Chapter 15
You Should Control Your Temper (1)
Late at night, a carriage waited in the forest near the Martial Alliance’s Munseong Branch.
The Heavenly Viper, Cheon Yangho, appeared there. Only after thoroughly checking to ensure that no one had followed him did he climb into the carriage.
The person waiting inside was Wang Gon’s son, Wang U. He had been away from home and had hurried back after hearing what had happened to his father.
“Commander Cheon.”
“It has been a while, Young Master Wang.”
“How did that bastard Im Chung manage to arrest my father? Did Cheuk Su betray him or something?”
“Cheuk Su was captured alongside him. His face was in quite a state.”
Wang U was stunned.
To him, Cheuk Su was an invincible expert.
“Who managed to defeat Cheuk Su?”
“A man named Baek Socheon who was recently assigned to the Munseong Branch.”
“What sort of man is he, that he could defeat Cheuk Su?”
“He used to be a Squad Leader in the Iron Sword Corps. Cheuk Su did not know that, so he was probably caught off guard.”
“Baek Socheon! I’ll kill that bastard right now!”
Wang U ground his teeth.
His father had lived like a king in Munseong. Since his father was the king, Wang U had naturally lived like a prince.
This month alone, he had beaten three people and stolen another man’s woman.
Yet nothing had happened to him.
It had all been possible because his father was king here.
And now some lowly Martial Alliance warrior had dared to arrest him?
“I’ll get rid of him.”
“You must not touch him yet. If you do, the situation will become more complicated, and securing your father’s release will become even harder. First, get your father released. You can deal with that man afterward.”
“When will my father be released?”
“I have already made the necessary arrangements. He should be freed soon.”
“Thank you.”
Wang U handed Cheon Yangho a pouch he had prepared.
“I bought these on my way back.”
Inside the pouch were small animals crafted from pure gold.
Each was only the size of a fingernail, but together they were worth a considerable sum.
“Haha, there was no need for this.”
Cheon Yangho tucked the pouch into his robe without offering even the customary refusal.
“Then return home and wait.”
Cheon Yangho was about to leave the carriage when he glanced back and trailed off.
“However…”
“Please, speak.”
“The massacre of Yang Chu’s family… It wasn’t you, was it?”
It was a cautious question with the words your people did it left unspoken.
The Divine Fire Hall he knew was more than capable of committing such an atrocity.
Wang U immediately snapped at him.
“What do you take us for, asking such nonsense? Of course it wasn’t us.”
“Yes, naturally. I only asked out of needless concern, so do not take it to heart. I’ll see you again.”
Cheon Yangho climbed out of the carriage and headed back the way he had come.
They did it!
Quick-witted as he was, Cheon Yangho immediately sensed from Wang U’s violent reaction that the Divine Fire Hall was behind the massacre of Yang Chu’s family.
Those lunatics!
He felt afraid of the increasingly reckless Divine Fire Hall.
At the same time, if his suspicions were correct, he resolved to use the incident to make a substantial profit for himself.
Once Cheon Yangho disappeared into the distant darkness, Wang U spat coldly,
“Who does that bastard think he is, trying to pull something like that? Those filthy beggars in the Martial Alliance!”
He had no idea that the other man had seen straight through him.
Then again, that was precisely why he had been so easily read.
Early the next morning, Im Chung summoned Beon Saeng.
“What is it?”
“I intend to release Wang Gon and Cheuk Su.”
It was the conclusion he had reached after deliberating through the night.
“Your safety is involved as well, so I wanted to tell you beforehand.”
“Will we be in danger?”
“Most likely. But the same would be true even if we refused to release them.”
“Yes.”
Unfortunately, punishing Wang Gon under the present circumstances would not be easy.
The only evidence of attempted bribery was the testimony of Im Chung and his wife.
As for the assault charge, Im Chung’s side was unharmed while the other side had been beaten to pieces.
The same problem applied to the attempted-murder charge.
Even if Wang Gon and Cheuk Su were transferred to the Zhejiang Regional Division, there was a strong possibility that they would be released without charge.
Cheon Yangho, an influential figure within the Regional Division, would work to ensure that outcome, and there were surely others besides him who would support the Divine Fire Hall.
