Chronicles of the Martial God’s Return - Chapter 162

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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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“Is this the liquor you mentioned?”
Ju Jin-hak, King of Honam and a prince of the realm, gazed at the bottle before him with shining eyes. He knew well enough from rumor what this spirits was.
Barely half a month had passed since it began selling, yet it was already the talk of every drinker in the city—the Hoyeon Family’s wine, which he’d thought lost to him forever.
The mere thought of it made his mouth water, and Ju Jin-hak swallowed hard.
“It is. Would you care for a taste?”
Hong Won-chang, now dressed in clean attire, posed the question, and Ju Jin-hak nodded readily.
Hadn’t he staked two taels of gold per bottle and even put out a reward for it?
Even so, he’d failed to obtain any—yet Hong Won-chang’s talent proved remarkable enough to procure two bottles.
As Ju Jin-hak gazed quietly at the wine flask, he lifted his head with a pleased expression upon hearing attendants approach with cups and refreshments.
Only then did he notice someone new standing beside Hong Won-chang.
“And who might that be?”
“This is the proprietor of the Geumhwan Merchant Guild. He’s the one distributing the Hoyeon Family’s wine.”
“It’s an honor to meet you, Your Highness. I am Geum Eun-hak.”
“Ah, so you’re the one who unearthed this wine from obscurity?”
Ju Jin-hak asked brightly, as though delighted. Any true lover of spirits could scarcely help but feel warmth toward Geum Eun-hak for bringing such treasure into their reach.
It was that rare a vintage.
“Fortune smiled upon me. Though our monthly output is limited, should Your Highness desire it, I would be honored to send wine to the Prince’s Residence whenever a new batch arrives.”
“Ha ha ha! What a generous word. But no need. Fine spirits taste best when purchased with one’s own coin, don’t you think? Next time, I shall wait for the shipment and buy it myself.”
At his hearty words, Geum Eun-hak bowed deeply. Ju Jin-hak was known to share uncommon favor with the Emperor.
Moreover, his integrity was legendary—he was never swayed by personal sentiment or profit.
Geum Eun-hak had harbored no intention of gifting the wine, and his offer had been made purely out of courtesy; Ju Jin-hak had simply received it according to his own principles.
“Ah, what exquisite spirits! Worth every coin. Come now, don’t sit idle—help yourselves to a cup. Wine, after all, tastes finest when shared among companions.”
A man in good spirits and fine wine before him.
What could delight a lover of spirits more?
The bright smile that settled on Ju Jin-hak’s lips showed no sign of fading.

***

“Failed? Failed? Failed, you say!?”
Chu Mun-won clutched his head and collapsed into a chair. All the men he’d dispatched had been found dead. Yet neither Hong Won-chang nor Geum Eun-hak had been eliminated.
He’d believed his full strength was sufficient, but it was not. The error in judgment belonged not to Du Ak-chil, but to himself.
“It’s said the wine has already been carried into the Prince’s Residence.”
“Curse it! Was there some remarkable fighter among them?”
“That is… according to the children watching the Prince’s Residence, they spotted Namgung So-hye and Kwon Mu-jin.”
“Namgung So-hye? Kwon Mu-jin?”
The shock was so profound that a hollow laugh escaped him.
His lips trembled slightly.
The hand that swept back his hair shook as well.
Why would such masters aid the Geumhwan Merchant Guild? Every one of them bore a celebrated name—weren’t they all renowned experts? Could there be some connection between them and the guild?
His head throbbed as if it might split from the tangle of anxious thoughts.
“Why in the world are those men there?”
“After gathering information from multiple sources, it appears those two were staying at a place called the Honam Danga in Ak-yang.”
“Honam Danga?”
“Yes.”
“Such a family existed?”
“This is the first I’ve heard of it as well.”
Du Ak-chil dabbed cold sweat from his brow and managed to open his mouth. The Honam Danga was unknown to him too. Yet he still found it difficult to believe that masters like Namgung So-hye and Kwon Mu-jin were residing in such a place.
“And…”
“And? What else?”
“Do you recall the rumors that have spread recently throughout Ak-yang and the Jangsa region?”
“What rumors?”
“The strange old men wearing masks of the Gentleman’s Sword and the Demon Heaven Force.”
“Ah, yes.”
A faint recollection surfaced.
There were elderly men who appeared mainly around Ak-yang, and whenever trouble broke out near Market Street, they would emerge wearing masks and offer aid to those in need.
“Intelligence from Hao Mun suggests those masked figures may well be residents of that same Honam Danga.”
“Hm…”
A hollow laugh escaped Chu Mun-won’s lips.
So these worthless dogs had actually dared to touch them? The absurdity of it left him shaking his head, one bitter sigh after another.
Whose was Honam?
Though the Chumun Clan made no outward show of it, this land belonged to them.
No matter how hard the smaller sects scrambled, no matter how cleverly they planted themselves in Honam, none could ever escape the Chumun Clan’s shadow.
‘And yet these fools dared to lay hands on us?’
The thought alone drew laughter from him—bitter, disbelieving.
“What should we do?” Du Ak-chil asked.
“They’re definitely backing the Geumhwan Merchant Guild, then?”
“That appears to be the case, yes.”
“And where is that woman from the Hoyeon Family?”
“Her whereabouts are unclear. But likely—”
“She’ll be at their estate.”
Du Ak-chil nodded.
The Geumhwan Merchant Guild released alcohol every few days.
That meant the Hoyeon woman was brewing it somewhere.
The most likely place was none other than the Honam Danga itself.
“Ho Yeon-ji. We need to draw her out. Send word through the Honam Merchant Association.”
“What message should we send?”
“To crush the Geumhwan Merchant Guild. No—to destroy it entirely.”
“Understood. And what of the Hoyeon Family?”
“Send a contract to Salak. Quietly.”
At the name Salak, Du Ak-chil’s mouth fell open.
The finest assassins in all the Central Plains.
The ones who gathered there were said to be capable of killing anyone if the price was right—the elite cream of the countless assassination guilds scattered across the Central Plains. Salak was where they came together.
The weight of that name alone was tremendous.
“Kill them all. Not a single one left standing!”
“Y-yes. We’ll execute it at once.”

