The Debt Comes Due

"I've come to collect a debt."

Yun Cheon received the visit of Sa Gong-jin, Vice Director of the Inspection Bureau, with perfect composure.

It was the visit Gal Mu-heun had foretold.

He had borrowed the Bureau's blade to strike down Poison Fang Hall, and it was only natural that the price would one day come due.

"I am called Yun Cheon."

"Now, now… there's no need to take the word 'debt' so heavily. We've profited a great deal thanks to you, after all. Yes, perhaps 'a good bargain' would be the more fitting term."

Sa Gong-jin said this as he slipped a hand into his robe.

"Have you… ever heard of the Wind Cloud Board?"

"And what might that be?"

From within his robes, Sa Gong-jin produced a paper folded over several times and handed it to Yun Cheon.

Tap.

"A notice that began circulating half a year ago, centered on the inns and taverns within the cult. It purports to rank the late-stage prodigies of our cult."

When Yun Cheon unfolded the paper, he found a list from first place to one hundredth.

The names of the cult's most celebrated rising stars, a rough gauge of each one's martial attainment, and their distinguishing traits were all recorded in meticulous detail.

"When it first appeared, everyone dismissed it. Wrote it off as scribbling some idle gossip had pieced together."

"But then one day, a dissatisfied youth ranked low on the board challenged the martial artist placed directly above him. What do you suppose the outcome was?"

"Hmm… win or lose, it would have made for an interesting spectacle."

"Indeed. The challenger won. People laughed, saying the Wind Cloud Board had gotten it wrong, and treated the whole thing as nothing more than table talk over drinks. And yet…."

Sa Gong-jin's eyes narrowed.

"…that was not the end of it. The very next day, a new Wind Cloud Board was posted. The victorious challenger's rank had risen, and the defeated man had plummeted down the list."

"Then… that would mean this board is being updated?"

"Precisely that."

A peculiar smile curled across Sa Gong-jin's lips.

"It began as a jest, but in a mere half year, the Wind Cloud Board has become the most authoritative measure of standing in the entire cult. These days, the hot-blooded young ones wake and the first thing they do is check their ranking, burning with obsession to see their names climb higher."

"…Remarkable. To make the cult's finest prodigies dance in the palm of your hand with nothing more than a scrap of paper."

"Yes. A warrior's rank on the board has become his market value — and the prestige of his family besides."

Yun Cheon turned the pages in silence.

Clever.

And entertaining.

It was no mere recitation of facts; every line was artfully written to provoke the reader's imagination and competitive spirit.

"Intriguing. But why are you telling me this?"

"Heh heh… why, naturally, because I have a commission for you concerning this very board. A chance to repay your debt to the Inspection Bureau — and a bargain that will cost you nothing whatsoever."

Sa Gong-jin extended two fingers.

"There are two commissions. An easy one, and a difficult one."

His expression betrayed his anticipation of which Yun Cheon would choose.

Yun Cheon met that gaze without flinching.

'He says I'm to repay a debt… yet he asks me to choose a commission? And insists it will cost me nothing?'

In that instant, Yun Cheon understood.

This was no ordinary commission.

The old serpent was testing him — measuring just how useful he would be as the Inspection Bureau's blade.

'Why would the Bureau entrust an outsider — a mere instructor of the Mad Path Pavilion — with its work? They want to gauge the size of my vessel. That's the game here.'

Having ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠seen through the man's intent, Yun Cheon answered without a moment's hesitation.

"I'll hear the difficult one first."

"Oh?"

A flicker of satisfaction passed through Sa Gong-jin's eyes.

"An excellent posture. The difficult commission is… to find the 'distributor' of this Wind Cloud Board."

Yun Cheon's brow twitched.

Find the distributor.

'He won't be satisfied with some errand runner. The heart of the matter is who spread the board, and for what purpose.'

It was certainly difficult enough to deserve the name.

Gathering intelligence on hundreds of rising stars in the very heart of the Demonic Cult's territory, and updating it in real time?

No ordinary information network andExecution could manage it.

Even the Inspection Bureau had failed to catch so much as a thread of its tail.

"And what do I gain if I find this person?"

"Heh heh… should you succeed…"

Sa Gong-jin drew a silver token from his robe and placed it on the table.

A weighty silver tablet, engraved with the emblem of the Inspection Bureau.

"I will grant you the Immunity Privilege, personally guaranteed by the Director of the Inspection Bureau itself. The authority, excluding treason, to quash any investigation or accusation by the Bureau — once."

Immunity Privilege.

The weight of those words struck Yun Cheon's mind like a hammer.

