Encirclement at Taewon Inn
Three hours later, at Taewon Inn in the heart of Chim-ju city.
The leader of Hajo Escort Bureau, Hong Jae-yul, twisted his face in fury.
“To let a single bastard like that slip away! What the hell kind of job is this?!”
The only one who could take the brunt of his boiling rage was Hong Mun-cheon, who had brought back the escort manifest.
“I'm sorry. At the cliff's edge, I never thought...”
“And? Did you chase him right away?”
“Yes. They've probably caught him by now. You know my brother's skills.”
At that moment, Escort Leader Ak Ji-mun cautiously interjected.
“Bureau Leader.”
“What?”
“I just went out, and the market vibe is off. Everyone's buzzing because of the rumor that he was attacked.”
“Already?”
“Yes. Even around this inn, it's getting rowdy. Maybe we should move.”
Bureau Leader Hong Jae-yul shot up from his seat.
“If we stay longer and run into Jeok-un Mun, who knows what'll happen to the manifest. Let's leave Chim-ju first. Prepare quickly.”
“Yes.”
Half an hour later, a dozen men burst into the inn.
Hong Jae-yul's eyes widened.
“What?! Why'd you come here?!”
Hong Tae-hyeong hesitated before speaking.
“The bastard fled into Chim-ju city, so...”
“And?”
“...We lost him.”
“You idiots! So you lead them straight here?!”
“He headed toward this inn. We almost had him, but there were too many people.”
Hong Jae-yul's voice rose in agitation.
It was frustrating, but the bastard wasn't the priority right now.
“This isn't the time. We can't clash with Jeok-un Mun. Let's move now.”
“Yes.”
Then Escort Leader Ak Ji-mun came rushing in.
“Bureau Leader! Big trouble!”
“What is it?”
“Th-the bastard's right in front of the inn.”
“Who?”
Ak Ji-mun's face drained of color, his whole body trembling.
“Ch-Cheong-ho Bangju.”
“What? That bastard's out front?”
“He's standing bold as brass at the main gate, looking for us, and the black path folks are swarming the area. Hundreds—no, at least a thousand.”
“...?”
A moment later, in front of Taewon Inn.
Passersby grabbed each other, asking frantically.
“Hey, what's going on here? Why's everyone crowding around?”
“You haven't heard?”
“Heard what?”
“Well, some Hajo Mun guys from southern Guangdong tried to kill Cheong-ho Bangju. They even stole an escort manifest worth thirty thousand nyang.”
“What? And? Where's Cheong-ho Bangju?”
“Right there. He barely escaped and brought his men to surround them.”
“Whew! Lucky break. So the bastards are inside?”
“Yeah. That's why Cheong-ho Bang, Chim-do Bang, and even Hao Mun have them completely surrounded. Can't let those thieves escape with the manifest.”
“Ha! Serves them right. Daring to touch Cheong-ho Bangju. I should lend a hand, just in case.”
“Let's do it. We can just stand here. The military from the prefecture will show up soon anyway.”
“Of course. Come on.”
Yeon Sa-gu, surveying the crowd, grinned ear to ear.
The growing numbers made his chest swell with pride.
“Hey! We're way past a thousand now.”
Ak Mu-gil chimed in from beside him.
“A thousand's nothing. In half an hour, it'll be two thousand. More black path folks and martial artists keep pouring in.”
“At this rate, even a Cho-jeol-jeong grandpa couldn't slip out. Heh!”
Ak Mu-gil's worried gaze turned to Mu Yun.
“Bangju. You really doing this alone?”
“Keep everyone back. They'll get hurt if they butt in.”
“Got it. But over there, with the escorts, that's over forty.”
“I know.”
Still, Ak Mu-gil repeated what he'd said dozens of times since yesterday.
“You sure you're okay?”
“My mouth hurts.”
“...!”
A moment later, Hajo Escort Bureau Leader Hong Jae-yul slowly walked out.
