Chapter 55
Wang Zhijing’s Radical Proposal
Beep! Beep!
A horn sounded from beyond the forest. At once, the masked men abandoned their attack and began fleeing into the trees.
Thud!
“Argh!”
Tie Wuok pursued them.
Soon, one masked man’s upper and lower body was severed and fell apart.
“Stop. That’s enough.”
At Yi Hwan’s command, Tie Wuok halted.
The battlefield was a scene from hell. Not a single corpse remained intact. Even the guards, accustomed to a life of swordfighting, looked away in horror.
Yi Hwan quietly issued an order.
“Attend to the wounded first.”
Two guards had died, and two more were gravely injured.
Wang Zhijing’s eyes trembled at the gruesome scene. Twice in recent days, such events had occurred. Both times, lives were saved, but the fear that had seeped into their bones would not wash away easily.
Whoosh!
The rain continued to pour heavily.
Yi Hwan looked at Wang Zhijing.
“What will you do? Wait for the rain to stop at that manor, or return to the city?”
“I’ll return to the city.”
Ultimately, Wang Zhijing stepped back into the rain.
Back in the city, Wang Zhijing unexpectedly stayed at an inn operated by the Song family.
He rented the entire top floor.
It was an extravagant expense, but for Wang Zhijing, it was of no consequence.
He drank with Yi Hwan at one table. Still shaken from fear, he requested that Yi Hwan stay close to him at all times.
Meanwhile, the guards’ eyes had noticeably changed as they looked at Yi Hwan and Tie Wuok, particularly showing awe toward Tie Wuok, who had displayed such formidable force.
Thump!
Wang Zhijing slammed the table, furious.
“Dragon Herald Guild! What the hell am I supposed to do with these bastards?!”
Clink.
Yi Hwan silently refilled their glasses.
“Why me?! Why is it always me?!”
Wang Zhijing struggled to calm his anger.
“You really only have two choices, don’t you? Fight or submit.”
Yi Hwan emptied his cup and continued.
“To fight, you must have the backing of the Crown Prince’s Palace. As for submission… well, just hand over the empire’s assets to the Dragon Herald Guild and bow low. Nothing difficult there.”
“Hmph! Submission? Impossible!”
Glug, glug!
Wang Zhijing drank straight from the bottle.
Yi Hwan said casually,
“If you want, you should go to the Song family right now. From what I see, the only way to leverage influence with the Crown Prince’s Palace is through them.”
“Of course. By any means necessary, I will establish a connection with the Crown Prince’s Palace.”
“But first, there’s something that needs to be addressed.”
“What is it?”
Yi Hwan finished his drink and spoke calmly.
“We need to strengthen your guard. In just a few days, there have already been two ambushes. The next attackers will likely be of an entirely different caliber. If the Shanshan Sect intervenes directly, the current protection will not guarantee your safety.”
“…!”
Wang Zhijing’s face, once flushed with anger, now hardened.
“Why didn’t we capture the Shanshan Sect?”
“I intended to, but the Dragon Herald Guild got to them first. They offered huge rewards and even women—if I had known how much he loved women, I would have captured him myself.”
Was he frustrated?
A faint twitch passed over Wang Zhijing’s face. He drank as if it were water and continued,
“Understood. We must hire stronger guards, no matter the cost.”
‘Naturally, it should be this way.’
Yi Hwan quietly smiled and signaled Tie Wuok.
[Select three from your group.]
[Understood.]
Yi Hwan spoke to Wang Zhijing.
“You should rest today.”
“You must stay in my adjacent room.”
“Understood.”
Wang Zhijing and Yi Hwan went to their rooms.
Tie Wuok and the guards stayed behind, drinking. One guard said,
“Thank you. We would not have survived without you.”
“Indeed, thank you.”
Even those who had resented Yi Hwan and Tie Wuok until morning now bowed in respect.
Tie Wuok set down his cup and surveyed everyone.
“Do you want to continue this work?”
“What choice do we have? To earn a living, we must take jobs, and few pay as well as this place. Other places don’t favor martial artists.”
“Exactly. I feel the same.”
“Me too.”
The mood grew heavier.
Seeing those who had boasted so arrogantly now humbled, Tie Wuok felt a pang of sympathy.
“You all come from the ‘heterodox’ sects?”
“Honestly, what difference does it make? Martial artists are few, and the world of martial arts is practically gone.”
“Who has the right to define orthodoxy or heterodoxy? We all live off swords; shedding blood is the same for everyone.”
“The powerful serve the orthodox, the rest are heterodox. Big deal, damn it.”
Words revealing life experience poured forth.
Tie Wuok silently emptied his cup.
Thump!
“I’ll tell you the best way to keep working without dying.”
“Please do!”
“What should we do?”
Tie Wuok raised his hand toward the upper floor.
“Listen carefully to my master. That’s all you need to do.”
“From our perspective, he seems stronger though?”
Snicker.
“I can’t compare to him.”
“Really?”
“Wow!”
Tie Wuok raised his cup to his lips, wondering silently,
‘Is my master really stronger than me?’
The heavy rain continued into the night.
Before the rainy season officially began, flooding broke out across the city due to the sudden downpour.
Whoosh!
