Wolf And Cat (3)

‘I’ve won.’

Jin-hyeon looked down at his hand.

It was a white, smooth hand. The thick, calloused hands he’d built swinging a hammer for ten years were completely gone.

He clenched his fist tightly.

His Body-Refining Qi stirred. Though he had consumed more than half his internal energy, the Body-Refining Qi still moved lively through his body.

It felt almost as if the True Qi itself had a will of its own. Though it hadn’t been a fair contest of strength, it seemed excited by the life-and-death battle with a strong opponent.

‘That last strike must have been the Black Tiger Fist Sect’s signature technique.’

Judging its power, a head-on clash with an expert of that level was still too much for him. However, if he fought by striking and retreating, he might have won. Though he would have had to bear serious internal and external injuries.

‘Still, this isn’t bad.’

As he steadied his breath and looked up at the sky, the stars that had been glancing at the earth turned their heads away.

The once-cool breeze now felt a bit chilly. He could clearly feel winter drawing near.

Jin-hyeon closed his eyes and drew up the Soul-Refining Art.

A sting shot through a corner of his head. Ignoring the pain, he opened his Mind’s Eye.

Hwoooong!

It was as if a gentle wind blew from somewhere. A mysterious sound only he could hear, always echoing whenever he opened the Mind’s Eye.

Beyond the pitch-black world, countless thin lines appeared.

His Mind’s Eye was still unstable. Its range and depth fluctuated.

So even when it offered a wider view than before, he was not surprised.

‘It’s meaningless.’

He still could not see them.

Even with the Mind’s Eye, he could not detect people hiding a hundred or two hundred jang away. Unless he were at the level of the Eight Wastes Alliance Leader, it was impossible for him now.

In any case, though not beyond a hundred jang, they were clearly stationed far off. It was a move typical of Wi Chang-gun who was confident in his own strength yet deeply distrustful of others.

Jin-hyeon released Wi Gyo-hwa’s pressure point.

“Why… why did you…?”

Her face, fallen to the side, was smeared with blood. Her forehead had split when she hit the ground.

Her face was full of emptiness. She was in utter shock that her father had abandoned her life.

Jin-hyeon stood still, looking down at her.

The eyes that had been dazedly shedding tears suddenly filled with hatred.

“You bastard!”

Wi Gyo-hwa shot up and swung her fist at Jin-hyeon.

Of course, her punch posed no threat. Deflecting it with one hand, he struck her cheek.

Jjak!

No scream came. Lying flat, she glared up at Jin-hyeon, her eyes seething with venom.

“Kill me! Kill me too!”

Seureuk.

Before she knew it, Jin-hyeon was crouched before her.

Wi Gyo-hwa flinched. She could not tell when he had approached so close even while watching him.

“Do you want to die?”

There was no killing intent.

There was no meaning or emotion in it. It was like asking a leaf swaying in the wind.

Wi Gyo-hwa clenched her teeth.

She fully understood now how terrifying this white-haired man was. If she asked him to kill her, he would do it—without a trace of emotion.

Then she glanced at Wi Chang-gun’s corpse.

A broken neck, eyes wide open, mouth full of bloody foam… The agony of his last moment was frozen on his face.

‘…….’

Why?

Strangely, she found it horrific, yet felt no sadness or pity.

Watching her silently, Jin-hyeon opened his Mind’s Eye again.

Dugeun dugeun.

He saw her heart beating fast.

From the nape downward, countless lines spread through her body, glimmering with light. The size of her dantian and the state of her meridians came clearly into view.

And then—

‘She’s angry.’

The bluish aura flickering between her brows turned red.

Fear was turning into fury. Yet, it was not directed at him.

Her anger and feeling of betrayal were aimed at Wi Chang-gun.

Ziiing!

He had looked too deeply into her with his Mind’s Eye. His head throbbed as if splitting open.

Withdrawing the Soul-Refining Art, Jin-hyeon asked flatly,

“Do you want to live?”

