Chapter 130: Seven Kills Jeok Ma-hyeok-1
Chapter 130: Seven Kills Jeok Ma-hyeok-1
White Lotus Hall, located in the southeastern part of Sichuan Province, had been the sect that quickly took over Heungmun at the southeastern tip of Sichuan, which had been the territory of the Jeonghyeopbang after its collapse, and became its master.
Many areas that had been the domain of the Jeonghyeopbang had now become battlegrounds for various sects representing the Mount Qingcheng Sect and the Dang Clan, but at least here in Heungmun, it was no exaggeration to say that White Lotus Hall had completely seized control.
This was because they had occupied it so quickly, and because it was a border region with Guizhou Province, making it difficult for other sects' forces to reach.
"Aigo, Bangju-nim. Have you come all the way out here again today?"
"Indeed, has there been any trouble overnight?"
"Yes, thank you for checking on us every day, Bangju-nim. We have had no problems at all."
"Good. If there is anything at all inconvenient, let me know anytime."
"Understood, Bangju-nim. Take care now!"
Hyeok Mok-an, the Baekun Swordmaster and the leader of White Lotus Hall, a secular descendant of the Mount Qingcheng Sect, was strolling the streets alone this morning as well, gauging the sentiments of the local people.
It was one of Hyeok Mok-an's daily routines that he had not missed a single day since White Lotus Hall took over Heungmun.
At first, the people of Heungmun had worried that he might be running amok, but they ended up being moved by Hyeok Mok-an's leading by example — seeing with his own eyes the people's difficulties and quickly taking measures to solve problems.
It was conduct incomparable to the Jeonghyeopbang, which had been orthodox in name only.
And so, now, just a few weeks later, the leader of White Lotus Hall, the Baekun Swordmaster Hyeok Mok-an, was being revered like a hero across all of Heungmun.
"Wah! Papa! It's the Bangju-nim! Bangju-nim has come!"
"Bangju-nim! Nothing out of the ordinary overnight?"
"Bangju-nim...!"
"Bangju-nim!"
Wearing a benevolent smile, Hyeok Mok-an responded to the people's greetings and slowly left the bustling streets of Heungmun behind.
But what the people could not see was that, as he moved toward less crowded places, his smile gradually transformed into one of excitement.
His pace too was growing faster.
He swallowed his saliva and muttered.
"Euh-heu-heu-heu! Today, as I said, that cute little thing will finally be home alone."
Hyeok Mok-an was in an exultant mood at the thought that he could finally achieve his grand mission today.
Finally!
Today was the day! He could be alone with Yeon-i, that cute little thing. In a closed-off space, no less.
"Keu-heu-heu-heu-heu!"
His imagination was spreading its wings and soaring toward what he could do thereafter.
***
White Lotus Hall's leader Hyeok Mok-an had first met the girl named Ha Yeon about a week ago, while patrolling the village.
The child, pretty enough to make one's eyes widen from the first look, had blushed like an apple when she first saw Hyeok Mok-an, and offered him something to eat.
"Bangju-nim, please have this. And... you are so very wonderful!"
Having said that, Ha Yeon had fled, her face flushed as if she were too embarrassed.
At that moment, Hyeok Mok-an had no choice but to stare at her vacantly.
Because that fleeing figure with her face red had been so adorable, while also giving off an inexplicable air of allure.
It was undeniably a moment that brought a spring breeze to the heart of Hyeok Mok-an, who was already over fifty and had been living with his wife like a mere friend.
After that, Ha Yeon had waited for Hyeok Mok-an every day in a place with little foot traffic.
"Bangju-nim! You look wonderful again today!"
And so, the morning patrol that Hyeok Mok-an had conducted only out of a sense of duty had now become the most anticipated moment of his daily routine.
Then came yesterday.
Ha Yeon had shyly blushed and spoken to Hyeok Mok-an.
"Bangju-nim, my oppa is going out for work tomorrow, so the house will be completely empty. I am so scared, and so I was wondering... Couldn't you please stay with me for a little?"
For a moment, Hyeok Mok-an felt like his head was going to explode.