Yi Hwan stood by the window, watching the rain pour. After a while, he quietly opened the window. A person slipped inside.
It was Gomi.
[I’ve confirmed the instructions you gave.]
“You may speak aloud.”
Gomi continued verbally,
“After tracking those who stayed at the Dragon Herald branch today, they moved toward the site of the battle. However, the Shanshan Sect did not participate.”
‘As expected, it was their doing.’
Gomi asked,
“Are you alright?”
“As you can see, I’m fine. How is the Crown Prince?”
“He has mostly recovered. He was very curious about where you were.”
“We’ll meet soon enough.”
Yi Hwan gave his next instructions.
“Go to my sister and inform her that Lord Wang is here. Have her stop by the inn tomorrow, pretending it’s by chance. Tell her I’ll handle the rest.”
“Understood.”
“And about the residence I requested earlier, no need to find a separate place.”
Referring to the residence for the Do-wang sect.
“Have you arranged suitable accommodations?”
“Some will stay here with me, the rest at my sister’s home. Having them near my sister will put my mind at ease.”
“That’s a relief. Anything else?”
“Yes, start investigating the Dragon Herald Guild’s tea suppliers and distribution channels. How they usurped the Song family’s networks, the volume of trade, and how funds flow to the Crown Prince… Gather all available information.”
“Understood.”
Gomi bowed and left.
“Want me to dry off first?”
“I’m fine.”
She disappeared into the night through the window. Yi Hwan watched her go, smiling faintly.
‘Good, unchanged.’
At the Dragon Herald branch,
The Shanshan Sect leader’s expression darkened as he received reports.
“There was nothing we could do. Their power is immense, and their hands are cruel. Most of my men lost their will to fight immediately.”
“And the other one?”
“He did not move near Wang Zhijing. One colleague tried to attack him but was killed mercilessly. He seemed to lead the group.”
The leader sank into his chair, eyes flashing.
“At least they weren’t weaker than the Black-White Twin Swords. No wonder they acted arrogantly.”
“Their hands were crueler.”
“Enough about their hands. Dead is dead, whether beautifully or brutally.”
“…Yes.”
“Where did Wang Zhijing find such people? I thought we had intercepted most.”
“Should we punish the owner of the Sangchun Inn?”
“Don’t touch them. If something happens there, it will disrupt our manpower supply.”
“Ah! I hadn’t thought of that.”
“Leave now.”
“Yes, take care.”
After his men left, the Shanshan Sect leader’s eyes darkened further as he thought of Yi Hwan and Tie Wuok.
‘Just as I thought, they’re formidable.’
Snap!
Bone clicked as his fingers interlaced.
He bared his teeth in a white smile.
‘The Dragon Herald Guild has been too dominant; this will be fun. Hohoho.’
The next day.
Yi Young and Song Cheonho visited the inn. Song Cheonmu and some Do-wang sect members accompanied them as guards.
News reached Wang Zhijing immediately.
Having just finished breakfast and tea, he hurried downstairs.
Yi Young, helping in the kitchen, stepped out upon hearing Wang Zhijing had come.
Wang Zhijing bowed.
“Good to see you again, Mama.”
“What brings you here, Lord Wang?”
“The rain last night was heavy, so I stayed for a night. But what brings you to personally handle the kitchen?”
“Can a host just relax? Besides, I hope your room was comfortable.”
“The suite was top-notch. I slept well for the first time in a while. The food and drink were excellent; I’ll visit often.”
“I appreciate the compliment. Well, I must return.”
As Yi Young turned, Wang Zhijing called out,
“Could you spare a moment? I wish to finish our discussion from yesterday.”
“I’m a bit busy…”
“It’ll only take a moment.”
Yi Young frowned but nodded.
“Very well.”
“Thank you. Let’s go somewhere quiet upstairs.”
Yi Young and Wang Zhijing sat across from each other with a table between them. Yi Hwan sat at a nearby table, Song Cheonmu and Do-wang members behind Yi Young.
Yi Young began,
“I’ll say it again: I’m not interested in anything related to the Crown Prince’s Palace.”
But Wang Zhijing would not back down; he had to sway Yi Young’s mind.
Yi Hwan watched him silently, smiling.
‘He has to go big.’
Wang Zhijing bit his lip, then spoke,
“I will forgive not only the principal but also the interest. I will also invest one million silver coins unconditionally into any venture you wish. The repayment period will follow your discretion.”
“…!”
Even Yi Young’s steely gaze wavered. One million silver coins, principal and interest waived, and she controlled the repayment period. Anyone would be shocked. Even Yi Hwan had not expected such a proposal.
‘Yesterday’s ambush was significant. Hohoho.’
Yi Hwan observed Yi Young.
She asked,
“Why should I accept your conditions?”
Three rejections, accept on the fourth.
At this moment, Yi Young was faithfully following the instructions from Yi Hwan’s letter.
Wang Zhijing said,
“I know you’ve suffered because of the Dragon Herald Guild. So I dare speak boldly.”
He drew a deep breath and continued resolutely,
“Make me your sword and shield. If we work together, we can resist the Dragon Herald Guild’s tyranny!”
With firm determination, proper terms, tone, and radical conditions, even Yi Young could not refuse. Wang Zhijing was confident.
“I need some time to think.”
“…!”
