Abolition of the Wicked - Chapter 191

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#191

“Brother!”
He could hear the urgency in that voice, thick with worry. Geom U-bin called out to Yeon Geum-hong with equal force.
“Sister!”
A moment later came a sharp crack, and trees on the far side of the cliff tumbled down in a cascade. Then Yeon Geum-hong and Jang Man-dok appeared.
When Geom U-bin waved cheerfully, both of them pushed off the ground. Seventy paces might as well have been nothing to them.
The two crossed the gorge in a single breath and examined Geom U-bin.
“Good heavens! What is this? You’re wounded!”
Yeon Geum-hong stared at the wound on his chest, at a loss. Jang Man-dok tore open his clothes at once.
“It’s, it’s nothing serious.”
“You’re bleeding and you say it’s nothing? Man-dok! Treat it now! Quickly!”
Jang Man-dok applied Trauma Ointment and wrapped Geom U-bin’s chest tightly with bandages.
“Are there no other injuries?”
“No.”
“Don’t lie! Look at your forearm — it’s scraped!”
Though the skin was only grazed, Jang Man-dok applied Trauma Ointment there as well and wrapped it with care.
Yeon Geum-hong looked ready to strip him naked and inspect every inch of him.
“I’m truly fine.”
“Are you certain?”
“I am.”
Finding no further wounds visible on the surface, Yeon Geum-hong let out a relieved sigh.
“I’m sorry, Brother. We were foolish and let ourselves be deceived, which is why we arrived late.”
“It’s all right.”
“What about Ak Cheon-gil?”
“He’s dead, I’d say.”
As Geom U-bin recounted what had happened with Ak Cheon-gil, the two gazed down at the turbulent water below.
“In that condition, falling into those rapids — yes, he’d be dead.”
“That’s how it should be.”
“So you’ve finally swatted that annoying fly, Brother.”
Yeon Geum-hong looked at Geom U-bin with pride. For all her worry, he had alone eliminated the military’s greatest master and his six subordinates.
“Our Brother can hold his own anywhere now.”
“Even so, I couldn’t have crossed this gorge alone. Ha!”
Yeon Geum-hong took Geom U-bin’s hand.
“Let’s cross together.”
They pushed off the ground in unison, and the martial force flowing through their joined hands made Geom U-bin’s body feel weightless.
He crossed the seventy paces as easily as if it were nothing.
When they returned to Oseong Jang-won, everyone was waiting for them. Seo Seok-san rushed forward first, saw that Geom U-bin was injured, and began pressing Yeon Geum-hong and Jang Man-dok for answers.
“How did you let Brother get hurt?”
It fell to Geom U-bin to calm the agitated Seo Seok-san, who was practically foaming at the mouth.
That it settled down at all was only because it was Seo Seok-san; had it been Do Pyeong-su, he might well have unleashed a deadly strike on them both.
Once the atmosphere had at last grown quiet, Dan Jeong-cheol, who had been sitting silently to one side, quietly stepped forward.
“So… is Ak Cheon-gil truly dead?”
“Yes. We couldn’t confirm the body, but the odds of him surviving are nearly zero.”
“Then our mission is complete.”
Though the mission was done, all Dan Jeong-cheol had done was feed five dogs and give them baths.
“So you’ll be able to leave with a light heart?”
“Well… yes, I suppose. Ha!”
Now that departure loomed, he found he didn’t want to leave at all. The freewheeling atmosphere of Oseong Jang-won suited him far better than the rigid discipline of the Imperial Guard.
Here at Oseong Jang-won, his martial arts could grow stronger much faster too.
‘I wish I could stay for three years.’
But with Ak Cheon-gil dead, Dan Jeong-cheol had no excuse to remain.
That evening, Kang Chan-sik arrived at Oseong Jang-won and heard the news that Ak Cheon-gil was dead.
“Swept away by that gorge water — there’s no recovering the body, I imagine.”
“It will turn up someday.”
Kang Chan-sik had no patience to wait for that “someday” that Geom U-bin spoke of.
Kang Chan-sik returned to the Oseong Association and summoned all his subordinates.
“From this moment, we search. Comb every river and gorge where Baekdan Valley’s waters flow. I won’t rest until Ak Cheon-gil’s head lies before Do Pyeong-su’s grave—only then will his grudge be settled.”

