Chapter 97
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: Dungeon Rescue
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Tap, tap, tap...
Dampness seeping from the ceiling gathered on the protruding rocks before dripping down.
Whoosh.
In the pitch-black, humid darkness, only the torches lining the walls flickered sporadically, gnawing away at the shadows.
This eerie place, faintly tinged with malice, was the prison of Haenam Island's main fortress, carved into an erosion cave.
It had just one entrance, blocked by triple iron grates—even that could only be accessed with the warden's key, making it a natural fortress.
In cells scattered along the endlessly stretching cave, over ten Moon Tribe folk per cell lay with their qi suppressed and limbs bound in iron chains, caged like beasts.
"Damn it all, how the hell do we get out of here?"
Amid them was one who wasn't Moon Tribe: Gye Dusin, clad in filthy white robes that were little more than rags.
He'd been thrown in for bumping into the clan chief's daughter, Yeo Seon, and beaten relentlessly, but his mission was complete.
With his qi sealed and limbs bound, he couldn't escape himself, but he'd successfully relayed a message to those in the next cell, who passed it on for him to converse with Yang Lim.
Cell by cell, next one, then the next.
Hah, what kind of game of telephone was this...?
But what choice did he have? Shout too loud, and the guards would hear—total disaster.
It took quite a while, but he'd finally conveyed Yu Hyun's intent and confirmed his resolve.
And boy, did they blow up...
The moment Yu Hyun's name came up, they all exploded in fury, yelling so loud his ears nearly bled.
If the warden hadn't come snarling threats, he would've been their punching bag the whole time instead of talking.
From what he gathered, it was because Yu Hyun had defiled the sacred grounds... What a troublemaker.
Anyway, now he just needed to escape safely. If only...
"..."
How the hell was he supposed to get out?
The bars were too dense—even Shrinking Bone Technique wouldn't work, and his qi was sealed to boot...
"Goddamn it! If they sent me in, they should've planned a way out! That rotten leader!"
Curses flowed naturally. Beat him senseless for that half-baked scheme, and now no exit in sight.
What good was passing the message and confirming the will if he couldn't act on it?
"Hah."
Rack his brains as he might, no clever plan emerged.
He wouldn't rot away here, would he? They wouldn't just forget about him... right?
Damn it, why'd he stick his neck in at all!
"Hey, Beggar Brother."
"...Yes."
A warrior from the next cell hailed him with that grating title.
"What do you think will happen?"
"..."
"The chief and all the Moon Tribe stand united. Once we're out, we'll seize the new Island Lord, rally the six tribes, and uncover their plot."
"..."
"Come on, let's get out of here."
The voice from the next cell—Jin Hwan's—burned with zeal.
Good thing they couldn't see each other's faces; if he'd glimpsed Gye Dusin's awkward expression, the air would blue with curses.
How was he supposed to handle this?
He'd stoked the fire high, but...
Beyond awkward, into despair, he clutched his head.
Ah, Leader.
Please. Do something. Everyone's fired up. I want out too.
More than anything, this stench is killing me.
That was it. The smell tormented him most.
The unwashed stench of prisoners locked away for days mingled with the cave's musty rot, permeating the cells.
Worse, the draft blew from the entrance, and stuck in the nearest cell as the "least guilty," he was going mad.
Every foul odor converged on him, soaking into his skin; even breathing triggered dry heaves.
Not all beggars were dirty and stinking—he prided himself on daily baths and cleanliness. This reek hurt worse than the guards' beatings.
"Hah, gotta get out, but how..."
No matter how he pondered, no solution surfaced. Gye Dusin prayed fervently, whatever would be, would be.
May his will reach the heavens... no, Yu Hyun's heart...
Pray, pray, pray...
Thud! Bang!
"...?"
Hm? What was that?
Faint, but definitely a sound.
Something striking, colliding... could it be!
Gye Dusin jammed his ear between the bars.
Thwack, thwack-thwack! Boom!
"!"
No mistake. A fight outside, for sure.
Hope surged in Gye Dusin's eyes.
The Leader—had to be Yu Hyun coming for him.
What else would cause a brawl at the prison?
Gye Dusin pressed his beaming face to the bars, eager for a glimpse of his possible rescuer, Yu Hyun.
Soon, promising sounds followed.
Creeeak, crunch.
Iron bending...
Step, step, step.
Powerful footfalls echoing through the cave.
Ah, how glorious.
The sound, enough to bring tears, rang out exactly three times.
"..."
But wait. Was this okay?
Even for the mission, sneaking quietly made sense—not smashing in like this.
This was a prison break. If it went south, heads would roll.
As a flicker of anxiety crossed Gye Dusin's joyful face...
"You fu~ck~ing~ bastard!"
The Leader's bellow echoed.
"Over here! Here! Leader! Right here!"
Joy overriding all, Gye Dusin waved frantically beyond the bars, shouting his lungs out.
Clang, clang!
Fearing he might be missed, he gripped the bars like a caged monkey, shaking them wildly.
Soon, with a few more steps, he appeared at last.
His savior...
"Ugh! The smell!"
"..."
"Beggars, man—always this problem. Why don't you ever wash?"
Yu Hyun approached, then recoiled, pinching his nose and scowling.
"..."
