Abolition of the Wicked - Chapter 98

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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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#Chapter 98

So Gi-cheon, still a head shorter than most, embraced Geom U-bin before pulling back hurriedly. “Yikes! I don’t want to get your clothes dirty!”
“It’s fine.”
“Hehe! Hearing your voice again feels wonderful. You’re all better now, right? Though your head’s still the same…”
“It’ll grow back with time. You’ve been alright?”
“Sure. For a beggar, uneventful is the best thing that can happen.”
Geom U-bin took the opportunity to ask him something.
“Do you happen to know about Bihoagok?”
“I’m a disciple of the Sect, so of course I know.”
“Do you know where it is?”
“Even Master doesn’t know that.”
“Can you try to find it?”
“I’ll do my best since you’re asking, but it won’t be easy. Why do you need to know about Bihoagok?”
“My uncle and aunt went to find medicine there to cure my illness. I’m better now, so it’s not needed anymore, but they’re not responding to messages.”
“I’ll look into it, but don’t get your hopes up too high.”
As Geom U-bin walked away after talking with So Gi-cheon, his footsteps halted. His gaze turned toward the crowd gathered in front of the Employment Agency.
“So many people lost their jobs when the Jo Hwang Clan nearly collapsed. The wicked deserve punishment, but that doesn’t make this any easier to watch.”
A man standing before the throng called out in a loud voice.
“No more hiring today! Go home!”
“Please, just look a little harder! We need to earn enough to eat!”
“Any work at all is fine—just give us something to do!”
The thought that he bore some responsibility for their desperation weighed heavily on Geom U-bin’s heart.
As he and So Gi-cheon spoke of one thing and another, his steps carried him all the way to Wol-ha Giroo.
The once-glorious Wol-ha Giroo stood with shuttered doors, gradually transforming into a desolate, abandoned house.
‘It all started there.’
When he first delivered saegiuju here, he had never imagined what Oseong Jang-won would become.
Yet somehow, Geom U-bin and the Bloodwind Four Lions had become the most famous figures in Hangju, known as Hangju Oseong.
The Bloodwind Four Lions had lost some of their fame, but the transformation of the orphan boy Geom U-bin was as dramatic as a mallard becoming a phoenix.
Hangju remained vibrant and bustling, but the wounds left by the Jo Hwang Clan’s collapse were visible everywhere.
‘Is there any way to heal those scars?’

