Reincarnated Sword Ghost

Chapter 81 : Area Magistrate

Area Magistrate

A warrior of the Heavenly Martial Hall completely sliced the stronghold lord's body in half.

The significance of that scene was immense. Everyone stared on, their faces filled with shock.

"The— the stronghold lord... has lost...!"

"He actually died to such a young brat?"

"He'd never been defeated before..."

It proved accurate to assume the bandits relied completely on their stronghold lord.

These were the same men who, despite Lady Tang Yerin's remarkable martial arts, had charged at her like moths to a flame, clenching their teeth.

But now, most of them had ceased moving at all. They had completely lost their fighting spirit.

"That crazy bastard!"

"Stronghold lord!"

Regardless, perhaps out of loyalty, a few of the men charged at Jeong-un.

Puhwak!

"If you can't understand the situation, at least have some awareness."

But they were blocked by Baek Il-gang.

With just a few simple sword swings, the lot of them were beheaded.

One after another, they collapsed like autumn leaves in the wind.

For many low-rank fighters to defeat a master, they would need careful strategy and coordination.

Instead, swept up in emotion, they charged in recklessly, so it was only natural for them to die in an instant.

"Damn..."

"These guys are monsters..."

With that, the fight came to an end.

The stronghold lord's corpse lay torn apart in a miserable state, and those who had charged in rage now lay scattered, defeated without strength.

There was a peerlessly skilled swordsman they couldn't dream of defeating, and the others were likewise masters beyond their reach.

At last, they realized they had no hope.

"Everyone, drop your weapons!"

Jo Gwang stepped forward and shouted. As he did, he roughly wiped the dark blood from his face with his sleeve.

It was a harsh and savage look he hadn't shown before.

During the time Jeong-un fought Byuk Dae-gwang, Jo Gwang had also been engaged in a deadly struggle.

Clang—!

Chaang!

The sounds of weapons hitting the ground could be heard from all sides.

Some, as if waiting for the chance, immediately fell to their knees.

All the threats and murderous curses they'd hurled before the fight seemed meaningless now.

Jeong-un's companions also sheathed their swords.

Already, dozens of bodies littered the ground.

From the start, regardless of numbers, the bandits were never a match for the warriors of the Heavenly Martial Hall.

They were the kind who only posed a threat to the martial halls of rural areas.

Only the boss had possessed an unusually high level of martial skill.

Now that Byuk Dae-gwang was dead, they were nothing more than slightly trained thugs.

"Move aside."

Baek Il-gang pushed aside the bandit he had been facing and approached Jeong-un.

The man he shoved toppled backwards like a scarecrow.

"What would you like to do?"

Baek Il-gang asked with a calm tone, as if he would carry out any order—even if it was to kill them all.

Jeong-un swept his eyes over the kneeling men who had thrown down their weapons.

The remaining bandits stared at Jeong-un with shaking eyes.

'... So that's how it is.'

Those who had acted like supermen, confident in their own martial arts, bowed their heads as soon as someone stronger appeared.

To Jeong-un, this was little different whether among commoners or the martial world.

They ruled over the weak and grovelled before the strong.

That was why, at some point, he'd stopped considering martial arts as the only criterion for judging villains.

"Jo Gwang, please go down to the village and inform the people and the government about what's happened. Lady Tang, could you make sure the commoners we saw on the way here are safe? Baek and I will stay here and watch over these men."

From the beginning, he had climbed up here determined to cut down all these men.

They were professional killers and thieves who had set up base, so there was no reason to spare them.

But slaughtering men who had thrown down their weapons and completely lost the will to fight was different—it would be nothing but a massacre.

'However...'

Jeong-un swept his cold gaze over the men and spoke.

"If any of them so much as moves, cut them down immediately."

Baek Il-gang grinned.

"Sounds fun. Let's hope Jo Gwang takes his sweet time."

The kneeling men trembled. At last, their long ordeal was over.

* * *

A large group arrived at once.

There were Jeongmu Sect disciples as well as government soldiers who had rushed here from Hyeonseong.

Once the bandits had established themselves here, they were by no means a group to be taken lightly.

Since all were trained in martial arts, it made the situation more serious.

When those sorts gathered, forming an organization and persecuting commoners, they were treated as close to rebels.

Leaving the disposal of the bandits to them, Jeong-un returned to Jeongmu Sect.

With the long mission over, he planned to recuperate for several days.

But he was told someone had come looking for him.

It was the area magistrate.

Even as a low-ranking official, he was a person entrusted by the nation to rule over this area, with his name listed in records maintained far away in Beijing, where the emperor resided.

That was why even those of the Evil Faction in the martial world did not dare to casually harm an official—not because of some farcical doctrine of "the inviolability of officials," but because harming an official meant the nation would without hesitation issue a kill order.

Even if the bulk of imperial power was concentrated in Beijing, the great Ming controlled vast lands.

Harming an official meant defiance of the state—a person in that position would never be able to stay long anywhere on this land.

"I had to come, after hearing that honorable warriors accomplished such a great feat."

Jeong-un gazed quietly at the man giving him a courteous greeting.

He was a middle-aged man in shimmering silk robes.

A square jaw and thick eyebrows made for a striking impression—a hint of ambition gleaming in his eyes.

What was more surprising, though slight, was the definite presence of internal energy within his body.

