Chapter 69: Those Who Hide Those Who Reveal

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Chapter 69 – Those Who Hide, Those Who Reveal

A command post within Youyang.

Minor Captain Ban Bu-bong, who was in charge of this place, finished organizing documents at his office desk and quietly picked up his teacup.

Slurp.

The tea had already gone cold.

He had been so focused on work that he hadn’t even noticed.

Yet his body, swallowing the cooled tea, was rather heating up.

The excitement in his heart.

It was because he was thinking that today he would finally be able to completely mop up the Thousand Snake Gang, who had been like a thorn in his eye.

‘Magistrate Ju… He’s truly a person worth serving.’

Until Ju Yu-gang came to take office as the new magistrate, Youyang was a city pushed around by the hands of the Thousand Snake Gang, who had the unorthodox faction under their control.

Crackdowns on illegal pleasure facilities repeatedly failed to achieve their intended results due to the protection of officials who had taken bribes, and even when occasional surprise operations succeeded, the punishment level was so low that it was never satisfactory.

However.

Now the situation had completely changed.

Through securing justification that absolutely could not be denied, a golden opportunity had arisen to confiscate all evidence lurking inside the Thousand Snake Gang.

If he continued to trust and follow Ju Yu-gang like this, he would finally be able to completely root out and eliminate the collusion between the local martial world and the government.

The Thousand Snake Gang had exerted pressure on him several times using the connections they had built by spreading bribes.

But since becoming a military officer, he had never once committed anything that could be used against him, so he steadfastly held his position without wavering.

Whenever influence from above reached him, he instead lit up his eyes more and took the lead in catching the gangs prowling in the shadows.

The old saying goes “sweetness comes after bitterness.”

It hadn’t been wasted suffering and effort.

Indeed.

The one who grits their teeth and holds on until the end wins.

Good people will inevitably receive the reward for good deeds someday, and bad people will inevitably pay the price for evil deeds someday.

Having newly engraved that truth in his mind, Ban Bu-bong gulped down the cold tea as if to soothe the heat of excitement in his chest.

Tap.

Having emptied the teacup, he soon picked up the iron sword he had propped up at one side of the desk and thought.

‘Once this matter is concluded… I too shall seek a new path.’

Actually, he had been contemplating his life after the Thousand Snake Gang mopping-up since some time ago.

The reason was simple.

It was because he strongly felt like clearing out his decade-plus life as Minor Captain and staying by someone else’s side.

There was only one person he had in mind long ago.

Ju Yu-gang.

He had received great impression and comfort from his attitude of fulfilling his duties as a Youyang official and striving for better results.

If he could become Ju Yu-gang’s bodyguard and continue a path of rewarding good and punishing evil, he was confident he wouldn’t regret giving up his military uniform.

‘It just so happens there’s no suitable bodyguard by Magistrate Ju’s side. Right, let me discretely ask later. Hmm, he should surely allow it.’

Currently, he was the foremost martial officer within the command post, so his skills were already sufficiently proven.

Probably Ju Yu-gang would be satisfied with that aspect as well.

‘The time is near.’

Thus, Ban Bu-bong took his sword and left the office, heading straight for the drill ground within the premises.

When he arrived there, he could see roughly one hundred soldiers with spears and swords standing in formation.

Ban Bu-bong took his place before that group, his tiger-like eyes flashing.

“Everyone, is your physical condition good?”

“Yes, Captain!”

When the soldiers’ resounding answer burst forth, Ban Bu-bong spoke in an even more stern voice.

“We will split into ten groups and scatter, then move while pretending to patrol the premises, join up with the stakeout squad already positioned near the Thousand Snake Gang, and commence the main operation. Understood?”

“Yes, Captain!”

The soldiers, having answered in unison, maintained tense postures as if refusing to let go of the thread of tension.

Just then.

Along with a series of footsteps, about fifty military officers appeared in two lines with Magistrate Ju Yu-gang at the head.

Ban Bu-bong immediately greeted him with proper courtesy.

“Magistrate, you’ve arrived. All preparations are complete.”

“Well done.”

Ju Yu-gang, having come beside him, soon looked at the personnel gathered at the drill ground.

“Attention.”

The moment everyone’s gazes focused.

Snap.

Ju Yu-gang pulled out and unfolded a piece of paper.

