Book 18 Chapter 5

Changeling Man (變聲男子)

-Dragon, falling to the ground

"Chief Blood Mark, what are you waiting for? Was the mission the headquarters gave you to subdue the Yu family, or was it just a chat?"

A voice that vibrated through the entire battlefield. The sound came from outside the door, but it was as clear as if it had come from the ground. Proof that the caster's skill was exceptional. At that moment, the head of the masked figure that was facing Yue Yang snapped around. The majestic figure that had been standing there a moment ago had disappeared as soon as he turned his head. The simple act of turning his head, using his collarbone and the muscles clustered around it, seemed to have the power to change a person. It was a look that made me wonder if he was eating his fear.

The masked figures blocking the entrance parted to the left and right in unison, and a figure stepped through.

"Dae, boss!"

Seeing the restlessness of the bloodline and hearing the title, Yoo Jae Ryong groaned inwardly.

"Is this the real Big Bread?

But…….

"Huh?

Something wasn't right.

Yue Yang narrowed his eyes and studied the figure who had entered the hall. The better you knew your opponent, the more advantageous it was to you, whether in battle or in business.

This man, called the Captain, had a subtle difference in dress from the other masked men. It was hard to tell since it was nighttime, and nocturnal people don't usually display their identities overtly. Still, I could tell he was the real deal. The one who had flirted with him a moment ago was only an assistant manager, but he was called the chief manager, so he must be the second best among them, but he still lacked a lot compared to this one. His qi was completely different. There were still many things in this world that could not be covered by a single layer of black cloth, and prayer was one of them. However, it was not the appearance of a powerful enemy that caused Yue Yang to panic.

'Well, no…….'

I felt like I'd met him before, the big man in the mask. It was definitely a familiar aura. A familiar, albeit highly altered, feeling. Tens of thousands of question marks rose and fell in the void of my mind, suspicion bubbling up like a dark cloud.

"Familiar?

How could he not be dumbfounded by this feeling of familiarity, a feeling that must have been so wrong, even with the wrong choice of words. The unbearable disparity made him want to spit. He wanted to spit it out, but the feeling was just a feeling, and his mind was foggy and indistinct, so he couldn't identify what he was feeling.

"Let me ask you one question."

Yoo said. He wanted to confirm this sensation somehow.

"I have no comment."

It was a raspy, muffled voice that was unpleasant to listen to, a minor fact that could have been overlooked, but Yoo didn't.

"Do you have a sore throat, or is that your usual hogwash?"

When you asked the question in the first place, you didn't ask it because you had a specific question in mind, but because you wanted to hear the voice of the killer first. So any answer would have been irrelevant. However, the assassin sensed this and was modulating his voice.

"It's always hard on the extremities. I've been overworked lately, and my body has become very weak. You must understand. I don't have much time left."

The Masked One shouted back. It was the same altered voice. The first time I saw it, I thought it was suspicious that he had altered his voice while wearing a creepy mask. If he changed his voice on purpose, it meant he was cunning. Does that mean he's someone I know well enough to be wary of? With that thought in mind, I couldn't keep still any longer. It didn't matter; he was about to leave. He had already made up his mind. A merchant must know what he can trade and what he cannot. He had no intention of coming all this way to save his life again.

"Well, you asked me to understand, so I tried to understand, but unfortunately, I don't understand you at all. Have we met before?"

Hmmm!

It was an excruciatingly brief moment, but he didn't miss the twitch of the cloaked figure's body in response. Verbal answers are not necessarily answers. On the contrary, nonverbal answers were far more believable than the irresponsible words that rolled off the tongue.

"I suppose we've met before, haven't we?"

"Well, do I really need to know that?"

The masked man was saying something unspoken, "Why bother when you're going to die anyway?

"If you're still balking, why don't you just teach it to me, like it's your last gift?"

Yoo Jae-Ryong vowed to himself that even in death, he must reveal his identity.

"Self-determination, and I'll teach you!"

Yoo's face crumpled when he heard the answer.

"I'll pass on that, no matter how curious you are."

He then focused his attention on his hearing. Even though he was intentionally changing his voice, human speech patterns don't change that easily. He tried to lengthen the conversation, but was unsuccessful. The Masked Man's speech was too short to capture any features, so we couldn't use his voice to reveal his identity. However, there were still other options available.

"Very well, then give me your first name, that's the least you can do, I don't even want your real name, what is your name now?"

"Sal, the dragon! Flesh Dragon, leader of the Flesh Dragon Army! That is my name now."

