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Chapter 109: The Gathering Storm (3)
Jin Mu-Won stared at the man with guarded eyes, and the man stared back at him without saying a word. Before they could do anything else, two people pushed their way through the crowd of warriors and walked up to Jin Mu-Won.
“Thank goodness you’re safe!”
“Master Jin.”
They were Tang Gi-Mun and Tang Mi-Ryeo.
“Master Tang, Miss Tang, who…”
“This is Dam Ju-In, a detective from the Heaven’s Summit Administration Division,” Tang Gi-Mun introduced.
The man in the light blue robe, Dam Ju-In, approached Jin Mu-Won and said, “Greetings! I am Dam Ju-In from Heaven’s Summit.”
“Jin Mu-Won.”
“It is truly an honor to meet the newest rising star of the Gangho, Master Jin.” Dam Ju-In smiled and met Jin Mu-Won’s gaze.
For a moment, Jin Mu-Won felt a strong sense of discomfort, for although Dam Ju-In was clearly smiling, his gaze was frighteningly cold.
“First of all, on behalf of Heaven’s Summit, I would like to thank you for your hard work. Without you, we wouldn’t have been able to control the scale of the Yuxi Massacre.”
“A massacre is not something that can be ‘controlled’.”
“Still, we do our best.”
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“How did you find this place?”
“We’ve been keeping a close eye on the enemy’s movements for a while, although I must say I’m surprised that you managed to find this place before us.”
Despite Jin Mu-Won’s sharp voice, Dam Ju-In wasn’t the least bit fazed. Looking at the scholarly man’s calm face, Jin Mu-Won realized that he was very used to such things.
In every organization, there are people who are in charge of cleaning up after other people’s messes. This man must be one of them. He’s someone who never loses his composure, who makes you believe that he can solve any problem, and who’s so capable that it’s hard to deal with him.
“Master Jin.”
“Speak.”
“You’ve worked hard, so why don’t you take a break and let us take care of the rest? Of course, we at Heaven’s Summit will always be grateful for your contributions.”
Jin Mu-Won frowned.
However, Dam Ju-In disregarded his opinion and continued, “While I know that Master Jin is a powerful martial artist, this is not a job for one person. Mercenary groups like the Iron Brigade are also hardly used to this kind of work. As representatives of Heaven’s Summit, we hereby volunteer to quarantine and treat these madmen in your stead.”
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“You know how to cure their madness?”
“We’re not sure yet, but I’m confident it won’t be long before we figure it out, so please trust us, Master Jin,” Dam Ju-In replied politely, though there was an undertone of intimidation in his voice. Behind him, the martial artists of the Scarlet Fog Association stood in formation and released their auras, increasing the tension in the air.
Yong Mu-Sung’s eyebrows furrowed. He didn’t like being threatened, but at the same time, he didn’t want to act rashly. The opponent was Heaven’s Summit, the ruling faction of the gangho. If he offended them, not only would the Iron Brigade lose their place in the gangho, he himself would be dragged into a lot of trouble.
Jin Mu-Won took a quick look at Yong Mu-Sung and the Iron Brigade. The looks on their faces told him that they had made their decision.
Dam Ju-In bowed to Jin Mu-Won and said, “I beg you to respect my request, Master Jin.”
Now that Dam Ju-In had come this far, Jin Mu-Won realized that he had been cleverly backed into a corner. By forgoing his pride, Dam Ju-In had taken away any excuse Jin Mu-Won might have had to refuse. Only an experienced and shrewd politician could do such a thing.
Dam Ju-In… Compared to straightforward martial artists, cunning men like him are the hardest to deal with… At this point, Jin Mu-Won realized it was time for him to step down.
“I’ll leave the rest of the victims to you, then.”
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“Thank you. I swear on the honor of Heaven’s Summit that we will resolve this matter with utmost sincerity. By the way…” Dam Ju-In’s gaze fell on the black box in Jin Mu-Won’s hand. “That box is emitting a very powerful poison. Is that the cause of the madness?”
