Ranker’s Return

“Ah, I accompanied them on the way to Shuiyang. I could tell that they’re good people. They said they had someone to meet in Shuiyang. I didn’t expect it to be you, Brother,” Hyeonu explained to Qing Feng how he knew Yong Ling.

“Really? So that’s what happened.” Qing Feng nodded when he heard the explanation from Hyeonu. “You’ve suffered a lot. I know their minds very well. I don’t go around alone for nothing. There is a reason for that.”

Qing Feng patted Hyeonu’s shoulder, fully understanding why Hyeonu’s eyes shook when he saw them. 

‘These women who are hard to handle...’

From Qing Feng’s point of view, the combination of the three women was terrible. It was a catastrophe so bad that it could even be called a natural disaster. He would rather accompany his enemies than go with those three. The chattering of the three people was more like a thundering storm than the singing of nightingales.

“It has been a long time since I’ve spoken with my little brother. You three should return. I’ll make you regret it if you think about interfering with our time. I’ll make it so that you won’t be able to step out of the door unless you draw the swords on your back. It is in the name of this Qing Feng,” Qing Feng stated, preventing the possibility of the three women following them.

After listening to Qing Feng’s words that were full of sincerity, Hyeonu raised his thumb so that only Qing Feng could see it.

‘Brother is the best!’

Hyeonu stayed silent and just grinned.

*** 

‘It looks really delicious,’ Hyeonu thought. 

“Eat slowly. It will get stuck to the top of your mouth,” Hyeonu said while stroking the head of Tang-E, who was eating cooked wild boar.

“Little brother, is he your son? You don’t look similar... Your hair colors are too different,” Qing Feng remarked.

Even on the East Continent, there were people with colorful hair and eye colors such as blonde, silver, red, or blue. Thus, Qing Feng knew it better than anyone else that Hyeonu and Tang-E weren’t related.

“He isn’t my son, but he is like family to me.” Hyeonu smiled as he gazed at Tang-E.

Qing Feng saw this and smiled too. It was because Hyeonu and Tang-E’s appearance made people smile involuntarily.

“Brother, I have something to do,” Hyeonu stated, shifting his gaze from Tang-E toward Qing Feng.

“Something to do? What is that serious expression?” Qing Feng received Hyeonu’s words like they were insignificant.

“I’m going to investigate Buncheonru. Ultimately, I will be investigating the Gucheon Secret Department. It isn’t easy to ignore hostile forces.” 

Hyeonu was very immersed in the situation, and he recalled the Jung father and son—Jung Cheolho and Jung Hanbaek. Killing intent flowed from Hyeonu’s eyes as he remembered them.

“Do you really need to know about it? In fact, little brother, you really don’t need to. Why get involved with dangerous things?” Qing Feng’s smiling face quickly stiffened.

As Qing Feng stared into Hyeonu’s eyes, time seemed to stop between the two men. Soon after, Qing Feng turned his head, and the stopped time started to flow again.

“Are you an adventurer? Do adventurers have an attachment to inquiring after things? It is useless, so it is better to give up. This is my advice to you, little brother.” Qing Feng’s expression was more serious than ever.

‘He knows that I’m an adventurer?’ Hyeonu inwardly questioned the fact that Qing Feng knew his identity. The other day, Qing Feng had no idea that Hyeonu was an adventurer. He had treated Hyeonu as an ordinary NPC.

‘Well, it doesn’t matter. Rather, it is good. I don’t have to act like an NPC.’

This was the result of Quency’s emergency update, which applied information and titles related to adventurers to the East Continent.

“The Gucheon Secret Department is not easy to deal with. Otherwise, they would’ve been rooted out by now. We don’t know what their purpose is, who their members are, and where they are based. Only their organization name is known,” Qing Feng said with eyes that showed a lot of concern for Hyeonu.

“Brother, you know that I’m an adventurer. I am a monster who never dies. In addition, I am confident. I can handle it. I have many colleagues who are good people. Of course, you are among them.”

“Then go to the sect leader. Only the Chonghua Sect Leader can let you see the information about the Gucheon Secret Department. Now, let’s enjoy ourselves. There are good alcohol and good people here.”

Simultaneously, the two men bumped their glasses together.

*** 

Inside Muhwa Palace at the heart of the Chonghua Sect, Hyeonu, Qing Feng, and Zaun—the leader of the Chonghua Sect—were sitting on chairs.

“Huhu... Is it revenge for the decline of the sect or is there a different purpose? Either way, I like it as long as the Gucheon Secret Department is gone,” Zaun said while caressing his jade teacup.

There was a strange smile on his face.

‘The information is almost worthless anyway,’ Zaun thought. The Chonghua Sect was a huge force, which meant they had a lot of rules and agreements to abide by. Many eyes were watching them, and their movements were very restrained.

Nevertheless, the adventurer in front of him was different. Hyeonu was a person who hadn’t been properly grasped by the Gucheon Secret Department. It was a chance for Zaun to blow his nose without actually taking action. He stated, “I’ll give you the information we have gathered over the years. However, the information is very vague and only partially completed. This is something you should keep in mind.”

