Abolition of the Wicked - Chapter 178

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#Chapter 178

“Captain Ga.”
Ga Yeon-gil set down his teacup at Dan Jeong-cheol’s summons.
“Yes?”
“Why are you tolerating such an insult?”
Ga Yeon-gil’s expression turned puzzled.
“An insult? Who’s insulting whom?”
“Common rabble from the Murim treating the Imperial Guard this way—how is that not an insult?”
Ga Yeon-gil nodded slowly, considering the point.
“Under normal circumstances, you’d be right.”
“We should haul them away and have them flogged, or execute summary justice!”
“Yes, under normal circumstances, that’s exactly what should happen.”
“Then why are you standing idle? If you won’t act, I will—”
“You’ll punish them?”
“Yes!”
“How?”
“With the authority of the Imperial Guard and the power of the Guard’s ranks!”
“Do these people look to you like they care about Imperial Guard authority?”
Dan Jeong-cheol glanced around and his frown deepened. While the two Imperial Guard officers were discussing something of obvious importance, the people of Oseong Jang-won were gossiping amongst themselves about something entirely different.
“I’m telling you, loose stools are normal at that age. Babies always have them.”
“No, from what I can see it’s diarrhea. We should tell Jang Man-dok and have him give the child some medicine.”
“You’d let Jang Man-dok treat Ji-u? The boy might end up developing three years’ worth of internal energy by accident.”
The conversation between Ga Yeon-gil and Dan Jeong-cheol received no more attention than excrement. At this point, the only way to demonstrate the power of the Imperial Guard’s ranks was to force the issue.
“Arrange a sparring match.”
At Dan Jeong-cheol’s demand, Ga Yeon-gil answered with a worried expression.
“I’d rather you didn’t.”
“I placed first in the Imperial Guard examination, and through His Majesty’s grace, I’ve been training the Imperial Palace Secret Technique for more than two hours every day for the past five years.”
“I know you’re one of the most promising talents in the Imperial Guard. In another ten years or so, I might well bow to you. But right now, I’m giving you advice that will be flesh and bone to you—don’t do it.”
“Sir?”
“A sparring match. Best case, you’ll be embarrassed. Worst case, you’ll die. And if you die, I’ll have a headache.”
“You don’t know me, Captain.”
“Now look, I’m telling you loose stools are completely normal!”
“What would you know? You’ve never raised a child!”
“Do you have to have raised one to know? I’m an expert on this!”
Unable to contain himself, Dan Jeong-cheol suddenly shouted.
“Stop talking about feces!”
The room fell silent. Then Se-hwa’s hand shot up.
“A youngster interrupting the adults’ conversation!”
If Go Seo-bang hadn’t stepped in, Se-hwa’s hand would have come down hard on the back of Dan Jeong-cheol’s head.
“Let it go. He’s just a boy who doesn’t understand the way of the world.”
“If he doesn’t understand the way of the world, he should at least know his manners! Raising his voice while your masters are speaking! What were you looking at? Keep your eyes forward!”
She had never been fond of officials, but ever since she’d been seized and taken to the authorities once, Se-hwa had shuddered at the very mention of them.
“No matter what rabble from the Murim you call yourselves, how dare you treat the Imperial Guard—”
“Then have a sparring match! A sparring match!”
Knowing that if they continued like this Dan Jeong-cheol might actually be beaten to death, Ga Yeon-gil granted the sparring match he’d requested.
Of course, he needed permission from one other person.
“Master Geom. Would that be acceptable?”
Geom U-bin had been listening to their entire exchange and understood what was at stake.
“A sparring match isn’t difficult, but—”
“Master! A sparring match? Yes! Please, please arrange it!”
Se-hwa cracked her knuckles eagerly, her fighting spirit ignited. If Se-hwa were to spar with him, at least a couple of bones were bound to break.
“Let’s go outside.”
They had come into the room to talk calmly, but somehow it had come to this.
They hurried out to the Back Garden, and Gong Seong-tak, who had just come out of the Blacksmith, joined them.
“Master Geom, what’s happened?”
Geom U-bin recounted what had happened in the room, keeping it brief.
“Sparring? Could I not be the one to do it?”
Gong Seong-tak had learned martial arts only by force, driven by vengeance, and had never truly loved the way itself—until now.
Yet through sparring with Geom U-bin, he had come to understand the profound depths of the Jincheon Leogak, and now he was consumed by the art, bone-deep.
“I want to know what the Imperial Palace’s martial arts are like.”
Se-hwa’s voice erupted in protest.
“Lord Gong! Don’t you dare take my opponent!”
Geom U-bin moved to calm her.
“Se-hwa, don’t be so angry. It’s just sparring.”
“Of course it’s sparring. This is my chance to flatten the nose of those Imperial Guard officials who look down on the Murim. I should knock every tooth out of their heads so they remember how terrifying the Murim is every time they eat.”
It was clear that Se-hwa couldn’t be allowed to spar. There was nothing to gain from extracting all of the Imperial Guard’s teeth—she wasn’t going to play jacks with them afterward.
Geom U-bin watched Dan Jeong-cheol speaking with resolute composure to Ga Yeon-gil, then called out to Gong Seong-tak.
“Lord Gong.”
“What is it?”
“You wanted to spar?”
“Heh heh… of course.”
“Would you consider holding back?”
“This isn’t cultivation practice sparring—we’re testing martial arts themselves. There’s no such thing as holding back in that.”