Even if fortune favored them and Wang Gon was imprisoned, the problem would remain.
Consumed by rage, Wang Gon could order his subordinates outside the prison to assassinate them.
Im Chung had therefore concluded that it would be better to release him now and placate him.
Of course, he had no intention of joining hands with Wang Gon.
He would lull the man into a false sense of security, then search for evidence proving that Wang Gon had killed Yang Chu.
Once he found that evidence, he could destroy Wang Gon completely.
“I never realized it before, but living as a martial artist is truly difficult.”
Im Chung silently nodded at Beon Saeng’s words.
Perhaps I was never truly living as a martial artist until now.
Around noon, Im Chung released Wang Gon and Cheuk Su.
As Wang Gon emerged from the prison, he crossed paths with Cheon Yangho, but neither acknowledged the other.
Instead, Wang Gon fixed Im Chung with a murderous glare.
He was in no mood to part with dignity and reserve his revenge for later.
“I will never forget this.”
After delivering that unmistakable threat, Wang Gon left.
If Wang Gon’s reaction was that intense, there was no need to describe the murderous aura radiating from Cheuk Su.
After the two men departed the branch, Cheon Yangho attempted to comfort Im Chung.
“Do not worry too much. He may speak that way, but he will not dare act rashly.”
It was meant as reassurance, but Im Chung responded coldly.
“Aren’t you going to investigate?”
“What?”
“I asked whether you intend to investigate Yang Chu’s case. You came here because of that incident, yet you seem concerned only with the Divine Fire Hall.”
“I will investigate it. I can handle my own duties, so stay out of it.”
Cheon Yangho snorted and left.
Beon Saeng stepped into the empty space he left behind.
“Did you see that? He looked so pleased with himself that he could hardly contain it.”
“He will claim credit for securing their release and collect another reward.”
“That damned bastard. What do we do now?”
“What else? We prove that Wang Gon was the culprit.”
“You’re serious. Whenever you speak sincerely, you raise your eyebrows.”
“Watching Martial Artist Baek take down Wang Gon that day reminded me of when I first decided to enter the jianghu. I wanted to become the kind of martial artist who protected the weak and struck down villains.”
“Are you planning to become one now?”
“Could I? You may not realize it, but it is too late for me. It merely brought back old memories. This matter may already be spilled water, but even if I cannot put it back in the vessel, I should at least clean up the mess. If we fail to find evidence, that bastard will take revenge eventually.”
“Yes. Let’s catch that damned man!”
A voice came from behind them.
“First, I believe the Branch Leader should move his family into the branch.”
They turned and saw Baek Socheon standing there.
Beon Saeng asked in surprise,
“Do you really think they might target the Branch Leader’s family?”
Im Chung remembered how Wang Gon had delivered the hundred-year-old fleeceflower root to his home.
It had clearly been a threat using his family as hostages.
“Yes. He is certainly capable of it.”
“You should do so because of Cheuk Su, even if not because of Wang Gon. I looked into him, and he is apparently an extremely prideful man.”
“When did you even investigate that?”
Baek Socheon answered Beon Saeng’s admiring question.
“An old habit. Either ignore a matter completely or involve yourself thoroughly. Most people neglect that simple rule and end up being stabbed in the back.”
Beon Saeng was impressed, but Im Chung grew even more anxious.
“I need to bring them here immediately.”
Im Chung ran off.
Beon Saeng shrugged.
“Times like this make it convenient not to have a family. By the way, do you have a family, Big Brother?”
Baek Socheon gave a brief reply.
“No.”
Im Chung brought his wife, Madam Ju, and his son, Chan, to the branch.
“You will stay here for the time being.”
They had been given another empty building close to Baek Socheon’s quarters.
“Honey, everything is all right, isn’t it?”
Madam Ju was anxious.
First there had been the box delivered to their home, and now they had been forced to leave their house and live inside the branch.
Nothing like this had ever happened before.
Of course, she had a general idea of the reason.
News that the Munseong Branch had arrested Wang Gon had already spread throughout the city.
Everyone she met spoke about it.
