Chapter 38
Chapter 38
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: Black Sand
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CRACK!
The antique table, which boasted elegant embossed patterns, shattered to pieces under the force of the descending hand.
“Those damned bastards!”
A voice, boiling with rage, thundered through the spacious hall. Those prostrated at his feet had to press their frightened faces nearly to the floor.
The Sinhyul Clan.
The fury of Wi Ji-seung, the one who led it, seemed to pierce the heavens.
He had just returned from the grand hall after receiving a sudden summons. He had thought it was an unscheduled meeting, but never imagined he would be the subject of it.
Eyes filled with contempt.
The Cult Leader had shown his displeasure throughout the meeting, and So Seol-ok-su had spewed curses, pointing her finger and spattering spittle.
It was all because of the attack on the Third Young Master, Neung Un-bi.
For trying to kill him?
If that had been the issue, he might have held his chin high and calmly refuted the accusations. Hadn't everyone heard the Cult Leader promise not to interfere, no matter what happened?
The key point was that the assassins had been captured by the authorities.
An incident the authorities had already closed, treating it as a case of petty criminals targeting a traveler for money.
How was Wi Ji-seung to know about such a trivial incident in Sangnak, a city in the Central Plains, albeit on the border?
He hadn't expected it.
But somehow, the Cult Leader had learned of it in great detail, and the entire Council of Families and the Council of Elders had been summoned to receive a harsh reprimand.
How scathingly they had mocked him, asking if this was the best he could do, that if he was going to do something, he should do it properly instead of sending incompetent fools to get caught by officials…
He couldn't feign ignorance. The circumstances made it impossible.
The defeat of Wi Ji-hyeok, who had been a strong contender for the next Cult Leader.
It was enough to harbor a grudge.
But he had never, ever given such an order.
“The Chuhyeong Gate?”
“That is correct.”
“Those goddamned bastards…”
Wi Ji-seung’s eyes filled with killing intent as he read the report his retainers had compiled.
Even their name was vulgar. He hadn't even known such riffraff existed under his clan's influence. No matter how foolish he might be, would he really have ordered such lowly thugs to carry out an assassination?
They had acted on their own. They must have wanted to prove their worth by killing the Third Young Master.
But how could those fools?
Because of their pathetic failure, he had been made out to be a petty, childish old man who held grudges. Treated as someone who sent incompetent fools, only stirring up needless trouble.
“The name of the one who handed the assassins over to the authorities is Jeong Il-hak.”
“Jeong Il-hak?”
“It is the fake identity prepared by the Third Elder's office for the Third Young Master’s trip to the Central Plains.”
Grrrind.
At his retainer's words, Wi Ji-seung ground his teeth so hard they threatened to break.
“Are you saying… that bastard Neung Un-bi did this just to screw me over?”
“He may not have guessed it was us, but his intentions seem clear.”
“That little…!”
How furious had he been when Wi Ji-hyeok was defeated?
He had hidden his true strength, lulled him into a false sense of security, and then dealt him a crushing defeat in front of everyone.
Fortunately, Wi Ji-hyeok wasn't too shaken. In fact, he had made his father proud with eyes that had grown stronger, like steel in a forge.
But as a father, how could he forgive the one who had humiliated his son?
Although the fools from the Chuhyeong Gate had acted on their own, his rage was now directed squarely at Neung Un-bi.
“What are the others doing?”
“Though he has crossed the border, they seem to believe he is still under the Cult Leader’s watch, so there have been no significant movements. It seems they will only act after he visits the Dancheon Gate, his first inspection stop.”
“Hmm…”
Wi Ji-seung judged it the same way. It was still too early.
But he couldn't bear it. Hadn't that bastard already crushed his pride?
The pride of the head is the pride of the clan.
If he let this go, the clan would be a laughingstock for years to come.
“Summon the Black Sand.”
“What?”
At Wi Ji-seung’s command, the retainer reporting the situation, Dan-ya, jerked his head up in alarm.
The Black Sand (黑沙) of the Sinhyul Clan. Known as the Black Sand, they were an assassination squad whose reputation was well-earned even within the Demonic Cult.
