Chapter 18
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: 05. Face Pursuit Unit Jeong (4)
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Darkness thickened as the night deepened.
Men with hardened faces began gathering one by one in a narrow alley of the slum district located in the southwest of the capital.
They were the Face Pursuit Unit Jeong, and those stiff expressions were like masks worn before a slaughter.
As Flying Tiger arrived right on time, everyone had assembled. Squad Leader Jin Ga-yong, who had been sitting primly with his eyes closed in wait, brushed off his clothes and stood up.
"Everyone's here. Good. Are you all ready?"
Iron Arm Ye Dok-du, Invisible Hand Choi Ong, Myriad Transformations Sword Hwa Yeong, No Use A Jeok-gang, and even the junior Flying Tiger. The five men nodded, their eyes flickering with intensity.
It was the killing intent hidden beneath their masks.
Jin Ga-yong's eyes gleamed with the same light as he declared their departure.
"Alright then. Let's see how well we work together and show off our skills."
In the middle of the slum district, where hovels were crammed together like an anthill, stood a grand manor that seemed utterly out of place.
Rumor had it that a merchant called Elder Go had bought up several houses, demolished them, and built it himself. Since land was cheap there, it was said to be a warehouse for storing building materials.
Of course, that was nonsense.
It was a building managed by the One Heart Society, fronted by a fake Elder Go. Rather than materials, it was a place where people captured from all over for human trafficking were imprisoned.
And tonight, it was also the site of a secret One Heart Society gathering.
The plan was simple.
First, the support team would quietly eliminate the surveillance eyes set up around the manor and throughout the slums.
Then, the Face Pursuit Unit Jeong and the assault team waiting nearby would launch the main attack.
The Face Pursuit Unit Jeong would make a noisy entrance through the front gate, and right on cue, the Face Pursuit Assault Team would push in through the back gate, striking from both sides.
The key here was a lightning-fast surprise attack—hit hard and pull back quickly.
Since the enemy outnumbered them, the plan was to withdraw immediately after eliminating the seven targeted individuals to avoid being surrounded.
That said, the operation could be seen as a bit crude.
The reason was that those carrying it out weren't proper soldiers from the military—they were jianghu folk, the kind who went wild with just a sword in hand.
So, rather than some complicated headache of a plan, this was just right.
Thud. Thud.
With Jin Ga-yong in the lead, the team members followed in single file. His strides were steady—not leisurely, but not rushed either.
It was exactly one hundred eighty-nine steps in.
The manor's front gate was now clearly visible to the naked eye, and Jin Ga-yong pointed out two men.
"Hwa Yeong and Flying Tiger."
"Yes."
"Yes."
"Clear them out."
The manor's large gate was locked from the inside. Around a bonfire in front of it, five warriors with swords at their waists huddled together, warming themselves.
Tat-tat-tat.
At Jin Ga-yong's order, Hwa Yeong immediately broke off from the group with a sticky smile and charged forward.
He moved with the intent to overwhelm them in one go.
Flying Tiger started a step later. But unusually, unlike Hwa Yeong who ran straight ahead, he hugged the roadside walls, sticking to the deeper shadows.
It seemed like just another day.
That was what the low-ranking One Heart Society warriors guarding the front gate thought.
The bosses had glared at them and ordered them to keep watch because some important meeting was happening upstairs. But honestly, who would come all the way out here? And if something went wrong, wouldn't the informants planted in the slums send word first?
So, they figured it was a pointless task.
But...
"Huh?"
"What? What's up?"
"What the f—"
Hwa Yeong launched his body into the midst of the group and drew his sword from its sheath.
Shwick—
A white flash gleamed, and two streams of blood spurted out like fountains.
The two who had been warming their backs by the fire didn't even have time to turn around before he took them out with a single stroke.
The remaining three warriors startled and scattered in panic.
Hwa Yeong kicked the bonfire toward the warrior retreating across from him, then spun his sword and swiftly stabbed the one trying to flee to the right.
The moment he felt the thrust was a bit shallow.
Hwa Yeong lunged forward and plunged the blade even deeper into the staggering warrior's chest.
'Enemy!'
The warrior tried to shout, but agony forced a gasp from his lungs instead.
A shuriken flew from the darkness and embedded in the warrior's skull. Then Flying Tiger emerged from the shadows, struck the back of his neck with the flat of his blade, and leaped up.
Flying Tiger dropped squarely onto the rolling warrior struggling with the embers and brought his sword down.
Pfuk.
After a brief scramble, all five warriors lay cold on the ground, with only embers scattering chaotically.
Not one had drawn their sword. It had all happened in a single breath.
Flying Tiger and Hwa Yeong exchanged a quick glance. Their teamwork had been perfect.
They pulled their gazes away and spread to the sides, allowing Jin Ga-yong and the rest of the team to walk through the middle.
"Ye Dok-du."
"Heh heh heh, leave it to me."
Ye Dok-du stepped forward eagerly at Jin Ga-yong's call, knowing exactly what was asked of him.
He was brimming with enthusiasm.
The clean skills displayed by Flying Tiger and Hwa Yeong had ignited his competitive spirit.
At that moment, a commotion stirred from inside the locked gate.
Though the One Heart Society warriors who fell victim hadn't been able to shout "Enemy attack!" loudly, they had made some crashing noises and short cries.
So, the warriors inside, sensing something amiss from the disturbance, were cautiously approaching the front gate to investigate.
Someone inside shouted toward the outside.
