Abolition of the Wicked - Chapter 43

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

#Episode 43

Everyone cheered, but Geom U-bin wasn’t convinced it was over.
Ma Chung-san, the leader of the Mandok Sect who had tried to indiscriminately poison all the Murim martial artists attending the Golden Distribution Reckoning, remained at large.
While it was said that the Golden Distribution Reckoning would settle all grievances, Ma Chung-san didn’t seem the type to be bound by such rules.
The Bloodwind Four Lions shared the same thought, and having taken their positions, they clustered tightly around Geom U-bin.
As the Golden Distribution Reckoning concluded, music began to play, and the Jegal Family members dispersed among the renowned Murim figures.
The people who had been seated in orderly rows began to mingle in disarray.
Someone called out to Geom U-bin, who was scanning his surroundings.
“U-bin!”
Jegal Hoon waved from among the crowd. He stood beside Jegal Myeong-jung, the family patriarch.
His purpose was plain enough. It would have been troublesome, but refusal was impossible.
Geom U-bin pushed through the crowd and approached the two men.
When they were about three paces apart, someone greeted Jegal Myeong-jung.
And then came the cry.
“Long live the Mandok Sect! Eternal glory!”
Three men.
Roughly four paces from one another, each held a metal cylinder about four feet long and a palm’s width across.
The moment the silver tubes came into view, someone screamed.
“Thunder Bombs!”
Yeon Geum-hong’s reaction was the swiftest.
She fired a poisoned dart at the brow of the man in the center, blocking Geom U-bin’s path. But even as his head was pierced and he died, he triggered the Thunder Bomb.
From the remaining two dart tubes, hair-fine projectiles cascaded forth.
The Sichuan Tangmen are unrivaled in Murim when it comes to poison and mechanical weaponry. Particularly their mechanically engineered arms are things of dread.
The Thunder Bomb was among their most notorious weapons—a mass-casualty device that ranked first among lethal projectiles.
When thirty thousand needles erupted simultaneously, piercing even Protective Barrier Qi, the hall transformed into chaos in an instant.
Those ranked as first-class masters managed to deflect or evade the needles, but anyone with slightly weaker martial skill was pierced and fell.
Geom U-bin was not beyond the Thunder Bomb’s reach.
Of course, even if he remained still, the Bloodwind Four Lions would shield him, so he had no cause for worry.
Unlike Geom U-bin, Jegal Hoon was left defenseless.
The family patriarch, Jegal Myeong-jung, was too occupied batting away the poisoned darts streaming toward him to spare attention for Jegal Hoon.
In that instant, Geom U-bin threw himself forward.
“Behind you! Danger—!”
The Bloodwind Four Lions had no time to prepare; Geom U-bin’s movement was far too sudden and swift.
Geom U-bin threw himself at Jegal Hoon, shielding him as they both fell.
He felt poisoned darts pierce through his highest-raised Protective Barrier Qi and embed themselves in his back.
Yeon Geum-hong, arriving first, wrenched three darts from Geom U-bin’s back.
These were the needles that should have pierced Jegal Hoon instead.
“Aaaaagh!”
“Nnngh!”
Even those not struck fatally by the needles convulsed in agony. Foam flecked their lips, and their skin darkened to blue—unmistakable signs of extreme poisoning.
Jang Man-dok forced an antidote into Geom U-bin’s mouth.
From its smell, it was clearly a mineral poison, so he’d administered a broad-spectrum antidote for mineral toxins to prevent acute poisoning.
“I’m fine now. Please attend to the others.”
But for Jang Man-dok, most were already beyond saving.
Those who hadn’t died outright from the poisoned darts began to convulse as the toxin took hold, falling one by one.
A cursory glance suggested casualties well over a hundred.
“What about Ma Chung-san?”
Two of the three who had fired the Thunder Bombs were dead. But one had escaped in the chaos.
“Don’t worry. Seo Seok-san is pursuing him.”
“Nngh—”
Jegal Hoon struggled to raise his torso.
Though he knew the needles hadn’t struck him, Geom U-bin examined Jegal Hoon once more.
“Are you all right?”
At Geom U-bin’s question, Jegal Hoon turned his concern instead toward him.
“Of course I’m fine! But you! You were hit by the needles!”
There was no way Geom U-bin, who had shielded Jegal Hoon with his entire body, could have avoided the poisoned dart.
“I’m fine. Don’t waste time asking why.”
Jegal Jong-ryeo rushed over and hurriedly helped Jegal Hoon to his feet.
“Hoon! Are you hurt? Let me see! Where does it hurt?”
She turned him this way and that like some oversized doll.
“If I wasn’t dead yet, I’m fine.”
“Thank goodness. You were lucky.”
“Geom U-bin took the hit for me. He saved my life.”
“Took the hit? Then…….”
“Don’t ask me any more about it.”
Though Jegal Jong-ryeo had her foolish moments, she wasn’t entirely oblivious. She made a gesture of sewing her lips shut, swearing herself to silence.
“Geom U-bin!”
The person who called out to Geom U-bin and came running was Namgung Hye-yeon.
She confirmed that Geom U-bin was unharmed and collapsed to the ground.
“Thank heavens.”
Even in the chaos, the Jegal Clan began an organized search to apprehend the criminal.
As expected, the two corpses left behind were not Ma Chung-san.
Despite the Jegal Clan’s efforts, they ultimately failed to capture Ma Chung-san. If he had already slipped away from the estate, they didn’t even know which direction he’d fled, making pursuit impossible.
Jegal Myeong-jung and the five heads gathered in the courtyard, breathing out sighs of futility.
“We should at least organize a pursuit team.”
It was just as Jegal Myeong-jung finished speaking.
Something came tumbling down into the center of where they stood in a circle.
A person.
The face of the man lying on his back on the ground wore an expression that seemed to ask, “Why am I here right now?”
“Ma……Chung-san?”

