Chapter 151 : Just in Time

Anchaesa Office located in Changsha, Hunan Province.The iron bars of the cell slammed shut with a resolute clank.

“Stay put until the investigation is over.”

“But isn’t the floor a bit too cold? I was raised quite delicately, you know.”

“Shut your mouth!”

At Seo Yu-gyeom’s complaint, the constable barked in anger.

Outside the bars, Anchaesa Wi Gyeong-heon and several escort leaders glared at the two men.

“Ha, those arrogant Murim bastards don’t seem to grasp the situation.”

The Anchaesa clicked his tongue.

He hadn’t harbored any ill feelings toward them at first.

But during the escort process, the two men’s carefree demeanor had irritated him.

At least in Hunan Province, no one should dare treat him without fear.

Such was the position of the Anchaesa.

Even the provincial commander or inspector, collectively known as the Three Offices, tended to feel uneasy around him under certain circumstances.

The fact that his opponents were rather famous martial artists only added to his displeasure. Likely because he too once dreamed of becoming one in his youth.

However, unlike Nam Il-ju, the Anchaesa had no talent for martial arts.

So seeing accomplished martial artists somehow twisted his insides.

“Guest Dragon, do you truly believe you’re innocent?”

“Yes.”

Jin Seong-un replied in his usual dry tone.

The Anchaesa’s eyebrow twitched.

“Do you realize that if I so wish, I could slap enough charges on you to make you rot in prison for life?”

“Are you allowed to do that?”

“I am.”

Jin Seong-un nodded calmly.

His attitude, as if saying ‘do whatever you want,’ only fanned the Anchaesa’s fury.

Leaning halfway against the wall, Seo Yu-gyeom glanced around the prison and remarked,

“Ever locked up a martial artist here before?”

“Yes, many masters met their end behind these bars.”

“Doesn’t sound like they were true masters. These bars seem like they’d be easy to cut through if one really tried.”

The constables tensed.

The Anchaesa narrowed his eyes and asked his subordinates,

“Have their blades been confiscated?”

“Yes. One longsword and one dagger each.”

“Search them again.”

The constables hesitated, exchanging glances.

They too had heard of Guest Dragon’s reputation and were reluctant to approach.

Then came the Anchaesa’s thunderous roar.

“What are you all doing?!”

Reluctantly, the constables entered the cell.

Jin Seong-un and Seo Yu-gyeom offered no resistance.

As the constables began patting them down, Seo Yu-gyeom whispered coldly,

“Honestly, bars like these don’t even need a blade. Just wrap some qi around the fists and…”

“Gah!”

The constable searching Seo Yu-gyeom yelped and stumbled back in shock.

Seo Yu-gyeom chuckled with amusement while Jin Seong-un shook his head.

Somehow, the two men inside the cell were perfectly relaxed, while the Anchaesa and the constables outside seemed to be the ones burning with anxiety.

The Anchaesa glared at the two before speaking.

“Just wait. In three days, you’ll be groveling at my feet.”

He intended to properly teach these ignorant fools the fear of government authority.

To show them just how pitiful individual martial skill was before the power of the state.

That mere martial artists, no matter how skilled, could never step over the shadow of a high-ranking official.

Three days passed just like that.

A subordinate entered the office with a troubled look.

The Anchaesa asked in a low voice,

“Have you found anything?”

He had ordered the subordinate to dig up any charges on the two imprisoned men. Murim types always carried some stain on their records.

But the reply was not what he expected.

“…I looked into their past, but it’s cleaner than expected. They really are just workers at an inn.”

The Anchaesa let out a deep sigh.

That couldn’t be right. Given their martial prowess, there had to be something fishy.

“There’s no man who walks around with a sword at his hip and has nothing to hide. Investigate again immediately.”

“…Yes, understood.”

The subordinate bowed and left. The Anchaesa bit on a strand of Mangwoo Grass in irritation.

Just then.

The same subordinate returned in haste, running down the hallway.

“Ah, sir Anchaesa. A letter has arrived.”

“A letter?”

The subordinate approached sheepishly and cautiously handed over the letters.

The Anchaesa frowned suspiciously before accepting them.

“Wudang Sect? Why would they send me a letter?”