His scanning gaze locked onto one spot.
A flicker of surprise twitched at the corner of his eye.
'Full of wounds all over, they said.'
Yet the fresh light clothes showed no trace of blood.
Hong Jae-yul cleared his throat affectedly.
“Ahem! You're the one who wanted to see me?”
“I never said that.”
“What?”
Mu Yun infused his voice with inner power, raising it.
Now it begins.
“None of the ones who attacked me were you. Right?”
“I have no idea what you're talking about. Then who are you looking for?”
“Exactly thirteen! That's how many attacked me. I just need to grab them.”
Hong Jae-yul's displeasure was plain on his face.
“Hah! I don't know what's going on, but surrounding the inn like this and making us look suspicious!”
“If you wanna go, go quick. I won't stop you.”
Hong Jae-yul's eyes blazed with fury.
“Hah! Getting cocky after one look, eh? Where do you get off talking like that? I'm Hong Jae-yul, Bureau Leader of Hajo Escort Bureau from southern Guangdong. And we're practically in-laws with Jeok-un Mun—how dare a mere black path bangju wag your tongue?!”
“If you don't wanna go, just watch from the side.”
“What?! You bastard—!”
Instead of answering, Mu Yun scanned the crowd and let out a resonant voice.
Time to build justification.
“The thieves who attacked me and stole the thirty-thousand-nyang manifest are inside! I'm going in to catch them now.”
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
“Hah! It's true.”
“Would Cheong-ho Bangju lie?”
“No way.”
Mu Yun's grave, concise words continued.
“I don't let those who touch me off easy. Just like now!”
As his words ended, he stomped forward, aiming at Hong Jae-yul.
Tak!
“You're not one. Step aside.”
“...!”
Hong Jae-yul hid a gleeful smile behind his stiff face.
Things were going smoother than expected.
'Come a little closer. Then I'll kill you!'
He was at the peak of Jeol-jeong.
His brothers had said the bastard was mid-Jeol-jeong, as reported.
Pity they couldn't steal the goods, but no time for greed.
Still, a warning was in order.
“Don't come any closer. I've held back so far only because it might harm Jeok-un Mun.”
“...”
Mu Yun shut his mouth.
No more words needed.
His two feet slowly brushed the ground.
Sasak!
Only his clothes fluttering in the breeze hinted at the calm before the storm.
As the distance closed to three jang,
“Hah! Little punk thinks he can do anything. I must punish you and apologize to Jeok-un Mun!”
Before his words finished, he drew his sword and kicked off the ground.
Papat!
His wind-borne leap sent his sword thrusting fluidly at Mu Yun's torso.
No need to drag it out. Subdue in one strike.
The lightning-fast sword strike sliced the air with white light.
Shwaaek!
The sharp energy that rent the air was about to pierce the shoulder of the silently approaching foe when Hong Jae-yul's eyes lost their target.
A startled gasp escaped him.
“Huh?!”
The moment his fixed gaze blurred, the sword lost its mark and cut empty air.
Shuuk!
Before he could grasp what happened, a hollow sensation at his sword tip sent chills through his mind.
'Danger!'
An ominous qi wave rang another alarm.
In that instant, a fist that folded space in a straight line closed in on his blurred vision.
Shuuuk!
Hong Jae-yul's heart sank, his eyes bulging.
'Wh-when?!'
Peureok!
“Kuhk!”
Pain exploded in his solar plexus, dragging him to reality.
As agony spread through his body, his vision blurred again.
'I-I'm hit!'
His thoughts cut off there.
With a dull thud, his knees buckled.
His glazed eyes signaled unconsciousness.
His body slumped gracelessly without support.
Teureok!
“...”
For a moment, none of the thousands in the crowd could speak.
Even the martial artists struggled to comprehend the scene.
“H-how?”
“H-he was clearly about to be stabbed?”
“But when did that fist fly?”
“N-no idea. I didn't see it.”