Savior my ass...
Joy flipped to rage in an instant.
Who wants to stink? Who chooses this?
It's all your fault! Got me drunk, made me cause trouble!
This snot-nosed brat, rotten to the core... What kind of upbringing in that fancy scholar clan turns out a punk like this?
"The job?"
"Delivered, more or less."
"Good work. So why the sour face? Your Leader braved every peril to rescue you?"
"..."
Perils my ass.
"Whatever. Come on out."
Crunch, screeech.
Yu Hyun gripped the bars with both hands and wrenched them apart.
These puny bars? No key needed—he bent them like twigs.
"Release my pressure points too."
"..."
He wanted to, knew he should, but the smell...
Still, others needed freeing—had to hurry.
Yu Hyun plugged his nose, fingers trembling to avoid contact as he tapped the bars...
"...This feels really off-putting."
"Just your imagination."
"..."
Gye Dusin glared, eyes narrowed at Yu Hyun's words.
"Where's the Moon Clan chief?"
"How should I know? Haven't even seen his face."
"...?"
Yu Hyun cocked his head at Gye Dusin's irritated reply.
What's his deal?
Ah, still mad about getting thrown in?
Or beaten too hard?
"Fine, I get it. But no time. We move now!"
"Get it my—"
"..."
Gye Dusin pouted and grumbled.
Even so, cursing like that... He had sins to atone, no time to smack him anyway.
"Tch, fine. Clan Chief! Clan Chief!"
"..."
As Yu Hyun hesitated on raising his hand, Gye Dusin snapped irritably toward the cell's depths.
"Over there!"
"Ah, got it."
"..."
This punk, no sense of the gravity, mouthing off...
Yu Hyun swallowed the urge to break that insolent finger, gauged the direction, and shouted at Gye Dusin.
"You free the rest. Hurry!"
"...Yes, sure. If you say free 'em, I'll free 'em."
"..."
No clue what stuck in his craw, but no time to dawdle.
Later, he'd demand reasons—and if justified, beat the crap out of him.
Yu Hyun dashed toward the voice's source, vowing inwardly.
"Clan Chief!"
"Come in. I'd hoped never to see you again. How could you defile the sacred grounds..."
"Sorry about that. But now's not the time. We must move fast."
"Hrm, understood. Let's hurry."
Yu Hyun snapped the bars and promptly released Yang Lim's pressure points.
Yang Lim shuddered, eyes igniting with fervor—his qi flowing again.
"Out first. Chief, send messenger pigeons to the Whirlwind Corps and the other tribal leaders at once."
"Messenger pigeons?"
"Yes. In the new Island Lord's name. I'll dictate the message."
"Hm, feasible? The Island Lord's guarded by Haenam's strongest, the Whirlwind Corps... Wait, sending to them means they've—"
"Yes. All out. Fortress is empty save a few guards."
"What?"
"Whirlwind Corps, tribes—everyone's frantic hunting my decoy image."
"..."
Yang Lim eyed Yu Hyun, then nodded gravely.
Didn't grasp it all, but if he freed them this easily, trust and follow.
"Understood. Anything else we can do?"
"No. Moon Tribe can't take them all now anyway."
"True. Most wounds untreated..."
"Send the pigeons first, then with Dusin, subdue the guards. I'll handle the rest."
Yang Lim pondered Yu Hyun's assured words.
No choice now.
Framed for rebellion, and prison break to boot.
With things this far, believe Gye Dusin's relay.
Conspiracy in Vice Leader and old Lord's illness; they'd reveal all, so follow their will...
"Understood. So be it."
"Thanks. See you soon."
"No worries."
Yang Lim nodded, eyes ablaze with resolve at Yu Hyun's words.
One last piece remained.
The reversal to flip the tide.
As Yu Hyun escaped the prison after dictating the pigeon message to Yang Lim, a cold smile curled his lips.
Come on in.
He'd weave the web quietly, calmly, drawing them all in.
Not one would escape...
* * *
"What nonsense is this? He's caught?"
"Yes! The Island Lord's pigeon said so clearly. He personally captured the prison breaker, with the left-behind troops."
"...Prison break?"
Joy flashed in Bang Hae-gun's eyes at his subordinate's report.
Prison break? What audacious fool.
No wonder—no sightings despite ships patrolling offshore and combing the coast.
Lured them seaside to rescue the Moon Tribe?
But why?
"..."
A smirk crept onto Bang Hae-gun's lips after a moment's thought.
Right, witnesses...
The kid needed witnesses, maybe.
Just twenty years old. Whatever he uncovered, it wasn't enough for Haenam alone.
Circumstantial at best.
Haenam was insular, as he knew.
Even the Justice Alliance wouldn't launch an probe on a youth's hearsay.
Especially against the Island Lord. Tribes' loyalty might wane post-old Leader, but they'd never tolerate outsiders.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend, no?
This sealed it.
Lacking compared to him, but the new Island Lord was a peak expert too.
Plus, he'd left two subordinates behind.
"So Ha!"
"Yes."
"Turn the horses! Back to the fortress."
"Yes!"
Bang Hae-gun's vigorous shout sent the horses thundering again.
Toward remote Oji Mountain's fortress.
Oblivious to the sinister figure there, spinning a web just to snare them...