Chapter v19c23

## An Unexpected Visit

– The Sword Saint’s Intuition

“Hmm? A guest?”

Ma Jin-Ga, his windows tightly shut against the relentless noise of the protests, looked up from the mountain of paperwork on his desk, his battle-worn brush momentarily paused.

“Didn’t I say I wasn’t seeing anyone today?”

Yeo-Mae, his personal maid, bowed apologetically.

“I thought you should meet this guest, sir.”

It meant the visitor was someone even she couldn’t refuse.

“Who is it?”

“The Sword Saint wishes to see you, sir.”

“The Sword Saint?”

“Yes, sir!”

She replied respectfully.

“Why does he want to see me?”

He hadn’t received a private audience request from the Sword Saint in years. He had no idea why.

“Bring him in!”

He stood up, showing respect for the Sword Saint. He rarely stood up for anyone when he was in his office, exercising his authority as the Headmaster.

“Master Gongson, what brings you here?”

He greeted the Sword Saint warmly, rising from his seat.

“I apologize for interrupting your busy schedule, Headmaster Ma. I have an urgent matter to discuss with you.”

“Don’t mention it. My ears and my heart are always open. Especially for your wise counsel. Hahaha!”

“Haha, you overestimate this old swordsman, Headmaster Ma.”

“Hahaha! It’s not an overestimation. It’s simply respect for the Sword Saint. What brings you to this ignorant man’s humble abode?”

“The shadow of unrest that has fallen upon Cheonmu Academy!”

Gongson Il-Chwi’s expression turned serious, his tone changing abruptly.

“Have you brought the light to dispel that shadow?”

“I have. The people are restless.”

“I know. It’s been troubling me as well.”

“We must quell their unrest before it explodes. Otherwise, Cheonmu Academy’s reputation will be ruined, and we will be disgraced.”

“What should we do?”

“We need an example!”

“An example…?”

Gongson Il-Chwi didn’t mince words. He spoke directly.

“Execute the culprit!”

Ma Jin-Ga’s hand, holding his teacup, froze.

“The culprit… Are you referring to Bi Ryu-Yeon?”

He asked, carefully placing his teacup on the table.

“Is there another culprit?”

“But… He’s just a suspect. He hasn’t been found guilty yet. We can’t execute him. And besides, it’s illegal.”

A private execution was a serious crime, a violation of the government’s authority. That was why many organizations resorted to suicide as a form of punishment.

“There are ways to handle it legally. The important thing is to silence the public outcry as soon as possible.”

“You’re concerned about the mindless chatter of the masses? That’s not like you, Master. Or is there another reason?”

Ma Jin-Ga’s question was sharp.

“…”

Gongson Il-Chwi was silent.

“You’re avoiding the question. If you don’t tell me the reason, I can’t listen to you any further.”

Ma Jin-Ga said firmly.

“Cheol-Tap! How can you speak to me like that?”

Gongson Il-Chwi’s address changed abruptly. But Ma Jin-Ga remained calm.

“Master, I have no choice. I might have been your student once, but I’m the Headmaster of Cheonmu Academy now. I have a duty to be fair and impartial. Why do you hate Bi Ryu-Yeon so much?”

Hate was an understatement. It was closer to hatred. But Ma Jin-Ga couldn’t understand why a legendary figure like the Sword Saint would hate and fear a young man who was centuries younger than him.

“He’s a dangerous man!”

Gongson Il-Chwi replied, his expression grave.

“Do you have any evidence?”

“No, I don’t. It’s just a feeling.”

“So you have a suspicion, but no evidence. I was hoping for something more concrete.”

“You don’t trust me?”

A master like the Sword Saint had an intuition that was almost supernatural. But he couldn’t run an organization based on feelings alone.

“No, of course I trust you, Master. I respect your intuition. I believe you can see things I can’t. But I can’t punish him based on that alone. Intuition isn’t admissible evidence. Even the emperor can’t do that. Please understand.”

“What if I don’t?”

Gongson Il-Chwi’s response was the most difficult to deal with. He was refusing to communicate, to even try to understand.

“W-well…”

Ma Jin-Ga was at a loss for words. He was saved by the commotion outside.

*Bang!*

The commotion outside turned into a commotion inside. A messenger, carrying a red urgent message token, burst into the room. The token granted him access to Ma Jin-Ga at any time, regardless of the circumstances.

“What is it? Why are you in such a hurry? Show some respect! The Sword Saint is here!”

“I-it’s…!”

“Calm down and tell me.”

“A-another attack! There’s another victim!”

Gongson Il-Chwi and Ma Jin-Ga jumped to their feet.

“What?!”

* * *

## Die for Me!

– Gungsang-ah!

“Why can’t you release him?”

Yeomdo demanded, his voice angry, as he visited the No Resentment Unit’s headquarters, where the investigation was being conducted.

“Well… You see…”

He cut Cheong-Heun off.

“I don’t want to hear your excuses. There’s been another attack, even though the suspect was in custody. So it’s safe to assume the person in prison is innocent. Release him immediately.”

