Chapter 186
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 186
Chapter Title: 51. Lightning Flash (6)
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The executive cadre known as Owl slipped out from some hideout and hurried off somewhere else. Flying Tiger concealed himself in the man's shadow and trailed after him. As he followed, Flying Tiger hoped he'd run into Jwa Eung-gi.
Among Flying Tiger's three great assassination arts, the one corresponding to Earth Subduing—famously called the "Shadow Spell"—wasn't some omnipotent trick like most assassination techniques.
It couldn't be used in broad daylight.
It couldn't be used in pure, untainted places.
It couldn't be used against those with keen senses or solid inner energy.
There were plenty of limitations, but where there was light, there was shadow, and even the purest places could grow murky at times. Just as healthy people sometimes acted like fools.
It was deep night now, and Yulin Garden was far more chaotic than usual. That was by design—Hyeong U-saeng and So Myeong-rang had stirred things up on the outskirts, creating the opening for Flying Tiger to slip inside.
The moment the wounded Owl passed through Yulin Garden's side gate, Flying Tiger had latched onto him with the Shadow Spell. The watchdogs barking at Owl weren't just reacting to his blood scent. It was the dark aura of sorcery mingled with it.
The instant Owl stepped into the office, Flying Tiger felt a sudden wave of danger. He'd sensed that the person inside had detected his presence. So, as Owl crossed the threshold, Flying Tiger quietly slipped out of the shadow and darted around the corner outside the door.
The man inside stared at him with suspicious eyes. Owl asked,
"Gu senior, what's wrong?"
"Nothing. So, have you heard?"
Flying Tiger breathed a sigh of relief, mingled with disappointment. The man called Gu senior inside the office had spread out his senses but ultimately failed to pinpoint him. Convinced it was a false alarm, he withdrew his aura. That was a relief, but disappointing all the same—the formidable foe's surname wasn't "Jwa," but "Gu." In other words, he wasn't Jwa Eung-gi, Flying Tiger's assassination target this time either.
At this point, the best move for Flying Tiger would have been to slip into this Gu fellow's shadow. He suspected Gu was on his way to meet Jwa Eung-gi. Even if not, hopping shadows a couple more times would surely lead him to Jwa eventually.
But that was just theory.
Getting close enough to fool Gu's senses would be tough. More importantly, Flying Tiger was reaching his limit. Maintaining the Shadow Spell drained his mental strength, stamina, and inner energy nonstop.
'Rip the iron horns off while they're hot—push for one more even if it hurts while the momentum's good? ...Hoo, nah. Sometimes bold persistence pays off, but you're an assassin on a mission. Isn't patience the assassin's true calling?'
Flying Tiger steadied his growing impatience, creeping up a pillar to perch under the eaves. He tuned his ears to the voices drifting from inside the office.
Inside, Owl finished his brief report, and they exchanged views on current matters.
"You suspect that guy might think the intruders were from Hanjung Fortress's intelligence division?"
"Yes."
"Do you think the same?"
"I see it differently."
"Oh? Why's that?"
"If they were really from the intelligence division, they would've known about the watchdogs here at Yulin Garden. Plus, with spies already planted in the Elite Guard Unit, why sneak in without their help?"
"Hmm. Then whose guests do you think they are?"
"They're not intelligence, but I still think they're from Hanjung Fortress."
"Why's that?"
"They were clearly blocking the path to Hanjung Fortress, lying in wait. That means they knew in advance someone from the Elder Council was coming here. And that's info only an insider could know."
"So?"
"We've kept a low profile these past few years, operating in the shadows. We haven't crossed anyone from Hanjung Fortress except the Treasure Bead faction. But there was that one exception not long ago, at someone's request."
Gu let out a sigh and picked up the thread.
"You're talking about the Goseok Mountain Manor bloodbath?"
"Exactly."
"But that was pinned on Ghost Face, wasn't it?"
"Yes, it was. But one man objected to the end. He said even if it was Ghost Face, someone from Hanjung Fortress must've helped make it possible. His view was dismissed at the time, but he kept grinding his teeth over it."
"You mean Elder Mun Yeon-hok now?"
"Yes. He's the cousin of the manor lord Mun Hwa-gyun who died that day. And he's at odds with Elder Sim Heum to boot."
"So it was that guy's doing?"
"Just my personal guess. But investigating that angle seems worth a shot."
'The Goseok Mountain Manor bloodbath?'
Flying Tiger nearly revealed himself in shock while eavesdropping. The revelation had blindsided him.
If what he'd just heard was true...
The Hyopageong crew—and their leader, Stone Flower Spear Jwa Eung-gi—had lent a hand in Ghost Face's massacre at Goseok Mountain Manor.
Thus, they knew Ghost Face's true identity.