As he read through the content, the Anchaesa’s expression hardened. Though the letter was long, the message could be summarized simply:

– Guest Dragon is essentially a disciple of Wudang. If you’re going to investigate him, you’ll have to investigate Wudang Sect as well.

Utter nonsense.

The Wudang Sect was, alongside Shaolin, one of the largest sects among the Nine Sects One Gang.

Naturally, they held deep connections with high-ranking central officials.

It was far beyond the authority of a mere provincial Anchaesa in Hunan.

“Wh-what is this…”

Panicking, the Anchaesa opened the next letter.

It was from the Falling Flame Manor of Gansu Province. Recently, they had regained their fame as the top blacksmiths in the world, even sending blades to the elite Royal Guards.

Rumor had it that the commander of the Royal Guards had fallen for the Manor Mistress’s looks and harbored feelings for her.

As always, the story was likely exaggerated, but if even a shred of it were true, it would be unwise to cross her.

The contents of their letter were not much different from Wudang’s.

– We wish to send a sword to Jin Seong-un, our benefactor. May we visit the Anchaesa Office to do so?

A polite request on the surface, but the implication was clear:

‘You dare lay hands on the benefactor of our Falling Flame Manor?’

The Anchaesa’s eyes darted nervously. No matter how prestigious the Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes might be, Jin Seong-un was still just a man running an inn—how had this happened?

And then, upon reading the final letter, the Anchaesa felt his heart drop.

“S-Sama Baek?”

It was a letter from the Murim Alliance.

Sent directly by none other than Sama Baek, the Sage and most senior elder of the Sama Clan, and the true power behind the Murim Alliance.

– It seems the Head of the Namok Trading Company may have misunderstood something. I fear Lord Anchaesa may be unnecessarily troubled by a personal matter. Should I request the central government to dispatch an inspector?

The tone was gentle, but the content made the Anchaesa tremble.

The "inspector" (Sunmu) referred to was a high-ranking official dispatched directly by the central government—someone who oversaw and governed the Three Offices that ruled over each province.

Those dispatched as inspectors were typically of the Second Senior Rank, such as the Minister of Justice, or at least the Vice Minister of War—among the absolute highest ranks within the capital.

In other words, for Wi Gyeong-heon, the Anchaesa of Hunan Province, such individuals were far too high to even meet their gaze.

“He even mentioned the Namok Trading Company?”

It meant that Chief Strategist Sama Baek had already grasped everything occurring in Hunan.

Even the fact that the Head of the Namok Trading Company had made a personal request to him.

As the Anchaesa opened his mouth in stunned silence, another subordinate burst into the office in a panic.

“L-Lord! There’s big trouble!”

“……”

The Anchaesa stared blankly at the man.

What could possibly be a bigger problem than this? If an inspector were truly dispatched, he could very well lose his position—if not his head.

“...The Hwa-un Trading Company and the Tang Clan from Sichuan have arrived.”

“What do they want?”

“Well... It seems to be related to Guest Dragon.”

The Anchaesa pressed his hand against his forehead.

He was being crushed from all sides—by wealth, by power, and by martial might.

But above all, the most terrifying was power. First, he needed to respond to the letter from Sama Baek, the Chief Strategist.

“Tell them to wait. I have urgent matters to deal with first.”

“S-Should I, really? But the Master of Hwa-un Trading Company and the Tang Clan’s Grand Elder came in person.”

“...What?”

Wi Gyeong-heon felt a wave of dizziness sweep over him.

Three individuals sat around a low tea table—Anchaesa Wi Gyeong-heon, Poison Lord Tang Tae-san, and Hwa Yeon-seol.

Wi Gyeong-heon quietly swallowed his nerves.

The people of Sichuan were known for their distinctive temperament.

Perhaps it was due to the harsh environment or inherited disposition, but once they harbored hostility, they clung with vicious tenacity.

The Tang Clan of Sichuan was the prime example of this.

Gratitude repaid twofold, grudges returned tenfold.

Even as a government official, Wi Gyeong-heon was well aware of the Tang Clan’s family creed. They didn’t care whether their opponent was an official or not—they bit down first and asked questions later.

After all, the Five Great Orthodox Clans of the White Path were among the largest factions of the current age, and even someone of the Three Offices dared not treat them carelessly.

