Wolf And Cat (4)

“…”

Hong Ma-seok opened his eyes and rose naturally from the bed.

Though he was nearing sixty, his internal energy ranked among the top in the Black Tiger Fist Sect. He had never slacked in training at this age, so his senses were keen.

‘Who is it?’

A faint scent of blood reached him.

He heard a faint thudding sound from afar. It was small enough to ignore.

Had his internal energy not stirred, he truly might have ignored it.

Hong Ma-seok’s eyes sharpened.

‘There’s no killing intent… so are they not after me?’

Just then.

A shadow appeared outside the door.

Preparing for contingencies, Hong Ma-seok pressed the courtesan’s paralysis point. He meant to use her as a shield if a fight broke out.

“Who goes there?”

Deureureuk.

The door slid open, and Hong Ma-seok’s eyes widened.

The shadow was a young man. Half his body was veiled in darkness, the other half silvered by moonlight. Part of his white hair was clotted with blood and stuck to his cheek, and his left hand was crimson as well.

Tension fell across Hong Ma-seok’s face.

“Who sent you? Geum Cheon-yang? Don’t tell me the Sect Master sent you.”

“Sounds like you’ve sinned plenty.”

It was a distinctive voice.

Low and soft, yet carrying a curious lilt. It was unhurried without being frivolous.

A quiet, uncanny madness clung to that voice. From that alone, Hong Ma-seok could not take the youth lightly. Swallowing dryly, he spoke.

“I don’t know who sent you, but they made a mistake. A half-baked brat like you, against Black Tiger…”

Tuk.

The two objects the youth tossed rolled across the floor and bumped against Hong Ma-seok’s feet.

“!!”

Hong Ma-seok nearly screamed without meaning to.

The rolling objects were the heads of Black Tiger’s eldest son, Wi Seong-pil, and his sole rival, Geum Cheon-yang.

“It’s natural for men to like women, but why are you lot all like this?”

“?!”

“The young one toys with maids, and the old one commits adultery with a subordinate’s wife. I came ready to bruise some joints, but it was so easy I was the one surprised.”

“You…!”

“You’re the least bad of the bunch. But why’d you hit her paralysis point? To use her as a shield?”

“…”

“Are the other Sichuan Eight Martial Houses like this too? Can’t tell the orthodox from the unorthodox.”

Hong Ma-seok spat his words.

“Who are you? Who sent you here?”

“Wi Chang-gun is dead.”

Asked a question, he gave his own answer.

But Hong Ma-seok could not get angry. What? Who died?

“The second son is dead too, and the youngest daughter is missing. Rather delightful, no?”

“What are you!”

Only then did the youth answer him.

“The one the Sect Master gnashed his teeth to kill.”

“What?”

“Does nothing click?”

Though it was urgent, Hong Ma-seok’s mind turned well. If anything, urgency made it sharper.

“Don’t tell me you’re that Jin-hyeon.”

Jin-hyeon smiled without confirming or denying and spoke.

“Using his young wife to suck her brother’s blood, fine, but he even tried to spit in my bowl.”

“…So he died? To the likes of you?”

“Want to test whether I’m ‘the likes of’ or not?”

Hong Ma-seok swallowed unconsciously.

He had strong confidence in his martial arts. He lived with the pride that none in Black Tiger but the Sect Master could match him.

Yet he sensed nothing particular from the youth before him.

He had an uncanny presence, but he could not gauge his level. With sloppy masters one could estimate by the seepage of internal energy, but from this one, no aura leaked at all.

That meant one of two things. He was either bluffing, or he was a master who controlled his internal energy perfectly.

‘Surely not.’

He was clearly under thirty. To control internal energy to this degree at that age, he would have to be at least a scion of a great sect.

Naturally, it was hard to think this arrogant youth had that.

But.

‘What if there’s another force behind him we don’t know?’

The Sect Master had worried about that too. He did not probe here and there for nothing.

He had heard nothing had turned up so far.

‘But then why didn’t he ambush me?’

Because he lacked confidence? Or because he wanted something?