“My lord, the Black Sand? You cannot mean that.”
…
“They are only to be mobilized in times of crisis for the clan.”
A deep displeasure settled on Wi Ji-seung’s face at Dan-ya’s objection.
Grand Smith Dan-ya. He was the leader of the retainers supporting the Sinhyul Clan and an elder retainer with the most outstanding smithing skills.
“I do not claim to be ignorant of your feelings, my lord, but if they were to venture into the Central Plains and meet with some unfortunate accident, it would be a tremendous loss to the clan's strength.”
…
At Dan-ya’s continued opposition, Wi Ji-seung’s eyes sharpened.
“In the Grand Smith's eyes, does the Black Sand seem so weak as to suffer an accident in the Central Plains?”
“My lord! That is not what I meant!”
“Silence!”
…
“Neung Un-bi has already proven that he will be the greatest obstacle in Hyeok’s path to becoming the Cult Leader. He must be eliminated before he grows any stronger.”
“But why the Black Sand? Their power is far too excessive to capture Neung Un-bi.”
“He is a man who will become more than a tiger in the future. It is by no means excessive.”
“My lord!”
BANG!
Wi Ji-seung unleashed his surging anger at the repeated defiance.
“Do you intend to defy the order of your lord?!”
…
Dan-ya’s face twisted.
Was the lord's composure truly so lacking?
But as the Grand Smith responsible for advising the lord, Dan-ya could not back down.
Thud.
…
As Dan-ya rose and knelt before Wi Ji-seung, the other retainers followed suit in unison.
“My lord, you must not use the Black Sand. We understand your anger is justified, but please, reconsider.”
“…Are you inciting the retainers to defy my will?”
“I, Dan-ya, stake my life to offer this counsel. Please cool your heart and reconsider. If your will remains unchanged, I implore you to amend your order and send only a few assassins from the Black Sand.”
“We implore you, my lord.”
As Dan-ya bowed his head and cried out, the retainers echoed him as if in a chorus.
Such was the status of the Grand Smith.
A clan whose family business was metallurgy and smithing. Their very name, Sinhyul, meant 'new vein of ore'.
Within it, the trust placed in Dan-ya, revered as a master artisan, sometimes surpassed even the authority of the clan head.
Furthermore, the title of Grand Smith was bestowed not only for skill, but also upon the wisest individual. When Wi Ji-seung ascended to his position, was it not he who had carefully selected Dan-ya from among all the clan's smiths to be the Grand Smith?
If he opposed it so strongly, even Wi Ji-seung, the clan head, could not force his will through to the end.
Not unless he took his head.
“Haa, very well. I admit I was too agitated.”
…
“However, select the ten most skilled men from the Black Sand and send them. The objective is to take his head before he crosses the threshold of the Dancheon Gate.”
“A truly wise decision. I will obey your command, my lord.”
…
Wi Ji-seung finally managed to calm his agitation.
In truth, Dan-ya was right. He had made an unreasonable demand because he was too agitated.
Defeating Wi Ji-hyeok was indeed a surprising feat, but Neung Un-bi was still a fledgling who had not yet fully blossomed. Ten warriors from the Black Sand would be more than enough to take his head.
“Dan-ya.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“…Would you care for a drink?
“If you wish it, anytime.”
“Let us go to the rear garden.”
“Yes.”
Was it because he felt sorry for losing his temper?
Wi Ji-seung invited Dan-ya for drinks in a soft tone and dismissed the other retainers.
“My lord, what should be done about the Chuhyeong Gate?”
…
A question that stopped Wi Ji-seung in his tracks as he was about to leave the hall with Dan-ya.
“Did such insignificant beings ever exist under the name of the Sinhyul Clan?”
“…I will erase them.”
It was a short reply, and with it, the fate of the Chuhyeong Gate, which had acted on its own in pursuit of glory, was sealed.
Just as it had been for countless other sects within the Demonic Cult.
* * *
“What? You were ambushed?”
“Yeah.”
Five days had passed since they arrived in Sangnak.
