Book 29 Chapter 2

Laugh, Namgoongsang!

―The Pursuer and the Pursued

They were being pursued.

It was good that they had broken through Namgyeongseong in Wuhan, but it was short-lived. Soon, they were followed. If it weren't for the alarm bells that Jang Hong had set up intermittently, they might have made the mistake of leading their pursuers all the way to their companions.

"As expected of Uncle Jang. He doesn't look old for nothing!"

Bilyeon, who was running with Jang Hong, Moyonghwi, and Namgoongsang, raised his thumb and praised him.

"Ryeon. Even though 형 looks old on the outside… well, even if he does, I don't think it's good to say it like that."

Moyonghwi, not slowing down, cautioned Jang Hong. But Jang Hong's face contorted visibly at the words. So you're saying he *does* look old!

"What? I meant it in a good way, that he's not just horny but has other abilities too?"

"Good, what's good? Ryeon, the best thing you can do for the world is shut up and just run!"

Jang Hong, unable to listen any longer, yelled.

"Okay, okay, calm down. 형's experience is really helpful at times like this. Isn't that right, 선배 Namgoong?"

Moyonghwi stepped in, soothing Jang Hong. It was a great thing about Moyonghwi that he could be considerate of others despite having a pile of his own worries.

"Of course. To think of setting up alarm bells using thin threads while escaping. If it were me, I would have been so focused on escaping that I wouldn't have even dreamed of such a method."

"Tsk tsk. Because you boast about not being able to think of such things, everyone always thinks you're an easy meal and tries to take a bite out of you, Gungsang."

Bilyeon's sharp words pierced Namgoongsang's chest like a spoon diving into a rice bowl.

Namgoongsang, who almost tripped while running, paid no mind as Jang Hong's voice lowered with a suddenly serious expression.

"The ones chasing us smell like professionals. They must be the Black Dog's subordinates, the Black Dog Troop."

If they weren't professionals, Jang Hong wouldn't have been able to sense the presence of the pursuers in the first place.

"Black Dog? Who is that?"

Bilyeon asked indifferently, not slowing down his speed.

"Have you forgotten already? How about remembering the name of the person you just turned into mush with your own hands?"

Jang Hong chided with an exasperated look. Then Bilyeon retorted as if he couldn't understand.

"Why should I remember someone who got turned into mush? I should remember people who don't get turned into mush! That's a waste of memory."

It was a clear logic.

"Still, he was called a legendary Divine Constable in the Gangnam area in his day. And now he's one of the Ten Great Masters of the Black Heaven Alliance, one of the Ten Black Heavens. He's certainly worth remembering. While it's unknown why someone who served in the government turned to the dark path, being called a Divine Constable once means his tracking and capture skills were outstanding, wouldn't you say?"

At Jang Hong's serious explanation, Bilyeon smiled and retorted.

"Is that black dog uncle that great? And you can't even find out his past? Is that job negligence, Uncle Jang?"

"Who, who are you talking about! I'm definitely working as hard as the salary I receive! Do you know how I feel, working on a mission with no overtime pay? Do you know how we feel, working day and night in such poor conditions!"

Jang Hong shouted indignantly, jumping up.

"What do I care? If you're so wronged, go find your superior and negotiate your salary."

It seemed the part of Bilyeon's dictionary that read 'warm comfort' had been torn out long ago.

"Haa, isn't that superior currently missing!"

Jang Hong sighed deeply. Of course, the superior here meant the alliance leader, Na Baekcheon.

"Then you must find where the superior is to ask about that."

At those words, Jang Hong clapped his hands, saying, "That's right."

"Come to think of it, that's true. If they don't raise the overtime pay, we should go on strike. What are you going to ask for? Surely not permission to marry Miss Na?"

Jang Hong narrowed his eyes slightly and asked Bilyeon slyly. Then Bilyeon replied in a nonchalant voice.

"Nothing."

"Are you telling me to believe that? If the sun rises in the west tomorrow, I'll think about the truthfulness of your answer."

Moyonghwi and Namgoongsang also shot him skeptical glances, as if they didn't believe Bilyeon's words.

"Huh? It's true. It's about saving Yerim's father, so why would I set conditions? Right, friend?"

"Hmm… I'll take your word for it."

Moyonghwi replied with an effort, his voice tinged with doubt.

"See? He believes me too. Look into my eyes. Do these look like the eyes of someone lying?"

"I can't see them. Your eyes."

Of course, he couldn't see his eyes hidden by his bangs.

"You can see them with the eyes of your heart."

"Oh, is that so?"

Jang Hong replied in a bored tone. He seemed to have no intention of pushing Bilyeon's bangs aside.

"Well, if you have a conscience, you'll figure it out yourself later."

In the end, Bilyeon said it nonchalantly, as if it were an offhand remark.

Meanwhile, Namgoongsang, who was running alongside Jang Hong and Moyonghwi, did not have a nonchalant expression at all.

'These people are so carefree.'

Moyonghwi was just running, but how could the other two come up with such jokes in this situation? Namgoongsang, who was working hard with a heavy heart, could only be surprised, amazed, and bewildered.

He had lost his spiritual pillars, Elder Yeom and Elder Binggeom. And not only that, but he had lost them to a single woman, without even being able to put up a proper fight. If he were to tell anyone about this, they would immediately call him a lunatic.

Then he would have to spend a long time explaining that the woman who subdued those two was none other than 'Mu Hwa,' the biological mother of the Black Heaven Alliance Leader Gal Jungcheon, the first wife of the great and powerful Martial God and Demon Gal Jungheok, and the mistress of the Shinmag family—the terrifyingly high-ranking Nine Heavens Mysterious Woman.

It was as if 50% of their strength had been lost.

No, strictly speaking, 50% was the minimum when minimizing the damage calculation. In Namgoongsang's mental calculations, the damage exceeded 70%.

'No matter how strong my Senior Brother is, he can't be considered full strength. Ugh, it's the worst! It's the absolute worst! It can't get any worse than this! How can it get any worse?!'

