Chapter 12
Chapter 12
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Bark
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Geolgae handed Namgung Urin the payment slip from the sale of the night-luminescent pearl.
“Thanks.”
‘A brat who’s barely a man, talking down to me!’
Being a beggar, his exact age was unknown, but by Geolgae’s own recollection, he was roughly over thirty. Yet the kid before him, even being generous, was barely of age.
“...Uh, yeah.”
Well, in the martial world, the strong called the shots.
The memory of Geolgae’s bravado vanishing like dust and the chill that spread down his spine was still vivid.
He had no choice but to endure it.
Namgung Urin gave Jang Gae a slight nod.
“Live a long life, old man.”
“Damn brat.”
With that, Namgung Urin left.
“What! How dare that young bastard. Calling our leader an old man!”
*Smack!*
Jang Gae’s palm struck the back of Geolgae’s head again.
“Ow! What was that for?”
“What are you doing, still standing here?”
“Where am I going?”
“You need to follow that kid.”
“...What? What kind of nonsense are you spouting in the middle of the night?”
*Smack!*
“Agh, seriously.”
“Try running that mouth of yours in front of him.”
“...”
“What? You think I won’t kill you, but he will?”
“...Yes.”
“Then be careful and stick to him. Deploy the kids, too. Same as always. Got it?”
“Who is he, anyway?”
“The Young Lord of the Namgung Family.”
“Ah, that crazy bastard?”
“You should try being that crazy.”
“A crazy beggar would be a real sight to see.”
He usually seemed so sharp, but today, he was acting particularly dim-witted, unable to take a hint.
“Cut the chatter and get going.”
“Agh. What a pain in the ass in the middle of the night.”
“Ahem.”
As Jang Gae’s hand rose once more, Geolgae quickly scurried away.
“Will this lead to something interesting, or something tragic...”
Neither Jang Gae nor anyone else could know.
* * *
It wasn’t a large manor.
Then again, a residence for a mere fifty people didn’t need to be grand. Despite the late hour, the manor was filled with boisterous noise.
“The Black Snake Sect.”
A smile unsuited for Namgung Urin’s face appeared. It felt chilling, yet it was a smile that suggested he was looking forward to some fun.
Namgung Urin fumbled inside his robes and pulled something out. It was a mask, a perfect match for the dark night.
Donning the mask, Namgung Urin pushed open the manor’s gate without the owner’s permission and stepped inside.
“...?”
The boisterous drinking party that had been in full swing fell silent. All eyes focused on the masked man who had opened the gate without permission.
‘Who the hell is that?’
‘...Some lunatic?’
‘...An assassin?’
The sudden appearance of the masked man left the members of the Black Snake Sect bewildered.
Half tense,
Half trying not to laugh.
A mask meant he wanted to hide his face. And hiding one’s face meant one intended to do something dishonest...
He looked too clumsy to be an assassin.
Had he worn a black mask and black martial arts attire, they might have thought him an assassin, but Namgung Urin’s current outfit was far from it.
Didn't he look like some young master who had wandered over after a game of hide-and-seek with some girls?
And so, the Black Snake Sect members thought:
“I’ve seen all kinds of crazy bastards now.”
“After Hefei fell, the beggars took over, and now it looks like the lunatics are trying to do the same.”
“Hehehe.”
“Yeop,” the leader of the Black Snake Sect, In-geol, said.
“Yes, boss.”
“Receive our guest.”
In-geol’s action was a test, meant to gauge the masked man’s reaction. Unless he was truly insane, showing up at this hour wearing a mask and throwing open their gates clearly meant he had business with the Black Snake Sect.
“Yes, sir!”
Yeop, following his leader’s order, cautiously approached the masked man. He was fully prepared to draw his sword at a moment’s notice.
“Hey there. If you’re bored, how about a drink with us?”
Even as he spoke, Yeop tried not to miss the slightest movement from the masked man.
“I’d like that.”
“Hehehe. An interesting fellow. Come on, let’s go.”
The masked Namgung Urin went to where the Black Snake Sect members were gathered and sat down with them.
The atmosphere wasn’t as lively as before, but the fire in the hearth danced, there was liquor and meat, and dozens of pairs of eyes filled with vigilance.
For Namgung Urin, who was experiencing all of this for the first time, every detail was new and delightful.
Yeop picked up a bottle and offered it to Namgung Urin.
“Have a drink.”
“Thank you.”
“It’s the first cup, so down it in one go.”
Without suspicion, Namgung Urin drained the cup in a single gulp.
“Kuh.”
The bitter taste of liquor, his first ever, drew an involuntary sound from him.
In-geol of the Black Snake Sect didn’t miss it and asked.
“Your first time?”
“Yes. It’s bitter, but good. May I have another?”
In-geol nodded at Yeop. Yeop laughed heartily and poured liquor into Namgung Urin’s empty cup.
“It’s strong stuff. More bitter than other liquors. We can’t afford the expensive kind, you see.”
“That’s fine. I can’t afford expensive liquor either.”
Namgung Urin drained the cup again.
“Kuh. This is good. They say you have to know the bitterness of liquor to know the bitterness of the martial world. It seems there's truth to that.”
Leader In-geol spoke again.
“You seem to be new to the martial world.”
Judging by how he drank and the sound of his voice, In-geol was certain the masked man was young.
“I am. Could I have another cup?”
“Of course.”
In-geol nodded again.
“Haha. This friend is new to the martial world, but at this rate, he’ll become a drunkard.”