Ju Seung, who had disguised himself as a merchant and was the first to cross the border and join them, wore a look of utter shock.
“Are you alright? Are you hurt? Are you injured anywhere?”
“Well… not really.”
Ju Seung hurriedly checked Neung Un-bi all over.
So loyal, this one…
He was making such a fuss over nothing that Neung Un-bi felt a sudden urge to mess with him and held out his hand.
“Got a tiny little scratch right here.”
“Th-This is outrageous!”
…
It wasn't even a real scratch. But Ju Seung's face immediately turned crimson as he began to breathe heavily.
“What in the world was the Guard Captain doing to let this happen?!”
“…What?”
“Your esteemed body has been scratched!”
“Ah, no, that’s… it’s hardly a scratch.”
Suddenly faced with this anger, Wang Cheon couldn't hide his bewilderment.
Neung Un-bi, who wanted to tease him for no reason, added fuel to Ju Seung's burning fire.
“What was he doing? He was drinking.”
“Dr-Drinking?”
“By the jar, I think?”
“That madman! A Guard Captain, drinking on the job!”
“And then he slept. He was calling for someone named Aeyang… Aigoo, I swear.”
“A-Aeyang, too?!”
“Hm? What? Does the Sakwol Unit Leader know her too?”
“Know her? Of course I do! As if it weren't bad enough that the man in charge of protection was drinking, he still hasn't gotten over Aeyang?!”
“Huh?”
Ju Seung's reaction was heading in an unexpected direction.
What's this? It seems like something very interesting happened here.
“Sakwol Unit Leader, that's enough. Why bring up that name here? It's just the Young Master's joke. I'm the one who personally beat up the assassins and handed them over to the authorities.”
“A joke? What's there to brag about when you were just doing your duty! And do you think I don't know about Aeyang?”
…
“I mean, to still not forget after being rejected so many times…”
“Hey! I told you to stop!”
“Nonsense! I'm going to get to the bottom of this today!”
“This guy, seriously! You should be taking issue with my failure to protect him properly, why are you bringing that up!”
“That is also something the Young Master should know…”
“Hey!”
Wang Cheon grabbed Ju Seung by the collar and yelled.
But at the same time, Wang Cheon's hand slipped into Ju Seung's robe and back out, and Ju Seung's face, which had been flushed with anger, suddenly became remarkably serene.
“Ahem, indeed. That story has nothing to do with protection duties. I was too agitated and almost made a mistake. Guard Captain, I apologize for that.”
“…I understand.”
…
It felt like he had just witnessed some kind of secret deal.
He definitely slipped some money into his robe…
Just what happened with this woman Aeyang that he'd pay money to keep someone quiet? He'd never heard Wang Cheon talk about a woman in all these years…
But he was rejected? Multiple times?
“Hmph…”
A strange glint appeared in Neung Un-bi's eyes.
It seemed he had just found one of Wang Cheon's weaknesses.
He wanted to hear the details, but it didn't seem likely that the guy who had taken a bribe would open his mouth again…
Well, I'll have to find a way to coax it out of him later.
While Neung Un-bi was smiling slyly, Ju Seung, perhaps trying to earn his bribe, changed the subject.
“Right! By the way, which jail are those assassins locked up in?”
“Hm?”
“You said you handed them over to the authorities instead of killing them?”
“I did, but why do you ask about them?”
“They must be killed, of course.”
…
As Ju Seung muttered murderously, the eyes of the Sakwol Unit warriors also turned cold.
Ha, these lunatics…
No matter how full of crazies the Demonic Cult was, were they really planning to sneak into a government jail and commit murder?
“Forget it. Why bother? Let's just stay quiet and move on. Nothing good will come from drawing attention to ourselves.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Huh?”
“They aimed for your life, Young Master, so they must pay the price. Give the order. I will personally tear them limb from limb into a thousand pieces.”
“Ah, no, it’s fine, we can just go…”
“Do not worry, Young Master. I am fine.”
…
Ju Seung's killing intent, amplified by a surge of demonic energy, billowed out in visible waves.
Please stop.
I'm the one who's not fine, you damn loyalty-crazed lunatic.