Urgent News from Sanya County
'He knows not to use the Flying Sword in front of the Great Edge Sword, so does that mean the Great Edge Sword belongs to the Flying Sword Sect too?'
Won Seung's mind raced. But that left questions unanswered. If the Great Edge Sword was from the Flying Sword Sect, he could've easily protected Bang Pyeong. Yet he'd let the Myeonggeom Mountain bastards nearly kill him? No, even worse—abandoned Im Cho-ye? And sending the Embroidered Uniform Guard to watch them was suspicious too...
The Flying Sword Sect must have complicated internal affairs.
Just then, someone pounded on the front gate with a thunderous bang bang.
Who the hell's banging on someone else's gate in the middle of the night?
He went out and saw Mu Gi-an. The man's face was flushed from drink, and he was panting hard as he gasped,
"Hurry—run! Men from the Ministry of War are coming."
* * *
After parting from Won Seung, Mu Gi-an stopped by Hyeon-a Pavilion before heading early to a tavern for drinks. That's when he heard Hyeon-a had been turned upside down—and rushed over in shock.
The second son of the Ministry of War Vice Minister had been beaten to a bloody pulp by someone and was receiving treatment. With so many victims, every doctor in Hyeon-a had been dragged in for the job. The county magistrate paced anxiously nearby.
This was chaos on a whole other level. Mu Gi-an approached O-chong and asked,
"What happened? Bandits come down from the hills?"
"The new guy's caused a mess. All that's on him. We're dead meat."
O-chong looked like death warmed over. Just then, Hong Il-wan's guard came looking for him.
"You sent word to the Ministry?"
"Should've arrived by now."
Mu Gi-an lived outside the outer walls and knew the ways of the capital's noble sons well. The stiff new guy had no doubt handled things by the book.
O-chong pulled Mu Gi-an aside into a corner.
"Hide the new guy. Ministry men show up, he's toast."
"Ah!"
"Gotta keep him alive to see this through."
Mu Gi-an slipped quietly out of Hyeon-a and sprinted toward Won Seung's house.
* * *
"Why me? I did nothing wrong. They were caught red-handed."
"This ain't about right or wrong. High officials don't care about that."
"There's the law of the land—what nonsense is this?"
"The law's far away, power's right here."
And fists are even closer.
Won Seung shook his head.
"Where am I supposed to run, leaving my own house? I'm not going."
Won Seung dug in his heels, but Mu Gi-an's gaze shifted inside. He spotted Im Cho-ye sitting in the main hall.
"You live alone, right?"
"Friend's little sister."
"Uh-huh. Real pretty..."
"That important right now?"
"Argh, damn it—hide, now!"
Just then, the alley lit up as warriors carrying torches came streaming in. Easily over a dozen at a glance.
"Whoa, already here."
Mu Gi-an ducked inside the gate and hid behind a tree by the wall.
Won Seung sent a transmission to Im Cho-ye, who was watching from the main hall.
—Hide in the back room. If things go south, use the secret passage.
Then he stepped out, shut the gate with a thud, and planted himself firmly. The warriors swarmed up and lined up. Soon, a man with razor-sharp eyes stepped forward. His gaze alone felt like it could pierce Won Seung.
"You Joo Neung?"
"And if I am?"
The man glared coldly, then turned without another word.
"Take him."
The warriors lunged.
Thud! Thwack!
A flurry of brutal blows followed.
The man spat coldly,
"Don't kill him. The Vice Minister wants to interrogate personally."
Something rolled into the man's heel then. A body crashed down beside him next—the warrior who'd just charged.
The man whipped around. The warriors trying to grab Won Seung were getting pummeled one after another.
"You bastards try to drag a man off without a word? Who the hell are you? Dressed all in black, swarming like this... bandits, right? Spill it! Spill it!"
Slap! Slap!
Won Seung grabbed one warrior by the collar and smacked him across the face.
The man's jaw dropped in shock. Every Ministry warrior was a first-rate expert. How else could they pass the Ministry's bar? Yet here they were, getting manhandled like kids.
Knowing it was shady, he'd ordered disguises. Black uniforms made them look like bandits, sure.
"Draw weapons!"
Shing!
The warriors drew their swords in unison.
* * *
Gu Yeom-jung, worn out from endless duties, had eaten early and lain down. His attendant courtesan slipped into his arms.
But footsteps approached outside.
"What is it?"
"Urgent dispatch from Sanya County, sir."
Gu Yeom-jung cracked an eye. Sanya County urgent news? That guy's doing, no doubt.
Somehow, Cheon-ho's Jang Hak-ryang had infiltrated as a Sanya County constabulary investigator. Since then, Yi-gwan had been sending steady reports.
