TSBIRBV Ch 248

Chapter 248. The Runaway Disciple and the Reclusive Tiger (3)

“Is everyone gathered?”

In the dimly lit room, the man with his hat pressed low asked quietly. The three seated around the table responded only with slight nods.

A man whose clothes were wrinkled irritably pushed back the cloth covering his head.

“What on earth is this about?”

At Jinyoung’s question, Yegyeol widened his eyes innocently and answered,

“Quiet down. We’re currently conspiring in secret behind the Heavenly Demon’s back to hatch a grand and terrible scheme.”

“I have no intention of cooperating.”

Though Jinyoung protested outright, Yegyeol shot back without hesitation,

“You’re already an accomplice just by sitting here.”

At that, Jinyoung shot a glare at the large man sitting beside him.

“How can you call me an accomplice when Hongyeo dragged me here?”

And thus, the reason for his crumpled clothes became clear. Despite Jinyoung’s sharp tone, the burly man sat there in silence, offering no excuse — more like a boulder than a person.

Just before the tension could snap, a tall, lithe figure in black clapped their hands together.

“Alright, alright. We’re all here, so stop being difficult, Jinyoung.”

“Samrang. I can’t believe you of all people agreed to this.”

“I’ve got my reasons. Real good ones.”

Samrang’s drawn-out words carried a weight of mystery. Noticing the faint smile at the corner of her half-hidden mouth, Jinyoung pressed his throbbing temple.

Being suddenly dragged here only to hear about Young Master Mun’s plan to run away had left his mind spinning. Rather than storming out immediately, it seemed wiser to first grasp what madness was unfolding.

When Jinyoung finally quieted, Hongyeo spoke.

“I can handle the arrangements for leaving Taehyangjeon first.”

“I’ll create the diversion. There’s someone in Muwoldang built similarly to Young Master Mun — I’ll take him along and say he’s off traveling through the Ten-Thousand Mountains again.”

“Oh! So I just wear another set of clothes layered underneath and sneak out?”

“Yes, I’ll have the outfit prepared in advance.”

At Yegyeol’s enthusiastic response, Samrang swiftly continued,

“And we’ll have to pass through Manmade.”

“That part seems best left to Jinyoung.”

All their gazes turned to Jinyoung, who had yet to give his consent.

“Who decided that?” he snapped, gritting his teeth as he raked a hand through his hair.

“Damn it, why am I even here…?”

Still in his youth and already a martial master, Jinyoung was the Heavenly Demon’s right-hand man. Even if his training in demonic arts promised a bitter end, for now, his prospects were bright. Never in his life had he imagined being swept into such an outrageous plot.

“It’s not too late yet. We should go straight to the Lord and report this. I know Young Master Mun has always been reckless, but this has gone far beyond acceptable bounds.”

He’d always thought of the young master as a venomous little weasel. Still, that both Samrang and even Hongyeo — of all people — had joined this absurd plan was beyond his comprehension.

Should I call this charisma or chaos incarnate…?

Whatever persuasion had been used, just the thought of facing his Lord about this made Jinyoung’s stomach ache.

As he frowned in silent agony, Samrang suddenly spoke.

“I’ll help you find the hidden assets of the Myeong Clan.”

“…What?”

Jinyoung blinked in disbelief.

“You even have the time for that?”

But his body had already leaned halfway toward her.

He still remembered vividly the ordeal of sorting and seizing the confiscated properties of the Gong Clan — one of the six demonic families. Their amassed wealth over generations was vast, nearly endless. Some assets were so well hidden that even he doubted they could ever be found, until Samrang stepped in.

Though now a fallen house, Samrang herself was once a direct descendant of the illustrious Ja Clan, another demonic noble family. With her help — and her insight into how such families concealed their riches — they’d managed to secure every last coin of the Gong Clan’s treasure.

It had been a financial triumph… until the Myeong Clan’s patriarch, Myeong Jinyu, stirred up trouble with Bi Huyeon, creating a whole new mess for Jinyoung to deal with.

He was still haunted by the paperwork.

So, when Samrang dangled such a tempting offer, he hesitated.

“…After the next investigation, when Muwoldang returns, I was planning to cancel my leave anyway…”

Samrang muttered gloomily. She knew Jinyoung was not easy to sway — which was precisely why she’d chosen the juiciest bait.

Watching her dazed eyes, Yegyeol felt a pang of sympathy. For once, he resolved selflessly that if things went well, he’d even request additional vacation days for Samrang from Senior Brother.

“Ten days?” Jinyoung asked, raising all ten fingers.

Samrang’s eye twitched. “Two.”

“Seven.”

Jinyoung cut it down by three days without hesitation, but Samrang was not one to yield.

“Three.”

“Five.”

“…Four.”

“Deal.”

The fierce negotiation ended, and no sooner had it concluded than Jinyoung switched expressions entirely.

