Chapter 481: A Life Where Nothing Happens
Chapter 481: A Life Where Nothing Happens
The assassins, who were never supposed to fail, had failed.
Geum A-hyeok had always believed that a warrior’s duel and an assassin’s strike were fundamentally different—that no matter how great a master was, they could never withstand a blade from the shadows.
So why hadn't that hidden blade managed to pierce the gut of this smirking bastard?
Regardless, Geum A-hyeok had judged that being seen with the man was a liability, which was why he had coldly issued an expulsion order. But the man claimed to know who had sent the assassins?
It was bait he couldn't help but take.
“And who might that be?”
Geom Mu-geuk stared intently at him before speaking. “It seems you’ve finally grown curious.”
Geum A-hyeok maintained a calm facade. “I believe this assassination attempt is related to your family’s internal grudges. Therefore, I am not curious about the client. I am merely trying to see what kind of person you are—and how honest you can be.”
It was not easy to stand so brazenly and confidently before the person you had just tried to kill, especially when that person’s martial arts were so overwhelming. In other words, it was proof that he had someone backing him.
This man meets with his backer directly.
Geom Mu-geuk deduced the nature of the relationship with the mastermind based on Geum A-hyeok’s reaction.
“So, speak.”
Standing between the two, the second son, Geum A-jong, was lost in his own delusions.
This cute little scammer... did he actually stage this whole thing himself?
Geum A-jong assumed the assassins' intrusion last night was a charade orchestrated by Geom Mu-geuk. After all, why would assassins suddenly infiltrate the Golden Dragon Clan, which had been peaceful for a lifetime?
He couldn't even imagine that his father or brother would have called for assassins. He thought of himself as the one with the foulest temper in the family, but in truth, he was the most naive.
Anyway, he succeeded in catching Brother’s interest.
Geum A-jong was curious to see how this scammer would try to manipulate his brother.
Geum A-hyeok pressed harder. “If you don’t want to speak, then leave. And never seek me out again.”
Geom Mu-geuk replied with a smile. “I am someone who wants to become close with the First Young Master. Can’t you tell by the fact that I came to pay my respects today?”
Geom Mu-geuk took a seat at the guest table in the office.
“Ah, this kind of conversation should really be shared over a drink at a marketplace tavern. You people probably drink at expensive restaurants or gisaeng houses, but among the shabby taverns on the street, there are hidden gems that are like secret treasure maps of flavor.”
“I told you to leave if you’re only going to talk nonsense!” Geum A-hyeok snapped. He glared at his younger brother, his eyes screaming for him to take the man and get out immediately.
Ah, it seems even Brother finds this guy difficult to handle.
His brother had changed a lot lately. Geum A-jong hadn't liked him to begin with, but recently, he had started to feel very prickly and strange.
“Don’t push him so hard,” Geum A-jong muttered. “He must have said that because he knows something.”
Then, Geom Mu-geuk spoke abruptly. “You.”
A heavy silence fell over the room.
“The client was you.”
Geum A-hyeok never expected to be pointed out—especially not to his face.
Geum A-jong, who had been listening, burst into laughter. “You really are a funny fellow.”
However, neither Geom Mu-geuk nor Geum A-hyeok laughed. The mirth quickly drained from Geum A-jong’s face.
“What? Are you actually serious?”
Geom Mu-geuk nodded. The word “Crazy!” reflexively escaped Geum A-jong’s lips.
“Why do you suspect me? Watch your words,” Geum A-hyeok warned. “You are currently accusing the First Young Master of the Golden Dragon Clan of hiring assassins.”
Geom Mu-geuk stared straight at him. He could sense the agitation in the man's trembling pupils. No matter how hard he tried, it wasn't easy to remain calm in this situation.
Then, another shocking statement flowed from Geom Mu-geuk’s lips.
“One of the assassins confessed it was you before he died.”
Geom Mu-geuk lied without a single change in his expression.
