Time for the Hunt (3)
Han Bin smiled.
This was a gift from the Thousand-Li Escort Agency.
The shadowy figure who never shared information without a price was showing goodwill toward Han Bin?
It was an unasked-for gift. Handing over such high-grade intel meant the Ronin King held favor toward him.
Why?
Even in his past life, the Ronin King had treated him kindly from their first meeting.
Well, no need to stop someone from being nice to him.
Han Bin shrugged and tossed the note into the campfire.
* * *
With hunters assigned to the wolf extermination mission, the group—centered around the government troops and Justice Alliance warriors—ascended Jeongmun Mountain.
Their task was to hunt the wolves prowling from Absol Valley to Jeongmun Mountain.
The wolves of Absol Valley had one distinctive trait.
They were covered in ashen stripes across their bodies.
Moreover, their size was double that of ordinary wolves.
Rumors even swirled that a single ashen wolf matched the combat prowess of a First Rate warrior.
A martial artist might drool over the wolves' strength.
A hunter would eye the bounty on their heads.
But Han Bin had long since given up on hunting the ashen wolves.
Because what he needed to hunt wasn't wolves.
Due to the mission's nature, the twenty-man group split up to form an encirclement net across Jeongmun Mountain.
The hunters' job was to assist the Justice Alliance warriors and government troops by herding the wolves.
Piiik!
At the sound of the horn whistle, the warriors tightened the encirclement.
How much time passed?
Ashen wolves began to come into view.
Their torsos...
The hunters nocked their arrows.
Pik!
Pik!
But the arrows mostly missed their marks.
Judging by the ashen wolves' movements, they were comparable to First Rate warriors in agility.
That didn't mean there were no openings, though.
Curiously, among them was a wolf that showed no fear of humans.
It was unexpected for a pack hunter to move alone.
Leap!
Sim Miho slashed horizontally at the wolf charging toward the hunter.
It was the initial form of the Hebei Paeng Family's Wangja Sabdo.
True to its name incorporating the character for "king," it emphasized lateral movements and was mainly used for defense.
Drawing the "prince" required four strokes.
Three horizontal and one vertical, in harmony.
Sim Miho severed the approaching wolf's front paw with the Wangja Sabdo form.
Kkiging!
The wolf tumbled like a dog struck by a club.
At the same time, Sim Miho's blade swung downward.
Bbang!
At the sound of the skull crunching, Han Bin called out to the hunters.
"Clean up the wolf carcass."
A hunter drew his hunting knife and took the ashen wolf's head.
Han Bin watched their knife work closely.
Sreuk!
Their throat-slitting motions reeked unmistakably of assassins.
They hid their presence well, but the professional scent clung to every movement.
Han Bin chuckled inwardly.
They're underestimating me.
Of course. To them, Han Bin was just a martial world newbie.
No need for heavy caution.
As the sun illuminating the underbrush sank toward the western horizon, a signal rang out from nearby.
Dang!
Dang!
It was the order to hold position while maintaining the encirclement.
At Han Bin's glance, Sim Miho rang the bell she'd received from the troops.
Dang!
As the bell tolled across the mountainside, the warriors heatedly pursuing the wolves halted.
But for Han Bin, the hunt was only just beginning.
He plopped down beside the Paeng Family members, who had already lit a campfire and begun setting up camp.
Han Bin said to Sim Miho,
"Deputy Sim, I have a favor to ask."
"Speak, my lord."
"It feels like the Hebei Paeng Family's reputation is at stake..."
"What do you mean?"
"We've caught far fewer wolves than the other clans and sects."
"The hunt isn't over yet..."
"Still, that's no excuse. I'll go round some up myself."
At Han Bin's words, the other warriors and hunters buzzed.
"Climbing the mountain now?"
A Mangho Squad warrior hurriedly tried to stop him, but Han Bin waved him off.
"It's fine."
Finishing his words, Han Bin nodded toward Sim Miho.
"I'll go with Deputy Sim Miho."
"I'll prepare."
Sim Miho didn't panic.
Everything was part of the plan Han Bin had outlined.
* * *
Once prepared, the two slowly made their way through the darkened mountainside.
Sim Miho glanced around and asked,
"My lord, what did you mean by assassins?"
"All three hunters sent to us look like assassins."
"Are you sure? They seem like ordinary hunters to me."
"Did you see their hands, Deputy Sim?"
"Their hands?"
"They're completely different from a normal warrior's. Compare yours to theirs later, and you'll see."
"..."
Sim Miho just tilted her head.
Asking her to compare hands out of nowhere? She couldn't make sense of it.
Then, as if struck by a thought, Han Bin continued.
"Also, hunters from the northern regions have unevenly developed muscles on one side."
"Muscles?"
"Drawing a bow and setting traps with superhuman tension requires pushing one shoulder muscle to its limit. It's visually distinct from a martial artist trained in arts, so it's not hard to spot."
"Ah."
This time, Sim Miho nodded.
It sounded plausible.
The question was how the youngest young master—her lord—knew such obscure distinctions.
Just then, Han Bin looked around and untied the bundle from his back.
He gathered nearby stones and branches to prepare a campfire spot, then lit it with his fire starter.
"My lord, maybe we should head back..."
