Chapter 20
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Another Black Moon (2)
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"Hey, you bastard. What the hell did we do to deserve you assholes keep coming after us like this?"
I was so pissed off that I'd completely forgotten we'd killed and buried those assassins.
Realizing my slip-up a bit too late, I didn't care.
After all, they were the ones trying to kill us while we were just minding our own business.
"We... we failed to recognize you as masters. We're sorry. This will never happen again."
Hearing the assassin's terrified response, I pondered for a moment what to do.
Kill this guy? Or not?
We'd already taken out more than ten assassins, so one more wouldn't make a difference.
But even if we killed all of them, my gut told me more would come.
"Where are you from?"
"From the Black Moon Gate."
"Where's the Black Moon Gate?"
At this point, the only option was to track down the Black Moon Gate and wipe them out myself.
But the assassin clammed up when I asked about their hideout.
I reached out and yanked off the cloth covering his face. In the moonlight, his thin, thread-like eyes revealed a middle-aged man.
"Doesn't matter if you talk or not. I can just ask the next ones who show up."
The threat worked, and the assassin finally spoke.
"Yingshan in Huguang."
"Yingshan in Huguang, huh..."
I had no idea where that was.
But more importantly, I couldn't trust a word he said.
Ever since that monk scammed me out of fifty taels of silver, I'd grown suspicious of everyone.
"Kill this bastard. He just lied."
Sure enough, the assassin's eyes shook violently.
"In Huguang..."
"Hey! Wait a..."
Pow!
The assassin had just started to open his mouth when Gwang-u's fist smashed into his head.
I hurriedly raised my hand to stop him, but it was too late—the assassin was already convulsing on the ground.
"Gwang-u, you idiot, don't you have any sense? He was about to spill their hideout."
"But you said to kill him."
"It was just a bluff, a bluff. Damn it..."
Now we'd killed all the assassins, and more would surely come looking for them.
I'd been trying to cut ties with these killers this time, but Gwang-u followed my words too literally.
But what was done was done—no point regretting it now.
"Let's bury them."
"Bro, do we have to dig again? Can't we just dump them in the river?"
I was already annoyed enough, and Gwang-u was fanning the flames.
"Gwang-u, if a dozen corpses float down the river, who do you think gets suspected first? The folks living by the river, right?"
Gwang-u finally got it and nodded.
"Oh, right. You're so smart, bro."
"We bury the bodies and erase all traces. Move it."
Gwang-u and I tucked the two corpses under our arms and headed far from the house.
Clang!
That's when the sword the assassin had been holding dropped to the ground.
"Bro, what about their weapons? Bury them too?"
"Of course. Like last time..."
Suddenly, it hit me—these swords could fetch some silver.
Selling them all in one place would raise suspicions, but splitting them up across markets should be fine.
"Gwang-u, before we bury them, search their clothes thoroughly."
Gwang-u and I gathered the bodies and rifled through their pockets.
No clinking silver, but we found daggers and hidden weapons galore.
"You start moving the bodies. I'll hide these and catch up."
Back home, I stashed the weapons and darts deep in the barn.
For when I needed silver.
The head of the Si Family in Huanin County, Si Ju-pyeong, had been anxiously awaiting news of Seok Yang-ho's death from the Seok Family.
But days had passed with no word.
Unable to wait any longer, he summoned his son—the one who'd hired the assassins.
"Why hasn't there been any news yet?"
Si Wang-saeng had been wondering the same about the Seok Family job, so he jumped up immediately.
"I'll go find out, Father."
"Be careful. If the Seok Family catches on, it'll bring disaster to our house. And while you're out, check on the Black Bear Gang too. Their protection fee is overdue, and no one's said a word."
"Understood. Don't worry."
Leaving the family compound, Si Wang-saeng tossed a small twig at the market entrance.
It was a signal to the assassin sect: he had a job and needed time.
But he couldn't meet them now—two or three shichen later at earliest.
Time to pay those Black Bear Gang thugs a visit.
His heart raced at the thought.
Hanging with them made time fly.
Drinking, gambling, and if they'd dragged in women who couldn't pay debts, even better.
They sometimes nabbed old folks or kids too, and playing with those was a riot.
But lately, dodging the Seok Family, they'd probably been laying low.
