Chapter 192: Chapter 192

“What is the meaning of this!”

Chu Mun-won shouted as he looked at Hong Won-chang. This place, of all places, was the Chu Gate Family, which had close ties even with the Prince’s Mansion.

It was not a place of such low prestige that a mere county magistrate could barge in at will.

Even if they had broken through the front gate to enter, this would bring no benefit to Hong Won-chang either.

Yet, with what kind of nerve did he bring constables to this place and surround the area?

Watching Chu Mun-won raise his voice, Hong Won-chang took a step forward.

His steps, full of confidence, were indeed light.

What hung on his lips was unmistakably a smile.

Looking at Chu Mun-won, he wore a clear sneer.

Perhaps unsettled by that, Chu Mun-won’s expression stiffened.

“Chu Mun-won! The crime of attacking and ruining the Hoyeon Clan! The crime of trying to kill an innocent person by using the Black Slayer Gate! As the other crimes you have committed have been fully revealed to the world, submit to arrest quietly!”

Chu Mun-won ground his teeth and glared at Hong Won-chang.

With every single word of the charges that came out of his mouth, it felt as if a drill were gouging his chest.

However, Chu Mun-won was not an easygoing man to back down obediently like this.

He glared fiercely at Hong Won-chang.

“What nonsense are you talking about! Do you even have proof?”

Chu Mun-won raised his voice and moved his fingers. At the same time, the guards of the Chu Gate Family, who had only been on guard without drawing their swords, roughly drew their weapons and pointed them at the constables.

A tight tension enveloped the surroundings.

“Bring him in!”

At Hong Won-chang’s command, several constables moved. They went out of the main gate, headed somewhere, and soon returned dragging someone inside.

Due to his severely swollen face, there was no trace of his original appearance. The clothes he wore were also stained bright red with blood, looking unimaginably wretched.

The man was forced to his knees by the constables, trembling violently with his head bowed like a criminal.

“You… you bastard…!”

Grit!

Chu Mun-won recognized who it was at a single glance. It was definitely Du Ak-chil, who was said to have gone missing.

Although the face was so ruined that it was unrecognizable, there was no way he could fail to recognize a subordinate he had been with for a long time.

“M-Master…”

“Shut up! How dare you, someone like you, do this to me…!”

Tremble-

Chu Mun-won ground his teeth, his whole body shaking. He had fed him, housed him, and even given him money. He had kept a talentless fellow by his side for decades.

Yet, was this all that came back in return?

Even under torture, he should not have opened his mouth. Even with a blade at his throat, he should have chosen death rather than trying to survive.

Was that not the grace of Chu Mun-won who had taken care of Du Ak-chil all this time?

Yet he sold someone out just to live?

Shring-!

At that moment, Hong Won-chang drew his sword and pointed it at Du Ak-chil’s neck.

“Speak. Who was it that brought down the Hoyeon Clan?”

“Hieeeek! It’s Ch-Chu Mun-won, Chu Mun-won! I was just doing what I was told!”

Du Ak-chil shouted, waving his hands urgently. More than the sensation of the blade touching his neck, he trembled like an aspen leaf, seemingly more terrified that the masked person might appear again.

“What did you do, and how?”

“I led the family guards there. Wearing masks, we set fires, raped and killed the women, and threw the children into the river. The men’s heads were cut…”

“Shut up!”

“Continue!”

Chu Mun-won raised his voice, but Hong Won-chang stood up to him. Du Ak-chil, reading the room between the two, eventually shed tears and bowed his head.

He had no choice but to answer.

If he did not speak properly, that terrifying old man would come back again.

Yet, he also had no desire to die with his mouth shut for Chu Mun-won’s sake.

Du Ak-chil opened his mouth once more.

“The head of the Hoyeon Clan and his family were…!”

Something flew in. It was not Chu Mun-won who moved. What suddenly flew from the empty air was a large, awl-like needle.

Thud thud thud! It embedded itself into Du Ak-chil’s body.

“Urgh…”

Startled by the sudden situation, the constables hesitated and took a step back. They pointed their spears, stayed on guard, and swallowed hard. Turning their eyes to look at Du Ak-chil, they saw his body tremble before going completely limp.

Three awls.

Everyone gasped and flinched at the object, not even knowing where it had flown from.

Meanwhile, there was someone who secretly retrieved their hand, none other than Chu Mun-won.

His gaze looked down at the dead Du Ak-chil.

The bastard who should have been killed long ago ended up causing trouble. He had kept him alive because their past bond held him back, but to think it would return as a mistake.

His teeth ground together on their own.

Chu Mun-won made up his mind.

The situation had deteriorated to this point, and he had no intention of quietly submitting to arrest.

Still, running away did not suit his personality either.

Furthermore, Chu Mun-won still had one card left up his sleeve.

Chu Mun-won’s gaze turned toward Hong Won-chang.

“You ended up committing it after all, Family Head Chu.”

“Shut up.”

With a smirk, Hong Won-chang was seen smiling.

The moment he saw it, Chu Mun-won furrowed his brow.

He had fallen for it.

He should not have killed him. Killing him out of rage was a mistake. He should have quietly accepted the arrest and used his power and authority to prove his innocence of everything.

Chu Mun-won lamented his own foolishness.

