Late-Learned Thievery Is More Fearsome (1)
In the heart of the Central Plains, deep within Anhui Province, lay Hefei.
Ever since the Wulin Alliance had first been founded, the gatherings of elders dispatched from every sect and clan—meant to strengthen their mutual bonds—had long since lost all meaning.
“Kwahahat! Drink more!”
“As expected of the Tang Clan!”
“What’s this little bit? And besides…”
Of all the elders sent to the Alliance, only Dang Gawi—the Tang Clan’s representative from Sichuan—remained true to his real purpose.
When he casually produced a small medicine pouch from his sleeve, the elder from the Gongdong Sect snatched it up in a hurry.
“Ahem… I am always grateful.”
“What’s this little thing between us? Mix it into your wine later. You’ll… grow to like it even more.”
“My thanks for the consideration. Heh.”
“By the way, do you know where Cheonbigae has gone?”
“Probably back in his own quarters, wouldn’t you say?”
“Hmm… I see.”
Dang Gawi’s face briefly twisted, then smoothed back into a smile.
“Come, come, all you elders gathered here today—please continue enjoying the banquet! I shall step out for a moment to water the flowers.”
“Kwahahat! Off to water some flowers, are you?”
“I’m rather exceptional in that department, so it may take a while. Enjoy yourselves and head back whenever you like. Kwahahat.”
“We shall!”
Trading vulgar jokes among themselves, the elders watched Dang Gawi leave. The moment he stepped outside, the genial smile vanished from his face, replaced by a cold, vicious smirk.
The Wulin Alliance is finished…
Aside from the forces led by the Peng Clan of Hebei and Shaolin, every other elder had already been brought under his thumb.
Looking at the sorry state of those elders—corrupted by drugs, women, and money—Dang Gawi always had to struggle not to laugh out loud.
But…
Where the hell is that Cheonbigae?
Ever since the Moyong Clan’s lord had defeated the previous Beggars’ Sect chief, Mukseon, a defector had appeared.
That beggar bastard’s been acting strange lately…
They had planned to eliminate Mukseon eventually anyway, and Cheonbigae himself had agreed to it.
Yet the moment Mukseon actually died, Cheonbigae’s behavior turned odd.
He had begun steadily cutting down their meetings, and Dang Gawi found it thoroughly unpleasant.
“…”
Confirming the gleaming throwing knife hidden in his sleeve, Dang Gawi hardened his expression and set off.
Arriving at Cheonbigae’s quarters, he cleared his throat to announce himself.
“Ahem, ahem. Cheonbigae, are you in there?”
“Wh… who is it…”
“It is I. Dang Gawi.”
“L… Lord…”
Ignoring the weak reply, Dang Gawi shoved the door open.
He clicked his tongue at the sight of Cheonbigae trembling in the pitch-dark room, not even a single candle lit.
“Tsk tsk tsk… Didn’t I tell you? If you stop the medicine halfway, the side effects will be severe.”
“G… g-g-go away…! I… I can’t anymore…”
Even though the weather was mild, Cheonbigae shook as if trapped in the depths of winter. Dang Gawi tossed a pouch in front of his eyes.
“Take it and you’ll feel better.”
“I… I refuse!”
“Otherwise this suffering will just keep going, you know?”
Dang Gawi sat down in front of the curled-up Cheonbigae and smiled.
“You’re cold, aren’t you? The trembling won’t stop. But at the same time, the yang energy inside you is surging like mad, so your insides feel like they’re on fire.”
“H… how do you know that?!”
“What use is a poison-maker who doesn’t know his own product’s effects?”
Dang Gawi gave a short laugh and drew the throwing knife, checking that its edge was keen before continuing.
“But the moment you take the medicine, everything goes hazy. All the pain from a second ago vanishes. Your whole body fills with vitality, and even your inner energy increases. Why on earth would you refuse that?”
“I… I made the wrong choice…”
“Hmm?”
“Elder Mukseon appears in my dreams every night…”
Cheonbigae muttered with a face full of terror.
“Even if you can’t pull me out of this place… take good care of the next generation… the Beggars’ Sect, a gathering of chivalrous men, must not fall like this… He repeats it every single night.”
“Heh… heh heh… Hallucinations. That’s another side effect…”
“It’s not the medicine!!”
Cheonbigae’s eyes bulged with bloodshot veins as he spat the words in a frenzy.
“It’s guilt! It has to be guilt! The Beggars’ Sect is nothing but a bunch of beggar bastards who live off others under the single banner of chivalry! And I betrayed that chivalry!! I…! I gave Elder Mukseon a horrible end!!!”
