Chapter 28

Chapter 28
Teacher Jong (2)

Do Jeong-gil and Wang Gon were taken away and placed into separate holding cells for questioning. By sheer coincidence, the chamber Wang Gon was shoved into happened to be the exact same cell he had been dragged to on his previous visit. Trapped by himself in the quiet room, a storm of chaotic worries raced through his head, filling him with deep dread. He never could have anticipated that the head of the Jeol-gang Branch would personally arrive to take both him and Do Jeong-gil into custody. Because of that sudden move, this entire mess had spiraled out of control.

Could this wretch be chasing after silver as well?

Wang Gon naturally linked every crisis back to wealth. Nearly every obstacle in his life had been smoothed over with heaps of coin, making it second nature for him to view the world through that lens.

I really ought to have put him on my payroll earlier.

Within Shin-hwa-bang, their grease had reached as high as Deputy Leader Cheon Yang-ho, yet they had not managed to bring Jeong-pung into the fold. As the commander of a branch, Jeong-pung was someone the main syndicate oversaw at an administrative level; he lay beyond Cheon Yang-ho’s personal sphere of influence.

At that moment, the heavy door of the cell swung wide, and Baek So-cheon strolled into the room.

“What in the world is happening out there?”

“Who else am I supposed to question about this?”

“None of us know a single thing. The fighters sent over from the main branch took command of the entire place, and the rest of us were booted right out of the building.”

“Jeong-pung hauled us into these cells to grill both me and Great Hero Do.”

“The man is out of his mind.”

“Curse it all! We’ve been sitting in these rooms for well over an hour, and not a single official has bothered to come by to start the interrogation. I finally managed to flag down an enforcer walking down the corridor and told him to go find you.”

In truth, the real waiting had not even begun yet. Baek So-cheon intended to leave them rotting in these cells for several days.

“Sounds like Do Jeong-gil is the first one on the chopping block.”

“Mind how you speak of him.”

“Well, he might be an illustrious figure to someone like you.”

“I told you, watch your mouth.”

“Understood.”

Baek So-cheon was well aware that maintaining a light, careless front helped brush away Wang Gon’s wariness. People instinctively lowered their guard around those who seemed flippant and dull.

“Go sniff around, see what’s going on, and come report back to me.”

“Consider it done.”

As Baek So-cheon turned around toward the exit, Wang Gon called after his back.

“You’re the only person I can rely on right now.”

“You could at least moisten your lips before spinning such blatant lies.”

“I mean every word of it.”

“Either way, keep your head cool. I might look like a nobody, but I always pull my own weight.”

Baek So-cheon stepped through the doorway.

Naturally, he had not the slightest intention of earning any bribe from the man.

After walking away from the holding area, Baek So-cheon headed straight toward his personal quarters to focus on his own cultivation. He drilled his body, enjoyed a steady meal, and studied his martial texts. Only after he had leisurely completed his daily regimen did he casually wander back down toward the cell.

Having sat in confinement for several hours, Wang Gon looked visibly more exhausted and worn down.

“Why on earth did you take this long? What the hell is happening outside?”

“I couldn’t pry any clear answers out of anyone—the branch head flatly refused to grant me an audience.”

“So you didn’t dig up a single clue?”

“Not a thing. The atmosphere across the entire branch is foul right now.”

“This is turning into a disaster.”

“Why not treat this as a few days of paid rest and take it easy? If they have no proof, you have nothing to fear, right?”

“You don’t understand. If this drag on without resolution, the upper leadership might dispatch Teacher Jong straight from the faction.”

“Teacher Jong? Ah, the mastermind behind that contract with the Seven Swords Society?”

“The very same. Whenever an operation falls into complete chaos, Teacher Jong is the one brought in to wipe the slate clean.”

“Then shouldn’t that be a relief? If he arrives to set things straight, that is.”

“Whenever Teacher Jong shows up, bodies end up in the ground.”

Wang Gon visibly shuddered, clearly terrified that his own name might be next on that list.

“He must be an extraordinary martial expert then.”

“Hardly. Teacher Jong’s personal combat prowess doesn’t even match up to Shin-hwa-bang’s four great warriors.”

Which meant he was weaker than Do Jeong-gil.

“Then what makes you cower like that?”

“Because Teacher Jong is a merciless demon who cares only about the outcome, tossing aside all morality to get it. The slaughter of Yang Chu’s entire household? That nightmare was cooked up entirely by his sick mind. He had every last one of them butchered just to disguise the hit as a private vendetta.”

“Sounds like an absolute bastard.”

“Terrifying doesn’t even begin to cover it.”

Wang Gon could not quite bring himself to echo the word bastard aloud. Teacher Jong carried an aura that was just that chilling and repulsive. Baek So-cheon could easily envision his own brazen mouth cracking a careless joke in the man’s presence later on—”You described him as a terrifying bastard back then, didn’t you?”—so it seemed best not to press it further.