Such a pretty, young child was asking him to come to her house; there was no way he could refuse such a request.
After that, Hyeok Mok-an had to endure a day that felt like a year.
He could not understand how a single day could be so long.
He could not even sleep properly at night.
And finally today, Hyeok Mok-an was able to spot Ha Yeon standing outside a secluded alley.
She greeted him with a radiant smile.
"Welcome, Bangju-nim!"
Hyeok Mok-an entered her shabby house, feeling as if he were in a dream.
Although the house was so humble that it made one wonder how such a pretty child could live in such a place, such things mattered not at all to Hyeok Mok-an now.
His eyes were filled solely with the back view of Ha Yeon.
Having imagined only this moment all day long, Hyeok Mok-an could hold back no longer and embraced Ha Yeon tightly from behind.
"Kyaak! Bangju-nim!"
She screamed in surprise, but to Hyeok Mok-an, even that was merely the ultimate stimulant.
"Euh-heu-heu-heu! Yeon-a, I have waited long for this moment. Come here."
Ha Yeon squirmed and struggled to break free, but there was no way she could match the strength of Hyeok Mok-an, a peak-level master.
In an instant, her disheveled clothes revealed her bare shoulders. Seeing this, Hyeok Mok-an, unable to contain himself any longer, tore off his own upper garment with bloodshot eyes.
That was when it happened.
Suddenly, someone began pounding on the main gate.
"Yeon-a! Yeon-a! Who are you with in there?! Open the door, quickly, Yeon-a!"
In that instant, Hyeok Mok-an's dream shattered into pieces like broken glass.
Ha Yeon screamed, her face gone pale, clutching at her exposed shoulder.
"O, Oppa?"
Hyeok Mok-an's vision suddenly went dark.
Abruptly, his eyes took in the sight of himself, stripped to the waist, and Ha Yeon, her bare shoulder showing.
It was the end.
In his mind, the faces of his family, his sect members, and the local people — all who respected him — suddenly flashed before him.
At this rate, it seemed only a matter of time before his reputation, honored by all, would be dragged through the mud.
He spoke in a hurried fluster.
"Th-this, first put on some clothes quickly and...!"
But that was when it happened.
Kwang! Kwang! Kwajik!
The sound of something breaking rang out.
The door that Ha Yeon's so-called oppa had been pounding on had been smashed through.
It seemed to be because the door was originally so flimsy.
And in the next moment, with a look of devastation, Hyeok Mok-an's eyes met those of a young man who was looking back and forth between him and Ha Yeon.
The young man looked exactly like Ha Yeon.
He was muttering with a face that showed utter disbelief.
"Ba, Bangju-nim? Th-this, how could, this be...."
At that instant, a thought suddenly popped into Hyeok Mok-an's head.
'Let's kill him. If I kill him and eliminate the evidence, that will be the end of it.'
It was a dark thought that sprouted in the heart of Hyeok Mok-an, who had lived his entire life as a righteous hero.
It was when Hyeok Mok-an, harboring killing intent with such a mindset, looked at Ha Yeon's so-called oppa.
Puuk!
"Huhk?!"
Hyeok Mok-an stared at the sword that had suddenly pierced through his chest, as if he could not understand it.
The burning pain in his chest, the sword protruding from his heart area — someone behind him must have stabbed him.
But the person behind him was clearly....
"H-how...?"
Hyeok Mok-an looked back with a dazed expression.
And then he could see.
Ha Yeon, who had always shown him only radiant smiles, was now staring at him with cold eyes.
And that the sword clutched in her hand had pierced through his back.
"Wh-why...?"
Wheok!
Blood gushed from the mouth of the opened Hyeok Mok-an, and he collapsed right there on the spot.
It was the moment the leader of White Lotus Hall, Hyeok Mok-an, who had established himself as the ruler of the Heungmun region, met a pathetic death.
That was when it happened.
Someone, appearing silently from the ceiling, dropped soundlessly onto the floor.
His face was a grotesque visage seemingly risen from hell — half covered in scars, the other half twisted by burn marks.
