Seeing The Demon (6)

Kkiiik!

The main gate, which had been shut again, opened.

Pararararak!

Dozens of black-clad men who had come running through the dark passed through the gate.

Jin-hyeon didn’t stop them. They ignored Jin-hyeon and went right past him.

And beyond them, two men revealed themselves. Seomun Hoe and an elderly man with a bent back.

“As expected, your work is bold.”

“I’m only handling what was promised. That aside.”

Jin-hyeon looked at the old man.

“This gentleman is?”

The old man bowed without a word. Jin-hyeon bowed back.

Seomun Hoe spoke.

“This is Master Oh Gyeong.”

“…”

“He was the Curtain Master of Salmak (Killing Curtain), which once reigned over Sichuan’s Murim through fear.”

A strange light flickered in Jin-hyeon’s eyes.

‘He’s no ordinary person.’

An indescribably hollow aura could be felt from the old man.

He seemed to have deep internal energy, but that strange aura made it impossible to gauge how great his skill truly was.

If even Jin-hyeon, with perception honed by the Soul-Refining Art, couldn’t measure him, it went without saying for anyone else.

A haze of aura like this wasn’t common even in the days of the Eight Wastes Alliance Leader. Jin-hyeon admired him inwardly.

‘Salmak. I’ve heard of it, but…’

Even when he lived as the Merchant House’s adopted son, he would hear stories about Salmak now and then. Even then, it had already been dissolved for over a decade, yet people still spoke of it without forgetting.

People said this about Salmak.

‘A myth of Sichuan’s assassin world.’

Salmak trained only a small number of assassins. Sichuan’s finest assassins, who never knew failure.

After Salmak was dissolved for reasons unknown, assassins from Salmak founded other groups and bloomed into major forces. Carrying on Salmak’s legend, they infiltrated all across Sichuan and shook the underworld.

Of course, it was an old story now.

“To the assassins of Sichuan in that era, he was an absolute figure. In the assassin world, Master Oh Gyeong’s word wasn’t much different from the Heavenly Will Alliance Leader’s word to the people of Murim.”

Then Oh Gyeong spoke.

“It wasn’t to that extent. I only benefited from the illusion called respect from those juniors who didn’t even know that they’re shit.”

His voice was crisp. Judging by his aura, you’d expect a small voice and clumsy speech, but his projection was solid and his words were fluent.

Jin-hyeon didn’t ask how Seomun Hoe knew Salmak’s Curtain Master, or how he convinced him.

“Let’s talk later. Shall we start?”

“It already started long ago.”

Seomun Hoe took out a map from his robes.

“We’ll seize the Divine Iron Merchant House’s outer court first, using assassins. Once contact with the outer court is cut, it won’t be long before the assassins staying in the inner court start crawling out.”

“Then?”

Oh Gyeong spoke.

“The level of the cockroaches hiding in the inner court is significant. The assassins the Gold Pillar brought won’t be enough.”

“When the time is right, Master Oh can step in.”

“Isn’t that why I came? What’s with the needless talk.”

Jin-hyeon nodded.

“Come in.”

The two men entered through the gate.

Jin-hyeon smiled and took hold of the gate handle.

“The Divine Iron Merchant House is sealed for the time being.”

Kurureung.

The main gate shut.

A moment later.

Pung.

A sound of something exploding echoed from the direction of the inner court.

After bringing in Seomun Hoe and Oh Gyeong, Jin-hyeon went straight back to Gyeong Hang.

“The outer court has been cleaned up. The inner court will be cleaned up soon as well.”

Gyeong Hang’s eyes deepened.

“The Iron King Squad must not be touched.”

“I know.”

“Good.”

“Let’s go for now.”

And so the three headed to the eastern edge of the outer court, to the smiths’ workshop.

There was no sound of hammers. But Jin-hyeon could tell. Someone had stayed behind in the workshop and was still working.

Seureung. Seureureung.

The sound of a blade being sharpened.

A steady rhythm. An even sound.

Jin-hyeon’s eyes trembled.

‘Master Ok.’

