Chronicles of the Northern Heavens Chapter 229 - Seobaek Growing to Resemble Yeon-hoo
Seobaek, who had returned after scouting, sent a sound transmission.
[My lord, did you see the insignia on those Black Cloaks' swords?]
[I know. Just eat.]
Yeon-hoo and Seobaek calmly began their meal.
A short while later, the guests at the other two tables left, leaving only Yeon-hoo, Seobaek, and the Wolga experts in the inn. With the foul weather showing no signs of letting up, no more customers seemed likely to arrive, so the errand boys began clearing the other tables. It was an unspoken pressure: those who wanted to head upstairs should go, and those leaving should get out.
One errand boy deliberately cleared the table right next to the Wolga experts with loud clatters.
[We could die like this.]
Considering the brutal world of murim, it was a situation that could easily turn deadly. But the scenario Seobaek feared didn't unfold.
The Wolga experts, apparently already finished eating, rose from their seats and headed for the stairs. They must have rooms booked here too.
Now the errand boys' target was Yeon-hoo and Seobaek.
Yeon-hoo still had a bit of food left.
Tap tap tap! Swish! Swish!
The sour smell of the cleaning rag stung their noses as it wiped the table.
"Hey, you lot."
"Yes?"
"Wait till we're done eating."
"It's not like we're stopping you from eating, right? Don't mind us, go ahead."
Seobaek couldn't help but chuckle in disbelief at the errand boy's attitude, complete with an expression that said they'd heard every excuse in the book.
That was when it happened.
"What's going on here!"
A hulking brute with a gravelly voice emerged from the kitchen. His arms, neck, and even face were covered in tattoos.
"We were just finishing up cleaning, and these customers start making a fuss?"
"Is that right?"
Thud thud thud.
The brute deliberately rolled up his sleeves past his elbows and strode over. He slapped a hand on Seobaek's shoulder and glared wildly.
"Looks like my boys got on your nerves. Sorry about that."
Seobaek's hand twitched toward his weapon.
Clack.
Yeon-hoo set down his chopsticks and fixed the brute with a stare.
"I need to know how many people are staying overnight in this inn tonight."
Twitch.
The brute's sparse eyebrows twisted into an inverted eight from Yeon-hoo's sudden informal address.
"Your tongue's too short for your— Gah!"
The brute suddenly clamped his legs together and hunched over. Seobaek had grabbed his groin.
"I don't want to get my hands dirty with your balls bursting, so spit it out."
"You bastards... Ack!"
"Want 'em really popped?"
"A-Ah, those guys from earlier and you... You're all! Urgh!"
"Right."
Yeon-hoo picked up his chopsticks again. He pinched them between two fingers and slowly drew his hand downward. The chopsticks split and sharpened into an awl-like point.
"Eek!"
Not just the brute, but the watching errand boys turned pale. Realizing they'd picked the wrong fight, they broke out in cold sweats.
Yeon-hoo slowly brought the awl-sharp chopsticks toward the brute's eyes.
"S-Spare me, sir! I-I didn't recognize your greatness!"
"Whoa!"
Seobaek jumped back as if scalded by hot water. His hand was drenched in yellow liquid. The brute had pissed himself.
"Which rooms?"
"Th-The rooms for you great lords...?"
"No, those guys from just now."
"Th-Third floor, far left: first, second, and third rooms!"
Yeon-hoo stuck the chopsticks in his mouth and stood.
"What about these guys?"
"Let 'em sleep soundly till morning."
"Yes, my lord."
Yeon-hoo headed straight up the stairs. Seobaek dragged the brute and two errand boys into the kitchen and sealed their pressure points.
"Ugh."
He plunged his hand into a water jar in the corner and scrubbed vigorously.
"That fat bastard had a disgusting amount of piss."
Yeon-hoo flung the window wide open. Through it, the crescent moon symbol of Wolga gleamed in plain view.
Seobaek entered.
"What's the plan, my lord?"
"If it gets out that we're protecting the main force, it'll bring trouble back to the North. So we prevent that before it happens."
"Y-You're going to... kill them all?"
"Sometimes you have to kill even those who aren't enemies. Like now."
"Ah, yes."
"You stay out of it. Get on the roof of the inn across the street and wait. If anyone tries to bust through a window, handle it."
"Understood."
Yeon-hoo grabbed Seobaek as he moved to leap out the open window.
"Go down to the first floor and come up that way."
"...Yes. I was too hasty."
Yeon-hoo watched Seobaek scratch his head and leave the room, letting out a quiet sigh.
'He's starting to resemble that Song Yeong guy.'
Yeon-hoo closed the window, extinguished the candle, and stepped out. He climbed the stairs to the third floor.
The hallway, draped in red cloth, exuded an eerie chill, and faint voices leaked from the first room.
"How long do we have to keep this up? We're not exactly idle hands."
"Tell me about it. This should've been handled by the Elder Council. No idea why it got dumped on us."
