Sorry, Carp
“Take off the mask.”
Won Seung shook his head vigorously in refusal. He didn’t even want to let his voice be heard.
Yang Gwan sneered.
“You’re not getting away anyway. It’d be wise to obey quietly.”
At that moment, torches flickered from the direction of the dueling platform, and someone shouted.
“Who’s there?”
Won Seung yanked the dagger from his calf and hurled it toward the torchlight.
Shiiik!
“Watch out—it’s an enemy!”
The warrior guarding the dueling platform bellowed as the dagger sliced through the darkness.
Warriors poured out from the warehouses on both sides of the platform—Cheongsu Gate and Gwangeonbang men who’d been waiting for their shift change.
The two factions faced off.
“What’s your scheme here?!”
“Hmph, isn’t this your doing?”
“What nonsense is that?!”
The two sides glared at each other while still advancing toward them.
Yang Gwan scowled.
“This has nothing to do with you. Back off!”
“State your identity.”
“Hmph!”
Yang Gwan swung his sword with a whoosh. A flash erupted as sword qi shot forth. He was a master who could unleash sword qi.
“Urk! Sword qi?!”
The warriors hastily retreated.
And then—
Shweek!
An arrow from a crossbow whistled through the air.
“These pests!”
Yang Gwan wildly swung his sword.
Papapap!
Sword qi flashed, and the two leading warriors collapsed, spurting blood. Coincidentally, one from Cheongsu Gate and one from Gwangeonbang.
“Stay quiet. I just need to take this one!”
Quiet after harming people? Who did he think he was fooling…
Cheongsu Gate and Gwangeonbang warriors lived with the pride of being Sangyang’s overlords. They couldn’t let Yang Gwan off after he’d struck down their comrades.
He might wield sword qi, but they had numbers. Six from each sect—twelve in total.
Ah, ten now, with two down.
“Let’s catch that bastard first!”
The Cheongsu Gate squad leader proposed to his Gwangeonbang counterpart.
“Agreed.”
The Gwangeonbang leader nodded furiously.
At the leaders’ signals, the warriors fired their crossbows in unison.
“You bastards? Want to die?!”
Yang Gwan roared and swung his sword again. Even a master found it burdensome to deflect crossbow bolts in the pitch-black night.
Chaeng!
As Yang Gwan batted away the arrows, Won Seung launched himself forward. He skirted the warriors and bolted straight for the dueling platform.
“You think you can escape?!”
Enraged, Yang Gwan gave chase—but the relentless crossbow fire from Cheongsu Gate and Gwangeonbang forced him to halt.
“You filthy vermin?!”
Yang Gwan leaped, crashing into the Cheongsu Gate and Gwangeonbang warriors.
Papapap!
Sword light and qi raged like a gale, scattering the warriors. Yang Gwan pursued at blinding speed, slashing relentlessly.
The warriors blocked with swords and blades, but it wasn’t enough.
“Karak!”
“Guk!”
Even as they fell, the warriors called for reinforcements. One blew a shrill whistle with all his might.
Piiiik!
The whistle pierced the darkness, carrying far.
A Gwangeonbang warrior launched a firework.
Pik, pipiririri!
Yang Gwan soared into the air and cleaved the rising firework with his sword.
Slicing a launching firework mid-air… Incredible agility.
But there was more than one. A Cheongsu Gate warrior’s firework exploded.
Puuung!
Brilliant sparks and smoke bloomed across Sangyang’s night sky.
Yang Gwan scattered the Gwangeonbang and Cheongsu Gate warriors, then searched for Won Seung.
As expected, the bastard was sprinting toward the wharf’s end, planning to flee via the river.
Yang Gwan shot forward.
As he reached the wharf’s edge, Won Seung sensed a sharp aura closing in.
Yang Gwan had caught up, roaring with a fearsome glare as he thrust his sword straight.
“Die!”
‘Sword qi!’
Sword qi could only be countered with sword qi.
Won Seung channeled inner energy into his dagger, spinning to deflect the incoming qi.
Chichichik!
The clashing qi screeched like grinding metal.
Yang Gwan was stunned.
He’d assumed weak martial arts from all the fleeing—but this foe could unleash sword qi!
It was distant qi, yet powerful enough to split a massive tree. And he’d blocked it with a short dagger.
Yang Gwan lunged at Won Seung, swinging again.
Papapap!
Sword qi surged like a tidal wave.
It was Man-gyeong Chang-pa, a technique from Geom-yakjong’s secret art I-seon San-geom.
