Chapter 62: Want Me To See How Hard Your Skull Is?

It was uncanny.

Running ahead of me was Black-Tail, a weasel with a tail as black as charcoal. The Ten Thousand Beasts Gate had spent an enormous sum to purchase this spiritual beast. Black-Tail’s specialty was scent tracking. According to what Jin Sowol had told me, once you imprinted it with a specific scent, it could chase that scent for thousands of li.

For the past month, Jin Cheongun had been applying Baekilchwi to his body every ten days. It was a precaution against kidnapping. Procuring Black-Tail had been part of the same preparation.

Jin Sowol had predicted that Samjeolmun or Ilwol Sword Sect wouldn’t attack me directly but would handle matters the demonic way. They had all sorts of methods, but she believed it highly likely that the leaders of the unorthodox side would choose kidnapping—the kind of thing back-alley riffraff favored.

From their point of view, the risk was low while the impact was substantial.

Jin Cheongun and Jin Sowol had already proven themselves to be effective bait for me the previous tenth month, when Shin Pilju made his move.

Jin Sowol had asserted that the target wouldn’t be her, but Jin Cheongun. Not because Samjeolmun and Ilwol Sword Sect would have a hard time figuring out her whereabouts, but because grabbing Jin Cheongun was far easier. There were no experts around him who could pose a threat to them.

We had considered bringing Jin Cheongun to the Manor to cut off the possibility of kidnapping at the root, but the man himself objected. There was a lot of work to be done in Summer End City, he said, and this was something he would have to go through sooner or later anyway, so he’d just treat it as warding off bad luck in advance.

Judging that no serious harm would come to him, Jin Sowol nonetheless set up thorough safety measures. The rapid communication network, myself, and Black-Tail formed the core of that plan.

Summer End City’s market exploded into chaos.

Not because of the black-tailed weasel, but because of the huge man chasing it at full speed behind—me.

Passersby who stared at me in confusion screamed in unison, either freezing in place or fleeing for their lives. The nickname “Demon Lord” rang down the streets.

Startled by the people’s reaction, Black-Tail hesitated for an instant, but as soon as I shook the bell Jo Bong had given me, it recalled its mission and dashed forward without pause.

It wasn’t my intention, but while chasing after the weasel, I turned the market into a madhouse.

Only once we left Summer End City did the commotion die down.

Black-Tail did not head for the main road used by carriages but veered into the mountains. That, too, was exactly as Jin Sowol had predicted.

She had said the kidnappers wouldn’t go far but would remain nearby in the region around Summer End City. Their role was simply to confine Jin Cheongun somewhere, then send a carrier pigeon to the main party that had hired them, reporting their success.

Once the value of the hostage had been confirmed, the mastermind would decide whether to reuse him, depending on how events unfolded. Given that, the odds were low that they would harm Jin Cheongun right away.

Even so, there was no way to be absolutely certain he was safe, so I stayed tense as I ran after Black-Tail, hoping this miraculous little creature would hurry up and lead me to where Jin Cheongun was.

We crossed mountain after mountain.

When a river appeared, I thought we might be in for a rough patch, but when I scooped Black-Tail up and leapt across the water, then set it down again on the other side, it resumed its pursuit without a moment’s hesitation.

Studying the footprints along the riverbank, I saw there were two kidnappers. Judging by the depth and spacing of their prints, they were experts of considerable level. Both were at least mid–peak realm.

Considering the route from Summer End City to this point and the direction Black-Tail was heading, a name came to mind: Bodu Mountain.

Bodu Mountain was one of the three possible locations Jin Sowol had marked as probable sites for Jin Cheongun’s confinement.

Wanting to save time, I gambled. I grabbed the weasel, then launched into full-speed lightness skill.

After flying about one li at top speed, I saw the silhouette of Bodu Mountain ahead and released Black-Tail.

The weasel lived up to expectations. It sniffed here and there, then, true to a creature whose absolute sense of smell never let it lose a scent within a radius of a hundred jang, it shot off in a straight line.

Soon, as we reached the lower slopes of Bodu Mountain, Black-Tail began squeaking like a mouse. That was the signal that the target was near.

