Chapter 229: Have You Come to Collect the Life Debt?

TL: FoodieMonster007

A man stepped out of a carriage. He had a well-built figure and a cold demeanor. The saying 'he wouldn't bleed even if you stabbed him' seemed to exist just for him. His expressionless face suited the phrase perfectly. He was chilling yet refined.

The man entered the wide-open manor. A plaque reading 'the Great Night Gang' hung at the entrance.

A gruesome scene unfolded inside. Over a hundred corpses were strewn everywhere. The members of the Great Night Gang had been massacred. Amidst the bodies, martial artists in matching red uniforms hunted down and killed the survivors.

It was a horrific sight, like a battlefield, but the man walked on without batting an eye. Blood splattered onto his shoes and pants, but he paid it no mind.

The sight of him walking through a sea of blood suited him perfectly. He exuded a powerful presence with every step. It was a terrifying presence, one that seemed impossible to stop unless he chose to halt himself.

The man was Yayul Han, the Evil Alliance's second-in-command.

The martial artists in red uniforms were from the Extreme Army. The Extreme Army was the most elite organization in the Evil Alliance, led by Yayul Han.

The Extreme Army martial artists bowed their heads respectfully as Yayul Han passed. The aura of each one was extraordinary.

Yayul Han entered the main hall.

Jong Sin, the Great Night Gang's leader, sat slumped in a large chair in the center. He was heavily injured and covered in blood. The corpses of Extreme Army martial artists lay around him.

"You bastard!" the leader of the Great Night Gang roared. His insides churned, and he suddenly vomited a mouthful of blood. "How could you! How could you do this!"

In contrast to the agitated leader, Yayul Han was perfectly calm.

He walked to a corner where a martial artist from the Extreme Army was still breathing. The man took pained breaths. His injuries were too severe, his condition beyond saving.

Without hesitation, Yayul Han placed a palm on the man's chest. The martial artist breathed his last as if falling asleep.

From behind, the voice of the Great Night Gang's leader reached him. "I'll say it now, but looking at your face always gave me the creeps and made me feel awful."

Yayul Han showed no flicker of emotion.

"You always hid your emotions." The leader of the Great Night Gang had never sensed any emotion from Yayul Han. He had never seen him happy, sad, or angry. "Are there any human emotions inside that body of yours?"

Yayul Han straightened up and calmly replied. "Must I have them?" His deep yet pleasant voice echoed through the main hall.

"What?"

"Those human emotions you speak of, are they truly necessary?" he asked so confidently that the leader of the Great Night Gang didn't know what to say.

"Hearing that from you is a bit bewildering. You haven't exactly lived a very human life yourself."

"Shut up!" the old man roared, only to vomit blood again. Dark red blood soaked his clothes. "Even so, I didn't live a life of framing and annihilating an entire sect."

They were annihilated today for conspiring with the Murim Alliance to stage a rebellion. The evidence was clear. A letter he had never written appeared, yet the handwriting was identical to his. A large sum of money he knew nothing about, received from the Murim Alliance, was in his treasury. There was also evidence of him leaking Evil Alliance secrets, testimonies, and even a witness who had seen him in a secret meeting with people from the Murim Alliance. Even to his own eyes, he was clearly a traitor.

"Let me at least know the reason. Why?" The leader of the Great Night Gang was certain Yayul Han had trapped him.

"You've forgotten."

At Yayul Han's words, the leader of the Great Night Gang flinched. It sounded as if he had made a grave mistake. "What are you talking about?"

"You once told me that if a person acts a certain way, it might displease others."

The leader of the Great Night Gang had no memory of saying such a thing. The memory was faint. Did I say that?

"You couldn't hold back what you wanted to say. Unable to control your emotions while living in the murim? I despise people like that."

"So?"

Yayul Han said no more.

For a moment, the leader of the Great Night Gang was stunned. "Is that the only reason?"

"Killing someone I despise. Do I need a more certain reason than that?"

The leader of the Great Night Gang roared. "You crazy bastard!"

Compared to the agitated leader, Yayul Han was calm. "There are as many people in the world as grains of sand. Is there really a need to walk alongside someone I dislike?"

Yes, the leader of the Great Night Gang understood that much. Even if he didn't truly understand, he could pretend to. However, there was one part he could not comprehend at all.

"Then you should have killed only me!"

