84. You Chop the Neck of Anyone Who Dips into Someone Else's Rice Bowl!
Won Seung's gaze shifted from Yang Gwan to Gu Ja-ang, whose head was gripped firmly in the elder's hand.
This guy's taking the lightning bolt in my place... A twinge of guilt stirred in him.
Serves him right for being there. Got a unique taste for midnight swims or something?
Huh?
A sudden thought flashed through his mind, drawing Won Seung's eyes to the river.
Gu Ja-ang... he'd been scheming something in the water, aiming for the Three Powers Martial Exhibition!
Just like Won Seung had hidden his own tricks... this bastard had definitely planted something too.
Lightning's too good for the likes of him.
At the warehouse wharf plaza, three factions faced off. More precisely, Cheongsu Gate and Gwancheonbang were locked in confrontation, with Yang Gwan standing between them, clutching Gu Ja-ang by the hair.
"Elder Yang, is that...?"
Hwa U-geuk cupped his fists toward Yang Gwan.
"You've caught... an assassin."
Hwa U-geuk's eyes flicked to the man whose hair was in Yang Gwan's grasp.
If Yeo-wol was right... that should be Pung Woo Saeng?
The reason Hwa U-geuk had arrived later than Pyeong In-gang was the chaos back at Cheongsu Gate—an intruder assassin.
In the end, Hwa Yeo-wol had secretly confessed to her father, Hwa Cheon-un, so Hwa U-geuk knew about tonight's patrol too.
But... the captive wasn't Pung Woo Saeng.
Who's this middle-aged geezer?
He wanted to ask who the hell they'd caught, but the situation was delicate, so he held his tongue for now.
Yang Gwan had caught someone, after all—they owed him respect.
"This one's just a lackey. The real one's hiding somewhere around here."
At that moment, Gwancheonbang's Pyeong In-gang stepped forward.
"So it was Cheongsu Gate! Kidnapping our grand steward?!"
Pyeong In-gang had pieced together the situation from Hwa U-geuk and Yang Gwan's exchange. That crazy old man was backup from Geom Yak Jong.
With Gwancheonbang's reputation already in the dirt, he tried to spin it as Geom Yak Jong snatching Gu Ja-ang.
Startled by Pyeong In-gang's shout, Hwa U-geuk examined the captive more closely.
He hadn't recognized the battered face at first, but up close... it was definitely Gwancheonbang's fox, Gu Ja-ang.
What the hell happened here?
Hwa U-geuk's face hardened.
From Gwancheonbang's perspective, this was grounds for immediate war.
To Yang Gwan, it was outrageous effrontery. Having grasped the "full story" from Pyeong In-gang's words, he exploded in rage.
"This scum is Gwancheonbang's grand steward? So you bastards set this trap to kill me!"
He shook Gu Ja-ang's head violently as he roared.
"What? This lunatic old fart dares slander Gwancheonbang? You wanna die?"
Yang Gwan was dumbfounded by Pyeong In-gang's cursing.
"Who the hell are you?"
"I'm Gwancheonbang elder Pyeong In-gang!"
To Geom Yak Jong elder Yang Gwan, even Gwancheonbang leader Cheon Il-hae was beneath notice. A grand steward or elder? Less than the dirt under his nails.
"Fine, I'll kill you too. Just wait your turn!"
With that, he flung Gu Ja-ang to the ground and tore open his robes with a rip. Then he yanked the iron arrow from his thigh.
Blood gushed out in thick spurts. The pain hit hard, and bile rose in his throat. At his age, even the best tonics wouldn't fully mend such a wound.
Young bucks laughed off blade wounds, but the older you got—and the higher your realm—the more precious every drop of blood became.
In a fit of fury, he jammed the arrow into Gu Ja-ang's shoulder blade.
"Gahk!"
Gu Ja-ang let out an agonized scream.
Everyone grimaced at Yang Gwan's brutality.
This old man's completely insane!
Pyeong In-gang bellowed in fury.
