Chapter 37
Translator: uly
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: The Black-Haired Schemer - 1
The funeral ceremony for Im Gap-su, the head of the Gap-su Merchant Group, was held.
“Oh dear!”
“What a tragedy, just as he was turning sixty!”
“What will become of the Gap-su Merchant Group now?”
The guests from the sixtieth-birthday celebration instantly transformed into mourners. The local notables and martial artists from Chilgok County, who had attended the birthday feast and left around last evening, also showed their faces again.
Of course, I came to pay my respects too.
“Hello.”
I spoke to the Gap-su Merchant Group servant who had hired me to come here.
“Huh? Isn’t it the storyteller? What is it? If you want a meal, it’s busy, so go eat over there.”
The servant uncle pointed dismissively with his head towards a corner, seeming bothered amidst his busyness.
No, this uncle. Do I look like someone who just came here to eat?
Well, I did come to eat too.
“Sorry to bother you when you’re busy. I’m not here to burn spirit money like the other mourners. I wanted to burn this instead, if that’s alright.”
At Chinese funerals, mourners burn paper money for the deceased to use in the afterlife. It’s a similar feeling to lighting incense at a Korean funeral.
“Huh? What’s that?”
“It’s a Joseon-style condolence letter called a jojang. I understand that here, if mourners burn a lot of spirit money, the underworld considers the deceased a virtuous person and treats them well. In Joseon, we also burn letters praising the virtues of the deceased during their lifetime, to send them to the afterlife. I received kindness from the late group leader, so I felt I should do at least this much and wrote this letter.”
“Huh, is there such a custom in Joseon? It’s a barbarian custom, but the intent is very good.”
The servant uncle wore an impressed expression. Actually, there’s no such custom. I just wrote it while trying to secure a way to survive, killing two birds with one stone.
“Then I’ll take that as permission and burn it along with the others.”
“Wait.”
“Yes?”
“Can I read it first? If it contains strange content, it probably shouldn’t be burned.”
That’s a bit problematic. As the person managing the funeral, I can’t refuse to give it to him, so I just handed it over.
“The virtue of Im Gap-su is like Changbai Mountain, growing ever taller the more one looks up. In Chilgok County, he always appeared as a model of diligence and took the lead in urging others to be charitable. Im Gap-su was a parent to Chilgok County. Huh. So you respected the group leader this much.”
No. There’s no way I’d respect a guy who died while sleeping with two women.
The servant uncle seemed impressed, staring at me with his mouth agape.
“I am only regretful that my poor writing skills cannot fully express Im Gap-su’s virtue.”
I placed a hand on my chest and sighed as if in regret.
“Not at all. Not at all. Wait here a moment.”
The servant uncle took my condolence letter and disappeared somewhere.
Why is he doing this? It’s making me uneasy. You’re not going to show it to someone and try to humiliate me, are you? A sad memory suddenly surfaced.
“Here! This is the person.”
The servant uncle returned, escorting a man dressed in mourning clothes. I’ve seen him somewhere before. Ah, he was the person next to the group leader when I was acting as Prince Ha Mu-rin.
“A pleasure. I am Im Ji-uk, the chief mourner.”
Im Gap-su’s son.
“My deepest condolences for the deceased. I am Kang Yun-ho, the storyteller.”
When doing storyteller work, I use ‘Kang Mo’ meaning ‘a certain Kang,’ but when introducing myself to people, I don’t go that far. I bowed respectfully to the chief mourner.
“A youth who knows his manners. I heard you wished to place a good piece of writing on my father’s departing path, so I came to see your face.”
“I am only sad that I cannot fully repay the group leader’s kindness with just this letter.”
I pretended to be sad as if I had lost my own parents. It’s hard work just to say hello and eat a meal. Why did the chief mourner himself come to greet me?
“My father’s death is regrettable, but it is fortunate that so many people express their condolences. Even a street storyteller mourns our father. You, don’t be too sad. I will definitely uncover the murderer.”
Even if you uncover them, it’ll be tough. That woman isn’t ordinarily strong.
If you try to take revenge with the warriors a mere merchant group can mobilize—not even one of the Nine Schools—you’ll just become a handful of blood.
I’d like to just tell the chief mourner, ‘That woman will come looking for me.’ But I can’t.
Who is The Heavenly Killing Star?
She’s the woman who constantly incites bloodshed in the Central Plains martial world. A villain who can only be defeated with protagonist’s plot armor. On the other hand, who am I? A Joseon extra who can only handle neighborhood thugs.
