Episode 120: All Things Return to Order (8)
Hanbin smiled quietly.
There weren't many people in the Henan Jeong Family who had any connection to him.
Even if they all dropped dead, it wouldn't make his eye twitch.
In other words, Jeong Hwiji had chosen the wrong target.
"What?"
Jeong Hwiji's eyes widened.
The elders and branch leaders' expressions shifted dozens of times as they listened to the conversation.
At first, they were shocked, then disappointed by the Azure Cloud Death God's words.
But they knew from Jeong Hwiji's next actions that the Azure Cloud Death God was right.
Jeong Hwiji withdrew his sword from the branch leader and launched himself at Hanbin once more.
Sighs of relief echoed from here and there in that instant.
As the tension eased, someone whispered in a voice like a dying man's gasp.
"As expected of the Azure Cloud Death God. Not only is he matchless in martial prowess, but his tongue is sharp as a blade too. This time, he saved us with words instead of his sword."
"Whew, yeah."
"We'll just get in the way if we stay here. Let's pull back."
"Right. Looking at it now, Jeong Hwiji isn't right in the head."
"Exactly. He gives speeches about how he's the only one who can advance the Henan Jeong Family, but now he's trying to kill us? The second young master has lost his mind."
The elders and branch leaders murmured as they filed out of the family head's hall.
Regretfully, they paused at the open doors to watch Hanbin and Jeong Hwiji's fierce duel.
That was when it happened.
Jeong Hwiji subtly shifted his trajectory.
At the same time, a chilling sword aura began to extend from his blade.
It was the technique of Fast Sword Hundred Decisions.
A method that wove a net of sword aura to trap the opponent.
Once ensnared in that aura, the target would be shredded into a hundred pieces of bloody chunks.
The supreme sword art of the Henan Jeong Family, usable only by the family head.
Jeong Muyong's eyes bulged at Jeong Hwiji's display.
He had never taught his son the forms of Fast Sword Hundred Decisions.
It was clear Jeong Hwiji had secretly studied the manual hidden in the family head's hall.
"Such greed... so much greed..."
Jeong Muyong couldn't finish his sentence.
Because the sword aura from Jeong Hwiji's Fast Sword Hundred Decisions was heading straight toward him.
In truth, this was Jeong Hwiji's final technique as well.
By squeezing out every last drop of his inner power for this strike, he planned to eliminate his father Jeong Muyong, his brother Jeong Inji, and the mysterious ronin from Haemnam—Hanbin—who had trapped them all.
Fast Sword Hundred Decisions
Paak! Shwooo!
Seeing the sword aura rushing toward him, Jeong Muyong hastily drew his sword.
He circulated his inner power.
Srrrrk!
Sword aura slowly bloomed along Jeong Muyong's blade.
That was when it happened.
Jeong Muyong abruptly spewed blood.
His body hadn't recovered yet.
Behind him, Hanbin was pursuing Jeong Hwiji.
But at this rate, Jeong Muyong and those around him would inevitably be harmed.
Then Hanbin slowed his pace instead.
He withdrew the Lightning Flash technique and prepared a new form.
Bluff and Bluster!
The moment the form came to mind, all his power concentrated into his holy sword.
"You bastard!"
Hanbin's lion's roar filled the family head's hall.
It was a brief, guttural shout, but its implications were far from trivial.
Overwhelmed by the immense presence, even Jeong Hwiji had no choice but to halt his Fast Sword Hundred Decisions.
In that fleeting moment, he clearly sensed the opponent's realm: Hwa Gyeong.
Jeong Hwiji had no choice but to turn his head.
A razor-sharp blade hurtled toward him.
Puk!
Hanbin's Moon Fang pierced Jeong Hwiji's shoulder.
In that instant, Jeong Hwiji's body crumpled.
Those watching the duel from outside began to stir.
"The Azure Cloud Death God won."
"He wasn't just any master."
"Definitely a Hwa Gyeong expert."
"Yeah, that presence was unmistakably Hwa Gyeong."
