Emotionless Swordsmanship Genius

Chapter 26: Karon’s Plot (1)

Late at night.

Gray clouds covered the two moons, casting a darkness like ink across the sky.

In perfect timing, a silhouette silently landed on the roof of the ‘Path of Waves’ inn, as light as a black cat.

Leaping from the adjacent building, the figure made no sound upon landing.

The man, dressed in black nightwear and a mask, quietly opened the window leading to the second-floor hallway before the clouds cleared.

Standing in front of a door where two people slept, he pressed his ear against it.

Hoo—

Snore—whoosh—

The rhythmic breathing and snoring confirmed that those inside were deeply asleep.

From inside his coat, he pulled out a thin wire and a flat metal piece, tools he often used.

Kneeling carefully, the masked man began to pick the lock, cautious and meticulous in every movement.

Sweat dripped from his forehead, and his heart raced, but he maintained his composure like a true professional.

Click—

With the faintest sound, the latch came undone.

Before opening the door, he scanned the hallway to check if any windows or doors were open. If a breeze entered as he opened the door, it could create a draft.

Fortunately, the air flow was slow. He opened the door carefully, revealing two beds inside, both occupants fast asleep.

His eyes drifted to the small table by the window. There, lying conspicuously, was a small pouch.

“Jackpot!”

Usually, valuables were hidden in hard-to-find places, making them more difficult to locate than breaking in. But this time, things seemed to be going smoothly.

The masked man rolled forward twice, quickly reaching the table without making a sound. It seemed the rumors of his skills were no exaggeration.

Cautiously, he snatched the pouch and peeked inside. Gold coins. Judging by the weight, there had to be at least ten.

Just as he tucked the pouch into his coat and was about to leave the room, his eyes caught sight of a sword leaning against the table leg.

Initially, the sword, wrapped in an old cloth, appeared unremarkable, and he had almost dismissed it. But then, he changed his mind and took a closer look.

“Hm?”

A faint crimson aura shimmered from the blade. It was mesmerizing, almost otherworldly.

Instinctively, the masked man reached out for the sword.

Carefully unsheathing it, he tucked the weapon into his belt and slid out of the room, quietly closing the door behind him before swiftly exiting the inn.

Shortly after the door clicked shut, Karon’s eyes snapped open. He slowly sat up and gazed at the table beside him.

As expected, the pouch and the sword were gone.

“You came in quite noisily.”

Karon shook his head slowly, then lay back down. Closing his eyes, he began to sense the energy he had absorbed earlier.

He slowly released it throughout his body. Immediately, he felt the energy pull in one direction—toward where the sword had disappeared.

“Like a magnet.”

He had left a trace of his energy in the black blade. While whoever wielded it wouldn’t go mad instantly, they would become erratic and sensitive, eventually spiraling into madness.

Meanwhile,

The masked man, after leaving the inn, stealthily descended the wall and made his way down a sloping alley.

In the alley below, Lekki and several Hinjo gang members waited, each armed with a sharp weapon, pressed close against the walls.

When they saw Haskel approaching, their faces brightened. The job had been completed without any noise or fuss.

They cautiously returned to their hideout, being careful not to alert the Megamon gang, whose territory overlapped with theirs.

In the hideout’s second-floor room, Lekki’s men poured the coins onto the table, their expressions mixed.

“There’s not as much as I thought. It’s mostly just silver.”

“But hey, there are still ten gold coins. That’s pretty good. No need to report this to the higher-ups, right?”

At Lekki’s words, his subordinates nodded with sly smiles.

“Here’s your promised 30%.”

Lekki handed Haskell three gold coins. Even though Haskell had done all the work, it was only natural that the Hinjo gang would take their cut, having set the stage.

Haskell, bowing with a groveling smile, accepted the coins.

“Thank you, boss. Let me know if you’ve got another good job lined up. And this sword—it seems pretty valuable, so I’m giving it to you as a gift.”

He placed the black sword on the table, knowing it might serve as a distraction in case of betrayal.

Instantly, all eyes were on the sword.

“There’s something about this thing’s atmosphere.”

Naturally, it was Lekki who grabbed the sword first. He stripped away the worn cloth and confidently grabbed the hilt.

Ching!

As the sword was unsheathed, its sharp, gleaming blade emerged, giving off an icy aura.

Lekki grinned in satisfaction, spinning the black sword in his hand.

“A black blade, huh? Quite unique. I like how it sticks to my hand perfectly. I’m keeping this.”

No one objected. Their focus was only on the gold coins.

Lekki, still holding the sword, headed toward his office, unaware that the faint crimson energy that surrounded the blade was slowly seeping into his body.

The next morning,

“What?? Someone stole the money pouch?? How much was in there? Don’t tell me all thirty gold coins were in that pouch, right? Tell me they weren’t! Please!”

Shong screamed, staring at Karon, hoping for reassurance.

But Karon, lazily picking his ears as if Shong’s noise was annoying, replied indifferently.

“Yep.”

“Arghh!! Ughh!! I told you to leave it to me!”

