Side Story 34. Jin Li-yeon (2)

“What bitch is this!”

When Jin Li-yeon appeared before the room where Hundred Flower Gentleman was staying, the swordsman guarding the door shouted that.
As if to prove he was an unorthodox martial artist, his appearance was vicious.
There were dark shadows under his eyes, and a long scar ran across the bridge of his nose.
Even the blade he held looked vicious.
It was a serrated saber, its edge lined with jagged teeth.
It was a blade meant more for tearing flesh than cutting it, and once another weapon caught on its edge, anyone would be thrown off balance. It was an eccentric weapon.

“You crazy bitch, do you even know where this is.”

The swordsman noticed Jin Li-yeon was alone and gave a hollow laugh.
Then he licked the blade with his blunt tongue.

“You’ve got guts, bitch.”

Jin Li-yeon neither smiled nor reacted.
She merely swung her soft sword.

A soft sword and a serrated saber were natural opposites.
A soft sword was thin and flexible, so once it caught on the teeth of a serrated blade, it could no longer exert force.
Knowing that, the swordsman laughed.
He gave his serrated saber a light swing.

The soft sword seemed to coil itself around the serrated saber.
At that instant, the smile vanished from the swordsman’s face.

Tteong!

The serrated saber wrapped in the soft sword snapped cleanly in two.
And the soft sword, still moving as though in a dance, lightly coiled around the swordsman’s waist.

“Kuheok!”

A long wound opened along his side.
Alarm appeared on the swordsman’s face.
It was clear from a single exchange how formidable Jin Li-yeon’s martial prowess was.
The swordsman too was a first-rate martial artist.

“Yaaah!”

He lunged forward with a shout closer to a shriek.
Against a soft sword, closing the distance was common sense.
But even that sort of tactic only worked when the levels were somewhat matched.
He tried to slam bodily into Jin Li-yeon.
Indeed, once he had come within arm’s reach, Jin Li-yeon did not swing her soft sword.
Instead, she moved her hand.

The swordsman laughed. There was no way such a delicate hand could stop him.
His mistake was not knowing that Jin Li-yeon was the Transcendent master known as Azure Forest Peony.

Jin Li-yeon’s hand lightly tapped the back of the swordsman’s neck as it passed.
It was a different release of force from the hidden dark force she had just used on the rude man downstairs.

Teong!

The swordsman’s eyes rolled white at once, and he lost consciousness.
Unable to overcome his own forward momentum, he tumbled down the stairs.

Kwaang!

Hearing him crash down to the first floor, Jin Li-yeon swung her soft sword at the door.
The papered door was sliced into dozens of pieces and collapsed.
The interior of the room, lavishly decorated to suit its owner’s tastes, was revealed.
Various ornate porcelains were on display, and there were even wooden carvings depicting phoenixes.

Ping!

And from somewhere within, a bolt shot out.
Jin Li-yeon flicked her soft sword and cut that down as well.

Hundred Flower Pavilion’s master sat on a red silk brocade couch, frantically reloading a crossbow.
He fired the crossbow again.

Cheukak!

Jin Li-yeon knocked aside the crossbow bolt once more with her soft sword.
Deflecting a crossbow bolt, faster than an arrow shot by hand, with a wavering soft sword was an extraordinary feat.
Realizing he could not stop her, Hundred Flower Gentleman threw aside the crossbow and began trembling all over.

“Seon Min-jae.”

That was Hundred Flower Gentleman’s name.

“You acquired a Guihon Jade privately in violation of the jointly established regulations of the authorities, the Murim Alliance, and the Heretical Alliance.”

Jin Li-yeon spoke as though reading out a written judgment.

“Your first crime is disregarding those regulations for personal gain, despite the fact that proper compensation would have been given had you submitted it voluntarily. Your second crime is consuming the Guihon Jade in violation of those regulations.”

She stopped three paces in front of Hundred Flower Gentleman.

“Accordingly, I, Jin Li-yeon, investigator of Azure Forest, will recover your Guihon Jade.”

Azure Forest Peony, Jin Li-yeon.
Realizing that the one who had come to seize him was a Transcendent master of Azure Forest, Hundred Flower Gentleman finally gave in to despair.

“Fuck!”

The instant he frantically thrust a hand into his robes, a flash of sword-light flickered.
Blood burst from Hundred Flower Gentleman’s wrist.
The soft sword had cleanly sliced through his tendon.
The thing he had been trying to draw dropped from his weakened hand.
It was a leather pouch filled with poisonous powder.
Jin Li-yeon’s toe struck the back of Hundred Flower Gentleman’s neck.

Peok!

Hundred Flower Gentleman sprawled sideways and collapsed.