If Gong Seong-tak fought with all his strength, Dan Jeong-cheol might die, not merely lose his teeth.
So Gong Seong-tak was out too. Geom U-bin swept his eyes across the gathered group, then exhaled a thin sigh and muttered to himself.
“I suppose it has to be me.”
He couldn’t trust the task to the Bloodwind Four Lions, and if he assigned it to one of Hang Ju-sa-ung’s disciples, Se-hwa’s mood would only sour further.
Only if Geom U-bin stepped forward himself would Se-hwa consent to back down—the only way to send Dan Jeong-cheol away unharmed was to face him directly.
“I’ll do it.”
Se-hwa, who had been loosening her body for the match, looked bewildered.
“Master, are you saying you’ll spar?”
“Yes. I can’t have our guest leave with all his teeth knocked out or his body carried away.”
“Guest? He’s just an official without the slightest courtesy!”
Yeon Geum-hong grabbed Se-hwa’s ear and pulled.
“You’re the one acting discourteous now. How dare you answer back to your senior like that?”
“I—I would never—how could I presume—my ear, my ear is going to come off!”
Geom U-bin took Se-hwa’s place in the sparring circle. Dan Jeong-cheol’s expression twisted when he saw him.
“He’s just a child.”
Unlike Dan Jeong-cheol, Ga Yeon-gil asked with measured courtesy.
“Are you intending to spar directly, Master Geom?”
“It seems like it would be good for later.”
“My apologies for the inconvenience.”
“Not at all. It’s not a bad opportunity to experience firsthand what the Imperial Palace’s martial arts are like.”
“That one may look unassuming, but he could be quite formidable. Please don’t take it too lightly.”
Ga Yeon-gil still had no clear sense of Geom U-bin’s martial capabilities.
Through various intelligence, he had confirmed that Hang Ju-sa-ung’s martial prowess was considerable, but Geom U-bin’s strength remained veiled.
Certainly he must be quite strong, but how much power could a fifteen-year-old truly possess?
If Geom U-bin were to be injured during the match, there was no way Dan Jeong-cheol would emerge unscathed.
‘I thought this would be straightforward, but nothing ever unfolds easily.’
Ga Yeon-gil stepped back with a quiet sigh. Standing beside Go Shin-ji, he whispered.
“If Official Dan happens to injure the young lord, please see that no consequences befall him.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“That is to say…”
“You think Official Dan will actually win?”
“Official Dan is renowned even within the Imperial Guard as a prodigy. He could very well prevail.”
Go Shin-ji let out a soft laugh.
“If Official Dan is the Imperial Guard’s prodigy, then Master Geom is the realm’s greatest talent. I’ve heard people call him the finest throughout all ages. And their training is entirely different. If the young lord applies his full strength, Official Dan won’t last three seconds. Actually, I’m being generous even allowing three seconds.”
“But surely, no matter what, Master Geom is only fifteen years old…”
“Have you ever seen anyone dismiss the young lord for his age?”
That was something Ga Yeon-gil himself had found puzzling. If one were born into a prestigious clan—a member of the imperial family or a high official’s household—such a thing might be understandable.
Yet Geom U-bin didn’t appear to be of such stock, and still, Ga Yeon-gil had never witnessed anyone underestimate him merely for his youth.
“So he possesses ability despite his young age?”
“Of course. And his character is exemplary as well. He’ll be staying in Hangju for some time, so watch and see. My only wish is that my daughter Ji-u grows up to be like Master Geom. Well, minus the troublemaking disciples, of course.”
As they spoke, Geom U-bin and Dan Jeong-cheol faced each other across a distance of ten paces.
While Dan Jeong-cheol’s expression was resolute and taut, Geom U-bin’s composure remained unchanged from his usual bearing.
“Are you asking if it’s a weapon?”
“A sword. Oof!”
Dan Jeong-cheol clutched his head, struck by something. Seo Seok-san had thrown it, and Ga Yeon-gil explained why he’d been hit.
“If you come as a guest, you should show respect to your host.”
Dan Jeong-cheol, not even knowing what had hit him, felt anger churning in his chest—but he could vent it soon enough in the sparring match ahead.
‘I’ll knock that arrogance right out of these cocky Murim martial artists at this estate!’
With such thoughts running through his mind, Geom U-bin spoke.
“Could someone bring Deputy Commander Dan a sword, please?”
Dan Jeong-cheol was startled. This was their first sparring match. In other words, they knew nothing of each other.
Even if it wasn’t a fight to the death, injuries were certainly possible—yet Geom U-bin was giving him a sword while remaining empty-handed himself.
‘What is this? Does he want to see blood spill?’
What surprised him even more was that they actually handed Dan Jeong-cheol a sword, and even then, Geom U-bin’s hands remained bare.
“Only I wield a sword? You don’t have—”
“I don’t have a particular weapon, so this works for me.”
It sounded as if he were saying, ‘Someone like you is enough for me to handle with bare hands.’
Whoosh!
Dan Jeong-cheol swung the blade through the air and spoke.
“Don’t blame me later if you end up injured.”
“There’s no need to hold back on my account.”
“Of course. I’ll give it my all.”
“Since I have empty hands, I’ll take the first move.”
Geom U-bin saluted with a fist and pushed off the ground. The fist driving toward his chest wasn’t particularly fast.
Dan Jeong-cheol lacked real combat experience, but he had plenty of sparring practice. He understood how to fight against someone using bare-hand combat, and the flow of this match was already unfolding clearly in his mind.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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