Return of the Sword Emperor - Chapter 36

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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 13: The Crisis of the Tang Clan (2)

Jeong Yu-hwa, leader of the Jeokwol Dan, glanced upward and made a rough estimate of the time.

“Do you think they’ve started by now?”
“Yes, they’re likely attacking the Tang Clan as we speak.”

At Ban Cho’s words—the vice-leader of the Yahon Dan—Lee Hyo, who stood behind them, posed a question.

“Shouldn’t we set up an ambush?”

Jeong Yu-hwa gestured toward the sprawling plains and replied.

“The terrain here differs from the direction the Tang Clan will approach. And since the Amhyang Dae’s scouts have already spread out everywhere, they’ll know we’re here anyway.”
“So you’re saying we should meet them strength against strength.”
“Precisely.”

The moment Jeong Yu-hwa finished speaking, two aged masters leaned forward.

“Ah! As expected of the Jeokwol Dan leader. A truly bold strategy. I like it very much.”

Following the praise from Yeom Yu, the Asura Madman, Gye Po, the Broad-Sword Single-Strike master, added his own comment.

“The head of that Mudang-pa dog Malko belongs to me—don’t get greedy.”

At Gye Po’s words, Jeong Yu-hwa felt a bitter smile cross his face.

‘That would be impossible, even if I wanted it.’

Un Hyeon, who led the Mudang-pa southward—the Lone Sword of Pine Pattern—was among the foremost masters not only in the Mudang-pa but in all the Murim. Loath as he was to admit it, his own strength would never survive the drawing of a sword against that opponent.
Jeong Yu-hwa’s gaze shifted from Yeom Yu and Gye Po toward Lee Hyo and the others.

“I’ll ask you elders to handle Malko and the other Mudang-pa disciples.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll cut off that Malko bastard’s wind—”

Gye Po, who had been striking his chest confidently, suddenly fell silent. The playful mood shifted sharply in an instant.

“They’re coming.”

Lee Hyo, who had been watching the forward ground, murmured quietly.
Jeong Yu-hwa, who hadn’t yet sensed the enemy’s approach, whipped his head around.
In the distance, far enough to blur like dust, shapes were beginning to take form.

“The numbers seem roughly even, just as the intelligence suggested.”

Lee Hyo, having made a rough count, spoke his assessment.
Yet in terms of experience, the Jeokwol Dan held absolute advantage.

‘The real question is how many masters at Un Hyeon’s level the Mudang-pa and Daeho Mun have brought. If Ban Cho’s report is accurate, it’s fewer than expected. But we don’t have many of our own either.’

Of course, looking at the elders, who were smiling serenely, they certainly didn’t seem like they would lose.

* * *

“Still no word from the Yang Clan?”

Soon Jak, the warden of Chamhoe Prison, asked with anxiety etched across his face.

“It seems they won’t be able to arrive.”

Soon Jak tensed at Jin Yong’s reply, his voice sharp with challenge.

“Why?”
“The Yang Clan has been in turmoil for several days now. Unidentified assailants have been striking their household members, and the casualties mount. Their numbers are small, yet they’ve caused considerable trouble. Four days ago, poison was introduced into their well—many fell ill. The Yang Clan has decided that resolving their own crisis takes precedence over aiding us.”
“How contemptible! To cast aside their promises like broken sandals the moment their circumstances grow difficult!”

Soon Jak’s beard trembled as he vented his fury.
The Yang Clan’s troubles meant nothing to him. What mattered was that their absence threatened his plan—the scheme to capture Madoryeon as they moved against Chamhoe Prison and claim the credit for himself.
Soon Jak’s rage-fueled tirade abruptly ceased.

“Could Madoryeon have orchestrated this? To prevent them from aiding us?”

Jin Yong exhaled slowly before answering the question.

“The Yang Clan considered that possibility at first. But in Jang-ga District, it would be impossible for anyone to conduct such operations while evading both the Yang Clan and Amhyang Dae entirely. Furthermore, according to a survivor who bore serious wounds from these assailants and only escaped death through the Cheonwoo Sinjjo—the attackers are not Madoryeon, but people harboring a blood grudge against the Yang Clan.”
“A grudge? Could it be a disguise?”

Soon Jak’s suspicion remained unshaken.

“In the course of expanding their power, the Yang Clan trampled a particular family. The names that have surfaced seem genuine. The Yang Clan is already occupied hunting for that family’s bloodline.”
“Damn it. Of all times for this to happen…”

Soon Jak drained cup after cup of cold tea as if burning from within, struggling to steady his breathing before speaking again.

