Chapter 206
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 206
Chapter Title: Death Spirit (1)
Huapo was a small village.
Situated along a main road, it had a tavern and an inn, but nothing on a grand scale. The tavern could barely fit five tables and mostly dealt in cheap rice wine.
In that place, Mian Sosal was a celebrity.
He had stayed in Huapo for two days, and during those two days, he had nearly drained the village dry of its liquor.
"Isn't there a handsome young lord staying here? Where's he tied up at the moment?"
"Who're you talkin' about?"
"He sent word that he's run out of travel money, and with the busy season upon us, I need to hand over the funds and send him on his way."
"Makes sense he'd be broke. Spendin' like that, how could it not run out? Martial artists sure have it good. When the cash dries up, they just send for more. Head that way."
The farmer nodded toward a house.
It wasn't an inn. Huapo did have one, but the rooms were barely three pyeong—cramped as could be. That's why folks with a bit of extra coin often lodged in private homes.
Mian Sosal was staying in one such private home.
"Thanks."
The Fox flashed a bright smile at the farmer who had pointed out the house.
"Over there."
The Vanguard eyed the neat thatched cottage.
It was a humble spot for someone like Mian Sosal, but in Huapo, it counted as quite tidy.
"We checked twice, so it has to be right."
The Fox spoke with confidence.
"That bastard must've caused one hell of a ruckus for even strangers to know about it. Not like he's set on going fully rogue or anything."
Hanbi muttered, glaring at the cottage.
"Heh heh heh! A defeated general, isn't he? Sure, he lost to someone unbeatable, but a loss is a loss."
The Vanguard said with a bitter chuckle.
"Is that even a loss? If it were me, I'd count it an honor just to cross hands with Old Gu."
"There's no honor in defeat."
"Is there in death?"
"Depends on how you see it."
"Heh heh heh! Our deaths won't be honorable, that's for sure. Ah, but peaceful... that'd be nice. What a thing... to be born human and go out peacefully."
"Heh heh heh! Nice? Nah, just means you lived wrong."
"Save the chit-chat for the afterlife... Look, this is the cottage layout... and Mian Sosal's sleeping here."
The Fox showed them a sketch thick with the scent of ink.
"One door, one window."
"Window's too narrow for anyone to come and go. Only entrance is that door."
"Ceiling too."
The Fox said.
"Ceiling? Sneak past Mian Sosal's eyes and climb the roof? And it's a thatch roof to boot—woven straw, who knows where it's rotted. Step on it, and dust'll fly everywhere."
"I'll handle it."
The Fox grinned.
The Fox planned to drop through the ceiling for a surprise attack. She had already decided while sketching the layout.
"Fine. You take the ceiling. Then we'll have to go through the only door."
"One-on-one."
Hanbi shook his head side to side.
Attacking through the door was as good as admitting defeat upfront. Against anyone but Mian Sosal, it might work, but with him, the moment the door opened, a counterattack was all but guaranteed.
And hitting the sole entrance meant forcing a one-on-one.
One of them would rush in right after the other, but by then, the first would already be down.
"Watch my back."
The Vanguard clapped Hanbi on the shoulder.
"Heh heh! When have I ever covered for you, Vanguard? You've always had my back, so I return the favor this time."
"Hahaha! Right you are?"
Hanbi and the Vanguard shared a laugh.
It didn't matter who went first or second. Anyone stepping inside that room was dead. The Fox dropping through the ceiling would die too.
"Go. We'll move when you're set."
The Vanguard gave the Fox a nod.
"Vanguard."
"..."
"Don't meet up with us in the next life."
"Let's not."
Shiiik!
The Fox shot forward like lightning.
"Better not cross paths in the next world. What good comes from assassins meeting? Heh heh heh! Hear that? You too—flee at the sight of my shadow next time."
The Vanguard muttered to Hanbi.
Tok! Tok! Tok!
Before climbing to the ceiling, she circled the cottage, tossing small pebbles cautiously.
Thunder bombs.
All the ones she had made went to Four Thousand Four.
These weren't from Four Thousand Four. Nor were they hers.
- The Thunderclap Gate's signature weapon is the Lightning Oil Fire. Small as a bean, but its explosive power defies imagination. One Lightning Oil Fire can turn a hundred-man encampment to ash.
People called these Lightning Oil Fires "thunder bombs."
No, they were different. The Thunderclap Gate made them separately.
Thunder bombs were made from simple materials based on Lightning Oil Fires. Bigger, weaker explosions, but easy to produce.
What the Fox scattered were the Thunderclap Gate's true Lightning Oil Fires.
These Lightning Oil Fires... she had always figured they'd be used against the Heavenly Annihilation Division someday.