It seemed the rumors were true: the royal court distributed mind methods for officials to learn, making their mastery mandatory.

'It's my first time meeting an official...'

He felt anew the renown that the Heavenly Martial Hall enjoyed throughout the Central Plains.

In the past, the idea of exchanging formal greetings face-to-face like this would have been unthinkable.

He returned the bow politely.

"I am Yu Jeong-un of the Heavenly Martial Hall."

But the area magistrate standing before him was equally surprised inside.

'So someone this young leads the Heavenly Martial Hall elite?'

He had always known the Heavenly Martial Hall was composed of young rising stars, and that they were like superhuman prodigies regardless of age.

An area magistrate, having passed the local examination, possessed intelligence networks leagues beyond those of commoners.

This was common knowledge to him.

The area magistrate's role in the provinces was closely tied to martial arts organizations.

Upon appointment, countless sects would reach out through various means, each offering proposals to amass power and wealth.

Thus, naturally, strong ties would be formed with local sects.

Conversely, officials made use of these warriors too.

Distinguished martial sects often had deep-rooted connections with the royal family, built over long years.

In fact, it wasn't rare for their members to serve as officials themselves.

If he earned their favor, a path to high office in Beijing might even open.

'I was only planning to introduce myself...'

Anyone admitted to the Heavenly Martial Hall as a rising star was guaranteed a bright future in the martial world.

Especially those who passed the special test—such people were already from the highest-ranking sects affiliated with the Murim Alliance and the royal family.

Making connections now would surely yield great benefits someday.

But to think the one leading that group would be this young.

What's more, his complexion was radiant and his appearance exceedingly handsome.

Yet, his calm expression and strangely unperturbed eyes made him stand out even further.

'He must be the young master of a distinguished martial clan. I want to ask about his lineage, but... no, I probably shouldn't.'

The area magistrate, having studied Jeong-un's face thoroughly, nodded as if nothing was amiss and spoke.

"The bandits you eradicated were truly evil men. Not only this village, but most of the surrounding communities had been at their mercy. There were even merchant guilds and villages that had started paying them regular tolls. Not only did you destroy such men, but you rescued their captives as well... On behalf of this region, I thank you deeply."

His face beamed with pride as he spoke.

Yet, something about it felt a bit off.

Though not lies, it sounded drawn out and overly praising, as if deliberately trying to flatter.

Then he signaled to the side.

"..."

A government soldier outfitted in sturdy metal armor stepped forward and handed Jeong-un something.

It was a silk pouch. As Jeong-un stared at it curiously, the magistrate smiled.

"Please take it—it's a token of gratitude."

He opened the pouch and saw it was filled with silver coins.

'What's this about?'

Back when they eradicated the cultists of Danghyeon, Baek Sang had mentioned sometimes receiving separate bounties for handling members of the Evil Faction or underworld.

But if the silver coins came directly from a local official, that was a different matter altogether.

"Why are you giving this to me?"

"Didn't I just say? As a gesture of thanks."

"You must know the Heavenly Martial Hall is subordinate to the Murim Alliance. This was part of our duties."

"Of course I know."

There was a trace of a smile in the magistrate's voice.

"But that doesn't diminish the glory of your achievement here. It will remain a brilliant legacy in this region. The people of this village will praise your names for generations to come. So please, accept it without reservation. For someone else to have accomplished what I, the local authority, could not—I only wish to assuage my own shame. And..."

"...?"

"If, a few years from now, you safely retire from your post, please do drop by. By then, I will surely have found ways to be even more helpful to you."

He naturally included a promise for the future. Jeong-un sensed that this was the true aim.

'How troublesome.'

Many martial artists might keep a few connections with regional officials.

They said that martial families dominating a region always kept the local magistrate in their pocket.

Who knew?

Perhaps one day, Jeong-un himself might settle down somewhere like this. The uncertainties of the world made it possible.

If he tied these kinds of connections now, it might prove useful.

'Though logically I understand this...'

Even so, he felt a strange aversion. To settle down somewhere? Me? He couldn't even imagine it.

Perhaps it was due to his innate nature.

Jeong-un had no desire whatsoever for fame or fortune.

His greatest drive was a pure thirst for improvement in martial arts.

He always carried a firm determination that he would, one day, reach the pinnacle—even if that goal began in a dream.

Beyond that, his thinking was little different from any other commoner.

That's why seeing those of the Evil Faction or underworld filled him with righteous anger.

Of course it did.

Anyone would feel the same when faced with those who stole lives and possessions from others.

It was simply that he had the power and rightful authority to punish such people.

That was what made the Heavenly Martial Hall appealing to him.

"..."

Jeong-un tied up the pouch and handed it back to the government soldier.

The man looked at him in shock, uncertain, then turned to glance at the area magistrate—evidently unable to make this decision himself.

The magistrate also stared at Jeong-un in surprise.

To have a gift rejected?

It would not have been strange to regard it as ignoring an act of goodwill—even rude, especially since the giver was a local authority.

Jeong-un addressed him.

"As you mentioned, the suffering endured by the people here was great. For a long time, they lived in pain. So, please consider the silver coins as if I have accepted them—on the condition that they be distributed to the people in some way, by whichever means you find appropriate."

"...!"

"If you can do that, then I promise to return and pay my respects after I finish my term safely."

The magistrate stood gazing at Jeong-un, mouth half open.