“If I catch wind of anything new, I’ll return and let you know.”

“I appreciate it.”

Yet Wang Gon was blind to an obvious contradiction.

If the branch was truly as rigid and high-strung as Baek So-cheon claimed, it would have been nearly impossible for an ordinary lackey to slip in and out of the holding wing with such ease—both now and going forward. But at this moment, Wang Gon was far too rattled by thoughts of the grand leader of Shin-hwa-bang, Teacher Jong, Do Jeong-gil, and his own ruined affairs to reason properly. Since he had bought the man’s loyalty with coin, he simply clung to the foolish hope that his hireling would sort it all out.

Leaving the interrogation corridor behind, Baek So-cheon went to meet with Jeong-pung.

“For how long should we stall the questioning?”

“Give it three or four days. I’ll give you the signal when the moment is right.”

“Three or four days? Do Jeong-gil is already fuming so hard his rage could pierce the clouds.”

“Let the man simmer. A little fury does wonders to remind people they’re still breathing. Those thugs have lived a pampered life for far too long. What’s with that stare?”

“What stare?”

“You’re looking at me like you want to call me older brother. Save your breath, I decline.”

“Stop flattering yourself. I had no such thought.”

Even if a trace of such an expression had surfaced, it stemmed from an entirely different realization.

He is completely different from what I imagined.

That was the conclusion Jeong-pung had formed regarding Baek So-cheon. Considering his infamous moniker, the Mad Demon of Battle, Jeong-pung had envisioned a hollow slaughterer without warmth or grief—a man of icy silence, tethered strictly to warrior vows, fixated entirely on bloodshed. Yet the actual Baek So-cheon stood before him, chattier than Jeong-pung himself, guided seemingly more by personal whim and heart than cold calculations.

Did he turn out this way because his internal energy vanished? Or was he always this kind of person?

There was no telling.

“Understood. I will move according to your instructions.”

Jeong-pung had already burned the bridge behind him; he had no alternative but to place his bets on Baek So-cheon and follow along. Amid this perilous gamble, his single solace was that Baek So-cheon appeared genuinely appreciative and walked with supreme poise regarding what lay ahead.

“Much obliged. While we wait, those vipers are guaranteed to make their move.”

Baek So-cheon’s foresight proved entirely accurate.

By the arrival of the third day, Teacher Jong set foot within Mun-seong.

His mission was to scrub away the chaotic blunders taking place here. He functioned as the clandestine fixer for Shin-hwa-bang.

Teacher Jong possessed a somewhat thin frame and an aggressively ordinary countenance. He was the sort of unremarkable figure one might casually pass on the street while stepping out to watch a neighbor sweep dust off the porch. That utter lack of distinct features served as his deadliest asset—he dissolved effortlessly into any crowd, leaving no impression behind.

Upon reaching Mun-seong, he took up a seat inside an ordinary tavern within the commercial district to wait.

Soon enough, his personal scout slipped into the establishment. The man was an exceptional operative when it came to digging out information. Teacher Jong had dispatched a message via homing pigeon beforehand to ensure the groundwork was prepared before his arrival. He never placed his faith in standard faction reports for sensitive assignments. Internal faction politics invariably twisted the facts. Because of that, he preferred to take in the basic details himself and rely exclusively on this trusted scout for the true picture.

“Give me the report.”

“There is a central figure orchestrating all of this.”

“Who might that be?”

“An enforcer recently stationed at the Mun-seong Branch by the name of Baek So-cheon.”

“Baek So-cheon? That name carries weight. What is his background?”

“He used to head the Iron Sword Unit before being transferred out here to the Mun-seong Branch. Both Heuk Su and Cheon Yang-ho most likely met their ends at his hands.”

Teacher Jong cocked his head to the side, puzzled.

“They collapsed before an Iron Sword Unit captain? Regardless of his rank within that division, that should not have been a simple feat.”

“He is far from an ordinary squad leader.”

“Then who is he?”

“The God of War from the legendary clashes of the Righteous-Demonic Great War. Does that ring a bell?”

“Ah!”

At last, the pieces aligned, and he realized why the name resonated so strongly.

“It really is him.”

Teacher Jong, who typically maintained an unreadable mask no matter the news, displayed genuine shock across his face. He knew the legacy of Baek So-cheon intimately. Now, the riddle of why Mun-seong had spiraled into an intractable knot suddenly made total sense.

“He is currently serving beneath Wang Gon.”

Teacher Jong grasped fully what kind of monstrous martial titan Baek So-cheon once was.

“Even if he fell from grace, a legend remains a legend. There is no reality where such a man would willingly bow to an idiot like Wang Gon, who doesn’t even realize what kind of monster he is barking at.”

“That appears to be the case.”

“Well done.”

Teacher Jong slid forward a thick envelope stuffed with banknotes. The scout took the payment, secured it in his robes, and slipped away, severing his involvement cleanly.

Teacher Jong’s gaze hardened with deadly intent.