“Decide quickly. Dawn will break soon. I am a busy man.”

The cocky tone raised his blood pressure, but Hong Ma-seok forced himself to be calm. His hot temper was a convenient trait he used only when needed.

‘If he’s strong, he wants something from me. Otherwise he would have struck.’

After moving his lips a few times, Hong Ma-seok asked bluntly.

“What do you want from me?”

“You can’t tell from those two heads?”

“?”

“I don’t want to be entangled with you lot anymore. But if I declare war on Black Tiger, Sichuan flips again, right?”

“!”

“I heard Geum Cheon-yang is a rat who only plays petty tricks, so he’s better off dead. You seem greedy, but you’re smarter, so we can talk.”

The key word here was “heard.”

‘He really does have someone backing him!’

And he liked what the arrogant youth said. Geum Cheon-yang only played petty tricks, and he himself was smarter. It was a fairly accurate judgment.

“The Wi family is gone and your rival is dead. What do you think your job is now?”

“Why give me this opportunity?”

“Are you truly smart? Where did all my words go?”

“…”

“Wi Chang-gun had pride for show and kept poking me till this happened. I hope you won’t.”

“…”

“Do you not like the spread set before you? Or is your loyalty to the Sect Master deep?”

Naturally, Hong Ma-seok had no such loyalty.

Loyalty needs an object. There was not a speck to offer a dead man.

“What do you want? You really just hate being entangled, is that all?”

“Why? Is that hard to believe?”

Was that even a question?

Beyond levels of martial skill, Hong Ma-seok deemed Jin-hyeon not ordinary. Ordinary men could not pull off this much.

And extraordinary men did not move one-dimensionally. They did not touch a sect like Black Tiger just because it annoyed them. He clearly wanted something else.

Hong Ma-seok decided to be bold.

“I’ll be direct. Introduce me to the person backing you.”

Jin-hyeon nearly burst out laughing.

It was harder to keep a straight face now than when he fought Wi Chang-gun.

“And why would I?”

Hong Ma-seok cheered inwardly.

‘Fool. So it’s true after all.’

The final check was complete. It was certain that someone backed that insolent brat.

Moreover, if that patron could smooth things over even after poking Black Tiger, it was truly worth forming ties.

“Black Tiger contends for top three or four among the Sichuan Eight Houses. Joining forces with such a sect would benefit your side too.”

“Don’t make me laugh. If my power grew by holding hands with a sect like Black Tiger, I wouldn’t be doing this.”

That meant his backing was that formidable. Hong Ma-seok’s heart began to pound.

“Mutual benefit. Anyway, since I’ve set this lavish table, shouldn’t you lend a hand with something? Think of it less as collaboration and more as a friendly relationship.”

“A friendly relationship…”

“How about it? If the bridge between us is laid well, won’t both our lives be far more plentiful?”

Watching him, Jin-hyeon grinned.

“Need money?”

“Money is always needed. It’ll take a fair bit to soften the Sect Master’s subordinates.”

“Make Black Tiger yours before sunrise.”

Hong Ma-seok knit his brow.

“That’s absurd…”

“Move now. If you seize Black Tiger whole, I’ll give ten thousand nyang as a grant.”

“!!”

Hong Ma-seok swallowed unconsciously.

Ten thousand nyang. Although it wasn’t a sum worth staking one’s life on, it was a hefty sum as a grant.

“After that, if Black Tiger’s moves look good, I’ll lay the bridge. Will that do?”

Holding his nodding neck in place with superhuman effort, Hong Ma-seok spoke in a slightly husky voice.

“As a first grant, not bad.”

“It’s support, nothing more. If you don’t make me want to invest properly, there’s neither money nor bridge.”

Investment. The word alone sent a thrill.

Hong Ma-seok rose.

“There’s less than two hours left. Then, I’ll see you later.”

“Bind the Sect Master’s wife at once and throw her in the northern woods. I have a use for her.”

Even in this, he meant to secure trophies. Hong Ma-seok beamed.

“Very well. In any case, I’m better off with her gone.”

