Daylight came again.

It was our second day on Mount Hua.

The moment I opened my eyes, I moved. A day on Mount Hua was simple.

“Did you cough, sir?”

“Yes. I just woke up.”

“Then I will bring your meal.”

As soon as I got up and checked in, Taeyong—the third-generation disciple—brought me food.

Maybe because we were guests, Mount Hua gave each of us our own quarters and took care of our meals properly.

Of course.

“No meat again today.”

Because of the sect’s nature, meat still didn’t show up.

But that was fine.

“...The seasoning is good.”

Whoever their cook was, the food was so damn good that even vegetables were enough to fill me up.

After I ate, I washed up, then headed outside.

There wasn’t much in the way of schedule. The whole trip had a purpose only the Sect Master mattered for—if it wasn’t him, there wasn’t much for anyone else to do.

So the routine was: head to the training grounds first.

“...You could just do it roughly. Are you really going to do it like that?”

“...I’m sorry.”

Usually, it meant watching Thunder Dragon train and nagging him.

“You half-assed it over there, and you’re half-assing it here too. You don’t want to do it?”

“No...!”

Or helping the Small Moon Unit Leader with Moon Heaven training.

Even that only took a few shijin at most.

Neither of them progressed fast enough to take long—if I poked at them a bit, it was over.

And when it was finally my turn to train—

“......Hooooo....”

All I could do was some basic external training.

If I touched my inner power wrong, my body would burst, so I couldn’t do it lightly.

THUD—!

I dropped the iron ball I’d been holding onto the ground and loosened up.

“God, I’m dying....”

I feel it every time—this never gets easier.

Part of it was that it was a pretty brainless training method, but honestly?

I think I just hated moving my body.

[Excuses. You just hate simple repetition.]

“...That’s true too.”

I didn’t deny it. I really was sick of repeating the same thing over and over.

[Martial arts are repetition. Finding the difference inside repeated training is everything.]

“You keep telling me to do it exactly the same. How am I supposed to find differences inside something I’m making identical?”

[There is no perfection in this world. When I say to reproduce it perfectly, I mean it is efficient when you attempt it. Your body changes—how could it always be identical? The effort to make it identical is what matters.]

“Easy for you to say. Right?”

[I ought to smash that mouth of yours—.]

Hearing Yoo Cheongil’s growl, I snorted.

Even if I ran my mouth like this, his words helped.

...So perfection isn’t the point. The realization you gain while trying to reach perfection is.

Repeating the same movement.

The processes my body went through, trying to make it truly identical.

He was telling me to recognize what I gained from that.

Not easy.

He said hard things in such an easy tone.

Same with the Sword Emperor. Every one of these people explains things like it’s a damn riddle.

The Sword Emperor told me not to think and just move.

This old man wasn’t really different.

Tch.

Frustrating.

If it were up to me, I’d draw my sword and swing it.

Hold it.

I couldn’t—so I had to hold it back.

But you know how it is.

When someone tells you not to do something, you want to do it more.

The fact they told me not to use a sword made my hands itch.

In the past I would’ve said, what kind of caveman bullshit is that?

I’ve changed a lot.

Over this past year, the biggest thing that changed wasn’t my skill or realm.

It was me.

Tap, tap.

I ignored my trembling hands and shook them out.

Right now, instead of drawing a sword, I had to discipline my body.

If I don’t, I’m going to get beaten to hell later.

Starting today, training with the Sword Emperor resumed.

That was assault disguised as training. If my body wasn’t intact, I wouldn’t endure it.

“Let’s see.”

It was about time for lunch.

Should I fill my stomach first and think after?

That thought had just formed as I stepped outside—

“Ah.”

“Hm?”

I ran into someone.

“Yeo Hyeok.”

It was Yeo Hyeok. He greeted me with an awkward expression.

“Excuse me.”

“What is it?”

From the look of it, this wasn’t an accidental run-in.

He was waiting for me.

What now?

I spoke, puzzled—

“...Well.”

He trailed off, face dark.

Seeing that, I got it.

I see.

Looks like—

the root is about to come out.

It was time for the root to get pulled out by the wind I’d made.

So it was simple.

“I—”

“Have you eaten?”

“...What?”

“If you haven’t, eat with me.”

If a root was about to come loose, I should shake it so it came free easier.

I took Yeo Hyeok and headed off to eat.

*****

Steam rose from the rice. I took a bite and swallowed.

“Every time I eat here, I feel it. The food is really good.”

“Hahaha. Yes, isn’t it? The Sect Master brought this cook here with great care.”

“Oh? That explains it.”

A cook brought personally by Plum Blossom Single Sword?

There was a reason it tasted so good.

It looked like I was in the dining hall the disciples used.

I came here on purpose, just to eat with Yeo Hyeok.

We ate for a bit, then—

“So. What did you want to say?”

I asked.

When my question landed, Yeo Hyeok flinched.

“...That is...”

—Are you talking about HEAVEN-BREAKING PALACE?

“...!”

I sent it by voice transmission, and Yeo Hyeok jolted.

His eyes screamed, How did you know?

It’s obvious, you idiot.

In this situation, the only thing Yeo Hyeok could possibly be here to say—was painfully obvious.

You’d have to be stupid not to expect it.

—...Yes.

Yeo Hyeok broke his silence.

So it was right.

—What are you trying to say?

Last time he acted like it wasn’t, and now he came back.

I threw the question at him, and he smiled awkwardly, embarrassed with himself.

—What you said last time. I wanted to talk a bit more about it.

—If you mean what I said before?

—About what’s been happening in Mount Hua Sect.

