’s name was written on it.
The moment he saw the name, he unintentionally cursed.
“Dammit!”
He raised his head back again to look at the client.
But the client was nowhere to be seen.
* * *
Taking advantage of So Gyeoksan’s momentarily distracted state, the client slipped out of the mansion.
He had rented the mansion for a day in someone else’s name. Even if someone investigated, there would be nothing to reveal his identity.
Once he was some distance away from the mansion, he removed his cloak and hat and threw them over the wall of another house.
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