"Fire!"
Gwancheonbang subordinates, crossbows already loaded and aimed, unleashed a volley of iron bolts.
Shoo-shoo-shick!
Yang Gwan swung his sword, batting them away.
Then Hwa U-geuk shouted.
"Attack them!"
Leading the charge, Cheongsu Gate warriors surged toward Gwancheonbang.
A Cheongsu Gate warrior in the rear pulled a signal flare from his bosom.
Hwa Cheon-un knew his nephew Hwa U-geuk had his brother Hwa Cheon-gang's explosive temper—and a fierce pride that kept him from calling for backup lightly. So he'd given the flare to their most timid warrior, instructing him to fire if things got dire.
The trembling warrior's shaky hand launched it skyward without hesitation.
Bang!
Another firework burst in Sangyang's night sky.
The locals knew what it meant—they slammed their windows shut tight instead of gawking.
The instant the firework exploded in the night sky, Jong Bi's pupils trembled.
Gwisoo didn't miss it. He lunged forward, thrusting his dagger.
Jong Bi's dagger moved too.
Shick! Shick!
This time, their blades didn't clash. Both right-handers, they blocked with their left hands while stabbing relentlessly with their right.
Then they closed in tight.
Jong Bi's stab for the gut was caught by Gwisoo's left hand; Gwisoo's chest thrust was snagged by Jong Bi's.
The position favored Gwisoo. Jong Bi had to push upward; he just needed to press down.
This kid's got skill and deep inner energy. But no experience!
Gwisoo was confident of victory deep down. After their long deadlock, capturing him felt all the sweeter.
He had no idea Jong Bi was a pro assassin. Suddenly, she kicked up toward his abdomen.
"Where?!"
Gwisoo blocked with his right foot—then his eyes widened like saucers. Agony exploded in his sole.
No time to think—he shoved Jong Bi back and leaped away.
A razor blade protruded from Jong Bi's shoe sole.
"Urghk!"
Gwisoo hopped on his left foot, retreating with pained groans.
She'd nailed the Yongcheon acupoint in his sole. Pain shot straight up to his crown.
Jong Bi pressed the attack, thrusting her dagger.
Gwisoo tried to kick it away, but his stance failed him—he missed.
Puk!
Her blade sank into his gut.
"Kyaak!"
Gwisoo screamed.
As Jong Bi went for the kill, a shout erupted from the alley.
"Stop!"
A massive cleaver whirled through the air.
Cheol Mado and his men came charging in.
Jong Bi spun and fled.
"After her!"
Cheol Mado ordered his men, retrieved his thrown blade, then approached Gwisoo. The man writhed on the ground, gasping—but he'd live.
Cheol Mado looked down and clicked his tongue.
"You're washed up. Taken down by some green kid."
"That bastard... I'll kill 'em myself. Ngh..."
Gwisoo's feverish eyes glared after Jong Bi's vanishing form.
Bang!
Hwa Cheon-un, seated in his office, glanced out the window. The distant firework was brilliant, but his heart was heavy.
He rose immediately, left the office, and headed to the rear garden.
Behind Cheongsu Gate manor rose a low hill.
Originally a massive tomb looted and ruined, Hwa Cheon-un had landscaped it with rocks and trees when building the manor.
Its stone chamber had been expanded into the Hwa family's secret training hall, dubbed Cheongsu Cave.
Whenever he had time, he'd added traps inside and out. Trespassers could die gruesomely without knowing how—skewered like kebabs.
But it's not enough against true masters.
Muttering to himself, Hwa Cheon-un approached the cave entrance.
Hwa U-cheon, guarding it, bowed to his third uncle.
"What happened?"
Tension etched Hwa U-cheon's face given the circumstances.
"Something big's brewing tonight. We need to prepare thoroughly."
Hwa Cheon-un instructed his nephew and entered Cheongsu Cave.
Beyond the stone door lay a three-zhang-long passage ending in another door, opening to a vast stone chamber.