“……”
“Would you mind handing it over to us for analysis? Once we know the cause, it will be easier to treat the patients.”
“Rather than Heaven’s Summit, I think Master Tang would be more suited to the task.”
“Of course, we will invite Master Tang to take part in the study of the poison. Until then, please rest assured that it will be safe in my hands.” Dam Ju-In extended a hand to Jin Mu-Won.
Jin Mu-Won looked at Tang Gi-Mun, who sighed and nodded in resignation.
He handed the black box to Dam Ju-In, saying, “I sincerely hope you can find a cure for the madness.”
“Don’t worry, Master Jin. We are Heaven’s Summit.”
“I see. Then…”
As Jin Mu-Won made to leave, Dam Ju-In suddenly added, “Please stop by Heaven’s Summit sometime in the future, Master Jin. I’m sure the people at the top would be delighted to meet you. I’ll leave a message with the guards at the outer courtyard, so feel free to come whenever you feel like it.”
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“I’ll think about it.”
“The gates of Heaven’s Summit are always open, Master Jin,” Dam Ju-In deliberately remarked, before turning around and returning to his work.
Jin Mu-Won watched him go for a while before also leaving, Tang Gi-Mun and the Iron Brigade trailing after him.
As soon as Jin Mu-Won was out of earshot, the polite smile on Dam Ju-In’s face vanished. He coldly looked in the direction where Jin Mu-Won had disappeared and asked, “Jin Mu-Won, was it? I’ve definitely heard the name before somewhere, but is he really the last survivor of the now defunct Iron Sword Sect?”
“Yes. I’ve confirmed it with the Black Moon, so it must be true,” one of Dam Ju-In’s henchmen replied. Whether it was Heaven’s Summit or Dam Ju-In personally, the Black Moon was one of their most trusted sources of information.
The Iron Sword Sect was a small sect that had operated for several decades in Jinchang City, Gansu Province. Unfortunately, the area was so inhospitable that they couldn’t take on many disciples and fell into decline, before finally dissolving and becoming forgotten. The only notable thing about them was their swordsmanship, which was rumored to be so great that before the sect’s lineage was cut off, few sects within Gansu could rival them.
“If he is indeed the heir to the Iron Sword Sect, then the fact that he traveled south with the White Dragon Merchant Association makes sense, but somehow, I have a feeling there’s more to it.”
“If it bothers you, we can get rid of him right away…”
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“It’s not that easy, especially now that he’s no longer an unknown nobody. We should focus on our own mission and leave him to the rest of the Administration Division. What happened here must not be allowed to leak out.”
“Yes sir!”
“Take care not to leave the slightest trace of our involvement.”
“Yes sir, I’ll start right away,” the henchman replied grimly, then left to organize the Scarlet Fog Association warriors.
Finally alone, Dam Ju-In squeezed the black box in his grip until it shattered. “The Silent Night… Well done. Thanks to you, I’m going to have a huge headache cleaning up this bullshit,” he mumbled.
A solitary figure walked alone across a barren wasteland with not a blade of grass or tree in sight, leaving deep footprints in his wake as he dragged a heavy black coffin behind him. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but reddish-brown earth. The strong wind rattled his bones, and the sky was the color of ash, as if a storm were about to strike.
Judging by the man’s loose black robe and the shiny silver spear on his back, he could only be the Silent Night’s Black-Winged Divine Spear.
He paused and let out a sigh. His legs felt abnormally heavy. As a practitioner of demonic arts, his chi was heavily contaminated and could not be used for prolonged periods of time. Furthermore, more than the weight of the coffin he was dragging, it was the weight of the karma crushing his chest that slowed his progress.
“Hoo…” He steadied his ragged breathing and continued walking.
