Chapter 72
Chapter 72
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 72
Chapter Title: Ominous Rumors (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
As he raced onward in a daze, the house suddenly loomed right before him.
Sima Geon’s heart felt like it was burning away at the sight of the torn-off front gate, the half-collapsed wall, and the peach tree with most of its branches snapped off.
Stepping inside, someone blocked Sima Geon’s path. His hand shot out swiftly—he had already sensed the man’s presence.
The startled man dodged desperately, but it was futile.
Whether injured or not, his movements were awkward, and even if unharmed, he wouldn’t have stood a chance against the razor-sharp speed of Sima Geon’s strike.
“What are you?”
Sima Geon growled, seizing the man by the scruff of the neck.
His grip screamed that any delay in answering or a single word of nonsense would end with the man’s neck snapped.
Before the man could even respond, Sima Geon’s eyes gleamed coldly.
“You’re one of the assassins we met before.”
A terrifying killing intent began pouring from Sima Geon’s entire body.
Exposed to it, Gwa Yu—one of the successors of the Blood Forest—grew deathly pale.
“Spare the black-haired beast? Looks like you repay kindness with enmity after all.”
Each word hammered down with unimaginable pressure. Gwa Yu couldn’t even open his mouth to speak, no matter how hard he tried.
“What the hell is this punk?”
Cheol Woo, arriving late, shouted at the sight of Gwa Yu hanging limp, awaiting death.
His booming voice echoed through the house, and the firmly shut door to one room burst open.
“Brother!”
It was Sima Hyeon who kicked the door open and charged out.
Spotting Gwa Yu dangling in Sima Geon’s grasp on the brink of life and death, Sima Hyeon cried out in alarm.
“Stop! He’s not one of them!”
Rushing over, Sima Hyeon grabbed Sima Geon’s arm and shook his head frantically.
“It’s not him. If anything, I’m alive because of him.”
Sima Geon released his grip, and Gwa Yu collapsed in a heap, gasping for breath.
“Huh? That greenhorn from before.”
Recognizing Gwa Yu, Cheol Woo glanced between Sima Geon and Sima Hyeon.
“Why’s this kid here?”
“That’s what I want to know. More importantly, what the hell happened? Ho is……”
Peering through the open door, Sima Geon clenched his teeth at the sight of Sima Ho lying motionless on the bed like the dead, and Hwang Jeong carefully inserting acupuncture needles into his body.
“I don’t know. Last night, these weird bastards barged in and attacked out of nowhere. Ho got hurt that bad because of it……”
Sima Hyeon’s face was streaked with tears, and he couldn’t continue.
Sima Geon forced himself to ask the question he dreaded most.
“And the youngest……?”
“Those bastards…… they took her.”
Sima Geon’s eyes slowly closed.
Sima Hyeon hung his head as if it were all his fault.
“What bullshit is that? They took the little one? Which fuckers?”
Cheol Woo grabbed Sima Hyeon by the collar and bellowed.
“I don’t know. No idea who’d pull something like this or why. I just don’t get it.”
Sima Hyeon shook his head blankly. Unable to press him further, Cheol Woo snatched up Gwa Yu, who had barely caught his breath.
“First, explain why you’re here. Why’s an assassin hanging around?”
Fearing a repeat of the earlier ordeal if he hesitated, Gwa Yu spoke quickly.
“Thanks to the two of you back then, I survived. I spent so long evading our pursuers that I missed the best time for treatment and suffered terribly, but I’ve fully recovered from my injuries not long ago. After healing, I returned here a few days ago for my second assignment.”
“Assignment? A hit?”
“Yes.”
Gwa Yu glanced around warily before continuing.
“The contract accepted by our grove targeted the butcher somewhere in Soheung……”
“You little shit!”
Cheol Woo’s massive hand clamped onto Gwa Yu’s skull.
“So you came here to kill us, plain and simple.”
“Stop it and hear him out.”
Sima Hyeon pulled Cheol Woo away.
Escaping a crushed skull by a hair, Gwa Yu continued with a cowed expression.
“While scouting the butcher shop, I realized the mission was impossible for two reasons. First, the target owner had left Soheung. Second, I discovered he was my lifesaver.”
“Hmph! Not because of that monster old man, huh?”
Cheol Woo snorted skeptically.
“Honestly, I never imagined the Sword Fiend elder would be chopping meat at a butcher shop. The elder I came with was shocked too. But that alone wasn’t reason enough to abandon it. Turning the impossible possible is our domain.”
“Bullshit.”
