#324. Why Are You Doing This? Between Pros.
Retrieving Kwan Hong required deploying two people.
Go Eul-ji and Thomas Lee.
After hearing the outline of the incident and the operation, Go Eul-ji shot Kang Moo-hyuk a quizzical look.
"Mm, so you're telling me to go fetch that bastard? Why?"
"Because we need him."
"He's a bastard, though?"
"We need a bastard."
"The guy who caused the Makyung incident."
"We need the guy who caused the Makyung incident."
"Boss, you're not listening to me, are you?"
"We need a Go Eul-ji Hunter who doesn't listen."
"What? You're saying you don't listen, not me. And I've been super good lately. Ask the guild master."
"Since you've been so good, you'll handle this op perfectly, right?"
"Obviously... Huh? That felt like a trap."
Suddenly, Go Eul-ji recalled her grandfather grinding his teeth every time Kang Moo-hyuk's name came up lately.
Calling him a loudmouth, a con artist, badmouthing her boss relentlessly.
And he'd drilled into her never to speak to Kang Moo-hyuk.
"Fine. I'll do it."
From experience, Go Eul-ji knew giving up quickly was the least painful option, so she accepted the mission without further protest.
That's when Thomas, who had been quietly listening, raised an issue.
"Frankly, I think Go Eul-ji Hunter could handle this alone."
"What? Trying to dump it on me and bail, Thomas? Wow, I didn't think you were that kind of guy!"
Go Eul-ji jumped up, betrayed. Kang Moo-hyuk held her back and said,
"Thomas Hunter is right. The original plan was for Go Eul-ji Hunter alone."
"For real? Just me?"
Go Eul-ji's eyes widened as she turned to Kang Moo-hyuk.
Thomas said,
"Has a variable arisen?"
"Kwan Hong Hunter turns out to be more adept at complicating things than expected."
Kang Moo-hyuk summarized the Shandong Province power dynamics he'd heard from the two injured Uyghur hunters from Xinjiang and explained it to them.
After hearing it all, Thomas fell into thought, while Go Eul-ji drew question marks over her head as she pieced it together in her own way.
"So, Yellow Dragon and Alliance hate each other, Alliance and Heavenly Alliance hate each other, and Yellow Dragon and Heavenly Alliance hate each other even more. Isn't that just a total mess?"
"Exactly as Go Eul-ji Hunter summarized. Guild infighting in China isn't new, but it's more tangled than outsiders realize."
Thomas, having finished his deliberations, spoke up.
"Did you choose the Shandong Peninsula as the rendezvous point, Boss?"
"I proposed it, and Kwan Hong Hunter accepted. For reference, I didn't know the Shandong situation at the time."
"That means Kwan Hong knew and accepted anyway. A man called the brains of China's top guild, Yellow Dragon, wouldn't overlook that."
"You hit the nail on the head, as expected. So, any guess what picture Kwan Hong Hunter is painting?"
Kang Moo-hyuk smiled faintly, and Thomas mirrored it.
Both smiles lacked genuine emotion—more like masks concealing their thoughts.
"First off, it seems he's using the Gudongzon as a shield against pursuit, manipulating Alliance or Heavenly Alliance. Or both."
"Any other hunches?"
"Not enough info to go further. But it might tie to why he requested asylum from you. Mind if I ask about that?"
"Sorry, that's still top secret. Only the guild master and I know in the guild. But you're on the right track. That undisclosed asylum reason seems to be why he's scheming to shake Yellow Dragon. Just speculation for now, of course."
Thomas nodded in understanding.
"Doesn't really concern me anyway. So, you're adding me for the worst-case scenario?"
"Worst case? What's that?"
Go Eul-ji perked up her ears at the cryptic exchange that had her eyes spinning.
Kang Moo-hyuk answered.
"Fighting might break out. For a small elite team, we need our strongest card ready."
"Guild master is too well-known, so I step up."
"No one's marking you yet in China or Korea."
"Understood. But if it comes to blows, how far should I go?"
"Hope for severe injuries max, but fieldwork's unpredictable, and you're not at peak condition... If it gets tough holding back, kill if needed."
Silence blanketed the office.
Go Eul-ji crossed her arms over herself protectively.
"I'm still a minor, y'know? Isn't this 19+? It's a rescue op, right?"
"Go Eul-ji Hunter, I heard you caught some villains before. One was a serial killer. Your grandpa said you tore off his limbs..."
"Beep— bleep! Beeb beeb beebee!"
"What are you doing?"
"Self-censorship."
"...Huh? Is that some trendy gag? Not funny—maybe I just don't get it?"
"N-not funny? Me? To you, Boss...?"
Kang Moo-hyuk ignored the shocked Go Eul-ji and issued final orders.
"Anyway, assuming no issues. Let's review the op once more. Nothing tricky. Fly alternately to cover the 500km round trip to Shandong Peninsula, conserving stamina and mana. Confirm the final rendezvous he gave ahead, grab Kwan Hong, and return to Korea. Ship waiting near our EEZ for contingencies. Read and memorize this file for details. Op starts dawn tomorrow at 2 AM. Prep till then."
