Chapter 33: The Branch Leader Announcement Ceremony (4)
In fact, it was something from when Eun Seo-ho was very young, so he had no memory of it, but Eun Jeong-ho had made a vow with him.
It was a pledge to absolutely keep the promise he'd made with his little brother.
Now that vow was clashing with the courtesy due to a guest, and he let out a sigh.
'How can I talk about a merchant's trustworthiness if I can't even keep a promise to my own brother?'
Eun Jeong-ho said to the maid.
"Tell the guest that something urgent has come up, so I can't meet right now. And convey my apologies—that I'll come visit personally later to make amends for this rudeness."
"Pardon? Ah, yes, understood."
Then Eun Jeong-ho turned to Jeon Woo-jin.
"Let's head to the banquet hall."
"Thank you for heeding my advice. I'll escort you."
Meanwhile,
the guest waiting in the side room couldn't hide his dismay at the maid's message.
'Damn it! What a mess!'
The guest gripped the sword hidden beneath his skirts.
"Guest, then we'll escort you back to the banquet hall."
It was the call to return.
With no choice, he rose and headed to the banquet hall. Watching him go, the maid tilted her head.
His gait seemed oddly awkward.
It had to be.
The guest in the splendid palace robes and hood was no woman—but a man.
He was an assassin known as the Faceless Guest.
The name meant a guest without a face, for no one knew his true one.
He could freely reshape his bones with the Bone Shrinking Art, and he was a master of disguise using human-skin masks.
Sometimes a strapping youth, then an old crone; a child one moment, a lovely woman the next.
But,
knowing his target had come right to the door and then turned away left him rattled, so he hadn't paid attention to his walk.
'Tch! To let something like that shake my composure! My training's still lacking.'
He quickly corrected his stride.
He'd received the commission five days ago.
Assassinate Eunhae Merchant Group's eldest son, Eun Jeong-ho—or at least wound him badly enough to keep him out of the public eye.
He had no idea why.
As far as he knew, Eunhae was highly respected locally, and Eun Jeong-ho had a solid reputation.
But that was none of his concern.
'If I nitpicked every job, I couldn't do this work.'
With so much at stake, he couldn't back out now.
Besides, he couldn't drag it out.
If the real person he'd impersonated showed up, his cover would blow.
The Faceless Guest emerged into the banquet hall.
Amid lively music and the raucous chatter of revelers eating and drinking, he searched for his mark.
After prowling diligently, he finally spotted Eun Jeong-ho.
The man was talking with a guest, then retreated to a corner and perched on a rock.
He looked weary—probably just taking a breather.
Opportunity.
The Faceless Guest seized it.
He kicked off the ground and launched himself at the target.
His plan was already set.
'First strike downs the guard. Second fells the target. Ditch the disguise and melt into the crowd—perfect.'
As expected, alert bodyguard Jeon Woo-jin drew his sword to intercept.
"Young master! Danger!"
"Gah!"
But the Faceless Guest's first slash was swift and lethal.
Jeon Woo-jin couldn't match the speed and took a gash across the chest.
Yet he was tenacious.
Biting back the pain, he blocked to the end.
Clang!
'How's he still moving? That wound's no shallow cut.'
By then, Silver Wind Corps warriors on patrol rushed in.
An assassination demanded flawless execution.
Any deviation meant failure.
This was failure.
Without hesitation, the Faceless Guest turned to flee.
Any longer, and escape would be impossible.
His survival as an assassin came from cutting losses without regret when things went south.
That was when it hit.
"Urk!"
Something was wrong.
His legs felt unnaturally sluggish.
'W-what? Why are my legs suddenly...'
They began to stiffen, freezing solid. Escape on foot was now impossible.
The Silver Wind Corps closed in, nearly upon him.
'Damn it. Didn't want to use this.'
He slyly drew a smoke bomb from his sleeve.
It was pricey, reserved for emergencies.
This special smoke lingered long and spread wide—enough to blind the crowd even with his crippled legs and slip away.
Pfsh!
He hurled it, smoke billowing everywhere.
'Don't miss this chance to change disguises... Huh?'
Something felt missing.
The emptiness turned to agony. His right arm was severed.
"Aaaargh!"
When the smoke cleared, he faced an old man with a sword.
The old man, known as the sundries shop owner in the pleasure district, wielded a familiar blade.
"Gasp! N-no way... You! Ghostface Cannon?"
"Finally caught you."
I was baffled by the whole scene.
Timing-wise, it lined up with that incident, so I'd headed to the receiving room to find Jeong-ho hyung.
That's when the maid dropped the surprise.
"The branch leader said something came up, so he can't meet the guest in the side room."
What?
So hyung skipped the side-room guest. Had something unexpected happened, beyond my expectations?
Or had he followed my advice and Jeon Woo-jin's, dodging the meet?
Unclear situation—tricky.
Ah!
More important:
"What about the side-room guest?"
"He returned to the banquet hall."
"What?"
"Is something wrong?"
"No, nothing."
I rushed to find Jeong-ho hyung.
