Chapter 129
Chapter 129
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 129
Chapter Title: The Elusive Assassin
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After Hyang-i, who had been venting her anger for quite some time, stormed out the door, panting.
“My… my lord… are you alright?”
“…”
Ju Seung, Wang Cheon, and Gwak Hui-yeong peeked their heads through the open door and asked worriedly.
These traitors…
How can you even ask that? Can’t you see the state I’m in?
To think I’ve been keeping scum like them as my guards.
“Hmm… The maid is truly incredible, isn’t she? What on earth is her identity?”
“…”
Gwak Hui-yeong couldn’t help but click his tongue in admiration.
Is this something to admire?
You swore loyalty, you bastard! The spit on your lips hasn’t even dried yet!
Glaring at the three who were cautiously entering, Neung Un-bi slowly pushed himself up.
*Crack.*
“Ugh.”
It seems she really stomped on me good.
My joints are throbbing.
“My… my lord!”
Seeing Neung Un-bi stumble as he stood and lean on the table for support, the three of them rushed to his side at once.
“Let go, you traitors…”
“Ah, about that…”
“I was…”
“We’re sorry.”
At his sharp glare, the three of them wore apologetic expressions.
Right. You’re just looking out for yourselves, aren’t you?
Just you wait. One day, when you’re about to die, I’ll be sure to pretend I don’t see a thing.
Still, there was a silver lining.
I withstood quite a few of Hyang-i’s attacks when she was dead set on beating me. In fact, didn’t I dodge almost all the fatal blows?
It was a huge improvement. It meant I’d gotten a little closer to Hyang-i, whose goal was to take the Cult Leader’s head.
“My… my lord… your nose is bleeding…”
“…”
That’s because I slammed into a pillar trying to dodge the last one…
“Gods, my body aches.”
Neung Un-bi stuffed a piece of cloth Ju Seung brought him into his nostrils and managed to straighten his creaking body.
“Please, sit!”
Perhaps feeling guilty for leaving Neung Un-bi alone to get beaten, Wang Cheon quickly brought over a chair.
“Phew… I can finally breathe. Damn her, her fists are like rocks. Anyway, what did that Yeom bastard do to make her so furious?”
“I asked, just in case… and she said he pounced on her?”
“Huh? He did what?”
At Wang Cheon’s words, Neung Un-bi tilted his head.
“Thinking she was the maid named Cheong-sin… the Yeom bastard pounced on her…”
“…”
“From what I hear, it seems he’s done that a few times before.”
“…Is… is that Yeom bastard? Still alive?”
“Yes.”
“Hah… what a relief.”
Neung Un-bi sighed in relief.
It seemed nothing serious had happened.
Yeom Seong-in must have just pretended to touch her. Believing wholeheartedly that Hyang-i was Cheong-sin, he must have done it deliberately to deceive the guards outside the door so he could give her a task.
If he had actually laid a hand on her, there’s no way he’d still be alive.
Still… she had a good reason to hit me.
Even if he only feigned touching her, she would have had to endure it to complete the task I gave her.
“Phew… damn, I almost got my head lopped off for giving one simple order.”
“I know, right? Still, isn’t it admirable how she endured the humiliation to carry out your orders?”
At Wang Cheon’s words, Neung Un-bi narrowed his eyes and glared at him.
He had a point, but…
“Then how about you take a beating?”
“…Absolutely not.”
“Then shut up. You haven’t even been hit.”
“…”
Annoyed by Neung Un-bi, Wang Cheon clamped his mouth shut and pretended to look elsewhere.
“More importantly… is this all of it?”
“Pardon?”
“The thing I told you to look into.”
“Ah! Yes, it is.”
As Neung Un-bi pointed to the paper on the table, Wang Cheon nodded.
The day he saw the murder scene, Neung Un-bi had given Wang Cheon an order.
To find the person Jang Il-san had mentioned. The one who left the same murder traces as the one who killed Gong Tae-seok.
“Hmph.”
Neung Un-bi carefully examined the paper.
“This one… no, doesn’t seem to be this one either…”
Scanning through the report on the assassins’ identities and the incidents that had occurred, Neung Un-bi suddenly paused and frowned.
“…Unsolved?”
“Ah, that one? The Beggars’ Sect said that while they identified the culprit in most other cases, that one remains a mystery. There were apparently other similar incidents, but they were outside their jurisdiction, so there’s no information.”