"To do that, I would have been too displeased."

"Even so… you're saying you killed all those innocent people over such a trivial matter?" The leader of the Great Night Gang let out a pained sigh.

Tears streamed from his eyes. He would have felt less wronged if this had been the result of some great grudge. He would have felt less sorry for his family and the martial artists of his sect. His clan was being annihilated because of a single remark he couldn't even remember.

The leader of the Great Night Gang spoke in a self-mocking tone. "This must all be fate."

"You may want to blame fate, but this is your fault. It's because of your insensitivity, calling another's feelings 'trivial'."

The leader of the Great Night Gang beckoned him closer. "Before I die, there's something I must tell you."

Had he sensed his death? The anger vanished from his face.

Yayul Han approached him.

Closer, closer. The leader of the Great Night Gang gestured with great effort. Yayul Han obediently granted his final request.

The distance between the two men closed.

SHWIIIIK!

The leader of the Great Night Gang mobilized all his remaining qi and unleashed a palm strike. The strained gesturing had been an act for this one move.

FLASH! SEOGEOK!

However, Yayul Han's sword was faster. His blade was so fast and precise it was invisible to the naked eye.

DERURURURU.

The severed head of the Great Night Gang's leader rolled across the floor. Yayul Han looked at the head and spoke coldly. "You old fool, did you really think I did all this for such a reason?"

After leaving words that would prevent the leader from closing his eyes even in death, Yayul Han went outside.

Just as he stepped out, it began to rain.

SWAAAAAAAH.

Yayul Han stood under the eaves for a moment and looked up at the downpour.

A man ran toward him through the rain and offered him a cloak. It was Cha Hwan, his body covered in dragon tattoos. He was the last living man of the Four.

His body was covered in dragon tattoos, but he brought to mind a black panther. He had dark skin and a sleek build. Even the whites of his eyes stood out starkly against his skin.

However, he was a man who wanted to be a dragon more than a panther. He prided himself on having the greatest loyalty among the Four. He believed Yayul Han kept only him by his side because he recognized that loyalty.

"That's alright. Let's get some rain for a change." Yayul Han walked into the rain.

Cha Hwan followed silently behind him. Behind them, the martial artists of the Extreme Army lined up and followed suit.

I arrived at the safehouse with the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon. Go Wol was waiting for us with new information.

"Something unusual is happening within the Evil Alliance."

"What is it?"

"Recently, the Great Night Gang was annihilated."

"By whom?"

"The Great Night Gang committed treason by conspiring with the Murim Alliance. The evidence was clear, and in the process of their arrest, they were wiped out by the Extreme Army, led by Yayul Han. I believe this was Yayul Han's doing."

Go Wol had grasped the situation accurately.

The Great Night Gang had been annihilated by Yayul Han even before my regression. However, the timing had changed. Things that were meant to happen still happened, but the timing or the cause could subtly shift.

"What's your reason for thinking so?"

"First, from what I know, the leader of the Great Night Gang is not someone who would ever betray the Evil Alliance Chairman."

Go Wol had another, more decisive reason for his suspicion. "The timing is suspicious. Do you know when the Evil Alliance began investigating the Great Night Gang after receiving the tip about this incident?"

"When was it?"

"It was when Aecha died."

The timing was indeed suspicious.

Go Wol offered his judgment on the matter. "When two of the Four, his key subordinates, died, I believe Yayul Han became convinced that someone had intervened."

"Don't tell me."

"Yes, I think he believes the Evil Alliance Chairman is behind it."

This was completely unexpected.

"So he struck the Great Night Gang as revenge?"

"The leader of the Great Night Gang was a famous figure in the pro-Chairman faction. It was Yayul Han's warning of what happens when you mess with him."

It was a plausible speculation.

It was a well-known fact that Yayul Han coveted the Chairman's seat. For now, the Evil Alliance Chairman was too powerful for him to dare make a move, but the situation would change once Bi Sayin took the seat.

Public rumors even circulated that for the Evil Alliance Chairman to pass the seat to Bi Sayin, he would have to kill Yayul Han.

A tense power dynamic of mutual checks was being maintained.

"I think Yayul Han believes the Evil Alliance Chairman has started eliminating his key followers in order to make Bi Sayin the successor."

Our actions had triggered something that was bound to happen someday, but early.

