Chapter 225
Chapter 225
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 225
Chapter Title: Tigers of Haedong
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The Song family manor.
Gong Son-tae and his group received a lavish spread that rivaled any feast for the gods.
“How about it? Isn’t the food and drink out of this world?”
“It’s nothing compared to back in Haedong, but it’s still decent enough to eat.”
“Too greasy for my taste. My stomach’s already churning. Tsk!”
“The liquor’s too watered-down.”
Unexpectedly, the reactions were dismal.
That was when Yi Yeong entered.
“I hope the food suits your tastes, prepared in such a rush.”
“Not at all! The food is exquisite! The liquor’s a rare vintage I’ve never tasted before—it sticks perfectly to the palate!”
“We’re eating well and truly thankful! Thank you for your hospitality, Your Highness!”
Gong Son-tae gave a wry smile at the completely reversed attitudes.
“I’m glad to hear that. Let me know if anything’s lacking.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
Once Yi Yeong left, Gong Son-tae stared at the burly men with a look of utter disbelief.
“Are people from Haedong always like this?”
“Like what?”
“You said it was nothing special just a moment ago?”
“How could we say it doesn’t taste good in front of Her Highness?”
Then, one of the burly men who had been silently nursing his cup spoke up.
“Eat in moderation. We head north as soon as dawn breaks.”
“We’ve gone through hell to get here, and now we can’t even rest properly before heading north? Feels like we’ve been mismatched from the start.”
“Tell me about it.”
Everyone responded with lackluster agreement.
The first thing they’d heard upon arriving in the capital was Yi Hwan’s northward march. Thus, they had all decided to depart straight for the north tomorrow morning.
Gong Son-tae drained his cup and said,
“We could rest a day or two and still catch up. With thirty thousand troops on the move, their marching speed has to be slowed, right?”
“Same here.”
“Me too.”
Everyone hoped for a break, but the burly man shook his head.
“Once you start delaying by a day or two, sloth sets in. We leave at dawn tomorrow, so no complaints—drink moderately.”
“Brother, come on!”
“I’m turning in first.”
The burly man headed to the adjacent room.
“Ugh.”
Gong Son-tae let out a deep sigh as he shoved a hunk of meat into his mouth.
“Where’s the outhouse?”
“Go out and turn left.”
One burly man stepped outside.
Amazed by the palace-like scale of the manor, he made his way to the outhouse. Then, he suddenly halted and gazed up at the main building’s roof.
“They’ve got guards on the roof too?”
There were two warriors from the Sword King and Blade King lineages atop the roof. Spotting the burly man at that exact moment, their eyes met across the darkness.
Heh.
The burly man waved casually before entering the outhouse.
Slam!
“Ugh! The stench!”
* * *
Atop the building’s roof.
A warrior from the Sword King’s lineage asked,
“Those are the folks your chief was looking for?”
“Yeah. I don’t know the details, but they’re renowned masters from Haedong. Apparently, our chief stayed in Haedong briefly in the past and forged a connection with them.”
“They feel like external style practitioners…”
“You can tell they’re built tough just by looking.”
Whoosh!
A sudden gust of wind blew.
“Don’t we not need to guard the roof anymore? Who’d dare target this place?”
“Have you already forgotten the lord’s order to heighten our vigilance? Get your head in the game.”
“Just testing the waters, no need to get serious.”
The two warriors sat back-to-back. In a space with nowhere to lean, this posture was highly effective for conserving stamina.
Whoosh!
Another gust scattered leaves that flew toward the two warriors.
At that instant, both leaped up and drew their swords.
Shing!
Flash!
Two streaks of light shot in like lightning.
The warriors’ reactions were just as swift.
Clang!
“Enemy attack!”
One warrior bellowed with infused inner energy.
His shout shattered the night’s silence, echoing throughout the manor.
* * *
“Enemy attack!”
“Huh?”
One burly man paused with his cup to his lips and tilted his head toward the door.
“Sounded like ‘enemy attack’?”
“I heard it too. I’ll check it out.”
Gong Son-tae grabbed his sword from against the wall and dashed outside.
“Speak of the devil. Someone go help.”
“I’ll go.”
The youngest-looking burly man stood.
“Go easy.”
“Got it.”
Clang!
Boom!
The burly man outside stared at the fireworks exploding on the roof and took a deep breath.
“Huuu! They’ve treated us well, so let’s pay the bill properly.”
* * *
While a fierce battle raged on the main building’s roof, others were slipping in from an unexpected direction.
Four in total.
Like night birds slicing through the darkness, they silently vaulted the manor’s walls.
Right then.
Creak.
The outhouse door opened, and the burly man stepped out. At almost the same moment, his eyes locked with those of the assailants dropping into the space before it.
“What are you lot? Why’re you dropping in there?”
The burly man couldn’t finish. One assailant charged, swinging his sword wildly.
Twitch.
“You bastard.”
The burly man deflected the lightning-fast sword over his shoulder, then slammed his right fist into the assailant’s gut.
Thud!
Any normal man would’ve crumpled, and no one would’ve thought otherwise. Yet the assailant staggered back and regained his stance.
