Book 15 Chapter 9

暗手

"Oh, my God… what the heck is going on here?"

Lim Duk-sung spoke in an astonished voice. Apparently, there was still some sense of wonder in this selfish, deceitful outlaw.

"Who the hell are those two? I didn't feel any momentum until just now……. And I can't believe that one of the three of them is you……."

His gaunt mouth was set in such a way that one wondered if his massive jaw would fall off. The name of the city, Hahusik, was paralyzing his thinking.

"Isn't that why I called them silver giants!"

Mo Jing, whose mouth was as wide open as his boss's, shouted in response, a slight hint of superiority in his voice.

Suspicion is not something that can be harbored at any time. Suspicion, worry, and thought are only possible when there is room to think. When your vision narrows, you lose that space, and your brain becomes hard and rigid. It is impossible to think properly with a brain that is hardened like a stone.

I was a little pissed off at the harshness of Moses' words, and as I cringed, the paralysis lifted and I came to my senses. Then a question arose.

"Hey, Moga?"

"What is it, boss?"

"That's all well and good, but why aren't they attacking us?"

The unwanted guests were concentrating on a small group of people, a woman and two elderly men. They didn't give them a second glance. I was relieved that they weren't getting in trouble, but this was still troubling. I felt ignored.

"Again… maybe it's because we look so weak?"

"Weak? We? No, I? You, King of the Green Forest, Lim Duk Sung?"

It was a half-question, like what kind of nonsense could he be talking about at a moment like this, but Mo Kyung nodded undeterred.

"I understand your disbelief… but think about it. When three tigers are on the rampage at the same time, who has time to pay attention to the wolves next to them? The tigers should be taken care of first."

I didn't have to ask who Nabucco the wolf was referring to. It was hard enough for him to control his own desire to use the word "dog" instead of wolf.

Normally, he would have stormed down the street in a rage, but now he was in no mood for that at all. Had he really been this insignificant……. The realization made him depressed.

"Should we… jump in?"

The King of the Green Forest stroked the dao around his waist with a crude hand. Being ignored like this made his stomach churn and his hands grow impatient. What an easy man to understand, he thought.

"Won't that be a distraction?"

Mo Jing said coldly.

"You know, they might not like it, and it might be hard for them to deal with it later if we offend them……."

"I wonder if that's the case……."

As if waiting for an uncharacteristically timid counter-question, Mokyung nodded.

"Well, they're the kind of people who could wipe out seventy-seven greenhouses if they set their minds to it, though fortunately you haven't bothered to do so yet."

Looking at it, you have to admit to yourself that you are relatively weak. I didn't realize how fortunate I was that the nuisance was a greenway.

By this time, Byeongseong-dae, who felt the strength of the well-fed aunt, was changing his tactics.

[The three of you give up, it's not enough. Aim only for An Minghu, make his destruction your priority!]

Samahon used the telegraph to urge his men to do what he should have done long ago. They have given up on destroying the witnesses and have decided to stick to their original purpose. For them, the most important thing is to stop Ahn Myung-hu from speaking. At his command, the masked men attacked relentlessly, aiming for Ahn Myung-hoo's life.

But the change in tactics didn't work. A change in tactics would be meaningless against an overwhelmingly superior force.

The three of them were still playing with the masked men as if they were toys, twirling their index fingers, thumping them with wooden sticks, and flicking their chopsticks.

"Your sword prowess hasn't diminished, nay, it's only gotten more perfect! Heart is the sword, sword is the heart, and the sword is the heart." ……. Now I can't keep up, ho ho ho ho."

The middle-aged woman laughed and began to tell a story, never stopping her chopsticks. With each swing of the chopsticks, a pure white frost-like aura emanated from their tips. The power of the frost was absolute.

"Hehe, that's a great compliment! Hearing that from you makes me feel ashamed of my studies. It must be because of the performance of my new sword, the Silver River."

If I said that with a twig I could pick up anywhere, it wouldn't be very convincing.

Once again, a few black-clad men went bad as I wielded the rumored "unholy" sword, Galactic.

No blood flowed. But no one got back up.

"It's been a long time since we've fought together like this! I miss it so much, I was so scared back then……."

A wistful smile appears on the woman's face.

"It was a very nostalgic and scary time."

The old man in white smiled softly when he remembered. The atmosphere was relaxed, as if they were having a chat over noon tea.

Elsewhere, however, the identity of the two men was met with confusion, as if struck by a divine mace.

"Yi, hey, hey, XO! Zhi, am I hearing you wrong?"

At Samahon's question, Assistant Chief Engineer Iggy shook his head in a daze.

"Hua, I definitely said that…sword…castle…sword…after…saying……."

