Episode 76: The Dead Chase the Living Away

A flurry of needles sliced through the air at an incredible speed, yet the man in black didn’t stop. He let out a small groan, limping away as if something had gone wrong.

But that was all the opportunity Tang Mujin needed. He quickened his pace, catching up with his target before they could escape the alley.

The man in black was so terrified he didn’t even dare to look back. Yet he could feel Tang Mujin’s presence closing in on him.

“Spare me, please!”

Without hesitation, Tang Mujin swung his sword. This situation arose because he hadn’t killed the man when he should have. Mercy was not an option.

He felt the blade tear through flesh and pierce the heart. The man in black collapsed, blood gushing from his body.

Tang Mujin bore no personal grudge against him. In fact, they had exchanged a few words, forming a slight acquaintance. But the man was part of the Salmak, and that alone absolved Tang Mujin of any guilt. Is this just human nature?

He glanced up at the sky. Judging by the stars, it was nearing the end of the hour. The streets were deserted, and no one seemed to have noticed the scuffle.

Tang Mujin was about to leave the body behind but decided to hoist it over his shoulder and head for a more secluded area. His shoulder quickly became damp.

About ten needles were embedded in the corpse. Considering he had fired at least several dozen, more than half had missed. The distance had made it inevitable.

Moreover, the needles were so thin that even if they hit areas like the back, arms, or buttocks, they weren’t lethal. However, one needle had lodged itself in a peculiar spot—deep in the back of the knee. That was why the man couldn’t run properly.

The killing power of the Heavenly Needle Launcher was lacking, but Tang Mujin saw potential.

The device was much smaller than a bow or slingshot, and its structure was hard to discern at a glance. It could fire many needles at once, and they flew at high speed.

The problem was the needles were too thin and light, lacking power. But that could be remedied.

‘What if these weren’t ordinary needles but poisoned ones? Or if I shot sharp metal shards or blades instead?’

At close range, a barrage of poisoned needles would be nearly impossible to defend against, even for a skilled fighter.

Had Tang Mujin known the true capabilities of the Heavenly Needle Launcher, he wouldn’t have thrown a dagger at the Salmak branch leader. He would have coated the needles with poison and ended it all the moment they met.

‘I’ll have to ask Danselyeong to make another one. If I help, maybe we can improve it.’

Tang Mujin laid the body down at the foot of a mountain and straightened his back.

The sweat that had unknowingly trickled down his spine had dried, leaving a cool sensation against his skin. It was a stark reminder of how reckless his actions had been today.

Even dealing with just a few members of a single branch of the Salmak had been fraught with danger.

Yet he felt no urge to give up. Instead, he saw possibilities.

‘Even though I rushed in, I achieved my goal. If I hone my skills and prepare thoroughly, maybe I can take down the Salmak’s leadership.’

His heart raced with excitement. Bringing down the infamous Salmak would surely please his mentor.

The goal was set.

Now, he needed to return home and train.

Tang Mujin glanced back one last time before leaving Jeweon behind.

At the onset of spring, the leader of the Salmak, Heukjeop, was having a particularly troubling day. Two carrier pigeons had arrived in quick succession, each bearing unsettling news.

The first pigeon came from Hainan Province.

Salmak’s assassins were required to report regularly if a mission dragged on.

If it was a branch mission, they reported to the branch leader; if it was a central mission, they reported to the main headquarters.

This way, they could track the mission’s progress and ensure it was proceeding smoothly.

The mission to eliminate the mysterious figure was led by the main headquarters, so reports were supposed to go to Heukjeop. The reports came every two weeks, sometimes monthly.

Initially, Heukjeop hadn’t paid much attention. But then the reports stopped altogether.

A month and a half after the last report, Heukjeop realized something had gone wrong with the team.

He quickly assembled a team to assess the situation in Qinghai Province. The results of their investigation were in the first pigeon’s message.

[All six members of the mysterious figure elimination team confirmed dead.]

Heukjeop clutched his head. The Salmak had suddenly lost five top-tier assassins and one first-rate assassin.

Even across the entire Salmak, there were only ten top-tier fighters. A number comparable to a major martial arts sect.

But losing half of them on a single mission was a devastating blow.

‘I thought losing even one would be too many.’