It was no wonder Namgoongsang was almost in a state of mental confusion. The support he had trusted to be a solid backing until the very end, Yeom and Binggeom, were gone. It was a great emergency of earth-shattering upheaval, as if the ground he stood on had cracked and the sky had fallen.

'Is Ling'er okay? She must be. She has to be. Oh no, what if she's not?'

What worried him most was Jin Ling's well-being.

'Since she wasn't captured, she must have escaped through a secret passage as Uncle Jang said, right? She's not captured by them, is she? If something bad happened to her, it would be a disaster!'

He wanted to turn back and run to the New Dragon Mountain Inn immediately. If he hadn't received a warning from his Senior Brother beforehand, he would have already done it.

"If you want to go, go back. But then you'll die, and Jin Ling will live as a widow for the rest of her life. Why? Because Ling won't be there. Why? Because there's a secret passage. Where does that secret passage lead? I don't know. Do you still want to go? Then go, I won't stop you."

He had heard those words, so he couldn't turn back, but his heart grew even more anxious.

'Kuaaaaah! I'm going crazy! I'm going crazy! My heart isn't as furry as my Senior Brother's. My heart is as fragile as paper. Senior Brother! Stop talking about other things and say something hopeful! Senior Brother! Ugh, ugh!'

As Namgoongsang walked the path of mental and physical collapse, adding anxiety and fear to his despair.

Lululululu, lululululu, lululululululu…

What is this? Namgoongsang almost tripped while using light footwork and fell spectacularly.

Where is this whistling coming from, and where is it going, striking his eardrums as he ran desperately to shake off his pursuers? At a time like this, when he was on the verge of going mad with a mountain of worries, where was the source of this whistling, sung so cheerfully? He wanted to grab the collar of this person who didn't understand the atmosphere and punch him in the nose.

"What's with that fist? Trying to hit me?"

However, Namgoongsang clenched and unclenched his fist and laughed.

Unfortunately, the source of the whistling was none other than their Senior Brother of the Vermilion Bird Squad, who was once called the 'Lucky Tiger Strike' and is now called 'Divine Wind Hero' by some who knew him well—Bilyeon. It was clear that this man being the Divine Wind Hero was a lie.

"Ahahaha, no, no, that's impossible. My fingertips aren't getting enough blood due to tension, so I was just doing some finger exercises. Like this, like this."

Namgoongsang desperately laughed and clenched and unclenched his fist.

"Really? I thought you were going to punch your own nose with that fist."

As he said that, Bilyeon took a light step, and the solid ground beneath his feet made a creaking, chilling sound and sank deeply. Jang Hong, seeing that, whistled lightly and continued to run, but Namgoongsang almost knelt and begged for his life. But if he did that, wouldn't it be like confessing his thoughts?

"Hey, how could I dare commit such insubordination? It's just your imagination, your imagination!"

"Is that so? Then let's leave it at that for now. We don't have much time, you see. Because we're busy."

Then, what if they had a lot of time? What would he have done? Namgoongsang decided not to think further, as a strange cold sweat trickled down his spine.

"By the way, are you practicing some ultimate divine skill?"

"Huh? Divine skill? I'm not practicing."

There had never been a time when he wished for an ultimate divine skill to fall from the sky like now. But if he didn't have it, how could he learn it?

"Oh, really? I thought you were learning the 'Ultimate Supreme Skill of Extreme Misery' that allows you to gather all the 108 earthly desires of the world on your face and make the most wretched expression, seeing how heavy your expression was."

Only then did Namgoongsang realize that his Senior Brother was teasing him and got angry.

"Is this the time to tease me! I'm so worried about Jin Ling, don't you worry about Miss Na either?"

To think that he would dare yell at his Senior Brother, not caring about his own life, showed how mentally cornered Namgoongsang was.

"What? Are you crazy? Of course I'm worried!"

Bilyeon's surprisingly straightforward admission surprised Namgoongsang.

"Then why are you doing that? Even whistling? Anyone who sees you would point fingers and call you a pervert with a peculiar taste for being chased."

He had to spare his life for now, so he couldn't bring himself to use the word "pervert."

"Huh? What kind of foolish nonsense is that? You say you like being chased, are you a pervert, Gungsang?"

Bilyeon stared at him with the look of someone seeing a truly strange person, and Namgoongsang felt utterly wronged.

"P-pervert? I didn't even whistle!"

Didn't Bilyeon seem more strange no matter how you looked at it? But it was too much to twist things around and make himself look like the pervert. Namgoongsang felt like he was going to go crazy.

Besides, he had endured without using it, but Bilyeon used it so casually! Namgoongsang, who was already at his mental limit, felt like crying from sheer unfairness.

"Ho ho, you're jumping around so much, you look suspicious?"

Namgoongsang finally yelled, unable to stand Bilyeon's completely tension-free attitude.

"Read the mood, read the mood!"

At Namgoongsang's outburst, Bilyeon glanced at Moyonghwi and Jang Hong.

"Hmm… everyone looks serious, quite serious."

"…What is that dry observation? Are you doing this even though you know? That's why you keep getting ostracized, isn't it!"

"Oh, when was I ostracized? That's the first I've heard of it!"

It was a remark that could only cause despair to all the bullies who had tried their best to ostracize Bilyeon.

"Then did you think you weren't ostracized? Senior Brother, you're the so-called outcast, the officially recognized outcast!"

"I don't really care what idiots do."

"Don't care? Even when they're ostracizing you?"

"That's their opinion. Does worrying about such losers get me anything, like rice cakes or money?"

"S-still, normally you'd care on your own! Just like now, in this atmosphere, who would whistle…!"

Snap!

A knuckle rap flew out.

They were both running forward, so he had no idea how it hit the center of his forehead.

"You, you're already a pushover, but if you keep living by being overly concerned about what others think, you'll be taken advantage of by someone and only get milked dry for the rest of your life."

Namgoongsang's heart ached as if it were being gouged out by such a concrete observation.

"I already… seem to be."