Finally, Samahon knew the identities of the three interlopers who were interfering with his work. But how did knowing that information improve anything? It meant disaster after disaster for them.

"This is… this is ridiculous, how are they all in one place……?"

He studied the three monsters with eyes that looked as if they might burst at any moment. It wasn't just Hahusik. There was Mo Yongzheng, who still wielded a wooden stick as a joke, crippling his own men, and Yi Yuxiang, who used chopsticks to catch people instead of eating them…….

The Three Absolutes, the current reigning powerhouses, each with the power to move entire armies. Three living legends gathered in one place.

If so, they had no chance of victory unless they brought all twenty-two battalions of the Byeongseongdae. All twenty-two battalions would be used against Samseong, and they had been training for it.

There were times when I thought, "Is it really necessary? But now I can see it for sure.

'Not enough……. Twenty-two battalions are not enough! Against these monsters…….'

"That's cheating!"

Forty-seven's heart burst out in a cry of protest. It was true. But even so, his next move was simple. There was only one choice.

"Retreat, retreat, retreat! We will only be annihilated."

They were immediately evicted.

"I'm afraid you're off duty."

First Officer Iggy replied in a blunt voice.

"I'll take the blame. Do you think that continuing to operate under such dire circumstances will make this mission a success?"

This man had the situational judgment and discernment befitting his position.

"Of course not!"

Without a moment's hesitation, Iggy replied. Apparently, he had always been unhappy with his boss.

An Minghu's position was in the center of a triangle, with the city of Gongsheng, the city of Dao, and the city of Gongsheng at the apex of each of the three sides. For a man who was currently losing his mind, it was the safest place in the world.

"Then don't argue against the decision!"

Samahon shouted indignantly.

"But that's my job."

First Officer Yi replied without hesitation. He understood that the position was created to keep the captain in check, but his tone was unnecessarily offensive.

He sent a kindly glance to his second-in-command, saying he would see them when he got back (if they could get back), and ordered them to retreat immediately. They obeyed the order immediately, as if they'd been waiting for it, as speculation had noticeably diminished since they realized the identity of the three men.

"Irma, Irma, we can't let her get away."

Yi Yun sat down (she hadn't stood up since she was seated and served) and lightly waved her chopsticks in all directions, instantly sealing off any avenues for the masked men to escape.

"Okay, let's catch up on some unfinished business. First of all, where is home?"

Beneath the cotton robe, a thin smile curved the mouth of the black-haired man. It was a benevolent smile, the smile of the Kannon Bodhisattva. But to them, it was even more terrifying and creepy than that of a hellspawn.

'Is there no more road…….'

Closing his eyes tightly, Samahon thought. There was only one path he could take here.

They were machines. Captured machines are useless. It was an absolute order, etched deep into their psyche, that they must dispose of any machine that became unnecessary immediately. No unnecessary emotions, such as hesitation, were instilled in them to fulfill this command.

"The Second Coming of the Blood God!"

With a chant, Samahon bit down on the poison in his molars. He didn't hesitate for a moment, and as if the venom wasn't enough to instantly kill a beast of prey, he fired a test shot.

"Yikes!"

Noticing the turn of events, the provincial governor, Hahu Shik, threw up his hands and tried to stop it, but Samahun had already plunged his sword into his heart.

Poof!

Blood gushed like a fountain from his back.

"This one and that one! Life, what do you think of life, throwing it away as lightly as a devotion, you fools!"

Hahusik is really angry, and he can't stand it. He cannot forgive the fact that the most fundamental essence of life, to live, is so easily abandoned and given up.

They looked around, but there was no sign of the living masked man. They were obsessed with death, whether by their own hands or the hands of their coworkers. A mass suicide had taken place.

"Calm down. They are trained, brainwashed killers, just like any other servant of the Darkness, and it is difficult to remove the commands that are ingrained in their subconscious by constant repetition and hypnosis. We are the ones who know best, aren't we?"

With his quiet, deep voice, Gongsheng calmed the city. His voice was serene, as if he were reciting scripture.

"I'm sorry, I got carried away for a moment! My training is still far from complete. If I'd known it was a gang of demons, I would have defended myself……. You know better than anyone what they're doing, and you can't stop them……."

There was a hint of self-pity in his voice.

"That's the most urbane side of you, and I love that!"

The effect was absolute," said Sword Hu, with a smile as cozy as a dusk sunset. The effect was absolute.

"Hehe, is it? Only if this sister says so……."

The old man, long past his hundredth birthday, blushed like a boy and scratched the back of his head. Yi Ok-san's words must have pleased him.

Tosung stared at the deathly scene with a sharp gaze again.

