The Scent Of People (1)

“Brother. Please at least eat this.”

“G-get that away!”

Seeing his brother huddled in a corner under the quilt, shaking, Song Jeong felt rage shoot to the top of his head.

‘What are you even doing!’

He was angry at his brother’s cowardice, yes, but what truly burned him was the situation itself.

‘Damn it, Father’s side is going well… right?’

Song Jeong was on edge.

When he first heard of the houses’ cooperation, his heart had raced. Even if three houses had joined hands, he still hoped the Divine Spear House would, in the end, become Sichuan’s foremost.

But from the way things were turning, something had clearly gone wrong. His father’s anger over his elder brother, and the Abundant Prosperity Guild Master suddenly barging in, filled him with dread.

‘Tell me something too, for once!’

His father hadn’t told him any details. He clearly still thought of him as a child, which irritated him to no end. Even so, he had held it in until now.

“Damn it!”

Without thinking, he kicked the table.

Kwaduk!

At the crack of splintering wood, Song Geon flinched hard.

“Get a hold of yourself! What on earth happened there that you’re under a quilt like this? And you call yourself the Divine Spear House’s Young Master?!”

“Get out! Get out now!”

“You son of…! Look me in the eye! Since when did you turn so…”

Peok!

Song Jeong didn’t even finish before he hit the floor.

The thud sounded oddly loud. Startled again, Song Geon asked in a shaking voice,

“W-what’s wrong? What is it?”

Kkiik. Kkiik.

Footsteps scraped across the floor.

Song Geon’s face went pale.

“I asked what’s going on! What is it? What…why are you…!”

“It’s a chilly night, isn’t it?”

“?!”

An unfamiliar, yet oddly familiar voice.

The color drained from Song Geon’s face. Shivering, he turned his head.

“Huuk!!”

In the candlelight, a mask-like smile lay across the white-haired youth’s shadowed face.

“You look ridiculous. It might be a little chilly, but it is not so cold you need to bury yourself under a quilt.”

“…”

“Well, seeing you again… hm?”

Studying Song Geon’s face, Jin-hyeon shook his head, almost incredulous.

“Did I break you a bit too hard?”

Still squatting, Song Geon had fainted, foam at his lips.

Just then, a sound came from beyond the door.

“F-First Young Master?”

He needed the subordinates penned up too.

Jin-hyeon slowly rolled his neck. The crackling sounded almost jaunty.

“My insides still burn. Let’s finish this quickly.”

“First Young Master? Are you well?”

Jin-hyeon opened the door at once.

Hwang Oh-san, standing cautiously outside, blanched in horror.

“You?!”

Peok!

Stepping over the fallen man, Jin-hyeon grimaced.

“Tedious.”

Past midnight.

Han Cheol-sang greeted Jin-hyeon in a wooded grove some distance from their quarters.

“You’re later than I expected.”

“I had to handle everything.”

“By the way…”

Glancing at those kneeling to the side, Han Cheol-sang cleared his throat and continued.

“They were spread out in quite some number. The ones in black.”

He meant the Black Society’s men. Jin-hyeon nodded.

“The Radiant Sword Festival draws crowds. It’s a good place to pick up intel, and more importantly, clients. Their fathers hired them too.”

“That surprised me. For the Abundant Prosperity Guild to hire them of all people.”

“When you’re desperate, you’ll do anything. Which worked out just fine for us.”

“So, the subdued warriors. Were they all transferred?”

“I’ve confirmed that too. There’s no need to worry.”

Han Cheol-sang clicked his tongue.

“That guy’s got some nerve, holding warriors of the Eight Martial Houses.”

By “he,” he meant the Seomun Hoe.

“He reads the times well. He’s already seen Sichuan’s big turn coming.”

“Are you sure it wasn’t just you squaring your shoulders and threatening him?”

“Hey now, what do you take me for? It was a deal, a fair one.”

“Fair enough.”

“You really do see me as a brute.”

Grumbling, Jin-hyeon stepped to the bound captives.

There, still trembling, were Song Geon, Gu Hee, and her sister, Gu Yeo-eum.

Jin-hyeon crouched before Gu Hee.

“Doing well?”

Her condition wasn’t as bad as Song Geon’s, but Gu Hee still hadn’t escaped her fear. She couldn’t meet Han Cheol-sang’s eyes, much less Jin-hyeon’s.

Realizing her sister’s state, Gu Yeo-eum asked in a trembling voice,

“What of our father?”

“He’s dead.”

He had said it so plainly it almost sounded trivial. The shock hit twice as hard.

Gu Hee squeezed her eyes shut. She had expected it.

But Gu Yeo-eum was different. Her blanched face twisted with shock and rage.

“H-how dare you kill our father!”

“Would I spare a man who was trying to kill me?”

“You’ll never sleep with your legs out again!”

“My knees ache so I sleep a bit curled even now. Spare me.”

“You!”

Her mortal enemy spouted such lines. Tears welled in Gu Yeo-eum’s eyes.

Watching her, Jin-hyeon snorted a laugh.

“You’ll die too.”

“!!”

“You didn’t think I’d spare you, did you?”

Fear crept over her fury-twisted face.

“If you touch us, the Eight Martial Houses won’t sit still!”

“Like father, like daughter. You spout the same lines.”

“…What?”

