Monopolizing Fortunes (126)
Monopolizing Fortunes (126)
Won Dae-yeon agreed as well.
"That doesn't sound bad. Being strong in martial arts doesn't necessarily make someone a good assassin. Killing them on the road would actually play to our strengths."
"We can't kill him on the spot."
"Why not?"
"If we kill only the First Prince and take Su-yeong, it becomes too obvious that Su-yeong is on our side. So we abduct both of them, then bury the First Prince somewhere no one will ever find him. Dead or missing, it makes no difference right now."
It might be another matter with a martial artist, but abducting the First Prince, who knew no martial arts, would be easy.
"Shall we try the disguise now?"
At those words, Namgung Seol-rin frowned.
"Do we really have to do that? We could just wear masks."
"We need a physical description so we can pin it on the Second Prince later."
"It feels stuffy, like having candle wax poured over my face."
"You've gotten better than when you first started, so it won't feel that suffocating. Once you master it, it'll feel even more natural."
"I barely have time to practice swordsmanship, so when am I supposed to learn the Disguise Art? Just do it for me."
The books obtained from the imperial palace were not limited to martial arts manuals. As its name suggested, the Thousand-Face Disguise Art was a manual that allowed one to transform into a thousand faces.
Do Tong-dal was no expert in disguise, but he could guarantee there was no better disguise manual than this one.
Do Tong-dal also lacked time to practice, so he was not particularly skilled, yet in just two ke, Namgung Seol-rin had transformed into a man in his twenties.
Namgung Seol-rin's face crumpled the moment she looked in the mirror.
"Does it really have to be this face?"
"Why? There's not a single trace of your own face left, is there?"
"That's the problem!"
"Isn't that staying true to the essence of disguise?"
"Still...... could I maybe look like Sis Su-ran?"
"Have you no shame?"
In the end, she got smacked on the back. Do Tong-dal, Jang Yu-seom, and Won Dae-yeon also changed their appearances completely. After wrapping white cloth around their swords and blades, they prepared white masks as well.
Because they used the Lightness Art in unpopulated areas, it took only two ke to reach Hwangseon-ro.
Along Hwangseon-ro to the north stretched rows of tiled-roof houses, and across the four-jang-wide road lay a low mountain.
The hill covered in pines and scrub was the entrance leading to Hwangnyeong Mountain. Once he mapped the geography in his head, escape routes drew themselves like a picture.
"Seol-rin and I will take the First Prince and Su-yeong. The two of you hold off the Embroidered Uniform Guard."
Jang Yu-seom asked.
"May we kill them?"
"Wouldn't it be stranger if you didn't?"
It was a war to decide the imperial throne, and war always demanded the blood of the innocent.
Still, Jang Yu-seom and Won Dae-yeon would try to resolve this with minimal killing.
"We'll rescue Su-yeong, kill the First Prince, and bury him somewhere suitable."
Do Tong-dal's gaze turned toward Hwangnyeong Mountain. If they buried him in the mountain, he would be hard to find unless someone searched thoroughly.
Do Tong-dal's group waited behind a hill for the First Prince to arrive. According to their information, the Embroidered Uniform Guard escorting the First Prince numbered between twenty and thirty men.
The golden uniforms of the Embroidered Uniform Guard were the dream garments every official hoped to wear.
That did not mean only warriors of exceptional martial skill were gathered there. On the contrary, many entered the Embroidered Uniform Guard through high-ranking family connections or bribery, regardless of martial ability.
Thus, even within the Embroidered Uniform Guard, it was hard to find military officers with truly outstanding martial arts.
Yet the organization endured because no one dared to rise against it.
Nowadays, the golden uniforms of the Embroidered Uniform Guard merely symbolized power and were far removed from actual force.
"Won Dae-yeon and Protector Jang, cut down the horses and stop the carriage. In the meantime, Seol-rin and I will extract the First Prince and Su-yeong. The two of you can cover us as we flee."
"The plan is simple."
"The simpler the plan, the better."
Do Tong-dal pointed at a gray boulder visible as a tiny speck atop Hwangnyeong Mountain.
"We might get separated along the way, so let's meet at that boulder on the peak."
Namgung Seol-rin spoke.
"So we just run in a straight line toward that boulder."
"It would have been ideal to know Hwangnyeong Mountain's layout perfectly, but for now, that's the best option."
"Won Dae-yeon and I will lay down some false tracks."
Do Tong-dal nodded at Jang Yu-seom's words.