“Keok, eok.”

Judging by the sounds forcing their way out of his mouth, he had not fainted, but his body had stiffened like a log.
Jin Li-yeon had precisely struck a numbing acupoint with the tip of her foot.
In front of the acupoint-sealed Hundred Flower Gentleman’s eyes were Jin Li-yeon’s two feet.
Looking down at him, she said,

“So you didn’t eat the Guihon Jade.”

Jin Li-yeon had become certain while subduing Hundred Flower Gentleman.
Even if all the exaggerated rumors were true, she had been confident she could subdue him.
But it had been far too easy.
If Hundred Flower Gentleman had really consumed Guihon Jade, it could not have ended this easily.

“Speak. Where is the Guihon Jade?”

Jin Li-yeon asked Hundred Flower Gentleman that.

“I don’t know. I said I don’t know!”
“I would rather you not complicate the situation.”

There had once been a time when Jin Li-yeon had been nothing more than a quiet Taoist.
It was in those days that the beautiful flower name Peony became her epithet.
Though time had passed and Jin Li-yeon remained beautiful, she had amassed countless experiences in Kangho.
For Hundred Flower Gentleman, that was unfortunate.

Pababak.

Her soft sword whisked past a mere inch in front of Hundred Flower Gentleman’s nose.

“Every time the words out of your mouth fail to be a proper answer, the sword will come closer.”
“Wait!”

Kakak!

The sword mark came closer.
Hundred Flower Gentleman felt the cold edge-wind brushing past the tip of his nose.

“It’ll be quite a sight once your nose is gone. Where is the Guihon Jade?”
“Y-you’re too much! How can a Taoist be this cruel!”

Kakak!

His nose began to burn with pain.
Warmth spread through his trousers. Hundred Flower Gentleman had finally pissed himself.

“This is the last time. After cutting off your nose, I’ll take your head.”

Fortunately, only the tip of his nose had been lightly cut.

“B-brother!”

Hundred Flower Gentleman had not called Jin Li-yeon hyung.

“My brother has it! He hid it so he could sell it later, sell it off later!”

If sold at full value, a Guihon Jade was worth an enormous fortune.
Hundred Flower Gentleman had spread the rumor that he had eaten the Guihon Jade while secretly keeping it hidden.
And not in his own possession, but in his elder brother’s.

“Then where is Iron-Faced Poisonous Hand?”
“He should still be inside the pleasure house. He was downstairs just moments ago!”

Faced with the soft sword, Hundred Flower Gentleman immediately sold out his own brother.
Then it was time to find out whether this unorthodox man was telling the truth.
Jin Li-yeon pulled out the Guihon Compass.

The needle of the Guihon Compass was spinning wildly.
As though… it were descending the stairs.
Then the needle snapped toward one direction.
It was the direction of the pleasure house’s main entrance.

Iron-Faced Poisonous Hand was fleeing the pleasure house.
Jin Li-yeon’s expression hardened, and she turned.

“Huhk, hk!”

Iron-Faced Poisonous Hand ran like mad.
Even amid the sudden commotion, he had sensed danger.
Iron-Faced Poisonous Hand and Hundred Flower Gentleman looked so different it was hard to believe they were brothers.
Unlike the delicate-featured Hundred Flower Gentleman, Iron-Faced Poisonous Hand had a blunt nose and a broad, flat face.
Because of that appearance, people often mistook him for a slow-witted brute, but in truth he was nothing of the sort.
He had an outstanding instinct for danger.
Because of that, he fled Hundred Flower Pavilion without hesitation.
He knew that whether it was the Heretical Alliance or the Murim Alliance, someone might come one day to reclaim the Guihon Jade.
Once word of the Guihon Jade had spread, that danger could not be helped.
Though even he had not expected them to come this soon.

“Move, I said move!”

Though the night was deep, the shores of West Lake were bright.
Iron-Faced Poisonous Hand shoved aside drunken revelers as he fled.
Then he darted into a dark alley where there were no people.

After running hard, he was out of breath.
It was likely because he had neglected his martial training and drowned himself in alcohol every day.
The one who had barged into Hundred Flower Pavilion must have heard the rumor that his younger brother had eaten the Guihon Jade, yet had still come alone.
If so, then she had to be a master.

“My luck’s fucking rotten.”

Getting hold of the Guihon Jade had certainly been lucky.
But having word spread that he had gotten it had been bad luck.
Once news spread that someone had gained a treasure, it was only natural that flies would gather.
So Iron-Faced Poisonous Hand had chosen to spread the rumor that his younger brother had eaten it.
It had been a clever move.
That way, at the very least, thieves would not come sniffing around, and no one would dare make a move carelessly out of fear of his newly strengthened younger brother.
He had planned to quietly sell off Hundred Flower Pavilion, flee, and then sell the Guihon Jade too… If only he had had one more month.
But everything had gone wrong.

