To Their Respective Positions -1

"Haa... so this is how it ends up after all."

Yu Sa-yeon and Heukmyo left Sama Yeom's residence side by side.

"So the commission fell through in the end?"

"Not quite. The innkeeper's commission was ultimately to find the whereabouts of Guak Sword Dok Yeong-chan, wasn't it?"

That had been the original contract between Yu Sa-yeon and Heukmyo. In exchange for being accepted as a Nangin of the Wanderer Inn, Heukmyo was to track down Guak Sword Dok Yeong-chan. It was also the same commission Yu Sa-yeon had given to the Nangins who left the Wanderer Inn after she herself reached the Super-Peak Realm.

Only Guak Sword's testimony would allow them to deal with the Jambong Sect and Gae Myeong-bu once and for all.

"I'll find his whereabouts for certain, so don't worry."

"Hmm. So in the end, you've become comrades with Ho Cheon-an?"

"Haa. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Senior doesn't seem to think much of it, though."

Heukmyo let out a sincere sigh, and Yu Sa-yeon smirked.

"You've grown a lot. Even got a woman chasing after you now."

"I'm not chasing him, okay? We just decided to stick together, okay?"

Listening to Heukmyo's prickly voice, Yu Sa-yeon found herself recalling Ho Cheon-an from seven years ago. A boy who still carried the soft edges of youth had knocked on the door of the Wanderer Inn. She had taken him for a bold little brat with bright, lively eyes — but Ho Cheon-an had been a smooth talker, caused trouble nearly every other day, and overflowed with talent.

For about two years he had rampaged around in the full flush of youthful energy, and then, all of a sudden, the kid had started living like a wastrel. He abandoned his training, shut himself in a corner and read martial arts novels, and fell into gambling...

"Back then I really wondered if that boy would amount to anything."

Reaching the tail end of Second-rate at eighteen was not a bad achievement. Precisely because it was a waste, the Nangins and Yu Sa-yeon herself had tried persuasion, coaxing, scolding, and outright browbeating — but Ho Cheon-an had not budged an inch.

"Every so often he'd act crazy and cause some mess just to give people ulcers."

"Senior caused a lot of trouble back then? What kind of trouble, specifically?"

Heukmyo pressed in close. Stories from Ho Cheon-an's past? Just looking at it, that was bound to be interesting.

"Ah... when I think about those days, really... well, maybe the Ho Cheon-an of now has finally grown up and gotten some sense."

"No, don't dodge it like that..."

Watching Heukmyo practically itch with curiosity, Yu Sa-yeon smirked again.

"How long has it been since you met Ho Cheon-an?"

"Mmm... not that long, right?"

"Think about everything that bastard has done in that short time. Then how many disasters do you suppose he caused over seven years?"

"Ah."

"Later, once everything's finished, I'll tell you one by one."

Somewhere in the middle of that back-and-forth, they had arrived at the Wanderer Inn.

"Go handle your business properly."

"I'm curious, though... fine! That's a promise!"

"Sure."

Yu Sa-yeon waved as Heukmyo vanished off to seize control of Sichuan's information network. She found herself thinking that Heukmyo had changed a great deal from the barely-human creature she had first met. A certain off-putting aura still lingered, but the current version was far warmer — that much was certain.

Did Ho Cheon-an rub off on her?

Yu Sa-yeon thought of Jeong Sam and Yeo Jinsang. Jeong Sam, who had been steeped in the cutthroat life of a survivor down to the marrow when he first arrived, had turned into a softhearted fool. Yeo Jinsang, who would not have hesitated to draw a blade on a comrade over a single coin, had become something like a generous neighborhood uncle.

"What a peculiar bastard."

A man who saved people left and right. If that counted as a chivalrous hero, then so be it. Yu Sa-yeon decided not to think too deeply about it. Ho Cheon-an was simply that kind of person, and trying to measure him against any particular yardstick was a headache in itself.

He had agreed to help her take revenge, so she would thank him properly later.

With that thought, Yu Sa-yeon kicked open the door of the Wanderer Inn.

"Work time, you lot!"

Tang Gwang-ryeol sipped his tea and reflected.

Smooth sailing. These days the Tang Family was running without a hitch.

"Heh heh heh heh."

Ah, he was doing it again. Lately, the mere thought of the Tang Family's future brought a laugh out of him automatically. Tang Gwang-ryeol tried to suppress it, then simply laughed.

The Tang Family Fierce Tiger Hidden Dragon Combat Method was being refined at a rapid pace, and Tang Do-gyeong's throwing-weapon skill was improving by leaps and bounds with every passing day.

The throwing-weapon uproar stirred up by Tang Do-gyeong and the direct-line disciples had all been resolved by Tang Gwang-ryeol's fingers spitting fire, while the direct-line disciples retreated rubbing their foreheads with one hand and clutching their own throwing weapons with the other. After that, any gambling that put throwing weapons or poisons on the line was conducted under the Clan Head's supervision.

Tang Do-gyeong was teaching gambling techniques to the other direct-line disciples he had cleaned out, gradually melting into their ranks. The six Super-Peak experts including Tang Dok-gi, who had been disciplined when they dragged Tang Do-gyeong back, were stepping up to handle various matters, so the minor problems were being cleared away smoothly as well.

"Heh heh heh heh."

On top of that, the recent regular correspondence with Poison Doctor Tang Cheo-in had included a note that Brother Ya's problem had been resolved — so it was fair to say that everything was falling into place.

"Clan Head, Do-yeon has come to see you."

"Do-yeon? Hmm. Show her in."

"I trust you have been well, Clan Head."

