abcnovels
Chapter 99
Chapter 99
Chapter 99 – The Golden Grand Banquet (3)
There was a woman in an abandoned house in the mountains.
Looking up at the night sky through the broken roof was Number Seven.
Someone entered and said:
“If you want to see the sky, why not come out and look? Why are you peering through that small hole?”
The one with a child-like appearance was the assassin Strange Phantom.
For some time now, Number Seven hadn’t looked up at the sky much. She felt that the little bit of sky visible through the broken roof was all the sky allotted to her.
“Where’s Drunken Gentleman?”
“He’ll be here soon. Have you ever seen that guy come on time?”
Just then, a voice came from behind:
“When have I ever been so late that you’re talking behind my back?”
A man entered. He was a man with a neat appearance wearing clean martial arts clothes. His hair was tidily arranged, and his clothes were as clean as if they were new.
Though his name Drunken Gentleman suggests a man who loves to drink, in reality, Drunken Gentleman couldn’t drink a single drop of alcohol.
When asked why he was called Drunken Gentleman, he answered that it was because he wanted to hide the fact that he couldn’t drink. Drunken Gentleman certainly had an eccentric side.
“That guy, he definitely has something strange about him.”
Strange Phantom agreed with Drunken Gentleman’s words.
“Right? He’s not an ordinary guy.”
The Nameless Hero had something that only assassins could sense.
Strange Phantom asked Number Seven:
“What’s your conclusion? Is he someone we need to kill?”
Number Seven hesitated to answer. She still hadn’t made up her mind.
As she hesitated to answer, Drunken Gentleman spoke instead:
“When it’s ambiguous, just kill! That leads to fewer mistakes.”
This was the basic sentiment of assassins. Strange Phantom shared the same thought.
“Usually, it’s more common to regret letting someone live than killing them.”
Both of them were in favor of killing.
“He’s helping Young Master Ma. Killing him before that could be problematic.”
“But are you sure he’s really helping Young Master Ma? If he’s intentionally approaching him, Young Master Ma could be in danger.”
“Young Master Ma isn’t someone who’s easily fooled by others.”
“But you can’t be certain, can you?”
Number Seven couldn’t answer Drunken Gentleman’s question. As Drunken Gentleman had said at first, it was ambiguous. It didn’t seem like it, but she couldn’t be certain that it wasn’t.
No, more precisely, she hesitated to say he wasn’t, so kill him. She had never hesitated in her judgment like this before.
Ah, there was one time. A man named Gal Pyo whom she met while monitoring Ma Jeong-su. Then too, her feelings were different from usual. She didn’t know why she had become so sentimental, but this time was similar.
Anyway, she was the one who had to make the final decision for this mission.
“For now, I’ll reserve judgment.”
Strange Phantom and Drunken Gentleman looked at each other. They exchanged somewhat serious glances. They had worked with Number Seven several times, but this felt a bit different from before.
“Alright. Let us know as soon as you decide.”
“I will.”
Drunken Gentleman also added a word:
“Judge carefully. Someone’s life or death depends on it.”
“Yes.”
The two left first.
Left alone, she sighed. She looked up at the sky after a long time. Glancing furtively, or like before, only through the broken roof, it had been a really long time since she had looked at the open sky like this.
Was the night sky always this beautiful?
And as always, the sky didn’t give her an answer to her worries.
***
At the same time, there was another woman pondering over the same person.
“Are you ready to administer the medicine?”
Im Yeon-jeong didn’t immediately answer Ma Ryeong-in’s question.
She was reading a book.
Though he knew she was deliberately pretending not to hear, Ma Ryeong-in calmly asked again:
“Are you ready to administer the medicine?”
Im Yeon-jeong closed the book she was reading. If she pretended not to hear again, he would repeat those exact words once more. It gave her chills when he did that.
“Yes, it’s ready.”
“Administer it tomorrow.”
The effects of the medicine would start to show after exactly one day. An hour after the effects began, he would die bleeding from his seven apertures. Of course, during that one hour, he would display tremendous strength.
‘Is there really a need for this?’
These words lingered in her throat. But she couldn’t bring herself to say them out loud.
Because she knew well that it would be useless anyway. It would be like going up to a tiger eating a person and saying those words. Once Ma Ryeong-in bites into something, he never lets go.
“Aren’t there such monsters in the martial world?”
