Let's Have Some Fun
The prison of the Pojeong was, in truth, laughably flimsy. At best, it was a brick building stuffed with straw, with wooden bars dividing the cells. If someone was truly determined to escape, even a healthy adult man could break out without needing to be a martial expert. The limit of wooden bars was simple: throw your full weight against them long enough and they would eventually snap with a loud crack. So how hard could escaping be for someone who had learned even a little martial arts?
Of course, that only applied because this was the Pojeong. It was essentially a temporary holding facility, the Murim equivalent of a modern police lockup. The real infernal prisons run by the Ministry of Justice were no joke. That was why the Unorthodox Path warriors had been waiting patiently. No trial had been held yet, so no sentences had been handed down. It didn’t seem like they were planning to transfer them to the Ministry either. The jailers weren’t even acting smug. In fact, they were so thoroughly cowed by the Unorthodox warriors’ aura that they barely showed their faces.
The meals were poor, but they came on time. So for now, all they could do was endure. And endure some more.
Besides, there was one loudmouth among them. It was Yo Hwan-cheol, the Salt Gang leader.
“Ahem. Among all the officials in Nanning, there isn’t a single one who hasn’t taken my gold and silver. They won’t keep us long. They’re probably just saving face for the government by holding us a little while before releasing us.”
However, Jo Gwang-ang didn’t seem entirely convinced.
“It’s already been three days. Are you sure? You said we’d be out soon.”
But the Salt Gang leader pounded his chest with absolute confidence.
“Just trust me. Besides, the head constable here calls me big brother. If I told him to storm in right now, it wouldn’t even be strange if he—”
Skreeeech!
The filthy sound of an iron door scraping across the floor cut Yo Hwan-cheol off. Then came the sound of footsteps approaching.
“Prisoner Yo Hwan-cheol. Come outside.”
At that, Yo Hwan-cheol’s cheeks rose in a wide grin.
“See? What did I tell you?”
“But why only you? Excuse me, when will the elite warriors of our Sadoryeon’s Triad Alliance be released?”
“I don’t know. That’s for the magistrate to decide.”
“Now now, don’t worry. Magistrate Yu is practically like a blood brother to me—an old friend. I’ll get you all out as quickly as possible.”
The jailer opened the cell door, and Yo Hwan-cheol sauntered out with a leisurely swagger.
“Ah, right. Our jailer here is so stiff when it comes to official business. Did my treatment seem lacking? Perhaps you could escort me all the way to the Salt Gang? If you do, I’ll make sure you’re not disappointed. In return, I’d like to treat our Sadoryeon brothers who are suffering in here to some drinks. Hm? How about it?”
Yo Hwan-cheol had openly offered a bribe. From behind, Jo Gwang-ang let out a snort. Yeah, one bottle of liquor and I could endure another day or so, he thought.
From the cells spread out on both sides came the sound of people swallowing hard. Some even whistled crudely.
“But why isn’t a single one of my kids coming to visit when their father is suffering all kinds of hardship in prison? Hey, is visitation banned or something? Or did no one really come?”
The jailer shook his head with an expression of deep pity. That only made rage surge up in Yo Hwan-cheol’s chest. A lowly jailer who earned a few pennies a day dared to pity the head of the great Yo Family? It was only natural to be furious.
“Ha. You son of a bitch. What’s your name? I was going to go easy on you, but you don’t know your place and keep climbing higher and higher? One word from me and the constables will be crawling on their bellies. You think I’m a pushover just because I’ve been quiet? Ha. I’m speechless.”
“If you’re that close, then you must know the layout of the government office well. There’s no need for an escort. And you are not being released—you are being temporarily released. Tsk.”
With those words, the jailer turned on his heel and left alone. Yo Hwan-cheol’s blood boiled at the insolent attitude, but no matter how good his connections were, he couldn’t spill blood inside a government office. He decided he would remember this arrogant bastard and see if he could still act so high and mighty after watching his parents and children bleed.
As he fumed and headed outside, a sudden question occurred to him. If it was a release, it was a release—so why “temporarily released”? He had never heard of people coming and going from prison except for funerals. The moment that thought hit him, Yo Hwan-cheol’s heart sank with a thud.
No, it can’t be.
