The Black Hawk's Tidings
Geomma, who had been idling away his time at the octagonal pavilion, stretched his arm toward the empty sky. Fwoosh! With a flurry of wings, a hawk bearing jet-black feathers alighted upon his forearm.
"Why have you returned so soon?"
Black Hawk was one of the spirit-like hunting falcons Geomma kept. Since he could not send his own Sura Sword Soul unit, he had dispatched it alongside the Heavenly Blood Squad on a whim, just in case. Yet here it was already, barely any time having passed since its departure.
Thump! Black Hawk shook its wings once, then extended one leg toward Geomma. A small scroll was tied to its ankle.
"Hmm..."
Geomma tore the scroll free and pulled a pouch from his robes, shaking it vigorously. "Here."
Black Hawk snatched the offered jerky, beat its wings, and soared away once more. Trained for message-carrying, it would fly straight back to the sender. Unlike pigeons, it was a top-tier predator with almost no natural enemies; in terms of value, even ten million gold would not suffice.
"Did something arrive?"
Gwonma, having spotted Black Hawk, called out from nearby.
"I was just about to check."
Geomma unfurled the tightly rolled scroll. His eyes widened at the hastily scrawled characters.
"What?!"
His shout sent the elders—who had been lounging about the pavilion, sipping the liquor Han Ga-eul had left behind—scrambling toward him.
"Geomma, what on earth has happened?"
Just like the Murim Alliance Leader before him, Geomma's white brows trembled like aspen leaves.
"Come now, speak up."
At Gwonma's urging, Geomma handed over the scroll. Gwonma read it in a rush, and the same cry burst from his lips.
"What?!"
The elders peering over his shoulder reacted identically, eyes bulging in disbelief.
"Why in the world would she beat up an inspector dispatched by the Murim Alliance...?"
Of all the people in the world, she had chosen to thrash an inspector. Murim Alliance inspectors held authority far exceeding their actual strength, their primary duty being surveillance. Even in a world ruled by force, most martial artists instinctively grew cautious at the mere mention of an inspector.
There had been that incident when Namgung Myung came to recruit Divine Doctor into his clan, accompanied by his uncle. Even then, Chun Ho had raised his voice, declaring it a Murim Alliance affair, against the famed master Sky-Piercing Cloud Sword.
"Where did you say the child's hometown was?"
"I never heard, but surely not the Demonic Path."
At Gwonma's reply, Dokma's brow furrowed. "You fool! Where in this wide world is there a Demonic Path that brews medicinal liquor?"
"What? Fool?!"
Though elders who had reached such heights could hardly be called ignorant—martial arts blended movement with study, and true masters perfectly controlled hundreds of acupoints and labyrinthine meridians—Gwonma was already rolling up his sleeves. Dokma, refusing to back down, flared his eyes in challenge.
"She must belong to some hidden mystic sect or have received teachings from an immortal."
Just as Dokma and Gwonma were about to clash in earnest, the Chief Strategist's voice drifted up to the pavilion. The elders, for all their cunning, could only nod in agreement.
Han Ga-eul's instantaneous treatment of external wounds, her inner-organ healing technique, and her bone-setting skill already bordered on the miraculous, beyond ordinary comprehension. Visible injuries closed in an instant; invisible internal damage and broken bones were mended. The Chief Strategist had briefly wondered if the immortal in question might be Hua Tuo, but shook his head. No. Even if Hua Tuo returned from the dead, he could not accomplish such feats.
A special child. In Murim, to be special one must be overwhelmingly strong. Otherwise, that brilliant talent became poison, shortening one's lifespan.
"A talent hidden in a sack will eventually burst forth."
The Chief Strategist, who had been worrying whether to dispatch more troops, recalled the Heavenly Blood Squad still accompanying Han Ga-eul and dismissed the concern.
"Children will cause trouble while playing. As long as it is not too serious, all is well!"
"Quite right."
Contrary to the Strategist's thoughts, Dokma appeared untroubled. "Still, even if her appearance and abilities are exceptional, the child is too exceptional. I only hope no great incident occurs."
