He couldn't even resist.

The moment he was struck by the palm that had already dug into his body, he had collapsed, and his mind had gone hazy from the shock of being slammed into the floor.

He, the renowned Shadow Severing Brigade Master in Sichuan, was being ravaged by the family head of the Tang family, who had not even properly established a place in the martial world.

Kwang! Kwang!

But the Shadow Severing Brigade couldn't even react.

Other than gritting their teeth so hard they dug into their gums, and trembling with their clenched fists...

Hadn't they seen it clearly?

The look in Tang Cheonyeong's eyes as he grabbed Jinrip by the scruff of his neck and threatened him.

It was a gaze filled with the unique killing intent that only those who have killed people possess.

Also, Lee Wonik was still in their hands.

"Hoo... this should be enough. The pain by now must be engraved into your very bones."

Cheonyeong, who had been continuing his indifferent violence, stopped after a long while.

"Sanghui."

"Yes! Family Head."

"Watch him well."

"Yes."

Cheonyeong handed the limp Jinrip over to Sanghui and came out of the Three Yang Hall.

In front of the onlookers who were watching, swallowing hard, and in front of the Shadow Severing Brigade warriors who were full of resentment.

"Since the Brigade Master is in this state, I'd like someone else to step up... who is the Vice Brigade Master?"

Cheonyeong, who had plopped down on the moon-viewing terrace of the Three Yang Hall, asked the Shadow Severing Brigade.

"...It's me."

Hansa stepped forward, glaring at Cheonyeong.

"A good gaze. But... is the Shadow Severing Brigade always so rude?"

"What?"

"Both the Brigade Master and the Vice Brigade Master, how can your etiquette towards the respected elder of a family be like that?"

"..."

"If you continue with that gaze and attitude, I will consider the negotiations to be off."

"This punk..."

"Just in case, I'll remind you once more."

"..."

"Right now, your Brigade Master has aimed for the life of me, the Family Head of the Tang Family's estate. You all saw it, and the people of Ganyang all saw it. If I cut off the heads of Jinrip and Lee Wonik here and go to war with the Lee family, no one will say anything."

"You'll go to war with the Lee family?"

"Why? You think I can't?"

"..."

"We have nothing to lose anyway. Instead, the Lee family will lose a lot."

Although it was a smiling statement, Hansa knew that what he was saying was sincere.

Because his gaze was like that.

It was an expression that seemed not to worry about the consequences at all.

Also, he had never thought that a person named Tang Cheonyeong would be able to neutralize the Brigade Master so quickly.

"Keung... what is it that you want... sir?"

"Keuk keuk, right. Your gaze now is better than before. Your tone too."

Cheonyeong smiled and said at the sight of Hansa, whose momentum had been broken.

"From now on, tell the Lee Family Head what I say."

"...Please speak."

"The Tang Family's estate wants a sincere and proper compensation from the Lee family for this incident."

"..."

"In addition to the damage caused by the second son of the Lee family, for the act of insulting the respected elder of a family and even aiming for his life."

"I have seen the latter, but I cannot accept the former."

Cheonyeong's head tilted crookedly.

"Cannot accept?"

"That's right. Although things have turned out this way, our mission was originally to accurately grasp the situation regarding the damage caused by our family's Second Young Master to the Tang Family's estate."

"Really?"

"That is only the claim of the Tang Family's estate, so after a sufficient investigation..."

"Then what if I bring a witness?"

"A witness?"

"Yes."

"Hmm, I cannot accept."

"Why not?"

"A witness must have credibility, but since the Tang Family's estate has already gained the favor of the Ganyang people in the fight against the Yin Hand Chamber, it would be biased..."

"I never said the witness was a person from Ganyang."

"Pardon?"

As Hansa looked at him with a bewildered expression, Cheonyeong whipped his head around and scanned the people watching the Tang Family's estate.

"Ah, there he is."

"...?"

The place where Cheonyeong's gaze landed.

As Hansa turned his head to look, one person who met his gaze flinched in surprise.

"That person is?"

"The Ganyang, Beggars' Sect Branch Leader."