"Good idea."
Having served in the military, Jang Yu-seom was well versed in this kind of operation. They waited in silence for the First Prince to appear. No one spoke, but inwardly they calculated the carriage's shape, the distance, and the ambush position.
Won Dae-yeon, who had been leaning against a pine tree, reacted first, and the other three soon sensed the approach of horses and carriage.
Pressed flat to the ground, they watched the gently curving road. First to appear was an Embroidered Uniform Guard wearing a golden helmet and riding a horse.
Jang Yu-seom muttered in a mocking tone.
"It's not like they're marching to a battlefield. What's with the helmets?"
Their clothes flashed gold in the reflected sunlight. Though no one was passing by, the lead guard raised his voice.
"Make way! His Highness the First Prince approaches!"
To anyone with even a little knowledge of military strategy, it was a scene that would make them wonder, 'Could this be a trick?'
The First Prince, who had not even left the imperial palace for fear of assassination, making such a noisy procession was itself suspicious.
But because he was a mad First Prince, such a clamorous procession was also understandable.
Jang Yu-seom whispered to Do Tong-dal.
"The First Prince really is in that carriage, right?"
"If it were a trick, we would have received word."
The carriage drawn by four horses moved slowly, escorted by thirty Embroidered Uniform Guards front and rear.
The carriage, adorned with golden dragon carvings on a red background, was dazzling beyond measure.
Do Tong-dal forced down the thought, 'The First Prince's procession is far too obvious.' Right now, there was no chance to confirm whether the First Prince was actually in that carriage.
'We have no choice but to trust it and strike.'
Since this was their only chance at assassination, it was only natural to feel uneasy.
"You cut the necks of the two rear horses. I'll take the two in front."
Jang Yu-seom nodded at Won Dae-yeon's words. Do Tong-dal spoke to Namgung Seol-rin.
"I'll smash the front of the carriage, so you take the back."
When Do Tong-dal put on the white mask he had brought, Namgung Seol-rin grumbled.
"If we're wearing masks, we didn't need the disguise."
"My plans have never failed because I prepare for contingencies. The mask could come off in the middle of a fight, couldn't it? Right?"
"Fine. Tch! Show-off."
With their masks on, they raised their internal power to its limit. The Embroidered Uniform Guard was a toothless tiger, but a tiger was still a tiger.
Clop! Clop! Rumble—! Rumble—!
The sound of hooves passed before them, and the rolling of carriage wheels drew closer.
The three waited for Do Tong-dal's command. Do Tong-dal and Namgung Seol-rin were empty-handed, while Jang Yu-seom and Won Dae-yeon held weapons.
When the four horses pulling the carriage passed in front, Do Tong-dal rose and shouted.
"Now!"
Jang Yu-seom and Won Dae-yeon burst out simultaneously, and Do Tong-dal and Namgung Seol-rin followed close behind.
Their movements were so fast that the Embroidered Uniform Guards only spotted them when Jang Yu-seom and Won Dae-yeon were already right beside the horses.
"Enemy attack!"
By the time the guard's shout erupted, the necks of all four horses had been severed almost simultaneously. Then came a thunderous crash.
Do Tong-dal and Namgung Seol-rin had smashed one side of the carriage. Amid the scattering wood splinters, Do Tong-dal spotted Ja Su-yeong.
Ja Su-yeong was seated at the front of the carriage, with the First Prince seated across from her.
Do Tong-dal sealed the pressure points of the First Prince, who was too shocked even to scream. Namgung Seol-rin likewise sealed Ja Su-yeong's pressure points, then launched herself away.
"You wretches! Do you know who I—!"
Do Tong-dal sealed the First Prince's mute point as well, silencing his belated outburst.
"Stop the enemy!"
The Embroidered Uniform Guards drew their swords and gave chase, but they could not break through the wall formed by Won Dae-yeon and Jang Yu-seom.
Behind Do Tong-dal as he fled into the mountain, the screams of the guards rang out one after another. Glancing back, he saw Jang Yu-seom and Won Dae-yeon cutting down the pursuing guards without hesitation.
Do Tong-dal looked down at the First Prince tucked under his arm.
'This is the First Prince, right?'
Just in case, he tugged at the beard and face, but there was no trace of disguise.
Thanks to Jang Yu-seom and Won Dae-yeon holding them off, they quickly distanced themselves from the pursuing guards. Do Tong-dal spoke to Namgung Seol-rin, who was running one jang to his right.