He practically sprinted across the government office and burst out the main gate. However, his urgent return home was forcibly halted by the martial artists who had set up camp right outside the office gates.
“Where are you going in such a hurry?”
Kang Su-yang, the leader of the Gyerim Sword Sect, asked. Yo Hwan-cheol’s face twisted in fury.
“You bastards! Surely not! My children! How can you call yourselves the Righteous Path after doing something like this!”
But Kang Su-yang shook his head.
“I swear on my sect, my ancestors, my late master, and my own honor—I have done nothing to the Yo Family’s Salt Gang. The Heavenly Flower Sword here will vouch for me as well.”
“That’s right, that’s right.”
Beside him, a veiled face nodded in an irritatingly cute manner.
“Then who— You!”
This time Yo Hwan-cheol’s finger pointed at the leader of the Jangsan Martial Hall. The man shrugged with a mocking grin, spreading both arms wide.
“Our Jangsan Martial Hall may not have a long history, but if you wish, I can swear on the honor of all our previous leaders, my own honor, and even my children. Our Jangsan Martial Hall did nothing either. Will the Heavenly Flower Sword vouch for me?”
“Of course. Yep, yep.”
Cheong nodded again. Even Unorthodox Path warriors hesitated to lie after staking so much on their words. Of course, they still lied sometimes. Yo Hwan-cheol felt a momentary sense of relief. But then urgency gripped him. Even if it wasn’t these two, the situation wasn’t something that would be solved just by being released. His brothers had always treated each other like mortal enemies, so they might have done it themselves. Hadn’t the head steward and deputy steward been whispering with his second and eldest sons?
“Listen, Sect Leader. There has been an incident at my household, so I am returning in haste. No matter the grudge between the Unorthodox and Righteous Paths, would you really block a family head trying to protect his loved ones? I beg you.”
“There is no need to protect them anymore. That family has already been destroyed. That scoundrel—your third son—conspired with the Four Evils and harbored a truly vicious heart, using extreme poison. Then the servants ran off with everything of value. Tsk tsk. You should have treated your people better. The moment the master’s house falls into mourning, the servants turn into bandits.”
Yo Hwan-cheol’s heart sank again.
“What does that mean? Who… who died? Yeon-i? Seong-i? A-hyeon?”
“I heard all your children died? Ah, that third son probably survived. I don’t know who else might have lived. Our sect has been too busy with many matters to look into such trivial things. We had to hold a banquet, after all.”
Kang Su-yang continued with cold eyes.
“We also had to hold memorial services for our dead disciples.”
At that, the warriors of Gyerim and Jangsan all drew their weapons at once.
“I apologize. We need the head of our enemy to offer at our disciples’ memorial tables.”
“You cowards!”
“To comfort the grudging spirits of my unfairly killed disciples, I am willing to endure being called a coward.”
“Bastard! You came here fully intending to kill me!”
Now it wasn’t about his family—his own life was on the line. Yo Hwan-cheol spun around in panic. His plan was to flee back into the government office. It would have been a good idea if the office gates hadn’t been firmly shut. Even the three gate guards who normally stood at the left, right, and center entrances had vanished. The meaning was clear: We don’t know what’s happening. We can’t see it and we don’t want to see it. It was the perfect example of “officials do not interfere with martial affairs.”
“Prisoner Jo Gwang-ang. Come outside.”
“Already?”
Jo Gwang-ang’s lips stretched into a long smile.
“Money really is great. Everything gets handled this quickly. But what about my brothers? Still not yet?”
“I don’t know. I only received orders to release you.”
“What a stiff person. How much did the Salt Gang leader give you? You’re still this rigid, so it must not have been a satisfying amount. Well, what can a lowly jailer do anyway? Even if you feed them, you feed the ones above you. Right?”
It was a deliberately provoking, insolent remark, but the jailer remained silent.
“Ugh, how boring. Well then. Kids, I’m heading out first. I’ll make sure you all get out soon, so don’t worry. I’ll prepare a feast so grand you can eat and drink until you drop.”
“Yes! Leader!”
“Good. Hehe, just endure a little longer.”
With that, Jo Gwang-ang walked out in high spirits. Out of the prison, toward the main gate.
Nanning Yo Family — Near Annihilation.