The Heavenly Blood Squad members slipped into the village at their leader's signal, quickly blending among the common folk. Some strolled with wine bottles in hand; others sampled street snacks. While escorting Han Ga-eul, the leader's gaze caught on an old man.
Shabby clothes, hair gone completely white. He was the sort of ordinary person one would pass without a second glance, yet to the leader's eyes he stood out sharply.
He's deliberately breaking the rhythm of his steps to appear unsteady.
Though the Heavenly Blood Squad leader's own martial prowess had declined due to sealed meridians, his eyesight remained sharp. Years of surviving near-death experiences had honed his instincts. By that measure, the old man was anything but ordinary.
While the leader continued watching, a subordinate's voice transmission reached his ears. North-northeast, twenty paces, beside the butcher's wall—escort target located.
Naturally averting his gaze from the old man, the leader turned toward the butcher shop. A crowd had gathered. At its center flashed a glimpse of pinkish-white hair. Even without the transmission, he would have spotted it instantly.
Thud!
"Guhk!"
One of the Heavenly Blood Squad's escorts had already beaten a man to the ground. Thud!
Why does a human stomach make a drum sound when struck...?
Every time Han Ga-eul's fist sank into her opponent's abdomen, a drum-like tearing noise rang out.
Identity confirmed. Murim Alliance Vice-Inspector Chun Ho.
"Hrk."
The Heavenly Blood Squad leader let out an involuntary sound before clamping his mouth shut. Inspectors, backed by the Alliance's vast authority, poked their noses into everything; they were thorns in everyone's side. Yet even an inspector should have no reason to hold a grudge against a newly debuted Murim novice. After much thought, one incident surfaced in the leader's mind. There is one possibility... but...
Namgung Myung, third son of the Namgung Clan, had offered the heavenly elixir Thousand-Heart Dragon Pill as a wager for a duel before his Murim debut. In the end, after being thrashed by Han Ga-eul, he had brought his uncle, Sky-Piercing Cloud Sword, only for the uncle's leg to be severed by Hyang-Hyang. Vice-Inspector Chun Ho had been present that day. Still, the leader could not call it a true grudge; Chun Ho had merely been standing nearby.
Thud—!
With the loud impact, the leader finished his deliberation and looked again, but the old man in shabby clothes had already vanished.
"Your family is the Murim Alliance?"
"Nngh..."
"Even if it is only because Grandmother asked, I need to see those bastards' faces. Wait here."
After tossing Chun Ho against the wall, Han Ga-eul took the child's hand and walked off somewhere. The Heavenly Blood Squad leader watched the scene unfold.
A carriage stood near the village entrance. The driver had tied the horse to a tree and disappeared, likely to let it graze. From the grass, Heavenly Blood Squad members hidden by concealment arts spotted a familiar pink hue approaching.
"Hup...!"
A gasp of shock. This time it was not the leader. Guilt flickered in the squad member's eyes as he realized his mistake. Yet upon seeing the sight, he could hardly be blamed.
"Kuh! Kuh! Kuh!"
Han Ga-eul was dragging Chun Ho out by the ankle, the man's head bouncing off every rock in her path.
"Guide me to the Murim Alliance or whatever plague it is."
"The Murim Alliance... lies in Henan, back-to-back with the Shaolin Temple."
"How far?"
"A little under two thousand li from here."
Upon hearing the answer, Han Ga-eul raised her hand high and brought it down swiftly.
Smack!
"Gahk!"
Chun Ho's eyes rolled back momentarily from the blow to the back of his head before refocusing.
"Agh, you annoying bastards. Use the metric system, damn it!"
"Y-Young Miss, what system are you speaking of...?"
"The Murim Alliance dares talk back...?"
"Hrk..."
The gentle gaze she had shown the child was gone; killing intent poured from her eyes. Chun Ho felt his legs go weak. Never in his time as inspector had anyone treated him so brazenly. This Divine Doctor was the first.
Smack!
"Kuh!"
The Heavenly Blood Squad members watching from afar instinctively covered their mouths, yet maintained their concealment while continuing to observe.
Tap.