As Hwa Cheon-un pushed through, he saw Hwa Cheon-baek seated on the raised stone platform opposite.
Hwa Cheon-baek was a handsome middle-aged man with a refined, angular face.
As his brother entered, Hwa Cheon-baek opened his eyes.
"Brother, tonight it ends. Steel yourself."
"As expected. I knew Gwancheonbang would pull something when they proposed the Three Powers Martial Exhibition."
Hwa Cheon-baek had ended his closed-door training early. Unblocking his Conception and Governor Vessels could wait; Cheongsu Gate's fall meant everything lost.
He hadn't fully unblocked them, but the century-old humanoid ginseng's effects had deepened his inner energy regardless—he'd settle for that.
Halting the training was top secret, known only to the Hwa clan. They still guarded Cheongsu Cave rigorously.
"If I leave, they'll raid it immediately."
"Don't worry. Whoever comes... won't leave alive!"
Quiet fury flickered in Hwa Cheon-baek's eyes.
"I'll go. Be careful."
Hwa Cheon-un exited Cheongsu Cave, gathered thirty warriors, and headed for the warehouse wharf.
Ching!
"Ngh!"
Gwancheonbang and Cheongsu Gate were evenly matched, sparking a fierce melee.
Pyeong In-gang clashed with Hwa U-geuk.
Kang!
Sword met blade. They'd been probing each other while scanning the battlefield—Pyeong In-gang a battle-hardened veteran, Hwa U-geuk superior in pure inner energy and swordsmanship.
Gwancheonbang warriors fired crossbows at Yang Gwan from afar, alternating volleys.
Yang Gwan itched to charge and slaughter them, but his thigh wound and leaving Gu Ja-ang tied his hands.
Even a master stayed busy deflecting a relentless barrage of a dozen bolts.
Then, twenty-odd Gwancheonbang men rushed in, followed by booming laughter.
"Hahaha! So this is it! Let's have some fun!"
Sangyang's mad dog, Gwan Ju-gyeon, thrilled at the blood-soaked chaos. He scanned the field and spotted Yang Gwan and Gu Ja-ang.
That's Gu Ja-ang!
Pyeong In-gang, fighting Hwa U-geuk, glanced over and shouted gladly.
"Elder Gwan! The grand steward's caught by that guy!"
"What?!"
Gwan Ju-gyeon charged straight at Yang Gwan.
"Be careful! He's a Geom Yak Jong master!"
Pyeong In-gang warned again, but Gwan Ju-gyeon ignored him.
"Geom Yak Jong or whatever... you chop the neck of anyone who dips into someone else's rice bowl!"
His words were wild, but his eyes gleamed cold and sharp. He played the mad dog, but none were cooler than Gwan Ju-gyeon.
At "Geom Yak Jong," he hurled his massive cleaver at Yang Gwan, then drew twin short cleavers—one-ja blades—from his back.
His true weapons: the Eight-Severing Cleavers.
"Dog pack! Sic 'im!"
Gwan Ju-gyeon roared as he rushed Yang Gwan, his men swarming behind. Sangyang mad dog's pack... were rabid hounds too.
Kang!
Yang Gwan knocked the flying cleaver aside.
Unbelievable. He, a lofty Geom Yak Jong elder, reduced to a street brawl in Sangyang.
Fury made his beard quiver as he bellowed.
"You all wanna die?!"
He stepped forward—then yelped, doubling over.
Incredibly, Gu Ja-ang had drawn a dagger and pinned Yang Gwan's right instep to the ground.
When Yang Gwan stabbed his shoulder with the arrow, the shock had spasmed his muscles, releasing the sealed acupoint.
Enduring the humiliation, Gu Ja-ang bided his time. Seizing the moment Yang Gwan focused on Gwan Ju-gyeon, he'd struck back petty-style.
Then he rolled away, escaping Yang Gwan.
By chance, he rolled right to the martial arena.
Gu Ja-ang's eyes met Won Seung's, who was hiding beneath it.
'!'