Yeop spoke cheerfully as he poured the liquor.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. It’s not free. You didn’t think this liquor was free, did you?”
Namgung Urin drained his cup again.
“Keuk. I don’t want anything for free, either.”
“Hahaha. Boss, this guy’s got some nerve.”
Leader In-geol’s eyes sharpened.
“Alright, what’s your business here, coming with a mask and all?”
“I hear you, the Black Snake Sect, are lackeys for the Hyeoncheon Sect.”
At the sudden shift in the masked man’s tone, the corners of In-geol’s mouth curled up.
“Showing your true colors, are you? Then why were you so polite to us just now?”
“Because I liked it. The sight of people gathered, talking cheerfully. It made me think I’d like to live peacefully like this, too. That’s why. And it was payment for three cups of liquor. We good?”
He had paid his due, he said, tossing his last words toward Yeop.
Instead of the dumbfounded Yeop, leader In-geol continued.
“Let’s say that’s so. What is your business?”
“I want you to be my lackeys, too.”
*Pfft.*
In-geol let out a short laugh.
“Lackeys? Sure, we can do that. It’s what guys like us do. But you see, we only move for money. You got any?”
“I do.”
He did.
“First, bark.”
“...What did you say?”
“I said, bark. Like a dog. Isn’t it your job to bark when your master tells you to? So, I’m going to be your master. Bark for me.”
The members of the Black Snake Sect drew their weapons and rose to their feet like a bonfire erupting. But their leader, In-geol, raised a hand to stop them and stood up himself.
“I’ll admit to being a lackey. But you see, no matter how much our lives suck, we can’t stand being compared to dogs. You think we want to live like this? Do you know what kind of place the martial world is? You must be a newcomer. Whether you want it or not, life in the martial world never goes as planned. A newcomer who doesn't even know that is going to have a hard time.”
“Puhahahaha!”
The masked Namgung Urin burst out laughing.
Whether it was a hearty laugh or the cackle of a madman, one couldn’t tell. But one thing was certain: Namgung Urin’s laughter sent a shiver down the spine of every person in the Black Snake Sect’s manor.
After laughing like a madman for a long while, Namgung Urin stopped and spoke.
“I know! It’s carved so deep into my bones, how could I not know?”
Hadn’t Namgung Urin lost his precious grandfather and father? And the vibrant Namgung Family as well.
“Still. You shouldn’t surrender just because of that. The moment you surrender, you become dogs like you are now. This was your choice. To either protect your pride as a warrior while rolling in the mud, or to surrender and bark like a dog. Am I wrong?”
The Namgung Family had not surrendered. They had fallen into ruin because of it, but their spirit lived on.
No, it was rising again with even greater force.
“Surrender... You’re not wrong, but that pisses me off. However, we don’t bark like dogs for the Hyeoncheon Sect. We’ve simply surrendered to reality. So I’ll ask you. Are you confident you can make all of us here submit? What I mean is, do you have that kind of money?”
“I already told you. I do. But I have no intention of doing so.”
“Then, I guess not.”
“No. In my book, there’s no such thing as ‘cannot’.”
“Hahaha. You’re insane. Do you think you’re the Martial Alliance Leader or something?”
“I’m probably more than that guy.”
He would never be lacking or insufficient.
“You’re mad. So, what are you going to do? Kill all of us by yourself?”
“No. I’m going to make you bark like dogs. For free.”
Deciding he’d had enough, leader In-geol drew his broadsword. At once, all the members of the Black Snake Sect raised their weapons.
Their eyes blazed, as if to say they were not dogs who would bark on command.
Namgung Urin, unconcerned by their movements, poured himself another drink.
“Keuk. This is really good.”
Seeing Namgung Urin’s utter composure, In-geol hesitated to give the order to attack. The voice was clearly that of an inexperienced young man. Yet to display such leisure meant...
He had something to rely on.
It could be his martial prowess, or perhaps other masked men were hiding nearby.
If not, it would mean this newcomer was, impossibly, a master.
The mouth of the leisurely Namgung Urin opened.
“Shadow.”
It was just one word.
Suddenly, four pitch-black figures shot out.
“...Uwaaaaah!”
“...The hell! What is that?!”
Yeop and several other members of the Black Snake Sect screamed in shock at the sudden appearance of the black figures.
In-geol was also at a loss for words. He doubted his own eyes.
‘...A g-ghost?’
He was certain they weren’t people wearing black clothes and masks. They lacked the eyes, nose, and mouth that people should have. Their forms were human, but...
They seemed to be made of coalesced black smoke, and they were moving.
They didn’t seem to be the ghosts he had only heard about in stories.
He had heard tales of virgin ghosts, water ghosts, bachelor ghosts, and many others, but these were completely different.
‘...Sorcery?’
He had heard of sorcery that could bewitch people, but this didn’t seem to be it either.
Then what in the world were these black things?
“Lord, you called?”
*Thump.*
*Thump.*
The fact that these inhuman things could speak made some of the Black Snake Sect members collapse on the spot, while others were frozen in place by the bizarre and strange event, the first of its kind in their lives.
“Don’t kill them, don’t break their bones, and don’t draw blood.”
One of the four shadows spoke.
“You mean beat them like dogs on a hot summer day, don’t you?”
“You catch on quick.”
“Understood, my Lord.”
Because of a masked man who appeared in the dead of night, an unexpected day of reckoning had come for the Black Snake Sect.