Chapter 59. A Tyrant Can Also Be a Hero (4)

“What, what did you say?!”

Ma Dongphil’s face turned grave.

“He was imprisoned.”

“How could they imprison Third Young Master, even if it’s the Criminal Law Hall? It’s impossible unless he started a rebellion!”

“……”

“You don’t mean he really rebelled?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Then why!”

Ma Dongphil, who sighed, explained the whole story.

Wei Honglian’s face contorted upon hearing this.

“Is the head of the Criminal Law Hall crazy? What’s so strange about candidates fighting each other that they have to be imprisoned?!”

“The situation isn’t that simple.”

“What’s not simple? What could be simpler than candidates fighting for the throne?”

“He swung a knife at the head of the Criminal Law Hall, who was trying to stop the fight.”

“……!”

“Even though he is the most revered figure in the school, this time it’s different. He got into a conflict with the head of the Criminal Law Hall.”

“……Damn.”

The authority of the Criminal Law Hall, which enforces the school’s laws, was truly formidable. Swinging a knife at the head of the Criminal Law Hall, even if the opponent was a disciple of the school’s leader, was not something that could be easily forgiven.

“Moreover, there were too many witnesses. For the sake of the Criminal Law Hall’s authority, they had no choice but to imprison the young master.”

Wei Honglian glared.

“You bastard! Whose side are you on?”

“What do you mean?”

“So, you’re saying the head of the Criminal Law Hall did the right thing?!”

“I said I understand him, not that I’m on his side.”

“You talk well, you damn bastard.”

“The important thing is not that. At this point, there’s nothing we can do. We don’t know how the head of the Criminal Law Hall will act or how the young master will respond.”

Ma Dongphil’s voice gradually lost its strength.

“To be honest, I don’t know what to do either.”

Wei Honglian clenched her teeth and turned away. She also had no other ideas.

An oppressive silence enveloped the two of them.

Ma Dongphil tilted his head.

“By the way, why is Commander Wei here?”

“What, what?”

“Shouldn’t you be returning to the Ghost Demon Squad’s field operations from today?”

Wei Honglian snorted.

“I only go to the field when I receive orders from above. So far, there’s been no word from the higher-ups.”

“Then why are you just waiting here….”

“Hey, you talk too much. Why can’t I be here?”

“It’s not that….”

“I’m already in a bad mood, so don’t make it worse.”

Wei Honglian, who had been sighing deeply, soon showed a sly smile.

“Still, you’re quite a fiery one. To destroy Third Young Master like that, indeed.”

Rumors were quietly spreading throughout the inner school that Third Young Master had suffered irreparable injuries.

At the same time, Third Young Master’s formidable martial arts were being re-evaluated. Not only had he escaped the demonic possession, but his martial arts were even stronger than before, leaving the demons in awe.

Excitement and unease.

Third Young Master’s martial prowess left a strong impression on the demons, but it also instilled a sense of unease, as the previously covert conflicts among the candidates were now out in the open.

“Tch, a bit disappointing.”

“What do you mean?”

“Third Young Master was so spectacular.”

“Watch your words.”

“Never mind, because of that, something that should have been a rumor didn’t spread.”

“A rumor?”

“About Song Jing. The news of how badly he was beaten should have spread far and wide.”

“Is that important?”

“It is to me.”

Ma Dongphil clicked his tongue.

“Why do you hate the head of the Demon Suppression Squad so much? Did something happen between you two?”

“If nothing had happened, why would I hate him so much?”

“What exactly happened?”

“Not long after I became a commander, there was a meeting of the commanders. That guy tried to assert his authority over me. I got so angry that I smashed one of his testicles.”

“……!”

“Since then, he’s been trying to eat me alive, even though he was the one who started it.”

“……”

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“……Let’s go eat.”

“Can you eat in this situation?”

“Commander Wei, that’s not a good attitude. Let’s go. They say you need to eat to think clearly.”

“Who said that to you?”

“Third Young Master.”

* * *

“……”

“……?”

“……”

“Why are you just standing there staring after coming in?”

“Third Young Master.”

“What.”

“Just what….”

“Oh, right. Could you untie this for me first?”

Xu Liang raised his hands. On his wrists were the handcuffs made of Jin Hai Tie (Sea-Ban Iron) that Wei Honglian had worn earlier.

“My wrists are tingling. Since I have no intention of escaping, I think you can untie them.”

“Third Young Master is currently under arrest. Being under arrest means you are temporarily a criminal, and it’s natural that such a request cannot be granted.”

Crack!

Gao Gou’s eyes deepened.

Xu Liang scratched his head. The handcuffs made of Jin Hai Tie, which had been on both his hands, were now split in half.

“I thought they wouldn’t break, but they did. Sorry, I broke them.”

Handcuffs made of Jin Hai Tie seal one’s inner energy.

Even the chain connecting the handcuffs, made of high-purity steel, could not be broken by the sealed inner energy. Yet, these handcuffs had been shattered in one go.

“Your inner energy wasn’t sealed?”

“It was sealed.”

“Then how…?”

“Strength is my forte.”

It was an absurd joke. These handcuffs were something even a top-notch external martial artist would find hard to break with external skills alone.

However, Xu Liang was well-versed in various items that temporarily seal one’s inner energy, such as handcuffs, rings, and bracelets. He had used them countless times to assassinate experts who could instantly judge the presence of inner energy.

Naturally, he knew methods to forcibly unseal the inner energy. To Xu Liang, the Jin Hai Tie handcuffs were just a bit sturdier than regular handcuffs.

