Chapter 23
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Jin Ga-yong (4)
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Sungyang Sect, Hanjung Fortress, Stone Heaven Family, and Dance Melody Manor. These four places were collectively known in the world as the Four Pillars of the Martial Qin Alliance. It was a metaphor for the four pillars upholding a house.
Meanwhile, Lion Hall, which claimed the title of alliance leader, was called the Ridgepole, symbolizing the roof of that house.
Thus, "Ridgepole and Pillars" not only referred to the five core factions forming the backbone of the Martial Qin Alliance but also succinctly captured their relationships.
Among them, Sungyang Sect was located in the southeasternmost part of Shaanxi Province, geographically close to neighboring Hubei Province, and indeed maintained active exchanges with various sects in that region.
In particular, it was deeply intertwined with Wudang Sect, the absolute powerhouse of Hubei, through numerous ties.
Truth be told, it wasn't so much a relationship of equals exchanging favors as it was one-sided courtship from Sungyang Sect's side—but that was how it stood.
As a result, though not quite an affiliate lay sect of Wudang, Sungyang Sect had many lay disciples who had studied there, and it implemented policies favoring them.
Even many of its martial arts bore significant influences from Wudang, so what more needed to be said about their connection?
For Wudang, it wasn't a bad deal either. Sungyang's annual tribute offerings under various pretexts were nothing to sneeze at, and extending their influence to another province was appealing.
Be that as it may.
The Shadow Division was an independent unit directly under the Sungyang Sect leader.
True to its name—"Shadow Affairs," matters handled in the dark—their work consisted largely of deeds too shameful to conduct in broad daylight. Yet these were acts that brought great profit to their sect, often involving violence.
Surveillance, abduction, torture, and if necessary, assassination or outright extermination.
If someone questioned how a righteous sect could openly maintain such an organization, they'd be missing the point. Any group of sufficient scale inevitably encounters "those unavoidable necessities!"
It was the doctrine of the "necessary evil."
And the tools executing that "necessary evil" were hardly sane, so the Shadow Division's methods were more insidious and ruthless than even the most notorious unorthodox sects.
Thus, within Sungyang Sect, the Shadow Division could be called a seed of evil heart in the righteous faction or a black stain on the white path.
And the man now facing Jin Ga-yong was the Shadow Division's vice commander, Six Directions Sword Na Yul-chan.
"Jin Ga-yong! You know damn well where this is. And yet you dared to humiliate me and my men?"
"He swore he'd take responsibility, so I held him to it. What's the problem? Tell me, Vice Commander—are you hoping this Jin treats your subordinates like impudent pups who don't know their place and ignores them? Is that how you avoid humiliation for yourself and your men?"
"You son of a bitch."
Na Yul-chan trembled with rage.
Something felt off about his words, like he was being forced into a binary choice: "Want to be ignored?" or "Want to be humiliated?"
So he opted for a third option not even posed in the question.
"Heh heh heh. And you're confident you can take responsibility?"
"Questioning my qualifications? If you wish, we can verify it right now. Conveniently, I have things to confirm with you as well. Let's take turns asking and confirming fairly, right here."
"You really think..."
"Enough!"
Jin Ga-yong cut him off, his tone as sharp as autumn frost. He took a step back, his right hand gripping the hilt of the sword in its sheath, as if he'd been waiting for this exact moment.
"I'll receive your instruction first. So, which esteemed one will question this Jin's qualifications?"
"...!"
Only then did Na Yul-chan realize that the third option he'd chosen was precisely what Jin Ga-yong had wanted.
A show of force!
It was the simplest way for Jin Ga-yong, whose political footing was precarious, to resolve the issue at hand.
Provided, of course, that his martial prowess backed it up.
'Could Big Brother have been right?'
Na Yul-chan suddenly recalled advice he'd forgotten—or perhaps deliberately ignored because his pride refused to accept it.
That gathering had been to celebrate his cousin Na Baek, Golden Eye Ghost, being selected as squad leader of the Face Pursuit Squad.
But what was so celebratory about landing a mere squad leader position?
It was the Face Pursuit Squad.
As a special task force created by the alliance to handle major incidents, it offered prestige commensurate with the risks—a prime chance to catch the eye of the higher-ups.
Hence, the selection criteria were stringent from the start.
Candidates had to be under forty, hold at least unit commander rank, and have three years minimum of field operations. In other words, the alliance sought capable field agents who could also manage mid-level teams.
There were only four spots.
Naturally, competition was fierce, making selection as squad leader a true accomplishment.
Except for that one spot Jin Ga-yong had snagged.
He was the fly in the ointment!
For reasons unknown, Gwak Nan-hoe, the pre-designated commander, had reserved one squad leader position for Jin Ga-yong from the outset. They hadn't even bothered to announce a justification before pushing it through.
Jin Ga-yong was already the most shunned and reviled figure among the alliance's youth for some reason. For such a man to waltz into one of the coveted spots without merit—how could anyone look on him favorably?
That was why.
At that drinking party, the conversation had eventually turned to Jin Ga-yong. Buoyed by the booze, Na Yul-chan had naturally torn into him with gusto, making it the highlight of the night's gossip.
