Book 19 Chapter 17

Unexpected visits

-A sense of foreboding

"Huh? A guest?"

Majinga, who had kept her windows shut and locked due to the ongoing noise pollution from the protest, paused in her reverse brush, which had already battled with hundreds of papers today alone, and replied with a puzzled expression.

"Surely you did not say that I am not seeing anyone today?"

Her sister, a handmaiden directly under the guanzhou, bowed her head in contrition.

"I thought you should meet him."

The story goes that a tycoon has come to town, and even as his longtime handmaiden, she doesn't dare refuse his request.

"Who is here?"

"Yes, the sword master would like to see you."

"Swordsman?"

"Yes, my lord!"

She replied politely.

"Why would he want to see me?"

This was the first time in years that I'd been asked to read a book in a private, non-public setting, and I had no idea what to expect.

"Come on!"

Mazinger rose from his seat to set an example for the swordsman. In his office, when he was exercising his power and authority as governor, he rarely stood up for others.

"No, Mr. Gentleman, what brings you to this place?"

Maginga jumped out of his seat and greeted Gumzon with a flourish.

"I apologize for bothering you at such a busy time, Ma Guanzhu. This old man has come to discuss a matter of importance with you today."

"You're not a hassle, you're welcome. My ears and my heart are always open. What's more, if it's Noya's deep teachings, I'm ready to wake up in my sleep to listen. Hahaha!"

"Hehe, Master Ma thinks too highly of this old swordsman."

"Hahaha! What a testimonial for a sword master. No matter how highly you rate it, it must be insufficient. What superior wisdom have you visited this ignoramus to share with us today?"

"It is because of the shadow of unrest that has recently fallen over the Heavenly Hall!"

The polite man with the serious expression suddenly changed his tone.

"Have you come, then, with a light to wash away the shadows of that anxiety?"

"That's right. People are getting agitated."

"I know, and that's what's been bothering me lately."

"If we don't calm their nerves as soon as possible, they might explode. If that happens, the reputation of the Heavenly Martial Academy will fall to the ground and we will be disgraced."

"What do you want me to do?"

"I need an example!"

"For an example, see……?"

A polite man doesn't mince words; he says what he wants to say without adding to it.

"Execute the culprit immediately!"

Majinga's hand, which had been sipping from his teacup, froze in place.

"When you say culprit… are you referring to Bi Ryuyeon?"

Mazinger replied, carefully placing the teacup on the table.

"So you're saying there's another culprit?"

"But… he's only a suspect right now, not a confirmed culprit. In that situation, you can't do things like execute him……. Besides, it's illegal."

A private death sentence was a grave offense that invaded the realm of the coffin, which is why many groups have a form of punishment called self-determination.

"There are plenty of legal ways to handle this. What's important is that we put a loud public outcry to rest as soon as possible."

"Paying attention to the clamor of the masses when your specialty is hatchling brains? That's not like Noya, you never did that before, or is there some other reason besides that superficial one?"

There was a sharpness to Mazinger's retort.

"……."

There was a pause in his polite speech.

"You're being evasive, and if you don't tell me why, I'm not going to listen to you anymore, no matter how long you play."

Mazinger said flatly.

"Pylon, can you do that to me?"

The polite way of addressing Master Mazinger was abruptly changed. Mazinger was unfazed, however, and responded calmly.

"Sir, I can't help it, even though I once studied under you and learned the ways of the martial arts, I am now the head of the Heavenly Martial Academy and have a responsibility to exercise my rights and fulfill my duties fairly. Why do you hate Bi Ryuyeon so much?"

Dislike wasn't enough for me. Hate would be more accurate. But as a martial artist, he couldn't find a convincing reason for the elder of the elders, the one who could be considered the biographer of Kang Ho, to hate and be wary of a blue-black youth who was about a hundred years his junior.

"He's an ominous bastard!"

He replied with a serious face.

"Do you have any evidence?"

"I don't have that. Just a hunch."

"So you're saying there's only psychology and no physical evidence. I didn't want to believe that was the end of it… I was hoping you'd come up with something more plausible."

"Are you saying you don't trust me?"

When one reaches the level of a swordsman, one's sixth sense becomes unusually reliable. But I couldn't just rely on that to handle the administration.

"No, of course I respect your instincts. I believe you have the ability to see things I don't. But I can't punish the child based on that alone. A hunch, whether it's a good one or not, is a poor piece of evidence, isn't it? Even the Emperor of a nation can't do that. I hope you understand."

"What if I don't understand?"

Being polite was the most difficult response to deal with. It's a declaration to shut down the conversation and stop even the most minimal efforts at understanding.

"Well, that's……."

As a marginer, he was at a loss as to what to do. It was a commotion outside the door that saved him.

Ding!

The commotion at the door gave way, without a moment's respite, to the commotion inside. Hurrying through the door was a messenger wearing a red express messenger's mark. When a messenger wears this red mark, he is authorized to deliver information or correspondence to the Majinga at any hour of the day or night.

"What's the matter with you, such a flunky? You're in the presence of a swordsman! Take care!"

"That, that's……!"

"Speak calmly."

"Re, re, re, we've got another victim!"

Gong Yi and Majinga simultaneously jumped to their feet and exclaimed.

"What!"