Chapter 13
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: 04. Deal and Test (3)
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"There was a bounty request that came in about a fortnight ago. It caught my personal interest quite a bit."
"……!"
"So, I was reluctant to assign just any decent swordsman to it. Whenever I found someone with solid sword skills, they lacked brains. And when they seemed clever enough, I couldn't trust them at all."
"Congratulations. Haven't you now found a trustworthy swordsman?"
"Have I?"
"A man worth his weight in gold, no less. Or am I wrong?"
Hidden Moon stared straight into Flying Tiger's eyes before nodding with a 'That's right.'
And with that, the two exchanged their understanding.
"The client is quite picky. They want to meet you in person and test you themselves. If you pass, then we'll formalize the contract."
"They don't trust bounty hunters, yet they still want to hire one. That's hardly conventional."
"It's not a conventional job."
"In that case, our deal truly begins the moment I satisfy that demanding client."
"I like how we see eye to eye. Exactly. The real talk starts after you pass the test."
'The daughter of Shaanxi's overlord? A deal worth gold from the start, and the players showing up are no joke.'
Flying Tiger masked his inner thoughts as he spoke to Gwak Nan-hoe.
"You must be someone important. What's the matter?"
"You look younger than I expected."
"That's right. Makes my sword swings all the more vigorous and lively."
"Good. If your skills are up to par, what does gender matter to me? But you asked what this is about. If you want to know, prove yourself first."
As Gwak Nan-hoe shot a quick glance, the guard who had been sitting quietly beside her leaned forward slightly and spoke.
"You……."
Flying Tiger subtly shifted his chair to the right and raised his right heel.
Smooth.
The chair slid with a faint sound, and Flying Tiger maintained his nonchalant expression.
"Go ahead and speak."
"Huh? What was that just now?"
"Preparing to leap back if needed."
"Why?"
"In case you decide to test me with a sword swing. Sitting here, I have a feeling your footwork would be too fast for me to handle."
The guard stared at him in bewilderment, and Flying Tiger shrugged.
Gwak Nan-hoe watched the scene with keen interest.
The guard paused as if in thought, then said,
"This Jin wouldn't draw a sword on a guest without warning. But... I do acknowledge your sharp senses. I did subtly release some qi to provoke you as a test."
"Ah, my mistake then. Got a bit jumpy and misread it. Please, go on?"
Even as he said this, Flying Tiger nudged his chair a tiny bit further.
His words might say otherwise, but it was a clear declaration: if you draw that sword, I'm bolting.
The guard who had introduced himself as Jin something-or-other wore an expression of 'What kind of guy is this?' But at the same time, a spark of rivalry ignited: 'But could he really dodge if I drew? He's within my sword's range.'
Just like Flying Tiger had provoked him, he too felt stirred by his opponent.
Soon, the guard shook his head, leaned back against the chair, and posed the question he had originally intended.
"If this meeting were a trap meant to kill you, how would you escape?"
Without turning, Flying Tiger pointed to the window in the right rear corner, opposite the door.
"I'd pull back there first. While watching out for your quick sword."
"And that's feasible?"
"Kick the chair at you and roll backward—might just work. What do you think?"
"Could be. But why that window instead of the door?"
"Figure burly monks are waiting outside the door. On the way from the grand hall to here, I spotted twelve warrior monks with exceptional skills. If the whole place is a trap, the owners are in on it too, right?"
"Ho, that's plausible. By the way... twelve? Do you remember exactly where they all were?"
Flying Tiger recited the layout of Red Lantern Temple he had observed on the way in, along with the positions of the warrior monks. He even smoothly outlined his theorized escape route out the window based on that.
The guard listened in admiration, as if beholding a rare artifact, and asked at the end,
"Impressive! Have you been to Red Lantern Temple before?"
"First time."
"And you remember it all in such detail? Did you anticipate I'd ask something like this?"
"No. It's just habit to memorize terrain and features in unfamiliar places."
"Hmm."
This question had been to gauge Flying Tiger's observation skills and quick thinking.
It was a perfect score.
Satisfied, the guard nodded, and Gwak Nan-hoe, who had been watching, chimed in with her own question.
"But what if enemies are waiting outside that window you pointed to?"
"Entirely possible. But if they're that far out, the building's fully surrounded. I'd have to fight my way out no matter which way I go. So if I'm breaking through, better to pick the side with thinner encirclement or more variables. The back has buildings pressed close, narrowing the space."
"Understood. One last question then."
"Yes."
"Going back to the start: when you fled toward that window, you were extremely wary of the warrior Jin beside me."
"Precisely his first strike with hidden weapons."
"In your view, is there nothing else to watch out for?"
Flying Tiger paused, eyeing Gwak Nan-hoe as the intent of her question felt ambiguous.
Honestly, even dodging the guard Jin's first strike meant bracing for the follow-up. And from there, every variable that arose would demand vigilance.
So while he said he'd bolt that way, in a real pinch, the best was to improvise on the fly.
