Chapter 251: The Smell Of People Living (3)
Chapter 250 – The Smell Of People Living (3)
“Please… spare… no, kill… me…”
A middle-aged man whose face was so swollen that he could not even open his eyes properly begged, spilling thick blood from the corner of his mouth.
“It ruins the taste of the wine. Shut your mouth.”
“Please…”
The man was now even shedding tears in streams.
The man, whose entire body had become stiff as a log, stood straight as a bamboo, unable to make even the slightest movement.
Around him, corpses were piled high.
Namgung Cheon drank a cup of wine and asked:
“So, who did you say the backer was?”
“I do not know… really… I really do not know… please stop…”
Pew, thud!
“Keeuup!”
As a stream of finger force flew, the man trembled all over and groaned. Every time Namgung Cheon pointed with his finger, finger force flew in and struck his body’s vital acupoints, which was truly a pain worse than death.
“He says he doesn’t know, Patriarch.”
“That is a relief.”
“Indeed.”
The middle-aged man shed tears in streams and looked back and forth between the two men beyond his blurry vision.
He did not know what on earth these crazy bastards wanted from him.
All the assassins in the tavern were dead.
And he was the only one who survived.
At first, he was inwardly relieved by the fact that he had survived alone. Because he thought that no matter what information they wanted to get, as long as he did not speak it, he could live.
However, it was a misjudgment.
For he now knew that living was a pain worse than death.
They were truly demons risen from hell.
He had never heard that the people of the Namgung Clan were this cruel.
Were they not always those who had their shoulders puffed up with pride while talking about the family of sovereigns this and that?
A family whose pride pierced the sky even in a ruined state.
A family that would be sad if ranked second when it came to being fair and square.
Yet, to stand a person up and torment him so viciously!
“Keup! Cough, cough!”
“This bastard is filthy…”
Namgung Cheon frowned, looking at the blood that splattered even onto the table.
Looking at that cool gaze, the man made a resolution in his mind:
‘Yes, these fellows are actually pleased that I know nothing. As if it is enjoyable to torture me without killing me. It would be better to pretend to know even what I don’t know!’
A moment later, Namgung Geom drank down his cup, stared at the man, and asked:
“Who is the backer?”
The man opened his eyes wide.
‘I must speak now!’
Recalling the conversation Namgung Cheon and Namgung Geom had earlier, he randomly pointed to one.
“I-I will tell you. Actually… it is the Martial Alliance.”
Namgung Cheon and Namgung Geom flinched and looked at each other.
Simultaneously, a faint sense of relief appeared on the man’s expression.
‘I can finally die.’
However, Namgung Cheon’s reaction was somehow ominous.
Namgung Cheon glared and growled at the man:
“The Martial Alliance? Are you really sure?”
“Y-yes, certain.”
“No. You don’t know that. You must not know.”
‘Is this bastard truly crazy? What on earth does this mean? He wants me to not know, or what?’
While the man wore a puzzled expression, Namgung Cheon continued speaking:
“You must not say it. If you say that, what are we supposed to do? You bastard.”
“W-what do you mean?”
“Honestly, you don’t know, right? You just pretended to know?”
“N-no. I really knew! The backer is the Martial Alliance! There! I have spoken everything I know!”
At that, Namgung Cheon and Namgung Geom looked at each other with shaded expressions again.
Namgung Cheon let out a deep sigh and said to Namgung Geom:
“This bastard keeps knowing? What should we do?”
“Indeed. It is perplexing.”
No, he says he knows, so why? What is perplexing!
The man shouted while trembling violently:
“Now kill me or do whatever you want! Since I have told you what I know, I am no longer of any use, am I!”
“No longer of use! Who says such a thing? I am already regretting having killed everyone so excitedly just now. If you die too, how are we supposed to endure that awkward atmosphere again?”
“What…?”
When the man asked back with a puzzled expression, Namgung Geom let out a shallow breath and spoke:
“That is why, why did you perform such a slaughter? A young fellow like you.”
