novelraw Chapter 80
Chapter 80
Episode 80. Sorry, Carp
"Take off your mask."
Won Seung shook his head, signaling his refusal. He didn’t even want to let them hear his voice.
Yang Gwan gave a sly, fishy grin and spoke.
"You can’t escape anyway. You’d better do as you’re told."
At that moment, a torch moved near the Martial Arts Stage, and someone shouted,
"Who goes there?"
Won Seung drew the dagger from his calf and hurled it toward the torch.
Swish!
"Watch out, it’s an enemy!"
As the dagger flew out of the darkness, a warrior guarding the Martial Arts Stage shouted in alarm.
Suddenly, warriors poured out from both warehouses flanking the stage. They were members of the Clear Water Sect and the Heavenly Observation Pavilion, waiting for their shift.
The two sides squared off against each other.
"What are you trying to pull here?"
"Hmph, isn’t this your doing?"
"What nonsense!"
Even as they argued, both groups edged closer in this direction.
Yang Gwan scowled.
"This has nothing to do with you. Stand aside!"
"State your identity."
"Hmph!"
Yang Gwan swung his sword with a sharp motion. A flash of light burst forth as Sword Qi shot out. Yang Gwan was a Master capable of unleashing Sword Qi.
"Ugh! Sword Qi?"
The warriors hastily retreated in shock.
Then—
Swish, swish!
Bolts fired from crossbows whistled through the air.
"These pests are getting on my nerves!"
Yang Gwan swung his sword wildly.
Slash, slash, slash!
Sword Qi flashed, and two warriors at the front fell, spraying blood. Coincidentally, one from the Clear Water Sect and one from the Heavenly Observation Pavilion went down.
"Stay out of this. I only need to take this one!"
He hurt people and then told them to stay quiet? Who did he think he was dealing with?
The warriors of the Clear Water Sect and the Heavenly Observation Pavilion lived with pride as the rulers of Xiangyang. They couldn’t let Yang Gwan get away with harming their comrades.
He might be a Master who could wield Sword Qi, but they had numbers on their side. Six from the Clear Water Sect and six from the Heavenly Observation Pavilion—twelve in total.
Well, two were down, but that still left ten.
"Let’s take him down first!"
The Clear Water Sect’s squad leader suggested to the Heavenly Observation Pavilion’s squad leader.
"Agreed."
The Heavenly Observation Pavilion’s squad leader nodded, seething with anger.
At their signal, the warriors fired their crossbows in unison.
"Are you all looking to die?"
Yang Gwan roared and swung his sword again. No matter how skilled he was, crossbow bolts flying in the dark were a real threat.
Clang, clang!
As Yang Gwan deflected the bolts, Won Seung sprang into action, darting past the warriors and heading straight for the Martial Arts Stage.
"You think you can escape?"
Yang Gwan, furious, tried to give chase, but the hail of crossbow bolts from the Clear Water Sect and Heavenly Observation Pavilion forced him to stop.
"You worthless insects!"
Yang Gwan leaped at the warriors of the Clear Water Sect and Heavenly Observation Pavilion.
Slash, slash, slash!
Sword light and Sword Qi swept through like a storm, scattering the warriors. Yang Gwan closed in with terrifying speed, slashing with his sword.
The warriors tried to block with swords and sabers, but it was hopeless.
"Argh!"
"Ugh!"
Even as they fell, the warriors called for reinforcements. One blew a whistle with all his might.
Piiiiii!
The shrill sound carried far into the night.
A Heavenly Observation Pavilion warrior launched a signal flare.
Pop! Fweeeeee!
A firework, trailing sparks, shot up into the night sky—only for Yang Gwan to leap up and slice it out of the air with his sword.
To cut down a flying firework... his agility was astounding.
But there was more than one flare. A Clear Water Sect warrior fired another, and it exploded.
Boom!
Brilliant fireworks and smoke spread across the night sky of Xiangyang.
Yang Gwan scattered the warriors and immediately searched for Won Seung.
As expected, he was running toward the end of the pier—trying to escape via the river.
Yang Gwan leaped after him.
As he reached the end of the pier, Won Seung sensed a sharp aura closing in.