"Is the Shadow of Heaven about to fall on the mighty river again……."

The corners of his wrinkled eyes darkened slightly.

"Looks like 'he' had a hunch."

Xiao Sheng said, his eyes deep in thought. He couldn't help but be concerned about this case.

"But then again, you've lost the thread."

Gum Hu said with regret. It was for failing to prevent the destruction of evidence.

"I guess we'll have to give up on getting testimony from the dead unless we can do a half-spell."

The city looked very disappointed.

"But there are still people alive, right?"

The three of them turned their gazes to the same place, where An Mingfu, still dressed in his beggar's clothes, was lying there with a stunned expression on his face.

It was the identity of these three people, not the fearsome swords of the Netherworld, that caused him to stumble and look so dazed.

"What should I do, boss, shouldn't I go and say hello?"

Although Lim Deoksung had also made a name for himself in the strongholds under the title of King of the Green Forest, the luminosity of his name was like a firefly in front of the moon compared to that of Cheonmusam-sung. Nevertheless, there were no feelings of envy or jealousy. Quite the contrary.

As a martial artist, it was rare to find someone who didn't revere the Heavenly Emperor, the savior of the Heavenly Blood Tax. Even Lin Duxiong was in awe of him, regardless of his profession or origin.

"Umm…, should I say hello again? You're famous, but you're not exactly easy to meet."

He scratched the back of his head and said, "I'm glad. It is a pleasure. To meet such an honorable man.

Nowhere to be seen is the absolute ruler of the Green Forest, the King of the Green Forest. It was a good thing there were no other subordinates around to keep his majesty from falling to the ground.

"Well, I'll give the three of you the benefit of the doubt for blurting out 'senile old men' even though you say you didn't know any better…, ugh!"

Mo-Kyung's arms were folded and her mouth was hastily closed by Lim Duk-Sung's lightning-fast hand. He glared at his sister-in-law with life in his goblin-like beaked eyes.

"You won't live to tell the tale!"

With a pale face, Lin Daxing whispered. His white face, dripping with cold sweat, was stiff with tension. The will behind those two words was very clear.

"읍읍읍……."

Mokyung nodded eagerly. He, too, did not want to be a victim of tampering with evidence.

Shake!

Ahn Myung-hu dropped to his knees on the ground and lay prostrate.

"An Mingfu, Special Inspector of the Island West Branch of the Martial League, sends his greetings to the three Heavenly Martial Saints."

"Oh dear… did I get caught again……."

There was no way we could make this much noise and not be recognized. The plan to sneak up on the volcano was apparently off the table.

"Well, it was work, so I had to get involved. And what's more, there's a heavenly being involved!"

It seemed to be bothering him.

"I'm glad you're okay."

The swordsman smiled from ear to ear. It was a voice that penetrated the heart like the scent of sweet honeysuckle, and its smile had the power to put the onlooker's mind at ease.

"This grace that has saved me, a white-knuckled mess."

An Myung-hu said with sincerity. He had been lifted from the bottom of the well of death. It was the three most prestigious men in all of Wulin who pulled up the ropes of the durevac.

"We have to help each other through the tough times."

"What have you done to be hunted down by such scoundrels? There must be a twist in the tale, seeing as your status is anything but ordinary."

An Myung-hoo nodded at Do-sung's words.

"It could have been so bad, I think I was the only one in my inspection group who survived, and I don't know what would have happened if the three of you hadn't been there……."

The supply and demand would be lying on the floor like ants. It was eerie.

"What the hell were you being chased for, and those chasers were all pretty amazing too?"

This was not something that someone who had played with such amazing players like a child would say. Ahn Myung-hoo's eyes, which had been filled with excitement, became serious again.

"That's right. We're in trouble."

"What's the big deal?"

Tosung asked.

"I'm sure you're aware that there's a volcano convention going on at Tianmu Peak right now?"

"Sure, we're on our way to see it. And then we met you here."

"Oh, that's right, I had forgotten. It's an official part of the Volcanic Council's schedule."

It was a great honor for the participants.

"But why the volcanic ash?"

Tosung seemed to be a little more short-tempered than the other two.

"It's……."

But Ahn Myung-hu didn't finish his sentence and collapsed, his eyes rolling back in his head.

Shake!

His collapsing body was hastily caught by the city.

"Hey, no supervision! Wake up! No!"

But that wasn't enough to bring him back to consciousness. I slapped her cheeks to no avail.

"What's going on?"

"Look at this!"

Gongsheng held up the stunned An Minghu's right hand. The wound where the rainwater had grazed her earlier was blackened and discolored.

"Poison!"

I couldn't think of anything else in this reaction.

