Chapter 65: Don't Resent Me
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 65: Don't Resent Me
"So, shall we discuss our future plans?"
After Hwang Suk-su decided to join the crew, they could finally begin discussing their future plans in earnest.
"Um, Crew Leader. Before that, there's something I'd like to suggest."
Hwang Suk-su, who had subtly raised his hand, looked around at the three people excluding Choi Geon and spoke.
"I think I'm at least twice your age, you know. Isn't it a bit rude to keep using informal speech like this? Even if we were hiding our identities before..."
He was subtly hoping to be treated as an elder. Especially seeing how respectfully the three treated Choi Geon, who wore the Azure Wolf Mask, it seemed he felt he, too, deserved to be treated as an adult.
A slight frown appeared on Hwang Suk-su's brow.
'No matter if he's the Crew Leader, it's still rude for a young punk to talk down to an elder!'
If asked if being spoken to informally bothered him to death, it wasn't exactly that... but as a middle-aged man, he still had his pride.
However, Ki Mu-hyeok replied with an indifferent expression.
"In this line of work, the strong one is the elder. Why are you talking about manners? You're old enough to know better."
In this life, Ki Mu-hyeok, who pursued the path of an upright Orthodox Faction Member, was usually respectful to elders. But that didn't apply to people from the Underworld.
"And I only treat those worthy of respect as elders."
At that moment, Choi Geon's shoulders shrugged, and Hwang Suk-su's face crumpled. Considering he tried to skim money by selling stolen goods, and his usual conduct, Hwang Suk-su was someone who didn't act his age, regardless of his abilities.
"What's wrong with me? If there's anyone around here who does business more honestly than me, tell them to step forward!"
Naturally, Hwang Suk-su protested, but he immediately backed down at Ki Mu-hyeok's next suggestion.
"Then, shall we settle this with a Betting Duel, which you love so much? If you beat me, I'll use honorifics with you diligently."
Shing.
A chilling sharpness emanated from the blade, half-drawn from its sheath. Remembering how Ki Mu-hyeok had killed the Bald Giant in the Hidden Tower, Hwang Suk-su immediately changed his stance.
"Hahaha, what's age got to do with anything? An organization naturally needs a hierarchy. This new recruit, the youngest, was just trying to tell a joke to entertain his crew seniors!"
Of course, inwardly, he was cursing Ki Mu-hyeok up and down.
'That bastard's background is suspicious. No matter how I look at it, he seems like one of us...'
Then, Shin Kang-heon and Kim Bok-ja patted Hwang Suk-su's shoulders in what they thought was comfort.
"Uncle Suk-su. Even if you're the youngest, we'll use honorifics with you, so don't worry."
"Ki Mu-hyeok is just so rude. I'm even a year older than him, and he used informal speech from the moment we met!"
"...Thanks. But you guys aren't exactly..."
They might be using honorifics, but their attitude was clearly that of treating a subordinate...
After decades of being involved in the Underworld, Hwang Suk-su was once again starting life as the youngest in an organization.
"So, anyone who joins from now on is below me. That's for sure, right? If some strong guy comes in and disrespects me, you seniors will teach them a lesson, won't you?"
The Azure Wolf Crew aimed for a small, elite group, so they had no plans to accept new members for a while...
"Of course."
Ki Mu-hyeok, who had reassured Hwang Suk-su with a casual nod, turned back to Choi Geon.
"So, what should we do while the Korean Martial Alliance is making its moves?"
Choi Geon, who had been watching his disciple proudly as he properly disciplined the experienced new recruit from the start, opened his mouth.
"You have to let the rice steam properly for it to taste good. We've stirred things up enough, so let's just observe the reactions for a while."
After the Azure Wolf Crew members attacked the Great Heaven Sect's business premises, both the Great Heaven Sect and the falsely accused Sun Moon Sect were in great internal turmoil. Choi Geon informed them that the Korean Martial Alliance had already begun its groundwork.
"The Martial Alliance Leader contacted the Glacier Goddess separately."
"...Did we leak the information we have?"
When Ki Mu-hyeok asked with a slightly worried expression, Choi Geon chuckled.
"That Martial Alliance Leader might look like a bear, but he's actually an old fox. There's no way he'd carelessly reveal the cards we hold."