With five top-tier fighters against one target, casualties should have been minimal.

Given the unpredictable nature of the mysterious figure, Heukjeop had anticipated that one might die or be incapacitated.

And even if one did, the potential gain outweighed the loss, in Heukjeop’s judgment.

The stakes were high, and the mysterious figure’s reputation was formidable.

For a group like the Salmak, their influence and notoriety were directly tied to the prestige of their targets.

Yes, he had considered the possibility that, if things went terribly wrong, two might die. That would be a loss, but an acceptable risk.

‘But all of them? How is that even possible?’

Heukjeop pressed his temples and opened the second pigeon’s message.

The second message was longer, but no less troubling. In fact, it might be even worse.

[Jeweon Branch in Henan Province. Branch leader, deputy leader, and one second-rate assassin killed. Perpetrator unknown.]

The Salmak’s notoriety was well-known. Occasionally, their branches were attacked.

If a family member or friend was killed by a Salmak assassin, it was only natural for revenge to be sought.

The problem was that it was the Jeweon Branch in Henan Province that was attacked.

Heukjeop read the rest of the message.

[The faces of the branch leader and deputy leader were discolored, likely poisoned.]

[On the same night, Baek Chuseo, head of the Baek family in Jeweon, was also killed by an unknown assailant. Collecting the remaining payment will be difficult.]

The reconnaissance team, including the mysterious figure elimination team, was entirely wiped out.

The branch leader who accepted the assassination mission was dead, poisoned no less.

The client who ordered the assassination, Baek Chuseo, was also dead.

Heukjeop wasn’t a fool; he could easily deduce what these events meant.

The assassination mission had failed, and even a mutual destruction attempt had failed. The mysterious figure had returned triumphantly, killing everyone involved.

’…Could it be that the mysterious figure has broken through to the supreme level?’

When faced with life and death, martial artists sometimes reach new heights. It was possible the mysterious figure had ascended to the supreme realm during the fight.

Even if he hadn’t, it made little difference. If he could single-handedly kill five top-tier fighters, how was he any different from a supreme martial artist?

Heukjeop summoned his most trusted subordinate.

“Heukmyo.”

“You called for me.”

“Send word to all branches. Keep an eye out for any healer or martial artist matching the mysterious figure’s description. If spotted, withdraw immediately and report to the nearest branch and headquarters.”

“Understood.”

“And gather all remaining top-tier fighters at headquarters. Prepare for a possible attack.”

“Understood.”

No sane person, no matter how confident in their skills, would attack the Salmak’s headquarters. It would be like poking a hornet’s nest with bare hands.

But the mysterious figure was not someone who could be judged by common sense. With an unpredictable madman, caution was the best policy.

“What about the missions the high-ranking assassins were on?”

“Complete only those that can be finished quickly. Cancel all long-term or unstarted missions. It’s too dangerous if they encounter the mysterious figure.”

“As you command.”

Once Heukmyo left, Heukjeop let out a deep sigh.

His chest felt tight, as if something was blocking it.

’…I should have never taken on such a dubious mission.’

Heukjeop closed his eyes, pondering where the mysterious figure might appear next.

He had no clue.

The tightness in Heukjeop’s chest grew a little more.

Just as the dead Zhuge Liang had once driven away Sima Yi, the deceased mysterious figure was now haunting Heukjeop.

Meanwhile, Tang Mujin was heading south, leaving Jeweon behind. His destination was his hometown, Chengdu in Sichuan Province.

There were essentially two routes to return home.

He could take a boat upriver along the Yangtze or travel through the Han River region into Sichuan.

Dang Mujin chose to travel upstream along the Yangtze River. He had never been to the Han River region, and he knew that reaching Han River would mean a long trek through the mountains.

In contrast, taking a boat upstream on the Yangtze meant he wouldn’t have to worry about getting lost, and it would be much more comfortable. For Dang Mujin, there was no reason to hesitate.

Yet, his mind was not at ease.

Even though he had left no witnesses after the attack on the Jeweon branch, he couldn’t shake the feeling that an assassin might appear out of nowhere. With his life on the line, he couldn’t afford to be careless.

Just as the dead Gwai had relentlessly pursued the Black Butterfly without realizing Dang Mujin’s presence, it felt as if an unseen assassin was now pursuing him. But neither the assassin nor Dang Mujin had any way to fully grasp the situation.

