Chapter 97
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: Spoils of War (3)
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Flying Tiger circled behind the king's statue. It was a hunch that since Pung Bae-dok had burst out from there, Baek Ma-deung might be hiding in the same spot.
Sure enough, there he was.
But Baek Ma-deung was dead, and his condition was...
"Perverts, huh?"
Flying Tiger tilted his head as he examined the corpse. The cause of death was excessive blood loss.
He had been such a renowned master in life, his infamy echoing across the land, yet seeing him slumped like this brought the phrase "life is fleeting" freshly to mind.
Yes, life was fleeting, but why was this guy sprawled out buck naked?
His clothes were blood-soaked rags—did they want to send him off to the afterlife in a clean burial shroud or something?
In the middle of all this chaos?
And the shredded remnants of his torn clothes, the way the body looked stripped and rummaged through before being discarded—it all pointed to something suspicious.
Drawn by curiosity, Flying Tiger glanced around before shaking his head and standing up.
This wasn't the time to dawdle.
He took a deep breath and headed toward where Jin Ga-yong and Do Ryung were fighting.
Tadak.
Racing over in a flash, the sight that greeted Flying Tiger was enough to banish his worries.
Jin Ga-yong stood calmly, while Do Ryung lay spread-eagled in a pool of blood in the center, his body convulsing violently.
The fight was already over.
Flying Tiger felt relief, tinged with an odd sense of dissonance.
'Was the squad leader really that strong? I knew he was tough, but... well, I've never seen the full extent of his abilities. Never have, but... hmm.'
From what Flying Tiger had experienced firsthand, Do Ryung was no ordinary master. Sure, he'd caught him off guard and landed a minor hit, but it hadn't done any real damage.
His defenses were too solid.
That said, it wasn't surprising that Jin Ga-yong had defeated him.
What was unexpected was just how clean and perfect the result was.
Do Ryung was submerged in blood, making it easy to overlook, but Flying Tiger's sharp eyes and instincts saw it immediately.
Overlooking the fact that Jin Ga-yong hadn't a scratch or even a torn sleeve—Do Ryung himself, even in death, had wounds only in precisely the vital spots, without a single wasted cut!
No one knew how long the fight had lasted, but this wasn't the outcome of a fierce, drawn-out battle.
It was more like the work of a skilled butcher dismantling a hooked beast.
Flying Tiger approached Jin Ga-yong, letting out a low whistle.
"You took him down clean."
"Got lucky. How'd it go?"
"Dead. He's lasted this long despite the wounds—miracle, really."
As he spoke, Flying Tiger patted the Overgold Sword at his waist.
At that casual gesture, Jin Ga-yong thought to himself,
'That blade's stained with the King's Protector's blood, and he's bragging about it like a trophy. Doesn't it bother him at all?'
But Jin Ga-yong kept his expression neutral, nodding in acknowledgment of a job well done.
Flying Tiger watched him for a moment before nodding toward Do Ryung.
"Why haven't you finished him off? Admiring your work?"
Do Ryung was still twitching, not quite dead.
Jin Ga-yong gave a wry smile and shook his head.
"Not my taste. Pushed too hard, and my qi is surging. Had to stand still to calm it. You showed up right on time."
Internal injury?
From what Flying Tiger could see, Jin Ga-yong's face was deathly pale, and a faint flicker danced in his eyes—weak, but strangely alluring, almost bewitching.
How to describe it?
"Hmm, staring like that makes me blush. It's not serious. I've mostly stabilized now."
"Ah, sorry. Want me to finish him?"
"Please."
Flying Tiger turned awkwardly and approached the prone Do Ryung.
As he drew the Overgold Sword, he suddenly recalled its previous owner, which reminded him that Pung Bae-dok had taken both the man and the sword.
From the circumstances, it seemed Do Ryung and Pung Bae-dok had come here together.
So had they communicated?
On a whim, Flying Tiger pressed his index finger to the philtrum of Do Ryung—who was rolling his eyes back in spasms—and channeled a bit of qi to rouse his spirit.
Ugh.
Do Ryung spat up blood and gasped, his eyes faintly refocusing.
Flying Tiger waited a beat before asking,
"One question."
"Yeah, I remember now! Why'd it take so long? Heh heh heh."
Huh? What does he remember?
They say your life flashes before your eyes at death—some old memory?
Flying Tiger cleared his throat and got to the point. Whether he'd answer was up to him, but it cost nothing to ask.
"Sorry to interrupt, but I'm dying to know. Why strip Baek Ma-deung naked and search him thoroughly? He hiding a honey jar or something?"
That was Flying Tiger's guess.
Baek Ma-deung always carried something precious on him. So they'd stripped him bare after death. And it probably wasn't something bulky like a jar.
