The Monster’s Tail (2)
As always, Ilho was staring at the painting on the wall.
Behind him, Chilho was delivering a report.
“A man known as the Nameless Hero has killed the Butcher.”
Ilho, still facing away, asked, “Did you see the fight yourself?”
“Yes.”
“And how was it?”
“It was a martial art I’ve never seen before.”
“And compared to you?”
“I don’t think I could win.”
Ilho asked again, intrigued by Chilho’s candid response. “What about Gwaemangryang?”
In truth, asking an assassin such a question was pointless. Assassins were skilled at using various means to kill stronger opponents. Especially someone as skilled as Gwaemangryang, discussing the opponent’s strength was meaningless.
Yet, Chilho’s outlook was grim. “I don’t think even Gwaemangryang would find it easy.”
Ilho finally turned to face her. “So, he’s that strong?”
“Yes.”
“Who is he, then?”
“Nothing has been uncovered yet.”
“A mysterious guy just dropped from the sky, killed the Butcher, and vanished?”
“Yes.”
“Is it something unrelated to us, just a coincidence?”
“I believe so. Neither my movements nor Gwaemangryang’s were detected anywhere.”
“Of course.”
Ilho sat down, tapping his fingers lightly on the desk—a habit when he was deep in thought.
“The martial world has been too quiet. It’s about time a needle poked through the pocket. Chilho.”
“Yes.”
“Find out everything about this Nameless Hero. Who he is, where he comes from, what he’s up to. We can’t walk around with a needle sticking out of our pocket, can we?”
“Understood.”
Just then, another man entered and reported, “We’ve located the Nameless Hero.”
“What?”
Both Ilho and Chilho were taken aback.
“Where is he?”
“He’s in Jeongju.”
“Jeongju? That’s where…”
“That’s where the Maeryeongin is. Iho sent word that the Nameless Hero has made contact with him.”
In the organization, Samho was assigned to Macheolgun, and Iho to Maeryeongin.
“Got it.”
The man finished his report and left immediately.
“First, he interferes with your task, and now he’s tangled with Iho? This can’t be a coincidence. This guy is something else.”
Ilho’s eyes gleamed sharply. His fingers drummed faster on the table, then suddenly stopped.
“Chilho, go and assess the situation.”
“If I get involved, Iho won’t be pleased.”
“True.”
Ilho looked at Chilho, his gaze questioning whether she intended to defy his orders. Chilho bowed her head.
“I’m sorry. I’ll leave immediately.”
“Take Gwaemangryang and Chuirang with you.”
Chuirang was one of the four strongest assassins in the organization, alongside Gwaemangryang.
“Even Chuirang?”
“You said he’s strong, right? If you think he needs to be eliminated, do it immediately. Ignore Iho’s opinion. I trust your judgment.”
“Understood.”
Chilho turned and left.
Ilho watched her until the door closed, then stood up.
He turned back to the painting on the wall and muttered to himself, “Don’t die. Dying… only makes the dead pitiful.”
It was unclear whether he was speaking to the departed Chilho, the painting, or himself.
Dinner was with Maeryeongin.
It was an exquisite feast, almost unbelievable to have such a meal in an underground chamber.
Despite having consumed three of the infamous Bulhoemaeryeongdan, I was still just a year-old swordsman. Sharing a feast with me could only mean one thing: he needed something from me.
What could he possibly want me to do?
“Can you really lift the curse of that Bulhoemaeryeongdan or whatever it’s called?”
I asked impatiently, and Maeryeongin slammed his chopsticks down.
Thud.
“I told you, there’s a way to lift it. I can’t stand a man whining.”
“Sorry.”
I flinched and became subdued, and he reassured me.
“Don’t be hasty. Everything will be resolved in due time.”
Once he got angry like that, it was hard to bring up the topic again. Maeryeongin knew how to handle people.
“But I do have one question.”
“Go ahead.”
“Why did that man die yesterday? It seemed like some kind of test.”
Maeryeongin looked at me silently.
“Didn’t you show it to me to make me curious? If not, why show me something like that?”
Maeryeongin chuckled, seemingly realizing the truth in my words.
“Do you know why I didn’t send you away immediately and instead had dinner with you?”
“How would I know?”
“This is why.”
“Explain it so I can understand.”
“This. You’re oddly arrogant.”
“That’s a first. If everyone in the martial world were like you, I could become the leader of the martial alliance.”
“Haha.”
I resumed eating, not picky about the dishes. The benefit of being immune to poison was that everything tasted good.
Maeryeongin, watching me intently, suddenly spoke.
“I’m gathering materials.”
My chopsticks paused.
“What kind of materials?”
Maeryeongin smiled mysteriously.
“Want to see for yourself?”
“Sure. But let’s finish eating first.”
I resumed eating. There was no need to appear too eager to learn his secrets. If he intended to show me, he would; if not, begging wouldn’t help.
Maeryeongin chuckled and asked, “Is the food you eat every day that delicious?”
I replied with my mouth full, “Isn’t it because of this daily meal that all the chaos ensues?”
“Hahaha.”
After the meal, Maeryeongin led me out of the room.
I followed him down the corridor, discreetly observing my surroundings with heightened senses.
The room I had just left was about ten paces from the room where I first met him. There were no traps or mechanisms between the two rooms, at least none that I could sense.
Past the first room, turning the corner, was the corridor I had walked with Chudochi. This corridor was the second place where I sensed human presence after the initial trap.
The presence of eight masters was still palpable.
Ahead were two rooms facing each other.
One room emanated a powerful aura, while the other exuded a mysterious energy.
Just as Maeryeongin was about to lead me into the room with the mysterious energy, there was a click.
The door to the other room opened. It was the room where the test had taken place yesterday.