The assassin might try again.
I spotted him perched on a rock, catching his breath.
That instant!
Someone in flashy palace robes charged at him.
"...!"
The assassin hadn't given up.
As I'd figured, Jeon Woo-jin stepped up, and combat erupted.
I fired an emergency signal at once.
"Everyone to sector five!"
Nearby Silver Wind Corps warriors hurried over.
They clocked it.
"An assassin targeting the branch leader!"
"Don't let him escape!"
Desperation flashed in the assassin's eyes.
Instinct told me he was bolting, so I yelled to hyung.
"Jeong-ho hyung! Secret Silver Needles!"
"Huh?"
Hyung's dazed look sharpened; he unleashed the Secret Silver Needles instantly.
Whoosh! Swish!
They pierced the assassin's legs.
Skirts be damned.
These were hidden weapons—no mere fabric would stop them.
"Urk!"
The paralyzing effect kicked in; he lost balance, seemed done for.
But then—the smoke bomb.
I bit my lip.
'Damn!'
Despite prepping the needles to block escape, we were about to lose him again.
Then—
Thud.
A heavy drop hit the ground with a scream of agony.
"Aaaargh!"
Smoke cleared; I recognized the face inside.
The sundries shop old man stood with a sword of unique hilt.
A fierce tiger baring fangs and claws.
The writhing assassin gaped at him.
"Gasp! N-no way... You! Ghostface Cannon?"
"Finally caught you."
At the shopkeeper's—Ghostface Cannon's—words, the assassin slumped.
He mumbled something; the old man kicked his jaw with agile precision.
"Hey!"
Thwack!
"Guh!"
A poison pellet flew from the assassin's mouth, rolling across the floor.
"Can't flee using tricks like that."
"......"
Watching, I got why Ghostface Cannon terrified killers.
No openings.
Then Father and Senior External Steward Ko rushed up—alerted by the commotion.
"Jeong-ho! You alright?"
Hyung nodded at Father's words.
"Yes, Father. I'm fine. Sorry to worry you. But Jeon Woo-jin, protecting me..."
Hyung glanced at the bodyguard.
The physician treating him spoke up.
"Jeon Woo-jin will be fine."
"Really?"
"Yes. A fortnight's rest, and he'll move without issue. Lucky we treated it right away."
Only then did hyung's face fully relax.
Father nodded.
"Seo-ho was right to station physicians everywhere—what fortune!"
"Yes, Father."
"That aside..."
Father eyed the ringleader of the chaos and the old man before him.
Senior Ko, spotting the elder, startled and bowed politely.
"Are you perhaps the owner of that sword?"
"Indeed."
Ko clasped hands in salute.
"I am Ko Il-pyeong, external steward of Eunhae Merchant Group. This junior greets senior."
Everyone buzzed at Ko's formality.
He bore the title One Sword Reaches Heaven, a true master.
For him to show such respect meant the old man was extraordinary.
And he was.
The elder waved it off.
"Enough of that. Overkill for a retired has-been."
"Don't say that, senior."
Ko asked the old man.
"Might I ask what happened here?"
"I'll explain."
Jeong-ho stepped forward; Father nodded.
"What exactly went down?"
Hyung recounted it all.
Ko turned to the elder.
"So you stopped the assassin targeting our branch leader from fleeing. Our thanks."
"Nothing—just did what needed doing. I should be thanking you."
"Pardon?"
The old man glanced at me.
"This house's youngest invited me, and unexpectedly, I got the greatest gift."
Ko looked utterly baffled.
"You know I ran that sundries shop at the clan estate?"
"Of course. Had I known it was you, I'd have visited ages ago. Forgive my rudeness."
"I hid my identity on purpose to run that shop. To catch this bastard."
The assassin was already bound tight by Silver Wind warriors.
"I fulfilled my orders, but one slipped away. This one."
"Then... he's the Faceless Guest?"
"You know him well."
"How did you spot him as the Faceless Guest?"
"This."
The old man toed the severed arm on the ground, flipping it. A peculiar scar inside.
"My sword style leaves a unique mark. This scar—I left it when he escaped me before."
He approached the Faceless Guest, roughly tearing off his pretty face.
Skin peeled; another emerged.
"And this face is the one I remember!"
Broad daylight, and the Faceless Guest's true visage was revealed.
So the killer the Ghostface Cannon had hunted so long was the Faceless Guest?
And that same Faceless Guest was the assassin crashing Jeong-ho hyung's branch leader announcement banquet?
This unexpected link from my past life left me chuckling.
Still, it worked out?
The old man fulfilled a lifelong wish; we captured the killer after hyung's life.
"We should hand him to the authorities... but after this mess here... Let's do this. I'm skilled at interrogation—I'll help. You want the mastermind, right?"
Ko glanced at Father at the elder's offer; Father nodded.
"We won't refuse."
"Then lead the way."
"Yes."
Ko took the old man and dragged the Faceless Guest off somewhere.
But things weren't wrapped up.
The uproar was huge; guests still murmured, the mood unsettled.