There were many different versions of the story, but they all ended in a similar way.
Im Chung was now in serious trouble.
And sure enough, her husband had brought her and their son to the branch.
“Do not worry.”
“All right. I won’t.”
In truth, Im Chung wanted to send his wife and son to her family in Shaanxi.
However, he could not send the two of them on such a long journey alone.
Nor could he abandon his subordinates and his work to leave the branch with them.
“For now, rest comfortably.”
As he turned to leave, Madam Ju called to him.
“Honey.”
“What is it?”
“Whether we die or live, we will do it together. I have thought that way every day since the day I married you. So do not hold yourself back because of us. Do what you believe is right. If the worst happens, we will die together.”
“That will not happen.”
Im Chung’s heart swelled as he left the residence.
She must have been terrified, yet she had said those words for his sake.
He was deeply grateful.
That will never happen.
If he had a hundred lives, he would spend every one of them for his wife and son.
His only fear was that even a hundred lives might not be enough to save them.
Die together?
No.
Even if he died, he would protect the two of them somehow.
That was why he was so anxious.
If Wang Gon truly resolved to kill them, he might attack the branch itself.
And then, here in this place…
They might truly all die together.
After finishing his conversation with his wife, Im Chung stepped outside and saw Baek Socheon talking with Chan in front of the building.
Im Chung stopped for a moment to listen.
“Will my father be all right?”
“Your father is not all right.”
Chan was startled.
Now thirteen years old, he had grown into a kindhearted child.
“Is he in danger?”
“Yes. Your father destroyed the Cheuk Society this time.”
Listening from behind the door, Im Chung frowned.
He wondered why Baek Socheon was telling a child such things.
Chan’s voice came again.
“I heard the rumors too. Did Father really destroy the Tae Jeong Faction?”
“Yes. Your father could no longer stand by and allow their evil deeds to continue.”
“It may sound strange to say this when Father is in danger… but I think he did the right thing.”
“Do you truly think so?”
“Yes. Among the people who were tormented by the Cheuk Society were the parents of one of my friends. I felt guilty whenever I saw him.”
Im Chung’s heart, which he had only just managed to calm, began to pound once more.
He had never dreamed that his son had been placed in such a situation or had carried such feelings.
Baek Socheon’s voice sounded again.
“I do not know whether you are aware of this, but another martial faction stands behind the Cheuk Society your father eliminated. Your father knew that and destroyed them anyway. That is why he is now in danger.”
“It’s all right. I’m proud of my father. I want to become like him too.”
“Then you must train diligently in martial arts. Only by becoming strong like your father can you protect others.”
“Yes. I’ll work hard.”
“You may be very proud of your father. He is fully deserving of it.”
Standing behind the door, Im Chung felt a strange mixture of emotions.
He wondered when his son had grown so much, and he was grateful to Baek Socheon for speaking to him that way.
Im Chung cleared his throat and stepped outside.
He could see respect in his son’s eyes.
Since not everything that had happened had been entirely of his own choosing, he felt somewhat ashamed.
“Go inside to your mother.”
“Yes.”
Chan went into the building.
Im Chung and Baek Socheon stood side by side in front of the residence for a moment.
“I heard what you were saying to Chan on my way out.”
“I apologize if I overstepped.”
“Not at all. I am grateful. I had no idea my boy had grown so much.”
A thought suddenly occurred to Im Chung.
Perhaps parents knew their children better than anyone.
At the same time, perhaps they also knew them less than anyone.
“I have a favor to ask.”
“Go ahead.”
“Please protect my family, even if only for a while. In the meantime, I will uncover the truth behind this incident. I will also find evidence that Wang Gon murdered Yang Chu’s family.”
“Very well.”
Baek Socheon agreed so readily that Im Chung was deeply moved.
“Truly?”
“Not because of you. The boy seems kind.”
“Thank you. I truly mean it.”
In the present situation, Baek Socheon was the only person he could trust.
With the skill Baek Socheon had displayed at the Divine Fire Hall that day, Im Chung could focus on the investigation without worrying about his family’s safety.
This confrontation with Wang Gon now involved not only his own life, but the safety of his entire family.