"But what's the Azure Cloud Death God doing now?"
"Yeah, the fight's over. Why..."
The elders and branch leaders whispered in trembling voices.
It was because of the actions of the man they called the Azure Cloud Death God—Hanbin.
Hanbin had now extracted one formula.
To claim the remaining formulas, he needed justification.
Hanbin shouted deliberately at Jeong Hwiji.
"This sword punishes filial impiety!"
Puk!
The sound of flesh piercing silenced everyone.
They all knew this was judgment for Jeong Hwiji's deeds up to now.
The faction that had sided with him flinched as if their own shoulders had been run through.
"Some might say this punishment is too light for you. This sword judges you for attempting to harm your subordinates as a direct heir meant to uphold the family!"
Puk!
Hanbin's blade struck another vital point on Jeong Hwiji.
Everyone fell deathly silent.
Each of Hanbin's words struck their hearts.
But some harbored doubts amid Hanbin's relentless actions.
Someone muttered.
"Is the Azure Cloud Death God from the unorthodox sects?"
"Unorthodox? If he were, why would he come to help us? Even among the orthodox, there are plenty of eccentric folks."
"He seems ice-cold, like he has no emotions. Has there ever been such a master in the orthodox factions before?"
"Not before, but there is now."
"Now? Who?"
Conversation paused at the question.
Then several voices cried out in unison.
"The Azure Cloud Death God!"
Even as they spoke, Hanbin methodically suppressed Jeong Hwiji's vital points with his sword.
Of course, only at the points where formulas resided.
Dragon Eye confirms the technique.
Acquired Human-grade formula In (people).
[...]
Acquired Human-grade formula Seong (become).
Hanbin halted his sword.
He had finally acquired the last Human-grade formula.
Acquired Human-grade technique Kill Body Become Person (Kill an adult).
Kill Body Become Person was a phrase from the Analects, but the "person" there meant benevolence, whereas in the Yongrin Sword Art, it meant the character for "person."
As Hanbin pondered this briefly, another message appeared.
Kill Body Become Person (Kill an adult) - There is more than one way to gather the scattered formulas in the world. Pushing one's body to the extreme is one such method. This is the supreme Human-grade technique for absorbing formulas from an opponent's attacks. Activate supplemental explanation if further details are needed.
Hanbin glanced at Jeong Hwiji sprawled on the floor.
A faint point indicating a formula still flickered.
Without hesitation, Hanbin stabbed another vital point.
Puk!
As the formula seemed to be absorbed...
[... Switching to supplemental explanation.]
The technique of Kill Body Become Person has at times been called Energy Absorption Great Law (Absorption Technique).
"Hmph."
Hanbin let out a dry cough in disbelief.
The Energy Absorption Great Law was a divine art said to have been created by someone from the righteous-evil divide.
In other words, it could lead to misunderstandings if misused.
Come to think of it, traces of the Yongrin Sword Art seemed scattered throughout the murim.
That was when it happened.
Acquired three Human-grade techniques. Basic Volume bookshelf added. Four hours of meditation required to add bookshelf. No interruptions allowed during the four hours of meditation.
Hanbin's lips curved up to his ears.
It had finally come. Once the bookshelf was added and the Basic Volume's formulas increased...?
He would leap far beyond super peak high-grade.
As Hanbin smiled to himself, someone tugged lightly at his sleeve.
"Great hero."
Snapping out of his thoughts, Hanbin turned his head.
There stood Family Head Jeong Muyong, staring at him with a dazed expression.
Hanbin quickly composed himself.
He had stabbed without thinking, purely for the formula, but Jeong Hwiji was undeniably Jeong Muyong's son.
Regardless of subduing him, putting him through this public humiliation felt a bit sorry.
As Hanbin scratched the back of his head and opened his mouth...
Jeong Muyong spoke first.
"You haven't severed his limb meridians yet. No need to dirty your hands further, great hero. I'll finish it."
