Off to See My Master
Seo Cheong glared at Yeop Hyeon with eyes brimming with rage. Her face had already gone deathly pale, her expression filled with disbelief.
She could never have imagined that Yeop Hyeon would actually strike her down.
Doesn't she have Chwiseonru backing her?
Gang Gu wore an expression of equal disbelief.
This fool! How dare she cause trouble with someone from Chwiseonru!
Gang Gu inwardly unleashed a torrent of curses at Yeop Hyeon.
At that moment, Seo Cheong spoke in a voice thick with fury.
"Do you even know what you've done!?"
Yeop Hyeon's grip tightened on the sword at her throat, drawing a thin line of blood that beaded along the blade.
Yeop Hyeon spoke without a flicker of emotion.
"Didn't I ask if you submitted? This is just your answer."
Seo Cheong glanced sideways at Gang Gu and said,
"Princess, I believe this man is one of yours. Does that mean you're declaring war on Chwiseonru?"
Gang Gu stepped toward Yeop Hyeon.
"Do you even know what you're doing right now?"
Yeop Hyeon nodded.
"This could get really messy for you."
"I can't tolerate anyone insulting you."
"You know how much it'll cost to clean this up? We might not even be able to!"
"I'll handle it."
"How!? How exactly are you going to handle Chwiseonru!? They'd squash you like a bug!"
Seo Cheong, overhearing the exchange, sneered and opened her mouth to speak. But in an unexpected twist, Gang Gu's palm shot toward her throat.
Crack!
Seo Cheong spewed blood from her mouth and collapsed limply.
Her lifeless eyes were frozen in utter disbelief.
Caught off guard by the sudden turn, Yeop Hyeon could only stare.
"Remember this—I killed her. It has nothing to do with you. Head back to Canglan Academy and stay far away from Yangjie City from now on."
"What about you?"
Gang Gu widened her eyes and fixed Yeop Hyeon with a stare.
"Don't worry about me. Get out of Yangjie City right now. Got it?"
Without waiting for a reply, she stormed out of the tent.
Left alone with Seo Cheong's corpse, Yeop Hyeon murmured softly,
"So, it's come to this—a showdown with Chwiseonru?"
Meanwhile, Gang Gu had barely taken a few steps outside when a black-robed elder appeared before her.
At the same time, another elder and three men in black emerged behind her.
Gang Gu eyed the black-robed elder.
"You must be the newly appointed Gu Lu-ju of Chwiseonru."
She had already heard that the previous Gu Lu-ju had vanished, replaced by this new one.
"That's right. I am the new Gu Lu-ju."
Gu Lu-ju shifted his gaze to the tent behind Gang Gu.
"Seo Manager's soul tablet has shattered. That means she's already..."
"I killed her!"
Gang Gu declared loudly.
At her words, a cold glint flashed in Gu Lu-ju's narrowed eyes.
Gang Gu took a step closer to him.
"Not long ago, I entrusted some supreme-grade weapons to Chwiseonru for auction on behalf of Princess Gu here. But due to your negligence, they were stolen. Then today, this Seo Manager comes to me, refusing any compensation and insulting me instead. So I killed her."
Killing intent thickened around Gu Lu-ju's eyes.
"Princess Gu, no matter the reason, you've killed someone from Chwiseonru."
"That's right! But this incident has nothing to do with the Jiang Kingdom's imperial family. Surely you don't want to sour relations with the entire kingdom?"
Gu Lu-ju replied in a flat tone.
"If I may be so bold, Chwiseonru fears the Jiang imperial family not one bit."
"Hahaha. Then are you saying you'll go to war with the imperial family? I doubt you have the power for that."
Gu Lu-ju stared at Gang Gu for a long moment before finally speaking.
"Princess Gu, if you don't pay a satisfactory price for harming one of ours, Chwiseonru will cease all dealings with the Jiang imperial family from this day forward. That includes the grain, weapons, helmets, armor, and more that you rely on. And your high officers under you would be wise to stay indoors—lest they find their heads suddenly missing!"
Gang Gu met Gu Lu-ju's gaze head-on. He didn't flinch. After a tense staring contest, she spoke.
"I say again, this has nothing to do with the Jiang imperial family. So I'll go with you to Chwiseonru and face their judgment."
"Your Highness! You can't!"
The elder behind her cried out.
"Your Highness! That's impossible! If word gets out that you're gone, the enemy's soldiers will overrun Yangjie City in an instant. So..."
Gang Gu raised her hand to silence the elder, then continued to Gu Lu-ju.
"If they can hold me after losing those supreme-grade weapons, it'd be a huge gain for them, wouldn't it?"
Gu Lu-ju gave a faint smile.
