Chapter 111: A Joyous Reunion
Jang I-seo sidestepped Ah-shin’s flying fist by planting one foot to the side, then brought two fingers to her wrist.
“Hm?!”
She let out a startled gasp in midair. What kind of move was this? It wasn’t a strike or a block, just lightly placing his index and middle fingers against her wrist.
Even so, her fist might miss his chest, but it would still drive straight into his left shoulder, wouldn’t it?
It didn’t take long for her to realize her questions were meaningless.
“Aagh!”
Spinning!
With a sensation like the ground suddenly vanishing beneath her, her fiercely charging body spun violently and plummeted below the railing.
The profound principle of using the opponent’s strength to redirect force.
BANG! THUD-BANG! BANG!
The sounds of multiple impacts echoed.
Frowning, he looked down to see her struggling to rise before collapsing again.
Fortunately, she didn’t seem to be dead.
“Careful in the air.”
When you couldn’t withdraw your force, it was that much easier to turn it against you. No matter how exceptional a warrior she was, taking a fall from this height wouldn’t let her stand easily.
When Jang I-seo looked back, the bandits, perhaps because their vice captain had been taken down, hesitated to charge and merely loitered.
“Why don’t you go down and check. She’s probably not dead. And I’ll say it again, I’m only trying to save Gwa-pyeong.”
Perhaps his sincerity had reached them. The bandits scowled, exchanged glances, and shouted.
“Damn it… Fall back!”
The bandits headed down toward Ah-shin.
A heavy sigh escaped Jang I-seo’s lips.
And as he turned to climb again, something familiar caught his eye.
‘Is this… Maeng Hwi’s divine artifact?’
A dark short spear. Black Silence. It had fallen from Ah-shin’s waist. Jang I-seo scooped it up and leaped upward once more.
Upon reaching the area where the commotion had erupted earlier, he found a tightly shut iron door. It looked solid just from seeing it.
BANG! BANG!
As expected, even kicking it with internal energy infused didn’t leave a scratch.
“After him!”
But having come this far, he couldn’t give up now.
Jang I-seo raised his leg high toward the sealed door.
The most powerful strike he could currently unleash was this.
『Charge』
The yin and yang energy drifting through his mind flowed to his toes, and a large, semi-transparent ring of black and white taiji formed behind his back.
The stage of Yin-Yang Unity.
And the moment preparation was complete.
BZZZT!
As his foot descended upon the iron door, it was accompanied by a massive bolt of black lightning.
KWAAAAANG!
An ear-splitting roar.
However…
“No effect at all?”
Jang I-seo panicked for a moment. He had gathered lightning qi into his foot and struck down, so he expected some kind of reaction.
The iron door appeared completely unscathed.
“This is a problem.”
So flustered that he gave the door a light tap with his foot.
Creeeak, THUD!
Belching thick scorch marks and smoke, the iron door toppled over entirely.
“U-ugh…”
And inside, three bandits were trembling in terror.
Clutching a very familiar blade wrapped in red cloth tightly to their chests.
Things were going to be easier than expected.
Jang I-seo opened his eyes coldly, approached, and asked in a composed tone.
“Where is the owner of that blade right now?”
* * *
Meanwhile, while Jang I-seo was searching for the prison.
In a dark room on the same floor, a touching reunion was taking place.
“Is it really you? Mao, is it really you?!”
A boy hanging from the wall, on the verge of tears.
He hadn’t been able to wash or eat properly, so he was thinner and disheveled, but the one who looked like he desperately needed a good thump was definitely the Sixth Young Master, Maeng Hwi.
“You little brat! Do you have any idea how much hell we’ve been through because of you!”
The moment Mao raised his voice, a mix of relief, worry, and irritation colliding.
“Sniff…”
An uncharacteristic sob leaked from the bowed Maeng Hwi.
Mao’s fierce eyes went round, and he clicked his tongue, poking him as he asked.
“Hey, what’s wrong. Are you hurt somewhere?”
“Sniff… Waaaaah!”
Then he threw his head back and began wailing.
“Hey, inn proprietor. What’s going on. What’s wrong with this guy!”
“Haha, he’s probably just grateful. Anyone would be overwhelmed with emotion in this kind of situation.”
“Come on, he’s a guy… there’s no need to go that far…”
Mao looked away, feeling awkward. Maeng Hwi sobbed loudly for a long while.
And after he had somewhat calmed down, he looked around with a bright smile and asked.
“But… why are there only two of you? And why do you look like that?”
For people who came to rescue him, both Mao and So-o had their hands bound in thick iron shackles.
“Don’t tell me you got captured too?”
Maeng Hwi glanced up and down at them in disbelief.
“That’s not what happened! Open your eyes. How dare you talk to your saviors like that.”
“Then what is it. Where’s Adjutant Jang?”
He didn’t know.
“Anyway, just stay put. Hey, inn proprietor. Get these off, quick.”
“Haha, understood.”
VWOOM!
So-o’s collar fluttered, and tendons bulged on his wrists.
Failing to suppress the internal energy of martial artists was a massive blunder.
This much was…
“Haah! I failed.”
“Hey, you bastard! You said I could count on you!”
“Who would have thought they’d use rope to untie and iron to bind.”
“Damn it!”
Those idiots. Maeng Hwi sighed heavily. He thought they had come to rescue him and felt touched. But they had left Adjutant Jang behind and brought some weirdo instead.
“Did you really only come with two people?”
“Well, it’s… the situation got a bit complicated.”
Mao plopped down in front of Maeng Hwi. So-o did the same.
“I’ll explain the situation.”