In the end, Dang Mujin decided to drop a character from his name and disguise himself as a young merchant with the surname Jin.

He figured that if he posed as a young martial artist or a skilled physician, the assassin might suspect a connection to Gwai and follow him.

As they walked, a fellow merchant casually spoke to Dang Mujin.

“Hey, Brother Jin. I heard you carved a face for Mr. Geum yesterday? Think you could do mine when you have some time?”

“Of course.”

“Thanks. Your load looks heavy. Let me help you with that. I’ll put it on my mule.”

“Oh, thank you so much.”

Blending in with the traveling merchants wasn’t difficult. A young man who was polite and showed some skill was easily accepted by the weary traders.

Dang Mujin’s skill was woodworking. Many people whittled small pieces of wood with a knife in their spare time, so it didn’t arouse suspicion.

As he walked, he would carve simple figures, and by evening, he would craft more elaborate pieces to win the merchants’ favor.

Some merchants even offered him coins for his carvings, and Dang Mujin didn’t refuse. The fare to travel up the Yangtze to Chengdu wasn’t cheap.

However, the merchants’ route and Dang Mujin’s path didn’t align for long.

The merchants planned to head east towards Nanjing and Suzhou, while Dang Mujin needed to continue south to catch a boat on the Yangtze.

After parting ways with the merchants in a town with the unfamiliar name of Yecheng, Dang Mujin patiently waited for another group heading south.

On the second day, he found a caravan traveling in the right direction.

It was a sizable group with some space on their carts, promising a more comfortable journey once he joined them.

Dang Mujin approached a merchant who seemed to be in charge.

“Sir, I heard you’re heading towards Huaining. May I join you?”

“We are going to Huaining, but how can I trust you?”

Dang Mujin discreetly slipped a small silver ingot from his pocket and offered it.

It was a modest sum compared to the merchant’s wealth, but it was more than enough to show sincerity from a young trader. The merchant’s expression softened.

“Seems like you’ve made some money, young man.”

“I bought jade rings cheaply in Shandong and sold them in Shaanxi. Didn’t make as much as I hoped, though.”

Dang Mujin improvised, and the merchant clicked his tongue.

“Tsk. Jade rings, huh? You’re lucky you didn’t lose money. If you’re traveling between those places, it’s better to trade pearls from Shandong. Even low-quality pearls fetch three times the price in Shaanxi. And when going back, take cotton cloth from Shaanxi to Shandong.”

“I didn’t know that. I walked my feet off trying to make a profit with jade rings, and now I’ve got a foot ailment to show for it.”

Dang Mujin exaggerated a limp.

It was a mistake any inexperienced merchant might make, and the merchant lightly clicked his tongue, pointing to an empty cart.

“There’s some space on the cart, so you can ride there. But in two days, we’ll be loading it again, so you’ll have to make other arrangements then.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Initially wary, the merchant was now quite accommodating.

Dang Mujin smiled broadly and settled onto the cart, taking in his surroundings.

There were many people. Besides a few who looked like merchants, there were five guards with swords at their waists and nearly twenty porters carrying large loads.

One person, in particular, caught Dang Mujin’s eye.

Just before their eyes met, one of the porters with a large load subtly stepped back, hiding his face.

‘An assassin? No, how could they have known I’d join this caravan and planted an assassin here?’

Still, he felt uneasy.

Dang Mujin placed his belongings on the cart and limped over to the porter.

The porter kept his face covered with his hand, turning his head this way and that. But he couldn’t avoid Dang Mujin’s persistent gaze forever. The outline of his face peeked through his fingers.

That face seemed strangely familiar.

‘Huh…?’

Dang Mujin seized the opportunity to try and uncover the porter’s hand.

It seemed like a simple move, but it was imbued with the subtlety of the Secret Palm and the White Lotus Divine Fist, making it impossible for an ordinary person to evade.

However, the porter countered with a gesture equally steeped in martial arts, shaking off Dang Mujin’s hand.

The porter’s face remained hidden, but this only solidified Dang Mujin’s suspicion.

He leaned in and whispered softly into the porter’s ear.

“Namgung Myung, what are you doing here…?”