"If you're that determined, then come with me to Chwiseonru."
Gu Lu-ju turned to leave the camp. But just then—
"Wait!"
Everyone whipped around at the voice. A man emerged from Gang Gu's tent—Yeop Hyeon.
Seeing him, Gang Gu stormed over with an angry expression.
"What are you doing out here? Playing the hero? You..."
Yeop Hyeon grabbed her arm and said,
"I'll handle this."
He pulled Gang Gu behind him and strode toward Gu Lu-ju.
Gu Lu-ju regarded the expressionless Yeop Hyeon standing before him.
Yeop Hyeon spoke.
"Two conditions. First, apologize to the princess. Second, Chwiseonru pays her fifty million taels in compensation."
Gu Lu-ju scoffed.
"Who do you think you are to demand..."
Yeop Hyeon pulled out a purple command medallion and held it before Gu Lu-ju's eyes. The man's face changed instantly.
A purple command medallion!
The medallion Yeop Hyeon displayed was second only to the black one in Chwiseonru's hierarchy—a rank even Gu Lu-ju had no authority to issue.
Yeop Hyeon met the stunned Gu Lu-ju's gaze.
"Bring the Third Lord here. Now."
"Who... who exactly are you..."
"You don't have the rank to know. Summon the Third Lord!"
Everyone in the camp watched the scene in stunned silence.
Gu Lu-ju's face twisted in humiliation. Never before had he, as Chwiseonru's Fifth Lord, endured such an insult.
Yet before the purple medallion, he had no choice but to bow his head.
That medallion wasn't given to just anyone!
Gu Lu-ju spoke, his face heavy with conflict.
"I... it seems there was some misunderstanding. So perhaps we can end this here..."
"Are you deaf?"
Yeop Hyeon's eyes grew colder.
"You're not worthy to speak to me. Bring the Third Lord!"
As Yeop Hyeon raised his voice, a chill of fear crept into Gu Lu-ju's heart.
Only someone with powerful backing would dare shout at a Chwiseonru lord like this.
Gu Lu-ju hesitated, then crushed a black stone between his fingers. Without knowing the boy's exact status, he couldn't risk escalating things.
Yeop Hyeon inwardly sighed in relief, though he kept a calm facade.
Who would believe him if he claimed a Sword Immortal backed him? No one.
But the Third Lord knew his identity—that would resolve everything.
Moments later, a white-haired elder appeared in the camp.
The Third Lord of Chwiseonru.
Seeing him, Yeop Hyeon relaxed as if greeting an old friend, a smile lighting his face.
The Third Lord started at Yeop Hyeon's face, then grinned and acknowledged him warmly.
"Brother, it's been a while!"
Gang Gu and everyone else gaped in shock.
They're that close?
Yeop Hyeon humbly bowed to the Third Lord.
"It's been too long."
The Third Lord's face broke into a pleased smile at Yeop Hyeon's courtesy.
"And how is that person faring?"
"My master is doing well."
Yeop Hyeon sobered and said,
"Actually, I have a request."
The Third Lord sensed something amiss and glanced at Gu Lu-ju, whose face had turned ashen.
"Something involving Chwiseonru?"
Yeop Hyeon nodded.
"Recently, supreme-grade weapons were auctioned at Chwiseonru on behalf of Princess Gu here. But on auction day, some thug stole them. Then today, one of your managers came to me and said..."
Yeop Hyeon recounted verbatim what Seo Cheong and Gu Lu-ju had said.
When he reached Seo Cheong's line—"With Chwiseonru's power, we can look down on anyone"—the Third Lord's expression darkened.
Why had that lord on Yunxian Peak died so miserably?
Because of words just like those.
That single phrase had nearly brought the Sword Immortal's wrath upon all of Chwiseonru. They'd barely averted disaster, but at the cost of two lords.
Yeop Hyeon bowed to the Third Lord once more.
"My lord, all I ask is that you handle this fairly."
The Third Lord fell silent.
Fifty million taels of gold.
No small sum.
But the terrifying Sword Immortal backed the boy before him!
Seeing his hesitation, Yeop Hyeon spoke again.
"It seems I've put you in a difficult spot, my lord. If it's too much, forget the fifty million taels. As my master says, the weak deserve to be scorned."
Yeop Hyeon gave a bitter smile and clasped his fists toward Gang Gu.
"Princess Gu, my apologies. Until next time."
As he turned to leave, Gang Gu blurted in confusion,
"Where are you going?"
Yeop Hyeon paused and replied,
"Off to see my master."
Without lingering, he strode forward.
At that moment, squeezing his eyes shut with desperate hope, Yeop Hyeon muttered inwardly,
Please, you damn old geezer, catch me. Catch me!