Half a day later, he finally saw his destination: a small village nestled at the base of a large cliff. A river of ochre-colored water flowed in front of the village, and only a long rope connected the cliffside village to the outside world.
The Black-Winged Divine Spear regarded the village for a moment. Even though the village at the base of the cliffs consisted mostly of simple grass huts, the streets were spotless, and the trees planted throughout the village were well cared for. He tied the coffin to his back, grabbed the rope and quickly rappelled down the cliff. Interestingly, the thin rope did not snap or fray despite the extra weight.
As soon as the Black-Winged Divine Spear appeared on the street, the doors and windows of the houses opened one by one, and the townspeople came out to greet him. However, when they noticed the black coffin on his back, the joy on their faces was instantly replaced by horror.
The grim look on the Black-Winged Divine Spear’s face was contagious. The village quickly fell silent, and not a single person dared to speak to him.
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He walked through the village and knocked on the door of the grass hut in the middle of the village. A moment later, an elderly bard who appeared to be in his late fifties opened the door.
“Welcome ba… No, it can’t be?!” The bard was about to greet the Black-Winged Divine Spear when he saw the black coffin.
“I’m sorry.”
The Black-Winged Divine Spear only apologized, but the old bard instinctively understood what had happened. “I knew…it would end like this. Come in,” he said, his voice shaking.
The Black-Winged Divine Spear sighed inwardly and entered the old bard’s home, which was even more austere than it appeared from the outside. There was not a single piece of furniture inside, except for a few musical instruments like a pipa and a qin. He carefully placed the black coffin on the floor.
With trembling hands, the old bard opened the coffin, revealing Geum Dan-Yeop’s corpse. He reached out and slowly caressed the young man’s face. The icy feeling on his fingertips brought tears to his eyes.
“Dan-Yeop.”
Geum Dan-Yeop had been his favorite disciple. He had raised the child ever since he was a baby and even changed his diapers personally. In turn, the child had loved him like his own parent and soaked in everything he’d taught him like a sponge.
Occasionally, he had been concerned that Geum Dan-Yeop was too bright for his own good, but the boy had always been independent and cautious, so he’d dismissed his worries as irrational. He hoped that his student would quietly live a normal life, but Geum Dan-Yeop was never a bird that he could keep caged.
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Thus, he wasn’t suprised that when he had matured both as an adult and as a martial artist, Geum Dan-Yeop had urged them all to go outside. The young people eagerly agreed with him, but the older ones strongly opposed the idea. Unable to fulfill his desire, he took his young followers with him and went out into the world.
Now he has finally returned, but as a cold corpse. Looking at his lifeless disciple, the old bard felt like his heart was being torn to shreds. He mourned for a while, then looked up at the Black-Winged Divine Spear with bloodshot eyes and demanded, “Who was it? Who did this to my child?”
“A boy named Jin Mu-Won. The last heir of the Northern Army.”
“Jin Mu-Won of the Northern Army. To think that our bad karma has been passed on to the next generation!” The old bard stood up, a tremendous aura radiating from him. He was the former Celestial Sound Demon (天空音魔), Yoon Cheon-Hak, and he was furious.
Sensing the old bard’s killing intent, the Black-Winged Divine Spear narrowed his eyes.
“As an elder of the Silent Night, I hereby formally request a grand assembly. I want all Four Great Demon Lords present, not a single one missing!”
“You…”
“This child may have fallen, but I will not let his dreams die with him.”
The Black-Winged Divine Spear looked at Geum Dan-Yeop’s body. In the end, you got what you wanted. Are you satisfied, Dan-Yeop? Now that Yoon Cheon-Hak has called for a grand assembly, every warrior of the Silent Night will come out of hiding and the world will fall into chaos once again.
“Hoo…” The Black-Winged Divine Spear sighed softly, unheard by anyone else. He moved a hand to his shoulder, flinching at the sudden sting of pain when he touched it.
The Northern Blade.
The wound Jin Mu-Won had inflicted on him was not healing.