Things moved without a hitch.

Infiltrating the Black Tiger Fist Sect was not hard. He could kidnap and kill Wi Seong-pil unnoticed because the security was lax.

It was the same with Geum Cheon-yang. He had even gone outside to commit adultery with a subordinate’s wife. Far easier work than with Wi Seong-pil.

But not so with Wi Chang-gun’s wife.

Elsewhere was lax, but the Sect Master’s quarters were guarded tightly. He was not confident of infiltrating undetected.

He had planned to slip in while Hong Ma-seok made a commotion, but this was easier.

“See you in a new world then.”

“Do that. Until then, I’ll be in the northern woods.”

The two looked at each other and laughed.

On their faces was the look of men who thought they had gained much.

“…”

Seomun Hoe looked at Jin-hyeon with wavering eyes. Dam Jun’s jaw hung open.

After washing up and roughly drying his hair, Jin-hyeon sprawled in a chair.

“It’s been a long day.”

“…So.”

Seomun Hoe’s voice had sunk quite low.

“Black Tiger is now in Hong Ma-seok’s hands…?”

“Watching from the northern woods, it was a spectacle. They were fighting tooth and nail, and the roars were near a chorus.”

“…”

“Handled well, he’ll have Black Tiger whole in three or four days. He acts decisively. Seems he even ordered the subordinates Wi Chang-gun brought to return.”

Seomun Hoe swallowed secretly.

“Then Wi Gyo-hwa…”

“She has to go within a day or two or Black Tiger will be swallowed by Hong Ma-seok. Did you persuade her?”

“Nearly done.”

“Then tell her the situation now. That hellion of a girl clearly has a temper. She’s greedy, so she’ll bolt the moment she hears it.”

“With initiative alone, she cannot do anything by herself.”

Jin-hyeon frowned.

“So what if she can’t?”

“…”

“It has nothing to do with me.”

Was it irresponsible, or vicious?

“But for swallowing Black Tiger, you’ll have to move well. Whether you brief Wi Gyo-hwa or just send her, from here it’s out of my hands.”

“Is that so?”

“Aren’t you in the same boat as that Hong Ma-seok? I set the table, you can lift the spoon yourself. Don’t tell me I have to teach you how to hold it.”

“Hardly.”

“Then we’re done.”

Watching him, Seomun Hoe slowly shook his head.

“How did you become such a monster at that age?”

“I’m still a greenhorn. I just peeked at what others did and copied it roughly.”

“If you’re a greenhorn, we’re swaddled babes.”

“And the landowner’s younger sister? Did you let him meet her?”

“I thought he’d beat her to a pulp, but he only wept without end.”

Jin-hyeon smiled wryly.

He had figured as much from Jang Pyeong’s nature.

“Blood is thicker than water.”

“Hard to say that, given how brazen the younger sister is. Even terrified, she shouted at the landowner.”

“If the landowner cuts ties, have the Black Society handle it. Life and death are yours to decide.”

“We’ll do it without the rats or birds knowing.”

“Don’t traffic people.”

“We don’t do the sort of thing you’re thinking.”

“Good.”

Jin-hyeon stood.

Rising with him, Seomun Hoe asked as if recalling something.

“Why did you do that?”

“What?”

“For someone so indifferent to others’ affairs, wasn’t that too much favor even for a landowner?”

He meant bringing the younger sister in at all.

Jin-hyeon gave a bland smile.

“I’m only now starting my life properly. I’ll smash those who spoiled it and show favor to those who’ll open it up.”

“I see.”

“Well, there’s also this… a debt of betrayal by a sibling should be settled personally. Especially when blood is shared.”

There was a faint, indefinable wistfulness to his words.

To Jin-hyeon’s turned back, Seomun Hoe spoke.

“When we take the Black Tiger Fist Sect, we’ll return to the landowner the money Wi Chang-gun extorted.”

Jin-hyeon let out a brief laugh.

“For the Black Society’s Gold Pillar, you try to do every righteous act there is. You’re much better than the Heavenly Will Alliance.”