And they were the fiends who'd killed Ma Yeop!
Come to think of it, it wasn't entirely surprising.
Circumstantial evidence had already pointed to close ties between the Hyopageong Group and Ghost Face's crew. So if Ghost Face wanted to stir trouble in Hanjung Fortress territory, enlisting the Hyopageong forces there made perfect sense.
Flying Tiger had clocked this possibility, planning to probe it if he had the chance during Jwa Eung-gi's assassination. He was just startled by how abruptly it had surfaced.
'One more reason to meet Jwa Eung-gi.'
Then a sudden doubt struck Flying Tiger.
Until now, he'd chalked it up to coincidence—like a crow flying overhead means dinner falls from the sky—that Ghost Face hit Goseok Mountain Manor right when Hyopageong was trying to nab him. But what if Ghost Face went there because Hyopageong tipped him off? That would explain the seemingly simultaneous events.
But it raised another question.
Why stage the bloodbath at Goseok Mountain Manor precisely on the day Ma Yeop's escort passed through?
Maybe Goseok Mountain Manor wasn't the target from the start. Maybe they'd aimed it at Ma Yeop.
'If that's the case... there's bad blood between Ma Yeop and Ghost Face worth killing over... No, no connection. So was Ghost Face targeting Jin Ga-yong or the Zhao Family Manor?'
Not just Jin Ga-yong—the whole Zhao Family Manor crew had it out for the serial killer Ghost Face. In fact, Jin Ga-yong had tailed the escort that day, fearing Ghost Face might show.
Flying Tiger realized one undeniable fact.
For reasons unknown, the serial killer Ghost Face was calling out the real Ghost Face.
Provoking him endlessly!
So Flying Tiger thought,
'I planned a quick stab-and-escape, but looks like I'll need a long chat with Jwa Eung-gi after all?'
Flying Tiger had given strict orders. No matter what, they had to escape Hanjung Fortress territory before dawn broke.
But that was no easy task. Sure, if they just messed around a bit and bolted, it'd be simple enough—a matter of resolve. But mustering that resolve was the hard part. If they couldn't draw enough enemy attention their way, the risk to Flying Tiger—deep in enemy territory alone—would skyrocket.
'"Just enough" or "playing it smart" is always the trickiest. Like right now.'
Hyeong U-saeng grumbled nervously under his breath.
Hyeong U-saeng and So Myeong-rang had hopped Yulin Garden's wall early on and caused a ruckus. So Myeong-rang dashed deep inside to draw eyes, while Hyeong U-saeng quietly took out the dogs one by one without raising alarms.
It was at Flying Tiger's request.
He'd explained that beasts like dogs wouldn't dare bark or charge at him out of instinctive fear. (*When Hyeong U-saeng wondered how, Flying Tiger likened it to dogs fearing dogcatchers by nature and said he'd undergone such training once.) But that held only for small numbers. Pack up like those watchdogs, and it changed—dogs grew bolder in groups, guts spilling out like humans. In cases like this, you had to crush them once to revert them to base instinct.
So Hyeong U-saeng and So Myeong-rang toyed just enough, culled a fair share of dogs, then fled as reinforcements swarmed. Enraged, the enemy unleashed the remaining pack in pursuit.
They could've shaken the chase easily by just grabbing the trailing dogs and running. But to buy Flying Tiger time, they'd dragged it out to lure as many foes as possible. That backfired.
Elite Guard vice captain "Three-Legged Crow" Gong Son-hwang arrived with nine underlings.
It was near the gorge's end.
A heavy rock cleaved the air.
Thud.
Another dog's head exploded. Now just two watchdogs left, they yelped and fled.
Hyeong U-saeng had achieved his goal and spotted the new group emerging. Time to bail. He whistled to So Myeong-rang—who was driving back the Elite Guards—to signal retreat.
He judged it the perfect hit-and-run moment. But the next instant proved him wrong.
Whoosh—
Gong Son-hwang yanked a spear from his backplate and hurled it with all his might from afar.
His signature throwing spear.
It arced high into the sky, hit its peak, then plummeted toward So Myeong-rang with explosive speed.
Such precision and power from that distance—it was a disaster for So Myeong-rang, who was just turning to withdraw.
So Myeong-rang belatedly spotted the incoming spear. No time to dodge, he lowered his stance to deflect it.
Clang~
His wrists, gripping the hilt, throbbed as if they'd snap. His thigh burned like a branding iron.
"Wha...?"
"Myeong-rang!"
So Myeong-rang stumbled back and collapsed. Hyeong U-saeng rushed over in horror. Then one of the harried Elite Guards lunged his sword at the fallen man.
Roll...
So Myeong-rang barely rolled aside. The guardsman pursued relentlessly for the kill and swung down.
Splat.