Gyeong Hang spoke.

“Are you inside?”

“Who is it?”

The sharpening stopped.

A moment later, a man in his early fifties opened the side door and appeared.

He wasn’t tall, but his build was solid. Even at that age, his body was packed with iron-like muscle.

Compared to his neatly kept hair, his graying beard jutted up like thorns. A tough face.

“Why, isn’t that the Supreme Patriarch?”

It was Ok Jin, the leader of the Divine Iron Merchant House’s smiths and the finest artisan in Sichuan of this age.

“What brings you here at this hour, Supreme Patriarch?”

Ok Jin always worked in the workshop until near midnight. While other smiths left after sundown, he quietly stayed behind to keep the workshop.

Because of that dedication and professionalism, none of Divine Iron’s smiths could afford to be lazy. Of course, getting into Divine Iron already meant one’s skill and character were practically guaranteed.

“I came because I have something to ask of you today.”

“Ho. From someone like me… Please come inside first.”

Ok Jin didn’t ask about Jin-hyeon and Han Cheol-sang. He didn’t even greet them with his eyes.

He didn’t form ties lightly, and he didn’t offer greetings he didn’t mean. The conviction of an artisan who had walked a single path his entire life showed plainly in his manner.

A moment later, the four entered the central forge of the workshop.

Jin-hyeon slowly looked around. It felt new all over again. Even at night, the path and smells leading to the central forge were deeply familiar.

‘There.’

Right beside the central forge, a few tools hung on the wall of a modest smithy.

That was Jin-hyeon’s smithy. Even as the clan’s Second Young Master, he wasn’t on Ok Jin’s level, so he couldn’t enter the central forge. And that was only natural.

After staring at his smithy for a moment, Jin-hyeon was startled.

‘Why…?’

The tools hanging on the wall, the furnace, and the hammer standing off to the side were all his.

Even their placement hadn’t changed. If someone told him to forge a sword right now, it felt like he could walk over and make one in no time.

‘Don’t tell me…?’

Gyeong Hang spoke.

“You still work until midnight?”

“Haha. Now it feels empty if I don’t work into the night.”

“Right. You’re the same as ever.”

Gyeong Hang’s face dimmed.

“Only you. Only you people haven’t changed.”

Ok Jin’s expression stiffened slightly.

He was stubborn, but he wasn’t a man without sense.

“Has something happened?”

Gyeong Hang looked back at Jin-hyeon.

Jin-hyeon, who had been staring at his smithy for a long while, slowly removed his mask.

Ok Jin glanced at Jin-hyeon without meaning to, then turned his gaze back to Gyeong Hang.

But only for a moment.

“!!”

Sensing something, Ok Jin’s eyes widened as he turned back to Jin-hyeon.

“All this time…”

As he spoke, Jin-hyeon coughed without meaning to. It was to steady his cracked voice.

“Have you been well?”

“…No way!”

Ok Jin slowly rose, approached, and took Jin-hyeon’s face in his hands.

Hands covered in calluses. Nails blackened by iron dust.

Yet those hands felt dearly familiar. A smile naturally fell over Jin-hyeon’s face.

“Second Young Master?”

“Yes.”

“Are you truly the Second Young Master?”

“That’s right.”

Tears welled in Ok Jin’s strong eyes.

Soon, unable to contain himself, he pulled Jin-hyeon into his arms and wept.

A moment later.

“We left it as it was.”

Though his eyes were red, Ok Jin’s face was full of pure joy.

“I couldn’t give it to anyone else. The smiths were the same. They said that place had to stay empty, that they couldn’t bear seeing someone else swinging a hammer there.”

Jin-hyeon felt a corner of his heart warm.

Months had passed, yet they hadn’t forgotten him and had kept his smithy untouched. He wanted to say they shouldn’t have, but it was a place of memories even for him, so he couldn’t bring himself to speak.

After steadying himself, Ok Jin soon hardened his expression.

“What in the world happened? We thought you had certainly passed away, Second Young Master.”

“Did you?”

