Episode 185: The Gentlemen of the Night

Dang Mujin and his companions had discreetly subdued two top martial artists. They had pressed their acupoints, ensuring they would remain in a deep sleep until the sun was high in the sky.

The group couldn’t help but praise Hong Geolgae.

“Hong Geolgae, that was some impressive work.”

“Absolutely. They followed you like chicks trailing after a mother hen, completely oblivious.”

“Even Master Sam Anbul couldn’t have lured them in so stealthily.”

A first-rate martial artist has the ability to make even the most skilled opponents drop their guard just by their presence.

No one could deny Hong Geolgae’s overwhelming performance. Yet, he seemed less than thrilled, his expression somewhat sour.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s… nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

Though they could guess the reason, a true friend knows when to let things be.

With their worries set aside, Dang Mujin and his group headed to the office of the Manor Lord.

A thought suddenly crossed Dang Mujin’s mind.

“Surely, the Manor Lord isn’t still in his office, right?”

“He must have gone to bed. And even if he is there, it doesn’t matter.”

How could it not matter? But Namgung Myung’s confident expression left no room for doubt in Dang Mujin’s mind.

The four of them pressed their ears to the office door, holding their breath. Thankfully, there was no sign of anyone inside.

Namgung Myung whispered as he grasped the sliding door handle.

“Alright, I’m opening it.”

They all clenched their fists. Whether the bag was on the table would determine their success.

As the door slowly opened, revealing the office, they collectively held their breath.

“There it is!”

The bag was right where they hoped it would be. Namgung Myung couldn’t contain his excitement.

“The Manor Lord must have been truly troubled. This is perfect!”

His words sounded oddly like trash talk, but that was beside the point. Dang Mujin and Hyun Gong carefully approached the table and opened the bag.

Inside, it was filled with gold, its weight substantial.

They hadn’t fully realized it before, as it was usually Yu Jin-gwang who carried it, but the gold weighed as much as an average person.

The sheer amount of gold felt almost surreal.

Excluding Namgung Myung, who had only one arm, the three of them divided the contents of the bag and shouldered their shares.

Hyun Gong lifted and lowered the bag repeatedly, savoring its hefty weight.

“To think the Manor Lord’s burden has lightened this much. It’s quite satisfying.”

“Don’t get too comfortable yet. We still need to get over the wall to finish this.”

The four of them quietly slipped out of the Manor Lord’s office.

Just then, they realized that people were approaching the office.

“What’s this? Have we been discovered?”

They glanced at the two they had put to sleep. They were still hidden and sound asleep.

Hong Geolgae, looking puzzled, spoke up.

“This shouldn’t be happening. How did they find out?”

“Let’s figure that out later. For now, we need to move!”

The four of them moved as stealthily as possible, keeping an eye on the approaching figures.

Fortunately, it seemed the people hadn’t yet figured out where they were headed.

“How many do you think there are?”

“Probably over thirty, but I can’t tell their skill level. Most are likely second or first-rate, but…”

It wouldn’t be surprising if a few top martial artists were among them. Dang Mujin spoke in a low voice.

“Should we ditch the gold and make a run for it?”

Namgung Myung vehemently opposed the idea.

“Losing the target means losing the game. Never give up, even in the worst-case scenario.”

“Think about it. If we get caught and dragged back to the Namgung family, your father won’t just stop at taking an arm this time.”

“Don’t worry about failure. Don’t let fear take hold. Defeat and surrender can become habits if you’re not careful… Wait, they’re coming from the front!”

Two figures leaped down from the roof of the building ahead, blocking their path. Namgung Myung and Hyun Gong instinctively drew their swords to face them.

As their swords clashed, they could gauge their opponents’ skills even in the dark.

‘Their skill level is mid to upper first-rate.’

Under normal circumstances, Namgung Myung and Hyun Gong would have dispatched them in a few moves, but now they were avoiding lethal strikes.

Even showing just that level of skill was enough to unsettle their opponents.

“These guys are formidable!”

“Hold them off as long as you can! Intruders are here!”

Namgung Myung and Hyun Gong carefully maneuvered, pressuring their opponents before using a technique to immobilize them. It didn’t take long to subdue and seal their acupoints.

But the commotion was a problem. People who had been patrolling the Manor Lord’s office were now rushing toward Dang Mujin and his group.

Dang Mujin grumbled.

“Why didn’t you just cut them down instead of going through the trouble of sealing their acupoints?”

“If we harm them, we’re no longer gentlemen of the night but common thieves.”

The approaching crowd’s skill level wasn’t impressive, but their numbers were too great to ignore. It was beyond what they could handle.

“Damn it, more are coming!”

With the manor being vast and wealthy, it was no surprise that it was well-guarded.

As they faced the threat of being surrounded, Namgung Myung urgently whispered.

“Dang Mujin, do something!”

“Why me?”

“You’re the only one who can use poison without killing! Got anything?”

There was a way. He had paralyzing and non-lethal poisons. But there was a serious issue.

“No way! If I use poison, they’ll know I was involved!”