“What kind of monsters?”
“Monsters that grow by eating people around them.”
Ma Ryeong-in smirked. Rather, he felt better when he heard such curses. It made him feel like he was doing something right.
Ma Ryeong-in stood up.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
***
While I was regulating my qi, someone knocked on the door.
When I opened it, it was Im Yeon-jeong. She shook the alcohol she was holding in her hand.
“Surprised?”
“I really didn’t expect you to knock on my door. I thought knocking on doors was always my role.”
“As you know, I’m a bit proactive. So, are you going to leave me standing here?”
“No, please come in.”
Her visit was unexpected.
“Let’s have a drink.”
“Sure.”
As I was about to get cups, she drank straight from the bottle and passed it to me.
I also drank straight from the bottle. It was very strong alcohol. Suddenly, I remembered what she had said during our last drinking session.
“Didn’t you say drinking without food ruins your body?”
“One day should be fine.”
“Did something bad happen?”
“No. If you’re done, give it here.”
She took the bottle and drank again. As she handed the bottle back, she said:
“It’s not too late even now.”
“What do you mean?”
“Run away.”
I could tell. She must have agonized a lot to say these words. Even at this moment, she had made a big decision.
“And after running away?”
“Live happily for the remaining year. It’s enough time to settle your life.”
“I don’t want to. I don’t want to become someone who broke a promise and ran away just to live another year.”
“As expected, you are…”
I interrupted her words and repeated what she had said before:
“Naive and stupid, right?”
After looking at me with complex eyes for a moment, she finally sighed.
“I guess I need to have a drink for the biggest idiot in my life.”
Watching her gulp down the alcohol, I asked:
“Why are you telling me this?”
Then she asked:
“Why did you say you liked me?”
“Because I do.”
“It’s the same. I just wanted to tell you.”
She immediately stood up.
“Tomorrow… I’ll give you a prescription and elixir that will help with the mission.”
She left the room.
It’s probably the antidote that causes those side effects. If the assassination fails, I would have to die.
I drank the alcohol she had left behind. It’s bitter. It had been a long time since I tasted such strong alcohol.
As I drank, I fell into deep thought about how to handle the end of this affair. By the time the bottle was empty, I had reached a conclusion.
***
The next day, Ma Ryeong-in came to my room.
“Finally, tomorrow is the last day of the Golden Grand Banquet.”
“The last ten days of my life have passed in the blink of an eye.”
“Do you feel regretful?”
“Well, it is the end after all.”
“Don’t say such things. You will definitely succeed. And the antidote will surely be developed.”
Ma Ryeong-in grasped my hand with an impassioned face. He was doing his best until the very end. Suddenly, I had such a thought. That a more terrifying villain than a martially strong one is a diligent villain who never gives up until the end.
“How’s your physical condition?”
“Very good.”
“Have you thought about how you’ll kill him?”
I nodded.
“Do you need my help?”
Just then, Im Yeon-jeong entered my room.
Was it because I hadn’t left? A flash of resentment and regret passed through her eyes. But those emotions disappeared as soon as I noticed them.
“Come to my room for a moment.”
I followed her into the room. Ma Ryeong-in followed behind.
“This is a prescription that will allow you to use your inner energy more smoothly. It will help with tomorrow’s mission.”
I obediently followed her instructions. I drank several cups of medicine and received acupuncture at several points. Finally, she handed me a pill.
“Thank you so much. I’ll definitely succeed in the mission.”
Her hand was trembling slightly. She couldn’t look at me.
You don’t have to feel sorry. The kindness you’ve shown is enough.
I swallowed the pill she handed me.
Since the Unrepentant Demonic Spiritual Pill itself had disappeared from my body originally, this medicine to neutralize it had no effect on me. The same was true for the medicine I drank earlier and the acupuncture.
“I need to rest now. Please leave.”
Ma Ryeong-in and I left her behind. There was a sound from inside. It sounded like she was throwing books.
Both Ma Ryeong-in and I heard that sound, but neither of us mentioned it.
Standing in front of the door, I said to Ma Ryeong-in:
“I need your help to assassinate Ma Cheol-gun.”
“How can I help?”
Ma Ryeong-in had a glimmer of hope. That I would really kill Ma Cheol-gun for him. He was desperately hoping for that miracle of slim probability to happen.
“I’ll help with anything.”
