There exists a man named Gwan Joon.
Second in power only to the Emperor, the National Tycoon, and the Chief Minister.
A ruthless man, so devoid of blood and tears that he wouldn’t hesitate to drive his own mother to death for his objectives.
Though there are many words used to describe him, none contain ridicule or contempt.
Because all those who dared to belittle Gwan Joon are already dead—killed by none other than Gwan Joon himself.
When people talk about the greatest intelligence agencies in the world, they often mention Hao House, Kai Sect, or Sal Pavilion.
Without realizing that the eyes of the Magistrate’s Office are spread across the land.
“….”
Gwan Joon furrowed his brows and swallowed a lump in his throat.
He couldn’t have foreseen it.
Sss-.
Surely he, the master of the Magistrate’s Office, wouldn’t…
“What is this.”
He had never imagined that entering the Magistrate’s Office would cause such tension.
“It can’t be just a cold…”
Gwan Joon slowly raised his head and gazed at the sky above the office.
Dark clouds gathered where his sight reached.
A foreboding sensation crept up on him. The hairs on his body stood on end, confirming that this wasn’t a false intuition.
Jubek-.
Reinforcing his inner strength to suppress unusual sensations in his body, Gwan Joon confidently stepped inside.
Despite entering, something felt off—oddly wrong.
“What… the hell is this?”
An involuntary groan escaped his lips. Before his trembling pupils lay several people who had fainted, foam at their mouths.
After swiftly checking their conditions, Gwan Joon quickly understood—they hadn’t been knocked out from blows, but from an overwhelming pressure caused by someone’s mere killing intent.
‘A martial arts master!’
Paang-!
Gwan Joon unleashed his suppressed aura, not caring anymore about protecting the commoners in the office. What mattered now was entirely different.
Kwaah-!
A force equal to his fully released aura confronted him.
An energy that an ordinary martial artist wouldn’t dare to challenge emanated from the depths of the office.
‘Who could it be?’
Though it was uncertain whether this clash of energies would escalate into a life-or-death battle, one thing was clear.
A monstrous force, equal to his own, awaited him deep inside.
Otherwise, why wouldn’t they retreat or withdraw their presence the moment he unleashed his energy?
‘How dare someone summon me here so arrogantly.’
Preparing for battle, Gwan Joon proceeded inside.
After walking for an indeterminate amount of time, upon reaching the place to deliberate state affairs, Gwan Joon finally stopped.
“O Honored Sir, from where do you hail?”
The reply came in a high-pitched feminine voice.
“Highly regarded to be addressed as ‘Sir,’ but I’m not that old.”
Attempting to turn around, Gwan Joon immediately halted due to the chilling cold sensation in his neck.
Though he had sensed the blade approaching his neck, it was already too late by the time he recognized it.
The woman standing ghost-like behind Gwan Joon, with a dagger pressed against his throat, whispered.
“I could slit your veins like this. Do you know which blood vessels run through the neck?”
“O Honored Sir, what reason drives you?”
“Really, stop calling me ‘Sir.’ It’s so awkward coming from someone much older than me.”
“…?”
Gwan Joon subtly glanced over his shoulder on a slanted line to confirm her presence.
First, he noticed the bamboo hat where her head should have been.
The meticulously strung and neatly arranged bamboo hat.
Gwan Joon swallowed hard. He had realized her identity.
Along with it, the significance of the remarkable person currently inside the office.
“The Killer Sage.”
One of the five greats on par with Gwan Joon, the emperor of assassins in the world.
A person whose identity could not be discovered unless one possessed the unparalleled intelligence network of the Magistrate’s Office.
The intruder was none other than the Killer Sage, Hong Ryun.
“There’s no way I’ll let this go so easily.”
“And if I don’t? What will you do?”
“A big conflict will start. The inviolability of the Magistrate’s Office might break.”
“There’s also the option of killing you right here.”
“Humph.”
Judging from the Killer Sage’s demeanor, there didn’t seem to be any desire to converse.
“What do you want?”
“You planned with the head of the Nangung family to bring down Sword Sage, did you not?”
“…Yes, but…”
“Stop. There are things in this world that are okay to meddle with and things that aren’t. Sword Sage isn’t someone to meddle with.”
“And who gets to decide that?”
“I’ll decide.”
The purpose of the Killer Sage’s visit was solely to deliver this message.
And that was all.
“Hmm… Killer Sage, I’ve already made an agreement with the head of the Nangung family.”
“So?”
“What will happen to my reputation if I back down here?”
“You shouldn’t have accepted in the first place. Did your eyes cloud over for a few coins to try killing a poor soul?”
“You… It’s not your place to talk when you yourself kill people for money.”
“That’s my profession, and you’re an officer. Officers shouldn’t do that.”
“…I can’t refute that.”
In response to Gwan Joon’s words, the Killer Sage smirked. It was at that moment that Gwan Joon’s figure faded slightly.
