Chapter 161: Chapter 161

Standing at the end of the wide-open path, Je Sang-cheon was gazing this way with burning eyes, and the surroundings had grown quiet enough to hear the air rustle.

He first checked Je Yong-wol, then Jang Geon before him, and finally looked at Seom Ji-young standing at the very back. For some reason, when his eyes met Seom Ji-young’s, the burning flames in his eyes seemed to sizzle and cool down.

However, when he took his eyes off her and looked back at Je Yong-wol, his gaze returned to its initial state like a lie.

He walked steadily down the wide open path toward Jang Geon and Je Yong-wol. Then, standing within hearing distance of each other’s voices, he opened his mouth.

“Outer Hall Master, explain.”

Je Yong-wol, who was clutching the two swords behind his back, trembled at those words. It seemed less like fear or embarrassment and more like a manifestation of rage.

However, he soon slowly straightened his posture and took his hands off the swords.

“…There was a rogue insulting the clan, so I was in the middle of resolving the situation, Young Master.”

“A rogue.”

Je Sang-cheon’s eyes turned toward Jang Geon. At that gaze, Jang Geon also relaxed his posture and stood upright. Then, seeing the three warriors fallen side by side behind Jang Geon, Je Sang-cheon spoke.

“Looking at the fallen warriors of the Je Clan behind you, the word rogue seems somewhat appropriate. How will you defend yourself?”

“It was a fair duel.”

“Can you prove it?”

Jang Geon silently looked around. Following his gaze, Je Sang-cheon’s head turned as well, where the Je Clan warriors were meeting his eyes. Je Sang-cheon looked at them with subtle eyes and spoke.

“…You have quite a lot of witnesses, Warrior Jang.”

“Do you know me?”

Je Sang-cheon’s eyes returned to Jang Geon.

“It’s impossible not to know the most famous figure in New Sichuan right now. And I already knew Ji-young invited you. Furthermore, my guest was speaking of you as well.”

As he said so, he looked over at Jin Gyeon standing over there. At that glance, Jin Gyeon merely held a single palm sign and bowed slightly.

Just then, Seom Ji-young, who had remained quiet until now, stepped forward. In her hand was a bundle of papers taken from her chest. Seeing it, Je Yong-wol’s eyes widened, but he could not stop her.

“Brother Sang-cheon!”

Calling out to Je Sang-cheon, she approached, showed him the bundle of papers, and spoke.

“These are clan secrets and letters Outer Hall Master Je Yong-wol was trying to send to the Yeon Clan! Among them was even the method to open the secret door to the Family Head’s cultivation chamber! Warrior Jang! Please show him that hidden weapon!”

Amidst her sudden bombshell statement leaving not only Je Sang-cheon but all the clan warriors watching the situation wide-mouthed, Jang Geon slowly pulled out a cloth bundle from inside his robes. And without him needing to deliver it himself, Warrior Yong approached, received it, and brought it to Seom Ji-young.

Inside the cloth bundle were the crumpled needle retrieved from Family Head Je Gung-wol’s corpse and the straight needle Jang Geon had obtained when he captured the Yeon Clan spy.

Seom Ji-young paused briefly upon seeing an intact needle, but soon naturally continued speaking.

“This came from the body of the late Family Head, and this is what was obtained from that spy just a moment ago when attacking the Yeon Clan’s secret stronghold. Though damaged, it is not difficult to see that both were originally of the exact same shape. While the Family Head was cultivating, an assassin who invaded through the secret passage revealed by Outer Hall Master Je Yong-wol assassinated him!”

The Je Clan warriors could not even murmur at Seom Ji-young’s story. They all simply stared with wide eyes at Seom Ji-young and the hidden weapon needles held in her hand.

And Je Sang-cheon, who was listening directly to that appeal, tightly closed his lips with a grave expression, looking over Seom Ji-young, the needles she held, and the bundle of papers one by one as if taking note of each. Then his gaze turned to Seom Ji-young’s eyes, and finally toward Outer Hall Master Je Yong-wol.

