Today's Fortune (3)
The leaders of the black path factions, gripped by the anxiety of not knowing when they might be assassinated due to the spy's presence, scrambled everywhere to scrape together money. By the standards of their main bases' assets, a thousand nyang of gold wasn't a huge sum. The problem was that this was Sahyeokryeon, a thousand li away from their home territories.
Moreover, as black path affiliates with no credit to their name, no one was willing to lend them money. In the end, unless they sold off their treasures or treasured swords, gathering the funds was impossible. That left them with only one place to turn.
"You're asking to borrow money...?"
"...We'll repay it the moment we return to our bases."
Sahyeokryeon Lord Chaseokdu looked down at the faction leaders from the Jujeonpa with a displeased expression.
"Lending it isn't the issue... but we're not exactly in the habit of exchanging money like this, are we?"
"Lord... Now that we've formed this alliance, shouldn't we stick together?"
"Funny thing. Just a few days ago, you were accusing me of colluding with the Murim Alliance and trying to oust me."
The leaders groaned and bowed their heads.
"...With spies already in the mix, how about we forget the past and make a fresh start?"
Unlike the black path groups like Heuk Sabang or Gu Ryongbang's Blood Tiger Sect that had aligned with him from the start, the heads of the four factions that had plotted to eliminate Chaseokdu in secret were in an utterly awkward position. Even so, Chaseokdu magnanimously handed over the money.
"Lord, why did you give them the money? This was our chance to put them in their place."
Hwang Busik couldn't understand why he'd so readily parted with it. Chaseokdu patiently explained to him.
"Those bastards have to stick with the alliance anyway."
"But they won't be grateful for your mercy, Lord—no, Alliance Leader. ...That's just how they are."
Chaseokdu nodded readily enough.
"I know. But now they've got a debt hanging over them, don't they? That's politics."
"......"
It was the phrase Hwang Busik had heard most often since arriving at Sahyeokryeon with Chaseokdu to form the alliance: that he needed to learn politics.
"Still don't get it?"
"My apologies."
Chaseokdu patted Hwang Busik's shoulder.
"It's fine. You'll pick it up in time. We've got plenty of that now anyway."
Not just the other factions—even Sahwangbong had been forced to cough up five hundred nyang to Jin Sowoon. Yet Chaseokdu looked as pleased as if he'd received a grand gift. Watching him, Hwang Busik thought of Jin Sowoon's face.
"Is that why you're in a good mood, Leader? Politics?"
"Politics... Yeah, exactly. Politics."
As Chaseokdu laughed heartily, Hwang Busik still couldn't quite grasp what politics even meant.
Having collected the full remainder, Jin Sowoon lined up the messengers who'd delivered the money and double-checked for any shortfalls.
"Hm... All accounted for."
"...So you thought we'd try to cheat you?"
"Nah, come on. Who'd trust black path scum?"
"......"
The Madomun warriors watching Jin Sowoon casually mouth off in the heart of Sahyeokryeon itched to rip out his tongue on the spot—but they couldn't move recklessly.
"Ahem, so we're starting now?"
"Right now? Sun's about to set any minute."
"We kept our end of the deadline. Now it's your turn."
The faction reps who'd come as proxies tried to pressure Jin Sowoon as sternly as they could manage.
"Typical black path hotheads. Tsk."
Jin Sowoon scratched his ear and clicked his tongue.
"......"
Who was this guy calling hotheaded—the same one who'd lopped off heads right in front of them to prove his point?
The black path warriors cursed inwardly but none dared voice it. ...Who knew when he'd pull out that damned interest law (or whatever it was) again?
Scanning the silent black path warriors, Jin Sowoon clapped his hands.
"Alright, shall we get going?"
He headed straight for the back of the hall.
"The exit's this way," one warrior said, but Jin Sowoon didn't stop.
"Yeah, I figured you'd rush me, so I prepared ahead."
"...Prepared ahead?"
He led them to a grain storehouse beside an annex. Inside, he opened a door in the corner, and a gagged man came crawling out on his belly, eyes bulging.
Jin Sowoon squatted in front of the man.
"This guy's the one who brazenly tried to infiltrate Sahyeokryeon. He went through all the proper procedures, too. Left alone, he probably would've climbed right to the top."
"...Mmph! Mmph!"
Jin Sowoon yanked hard on the man's gagged cheeks. The man twisted his face to ease the pain, but bound hand and foot, his range was limited. Skin tore with a rip—rrrip—but no blood flowed. Just another layer of skin beneath.
"Even black path folks gotta do basic identity checks. Otherwise, more like him will slip in and go for your throats."
Shing. Slash—Jin Sowoon drew his sword and severed the spy's head in one stroke.
The black path warriors clicked their tongues at the head rolling across the floor. Then one stepped forward.
"So, when do we catch the other spies?"
Jin Sowoon tilted his head.
"Other spies? This was the last one."
"What?"
"Told ya, he's the last. Didn't you hear?"
"......"
Jin Sowoon stood, rolling his shoulders to loosen up.
"Anyway, I've handled all the spies, so tell your bosses to head back to their lodgings and sleep easy."