"What did you say?"

Bilyeon replied with a sweet tone, smiling.

"No, it's nothing. It's nothing."

As Namgoongsang waved his hands, his eyes became blurry with moisture.

"If you can't avoid it even if you try to, isn't enjoying it a bad idea? If you get caught, you can deal with it then. Why waste energy being gloomy beforehand?"

"…Is that really so?"

Although he had the thought that this wasn't right, Senior Brother's words about accumulating power and using it at a decisive moment also made sense. It might indeed be the 'ideal behavior.' But knowing it didn't mean anyone could act that way.

To possess such 'leisure' even in such an extreme situation was, in a way, like still being in control of the situation.

'How much confidence and supporting skill and experience would it take to do that?'

But it still felt like he was being tricked…

"And I trust Yerim."

Namgoongsang's runaway thoughts suddenly stopped at that surprise remark. Then he looked at Bilyeon. Bilyeon's smiling face was there.

"Why are you looking at me with eyes like a sparrow hit by a slingshot?"

"The opponents are like monsters."

"Yerim has also become strong enough. As long as those old ladies don't gang up on her, she won't die, never!"

"What if something happens to Jin Ling or Miss Na?"

"Well, what do you think I'll do?"

At the moment Namgoongsang saw Bilyeon's smile, his spine chilled, and he almost stopped breathing.

"W-well?"

Namgoongsang felt like he didn't want to hear what would come after that grinning smile.

"Tsk tsk. You look like you're constipated. What, are you expecting me to say I'll kill them all?"

"Th-that…"

He couldn't speak, having been hit right on the mark. Bilyeon said with a bright smile.

"Don't worry, I have no intention of killing them. It's not that easy to kill them. Right?"

Even though Bilyeon's smile was still bright, Namgoongsang's upper and lower teeth clacked together involuntarily. A cold, icy chill swept down his spine.

'Heaven! Please, for the sake of this world, let that day never come! This man will do what he says!'

Just then, Moyonghwi intervened from the side.

"It's all good, but before that, shouldn't we do something about this tail that's following us, Ryeon?"

They couldn't shake off the tail just by running. Their stamina would only be depleted.

"Uncle Jang, how many tails are there?"

"At least two, and it's safer to assume three."

He guessed this because it was basic tracking to deploy at least two teams.

"Do you have any good ideas?"

Jang Hong asked the question, but Bilyeon looked at Namgoongsang. Namgoongsang's heart automatically sank.

"Why, why?"

Even though he hadn't said anything, Namgoongsang's voice was already trembling reflexively.

"Gungsang, do you want me to teach you a groundbreaking method to lose the trackers?"

At those words, Namgoongsang's eyes lit up.

"Is there such a method? Really?"

"Of course, there is."

"W-what is it?"

The solution Bilyeon offered was very simple.

"Laugh! That's all."

Bilyeon said, smiling.

"……"

What kind of new, nonsensical thing was this? Namgoongsang was momentarily dumbfounded and fell silent for a long time.

In a way, it was a very groundbreaking method, but it was groundbreakingly crazy, which was the problem.

"Are there any other methods?"

Namgoongsang asked timidly, unable to speak his true thoughts.

"No, why?"

"B-because it doesn't make sense. You can't shake off trackers by laughing, can you? That's just 'escapism'."

He knew this guy lacked common sense, but this really seemed too much.

"I think Senior Namgoongsang is right, Ryeon. It's too absurd. And reckless."

Moyonghwi chimed in, supporting Namgoongsang's words.

"I agree. Telling someone to laugh in the middle of the night with pursuers on their tail is something only a madman would do. And shouldn't do. It's suicidal."

Jang Hong, who could be called an expert in both chasing and being chased, also shook his head with a skeptical expression.

Three out of the four had declared it impossible. Normally, one would give up their opinion in such a situation, but Bilyeon's actions were not decided by majority vote.

"Okay, then I'll just prove it. That laughing really works. And with great effect!"

It seemed he had no intention of backing down from his opinion.

"What exactly are you planning to do?"

Moyonghwi asked, casting a suspicious glance at Bilyeon.

"Our dull, perfectionist prince has become quite perceptive! Two people just need to help a little."

"Me too?"

Jang Hong asked with a reluctant expression. He seemed quite unwilling.

Then Bilyeon whispered a few words into Jang Hong's ear. Jang Hong's eyes gradually widened.

"…If it's 'that,' then of course there is… are you really going to do it?"

Seeing Bilyeon's smiling face without an answer, Jang Hong sighed softly and said.

"It was a question that didn't need an answer."

Having received Jang Hong's approval, Bilyeon then looked at Namgoongsang. He seemed to have judged Moyonghwi as already having agreed.

"Come on, laugh."

"M-me?"

Nod, nod.

"Now? Here?"

Nod, nod.

"Gungsang, you were the one who wanted to try it first, remember? Don't back out."

I never said that, absolutely not.

But Bilyeon's smiling voice sounded like a devil's whisper.

"Now, you can laugh. Loudly. How about it, isn't it better than crying?"

At Bilyeon's voice, which had a subtle emphasis at the end, Namgoongsang's mind, which had momentarily strayed from tension and irritation, returned to its original place. Then, the words he had just said to his Senior Brother flashed before his eyes like a passing panorama.

"Hah… ha…"

Namgoongsang laughed with a crying face. But his facial muscles were numb, so a proper laugh wouldn't come out. How could he laugh easily when he didn't feel like it? But what could he do? He had to do what his Senior Brother told him to do.

"Haha… ha…"

Namgoongsang tried a little harder, but his facial muscles trembled uncontrollably.

"Louder. Open your face wide. Laugh sincerely. Like this."

Bilyeon approached, laughing, grabbed Namgoongsang's cheeks, and pulled them up firmly.

"Aiyaaa! Ugh ugh ugh!"

Namgoongsang let out a strange scream.

"Hey, I told you to laugh, not cry. Shall I adjust your mouth shape again?"

Bilyeon said with a sweet smile.

