Abolition of the Wicked - Chapter 28

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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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#028

The familiar yet always-strange sensation of cold steel bit deep into his back.
Whether the wetness spreading across his spine was sweat or his own blood, he couldn’t tell.
‘It hurts… Is a sword wound supposed to hurt like this?’
The blade protruding from his chest withdrew.
‘Bastards! You’re all dead!’
His mind screamed at him to cave in the skull of the man who’d run him through, but his body wouldn’t obey.
Cough!
Blood sprayed from his lips across the child’s chest.
The child’s wails grew dimmer and dimmer. Against his will, Go Seo-bang forced his toppling body to lie on its side instead.
‘If the wine bottle breaks, Master’s going to kill me.’

***

“Go Seo-bang hasn’t arrived yet?”
Seo Seok-san nodded at Yeon Geum-hong’s question.
“Seems like he’s gone into the city for a drinking spree. When he gets back, he’s going to get quite the beating.”
“Would you let me join in on that?”
Yeon Geum-hong’s eyes gleamed, but Seo Seok-san turned away coldly.
“Why are you coveting my direct disciple?”
Though they all called Hang Ju-sa-ung Master, each of them kept their own direct disciples.
Yeon Geum-hong smacked her lips regretfully.
“That Se-hwa girl—how come she never gets into trouble? You don’t think Go Seo-bang ran off with her?”
The corner of Seo Seok-san’s mouth twitched with anticipation.
“You think that’s what happened? Could it really have come to that?”
“You’re enjoying this far too much. He’s been your direct disciple for well over a year now.”
“Nonsense—I’m not enjoying anything. You know how much I care for that boy. I’m simply following the ancient sage’s teaching: the more precious the disciple, the stricter the discipline.”
Just then, Se-hwa’s urgent voice came from outside.
“Masters! Something terrible has happened!”
The same thought flashed through both their minds at once.
‘Go Seo-bang ran away.’
Seo Seok-san crossed the room with remarkable speed and opened the door.
“What’s happened?”
“Go Seo-bang… I mean, the young master… he’s….”
“He’s run away?”
“He’s been stabbed with a sword!”
Both of them blinked in confusion.
“Stabbed? Did he cut his finger while cooking?”
“No—he was run through the back with a blade, and so….”
It didn’t seem like Se-hwa was capable of giving a proper explanation in her panic.
Seo Seok-san’s voice turned sharp.
“Where is Go Seo-bang?”
“According to the fishmonger who brought word, he’s been taken to a clinic.”
“Where’s the clinic?”
Once Seo Seok-san had the location, he shot forward like a launched stone, and Yeon Geum-hong called out.
“I’ll take Man-dok with me!”
Jang Man-dok, a master of poison arts, was equally renowned for his skill in medicine.
“Damn it! If I take Man-dok, I won’t be able to read his face the whole way there!”
Yeon Geum-hong grumbled even as she rushed to prepare.
Someone had to stay and guard Geom U-bin, so it was Jang Man-dok and Do Pyeong-su who headed to the clinic.
“You’re crawling! Why’d you take so long?”
While Seo Seok-san raged, Jang Man-dok entered the treatment room.
The two of them fidgeted in anxious silence.
Nearly half a double hour passed before Jang Man-dok finally emerged from the treatment room.
“How is he? Is Go Seo-bang all right?”
“Not yet. He’ll need proper treatment at the estate.”
“Then move him quickly! Why are you dawdling?”
While Seo Seok-san and Jang Man-dok carried Go Seo-bang to the estate, Do Pyeong-su uncovered the truth of the incident.
The attackers who’d struck Go Seo-bang from behind wore such distinctive garb that every witness remembered them vividly.
By the time Do Pyeong-su returned to the estate, Jang Man-dok was just emerging from the treatment room.
“How is he?”
“Fortunately, the blade missed his heart. Tonight will be the critical juncture.”
“So if he makes it through tonight, he’ll live?”
Jang Man-dok nodded, and Seo Seok-san’s expression eased slightly.
“Who are these bastards who did this to him?”
“Hyeoksamen.”
“Those serpent-headed vermin coiled up in Anhui Province?”
“Yes.”
“How did the fool get into a dispute with such insignificant worms?”
Do Pyeong-su recounted everything he’d learned.
“Idiot. What does he think he is, a knight-errant?”
Seo Seok-san shot to his feet and strode toward the door, but Do Pyeong-su stopped him.
“Where are you going?”
“A disciple is still a disciple, no matter how informal the apprenticeship. I can’t let the ones who put a blade in his back walk free.”
“I understand, but you should still ask permission from your senior. We’ll need to open a large killing ground for this.”