He was on the verge of becoming a notorious thief instead of a proud husband and father.

But Namgung Myung’s voice was full of confidence.

“No, they won’t!”

“Why wouldn’t they?”

“You said you’re the only one who saw the body of the old master, right? When people think of poison, they’ll think of the old master or assassins, not you.”

“But what if…”

“Besides, it’s not widely known that you use poison. Just don’t use needles, and you’ll be fine.”

It was a tempting suggestion. Those affected by the poison wouldn’t know what hit them, and if he used a quickly dissipating poison, there’d be no trace.

And if he didn’t accept this plan, they’d have to abandon the gold and flee, which was now too tempting to leave behind.

As Dang Mujin hesitated, Namgung Myung shouted.

“Come on, hurry! If anything goes wrong, I’ll take responsibility!”

“Alright!”

He wasn’t sure how Namgung Myung planned to take responsibility, but such words had a way of instilling confidence.

Dang Mujin thought quickly.

‘No needles. How do I poison a crowd?’

An idea came to him. He secured the money pouch to his waist, closed his eyes, and felt the direction of the breeze. It was faint but favorable.

‘Leave no evidence. Make it so subtle they won’t even realize it’s poison.’

In his palms, he gathered the essence of Daebokpi, not poison.

Instead of applying it to a weapon or needle, he gently waved his hands, as if performing a delicate dance. It was a way to release the essence into the air.

With each sway of his sleeves, a fragrant scent spread, reminiscent of damp earth or blossoming flowers.

It wasn’t a threatening aura, nor was it poison. The people approaching felt no danger from the Daebokpi essence.

Dang Mujin spoke.

“Stay sharp, and be careful not to inhale the next essence.”

Then, the essence from his hands changed. It was the essence extracted from the spleen of a bustard.

Bustards are large birds that consume toxic insects. While not poisonous themselves, their spleen and other parts can be used medicinally.

The problem is, when the essence of a bustard’s spleen mixes with Daebokpi, it can quickly cause unconsciousness.

‘The bustard’s spleen is rare, but it’s nothing compared to this gold.’

The people surrounding them, having inhaled the Daebokpi essence, felt no unease as they closed in.

A first-rate martial artist, eager to lead, shouted.

“Alright, let’s take them down! One, two—”

But before he could say three, he inhaled the faint essence of the bustard.

“Three…”

At that moment, the two essences mixed within him, and his world spun.

A martial artist of his caliber could usually expel most toxins, but this wasn’t poison until it entered his body and transformed.

Starting with the first man, it took less than three breaths for everyone surrounding them to collapse, leaving the area eerily silent.

The scene was so bizarrely effective that Hyun Gong and Hong Geolgae stared at Dang Mujin in shock.

“What just happened? How did you do that?”

“When you’re at my level, you have a few tricks up your sleeve.”

Namgoong Myung was taken aback after asking Dang Mujin to unleash his poison technique. He had requested a solution, but he hadn’t anticipated such a powerful effect.

Dang Mujin’s poison technique defied common sense. It was now clear why Sam Anbul had advised him to keep it hidden.

“He’s not dead, is he?”

“Of course not. He’ll wake up in less than a quarter of an hour. Move quickly!”

The four of them sprinted towards the wall of the Mangum Manor, ignoring the eyes of onlookers. Once they crossed that wall, everything would be over.

They leaped over the wall with ease.

But then, something bizarre happened. As soon as they crossed, the interior of the Mangum Manor unfolded before them again, as if they had just entered it.

”…What?”

Without a word, they all checked their money pouches. They were still heavy, the gold inside clinking reassuringly. They hadn’t imagined robbing the manor’s office.

They turned back and jumped over the wall again, only to land inside the manor once more.

It was as if they were caught in a ghostly trap. Dang Mujin and Namgoong Myung were at a loss to explain what was happening.

However, Hyun Gong, the Taoist among them, realized what was going on. It was a spell, specifically an array formation.

Of course, just because Hyun Gong was a Taoist didn’t mean he could perform such spells.

Taoist magic required a sharp mind and innate talent, and even then, mastering just one or two techniques took relentless effort. Few in even the largest Taoist sects could wield such power.

But there was one sect that trained in both martial arts and Taoist magic: the Kunlun Sect.

Hyun Gong shouted, “Someone’s using magic!”

At that moment, a figure emerged from behind a nearby building, accompanied by a leisurely chuckle.

The man appeared to be around sixty, clearly trained in martial arts, yet unusually plump. His attire was slightly shabby, and he lacked the fan that symbolized a Kunlun Taoist.

Yet, given the circumstances, it was clear he was the one casting the spell.

As the group’s attention focused on him, the Taoist wore an unexpectedly non-hostile expression.

“It’s been a while, Hong…”

But before the mysterious Taoist could finish his sentence, Namgoong Myung’s figure silently appeared behind him and struck the back of his neck.

With a choked sound, the Taoist collapsed, and Hong Geolgae shouted, eyes wide with shock.

“Master!”