Whose Side is the Sky On? (3)
Im Yeon-jeong began to speak about her son.
His name was Jang Geun, and he was part of a group called Sochungdae.
Fortunately, she had a rough idea of where Sochungdae was located, near Daebyeolsan in Hanam.
As a legal expert and scholar with a significant role in the organization, she had access to this level of information.
“Understood. This is enough information.”
“There’s one more thing I need to tell you.”
“What is it?”
“It seems I’ll be performing a divorce ritual soon.”
“A divorce ritual? Whose soul are you transferring?”
“They didn’t tell me. Judging by the atmosphere, it seems it’ll happen in a few days.”
I was taken aback. It was clear that they were plotting something serious.
“One more thing, something seems to have happened to my son recently.”
“Please, tell me more.”
“I received a letter today, and it felt different. I sensed more anxiety and fear from him. It was something only I could feel.”
I hoped this change wasn’t related to the current situation. If it was, it meant the child was in danger too.
“Are you going to rescue Geun yourself?”
After a brief pause, I replied.
“No. I’ll stay here to help you.”
“And what about Geun?”
Her voice trembled more than at any other point since we met today.
“Don’t worry. I’ll send someone even more trustworthy than myself.”
This time, she paused before speaking.
“I trust you.”
After setting up a few ways to keep in touch with her, I left the place.
I had a feeling this was far from a simple matter.
The upcoming ritual in a few days would be crucial for them. It might be an opportunity to uncover their true backers.
Moreover, there was a risk that Im Yeon-jeong could be in danger because of the ritual. Not knowing who the divorce ritual was for, she could be silenced to maintain secrecy.
Thus, it was imperative to save both her and the child simultaneously.
After leaving the estate, I headed to a contact point a little away from the bustling market.
“Welcome.”
The attendant recognized me and greeted me politely.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
I stepped inside. It was a small building with just a courtyard. Hawks were being raised throughout the yard. Well-trained, they flew freely but never strayed far.
This was the Tae-seong Trading Company’s secret contact point. It was an official contact point operated by the company.
Most trading companies ran such contact points throughout the region, allowing them to be used without drawing attention.
I quickly wrote a coded message to someone.
The most well-trained messenger hawk for urgent situations soared into the sky. It was headed for the person I trusted the most, as I had mentioned to Im Yeon-jeong.
The carriage slowed and came to a halt.
“What is it?”
A man inside the carriage asked, and the coachman replied with a trembling voice.
“You should come out and see for yourself.”
A middle-aged man stepped out of the carriage.
He was Jo Dam, the head of the Jo family estate in Hanam Province.
Jo Dam was a man of firm character, well-respected in the Hanam region.
In contrast, the seven men blocking the carriage were also well-known, but for their infamy rather than their reputation.
“The Seven Fiends of Hanam!”
Recognizing his opponents, Jo Dam was taken aback. His shout was filled with inner strength, but none of the fiends showed any sign of fear.
The Seven Fiends of Hanam were notorious for their crimes in the region. They had only recently begun to make a name for themselves in the martial world.
They had banded together during the chaos following Ma Bong-gi’s rise to power, quickly amassing a record of evil deeds.
The Martial Alliance had placed a hefty bounty of thirty thousand nyang on them, but they were elusive and skilled, making them hard to capture.
Those who pursued them often lost their lives, further cementing their fearsome reputation.
“What do you want?”
Jo Dam, an experienced martial artist, tried to remain calm despite the ominous situation.
The first of the fiends stepped forward and spoke.
“What business could lowly people like us have with a great man like you, who commands the respect of the martial world? Our business is with the people in the carriage.”
Jo Dam’s expression hardened.
“Do you know who’s in the carriage?”
“Isn’t it your wife, renowned for her virtue in Hanam, and your precious children?”
“What business do you have with them?”
At that moment, the second fiend interjected.
“Why so much talk, brother?”
After chiding the first fiend, the second fiend barked out.
“Your wife and daughter are said to be so beautiful that our masters want a taste. Does that answer your question?”
The first fiend shook his head.
“Such a crude way to put it.”
But even as he spoke, the first fiend’s face was twisted with a vulgar grin.
Jo Dam’s heart went cold. He felt despair. He was on his way to a nearby temple with his wife and daughter. It was a place they visited often, not far from home, so he hadn’t brought any guards.
Even if he had brought guards, unless he brought the entire family, it would have been the same. The martial skills of the Seven Fiends were such that even he would struggle to handle more than two of them.
“How can you speak such heinous words? Aren’t you afraid of the heavens?”
The second fiend replied coldly to Jo Dam’s words.
“Are you trying to get your wife and kids killed?”
Jo Dam’s face contorted. A major crisis had befallen his life. The opponents were too strong and vicious to hope for any intervention.
Jo Dam looked up at the sky with a heart full of regret. He never imagined something like this would happen to him.
“Put down your sword and kneel, or your children will see something they shouldn’t.”
It wasn’t a threat. The Seven Fiends had committed countless unspeakable acts.
At that moment, the carriage door opened, and two women and a young boy stepped out.
Despite her age, the woman was beautiful, and the daughter’s beauty was exceptional. The boy looked about seven years old, and they were all visibly terrified.
The woman looked at Jo Dam and spoke.
“Dear, it would be better to die by your hand than to suffer such disgrace.”