Yang Gwan had caught up, his face twisted with rage as he thrust his sword forward.
"Die!"
‘Sword Qi!’
Sword Qi could only be blocked with Sword Qi.
Won Seung channeled Internal Energy into his dagger, spun around, and struck at the incoming Sword Qi.
Clang, clang, clang!
Sword Qi clashed, sending sparks flying.
Yang Gwan was shocked.
He’d assumed his opponent was weak, only good for running away—but he was a Master capable of unleashing Sword Qi!
Even though it was fired from a distance, the Sword Qi had enough power to split a thick tree, yet his opponent had blocked it with a short dagger.
Yang Gwan lunged at Won Seung, swinging his sword again.
Slash, slash, slash!
Sword Qi gathered in the air and surged forward like a tidal wave.
It was the Ten Thousand Leagues of Blue Waves technique, a move from the Iseon Scattered Sword of the Sword Pact Sect.
‘I can’t block this!’
Won Seung screamed inwardly, swinging his dagger frantically as he dove into the river.
"Ugh!"
He managed to deflect most of it, but one strand of Sword Qi struck him square in the chest.
The shock nearly knocked Won Seung out, but plunging into the water jolted him back to his senses.
Luckily, the Sword Qi only shattered the chest plate he wore.
If it hadn’t been for the Body-Protecting Energy infused with forty years of Internal Energy, the chest plate—and his heart—would have been split in two.
Won Seung regained his composure and swam deeper into the river.
He spotted the oil drum he’d thrown in earlier—an emergency stash, just in case.
Desperately, Won Seung swam to the drum and opened the lid.
Inside were a crossbow, iron bolts, a blowpipe much longer than the one Jong Bi used, a sword, a saber, a flying dagger, throwing coins, and a leather vest studded with all sorts of hidden weapons.
Won Seung loaded an iron bolt into the crossbow and donned the leather vest. He slung the sword across his back and strapped the saber to his side.
His eyes burned with cold fury.
‘That old bastard—I’ll kill him for sure!’
The chest plate had saved him, but his chest still throbbed with pain. He’d nearly died.
Won Seung pushed off the riverbed and climbed up the bank.
Thanks to the bright fireworks exploding one after another, he could see Yang Gwan standing on the pier, scanning the river.
Won Seung bit down on the blowpipe.
Just then, a large carp swam by, approaching as if curious about what was happening. Won Seung had moved so stealthily, the fish must have thought he was one of its own.
‘Sorry, carp.’
Won Seung grabbed the carp and hurled it onto the river’s surface.
*
Jong Bi had secretly visited the Heavenly Observation Pavilion.
Won Seung had fairly informed Cheon Il-hae of the Heavenly Observation Pavilion about the true identity and ambitions of Elder Deung of the Xiangyang Black Society. There wasn’t much time to prepare, but at least knowing the truth would help minimize the damage.
Cheon Il-hae was furious.
He prided himself on ruling Xiangyang, only to be betrayed by the Black Society. His anger turned toward Gu Ja-ang, who had gotten them into this mess.
"Gu Ja-ang, you said he returned without even meeting Yu Bulgwan, right?"
If Gu Ja-ang had sided with Seongwang House or the Black Society, Cheon Il-hae would have killed him quickly. But to think he’d been manipulated by Seongwang House’s schemes—it was intolerable.
To think he’d entrusted the position of Chief Commander and treated him as a strategist...
Gwan Ju-gyeon spoke up.
"Yes. It seems the claim that he was close to Yu Bulgwan was a lie."
"Enough. There’s no need to wait until morning. Drag Gu Ja-ang to the river right now. I’ll cut him open myself."
At the Heavenly Observation Pavilion, "the river" meant the execution ground.
A cold gleam flashed in Cheon Il-hae’s eyes. Even though Gu Ja-ang had served as his strategist for nearly twenty years, neither Elder Gwan Ju-gyeon nor Pyeong Ingang tried to stop him.
In fact, Gwan Ju-gyeon welcomed it. He’d been waiting for this day for a long time. The thought of finally catching the sly old fox who’d always looked down on him made Gwan Ju-gyeon’s lips curl into a smile.