If I call the warriors here to confront The Heavenly Killing Star, I might preserve my life for a moment. But no matter what, The Heavenly Killing Star will definitely survive and return. Then what next? It’s not like those warriors will protect me for the rest of my life.
To survive and control variables as much as possible, the help of people here would actually be a hindrance.
“Yes, then I will also go burn the condolence letter with peace of mind.”
After receiving the chief mourner’s greeting, I burned the letter at the place where spirit money was being burned.
It’s so hard to get an extra meal.
-------
“Shall we go?”
Inside the Gap-su Merchant Group lodging. I straightened my clothes, gathered my belongings, and was about to step out the door.
With the lodging packed due to the influx of mourners, a storyteller with no work to do and who wasn’t a distinguished guest had no choice but to leave.
If the chief mourner was going to pretend to be touched, shouldn’t he have let me stay for a week? I wanted to extend my lifespan here by at least a week.
Even this much bought enough time, and I got paid for the storyteller work, but I couldn’t help feeling bitter.
It feels like the day before entering the Murong Family. To think I have to do this again.
“Wait a moment! Take this with you.”
The servant uncle stopped me as I was tidying up the lodging and about to leave, handing me a bundle.
“Huh? What’s this?”
“The chief mourner said to give you some clothes as a reward for the condolence letter. How can someone who appears before others be so shabby aside from his outer garment? Here are some clothes that should fit you, take them.”
“I’ll accept them gratefully.”
No wonder he looked somewhat pitying when he saw my appearance. This is why people should always keep up a good outward appearance.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t let you stay longer because too many mourners crowded in. Next time, if there’s a need to call a storyteller, I’ll look for you and treat you generously then.”
The servant uncle spoke in an apologetic tone.
No need to be sorry. If you’re transferring me to a paid membership, I have no complaints whatsoever.
“Haha. Call me anytime.”
I left the Gap-su Merchant Group, carrying the money and the bundle of clothes.
When I exited the Gap-su Merchant Group, the sun was already beginning to set.
I didn’t return directly to the shantytown after leaving the merchant group.
To create the situation I wanted, I shouldn’t head towards the shantytown where the assassin could easily invade. Even now, that woman might be tracking me.
“Welcome~!”
A moderately crowded inn. When I entered, the waitress greeted me.
“I’m thinking of staying for about a week. Do you have a room?”
“Yes. There are many empty rooms. The price is cheaper than other inns, but meals are calculated separately. Would you like to rent one?”
“I will. I’ll be sitting here, so bring me some weak wine and side dishes.”
I had received ample money from the Gap-su Merchant Group. To save my life, I first needed night to fall.
I sat at the table most visible to people in the inn.
Originally, the rule for a protagonist in an inn is to sit in a corner.
Inns are like the mercenary guilds of fantasy. Just sitting still makes events happen.
Sit still having a meal, and someone will tell you about all the important events in this town, which later become stories connected to the protagonist.
Sit still, and when a young lady entering the inn gets harassed by evil sect ruffians, you’ll think, ‘Well, well, it seems this humble self must step forward.’ That’s the story.
If not that, then ‘I have no interest.’ While sitting in a corner drinking wine whether the inn goes to hell or not, someone picks a fight with ‘And who are you!’, then you get up and settle the whole situation. That’s the story.
None of those are the situation I want.
If I sit in a corner for no reason and that woman puts a knife to my back and tells me to follow her quietly, I won’t be able to resist.
To prevent such a situation, I sat right in the middle where people pass by. A barbarian needs attention. Please keep your eyes on me steadily.
“The Gap-su Merchant Group, you see…”
“These days, sons are…”
“My wife…”
Listening to people’s voices and having a casual drink, before I knew it, it was time for everyone to disperse.
Pretending to be pleasantly drunk, I scanned the surroundings. Has she come? Or is she outside?
There.
The slight tipsiness vanished instantly. Wearing a bamboo hat, but it’s definitely that woman.
Don’t you know you’re supposed to take off your hat indoors? Why don’t you try withdrawing money in front of an ATM wearing sunglasses and a mask? You’re openly saying, ‘I’m suspicious.’
Perhaps she used some special martial art, giving off a masculine aura, but I could see strands of black hair sticking out. Such conspicuously suspicious black hair in this situation. It’s too obvious who it is.
Can’t you come a bit slower? So impatient.
Originally, I planned to go up when the night deepened, but let’s change the plan.
“Ugh~, I’m so drunk.”
Pretending to be extremely drunk, I stood up and staggered. I have to pretend to be as drunk as possible. Walking a zigzag path between tables, I laboriously grabbed the stair railing and went up, entering the room.