***

That Ak Cheon-gil still drew breath was the work of heaven. He’d narrowly escaped death a dozen times, striking hidden rocks as the rapids hurled him forward, until a piece of driftwood found him when his strength was nearly spent and carried him here.
In the reed field, Ak Cheon-gil spent hours attending to his wounds. He could bind the gash on his thigh well enough with his shirt, but the damage to his knee admitted no quick remedy.
‘I have no choice but to contact him and seek shelter for now.’
After a full day hidden among the dry reeds, Ak Cheon-gil dragged himself toward the sandy shore, half-crawling.
His appearance was wretched, but he had survived.
“Geom U-bin, wait for me.”
Fury burned in his chest, yet he forced his mind to stay sharp. First, he needed to know where he was.
This appeared to be the mouth of some river connected to Baekdan Valley. Geom U-bin would believe him dead by now and wouldn’t be searching.
He had to reach Sosan County, near Hangju. Once there, he could find help—and if luck favored him, this place might already be Sosan County.
As he emerged from the reed thicket and tried to rise, he heard footsteps. It would have been better to avoid notice, but his wounded leg refused to obey.
So he came into view of the man climbing the riverbank. It was a middle-aged merchant, who naturally startled upon seeing him.
Usually in such moments, one of two things happened: flight or concern. This middle-aged man, however, hurried down the sandy slope.
“Are you by chance Commander Ak Cheon-gil?”
The question was respectful, even deferential. Only one person in all of Zhongyuan would know him and worry for him.
“You are. Did Song send you?”
“Yes! There were troubling rumors in Hangju, and he ordered me to search for you at once!”
The middle-aged man steadied Ak Cheon-gil, who could barely stand, and asked,
“Are you badly hurt?”
“Time will heal me.”
“Then I cannot grant you that time.”
“What—ugh!”
A searing heat exploded through Ak Cheon-gil’s ribs. The pain didn’t end with that one strike.
Thud! Thud!
The man drove his blade in relentlessly, as though determined to turn Ak Cheon-gil into a sieve.
Thump!
Ak Cheon-gil’s body crumpled onto the sand, the man’s shadow falling over him.
“Who… who are you?”
“I am Kang Chan-sik, brother of Wang Bong-seok, whom you killed. Heaven has granted me the fortune of revenge by my own hand.”
“Just some… some street thug…”
“He may have been nothing to you, but to me he was dearer than anyone. You bastard!”
Kang Chan-sik plunged his blade into the left side of Ak Cheon-gil’s chest. Blood poured from the dying man’s mouth as his head rolled to the side.
Kang Chan-sik stared down at the corpse, then drew his sword and severed the head. A cloth sack hung at his belt—he’d carried it for this purpose.
In case a body was found, he would take the head and be gone.
“The bastard had a big head, didn’t he.”
Kang Chan-sik made his way to Wang Bong-seok’s grave. The newly raised tomb was surrounded by flowers piled high upon its altar.
Many had come to mourn Wang Bong-seok’s death and left them in tribute.
“Do Bong, so many grieve for you. You lived like a wretch when you were young, I know, but you walked a righteous path at the end. I think even the underworld will recognize that, and you’ll find peace.”
Kang Chan-sik withdrew Ak Cheon-gil’s head from the sack and laid it before the grave.
“You dog, I knew the very mole beneath your testicles. The only injustice in your life was this man. Now your grudge is satisfied. So don’t make trouble in the next world—go find your peace.”
Kang Chan-sik poured out a few cups of wine at the grave, then returned the head to the sack and left. It wouldn’t do to leave it among the flowers like an offering.
Word that Kang Chan-sik had taken Ak Cheon-gil’s head spread swiftly through Hangju.
Geom U-bin arrived at the Oseong Association late in the afternoon.
“I made an error.”
At Geom U-bin’s words, Kang Chan-sik shook his head firmly with both hands.
“No, sir. Had you not left him in a near-death state, how could a man like me have killed him? Ak Cheon-gil’s death is yours, not mine. I merely placed a spoon beside a meal already served.”
“I’ve learned something from all of this, though.”
“What might that be?”
“Never believe anything until I’ve seen it with my own eyes.”
“That’s a lesson I didn’t learn until I was thirty. Ha!”
“Either way, thank you for making up for my mistake.”
Geom U-bin bowed respectfully and departed. The boy of fifteen had somehow moved him, challenged him, and made him believe.
“Perhaps today I can allow myself to drink.”