“You had disappeared, and hadn’t returned for a long time, so it couldn’t be helped. That was also why we left the smithy alone.”

Because someday, you might return and take up the hammer again.

Gyeong Hang spoke.

“From now on, what I say is truth without a single lie. Listen carefully.”

He told Ok Jin everything that was happening in the clan right now, and even where he had been before coming here.

“…”

Ok Jin stared at Jin-hyeon with dazed eyes.

“If Se-hwi hadn’t appeared, I’d still be there, lamenting day after day. And at the same time…”

“…”

“I wouldn’t have been able to set things right like this.”

“How in the world…”

Ok Jin’s face was full of confusion.

“Are you saying the First Young Master truly did that?”

Most of the smiths didn’t have close ties with Gyeong Do-cheon.

Among them, Ok Jin especially kept his distance from Gyeong Do-cheon. The reason was simple. He couldn’t feel sincerity from him.

It was a hollow reason, but it was a gut instinct even he couldn’t explain. Something about Do-cheon’s manner felt uncomfortable.

But committing filial impiety, bringing in an assassin organization, and trying to seize the clan?

“Se-hwi returning to the Merchant House only now was also to build strength. Thankfully, he met a Kangho expert and gained a great awakening. What fortune that is.”

Ok Jin murmured low and asked carefully.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you, Supreme Patriarch, or you, Second Young Master. But I…”

“I know. How confusing this is.”

“I can only apologize.”

“Before this night passes, the internal war will be settled. When it is, you can head to the Patriarch’s Hall without anyone stopping you.”

“…”

“See the Patriarch with your own eyes, and hear it from him. Then you’ll be able to believe.”

Ok Jin’s face, staring blankly at Gyeong Hang, gradually returned to its original firm look.

“I trust you, Supreme Patriarch. And the Second Young Master as well.”

“Thank you.”

“It’s only because it’s such a huge matter that I want to confirm it myself. I’m not doubting you two.”

Gyeong Hang smiled and took out the Incomplete Strange Sword from his robes.

An incomplete dagger, left unfinished. It was a work the first Guild Master of the Divine Iron Great Guild left behind before he died.

“From now on, this belongs to Se-hwi.”

“What?!”

“Only for a while. Though I’d like Se-hwi to hold this blade for life.”

He meant he wanted him to become the Divine Iron Merchant House’s new Patriarch.

“From now on, you and the smiths should show Se-hwi, who has become the Incomplete Strange Sword’s Sword Master, the respect due to the Sword Master.”

“Even if he weren’t the Sword Master, all the smiths of our clan would trust and follow the Second Young Master.”

Ok Jin’s gaze turned firm.

“Second Young Master, what should we do from now on?”

“Before dawn tomorrow morning, Gyeong Do-cheon will come crashing in.”

Jin-hyeon’s voice was like hardened iron.

“Wake the smiths right now and tell them everything. After that, once the inner court is cleaned up, Master Ok, you and the senior smiths should go to the Patriarch’s Hall.”

Things were moving smoothly.

Not toward restoring the Divine Iron Merchant House, but toward collapse.

“Hahaha!”

Mun Jung, Woo Gyeong-baek, and Gyeong Do-cheon’s faces were all red.

A drinking table full of laughter. A shameless table where they gilded each other’s faces had already dragged on to the Ox Hour.

Listening to Mun Jung with a smile, Gyeong Do-cheon flinched in an instant.

[First Young Master. Just listen. The contact we should be receiving from the assassins along the route to the Merchant House has been cut off.]

Gyeong Do-cheon naturally rose.

“My apologies, but I’ll step out to the latrine for a moment.”

“Kkeolkeol, go empty it out and come back!”

After coming down to the lower floor, Gyeong Do-cheon naturally approached a tree beside the latrine.

A masked man appeared behind him.

“What is it? Did you say that contact has been cut off?”

“That’s right.”

Gyeong Do-cheon’s face grew grave.

“Activate the emergency network. And find out whether something has happened in the clan.”

“…”

“Why is there no answer?”

“Even the emergency network… has been cut off.”

“!!”