Chapter 27

Chapter 27
The following day, Jeong-pung went directly to find Baek So-cheon.

During their earlier interactions, he had always summoned Baek So-cheon to his personal quarters, but this time he had come on his own two feet. It was a clear indication that he was willing to cast his pride aside.

Even so, the sight of Baek So-cheon sprawled comfortably across a courtyard bench instantly rubbed Jeong-pung the wrong way.

“Why are you idling around out here instead of handling your duties?”

“You should probably ask your own men about that. They ordered me to vacate the office, so that is precisely what I did.”

That blunt response instantly took the wind out of Jeong-pung’s sails. Reluctantly, he took a seat near the edge of the bench.

“Even if that happened, it doesn’t mean you should simply abandon all effort and loaf around.”

“Old fossil.”

“Excuse me?”

“That stubborn attitude is why people call you an old fogey behind your back. A truly capable leader knows when to overlook a subordinate’s momentary laziness.”

Jeong-pung scoffed loudly.

“Not a single person addresses me like that.”

“Of course they do. They merely make sure you aren’t around to hear it.”

“Why, you insolent…!”

Jeong-pung flared with annoyance, but he caught himself and shook his head. After all, Baek So-cheon was hardly someone who could be subdued with simple scolding, and Jeong-pung had not swallowed his dignity to come all the way out here just to play the role of an overbearing elder.

“Do you genuinely believe the slaughter of the Yang Chu household was orchestrated by Shin-hwa-bang?”

“I do.”

Jeong-pung quietly studied Baek So-cheon’s resting profile.

The man’s reasoning and conduct were completely contrary to ordinary common sense. From almost any viewpoint, he was an infuriatingly difficult individual to deal with. Yet, beneath all that attitude, he was not the type to weave baseless lies.

“Even so, there isn’t a shred of solid proof.”

“With your cooperation, branch leader, securing that proof won’t be difficult.”

“And what plan do you have in mind?”

“You wouldn’t agree to it even if I laid it out.”

“Stop trying to provoke me. Just speak plainly.”

At those words, Baek So-cheon sat upright, locking his eyes directly with Jeong-pung’s.

“Issue an immediate summons for Wang Gon and Jeong-gil, and haul them in for interrogation.”

“You want what?”

Jeong-pung could not hide his shock.

“The Heo family sword school engaged Yang Chu to dig into a commercial venture being organized by Shin-hwa-bang. Yang Chu met an untimely end in the middle of that inquiry. That alone provides more than ample justification to drag them in for questioning.”

“They will never willingly comply with such a summons.”

“Which is why you will have to step in personally and enforce it, branch leader.”

In essence, he was advocating for a direct, forcible arrest.

“Taking in Wang Gon is one matter. But dragging in Great Hero Jeong-gil as well?”

“Precisely. Jeong-gil must also be brought in and put through interrogation.”

“The loose circumstantial links we possess aren’t enough to hold them legally accountable.”

“That is beside the point.”

“What do you mean, beside the point?”

“Those two are merely the bait, not the true quarry. Apply enough pressure on them, and the central hierarchy of Shin-hwa-bang will be forced to react. That reaction is the exact opening I am waiting for.”

A heavy sigh escaped Jeong-pung’s lips before he could stop it. It was the sort of audacious demand that naturally drained a man’s breath. Baek So-cheon’s earlier claim that he wouldn’t dare go along with it had not been mere posturing after all.

“You really intend to wage a full confrontation against Shin-hwa-bang.”

“Without a doubt.”

“Do you actually possess the confidence to pull this off?”

Jeong-pung could not help thinking that only someone of Baek So-cheon’s caliber would dare dream of taking such an outrageous gamble. Even after losing his internal cultivation, the core of who he was remained entirely unyielding.

Yet daring ambition was not the sole reason driving Baek So-cheon forward.