Dang Do-yeon delivered the envelope that had been carried by a messenger pigeon from Ho Cheon-an. She briefly explained the circumstances — that she had given him a Return Pill when they parted, that she had promised to help him once in an emergency, and so on.

"And a letter arrived addressed to the Clan Head."

"I see. Understood."

Tang Gwang-ryeol thought of Wanderer Ya — no, of Master Ya. Master Ya had already formed ties with the Tang Family too deep to call him a stranger. He had awakened Tang Do-gyeong, contributed to the birth of the Tang Family Fierce Tiger Hidden Dragon Combat Method, opened Tang Gwang-ryeol's eyes, and even improved the family's chronic problems.

What business would bring Master to write me a letter?

Nothing ordinary, surely. Straightening his posture, Tang Gwang-ryeol unfolded the letter.

The further he read, the harder his face became. Curiosity settled over the faces of Captain Pungyeong, who stood in attendance, and Dang Do-yeon.

"Heh heh heh heh heh..."

And then, all of a sudden, he burst into a great belly laugh. Captain Pungyeong's curiosity only grew sharper.

"...Do-yeon."

"Your command, Clan Head."

"Bring Do-gyeong here."

"At once!"

Once Do-yeon had gone, Captain Pungyeong asked,

"Clan Head — what kind of letter did Master Ya send to put that look on your face?"

Without a word, Tang Gwang-ryeol held out the bundle of correspondence to Captain Pungyeong.

Ho Cheon-an?

Was that Master Ya's real name? Captain Pungyeong sensed something unusual from that alone and continued reading.

Bandits in Sichuan Province, is it.

Rumors of the bandits had reached them long ago. Precisely because it was near Sichuan, they had decided not to intervene. The Tang Family had long since concluded that it would close its eyes to power struggles in the vicinity of Sichuan. The bandits' strength was not trivial, but they had judged that any single major sect stepping forward would be enough to handle them.

So there was this kind of hidden history in Sichuan.

But the contents of Ho Cheon-an's letter were far from simple. Why the bandits had settled near Sichuan. Why no subjugation had been carried out until now. What was currently unfolding within the province.

The Clan Head's hardened expression made sense. However firmly the Tang Family had resolved not to intervene in Sichuan, as a member of the Orthodox factions they could not simply stand by while such things were happening within the province.

As Captain Pungyeong continued through Ho Cheon-an's letter, his expression grew complicated.

But there's no justification.

For the Tang Family to step in at this point was problematic in several ways. First and foremost, the past years of non-intervention — justified by their status as a local gentry clan no matter what happened in Sichuan — now held them back. To plant a foot in Sichuan now under the banner of a Murim sect would be overreaching, even for the Tang Family.

And yet...

"What... did he do?"

Captain Pungyeong found himself voicing the question aloud. Government troops? Those Third-rate-level spear-carrying security forces? The Empire's government soldiers were closer to civil servants than to martial artists.

But the very next passage widened Captain Pungyeong's eyes.

If they had stayed out of Sichuan's affairs until now precisely because they were a local gentry clan — then when an official government undertaking was underway, they could participate as local gentry, as a matter of course!

That was what Ho Cheon-an was saying, and he was reporting that the Prefect had approved it.

"Hoo..."

Captain ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Pungyeong was genuinely impressed by Ho Cheon-an's resourcefulness. That he had a connection to the Prefect was surprising enough, but more astonishing still was that Prefect Sama Yeom had permitted the Tang Family — a local gentry clan — to intervene in Sichuan. What marvelous scheme had Ho Cheon-an employed?

Captain Pungyeong looked up from the letter and said,

"...So that's why you told Do-yeon to bring Do-gyeong. Wouldn't it be better to mobilize all the Super-Peak experts currently handling miscellaneous duties?"

Even if Do-gyeong and Do-yeon were Super-Peak, Do-yeon had only just crossed the threshold of that realm. If they carpeted the place with throwing weapons and poison intent on killing every last bandit, five hundred of them could certainly be subdued — but that would be a massacre, not a subjugation. The government troops were little more than headcount fillers rather than real combat power, so suppressing a bandit stronghold with only the two of them was a stretch.

"Heh ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠heh heh heh heh. Keep reading the letter, Captain."

The Captain turned his eyes back to the letter ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and chuckled as he read. Right. Our Master Ho had a plan all along. A plan so good that just reading it in a letter made you laugh.

Around the time the Captain was finishing the lengthy letter, Dang Do-yeon reappeared with Tang Do-gyeong in tow.

"You summoned me, Clan Head."

"Yes, Do-gyeong. Wanderer Ya... no. Master Ho Cheon-an has requested the Tang Family's aid."

At Tang Gwang-ryeol's words, the good-natured smile on Tang Do-gyeong's face vanished in an instant. It was the look of pure passion he had worn in his Fighting Dog days — the look of a man who, once he locked onto a sparring opponent, never let go.

"Will you go? From the look of it, this is no easy task."

"Of course. So Brother Ya's name was Ho Cheon-an. How could I turn my back on Brother Ho's call, when he has shed even his identity as a Sichuan Nangin and observed every courtesy, placing his trust in this Tang Family and in this Do-gyeong? No matter how difficult the task, we must face it together."

"Excellent! Do-yeon has a private promise with Master Ho, so I trust she will accompany you!"

"At once!"

At that moment, Captain Pungyeong read the final line of the letter.

"Leave for Sichuan City on the Bicheon Carriage immediately."

In that instant, Tang Do-gyeong's face went deathly pale.

Dang Do-yeon wore the happiest smile in the world.

And at that same hour—

"So this is it... Seongrak Pavilion, one of Sichuan's three great entertainment houses."

Ho Cheon-an arrived at the gambling floors of Seongrak Pavilion with Yeo Il-ye at his side.