Chapter 46: Confrontation (4)

“What?!”

Song Jing suddenly stood up.

“What happened at the residence of the Third Young Master?!”

“It was...”

The Jinma Corps member’s brief and concise explanation made Song Jing’s face crumple.

“So, the Black Crow Guards burst in and the situation was resolved?”

“Yes.”

“Damn it! Shit!”

Though the situation called for relief, Song Jing was instead seething with anger.

‘If only he had died there... At least if he had been injured badly enough to need a few months of recuperation, it would have been better!’

Song Jing actually had little interest in the Third Young Master. His focus was on the Third Young Master’s side.

He needed to be destroyed so that he would no longer be a puppet.

“When is the next operation scheduled?”

“Exactly a fortnight from now.”

“...I understand. I will be absent frequently due to personal matters, so tell the commander to train the troops accordingly.”

“Understood!”

As the Jinma Corps member disappeared, Song Jing abruptly stood up.

“I’ll summon him again.”

He took a deep breath and drank a cup of wine placed beside the table.

‘How did I end up in such a state, Song Jing of the world?’

He was ambitious, but he was also pragmatic.

He desired to be the best, yet he knew how to be content with his position. He merely wanted to live a comfortable life, enjoying small pleasures as he aged.

‘...How long do you plan to toy with me, Third Young Master?’

His anger boiled. The thought of becoming a well-behaved dog because of ‘that matter’ involving the Third Young Master made him wake up in the middle of the night, seething with rage.

“Yi!”

Driven by his rising anger, Song Jing threw the cup carelessly.

Clang!

The broken cup shards scattered in all directions.

At that moment,

“Ugh!”

Song Jing turned his head toward the source of the sound.

“You’ve regained consciousness.”

To his surprise, over a dozen mages were writhing on the ground, their bodies covered in injuries.

“Indeed, they are quite ruthless.”

Song Jing put on the mask he had placed nearby. The fact that he, a commander of the internal combat unit, had to wear such a mask made him even angrier.

He also disliked having to put on such a fake act that made his limbs stiff.

“Now that you’ve regained consciousness, go back. And remember, I will come for you again. I want to tear out your throats for what you did to the Third Young Master, but I will hold back because of his command.”

Rustle!

A fierce killing intent erupted from the mages’ bodies. Despite their battered state, the intensity of their killing intent was enough to make even Song Jing flinch.

‘Ruthless bastards.’

He had to take the evidence from the Third Young Master to avoid ending up like them.

At that moment,

A man walked over from a distance, moving swiftly without even a hint of breathlessness, which was astonishing.

Song Jing frowned.

“What brings you here?”

“I have come to deliver the Third Young Master’s command.”

“...A command. So, what has he ordered?”

The man, Xin Hui, glanced around at the mages before speaking.

“Capture the woman you so despise.”

“...!”

“Take her to the Criminal Law Hall. I promise your safety and her destruction. In addition, I will pay you double the previous amount.”

Song Jing involuntarily clenched his fist.

He moved under orders for money. It was the kind of work that only assassins in the martial world would do.

However, the scale of the payment changed the game. With the opportunity to capture the woman who was a thorn in his side, there was no reason to refuse.

His body, which had been seething with anger, now emitted a fierce killing intent as he smiled.

“By when do I need to bring her in?”

Xin Hui turned around.

“Before dawn tomorrow.”

* * *

Xu Liang entered his residence and sat cross-legged in the training ground.

Ma Dongphi, who was standing guard at a distance, glanced at him.

‘What is he thinking?’

It wasn’t meditation. He could tell that much just by looking at the Young Master’s face.

But that was as far as he could go. He had no way of knowing what the Young Master was thinking or what he planned to do next.

‘Perhaps his mind is troubled.’

Though their relationship had soured, there must have been a time when the Third Young Master and the Third Young Master could talk and laugh without any ulterior motives. Perhaps the current situation was causing him distress.

Of course, his thoughts were completely wrong.

Xu Liang was inwardly sighing deeply.

‘Will this work?’

Whether Hong Weimin lived or died was of no concern to him.

His goal was to escape from the Divine Sect, not to deal with Hong Weimin. He was doing this complex and annoying task to achieve that single goal.

Of course, the fact that Hong Weimin had provoked him first was a significant reason why he couldn’t just let it go.

‘Black Crow Guards... If only those masked bastards hadn’t interfered, I could have captured him and gained a lot of attention.’

Based on the information provided by Xiao Yanxin, he had reviewed the history and rules of the Divine Sect. Engaging in a life-or-death battle among the candidates was not against the rules.

While it wasn’t necessary to resolve the matter, he wanted to end it there. He had no intention of actually killing anyone; Xu Liang knew his limits.

He planned to inflict injuries severe enough to require at least a year of recuperation, ensuring that the other party would not dare to provoke him again.

There was no reason for him to retreat just because the Black Crow Guards had intervened.

However, he had to consider the future.

‘This one act of attention won’t guarantee my freedom. It would be pointless to make an enemy of the Criminal Law Hall.’

The Military Department, the Blissful Hall, and the Criminal Law Hall were all powerful organizations within the Divine Sect. A little friction was one thing, but making an enemy was out of the question.

‘Damn... I hate having to think so much.’

If he had the skills to destroy everything and leave the Divine Sect calmly, it would be much better.

