Chapter 57
Chapter 57
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: The Client
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What if Bu Eun-seol were to refuse a direct mission from his superiors?
The two of them could be demoted on the spot. No, in the worst-case scenario, they could be thrown back into the underground prison.
“H-Hey…”
Sang-ryang and Ma-un, their faces pale, bowed their heads as if to kneel and grabbed Bu Eun-seol by the sleeve.
“This puts us in a very difficult position.”
“Th-That’s right. In the worst case, the Yueyang branch could be shut down.”
In response to their pleas, Bu Eun-seol muttered indifferently.
“Then I’ll just go to another branch.”
Ninth Kill Squad members had no fixed affiliation.
They could leave for another branch to take on missions whenever they wished, and they could quit at any time after fulfilling their one-year term.
At Bu Eun-seol’s mutterings, Sang-ryang’s eyes went wide.
‘N-No!’
If this happened, all his efforts up to now would be for nothing.
Biting his lip, Sang-ryang clasped his hands together.
“Please, take this job. I’m begging you.”
With his hands clasped, Sang-ryang bent his waist as if to prostrate himself.
“If this goes wrong, our heads could roll.”
“That sounds like quite the problem.”
Bu Eun-seol’s apathetic reply made Sang-ryang’s sagging cheeks tremble.
If he followed his temper, he would have pulled out the Judge’s Brush from his robes and stabbed him in a vital point.
But his opponent was Number Eighteen, the pillar of the Yueyang branch and the greatest Ninth Kill Squad member in its history!
“Y-Yes, it is.”
Clenching his teeth, Sang-ryang forced a smile and said.
“If you just take this one job, I’ll provide you with not only all the equipment in the branch, but also all the information that comes in.”
Instantly, Bu Eun-seol’s drooping eyes shot back up.
The equipment didn’t matter to him.
But the offer of being provided with all the information coming into the branch was incredibly tempting.
It was tantamount to gaining a personal intelligence organization.
“For how long?”
“What do you mean, for how long? We’re all in the same boat here.”
Sang-ryang’s eyes twinkled as he rubbed his hands together.
It was the most cordial he had been to anyone since he had left the martial world.
“Fine.”
Nodding, Bu Eun-seol slowly turned around.
“But only this once. I will not take on a job like this again.”
*Thud.*
As the door to the secret chamber closed, Ma-un spoke to Sang-ryang with a look of disbelief.
“Brother, are you mad? Giving him all the information that comes into the branch?”
“What was I supposed to do with a man who refuses money? The only thing he’s interested in is the information that comes into the branch.”
“Even so. Doesn’t that make our branch his personal intelligence organization?”
“It’s fine. Once this job is over… we might finally be able to return to the Ma-jeon.”
“Really? Did you get some good news?”
As Ma-un’s face lit up, Sang-ryang grinned slyly.
“Nothing like that. But if we finish this job, that good news will come.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“If that man handles this job well, it’s the same as making a good impression on the one who can save us.”
“Wait a minute. Don’t tell me, is the person we’re protecting that much of a big shot?”
As Ma-un asked with a trembling voice, Sang-ryang narrowed his eyes.
“That’s right.”
***
The Dan Family Manor.
It was an estate where a wealthy man with the surname Dan of Dali and his relatives lived together.
But now, the vast estate was empty, with only a few servants standing by respectfully.
“Hmm.”
Bu Eun-seol let out a low hum as he gazed at the beautiful garden where rare and exotic flowers bloomed.
According to the letter, the client was visiting Yueyang for leisure. But to buy an entire manor just for a short stay?
‘They must be incredibly wealthy.’
*Clip-clop, clip-clop.*
Just then, the sound of horse hooves echoed as a magnificent eight-horse carriage stopped in front of the Dan Family Manor’s main gate.
*Click.*
The driver, who had dismounted from his seat, opened the carriage door, and a middle-aged man with a dignified build slowly stepped out.
