Chapter 119. That Bastard, the Poison Boy
The moment Sa Gyo-du, the low-ranking instructor known as Low Eight, arrived at the burning log restaurant, his jaw dropped wide open.
There, sprawled out like a starfish and bleeding profusely... wasn't that the head instructor?
Why the hell was that guy lying there like that?
"What the hell is this? What's going on here?"
Sa Gyo-du's voice sank low and dangerous.
All eyes turned to him, the absolute powerhouse of these mountains. The instructors glared at the one who'd stirred up this mess, their resentment boiling over.
As Sa Gyo-du swept his gaze across the scene, Won Seung suddenly cupped his fists in a formal salute.
"Why'd you take so long to show up? Shit hit the fan already."
"……."
Everyone's stares locked onto Won Seung at his sudden move.
"The head instructor set the restaurant on fire. The instructors tried to stop him... and that one killed the head instructor."
Won Seung pointed at Gak Gyo-du, the instructor who'd been watching him. Sa Gyo-du's eyes shifted to Gak Gyo-du.
Gak Gyo-du gaped in utter disbelief. He wasn't the only one. Won Seung's calm, bald-faced lie left everyone stunned speechless.
To kill the head instructor right in front of everyone and pin it on someone else?
Sa Gyo-du blinked his piggy eyes at Gak Gyo-du.
Just as I thought... the guy's cognition is shot.
The situation was obvious—no need to ask anyone. The instructors and kids were at a standoff. What explanation was needed?
Yet here he was, buying Won Seung's bullshit and staring at Gak Gyo-du... which meant all that booze had slowed his brain to a crawl.
Sa Gyo-du, ever the expert in wine, women, and song, had dark circles under his eyes from the moment he'd arrived at these mountains. Now they were pitch black.
Excessive drinking wrecked the brain and loosened the muscles. Even for a Peak Expert.
Sa Gyo-du glanced at Gak Gyo-du's aggrieved face, then turned his glare back to Won Seung.
"You trying to fool me right now?"
"Yeah, you pig bastard. Why'd you crawl out here instead of just passing out?"
This time, Won Seung hurled the insult outright. Hell, he said it with a grin.
Won Seung had seen all sorts of masters clash back in Sangyang—even witnessed the might of Kwon-wang, one of the Ten Great Experts, with his own eyes. He wasn't about to cower before the likes of Sa Gyo-du. But to everyone else, the kid seemed flat-out insane.
No. 27, So Hyang, whispered worriedly to Bingseol beside her.
"You think he got his head bashed in during the fight?"
"……."
Bingseol eyed Won Seung suspiciously too, her gaze grave.
"Hah!"
Sa Gyo-du gasped in outrage and dropped the two heads he'd been gripping by the hair.
He ought to say something—anything—but nothing came to mind. A trainee punk calling him a pig bastard?
Too absurd for words, he just gawked at Won Seung. Then the punk provoked him again.
"Pig bastard. If you're gonna get hammered, do it quietly. Why'd you mess with our pretty one? Two instructors are dead because of you now. You're done for."
In that instant, Sa Gyo-du snapped to his senses.
Ah, right... No. 50!
His eyes flicked to Bingseol.
Yeah. He'd ordered them to bring her...
Only now did Sa Gyo-du recall what he'd done earlier that evening.
His brow furrowed deeply.
Shit. He'd fucked up big time!
Gi Jangno was already gunning for him...
Sa Gyo-du glanced at the instructors. Those resentful eyes staring back at him.
Damn it. What now?
For a split second, the urge to slaughter everyone and vanish crossed his mind.
Yeah. Even if he went back, it'd be punishment waiting... Might as well head to the boonies. People lived there too, and surely some brothels.
Sa Gyo-du scanned the instructors, kids, and the warriors encircling them.
Too damn many. How long would it take to kill them all?
Time for mutual destruction.
A vicious glint flashed in Sa Gyo-du's eyes.
Won Seung had positioned himself right atop Sa Gyo-du's head. Seeing the instructors' resentment toward him, he'd deliberately provoked the pig to drive a wedge.
First, split Sa Gyo-du from the instructors...
Won Seung's gaze swept over the surrounding warriors.
Then peel these guys off too.
"What're you waiting for? Kill 'em all!"
Sa Gyo-du bellowed at the instructors and warriors.
The instructors flinched and looked to him. Their eyes asked if he really meant slaughter everyone. As Sa Gyo-du scowled to bark back, Won Seung beat him to it.
"You idiots! That pig bastard plans to kill us all and bolt! He's pitting us against each other so he can finish off the survivors. He's going for total wipeout!"
The instructors' eyes snapped back to Sa Gyo-du. He'd hit the nail on the head; Sa Gyo-du faltered, unable to retort.
That bastard really was planning it.
In that moment, Won Seung knew for sure.
He shouted to the patrol and surveillance warriors ringing the restaurant.
"Listen up, patrol squad, surveillance squad! These are the infamous Jeokhyeolsan thugs from the jianghu. You know 'em?"
From what Jong Bi had told him, Jeokhyeolsan only supplied the instructors—the rest were local hires.
"If word gets out what they've done, they're public enemies. Kidnapping kids, killing dozens. You think they'll let you walk? Once the tail's traced, every righteous sect will come gunning for Jeokhyeolsan!"
"!"
"Total wipeout! The second we graduate, you're all dead!"