"This is a golden opportunity. If we can use this situation well, we won't have to worry about the aftermath of killing Yayul Han."

A truly unexpected situation was waiting for us.

"You're saying we should kill Yayul Han and make it seem like Bi Sayin was the one who killed him?"

"That's right. It's not a bad deal for Bi Sayin either. He'll solidify his position as the successor, and we'll succeed in our mission."

I looked at the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon, who had been listening with me. His eyes said he would follow my will no matter how the situation unfolded.

In that case, what needed to be done was decided.

"First, I should go meet my friend. Though I'm not sure if he still considers me one."

Bi Sayin was eating at a high-class inn he frequented. His face was still hideous. Slashed, crushed, and distorted. An appearance that made one's heart clench just by looking at it. However, his aura felt a bit brighter than the dark, heavy one he had before becoming the successor.

Around him, the Thirteen Evil Wolves ate with him, acting as his bodyguards.

A stream of telepathy reached Bi Sayin.

[Have you been well?]

Bi Sayin's chopsticks paused for a moment before moving again.

[You truly are fearless. To come all the way to the Alliance's Headquarters.]

The content of his words was gruff, but his tone was gentle. He owed me a life debt. If not for me, he would not have become the successor.

[I have something to discuss with you in private.]

[Say it here. Do you have any idea how difficult it is for the Evil Alliance's successor to go out alone?]

[Later, you'll live a life where your every word becomes reality. So for now, do something difficult. Let's meet at the summit of the mountain behind the Evil Alliance.]

Before leaving the inn, I saw it. A faint smile had formed on Bi Sayin's lips. It was the smile of someone who, if not a friend, was at least not an enemy.

I stood on the summit of the mountain overlooking the Evil Alliance Headquarters.

Before my regression, while wandering in search of materials for the Great Art, I had stood here and looked down at the Evil Alliance. I had stood in this very spot, thinking that regression would solve everything.

Just then, Bi Sayin's voice came from behind me. "What important business do you have to call someone out in the middle of the night? You could have just used telepathy at the inn."

I spoke without turning around. "I was afraid you'd flip the dinner table."

"Everyone knows I have a bad temper, so it would have been fine." Bi Sayin stood next to me.

"What if I pushed you from behind? Why don't you turn around?"

"Haven't we become close enough not to worry about such things?"

When I looked at him, Bi Sayin scoffed. "That's not it. You're acting relaxed because you know you could fall from here without a single scratch."

"That's also true."

As I smiled at him, Bi Sayin turned his gaze to the distant Evil Alliance building. "Have you come to collect the life debt?"

"Why just the life debt? I have to collect the successor debt too."

"What do you want?"

"Will you grant me anything?"

"If it's something I can grant."

I looked at him. Bi Sayin looked back at me. "Let's kill Yayul Han."

He was startled by my sudden words. "I knew you were a strange person, but I didn't realize you were this desperately insane."

A moment of silence passed before he asked. "Are you trying to start a war with us?"

"If that were the case, I wouldn't be having this conversation with you. I came to kill Yayul Han."

"Why are you trying to kill him?"

"The grudges he cultivated with blood have come full circle to me."

Knowing well what kind of person Yayul Han was, Bi Sayin didn't ask further. It wasn't as if the man had only one or two enemies.

"When you take the Chairman's seat, Yayul Han will definitely aim for your position. That's why the Evil Alliance Chairman must be contemplating it right now. When to get rid of Yayul Han, and if he isn't thinking that?"

"If he isn't?"

"Then the Evil Alliance Chairman has already chosen Yayul Han as his successor. It would mean he's passing the Chairman's seat to you knowing you will die."

"!"

He said nothing. His mind must have been in turmoil. Yayul Han was an enemy he had to kill to become the Chairman, but at the same time, he was the greatest power supporting the Evil Alliance.

"This attack on the Great Night Gang is merely a prelude to striking you."

Bi Sayin could not deny it. The death of the Great Night Gang's leader must have been a great shock to both the Evil Alliance Chairman and himself.

"Do you remember? I once said that someday, when I become the Heavenly Demon and you become the Evil Alliance Chairman, we should meet again, reminisce, and shake hands."

I stared into Bi Sayin's conflicted eyes. I knew well that this was not a decision he could make easily. However, my own success or failure also depended on this.

"I want to shake hands with you, not Yayul Han."