"I… couldn't… do it…"

"Huh? What? What did you do wrong? What happened?"

"Senior… Brother… my mouth… is being stretched…"

"Don't worry, a person's mouth doesn't tear that easily."

Bilyeon continued to smile brightly, moving Namgoongsang's cheeks up and down, left and right like stretched mochi.

'Ah, why did I do this… I know my Senior Brother's resentment is the strongest… Ouch!'

Since there was no immediate reaction, his subconscious increase in intensity earlier had backfired.

Namgoongsang wanted to slap his own unruly mouth.

'This might last for months… Ugh. Will I even be safe if I get out of here?'

Tears welled up as he felt the throbbing pain in his swollen cheeks.

And a moment later.

"Hahahaha!"

Namgoongsang, who had finally escaped the tweezers' grip, managed to produce something akin to a laugh after several attempts.

"More, more, more loudly! Forcefully! Cheerfully! Shall I practice again?"

Bilyeon said, opening and closing his thumb and index finger like pincers. He really wanted to refuse that.

Huuuuuuugh!

'Whatever happens, happens!'

Namgoongsang became resigned to his fate. Perhaps it was because he felt like it didn't matter if he died this way or that way.

"Hahahahahaha!"

After taking a deep breath and holding it, a roaring laugh erupted from Namgoongsang's mouth. As if laughter were contagious, the laughter spread throughout the group.

Namgoongsang laughed, Jang Hong laughed, and Moyonghwi, who had been frowning seriously, also laughed. Lastly, Bilyeon laughed.

The night sky seemed to shake.

And so, they all burst into laughter.

Hahahahahahaha!

* * *

"What the hell, are those guys crazy?"

Heukgyeon, the commander of the Black Dog Troop, specialized in pursuit, who had been chasing Bilyeon's group from Namgyeongseong in Wuhan, couldn't help but suspect the laughter that echoed throughout the entire forest from up ahead.

It wasn't a laugh whose exact location was hard to pinpoint due to the addition of the Six Harmonies Sound technique, but what were they doing? Were they mocking them by running away, or mocking them who were chasing? Or had they gone mad from the tension of being chased?

But the scent had changed.

He had an innate 'sense of smell' that was like a gift from heaven. With his natural talent enhanced by seasoned experience, he could now gauge the condition of the prey being chased just by smell.

The unique body odor a person emits when feeling urgent is more sour than usual. But the tension he had clearly smelled until a moment ago had suddenly disappeared. Instead, a fresher energy was wafting in on the wind.

He had tracked countless types of humans for decades, but this was the first time he had encountered such a bizarre situation.

Without any darkness, shadow, or tension, the clear, high, and loud laughter, like a mischievous prank, sowed a seed of doubt in his heart.

'Could it be a trap?'

Once sown, the seed only grew, and never withered. As the doubt in his heart grew, so did his pace slow down. It was an unexpected situation he had never experienced in his tracking career. Since he lacked clear conviction, his steps naturally slowed. And when the leader slowed down, those following naturally slowed down as well.

'Surely it can't be a trap? There are only four of them anyway. That's too few to set a trap.'

Heukgyeon slowly increased his pace, which had been decreasing. But his mind was as tangled as a skein of yarn.

'Ah, damn it, why does everything keep going wrong? This isn't how it's supposed to be.'

His original mission was to conduct pursuit more discreetly, not this blatant chase.

But the plan had been completely thrown off.

'Uggh, Choi Wawa! If it weren't for that clumsy guy! To make such a basic mistake as a subordinate leader?'

The person who set the alarm bells was definitely someone with experience in the world behind the scenes. As the pursuer, they had been caught off guard by the pursued.

Heukgyeon felt a strong need to go back and re-educate them. It seemed that because he had been away for a while, the discipline of his subordinates had considerably slackened.

'I'll train them from the basics again! So much so that they won't even be able to squeak! Especially Choi Wawa! You imbecile who only opens his mouth! You're already dead, you punk!'

* * *

'I'm dead. It's over!'

Shivering with a chill and coldness, Choi Wawa continued to pursue. But with his face pale and covered in sweat, filled with anxiety, it was confusing to tell who was the pursuer and who was the pursued.

"How did we get this far…"

He had finally risen to the rank of deputy commander of the Black Dog Troop, and at this moment, when he only needed to surpass Sergeant Baekgu to become the imposing second-in-command, he had fallen into a trap set by the secretly pursuing party! He felt like cutting off his own ankle for making a mistake.

'I have to make up for this mistake somehow.'

Choi Wawa, worried only about his own safety, forgot to look out for Jo's well-being. He had not an iota of room in his mind to pay attention to anything other than himself.

Therefore, he didn't notice the unusually large shadow cast at his feet, nor did he notice it silently swallowing his subordinates one by one.

Until someone blocked his path as he was muttering.

"Hello."

With bangs covering his eyes, he was undoubtedly one of the targets. Why was he smiling so happily? The priority was to capture him alive.

"Guys… huh?"

But when Choi Wawa turned around, his eyes widened.

They were gone. No one was there.

His team members, who moved in groups of ten, were nowhere to be seen.

"Tsk tsk, how did such a dull person get into a unit specializing in pursuit?"

Jang Hong tutted as if he were pathetic.

Thud!

And with one swift movement from Moyonghwi, Choi Wawa lost consciousness.

"What do we do now, Ryeon?"

Moyonghwi asked in a cautious voice. He secretly hoped they wouldn't be asked to do anything like murder.

"Take it off."

"What, take it off?"

Moyonghwi retorted with a shocked voice.

"Take it off."

Bilyeon said with a slight sigh. It seemed this upright friend was also clearly distracted.

"Uncle Jang and Gungsang, you help too."

Bilyeon and the three of them began to move their hands quickly. Speed was paramount in such matters.

"Ryeon, why are you searching your own pockets first? And one by one?"

"It's nothing important, so don't worry about it."

"What do you mean it's nothing important? Something is being moved from the warriors' pockets to yours."

"I'm just checking if it will be useful later."