“No outsiders allowed.”
Turning around, I saw a man standing behind the open door.
The moment I saw him, I knew who he was.
That indifferent gaze.
It was Chilho’s gaze, the same as the man who had been with Macheolgun.
He was from that organization. Even Maeryeongin, who was orchestrating something grand, wasn’t an exception.
Could Mabonggi be involved in this? If not, then what? Various questions arose.
Maeryeongin and the man’s gazes locked in the air. The man showed no emotion, nor did he seem likely to accept any from others. Getting angry would only waste my own emotions.
Maeryeongin grinned and said to me, “He says no.”
I whispered to Maeryeongin, “Aren’t you going to ask my impression of him?”
“What do you think?”
“I want to hit him harder than I want to hit you.”
“Hahaha.”
Maeryeongin, looking pleased, said, “Take your time. If you learn everything in one day, it won’t be fun.”
“Indeed.”
Thud.
The man closed the door and went back inside.
As I turned to follow Maeryeongin, I glanced back at the two rooms.
The powerful aura and the mysterious energy.
The answer to what they were planning lay within those rooms.
Once again, I was led out by Chudochi, blindfolded.
The carriage moved to another location.
I tried to remember the route, focusing all my senses.
If we returned to the same place, it would be easier to deduce the location, but the carriage didn’t head back to Bangseong.
After a long ride, we arrived at an inn in the bustling market of Jeongju.
“Wait here for further instructions.”
“At an inn?”
“Yes.”
“Damn! They really don’t respect people. At least rent me a separate annex.”
“As I said before, you’re nothing. Even if you have to sleep in a stable, you should.”
“Hmph! I haven’t forgotten that you fed me three poison pills.”
“If you keep being arrogant, it’ll be hard to keep your head.”
Despite knowing my internal energy was nearing the level of a master, Chudochi showed no fear. The others I had seen at the gambling den were the same. They feared no one, regardless of their opponent’s skills.
Chudochi softened his tone slightly. “Anyway, thanks to that, you gained the internal energy of a master and a half. And I intended to take you to the Nameless Hero from the start. I wasn’t trying to kill you.”
This one lies, that one lies. Lies abound in the martial world.
“Are you serious?”
“I swear.”
If he’s trying so hard to deceive me, I might as well pretend to be fooled.
I replied with a relaxed expression, “How long do I have to wait?”
“Until we give you orders.”
“Fine. But I won’t stay cooped up in the inn. I can’t stand being confined. So give me the orders early in the morning.”
“I’ll try.”
As he turned to leave, I added.
“Don’t even think about spying on me. If I catch anyone doing it, I won’t hesitate to cut them down. Consider this your warning.”
Chudochi let out a derisive snort. “Still under the delusion that you’re someone important, I see. You’re not that significant. If you want to leave, go ahead. With your skills, you could live comfortably for a year.”
Without another glance, Chudochi walked out of the inn.
I headed up to the room he’d arranged for me. As I climbed the stairs, I told the innkeeper, “I’ll be resting. Don’t disturb me.”
“Understood.”
Once inside the room on the second floor, I heightened my senses to check for any spies lurking nearby. Whether they underestimated me or overestimated themselves, there were none. It was a relief.
I leapt out the window and began tailing Chudochi from a distance. He would never expect me to follow him so soon after our conversation. My earlier threat about cutting down spies was a calculated move. If there had been any, I would have dealt with them swiftly. And if more came, I’d eliminate them too. Eventually, they’d stop sending them. The beginning is always crucial in any endeavor.
Chudochi didn’t return to the manor. Instead, he headed to a place called Jeongju Martial Hall. A martial artist at the entrance greeted him with respect. I realized this was another of their bases. The man at the door was someone I’d seen at the previous inn.
Their organization was larger than I’d anticipated.
I rented a carriage with a driver and made my way to the entrance of Jeongju. “Follow my directions from here. It’s been a while since I last came this way, so I might get a bit lost.”
“Take your time.”
Since I’d already paid for the ride until midnight, the driver was in no rush, which suited him just fine.
I tried to recall every detail from that day. It wasn’t easy. The time of day was different, altering the sounds around me. The carriage was different too, changing the feel of the road beneath us.
But my memory was sharp, and my focus was at its peak. I recalled and recalled again.
After a few wrong turns, I finally found the manor where I’d been taken. It was a small estate, far from the bustling streets.
They never expected me to find this place so soon after my release. In any battle, the element of surprise is a key tactic.
The manor was so old it didn’t even have a nameplate. It was a small, dilapidated place. You’d think an elderly couple might live there, tending to a garden. But beneath it lay something sinister.
I didn’t rush in. The real challenge wasn’t the martial artists but the traps and mechanisms. Breaking through would be difficult, and sneaking in undetected was impossible.
If I were to infiltrate from the outside, I’d only have one chance. I’d need to be ready to destroy everything and turn the place upside down.
For now, I climbed a distant tree to keep watch.
I was waiting to see if anyone would come or go. Finding out who’s behind all this? The quickest way would be to see who interacts with the Maeryeongin.
Surveillance is a test of patience, so I settled in, meditating on the tree branch as I watched.
After midnight, someone emerged from the building.
It was the Maeryeongin, followed by eight others. I recognized them as the skilled fighters I’d sensed in the hallway. They were his bodyguards.
He got into a carriage, and the men mounted horses to escort him.
Seeing him leave, I was tempted to sneak into the manor. I was dying to know what was inside those rooms.
But if I couldn’t bypass the traps or find anything useful, discovering the mastermind would be impossible. They’d all vanish. It wasn’t the right time for infiltration.
Today, my target was the Maeryeongin.
I took off like a bird, following the path of the carriage.