Grit!

His teeth ground together.

“Bind them all!”

“Yes!”

At Hong Won-chang’s word, the constables began to move in a rush. However, the eyes of the guards, fully intending to resist, sank low.

It seemed as though they would wield their swords at any moment.

At that momentum, the constables flinched and trembled.

At that moment, Chu Mun-won raised his hand.

“Well, well… Master Hong, it is true that I killed that fellow, but what he said is nothing but a lie. Why are you framing me?”

Chu Mun-won smiled with a smirk.

Du Ak-chil was dead.

Since the one who could be called a witness was dead, who would speak of it and testify?

If there were such a person, he would tear their limbs apart in the name of the Chu Gate Family.

“Do you see this?”

At that moment, Hong Won-chang took something out. It was a sheet of white paper covered in ink. Judging by the handwriting, it definitely belonged to Du Ak-chil.

It even had his bloody handprint stamped on it.

Chu Mun-won squinted his eyes.

“As I said before…”

“Hoyeon Ji of the Hoyeon Clan survived, and those who can testify to your evil deeds are scattered all over. Not just Du Ak-chil, but all those who have suffered at your hands have been summoned to the government office.”

“…”

“Also, as a result of interrogating the high-ranking members of the Hunan Merchant Group who survived, most of the atrocities they committed were things they had no choice but to do because you ordered them. Well, are you going to try to kill them too?”

Grit!

Chu Mun-won ground his teeth once more.

‘The Hunan Merchant Group, the Hunan Merchant Group!’

That damn Hunan Merchant Group kept holding him back. If they were going to collapse completely, they should have vanished entirely. Why did that name keep being brought up!

Choosing to use them was a mistake in the first place.

‘Damn Mak Chung-heon…!’

He wanted to run over right now and rip that mouth apart.

However, since they had been escorted to the Imperial Court, even that was impossible.

‘This bastard Hong Won-chang…!’

He must have interrogated them from the start to target him.

“Well, well… there is no other way.”

Chu Mun-won, wearing a twisted expression, glared at Hong Won-chang. The killing intent in his eyes gradually deepened, and his hidden aura exploded.

“Ugh…!”

“It was quite clever of you to try to corner me… but it is too late, and there is only you all and us here.”

At that moment, Hong Won-chang realized.

He was trying to kill everyone. If he neatly took care of them and buried the corpses where no one would ever find them, who could find out that he had committed such atrocities?

Even if they knew, they would not dare speak of it.

Because they, too, would become corpses.

At that moment, Hong Won-chang fumbled in his robe and pulled something out.

He aimed it at the sky and pulled something.

Bang-!

With a loud noise, something shot up high and brightly illuminated the surroundings. As it exploded brilliantly, it would draw the attention of everyone nearby.

“Go ahead and try.”

Hong Won-chang smirked.

He had expected this to happen from the beginning. That was why he had made thorough preparations.

“You must know as well… where is this place? Is it not Changsha?”

“…”

“The Prince’s Mansion is right in front of us, and its troops are lined up. What do you think will happen if a signal flare is fired in such a place?”

“You bastard…”

“You have already lost your path of retreat. Ah, did you know? There was something Mak Chung-heon said before he was escorted away.”

“I don’t want to hear it.”

As if he did not even fear Chu Mun-won, who was emitting killing intent, Hong Won-chang took a step forward and curled his lips. As if to mock Chu Mun-won.

“He asked me to kill that son of a bitch, Chu Mun-won.”

“You!”

Chu Mun-won shouted and stretched out his hand. A strange object extending from his sleeve cut through the darkness, aiming at Hong Won-chang.

At that moment, someone appeared from the very back of the constables.

They quickly extended their sword and struck down the incoming objects.

Clang clang clang-!

It was a considerable amount of internal energy; even though she deflected it with the flat of the blade, the force was transmitted strongly throughout her body.

Just seeing her slide backward showed that the opponent’s internal energy had reached an immeasurable level.

Ring-

The sword cried out as if in pain.

“I-I thought I was going to die… Couldn’t you step forward a bit faster?”

“I was surprised too. I didn’t expect him to attack like this…”

Namgung So-hye gave an awkward smile and shook her sword. Her wrist throbbed, but her gaze looking at her opponent was straighter than ever.

Shring-

Following behind her, Gwon Mu-jin made his appearance. Drawing his two sabers and looking straight ahead, he wore a pleased expression despite being surprised by the opponent’s strength.

Someone who would elevate him further.

As if he were satisfied just by having an opponent with such skills right before his eyes.

“Are they the greenhorns of the Hunan Dan Family?”

Chu Mun-won muttered, squinting his eyes. He was not unaware that Hong Won-chang and the Hunan Dan Family had a deep relationship. Therefore, it was not that surprising that they were here in this place.

“I won’t tell you to surrender quietly. Resist desperately. Until all your strength is gone.”

Chu Mun-won was dumbfounded at Gwon Mu-jin’s voice.

Was he saying that because he truly did not know the difference in their abilities?

If so, he was definitely worse than a third-rate scoundrel.

Chu Mun-won let out a hollow laugh and looked at his subordinates.

“Kill them all.”

Late at night, a sword fight staking the fate of a noble clan began.

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