The Skyborne Carriage
Jeon Akgwan left the medical room and headed straight for the Guryong Sect. The reason was simple—his former subordinates still harbored rebellious thoughts toward Dan Hyunwoo. They were probably living in misery right now.
The black path suited their nature. Yet they were being forced to walk the white path instead.
Jeon Akgwan stepped into the Guryong Sect grounds.
“Boss! What brings you here?”
“Is Elder Gong in his quarters?”
“He is. He’s been sorting through the assets we’re supposed to hand over to the Dan family. Hasn’t gone home in days.”
“Don’t tell anyone I was here.”
Elder Gong’s residence stood right beside the main hall Jeon Akgwan used to occupy. He marched over and flung the door open without ceremony.
Elder Gong, who managed the sect’s finances, jumped in surprise at the sight of him.
“Boss? You shouldn’t be here right now.”
“Shut up and bring me every last coin the Guryong Sect owns.”
“We can’t! If the young master of the Dan family finds out, he won’t let this go.”
“You fool. A few days apart and you’ve already become Dan Hyunwoo’s dog? Live as a dog if you want. I’ll build a new Guryong Sect somewhere else.”
“Boss! In the martial world, the strong rule. Kneeling to the powerful is how you survive. Right now we need to strengthen our ties with the Dan family.”
“You sound just like Yu Sucheon. Enough talk—hand over the money. It was mine to begin with.”
“Are you truly set on this? There will be terrible consequences.”
“If you don’t get caught, there are no consequences. That’s the law of the martial world. Understand?”
Thud!
Jeon Akgwan swept aside the ledgers Elder Gong had been organizing and snatched up the promissory notes. A considerable sum—enough to fill dozens of gold ingots—disappeared into his sleeve.
Elder Gong watched in silence, unable to stop him. Jeon Akgwan stood with his sword half-drawn, killing intent radiating from him.
This is bad. At this rate the young master might tear the entire Guryong Sect apart. We were finally starting to stabilize… Jeon Akgwan, of all times to do this!
A groan escaped him, but he swallowed it. All he could do was hope the madman would simply leave quietly.
As if sensing his thoughts, Jeon Akgwan turned and walked out of the room.
The moment he stepped outside, dozens of black-path martial artists who had once followed him gathered around. They were the ones most dissatisfied with the current state of the Guryong Sect. To them, Jeon Akgwan was still their boss.
He flashed them a bold grin.
“Everyone doing well?”
“Doing well? The black path suits us, yet we’re being forced to live like white-path dogs. It’s killing us.”
“Kekeke, I figured as much. A pine caterpillar eats pine needles, not pinecones. So, how about joining me in building a new Guryong Sect?”
“We knew you wouldn’t just take this lying down. You’ve finally made up your mind.”
“I’m thinking of setting up in Fuzhou, Fujian Province. Will you follow?”
“Where the needle goes, the thread follows. We’ll go with you, Boss.”
“As expected, you’re the only ones I can count on. I’d like to take all of you, but… it won’t be easy.”
“Are you abandoning us?”
“That’s not it. Dan Hyunwoo’s martial arts are no joke. If we move together, he’ll catch us for sure. So we scatter and regroup in Fuzhou. How about it?”
“Kuh… As expected of the boss. Even if he’s incredibly skilled, he can’t catch us all if we split up. When do we move?”
Jeon Akgwan answered without hesitation.
“Now.”
* * *
It was late evening. Normally, Eun Doyun would already be asleep. But he loved listening to Dan Hyunwoo’s stories about the martial world. The ruthless jianghu where swords danced was terrifying, yet it held an irresistible allure.
Yet something about his uncle’s stories felt slightly off. People usually exaggerated their own experiences. Dan Hyunwoo did the opposite. He would pause mid-sentence, lost in thought, as if deliberately downplaying what had happened.
Eun Doyun had begun to notice this unconsciously.
Uncle is far stronger than I thought.
They said true masters never revealed themselves. The Dan Hyunwoo reflected in Eun Doyun’s eyes fit that description perfectly. That was probably why every story was so fascinating.
Still, there was a limit to how long Dan Hyunwoo would tell stories.
“It’s late. I’ll finish the rest tomorrow.”
“That’s a shame, but it can’t be helped. You should rest too, Uncle.”
“See you tomorrow, then.”
Dan Hyunwoo ruffled Eun Doyun’s hair. The boy reminded him of his own younger self, back when he had dreamed of the martial world.
After saying goodnight, Eun Doyun went to his room. Dan Seoyeon would be returning soon after finishing her work at the inn.
Just then, the front gate opened and Dan Seoyeon walked in.
“Was today your last day working at the inn?”
“You’re still awake? The new girl needed a lot of training, so I’m later than usual. She’ll take over for me starting tomorrow.”
“You’ve worked hard. Why won’t you come closer?”
“If I get close, you’ll just mess up my hair again.”
“What’s wrong with patting your cute little sister’s head?”
“I… I sweated a lot today.”
Face flushed, Dan Seoyeon slipped into her room. She would probably come out later to wash up. Dan Hyunwoo had no intention of forcing the issue if she really didn’t want it.
He rose from the porch and turned his gaze toward the Guryong Sect’s main compound. He could sense Jeon Akgwan and dozens of his black-path followers moving.
“So they’re going after all. I was hoping they’d stay put.”
* * *
Every night, the constable Geum Sochil’s job was to clean the prisoner transport carriage. As the youngest constable, he would soon be relieved of the task, but he didn’t mind. Working late meant he received night duty pay.
