Love Ballad of the Tyrant King

Chapter 57: Jaseung, Destroys

“Why haven’t we heard anything yet?”

Hae Ryang shouted like he was having a seizure. In front of him, stood Ham Muhong who had no answer for him.  

It had already been three days since Gwan Eok had left with the Red Dragon Army to kill Lee Jaseung. But there had been no word from him.

“What about Seop Mu-pyeong? Any trace of him?”

“He’s still missing.”

“So, did they kill him or not?”

“Let’s wait just a little longer.”

Hae Ryang rolled his eyes anxiously.

He wasn’t worried about their assassination abilities. Every single member of the Red Dragon Army had been mobilized. It was a force that could stand a chance even against the Leader of the Murim Alliance.

The problem was this.

“Could that bastard Gwan Eok be plotting something else?”

Regret settled in late. What made him think it was a good idea to give him control of the Red Dragon Army to Gwan Eok in the first place? What if Gwan Eok had taken command and broken away to act independently?

That thought made Hae Ryang shriek nervously.

“Strengthen the guards!”

“They’ve already been strengthened.”

“Then strengthen them more! Enough to handle an attack if those bastards come for me!”

“Understood.”

Just then, one of the subordinates entered, whispered something to Ham Muhong, and left.

Ham Muhong’s face stiffened with discomfort after hearing the report.

“They say Seop Mu-pyeong is alive.”

“What? The bastard’s alive?”

“Yes. And not just that, he’s throwing a banquet.”

“A banquet? What the hell are you saying?”

At the word "banquet," Hae Ryang’s eyes went wide.

“A celebration before the wedding, apparently. Invitations were sent out to prominent names in Jianghu and figures from the Northern Sky Clan. Without an invitation, no one’s allowed in. Everyone’s scrambling to get their hands on one right now.”

Hae Ryang’s expression went rigid. He had been waiting to hear the news of the man’s death, but what he got was the exact opposite.

“Damn it! I’ll see him with my own eyes. Get me an invitation now.”

“There’s no need for that.”

Ham Muhong added, his face filled with disbelief.

“He sent us one too.”

* * *

Two hours later, Hae Ryang entered the great hall where the banquet was being held.

‘That crazy bastard! He sent me an invitation?’

He was boiling with fury. Ham Muhong had tried to stop him, suspecting this could be a trick, but Hae Ryang had lost patience and rushed over.

He was curious what Lee Jaseung’s intentions were in calling him. That, and he also wanted to see Baek Seolyoung.

However, unlike the bustling atmosphere at the main gate and the training grounds, that place was quiet.

One man sat in the seat of honor. It was Lee Jaseung.

As soon as Hae Ryang confirmed who it was, his face twisted. He hated that condescending gaze looking down from the high seat.

“You’ve arrived?”

“‘You’ve arrived’? You arrogant bastard!”

Hae Ryang was the current Lord of the Righteous Chivalrous Sword Clan. Lee Jaseung wasn’t even married yet, and even if he were, he’d still be no more than the Lord’s husband.

“You seem quite angry. What’s the reason for that?”

Lee Jaseung spoke gently, which only made Hae Ryang angrier.

“I’m not bothered at all. Like hell I’d be mad because of a bastard like you.”

But Lee Jaseung ignored his words and spoke.

“You’re jealous of me.”

“What? Nonsense! Don’t be ridiculous!”

His voice was already trembling with rage.

“Then why did you send assassins after me?”

“What? What nonsense is that!?”

Clearly flustered, Hae Ryang denied it completely. He might have been reckless, but he knew the consequences if such a thing became public.

At that moment, a door from the side opened, and Mujin came out with Gwan Eok.

The moment he saw Gwan Eok, Hae Ryang’s heart sank. He hadn’t expected to see the man, who had gone silent, appear here.

“He’s already confessed everything.”

Gwan Eok hung his head low. He looked completely defeated, clearly after being severely tortured.

“Don’t frame me! I don’t even know who that is! Who do you think you’re trying to mess with!?”

“Then I’ll enlighten you. This man is a member of the Righteous Chivalrous Sword Clan who led the assassins known as the Red Dragon Army to kill me, under your orders.”

Lee Jaseung spoke loud and clear, as if making an announcement.

“Even if he did such a thing, it must’ve been excessive loyalty.”