‘Can’t block this!’
Won Seung screamed inwardly but frantically swung his dagger as he dove into the river.
“Kuhk!”
He deflected what he could, but one strand pierced dead center into his heart.
The massive shock nearly blacked him out, but plunging into the water kept him conscious.
Fortuitously, the qi only shattered his armored vest.
Without the forty years of inner energy in his protective qi, it would’ve pulverized both vest and heart.
Won Seung came to and swam deeper into the river.
He spotted the oilskin pouch he’d tossed in earlier—for emergencies.
He swam desperately, opened it.
Inside: a crossbow with iron arrows, a longer blowpipe than Jong Bi’s, a leather bandolier stuffed with sword, knife, flying blades, water arrows, and more hidden weapons.
Won Seung loaded an iron arrow into the crossbow, donned the bandolier. He strapped the sword to his back and knife to his side.
His eyes blazed with fury.
‘That old bastard—I’ll kill him for sure!’
The vest had held, but a heavy pain throbbed in his chest. He’d nearly died.
Won Seung kicked off the riverbed and surfaced toward the bank.
Successive brilliant fireworks lit the wharf, revealing Yang Gwan scanning the water.
Won Seung bit down on the blowpipe.
A massive carp happened by, eyeing him curiously. He’d moved so stealthily, it mistook him for a fish.
‘Sorry, carp.’
Won Seung grabbed it and hurled it skyward over the river.
* * *
Jong Bi had slipped into Gwangeonbang undetected.
Won Seung had fairly informed Cheon Il-hae of Sangyang’s underworld boss Deung Noya’s identity and ambitions. Time was too short for full countermeasures, but forewarned was forearmed.
Cheon Il-hae was livid.
He’d fancied himself Sangyang’s overlord—only to get backstabbed by the underworld. His rage turned on Gu Ja-ang, who’d maneuvered him into this.
“Gu Ja-ang didn’t even meet Yu Bul-gun before returning, right?”
If he’d been in league with Seongwangbu or the underworld, Cheon Il-hae might’ve killed him cleanly. But to be played by Seongwangbu’s instigation? Unforgivable.
And he’d made such a fool his chief strategist…
Gwan Ju-gyeon spoke up.
“Yes. His close ties with Yu Bul-gun seem false.”
“No more waiting till morning. Drag Gu Ja-ang to the riverbank now. I’ll gut him.”
In Gwangeonbang, the riverbank meant execution grounds.
Murderous light flashed in Cheon Il-hae’s eyes. Despite two decades of service, neither elder Gwan Ju-gyeon nor Pyeong In-gang tried to dissuade him.
No—Gwan Ju-gyeon welcomed it. How long had he waited for this? The old fox who’d belittled him for his brains—Gwan Ju-gyeon’s lips curled in anticipation.
“I’ll handle it.”
Gwan Ju-gyeon stepped forward.
As Gwan Ju-gyeon and Pyeong In-gang left the office, Cheon Il-hae pondered.
He knew Deung Noya, Shipowners’ Guild leader, well—had dined with guild heads recently.
Deung Noya’s mild demeanor and flexible nature earned him trust among Sang River ship owners.
‘Him, the Sangyang underworld boss?’
If true, he’d been thoroughly duped.
An ominous feeling stirred.
Guilds were little more than black dao thugs in disguise. Cheon Il-hae knew they bent laws via shadowy means when needed.
‘Must I yield to Dosanrim’s demands?’
Dosanrim headquarters demanded a fortune.
Cheon Il-hae had considered deploying Gwan Ju-gyeon and Pyeong In-gang to eliminate Hwa Cheon-baek themselves—using Gu Ja-ang as collateral.
But now, in anger, he’d ordered the kill…
‘If the black dao strikes from behind, I need defenses.’
Gwan Ju-gyeon and Pyeong In-gang would guard him as reserves. Hwa Cheon-baek would fall to Dosanrim’s five experts.
Cheon Il-hae pulled a document from his drawer and stamped it.
Dosanrim’s five had demanded a final decision by midnight.
He called to a guard outside.
“Tell the honored guests I’ll see them.”
Moments later.
Cheon Il-hae entered the rear hall. Five men awaited in the main chamber.
“Forgive the wait. Duties delayed me.”
He glanced at Yin-Yang Twin Blades and Three Mountains Alliance.
They bowed politely, but Cheon Il-hae seethed inwardly.
Gu Ja-ang’s prodding had led to striking Cheongsu Gate, forcing