The others rushed in instead.
Flash!
Screech!
The burly man retreated with footwork to dodge one attack, then smacked another assailant’s sword with his left hand.
Boom!
Flesh and blood clashed against forged steel, booming thunderously.
The assailants’ eyes widened in shock. Having absolute faith in their skills, they couldn’t believe the burly man’s prowess even seeing it firsthand.
“Someone grab my sword!”
The burly man shouted toward the room.
Two more burly men soon strolled into the rear yard.
“Catch those bastards.”
“Yes.”
The two stepped forward.
The burly man who’d faced the assailants blew on his hand—the one that had struck the sword—and fell back.
“Damn, that hurts.”
Then.
“You should’ve gauged your foes first. Did you think you could take skilled fighters barehanded?”
The burly man called “brother” appeared from behind. The other scratched his head.
“They popped up so suddenly, no time to grab a sword.”
“Go inside, get your sword, and head to the main roof.”
“There too?”
“Yeah. They’ve fed us well, so we owe them. Hurry.”
“Understood.”
* * *
‘What the hell is this…’
Mun Oe-bong, who had infiltrated the capital on Hong Seon’s special orders to kill Yi Yeong in Yi Hwan’s stead, trembled as he eyed the burly men.
He hadn’t underestimated the manor’s guards. That’s why he’d sent subordinates to the main roof to deliberately get spotted.
Once the guards focused there, he and the rest could sneak in undetected to assassinate Yi Yeong.
The plan had worked perfectly.
As intended, the guards converged on the roof subordinates, allowing Mun Oe-bong and his men to enter without interference.
He figured success was just a matter of time.
But then the burly man from the outhouse grabbed their ankle, and now three more had appeared.
The real problem was the latest arrival.
Even Mun Oe-bong, a master, felt suffocated by the aura emanating from him.
‘No intel on a master like this…’
Scouting the enemy beforehand was assassin basics.
Naturally, Mun Oe-bong had investigated via subordinates: the number of Song family guards, their strength, etc., before devising the plan.
But there was no info on these guys.
Ssssh…
A chill crawled up his spine.
This was the instinct that surged in the worst scenarios.
‘I can’t die here.’
Cruelty filled Mun Oe-bong’s eyes. He then commanded his men.
“Attack!”
Whoosh!
No sooner said than his three subordinates charged. Simultaneously, Mun Oe-bong kicked off the ground and leaped.
But not at the burly men—toward the rear wall. He’d chosen the vile path of sacrificing his men to save himself.
‘Sorry, but no choice. If I die, Her Majesty the Empress will abandon our unit. So don’t resent me even in death.’
Rationalizing his choice, Mun Oe-bong vaulted the wall.
But.
“You threw your comrades to the wolves to save your own skin?”
“……!”
Mun Oe-bong nearly fell flat on his rear from shock.
The burly man who’d sent chills down his spine stood there like a guardian idol.
‘How the hell did he get here so fast…’
The burly man approached Mun Oe-bong.
“You’re not even worthy of staining a blade.”
Mun Oe-bong retreated, sword aimed at the burly man. It felt like a mountain was bearing down on him.
“Argh!”
“Ugh!”
Piercing death cries erupted beyond the wall.
“If you want to live that badly, drop your sword and kneel. I’ll spare you.”
Mun Oe-bong’s wavering eyes suddenly gleamed with venom. He belatedly realized the burly man was unarmed.
Fwoosh!
Heat surged through him—shame at cowering like a novice before an unarmed foe.
“I’ll kill you.”
Whoosh!
Mun Oe-bong vanished like a ghost.
He unleashed his assassin’s one-strike kill via Shadow Form Technique—the blow that had forged him.
‘Got him!’
In that instant, his sword pierced the burly man’s heart. A triumphant smile curled Mun Oe-bong’s lips.
However.
“……!”
His eyes bulged. A pot-lid-sized hand flew at his face.
Slap!
“Gah!”
With a strangled groan, blood sprayed from Mun Oe-bong’s mouth. It didn’t end there.
Smack!
A sharper crack sent his body flying backward like a puppet with cut strings. It was the abject defeat of Mun Oe-bong, who’d risen to unit commander on skill alone, earning Hong Seon’s trust.
Thud!
He hit the ground hard and heard approaching footsteps as consciousness faded.
Step, step.
The burly man looked down at the fainted Mun Oe-bong and clicked his tongue.
“An assassin whose lifeblood is cool-headedness, getting riled up this easily? Tsk tsk tsk.”
“Brother!”
Swish!
Two burly men vaulted the wall.
“How’s the rest?”
“All taken care of.”
“Any injuries?”
“Pfft, none on our side.”
“I meant the manor guards.”
“Those guys held their own pretty well? Two got light cuts, nothing serious. But is this one dead?”
“Just out cold. Drag him.”
“Yes!”
Swish!
“Brothers!”
Gong Son-tae dropped down. Seeing the situation resolved, he smirked.
‘Some seriously unlucky bastards. Of all times, they strike when Haedong’s tigers are here. Tsk tsk tsk.’