'But that's not what she wants to hear. Maybe testing my ego?'
"Are you saying I should also watch for the phoenix hairpin in your hair or the various hidden weapons concealed on your body?"
"Why not?"
"No. I don't think so."
"Why?"
"I'd be too busy dodging the sword from the guard next to you. Factoring in your hidden weapons on top? That's beyond me. Better to brace for one or two hits and escape this room as fast as possible."
"Hah! So my hidden weapons are okay to take a couple of?"
"Probably not. But I doubt you'd join the fray right away. You two both seem like proud warriors to me. So the key is to bolt before you decide to act."
"……!"
Gwak Nan-hoe muttered to herself, 'Tch! Talks like a flowing river,' flustered or impressed at having her thoughts read.
Flying Tiger then asked,
"Do I pass?"
"Not yet. We've heard your silver tongue—now we need to check if your combat prowess matches."
"How will you test that?"
"Kill one person for me. Succeed, and you pass."
"Who's the target?"
"Cut-Knife Hand Sang Mok-cheon. Division leader of Dance Melody Manor."
It was a name Flying Tiger had never heard. Killing some random stranger on command felt off-putting enough, but the real issue was Dance Melody Manor itself.
So he shot Gwak Nan-hoe a look of 'Are you serious?' and she nodded affirmatively.
Dance Melody Manor was a pillar of the Martial Qin Alliance. One of the four forces that had joined Lion Hall from the outset in unifying Shaanxi.
Chongyang Sect.
Hanzhong Fortress.
Stone Spring Gao Family.
And Dance Melody Manor.
In the alliance's hierarchy, if Lion Hall was the royal bloodline, these four were the noble houses.
Six Jia Gate had joined later as an adversary-turned-ally, but their status was worlds apart.
That made it a problem.
Not as untouchable as Lion Hall, but touching the next tier down—what consequences would follow?
And this coming from a key figure of Lion Hall, blood allies no less—how to even process that?
It was a tricky bounty all around.
'Another test? Seeing how I handle a dilemma? If so, what should I do?'
He knew it was a probe, but unsure of the true desire, Flying Tiger hesitated to play along.
"What kind of man is he? Did he commit some capital crime?"
"……."
Gwak Nan-hoe was baffled by Flying Tiger's question, which strayed from her expectations.
She had anticipated something like 'Are you serious?' or 'Can you cover the aftermath?' or even 'Is this infighting between Lion Hall and Dance Melody Manor?'—power struggle concerns.
But no, he was asking about the man's personal guilt.
"Why do you ask?"
Flying Tiger tapped his sword hilt.
"As you know, I'm a swordsman who lives by the blade. Even for a test, if you're hiring for a killing, surely you don't expect it for free?"
"And?"
"To charge fairly, I need to know what."
"Ha~ So the price changes based on guilt rather than skill?"
"Exactly."
"He's as good as dead. Skilled enough for his division leader post, naturally. So, how much?"
"Five nyang in coppers."
What? The price of a bowl of noodle soup?
You're joking.
"Hmph! What if he has a good reputation with no faults?"
"No need for trivia. If he's not deserving of death, ten gold taels to end an innocent life."
One hundred coppers made a silver, a hundred silvers a gold. A staggering ten-thousand-fold difference.
"What kind of pricing is that? What if I'm lying?"
"Doesn't matter if it's true or not. I'll take the job either way—it's just the cost of selling my conscience."
"……."
He'd do it regardless. But if it meant dirtying his soul, he'd get paid properly for it.
Gwak Nan-hoe was dumbfounded by this odd calculus, while the guard couldn't hold back a laugh.
Flying Tiger had positioned himself masterfully. Bold yet pragmatic, quick-witted with just the right taint. How versatile—if his skills backed it up.
The guard whispered briefly with Gwak Nan-hoe, then pulled five nyang in coppers from his pouch and handed them over.
"Good enough?"
"Bounty accepted."
"When do you depart?"
"Now, if you're ready."
"Bold one. Let's go."
Flying Tiger set off again.
This time with the Jin guard. He was both guide to Cut-Knife Hand Sang Mok-cheon and observer of the test.
It was a half-day's journey to the target.
They left in late afternoon, so they camped overnight. Flying Tiger was inured to wind and dew, eating and sleeping rough, so he didn't mind. Surprisingly, the prim-looking guard was equally unfazed.
He even seemed to relish such moments.
Sitting by the campfire, spacing out and sipping from his brought gourd flask—he looked so content it made Flying Tiger think, 'Did I tag along just for this?'
The guard was certainly unique.
Seemingly cheerful at first glance, but after setting out, his words vanished entirely at some point. Flying Tiger could go a fortnight silent if needed, but this guy was like a mute.
Curiosity struck Flying Tiger.
"May I have your name, warrior?"
"Curious now?"
"Well……."
"This, probably?"
The guard grinned awkwardly, stone-faced, and shook the sloshing gourd flask.