Seo Seok-san gripped the door handle, paused briefly in thought, then opened it.
“You’re right.”
Seo Seok-san headed for the Secluded Training Chamber.
To block the turbid Qi from outside, the door was triple-sealed, and medicinal herbs prepared by Jang Man-dok were installed in the ventilation system.
“How is he?”
Seo Seok-san’s voice was steady as he answered Yeon Geum-hong’s question.
“He just needs to make it through tonight. How is our senior?”
“He just finished his Qi Cultivation Technique.”
“He doesn’t know about yet, does he?”
“No. Have you identified the culprits?”
“That’s why I need permission from our senior.”
Seo Seok-san opened the third door and entered the Secluded Training Chamber. Geom U-bin, having completed his Qi Cultivation Technique, still sat in lotus position.
“Senior, I have something to report.”
“Seo, why do you look so troubled?”
Seo Seok-san recounted what had happened to Go Seo-bang, and Geom U-bin’s expression grew increasingly grave.
“So what you’re asking for is vengeance?”
“Yes.”
“Go carefully.”
The ease of his approval surprised Seo Seok-san.
“You’re granting permission?”
“If we stay silent even in matters like this, what use is power?”
“I’ll return.”
Back in his room, Seo Seok-san opened a wall cabinet.
The crimson zither he hadn’t held in so long remained spotless, untouched by dust.
In truth, for Seo Seok-san any zither used for playing became a lethal weapon in his hands. But he had never played a single note on this Blood Jade Zither.
The Blood Jade Zither was purely an instrument of war, and the moment it rested in Seo Seok-san’s hands, it became one of the world’s most deadly weapons.
Seo Seok-san slipped the Blood Jade Zither into a leather pouch and slung it across his shoulder.
Meanwhile, O Tong-su and Gal Ma-pyeong each received a blade from Do Pyeong-su.
“They were just rolling around in the room.”
The words said one thing, but the scabbards were unmistakably extraordinary.
Two dragons chasing a pearl in ascension were embossed in relief upon them.
“Master Do, is this the… the Ssang-ryong Sword?”
In the Murim, there are as many blades bearing the title of Famous Blade as there are people with the surname Wang. Yet when asked to choose thirty of the greatest, the Ssang-ryong Sword never fails to claim a place among them.
Two priceless Famous Blades, impossible to value and improper to attempt valuation, rested in the hands of these two men.
“Don’t be foolish enough to meet a blind blade. If you do, you’ll die by my hand.”
“We understand completely.”
When Seo Seok-san came out to the courtyard, he asked O Tong-su and Gal Ma-pyeong:
“Are you prepared to depart?”
“Yes.”
Seo Seok-san’s gaze then turned to Do Pyeong-su and Yeon Geum-hong.
“And what of you two?”
“I have to stay and interpret for Man-dok, so I can’t go even if I wanted to. Ah… it’s a lifelong regret to miss such a golden opportunity.”
“I need to look after the elder. He’s already given his blessing, so don’t let a single one slip through. If even one of them escapes, I’ll pluck out every last hair on that head of his.”
When Seo Seok-san tapped the Blood Jade Zither on his back, Yeon Geum-hong murmured, “Well, someone’s prepared.”
“You’re going to avenge the elder’s enemies, so naturally both of you must go—”
Seo Seok-san glanced at Se-hwa, who stood to one side with her hands clasped over her chest.
“Should I go wave a banner and cheer you on or something?”
“Should I… really?”
Yeon Geum-hong waved her hand dismissively.
“You’d only slow us down and cause trouble. Go on, hurry back. Those two move at a snail’s pace, so the round trip will take four days at least. Don’t dawdle.”
Seo Seok-san gave a silent nod of thanks to Do Pyeong-su and Yeon Geum-hong before stepping out of the estate.
There were many reasons why they could have gone, but there was nothing preventing them. Yet Do Pyeong-su and Yeon Geum-hong entrusted the whole of vengeance to Seo Seok-san.
This was because Go Seo-bang, who hung between life and death, was Seo Seok-san’s direct disciple.
Had Se-hwa suffered the same fate at someone else’s hands, it would not have been Seo Seok-san leaving the estate—it would have been Yeon Geum-hong.
Seo Seok-san did not hurry.
Forcing the Lightness Skill too hard would exhaust him before O Tong-su and Gal Ma-pyeong even had the chance to fight. Yet the three of them reached Deokseong County in Anhui Province, where the Hyeoksamen lay, in just two days.
The Hyeoksamen was perched halfway up Sasuk Mountain, renowned for its treacherous terrain.
Seo Seok-san’s pace slowed as Sasuk Mountain came into view in the distance.