In any case, a few decent Yo clan members remained, so it wasn’t a complete annihilation. However, those remaining decent Yo members had zero intention of continuing the family lineage, so it wasn’t all that different from annihilation. Therefore, near annihilation.
Sadoryeon’s Three Combat Units — Near Total Annihilation.
This was because, among those who came out of the government office, Cheong occasionally pointed at certain individuals.
“Can’t we spare that guy? I heard he wasn’t such a bad person.”
“Th-thank you…!”
“Live a good life. If I hear you’re being a bad guy again, I’ll break all your limbs and hang you in the marketplace.”
“Y-yes! I will live virtuously!”
It was a warning and release measure. In truth, the disciples of Gyerim and Jangsan found it utterly baffling. Where had she gotten her information from? And based on that information, who was a bad guy and who wasn’t that bad? Was she really deciding to spare some nameless combat unit member while drawing her sword to behead others?
But it was a request from the Heavenly Flower Sword. If our Heavenly Flower Sword wants it that way? Then that’s how it must be! Our Heavenly Flower Sword can do whatever she wants!
The royal palace and the Murim were already intertwined in an awkward relationship. If even the royal palace of another region got involved, it would be even worse. Therefore, the special strike team that had attacked the rear alongside Cheong, as well as the royal palace servants, were packaged as reclusive masters who were close to Cheong.
Thus, excluding the few who knew the truth, the perception among Nanning’s martial artists was this: the expert who volunteered for the most dangerous mission and advanced into enemy territory, yet displayed the most outstanding performance! She had even defeated Mun Jeong-yeok, known as the First Sword of Bokju and a late-stage Transcendent, and taken his sword.
The title of “New Dragon of the Era” or “Murim’s Greatest Rising Star” carried the nuance that one should protect juniors. But now, it was simply Heavenly Flower Sword. No longer a rising star or young expert—she was a fully-fledged treasure of the Righteous Path Murim who transcended age!
On top of that, a beauty who could contend for the title of the greatest under heaven! Moreover, she was kind, polite, and unpretentious!
The hospitality from Nanning’s Righteous Path became extremely lavish. One might think only comfortable days remained—walking a flower path, or rather, lying on a flower bed, drinking and eating delicious food until it was time to return.
But then—
“Hyung-nim! An invitation has arrived!”
“Hmm. Where is it from this time?”
“The Jeong Family Manor, the Uiju Martial Hall, the Cha Family Academy… Ah, the head monk of Yeongsan Temple came in person to ask if you could write a signboard for them! And from here on, these are personal letters! This one is from the son of the Inspector-General, this is from the head of the Gwangil Trading Company, and this one is from the magistrate of Hwanghyeon County…”
“Ugh. So annoying.”
Once the situation was settled, the flood of invitations became the problem. It felt wrong to refuse them, but if she went, all the men would stare with those greasy eyes and cause a fuss. How dreadful. And the invitations weren’t just from Nanning—they came from all across Guangxi Province. At this point, writing refusal letters had become a full-time job. People who read her reply letters would gasp in admiration until they fainted, and soon enough, people started begging her to write calligraphy for them too.
Cheong abruptly stood up.
“This won’t do.”
“Y-yes?!”
“If I stay here any longer, forget resting—I’ll be exhausted from greeting people all winter. Let’s bounce. I don’t have to stay at the Gyerim Sword Sect anymore, right?”
“What are you saying! No! Hyung-nim can stay forever! Forever is fine! The benefactor of Gyerim is the Heavenly Flower Sword! The Heavenly Flower Sword is the benefactor of Gyerim! I will desperately block everyone! Hyung-nim should just comfortably go into seclusion!”
U Na-ram passionately pleaded. But Cheong already had something in mind.
“The Murim Alliance’s mission was to stay here because those Unorthodox bastards were acting suspicious. Now that Nanning is safe, I should go help with missions in other dangerous areas. I heard the Jeong Family Manor has been struggling lately.”
From the rumors she had heard while staying in Nanning, the Jeong Family Manor was currently in a difficult situation. Being treated with extreme hospitality and being dragged around to delicious gourmet gatherings wasn’t exactly something to complain about. However, rather than lounging around now that her work was done, it seemed far better to be in a place where she could actually be of help. Besides, since the Unorthodox Path had openly schemed here, she suspected Guangdong Province might be the same.