“Did you kill him?”
“Wh… what?”
“The one who killed him was the Moyong Clan’s lord, the Sword Sovereign. Elder Mukseon… well, he died without even a proper grave befitting that name, but once a man’s dead, they’re all the same.”
Dang Gawi ran the throwing knife lightly over Cheonbigae’s head.
“Listen, Cheonbigae. You were the one who first took our hand.”
“And now I intend to set that wrong right…”
“Planning to get in the way?”
“Kill me.”
The trembling in Cheonbigae’s body stopped.
“I don’t have the strength to interfere, but I’d rather die than live with this guilt.”
At those words, Dang Gawi’s face went ice-cold.
Thud.
The throwing knife sank into Cheonbigae’s throat.
“Guh…”
“A body too wretched even to turn into a jiangshi. Still, while you lived you were quite useful with the Beggars’ Sect. I’ll send you off peacefully.”
“Grrrk… I… I…”
Even as blood gushed from his throat, Cheonbigae seized Dang Gawi’s collar.
“I… told the Beggars’ Sect… the truth… grrk…”
“What?”
“Heh… heh heh… cough!”
Spilling blood from mouth and neck as he collapsed, Cheonbigae still smiled.
Looking down at the corpse that had died with a grin on its face, Dang Gawi frowned.
“…Something about this feels damn unpleasant.”
Even if the man had told the Beggars’ Sect something, nothing major would change at this point.
How many beggars would turn back while busy with their own internal strife? And the Moyong Clan would handle that side well enough.
But…
At the end, the trembling definitely stopped…
The thought that the Tang Clan’s ultimate poison, Absolute Poison, might have been broken left Dang Gawi unable to hide his unease.
It was a vicious narcotic that could ensnare even peerless masters, yet Cheonbigae had clearly recovered his reason at the last moment.
…I’ll have to send the corpse to Sichuan.
Right now it was only one Beggars’ Sect elder, but if the other elders could also escape Absolute Poison’s influence, it would be troublesome.
The Moyong Clan had moved earlier than expected, so the Tang Clan had to pick up the pace to match.
Better to prevent anything that might become a problem in advance.
Dang Gawi whistled, and several martial artists in night clothes appeared.
“You called, Elder?”
“Send this one to the main clan. It may have been a final burst of life, but he overcame Absolute Poison at the end.”
“As you command.”
As the night-clad martial artist hoisted Cheonbigae’s corpse and prepared to leave, Dang Gawi asked another question.
There’s more than one potential problem…
“More importantly—what about the Mad Demon and that daughter of his?”
Sending the corpse-bearer off first, one of the remaining martial artists answered.
“…There is not even a trace of the Mad Demon.”
“That noisy bastard?”
“…Yes.”
“And the daughter?”
“…Reportedly in Jiangsu.”
“Hmm…”
“It rather… seems like a trap.”
“A trap?”
When Dang Gawi pressed, the martial artist bowed his head.
“That… the Mad Demon going completely silent over a mere kill order is strange enough… and the daughter is making all sorts of flashy moves.”
“For example?”
“She is said to have wiped out the Green Forest bandits near Jiangsu.”
“Hmm…”
A newcomer to the martial world thrashing Green Forest bandits was a story heard every year, so it wasn’t particularly grating—but the Mad Demon’s daughter, already under a wanted order, doing so made no sense.
“Then why hasn’t she been caught?”
“…The Peng Clan and the Hwangbo Clan interfered. Said it was their backyard and they’d handle it themselves…”
“Doseon that bastard always got along well with the Mad Demon, so he must have protected her. But now? Are they still claiming Jiangsu as their land?”
“No. Currently… she is with the Sword God.”
“The Sword God?!”
“…Yes. She is staying at the Divine Doctor’s Valley, so we cannot even approach.”
“…”
The sudden news made Dang Gawi’s head throb.
Why the hell did that old man have to stick his nose in…?
Seeing his expression turn grave, the night-clad martial artist carefully gauged his mood.
“Th… moreover, the Sword God has requested that the capture order be lifted…”
“What?!”
“I heard he said the kill order would remain, but placing a capture order on someone who is merely blood kin is excessive…”
“When?!”
“Just before the banquet started, a messenger pigeon arrived—gahk!”
Dang Gawi seized the man by the throat.
“Why didn’t you report it?”
“Y… you were enjoying the banquet… grrk…!”
“Something that important should have been told immediately!!”