He shouted at Ha Yeon with a face full of rage.
"What have you done?! Didn't I say that I would be the one to do the killing?!"
When the man with the hideous scars bellowed in fury, he looked like a demon roaring.
But Ha Yeon waved her hand dismissively, as if annoyed, and replied.
"Ugh, what does it matter who does the killing? The person who can kill them more easily should do it. Don't you think?"
At that, the young man who had broken down the door claiming to be Ha Yeon's brother grinned broadly and answered.
"Exactly. The person who can kill them easily should do it. Thanks to that, we were able to kill that so-called peak-level master Hyeok Mok-an without trouble. So it's all good, hyung-nim."
But despite their words, the scarred young man did not relent his anger. His hideous face still twisted with rage, he shouted.
"You troublemakers! Do you not understand why I move together with you?! If it meant staining your hands with blood, I would rather do it alone...!"
At that moment, Ha Yeon cut him off with an expression of pure irritation.
"Orabeoni! I'm already in a foul mood because I had to show my bare skin to that old man, you know?! Instead of nagging me, can't you just buy me something to eat?!"
The scarred young man who had been shouting in fury suddenly looked flustered and began to stammer.
"Ah, r-right, of course, Ha Yeon-ah. I'm sorry. As your older brother, I failed to even consider your feelings.... I was wrong. What do you want to eat? What shall I buy you?"
At the sight of the young man suddenly turning anxious, Ha Yeon smiled furtively and exchanged glances with the young man standing at the door.
Then, as if she had no choice, she said.
"Well, if orabeoni insists that much, I suppose I have no choice. What would be good?"
As she spoke, she subtly winked at the young man at the door, her twin sibling Ha Gun. Ha Gun nodded with a meaningful grin.
Then Ha Yeon cried out as if a thought had just struck her.
"Ah! I just thought of something! Alcohol! I want to drink tonight! Orabeoni, buy me some alcohol!"
At that, Ha Gun clapped his hands and chimed in.
"Oh! That's a great idea! Good thinking! Alcohol! I want to drink too, hyung-nim! Buy us some alcohol!"
At his younger siblings' sudden pestering, the scarred youth, Jeok Ma-hyeok, now crumpled his face and yelled.
"Wha-what?! Alcohol?! Absolutely not! You're only eighteen years old, and you want to drink?! Never!"
"Aaaaang! Orabeoni! I told you, I'm in a bad mood because I had to show my bare skin to that old man today!"
"Me too, hyung-nim! I'm in a bad mood too! After watching Ha Yeon show her bare skin today, I suddenly felt like throwing up...!"
"What did you say?! Do you want to die, you bastard?!"
"What, you punk?! No honorifics now? I'm your older brother too, you know?!"
"What? Are you asking for a beating?"
Jeok Ma-hyeok watched his siblings, who had been clamoring for him to buy alcohol before suddenly starting to bicker and quarrel with each other, with a gaze suddenly tinged with deep affection.
Since childhood, from the moment his mother entrusted his two younger siblings to him and drew her last breath, his life had been nothing but days of devotion for the two of them.
So he had never wanted these precious children to become dirty assassins like himself....
Just as his eyes were darkening with regret, he suddenly sensed someone's presence at the edge of his perception.
"Stop!"
Jeok Ma-hyeok warned his siblings and looked toward the door.
Then Jeok Ha-yeon and Jeok Ha-gun also immediately turned sharp gazes in that direction, as if their squabbling had never happened.
The next moment, the person who entered was a masked figure clad in black.
As soon as he entered, the man confirmed the corpse of Hyeok Mok-an sprawled on the floor, then spoke to Jeok Ma-hyeok in a sly voice.
"Oh! You succeeded! To actually assassinate Hyeok Mok-an, a peak-level expert, even if only at the entry level! As expected, Chilsal is a genius! I shall report this to the Sect Leader immediately!"
At that, Jeok Ma-hyeok, the Chilsal of the Sichuan Assassination Gate, spoke in a cold voice.
"Skip the obvious flattery and state your business, Sip I-yeong. Why are you here?"