For Yun Cheon personally, it might mean little.

He was no common criminal who skulked about hiding his sins.

But what if that privilege were used in a matter concerning the Ten Demonic Sects or the Twelve Guardian Families?

'If the Inspection Bureau will turn a blind eye to anything… then propping up a faltering family or sect becomes possible. I could reshape the balance of power within the cult to suit my own design.'

For a man who intended to topple the cult from within, there could be no sweeter weapon.

'A fitting reward for a difficult task, indeed.'

If finding the distributor was the difficult task, then deducing the easy one was simple enough.

"Then the easy task would be to place my name on this Wind Cloud Board. Am I correct?"

Yun Cheon asked, as if the answer were only to be expected.

"Right again! Hahahaha!"

A rare gleam of delight lit Sa Gong-jin's eyes.

"Truly… you were Gal Mu-heun's blade and his brains, weren't you. To reason your way this far in a single breath."

Leaning forward, clearly pleased with Yun Cheon, Sa Gong-jin pressed on.

"The Inspection Bureau intends to make use of this board. Most of those occupying the upper ranks of the Wind Cloud Board are scions of the Ten Demonic Sects and the Twelve Guardian Families."

"So you're asking me to overturn that board."

"Precisely. Someone of your ability could certainly manage it. We wish to check their influence — indirectly."

Sa Gong-jin pointed a finger at the bottom of the Wind Cloud Board.

"Start with rank one hundred. The board records exactly one hundred names, no more. Should your name appear on it and climb, the Inspection Bureau will back you."

The Bureau's purpose was clear.

'They intend to nurture rising masters who can check the Twelve Guardian Families and the Ten Demonic Sects — in other words, anyone outside the established elite.'

Just as Sa Gong-jin had claimed, it was an offer with nothing to lose for Yun Cheon as well.

"Very well. So it shall be."

"Then may fortune favor you."

"One thing. I have a question."

"Speak freely. What is it?"

"Have you made this same offer to others besides me?"

"…How did you know?"

Sa Gong-jin's eyes cooled and glinted.

Youths of Yun Cheon's age, flush with hot blood, needed only the slightest encouragement to become the Bureau's pawns. The mere touch of an organization as central to the cult as the Inspection Bureau was enough to make them preen as though they'd been chosen as the realm's greatest prodigy.

But the boy before him was different.

Far from growing excited, he was tracing out the Bureau's intentions and trajectory on his own.

"It's a simple matter, isn't it? From the Bureau's standpoint, the more rising masters there are to check the established elite, the better."

Even if the Bureau did find the board's distributor, it would surely have no intention of punishing them. It was obvious the Bureau considered the board an exquisite instrument for checking the old guard.

'From the start, he only told me to find the distributor — never to capture them, never to kill them.'

Having read between the lines of Yun Cheon's question, Sa Gong-jin burst into hearty laughter.

"Hahahaha! Now I understand why Gal Mu-heun cherishes you so. Very well — is there anything else you're curious about? Shall I tell you which individuals we have our threads attached to?"

"That won't be necessary. However — send me every Wind Cloud Board distributed to date, one copy of each. That will be enough."

"…It shall be done. Sa Do-myeong will deliver them shortly. Somehow, I find myself believing that a man like you really could find the distributor. There's no need to rush."

The bargain was struck.

After Sa Gong-jin departed and Yun Cheon was left alone, he studied the Wind Cloud Board.

'Fanning the flames of competition among the late-stage prodigies through a ranking board… this reminds me of someone I know.'

The fox of the Hidden Demon Cave.

The Smiling-Face Fox, Yu Ha.

Come to think of it, it had been nearly a year since he'd last laid eyes on the man.

Just then, as Yun Cheon was examining the board, a familiar hand caught his eye.

'This crooked, jaunty brushwork… it was you after all, Yu Ha.'

Their acquaintance in the Hidden Demon Cave had been brief, but it was a connection that lingered in memory.

'…I don't know where he is, but somehow it always feels as though he's nearby, all the same.'

It had been Yu Ha who used the Black Steel weight rings on Yun Cheon's behalf a step ahead of Gal Mu-heun.

Yu Ha who sent the Hollow Azure Stone Marrow, paving the way for the meeting with Saeng Sa Jon.

'…even the Inspection Bureau's movements — are they pieces on your board too?'

Yu Ha had said it plainly, once.

"Let's play for a bigger stakes, on a higher board."

"This should be entertaining."

After accepting Sa Gong-jin's proposal,

Yun Cheon shut himself away for some time in the training stone chamber set aside in one corner of the Inner Library.