On paper, the guy seemed diligent as hell.
"You, out."
Ever proper about official business, Gu Yeom-jung shooed the courtesan away. She ground her teeth, nearly naked and booted from his room again. Never take messengers from Sanya County.
His subordinate entered and handed over the dispatch from Sanya.
...For assaulting the Vice Minister's second son, I have been dismissed. I won't be able to report further.
Yi-gwan's satisfaction leaped off the page.
"Ha, that bastard. Assaulted the Vice Minister's son?"
Even he wouldn't dare. His subordinate added,
"Ministry warriors left the city in disguise, by the way."
"What?"
Gu Yeom-jung's mind whirred.
He's done for now. No more annoying updates.
Grinning, Gu Yeom-jung said,
"Got it. Log this as received tomorrow morning. Dismissed."
Then he called back the shivering courtesan outside and slept soundly.
* * *
The Ministry of Justice sprang into action. Tensions between Justice and War ran deeper than Won Seung knew—especially between their Vice Ministers, bitter enemies.
The clerk, aware of this, rushed Won Seung's dossier up. The Justice Vice Minister took one look and stormed to the Justice Minister.
"How can a high official's son commit such an outrage?!"
The Justice Minister's eyes narrowed slightly. Tricky. Good to catch the Vice Minister's dirt, but couldn't just cover for assaulting a noble's kid.
"Hm... Vice Minister Jo, handle it. Quietly, though. You know one son's crime won't topple the Vice Minister."
Stockpile it. Hit him with more dirt later, take him down all at once.
"Understood."
Justice Vice Minister Jo Kyung summoned the inspector immediately. He knew exactly what War Vice Minister would do: grab the Sanya investigator, torture a confession of false charges. Couldn't let that happen.
"Bring in the Sanya constabulary investigator. War'll want him too, so take warriors. Don't let them snatch him."
The inspector mobilized men right after the disguised War warriors slipped out of the city.
* * *
As the warriors drew swords, Won Seung hesitated. He'd come out pretending to open the gate for Mu Gi-an—unarmed. Sure, Dok Sabu's dagger hid at his waistband, and short blades strapped to each calf.
Standoff. Won Seung and the warriors glared, tension thick. The warriors' aura shifted with blades out, but awaited orders. One word from the man, and they'd carve him up—eyes gleaming.
Won Seung stood bare-handed before swords, utterly unfazed. Better to fight empty-handed. His grasp of Musanggyeol deepened, understanding of Flying Sword Sect sword intent grew, letting him wield over sixty years of inner energy properly.
His movements quickened, qi control soared. Old fist techniques and new Tiger Claw Palm advanced leaps and bounds. Slapping away blades—once impossible with poor qi efficiency—now feasible. True Peak expert.
Mu Gi-an, peeking through the gate crack, gaped in disbelief.
The new guy's that strong?
Frankly, at seventeen? Astonishing. Who achieves Ren-Du meridians open, sixty years inner energy, peerless arts from two great sword sects?
The man couldn't fathom it. His men drunk? No, they looked sober. Exceptional hand-to-hand specialist.
Fist or body experts existed. Sword or saber specialists caught off-guard by close-quarters masters could fall easy. That's what he figured. No one would peg Won Seung as Peak from looks.
The man glared. Won Seung calling disguised him a bandit rankled. Knew damn well who they were, yet no kneel. Time to show Ministry authority.
"You dare! I am from the Mini—"
Won Seung launched skyward with a whoosh.
"You're the bandit leader, huh?"
So fast—he closed in, kicking out. The man recoiled, sweeping at the leg—and recoiled in shock. Calf like an iron pillar. As he retreated, Won Seung spun mid-air, slapping the man's face with his other sole. Smack!
Teeth flying, the man soared then crashed.
"Ah! The captain's down!"
Warriors panicked. Some grabbed the fainted captain; others swung at Won Seung. He channeled energy into his palms, eyes wide—not watching the blades, but sensing them. Eyes stared into void, not the charging foes.
Flying Sword Sect arts began with awareness training. Won Seung had practiced blind detection. Sword Manual literal, hard to grasp alone. Need a master. But secret practice—no asking.
Then, unconsciously linking yin-yang points sparked qi, sensing surroundings.
Training split his awareness: one on yin-yang points, other on sword intent. Energies linked, detecting nearby. Still fuzzy, vague—but real.
Now, sensing blades from all sides. First-rate experts charging—deadly. But eyes would get me killed.
"Danger! Dodge!"
Mu Gi-an yelled from the gate crack.
Won Seung stood defenseless—fair reaction.