The patrol and surveillance warriors flinched. Anyone in the know had heard of assassin sects like Haeyeonmun and Jeokhyeolsan. They'd suspected from the start of hiring, and anyone with a brain figured it was one or the other.
Won Seung's words stabbed right into their chests. Entirely plausible.
Stuck in these mountains for the cash... only to end up slaughtered? Way too raw a deal.
Won Seung fanned the flames of their suspicion.
"Look at the instructors. See how panicked they are?"
The instructors were panicking. They'd planned to kill everyone—patrol, surveillance, field hands, kitchen staff—to cover graduation.
Won Seung drove the wedge home.
"Everyone who's eaten or drunk from the kitchen's poisoned with my Shinpye Powder! It's just backache now, but soon you won't be able to sit or lie down from the pain!"
"Shut that bastard's mouth!"
Sa Gyo-du roared, but no one budged.
The guy who'd killed the head instructor... no reason to charge first.
"Help us take down Jeokhyeolsan, and I'll give you the antidote!"
"……."
The warriors murmured. Sa Gyo-du panicked.
"Don't buy it! That punk's bluffing!"
"No bluff! Check your ki. Your kidneys ache, right?"
Won Seung yelled, then turned to Sa Gyo-du.
"Pig bastard. You try it."
This little shit... The kid who'd bowed and scraped not long ago, now openly cursing him. Infuriating.
Won Seung shouted again.
"Oh, and there's only thirty antidotes! First come, first served for those who help us!"
Someone from the back yelled.
"Hey, you brat! We fed you and gave you meat, and you poison us?"
"Huh? Kitchen uncle?"
"What'd we do wrong? Is cooking a crime?"
"Uncles! I'll make extra antidote for you guys. Fall back."
Sa Gyo-du let out a sinister chuckle.
"You think you'll get the chance?"
Then he bellowed at the instructors.
"Kill that bastard first! Snatch the antidote!"
Won Seung burst out laughing.
"Pig bastard. Do I look like the type to carry antidote around? It's in Dok Sabu's wooden hut, past the poison formation. Come get it if you can break through."
That sealed it for the warriors.
Kill him, no antidote!
Sa Gyo-du regretted it. Should've iced the punk the second he arrived... But with the booze haze and hesitation, everything went to hell.
He menaced the instructors.
"What're you doing? Kill 'em all! We can trash the poison formation later!"
Sa Gyo-du bullied the instructors.
They had no choice. Letting the kids escape meant death from headquarters. Hell, the kids were gunning for them now. Subdue first, think later.
As the instructors gripped their weapons tighter, Won Seung said,
"Pig bastard, stop hiding behind them yapping with that filthy mouth. Come at me one-on-one."
Won Seung flicked his sword, taunting Sa Gyo-du. Purely intentional.
"I'll smash your skull, you little shit."
Sa Gyo-du lost it, stomped forward with a thud, and launched himself like a cannonball.
Won Seung sent a transmission to Dongho-gun.
-Keep an eye on No. 13.
Won Seung's goal: zero deaths. He'd thought No. 13 fled solo, but learned he'd gone after Sa Gyo-du. Planned to save him. Bandages wrapped tight around Sa Gyo-du's gut—kid had landed a solid cut.
Right now, No. 13 was ant-meat to Sa Gyo-du. That's why the double-barreled insults worked; the pig took the bait, ditching No. 13 for Won Seung.
Pig bastard's quick.
Five or six jang away, but closed in a blink.
Won Seung knew Sa Gyo-du was a fist-and-leg master. He'd seen Kwon-wang's art, faced Ilgwon Pasan Cheon Seok-san. Give a fist-leg expert distance, you're done.
Won Seung was prepared.
Whoosh!
He dodged back, circling to the brazier. The blast from the Sangonghwatan had scattered the logs and doused most flames, but embers lingered. Won Seung slipped a mid-grade Sangonghwatan into the brazier.
Then positioned it between them, facing off.
Meanwhile, kids and instructors clashed.
Clang clang clang!
Weapons rang out chaotically. Kids grouped in threes, three per instructor.
Patrol and surveillance warriors held back. They feared the instructors.
Lucky break.
Neutral was huge help.
The kids formed a circular formation around where No. 13 and No. 14 had fallen.
Confirming Dongho-gun grabbing them, Won Seung suddenly reversed his sword grip, clasped both hands, and bowed deeply in formal sword salute to Sa Gyo-du.
"Sa Gyo-du. Sorry for the insults. Teach me a move."
The abrupt shift left Sa Gyo-du speechless. This punk's definitely nuts.
"You little shit, get over h—"
He meant to say he'd spare him if he came close, but couldn't finish. Mid-sentence, boom—the Sangonghwatan detonated.
Fwoosh!
Sangong powder billowed. Sa Gyo-du retreated like the wind, but the ten-jang spread caught him with a whiff.
That bastard... he was the Poison Boy.
Sa Gyo-du's face twisted. Drunk as hell, fresh from blackout—brain sluggish. Gut stabbing from the wound, unexpected chaos, Won Seung's mind games... he'd forgotten the punk was the poison kid.
"……."
Glaring at Won Seung, he circulated ki covertly. Mild sangong powder—negligible effect. Enough to kill the punk ten times over.
Sa Gyo-du had some cunning too. He staggered, feigning poisoning.
Won Seung laughed loud.
"You're poisoned."
Then charged, sword leading.
Perfect. He bought it.
Sa Gyo-du smirked inwardly, waiting for Won Seung to close in.