A Sudden Tempest
“Make way for Deputy Commander Hwajin Sword!”
A few days later, from early morning, the banner of the Martial Alliance fluttered at the entrance of the Jongnam Sect. The investigation unit dispatched to uncover the truth behind the massacre in Xi'an had finally arrived.
Standing at their vanguard was a middle-aged man: Cheongsu, the Hwajin Sword. With a solemn expression, he watched the gates of Jongnam swing open. Ever since his days as a third-generation disciple, he had constantly been compared to Jongnam. Now, he was setting foot upon their grounds as the chief investigator. A swell of superiority washed over him. What did it matter if Jongnam was hailed as the premier sword sect of Shaanxi? Within the Martial Alliance, his standing was far higher.
Cheongsu was thoroughly pleased with himself, entirely oblivious to the fact that Jongnam paid him no heed at all. Jealousy of this sort invariably strikes the weaker party harder, yet Cheongsu remained unaware that he was still shackled by Jongnam's name. Or perhaps he simply refused to believe it.
“It has been some time, Deputy Commander.”
“Well met, Taecheong Jin'in. As notified yesterday, I have come to question the child who recently became your guest.”
Taecheong Jin'in's brow twitched. Regardless of Jongnam currently being subjected to an investigation, the Hwajin Sword's demeanor had clearly crossed the line. Chief investigator or Deputy Commander of the Heavenly Martial Corps, to treat the Sect Leader of Jongnam—one of the exalted Nine Great Sects—with such insolence was intolerable.
Beside him, Samyeong glared with bared teeth, looking ready to draw his sword at any second. Had Taecheong Jin'in not held him back, steel would have already flashed from its scabbard.
“Deputy Commander. It seems you mistake continued courtesy for an entitlement... Do not overstep your bounds.”
It was a calm warning, nothing more, yet Taecheong Jin'in's gaze was piercingly sharp. The investigators lined up behind Cheongsu instinctively shrank back under that glance. The Taoist master was even more formidable than during his last public appearance. Perhaps because he was no longer entangled in worldly karma, his presence had grown vastly deeper.
Cheongsu, who had intended to seize the initiative from the start, was rattled inside. He had not anticipated the old monster to remain in such prime vigor.
“If I was impolite, please forgive me, Jin'in. My senses must be dulled from traveling through the night.”
“Then you should have rested before coming. What is the meaning of this commotion at dawn?”
“There was concern over a risk of flight, you see, since our arrival was somewhat delayed. Not that I distrust Jongnam's security, of course, but one must account for every possibility.”
Taecheong Jin'in's expression twisted in displeasure. Even in an official setting, every word out of the man's mouth managed to grate on the nerves. Carving the character for patience three times in his mind, the Sect Leader spoke.
“...Is it merely my imagination that your words carry thorns?”
“I offer my apologies if that offended you. May I see the child now?”
Taecheong Jin'in wanted nothing more than to turn him away on the spot. Though he had not met her personally and knew her only through reports, Ryeong's martial talent was an uncut gem. If Cheongsu were to make an enticing offer that swayed her toward Mount Hua or the Alliance, Jongnam would forfeit a tremendous opportunity. Yet nominally, there was no pretext to refuse.
All he could place his faith in was Ryeong's sentiment. Despite the brief time she had spent here, she appeared to have grown close with the third-generation disciples. If she possessed a warm heart, surely she would not abandon Jongnam so easily. He could only hope that was the case.
Cold air and a frigid atmosphere hung heavy over the room, freezing the silence so solid that no one dared speak.
“I heard you came from the Alliance...?”
Ryeong was the first to break the stillness. Severe tension was one thing, but this was suffocating enough to kill someone.
Doesn't seem like he's harboring killing intent, though.
Cheongsu, the Hwajin Sword. Deputy Commander of the Heavenly Martial Corps under the Martial Alliance, and a master who had reached the Super-Peak Realm.
Back when she lived as Cheonsal, Ryeong had constantly clashed with the Heavenly Martial Corps. In fact, they were the very organization that had coined that absurd moniker, the Four Great Evils. Even if she had never crossed blades with the Deputy Commander himself, whenever she killed a target or robbed someone, she inevitably ran into their forces. Consequently, she had zero fond memories of them. To Ryeong, the Heavenly Martial Corps were merely nuisances to slaughter or escape from.
“As you are aware, a grave incident took place in Xi'an. An unidentified martial artist committed a massacre.”
“Yes. It just so happened that I was in Xi'an when it occurred.”
Ryeong offered the sweetest, most innocent expression she could muster. Putting on an act was second nature to her by now. Furthermore, she had already tested the sheer destructive power of this face when smiling. Her targets had been Jongnam's third-generation disciples, and almost all of them, Jinyeong included, had been thoroughly disarmed. Not to toot her own horn, but her looks could easily be called nation-toppling.
At any rate, it was terribly hard to spit on a smiling face. Rather than scowling during an interrogation, disarming the mood with a pleasant smile was far more effective. Of course, that only applied to ordinary interrogations.
“This is not a matter to brush aside with a smile. The crucial fact is that you were present there.”
It didn't work on Cheongsu. Even if it had, he clearly had no intention of lightening the mood.
“Did you happen to see anyone suspicious in the vicinity?”
“I ran into a beggar. He warned me that it was dangerous ahead and told me not to go.”