"Obvious, isn't it? The division head took money from Seomun-hoe. Everyone knows that money-grubbing bastard goes crazy for gold."
"Money-grub is too kind. Call him a money bug. Fits him better."
"Heh heh heh!"
"Heh heh heh!"
Wolga, shrouded in the greatest mysteries of the jianghu. Yet they were no different from ordinary folk.
'Sorry, but blame your division head.'
Moon Fangs appeared soundlessly in Yeon-hoo's hands.
That was when it happened.
"Heard that Northern lord's gotten pretty famous?"
"Famous? Now that he's lord of two factions, even the family head and top brass are marking him as a threat."
"Makes sense. After he crushed Northwest Murim so thoroughly, the higher-ups have to be on guard."
"Don't lump Wolga with the likes of Northwest Murim. A young Northern punk like that? The division heads can handle him easy. Except that money bug bastard."
"Still, I'd like to see him once. Taking two factions at that age? They say it's unprecedented in White Night Cartel history."
No need to hear more. Yeon-hoo spread his senses to pinpoint their positions.
'Thanks. Nice of you to cluster around the table.'
This would make things easier. If they'd been lying on beds or scattered on the floor, it'd take longer.
Chirrrk.
Blood light flickered to life on Yeon-hoo's left hand alongside the Moon Fangs. He wouldn't allow even the slightest variable.
Whoooosh!
Seobaek nocked an arrow on his bowstring from the roof of the opposite inn, waiting. The bone-chilling wind battered relentlessly, turning his cheeks red, but his bow hand stayed warm with internal energy to maintain sensation.
'Wolga elites won't be pushovers...'
Even absolute faith in Yeon-hoo couldn't quell his worry. These were Wolga's mysterious experts, after all.
Whoooosh!
The wind clawed at Seobaek's face. He blew away the tickling strands of hair and fixed his gaze on the window of the Wolga experts' room.
That was when it happened.
Boom!
A explosion rocked the air, followed by white and blood-red flashes from the window.
Seobaek drew his bow.
Creak...
Crash!
The window shattered as one Wolga expert thrust his upper body out. Just as Seobaek loosed—
The expert, who seemed about to leap, slumped limply over the sill.
Through the broken window, Seobaek saw Yeon-hoo standing tall and composed.
Sneer.
'As expected...'
Seobaek released the string, returned the arrow to his quiver, and lightly dropped to the street. Yeon-hoo followed.
"To another inn."
"Hold on, my lord. I'll grab a few bottles from inside. That stuff earlier was perfect for my taste."
Seobaek ducked into the inn.
Yeon-hoo glanced around idly, his brow furrowing slightly.
What, this booze is so thick? I'm done.
That was what Seobaek had said during the meal.
Seobaek emerged with a bottle.
"Let's go, my lord."
Yeon-hoo watched Seobaek stride ahead, sighing softly.
'Not Song Yeong. He's starting to resemble me.'
Yeon-hoo knew. Seobaek had silenced the errand boys and brute permanently. It was his own method, through and through.
Whoooosh!
The same moment.
An inn on the city's west side.
A massive monk gulped booze from a bottle in one hand and gnawed a drumstick with the other, devouring ravenously.
"Gulp gulp!"
All other inns had closed, but this one stayed open for the monk. The owner and errand boys stared in exasperation.
"Two more bottles here!"
"Uh... monk, we have to close soon. Could you wrap it up?"
"That so? Then just tell me where the booze is. I'll fetch it myself. Gulp!"
"N-No, no need."
The owner gestured urgently for the errand boy to fetch it. The boy glared murderously at the monk and headed to the kitchen.
That was when it happened.
The door to the backyard outhouse opened, and a man entered. The errand boy gawked like he'd seen a ghost and bolted to the kitchen.
The man glanced at him and approached the monk's table.
It was Cheol-u, returned from Shaolin.
The monk grinned at Cheol-u, waving the bottle and drumstick.
"Benefactor! The booze here's top-notch! Oh yeah! Kah hah hah!"
"I said drink in moderation."
"I am moderating!"
Cheol-u smirked at the empty bottles. In the time he'd used the outhouse, two more were gone.
"No drink for you?"
"Pass."
"More for me then. Oh yeah! Kah hah hah!"
Cheol-u turned to the errand boy.
"Any tea available?"
"......"
Ping!
Cheol-u flicked a finger, sending a small object flying into the wall beside the boy's face.
Thud!
A single silver coin.
"No change needed."
"Yes! One moment!"
Cheol-u eyed the monk again. Grease smeared his mouth and cheeks.
"Hey, pig."
"Speak, benefactor."
"One more warning: don't use force recklessly. Do it again, and I'll make one arm say goodbye forever."
"Yes, yes. Got it. So stop interrupting my meal? Kah hah hah!"
"Your tea."
Clink.
Cheol-u glared at the monk and sipped the tea. But he set it down without a swallow.
Then the monk halted his gorging, grinning toward the inn's door.
"Those guys again?"