Wi Gyo-hwa glared at him.

“You—how can you say that in front of me now?!”

“Fine then, I’ll kill you.”

When Jin-hyeon’s hand moved, Wi Gyo-hwa flinched back in shock.

Backing away was shameful enough. Her face flushed red.

“You…!”

“I’ll ask you one thing.”

Jin-hyeon tilted his head sideways and asked,

“Do you want to become the master of the Black Tiger Fist Sect?”

“W-what?”

“I’m asking if you want to take Black Tiger for yourself, past your elder brother.”

What was this nonsense all of a sudden?

“That makes no sense…!”

“If you want it, just say so. I’ll make you the new master of the Black Tiger Fist Sect.”

Wi Gyo-hwa’s eyes wavered violently.

As Jin-hyeon was about to continue, he sensed a presence and pressed her paralysis point. Wi Gyo-hwa fainted at once.

Before she lost consciousness, Jin-hyeon’s final words drifted through her mind.

‘There’s no law saying the youngest can’t become Sect Master.’

A little later.

“…So Stone Pillar Dam was right.”

The one who entered the wolves’ den was Seomun Hoe.

His expression was still hard to read, but his eyes were firm.

“You’re here?”

Jin-hyeon’s back as he rose, hand on his knee, was oddly chilling.

As Seomun Hoe glanced around, he saw Wi Chang-gun lying dead, neck snapped.

“The Sect Master is dead?”

“As you see.”

“How did you kill him?”

“Snapped his neck.”

Looking deeply at Jin-hyeon, Seomun Hoe let out a small sigh.

“What now? With the Sect Master dead, Black Tiger will not stay still.”

“I was thinking of wiping them all out.”

“?!”

“I was pondering how to sweep them all away, but it seems that it’ll take quite a bit of legwork.”

What he meant was that it might be tedious but not impossible. His calm voice held neither worry nor tension.

Seomun Hoe, like Dam Jun, did not waste words.

He had mountains of questions and even more he wished to hear, but he was a man who knew patience.

“The brave maid and the landowner are safely under our care.”

“My thanks, as always.”

Jin-hyeon smiled faintly.

“But you came alone? I thought you’d boldly bring a few assassins.”

“You’re a fine investor, but we can’t have filth splattering onto our organization because of you. Furthermore…”

Seomun Hoe’s voice lowered a bit.

“If a high-paying investor with no particular ties were to die on his own, that too would be convenient for us.”

It was a loaded statement, but Jin-hyeon’s expression did not change.

“That’s true enough.”

“You’re not angry?”

“Angry?”

“Saying it’d be good if you died are hardly pleasant words, are they not?”

Jin-hyeon’s face turned mildly puzzled.

“Weren’t we always in that kind of relationship?”

“…”

“Apart from sharing a few drinks and two plates of dumplings, we never gave each other cause for personal betrayal, right? It’s not a pleasant thing to hear, but it’s not exactly worth getting angry over.”

“…Is that so?”

“You’re not seriously trusting me, are you? Finding me a home was just the organization’s way of returning a favor, it wasn’t because you cared about me personally, was it?”

“….”

“If you were hoping I’d get mad, I’m disappointed. Pebble might be like that, but weren’t you not the sentimental type?”

Seomun Hoe’s eyes deepened further.

It wasn’t sarcasm born of anger. This was Jin-hyeon’s true feeling. He realized that for certain.

‘I’ve let my sight blur.’

A person with a cheerful, foolish exterior hiding a chilling madness.

He had known it, but because Jin-hyeon’s antics were so bouncy and odd, he’d naturally forgotten what kind of person he truly was. It was something he should never have forgotten.

‘This man is more dangerous and clever than anyone I’ve seen. That’s why I accepted the deal, but…’

A tightness rose in his chest.

Jin-hyeon’s arrival was, in a sense, a historical moment. At least for the Black Society.