Following him, a mysterious woman wearing a yellow silk dress and a transparent veil emerged.
The middle-aged man exuded an aura as sharp as the edge of a blade, while the mysterious woman had an ethereal beauty, like a single flower.
“Who are you?”
At the middle-aged man’s question, Bu Eun-seol answered impassively.
“I’m from the Yueyang branch.”
“I asked who you are.”
“A Ninth Kill Squad member from the Yueyang branch. I am here on a protection assignment.”
His voice was as flat as if a rock were speaking.
As the middle-aged man’s eyebrows shot up at the curt reply, the veiled woman stepped forward.
“You must be the warrior assigned to protect me.”
The woman's speech and demeanor were filled with a grace more elegant than the beautiful features visible through her veil.
“Then, what should I call you, warrior?”
“Call me Number Eighteen.”
“Number… Eighteen?”
“Ninth Kill Squad members do not have names.”
At that, the middle-aged man standing beside her spoke with irritation.
“You don’t need to use your codename here.”
Just as Bu Eun-seol was about to reply, the veiled woman spoke with a smile.
“Oh, now that I look closely… that’s a fake face, isn’t it?”
A flicker of interest appeared in Bu Eun-seol’s eyes.
This young woman had seen through his Face-Shifting Art, something no one had ever noticed before?
“No need to be surprised. My powers of observation are just a bit better than most.”
When one speaks, the muscles around the mouth and eyes move in concert.
But when a face is altered with the Face-Shifting Art, the facial muscles move a little unnaturally.
Bu Eun-seol, an expert in human musculature, was aware of this, yet no one had ever managed to see through it.
But the veiled woman had noticed at once.
“No one will recognize you even if we see your face. You can feel free to show it.”
“I refuse.”
“Why?”
“The work I do requires that I always hide my true face. I can make no exceptions.”
As Bu Eun-seol spoke curtly, a flash of anger appeared in the middle-aged man’s eyes.
“You’ve had a lot of nerve from the moment you got here… Are you trying to test my patience?”
“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“From now on, do as she says without talking back.”
“I agreed to a protection mission. I never said I would be a lackey who does as he’s told.”
“What did you say?”
In that moment, a shimmering aura, like a heat haze, flowed from the middle-aged man’s body.
His presence was like Mount Tai, making the air in the manor as heavy as iron.
“Uncle.”
Just then, the veiled woman shook her head.
“This warrior is only doing his job diligently. Please be understanding.”
“But this whelp has been….”
“Please.”
At her earnest plea, the middle-aged man reluctantly withdrew his aura.
“What does a name matter, anyway?”
The veiled woman looked at Bu Eun-seol and smiled warmly.
“But ‘Mr. Ten’ or ‘Mr. Eight’ sounds a little strange… In that case, I will call you Mr. Ho.”
“Do as you please.”
Nodding, Bu Eun-seol asked drily.
“What should I call you?”
The middle-aged man snorted and sneered.
“Hmph, why would a punk like you need to ask that?”
“I see. If a dangerous situation arises, or if I need to call for her urgently, I’ll just make a sound like ‘Aack!’.”
At Bu Eun-seol’s blunt retort, the middle-aged man’s face turned red and then purple.
The veiled woman seemed to be suppressing a laugh, her eyes curving into crescents again.
“I am… So-ok.”
As Bu Eun-seol stared at her, the veiled girl lowered her gaze slightly, her cheeks blushing.
“As for what to call me, you can call me whatever you’re comfortable with, Mr. Ho…”
“Then I will call you Lady So.”
Nodding, Bu Eun-seol turned his steady gaze back to the middle-aged man.
Guessing his intent, the man snorted and said.
“This old man is U Mun-hwang.”
Bu Eun-seol showed a hint of surprise.
Not only because the middle-aged-looking man referred to himself as an old man, but also because he had never heard the name before.
‘A master from a previous era.’