“The vast majority of the souls slaughtered at Yang Chu’s residence were regular civilians who never practiced a martial stance in their lives. Among the dead were two innocent children. Look here, branch leader. Those of us walking the martial path trade blows, exchange curses, betray allies, and spill blood—we wallow in every kind of filth imaginable. But shouldn’t those sins remain strictly between those who chose this path?”

Jeong-pung’s expression trembled.

“I hold no intention of granting them mercy. Every single person tied to this atrocity will perish by my hands. If it turns out that your hands are stained by this mess as well, you will fall alongside them.”

Recognizing the bone-chilling sincerity behind the threat, Jeong-pung answered without hesitation.

“I have no part in such depravity.”

“I presumed as much. Which is why I am laying everything bare before you and requesting your backing.”

“Do you truly place your faith in me?”

“I do.”

“On what grounds?”

“Both of us have weathered enough storms in the jianghu to know better. You came to see me today for that very reason. You sensed through your gut that the moment had arrived to step into the open. Here was a man stripped of internal power, lingering long past his prime—yet your instincts warned you not to cast him aside lightly. You deduced on your own that Shin-hwa-bang had to be lurking behind the curtain.”

While not an exact summary of his thoughts, Jeong-pung found himself unable to dispute the observation.

“The same logic applies to me. I may not know your personal history inside and out, but the instincts I honed over decades in the jianghu whisper the same truth. You are not a piece of irredeemable filth. Guide you in the proper direction, and you make for a remarkably reliable partner to lean on.”

“You certainly don’t hold back…”

Jeong-pung was left utterly speechless. What felt even more absurd was that being called a convenient mark right to his face did not genuinely offend him.

“Are you simply playing games with me, or are you speaking with absolute sincerity?”

“Absolute sincerity.”

“If that is the case, you truly are a terrifying man to stand opposite.”

Unlike the skepticism he had harbored upon his arrival, Baek So-cheon’s composure had steadily steered his resolve.

“I am well aware that issuing such an arrest places a tremendous weight upon your shoulders.”

Taking that step was effectively an open declaration of hostility against Shin-hwa-bang.

“Even so, lend me your support.”

Baek So-cheon was not someone who stooped to begging for favors, nor did he possess the demeanor of a person who needed to plead. That quiet, unyielding stance made his request far more compelling than any desperate appeal.

“Understood. I shall proceed with it.”

Indeed, Jeong-pung could only commit to such a precarious course because the man asking was Baek So-cheon. Had anyone else suggested such madness, he would have turned on his heel and fled the instant the words left their mouth. In truth, he would never have set foot in this courtyard to begin with.

It was because of this specific individual. Because this was the legendary figure who had once occupied the pinnacle of everyone’s admiration. To be completely honest, a part of Jeong-pung yearned to orchestrate a major upheaval alongside him, even if doing so meant provoking the dangerous beast that was Shin-hwa-bang.

“You have my thanks.”

There was another conviction guiding Jeong-pung as well.

“I am not agreeing merely because you made the request. I have children under my own roof as well. If Shin-hwa-bang truly committed such cruelty, we must ensure they pay the proper price.”

“Excellent. You may leave the remaining pieces to me.”

Jeong-pung rose from the wooden bench and stepped away.

Pausing before taking his leave, he turned back with a flicker of concern in his eyes.

“Tell me truthfully—is your physical state capable of enduring this?”

It was an inquiry concerning whether he could withstand the tempest once an all-out war with Shin-hwa-bang was ignited.

Baek So-cheon settled back onto the bench, letting his body relax.

“There is an old saying that even a wealthy clan requires three full years to entirely squander its fortune. As it happens, I am currently navigating my third year.”

—

“Are you telling me you failed to personally inspect the corpses of Heuk Su and Cheon Yang-ho?”

The voice thundering with fury belonged to Jeong-gil. Positioned directly in front of him, Wang Gon stood with his head lowered, silently absorbing the rebuke.

“You accepted it purely on his word? Have you completely lost your senses? Is this careless display how the deputy leader of our central branch conducts critical business? The very least you should have done was verify—”

“I offer my deepest apologies.”