—Ah. Yes.

Mount Hua Sect wasn’t normal. The Sect Master had already implied that.

Even if he hadn’t.

With what I learned over the last few days—hell, even just the last day—it was obvious.

The atmosphere is cold.

Maybe not all the way down in Huayin County, but inside Mount Hua Sect itself, the mood was bad.

Not just caution—there was an odd distance, even with outsiders.

Which meant one thing.

Something is happening.

Maybe it hadn’t spread to the general population, but inside the sect, something big was going on.

Yeo Hyeok started talking.

—As you suspected, Moon Knight. There is a problem in Mount Hua Sect....

—Mm.

I nodded.

—And the problem is connected to HEAVEN-BREAKING PALACE?

—...That is....

He hesitated for a moment. I wondered if I’d rushed the main point too hard—

—It isn’t certain.

—Not certain?

—Yes. Recently, we have included HEAVEN-BREAKING PALACE as a candidate for our suspicions, but it is only a candidate, not a certainty. However....

Yeo Hyeok trailed off.

I already ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) knew what was coming next.

—You mean what I said about spies is correct.

—....

Yeo Hyeok shut his mouth.

Spies.

Someone inside Mount Hua Sect was stirring shit. That much, Yeo Hyeok couldn’t deny.

—Is it not?

I asked again, wanting a firm answer.

—...It’s correct.

Yeo Hyeok said it.

As expected.

—So there are spies, but you don’t know whether they’re from HEAVEN-BREAKING PALACE.

—...Yes.

I leaned back in my chair and rubbed my lips with my thumb.

So it’s a matter of timing.

Now I understood why he spoke that way.

They haven’t known about HEAVEN-BREAKING PALACE for long.

What happened in Henan.

That incident spread the name HEAVEN-BREAKING PALACE, so Mount Hua probably added it as a suspect after learning it—

But there isn’t enough evidence to be sure.

That was the shape of it.

—Then why are you telling me this now?

What was he really here for?

If he already knew there were spies, why come to me?

When I asked—

—You said you’ve been investigating HEAVEN-BREAKING PALACE.

—Correct.

—And... you said this schedule was also, in truth, an investigation into HEAVEN-BREAKING PALACE.

—Yes.

That wasn’t a lie.

—So I thought... perhaps we could receive help.

—What kind of help?

—...The existence of the spies. And whether they are HEAVEN-BREAKING PALACE. I was wondering if you could help us with that.

—Hmm.

He wanted help identifying the spies, and confirming whether they were HEAVEN-BREAKING PALACE.

All fine.

But.

The important part is—

There was one thing I still had to nail down first.

—This is your personal thought, correct?

—Ah, yes.

It had to be Yeo Hyeok’s decision.

Not the Plum Blossom Swordsmen as a whole, and not Mount Hua Sect as a whole.

—I intended to ask for your permission first, and then report it—

—No. Don’t.

I cut him off.

—...Pardon? Why—

—If there are spies, you can’t trust anyone. Even—

I looked him in the eyes, serious.

—Even fellow Plum Blossom Swordsmen. Even fellow Mount Hua disciples.

“...!”

—And you shouldn’t trust me either. This is the kind of matter where you must not.

Once you decide spies exist, you have to get colder, not softer.

I pointed that out, and Yeo Hyeok nodded.

—...Thank you for saying that.

—If you’re fine with that, I can help. If you aren’t, then we can pretend this never happened.

I refused to get tangled with Mount Hua Sect as a whole.

So I chose Yeo Hyeok first.

At my words, he stayed quiet, then asked me—

—Moon Knight.

—Yes.

—I’m sorry to ask, but... do you truly trust me?

—Huh?

—I said there are spies. And I could be a spy myself.

—Yeah. That’s possible.

Could Yeo Hyeok be a spy?

It was possible.

But when he asked why I was doing this anyway—

—I decided to trust you. That’s all.

I answered, face straight.

—...Ah.

Yeo Hyeok looked at me like he’d been moved.

—...That was a shameful question.

—No. It’s just my choice.

It was a lie.

I don’t trust anyone.

I didn’t trust Yeo Hyeok either.

I only trusted my eyes.

—So it’s fine if you don’t trust me.

I said it plainly.

—No. I will trust you as well, Moon Knight.

Of course you would.

That was what I was steering him toward.

When someone tells you not to trust them, you want to trust them more.

A trick I learned from the biggest con artist of my past life.

And it worked disturbingly well.

—Thank you. I accept your help.

—Think nothing of it. I’m only glad I can help Mount Hua’s future.

We kept talking with smiles. His favorability toward me seemed to rise a notch.

So was it time?

—But, sir.

—Speak.

—If you know there are spies... do you have anyone you suspect?

—....

If he’d reached that conclusion, he’d already lined up suspects in his head.

I needed that information.

Whether it’s correct or not, I can judge by seeing it myself.

Thirteen people.

That was the number I’d identified as HEAVEN-BREAKING PALACE.

And—

Even without aura, someone could still be a spy.

If there were other names, I’d add them as information too.

That was why I pressed him.

—It may sound strange, but....

—I don’t think so.

Even the Plum Blossom Commander is a spy—what could sound stranger than that?

If anything, it was almost sad how Yeo Hyeok clearly didn’t expect it.

He probably didn’t even dream his own commander was a HEAVEN-BREAKING PALACE spy.

I was waiting for his answer, thinking that—

—...The person I suspect right now is—

Yeo Hyeok said, eyes serious—

—Our Plum Blossom Commander.

“...Huh?”

...That, I didn’t expect.