“Hmm… is that so?”
Neung Un-bi nodded at Wang Cheon’s words.
“Should I dig deeper if you need me to?”
“No. No need to go that far.”
Shaking his head, Neung Un-bi was lost in thought.
This was unexpected.
I thought he was just some run-of-the-mill guy, but isn’t he more impressive than I expected?
Among the sects of the Orthodox Central Plains, the Beggars’ Sect boasts the strongest intelligence network.
They say if they want to find something out, they can even tell you the color of a passing woman’s underwear, yet they couldn’t identify the culprit?
In other words, he left no traces.
From the Beggars’ Sect…
How many assassins possess that level of skill?
“This is getting… rather interesting. You’re saying he might not be an ordinary guy?”
“Pardon?”
“…”
Ignoring his subordinates’ puzzled stares, Neung Un-bi looked only at the paper, the corners of his mouth curling up as he spoke.
“Gather everyone.”
“Everyone… all of them?”
“Yes. Every single one, including the branch warriors.”
“…?”
“We’re going to Uamgol.”
At Neung Un-bi’s words, the three men looked at each other and tilted their heads.
“Wait a minute, my lord.”
“Hm?”
“You want all of us to go? Every last one?”
“Yeah.”
“To catch a single assassin?”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“…Does that make any sense?”
As always, Wang Cheon started by objecting.
“Yes. It makes sense.”
“Hah… my lord.”
“Cut the sighing.”
“My apologies for that. But he’s just an assassin. A nobody who takes jobs from the likes of the Blue Cloud Carpentry Guild.”
“A nobody? I wish that were the case… but my gut tells me otherwise.”
“In any case, gather everyone. We might need a solid perimeter.”
“My lord!”
“…”
“Fine, fine. It is your command, so I must obey. But the Zhongnan Sect is watching.”
“What about it?”
“What will they think if the Demonic Cult moves out in force to catch a single assassin?”
“I’m telling you, he might not be *just* an assassin.”
“Damn it! Are you going to keep being like this? Have you no thought for the Demonic Cult’s dignity?”
“Dignity, my ass. A tiger uses its full strength even when hunting a rabbit.”
“A tiger is an animal! It’s hungry! Of course it has to use its full strength!”
“…”
As Wang Cheon shouted, Neung Un-bi let out a short laugh.
Right, a tiger and the Demonic Cult are different.
As Wang Cheon said, it might look ridiculous if the Demonic Cult swarmed out to catch a single assassin.
But this guy… it felt necessary.
And the cult’s dignity? What if we only send a few and they let him escape? Would that be fine?
We have to go in force. We must establish a tight perimeter and capture him without fail.
The instincts from his past as an assassin were warning him.
That this guy might have that kind of skill.
Neung Un-bi said, fiddling with the paper.
“Wang Cheon.”
“Yes!”
“That’s an order. We leave immediately.”
“…”
Seeing the firm look in Neung Un-bi’s eyes, Wang Cheon’s face crumpled in frustration.
* * *
Uamgol. A small village located about a hundred li from where the Demonic Cult’s Shaanxi branch was based.
In truth, it was ridiculous to even call it a village.
A village formed by houses built on the slopes of a deep mountain valley.
The houses were scattered far and wide.
They were separated by at least several li, making it difficult to even check on one another without making a special trip.
The man Yeom Seong-in mentioned, Chang-jung, lived in a house built in the deepest part of that very valley.
A gloomy place where the dense foliage blocked the sun, making it feel like night even during the day.
The surroundings were also dim and indistinct.
Meanwhile, for someone hiding inside, the outside would be clearly visible, making it an ideal location for concealment.
Just as I thought… he might not be an ordinary man.
But why would someone with this much skill take a job from the likes of the Blue Cloud Carpentry Guild?
Staring at the eerie, dilapidated thatched hut nestled in the darkness, Neung Un-bi’s eyes deepened like an abyss.
[Commander, deployment is complete.]
Ju Seung nodded at the telepathic message that reached his ears.
“My lord, the Lunar Eclipse Unit has detoured ten li out and blocked the northern escape route.”
Following Ju Seung, Gwak Hui-yeong continued the report.