"From here on, watch your tracks!"
"Got it!"
Do Tong-dal and Namgung Seol-rin employed their movement arts while taking care not even to step on fallen leaves.
By the time they climbed about halfway up the mountain, the Embroidered Uniform Guards were no longer in sight.
"Will those two be all right?"
Do Tong-dal answered Namgung Seol-rin's question while scanning the surroundings.
"No need to worry. The Embroidered Uniform Guard isn't skilled enough to do anything to them. More importantly, we need to find a suitable spot."
"We can bury him anywhere. One part of a mountain is the same as another."
"True enough."
After focusing his senses and confirming there was no sign of the guards, Do Tong-dal stopped walking.
"Let's do it here."
There happened to be a suitable hollow, so all they had to do was bury him and cover it with dirt. Do Tong-dal tossed the First Prince to the ground like a bundle of straw. Namgung Seol-rin, in contrast, set Ja Su-yeong down carefully and removed her mask.
Ja Su-yeong asked.
"Wh-who are you?"
"Huh? What do you mean, who am I?"
When Do Tong-dal, having removed his mask, tried to approach, Ja Su-yeong flinched and backed away.
"Don't come near me! I know scary people!"
"What happened to you in the imperial palace? Did you hurt your head?"
At Do Tong-dal's worried question, Ja Su-yeong's expression turned startled.
"Could it be...... Coordinator Do?"
"What do you mean, 'Could it be Coordinator Do?' Of course it's me! Have you come down with some illness where you can't recognize faces?"
"But your face is completely different. Are my eyes mistaken?"
Do Tong-dal and Namgung Seol-rin smacked their own foreheads.
"Oh, right! The disguise. The disguise."
"Disguise?"
"Yeah."
Do Tong-dal peeled off the fake beard and mole and kneaded his face this way and that. Only then did his real face emerge.
"Wow—! That's really amazing!"
"Disguise is essential for this kind of work."
Namgung Seol-rin spoke.
"Can I take off my disguise now too?"
"The job isn't completely finished yet. Bear with it a little longer."
"Tch! You took yours off."
"I can just redo mine."
Do Tong-dal moved his facial muscles and kneaded his face with his hands. Even without the fake beard and mole, he became a completely different person.
With wrinkles added, he transformed into a sinister-looking man in his forties. It was a level of disguise that even Namgung Seol-rin, who knew the Thousand-Face Disguise Art, admired.
Ja Su-yeong, who had been marveling at how amazing it was, asked.
"But what happened? You said it would be at the pleasure house."
"The plan changed. You......"
He started to ask if she was all right, then stopped. From the wounds on her face and hands, he could tell she was not.
"I'm fine."
Ja Su-yeong, reassuring Do Tong-dal, even managed a faint smile.
"Right. As long as you're alive, you're fine. First, let's deal with this bastard."
Do Tong-dal's gaze turned to the First Prince rolling at his feet. The First Prince's eyes were still filled with rage.
The moment Do Tong-dal released his mute point, a roar burst out.
"You wretches! Do you have any idea who I am, daring to commit such an act! I will exterminate your three clans...... no, your nine clans!"
Do Tong-dal replied with a smiling face.
"What a shame. I don't even have one clan, let alone nine."
"If you release me at once, I may forgive you with mere death by dismemberment!"
Do Tong-dal climbed into the hollow beside the First Prince and tossed out the fallen leaves inside.
"Save that bullshit for King Yama in the afterlife. Maybe it'll work on him."
"I am the First Prince! I am destined to become the next emperor!"
"Tell that to King Yama too."
"D-do you think you'll be safe after killing me?"
"At the very least, I'll live longer than you."
Only at Do Tong-dal's flat, dry voice did the First Prince finally think of death.
"Wh...... what do you want? I'll grant you anything."
"What I want is already in my hands."
"Whatever it is, I'll give you two...... no, ten, even a hundred times more."
"Is your life really worth that much? The imperial family truly is different."
The First Prince's lower lip trembled violently. Death, striding toward him, was a terror too great for him to bear.
"P...... please spare me. I'll truly grant you wh...... whatever you want......."
"The eunuchs you beat to death begged you to spare them too. But did you ever grant their pleas?"
"H...... how dare you compare me, the august imperial person, to such vermin?"
"From where I stand, you're worse vermin than they were."
"I am the First Prince! I will become emperor—!"
Do Tong-dal pressed the First Prince's mute point and silenced him.
* * *