***
Finally, the last day of the Golden Grand Banquet dawned.
Many people gathered at the place where the opening ceremony was held, feeling regretful.
Some merchants had achieved great results at this Golden Grand Banquet, while others had suffered losses. All sorts of people gathered to talk about the past ten days.
A little distance away from there, in an alley, two people were talking. It was Ma Cheol-gun and Ma Ryeong-in.
Outside the alley, eight warriors guarding Ma Ryeong-in and seven warriors guarding Ma Cheol-gun stood watch.
“What’s the matter?”
Ma Cheol-gun asked. Ma Ryeong-in, who had said he wouldn’t see him again, had called him saying he had something urgent to say.
“I have something important to tell you, brother.”
“What is it?”
“I’ve gathered some information.”
“What information?”
“Information that the man called the Nameless Hero is after your life.”
“The Nameless Hero?”
Ma Cheol-gun asked in surprise.
“Why him?”
“How would I know his intentions?”
Ma Cheol-gun shook his head.
“He has no grudge against me at all.”
“Who knows? You might have committed some mortal sin that the world doesn’t know about.”
“That’s your wishful thinking. Why are you telling me such crucial information? Don’t you want me dead?”
“Well, that’s true… but I can’t let you be killed by some nameless nobody.”
“Thanks for telling me.”
Ma Cheol-gun turned around.
Ma Ryeong-in looked up at the roof, showing a slightly flustered expression. Originally, the Nameless Hero should have launched a surprise attack at this moment when he turned away.
“Brother.”
At Ma Ryeong-in’s urgent call, Ma Cheol-gun, who had taken a few steps, turned back towards him.
“What is it?”
Words also have temperature. They can be cold, warm, or lukewarm.
And Ma Ryeong-in was a person who could perceive even the subtlest changes very well.
He felt that Ma Cheol-gun’s voice asking “What is it?” had become subtly colder. At the same time, an ominous premonition enveloped his entire body.
As he was wondering what to say for a moment, Ma Cheol-gun spoke first:
“Are you curious why the Nameless Hero isn’t attacking?”
It was no longer a subtle change. His words had gone from spring to winter in an instant.
As Ma Ryeong-in was shocked, one of the Number Seven Heavenly Dragon Swords drew his sword.
Swish!
He cut down a nearby guard warrior and aimed at the neck of the man next to him.
The rest of the seven swords also simultaneously drew their swords and aimed at the necks of Ma Ryeong-in’s guards. Being a notch above Ma Ryeong-in’s guards and having drawn their swords by surprise, they all subdued them in an instant.
“What are you doing?”
When Ma Ryeong-in asked as if he didn’t understand what was happening, Ma Cheol-gun replied coldly:
“I heard you forced him to assassinate me? Even made him take some medicine?”
The moment he heard those words, Ma Ryeong-in’s mind went blank. Could it be that the Nameless Hero had been captured? Or had he betrayed them? He couldn’t understand what kind of situation this was.
“Who told you that?”
“A secret letter flew in yesterday.”
“You’re doing this because you believe some mere secret letter?”
“It’s a secret letter sent by the Nameless Hero.”
“What?”
Ma Cheol-gun said with a cold sneer:
“You acted exactly as written in the secret letter. That you would call me out here, that you would try to buy time. How could the Nameless Hero know that if he wasn’t a fortune teller?”
Fire blazed in Ma Ryeong-in’s eyes.
“It’s a false accusation! It’s a plot to eliminate me using him!”
“We’ll find out when we investigate.”
Ma Cheol-gun’s heart was extremely cold. He was determined never to forgive Ma Ryeong-in if it was revealed that he had tried to kill him. After all, he would continue to covet his life in the future.
“Where is that bastard Nameless Hero now?”
The next moment, Ma Ryeong-in’s heart sank. He seemed to know the answer to the question he had just asked.
‘No way?’
The underground secret room.
Now the mechanisms don’t work for him either.
Past events flashed through his mind in an instant. Trying to look good to him, making a fuss about liking Im Yeon-jeong. Deliberately grumbling more to him.
At the thought that all of this might have been that guy’s plot for this very moment, Ma Ryeong-in’s whole body broke out in goosebumps. He had thought he was manipulating him at will, but the one who had been played was himself. His whole body trembled with anger and shock.
‘You bastard, who the hell are you?’