Although his posture remained thoroughly deferential, Wang Gon was boiling with inner grievance.

‘He is simply clawing for any possible excuse to cast suspicion onto Baek So-cheon.’

Serving Jeong-gil was truly an agonizing ordeal. The man’s temperament shifted like turbulent weather, warm and receptive one instant, cold and volatile the next. Only moments prior to this tirade, he had been showering Baek So-cheon with lavish praise, remarking that with proper guidance, he could prove exceptionally useful in significant affairs.

‘Could it be… is he actually setting the stage to place the blame on my shoulders?’

Doubt swiftly blossomed within Wang Gon’s thoughts.

‘Is the old viper trying to extort something from me?’

Now that Jeong-gil was aware of the considerable resources Wang Gon had spent to enlist Baek So-cheon’s allegiance, avarice might well have taken root in his mind.

‘It seems I will have to grease his palms with a tidy sum. What a nuisance.’

Right at that tense moment, an uproar broke out in the outer courtyard, and a subordinate dashed inside in a panic to deliver a report.

“The martial experts of the Murim Alliance have forced their way inside!”

“They what?”

While it was not unusual for Alliance martial artists to visit civilian grounds, the phrase “forced their way inside” carried an entirely different weight. True to the frantic report, more than a dozen seasoned warriors entered the hall before the guard could even finish speaking.

Wang Gon felt a wave of astonishment when he recognized the figure at the head of the detachment: it was Jeong-pung, the supreme commander of the Murim Alliance’s Jeol-gang branch. The figures flanking him were the core operatives he had brought down directly from branch headquarters.

Suppressing his unease, Wang Gon offered a courteous salute with clasped fists.

“What prestigious occasion brings the esteemed branch leader to grace our humble establishment?”

Even if Jeol-gang Province lay along the outer fringes of the continent, Jeong-pung still commanded the authority of an Alliance branch director—a stature that even prominent sect patriarchs treated with the utmost deference.

Although Jeong-pung was well-acquainted with Jeong-gil, he adopted an entirely rigid, bureaucratic tone, acting as though they were complete strangers.

“The two of you are required to accompany us immediately.”

“May I ask what this is concerning?”

“I trust you are well-informed regarding the violent slaughter that recently befell the Yang Chu residence.”

“We are aware of the event.”

“Then you will come along and provide your assistance in concluding this investigation.”

Wang Gon’s face tightened as he cast a swift glance at Jeong-gil standing beside him. While framed as a polite plea for cooperation, the phrasing was nothing less than a formal demand for an interrogation under custody.

“To spring such an imposition without any prior notice places us in an awkward position.”

“Take heed, Deputy Leader Wang.”

“Yes, branch leader.”

“I have not arrived here to negotiate a courtesy.”

A sharp chill settled across the room, and Wang Gon instantly clamped his mouth shut.

‘What has suddenly possessed this lunatic to throw his weight around like this?’

Wang Gon shifted his gaze toward Jeong-gil, who was silently sizing up Jeong-pung with an unreadable expression.

Jeong-pung’s countenance betrayed not the slightest trace of personal history toward Jeong-gil.

The two had shared wine and pleasantries on numerous prior occasions, establishing a degree of mutual rapport. For Jeong-pung to adopt such an uncompromising stance meant he had come with absolute, unwavering resolve.

There was simply no polite avenue for refusal.

Naturally, judging strictly by martial prowess, Wang Gon possessed total confidence that he could overwhelm Jeong-pung in combat.

Branch leaders were generally not selected for their front-line destructive might; their responsibilities revolved around political maneuvering, banquet diplomacy, and administrative reports rather than raw combat.

Yet it was precisely that administrative weight that transformed them into the living embodiment of the Murim Alliance’s authority.

“Given that the branch leader has troubled himself to appear in person, it is only proper that we show the appropriate respect. Let us proceed.”

Jeong-gil stepped forward to take the lead, and Wang Gon fell into step behind him without further argument.

