Chapter 393

The police station’s prison is honestly a joke.

It’s basically just a straw-stacked brick house with wooden bars making up the divisions; if someone really wanted to escape, even a strong adult man could do it, not just a martial arts master.

The limitations of those wooden bars are clear—after enough body slamming, they’re bound to snap one day.

So, with just a little martial arts skill, escaping wouldn’t be a big deal.

Of course, it’s still a police station.

This prison is merely a temporary detention facility similar to what Qing would have in her hometown.

Her brother-in-law’s real Thunder Prison isn’t so easy to break out of, though.

So, the Sapa warriors just waited quietly.

There was no trial, so no sentence had been handed down, nor were they being transferred to her brother-in-law for heavier punishment.

The guards weren’t even bothered, instead being too intimidated by the morale of the Sapa warriors to show their faces.

At least, the meager meals came on time.

So, it was all about patience and enduring.

Besides, there was someone who kept blabbering loudly.

That was the Salt Merchant, Yo Hwan-cheol.

“Ahem. Among the officials of Namnyeong, not a single one has failed to take bribes from me. I won’t be held for long. I’m just biding my time a bit—it’s a matter of face for the government.”

Yet Jo Kwang-ang just couldn’t buy it.

“Isn’t it already the third day? Are you sure about that? You said you’d be released soon!”

But Yo Hwan-cheol pounded his chest with confidence.

“Just trust me. Moreover, Po-du is calling me brother. It wouldn’t be strange if I stormed out right now—”

Creeeak! The unpleasant sound of iron doors scraping on the floor interrupted Yo Hwan-cheol’s words.

And the sound of steady footsteps approached.

“Criminal Yo Hwan-cheol. Step outside.”

At that, Yo Hwan-cheol’s face lit up.

“See? I told you!”

“But why just you? Hey, when will our Sado Geon-a and our elite warriors be let out?”

“I don’t know. That’s for the trial judge to decide.”

“Come on, don’t worry. Judge Yu is practically a brother to me. I’ll get you out as quickly as possible.”

At that, the guard opened the prison door, and Yo Hwan-cheol swaggered out casually.

“Ah, right. Our guard here is a bit too stiff for running state affairs. Did I make him feel a bit undervalued? Could you maybe take me to the Salt Merchant too? I wouldn’t want to keep him upset. But in return, I’d like to treat our esteemed Sado Geon-a and the others here to some drinks. How about it?”

Yo Hwan-cheol blatantly proposed a bribe.

In the back, Jo Kwang-ang snickered.

Yeah, a bottle of alcohol could make them endure for another day, he thought.

From the prisons on both sides, one could hear the sounds of people swallowing, and some even whistled casually.

“By the way, with my father suffering in prison, why doesn’t anyone come to visit? Hey, is there a visitation ban or something? Or is it that nobody really came at all?”

To that, the guard shook his head.

His expression was one of pity, making flames of rage rise within Yo Hwan-cheol.

This pathetic excuse of a guard, who hardly earns anything a day, dares to pity the head of the Yo family; it was enough to incite his ire.

“Ha. You little brat. What’s your name? I tried to be nice, and now you’re acting all high and mighty? One word from me, and even the guards would crawl. Just because you sit quietly, do you think you’re untouchable? Ha. I can’t believe it.”

“If you’re so familiar, then you must know the ins and outs of the government office, right? I don’t think I’ll need an escort. And remember, you’re not being released, just temporarily.”

The guard said that and left without a second glance.

How dare he have such a rude attitude towards Lord Yo Hwan-cheol! Rage rose, but no matter how good his connections were, he couldn’t spill blood within the official confines.

So he thought, let’s see if that arrogant little brat can still act like that after seeing his family’s blood.

As he angrily walked out, a sudden thought crossed his mind.

Why ‘temporary release’? Isn’t a release just a release?

Unless they’re throwing a feast in the prison, he doesn’t know anyone who goes in and out like that.

As the thought sank in, Yo Hwan-cheol’s heart dropped.