Her eyes showed she was prepared for the worst.
“But!”
Jo Dam’s eyes wavered as he looked at his daughter and son. The children’s eyes were filled with tears.
The first fiend, watching the scene, sneered.
“Go ahead and kill your family and see how far you get.”
The first fiend knew the psychology of his victims well, having done this many times before. He knew this approach was more effective than pleading for mercy.
Jo Dam was at a loss. He couldn’t decide what to do.
The first fiend spoke coldly.
“Jo Dam wants to go cleanly. Send him off nicely.”
The other six men simultaneously drew their swords.
“Wait!”
Jo Dam shouted.
“At least spare my son! He’s just a child.”
The first fiend smirked, as if he expected this.
The second fiend stepped forward.
“You’re not begging properly. Drop your sword and kneel!”
Jo Dam took one last look at his wife, daughter, and son.
“I’m sorry.”
With reddened eyes, he threw down his sword and knelt.
“Please, at least spare my son.”
He judged it impossible to save his wife and daughter. In that case, he wanted to save his son. He would atone for this sin in death. His wife and daughter understood, and they both spoke at once.
“Please save the youngest!”
The Seven Fiends laughed in unison.
The second fiend approached Jo Dam. He whispered to the desperately pleading Jo Dam.
“If we were the kind of people who granted requests, we’d be called the Seven Heroes. Why do you think we’re called the Seven Fiends? Because we’re filthy and vile.”
He flicked his tongue, exuding a murderous aura.
In despair, Jo Dam lunged for the sword on the ground.
But the prepared second fiend was much faster.
Swish.
Just as the second fiend’s sword was about to slice Jo Dam’s back.
Thud!
A dull sound echoed through the air.
The sword had struck something, and there was a sound of something shattering.
What shattered was the second fiend’s head. He lay crumpled on the ground, his face completely unrecognizable. In his place stood a man.
Dressed in black martial attire with a black mask, his well-built physique and sun-kissed bronze skin testified to years of training. He was Baek Pyo.
Jo Dam looked up at Baek Pyo in surprise.
Baek Pyo spoke to him.
“Leave the rest to me.”
Jo Dam realized the masked man intended to save him.
At that moment, the third and fourth fiends rushed toward the family. Sensing the situation was turning against them, they intended to take them hostage.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
In an instant, sword energy flew toward the two men. It wasn’t just one streak of sword energy. Over twenty strands of sword energy flew in from all directions at once.
The sword energy was swift and precise. The third and fourth fiends were torn apart before they could even attempt to dodge.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Twenty masked figures in black descended in front of Jo Dam’s family.
Each of them exuded an aura far surpassing that of the Seven Fiends.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The remaining seven villains found themselves surrounded by another dozen masked figures descending upon them with an equally formidable presence. In total, there were thirty-three of them—warriors of the Black Panther Brigade, fresh from their hellish training and ready for real combat.
The four remaining men turned pale. They had faced countless battles, but the aura of these newcomers was overwhelming.
“Do you even know who we are, you bastards?” one of them shouted, his voice cracking with desperation.
White Panther glanced down at the corpse of the second villain, whose head he had smashed earlier, and replied, “Didn’t you say it yourselves? Filthy and despicable.”
Realizing that neither threats nor pleas would work, the four exchanged glances and sprang into action.
Their target was White Panther. They had deduced he was the leader and believed capturing him was their only chance of survival.
But as they leaped, the warriors of the Black Panther Brigade moved even faster, intercepting them with superior speed and strength, executing flawless teamwork.
Slicing sounds filled the air as three of the attackers fell, blood spraying from their bodies. The last one, trembling with fear, staggered back.
“Who are you people? I’ve never heard of anyone like you!” he stammered, his voice shaking. They had been pursued by many, and he thought he knew all the top fighters in the martial world. Yet, these masked figures were unlike any he had encountered.
“If you kill me, I’ll come back as a ghost to haunt you!” he threatened.
White Panther chuckled, striding toward him. “Sure, come back as a ghost. I’ll kill you again. Come back ten times, a hundred times if you like.”
With a swift motion, the last villain’s body was split open, collapsing to the ground.
The Black Panther warriors began to clean up the scene. They were on a mission to capture the notorious criminals with bounties on their heads, a perfect blend of training and profit.
After gathering the bodies, a few of the warriors left to claim the bounty from the Martial Alliance.
Jodam approached, expressing his gratitude. “Thank you so much.”
He looked at White Panther and the warriors, who stood strong and imposing.
White Panther asked gently, “Are you hurt?”
“Thanks to you, I’m fine.”
Jodam’s family—his wife, daughter, son, and even the coachman—came forward to bow in gratitude. “Thank you for your kindness.”
“It’s nothing. We were just fortunate to be here at the right time,” White Panther replied, turning to leave.
Jodam pleaded, “Please, at least tell us your name.”
White Panther tapped his mask, implying that if he intended to reveal his identity, he wouldn’t be wearing it. Instead, his eyes above the mask crinkled into a friendly smile.
After a brief farewell, Jodam and his family departed.
Once they were gone, a hawk circled above before landing on the arm of one of the Black Panther warriors, the one responsible for communications. He handed a message tied to the hawk’s leg to White Panther.
After reading it, White Panther addressed his men. “Let’s go. Our first mission has arrived.”