“Believe it or not, we don’t repay favors with betrayal. In any case, I gave up the mission for those reasons. I informed the client through the grove that we were declining, and they sent a cancellation fee.”
“Then why are you still hanging around?”
Sima Geon, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke.
“It was just last night that we confirmed the contract was fully withdrawn. I stopped by briefly to express my gratitude before leaving.”
“He’s telling the truth. He showed up with ridiculously expensive gifts, saying you saved his life. I refused at first, but he insisted so much I accepted. It was late, and I couldn’t just send a guest away, so I gave him a room. That’s how we survived. But Jina……”
Sima Hyeon trailed off, tears bursting forth again.
“Can you explain the situation in detail?”
Sima Geon asked in a gentler tone.
“The attack started suddenly past midnight. About thirty men, all skilled in martial arts. Especially the middle-aged leader—he was on another level. Even our grove’s elder gave it his all but couldn’t hold them off.”
“Assassins aren’t built for frontal clashes.”
Cheol Woo’s face softened with sympathy, recalling similar experiences.
“In the end, our grove’s elder was slain by that man.”
“That old man from before?”
Sima Geon recalled the elder carried on Gwa Yu’s back previously.
“Yes.”
“A pity. And thank you.”
“No need. Elder Heukam went smiling, saying he’d repaid his debt.”
Gwa Yu spoke calmly, but sorrow filled his expression and voice.
Forcing composure, Gwa Yu continued.
“While Elder Heukam held off the middle-aged man, I tried to help the family escape. There were many enemies, but luckily, the smoke bombs disrupted their vision. Oh, and there was a helper. Right as the attack began, someone warned us to run and tossed smoke bombs.”
Sima Geon’s brow furrowed.
Mysterious assailants were baffling enough, but assassins repaying favors and now a third-party ally? His head throbbed.
“Do you know who he was?”
“No. It was too chaotic to check.”
“How did Ho end up like that?”
Sima Geon turned to Sima Hyeon.
“Trying to stop them from taking Jina.”
A short but weighty answer.
“They seemed to target little sister Sima from the start. No matter how the helper and I tried to lure them away, they doggedly pursued only her. We did our best to block them, but that middle-aged man……”
Sima Geon watched Gwa Yu blame himself for failing to protect Sima Jin, erasing his last shreds of doubt. He’d also noticed Gwa Yu’s serious injuries, uncomplained though they were.
“Thank you for protecting my family. And sorry for suspecting you.”
Sima Geon bowed formally to Gwa Yu.
“N-no, I’m sorry I couldn’t protect little sister Sima to the end.”
“No. Without you, this place would be ashes like the Clear Heart Clinic, the youngest kidnapped, and the whole family slaughtered. Thanks to you and the fallen elder, I can still see my brothers alive. I can’t thank you enough.”
Repeating his gratitude, Sima Geon’s gaze shifted to Sima Ho on the bed. Just then, treatment apparently done, Hwang Jeong staggered out.
“Physician, you’re safe. Thank goodness.”
“I got lucky. I was away for two days on urgent business, and came back to this horror…… You can’t imagine my shock arriving at the Clear Heart Clinic this afternoon.”
Hwang Jeong couldn’t hide his devastation, having fainted on the spot at the sight of the ruined clinic.
“No one from the Clear Heart Clinic last night survived. Those devils slaughtered every physician and patient before setting it ablaze. So many people, dying so horribly……”
Unable to hold back tears, Hwang Jeong clutched his head and sank down, sobbing with heaving shoulders. No one dared console him.
After a long while, Hwang Jeong composed himself and forced a bitter smile.
“I showed you something shameful.”
“Not at all. Your grief dwarfs mine, but my heart aches too. And I’m sorry. They must’ve thought the youngest was there.”
“No. It’s just those devils’ fault.”
Cheol Woo watched their exchange impatiently before asking cautiously.
“This guy—how bad is he hurt?”
“Ah!”
Hwang Jeong gasped, realizing his blunder. Venting his sorrow before the critically injured patient’s family was a grave error for a physician.
“It’s not good. The blade sliced from his left shoulder down his arm, then deeply across his chest and side. I stitched the gashes and applied medicine, but pus and blood keep oozing. He’s burning with fever. I’ve given him decoctions and emergency acupuncture to restore his energy, but the effects are less than hoped.”
“Is it life-threatening?”
Sima Geon’s voice trembled slightly.
Hesitating briefly, Hwang Jeong decided honesty was best, even if cold—no false hope.
“Frankly, yes. We’ll know if he pulls through after a few more days.”
