After parting ways with the Demon Lord, I went to the medical office.

Seo Daeryong, who had arrived earlier, was surprised to see me.

“Ah? How did you get here, Young Master?”

It seemed that my arrival here was unexpected.

“Why are you so surprised?”

“It’s just... I didn’t think you’d come to the medical office.”

“I’m more surprised that you’re here.”

“Pardon?”

“You’re being hated by your comrades, aren’t you?”

“I’m trying to make up for it.”

Despite his words, there didn’t seem to be any noticeable tension between him and his fellow comrades.

“How is the injured friend doing?”

“The Demon Doctor is treating him right now. Thank you for calling him, Young Master.”

“Of course, I had to. Even though it’s a temporary task, he’s still a comrade.”

It was a casual remark, but Seo Daeryong and the Yellow Spring Division investigators nearby seemed slightly moved by it.

A little while later, the Demon Doctor emerged from the treatment room.

The Demon Doctor was known as the best physician in the sect, and although he was called a 'divine doctor' by the righteous sects, we all referred to him as the Demon Doctor since he preferred that title.

“How is he doing?”

“Fortunately, his life is not in danger. However, he’ll need to rest for a while before he can return.”

“Please use the best medicine available.”

“Understood.”

After hearing our conversation, the Yellow Spring Division investigators came over to thank me. It was rare to get treated by the Demon Doctor during an investigation, even if you were injured.

As we made our way back to our quarters, Seo Daeryong asked.

“What did the Demon Lord say?”

“He hopes I’ll leave soon.”

“What about the death of the First Lord?”

“He wants to pin the blame for this incident on him.”

Seo Daeryong was shocked.

“His most trusted subordinate is dead, yet he’s blaming him?”

“Not his most trusted subordinate, but the one he could use the best. Someone else will fill that void soon enough. What did you expect from the Demon Lord?”

“I thought he’d go wild, seeking revenge for his subordinate’s death.”

“You were mistaken. Do you think evil people get easily riled up?”

“Isn’t that the case?”

“That’s something only petty scoundrels do. True evil men don’t get worked up easily. It’s the pure-hearted, good people who get emotional easily—they let their feelings take over.”

Of course, the Demon Lord probably harbored a great deal of ill will towards me. He would no doubt wait for an opportunity to stab my heart and relive the humiliation from today.

“What are you planning to do now?”

“I’ve cast the bait. Let’s see how he reacts.”

“Bait?”

“If he bites, I’ll tell you.”

Since I had said that I needed evidence to cover up the incident, now was the time to watch how the Demon Lord would respond.

“So, what should I do now?”

“Let’s go have some drinks.”

Seo Daeryong changed direction.

“Where to?”

“To buy alcohol. Do you have a favorite drink?”

“Just buy whatever you want. Here, take the money.”

As I reached into my pocket to give him money, Seo Daeryong quickly walked ahead.

“I’ll buy the drinks today.”

We ended up drinking in the middle of the day.

The wine he bought was sweet and pleasant to drink, but it had the drawback of being dangerously easy to overindulge in.

“I like sweet wine,” he said.

“I thought you didn’t like to eat much.”

“I drink sometimes.”

As the alcohol flowed, Seo Daeryong began to open up.

“Earlier, you called me a power-hungry person, didn’t you?”

“Adding the word 'person' at the end makes it sound too harsh. Let’s just say I have a power-oriented tendency.”

“That’s basically the same thing.”

“It’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s better than being weak, right?”

Despite his gloomy appearance, Seo Daeryong had big dreams. People without dreams don’t talk about 'change.'

“Honestly, I want to succeed. I don’t have any grand plans to stop the corruption in this sect and bring justice. I can barely take care of myself.”

I should’ve brought Ian here. What she needs is exactly this mindset.

“You say you’re living hard for yourself, yet you’re still down? Raise your head!”

Seo Daeryong lifted his head.

“How old are you?”

“Thirty-two.”

“Wow! You’re older than I thought.”

I was surprised. I had assumed he was around twenty-three. After all, even the smartest people need at least ten years of experience to become a special investigator.

“Why did you become an investigator?”

“To be honest, I didn’t think I could succeed with martial arts. I didn’t learn a martial art that could make me a peak expert, and I’m not built for it either...”