Then, the furious roar of Escort Leader Ak Ji-mun, who had followed behind, boomed.
“How dare you harm the Bureau Leader! Kill him!”
“Rush him together!”
“Yes!”
Ak Ji-mun's sword shot forward like an arrow.
Shuuuk!
“You bastard!”
At the same time, Mu Yun's arm whipped through the air.
Intangible flames flickered at his fingertips amid the fierce wind.
The arcing trajectory trailed blue light.
The color of rage.
Hwiririk!
In that instant, Ak Ji-mun's eyes flew wide at the sound ringing in his ears.
The moment he sensed his sword had lost its target and sliced air!
Ppakak!
Pok!
“Kuhk! Wuuk!”
Struck hard in the face and gut simultaneously, Ak Ji-mun sprawled on the ground.
Chin!
The escorts' enraged shouts erupted.
“Attack together!”
“He's just one guy. Don't chicken out!”
But none stepped forward.
In that gap, his wind-borne form plunged into the escorts.
Hwiririk!
Sararak!
Like a butterfly fluttering gracefully through their midst, slicing space effortlessly.
But his merciless fists rang out with successive whooshes and impacts.
Pok!
Papak!
Bbak!
Screams burst from here and there.
“Kwik!”
“Keuk!”
“Wuuk!”
His hands extended like whipping snakes, hunting the escorts.
Shuuuk!
Shwaaek!
Dozens of afterimages trailed his soft, swift hands.
Hwiririk!
Sasak!
Thus, a single gale swept through the group.
The onlookers trembled uncontrollably like aspen leaves.
Their mouths, frozen by the massive warrior's presence, merely quivered.
One pair of eyes in the crowd bulged wide.
'How?'
Hong Jae-yul had been a peak Jeol-jeong master, yet with over twenty escorts scheming against him, they all lay sprawled in the blink of an eye.
A situation even a Cho-jeol-jeong expert would find tough.
Ha Hu Cheon-gi froze in place.
His eyes shook violently at the unbelievable reality.
'Th-that bastard's Cho-jeol-jeong?'
He hadn't planned to come here today.
His uncle Ha Hu Mo-in had practically dragged him out.
When approaching Hong Jae-yul, he'd inwardly cheered.
Good thing I came. Watching him get crushed would vent some frustration.
But the shock went beyond astonishment, halting thought itself.
Then, a transmission rang in his ear.
-Surprised?
Ha Hu Cheon-gi found his uncle's unsurprised face odd.
-Y-you knew?
-No. Would I have sat still if I did?
-Then how are you not shocked?
-He visited yesterday.
-...No way?
-Yeah. I took over that contract. We talked for a while there.
I subtly asked about today's plans, and he said...
-What?
-'Today I'll just trim some side branches, unfortunately.'
-What's that mean?
-That side branch is probably Hajo Mun. So where's the main stem?
-...Jeok-un Mun?
-A guy who doesn't fear clashing with them. Right now, even.
-...!
-Honestly, I didn't believe it yesterday, but now it seems no idle talk. Let's watch more.
Meanwhile, watching Hong Tae-hyeong couldn't contain his surging rage, trembling all over.
He spat out his boiling curses.
“That dog bastard! He deliberately lured us here.”
Second brother Hong Mun-cheon's eyes flipped with fury.
“Let's go, brother! Kill the fucker!”
“Wait! Hold on.”
Third brother Hong Dae-won gnashed his teeth, about to charge.
“If you're saying to hold back, I didn't hear it.”
The three brothers had once taken down a mid-Cho-jeol-jeong with their subordinates.
Plus ten more men. Killing one guy was easy.
“Can't you see the ones behind? Don't kill him. We need to capture him to escape.”
Hong Mun-cheon's eyes gleamed.
“Got it. Just beat him till he'd rather die.”
The three launched forward with their ten subordinates.
Mu Yun's silent form flew straight at them.
Hwiik!