He didn't stop his hands even while talking.

"Are you not looking for valuable items?"

Bilyeon completely ignored Jang Hong's words, as if he wouldn't respond to such trivial remarks anymore.

"Hurry and take it off, we don't have time."

The ten Black Dog members were soon left bare, in a natural state to absorb the earth's energy.

Moyonghwi's suggestion to not touch the final undergarment, lest their hands rot, was lightly dismissed, and Jang Hong and Namgoongsang handled it on the condition that Moyonghwi would buy them drinks later.

Choi Wawa and the other nine members of the third unit of the Black Dog Troop were already half-conscious, but they were unable to move a finger because their acupoints were pressed. Moyonghwi averted his gaze, fearing he would harm his eyes, offering his condolences for their bewilderment and psychological shock upon regaining consciousness.

"Hesitation spoils things. Once you start, you have to finish properly."

Bilyeon said without batting an eye, making such heartless remarks.

"What can we do? If we leave them like this, they'll freeze to death. But we can't give them their clothes back."

Jang Hong asked seriously. He wanted to minimize casualties on the Black Heaven Alliance's side.

"Bury them, I guess."

"You mean bury them alive?"

Jang Hong asked, his eyes wide with surprise at the idea. Bilyeon nodded nonchalantly.

"Well, well, that's a great idea!"

Moyonghwi and Namgoongsang looked at him as if asking why this old man was suddenly acting this way, but Jang Hong paid them no mind.

"Hmph, I'm a bit of a genius."

Bilyeon shook his head, as if afraid of his own honesty. It was Bilyeon, as expected.

"Ugh, ugh, ugh!"

"What are you saying?"

"They're saying, 'You inhumane bastards, don't you dare bury a living person. Are you even human, you son of a bitch?'"

Jang Hong said in a tone like he was reading a book.

Crunch!

At that moment, a stone placed right next to Choi Wawa's head was crushed by Bilyeon's foot.

"Oops. I meant to step on his head next to it, but I accidentally stepped on a stone."

Bilyeon muttered as if it were nothing.

"They're saying, 'Please save me, and I'll be your dog, woof woof.'"

Jang Hong read Choi Wawa's silent words again in a flat tone.

Satisfied, Bilyeon nodded and said.

"Bury them."

The Black Dog Troop members were soon buried in the ground with only their necks sticking out. From a distance, it looked like a watermelon patch had suddenly appeared in the forest.

"Well, let's move on to the next item."

* * *

One disappeared.

Two disappeared.

Three disappeared.

And four disappeared.

"Who are you!"

Baekgu, the deputy commander leading the second pursuit team, sensed something strange and drew his sword, taking an offensive stance.

"Oh, this time there's some reaction. But that won't change the outcome."

"Wh-where are you?"

At that moment, the shadow of the forest where he was standing rippled, and a dark shadow stretched out, enveloping Baekgu's sword-wielding hand.

Divine Hide-and-Seek Technique

Kamikakushi no Jutsu (神隠しノ術)

Kagekui (影食い)

Kaimei (改名)

Shin'unsu (神隠術) Type 0

"Wh-what is this?"

The next moment, the shadows surged up simultaneously, coiling around Baekgu's entire body like snakes and tightening. Then, as if waiting, a young man with long bangs and dressed in black fell from a tree.

"Who are you?"

"You don't need to know that."

The young man raised his clenched fist and smiled.

Thud!

And darkness enveloped Baekgu.

When Baekgu regained his dazed consciousness, he was startled to find himself buried in the ground with only his neck sticking out, just like Choi Wawa's fate.

'Ugh… ugh.'

His voice wouldn't come out properly because his acupoints were suppressed.

'What is this…?'

He wished it were all a dream, but looking around, he saw that all nine of his subordinates in the second team were buried in the same way.

'What kind of technique was that that was used on me? Manipulating shadows… It wasn't a technique from the Central Plains martial arts. Could it be from overseas?'

Rather than anger, admiration came first. It was by no means easy to subdue experts like them so stealthily. Especially since such shadow techniques could not be used unless the stealth and infiltration skills reached the realm of the gods.

'Who was the person who used that shadow technique?'

The two young men in white looked like they were from wealthy families, so they couldn't possibly use such a technique. That left the young man in black, or the man who looked the oldest among them.

Just then, an old man in faded martial arts attire opened his mouth and spoke to the young man next to him.

"Son, you've surely sealed his acupoints, right?"

"Don't worry. I've sealed them properly, so he won't wake up for twelve hours."

"But frankly, your acupoint sealing skills aren't that good, are they?"

The young man in black retorted sullenly, offended by being ignored.

"Why are you saying that? I'm good at sealing acupoints too. It's just that instead of precisely poking with my fingers like others, I use my fists with gusto."

"That's no longer acupoint sealing. Others call that assault."

The young man in black shrugged, ignoring the old man's tut-tutting.

"Anyway, he's unconscious, so that's enough."

"If I told you to press his acupoints, you'd punch him in the jaw."

He didn't seem to have any intention of denying it, even with the scolding.

"At least it's quiet now, isn't it?"

What kind of person is this? Baekgu never wanted to encounter such a person in his life. But it seemed he had already encountered such a person in the worst possible way.

'Still, if he's at the deputy commander level, he must know a few acupoint releasing methods.'

As the old man said, if the young man in black's acupoint sealing was unreliable, releasing them might be easier. It was certainly worth a try.

A moment later.

'Done.'

Baekgu rejoiced inwardly. The acupoints were released much more easily than expected. He could clearly feel his stiff tongue loosening.

Good!

Given how things had turned out, there was only one way.

'I, Baekgu, deputy commander of the Black Dog Troop, will carry out my assigned mission even if my life ends today. I am different from that negligent old commander!'

Baekgu pursed his lips and then gathered his internal energy, blowing out a strong gust of wind.

Peeeeeiiiiii!

A clear whistle cut through the night sky. Jang Hong, startled, quickly turned, but it was too late. Baekgu, as if mocking his slow reaction, shouted.