The masked man's reply was short, but it was enough to unleash his pent-up anger. Fire flashed in Yue Yang's eyes. There was no need to wait any longer. There is a habit that is even harder to hide than a habit of speech. It's called martial arts. A martial artist's herbivorousness doesn't just mean his swordplay. The person's entire life is embedded in it. The training, the experience, and the life of cutting bones are woven into it. Mastering the martial arts is a process of integrating oneself completely into the form of the martial arts, or vice versa. The martial art was the face of the person who mastered it, and it represented their very existence.

"Black is honest!

There is no sound more honest than the clash of sword against sword, steel against steel.

It is. You'll know it when you see it.

"Out with the Blue Dragon!"

Straightening his sword, Yue Yang's newest creation shot toward the masked hulk. Like a dragon slashing through water, the Blue Dragon Sword spiraled and shot toward Salrong's heart. Just as the tip of the blade was about to devour its heart, the flesh dragon drew a sword from its belt. It was the Dragon Sword.

Boom!

Boom!

"Suck!"

Yue Yang's eyes widened as he heard an eardrum-shattering roar. The drawing of the sword, which had yet to be drawn, had blocked the Blue Dragon Sword's path without a single error. It was a perfect defense that seemed to pierce through all the vegetation of the 'Blue Dragon Outbreak'.

"Oh, my God!"

Yue Yang hastily backed away, flipping Xin Xing in midair a couple of times. Instead of chasing after him in panic, Shi Yan leisurely finished drawing his sword and let it hang down casually, then raised his left hand and gestured twice.

"Wow!"

Yoo's anger at the complete disregard for him exploded.

"Oh, I thought you'd never come!"

Yue Yang gripped the sword with such force that he was bleeding, and his inner qi increased even more. It was as if he didn't care if it dried up.

"Take it!"

Yoo Jae-Ryong's first meal was the eighth herb of the blue dragon's thirteen herbs. Meaning "dragon's tooth tears the clouds," this herb is one of the most aggressive of the three.

Land! Chararang! Chachang!

This time, however, Salyong only needed to move his sword a couple of times with one hand, and all the sword herbs from both hands were swept away. Once again, Yue Yue's Blue Dragon Sword Technique magically evaporated with a few gestures from Salyong. The most surprising thing was that he still hadn't moved a step from his spot.

Yoo couldn't help but be stunned by this unbelievable reality. A sense of crisis overcame him, as he realized that he was about to be defeated before he could figure out his opponent's moves.

"Da, again, it was just a momentary slip of the hand earlier, I won't fail this time!"

Then the dragon sneered and said.

"Doing it again, not dozens of times, but hundreds of times, won't change the outcome, Yoo Jae Ryong! You're helpless, so surrender your keys! How much more miserable do you have to be before you get the message?"

'Let's stay calm, we can't fall for his taunts. Let's find him.

Instead of answering, Yoo closed his eyes. Of course, closing your eyes during a confrontation was a very dangerous move. But it was even more dangerous to lose yourself in anger.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa."

He first calmed his mind, which was raging with anger, by controlling his breath. The mind and body are interconnected, so by controlling his breathing, he controlled his mind. Once he calmed his mind, he began to see the invisible.

"That's weird.

The enemy was all too familiar with his Blue Dragon Thirty-Three. It was as if they were engaged in a promise match between alumni brothers in arms, and he was casually parrying their constant barrage of sword essences. There was no hint of panic in his movements. It was impossible for him to do so without looking at his own sword essence in the palm of his hand. The enemy must be someone he knew.

"Who the hell is this?

This was dangerous. My opponent can see through me like the palm of his hand, and he can't even see the tips of his fingernails, let alone his palm. He knows me and I don't know him, so it's no wonder he's at a disadvantage over time. His energy is slipping through his fingers more and more like grains of sand over time.

His arms were heavy as iron, his breathing was labored, and his body was becoming increasingly fatigued, but his opponent remained steady. He was no less tired, and he was still able to catch Yue Yue's sword essence with aplomb. I couldn't delay any longer. He had to strike now, or he wouldn't have a chance in hell.

When Yue Yang opened his eyes again, the look in his eyes was different. At the same time, the slight tremor at the tip of his sword had disappeared. The body had moved the mind, and this time, the mind had moved the body.

Grrrr!

Yue Yang raised the blue dragon sword he held in both hands at an angle, and a fierce aura began to emanate from his body.

"Come!"

"Here we go!"

He decided to bet everything on the Blue Dragon Thirty-Three, which he had spent his life practicing. Yoo Jae-Ryong took the leap.