***

The assassins of Salak possessed exceptional skills, yet their fees were so steep that ordinary people could never even afford to hire them.
A single contract cost anywhere from dozens to hundreds of gold taels, and the price varied wildly depending on the target, so most of their work came from high officials or wealthy merchants.
The group assembled here was no exception.
About ten assassins had been dispatched from Salak’s Honam division—a considerable force, given what the organization typically sent, but necessary given who had placed the order.
-Wiping out a minor family with this many men… the profit margin doesn’t look good, does it? one subordinate muttered.
The man who appeared to be their leader nodded. He’d been told the client specifically requested this many operatives to ensure the job was done thoroughly.
The contract fee was substantial as well.
Five hundred gold taels—an expensive price for such a simple task as eliminating one nameless family, though from Salak’s perspective it mattered little.
-Still, don’t let your guard down. A fee this high usually means something’s worth knowing.
-Understood.
The leader smiled as his men nodded in agreement.
He shared their caution. Dispatching even a single one of them would have been more than enough to wipe out an ordinary family—this was precisely the kind of work that wouldn’t trouble them in the slightest.
-There.
They had reached their destination.
It was late night, just past the Zi Hour.
The grand estate of the Honam Danga was breathtaking to behold.
He had traveled far and seen many structures, but never had he witnessed anything so magnificent outside the imperial palace itself.
The man let out a low chuckle.
-A shame to burn such a fine house.
-It is.
The subordinates gazing at the estate nodded in unison. Though they showed no outward sign, they too seemed considerably impressed.
-Don’t forget our objective. If you find the woman we believe to be Ho Yeon-ji, capture her without fail. Kill everyone else.
-Yes!
The sharp, unified response of his men made the leader nod. He knew well that after so many years together, they tolerated not even the smallest mistake.
Now there remained only one thing.
‘Slaughter.’
The man grinned wickedly and drew out a short dagger. The blade gleamed with a sharp, sinister edge, and a potent venom seemed to radiate from it.
It was coated with the Seven-Point Plum Poison—one touch, even a graze, would be fatal to anyone lacking All-Poison Impermeability.
At the thought of blood soon to be spilled, the man’s heart would not stop its rapid drumming.
In a low crouch, he moved swiftly toward the compound.
But there was no sign of life within the Jang Yuan.
The lights were dark, and he could feel no presence of people moving about. It was almost laughable—a great family like this with no guards posted.
Though it would certainly make their work easier.
With that thought, he signaled his men.
Ten assassins scaled the wall in unison.
Crunch—!
“Ugh!”
The man couldn’t believe his eyes at what unfolded before him.
Beyond the wall stood three figures.
One of them had drawn a blade, and two of his men were split in half, their blood spraying across the ground.
‘What?’
None of the assassins could even process what was happening.
Crunch-crunch-crunch!
Something caught the moonlight, flashing again and again.
Thud-thud, thud-thud—!
His men fell without resistance.
Bodies were cleaved; heads flew.
A dozen assassins—gone in an instant. It happened so fast, in a single blink, that the Salak killers couldn’t even comprehend their own deaths.
“How uncouth.”
At last, the figure with the sword stepped forward.
She caught the moonlight with noble grace, long hair sweeping around her. She flicked the crimson-stained blade clean and regarded the scattered corpses without the faintest change in expression.
As the final assassin who’d scaled the wall landed on the ground.
Crunch!
“Aaaaah—!”
Light flashed again, severing both his legs at the knee.
The pain left him senseless. He wanted to scream louder, but his pressure points had been sealed so swiftly that no sound escaped his throat.
Veins stood out on his forehead.
His face flushed dark with agony.
The suffering was written plainly across his features.
“One shouldn’t climb another’s wall carelessly. How do you know if there’s a tiger within—or a dragon?”
The figure approached and looked down at the fallen man.
His entire body went rigid beneath that cold gaze.
“I don’t expect you to keep your mouth shut. So I won’t ask now. Any truth gains value only when you speak it of your own will.”
She smiled faintly, then reached down and seized him by the hair, dragging him away like a dog.

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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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