rchant Lord of Cheongwu, Sang Gwan Jin-ho, ground his teeth and spoke.
“Daoist Kwak, you sound as if you an to torture , but that will never happen.”
Sang Gwan Jin-ho knew Elder Baek’s temperant better than anyone, and he was determined to brazen it out.
Just a mont ago, the Cave Daoist had said it himself—he wouldn’t kill soone without just cause.
‘There’s clearly no evidence that I killed the Grand Scholar. That’s why he’s pulling this cruel stunt.’
If he could just endure this montary humiliation and pain, his dream of becoming Branch Family Head would co true. And he’d be able to hold the Cave Daoist accountable for his actions today as well.
‘In the end, this is a fight you’ll lose. You damn brat.’
With a hardened resolve, Sang Gwan Jin-ho glared at Kwak Yeon.
“I wonder if the rchant Lord is truly capable of doing that.”
Kwak Yeon spoke with a frigid expression.
“You have only two choices, rchant Lord. Confess your cris, or end your own life to prove your innocence.”
Sang Gwan Jin-ho let out a sneering laugh.
“Hmph! Try whatever you like. Everything you’re doing today will be reported in full to Mount Wudang.”
Kwak Yeon nodded.
“Of course. That’s exactly why I chose to do this out here in broad daylight.”
“...?”
“Oh, and since you seem eager to know what happened in Sangjeon Village, allow to tell you. The hounds you dispatched were caught after sniffing around the Deokseon Headman’s yard and have all been transported to the Branch Office.”
“...!”
For the first ti, the determined glint in Sang Gwan Jin-ho’s eyes faltered.
“Most likely by tomorrow, the commander of the Branch Office will send a formal inquiry to the Family Head of the Sang Gwan Family.”
“What are you saying?”
When Sang Gwan Jin-ho asked with wide eyes, Kwak Yeon answered kindly.
“The one who kept calling himself the hound master had a very loose tongue. Thanks to him, we learned that helping a death-row convict escape prison is a serious cri of disrupting national law, one that the Branch Commander must report to the Inspectorate imdiately.”
Watching Sang Gwan Jin-ho’s complexion turn visibly pale, Kwak Yeon asked,
“Do you think the Family Head of the Sang Gwan Family is broad-minded enough to endure a second disgrace to the family plaque?”
“...!”
“No matter what, he wouldn't be heartless to the son-in-law he granted even his surna. But would he go so far as to shield that son-in-law by punishing the man who held him accountable? I don't think the Family Head is that shaless.”
All color drained from Sang Gwan Jin-ho’s face.
“...What do you plan to do to hold accountable?”
“To begin with...”
Kwak Yeon placed his foot atop Sang Gwan Jin-ho’s lower abdon.
“I’ll destroy your danjeon first.”
Sang Gwan Jin-ho’s eyes flew wide open.
“You... you can’t!”
As he struggled to break free, Kwak Yeon pressed down with internal energy charged into his foot.
Puhk! Kkwajijik!
Sang Gwan Jin-ho let out a shrill scream as his gihae point was crushed in agony.
“Guaaaaah!”
After obliterating Sang Gwan Jin-ho’s gihae point with precise internal energy, Kwak Yeon lifted his foot and drew his Cheonggang Sword.
“From this point on, I’ll begin severing the tendon channels of your limbs one by one.”
Groaning in agony as if his intestines were being ripped apart, Sang Gwan Jin-ho jerked his head up.
“No! Please...”
Kwak Yeon addressed him, who was now soaked in pain and fear.
“Of course, if the rchant Lord chooses one of the two options right now, I’ll cease all punishnt imdiately.”
“Ugh...”
As Sang Gwan Jin-ho weakly nodded, Kwak Yeon sheathed the Cheonggang Sword.
“Speak your decision loudly so everyone here can hear it.”
“Gggghh...”
When Sang Gwan Jin-ho looked up at him with pleading eyes, emitting a boiling moan, Kwak Yeon firmly shook his head.
“You can either reveal your guilt or clear your na by taking your own life. And keep this in mind.”
“...?”
“If I draw my sword again, I will not stop like I did just now.”
The last traces of blood drained from Sang Gwan Jin-ho’s face, leaving it deathly pale.
****
Warden of Cheongya Hall, Wang O-geol, was in a foul mood as he walked along the hillside path.
Just this morning, as he set out for Sangjeon Village, his steps had been light with thoughts of seizing its enterprises and doubling the size of Cheongya Hall.
But now, returning to Deokseon County in the afternoon, all that had crumbled to dust, and half his underlings were severely wounded. It was enough to make his blood boil.
‘Who would’ve thought there was another ghost-like bastard besides the Cave Daoist?’
Landing one stab hadn’t done nearly enough to relieve his mounting rage.
‘Still, they’re nothing but drifters. Today we failed, but Sangjeon Village is still up for grabs. We’ve already got the go-ahead from the rchant Lord of Cheongwu, so we can take it over later.’
He was just consoling his wounded pride when he saw soone standing in the middle of the winding path ahead.
A man blocked the way, backlit by the setting sun—his features indistinguishable.
“What is it? Why are you blocking the path?”
Wang O-geol was already in no mood for pleasantries, so his voice ca out harsh.
“Get out of the way now, or I’ll gouge out those worthless eyes that fail to recognize your elders.”
Despite his fierce tone and killing intent, the man—his face shaded by a wide-brimd sunhat—spoke indifferently.
“Are you coming from Sangjeon Village?”
“That’s right. And what of it?”
