Chapter 81

## Chapter 81. We Are to Assassinate the Chancellor

Two boys, who looked to be around the same age, were shouting at each other with their faces flushed red.

"That guy started it first!"

"Don't make me laugh! You were the one who glared at me first!"

"You? How old are you to speak so informally, huh?"

"I'm eleven! How old are you?"

It seemed they had already had a fight before we arrived, as both of their clothes were torn, their lips were bleeding, and their faces were bruised. The inn was in a mess.

"Do you know who my dad is?"

"I don't! And my dad is stronger! Just wait, he'll be here soon!"

"No way! My dad will get here faster! My brother will bring him here right after his exam!"

"My sister is stronger!"

The two boys' childish argument had escalated to the point of invoking their parents and siblings.

Feeling embarrassed by the civilians' gazes, I stepped in to mediate.

"You two, calm down and let's solve this problem through a calm conversation..."

I really tried to handle it calmly.

"Stay out of this, mister!"

"This is a matter of pride between men! Get out of the way! It's a life-or-death duel!"

"Fine! My sword has no eyes, so be careful."

Not only had these brats made a mess of the inn, but they were also trying to draw their weapons in front of civilians.

Even if I'm usually a gentle person, I can't tolerate this. Right?

"Brother. Calm down. They're just kids..."

Aek Yeonho, standing beside me, tried to stop me when he saw my expression, but I shrugged off his arm and walked toward the two brats.

What life-or-death duel? What about the sword having no eyes?

I couldn't help but let out a hollow laugh.

"You two just drew your swords, right? According to Article 3, Section 5 of the Martial Alliance Law, anyone who draws a weapon in the city can be forcibly subdued and handed over to the authorities by someone authorized by the Martial Alliance. Therefore, I will subdue you and hand you over to the authorities. Understand?"

"What...?"

"What, what did you say?"

It didn't matter if they didn't understand.

The two brats had given me a reason to use force, and I was more than willing to give them a taste of my love.

Smack! Smack! Smack!

The two brats started to wail, "Ouch! Ow! Ah! Ugh!"

After a short but intense time of discipline, the two brats, now kneeling, held their hands to their ears and sniffled.

"We were wrong..."

"Please give us one more chance..."

At that moment, the fathers of the two brats arrived at the inn.

"How dare you to my son!"

"What did you do to my precious child!"

Without trying to understand the situation, the two middle-aged men, seeing their kneeling sons, rushed at me with their eyes wide open.

Feeling too annoyed to deal with them, I pushed Aek Yeonho's back.

"Yeonho, you handle these gentlemen."

Aek Yeonho, cracking his neck, stepped forward and clicked his tongue.

"Teaching your kids like this... According to Article 3, Section 5 of the Martial Alliance Law! You drew your weapons... You're dead!"

Look at him, he even skipped the part he couldn't remember. Aek Yeonho started beating the two men.

Smack! Smack! Smack!

He told me to hold back earlier... It seems this guy also had a lot of pent-up frustration from work.

A little while later, we tied up the two fathers and sons and handed them over to the authorities.

Cheongcheon, with a grim expression, took over the four suspects. It was the third time I saw him today.

"...You're here a lot today."

"There are so many troublemakers today, accidents keep happening. Good job. You'll probably be back again."

As we turned to leave the authorities, Aek Yeonho poked my side and asked.

"Brother, is there really such a law?"

"What law?"

"The Article 3, Section 5 of the Martial Alliance Law. About drawing weapons in the city..."

I looked at Aek Yeonho with a disdainful expression.

"Where in the world is there such a law? I just made it up."

"...What? Why did you lie?"

"How would those brats know it was a lie? I just wanted to scare them a bit. And it's also a warning to the other applicants who were listening."

"Wow, you really have a sharp mind..."

Aek Yeonho looked at me with admiration.

Don't get so excited over nothing.

Anyway, a little while later, we came out of the authorities.

But not long after, another loud voice came from somewhere.

"What are you looking at!"

"Are you picking a fight? Let's go!"

"No need for words! Draw your swords!"

It seemed another fight had broken out among martial artists not far away. I pressed my temples, which were throbbing.

"Ha..."

"I'm going crazy, really."

It looks like we'll be visiting the authorities frequently today.

Sighing in unison, we used our lightness skills to head toward the source of the commotion.

* * *

When a lot of people gather, accidents are bound to happen.

Especially when most of the people gathered are martial artists carrying weapons, it's not surprising that bloody incidents break out here and there.

That's why I'm suffering now.

To maintain the city's security during the entrance exam, a large number of troops from the Martial Alliance and the authorities were deployed, and temporary instructors from the Blue Dragon Academy were also involved.

That's why Aek Yeonho and I patrolled the city all morning, working together.

"…I didn't expect it to be this bad."

"Not just the applicants, but their parents, siblings, and friends... They all cause trouble."

We tried to resolve issues amicably at first... but it didn't take long to realize that wasn't the right approach.

"Beating up these wild martial artists is best done with a cudgel!"

"Any brat who crosses me, I'll make an example of them!"

After patrolling all morning with a stern look, the sun was already high in the sky. Naturally, we were exhausted.

"…Let's go get some food. What are we doing without even eating?"

"Right. We're doing this to live..."

With so many people in the city, finding an empty inn was not easy.

We finally managed to enter a shabby inn on the outskirts of the city and sit down.

Feeling a bit better after stuffing some noodles and dumplings into our mouths, we ordered more food.