The Alliance operatives stepped forward to suppress their internal qi reserves. The procedure was an undeniable indignity, particularly for someone of Jeong-gil’s stature. He cast a silent, freezing glare toward Jeong-pung to register his intense displeasure.

Jeong-pung, however, acted completely oblivious to the hostile glare, keeping his expression entirely neutral.

As they were escorted out through the entrance, a knot of deep apprehension tightened in Wang Gon’s chest.

He had originally intended to utilize Baek So-cheon to resolve his brewing troubles, yet the scale of the crisis was spiraling far beyond his control.

—

“Have you caught wind of what just happened?”

Im Choong and Beon Saeng arrived in a great hurry, bearing startling news.

“Both Jeong-gil and Wang Gon have just been taken into custody.”

Baek So-cheon did not display the slightest surprise, prompting Im Choong to nod in swift admiration.

“Just as predicted! This is entirely your handiwork, elder brother.”

“You were the one who drew up the initial lines.”

“Me? Ah, of course!”

The realization struck Im Choong immediately. Baek So-cheon was referring to the time he had dispatched him to rattle Jeong-pung’s composure, an action that had set this entire sequence of events into motion.

“I merely carried out your explicit directions to the letter. Crediting me with the design gives me far too much honor.”

“Had you not handled your part so effectively, things would never have proceeded with such precision.”

“You flatter me excessively.”

Though he modestly brushed off the praise, Im Choong felt an unmistakable swell of pride within his chest.

Beon Saeng, who had been observing their exchange, broke into a broad, satisfied grin.

“You should have caught a glimpse of Wang Gon’s expression, brother. He looked as miserable as a man forced to swallow dirt while being led away.”

“It was an outcome that should have arrived long ago.”

“Isn’t that the truth, branch chief? For once, this place actually carries the dignified atmosphere of a genuine Murim Alliance post.”

The fact that Jeong-gil—one of the premier martial pillars of Shin-hwa-bang—had also been apprehended added immensely to their satisfaction. Both men were visibly elated.

“What move comes next?”

In response to Im Choong’s question, Baek So-cheon offered a calm reply.

The figure Baek So-cheon was truly anticipating was Teacher Jong.

Wang Gon had previously let slip that whenever major crises emerged beyond their immediate perimeter, Teacher Jong was the one called upon to resolve them.

Now that both Jeong-gil and Wang Gon found themselves locked under active examination, the faction in Mun-seong was facing an undeniable dilemma.

Furthermore, Teacher Jong was the very mastermind who had contracted the Seven Swords Society to eradicate the entire Yang Chu bloodline. Since he was the spark that ignited this fire, he would inevitably arrive to extinguish it.

“Whoever that unfortunate scoundrel turns out to be, he is destined to receive a thorough beating from your hands, brother.”

Baek So-cheon simply shook his head at Beon Saeng’s excited declaration.

“I have no intention of lifting a finger against him.”

“Come again?”

“There are other individuals whose hunger to tear him apart runs far deeper than mine.”

Noticing the bewildered looks on both their faces, he offered an even more mysterious remark.

“If that man knew what was coming, he would pray that it was only me dealing with him.”

At that moment, an Alliance guard approached to announce that Wang Gon was urgently requesting an audience with Baek So-cheon.

“What reason could he possibly have to seek you out right now?”

“He finds himself trapped in a corner. He likely hopes to lean on me to carve out a path of retreat. Well then, should we go pay a visit to our endearing Deputy Leader Wang?”

After Baek So-cheon departed, leaving only Im Choong and Beon Saeng behind in the yard, Beon Saeng broke the silence.

“I’m not the only one who thinks Deputy Leader Wang looks surprisingly pitiable and somewhat cute, right?”

Im Choong shared the exact same sentiment.

“…Could it really be mere imagination?”

Regardless of how they perceived him, one reality remained unmistakably clear: Baek So-cheon was about to shower Wang Gon with an exceptionally brutal brand of affection.