Si Wang-saeng calmed his excitement and slipped into a dark alley.
Stopping at the familiar door, he rapped with his palm.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
No response from inside.
Furious, he pounded harder.
Thud! Thud! ...
A faint whisper finally came from within.
"Who is it?"
"It's me."
The door creaked open, and a young man peeked out.
Recognizing him, Si Wang-saeng started to snap but froze in shock.
"What happened to your face?"
Half the young man's face was completely mangled.
"Don't even ask."
The young man sniffled and ushered Si Wang-saeng inside.
Inside, about twenty black thugs sprawled on the floor scrambled to their feet.
"Greetings, Young Master."
Si Wang-saeng surveyed the groveling bunch in disbelief.
"What the hell happened to all of you?"
The black crew glanced nervously at Mu Tae, still seated.
Mu Tae finally stood and bowed late.
"Welcome, Young Master."
"What in the world happened, Brother Mu?"
Mu Tae's face was half caved in too—he'd struggle just to eat rice, let alone show it in public.
"No words to say."
Mu Tae was too scared of Gwang-u to speak easily.
But he should fear Si Wang-saeng—or rather, the Si Family—more.
"Brother Mu, are you looking down on our Si Family?"
Si Wang-saeng's voice bristled with thorns.
Mu Tae had no choice but to spill the details.
"Last year, you joined us for some water fun, Young Master. This year, to beat the heat, I sent the kids ahead, but they got beaten by the homeowners and came back. So I led the boys myself to storm the place..."
Si Wang-saeng tilted his head.
He'd joined them there last summer too.
Days of boozing, gambling, and bedding young women.
The house owners were powerless merchant couple.
"How could some merchant wreck you like this? Did they rope in the Seok Family?"
"No, Young Master. The merchant couple sold the house to some young hunters from who-knows-where. We tracked them down later, but they'd vanished without a trace."
Ha, haha...
Si Wang-saeng couldn't help but laugh in absurdity.
"So... the Black Bear Gang that ruled Huanin County's back alleys got done in by some random hunters, and this is the result?"
"The big one was a monster, Young Master. They're the ones who caught that tiger and gave it to the Seok Family."
A flash of killing intent crossed Si Wang-saeng's eyes.
The Seok Family was why the Si Family couldn't move freely in Huanin County.
He'd love to tear them apart.
"I've heard rumors about them. Hunters with insane builds who bagged a tiger—must be those guys."
"Yes. Strength like a beast, but agile beyond his size."
Hmm...
Si Wang-saeng pondered briefly before asking,
"What about the other one?"
"The big one's the one who did this to us. The other just gave orders."
"Brothers?"
"Doesn't seem so. From intel the kids gathered sneaking around, the big one calls him 'bro,' but they don't look related. Faces are too different."
Si Wang-saeng took after his sly parents.
He instantly devised a perfect scheme.
"Brother Mu, don't you want revenge?"
Mu Tae, dreaming of brutal payback, perked up.
"You have a way?"
"To catch those two hunters, we sow discord."
Mu Tae's face darkened.
"Possible, Young Master?"
Hahaha...
Si Wang-saeng laughed confidently.
"Even blood brothers turn on each other if their interests clash. These two aren't even related—easy to drive a wedge."
Made sense.
Mu Tae bowed deeply.
"How do we get revenge? Teach me."
"First, lure the big one out alone. Share drinks, get him talking—gripes about the other will surface. Then..."
Mu Tae's face brightened as Si Wang-saeng explained.
"After taking one out, get the other drunk and asleep. Killing a sleeper's easier than picking a pocket."
"Thank you. Truly, Young Master."
Mu Tae was overjoyed.
Chewing hurt, speech lisped, but nightly he dreamed of vicious revenge—yet fear of the big hunter paralyzed him.
He'd only had underlings gather intel.
Now, sweet revenge was within reach.
The cruelest punishment imaginable.
"Protection fee's overdue—what's the holdup, Brother Mu?"
Mu Tae pulled a pouch from his bosom and offered it gingerly.
"I meant to visit the family head, but this face... I kept delaying. Please put in a good word."
Hahaha.
"Don't worry. Father will understand."
Si Wang-saeng pocketed the pouch with a grin.
"Once we have our revenge, I'll offer a separate tribute, Young Master."
"I'll look forward to it."