Laws of Battle (4)
Deeply bowing at the waist, Jangsan spoke up.
"My lord, please cast the spell on me as well."
"Got it, Jangsan."
Hanbin handed Jangsan a specially made training blade. Then he pulled a contract from his bosom again.
"...You understand, right, Jangsan?"
"......"
Jangsan glared at Hanbin without a word.
His resolve to become a puppet had vanished like dust, replaced by pure rage surging from his heart.
His eyes bloodshot, he climbed onto the sparring platform.
Two warriors faced each other on the platform.
As a chill wind swept across it...
Thud!
With Paeng Daewi's staff slamming down, the match began.
As his opponent assumed a starting stance, Jangsan made no move—he just screamed.
"Aaarrgh!"
By now, everyone could tell something was off with the Mangho Squad warriors.
Clang!
Clang!
Jangsan's blade whipped through the air at blinding speed.
His opponent could only scramble to block.
Watching from below, the Mangho Squad warriors tilted their heads.
"Was Senior Jangsan always that fast?"
"But didn't we think our own skills had regressed?"
They exchanged glances before turning to Hanbin.
Swinging his blade in fury, Jangsan could feel it too.
A month ago, he wouldn't have lasted with that exertion.
More crucially, his opponent's movements were crystal clear now.
Thump!
The warrior from the Fourth Young Master's side collapsed again.
Mangho Squad's victory was sealed.
Paeng Daewi, acting as referee, raised his staff high.
"I declare this match a victory for the Fourth Young Master's side!"
He slammed the staff into the platform floor.
Thud!
The platform boomed like a massive drum.
As if celebrating Hanbin's triumph.
That was when Paeng Kyungbin rushed onto the platform in a panic.
"I object!"
"What are you saying? You can't accept the result?"
"Law Enforcement Leader, this isn't about the win or loss."
"What? If not the outcome, then what?"
"The warriors from the youngest's side clearly used demonic arts."
At the words "demonic arts," the hall erupted into chaos.
"No wonder it seemed off."
"That explains it if it was demonic arts."
"They looked like they'd lost their minds earlier."
As murmurs spread, Paeng Daewi slammed his staff again.
Thud!
The hall fell deathly silent in an instant. Paeng Daewi continued.
"Demonic arts? Can you take responsibility for that claim, Second Young Master?"
"I can. A second-rate warrior beat a first-rate one—using Paeng Family's Wangja Sabdo, no less. Leader, look at the youngest's warriors right now."
Paeng Kyungbin pointed at Jo Ho and Jangsan.
All eyes turned to them.
Everyone tilted their heads. Jo Ho and Jangsan stood dazed, oblivious even to their victory.
Their eyes bloodshot.
It seemed a reasonable suspicion.
An absurd suspicion that could overturn the match.
Patriarch Paeng Kangwi's eyebrows twitched.
The scales of emotion were tipping toward Hanbin.
His belief: Entrust leadership to the strongest.
That strength must include devotion to the family—the basic virtue of a patriarch.
Yet Paeng Kyungbin was treating the family like trash.
Calling Paeng Family's basic blade art "second-rate," and Mangho Squad warriors the same.
Mangho Squad were full Paeng Family members.
And airing demonic arts suspicions publicly, no less.
Those who practiced demonic arts deserved severe punishment—but not blurted out like this.
Patriarch Paeng Kangwi gripped his armrest.
Tremble.
The chair visibly shook.
Oblivious to the patriarch's glare from afar, Paeng Kyungbin pressed on.
"I guarantee that blade and the manual in the youngest's bosom are tied to demonic arts."
He smirked as he finished.
Paeng Kyungbin had reports on Hanbin's side.
Seeing the blade, a slight surprise—then pulling out the manual, and Jo Ho with Jangsan losing their minds before climbing up.
"Ahem."
Paeng Daewi cleared his throat awkwardly. A true dilemma.
The match was decided, but ignoring the Second Young Master's demonic arts claim was impossible.
Hanbin's warriors had screamed like madmen and swung reflexively to win—that much was true.
Yet confirming demonic arts here was impossible.
If true, it wouldn't just tarnish Mangho Squad—it would drag the entire Paeng Family's reputation into the gutter.
Then Hanbin stepped onto the platform, gripping the special training blade Jeong Cheolmin had forged.
As he ascended, everyone swallowed hard.
His actions could turn this festival into an execution ground.
But today, Hanbin's face was unusually bright.