She’ll come soon, right?
I mustn’t be awake. But I also shouldn’t sleep on the bed. I sat on the desk chair that was in the room. And I took out the book I wrote to survive.
Please. Save me again this time.
Clutching my pounding heart, I somehow managed to fall asleep.
There was a man—no, a woman disguised as a man—carefully watching the man who went up to his room drunk.
The Heavenly Killing Star, Cheon So-hee.
The past few days had been filled with doubt and questions for her.
‘Who is he?’
The Assassin Guild Number 5 assassin. First-class assassin. The Heavenly Killing Star. There were many names to call her, but the name ‘Cheon So-hee’ was a name only she knew in the Central Plains.
‘An ordinary storyteller.’
The information obtained by commissioning the Assassin Guild was also too flimsy.
A storyteller who appeared in Chilgok County one day. Previous whereabouts unknown. Outwardly, he didn’t seem to be a martial artist who had learned martial arts. Therefore, the probability that he was also someone related to the Assassin Guild was low.
‘Black hair. A Joseon person.’
It had been a long time since she saw black hair like her own in this land. Did he know her name because he was a Joseon person?
No. Impossible. There’s no way someone who knows her name exists in Joseon. Then who is that man?
The more The Heavenly Killing Star thought, the more she felt she was sinking into a maze. She didn’t want to dwell on such worries for long. After the man disappeared and some time passed, she slowly went up to the room.
The Heavenly Killing Star checked the surroundings briefly to confirm no one was nearby. She instantly picked the lock of the room door.
Creak....The old room door groaned. It was good she picked the lock, but she didn’t know the state of the room door.
It was a mistake a top-class assassin wouldn’t make. However, The Heavenly Killing Star didn’t think much of her own carelessness.
So, this is why you still can’t become a top-class assassin—the image of her scolding master came to mind, but The Heavenly Killing Star just ignored it. What need is there for stealth when you just kill people well and escape?
I can kill opponents that even a top-class assassin can’t kill. It’s not something to be faulted for just being poor at stealth techniques.
‘Is he asleep?’
Was he very drunk? The man was sleeping with his head on the desk. Should I wake him right up and ask his identity?
If I torture him, I’m confident I can make him talk about relatives up to the eighth degree of kinship. The Heavenly Killing Star pondered for a moment.
Let’s wake him. Why am I even worrying about such a thing?
The Heavenly Killing Star approached the man and was about to shake his shoulder.
At that moment,
A book caught The Heavenly Killing Star’s eye.
[Diary]
A single diary lay by the man’s bedside.
She didn’t know the man’s identity. She might have to torture him. But he was someone who knew her name. Was it okay to torture such a person immediately? A moment of hesitation passed through The Heavenly Killing Star.
‘Let’s read the diary.’
The Heavenly Killing Star didn’t keep a diary. However, information gathering was one of an assassin’s virtues. She herself had infiltrated an assassination target’s house and found the optimal place to assassinate through their diary.
The Heavenly Killing Star carefully took the diary from the man’s bedside into her hand.
[It’s already been a year since I came to the Central Plains. My life has finally gotten a bit better, so I’m writing this diary.]
It was a diary containing stories about earning a lot of money from storyteller work. The anger when all that money was stolen by the hoodlums. A tough life. Such stories were written.
It wasn’t as voluminous as expected, and there wasn’t much information to be gleaned from it.
‘Let’s just wake him. If he’s just a man who only knows my name…’
There was no reason to leave a future problem.
At the moment The Heavenly Killing Star was about to close the diary,
‘My name?’
She could find a part where her name was written. The Heavenly Killing Star slowly began to examine the part where her name was written.
[Today, I saw So-hee. If it wasn’t my delusion, it was definitely So-hee. Who else has black hair and red eyes besides So-hee?]
He knows someone who knows me thinks there is a person with red eyes among Joseon people. But the person with red eyes is only me.
This man knows that only I have red eyes.
[It’s strange. So-hee should be dead. Everyone in that village died that day. I saw it with my own two eyes.]
The tragic event that happened in the village. The horrific memory of that day. Yes. The sole survivor of that village is me.
……It should be only me.
[She definitely asked how I knew her name. Does she not remember me? It can’t be that she doesn’t remember me.]
A person who knows my unique characteristics.
A person who knows the village I lived in.
But a person not in my memory.
[It’s strange. How is So-hee alive? Why is So-hee in the Central Plains? Why is So-hee killing people? Everything is strange. So-hee. Why is our So-hee, who used to smile so brightly, living like that? What on earth happened to you?]
You.
Who on earth are you.