Chapter 49: Something Was Amiss
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 49: Something Was Amiss
Even as he lay sprawled on the floor, Black-White 13's mouth didn't stop moving.
"…I'm telling you, it's futile. Do you think I'd be afraid of you just because of this?"
It was as if he wanted to assert that Ki Mu-hyeok couldn't break him, no matter what he did.
"You won't get any information by torturing me. Interrogation? Torture? Go right ahead. Hahahaha!"
"I'm not really trying to get anything."
Ki Mu-hyeok looked down indifferently at the man who was mocking him and spoke.
He knew well that simply inflicting pain wouldn't be enough to instill fear or anger in this type of person.
He simply didn't want to hand over a man who had threatened to kill his parents to the Korean Martial Alliance with all his limbs intact.
"At the very least, I'm going to make sure you can never harm anyone again."
"Instead of wasting your energy on such pointless acts, it would be better to engage in a constructive conversation with me…"
Crunch! Thwack! Slice!
Ki Mu-hyeok swung his sword, breaking bones, tearing flesh, and slicing skin, as if he were butchering meat in a Butcher Shop.
He didn't care what the other man babbled. He didn't even look at his face.
"Kuh-huh-huh…!"
No matter how strong-willed an Assassin was, or how well-trained to conceal pain, the body would naturally react.
Though he forced a laugh out of pride, blood and sweat mixed and streamed down Black-White 13's face.
"Extremely… skilled, aren't you…?"
It was the way of the Underworld. Living as a Vagrant and engaging in various dangerous tasks, there were things one inevitably became skilled at, whether they liked it or not.
That's why Ki Mu-hyeok's expression held no emotion.
He neither raged nor delighted as he thoroughly crushed his enemy. Rather, his expression was one of utter weariness, as if he were performing a bothersome chore.
"You… right now, you're… me…"
Ki Mu-hyeok's indifferent attitude seemed to provoke Black-White 13 even more.
He had been stoic in the face of physical pain, but the realization that he was being treated like livestock dragged to a slaughterhouse made him feel utterly miserable.
"Don't ignore me—!"
It was a resounding shout, making one wonder where he found such strength.
Ki Mu-hyeok finally stopped his mechanical movements and met the other man's gaze.
"I thought you might have some hidden trick up your sleeve, but perhaps my expectations were too high?"
"…What?"
"Like a Life-Saving Ultimate Technique. I wondered if you might be hiding some special martial art, something rarely seen unless it's the very last moment."
Too bad you're not quite at that level.
The moment Black-White 13 met Ki Mu-hyeok's eyes, as he muttered and clicked his tongue.
"…!"
Black-White 13 once again felt the shiver down his spine that he'd experienced when his fingers were severed.
The strange unease emanating from a mere Rising Star barely past his coming-of-age, the anxiety that he had provoked something he shouldn't have.
As he looked into those cold eyes, cutting him down without emotion as if he were an inanimate object, he finally grasped the true nature of the man.
"A Martial Arts Maniac… You truly are a man mad for martial arts…"
Black-White 13 had only ever seen one person similar to Ki Mu-hyeok within his organization.
An overwhelming and exceptional being, even among the Cult's leadership, who were called madmen, flashed in his mind.
"He's… similar…"
The Assassin's pupils, once filled with venom, dilated, and fear filled their place. His entire body trembled uncontrollably.
'Master Han!'
In Black-White 13's eyes, the face of a certain man and Ki Mu-hyeok's face were now superimposed.
The strength drained from his terror-stricken muscles, and filth streamed from his lower body, soaking the floor.
His mind, barely holding on, finally reached its limit and shattered.
"Heeheeheehee…."
"What is it?"
Ki Mu-hyeok frowned, looking at Black-White 13, whose eyes had suddenly gone vacant.
There was no way for him to know who the other man was seeing in him.
"Hey. Are you giving up already? If you die now, I'll be in trouble."