The Glacier Goddess was currently hell-bent on finding the masterminds behind those who dared to touch her disciple. At that opportune moment, the Martial Alliance Leader sought out the Glacier Goddess and persuaded her, saying, 'If we want to prevent such incidents from recurring, the Orthodox Martial World must unite its strength.'
"Today, the Glacier Goddess sent an official letter to the Korean Martial Alliance and all Eight Great Sects. It's a request for cooperation in finding the masterminds who tried to kidnap her disciple. Isn't this unfolding quite interestingly?"
Choi Geon, who had heard the story directly from the Martial Alliance Leader, said with a satisfied expression. A smile, similar to his master's, formed on Ki Mu-hyeok's lips.
"By now, the Sun Moon Sect Leader must be sweating bullets."
Currently, only the Azure Wolf Crew, the Martial Alliance Leader, and No Gu-cheon knew that the masterminds behind the incident at the License Exam were the Sun Moon Sect—specifically, the Yang-Dominant Faction led by the Sun Moon Sect Leader. The Glacier Goddess, unaware of this fact, requested the Eight Great Sects' cooperation in catching the culprits, and the Eight Great Sects were in a situation where they couldn't pretend ignorance.
'If they ignore the request, they might be suspected as the masterminds themselves...'
If the Eight Great Sects jointly launched a full-scale investigation, how long could the Sun Moon Sect Leader hold out, no matter how well he'd hidden his tracks?
"In the past, the Eight Great Sects would have banded together to quietly cover up the problem, but this incident has spread too widely in the media for that to be possible."
"Ultimately, an atmosphere of mutual suspicion and checks will be created among the Eight Great Sects, starting with the Sun Moon Sect. If cracks appear in their relationships... it will be much easier for the Korean Martial Alliance to make its moves."
"Hehehe. Such profound cunning, truly worthy of my disciple!"
"Hehe. It's all thanks to your excellent teaching, Master."
"I taught you? You were born with it!"
Master and disciple looked at each other and laughed like villains. Shin Kang-heon and Kim Bok-ja, accustomed to this sight, simply accepted it, but Hwang Suk-su broke out in a cold sweat and asked.
"So... you're currently sowing discord among the Eight Great Sects, who are at the pinnacle of the Korean Martial? Did I understand that correctly?"
This wasn't just gutsy; it was like his liver had swollen so much it burst out of his stomach, begging to be cut off—utter madness!
Then, Ki Mu-hyeok and Choi Geon simultaneously turned to Hwang Suk-su and said.
"So what? Do you regret it?"
"Surely you're not thinking of backing out now?"
Hwang Suk-su felt dizzy at the realization that he had stepped into a place from which he couldn't escape, yet at the same time, he felt his heart pound.
"...Who said that?"
For Hwang Suk-su, who had retired from the Vagrant world and had only enjoyed Betting Duels among desperate lives, Ki Mu-hyeok's story was an immense thrill.
'This is literally a dangerous gamble with the entire Korean Martial world as the stakes, isn't it?'
As he thought that, the gambler's heart began to pound wildly. Along with the fear of potentially dying if things went wrong, a drug-like rush of dopamine spread throughout his body, bringing an exhilarating thrill.
"Hehehe... A man truly has to play on the big stage. The stakes are high enough to bet my life on this, wouldn't you say?"
That old man isn't sane either.
Ki Mu-hyeok shook his head, looking at Hwang Suk-su, whose eyes had a slightly crazed glint. For some reason, he was worried that only abnormal people seemed to be gathering in the crew.
"Anyway, if this plan succeeds..."
Choi Geon looked around at his disciple and his companions, laughing softly.
"The greatest credit will belong to none other than you. In any way, the Korean Martial Alliance will never forget your contributions."
The customer list and information the Azure Wolf Crew found at the Great Heaven Sect's business premises were already proving to be a great help. With the Sun Moon Sect clearly supplying organs of Martial Artists and receiving commissions, it would be a piece of cake to raid the customer list and find the connection between the Great Heaven Sect and the Sun Moon Sect. Next, it was time to find definitive proof that the Sun Moon Sect was behind the incident at the License Exam.
"So, until then, we just wait?"
Shin Kang-heon asked with a curious expression. The others had similar expressions.
"Just wait? Don't you two have something you need to prepare for right away?"
Choi Geon looked back and forth between Ki Mu-hyeok and Shin Kang-heon with a bewildered expression. At his gaze, as if asking if they'd forgotten, the two suddenly remembered something.