"Commander! Enemy spotted! The second team is wiped out! Urgent!"

Since it was a shout powered by internal energy, it should be audible to the Black Dogs on such a quiet night.

"Damn! How did he release the acupoints?"

Jang Hong, his face pale, quickly tried to cover Baekgu's mouth, but only a faint smile of satisfaction at completing his mission remained on his lips.

Jang Hong eventually let go, resigned.

"Hahaha, soon the elite of our Black Dog Troop will storm this place. You have nowhere left to run. Hahahaha!"

Baekgu burst into laughter, as if it were truly exhilarating.

Even with his body buried in the ground and only his neck exposed, Baekgu had diligently carried out his duty. However, the old-looking man did not seem to agree with his laughter.

"Hmph, do you think the mere grunts of the Black Dog Troop can capture us? You're too soft."

"Haha, with the Black Dog Commander here, what is there to fear!"

"Heh heh, what's the big deal about a Black Dog? That black dog has already been turned into mush by our hands. You should be grateful it hasn't become dog stew."

Jang Hong scoffed, as if amused, mocking Baekgu's faith.

"Haha, did you get too arrogant just because we let you win on purpose? Do you think the title of Ten Black Heavens was won by a game of chance? Know your place! When the Commander unleashes his true power, you will all be finished."

Jang Hong's expression stiffened for a moment, and he said to Bilyeon, Moyonghwi, and Namgoongsang with a serious tone.

"How was it? My acting?"

Bilyeon smiled and gave him a thumbs up.

"It was flawless! You completely fooled them."

"……"

Moyonghwi and Namgoongsang also nodded their heads with bright faces, agreeing.

At their unexpected reactions, Baekgu, buried in the ground, felt a sense of foreboding creep down his spine.

"Y-you were tricked?"

A sense of foreboding crept down Baekgu's spine.

"Ah, Gungsang, Hui. You can drop the concealment curtain now."

Without replying to Baekgu, Bilyeon gave instructions. Only then did Moyonghwi and Namgoongsang remove the energy curtain they had cast using their vital energy.

"Concealment curtain… no way. That's a technique only masters who have reached the peak can unfold…"

He meant that young upstarts like them couldn't possibly unfold it, but his words continued to be ignored.

"As expected, that old man let us win on purpose. I thought his technique felt different from usual."

"Huh, really? Does hitting have different techniques?"

Jang Hong joined in, adding to the continuous disregard.

"What do you mean? Of course, it's all different. How could it be the same? Just like all pigs taste different, there are individual differences in the 'feel' of hitting. Before, it felt like it was just skimming the surface, not reaching the bone, and it bothered me. Now that I know, I feel refreshed."

It seemed to have bothered him.

"Hey, are you looking down on me? Hey, do you know who I am? I am Baekgu, deputy commander of the Black Dog Troop. I have a lot of information."

Baekgu couldn't believe he, an expert in information, had been fooled by such young people.

However, Bilyeon and his group seemed to have no intention of paying attention to his words.

"Well then, our last target, the black dog, is left."

Up to this point, it was just a preview. The real main event started now.

"Hey! Hello! Excuse me?"

Thud!

At that moment, with a crisp impact sound, stars flashed before Baekgu's eyes.

The Black Dog was of a different caliber than the mere subordinates they had buried so far. To capture him alive, they would need to put in much more effort than they had for the other two.

* * *

Unaware that the second squad formed for pursuit had been annihilated, Heukgyeon was deeply pondering how to successfully carry out the mission bestowed upon him by the great lady after a long time.

'It would be troublesome if the guides were vigilant. This could cause problems for the mission. That would be very troublesome. It's not easy to let them go on purpose either.'

His original role was actually to pretend to lose on purpose and let them go.

Such a noisy chase was not what Heukgyeon wanted at all. However, he couldn't just stop abruptly, nor could he reasonably halt the pursuit. Doing so would arouse suspicion from the other side, which would be troublesome. Moreover, at such a high speed of light footwork, if they were not careful, too much distance could be created. That wasn't the only worry.

'Are the members of the second unit, who followed the other young ladies, doing well? Commander Menggyeon, that guy should be doing well. … He should be doing well?'

Menggyeon, in Heukgyeon's opinion, had a truly dog-like personality, so he was adept at ambushes, encirclements, and subsequent group beatings.

'I just hope that 'Manggu' guy doesn't open his mouth carelessly in front of the young ladies…'

The problem was that he sometimes opened his mouth carelessly and was called 'Manggu (猛口).'

'Manggu, please keep your cheap mouth shut. If you open your mouth carelessly, even your life might be exchanged cheaply. Although the seventh young lady's personality is not ordinary, what's even scarier is… the sixth young lady. Even the boisterous seventh young lady can't do anything against the quiet sixth young lady. If only Cheongyeon were here right now, ah, such filial impiety!'

Just then.

"Who is it!"

Swish!

As Heukgyeon whipped a black rope like a whip, the bushes in front were instantly cut in half, revealing a person. The person was in a miserable state from injury, and a black dog-shaped emblem was embroidered on his left chest.

"Black Dog Troop, Commander…"

The member of the Black Dog Troop limped heavily and then, his tension relieved in front of Heukgyeon, collapsed.

"Snap out of it. What happened?"

"They… all… got me."

The man managed to say, panting.

"Got you? There were only four of them!"

Heukgyeon asked urgently.

"I was distracted by the laughter from afar… and was ambushed. … The laughter was a trap, and while that was happening, some of them came back… and attacked us while we were off guard. We had no choice but to be overwhelmed."

"By only four people! What kind of disgrace is this! How can I face the Great Lady's face!"

The Black Dog Troop member flinched for a moment.

"Th-they left a message, too. They said, 'Thank you for letting us go on purpose. But… even if you chase us, it will be in vain. Sorry. Go home, wash your feet… and go to sleep.'"

"How dare they mock me!"

Heukgyeon exploded in anger and spat out a curse.

"We must report this fact quickly."