“What of Madoryeon’s position? Have we heard from Amhyang Dae?”
“The Information Warfare is intense enough that even they struggle to pinpoint exact locations. But their arrival is certain and imminent.”
“How far have Sa-cheon Tang-ga and Mudang-pa advanced?”
“Rest assured. They’ve already drawn near. At the very least, they’ll arrive before the enemy…”

Jin Yong’s words were cut short by commotion from outside.

Tsk!

Jin Yong’s expression darkened as he shouted toward the entrance.

“What is this noise?”

The door burst open and a man with a deathly pale face rushed in.

“A grave matter, sirs! A prison break! It’s a prison break!”

At those words, both Soon Jak and Jin Yong surged to their feet.

“A prison break?”
“Speak clearly! What nonsense is this?”
“The prison wall has been breached! Prisoners held in Chamhoe Prison have escaped!”
“Escaped? Impossible! What were the guards doing?”

Soon Jak stood frozen, unable to comprehend the situation.
While he had been scheming to capture Madoryeon at the prison and claim glory, a thunderbolt had fallen from a clear sky.

“It appears there was an unexpected assault from outside—likely assassins. The guards have suffered heavy casualties.”

At the man’s words, Soon Jak hurled his teacup across the room in a fit of rage.

“Amhyang Dae, you worthless fools! Not to sense the enemies until they struck!”

Soon Jak made no effort to hide his fury—his plans lay in ruins because of Amhyang Dae’s incompetence in their Information Warfare against Madoryeon.

“The prisoners don’t matter. Yes, they broke out, but they’re far from recovered. It’ll take time for them to heal—the guards can handle them easily enough. The real problem is whoever let them out. I’d wager anything it was Madoryeon. Am I right?”
“I… I’m not certain, sir.”

The man shook his head, and Jin Yong answered at once.

“I’ll look into it immediately.”
“Move quickly then. If Madoryeon’s involved, this could be far worse than we thought. Oh—where’s the Vice-Warden?”
“He took some men to inspect the collapsed mine.”
“Damn it all! Bring him back at once.”
“Yes, sir.”

As Jin Yong and the man hurried out, Soon Jak—left alone—swept back his disheveled hair.
This sickening feeling was something he hadn’t known in a long time, not since he’d been demoted to Chamhoe Prison.

* * *

“You alright?”

Yong Cheol-seung walked shoulder to shoulder with Won Jong, asking the question.

“Friend, that’s the fourth time you’ve asked me that today.”
“H-has it been?”

Yong Cheol-seung scratched his scalp with an embarrassed smile.

“How many times do I have to say I’m fine before you stop?”
“Sorry about that.”
“I’m truly alright, so spare me the worry. Look at me—my Dantian’s ruined and I’m still standing here in one piece. Thanks to someone, eh? Hehehehe!”

Both men’s eyes drifted toward Dok Go Jin, walking a pace ahead.

“Careful—what if someone else hears that?”

Woo Gon, who’d drawn near without warning, glanced about cautiously.

“What’s the harm? He didn’t steal it—he found a treasure and shared it freely with his brothers.”

At Yong Cheol-seung’s rebuttal, Woo Gon let out a heavy sigh.

“The world doesn’t work so simply. There’s an old saying—scratch a sore that doesn’t itch, and you’ll make it bleed. When men see treasure before their eyes, how many keep their wits? Better not to tempt fate. Maybe nothing will come of it, like you say, but we don’t need to advertise it either.”
“Alright, alright already. So tell me—are you really going to retire?”

Yong Cheol-seung picked at his ear as if eager to change the subject.

“Retirement’s too grand a word for someone like me. I just want to go home. When you think about it, I’ve been away far too long.”
“That’s right—you said you’ve been in Milgeom Dan for ten years, didn’t you?”
“Ten years. I’m sick of it.”

Woo Gon shook his head roughly. Yet beneath his words, his face was heavy with regret.

“Your family runs a courier house, don’t they?”

Won Jong asked the question.

“Courier house is too generous a word for it. We do a bit of trading on the side, move goods between villages—nothing grand.”
“Ah! So you’re becoming a courier! One eye and one arm—One-Eye One-Arm Gon! How magnificent!”

Yong Cheol-seung clapped his hands and made a show of it, and the others who’d been listening burst into laughter.
They all laughed brightly, but Won Jong could not join them.
He too would be forced to retire, though not by choice. But he had no home to return to, nothing he needed to do, and nothing he truly wanted to do.
Sensing Won Jong’s turmoil, someone approached quietly and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Don’t worry so much. When I return, I’ll speak to the Chief and recommend you as an instructor at the training center. I’m sure he’ll be happy to help.”