Ki Mu-hyeok tore a piece of cloth from his clothes and forced it into the man's mouth like a gag, to prevent him from biting his tongue. He then repeatedly slapped his cheeks to forcibly keep him conscious.
Smack! Smack!
He was a pest whose death would benefit the world, but keeping him alive was better for uncovering the mastermind behind him.
'There's also the possibility he's connected to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.'
Though there was no concrete evidence, Ki Mu-hyeok had a hunch that the incident during the License Exam and the subsequent resignation of the Martial Alliance Leader were not unrelated to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
"Maybe if I 'tenderize' him a bit more, he'll come to his senses?"
"Heeheeheehee…!"
It was then, as Ki Mu-hyeok pondered, recalling several methods he'd used in his past life to make even Assassins speak.
Whoosh—
The scenery surrounding the two men began to melt away.
The gloomy forest landscape, where thunder and lightning had raged, reverted to the Korean Martial Alliance's Grand Training Arena.
The Spell Formation had been completely released.
And a moment later, Ki Mu-hyeok sensed several presences approaching.
"…You rascal. Are you alright?"
At the familiar voice, Ki Mu-hyeok turned around with a surprised expression.
His Master, Choi Geon (Sword Demon), was approaching with a face full of worry.
"Master? Why are you here…?"
As Ki Mu-hyeok blinked in surprise at his Master's appearance, Choi Geon strode over and began to touch and examine his battered disciple's body all over.
"Tsk, tsk. You're quite injured. Just how roughly did you push yourself!"
The familiar nagging.
Ki Mu-hyeok felt his stiff, hardened face unconsciously soften, a smile spreading across it.
Soon, Ki Mu-hyeok returned to his usual self, scratching his head with an awkward laugh.
"I avoided all vital points. And I don't have any major injuries."
"I wish I could show you a mirror. To see what a state you're in right now…"
He spoke gruffly, but the moment Choi Geon saw his disciple covered in blood, his heart nearly dropped.
After all, a human being lay twitching and limp beneath Ki Mu-hyeok's feet, like a butchered animal.
'No matter how angry he gets, he's not the type to swing his sword so indiscriminately…'
Just then, No Gu-cheon and Martial Alliance Leader Yeo Pil-geuk also appeared from behind Choi Geon.
"Hmph… What on earth happened?"
"Both of them are in a very serious state."
Both men were initially relieved to see Ki Mu-hyeok unharmed, but their expressions hardened when they saw Black-White 13 lying beneath him.
This was because the methods used felt excessively cruel for a Rising Star of the Orthodox Martial World.
Even Ki Mu-hyeok's Master, Choi Geon, had been shocked, so the two men's agitation was naturally even greater.
Sensing the atmosphere, Choi Geon asked his disciple with a stern expression.
"He deserves to die, but did you really have to go this far?"
At his Master's gaze, which seemed to scold but also held worry, Ki Mu-hyeok straightened his posture and replied.
"I admit my methods were excessive. The bastard threatened to find and kill my parents… I lost my composure for a moment."
"Hmm."
"If that's the case…"
Yeo Pil-geuk and No Gu-cheon nodded, finding the reason somewhat understandable.
What they hadn't expected, however, was Choi Geon's reaction.
"Kill who?"
Choi Geon's eyes flashed fiercely, and he glared at Black-White 13, who was twitching on the floor, as if he wanted to tear him to shreds right then and there.
Then, he immediately swung his sword, sheath and all, and struck the man's head.
Thwack!
Black-White 13's body went completely limp, having lost consciousness.
Choi Geon pressed his foot firmly onto the man's head and spoke.
"You bastard, you're not even worth grinding into dust! If you'd fallen into my hands, I would've stuck needles into every single one of your bones and sliced you into a thousand pieces."
To Choi Geon, Ki Chan-ho and Park Ji-yeon were now practically family.
They were the ones who had opened his heart, which had been tightly shut for twenty years.
Even without any particular reason, they would often visit, offer him meals or drinks, and on pleasant days, they would go on outings together.
