Chapter 136
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 136
Chapter Title: Chapter 136
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 136
Chapter Title: Chapter 38. Utter Chaos (4)
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Anyway, why on earth did they drop the attack on Zhao Family Manor for this mess? Why was Jaeng-geum so desperate to devour Flying Tiger? With a major operation right on the horizon, turning on their own like this—if it botched the whole plan, it could turn into a massive liability.
The reason was simple.
Jaeng-geum had put on the show of reluctantly accepting Flying Tiger on the organization's orders, but he'd never once seen him as family. At best, he was a thorn in the eye.
Looking back, he'd disliked him from their very first encounter.
Jaeng-geum, who prided himself on his lightness skill, had been toyed with—Flying Tiger had dangled just out of reach, burning him with frustration, before finally slipping away. Flying Tiger was his stain, his blemish.
So from the day Flying Tiger first set foot in Jeonghae Pavilion, Jaeng-geum had egged Gon-son on to blow the fight out of proportion. Under the pretext of testing his skills, he'd aimed to weed him out. Luckily, Gon-son had ties to Unseong Chil-rang, so even a slight nudge had sent him scheming on his own.
But what had been the result?
After that, Flying Tiger hadn't given him any solid grounds to grab him by, but he'd managed to irk Jaeng-geum in the most subtle ways with everything he did.
On top of that, by some trick, he'd won over the pavilion's top expert, the Shandong Old Man. And even Sama Gul-gi, whom Jaeng-geum had staked his future on, seemed desperate because he couldn't get close to Flying Tiger!
It went beyond displeasure—it was anxiety-inducing.
If he let Flying Tiger keep rampaging unchecked, it felt like he'd soon climb over Jaeng-geum himself by crushing him underfoot. So he was someone who needed to be crushed first, whenever the chance arose.
That was what Flying Tiger meant to Jaeng-geum.
Truth be told, Flying Tiger's inner thoughts were packed with insolent ambitions, so Jaeng-geum's hostility wasn't off-base. If anything, his instincts were sharp.
He just didn't know the full extent of Flying Tiger.
Meanwhile, Flying Tiger knew Jaeng-geum found him uncomfortable, but not to this degree. He'd made his own preparations, but he'd never imagined Jaeng-geum would push this aggressively at such a critical time.
Thus, the two vaguely understood each other while remaining largely in the dark.
That was the backdrop to this disaster.
Jaeng-geum's thoughts and actions like this defied common sense, making them all the more dangerous. Why did everyone say, "Don't make reckless moves"? Because the consequences were too heavy to bear.
"Kuaaah~ It huuuurts!"
Jaeng-geum hadn't anticipated things turning out this way, nor even realized what was happening.
A crushing pain squeezed his heart, making breathing impossible as vomit surged up. His skin stung everywhere, then burned and scorched as if melting. And the intensity seemed to multiply several times over with every blink.
In short, it hurt like hell—like he was dying.
No, the pain was killing him.
All Jaeng-geum could do was scream until his throat burst, rolling on the floor, clawing and thrashing.
Thud.
Soon, even the thread of reason snapped.
Thus, the last thought Jaeng-geum had in life was a question.
'Gon-son... why would that bastard do this to me?'
The same doubt Gon-son harbored applied right back to Jaeng-geum.
Stunned by this unintended spectacle, Gon-son muttered as if talking to himself in a daze.
"Not Flying Tiger, but Jaeng-geum... why? What went wrong?"
Ho Ye-hwa and Sama Gul-gi rushed to the writhing Jaeng-geum.
But there was nothing they could really do. Even brushing his collar to hold him sent him flipping his eyes back and resisting violently. Even amid his deathly agony, it must have felt like even greater torment. With things like this, they couldn't lay a hand on him.
Flap, flap.
Moments later, Jaeng-geum's convulsions visibly subsided. Only then did Sama Gul-gi and Ho Ye-hwa grab him firmly and check his pulse this way and that, but it was already too late. The man who'd been fine just moments ago was clearly dying.
Thus, not just the two of them, but even Bong Yeon-ja—and the Shandong Old Man himself—gaped in shock, merely staring. It was that unexpected, that visually shocking.
What a bizarre night this was!
In the midst of it, a sudden thought struck Bong Yeon-ja, so she secretly glanced at Flying Tiger sidelong.
...!
Yes, the Flying Tiger she saw had pitch-black eyes gleaming wickedly as he grinned evilly.
'A little devil! That kid's a real little devil!'
But was it an illusion?
When Bong Yeon-ja shuddered and looked again, Flying Tiger was simply exuding cold detachment, observing the situation.
And around then, the people in the hall began turning to Flying Tiger one by one. They didn't know the ins and outs, but rational suspicion pointed to him being involved somehow.
Among them, Sama Gul-gi especially couldn't hold back and stepped forward again. Jaeng-geum's death held special meaning for him.
"Flying Tiger, what did you do?"
"Are you insane? Why ask me? If you're so curious..."
Flying Tiger took a step forward as he spoke. His direction was still toward Gon-son, who stood frozen like a statue in a daze.
"...ask the man himself. Right, Gon-son?"
Gon-son flinched and looked around with a troubled face. Then, with a venomous glare, he screamed at Flying Tiger as if cursing him.
"This is all your fault! It's all because of you, Flying Tiger! You... Hic!"
Gon-son suddenly hiccuped. A sudden realization hit him—this was all pointless.
Fists spoke louder than laws!
And that thought was spot on.
The next instant, Flying Tiger closed in like seeping shadow and thrust at his heart.
Squelch.
The Soul Wraith Sword plunged into the frail old man's heart, now rotten with evil alone, and throbbed.