The book Master Cheol had given him contained the names of all the masters who had made a name for themselves in the last thirty years.
If his name wasn’t in it, he must have been a famous master from a past generation.
“You seem to be a considerable master. I don’t think my protection will be necessary.”
At Bu Eun-seol’s words, the veiled woman smiled faintly.
“My uncle is not only of high seniority, but he also retired from the martial world a long time ago. The main house is concerned about that.”
“Don’t you worry. They’re just worrying for nothing. You won’t have to worry about a thing with your uncle around.”
U Mun-hwang grumbled, but Bu Eun-seol immediately understood what she meant.
Being away from the martial world for a long time meant that one’s senses for detecting danger would have dulled considerably. It would be a significant handicap for providing protection in an unfamiliar land.
“I see what my duties are.”
The Hunan region was a place where complex and diverse factions clashed.
And since Bu Eun-seol was quite familiar with the situation here, he was the perfect person to assist U Mun-hwang.
“There won’t be much for you to do.”
U Mun-hwang said with a smirk.
“This old man will take care of everything, so you just need to not interfere with Ok’s sightseeing.”
He then pointed at Bu Eun-seol’s shabby clothes.
“Go home for today, and come back here tomorrow morning. And all you have to do is act like a young master from a prestigious family who came on a trip with Ok.”
U Mun-hwang seemed to regard Bu Eun-seol as nothing more than a useless folding screen.
But Bu Eun-seol simply nodded, unperturbed.
“Understood.”
***
Dressed in silk clothes tailored by Nang-ya-gak, Bu Eun-seol returned to the Dan Family Manor.
An eight-horse carriage was already waiting there, with So-ok and U Mun-hwang inside.
“You’ve arrived just in time.”
She was wearing a white robe with golden embroidery on a snow-white fabric.
Though she wore a veil, her beauty and elegance were like seeing a crane among the clouds.
—Where are we going?
An ordinary person would have asked for their destination.
But Bu Eun-seol boarded the carriage without a word. Wherever they went, all he had to do was follow U Mun-hwang and protect her.
Their first destination was a boat ride.
“Li Bai, known as the ‘Poet Sage,’ loved wine and the moon his entire life.”
So-ok said with an excited look once they were on the boat.
“Li Bai’s death, too, was said to have occurred after he went boating on Dongting Lake after drinking, and drowned while trying to catch the moon’s reflection in the water…”
The next destination was Yueyang Tower.
“‘Dongting is the water under heaven, Yueyang is the tower under heaven.’ It means that Dongting Lake is the greatest water in the world, and Yueyang Tower is the greatest tower in the world…”
Every time they moved, So-ok would tirelessly tell the other sightseers about the origins and history of the scenic spots.
‘Strange. How can she talk so much without her voice getting hoarse?’
Bu Eun-seol listened silently to her stories.
Fortunately, her voice was very clear and beautiful, so it wasn’t unpleasant to listen to. If it hadn’t been, he would have covered his ears and stood far away.
Meanwhile, her tour continued.
They went to Junshan Island to see the Xiangfei Shrine and the surrounding bamboo and tea fields.
Then they took a boat back and climbed Jinxing Lou, on the eastern edge of Yueyang Prefecture.
“Please bring out all of this restaurant’s signature dishes.”
Sitting at a table by the window with a fine view, So-ok ordered enough food to feed ten grown men.
Before long, the table was so filled with dishes that it was hard to find a place to set down a cup.
“Enjoy your meal!”
Once the waiter had set down all the dishes, So-ok removed her veil and began to eat delicately.
Bu Eun-seol had never placed much importance on eating.
A meal was simply the act of putting food in one’s mouth to preserve stamina and life. It held no meaning beyond that.
But people of high status put considerable effort even into their meals.
‘Peculiar.’
Sitting at the opposite table and watching So-ok and U Mun-hwang eat, Bu Eun-seol’s expression grew subtle.