"It seems to be a slow-release poison. A poison that slowly erodes the body."

"Were you hit……."

Do-Sung was stunned by the silence. I wish I had paid more attention……. It was unlikely that they would use legitimate means in the first place, especially since they had draped their entire bodies in black and disguised themselves to give their faces a fresh look. In such a rare case, it was wise not to expect it. But they were too vigilant.

No matter how great they were, it was impossible for them to interfere with what had happened in the past.

"You mean he won't go alone…….? Are they really going to take him as a companion to the afterlife?"

"You caught me off guard! I'm ashamed of my name, Heaven and Earth."

"The poison hasn't fully spread yet. He's weak, but he's not dead."

"It's a slow-acting poison."

"I can't, I have to bring him back to life!"

The three of them simultaneously brought out their zhenxin and began to infuse it with qi, using the power of their inner gong to release the toxins that were eating away at their bodies.

There was still a story to be told, and if he didn't finish it, An Myung-hu himself would die and not be able to close his eyes properly. He must not leave such bitterness in this world.

"With the combined power of the three Heavenly Martial Kings… even a dying soul can be restored. Don't underestimate them!"

It's amazing how he can talk while unleashing such a massive aura that it creates a storm of chi all around him……. And yet, he was a monster, judging by the fact that his inner qi was not disturbed.

The same hollow of the three men began to weave its way through the spiderweb-like veins of An Myung-hu's body. More and more, it began to block the progress of the poisonous qi that was seeping into the three veins and push it out.

Like a sacred fire that burns away uncleanness, the three of them began to purify An Minghu's body.

Ahn Myung-hoo's eyes, which seemed unlikely to open again, opened once more. But she wasn't fully awake yet. Her eyes were still unfocused.

"Above… Dangerous……. Above… danger……."

After saying that, Ahn Myung-hoo blacked out again.

"Hey, wake up, what's going on, what's the danger?"

Hahusik shouted in a voice that could shake a soul.

"You must have something unfinished to say, so finish it quickly and die, so you won't have any time to spare!"

Dao Sheng shouted in an earnest voice, and when it reached An Myung Hu's soul, he opened his eyes again. The three of them breathed in more intensely.

"Ugh…conspiracy…up…volcano…above…danger……. yo…for…here……."

Ahn Myung-hoo's head dropped, unable to finish the last word. He was exhausted. However, he showed no sign of awakening for the time being, as if his energy and expedition were severely damaged.

"Goodbye!"

Dao Sheng Hafu Shi quietly closed his eyes and spoke. Tears of bitterness seemed to flow from his closed eyes.

"I'm not dead yet."

Correction by Gumhoo next door.

"We're going to have to get you out of here, I've done some first aid, but I don't think we're going to be able to reassure you. Apparently you've got some pretty serious damage, not just from the poison, but from the short circuits as well. From what I heard earlier, you took a detonator……."

"Send a detonator to……."

The swordsman groaned lowly. They knew better than anyone what it did and what side effects it produced.

"You've been desperately trying to get away with all that crap."

"Maybe the situation is worse than I imagined."

"What should I do?"

"Let's get you in front of the senator. I think the first thing we need to do is restore your strength. You'll also need to fully detoxify the residue in your system and……."

First, he needs to wake up so he can figure out what happened.

"But who's going to move it?"

That's when I heard the gravelly voice next to me say…….

"I… can't you leave that to us?"

The three heads turned toward them.

"Who are you?"

Tosung asked, puzzled. It was a face he had seen before. It was the dirty-looking bastards who had been eating a short distance away from them just moments ago.

"Hehehehe……."

Lim Duk-sung and Mo-kyung, who stood off to the side, scratched the back of their heads in embarrassment and laughed hysterically.

"He's second to none when it comes to strength, as you can see, and he's also a very good listener, so please, by all means, take him as your bearer."

He pointed to the Book of Mothers with one hand, as if he were making a request for supply and demand on a tray, and spoke in a respectful voice.

"What, me, me?"

Mo Jing replied with a frown.

"So at my age, what am I supposed to do?"

My shoulders slumped as I felt my strength drain away under Lim's stern gaze.

"I, I'll do it."

I bow my head and answer.

This is why it's always a struggle.

Swordsman turned his head and looked toward where the volcano stood. Although he couldn't see it with his own eyes, his mind had already arrived at the volcano.

"What the hell is going on at the volcano right now……."

Once it was planted, the anxiety didn't go away, no matter how hard I tried to shake it off.

"I hope all is well……."

It was just a hunch, but I had a strong feeling that this volcanic event wasn't going to end well. But for now, there was nothing I could do but hope for the best.