The Yongmun Sega's Shadow
“Nice weather.”
Yu Sucheon finished sweeping and sat on the veranda for a moment.
There had been time to rest lately.
It was partly because he had grown used to the work, but mostly because Jeon Akgwan had been doing the work of two men.
Ever since he got caught after running away, it’s like he became a different person.
Yu Sucheon could guess just how deeply Dan Hyunwoo had planted fear in the man’s heart.
Jeon Akgwan seemed to have given up on everything.
As if he had accepted a servant’s life.
Yu Sucheon chuckled.
Though he too now lived as a servant, his mind was at peace.
Of course, he still missed the past.
But leaving the brutal world of the martial clans behind and finally being able to breathe had brought him a quiet calm.
Except for his mother-in-law Jin Yeongyeong’s constant nagging.
He wished time would simply flow like this, without incident.
Eventually, Jin Yeongyeong and Dan Hyunwoo’s anger would fade.
As long as no one stirred trouble, it would surely happen.
Yes.
As long as no one stirred trouble……
BOOM!
Suddenly the main gate of Danga Manor burst open with a thunderous crash.
Yu Sucheon felt an ominous chill at the sound.
As expected, Dan Hyunwoo strode in, gripping someone by the scruff of the neck.
Yu Sucheon and Jeon Akgwan’s eyes trembled.
“Cheon Ilseong?”
Yu Sucheon swallowed hard, his throat dry.
Two men had been dragged along with Cheon Ilseong.
Their well-developed muscles marked them as martial artists.
Skilled ones, at that.
When Yu Sucheon recognized their black uniforms, he squeezed his eyes shut.
Assassins. So Cheon Ilseong finally…… He always said the strong follow the strong in the martial world, yet not a single one of them listens.
The peaceful days he had struggled to maintain ended today.
From now on, blood would flow.
Yu Sucheon turned to Jeon Akgwan.
The man was drenched in cold sweat, trembling like a leaf.
The terror from days ago must have resurfaced.
Dan Hyunwoo approached slowly, holding the three men by their collars in each hand.
Yu Sucheon shuddered at the abyssal darkness in his master’s eyes.
Dan Hyunwoo spoke.
“The academy I checked out today was quite good.”
“Pardon? The academy? Ah! So the young master of Danga Manor has safely enrolled. But why bring that up now……”
“Deal with them.”
Dan Hyunwoo tossed the three men toward Yu Sucheon.
Understanding the order, Yu Sucheon nodded quickly.
There was no need for the master to dirty his hands with such trash.
Handing them over also meant a chance for advancement.
A servant, yes, but one ranked above the others.
“Leave it to me. I’ll have Akgwan run errands for supplies, so you should rest in the meantime.”
Dan Hyunwoo nodded and entered his room.
The moment Dan Hyunwoo disappeared, Cheon Ilseong let out a sigh of relief.
When the man had dragged him from his sickbed, he had thought his heart would stop.
If he had known he would be handed to Yu Sucheon, he wouldn’t have been so terrified.
Cheon Ilseong’s expression softened slightly.
“Y-Yu…… Brother Yu, I’m so relieved it’s you. On the way here I was so scared I nearly wet myself……. I never imagined that guy would be such a master……. Brother Yu, this won’t work. Let’s join forces and call in a stronger expert. But why did Dan Hyunwoo hand me over to you and just walk into his room like an idiot……?”
Cheon Ilseong’s words slowed.
Killing intent had begun to swirl in Yu Sucheon’s eyes.
Cheon Ilseong looked confused, and Yu Sucheon answered with a cold smile.
“Want to know why he went inside? Because he’s leaving me to kill you. Now then, where should I start cutting?”
* * *
Late at night.
Yu Sucheon knocked on the paper door of Dan Hyunwoo’s room.
“Come in.”
Stepping inside for the first time, Yu Sucheon was surprised by how barren the room was.
Only a blanket, a pillow, and the sword Dan Hyunwoo never parted with.
Dan Hyunwoo sat cross-legged in the back of the room.