The Yellow Spring Division wasn’t a place for combat. It was an authority-based organization that enforced discipline in the sect.

Thus, they chose investigators who were smart, quick-thinking, and capable of handling investigations rather than those with powerful martial arts skills.

“It might sound pathetic, but I chose to be an investigator because I wasn’t confident in my martial arts.”

“You keep emphasizing it, so I guess you still have some regrets about it.”

“Who wouldn’t? Anyone who entered the martial world would.”

“It’s not too late.”

“It’s too late.”

“That sounds a bit pathetic.”

Seo Daeryong looked up from his drink and stared at me.

“Is it too late? Do you think I can’t do it because my martial arts are weak? Was it because I’m short? Do you really think that’s why?”

He couldn’t offer any excuses, and so he drank his wine in silence.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve really been hit like this. My bones ache.”

“Soon, even if you stay still, your bones will ache. You need to move before you get old.”

“You’re younger than me, and you still say such things?”

I smiled and emptied my cup.

Just then, a Yellow Spring Division investigator came in and handed me something.

“They brought this from the Demon Corps.”

It was a small booklet and a pile of receipts totaling several thousand taels.

“They’ve taken the bait.”

The booklet was titled Murder Contract Ledger—a detailed account of assassinations carried out by the Demon Corps, with names of people who had been killed and the amounts paid.

“It was found at the house of First Lord Go Dang.”

The ledger contained a detailed list of the Demon Corps members involved in the contracts, how much they were paid, and who they had killed. Coincidentally, the people listed in the ledger were those I had recently killed.

It seemed they had taken the portions of the ledger that showed their activities and created a new version. They planned to use the dead to finish off the situation, minimizing their involvement, and reducing the number of incidents to just a few, making it seem like an issue of a few rogue individuals in the First Division. This way, they could minimize the Demon Lord’s direct responsibility.

I handed the booklet to Seo Daeryong.

“Put your face in cold water and sober up!”

“Yes. I’ll start by investigating the receipts.”

“That’s useless. They’re probably untraceable. Focus on something else.”

“Understood.”

“I need to find out who among the First Division is the smartest. There must be someone unusually educated and sharp hiding in the ranks.”

“Got it.”

“I’ll go meet the Demon Lord again.”

“Why?”

“I need to buy some time.”

We hurriedly left the room and went our separate ways.

When I met the Demon Lord again, he looked more at ease.

“We’ve found evidence at First Lord Go Dang’s house.”

“Oh, that’s good news.”

“With this, we can breathe easy for now.”

“Ha ha, we should drink to celebrate. I’ll make a reservation, so meet me at the place we went to yesterday.”

“But there’s one problem.”

“Another one? What now?”

“This came from the Demon Corps. We should have found it ourselves.”

His face showed some annoyance, as if he was bothered by the details.

“Does the source matter that much?”

“It does. If it’s revealed that the Demon Corps provided this information, it’ll immediately raise suspicions about the investigation process and its results. If it comes out later, I’ll be in danger too.”

“So what should we do?”

“I think we need to at least pretend to investigate. Just one day of a large-scale search, please cooperate. I can’t just keep standing around.”

The one decisive factor that persuaded him:

“I won’t touch any confidential documents. Just general ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ paperwork will do. After all, it’s a formal investigation.”

Finally, the Demon Lord nodded and gave his approval.

“Fine. I’ll tell my subordinates to cooperate.”

With the Demon Lord’s permission, the large-scale search began.

The Demon Corps’ ledgers and documents were moved to the investigation room, and the search began.

I didn’t ask for the confidential documents that would make the Demon Lord uncomfortable. I didn’t need them anyway. What I needed were the original documents when they first supported the Demon Corps and the wills left behind before they embarked on dangerous missions.

I secretly called in the best handwriting expert from the sect.

I asked him to use the documents to find out who had written the murder contracts.

When Seo Daeryong returned after completing his investigation, I pretended to be a fortune teller.

“Can you guess who among the First Division is the smartest?”

Without expecting it, I named someone.

“Yang Gu?”

“Ha, how did you know?”

The handwriting analysis confirmed that Yang Gu was the one who had written the contract ledger.

Now I knew who was managing the Demon Lord’s affairs. Plus, with the handwriting comparison, I had solid proof.

“What now?”

“What else? Let’s move to the next stage. Take Yang Gu to the Ma Gacheon tavern, without anyone else knowing. Can you do that?”