"It's finally here!

The first sign of change came from Sal Dragon, who hadn't moved a muscle up until this point: he stood up for the first time since his confrontation with Yue Yue.

The most powerful and potent of the thirty-three elements of the Cheongryong silver sword are clustered in the double digits after the tenth second. In particular, the Blue Dragon Windstorm, which is said to call for wind and clouds, is linked to the Blue Dragon Weak Sea, which is said to be the blue dragon's kicking the sea, and the Blue Dragon Running Sky, which is said to be the blue dragon's running through the sky, to form a triple attack that is extremely destructive.

Blue Dragon Thirty-Three-Style Big Qi Lotus Three-Style Big Dragon Ascension.

With a snarl, he raised his sword above his head, and it fell with a flash of light.

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

The Blue Dragon Windstorm, a series of slashes at an oblique angle, was thwarted by Salomon's sword, which read the sword path accurately.

"……!"

I used my entire body weight to slash with the momentum of the Illdan Tian, blocking the Blue Dragon Weakness at an angle, then stepped back to halve its power.

"……!!"

The final move was the Blue Dragon Chu Tian, which spun his entire body as he landed and soared upward. Yue Yang unleashed the last of the Nirvana Three Forms with all his might.

But as if it could see right through his trajectory, the flesh dragon took three steps backward, dodging the fierce blade by a mere sheet of paper.

"……!!"

When a great skill fails, it leaves an even greater gap. The dragon that lost its wind and clouds was already naked.

"I've been waiting for this!

"You are defeated, Yoo Jae Ryong!"

The flesh dragon leapt. The grasping dragonlance breathes out bloodlight.

True Dragon Dissolution: Blue Dragon Fall!

It was a herb that was created solely for the purpose of digging into the Ascension of the Beast.

"Hmph!"

Yue Yue quickly lowered his sword to parry Sal Dragon's blow.

Bam!

"Quack!"

But his disorganized stance was no match for the mighty power of the flesh dragon's sword. Yue Yue was sent flying like a kite with a broken thread, spitting out blood.

Thump!

Yoo Jae-Ryong bounced off the ground like a ball twice before rolling to a stop and crumpling to the ground.

"That's it!"

The flesh dragon turned around and said. It was then.

"…is."

A faint, muffled voice came from the distance behind the flesh dragon's back.

"Not yet…!"

The second one sounded a little clearer.

Leaning on his sword like a staff, Yue Yue rose to his feet. He looked desperate. As he pulled himself up on his shaky legs, a steady stream of blood flowed from his mouth. His internal wounds were currently in a very serious state.

"Pathetic and ugly, Yoo Jae-ryong, do you realize how ugly it is to see you writhing in the mud of despair?"

The dragon sneered at him.

"It's okay to be ugly! I still have something to protect, and my last business is not yet done!"

Land!

Barely holding the sword up with his ragged right arm, Yoo Jae Ryong flicked the sword with the index finger of his left hand.

Ting! Ting! Ting! Ting!

Once, twice, three times, four times…….

Yoo Jae Ryong desperately struck the sword, not caring that the nail on his index finger was shattered and his fingertip was bleeding.

"What's that again, are you trying to annoy me to death by being loud?"

"Qinglong Thirty-Three-Style Big Qi Nolong Guang Yin, this is a preparation exercise to send you to hell!"

"You're going to hell!"

Yue Yang charged forward, once again unleashing the Demonic Dragon Ascension's Chain of Three Formations. The flesh dragon's mouth burst out in a ridiculous laugh.

"Hot! Have I gotten forgetful, or am I crazy? Do you think you're going to succeed with one more rep, with that tattered body?! Foolish!"

As Salrong had said, there was no way that his Ascension, which was far less powerful than the one he had just performed, would work. It neutralized his attack with even more ease than before, laughing at his foolishness.

"I already knew it wouldn't work!"

"What!"

There was, in fact, one more step to this initiation, the Ascension, but the time to use it was when the caster was ready to die, and Yue Yang knew that time was now.

"Young, good, must live!"

He burned all the life he had left for a single moment of power.

"The final stage of the Blue Dragon Thirteenth Period, the Longlin Explosion!"

With Yue Yang's shout, the Blue Dragon Sword instantly exploded. Thousands of fragmented dragon scales rushed toward the wide-eyed flesh dragon. The body of the caster, Yue Yue, was not spared. The reason why this became the caster's superpower was because it was impossible to control the direction of the dragon's scattering, and if he failed, he would have no means to defend himself and his strength would be exhausted, so it was a mere mana superpower that he would not normally dare to use even if he wanted to. The only way to break the seal was to give his life. It was a blow of desperation. Yue Yang was certain of his success, even as his entire body felt like it was being torn apart.