With that, Jeong Muyong unhesitatingly slashed Jeong Hwiji's limb meridians with his sword.
Swish.
As blood seeped from the robes and soaked the floor, Jeong Muyong turned to the warriors and commanded.
"Lock him in the brain prison."
At his shout, the stunned warriors outside rushed into the family head's hall.
That was when it happened.
Flap flap.
The sound of birds taking flight echoed.
Jeong Muyong tilted his head in confusion.
"What is that sound?"
"Likely spies releasing messenger pigeons. As I mentioned a few days ago, I doubt this was Jeong Hwiji's solo act."
"Then those messenger pigeons..."
"I've prepared for them. No pigeon will leave the Henan Jeong Family grounds."
Flap flap, flap flap.
Even amid their conversation, the pigeons' wingbeats continued to resound.
A band of beggars surrounded the Henan Jeong Family.
They wielded slingshots, shooting down pigeons trying to escape.
Thud! Thud!
The pigeons plummeted to the ground without leaving the premises.
One beggar picked up a fallen pigeon and grumbled.
"Ah, why does Elder Hong Chilgae make us do this?"
"Does it matter? Means pigeon roast for dinner tonight."
"Hey, watch your mouth. Whose nose are we sticking these pigeons on?"
"We've got twenty already. Not enough?"
"You think it's just you and me?"
The beggar pointed behind him.
It looked like every beggar in Henan was there, slingshots in hand, encircling the family grounds.
This was the Beggar Clan’s special heavenly net deployed against messenger pigeons.
Not a single pigeon could escape the Henan Jeong Family.
Someone watched the Henan Jeong Family from afar.
Drinking at a tavern on the village outskirts, he spotted pigeons flying over the family grounds and hurriedly dashed off somewhere.
His destination was the riverbank.
The area near the river was filled with chicken clucks, flapping wings, and the stench of chicken droppings, as if someone raised poultry there.
The man opened the door to the chicken farm and quietly observed someone inside.
An old farmer was feeding the chickens.
The man said to him.
"It looks like they've failed."
"Then we need to send word."
The old farmer slowly walked to the back.
Opening a door revealed not chickens, but a cage full of pigeons.
Moments later.
A messenger pigeon soared from the roof of the farmhouse packed with chicken coops.
These were spies planted by Lady Jeonghwa in preparation for the worst.
Now, with even pigeons unable to fly out, these spies were fulfilling their role.
That night, in Lady Jeonghwa's chambers at the Hebei Paeng Family.
Lady Jeonghwa received a messenger pigeon just before midnight.
Its message was shocking.
Her second brother—Jeong Hwiji, her ally—had failed.
Lady Jeonghwa stared blankly south for a moment.
But only for a moment. She realized it was time to face reality.
Staying here was suicide, so she decided to escape first.
Lady Jeonghwa opened her safe to retrieve her most valuable possessions.
Inside were a cold iron box and a few ledgers.
The ledgers were account books for claiming money from the largest battlefield in the central plains, Wanggold Battlefield. The cold iron box contained the real Qingming Pill.
As she wrapped them in cloth, Lady Jeonghwa tilted her head.
She felt the cold iron box was slightly heavier than usual.
Not lighter—heavier.
"What?"
Tilting her head, Lady Jeonghwa quickly examined the box.
The sealing wax was intact.
Yet an ominous premonition crawled up her spine.
In haste, Lady Jeonghwa tore off the seal and opened the cold iron box.
"Gasp!"
Lady Jeonghwa gasped.
Where the real Qingming Pill should have been, rusted cheap iron balls filled the box instead.
Her heart began to pound.
Thump! Thump!
Lady Jeonghwa frantically opened the ledger.
And spewed curses.
"Argh! You damn bastard!"
The ledger's cover was intact, but the contents had been swapped.
On the blank pages, only four characters were scrawled:
All Things Return to Order (Things must be rectified)
Srrrrk.
Lady Jeonghwa's dazed body collapsed.
So where were the real Qingming Pill and ledger?