For instance, it was common knowledge that the Three Offices of neighboring Anhui Province practically served as the hands and feet of the Namgung Clan.

“What kind of person is he, for the Grand Elder of the Tang Clan to come in person?”

Wi Gyeong-heon glanced at Tang Tae-san’s deep green eyes, then instinctively averted his gaze.

Though the man merely smiled affably, Wi Gyeong-heon still felt a deep, instinctual fear.

Suddenly, Tang Tae-san spoke.

“What do you think, Lord Anchaesa?”

“...About what?”

Tang Tae-san smiled calmly.

“Jin Seong-un, the one currently locked in your prison. Personally, I’ve been doing everything I can to have him marry our Tang Clan’s Poison Maiden, So-yeon. He seems like a fine young man to me. I wonder what your opinion is.”

“……”

Sweat drenched Wi Gyeong-heon’s back.

A son-in-law of the Tang Clan.

That implication was clear.

The Guest Dragon, currently imprisoned in the Anchaesa’s cell, could very well become the next Clan Head of the Tang Clan.

Wi Gyeong-heon couldn’t say a word.

To insult Jin Seong-un would be to insult the Tang Clan before Tang Tae-san. But to defend him would contradict the fact that he himself had thrown the man into prison.

While he was paralyzed between choices, Hwa Yeon-seol, who had remained silent, finally spoke.

“Lord Anchaesa, may I say something?”

“Ahem… Master of the Trading Company. My condolences regarding your father. Truth be told, I once shared a friendship with Hwa Yun-tak in our younger days.”

Wi Gyeong-heon was a man who clawed his way up the ranks through ambition and backroom dealings—such as the favor he had received from the Head of the Namok Trading Company.

In that process, he had also worked closely with Hwa Yun-tak, the previous master of the Hwa-un Trading Company.

Hwa Yun-tak, too, had never hesitated to do anything shady if there was profit to be gained.

Hwa Yeon-seol smiled faintly.

“It’s rather shameful, but my father was mostly known for his misdeeds.”

“……”

“Of course, I’m sure Lord Anchaesa had no part in those matters.”

The Anchaesa, who had planned to leverage his relationship with her father to manipulate her, gulped nervously.

Judging by the atmosphere, the current Master of Hwa-un Trading Company held little affection for her father. On the contrary, there was even a subtle trace of animosity.

“Don’t tell me... she has some kind of ledger?”

That couldn’t be. It was over a dozen years ago.

And with Hwa Yun-tak already dead, surely no such ledger would still exist.

Then, Hwa Yeon-seol spoke again.

“There are quite a lot of books in your office. My father was the same. He used to store all kinds of books in an underground chamber and treated them like treasure.”

“……”

What lunatic stores books in an underground chamber? That had to be a ledger.

As the Anchaesa swallowed again, Hwa Yeon-seol continued.

“You’re still young. Surely, you’ll move to the capital someday?”

“……”

“I’d say Sichuan would be a far better path for that than Hunan.”

Hunan was barren. Aside from the declining Mount Heng Sect, there were no other major clans or sects. The only notable force was the Namok Trading Company, one of the Ten Great Trading Companies.

But Sichuan was different. It had the Tang Clan, Emei Sect, Qingcheng Sect, and the commercial capital of Chengdu—which dwarfed Changsha in comparison.

And with the Hwa-un Trading Company, another of the Ten Great Trading Companies, based there, Sichuan and Hunan were simply not on the same level.

The implication behind her words was clear.

Choose wisely.

Would he cling to the Namok Trading Company and make an enemy of Guest Dragon, creating countless enemies in the process?

Or turn against the Namok Trading Company and gain a new opportunity?

Wi Gyeong-heon’s eyes darted as he fell deep in thought.

Hwa Yeon-seol and Tang Tae-san did not rush him. They already knew the answer.

After some time passed.

Seemingly having reached a conclusion, the Anchaesa beamed with a bright smile like a child.

“You’ve both come at the perfect time. To speak frankly, I was already conducting a covert investigation to bring down that villain Nam Il-ju. Arresting Guest Dragon was simply part of that operation.”

Nam Il-ju had now become the “villain,” and Jin Seong-un had become the “young hero.”