“Who are you?”
“Ah, you don’t remember. I’m So-o, proprietor of the Bumun Inn.”
“The inn proprietor?!”
To the bewildered Maeng Hwi, So-o carefully explained everything that had happened.
From how Jang I-seo and Mao had come looking for him, to the journey here with Gwa-pyeong. And the Third Elder’s ambush.
“Father…”
“It seems the Flying Dragon Hall Master played some tricks in the middle…”
When So-o spoke as if testing the waters, Maeng Hwi widened his eyes and shouted.
“The Flying Dragon Hall! Those bastards knew I was being kidnapped. I saw them clearly!”
“Haha, I thought as much. The Hall Master probably fabricated some misunderstanding between the Third Elder and Adjutant Jang out of fear of her own failure.”
“These bastards… Framing Adjutant Jang of all people? My adjutant! I’ll never forgive them!”
Having grasped the situation, Maeng Hwi fumed.
“But why would Adjutant Jang have the Sixth Young Master’s…”
“Leave him. He’s always like that.”
So-o smacked his lips at Mao’s answer. He couldn’t help but wonder anew what exactly Jang I-seo was doing running around.
“Anyway, we can’t just stay here. Is there no other way?”
At Mao’s question, So-o fell into thought and then spoke.
“There should be a small iron rod hidden inside my clothes. That should be able to pick these.”
“Inside your clothes? Where?”
“Haha…”
Instead of answering, So-o gestured with his chin toward his lower body.
“Hey, you bastard! Why is there a rod there!”
“Rods are always kept there…”
“Shut up, you filthy bastard. Anyway, we just need to get it out?”
“Yes. But how do you plan to extract it. You’re not thinking of using your feet, are you? I’m a delicate person.”
“Are you insane? Hold on.”
Mao rose from his seat, exhaled, and focused his mind.
VWOOM!
Then a faint orange glow began to emanate from his dantian. The energy gradually intensified, instantly illuminating the dark room as bright as day.
“Hm?!”
“Ho…”
At the truly tremendous energy, both Maeng Hwi and So-o widened their eyes and studied it carefully.
‘What’s this, did he get stronger already? He’s handling his internal energy quite well now.’
‘They said his talent was top-notch. With this level of power, no one his age could compare.’
Though their reasons differed, their admiration was the same.
However, the truly surprising event came a moment later.
“Uraaaaah!”
The thick shackles around his wrists turned white-hot from the massive yang energy, and then.
BANG!
They were ripped apart and fell to the floor.
“No way…”
Sheer astonishment.
The shackles that had split in two on the floor still radiated a deep red heat, unable to contain their residual warmth.
“Oh, it worked? I just tried it in case. As expected, I’m a genius! Uwahahaha!”
What kind of monster was this? So-o exhaled three times in sheer disbelief.
This wasn’t something you could just do on a whim.
Never mind his fingertips, even releasing internal energy from the wrist was difficult. But melting iron with the released energy was even harder.
‘Is that guy actually a genius?’
It had been a while since he’d encountered someone so incomprehensible.
Anyway, thanks to Mao’s contribution, everything after went smoothly.
“Ah! I had it hidden there! Aaaagh!”
Mao screamed midway through, but regardless.
After managing to retrieve the iron rod and lodge it between So-o’s toes, he quickly picked his shackles apart.
When Maeng Hwi was freed from his restraints as well, all three of them finally regained their freedom.
Mao stood in the center and declared boldly.
“Alright. From here on, stay sharp and let’s move.”
“Yeah. But… I need to find my divine artifact first.”
“You lost your divine artifact? Are you an idiot?! Where am I supposed to find that?”
“I-It couldn’t be helped! Some woman took it…”
“You fool. You’re basically asking to get caught again by walking right up to them. Sigh, fine. I’ll find yours while looking for mine, so you can pay me back later.”
“What? You lost yours too?”
“I just entrusted mine temporarily.”
“That’s the same thing!”
“Is it?”
As Mao and Maeng Hwi bickered, So-o chuckled.
“You two seem to get along quite well, unlike what I heard.”
“Who does!”
“Who does!”
You two do. The three of them steeled their resolve.
And right at that moment.
BANG!
The door burst open as if it had been smashed.
The three men, tensed and ready to strike, went blank as if stunned.
“Jang I-seo…?”
“Adjutant Jang!”
“Haha…”
Like a savior, he had appeared.
Carrying the surprise gifts of Black Silence and the Azure Dragon Blade in his arms.
*
With Jang I-seo’s arrival, Maeng Hwi shed another round of tears.
This time, however, it didn’t last long because Mao kept teasing him with finger gestures.
“I’m glad you’re safe.”
“Thank you for coming to save me.”
Having completed the joyous reunion, Jang I-seo laid Gwa-pyeong, whom he had been carrying, on the floor.
His limbs hung limp like a ragdoll’s, and his face was beyond pale, tinged blue.
Just how much blood had he lost? Surviving in this state was nothing short of miraculous.
“Hey, Jang I-seo. What’s wrong with him? Don’t tell me… the Third Elder did this?”
The Third Elder? Maeng Hwi started in alarm, and Jang I-seo nodded.
“He was injured trying to save me.”
“No…”
Maeng Hwi’s face went deathly pale. That meant the Third Elder had tried to kill Adjutant Jang.
He already knew the circumstances, but guilt bowed his head deeply.
Seeing this, Jang I-seo spoke gently.
“This is not your fault, Sixth Young Master.”
Meaning he didn’t need to worry about it.
Admiration shone even brighter in Maeng Hwi’s eyes.