Like a lotus blooming in a pond.
He stood before Paeng Kyungbin.
"Can you take responsibility for your words, brother?"
His beaming smile contrasted his dry tone.
Sensing something off, Paeng Kyungbin stared silently.
He narrowed his eyes. Hanbin's face betrayed no emotion—like a painting from a master's absent-minded brush on rice paper.
Inexplicable, but the momentum was his.
Paeng Kyungbin raised his voice.
"Of course. A man's word is gold! As a Paeng Family young patriarch candidate, I'll stand by it."
"Did you just say Paeng Family young patriarch candidate?"
"Asking the obvious—are you mad from demonic arts too?"
"Sorry. I thought you meant Henan Jeong Family's young patriarch candidate."
"What are you...?"
Paeng Kyungbin trailed off, feeling the hostile stares.
Realizing his slip, but the priority was exposing Hanbin's demonic arts.
He composed himself.
"Don't change the subject. Pay for learning demonic arts."
Hanbin silently offered the blade.
Whoosh.
Paeng Kyungbin took it blankly.
He tilted his head. Aside from its weight, the weapon had no notable features.
Paeng Daewi extended his hand.
"Let me see that blade."
"Here."
Paeng Daewi swung it once.
His eyes sharpened. Paeng Kyungbin smirked.
Paeng Daewi asked Hanbin flatly.
"About one geun heavier than a standard Paeng blade?"
"Yes."
"Weight's centered forward."
"Yes."
"An average warrior couldn't swing this."
"Yes."
A clipped exchange, like stamping clay.
But the hall stirred again.
"What? If average warriors can't swing it, does that mean they really learned demonic arts?"
"But why not? Looks like a normal blade to me."
Paeng Daewi's next words dispelled the doubts.
"With forward weight bias plus this heft, the effective load in forms would feel four times heavier."
Obvious, in hindsight.
Forms require direction changes.
Forward-biased weight? A two- or threefold burden on the user.
Paeng Kyungbin interjected smugly.
"So a second-rate couldn't achieve that speed in the match?"
"Precisely."
Paeng Daewi's face hardened like winter ice.
His head turned slowly.
His gaze stopped on Jo Ho and Jangsan.
In the frozen silence, Paeng Daewi spoke.
"Jo Ho, was it?"
"......"
Jo Ho nodded mutely, forgetting decorum toward the Law Enforcement Leader.
Paeng Daewi bellowed.
"Jo Ho, get up here!"
"B-but, did I really use demonic...?"
"Come up, or I'll come down!"
Infusing his shout with inner power, Paeng Daewi watched Jo Ho climb reluctantly.
He gripped Jo Ho's wrist vein.
Twist.
Jo Ho paled, unable to hide his anxiety.
Obeyed every order, even signed the slave contract under false pretenses—now demonic arts?
Rage boiled anew.
Paeng Daewi's expression shifted as he probed Jo Ho's meridians with qi.
Paeng Kyungbin's smirk grew.
Moments passed. Paeng Daewi released the wrist.
Onlookers gulped.
The truth was imminent.
But Paeng Daewi hesitated, tapping his temple thoughtfully.
Finally, he eyed Hanbin.
"Why deceive us?"
"Deceive? What do you mean?"
Necks craned; the moment had arrived.
As stares pierced the platform like arrows, Paeng Daewi declared.
"That Jo Ho has reached first-rate realm."
Jo Ho gaped most of all.
"M-me? First-rate?"
Ignoring him, Paeng Daewi pressed Hanbin.
"Reporting realm advancements is family rule, isn't it?"
"Yes. And the deadline is one month."
"Then..."
"Correct. Until a month ago, Jo Ho was definitely second-rate."
The hall exploded.
"What? First-rate in one month?"
"It happens."
"No way—Jo Ho was bottom second-rate. How in a month?"
Even Paeng Daewi let the murmurs slide, stunned himself.
Hanbin spoke.
"Leader, he swung a hundred-geun blade ten thousand times. I see it as natural."
"Hm."
Paeng Daewi narrowed his eyes.
Couldn't pry training secrets here—equivalent to revealing private manuals.
Jo Ho was most baffled.
He'd thought his skills regressed through that hellish month, and Hanbin a sadistic pervert enjoying his pain.
Now Paeng Daewi called him first-rate—his mind blanked.
Paeng Kyungbin's frantic shout snapped him out.
"That can't be. I..."
He trailed off, nearly blurting about sabotage poisons.