***

Baek Dong-pal had finally chosen to flee.
The appointed date had come, and it was the only path left to him.
“A clever one. Lucky he’s running off like this.”
From the highest point of the Mantong-hoe, three figures watched Baek Dong-pal’s escape.
Emerging from the hidden passage between the rocks and preparing his boat, he appeared no larger than a thumb at this distance.
“If even a fly can’t find the place, there’s only one place left to count on, isn’t there?”
At Seo Seok-san’s words, the other two let out thin sighs.
“The Sect. Damn it! I hate asking that old beggar for anything.”
Yeon Geum-hong spoke with resignation written across her face.
“It’s for our leader’s sake, so we’ll do it regardless. But that fool down there—isn’t he in danger?”
“What do you mean?”
“That boat. Isn’t that a hole in the bottom?”
Though they stood more than fifty zhang away, they could see the hole bored through the boat’s stern. Neglected for years, the damage was harmless for now, but once the vessel drifted a hundred zhang offshore, it would begin taking on water.
“Shouldn’t we tell him?”
“Wouldn’t it be strange if we warned him? He can swim, can’t he?”
“Thanks to us, he’s dry now, but think about what his body used to be like. Is that the body of someone who can swim?”
Baek Dong-pal, now aboard the small boat rocked gently by the waves, was untying the rope that connected it to the rock.
“Here’s a man who can’t even maintain his own lifeboat properly, yet he calls himself the Murim First Information Network.”
If they intervened now, they would have to kill him—the threat had already been made. If they simply watched, Baek Dong-pal would inevitably become a water ghost.
“It seems death is written in his fate after all.”
Just as Baek Dong-pal finished untying the rope and was about to take up the oars, a voice rang out.
“Sir! Sir! I found it!”
Wang Jik rushed over to Baek Dong-pal, waving a small letter.
“We found Bihoagok!”
Baek Dong-pal, teetering unsteadily, leaped from the boat.
“Is that really true?”
“Yes! We couldn’t pinpoint the exact location, but we’ve identified the region!”
“You couldn’t pinpoint the exact location?”
Baek Dong-pal stood there deliberating.
He was wondering whether the Bloodwind Four Lions would accept this, but there was no need for such doubt.
The three of them were desperately hoping that Baek Dong-pal would come running to the office with that paper.
“Trust in our mercy, you fool!”
Though Yeon Geum-hong’s voice couldn’t be heard aloud, her mental will seemed to reach him, and Baek Dong-pal came running toward the Mantong-hoe building.
The three descended from the roof and quickly slipped into the office. Moments later, Baek Dong-pal emerged with a joyful expression, waving the letter.
“We found Bihoagok!”
Since they already knew, there was nothing surprising about it, but they put on expressions of delight anyway.
“Excellent! Is that so? Truly?”
“You don’t seem very pleased, though.”
A sharp-eyed one! How is it he couldn’t spot a hole in the boat?
“I’m pleased. Where is it?”
“It’s on Gulong Mountain in Jang-juk County, Gansu Province.”
“Gulong Mountain? Isn’t that a massive range with nine peaks? Where exactly are you talking about?”
At Seo Seok-san’s question, cold sweat beaded on Baek Dong-pal’s forehead.
“Well, as you say, Gulong Mountain is so vast that we couldn’t determine the precise location.”
“You’re certain it’s there?”
“Absolutely certain! My subordinates never make mistakes.”
Yeon Geum-hong stood and spoke.
“These subordinates who never make mistakes couldn’t find a hole in the boat? Incompetent fools.”
“Ma’am?”
“Send a carrier pigeon to Oseong Jang-won telling them we’re heading to Gulong Mountain.”
After the Bloodwind Four Lions departed, Baek Dong-pal hurried toward the boat wedged in the crevice of rocks.
Sure enough, the boat sat half-submerged in the water.
“So you knew I was going to flee.”
Though he knew it, the Bloodwind Four Lions didn’t bother to stop him. They’d spoken of killing him, but there was no real intent to do so—rather, they were worried about him.
“The mighty Bloodwind Four Lions, concerned for this Baek Dong-pal.”
Moved by gratitude, Baek Dong-pal muttered toward the direction where the Bloodwind Four Lions had vanished.
“Please, find Bihoagok.”

***

Yeo Dong-sul knelt on the ground without so much as a single undergarment to cover himself.
His expression, despite being a man soon to die, was oddly serene. A subordinate rummaging through Yeo Dong-sul’s clothes spoke.
“There’s nothing more.”
Hwang Jo-gil shook the purse in his hand.
“Three silver coins—that’s all you have?”
“That’s all.”
“What about the half-million silver you swindled from me?”
“It was stolen from me.”
“By whom?”
Yeo Dong-sul let out a strange, murmuring laugh.
“What’s so funny?”
“It’s like being a monkey in the palm of Buddha—how could I not laugh?”
“Who is this Buddha? Who is this monkey?”
Yeo Dong-sul, his laughter fading, spoke.
“You said Oseong Jang-won were mere peasants you could crush whenever you pleased, didn’t you?”
“I believe I said something to that effect.”
“We only spoke thus—but Oseong Jang-won showed it through their deeds. We alone failed to recognize their terror. Guk guk guk……”
“What nonsense are you spouting?”
“Isn’t it remarkable? Master Hwang has been ruined, yet still doesn’t know why. Kek kek kek……”
“The Cheolhyeol Faction and a cascade of misfortunes converged, and my luck was simply abominable. What other reason could there be? Ah—yes, your swindling me of five hundred thousand silver.”
“The silver I took was merely crumbs. Whether that money existed or not, you would have been ruined regardless.”
Hwang Jo-gil’s foot lashed out, striking Yeo Dong-sul’s mocking face. With a sharp cry, the skeletal figure crumpled backward onto the ground.
“What the hell is this bastard talking about!”
Yeo Dong-sul, lifted to his feet again by his subordinates, spat out blood-flecked saliva before speaking.
“Jo-gil. You should have stayed quiet in Beijing or kept your head down if you came to Hangju. Then you wouldn’t have gotten tangled up with Oseong Jang-won.”
“Why do you keep bringing up Oseong Jang-won? What exactly did they do!”
“You idiot! All of this is because of Oseong Jang-won! Wol-ha Giroo’s collapse, Cheolhyeol Faction coming to Hangju—even the inns falling apart, all of it was their doing!”
It was hard to believe.
“How could Oseong Jang-won have that kind of power?”
“That’s what I’m trying to tell you. I still don’t know how. But what I do know for certain is that Oseong Jang-won is what destroyed you. They’re the ones who seized the money swindled from you.”
“My money was stolen by them?”
“If I still had that money, would I have gone mad and holed myself up in that run-down inn in the middle of nowhere?”
“How did you find all this out?”
“The bastard who took my money told me himself—that head steward of Oseong Jang-won, Go Seo-bang. The pieces fit too perfectly to doubt it.”
“Oseong Jang-won, you say? Oseong Jang-won….”
Hwang Jo-gil rolled the name over in his mouth for a long while, then turned away.
“Bury him.”
Yeo Dong-sul, his arms gripped by two subordinates on either side, called out to Hwang Jo-gil.
“Jo-gil.”
“What?”
“Can’t you let me live?”
“Stop wasting my time.”
Hwang Jo-gil entered the room and sat in a chair, his eyes vacant as he stared out the window.
The fact that Yeo Dong-sul had revealed was so shocking that no other thought could form in his mind.
After sitting like that for a long time, a smile crept across Hwang Jo-gil’s lips.
“There’s nothing to think about. Anyone who touches me—they die.”