Hyeonu nodded at Zaun’s words. It was good, regardless of the reason. If Hyeonu received the information and a quest was created, then he was very satisfied.

‘No matter the intention, it is fine as long as the result is good,’ Hyeonu thought. Then he said, “Thank you for this. Everything starts from something small. I believe that I’ll reach the essence if I take it step by step.”

“You have a very good attitude,” Zaun remarked as he stood up. He opened a drawer and pulled out a piece of paper. “We’ve only gathered this much after many generations. There were many sacrifices.”

Hyeonu accepted the paper that Zaun gave him. Just then, the message window that Hyeonu hoped for appeared in front of him.

[A quest has been created.]

[Investigate the Gucheon Secret Department]

[The Gucheon Secret Department, a force lurking in the East Continent—what is their purpose and their identity?

Rating: S+

Conditions: Information about the Gucheon Secret Department.

Rewards: Experience, ????]

‘At this level, it seems like it’s enough for me to properly stretch my legs?’

If another guild had heard it, they would’ve frantically slapped Hyeonu’s cheeks. The quest was rated S+. This meant that it was quite difficult and the rewards were huge. It was difficult to be decisive about this. The East Continent was a new world that had just opened. Just like the tutorial in the West Continent, the F-grade quests had to progress sequentially. It didn’t make sense to receive a difficult quest from the start like Hyeonu right now.

‘I will open this later...’

“Then I shall go investigate the Gucheon Secret Department now. Thank you for your help.”

“I hope you get good results.”

Hyeonu said goodbye to Qing Feng and Zaun and exited the Chonghua Sect.

*** 

Hyeonu sat down on a large rock on Manhua Mountain and took out the piece of paper he had received from Zaun.

[Records of the Gucheon Secret Department]

[There is no information about the force that exists everywhere. However, it is believed that they are associated with the Secret Camp Group, the Yeokcheon Group, and the Cheonryong Group. It is clearly a great force, but there is no information on where they get the money to act. No suspicious merchant groups can be found. There is careful speculation that they are a force trying to overturn the East Continent.]

“Hey, isn’t this really just nonsense? Is this the only information?”

Hyeonu was dumbfounded. Apart from the fact that there were associated organizations such as the Secret Camp Group, the Cheonryong Group, and the Yeokcheon Group, the other information was useless. It was just decorative. Hyeonu thought it didn’t make sense that these were the only things investigated over the years.

‘I’m satisfied receiving the quest.’

Still, he wasn’t disappointed. Rather, he was satisfied that his purpose had been achieved. After all, it wasn’t easy to get quests.

‘It is halfway through.’

Hyeonu had already cleared half of the quest. At least, he tried to think so. Furthermore, he did have information. He had a good lead—Buncheonru. Hyeonu tore the piece of paper to bits to make it unintelligible. Then he scattered the bits around Manhua Mountain. It was his response to an unfamiliar situation.

‘Next, I’ll go to Jeonggyeong to get information on Buncheonru and stop by the Mysterious Sky Sect.’

Hyeonu left Manhua Mountain with quick footsteps.

*** 

Hyeonu first decided to stop by the Mysterious Sky Sect before going to Jeonggyeong. The reason was simple: Geomdan Mountain was between Manhua Mountain and Jeonggyeong.

‘The shorter the movement, the better.’

It was always right to save time. This was equally important regardless of whether he was the leader or a latecomer. It was even more important when he was in a unique position like he was now. He couldn’t tolerate any waste of time.

‘The difference is when things happen.’

Hyeonu would always make others see his back view. He would never let them stand next to him or dream of overtaking him in the future.

‘The present Mysterious Sky Sect must have made some minimal achievements by now. Whether it is new skills or information, there is no way I will leave empty-handed.’ 

Hyeonu firmly controlled his heart as he arrived at the entrance of the Mysterious Sky Sect in Geomdan Mountain. It was a perfect hiding spot, but it was useless camouflage for Hyeonu who already knew the location.

“Is the sect master here?” Hyeonu entered the Mysterious Sky Sect without hesitation. However, he felt there was something strange. No human presence could be felt inside the Mysterious Sky Sect.

‘What is this?!’

Hyeonu ran in a hurry. Then he saw a shocking sight in the Mysterious Sky Sect. Originally, there were simply yet authentic rural houses there. What did it look like now?

‘It’s all smashed.’

Most of the buildings had been destroyed by something. It seemed they had tried to erase the traces, but they hadn’t managed to do it properly, and so blood traces remained everywhere.

‘Who did this?’

With his hand, Hyeonu grasped a chunk of rubble from a collapsed building. The rock couldn’t withstand the power of Hyeonu’s grasp and shattered into powder. The Mysterious Sky Sect didn’t hold the core of his ongoing quest, but Hyeonu hadn’t known if there would be quests or skills. In other words, it had been a potential honey jar. All he had to do was put in his hand and eat it, but it was gone now.

‘I don’t know who it is, but I’ll find them and cut out all the joints in their body.’

Hyeonu vowed to seek revenge. It was a brutal desire to get vengeance on those who had touched what was his.

“Uwahh!”

The person who lost his honey jar was consumed by rage.

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