"The B-Beggars' Sect?"

Why the Beggars' Sect all of a sudden?

What kind of development was this?

But the Tang Family Head waved his hand with a very pleased expression.

"Branch Leader!"

"...Uh, uh?"

"Come over here."

"Me?"

"Of course. The Lee family wants a credible witness... who else would be as good as you, Branch Leader?"

"No, I don't really need to..."

Nosanggae wore a troubled expression at Cheonyeong's call.

Why was that punk being like this again?

He had just come to watch the fight...

He was about to be dragged into the fight between the Lee family and the Tang Family's estate.

This was a big problem.

He had never had a good experience being involved with Tang Cheonyeong.

"Are you the Ganyang Branch Leader of the Beggars' Sect?"

Just as Nosanggae was contemplating a way to get out of it, Hansa asked him.

"Well, yes..."

"How many knots?"

"...F-five knots."

"Hmm, five knots..."

Hansa frowned, gauging Nosanggae's position.

Five knots of the Beggars' Sect.

This had a much greater meaning than the position of a branch leader.

The Beggars' Sect follows justice.

If it's five knots, isn't he a disciple of a Beggars' Sect elder?

Damn it...

Seeing the Tang Family Head so confidently mentioning the Beggars' Sect Branch Leader, there was no way to overturn the Tang Family's estate's claim.

"Ah, come to think of it, there's one more person."

"Who else is there besides the Beggars' Sect Branch Leader?"

"Of course. He's a key figure in this incident."

"A key figure?"

While Hansa was tilting his head, Cheonyeong spotted a figure among the onlookers and smirked.

Surely, this plan wouldn't end with just the Lee family.

Then the profit wouldn't match.

It had to be at least a one-hit-two-flesh.

"Association Head Go Hyeon!"

"...!"

Go Hyeon's face, who had been watching from among the onlookers, turned pale at Cheonyeong's shout.

"Would you come over here?"

Cheonyeong smiled and beckoned friendly.

This damn...

"Lord Im next to you, come too."

"...Pardon? M-me too?"

"Of course. You saw it together then, didn't you? At the Myriad Virtue Inn."

"W-well."

"Come. Unless you want to be dragged by the scruff of your neck."

"..."

Cheonyeong seemed like a punk who would do just that.

Moreover, he had been called out in front of so many people.

With the Beggars' Sect and even the Lee family's Shadow Severing Brigade watching...

Go Hyeon and Im Saeng had no choice but to approach Cheonyeong.

"Now, although everyone has seen, shall we slowly go over the past events to confirm the facts for the Vice Brigade Master of the Shadow Severing Brigade?"

"...Please begin."

As Hansa stepped back, Cheonyeong looked at Go Hyeon and said.

"Lord Go."

"...Yes?"

"I heard you said you would offer a hundred-year-old knotweed to the Lee family."

"Th-that's..."

"And, you sent a separate letter to the Second Young Master of the Lee family and made a separate request, didn't you?"

"..."

Go Hyeon glanced at Lee Wonik at Cheonyeong's words.

That damn punk!

I had asked him so earnestly to keep it a secret...

You blabbed it all out?

"Family Head Tang! Are you now saying that the Second Young Master of our family took a commission from the Ganyang Merchant Association Head and deliberately picked a fight with the Tang Family's estate!"

"Yes."

Cheonyeong nodded his head nonchalantly as Hansa flared up.

"Yes. He said he would get him other things besides the knotweed... and begged him, please."

"Such...!"

"Isn't his heart for his brother so touching?"

"..."

"Even though it might tarnish the name of the Lee family... he took a commission to get even a little more spiritual herbs for his brother."

Hansa gritted his teeth and glared at Go Hyeon at Cheonyeong's words.

"Lord Go said so, right? That he would create a pretext for a fight, and to please take care of the Tang Family's estate."

"...F-Family Head Tang, what are you talking about? No. A commission? How could I? It's an absurd slander."

As Go Hyeon played innocent with an aggrieved face, Cheonyeong smirked.

You punk, look at you using your head.

