Chapter 55. Tit for Tat (3)
Thinking of his lord Han Bin, Jo Ho urged them on again.
"Come on, uncles, hurry up."
"Got it."
The warriors picked up the pace in response to Jo Ho's words.
Han Bin had now taken root in their hearts as well.
They raced along the path marked on the note Sim Miho had delivered.
After running for a while, Jo Ho tilted his head and asked a senior warrior.
"By the way, is this map accurate?"
"Anyone can see this is the right way."
"I mean, how could she draw it so precisely? Our lord left after sunset, right?"
"Huh, now that you mention it..."
The warrior trailed off and looked at the map again.
It depicted the mountain ridge in exquisite detail—far too precise for something sketched in the dark of night.
Of course, this was a map Han Bin had prepared in advance.
Had they examined it more closely, they would have noticed the ink was completely dry.
Han Bin had visited this place beforehand, mapping it out in his mind time and again as he devised his plan.
The only unexpected element had been the presence of the Cheonsan Blood Wolf, a demonic beast.
Unaware of this, Jo Ho felt growing unease and pushed himself even harder.
"Huff, huff."
Having accelerated, Jo Ho finally reached the clearing Han Bin had marked on the map.
He had run so fast that even his first-rate body struggled to keep up.
Catching his breath, Jo Ho's eyes widened.
"What the hell is this...?"
A sea of blood stretched before Jo Ho.
Mostly wolf corpses.
Among them were warriors in black garb.
A few were still clinging to life, groaning as they lay collapsed.
Jo Ho and the Mangho Squad warriors checked Han Bin's note again.
Han Bin had instructed them to move the black-clad warriors out of sight.
He had also ordered the wolf corpses gathered in one place.
Jo Ho followed Han Bin's commands to the letter.
After hauling wolves and assassins for a good while, Jo Ho tilted his head.
"Uncles, where's our lord?"
"Yeah, no sign of him no matter where we look."
"Maybe..."
Jo Ho narrowed his eyes at the assassins.
Noticing this, one of the warriors asked,
"What's up, Jo Ho?"
"I think these bastards killed our lord!"
"Hold on a sec."
"No, it really looks like they did..."
Jo Ho's voice cracked with rage, but moments later, he drew his sword.
Shing!
Among the assassins sprawled unwittingly together was Hyeolhwa, one of Heukcheon's top elite killers.
Hyeolhwa was losing her mind at this absurd situation.
She didn't know if this "lord" guy was the head of some assassin group or the youngest son of the Hebei Paeng Family—but this was unfair!
Who killed whom?!
That's what she wanted to scream.
Last night, she and her subordinates had been the victims.
It was that bastard who had cornered them with his despicable tricks.
She couldn't forget the sneer on his face behind the mask.
In one word, he was viler than any assassin—more assassin-like than assassins themselves.
As she ground her teeth wondering who he could be, a group of warriors entered, one of them wailing like that.
When the young one swung at Hyeolhwa's neck, an older warrior grabbed his wrist.
It was Jang Sam, who had joined late.
"Jo Ho, calm down."
Grabbing Jo Ho's wrist, Jang Sam held out Han Bin's note with his other hand.
Sort them separately, but do not kill!
It was unmistakably Han Bin's handwriting.
"Whew."
Jo Ho took a long breath and examined each assassin one by one. His gaze was so sharp that Hyeolhwa, her senses stirring, quickly shut her eyes.
After steadying his breathing and swallowing his anger, Jo Ho spoke.
"Uncles, finish up here. I'll go look for our lord."
"Alright, you're the one with stamina left, so find him quick. If you do, blow this."
The warrior handed Jo Ho a horn whistle.
It was the one the family head had given them upon promoting the guard squad to Mangho Squad.
Taking the whistle, Jo Ho narrowed his eyes and began searching for tracks.
After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Jo Ho spotted Han Bin on a nearby mountainside.
Han Bin sat in the lotus position. The problem was the pool of blood around him.
With Han Bin tangled amid the red wolf's remains, it was hard to tell whose blood it was.
Jo Ho rushed over to check Han Bin's pulse.
But he froze mid-motion.
Due to the bizarre phenomenon enveloping Han Bin's body.
"Three Flowers Gather? Five Qi Return?"
Various terms spilled from Jo Ho's mouth.
But moments later, he tilted his head. It wasn't quite Three Flowers Gather at the Summit or Five Qi Towards the Origin.
Of course, Jo Ho had never witnessed either firsthand.
Yet he was certain the phenomenon around Han Bin's body was neither.
A strange energy swirled around Han Bin.
It felt almost like the Thousand Character Classic.
The characters circled Han Bin's body before being sucked back into his head.
Then they emerged from his nose, swirling around again in an endless loop.
That was when it happened.
Awoo-ooo!
A gray wolf appeared.
With the Cheonsan Blood Wolf's aura gone, they had gathered, drawn by the scent of blood.
One, two...
