“Benefactor!”
Having guided the energy through its twelve cycles, Do-kwang bowed low to Yoon-seok.
His mind felt clear, his body light and utterly at ease. The gnawing pain he had always dulled with alcohol was simply gone.
He stared at Yoon-seok, speechless for a moment. “How can I ever repay such a favor?”
You can’t, Yoon-seok thought. He hadn’t done it with repayment in mind. Though Cheon Mu-myeong was the cause, Yoon-seok felt a degree of responsibility, so he had simply removed the worst of the side effects.
But Do-kwang was already overcome, tears of gratitude streaming down his face.
“Hey, don’t cry,” Yoon-seok said, a little awkwardly.
“Yes.”
As if a switch had been flipped, Do-kwang’s tears vanished, replaced by a brilliant smile. It seemed the treatment had left an unexpected side effect of its own. His joy and sorrow now shifted without warning, as volatile as the weather.
“But it’s not a complete fix,” Yoon-seok warned.
“…….Yes?”
“I only used my energy to stabilize yours. Anyone who has learned that accursed technique can never learn another internal art.”
Whether Do-kwang’s mind was truly clear was debatable.
“Ah… yes? Then what am I to do?”
“You can only ever use the chaegibeop.”
For a moment, Do-kwang just stared, his expression blank. Then, his face flushed a deep, furious red.
“That bastard, Cheon Mu-myeong! To curse me with such a technique!”
He roared, shaking with rage. “I’ll kill him!”
Yoon-seok gave an awkward laugh at the sudden outburst.
“Hah… don’t be discouraged. Listen. The chaegibeop isn’t necessarily evil. It absorbs vitality, yes, but it can be useful if used properly.”
“……?”
“You only need to absorb a small amount. In other words, you don’t have to kill your target. That way, their dying resentment won’t poison you, and you’ll avoid the side effects.”
“Ah.” Do-kwang’s eyes widened in yet another flash of emotion—this time, awe.
“So it’s like… peeling off just a thin layer!” he exclaimed, clapping his hands together in delight.
It wasn’t just joy and sorrow, but anger and pleasure too. His emotions were completely unhinged. Is his personality fractured, or has he just gone mad? Yoon-seok wondered. Perhaps it would resolve itself one day. It was a matter of small things accumulating, a mountain built from dust. Not that it mattered to him.
“But Benefactor, how do you know all this in such detail?” Do-kwang asked, tilting his head.
Don’t ask questions that are difficult to answer, Yoon-seok thought, offering a noncommittal smile.
“Anyway, thank you, Great Hero. How can I possibly repay this grace?”
It was becoming a pattern. He’d ask a question, forget it, and then cycle back to tearful gratitude. Yoon-seok was already getting tired of it. He should have just killed the man back then instead of getting involved in this mess.
“Ahem. Fine. What are you going to do now?”
Do-kwang pondered for a moment, and his face fell into a mask of sorrow. “Even though my benefactor has forgiven me and shown me such favor, my sins remain.”
“So you plan to die?”
“Yes. But first, I must go home.”
“To Gyerim?”
“Yes.”
“To do what?”
“I have a younger brother. I have to help him become the head of our family. Once that is done, I will confess all my sins and atone for them with my life.”
“You’re serious?” Yoon-seok frowned, studying Do-kwang’s face.
“Yes. I killed so many…”
Killing another martial artist was one thing; they all lived in the shadow of death from the moment they first drew a sword. But killing ordinary people was a different kind of crime, one not so easily dismissed.
The problem was, those sins stemmed from Cheon Mu-myeong and the flaws in his technique.
Feeling a pang of guilt, Yoon-seok changed the subject again.
“Hmm. You said you were an assassin for hire, didn’t you? That means you belong to an organization.”
“Yes.”
“Do you think they’ll just let you go?”
“They will have to.”
They will have to? Yoon-seok scoffed internally. Living in the murky waters of the underworld, how can you be so naive about its nature? A group of killers couldn't afford to have its secrets exposed.
Even if he ran, they would pursue him. No matter how much he promised to keep his mouth shut, they would never let him walk away alive.
“They won’t let you go,” Yoon-seok said flatly.
“Even so, now that my senses have returned, I can no longer commit murder. I would rather die.” Do-kwang’s expression was one of firm resolve.
“Then I will take my leave. I will carry the memory of my benefactor’s kindness in my heart for the rest of my life. And I will surely repay this favor.”
Repay me how? You don’t even know my name, you madman.
Do-kwang bowed his head toward Yoon-seok, the movement slow and difficult. Then he turned and began to shuffle away. One foot scraped forward, then the other. It was agonizingly slow, as if he were a snail dragging itself across the earth.
It took him an eternity to cross a mere few paces, his body trembling with the effort. Just watching him was pathetic. If he went to that band of killers in this state, he would surely die. He had no power, no leverage to negotiate his release. Of course, if he used the chaegibeop to build up his energy, he might stand a chance; his swordsmanship was good enough to face a Tangi-level warrior.
But that was a single opponent. He would surely face many.
Ha, Yoon-seok let out a long sigh. He had no obligation to this man, yet he felt a strange sense of unease. Dammit. I need to master the Myeon-yang Shin-gong and the Heukryong Honwon-gong, fast. This identity confusion is making me soft. I keep trying to be nice.
“I’ll… help you,” he said, the words tasting foreign.
“Yes?”
“Help you leave the assassins.”
“Ah…….”
Don’t you dare start crying again.
In a bum village on the outskirts of Cheong-eun Ho, lawlessness was the only law. It was a haven for those whose lives had been ruined by gambling debts and a hiding place for criminals on the run—the most dangerous, ungoverned pocket of the region. Not even officials, let alone reputable martial artists, dared to step foot here.