“You said before that they were trash that could be incinerated. You told me to think of it as martial arts training.”
“Even so, you should have left a few behind. Since you left only one, doesn’t a situation like this happen? We also have a long way to go.”
“Ah…! The way…”
Namgung Cheon opened his mouth wide like a person who had been hit on the back of the head with a bat.
Why had he not thought of that?
He had spared one guy so that they could spend tonight without feeling awkward, but to think Namgung Geom had considered him as a way to soothe the awkwardness until they arrived at the Sichuan Tang Clan.
‘As expected, age cannot be ignored!’
Namgung Cheon, who had gained great enlightenment, shifted his gaze and glared at the middle-aged man. The middle-aged man, who flinched in vain, gasped.
‘Gasp, why is this bastard acting like this again…!’
Namgung Cheon narrowed his eyes and asked:
“I still have many things I am curious about. The Patriarch does too, right?”
“Yes. Knowledge is always power.”
“I share the same thought. Then, another question.”
“W-what are you talking about? Didn’t I say I spoke everything I know? Now stop killing…”
“No, I must know more. How much did the Martial Alliance give you?”
No, why are you asking such a thing, you crazy bastard!
The man barely swallowed the curses rising up to his throat.
‘These bastards will inflict terrible torture again if I do not answer. Spouting nonsense like telling me to feel the pain of those I killed and their bereaved families!’
The middle-aged man, who organized his thoughts, exhaled heavily and replied:
“From what I know… I heard it was one hundred thousand taels.”
“One hundred thousand taels? Only one hundred thousand taels?”
“Ah, no… it might also have been two hundred thousand taels…”
“Two hundred thousand taels? Two hundred thousand taeaeals?”
“Three… three hundred thousand? Four hundred thousand?”
Pew, thud!
“Kuaaaaap!”
“Is this bastard bargaining with me right now? What kind of cheap trick is this? Consider that pain just now to be the price for a life you must have killed somewhere.”
“Damn it! I said kill me instead!”
“Ah, life is precious. This assassin bastard cannot abandon his habits. How can you treat life so recklessly?”
When Namgung Cheon scolded him in a seemingly stern tone, Namgung Geom, who sat opposite him, nodded continuously.
“Those words are very correct.”
“Thank you for the praise, Patriarch.”
“You fellow, you call me that to the end.”
“Mmm. It will gradually get better.”
“Yes, let’s let it go.”
“Even so, it is indeed much better. Because there is another guest in the tavern besides us.”
“Indeed. It is much better than a desolate atmosphere.”
You crazy bastards! If a pile of corpses scattered around is not desolate, what on earth is? Huh?
Namgung Geom smiled gently and looked back at the man.
“Now, how old is our dear assassin this year?”
No, damn it! Why are you curious about such a thing! Are these bastards really the Namgung Clan Patriarch and Young Patriarch? What on earth is their identity!
* * *
Chirp, chirp…!
A mountain bird announcing the morning chirped with a clear voice.
Flutter!
When the bird perched on the tavern plaque flew up, the precariously hanging plaque finally lost its balance and fell.
Creak, thud!
At the same time that dust billowed, the door of the tavern opened.
“Yawwwwn!”
Namgung Cheon, who stretched lazily, rubbed his eyes and said:
“I had a good sleep after a long time.”
“Me too.”
Namgung Geom nodded and suddenly thrust something forward. It was a suckling infant wrapped in a swaddling cloth.
“Uh… why this to me?”
“Then are you going to leave it behind here?”
‘No, was this old man originally this overflowing with warmth? Even if we leave it, the Killing Valley will come and take it anyway.’
However, the words of Namgung Geom that followed made that thought vanish.
“We have a long way to go. We must take it.”
“Ah…!”
At that moment, Namgung Cheon gained a great enlightenment.
If there was no baby, how could the two of them endure the remaining journey inside that narrow carriage?
‘Indeed, he is an old man worthy of respect.’