***

It wasn’t without incident, but the Geumbunsesoo had ended nonetheless.
Those who were leaving departed, and Geom U-bin, having received his payment, began preparing to return to Hangju.
Yeon Geum-hong stayed with Geom U-bin while the other three returned to the inn to gather their things.
“It was quite an eventful journey.”
Yeon Geum-hong whispered with a faint smile.
“Still, it was enjoyable.”
Though it was unfortunate that people had died in the Mandok Sect’s assault, the journey had been pleasant for Geom U-bin and his companions.
“My lady! We meet again!”
The man approaching Yeon Geum-hong with delight was Jang Myeong-gi, a disciple of the Mudang Faction.
Geom U-bin whispered to Yeon Geum-hong.
“Persistence is something to admire, isn’t it?”
“Then flies deserve praise too.”
“Are you departing?”
Yeon Geum-hong answered reluctantly.
“I’d like to pay my respects to the master of the house, but it doesn’t seem likely that such an opportunity will arise.”
“You mean the Jegal household head? If you ask through me, it’s possible anytime. Let’s go.”
“No, there’s no need…….”
Ignoring her words, Jang Myeong-gi strode ahead purposefully.
“That bastard—I should just……!”
Geom U-bin grabbed Yeon Geum-hong’s arm and pulled her along.
“We should say goodbye to Hoon anyway, so let’s just go.”
Near the household head’s office, many people had gathered.
They were all waiting to greet Jegal Myeong-jung, so many that they might as well have been drawing numbered tickets.
“I’ve left word under my name, so if you wait a moment, that will be fine. Would you like some tea while you wait?”
But there was no time for tea.
Jegal Jong-ryeo came down from the Main Hall and approached Geom U-bin with an expressionless face.
“Father wishes to see you.”
And soon she bowed deeply toward Yeon Geum-hong.
“He also requests your presence.”
“No, I was just planning to see Hoon and leave…….”
“Hoon will be there too.”
Jang Myeong-gi, standing nearby, asked a question.
“Me? The clan leader isn’t calling for me, is he?”
Jegal Jong-ryeo glanced at Jang Myeong-gi and turned away.
“You’re one hundred twenty-second on the list.”
“But—wait, we just arrived together……”
“Guests first.”
Jang Myeong-gi’s expression turned bewildered.
“Those two are more honored guests than me, a disciple of the Mudang Faction?”
Geom U-bin, walking shoulder to shoulder beside her, whispered to Jegal Jong-ryeo.
“Relax your face. It doesn’t suit you.”
After glancing around to confirm they were alone, Jegal Jong-ryeo exhaled heavily. “I nearly suffocated in there. It’s all because of my older brother! I didn’t expect to hear that cold women are popular! Oh, and thanks for saving my brother—even though you threw yourself into danger. You took a poisoned dart that tears through Protective Barrier Qi and came out unscathed, didn’t get poisoned either. Hm! And yet you’re not even a martial artist……it’s strange, hmm……”
“Your nose is showing.”
Jegal Jong-ryeo wiped beneath her nose with her index finger and smiled cryptically.
“We’ve already seen everything worth seeing between us, haven’t we?”
“I don’t think there was much to see, honestly.”
“What? You must have missed something. Want another look? By the way, you’ve seen more of my skin than anyone outside the family.”
“Does that mean something?”
“You have to take responsibility for it. And for the record, I’m fine with anyone five years older or younger than me.”
“Sister!”
As Jegal Hoon shot her a look from the open doorway, Jegal Jong-ryeo thought, ‘I’ve done my duty greeting the guests; I’m out of here,’ and disappeared.
“I’m sorry my sister was so bothersome.”
“It’s fine. That was entertaining.”
The courteous Jegal Hoon bowed to Yeon Geum-hong as well.
“My apologies, aunt.”
Yeon Geum-hong simply smiled in response.
In the reception hall, Jegal Myeong-jung waited alone.
Jegal Myeong-jung’s rising from his seat was the greatest courtesy extended to a guest.
Had it not been for Geom U-bin, the Jegal Family would have been caught in a far bloodier tempest. And since he’d also saved Jegal Hoon, no amount of gratitude from Jegal Myeong-jung would have been excessive.
