The Annihilation Of A Clan (3)

That night, all of the Cheongyang Association’s forces were wiped out in Ziyang County.

Of course, not all of them died. Some of the Divine Fist Squad pugilists surrendered, and especially many of the Green Palm Unit survived. Jin-hyeon personally went to stop them and ran wild for a while, and Han Cheol-sang joined afterward, causing casualties of more than half their number, but around fifty surrendered.

And so, the Cheongyang Association’s combat units evaporated with almost absurd ease.

There had been a geographical advantage, and Jin-hyeon and Han Cheol-sang’s martial arts were far too strong. But the true contributors to this battle were the assassins of the Crimson Blood Pavilion, led by Oh Gyeong.

If they had not unleashed poison and hidden weapons at the right places and prepared with all kinds of killing formations, the fight would have lasted much longer.

Fortunately, because the fight ended quickly, they had plenty of time to clean up the blood-soaked streets.

By the time everything had been cleaned up, it was the middle of the hour of the Tiger. It was the time when even those who rose early at dawn to prepare for business would only now be waking and preparing for the day.

“The smell of blood is completely gone.”

“Hoooo.”

Oh Gyeong exhaled smoke from his pipe and spoke with a satisfied face.

“It’s a decent item.”

In his hand was a fairly large medicine bottle.

“It’s called Scentless Liquid. There’s nothing better for erasing the smell of blood.”

“What a fascinating item.”

There had been no such miraculous medicine in the Eight Wastes Alliance Leader’s era. It made him realize anew how different the Murim of that time and the Murim of today were.

“It’s nothing special. After removing an assassination target, disguising yourself is essential if you want to safely leave enemy territory. But getting rid of the smell of blood soaked into your body is quite difficult. At times like that, just spraying a little Scentless Liquid makes that damned reek disappear completely.”

“Did you make it yourself?”

“I lent a hand. Medicine and poison aren’t my specialty.”

He said that, but Jin-hyeon could tell. Oh Gyeong’s poison-handling skill was far from ordinary. The better one was at using poison, the broader one’s knowledge of medicines and poisons had to be.

Oh Gyeong grumbled.

“However, I won’t be able to use it for the next few months. I used almost all of it this time. In particular, I poured more than half the Scentless Liquid into Second Street, where Steward Han was in charge.”

“Thank you.”

“Steward Han’s martial arts seem even more brutal than during the last Divine Iron incident. Still, even so, wasn’t that a little too wild?”

The way he kept puffing on his pipe and grumbling really made him look like an old villager one might find in any countryside.

Jin-hyeon smiled and said.

“I will never forget the help you gave us this time.”

“Only in words?”

“Of course not. From the Scentless Liquid to the various hidden weapons, I will pay an appropriate price. Including labor costs.”

Oh Gyeong gave a strange smile.

“And how do you know how much I’ll ask for?”

“I have more money than you might think.”

“I heard as much. They say that counting personal wealth alone, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call you the richest man in Sichuan. Is that true?”

“Gold Lord Seomun has loose lips.”

“That was my mistake, then. Gahaha”

Oh Gyeong raised one index finger.

“This will do.”

“One hundred thousand nyang. I will send it within three days.”

In that instant, Oh Gyeong flinched. He was surprised by Jin-hyeon’s scale, casually naming one hundred thousand nyang as if it were only natural.

‘I’ve truly never seen a person like this before.’

He did not seem interested in whether that much money had actually been spent or not. Right now, Jin-hyeon was deeply grateful, and seemed determined to pay whatever the amount was.

That attitude pleased him greatly. People so often looked down on assassins, but not only was Jin-hyeon sincerely expressing gratitude, he was also acknowledging that their work was worth paying such an enormous sum.

He had already been interested in him, and now fondness was added on top of that. The help tonight had not been a waste at all.

“Heol-heol-heol, one hundred thousand nyang, my foot. Just give me ten thousand nyang.”

“Then I will do that.”

Even when the price was lowered, he was not surprised. There was no empty word of thanks, either. He simply looked as though it were natural.