“Oh? You just said you didn’t know him, and now you're explaining his motive so easily.”

“I said I don’t know the bastard! Didn’t you hear me!?”

“If it was indeed out of excessive loyalty, then it must be the dumbest thing anyone’s done in the world.”

Lee Jaseung’s mocking smile made Hae Ryang grind his teeth. He wanted nothing more than to rush up and smash that smug face.

Hae Ryang’s fists trembled as he clenched them.

Lee Jaseung was provoking him deliberately. Every word he spoke was premeditated, forcing Hae Ryang to dance in the palm of his hand.

“Hmph! Spout whatever garbage you want!”

Hae Ryang scoffed and turned away. That was when a voice came from behind.

“Forget her.”

His steps froze instantly. His face contorted harshly. Just as he forced himself to swallow his anger and take another step, Lee Jaseung’s voice came again.

“She’s mine, so just let go already.”

That was the final blow. The moment he heard “mine,” Hae Ryang lost it. All the rage he’d been holding back exploded at once.

“You filthy son of a bitch! You really want to die, don’t you!”

Hae Ryang spun around and charged at Lee Jaseung.

He launched a punch through the air.

Thud!

But of course, the one who went flying was Hae Ryang. The pain was so sharp it brought tears to his eyes. He was so humiliated, he thought he might go insane.

Then his eyes met Gwan Eok’s. Seeing the man looking down at him with contempt, Hae Ryang leapt up and lunged at him.

“You useless bastard! This is all your fault!”

Smack!

Hae Ryang hit him hard without mercy.

“I even gave you the Red Dragon Army and you still couldn’t kill that bastard? Look what you’ve done! Die! Just die already!”

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

He beat Gwan Eok relentlessly. After a long barrage of blows, Hae Ryang suddenly froze. His face turned pale. In his fury, he had blurted out what should never have been said.

Lee Jaseung smiled and spoke.

“As expected, it was your order.”

Hae Ryang’s face fell in horror, but then he scowled with malice.

“Fine, I ordered it. But who’s going to believe you?”

“No one will. Unless they hear it for themselves.”

A twisted smile crept onto Hae Ryang’s face.

“Who’d believe some countryside thug leeching off a woman’s status?”

As he turned to leave, a curtain at the side was pulled back.

Hae Ryang’s eyes widened. Behind it stood more than a dozen people. They were top masters from the Murim Alliance.

The old man in the center was Yeo Beom, the Grand Elder. He was also the one who had brought the Murim Alliance officials to the martial arts tournament.

“When I first heard this man’s testimony, I didn’t believe it at all.”

“T-This is…”

Hae Ryang was so stunned he couldn’t speak.

While it might have been easy to silence others with power or intimidation, the Murim Alliance masters were different. It was the Murim Alliance that governed the world, and their laws were strict.

“Arrest Lord Hae Ryang immediately.”

The martial artists behind Yeo Beom stepped forward.

“I’m being framed! This is all lies!”

Hae Ryang flung his body toward the door. His bodyguard, Ham Muhong, appeared and blocked the martial artists. Even if his master was worthless, Ham Muhong was fiercely loyal.

The next moment, the door burst open.

Pow!

Hae Ryang went flying again. The one who had been waiting outside and threw a merciless punch at his face was none other than Ma Young-gi.

“Young Master!”

Ham Muhong tried to rush to Hae Ryang’s side. But Lee Jaseung beat him to it. If things continued, Ma Young-gi and Ham Muhong would clash. Ma Young-gi would win, of course.

But Lee Jaseung didn’t want the others to see Ma Young-gi reveal more of his skills.

Instead, as the tournament champion, it would be no surprise for him to take Ham Muhong down himself.

Whack!

With a single kick from Lee Jaseung, Ham Muhong rolled across the floor. The blow was intentionally non-lethal. The martial artists from the Alliance rushed in and sealed the pressure points of Hae Ryang and Ham Muhong.

“You bastards! This is all lies! Do you know who I am? I’ll kill you all later!”

Hae Ryang screamed like a street thug. The Murim Alliance members all frowned in disgust.

Just then, Dan Woobin and Baek Seolyoung entered the hall. Hae Ryang flinched the moment he saw her. Eyes brimming with tears, he shouted,

“Lady Baek! You have to believe me! This is a setup!”