“A beggar? Do you recall his features?”
“Well, his beard was awfully long... and he smelled foul. Since he told me to turn back, I headed straight to a nearby inn to eat.”
Cheongsu scrutinized Ryeong with piercing eyes, discreetly releasing his internal energy to project a suffocating pressure. Surprisingly, Ryeong showed no reaction whatsoever. Though a faint trace of internal qi lingered about her, it made no sense for her to remain utterly unbothered by his aura. Furthermore, the beggar she described was undoubtedly the culprit behind the massacre, who had subsequently been struck down by someone else.
Judging by witness accounts, this woman is the only one who spoke directly with the killer.
Testimonies from the surrounding onlookers corroborated her story. Ryeong had indeed encountered the man, spoken with him briefly, and then altered her path toward an inn. In short, she had not lied. Cross-examination proved her words to be true.
“I understand you are currently a guest of the Jongnam Sect. With what motive are you staying here?”
“The person I happened to cross paths with was from Jongnam. Turns out he was the famous Sword Dragon? It felt like such a fascinating twist of fate that I simply tagged along.”
“You accompanied him merely out of curiosity?”
“Yes. And besides, isn't Jongnam the premier sword sect of Shaanxi?”
Cheongsu's lip twitched.
He scrutinized her, trying to determine whether she spoke out of genuine innocence or if she was taking a thinly veiled jab at him. Yet he could read nothing from her face. In all his years as Deputy Commander of the Heavenly Martial Corps, this was virtually a first.
To think I cannot read her expression.
The insolence of praising Jongnam right to his face was grating enough, but his inability to see through her thoughts agitated him even more. He was no ordinary investigator; he was a man who had made even Jongnam's Sect Leader tread lightly. Taking in a single person—and not even an official disciple, merely a 'guest'—without strictly observing protocol would cause no issue whatsoever.
“It seems this is no longer a matter for simple questioning. Arrest her; we are transferring her to the temporary headquarters.”
“Understood.”
“Pardon? Arrested?”
Clank!
Manacles snapped shut around Ryeong's wrists. She put on a startled, bewildered display at the sudden turn of events.
A flicker of conflict crossed Cheongsu's gaze, questioning whether dragging her off was truly the right move. But she had wounded his pride. She was already a prime suspect, and she dared provoke an investigator? She had brought this upon herself.
This bastard's even more revolting than that old geezer Hyeok!
A surge of fury flared within Ryeong. For a fleeting instant, she genuinely contemplated casting everything aside and slaughtering him right where he stood. Yet she contained her killing intent, forcing herself to swallow the urge.
She saw through Cheongsu's petty motives plain as day. The moment she mentioned Shaanxi's premier sword sect, his ego had bruised, and he was arresting her purely out of spite. She held back for two simple reasons: first, to keep her identity concealed, and second, because the chances of escaping unscathed were close to zero.
Even if I run, I'll just get cornered.
Jongnam's primary martial elite had congregated for this very investigation. Piercing through a cordon of Super-Peak masters and slipping away was practically impossible. Furthermore, their Sect Leader was a master of the Transcendent Realm. If she lost her temper and murdered Cheongsu, the heavens alone knew what catastrophe would follow. And considering Jinyeong's position...
Wait. Why the hell am I worrying about his position?
Catching her thoughts drifting down a strange tangent, she pulled herself together. Why on earth was she thinking about Jinyeong right now? Had spending time around righteous fools contaminated her mind?
This was no time to fret over others' sanity when her own was slipping. And so, surrounded by investigators, Ryeong was led away.
Even as they dragged her off, she milked her pitiful act for all it was worth. A fragile, mournful countenance; being hauled along weakly by burly men; eyes cast toward the dirt in helpless resignation. Though it had only been a few days, the third-generation disciples who had spent time with her watched in utter shock. Whether she was a suspect was beside the point; in their eyes, there was no way she could ever be the killer.
And then, an incident erupted.
“Please wait, Chief Investigator!”
“The Sword Dragon? This is no place for you to interfere. Step aside.”
“Is Lady Ryeong truly the culprit? Did she genuinely commit that massacre?”
Jinyeong had stepped forward, blocking Cheongsu's path. None of his martial brothers had time to stop him; it happened so abruptly that his actions could not be undone.
“And what if she is not?”
“If you intend to haul away an innocent woman... I cannot stand idly by.”
“What did you say?”
The tension coiled taut, ready to snap at the slightest touch.
Just as Jinyeong's hand reached toward his sword hilt, a scathing sound transmission tore into his ears.
Her sharp voice snapped Jinyeong back to his senses.
However.
CLANG—!!
It was already too late.
“Jin'in... Shouldn't you keep your disciples on a shorter leash?”
“You make far too much fuss. Am I to consider someone who draws their sword and attacks just because an arm moved to be of the Unorthodox Faction?”
Cheongsu had thrust his sword toward Jinyeong, only for Taecheong Jin'in to step between them and intercept the strike. As the two masters locked in a standoff, a suffocating, volatile undercurrent settled between the Martial Alliance investigators and the disciples of Jongnam.
Watching the spectacle unfold, Ryeong could only think one thing.
Did that idiot eat something rotten?
She couldn't fathom what had possessed Jinyeong to throw himself in Cheongsu's way. Blocking the man's path and reaching for his sword was practically begging, 'Please, just kill me.'