In that brief moment, Oh Gyeong’s fondness rose again. Perhaps because he had seen him favorably from the start, each word drew his heart.

“So, how does it feel to grind up all the combat units of the Cheongyang Association, said to be the foremost faction of Sichuan?”

“It would have been difficult if Old Master Oh had not helped.”

“It would have taken some time, but I don’t think it would have been that difficult. Well, you would have been hurt a little.”

“I would have been hurt badly. They were stronger than expected.”

“I wonder? From what I saw, Patriarch, you seemed to have been holding back your strength.”

Jin-hyeon’s eyes shone faintly.

“Dawn will break soon. Old Master Oh, please go to our house and rest well. I will handle this quickly and return.”

It seemed Jin-hyeon was deliberately changing the subject, so Oh Gyeong didn’t ask further.

“I’m wide awake now. Anyway, what do you plan to do next?”

Jin-hyeon turned his head.

It was the direction of the Cheongyang Association, though it was not visible to the eye.

“I slapped the cheek of a man who was already looking for a reason to cry. I shouldn’t ignore him now, should I? I ought to bring a gift.”

“Will that be all right? As for fighting strength, you have only yourself, Steward Han, the young swordsman guarding Master Ok, and that female warrior, don’t you?”

“More will come. Of course, they won’t be coming to fight.”

“Fighting strength that doesn’t come to fight isn’t fighting strength.”

Jin-hyeon said casually.

“If you feel that strongly, you could help again this time.”

“Oh-ho, look at this man. Even so, I’m not that easy.”

“If I thought you were easy, Old Master Oh, I wouldn’t have named one hundred thousand nyang.”

“That’s because you have plenty of money.”

“Do you think money is earned by digging it out of the ground?”

“Your way with words puts your swordsmanship to shame.”

“Very well. Since you’ve gone this far for us, speak comfortably. You don’t need to address me so stiffly.”

At a glance, it sounded as though he was talking about payment, but in truth, he meant Oh Gyeong could speak casually.

Oh Gyeong was someone said to be difficult to find even across the entire assassination world of the Central Plains, not just Sichuan. During Salmak’s heyday, if one wanted to commission him directly, the commission fee alone had to be over thirty thousand nyang.

Yet the price offered to someone like that for lending a hand was nothing more than permission to speak comfortably.

It was a deal so absurd it left one speechless, but Oh Gyeong smiled with satisfaction.

“I like this way of doing business.”

“In return, I’ll address you a little more comfortably too.”

“You really are a born merchant, Patriarch. Even in the middle of this, you try not to take a loss.”

“When I think of taking care of my people, even a business head I never had starts to appear.”

“A business head is important.”

Oh Gyeong wiped the mouthpiece with his sleeve, then handed over the pipe.

“Try it.”

Jin-hyeon readily accepted the pipe and put it in his mouth.

“What grass is this?”

“Just some weeds I roughly dried and stuffed in.”

“You’ll be going to your grave quickly.”

“You start speaking casually, and the first thing you do is curse me.”

Jin-hyeon handed the pipe back to Oh Gyeong and called Han Cheol-sang and Do Il-gang.

“Yeo-wol is staying well beside the Supreme Patriarch, right?”

“She is.”

“Good.”

Jin-hyeon pointed at Do Il-gang with his chin.

“What will you do?”

“Hm?”

“What do you mean, hm? Since we started it first, we have to see it through to the end.”

Do Il-gang’s eyes trembled.

“D-Don’t tell me you’re going to the Cheongyang Association?”

“Why are you so surprised? Then are we supposed to just leave it alone?”

“N-No! That’s not it, but…!”

Do Il-gang, flustered and waving his hands, soon made his eyes shine.

“I will go too.”

“It will be good experience. Just don’t hold us back.”

“I absolutely won’t.”

Oh Gyeong chuckled and jabbed Jin-hyeon’s side with his elbow.

“That brat there is a truly interesting one.”

“He gets funnier the more you watch.”