“Cheon Ilseong will behave from now on. Of course…… he won’t be able to get up for a few days after the beating, but whether he can or not, I’ll make sure he never thinks of rebelling again. So if you could forgive him just this once……”
“Is that why you came? You asked me to hand him over, so I did.”
“Thank you. I’ll keep a close watch on him from now on.”
“Is that all you came to say?”
Dan Hyunwoo’s quiet voice echoed through the room.
He was asking for the real reason.
“Goyongsu. That’s the name of the assassin Cheon Ilseong hired. And I know him.”
“Not the name. Why you came to see me.”
“He’s close with Peng Jinwu, head of the Yongmun Sega, a branch family of the Hebei Peng Clan. Cheon Ilseong is also acquainted with Peng Jinwu. Peng Jinwu is the top expert in Hangzhou and has used the name of the Hebei Peng Clan’s branch to run various businesses. Because of that, the Mokhwa Merchant Group probably had dealings with the Yongmun Sega.”
“So my appearance has caused problems for the Yongmun Sega’s business.”
“It seems that way. However, the assassin who was with Cheon Ilseong and Goyongsu is keeping his mouth shut. Speaking of clashing with the Hebei Peng Clan’s branch means clashing with the main house as well. That’s worse than death.”
“The orthodox Eight Great Clans’ Hebei Peng Clan branch, you say?”
“Branch family in name only. In reality, they’re no different from the direct line. Peng Jinwu is a cousin of Peng Jiho, head of the Hebei Peng Clan. He was sent to the branch after causing a major incident in the past, but he possesses the skill to be recognized as Hangzhou’s greatest expert.”
“So he won’t stay still.”
“Once he realizes Goyongsu has failed, he’ll send people. He’ll try to erase all evidence.”
“Find out the movements of the Yongmun Sega’s warriors.”
“M…… Me?”
His voice trembled without him realizing it.
Yu Sucheon’s eyes asked if Dan Hyunwoo was serious.
As always, Dan Hyunwoo’s gaze, cold as ice, stared back without the slightest ripple.
Damn it, Peng Jinwu is no pushover. There are plenty of experts among the Yongmun Sega’s warriors.
Just as even Zhejiang’s Five Great Experts found Yu Sucheon troublesome, he found them troublesome as well.
If he clashed with them, victory was not guaranteed.
Yu Sucheon lifted his sweat-drenched face.
Dan Hyunwoo remained motionless, watching him.
Refusal was not an option.
Yu Sucheon moistened his dry mouth and spoke.
“I’ll look into it as soon as the sun rises.”
“Right now.”
“Night is when martial artists move freely. If I go out now……”
“What are you waiting for?”
A firm command.
Yu Sucheon knew Dan Hyunwoo’s nature well enough by now—once he decided, he pushed through to the end.
Yu Sucheon nodded.
A servant had no choice but to obey when the master commanded.
Leaving Dan Hyunwoo behind, Yu Sucheon stepped outside and sighed.
Summer was approaching, yet a chill ran through him.
Sweat from tension soaked his body.
“This might be the day I die. Damn it, before I go I should give that bastard Cheon Ilseong a few more hits.”
* * *
Shushushuk.
As Yu Sucheon raced through Hangzhou using lightness skill, his face twisted.
A considerable number of Yongmun Sega warriors were out.
He had to hide behind bushes and trees to avoid them.
Yu Sucheon pressed himself against an alley wall and peered out with only his eyes.
Even as one of Hangzhou’s top experts, he had no desire to fight an entire clan alone.
Damn it, at this rate I’ll be the one who dies. Looks like the Yongmun Sega plans to settle things tonight.
They were scouring the streets to find Goyongsu.
If he was dead, they needed to at least recover the body to sleep soundly.
Shushushuk.
He used lightness skill again to change locations.
Suppressing his presence, he peeked from the bushes and observed the Yongmun Sega’s atmosphere.
Clan head Peng Jinwu was issuing orders.
Yu Sucheon perked up his ears.
If he didn’t bring back useful information, Dan Hyunwoo, who was like the King of Hell, would not let it slide.