“There’s an inn nearby. Let’s rest for two hours before we go on.”
“But we’re almost there?”
“I’m tired.”
Of course, it wasn’t Seo Seok-san who was tired—it was O Tong-su and Gal Ma-pyeong. Had they stormed the Hyeoksamen in their current state, they would have been cut down before they could even demonstrate their strength.
Realizing this, the two men watched Seo Seok-san enter the inn with eyes full of boundless respect. Two hours of rest proved more than sufficient to restore them.
Darkness came early to the mountains, and by the time they reached the Hyeoksamen, night had already fallen completely.
From the moment Seo Seok-san set foot on Sasuk Mountain, he felt the weight of watching eyes. But he made no effort to intercept them—they would meet soon enough at the Hyeoksamen itself.
The Hyeoksamen sat at the end of a road just wide enough for horses to pass through.
The gate was black, the roof was black, and the walls surrounding the compound were black as well.
Thus the Hyeoksamen had no clear boundary with the darkness.
The main gate, which he’d expected to be locked shut, stood wide open as if welcoming them.
They must have known of the trio’s coming yet left the gate open nonetheless—a display of absolute confidence that no one could dare lay a hand on the Hyeoksamen.
Seo Seok-san entered through the gate like an invited guest.
A courtyard suitable for martial practice and eight buildings of various sizes stood unadorned in the darkness.
No one was yet visible, but Seo Seok-san could sense all of those concealed in shadow.
“It’s been six years since we’ve had a visitor at our gates.”
As a single figure emerged from the Main Hall facing them, the hidden figures finally revealed themselves.
All were dressed identically.
Black silk robes, black armor, cloaks of the same shade.
Only the middle-aged man descending from the Main Hall wore no black silk cap.
“Are you the Faction Leader of the Hyeoksamen?”
The middle-aged man’s eyebrows twitched at Seo Seok-san’s curt greeting.
“There are rumors that the Gangsei Samak shows no respect for anyone. It seems those rumors are true.”
“The Gangsei Samak?”
“That one with the pale skin and thin lips is O Tong-su; the one with those small eyes you can barely tell whether they’re open or closed is Gal Ma-pyeong; that would make you Go Seo-bang. Your appearance is somewhat different from the records we have, though. Those intelligence merchants seem to be doing sloppy work.”
Several men around him stiffened their shoulders slightly.
“Why have the Gangsei Samak, who prowl the bloodied streets of Gangxi Province, come seeking the Hyeoksamen? Is this a murder contract? Who is so formidable that the Gangsei Samak dare not challenge them? Do you mean to hire us against the Gudaemun Faction?”
The Hyeoksamen was an organization that would take any work for the right price—assassination, human trafficking, anything profitable.
Seo Seok-san opened the bag slung across his back and asked, “What about the Bloodwind Four Lions?”
“Nothing we can’t handle. Given the proper compensation.”
“How much?”
“That’s something we discuss after finding the target. You do understand that locating them is the client’s responsibility?”
“So if I find them, you can kill them?”
“The Hyeoksamen has never failed to kill anyone. Not even the Bloodwind Four Lions.”
“Then prove it. Try to kill them.”
The Blood Jade Zither appeared in his hands.
Seo Seok-san had wielded the Blood Jade Zither fewer than ten times in actual combat, yet every time it sang from his fingers, the Poetry Mountain Blood Sea unfolded.
It had become one of the most famous weapons in the Murim, and the Hyeoksamen Faction Leader—whose intelligence network was quite reliable, though it had failed to distinguish Seo Seok-san from Go Seo-bang—recognized the crimson zither at once.
“The Blood Jade Zither! Is that… is that really the Blood Jade Zither?”
“If you recognize the Blood Jade Zither, then you know who I am. Do I still look like Go Seo-bang to you?”
The casual composure that had habitually graced the Faction Leader’s face vanished. His complexion turned ashen, and his thundering heartbeat was loud enough for Seo Seok-san to hear.

“Elder, the senior from the Thousand Yin Society…….”
“I’ve never had a junior like you.”
“Ah, no…… Elder Cheon…….”
“Are you mocking me for being old?”
The Faction Leader’s face contorted.
“Then what should I call you?”
“There’s no name for you to speak. You need only scream.”
Seo Seok-san’s fingers plucked the strings of the zither.

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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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