Crack! Crack!

Xu Liang, who had removed the remaining handcuffs from his wrists, crossed his arms.

“So, what did you come to say?”

“I remember you clearly agreed to my proposal.”

“Proposal? It was more like a threat.”

“Whatever you want to call it.”

“I did agree. To be honest, I didn’t want to cause such a commotion either.”

“It was beyond your control, right?”

“Whether it was a proposal or a threat, there was a mediator. It wasn’t a bad way to reconcile, but proper reconciliation requires mutual agreement between the parties involved, doesn’t it?”

“So, you extended the hand of reconciliation first?”

“I did. He kicked me. And as a bonus, he threatened to kill me eventually, even if not immediately.”

“……”

“I can’t stand feeling uneasy. Why should I let someone who wants to kill me off just because of the mediator’s threat?”

Gao Gou’s eyes turned cold.

“Whether or not you heard it, I meant it when I said it would be quite troublesome for you.”

“I understand.”

“Can you handle it?”

Xu Liang tilted his head.

“That’s an interesting statement. Why should I have to handle it?”

“……I don’t understand what you mean.”

“I’m not talking about the ‘threat’ disguised as your proposal, but the ‘reason’ behind that threat.”

Reason? What does that mean?

“Whether as the head of the Criminal Law Hall or as Gao Gou, you don’t want turmoil in the school. That’s why you acted as a mediator, right?”

“That’s correct.”

“Now there’s no reason for turmoil, right?”

“……!”

“Right? Hong Weimin will be bedridden for at least a few years. In that state, he can’t provoke me, can he?”

Gao Gou’s expression changed.

That’s right. He didn’t want the school to be noisy due to turmoil, whether it was among the candidates or anyone else.

But turmoil requires an opponent. The moment Xu Liang reduced Hong Weimin to a state of irreparable injury, the proposal he had made became meaningless.

Why? Because the opponent who could cause turmoil was gone.

“Regardless of the reason, the situation you wanted has been achieved. So why are you now talking about handling it?”

“……”

“Are you like that Third Captain, who wants all the demons in the school to bow their heads before you?”

Gao Gou raised an eyebrow slightly.

Xu Liang smiled.

“Let it go.”

“……”

“If I didn’t respect you, I would have fled before the handcuffs were even on. I’ve shown enough patience for a Third Young Master. I’ve done my part.”

“I noticed your eloquence earlier.”

“I just talk as much as I can.”

“What would you do if I don’t untie you?”

“Is there a reason not to untie me?”

“Just curious.”

“I don’t have the patience for hypotheticals. I thought I was mistaken, but I guess not.”

“……”

“Can I leave now?”

Gao Gou, who had been staring at Xu Liang, stood up.

“I will keep a close eye on you.”

“Watch, but don’t block my path. I don’t want to be at odds with the Criminal Law Hall.”

“You’re confident. You haven’t been designated as the successor yet. You’re just a candidate.”

“So what?”

“If I decide….”

“Sure, if I decide, burying you in a rumor won’t be hard. So let’s both go our separate ways peacefully.”

“What do you mean?”

Xu Liang stood up.

“Whether it’s the Criminal Law Hall or the Law Enforcement Bureau, they need someone with strict standards to run them well. If a rumor spreads that the head of such an organization secretly threatened Third Young Master, you’ll be quite troubled, won’t you?”

“……”

“Considering the demons’ fear and unease towards the Criminal Law Hall, it won’t be a difficult task.”

“You’re despicable.”

“I’ll return the favor. If you’re going to play the role of a leader, don’t mess with people who are better than you and just control the underlings.”

“……”

“I’m leaving. I hope we don’t see each other often.”

* * *

Watching Xu Liang’s distant figure walking away, Gao Gou sighed. It had been a while since he had sighed.

“He’s a difficult person.”

And a dangerous one. He had said he hoped not to see him often, but he had a feeling they would meet frequently.

At that moment, Third Captain walked in from behind.

“The initial recovery of the affected area is complete.”

“Good job.”

“……Sir.”

“Is there something else to report?”

Third Captain spoke with a tone of dissatisfaction.

“Is it really okay to let Third Young Master go?”

“……”

“He swung a knife at you. It’s a matter of the school’s discipline, not his status. We can find a way to deal with it.”

“It will take some effort, but it’s possible.”

“Then why did you let him go?”

“Is there a reason to put in the effort?”

“But….”

Gao Gou turned to look at Third Captain.

For a moment, fear appeared in Third Captain’s eyes. Gao Gou’s gaze was extremely cold.

“Your actions were quick, but your words and handling were rash. Do you admit this?”

“……I apologize.”

“Never let yourself be criticized, whether it’s Third Young Master or anyone else. Each word can lead to dissatisfaction, and accumulated dissatisfaction leads to people ignoring the rules. Even Third Young Master’s words had some validity.”

“……”

“I will deduct three months of your salary as a reminder to reflect on yourself. Use this opportunity to grow.”

“Thank you.”

Third Captain, who bowed deeply, quickly left.

Gao Gou turned his gaze back to the window. Third Young Master had already become a small black dot.

‘Third Young Master.’

He no longer thought about Third Young Master’s words and actions.

What he was thinking about was Third Young Master’s martial arts.

‘They were more vicious and cruel than demonic arts, but… it was clearly a technique of the righteous school.’

A troubled expression appeared on Gao Gou’s face, unknown to anyone.

‘Could he be like me?’