Sima Geon clenched his fist unconsciously. So tight that blood trickled from between his shaking fingers.
“Leader.”
Thunderbolt, who had gone to scout while the others talked, called to Sima Geon.
Cheol Woo, knowing why he’d left, slung an arm over his shoulder.
“Find anything?”
Thunderbolt shoved off Cheol Woo’s arm, his face saying to prepare for the worst.
“I found it. But it’s not good.”
“What do you mean, not good?”
“Their trail leads into Soheung city. It happened late at night, and a full day’s passed. If intentional, they’re thorough.”
Thunderbolt predicted the trail would be obliterated by the city’s endless footprints.
“We have to check anyway. Even faint traces must remain. I’ll turn the world upside down to find them.”
As Thunderbolt burned with resolve, Sima Geon’s gaze turned outside.
Far off in the darkness, a man staggered toward them.
Caked in blood and dirt, the man—Yong Jung—reached the gate, his weary eyes lighting up at Sima Geon and Cheol Woo.
“I’m Yong Jung. I’ve been watching you two until now.”
He revealed himself openly.
The recall letter from Left Elder warned they’d long sensed him, so no need for pretense.
“Don’t care about names. What do you want?”
Yong Jung brightened at Cheol Woo’s murderous aura battering him.
The Left Elder’s hunch had become certainty.
“Just as I thought.”
“Thought what?”
“Do you remember the Black Ox Squad?”
“Black Ox Squad?”
Recalling the squad he’d massacred at the Clear Heart Clinic, Cheol Woo smirked coldly.
“Those idiots? Ah, so you’ve been spying on us because of them. Figured there was a connection.”
A smile crept across Yong Jung’s lips again.
“You knew.”
“It was obvious. Only an idiot wouldn’t notice. So, here to die?”
“I came to tell you about them. I hoped the Ha Hu Clan elder would return, but luckily you two came first.”
Before Cheol Woo could retort, Sima Geon stepped forward.
“What message do you bring?”
Sima Geon did nothing—just asked. Yet his mere presence made Yong Jung swallow hard.
“I tracked the ones who kidnapped little sister Sima.”
“Ah! The helper!”
Gwa Yu exclaimed. Yong Jung nodded slightly and continued.
“They cut through Soheung and headed north. I wanted to keep following, but they spotted me.”
Eyes turned to Yong Jung’s wounds—grave at a glance.
“Shaking them off wore me out, and I blacked out. Lucky I’m alive; they didn’t confirm the kill.”
“We know they went into the city. Nothing new there.”
Yong Jung didn’t flinch at Cheol Woo’s irritated tone.
“I couldn’t move for a while after waking. While thinking why this happened, it hit me: If the Ha Hu Clan elder had been here, would they have succeeded?”
“Doubtful. No, impossible.”
Ha Hu Gok’s strength, enlightened via Sima Geon, was even daunting for Cheol Woo.
“Yes. Even if they did, at massive cost. And they’d make an enemy of the Ha Hu Clan—a huge burden. But the elder wasn’t here. Coincidentally, ominous rumors drew him back to the clan.”
“They wouldn’t get a chance like that.”
“What if they created it?”
“What?”
Cheol Woo furrowed his brow, not grasping it.
“Rumors?”
Sima Geon asked in a low, steady voice.
“Yes. A few days ago, word spread through Soheung that the Ha Hu Clan patriarch was dead. I dismissed it then, but looking back, something was off. Certain guys were spreading it aggressively.”
A sharp glint flashed in Sima Geon’s eyes.
“Who?”
“You’ll know them. The Blood Blade Faction.”
“Those vermin!”
Killing light erupted from Cheol Woo’s eyes.
“Sure?”
Sima Geon asked.
“Absolutely.”
“Blood Blade Faction.”
Sima Geon drew a deep breath.
Likely just pawns, but it was a lead to solving this.
“Thanks. Rest now.”
Sima Geon patted Yong Jung’s shoulder gently.
Tension released, Yong Jung swayed. Sima Hyeon and Hwang Jeong rushed to support him inside.
“Thunderbolt.”
“Yes, Division Leader.”
“We can’t give much time.”
“Half a shichen is plenty. I just couldn’t keep up with your pace; injuries are healed.”
No sooner said than Thunderbolt sat cross-legged on the ground.
“You?”
Sima Geon asked Cheol Woo.
“I’m fine, but……”
Even as he spoke, Cheol Woo sat facing Thunderbolt.
As they began circulating qi, Gwa Yu quietly withdrew.
Sima Geon closed his eyes, sensing this would be the longest half-shichen of his life.