Whoosh!
Gwan Joon dropped his upper body. By bending his lower half, he narrowly avoided the Killer Sage’s dagger.
The dagger immediately pursued him, but…
Shiish!
“Where do you think you’re going!”
The slashing attack from Gwan Joon’s hands forced the Killer Sage to withdraw.
The Killer Sage tilted her head back. Towards her, a sharp-edged hand swept in.
Had she been a fraction slower, her face would have been pierced.
“Insanity!”
With a sharp cry, the Killer Sage’s dagger carved an elegant curve. Dozens of red streaks were etched onto Gwan Joon’s extended arm.
Rather, they were afterimages. Gwan Joon’s arm had already been withdrawn, snake-like.
Skerk!
Though her slash cut through the air without hitting anything, Hong Ryun didn’t seem to mind. It confirmed what she had already suspected.
Despite both being among the five greats, she was certain the outcome would be in her favor.
‘That makes me quite exceptional.’
Even she had trouble believing how far she had come, but that was her current reality.
Aging only twenty-four, yet already at the level of ‘Huajing.’
Realizing the truth not long ago, she had been born with the rare Heavenly Martial Constitution. She believed herself to be perhaps the only one of her kind in the current martial world.
Zhuoak!
“How dare you continue?”
Leisurely wiping the sword energy from her dagger, Hong Ryun queried.
“…No, that’s enough.”
Gwan Joon answered while gazing endlessly at his tingling hand.
“Then, will you follow my advice?”
“It’s not that simple. I already have a covenant with Nangung.”
“Haven’t you heard? A promise is as easily broken as flipping a hand when faced with a stronger force.”
“…What about the Golden Imperial Guards and the Eastern Hall? They’ve already made preparations.”
Hong Ryun paused, reflecting.
The Eastern Hall and the Imperial Guard were infamous even to her as a martial artist.
“They are capable of fabricating crimes where none exist.”
“Hmm.”
“They possess substantial strength too. Don’t you remember that the creator of the ‘Guihua Treasure Sword’ in the past was a eunuch from that same era?”
“Your excuses are growing.”
“To already resolved matters, your interference, unrelated as you are, feels odd.”
“Haa.”
Frustrated by Gwan Joon’s persistent arguments…
Hong Ryun growled lowly. A lioness-like pressure emanated from her slight frame.
“Simply admit that you’re holding on because it damages your prestige.”
“…! If I were to fight with all seriousness, I might not defeat you, but I wouldn’t lose either!”
“That’s correct. I lack the means to kill you.”
“And knowing that…”
Hong Ryun narrowed her eyes coolly, enough to make onlookers shudder.
“Should I invite you to a national mourning?”
A warning.
A low, warning threat from a woman capable of killing anyone in the martial world.
“…! You shameless martial woman, you’ve lost your mind!”
Gwan Joon immediately retorted, reacting with an anger akin to disturbing the emperor’s wrath.
“Are you trying to be another Jing Ke or Gao Jian Li! Have you gone completely mad!”
“Not like them. They failed, but if I were to act, success would be certain.”
“…!”
“I might not survive an assassination of the emperor, but I could bring you along as an afterlife companion. You, who’ve already experienced my martial prowess, should understand that well.”
Even Gwan Joon, who holds all power in the empire, cannot lightly challenge the two strongest figures of the realm.
The emperor and the Chancellor. Of these, the emperor’s name undeniably stands unparalleled.
For all his power, despite being second only to one person and above ten thousand others, that one person is the emperor.
Engage with the emperor? It’s an unimaginable act.
And naturally, something that must never be entertained, even remotely.
“Damn it.”
Gwan Joon muttered with irritation.
He was cornered.
“It seems you’ve accepted my proposal.”
“…This is a one-time exception. Don’t expect similar mercy in the future.”
“Do not provoke Sword Sage. In return, I will refrain from interference.”
“Damn it, this is ridiculous.”
Hong Ryun patted Gwan Joon on the shoulder with a sly smile, then moved toward the door. Until she passed by him and nearly left the room, Gwan Joon could only tremble, staying completely silent.
Before leaving completely, with half her foot on the threshold, Hong Ryun casually inquired.
“Oh, right.”
“Do you have more to say?”
“Do you know the present whereabouts of Sword Sage? I missed him because of you.”
“…Hm. He’s said to be in Muchien Valley.”
“Muchien Valley? The one where ‘Those who enter never return’?”
“Yes.”
“I see. Thank you for the information.”
With her desired answer, Hong Ryun turned and left without looking back, her resolute steps hinting at a firm destination.
Just as Hong Ryun was about to leave the room.
“Hmm…”
Confused by disrupted plans, Gwan Joon asked aimlessly,
“What… is Sword Sage to you to move like this? What relationship does he hold with you?”
With her usual calm, Hong Ryun responded simply, as if stating an undeniable truth,
“Old grudge… my Western Master.”
