The Letter's Warning and the Black Feathered Visitor
Gwak Yeon stared at the letter in his hands, his expression calm but thoughtful.
“Master, did you really receive a commission?”
“A letter.”
“A… letter?”
“Don’t you remember from yesterday? Ho-shin told you to be careful with Baek Jung-hyeok, and he said the details were all in the letter.”
“Ah, no, are you serious about this?”
“Even I didn’t think it would be real.”
With a complex expression, Cheon Gang stood nearby as Gwak Yeon reached for the letter.
“……”
“……”
For a moment, Cheon Gang had been watching Gwak Yeon hesitate to open the letter.
“Shall I open it with you?”
“Ah! I’ll go get something for cleaning!”
With that single remark, Cheon Gang dashed off toward some part of the estate. Watching the retreating figure, Gwak Yeon finally tore open the letter.
It wasn’t something he needed to hide, but… just in case there was content Ho-shin didn’t want others to see.
“Hm.”
「Careful During the Duel with Baek Jung-hyeok」
The letter began abruptly with only that sentence, without any greeting or closing. Gwak Yeon didn’t know whether it was out of worry that the letter might fall into the hands of another sect, but to him it was more convenient this way.
“So you’ve always been aware of Baek Jung-hyeok, have you?”
Gwak Yeon quickly read the contents of the letter.
Overall, it contained analyses of the martial arts of the Jusan Baek family as a whole and of Baek Jung-hyeok personally.
Weapon compatibility… differences in inner energy… characteristics of the duel location… differences in the weapons… lightness techniques… poisons… strange conversations and odd maneuvers…
Throughout the letter, Gwak Yeon nodded at the finely detailed items. It was a reasoned and worrying analysis, with quite a few useful points.
But.
Several of them were no major problem for Gwak Yeon.
First, even the weapon compatibility.
“Even here, the swordplay I transmitted is not limited to swords. It’s not just the sword.”
Calmly, he considered. The sword and the blade, of course, but also the staff and axe, the dagger and dagger, and even in situations where chain whips and whips move, the way Gwak Yeon fought in his previous life was adaptable in a thousand and one ways.
The Manhyeong Swordplay.
With the character 萬 (ten thousand) Form attached, the little boy who had watched the fight at that time seemed to understand the trick… but the one who wrote this letter still seemed lacking.
“Indeed, it looks like Ho-shin has not yet reached the stage of perfection.”
This was clear even from the limited items listed under the heading of weapon compatibility.
“The Gwak family’s martial arts, which press with a domineering aura and finish the opponent with the most practical techniques possible, do not have a good compatibility with the Jusan Baek family’s martial arts, which struggle to distinguish between defensive and lethal strikes.”
That was nonsense.
When one reaches the stage of perfection, no matter how skilled the cunning swordsmen of the evil path and demonic sects are, they cannot keep up with the whirlwind of defensive strikes that is the martial art Gwak Yeon used in his previous life.
“Among the successors of the Jusan Baek family, Baek Jung-hyeok is even more troublesome. Every duel, he brings out a weapon he has never shown before. The time it takes to identify what kind of weapon it is and the fact that the fellow buries yet another trap beneath the first.”
“This martial art is difficult to deal with because it uses a short time of quick entry to seize the opponent’s aura before identifying the opponent’s weapon properly. The fight ends the moment one is caught in the trap.”
Again, the same.
Gwak Yeon in his previous life had claimed to have handled more weapons than anyone else in the jianghu for his entire life.
Starting from the bottom, not only had he studied the weapons of criminals using all kinds of underhanded tactics while serving in the Geumuiwi, but he had even directly used them—far richer experience than anyone else.
“The martial art I created was a collection of all those experiences… or perhaps it was because of the lack of such experience that I never reached perfection.”
At some point, after discarding the sword and gaining experience with various weapons, his skill with the sword had actually increased.
Gwak Yeon recalled that past experience.
Ho-shin.
He thought he would need to give the boy a word of advice someday, as if he had yet to fully grasp the true value of this martial art.
“So the time has come for that kid to put the sword down for a moment.”
But.
Other parts seemed to have some basis.
“The most concerning point is the difference in lightness and divine techniques.”
At first, he tilted his head.
Lightness techniques? What was that about? But after reading the following information, Gwak Yeon focused closely.