“I can’t do that!”

“Why not? You have no evidence that he’s the culprit.”

“We don’t have evidence that he’s the culprit, but we don’t have evidence that he’s innocent either. We can’t release him until we’re certain.”

Cheong-Heun’s attitude was different from Hyun-Bin’s. He had more responsibility, and he had a duty to withstand pressure.

Yeomdo was frustrated. He was offering to help, but they were refusing.

“May I ask why?”

“Of course. It’s true that there’s been another attack, but we can’t be sure if it was committed by the same person. It could be a copycat.”

It sounded like they were saying, “We’re trying our best to shorten our lifespans.”

“A copycat? Who would be crazy enough to copy that?”

It was murder. The indiscriminate murder of innocent people. It was a terrible crime. He couldn’t understand why anyone would do such a thing.

“Humans do crazy things, even when they know they’re crazy.”

“But that means…”

There was only one word to describe it.

“Yes, they’re crazy. Why else would they do such a thing?”

Someone who couldn’t even make a simple moral judgment must be mentally ill. All they had to do was put themselves in the victim’s shoes for a moment. The fact that they hadn’t done that… Maybe they were blinded by the delusion that they would never be victims themselves.

“And… He didn’t die.”

Cheong-Heun’s words were decisive.

“What?”

Yeomdo asked, confused. This was new information.

“The victim is still alive. He’s just injured. That’s one of the two major differences between this case and the previous ones.”

He was arguing that they couldn’t be linked because of those two differences.

“Alright, what’s the second difference?”

He hesitated. But he didn’t want to be grilled like a piece of bulgogi. So he decided to tell him. His skin was fine as it was. He didn’t need to be roasted any further. He might be a foodie, but he didn’t want to be the food.

“The victim this time wasn’t an aspiring entrant. It was a golden armband.”

* * *

“Yo!”

“Yo!”

“How’s it going?”

It was a casual greeting, but it felt out of place in a prison. Especially when addressed to a prisoner.

“Not bad.”

Bi Ryu-Yeon replied curtly.

“Wow, how did you get in here, old man? I heard regular students aren’t allowed.”

The only other visitor he had received was Yeomdo, his martial arts instructor. Bing Geom hadn’t visited. He must still be teaching Namgung-Sang. So he was naturally curious about Jang-Hong’s presence.

“Ah, I pulled some strings!”

Jang-Hong replied, scratching the back of his head, a sheepish grin on his face.

“How’s it going outside?”

“It’s practically a festival. A festival to send you to the execution grounds.”

“Good turnout?”

Bi Ryu-Yeon asked casually.

“It’s almost fanatical. I’ve never seen people so united. It’s truly a sight to behold. Hundreds of people demanding the death of one man. It’s a rare spectacle.”

The human heart, when united, could achieve miracles beyond imagination, experience, or history. But even a slight deviation could turn it into a vortex of madness, as destructive as a natural disaster.

“Ahem, it’s all thanks to my charisma!”

Bi Ryu-Yeon said, as if he were talking about someone else, despite the impending storm of madness.

“You must be very charismatic. I’m so jealous I could die!”

Jang-Hong was exasperated by his friend’s nonchalance. His voice hardened. He didn’t like the impeachment frenzy that had been spreading like a plague in the past few days. There had to be a better way to go crazy.

“They all want to see the serial killer get sliced and diced.”

He was trying to get him to show some concern, but it didn’t work.

“I’d like to see that too.”

Bi Ryu-Yeon agreed, as if it had nothing to do with him.

“Anyway, anything else interesting happen?”

“Yes, there was.”

“Hmm, tell me. You sound like you have good news.”

“What did my expression look like?”

“Like you just ate a mouthful of sand-covered bugs.”

“…”

“Tell me what’s bothering you.”

“He’s back.”

Jang-Hong replied, sighing.

“Who’s back?”

He answered,

“The midnight assassin!”

“Huh? Again?”

“Yes! Again! Any ideas?”

“A few.”

“Really?”

Jang-Hong’s ears perked up.

“Of course.”

“I’d like to hear your thoughts.”

“It’ll cost you.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll make it worth your while.”

“Alright, I’ll tell you! I think it’s the work of some young master. The heir to one of those prestigious families.”

“Why would someone like that do such a thing?”

“He’s probably eager to test his skills.”

“So he committed these senseless murders?”

“It might be important to him. Even if it seems trivial to us.”

“There must be another motive… Because his actions over the past four days have been very systematic and planned.”

“This is just a rehearsal. He’s preparing for something bigger.”

“So it’s not the same person.”

“Definitely not. The question is, what’s his target…?”

They couldn’t identify the target, so they needed a different approach.

“What can I do?”

Jang-Hong asked directly. He didn’t even ask if Bi Ryu-Yeon had actually committed the murders. And Bi Ryu-Yeon didn’t bother to defend himself.

He believed his friend was innocent, and his friend believed in him. That was what true friendship was all about.

“Get me out of here. I’ll solve it within a week.”