As Jeok Ma-hyeok's viscous killing intent stabbed at him, the man flinched slightly and answered quickly in an exaggerated tone.
"Ah, you're in a bad mood again, I see. Then I'll just state my business briefly and be on my way. An urgent order has come from the Sect Leader. A man called the Flying Sky Black Wolf, Seonwoo Jin, will soon be passing through this area. The order is to find and eliminate him. They say he's a master with at least seventy years of internal energy, possibly even more. It seems he neutralized Third Kill, Fifth Kill, and Sixth Kill all last night."
At those words, Jeok Ma-hyeok's eyes twitched.
"A master with over seventy years of internal energy who killed Third Kill, Fifth Kill, and Sixth Kill all by himself? You're telling me to handle such a man alone right now?"
Sip I-yeong answered in a light tone.
"Hey, you're not exactly alone, are you? You've got your reliable siblings. Keok!"
In that instant, Jeok Ma-hyeok seized Sip I-yeong by the throat, growling through gritted teeth.
"You dare to put my siblings in that filthy mouth of yours? It seems you truly don't want to live."
But even as his throat was gripped and he could barely breathe, Sip I-yeong did not stop laughing.
"Kuk-kuk! You know very well what happens if you kill me, don't you?"
He then turned his eyes toward Jeok Ma-hyeok's siblings and continued.
"Do you not care that your siblings will die in agony, unable to receive the antidote anymore?"
Jeok Ma-hyeok's hand around Sip I-yeong's throat trembled violently.
The one who had dragged him into the Sichuan Assassination Gate, and the one who, just when he was trying to earn enough money and leave, had betrayed the information about his siblings — his Achilles' heel — to the Gate, was none other than this Sip I-yeong.
So in the end, while Jeok Ma-hyeok was away, his siblings were forced by the Assassination Gate to ingest the same gu — the poison insect — that Jeok Ma-hyeok himself had been made to consume.
The gu that kills its host if the antidote is not taken at set intervals.
Jeok Ma-hyeok hated the Assassination Gate with a maddened passion, the Gate that had used his siblings' lives as shackles to bind him in place.
'These sons of bitches! I will never forgive you!'
But realistically, there was nothing he could do.
To keep his siblings alive, he had no choice but to be their dog.
Moreover, that was not the only measure the Assassination Gate took to shackle Jeok Ma-hyeok.
After that, his siblings too were forced to undergo training as assassins of the Sichuan Assassination Gate.
It was a horrific thing, but he resolved to accept it.
He had judged that since they had already ingested the gu, it was better that his siblings also acquire the power to protect themselves.
From then on, Jeok Ma-hyeok had barely managed to keep his siblings as subordinate assassins under his wing within the Gate, moving together with them.
And that chain of events had led to their current situation.
So to him, the Sip I-yeong standing before his eyes was the very architect who had fed the gu to his siblings and forced them into the life of assassins.
"You son of a bitch."
Jeok Ma-hyeok's eyes flared red with fury.
Driven by boiling hatred, his hand around the man's throat tightened ever more.
"Keo-keok!"
At that moment, his younger sister Jeok Ha-yeon, eyes filled with sympathy, gently grabbed Jeok Ma-hyeok's arm.
Only after seeing her face was Jeok Ma-hyeok barely able to rein in his emotions.
Jeok Ma-hyeok released Sip I-yeong's throat and hurled him against the wall.
Kwaaaaang!
"Keo-eok! Kek! Kek!"
Then, speaking toward Sip I-yeong who lay collapsed on the floor coughing, he said.
"Give me the information. And never again put my siblings in that filthy mouth of yours. If you don't truly wish to die."
Sip I-yeong, clutching his throat as if pained but still chuckling, replied.
"Keu-kuk-kuk! Fine. First, the target's movement route is...."
But Jeok Ma-hyeok did not know.
The truth — that the original order had been to conduct a light reconnaissance and abandon the attempt if it seemed impossible, but Sip I-yeong had altered the transmission to say the mission must be carried out no matter what.
He did not know that Sip I-yeong never forgot a grudge.