It was the perfect place for a clandestine organization to hide. For this reason, an oppressive atmosphere hung over the village, a gloom that seemed to swallow the sunlight. Even on a bright morning, the streets felt dark.
A giant of a man, clad in a black robe with a wide bamboo hat obscuring his face, entered a noodle shop that opened early for the dregs of the night. In a proper city, his attire would draw suspicion, but in the bum village, it was commonplace. Most residents preferred to keep their identities hidden.
“Proprietor. A bowl of noodles,” the giant rumbled, taking a seat back-to-back with an old man in shabby clothes who was already eating.
As they waited for the food, the giant spoke in a low voice, his words not meant for the shopkeeper. “There is still no news from Do-kwang.”
At those words, the old man’s brow furrowed slightly. His name was Ok Cheon-do, and though he dressed like a common beggar, he was the leader of a notorious group of assassins operating around Cheong-eun Ho.
“Did he fail?”
“I don’t know. The target is alive. Do-kwang has vanished from his residence and hasn’t been seen at the butcher shop.”
“Hmm.” The old man named Ok Cheon-do wore a puzzled expression.
This was unexpected. Samsaldang (三殺堂), the group Ok Cheon-do led, was a name whispered with fear in the back alleys of Cheong-eun Ho. They had three primary assassins. The first was Cho-Rip, the giant in the bamboo hat. The second was Lee Sal, also known as Hyunmuk, the silent killer. And the third was Do-kwang.
They were Samsaldang’s blades, and they had never once failed a contract.
In particular, Do-kwang was an enigma. His methods were brilliant, but the man himself was incomprehensible. He was usually a drunken mess, filthy and reeking of alcohol, yet he possessed an eerie presence that belied his pathetic state.
They never asked about each other’s pasts; it was enough that they killed their targets and collected their pay.
Do-kwang had proven his skill after only a few assignments, leaving behind the clean work of a master. Ok Cheon-do knew he had recruited a skilled butcher, a Sobaek-Jeong, but that alone couldn’t explain his lethality. Moreover, while Do-kwang was clumsy and poor at stealth, no witness had ever seen his face at a crime scene. The tale of a man who could barely walk yet left no trace and always succeeded in his kills had become something of a legend in the underworld.
What could have happened?
Ok Cheon-do’s eyes, as he toyed with his chopsticks, turned cold. Their contracts were delivered through Uchil of Yeowaru. As always, the order had arrived, and the target should have been dead the next day. Since Do-kwang had joined Samsaldang, this had been the unwavering routine.
There was a change in that routine. The target was still alive, and the assassin had vanished. This was not a good sign. Something was wrong.
“Cho-rip, tell Lee Sal.”
“To track Do-kwang.”
“Yes. Find him.”
The noodles arrived, and the giant, Cho-rip, gave a short reply. The two did not talk anymore. When he was finished, the old man shuffled away, his back hunched, and disappeared into the morning gloom.
“Benefactor? Are we just going to wait here?”
Not knowing Yoon-seok’s name, Do-kwang could only call him ‘Eun-gong’.
“Yes,” Yoon-seok replied, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Do-kwang tilted his head in confusion. After agreeing to help, Yoon-seok had led him not to the butcher shop or his residence, but to the busy streets of Cheong-eun Ho.
They had spent the day sitting in crowded teahouses and eateries, making no effort to hide. With so many people passing by, anyone looking for Do-kwang would have no trouble finding him.
He was deliberately making himself a target for Samsaldang. But why?
“Curious?”
“Yes?”
“You’re wondering why we’re waiting here, out in the open, instead of doing something.”
“Yes.”
“Think, you idiot. You belong to this Samsaldang, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Do you know where their headquarters is?”
“I know it’s somewhere in the bum village, roughly.”
“So you don’t know the exact location.”
“…No. I only ever received my contracts through drops.”
“Exactly. Which is why you can’t go to them.”
“……?” Do-kwang looked at him, a quizzical, simple-minded smile on his face.
“Think about it,” Yoon-seok said, his patience thinning. “You failed to carry out your mission.”
“And?”
“The kill should have been done by yesterday. The fact that it wasn’t, and that you’ve disappeared, will make them suspicious. They’ll be looking for you.”
There was no doubt about it. Yoon-seok, who had once commanded the infamous Salmak assassins of Sapa-cheon, knew the ways of such people intimately. The more secretive the organization, the more paranoid its members.
“And since you don’t know their exact location, you can’t storm their base.”
“Is that so?”
“……”
Why do I have to explain every little thing?
Supposing it was another side effect of his condition, Yoon-seok continued his explanation in a gentler tone. “If you go in without knowing their numbers or their stronghold, you’ll be walking into a trap.”
Do-kwang looked utterly lost, but he listened in silence.
“The foundation of any battle is to secure an advantageous position. We don’t know them, so we must make them come to us, where we have the advantage. This is basic strategy.”
“…… I see.”
He nodded, but his blank expression told Yoon-seok that he didn’t understand at all. Yoon-seok sighed. The madness had receded, but the damage to the man’s mind was severe. His emotions were a wreck, and his wits were clearly dulled. And he wanted to walk into a den of killers in this state? It was suicidal. The man looked like a stiff breeze could knock him over.
“Alright, that’s enough.”
The preparations were complete. Yoon-seok had paraded Do-kwang through the busiest streets, deliberately exposing them.
The sun had now sunk behind the western mountains, and night was falling. As darkness blanketed the city, it was time for the shadows to make their move.
The Samsaldang that Do-kwang was part of. They would definitely come.
And,
“Well then, shall we go?”
“Yes?”
It was not until dusk had truly settled that Yoon-seok finally rose from his seat.
“It seems our guests have arrived.”
A grin spread across Yoon-seok’s face, but Do-kwang just looked on in confusion.