“A man with dozens of fire bombs stuffed in his belly, yet his personality is like a willow leaf.”

He recognized Do Il-gang’s hidden power at a glance. As expected, his eye was remarkable.

Han Cheol-sang raised his hand.

“Patriarch. We managed to fight somehow, but there are quite a few damaged buildings, including outer walls. What should we do about that?”

“It’s fine. The Supreme Patriarch will handle it.”

“Ah, is that so? Then, well…”

Han Cheol-sang took a few dumplings out of his bundle.

“Let’s each eat one before we go.”

“We don’t have time, so bite down on them and move.”

Jin-hyeon rolled his shoulders.

“Brace yourselves. This fight will be quite hard.”

Trickle.

Mun Jung looked rather reverent as he personally poured tea.

“Here, drink.”

“Heo-heo, it is an honor. The head of the Sichuan Branch is personally pouring tea for me. Where else would I enjoy such luxury?”

“I’m a pitiful man who would starve to death if not for plain Alliance meals. You don’t need to flatter me that much.”

“There are people everywhere who would struggle desperately just to eat one of those plain Alliance meals. Moreover, are you not the highest authority in the Sichuan region?”

Mun Jung gave a bitter smile.

“I’m sorry, but I quit.”

“Quit? Don’t tell me you quit the Branch Leader position?!”

“I mean I decided to stop acting sly, treating people lukewarmly as if I know things and as if I don’t.”

Mun Jung’s eyes sank low.

“So let’s not waste time with useless words. Let’s get straight to the point.”

It was quite an aggressive remark, but the old Daoist’s expression did not change.

“When a person grows old, sleep naturally decreases. I woke at dawn and thought it might be a little early, but it seems this Daoist came too soon.”

“…”

“Heo-heo, very well. Let us speak frankly.”

Mun Jung lightly tapped his teacup with his index finger.

“You came once at the beginning of my appointment, then cut off your visits completely, only to say a few days ago that you would come again. I was quite surprised.”

“Were you perhaps disappointed?”

“I see hundreds of people a day. If I were the sort to feel disappointed over one old Daoist who passed by in a flash, I couldn’t even do the work of Branch Leader.”

“Heo-heo.”

“Since you won’t bring it up first, I will speak first.”

Mun Jung’s eyes were sunk low without wavering.

“Is Daoling Palace finally coming into the world?”

The old Daoist, Songpungja, Vice Palace Master of Daoling Palace, gave a bitter smile.

“I knew roughly, but as expected, Branch Leader Mun, you have been watching us.”

“Not only you. I have been watching Jingding Temple as well. Both have too unusual a power to simply leave alone.”

“It would have been very nice if we could have lived only cultivating ourselves in the mountains according to the teachings of Daoism and Buddhism.”

“Indeed. In the past, when I asked Daoling Palace to help create a new Sichuan, that was exactly what you said.”

Mun Jung tilted his head.

“Have you given up on cultivation?”

“How could that be? Even now, we will help the Branch Leader and Sichuan…”

“There is plenty of tea.”

Mun Jung tapped the teapot and stood.

“Drink as much as you like before leaving. I will not see you out.”

Songpungja gave a bitter smile.

“Branch Leader, we…”

“Ah, that you had no choice. That Daoling Palace and Jingding Temple each had their own circumstances.”

Mun Jung gave a small laugh.

“Do you think I am treating you coldly now because you did not help me back then?”

“?”

“I have already found the person who will hold the reins with me.”

Songpungja’s eyes flashed. He knew who Mun Jung was talking about.

“The White Sword God…”

“So if you will follow, then follow. If you will help, then help. That is enough. I am saying there is no need for your side to discuss anything with me.”

“…Heo-heo.”

At that moment, the panting voice of a warrior rang out from outside the door.

“Branch Leader! We have received word from Commander-General Oh Byeong-chan! He says all preparations are complete!”

Mun Jung glanced at Songpungja.

“Will you go see? The person who will hold the reins with me?”

“I know who that person is.”

“You do not.”

“?”

“You will never know unless you see him for yourself.”