"Ah, it would be an insult to the Great Lady to report this shamefully. If she finds out later… I wonder if she'll let it slide…"

The Black Dog Troop member hesitated at Heukgyeon's roar but spoke cautiously.

"Perhaps it would be better to send it to someone else instead of the Great Lady?"

The Black Dog Troop member diligently offered an alternative. He was talking a lot, even while dying from severe injuries, but in his haste, no one found it strange.

"That's a good idea. Understood. Guards, immediately send a carrier pigeon to the third young lady."

Heukgyeon gave a hurried order and asked again.

"What kind of person was it? Hurry and tell me."

Heukgyeon urged him again, seemingly in a hurry.

"It was someone who used a strange technique. A technique I've never seen in the Central Plains."

"What kind of technique was it?"

"It was… *cough!* *cough!*"

The man who had been speaking well suddenly coughed violently, unable to finish his sentence, and spat blood.

"No. Die, but at least tell me the story!"

Heukgyeon's words were merciless.

"It was… like this… a technique, Yo."

"What?"

The man's sleeve, while being supported, suddenly moved as if alive and tried to coil around Heukgyeon's arms, blocking him.

"Th-this is!"

Heukgyeon quickly mobilized his internal energy and pulled his right arm out of the grasping sleeve. Deciding he didn't have time to grab a weapon, he thrust his raised fist forward.

Slash!

As he unleashed a blow, a sharp iron nail hidden in his sleeve shot towards the man's forehead. The man skillfully dodged the incoming iron nail by turning his head to the left, then spread his hand to seize Heukgyeon's right wrist.

"Where do you think you're going!"

Heukgyeon's right hand was now holding the end of the Park Dragon Rope. Shooting the iron nail was just to buy time to grab the Park Dragon Rope.

Thirty-six forms of Park Dragon Binding (縛龍三十六式)

Three Deadly Moves of the Lone Arm (獨臂 三絕招)

Thirty-third Move (第三十三招)

Twin Dragons, Two Bindings (雙龍兩縛)

The Black Five Park Dragon Rope in his right hand spun in a large circle, binding both the man and Heukgyeon tightly.

"Heh heh heh. How about that, punk! You can't move now, can you!"

While a rope requires a certain distance like a whip, the binding technique, derived from capturing criminals, could be highly effective even at close range. That is, when both hands were intact.

Having one arm missing was a fatal weakness in binding techniques that require delicate hand skills, but the Lone Arm Three Deadly Moves was Heukgyeon's secret technique that could capture an enemy at close range with only one arm, the Lone Arm. Among them, Twin Dragons, Two Bindings was a dangerous technique close to mutual destruction, binding both the enemy and oneself, the essence of which was to bind the opponent's two arms and leave one's own arm for a final blow.

"I'll capture you alive and make you confess everything!"

Unlike grandiose techniques like the Living Sword, the core of the Thirteen Park Dragon Forms was to capture the opponent alive and extract information through excruciating torture.

The man bound by the Park Dragon Rope let out a hearty laugh and said.

"Hahaha, you seem to be able to wield a rope with only one arm. But this person's shadow is possible even without two arms."

"What?"

At that moment, the shadow beneath the man began to ripple.

Divine Hide-and-Seek Technique (神隱術)

Shadow Snake Rope (影蛇索)

Shadow Binding Technique (影縛りノ術)

Ink Shadow Capture (墨影捕縛)

Rustle! Charrrrgle!

The shadows surged up again, tightly wrapping around Heukgyeon's right hand holding the Park Dragon Rope with darkness. In this way, they were both bound, unable to move. But Heukgyeon still had subordinates left.

"Hey, capture this guy alive right now!"

Heukgyeon yelled at the subordinate he saw first as soon as he turned his head.

"Hey, that's too much. You need to respect your opponent more for your subordinates to follow you."

"Wh-what?"

Where was this clear and melodious dog bark coming from? Heukgyeon glared with murderous intent, but the subordinate clicked his tongue and shook his head as if he was wrong.

"Tsk tsk, thinking that your subordinates will follow you just by yelling and bossing them around is old-fashioned, really old-fashioned."

Only then did Heukgyeon realize. Something was strange. Where did the other members go, and why was this guy standing behind him alone? No, did this guy with such long bangs belong to our troop?

"You bastard! Who are you!"

"Oh dear, you can't even recognize your own subordinate, how sad. A commander like this, Heuk."

This… this bastard! Heukgyeon's face turned red with suppressed rage.

"I have never taken anyone like you as a subordinate!"

A resounding shout erupted.

"Tsk tsk, amnesia. Urgent treatment is required."

"W-wait! What are you going to do with that club…"

Secret Technique

Unauthorized Memory Recovery Secret Technique (無許可記憶回復秘術)

Whizz!

Instead of an answer, there was a grin curling one side of his mouth, and the blow of a solid club, disguised as treatment, landed on his head.

Thwack!

With a resounding impact, Heukgyeon's consciousness flew to the other side of darkness. As his vision slowly darkened, he saw the fallen figures of his subordinates on the ground. And he completely lost consciousness.

"Good work, old man."

The young man dressed in Black Dog Troop uniform looked at the man whose Park Dragon Rope had been freed, regaining his freedom.

"Phew."

The man sighed bitterly and took off the human skin mask he was wearing. Then, a rather aged face was revealed.

The man who had appeared before Heukgyeon first, he was none other than Jang Hong.

And the young man who had brutally hit Heukgyeon's head with a solid club was, of course, Bilyeon.

While Jang Hong, who was skilled in disguise, impersonated one of the Black Dog Troop members and distracted Heukgyeon, Bilyeon, Namgoongsang, and Moyonghwi, who had also changed into Black Dog Troop uniforms, dealt with Heukgyeon's subordinates.

"Uncle Jang, I see you in a new light. To have hidden such a formidable secret technique for so long, I am truly amazed, junior."

Namgoongsang genuinely exclaimed, raising his thumb.

"Oh, why are you doing this, senior?"