A treasure map, maybe? Something good?
Flying Tiger watched expectantly, but Do Ryung just rambled on about his own thoughts.
"Baek Ma-deung? Big Brother? Right! He warned me too. Said surviving that guy's hands was pure luck. Don't even dream of revenge. He looked into the guy's past and was shocked—said even he wouldn't mess with him lightly."
"Ahem, excuse me, but did Big Brother say anything about a honey jar?"
"But... I gave up and forgot about it. Why'd he show up again? To finish me off after failing before? What's his true identity...?"
"Ugh, what the hell?"
Frustrated by the pointless talk, Flying Tiger snapped,
"He shows up right when you're dying—must be the grim reaper."
As far as Flying Tiger could tell, Do Ryung was hallucinating. And with him babbling nonsense, there was nothing to gain.
His voice had shrunk to a mosquito's buzz—his last spark fading.
Abandoning the interrogation, Flying Tiger raised his sword to end it, then paused.
Do Ryung's whispers were barely audible, but a few words caught his ear.
"Grim reaper... yeah. How could he be human? ...A ghost's shadow seeping through the fog... eerie cries of weeping ghosts..."
Wait, ghost's weeping cries?
Was the "guy" he'd been talking about... Face Mask?
Suddenly, Do Ryung's eyes snapped wide as life flared in them—a final burst of clarity before death, like the sky brightening just before sunset.
He stared at Flying Tiger and asked clearly,
"But why send his inferior, the King's White Army, to duel instead of doing it himself?"
"Huh? What're you talking about?"
"What? You guys don't know his identity either?"
"...!"
Flying Tiger felt like he'd been hammered on the head.
What? I thought he was rambling about some past figure... No, what the hell is this guy saying?
"Heh heh heh, you really didn't know. Heard he's active again lately..."
Slice.
Flying Tiger cut off his words with the sword. He didn't want to hear more.
He glared at the headless corpse for a moment, then glanced at Jin Ga-yong.
Did he hear that?
The voice was soft, and from his demeanor, probably not...
Who knew?
Everything was uncertain!
As Flying Tiger stood in confusion, the other Face Pursuit Unit members began gathering, their tasks complete.
The dust clouds that had filled the Three Kings Hall finally settled, revealing the gruesome scenes of slaughter everywhere.
Jin Ga-yong and Flying Tiger's side had seen the most incidents, but the others hadn't been idle either.
In fact, the squad members returned bearing various injuries.
First, A Jeok-gang and Dan Geum.
A Jeok-gang was unscathed, but Dan Geum had taken a solid sword thrust to his forearm.
The near-dead bandit had lurched up as Dan Geum approached, swinging desperately—likely his final strike. Dan Geum failed to dodge fully and blocked with his left arm.
He might have managed if uninjured, but the gash in his side had slowed him.
Then Ye Dok-du and Na Mok.
They'd faced three relatively intact bandits spared from Jin Cheon-roe's explosion and fought for their lives, winning a hard battle.
Ye Dok-du and Na Mok were top hands in their own right, but the bandits gathered here were squad leader class or higher in the Yellow Worm Unit— no pushovers.
Thus, Ye Dok-du was covered in blood, and Na Mok limped.
Still, they all survived.
The gathered Face Pursuit Unit members looked at each other and grinned.
After twists and turns, they'd not only ravaged the Yellow Worm Unit but slain its leadership.
The forsaken group would now face dissolution.
All thanks to their blood and sweat!
How could they not feel a surge of emotion?
"Everyone, good work."
"Just get home safe, and it's truly over. We all pulled through together."
"I could die happy now."
A Jeok-gang echoed Jin Ga-yong, and Na Mok claimed no regrets.
It sounded abrupt, but there was reason.
They all had wounds, but Na Mok's leg injury had crippled his mobility especially. And this was still deep in enemy territory—anything could happen.
His words meant: don't hesitate to leave me if I become a burden.
Of course, it was the heat of emotion talking, not a death wish.
Anyway.
Dan Geum, more gravely wounded than Na Mok, snorted.
"Damn it, then what am I? Won't happen till I'm dead first, so cut the bad omens."
Dan Geum meant he'd charge ahead first if it came to that.
Ye Dok-du and A Jeok-gang chimed in, promising to fight together, turning it into a lively exchange.
Emotional banter from grateful hearts.
Yet it was true—a strong camaraderie had formed among them.
Flying Tiger watched the heartwarming scene, clapped, and said,
"Y'all fighting over who stays behind? Makes me feel secure running away. But hey, no need. Let's all just head out easy."
"...?"
The Face Pursuit Unit members stared, confused, as Flying Tiger shrugged proudly.