On the other hand, Geum A-hyeok was visibly flustered by the mention of a confession. The corner of his eye twitched.
Watching this, Geum A-jong’s heart sank. His brother’s eye always twitched like that whenever he was caught red-handed or when his lies were exposed. It had been that way since they were children.
“If you heard such a thing, why are you telling me?”
At the calm question, Geom Mu-geuk smiled.
“I believe our First Young Master has been framed. Would the successor of the Golden Dragon Clan really do such a thing? Since I am now a member of the Golden Dragon family, shouldn't I provide such information to the one who will inherit the clan?”
Geum A-hyeok said nothing.
Since the conversation could go no further, Geom Mu-geuk stood up.
“I’ve taken too much of your time when you must be busy. I’ll take my leave for today.” He added one last thing before heading out. “Think carefully about who might have framed you.”
Leaving those words behind, Geom Mu-geuk was the first to exit.
Geum A-jong looked at his brother. Geum A-hyeok had walked to the window and wouldn't even look his way.
He was now torn by doubt.
Did he really hire the assassins? No, right?
If this were true, it was a golden opportunity to oust his brother from the succession. But he couldn't be entirely happy about it.
If this crazy bastard hired them once, he could hire them to kill me too, couldn't he?
*
That night, in a small iron workshop, a middle-aged man placed a piece of glowing iron on an anvil and struck it with a hammer.
Clang! Clang!
The hammering was rhythmic and powerful. The man, who was shirtless, was thin and slight of build; it was almost a mystery how such vigorous strikes could come from a body that seemed to be nothing but skin and bone.
Geum A-hyeok entered the workshop.
He waited quietly for the hammering to end. This man was someone who might forgive anything else, but he absolutely would not tolerate being interrupted while he worked.
Clang!
With a final, long-reverberating strike, the man looked up and stared at Geum A-hyeok.
“You’ve come?”
“Elder, have you been well?”
The middle-aged man’s name was Myeong Sin. This was the man Geum A-hyeok had referred to as "that person" when speaking to his father.
Geum A-hyeok sincerely respected Myeong Sin. He was a strong and intelligent man, different from the ignorant warriors of the world. Being with him felt good. He learned about the Murim and about human affairs from him. Above all, Myeong Sin provided a sense of security, making him feel that no one could kill him as long as they were together.
As the saying goes, blood doesn't lie; his father Geum Cheon-bang’s pathological fear of martial artists had been passed down to his son, Geum A-hyeok.
“You seem to have grown even thinner. Please make sure to eat well.”
Right now, Myeong Sin was covered in sweat and looked like a common laborer, but when he dressed in scholar’s robes and held a fan, he looked like the most intelligent man in the world. And in fact, he was. He occasionally made swords and daggers as a hobby, and his skill in that was also extraordinary.
“Did the assassination fail?”
“How did you know?”
Instead of answering, Myeong Sin simply nodded once with an inscrutable expression.
The reason Geum A-hyeok had spent a fortune to place a contract with the Underworld was for Myeong Sin’s sake.
“Though it failed this time, I will protect you, Elder, even if I have to sell my entire fortune.”
It was a statement that would have made his father faint, but it was Geum A-hyeok’s sincere truth. He followed Myeong Sin with the devotion of a cult follower.
After declaring his resolve, Geum A-hyeok spoke cautiously. “However, there is one puzzling thing.”
“What is it?”
“An assassin supposedly confessed as he was dying that I was the one who placed the contract.”
“Who told you that?”
“A man named Geom Yeon said so.”
At the name Geom Yeon, Myeong Sin fell silent for a moment. The expression he wore then was one Geum A-hyeok had never seen before. It felt unfamiliar because of the inexplicable tension it carried. In this moment, he was feeling the same sense of strangeness toward Myeong Sin that his father felt toward him.
“That is a lie. An assassin out on a mission does not know who the client is.”
Geum A-hyeok’s expression turned into one of 'I knew it.' He had suspected as much himself.