But surely you didn't think I wouldn't have thought of that much?

"Hwangsama."

"Yes! Family Head."

"Bring him."

"Yes!"

Hwangsama, who had received Cheonyeong's order, rushed over and brought a man tied with a rope.

Go Hyeon's face, who recognized his face, began to turn yellow.

"This person is?"

"The pretext for a fight that Lord Go created."

"A pretext... for a fight?"

"Come to think of it, it was strange. There weren't even that many dishes, but for a perfectly fine waiter to fall... moreover, the floor of the Myriad Virtue Inn is incredibly smooth without any protrusions. Because our family's Divine Work Pavilion Master paid special attention to it."

"..."

"So I did a little investigation. And then there was this guy. The one who deliberately tripped the waiter, making him spill food on Young Master Lee Wonik's clothes."

At Cheonyeong's words, Hansa glared at the man who was kneeling, held by Hwangsama's hand, and asked.

"Is it true?"

"...Yes."

And at that answer, the bewildered Go Hyeon's eyes shot open and he shouted.

"You punk! True! It's a slander. I have never done such a thing! I don't even know this punk!"

Although he shouted at the top of his lungs, the gazes of those watching were already not good.

"Ah, then, are you saying that the second young master of the Lee family lied to me, Lord Go?"

"...Pardon?"

"From what I heard from Young Master Lee Wonik, the facts were so... but Lord Go insists that it's not."

"Th-that's..."

Go Hyeon couldn't continue.

What could he say?

If he insisted it wasn't true, as that punk said, it would be making Lee Wonik, no, the second young master of the Lee family, a petty person who lies.

Moreover, wasn't the punk called the Vice Brigade Master revealing a fierce killing intent, as much as the bloodshot veins in his eyes, towards him?

"Is it all true?"

"W-well..."

Go Hyeon hesitated to answer.

But Hansa didn't feel the need to confirm any further.

In the end, the cause of all this commotion was Go Hyeon.

From the beginning, offering a hundred-year-old knotweed was a impure intention to use the Lee family to achieve his own purpose.

"Now, then... Branch Leader?"

"Huh? No, why are you doing this, Family Head Tang?"

"You know well about the damage the second young master of the Lee family caused to the Myriad Virtue Inn, right?"

"...Well. The whole of Ganyang knows about it."

Cheonyeong smirked at Nosanggae's words and looked at Hansa.

"Vice Brigade Master, do you need more explanation?"

"...It's sufficient."

"Then, go back now and report everything in detail to the Lee Family Head."

"I understand. The Second Young Master and the Shadow Severing Brigade Master..."

"That's how the world works. You have to give to receive."

"...I see. I will ask for the Family Head's will and come again."

Hansa bowed his head to Cheonyeong.

It contained many meanings.

The handle of the sword was already in the hands of the Tang Family Head.

Knowing that no other words would work, Hansa had no choice but to answer so.

With the Beggars' Sect Branch Leader even acting as a notary, what more words were needed?

"Shadow Severing Brigade, we're returning."

"V-Vice Brigade Master."

"Can't you hear my words!"

As the warriors of the Shadow Severing Brigade hesitated, Hansa shouted.

With that, under Hansa's command, the Shadow Severing Brigade immediately left the Tang Family's estate.

Cheonyeong, who had seen them off, grinned and said to Nosanggae.

"Thank you for the notarization."

"...Dammit."

Nosanggae grumbled in annoyance and asked.

"What are you going to do with Go Hyeon?"

"Go Hyeon?"

"Hmm..."

"Well."

Cheonyeong grinned, thinking of Go Hyeon, who had slipped away and disappeared into the crowd of onlookers in the brief moment he had been left alone.

What do you mean, what am I going to do?

The Vice Brigade Master's gaze was full of poison when he glared at Go Hyeon as he was leaving. Do you think a petty person like Go Hyeon will stay still?

He'll probably go home right away, pack his things, and attempt a midnight escape.

"So, by the way... can I ask you for one more favor?"

Nosanggae sighed and nodded at Cheonyeong's sinister gaze.

(End of Chapter)