An unknown figure lightly descended in front of Han Ga-eul. The Heavenly Blood Squad leader's eyes widened. It was the same shabby-clothed old man he had been watching earlier. The old man carried a black bundle over his shoulder.
"Are you the Divine Doctor?"
"I am."
Without preamble, the old man lowered the bundle and began untying the cord at its mouth. As the cloth parted, a human head of hair came into view. The strands, long unwashed, glistened with grease as they emerged from the opening.
"The child you cherish is in my hands. Come with us..."
Han Ga-eul, who had been staring silently, blurred and vanished from her spot.
Boom!
At the same instant something exploded, a delayed shockwave tore through the air along her path, slamming into the distant Heavenly Blood Squad.
Hisss—!
Smoke rose from Han Ga-eul's skin. Her movements resembled those of the Monkey King himself.
Pop. Pop-pop.
Heads burst from the force of her punches, spraying a red mist through the air. Chunks of flesh rained down, turning the ground to mud. The headless corpse of the old man collapsed.
With an expressionless face, Han Ga-eul retrieved the child from the bundle and cradled them carefully.
"Chun Ho."
"...Yes."
The one sleeping in her arms was the child who had offered a single coin to beg for their mother's treatment.
"Take them back safely."
"U-Understood, Young Miss..."
Chun Ho accepted the child and hurried back the way they had come. Meanwhile, Han Ga-eul's gaze shifted toward the carriage. She already knew what it was—the carriage driven by the headless coachman.
"Get out."
At her voice, the carriage door creaked open.
"I am..."
A languid voice drifted out, but before the speaker could finish, Han Ga-eul's kick slammed into the carriage.
Crash!
"Kuh!"
The man leapt from the half-destroyed carriage, eyes wide as he looked up.
"I am—!"
Smack!
Han Ga-eul's palm struck his cheek like lightning. One eyeball burst, teeth flew through the air.
"Guhk!"
The man desperately clung to consciousness. He could not die here. He had only worn filthy clothes and ridden a filthy carriage because of the imperial order. If he revealed his identity, the opponent would surely submit. He was a Northern Imperial Enforcer, a fourth-rank official of the imperial household who commanded a million troops through overwhelming wealth.
"Nngh...! I-I am a Northern Imperial Enforcer of the royal court..."
Having forced the words out through the pain, the man felt a flicker of relief. His declaration seemed to have worked; the hand that had been rising toward the sky paused.
Once I return, I will tear your limbs off...!
The man barely suppressed a laugh as he watched the halted hand.
Smack!
But the pause was only momentary. Blood streaming from his ruined eye, the man failed to endure the second slap and collapsed face-first, foaming at the mouth.
Chun Ho bound the unconscious imperial enforcer's broken limbs with rope and secured the rest to the motorcycle. From afar, the Heavenly Blood Squad leader watched, cold sweat soaking his back.
"L-Leader. He clearly said the royal court..."
"Shh."
The leader pressed a finger to his lips and shook his head. Yet beneath his outwardly calm demeanor, his thoughts churned in chaos. Even for someone who had survived countless battlefields, this situation was unprecedented. Reporting to his superiors took priority; the time for independent judgment had long passed.
Fwoosh!
After a long wait, the welcome sound of wings reached the leader's ears. Black Hawk!
Black Hawk flew in silence. The fact that wingbeats could be heard meant it had deliberately announced its arrival.
"Leader, why is Black Hawk heading that way...?"
"...?"
The hawk the leader had sent for the first report seemed to have mistaken its direction and was flying straight toward Han Ga-eul.
Fwoosh!
Han Ga-eul, having heard the sound as well, looked up. Black Hawk hovered in place. When she extended her hand, the hawk descended lightly onto her arm.
"Oh? Who might you be?"
Black Hawk tilted its head, meeting her gaze, then lowered its head to nuzzle against her arm.
"Wow, your feathers are so pretty. That white tuxedo look is stylish too."
Thump!
"But why is a bird of prey this small? You need to eat more. Want some meat?"
The Heavenly Blood Squad leader, watching the scene, felt as though he might faint.