"Phew. Now I feel better."

"Brother, how do you think the private student we taught will do? I heard he'll get ten thousand taels if he passes."

Aek Yeonho asked, his eyes shining.

Come to think of it, this guy and the other teachers have never been to the White Dragon Hall.

This was because Hei Ying had requested that outsiders be prohibited from entering for a month for the safety of the elders.

"Who knows..."

I thought of Gong Songshou, who had just finished the morning exam.

I had done everything I could in the past month.

Despite his lack of martial arts experience, the old man now looked quite good in his martial robes, thanks to his determination and wisdom.

'If he had trained systematically from a young age, he might have become quite a master.'

Gong Songshou was born with a weak constitution but had the wisdom to overcome it.

If he had been born into a wealthy family or a prestigious clan, he might have overcome his constitution and become a renowned master in the martial world.

What I did was awaken his talent, albeit a bit late.

Fortunately, his body was full of the power of the spirit medicine, and I had removed the impurities from his body.

- 'I'll definitely pass and bring back the Blue Dragon Token.'

I smiled, remembering Gong Songshou's determined words this morning, as he held the sword tightly in his calloused hands.

"He's already passed by my standards."

"…Then he might fail the exam?"

I looked at Aek Yeonho with a bewildered expression.

"What are you talking about? My standards are pretty high."

I eagerly picked up my chopsticks to eat the new dish the waiter brought. Aek Yeonho also showed off his chopstick skills.

"What about the other one? Wei Zhichun, right? I heard the rumors about him are already huge."

"Zhichun? He's fine. Just by his skills alone..."

He's definitely going to be the top student.

Although he still has some emotional instability, that's something that needs more time.

'...A little unstable, but...'

The demonic transformation caused by heart demons can either lead to a higher realm through enlightenment or cause further problems.

Wei Zhichun was in the process of overcoming his heart demons.

The sword in his heart could become a new sword or, if things went wrong, a demonic sword.

"He'll become the greatest swordsman one day."

"Yeah, yeah. Your love for your students is truly exceptional."

Aek Yeonho shook his head, seemingly thinking I was exaggerating.

Just wait and see. You'll be asking me for an autograph later.

A little while later, we finished our meal and got up.

"Maybe we'll get to watch the sparring exam? They said we'd be on duty in the afternoon."

"That would require some luck... Hmm?"

At that moment, I spotted a familiar face outside the inn's window.

'Hei Ying?'

I didn't see Gong Songshou, Wei Zhichun, or Xian Yuanqiang nearby.

Instead, a man I had never seen before was walking silently beside Hei Ying.

He was a middle-aged man with a common appearance, but my gaze lingered on his gait and his unnatural right arm.

'A considerable master. He has the same martial arts as Hei Ying, and his right arm is a prosthetic.'

I habitually organized the information about the man in my head and observed his surroundings.

"Brother? What are you looking at? Did you spot a pretty lady? Or that guy in black?"

Aek Yeonho's intuition was impressive. This guy is really...

"Yeonho, you patrol alone for a while."

"Huh?"

"I need to go check something out for a bit."

"Where are you going all of a sudden?"

Hei Ying and the man were disappearing into the crowd. I patted Aek Yeonho's shoulder.

"I'll be back soon, just checking something."

"Getting caught by the head teacher while skipping... Brother? Brother!"

I waved to Aek Yeonho, who was calling out to me, and followed Hei Ying and the man from a distance.

'Something doesn't feel right.'

Unfortunately, my premonitions were never wrong.

A little while later, the two entered a building connected to an underground area.

I observed the building from a distance, hiding my presence.

Swish. Swish. Swish.

Around the building where the two entered, assassins began to appear one by one.

"…Are they meeting there?"

About a dozen assassins, all of considerable skill, surrounded the building Hei Ying entered.

'No matter how I look at it...'

I didn't think they were friendly toward Hei Ying.

* * *

"It's been a while."

"Yes, Master."

Hei Ying answered respectfully to the man sitting across the table from her.

The man was her master who had taught her martial arts and her direct superior in the organization she once belonged to.

People called him Wu Ying (No Shadow).

"Has the Chancellor informed you of the contents of the secret letter?"

"I heard that Tian Ying will be responsible for protecting the Elder while he goes to the palace."

Tian Ying (Heaven's Shadow).

It meant the shadow of the sky, an intelligence organization under the Golden Robe Guard.

They handled infiltration, assassination, protection of important figures, and dirty work that couldn't be recorded in documents.

Hei Ying was also a member of this organization just a few years ago.

"We will move tomorrow. Are you prepared?"

"Everything is ready."

"Your skills are such that you will certainly handle it cleanly. I won't check separately."

Wu Ying, who had been staring at Hei Ying, smiled.

"It's been a while since you looked so good. You have more expression now."

"…Thanks to the Elder."

Hei Ying bowed her head, embarrassed. Wu Ying smiled, remembering his past student.

"You were the best assassin I ever trained."

She had the talent to surpass her master and used it to successfully complete many missions.

That's why he had prepared so much.

"Your current appearance disqualifies you as an assassin. But since you are no longer part of Tian Ying, I don't blame you for your changes."

"Thank you."

"But to become so dull..."

"…What?"

At that moment, Hei Ying sensed something strange and stiffened.

Her master, Wu Ying, was smiling brightly.

"We have decided to assassinate the Chancellor."

But his smile held no emotion.