The black path warriors' faces twisted into demonic rage.
'Damn it... then why'd he take our money?'
'Bastard wasn't even connected to our factions!'
'...Black Flame Dragon, you vicious prick!'
As their expressions grew grotesque, Ilgak, who'd been watching everything beside Jin Sowoon, whispered worriedly.
"Jin lay donor... Was there really any need to provoke their fury like this? You could've just told them the spies were dealt with."
Unlike Ilgak, who kept his voice low, Jin Sowoon shrugged.
"What're they gonna do if they get pissed?"
"Huh?"
"I mean, what can they do?"
Ilgak's concerns deepened at the brazen confidence showing no trace of worry, but in truth, no one raised objections or complaints to Jin Sowoon even after a full day passed. As if wishing the storm would blow over quickly, everyone kept their heads down in silence.
Jin Sowoon patted his bulging money pouch and laughed heartily.
"Black path scum just got a lesson in what happens when they pull shady shit. Kyahahaha."
Ilgak couldn't make heads or tails of who exactly was calling whom the bad guy.
"...So that's what happened."
Gun Yuhyeon, listening to the tale, let out a small sigh of admiration. Even so, he'd thought white path folk had some code of righteousness.
Damak, who'd relayed the story, let out a long sigh as well.
"I can't even guess what's in that guy's head. ...Not sure he's even a real white path martial artist."
"Haha, white path, black path—they're all just murim folk in the end, right?"
"Pardon?"
Damak tilted his head at Gun Yuhyeon's loaded words, but Gun Yuhyeon offered no further explanation. Just then, a guard at the hall entrance blocked their path.
"We'll need to inspect your belongings for a moment."
"What's the meaning of this?"
The guard bowed to Damak.
"The Alliance Leader ordered all weapons removed from anyone entering the hall."
"What?"
Was he still hung up on what Jin Sowoon had said? Damak commanded calmly.
"You know who this is. Stand down."
"I can't do that."
"This man is—!"
As Damak started to snap at the guard, Gun Yuhyeon intervened.
"It's fine, Strategist Dam. Not a big deal."
"...But..."
Gun Yuhyeon slowly shook his head.
"Really, it's okay."
He turned to the guard.
"Just empty my pockets?"
With leisurely movements, he pulled a small money pouch, command plaque, brush, and inkstone from his sleeve. Meanwhile, another guard patted him down carefully for hidden weapons.
"All clear. You may enter."
"Sorry for the trouble, Lord Yuhyeon."
"No worries. Makes sense for someone as important as you, Strategist Dam."
Still fuming, Damak glared at the guards and ordered them away.
"Enough. All of you, withdraw."
"...We can't."
"Didn't I say? I have private business with Lord Yuhyeon, so keep everyone out—not just you, but anyone else coming after."
"...Understood."
Once the guards left the hall, Damak and Gun Yuhyeon entered. A maidservant brought tea, and even as Gun Yuhyeon filled their cups, Damak's expression didn't soften.
Gun Yuhyeon soothed him with his usual gentle smile.
"I'm fine, so please don't stay upset. I appreciate your feelings, Strategist."
"It's not just about you right now, Lord Yuhyeon."
Damak took a breath and continued.
"...That Jin Sowoon is stirring up too much trouble in Sahyeokryeon."
What an irritant. Once his business was done, he should just slink back to the Murim Alliance. Instead, he kept meddling in Sahyeokryeon's affairs to the end.
Gun Yuhyeon lifted his teacup and ventured casually.
"Isn't it all for Sahyeokryeon's benefit?"
"What would a white path man do for Sahyeokryeon? Who knows what schemes are behind it."
Savoring the tea's aroma, Gun Yuhyeon nodded slowly.
"Hm... True, murim folk do tend not to trust each other."
"......"
Damak felt oddly that their conversation wasn't flowing as smoothly as usual today. Clink.
"But... why did you want to meet privately?"
As Gun Yuhyeon set down his cup and asked, Damak snapped back to attention.
"As Sahyeokryeon stabilizes, we can ramp up the hunt for the fiends who ambushed the Seowon."
"Oh? Really?"
"Yes. And finally, the day has come when I can repay my debt to Cheon Gwanmun."
For a fleeting moment, Gun Yuhyeon's painted-on smile faded.
"...?"
"With Sahyeokryeon's support, Cheon Gwanmun will take over one of our southern branch offices."
Damak buzzed with childlike excitement at the thought of chipping away at his long-accumulated debt.
"The annual funding won't be small. Oh, and one more thing—I've submitted a recommendation for you to the Alliance Leader."
"...A recommendation for me?"
"Yes. Thought maybe you could work together in the strategist division..."
"Hmm, is that so?"
Noticing Gun Yuhyeon's unchanging expression amid his enthusiasm, Damak gauged his reaction.
"I'm worried I overstepped without reading the room."
"Ah! No, not at all. I expected as much."
"Pardon?"
Gun Yuhyeon smiled as if it were nothing.
"Ah, no. Please go on."
"......"