Everyone was silent. At the words of the Family Head’s assassination, the warriors could not even make the sound of swallowing their saliva. Jin Gyeon, who had come out to comfort Je Sang-cheon only to hear such an unexpected story, also wiped away his gentle smile and widened his eyes. Though dozens of people were gathered, it was quiet enough that only the whistling sound of the wind blowing could be heard.

Amidst that, complex wordless glances passed among three people. They were Seom Ji-young, Je Sang-cheon, and Je Yong-wol.

However, that exchange of glances lasted only a fleeting moment, and in the next instant, Je Yong-wol’s hand moved toward his swords.

Seeing that, Je Sang-cheon shouted:

“…Stop, Uncle!”

But Je Yong-wol’s swords did not stop and were drawn. The twin swords strapped to his back were thus drawn in a flash, instantly targeting Seom Ji-young.

Startled, Seom Ji-young stepped back, and at the same time, Je Sang-cheon also retreated while embracing her behind him. But in the midst of that, the bundle of paper and needles she held were scattered into the air and sliced apart by Je Yong-wol’s blade. In a split second, Je Yong-wol’s twin swords created countless sword shadows, sweeping across the spot where Seom Ji-young had stood. It was natural that the paper bundles were shredded.

Next, that storm of shadows continued forward, targeting Seom Ji-young. The swords pursued faster than she and Je Sang-cheon could retreat. Ultimately, just as the sword tips were about to touch Seom Ji-young, a hand thrust deep into the shadows and struck Je Yong-wol in the chest.

“Keugh!”

Je Yong-wol groaned and retreated, and silence fell upon the place once more.

Watching the situation from a slight distance, Jin Gyeon unconsciously looked for Jang Geon. That was because he thought the hand stopping Je Yong-wol was his.

However, Jang Geon himself was standing right in his original spot. The only difference was that he had his arms crossed in a slanted posture. What had blocked Je Yong-wol was Je Sang-cheon’s palm.

Embracing Seom Ji-young, Je Sang-cheon spoke while extending his right hand forward:

“I ordered you to stop, Uncle!”

Struck in the chest by his palm and faltering backward, Je Yong-wol chuckled hollowly.

“Sang-cheon, you are not yet the Family Head… You cannot order me around so recklessly. The Young Master holds the rank of Unit Commander, so in truth, the one who can issue orders is me…”

At that retort, Je Sang-cheon tightly closed his mouth as if rendered speechless by absurdity. Instead, Seom Ji-young shouted:

“That was when the Family Head was present! Now that the Family Head is gone and the succession ceremony date is set, Brother Sang-cheon is the practical Family Head of the Je Clan!”

“So, you intend to punish me in the name of that practical Family Head? On the charge of killing my own brother with my hands?”

“Are you saying it isn’t so? Then what was your action of destroying the evidence just now? What about attacking me?”

Je Yong-wol’s eyes glinted wildly.

“…I was merely trying to take you to the Disciplinary Hall. Since there was resistance, I sought to subdue it. Do you not remember the Disciplinary Hall’s order I spoke of at first? You are subverting the laws of our thousand-year clan…”

Saying so, he slowly raised his twin swords horizontally to both sides. As he extended his blades out and lowered his lower body, that stance looked like a bird spreading its wings wide.

And as he seemed ready to continue attacking Seom Ji-young and Je Sang-cheon, the warriors of the Je Clan began to flinch. Although Je Yong-wol was the Hall Master of the Outer Hall, Je Sang-cheon was the next leader of the clan. Furthermore, even if they could not fully grasp the exact situation unfolding, there was no one who failed to notice that Je Yong-wol had deliberately destroyed evidence unfavorable to himself.

Of course, the well-trained Je Clan warriors did not recklessly draw weapons or move without someone’s command. However, if there were an order from Je Sang-cheon, they would all leap into action without the slightest hesitation.