“Then why would he lie to me?”
Myeong Sin looked at him. His gaze seemed to ask, You really don't know? but Geum A-hyeok truly didn't. Myeong Sin already knew the answer.
“I have a guest to meet today, so you should head back now.”
A guest at this hour? How could that be? He probably just didn't want to see him after the failed contract. Geum A-hyeok felt disappointed. He had wanted to stay with him longer on a day like today. With this uneasy heart and unresolved problems, sleep would surely elude him.
“I will visit you again.” Geum A-hyeok bowed politely and turned to leave. Then, he turned back and said, “Do not worry about this matter. I will handle it well.”
“You are quite dependable.” Myeong Sin gave him a broad smile.
As soon as Geum A-hyeok left, another person entered. It was Geom Mu-geuk, who had followed Geum A-hyeok here.
The young master had taken several detours to guard against being followed, but how could he possibly escape Geom Mu-geuk’s eyes?
“I ask for your understanding for using such shallow tricks to find you.”
“How can a method that accurately read the opponent be called a shallow trick?” Myeong Sin spoke without showing much emotion. Had Geum A-hyeok been there, he would have been deeply hurt.
Their gazes met. Geom Mu-geuk could see one fact in the man's eyes.
“You know who I am.”
A smile played on Myeong Sin’s lips. “Indeed. Geom Mu-geuk, Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult. Welcome.”
Though he hadn't introduced himself, Geom Mu-geuk had already guessed the man's identity. It was partly because of this location.
Myeong Sin. The right hand of the Murder King. An assassin ranked second in the Murim.
Normally, he was someone who should have vied for the title of the world's greatest alongside the Murder King, but for some reason, he had chosen to become the Murder King’s subordinate. The story behind their relationship was unknown to the Murim. There were only many speculations, such as Myeong Sin owing the Murder King a debt of life.
However, Geom Mu-geuk knew the reason. In his life before the regression, the truth had been revealed after Myeong Sin’s death. The person who killed Myeong Sin, who had been loyal to him his entire life, was the Murder King.
“You don’t ask who I am?”
“Does an assassin even have a name? What number are you called by?”
Despite the provocative words, Myeong Sin maintained his composure. A flash of interest crossed his eyes when Geom Mu-geuk immediately recognized him as an assassin.
Myeong Sin was an assassin unlike any Geom Mu-geuk had ever experienced. In fact, his aura was different from that of ordinary assassins. One could feel emotion in his aura.
Geom Mu-geuk looked around at the items hanging inside the workshop. “Did you make all of these yourself?”
“I did.”
“May I touch them?”
“By all means.”
Myeong Sin was an expert at crafting hidden weapons, and it was said that even the Murder King frequently used the ones he made. The reason the Murder King liked his weapons wasn't just because they were lethal; it was said that many of the hidden weapons Myeong Sin created were incredibly ingenious.
Unfortunately, the items hanging here were just ordinary daggers and swords. As if to prove his skill hadn't gone anywhere, they were weapons with perfect balance.
“Do you sell them as well?”
“It’s just a hobby, so I don’t sell them.”
“That’s a shame. If you did, I was going to buy everything here.”
Myeong Sin gave a strange smile. “You are just like the rumors.”
“And what rumors have you heard about me?”
Myeong Sin slowly walked toward Geom Mu-geuk. The man who was the second-best at killing people in the Murim was approaching. Geom Mu-geuk sharpened all his senses while maintaining his inner peace.
Staring quietly at Geom Mu-geuk, the man spoke calmly. “I suppose I should forget all the rumors.”
Since it sounded like he would judge for himself after seeing him in person, Geom Mu-geuk spoke with a look of regret. “There must have been many good rumors. That’s a pity.”
The distance between them was close enough to reach with a swing of a sword.
“I’m surprised. You didn't run away even though we came, and you're showing yourself like this.”