Jang Hong bowed, telling Namgoongsang not to act like this.

"No, it's truly amazing that you subdued one of the Ten Black Heavens without a scratch. I didn't believe you when Senior Brother said you weren't just a perverted old man, but I was too hasty."

Namgoongsang knew Jang Hong's hidden identity was unusual, but this was the first time he had witnessed his skill.

"……"

Jang Hong almost choked on a subtle nuance in Namgoongsang's words but decided to overlook it, being in a hurry, and sighed at Bilyeon.

"Speaking of which, Ryeon, my friend, if we followed your method, you wouldn't get rid of amnesia, but you'd lose the memories you already have."

Jang Hong shook his head, looking down at Heukgyeon, who lay sprawled with a warm, large bump on the back of his head, with a sympathetic expression.

"Still, you left the front of his head intact, right?"

As he said, considering the blow, his face was remarkably normal.

"I'm so tearfully grateful for that."

Jang Hong, with a sigh mixed with fifty percent exasperation and thirty percent disgust, then took out a thin, rectangular box from his pocket. When he opened the lid, it was filled with a soft, grayish-white paste.

"Excuse me."

Jang Hong pressed the paste box against Heukgyeon's face and made a mark. The grayish-white paste was so soft that Heukgyeon's face sank into it as if being sucked into the plaster.

"What is that, Uncle Jang?"

Namgoongsang asked, unable to contain his curiosity.

"It's nothing special. It's a kind of portable mask-making tool. Don't mind it."

"Portable mask-making tool?"

After counting to fifteen, Jang Hong lifted the box again. In it, the shape of Heukgyeon's face was clearly imprinted. Jang Hong nodded with apparent satisfaction, took out his own bottle from his pocket, poured the paste into the mold, and spread it thinly and evenly.

"Now it's done. All that's left is to let it dry."

Jang Hong said, wiping the sweat from his brow. At that moment, Moyonghwi asked.

"What should we do with him? We can't just leave him here."

Heukgyeon's importance was incomparable to the other two.

"First, strip him."

"Strip him again?"

Compared to Moyonghwi's reluctant expression, Bilyeon's answer was firm.

"Of course. This is a big catch, we can't leave even a single scale behind, can we?"

"Should we dig the ground next to him too, Senior Brother?"

Namgoongsang asked for confirmation, and after glancing around at the fallen Black Dog Troop members, Bilyeon said.

"No, we can't release such a hard-won big catch so soon. We'll take him."

"Take him? We have pursuers to shake off and people to rescue. Isn't this hostage too extravagant to be of any real help in such a situation?"

Jang Hong retorted.

No matter how great Heukgyeon was, being one of the Ten Black Heavens, he wasn't very useful as a hostage. Although the Black Heaven Alliance had ten great masters, the White Path Alliance leader was only one person.

"Carrying such a cumbersome appendage will hold us back."

"If you know that, it saves me the trouble of explaining."

Bilyeon nodded at Jang Hong's words.

"Alright, then let's take him."

…Although it saved trouble explaining, the conclusion was arbitrary, making it meaningless.

"It might be useful later. If anything, we'll get a ransom."

"We are a rescue team, not kidnappers."

"Tsk tsk, haven't you been in a war, old man? Normally, when exchanging prisoners of war, you have to pay a comparable price. If you can't pay with lives, you pay with money, that's common sense. Why? Because buying a master is more profitable than cultivating another one. Especially if they are peak masters."

Masters are not created overnight, nor are they made for free. A supreme master is a monster that consumes time and cost.

"Haa, we have no choice. Let's do that."

* * *

However, as they moved using light footwork with Heukgyeon, who was screaming for them to kill him, for about two hours, Bilyeon suddenly stopped.

"Why?"

"This place is good. Let's bury him."

"Are you saying that after bringing him all this way?"

Ignoring Jang Hong's tutting, Bilyeon said to Namgoongsang.

"Dig it five feet long, two feet four inches wide, and to a suitable depth, Gungsang."

"Isn't that the size of a coffin? Are you really going to bury him alive?"

Heukgyeon's eyes widened. He was fully conscious, and if he could speak, he would have shouted. Rather, kill me with a single blow, you despicable bastard!

"It's for temporary storage, so it would be troublesome if we lost it."

"Temporary? Storage?"

Although his doubts were not entirely resolved, he decided to dig. The digging roles fell to Namgoongsang and Jang Hong. Gungsang had no choice but to dig because he was told to, but Jang Hong had a unique talent for digging. He must have learned earth-elemental internal energy due to his ingrained secrecy. Otherwise, why would a mound of dirt shoot up like a silent wave with each swing of his hands? Was this also a result of studying abroad?

"It's like a human excavator."

Soon, a pit perfect for burying a coffin was created. Bilyeon, without any hesitation, laid Heukgyeon inside.

"Alright, everyone, let's cover it up."

Bilyeon mobilized the others, shoveling the piled-up dirt back into the pit.

'Hey, you guys! What is this! You bastards who deserve to be killed! Better to pick up the rocks there and hit my head, you rotten bastards!'

Heukgyeon thrashed inside, but his acupoints were suppressed, so there were limits.

"Oh my, you're an adult, stop whining. Here."

Bilyeon inserted a hollow, thin, long bamboo tube into Heukgyeon's mouth.

"It's a good item that folds into three sections."

Jang Hong grumbled, as if it were a real shame.

"Is that it? Close your eyes. Dirt will get in your eyes."

The burial was thus completed. All that protruded from the ground was a long, thin bamboo tube.

"Alright, let's go take care of our business."

Bilyeon exclaimed energetically with a cheerful voice, stretching his arms wide.

'Where does that reckless confidence come from? I've lost, I've lost.'

Namgoongsang shook his head.

'But… if my Senior Brother said it was okay, then Ling'er must be okay, right?'

That was at least a small comfort.

However, unfortunately, Jin Ling was not in a very good state right now. Nor was Na Yerim.

They were currently passing through a dark tunnel, unaware of the danger that lay before them.