"I’ll go."
Gwan Ju-gyeon volunteered.
As Gwan Ju-gyeon and Pyeong Ingang left the office, Cheon Il-hae fell into thought.
He knew Elder Deung, the head of the boatmen’s guild, quite well. They’d even dined together with other guild leaders not long ago.
Elder Deung was known for his gentle demeanor and flexible character, earning him great respect among the Xiang River boatmen.
‘He was the leader of the Xiangyang Black Society?’
If true, he’d been completely fooled.
A sense of foreboding crept over him.
When it came down to it, the guilds were no different from Black Path gangs. If the law didn’t work, they’d resort to the shadows—Cheon Il-hae knew that well.
‘In the end, do I have to accept Blade Mountain Forest’s demands?’
The main sect of Blade Mountain Forest had demanded an enormous sum of money.
Cheon Il-hae had been considering sending Gwan Ju-gyeon and Pyeong Ingang to take out Hwa Cheon-baek themselves. He’d even thought of sacrificing Gu Ja-ang in the process.
But now, in a fit of anger, he’d ordered Gu Ja-ang’s death...
‘If the Black Path betrays us, I need to be ready.’
He needed Gwan Ju-gyeon and Pyeong Ingang as backup to protect himself. That meant he’d have to leave dealing with Hwa Cheon-baek of the Clear Water Sect to the five Masters from Blade Mountain Forest.
Cheon Il-hae pulled out a document from his drawer and signed it.
The five Masters from Blade Mountain Forest had demanded a final decision by midnight.
Cheon Il-hae called out to a warrior outside.
"Tell our guests in the garden that I’ll see them now."
A short while later—
Cheon Il-hae entered the garden. Five people were waiting in the main hall.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. I was delayed by some urgent matters."
Cheon Il-hae greeted the Yin-Yang Twin Blades and the Three Mountain Alliance with courtesy, though he was seething inside.
Because of Gu Ja-ang’s scheming, he’d attacked the Clear Water Sect and had to request help from Blade Mountain Forest. Now, these five had been eating, drinking, and doing as they pleased for months.
And soon, he’d have to share a significant profit with them.
He’d held out as long as he could, but now he was at the end of his rope.
‘In the end, as long as the result is good, it’s all fine.’
If he could just eliminate the Clear Water Sect... the Black Society would be easy to sweep away.
Then he’d have sole control over Xiangyang, and profits would double or triple.
Trying to comfort himself, Cheon Il-hae spoke with a grave expression.
"I accept your terms."
"Your words have a sharp edge. This isn’t our demand, but the order of our main sect."
The main sect’s order was to pay a tribute of one million nyang every year.
‘Why don’t you mention that you want an extra hundred thousand nyang each for yourselves?’
Cheon Il-hae cursed inwardly but nodded.
"I understand."
He signed the document and handed it over.
"Well then... shall we go wolf hunting?"
Yang Blade, Myung Cho, of the Yin-Yang Twin Blades stood up with a sly grin. Then Eum Blade, Myung Go, and the Three Mountain Alliance rose as well.
"Leaving already? The Martial Arts Duel is at the fifth hour tomorrow. You have plenty of time in the morning."
"We know. We just want to scout the area in advance to make sure everything goes smoothly," Myung Cho replied.
"If it’s Yang Gwan of the Sword Pact Sect, he’s not an easy opponent. Besides, it’s basic to check the battlefield ahead of time."
The Yin-Yang Twin Blades and the Three Mountain Alliance left the garden, vaulting over the wall and disappearing into the night.
Cheon Il-hae felt as if he were sinking deeper into a labyrinth.
‘Gu Ja-ang, you old fox...’
Even though he’d made the decision himself, Cheon Il-hae still blamed Gu Ja-ang. If he were here, Cheon Il-hae would have gouged his eyes out.
As he headed back to his office, fireworks exploded in the night sky.
They were coming from the direction of the Martial Arts Stage. Cheon Il-hae frowned and asked the warrior beside him,
"Isn’t that where the Martial Arts Stage is? Tell Elder Pyeong to check if something’s happened."
The warrior hurried off.