“I’m the one who’s surprised. That they would leave you unattended like this.”
His words carried the implication that he could kill the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult while he was traveling alone.
“It’s because my father raises his children very strictly,” Mu-geuk joked. “He’s the type to throw you off a cliff and tell you to figure out a lightness movement method on the way down.”
Myeong Sin accepted the joke with a laugh. He was certainly relaxed—the kind of ease that comes from strength and confidence.
“You must have expected me to follow Geum A-hyeok here. Why did you wait?”
Myeong Sin stared at Geom Mu-geuk and said, “I waited to tell you to leave.”
Because it was calm, it was a menacing warning.
“If you know who I am, you must also know who came with me this time. Do you think he would leave just because you told him to? Why don't you go and tell him yourself?”
With an expression that said that would be troublesome, Myeong Sin offered a persuasion for the sake of persuasion. “You should be the one to persuade him. Then nothing will happen.”
Of course, there was no way that would work.
“I’m still young, so a life where nothing happens is far too boring.”
Myeong Sin, looking as if he had expected that answer, walked toward the opposite wall and spoke. “We intend to resolve this matter with money.”
He grabbed a handle protruding from the wall next to the furnace. “Do you know what this is?”
“What is it?”
“It is a device to send an order to all the assassins in the Murim to announce a certain piece of news. The moment I pull this, my subordinates will begin spreading the word simultaneously.”
“And what news would that be?”
Then, words he hadn't expected flowed out. “The news that a bounty has been placed on your head.”
Geom Mu-geuk’s gaze deepened. “You’ll have to put up a lot if you want people to feel like killing the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.”
“That is why I have put up a lot.” An astonishing amount escaped Myeong Sin’s lips. “Ten million taels.”
“!”
It was an amount that even Geom Mu-geuk found shocking.
“The highest bounty in the history of the Murim. It is an amount that would make people dive into hell to find their target, let alone the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult.” Myeong Sin spoke with cold eyes. “The moment I pull this, you will become very busy starting today. Will you still not leave?”
A taut tension flowed between the two. Geom Mu-geuk slowly began to walk toward him.
Myeong Sin grew tense at Geom Mu-geuk’s reaction. “If you come any closer, I will pull it.”
But as if telling him to pull it if he dared, Geom Mu-geuk did not stop his steps. Finally reaching Myeong Sin’s side, Geom Mu-geuk did something completely unexpected.
He reached out and grabbed the handle Myeong Sin was holding. Their hands overlapped. It was a moment where a fierce battle could have broken out instantly, but Myeong Sin simply watched to see what Geom Mu-geuk would do. Both of their actions and reactions defied common sense, yet their movements were calm and serene.
Geom Mu-geuk gave Myeong Sin a smirk and then pulled the handle with all his might.
Clunk.
Then, the furnace door swung open. This handle had been the mechanism to open that door.
“How did you know?”
Geom Mu-geuk replied with a faint smile. “Aren't you people in the Golden Dragon Clan because of money? Would you really spend that much just to kill me?”
Myeong Sin openly showed his admiration. “You are quite clever.”
“It should have been in my rumors. Not just clever, but brilliant; not just brilliant, but a genius.”
Myeong Sin smirked. “Genius Young Cult Leader, then I shall see you again.”
The handle was not just a device to open the furnace. After a slight delay, another mechanism was triggered.
Clunk.
The floor Myeong Sin was standing on opened, and he dropped down. Simultaneously, steel needles rained down on the spot where Geom Mu-geuk stood.
Swish-swish-swish-swish-swish!
Clang-clang-clang-clang-clang!
By the time he had drawn his sword and deflected all the steel needles, Myeong Sin had already escaped. For some reason, Geom Mu-geuk did not pursue him through the hole.
Instead, he shouted down into the opening where the man had disappeared.
“You! You don't look like you have a thousand taels, let alone ten million!”
From deep within the hole, the echo of Myeong Sin’s laughter seemed to drift back.