“With matching outfits and moving in a pack like that... You lot must be black-path riffraff.”
“Black-path riffraff?”
Wang O-geol’s brow twitched in anger.
“You bastard, what the hell do you take Cheongya Hall for, spewing nonsense like that?”
“Cheongya Hall. So you’re definitely black-path. And you’re retreating after being chased out of Sangjeon Village. Wonderful.”
“You bastard! What the hell’s so wonderful? You got a death wish or sothing?”
A slow, grim smile curled beneath the man’s sunhat.
“No. Quite the opposite.”
“What, the opposite...?”
“The mission from my lord has been tricky, and I’ve had few results to show for it. But now, I’ve run into the perfect opportunity.”
“Your lord? Mission? What the hell kind of crap are you spouting?”
“I can at least tell you that much in exchange for your life.”
As he spoke, the man pulled back his cloak, revealing his back.
“My lord commanded to shed only the blood of those the Cave Daoist should’ve executed.”
“...?”
Wang O-geol couldn’t make heads or tails of it—but one thing was clear.
The “ones whose blood should be spilled” referred to them.
Exploding with fury, Wang O-geol shouted to his underlings.
“This bastard’s completely insane. Kill him!”
The warriors of Cheongya Hall, already fuming, had no reason to hesitate with a target now in sight.
―Screeeeeech!
Weapons were drawn in unison as they charged.
At that mont, the man slowly lifted his sunhat.
When Wang O-geol caught a glimpse of the icy gleam in the man’s eyes, his heart skipped a beat.
‘Sothing’s wrong.’
That instinctive thought ca too late.
Against the blood-red sunset, a steel-blue blade glead from the man’s hand.
****
―Bang! Crack!
A Zadan-wood table in Sang Gwan Family Head Sang Gwan Eung’s reception hall shattered into pieces with a single palm strike.
“rchant Lord of Cheongwu! That insane bastard!”
Even Family Head Sang Gwan Eung, rarely one to curse, couldn’t hold back this ti. Strategist So Seok-ha, standing beside him, bowed his head deeply.
“Please, Family Head, calm yourself.”
“Calm?”
Sang Gwan Eung’s eyes flared.
“Strategist, you saw groveling to the Branch Commander of the Office in person, and you still tell to calm down?”
“......”
“To that pitiful governnt official, the very master of Sang Gwan Grand Office had to beg!”
So Seok-ha spoke carefully.
“It was indeed a humiliating mont, but it was wise to act quickly in handling the Branch Office. If the matter had been reported to the Inspectorate, it would have inevitably reached the Imperial Court.”
Even if the governnt and martial world typically maintained a non-interference pact, the sheer authority of the Imperial Court was not sothing even the mighty Sang Gwan Family could dismiss lightly.
“Damn it all!”
Sang Gwan Eung spat another curse and continued.
“The idiocy of that rchant Lord is one thing—but what enrages more is that our house has once again been toyed with by that damn Cave Daoist.”
Strategist So Seok-ha said,
“Your anger is understandable. But we must first focus on managing what’s already happened.”
“What do you an?”
“Though the governnt issue has been settled for now, the martial matter isn’t over.”
“The ones involved have already been executed, and all testimonies destroyed. That severs any link to the rchant Lord—what is there to worry about?”
To that, So Seok-ha shook his head.
“Family Head, the Cave Daoist’s cunning is no ordinary thing. The fact that he still had those black-path warriors of the rchant Lord transported to the Branch Office despite knowing who they were... that troubles .”
A crease ford between Sang Gwan Eung’s brows.
“You an to say the Cave Daoist still has tricks up his sleeve? Aren’t you being too paranoid? If that were true, he wouldn’t have sent them to the Branch Office in the first place.”
So Seok-ha said,
“I too found that odd. I thought perhaps he wanted to deescalate matters. And yet... this unease won’t leave . I keep recalling all the things that man has done until now.”
“All the things he’s done?”
“Above all, what he did at Waryong Manor, the primary branch of the Jegal Family, still weighs on .”
Sang Gwan /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ Eung flinched.
The story of the Cave Daoist entering Waryong Manor alone and killing Jegal Waryong had already beco widely known.
“Are you saying he might go so far as to kill the rchant Lord himself?”
Sang Gwan Eung shook his head as soon as he asked.
“No matter how reckless the Cave Daoist is, he wouldn’t dare. Killing a direct son-in-law of our family without solid evidence? Not only our family, but even Mount Wudang wouldn’t sit idle. He’d imdiately be branded an outlaw.”
So Seok-ha replied,
“I agree. But I still can’t shake this feeling. That’s why I suggest we summon the rchant Lord to the main estate, at least for now.”
“You want to recall the rchant Lord?”
“It’s always wise to take shelter from a storm. The Cave Daoist can’t stay in Sangjeon Village forever.”
Sang Gwan Eung felt slightly offended—it sounded like yielding to the Cave Daoist.
But he quickly realized the idea was a pragmatic one.
Not only was it a way to weather the storm, but it was also a chance to give his unruly son-in-law a much-needed scolding.
‘I left him alone thinking he was doing well, and now he’s turned into a reckless fool.’
Determined to set him straight this ti, Sang Gwan Eung said,
“Strategist, do as you propose.”
So Seok-ha imdiately bowed.
“I’ll send the letter at once to summon the rchant Lord.”
Just as So Seok-ha straightened and turned to leave the office, urgent footsteps echoed from outside, followed by a hasty voice.
“Family Head! The Patrol Commander is here!”
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