“Then I’ll repeat my answer. I planned to clean the Eight Houses from the start. It’s only natural they shouldn’t sit still.”

“?!”

Gu Yeo-eum’s face went rigid.

Rising, Jin-hyeon drew the Indestructible Sword from his back.

Koong.

The sound of the far broader, longer blade sinking into the earth was like an iron bar.

“If I wanted conquest, I wouldn’t have dragged you here. I’d have killed and buried you all quietly.”

“!”

“But conquest isn’t what I’m after. Although it may look like it in the end.”

With hands resting over the sword’s hilt planted in the ground, Jin-hyeon almost looked leisurely.

“If even you were in the know, the Abundant Prosperity heir can’t be ignorant of what his father was up to. But I didn’t see or speak to him myself, so his case is on hold.”

“…”

“You two are different. You took part actively. You deserve death, but depending on your answer, I’ll spare one of you.”

The sisters’ eyes shook.

Jin-hyeon asked evenly,

“As you know, the Abundant Prosperity Guild Master was gathering war funds to overtake, or at least not trail, the Cheongyang Association.”

“!!”

“He’d have a secret stash unknown to his upper council. I’ll spare the one who knows where…”

Just then.

“I know!”

The one who burst out was Gu Yeo-eum.

“I know! The vault Father hid is away from the main compound, it’s…”

In a blink, the Indestructible Sword became lightning.

Puhwaaak!

Gu Yeo-eum’s head dropped. Her body slowly toppled to the side.

“Huuk!”

Gu Hee’s face went dark. Her sister’s neck had been severed right beside her.

Shaking the blood from the blade, Jin-hyeon stepped to Song Geon.

“You.”

“Y-yes?!”

“Will you be my dog, or will you die now?”

Song Geon’s reply was shockingly eager.

“I’ll be your dog! I’ll give you anything you want, great hero! Please spare me!”

It wasn’t just fear of death speaking. He feared Jin-hyeon’s very existence more.

Smirking, Jin-hyeon sheathed the Indestructible Sword.

Then Gu Hee spoke, voice shaking,

“Why?”

“What?”

“Why did you kill my sister? She said she knew the place.”

“As defeated prisoners, your lives rest in my hands. I chose death for her, so she died.”

Jin-hyeon’s eyes went cold.

“So then, will you die now too?”

Tears welled in Gu Hee’s eyes.

She looked at him with trembling eyes, then lowered her head. She gave up.

Snorting, Jin-hyeon called to the informant waiting far away.

“We’ll handle the corpse. Bind these two and take them in.”

“Understood. If you’ll state how to handle the others we captured, I’ll report to the superiors.”

“Just hold them. Tell them I’ll come in person once the Radiant Sword Festival ends.”

“Understood.”

Jin-hyeon took a money pouch from his breast and handed it over.

“From the Abundant Prosperity Guild Master’s coat. It’s a tidy sum. You’ve worked because of me. Have a drink with your men after.”

“My thanks.”

With matters settled, Jin-hyeon let out a breath.

“I’m tired.”

Han came to his side.

“I’ll dispose of the body. Rest a moment.”

“No, let’s do it together.”

“Rest. There’s no good in staining yourself further.”

Peeling Jin-hyeon away, Han Cheol-sang personally carried Gu Yeo-eum’s head and body into the woods.

Jin-hyeon gave a wry smile. Even he himself didn’t know why he smiled.

A little later.

“It’s done.”

“You’ve worked hard, Brother Han.”

With Black Society’s men having taken Song Geon and Gu Hee, only the two of them remained.

Watching Jin-hyeon sit on a small rock, Han Cheol-sang asked.

“You’re tired, aren’t you?”

“You more than me. You handled the dirty work.”

Han Cheol-sang winced despite himself, thinking of carrying Gu Hee.

But that thought was only for a moment.

“Winning the fight isn’t so hard if you’ve got the skill.”

“…”

“The truly exhausting part is the aftermath. Deciding who lives and who dies. When a warrior has to become a judge, that is when the fatigue really sets in. You took part in it, but you did not personally put a blade to everyone, so of course there is a lingering discomfort.”

“Must be nice, knowing so much.”

“Even so, Patriarch, you look very used to this, fatigue aside.”

“Do I?”

A wry smile, much like Jin-hyeon’s, tugged at Han Cheol-sang’s lips.

“You killed Gu Yeo-eum because she betrayed her sister at once to save herself, didn’t you?”

“Struggling to live is every creature’s right and instinct.”

“Then why kill her?”

“I didn’t like the look in her eyes.”

He said that, but Han Cheol-sang knew it was her brazen self-centeredness.

Say that aloud and you cheapen your own act with ‘people are all self-centered.’

‘Though I’m not sure it is cheapening.’

Either way, Jin-hyeon’s choice left a deep mark on Han Cheol-sang. It matched his own reason for killing Gu Hyeon.

Different tempers, similar values. Han Cheol-sang felt a kinship between them.

But that was that, and this was this.

“Now explain.”

At the blunt request, Jin-hyeon’s face sobered.

“We talked enough about trust before we came, so I’ll just say what I mean. Honestly, now that I’m about to say it, whether you believe me matters less.”

“Believe or not, even now I cannot deny my heart leans your way.”

“I appreciate it.”

Jin-hyeon paused. He spoke again seven minutes later.

“Do you know of the Eight Wastes Alliance Leader?”