"Just a moment."
Han Bin pulled clothes from his bundle.
Sim Miho asked curiously,
"Changing clothes?"
"Nope."
Shaking his head, Han Bin picked up a few thick branches nearby.
He dressed the branches in the clothes, quickly shaping them into a seated human figure.
As Sim Miho watched curiously, she asked,
"What are you doing?"
"Hunting."
"You catch wolves like this?"
"Not wolves—assassins!"
"Those hunters you mentioned? Why would they come here?"
"Wait and see. Gotta season the welcome if we're greeting guests."
Finishing his preparations, Han Bin pointed upward.
Time to climb the trees.
Sim Miho leaped to the branch directly overhead.
Han Bin jumped to the opposite tree.
About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea passed.
Han Bin looked at Sim Miho perched on the other tree.
The signal that the hunt was on.
Sasasak.
The sound of footsteps crunching grass.
Sim Miho narrowed her eyes.
A sudden shift.
This wasn't an animal.
Definitely human footsteps.
A chill ran up Sim Miho's spine.
She urgently glanced at Han Bin.
Her jaw dropped.
Her lord was staring vacantly into the empty air.
Of course, what Han Bin saw were the forms of the Yongrin Sword Art.
[Basic Volume]
······
[Applied Volume]
[Jeon-gwang-seok-hwa]
[Ilchokjeukbal]
[Kwaegeomnanma]
[Human-grade Formula – Hwe (times)]
Three forms he could use now.
Two at once was still his limit.
Jeon-gwang-seok-hwa.
Ilchokjeukbal.
Confirming the forms to deploy, Han Bin pressed a finger to his lips.
Signaling Sim Miho to stay quiet again.
A while after the footsteps, three black shadows appeared around the campfire.
All three raised blowpipes simultaneously.
Pik!
Slender needles—like poisoned darts—embedded in the scarecrow by the fire.
They drew their swords in unison.
Their sounds were swallowed by the wind.
Han Bin narrowed his eyes.
First Rate assassins.
His assessment of their level.
Their blades gleamed coldly in the moonlight.
Two assassins circled silently behind the scarecrow and thrust.
The remaining one slashed at its neck.
From poison dart to thrust—it happened in the blink of an eye.
Dengkang!
The wooden head rolled limply to the ground!
The assassins exchanged glances.
Only now realizing something was wrong.
The leader barked,
"Prepare for ambush!"
But Han Bin was faster.
He shot from the tree like an arrow, hand extended.
Ilchokjeukbal fused with Jeon-gwang-seok-hwa!
The passing scenery seemed to slow.
Puk!
A rippling blue sword aura pierced an assassin's nape.
In that instant, the remaining two lunged at Han Bin.
Han Bin yanked his sword free and ducked.
Whoosh!
Their blades grazed where he'd been.
Dengkang!
The severed head of the assassin Han Bin had impaled tumbled there.
Faced with this sudden loss of a comrade, the two assassins slowly approached Han Bin, discarding their masks.
The leader glanced sideways and growled lowly,
"No need to hide anymore. Surround him!"
At once, red sword aura flickered from the leader's blade.
Han Bin narrowed his eyes and asked,
"Peak?"
"That's right. You're as good as dead."
"Mind if I ask how much my head's worth?"
"Ask King Yama that."
"I'm busy, so you go first and pass along my regards."
"As the rumors say, you're utterly mad."
Watching their exchange, Sim Miho flinched.
This was a razor-edge crisis.
A Peak assassin versus her lord Han Bin? The outcome was obvious without seeing it.
But she couldn't intervene now.
She'd been ordered to stay put and watch in silence.
As Han Bin was herded toward the campfire...
He pulled something from his bosom.
The startled assassins charged together.
At that moment, Han Bin casually tossed the item into the fire.
Peng!
Smoke billowed everywhere at once.
The smoke shrouded everyone around the campfire.
Han Bin's voice echoed from the thick haze.
"Didn't know your tastes, so I went with mine."
Blue sword aura flared angrily within the smoke.
Its owner shouted,
"Coward."
"Getting called cowardly by assassins? Feels like a compliment."
Shing!
Red sword aura cleaved the smoke.
But no scream from Han Bin.
Only laughter rang out from the mist.
"Haha."
Shing!
As laughter intertwined with wind, Sim Miho—watching from above—ground her teeth.
Everything was unfolding exactly as Han Bin had said.
There was no place for her to step in.
Could she even dodge sword auras in that smoke?
Even if she did, it'd be luck.
Then Sim Miho's head tilted slightly.
The flickering red sword aura was weakening.
What?
As she squinted, the red aura vanished.
The smoke began to clear simultaneously.
Han Bin and the two assassins faced off, two paces apart.
Han Bin turned toward Sim Miho.
"You can come down now."
"Pardon?"
"It's safe. Come on."
At his words, Sim Miho descended and drew her sword.
But the leader—who'd boasted Peak prowess—looked off.
His face was twisted in a grimace, breaths ragged.
Sim Miho asked Han Bin,
"My lord, what happened?"
"Mixed some scattering powder with other poisons."
"Pardon?"
As startled Sim Miho waved her hands, Han Bin said,
"We're fine."