Was that why? Or did he truly like this Jin-hyeon as a person?

‘This is unlike me at all.’

Seomun Hoe sighed again. It was a much deeper sigh than before.

“All right, what will you do now?”

Only now were they in a state to have a proper conversation.

“I’ll deal with Black Tiger.”

“More than half of the Sichuan Eight Martial Houses will know you work with the Five Tigers Merchant Guild. Even if possible, if something happens to you, it will drag us into trouble too.”

“And yet you casually said it’d be fine if I died.”

“Let’s move on from that.”

“Are the terms for dealing with Black Tiger ready?”

A remark leapt out, skipping several steps unexpectedly.

Seomun Hoe’s eyes narrowed.

“What do you mean?”

“The new Sect Master candidate is right here.”

“?!”

“I’ll kill Black Tiger’s heir before dawn.”

Only then did Seomun Hoe understand Jin-hyeon’s words.

“You mean to leave the Black Tiger Fist Sect leaderless and ownerless?”

“Is there any elder among their leaders who’s particularly power-hungry?”

“Two come to mind immediately. Geum Cheon-yang and Hong Ma-seok — both elders.”

“And how’s their heads for scheming?”

“Geum Cheon-yang is pretty crafty. Hong Ma-seok isn’t as sharp but is greedy. However, he’s powerful in martial skill and has many followers.”

“You really are different from Pebble. The nuance of information you store in your head is different.”

“Could it be…?”

“I’ll kill Geum Cheon-yang as well.”

Seomun Hoe swallowed hard without realizing it.

“Is that possible?”

“If you set your mind to it, wouldn’t you be able to as well?”

Of course. If one could bear the backlash, it would be worth risking one’s life.

But the opponent is the Black Tiger Fist Sect. Instigating a coup in a sect of that caliber is not something anyone would conceive; and to actually pick the players for a long-term plan requires a very bold heart.

This has nothing to do with the strength of arms.

It’s a matter of spirit and boldness. Who in Sichuan, merely because they’re a bit strong, would dare touch a sect like Black Tiger?

Seomun Hoe newly appreciated the ability of this man Jin-hyeon, who had shaken the Sichuan Branch from the shadows.

“Whatever else, the fact that you killed the Sect Master remains. What will you do if they try to kill you before their power struggle begins?”

“Would they rush to kill the unknown youth who murdered their Sect Master? Without even investigating if he really had any backing?”

“?!”

“Even if it’s true, they’ll be embarrassed to publicize it. While floundering, they’ll try to seize the seat of Black Tiger’s leader first.”

“….”

“So you need to persuade the new Sect Master candidate by tomorrow.”

“As you said, even if Wi Gyo-hwa becomes Sect Master, how do we recoup the investments poured into her?”

Jin-hyeon frowned.

“Are you serious? Why recoup the investment? You should eat up Black Tiger.”

“!!”

“While you’re at it, spread some money to that guy Hong Ma-seok or whoever. Make it so they’ll fight him tooth and nail.”

“…Coordinate those two and swallow Black Tiger whole?”

“It may take years, but it’d be a sumptuous meal. You have that capability, don’t you? You’re smarter than Mighty Tiger.”

“We lack funds.”

“Devour Mighty Tiger’s untouched businesses too. The corruption probe’s over, so they won’t notice your reach. What are you whining about when you already know this?”

Seomun Hoe’s face flushed slightly.

It was due to the small hope of being able to swallow Black Tiger, and surprise at Jin-hyeon’s monstrous boldness.

“If you handle this well, we’ll tie up all the sects that took money from Mighty Tiger and send them down the line, so keep your wits. If it goes well, the Five Tigers Merchant Guild’s ventures could boom.”

“I’ll choke to death trying to swallow it.”

“Cut the nonsense, and find where Black Tiger’s heir and Geum Cheon-yang are within the next two hours.”

In an instant, the wolf’s den emptied out.