Just then, Je Sang-cheon slowly pushed Seom Ji-young, whom he had embraced, to the side. And extending his hand toward the nearest Je Clan warrior, he spoke:

“Lend me your sword.”

As soon as that Je Clan warrior realized those words were directed at him, he swiftly drew his sword and placed its hilt into Je Sang-cheon’s hand.

Holding the sword, Je Sang-cheon took a few steps forward and stood facing Je Yong-wol. Even seeing the Young Master like that, Je Yong-wol did not lower his swords or relax his stance.

“Even now, lower your swords, Uncle. If there is a misunderstanding, we can resolve it.”

“Misunderstanding? Well, I wonder if one who has fallen out of favor with the next Family Head can ever resolve that misunderstanding.”

“Then what do you intend to do? Kill me and kill Ji-young? What next?”

Je Yong-wol did not answer. He merely lowered his body further. Beyond lowering his lower body, he bent his upper body forward as well, creating a stance as if actually spreading wings and flying through the sky. Watching from afar, Jang Geon noticed that if one removed the left sword from that stance, it was the stance used by the second warrior he had just defeated. It was likely a higher-level sword art of that same style.

Facing him, Je Sang-cheon stood firmly upright and merely raised the sword in his right hand near his solar plexus. The straight blade divided his face in half. In that stance, he spoke:

“All warriors of the Je Clan, step back. I will not forgive anyone who interferes in this fight.”

At those words, the Je Clan warriors watching the situation all took one large step backward in unison. The sound of their synchronized footsteps resounded loudly.

Afterward, while those warriors watched, Je Sang-cheon and Je Yong-wol assumed their respective sword stances and glared at each other. Just like when Jang Geon had fought three warriors in succession, the eyes of the Je Clan warriors were all focused there.

Just at that moment, Seom Ji-young, suddenly remembering Jang Geon, stole a glance at him. That was because she remembered Jang Geon had barely uttered a word since Je Sang-cheon appeared.

Jang Geon was also looking at her.

The moment Seom Ji-young met those eyes, she froze. That deep, calm gaze seemed as though it was seeing right through everything inside her. Furthermore, it felt as if the truth that most of the warriors here had failed to grasp was completely exposed before his eyes.

At that instant, a clanging metallic sound rang out, followed soon by the heavy thud of someone collapsing. Then, the Je Clan warriors letting out low cheers of “Ohh!” also echoed in her ears. Yet even until then, she could not take her eyes off Jang Geon, nor did Jang Geon take his eyes off her.

After an instant that felt like hours passed, Jang Geon’s eyes left Seom Ji-young. Seom Ji-young also quickly turned her head to confirm the outcome between Je Sang-cheon and Je Yong-wol.

As could already be guessed from the warriors’ reaction, the victor was Je Sang-cheon. At his feet, Je Yong-wol was slumped on his knees, having dropped his swords and remaining still with his head hung low.

Thus the old martial artist died while kneeling, and the young Family Head displayed his martial power before the clan’s warriors.

Jang Geon stood lopsided, watching that scene, before spitting to the side with a *ptui*. His bad premonition had not been wrong. Even after spitting, the lingering unpleasant feeling did not vanish. In the end, Jang Geon took out a pouch of tobacco and paper from his robes and rolled a cigarette. Licking the paper to roughly seal it, he bit it in his mouth and lit the tip, and only then did the rising smoke seem to let a bit of the oppressive feeling flow away.

A moment later, when Seom Ji-young turned her head back to look for Jang Geon, he was walking away among the Je Clan pavilions together with Jin Gyeon.

* * *

Je Yong-wol’s name was erased from the family genealogy on charges of assisting in the assassination of the former Family Head, Je Gung-wol. Although there was no proper concrete evidence, the Disciplinary Hall erased his name according to Seom Ji-young’s strongly urged opinion that this was because the evidence had been destroyed by his own hand.

The rumor did not spread widely. It was an immoral incident where a younger brother aided in his elder brother’s death, and that was hardly something to broadcast widely or boast about.