Fingers interlocked, chin resting on his hands, he spoke with cool composure.

“Why did you bring Hongyeo? He’s the first person who’d run to the Lord.”

His sudden cooperation was almost alarming — though it made sense. He wanted to root out the likeliest traitor first.

“I volunteered,” Hongyeo replied.

“What? Is our security that compromised?”

“I sent a letter to Lord Tang, and it happened to pass through Hongyeo’s hands.”

At Yegyeol’s sheepish confession, Jinyoung stared at him, utterly unimpressed.

“You really are determined to get caught, aren’t you?”

“Actually, I even made this. Wanna see?”

At his signal, Baembaem slithered forward, holding a rolled scroll delicately in his mouth.

When they unfurled it, it revealed a detailed travel itinerary that Yegyeol had painstakingly crafted over several sleepless nights.

“…Schedule: Depart Qinghai, arrive in Sichuan, first night stay at Ilgak Inn. Cost: one tael of silver. Dongpo pork noodles, five coins — essential. Known for its spicy local flavor.”

Reading aloud, Jinyoung’s eye twitched.

“When reaching Chongqing, stay at Toram Inn. Recommended by a Qinghai trader — cheap and plentiful noodles favored by dockworkers heading for the Yangtze River.”

Every travel route and inn was neatly organized. There were even side notes about famous eateries.

“You’ve got your food and lodging all sorted, I see,” Jinyoung said dryly.

“It’s all part of a deeper plan,” Yegyeol replied solemnly. “Think about it. If I ran away and starved or slept in the streets, would Senior Brother’s heart be at ease?”

In truth, Yegyeol wasn’t particularly gluttonous. The real purpose of this itinerary was to reassure Haryang.

He had agonized for hours to list only the most comfortable inns and safest routes, even consulting Samrang for the unfamiliar geography of Central Plains.

Of course, just a few scribbles wouldn’t really comfort Haryang. But Yegyeol believed that as his Guide, it was his duty to at least try.

“Departing from Xinjiang, expected to reach the Yangtze River within two weeks. Meeting with Kyo-ryong Wang… Lang… dae-bu? Why on earth are ‘wolf’ and ‘meeting’ written here?”

As Jinyoung tried to sound out the words, his brows knit together.

“‘Rendezvous.’ It’s a code word. I’m meeting the Dragon King there,” Yegyeol explained breezily.

Realizing he’d literally written the foreign word phonetically, he crossed it out and neatly replaced it with ‘meeting.’

“The Dragon King is involved too?”

“We’ll find out soon enough,” Yegyeol replied cheerfully. “I’m not asking him to bring his dragon ship — just to send some river bandits nearby. Following the Yangtze will be the fastest route.”

Jinyoung looked utterly stupefied. It was one thing to sneak away without the Heavenly Demon’s knowledge, but to recruit his top three aides and even loop in an allied river lord?

“I made it myself, but isn’t it flawless?” Yegyeol grinned.

No one agreed — except Baembaem, who opened his mouth and flicked his tongue happily, clearly infected by his master’s mood.

“You forgot to list which inn you’ll be staying at in Qinghai,” Jinyoung finally said with a sigh, admitting defeat.

Yegyeol nodded eagerly.

“Ah, that’s because I plan to attend the Martial Arts Tournament there. I’ll need someone to vouch for my identity.”

It was someone he had met not long after arriving in Murim — an acquaintance he’d cultivated through a fair bit of smooth talking, now finally coming in handy.

See? It pays to grease the wheels ahead of time, Yegyeol thought smugly.

“The Recluse Tiger,” he added. “You’ve heard of him, right?”

At the mention of the orthodox sects’ living nightmare, Jinyoung’s eye twitched violently. There were limits to recklessness — and this was well past them.

He turned to Samrang.

“Shouldn’t we scrap this plan before it’s too late?”

“I told you. The Myeong Clan’s hidden funds,” she reminded him coolly.

For all her carefree airs, Samrang never budged when it came to business.

“Damn it…”

Clutching his stomach, Jinyoung groaned. But then, forcing himself to think positively, he sighed.

After all, no matter how clever Yegyeol was, he was still a fledgling. He’d probably be caught before he even made it out of the Ten-Thousand Mountains. As long as Jinyoung got the secret ledgers Samrang promised, this insanity might even turn out profitable.

Moments later, as if his earlier frustration had been an illusion, Jinyoung straightened up and said,

“Very well. I’ll handle Manmade.”

“So it’s settled?”

Clapping his hands together, Yegyeol asked. Jinyoung, Samrang, and Hongyeo all nodded.

Yegyeol’s gaze lingered on Hongyeo for a brief moment before returning to the travel plan. His eyes moved line by line, memorizing every detail.

Time was tight.

He was set to attend the upcoming Martial Arts Tournament — but under a very special identity.