Thinking of the warmth of these two people, which was far greater than mere goodwill shown to their son's Master, his rage towards the Assassin surged to his very core.
Choi Geon whirled around to face Yeo Pil-geuk and spoke.
"Martial Alliance Leader. May I interrogate this scoundrel myself?"
"…Do as you wish."
The Martial Alliance Leader found himself nodding unconsciously at Choi Geon's murderous gaze and powerful aura.
Choi Geon turned back to his disciple and, unlike before, patted his shoulder, praising him.
"You did well to hold back and not kill him. Your patience is greater than mine."
"We need to keep him alive so we can uncover the mastermind later."
"Exactly! A piece of trash like him just needs to be breathing and have a mouth. Leave the rest to me, and you go get some proper rest."
Choi Geon smiled contentedly, praising him lavishly, saying his training hadn't been in vain and that he was indeed his disciple. Ki Mu-hyeok, in turn, smiled cheerfully, attributing it to his Master's excellent teaching.
And from behind them.
"…He's definitely the Sword Demon's disciple."
"Yes. Even his abnormal way of thinking is identical."
Yeo Pil-geuk and No Gu-cheon, who had been listening to the conversation between Master and disciple, exchanged glances and whispered to each other.
"You two. What did you just say?"
The Sword Demon glanced back, and both men instantly fell silent.
"Oh, it was nothing."
"We just said it's a relief your disciple isn't seriously hurt."
*
Upon hearing the news that a major incident had occurred within the Spell Formation during the License Exam, the Sect Masters of the Eight Great Sects immediately rushed over.
"I knew this would happen!"
"We warned them so many times to prepare for accidents!"
"At the next Eight Great Sects meeting, I will propose a motion to replace the Martial Alliance Leader!"
Taiji Sword Sect, Sun Moon Sect, Golden Glory Sect.
Excluding cases where the Sect Master was currently absent from the country or unable to come immediately, the three Sect Masters who had been closely watching the License Exam returned to the Korean Martial Alliance.
The acting Sect Masters of the other Eight Great Sects were also rushing to the Korean Martial Alliance.
"Damn it…"
Among the three Sect Masters, the Sun Moon Sect Leader's expression was the worst. His face, as he muttered a low curse, was etched with anger and anxiety.
This was because he had heard the news that Yang Ha-yun had become a target for the Assassins.
Yang Ha-yun was the disciple of the Glacier Goddess, the Sun Moon Sect's top expert and a Grand Elder with immense authority.
If news spread that something had happened to her first beloved disciple, it was clear the entire sect would be thrown into an uproar.
But that wasn't the most important thing.
"They couldn't even handle this simple task properly…"
The Sun Moon Sect Leader, intending to unleash his boiling rage upon the Martial Alliance Leader, had used his Lightness Skill to rush there faster than anyone else.
The Sect Masters of the Taiji Sword Sect and Golden Glory Sect followed behind him.
"…We will certainly hold them accountable for this botched exam."
"The Rising Stars who have prepared for this exam for years have suffered greatly. What fault is it of theirs, I ask!"
These were disciples nurtured like precious jewels by each sect.
They must all be greatly enraged and disappointed by the years of effort wasted due to the ruined exam.
How could they, as leaders of their sects and elders of the Martial, not assuage their anger?
'We will not let this matter rest!'
The three Sect Masters, having used their Lightness Skill as if flying, arrived at the Korean Martial Alliance and immediately dashed to the Grand Training Arena.
"Woooooah!"
"Korean Martial Alliance! Korean Martial Alliance! Korean Martial Alliance!"
Hundreds of Rising Stars, united as one, were celebrating their victory, embracing each other.
Most of them bore various wounds, big and small, but they were smiling proudly, as if those injuries were badges of honor.
Among them, the Rising Stars of the Eight Great Sects were also mingling.
"What in the…?"
"Where are the Assassins?!"
"What are you all doing right now?"
The Sect Masters couldn't hide their bewilderment at the festive atmosphere, which was completely different from what they had expected.