“I must offer my thanks once more. Let’s visit each other often—I’ll come to Oseong Jang-won frequently, and you must visit the Jegal compound. Let’s increase our ties between us.”
It wasn’t particularly wise for the Jegal Family to visit Oseong Jang-won too often.
“I’ll visit whenever I can, sir.”
Jegal Myeong-jung, interpreting this as consideration for Jegal Hoon, smiled warmly.
His gaze then turned toward Yeon Geum-hong.
“I’ve heard rumors of the Hangju Association, but I hadn’t realized the legendary Ice Blossom was such a beauty.”
It was a conventional compliment offered to a woman, and Yeon Geum-hong merely bowed her head slightly.
“My perception is limited, and I cannot fathom the true nature of the Ice Blossom, but she is certainly no ordinary person.”
“I’m simply a tavern keeper.”
“If you say so, then that is how I shall understand it.”
The rounds of thanks continued, and he persisted in inviting them to remain several days longer before they finally managed to excuse themselves.
Geom U-bin and Yeon Geum-hong were escorted to the main gate by Jegal Hoon.
Jegal Hoon asked Yeon Geum-hong a question.
“The three other members of the Hangju Association must be somewhere nearby, surely?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I’ve been thinking about why Ma Chung-san, the one who fled, happened to fall into the Jegal compound courtyard.”
“That’s something I don’t know either.”
“I understand, sir. But please do tell the other three that we’re grateful. And U-bin.”
“Yes?”
“The Jegal Family never forgets a debt. A day may come when you need our strength, and should you ever need our help—however humble it might be—know that the Jegal Family is always waiting for you.”
“Don’t regret it later.”
Geom U-bin and Yeon Geum-hong departed from the Jegal compound, leading a horse laden with one hundred bottles of liquor.
The three others joined them only after the foot traffic had thinned.
“Shall we buy a carriage?”
They couldn’t travel with a hundred bottles of liquor loaded on a single horse. After checking the purse containing their travel funds, Geom U-bin sighed deeply.
“We don’t have enough left to buy a carriage.”
Geom U-bin left the Bloodwind Four Lions to their pretense of ignorance and entered the money exchange. They had no silver coins on hand, so he needed to trade the banknote they’d received as payment for the liquor.
But the exchange clerk’s expression darkened as he examined the note.
“We don’t have enough silver coins at this exchange to honor this note. You’d need to wait four days. Would that be acceptable?”
They couldn’t afford to idle away four days in Yangyang County just to exchange a banknote.
Geom U-bin sighed again.
“If only I hadn’t destroyed that restaurant and tavern, we could’ve bought a carriage.”

Hyeolpung Saja divided the hundred bottles among them without waiting for Geom U-bin to say anything, shouldering his share.
“Your skill in Lightness Technique is far superior to ours. Our destination is Wuhan, yes?”
“Yes. We’ll sell the liquor in Wuhan and use the money to buy a cart.”
Wuhan lay in the same province as Hubei, but the distance was considerable. Even if Hyeolpung Saja pushed his Lightness Technique to its limit, it would take three hours to cover—and they couldn’t go that fast anyway, not with Geom U-bin in tow.
As they ran along the mountain path to match Geom U-bin’s pace, black clouds rolled in with ominous intent.
“The wind feels damp. Looks like rain’s coming.”
The moment Do Pyeong-su finished speaking, thunder rumbled in the distance, and rain began to fall.
Hyeolpung Saja and even Geom U-bin had reached the level where they could form barriers with their Internal Qi to deflect the rain. But they couldn’t maintain such a state while traveling without draining their reserves.
“Shouldn’t we find shelter from this?”
Geom U-bin said it was fine, but he didn’t want to push the others needlessly.
“Isn’t that smoke?”

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