But Baek Seolyoung’s expression was colder than ice.

The martial artists dragged the two men out. Ham Muhong, having accepted everything, hung his head. Hae Ryang, however, continued shouting profanities as he was hauled away.

More martial artists checked on the collapsed Gwan Eok and shouted.

“He’s dead.”

“What?”

Yeo Beom rushed over and checked Gwan Eok himself. Sure enough, he was dead.

“It seems the injuries he suffered from Lord Hae Ryang were too severe.”

Yeo Beom clicked his tongue and shook his head. Though he served no more purpose anyway, since he revealed everything as a witness.

“Young Lord Hae committed a sin that cannot be atoned.”

But the truth was, Hae Ryang hadn’t killed him. While everyone’s attention was elsewhere, Mujin had delivered the fatal blow.

The man had known too much about Lee Jaseung’s true identity and was not worth sparing. So they had decided to eliminate him.

Once the situation was under control, Yeo Beom approached Lee Jaseung and Baek Seolyoung.

“This is all hard to believe.”

Lee Jaseung replied calmly,

“I didn’t believe it at first either.”

Then Yeo Beom turned to Baek Seolyoung.

“I’m glad Great Expert Seop is safe.”

“Seems like heaven helped us.”

Through this event, Yeo Beom had come to realize something new.

He had underestimated Baek Seolyoung. When he first came to the tournament, he had thought of her as an inexperienced rookie.

But seeing her in person changed his mind. She was much more capable than he had imagined.

The same went for Lee Jaseung. The way he had handled this incident was impressive.

Calling them here, then getting Hae Ryang to confess was a brilliant move.

Yeo Beom originally expected the fall of the Northern Sky Clan, with Righteous Chivalrous Sword Clan or Guanghai Blade Sect stepping in to fill the gap. But the outcome was completely different.

‘If things continue this way, the Righteous Chivalrous Sword Clan will fall, and the Northern Sky Clan will stabilize.’

With that conclusion, Yeo Beom took his leave.

“Well then, this old man will be taking the leave first.”

Once the chaos settled, Baek Seolyoung let out a sigh of relief.

“I never imagined he would go this far.”

Thankfully, Lee Jaseung had avoided the assassination attempt. Otherwise, she would’ve become a widow before even marrying.

Her feelings were conflicted. In the end, all of this had happened because Hae Ryang liked her.

In contrast, Lee Jaseung remained cold.

“He brought it on himself. He tried to kill the man who would become the husband of the almighty Lord of the Northern Sky Clan. If he hadn’t been caught now, imagine how he’d treat people without power.”

“Hearing you say I’m someone with that kind of power, it feels kind of embarrassing.”

She felt the compliment suited Lee Jaseung more than her.

“It’s true.”

“Still…”

“What? Does it sound like a brag?”

“That too.”

“I’m sure you know how powerful you are as my wife. But this isn’t something to hide with modesty. How you present and use that power will shape the future of the clan. Power is a business. How you package and present it changes everything.”

She nodded, realizing he was right. Then something struck her. A moment ago, Lee Jaseung had called her ‘my wife’.

Up until now, they had spoken casually, like close friends. But wife... even if he didn’t intend it in a special way, the word stirred her heart.

‘I should have spoken to him formally first.’

She suddenly felt guilty as well.

Baek Seolyoung looked at Lee Jaseung.

But it seemed like he didn’t even realize what he had said.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

When Lee Jaseung asked, Baek Seolyoung, instead of bringing up her conflicted emotions over a mere pronoun, asked a different question.

“What’s going to happen to the Righteous Chivalrous Sword Clan now?”

She wanted to use this opportunity to absorb the clan into the Northern Sky Clan.

But strengthening the Northern Sky Clan’s power wasn’t what the other sects wanted. The Murim Alliance certainly wouldn’t either. The Guanghai Blade Sect, their main rival, would never allow it.

Of course, the Northern Sky Clan would also push back if the Guanghai Blade Sect tried to expand.

Knowing this situation, Lee Jaseung was able to give a response.

The Righteous Chivalrous Sword Clan would collapse, and the Black Way Alliance would benefit the most. Dan Woobin had already begun working on it.

But of course, Lee Jaseung gave a different answer.

“They’re still the Righteous Chivalrous Sword Clan. They’ll find a way to survive.”