“I’ll figure something out.”

“Trust me, top investigator!”

An hour later, Seo Daeryong had excellently completed his task.

He brought Yang Gu to the tavern in Ma Gacheon as planned.

It was a beautiful Yellow Spring Division investigator, Jo Hyang, who had brought him.

“This food is to my liking.”

“I like the dishes here too.”

Yang Gu, in a state of expecting a possible intimate evening with her, glanced around.

“Why aren’t there any customers? There are usually many here.”

Yang Gu looked around with a puzzled expression.

“It’s nice and quiet.”

“The heavens must be welcoming our first meal together.”

Jo Hyang smiled and humorously matched his words.

“I never knew that you could fall in love at first sight.”

“It’s a nice atmosphere. Let’s have a drink.”

“Sure.”

Yang Gu shouted toward the kitchen.

“Bring out the best wine and food.”

Then, Seo Daeryong and I emerged from the kitchen.

“Too bad, but it looks like we’ll have to postpone the drinks.”

Yang Gu was startled by my sudden appearance.

“Th-this Young Master?”

As his eyes darted around, he glared at Jo Hyang menacingly.

“You damn bitch! You lied to me!”

The next moment, Yang Gu’s chin snapped, and he fell to the floor. Seo Daeryong struck him like a lightning bolt.

“You’re not someone who deserves to speak to me like that.”

Seo Daeryong mimicked my actions. He showed his foot to Yang Gu’s face and spoke menacingly.

“Do you want your skull cracked open like your Grand Lord?”

Yang Gu violently shook his head.

“No! I was wrong!”

Seo Daeryong showed no fear, even though Yang Gu was twice his size. He wasn’t acting out of trust in me; there was another reason.

While the other investigators restrained Yang Gu and took him out the back door, Seo Daeryong approached Jo Hyang.

“You did well.”

“I just did as you advised. He’s known as the smartest in the Demon Corps, so I said I wanted to eat with him. I didn’t expect him to follow so easily.”

“You would have gotten him to come even if you had stared at him while eating.”

For a moment, Jo Hyang gave a sly smile.

“Is that a compliment?”

Seo Daeryong didn’t respond.

Jo Hyang then greeted us and left.

Once it was just the two of us, I said to Seo Daeryong.

“You’re a man, a real man.”

“Huh?”

“You like that girl, don’t you?”

“No, I don’t.”

“You were so full of energy in front of her.”

He had been gloomy around me, but with Jo Hyang, he was full of life.

“You’re just imagining things.”

Seo Daeryong, with his face flushed, quickly changed the subject.

“What happens next?”

“It’s time to wrap things up. Get all the investigators and enforcement officers together. Get as many as you can.”

“Yes!”

“Call that favorite junior of yours!”

“I told you, it’s not like that!”

Seo Daeryong hurriedly left, raising his voice.

“It’s so obvious…”

I went to the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of liquor, and sat on the tavern railing.

“Come out here!”

At that moment, Ian emerged from the side of the building, her head down.

“Stubborn fool, don’t you ever want to play alone?”

“I was just curious if you were doing well.”

“Come here. Since you’re here, let’s have a drink.”

“I’ll get the glass.”

“No need.”

I drank from the bottle and handed it to her.

“Drink it and hand it back.”

“How could I?”

“Why? Is it dirty because I drank from it?”

“No, that’s not it. I just feel guilty putting my mouth on it. But I’ll drink, I will.”

She tried to drink without touching her lips to the bottle, but she ended up spilling it all over herself.

“Sorry, Young Master.”

“Ian…”

“Yes.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“…Yes.”

“Everyone else may do that, but you don’t have to.”

I took the bottle back and drank from it again.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you. It’s nice to see you.”

Ian smiled brightly, her eyes sinking into her cheeks. When she smiled like that, it was clear she was truly happy.

“Are you practicing martial arts well?”

“Yes, I’m doing my best.”

“That’s not enough. Doing your best is something even villains do.”

“Your advice gives me strength without me realizing it. Young Master, your words are addictive.”

“If you hear it too much, you’ll hate it.”

“I don’t think I will.”

I handed her the bottle again.

“Drink my worries away with this, and go wait for me.”

Then I added some delicious snacks for her.

“This will be wrapped up today.”