Bi Ryu-Yeon replied, as if it were a simple task.

“One week? Is that even possible?”

Jang-Hong asked before he could say, “That’s impossible.”

“I hate bounced checks. And I hate empty promises. Have I ever broken a promise?”

“Huh? Have you? I think you have…”

Jang-Hong desperately searched his memories. And after a while, he made a startling discovery.

“This is unbelievable… There’s none. I can’t find any. There must have been at least one or two…”

It was a paradox. Bi Ryu-Yeon, known as the biggest braggart in Cheonmu Academy, had never broken a promise.

‘That means he’s made all those absurd things a reality…’

* * *

Bi Ryu-Yeon had made many outrageous claims. But the difference was that he always delivered. When you achieved what everyone else had given up on, those who had given up were tempted to deny reality. And that was what Bi Ryu-Yeon had done, time and time again.

“So, what do you think of my offer?”

“One week…”

It was a tempting offer. He shook his head, trying to resist the temptation.

“I’m afraid that’s beyond my authority. And public opinion is against you right now. If I release you, the academy will be blamed for everything. They won’t be happy about that.”

“How timid.”

Bi Ryu-Yeon grumbled.

“How can you achieve anything with such a small heart?”

“Large organizations are inherently rigid. Please understand.”

“Why should I?”

Jang-Hong tried to appease him, but it was no use.

“Then we have no choice but to go with Plan B.”

“There’s a Plan B?”

“There are many paths to the same destination. If you can’t go yourself, you need a proxy.”

“Who would be a good proxy? Mo Yong-Hwi?”

Jang-Hong suggested a capable and exemplary young man who was unlikely to be swayed by Bi Ryu-Yeon’s schemes.

“He’s not a good choice. He’s a target. And he lacks improvisational skills. He’s much better than before, but his thinking is still rigid.”

“He’s not exemplary? He sounds like he hasn’t been corrupted enough.”

“Trying to stay within the rules is rigid in itself. He needs to be more flexible.”

“How about Yoon Jun-Ho?”

He suggested a timid young man with hidden potential.

“He lacks courage. And he’s not skilled enough to handle this. But his clothes might be useful. He could be a good decoy.”

He was saying that Yoon Jun-Ho’s clothes were more capable than Yoon Jun-Ho himself.

“Clothes? What are you talking about?”

He was curious, but he decided to move on.

“Then who’s left? Are there any other candidates in your limited social circle? S-surely you’re not suggesting me?”

“You can just relax, old man.”

Bi Ryu-Yeon said coldly, shaking his head.

“Thank you for considering me. So who would be a good choice?”

“Namgung-Sang!”

“Namgung-Sang? You mean Gungsang from the Vermilion Bird group?”

He nodded.

“Is there another Namgung-Sang?”

There wasn’t.

“Gungsang… That’s an unexpected choice. Do you have a plan? I didn’t know he was so capable.”

Jang-Hong looked at him with interest. He knew his friend wouldn’t do anything pointless, even if his ideas were often outrageous. But he was mistaken.

“You’ll see.”

“Alright. Wait here.”

Jang-Hong was clearly well-connected. He immediately located Namgung-Sang and brought him to the prison. He was so fast that even Bi Ryu-Yeon was impressed.

“That was quick.”

He said, genuinely impressed. He liked efficiency. Efficiency meant less waste, which meant more profit.

“It’s basic.”

Jang-Hong said modestly. Namgung-Sang remained silent. It wasn’t his time to speak yet.

“Can you give us some privacy?”

Bi Ryu-Yeon said, glancing at Jang-Hong. Their “relationship” was still a secret.

“Can’t you whisper your secrets with me here?”

It would satisfy his eavesdropping hobby.

“That’s a tempting offer, but I’ll have to decline.”

“Tsk!”

Jang-Hong reluctantly left, his curiosity piqued.

After a while, Bi Ryu-Yeon spoke.

“Hey, old man! Eavesdropping is a bad habit. You might have hidden your body, but your ears are still here. That’s not exactly giving us privacy, is it?”

A voice came from behind the stone wall.

“Tsk! Alright, alright! I’m leaving! Have fun, you two.”

He finally left, after a long pause. Bi Ryu-Yeon signaled Namgung-Sang through the bars. Namgung-Sang approached cautiously, his eyes wary.

“What is it?”

*Bang!*

A bright light flashed, illuminating the darkness.

“Y-you called, Eldest Senior Brother!”

Namgung-Sang replied, his voice stiff. But at least he hadn’t shouted. Bi Ryu-Yeon, who had been worried about his sanity, was relieved. He rubbed his right hand, which had just struck someone’s head.

He seemed to think it would be rude to Jang-Hong, who was probably still eavesdropping with enhanced hearing. He didn’t want to give him too much entertainment.

“I have a job for you.”

He said curtly, getting straight to the point.

“What can I do for you, Eldest Senior Brother?”

He spoke slowly and clearly, as if daring him to misunderstand.

“I need you to die for me!”

The secret message, whispered through the prison bars, wasn’t as sweet as the rumors suggested.