"The License Exam?"
"That's right!"
"These rascals..."
The License Exam, which had been suspended due to the Assassins who stormed the examination hall. That day, both Ki Mu-hyeok and Shin Kang-heon had obtained their Second-Rate Licenses, but the exam wasn't entirely over. This was because the re-examination, as well as the First-Rate License and Peak Master License exams, had been postponed.
"Well, a First-Rate License is a given, but..."
"We'll have to see who gets a higher score, won't we?"
At the sight of Ki Mu-hyeok and Shin Kang-heon, their competitive spirits blazing, glaring at each other, Choi Geon let out a hearty laugh.
"Prepare your best. It will be the most highly anticipated exam since Richard Han appeared some twenty years ago. And..."
The Korean Martial Alliance planned to hold the postponed License Exam with great fanfare, as if to make a statement. The intention was to widely publicize that despite being attacked by Assassins, the pillars of the Orthodox Martial World remained strong, and to showcase the courage of the Rising Stars who had overcome difficult trials.
"On that day, in the presence of numerous media outlets, politicians, and even Martial Artists from overseas, the Martial Alliance Leader will make a major announcement."
"Surely not...?"
As the quick-witted Ki Mu-hyeok's eyes widened, Choi Geon nodded and smiled slyly.
"You can look forward to it. The world will be turned upside down that day."
The day to expose the Sun Moon Sect's atrocities to the world had been set.
"Gah, guh-huhk..."
The man, whose neck was seized, gasped for air, unable to breathe properly. His usually calm expression was grotesquely contorted, and his face, deprived of blood flow to the brain, was as pale as a corpse.
"P-please, save me, save..."
With a face streaked with tears, the man begged for his life. It wasn't that he hadn't tried to resist. But even when he swung fists that could shatter rock, his opponent merely reacted as if a mosquito had bitten him.
"Sect Leader. Wouldn't it have been better if you had just stayed quiet?"
With a low voice, his opponent let out a deep sigh. His flesh felt as if it would cook from the breath, hot as the flames of hell.
"I-I'll do it. So please..."
The man, whose neck was seized, barely managed to nod his unresponsive head, pleading. But only a mocking sneer formed on his opponent's lips.
"Now? Don't you think your sincerity is a bit lacking? You expect me to trust someone who was just threatening me, saying they wouldn't die alone?"
Contrary to his gentle voice, his opponent's eyes were filled with thick Killing Intent. The hand gripping his neck tightened further, and the heat emanating from his breath cooked his skin red.
"Guh-heugh...!"
It was a meeting held with utmost secrecy, with only the Sect Leaders contacting each other, keeping both time and place confidential. He had intended to demand what he needed from this deal, and if the Sun Moon Sect Leader met his demands, he was even prepared to abandon his sect and disappear. His opponent, who had much to lose, seemed perfectly willing to do so. He had met him to get that final confirmation, but...
"Just how much of a fool did you take me for? You thought I'd accept a proposal like, 'If you don't want evidence of our two sects' involvement to be revealed to the world, hand over the Sun Moon Sect's martial arts and secret techniques'?"
But he never imagined, not even in his wildest dreams, that he would be killed to silence him. Because his opponent was an old ally and the Sect Leader of one of the Eight Great Sects of the Orthodox Faction!
"Jang, Jin, Myeong-!"
The Great Heaven Sect Master glared at his opponent with bloodshot eyes. He bit out each syllable of the name as if to curse him. However, there was no one here who could hear that voice.
Jang Jin-myeong laughed savagely and said.
"Sect Leader, you know too much. I have no choice but to silence you if I am to live, don't I? So..."
Whoosh!
Flames erupted from Jang Jin-myeong's hand and instantly engulfed the Great Heaven Sect Master's entire body.
"Kuaaaaaaak-!"
Yang Jun-pyo was burned alive, letting out a tearing scream. The fierce flames ignited by the Sun Moon Sect Leader instantly swallowed Yang Jun-pyo. Soon, the screams subsided, and only black ashes remained.
Jang Jin-myeong brushed his hands, looked down at the pile of ashes, and muttered.
"Don't resent me too much. Martial Artists are, by nature, those who live in a world where the strong prey on the weak."
The next day, news spread that Yang Jun-pyo, the Great Heaven Sect Master, had gone missing.