“The Shaanxi branch has also finished deployment. They’ve formed a perimeter with one hundred men on the left and right flanks each.”
“Good.”
Staring at the thatched hut that exuded an eerie aura from the shade of the bushes, Neung Un-bi nodded in satisfaction.
Behind him stood Wang Cheon and Hyang-i, and a short distance away, Jin San and Ung-hyeon were waiting to observe (?) Neung Un-bi’s handling of the situation.
Of course, Wang Cheon still looked sullen, clearly displeased with Neung Un-bi’s decision.
To think that over three hundred warriors of the Demonic Cult had formed a perimeter just to catch a single assassin…
What the hell kind of madness was this?
It was obvious what the Zhongnan Sect would think of the Demonic Cult.
On the surface, they would act as if nothing was wrong, but inwardly, how much would they be pointing fingers and mocking them?
And Jin San was a great elder representing the Zhongnan Sect…
But he didn’t grumble as he usually did. No matter how informal their relationship was, he couldn’t tarnish his lord’s dignity in front of outsiders.
Of course, Neung Un-bi had no way of knowing Wang Cheon’s feelings, nor was he the type to care about things like the cult’s dignity.
“Hey!”
“Y-yes?”
“If you’re going to keep making that face, you shouldn’t have come.”
“Pardon?”
“You’ve been sulking this whole time.”
“W-when did I?”
Wang Cheon retorted, glancing at Jin San and Ung-hyeon.
“The whole time. Since earlier.”
“No, I haven’t. Not at all.”
“What do you mean, no? You were about to object again, weren’t you?”
“O-object? How could I possibly… to my lord…”
At Neung Un-bi’s irritable words, Wang Cheon was busy watching Jin San and Ung-hyeon’s reactions.
This lord of mine has no sense of the atmosphere!
I’m deliberately holding it in, so why does he have to stir up trouble in front of these Orthodox Sect bastards?
If he talks like that, what will the Orthodox Sect think of the Demonic Cult?
“If you don’t want to do it, then leave! Stop being a nuisance.”
“…Why are you being like this? When was I ever a nuisance?”
As Wang Cheon, feeling resentful that Neung Un-bi didn’t understand his feelings, pouted, Hyang-i spoke calmly.
“Twelve sighs. Lips twitching as if about to speak… twenty-three times? Glared at the Third Young Master from behind about five times.”
“Pardon?”
“During the time it took to get here from the Blue Cloud Carpentry Guild.”
“…M-Maid, why are you doing this to me too?”
At Hyang-i’s observation, which was so objective it felt like she was cornering and trampling him, Wang Cheon looked like he was about to cry.
As if my lord wasn’t enough, now the maid too.
They’re exactly the same. I’m the only one who cares about the cult’s dignity.
“Fine. Fine! To prove my innocence and show that I am fully committed to this task, I will go and capture the man myself!”
“…”
As Wang Cheon shot to his feet and yelled, Neung Un-bi gave him a baffled look and said.
“Why are you stating the obvious with such determination?”
“…Pardon?”
“Did you think I or Hyang-i would go? Or maybe Elder Jin San?”
“…”
“You’re the one who’s always saying you shouldn’t use an ox cleaver to kill a chicken…”
At Neung Un-bi’s words, Wang Cheon’s mouth snapped shut like a clam.
You were planning to send me from the start?
“Hurry up and get it done. You don’t need any help, right?”
“…Of course not.”
Watching Neung Un-bi give the order with a bright smile, Wang Cheon gritted his teeth and strode toward the thatched hut.
Forcing a smile…
If you don’t believe me, you’ll have to experience it for yourself.
If my intuition is right, the man named Chang-jung hiding in that hut is no ordinary person.
He must be an exceptional assassin.
Well, maybe not.
“Hmm… will Guard Captain Wang be enough on his own?”
“…”
Watching Wang Cheon head toward the hut, Hyang-i narrowed her eyes slightly and spoke.
Her instincts are sharp, as expected.
She must also be sensing it instinctively. She must have seen things only assassins can see.
“He won’t die. Wang Cheon… isn’t that much of an idiot.”
“True… he can take care of himself.”
Hyang-i nodded at Neung Un-bi’s words.
Alright. Now come on out, you damn assassin.
Let me get a look at the face of a guy who takes jobs from the likes of the Blue Cloud Carpentry Guild despite having such skills.