Setting the Wind Cloud Board aside for the moment, he took his place at ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the center of the chamber.

'Shall we begin?'

His two hands reached slowly out into the empty air.

In his left hand was a heavy saber; in his right, a keen sword.

Two weapons of different lengths, different weights, and entirely different temperaments.

Most warriors struggled to master even one of them — yet Yun Cheon gripped both at once.

Srrng.

Yun Cheon's eyes closed, and his consciousness split in two.

Dividing Soul Twin Ultimates.

The sword in his left hand drew soft, unbroken circles through the air.

The Orthodox Dual Principles Sword Art of Kunlun.

Like the endless rolling waves of a great river, its sword-lines were graceful and rectilinear, flowing without pause.

The saber in his right hand, by contrast, slashed through the air like lightning.

The Reverse Dual Principles Saber Art of Mount Hua.

It carried a blistering speed that allowed no breath to be drawn, and an overwhelming menace that seemed to tear space itself apart.

Flowing water, and a falling thunderbolt.

Two opposing principles that seemed utterly impossible to reconcile bloomed together in strange harmony within the single vessel that was Yun Cheon.

Sword in the left, saber in the right.

It was a sword dance, and it was a saber storm.

The blade and saber in his twin hands flowed now with soft grace, now with lightning speed.

It was myriad transformations in an instant.

A single sword alone could produce a thousand variations.

But a sword and saber held one to each hand could summon changes without end.

'So this is… the Dual Principles in full—!'

He glimpsed the shape of a supreme art, one that could govern every direction around him.

Lost in the thrill of it, Yun Cheon sank into self-oblivion and whirled sword and saber as though mad.

'…Not yet. Not enough.'

But as time passed, the limit revealed itself.

Wielding only cold, yin-natured qi, Yun Cheon could not give the art its full weight of yang energy.

Thick veins rose on his forehead.

'For now… is this as far as I go?'

Reluctantly, Yun Cheon withdrew the weapons from both hands.

At the same time, he gradually stilled the vortex that had been whirling furiously in his dantian.

"Hoooh……"

A cold breath poured from his lips.

It was unfinished — but he had confirmed it was possible.

Even this half-formed Dual Principles, wielded with yin qi alone, had been enough to shred the very air of the stone chamber.

'If the day comes when I can govern yang energy as well…'

Just then — the very moment Yun Cheon emerged from his trance and wiped the sweat from his brow, steadying his breath —

"…Yun Cheon."

He turned, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and there stood Yayul Hui, her face twisted into a deep scowl.

"…Did I keep you waiting?"

"Waiting doesn't matter. But—"

Yayul Hui protested in a voice sharp with irritation.

"What is that?! Sword in the left, saber in the right?! I finally learned the Wind God Dance and thought I might have caught up to you just a little—!"

"Mm… you're doing more than well enough. There's no need to be impatient."

"Tch… forget it. More importantly — what on earth is this?"

In her hand, at some point, she had picked up the Wind Cloud Board he'd left in the corner of the chamber.

"Rankings of the Demonic Cult's late-stage prodigies…? Wait — my brother's name is on here…?"

"Oh?"

Come to think of it, Yun Cheon also seemed to recall seeing the Yayul surname somewhere on the board.

Yayul Hui's voice trembled thinly.

"My brother is ranked a mere thirty-seventh…? And I'm not on the list at all…?"

She looked genuinely shaken.

"There's no need to be disappointed. The board is renewed every month. My name isn't on it yet, either."

Yun Cheon replied, and only then did relief soften her expression.

"What? Yours isn't on it either? Then… it's complete nonsense!"

"I wouldn't dismiss it quite so quickly… we're absent from the rankings because neither of us has ever shown our strength outside the Mad Path Pavilion. With no information, there's nothing to evaluate."

"Oh…? Is that how it works? Well… now that I look at the names that did make it…."

Yayul Hui's expression eased a little, though a flicker of indignation still remained.

"Before long, I intend to put my name on the Wind Cloud Board."

"How?"

"Is it not simple? I need only publicly defeat ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠someone whose name is already on it."

"…Don't tell me you're talking about leaving the Mad Path Pavilion."

"I am. I only graduated from the Hidden Demon Cave not long ago, after all — I'm ready now. I intend to depart on a dueling journey."

Yun Cheon's gaze came to rest on the lowest reaches of the Wind Cloud Board.

'If it were Yu Ha… he would have arranged the rankings for maximum effect. And that would mean—'

Climbing from the very bottom to the top faster than anyone else.

"…Then the first sacrifice should be this one. Rank one hundred. Young Sect Leader of the Black Dragon Sect, So Ryong."