No, it can’t be, he thought, practically sprinting through the government office towards the big gate.

However, his hasty return was halted by warriors stationed outside the gate.

“Where are you rushing off to?”

Asked Kang Su-yang, the Sect Leader of the Gye-rim Sword Faction.

Yo Hwan-cheol’s expression twisted.

“You guys, surely! My children! Can you really still call yourselves zhengpai after this?!”

But Kang Su-yang shook his head.

“I swear on my clan, my master who has passed away, and my honor that there has been no foul play from the Yo Family.”

“The Cheonhwa-geom can also vouch for that.”

“Right, right.”

On the side, someone was nodding smugly.

“Then who did it? You!”

Yo Hwan-cheol jabbed his finger at another, Jangsan Warrior.

He had a smirk plastered across his face, shrugging his shoulders.

“Though history isn’t long for our Jangsan Warrior, if you want, I can swear on my honor and that of all the officers that we’ve done nothing. Can the Cheonhwa-geom confirm this?”

“Of course, absolutely.”

Qing nodded along again.

The Sapa warriors wouldn’t be lying, not unless it was necessary.

Of course, they weren’t above lying either.

For now, Yo Hwan-cheol felt relieved.

And then it struck him; even if those two were innocent, that didn’t mean it was smooth sailing.

Seeing brothers behave like enemies, they could have filched from each other, and besides, the Deputy General and General were stirring things up with the second and first officers.

“Listen here, Sect Leader. I need to hurry home; my family is in trouble. No matter how tense things are between the Sapa and the Zhengpai, you shouldn’t block a man who’s returning home to ensure his family’s safety! I’m asking you.”

“There’s no need to worry about that anymore. Your family is already gone. Your third child colluded with the Master and executed a grand scheme, using highly toxic methods. And then the servants took all the money and fled. Tsk tsk. You really should have shown some generosity, but now your house is in mourning, and they turned into bandits.”

Yo Hwan-cheol’s heart sank again.

“What do you mean, who died? Yeon? Seong? Ahyeon?”

“I heard all your children are dead? Oh, but the third must be alive. Who knows if any others survived? We’ve all been quite busy dealing with other matters, like hosting banquets.”

Kang Su-yang continued coldly.

“And you also have the mourning for your fallen disciples to attend to.”

At that, the warriors of the Gye-rim and Jangsan factions drew their weapons simultaneously.

“I’m sorry, but I need to bring back the head of the enemy to place on the altar for my fallen disciples.”

“You coward!”

“To appease the spirits of my wronged disciples, I’ll endure listening to you call me a coward.”

“You! You came here to kill us, didn’t you!”

Now it was a matter not of family but of his own life.

Yo Hwan-cheol turned to flee.

He thought, perhaps he could take refuge in the government office.

If only the gate of the office hadn’t been closed tight by now, that would have been a good idea.

Not to mention the three guards who should have been stationed at the left, right, and the main gate had vanished without a trace.

The meaning was clear.

We don’t know what’s happening.

We can’t see it, nor do we want to.

They were truly the embodiment of Official Imposition of Non-Interference.

“Criminal Jo Kwang-ang. Step outside.”

“Oh, already?”

The corners of Jo Kwang-ang’s mouth stretched into a grin.

“Wow, I gotta say, money really does talk. Everything is getting sorted out quickly. But what about my brothers? Where are they?”

“I don’t know. I only received the order to release you.”

“Man, you’re so stiff. How much did the Salt Merchant prepare for you? Seeing you like this, it can’t have been such a great sum, huh? Honestly, what do little guards like you know about proper treatment? You feed your superiors first, right?”

Annoying as his arrogant words were, the guard remained silent.

“Ugh, this is boring. Well. Guys, I’m heading out first. I’ll make sure you all get out on time, and if you’re late, I’ll throw a big banquet for you, so don’t worry.”

“Yes! Lord!”

“Alright. Hehe, hang in there for just a minute longer.”

Jo Kwang-ang left with a cheerful step.

Out the gate, towards the world outside.

—-

The Namnyeong family, almost obliterated.