It was at the moment Iron-Faced Poisonous Hand was about to sink into the darkness.
Someone was blocking the narrow alley.

“Move, bastard!”

He spoke in a voice so low it was hard to tell whether he was shouting or whispering.

But the man did not move.
Only then did Iron-Faced Poisonous Hand realize that the man before him was enormous.
And on top of that, he was dressed in black night-clothes.

His judgment was swift.
The moment Iron-Faced Poisonous Hand flung out his hand from inside his robes, three throwing knives flew through the air.

Swaeaeak!

A yellow liquid had been smeared on the tips of the knives.
The reason Poisonous Hand was part of his title was because Iron-Faced Poisonous Hand never hesitated to use poison.

Ttadadang!

Sparks burst in the darkness.
The man in black had blocked the throwing knives.
Without hesitation, Iron-Faced Poisonous Hand tried to turn and run again.

“Seok Mu-jae.”
“Huhk!”

Iron-Faced Poisonous Hand froze in shock when his name was called.
Behind him stood the very same man who had blocked his way a moment ago.
It was unbelievable. How had he moved behind him in an instant?
It was movement arts on the level of the legendary shift-of-form-and-position.
He had met an enemy he could not fight. His only option was to flee.
Iron-Faced Poisonous Hand dodged away once more.
He vaulted over the wall right beside him.

“Stop being troublesome.”

He had just cleared the wall, but the man was already waiting below.
It was enough to make one faint.

“W-who the hell are you!”
“Hand over the Guihon Jade.”

There was no escaping.
Sensing that, Iron-Faced Poisonous Hand pulled something out from inside his robes.
A purple jewel giving off an eerie glow even in the darkness.
It was the Guihon Jade.

“This is what you’re after? ”

Iron-Faced Poisonous Hand’s expression had completely fallen apart.
He trembled all over like a man cornered, yet he smiled.
Then, before anyone could stop him, he shoved the Guihon Jade into his mouth and swallowed it whole.

“Heh heh, hhh!”

It was the desperation of a man who had decided that if he was going to die after losing the Guihon Jade, he might as well consume it first.
But its effect was tremendous.
The instant he swallowed the Guihon Jade, a hot force spread through his gut.
The internal energy in his dantian writhed and swelled fearfully.

“Uh, uhhh!”

The surging power felt as if it would run wild, and Iron-Faced Poisonous Hand flung out his hand carelessly.

Kwaang!

The wall struck by his bare hand collapsed in a heap.

“Haha, hahahat!”

At that moment, Iron-Faced Poisonous Hand felt a confidence so overwhelming that he thought he could defeat even a Transcendent master.
A red light flashed in his eyes.

“You’ll have to cut open my belly to take it, or else……”

He charged at the black-clad man, who stood there unmoving.

“I’ll split your belly open first!”

The black-clad man didn’t move.
Then his own eyes flashed red.

Tak!

He lightly caught Iron-Faced Poisonous Hand’s fist, which was filled with fierce power.

“You think you’re the only one who’s eaten Guihon Jade?”
“……!”

All his excitement vanished at once.
It was as though cold water had been poured over him, and Iron-Faced Poisonous Hand’s mind cleared in an instant.
But it was already too late.

Peok!

A shock that felt as though his insides were going to burst struck his abdomen.
He lost consciousness.

Jin Li-yeon ran like the wind.
Her movement arts were as light as a bird in flight.
True to its name, as though stepping upon clouds, Azure Forest’s Cloud Treading was exceedingly light.

She pursued Iron-Faced Poisonous Hand while glancing at the Guihon Compass.
The Guihon Jade seemed to be getting farther away. She could tell from how the trembling vibration of the needle had stilled.

Jin Li-yeon, just about to increase her speed, stopped before a collapsed wall.
When she carefully stepped beyond it,

“……Iron-Faced Poisonous Hand.”

Iron-Faced Poisonous Hand was lying there.
Whether he was alive or dead, there were grand traces of vomit spewed from his mouth.

She looked at the Guihon Compass.
The needle was still moving faintly.

“……Was it intercepted.”

It seemed clear that someone had stolen the Guihon Jade away.
Jin Li-yeon clicked her tongue.

‘The children will be arriving soon.’

Three disciples of Azure Forest would soon be arriving here in Hangzhou.
She had planned to finish this mission quickly and then meet the three of them……

‘I’ll be a little late.’

It seemed unlikely that she would be able to wait in advance and receive them.