“This is a Special Warrant stamped with the Vice Commissioner’s official seal from the Prosecutor’s Branch.”

At that, the atmosphere in the venue stirred briefly.

‘Wow…!’

Everyone had admiring looks in their eyes.

They never imagined a Special Warrant would be prepared as well.

“Today’s operation will have the Special Warrant’s authority plus support from the Patrol Division. You all know well what that means, right? It means we won’t tolerate even a single small mistake in this matter. So regardless of rank, stay sharp.”

Ban Bu-bong raised his voice on behalf of the command post.

“We will keep that in mind!”

Ju Yu-gang nodded and gestured with his hand.

“Now, begin your group assignments.”

No sooner had the order fallen than the roughly one hundred soldiers formed their designated groups and headed outside the drill ground.

Immediately after, Ban Bu-bong spotted a familiar face.

A young swordsman standing behind Ju Yu-gang’s back like a folding screen.

With sharp eyes, he was Dam Maeng-gi, the bodyguard of Hunan Provincial Prosecutor’s Northern Bureau Vice Commissioner Pyeongneung Jin-jong.

Ban Bu-bong spoke quietly with an uncomprehending expression.

“Wait, why are you here?”

At that, Ju Yu-gang answered in his stead.

“Actually, he became my bodyguard as of yesterday.”

“What? That’s…!”

For Ban Bu-bong, it was news like a bolt from the blue.

He had been certain the bodyguard position would be his, but it had been snatched away without warning by an unexpected person.

If he had known things would turn out this way, he should have asked earlier.

However, he couldn’t meekly back down like this.

He knew Dam Maeng-gi’s martial prowess was impressive, but he was confident his own martial prowess was at a comparable level.

‘Ugh, let me make a separate request later! To have the bodyguard position finally determined through a formal duel between him and me… Surely he’d give me at least that opportunity!’

Suddenly, Dam Maeng-gi strode forward and drew the sword from his back.

“Are you worried I’ll ruin the operation? But don’t be concerned. If I use this occasion to show you my blade skills, you’ll feel considerably reassured.”

Ban Bu-bong’s reaction was.

‘What? Suddenly?’

And Ju Yu-gang’s reaction was.

‘No, don’t do it!’

Before anyone could stop him, Dam Maeng-gi’s blade danced chaotically.

“Swoosh, swish-swoosh! Swoosh, swish-swoosh, swoosh! Swish-swoosh, swoosh…!”

Seeing that, Ban Bu-bong’s eyes went blank.

What the heck is that!

His mouth and hands are completely out of sync.

Hey, hey, stop it, you’re going to hurt everyone around you!

“Oh no! Please dodge! Swoosh, swish-swoosh! Swish-swoosh, swoosh…!”

He’s telling me to dodge!

Ha, is he just crazy?

Soon, Ban Bu-bong sighed and shook his head from side to side.

‘Phew, bodyguard my foot… Let’s give up.’

That’s right.

If he formally dueled that guy for the bodyguard position, it seemed like nothing good would come to him.

Let’s just keep my post here.

* * *

Currently, the inside of the Thousand Snake Gang was bustling.

It was because they were preparing a banquet hall by clearing out one of the central pavilions, as Magistrate Ju Yu-gang was scheduled to visit around lunchtime.

“Put this over there.”

“Yes!”

“Wait, it would be better to hang that calligraphy on the left wall.”

“Understood.”

“Have you brought more wine?”

“Ah, if you wait just a bit more, it’ll be brought on a cart.”

“Oh dear, what’s that in the courtyard? Clean it up quickly!”

“Y-Yes!”

“You all wipe the corridor floor once more. Make sure not a speck of dust is visible.”

“We’ll get right on it.”

Gang members busily moving to decorate the banquet space under the direction of Vice Gang Leader Snake Heart Sword Du Cheong.

Soon, Gang Leader Venom Viper Sword Geum Ja-jeom appeared in the front yard, leading about a dozen elite swordsmen.

“Vice Gang Leader, is it going well?”

“Ah, yes! Gang Leader! Are you leaving now?”

“Yes, everyone should have gathered. You don’t worry about anything else and focus on entertaining the Magistrate.”

“Yes, don’t worry.”

Geum Ja-jeom nodded slightly then walked out the front gate of the Thousand Snake Gang with his followers in long strides.