Well, there’s still a healthy Yo family left, so it’s not complete destruction.

But that healthy Yo has no intention of preserving the family lineage, so in essence, it’s not much different from total destruction.

So, almost complete obliteration.

Three combat squads from the Sado Sect, nearly eradicated.

Among those who came out of the government office, once in a while, someone pointed a finger at Qing.

“Can’t we spare that one? I’ve heard they’re not that bad.”

“Thank you, thank you…!”

“Live well. Next time I hear you’re a bad person, I’ll break your arms and legs and hang you in the market.”

“Yes, yes! I’ll live well!”

That’s a warning and release order.

In truth, for the disciples of the Gye-rim and Jangsan factions, it was quite the absurd situation.

What does information matter anyway?

Just because you heard something, doesn’t mean you can label someone a bad guy while sparing another.

Are they going to decide who to let live or die among random battle team members?

But if the Cheonhwa-geom requests it, then it must be done!

If our Cheonhwa-geom wants something, they should get it!

In a situation where the royal family and martial world were intertwined, what’s more, by the royal family of all places, who would turn away from that?

So, those hiding in the rear with Qing turned out to be couriers posing as secret martial arts masters.

With only a few exceptions, the warriors of Namnyeong had the following perception.

They charged into the most dangerous missions, getting themselves into peril while showing the best performances!

They even took down the legendary Moon Jeong-yeok of the Fuzhou, reputed as the best martial artist of the late period, without even taking his sword.

The titles of Divine Dragon, the very best in the late period of martial arts, were still a mark of respect towards the junior but, now it’s all about the Cheonhwa-geom.

Not someone in the late period or a young master; just the Cheonhwa-geom, a cherished treasure of the orthodox martial world that transcends age!

And on top of that, she’s a beauty competing for the title of the most beautiful!

Even being kind, polite, and modest!

The receptions for the saviors of the Namnyeong orthodox faction were plentiful, so all that was left was to stroll down the path of flowers, lay on a flowery couch, and indulge in drinks and food, having smooth sailing back home.

“Older brother! Invitation!”

“Hmm. Where to this time?”

“To the Zheng family, the Uiju Sect, Chaga Academy, ah, the abbot of the Yeongsan Temple came to ask if he could write a plaque! And from here on out, it’s all the royal notices! This is from the commissioner’s child, this one’s from the leader of the Guangxi faction, and that’s from the county magistrate over there…”

“Ah, lady, this is annoying.”

Once the situation settled down, the flood of invitations became a problem.

It’s awkward to not go, but if I do, all the men will be throwing me those lovey-dovey looks, ugh.

Moreover, these invitations aren’t just coming from Namnyeong; they’re flooding in from all over Guangxi.

At this stage, writing a letter to decline is tedious work.

So many people were fainting just from admiring the handwriting of the replies that it wasn’t long before more people flocked to ask for help with their own writing.

Qing jolted up.

“This won’t do.”

“Excuse me!?”

“If I stay here any longer, I’ll tire myself out just shaking hands all winter. Let’s get out of here. There’s no reason to stick with the Gye-rim Sword Faction anymore, right?”

“Yes! Absolutely! No! It’s okay for you to stay forever! The Cheonhwa-geom is the benefactor of the Gye-rim! And the Gye-rim is the benefactor of the Cheonhwa-geom! I’ll desperately try to keep you here! You should relax in your retreat!”

Woo Na-ram unfolding his passionate speech.

But Qing had something else in mind.

“The Martial Alliance asked us to stick around and keep an eye on those Sapa fellows. Now that Namnyeong is safe, it’s better to be in a place where I can help. I’ve heard the Jin family has been struggling lately.”

Rumor has it that the Jin family is in a tough spot.

Dealing with such extravagant receptions isn’t so hard, indulging in delightful feasts wouldn’t be too terrible either.

But it seems more beneficial not to fade away after my work here is done; staying in a location that could be helpful feels better.

Besides, since the Sapa fellows are openly making moves, why would Guangxi be any different?

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