However,

"Ha!"

His martial prowess far exceeded Yue Yang's expectations. To a certain extent, he had the ability to unfurl a sword shield that could cover his body with all his might in this desperate moment. And it was an organ he was proud of. With a grunt, his tattered right arm swung out like a flash of lightning, and a triangular shaped shield unfolded in front of his body.

Chaejaejaejaejae! Chaejaejae! Chaejaejae!

Like a torrential downpour, the horde of sword slashes rained down on the flesh dragon, crashing into the triangular dao membrane, causing a loud clash of sparks.

He swung his sword in a desperate attempt to avoid being pushed back by the incoming force that threatened to tear through the shield. Here, if the shield was torn, it was his defeat; if it held, it was his victory. Like water leaking through a roof on a heavy rainy night, a few sword fragments flew through his defenses and toward Salyong.

Piezoelectric! Piezoelectric! Piezoelectric!

Red veins appeared on the black doctor's forearms and shoulders, but he was unperturbed and continued to wield the sword.

Phew!

Again, a blade broke through his defenses, this time aimed for his brow. He quickly ducked his head to the side to avoid it.

Smack!

The blade grazed his cheek, leaving a single red scar across the man's face. And that was the last struggle of the blue dragon. The blue dragon's rage was frustrated, unable to penetrate the triangular shield.

"Sah, three-stringed harmonization!"

A tearing scream of horror rose from the depths of Yue Yang's lungs. He had a trick up his sleeve, and so did his opponent. Only, his opponent's trick was a familiar one that he knew all too well.

Yoo Jae-Ryong was almost out of his mind, and with him, his bewilderment. How could such an herbal formula be unleashed in the hands of such a vicious foe? The method of forming the distinctive triangular-shaped seal was a one-man show.

"And you?"

Poof!

With an eerie soundtrack, the dragon killing blade of the Black Physician pierced Yue Yang's stomach.

"Ugh!"

Yoo Jae Ryong's hand, trembling with pain, slowly rose to the man's face. The man stared at him with a blank stare. He didn't even bat his hand away.

"This… this……."

Blood gurgled from Yoo Jae-Ryong's mouth as he barely managed to speak.

Finally, a hand, trembling like the hand of a man with epilepsy, touched the black stomach.

Grrrr!

The man's robe fell away with his hands, revealing the face of a flesh dragon.

"Uh, how do I get to……?"

Staring into the man's face with blank eyes, no longer capable of surprise, Yoo Jae-ryong sank into the despair of a terrible betrayal.

"Now, do you have……?"

Yoo Jae Ryong's bloodshot eyes remained glazed over.

An unexpected, no, unimaginable figure hid behind that black cloth. I would have been happy to have known him. Behind the hideous mask was the face of my best friend, Ziggy.

"Tsk, don't you wish you hadn't known, Jade Dragon, so you could have gone to the other side in peace?"

The man clicked his tongue. His voice had already unraveled. An all-too-familiar voice. A voice that could never be mistaken.

"I didn't want to let you know that you were betrayed like this. I thought it was the least I could do for you."

"This man, how can you… how can you… how can you… how can you… how can you… how can you… how can you… how can you… how can you… how can you… how can you… how can you… ……?"

Yoo Jae Ryong somehow managed to raise his sword to slit the throat of his former friend, but he couldn't lift a finger. His opponent's sword had already pierced his abdomen. He was helpless, helpless, helpless.

"If you're going to blame, blame a lot. It's only for a short time, and when you're dead, you won't even be able to blame."

"Why did you betray me?"

Swallowing the regurgitated blood, Yoo Jae Ryong barely managed to get the words out.

"What?"

The flesh dragon replied.

"Why did you betray me? Weren't we a decade apart? Why could you betray me and no one else?"

"What do you mean, betrayal? Don't say anything that others might misunderstand."

He replied, his voice not the least bit remorseful.

"Bae… not betrayal? Kulkulkulk!"

A lump of blood caught in his throat and cut him off.

"Of course. Ever since I met you, my purpose has been to find the whereabouts of the Key. I was one of many who were sent to places where the key might be, though it took me a decade to figure that out because you were so tight-lipped."

If he had been sure, their relationship would have been much shorter.