So tonight, as usual, he headed to the government office storeroom carrying a bucket of water and a rag, humming to himself. When he opened the door, he let out a yelp and fell on his backside.
“U… Uhhhk! What in the world—!”
The prisoner transport carriage was gone. It was as if a ghost had taken it.
* * *
Jeon Akgwan moved quickly over the mountains. His subordinates had scattered in every direction, vanishing into different peaks. As long as they blended in while leaving Hangzhou, they would never be caught. With so many people moving, how would anyone know which one was him?
So he avoided using lightness skill and simply walked toward the second mountain. The moon was bright—a full moon that lit the dark mountain path well enough.
Tomorrow, when they realize I ran, that Yu fellow will probably beat the ground in regret. What a fool.
Most of his men would make it to Fuzhou. At least half of them should escape capture.
Just as he was thinking this, something suddenly darkened his vision while he climbed with quiet steps.
It looked as though clouds had covered the moon. Jeon Akgwan glanced upward, hoping they would pass—and sucked in a sharp breath.
A carriage was flying through the sky.
“What the—! What am I seeing? An immortal?”
The carriage drew closer. Jeon Akgwan’s eyes grew wider. It was a carriage—the kind used to transport prisoners, made of countless wooden bars.
Thud!
The carriage landed right in front of him with a heavy crash. How had it flown? The answer was simple. Dan Hyunwoo had carried it through the air.
Even seeing it with his own eyes, Jeon Akgwan couldn’t believe it. What shocked him more was the sight inside—the carriage was packed full of his scattered subordinates, crammed together like sardines.
Jeon Akgwan collapsed to the ground.
This crazy bastard…
Dan Hyunwoo walked over slowly and stood before him.
“Want to get beaten before getting in? Or will you climb in yourself?”
At those words, a twitch ran through Jeon Akgwan’s lips. Now he understood why Yu Sucheon had said what he did. Just as the man had warned, there was no escaping this hell until death. Dan Hyunwoo was that kind of person—a master of unfathomable heights. Yu Sucheon had known it. Only Jeon Akgwan had been ignorant.
With trembling lips, he spoke.
“I… I’ll get in myself.”
He awkwardly squeezed his body into the carriage, wedging himself among his men.
Whoosh!
The carriage rose into the sky once more. Jeon Akgwan stared down at the receding ground, shaking uncontrollably.
I’m dead now.
* * *
Constable Geum Sochil stood frozen in shock before snapping back to his senses. The carriage was gone. This was a serious problem. Anything managed by the government office belonged to the nation—purchased with the people’s taxes. If someone had boldly stolen it from the office grounds, it was a matter of the office’s reputation.
Geum Sochil ran out of the storeroom and into the middle of the government compound, shouting.
“Magistrate! Disaster! The prisoner transport carriage has disappeared!”
Lights flickered on one by one in the darkened compound. Even the magistrate, who had been sleeping, rushed out with a lantern lit by a fire striker.
“What? The carriage is truly gone?”
“It is! I went to clean it just now and the storeroom was completely empty.”
“What were the guards at the main gate doing while the carriage vanished? This is no ordinary matter! No, there’s no time for this. We’ll track the carriage’s trail. Follow me.”
The magistrate, still half-dressed, dragged Geum Sochil into the storeroom. Upon entering, he drew a sharp breath. His arm holding the lantern trembled.
How could this be?
Breathing heavily, the magistrate spoke.
“Sochil.”
“Yes?”
“What is the meaning of this?”
“What do you mean?”
“You little—! The carriage is right there!”
Geum Sochil’s eyes widened as he followed. As if nothing had happened, the carriage sat exactly where it belonged. Before he could even wonder why it was there, the magistrate’s palm struck the back of his head.
Smack!
Geum Sochil clutched his head and rolled on the floor. The magistrate continued, fuming.
“Have you been drinking?”
“No! The carriage really was gone just moments ago!”
“The government office is in fine shape. I’ll punish you for this tomorrow. You’re in for a world of hurt!”
The magistrate struck him again before returning to bed. Geum Sochil rubbed the back of his head, muttering.
“But it really was gone… This is so unfair.”
* * *
The next morning, Yu Sucheon sighed at the sight of Jeon Akgwan’s face. His eyes were swollen shut. His cheeks were so puffed up they were painful to look at. His lips were swollen enough to slice into three plates. Even Cheon Ilseong, lying injured in bed, hadn’t been this swollen.
Honestly, it was a miracle he was still alive. The same went for the Guryong Sect black-path martial artists who had tried to flee. They all wore faces similar to Jeon Akgwan’s. They knelt before the Dan family manor.
Tsk. I told you it was pointless.
Even as he thought this, a chill ran down his spine. It wasn’t just one or two who had run. Every single one had been caught without exception. At first he had doubted it was possible. But after hearing the story, it seemed Dan Hyunwoo had carried an entire carriage through the air using object manipulation.
His knees trembled.
He was really that strong?
So I really do have to stay here as a servant until I die, just like I said.
Now he was truly resolved to serve diligently. Until yesterday, he had still been half-hearted about it. But seeing Jeon Akgwan’s face gave him strength he didn’t know he had. If he didn’t want to end up like that, he would have to devote his entire body to loyalty.
A long sigh escaped him. Yu Sucheon rolled up his sleeves.
“Well then, what should I make for breakfast today… Because that crazy Jeon Akgwan got himself beaten half to death, I have to cook alone. Ah, my miserable fate.”