“This duel with the Jusan Baek family is to take place on a uninhabited island somewhere in a river. It was agreed upon with the sponsor sect, and I believe it is disadvantageous to elder brother.”
This duel is to be held on a uninhabited island.
Surrounded by dozens of ships carrying people from each family and sect, Gwak Yeon and Baek Jung-hyeok would fight, it was said.
“That island is quite large, and it is perfect for using lightness and divine techniques. The fellow can easily create distance when in danger. Honestly, this is a major disadvantage for elder brother.”
Hm.
“Between Baek Jung-hyeok and elder brother, there is also a large difference in inner energy.”
“Originally, the Jusan Baek family’s territory is a coastal area where all kinds of trading ships and alien outsiders from beyond the passes gather. Baek Jung-hyeok has met all sorts of spiritual artifacts and materials there, it is said. The inner energy he has gathered through this process is, honestly, compared to what elder brother possesses—”
He had not been listening to the end.
The easiest way to fill the gap in lightness and divine techniques with the opponent was inner energy.
Just thinking of the difference in leaping power when inner energy is placed in the lower body made it clear that it could be a useful weapon for pursuit.
“True, compared to my previous life, my inner energy is indeed lacking now.”
That was right.
Even his entire body’s muscles were still weak compared to his previous life, but his inner energy was also far from enough.
Gwak Seo-ryong.
To face him was unthinkable, of course.
Even during the duel, looking only at inner energy, he still felt inferior to Ho-shin.
Considering only this point, the fact that the duel with Baek Jung-hyeok might be slightly more troublesome than with Ho-shin was accurate.
After all, the greatest reason Ho-shin could win so easily even when inner energy was lacking was because he knew perfectly what martial art the opponent was using and what it was targeting.
“There, I was also subtly holding back my hand.”
On top of that, the fellow had not fully released the inner energy he had been saving.
“Baek Jung-hyeok…”
But the letter said that Baek Jung-hyeok’s inner energy seemed subtly greater than Ho-shin’s.
But.
Was Baek Jung-hyeok the type of person who could only fight someone with similar inner energy?
This worried question was no different from a joke to Gwak Yeon, who had survived the hellish world of his previous life.
He would not be careless and would give his best, but apart from the family head Gwak Seo-ryong, no one was a threat to him.
“Well, it should be interesting.”
Still curious about who the fellow might be, Gwak Yeon handed over the letter.
Click.
The letter continued after that.
“But what elder brother should be even more careful about, in my opinion, is the poison and heart tactics that fellow uses.”
Gwak Yeon suddenly tilted his head.
Poison, sure.
But heart tactics?
“Up to now, this has been the case. No matter what points have been mentioned before, the experts who have reached parity with Baek Jung-hyeok have always fallen in these two areas. Those with a certain reputation in the jianghu are even more so.”
While reading the letter, Gwak Yeon’s eyes widened.
“……Reading other people’s minds well, or talking during a fight to target their mental weaknesses and defeat them?”
Oh ho.
“Though impertinent, if we look at the items elder brother has so far—”
The following content seemed to be about the people surrounding Gwak Yeon and their past bad reputations, but.
“So you’re good at opening your mouth? In that case, I won’t lose either…”
At that moment, Gwak Yeon who had stopped reading the letter muttered.
Suddenly.
He felt something falling from the sky above.
Gwak Yeon took a small step back.
Plop.
A bird dropping landed right in front of his foot.
Immediately, Gwak Yeon looked up.
“Hm?”
He saw the black figure flying far away in the sky.
“Already… all the way there?”
Though he had belatedly focused his senses, the one who could come from nearby and fly off after leaving this bird dropping was surely only that fellow.
The bird had already become a small dot in the distance.
Caw caw━!
Hearing that faint cry, Gwak Yeon tilted his head and muttered.
“That crow… doesn’t seem like it.”
***
A glossy jet-black bird.
The sunlight reflecting off its feathers produced a dazzling light, as if it were adorned with jewels.
Caw caw━!
The bird opened its beak again.
Was it a cry or a laugh?
The fellow glanced briefly at the ground below, then turned his head again and cried out long and loud.
Caw caw━!
Over the West Lake in Hangzhou, where the Seoho Gwak family was located.