At Jong Gak’s words, Won Jong’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Why are you so shocked? You think we’d just waste such talent? That won’t do. Even though you’ve lost your Martial Arts, everything you learned during your time at Milgeom Dan—your experience, your skills—none of that has disappeared. A training center values instructors with real field experience.”
“…….”

Caught completely off guard, Won Jong could only hang his head in silence.

“This works out well.”
“It really does. Instructor Won Jong! Has a nice ring to it!”

As Woo Gon and Yong Cheol-seung offered genuine congratulations and the others chimed in with their own encouragement, a sharp voice cut through the warmth.

“Ha! Deputy Chief! If you were thinking along these lines, you should have discussed it with me first.”

All eyes turned to Team Leader Yu Seol-ran.

“What nonsense is this?”

A flicker of displeasure crossed Jong Gak’s gaze. But Yu Seol-ran pressed on, undeterred.

“If I’d known beforehand, I wouldn’t have made excuses to those Amhyang Dae bastards.”

Yu Seol-ran stepped closer to a bewildered Won Jong and gave his head a light pat.

“So he’s become a cripple—fine. But he can still walk and run without issue. He won’t be much use in a fight, but this one’s the best at Tracking Art in all of Milgeom Dan.”
“M-me?”
“Him?”

Won Jong and Yong Cheol-seung voiced their doubts simultaneously.

“He’s also exceptional at Information Analysis. With just a little more training in that direction, he could be genuinely useful. I even got them to agree to consider it seriously…….”

Yu Seol-ran, glancing back and forth between Jong Gak and Won Jong, let out a soft laugh.

“Now I won’t have to make any regretful excuses. All that’s left is to make sure this actually happens.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll choke it out of the Chief if I have to—I’ll make it happen exactly as planned.”

“Ha!”
“T-this is…….”

Everyone had frozen at Jong Gak’s rare jest—delivered once or twice a year at most—when a figure came rushing toward them from the distance in frantic haste.
A person was sprinting across the land in desperate hurry.
The escort guards at the front showed no particular alarm or warning. The runner was none other than Kwak Gae, an Amhyang Dae member who was already acquainted with the escort party.

“What’s got him in such a rush?”

Ha Jo-gyeong, stationed at the very rear, studied Kwak Gae’s hurried gait with a puzzled tilt of his head.
But no one was listening to his murmured observation.

“Hah! Hah! C-Commander Jwa! Deputy Chief!”

Kwak Gae, caked in blood and dust, staggered to a halt and dropped to his knees.
A deep Sword Wound ran across his back, and a Throwing Blade was embedded in his shoulder.

“What in the world happened to you? What’s going on?”

Jwa Jong-je caught him with an anxious expression, pulling him to his feet.

“The—the Sa-cheon Tang-ga has been caught in an ambush by enemies.”
“What? The Tang-ga? Why would they be here?”

Despite the urgency of the situation, Jwa Jong-je’s face was creased with bewilderment.
He could not fathom why the leader of Sa-cheon’s forces would reveal himself in Jang-ga District, nor understand the reason they were under attack from Madoryeon.

“It’s that…”

After a moment’s hesitation, Kwak Gae explained that an assault on Chamhoe Prison by Madoryeon was imminent, and that the Sa-cheon Tang-ga and Mudang-pa had come to subdue them.

“Why was such important news kept hidden?” Jong Gak demanded, his voice sharp.

With arms folded, he turned a hardened gaze upon Kwak Gae.

“We ourselves appealed for your assistance in this matter, but the Warden of Chamhoe Prison refused. The escort force has already paid a devastating price in the process of transporting the prisoners, and now waits only for the day when we might recover and return. To drag you into such danger again would be unconscionable.” Kwak Gae’s voice carried the weight of someone caught between conflicting loyalties.

The moment Kwak Gae finished speaking, Jong Gak—who had been listening with slightly drawn features—and the escort officers gathered around him erupted in a chorus of admiration and reverence. Some even offered praise for the Warden’s consideration.

‘What a cunning old fox. Consideration for us? Nonsense. He just didn’t want to share the glory. And once he realizes he’s outmatched, he’ll slip away on his own.’

Dok Go Jin, the only one who knew the true nature of Warden Soon Jak, felt his skin crawl at such blatant hypocrisy.
And doubt crept in.

‘But Madoryeon sending forces again? That doesn’t match what I know.’

There had been no involvement from the Tang-ga or Mudang-pa.

Until now, he had possessed knowledge of a future that was to some degree predictable; now he realized that he was stepping into territory completely foreign to him.

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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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