Namgung Cheon nodded and quickly received the baby. Then he glanced back and said:
“That assassin fellow will convey the words to the Killing Valley well, right?”
“He will. Since he must have suffered all night in his own way.”
“For once, something to look forward to has occurred.”
“You can consider it as training martial arts while going.”
“We won’t be bored until we arrive at the Tang Clan.”
“That is a good thing.”
“Indeed.”
As the two reached the carriage like that, the coachman quickly approached and greeted them.
“Did you sleep well last night?”
The coachman had slept in the carriage after seeing the fuss that occurred at the tavern last night.
Namgung Cheon and Namgung Geom smiled brightly at the same time, like the morning sun.
“We rested very well.”
* * *
Along a sloped path, a hunchbacked old woman was climbing with difficulty, leaning on a cane.
She was an old woman who looked so precarious that if she took a wrong step, her thin bones might break.
Yet, her eyes were as fierce as Yama’s gaze.
She was none other than the old woman of the Killing Valley who had visited the Martial Alliance Leader.
“Mmm.”
The old woman, who finally topped the hill, saw the shabby tavern visible in the distance.
“Tsk…”
She could tell already that things had gone awry.
The tavern door was wide open, and a thick scent of blood drifted all the way here.
In fact, she had already been prepared for this since before coming here.
Because if there had been no setback, there would have been no reason for her to climb the hill with such difficulty.
‘The fact that there has been no news until now…’
Was it not obvious without even looking?
Bending her brow deeply, the old woman walked slowly into the tavern, leaning on her cane.
Fhew!
A dreadful stench of blood.
Though she had gone through all kinds of hardships, it was rare for her to face a pile of corpses of this scale.
She pulled out a handkerchief, covered her nose, and walked slowly to a corner.
A middle-aged man, the only one alive among the pile of corpses.
She clicked her fingers and a slender finger force flew, striking the man’s vital acupoint.
Thud, thud!
“Keo-heok!”
The man, who only then regained consciousness, exhaled heavily and opened his eyes.
However, because his face was so swollen, his wide-open eyes were smaller than buttonholes.
“Gr-granny…!”
“Yes, speak.”
“Keo-heuk! Granny…!”
“What did you experience?”
At the old woman’s question, the middle-aged man sobbed, shedding tears.
“Are those fellows really no longer here? Are they not in this place?”
“They are not. It seems quite some time has passed since they left.”
“Keo-heo-heok! Those fellows were truly dreadful bastards! They did not kill me to the end, subjecting me to all kinds of torture while using me as a conversation topic!”
“A conversation topic?”
When the old woman narrowed her eyes, the middle-aged man wept even more sorrowfully.
“Yes, to them, I was merely a conversation topic to liven up the mood! Those guys were truly demons… yakshas… asuras!”
“Did you hear anything else?”
“Ah…! They told me the way to the Sichuan Tang Clan in detail. Through where and how they will go. They told us to cheer up because we can catch up if we hurry… that the Killing Valley can do it…”
“The Killing Valley…? Do they know us?”
“Yes, strangely, they knew. Especially that fellow called the Young Patriarch seemed like a properly crazy bastard.”
“So, what did they say the route would be?”
The middle-aged man began to detail the contents he had heard to the old woman. Other than that, he also conveyed all the painful stories he had experienced through the night.
The old woman narrowed her eyes and groaned softly.
“Hmm. They are certainly crazy bastards. Is that why the Alliance Leader wants to eliminate them?”
“Granny. Please exclude me now. I do not want to see those guys again. Give me another mission instead!”
“Do not worry. You will naturally be excluded.”
“Ah, thank you. Thank you so much…!”
Thud!
Before anyone knew it, a dagger that left the old woman’s hand stuck straight into the middle-aged man’s heart. Looking at the man who died instantly with his mouth wide open, the old woman muttered indifferently:
“Saying such a thing after failing.”
Exhaling a shallow breath, the old woman straightened her back and looked around at the corpses.
“Waiting for the Killing Valley. I am indeed curious to see how crazy they are.”