As Karon spoke as if it were someone else’s problem, Shong clutched his head in frustration, jumping around the room as though it was his own money that had been stolen.

“What? How did you not notice it being stolen, when you’re usually so sensitive?”

“Must have been a thief with extraordinary skills,” Karon responded nonchalantly.

“Do you really think that makes sense? Your sensory abilities are beyond human limits…”

“That’s not the issue. They stole the sword too,” Karon interrupted.

Shong, having witnessed the sword’s terrifying power, knew how dangerous the situation was. But to him, the sword was the least of his concerns.

“The sword isn’t the problem! I don’t care if someone dies because of it! It’s 30,000 shillings! Thirty thousand! This is driving me mad!”

Shong, pacing and pulling at his hair, paused for a moment to think, then quickly threw on his cloak.

“Hmm… First, I’ll report it to the town guard, then I’ll head to the harbor and gather information from the Blue Raven gang. That’s the best course of action.”

“You do that. I’ve got my own business to attend to,” Karon said calmly, heading to the bathroom.

Shong stared at Karon in disbelief. Anyone would think Karon was the one who lost a fortune, yet he didn’t seem to care at all.

“What? You’re the one who lost the money, so why am I the one freaking out…?”

By the time he finished talking, Karon had already disappeared into the bathroom. Shong, glaring at the closed door, clicked his tongue and shook his head.

“Tsk, forget it. It’s not like you’d be any help anyway. I’ll see you here tonight.”

With that, Shong hurried out of the room, acting as though it was his money that had been stolen.

Meanwhile, Karon remained unfazed.

After leisurely washing up and having breakfast, Karon finally left the inn, strolling through the town at a relaxed pace, following the pull of the black sword’s energy. It was easy—he just had to go where his body naturally led him.

As he walked, he occasionally glanced at the market stalls, hoping to spot some Taben vines. However, being far from the desert, they weren’t easy to find.

In contrast, slave carts were unusually common that day. Judging by their appearance, it seemed they all came from the same village or tribe.

Passing by various sights, the black sword’s energy pulled more strongly in one direction.

When Karon looked up, he saw a two-story brick building with men wearing blue cloth armbands stationed in front of it.

Hinjo gang.

Karon’s eyes narrowed.

Last night, Shong had explained the close ties between the two gangs and the town guard.

Those wearing blue cloth armbands were from the Hinjo gang, while those with red bandanas on their heads belonged to the Megamon gang.

To avoid collateral damage from frequent power struggles, the two gangs had devised this method of marking their territories.

The eastern side, where the harbor was located, belonged to the Hinjo gang, while the western side, home to the slave market and arena, was the Megamon gang’s territory.

A strong energy could be felt from the second floor. It seemed the person who had taken the sword was inside.

The fact that the sword’s energy hadn’t yet gone out of control indicated that the host was still sane.

Thinking he had more time, Karon quietly left the area. He’d confirmed who had the gold coins and the sword, so there was no need to stay any longer.

Karon started walking back to the inn.

By now, Shong had likely reported the theft to the town guard, and if things went as Shong predicted, word would soon reach both gangs.

When that happened, the two gangs would inevitably clash. Especially since Karon had set a time bomb in the form of the black sword.

Finding the Blue Raven gang, known for being elusive, would take some legwork. Instead of chasing them down, Karon figured it was better to lure them out. If they were involved with either gang, they’d eventually show themselves.

A few hours later.

Karon, having rested at the inn, came down to the first floor for an early dinner. Shong returned to the inn just as the sun was setting behind the mountains.

“Hey there.”

Shong greeted him weakly as he entered. Judging by his dejected look, things hadn’t gone well, just as Karon had expected.

As soon as Shong sat down, bread and soup were served, as if Karon had been waiting for him. It seemed Karon had delayed his meal until Shong arrived.

Not that Shong noticed. He probably wouldn’t have believed Karon was the type to wait anyway.

“Did you find anything out?” Karon asked casually, tearing into the bread.

Shong, looking frustrated, shook his head.

“I checked the harbor, but it felt like people were avoiding me. Stirring things up too much could get dangerous. And now, what are we going to do about the gold…?”

“I have a way to get it back. No need to panic,” Karon interrupted, dipping his bread in the soup. In a low voice, he added, “And it wasn’t thirty gold coins that were stolen, it was ten.”

Shong’s eyes widened in shock.

“What? So you lied to me?”

He shot up from his seat, yelling. The other patrons turned to stare at him.

“How could you lie to me…?”

Realizing the attention he was drawing, Shong quickly sat back down, glancing around nervously before lowering his voice.

“What’s your scheme this time? You sent me to the town guard for a reason, didn’t you?”

Shong had been traveling with Karon for quite some time now.

Over the years, he had learned one thing—Karon never did anything without a purpose.

No matter how incomprehensible his actions seemed, there was always a reason behind them.

This time was no different.

“You’ll understand if you wait.”

“What?”

Shong’s brow furrowed in frustration at Karon’s vague response.

Wouldn’t it be nice if he’d just explain things upfront?

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