With the satisfaction of seeing his own reflection in the vast lake, the bird flew while making a noisy noise.
Caw caw━!
Looking closely, it had a rather strange shape.
A crow or a raven?
Unable to be sure which of the two, the bird’s wings moved powerfully again.
Flutter!
The fellow passed.
Passed over the West Lake, through the bustling central area of Hangzhou filled with high-rise brothels.
As if the term “bird’s-eye view” had originated, the fellow looked down at the bustling crowd with a cheerful expression.
Flutter!
Continued, passed.
Flutter!
The road leading out of Hangzhou.
Flutter!
The intersection where the roads outside Hangzhou branched.
Flutter!
The road where carriages passed.
And.
Passing through the vast mountains, rivers, and fields.
Flutter!
The bird was constantly flapping its wings toward the eastern part of the Zhejiang Province.
Flutter.
Flutter.
Flutter.
Suddenly, its beak opened.
“Annoying—! Annoying!”
From the strange voice that sounded like it was declaring itself a spiritual being.
That was it.
The bird flying now was neither a crow nor a raven.
Flutter!
Spiritual bird, Heoksijo.
The fellow who had confirmed the opponent he would fight against Baek Jung-hyeok, was returning from where Gwak Yeon’s pavilion had been to the direction of the Jusan Baek family.
“Really—! Annoying!”
***
“Iyeongak”
The pavilion had become spotlessly clean.
Scrubbity scrub.
In front of Cheon Gang, who had not only cleaned the interior and exterior but had even removed the signboard, soaked it in water, and was wiping it.
“Hm.”
Gwak Yeon, standing in the courtyard, had been frowning and muttering about something for some time.
“Oh, I’m sweating more than I thought.”
“……”
“It would be nice if someone helped.”
“……”
“……”
“……”
“I really don’t know how to do everything alone.”
“Good. First, I’ll go out and━━”
“Ah, no! Master!”
“Hm?”
Gwak Yeon, who had finished thinking, looked at the flustered Cheon Gang and nodded.
“I’ll go out for a moment.”
“Yes?! Where?!”
“Just a moment. I’ll be right back.”
“Ma-master?!”
Gwak Yeon left the pavilion to inspect ahead of the duel with Baek Jung-hyeok.
Clomp, clomp.
Outside the pavilion, walking along the neat path of the estate toward the main gate.
Suddenly.
He heard faint voices from beyond the estate gate.
“Step back.”
“Ah, no, it’s true! I have something to say to Gwak Yeon Gongja-nim!”
“Have you made an appointment?”
“Th-that is not, but……”
“Step back.”
“It’s an important matter! It’s for the second young master, so you must—”
“Hah! Who do you think you are, entering here!”
It was a familiar voice.
Immediately after hearing it, Gwak Yeon ran toward the main gate and could see the man’s face directly.
“What is the matter?”
“It’s nothing, Master. This person—”
“Master! I-It’s me! Do you remember?”
“Ah.”
The face that had been sweating and looking troubled suddenly brightened.
“You’re not the owner.”
“Yes, th-that’s right!”
He was someone Gwak Yeon knew.
The boss of the Jeowun-banjeom he had seen yesterday.
“What is the matter?”
“That is, I—”
The man who was about to answer Gwak Yeon’s question glanced at the men from the other sect who were watching the situation.
“It’s fine. He’s an acquaintance of mine.”
“Master?”
“It’s fine. If a problem arises, I will take responsibility, so let him in.”
“Ah, no! It’s fine to just say it briefly!”
With much fuss, the boss gestured briefly toward the back.
When Gwak Yeon followed the boss to the slightly separated place, the boss once again checked the surroundings and lowered his voice for a whisper.
“I have been pondering how to repay the favor I received yesterday.”
“Didn’t I say it’s fine?”
“B-but that’s not the case.”
“Hmm—”
“Thinking about it, there is a rumor I heard about a mysterious weapon. I thought it might be more necessary for someone like you who accumulates martial arts rather than me.”
“A weapon?”
Gwak Yeon’s eyes suddenly sparkled.
Toward that person, the boss of Jeowun-banjeom continued with a serious expression.
“Yes. It was a story I overheard in passing when those people from Huncheonbang were coming and going… but apparently, there was a master’s weapon that those fellows were targeting before they died.”