In the distance, I saw a pigeon rise above the treetops.

Knowing at once it was a carrier pigeon sent off by the kidnappers, I grabbed the weasel and flew straight toward the spot.

When I drew up my senses, I picked up two presences.

I also heard human voices. It was the kidnappers talking.

Careful not to make a sound, I approached them.

Once I passed through the dense forest, their conversation became perfectly clear.

“…So how long did he say we had to stay here, Chun?”

“I dunno. Just said if we waited here, they’d send another carrier pigeon with the next orders. All we gotta do is hang around, enjoy some tender girls, and do what he tells us when the time comes.”

“Damn it, I’d rather we go past Yeonsan if we can. Hanging around here, what if that brat actually tracks us down? Wouldn’t that be a disaster?”

“Look at you, went and turned into a coward while I wasn’t looking. How’s that brat supposed to find us?”

“But this place is only about a hundred and fifty li from Summer End City, isn’t it? If he somehow follows our trail…”

“Hey, shut it! Don’t jinx it. What if your words come true? Calm down, Hongga. There’s no way he’s ever going to…”

“What is it, Chun?”

Before he could answer, I vaulted over the wall and unleashed extreme lightness skill.

I sealed the pressure points of the bald man called Chun and the mismatched-eyed Hongga in a single stroke.

Even with their acupoints struck, both men convulsed.

Looking around, I frowned.

I’d found the source of the blood smell that had hit my nose as I approached the mountain lodge.

About twenty bodies were scattered in the center of the yard.

All of them had their heads smashed open or blown apart—horrific corpses.

Some seemed to have died to an axe, the rest to fists.

I could guess what had happened.

The bald man and the one with the crooked eyes had slaughtered the lodge’s residents to eliminate witnesses.

The “girls” they’d mentioned were probably in one of the lodgings.

They had likely kept Jin Cheongun with them there as well.

Glowering at the brutes, I followed the sound of breathing into the second lodging and went inside.

As expected, six women in their teens to thirties and Jin Cheongun were in facing rooms.

Leaving the women alone, I went to Jin Cheongun and released his pressure points.

He immediately began to weep.

It wasn’t tears of joy at being rescued.

“Ah… If only you’d arrived a little earlier, we could have stopped the massacre.”

I knew he wasn’t saying that to blame me, but it still felt heavy.

After all, I was the reason this tragedy had come to the lodge.

Because of me, people who had nothing to do with any of this had met with calamity.

Flustered by the guilt welling up inside me, I apologized.

“I’m sorry. I’ve made you suffer on the very first day of the new year.”

“What fault could you possibly have? But these people…”

He couldn’t finish.

I handed him the weasel I’d been holding.

Black-Tail, who had already been itching to return to its original master, wagged its black tail and put on a little show.

“There are women in the opposite room. Please look after them while I deal with the villains outside. It won’t be a pleasant sight, so don’t bother coming out.”

“…I understand.”

Leaving Black-Tail and the women in Jin Cheongun’s care, I stepped out of the lodging.

The bald man and the mismatched-eyed man were straining desperately to break their point seals.

When they saw me, hopelessness flooded their eyes.

I stood in front of the paralyzed thugs. Neither dared meet my gaze.

I released the bald man’s dumb point.

Against my expectation that he’d immediately start begging for his life, the bald man kept his mouth shut.

“I’m going to ask you a few things. Answer honestly, and I’ll let you keep your life.

But if you lie, I’ll smash your skull.”

The bald man lifted his eyes and stared straight at me.

“Do you mean that?”

“I’m the only one asking questions here. If you spout any nonsense, I’ll break one of your limbs each time.”

To prove it wasn’t an empty threat, I grabbed his arm and twisted.

Crunch.

With a crisp sound, his shoulder turned completely around.

The pain ought to have been immense, yet the bald man held back his scream.

A tough bastard.

“Who ordered you to kidnap the master of Sowol Pavilion? Oh, right—tell me your name first.”

“I am called Oh Yeonchun.

For this job, I was hired by Baeksadang of Pawol. I don’t know who is behind them.

But if you wish, I…”

“That’s enough.”