***

Jang Man-dok confirmed the letter that had arrived by carrier pigeon.
―Found Bihoagok. Departing for Gulong Mountain, Jang-juk County, Gansu Province.
Though a pang of guilt stirred in him, Jang Man-dok still could not bear to let go of this precious time alone with Geom U-bin. So the letter turned to white ash and scattered in the breeze.
Suppressing his troubled conscience, Jang Man-dok composed himself and made his way to the Training Ground.
Geom U-bin had moved from the Underground Practice Chamber to the Training Ground near the Back Garden.
When Jang Man-dok arrived, Geom U-bin stood facing Gong Seong-tak.
“Are you serious about this?”
“Yes.”
“You could get hurt.”
“That’s all right.”
“Then shall we have a proper match for once?”
It seemed the two were about to spar, but something felt off about the atmosphere. Jang Man-dok, who had meant to stop them, changed his mind.
‘I wonder how strong my brother’s martial arts really are.’
A sparring match meant to avoid injury would make it difficult to accurately gauge Geom U-bin’s true level.
‘He’s probably still not ready to beat Gong Seong-tak yet.’
Gong Seong-tak’s martial arts were comparable to those of the masters of the Five Great Houses, or perhaps even superior.
Geom U-bin and Gong Seong-tak, separated by several paces, took their stances.
Though Geom U-bin had sparred many times before, his expression was unmistakably different from before—serious and focused—and Gong Seong-tak showed no sign of holding back either.
Geom U-bin moved first.
The Chui-hwa Nak-su palm technique unfolded as he stepped the Sipbo Baek-yeong footwork, dazzling and swift.
Against Geom U-bin’s palm strikes, Gong Seong-tak’s leg technique opened up.
The ruthless Jincheon Noe-gak collided with Geom U-bin’s palms, releasing a sharp bang that echoed through the air.
Hands and feet exchanged blows with sounds so loud that Jang Man-dok jumped. It was proof that both fighters were drawing on considerable martial force.
Geom U-bin and Gong Seong-tak, briefly separated, clashed again.
Against Gong Seong-tak’s Jincheon Noe-gak, Geom U-bin responded by mixing palm, staff, and leg techniques evenly.
Geom U-bin had never fought in earnest before, only sparred, yet he switched between offense and defense with surprising fluidity, adapting to each situation.
Though far from perfect.
‘He could have used the Seung-hwang Pacheon technique there. Hmm, his Manbyeon Seol-hwa variations could use more work.’
After hands and feet tangled and separated in a blur, Gong Seong-tak called out.
“Not bad! Now I’ll increase the intensity!”
With his warning delivered, Gong Seong-tak’s attack was decidedly more potent than before.
Geom U-bin defended first with the Cheonra Jiasu, then sought openings to drive his palms in. The exchange between the two was perfectly matched.
Though Gong Seong-tak was clearly pouring considerable force into his attack, Geom U-bin held his ground without yielding.
The clash burned with such ferocity that violence itself seemed to fill the air.
The trousers and sleeves of both Geom U-bin and Gong Seong-tak hung in tatters where they had struck each other, and their exposed skin was mottled crimson.
That skin so tough a blade could scarcely cut it had flushed so deeply red spoke volumes of the savagery between them.
For a quarter hour they collided without pause, their sparring continuing until Gong Seong-tak suddenly gave ground with great force, bringing the exchange to a halt.

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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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