As the gray wolves multiplied, Jo Ho quickly blew the horn whistle.
Squeee!
Now he just had to protect Han Bin until the rest arrived.
Awoo-ooo!
The gray wolves roared and charged at Jo Ho.
Slash!
Jo Ho sliced off a front paw with his sword, faint energy cloaking the blade.
But that was just the beginning.
They snarled madly, losing all reason, and lunged.
As five wolves attacked at once, Jo Ho squeezed his eyes shut.
He could dodge, but Han Bin sat behind him in lotus position.
Dodging would put Han Bin in danger, so Jo Ho braced himself, offering his body as bait, sword at the ready.
That was when it happened.
The wolves, baring savage fangs mid-leap, halted in place.
Like frozen puppets, unmoving.
Jo Ho turned at the unfamiliar energy.
There stood Han Bin, eyes gleaming as he stared down the wolves.
Jo Ho glanced between the wolves and Han Bin.
Only then did he understand why they had stopped.
It was Han Bin's gaze. Jo Ho was convinced Han Bin was controlling them with his eyes alone.
Of course, that was Jo Ho's misconception.
Han Bin had indeed absorbed the Cheonsan Blood Wolf's inner core and escaped peril, but he wasn't at a level to dominate savage gray wolves with a mere look.
The wolves reacted to the Blood Wolf's aura subtly emanating from Han Bin.
As Han Bin raised his hand, Jo Ho flinched and stepped back instinctively—fear overriding his respect.
But Han Bin gently patted Jo Ho's head.
"Thanks for protecting me."
Han Bin's tone was warmer than ever.
Stunned by this new gentleness, Jo Ho stammered.
"L-Lord."
As Jo Ho leaned in for an embrace, Han Bin swiftly retreated.
"My wounds are still deep. Talk later—lead me to the squad."
Of course, it was a lie. Han Bin just found dust-caked Jo Ho off-putting. He acted ignorant of his own state.
At Han Bin's words, Jo Ho wiped tears with his sleeve and took the lead.
Han Bin followed, hand on his blood-soaked side.
It was miraculous.
For the moment, Han Bin's body felt indestructible as diamond.
The inner power he absorbed from the Cheonsan Blood Wolf amounted to twenty years' worth.
Thanks to the core's potency, his original ten years recovered too.
Adding it to his base made a solid half-jia—thirty years of inner power filling his dantian.
With it, he invoked Qi Revival from the Brink of Death.
He looked drenched in blood outside, but inside, he was unscathed save for the claw marks.
This was a secret he couldn't share.
Glancing back, Jo Ho asked,
"Uh, are we just leaving the monster, lord?"
"Too much for us two to drag."
"Yes, understood, lord."
Jo Ho pressed on.
After Han Bin left, something strange happened.
The Cheonsan Blood Wolf's wounds began healing.
Influenced by Han Bin's Qi Revival.
But its severed breath didn't return.
Qi Revival restored the near-dead, but couldn't revive the truly deceased.
Han Bin and Jo Ho reached the assassins' pile in the time it takes to hold one's breath.
Han Bin spread out a travel pack he'd picked up along the way.
Seeing this, Jo Ho and the Mangho Squad warriors anticipated some vicious torment.
The Han Bin who tormented them at Cheonsu Manor wouldn't let them die easily.
They interpreted "sort separately, don't kill" as "don't take my toys."
Treating them as objects was spot-on.
The first item Han Bin pulled from the pack was silver needles.
He coated them with medicine.
Jo Ho's eyes widened curiously.
"What poison is that, lord?"
"Poison? Do I look like the type to use poison?"
"Well, no, but..."
Jo Ho trailed off. Truth be told, poison suited Han Bin perfectly.
He glanced pleadingly at the seniors.
They nodded in agreement.
Then Han Bin spoke.
"This is the antidote, Jo Ho."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"..."
Ignoring him, Han Bin jabbed a needle into Hyeolhwa's nape.
He then pulled out various first-aid supplies.
"Jo Ho, apply these wound salves here."
"Pardon?"
"What do you mean?"
"Fight's over—gotta treat fellow professionals right."
"Fellow professionals?"
"We're both in the killing business, aren't we?"
Han Bin grinned.
Moments later, as Hyeolhwa regained her senses, Han Bin beamed innocently before her.
His garb confirmed it: the one who'd jabbed her with paralysis-laced silver needles. And his face was unmistakably the Hebei Paeng Family's youngest scion.
Impossible, she thought, and spat,
"Don't toy with me—remove the human-skin mask."
"Human-skin mask?"
"The one you're wearing right now."
"This is my real face. Yours is the mask."
Han Bin pointed at her face; she bit her lip.
He was right. She was wearing the human-skin mask. But how did he know?
As questions piled up, Han Bin said,
"No need to freak—let's have a constructive chat."
"What chat?"
Hyeolhwa shrieked hoarsely.
But her eyes trembled like aspen leaves in the wind.
Deep down, she awaited his next words.