Rescuing Jo Mun, saving her grandfather—they'd come in handy big time. Against Old Gu for Four Thousand Four's sake, she planned to detonate every last one in her bosom.
She'd die, and so would Old Gu.
If Four Thousand Four hadn't stopped her, it would've happened. Then he wouldn't have died. Stubborn fool. Shouldn't have listened to him.
Anyway, time to use them now.
'You have no choice but to die.'
After scattering four Lightning Oil Fires at the cottage's four cardinal points, she stole a glance at the quiet room.
Mian Sosal was still sleeping inside.
Then, the Fox leaped up onto the thatch roof.
Muffle her footsteps? No such plan. Hide her presence? Not that either. Conceal the ambush? No. She wouldn't hide it. Tread lightly so Mian Sosal wouldn't notice? Dead wrong. He had to notice.
Pook!
The moment her foot hit the thatch, it sank right in.
And how could it not... The Fox stomped down hard with both feet.
Squish!
The thatch didn't just swallow her feet—it gripped up to her waist.
The Fox flung her arms wide to halt her fall, then shot back up.
Puaak!
In her haste, the roof erupted in a cloud of dust. Strands snapped, sending straw and grass flying, dust blooming in puffs.
"Whoa! That guy!"
Hanbi yelped in surprise.
"Thunder bombs!"
The sharp-eyed Vanguard read her intent instantly.
"Still got some left?"
"Maybe a few. She's drawing his focus to the ceiling, then boom. Wait... didn't she circle the house once?"
"Mm!"
Hanbi grunted too.
They should've caught her plan when she looped around the cottage.
"Thunder bombs might give us a shot."
"What good's a shot?"
"...?"
Hanbi looked at the Vanguard like he didn't get it.
"Still don't see it? The author ditched us. Once this is over, another job drops. More dangerous than this, guaranteed death."
"Heh heh heh! Right. Forgot for a second."
"Anyway, let's wait. She's set on dying first, so why not?"
The Fox would be watching the Vanguard. If he took a single step, she'd trigger the bombs right away.
The Vanguard and Hanbi scrapped their plan to sync with her.
'Good thinking, Vanguard.'
The Fox took another step on the roof.
Again, her foot plunged through—foot, knee, waist in an instant.
Two big ruckuses now.
Even deep asleep, Mian Sosal had to notice by now.
No. If he were asleep, she wouldn't be making this noise.
Mian Sosal was awake.
He'd guzzled every drop in the village precisely because he couldn't get drunk. Chug all you want, stay sharp as ever—what else could drive you mad?
- That guy's a heavy drinker. Heavy. Doesn't seem to get drunk no matter how much he downs.
- Folks slur when plastered, but not him. Always cold, curt, and... sigh! Those eyes. Shivers just thinking about 'em.
- After drinking, he curls up like a beast at home. Doesn't even sleep, they say.
The villagers feared Mian Sosal.
He was like live gunpowder—touch him, and boom. Compressed tight, then erupting all at once.
The Vanguard and Hanbi didn't know this.
Attack together, all three die. The only way to handle Mian Sosal was those Lightning Oil Fires.
Those two... even if they survived this, next time they'd die.
She had the sense for that much.
If she couldn't guess why the Heavenly Annihilation Division ordered Mian Sosal's hit without backup, she wouldn't be the Fox of Bireung Mountain.
But not this time. She couldn't die with them.
If they approached, Mian Sosal might charge out.
A master like him could gauge their prowess from inside, even know he outmatched them.
Yet he'd burst out anyway.
The killing intent he'd bottled up, rage at defeat—it'd lash out at the wrong targets.
Then her carefully placed Lightning Oil Fires might go to waste.
Besides, she truly wanted to die.
She missed Four Thousand Four.
Having abandoned and fled from him, it was her duty to end herself by her own hand—for his sake.
She missed Four Thousand Four so much. Never realized how much she loved him until sending him away. Now without him, the emptiness was unbearable.
She must've loved him more than she thought.
'Fool, I'll be there soon.'
Thinking of Four Thousand Four, the Fox leaped.
Shuut! Shwaat!
In that instant, she felt a demon lurking in the shadows beneath her feet surge up.
'Now!'
She yanked hard on the silver thread linked to the Lightning Oil Fires.
Nothing. It should've felt the fuses snap taut, but it dangled loose, like shaking an empty line.
The Lightning Oil Fires wouldn't ignite.
'Damn!'
As the Fox reeled in horror!
Shuut! Puk!
Mian Sosal's assault began. The first strike pierced straight through her chest center.
Pain as if her chest split in two.
"Chaat!"
Gritting through the agony, the Fox unleashed her finest killing move: Death Shadow Twin Palms.