"Woe, ruler! You have entrusted your riches to a rogue; are you not ashamed of those who trusted you with their goods?"

"You've got nothing to be ashamed of, you've handled it perfectly, so rest assured. We can't just abandon this place, can we? Now give up and give me the keys."

"Don't be ridiculous, that's not something a traitor should have!"

Yoo Jae-Ryong growled and shouted, not caring that blood was flowing, but it was no use.

"You're wrong. The keys belonged to him in the first place. You're the ones who broke your promise, not us. We're just trying to claim what's rightfully ours."

"Tete-a-tete, you shall never have it!"

"I'm sorry to hear that, but we were once friends… me!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he twirled the dagger he had embedded in Yue Yue's abdomen as hard as he could.

"Off!"

Once again, a pitiful scream erupted from Yoo's mouth.

"So, what do you think, do you feel comfortable talking now?"

"Tête-à-tête!"

Again, bloody spittle flew toward the flesh dragon's face, but he dodged it lightly, then searched every inch of Yue Yue's body. But he didn't find what he was looking for.

"I see… the keys are with the kids."

Yue Yue's pupils twitched slightly at Salmon's light tone, as if he had already anticipated it. The flesh dragon, who was staring into his eyes, was able to detect the slightest trace of agitation. It was said that the eyes are the windows to the heart, and Yue Yang's weakened control of his mind and body meant that he was unable to completely hide his agitation.

A cruel smile tugged at the corners of the flesh dragon's mouth.

"So that's what it looks like."

Just a moment ago, it was a simple idea, but it paid off. Normally, Yoo Jae-ryong wouldn't have fallen for it, but when your body is in such a bad state, the gaps in your mind are exposed. In that case, there was no more work for Yoo to do.

"For the last time, I'll let you go in peace, in honor of the past. Goodbye."

The flesh dragon tugged with all its might at the mourning knob that pierced its abdomen.

A fountain of blood erupted from Yoo's back.

In the redness of his gaze, in the darkness of his mind, Yoo Jae Ryong muttered to himself.

"Live……."

Looking into the restless eyes of his one-time friend, Salyong smirked.

"Ten years with you, it was a pleasure."

"Duxin, son-in-law of the first rank of the Salong Dynasty!"

"Yes, sir!"

Dusim, who quickly jumped from the ranks, replied, "I'm sorry.

"From now on, you're the boss."

Yoo Jae-ryong's sword had killed off the second and third ranks, so it was necessary to fill the void.

"Thank you."

Dusim replied, reeling from the unexpected promotion.

"Pick up the pieces. Don't leave a single rat behind. The Qinglong Silver Clan will disappear from this world today. Burn all the slips and papers. There's no need to save any of the bits of paper like slips and drafts. All silver bullion should be transported to the capital. Raise the flag and no one will suspect a thing."

"I take orders."

"Blood Chief!"

"Yes!"

The bloodhound rushed over and bowed.

"Divide the battalion into two squads. You take the first and third squads, and I take the second and fourth squads."

"Yes!"

"They must have the poem. Scatter to the four winds and pursue them! Scour the land for them. You will not miss a single breeze. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir!"

Duxin, who had suddenly been promoted two ranks thanks to the deaths of his lieutenants Yi Yu and Sam Yu in the line of duty, was very pleased. The sun would finally shine in his hole. So he worked really hard. He burned hard, smashed hard, and destroyed hard.

Dusim was busy catching up.

"Hey, young man. Ask me a question."

"Oh, I'm busy, you can ask me later."

Dusim's head snapped up as he answered nonchalantly.

Behind him stood a gray-haired old man with a bushy white beard.

"Huh, how do I get here?"

Unlike Dusim, who flew backwards in surprise, the old man was nonchalant.

"Huh? You walked."

The old man replied nonchalantly.

"No, not that……."

That wasn't what he wanted to hear.

"Uh, how can I set foot in this place when there's already a lockdown going on?"

But even as the old man's footsteps reached his back without a sound, no warning signals were raised. As if nothing had happened.

"I'm in trouble!"

Turning his back on Duxin, the old man scratched his chin with one hand, closed his eyes, and bowed his head in thought. Five of his men appeared, but the old man turned his back on them, seemingly unconcerned. His back was plainly visible. Whether he realized it or not, the old man squatted down on the ground, picked up a branch, and began writing on the ground. Fifteen more men appeared, bringing Dusim's total to thirty. All the men who had been left behind to clean up had gathered together. But the old man didn't even look up, as if something else was more important.