"What's going on out there?"
Ye Dok-du answered with action.
Boom!
The door shattered as if struck by a cannonball, and the warriors who had approached unsuspectingly were swept away by the shockwave and flung aside.
It was Ye Dok-du's full-force step and fist: Siege Hammer.
And through the breached gate, Jin Ga-yong entered.
It was a noisy intrusion, true to the plan.
"Enemy~!"
"The enemy's here!"
About thirty warriors waiting in the outer courtyard recoiled in shock at the intruders' sudden appearance and shouted in all directions. Jin Ga-yong ordered coldly.
"Clear a path."
A Jeok-gang charged ahead faster than anyone, hurling the handaxe in his right hand.
Whirl-whirl~ Thunk.
The One Heart Society warrior staggered wildly, the axe buried in his forehead.
A Jeok-gang closed in instantly and brought down the handaxe in his left hand on the comrade beside him.
Crack.
As A Jeok-gang retrieved the axe from his right hand, the warrior with it in his forehead hadn't even collapsed yet.
One in each hand.
A Jeok-gang whirled the two axes like windmills and began tearing through the enemy ranks.
Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—
Choi Ong started by scattering a handful of caltrops wildly.
With enemies everywhere in front, there was no need to aim carefully, and their front lines fell into chaos.
Choi Ong dove into the gap, drew his saber from his waist, and slashed fiercely.
Hwa Yeong, Flying Tiger, and Ye Dok-du followed in sequence, each rampaging like mad to not be outdone.
As a result, the outer courtyard warriors couldn't even think of proper resistance—they just scrambled this way and that, cursing under their breath as they fled.
It was an overwhelming display of force.
The battle resembled five rabid wild dogs unleashed into a sheep pen.
Wheee~.
At Jin Ga-yong's whistle, the team members returned, breathing heavily.
About half the One Heart Society warriors still clutched their swords, but they had no choice but to let the ones who had nearly massacred them withdraw all at once.
Their will to fight had been broken.
Even to such foes, Jin Ga-yong commanded.
"Get lost."
In a chaotic rush.
Some ran, some limped, some crawled—fleeing in every way possible, though a few hesitated in conflict.
The squad leader didn't even glance back as he headed into the inner courtyard. It was as if they were beneath notice now.
In contrast, the team members warily eyed the remnants as they followed.
Thud. Thud.
In the inner courtyard, over sixty One Heart Society warriors waited with swords drawn, glaring fiercely at the Face Pursuit Unit Jeong.
Twice the number dealt with in the outer courtyard. The element of surprise was gone, and clearly, each one's martial prowess was at least half a level higher than before.
And that wasn't all.
In front of the two-story building, four men stood side by side with arms crossed, their fierce auras marking them as no ordinary foes.
They were four of the One Heart Society's five hall leaders.
Additionally, on the railing of the second floor, two middle-aged men who looked ready to fight at a glance stared down coldly at the Face Pursuit Unit Jeong.
They were the One Heart Society's Chairman Yeo Gyeong-cheol and Vice Chairman Yeo Gyeong-gu, brothers.
"Hey, Squad Leader. Did we just get screwed over?"
It was Flying Tiger's question, thrown out as soon as he entered the inner courtyard, scanning his surroundings.
The Face Pursuit Assault Team, which should have hit the back gate in response to the unit's attack, hadn't shown so much as a nose hair. Only enemies welcomed them.
That was why he asked.
But before Jin Ga-yong could reply, Twin Chaos Blade Yeo Gyeong-cheol demanded with furious eyes.
"Where'd you mangy dogs crawl from?"
"......"
Jin Ga-yong silently assessed the enemies, apparently finding the situation awkward. At this, Stabilizing Heavy Blade Yeo Gyeong-gu, standing beside him, grew impatient and spoke up.
"Brother, looks like their tongues are too dry to talk. Let's grab them, peel off their skin first, and ask again once they're nice and tender."
At that vicious remark, Flying Tiger glanced at his comrades. Ye Dok-du feigned nonchalance as if nothing scared him, but his face was stiff.
Choi Ong looked outright dead.
Hwa Yeong's eyes darted around—he was clearly already plotting an escape.
Only A Jeok-gang was taut like a drawn bowstring. But too taut. One nudge, and he'd charge blindly into the enemy ranks without a thought.
It wasn't for nothing he was called No Use.
And their squad leader Jin Ga-yong still hadn't spoken, seemingly deep in thought.
The frustrated Flying Tiger voiced his opinion loudly for all to hear.
"Squad Leader, let's bail!"
"...You think so?"
Jin Ga-yong asked back without hesitation, and at the sight, Yeo Gyeong-gu frowned and snorted.
"What the hell are these lunatics babbling about? Bail? Who said you could?"
"Shut it!"
Flying Tiger snapped at Yeo Gyeong-gu with an irritated face, and by then, Jin Ga-yong seemed to have made up his mind.
"We're pulling back. But maintain formation and retreat slowly."
Yet the order was oddly phrased.
If you're running, just bolt— what was this about?
So, all team members except the oblivious A Jeok-gang had whipped around to flee the instant "retreat" left Jin Ga-yong's mouth, only to freeze awkwardly at his follow-up.
Now what?
At that moment, Yeo Gyeong-gu wasn't about to be outdone. He pointed and bellowed.
"They're running! Everyone, grab them and tear them apart!"
"Waaah~!"
The One Heart Society warriors roared in unison and charged, their momentum like raging waves.