***

“You punk! Swaggering around like you ran the Heuksahoe, and look how you ended up—defecating yourself to death. Khehehehe!”
“They say the stench coming off the corpse was absolutely overwhelming.”
“Always lecturing us not to eat and drink for free, not to beat people up—what sanctimonious drivel. Well, he got what was coming to him. Hehehehe…….”
Dan Jeong-cheol’s hand stilled on the bottle as he reached to pour. He knew exactly who they were talking about, but no matter how much he disliked the man, you didn’t speak of the dead that way.
“Hmph. Sounds like you’re talking about Wang. That man helped a great many people in their time of need…….”
The conversation grated on more than just Dan Jeong-cheol. An old man at the next table, unable to bear it any longer, spoke up—and one of the three, with eyes that bulged unnaturally wide, snapped to attention.
“What did you say? You picking a fight with us, old timer?”
“No, that’s not what I meant…….”
Another old man drinking with the first stepped in.
“Why are you sticking your nose in where it doesn’t belong? The young man’s had too much to drink—surely you can understand and forgive him.”
“They say old bones break easily. Want to find out if it’s true?”
Finally, Dan Jeong-cheol could take no more and rose.
“Young bones don’t break, is that what you’re saying?”
“Who the hell are you?”
“You’re not fit to gnaw on the corpse of a man whose fingernail scrapings are worth more than you.”
“Oh, so you’re just dying to get yourself killed, are you?”
The three men stood and approached Dan Jeong-cheol.
“Given who you are, I won’t kill you—but I’ll make sure you hurt enough to wish I had.”
“What the hell is this bastard babbling about!”
The one with the bulging eyes swung a fist at his face. Back-alley street thug punches were child’s play to dodge with your eyes closed.
The moment Dan Jeong-cheol’s hand locked around the man’s wrist and twisted, a sharp crack erupted followed by a scream.
“That’s just a taste. There’s plenty more pain where that came from.”
Crunch!
When his foot drove into the man’s shin, the sound of breaking bone was sickeningly distinct.
“Aaaagh!”
The thug collapsed, convulsing, foam frothing at his mouth.
“That—that bastard!”
Two men drew daggers from their belts and rushed him. Dan Jeong-cheol seized one by the wrist, snapped his jaw upward, and teeth scattered like grains of rice.
Then his foot drove into the second man’s ribs. As the thug buckled with cracked bones, Dan Jeong-cheol’s instep smashed into his jaw, and he felt the bone shatter beneath his heel.
Dan Jeong-cheol twisted the first man’s shoulder and wrenched it from its socket. That final blow would linger longest in their memory of pain.
The inn filled with the three men’s screams.
“Quiet. Or I’ll kill you.”
His voice was low, but the killing intent threaded through every syllable was unmistakable. The three thugs bit down hard, eyes bulging, and crawled across the floor on their bellies like insects.
“Get out while you still can. My anger isn’t spent yet.”
“What’s put you in such a foul mood?”
He turned at the voice from behind and saw Kang Chan-sik approaching, a faint smile playing at his lips.
“Oh, various reasons. What brings you here, Lord Kang?”
Kang Chan-sik watched the three men stumble away in retreat before speaking.
“Someone told me my brother was being slandered, so I came to lend a hand—but it seems someone’s already given them a thorough healing.”
“Just got tired of the noise…… Care for a drink?”
“I’m not shameless enough to turn down free liquor.”
Dan Jeong-cheol poured into Kang Chan-sik’s cup.
“Ahhh! They say Oseong Wine is the finest liquor in the world, but this isn’t bad either.”
“Is Oseong Wine truly that good?”
“You live at Oseong Jang-won and haven’t tasted it yet?”
“I can’t drink while on duty.”
“Mark my words—once you taste Oseong Wine, you won’t want to go back to Beijing.”
“I already don’t want to go back to Beijing.”
“Really? Why not?”
“A dog that’s tasted freedom can’t bear captivity.”
“Then leave the Imperial Guard and raise dogs at Oseong Jang-won.”
“Should I?”
“Don’t talk nonsense. If decent officials keep quitting like you do, this country will be nothing but rotting bureaucrats!”
“Am I truly a decent official?”
“Well, you’re good enough. You even scolded someone for speaking ill of my brother.”
“What happened to your brother is a tragedy.”
“What good does it do to dwell on a dead man? Another good fortune will come.”
Dan Jeong-cheol hesitated, then spoke.
“What if that good fortune were to bind me to you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Your years far exceed mine, sir. Surely there’s no harm in my calling you brother?”
“What? The Imperial Guard of all the realm taking a Triad boss as his elder brother?”
“The Imperial Guard of the realm? I’m nothing but a laborer scrubbing floors at Oseong Jang-won. And what does rank matter anyway? If you like the man, that’s all there is to it.”
It was only later that Dan Jeong-cheol learned that on the day he’d eaten the spicy broth, Kang Chan-sik had already had it for lunch.
A small thing, perhaps, but it spoke to a loyalty that made Kang Chan-sik eat the meal a second time rather than let Dan Jeong-cheol dine alone.
You didn’t need grand gestures to know a person. So what if he ran a Triad? And if it was a Triad operated by Oseong Jang-won, it was already far from ordinary.
Had Kang Chan-sik been just any other Triad boss, there was no chance Geom U-bin would have accepted him into the Oseong household.
For that reason, Dan Jeong-cheol harbored no hesitation in pledging brotherhood with Kang Chan-sik.
“If that’s what you wish, then so be it.”
“Brother, please take my cup.”
“Of course. To mark the occasion of gaining a new brother, let me treat today—and I’ll spare no expense. Ha ha ha!”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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