So, it’s Baek So-cheon.

He did not waste time fretting over the dilemma. The path forward was clear: butcher Baek So-cheon. There was no need to overcomplicate the matter. With a figure of that caliber involved, every thread of this turmoil pointed right back to him. Administering punishment to the foolish Wang Gon or dealing with the incompetent investigator Do Jeong-gil was a task for the grand leader of the faction. His own duty was simple: excise the root of the problem and depart.

I will take down Baek So-cheon with my own hands.

He felt not a shred of dread toward Baek So-cheon. The rumors were clear that the former powerhouse had lost his internal power, rendering him essentially crippled. Heuk Su and Cheon Yang-ho had suffered defeat simply because they were blind to their opponent’s identity—but he walked in fully aware.

An exhilarating warmth blossomed within Teacher Jong’s chest. Bringing this assignment to a close by slaying the legendary Baek So-cheon would serve as the grandest triumph of his entire life.

Silently, he melted out of the inn.

Two nights afterward, Baek So-cheon was scaling the jagged rock face without tools, just as he had done during previous evenings. As was his custom, a bulky bundle rested securely against his back.

The instant he reached the summit and planted his fingers on the stone ledge—

A figure stood waiting for him.

Peering down with a mocking sneer was Teacher Jong.

Recognizing the threat before him, the fixer refused to waste a single breath. Showing neither hesitation nor mercy, he channeled his inner energy down into his boot, snapping it forward in a vicious stomp intended to obliterate Baek So-cheon’s skull.

A ferocious gust tore through the night!

This is the absolute zenith of my life!

With that single descending crush, Baek So-cheon’s head would be shattered to pieces, sending his broken corpse tumbling into the abyss below.

Yet that crowning moment came to a sudden, rigid halt mere inches from Baek So-cheon’s brow.

“You should stop right there.”

A low, menacing voice sounded, accompanied by a razor-sharp blade pressing firmly against the side of his neck.

Balanced on a single foot with his leg still cocked high in the air, Teacher Jong glanced over toward the person holding the steel.

It was Dong-seong, one of the four guardian stars serving Cheon-geuk, veiled behind a cloth with his weapon drawn taut. Teacher Jong was certainly no amateur when it came to martial awareness, yet he had failed to sense the warrior closing in behind him.

Suddenly, an arm casually draped itself across his opposite shoulder, familiar as a long-lost friend.

“You really wanted to crush him into paste, didn’t you? Honestly, I get that same urge whenever these arrogant types strut around acting superior.”

Gasping in sheer horror, Teacher Jong twisted his gaze to find Cheon-geuk leaning in right beside his ear. The very moment her touch landed on his shoulder, his acupoints snapped shut, freezing his entire frame until he could not twitch a single finger.

An apex master!

Baek So-cheon looked up from the edge of the drop and let out an annoyed sigh.

“My arms are giving out here. Stop your endless chatter and get moving, the whole lot of you. Get that filthy sole away from my eyes!”

As Baek So-cheon dragged his weight over the crest of the stone, Dong-seong jabbed a thumb into Teacher Jong’s vital channel. The paralyzed man slumped forward, falling into pitch-black unconsciousness.

The remaining guardian stars materialized from the shadows, lifting the limp captive between them to carry him off.

“If you felt such an urge to crush him, why did you pull your strike?”

“There are hundreds of ways to end a life without dirtying the bottom of your footwear. Why bother doing something so crude?”

She beamed with a bright, luminous grin.

That radiant smile carried all the satisfaction of having secured Teacher Jong without a scratch.

Baek So-cheon had already anticipated that Teacher Jong would seek him out the moment he arrived in the region, which was why he had instructed Cheon-geuk to shadow him closely. This midnight ascent up the steep rocks had served purely as an irresistible trap. A desolate peak with no prying eyes, combined with a target arriving completely winded at the summit? It offered an ambush far too tempting for any assassin to pass up.

“Well then, my end of the chore is finished.”

Cheon-geuk offered a slight nod of her head.

“I will handle the rest of the loose ends and make my return.”

“Make sure you wrap it up safely.”

“Are you actually showing concern for my well-being?”

“Naturally. If you perish, I lose my connection to the Mad Demon. Not to mention I still have to collect my hundred thousand nyang from you.”

“I really should have let him stomp your face in.”

Cheon-geuk and her four guardian stars slipped into the dark, vanishing without leaving behind a single rustle of wind. Their mastery over stealth and the arts of lightness was profound enough to draw genuine admiration from anyone who witnessed it.

Now standing by himself on the high ledge, Baek So-cheon let the mountain draft brush over him for a few moments before, true to form, reaching into his bundle to extract a manual.

“I might as well read a few lines before heading back down.”

Perched upon the high precipice with the cool gale sweeping across his skin was the place where his mind cleared the most. That was undoubtedly why he favored it so much.

Lose focus and drift off, and the fall will kill you!