On the contrary, the story that spread widely through New Sichuan was about Jang Geon’s martial arts. That he had stepped forward proudly before the warriors of an ancient noble clan to engage in successive duels, that those warriors had all held swords while Jang Geon subdued them bare-handed, and furthermore that not a single one among them was seriously injured. At this heroic tale somewhat different from conventional martial artists’ exploits, New Sichuan boiled over once more.

At the story that none among the defeated were injured, some remarks arose that he was soft, but that opinion failed to become mainstream. Too many people had already witnessed him ruthlessly severing the heads of demonic practitioners at the Martial Alliance.

In any case, in that story the Je Clan played the role of being defeated by Jang Geon, and that, along with the death of the former Family Head, became a blow to the Je Clan. Rumors questioning the power of the Je Clan began circulating from the outside.

The Je Clan decided to resolve that simply. They moved forward Je Sang-cheon’s succession ceremony earlier than originally planned and invited Jang Geon. In short, it was an act meant to convey the ancient noble clan’s continued strength, boldness, and respect for New Continent martial artists despite being an ancient noble clan.

Thanks to that, Jang Geon stayed at Birak Garden for another week.

“The new future of the Je Clan seems bright indeed, Family Head!”

“Who could possibly doubt the solid strength of the Je Clan? Hahaha!”

“Congratulations on your succession, Family Head!”

Under fluttering awnings set up in the spacious courtyard, a banquet celebrating Je Sang-cheon’s succession was held. It was a banquet that followed immediately after a brief ceremony where he was formally recognized for the position of Family Head by the clan elders. Because of this, members of the Je Clan as well as people from numerous sects who had come to offer congratulations filled the large courtyard to capacity. Soon, they would be guided to their prepared seats to enjoy food and drink.

But for now, everyone was busy standing up, approaching Je Sang-cheon, and extending their greetings to him.

Je Sang-cheon was accepting each of their greetings one by one. Perhaps because he had truly become the Family Head now, he appeared slightly tense, but with Seom Ji-young beside him naturally assisting his responses, the greetings seemed warm and harmonious.

Seom Ji-young’s guard, Warrior Yong, stood far away from her today, watching her from a distance. Je Sang-cheon was already by her side, and everyone gathered here had their identities confirmed as members of various sects or merchant guilds. There was no need to stand right by Seom Ji-young’s side today and hinder her movements.

“You look idle today.”

Warrior Yong flinched in surprise at the voice heard beside him and turned his head. There stood Jang Geon, looking at Je Sang-cheon.

“…Well, since there are also many warriors of the Je Clan here…”

Warrior Yong, recalling what Jang Geon had said, replied clumsily. In fact, after today, Seom Ji-young’s protection would gradually be taken over by the Je Clan. In all likelihood, he would soon return to Seom Ji-young’s original clan family.

Even at such a vague answer, Jang Geon nodded as if he understood adequately. His eyes remained fixed on Je Sang-cheon and Seom Ji-young, and Warrior Yong naturally turned his gaze in that direction as well.

Right then, Jang Geon suddenly spoke:

“I understand it was concluded that the Outer Hall Master named Je Yong-wol was the Family Head’s assassin. Is that correct?”

Warrior Yong assumed a startled expression and looked around. Fortunately, no one seemed to be paying attention to their conversation. Though some among the gathered crowd had come wishing to meet Jang Geon, for now the atmosphere of congratulating Je Sang-cheon on his succession as Family Head was dominant.

“…It was concluded that he assisted the assassination, not that he was the assassin himself.”

“That’s one and the same.”

When Jang Geon retorted so bluntly, Warrior Yong swallowed dry saliva, wondering why this man was behaving like this. Whether aware of Warrior Yong’s anxiety or not, Jang Geon gently scratched his chin and spoke:

“However… during just two days, or strictly speaking just one full day from night to the next afternoon, from my perspective investigating that incident, a slightly different conclusion came out. Would you like to hear it?”