Rrrumble~ ring.
Did it savor the taste of his murky soul's blood? The sword's wail was utterly satisfying.
As Flying Tiger pulled out the stabbing blade, Gon-son collapsed like a cut hay bale. Then, as if stamping out floor embers with his foot, Flying Tiger crushed the fallen man's neck vertebrae with grinding snaps.
Confirmation kill.
Flying Tiger's actions were so decisive and natural, as if handling the most obvious task.
So by the time the hall's occupants thought, "Huh? Shouldn't we stop him? Or just watch?" while hesitating as he strode to Gon-son, it was all over. It felt like the whole group had been collectively bewitched.
Realizing Gon-son's death belatedly, they scattered back, hands drifting to sword hilts or hidden weapons, glaring warily at Flying Tiger.
"Flying Tiger, explain yourself properly."
The Shandong Old Man stepped forward.
Flying Tiger gave the dead Gon-son a cold glance and countered.
"My innocence has been proven to you all by this man. Isn't that right?"
"What nonsense is... Hm!"
The old man realized his mistake.
Flying Tiger was in the midst of a test to prove his innocence—one he'd been forced into. Even if something bizarre had happened, that was that, and this was this.
So the elder hesitated briefly before nodding.
"You're right. I acknowledge it. But why did you kill Gon-son?"
"I passed his test, but unfortunately, he failed mine. That's all."
"It was a test?"
"I told you. If you want to test me, I'll test you too. And Gon-son agreed. A sorcerer tests with sorcery—what's a swordsman got? So I tested with the sword. This is the result."
As Flying Tiger nudged Gon-son's corpse with his toe, his actions seemed to ask what was wrong with that—fiercely so.
The Shandong Old Man eyed Flying Tiger strangely for a moment before stepping back. This meant he accepted it too.
He'd never approved of their scheming to begin with. He'd only fulfilled his promised duty. If Flying Tiger failed, it'd be regrettable but unavoidable. Given the circumstances, he was just surprised and wary—no great pity for the current situation.
But with even Jaeng-geum dead, Sama Gul-gi's stance was different.
"Then how do you explain Jaeng-geum's death?"
"I told you—ask Gon-son. What do I know?"
"But you killed Gon-son. Right before, he was pointing at you..."
"Enough. I can't stomach any more of this filth. Didn't you see it with your own eyes? Thanks to all of you, I had to take this unwanted test from Gon-son. He killed Jaeng-geum as a result, and I killed him. With things like that, why should I take responsibility for every word from a cornered man?"
"...Hm."
"Sama Gul-gi, are you testing my patience too? If so, stop muttering from behind and step up front like a man!"
Flying Tiger bristled with killing intent, bringing up tests once more.
Gurgle.
At that moment, Jaeng-geum frothed at the mouth and breathed his last. Ho Ye-hwa, who'd watched his friend's death, sighed and stood. Then, he recalled advice his friend had given in life.
'At this rate, plans be damned—we'll all be wiped out before we start. Our side's seed will dry up at that guy's hands!'
'Right, just as you say, he's a troublemaker. But my friend, knowing that, why did you toss kindling to such a guy? No, at this point, it's like you poured oil on the fire.'
With a heavy heart, Ho Ye-hwa pulled Sama Gul-gi back. Losing another here would mean they were done for before even trying. Then, to untangle this knotted mess, he proposed a simple solution.
Now the temporary head of Jeonghae Pavilion, Ho Ye-hwa asked the core figure in this incident, Flying Tiger, directly.
"So, what do you suggest we do now?"
True to Ho Ye-hwa's expectations, Flying Tiger was clear-cut. He'd escalated sparks into flames and solved the problems he'd raised.
Flying Tiger looked around and spoke.
"Look here. I've proven myself, but you all still harbor distrust toward me, don't you? Just as I emphasized, because you let that sham sorcerer's words sway you. And who suffered the most? Me—the one who went through hell to die for and still hasn't earned trust. Not you lot, who just pushed me into it and watched with folded arms!"
Flying Tiger vented his grievances especially for Sama Gul-gi's ears before getting to the point.
"But what can we do? We resolve the unease."
Flying Tiger scanned the people in the hall one by one. Then his gaze fixed on Bong Yeon-ja first.
"Lady Bong said it, right? Show some skill. Fine. I'll interrogate that Go Dan-o myself and wring out something useful. That'll at least prove I'm not in cahoots with Zhao Family Manor. And elder."
"What? Speak if you have something to say."
"I'd be lying if I said it didn't leave a bad taste, but the promise stands. I like things clear-cut. So if there's no time during this operation, I'll make separate time. I'll contribute somehow to completing your swordsmanship."
"Hrm."
Flying Tiger then glared at Sama Gul-gi and spoke meaningfully.
"Brother Sama's more than miffed—he's furious... but I'll keep the promise. I'll arrange your meeting with Ho-bi for sure!"
"...Thank you."
"And Ho Ye-hwa."
"Speak."
"Was it this sword that caused the uproar? Did greed for treasure blind you to the real me?"
"Absolutely not."
Flying Tiger snorted and thrust the Soul Wraith Sword into the central table in the hall.
Rumble~
The Soul Wraith Sword thrashed as if in protest, but what could a mere sword do? It had already pierced the table, half its blade buried.
"First, I give you the chance, Ho Ye-hwa. Seventy nyang of gold. I transfer the rights to the Soul Wraith Sword at that price. Everyone here can witness it."
He meant selling the Soul Wraith Sword at that value. And by doing so, granting Sama Gul-gi's request to "hold onto the Soul Wraith Sword for a bit."
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