Cutting him off, I drew Iron Staff from my back.

Then, without further ado, I brought it down on the top of his skull.

Thud.

With the sound of a watermelon bursting, the bald man’s head shattered.

The mismatched-eyed man flinched violently, his relatively weak spirit shaken to the core.

I turned my gaze to him and barked.

“That’s what happens when you lie.

This bastard’s real name isn’t Oh Yeonchun, it’s Go Chun.

His nickname is Skull-Smashing Fist.

You heard me listening to your conversation and thought you’d be clever, but not a chance.

Who are you trying to fool?

Oh, and that Baeksadang nonsense is crap too.

‘They’ would never bother using an intermediary.

So, what’s it going to be?

Tell the truth and keep your life, or do you want me to test how hard your skull is, like his?”

The moment I finished speaking, the mismatched-eyed man shouted.

“My name is Hong Jeon, Demon Lord!

The people in the martial world call me Dog Axe.

The one who hired us for this job was Samjeolmun’s strategist, Gu Yangun.

I was against it from the start, but…”

He abruptly clamped his mouth shut mid-sentence.

He’d remembered that extra words might cost him extra bones.

I was satisfied with his answer.

I had suspected Samjeolmun was behind this, but I needed solid proof.

If it had been an Ilwol Sword Sect operation, I’d have blundered off to attack the wrong target.

Hong Jeon looked at me with desperate hope.

I betrayed that hope.

I dislocated both his elbows and knees, then, just in case, kicked him in the stomach as well.

I felt his dantian burst under my toes.

While I put these safety measures in place for Jin Cheongun’s sake, Hong Jeon screamed like a crow plucked featherless.

Even then, he didn’t forget to protest.

“That’s not what you promised!”

“What isn’t? I’m letting you keep your life, aren’t I?”

Rendered speechless by my counter, he began cursing hysterically.

I smashed his mouth as well.

Leaving him completely immobile, I returned to the lodging.

After confirming that Jin Cheongun could return home on his own, I informed him I was heading for Samjeolmun.

---

For a moment, I hesitated.

Should I go to Sangyapyeong instead of Samjeolmun?

If I went there, powerful enemies would certainly be waiting.

Samjeolmun had set the trap, but the ones who would actually hunt me in Sangyapyeong were, with near certainty, the demon lords of Ma Territory.

Samjeolmun would only be responsible for dragging me into the snare; the actual killing would be outsourced to the demon lords.

They wanted to blow their nose with someone else’s hand.

The reason the Demon Brain, who effectively oversaw Ma Territory’s operations, had gone along with Samjeolmun’s scheme was because this deal didn’t cost them anything.

If I appeared in Sangyapyeong of my own accord, he’d finally rid himself of a toothache.

He had no reason to refuse.

If Jin Sowol’s predictions were correct, the Demon Brain would have mobilized at least half of the Eight Demons.

It was a force assembled with Gwaeseon and Gwanggaek in mind.

Perhaps the entire Seven Demons, minus Iron Horse, who probably hadn’t fully recovered yet, would be deployed.

Which was why I had no choice but to give up on going to Sangyapyeong.

Originally, I should have stopped by the Marsh, taken Gwaeseon and Gwanggaek with me, and then headed for Samjeolmun’s base in Bongpyeong.

Instead, I decided to go straight to Samjeolmun.

I wanted to give myself a present.

I wanted to relive the tension and urgency I had felt when I’d invaded Iron Horse’s base alone.

By doing so, I hoped to grasp a clue that would help me break through the wall currently blocking my path.

I had devoted myself to martial arts to the point of forgetting food and sleep, yet I was constantly plagued by thirst.

To quench it, I needed life-or-death combat.

The fierce battle with Iron Horse had been nowhere near enough—because I was the stronger one.

My sparring with Han U-gyeong also had clear limits.

No matter how hard we fought, even if we squeezed out strength like nursing infants, the difference between that and a real fight to the death was obvious.

The realizations gained crossing the line between life and death were like rain falling on a parched field for me.

I could not resist the allure of that sweetness.

It was a curse my father had passed down to me.

[End of Chapter]