The moment those personnel disappeared beyond the road.

Three youths from the Gale Squad who had been disguised as pedestrians glanced in that direction and gathered at one alley.

“I have a feeling they’re going out for something important. I’ll tail them.”

“Good, then I’ll keep watch on the Thousand Snake Gang. You go see the Young Master quickly and make a report.”

“Got it.”

Those three, having finished that brief conversation, each moved along different paths.

* * *

A certain house on the outskirts of Youyang.

In the not-too-wide rectangular inner chamber, several figures in black clothes could be seen.

It was the Ximen Family party.

Ximen Yue, sitting comfortably with his back against a chair, received the report from a subordinate who had just appeared and showed a curious expression.

“They left?”

“Yes. Including Venom Viper Sword, there were thirteen. White Snake Head Sword was nowhere to be seen.”

The Gale Squad member who said that continued speaking.

“But… It seemed like the Thousand Snake Gang is currently preparing food and drinks for some kind of feast. I witnessed gang members diligently going back and forth to the nearby market since morning.”

Hearing that, Ximen Yue’s eyes deepened.

‘They’re preparing a feast while the Vice Gang Leader took a small elite group and left? The atmosphere is like receiving a VIP, so why would a core executive second only to the Gang Leader go outside… Hmm.’

There was no way someone unimportant enough for the Vice Gang Leader to leave would be visiting.

If that weren’t the case, there would be no reason to busily prepare a feast early.

Soon, a faint smile quietly spread across the corner of Ximen Yue’s mouth.

‘Right, perhaps this is an unexpected opportunity…’

Despite a VIP being scheduled to visit, the fact that someone at Vice Gang Leader level had gone outside with a small elite meant there was something more important than the feast.

In other words, there was sufficient possibility it was business related to the Ghost Shadow Sword Technique, the true teachings of Heaven’s Death Sword Ghost Eum Ryun.

‘Wait, could White Snake Head Sword’s recent seclusion be because he suffered some unexpected trouble?’

So if Vice Gang Leader Geum Ja-jeom was taking that secret manual and pushing forward with some other matter in his stead…?

Suddenly, a presence was detected.

It was rapidly approaching this house.

The moment the party tensed up, Ximen Yue identified the identity through his energy sense and let out a quiet voice.

“Relax. It’s a squad member.”

Sure enough, the door opened and a Gale Squad member stepped in.

It was the youth who had agreed to tail Geum Ja-jeom.

“Young Master, the route happened to overlap, so I dropped in urgently.”

Ximen Yue’s eyes lit up as he asked.

“Are they heading outside the city?”

“That’s right. It seems they’re heading toward the Western Mountain area.”

At that, Ximen Yue picked up his identity-disguising sword and rose to his feet, then looked at one person beside him.

“Let’s secretly follow him together.”

The one designated was Gale Squad Third Squad Leader Nu-heum.

“Yes, Young Master.”

Following that, Ximen Yue issued orders toward the remaining personnel.

“Until I return, you all take turns monitoring around the Thousand Snake Gang. And if something happens that might expose our identities… Immediately abandon this lodging and go hide at the pre-arranged place in the forest.”

When the Gale Squad members all answered “Yes!” and bowed, Ximen Yue and Nu-heum deployed lightness technique and vanished.

* * *

“Shall we set out now?”

With those words, Cheol Ryu-heun flung off his outer garment.

Another set of clothes revealed under the bright sunlight.

A mountain peak pattern embroidered with pure white thread on jet-black fabric – it was the martial attire symbolizing the White Peak Sword Sect Master.

There was no longer any need to hide his identity.

The moment to conclude everything planned in advance was imminent.

Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk also followed suit, revealing the executive-exclusive martial attire that had been hidden under their outer clothes.

The intangible aura flowing around the two people’s bodies felt quite different from yesterday.

It was because they had finally placed their feet at the entry gate toward that realm – the senses of a superhuman.

Now all that remained was to utilize that enlightenment in real combat.

When Cheol Ryu-heun mounted Divine Wind’s back with nimble movement, Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk also took their places at the rear.

“Let’s go, to slaughter them all.”

In response to Cheol Ryu-heun’s indifferent voice as he held the reins, Divine Wind exhaled white smoke with a whoosh then-

BOOM-!

He kicked off the ground as if smashing it and charged out of the abandoned temple.