While everything else was fine, he didn’t think the Sect Leader would let him go freely. The idea of gaining freedom only to end up rolling around in pain was not appealing.

‘Anyway, the cards are on the table. Now that the situation is out in the open, I need to use it to take a step forward.’

Fortunately, his martial arts were growing stronger by the day.

Without even practicing, he was getting stronger every day. His internal energy had increased, his mastery of the martial arts had improved, and the sword in his hand was becoming one with his soul.

‘At least I won’t be getting beaten up wherever I go.’

This was an understatement. At his current level, while he might struggle against the head of a major sect, he could easily handle a grand elder.

Judging by his growth rate, in four to five months, he would be able to handle a sect head with ease.

‘I’m ready. I’ve cast the line; now I just need to wait for the fish to bite.’

Swoosh.

As Xu Liang opened his eyes, Ma Dongphi bowed.

“Have you finished meditating?”

“Meditation? Just some random thoughts.”

Indeed, my thoughts were correct.

Though he inwardly sighed, Ma Dongphi did not show it.

“Everything will go well, Young Master.”

“Let’s hope so.”

Xu Liang stood up.

“Come on, let’s move.”

“Pardon?”

“Why? Do you want to rest? Yeah, you’ve been following me around too much. Go back to the residence and rest.”

“No, that’s not it...”

“Then what? Are you hungry? Do you want to eat something before we go?”

Ma Dongphi felt his eyes spinning.

“I will naturally follow wherever the Young Master goes. I just don’t understand what you mean by moving...”

“Huh? Oh, fishing.”

Xu Liang, once focused, could get lost in his own world. Naturally, Ma Dongphi couldn’t understand a word he said.

“Fishing...?”

“Of course, the Jinma Corps commander. Wasn’t it Song Jing?”

“Oh, yes!”

“Didn’t I tell Wei Dazhu to go to the tavern and have a drink? Of course, Song Jing will move. Once we know the Jinma Corps commander’s location, the plan will proceed...”

“...”

“...Now that I think about it, why are you here? I sent you to find the Jinma Corps commander’s location.”

“I sent Wei Dazhu instead.”

“Huh?”

“Wei Dazhu went to find the Jinma Corps commander’s location himself. He should have found it by now.”

Xu Liang’s face turned blank.

“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean? I clearly told Wei Dazhu to have a drink at the tavern. What does that mean? Just sitting there, the Jinma Corps commander will come, right?”

“Well, that’s true.”

“Telling you to find the Jinma Corps commander’s movements was to help at the right time...”

Suddenly, Xu Liang’s eyes widened.

He recalled his conversation with Wei Honglian.

- Find a nice tavern and have a drink.

- A drink?

- Yeah. The Jinma Corps commander will likely move soon. Maybe even tonight.

- ...Oh, I see.

- You must be sober by now, right? Go and have a drink.

- Is it okay to change the order of things, Young Master?

- What are you talking about?

- No, nothing. It’s just that I’ll be happy to meet that Jinma Corps commander.

- You damn fighting rooster.

- Hehe, I’ll go first.

- Got it. Don’t cause any trouble!

Wei Honglian’s back, smiling happily and bouncing away.

‘Wait, the order of things?’

If he was drinking, the Jinma Corps commander would come on his own.

But if Wei Honglian changed the order of things...

“...No way?”

Does she mean to capture the Jinma Corps commander first and then raise a toast?!

“This damn woman!!”

Bang!

Xu Liang rushed out of the door at an incredible speed. Ma Dongphi struggled to keep up.

Whoosh!

Jin Hu, who had been lying on the side of the training ground, yawned widely and rolled over.

A faint five-colored light seemed to emanate from Jin Hu’s body...

Flash!

Jin Hu’s body disappeared.

No one saw where or how he disappeared.

* * *

Huh, huh.

Song Jing, unable to control his breathing due to excitement, closed his eyes.

‘Don’t get excited.’

Today was the day he would attack the woman who was not only a thorn in his side but also someone he wanted to tear apart piece by piece and feed to the dogs.

His face was already flushed, his heart beating three times faster than usual. He was so agitated that he could hardly speak.

‘Is this the place?’

He looked at the tavern from the alley. It was clearly a ‘high-end’ tavern.

‘...It’s completely wrecked.’

The night was dark, and the construction had stopped. One wall was completely broken, and the first floor of the tavern, though large, was almost a ruin.

‘He caused a commotion here? And still came back to drink?’

Indeed, she was mad. It was clear that the woman had no sense of propriety or reason.

‘Well, it doesn’t matter.’

Song Jing smiled coldly.

Since she was a formidable opponent, it was bound to cause more destruction. In that case, a place that was already wrecked was better than a new one.

‘Should I go in now?’

He placed his hand on his waist, ready to draw his sword at the right moment.

Just as Song Jing was about to sneak into the tavern, he heard a voice.

“Hey.”

Swoosh!

Reacting instinctively, Song Jing drew his sword and launched a rapid attack.

Clang!

The sound of his sword colliding with a broad blade shook his ears.

Song Jing’s eyes widened.

‘This sword?’

A short sword with a blade width of about ten inches, a deformed sword.

Beyond the sword, a woman with a diagonal scar across her face was grinning ferociously.

“I’ve got you, you bastard.”