"Uhhhh, how am I going to do this…… I need to buy rice because it's a state that doesn't eat raw food, and I need to pay my bills because my mouth is bored if I only drink dew, and I need to pay my bills because I've got a backlog of debts…… hmmmm."

He seemed oblivious to the presence of Dusim and his thirty men behind him. Couldn't he feel the flesh on his back? The old man's anguish was still centered on the numbers written on the ground. No longer able to think straight, Duxin turned to a quick and dirty solution: violence.

"Eh, I don't know. Boys, shut that old man's mouth now!"

Then thirty of his men, who had been dumbfounded for a moment and didn't know what to do, came to their senses and charged at him with swords.

"Die, die, die!"

A living cry danced over the red wasteland of flame.

And…….

"Huh?"

After a moment, Nosabu looked around and said.

"No, how are they sleeping on the floor like that, it's nighttime and the floor must be very wet?"

All thirty of Dusim's men lay on the cold floor. No blood flowed, but no one was breathing.

"Oh… you know?"

Dusim, already half out of his mind, said, trembling like an aspen tree. Tooth for tooth, knee for knee, they clashed incessantly.

"Huh? I don't know? I'm a cautionist who doesn't sweat the small stuff."

How can you call that trivial? Thirty of your men were killed in one fell swoop without you knowing how.

"What's the matter with your face? A moment ago it was flushed and full of life, and now it's blue and pale, like you've seen a ghost."

The old man took a step forward to get a closer look at Dusim's face.

"Aaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

"Uh-huh, how can a young man be so disrespectful? Haven't you ever heard that you should honor an old man?"

'Aaaahhhhh! Aaaahhhhh! Don't come! Please don't come!'

Dusim, who had fought on countless battlefields and had the blood of dozens on his sword, sank to the ground and sobbed. It was as if his time had traveled back to his childhood.

"Gee, I don't get it. One minute you say don't come, the next you're crying. I can't do this."

After a moment's pause, the old man spoke up.

"Poof!"

Then all of Dusim's movements stopped. No more tears flowed from his swollen eyes, his lips were firmly pressed together, no more snot came out of his nose, and he did not even blink once. He didn't even stir, as if time had stopped in the one place where he was. This state of affairs continued until the old man opened his mouth.

"Okay, are you ready to talk?"

Dusim, pissing his pants, replied.

"Yes… yes, we're ready."

"Well, yeah, you don't have to answer that loudly. I'm not deaf yet."

"Oh… I see."

Again Dusim answered loudly. Somehow, his face was covered with tears and snot.

"Is this the Blue Dragon Silver Market?"

"Yes, that's right."

"So it was you guys who set that fire?"

"Yeah, uh, no, we're just here to raid that place. The fire was set over there."

"Over there?"

"Yeah, I'm not sure about the ignorant predisposition, but yeah."

"That's how desperate they were."

I didn't dare to bring my sword down. His body no longer moved, as if he was being held captive by something.

"Okay, so there's still some silver in there. Since I'm a customer there, I think I have the right to take my share of the silver in there."

"Look… I'm sorry, but there's not a single ounce of silver or gold in there right now."

"What?! No? Why not? What about the slips? What about the deposits? What about the customers if they go under on their own accord? You're your own man. If you hadn't come and made a scene, none of this would have happened. You're going to be responsible for my livelihood? What's your purpose? If nothing comes of this, I'm going to hold you accountable. Even if it takes your whole life."

Overwhelmed by the old man's power, Dusim gasped and swallowed hard. To be responsible for me? To be responsible for that frightening old man for the rest of my life? That horrible thought was worse than death. Dusim stopped breathing.

"Huh? Hey, young man, why aren't you talking? Your eyes are wide open… What, you're dead?"

As the old man drew nearer, Dusim was no longer exhaling the breath he had swallowed. He stood up stiffly, eyes wide, and fled to his death. It was the best thing he could do in the midst of his terrible fear, and his body granted him his desperate wish.

"What? Why did he die?"

The old man shook his head as if he didn't understand.

"Well, I can't."

As I said before, the old man's mantra was to not sweat the small stuff.

"But how am I supposed to do this… I can't even pay off the traumatized bar bill……."

Earning a living and maintaining sobriety were not trivial tasks for the seemingly disengaged old man.

"I'm in trouble! I'm in trouble!"

After a moment, he said, almost self-deprecatingly.

"Is that it? I don't really want to do that……. Should I try to find him again……. I can't starve to death like this……."

The old man threw the deed he was holding into the flames.

"It's been a long time since we've had a big night out."