Peng Jinwu’s voice reached him.
“Any trace of Goyongsu?”
“No one has seen him. We still haven’t found any leads on the eldest son of Danga Manor either.”
“We must handle this carefully. The eldest son of Danga Manor may be more skilled than we thought.”
“It’s possible Goyongsu is already dead. He vanished without a trace.”
Peng Jinwu nodded.
He was probably dead.
But what concerned Peng Jinwu was how much the assassin had revealed before dying.
And if Goyongsu was dead, then the eldest son of Danga Manor’s level being higher than expected was a problem.
Peng Jinwu spoke.
“Before we strike the eldest son of Danga Manor, capture Yu Sucheon first and extract information. Travel in groups of five. If you find Yu Sucheon, prevent his escape and contact me.”
“Would it be acceptable to be a bit rough? Yu Sucheon is Hangzhou’s top expert. Even if five of our experts attack at once, we won’t have the luxury of holding back.”
“As long as he has a mouth left to answer my questions.”
“Understood.”
The Yongmun Sega experts scattered.
Yu Sucheon’s face turned pale as cold sweat poured down.
Have they lost their minds? Why is the arrow pointing at me!
The Yongmun Sega used the Hebei Peng Clan’s formation techniques.
If five experts formed an array and attacked together, even Yu Sucheon would struggle.
This was exactly why he hated fighting an entire clan.
Yu Sucheon regretted leaving Cheon Ilseong alive.
At the very least, he should have torn the man’s mouth apart.
Creeping quietly, rustling—!
Yu Sucheon moved through the bushes.
To survive, he had to flee back to Danga Manor immediately.
Suppressing his presence as he moved, a drop of sweat fell from Yu Sucheon’s forehead.
It landed on a dry branch scattered across the ground.
Tap.
At the sound, Peng Jinwu, who had been heading back to the Yongmun Sega, stopped.
Whoosh!
Peng Jinwu turned his head and glared at the bushes.
At the same time, Yu Sucheon froze.
He could feel Peng Jinwu slowly drawing up his inner energy.
Please don’t notice me! Please!
Cold sweat streamed down his face.
He couldn’t even circulate his inner energy to control his body temperature.
Doing so would give him away instantly.
Three warriors stood beside Peng Jinwu, serving as guards.
Individually they were far weaker than Yu Sucheon, but if they attacked in coordination, victory was uncertain.
Yet those three were approaching the bushes.
Unable to wipe his sweat, Yu Sucheon watched them from the corner of his eye.
They were almost upon him.
Just a few steps away.
At that exact moment, another drop of cold sweat fell.
Yu Sucheon’s eyes widened.
Tap! Tap-tap!
Pat-pat-pat!
Yu Sucheon burst from the bushes.
At the same time, a loud voice rang out behind him.
“There he is! He was eavesdropping!”
Dozens of Yongmun Sega warriors holding torches rushed out.
They spread out in all four directions.
The three guards followed, with Peng Jinwu right behind them.
A cold smile curved Peng Jinwu’s lips.
“Stop right there!”
“Would you stop if you were me?”
This was why fighting an entire clan was……
Yu Sucheon poured his inner energy into his legs and ran.
He crossed alleys, leapt over walls, kicked off the ground and soared through the air, fleeing as if his tail were on fire.
“Huff! Huff!”
Gasping for breath, Yu Sucheon suddenly stopped.
A familiar alley came into view.
He slipped inside and halted.
The moment one of the guards, unaware, charged in—
Crunch.
Yu Sucheon’s sword pierced the man’s chest.
“Gah!”
Leaving the man writhing on the ground, Yu Sucheon ran again.
Another shout followed.
“Typical cowardly Sapa dog, resorting to ambushes! Gather the others immediately!”
Even as he vaulted over walls, the warriors’ furious roars chased after him.
How many more would that voice bring?
Yu Sucheon bit his lip and muttered while shaking blood from his sword.
“The bastard who just shouted—I’ll definitely rip your mouth apart. I hold grudges. Remember that.”