“S… sorry… gahk…”
When the man went limp, Dang Gawi brushed his hands off and turned to another martial artist.
“Hey.”
“Y… yes!”
“Clean this one up too.”
“A… as you command!”
“And about the Mad Demon’s daughter. Bring her in before the full moon.”
“W… within two weeks?”
“Yes, two weeks. No… wait… no.”
Dang Gawi suddenly shook his head.
“Rather than leave it to trash like you, I should entrust it to professionals.”
“…”
“Contact Salmak. Tell them I want to meet in person.”
“S… Salmak?!”
At the name of the premier assassination guild of the martial world, the martial artist flinched.
“B… but the clan lord ordered that the Mad Demon’s daughter not be killed…”
“Throw them a bit more money and request a live capture. They’ll keep her alive.”
“…Understood.”
“Tell them as long as she’s breathing, it doesn’t matter. Contact them that I’d like to see results as soon as possible.”
“As you command!”
Once the last night-clad martial artist had carried off his now-cold comrade’s body, Dang Gawi stroked his beard while gazing at the night sky.
I can’t allow any more interference at this stage… absolutely not…
The Mad Demon who had tormented the Tang Clan so viciously had vanished from the martial world.
And his daughter was running wild like a madwoman.
Dang Gawi knew full well the Mad Demon was not the type to set traps—yet that was exactly why he grew even more cautious.
If a man like that had dug a pit, he would be aiming at something very solid indeed.
The main clan is busy preparing to receive the Fist God… All the more reason I must handle this well…
A smile rose to Dang Gawi’s lips.
What expression will you make when you face your daughter, captured and drugged out of her mind, Dokgo Jin?
Just imagining that twisted face already lifted his spirits.
“Mmm…”
Squinting against the morning sunlight, Dokgo Ryeong opened her eyes.
“Ah…”
The first thing she saw was Wi Ilcheong’s face right in front of her own.
Her cheeks instantly flushed crimson.
Uh… last night…
The slight sting in her backside and the fact that they were both naked in the same bed proved last night had been no dream. Dokgo Ryeong’s body went rigid.
“Hwaaah…”
She thought she had made a terrible mistake in the heat of emotion—yet at the same time she could not tear her eyes away from Wi Ilcheong’s sleeping face.
“…”
Carefully, so as not to catch the arm that held her, Dokgo Ryeong lifted her hand and gently stroked his face.
…Seeing him this close feels different somehow…
She was tracing his eyebrow when his eyes slowly opened.
“Ah… y… you’re awake?”
“…Yes, young lady. What are you doing?”
“S… sorry. I just wanted to touch…”
“You may touch more. I touched quite a lot last night myself.”
“Hyeek?!”
As Dokgo Ryeong flustered, Wi Ilcheong grinned and brushed her hair back.
“You fainted last night, so I carried you to the bed afterward. And then I touched a little more.”
“Uu… hwaaah… s… sorry…”
“No need for sorry. Thanks to you, I slept very well.”
“Uuu…”
Mortified, Dokgo Ryeong buried her face against his chest to hide.
“Th… um…”
She fretted, not knowing what to say, until Wi Ilcheong pulled her into a firm embrace.
“Let’s stay like this a little longer before getting up.”
“…Okay.”
Savoring the warmth of the man holding her, she spent a quiet moment before speaking again.
“Th… um…”
“Call me by name. Not ‘um,’ ‘hey,’ ‘you bastard,’ or anything like that.”
“Hyeek?! H… how can I…”
“Why not?”
Wi Ilcheong pressed a kiss to the crown of her head and teased,
“You said it yourself last night, didn’t you? That you were a lewd Ryeong.”
“Hauuu… th… that was…!”
“Heh. Just joking. Shall we get up now?”
“R… really… don’t tease me about that…”
When Wi Ilcheong sat up, Dokgo Ryeong followed.
“Ah, young lady, stay here a moment. I’ll bring breakfast.”
“…Okay. Um…”
Hesitating, she rose and lightly caught the tip of his finger.
“Is there something you wish to say, young lady?”
“Hauuu… uuum…”
Face burning scarlet, Dokgo Ryeong lifted her head and spoke.
“Ah… um… come back soon…”
“Hmm? Yes, of course.”
She squeezed the finger she held and added,
“I… Ilcheong.”
“…”
“I… just wanted to try saying your name…”
“…Honestly. Making things difficult first thing in the morning.”
“Haut…!”
Wi Ilcheong bent down, kissed her, and smiled.
“I’ll be right back, Ryeong.”
“Hauuu… okay…”