Kang Moo-hyuk handed over materials with op guidelines, Shandong coastal maps, and more.
The moment they took them, Go Eul-ji and Thomas's eyes sharpened.
Go Eul-ji shed her playfulness for seriousness; Thomas's usual apathy turned razor-keen.
In various senses, Iron Will's untouchables were about to collaborate.
From the penthouse window of Seoul's tallest skyscraper, Baek Gwi—former Yeokcheon Guild co-master, now a Korean hunter—gazed at the cityscape.
Originally a descendant of North Korean coup hunters, he'd wandered China for years before trading with Kang Moo-hyuk during the Makyung incident for Korean citizenship and a return home.
But his nationality changed; his influence in China endured.
Knock knock.
"It's Do Dae-cheol."
"Come in."
The door opened, revealing a sturdy-built man.
Do Dae-cheol, Baek Gwi's loyal subordinate since Yeokcheon days.
He'd awakened the evil dragon Zmei Gorinich of the Three Heads, but only Baek Gwi knew—his comrades had all perished.
The trauma lingered, yet his loyalty to Baek Gwi never wavered.
"So, what'd you find? Kwan Hong still mysteriously vanished, as rumored?"
"Movements ain't normal. Yellow Dragon's son is lockin' down info. But they're definitely huntin' him."
"Interesting. Yesterday, Kwan Hong was Yellow Dragon's third-in-command. Or at least top five. Today, he's prey."
Baek Gwi clucked his tongue mockingly.
He'd never liked Kwan Hong anyway—the man sided with Kang Moo-hyuk, watching him warily.
Kwan Hong assumed Baek Gwi still colluded with Yeokcheon despite his Korean move.
Yeokcheon, formed to counter Yellow Dragon, was a latent threat.
Thus, Baek Gwi faced subtle pressure, his maneuverability shrinking.
Kwan Hong's fall was pure delight.
Of course, Baek Gwi hadn't sent Do Dae-cheol just for amusement.
"Why the hunt?"
"Haven't pinned that yet."
"Nothing from Heuksu Guild master?"
At mention of his old Yeokcheon co-master, Do Dae-cheol's face soured.
Distance breeds detachment—not just for lovers.
Since Baek Gwi's split, Heuksu's attention waned.
He'd been reluctant sharing Kwan Hong intel.
Maybe withholding key info.
Do Dae-cheol couldn't voice it. Baek Gwi already knew.
Yet Baek Gwi tolerated Heuksu's slights.
Puzzled by his master's ways, Do Dae-cheol ventured,
"Nothin' special... He asked what you thought of this mess."
"Me? Heuksu asked my opinion?"
"Yes."
Baek Gwi burst into roaring laughter.
To the baffled Do Dae-cheol, he said,
"Ha! No need for me to intervene then."
"What d'you mean?"
"Heuksu's already in. Planning to snag Kwan Hong. Guy's loaded with Yellow Dragon secrets. Discarded card? Fair game. And Biwonjun's in a gate, right?"
"That's the word."
"Perfect storm."
Baek Gwi stroked his chin thoughtfully, then ordered,
"If Heuksu grabs Kwan Hong, I'm in trouble. Breathing hazard, that one—knows my weaknesses best. Can't kill me, but expert at tripping me up. Heuksu isn't targeting for Yellow Dragon's sake. It's me."
"Then we take him out now."
"How many units left in China? Who's on Shandong?"
"Lee Han-cheol."
"The hound? Perfect chew toy. Tell Lee Han-cheol: Eliminate Kwan Hong before dawn tomorrow."
While fretting over Kwan Hong, Kang Moo-hyuk got a sudden call from Slayer's Seong Seon-je and answered warily.
"To what do I owe the call?"
"Boss, you know Baek Gwi? Pyo Jeo-hu."
"……."
"Of course you do. You warned me he's dangerous, always under surveillance."
"Yes. I remember. I asked you to watch him personally."
"I don't fully trust my China-embedded hunters, so he's on the blacklist, monitored. But suddenly he's buzzing—contacting China lines via his subordinate Do Dae-cheol."
Kang Moo-hyuk sensed things twisting oddly.
'Kwan Hong.'
He instantly grasped why the hitherto quiet Baek Gwi stirred.
'Yeokcheon-Yellow Dragon ties. Kwan Hong and Baek Gwi's bad blood. Debts to settle between them.'
Kang Moo-hyuk feigned calm.
"Team Leader Seong, figured out what Baek Gwi's plotting?"
"Calling 'cause you seem to know better than me?"
"Me?"
"Why are you doing this? Between pros."
"What do you...?"
"Post-Makyung, Slayer set up new intel lines in China. Yellow Dragon's under watch—no chaos there now?"
"Who knows. We lack the slack for lines there."
"No need for you. Got Kwan Hong. Oh, wait—can't use him now. Seems booted."
Kang Moo-hyuk sighed. He could picture Seong Seon-je's grin across the line, amused.
"Let's meet and talk."