Na Baek had nodded along to his younger cousin's sharp barbs, then offered unexpected advice at the end. A displeased smirk played on one corner of his mouth.
"Little brother, I agree with you—Jin Ga-yong is a disgrace to true warriors. It's grating to be called squad leader alongside him. But that doesn't mean you should underestimate him. Get my meaning?"
"..."
"Be careful. That bastard's swordsmanship is the real deal."
"That worthless scum is a master?"
"Heh heh heh. Hey, Yul-chan."
"Yes, Big Brother."
The mood chilled, and Na Yul-chan, well aware of Na Baek's foul temper, sobered instantly and straightened up.
"Burn my words into your mind. In the world we live in, denying the truth gets you killed!"
"...!"
The clearing felt vast and empty in places.
Na Yul-chan felt he could draw his sword and overwhelm Jin Ga-yong in one rush, tearing him to shreds.
But was it the demon seed Na Baek had planted?
As Na Yul-chan scrutinized him suspiciously once more, the openings he'd just spotted in Jin Ga-yong no longer seemed like flaws—they appeared as something else entirely. Unfortunately, he couldn't discern what that meant.
So what now?
Charge in with his men despite the unease?
As Na Yul-chan hesitated, Flying Tiger waited excitedly from the rear for the imminent clash. Then Jin Ga-yong's transmission reached his ear.
-Listen, Flying Tiger. Looks like I'll have to dance with my sword today.
-Ah, yes. Seems that way...
-So I'm warning you ahead. If things heat up too much, don't half-ass it with one hand—get out fast. What good comes from you getting tangled up?
-Hmm...
Flying Tiger felt a twinge of awkwardness.
Of course he'd bolt if the situation soured. Squad leader? He'd save him if possible, flee alone if not. Their bond was exactly that shallow.
But hearing it straight from the man himself made it feel oddly fresh.
Well.
Flying Tiger eyed Shadow Division Vice Commander Na Yul-chan intently, then clicked his tongue. Resolved, he oddly began clapping.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
What the hell, that guy?
As all eyes turned to him, Flying Tiger strode forward clapping, positioning himself beside Jin Ga-yong. His gaze fixed on Na Yul-chan.
"Now, now, the mood's gotten way too heated. Let's cool it down before we end up spilling blood without knowing why."
Na Yul-chan flinched under Flying Tiger's stare, and Flying Tiger nodded back as if in reply.
"Ease up, Squad Leader. They've felt the gravity of this by now. Tempers flared, sure, but would they deliberately sabotage a manhunt for Ghostface? Right, person in charge?"
-Flying Tiger, what are you doing?
-Let's pull back for now. At least hear what excuse they've prepared.
-But they...
-Slaughtering them here won't get answers, will it? It'll just complicate things.
-...
In the powder-keg moment, Flying Tiger diffused it.
Jin Ga-yong first released the sword hilt, providing an out. Only then did Na Yul-chan, with complicated feelings, withdraw his surging aura.
Afterward, Jin Ga-yong and Na Yul-chan arranged a private spot and shared secretive words over a cup of tea.
Waiting outside, Flying Tiger had no curiosity about their talk.
This wasn't a place for uncovering truth anyway. For questions like "Why surveil us at the Ghostface crime scene?", any excuse would suffice.
Instead, Flying Tiger bantered idly with a nearby thug. Some Shadow Division men watched to prevent mischief, and when eyes met one, a chat sparked—and they hit it off. Flying Tiger wasn't ordinary, nor was his counterpart in brazenness.
Flying Tiger tossed out casual questions with a grin.
Like, "Where you from?", "How's the pay in your line? Our broker scene's flooded with green rookies lately—tough sledding.", "How's the brothel scene in Sungyang? Not as good as the capital? Got it."
His new pal answered diligently, then fired back his own curiosities.
Like, "How'd you end up here? Orders are orders, huh? You didn't expect this either? Fair enough.", "Find anything at that manor? Can't spill secrets, but your squad leader seemed riled. Ahem, understood."
Thus, Flying Tiger sprinkled the bait.
If they were tied to Ghostface, curiosity would draw them in.
What he'd just done was prep for his fishing line.
Toward the end, Flying Tiger asked his new friend,
"Brother, one thing I can't wrap my head around. I'm usually quick on the uptake, but the vibe here's off."
"Heh heh heh. What's that? I'll answer sincerely if it's something I can."
"Why's everyone so desperate to chew out our squad leader?"
"Huh?"
"You saw it yourself—he's no ordinary swordsman. In the jianghu, masters get respect, right? But tagging along with him, I keep sensing these sidelong sneers everywhere."
"You... really didn't know?"
"Know what?"
"That bat-like son of a—er, your squad leader's background."
"Where from?"
"Ye Mountain Zhao Family Manor. Second disciple of Manor Lord Righteous Sword, no less."
"Ye Mountain Zhao Family Manor? You don't mean..."
"You really had no clue? It's pretty infamous."
Ye Mountain Zhao Family Manor. The lead clan among those who opposed the Martial Qin Alliance to the bitter end.
In other words, Jin Ga-yong had joined hands with his master's enemies less than three months after his death.