Damak strongly sensed something off about Gun Yuhyeon today. Then, Gun Yuhyeon slowly spoke.
"Next, you'd pour more effort into finding the families of your fallen comrades... something like that, right?"
"......"
Cold sweat trickled down Damak's spine.
But Gun Yuhyeon ignored his frozen state, sipping his tea leisurely.
"So, what now?"
He smiled at Damak.
"They're all dead already."
"...!"
The bomb dropped before Damak could sort his racing thoughts.
"Wh-what do you—!"
Damak barely held his crumbling body together as Gun Yuhyeon's chilling voice pierced down.
"Exactly what I said. You won't find them. They died long ago and were buried deep."
"What?"
And then—thunk.
A searing pain like a branding iron stabbed his gut. Damak reflexively hunched over. Gun Yuhyeon's hand had already pierced through his abdomen.
"Kuhk!"
Unbearable coughing brought up a spray of blood.
"Wh-what is... this..."
Ignoring Damak's incredulous face, Gun Yuhyeon examined his bloodied hand.
"Why didn't this go in properly? Are you wearing some protective gear?"
"Kuhk..."
Damak's lips trembled.
Why... why...?
He wanted answers more than anything, but no words came.
Gun Yuhyeon flashed a soft yet icy smile.
"That look—you want to know why? No real reason. If I had to say... from the start, I wasn't who you thought I was."
Damak had wondered if he was a spy in disguise, but somehow, it didn't feel right. And now...
"I planned to pit two murim factions against each other and wear them down... Shame. Didn't even get to see your skills in action."
Gun Yuhyeon swung his hand with his usual expression, his usual smile—like this was his true face.
Thunk.
"Blame Jin Sowoon."
As if that had always been his real self.
[Stupid fool. You think I'd waste time on revenge against you?]
Jin Sowoon could almost hear his master's scolding. Yeah, Teacher Cheonhak would've told him to ditch the revenge crap and focus on his duties.
Yet he'd thrown himself into the murim world anyway. Vowing to make those who thought might made right taste the world's bitterness.
But what was the result? Played like a puppet in their hands.
'When did it start?'
No need to wonder. The entire picture was already complete.
The Seowon attack, the murder of his master and comrades, even his own "rescue"—all part of that man's plan.
The one who'd comforted him in despair, given him courage to face the world again... all him.
Everything... just stepping stones for this absurd puppet show.
'At least there's some consolation.'
No matter who he was or who he served, Jin Sowoon had thwarted his schemes.
And that he'd gone out of his way to kill Damak personally meant Damak had been a real threat.
'Not sure if that's much consolation.'
The Cheollinbo from Chaseokdu had saved him from instant death, but prolonged the agony of betrayal.
"Kuhuhu..."
His body calming slightly, a laugh escaped.
Was this the "return light" the murim folk talked about?
Then.
"Laughing at death's door. What a true man, Strategist Dam."
A faint voice reached him.
"Who... are you?"
"A meaningless question."
The voice was utterly cold and dry.
"...Then?"
"Where I'm from matters more."
Damak mustered his strength.
"...Where?"
"From the hell at the world's end."
"Hell..."
A place that suited the man before him perfectly. No one but a hell-dweller could harbor such malice toward another.
"...Did you really kill everyone from the Seowon—and their families?"
A familiar yet alien smile crossed the man's face.
"Thanks to that, you bore a grudge against the Murim Alliance and worked even harder, didn't you, Strategist?"
"I see..."
Damak let out a hollow laugh, then grew curious.
"...Aren't you afraid of Sahyeokryeon's revenge?"
"Something I'll face eventually."
He glanced at the door as if to scream, but the surroundings had turned a bloody crimson space. Like the qimenjin from Sahwangbong once.
No one would hear him now, no matter how loud.
"Our time together was enjoyable, though. You'll never forget it."
"...Disgusting words."
To think he'd seen this man as his one true confidant.
It stung to the bone—not just the stab in his gut or the Seowon raid, but the deception all along.
'To entrust my comrades' families to this man...'
If he had strength, any price to pay, he'd burn his body to ash for revenge.
'A guy who never learned a scrap of martial arts... what was I thinking?'
The murim world wasn't for him after all.
His eyelids grew heavy. Too much blood lost. He could almost see his master and comrades welcoming him.
'Hate to meet you so soon...'
As Damak's eyes began to close.
Crack—a golden fissure split the crimson wall.
Centering on it, the wall crumbled bit by bit...
Whoosh—a streak of golden light shot in.
Damak's eyes snapped open despite the haze.
'A dragon?'
The golden beam coiled around Gun Yuhyeon's arm, yanking it viciously.
"What in the—!"
Gun Yuhyeon scowled mid-final strike and turned toward Damak's gaze.
There stood a man with a sword wreathed in golden radiance slung over his shoulder, sauntering in casually.
'Jin Sowoon?'
"Black Flame Dragon...!"
Jin Sowoon swung the Black Dragon Sword without hesitation.
Boom!Boom boom boom!
Golden sword qi erupted from the blade, pouring forth to bisect Gun Yuhyeon's body.
"Open wide. Justice is served!!!"